and the bitterman's enthusiasm caught on not only with home cooks, but with professional chefs as well. >> mark has opened my eyes. how do i describe mark? i don't know. he's my fountain of youth. that's what mark is. >> this award winning chef owner of payee's place tossed out all of his supermarket salt after meeting mark. and he says his patrons immediately noticed the difference. >> the comments would come back saying what did you do? how did you change this? what happened? the only thing i can attribute to is the different salt we're using. they can't put their finger on it, but i know what happened. >> it blows my mind to hear a professional chef say i've been using kosher salt for 20 years. switching to artisan salt is the biggest improvement i've ever made. >> this kind of story adds charm and value to the product. >> just over and over again people were converted. wow, we can't live without this now. it's changed our eating and our life. it's huge. >> this kind of connection between owners and customers goes two ways. the bittermans also listen to their customers just as enthu

. >> cnn senior international correspondent, jim bitterman is in paris.prosecutors and defense attorneys both jointly according to the reports, are going to be asking fr a sharp reduction in strauss-kahn's bail today. maybe even his very strict bail conditions. what's the reaction in france? this was a man, we don't want to dprgt, who many thought might be the next president of france. >> absolutely true. ali. in fact, this morning, they're using the words that they've used to once or twice before, and that's bombshell and thunderclap and all that sort of thing. because frankly there's no other way to describe it. this is just another sudden reversal in the fate of dominique strauss-kahn and in the fate of french politics. because basically he was the leading candidate, he hadn't been declared, but he was the leading candidate on the socialist party side. and now of course, there's a question about whether or not he could come back. and we went out on the streets today to talk to people. ask them whether or not they thought he was politically finished or

. >> okay, jim bitterman, joining us from minnesota paris.thanks as always. >>> as of today, there's a new face, a french face, at the international monetary fund. christian le guard follows the dramatic departure of dominique strauss-kahn. le guard has a tough battle, winning one of the top financial jobs in the western world. the question is, what kind of leader is the fund's first female m.d. likely to be. transcript of a video message taped for the staff of the imf, obtained by cnn, seems to shed some light on her top priorities. she acknowledges the recent turmoil at the fund, saying i know recent events have not been pleasant for any of you. she will move hard to move things on. le guard promises a number of things. to listen, to be attentive to all and to communicate with staff. she has hinted at a bigger role for the world's emerging markets, saying she's not just a candidate for a particular country, region or a group of countries. she's the director and head of the imf for all of its staff. interesting insights into the new lady at

. >>> mark and jennifer bitterman were riding through france when they had a great meal and discovered it was due to a special salt that was used and they brought it back and sold it in the portland store, the meadow, and the word of mouth spread about it, and led to expansion in new york and other cities as well. for more on small businesses watch "your business" sundays at 7:30. if it's true that sharks can sense even a drop of blood from a quarter of a mile away, which razor would you use? ♪ ♪ ♪ >>> still a hd right here on "newsnation." >> e yes, my daughter is gone, but for nate's family, there is tremendous loss, too. >> they were high school sweethearts and now a star football player is accused of brutally murdering his ex-girlfriend and we will have the details ahead. >>> and in a few hours texas is scheduled to convict a convicted mexican murderer, and the white house has asked for a delay and will the supreme court step in to stop that execution? we will be back in three. add a little...add a lot. for a drink that's just the way you like it. make it yours. make it mio. there'

mark and jennifer bitterman were in france and had a great meal due to a special salt. they brought it back and sold it in their portland, oregon, store called the meadow. word of mouth brought in many and an expansion to new york city. for more, watch "your business" sunday mornings at 7:30 on msnbc. >>> okay, just for the record, i'm not saying i talk to tree all the time or hug them when no one is looking. but recent events at the white house got us thinking. back to a classic children's book where the giving tree sacrifices life and limb for another. >> reporter: nearly 30 years ago, this towering elm was planted at the white house lawn during the reaganed administration, a faithful presence in nbc live shots for a generation, the tree, who i decided this week to call chet in honor of nbc legend chet hundley, never missed a take. when brian report on the war in the ball cannes, chet was there. before david ever met the press, chet was there. when andrea told us of economic uncertainty, chet was there. and when vick was blown over by a winter squall, well, even chet

cnn's jim bitterman has the story from paris. >> reporter: his legal problems may not be over. a 32-year-old journalist says that back in 2003, she was sexually assaulted by strauss kanne when she went to interview him. she says at the time she was talked out of filing charges by her mother who was a mid level socialist party member. and the mother says now that she regrets talking her daughter out of filing those charges. now the lawyers says after the developments in new york they decided to go ahead and bring their complaint to the prosecutor. the prosecutor then will look at the evidence and decide whether there is enough evidence to bring charges officially and formally against strauss kanne. the lawyer explained to cnn exactly why he waited until developments took place in new york. >>. >> translator: if we had something to say to mr. strauss kanne legally, we will do it in france. and we will do it when i am able to explain to my client the consequences. sorry, the exact consequences in the united states of a move made by us and france. >> reporter: now for more on the s

mark and jennifer bitterman were riding through france when they had a great meal and discovered it was due to a special salt that was used. they brought it back. sold it in their portland, oregon, store, the meadow. word of month brought in customers and famous chefs and an expansion to new york city. for for watch "your business" sunday mornings on msnbc. >>> a lot of catching up to do. in clear lake, iowa, gingrich in that turquoise convertible was given the 30th spot. 20 floats behind crowd favorite michele bachmann. alex burns joins us now from politico. we know all the problems, the staff resigning and all the rest. duke that he now can catch up by staking his claim to iowa with michele bachmann so far out in front? >> this does seem the be the bet that gingrich is placing. he said last month he was going to spend 12 days in iowa in july. this is ahead of the straw poll which is a little more than a month away. if he were able to exceed expectations which are pretty low for him at this point, it might put some spark into his campaign, allow him to get some attention at the debates

here's cnn's jim bitterman in paris. >> reporter: joe, deskraominiqu strauss-kahn's problems may notg to bring formal complaints over an incident that took place back in 2003. she was a young journalist, went to interview strauss-kahn and she said strauss-kahn sexually assaulted her. didn't bring charges at the time because her mother talked her about it, a mid-level socialist party member, the mother decided to talk her daughter out of it and says now that she regrets that. the lawyer says that he is going to bring the charges now because they were waiting for developments in new york. here's what he told cnn >> translator: if we had something to say to mr. strauss-kahn legally, we'll do it in france, and we will do it when i am able to explain to my client the exact consequences in the united states of a move made by us in france. >> reporter: no matter what happens with the legal charges here in france, it appears most french do not want to see him run for president. according to a public opinion poll that will come out tomorrow. in fact, 54% of those surveyed say they do not want