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Bonanza for Bargain Hunters, Retailers Slash Prices; Gas Prices Steadily Declining; Elderly Man Drives Into Building on Long Island
Aired December 26, 2008 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ALINA CHO, CNN ANCHOR: The day after Christmas, will this be a bonanza for bargain hunters. Retailers are slashing prices and savvy shoppers could cash in. Harsh holiday reality, you're wallet gets thinner. The rest of you, well it doesn't. How to fight the season of excess.
And saving grandma. A 13-year-old takes charge with the poise of a combat surgeon. It's a life and death drama you want to share with others.
Good morning, everybody. So glad you're with us. Heidi Collins is off today. I'm Alina Cho. It's Friday, December 26th. And you're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Your money back in the headlines this morning. We begin with more smiles per gallon. Gas prices drop 0.6 of a cent to a little more than $1.64 a gallon. What a difference a year makes? AAA says that's the lowest national average we've seen in nearly five years.
Bargain hunters start your search engines. Retailers are hoping to salvage a dismal holiday shopping season with deals both online and in stores. Latest estimates, sales dropped as much as eight percent from last year.
And will the glad spread to Wall Street? U.S. markets have been open now for about 30 minutes. And a live look at the big board shows the Dow up 54 -- almost 55 points, nearly 56 points actually to 8525. The Dow was up about 48 points on Christmas Eve. So Hopefully we'll see that rally stick around.
It is the day after Christmas. And retailers are hoping for a big rebound. But with so many bargains so early on this year, how low can retailers go? And will it be enough? CNN's senior correspondent Allan Chernoff at Roosevelt Field Mall on Long Island. You're a great reporter, Allan. Because you found a mall that I haven't been to.
Good morning to you.
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Alina, come on down. And if you do, you'll going to get incredible deals.
Because the question now is not whether retailers can really salvage this season to earn good profits. The question now is can they get rid of the merchandise. 50 percent to 70 percent off over there, Pacific Sun Wear. Over here up to 75 percent off at Bath and Body Works. So the deals are all over. And as I said, the retailers, they've already given up in terms of hoping that this will be a good holiday season. It's passed. It hasn't been good. It's been in fact, one of the worst in decades.
But you know what? Many people and animals still got wonderful presents such as Wilson, the Chihuahua over here. This is Wilson's gift for Christmas, as you see, his little stroller.
And Jennifer, you brought Wilson to the mall?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I did.
CHERNOFF: To what, to help you find some bargains?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I tried to see if he'd wish me some luck. But I'm not really finding too many bargains.
CHERNOFF: You're not finding bargains.
I think maybe your sisters are doing a better good -- Lucy?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're trying. We went into Coach. And there weren't any sales. So we're a little disappointed. We're going to try to hit some more. It's only 25 percent off at the Gap, already discounted item so of course the items I like weren't even discounted. So the sale doesn't really affect it.
CHERNOFF: All right.
Well you know, Alina, I think some people are a little selective in terms of the discounts that they choose to take advantage of. But I can tell you, having walked through the entire mall, there's no doubt that there are major sales over here. It's just a matter of whether or not you can get the shoppers to part with their money. That's been the big challenge for the retailers -- Alina.
CHO: Yes, I mean 75 percent, 80 percent off -- I saw an ad in the newspaper for 80 percent off. I've never seen that before. Allan Chernoff, watching it all for us from the mall.
Great assignment, Allan. Thank you.
Well the dried out Christmas tree gets pitched, the shredded gift wrap gets tossed. But will you keep carrying holiday memories around your waist. How to chart a new course in the new year. That's about ten minutes from now.
First an ice storm, then fierce winds. It was lights out again in parts of New Hampshire. Talk about deja vu. And this happened on Christmas day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARY SOUSA, A&M JUNCTION VARIETY STORE: Your heart stops, because we went through seven days of no power in the store which means a lost for our dairy and ice cream. All that was gone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: For most people yesterday's power outage lasted only a matter of hours. Of the more than 100 communities that went dark, all but three are back online this morning.
To the opposite coast where western Washington state is buried under record snow. Take a look at those pictures. The roof of that high school there in Olympia collapsed under the weight of it all. And no word yet on whether Capitol High will reopen on schedule after the holidays. Kids might like a couple of days off. More storms in store for you, some of you at least. Reynolds Wolf keeping watch in our weather center.
Hey, Reynolds. Good morning to you.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning.
Pretty interesting. You're talking about these deal with parts of the northeast where we have damage due to the wind. That's the northeast and you're showing the snowfall in the northwest. It seems like we're missing something in the middle of the U.S. -- until now. Take a look at this shot from Dallas, Texas, parts of the southern plains. Dallas later on today may be dealing with some strong storms, perhaps the possibility of some large hail, damaging winds, maybe even some tornadoes in the mix. Certainly could be a volatile day for much of the plains.
