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Showdown in South Carolina; Computer Science Job Market is Hot; Joran Van Der Sloot to Plead Guilty to Murder; Getting Motivated To Lose Weightl; Candidates Prepare For New Hampshire Primary
Aired January 06, 2012 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour. I'm Suzanne Malveaux.
Want to get you up to speed.
We are waiting for President Obama. He's going to be addressing a new government agency, an agency that's set up to protect your money. We're going to have those remarks live as soon as he goes to the podium.
Well, better than economists expected. It's the bottom line on the December jobs report released today.
The Labor Department says that employers added 200,000 jobs. December was the sixth month in a row where we saw 100,000 jobs or more added. The unemployment rate ticked down just a little bit to 8.5 percent.
Newt Gingrich pushing ahead in New Hampshire right now. He's trying to take some of the wind out of the front-runner. That is Mitt Romney's sails. All of the candidates preparing for the nation's first primary, now just four days away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK SANTORUM (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Barack Obama's view of the path of America is fundamentally different, therefore his vision for the future is different. So understand how foundational this election is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Everybody has these fights over whether we're going to go right or we're going to go left. Nobody realizes the steering wheel is not connected.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON HUNTSMAN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm betting that politics is still done the old-fashioned way in this state. And that is, you have to be seen, you have to be heard, you have to be felt. So we're going to put it to the test next week. (END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: South Carolina, since all the way back to 1980, the Republican presidential nominee has always won this early primary state. Now the showdown just two weeks away. Everybody wants to win that prize. Who gets it?
Our Wolf Blitzer is joining us now from Washington.
And Wolf, I understand this is a big one here. CNN has got a poll out today that is making news. Where do the candidates stand right now?
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And we're making news right here on your show, Suzanne. This is the first poll on South Carolina.
CNN, our cousin, our corporate cousin, "TIME" magazine/ORC, we've got the new numbers right now. And take a look at this. Mitt Romney is ahead among likely Republican primary voters two weeks from tomorrow. Romney, 37 percent; Santorum, 19 percent; Gingrich, 18 percent; Ron Paul, 12 percent; Rick Perry, only 5 percent; Jon Huntsman, 1 percent.
Now let's take a look and compare these numbers, Suzanne, to where they were in December. Romney was at 20 percent in December. He's now up to 37 percent.
Santorum -- look at this amazing jump for Rick Santorum, from 4 percent to 19 percent.
And look at this collapse for Newt Gingrich, from 43 percent in December, to 18 percent now.
Ron Paul doubled his from 6 percent to 12 percent.
Rick Perry went from 8 percent to 5 percent.
So you can see what's going on right here. But right now, Romney ahead with 37 percent; Santorum, 19 percent.
If you go ahead and add up some of those other conservatives, if one or two of them were to disappear, Romney would have a presumably tougher time. Having said all that, as you well know, Suzanne, two weeks ago. The primary in South Carolina is two weeks from tomorrow. A lot of time.
We'll see what happens in New Hampshire, whether someone emerges with a lot more momentum, but this is the first new poll out from South Carolina since the Iowa caucuses.
MALVEAUX: Wolf, those numbers have changed dramatically, we see, for Newt Gingrich. I mean, that is a huge dip for him. And we see Santorum up a little bit.
And what do we think is behind Romney's surge in South Carolina?
BLITZER: Well, we went closer and we took a look at some of the reasons why Mitt Romney is doing well, why he went from 20 percent in December to 37 percent now. We asked likely Republican primary voters to identify their support.
And among Tea Party supporters, 36 percent said they liked Romney. Born-again Christians, 41 percent like Romney. Independents, 40 percent Romney. So he's doing well with Tea Party activists, born- again Christians, Independents. You can see that's one factor.
Now here's another reason that a lot of this potentially, though, could change over the course of the next two weeks and a day. We asked likely Republican primary voters if they were definitely going to support the candidate, they might change their mind, they're not sure. Forty-nine percent -- that's almost half -- say they still might change their mind. That's a significant number.
Bottom line in all of this, Suzanne, it's very fluid in South Carolina. A lot could change between now and the January 21st primary in South Carolina.
But these are the first new numbers that are out. We're sharing them with you right now, with our viewers. They'll be online if people want to go in-depth and want to get some more cross tabs, as we like to say.
