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Desperate for Help From Storm; Closed for the Holidays; Defending Caylee's Mom
Aired December 20, 2008 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: It is not winter yet, at least not officially, but don't try to tell that to people across a huge section of the country.
Hello, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye, in tonight for Don Lemon.
From the Pacific Northwest, all the way to the Northeast and into New England, the story is cold temps, gusty winds, and a lot of places forecast for more heavy snow. Parts of Washington State could see blizzard conditions tonight, up to two inches of snow per hour.
Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire could see high winds and up to eight inches of wet snow in areas that already receive several inches last night. And people in the Midwest won't get spared. There is a blizzard warning posted for people living in parts of Iowa and in Minnesota.
The early winter blast arrives with thousands of people in New Hampshire still in the dark with no power because of last week's devastating ice storm. Crews there are working overtime to make repairs, but Kria Sakakeeny of CNN affiliate WMUR reports people in one community are getting desperate.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRIA SAKAKEENY, REPORTER, WMUR (voice-over): It's a sight that's supposed to bring joy to folks without power, but some are so desperate for help, they are taking desperate measures.
BOB SCHOENBERGER, UNITIL SPOKESMAN: We have actually had a citizen drive one of our crews off the road to stop them. We have actually had someone climb onto the back of one of our bucket trucks and refuse to get off.
SAKAKEENY: Bob Schoenberger of Unitil met with sea coast police chiefs about the growing threat to line crews. They have even placed a police officer outside their Kensington operation center where angry customers have come demanding power.
CHIEF WAYNE SHEEHAN, KENSINGTON POLICE: I was pounding on the door and really, really angry and upset. And the officer that I had on duty at that particular time called for a backup unit.
SAKAKEENY: The anger loud and clear from these signs in Exeter, where residents have gone eight days in the dark.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The people are frustrated and angry and impatient, and they want some answers.
SAKAKEENY: Unitil has 35 trucks out there, up from the normal seven, and crews are working around-the-clock shifts.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You work for 17 hours and you get seven hours' rest.
SAKAKEENY: Unitel says their goal now and in the future is to make sure towns are better informed about where and when crews will be working. As Kensington's police chief found, information and lending an ear are the best solutions.
SHEEHAN: And near the end of the conversation, the general was near tears. And you can't blame him, because he wants to get his life back to normal.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAYE: We turn now to the economic storm battering the auto industry. Canadian government officials today stepped forward and pledged about $3 billion in short-term loans for the Canadian subsidiaries of U.S. automakers. Canada's prime minister said the money must be used wisely.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN HARPER, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: Today's announcement is not a blank check. Canadian taxpayers expect their money will be used to restructure and renew the automotive industry in this country. They expect all stakeholders, and I emphasize all stakeholders, will come to the table and work together toward sustainable, long-term solutions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: The prime minister said the U.S. and Canada cannot afford a catastrophic collapse of the auto industry.
Canada's decision follows Friday's move by President Bush to offer help to U.S. automakers. He announced a rescue plan that would give GM and Chrysler more than $13 billion in short-term loans. The CEO of GM expressed gratitude to the government.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK WAGONER, CEO, GENERAL MOTORS: On behalf of the entire GM team, I want to thank the administration for extending a financial bridge to the U.S. auto industry and to our nation's economy. This action will help to preserve many jobs and support the continued operation of GM and the many suppliers, dealers and small businesses across the country that depend on our economy and our industry.
(END VIDEO CLIP) KAYE: In a statement, Chrysler's CEO, Bob Nardelli, said, "We intend to be accountable for this loan, including meeting the specific requirements set forth by the government. And we'll continue to implement our plan for long-term viability."
Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally had this to say: "Ford is in a different position. We do not face a near-term liquidity issue and we are not seeking short-term financial assistance from the government. But all of us at Ford appreciate the prudent step the administration has taken to address the near-term liquidity issues of GM and Chrysler."
