santorum or rick perry or ron paul, for that matter. so, if it's close, it could certainly help. and i suspect that jon huntsman decided he wanted to do this today. he saw the handwriting on the wall. he's an intelligent, smart guy. he knew he wasn't going to win in south carolina. he knew he was probably going to come in last in south carolina. and he didn't want -- there's a debate tonight. he didn't want to go into the debate tonight and be critical of mitt romney only to endorse him the next day or a day or two later. that would be awkward and sort of unseemly, so he decided to do it today and get it over with, move on. it also establishes him, if, in fact, president obama's re-elected, 2016, maybe he'll want to try once again. and you know, there is a history in the republican party of sort of establishment-type candidates waiting in line, waiting for their turn, losing once but then going on to get the nomination down the road, like bob dole or john mccain, you know. that's the kind of thing, george h.w. bush. it's happened before. and maybe he's still a

relatively young guy, jon huntsman is thinking along those lines. >> one of the things i noticed, wolf, about huntsman is that he really is relatively -- he walks away relatively unscathed in this process when you think about it, because he hasn't been hit by all that money from the super pacs to really bury him in criticism like newt gingrich is talking about. and at the same time, he gets to walk away from this, he still has his own money, his own reputation in tact. he doesn't have that kind of really harsh criticism that would have happened if he had gone on to south carolina. do you think he's positioning himself now for, say, a position in the romney cabinet, potentially secretary of state? >> i don't know about secretary of state, but certainly he could position himself for something like that. and even though there was a little bit of tension there, which is normal, during a highly charged campaign, i don't think there's any, you know, really bad blood or any ill feelings between mitt romney and jon huntsman. i can easily see, assuming mitt romney were to get the republican nomination and then

win -- those are big ifs, obviously, but let's say that happened. i could easily see mitt romney turning to jon huntsman for some sort of cabinet-level position. he is a former governor of utah, twice served as u.s. ambassador to china, to singapore, served in other jobs in various republican administrations. he's a talented man. he can probably get himself a good job, if that's what he wants. or he could do something else over the next four years and then try once again, assuming that president obama is re-elected. and you know, that would give him an opening to do so. so, there's a lot of flexibility there. so, i don't think it's going to throw a ton of votes in romney's favor by saturday, but it certainly can't hurt romney. and if it's close between romney and let's say newt gingrich or rick santorum, then it could be very helpful, indeed, down the road. and let's not forget, four years ago, when john mccain emerged from south carolina, florida, got the republican nomination, it was mitt romney who quickly went out there, endorsed him,

went to work for him and waited his turn for now. so, going back to that theme i was laying out of sort of the history of republicans doing this, it's a long history. >> all right. thank you, wolf. want to bring in -- i understand we've got joe? joe is there on the ground. and tell us what we expect out of this announcement here, the folks who have gathered, whether or not we even could see romney at this event? >> reporter: there has been some talk about that, i have to say. i mean, you've got the headline there. he's going to come out, he's going to say romney's my guy, and we're going to go from there. this sounds like it was very much a family decision for jon huntsman. you know, i talked to him when he got on the ground here just after that third-place finish in new hampshire, and it sounded like he was ready to go forward. he said that his whole plan, if you will, was essentially to keep the momentum going, keep moving beyond the expectations and get out of south carolina,

move on to the next episode. but the reality was, here on the ground, that there are a lot of conservative voters who are looking at people like newt gingrich and rick santorum and not thinking much about jon huntsman, even though jon huntsman on paper is a very conservative politician. the fact is, because he was the ambassador to china under the president of the united states, barack obama, a democrat, it made it hard for people to look beyond that, i think, and that's why he winds up here today. but again, to your point where you're talking to wolf about, there is a lot of speculation that, yes, he could possibly go, be seen as going into any administration of mitt romney, and there is also that question of him running, again, four years down the road, if the president of the united states is actually re-elected and republicans are looking for someone to go up against whoever the democrat might be. so, all of that down the road. we expect to hear from jon

huntsman in just a little while. and there has been some talk of mitt romney. but i don't know, i haven't checked on that within the last hour or two, suzanne. >> all right. we'll see who shows up at the event. thank you, joe. we're going to keep our eye on all of that. of course, expecting that jon huntsman is going to step down. he's going to step out of the race and endorse, so far, the front-runner, mitt romney. well, off the coast of italy, you've got to check this out. this is a search for survivors of that cruise ship disaster. it is now back on after being put on hold briefly because it was too dangerous. rescuers were afraid that that ship might sink. six people are confirmed dead, more than a dozen are still missing after that ship slammed into rocks along the coastline, tipping over. many of those who survived say they were on their own. >> there were passengers trying to help. there was chaos. i think they were trying hard, but to us, it appeared as if they weren't trained well. >> we were like, is it sinking

or is it not? because it was just so slowly, slowly going down. >> we were, like, running out when the ship started taking on water and i saw, like, the river water gushing in. i started to panic then. and that's when we started sprinting towards the boat. >> i'm going to actually talk to one of the couples you just heard from in the next hour. find out about more of their ordeal. today, we're remembering reverend martin luther king jr. with a federal holiday, national day of service. the president, first lady and older daughter malia spending time this morning at a school in d.c. they're taking part in a community service project. sunday would have been the civil rights leader's 83rd birthday. and a huge crowd in one syrian town cheered as arab league monitors visited, even lifting one of them on their shoulders, passing him around here. they see these monitors as protectors, and they didn't want them to leave. opposition forces say the syrian

government has killed more than 40 people in the last two days as part of a violent crackdown. it has left thousands dead. our nic robertson is in syria. we're going to bring you his report in the next hour. at a time when protests are heating up around the world, romania has become the site of a dramatic social uprising. it is day four of protests against the government there and hundreds have been pouring in the capital's university square. they want the president to step down. online retailer zappos says it was hacked and 24 million customers are now at risk. they sent an e-mail to customers yesterday telling them about this breach and asked them to reset the passwords. they say that the critical credit card information, however, that is safe, but other stuff like names, addresses, phone numbers, all of them might have been revealed. all right, everybody, in hollywood tired this morning, perhaps even just, i don't know,

waking up, or maybe they were up all night. golden globes handed out last night. some familiar names won big. george clooney was named best actor. meryl streep best actress. both in the drama category. and there was less drama this year from host ricky gervais. he wasn't quite as mean as last year, but he got some digs in. pretty good digs. >> the golden globes are just like the oscars, but without all that esteem. >> and we are still waiting jon huntsman live from myrtle beach, south carolina. we're going to bring you that announcement as soon as it starts. he is going to be stepping out of the race and endorsing the front-runner, mitt romney. we'll have that for you in just moments away. [ female announcer ] in the grip of arthritis, back, or back joint pain?

aspercreme breaks the grip, with maximum-strength medicine and no embarrassing odor. break the grip of pain with aspercreme.