MALVEAUX: And as we know, Wolf, that is so important, what happens in South Carolina, because they are pretty good at predicting who is going to get the nomination since back -- what, 1980 or so?
BLITZER: Yes. Even four years ago.
MALVEAUX: Right.
BLITZER: Even four years ago. John McCain won in South Carolina and he went on to get the Republican nomination. Didn't necessarily win the White House though.
MALVEAUX: Yes, that's true.
We will actually be following this very closely the next couple of weeks or so, because what happens in South Carolina very much -- may well determine who is going to be the Republican nominee.
Thank you, Wolf. Appreciate it.
BLITZER: Thank you.
MALVEAUX: In Lima, Peru, you've got the first-degree murder trial of Joran van der Sloot. It is now on hold until the middle of next week. This is the trial, you may recall, for the murder of Stephany Flores. It is not related to the disappearance of American teenager Natalee Holloway.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): So you do not plead -- you don't deem yourself guilty according to what the prosecution has stated?
JORAN VAN DER SLOOT, ON TRIAL FOR MURDER (through translator): Do I have time to think this further?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: So on hold today. Earlier today, Van der Sloot's lawyer told CNN that his client is going to plead guilty to that murder.
Well, the gal that's run away, mistakenly deported to Colombia, she's now on her way back home to the United States. A State Department spokesman confirms that the 15-year-old left Colombia about 90 minutes ago.
Earlier this morning, her mother told Soledad O'Brien that they suspect she simply didn't question her deportation back in May.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNISA TURNER, MOTHER OF U.S. GIRL DEPORTED TO COLOMBIA: I think she basically did what she was told to do.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: So who do you think was telling her what to do?
TURNER: I don't know. I don't know. I don't know who these people are.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: It's a strange case.
An impressive show of Iraq's military might today was not enough to deter the violence. At least three explosions struck near Baghdad's Green Zone during the country's Army Day parade. There are no reports of casualties. The attacks happened despite heightened security across Iraqi capitals in preparation for Army Day.
Iran is now planning more war games. Its state-run media report another round of military drills will take place next month in the Strait of Hormuz. Now, the most recent exercise ended just this week, and tensions have been rising over this critical waterway here.
Iran threatened recently to block the strait if any new sanctions harm Iranian oil exports. The government also threatens to take action if a U.S. aircraft carrier goes through that waterway.
The same carrier group that got that warning from Iran just rescued 13 Iranian hostages. Sailors from the USS KIDD heard the Iranians' call for help in the Arabian Sea. The sailors managed to arrest 15 pirates, mostly Somalian, and then send the freed hostages on their way.
Here's a rundown of some of the stories that we are covering this hour.
First, it's a good news day for people looking for work. So, what are the presidential candidates saying about jobs and the economy?
Also on the jobs front, where are college graduates finding work? Our Poppy Harlow, she's going to join us live with the answer.
Then, Van der Sloot goes to court in Peru. You may recall he is the man linked to the disappearance of American teenager Natalee Holloway in Aruba. That was back in 2005. We're going to have an update on the case in Peru.
And Kodak's moments of struggle. We're going to tell you what the camera company is facing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JILLIAN MICHAELS, FITNESS TRAINER: Push up all the way. There you go. Up, up, up, up, up.
Keep them on the wall for 10 seconds. Go, go, go. Don't drop those weights. Do not drop the weights. Down, down, down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Finally, we're going to have fitness expert Jillian Michaels. She's going to tell you what to do this new year to get fit.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: The president has started speaking. He is outlining and unfolding a new agency that is meant to protect you and protect your money. Unfortunately, the signal is down. We can't bring it to you live, but as soon as we get it, we're going to turn that tape around.
But he has mentioned already -- he's been talking about the good jobs numbers coming out of the jobs numbers in December, about the unemployment rate that has dipped down just a little bit. He's also talking about this new agency that is meant to protect your money. He's thanked Elizabeth Warren for getting that agency started.
It is a controversial proposal. A lot of Republicans say, look, we don't need anymore agencies or bureaucracies to protect the consumers. The president disagrees, has made this move, put this forward, and is congratulating the American people and talking about those good jobs numbers.
We have encouraging news about the job market and the economy. The latest jobs report is out today. It's showing that hiring has actually picked up in December.
