and hillary clinton's world, and our own lisa sylvester takes a closer look at how the obama daughtershave grown up before our very own eyes, all that coming up on "the situation room." >>> all right, we'll be watching. >>> thank you, 100 years ago the first regiment of freed slaves found themselves in their very first battle. it is a story you probably haven't heard, stick around, the story is next. excuse me, sir i'm gonna have to ask you to power down your little word game. i think your friends will understand. oh no, it's actually my geico app...see? ...i just uh paid my bill. did you really? from the plane? yeah, i can manage my policy, get roadside assistance, pretty much access geico 24/7. sounds a little too good to be true sir. i'll believe that when pigs fly. ok, did she seriously just say that? geico. just click away with our free mobile app. [ male announcer ] it's red lobster's 30 shrimp! for $11.99 pair any two shrimp selections on one plate! like mango jalapeÑo shrimp and parmesan crunch shrimp. just $11.99. offer ends soon! i'm ryon stewart, and i sea food differently.

lisa sylvester takes a look at why we don't want to get some. >> more. >> reporter: it's a good defense against the flu. hand sanitizer, but when it came to getting a flu shot for her 2-year-old daughter, dana was less certain. >> i really thought about it and between the odds of her having a bad reaction versus catching the flu, i felt like the flu and having heard down and out and possibly risking her health or her life wasn't worth it. >> reporter: dana ended up getting a flu shot for her daughter, but others we talk to say no thanks to the flu vaccine. >> busy with work and just didn't seem to affect me, i don't think. >> i'm not sure i'm confident in its ability to really protect me. >> reporter: there are concerns with the flu shot that lead some not to get one. many of those reasons, though, are actually baseless. first notion is that the flu shot can actually give you the flu. dr. greg cope is an e.r. doctor in washington. >> the virus has been broken down into many parts that are inactivated and will naot cause the flu. >> reporter: another common complaint that it isn't effect

lisa sylvester is monitoring some of the top stories in "the situation room." ay they are holding them temporarily to clarify what happened. we know the band's pyrotechnics show caused fire in the insulation, causing that fire. we will have more live in our next hour. >>> president obama phoned israeli prime minister netanyahu today. he congratulated the israeli leader on his party's victory last week's elections. the president repeated his commitment to the deep and enduring bonds between the u.s. and israel. >>> and we are getting new details about the condition of former israeli prime minister ariel sharon who suffered a devastating stroke seven years ago. here's cnn's sara sidner. >> reporter: one thing is clear, doctors and sharon's family are excited about what a new test has revealed. doctors and scientists from the u.s. and israel used a high-powered mri on mr. sharon. and the scan showed significant brain activity in response to external stimuli. mr. sharon has been in the hospital for seven years after suffering is a brain hemorrhage in 2006. now, for

lisa sylvester has the latest on flu germs and how quickly they can spread. . >> reporter: we touched so many things without realizing it. take a simple trip on the subway. buying a metro card, going down the escalator. that's only the beginning. the flu virus can spread in a closed space like a subway station. the virus can spread to others up to six feet away according to the cdc and prevention and flu germs can stay suspended in the air. you can get infected by being near someone, drinking the same cup and touching a germy surface and then touching your eyes or mouth and you can pass it to someone before you even know you are sick. >> somebody can be contagious up to a day prior to developing symptoms, symptoms like sneezing and coughing and up to seven days post developing symptoms. so, the flu virus is contagious over a long period of time. >> reporter: we tried out this test with something called glow germ. look at what this black light picked up. if it was cold germs i would be leaving a trail for someone to catch. using cleaning products to keep surfaces germ free can minimize

lisa sylvester is monitoring that and other stories. what is going on? has learned that fbi director robert mull letter has left tripoli. he traveled there and he did not visit the compound where u.s. ambassador chris sister stevens and three others were killed. >>> lance armstrong's fall from grace is not over yet. the ioc has stripped the champion of the bronze medal he won at the 2000 olympic games in sydney australia. this is ahead of word that he will be expected to admit to using performance enhancing drugs. >>> and american airlines has its first facelift in more than 40 years. the carrier unveiled a new red, white, and blue logo in an updated eagle motive. it is trading its polished exterior for a new red white and blue paint job. the new look will stay. have you ever wanted a little cash from the atm but you couldn't get it because it only had big bills? machines that pay to the dollar are popping up around the country. chase rolled out up to 400 of these machines dispensing denominations as low as 1s and 5s over the past 18 months and pnc has s

