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A Vote on Healthcare; Plane Overshoots Runaway; Athletes and Hit to the Head

Aired December 23, 2009 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right. News that's happening right now, President Obama is supposed to head to Hawaii today for his Christmas vacation. Instead, he says he'll hang around Washington until the Senate finishes work on the health care reform bill. A final vote is set for tomorrow, Christmas eve morning.

Oil prices rose to almost $75 a barrel today on signs of an improving U.S. economy. This comes on the heels of a report showing the U.S. crude supply has declined and oil demand may be picking up. It comes after a report showing a jump in home sales.

Mix a big snowstorm and a big holiday and we're looking at what could be a real big mess, especially for all of you who are traveling or shopping for last-minute gifts. In the west or midwest, as you can see by this radar, lots of planes are still in the air but look for delays and backups later on today as the snowstorm moves into the plains.

Our Rob Marciano tracking all of it from our Severe Weather Center.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: All right. A meeting happening right now in Brazil could decide how a nine-year-old boy is returned to his New Jersey dad. A Supreme Court judge ruled it should happen, but concerns remain over whether his late wife's family who have had custody of the boy will actually hand the child over.

David Goldman has been fighting for five years now to get Sean back. The boy's grandfather says that he can't wait to tell him how much he loves him here in the States.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARRY GOLDMAN, SEAN GOLDMAN'S GRANDFATHER: There were so many memories. We spent so much time with Sean. Just fishing and going to the circus and going to the farm and going to the boardwalk and everywhere. It was just wonderful. He's such a wonderful boy and so much life. I just hope that they haven't taken any of that out of him, that we're going to have to put, you know, have to get him back to where he was.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN's Ines Ferre has more on the Goldman case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The chief justice of Brazil's Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that nine-year-old Sean Goldman must be returned to his biological father, David Goldman. Now even though than appeal is always possible, Goldman's team feels very confident that this could be the end, given that the chief justice's opinion was so comprehensive.

Now, Goldman and his parents saying that they're cautiously optimistic, that they're happy about this, but that they will believe it when they see it when the wheels of that plane are up and Sean and David are on that plane headed to the United States.

Earlier on Tuesday, Sean Goldman's maternal grandmother in Brazil had sent a letter to Brazil's president Lula Da Silva, saying that the boy should stay in Rio and that the international pressures were not taking into consideration the boy's desire to stay in Rio.

This case has received so much international attention. A U.S. senator had put a hold on the renewal of a trade agreement between the U.S. and Brazil. That hold was lifted after Tuesday's ruling. And also a posting on Brazil's Supreme Court's web site saying that the case, the legal repercussions of the case, political and social, especially international, were very serious.

Ines Ferre, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Turning now to health care reform and the efforts to get a bill passed this week in the Senate, here's what we know. The senate is back at it, working toward the final procedural vote set for this afternoon. Republicans concede the Democrats have 60 votes needed to end the bill. Final passage of the legislation is set for tomorrow morning, 8:00 a.m. Eastern time.

That vote was rescheduled after a bipartisan deal was struck. Republicans had threatened to put off the vote until Christmas eve evening, but travel concerns over that winter storm led to this compromise.

Late nights and early mornings have marked the Senate's final push to health care reform this week. CNN's Dana Bash looks at the long hours and sometimes short tempers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The sun was barely peeking through when senators dragged themselves back in for this day's odd our vote.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning. Welcome to paradise.

BASH: Sarcasm from a punchy senator, hardly rare during this marathon health care debate colliding with Christmas. Sometimes you do still see this. A gentlemanly gesture, even across party lines. But inside, tensions are flaring.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I don't know what's happening here in this body, but I think it's wrong.

BASH: Nerves are raw.

SEN. TOM COBURN (R), OKLAHOMA: What the American people ought to pray is that somebody can't make the vote tonight.

SEN. DICK DURBIN (D), ILLINOIS: I don't think we should be wishing misfortune on any of our Senate colleagues on either side of the aisle.

BASH: This senator expressed his frustration with a Christmas poem.

