everyone. this is "early start." i'm ashleigh banfield. r >> i>> i'm r >> i>> i' zoraida sa. it p it is 5:00 a.m. in th. let's get started. there athere are new satellite showip showishowing irantr site. thp this this is the same asked barbara starr will update the story for us. >> get out your best sunglasses because that, while pretty, ain't great. it's a solar storm and it's actually slamming us here on earth right now. the pictures are terrific, but you know what, this could affect your satellite, maybe your tv. not sure if the power grids are going to get zapped by this either. the worst of it is still just two hours away. we've got an eye. and a bank reaching into your pocket once again. there is a brand new fee that is going to make you furious. he's the king of the underworld. recognize that face? james cameron of titanic fame and many other fabulous films. now he's getting in that teeny, tiny sub, and he's going a long way down to the bottom of the world, folks. the deepest anyone has ever gone. jason carroll, he got some exclusive access. we'll get you up to speed on what james cameron is doing and why he's doing it himself. >> i think it is the deepest part of the world. >> it is without question. fascinating. >> i just cannot wait. it is 5:01 in the east here. first a big question this morning, what is iran trying to hide? are they trying to hide something? diplomats tell cnn new satellite images show iran is trying to clean up something at a suspected nuclear site. it's possibly trying to cover up evidence that it was testing a nuclear trigger. so they're saying earth moving vehicles were spotted hauling away possibly contaminated soil. iran just agreed to allow u.n. inspectors into this base this week after previously saying that it was off limits. so what he was going on? kind of thing that could push israel even closer to war perhaps? senator diane feinstein met with israeli prime minister netanyahu and she told erin burnett that israel has not yet made the decision to attack but it may not take much more. >> i believe that israel will attack. i believe that it is important that diplomacy be given an opportunity. israel believes they are prepared to handle it. now what happens after an attack is another story. >> barbara starr is live at the pentagon for us. why is it that we're so concerned about these images? >> reporter: well, this is a site where iran is said to have tested some explosives in techniques it would be used for a nuclear trigger, perhaps not a trigger itself. so that's another key component of this whole cycle that iran is on, that the world worries about. are they headed towards putting all the pieces together that could allow them to make a nuclear weapon. senator feinstein there indicating that that might be the track they're on because she believes israel will attack and israel has said it will attack to prevent iran from getting the capability to make a nuclear weapon, zoraida. >> barbara, we've been talking about this for quite some time. there was an article that came out early february that said that perhaps israel would strike against iran february, march, april. and we've been watching these talks between prime minister netanyahu and president obama, and it almost seems like some of this has been decided and we're just observing on the sidelines. >> reporter: well, you know, hard to say. you know, if you ask the general public, is israel going to attack, is the u.s. going to attack, of course we don't know. these are some of the most closely held secrets. what we do know is that the obama administration continues to press for diplomacy, economic sanctions, and to try and convince israel to give all of that time to work. the u.s. position is that iran is beginning to feel the bite from those sanctions and that it will feel that pressure. hard to say whether that's really how it's going to play out. >> all right. barbara starr, live at the pent gob for us. thank you. it's four minutes past 5:00 now. in syria, the government and its continued slaughter of its own people is having an effect. there's a defection in their ranks. the deputy oil minister, gonzo. he's appearing on a youtube video declaring his loyalty to none other than the opposition who's been struggling against the regime in all of the bombings. all of this at the same time as the obama administration is beginning to weigh some of the military options with regard to that country. senator john mccain has been pretty darn clear he wants airstrikes to try to get rid of bashar al-assad. on cnn ac 360 he urged the president and the pentagon to act. >> if we can do something about it, and we can, we should unilaterally and it's going to require -- excuse me, not unilaterally. no boots on the ground. with other nations who will join us if we lead and we can bring this to a halt. >> and earlier yesterday you should have seen the sparks flying. defense secretary leon panetta head to head, toe to toe with senator mccain and some of the other members of the armed services committee. listen to this reparte regarding syria and potentially ignoring congressional approval. listen. >> our goal would be to seek international permission and we would come to the congress and inform you. >> i'm almost breathless about that because what i heard you say is we're going to seek international approval and then we'll come and tell the congress what we might do and we might seek congressional approval. >> secretary panetta said it would not make sense for the united states to act unilaterally in syria. oh, those videos are hard to watch. hard to watch as the days grow longer. and there's more on the growing crisis in syria as well. later on "starting point" at 7:00 eastern, soledad will talk to michigan congressman mike rogers who's chairman of the house intelligence committee and also a former fbi agent. website of the late andrew breitbart is releasing tapes of president obama during his college years. the tapes of the future president are at harvard in 1991. that's when he was in law school, right? it shows him speaking warmly about and hugging a so called radical professor. the professor's name, derrick bell. he was the first black tenured professor at harvard. they were protesting the lack of diversity of harvard staff at the time. so the website claims news media and professors intentionally suppressed the tacpes during th 2008 election with radical leftists. ben shapiro says this is the smoking gun and only the beginning. so ben shapiro will actually join bsoledad at 8:00 a.m. >> there had been all those warnings before breitbart died that this was going to come out so i'm surprised. there you go. >> some of this is aired before so it's not that surprising. i'm kind of interesting to see wham this is all about. >> the conspiracy theorists jumped all over this and suggested this might have been something behind breitbart's death. i don't think that's going to end any time soon. we want to mind your business at 8 minutes past 5:00 a.m. the u.s. markets bouncing back after their worst loss of the year on tuesday. it was super tuesday but not for the markets. the dow, nasdaq, s&p on wednesday had some strong gains though getting a boost from the good news from the economy including private sector jobs, slight drop in the national average gas. two days in a row. we're watching for three. >> even though it's a little bit, every little bit. >> don't spend it all in one place. >> let's bring in christine romans. you heard me be a little bit earlier, we were whispering. it's bank fees. i opened an account yesterday and oh, my gosh. >> free banking is dead. free banking is dead in this country. one of the reasons why years ago, 20 years, 25 years ago they started free banking, it was a way for banks to get young people who were getting their first bank account, the idea be free at first, then you do so many other things with the bank that they'd make money off of you. now it costs about 250 to $300 a year per bank account, per checking account. the government won't let them give all these fees to people anymore. they're finding new ways to charge people if they can. the government can't jack up your interest rate on your credit card anymore, or the banks account. there's rules to protect you. the banks say we can't afford free checking. >> is it cat and mouse? do they do it and get their wrists slapped? >> the laws are very clear. they do it with exactly the right amount of time to warn you it's going to happen. wells fargo is the most recent, expanding in the west, six more states. they'll be charging $7 a month for what was free banking, free checking. and the company, wells fargo, has been reaching out to customers, been telling them this is coming, this is how you can avoid it. usually you can avoid it by keeping up to 500, sometimes up to $7,000 in the account, by having another relation slp, by a direct deposit, a mortgage serviced through them. the onus is on you people to make sure that you know what you can do to avoid these fees because i really -- this is not the kind of economy where you should be paying for the use of your own money. >> shop around also, right? some of them say you have to maintain $1500 of a balance and some are smaurl ler balances. >> absolutely. i think the bottom line is for the quote, unquote, little guy who doesn't have a boat load of money, they don't want you. i really don't think they want you. >> what's going on with the free market here? you hear this on the republican campaign trail. the free market takes care of itself. >> the free market has people going to credit unions. you had 4,326 people every day opening up a credit union membership. every single day the end of last year. that's a record. record number of staassets. >> is there a down side? >> no. they're saying i have a small account. i don't want to get feed, nickelled and dimed to death. it depends if you have a large and complicated -- fom some people a traditional