The Labor Department says that employers added 200,000 jobs. So it makes it six months now straight where we saw 100,000 jobs or more added to the economy -- the market. The unemployment rate ticking down just slightly here to 8.5 percent.
So the jobs report didn't actually set off a rally on Wall Street. We saw the stocks opening slightly lower. Right now, the Dow down 23 points.
You might say that geeks rule when it comes to the job market. We're talking about jobs that pay an average salary of $66,000 a year, where 94 percent of the grads from one program are getting offers.
So what are we talking about here? We're talking about folks in computer science.
As Poppy Harlow reports, there the market is hot.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think "The Social Network" is the "Wall Street" movie of this generation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE, "THE SOCIAL NETWORK": If you guys were the inventors of Facebook? I invented Facebook.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think a lot of students want to be the next Mark Zuckerberg. They want to build something cool that's going to change the world.
POPPY HARLOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg may have dropped out of college, but back on campus computer science is hot. And students with coding skills are burning up the job market.
(on camera): By graduation, how many companies reached out to you about working for them?
TAL SAFRON, NYU COMPUTER SCIENCE GRADUATE: I'd say between 10 and 20 reached out to me just before graduating.
HARLOW: How many job offers did you get?
SAFRON: Around four or five.
HARLOW: You haven't even graduated yet. How many companies have reached out to you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Between 10 and 20.
HARLOW (voice-over): It's a common story for computer science majors.
Most of my friends who are also CS students do have the same similar feelings. They're not really worried about jobs.
HARLOW: Just look at tech job postings to see the demand. At NYU, that translated into a 94 percent placement rate for computer science grads last spring.
(on camera): For the class of 2011, computer science majors did the best on the job hunt. Fifty-six percent had a job over before graduation, compared with 41 percent overall.
What do your friends tell you who aren't computer science majors about getting a job?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They think I don't live in reality. HARLOW (voice-over): An average starting salary of $66,000 and job security may be why the major is taking off, with enrollment at NYU up 50 percent since 2007.
ASSOC. PROF. EVAN KORTH, NYU, COMPUTER SCIENCES: Many students, whether they are computer science majors are not, are starting to understand that coding is the literacy of the future, and they want to get in on that.
SAFRON: When I started, the program was really small, and you only had one section for each class. And now there's -- for the introductory ones, there's, like, three or four at least.
HARLOW: Tal and Adicheh (ph) both participated in a summer program offered by HACK NY, founded by Evan (ph) and Columbia professor Chris Wiggins to cultivate the talents of budding tech stars and show them their career choices are broader than just Google and Goldman Sachs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's like a backstage pass to the New York tech scene.
PROF. CHRIS WIGGINS, COLUMBIA UNIV. APPLIED MATH: In addition to teaching them topics, we also want to explain to them the variety of career options available to them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Result first at null (ph).
HARLOW: The hacking community may speak a slightly different language.
WIGGINS: I mean, you can present (INAUDIBLE), Google's fundamental algorithm, as an important eigenvector problem. And then they sort of --
HARLOW (on camera): Eigen what?
WIGGINS: An eigenvector.
HARLOW (voice-over): But one thing is crystal clear. This is where the jobs are.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I get e-mail every day asking me if I have a student that can build x or build y.
HARLOW (on camera): But is this just a fad? I mean, are the jobs here today, gone tomorrow?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is the Internet going to be gone tomorrow?
HARLOW: No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think the jobs will be gone tomorrow either.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Poppy Harlow, she's joining us from New York.
So, Poppy, you said the national average, $66,000 that these guys are making. That's what they're seeing?
HARLOW: Right. That's what they're seeing right out of school.
And anecdotally, we're hearing it is a lot more than that. Both of the two kids you saw in the piece are telling us that their friends are getting job offers, the lowest they've seen is $70,000. Most of their friends are getting something comparable to an entry-level investment banking job, somewhere upwards of $100,000.
Paul worked for a start-up and he now consults for all different start-ups. The other student hasn't even graduated from Columbia yet. He still has a semester to go, and he's had multiple job offers that are just sitting on the table right now.
They think the secret is learn to code. I do want to tell you, Suzanne, there are places where people can do that.
Code Academy, a very cool thing online. They've started something called Code Year, where 200,000 people have signed up to learn how to code, including New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg. I guess anyone can do it.