SEN. ROLAND BURRIS (D), ILLINOIS: It was the night before Christmas and all through the Senate, the right held up the health care bill no matter what was in it.

BASH: The Democratic leader made this appeal.

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MAJORITY LEADER: I would hope that everyone would go back to their gentlemanly ways. I've said to a number of people, Rodney King. Let's all just try to get along.

BASH: Some rancor is fueled by fatigue, signs of exhaustion are everywhere.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Section 2714 of the public health service act.

BASH: From the clerk's forced to read a nearly 400-page amendment out loud.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know where I am.

BASH: To the Senate majority leader's 1:00 a.m. blunder.

REID: These are some of the reasons that AARP, the American Association for the Advancement of Colored People - I'm sorry, American Association of Retired People.

BASH: It's no wonder he won't entertain a question about the next big health care hurdle, compromise with House Democrats.

(on camera): Is the reality that the House is going to have to get it back from the Senate, the House is going to accept much of what you're doing?

REID: No matter how many ways you ask the question, you're going to get the same answer. We are focused on passing this bill in the Senate. BASH: Despite all of the tension and exhaustion, Republicans won't allow that final health care vote until the morning before Christmas. It's not that they think they can stop democrats from passing health care reform, they just believe slowing it down is good political strategy for next year, an election year.

Dana Bash, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: This disappointing news about home sales. The government just released new figures, new home sales for the month of November dropped unexpectedly last month to 11.3 percent. That is the lowest level since March.

And speaking of sales, we're talking about holiday sales and holiday gift returns on our blog this morning. We'll have a gift return expert joining us later on in the hour, but first we want to hear from you on your gift return stories, what has worked, what hasn't worked. Go to my log, cnn.com/fredericka and click on the comments. We'll read some of them on the air.

All right. Get pregnant and face court-martial? Well, not exactly. Hear what a U.S. general is now saying about his rules for troops on the ground.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: This just in. If you're getting around on New Jersey transit this morning, big problems. New Jersey Transit trains are not going in or out of New York City right now. The first problem was reported about an hour ago. We do understand right now, however, if you are on New Jersey transit and trying to get in or out of the city, you can get as far as Newark or Hoboken.

There are some extra buses that are trying to accommodate passengers as best they can to get in and out of the city. When we get a better explanation as to why this is taking place, we'll be able to bring that to you, but we do understand there was some sort of outage taking place around the northeast corridor that has impacted the New Jersey transit. More information as we get it and we'll pass it on to you.

All right. Overseas now, a mixed take on the war in Afghanistan. According to a new CNN opinion research poll, most of you say that you are opposed to it. On the other hand, 59 percent of Americans support President Obama's decision to send more troops to Afghanistan. And the Pakistani Taliban is putting those troops on notice, one of its top commanders tells the "Associated Press" that he's sending thousands of his fighters to Afghanistan. It's a claim that's nearly impossible to verify. Those Taliban fighters and the Pakistani army have been fighting for weeks in a tribal region near the Afghan border.

And a clarification from one of America's generals on the ground in Iraq. He is the one quoted as saying pregnancy among troops in a war zone is punishable by court-martial.

Well, CNN's Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon with some clarification on what the general is saying. He does apologize for that but he also is reiterating another message -- Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Fredricka. Major General Anthony Cucolo, the top U.S. commander in northern Iraq has 22,000 troops under his command and he says he needs them all, That's why he has put this very controversial policy into place. Soldiers who become pregnant or those who impregnate female soldiers are subject to disciplinary action.

General Cucolo clarifying in a phone press conference that he didn't really mean, he says, that he was going to court-martial anybody for it. Have a listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJ. GEN. ANTHONY CUCOLO, U.S. ARMY: I regret that the term "court-martial" was bandied about or mentioned by one of the earliest written reports on this. I have not ever considered court-martial for this. I do not ever see myself putting a soldier in jail for this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: But soldiers, Fredricka, will be reprimanded. They will get letters of reprimand if they become pregnant in the war zone or involved in the case where someone becomes pregnant. Why? General Cucolo kept reiterating, as they draw down in Iraq, he says he needs every female soldier that he's got. And of course, when female soldiers become pregnant, they are sent home very quickly from the war zone for their medical care and he says he just can't have that going on.