big bank will be better. just make sure you know what those fees are. >> so these credit unions are not the poka karantes of the world? >> that's right. >> what does it mean? >> caring little. >> i'm not sure the crew noticed. >> i need a full screen. >> we have something called word of the day. there you have your word of the day. you learned something. >> no cheering. no cheering. >> bravo. >> there is so little love from this crew. honest to god, they try to kill me every day with these difficult words. >> how do you spell it? >> i'm going to give it to you. you'll use it in the next half hour. >> careless or indifferent person. it's a political season. there's plenty. >> christine romans doing the job for us. we'd like to give you the early read for the day at 12 minutes past 5 clock this morning. >> here's one, cutting through the red tape to get to the green. today the house is expected to start the debate over the jobs act. it's a bill that will start smaller businesses bypass sec hurdles that make it tougher for them to go public. >> more news that could directly affect your 401 k being called a make or break day in greece. today is the deadline for banks to accept a debt deal. the final hurdle greece must clear to meet all the conditions of its second eu bailout. it is not the doning of the age of a care yus, but look at that. a stunning image from nasa of a big solar storm. the waves are battering our planet. it does have an effect on you. when you wake up, squint. brunt of it is expected to hit in two hours. space weather experts say that the wave of charged particles may actually mess with satellites. hopefully not until our show is over. it might also disrupt power too. grids, communications over the next 24 hours. >> satellites? >> us folks who grew up in the north, these images that you see on your screen, that would be the awe ror ra borealis. >> now i want to know if i should be worried. rob marciano, do you have anything on that for us? >> nothing to be worried terribly about. the next six to eight hours we'll see more influx. that's when radio communications or at least the power grid or planes flying over the poles may be affected. this is the strongest flair. x 5 rated coming out of this sun spot. this is the strongest one that we've seen since 2006. we're entering the cycle where the sub goes in and out of a solar minimum, maximum every 11 years. we're getting towards the peak. the next couple of years we'll see a lot more of these sun spots with solar flares that emit these cmes of highly charged particles of plasma hurled towards the earth at 3 to 5 million miles an hour. they get here anywhere from a 1.5 to 3 days later. you'll see blackouts, maybe some power grid blackouts, gps, satellite interruptions. that's all possible. the brilliant a ror ra bore rab. southern illinois, indiana, rain. it will get into ohio and kentucky. the severe threat will remain down to the south. but the winds will continue to kick up with this and the heat pump as well. temperatures well above average. 10 to 20 degrees above average. how does 71 sound for you in d.c. 66 degrees in new york city? 75 in atlanta. 45 in chicago. still windy in places like michigan. we've got some brush fire just north and west of detroit. this thing burning yesterday because of the high wind. a little bit cooler today. i assume that the firefighters got a quick handle on this out of auburn hills, michigan. the warm winds along the i 935 corridor will be a balmy day. enjoy that. >> we are enjoying it. thank you, rob. this just in, folks. gas prices dropping for the third day in a row. >> it's an alarming three-day trend. >> exciting. national average for a gallon of gas stands at $3.76. that is down only a fraction of a cent. aaa posted this on their website. gas may be dropping slightly. prices are still up more than 14.5% so far this year. >> 5:15, folks. i'm not sure that that's good news either. either you're up real late or up real early. coming up, there is absolute outrage. are you ready for this one? she wins a million bucks and she keeps on collecting some good old-fashioned welfare from you and me, folks. we'll tell you about it. and afghan air force troops established by u.s. funds are reportedly under suspicion of running drugs and illegal weapons out of the country. you're watching "early start." creamis gone. but what about your wrinkles. neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair. it has the fastest retinol formula available. it's clinically proven to visibly reduce wrinkles in just one week. "why wait if you don't have to." rapid wrinkle repair. he turn right. come on -- nine. turn left. hit the brakes. huh. how'd that get there? [ male announcer ] we can't hide how proud we are to have nine 2012 iihs top safety picks, so we're celebrating with our safety in numbers event. that's the power of german engineering. right now, lease the 2012 passat for $219 a month. 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. ♪ my dad and grandfather spent their whole careers here. [ charlie ] we're the heartbeat of this place, the people on the line. we take pride in what we do. when that refrigerator ships out the door, it's us that work out here. 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[ female announcer ] people who choose more whole grain tend to weigh less than those who don't. multigrain cheerios... five whole grains, 110 calories. . courtesy of wbiv the lovely and talented station in detroit giving us our tower cam. beautiful shot at 19 minutes past 5:00. it's 58 degrees in detroit. go figure. beginning of march, that's warm and toasty. >> look what's going to happen later. >> drop about seven degrees. not too bad. if you're in this time of year, this is usually super chilly. this is still winter in detroit. >> normally you like to see those numbers go up, not down as the day progresses. >> 19 minutes past the hour. christine romans is here with the stories making news this morning. >> good morning, ladies. let's talk about iran first. new satellite images raising more fears about iran's nuclear program. diplomats say they show iran cleaning up a suspected nuclear site possibly to cover up work on a nuclear detonator. u.n. inspectors have been denied access to the military base. now to syria where the bloody crackdown on the opposition apparently reached a tipping point for bashar al-assad's deputy oil minister. he announced in a youtube video posted by activists that he was defecting from the regime and joining the revolution of the people. "wall street journal" reporting afghan troops established largely with american funds, they're being investigated for allegedly running drugs and running illegal weapons out of the country. officials say one investigation is led by the u.s. military coalition, another by the u.s. drug enforcement administration. huge recall from toyota this morning to tell you about. 680,000 cars and trucks including tacomas, camrys. they say the safety system in some vehicles losing power because of bad installation. some vehicles are getting stuck while they're in park. and after winning a million dollars in michigan's lottery amanda clayton was still collecting the $200 a month in state food assistance she had been receiving before her windfall. a local detroit station caught up with clayton during a shopping spree. she told a reporter she thought it was okay because she wasn't working. cnn affiliate wdiv spoke with the michigan department of human services and the department released a statement saying in part, under dhs policy, a recipient of food assistance benefits must notify the state within ten days of any asset or income change. dhs relies on clients being forthcoming about their actual financial status. if they're not and continue to accept benefits, they may face criminal investigation and be required to pay back those benefits. the state says clayton has now been removed from public assistance. michigan state representative dale zorn pushing for a law to keep lottery winners from getting state benefits. conservatives rail about this. they say it shows the safety net out of control. no one checking and progressive and liberal economists say this happens once or twice or three times. it's very, very rare. >> a flagging system would make sense here. didn't she realize that, hey, maybe i should call somebody, give this back? >> and apparently the onus is on her according to the state. she has ten days to say, oh, i have a he got some money and to back off. remember, these are cards now. they're not like stamps anymore. it's a card usually and the card is automatically reloaded. it's like a debit card you use. >> is she loopy and thought this is my debit -- she got luld into the idea this is a debit card. >> it looks like she knew it was free government money. she was using it because she wasn't working even though she did get her lottery winnings. >> i wouldn't want to be her. >> even with that million win, i would not want to be her. >> after taxes a million dollar win is 500 some thousand. >> is it worth the public humiliation? >> no. >> christine, thanks for that. >> 23 minutes past the hour. >> is it worth the public humiliation? >> no. no. >> maybe christine would say yes to that. invest the money, put it away, fix the problem. >> all depends on your values. >> we're getting an early read on your headlines. we're going to start with the houston chronicle. a contested new voter i.d. law in texas could bar millions of registered voters from casting ballots. that law would actually require voters to present state issued photo i.d.s to match voter registration cards. here's something very interesting. the records reveal 18% of registered voters in texas don't have a prior i.d. and that is 2.4 million people who could actually be turned away. hispanics here are the most heavily impacted. the department of justice is reviewing the law to determine whether it falls in line with the voting rights