MALVEAUX: And it sounds profitable as well. All right. They're doing pretty well. It's well worth it.
Thanks, Poppy.
It is still the number one campaign issue -- creating more jobs. All of the Republican candidates believe that cutting taxes and government spending will create an environment for the free market to come back on its own.
Here's where they stand individually.
Newt Gingrich would like to make the Bush-era tax cuts permanent. He would eliminate capital gains taxes, lower the corporate tax rate, and eliminate the estate tax. He promises to repeal banking and financial regulation reform, and to make major changes to how the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food & Drug Administration operate.
Mitt Romney has a 59-point plan, 59 points, right, to get America back to work. At the heart of it is cutting government spending, rolling back regulations on banks, cutting taxes for corporations to 25 percent, and cutting discretionary spending by five percent.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Government does not create jobs. Free American people pursuing their own dreams, that's how we create jobs.
(END VIDEO CLIP) MALVEAUX: Rick Santorum wants to push the corporate tax rate to zero for American manufacturers. He's also dedicated to cutting government spending and rolling back regulations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANTORUM: I believe in cutting taxes. I believe in balancing budgets. I propose cutting $5 trillion from this budget over the next five years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Jon Huntsman also says he'll cut taxes and reform the tax code to eliminate loopholes. He'll lower the corporate tax rate and roll back government regulations and finance reform laws. He wants to move toward energy independence and establish new lines of trade with other countries.
Ron Paul said he'd get rid of the Federal Reserve and the income tax, return to the gold standard, and shut down several government agencies like the EPA and the Department of Education.
Rick Perry favors a flat tax for all Americans and corporations of 20 percent. He'd also like to shrink the federal government and roll back regulation. He would also set a goal balancing the budget by the year 2020.
And all the candidates have zeroed in on what they like to call Obamacare, saying they would overturn the president's health care mandate.
Now it's your chance to "Talk Back." We're talking about jobs, immigration, national security. That's just some of the issues the candidates are focused on during the debates and these campaign stops.
But we want to know, what topic would you like them to discuss? Today's "Talk Back" question: What is the number one issue and why?
Post your responses to my Facebook page at Facebook.com/SuzanneCNN. We're going to air them later this hour.
So you'd think it's the season for snow. Right? The question is, where is it? There is barely enough to coat the slopes at California ski resorts. We've got that story behind the warm winter.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
MALVEAUX: Well, getting motivated, right? Lose weight? Get in shape for the new year. Celebrity fitness trainer Jillian Michaels, she's joining us live with some tips and details on a new campaign to cut back on fried foods.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Here's a rundown of some of the stories that we're working on.
Next, Joran van der Sloot's murder trial begins in Peru. His lawyer surprises everybody today with a sudden change of plans.
And then, we're going to find out if that cool rock climbing commercial is really doable. Jeanne Moos, she is all over that one.
And later, get yourself in the best shape possible for the new year. Fitness superstar Jillian Michaels, she's going to join us live with her plan.
First, Joran van der Sloot. It is a name most commonly associated with the disappearance of the Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway almost seven years ago.
Well, today, Van der Sloot, he's going before a judge in a courtroom, charged with first-degree murder. It's not about Aruba and it's not about Natalee Holloway, but it is about something else, and there was a surprise change.
Here's Rafael Romo.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN LATIN AFFAIRS EDITOR (voice-over): Joran van der Sloot has spent the past 18 months as an inmate at the Castro Castro prison in Peru's capital city of Lima. Some inmates see the 24-year- old Dutchman as a celebrity.
WALTER RAMOS, PRISON INMATE: He's one of us. Whatever his crime was, it doesn't have to do with us. We have nothing against him.
ROMO: After his arrest in Chile in June of 2010, he was sent back to Peru and taken to the Lima prison to await trial in the robbery and beating death of 21-year-old Stephany Flores. This surveillance video shows Flores and Van der Sloot playing poker at a local casino. Another video shows the couple entering Van der Sloot's hotel room where the victim's lifeless body would later be found.
She had suffered multiple injuries, a broken neck, and was covered in blood. The killing happened on May 30, 2010, exactly five years after Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway disappeared in Aruba after spending time with Van der Sloot.