we are waiting an announcement from jon huntsman out of south carolina. he's going to be talking about the fact that he is now leaving the race and he's going to be endorsing the front-runner, mitt romney. going to bring that to you live as soon as it happens, just moments away. but in the meantime, here's what we have "talk back." one of the big stories of the day. today's question -- do voters even care about the social issues in 2012? carol costello's live in washington with more. carol, first of all, when president bush was fighting for his second term, he threw out all kinds of social issues to get voters to come vote, same-sex marriage being one of them. that was critical for his re-election. do you think we're seeing the same strategy play out this year? >> well, that remains to be seen. evangelicals hope so. they flexed their political muscle in texas, or tried to. more than 100 christian leaders and activists got off the sidelines to speak with one

voice for one candidate. >> this discussion was on the future and what america needs to become great again and to restore the family, to restore fiscal responsibility and a strong presence internationally. >> and they decided mitt romney was not that man. no, rick santorum is tops on the evangelicals' list, even though he finished a distant fifth in new hampshire. i know, santorum did great in iowa, and evangelicals are banking on another miracle in south carolina because santorum speaks their language. >> if all you think we need to do to get this economy going and to get this country on the right track is to cut government and reduce taxes, you don't understand america. america is a moral enterprise, not an economic enterprise. >> santorum believes the one thing undermining the american economy is the breakdown of the american family. he cites poverty rates of single-parent families as an

example. evangelicals hope santorum's beliefs help conservatives rally around him, around a single candidate. they didn't do that in 2008. john mccain just wasn't it. and let's face it, the economy was so bad, social issues took a back seat. evangelical leaders hope that doesn't hold true in 2012. so, the "talk back" question for you today, do voters care about social issues in 2012? facebook.com/carolc facebook.com/carolcnn. i'll read your comments later this hour. >> all right, looking forward to it, carol. again, we are awaiting jon huntsman live, myrtle beach, south carolina. you see everybody's getting set up there. they're all watching that door very closely. and you've got the flags, the podium all set up. the checks have been done for sound and video, expecting moments away jon huntsman to step up to the podium and say he is stepping down, stepping out of the race and that he will endorse, so far, the front-runner of these contests, mitt romney. we'll have more of that after the break.

♪[music plays] when you're responsible for this much of the team... you need a car you can count on. ♪[music plays] you can make a difference. ♪ i give new generations better opportunities. ♪ i protect the lives that make up my community. ♪ i'm discovering ways to improve our quality of life. [ male announcer ] history made its mark. make yours. at&t continues to support the spirit of individuals making a difference with at&t 28 days get involved today. ♪

taking a look at some freezing cold stories from across the country. check this out. an iced-in russian fuel tanker finally getting closer to that snowed-in alaskan town of gnome. a coast guard icebreaker helping the ship carrying 1.3 million gallons of petroleum get through nearly 300 miles of ice. fuel transfer could happen today. and check this out, this is from seattle. the city's been hit by yet another round of snow and rain. hot coffee, warm clothes, hopefully, everybody's surviving that day. check that out. and finally, "i dos" on ice. a minnesota couple decided to have their wedding on a frozen

lake. everybody rode on snowmobiles. once the vows were exchanged, they sped off into frozen tundra bliss. yes, we are calling it frozen tundra bliss. hopefully, they will choose a warmer place for their honeymoon. and we are awaiting jon huntsman live in myrtle beach, south carolina, keeping our eye on that door. we see somebody coming out there. looks like they're filing in and getting settled in, taking their seats for the big announcement, jon huntsman stepping down, stepping out of the race and throwing his support behind the front-runner of this early contest. mitt romney, we'll have that after the break.

let's go ahead and listen in, jon huntsman out of south carolina. >> i'm up here with the greatest human being i've ever known, my wife, mary kay, who has sustained us throughout this journey. i'm also up here with an interesting group of campaign act risks called the jon 2012 girls, and i'm delighted to be with them, mary ann and abby and liddy. i'm also delighted to be joined by our daughter gracie, who also dubbed as our campaign's senior foreign policy adviser, and i want to compliment her on the excellent job that she did. i'm here with my father, and i want to express my love and appreciation to him, son-in-law jeffery livingston as well,

along with a terrific team. some supporters, like the beloved iris campbell, former first lady of this great state, is with us, as is the attorney general, allen wilson, and a close personal friend of mine, mike campbell, who is here, among others, and we're honored and delighted to be in your presence, some of our great supporters. i'd like just to make a few comments about the current state of the presidential race and then we'll let you go. as candidates for our party's nomination, our common goal is to restore bold and principled leadership to the white house, leadership that will reignite our economy and renew the american spirit. yet, rather than seeking to advance that common goal by speaking directly to voters about our ideas to rebuild ameri america, this race has degenerated into an onslaught of negative and personal attacks not worthy of the american

people and not worthy of this critical time in our nation's history. this is the most important election election of our lifetime. this country desperately needs to begin a journey that will allow us to courageously tackle our two most urgent deficits. one is an economic deficit, the other is a trust deficit. only bold ideas will get us to where we need to be, and this campaign needs to be driven by those ideas. at its core, the republican party is a party of ideas, but the current toxic form of our political discourse does not help our cause, and it's just one of the many reasons why the american people have lost trust

in their elected leaders. today i call on each campaign to cease attacking each other, and instead, talk directly to the american people about how our conservative ideas will create jobs, reduce our nation's debt, stabilize energy prices and provide a brighter future for our children and our grandchildren. let's invest our time and resources in building trust with the american people and uniting them around a common purpose. three years ago, the president promised to unite the american people. yet, his desire to engage in class warfare for political gain has left us more divided than ever. this divisiveness is corrosive and does not advance america's interests.

this nation was built on unity and trust, trust in each other, trust in a revolution that gave birth to the freest and most prosperous nation the world has ever known, trust in our system of government. that sense of unity and trust has sustained us through world wars and national tragedies. now we need it to sustain us during this hour of need. ultimately, this election is about more than the future of one campaign or one party. it is about the future of our nation. and for our nation to move forward together with new leadership and unity, the republican party must first unite. we entered this race just six months ago with the longest of

long-shots. my candidacy was staked on the simple principle of country first and driven by a refusal to pass down to the next generation a country that is less powerful, less prosperous and less competitive than the one we inherited. today, i am suspending my campaign for the presidency. i believe it is now time for our party to unite around the candidate best equipped to defeat barack obama. despite our differences and the space between us on some of the issues, i believe that candidate is governor mitt romney. as for the huntsman family, we step down with an even greater appreciation for american democracy, which is fundamental to american values. after all the town halls and

handshakes and meet-and-greets, we leave it in the hands of the people and we respect the results. to our many staff, supporters and volunteers, i offer my heartfelt thanks. today, our campaign for the presidency ends, but our campaign to build a better and more trust-worthy america continues. we will continue to fight for a flatter, simpler tax code that helps unleash opportunity rather than stifle it, for an energy policy that ends the scourge of our addiction to foreign oil, for congressional term limits, for education reform that prepares our kids for the realities of the 21st century, for financial reform that breaks up too big to fail banks and protects taxpayers from future

bailouts. and we will continue fighting to bring home our brave men and women from afghanistan and stop nation-building overseas and start rebuilding our own nation. for mary kay and our family, these last six months have been an incredible and awe-inspiring journey. i have seen the very best of america. i've seen it in the spirit of our entrepreneurs, whose innovations continue to inspire and better the world. i've seen it in the courage of our veterans who i've met at vfw halls in communities all across this nation. i saw it in china, 10,000 miles away, meeting with dissidents who had been tortured and beaten but who drew strength from our nation's values, our openness, our freedoms, our commitment to

human rights. halfway around the world, they could still see america's light. that is the power america still projects, and i will never stop fighting for her and fighting to ensure that america's light shines bright for generations and generations to come. because, in the end, we must all come together as americans and must be reminded that the fight to preserve and enhance life, liberty and happiness is what really sets us apart in this world and is worth our tireless efforts as citizens of this most extraordinary nation. thank you and may god bless america. thank you. >> jon huntsman is stepping