act. >> sometimes i wonder what our i.d.s do for us. i remember when i first came to this country, before i became a proud american citizen, i got a summons for jury duty because i had a driver's license. and i thought, i'm not a peer. i'm not a part of your peers. i'm not a jury of your peers. constitutionally i cannot serve. >> that that fall through the crack. >> there's a little box. if i didn't read up the fine print. i would have shown up for jury duty. noncitizens show up for jury duty and sometimes they render verdicts which if they're discovered later, that verdict is out. a little secret from the law files this morning. let's take you to the richmond times dispatch. this was a big controversial story and it has come to an end, at least that's what we think. the virginia governor, bob mcdone, has signed a bill that makes it mandatory for any woman who wants an abortion to undergo an ultrasound. that is official. it's done. here's the deal. it used to be a far more invasive kind of ultrasound, the internal, shall i say, ultrasound that was part of that. >> women would understand that. >> women definitely understand that one. that got nixed from the bill. it is still the external one that goes all over your belly. the women who get the ultrasound are given the option of getting the picture, hearing the heartbeat, all these different things. of course this has been so hard fought. there's still a vigil i think planned for later tonight behind the executive mansion. people are either thrilled or disgusted by this story and by this new legislation. >> very controversial. 25 minutes past the hour. coming up, where does the 1% go to fund their lifestyle? >> vegas. >> would you believe pawn shops. there's a lot of pawn shops in vegas. >> there are. >> poppy harlow looks at the new pawn stars. this is such an interesting story you're going to want to stay tuned for that. you're watching "early start." i. it is yoplait. but you said it was greek. mmhmm. so is it greek or is it yoplait? exactly. okay... 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>> who knows. >> buy time. we have to buy time on networks to run that or throw it up on the web? >> 17 minutes, documentaries, aren't they usually longer. >> sounds like a 30 minuter. get all those commercials in between. what do i know? >> i feel nothing. nothing has changed. >> i was very worried about that this morning. i thought, rob marciano could probably shed some light on this. i'm worried about the planes, those communication satellites and stuff like that. this is temporary. >> over the poles anyway. >> he loves the cool pictures. that's probably it. >> so do i, right? so do i. >> i just woke up crankier, that's all. the solar flares made me cranky. thank you. so, you know, when we went through super tuesday, super wednesday, we were all talking about the big ko, the knockout punch that mitt romney didn't deliver. they're kind of talking like they did at this point. one of his aids has actually said this, it's going to take an act of god to stop him from winning the nomination. and some key tests are coming up in the next week. alabama and mississippi. the south is not so sold on mitt romney. in fact, those look good for santorum and also for gingrich, but what do i know? i know the people who do know though. that's former spokesperson house republican conference gretchen hamill who's joining us and tim punc and national political reporter, alexander burns. all right, folks. listen up. i said it very quickly. i said act of god. i want to give you the actual phrasing. it's all in the editing, right? here it is unhe had deted. the campaign aid said this, for those guys, it's going to take some sort of act of god to get where they need to be on the nomination front, and that didn't go over so well with rick santorum. when he was told about it on the trail, he had this to say in response to the act of god comment. have a listen. >> you know, what won't they resort to to try to bully their way through this race? you know, if the governor thinks he's now ordained by god to win, then let's just have it out. >> all right. so, gretchen, is that just a reality check? is it bullying? don't we all use god in some way as a platitude. it's not necessarily ordained by god? >> exactly. every candidate came out of super tuesday showing the press their map to winning this nomination. so what romney's staff was doing was no different than what gingrich's staff and others were doing post super tuesday trying to keep the momentum, trying to paint the narrative that they can win this and for romney it's that he has it locked up and that people need to exit the race. >> but in the effort that newt gingrich needs to pull off to try to become super relevant yet again, his campaign spokesperson, who's been very prominent throughout this whole campaign, r.c. hammond, said something to a "wall street journal" reporter that was a bit curious. i want to read the actual reparte that they had together. the reporter asked this question. newt said he had to win georgia to remain a credible candidate. does he have to win alabama and mississippi to remain a credible candidate? g.c. answered yes, and the reporter said -- no, g.c. answered and the reporter said, he has to win? yes. now that sounds kind of definitive. i'm curious to find out if that is a dangerous thing to say when you're on a campaign where newt's own daughter said yesterday, he's going right to the convention. he's not dropping out anytime soon. tim punk, what do you think and make of that kind of a comment from someone that high up in newt's campaign. >> i think it's a silly comment because gingrich will face a challenge in a number of upcoming states including mississippi and alabama. the real thick to watch will be whether the santorum campaign and the conservatives that are aligned with the santorum campaign can get gingrich to drop out of the race. the 234u789s there are pretty compelling. if you look at ohio, for example, the combination of santorum and gingrich won 52% compared to romney's 38%. there's a very compelling case to be made, if conservatives rallied behind one candidate, that conservative candidate could win. you'll see a lot of pressure on gingrich to try to drop over the race. >> i think i said j.c., i meant r.c. hammond who's well known on the trail. he's on the air quite a bit. newt gingrich himself refers to r.c. all the time on the trail. since we're talking gingrich, i think we should talk about what tony perkins had to say about newt gingrich. tony perkins is well known. he's the president of the family research council. he is a staunch republican and a very right wing conservative. he had this to say about newt gingrich in an open letter. he said, gingrich has never been in a more influential position in deciding the outcome of the race. he could be a king maker if he stepped out of the race and threw his support to another candidate. alexander burns, those are strong words and they're not the kinds of words that you want to hear going into the south when you kind of want to win the south. >> no, ashleigh, they're not and it does illustrate what they're doing to execute around newt gingrich. there is a real sense particularly around santorum supporters that if somebody is going to get nominated that's not mitt romney, there only has to be one conservative alternative in the race. at the same time, folks like tony perkins who's been around the block, knows conservative politics, knows newt gingrich, he understands that gingrich is not the kind of guy who can get bullied out of this race. i think you're going to hear more sort of incentives like that offered to gingrich. this idea that maybe you could be an even greater party leader if you weren't actually seeking the presidency anymore. >> all right. to all of you, alexander, tim, gretchen. thank you. if you're a fan of carl rove or you're not, you have to hear what he said. every primary takes a short term toll on the nominee who emerges bruised and battered even stronger. that was the case four years ago and it may be the case this year. for all you na sayers who say this is a damaging campaign because it's going on, that's what carl rove, another king maker had to say. folks, stick around. we want to talk to you in an hour. also i want to let you know that at 6:10, about 40 minutes from now, 30 minutes from now, joe the plumber, samuel wurzerbacher, he won his primary contest, he is going to be an election name on the ballot in ohio. we'll talk to him about his efforts and what he's up against and how this whole political thing came about in the first place. some comments that he made early on that we're going to ask him about as well. still ahead on "early start," chrysler is recalling more than 200,000 jeep lib tertys. we'll tell you why there is this massive recall. where does the 1% go to fund their lifestyle? would you believe it goes to pawn shops. >> the 1%. >> poppy harlow looks at the new pawn stars and what they're pawning and why they're pawning. >> i'd go there. >> you're watching "early start." are you still sleeping? just wanted to check and make sure that we were on schedule. the first technology of its kind... mom and dad, i have great news. is now providing answers families need. siemens. answers. no, i wouldn't use that single miles credit card. nice ring. knock it off. ignore him. with the capital one venture card you earn... double miles on every purchase. 