-- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com hello, everyone. i'm don lemon. you're in the cnn news room. it happened exact ly one year ao today. a sunny supermarket parol in tucson, arizona. a congresswoman meeting and greeting the people from her community, then absolute madness. >> we have breaking news for you. several people have been shot. the shooting occurred at a grocery store. >> we have discovered that we have 18 individuals who were shot.

>> a gunman unleashing his fire on the crowd, killing six people. his main target, congresswoman gabrielle giffords. despite taking a bullet to the skull, survives. jared loughner waiting behind bars while authorities try to determine whether he'll ever be sane enough for trial. bells ringing in memorial today at the safeway store where it happened one year ago. the shock still felt a full 12 months later. i want to go to thelma gutierrez in tucson. giffords gets a lot of focus because she did survive, but this day is also about the six others. >> absolutely. i believe, don, that she would be the first person to tell you that in fact, a memorial service

is going on right now. it's in secentennial hall later this evening. at this service, they're talking about all of those who lost their lives, including the popular game zimmerman. he was an outdoorsman. only 30 years old. he was gabrielle giffords' aide. his father says he will be missed. he wants his son's memory not tarnished by this terrible event. doesn't want the city to only be remembered by the tragedy. >> what we need to focus on is that this is not the defining feature of the community. insane individuals -- can -- people can lose their faculties and do terrible things any place in the world. there's always that risk. in american society because weapons are so freely available.

there's other risks. and it's not that event. it's what happens after that event. what people make of that event in moving forward because we can't change it. i would do anything to have gabe back, but i can't, so what do we do going forward? how do we go forward in ways that help us remember game, help us remember the judd, christina, the others. help us remember the people who were affected and try and do the most positive things we can in response to that. >> over the weekend, gabrielle giffords was at a dedication for gabrielle -- game zimmerman and dedicated a plaque. she didn't speak, but she did walk around the room and she hugged everyone and we're told it was a very emotional moment, don. >> you know, i ask you this question because i think you can provide some information on this that many of us wouldn't know

about. you're from tucson. you went to school in arizona. so, what is it like one year later to be there and for people who are there, is it still just as fresh for people today as it was a year ago? >> you know, that's a really interesting question, don, because as i talk to family members and friends and people who worked with gabrielle giffords, those people who actually knew gabe zimmerman, lots of these folks will tell you this is a tragedy that no one will ever forget. the city is forever changed by it, but it is not defined by it as mr. zimmerman said and he wanted to make sure that the city was known for the other things it has to offer, but will people forget? absolutely not. this is something that was just a terrible, terrible tragedy. tucson had not seen violence like this before. you talk to folks and can't help but kind of share in that pain

that they feel. especially those who have lost family members as mr. zimmerman has. >> very well put. thank you very much. we appreciate it. now this. man, it's quickly approaching. two days until new hampshire. voters head to the polls after two debates in less than 24 hours. want to get the latest on the republican race for the white house and jim acosta standing by in new hampshire where mitt romney is holding rally. mitt romney has taken a lot of heat in the last two days, hasn't he? >> he really has, don. let me set the stage behind me. rit romney and chris christie is not out yet. kelly ayotte is on the stage now, but there is a big, big crowd in this event. i will tell you, i have not seen a bigger crowd for governor romney up until this point.

there is an overflow room next to this one where they are moving people because there are just so many people here tonight. even though this is new hampshire, you can basically call this new york for mitt romney because if he can't make it here, he can't make it anywhere. he is heavily favored to win, but there is probably a good sense of urgency inside the romney campaign right now. there is a tracking poll that has been measuring this campaign over the last several days. it has mitt romney's numbers in the poll have steady gone down. no surprise. it is because he has been coming under attack at the nbc "meet the press" debate earlier today, almost all of the other contenders on the stage were going after romney. there was one point during the debate where romney was trying to explain why he is not a career politician. newt gingrich went right after the former massachusetts governor and said that is a punch of pius baloney.