Let's go right to the weather computer and show you some places where your travel may be dealing with a few issues. In Detroit, you got low clouds, you got freezing rain in Atlanta and Charlotte. You got low clouds of rain. Chicago, Memphis, Houston, you're going to have some issues with some visibility in some places. In Dallas, of course, same story in Denver and phoenix and San Francisco. Could have some problems due to wind. Delays anywhere from say 30 minutes to a full hour.
Now the reason why we're seeing a lot of this activity. One storm system is moving through the Great Lakes and is going to bring those icy conditions possibly in places like Cleveland, perhaps Buffalo, before the day is out. And back we go into portions of the central Rockies where we have is another storm system that's going to bring some heavy snow. To some places just to the southwest of say Colorado springs could see anywhere from three to four feet of snowfall.
But snowdrifts, the wind going to these mountain passes can cause it to pile up in excess of eight feet in some spots. That's a serious snowfall. And then later on today, we're talking about that serious chance of severe weather in parts of the central plains, I would say primarily between the hours of 2:00 and 6:00 is when the storms really could begin to get ramped up. You need to watch out for that if you're in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, maybe as far south as going I-35 into say Austin, maybe even San Antonio or in Little Rock, Arkansas and parts of Missouri, Jefferson City, you may be dealing with some thunder boomers into the early evening.
That's a look at your forecast. Let's send it back to the desk.
CHO: Yes, those people in the middle of the country, both on the left and the right, they're going to have to watch it if they're flying today.
WOLF: No question.
CHO: Reynolds, thank you.
Pakistani troops on the move. Two Pakistani military officials tells CNN that troops have been moved from the Afghan border to the Indian border in anticipation of a possible Indian incursion. Tensions between the two countries have escalated in recent weeks following those terrorist attacks in Mumbai last week. India blames the deadly assault on militants from Pakistan. And in addition to the troop movement, the military has canceled all leave for troops and put all personnel on active duty.
In Afghanistan the U.S. military says its forces killed 11 Taliban militants on Christmas day. It happened in the southern city of Kandahar. The military says the raid targeted militants suspected in bomb attacks that killed NATO soldiers. And in a separate incident two civilian contractors were wounded when a suicide car bomber targeted their convoy in western Afghanistan.
Achieving stability in Afghanistan. What will it take? A report on the situation on the ground is coming up in just a couple of minutes.
The hunt for a California man suspected of a Christmas eve killing spree ends with the discovery of his body. Police believe say they believe he set this fire and killed at least eight people. CNN's Chris Lawrence is on the story now, on the scene in Covina, California.
Hey, Chris, what's the latest?
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Alina, now that the sun is coming up, the search teams can get back to work and get back into what remains of the house. The coroner's team just arrived a couple of minutes ago. They're looking for a ninth person who is still considered missing. But at this point they really don't expect to find anyone alive.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE (voice-over): Just minutes before midnight on Christmas eve, a visitor came to this home intending to burn it down.
CHIEF KIM RANYE, COVINA, CALIFORNIA POLICE: There was a knock at the front door and a gentleman dressed as Santa Claus was at the door carrying a large wrapped package.
LAWRENCE: He carried no gifts, just two guns and a home made flame thrower.
RANYE: An eight-year-old girl at the party ran to the door, open the door -
LAWRENCE: And he immediately shot her in the face. Police say the fake Santa stepped inside and shot any one he saw. The family ran screaming from anywhere they could.
LT. PAT BUCHANAN, COVINA, CALIFORNIA POLICE: Through windows, through doors, through windows upstairs, off the roof. We've talked to almost everyone and any place they could escape. They were throwing furniture out the windows. We understand.
LAWRENCE: Police say this man set the house on fire, changed out of his Santa suit, then drove to his brother's home and killed himself.
ROSA ORDA, FAMILY FRIEND: It's almost like he planned it, for him to come and do this on such a special night.
LAWRENCE: Investigators say he did. They think Bruce Parta was upset over his recent divorce. This home was owned by his ex-wife's parents. And friends say it was well known the family would be having their traditional Christmas party that night.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE: And it was tradition that may have made that little girl open the door in the first place. Every year for this party, a neighbor dresses up as Santa Claus and comes over to get the kids in the holiday spirit. That eight-year-old suffered some horrible injuries to her face, but she did survive.
CHO: Yes. She has a long road to recovery. That poor eight- year-old girl.
Meanwhile, that car bomb that exploded, you have some late details on the investigation on that front, don't you, Chris?
LAWRENCE: Yes, that's right. This was at the other home where the suspect allegedly killed himself, allegedly outside his brother's home. The police were looking at his rental car and searching it. And they found something what looked like to be a suspicious device, something like a pipe bomb. The bomb squad went if to try to diffuse it. And in the process it actually blew up inside the car. The police were so worried at one point that he may have left other bombs around the neighborhood or the area. They actually blocked off part of the area. But that turned out to be all that they found.
