Transcripts For CNNW EarlyStart 20130225

I thought seth was great. I love the fact that brits were all over the place as usual. We kicked hollywood butt. Thank you. Thats all for us tonight. Good night from hollywood and the 85th oscars. Oscars big winner, argo takes home best picture. Blizzard warning. Some states barely digging out. Bracing for another round of potentially lifethreatening cans. The popes final blessing. The pope leaving in a couple days. Welcome to early start. Im Christine Romans this monday morning for you. Im john berman. It is 5 00 a. M. In the east. And lets start with hollywoods night of night. I just took off my tuxedo. It was the 85th oscars. Music and film. And Seth Macfarlane can really sing. He really can. And as for the awards himself, no one film dominated. And the iran hostage thriller, argo came away the big winner. Giving ben affleck the last lau laugh. Nichelle turner has been up all night. Good whatever it is for you. Can we take the just off of there. Can we say cnns Nischelle Turner has been up all night. Still, you look great. Good to see you this morning. Okay. Thank you very much. Yeah. Its been a great night here in hollywood. They call it hollywoods biggest night. And it definitely has been hollywoods biggest night. The 85th oscars was supposed to be a return to hollywood glamour. Return to the oscars of the past everyone loved. The big production numbers. The musical acts. If that is what you love, that is what you saw. Lets take a look at that. And now, for the moment we have all been waiting for reporter First Lady Michelle Obama gave the oscars a jolt of excitement and a huge surprise, when she appeared from the white house to announce the nights biggest prize, best picture. And the oscar goes to argo. Reporter it was an especially sweet victory for ben affleck, who wasnt nominated for directing the hostage thriller. Life of pi based on the bestselling novel, about a boy at sea, won best director for ang lee. Thank you, academy. Reporter he played one of the greatest president s in history. And lincolns leading man, daniel daylewis, made history of his own, becoming the first male actor to win three oscars. So grateful to the academy for this beautiful honor. Reporter she took a tumble heading to the stage. But everyone else was on their feet when Silver Lining playbooks Jennifer Lawrence won best actress. Host Seth Macfarlane struck a cheeky tone, securing stars and poking fun at himself. Seth macfarlane, worst oscar host . Its that bad . Reporter music was the theme of the night. And the show posted fullthroated performances from the cast of chicago, dream girls and les miserables. And music was a memorable part of the tribute to james bond. Shirley bassy got a standing ovation. While charttopper, adele, song the latest 007 theme, skyfall, which won the oscar for best song. Barbra streisand returned to the oscar stage to sing memories. And the biggest winner remembered his last time earning oscar gold. I was here 15 years ago or something. And i went out. You know, i never thought that i would be back here. And i am. And it doesnt matter. How you get knocked down in life. Thats going to happen. All that matters is youre going to get up. Reporter that was one of my favorite moments of the night, most definitely, when ben affleck got up there. You would think maybe he would have prepared himself for that win because argo did go into last night with such of a momentum swing that its gotten throughout this award season. But he seemed just flustered and happy and all here, there and everywhere. And you love those type of moments on the oscars. By the way, were here at the famed Roosevelt Hotel here in hollywood. And theres a bar right over to my shoulder here. Its called the library. Its only 2 00 a. M. Here. Theres people that are still partying tonight. And i can hear them. Who knows . They may just make a cameo walking behind us here this morning. It is one of those types of nights. I dont know if you had any favorite moments. But i did have a couple. Did you have a favorite moment . I love the music. Im a big fan of the musicals and music. I think Catherine Zetajones was killer in the all that jazz number. I talked to her at the governors ball last night. She said it was a rush to be back on stage. And her husband, michael douglas, was giving her that look. And that was a very sexy number. And everyone around him, he told me, kept saying, good lord, your wife is sexy. It might be a good night in the douglas household last night. One of my favorite moments, and it was a little crass, was they played the jaws music when we were going too long. We are saying, wrap it up, guys. I thought it was funny. And i thought it was a way to let everybody know, youre almost done. But i did think maybe it went a step too far, when they cut that poor fella off there, who was trying to give his speech. And im getting the wrap now. So, theyre about to Start Playing the jaws music. Getting the music from our producers. An edgier oscars for sure. Great to see you this morning. Good for you, staying up all night. Well see you again. Call it a Severe Weather sequel. Just days after a powerful winter blast blanketed the plains states with record snow, right now, a crippling winter storm bearing down on the same region. Bringing with it, what the National Weather service is calling lifethreatening blizzard conditions. The National Weather service has issued urgent warnings. Kansas city is expecting 9 to 15 inches of snow tonight into tuesday. The same system just left a blanket of white over much of colorado, cancelling hundreds of flights out of Denver International on sunday. Sam brownback is calling for drivers to stay off the road in his state. And he has worries this storm has the potential to be more dangerous. Jennifer delgado live for us now. How bad is it this morning . It seems like we always are talking about some type of winter storm. Youre right. Were talking about dangerous conditions setting up. You see the blizzard warning in place. Across kansas, texas, new mexico, as well as missouri. Were going to see the winds really picking up as we go later into the afternoon and the evening hours. That means visibility is really going to be down. Overall, we have about 17 states that are under some type of Winter Weather warning advisory. And it is going to be a bad one out there. Look whats happening right now. We already are seeing storms moving through central texas, as well as that snow working through, in these locations. A foot or more for kansas city. A foot of snowfall for you. Interstate 70s going to be a mess. Chicago, youre going to see roughly about five inches of snowfall. Thats welcome news because youre really low on the precipitation. Down to the south. Notice we have a severe thunderstorm watch in place for louisiana, that includes new orleans. Thats in place until 8 00 a. M. Look at the lightning out there. All this rain is going to be coming down. Were talking about a flood threat for today, tomorrow. Were talking two to four inches. In addition to that, Severe Weather for parts of the gulf. You can see from louisiana, texas, all the way over to the panhandle of florida. That means, we could see storms producing isolated tornadoes, as well as damaging winds. Its never an easy weather day. Its like a weather buffet. A weather buffet. A bad weather buffet. Makes you sick. The white house is getting specific about the programs that would take a hit if the spending cuts known in washington as the sequester, go into effect on friday. Just days away. Food safety inspections, Mental Health treatments, early vaccines, are programs all at risk. The faa would have to furlough nearly all of its employees, causing a major disruption in air travel. And defense would stall maintenance on navy ships. Its a mess. And arne duncan appeared on cbs sunday. We dont have any ability with dumb cuts like this to figure out what the right thing to do is. It means a lot more children will not get the services and opportunities they need. In as many as 40,000 teachers could lose their jobs. Some republicans say the Obama Administration is crafting a doomsday scenario, to get republicans to accept a deal that includes more tax increases for the wealthy. And Republican Leaders say those increases are unacceptable. Pope benedict has three more days as leader of the catholic church. He delivered a service in a packed st. Peters square. He will officially step down at 8 00 p. M. On thursday. Pope benedict resigns amid rumors of a sex scandal, such as gay priests being blackmailed. The end of the castro era in cuba, in sight. Raul castro says he plans on stepping down in 2018, which is the end of his second term. Fidel castros 81yearold brother made the announcement sunday, shortly after