mitt romney's starting to feel the heat of a front-runner. >> also controversy around the pink slip comment. what's that about? >> he was at an event today in ro rochester and sort of unprompted by the crowd or even or any of the questions he's facing from the press, he basically came out today and made this comment that he has feared for the loss of his job over the course of his lifetime. he said he knows what it's like to be afraid of the pink slip and it caught a lot of people, especially the press traveling with this campaign, off guard because as you know, his father was president of the -- went on to run for president. so mitt romney had led by almost all estimates, a fairly privileged childhoods. the other campaigns are starting to launch, seize on to this. the huntsman campaign, spokesman

sent out an e-mail earlier this evening. the headline on the e-mail, don, was scared mittless and the question was asked why hasn't the romney campaign explained these comments earlier today. there's one possibility as to why he said that earlier today, don. and that is because a pro gingrich super pack, winning our future, came out out with a 30 minute documentary focusing on layoffs at bain capital. the firm romney once ran. it is a stinging, scorching portrayal of romney's days at that investment firm and i imagine, i have to -- it's only a guess, we haven't gotten an x explanati explanation, but that's what the comments were about. >> and swrjim, that is a horse race, when you started talking, chris christie wasn't there. mitt romney, chris christie on stage. over your left shoulder, you see

a working debt clock, so you know they're going to be talking about the economy and national debt and how that is of utmost importance to americans. chris christie, one of the biggest assets for republicans and mitt romney right now taking the stage. thank you, jim. of course, you can trust the best political team on television for complete coverage of the new hampshire primary. join wolf blitzer, anderson cooper, candy crowley tuesday night. jon huntsman still in the race and he is letting his candidacy ride on his performance in new hampshire. ahead, we'll ask our experts if he's gained enough traction there to keep going after tuesday's primaries. it's a bit like asking if they want a big hat... ...'scuse me... ...or a big steak... ...or big hair... i think we have our answer.

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less than 48 hours until new hampshire holds the first primary in the nation and if republican candidates weren't sick of each other before, they must be now after meeting for two debates just ten hours apart. romney had it pretty easy last night, but his rival came out swinging at this morning's nbc debate, especially newt gingrich. >> i realize the red light doesn't mean anything to you because you're the front-runner. but can we drop a little bit of the pius baloney? this idea that suddenly scitiz n citizenship showed up, just level with the american people. >> whatever you think, newt makes it interesting.

i want to bring in will and lc granderson. will, you're out of the confines of a warm and cozy studio. you going to be okay? you all right? >> this is the farthest north this skin has ever gone. new hampshire. >> part of the 1% in television punditry. so listen. >> exactly. >> is any of this stuff, will, any of this stuff, is it going to stick to mitt romney? all the attacks? >> no. i will say this. newt's right, that was pius balon baloney. mitt romney has been running since the '90s. he has been just this close to a career politician, but that being said, makes you wonder why did it take this long for these

guys to go after the perceived front-runner. it's like they've been nudging each other with their elbows, you do it. the guy that goes after romney, i evidence that. mean newt. mean newt is not going to help good newt get elected. >> and before i pose a question, i want to play another exchange from this morning. it's jon huntsman hitting back at romney. listen to this. >> he criticized me while he was out raising money for serving my country in china, yes, under a democrat, like my two sons are doing in the navy, they're not asking what political affiliation the president is. >> the person who should represent our party running against president obama is not someone who called him a remarkable leader and went to be his ambassador in china. >> this nation is divided, david, because of attitudes like

that. >> that was a pretty strong moment for huntsman. do you think that will play well? it probably did in the more moderate state of nnds, didn't it? >> absolutely. and i think he's about correct. as you know, i've been talking about huntsman because his resume is that impressive and he finally had an opportunity to show the type of person he has and talk about his credentials without all the side show acts from before. i think it's a very poignant statement he made. the attitude that romney had in regards to saying that huntsman's disqualified for giving obama credit. there's nothing wrong with recognizing the good that president obama has done while also challenging the bad. but this rhetoric that he's done everything wrong and only i know what's right not only divided the country, but makes you look simple because it's not that simple. >> don, don -- >> go ahead. >> i was going to say, that was a great moment for huntsman, but