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this is big news. 41 minutes now past 5:00. in this age of reality tv, this might be the best new twist on how the rich get richer. at least how the rich try to show how rich they are. the 1% are turning to pawn shops to unload their treasures. >> cnn's money's poppy harlow has more on the new "pawn stars." >> they are, indeed. >> unbelievable story. >> it was amazing to see this, guys. they will call it collateral lending. this is really just glorified pawning, but the fascinating thing is that rich folks are doing it today. what we're seeing is that people that are having such a hard time getting a loan from a bank are hawking, look at that, a black diamond neck class, fabrige pens, very expensive family heirloom jewelry. coin collections. that's a 24 karat gold dupont lighter. pocket watch from cartier. that's a tiffany's broach. what's fascinating. we wanted to know why are the rich going into stores in manhattan and all over the country hawking this kind of thing. what do they need the money for? take a listen. >> reporter: what do they need the cash for? >> i've heard everything from payroll, estate maintenance. they have to pay the butlers, the grounds keeper. >> reporter: what on earth is this. >> this is actually 250-year-old torah. something like this does not come very often. i don't want to give the identity of the people who borrow money against it. >> reporter: that was the most shocking one for me, a 250 year old torah. he told me it was a religious organization. they needed money to do repairs on the building. didn't tell me what the organization was, but the average loan that's going out these guys tell me is $20,000. $20,000, and you think, why aren't they just going to the bank? i talked to a entrepreneur who hawked that black diamond necklace. he said, i'm starting a restaurant. i needed 30 grand. i went into a bunch of different banks. i could not get the credit. so this is what they're doing. >> it's really expensive money. >> it's really expensive. so there are pros, there are cons. here's what you need to know. if you're going to do this, the up side is a few things. let's take a look. first of all, they're not going to do a credit check. you don't have to fill out an extensive application. you can walk out the door with 20 grand. however, you need to negotiate. never make the first offer. never tell the lender what you paid for the item and go in having it appraised, know what the value is. also, the interest you're going to pay is going to be very, very high. in new york the limit's 4% a month, but a year that's 48%. in a state like georgia the limit is 25% a month. so you're paying massive amounts of interest. you are backing it up with collateral. they tell me that 90% of the folks that drop this stuff off come back and pick it up later. if you can't get a loan at the bank, this is an option. it can be a dangerous option. they own your item. if you don't come back, they're going to auction it off. >> some of those things had a lot of sentimental value. >> a lot. can you believe people are using it to pay their butler. they told me because you have a ferrari doesn't mean you have -- >> what happens to that bottle of cognac? if the owner comes back and there aets a little bit missing? >> gone. you take the risk. you have to look these folks up and know who you're doing business with. >> great story, poppy. good work. it's 44 minutes past 5:00. still ahead, are you ready for this one? from the legal files a court rules that a man owes child support for kids that his ex-wife had after they split. don't ask. you just have to stick around for the answer to that one. >> i'm looking forward to this one. >> i'm shaking my head at it, too. also, no one has ever sunk this low and yet been lauded. you recognize that face. it's james cameron. we love him. oscar winning movie maker. now he wants to sink so low he'll make -- he'll sink to a record. down to the depths of the earth. places few have ever gone before. you'll hear about it on "early start." does feel good selling the most dependable, longest-lasting full-size pickups on the road. yeah, sure, what you said, tim. man: [ thinking ] just look at the chrome on that custom sport. makes you feel all good inside, doesn't it? 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[ male announcer ] it's a network of possibilities -- helping you do what you do... even better. ♪ it is 51 degrees right now. sunny and a balmy 65 degrees later. >> this weather is incredible, isn't it? detroit and boston all above freezing. love to hear that. 48 minutes past 5:00 a.m. on the east coast. that means the ticker went off and christine romans was summoned. >> let's get to new satellite images this morning raising fears about iran's nuclear program. diplomats say they show iran cleaning up a suspected nuclear site possibly to cover up work on a nuclear detonator. u.n. inspectors have been repeatedly denied access to this site. chrysler recalling more than 200,000 jeep lyiberties. it says salt could corrode the rear suspension. the recalls are from 2004, 2005. meantime, highway and traffic officials are investigating nine reports of fractures in the rear lower control arms in jeep liberties. they say no one has been reported injured from this. a massachusetts appeals court, get this, ordering a man to pay child support for twin girls born through in vitro fertilization. ordering him to pay child support for these in vitro twins. this despite the fact that he and his wife had split up before the children were conceived and the children are not biologically his. it was donated egg and sperm but a massachusetts appeals court ruling that, in fact, he is responsible. it's a very complicated story actually. a very complicated story. he is, of course, very upset about it. >> it's not easy when you get to these particular in vitro stories, especially when something goes wrong before the birth, because legally speaking, it doesn't matter who the egg and sperm belong to. it's all about the agreements that are made beforehand. >> it is the couple that is married, right? the couple who determine that they are the parents of the child even though biologically it is someone else's egg and sperm. >> right. >> the reason that the court ruled that way is because they say he gave his consent and so he's responsible for the children because he had given his consent. >> there was a story out of boston, they reported that there is an immigration angle on this too. he was concerned that she -- he was concerned that he was not going to be able to stand up for u.s. citizenship and get his u.s. citizenship if he went afoul of her. >> here you go. the story is when it comes to a legal or civil suit, the headlines are great. the details explain the reality behind those headlines. fascinating stuff. thanks, christine. >> you're welcome. coming up, james cameron headed into the real life abyss. he will attempt to travel to the ocean's deepest point. cnn actually got exclusive access to his preparation. we have all of the details coming up next. you're watching "early start." i've discovered gold. 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[ female announcer ] people who choose more whole grain tend to weigh less than those who don't. multigrain cheerios... five whole grains, 110 calories. will be giving away... passafree copies of the alcoholism & addiction cure. to get yours, go to ssagesmalibubook.com. a whale! the creator of that blockbuster movie and also "avatar," so much more. james cameron hoping to become the king of the sea. his latest project is literally taking him into the abyss. welcome back, everybody. it's 5:54. you just won't believe this one, guys. hollywood filmmaker james cameron is taking on a brand new adventure and this one is really neat. the new project is a trip to the very deepest part of the earth. the challenger deep in the mariana trench. fascinating. >> jason carroll went with him. >> sort of. i sort of went with him. >> wouldn't that be cool, huh? >> yeah, cool and a little scary. i was actually with cameron on board the mermaid sapphire. over the past few years you can see cameron getting inside the capsule that he's invented along with a team of engineers, with help from national geographic. that thing is called deep sea challenger. that is the submersible that is going to take him to the depths of the mariana trench and challenger deep. we were with him out there on the ship. you can see me there as he's giving me a tour as he went through the process of putting this vehicle through test dives. one of the test dives down to 26,000 feet. that's five miles deep. you can see how cramped it is inside that. it was absolutely fascinating to see this man who's been a deep sea explorer for many, many years. i spoke to him several times when i was on the ship. we specifically talked about what he thinks about when that hatch closes and he heads down below. >> reporter: when do you feel like it's real? does it feel real after you've accomplished something or is it right before? >> it's the klunk of the hatch closing. that's when the rubber meets the road. >> reporter: okay. >> because now you've got to execute the whole task and finish the job and get back on the ship before that hatch gets unbolted. they bolt you in from the outside. it goes by fast. no, it does. it's so exciting. every second you're seeing something cool. i tell you, i'm wiped out after the dive. your brain's going a thousand miles an hour. >> incredibly fascinating. his mother says she worries about him diving, going to those extreme depths where you have that type of pressure exerted on that submarine. >> exactly. the last time there was a crack or something and somebody had to come up. you wonder, that intense pressure, what it does for your body and how do you get ready for that? >> he's been training for so many years. this is an experienced man. this is about science. this is about discovery. 16,500 pounds of pressure per square inch. if you pulled out your thumb and looked at the nail there, it would instantly crush a man. this is about science and trying to make this happen. >> here's the nonscientific explanation. 