lisa sylvester is walking into "the situation room" right now. you've been doing some reporting, lisa. what is the very latest? >> wolf, leaders from both the private and public sectors are offering specific proposals on gun control, all sides aware of how politically sensitive the issue has become and the leading voice comes from someone with the political and personal experience that is sure to command attention here in washington. on the two-year anniversary of the tucson shooting and a week after a visit to newtown, gabby gi giffords wants to send a wake-up wall. >> when it can happen to children in a classroom, it's time to say -- >> enough. >> give fords and her husband mark kelly have launched a group that will lobby lawmakers on gun legislation. a sort of counter to the national rifle association. in usa today, the couple wrote, kwoek, we saw from the nra leadership's defiant and unsympathetic response to the newtown, connecticut massacre that winning even the most commonsense reforms will require a fight. but they are trying to navigate a

lisa sylvester's monitoring that. the other top stories in "the situation room" right now. >> from now on, the palestinian authority wants to be known as the state of palestine. the government's new agency called the rebranding a, quote, unique new move to the path of national independence. it also reflects the upgrade in its status at the united nations to nonmember observer state. passports and other documents will now show the new name. >>> hillary clinton is back at work at the statement department. clinton has been out since suffering a concussion which led to a blood clot in her head. her team gave her some appropriate gifts for her last days on the job, including a helmet and a football jersey with the number 112. that's the number of countries she has visited as secretary of state. she will serve as the nation's top diplomat till her likely successor john kerry is confirm by the senate. >>> and two of college football's most legendary teams will fight for the championship tonight. notre dame plays alabama in m

lisa sylvester's watching what's going on as well. lisa, what are you seeing?bling state university pass by. also the tuskegee airmen. they also have a float. those are some of the items there, heading your way. a number of people here, some of the folks left, but there are a lot of people who just are sticking around. for this, obviously the highlight was seeing president obama. but this is quite a show they're putting on. and people sense that. there is a sense of history. we've talked to a number of people. we've talked to the people along the parade route and asked them why they want to come out. some of those people were here four years ago and decided to come back, four years later. it's obviously a little warmer than it was four years ago. but that's a very nice thing. you see the sun has now set on the capitol. people are still out here and the excitement is continuing on as we go on. even though it's getting dark. you see there, wolf, and kate, it's getting dark, but still people are being thatting out because there's a sense this is a moment in time,

lisa sylvester is monitoring that. lisa?> of all of the companies, it's apple's stock that caused the nasdaq to close lower. for the second straight day, the shares dipped below the benchmark for the first time of february of last year. stocks dipped following reports that the company had cut orders for searching iphone parts due to weaker than expected demands for the latest version of the smartphone. facebook is scouring the mass of social network to launch more sophisticated searches like who are my friends that live in washington or find photos of me and joe. it is focusing on people, places, and interest pulling data from one billion profiles, 24 billion photos and one trillion connects. and you may hear the name harvey milk san francisco international airport in the near future. openly gay lawmaker plans to introduce legislation to rename the city's airport after milk, one of the first openly guy politicians in the u.s. before killed in 1978. he hopes it will put san francisco back in the spotlight as a, quote, beacon

lisa sylvester explains why this illness is a bit tougher than your standard >> reporter: the norovirus -- you might have heard of it before. there have been several major outbreaks on cruise ships in recent years. the norovirus --in layman's terms - is a stomach bug. we are at the height of a new season with a new strain. the norovirus is spread through food or drink that has been contaminated. you can also get it if you touch a contaminated surface or object and then put your hand to your mouth. symptoms include abdominal cramps, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and fatigue. it hits you all of a sudden.it's explosive. >> "it's very contagious. there are multiple epidemics of it. other than cleaning the areas, there's not a whole lot people can do about it." >> "the norovirus is so contagious because it's so hardy. your typical hand sanitizer. that alone is not going to do it. your typical disinfecting wipe to wipe down surfaces. normally that would be fine, for instance with the flu virus. not the case with the norovirus. what you really need to do is to wash your hands thoroughly with soa

