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Israeli Warplane Pound Gaza; Retailers Hoping for After-Holiday Sales; Christmas Eve Murders in California

Aired December 27, 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: Grief, mingled with fury. Breaking news in the Middle East. One of the bloodiest days in decades, and no sign the bloodshed will be over anytime soon. At the moment, Israeli warplanes are pounding Gaza with the promise to keep attacking all night.
CNN's Paula Hancocks shows us the devastation in Gaza. Ed Henry and Elaine Quijano live with the latest on what the current president is doing and what the crisis means for his successor.

Good evening, everyone. I'm Don Lemon.

Palestinian sources say more than 200 people have been killed today in Gaza by Israeli airstrikes. The death toll has been climbing throughout the day. Israel says the military operation will continue as long as necessary, and Israeli officials say the airstrikes are in response to dozens of recent rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel.

And just moments ago, we spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EHUD BARAK, ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER: We will use our force as forcefully as needed against Hamas in order to achieve a change in its behavior. It's like having an entity of al Qaeda at the back yard of your kind of country or state. That's something that we just cannot afford.

We have tried. I have tried. I convinced other members of the cabinet to give it a chance. We gave it; they broke it. Now it's time to pay the price for it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Anger, of course, is high on both sides. We've also heard from a senior Hamas spokesman tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's clear that you are talking about 15 years of peace process without any useful results for the Palestinians, so the only solution is for the Palestinians to resist the occupation according to the international laws. We have international resolutions defending our rights but the Israelis are not acting according to this. They believe that a kind of holocaust may bring us down.

This will not happen. I believe they have to know that this holocaust will generate more violence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Israel had signaled military action for days, but the ferocity of today's airstrikes and the high civilian death toll has taken almost everyone by surprise.

CNN's Paula Hancocks has the very latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The injured are transported to Gaza City's hospital by any means hospital. Children on their way home from school, adults, whether Hamas affiliated or not, all caught up in Israel's airstrikes.

Inside the hospitals, hundreds of wounded Palestinians are being treated by too few doctors with painfully limited equipment.

DR. MAHMOUD EL-KHAZNDAR, SHIFA HOSPITAL: I have lost two young men simply because I could not find tubes to put in the chest because of (INAUDIBLE) due to the injury in chest. And hundreds of these people are suffering and dying simply because of shortage of medical equipment.

HANCOCKS: This is the moment Israel's air force struck Hamas installations in Gaza. Many of these buildings in the middle of residential areas. Civilian casualties were inevitable.

Hamas says all of its security compounds have been destroyed. Many of its senior peace commanders were inside and killed when the missiles hit. It is vowing revenge.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We will not renew the calm with Israel and we will not raise the white flag.

HANCOCKS: Israel's prime minister, Ehud Olmert, is at pains to point out he's targeting Hamas and not the Palestinian people.

EHUD OLMERT, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: The citizens of Gaza are not our enemies. Hamas, jihad and the other terrorists organizations are your enemies, as they are our enemies. They have brought disaster on you, and they tried to bring disaster to the people of Israel.

HANCOCKS: Israel says the airstrikes are meant to end the rocket attacks from Palestinian militant groups in Gaza, but inevitably, rocket attacks are continuing in retaliation for Israel's airstrikes.

BARAK (through translator): I don't want to delude or deceive anyone. This will not be a short operation. The war on terrorism is an ongoing one, and we will have to stand firm in order to change the situation in the south. HANCOCKS: The six-month truce between Israel and Palestinian militant groups expired one week ago. In reality, it had started to break down two months ago, but any hopes of a renewal of an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire today look almost impossible.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: And Hamas has been a thorn in Israel's side for decades. The organizations was founded in 1987 and is now in complete control of Gaza. Its primary objective is the creation of an Islamic fundamentalist Palestinian state. It has grown to include wings devoted to religious, military, political and security activities.

Tensions between Israel and its Arab neighbors never really go away. It is a conflict that alternates between relative quiet and open warfare. And trying to resolve it has been a chronic headache for many U.S. presidents.