the countrys National Assembly elected him to a second fiveyear term. As for a possible successor . Raul castro says cubas first Vice President , miguel diaz, is part of a new generation that will provide the future leadership of that country. High School Administrators in grant forks, north dakota, are investigating a shocking incident. Three students showed up for a state hockey tournament on friday, wearing ku klux klanstyle hoods. A photo of the three was posted to twitter. Generated a lot of outrage. School officials have contacted the parents. They say theyre disappointed in the students behavior. And that appropriate action will be taken. Simply crazy. Stupid. One of the countrys biggest fans of argo, secretary of state, john kerry, makes his first trip overseas as americas top diplomat. We will go live from london. And Danica Patrick at daytona. She didnt win the race. But still made history. We have the highlights for you. My friends are all around me my friends, they do surround me i hope this never ends and well be the best of friends [ male announcer ] introducing the reimagined 2013 chevrolet traverse. All set . All set. With spacious seating for up to eight. Imagine that. Chevrolet. Find new roads. Hi, im ensure clear. Clear, huh . Im not juice or fancy water. Ive got nine grams of protein. Thats three times more than me [ female announcer ] ensure clear. Nine grams protein. Zero fat. In blueberry pomegranate and peach. Waiting for your wrinkle cream to work . Neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair has the fastest retinol formula. To visibly reduce fine lines and wrinkles in just one week. Neutrogena®. At tyco integrated security, we consider ourselves business and wrinkoptihow . Rs. One week. 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Were more than 78,000 people looking out for more than 70 million americans. Thats health in numbers. Unitedhealthcare. So i used my Citi Thankyou card to pick up some accessories. A new belt. Some nylons. And what girl wouldnt need new shoes . And with all the points ive been earning, i was able to get us a flight to our favorite climbing spot even on a holiday weekend. Things are definitely looking up. [ male announcer ] with no blackout dates, you can use your Citi Thankyou points to travel whenever you want. Visit citi. Com thankyoucards to apply. Welcome back, everybody. Secretary of state john kerry is in london this morning. His first leg of his first trip as the nations chief diplomat. Hell visit Nine Countries. A short time ago, he met with david cameron. Hell sit down with the British Foreign secretary. Our Foreign Affairs correspondent, jill dougherty, is traveling with secretary kerry. She joins us live from london. Good morning, jill. Reporter good morning, john. This is where it began this morning. The famous 10 downing street. Offering john kerry a traditional english breakfast. Thats to fortify him for this very long trip. Just days before his First International trip as secretary of state, john kerry made the case to an american audience, why the stakes for u. S. Global engagement are so high. Todays global world, there is no longer anything foreign about foreign policy. More than ever before, the decisions that we make from the safety of our shores dont just ripple outward. They also create a current, right here, in america. Reporter former highlevel diplomats say the eyes of the world will be on kerry and where he flies. First trips by an american secretary of state overseas are watched very closely. Theres a lot of symbolism attached to them. People look for clues as to which region is most important to the United States. Reporter his predecessor, Hillary Clinton, headed east for her first trip. Part of the Obama Administrations pivot to asia. Kerrys trip goes to Nine Countries. Italy, turkey, france, egypt, saudi arabia, the United Arab Emirates and qatar. He needs european support in the ongoing dispute over Irans Nuclear ambitions. And for any next steps to help the syrian opposition. Already, the opposition coalition, angry over not getting the military arms they want, is refusing to attend a meeting in rome where they were scheduled to talk with secretary kerry. One wild card on this trip, egypt. Antigovernment protests continue, as its economy struggles. But the state department says, dont expect kerry to chart any new policy on this trip. Hes characterizing this first trip more broadly, as a listening tour. Reporter john kerry follows in the footsteps of Hillary Clinton, who had skyhigh popularity around the world. Nobodys the rock star Hillary Clinton is. Reporter but kerry, who is a boy, lived in berlin, brings his own credentials. As chairman of the Foreign Senate Relations committee, he got to know many world leaders. He served as Barack Obamas personal enjoy to pakistan and afghanistan. Madeleine albright says despite clintons global following, kerry is ready the take the lead as americas top diplomat. Ive known him a very, very long time. And someone who comes from being chairman of the Foreign Relations committee, hes clearly dealt with all the issues and understands their background, their depth. Reporter and so, it is billed as a listening trip. And that means, to be diplomatically safe. Not to break any new ground. Not to make any mistakes. But hatching plots or hatching plans in washington is one thing. But the reality on the ground in the middle east, in syria, is certainly another, john. Jill, i think it will be months if not years before john kerry is not compared to his immediate predecessor, Hillary Clinton. Are there any differences yet . And do you predict differences in their styles going ahead . Reporter one thing is the politician. That was one thing that secretary clinton used very much to her advantage. Making the case to other world leaders. You know, you can be a statesman. You can rise above it. And that political sense, also john kerry has. So, there may be something kind of similar in them. But theyre different in emotional and temperamental differences. And that will be interesting to watch on the ground, too. I mean, john kerry doesnt have anything at this point to prove. There is no 2016 for him. It might be legacy determining how he handles things. Thats an interesting distinction. Jill dougherty live for us. 19 minutes past the hour. Time to get you up to speed on todays top stories. The preoscar favorite delivered last night. Argo winning best picture. The award was presented by Michelle Obama from the white house. It was a big night for life of pi. It won the most oscars, four, which included a best actor win for ang lee. U. S. Special sources may have harassed innocent people west of kabul. Now, hamid karzai is saying they must leave. The u. S. Military says it is investigating those claims. Oscar pistorius checks in at a Police Station in pretoria in south africa this morning. He has to show up every monday and friday, one of his requirements of being released on bail. He is accused of killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp on valentines day. He claims he was shooting at a burglar. Coming up, it is coming now. Forced spending cuts. The impact on you and your state. The white house has released details on which states will be hit the hardist. How many jobs will be lost. With the spark miles card from capital one, bjorn earns unlimited rewards for his Small Business. Take these bags to room 12 please. [ garth ] bjorns Small Business earns double miles on every purchase every day. Produce delivery. [ bjorn ] just put it on my spark card. [ garth ] why settle for less . Ahh, oh [ garth ] great businesses deserve unlimited rewards. Heres your wake up call. [ male announcer ] get the spark Business Card from capital one and earn unlimited rewards. Choose double miles or 2 cash back on every purchase every day. Whats in your wallet . [ crows ] now wheres the Snooze Button . I dont wanna be right [ record scratch ] what . its not bad for you. It just tastes that way. [ female announcer ] honey nut cheerios cereal hearthealthy, whole grain oats. You cant go wrong loving it. Stocks are coming off their worst week of the year. Some of that nervousness seems to be lingering today. Stock futures are mixed. For the economy, its about the forced spending cuts that will kick in on friday. Now, the white house is detailing exactly what they might look like for you. Dont forget, this is a big political move by the white house to highlight to everyone how this is going to feel and how youre going to feel. And to pressure republicans to try to do some deal. Some are calling this a doomsday scenario. Its meant to pressure republicans into a deal with higher taxes on the wealthy. The white house spelling it out what it means for the states. Big cuts for the district of colombia. 