So if you get pregnant, now the clarification is you won't get court-martialed but you will be reprimanded. This controversy still goes on. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: So, Barbara, when the general says that he regrets the term "court-martial" has been bandied about, is he saying he wasn't the one that put that out there but somebody else did, that language?

STARR: Well, let's be clear here. You know, he may regret it, but in fact the order he put out, the way it was written, make no mistake it was a list of court-martial type offenses. Drinking alcohol, engaging in inappropriate activity, all that sort of thing, collecting weapons from the war zone from enemy forces. All that sort of thing, getting pregnant.

You would potentially, theoretically be subject to court-martial, subject to going to jail. He says he didn't mean it but that is what he wrote.

WHITFIELD: Got you. All right. Thanks so much. Barbara Starr from the Pentagon, appreciate that. All right, more than 100 concussions later, a former NFL linebacker pays the price for all the hits that he took on the football field.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Another look at our top stories right now. A heavy rain storm in Kingston, Jamaica, may have contributed to an American Airlines accident. The flight from Miami overshot the runway while landing last night. The plane crashed through a gate winding up less than 10 feet from the Caribbean Sea. 91 people of the 154 on board were actually taken to the hospital. Officials say none of the injuries, however, were serious.

A 15-year-old Florida boy who was set on fire and burned over two-thirds of his body in October is out of the hospital today. Michael Brewer's mother and his doctors are expected to talk publicly about his condition next hour. We'll bring that to you. Three teens have been charged in that attack.

And the parents who pulled off the so-called balloon boy hoax face possible jail time when they are sentenced today. Richard and Mayumi Heene have pleaded guilty to charges that they carried out the stunt in October to promote a reality show. Their attorney says the couple has already been fined $42,000 in restitution for the air and land rescue effort.

Athletes in some sports take hits to the head over and over and over again. And now we're learning those hits can actually do serious damage. Chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta visited a Boston University program that studies the brains of athletes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Punishing blows have become an inextricable part of many sports.

TED JOHNSON, FORMER NFL PLAYER: So my attack were at my right side.

GUPTA: Ted Johnson took his share as a linebacker for the New England Patriots.

JOHNSON: I've had maybe, you know, four or five or six documented concussions.

GUPTA: Those were just the dizzying knockouts. By his count, Johnson suffered more than 100 mild concussions. Impossible to test for. A concussion It is a vague injury, invisible up until now.

(on camera): This is the brain of an athlete, is that right?

DR. ANN MCKEE, CTR. FOR STUDY OF TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY: Right.

GUPTA (voice-over): That's the only thing you know at this point?

MCKEE: That's right.

GUPTA: Studies confirmed what scientists had suspected. Concussions start an injury cascade that looks like this. So far researchers here have examined 18 brains, including seven NFL players and four college athletes. All showed significant brain damage.

I think what's been surprising is that it's so extensive. It's throughout the brain, not just on the superficial aspects of the brain but it's also deep inside.

GUPTA: This is a healthy brain, and this is the brain of a former NFL player in his 40s. The brown tangles, those indicate brain damage that can eventually kill cells. The trauma in this NFL player's brain looks a lot like damage in this brain, a 70-year-old who suffered with dementia.

GUPTA (on camera): Did it surprise you?

MCKEE: Absolutely. Absolutely. To see the kind of changes we're seeing in 45-year-olds is basically unheard of.

GUPTA (on camera): Years removed from the football field, Ted Johnson is still tackling side effects of all those concussions. Depression, headaches, anger.

JOHNSON: I almost forgot what I was like before, before the hits. I couldn't remember. And I just lost myself for the last three years.

GUPTA (Voice-over): Johnson and a former pro wrestler Chris Nowynski (ph) are part of the Sports Legacy Institute, which asks athletes to donate their brains to continue the study into the impact of concussion.

