>> thanks so much. remember, 6:00 p.m. tomorrow night, we come on the air with our special coverage of the south carolina primary. a critical hour. you want to be with us right here tomorrow night. now, back to erin burnett now, back to erin burnett "outfront." -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com thanks. one day away from the south carolina primary. newt gingrich is gaining ground. who are people going to vote for tomorrow morning? we spent the day with him and he comes "outfront," next. president obama working to convince america's allies to sanction iran and the latest from the cruise ship that ran aground off the coast of italy. rescue workers finally resuming the search for missing passengers. let's go "outfront."

good evening. i'm erin burnett. tonight, we are live in charleston, south carolina. tonight, newt gingrich, whose performance tonight here will make or break his run at the presidency. no doubt the former speaker is surging in the polls. you can look around, you see that left, right and center. the latest show him within striking distance of mitt romney. he's also ignited a fire storm, slamming the media over his ex-wife's allegation that he wanted an open marriage. >> i think the destructive, vicious, negative nature of much of the news media makes it harder to govern this country, harder to attract decent people to run for public office and i am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that. >> i caught up with newt gingrich today about an hour and a half away from here in a town called orangeburg, south

carolina to talk about the race, the issues and his private life. so, do you feel the momentum has changed for you over the past two days? >> i think it really began to change monday night in myrtle beach after the debate. we were pretty good before then. back home, i feel pretty good campaigning in south carolina. getting a good, positive response, but monday night seemed to gal vonnize people, then sarah palin said she's vote for me. and now today, we have michael reagan and chuck norris. i think at every stage, you've had this continuing acceleration. >> i was at a denny's today, they'd all seen the debate. they were, a lot of them had changed their mind. they were romney supporters and now, going for newt. the reason was because of the beginning of debate and how you responded to john king's question about your ex-wife. did you expect that right off

the top? >> i sort of had a hunch that that would happen because i thought they couldn't contain themselves. and i thought that they would think it was clever, but i think there's something going on here that's very deep. part of it is really deep diss like of media at a level -- because this has happened like five times now or six times in these debates. i think people want a leader who's forceful, knows what they think. if i had said the color is blue, it's the forcefulness. they know, at least our side of the country. the republicans, the conservatives, the tea partiers, independents. we think the country's in real troub

trouble, so they're looking for a leader that has a forcefulness and a clarity. the delivery of that clearness is as important as a specific topic. >> i was talking to men and women. the mayor was there. his daughter had been on to mitt romney before. she switched to you and it was because of the topic. i connected with him. i talked to another woman, i've been divorced too, and i wouldn't want someone to drag that up. do you think in a sense, it's enabled you to connect to people in a more human way? >> i think it has. i think people are actually a lot smarter than our analysts believe they are. and they lead complete lives. and they look around and go, you know, that's just not true. and there's a kind of judgment there that's real. in addition, i had a pastor who said to me, you know, in some ways, having somebody who's had pain in their life is really helpful because you have somebody whose life has been to

perfect they don't understand pain. it's hard for them to understand what the rest of us go through. it was a very interesting way of thinking of it. i've had people coming up all day saying they were glad i responded so harshly, they were glad that i was so clear about it. some people have written both close to me and said they're sort of embarrassed for the country that that kind of thick was done to us. a number of people said we're in their prayers. it's a very interesting, human response. >> i heard that, too. people also though do seem to feel that the question of morality affects someone personal life as well as their personal life. i talked to tim, who have at denny's today. he said, if you're going to be the president, you have to be someone who is going to be of high moral character because you are the person representing our country. the most important person many this country. he said his marital past is not

the first most important thing, but it will be a deciding factor. don't you think it's fair that the morality question comes up? >> of course, but it's -- i don't believe anybody is going to vote tomorrow didn't already know i had been divorced and remarried. it's all been out here for eight months. and there was a sense of well, why would abc news bring it up now and do it the way they did it? and i think that's what people just said, wait a second, that's over the line. of course you should measure, you should measure whether it's romney or santorum or ron paul or obama. all of us, if we are seeking to have you loan us the most powerful office in the world, we should be prepared to have a conversation that is amazingly detailed and opened and i don't object to that. >> so, when people say if someone would be unfaithful in their personal life, or