8,000 elephants standing on a mini cooper. >> sounds about right. >> that's the pounds of pressure. >> bottom line is it would crush whatever is down there at that type of pressure. science, exploration. >> when is it happening? >> well, we think by the end of the month they'll be ready to go to mariana trench, to challenger deep, but it's a slow process but he's on his way. >> everything has to align. >> oh, yes. >> jason carroll, cool. really cool. what a great job. >> thank you. so iran has been busy doing some cleaning. not spring cleaning, folks, just cleaning. what exactly are they cleaning? does it have to do with potential nuclear inspections? we're going to look into that in a moment. and also, don't look at the sun today. shouldn't look at it any day, but particularly today because there's a solar storm, folks, and it's the worst in five years. what does it mean though to us and your tv and your travel and your fridge and your phone? we'll let you know. it's all coming up on "early start." o turn left. the passat is one of nine volkswagen models named a 2012 iihs top safety pick. not that we'd ever brag about it. 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[ male announcer ] we can't hide how proud we are to have nine 2012 iihs top safety picks, so we're celebrating with our safety in numbers event. that's the power of german engineering. right now, lease the 2012 passat for $219 a month. lease the 2012 passat in addition to the two hundred plus facilities that the university of phoenix has we have a very progressive online learning environment. we have something called phoenix connect that allows students to have a social network. you can post discussion questions. we have more than twenty thousand faculty members, chances are one of them is online when you need some assistance. i'm ron gdovic, i'm committed to providing my students with a twenty-first-century education and i am a phoenix. a good thursday morning to you at one minute past 6:00. >> woor we're very happy you're with us. new satellite images showing iran may be covering its tracks at a suspected nuclear site. of course, this is happening the same week that iran tells inspectors, come on in, we have nothing to hide. could be a sunny day, but that is not a good thing. this is the biggest solar storm in years and it's slamming earth. the peak of the problems could exist in about one hour. incredible pictures of explosions from the sun, but it could affect our grids and our power grids and our satellites. we're going to update you. this is, like it or not, you're going to buy one anyway, but apple puts the rumors to rest and shows off their brand-new ipad. it's a much sharper screen and siri, sort of. we'll see if it is worth the upgrade for you. first thing this morning, though, at two minutes past 6:00, let's get you caught up on the big story. is iran hiding something, if so, what? diplomats are telling cnn that these new satellite images are showing something kind of stealthy. the iranians doing a big cleanup job at a nuclear site. a clean-up job. what would they be trying to clean up? some suspect a nuclear triggering area, earth moving vehicles were seen carting away all sorts of bits and pieces of soil, possibly contaminated soil and not sure what is in the soil, but iran has allowed the u.n. weapons inspectors this week curiously enough after saying before it was completely off limits. a lot of questions are being raised about this because this is the kind of thing that israel gets very nervous about and could push them closer to an attack. dianne feinstein and israel has not yet made the decision to attack but it may not just take a whole lot more. >> i believe that israel will attack. i believe that it is important that diplomacy be given an opportunity. israel believes they are prepared to handle it. now, what happens after an attack is another story. >> so, joining us live to talk about this, our barbara starr live at the pentagon. every time we get a report like this, it sends shivers through the community and gets people very nervous. to my knowledge, i have not seen or heard anything about dirty intelligence on the ground finding out what the iranians are up to, what do we know about the clean-up job? >> ashleigh, the problem with this site, it's southeast of tehran and nuclear inspectors haven't been there since 2005. they have intelligence that tells them iran had been conducting tests there, explosive tests that could lead them to be able to make a trigger for a nuclear bomb. so, that's the concern. this is a tite that could theoretically be another element in the iranian chain of events that would allow them to assemble all the parts that would lead them to make a nuclear bomb and that's what israel says it cannot allow. it doesn't want iran to even have the capability, of course, to be able to assemble a bomb. when senator feinstein talks about this, an awful lot of people listen. she is the chair of the senate intelligence committee and she has some pretty good sources and access to the latest intelligence and, of course, after this week, to the thinking of israeli leaders who are in washington talking about this. >> when the iaea speaks, i listen. i think most people do. that organization and the director have had pretty clear language on what is going on. iran is not telling us everything and it's declared a number of nuclear facilities but i can tell that for some they're peaceful, but, for others, we have an indication that there could be a relevance to the development of nuclear explosive devices. that is serious. that is really serious when they say those kind work. >> this kind of game that is going on now for years with iran. they led inspectors into some places after they cleaned them up, places maybe, this is a site very large, very complex and multiple buildings, multiple areas. you can let inspectors into a very small portion of this and not let them see what is really going on there. the inspectors know this. this is why satellite imagery is so important to look at. collecting intelligence on the ground. there's all kinds of methods that they learn to assemble the data that they have. iran letting them in is just one part of it and the real lesson here is that this is this great uncertainty about what iran is really up to. >> letting them in, but so many say it's still just a cat and mouse game. barbara starr at the pentagon, thank you very much. let's move on to syria now. no let up to the government crackdown on the opposition there. explosions rocked several cities, again, overnight. syria's oil minister is now the highest government ranking official to defect from the iran regime to the opposition. he revealed it in a youtube video. it was a hot topic at the senate hearing yesterday with senator john mccain saying that the united states must do something to stop the slaughter. >> we look back, if we fail to intervene years from now and thousands and thousands of syrians have been massacred while we stood by because we can't address the issue. we can. we're the best military in the world. i understand the strain on american military, i understand the sacrifices made by american families, but i also understand if the proudest part of american history is when we have tried to help other people achieve the same goals that we so passionately articulated when we declared our independence. >> united states cannot be the world's policemen. we still have men and women dying in afghanistan and we tried to get out of iraq and we played a role in libya and we saw the middle east exploding. the key is to get the united nations, to pass a resolution, which enables the arab league to go in there. >> two very different schools of thought there. the obama administration is now weighing possible military options in syria. more on the growing crisis in syria later on "starting point" at a 7:00 eastern time. soledad o'brien talks with michigan congressman mike rogers, chairman of the house intelligence committee and a former fbi agent. normally it's a good thing when you have a sunny day, but this may not be the sunny day you want. a sun storm. stunning images from nasa. take a look. beautiful, absolutely beautiful but not nice. big solar storm, the biggest in years with hot shots shooting out of the sun after traveling at 4 million miles. i think just about in minutes, we're about to see the worst of it. northern lights, they may be pretty, but they may be prettier. >> it may be about pretty because i was tweeting this out and saying, hey, rob, what is up and he said, don't worry your pretty little head. >> if you lose power, you're not going to like the pictures. >> keep two things handy in the next 24 hours, candles and a map. we're going to survive this thing. all right, guys? here's a breakdown. this is the biggest impact from a solar flare since 2006. we're at an increasing cycle of sun spots. an 11-year deal and we're going to peek it out in the next year and a half. expect more of this stuff and we'll give you warnings as it happens and this sun spot will remain pointed at earth for the next few days, at least. we may get another flare up and there's two phases to this. one, when the solar flare hits or erupts, you get a radiation that hits the earth almost immediately. that causes radio blackouts and then you get this plasma, basically, and particles that moves like three to five million miles per hour and gets here a day and a half to three days later. that's what's arriving right now. that's what causes the northern lights and that's also what causes the satellite interruption and gps interrupti interruption. your gps map may be affected and also zap the power grid. those are the two things that we're adding risk to over the next 24 hours and then by tomorrow morning things will calm down and we get an eruption of a solar flare. and auroras may be seen as far south as, well, maybe in some cases, st. louis. but we have a full moon that is happening and you have to get away from city lights. minneapolis, milwaukee, you'll see them tonight and it's windy across the northeast. the winds will pick up today and keep temperatures well above average and you'll have that much more to enjoy the northern lights with. >> the aurora borealis. i grew up with that. not until i came south did i realize that is really special. >> there's nothing like it, it's a spiritual experience. >> dwl you know him as joe the plumber and he may soon become sam the congressman. he just won the gop primary in ohio. he'll join us, coming up next. you're watching "early start." the first and only one to help support a healthy metabolism. three smart ways to sweeten. same great taste. splenda® essentials™. the progresso chicken noodle you made is so good. it's got tender white meat chicken. the way i always made it for you. one more thing.... those pj's you like, i bought you five new pairs. love you. did you see the hockey game last night? [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. good morning, columbus, ohio. courtesy of your network, wbns. we're giving you a tower cam shot there. 