For some perspective, both from the outgoing president, the administration, the Bush administration, and the incoming Obama administration, we're joined by Ed Henry and Elaine Quijano. Ed Henry joins from us Hawaii. Elaine joins us from -- Elaine, you are in Crawford, right?

So, Elaine, we'll start with you. Tell us what the Bush administration is doing. How are they responding?

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, the White House is making absolute clear, Don, that it is pinning the blame for this latest round of violence squarely on Hamas. White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe talked to reporters here in Crawford earlier today, and he did not mince words, calling Hamas a group of thugs and saying that Israel will do what it must in order to defend itself against Hamas and its terrorist activities.

Here is a little bit more of what Johndroe told reporters earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GORDON JOHNDROE, WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN: Hamas must stop launching rockets into Israel. The United States holds Hamas responsible for breaking the cease-fire.

Now, the cease-fire should be restored immediately. The United States is also very concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and want all parties involved to work to get the people of Gaza the humanitarian supplies that they need.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Now, President Bush got an update on the situation from his national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, via secure video conference. Also, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, he's been conferring with her by phone as well.

Now, in terms of conversations with world leaders, White House spokesmen will only confirm that the king of Saudi Arabia actually called President Bush, quite concerned about this, although the White House is declining to give any kind of details, but obviously wanting to discuss this situation. No details about that conversation, and we'll continue to see whether or not President Bush himself might comment perhaps as the situation continues. Obviously, they are monitoring the events on the ground very closely -- Don.

LEMON: Elaine Quijano in Crawford.

Thank you very much for that, Elaine.

Let's go now to Hawaii, where the president-elect is vacationing. Our Ed Henry joining us from there.

Ed, what has the president-elect said, if anything, about this conflict?

ED HENRY, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, we have some new information, Don. The president-elect has just wrapped up a phone call with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, trying to get some information, a briefing, on the situation.

We're told this telephone call was initiated by the president-elect. That according to transition aides, telling us that it was about an eight-minute phone call.

As you know, the president-elect in a little bit of an awkward situation here. He wants to certainly give the impression to the American people and leaders around the world that he's on top of situations like this, just as we saw with the Mumbai terror attacks around Thanksgiving. But since he is technically not in power, he's being very careful not to look like he's stepping on President Bush's toes.

And that's why we had a statement a little earlier today from Brooke Anderson, the chief national security spokesperson for the transition, saying, "President-elect Obama is closely monitoring global events, including the situation in Gaza, but there is one president at a time."

That's a familiar refrain we've heard over and over throughout this transition process. Again, they're in an awkward position. They don't want to send a mixed message or different signals around the world.

On the other hand, they're under some pressure from foreign governments to start communicating more with them, to start sitting down with them, and from the media, frankly, to get some reaction when these situations pop up, very serious national security situations. But what we keep hearing from the transition team is they don't officially take over until January 20th, so technically they can't do anything. So instead, they're trying to stay in the loop with these kinds of phone calls with Secretary Rice -- Don. LEMON: Ed Henry and Elaine Quijano, thank you both very much.

An intense conflict over a modest piece of land. Here's Josh Levs with background on exactly where the conflict is and why -- Josh.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As we look at these images out of Gaza, I just want to give you some context on what the area looks like, how it all fills in.

Let's zoom in on the screen right here. What you're seeing here, everything that's light beige color is Israel. And this little section right there, that's Gaza.

Now, 1.5 million people live in that area, but it's only about twice the size of Washington, D.C. It's a relatively small area, about 140 square miles.

Now, what we've been seeing recently is this: Hamas, which controls this area, there have been Hamas militants firing rockets into Israel. We've been told they're going northward up toward here, Ashqelon, also eastward, some toward this area, Beersheba, these Israeli cities in the south.

And what we're seeing today is Israel attacking key installations, key Hamas installations inside Gaza that are right there. And Hamas controls that area.

Let me also give you a little bit of history on Gaza, and for that we have a graphic.