CHO: Unbelievable tragedy. Chris Lawrence, live for us in Covina, California.
Chris, thank you.
On Long Island, chaos at a Hanukkah party after an elderly driver lost control of his car. Police say the 78-year-old man plowed into a building where the party was taking place. 14 people were hurt. Six of them children. No charges have been filed against the driver. Kwanzaa begins today, it's an African-American holiday which started back in 1966. It celebrates, family, community and culture. Now Kwanzaa encourages people to focus on seven principles -- Unity, self determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. Each night, as many of you know, a candle is lit to mark the principal for that day. Kwanzaa runs from December 26th to January 1st.
It's the season, the parties, the booze, the food. It keeps on coming. We got plenty of it right here at CNN. We'll have some tips about holiday eating so you can stay fit in your new clothes after the new year.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Eat, eat and eat some more. It's what so many of us do over the holidays. I know I do that. And we haven't even begun our New Year's celebration yet. So can we still continue to eat the cake, and all the cookies, drink the booze and still fit into our pre- holiday clothes. Here to talk about it, Dr. David Katz of the Yale School of Public Health. He also writes a monthly column for "O" magazine.
David, good to see you. Sorry it's not in person this time.
Hey, I want to get to the new year's resolutions. Because obviously a lot of people say they want to lose weight in the New Year. We still got about a week of parties, holiday parties and New Year's.
So get us through that, what do we need to do? What are some smart tips?
DR. DAVID KATZ, YALE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: All right. Well Alina, I'll offer some holiday tips and then I say you really shouldn't have to follow any of them in the first place.
But one thing, whatever diet you're on -- and I'm not sure that you should be on any diet, don't go on the see food diet. This time of year, people see food and they feel like they need to eat it. And you mention you have food in the CNN studio, that's the way it is. You know indulging occasionally on a holiday, not so bad. But having one long indulge-a-thon, from Thanksgiving to the Super Bowl, that's really a problem.
So make decisions about what you're going to eat and decide when to indulge. Be careful about buffets. They're an invitation to over eat. Start with the veggies and then choose two or three items from a buffet. Put those on your plate, eat those and take a break and decide do I really need anything else.
CHO: David, easier said than done.
KATZ: Well, true. All this stuff is easier said than done. That's why so many of us struggle. CHO: Yes. You know, I have to ask you, though, because there are those people who actually say, I'm going to try to lose weight over the holidays.
KATZ: Right.
CHO: That's self-destructive, isn't it? Don't even try, maintain is really the key here if you can do it, right?
KATZ: Exactly. And one of the reasons, Alina, I would say, these tips about holiday eating, I would love for people to be able to just throw them out. This is not a time of year to be terribly restrained and certainly not a time of year to go on a diet and lose weight. Holidays are supposed to be special, they're supposed to be about indulgence. So the real trick here is to eat well and be active throughout the year.
And then you can approach the holidays in the intended spirit of really just having a good time. But if you are off track now, if you are gaining weight, if you need to get your health and weight under control, you get through the holiday season. Really what the resolution should be is not to lose weight fast, but to make health a commitment for the rest of your life. When the holidays roll around next year, you'd be in much better condition to simply enjoy them. That's really what I would like people to be able to do.
CHO: Well you know when I was reading the research I was surprised to read actually that people of normal weight traditionally gain about a pound around the holidays. And if you're overweight, up to five pounds. The problem, though, is that once they gain the weight, they don't ever get it off. So all right. New Year's is around the corner.
What can we do -- practically speaking, the gyms are going to be busier obviously -- what can we do in terms of diet to help reverse that trend?
KATZ: And you're right. I think people are surprised how little weight is actually gained between Thanksgiving and New Year's. It is damage that can easily be undone, and then you can prevent it again next year.
But the trick, Alina is not to go on a diet. It is to learn some things about healthy eating, healthy shopping, healthy food preparation. Make physical activity a priority in your life and don't go it alone. You know, one of the things about the holidays, we get together with loved ones, that's important. These relationships matter. In unity, there is strength. So your resolution should be the people closest to you and you will get healthy together. Then you can support one another in the new year.
And this really becomes a way of life. It's a way of life that will insulate your health, protect your weight, you'll fit into your clothes year-round. And when the holidays roll around, you'll just have a good time.
CHO: That's great. Great advice. David Katz, good to see you.
KATZ: You, too.
CHO: As always.
KATZ: Happy holidays.
CHO: Columnist with "O" magazine and with the Yale School of Public Health. David, thank you.
KATZ: Thank you.
CHO: In Afghanistan, seven years after the war began, Taliban militants haven't been defeated. And some say war isn't the answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Welcome back. 20 minutes after the hour. For the first time in 10 days, Israel has opened three border crossings with Gaza. About 80 trucks were expected to cross into Gaza, they're hauling goods including fuel and cooking gas. Officials say the decision to open the crossing came after request from international aid groups and Egypt. Now whether the crossings remain open, we'll be a daily decision.