Though arrested as a suspect in Holloway's death, Van der Sloot, then 17, was never charged due to a lack of evidence. In Peru, Van der Sloot initially confessed to killing Flores.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): So it is true, and I'm going to ask you this, and you say yes or no. Did you kill Stephany Tatiana?
VAN DER SLOOT (voice-over): Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): You killed Stephany Tatiana Flores, right? VAN DER SLOOT (through translator): Yes.
ROMO: But Van der Sloot later recanted. His attorneys say he was not given a translator during his interrogation. Peruvian authorities say they have done everything according to law.
COL. MIGUEL ANGEL CANILLA ORE, PERUVIAN NATIONAL POLICE (through translator): The statement given by the Dutch citizen where he declares himself convicted and confesses his crime was done according to the formalities of the law.
ROMO: Unlike other inmates at the prison, Van der Sloot has a cell to himself, and he still has the support of his family and some friends.
JOHN LUDWICK, VAN DER SLOOT'S FRIEND: What the media portrays him as is far from the truth. He's a good person and a good friend, and he's not the serial killer, sociopath, psychopath you guys -- the media makes him out to be.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Flores family says it wants Van Der Sloot needs to be punished to the maximum extent of the law.
CAROLINA FLORES, SISTER-IN-LAW OF STEPHANY FLORES: We need justice. He's a psycho murder and he has to pay.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: In the past few minutes, we learned that Joran Van Der Sloot began to speak in the court and began to plead guilty, but then his attorney stopped him, asked that the trial be suspended until next week.
Judges agreed, the murder trial is now adjourned until Wednesday. So I want to bring in Paul Callan here, criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor in New York.
Paul, kind of strange what happened today here. The defense team said they were going to plead guilty. Then there was this moment in the courtroom. I want to play a little bit of that and how that unfolded.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): So you do not plead guilty -- you don't say yourself guilty according to what the prosecution has stated?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Do I have time to think this further?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: OK, so Paul, Van Der Sloot says he needs more time to reflect on his plea. I mean, is he really unsure? Is he trying to buy time? What's the strategy behind this? PAUL CALLAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, it's very, very strange, Suzanne, because the defense attorney was quite pleased with the deal that had been worked out. He might get as little as eight years in prison for what is an absolutely brutal murder.
So I can understand why his attorney would want him to go forward with this plea, but obviously when he was starting to what -- we call it a plea allocution, an explanation to the court of how you committed the crime, Van Der Sloot was going off script.
And if he doesn't describe the crime in the proper way, the court is not allowed to accept the guilty plea. So I think under the circumstances the defense attorney decided maybe we should put the case over so I can talk to him and see if we can get the plea put back in.
So this, by the way, this even happens in American courtrooms sometimes when a defendant sort of goes off script and starts to say things that surprise the lawyers and the judges and sometimes there is a delay. So maybe that's what's going on here.
MALVEAUX: I guess they'll sort all this out when they come back after this delay. Now let's go to the case of Aruba, the death of the American girl, as we know, Natalee Holloway.
That case is still open and he was arrested twice as a suspect in her murder because of lack of evidence, he was released. Is it possible that if there's new evidence that's discovered or even the body of Natalee Holloway emerges, that Van Der Sloot could be brought back to Aruba to face murder charges in her death?
CALLAN: Yes, that remains a possibility, although I add a cautionary note. In the United States, there's no statute of limitations on murder. My understanding is that in Aruba, there is a limitation.
So they will have to develop a case before that statute of limitations expires and which one it is depend on what they're going to charge him with. It could be as long as 10 or 15 years.
Ironically, Suzanne, the reason he got pick up in Peru was he extorted allegedly $260,000 from the Holloway family and he used that money to travel to Peru and of course he's under charges in Alabama as well.
MALVEAUX: So could he be extradited to the United States to face those charges in Alabama or does he have to go ahead and fulfill this sentence before he's sent to the United States on that case?
CALLAN: Well, my understanding is that the united states has filed what's called a detainer through Interpol and that that detainer will require Peruvian officials to turn him over to the United States when he has completed his Peruvian sentence.
Now I will tell you that occasionally governments negotiate with each other and they allow a prisoner to be extradited before completion of his sentence so that remains a possibility as well. But my bet is he'll serve his time in Peru then be brought back to the United States for trial on the extortion charges.