Despite yesterday's White House announcement of a bailout loan plan, every Chrysler plant in the country was shut down for the holidays after its last shift last night. And they are not going to reopen for at least a month. You'd think that might worry some car dealers, but as our Chris Lawrence explains, some are actually happy about it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Some people hear "shutdown" and think the sky is falling, that Chrysler is closing up shop. But some dealers welcome the news.
HOWARD SELLZ, OWNER, BIG VALLEY DODGE CHRYSLER: I think it's a good economic move.
LAWRENCE: Howard Sellz says he and other dealers are having trouble moving the inventory they already have, and he pays a fee every day these cars sit on his lot. Since Chrysler extended the normal two- week holiday break to a full month, that means fewer cars being delivered.
SELLZ: And everything that's in shorter supply is more in demand.
LAWRENCE: That's not to say he's doing well.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Guillermo to the showroom.
LAWRENCE: Chrysler says its dealers are losing 25 percent of potential sales because customers who want a new car can't get financing. Since the summer's credit crunch, Big Valley says their sales are down 60 percent.
(on camera): How do you cope with losing that kind of revenue?
SELLZ: We have to cut expenses. We had 109 employees at the beginning of the year. We are down to 78. And I probably have to make a few more cuts. I've been here 43 years and I've never seen anything like this.
LAWRENCE (voice-over): Sellz says the uncertainty over whether Chrysler gets a federal loan is killing what little business is left. And even though he thinks it's a good economic move, he's worried the shutdown will make customers think the worst.
SELLZ: We've got people whoa re coming in talking to us, "Well, I'm going to wait to see if you guys go into bankruptcy."
LAWRENCE (on camera): The dealers tell me various pent-up demand for new cars. And if consumers can get credit, they may be able to weather this storm next year.
Chris Lawrence, CNN, Van Nuys, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Now here's a look at some other money matters in the headlines.
Polaroid is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company says it will continue to ship products to retailers while it restructures its finances.
AAA reports gas prices are averaging $1.67 for regular unleaded. Five months ago, the price was more than $4 a gallon.
And federal regulators have approved new consumer-friendly rules for credit card companies scheduled to take in effect in 2010.
Defending Caylee's mom. The remains of Casey Anthony's daughter have now been identified. The defense lawyers have their work cut out for them.
Plus, she has got the name, but does she have the chops? Caroline Kennedy takes on her critics.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Little Caylee Anthony had been missing since June. Her mother is suspected of the unthinkable, but there wasn't any proof of foul play in Caylee's disappearance until now, perhaps.
Jessica D'Onofrio from our Orlando, Florida, affiliate WKMG reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. JAN GARAVAGLIA, ORANGE COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER: With regret, I'm here to inform you that the skeletal remains found on December 11th are those of the missing toddler Caylee Anthony.
JESSICA D'ONOFRIO, REPORTER, WKMG (voice-over): The confirmation is chilling to hear. Little Caylee Anthony never made it to her 3rd birthday she would have celebrated back in August.
GARAVAGLIA: This identification was made by nuclear DNA taken from a portion of the remains and compared to a known profile of Caylee Anthony.
D'ONOFRIO: Her little bones have been mostly recovered, according to medical examiner Dr. Jan Garavaglia. She's ruled the child's death a homicide by undetermined means.
GARAVAGLIA: Toxicology testing is still to be completed on the bone and the hair. While this analysis may prove to be informative, it will be difficult to interpret levels from these specimens, and thus will not be definitive in helping determine the cause of death.
D'ONOFRIO: A forensic expert tells Local 6 that it would have only taken two weeks for a child's body to completely skeletonize during a typical Florida summer. So even if the body would have been discovered back in August, it's likely a cause of death would still be hard to determine, especially since investigators believe the child's mother, Casey, dumped the body back in June.
STEVE IBISON, SPECIAL AGENT-IN-CHARGE, FBI: It's a tough thing for even the most seasoned investigators to deal with.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: CNN's all-platform journalist John Couwels is in Fort Lauderdale for us tonight working this story.
And John, I understand the police have just finished searching the crime scene.