down, endorsing mitt romney as well, and i want to bring my colleague back in, wolf blitzer, for some postgame analysis on this. you know, it's interesting now, because now he is supporting mitt romney, but those two had some words, some back-and-forth in some of the debates that took place. and you know, they don't have a really close relationship, but there is some respect. i want you to take a listen here, wolf, at some of the things that happened between these two and how they move forward. let's listen real quick. >> when you have a candidate who talks about enjoyment in firing people, who talks about pink slips, who makes comments that seem to be so detached from the problems that americans are facing today, that makes you pretty much unelectable. he was 47th overall in job creation. i think most importantly. while we were number one in job creation in our state. so, i think that is worth looking at and scrutinizing as compared to bane capital. >> i'm sorry, governor, you were

the last two years implementing the policies of this administration in china. the rest of us on the stage were doing our best to get republicans elected across the country and stop the policies of this president from being put forward. >> all right, so, wolf, where do these two go from here? do we expect to see huntsman on the campaign trail for romney? how do they move past some of those criticisms we saw already? >> well, it wouldn't be the first time that rivals for either a democratic or republican nomination, they exchange some bitter words as they are fighting each other, then one person emerges on top, the other person gets right on board. four years ago when john mccain got the nomination, mitt romney and him had exchanged similarly awkward words during the campaign, but once it was clear that john mccain was going to get the republican presidential nomination, mitt romney went out there and campaigned aggressively for him. and now they're working together, john mccain has endorsed mitt romney. so, i suspect that jon huntsman will be pretty active out there on the campaign trail doing what he can to help mitt romney, if,

in fact, mitt romney does emerge as winner and gets the republican presidential nomination. it's happened many, many times before and i suspect it will happen many times down the road. and if romney gets the nomination, i wouldn't be surprised to see santorum and newt gingrich and rick perry get out there and work aggressively to try to help mitt romney beat president obama for his re-election. so, it's just the nature of politics as we know it. he did acknowledge, even in that same sentence when he endorsed mitt romney, he put in that clause, "despite their differences." he thinks mitt romney's best suited to beat president obama in his re-election campaign. so, he's not hiding that. they did have some serious differences, but he's looking at it right now and he's saying, he doesn't have any chance. he's coming in last in all of the south carolina polls, in the national polls. it's better to drop out grace la gracefully now than continue this process and be humiliated let's say on saturday night if he came in dead last with only

1% or 2% or 3% of the vote. it was a hard decision, he wo worked hard, but he has a future in politics and he'll do well down the road. >> he has the daughters, the wife, the whole picture. he's been very successful. i want to mention as well, we have a cnn/orc poll, a national poll that essentially looks at the impact of huntsman dropping out. it doesn't look like there is really that much movement here. it says with huntsman, romney gets 34% of the vote, of support from republicans, as well as moderates. but then you take a look, without huntsman, a no-huntsman race, 36%. he only ticks up about a couple of percentage points. what do we think is really going to be the significance of huntsman dropping out here? is it all about the second-place finish? >> well, i think that almost all of the huntsman votes in south carolina saturday will go to romney, because he's, you know, he's endorsed him. romney also has this tremendous advantage in south carolina. nikki haley, the popular

republican governor of south carolina, a tea party favorite, has endorsed mitt romney. so, let's say it's close, hypothetical hypothetically, between mitt romney and newt gingrich, or santorum for that matter. if huntsman can bring 2 rrs, 3%, 4% to mitt romney, that could help him if it's very, very close. and the winner is the winner of that south carolina primary. if mitt romney, even if he won by 2% or 3%, he would have won iowa, albeit by only eight votes, new hampshire much more decisively, but south carolina, that's going to be hard to beat him going into florida after three consecutive wins like that. it's never happened before. so, i think it would be historic. so, you know what? i'm sure romney's grateful to huntsman. let's see if they go out there and campaign together in these final few days before saturday. but you're right, it's not going to bring an enormous amount of support to mitt romney in south carolina, but it certainly can help and might give him enough to go over the top if it's a close contest on saturday night.

>> it will be interesting to see if they actually kiss and make up before the south carolina primary and whether or not we'll actually see those two appear together at some point, which would be a powerful picture, perhaps could help romney moving forward. >> and remember, suzanne, when tim pawlenty, the former governor of minnesota, you know, obamney care, he coined that phrase, but he quickly endorsed mitt romney and became very active out on the campaign trail for mitt romney. just as tim pawlenty has become visible supporting mitt romney, i suspect jon huntsman will as well. >> wolf, good to see you. thank you very much so, next segment, why new year's resolutions to stop being late to work -- yeah, we're all a little guilty of that -- it's a good thing right now. -one. -two.

-three. -one. two. three. one. -two. -three. -one. -two. -three. [ male announcer ] with the bankamericard cash rewards credit card, earn 1% cash back everywhere, every time. 2% back on groceries. and 3% back on gas. automatically. no hoops to jump through. -it's as easy as...1. -two. -three. [ male announcer ] 1, 2, 3 percent cash back for the things you buy most. the bankamericard cash rewards card. apply online or at a bank of america near you.

off the coast of italy, the search for survivors of that cruise ship disaster, it is now back on after being put on hold for a while. it was too dangerous, but now they are going to try again. rescuers were afraid initially that the ship might sink. we know that six people are confirmed dead, more than a dozen still missing. after that ship slammed into rocks along the coastline and tipped over. dan rivers is near giglio island. dan, when you take a look at the pictures, first of all, it's just unbelievable just to see that ship on its side.

i know that it was standing or slightly tilted on a rock bed there. there were 200 passenger cabins on that ship. are they now resuming a search to try to find survivors? >> they appear to be, yeah. it was suspended for a while today because they detected that the ship was moving. and obviously, it's over almost at 90 degrees as it is, so it's very dangerous even when it's stable. when it starts to move, it just becomes impossible. and i think, obviously, the big fear was that, you know, if it's going to move, that they are warned it may topple off of this ledge of rock and sink. so, they winched off the firefighters that were aboard by helicopter and delayed the search-and-rescue for several hours, but it appears now that the boats are back by this wreck and they're beginning to resume the search for -- well, it's between 14 and 16 people that are missing still, including 2

americans and 6 confirmed deaths so far. obviously, this happened on friday night here. the longer it goes on, i would think that the smaller the chance of finding anyone alive aboard. >> dan, i understand that they were at least in communication with some of those folks in their cabins at least a day ago. do they believe that there are survivors? and have they been able to communicate with those people since? >> well, publicly, they're saying they have not given up hope, that they will continue to search every single cabin. there's apparently about 2,000 cabins aboard, if you can believe that. so, you can imagine how complex and convoluted this is. i think privately that they are now realizing that the chances of finding anyone alive are pretty small and that this is shifting really from a rescue operation to a recovery operation as each hour slips by. i mean, it's pretty cold here,

and half the ship is under water. the water itself is freezing cold. so, it will be difficult to see how people can survive for very long under the water line, if they were in some sort of water pocket. if they were above the water line, there's a chance, i suppose, and that's what they're clinging on to here, but they've certainly been out there since friday night scouring and listening as well to see if they can hear any signs of life. >> dan, talk a little bit about the 2,300 tovens of fuel that i inside that vessel, inside that ship there. has that started to leak out? is there any concern that that might be an environmental disaster if there is a puncture in that ship and that oil starts to leak? >> well, amazingly, it hasn't started to leak. this afternoon, we went on a cliff above the "costa concordia," and there's no sign at all of any oil coming out. having said that, they are already deploying those sort of floating booms to contain any potential spillage, and the

