>> this is day 7 of a hunger strike being carried out by 18 courageous students at the university of virginia. >> off christian, the choice will be stark. it won't be about deficit spending. >> we'll see about that. thanks, guys. thanks, guys. have a great weekend. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com thanks so much. so did you fill your tank up last night after work? from the time bring expensive, right? we've got more bad news for you this morning. prices have risen even higher. today's national average, $3.65. that's up three cents from yesterday. that's just the average. prices in los angeles, 5 bucks. christine romans, you've been speaking to analysts. let's talk about this price spike and why. >> speaking to analysts and very angry drivers. you go to sleep, you wake up it costs more to fill up. 12 cents in a week. about 11% so far this year. we've never seen gas prices this

high so early in the season. usually you see gas prices going up into the spring and summer driving season. never so high so early. what goes into a gallon of gas? here's the breakdown according to the way the government looks at it. 12% of the price of gasoline are the taxes that we pay. 6% goes to distribution and marketing. 6% is refining. look at that, kyra, 76% is crude oil. crude oil is a price that is set in the global market that is a lot of different head winds and cross winds and when crude oil prices, gasoline prices rise, crude oil is above $108 a barrel. mostly because of this fear factor about iran but also because of, you know, consistent global demand for energy and oil, kyra. >> so you've got the demand for oil, you've got the arab spring, you have the fact that -- look what's happening here in the united states with regard to the economy. all of that combined.

it's not just one factor that's making this happen right now, correct? >> correct. and when you look at demand in the united states, demand for oil or gasoline is actually down a little bit. so that's got people scratching their heads and saying how much of this is speculation, investors, wealthy professional investors who look at all of the different factors and say, i'm going to buy oil futures because i think oil futures are going to continue to go up. i think oil is going to continue to be more expensive. the experts i've talked to say they figure about $10 for every barrel of crude oil is because of professional speculators in the market. so $10 a barrel, that's about 30 cents a gallon for your gas. there are a lot of factors all taken together. when you look at how quickly some other parts of the world are growing and their growing demand and hunger and thirst for oil out of the ground, you can see the world is really -- the world is really chasing after this resource still and when it starts to go up, it goes up quickly. >> christine, thanks.

well, our president says that there's no quick fix so he's calling for a long range plan using alternate sources. he's already predicting pushback too. >> you can bet that since it's an election year, they're already dusting off their three point plan for $2 gas. i'll save you the suspense. step one is to drill and step two is to drill and then step three is to keep drilling. >> our political editor paul steinhauser joining us now. paul, what are the candidates saying about what the president said there in his energy policy speech yesterday? >> reporter: well, you know, kyra, the president's right, actually. it is an election year and those candidates are criticizing the president. it's kind of natural. take a listen to what newt gingrich and mitt romney said about the president and what he's doing about rising gas prices. >> on day one, for instance, i'm going to say to the department of energy and the department of the interior, i want you to grant licenses to drillers for

oil and gas, miners for coal, take advantage of our resources right away. >> $2.50 gas, he represents 9 or $10 a gallon gas. i ask you, which of those two is going to be happier? >> reporter: gingrich, in fact, is putting up infomercials talking about his energy program with the $2.50 a gallon gas which is not probable. there's a lot of talk about gas prices in the spring and summer, in this case a little earlier. usually by november when people go to the polls gas prices are down and it's less of an issue. >> romney has a big jobs speech today at the uaw and also there's a protest that's planned. >> reporter: you got t. he's going to the detroit economic club. his campaign touting this is a big address. he's going to be talking about his tax policy and as you mentioned, yeah, the united auto

workers, plan, guess what, a big protest. they'll highlight his opposition to the 2008 and 2009 bailouts of the auto industry which, of course, is centered in michigan in the detroit area. we have joe johns out there. we'll have live reports starting from him next hour. >> paul, thanks. you can join us tuesday night too for america's choice 2012. we'll be following the arizona and michigan primaries. the special edition of "john king u.s.a." at 6:00 eastern. special coverage of the results at 7:00 eastern with wolf blitzer and the best political team on television. just in case you thought winter was on vacation, this happens. winter storm hits the dakotas yesterday and it's working its way east. chicago could get eight or nine inches before it's over. o'hare international has canceled more than 350 flights so far and that could have a ripple effect across the country. in the northeast, they're getting snow too. take a look at hartford, connecticut. rob marciano has been watching the storm for us all morning. rob? >> it's a big storm.

obviously it's affecting connecticut, chicago, the southern part of the storm has a hybrid winter spring scenario. we're getting all sorts of weather. most of which is the -- well, yesterday we had some high temperatures. this is the snow that we had across chicago. it's still snowing there. beginning to wind down. just outside of chicago anywhere from five to seven inches and still coming down. chicago proper, the ground's still pretty warm. we didn't see a ton of accumulation. maybe a couple of inches. you see how big the storm is. the back side is here. it's reaching into parts of boston. we had three to four inches of snow into hartford. the warmer air is beginning to work its way into the system across the northeast. we had warm air down across the south. record highs in the 70s and 80s. that instability is going to be tapped in the way of some severe weather. would he have a 20 hour watch box that's been issued just south of atlanta. that will be progressing eastward into the low country of the carolinas. moderate risk for severe

weather. super cells with damaging winds but potentially tornadoes especially later on this evening through the overnight tonight. the other facet of this system is so big and strong is that on the front end eventually the back side we'll see tremendous amount of wind over a large area from the canadian border along the appalachians. tonight and tomorrow across parts of long island and eastern new england we'll see winds gusting to 60 miles an hour. kyra? >> rob, thanks so much. >> you bet. well, there is a lot going on in syria right now. cnn has learned that rebel forces might be getting weapons from other arab countries now. meantime, the city of homs is enduring its 21st straight day of shelling. syria's opposition says that government forces are now shelling other cities as well. at least 42 people reportedly have been killed across the

country today. many of them in homs. now an opposition source is telling reuters that syrian exiles are getting light weapons to the rebels now. they're trying to smuggle in bigger hardware like anti-aircraft weapons. in two nearby yeah they're working on a plan to try to get things like food and medicine into sir yeah they're giving syria's opposition a boost. cnn's zain verjee following that story out of london. zain? >> hi there, kyra. the kind of boost that they want to give the syrian opposition is to recognize that they exist and that they really want to support them. the other major issue is humanitarian aid. what they want to do is put pressure on the al-assad regime and hope for a break through. what they really want is to allow things like food, medicine, water, things like that to be able to get through, kyra, to some of the people that really, really need it. let me give you an idea of what the international headlines are