the best line came after that where he said just like my sons who are serving in the united states navy, i don't ask who the commander in chief is when i choose to serve my country. he's been terribly miscast. jon huntsman is one of the most conservative candidates on that stage. maybe the most, but he's been miscast and now, it looks like it's too late. >> as i was saying, i hate to -- >> why is it wrong for me to root for huntsman? >> because you're considered a liberal and huntsman is conservative and you have been talking about huntsman for months. i'm sick of you talking about huntsman. he's like, huntsman, huntsman, huntsman. end of discussion. this is the debate from last night. i want to play a moment from rick perry. listen. >> i would send troops back into iraq because i will tell you -- >> now? >> i think we start talking with the iraqi individuals there. i think it is a huge error for us. we're going to see iran in my

opinion, move back in at literally the speed of light. >> okay. back into iraq. will, is he running for president in 2004? >> let's just be clear. not literally. it's not possible that iran is going to move literally at the speed of light into iraq. that's not possible. i don't know if he's running for president in 2004. i think he's running for president for a little longer. let's put it that way and right now, probably running for president of south carolina. rick perry has to show up in south carolina or this deal is over for rick perry. >> so, lz, what are the odds that perry survived past tuesday? >> you know, i think he was done before he got to new hampshire to e tell you the truth. when i think about winners and lose losers, i can't help but put chris christie as a winner in this because every time perry opens his mouth, i am reminded

by how wise it was for chris christie to say, i'm not ready. rick wasn't that wise. instead, he's showing us and not only has he blown his chances for this general election, i don't know if he can go forward and think about 2016 because he has been such a complete buffoon on some of the most critical matters. >> why don't you tell us how you really feel, lz? >> go, huntsman. >> go inside and get warm and you'll be okay. there's a heater in the building. >> thanks, don. i appreciate it. >> want you to check this out. a death defying stunt nearly leads to death. how the jumper managed to survive when the rope snapped. cut. cut! [ monica ] i thought we'd be on location for 3 days -- it's been 3 weeks. so i had to pick up some more things.

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what is the worst case scenario on a bungee cord jump? a 22-year-old tourist found out over the river of the sim bab bob way border. wow. erin langworthy fell 365 feet into the river after the bungee cord snapped. that's farther than the length of a football field. even worse, after hitting the water, she had to swim through the rapids with her feet still tied together. she said she felt like that was being slapped all over again.

she was bruised and suffered a broken collarbone. later evacuated to south africa for treatment. unplooefable. sanjay gupta has launched a new program called the next list. each week, it will profile all from all walks of life. this week, he talked with jake. >> with the yuk lay lee, you don't feel like you need hours and hours of practice. you can just pick it up for the first time. take your finger and do this. you know. ♪ and just have fun with it. it just feels good. everything feels right. >> well, tune in sundays to watch the next list or set your dvr for 2:00 p.m. eastern. more americans are working. ahead, we'll talk with a top guy from cnnmoney.com and ask if the

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that's why the best agents present their clients with a lot of options. because when it comes to what's covered and what's not, nobody likes surprises. [ click ] [ chuckles ] we totally thought -- [ all scream ] obscure space junk falling from the sky? we cover that. moving on. aah, aah, aah, aah. [ male announcer ] we are insurance. ♪ we are farmers ♪ bum, ba-da-bum, bum, bum, bum ♪ according to a recent cnn orc poll, most americans think the economy is the most important issue facing this country and there is some good news in that department. lex harris is here to discuss that for us. we saw some resent strength starting with jobs numbers.