13,000 civilian defense workers would be furloughed. That is in addition to thousands more federal workers. Head start, the child prom for lowincome families will be cut for 200 kids. In new jersey, 1,500 fewer students would get assistance. Think of the beaches. There could be 5 million in cuts. Lets go to california. Navy ships in san diego wouldnt be repaired. One common theme for all the states, education cuts. Arne duncan was on face the nation sunday. We dont have any ability with dumb cuts like this to figure out what the right thing to do is. It means a lot more children will not get the kinds of services and opportunities they need. In as many as 40,000 teachers could lose their jobs. Republicans see these lastminute press releases as a waste of time. Senate republican leader Mitch Mcconnell says, theres smarter ways to reduce the size of government. With the National Debt over 16 trillion, its time for the white house to stop campaigning and find smarter ways to reduce the deficit. Analysts say its slim that congress will avert the cuts before friday. The point is the white house is casting this has everyday people are going to lose services and there will be job cuts. But the republicans want to protect companies and rich from paying higher taxes. There we are. Exactly where we started in 2011. It is a great situation, folks. Stay with us. Well keep you abreast of all of the developments, if there are developments. The winter hits keep on coming in some parts of the country. Look at another storm dumping hundreds of snow on the central plains. Well tell you where its going next. And if youre leaving the house, you can watch us on your desktop or mobile phone. Oh progressoh [ female announcer ] with 40 delicious progresso soups at 100 calories or less, there are plenty of reasons people are saying progressoh share your progressoh story on facebook. Omnipotent of opportunity. You know how to mix business. With business. And you. Rent from national. Because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle. And go. You can even take a fullsize or above. And still pay the midsize price. I could get used to this. [ male announcer ] yes, you could business pro. Yes, you could. Go national. Go like a pro. We have the potential for deadly conditions. Blizzard warnings for some states still digging out. Danica patrick makes history at daytona. Were live with the highlights. And the first ladys oscar act. Mrs. Obama gives an award at hollywoods biggest night. Welcome back to early start. About 29 minutes past the hour right now. Meanwhile, the plains are getting pounded again. A second winter storm slamming the region. Grounding flights from colorado all the way to texas. The storm is bringing potentially lifethreatening and crippling blizzard conditions, with freezing temperatures to portions of southeast kansas, northwest oklahoma and the texas panhandle. That powerful storm is threatening the plains states today, its made a mess in colorado. More than nine inches of snow blanketed the denver area. 19 inches in jefferson. The heavy snow forced hundreds of Flight Cancellations and delays, up to four hours for those flights that were able to take off. And jim is live in denver this morning. Besides you, are people going to make it to work this morning . Reporter i think theyre going to be okay. Look at interstate 25. Its open. They were out all day, getting the main arteries clear. You can see how slick this is. Onramps, bridges, those sorts of areas. Its really rare here in denver, john, that they even plow the residential streets because usually we get this fine powdery snow. Right now, they have 120 pickup trucks with snowplows on the front, trying to get residential streets cleared. Usually we get the famous colorado powder here. But this snow is much different. It came down all different. Its snowy on the top. But underneath, theres a dense layer of almost frozen snow. Thats the hazard when it ices up. Very treacherous. You dont know what youre driving into. All of the runways are open. Theyre going to have deicing delays. But they dont expect major delays in the air, expect for flights going in and out of where the storm is headed. The big advantage we had yesterday, is this snow fell on a sunday, when everybody was off and the crews could get out here with not a lot of traffic on the road. But denver schools, opening on time. Thats the bad news for the kids today. Slow but everything moving in denver. The big question is kansas. They got pounded in last weeks storm. And still under a state of emergency, with more extreme weather ahead. How do things look up there . Reporter the governors extended the state of emergency there. Theyre digging out. In some parts, they got 20 inches of snow a couple of days ago. They could get another foot now. In oklahoma and the panhandle of texas, they could get hit there. Blizzard warning in effect. Looking at crazy pictures from there. Jim in denver. Nice to see you. As Pope Benedict xvi enters his final days of the catholic church, the cardinals are heading to the vatican. Donald worrell, the archbishop, part of the conclave that will pick the next pope. He says the successor will probably not be an american. The conventional wisdom says it cant happen from the United States because were the only superpower. And i dont think it would be seen as a very good thing if the pope, who is supposed to be reminding governments of their responsibilities, to build peace, if he were from the same superpower. Pope benedict will step down on thursday night at 8 00 p. M. Vatican time. The vatican says a new pope will be in place for this years easter celebrations on march 31st. A lot going on right now. The White House Budget Office painting a gloomy picture if the cuts known as the sequester go into effect this friday. Vaccines and Early Education programs would all take a hit. Defense spending would take cuts in navy spending. Oscar night is history. And daniel daylewis made history, winning his third best actor statue for lincoln. And Jennifer Lawrence took the award for Silver Linings playbook. Someone help her up. Oh, thank goodness. Theres hugh jackman. She was gracious about it. And she got the big statue. The other big awards went to Anne Hathaway. And Christoph Waltz for django unchained. And there was a surprise ending. It wasnt the winner. It was Michelle Obama. With late help from jack nicholson. The first lady announced best picture, live from the white house. And the oscar goes to argo. Argo becoming theres ben affleck. Just the fourth film in the oscars 85year history to win best picture without its director being nominated. And that was a really good film. All really good films. Stephen colbert isnt just a funny guy. Hes a loyal brother. He helped his sister, Elizabeth Colbert bush serve up sandwiches in south carolina. This was a meet and greet event. Her brother bragged an her and bragged an their home state. Theres no place like south carolina. Its the greatest state. It has the finest food. The finest people. It has the greatest history. The most beautiful countryside. It has the greatest water. The most beautiful women. The most handsome men. Strongest children. He is so funny. And you know, hes got a very big family. If other people started running for office, he could spend his entire life campaigning for them. 1 of 11 . At least. There you go. A sack that sold for thousands of dollars, collector paid 92,000 for the sock of Curt Schilling that had blood on it from the world series. The socks new owner says it has the contract that brought babe ruth to new york and boston. I hate to bring in up. Theres two sacks. Why john berman did not read that story, i do not understand. There were two bloody socks. The most was part of the alcs, that Curt Schilling wore when he beat the yankees in game six. That sock, allegedly discarded in yankee stadium. The second sock, he wore in the world series. Less famous. But still, very important. Transcended in some ways. I didnt buy it. Next hour, give him that story. Thank you. Despite a spectacular crash on saturday, the daytona 500 went off without a hitch. And Danica Patrick, driving her way into the history books. Details on the big race, when we come back. 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But with the nations largest alumni network, including those in key hiring positions, university of phoenix can help connect you to a world of opportunity. Fivetime nascar champion, Jimmie Johnson has another prize for his trophy room. Its a big one. The second daytona 500 victory. He held off Dale Earnhardt jr. In the final lap. Earnhardt finished second. 