After seven years of war in Afghanistan, U.S. and coalition forces have been unable to defeat the Taliban. Stability in the country remains elusive. So what exactly will it take?
CNN's Atia Abawi looks at the situation on the ground.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATIA ABAWI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Since the time of Alexander the great, foreigners have been trying to conquer this rugged land, a land invaded but never subdued. Divided by its mountains and its clans. For seven years U.S. and coalition forces have been trying to defeat the Taliban after driving them from Kabul. But 2008 saw a rise in insurgent attacks and the highest casualties among western troops since the invasion.
REAR ADM. MATTHEW BORSBOOM, ISAF DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF STABILITY: If you look at the IED finds, we still suffer with the Afghan people and NGOs and civilians most casualties from IEDs. But we will and we are fighting these, conquering IEDs because we're already finding a lot more of them.
ABAWI: The Taliban claim a presence in two thirds of the country. President-elect Obama has promised to raise the stakes by sending more troops here. 4000 at the beginning of 2009, and up to 30,000 by the end of the summer. But many Afghans say that is not the answer.
AHMAD SHAH AHMADZAI, FORMER AFGHAN PRIME MINISTER: We want America not to send any single soldier in this country. This will increase the tragedy, this will increase especially the civilian and innocent casualties in this country. So the only solution to my opinion to most of the Afghan's opinion that the war should stop and negotiations should start.
ABAWI: Some allied commanders agree. A senior British officer said this year that the Taliban could be contained but not defeated and that ultimately only a political solution was possible. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has publicly expressed a readiness for dialogue. But some among the Taliban seem to think that time is on their side. Reconstruction despite billions of dollars in aid is slow. Corruption, poverty and criminality are on the rise. The central government is viewed as weak and ineffective.
AHMADZAI: e are living in a big tragedy, human being tragedy. That means we are living under zero system of life. There is no life in this country. We are just surviving and breathing.
ABAWI: Part of the U.S. strategy as in Iraq is to build up Afghan forces and push the government to stamp out corruption.
ABAWI (on-camera): One thing seems clear. Stabilizing Afghanistan will take a long-lasting international commitment. But a commitment that will allow the Afghans to take the lead role.
Atia Abawi, CNN, Kabul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: It's a day of mourning in Ukraine, an explosion leveled an apartment building yesterday killing as many as 27 people. Now rescuers continue to comb the rubble for survivors. Government officials say oxygen canister being stored in the basement of the building could have triggered the blast.
Watching your money on Wall Street in the NEWSROOM next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Welcome back everybody. The cash registers have not been making the sweet music that retailers depend on. So how is that affecting stocks on this day after Christmas. Alison Kosik on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange with details on that.
About an hour into trading, Alison. How is it looking?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Stocks are in the green. I think what's happened is investors have factored in those dismal sales into the stock market these days. And those beaten down retail stocks are actually showing some life this morning. In fact, Wal-Mart shares are in the green. So that's really a god sign. But you know, don't be fooled because retail sales were really dismal. Listen to this, the first hard core numbers are out, those post Christmas reports from spending polls.
And according to figures from them, sales in November and December fell 5.5 percent to eight percent compared to last year. Luxury goods like high-end shoes, clothing and hand bags which are usually considered safe items in an economic downturn really got hardest hit. Sales for those items were down 21 percent. And when you factor jewelry, factor jewelry into the mix, sales were down 34 percent.
And there's yet one more dismal report according to the Associated Press from the International Council of Shopping Centers that says sales in November and December are shaping up to be the weakest since those numbers started being tallied back in 1969. So really just shaping up to be a brutal shopping season. But today retail stocks are doing pretty well considering. Back to you, Alina.
CHO: Well, that's good news. Alison Kosik watching it all for us. The Dow is up about 46 points at this point. So that's great news.
Alison, thanks.
President-elect Barack Obama's holiday vacation is more than just fun in the sun. He did take some time out on Christmas to visit marines and their families. CNN's senior White House correspondent Ed Henry joins us by phone from Honolulu, Hawaii. Again, tough assignment, Ed. Thanks for waking up early for us. So tell us what the president did on Christmas?
VOICE OF ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It was mostly family time. He's been very private on this vacation, unlike his previous Hawaii vacations where he was out a little bit more, body surfing and picking up the shaved ice, as they call it here, sort of an ice cream kind of dish that his children love so much.
This time yesterday, they stayed behind closed doors most of the day. The exchanged presents but Obama say their lips are sealed about who received what and who gave what. And they had a family dinner of ham and turkey and then the President-elect only went public on the late afternoon by himself, only went to a Marine base here on the island of Oahu and he thanked both marine and navy personnel for their service. And I think in part it was a reminder that while we've been focusing so much on financial security lately, national security still could dominate his presidency.
