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U.S. Troops in Iraq on Christmas Day; Shooting in South Florida Mall; Bethlehem Celebrates Day Christ Was Born
Aired December 24, 2006 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. troops on the front lines of Iraq this Christmas eve. Ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM, President Bush weighs his options.
ELISE LABOTT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Elise Labott, live in Manger Square, in the city of Bethlehem, where the city is celebrating the day Christ was born.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here's your extreme close-up. Don't singe your hair.
WHITFIELD: Plus, fighting fire with fire, the competition heats up as a Christmas tradition goes high-tech.
Hello, and welcome to the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. All that and more after this check of the headlines.
Christmas eve in the little town of Bethlehem. New to celebrations this year in the birthplace of Jesus, amid economic restrictions by the Israelis, and fighting among the Palestinians. We'll have a live report in 15 minutes.
Four more American soldiers have lost their lives in Iraq. The military says the troops died in two explosions, one in Baghdad, the other in Diyala Province. Straight ahead, Christmas eve on patrol in the combat zone.
The Italian man, who met last month with the late Alexander Litvinenko is under arrest in Naples. Italian police say the charges brought against Mario Scaramela are not related to the poisoning death of the ex-Russian spy. The two met in London the day Litvinenko was poisoned.
A report out of London says the tunnel linking France and England may be the target of a holiday season terror attack. The "London Observer" says a warning to that effect was passed to French intelligence by the CIA. U.S. and British officials tell CNN that they have no comment.
And a Spanish surgeon has reportedly flown into Cuba to try to treat Fidel Castro. The Spanish paper reporting the story says Castro's health continues to worsen.
Clocks in Iraq have just struck midnight to usher in Christmas day. This holiday season finds 140,000 American troops in the grips of that war, with four more dead since Friday. Suicide bombings and roadside explosions killed at least seven Iraqis today and left dozens wounded. CNN's Ryan Chilcote reports for us now on a hard slog in a hard land, through the height of the holidays.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're with the U.S. Army's 431 infantry, in Yusufiya, Iraq, where the troops say Christmas will be just like any other day. This is a very active war zone. This area is known as the triangle of death, although the troops say, ever since they came here, they like to refer to it as the circle of life. Reminders of combat here everywhere. Just in the last 24 hours this battalion lost one soldier. Just in the last few hours the commander says they've detained two Iraqis who had bomb making materials.
As for Christmas, the troops are going to get Christmas stockings, and they're also planning a turkey dinner.
Brian Chilcote, with the 431 infantry, in Yusufiya, Iraq.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: This holiday season finds President Bush confronting a weighty decision, whether to try to salvage Iraq by inserting more American troops. With the latest on that CNN's Elaine Quijano.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From the presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland, President Bush wished 10 American service members a merry Christmas. Among those he called, personnel serving in Iraq. What to do next there was the focus of an hour-long briefing for the president this weekend by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, just back from a three-day trip to Baghdad.
During his visit, generals in Iraq presented Gates with a range of options, outlining each option's risks and benefits. One general involved cautions, no decisions have been reached, but one possibility, a temporary short-term surge of tens of thousands of U.S. troops, in part, to stabilize Baghdad.
A senior Defense Department official says, while generals may say they can use more troops, it must be in concert with economic and political progress on the part of the Iraqis. Yet, after his own visit to Iraq last week, Democratic Senator Christopher Dodd now believes a surge would be a mistake. He argues more U.S. forces would take the pressure off the Iraqis to come up with a political solution and would ultimately cost more American lives.
SEN. CHRIS DODD (D), CONNECTICUT: So I don't see any mission associated with this. It sounds to me like a tactic in search of a strategy here. The strategy is not clear yet, what needs to be done.
QUIJANO: Still, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham argues an infusion of U.S. forces now is crucial.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), NORTH CAROLINA: The security environment in Baghdad is very much deteriorated. You're not going to have a political solution with this much violence, so the surge of troops is, I think, very necessary.
QUIJANO (on camera): President Bush and the first lady are spending Christmas at Camp David with family, but the Iraq deliberations continue. After the holiday, the president heads to his ranch in Crawford, Texas, where Thursday he will consult with the National Security Council.