saying today. this is from the independent in britain. they say this. if we can't intervene, at least we can isolate syria. it says there's no point in talking to a regime that has lost all credibility. the tune nis gathering needs to make clear to the syrian people more than anyone else is that assad's day is over, that the country's neighbors and international community at large no longer recognizes it. then check out gulf news, kyra. it says this. the safety of the syrian people is paramount. it says, the ground reality in syria is that the conflict has gone beyond the forces of the government and that of the opposition. it is now a bigger game that involves both regional and international players. and the u.s. secretary of state at that meeting also had predicted that the opposition would be willing to find any kind of means or sources to supply them with the kind of weapons that they really need to fight the bashar al-assad regime. one other point, kyra, it's not

necessarily who's there, but also who is not there. and that is russia and china. they didn't show up. kyra? >> zain verjee out of london. thanks. in afghanistan, what started as a peaceful day of muslim prayer escalated into anti-american protest. it's all over that burning of some of the korans earlier this week. the president of the united states actually issued an apology directly to afghan president hamid karzai. in kabul the protests got pretty ugly with the folks there lighting vehicles on fire. afghan officials say at least seven people were killed. 20 others were wounded. mostly in the harak province. so far no casualty among nato troops. anything payton walsh joining us. what do you think? >> kyra, increasingly serious. we're in the fourth straight day of violent protests. worst in the western country, in harat. the u.s. consulate was

surrounded by angry protesters who clashed with police. we understand a number of people killed there. total of six in harat province while an instant in the north where it appears protesters moved towards another base. no isaf casualties. there appears to not have been the restraint that was called for by afghan authorities but we also heard today how the nato commander here, general john allen, went to visit troops who yesterday lost two of their americans to a man in afghan army uniform who shot at them while protests at this koran burning raged. let's listen to his empassioned plea. >> there will be moments like this when you're searching for the meaning of this loss. there will be moments like this when you're motions are governed by anger and the desire to

strike back. these are the moments when you reach down inside and you grip the discipline that makes you the united states soldier and you gut through the pain and you gut through the anger and you remember why we are here. we're here for our friends. >> reporter: i think you can see really in general john allen's eyes there some of the frustration that isaf forces must be feeling. this was unintentional, they say. they're trying investigate it. they're apologizing but the impact on security in the country is simply not -- it's just continuing day after day, these violent protests. deep concerns, i'm sure, amongst isaf. they're trying to convince them that it's safe enough to go home. they're seeing these continuing protests. >> out of kabul. thanks. still ahead, same-sex marriage gets approved by lawmakers in maryland but not

necessarily a done deal. the nypd under fire for secretly monitoring muslim groups. >> the job of our law enforcement is to make sure that they prevent things. >> this tactic actually creates more hatred. >> now a call for a federal probe. that's next. [ male announcer ] this is lawn ranger -- eden prairie, minnesota. in here, the landscaping business grows with snow. to keep big winter jobs on track, at&t provided a mobile solution that lets everyone from field workers to accounting, initiate, bill, and track work in real time. you can't live under a dome in minnesota, that's why there's guys like me. [ male announcer ] it's a network of possibilities -- helping you do what you do... even better. ♪

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his roommate who later committed suicide after discovering he was being watched. he could get ten years in prison if convicted. maryland lawmakers have agreed to legalize same-sex marriage. he says he will sign the civil marriage protection act. opponents are pushing for the issue to be decided in a referendum in november. take a look at this video carefully. pickup truck slams into a massachusetts convenience store. three customers were standing in line. the driver apparently lost control as he was pulling into a parking lot. police say it was an accident. the customers are okay. well, there's more backlash this morning to a story we first reported earlier this week. the new york police department secretly monitoring muslim students and businesses. now a number of people are calling for a federal probe into that police force. susan candiotti reports. >> reporter: for six months starting in late 2006 new york police scanned open access

websites of muslim student organizations at several universities in the northeast, including yale, columbia, syracuse, and the university of pennsylvania looking for any signs that might lead to terror plots. a senior law enforcement official tells cnn as first reported by the associated press. new york police also took photos of mosques and muslim owned businesses, including dollar stores and restaurants in nearby newark, new jersey. after finding out new jersey's governor was fuming. he says he's all about helping another jurisdiction but. >> it's got to be coordinated. the nypd has at times developed a reputation of, you know, asking forgiveness rather than permission in certain areas of coming into other states and doing things. >> governor christie and new york mayor cory booker want an investigation of the nypd. in a statement booker said, if the new york police had no specific reason to single out muslims, it's, quote, deeply

disturbing adding, to put large segments of a religious community under surveillance with no legitimate cause or provocation clearly crosses a line. but new york's mayor michael bloomberg is unapologetic in defending his police department. >> the job of our law enforcement is to make sure that they prevent things and you only do that to -- by being proactive. you have to respect people's right to privacy. >> an nypd spokesman tells cnn it was mapping out places where terror suspects from other countries may try to blend in to avoid detection. the surveillance shouldn't shock anyone saying newark police were briefed and even escorted the nypd. still, muslim students are livid. >> this tactic actually creates more hatred. a better approach would be to take a proactive em proech and engage the muslim youth at a large level. >> i disagree with the way this

was implemented, with the way that they went about trying to find terrorist activities. >> reporter: are muslim students being singled out without hard evidence or are police doing what they're supposed to do, protect public safety? susan candiotti, cnn, new york. well, incomparable beauty that until now most of us would never see. we're taking you on a virtual dive into the great barrier reef next. using social media to pick an airline seat? yeah, we're talking about a growing trend for making friends on a flight. at we have here is the multi-point inspection. every time a vehicle com into a ford dealership you'll be presented with one of these. we check the belts, hoses... tires and the pressures... battery, all your fluids... exhaust system, transmission... we inspect your air filter... it gets done,it gets done quickly and it gets done correctly. the works. oil change, tire rotation and more: $29.95 or less after rebate -

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exploring the wonders of the great barrier reef without ever leaving home or getting wet because zain hates it when her hair frizzs and her mascara runs. >> reporter: oh, gosh. it's the worst thing ever, kyra. my goodness. so i can have a mani, pedi. >> eat bonbons and go explore what's underwater at the great barrier reef.