dishonest in their personal life, that they might be dishonest a as president or business leader. how do you answer that? you've been honest about that. >> you have to say look at who i am now. look at how close callista and i are as a couple. look at how close i am to my daughters and son-in-laws, look at how close we are to our grandchildren. you have to decide not 15, 20 years ago, but now, this person experienced and wise enough and with enough force of personality that i think he could actually get america back on the right track. >> and now, you're moving, you're the front-runner. you could win tomorrow. win in florida. >> who knows. >> you come into a general election and you know, it's interesting. all these issues, they're going to be looked at again, so it's interesting. i looked, presidential history. we've never had a president who's been married three times. one in 20 americans have been married more than twice.

when you get to a general election, if you're the nominee, you're against barack obama. a family guy. do you think that's going to be an issue where people say, do i connect with him? do i have a lot in common with newt gingrich. >> i think the country's in so much trouble. somebody said to me the other week, if you think you have a serious illness, what you want to know is not what kind of car does the doctor drive, but whether or not he's a good doctor. i think the burden barack obama carries is that he's both radical and not very confident and people see that. he's likable. i would never beat obama in a personality contest and i wouldn't try. he's a very likable person. but the presidency's not about likability. it's about are you capable of doing the job. are you capable of dealing with iran and on the issue of capability, i think obama has an

enormous burden to carry. >> so, what about you mentioned sarah palin. before we started this interview. her endorsement, i know how you mentioned her the other day, that you said you would consider her for some sort of a position. i saw that, i said, wait a minute, what's he saying? >> there's a movie made about her. i think called the undefeated or -- it's a very interesting documentary. when you go back and look at her career as mayor, then on the ethics commission where she forced the republican state chairman to resign, the amount she cleaned up the state and amount and how effective she was negotiating with big oil. you'd have to say she has great capability. she's been someone you'd consider as a talent in a variety of possible positions. i got to finish winning the nomination. then you have to actually win the general election.

so, we're still along way off from that kind of thinking. >> you were talking about a gold commission. that's something ron paul's been passionate about since the reagan years. it was interesting talking to ron paul supporters. you know how they are, they're passionate. ron paul or nobody. but when i pushed really hard, maybe then newt. >> well, one of the -- it's a fact of life, ron paul's going to get a significant vote. and it's a fact of life that you want to find something that would give him a strong reason not to consider a third party and so, you've got to say, okay, under what circumstance, he has a legitimate role. he's earned that by running a very formidable campaign. you want to find something that you could find something to do. >> one final question and this is just, i had reached out on twitter. i had asked for questions for you. they were questions about a lot

of different things, but the main question was about last night. it was about what you had said in 1998, talking to your pack. april 22nd, you said i will never again as long as i am speaker make a speech without commenting on this topic. there is a -- president clinton about that and now say that you're past is not relevant. >> but you're very r smart. what was the problem there? what was clinton's problem? he lied under oath. and in front of a federal judge, which is a felony. it wasn't his personal behavior in the oval office. he lied under oath to a federal judge. he committed a felony. >> so, that is the oath that bothered you. >> the problem was and you can judge that as a private citizen

and say i don't like it or i do like it. problem was, purgery. he's a lawyer. purgery if front of a federal judge jail time. or are we going to enforce the law. that's what the case was about. i actually think the country probably got to the right solution. he was impeached by the house. the center refused to convict. when we set a tough standard for future presidents that says don't break the law. you're not above the law just because of you have to be popular. >> last question. you're very popular this week. we'll see what happens tomorrow. >> we'll be back. >> you're going on and how great of a week has it been for donations? >> very, very good.