Elaine Quijano, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Iran is not mincing any words when it comes to U.N. sanctions. The Security Council approved those sanctions yesterday, a response to Iran's refusal to suspend its nuclear program. Today Tehran responded, vowing to immediately start some of its most controversial nuclear activities. Iran also says it will decide within 48 hours whether to drop out of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency.
More from CNN's Middle East correspondent Aneesh Raman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Despite U.N. sanctions, in Iran, the defiance continues, and the rhetoric is rising. In his first reaction, hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned the U.N. would soon regret its decisions, saying, quote, I am sorry for you, who lost the opportunity for friendship with the nation of Iran. You yourself know that you cannot harm this nation. And from the foreign ministry a charge the sanctions were illegal.
MOHAMMAD-ALI HOSSEINI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (though translator): Because we don't believe this resolution has undergone the right legal path, we are not bound to implement it.
RAMAN: But perhaps the most significant development came from parliament, which is now debating whether Iran should suspend its relationship with the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, the IAEA. That means Iran could kick out inspectors that are here, and pursue its nuclear ambitions in secret, a decision that would significantly ratchet up tensions, amid fears Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapon, something the Islamic republic consistently denies.
So why haven't the sanctions worked so far? In part, because they cut off technical aid for Iran's nuclear program, aid Iran might not need as it moves closer to nuclear self-sufficiency, and Iranians at every level believe the need to create nuclear energy outweighs the impact of these sanctions.
Since the Islamic revolution, says Hassan, we have always been sanctioned. Such sanctions have never had an impact on our day-to-day living. Next year will prove make or break. Either the U.N. will figure out a way to stop Iran's program, or the world may have to simply accept a nuclear Iran.
(on camera): There is one thing, though, Tehran surely took note of, these new sanctions came with a unanimous vote, a sign the international community is increasingly unified, and increasingly unlikely to be indifferent to Iran's defiance.
Aneesh Raman, CNN, Tehran.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And this story just in, in the crush of the last- minute holiday shopping, apparently in south Florida a shooting has taken place at Boynton Beach Mall. And police are telling us that one person has been taken into custody after this shooting, taking place just north of Miami. One person was shot, according to the dispatcher, for the Boynton Beach police department. We don't know any more details on how that person is doing, but bottom line, a shooting taking place at the Boynton Beach Mall, north of Miami, and one person has been reportedly shot, and one person reportedly now in custody. More as we know it.
Now, back overseas to Italy for the latest twist in the poisoning death of a former Russian spy. Police in Naples arrested Mario Scaramela. He met with Alexander Litvinenko the day he was poisoned, but Scaramela's arrest today was not for Litvinenko's death.
Alphonso Van Marsh explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALPHONSO VAN MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Italian police say they arrested Mario Scaramela in Naples, Italy, on Sunday. The charges relate to allegations of arms trafficking and violating secrets from an investigative file. Scaramela met with former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko at this London sushi bar on November 1st, one of many people Litvinenko met with that day. British and Russian investigators have yet to determine where Litvinenko was poisoned with the Polonium 210 radiation that killed him on November 23rd.
From his death bed, Litvinenko blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for poisoning him. The Kremlin denies the accusation. Scaramela says he told Litvinenko at their meeting that he discovered both of their names were on a hit list. Scaramela, who was hospitalized and tested for radiation poisoning too, told CNN's Matthew Chance, he had nothing to do with Litvinenko's death.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Did you poison Alexander Litvinenko?
MARIO SCARAMELA, FRIEND OF LITVINENKO: No, not me, of course, not me. I was a friend.
VAN MARSH: Scaramela recently signed on as a consultant for an Italian commission investigating KGB ties to Italian politics during Soviet times. The former head of the commission says Scaramela's Sunday arrest appears to be unrelated to the Litvinenko murder mystery. Scaramela's father told local reporters, at least we're taking his son from Naples to Rome.
Alphonso Van Marsh, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Wow, the holiday season cannot be separated from civil strife in the Palestinian territories, but Santa does his best even under those very trying conditions. And at the bottom of the hour, a look at the competing interests of business and religion. A new study shows that so-called blue laws decrease vice, but does it also cripple commerce? You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PFC DAY, U.S. ARMY: Hi, my name is PFC Day. I'm from San Jose, California. I just want to say hi to all my family and friends back home. Baby, I love you and merry Christmas.