We're going to start in 1920, which will bring you back to when it was part of the British ruled mandate of Palestine. In 1948, Egypt gained control during the Arab-Israeli War, and that's when Israel officially came into existence. In 1956, Israel briefly got control of Gaza. But then it was in 1967, in the war then, the Six-Day Arab-Israeli War, that Israel took control of Gaza.

Now, in 1993, Israel signed some agreements, and it was the next year after those agreements with the Palestinian Liberation Organization that most Israeli troops pulled out. But it was in 2005, as we reported right here, that Israel ended its historic occupation of Gaza, pulled out those settlements and left that area all together.

Now, I want to show you one more thing on the board before we go. Let's zoom back in really quickly.

I mentioned that Hamas controls this area. This section up here, however, this is the West Bank. There, it's Fatah, that political party that controls Palestinian life. Israel also still has occupation, still has troops inside the West Bank. That is one thing that makes it different from that area, Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, an important context to keep in mind as you hear about the actions between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right, Josh. Thank you very much for that.

The escape plan that went afoul. New details in that brutal Christmas Eve shooting and arson attack in California.

Also, heavy snow, flooding, thick fog, severe thunderstorms. A mixed bag of trouble for much of the lower 48.

And what is on your mind tonight? Tell me what you're thinking. Log on to Twitter, to Facebook, MySpace, or ireport.com. We'll get your responses on the air.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: More than a billion gallons of a burning coal byproduct broke out of a retention pond Monday at a fossil fuels plant, flooding the houses nearby. It happened in the Kingston, Tennessee, area, just outside of Knoxville, Tennessee. The spill damaged 12 homes and covered three hundred acres with sludge. Tonight, Tennessee officials say there's no health risks to people unless they somehow ingest that sludge.

Holiday travelers are facing plenty of weather-related problems all across the country. Chicago is usually snowbound this time of year, but warmer temperatures and rain have combined to create serious flooding. One section of the city, the Chicago River, is already above the flood stage, and the river is still rising.

It's even divorce in Vancouver, British Columbia. Rain and melting snow have converged into deep piles of slush. The wet snow is especially heavy and hazardous. Some homes and buildings have been evacuated because there is a threat that the roofs will cave in.

(WEATHER REPORT)

LEMON: You know times have to be tough when even dogs begin shoplifting; right? A supermarket security camera in Utah caught this dog entering a store's front door and making a beeline straight for the dog food aisle. He grabs a rawhide bone and runs straight back out.

I guess someone's going to go to the doghouse. Ba dum bum. OK.

Retailers were pinning their hopes on the big post-Christmas sale since pre-Christmas sales were really weak. But a post-Christmas report on the holiday shopping season isn't promising. 2008 is billed as one of the most challenging shopping seasons in decades.

Susan Candiotti just outside of Macy's in Manhattan.

They were hoping for a miracle on 34th Street. Are they going to get it, Susan?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Ooh, boy. Yes, good one.

They're sure hoping for it. But you know, ,if you're going by how crowded the sidewalks are, of course we are very close to Times Square, right at Herald Square. So obviously it's always very busy here on the weekends. But we are seeing nearly everyone carrying around all kinds of shopping bags with them. As we know, clothing sales, electronic sales, luxury items are down in the double digits so far this year, so this is the final holiday weekend when retailers hope sales will begin to pick up.

And we have a typical shopper here.

You came in from New Jersey today. First of all, please describe the scene inside. I was in there earlier. Tell me about it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very crowded, very busy. People going through the shelves, racks. I mean, just elbow room, elbowing, trying to get through. Very excited. Very busy.

CANDIOTTI: Pure bedlam. But people are buying. And look down here. You've got how many shopping bags?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Four.

CANDIOTTI: One, two, three, four bags.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Four bags full of items.

CANDIOTTI: Give me an example of one of your buys. How about over here?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We bought towels that were $20, reduced to $10, and then it was an 15 percent off.

CANDIOTTI: So you're doing all right.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Very well.

CANDIOTTI: Tell me, you know, compared to last year, did you make a conscious effort to spend less this year?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, we did. We did make a conscious effort to spend less. Yes.