JOHN COUWELS, CNN ALL-PLATFORM JOURNALIST: Yes, they did, Randi. They finished up this afternoon at about 3:00, and they advised the defense, which was -- Jose Baez (ph) was very insistent in the court, and even filed a request with the court that they have the opportunity to go after the crime scene, but they were notified by the Orange County Sheriff's Office that they would be completing their search this afternoon. But the defense decided to not show up in a surprise move.
They decided not to search the crime scene, but they had also figured that the cause (ph) of the crime scene was completely torn apart. And it had been searched through for over nine days. I guess they didn't -- had not been able to go back to it and didn't think there was any effort to it, in searching through it.
But this afternoon, at 3:30, the Orange County sheriffs for the third time served a search warrant on the Anthony home. They arrived at 3:30, and currently investigators are in the home. Cindy and George Anthony are present while investigators search through the home.
KAYE: Any idea what they might be looking for, John? Because there's been some talk that if the remains were in a plastic bag, they might be looking for possibly a plastic bag or garbage bag to match the marks on the bag with the batch that would be found in the Anthony home with what was found at the scene.
COUWELS: No. Captain Nimez (ph) said that -- all he would say was that evidence, they were searching for evidence. And he would not elaborate any further.
But the sheriff's office did, a week ago Friday, spend from 11:00 at night until 2:00 in the morning searching the home, and took out several bags of material from the home -- vacuum cleaners, carpet cleaners, and many other items that we don't know the specifics of what was in there. But Captain Nimez (ph) said they are just continuing their investigation. KAYE: Another big question, really, is the fact that no soft tissue was found on these remains. So, we know that this was a homicide, according to authorities, but they can't tell us specifically how Caylee Anthony died. So the defense may then go ahead and say it might have been an accident.
So this really could prevent a challenge for prosecutors. Any insight on that?
COUWELS: No. Dr. G., the medical examiner in Orange County, has said they were going to continue with the toxicology reports, searching through, but they wouldn't be able to exactly know. They may be able to say if maybe chloroform could be found or other chemicals possibly could be seen in the blood, or within the bone matter that was recovered, but they would never be able to definitively say that it was an ultimate cause of death because they would not be able to tell the level of toxicity that could have been present in the body. So they said it would be tough for the forensic specialist to ultimately determine the cause of death.
KAYE: Is there anything more that we should know about the meter reader who apparently saw this bag of remains in the area, possibly as many as three times before authorities actually came out and looked at it? Anything else we should know about him?
COUWELS: Yes, Roy Kronk yesterday came out with his attorney and made a very brief statement. Basically saying that he was going to cooperate with investigators. He had been speaking with them, would continue to be cooperative, but that he had no connection to the family or to Casey Anthony or the disappearance.
His attorney also said that he's being a concerned citizen, but those are the exact same words that investigators with the county sheriffs have said, that he was just a concerned citizen that was working the area, had seen the bag, and had tried on three occasions in August to notify investigators that he saw this. But he had been reassigned to a different area. And when he was reassigned back into the neighborhood of the Anthony family, he, I guess out of curiosity, went back -- we don't know definitively why he went back into the woods, but that's when he saw the bag and lifted it up, and a skull rolled out. And that's when he notified his officials and the authorities.
KAYE: Right. All right. John Couwels for us on the ground there, our all-platform journalist in Fort Lauderdale tonight.
Thank you, John.
Are we in for another Senator Kennedy? Lots of talk tonight about whether Caroline Kennedy has the political chops. Plus, lots of pressure.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Checking in now on the president-elect.
Barack Obama named four people today to top science posts in his administration, then headed off to his boyhood home for the holidays. Obama, wife Michelle and their two daughters will be spending Christmas in Hawaii, where Obama spent much of his younger years.
Yesterday, Obama wrapped up a busy week of cabinet appointments by naming Democratic Congresswoman Hilda Solis to be his labor secretary, and he nominated Republican Congressman Ray LaHood to be his transportation secretary.