HOUSTON TAYLOR, U.S. ARMY: Hi, I'm Houston Taylor. Hi mom. I Miss you. I love you. I can't wait to see you. My wife, Kelsey, I love you, miss you. I can't wait to see the baby, and take care and be safe, and I'm thinking about you all the time. I'll see you soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Time now to go global with headlines from around the world. This is how they celebrate Christmas eve in Rio de Janeiro. Even some rain couldn't keep the crowds away from a parade on the world famous Copa Cabana Beach.
And reminding the world to keep Christ in Christmas, Pope Benedict XVI delivered his Sunday blessing. he criticized what he considers the commercialization of Christmas and urged Christians to remember the reason for the season.
Ethiopian war planes bombed Islamic fighters in Somalia today. Ethiopia's prime minister says he is defending both his country's sovereignty and Somalia's interim government. Islamists control much of Somalia, and in the past week they've advanced on the western- backed government's last stronghold.
A day after meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Israel's prime minister is hinting at a prisoner release this week. Ehud Olmert told Israeli lawmakers the time had come to show, quote, flexibility and generosity. This as the Israeli cabinet approves the release of 100 million dollars of frozen Palestinian tax revenues. The money is to be channeled through the Palestinian Authority, not the Hamas-run treasury.
The West Bank town of Bethlehem is a bit gloomy this year. There are fewer Christmas decorations, for one, and for the first time in recent history, loudspeakers are not playing carols in Manger Square, the biblical birthplace of Jesus. Elise Labott is live in Bethlehem with the details. Set the scene for us, Elise.
LABOTT: Well, Fred, Midnight Mass here in the Church of the Nativity -- we're here in Manger Square, is about to start momentarily, where about 5,000 pilgrims, who were just in Manger Square, and about 2,000 in the church. This is really the finale of a day-long Christmas celebration. The Latin patriarch, Michel Sabah (ph), made his journey from Jerusalem, made his way through the city, was greeted here in Manger Square by President Abu Mazen, Mahmoud Abbas, and then he gave his Christmas message.
Now he is going to be delivering Midnight Mass. There will be the communion, and then afterwards the traditional journey of the replica of Baby Jesus down to the grotto, the silver star where Jesus is believed to be born. Now, there are thousands of pilgrims that came here, certainly not as much as it was before 2000, before the second Palestinian intifada. We're told that there are special groups from Italy and Spain that have come to show their support for the residents of Bethlehem, because this city has really fallen on tough times, and Christians now are a minority, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Elise Labott, thanks so much for that update and that view of Bethlehem the day before Christmas.
Well, midnight mass and the annual Christmas parade in Gaza have been canceled. Conflict between Palestinian factions is increasing tensions in what's long been a volatile place. Our Matthew Chance has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHANCE (voice-over): Christmas in Gaza and even Santa is greeted with a toy gun. At least the real ones are left outside. And Gaza's only father Christmas knows how important is his job. A few simple gifts make a huge difference, he says, to children normally surrounded by poverty and violence.
MICHEL DAOUD, SANTA CLAUS (through translator): They ask for toys, like other children, he told me, and we give them what we can, but what they should have is freedom and security.
CHANCE: They won't be getting much of that this year.
(on camera): Already this Gaza Christmas has been marred by increased pressure on ordinary people, factional fighting between Palestinian groups has made these streets feel even more unsafe than usual. International sanctions on the Hamas-led government means that wages aren't even being paid, and, of course, Israel keeps tight control over whoever goes in and out.
(voice-over): Off duty, Gaza's Santa Claus says his family lives with all these problems, like everyone else. But this Christmas is particularly hard. There's no happiness for us, says his mother. If it's not the Israeli incursions, it's Fatah and Hamas doing all the shooting.
(DAOUD: That's why it's important for me to be Santa. It brings us all a little brightness.
CHANCE: And so these festivities and this Santa are a welcome seasonal relief, for Gaza's children and for everyone else.
Matthew Chance, CNN, Gaza.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Well, he has given away 1.3 million dollars over the years, and even failing health isn't slowing down this Secret Santa. That and the rest of CNN.com's most popular stories coming up next.