CANDIOTTI: And why is that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because other things went up, gas went up, food items went up, insurance went up. So we had to cut.

CANDIOTTI: And you're working not one but two jobs.

CANDIOTTI: Yes, I work two jobs. Yes, correct.

CANDIOTTI: Now, all of these are presents for yourself now?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, these were all bought on gift certificates that were given to us for gifts. So we spent other people's gifts to us, not our own money.

CANDIOTTI: Well, thank you very much.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're welcome.

CANDIOTTI: And Happy New Year in advance.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you. Happy New Year to you.

CANDIOTTI: And of course, retailers hope that they, too, will have a happy new year. We'll get the official numbers on how well everyone did or did not do January 8th.

Back to you, Don.

LEMON: Oh my gosh. Listen. Only New York City sounds like that.

Hey -- you know, I used to work there, Susan.

CANDIOTTI: Did you really? In what department?

LEMON: Yes. It was one of my first jobs in New York City. I worked there, Christmas help, just around this time, so that I could make ends meet and pay the rent.

CANDIOTTI: Wow, not bad. Now we're wiped out by the sirens going by. I've got to toss it back.

LEMON: All right, Susan. Thank you. And a very noisy New York City right at 34th Street, in front of Macy's.

Hey, we want to know what's on your mind tonight.

As a matter of fact, can I read some of these now, guys?

Let's read some of these. Yes, let's do one. OK.

This is from Twitter. We were asking people how they felt about the holiday season. And what is this?

Pretty Pearl at the top says, "I'm also still enjoying family members and eating yummy leftovers!"

I want to do one more from Captain Janis. She says, "I'm glad it's over. Working retail over the holidays is a nightmare, even on the best days. Just this year was worse than usual."

Hey, thanks. Keep them coming. Let us know how you feel about the holidays or any of the stories we're covering today, and we'll get your responses on the air.

We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Seven people, all apparently family members, are dead after a fire in their Philadelphia home. They lived in the basement of a three-story house. Now, most of the victims were found huddled together at the door. A kerosene heater may have started the fire. Four people escaped, but the city's top firefighter says the victims had no way out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WADE LEE, NEIGHBOR: It burned our home literally from light to dark within seconds. I mean, with the lights on, it was completely black. The first thing that disappeared were my feet, then my legs. Then I couldn't see anyone after that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Two survivors are being treated for injuries.

We're learning more about a man who dressed as a Santa and shot up a Christmas Eve party. According to investigators, Bruce Pardo was planning to fly to Canada after that shooting. He never made it.

Here's CNN's Thelma Gutierrez with a timeline of that horrible night.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Their frantic screams for help coming from the inside of this home. These are the transcripts of the 911 call.

"He's shooting. He's shooting."

Two dozen people are at a Christmas party when a man dressed as Santa Claus goes on a rampage. The panicked caller tells the 911 operator she knows the shooter.

"His name is the Bruce Pardo. He's my ex-brother-in-law. He's still shooting. He's knocking out the lights. He came in through the entrance of the door in a Santa Claus suit. I didn't see them when he shot."

Police say 45-year-old Bruce Pardo went to the Christmas party dressed as Santa, because he knew it was an annual family tradition. When an 8-year-old girl opens the door, Pardo pulls out a semiautomatic weapon and shoots her. The caller tells the operator, "My daughter's been shot in the face. She was shot in the face, and she's bleeding."

Police say Pardo then begins shooting at everyone in sight. Some hide under furniture. Others jump from windows to escape. Then he pulls out a canister of racing fuel disguised as a holiday package.

KIM RANEY, POLICE CHIEF, COVINA POLICE DEPARTMENT: The package he had appears to be a homemade pressurized device.

GUTIERREZ: The two-story home belonging to Pardo's former in- laws is engulfed in flames. The bodies of nine people are burned so badly they have to be identified using dental records. Pardo is also severely burned. RANEY: He suffered third-degree burns on both arms. It appears that the Santa Claus suit that he was wearing did melt onto his body.