thankfully helping me out are world famous scientists and google, thanks a lot. they teemed up to give us a virtual sight of these fabulous photographs that you're looking at under the great barrier reef. all of this incredible natural beauty underwater. what they've done, kyra, is they've stitched together tens of thousands of pictures to be able to give us this crystal clear virtual view. one of the things that the scientists are saying, and many australian officials, is this will be a really good thing. it will actually draw attention to climate change. they hope that a lot of people are going to sit there at home on their computers and watch because they'll be able to see all this natural beauty and admire it but also hopefully it will galvanize them to do stuff and understand more about climate change. kyra, do you scuba dive? >> i don't. i get claustrophobic. i tried a couple of times. but i snorkel. >> yeah, me too. me too. i only snorkle. >> no, you know what would make

this even more cool? if it were in 3-d. >> reporter: i know. this is only high definition. it's not in 3-d. hopefully at some point down the road they will work on that. one of the things they're saying, even though it's not in 3-d they hope they'll study along with the scientists some of the natural beauty, measure things that scientists need help with. i don't know how well the average person would do with that. >> it's interactive. >> reporter: yeah. it's absolutely gorgeous. we should take a trip down there. >> you got it. let's plan it. i could use a break. thanks, zain. >> reporter: me too. all right. so what drives you more crazy on an airplane, a gum smacker, loud eater, a chatter box? according to alison kosik when it comes to annoying passengers, we actually might have some new options. >> all of the above annoy me, yes. okay. so what i'm about to tell you

about is what's known as social seating. it could become the trend. dutch air lain, kln, it began testing this program meet and seat. with this program if you're a passenger on a plain you can volunteer to upload details and use similar data that others have entered. you can have a little control over who sits next to you. you can actually make the choice. now "the new york times" reports malaysia airlines also introduced something similar last year. you know what, it could be pretty good for people who travel alone, like to network or professionals who may be heading to the same trade show or conference. one sticking point here for kln service, you can't hit the reject button on who's chosen to sit next to you. your only option is to try to get your seat changed to completely escape the situation. you know what, i think it's probably going to be a while before the u.s. carriers pick up this idea. i think most people, especially in the u.s., they like to sit in peace and quiet on an airline and just get from point a to point b. are you a real sociable person, kyra, on a flight?

>> i just like to relax and i guess unless the person is really interesting, i guess i could get caught up in a conversation. all right. >> good for you. >> yeah. okay. i'm being told let's get to the markets. we can chitchat about annoying flying probably for the next couple of hours. so could everybody else. the dow managed to post some gains yesterday. >> and it looks like it may post a few more gains at the opening bells. the u.s. markets look like they're tracking positive momentum. a couple of economic reports are coming out in 1/2 hour. we'll see if they can move the needle on the dow which is getting ever so close to 13,000. kyra? >> alison, thanks you all this week we are taking an indepth look at addiction. it's one battle that the military doesn't want in the headlines. the enemy, painkillers. we'll talk about that straight ahead. [ male announcer ] technology accelerates at a relentless pace.

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at least seven people were killed and 20 wounded today in the koran burning protests in afghanistan. one protest is actually near the u.s. consulate. president obama calls the burning of the books by nato troops a grave error. aaa reports gas prices have jumped 12 cents this week. experts say that speculators and uncertainty about iran are fueling that increase. there's a new sign the feds may be conducting their own investigation into the jerry sandusky child sex abuse case. penn state says the university got a subpoena from the u.s. attorney's office asking for more information about sandusky and his charity. and it's one of the military's toughest battles on the home front, drug addiction, especially to prescription meds. pentagon correspondent barbara starr goes in depth. >> reporter: the pharmacy at

this military hospital outside washington, d.c., fills hundreds of prescriptions every week. with wounded troops as well as those suffering from traumatic stress often having multiple prescriptions, it's not surprising that. >> prescription pill abuse is a major problem throughout the military. >> reporter: one of the major controls is the simplest. >> we can look into the patients electronic medical record, we can see all the prescription medications that have been prescribed. >> reporter: every patient has one. it's one of many initiatives the military is uniquely able to mandate. another, there's no doctor shopping for multiple pill prescriptions because only one doctor oversees all drug orders for each patient. that's the only way a military member can legally get pills. >> this works really well in the department of defense because we have a little more control over medication use that you do not in the civilian world. >> reporter: drug testing is mandatory and expanding.

the pentagon is offering an unprecedented 90 day amnesty to come forward and get treatment. the use of prescription pain medication has exploded. prescriptions for oxycodone pain drugs in the army alone has nearly tripled in the last five years. and statistics show illicit use is on the decline. at this hospital patients are constantly counselled by specially trained pharmacists and they are warned about alcohol. >> every visit we have we talk about the problems with alcohol use. we screen for alcohol use. we look for alcohol use. >> this is a video game we made for service members. >> reporter: the doctor heads up the medication misuse education program. this video teaches doctors and patients about the risk of prescription drug abuse. >> play the role of someone who's at risk for medication misuse. they see the slippery slope to addiction and even death. >> now, barbara, you mentioned drug testing is expanding. what kind of drugs is the military looking for now?

>> reporter: well, you know, kyra, just this month they did expand it and they are now screening for the illicit use of the anti-anxiety drug xanax and valium and the pain medication vicodin. three of the most popular drugs across this country. but they are having some success because they are able to mandate certain things in the military that your private doctor can't. they have driven down the illicit use of prescription pills. it's way below the rate in the civilian world. perhaps a role model, but, again, the military is in a unique position because they can force their patients to undertake counseling and other actions. >> barbara starr going in depth for us. thanks. november's election could be a landslide. on ed contributor charlie garcia explains how the latino vote could swing everything just ahead. and it's hollywood's biggest night, but it's one star's tribute that's the buzz in our entertainment headlines next. ma? dude what? no, no, no. he's, he's on my back about providing

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eddie murphy quit but billy crystal is no rookie. nischelle turner is in los angeles for an oscar host preview. nischelle? >> yeah, that's no bad replacement there, huh, kyra. billy crystal is considered one of, if not the best oscar host ever. on sunday they're kind of embracing some new trends at the oscars. first thing, the producers say get ready for comedy because they're embracing comedy. we saw that a lot in hollywood this year. so the oscars says, well, we're going to get in the game. all the things we love about billy crystal as a host, you can bet you'll see that, too. that opening number of billy in the movies where he pays tribute

to all the best pictures nominated. that will be there. you'll see some very funny bits along with "a" list actors. they're embracing this idea of comedy, kyra. i have two names that will be doing a bit at the oscars. this ica not wait to see. will far rel and zach galfanakas together on the oscar stage doing a little bit of comedy. that should be a very fun part of the night. >> fun part and probably an emotional part of the night and that is going to be this tribute to whitney houston. >> well, actually, you know, i'm not sure if there's going to be an exact tribute to whitney. what we're hearing from the producers is that they say whitney was part of the acting community just like a lot of other actors that have passed away this year. when we usually see the obituary package where they honor all of those actors who have been passed, whitney will be part of that. i don't expect it to be like the grammys where they single whitney out and do a tribute to her. >> got it. all right. nischelle, we will' be paying

close attention. the countdown is on to hollywood's biggest night. sunday, cnn is live at the oscars with "showbiz tonight," road to gold. a.j. hammer is going to report live from the red carpet starting at 6:30 eastern time. barack obama could win the presidential election by a landslide. op ed contributor charlie garcia tells us how next. a man vents his frustrations about his estranged wife on facebook. now he has to apologize to her on facebook or go to jail. sos and interactive learning, plus, in-branch seminars at over 500 locations, where our dedicated support teams help you know more so your money can do more. [ rodger ] at scottrade, seven dollar trades are just the start. our teams have the information you want when you need it. it's another reason more investors are saying... [ all ] i'm with scottrade.