And the true meaning of Christmas,mountains of presents, the new Play Station, or something deeper? How to explain it all to your kids.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: More now on this breaking story on this last day of Christmas shopping. A shooting taking place in a south Florida mall, the Boynton Beach Mall, just west of I-95, there in Boynton Beach, Florida. One suspect was in custody by last check, according to the police, and one person was shot, but we don't know the extent of the injuries.
Marci Gonzalez is with WPTV there at the mall, and Marcy on the phone with us now, what's taking place?
MARCI GONZALEZ, WPTV: Well, up until a few minutes ago, the sheriff's office helicopter was flying around. It seems as though they're still looking for someone involved in this case. Nothing that we have is confirmed right now, but according to witnesses, one man did open fire in the Boynton Beach Mall at another man. What they say led up to it was that both men were inside of the finish line door inside of the mall, and the shooter was chased out, according to witnesses, out of the store. He then turned around and shot the man who was chasing him.
Again, this is all unconfirmed, just coming from witnesses, but apparently things just got crazy around here. As you can imagine, everyone frightened, running out of the mall. At least one person tells us that they were trampled because so many people were trying to leave the mall at the same time. Right now there are armed guards all around the parking lot of the mall, and just, you know, still on the lookout, not sure, from what we're hearing right now, if they have caught their suspect. We're actually headed over right now to speak with the sheriff's office and get more information.
WHITFIELD: Well Marci, we're just now hearing from police there that they're confirming they have three in custody. That doesn't mean that they are not searching for more, as you just reported. But, in addition to three now in custody, police are also telling us now that there is one fatality as a result of this shooting. Give me an idea just how crowded this mall was at the time of this shooting.
GONZALEZ: The mall was packed, as you can imagine. These are the final hours of shopping before the malls close for the Christmas holiday, so it was completely packed. Everyone really panicked as they were coming out, and it just was a crazy scene over here at the mall.
WHITFIELD: Now, earlier when we reported one person was shot, we don't know now if that is the same person that police are reporting dead. Do you have any idea about those that were involved in the shooting, meaning that one alleged victim that we were able to report on earlier, whether that was a passer-by or whether it was someone who was being targeted by these alleged shooters? Do you know?
GONZALEZ: Right, witnesses tell me that the person who was shot was a person who was chasing the shooter out of the Finish Line store, so I don't know if there was some sort of fight inside of the store, or what happened, but this wasn't just, from witnesses say, this wasn't a person who just happened to be passing by.
WHITFIELD: OK, and from your vantage point right now -- I understand that you are in the parking lot area of that shopping mall, correct?
GONZALEZ: Yes, we are actually just pulling out of the parking lot now, and actually the sheriff's office helicopter is back in the air.
WHITFIELD: What else are you seeing there?
GONZALEZ: Well, the police are blocking off all of the entrances to the mall. They cleared out most of the mall parking lot, not letting people go into the parking lot, and there are a lot of people walking on the exterior of the mall, you know, carrying the gifts and the things that they bought while they were inside. A lot of them, you know, just -- this is definitely changing their plans. A lot of them going to stores that are outside of the mall so that they can now finish their shopping.
WHITFIELD: All right, do you know whether or not police are preventing many people who are leaving the mall from actually leaving the area, so that they can further question people?
GONZALEZ: Well, there is still a decent number of cars in the parking lot, so I'm sure people who were closest to the scene are being held there, but because people ran out so quickly, I'm sure they weren't able to stop everyone who was in the area and may have seen it, but a lot of people being allowed to leave, and traffic in the area is really congested, because so many people are leaving the mall.
WHITFIELD: Marci Gonzalez of WPTV, thanks so much for your report from Boynton Beach, Florida. Again, if you are just joining us, a shooting taking place in a south Florida mall, Boynton Beach Mall. Police are saying one person has died as a result of this shooting, and three others are in custody. We'll give you more information as we get it. We're going to take a short break right now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: We're following a developing story out of Boynton Beach, Florida. That's just north of Miami, where one person has been shot to death at a mall. The suspected gunman is in custody, along with two other possible suspects. Major Frank Briganti is on the phone with us now of Boynton Beach Sheriff's Office, I believe, Major. Can you bring me up-to-date? We understand one person has died and three are in custody. Is that correct?