GUTIERREZ: Pardo flees to his brother's house, but investigators discover he had an elaborate escape plan.

RANEY: Pardo did have $17,000 in cash, Saran Wrapped to his legs or concealed inside of a girdle that he was wearing. He also had a plane ticket for a flight on an early morning flight Thursday, Christmas morning, from LAX to Canada.

GUTIERREZ: He hadn't counted on suffering third-degree burns himself. Unable to escape, Pardo fatally shoots himself in the head.

Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Covina, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Boy, it is a horrible tragedy with so many people affected.

Tonight at 11:00 p.m. Eastern, we'll hear from a reporter from the "L.A. Times" who has been covering this story since it broke. And we'll also hear from a profiler who will try to shed some light on all of this. What are the signs? Were there any warning signs? Could anything have been done to prevent it?

Also, we want to know what's on your mind tonight. If you want to talk about this story or any story that we're covering, log on to any one of those platforms and we'll get your responses on the air.

This was so beautiful. Take a look at this. We want to take you back to this shot in Washington, D.C. A shot of the Capitol, sunset there, beautiful evening, just two days after Christmas.

More after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DON LEMON, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: Welcome back to "the NEWSROOM," everyone. Breaking news out of the Middle East. Israeli war planes are bombing Gaza, trying to target Hamas militants who have been shooting rockets into Israel. More than 200 people are dead. Israel pledges to keep attacking all night, despite calls from the U.S. for an immediate cease-fire.

Back here in the U.S., a dangerous mixed bag of winter weather. Chicago is usually snowbound this time of year but warmer temperatures and rain combined to create serious flooding. One section of the Chicago River is already above flood stage, and the river is still rising.

There's a lot going wrong this holiday season -- the economy, global conflicts, millions without jobs. What we want to do now is to take a good look at what is going right, from a stranger making a difference in a waitress's life to a new owner reopening a closed cookie factory, and employees at an amusement park creating a winter wonderland for a dying little girl. These are some stories that moved us this week, and they're about to move you.

We begin in Ohio. dozens of laid off workers say they have been granted a Christmas miracle. With job prospects bleak, bills mounting and the holidays looming, hope at first seemed lost. That is, until they got a phone call, a phone call that changed their lives.

Here's CNN's chief national correspondent, John King.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Oatmeal cookies fresh from the oven, 20,000 pounds' worth in a ten-hour shift. Chocolate chip in this line. A bakery shuddered just days ago, now bustling with 60 eager employees who had expected a Christmas on the unemployment rolls.

Kathy Sexton had told her children it would be a very modest holiday.

KATHY SEXTON, BAKERY EMPLOYEE: They understood. They said, "That's all right, mom." You always want to give them more but I didn't think I'd be able to.

KING: Like many small towns, Ashland is struggling, and things have been especially bleak since Archway Cookies was abruptly closed in early October by the private equity firm that owned it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Shutting down the operation was the only course left to take.

KING: Then the Lance Snack Company bought Archway at a bank auction. Last week 60 employees were asked to return immediately. Hopefully, the rest in the months ahead.

TERRY MOWRY, LANCE EMPLOYEE: It's hard to describe. You saw life being breathed back into the face of these people.

KING: Terry Mowry is in the first wave, as is Rita Devan.

RITA DEVAN, LANCE EMPLOYEE: I walked into the garage last night and my husband said, "You actually smell like a cookie again." He said, "Boy, I missed that smell."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We don't know any more answers than what Jenny knows.

KING: Two months ago, workers felt betrayed by bosses who at first said there would be more work in a day or two and then changed the locks.

DEVAN: They were just, kept taking and taking and taking, until there's nothing more to take. And they didn't care they were putting 300 people out of work at the time.

KING: Things are very different now. When it promised to reopen the bakery, Lance handed all former Archway employees an early Christmas gift, a $1,500 prepaid debit card. DEVAN: I was crying, like pinch me, pinch me. It kept getting better. And you're going to get your card tonight. I'm like what are these people doing? They don't know me. They don't know us. They didn't know any of the Archway people and they're giving each and every one of us $1,500?