(on camera): Is there a message for football players? Is there a message for the NFL in here?

MCKEE: Well, I think the message is we need to identify what constitutes a significant head injury and we need to treat it sufficiently. And I think that probably means resting an injury a lot more than we rest it.

GUPTA (voice-over): Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell issued this statement on concussion saying "We know concussions are a serious matter and that they require special attention and treatment. And in this area I have been clear, medical considerations must always come first. Decisions regarding treatment of players with concussions and when they can resume play must be made by doctors and doctors alone. We are changing the culture of our game for the better." Holiday travelers could experience long delays and some nasty driving conditions. A winter storm is making its way toward parts of the west and the midwest. Meteorologist Rob Marciano is tracking this storm from our severe weather center. It's ugly.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it is a lot...

WHITFIELD: It's ugly and pretty.

MARCIANO: Yes, at the same time, exactly. A lot of real estate covered by the winter storm watches, warnings and advisories especially in the intermountain west and into the western Great Lakes. All of this is heading to the east. We'll talk about who's going to be affected when and where when the CNN NEWSROOM comes right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: We're keeping a close eye on the radar of travel. Many of you are heading out for the holidays and in some cases hoping to beat the winter storm that's moving into the central part of the country. So if you are flying in or out of that area expect flight delays to pile up a little later on today. Wish we could give you a glimmer of hope or two there, but that's the reality.

Rob Marciano in the Severe Weather Center.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: Boy, this journey is going to be treacherous, making getting there that much sweeter after getting through all this.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Exactly. Set the goals to see friends and family, keep that in your sights and take your time.

WHITFIELD: Pack that patience. Rob, thanks so much.

MARCIANO: You bet.

WHITIFIELD: This just in, a New Jersey dad, David Goldman, soon to be reunited with his son, Sean, in Brazil. A major hurdle possibly averted. Our Ines Ferre is in New York with the very latest. Ines?

INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, hi, Fred. Well, the Brazilian family lawyer telling CNN that the family will not be putting up any more roadblocks, that they will not be appealing this case any more, that they just want a peaceful hand over, that they are going to start conversations on that hand over and everything to be in the best interests of Sean, the 9-year-old boy.

So Congressman Smith, who has been traveling with David Goldman, who is in Rio, told CNN that this is not just good news, it is great news. He said that as far as Goldman's reaction, well, he still feels like he'll believe it when he sees it, when he's on that plane headed to the United States. But you can tell, he says, by his body language, by his gestures that this is definitely becoming more and more real to him. Fred. WHITFIELD: So, is there a way in which to know a time frame on this? are we talking a matter of hours, minutes, when this hand over would take place since the Brazilian family is saying we want peace in all, this we want this to take place?

FERRE: Yes, Fred, that's the million dollar question everybody would like to know, when exactly will this happen. Right now, we don't have the timeline yet. All we have is that it will be -- that they plan to do the hand over, that they won't put up any more roadblocks, but as far as a timeline yet, we don't know.

WHITIFIELD: Do we know at least today?

FERRE: We don't know that yet.

WHITIFIELD: Don't know that either.

FERRE: Probably not today is what I'm hearing, but as far as when exactly, we have yet to find out.

WHITFIELD: All right, Ines Ferre, thanks so much.

So, to refresh your memory on how we even got to this point. 2004 Goldman's Brazilian wife took their son on vacation to her home country. She never returned. Instead, she got a divorce in Brazil. In 2005, the courts backed the International Abduction Treaty, which protects children in these kinds of cases. But the court refused to order the boy returned to New Jersey.

Then in 2007, the boy's mother remarried. A year later, she actually died during childbirth. And in February this year, David Goldman was finally reunited with his son after five years. He was fighting with his late ex-wife's family for custody.

And then in June, a lower court granted custody to David Goldman, but the Supreme Court then held it up, ordering a review of the case. So, it's been up and down for a long time for David Goldman, and now the Supreme Court saying that nothing should stand in the way of reuniting of this New Jersey dad and the little boy, Sean.