here's cnn's lisa sylvester with tips on how to avoid it. >> reporter: the norel virus. been several outbreaks on cruise ships in recent years. it is a stomach bug. we're at the height of a new season with a new strain. it has spread through food or drink that has been contaminated. you can also get it if you touch a contaminated surface or object and put your hand to your mouth. symptoms include abdominal cramcramp s, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, it hits all of a sudden. >> very contagious, and other than cleaning the area, there's not a whole lot people can do about it. >> the norovirus is so contagious because it's so hardy. your typical hand sanitizer is not going to do it. a typical disinfecting wipe would be fine, for instance, with the flu virus. not the case with the norovirus. what you really need to do is wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. and when you wipe down surfaces, make sure you use a bleach based solution. most people infected recover after a few days. in rare cases, it can be fatal, particularly for the very old and very young, and

as lisa sylvester xplains... germs can spread qqickly...u may be surprised aa just how easy you coulddget siik. we touch so many things without even ealizinn it. take a simple trip on the metro card... goinn down the escalator....that's only thh virus can spread esily in an inclosed place, like a subway station." "tte flu is a virus that usuully spreads through contactt so anntime we cough or sneezz, if we're infected with the virus, we can be contagious to anyone is not affected." the ffu virus can away, ccooding to the centers for disease control and prevention. and flu germs can remain suspended in the air. flu: -being near someone who is sick who sneezes, coughs or talks spreading iifecced droplets -drinking from the utensil... -and touching a germy surface and thee touchhng your eyes or mouth. someone before yoo even know yyu're sick "somebody can bee contagious with influenzaaup to a daa prioo to developing coughing and so on, and up to y3 7 days poss developing thosee pymptoms, so the flu virus can be fairly contagious over a long pe

lisa sylvester is monitoring that. late sneft. >> a forensic official is confirming that 244 people have died in the wake of that fire. that is up from the previous number, 231. 118 people remain hospitalized, many who suffered severe burns. police have arrested four people and questioned 20 others. the club was filled twice the legal capacity when the fire occurred. >>> a guilty plea for bp with crimes relating to the oil rig explosion, including manslaughter. the fine which both bp and the justice department agreed on is the largest criminal penalty in u.s. history. 11 workers were killed in the blast which triggered one of the worst oil spills this country has ever seen. >>> and this may look like a giant soap sudden bath but look again. it is actually amazing video from australian television showing a sea of foam. this is a bizarre byproduct from the massive flooding hitting the region. the kids seem to be having fun with it. but further out it's making for dangerous conditions. looks like they are in a gigantic bat

lisa sylvester is monitoring that. lisa, what's going on? >> wolf, james holmes was scheduled to be arraigned and possibly enter a plea today but a judge put everything off until the week of march 12th. holmes' attorneys want time to go over the 30,000 papers filed in the case. he's facing counts of murder and attempted murder and some shouted from the courtroom, rot in hell, holmes. >>> and in making the announcement today, transportation secretary ray lahood emphasized they believe the plane is safe during our next hour we will have a closer look at the dreamliner's recent string of problems. >>> and finally, check out these incredible pictures from australia. you are looking at the red light of a sunset reflecting off a dust storm that formed under a thunderstorm. the dust has been picked up by a weather system that moved offshore over the indian ocean and dropped out of the developing thunderclouds. it's great that the photographer was able to capture those images. >> i love those pictures. >> not something you see every day. >> not ever

lisa sylvester is monitoring that. "the situation room," what's the latest, lisa? >> aids to the president said they will sketch out his plans and improving border security in cracking down on employers who hire undocumented workers. the most controversial part of the plan is creating a passion way to citizenship for illegal immigrants. he is expected to get more specifics in the state of the union address. a cia officer will spend 30 months in proven for revealing the identity of an agent. his own attorney admitted he was thoughtless in leaking the administration. that was betraying a solemn trust. mitt romney is in washington for the first time since last month's lunch. he and his wife are expected to attend the dinner by power brokers and business elite. president obama was at the dinner in 2009 and last year, but not clear if the president will be there tomorrow. he will receive the ipod award on may 19th and will be broadcast live from the mgm grand in las vegas. somehow or another, prince always looks the same th