MAJ. FRANK BRIGANTI, BOYNTON BEACH POLICE (via telephone): Yes, that's correct. The Boynton Beach Police Department. We're not a sheriff's department. We had a shooting in the mall in an area in the main corridor near the Sunglass Hut. A couple of officers came up on the shooting. They chased the shooter and were involved in exchanges of gunfire, and the people that were chasing ended up in a Dillard's Store. The store was evacuated, and at this time our swat team is clearing the building to see if there are any more suspects inside.
WHITFIELD: Do you have a strong belief that there are others who were involved in this?
BRIGANTI: We've already apprehended the three people that the officers exchanged gunfire with. We don't believe that there is anyone else, but just to be on the safe side, we have team members taking people out of the store, shoppers, and employees, and also searching for any more suspects.
WHITFIELD: This one person who is your claimed fatality, was this a passer-by, or was this someone who was targeted specifically by these alleged shooters?
BRIGANTI: At this time it's a little hard to say for sure. We feel pretty strong that the person who has been shot was targeted by the suspects.
WHITFIELD: And what do you believe --
BRIGANTI: We don't know --
WHITFIELD: The motive to be? What was this all about?
BRIGANTI: It's way too early to tell. We could only speculate at this time, and I'm not about to do that.
WHITFIELD: We talked to a reporter a bit earlier who talked about the perimeter of this mall of being secured, that there were still a number of people, shoppers, who were still milling about. Is it your intent to interview a number of these shoppers, or will you, indeed, be allowing people to go back into the mall to finish shopping?
BRIGANTI: Anyone we feel is a good witness, we will interview. As far as reopening the mall, until we know that the mall is safe, we can't release it to the mall. WHITFIELD: Of the Boynton Beach Police Department, Major Frank Brigante thanks so much for your time.
Also, now reporting from that Boynton Beach Mall, WPEC's Dana Palley is on the line with us now, and Dana what are you able to see there?
DANA PALLEY, WPEC (via telephone): Well, basically we just arrived in the area, but I have some information from the Boynton Beach Police Department as to what happened at the Boynton Beach Mall, which is in the central of Palm Beach County. They're telling me about 2:30 this afternoon a fight broke out, possibly between two men, minutes later that escalated into a shooting. One person was killed. The shooter, we're told, ran through the mall actually firing shots at some policemen and security people that were chasing him through the mall. None of the police were hurt or hit in that incident. They ended up cornering the guy in Dillard's Department Store, and they used the loudspeakers to try to get him out.
A few minutes after that we are told the police actually were able to arrest the guy without incident and bring him in, and he is under arrest at this point. The mall was totally evacuated while this was going on. The police swat team took over inside the mall. There were obviously thousands of people doing last minute Christmas shopping, so it was really a lot of chaos, and the traffic is unbelievable at this point, but they are managing to get everybody out of the mall in Boynton Beach, Florida. Again, one person is dead. Another is in custody. We don't have the identifications of these people or what started the initial fight in the mall about 2:30 this afternoon.
WHITFIELD: Dana Palley of WPEC thanks so much for that update on a shooting taking place there at South Florida at a shopping mall. One person killed, three now in custody. More information as we get it.
Now let's continue to look at what else is happening in the news right now. Here at home President Bush is extending holiday wishes to American troops deployed in Iraq and elsewhere. Mr. Bush telling them how much he appreciates their service and sacrifices. The first family will spend the Christmas holiday at Camp David.
In Italy police have arrested an associate of a former Russian spy who died from radiation poisoning a month ago. Authorities are holding Mario Scaramela on unrelated charges of weapons trafficking. Scaramela was one of the last people to meet with Alexander Lipenvenko before he fell ill.
The British newspaper the "Observer" is reporting on the possibility of a planned terrorist attack on the Chunnel, the 31-mile- long tunnel linking Britain and France. The account sites both French and U.S. security sources. U.S. and British officials tell CNN that they had no comment.
A Christmas tradition goes high deaf.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is an extreme close-up. Don't singe your hair.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Now the Yule log burns even brighter on television, but does it hold a candle to the real thing?