checking stories cross-country now. a man accused of killing his wife during their australian honeymoon is a free man. an alabama judge threw out the case citing lack of evidence. watson's 26-year-old wife tina died in 2003 while the couple was scuba diving off australia. and orlando, officers in riot gear had to break up this huge crowd at a local mall. why? it was the launch of a new basketball shoe. hundreds of people wanted a pair of the $220 sneakers from the nike all-star collection. well, the store had to cancel the sale due to all the chaos. cincinnati judge orders a man to apologize to his estranged wife on facebook or go to jail. here's what happened. mark byron admits that he posted his frustrations about his

penling divorce and his custody battle. the judge decided and has now ordered that byron has to post an apology to his facebook page every day for 30 days. president obama could win the presidential election by a landslide, so says our next guest. it's all about the latino vote. plus a few numbers, states, and a little emotion. not only is this time's cover story, charles garcia, ceo, joins me to talk about his op ed on the same subject. what is obama doing right? >> he's doing all the right things. he's basically saying, look, guys, comprehensive immigration reform. i'm all for it. it's those republicans that keep getting in the way. he was on a radio show with peoline which is the biggest radio star in the hispanic world -- >> is that like the rush limbaugh of our radio world? >> exactly.

he said, guys, i have five more years and i'll get it done. he's feeling pretty dococky. you can accuse him of a lot of things and he can count. >> interesting. well, you mentioned florida, ohio swing states but you say that he doesn't even need those. >> he doesn't need them. >> okay. so arizona and missouri you say. >> those voted republican. >> okay. >> and he flips those, which he can easily do because in the debate they put arizona in play when they were completely against any immigration reform. so he flips those two states. he has six more which he won last time. colorado, indiana, michigan, nevada, new mexico, and north carolina. that's it. and if he picks up others that he had also won last time like ohio, pennsylvania. >> you same game over. >> he wins by a landslide. and i think that the white house knows now that he has it locked. that's why he's on the air all time talking to latinos about the things that are important to

them. >> you are yo' making a big prediction here. >> i am. i'm on the line. >> yes, you are. >> the secret is out. >> charlie garcia breaks the news. so you also say, you point out, that latinos want an authentic leader. who has that more right now? >> you know, the president had issues with latinos, but he's not -- you know, the tea party has the republicans locked in because they need to pander the tea party to win the primary but they're not going to be able to pivot back because latinos are looking for someone authentic. you can't all of a sudden in august or september come back to latino voters and say, i love you. i want immigration reform. they're going to say you're a phony. you really don't. the other thing is that obama is winning the ground war. he's in all of these states with his troops registering latinos to vote and if you look in '08, 84% of latino registered voters voted and he knows that. he outspent republicans five to one. he spent 30 million on spanish

language ads versus 5 million that mccain did and he'll do that again. >> we'll follow it. and, of course, you have the op ed piece on our opinion page. my guess is you'll get a lot of people weighing in this morning. >> i think so. >> all right. stay tuned. charlie, thanks. all right. you can read all of charlie's pieces for yourself. check out cnn.com/opinion. check it out. jeremy lin called the game a learning experience. the miami heat taught him last night. highlights coming up in sports ten minutes from now. the landscs grows with snow. to keep big winter jobs on track, at&t provided a mobile solution that lets everyone from field workers to accounting, initiate, bill, and track work in real time. you can't live under a dome in minnesota, that's why there's guys like me. [ male announcer ] it's a network of possibilities -- helping you do what you do... even better. ♪

well, it looks like national league mvp ryan braun will be playing on opening day after all. an arbitrator has overturned

braun's 50 game suspension for failing a drug test. senior writer for "sports illustrated", david epstein joining me on the phone, david, this is actually a first for base baseball, right? >> reporter: that's right. this have been a dozen other case that is have been appealed but this is the first one that's successfully resulted in a reversed suspension. >> all right. i know this is kind of a complicated question. we will' try to make sense of it as much as possible with all the facts. what does this say? is he innocent or is there a lack of evidence here? >> reporter: well, what the arbitration hinged on was the fact that the baseball players agreed that urine samples had to get to the lab in montreal within 24 hours and that didn't happen in this case. that's what it hinged on. based on my reporting, his sample did, in fact, test positive and that wasn't challenged, but part of the process made in the agreement between baseball and the players association wasn't met. >> interesting.

but he did test positive so, you know, what happens from here? will there be scrutiny on ryan braun, increased in testing, what will happen now? >> well, there may be a decrease in testing, because at least at certain times of the week, because our problem was we couldn't get the sample to fed ex within 24 hours because it was taken late in the day, fed ex was closed, now sampling will be done when it can be delivered to fed ex within 24 hours. certain times there might be last sampling. the scrutiny will continue because this most peoples minds they will see it as hinging on a technicality, but there are still details to come out. >> after the testifying, lies, books, exposure, guys are still testing positive. >> in a wider array of sports.

despite all that and exposure, if you know what you're doing the chance of getting caught are still low. and at least perception the rewards of using performance enhancing drugs are quite high. >> and worth the risk. >> apparently. >> is major league baseball going to let this ruling stand or will they fight it? >> interestingly, baseball quickly issued a public statement they vehemently disagree with the finding and the baseball representative on the arbitration panel voted to uphold the suspension. so normally this would be the end of the process. i know they are exploring options, but this is where the course is supposed to end. >> david epstein, looking for your articles, thanks. >> thank you. >> we'll follow lots of developments, let's check in with zain verjee. >> kyra, u.s. secretary of

state, hillary clinton is in tunisiaed a "friends of syria" give you a flavor what the headlines have been saying. i'm christine romans in new york, falliollowing gas prices, much higher will they go and who has the right plan to keep the u.s. from $4 gas? i'll have that at the top of the hour. a huge storm impacting millions of people from snow, wind, tornados today, i'll have the forecast at the top of the hour. thanks, guys. a hit sitcom about middle class latinos. in the next hour of "i am america" why not everyone thinks it's such a good thing. . i gotta get a guitar. [siri] i found 12 musical instrument stores. how do i play london calling? whole lotta love? a b minor 9th? [siri] i found this for you.