And now we're hearing in this new information that the family, the stepfather, the family of this little boy that have been holding him in Brazil now says they don't want to stand in the way, they want a peaceful resolution.

Now we're waiting to see exactly when the hand over would take place of 9-year-old Sean to his biological father, David Goldman, there in Brazil.

All right, call it a clash of the environmentalists. Tension is growing between conservationists and renewable energy developers. Alison Kosic has our "Energy Fix" from New York. So, usually they're on the same side. What's this dispute all about?

ALISON KOSTIC, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, but this time there's a bit of a battle, Fred, and this conflict is really heating up in California right now.

Senator Dianne Feinstein introduced legislation this week to make one million acres in California's Mojave Desert off limits to development to preserve the natural beauty. You can see the proposed monument area right here in red.

But here's the catch in all this. Developers were targeting that land for large solar power farms. Senator Feinstein released a statement saying conservation and renewable energy development can and must coexist in the California desert. And his legislation strikes a careful balance between these sometimes competing concerns.

Now, although it prohibits energy development within a specific area, it would allow faster and cheaper development of private and other public lands in the desert. Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right, Alison. Thanks so much, appreciate that.

KOSTIC: Sure.

WHITFIELD: All right, much more straight ahead right here in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A look at our top stories right now.

The U.S. Senate is moving closer to final approval of its health care bill. One last procedural vote to end debate is scheduled less than four hours from now. You're looking at live pictures right now on the Hill. Republican concede they don't have the votes to keep debate going. That sets up the final vote scheduled for 8:00 a.m. Eastern tomorrow. The Senate bill will still have to be reconciled with one that passed actually in the Senate (sic). That could come the first of 2010.

BlackBerry users have their palm mates back up and running. E- mail and Internet services was down on the ubiquitous gadgets for more than eight hours starting last night. The company did not give a reason for the outage. It was the second BlackBerry blackout in less than a week now.

Okay, so first let's talk about credit cards. We all have them, but many people are simply stuck with high interest rates or lousy terms and conditions. Now the government is announcing new lending rules to help you out. Susan Lisovicz is on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange with details on that.

Susan, this really could impact millions of people, right?

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It affects all of us who have a consumer loan, so it does -- it could be a credit card, it could be a mortgage, it could be an auto loan. It affects all consumer loans. These are the final rules from the Federal Reserve and the Federal Trade Commission. Unfortunately, Fredricka, it won't affect the high rates. But it will affect why they're so high, especially high, unfavorably high, rates and terms. The lenders will have to explain why. Currently they don't have to, but typically it's based on your credit history. If the lender doesn't explain why in writing, why your rate is especially high or your terms are tougher than norm, then they can provide a free credit score. Usually that costs about $10.

This goes into effect January 1st, 2011, so we've got another year to go. But it is something that I think a lot of consumers have been clamoring for. You cannot understand all that small print that follows your bill.

WHITFIELD: And we should mention that's just one of many steps. The government is really tightening the rules across the board.

LISOVICZ: That's right. It's actually part of a 2003 bill, Fredricka, but not surprisingly there's been a whole lot of action on it recently. For instance, in May, the president signs a bill to limit credit rate increases. It doesn't go into effect until February, so guess what? A lot of credit card issuers have been jacking up the rates during this particular period, unfortunately.

Also, lawmakers are debating a new oversight agency, it's called the Consumer Financial Protection Agency. It's part of a broader financial effort to make us understand -- more transparency and to regulate an industry that has kind of done its own thing for far too long for many people. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Susan Lisovicz, thanks so much.

LISOVICZ: You're welcome.

WHITFIELD: Okay. So, get past the credit card interest rates and all that. First comes the shopping, then comes the gift opening, then comes the mad rush to return what you don't want. Here with advice on how to make that return process easier this year, if at all, we welcome back "Consumer Reports" Todd Marks, also known as Tightwad Todd. Good to see you.

TODD MARKS, SENIOR EDITOR, "CONSUMER REPORTS": Good to hear you again.

WHITFIELD: OK, so, apparently this time around, this year it's a little tougher to make those returns. Why?