>> absolutely. it goes back. before the new year, we had this big surge in consumer confidence and then the first day back after the new year, we got a report from the manufacturing sector, which had been such a sore spot for the u.s. economy. we saw a report that shows it continue to expand. they're hiring. and then the very next day, u.s. auto sales, which had been basically left for dead two years ago, now they're doing 13 million cars a year. and cnn money's analysis showed their finally really profitable, which is a huge turn around and then friday, 200,000 jobs created. a unemployment rate fogoes downo 8.5%. in recent months when we've had kind of o okay jobs numbers, economists were quick to come out and poke holes in it. this time, they didn't do it i think because it was a good report. >> lex, we don't live in a bubble. how might the global economy

affect us? because it does have an affect. >> that's exactly right, don, and that's why even though we've had four reports that were really strong, everyone's really scared to pound the fabtable fo u.s. recovery and the number one risk they're talking about the europe right now. so very slow growth there. probably going to go into a recess and that's bad enough for our trade with europe. but then even more worrisome is we've had e taliana banks, banks in spain, the greek rescue, all of that could lead to a really difficult time for financial markets and if that freezes up, then we know from back in 2008 when you had lehman brothers, what that does to an economy. then you've got fears about china. fears in d.c. what are we going to do on tax policies in 2013? it's just going to be one big fight. >> i know you guys are covering a lot inform week to come, so take us forward. >> well, beginning tomorrow, we

kick off earnings season, so this is when the be biggest companies report their quarterly earnings. it starts with alcoa, then friday, we're going to have jpmorgan chase, which is going to be very interesting to hear how the banking sector has been dealing with the volatility we've had. then back to europe again. sorry. on thursday, the european central bank is meeting. it's going to be a very important policy decision. >> all right. almost jumped the gun. thank you very much. have a great week. >> sure thing, don. we're going to look at some of the hour's stop stories next, including that effort to breakthrough the ice to get fuel to an alaska city. and next hour, dan rather joins us live from new hampshire. hear what he thinks about this year's race for the presidency. store, it's really not about you. they say, "well, if you want a firm bed you can lie on one of those, if you want a soft bed you can lie on one of those." we provide the exact individualization that your body needs. welcome to the sleep number year-end closeout event.

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get you up to speed on your headlines. british police say they have identified the body found on one of queen elizabeth's estates last week. they say it is a 17-year-old latvian student who had been missing since august. dna tests helped them identify the body. the u.s. has declared venezuela's counsel general in miami to be -- and she has she must leaf.

last month, several lawmakers had several concerns about -- a documentary alleged she was in a group interested by hackers to infiltrate the white house, pentagon and various nuclear plants. prominent political adviser and pundit tony blankley has died after a battle with stomach cancer. he later served as a political commentator for cnn, for nbc and npr and as editorial page editor of "the washington times." he also was a speech writer in the reagan administration. an early morning fire at a chicago high-rise leaves one woman dead and nine injured. two of those hurt were firefighters. fire official says temperatures inside climbed as high as 1,000

degrees. building's elevators malfunctioned, so firefighters had to climb 12 flights to put out the fire. the cause of the blaze still under investigation. a russian tanker carrying much needed fuel to a city in alaska is expected to arrive by tuesday. the coast guard's only functioning ice breaker is helping the tanker plow through thick ice. the town has been iced in for months and runs the risk of running out of fuel before spring. heavy snowfall stranded 15,000 tourtists over the weekend in western austria. snow triggered avalanched, closed roads and caused blockouts for hundreds of homes. short pause in snowfall saturday allowed some roads to be cleared. more snow is expected until tuesday. we're here in the united states, a winter storm slams new mexico and texas.