add migraine headache to my list of band names. tell julie and kate our band is playing at the garage tonight. [siri] here's your message to julie and kate. call me rock god. [siri] from now on, i'll call you 'rock god'. ok?

man on tv: ...rbis and 36 homers. swings at the first pitch and fouls it deep back into the stands. [ding] [fans whirring] announcer: chill raw and prepared foods promptly. one in 6 americans will get sick from food poisoning this year. check your steps at foodsafety.gov. lesson for jeremy lin last night. >> he's a smart kid, he knows he has to get better last night was a rough night. jeremy lin of course, he's so smart he tried to copyright lin sanity. >> he went to harvard, after all. >> took a turn on south beach against the heat. harvard grad got schooled by lebron, dwyane wade and company. they smothered him on defense. lin's worst game since joining

the knicks. he turned the ball over eight times, 1 for 11 from the field. miami's big three, 67 points, heat win 102-88. miami heads in the all star break on an eight-game win streak. >> here is the latest lin -- jeremy lin the musical. check it out on line. >>. ♪ i'm an american basketball hero, i'm an american basketball star, i'm an american basketball star, i'm an american basketball star ♪ ♪ give me time and room to grow you wish you had been a fan when you see me on espn ♪ >> it's like glee. >> that is good stuff. >> do some golf. tiger woods won't end his

winlease streak this week, nick watney knocked him out, six footer, know, just a bit outside. tiger's game is coming together but putting was brutal. 2 1/2 years since he was the event. he is the favorite at the master's. >> thank you, jeff. >> sure. >> unfair and inaccurate, that is the reaction many current and former sarah palin aides have to a new hbo movie, a movie that hasn't started playing yet. brian todd reports. >> you can see russia. >> reporter: she comes across as uninformed many. >> do you know why we're in iraq? >> because saddam hussein attacked us on 9-11. >> al qaeda attacked us. >> easily rattled. >> tell me what to say, what to wear, i am not your puppet. >> sarah palin, warts and all, that is the look at the

mccain-palin campaign, some aides say based on the trailer they've seen it's more warts and not accurate. >> just factually false. >> jason now consult, he was her trip director after she was nominated in 2008. he was her at every step. he calls the campaign one of the most uplifting experiences of his life. as for scenes like this. >> you call that fair? i certainly don't choose. i never recall seeing governor palin rattled or since, she is something who has a firm command of her own presence, her own command of the campaign and again, a false narrative. >> hbo, like cnn is owned by time-warner. the screenwriter couldn't go on camera but defended his skrimt

a script and the leg work to get it made. he said the fill tm is based on interviews with 25 people involved in the campaign including jason wrecker. strong said "we stand by the film as being an accurate and fair portrayal of the events of the campaign" he said this is a multi layered film with positive depictions of palin. >> if you think i can help the country absolutely i'll do it with you. >> i asked susan page for her take on the 2008 ticket. >> there was fracturing in the campaign. >> one of the things i remember most about 2008 friction between mccain people and sarah palin people almost every campaign, her role, debate, that friction is not made up, that is not fiction. >> jason wrecker says find me any campaign there is not friction, he said every campaign has tensions between the candidates, traveling staff. what does sarah palin say? last week on fox she said "i'm

really not too concerned about an hbo movie based on a false narrative when there are so many other things to talk about." brian todd, where cnn, washington. we begin with gas tank, did you fill it up? it was expensive. we have more bad news, unfortunately, this morning, prices have risen higher, today's national average, 3.65, up 4 cents from yesterday. prices in l.a., $5. christine romans, a lot of this depends where you live. why are prices so different from city to city? >> reporter: because of taxes. different states have different taxes they levy on a gallon of gas. couple factors, mostly taxes. around the country if you're in the mountain states probably the lowest gas prices you will see the average in the mountain west, $3.11 a gallon.

l.a., 3.97, some stations showing $5 a gallon. in the southeast, 3.58, one gas station near orlando was $6. return the rental car leave your wallet on the dashboard, where you live makes a big difference, that is mostly because of the taxes, the tax differences around the country. >> give us the big picture, how did the prices we're seeing compare to the past few years? >> even a decade ago prices were less than half this. we all remember that, less than half of this, really since 2007, you've seen gas prices in a more comfortable or i guess uncomfortable zone of above $2.50 on average. in 2008 we had record gas price above $4, but look, 2009, 2010,

the economy was weak, gas prices were down. then last year we had the arab spring, the president had to tap strategic reserve to tamp down gas prices a little bit. here we are in 2012, already at the highest we have been this early in the season that is troubling so many drivers, because you have the spring driving season when we're used to seeing prices drift up in the spring, we're starting from such a high base, because of iran, the tensions, very strong demand from very aggressively growing economies. as demand is down in the u.s., kyra, other factors that when you look at a world oil market, people are still bidding up oil. crude is up $108 a barrel. >> thanks, christine. mitt romney's talk about jobs in a tax cut plan in detroit two hours from now, uaw members are waiting for him and

it's not a warm welcome. joe johns is covering that story for us. let's start with the speech, what do you know about it? >> reporter: well, this speech has been a long time in the making, kyra. he has been going around the country talking about his economic policies but also talking alot about president barack obama and how oh he opposes president obama's economic policies. some economists, business leaders what he needs to do is not say what he's against, also what he is for, no better place than right here in the detroit area where he grew up, an area had a lot of economic problems, so he will talk about reducing tax rates perhaps, getting rid of the alternative minimum tax, he's also again to some degree appropriating language of the occupy movement and taken heat for that. an example in milford, michigan,

listen. >> will decide the 1% and 99% that is femting, when you're in trouble finding a squap goat and astacking them has pen used over the years. scapegoat. >> one thing we're not expecting is a proposal to install a flat tax. other candidates proposed that but apparently romney is not going that far, kyra? joe johns, what about the protest? >> okay. the protest is couple blocks down the street from here, the united auto workers on the top floor of a parking garage. i was over there a couple minutes ago, 100 people, maybe a couple hundred, the crowd continues to grow, set up a bunch of american made cars and they have letters on top of the cars that spell out "let detroit go bankrupt" this was the very famous headline of the op-ed in

the new york times that rom me wrote in 2008 that has democrats and some independents upset in do it all about the auto industry bail out at that time which mitt romney opposed. they will be protesting for a while, we'll take our cameras down there and take a look when we get off the air. >> joe, we'll check in with you then, thanks so much. just in case you thought winter was on vacation, giant storm from north dakota to chicago, o'hare cancelled more than 350 flights, that could have a ripple effect across the country. hartford, connecticut, system isn't just about snow, blew the wind. rob marciano has been watching it. >> that is winter-spring, severe