61 degrees, currently. little rain in your forecast and dropping a few degrees to 59 later today. nice to have you with us this morning. remember joe the plumber? >> you bet you. he is back and thrust into the spotlight by presidential candidate john mccain four years ago. he is now on the campaign trail himself. he won his congressional district in ohio. samuel wurzelbacher is his real name and this is how most people remember him in 2008 confronting then candidate obama. >> name is joe wurzelbacher and i'm getting ready to buy a company that is making $280,000 a year. your new tax plan is going to tax me more, isn't it? >> his name is samuel joe wurzelbacher and he is joining us now. thank you for being with us. >> thank you for having me. >> he cited you as someone being harmed by obama's tax plan. what was that like for you? >> well, i don't know so much as john mccain's secret weapon, there is no interaction between us. i happened to be tossing the football with my son and i wanted to buy a business and the principal of the matter. >> what do you do for a living now? >> for the last four years i've gone around building houses and speaking at different events around the country and really get informed on who they're going to vote for. make sure their vote counts and then exercise their sieving responsibility as an american. >> how do you think that qualifies you to run for congress? >> what qualifies me, one, i'm an american citizen. two, you know, i'm very much involved in the process of what's going on. i guess my question would be, what qualifies the current politicians who are killing the country, republicans and democrats alike. i'm sorry, it just seems like a silly question. >> no, you're running for congress. people want to know what your qualifications are, your breath of experience in order to leave. >> breath of experiences. i worked all my life. see these hands, there's calluses. i worked 25 years to have results and feed my family and pay my bills. politicians constantly take advantage of this and they don't get anything done. there's never-ending money from the taxpayer. my qualifications, i'm an american and i served my country in the military and i'm going to serve my country and people to come out of the community and represent their constituents and their fellow americans and then go back to the community. right now, unfortunately, you have career politicians that lose touch with reality with what is america. so, i have lots of qualifications. >> so, let's talk about the gop nomination that you wanted, a really tight margin, 51% of the vote compared to your pundits and you had a lot of money, six times the amount of your opponent, now you have a really strong incumbent to face. marcie captor defeated kucinich in her primary and she's considered a conservative democrat and every challenger she has faced since 1982. how do you think you're going to win this? >> well, that is the first time i heard her called a conservative democrat. marcie likes to tout her experience and her wisdom and dealing with appropriations and the budget. i believe that's a bad thing for her just on the simple fact that we just had $111 billion spike in the health care law that she proudly supported, which goes against our constitution. she's shown a willingness to undermine the very fabric and foundation of this country as far as defeating her is going to take hard work, you know, just getting out there and meeting the people and talking to them and letting them know the key to prosperity is tax reform and getting rid of some of the regulations behind the automobile and there are a lot of things out there that we can talk about and make sure that people here in the ninth district understand that actually want to work for them. i talk about hiring me. when you vote for people, you make that vote and you go away. when you hire somebody, you expect good results. >> i want to talk about, i want to talk about the district that you're competing in, it goes from cleveland to toledo. very democratic in that area. you're a conservative republican. so, it brings up some comments that you said and i want to share them with you. in an interview in 2009 in "christianity today." you made comments about gay people. queer means strange and unusual. it's not like a slur, like you would call a white person a honky or something like that. i had some friends that were homosexual and i mean, they know where i stand and they know that i wouldn't have them anywhere near my children. but at the same time, they're people and they're going to do their thing. have you changed your position at all? these are things you said, you still stand by them or if you have change your positions on them. >> no, i want everybody to have a job. americans, as far as that goes. republican, democrat -- >> what about these comments that you made? do you stand by these comments? >> listen, in my dictionary and in everyone's dictionary from the 1970s, the word queer did mean strange and unusual. there was no slur to it. do you challenge that? >> no, i'm questioning whether or not you still stand by these positions on homosexuality -- >> what context are you using this in? >> you're trying to do a gotcha moment, it's quite obvious. >> these are things that you said and i think people voting for you should have an opportunity to understand whether or not you have changed your positions on these two issues here. >> well, i tell you what, i have spoke with joe over at go proud and i'm in an agreement that i'll work with all americans. they want jobs. that's what it comes down to. i'm allowed to have my opinion as an american but the left is really tolerant other when you have an opinion for what they state. >> all your opinions actually come back and sometimes we need to explain them. we appreciate your time this morning. >> my opinions are mine. >> samuel wurzelbacher, thank you for joining us this morning. coming up, it's the new ipad. not the ipad 3, not the ipad hd. what is different about this thing and should you dole out the big bucks or are they even big bucks to get one? we'll get you all the info you need to know on the big new gadget. how about the bank fees? does that bug you? another new report of a bank that wants your money. then it wants you to pay to get your money. we'll explain, you're watching "early start." it is yoplait. but you said it was greek. mmhmm. so is it greek or is it yoplait? exactly. okay... 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[ engine revving ] the all-new 2013 lexus gs. there's no going back. the wait is over, almost. apple finally rolled out the new version of the ipad. >> everyone's been wondering, who will come out with a product that is more amazing than the ipad 2? everybody has been wondering this. well, stop wondering. we are. >> if you squint, that almost looks like steve jobs. that's tim cook. oh, even the black shirt and everything. so, we've got everything you need to know about the new ipad, including the name and all the gadgety stuff that it will offer. our bridget is the senior editor of cnet.com. it's good to see you back so quickly with all the details. what is the biggest headline? >> well, it's all about the screen on the new ipad, which is just called the new ipad. not any special name to it. >> no 3 or hd or owza. >> they're just going to call it the third generation of the new ipad and all about the screen. they put so many pixels in this guy that it is just better than any laptop screen you have out there. >> seriously? >> it's just probably one of the best screens out there. also, it's a faster processor inside, so, when you compare or combine the screen and the processor, that equates to better gaming on it. that's another point they're trying to sell on. >> is this a big thing for gamers or does it apply to me who only uses my ipad for games when they're for my 6-year-old who doesn't need to see something really clear? >> you hit the point. you know, it's something that apple is really trying to sell on. but most hard-core gamers want to go to their xbox or playstation but apple is trying to raise the bar another level. the usb port, which drives me bananas, and how about siri, while we're at it? >> there is no siri, the magical assistant you can talk to on your iphone is not on the new ipad. instead, they have a voice dictation app. so, if you want to talk out your e-mail, it will translate speech to text. >> do we know how good it is? i used those products before and i asked people to marry me, when i asked for a hot dog. >> we'll see how good it is when it comes out. >> we don't get to test it yesterday, we just get to hear the big speech. nobody got one in their hands? >> well, you know, at the event, people got to play around with it and so far, so good. you can never really know until you spend quality time with it. >> yesterday i asked you about the free samples. >> that's what i'm trying to find out myself, yes. >> you and me both, girl. i don't know if i can shell out for products. >> you don't have to buy a new one if you already have an ipad 2. if you've been on the fence, might as well get it, the same price as it was before. if you had an ipad 1, the original one, you might want to upgrade. >> that's a good point. >> when it comes and you get it in your hands, we can do a demo. >> sounds good. >> i like that she says if you have a newer version. >> i like that she's that smart, that fast. it usually takes me a year to figure out what i have to work with and something else comes out with more to learn. i'm a slow curve, folks. 