54yearold mark martin took third place in the nascar season opener. And Danica Patrick became the first woman to start the daytona 500 from the pole position. She ended up finishing eighth in the race. Joe is live from daytona. Reporter good morning, guys. What a finish for Danica Patrick. In the last lap, she has a chance to win. She was running in third place. She was disappointed she didnt have a better plan because she dropped back to eighth. It was a great day for her. She wanted to show fans and her competition, she can be a consistent driver. She wanted to show shes going to be a legitimate threat each and every race in this upcoming nascar season. It was danicas day. And it started from the very beginning. She got a huge roar from the crowd. The same roar that dale jr. Gets. Voted nascars most popular driver, ten years in a row. And then, the grand marshal, james franco. He changed it a little bit. It was a flattering nod towards Danica Patrick. Drivers and danica, start your engines. Reporter Danica Patrick made history three times at the Great American race. She started from the front. Led a lap. And finished in the top ten. Shes the first woman driver to accomplish any of those three. Great job. Great job. Who says girls cant do this crap . Real proud for her. I hope shes happy. She probably wanted to run better than that. But she has a lot of good racing up ahead of her. This is how you get out on the right foot. Leading a lap was nice. And its more calm driving around here than indy in an indy car. At least on your own, especially in the lead. I guess i had a little more time to look around and see the people. She has no fear. And is very comfortable. Were excited for her sport to have her in it and to bring a boost of casual fans that may not be avid nascar fans as of now. Its great. Reporter one more thing about Danica Patrick before we talk about Jimmie Johnson, the champion. Danica beat 35 other drivers, including her boyfriend. Her new boyfriend, Ricky Stenhouse jr. She finished eighth. He finished 12th. She did not seem terribly happy. She seemed a little blue. Lets talk about the winner. Jimmie johnson won his second daytona 500. A lot of people think hes a little boring. But does this cement his status as a true legend . Absolutely. Theres been comparisons that this could be Jimmie Johnson could be this sports michael jordan. Hep is a solid, consistent champion. And, you know, people said, back when he won his third cup championship, no other driver had done that. And he went on to win fivestraight. You know, recently, he started hash tagging six pack, putting a campaign out there for a sixth cup championship. But Jimmie Johnson certainly is a great champion. I mean, yesterdays race, Daytona International speedway needed this. With the weather possibly coming in and the nationwide crash on saturday, for them to have a clean race saturday. And for them to crown the classy champion they did in Jimmie Johnson, was a good day for the speedway. All the guy does is win. Joe, great to see you this morning. When we come back, winter strikes again. The latest on the massive snowstorm hitting the central u. S. If youre leaving the house right now, you can watch us anytime on your desktop or mobile phone. T from capital one,rk miles card bjorn earns unlimited rewards for his Small Business. Take these bags to room 12 please. [ garth ] bjorns Small Business earns double miles on every purchase every day. Produce delivery. [ bjorn ] just put it on my spark card. [ garth ] why settle for less . Ahh, oh [ garth ] great businesses deserve unlimited rewards. Heres your wake up call. [ male announcer ] get the spark Business Card from capital one and earn unlimited rewards. Choose double miles or 2 cash back on every purchase every day. Whats in your wallet . [ crows ] now wheres the Snooze Button . Then youre going to love this. Right now theyre only 14. 95 wowa grt deal just got a whole lot better. Hurry. 14. 95 wont last. Pope benedict is entering his final days as leader of the catholic church. Hes stepping down on thursday. Cardinals headed to the vatican where they will select the new pope. The vatican expects a new pope to be in place by easter. Congress is back in session, after a week off. Lawmakers have until friday if they want to prevent a series of forced spending cuts, also known as the sequester. The white house says air travel, food inspections, childhood vaccines and inspections for navy ships will take a hit if the cuts go into effect. The end of the castro era now in sight. Raul castro says he plans on stepping down in 2018, after his second term as president. Fidels 81yearold brother made the announcement on sunday, after the National Assembly elected him to a fiveyear turn. Paul mcilhenny died over the weekend. The mcilhennies have made tobasco sauce. He is the fourth generation in the business. He is credited with creating new flavors. Oscar night was argos crowning glory. Sweet revenge for its director, ben affleck, who was snubbed in the category. Top awards, went to daniel daylewis, for lincoln. Best actress, to Jennifer Lawrence for the film Silver Linings playbook. Theyve been up all night. Were seeing you midparty in hollywood. The oscar night festivities continuing at some of the most celebrated afterparties in the world. Paul vercammen has more on that. Reporter from the governors ball. To the vanity fair party. To elton johns famous fundraiser, hollywood knows how to let loose on oscar night. Were able to come here and get our message across and raise money and have a good time at the same time. Reporter sir elton and David Fernish celebrated their event. Heidi klum, nicki minaj and jane lynch were onhand. I thought it was a wonderful show. I loved it. I loved the movies. It was great. Reporter across town at the vanity fair soiree, sandra bullock, and richard gere, all hit the red carpet before partying it up inside. And presenter, halle berry, revealed what she thought was the Biggest Surprise of the night. Ang lee. I thought surprised everybody. But so deserved. I loved life of pi. Reporter at the governors ball afterparty, the nights big winners bumped shoulders with hollywood icons. Octessica. Were the supercouple. What are you going to do tonight . I dont know. It depends on what and who is in there . How heavy is this . Is it heavy . That is heavy. You have this great smile on your face. Its great. Im emotional. I just want a drink. We could have gone to the parties. Instead, we got up at 2 00 here to do this show. I wasnt invited to any of the parties. The National Weather service has issued urgent winter warnings for oklahoma city. Kansasity, expecting 9 to 15 inches of snow, tonight into tuesday. The same system left a blanket of white over colorado. Cancelling hundreds of flights out of Denver International on sunday. Jennifer is at the weather center. How bad is it . I feel like its a rerun. Its like groundhogs day. We have blizzard warnings across four states. And blizzard conditions are being experienced in parts of the texas panhandle, as well as the oklahoma panhandle. You see the snow coming down. The circulation spinning to the west of lubbock, texas. A lot of lightning cominging down, in parts of western oklahoma. Where you see the snow. Now, you add in the wind. 40, in amarillo, and 24. Look at the gusts. Theyre going to continue throughout the day. Really, the danger is going to be the visibility. When you get the winds, visibility is going to be less than a quartermile. Now, you add in a foot and a half of snow, across parts of kansas, missouri. It is going to be a big, ole mess out there. We time this for you. And we take you through 10 00 p. M. , notice the snow starting to get heavier in parts of kansas. And in st. Louis, your snow starts tuesday. And the same for chicago and down towards the south. Were going to be looking at rainfall. In parts of louisiana, alabama into georgia. We have a severe thunderstorm watch in place. And that is until 8 00 a. M. Local time for louisiana. Were also talking potential for tornado threat. Look at this. In yellow. The northern gulf coast. Were looking from texas all the way to florida. Another threepeat. There we go. Not the good kind, at all. This is winter. Hello, winter. It is. One last we need spring. Thanks, jennifer. Well be back in a moment. First, tripping at the oscars. The moment that everyone is talking about this morning, in how Jennifer Lawrence she not only recovered. She recovered brilliantly. That skirt i could never walk in that. Welcome back. It is 56 minutes past the hour. Im Christine Romans, along with john berman. Looking at the top trends on the web. At age 22, shes already an Academy Award winner. Hollywoods leading lady. But this morning, the buzz is about Jennifer Lawrence and how she tripped. It was on her way to accept her best actress oscar. This, after she allegedly ripped her dress at the s. A. G. Awards. She