weather. chicago area, getting some over the top of this, some at 8.5 inches of snow. just beginning to wind down there. in the chicago proper the street are warmer, so not nearly as much snow, from 2 to # inches of snow. stretching toward the northeast, in hartford, 4 to 5 inches, that warmer air is pushing in from the south. with that warmer hair, you felt it yesterday if you hif on tliv the east coast, instability will be triggered. couple tornado watches posted across the deep south, across the piedmont, this will be shifting off to the east. the storm prediction center issued a moderate risk for severe weather, a good chance of seeing super cell development, damaging winds and potentially

some tornadoes as well. haasly, the flights cancelled yesterday in chicago we have 1:30 delays at o'hare, 1:00 in newark, an atlanta. wide-ranging storm. rob, thanks. >> you bet. in syria, cnn learned rebel forces might be getting weapons from other countries now. homs enduring the 21st straight day of shelling. syria's opposition says government forces are shelling other cities, too, 42 people reportedly have been killed across the country today. a source tells reuters, exiles are trying to smug edge in bigger aircraft like anti-aircraft weapons. leaders from the u.s. and dozens of other countries are in tunisia to get things like food

and medicine to the civilians. zain verjee has been following the story. >> reporter: the friends of syria conference is going on, a couple of major things among others on the agenda, number one is to try and recognize the syrian political opposition and also what they want to do is really pressure the al-assad regime, there has been intense bombardment and shelling. this is what the independent in britain say"if we can't interve we can isolate syria" "what the tunis gathering needs to make clear to the syrian people is

that assad's day is over. gulf news in the united arab emirates, safety of the syrian people it is paramount. ground reality in syria is the conflict has gone beyond the borders of government and othe opposition, a lot of people around the world at this conference because it is important. syria is a country in the middle of the middle east, what happens in syria will affect the region. interestingly though, russia and china, kira, friends of syria didn't show up. >> we'll keep following it, sla zain, thanks. mitt romney and rick santorum in a dead heat, how hard is it to win over michigan voters? we'll ask pete hoekstra. when you have diabetes...

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stories across the country the trial of former rutgers student dharun ravi begins. allegedly used a webcam to spy on his roommate, tyler clementi who later committed suicide after discovered he was being watched. ravi faces multiple charges and could get ten years in prison if convicted. maryland lawmakers have agreed to legalize same sex marriage. martin o'malley will sign the act. it will be decided in november.

look at the video. pick up truck slams in a massachusetts convenience store, three customers standing in line. the driver apparently lost control, as he was pulling in a parking spot. police say it was an accident. the customers? they are okay. just a few days left for michigan's republican voters to make up their minds, in the latest poll, rick santorum ahead of mitt romney but the lead is within sampling error, so it's in a dead-heat. michigan voters apparently aren't in love with either of them, either. the state is a key prize and you can tell by the way the candidates are going after each other like this. >> if you watch that debate, you saw one of the reasons why your work is so important. people go to washington, and they vote for things they don't believe it in. one of the candidates spent most of the evening describing why it was he voted against his principles, you have to take it for the team now and then. my team is the people of the

united states of america. >> i take a different position than governor romney. governor romney supported the bail out of washington street, and decided not to support the bail out of detroit. my feeling was, the government should not be involved in bail outs, period. i think that is a more consistent position. >> so let's talk more about michigan with the man who knows very well, former congressman pete hoekstra, now running for the senate. has been hanging out with herman cain, endorsed hoekstra, that has pen an interesting journey, pete. >> it really was. herman was in michigan yesterday. we went across the state. this is a who who knows how to connect with voters. a vision where he wants the country to go, we had a great day, glad to have him as part of my team. >> talk about connecting with voters in the state.

does michigan see romney as a native son right now? >> i think so. i mean clearly, mitt and anne, this is their home turf. they have a home field advantage, they can talk to people people. you can tell it by the way they talk about state and how they connect with the people of the state. >> do you think michigan will respond to the negative ads and heat santorum and romney have been throwing at each other right now? it's getting intense. >> it is getting intense. as we talked to republican and independent voters across the state over the last couple months, one of the things they are us from straighted about, they are frustrated about the negative ads, they want republican candidates layout a positive vision where they are going to take america the direction and the vision they see for the country. they also want us to hold debbie

stabanow accountable moe of the advertising is negative, in michigan they will choose between rick santorum and mitt romney. i think he has the momentum, i expect on tuesday he will win. >> there has been criticism, this is the guy who stood up and said let detroit go bankrupt, on the other hand, you've got the guy santorum who just spoke to the detroit economic club, saying that he hopes "inequality us a exists" so what kind of choice is that in. >> the auto industry did go bankrupt. the question is whether the bankruptcy was going to be managed through the courts or managed by the federal government. the ral government gave it more

certain at the t certainty they would come out of bankruptcy. there is a lot of people who are saying we might have been better off going through the courts because it would have been fairer, would have been in accordance with the laws. the way it came dup the industry did survive. there is no doubt that mitt romney cares passionately about this state. there is no doubt that rick santorum cares passionately about restoring manufacturing in america. it's going to be very interesting but mitt has the momentum, he has the home field advantage, he has the organization and then we have the unknown, michigan is having a snow storm, if the snow is still here tuesday, it will be very interesting to see which candidate, hols voters have the most -- most voters and will come out in a snow storm. >> peter hoekstra, thanks for

joining me. thank you. >> for nearly a month we asked i-reporters to make them to weigh in what makes them uniquely american. they shared their stories with us and now we're sharing them with you. >> i'm an mere ka. >> football coach. >> i speak three languages. >> i am american and he is, too. >> we hear about a new sitcom that explores life with middle class latinos. i think i'm goin-... shhh! we find that we don't need to sleep that much. there's an easier way to save. geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more.