We have two wars going on, obviously. And they're sort of going in opposite directions right now. In Iraq you see the security situation improving. And as your last report a couple moments ago showed, the situation, the security in Afghanistan is sort of deteriorating. And there are a lot of experts wondering whether an Iraq-like surge in Afghanistan is really going to work, whether that might bog the U.S. down in Afghanistan longer. Even Barack Obama has said that he wants to send more troops to Afghanistan.
And then in terms of Iraq, of course, his biggest campaign promise was to remove all combat troops within 16 months. And again, there are some experts saying that may be too quick. If you pull the troops out too quickly, maybe you'll lose some of those security gains.
So, there are going to be some big, big national security challenges. But he doesn't officially inherit them until January 20th. So, for now the Hawaiian vacation continues.
CHO: Yes. And how much longer will he be there? And is there anything public on the schedule today, Ed?
HENRY: Nothing public yet. I think it's almost a guarantee that we're going to get a workout later today. The President-elect, he's very fit. I noticed your recent segment about keeping the holiday pounds off. I'm not sure he has to worry about.
CHO: No he doesn't.
HENRY: He's very meticulous about his workouts, probably a big stress reliever as well.
He's going to be here until January 1st. So, he's going to ring in the New Year. Obviously, that was a huge disappointment for the press corps. We were supposed to go home on the December 30th. But now we have to stay a couple of extra days --
CHO: Yes. I know you're really -- hey, I want to touch on that. I know you're really disappointed about having to ring in the New Year in Honolulu.
You know, I have to take issue with something that you did for Christmas for me. You taped this lovely -- or I'm sure you thought it was lovely -- holiday message of you, sun and surf, Santa hat, sunglasses.
I think we have the video of it, hopefully we can show it. There you go. Barefoot on the beach. The third pair of swimming trunks I've seen so far.
Ed, what do you have to say for yourself? You know -- I just don't -- I don't get this, two weeks in Honolulu. Don't you want to give some other people a chance from the White House corps, your colleagues?
HENRY: Absolutely not. I have to say, this is one thing I will not be a team player on is Hawaii.
In all serious, of course, down the road, everyone's going to get a chance to go to Hawaii, we hope. Although, the President-elect has actually indicated he's more likely to spend more time in Chicago. That's a great city, it's a little bit colder than Hawaii. But in terms of the bathing suits, if you can't laugh at yourself, what can you do? You've got to laugh at yourself.
CHO: Hey, you look great.
Listen, you're quoted in the "Washington Post" today saying no offense to the people of Crawford, Texas, but taking the presidential retreat from Crawford to Honolulu is change anyone can believe in.
Well done, Ed.
HENRY: I think it's true. CHO: All right. Ed Henry live for us by phone from Honolulu, Hawaii.
Ed, thank you.
After President-elect Barack Obama takes the oath of office next month an economic stimulus plan is likely to be his top priority. You heard about that. And energy efficiency could be a big part of that plan.
Diane King has our "Energy Fix" from New York.
Hey, Diane. Good morning.
DIANE KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alina.
Well, the economic recovery bill could top $800 billion and include everything from tax breaks to road repairs. But don't be surprised if energy projects are also featured prominently. President-elect Obama campaigned on a pledge to create five million new jobs over the next 10 years by investing in clean energy. And conservation projects can be done relatively quickly using existing state and local agencies.
Now, the electric utility industry and a handful of environmental groups are pushing one possible plan. It would devote more than $30 billion of stimulus money to making the nation more energy efficient. $3 billion alone would be devoted to encouraging energy efficiency at home. That could include rebate checks for buying energy efficient appliances.
Another $6 billion could be spent on retrofitting public and commercial buildings for energy efficiency. Projects at school, construction of a better electric grid, and low-income home weatherization are also part of the proposal -- Alina.
CHO: Well, $30 billion, Diane, a lot of money for energy efficiency. Is it going to really put people back to work and jump start the economy in the way that it's intended to?
KING: Right. Well, a lot of people say yes. The Alliance to Save Energy, the group calling for the $30 billion, says its plan will directly create 190,000 jobs. General contractors are also on board.
Now, one trade association says every $1 billion spent on infrastructure projects creates nearly 30,000 jobs. But there are no guarantees. Critics say there's plenty of potential for waste here. And these projects could take a long time to start up at a time when we need to rev up the economy quickly.
For more energy fixes, check out CNNmoney.com.
Alina, back to you.
CHO: Diane King, thank you, joining us from New York.
KING: Thank you.
CHO: President Bush is heading to his ranch in Crawford, Texas, for the New Year's holiday. He spent Christmas with his family at Camp David. And joining the president at the Maryland retreat, take a look at the photo -- his parents, siblings and their families, daughters Barbara and Jenna and Jenna's new husband, Henry Hager.