And if your kids think the only reason for the season is under the tree, stay tuned. We explore the meaning of Christmas next in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Well, no doubt, millions of Americans over the past few weeks have been stressing out over what presents to buy, how much money they're going to spend, and how to fight mall crowds. Well, it's easy to get caught up in the consumer-driven side of Christmas, but how can parents set an example for their kids and show them the true meaning of the holiday? Author and spiritual leader Marianne Williamson joins us live from Paris with some guidance for families. Good to see you. Or I should say --
MARIANNE WILLIAMSON, AUTHOR & SPIRITUAL LEADER: Good to see you too. Thank you.
WHITFIELD: Well, you know --
WILLIAMSON: Merry Christmas.
WHITFIELD: Merry Christmas. I suppose so many folks really associate Christmas with overabundance, gift giving, presents, the whole shopping mall crowds, and then there are a lot of folks who still associate it with the birth of Christ. So what are your concerns about the message of Christmas?
WILLIAMSON: Well, I don't know about concerns. We want to remember that the same people who are buying the presents and involved in all the external hoopla, all of us really want to feel a deeper meaning to the spirit. You know, what we want to remember is that every great religious holiday, every great religious story is a kind of out picturing of a deeper truth, and that's what we want to remember the season in order to experience the true joy.
There's a kind of joy that no amount of material presents or partying can give us, and that has to do with our realization that the internal spiritual reality is the true meaning, and that has to do with human transformation. It has to do with the fact that there is a new possibility that can emerge from the human heart, and that's the meaning of Christmas.
WHITFIELD: So we're talking about hope.
WILLIAMSON: There's another worldly possibility.
WHITFIELD: Hope. You think a lot of people are associating Christmas with hope and blessings?
WILLIAMSON: Well, I don't think that -- if you just see Christmas from the external perspective, there's no particular hope, but from the internal perspective, the hope of the world is that human beings can change. The hope of the world is that we can emerge, there can be born. That's the whole notion of the birth of Christ. Something mothered by your humanness, your soul is impregnated by the spirit of god, and what emerges is a new human being on the earth. That's the hope of the planet is that people change, so Christmas is about human transformation, and that is the hope that I can become different this year or you can become different. Humanity can somehow change. That a new level of love and compassion can literally burst through this membrane of so much violence and war.
WHITFIELD: So Marianne then how do you package all of that for little people who really are associating Christmas with what's under the tree? How do you convey the kind of package message that you have just given us to younger people?
WILLIAMSON: Well, the truth is that the problem on the planet is not the little people. The problem on the planet is the big people. So the people who really need to get what Christmas is about is us, and children, children imitate, and children pick up subconsciously what parents are about. If you have little kids who just think that Christmas is about the packages and the tree, then you are not giving them the spiritual education that you want, but --
WHITFIELD: So what are the traditions and messages that you think people need to be carrying out at home so that their kids can, you know, live by example of their parents conveying this message you are talking about?
WILLIAMSON: The deepest tradition doesn't have to do with what we teach with our words. It has to do with how we are. If children feel on this day that we have more compassion than usual, more hope than usual, more love than usual and rather than it being about where we are and what we're doing, more that we send love from our hearts to the people who are at the dinner table with us, to the children, knowing the incredible sort of unified field of possibility that on the planet, on this day, millions and millions of people are considering the possibility there might be a new possibility for life on earth.
That field of consciousness is something children just feel, and it's not something that you necessarily tell a child. It's something that the child feels, and that we need to remember is not just about them. It's about all of us. If we just kind of try to love the people at the dinner table a little more and hold in our minds the possibility that we can be more loving people this year and maybe just maybe that might turn the planet around, that's the meaning of Christmas.
WHITFIELD: Good lessons for all of us for the end of 2006 and to begin 2007. Marianne Williamson thanks so much.
Now we're going to focus on the so-called Sunday sinners or what two economists are calling the malevelite (ph) mall effect. The term comes from a study of laws that limit shopping on Sundays. They're called Blue Laws, and as the study concludes, when they go away, the religious can get rowdy. CNN's Gary Nurenberg reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This is a shopping center on a Sunday before Christmas?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I find it annoying.
NURENBERG: Paramus, New Jersey, requires most retail establishments to close on Sunday.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm happy that on Sundays our stores are closed.
NURENBERG: The restrictions are known as Blue Laws and are imposed to varying degrees by some states and localities.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think you should be able to get what you want when you want it.