handled it with unbelievable grace and charm. The fall on the way up to the stage. Was that on purpose . Absolutely. What happened . What do you mean what happened . Look at my dress. I tried to walk up stairs in this dress. Thats what happened. Theres like 100 feet long. Hollywoods biggest night, on the minds of the latenight hosts this weekend. Michelle obama, making an appearance at the oscars last night. And jimmy fallon, showbiz may be in her future. Here are the latenight laughs. The Academy Awards. Its televisions answer to jetblue. You sit there for four hours, waiting for it to take off. Adele getting nominated for that song. That was thats awesome. Nice. Her song is up against the song from the life of pi. I have no idea how that goes. When the pi, pi falls the apple crumble can i ask you, another thing to think about. I said it here first. Dream team, michelle and hillary, 16. What what do you think . You know, i have my eye, actually, on another job. I hear that when jay leno retires oh, yeah, yeah. That position is going to be open. And im thinking about putting my hat in the ring. What do you think . Im done thinking about it. Awkward. Early start continues right now. Oscars big winner. Argo. Bracing for another round of potentially lifethreatening conditions. And Pope Benedict, in his final days, leaving the catholic church, amid reports of a corruption scandal. Welcome to early start. Im Christine Romans. It is 6 00 a. M. In the east. It is the morning after. Up first, ben affleck, he gets the last laugh, along heartfelt rambling laugh in some cases. His thriller argo, winning best picture at last nights oscar ceremony. It had emerged at the preoscar favorite, after affleck was snubbed for best director. The 85th oscars featured a celebration of music and irreverent host. It was a different, edgy and Nischelle Turner live with no sleep. Yeah, im the captain of no sleep this morning, john berman. You guys might have to call me irreverent after a little bit. You never know what im going to say after a night of no sleep. One thing about Seth Macfarlane, he really is this oldfashioned song and dance kind of guy. And it was on display throughout the ceremony last night. He was definitely one of the stars as well as well as all of the big winners last night. What i wanted to do, put a Little Something together, condense it all for you folks who missed the ceremony itself. Here is the oscars in a nutshell. Take a look. And now for moment we have all been waiting for. First Lady Michelle obama gave the oscars a jolt of excitement and a surprise when she appeared from the white house to announce the nights Biggest Surprise, best picture. And the oscar goes to argo. An especially sweet win for ben affleck. Everybody on the movie, worked on the movie, did anything about the movie. And life of pi won the most awards. He played one of the greatest men in history, and lincolns leading mandan yell day lewis became of first male actor to win three oscars. So great for this beautiful honor. Took a tumble heading to the stage. But everybody else on their feet when Silver Linings playbook one for best actress. I fell and thats really embarrassing. And the quest to make Tommy Lee Jones laugh begins now. Se. Seth macfarlane he poked fun at himself all night. Music was the theme of the night. And it had those from the cast of ow chicago, dreamgirls and les miserables. And music was a part of the tribute to james bond. Shirley bassy got a standing ovation after belting out goldfinger. And chart topper adele sang sky fall which won the oscar fo best actor. Barba sterisand sang memory. I never thought i would be back here, and i am. And it doesnt matter how you get knocked down in life. Because that is going to happen. All that matters is you got to get up. Reporter that was a great moment last night. I dont know if you noticed, but George Clooney on stage as well. He didnt say a word. I asked him why he didnt talk during the acceptance speech. He said it was bens night. It was also Seth Macfarlanes night. The reviews this morning, kind of mixed. People saying they thought he was better than billy crystal, but they thought he may have been a little sexist. I laughed out loud so many times during the show last night. But his opening monologue may have gone on a couple beats too long. He was edgy, spoke to sort of our generation of viewers, broadly speaking, because now im an old, old man. Occasionally with the one song, Everybody Knows what im talking about, that may have crossed the line and not gender sensitive shall we say. Nischelle turner, great to see you, a big night at the oscars. Completely switching gears. Lets call it a Severe Weather sequel. Days after a powerful winter blast blanketed plain states, a crippling winter storm is bearing down on the same region, bringing with it what the National Weather service is called lifethreatening blizzard conditions. Urgent winter warnings for oklahoma and kansas city expecting 12 to 15ins overnight. Canceling hundreds of flights out of Denver International. Sam brown beck is calling for drivers to stay off the road in this state and this storm has the potential to be more dangerous than last weeks. Jennifer delgado live in the weather center. Welcome to winter. Yeah, welcome to winter. And hes absolutely right. The winds will be really gusting. Last week we didnt have the blizzard conditions in place. On the radar, notice whats coming down. Snow, heavy through parts of texas and oklahoma, and storms moving through central parts of oklahoma. Notice for yourself, with the light in here. Once again, were look telling potential for thundersnow, but on a serious and more important note, with winds, gusting up to 50 in some locations. Sustained, 38 in amarillo. Talking quarter mile visibility. Dont get on the roadways. This is potentially dangerous. Add in a foot of snowfall, more acro parts of kansas and regions like oklahoma. Were dealing with a blizzard warning in place across many states. Four of those and winter storm warnings to areas like chicago, where they expect 6 to 8 inches of snowfall. And on the other side, the southeast is flooding and a tornado threat assist well. What a mess. A big bag of weather. A blockbuster of weather. Thank you, jennifer. Six minutes after the hour. The White House Budget Office is talking about the programs that they say would take a hit if the forced spending cuts known as the sequester goes in effect this friday. Food safety inspections, Mental Health, vaccines and Early Childhood education are all at stake. The faa is facing cuts that could disrupt air travel. In the end, there has to be some kind of furlough of air Traffic Controllers that will begin to curtail or eliminate the opportunity for them to guide planes in and out of airports. Its a big part of our budget. Some republicans say the Obama Administration is painting a doomsday scenario to push them into a deal that includes more tax increases for the wealthy and republicans dont want to do that. In three days, Pope Benedict will step down as the leader of the catholic church. He delivered a final public prayer ceremony before a packed st. Peters square. The popes resignation becomes official at 8 00 p. M. On thursday. He cited his advancing age as the reason for his decision, and his resignation among a brewing sex scandal by italian media calling gay priests being black mailed by male prostitutes, a charge that the vatican has flatly denied. We have more from the vatican. Reporter a very good morning to you. The stakes could not be higher for the men who run vatican city behind me and the 1. 