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we have new numbers out a few minutes ago on the mood of the american consumes and home sales, alison kosik how is it looking? >> reporter: how consumers are feeling how the economy is right now, consumer sentiment, they improved in february more than expected. people reported they are slightly more upbeat on finances and business conditions, what this reading does is help gives a gauge of consumer spending whichism important tan to the economic recovery.

the housing market is still stuck in a slump. we learned sales of newly built homes fell almost 1% last month, that followed a solid rise in december, but interestingly enough this report is not watched as closely as sales of previously owned homes which we found out jumped 4% the other day, new sales which were just reported this morning make up 10% of housing activity compared to 90% of existing, gives us an idea whether people are confident to build a home from the ground up. more likely to opt for those previously owned homes instead. dow is trading below that 13,000 level, was trade ag bof i-- trading above it. in election year, politicians, pundits don't hesitate to tell us what is right for america. what defines us in 2012?

all this week we take a closer look at how our country changed ethnically, religiously and economically. today, a new hit sit krcom with latino cast. rob schneider's character marries into a middle class latino family. >> reporter: the new cbs comedy "rob" is a ratings hit. loosely based on the real life of rob schneider, it has been a top sten sitcom. >> you meet your new wife's family, was it like that did you

have to kind of really work? >> she said you should have a family and meet and c pchbs liked the idea next thing we were shooting it. >> in reality, his in laws live in mention i could and do not speak english, on the show they are played by middle class americans. >> this dip is excellent, i believe called guacamole. >> vim preery impressive many. >> for many the humor lacks authenticity. >> i would give a c. this woman has been reporting on the show and watching it closely. >> this is a big family because you're all catholic. >> the greatest concern, stereotypes from the overt. >> you don't use protection. >> to the more substitute he'll. i can't wait until we are spending time together. sharing our deppest secrets, borrowed each other $7200.

>> the uncle, doesn't want to do anything, he might be illegal or undocumented, that hurts people. >> i'm visiting from mexico for the weekend. >> that is nice. >> i'm not leaving. >> sh niechneider defines it as comedy. >> people might be offended by it. cbs tells cnn "rob is based on rob schneider's real live experience of marrying in a lar large family. one of those groups is the national hispanic media coalition praising the casting saying it's not often we get to see so many talented latino regulars on a prime time show and adds, it has potential. telling cnn the key at the time show's long time success will be if the voice of the latino

writers on the show are heard by the producers and show runners. also thrilled to see latinos in prime time wishes the show success but hopes it finds ways to make people laugh without laughing at stereotypes. michelle turner, cnn, hollywood. for nearly a month we asked you to weigh in on what makes us uniquely american. you can see the amazing response. check out ireport.com/iamamerica. we talked how the latino vote could swing primary results. could it mean a landslide for democrats? i'll put that question to our buzz panel in a few minutes. i'm phil mickelson, pro golfer.

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checking top stories, eight people killed in quran burning protests, the president called the burning an error. triple a reports gas prices jumped 12 cents a week. speculate tors are feeling the increase. a new sign the feds may be conducting an investigation in the jerry sandusky child sex abuse case. penn state said the university got a subpoena from the u.s. attorney's asking for information about sandusky and

his charity. time for political buzz, rapid fire look at best topics. day. three questions, 30 seconds on the clock, playing maria cardona, patricia murphy, and chris metzler our favorite prof at georgetown. wish i had you for a class, we would have got into it. >> we would have. >> get in the first question. cnn op-ed contributor told me that he thinks obama could win by a landslide in november, all thanks to the latino vote. maria? >> i saw it and he's absolutely right, kyra. in 2008, obama won latino vote by 67%, helped him win the presidency, in 2010 the gop way did not reach them. in 2012 if republicans continue with their anti-immigrant

rhetoric on immigration it will happen again. i got to tell you it's a filter issue, immigration, if latinos don't like what you're saying they won't listen to anything else. they continue on that road they will never see the inside of l.a. casa blanca, kyra. >> chris? >> i agree with maria. i think if you lookcontin -- latino vote, it will be decided by the swing states. the question is in those swing states, so you take for example, nevada, arizona, are the republicans able to get a message across to latinos that is an inclusive rather than exclusive message. to the extent that we're able to do that we win, otherwise, we lose. >> patricia?

>> i would never disagree with maria on this particular topic, for a couple reasons. latino voters like all other voters, the economy is the number one issue. the economy seems to be improving you can feel it lifting the president's chances of reelection. the other reason because even though obama i think has left the door open for some latino voters, he has not followed through on promises for comprehensive immigration reform, did not push the dream act the way he could have, but republicans have done nothing to walk through the door. unless some republican comes out of no where to be better i think obama will win by a big margin. >> la casa blanca. >> question two, gas prices skyrocket, we have been talking about that all morning, election year, does this hurt the president or opponents more, chris in. >> it hurts the president more for the simple reason what we

are talking about the broader economy, and to the extent that i'm spending more money on gas, there is less money for me to spend in other areas. at the grocery store, et cetera. so i think if gas prices continue the way that they continue, it's going to then dim the economic recovery and as a result of that, people will end up blaming the president for, because in fact he is in charge. so it's his decision relative to that. so gas prices is part of the part of the economy, yes, hurts the president more. >> maria? >> certainly rising gas prices is an issue of concern and that is why the president is talking about it head-on. when he talks about an all of the above approach in terms of the energy, wind, solar, biodiesel, biofools, when you have opponenh p -- biofuels, i

makes them look ridiculous and they don't understand how gas prices work and how the global economy works. and it hurtspatricia? >> there is nothing that makes americans squeeze more than going to fill up for gas once or twice a week and saying oh my god, how much did that just cost, that happened to me four types in the last two weeks. it hurts him because he's in charge and like every other president, there is nothing they can do in the short term to change it. he can talk about it, he can't change unrest in the middle ease, there is a bad situation he can't do to make better. >> 20 seconds each, oh. >> i would like to donation to the obama superpac, priority usa

action. i know it was named by borat. tonight i would like to give that pac, one million dollars. >> he's not kidding. what does this do for obama? and what does this do for him as a comedian? >> i think for the comedian it will continue to give him material to work with. but look, it will help the obama super pac in terms of making sure that the record is continued to be set straight. we know opposing super pacs will continue to drill all the misguided attempts to talk about obama's record in a way that isn't true. it will help the president. >> chris? >> well, this is just more kind

of pandering will it help? yeah, it's a million bucks. it raises the question, obama was for super pacs before he was against them, as a result of that, i think it brings that issue to light even more. >> obama will take it, for bill maher, there is nothing more absurd than the president condemning super pacs and then taking a million dollars, i think it hurts bill maher, i don't think he would be funny or helpful or effective. >> thanks, guys, have a great weekend. >> have a hot, hot yoga, everyone. >> metzler with random thoughts. with chris metzler, happy friday. hot yoga.

billy crystal is back at the oscars, how about this, a nun might walk the red carpet because she is a nominee. we'll explain, next. [ ding ] oh, that's helpful! well, our company does that, too. actually, we invented that. it's like a sauna in here. helping you save, even if it's not with us -- now, that's progressive! call or click today. no mas pantalones!