Meantime, well-known pastor Rick Warren is thanking Obama for inviting him to give the invocation at next month's inauguration. Warren is both pro-life and anti-gay marriage.
And some of Obama's liberal political supporters are upset that he's playing such a high-profile role. Obama says many points of view will be represented at his inauguration.
There is still no winner in the Minnesota Senate race. And it may not be until the new year when they know who won.
Challenger Al Franken has pulled ahead of incumbent U.S. Senator Norm Coleman in the recount of the November election ballots, but there are still around 5,000 ballots to be counted next week. Then there could be more legal challenges before anyone can actually declare a winner.
In New York, as a sign that Caroline Kennedy wants to fill Hillary Clinton's Senate seat, Kennedy has provided "The New York Times" with a brief outline of her positions on some very key issues. They include abortion, immigration, same-sex marriage and a host of others.
But as CNN's Mary Snow tells us, Kennedy may first have to explain her own spotty record as a voter.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Should Caroline Kennedy be appointed to Hillary Clinton's Senate seat, she will need to ask fellow New Yorkers to vote for her in 2010. But Caroline Kennedy is facing scrutiny for not always voting herself in a number of elections.
Her spokesman acknowledged she has not voted on a handful of occasions in the last two decades and noted, "Caroline Kennedy recognizes just how important it is to vote." It's the kind of personal detail that will Caroline Kennedy the candidate should expect won't go ignored, and it made its way into newspapers Friday.
The daughter of the former president eased her way into the public spotlight this week as she made her interest in the Senate seat known.
CAROLINE KENNEDY, DAUGHTER OF JOHN F. KENNEDY: Times are tough and I feel if I have something to offer, I'd love to continue.
SNOW: With Kennedy grabbing headlines and public attention, some political observers wonder how much room Governor David Paterson has to make his pick among the roughly dozen other contenders for the Senate seat. DOUG MUZZIO, BARUCH COLLEGE: The attempt is to make it so public that it would be very difficult for Paterson to make a decision other than Caroline Kennedy. It is this inevitability strategy.
SNOW: One local political leader who met and endorsed Caroline Kennedy on Thursday admits her efforts to seek support and heavy media attention does drown out many of her possible competitors, but says Kennedy's rollout is perfectly timed.
VITO LOPEZ (D), N.Y. STATE ASSEMBLYMAN: With four or five weeks to go to make the appointment it was perfect timing. She's nominating the press, she's reaching out, she's energized and she's traveling throughout the state and doing it seven days a week. I think it's a perfect strategy.
SNOW (on camera): How damaging is it that Kennedy didn't vote in some elections? As one political observer puts it, "It doesn't have major significance, but it clearly isn't positive that the first-time candidate comes under the microscope."
Mary Snow, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: The governor talks, but he doesn't answer questions. Meantime, the questions keep on growing.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: A quick update on some of our top stories.
More help for U.S. automakers. The Canadian government is offering more than $3 billion in short-term loans to Canadian subsidiaries of U.S. automakers. The moves comes a day after President Bush announced more than $17 billion in emergency loans to General Motors and Chrysler. Both governments say the loans depend on the automakers making big changes in the way they do business.
And the weather is getting frightful -- yes, we said it -- across the northern U.S. From Washington State through the Midwest and into New England, it is subfreezing temperatures out there. Gusty winds, and in some areas heavy snow, and even blizzard conditions.
Could California's Proposition 8 end thousands of same-sex marriages? Backers of the plan asked the state's highest court to nullify all the same-sex marriages that took place before the initiative was passed, but they have some tough opposition. California's attorney general wants the ban tossed out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JERRY BROWN, CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL: So it's our belief -- and we have looked at this thing very carefully -- that the court should strike down Proposition 8.
(END VIDEO CLIP) KAYE: Prop 8 supporters have added some high-powered help to their legal team. Ken Starr, the lawyer who crusaded against President Clinton in the Monica Lewinksky affair will serve as the lead counsel.