italian environment minister has already voiced his concern, saying urgent action is needed and this is a very high-risk situation. this is a sort of advising area here. it's, you know, famous for its marine wildlife. so, they are very keen to try and avoid any of this oil or fuel coming out. the whole in the hull of the ship is currently above the water line because she's tilted over. the big kind of gash along the hull is now exposed to the air. so, as long as the sea stays calm, which it is at the moment, it seems there's a good chance this can be contained. they are worried about the forecast for the wind to pick up this week, and i guess a concern that if there is a big storm here, she may shift on the rock and then become more unstable. >> all right. dan rivers, thank you very much. about a half hour from now, i'm going to talk to a couple who survived this disaster. now, they say the aftermath of this crash, it was a crazy,

chaotic scene. today, a federal holiday for many of you. you have the day off, of course, martin luther king day. but tomorrow, a lot of folks got to go back to work, and your boss might not be that forgiving. according to a new survey, if you're late. that's right. alison kosik with today's "top tips" how to smooth things over here. i guess a lot of people are dashing in at the last minute, is that right? >> exactly. it seems that's the case, suzanne. and you know what? it happens to all of us. we've all been late once or twice in our careers, but making a habit out of it could cost your job. according to a new career builder survey, 34% of employers say they've actually fired an employee for being late. guess what the top reason is for being late? traffic, followed by lack of sleep, bad weather and getting the kids to school or daycare on time. suzanne? >> yeah, you know, sometimes you just oversleep. i mean, it's the nightmare scenario, but it happens from time to time, you know? the alarm doesn't go off, you turn it off at the wrong time. what are some of the reasons folks say they are running late

for work? >> yeah, listen to some of these. these are some really outlandish zeu excuses workers gave to heir boss. aan employee thought she won the lotsry and she didn't. an employee thought his commute time should count towards work hours. one employee told their boss they had a job interview with another company. and get this, an employee said their cat had the hiccups and they couldn't be in on time. um, yeah, right. so, all right, the bottom line here, if you're constantly lying and you're constantly late, it really can be a signal to your boss you're not committed or reliable. jobbound training solutions says, just be honest, your boss can tell when you're fibbing. he says be respectful, apologize for being late and tell them why, but don't feel like you need to go into too much detail. also, if you've got a 9:00 a.m. meeting, don't wait until 8:59 a.m. to tell your boss you'll be late. as soon as you know, it get in touch with your office.

but then again, you don't need me to tell you that suzanne. >> no. it's better just to fess up, come clean, you know? tell them if you're running late. you know? you just turned off the alarm. i don't understand that woman who thought she won the lottery. what was it, a dream or something and she woke up and thought i'm not going to work? >> forget it, exactly. i'm loaded. >> all right, alison, good to see you. right on time, as always. six days until the south carolina primary. we're going to look at who the tea party hopes is going to get the nod from voters there. ♪ he was a 21st century global nomad ♪ ♪ home was an airport lounge and an ipad ♪ ♪ made sure his credit score did not go bad ♪ ♪ with a free-credit-score-dot-com ♪ ♪ app that he had ♪ downloaded it in the himalayas ♪ ♪ while meditating like a true playa ♪ ♪ now when he's surfing down in chile'a ♪ ♪ he can see when his score is in danger ♪

♪ if you're a mobile type on the go ♪ ♪ i suggest you take a tip from my bro ♪ ♪ and download the app that lets you know ♪ ♪ at free-credit-score-dot-com now let's go. ♪ vo: offer applies with enrollment in freecreditscore.com™. you know, typical alarm clock. i am so glad to get rid of it. just to be able to wake up in the morning on your own. that's a big accomplishment to me. i don't know how much money i need. but i know that whatever i have that's what i'm going to live within. ♪ ♪ ♪ there is a platform

built for the purpose of driving innovation. one that's transforming how companies from every industry-- and of every size-- are doing business. a platform built for now. and for what's next. this...is the cisco intelligent network. cisco.

less than a week now to the primary in south carolina, could be a make-or-break contest for the republican nomination. shannon travis live from myrtle beach, south carolina. so, shannon, good to see you. this is very important. this is the first ever, i understand, tea party rally in south carolina in its primary. are they really going to play a role here? >> reporter: well, they're certainly hoping they will, suzanne. the south carolina primary's just a few days away this weekend, and tea party activists want to make it clear that they are still very much players, heavyweight players, in this process, in replacing obama, but also in picking the next nominee. now, let me give you a little overview of what's been happening here. you've had some political heavyweights -- senator jim demint, a big tea party supporter, south carolina senator. he was here. you're going to have ron paul, rick santorum and newt gingrich here as well. but earlier today, you had

governor nikki haley. she won with tea party support and she was here talking about the state of the race or what have you. but take a listen at something that i asked the governor about in response to some criticisms about mitt romney, and we'll talk about that on the other side of this, suzanne. >> they are republicans, democrats and independents who have had enough with washington. and no member of the tea party will vote in a bloc because someone tells them to. they're very strong. they're very independent. you're going to see them very divided through this as they go to decide who is best for them. but what i can tell you they will come together on is the fact that every one of them wants to see president obama gone. >> reporter: now, suzanne, really quickly, let me explain what was going on yesterday. this convention started and there were a number of tea party activists here slamming mitt romney. it's no secret that a lot of people feel he isn't conservative enough, but one activist got on stage and showed this graphic, gory image of a

seal hunter with dead seals surrounded in bloody waters, and the caption on it basically said, if the seals had stuck together, they could have killed the hunter. we need to stick together against romney, because if romney gets it, president obama will win. >> okay, shannon, getting ugly there. thank you. appreciate it. for the latest political news, go to cnnpolitics.com. today's talk back question, do voters care about social issues in 2012? sean says "social issues is not the main priority among us. rather, someone like me in the struggling middle class is having economic problems. why would we care about social issues during this time?" more responses ahead. great guest experience. that makes my day.

and during the four course feast, there's so much to choose from. [ male announcer ] the four course seafood feast

is back at red lobster. still just $15. get soup, salad, unlimited cheddar bay biscuits, dessert, and your choice of 7 entrées, like new honey bbq shrimp skewers or shrimp and scallops alfredo. all four courses, just $15. [ jody ] it's really good value. all my guests love it. i'm jody gonzalez, red lobster general manager. and i sea food differently.

you've been sounding off on our tack back question. do voters care about social issues? carol costello is here. is it what you thought? >> not really. i think people care more this time around than they did in 2008 but you listen to the responses and decide for yourself. will says, i don't think the

majority of democrats or independents do and that's why the republicans will lose. from jeffrey, yes, generally speaking voters care about social issues. it's simple. as a whole, these are issues. simple as that. from don, social issues? secret code for evangelicals do not consider mormons to be president. the irony, they will have to be a democrat to win. britney, we do. we can't just focus on our economy or foreign policy. we have to include social issues in all aspects to get ourselves back on the right track. from bruce, double no. that won't keep the nay-sayers from presenting their doom and bloom message. today we're honoring martin luther king jr. what was he like in person? his friend and driver gives us an inside look behind the man

behind the movement. hello, how can i deliver world-class service for you today ? we gave people right off the street a script and had them read it. no, sorry, i can't help you with that. i'm not authorized to access that transaction. that's not in our policy. i will transfer you now. my supervisor is currently not available. would you like to hold ? that department is currently closed. have i helped you with everything you needed ? if your bank doesn't give you knowledgeable customer service 24/7, you need an ally. ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense. on my journey across america, i've learned that when you ask someone in texas if they want "big" savings on car insurance, 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.

geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. my high school science teacher made me what i am today. our science teacher helped us build it. ♪ now i'm a geologist at chevron, and i get to help science teachers. it has four servo motors and a wireless microcontroller. over the last three years we've put nearly 100 million dollars into american education. that's thousands of kids learning to love science. ♪ isn't that cool? and that's pretty cool. ♪

today we're remembering martin luther king jr. he would have turned 83 yesterday. more than 48 years after he gave the famous "i have a dream

speech," students celebrated by citing it on the steps of the lincoln memorial. >> let freedom ring from tennessee. >> let freedom ring from every hill in mississippi and from every mountainside, let freedom ring. >> and when we let it happen, from every village, every state, and everything. >> we won't be able to speed up that day when all of god's children, black men and white men, jews and general tiles, prot at the stant and catholic. >> free at last, free at last. thank god almighty we are free at last. >> well, he was a hero in the civil rights movement. remember, he's someone who transformed the nation from nonviolence. but what was he like in person?

reynolds wolf caught up with one man who knew the icon behind the scenes. >> reporter: perhaps one of the best ways to get a solid understanding of the kind of guy that martin luther king was is to keep to some people who knew him best. tom knew him as a friend and a driver. how many years? >> i spent four years with sclc and for about a year i drove for he and the king family. >> reporter: okay. how about i drive and you answer questions. >> you got it. i will show you where dr. king used to hang in this town. >> you got it. >> reporter: he's in familiar territory, especially on the street named for the man he knew so well. >> we're on martin luther king boulevard. that's where he at 14 years old for two weeks, daddy king got him a job. >> reporter: when you're driving around with dr. king and you're a young guy, was he an intimidating guy? >> no, not at all. i wouldn't have to worry about

driving. he was a terrible driver. >> reporter: but he had a great sense of humor, right? >> great sense of humor. he would crack jokes, a great sense of amusement about him and you would never know that he just came back from -- he said, i'm not going to live to be 40 and which i didn't. he was assassinated when he was 39. he never had fear in life. >> reporter: from behind the steering wheel, houck saw history unfold at every turn. >> that is where martin luther king would be in his office talking about selma, what kind of strategy they will do for the settlement government in march. i think he would be very sad to see this, seeing his office shattered. >> reporter: but some of the fondest memories are the ones that he had with dr. king can, not as an icon but as a man. >> he would get his seg receipts over there, he would put them inside my coach because he

didn't want to have coretta check him out when he was coming in the door. >> reporter: and that door led into this house, king's sanctuary. the place where he drew his strength. >> this is where i would drive the cars in and the kids would jump out, daddy, daddy, daddy. coretta would come greet him as well. this is the house where she heard the news that her husband had been shot in memphis. this is -- the mayor of atlanta came over and took her to the airport when they found out that he had indeed died in memphis lots of laughter and lots of tears. >> and when people go to this memorial and they are going to see the image of him chiselled in stone, it's going to be a memorial. but what do you want people to know not about the memorial but what about the man? what is the single thing people should know about him? >> i don't think there is anybody in the world that could take his place. he was uniquely qualified and

given a few years to make a world a better place and he did. and that voices certainly been soarally missing. the current president of where dr. king preached here in atlanta is going to be here next in the next hour, he's critical of newt gingrich and says that the presidential election is all about voting rights. top of the hour, i'm suzanne malveaux. i want to get you up to speed. jon huntsman's presidential campaign reached the end of the road. he dropped out of the race, endorsing mitt romney. he says it's time for republicans to unite around the candidate who can best beat barack obama in november. he criticized the negative tone of the campaign so far. >> rather than seeking to

advance that common goal by speaking directly to voters about our ideas to rebuild america, this race has degenerated into an onslaught of negative attacks and not worthy of this critical time. off the coach of italy, the search for survivors because of the cruise ship disaster. it's now back on. it was on hold for a while. rescuers were afraid that the ship my sink. six people are confirmed dead. more than a dozen are still missing after that ship smashed into rocks along the coastline and then tipped over. those are dramatic pictures that you see there. people rescued say it was pretty scary. >> 30 seconds in that life boat slamming into the ship and being thrown away and free fall was the scariest point. we were fortunate.

we boarded early enough and we were taken to shore early enough. >> i talked to that survivor and her husband in a couple of minutes. after ten months of violence, syria is now teetering on the edge of civil war. government forces are brutally cracking down on protesters even as arab league monitors are trying to get the situation under control. our own nic robertson is on the ground. he is watching the situation and this country unravel. he actually got a chance to speak to some of those protesters. >> they are striking everything. they are killing people. we don't need this regime. you understand me? they are killing us. >> at a time when protests are heating up, romania has been the

site of social uprising. take a look at those pictures. hundreds have been pouring into the capital's university square demanding that the president step down. the first of its kind, a fuel transfer that could happen today in the snowed-in town in alaska nome. they got nearly 300 miles of ice. online, retailer zappos says it was hacked. 24 million customers are now at risk. they sent an e-mail to the customers telling them to reset their passwords. they say that the critical information like credit card information is safe. but other stuff like names, addresses, phone numbers, all of them might have been revealed. now i want to take you back to the cruise ship that you saw there. the dramatic picture, the

disaster off the coast of italy. imagine this, right? you're taking off on a luxury cruise. you end up here. crews are still looking for survivors. hope not likely. it is running out. some passengers say it was like being aboard the titanic when the ship went down on friday. well, nancy and mario were on board. they join us from rome and it is just unbelievable, first of all, when you see those pictures and realize what has happened here i'm so glad that you all are safe. when you realized something was terribly wrong. >> sure. we had finished dinner on friday evening. we had just boarded the cruise liner, cruise ship, and after dinner we went to a show. it was a magic show. the performance began. we were about 15 minutes into the performance and we heard a very loud grinding sound and felt the vibration and the show

just stopped and the performers ran off the stage. we sat there. no announcements were made. we observed that there were various people in the audience starting to leave. perhaps they were concerned about family members. we sat there for a few minutes and my husband commented to me that he observed that the curtains on the stage were starting to list a little bit. at this point we decided to get up and leave. there was no panic in the theater at this point. i don't think people really knew what was going on. >> right. >> when we left the theater, we went up to the deck and we looked over the right starbird side of the ship and saw that we were right on top of or right next to land and that's when we realized there was a really serious situation. what was disturbing, though, was that it was about 40 minutes before any announcements were

made. finally, some announcements were made in various languages and in english they said that there was -- everything's under control and that there was an electrical problem and a problem with the generator but everything's under control. we looked at each other and we said, they are full of it. the boat is starting to list and we decided to go towards our cabin to get our life jacket. >> when did the chaos break out? >> do you want to take that? >> i would say after they finally called a distressed call and people were going to the muster stations and that's when the chaos broke out because everyone was pushing and shoving to get into the lifeboats and then they were also having trouble calming people down, getting the lifeboats so that

they could be deployed. and at this point, the boat was leaning, it was listing so much that they had difficulty with the deployment of the lifeboats and i would say that's where the chaos really was, or at least started. and there was more later on in the water and also on land a little bit. >> as we were being lowered in our lifeboat, we actually slammed into the side of the boat and turned and slammed again and for about 30 seconds, that was the real chaos for us. >> did you ever fear that you were not going to make it out alive? >> yes. during that time in the life boat when we were being thrown into the side of the ship and thrown again, that was a time for myself that i felt that this was it. >> and how did you manage to get on land? you're safe. you're okay now.