MARKS: Well, 17 percent of retailers in the National Retail Federation survey actually reported that they have tightened their policies this year versus last. Eighty percent of retailers said they're not changing their policy versus last holiday season.

And so, it's getting a little tighter. The reason is simple, it's unfortunately bad apples, you know. People that are crooks. And fraudulent returns are expected to cost retailers something in the neighborhood of $3 billion this holiday season alone. The interesting... WHITFIELD: So, when we say they're making it tighter and more difficult, meaning the window of opportunity has narrowed? Meaning you've got to have a certain look about your receipt or your gift receipt. What do you mean, break it down for me?

MARKS: It really comes down to following the letter of the law. That is, they're not making you return things any sooner. In fact, most places are pretty generous.

We did a study recently and we found that the return periods are mostly in the 90 to 180-day range...

WHITFIELD: Really?

MARKS: ... not just the standard 30 days. You know, it depends. Every chain is different, and they have different terms and conditions for different product classes. Jewelry might be different than clothing that might be different than furniture. You've got to look carefully.

WHITFIELD: So, for example, clothing better have the tags on it. Electronics, maybe you need the original packaging, that kind of stuff?

MARKS: Exactly. There are a couple of key things. One, you need a receipt or gift receipt. If not, you could be turned away. Always be sure to have that...

WHITFIELD: Even if of it has the tags on it.

MARKS: Well, that's another issue entirely. Things like fancy jewelry, fine clothing, cocktail dresses, things like that. If you cut off the tags or otherwise remove them, the return might be denied because people unfortunately buy them and they use them and they want to bring them back. And that's not good.

WHITFIELD: Okay. What about when you buy something online? Oftentimes, when you're at the cash register you see the return policy stated in big, bold letters. When you buy things online, sometimes you overlook that. Are the return policies any different or what do you need to know when you purchase online?

MARKS: First and foremost, if you buy an online return, see if you can return it to the brick-and-mortar store. A lot of purchases bought online can be returned to their brick-and-mortar counterpart, but many chains do not allow that. You've got to be careful.

Second, you're always going to need a packing slip that comes with your order. More important than that, a return authorization number. You've got to contact the company for that. If you just send it back, uh-oh! It's going to get lost in the sauce and you may be turned away again.

WHITFIELD: What's with this restocking fee? I don't think I'm familiar with that.

MARKS: Oh, gosh, restocking fees have been around for eternity.

WHITFIELD: Oh, really? How'd I miss that?

MARKS: A lot of electronic products. It subjects you, the purchaser, to a 10 to 15 percent fee that you pay -- that's 10 to 15 percent of the cost of the item to return the item if you've opened the box or used it. It affects, again, a lot of electronics products.

So, what I always tell people, make sure you really, really want that product you're getting. If not, don't open it, don't touch it, don't remove the warranty cards, the instruction manual or deface the packaging because that could be grounds for either a denial of the return or be subject to that 10 to 15 percent restocking fee.

WHITFIELD: Wow, all right. Lots of rules. You've got to be familiar with them before you make that return.

Thanks so much, Todd Marks, Tightwad Todd, senior editor of "Consumer Reports." Good to see you. Happy holidays.

MARKS: You, too.

WHITFIELD: And happy returns.

So, that brings us to today's blog question. We asked for your advice on holiday gift returns, and we're actually hearing a lot from folks on the retail side as well.

"Having been on both sides of the return counter," this person says, "I have to say that niceness really counts. You've been waiting in line for an hour but they have been standing there for five. Try to be courteous, and if you have a gift receipt, have it ready. If not, be patient and allow the staff to do their job."

And from Michael, "I hope consumers make exchanges this year instead of asking for cash refunds. I was in retail sales all my life, and I can tell you too many cash refunds could shut the doors on your favorite store."

Remember, we want to hear from you, so just log on to CNN.com/fredricka to share your comments and we'll get them on the air just like we did those two.