And be sure to tune in tomorrow to the CNN NEWSROOM at 5:00 Eastern, when Attorney General Jerry Brown joins Fredricka Whitfield live to talk more about his plans to fight Proposition 8.
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich did more jogging than talking after the feds released parts of their wiretap conversations, conversations that suggest the governor was trying to sell Barack Obama's Senate seat. But the governor traded in his jogging suit for a real suit and spoke about the case.
Here's CNN's Brian Todd.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GOV. ROD BLAGOJEVICH (D), ILLINOIS: I'm here to tell you right off the bat that I am not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing, that I intend to stay on the job, and I will fight this thing every step of the way.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A spirited rebuttal from the besieged governor of Illinois to allegations of misconduct. Rod Blagojevich says he is dying to answer the charges, but will only do so in a court of law.
And after taking broadsides for ten days, he fired back.
BLAGOJEVICH: I'm dying to answer the charges. I'm dying to show you how innocent I am. And I want to assure everyone who is here and everyone who is listening that I intend to answer every allegation that comes my way. However, I intend to answer them in the appropriate forum, in a court of law. And when I do, I am absolutely certain that I will be vindicated.
TODD: Prosecutors contend Blagojevich was trying to sell Barack Obama's vacant senate seat to the highest bidder. When they tapped his conversation, this is what they heard him say.
PATRICK FITZGERALD, PROSECUTING ATTORNEY: Quote, "It is a bleeping valuable thing. It is something you don't just give away for nothing."
TODD: But an attorney on Blagojevich's defense teams says regardless of what prosecutors can prove the governor said, it is action that counts.
SAMUEL ADAMS JR., ATTORNEY FOR BLAGOJEVICH: From what I have see so far, a lot of the conversations that claim to be made are sitting in a complaint somewhere, but I have not seen one single action. Point out to me one single action that's in the criminal complaint here that says the governor did anything. Maybe there was talk.
TODD: But not everyone thinks the defense can work in court. ROBERT BENNETT, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: When a jury hears you on tape saying things like, this governor said, there's not much hope. And his best hope is to try to work out some sort of a bargain with the prosecutor so he's not in jail for 25 to 30 years.
TODD: Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: As it stands now, there are two things in play. On one hand, Blagojevich says he is not quitting. On the other, there's an effort to impeach him.
Joel Levin is a former federal prosecutor, joining us from Chicago.
Good to see you, Joel.
How strong is the federal case?
JOEL LEVIN, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: I think only time will tell. At this point, the government has filed its complaint. The affidavit contains information about their case, but we don't know the entire case at this point. We are not going to know it for some time.
By the same token, we don't have the entire defense in front of us yet, either. The defense has not had an opportunity to review the entire transcripts to see all the wiretaps.
I really think we have to with hold judgment at this point and Mr. Blagojevich will get his day in court. The government's case will be aired. Only then will we determine the strength of the case.
KAYE: We have heard snippets from the case that investigators have, but this is just things that he had said. They still have to back it up in the investigation with actions, things he actually did, correct?
LEVIN: Well, one of the charges here is conspiracy. You have to keep in mind that a conspiracy is basically an agreement amongst people to commit some illegal action. There is -- you need some action to have been committed in furtherance of the conspiracy, but the affidavit does allege that the governor gave direction to certain individuals, that there were certain conversations conducted in furtherance of the conspiracy. The government alleged it was more of a mere talk.
As I said, at the end of the day, we'll have to wait to see what the government can prove in court, what Mr. Blagojevich's defense is before we really conclude whether or not he has committed any crimes.
KAYE: Were you surprised in his defiance yesterday at the press conference?
LEVIN: Well, I don't think it should come as any surprise to anyone that Mr. Blagojevich is not speaking about the allegations, other than that to deny them at this point. He is a defendant in a criminal case. He has counsel. His counsel indicated he will vigorously -- that he's vigorously fighting the charges. So, you know, I expected his counsel advising him, we are going to defend this in a court of law. A press conference is not an appropriate place for us to defend the charges against you. We will wait until the final charges have been filed by the government and then we'll defend you in a court of law. So, no, I don't think that should come as any surprise to anyone.