The Bushes feasted on a traditional Christmas dinner of turkey, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie. His last Christmas at Camp David as president.
Well, now you can see former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin every day of the year if you so choose. The Alaska governor has her own 2009 calendar. And for $15.99 -- $15.95 that is, you can check out more than 50 photographs of Palin and her family. It's also wrapped in cellophane and it comes with a pre-drilled hole.
Well, there definitely can be too much of a white Christmas. Just ask people snowed under in Washington. That state has seen record snowfall this month, more than 46 inches in Spokane alone. Kids, of course, don't mind a bit. They're out of school for another day, or another week. For their parents, the worry down the road is flooding, of course, when all of the snow melts.
In Colorado they're predicting a heck of a storm today.
Reynolds Wolf tracking it all from the CNN Weather Center.
You're also nursing a cold, aren't you, Reynolds?
WOLF: A little bit everything. Yes, the weather guy is under the weather. I mean, go figure, how appropriate is that?
Yes, I'll tell you what, how appropriate is it that parts of Colorado, a lot of the ski areas, getting some heavy snowfall today? But some places just the south of Grand Junction may see several feet of snow before the day is over.
But the biggest concern we have in the weather department, in terms of rough weather today, will be in parts of the Central and Southern Plains where you could see some severe storms by the late afternoon hours. Parts of Texas and Oklahoma, perhaps even into Arkansas and into Missouri by the afternoon into the evening.
Tomorrow, the focus of severe weather is still basically going to be the same spot. We still have all the components -- a lot of moist air coming in from the Gulf of Mexico. Frontal boundary that's going to create the lift moving from west to east. A lot of cold air coming in right behind this and the low level jet stream could tap in making this a volatile situation for parts of the Midwest, Mid Mississippi Valley. And possibly into portions of the Ohio Valley later into tomorrow.
That is a look at your forecast. Let's send it back to you at the desk.
CHO: All right. Reynolds. Feel better.
WOLF: You bet.
CHO: Across Indonesia thousands gathered to remember the horror of four years ago. It was the day after Christmas, 2004 when a powerful earthquake triggered tsunamis, more than 230,000 people were killed. More than half in Indonesia. Many of them tourists. What followed was one of the largest relief operations ever rebuilding entire communities.
Self proclaimed sex kitten Eartha Kitt has died. The singer, dancer, and actress became an international symbol of sensuality. She played Cat Woman on the popular Batman TV series. And was famous for her cat-like purr.
Her first album released in 1954 featured that song you've been hearing for weeks, "Santa Baby," which is revived on radio each Christmas, including this one.
Kitt died after a battle with colon cancer. Eartha Kitt was 81 years old.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Real cause, real effect. Hard times have hit stocks and maybe squeezed your savings. For parents, there's one more thing to worry about. How do you save for college in such a lousy economy? Here to school us, get it, CNN Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis.
Hey, Gerri, good to see you again.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hey, Alina.
CHO: So, what can people do?
WILLIS: Let's look at those college costs, first. They are rising.
Tuition at a private four-year college is up six percent from last year up to $25,000. Public college tuition is up almost six and a half percent.
If you haven't set up college savings for Junior, now is the time to do it. Here's how to get started.
One of your best tools, a 529 plan. These are state-run accounts that allow you to invest after tax dollars to cover your child's college cost.
The money grows tax deferred. If it's used for qualified expenses, it's not taxed when you take the money out. Most 529 savings plans offer a menu of age-based portfolios. Some also offer a small selection of stock and bond funds.
Investments minimums are low, $25 in some cases. There's no restriction on how much you may contribute each year unless the account is nearing the lifetime cap that can range from $100,000 to $400,000.
Those are the benefits. The downside? Fees. Although, fees are headed lower for the most part, you'll still want to pick a plan with administrative fees below one percent.
That means you'll likely opt for a direct sold plan rather than a broker-sold plan, which can be more expensive.
Shopping around can be overwhelming. Consult Web sites like saving for college.com for the details of your state's plan and consider the following plans recommended by the Web site finaid.org. The New York, Minnesota, Missouri, and Michigan plans are particularly good for state residents, according to finaid. You can see others here, Pennsylvania, South Dakota.
If you already have a 529 and are concerned about the impact of the market on your returns, consider this rule of thumb. If your child has eight years or more before college, having 50 percent or more in stocks is still your best bet to grow your money at a rate faster than those college costs increases.
By setting money aside overtime, you can get a handle on college bills. Be sure to start early, though. The longer your money has -- the longer the time your money has to grow, the more you'll have when college time draws near -- Alina.
CHO: Well, stocks are cheap now. So, it may actually -- one more reason to get back into the market.
WILLIS: That's right. You've got to have money for Junior to go to college. That's for sure.