3 billion people of the Roman Catholic faith around the world. There is a meeting going on as we speak behind me there. John allen, our Senior Analyst is with us. Whats going on, john. This morning, roughly an hour ago, rome time, Pope Benedict xvi had a meeting with the commission that reported on the leak mess. It is part of so much speculation, whether its part of the gay lobby, and so forth. There is some thought whether they might release that report to the other cardinal, sometime in early march, electing the next pope. What do we know about the secret dossier at this point . We dont know much. The only thing we know is the guy who read is it pope xvi. We have been talking about what might be in it. There are people who have secrets to keep about their sex lives who would have been vulnerable to leaked documents. We dont know if thats true. And the british media talking about inappropriate behavior in scotland. What are the legs on that. Very serious charges against Cardinal Keith obrien, one of the 116 cardinals to participate in this conclave. Cardinal obrien has retained Legal Council and the vatican is looking into it. Whatever vatican investigation is launched will not conclude before the conclave. Its in his hands. The pope held his final public blessing yesterday. They say that a day is a long week in vatican politics as it were, john. Well be back to you with more as we get it out of there. A lot of tension in the final days for Pope Benedict xvi. Our thanks to you and john this morning in rome. The end of the era for the castro era. Cuban president raul castro plans to step down in 2018. Fidel castros brother making this announcement yesterday. The new first Vice President Miguel Diaz Canal is part of the new generation that will provide future leadership for the country. Two adults and two Young Children missing after their 29foot sailboat started taking on water near San Francisco. It was 65 miles off the coast of pillar point when someone on board radioed for help sunday afternoon. About an hour later, the coast guard got a message they were abandoning ship. Danica patrick got all of the attention going into the daytona 500, but in the end, all about Jimmie Johnson, holding off Dale Earnhardt jr. To win his second daytona 500. A crash during the nationwide series race sent parts of kyle larsons car into the grandstand, energy 28 people. Seven fans still being treated. All listed in stable condition. The worlds oldest marathon winner is putting his feet up. Fauja singh took up running when he was a sprayy 89. He has become the first person on record over 100 to do it. Hes raised thousands for charity. He doesnt have a secret diet or training regimen. He just loves the sport. I want what hes having, man. 101 and running marathons . Olympic runner and accused murderer Oscar Pistorius has to check in with police today we think, but maybe not in person. Live to pretoria with details. If youthen this willbrids arbe a nice surprise. Meet the 5passenger ford cmax hybrid. Cmax come. Cmax go. Cmax give a ride to everyone it knows. C max has more passenger volume than competitor prius v and we havent even mentioned. Cmax also gets better mpg. Say hi to the super fuel efficient ford cmax hybrid. We have some confusion this morning about Oscar Pistorius. We were led to believe that the olympic hero was required to check in in pretoria, south africa this morning, and he had to do it every monday and friday as part of his bail last week. But now there is late word he doesnt have to do that. Pistorius is charged with murdering Reeva Steenkamp early valentines day morning. He says he mistook her for a burglar. We are live in pretoria this morning. Nic, can you clear up the confusion for us . John, perhaps no surprise. Another surprise in this bail hearing, at least that has been a roller coaster so far. Look around. Journalists packing up and getting ready to leave. Everyone staked out. The deadline came, and he wasnt coming. We talked to officials and we were told this was discussed in the court with the judge between the two principal lawyers, but it wasnt what was finally written down in the final bail document. The judge decided he would release him on bail and thats been it. Since then, everyone believed Oscar Pistorius would show up here, but were just learning about it. Yet another twist in the case of Oscar Pistorius. Nic robertson, our thanks to you. Call it a Severe Weather sequel. Kansas hasnt finished digging out from last week and hello, another powerful system will drop another several inches today. Governor Sam Brownback is asking drivers to stay off the road. Congress back in session today. Lawmakers have until friday if they want to avoid the sequester, a series of forced subpoenaing cuts. Air travel, maintenance for navy ships, food inspections and Early Childhood education would all take effect. Argo winning best picture in an oscar first. The award presented by Michelle Obama from the white house. The 85th oscar a big night for life of pi, taking home four awards, and li winning best director over steven spielberg. Pope benedict entering his final days. Stepping down on thursday. Cardinals are heading to the vatican for the papal conclave to pick the next pope. They expect a new pope to be in place in time for easter. The first ever female president in south korea. Park guenhye. She has apologized for human rights abuses during her fathers time in power. If you feel pain at the pump, you are not alone. Well take a look at prices across the country, when we come back. Credit card rewards are easy to remember with the bankamericard cash rewards credit card. Earn 1 cash back everywhere, every time. [ both ] 2 back on groceries. [ all ] 3 on gas. No hoops to jump through. I earn more cash back on the things i buy the most. [ woman ] its as easy as. One two. [ all ] three [ male announcer ] the bankamericard cash rewards credit card. Apply online or at a bank of america near you. So i used my Citi Thankyou card to pick up some accessories. A new belt. Some nylons. And what girl wouldnt need new shoes . And with all the points ive been earning, i was able to get us a flight to our favorite climbing spot even on a holiday weekend. Things are definitely looking up. [ male announcer ] with no blackout dates, you can use your Citi Thankyou points to travel whenever you want. Visit citi. Com thankyoucards to apply. More shock waves this morning just in. News that will affect the catholic church. Were learning just now that britains most senior catholic cleric, keith obrien, cardinal, has resigned. This following accusations that he abused four men studying to be priests. Four men that were priests, one a former priest in the 1990s. Cardinal obrien, scheduled to vote in the papal conclave, scheduled to begin two weeks from now. And keith obrien, the most senior catholic cleric resigning. Well bring you more news as we get it. This as they are going to the vatican. In motion for the conclave, which begins later this morning. Turmoil. I think its safe to say. A quiet start to the week on wall street. Stock futures are mixed. And well take mixed. Stocks off the worst week of the year. And good news on gas prices. I have not said those words in a really long time. Holding steady right now. After a really big runup, it seems to have stalled. Gas prices unchanged second day in a row. Not enough to call it a trend, but a good sign that the rising gas prices have stalled. Aaa, average 3. 78, and premium gas well over 4. But prices could be set up to fall. How much we dont know. But lundberg says prices may fall because of the main Drivers Behind the recent rally are out of the picture. Crude oil prices are down. Crude is the biggest factor. Gas prices have been rising. Housing reports have been good. Job market is growing, but with forced spending cuts looming there, are questions about how far the economy can really go. We want guess prices to fall, but we dont want that to come at the expense of a weaker committee, right . People in los angeles are paying, 4. 29 per gallon and bi billings, montana, the cheapest gas. We complain when the economy is doing well and gas prices go up, and we complain when the economy slows down and gas prices go down. We would say, yeah, a recession would give you 2. 50 gas. Be careful what you wish for. People arent saving enough. A new study from bank rate. 45 of americans have more Credit Card Debt than emergency savings. Not a huge change from last year, which means we havent made much headway on this. New report from bank rate reminding us we have to put money in the bank, not necessarily on the credit card. What she said. Christine romans knows what shes talking about. Ahead on early start, forced spending cuts a few days away. What does that mean for state budgets . Well talk to delaware governor jack markell. And a live report from denver on the weather. Leaving the house . Watch us at cnn. Com tv. Yup, i brought my ateam. Vo business trips add up to family time. This is my family. This is joe. Hi joe hi there vo earn a ton of extra points with the double your hhonors promotion and feel the hamptonality. You name it. Ive hooked it. But theres one. One thats always eluded me. Thought i had it in the blizzard of 93. Ha never even came close. Sometimes, i actually think its mocking me. [ engine revs ] what . quattro were dedicated to getting you back on track from identity theft. To protect you from being a victim in the first place, we have specialists for that, too. [ alarm blaring ] [ lasers zapping ] yep. We make a pretty good team. [ male announcer ] call 1800lifelock or go to lifelock. Com today. Many cereals say theyre good for your heart, but did you know theres a cereal thats recommended by doctors . 