KAYE: Because all he really said is he has the most powerful ally on his side, which is truth and he's innocent, but he gave no details on how to defend himself or what his defense is.
LEVIN: Right. That's the case. We have to keep in mind, not only is he a political figure and, of course, the impeachment proceedings are going on, but also he's a criminal defendant and he's presumed innocent just like any other criminal deft defendant. And he has the same rights. And as I indicated, he has counsel who indicated they will be vigorously fighting the charges. But they...
KAYE: How do you fight the charges like this, though? How do you defend against evidence on tape?
LEVIN: Well, as his lawyer has indicated, they don't have the entire tapes, in terms of what was said and what people intended. So, we do not have the entire picture at this point. We are not going to have it for a while. The fact that some statements were made on tape does not mean anyone is guilty of anything.
On the other hand, we are going to have to wait and see how the whole thing plays out in court.
LEVIN: You know we'll be doing that. It is a fascinating case to keep track of.
Thank you, Joel Levin, former federal prosecutor, for joining us tonight. LEVIN: Thank you.
KAYE: They gave their lives for his country, now he is giving something back to them. We'll talk to the man behind the wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back, everyone. More U.S. troops are going to be heading to Afghanistan next year. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says as many as 30,000 troops could be sent there by the summertime. That would almost double the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan. Admiral Mike Mullen says the build-up is needed to counter the growing Taliban threat. He made the comments during a visit to Kabul.
The Worcester Wreath Company in Harrington, Maine, is a busy place this time of the year. But each year since 1992 the company has gone above and beyond the call of duty, providing free, fresh wreaths for thousands of graves at Arlington National Cemetery. Since then, the gesture has grown into a national tradition called Wreaths Across America. The man behind it is company president, Morrill Worcester, and he's joining us by phone.
Good evening to you, sir.
MORRILL WORCESTER, PRESIDENT, WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA: Good evening, ma'am.
KAYE: You are doing wonderful work out there. How did you get started doing this?
WORCESTER: Well, again, you said it started in 1992...
KAYE: What made you decide to expand and do what you are doing?
WORCESTER: Well, actually, if you go away from the beginning, we had wreaths leftover in '92. We had a very good year, but we had a bunch of wreaths leftover that were nice and fresh. I thought about what to do with them, and, you know, as a boy, a paperboy here in Maine, I won a trip to Washington. One of the sites that I saw was Arlington National Cemetery. When I had those wreaths leftover, I just thought it would be nice if I could get permission to put them on the graves.
KAYE: As we look at these pictures of families and loved ones visiting the graves, tell us what the wreaths symbolize as we watch them lay them here.
WORCESTER: Well, you know, the wreath symbolizes victory and honor and respect and so on. But, you know, a Christmas wreath really is something that's traditional for a family to decorate with. So it just has extra meaning, I think.
KAYE: Do you do this for all veterans or for mainly the older veterans?
WORCESTER: Well, at Arlington, the area we decorate is one that would be picked out by the superintendent of the cemetery. He generally picks out the older areas that don't get much attention anymore.
KAYE: This must be very emotional, I would imagine, even for the volunteers to bring the wreaths to the graves?
WORCESTER: Yeah, I think it is.
KAYE: What do they tell you?
WORCESTER: Well, you know, it has now become something that -- maybe the pictures will show -- that there are a lot of families that go to Arlington, and they will take a couple wreaths and go and spend some time decorating just a couple graves and reflect on that. You know, I don't know really what to say, but it is...
KAYE: How does it work? Does the family request a wreath from you or how does...
WORCESTER: No, actually, you just show up at Arlington. And over the years, the very first year, there was 12 of us. This year there were over 5,000 volunteers. So it is continuing to grow. We are just tickled that it has.
KAYE: And if someone wanted to get involved with your group, how should they go about doing that?