SEXTON: It's awesome. My first thought was I can give my kids a Christmas.

KING: Lance CEO, David Singer, says the gift cards were letting Ashland know the new owners are different.

DAVID SINGER, CEO, LANCE, INC.: We wouldn't do it willy-nilly. We do want to make money but this is the pool of folks we intended to hire and we wanted to let them know who we were. It's great to see folks come back to work. We're proud what have we've been able to do.

KING: These are Lance cookies sold to big chains like Target and Wal- mart. Archway production will resume soon. And the new owners say, if the new orders keep flowing in, more jobs will follow.

John King, CNN, Ashland, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Mmm, those cookies look good.

You know the saying the customer is always right? We know of one hard-working waitress in San Diego who couldn't agree more.

The story from KGTV's Charisse Yu in San Diego.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIE JONES, WAITRESS: Are you ready to order?

CHARISSE YU, KGTV NEWS REPORTER (voice-over): She's the woman who makes sure the syrup on your pan cakes is to your liking.

JONES: We make it homemade.

YU: and your eggs are cooked just right.

JONES: Ham and eggs, have cheddar.

YU: Julie Jones is a waitress at Richard Walker's Pancake House in the marina district.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Definitely, the waitress of the year, definitely.

YU: All of Jones' hard work paid off. This year she got an early Christmas present.

JONES: He presented me with ten $100 bills.

YU: Fro all of you country, that adds up to a tip of 1,000 bucks. It seems one generous customer really likes her.

JONES: Beyond what you could imagine.

YU: There's one downside. She doesn't know who to say thank you too. Her customer gave the boss her money and wants to remain anonymous.

JONES: I feel lucky. I'm raising a 15-year-old daughter, my husband and I are. We feel fortunate.

YU: One thing is for sure, customers say they leave full and happy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's great. She deserves it.

YU: While patrons say they will leave Jones a good tip, they say $1,000 will be very hard to top.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Maybe not $1,000, but we'll give her a good tip.

YU: Jones says serving customers is what she loves to do. She wants to thank her secret Santa for making her Christmas much brighter.

Charisse Yu, 10 News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Good for Jones.

You might not equate Santa Claus with Ulysses S. Grant, but they both have beards.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don't expect that generosity from people, especially people you've never seen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: A stranger in the neighborhood makes a holiday just a bit brighter.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right, we have been asking you what's on your mind and time now to share.

Let's see what David Gutierrez has to say on Twitter. He said, "Sad it's over. I'm going to miss this." He sent us a tweet pick. Can we get the tweet pick up from David? Look at that.

David, where is that? You didn't tell us where is it, that your back yard? Is that near your house? Send me a picture -- send me a response here and let me know at tweet what it is.

Can we do regularguy68?

Regularguy68 says, "I got a new 47-inch LG LCD and a new satellite receiver as well and a pocket dictionary."

phoenixrising40, "OMG, Don, I'm so very good this madness is over. Not spending a penny. Boxing Day is the bestest holiday ever." Boxing Day, a day of goodwill.

CNN's iReporters are feeling the Christmas spirit as well.

Here's what Michaela Forest posted an ad on Craig's List asking for volunteers to help her feed the homeless in downtown Austin, Texas. She says people showed up with food in hand. and they served lasagna, hotdogs, tacos, cake and drinks to dozens of homeless people. Good for Michaela.

And Lenore Wilson's family is overflowing with love this Christmas. Her house is now filled with 13 kids and three adults. Last year, her husband's brother and his wife lost their kids but Lenore says she and her husband stepped in and adopted the entire brewed, all eight of them. Neighbors donated money for the kids' Christmas presents. Lenore said she showed the kids there really is a Santa Claus, even in a bad economy. Very nice.

Make sure you keep all of that coming. and be sure to tune in tonight, Saturday night -- that's tonight -- and Sunday for a look at the memorable iReports of 2008, it will highlight how our iReporters contributed to some of the biggest stories of the year, from Barack Obama's election to the financial meltdown. It's at 8:00 p.m. eastern, Saturday, tonight, and Sunday, only here on CNN. Make sure you're watching. It's going to be very, very interesting show.