i'm the candidate. we have the resources to go on to florida and we're very excited about it. this has been as you said earlier, in my entire career, this is the wildest ride i've been on. it's amazing. >> amazing to cover it as well. thank you so much. you heard from newt gingrich as everyone's getting ready to start voting tomorrow morning. now, hear from the voters. this morning, we went by a denny's for a grand slam. we have not been eating well down here. and they shared their thoughts on last night's debate. we're going to share that with you and a woman who knows more about south carolina politics than almost anyone. the state's former first lady comes "outfront" tonight and the fight over the sopa. the bill is on hold. for how long? we'll be back. i'm phil mickelson, pro golfer.

if you have painful, swollen joints, i've been in your shoes. one day i'm on top of the world... the next i'm saying... i have this thing called psoriatic arthritis. i had some intense pain. it progressively got worse. my rheumatologist told me about enbrel. i'm surprised how quickly my symptoms have been managed. [ male announcer ] because enbrel suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculis, lymphoma, other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu.

tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. get back to the things that matter most. ask your rheumatologist if enbrel is right for you. [ male announcer ] enbrel. the #1 biologic medicine prescribed by rheumatologists. 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.

our crew woke up this morning and decided we needed to go to denny's. the restaurant chain is based here in south carolina, we

didn't know that until a few weeks ago, so we wanted to go and find out what voters were thinking. on their minds, the debate last night and the primary tomorrow. >> i think there were a lot of people who switched over to newt gingrich last night. i think he came out the winner because of the attack his private life. >> i was romney all the way. last night -- >> as a pro-life republican, i really like what santorum has to say. >> i appreciated hearing him li life, but i don't think that he was given quite the amount of time the others were. >> all right. right now, tim scott of south carolina. conservative radio talk show host vince coakley and john

avalon. congressman, good to see you. your friends with newt gingrich. >> hit it out the park. it changed the dynamics of the race. i would have said before yesterday there would have been a photo finish with romney cutting the tape first. i would say today, that is foot. still a tight race. i was at a gym saturday and the folks in the gym paused and said, newt. i was very surprised. i think the momentum has shifted because the backlash towards the timing of the story seems to be running the race. >> newt was talking to me today about a book that inspired him, about the waves in television and ride the wave. he was talking about just that. very open about it. what are you hearing? obviously, you've been talking to voters in south carolina all day. >> it's a mix of things.

there are people very much upset about the cases of infidelity and we've always known this about newt gingrich, but what's significant is i think the people who are already opposed to newt gingrich, they're still aposed. the other, they're more supportive than ever because they feel the media has come down on him and now, they're rallying behind him. it's going to be interesting to see if this has helped him. >> speaker gingrich and i talked about this media issue. the elite media. it has been working for him. >> absolutely. that is red meat when mitt romney had the negative ads, the base didn't seem sympathetic, but he can push off that with a base and get real gains. you can feel it and see it in the polls.

>> i guess gets the crest, right, then could go well for him. but congressman, you've known him for a long time. he's been a supporter of yours. you haven't formally endorsed anyone. why is that? >> a guy that matches your values and who wins in the fall and that equation really is something i'm still going through the process. i like what mitt brings to the table. an organization, very good structure, deep pockets and the opportunity to run the race for the long haul. newt brings the ability, the more you attack him, the better he gets. you've got to appreciate that. >> he loves being attacked. >> it works for him. >> that's why i said last night the ugly softball was truly a slow pitch. for the rest of us who may have dodging it, not him. in a general election, six or sefb debates against this president, we want our very best toe to toe, heavy weight champion, frankly. do you go with a guy that has

the structure of the organization and deep pockets, but may not do as well or go with the guy you know will win the debates, will hit hard, often and the more he gets attacked, he has the ability to win independents. >> a lot of people, conventional wisdom thought romney would do much better in part because he's been governor of a state like massachusetts. >> part of what's happening here, too, another dynamic, for people who were supportive of herman cain and they feel the media helped to bring him down. >> and cain was ardently defending with the media. so now, people are saying you're not going to take this man down. they're going to stand with him. one of the things that i hear people saying over and over again is they love the way he's able to debate, frame an argument, the way he's able to inspire people and that frankly is kind of missing from some of the other candidates, so that's one of the strongest things that