MALVEAUX: All right, Paul Callan, thank you very much. We'll be watching closely.
A TV commercial has gone viral on the internet. Not because of what it's advertising. We're going to climb that terrifying rock formation to see if it's even real.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: President Obama speaking to the nation and also a new government agency that's meant to protection your money. The president spoke a little while ago about the state of the economy, the jobs numbers and what Congress needs to do to move forward in its economic recovery. Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: So we're making progress. We're moving in the right direction. One of the reasons for this is the tax cut for working Americans that we put in place last year. When Congress returns, they should extend the middle class tax cut for all of this year to make sure that we keep this recovery going.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: The president pushing forward, trying to convince the American people he's got his eye on the economy during this election season.
Well, have you seen this credit card commercial? Two climbers scaling this steep rock, it has gone viral on the net. It's got us wondering is this real? Is it special effects? The woman in this ad tells our Jeanne Moos, give credit where it's due.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These days when seeing is no longer believing maybe you've seen this commercial and wondered if you can believe what you see.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I used my Citi Thank You card to pick up some accessories, a new belt, some nylons, and what girl wouldn't need new shoes. I flew us to the rock I really had in mind.
MOOS: The reaction online has been -- this can't be real.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, it's real.
MOOS: Thank you for making viewers physically dizzy and sick. I just can't help getting wiggy when she gets to the top and the camera angle is pointed at her feet and all you can see it imminent death.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is actually not very technically difficult.
MOOS: This is a rock formation called ancient art near Moab, Utah. But who is that hot ad girl?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I had a camera on my helmet. So it is me like looking out my feet as I walk.
MOOS: The feet belong to Katie Brown. She became one of the top female climbers after she began competing at the age of 15. Citibank hired her and Alex Arnold to do the commercial.
You might recognize Alex from the jaw dropping piece "60 Minutes" did on him. Alex is famous for free soloing, climbing incredible rock walls without ropes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is no adrenaline rush. Like if I get a rush, something's gone horribly wrong.
MOOS: In the Citibank commercial, the two climbers were using ropes, no one fell. Though Katie says she had a few scary falls. Like this one caught by the photographer. Viewers of the commercial are almost as curious about the lyrics to the song.
Is it "Somebody Likes Potatoes"? Somebody "Leggo My Eggo." No, a band called LP is singing.
You got to give Katie credit for being honest about it felt up there at the tippy top.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a little intimidating.
MOOS: The spot's even been parodied by someone using footage from a Swedish diaper commercial.
That high up, who wouldn't need a diaper. Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: I love that. All right, so choice words from Jillian Michaels about diet and exercise.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Push up all the way! There you go. Up, up, up, up. Keep them up. On the wall for ten seconds, go, go, go. Do not -- do not drop the weights. Down, down, down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Jillian Michaels is going to join us live.
But first, it is a new year, new chance for a new commitment to drop those extra pounds. "U.S. News and World Report" offering help by ranking the best diets of 2012.
Now the magazine says the best diet for diabetics and a healthy start is called the Ornish diet. The easiest diet is weight watchers. So can you guess the best overall diet? Stay with us. We'll have the answer up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: So we told you, "U.S. News & World Report" is lending those dieting a hand by ranking the best diets of 2012. Check it out.
Number one diet for diabetics and a healthy heart is the Ornish diet. Easiest diet to follow is weight watchers. The best overall diet -- it's called the D.A.S.H. diet, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.
So if diets don't motivate to you drop those extra pounds, maybe this will.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Five, four, three, two, one. Go! Go! Sink, sink, sink, sink. Down. Good, quicker, quicker, quicker, quicker. Go! Pop! Pop! Pop! And back! Fast! Go!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: OK, fitness coach, health expert Jillian Michaels gets dozens of people to drop the pounds, get healthier. She's joining us live from New York. It is great to see you. First, I have to admit everybody knows I'm a big fan. I've got your DVDs. Anybody who works out with you knows that it is a kick-butt workout. But what's really important as well is what you eat.
JILLIAN MICHAELS, CELEBRITY FITNESS TRAINER: Absolutely.
MALVEAUX: What do you make of all of this, this dieting thing? What's most important here?