WORCESTER: Well, you can give us a call. Or you can go on our web site at www.wreathsacrossamerica.org. On there, you will see there's a wealth of information about the program.
KAYE: All right. I'm sure plenty of people will do that after watching the segment tonight.
Morrill Worcester, president of Wreaths Across America, thank you so much. Continue your happy work and have a happy holiday.
WORCESTER: You too.
KAYE: Thank you.
WORCESTER: Bye, now.
KAYE: Who is naughty, who is nice, and who is broke? It might be old Saint Nick. Even Santa's feeling the pinch these days. Will you get a lump of coal in your stocking?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: The foreclosure crisis in America is creating a new breed of criminal, the homeowner turned vandal. Trashing the House prior to eviction which is a disturbing sign of the times. It is so bad some banks are offering money if they don't damage the property.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM APPLIGIAN, REALTOR: The day before being evicted, they call the bank, said they would accept the money, the bank said it was too late, they got angry, and what you see here is what they did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: The homeowner could have had $2,000 if he accepted the bank's offer sooner. Now, he faces possible criminal charges for vandalism.
We keep hearing how the economy is affecting everyone. As a sign of the times, we wondered if Santa Claus is also feeling the pinch. Josh Levs decided to check it out for us.
JOSH LEVS, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: You have to hope he's not, right?
KAYE: I hope not.
LEVS: He's got to stay jolly for the rest of us.
KAYE: Yeah.
LEVS: Here's the thing. We checked this out and paid a visit to a mall here in Atlanta where we found out -- we'll be happy about this -- Santa and his cookie jar are doing pretty much as well as ever.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS (voice-over): Every year he makes his appearances at mat malls across the U.S. at a time when many people are cutting back, million properties like this one in Atlanta, feel Santa is a crucial part to the marketing strategy.
DEWAYNE HERBERT, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING, LENOX SQUARE MALL: Santa brings to the experience that I think shoppers look for during the holiday season. And most of the malls have a Santa. This particular Santa that we have at Lenox is very special. He's been around 12 to 13 years. Customers and shoppers get accustomed to the Santa of their choice, and every year that's the holiday tradition.
LEVS: Little Payton had her first photo with Santa, joining the Keroack family tradition.
RENEE KEROACK, MOTHER OF PAYTON: We grew up here in Atlanta and been coming to the Santa at Lenox all my life. I think my grandfather helped to build this mall, so it is in the family.
LEVS: Cousin Henry gave Santa his list.
SANTA CLAUS: It's the children. If you didn't like the children, you couldn't come in here and sit for 10 or 11 hours a day and talk. The kids make it fun.
LEVS: Of course, there is a practical benefit.
SANTA CLAUS: Santa works for cookies and milk and carrots for the reindeer.
LEVS: Is it's a bit more than that. According one expert, Santa can make quite a few cookies, anywhere from minimum wage to $175 an hour.
DR. AL LEE, WWW.PAYSCALE.COM: This is mostly driven by national photography companies who provide the Santas to the national malls.
LEVS: Specialty companies like the Noerr Program Corporation.
JUDY NOERR, PRINCIPAL & PRESIDENT, NOERR PROGRAMS CORP.: We are here at a year-round operation. We have 18 people during the year, full- time people, at our corporate headquarters. And then we gear up practically overnight to around 2,000 people for Christmas.
LEVS: She says her company hired a few more Santas than last year. How much each makes depends on a few factors.
NOEER: Some Santas get a lot of cookies, and some Santas, a few cookies. It really -- a lot of it depends on the personna that Santa has and how he builds his reporte with the people.
LEVS: From the smiles on the faces around him, it looks like Santa could be one person who won't have to tighten his belt this year.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Santa is doing well.
LEVS: Pretty well.
KAYE: So, Josh, you would think there's a lot of competition out there to get those Santa jobs, bring them all those cookies? What inspiring Santa?
LEVS: There is some serious competition to get to be Santa. Of course, the one and only.