helps him. >> tortise and hare? >> right now, mitt romney's camp, trying to lower expectations and remember, they've got a great organization, but today, i got two robo calls. they're definitely, i'm sure it was a coincidence, but they know it's tight. >> i imagine like a little turtle shell and mitt's face sticking out. appreciate it. we'll see how it goes tomorrow. still out front, new video from the cruise ship. video from inside the ship and more from south carolina. we found peaches in the palmetto state. georgia, you got nothing. nd an ♪ ♪ 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™. and here's what we did today: supported nearly 3 million steady jobs across our country... ... scientists, technicians, engineers, machinists... ... adding nearly 400 billion dollars to our economy... we're at work providing power to almost a quarter of our homes and businesses... ... and giving us cleaner rides to work and school... and tomorrow, we could do even more. cleaner, domestic, abundant and creating jobs now. we're america's natural gas. the smarter power, today. learn more at anga.us.

here's a few facts about the palmetto state. state animal, white tails deer. amphibian, spotted salamander and most surprising, the state fruit is the peach. georgia is be best known at the peach state, but in the 1950s, south carolina took over from georgia as the biggest peach producing state in the union and

even though since california has passed the vote, south carolina still produces way more peaches than georgia, which brings us to tonight's number. 90,000. the number of peaches south carolina produces each year. that is more than double you, georgia. incalifornia, south carolina, georgia and new jersey, number four. south carolina and georgia focus on their fresh rather than processed peaches and their fruit feud pops up in the strangest places. for example, the 1972 album eat a peach, repleased by the almond brothers band. that peach cover was designed by two guys from south carolina. all right. coming up, a woman who has experienced the best and worst of south carolina felix. jenny sanford comes out front next. and president obama pushing for increased sanctions against

iran. we'll be right back. ♪ there's a place i dream about ♪ ♪ where the sun never goes out ♪ ♪ and the sky is deep and blue ♪ ♪ won't you take me american flight 280 to miami is now ready for boarding. ♪ there with you fly without putting your life on pause.

be yourself. nonstop. american airlines.

we start the second half of our show with stories we care about, where we focus on our reportinging, do the work and find the "outfront" five. newt gingrich. we had the chance to spend time with him today. could he win tomorrow? the former speaker of the house has been climbing and a strategist for mitt romney admitted to cnn his candidate

could lose south carolina. earlier, i asked speaker gingrich about his shift in momentum. >> i think it really began to change dramatically after monday night in myrtle beach, the debate. we were pretty good before them because back home, i feel pretty good campaigning in south carolina. we're getting a good, positive response, but monday night seems to galvonize people. and now today, we have michael reagan and chuck norris. i think at every stage, we've had this continuing acceleration, if you will. >> number two, the united states is considering closing its embassy in syria over security concerns cht that's what two senior officials tell us tonight. we are told that the united states has asked the syrian government for more security around its damascus embassy and a decision to close will be based on a request. those in the embassy would

effectively end diplomatic relations with syria. number three, the national highway investigation has closed its investigation into chevy volt fires. we looked through the report today. investigators did not find a safety defect. they also supported gm's fix, which reenforces the structure surrounding the battery. this came from crash tests. we'll continue to follow it. number four, r existing home sales rose. up 5% in december. the annual reflected is 4.6 million homes. the number of existing mome inir sale, a crucial measure of how much we've got to work through to get better fell to 2.4 million. the lowest levels since 2005 and

that is a really significant number to fixing the single biggest issue in this economy, which remains housing. it has been 16 l days since the united states lost its top credit rating. the dow, nasdaq and s&p ended the wook hieek higher by more t. she knows south carolina politics better than absolutely anyone. former first lady, jenny sanford, is not shying way from the political limelight. in fact, she is weighing in on who she will not be voting for tomorrow. also the author of "staying true" a really great book and she joins us now. >> good to be here. >> i wanted to ask you, you were at the debate last night and i know you were waiting to hear what everyone had to say and you got to see that incredibly testy and rather memorable beginning to the interview, with newt