MICHAELS: Gosh, you know, I think we're always looking for a quick fix and we try this diet out and we try that diet out. But at the end of the day, it's actually really simple. Way more simple than we make it all out to be. You need to count calories, because fat's nothing other than stored energy. So a calorie is a unit of energy. If you eat more calories than you burn, you're going to gain weight. When you count calories, weight loss is simple math, it puts the power in your hands.
And then, obviously, common sense. You want to choose healthier food options. You want to avoid a lot of the chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, high fructose corn syrup, trans fats and all of that garbage because not only is it bad for your overall health, but it also impairs or impedes your metabolism.
MALVEAUX: I understand you're a part of a new campaign co-sponsored by Popchips and Google and it's designed to encourage folks to end our obsession with fried food.
MICHAELS: Yes, ma'am.
MALVEAUX: Now, I love fried chicken. That's one of my favorites.
MICHAELS: Oh, no!
MALVEAUX: So this is a tough thing for me. But what should we be eating?
MICHAELS: OK. Well, let's talk about snacks, for example, since you did mention Popchips, which is a little company that I discovered about three years ago and I fell in love with the product. You look at something like this, in a single serving size of Popchips, there's 100 calories. There's no trans fats, nothing artificial, no preservatives. Here's something that you can give the kids to go to school with in their lunch, you can give to the husband. It's grab and go. It's accessible. It's affordable.
Of course I want to see you doing the fresh veggies, the raw nuts, a piece of fruit. Those are all great options as well. But when we're talking about switching off of the fried foods, something common sense, much smarter choice.
When we're dealing with things like fried chicken, here's what I would ask you to do. Be creative in the way you prepare it. So why don't you try crushing up some almonds and dipping the fish and the chicken in the almond and then baking it. And you're going to get that crispy texture and all the flavor, but without all the calories.
MALVEAUX: Does it really taste as good as the real fried chicken?
MICHAELS: Why do you doubt me? Yes, it is --
MALVEAUX: I will try it. I will try it. I will try that.
MICHAELS: I can promise you this. Look, I can promise you this. At the end of the day, I get it. You know, fried food can taste good. However, here's what's going to feel a lot better than the way that fried chicken's going to taste. Seeing your grandchildren graduate from college. You know, wearing a bikini at your 20th wedding anniversary in the Bahamas. Think about those things. Really try to put it in perspective because it's so worth it to make those small changes. And I guarantee you, the chicken will still taste good. The Popchips, they taste great. These simple changes are going to make such a big difference in the long run.
MALVEAUX: All right, I understand you've got a new DVD out. It's called "Killer Buns and Thighs" and "Extreme Shed and Shred." So tell us a little bit about if we can eat a little bit of that that fried chicken or the altered fried chicken there. What do we need to do in terms of working off those calories?
MICHAELS: You're pushing me on the fried chicken. You're killing me.
The reality is this. Of course you can indulge in treat foods in moderation. So if you wanted to have the occasional piece of fried chicken, even though I wish you wouldn't, or the occasional scoop of ice cream, it's OK. It's just a matter of doing it with moderation, with balance. So if you're exercising, what that's doing is, it's burning more calories, it's utilizing more energy. So if you're taking in more energy through those kinds of foods, but you're burning more energy with exercise, it's going to create sort of a status quo. So you probably won't gain weight from those foods.
However, if you want to aggressively lose weight, you need to remember that you need to eat right and work out at the same time to reverse the weight gain and go into weight loss.
MALVEAUX: All right, we're all going to be working on that for the new year for those killer buns. Thank you, Jillian Michaels. Great to see you.
MICHAELS: Thank you.
MALVEAUX: Thanks again.
MICHAELS: Appreciate it. Have a great day.
MALVEAUX: You too.
Getting a lot of responses to today's "Talk Back" question. Today we are talking about the race for the White House. We asked, what is your number one issue and why. Joseph says, "outsourcing and foreign guest workers. Until we stop shipping jobs overseas and giving preference to lower paid immigrants over Americans here at home, our economy will never improve." More of your responses up next.
But first, here's some free advice from the CNN "Help Desk."
HARLOW: Time now for "The Help Desk," where we get answers to your financial questions. Joining me this hour, Gary Schatsky is a financial planner and the president of objectiveadvice.com, Gail Cunningham is with the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.
Thank you both for being here.