20 minutes past the hour here. still ahead, win, lose or drop out. why newt gingrich may be the most important man in the gop race in the next week. you're watching "early start." home protector plus from liberty mutual insurance, where the cost to both repair your home and replace what's inside are covered. to learn more, visit us today. let me get that door for you... 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[ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge! it is 31 minutes past the hour. welcome back to "early start." >> we're very happy you're with us this morning. time to check the stories making news. new satellite images raising more fears about iran's nuclear programs. two western diplomats tell cnn that satellite images show large trucks and earth moving vehicles at a suspected nuclear testing site. the timing is really important here. u.n. inspectors have tried and failed to get into that site before. tehran only decided on monday that they would be let in. did you hear about the angry sun? it is a stunning image from nasa of solar flares erupting from the sun after speeding through space at 4 million miles an hour. they are bombarding the earth right now. experts say it may disrupt gps, even ground some flights today. on the brighter side, it's making a magical northern light display. free checking for wells fargo customers may soon be a thing of the past. bank announcing a $7 a month service fee in six more states. wells fargo stopped offering free checking for new customers back in 2010, but officials haven't disclosed which state are going to be affected by the fee. the 700 club's pat robertson has something very controversial to tell you. he is now saying that he wants to make marijuana legal. i said legal. robertson says we should treat marijuana like we treat alcohol. he says he has never used the drug and does not intend to, just believes that the war on drugs has been a failure. >> fascinating. >> didn't see that one coming. 33 minutes past the hour. after only winning his home state of georgia on super tuesday, newt gingrich is putting all his chips on the deep south in the next week. he has decided to ditch kansas for alabama and mississippi and that decision to stay in the race, not double down, may be a huge factor for everyone. let's talk about this. joining us now, gretchen hammel and democratic strategist tim punt and national political reporter for politico alexander burns. thank you, all, for joining us this morning. i'll start with you. gingrich the kingmaker is what he is being called. sent out an e-mail last night, i'm going to read it here. gingrich has never been in a more influential position in deciding the outcome of a nomination and he could be a kingmaker if he stepped out of the race. remember erick erickson said the same thing about rick perry. the very next day, rick perry dropped out of the race. do you think gingrich will take his advice? >> if gingrich goes in the direction, it will be contrary to all the personal qualities he exhibited in this campaign. that victory speech, as he called it in georgia on tuesday was just very self-indulgent affair and praise for winning his home state. but, you know, going forward, gingrich has personal, political decisions to make. the longer he goes on in this race and the more he is just staking his, not just his political future, but his entire reputation on maybe being the southern regional candidate against mitt romney. not clear that is a good tradeoff for newt gingrich and maybe win more points with his party and more points with his conservatives if he takes one there the team. >> you think he will stay in? >> i think right now newt gingrich is full speed ahead. if he loses in the two primaries next week, it is a tough road. >> contraception battle. columnist for "esquire" magazine says this. mitt romney will have a golden chance to have a reverse the pro-choice position that helped him get elected governor of massachusetts, thereby cementing his reputation. thus will be presented with the question of which yawns more ominously for the republicans, their gender gap with women or their punitive -- pitchers and catchers are showing up for spring training. so, i'm going to put a little baseball analogy here. two things heat up in october. the playoffs and presidential race. can romney hit the clutch for the conservatives? >> yes, i think he can. looking at kansas and looking at some of these states where, you know, the birth control has come up, you have to look at where romney has played well. it made the difference in ohio. he won the women's vote in ohio and it made the difference. had santorum not gotten off a winning message about religious freedom with this birth control mandate and actually talked about it, instead of talking about birth control and women's right, then he could have won ohio. romney is talking about what the majority of americans care about right now. it is the economy and government spending and how we get this nation back on track. we are tired of debating the old debates and i think november will be about what this nation wants and what the majority of the people want and that's good economy. >> all right, tim, i'm going to switch gears on you here. an op-ed in the "wall street journal" he crunches some numbers and says whether he's injured or strong by june mitt romney is going to be the republican candidate for president. but one thing he is missing is money, right? we know that he is personally rich and a lot of people, big donors, have given him money, but he can't really identify with that small donor. he's lagging behind in those and "new york times" quoted a voter as saying he is so rich, he does not need my support. so, someone who is really good at reaching out to that small donor is your candidate, barack obama. so, i have a little show and tell here today. not only does he have contests that you can enter for small donation, but a ton of fun merchandise. a mug with a birth certificate that says, made in america and even santorum is getting the hint and he's selling sweater vests. do you have any advice for romney what he can do, perhaps, to get those small donors to give him some money? >> the can kootzy is my favorite. >> around here it is, as well. >> i think one thing romney can do is simply try to connect with the american middle class. romney had so many gaffes recently from the $10,000 bet to the friend with nascar owners to simply completely being off message. romney's biggest problem over the last month is they have gotten off track in terms of talking about the economy and talking about immigration or these women's issues in the rush limbaugh and got republicans incredibly off track and you're seeing that more and more in the favorability ratings. one thing we have been talking about is this idea, well, the long campaign is having an impact but romney's favorite ratings are 28%. 28%. that's a terrible place to be right now and that will affect his fund-raising really across the board. >> alexander, gretchen and tim, thank you for being with us this morning. michele bachmann at 7:00 this morning on "starting point" and her thoughts on the rush limbaugh controversy which continues and, of course, a 2012 race. she will weigh in on that, as well. 39 minutes now past 6:00 a.m. and, still ahead, something the surgeon general wants you to know about kids and smoking and here's a hint. it ain't good and it ain't getting better. elizabeth cohen is watching it closely and she'll explain in just a moment. you're watching early start. what's this? [ male announcer ] quaker oatmeal squares have 46 grams of whole grains... mmmm. ...and a touch of sweetness. you'll be delighted to discover how good they taste. get your free sample of quaker oatmeal squares on facebook. i knew it'd be tough on our retirement savings, especially in this economy. but with three kids, being home more really helped. man: so we went to fidelity. we talked about where we were and what we could do. we changed our plan and did something about our economy. now we know where to go for help if things change again. call or come in today to take control of your personal economy. get free one-on-one help from america's retirement leader. 