how did you manage to do that? >> well, we finally -- the lifeboat finally got into the water and it was disconnected and we started to go towards land. even though we were very close to land, it seemed to take forever to get there. at least a half hour, 45 minutes. the boats were just scircling around. >> slamming into each other. >> i believe there was still space for more and it took a long time for them to actually get their act together and get to land and unload, which was disturbing because they -- some of the lifeboats really needed to get back to the passengers because they were having problem with the deployment of the boats. >> we are so glad that you are safe and able to get through that harrowing experience. thank you so much for joining

us. we really appreciate it. >> thank you. here's your chance to talk back on one of the big stories of today. today's question, do voters care about issues in 2012? carol costello is joining us. one of the things during 2012 is a way to get voters to come out and vote. he knew that was a passionate issue and critical for him. do we think that the same strategy is going to play out this year? >> i don't know if it will work exactly the same way, suzanne. evangelicals flex their muscle, or they try to. they got off the sidelines to speak with one voice for one candidate. >> there was a discussion on the future and what america needs to become great again and to restore the family, to restore fiscal responsibility and a

strong presence internationally. >> and they decided mitt romney was not the man to accomplish that. no, rick santorum is tops on the evangelical list. santorum did great in iowa and evangelicals are betting on another miracle because santorum speaks their language. >> if all you think we need to do is to get this economy going and on the right track is to cut government and reduce taxes, you don't understand america. america is a moral enterprise, not an economic enterprise. >> santorum believes the one thing undermining the american economy is the breakdown of the family. he sites poverty rights of sin gal-family homes. he hopes people will rally around him, a single candidate. they didn't do that in 2008. john mccain wasn't it. the economy was so bad, social issues took a back seat.

evangelical leaders hope that doesn't hold true for 2012. do voters care about social issues in 2012? facebook.com/carolcnn. i'll read your responses later this hour. >> thank you, carol. here's a rundown of some of the stories we'll cover in the next hour. first, as thousands take the day off to volunteer martin luther king, many ask where is the dream in today's challenging times? and the fight to save syrian citizens from a government mass s acre turn taking another bad turn. >> reporter: as they drive out, they leave behind a city under siege. and then jon huntsman bows out of the presidential race criticizes what he calls the race's toxic tone. we're going to take a look at what he meant.

also, these ladies say they support ron paul. hear why. and later, what movie should you run out and see? we've got the winners and losers from last night's golden globes. it's powerful relief that works at the site of pain and lasts up to 12 hours. salonpas. all your important legal matters in just minutes. now it's quicker and easier for you to start your business... protect your family... and launch your dreams. at legalzoom.com, we put the law on your side. forty years ago, he wasn't looking for financial advice. back then he had something more important to do. he wasn't focused on his future. but fortunately, somebody else was. at usaa we provide retirement planning for our military, veterans and their families. now more than ever,

it's important to get financial advice from people who share your military values. for our free usaa retirement guide, call 877-242-usaa. 8% every 10 years.age 40, we can start losing muscle -- wow. wow. but you can help fight muscle loss with exercise and ensure muscle health. i've got revigor. what's revigor? it's the amino acid metabolite, hmb to help rebuild muscle and strength naturally lost over time. [ female announcer ] ensure muscle health has revigor and protein to help protect, preserve, and promote muscle health. keeps you from getting soft. [ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge!

right now syria spinning out of control. thousands are dead. there's no sign that the violence is going to end any time soon. and, now, a split between the government and the protesters are beginning to look more like a civil war. the u.s. has issued a blunt warning to president bashar al assad, stop killing your people. nic robertson is out on the streets and watching all of this

unfold. >> reporter: on the road t. feels like we're entering a war. we see only army check posts. then, this, civilians, the first we meet. >> what these people have told us is that they are fleeing, they are running away. they haven't got any possessions with them. they don't have a car either. they are just getting out of town as fast as they can. more people fleeing. we cross to the anti-government side, follow arab league monitors through twisting streets into the town's center. little can prepare them or us for the welcome we receive. the monitors are even carrying them on their shoulders here. they are treating them as if

they are gods, as they have been sent here to save them. bitter anger against the government is everywhere. >> every day, every morning. >> reporter: two or three people have been killed, she says, more than 60 wounded. and now for the last three days, she adds, water, electricity, and phones have been cut off. >> they are striking anything. they are killing people. do you understand me? >> reporter: yes. >> we don't need this regime. do you understand me? they are killing us. >> reporter: inside the nearby mosques, arab league monitors take down more details.

this mantels us he was shot going out to get bread. he's lost a finger. his brother, he says, killed. and this mountain town close to the border with lebanon say they have 70 lightly armed fighters. we don't see them but the monitors do. after more than an hour, the monitors inch their vehicles through the crowds. more and more press forward. they don't want the monitors from the arab league to go, telling them soldiers will use their tanks to fire on the town as soon as they leave. >> stay with us. we'll have even more startling images out of this syrian town that is under attack now from its own government. >> soldiers cheer the president, then this. an unprovoked attack on the

monitors. as they drive out, they leave behind a city under siege. 're a, we just eat whatever tastes good? like these sweet honey clusters... actually there's a half a day's worth of fiber in every ... why stop at cereal? bring on the pork chops and the hot fudge. fantastic. are you done sweetie? yea [ male announcer ] fiber beyond recognition. fiber one. hey, i love your cereal there-- it's got that sweet honey taste. but no way it's 80 calories, right? no way. lady, i just drive the truck. right, there's no way right, right? have a nice day. [ male announcer ] 80 delicious calories. fiber one.

for ten months now the syrian government has been attacking its own people. the announcement said that more than 5,000 people have been killed in these crackdowns and now our own nic robertson gives us a look at what it looks like with a town under siege. >> reporter: in an pay parent desperation, the crowd turns on the monitors, begins to throw rocks, forcing them to drive a dangerous road towards frontline

troops not expecting them. monitors stop, wave their orange jacket to show who they are. 800 meters ahead, the road is blocked. it's the syrian government frontline. we are forced to stop. it is not a safe place to be. the monitors are trying to shout out to clear the roads, the barricade. it's clearly a road not often used now. the soldiers seem to be very nervous. they won't let the monitors cross as we wait, soldiers bring out one of their dead saying he's just been shot. they shout at the camera, film, film. is this the freedom you want? is this what the world wants? is this the syria you are looking for? around us the soldiers are edgy, occasional shouts ring out.

finally, after an hour and a half in the danger zone, a digger is brought forward, two shoulders riding shotgun. they begin clearing the barricade. gunfire erupts. not clear who is shooting, soldiers run for cover. the monitors race for safety, past plenty of armored vehicles and heavy machine guns. 20 seconds later, they stop at the frontline army base. soldiers cheer the president, then this, an unprovoked attack on the monitors.

as they drive out, they leave behind the city under siege. nic robertson, cnn, syria. and then there were five. jon huntsman just dropped out of the presidential hopefuls. i have the hotels.com app so we can get a great deal even at the last minute. ah, well played sir. download the free hotels.com app and get exclusive mobile deals. hotels.com. be smart. book smart.

here's a rundown on some of the stories we are working on. jon huntsman bows out of the race. and then a brothel says they are pimping for ron paul. reverend martin luther king jr. would be alive today had he not received an assassin's bullet in 1968. he was fighting for the ritz are of an can americans. king was trying to get a living wage for all americans. i want you to listen to his son, martin luther king, iii, who spoke at a memorial on sunday.