Gary, your question comes from Alexandra in Huntington Beach, California. Alexandra wrote in, "I'm trying to refinance an investment home that other members of my family live in. The property's financer tells me that my debt ratio is too high and that they have no option for me because the home is not my primary residence. How can I get that monthly payment down?"
So she's trying to refinance, work out a deal here.
GARY SCHATSKY, FINANCIAL PLANNER: Yes, it's really a difficult situation because if the banking institutions aren't going to fund you because of your credit situation, it becomes problematic across the board. An investment property is particularly problematic because the standards are much higher.
HARLOW: Sure.
SCHATSKY: Look, you can try to think about some out of the box scenarios. One might be -- I don't know what the family situation is -- if you sold it to the family, all of a sudden it would be a primary residence situation and that could change the equation. Other possible alternatives in some cases could be if you had a 401(k), under the right circumstances, big caveat, you might take a little bit out on a loan there that you have to pay off and pay down your other debt, which could change your other ratios.
HARLOW: Right. And you've got to think about the tax consequences.
SCHATSKY: No, no, no, you're borrowing it, you're not drawing it out.
HARLOW: Oh, good point.
SCHATSKY: But then you'll have to pay it back on a relatively accelerated basis and woe to you if you don't do it.
HARLOW: Good tip.
Gail, your question comes from Thomas in New Mexico. Thomas writes, "my wife and I are upside down on two car loans. We've maxed out our credit card and our student loan debt will hit in six months. My wife recently lost her job and we just had our first child. We cannot afford a home and have been bouncing around to families' houses. Is bankruptcy an option for us?"
They are in such a hard position that a lot of Americans, unfortunately, face.
GAIL CUNNINGHAM, NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR CREDIT COUNSELING: Exactly. There's a world of financial pain out there and they are very representative of what's going on in homes across America. They sound like the ideal candidate for bankruptcy.
HARLOW: OK.
CUNNINGHAM: But with that said, I want to underscore that bankruptcy is a very serious financial decision. Should be someone's last stop, not their first.
HARLOW: Right.
CUNNINGHAM: My advice is to go sit down across a desk from a trained and certified credit counselor. You owe it to yourself to do that. You owe it to your family. And also, you're not going to beat yourself up down the road if that lady or that man said, you know, bankruptcy's your best option. I would certainly recommend going to an NFCC member agency for that help.
HARLOW: Talk to the experts.
Thank you both so much.
If you've got a question you want answered, send us an e-mail any time to cnnhelpdesk@cnn.com.
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MALVEAUX: We've been getting a lot of responses to today's "Talk Back" question. Today we're talking about the race to the White House. We asked, what's your number one issue and why. A lot of people mentioned, jobs, the economy. Here's some other topics folks listed. Ken says, "equality. How can we elect a leader in a country of freedom and choice when they don't believe that a group of people are equal in all ways?"
Kare says, "I'd like to hear at least one of these Republican candidates address the poor. Not one of them has even acknowledges the fact that there are people in this country who can't qualify for a mortgage or who work but have no way there."
Adam says, "marijuana legalization. Fifty percent of America wants to see it legal. Why is it not something people talk about on the campaign trail?"
Michelle says, "tax reform. Everyone needs to pay their fair share. Corporations made $1.97 trillion in profits but are hoarding the cash and hardly paying any taxes."
Charlie says, "my number one issue is partisan politics. It prevents all other problems from being properly dealt with. It's the cause of all the gridlock."
Keep the conversation going on my FaceBook page, facebook.com/suzannecnn.
And corn just might be a super food considering what happened in central Michigan. Police say that corn stalks saved a boy's life after a rollover crash. We're going to explain how.
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MALVEAUX: Checking out compelling stories and videos making news cross-country.
First up, Oklahoma City, where a city bus camera caught the dramatic end of a police chase. Local media reports some burglary suspects ran a red light as they tried to get away. The truck t-boned the car where they were (ph) and they crashed into two other cars before coming to a stop. Police caught three suspects. A fourth is still on the run. One person went to the hospital with minor injuries.
In central Michigan where police say corn stalks kept a car from crushing a seven-year-old boy ejected in a rollover crash. Four kids and two adults were in the car. The boy was the only one slightly injured. Police say the driver was going too fast when he lost control.
CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Randi Kaye.
Hey, Randi.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, Suzanne. That was an incredible story.