43 minutes past the hour. welcome back to "early start." the new surgeon general's report and it folks on kids and smoking. the first time since 1994 that they do a report like this. the tobacco industry does $10 billion a year on marketing, that's $29 million a day. >> and a lot of that advertising focuses on young people and young adults and there's a good reason for it. very few people start smoking after the age of 25. so, if you're in the business of tobac tobacco, you've got to get them young, so to speak. senior medical correspondent elizabeth cohen is in atlanta with some of the details of this report. the headline, first and foremost, it's been 18 years since we had a report like this. what is the take away from this and what might actually happen with the kind of advertising we're seeing out there, elizabeth. >> this report picks off where joe camel left off. joe camel if you remember that from many years ago, you can't do that. you can't do that any more and tobacco companies have abided by that, but, now, there's a concern among anti-smoking candidates that the tobacco industry is doing more subtle things to appeal to young people. i'll show you three people that get to their point. this is from the campaigns for tobacco-free kids. look at this convenience store. you see the marlboro advertising right next to the ice cream and the snacks. and anti-smoking folks say this is not a coincidence. here you see marlboro next to the slushy, folks or the slushy guy and then, thirdly, you will look at this to figure out what is going on. ashleigh, if you look in the background, you see standing up are these brightly colored sticks. that is actually a tobacco product. >> come on. they look like easter eggs. >> those are easter eggs in the foreground -- >> they look like easter sticks. >> it's a tobacco product and it's placed next to the chocolate and accusations by some, including the american heart association, that this is done on purpose. the tobacco industry tells the convenience stores, hey, this is where we want you to place those products and all part of getting young people to want to smoke. >> look, we have to give them their due here, r.j. reynolds gave out a statement and at least david howard the senior director said it is a belief that minors should never use tobacco products and adults who do not use or have quit using tobacco products should not start. so, if they're saying those things, is this just all guess work possibly on the part of the surgeon general that those positionings and those adds, it could be coincidence if the statements are true. >> right, let me redo another one. this is from philip morris spokesman. that would be their position. others would say, let's take a look at menthol. it is an anesthetic. it dulls the feeling of the throat and makes it easier for a new smoker to get the harsh smoke down. they say it's no coincidence that half of middle schoolers who smoke smoke menthol. these advocates say, look, they're doing this on purpose and they would like to see menthol cigarettes off the market entirely. >> they had flavored tobacco a while back and the cherry and all the rest and menthol may be next on the chopping block. >> right, there are flavored tobacco products, not necessarily cigarettes but smokeless tobacco that have these cool names and flavors. >> of course, that pipe tobacco out there, too. all kind of gross to me, but not to others. we'll watch and see what happens. thanks, elizabeth. wish you were bringing better news. also want to mention on "starting point" with soledad o'brien in about 7:50 a.m. on the east coast. she'll talk to matthew myers who is the president and campaign of tobacco-free kids. >> i can't believe she said middle schoolers. that dropped my jaw. >> it is earlier than that. i hate to say it. elementary kids. 47 minutes past the hour, time to check stories making news this morning. diplomats say new satellite images show iran cleaning up a suspected nuclear site, possibly to cover up work on a nuclear detonator. u.n. inspectors have been repeatedly denied access to the military base in those specific images. and the strongest waves arriving right about now. it is a stunning image, isn't it? this is from nasa. solar flares erupting from the sun after speeding through space and they're bombarding the earth and sparking some amazing light shows. while pretty, experts say they may disrupt gps and even ground some flights today. rob marciano says keep some candles nearby, just in case. take a look at that car because chrysler is recalling it, actually recalling over 200,000 of the jeep liberty models. companies saying salt on the roadways could be so corrosive it could break the suv's rear suspension. recall models from 2004, 2005. go check your vehicle. in the meantime the highway and traffic safety officials are investigating nine reports of lower control arm fractures in jeep liberties, as well. "forbes" magazine releasing its annual report of the billionaire's list. topping for the third year in a row, carlos slim. he's got a net worth of $69 billion, if you are counting. america's richest man, bill gates came in second and warren buffett who is usually on that list, too, rounds out the top three. soledad o'brien is joining us now with a look at what is ahead on "starting point." >> number four, soledad o'brien. >> i knew you were saying that. >> you are buying breakfast. >> good morning, everybody. all right, coming up on "starting point" just about ten minutes. we're going to talk about andrew last days but is it even a bombshell at all. we'll talk about that. plus, she is on the far right and another congresswoman on the far left. the two of them, michele bachmann and carol bass are coming together about an issue that is very important to both of them. what they're doing for foster kids here in the united states. rita moreno has cleaned up on awards and she talks about her new show with fran drescher and it's so fascinating and that is all ahead this morning on "starting point." "early start" is right back after a commercial break.i n't e where she is... orange creme... [ grocery store pa ] clean up in aisle eight. found her! [ female announcer ] yoplait original. 25 flavors for you to love. forty years ago, he wasn't looking for financial advice. back then, he had something more important to do. he wasn't focused on his future but fortunately, somebody else was. at usaa we provide retirement planning for our military, veterans and their families. now more than ever, it's important to get financial advice from people who share your military values. call now for our free guide and tips on planning for your retirement this tax season. hollywood filmmaker james cameron taking us on a new adventure. his next project, a trip to the deepest part of the ocean. >> only two other people have actually ever traveled that far far down into the marianna trench and he has a special, itty-bitty submarine. it looks pretty big to me, but in the grand scheme of things, it is pretty small when you go that far down. jason carroll got the exclusive to head over to papa new guinea. i do not want to gethat deep down in the ocean. >> not many people want to do that, but cameron is different because simply this is a man who has been involved with deep sea exploration for many, many years and he is involved and well known in the scientific community. he has had a love for deep sea exploration and he built this with a team of scientists and help from national geographic and he's built this highly sophisticated submersible that will take him down beneath the surface. talking 16,500 bits of pressure per square inch. i mean, think about the amount of pressure. there's no sunlight down there, but this is a man who is committed to exploration and committed to science and bringing back samples and i spoke with him with what he hopes to accomplish while he's down there. >> i want to get down there and look around and use these 3d cameras and bring it all back so i can see. it is the last unexplored frontier on the planet. when i was a teenager, those unexplored frontiers meant so much to me. i feel like the world is shifting into a post-exploration mentality. >> really good point there. i spoke to one of the microbiologists onboard and every scientist and everyone so passionate about this. jason, we already have specimens and he said that will keep me busy for years and years to come. they've already successfully completed a dive to 6,000 feet. >> these are the new-age magellan magellan. take mt. everest and turn it upside down and add another mile. >> you know, another way to think about this. the next time you're flying across the country and you look down, chances are you're cruising at an altitude of 36,000 feet. >> he could die. is he worried or nervous? what sense did you get? >> his mother is worried about it, his mother doesn't want him to dive any more. cameron says it best, it's not about hope, not about luck and it is really about science. more than eight years of science has gone into this. this is not a vanity project by a man who is very successful in hollywood and has the money. this is someone who is committed to science and exploration. >> there will be a camera rolling. >> there will be a camera rolling, thanks to "national geographic." >> jason carroll, you are a lucky guy to get there first. i need that assignment and you need sun screen. five minutes now until 7:00. coming up on "starting point" congressman michele bachmann will join our soledad o'brien with her thoughts on this whole rush limbaugh controversy because she's had a few names thrown at her in the past and talk about 2012 and a whole lot of other stuff that comes to soledad's mind. you're watching "early start." wow. wow. but you can help fight muscle loss with exercise and ensure muscle health. i've got revigor. what's revigor? it's the amino acid metabolite, hmb to help rebuild muscle and strength naturally lost over time. [ female announcer ] ensure muscle health has revigor and protein to help protect, preserve, and promote muscle health. keeps you from getting soft. [ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge! but what about your wrinkles. neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair. it has the fastest retinol formula available. it's clinically proven to visibly reduce wrinkles in just one week. "why wait if you don't have to." rapid wrinkle repair. neutrogena®. recommended most by dermatologists. i like yoplait. it is yoplait. but you said it was greek. mmhmm. so is it greek or is it yoplait? exactly. okay... [ female announcer ] yoplait. it is so greek. at meineke i have options... like oil changes starting at $19.95. my money. my choice. my meineke. that's it for us. >> we're done. that doesn't mean the show is done. we turn over to soledad o'brien. "starting point." >> welcome, everybody, to "starting point." new satellite images show iran may be cleaning up a nuclear site before nuclear inspectors arrive. could this push israel over the edge? we'll examine that question this morning. sun shock. the largest solar storm in years is hammering the earth and could bring us dazzling lights