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[ laura ] i'll eat it any way i can. [ doug ] we're the mclennan family from spruce head, maine, and we sea food differently. well, this is what you would have to call an oscar moment. a nun, former actress, could walk away a winner. that warning not to turn the red carpet in a publicity stunt. michelle turner has it all from los angeles. >> reporter: all hollywood, kyra. >> anything can happen. >> reporter: absolutely. first of all you talked about kind of touched on what is going on with sasha baron cohen, there was news he may be banned because he wants to walk the red carpet as the dictator, the character in upcoming movie. the movie he currently starred in, "hugo" up for 11 nominations.

he wanted to walk the red carpet to honor that movie. there was this back and forth what would happen. of course he has to come out and now he's put out a statement that we're seeing the video as the dictator and what he's saying is that the academy has until 12:00 p.m. on sunday to give his tickets back or something that will happen is unimaginable. he paid hillary swank two million dollars to be his date and refuses to give the money back. he wants to walk the carpet as a dictator. this is great publicity for him and the new movie and the show itself because it's getting people to say i wonder what is going to happen. also we heard sasha baron cohen could be worked in the show on sunday. so i do not think this is the last we will hear about this. >> tell us about this mysterious nun. we have heard about her before but put it altogether, tied with

elvis. >> reporter: this is no stunt, this is real life. mother dolores hart, up for an academy award for her nominated short film documentary "god is the bigger he'll vision" you're seeing the video. she was a big hollywood star in the 50s, she starred in a movie with elvis a few years before she decided to speaker the convent. she will be walking the red carpet sunday in her nun's habit. she can very well take home an oscar for this. she gets out of the aking bctin business and wins an oscar. >> i would love to know about the conversation she and elvis had. that is second part of the intrigue. >> exactly. >> the count down is on to hollywood's biggest night. road to gold, a.j. hammer reports live from the red carper starting at 6:30 eastern.

oscars aren't the only show, the daytona 500. so is our rob marciano. >> reporter: that was fast. what is the goal? 11: 50 in practice. >> rob is giving it up no longer meterologist but part of the pit crew. [ jane ] how did i get here? with determination. courage. and all the points i earned with my citi thankyou card. [ male announcer ] the citi thankyou card. redeem points for travel on any airline with no blackout dates. 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.

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racing fans gearing up for sunday's daytona 500. rob marsiano spent the day embedded with a pit crew prepping cars for the big event.

>> reporter: prepping three teams, we spent time with the carl edwards 99 pit crew to see how they make it happen. >> that was fast. what is the goal here, how many seconds? >> we shoot 11:50 in practice. >> you have your left hand here and when he pulls it out -- how much does the tire weigh? >> 65. i have been changing diapers, if it's more than nine pounds, i can't lift it. >> you got the job already! jack man leaves, run through traffic. playing frogger. >> reporter: good analogy.

>> 25 seconds. you look intimidated running front of a race car. >> reporter: it's coming in hot. i was afraid he wouldn't stop. >> 17 for pit. you're the strength guy? >> i am the strength guy. >> i need help. >> reporter: how often do they train? >> twice a week and two other times a week, conditioning workouts. >> reporter: oh, that hurt. >> their best abilities are durability. nascar is a long season, they do a lot of pit stops. >> reporter: i can see you have to build a championship team. this is one of the cars carl will be running, what are we working on? >> set-up stuff, air pressure, set the heights and get it dialed in. >> reporter: all what you're showing me is precise, serious evening o -- engineering.

>> to make a car turn left it takes something to make it happenle. >> reporter: what kind of tricks do you have up your sleeve? >> can't say. >> reporter: come on! >> no. >> trying to figure out if that showed me how much of a stud you are or how much of a wussy you are. >> reporter: my back still hurts. those guys are really strong. not only are they athletes but with the raush guys, after they do the pit practice, go to the gym, they go to the garage and work on the cars, they are full-on mechanical engineers, they are smart, too. >> i love things that go fast, jets, cars. tell me how many horses under the hood. >> reporter: they never confirmed, they go fast over 200 miles an hour, restricter plate for tracks like daytona 500 to keep it more safe. there is a lot of horses under the hood.

>> so what is the express you go over the wall? >> reporter: go over the wall. >> how fast is an actual -- >> reporter: going for under 12 seconds. mine was 25 after i clocked the guy in the head with the tire. >> knocked out half the crew. >> reporter: tried to change four tires, get gas, scrape the windshield in 12 seconds, they have six guys that go over the wall. over 20 guys in the pit during game day, there is 70 guys like in a farm system, these are the big leaders, you have triple a ball, double a ball behind these guys working their way to the top. >> how much do they make? >> reporter: i did ask, got a wide range of answers. it cost millions to have one of these cars race in daytona, the great american race, speed week happens all week long thanks for

letting me do it. people sometimes do the impossible, and that helps make their mark. we have the story of a teen now who saved his grandfather's life, 15-year-old austin smith, was working on this 1991 buick with his grandfather up cinder blocks, it nearly crashed his gra grandfather, he's 74 years old. austin lifted up the one-ton car to free his grandfather and doctors say that smith's grandpa will make a full recovery. brutal injuries but made it. arlen spector disputes rick santorum's account. that is just eight minutes away.

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stories we're working on in the newsroom. 12:30 eastern, mitt romney is in detroit. he will unveil an economic plan includes what he calls a simpler

tax code. at 3:00, president obama holds a meeting with the denmark prime minister, plans to thank denmark for commitment to missions in libya and afghanistan. at 7:00, gary carter is honored at a memorial service, he was an 11 time all star died last week of brain cancer at 57. our daily dose, new report suggests the bird flu virus may not be as prevalent as previously thought. data was analyzed showing that there may be millions of people with mild, undiagnosed investigation, it's lethal to certain species of birds, rarely infections human. what it does the potential for death is high. quick break, we will be right back. i don't want healthy skin for a day.

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we'll look at a new look rather at rick santorum and comments he made from the debate on wednesday. because former senate colleague of santorum is coming forward and disputing what he said. mark preston following that story for us, mark? >> reporter: one of the perils of running for president you have to pay for your record so to speak and at the debate in arizona, rick santorum came under fire for supporting the reelection of the liberal republican arlen specter back in

2004. let's hear what senator santorum had to say. >> i supported arlen specter, number one, because arlen specter was a senator who would be the chairman of the judiciary committee at the time when the most important issue coming up in the next session of congress was two to three supreme court nominees. >> reporter: rick santorum talking about at the time why he supported arlen speaker to happened to be representing pennsylvania quite an odd couple between rick san totorum and ar specter. arlen specter says that a conversation that rick santorum said occurred actually didn't occur. let's hear what he had to say on john king usa tone. >> did you have that conversation, did you make that promise? >> no. >> no, never happened in. >> i made no pomise about