gingrich. what did you take away? >> from the whole debate or beginning? >> whole debate. >> as i said before, the whole race actually very short on substance and even though some of the candidates were able to clarify their positions a little bit last night, they remain a little too focused on bickering about one another. i think that's part of the struggle with so many people right now. >> it was interesting today, i didn't know exactly how, the beginning of the debate, conversation about newt gingrich's ex-wife and fidelity, how that would go over. it seemed a lot of women rallied around him. i wanted to play a quick sound bite. >> i don't believe anybody who's going to vote tomorrow didn't already know i had been divorced and are remarried. it's all been out here for eight months. and there was a sense of why

would abc news bring it up now? >> what's your reaction? >> you know, i have a mixed reaction about that. because on the one hand, newt gingrich is the candidate who has risen up. in order, he hasn't been a candidate who's been fully vetted for a long period of time in this race. i believe the issue is fair game during a presidential race because he's asking to be the leerd of our nation. so the i think the issue of his character is an issue and so then the question really then is suspect is the timing. i am not so sure that sometimes in politics, you can control the timing. the other issue is was it a fair question on john king's part? it's a fair question to be asked. perhaps it shouldn't have been the first question. >> talk about the speaker today, we had a conversation about it and morality. he seemed to say yes, and it will be an issue in the general

election. even though he is right. everyone knows his past. >> there's no scrutiny focused on the people, the lower candidates that are new in the race or low in the polls. it's not until they become real contenders that the scrutiny is intense. same with santorum. you have romney who's been the front-runn front-runner. paul who's been in the race for as long as romney and then these two that are up and comers nipping at people's heels that are generating the exitment and momentum, but haven't been flushed out. >> it is exciting. and i know it's been a big -- your family has been watching and involved. you were there, your ex-husband was there. >> two sons. one left school today to go to a ron paul rally. >> so, he's going to vote -- >> is he old enough? >> he's 18. he's just turned 18 in december.

he's in that sweet spot. ron paul is, he's the one that actually does have a clear message. and whether you agree, you know what he's about. he wants to cut a trillion dollars. he has a consistent record to back that up. the question is, where is he on foreign policy to a younger person, a younger person, i asked landon. how can you -- are you okay with his foreign policy stance? are you okay with cutting back on the mill fair, for example. he just says we can't afford it. i get where he's coming from. he hasn't thought through those issues. he's more concerned that the government is going to be bankrupt when he becomes of age to need any services. >> who do you think will win tomorrow given the negative ad campaigning here? >> every campaign i've managed, you dgo down to the end. sometimes the negative stuff really backfires. i think that it's anybody's guess tomorrow.

i wont be surprised if gingrich won, but also if romney won. you have all these last minute things. newt is a great campaigner, but newt is not a great leader. i think if people remember it, there's a reason why he was speaker, then he left. sometimes when you go to the voting booth, people vote on instingt. i could see romney being the voice of reason that edges out. >> great to see you. >> thanks for having me. >> well, the internet giant spoke and congress listened. this has been one heck of a fight over the past week. today, two controversial antipiracy bills were put on told. the move follows protest by google, facebook, wikipedia. we have been on this story p for a couple of weeks. we spoke to wikipedia cofounder

jimmy wales before he blacked out his website. >> i'm a big believer that we should be dealing with issues of piracy and in a serious way, but this bill is not the right bill. >> media companies including time warner supported the legislation, but it wasn't enough to convince congress. just how big of a victory is this for internet companies? i'm joined by deck land, he's been following this for cnet. how big of a win is this and this is big established media versus big media. >> well, it's a pretty big win. this is huge and what's interest xiaoqiang that the tech companies didn't even roll out the heavy artillery. this is the light artillery. google said sign a petition.