jackie jeras, how bad is it? >> well, nothing compared to what they've been seeing in austria, but actually, parts of europe have had a mild, kind of snowless winter. kind of typical to what we've had here and the situation is kind of dire for some ski resorts that have had trouble building up some of the base. there are three states in the u.s. that have average snow pack. we've got arizona, new mexico and alaska. that's it. everybody else is well below the average and that is certainly a concern and something we'll be watching in the months ahead. we have our winter storm that's moving across the southwest right now. the brunt of the storm moving through parts of new mexico and texas tonight and through the day tomorrow. and the snowfall accumulations for the most part, you'll be able to count the number of inches on one hand, but a good five to seven could be expected. rough travel tonight on i-10 and

i-70. take a look at the direction of this storm. it's going to be moving east, so it's going to be affecting places like memphis, atlanta, tuesday into wednesday. this is mostly a warm storm, so we're look iing at a rain event rather than a snow event. thursday, look at the rain that moves into washington, d.c. as well as into new york city. with will see some cold air on the backside of this, so those are light snow showers for you. by late thursday into friday morning, the entire storm system is out of there. so unusual to see so much rain with an event like this. our temperatures staying well above average even though they've been dropping. take a look at some of these forecast highs. monday, 43 degrees in new york city. minneapolis, 44. 21 degrees above where you should be, but we'll pick uncold spot, midland, texas.

they're about 21 degrees below average, but east of the rockies, everyone is loving the warm weather. >> i'm loving that 66 plus. thank you. up next, the new leader of north korea apparently is celebrating a birthday and meanwhile, state television is showing a documentary about his military and tactical prowess. riding a white horse, driving a tank.

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a great scientist, leader and new royal all have something this common. they're celebrating birthdays. our international editor joins us now. britain's stephen hawking celebrating a milestone birthday and brilliant. >> they're saying he's probably the most brilliant physicist since einstein and he's celebrating his birthday. he has als, a motor neuron disorder and if you look at him here, pictures before you, he talks through twitching his cheeks. through a computerized voice system and for somebody who spent his entire life studying the cosmos and looking at black holes and space and time travel, the only thing he wanted to do was go to space, so when he was 65 years old, he had that opportunity to experience what it's like to be in zero gravity, so i want to take a look at the sound bite we have from him so

you can see what he had to say about that experience. >> as you can imagine, i am very excited. i have been wheelchair bound for almost four decades, -- will be wonderful. see you in zero g. >> and in a recent interview when he was asked what perplexes you the most -- women. he says women perplex him the most. he just finds them completely complicated. complete mystery. >> happy birthday to him. another birthday today. we believe it is north korea's new leader, kim jong-un, but no official announcement. >> this just plays into all the mystery around him and again, the country's still observing the death of kim jong-il, his father, and they're still in a mourning period. but that being said again, i feel like more is known about

the cosmos at this point than him. they place him in his late 20s, possibly early 30s, but there's a documentary that aired on korean state tv today showing him in full command of the military, riding a horse, running drills. so again, this is probably to send a message to the international community. we don't know when he took this role of what he's doing and how he's going to handle this. >> also, isn't there a discrepancy about his actual birthday? sort of guessed. >> also, his father and his grandfather, their birthdays are national holidays, so maybe it will come out as a day they're going to celebrate it in the future and then we can pinpoint it. >> another birthday to talk about. don't really follow the royals that much, but a lot of people do. kate middleton, i thought she was 30. >> she'll blow out her candles on monday.

>> what is she now, the duchess of cambridge? thank you. >> and here are some rarely seen photos of her as a child. this is her and prince william at their graduation and the most famous picture is the kiss in front of buckingham palace on their wedding day. >> very nice. another birthday coming up. much younger than 30. she's a kid. still in high school. thank you. did you ever think that you'd see the day when ziggy stardust reached retirement age? ♪ love his music. david bowie turns 65 today. here are some other numbers that you might know about.

you should know about. 43. that's how many years have passed since he released his breakthrough album. 140 million, you know what that is. that's how many albums he's sold over his four-decade career. 2003, that's the last time he released an album of original songs, so happy birthday and how about a comeback? we'd certainly like that. it is alabama versus lsu on monday might for the championship of college football and the ultimate ending to a season for most player rs, but we're going to tell you about one who is just lucky to be alive.