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And processing 421 billion dollars in accounts payables each year. Helping thousands of companies simplify how work gets done. Hows that for an encore . With xerox, youre ready for real business. Potential for deadly conditions. Blizzard warnings for some states still digging out fromunder last weeks storm. Forced budget cuts never supposed to happen are day as way. What impact could they have on you . Hits and misses. We rounded up the best and worst from oscar host Seth Macfarlane. Almost 29 minutes past the hour. Another powerful winter storm. It is bringing potentially life threatening and crippling conditions to portions of southeast kansas, northwest oklahoma and the texas panhandle. It has already made a mess in colorado. More than 9 inches of snow blanketed the denver area. More snow fell in other parts of the state, 19 inches in jefferson. The heavy snow dumped on Denver International airport. Flight delays up to four hours for the flights able to take off. Our jim spellland, live in denver this morning, does it look like people will get to work this morning . I think its going to be a kind of a messy commute, but this is okay. This is interstate 25, one of the main roads through the middle of denver. People are making it through. Theyll be okay once they get on the freeway. Take a look at onramps, icy, slick, these are the trouble spots. What i25 looked like yesterday when the storm is coming through. A multicar crash, jammed up the highway. Things like that going on across the state. I spoke with the department of transportation here in colorado. About 300 plows out on the front range of colorado here doing this thing. They are doing well with the snow. Really having trouble with the ice layer underneath a lot of the snow. Take a look at some of this. Not really too bad on the top, but underneath this really slick ice layer, we saw a woman fall in a parking lot across the street from our live location just a few minutes ago. Much more treacherous than it looks on the surface. Those conditions we saw yesterday here, they are heading east right now. The storm is still going to have a lot of work to do. A lot of damage can be done as it moves east. And kansas, under a state of emergency. The state got hit last week and more extreme weather headed their way. The governor extended the state of emergency. They could get another foot on top of it today. A storm warning for the city of oklahoma and for the panhandle of texas. This is the storm that would not end yesterday. It hung around hour after hour after hour. Thats what they can look forward toto the east all through today and tomorrow even. Jim spellman in denver. A mess out there, but nice to see you this morning. A coast guard rescue crew near San Francisco are searching for two adults and two Young Children who were forced to abandon ship after their 29foot sailboat started taking on water. 65 miles off the coast of pillar point when someone on board radioed for help sunday afternoon. The boats electronics were failing. And an hour later, the coast guard got a message, they were abandoning ship. Four days until your schools, health, safety, might be affected by massive forced spending cuts that washington said would never happen. Politicians are calling it the sequester, but really its forced budget cuts that will slash 85 billion in spending. The white house put out a list of how each state will be hit. Jack markell, a democrat from delaware, welcomed to the white house along with other governors over the weekend. Good morning. The white house putting a list out of how states will be affected by spending cuts. What they say will happen in delaware. 2,000 fewer students will be served in schools. About 2,000 civilian department of defense employees furloughed. 201,000 less for senior seniors. 380 children will receive vaccines, fewer. And 1,800 fewer hiv tests and 100 fewer Domestic Violence victims serve. We feel the economy is starting to come back, and right at the time where we would like to see it accelerate, this could really put a slam on the brakes, thats the Biggest Issue for us. Gdp, the Biggest Issue. Some say it wont be affected much. But some republicans say that president obama is painting a doomsday scenario, saying it will be worse than it actually is. This is tom coburn speaking on fox news sunday. Senator coburn, is the president exaggerating the impact of these cuts . Absolutely. And you see that the typical setup of the strawman. What sequestration is, its a terrible way to cut spending. I dont disagree with that. But to not cut 2. 5 out of the total budget over a year when its twice the size it was ten years ago . Give me a break. So is the president exaggerating, sir . Here is the issue. If you are a kid in head start and be impacted, if you are somebody who is supposed to get job training to go get a job and you are not going to get it, you are impacted. There is no exaggeration for you and thats the particular frustration for many of us. The most frustrating conversation any governor can have is when we talk to a business who says i would love to hire, but i cant find people with the right skills. We have Resources Available for job training, and if the resources get cut, it really puts it stops the recovery in its tracks, not what we should be doing. You are a powerful governor, close to the white house. What is the white house doing today, other than telling us how bad it will be . What is the white house doing today to make sure these forced spending cuts dont happen . The white house did put out a plan, thats the one plan out there. So i think its time for others to react and respond to the plan. My sense, the president and others in the administration, in addition to being focused on the sequester, the main issue, how do we make sure we continue to build a Strong Economy and make sure people have the skills they need . We cant lose sight of the issues. The president has put out a plan thats a nonstarter. He is calling for new revenue from the wealthiest americans and people say thats disingenuous in some cases. Bob woodward wrote the book on the budget negotiations from 2011. He has an article or comment in the Washington Post where he said essentially what the president is doing is moving the goal posts. Let me read from this. When the president asks that i substitute for the sequester include not just spending cuts but also new revenue, is he moving the goal posts. His call for a balanced approach is reasonable, and he makes a strong case that those in the top income brackets could and should pay more. But that was not the deal he made. That not part of the deal made in 20 11. I went back and i read the statements in 2011. He was very clear about the need for balanced approach. What they are looking at is closing some of the loopholes and as well, the president has put forward a plan that has significant cuts as well. That being said, i can tell you what the governors are focused on. What does it mean for our economy, for jobs . Thats the big concern. I heard from a lot of governors over the weekend, republicans and democrats. You all seem frustrated with both sides. Congress and the white house. Is washington letting us down . I think its less about trying to assign blame and more trying to say what can we in our states do to make sure we get back to work, with the federal government as well . One of the key things, we do partner with the federal government on a number of programs, lets push forward and putting people back to work. Five days to go. Governor markell, nice to see you this morning. You too. The spread the wealth at oscar ceremony. No single film dominated. Life of pi won the most with four. Argo, won best picture and a total of three. Best actress Jennifer Lawrence for Silver Linings playbook. Daniel daylewis for lincoln, Anne Hathaway best supporting actress. And Christoph Waltz for best supporting actor. I really did like all the movies this year. Simply fantastic. 37 minutes after the hour. Look out, apple and google. Nonprofit mozilla is launching phones that run firefox mobile operating system. They are expecting great apps because its built on open web standards. It goes for sale in Nine Countries this summer, but the u. S. Is not one of them. You have firefox tourism now. Going to other countries and buying phones. And there has been a suspect named in a Fatal Shooting on the las vegas strip. Amare harris is wanted. He fired from his suv at a ma maserati. Owning a part of a jersey. A jersey wore in the famous miracle on ice win sold at auction for more than 657,000. Mike eurizone, from Boston University by the way, he scored the winning goal in the upset. And the United States would go on to win the gold medal. They had been sitting in a bag in his attic. He decided to sell it to help out his family. A great guy. Ahead on early start, a major winter wallop. Jennifer delgado will tell us where the storm is heading, after the break. How do you keep an older car running like new . You ask a ford customer. When they tell you that you need your oil changed you got to bring it in. If your tires need to be rotated, you have to get that done as well. Jackie, tell me why somebody should bring theyre car here to the ford dealership for service instead of any one of those other places out there. They are going to take care of my car because this is where it came from. Price is right no problem, they make you feel like youre a family. Get a Synthetic Blend Oil change, tire rotation and much more, 29. 