NURENBERG: The country's founders didn't feel that way. George Washington was reportedly charged with violating Connecticut's Blue Laws against unnecessary walking or riding as he was on his way to church.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Most colonies had Blue Laws. By the end of the 1800s, almost every state in the country had some sort of law prohibiting some sort of activity on Sunday.
NURENBERG: Dan Hungerman is the co-author of a study with surprising conclusions about what happens when Blue Laws are repealed. He calls the malevolent mall effect.
DAN HUNGERMAN: We observe increases in heavy drinking and drug use, but only among religious individuals. That is, the individuals who should be primarily effected by these laws.
NURENBERG: Not surprisingly, Hungerman's study shows declines in church attendance, church membership and donations when religious services get competition from commerce and parishioners are forced to work.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As we finish that 2006, we had $2 billion in sales. That's an awful lot of chicken.
NURENBERG: The church-going Christians who own the Chick Fillet Restaurant chain have closed their stores on Sundays for 60 years.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we have time off to be with our family, again, to worship if we so choose, if that's our day of worship, then we know that good things come out of that.
NURENBERG: A view supported by Hungerman's study showing increased drug and alcohol use when Blue Laws are repealed.
HUNGERMAN: A main result of this research is that it looks like religious participation could be good for you.
NURENBERG: Despite their long American history, the trend is away from Blue Laws giving churchgoers more opportunity to become Sunday sinners.
Gary Nurenberg, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And we have been following this story for you. Out of Boynton Beach, Florida, this past hour one person has been shot to death at a shopping mall. We'll have the very latest straight ahead in THE NEWSROOM.
Tonight at 8:00 Eastern "CNN Presents: Life After Jesus, The First Christians." We'll take a look at the challenges, the struggles, and the revolution that became Christianity. That's at 8:00 Eastern only on CNN.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have yourself a merry little Christmas let your heart be light.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) Joshua. I'm from Washington State. I would like to say hello and happy holidays to everybody back home, my mom, my dad, my kids especially, and my girl Rebecca that's back there. She's with our kids. Hope everything is going great, and I'm doing just fine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, I'm Sergeant Davis. I'm with the MNFI Command Group here at Camp Victory. I would like to say hello to my wife Janice and our two kids Brett and Christina. Hi, guys. Merry Christmas.
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WHITFIELD: In South Florida we continue to watch a developing story a day before Christmas. Shooting at a shopping mall in Boynton Beach at Boynton Beach Mall west of I-95. One person is reportedly dead, and three others in custody according to Boynton Beach police. Police continue to secure the mall and are looking for other people who may have possibly been involved in this shooting.
More stories -- more stories straight ahead.
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WHITFIELD: And here are some of the most popular stories on CNN.com today. Many of you are following the plight of former Miss Nevada USA, Katie Reese. Reese was stripped of her crown last week, thanks to racy photos of her on the Internet. Her lawyer is urging pageant boss Donald Trump to give her another chance.
A giant baby squid makes its film debut. Researchers in Japan believe this is the first time one of the elusive animals has been videotaped alive. Sadly, it didn't survive its capture and has been pickled for further research.
And poor health hasn't stopped this Kansas City businessman from following through on his holiday tradition. The secret Santa has given away more than $1.3 million over the years. Now he is fighting for his own life. His emotional interview airs tonight at 10:00 Eastern.
Let's check now with the holiday weather conditions. Meteorologist Bonnie Schneider has all the facts and figures from this CNN Weather Center. Happy holidays Bonnie.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Happy holidays, Fredericka. It's not the best weather for New Orleans today and into parts of Mississippi and Louisiana. We have the threat of flooding. A flood watch is in effect tonight. That goes until 6:00, and, actually, it goes further to the north toward Hattiesburg and Mississippi into central areas of Alabama. This means that with all the heavy rain that's been coming down, we're likely to see flooding. Some of our computer models are forecasting up to three inches of rain by the time we get to tomorrow. So a wet Christmas there, not a white one, unfortunately. But you can see the rain heavy at times across Mississippi and back out towards Louisiana into Shreveport, all the way up to the north.