lisa sylvester is monitoring that. some of the other top stories in "the situation room." the latest? >> at least one person has been shot at a middle school in atlanta. the victim was conscious and breathing when taken to a local hospital. the suspected gunman is believed to be a student and is in custody. >>> police outside of dallas are investigating the shooting of a prosecutor. district attorney mark haas was gunned down this morning outside the county courthouse. police aren't sure whether haas was targeted or not. >>> and in mesa, arizona, police have south the body of arthur harmon. he appears to have suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound. >>> and a chain reaction accident unfolded this morning on the rouge river bridge. the salt doesn't always work when it's windy. at least 15 people were hurt in the accident. it was snowing at the time of the crash but officials say that it was a typical winter morning. >>> and in other news, david beckham is moving back to paris, signing with the soccer club in the french capital. he will donate his wages to a paris children's

our own lisa sylvester is adding up all of the numbers for us. she's joins us with details. >> lance armstrong carried on this lie for more than a decade and now there are really two groups of people who could come after him for money. those who paid him large sums, his sponsors, an insurance company that paid out large winning bonuses after his supposed tour de france wins and then there are the people who he viciously attacked, trying to cover up his actions who are now likely to sue him. >> it did not even feel wrong? >> nope. scary. >> did you feel bad about it? >> no. even scarier. >> did you feel in any way that you were cheating? >> no. the scariest. >> many words come to mind watching lance armstrong's confession, tragic, liar, disgraced, and add one more, expensive. his oprah tell-all opens up the floodgates for potential lawsuits. >> one big lie that i repeated a lot of times. >> more than a decade of deceit that now has to be cleaned up. first, his chief sponsor, the u.s. postal service. according to documents obtained by the cnn, the usps sponsorship for lance ar

lisa sylvester's monitoring that and other stories in "the situation room" right now. sa? >> wolf, police say holmes visited the theater taking cell phone videos of the hallways and doors. he bought multiple guns over a period of months and meticulously prepared booby-traps at his home. a judge will rule on friday whether this case had proceed to trial. >>> same-sex couples can marry in the washington national cathedral. when a bishop decided to allow it, the dean made it official calling it another historic step towards marriage equality. same-sex marriage came legal in three states this year. it was already legal in d.c. >>> a great white shark has been spotted near jacksonville, florida. thankfully not by a swimmer. it was tagged near cape cod, massachusetts, in september. the 16-foot long shark got too close to the beach. no swimmers were nearby at the time. >>> and for the first time since 1996, no one will be inducted into the baseball hall of fame. no players received the minimum number of votes which is 75% of the baseball writers. perhaps the most notable admis

lisa sylvester is monitoring today's house vote, putting off the deadline for a huge financial fight. >> wolf, in the fight over raising the u.s. debt ceiling, the house effectively kicked the can down the road until may. lawmakers voted to let the treasury department keep borrowing money so the u.s. can pay its bills until then. the bill also withholds lawmakers' pay until may if they don't start a budget. most called that a stunt and voted no. >>> and u.s. cargo jets have flown at least five missions in mali this week. a spokesman tells cnn that the c-17 cargo jets have flown in both french troops and tons of supplies for the fight against islamic insurgents. the u.n. is warning the violence could soon displace up to 700,000 people in mali. >>> bill clinton is heading back out on the campaign trail. cnn has confirmed that the former president will headline a march fund-raiser for arkansas senator mark pryor, who's up for re-election next year. clinton, of course, is an arkansas native, who served 12 years as the governor of that state. >>> and finally, a rough day for serena william

lisa sylvester is monitoring the stories. what is happening?, dozens of images of the late al qaeda leader including his burial at sea. the freedom of information act requires releasing the pictures. that's been debated since the may 2011 raid which killed bin laden. the white house said at the time that it's not in the u.s. national security interest. >>> and shock and outrage in paris after the apparent assassination of three kurdish women activists. the french interior minister says they were executed but there's no claim of responsibility. one woman was a founder of the kurdish worker's party, ppk, which has waged a war with turkey and viewed by the u.s. as a terror group. this covers parts of syria, iran, and iraq. >>> and we're less than a few weeks into 2013 and the job market still has a long way to recovery. claims rose as 371,000 people filed first-time claims for unemployment benefits. that is up 4,000 from the previous week. and while there has been improvement over the last are four years, claims idled in the 3 to 400,000 range for