Overseas, Iran. Defiant and dissmissive. The U.S. and other world leaders committed and determined to stand off over Iran's nuclear program.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The White House is warning Iran to take seriously a year-end deadline over its nuclear program, but there's more defiance from Iran. Now the U.S. and other world powers are weighing sanctions. We get more now from White House correspondent Dan Lothian.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's Iran's gift to the U.S. and the U.N. -- more defiance, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dismissing a year-end deadline to swap its stockpile of enriched uranium, which could be used to build a bomb, for nuclear fuel intended for peaceful purposes.

Speaking to supporters, Ahmadinejad said the West can give Iran "as many deadlines as they want. We don't care," then added, "Who are they anyway?"

The White House has been preparing sanctions in case Iran doesn't abandon its nuclear ambitions.

(on camera): So, it's clear to the White House now that Iran's not going to back down?

ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Well, that's an Iranian decision. We have offered them a different path. If they decide not to take it, then the American -- our delegation, with the P5 plus one, will move accordingly.

LOTHIAN: Iran continues to insist that it has no intention of building a nuclear weapon, Ahmadinejad repeating that claim to ABC's Diane Sawyer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, ABC NEWS)

MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, IRANIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): You should say something only once. We have said once that we don't want nuclear bomb. We don't accept it. Finished.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LOTHIAN: Iran's president also shot down a document in a British report

LOTHIAN: Iran's president also shot down a document in a British report, reporting to show plans to test a trigger for a nuclear weapon. He says they are fabricated and disseminated by the American government, and fundamentally not true. But the U.S. and some of its allies believe Iran is trying to weaponize its nuclear program and that it's time for Iran to live up to its responsibilities.

(on camerea): China and Russia have resisted tougher sanctions in favor of more time to give talks a chance. What happens next could be a crucial test. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says that the deadline is real, and that Iran should take it as seriously as the U.S. is.

Dan Lothian, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: U.S. negotiators in Geneva say no deal this year with Russia. The two countries have been working on a new nuclear arms control treaty, and negotiators had hoped to have it signed, sealed and delivered by the end of the year. Now, they say they hope to finalize it next month. The old treaty expired 18 days ago.

Physical fights are part of life for some Chicago teens. Now, a program is helping them deal with conflicts in a constructive way.

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WHITFIELD: Changing lives with the stroke of a pedal. Two New Yorkers are on a mission to build and design bikes made out of bamboo. Their success could make all the difference for people half a world away in Ghana, Africa. Photojournalist Bob Bikel takes us on a ride.

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JUSTIN AGUINALDO (ph), BIKE MESSENGER/DESIGNER: My name is Justin Aguinaldo (ph), and I am a bike messenger and bike designer. It's very stressful. There's a lot to worry about. There's a lot to be afraid of. I ride around all day. And I wouldn't want it any other way, really.

I've messengered on aluminum, I've messengered on steel, I've messengered on different types of steel. Now, I ride a bamboo bike.

Bamboo bikes are important because bamboo bikes are probably the cheapest way to make bikes. Steel bikes right now are made in China and they're sent to Ghana for instance, cost over $100. There's many things that factor into that high cost. Making bamboo bikes locally addresses a lot of them.

I went to Ghana to do some logistics for the factory we're hoping to start. It was really interesting to see how people lived and how the bicycle impacted them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We actually want people to be the engineers.

AGUINALDO: You're able to reduce the cost of the bicycle by half. As the cost comes down, the market just explodes.

If you're on a bicycle, you can effectively move five times as fast. If you actually sort of calculate that out, you get roughly 27 times the area you have access to, or 27 times the economic opportunity, 27 times the health care opportunities, 27 times the educational opportunities.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's really just making it more stable.

AGUINALDO: Maybe they can sell twice as many goods at the market, and they can increase their income twice as much.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're not just giving them fish, we're teaching them how to fish.

AGUINALDO: What we're giving is the technology that was developed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is to wrap around the joints. AGUINALDO: We'll be able to set up, like, a really efficient factory that makes these great bikes for, like, an incredibly low cost.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want them to contribute, not just with their labor but also with their ideas.