CHO: Gerri Willis, have a great weekend. Thanks.
WILLIS: My pleasure, thank you.
CHO: College students often take a hit from the staggering costs of textbooks. But not at one Florida school. The president there is donating a huge amount of his own money to help students.
CNN's John Zarrella has a textbook example of giving.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What would you do if you got a $100,000 raise. Most of us wouldn't do what James Drake, President of Brevard Community College in Florida did.
He donated it, all of it, $74,000 after taxes to the school to fund textbook scholarships.
JAMES DRAKE, PRESIDENT, BREVARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE: I thought this would be my -- maybe my only opportunity to do something on a scale that would make a difference to others.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They usually cost about $100. DRAKE: Yes. And that's about average.
ZARRELLA: While talking with students --
DRAKE: How about for both of you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: $400 to $500.
DRAKE: $400-500. Same.
ZARRELLA: Drake found out the economic crisis on Main Street is impacting the classroom.
DRAKE: So many students now have to go without buying textbooks in courses simply because they cannot possibly afford them.
ZARRELLA: You may be able to find some textbooks cheaper online. If you're forced into the bookstore, ouch.
ZARRELLA (on-camera): This is why the scholarship money is so important. Take a look at this basic chemistry book, $131.80 for this book. Here is a paperback called Criminal Procedures, used, $67.
Students we talked to will tell you, the price of textbooks is criminal.
MING WOLF, STUDENT: I'm just a student assistant here.
ZARRELLA: Ming Wolf's husband recently lost his job in the computer industry. She's holding down two part-time jobs at the school while taking classes. New books cost her between $200 and $300 a semester. And that hurts.
WOLF: We can't get the used books because the version always changes.
ZARRELLA: Nicolas Cirrocan, a freshman, had no idea books were so costly, $700 a semester.
NICOLAS CIRROCAN, STUDENT: Not everybody has a rich family or anything. So, the less fortunate have to suffer.
ZARRELLA: Drake says his money is funding 248 scholarships, $300 each. Both students have applied. School officials say one major reason for the high cost of textbooks, lack of competition.
The Association of American Publishers says textbooks cost a lot to research, write and update. They say they're working to lower prices with digital and no-frills editions.
ZARRELLA (on-camera): Drake is hopeful that his generosity will lead others to donate to the fund and take some of the sting out of the cost of higher education.
John Zarrella, CNN, Cocoa, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: That's the spirit of giving.
A 13-year-old girl keeps her cool and saves her grandmother's life. An amazing story you won't want to miss.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: About 10 minutes before the top of the hour.
Toys, dolls, electronic games, those are the usual items on children's Christmas lists. This year a little girl in Georgia made a very unusual request in her letter to Santa.
Seven-year-old Quinn Roberts asked Santa for a kidney.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUINN ROBERTS, ASKED SANTA FOR A KIDNEY: Yesterday I went to the kidney doctor. I did not get a kidney.
JULIA ROBERTS, QUINN'S MOTHER: I said, Quinn, what is this? And she said, oh, I wrote that letter to Santa. And I thought it was charming and I thought it was heartbreaking at the same time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
A holiday gift that could save a life. Quinn has a life threatening disease. Her kidneys have started to fail. And if an organ donor is found, she will likely get a transplant this coming year. Let's hope that happens.
A 13-year old springs into action during a terrifying medical emergency and saves her grandmother's life.
Kyle Clark from our affiliate KUSA has the story from Denver.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYLE CLARK, KUSA REPORTER (voice-over): The healthiest laugh at the hospital.
LUCILLE DRZEWIECKI, COLLAPSED ON CHRISTMAS EVE: That's right.
CLARK: Belongs to Lucille Drzewiecki...
L. DRZEWIECKI: I'm feeling wonderful.
CLARK: ...incredible, considering Wednesday afternoon she collapsed and stopped breathing during a holiday weekend with her family near Breckenridge.
JOAN DRZEWIECKI, LUCILLE'S DAUGHTER: I didn't know what to do.
CLARK: Fortunately Joan's 13-year-old daughter, McKenzie, Lucille's granddaughter, she did know what to do. J. DRZEWIECKI: My daughter ran to the car, got her cell phone.
L. DRZEWIECKI: And she dialed her phone to 911 and gave it to her mom and says mom, you talk to them, and dad, you get down there, we've got to do CPR.
J. DRZEWIECKI: She hopped down on her knees right next to my mom and showed my husband what to do.
L. DRZEWIECKI: He would compress and then she would breathe.
J. DRZEWIECKI: She told her younger brother, Zack. Zack went upstairs and get some blankets, so that we can keep her warm.
L. DRZEWIECKI: She just handled the whole situation. She was in command.
J. DRZEWIECKI: And she didn't move until the paramedics were right there next to my mom.
CLARK: Even Mckenzie sounds surprised that she pulled off what they taught her in her Red Cross babysitting safety class.