>> on my father's last birthday they brought out a cake where they sang happy birthday to him in january of 1968. but in the basement of eberniser church, they were planning for what was called the poor people's campaign where he wanted to bring together poor blacks and whites and native americans and americans from all walks of life to say to our nation's policy makers that we really demand the right of decent job and decent pay. he did not live to see that come to fruition. >> joining me now, reverend rafael warnock is the senior priest where reverend king preached. >> thank you, suzanne. >> when you look and think about how people live today in this country, you are talking about

one in six in poverty and one in three who are low-income earners, what do you think dr. king would think about the state of americans today? >> he would say, we have a great deal of work yet to be done. dr. king's great and last push was really the poor people's campaign about which his son spoke about a few moments ago and he was very focused on this issue. remember, he died fighting for garbage collectors and those early years of his ministry he was focused on integrating accommodations but as he took a deep look at what was going on, he recognized our need to talk about the redistribution of wealth and i think it was those things that really landed him in the crosshairs of powers. >> what do you think he would recommend that we do as a society to help lift people out of poverty? >> well, i think he would say, first of all, we've got to create opportunity and one of the things that we have to avoid

doing is engaging in the kinds of things of racialized scapegoating that i'm hearing too often. poverty is a big issue and we need people to think through this. >> during your preaching, before your congregation in pointing out some of those comments, you had been very upset about what newt gingrich was calling president obama, a food stamp president. what are you hoping people do in this election season? are they motivated to even come out and participate? >> as i talk to people in my community and people in my church, they are very energized but they are also very disappointed with the character of our american political discourse at this moment. this notion about the food stamp president, this is the kind of racialized stereotyping and scapegoating that we've seen before. several presidential seasons ago, it's the old southern

strategy. and it's really not focused on solving the problem. it's focused on firing up a political base. why else would you be talking to an all-white crowd in new hampshire or in iowa about black people on welfare and food stamps? i've been up to those places. there are very few black people relatively speaking in iowa and new hampshire. this is a treacherous and tricky kind of speech and i think we have to say no to it. >> are there any republican candidates that you've listened to and followed and said, i think that's a good idea? they have their finger on the pulse of what is happening in our economy and our society? >> there are good ideas on both sides of the aisle but we're so caught up in the kind of partisan politics in this country that i think ordinary people are being looking at people who will try to solve the problem who will think seriously about these issues. i've been disappointed that no one has condemned this kind of

speech. we celebrate martin luther king, jr. today but you cannot celebrate dr. king on one hand and then continue to engage in this kind of racialized speech and stereotyping and vote in suppression. on the one hand, this kind of negative race-baiting. on the other hand, a real suppression across states in our country. the voter i.d. bills in the state of georgia i think are unnecessary. the cutting off of early voting, sunday voting, why make it difficult for ordinary american citizens to practice that most basic right to vote. >> we hope they come out to vote and sorry we're going to have to leave it there. it's a very significant day and obviously a time to reflect and we certainly know that there is more work to be done. >> thank you so much. >> all right. thank you. jon huntsman says it's time for republican presidential

candidates to stop the attacks. last hour, huntsman criticized what he called the toxic tone of the republican race as he announced the end of his run for the white house. >> today i am suspending my campaign for the presidency. i believe it is now time for our party to unite around the candidate best equipped to defeat barack obama. despite our differences and the space between us on some of the issues, i believe that kantd da candidate is governor mitt romney. >> all right. i want to bring in chief white house correspondent jessica yellin. jessica, obviously the white house, the obama campaign watching very closely. all of this happening. do they think it's going to make that much of a difference? >> well, it's one step closer for mitt romney to lock up this nomination.

i mean, there's another primary yet to go in south carolina, another in florida. but from the obama campaign's perspective, they have been gearing up to run against mitt romney for quite some time and so jon huntsman dropping out is yet another sign for them that this is going to be a race between president obama and mitt romney in the end, suzanne. >> and so how quickly do they want to see this thing wrap up here so that romney becomes the nominee? how does that really impact the race in the general election? >> quickly, not at all. they would be happy if this thing dragged on to the republican nomination. the longer mitt romney would have to slug it out against republican opponents, the better it would be for the obama campaign. and one of the downsides for them, if mitt romney were to wrap this up quickly, it would be that he could then turn his attention to attacking the president and one of the things we've seen is with these new

super pacs, everybody could have a quick ending to the republican primary process and would start negative ads quickly. we can't prejudge this. we don't know where this will go. they are hoping it will drag on and have some surprises between now and the end. >> and a lot of romney's rivals obviously taking a hit. they are attacking on bain capital, his career there. does this help or hurt him when he goes into the general election facing president obama having been tried and tested thon issue? or does this give barack obama the kind of fodder for what he needs? >> this is exactly the case that the campaign wants to make against mitt romney. these bain attacks will be used by the democrats against romney

in the general election should romney become the nominee and they will be brought up over and over again for months to come. but top republicans i talked to say that a different point of view is because newt gingrich has brought these attacks up and these other republicans have brought them up, it's had the unexpected effect of uniting many of these conservative critics of mitt romney around him. you've had rush limbaugh rushing to his defense, unexpected defense from, say, you know, lindsay graham or other people saying, don't do this, don't attack mitt romney. these are people who wouldn't naturally defend mitt romney to begin with. so he's gotten some conservative support where he might not otherwise because other republicans have gone after him on bain. but still you're going to hear a lot about bain from the obama campaign if mitt romney should become the nominee. j. >> all right. thank you, jessica. >> thanks. one of the most popular online retailers, if you get

shoes or clothes or stuff like that, a major security breach hacked. what zappos is asking customers to do next. while protecting our environment. across america, these technologies protect air - by monitoring air quality and reducing emissions... ...protect water - through conservation and self-contained recycling systems... ... and protect land - by reducing our footprint and respecting wildlife. america's natural gas... domestic, abundant, clean energy to power our lives... that's smarter power today.

online retailers zappos is asking customers, reset your passwords.

that's right. they were hacked. alison kosik is joining us. how bad is this? >> chance is, if you've shopped at zappos, it has affected you. 24 million people are affected. in response, zappos has killed everyone's passwords and you can reset it at zappos' web page. there's a big green, create a new password on the home page. click there and you can reset your password. here is what is compromised, your name, e-mail dress, phone number, last four digits of your credit card. tough blow for a company that is known for great customer service. >> 24 million people impacted by that. is there anything else you should do to protect yourself if you feel this has happened to you? >> that's a good question. the best advice is really to

take an extra look at your credit cards. don't wait for the monthly statement. check online now on your credit card statements. zappos says full credit card numbers were not compromised because it was stored on a separate server and that was not hacked. be safe and track your bill. contact zappos through e-mail. they say they are not taking any calls. it's literally shut off their phone us because they know that they are not going to be inundated with calls. zappos is known for great customer service and don't want people hanging on the phone, getting put off and being frustrated. so e-mail is the way to contact them. their phone you won't be able to get through. suzanne? >> and e-mail they think it's all safe to do to get this information through e-mail? >> they think it is, yeah.

if they are having any questions, if you want to know if you in particular were affected, go ahead and e-mail them. i wouldn't necessarily put all of your information in that e-mail. just maybe give your name and ask if you've been impacted. >> all right. good advice. thanks, alison. last night gold again globes award show and a.j. hammer was on the red carpet. a.j., i stayed up late enough to watch some of this and it was so much fun. it set the stage for the oscar's, right? more buzz? >> certainly. a lot of buzz about meryl streep and george clooney. big winners last night. but the globes haven't always been the best predictor in terms of oscar winners. it's understandable when you think about the voters for the two different shows are very different. it's true. a win at the globes can help an oscar campaign along and when you have george clooney taking home the best actor award in