they didn't say here's a link where you can get your members of congress's phone number. and maybe you should donate some money. that's the real heavy artillery, so the tech companies have another weapon and hollywood did not see this coming. they got rolled by the internet this week. this is a historic week in internet politics, maybe american politics. >> it was pretty amazing. all the presidential candidates wei weighing in on this last night. the blackout protests we saw from websites like wikipedia were effective. i'm just wondering, you're saying this is a huge victory. this bill's going to get reworked and what if they don't like it then? >> well, the danger that they face, it's not just tech companies, remember. this is something like 12 million internet users being involved in a protest that's 4.5

million people sign ed the google.com petition. wikipedia is not a tech company. it's a non-profit group. its users voted to do that, but there is a danger they can do this once. the first time wikipedia does this, everyone pays attention. it's a huge thing. it's never been done before. they do it a second time, people get annoyed. a third, it's like, been there, done that, why are they doing it? they better have gotten it right this time and i think they probably did. >> all right. thank you very much. we appreciate it. we know there's a lot of people on the internet who are going to be watching to see what's next. now, let's check in with anderson cooper. what's coming up? >> hey, erin, we're just around the corner from you at the college of charleston, which is probably the most beautiful college i've seen. there's a lot of enthusiasm among the crowd here tonight. a lot in the state of south carolina. we're going to take a close look, including new signs that

newt gingrich is not only surging, but possibly pulling ahead here. also, the fallout from last nigh's debate and specifically, the question of speaker gingrich's divorce. new information coming from abc that mr. gingrich didn't exactly give the full story. plus, the latest on the cruise ship disaster in it lichl new and frankly stunning details about what the captain was doing after the ship hit those rocks. those stories at the top of the hour. >> all right, thanlgs very much to you, anderson and talking about that cruise ship video that crash ed off the coast of italy, it is amazing what the pass swrers were told just after they hit the rocks. and tonight's idea. we've been having, we've been exploring down here in south carolina. we found a guy that has turned the world of vodka upside down. we'll take you there. he game! [ male announcer ] don't have the hops for hoops with your buddies?

lost your appetite for romance? and your mood is on its way down. you might not just be getting older. you might have a treatable condition called low testosterone or low t. millions of men, forty-five or older, may have low t. so talk to your doctor about low t. hey, michael! [ male announcer ] and step out of the shadows. hi! how are you? [ male announcer ] learn more at isitlowt.com. [ laughs ] hey! 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. 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. ♪

we do this at the same time every night. our outer circle where we reach out to our sources around the world. we begin in iran. general martin dempsey is in israel for a series of high pro file meetings with israeli leaders, there is growing concern that the israel where government could act unilater unilaterally to shut down iran's

program. the obama administration has been pushing allies to sign on to sanctions targeting the could be tri's oil industry to force iran to abandon its nuclear pursuits without a war. kareem is a leading exprt on iran and we asked him how iran is interpreting the trip. >> in the eyes of iranian official, the united states and israel are really indistinguishable. i think iran's hostility is the key source of the conflict. david frum once said it can enrich ewe ran yum and call for israel's demise, but not at the same time. >> and now to afghanistan. a helicopter crash in helmand provens killed six american marines. the taliban claimed responsibility, but the nato-led

force reported no activity. killing four and injuryinging 15. this led nicolas sarkozy to suspend training operations and combat help in afghanistan. we asked nick peyton walsh how the mission is affecting the troops to pull out of afghanistan. >> nicolas sarkozy suggested he might bring troops home early. 4,000 french soldiers here helping the training and security. sarkozy's facing great pressure ahead of re-election in april. this war is deeply unpopular in france and nato needs this to stay within the coalition. if they were to leave early, people might see signs of the coalition here crumbling. >> and now to the u.k. and an update on the media hacking scandal that took down rupert murdoch's news of the world

newspaper. the parent company of the newspaper has agreed to dole out hundreds of thousands of dollars in settlements to 18 reported victims, including some news inl over alleged phone hacking by employees. cnn's jim bolden talked to us about the victims. >> reporter: those who settled include jude law who reportedly received $200,000. these are a fraction of the alleged phone hacking done on behalf of the news of the world newspaper shut down last summer. erin? >> all right. italian rescue workers are resuming the search for 21 people still missing after the costa concordia cruise ship disaster. we have new video to show you tonight which, as you will see, shows the moments just after the ship ran aground. a crew member, speaking in italian is telling people to go back into their cabins.