joining us now is cnn's lisa sylvester. armstrong's long history of denial. >> so many developments here. lance armstrong's apology to his staff of the cancer fighting charity live strong is telling. that is ahead of an interview with oprah winfrey. we don't know what he's going to say or might have even said at this point. apparently everything is on the table. lance armstrong was tested more than 200 times by the international cycling union and the u.s. anti-doping agency for alleged use of performance enhancing drug. he vehemently denied using any banned substances to give him a competitive edge. including this 2005 testimony under oath at a deposition obtained by cnn. it involved a case brought by a dallas insurance company that had shelled out huge bonuses for armstrong's tour de france wins. >> you've never used your own blood for doping purposes, for example? >> absolute -- that would be banned. >> okay. i'm not trying to agitate you. i'm just trying to make sure your testimony's clear, okay, all right. >> okay. >> d

lisa sylvester explains why. >> people are always nervous about putting needles into their arms and into's bodies. in the fear of cultism and things like fat they are back and forth. because there is nothing-a- >> she and abetted a flu shot for her daughter but others that we talked to stated no thanks to the vaccine. >> it just did not seem to work. it did not affect me at all. >> i am not sure confident that it will protect me. >> there were concerns with the flu shot that's l lead people to not even get one. the flu shot can actually give you the flu. this doctor stated that the virus has been broken down and it will not cost the flow. >> another common complaint is that the flu shot is not as effective. it is true that the scientists who created the vaccine stated that they know which one will be prevalent in any season. they stated that some time on cold that they're still stating that you should get one. >> one of the most common concerns is that the flu vaccine may be leaked solipsism. the issue has been looked at by the medical community. a 2010 study concluded that this drug did

. ♪ >>> lisa sylvester is in "the situation room." what is going on?d down. the economic growth had caused. but stocks still remain near all-time high. the dow is less than 2 percentage points and back in october 2007. one of the owners of the brazilian club where 235 people died has attempted suicide. that attempt took place and authorities say that owner was, in their words, emotionally destroyed. the fire department shares some of the blame for the casualty count saying they weren't wearing proper masks and lacked proper equipment. take a look at this amazing video. strong winds in texas blowing tumbleweeds. the driver of this truck literally had to plow through them to pass. this video was posted on facebook. that being looks like something straight out of a movie. it doesn't look real. it looks like something they cued up on a set. >> looks very real. yeah. pretty amazing. thank you. you know, with the dow jones approaching 14,000, that was october 2007 it reached 14 thourk and then by by 2009, the first year of the obama administration it collaps

our lisa sylvester is here with more on that. e. we have certainly seen first children before, chelsea and the bush twins, but sasha and malia are considerably younger than the bush twins or chelsea was when their fathers were president. sasha was only in second grade when president obama was first elected, and malia will spend her formative years 10 through 18 living in the white house. that is quite a bubble to grow up in. >> malia obama and sasha obama. >> reporter: there aren't many 11 and 14-year-olds who walk out to a crowd of millions. but for malia and sasha, this is just a part of their lives. the girls have changed on the outside since the first inauguration, but more than that, there's a newfound grace and poise, and something else, a sense of normal. it shows in moments like these. malia and sasha waving to family and friends in the inaugural parade reviewing stand, malia showing her hip side. a few minutes later, breaking out their phones to get a picture of mom and dad kissing. sasha taking a picture of mom and dad.

lisa sylvester is monitoring that and some of the other top stories in "the situation room."ened? >> wolf, the dour dropped 28 points today. the nasdaq was up 2% while the s&p 500 was flat. boeing shares dragged down skidding 3%. investors are wary after two japanese dreamliners grounded their flights after the passenger jet had to make an emergency landing today. >>> and this from our own political reporter, peter hamby. mark sanford has formally announced his candidacy for the u.s. house of representatives. he is running to rein in government spending. many thought his career was finished when he admitted to an extramarital affair in 2009. and the 113th congress may be one of the wealthiest that this country ever has had. the median income was $966,000. you can compare that to the income for the average american family, a relatively paltry $66,700. by the way, in case you are wondering, the richest member of congress is michael mccaul of texas. he's worth $500 million and change. >>> and an oregon woman was stuck for several hours between an apartment building and a wall in