Let's put it this way, Santa has a real beard. Dr. Al Lee, who you just saw in that piece, told us that's one you saw in the biggest things because kids can tell the difference. Also, Santa has a full real face. There's no pillow tucked into the shirt. He has the real Santa build. He is Santa 24/7 for the whole holiday season. Santa does not get spotted being un-Santa like at a restaurant or anything else.
Randi, one more thing, for that matter. Santa has a good health insurance plan because kids are crawling all over him, tugging at him, sneezing, coughing, whatever else. Santa knows how to not get sick.
KAYE: Did you ever pull on a beard? I think I tried that once.
LEVS: Did you really?
KAYE: I actually cried the first time I sat on Santa's lap. I was nervous. But then I liked it. I was very little. I have a picture.
LEVS: Did you really? Bring that in tomorrow. Can you bring that in tomorrow?
KAYE: Maybe. If my mom can gives it to me.
LEVS: Send us yours at iReport.
KAYE: There you go, pictures on Santa's lap.
LEVS: Yeah, it'll be cute.
KAYE: All right, thank you, Josh. Appreciate it.
LEVS: Thanks. You got it.
KAYE: Do you want to get in some better shape? Of course you do, but we all know it is not so easy until now. Dr. Sanjay Gupta shows you how to Google your way to better health. Log on and get fit. Who knew?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: So we all Google to find the lost lyrics or maybe the perfect gift, but now Google can actually help you get fit. CNN's senior medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, explains how in this week's "Fit Nation."
(FIT NATION)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Many U.S. military units in Iraq and Afghanistan rely on highly-trained dogs to help detect explosives and locate bodies. But the grueling desert environment can take a toll on those dogs. CNN Photojournalist Jeremy Morehead recently visited the founder of Canine Support, which collects donated items for military dogs and sends them overseas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AMY NICHOLS, FOUNDER & CEO, DOGTOPIA: Today we are packing up care packages to send overseas. We are sending four boxes to Iraq. We are sending four to Afghanistan.
I'm Amy Nichols, the founder and CEO of Dogtopia.
Everybody loves dogs. The canine care package is a little bit of everything. Rope toys are very popular. Just give them a little more comfort in their everyday life.
Their pads can get very raw, which is one of the reasons we include the pad balm. Another popular items are the Doggles.
This Asha, a female german shepherd. She's riding into a vehicle that's open. There's a chance of debris and sand getting in her eyes.
Most of the physical donations are dog-related. People really enjoy going out and purchasing items for the dogs.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is some dog cheese that I'm going to send. I have one dog. I love animals, and so I knew I wanted to do something to help. We are trying to participate in a community service. I have chosen to support military working dogs and their handlers who are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are working in harsh conditions. I received enough supplies to send out four boxes and I also raised over $800.
Basically, what I want to do is not only give them what they need to be comfortable, but also give them toys so that they can have fun at the same time.
NICHOLS: I like this toy. What a cool idea. These handlers ask for things for their dogs.
Because they're heavy duty rubber, plus we think they're kind of funny.
Can you send me some rope bones and chew toys.
We spoil dogs. These are real popular. They are fire hoses. Wherever the military dogs are, we want to make sure we can support them. This is a teeny tiny gesture we can do to make the holiday season a little more pleasant.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: How nice. If you would like to donate to Canine Support, find the web site by Googling Dogtopia Canine Support.
Tonight at 11:00 p.m., the financial scandal involving former head of NASDAQ, Bernard Madoff. He built investors out of $50 billion. How did he get away with this? And what lessons can we learn to protect our own investments? We will get some answers.
And the disappearance of little Caylee Anthony is now a homicide case. We'll show you how the remains were identified and look at how the authorities are making the case against her mother.
I'm Randi Kaye. I'll see you back here at 11:00 p.m.
"After Party: Where do We go from Here" is up next. But first, a check the weather with Chris Smith.
What's the latest, Chris?
CHRIS SMITH, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Still there's still nasty weather up across the Pacific Northwest.
(WEATHER REPORT)