This is the same system that brought the heavy rain yesterday to Texas and now it's pushing off further to the north and east. Speaking of heading a little further to the east, we're also getting lots of rain in the Panhandle of Florida. Look at this, some downpours in Gainesville towards Tallahassee and more to come, and this will push further south. You'll be looking at wet weather, for those of you that are traveling.
Well, all this rain is affecting travel, and many of you are trying to get where you are going in time for Christmas Eve later on tonight. We're looking at 45-minute departure delays out of Houston. That's the only delay I found right now. Overall, the travel for the country looks pretty good, but just watch out for some wintry weather possibly on Monday as we look towards Christmas day's forecast for a white Christmas. We may see a rain-snow mix here through parts of the Ohio Valley, and certainly towards northern Pennsylvania where a storm is getting going, and that's going to bring about wintry weather as well.
Let's take a look at some high temperatures for Christmas Day. You'll find overall it's pretty mild. Not too much cold weather out there, 43 degrees in Kansas City, 77 in Orlando, 48 in New York.
Fredericka.
WHITFIELD: Thanks a lot, Bonnie.
SCHNEIDER: Sure.
WHITFIELD: Well, no weather woes at the 21st annual water skiing Santa event in the nation's capital, but it wasn't completely problem- free. This is Santa's second pass on the Potomac. During his first ride he and his reindeer ended up under water, the crew regrouped, and he was cheered on by a large crowd of onlookers. The waves a bit choppier in New York where a windsurfing Santa braved the frigid waters of the Niagara River. He surfed from the Canadian coast of Buffalo, a feat he has done every year since 1985 on behalf of homeless people worldwide.
And if the weather outside is frightful, remember, a fire can be delightful, especially when it's low maintenance. Very low maintenance, as in plug it in. A televised Yule log. The competition between dulling companies is heating up at adding fuel to flames. Here is CNN's Jeanne Moos.
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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Talk about fighting fire with fire. A televised Yule log for those that don't have a real fireplace. The question is which fire brings more joy to the world? In this corner, the original, the WPIX Yule log.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's pretty mesmerizing.
MOOS: This blazing Yule was dreamed up in 1966 by the general manager of New York City station WPIX.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The world's first music video.
MOOS: It had some bizarre touches, like the creepy doll.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't understand why you would hang a small child over a fireplace.
MOOS: In 1999 a fire spread to the Internet.
This log has its own fan Web site.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Really sucks you in, doesn't it?
MOOS: But now it's being sucker punched.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On December 25th, the Yule log is back.
MOOS: Say it ain't so, Santa. This Yule log is in high definition.
JASON PATON, INHD: We are taking the Yule log to a new level.
MOOS: This Yule log even crackles, and all HD network called INHD, made what amounts to a designer Yule log video.
PATTON: We went to a Ron Roy in California he does mood videos.
MOOS: It hasn't blackened the mood of the original Yule loggers.
JULIE O'NEIL, WPIX PROGRAM DIRECTOR: No one gets it right. They don't have the irons. PATTON: There's like 30 years old. It's been the same thing over and over.
MOOS: The original Yule log is a 6 1/2 minute loop. The INHD version is a 45 manufacture minute loop with shots from various angles.
PATTON: Here's your extreme close-up. Don't singe your hair.
MOOS: Don't burn yourself.
PATON: We debuted this on our network in 2003.
MOOS: So which log is hotter? Well, if you can find INHD way up in the nose bleed channels, it's a 24-hour log.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Burning on Christmas Day.
O'NEIL: Personally, I think the three hours is enough log.
MOOS: But are you the Grinch who stole the Yule log.
PATTON: Maybe I stole it, but we made it better.
O'NEIL: I say thank you for trying to imitate the original.
MOOS: The folks at WPIX fear that since INHD is geared towards men, the competition's fire would be bigger.
Big logs.
O'NEIL: Really big logs.
MOOS: How do the logs stack up? It's about 13 1/2.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yep, 23.
MOOS: But it's the old flame you never forget.
Jeanne Moos, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: I hope you are all fired up for the holiday season. Still much more ahead on CNN. Up next our report for CNN this year as you saw it. The news as it happened on-line and on air. Don't miss this CNN special hosted by T.J. Holmes and Betty Nguyen. That's three minutes away.
First, the day's top stories right after this.
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