AGUINALDO: We're giving access to cheap bicycles that isn't dependent on anybody else, just dependent on the people that make the bikes. That will increase access to bicycles and improve a whole lot of people's standard of living.

I really miss my bamboo bike when I don't have it.

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WHITFIELD: That is really extraordinary. You can hear more about the Bamboo Bike Project in CNN's hour-long special "Giving in Focus." That's Christmas Day, 1:00 p.m. Eastern. You can also catch an encore presentation on December 26th, the day after Christmas, 3:00 p.m. Eastern.

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WHITIFIELD: Lots of people wonder why do teens fight? Well, for many of them, it comes down to reputation. But one group is trying to help teens cope with violence by changing how they deal with conflict. Here now is T.J. Holmes.

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T.J. HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): How many in this group, and you can give me a show of hands if you want to, how many of you all have been in the past year, have been in a fight, physical altercation of some kind? All five of you in the past year have been in a fight of some kind.

HOLMES (voice-over): For these Chicago teens, fighting is a way of life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's like that every day at school. There is not a day you don't see somebody bumping someone and not getting into an argument over petty stuff.

HOLMES: Not an accidental bump, but a move meant to intimidate.

HOLMES (on camera): Why is it so important to be big man on campus?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you are a big guy, you try to keep that reputation. So if somebody bump you, you will automatically say something to them, because you are going to feel like you just got treated like a punk. HOLMES: Has anything gotten more serious?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Once I got jumped, I was by myself, and I found myself fighting 15 girls. And then they said "We will spare your life today" and that scared me.

HOLMES (voice-over): What these Chicago teens tell us is not unusual. In fact, nearly 40 percent of Chicago public school students were involved in a physical fight.

LILA LEFF, FOUNDER, UMOJA STUDENT DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION: High school is about young people scrambling for power and influence.

HOLMES: Lila Leff leads a program that in part tries to stem teen violence. She says kids are vying for power and prestige everywhere.

LEFF: In some high schools, the currency is how much money your parents makes, or what car you're going to drive when you're 16, or what college are you going to get into because you're taking five AP classes. And in some cases the currency is your representation.

HOLMES: Because for many of these teens, a representation is all you have -- 85 percent of the Chicago students live below the poverty line. Gangs, guns, and drugs are all too common in poor neighborhoods.

HOLMES (on camera): Have you all witnessed some kind of violence, shootings?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I've seen my brother.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It happens every day and mostly over petty stuff.

HOLMES (voice-over): For these teens, the daily threat of violence is all too real.

HOLMES (on camera): You all have to carry -- you carry stuff around when you are outside?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I do.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Of course. If you don't carry --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You might as well lay down, and dig your grave yourself.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What don't carry?

HOLMES: What do you carry?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I carry a taser and mace.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I carry a mace, box cutters, and scissors.

HOLMES (voice-over): These teens have developed a tough exterior in order to survive.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If I told my mom I got into an argument with a girl, "you didn't fight her? Get your scared self out of my face, then.

HOLMES: An attitude youth violence expert Dr. Karl Bell says is no surprise.

DR. CARL BELL, PSYCHIATRIST: The parents are scared something will happen to the kid, and that fear turns into anger and the anger gets transferred to the kid, and the kid is told defend yourself, because if you are a punk, people are going to try you.

Less' program tries to change that thinking. Teaching students leadership skills to help resolve conflicts without fighting. These give teens say it's helping them.

Amber was suspended 15 times for getting into fights during her freshman year. Now a junior she said she worked hard to keep trouble at bay.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So I start looking at a lot of situations different, I start looking at a lot of fights different. Like, when people coming to me, I'm like -- think. When we're arguing, I'll be thinking in my mind, like, OK, is fighting her really worth it? You're going to get 10 days out of school. And it's not even worth it.

HOLMES: T.J. Holmes, CNN, Atlanta.

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WHITFIELD: Many Chicago students face a threat of violence simply walking to and from school. So, T.J. will take that trip with two of those students tomorrow.

I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

CNN NEWSROOM continues with Tony Harris.