95 after 10. 00 rebate. If you take care of your car your car will take care of you. Exciting and would always come max and pto my rescue. Bookstore but as time passed, i started to notice max just wasnt himself. And i knew hed feel better if he lost a little weight. So i switched to purina cat chow healthy weight formula. I just fed the recommended amount. And they both loved the taste. After a few months maxs special powers returned. And i got my hero back. Purina cat chow healthy weight. This just in. More drama for the catholic church. Britains most senior catholic cleric, keith obrien, has remained. After accusations that he abused young men studying to be priests in the 1 980s. Becky anderson live from rome with more. Christine, an absolute bombshell out of the vatican. The british media, publishing stories of allegation that Cardinal Keith obrien involved in inappropriate behavior with four priests, three current priests and one former priest in the 1980s. Should have been at mass on sunday. The congregation told of the reports and that the pope is aware of them. He is resigning today. As far as we understand it from the vatican, he actually tendered his resignation back in november and cited ill health. He was 7 and should go. That was expected to happen over the next few months. But today, february 25th. The hope has actually said he wants his resignation today. In response, Cardinal Keith obrien. Remember this is britains top cardinal, and the only man in the u. K. Had involved in what will be conclave in two or three weeks time at vatican city. He has said today, and i quote, i have valued the opportunity of serving the people of scotland. Looking over my years of ministry to any good i have been able to do, he said, i thank god. For any failures, i apologize to all who i have offended. We know hes seeking legal advice. Those were his words. The words of Cardinal Keith obrien, who has today resigned. That confirmed by the vatican. This amongst a whole bunch of other legs to the story, of course. Italian media, abounds with allegations of a sex scandal, right at the heart of the vatican behind me. Storm clouds over there. And you couldnt underestimate what is going on at the vatican today. Christine. Certainly a turbulent time for vatican and he is it the Roman Catholic church. Thank you, becky. A major winter storm hitting the central plains. Well check in with Jennifer Delgado for the latest. Pounding the central plains. We have a blizzard warning for texas, oklahoma, kansas, and you can see where the snow is coming down. Interstate 27 from amarillo to lubbock, texas, closed because of whiteout conditions. Visibility down. This is the big problem as we if through the day. Snow coming down just west of wichita. Lots of lightning to parts of central oklahoma and well continue to see storms popping up throughout the day, and visibility going down, winds like what you see in amarillo at 37. Will continue to increase as we go throughout the afternoon and really were talking about blizzard conditions, potentially through tomorrow morning and then you add in, 12 to 18 inches of snowfall across parts of kansas and up toward northern missouri. This is going to be a big mess. Not a day that you say, oh, you know what . I think ill go to the Grocery Store in the peek of the blizzard. Dont do that. This will certainly be dangerous. The other part of the story . The heavy rainfall and severe thunderstorm watch in place across parts of louisiana. That is until 8 00 a. M. Central time. The storms will be dumping a tremendous amount of rainfall. 2 to 4 inches of rain. Plus we have a tornado threat as we go into the afternoon, from texas all wait over to florida. And i want to point out, convention with the storm, well get great reports of thundersnow. Hopefully our ireporters can take that safely. Putting the call out there. Serious weather to keep your eye on. Youre welcome. Soledad obrien, out in hollywood with a special look at a special edition of starting point. Hey, soledad. Thats right. Good morning. Ahead on starting point, well talk about new oscar host Seth Macfarlane. How did he do . He certainly brought a whole new feel for the show. Was he the worst oscar host ever, or did it give him a shot in the arm . Well talk about how he did. Breaking news out of the vatican. Pope benedict accepting the resignation days before the pope retires himself. Well have a live report on that. Danicas day at daytona. We knew she made history at least once. Turns out she did it three times. Well talk to nascars kyle petty. We start right at the top of the hour. Well see you then. Cant wait to see you out with the big stars, who are no doubt still out partying at this very moment. Our thanks to soledad. Hollywoods soledad obrien. Back after this quick break. Its not what you think. Its a phoenix with 4 wheels. Its a hawk with night vision goggles. Its marching to the beat of a different drum. And where beauty meets brains. Its big ideas with smaller footprints. And knowing theres always more in the world to see. Its the allnew lincoln mkz. Good morning. 51 minutes after the hour. Lets get you up to date. A powerful winter storm bearing down on the plains states after dumping nine inches of snow on denver. This storm is bringing potentially life threatening and crippling blizzard conditions to parts of southeast kansas again. Northwest oklahoma, and the texas panhandle. Pope benedict xvi entering final days as head of the catholic church. He delivered his final public prayer in vatican city. He cites advancing age as reason for his resignation. Secretary of state john kerry in london this morning. First time ive said that. Secretary of state john kerry, the first leg of his first trip as the nations top diplomat. He visited with Prime Minister david cameron. He will travel to europes key capitals, to turkey, and finally the middle east. Last night was argos crowning glory at the oscars. Sweet revenge for ben affleck who was famously snubbed by the academy in best director academy. Daniel daylewis won for lincoln, record third win for best actor. And Jennifer Lawrence won best actress in Silver Linings playbook. Played such a troubled role but had a lot of fwrgravitas. Funny or not so much . A lot of chatter about Seth Macfarlanes hosting the oscars. Some of the hits and misses, when we come back. Brought my a vo business trips add up to family time. This is my family. This is joe. Hi joe hi there vo earn a ton of extra points with the double your hhonors promotion and feel the hamptonality. Im up next, but now im singing the heartburn blues. Hold on, prilosec isnt for fast relief. Cue up alkaseltzer. It stops heartburn fast. Oh what a relief it is two. Three. My Credit Card Rewards are easy to remember with the bankamericard cash rewards credit card. Earn 1 cash back everywhere, every time. [ both ] 2 back on groceries. [ all ] 3 on gas. No hoops to jump through. I earn more cash back on the things i buy the most. [ woman ] its as easy as. One two. [ all ] three [ male announcer ] the bankamericard cash rewards credit card. Apply online or at a bank of america near you. Shaq wins. [ male announcer ] new icy hot advanced cream. The first with 2 max strength ingredients for long lasting relief. Pain over. Start. Perhaps more than anyone, host Seth Macfarlane were in the oscar spotlight. Blogs and social media weighing in on his performance. Here is a sample. Django unchained. An intense film. This is the story of a man fighting to get back his woman. Who has been subjected to unthinkable violence. Or as chris brown and rihanna call it, a date movie. Oh oh, no. Thats what we were afraid he would do. Our next presenter played a raging alcoholic in 28 days, which is a weird coincidence, because im going to be playing one in about an hour and 45 minutes. The actor that really got inside lincolns head was john wilkes booth. 150 years, and its still too soon, huh . Argo tells the previously classified story of american hostage rescue in iran. The story was so top secret, the films director is unknown to the academy. The last one was funny. The fact that everyone is talking about his performance this morning, whether it was good or bad is actually i think a big win for the academy finally getting someone who