"the descendents," all the though "the artist" could give him a run for the money. you have meryl streep and michelle williams both winners last night. look at meryl streep. she forgot her a glasses, though. she had to wing it with her speech. i've got to tell you, at this point, i don't know who i would favor in the oscar race and i don't want to leave out viola davis in "the help." she has picked up a few trophies in the course of this award season so far. i think she's going to be a favorite. it's going to be a great night come oscars. >> i liked jessica lange as well. what about ricky gervais? >> ricky -- i think ricky behaved himself in a big way by

comparison to last year. he did still take some shots but you too day today the feeling seems to be that it's more tamed although i don't know if kim kardashian or nbc would agree with that. a little bit of a letdown for folks that were hoping that he would let loose on the big names in hollywood like he did last year. i thought he was going to go in with this no-holds barred nothing to lose attitude and i think he wanted to show that he could play nice. >> he was a lot of fun. it was a great evening. all right. thank you, a.j. >> you got it. >> if you want breaking information about the entertainment world, a.j.'s got everything. this evening on "showbiz tonight," 11:00 p.m. eastern on hln. did mitt romney's firm drive a toy company into bankruptcy? that's one of the political claims facing the truth-o-meter test. [ male announcer ] it's simple physics...

a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving is easier. and celebrex is not a narcotic.

when it comes to relieving your arthritis pain, you and your doctor need to balance the benefits with the risks. all prescription nsaids, like celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen, and meloxicam have the same cardiovascular warning. they all may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you have heart disease or risk factors such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods. nsaids, including celebrex, increase the chance of serious skin or allergic reactions or stomach and intestine problems, such as bleeding and ulcers, which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. do not take celebrex if you've had an asthma attack, hives, or other allergies to aspirin, nsaids or sulfonamides. get help right away if you have swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing. tell your doctor your medical history and find an arthritis treatment for you. visit celebrex.com and ask your doctor about celebrex. for a body in motion.

presidential race is heating up. so is the rhetoric. but the candidates attack one another actually pass the truth-o-meter test? bill adair joining us to find

out if the claims match up against the truth-o-meter. this is an ad from winning our future super pac that supports newt gingrich. it says mitt romney and bain capital drove kb toys into bankruptcy by loading it up with debt. is that true? >> we measured it mostly false. romney was gone when bain capital bought kb toys. kb's bankruptcy was more a function of just -- it was the wrong toy company at the wrong time. the toy industry was changing, big retailers like walmart were dominating the toy business. it was much more the competition and the way that kb was positioned. mostly false for that one. >> mostly false. this one from mitt romney.

it's an e-mail to the l.a. times. it says president obama has raised taxes 19 times. true? false? what do we know? >> we gave that one a half true. we can document 13 of the 19 tax increases that romney claimed and we went through them one by one. when you look at the 13 that we found, we're talking about very small, very narrow taxes. many from the health care law, some focus canned on very focused things like health-focused ceos. that fits our definition of a half true but needs additional information. >> bill, take a look at the statement by president obama on his campaign website. he says, mitt romney, rick perry, newt gingrich all say they would cut foreign aid to israel and every foreign country to zero. does it measure up? >> that does not measure up.

that gets a pants on fire. that's not at all what the candidates have said. what they have said is that they would begin with what's call zero-based budgeting and look for countries such as israel and others to justify how much they get in foreign aid. all three candidates have said that they would have special consideration for israel given its role as an important ally. so ridiculously false. pants on fire for the obama campaign. >> you're going to be hearing from them, i'm sure. all right. thanks, bill. >> thank you, suzanne. two weeks into the new year, are you still on track with the new year? ed said he wasn't going to take in food but he's got a new baby. he's broken it so far. one of the best resolutions, we understand, investments to get out of dealt with your credit cards. christine romans is here to

teltell us how. >> america's debt is about as large as the u.s. economy. more than $15 trillion and growing. politicians are deadlocked on how to fix it but only you can tackle your own personal debt. you can pay down your highest interest rate credit card first. that's a lot of advice. but if you need to pay off one that is a low interest rate but it's a smaller balance because it's going to make you feel good, you can do that, too. whatever it takes to start cutting down that spending. strive to survive on 70% of your income. if you can't afford it, put it down. use your debit card or cash to limit spending. keep your credit card balance below 30% of your overall limit. and please, please, please, check your credit history at annualcreditreport.com. don't just close your eyes. you've got to find out what that credit history looks like.

it's really important, folks. >> we're not just going to close our eyes on this one. we'll work it out. today's talk back question, do voters care about social issues? wayne says, of course. we always care about our families and social issues but if you're not working and you have no place to live and you're going hungry, you are certainly going to care more about economics at that point. more of your responses up ahead. in america, we believe in a future that is better than today. since 1894, ameriprise financial has been working hard for their clients' futures. never taking a bailout. helping generations achieve dreams. buy homes. put their kids through college. retire how they want to. ameriprise. the strength of america's largest financial planning company. the heart of 10,000 advisors working with you, one-to-one. together, for your future. ♪

[ sizzling ] ♪ [ male announcer ] free hot breakfast. with fresh waffles. real value. from your friends at hampton.

you've been 10u7bding sounding off about our talk back question. what are people saying, carol? >> charlotte says it's time to choose, the almighty dollar or conviction of conscience? it's an easy choice for me. when did even just trying to be a moral country become so burdensome? >> from robert, thinking it's the government's responsibility isboth scary and unamerican and believe in individual freedom. we don't believe it's the responsibility of government to engineer society. from roger, america is somewhat interested in social issues, just not the ones brought up. there's nothing wrong with the family other than one or two of its members are out of work. from jessica, the reality is that our country has bigger fish to fry than those hot button social issues. same-sex marriage and abortion

should stay completely out of the political discussion and not be used to gain votes. we don't care about social issues, we're not honoring the man who we celebrate today which, of course, would be martin luther king jr. keep the conversation going. facebook.com/carolcnn. thanks, as always, for your comments. >> thank you, carol. >> they are prostitutes and they vote. who these working women would like to see if the white house.

all right. we promise you, this is a political story here. no other way to put it. ron paul popular among prostitutes. in fact, the candidate getting a lot of support from the brothel in nevada. elizabeth cohen has the story. >> reporter: ron paul's met a lot of his supporters but he probably hasn't met these women. and they love him. >> a client comes into the bunny ranch and says, i'm pimping for paul, they are going to have a real good time, aren't they? >> yes. >> reporter: if the presidential election were held today, there's no question who would win here. the prostitutes at this legal brothel have a pimping for paul campaign because paul supports their right to make their living this way. >> yes, you have a right to do things that are very

controversial. >> reporter: prostitution is legal in 16 counties in nevada. prostitutes, they prefer the term working girl, says this protects their health. first, they have the right to reject any customers they don't like. >> so you bring a gentleman in here and you do an inspection of some kind? >> uh-huh. >> what are you looking for? >> we ask them to drop their pants. >> reporter: they are looking for signs of sexually transmitted diseases. we say, there's something here that i'm concerned about, i don't think it would be in our interest to party today. get that checked out. >> reporter: they have to use a customer every time by law so if a guy says to you, couple hundred bucks i don't want to use one of these, what do you say? ? >> sorry. i still look at my health involved. i don't know where this guy has been. >> reporter: and the working girls get checked regularly for transmitted diseases.

>> see you in a week. >> reporter: are the nevada department says in 30 years there's never been a single case of hiv among prostitutes in nevada but their jobs have come under attack from officials. >> the time has come to outlaw prostitution. >> reporter: they are asking customers to donate to paul's campaign out the door. in two days they raised $587 and they are pimping for more. >> he tried to give them money directly to the ron paul campaign but a campaign staffer advised him instead to give it to a political action committee that supports ron paul. we reached out to the ron paul campaign and we didn't get a response. back to you. >> all right. cnn "newsroom" continues right now with deborah fayrick who is in for randi kaye. it's 1:00. let's get straight tthe