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i know you can hardly wait. i can't. monday night, the sports world will be watching the bcs college football championship game. the showdown between lsu and hln sports anchor joe carter joins me now from new orleans. my team in the news room said you should rekuz yourself from these sports because you're very biased. this championship, alabama is playing for its 13th national title, but i know this one would have some, it has some extra meaning to one player in particular. tell us about it. >> life is a very precious thing

especially when you talk to carson. he was involved in the tornado april. it did so much damage. it caused more than $11 billion in damage in alabama. more than 300 people were killed. some 350 twisters that tore through the state. when you go to tuscaloosa and look at it now, it's certainly not the same town it was before the tornado. dozens of businesses flattened. that day, carson and his girlfriend, ashley, were playing with their dogs in front of their home. the tornado warning started. they went inside o house, the tornado came, ripped the roof off, basically tossing them like ragdolls. carson woke up in the hospital several hours later asking for his girlfriend, ashley, only to be told she had been killed

along with their two dogs. and here we are, carson tinker, 24 hours away from the biggest college football game of his career and he really puts in perspective. it's still a healing process for carson tinker. >> something i do every day. there's not like a textbook way to get over something like what i had to go through. it's a every day thing, but i said this before, every day is a blessing, you know, and i believe that. >> it could have been him. he was thrown hundreds of feet away and he survived. i mean, that's just by the grace of god. >> i know that tuscaloosa is already very proud of us, but a win would be huge. can't even put into words what it would mean. >> carson tinker is the long snapper and his field goal unit

had some problems when they played lsu this year, didn't they? >> yeah, that was the big difference, don. those two field goal kickers for alabama missed two of six field goals. had they made two of those, we might be in a different scenario. it's a rare opportunity that you get the the chance to play a team for a second time. so you know tomorrow night, the entire alabama team is looking for redemption, especially those two kickers. >> i'll be there tomorrow. so excited. thank you, sir. maybe i'll get to see you before the game. >> save you a spot. let's preview the game. a rare, regular-season match that will decide the national championship of course and john is here, senior investigative reporter for "sports illustrated." author of "scorecasting." coming out this week. make sure you pick one up.

this is the best sports segment i've ever done. ls beat alabama in november. should we expect another defensive battle tomorrow night do you think? >> i think we'll see some touchdowns in this game. it's interesting. as you said before, it's very rare we have a national championship game with a rematch. and you know, both teams have obviously had a long, long layoff. 45 days to sort of reassess things, to get healthy, and i mean, these are defense-oriented teams. i don't think we'll have some of these ball games that we've seen before that have gone in the 50s and 60s. i think we're not going to have another 9-6 special. did you say you're going? you're going to be there? >> yes, i am. >> that's great. no cheering in the press box. >> i'm not going to the press box, i'm going. i'm going as a fan, not as a reporter. maybe a tweeter. i'll be tweeting. >> good for you. i'll be following. >> so this is not going to happen. let's just say in a really weird world, if alabama does win, is

there a bcs controversy on hand? >> oh, absolutely. if alabama wins, they'll probably win the national championship without winning the division of their conference. on the other hand, i think this has been lost in this. if lsu wins, and i'm not just saying this, this is a great, great football team. they will have beaten eight top 25 opponents. they'll be undefeated, obviously. i think everybody's sort of talking about this what-if scenario with alabama, but if lsu wins this, we need to be talking about this as one of the great, great national championship teams. >> i went to lsu, my mom is a huge saints fan. so in the lemmon household, it's been a crazy couple of days. this week's "sports illustrated" saints drew brees is on the cover. he led the saints to a win over detroit just yesterday, and at point i tweeted, john, i said, okay, listen, stop scoring, it's embarrassing. he really is the heart and soul of that team, isn't he? >> oh, yeah. that was just an amazing