>> it sounds and looks chaotic. dan rivers has been covering the story from giglio island. when you see the video with the crew member saying, everything's fixed go back to your cabins, seems like proof that the evacuation was chaos, doesn't it? >> reporter: well, that's certainly what some passengers are saying. certainly the impression you may be left after watching that video. however, one costa employee writes in a local newspaper

writes, we have heard so much nonsense from survivors resorting to sensationalism claiming that in fact if crew acted well, did everything they could. they're well trained, did the best they could. they got 3,000 passengers off as quickly as they could. of course all the passengers disagree saying they had to swim for it in some cases to get ashore alive. >> behind you, i think we are looking at the outline of the ship and there are some lights. looks like the search and rescue mission is back in progress. what can you tell us as to how that's going, what they're doing and what the chances may be of anyone still being alive on the costa concordia. >> reporter: well, it's seven days since the accident now, erin. they have had to suspend on a number of occasions this week

the diving inside the ship. it's too dangerous. the ship is moving around on the rocks that it's sitting on. they have searched the bit of ship above water. now the chances of finding anyone alive are slim indeed. they are going to get the pieces in place to start the salvage part of the operation. pumping 2,000 tons or more of heavy fuel oil. they need to bring in a tanker to do that. that's the kind of thing they will be looki ining at over the weekend. today we have seen relatives laying flowers at sea. poignant scenes, especially the mother of a 5-year-old girl, the youngest of the missing passengers. >> all right. dan rivers, thank you very much. we'll continue to watch and see what happens there. up next, while we have been down here in charleston we went

out to the barrier islands and found the guy who checked out south carolina and said, i don't want to live anywhere else, founded a company, changed an industry and made money doing it. it's a sweet idea and it's next.

what makes the sleep number store different? the sleep number bed. with the sleep number bed, it's not about soft or firm.

it's about support where you find it most comfortable. the magic of this bed is that you're sleeping on something that conforms to your individual shape. on a traditional mattress, there is no adjustment. you get what you're buying that day. with our bed, you change the setting to something you like. this way, if you change your mind once you get home you can adjust it. wow! that feels really good. it's hugging my body. you can adjust it to whatever your needs are. your body changes over time. the bed can adapt with you. not only does it work for you today, but it's going to work for you 20 years from now. so whatever you feel like, the sleep number bed's going to provide it for you. and now, the company that redefined sleep is redefining memory foam. save $400 on our all-new memory foam bed - the only bed that combines cool, contouring gel foam with sleep number adjustability. and stock up and save on our exclusive bedding collection at our white sale. only at the sleep number store, where queen mattresses start at just $699.

out front brought to you by jaguar. see the line-up at jaguarusa.com. visit cnn.com/out front for bold innovative answers like the one you just saw. so about 20 minutes away from here, out in the middle of

nowhere, beautiful country. a local company disrupted the vodka market with a sweet southern taste. take a look at tonight's big idea. scott was a man on the move. he lived in 21 cities is as many years, always working for the liquor industry, but always searching for a place to settle down. in 2006 scott found the answer here in south carolina and sweet tea. >> that's good. >> reporter: created in a small distillery here, fireflooi is sweet tea and vodka, a marriage made in 70-proof heaven. >> we make vodka out of wine. we crush the grapes, ferment them to make alcohol. then we distill the wine and the vapors end up here because alcohol boils around 192 degrees. >> okay. >> we take this and transfer it to the larger tanks.

then we mix our tea and sugar together and bottle it. that's firefly sweet tea vodka. >> reporter: the south isn't just a source of inspiration but ingredients. >> this is firefly sweet tea vodka made with all american tea, american sugar in the vodka. all natural. cane sugar. straight up, 70 proof. >> whoa. >> reporter: the tea used is grown up the road on the charleston tea plantation. so you get your american tea from here? >> this is the only tea plantation in north america. we get a portion of our tea from here. >> reporter: right down the street. >> right down the street. >> reporter: bill hull is a third generation tea taster. how are you the only tea farmer in the united states? >> i guess i'm the only one crazy enough to do it. >> reporter: bill was skeptical about the booze-infused concoction but these days