MCKENZIE REDO, LUCILLE'S GRANDDAUGHTER: I'm the kind of girl that usually I don't know what to do and I cry. But at that point, I was all like, I need to do this, and that's what I'm going to do.
CLARK: Merry Christmas, grandma.
L. DRZEWIECKI: She gave me the best gift she could ever give me.
CLARK: That is why Lucille Drzewiecki is spending the holiday in the hospital laughing.
L. DRZEWIECKI: It's okay because I'm here.
CLARK: This is Kyle Clark, 9 news.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: Great story.
A Broadway mellow drama. The nation's lousy economy has killed some of the top plays. This is traditionally the busiest time of the year.
CNN's Maggie Lake has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAGGIE LAKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The great white way is bleeding red. Some of the biggest titles on Broadway are preparing to close their doors as the economic downturn turns away would be theater- goers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Definitely. I think everybody is tightening their purses a little bit. Instead of going to two shows a month, maybe only going to one. I think everybody is looking at tightening up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was hoping to take advantage of the poor economy and get some for half price.
LAKE: Among those that will see the curtain fall for the last time in a couple months are Spring Awakening. An eight-time winner at last year's Tony Award's ceremony. Box office sales are down more than half from a year ago to just $350,000 a week.
Also turning off the lights will be "Hairspray," Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein" and Monty Python's "Spamalot."
The producers of that last show are even offering 45 percent off ticket prices provided you'd get a coupon from this guy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So they see this, and they, ah, that's a really great deal. I'll go see the show.
LAKE: As audiences cut back on spending, new shows are being canceled or put on hold.
At a recent press conference New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said small shows will be among the hardest hit.
MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (I), NEW YORK CITY: I think there's no question that Broadway is not immuned to people's willingness to spend money. I actually think off-Broadway probably is going to suffer a little more just because there are probably fewer people who are willing to go out and risk venture capital to stage small Broadway productions, many of which are done just for the love of theater.
LAKE: Though he acknowledged the challenges, Bloomberg says discount tickets and promotions will keep theaters full.
Longtime Broadway veteran, Chris Boneau, is also confident the community will find a way to weather the downturn.
CHRIS BONEAU, BONEAU/BRYAN-BROWN PROMOTIONS: This story's -- it's a cyclical story. We've had strikes, we had the horrible disasters of 9/11. We've had things where people have stopped going to the theater for the short-term. But we always rebound. There's that thing about wanting to be in a crowd of people in a dark theater watching a shared experience that will never go away.
LAKE: For some it may be the perfect tonic for these tough times.
Maggie Lake, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: So what do monkeys have in common with your boss? More than you might think.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: You've all seen him, the boss who struts around the office screaming orders. Perfectly normal, according to a recent study comparing men to monkeys.
Here is Sasha Herriman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SASHA HERRIMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Look familiar? That great animal display -- spotted it somewhere before?
(on-camera): According to research, bosses, just like animals, like to mark out their territory. They like to assert their authority.
(voice-over): The study carried out at the University of New South Wales interviewed hundreds of managers and employees in a range of industries about a similar focus on hierarchy.
PROFESSOR CHRIS KNIGHT, ANTHROPOLOGIST: Chimpanzees will go ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh.
HERRIMAN: So while your boss might not actually sound like that, according to anthropologists here in the UK, the meaning is the same.
KNIGHT: Well, it's just showing off -- showing off how big you are. And you can do it in all kinds of ways.
You can build huge office blocks (INAUDIBLE) just to show off what resources you can afford to waste. And a gorilla pounding his chest or a chimpanzee tearing off branches, is just saying, look, I've got all this energy, which I can afford to expend on just like intimidating you off.
GILLIAN FORRESTER, PSYCHOLOGIST: What we share 23 million years of evolution with great apes and have only had a much more recent divergence in the last six million years. So, there's invariably a lot of similarities in the way we that behave and we communicate and in fact the way we navigate social hierarchies.
HERRIMAN: For bright colored plumage and body parts, read power suits and ties, bigger chairs, louder voices, that's because being territorial still helps you survive.
Alpha males are hard-wired to be brash and bossy.
But lest we think we've not evolved over the last millennia, there's some encouraging news. While the nonverbal communication is a relic of our forbearers --
FORRESTER: One of the major differences between us and great apes obviously is that we've evolved to develop and acquire human language.
HERRIMAN: Well, that's a relief. At least six million years makes a bit of difference. Now, where's my banana?
Sasha Herriman, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: So, what's the news there?
I'm Alina Cho, join us again Monday morning starting at 9am Eastern.
For now the CNN NEWSROOM continues with T.J. Holmes.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: That's how you want to hand it off to me, with the men and the monkeys.
CHO: I'm just saying. It's just a coincidence.
HOLMES: Yes. OK. Always good to see you. But you go now.