offensive performance last night. and, no, this is the louisiana football segment here. but i think a lot of people are looking forward to the saints/packers game in the conference championship, saying, this could be the real super bowl. what a game that's going to be. we've still got one more round, obviously, but with green bay's defense a little sketchy and with new orleans, that offense is just -- 600 plus yards is just a joke. this game two weeks from now could really be quite exciting. >> you mentioned that. so are the two best teams in the same conference? >> oh, i think so. i think a lot of people are lacking forward to this gape as sort of the -- we might get some more tebow action, if we don't fall asleep on the new england patriots. but i think if you were doing power rankings in the nfl right now, i think green bay, new orleans go one, two. and it's better or worse that they're in the same conference, i guess. >> let's move on. as much as i hate moving on from louisiana teams, it's an important story, because i want to turn to penn state now, jon. they finally hired a new coach, bill o'brien, the defensive coordinate for the new england

patriots. here's what he said about seceding joe paterno. >> it's a great locker room with a bunch of great guys who want to win. and it's a great foundation. coach paterno laid the foundation of great success and we need to build on that. >> he's not a former penn stater, a coach or a player. did they choose an outsider on purpose, do you think? >> absolutely. and i think that they had to do this, for a variety of reasons. one of them is we still don't know who knew what and when. but i think just -- this scandal was really predicated, i mean, a real theme of this scandal was the insularity of this football team. and for them to have chosen an insider would have made no sense. and we have a lot of former players complaining that they went outside the family is just incredibly tone deaf. i think given the circumstances or landscape, that's about as good a coaching pick as you could have made. >> but some of the players, again, they're criticizing him and they were saying, oh, what

were they thinking when they were doing this? all isn't well there. a lot of people aren't happy. >> no, as if poor -- you know, as if bill o'brien didn't have enough challenges, a, coming into this kind of scandal-tainted program, b, seceding joe paterno, he now has to sort of repair this fabric with the football program. but i just don't understand these former players outraged that they have the audacity to go outside the program, not to hire the interim coach, tom bradley. you know, hiring someone from outside the program, we knew this the first week of the scandal, that this was an imperative. and you know, the sort of response of these players, i don't get that for the life of me. >> all right, jon, thank you very much. make sure you check my twitter feed tomorrow night. it's going to be -- >> have fun tomorrow. >> -- rolling, rolling. in a new credit card commercial, the sky's the limit, you've seen it, but did she really climb that thing? is it for real or some sort of computer. generated magic. the answer, two minutes away. ro.

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what does rock claiming have to do with credit cards? nothing, really. but a credit card ad featuring rock climbing has a lot of people talking. like our very own jeanne moos. >> reporter: these days, when seeing is no longer believing, maybe you've seen this commercial and wondered if you can believe what you see. >> i used my citi thank you card to pick up some accessories. a new belt, some nylons, and what girl wouldn't need new shoes? ♪ somebody left the gate open

i flew us to the rock i really had in mind. >> reporter: the reaction online has been -- "this can't be real." >> yeah, it's real. >> the citi thank you card. >> reporter: thank you for making viewers physically dizzy and sick. i just can't help getting wiggy when she gets to the top and the camera angle is pointed at her feet and you can you can see is imminent death. >> it's actually not very technically difficult. >> reporter: it is a rock formation called ancient art near utah, but who is that hot ad girl. >> i had a camera on my helmet, so it's me, like, looking at my feet as i walk. >> reporter: the feet belong to katie brown. she became one of the top female climbers after she began competing at the age of 15. citi bank hired her and alex honald to do the commercial. you might recognize alex from the jaw-dropping piece "60 minutes" did on him. alex is famous for free soloing,

climbing incredible rock walls without ropes. >> there is no adrenaline rush. if i get a rush, it means something has gone incredibly wrong. >> reporter: in the citi bank commercial, the climbers were using ropes and no one fell. although katie has had a few falls, including this one. viewers of the commercial are almost as curious about the lyrics to the song -- ♪ somebody left the gate open . what is it? a band is sings -- ♪ somebody left the gate open . you've got to give katie credit. the spot's even been parodied from someone using footage from a swedish diaper commercial. >> i flew us to the rock i really had in mind. >> reporter: that high up,