There's no better time than the holidays for random acts of kindness. Folks in one neighborhood in Louisville, Kentucky, certainly were not expecting a good-hearted stranger knocking on their doors.

And here's Kate Cornell with our affiliate WLKY.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM CAMPBELL, VISITED BY SECRET SANTA: A lot of houses don't have chimneys anymore. Makes it rough for the old guy.

KATE CORNELL, WLKY NEWS REPORTER (voice-over): He didn't tumble into living rooms covered in soot. He wasn't wearing a red and white suit and Rudolph wasn't with him. But residents of this south Louisville neighborhood are convinced it was good old St. Nick. They spotted, spreading some cheer in their area.

JOANNE TINNELL, VISITED BY SECRET SANTA: Oh, to me, the gray hair.

CAMPBELL: He was jolly enough.

CORNELL: Instead of hearing the pitter patter of reindeer hooves on the roof, there was a hock knock at the door.

TINNELL: Older man at my door I've never seen before in my life, hands me a Christmas card.

CAMPBELL: It just says, just want to wish you a merry Christmas.

CORNELL: At first neighbors Joanne Tinnell and Jim Campbell said they were suspicious, until they opened the envelope.

TINNELL: There was a $50 bill in it.

CAMPBELL: It wasn't signed. I never seen this guy before.

CORNELL: By the time both got out on the street to say thank you, their secret Santa was gone. They did find they weren't the only ones the mystery man surprised.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You just don't expect that kind of generosity from people, especially people you've never seen. And you know the man really -- I believe he didn't say one word except for "merry Christmas."

CORNELL: Bringing some truths to the tales of Santa to even the most experienced Christmas kids.

CAMPBELL: I hope he does it to a lot more people.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: We want to know what's on your mind tonight. Tell us what you're thinking about that story, and any of the other stories we are reporting on tonight. We'll read some of your responses on the air.

'Tis the season of giving. A state park makes sure one little girl gets her wish this Christmas. and it could be her last.

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LEMON: OK, get your hankie out for this one. This is a really, really -- this story is an emotional story. That's all I'll say. All she wanted for Christmas is snow. If she lived in a northern state that would be no problem, but Sophia Langford lives in the sunny South and this may be her very last Christmas.

Here's CNN's Brooke Baldwin.

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BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A snowy surprise for Sophia.

SHIRLEY LANGFORD, SOPHIA'S MOTHER: Get daddy. Tell daddy. Get daddy.

BALDWIN: A 4-year-old who dreamed of a white Christmas. It's a welcome gift she definitely deserves. Just before her third birthday doctors discovered a cancerous tumor on her brain.

WAYNE LANGFORD, SOPHIA'S FATHER: My stomach started hurting and I still have the same ache in my gut today, a year and a half later. Yeah your life changes forever. I mean, you just -- it changes, utterly.

BALDWIN: Sophia has endured months of chemotherapy and radiation. She's also lost some of her sight and most of her hearing.

SHIRLEY LANGFORD: She asked me to sing a lullaby after she lost her hearing. I had already started to sing it and she said mommy, sing me a lullaby. And I had to stop and set my lips against her ears so she could feel the vibrations.

BALDWIN: Four brain surgeries later, these parents realized this is a battle their daughter will likely lose. In October, doctors gave Sophia anywhere from two weeks to two months to live.

SHIRLEY LANGFORD: Here we go.

BALDWIN: That is why this snow is so special.

SHIRLEY LANGFORD: That last, when she threw the snowball at you will stay with us forever. Each laugh is just that important to us.

BALDWIN (on camera): Seeing snow during the holiday season may not seem like a miracle to most, but we're in Georgia, where this stuff is hard to come by, unless you make it yourself.

(voice-over): That's one of the things these employees from a Georgia state park do during the winter. They caught wind of Sophia's story and wanted to help.

PAUL CREASY, STONE MOUNTAIN PARK: I definitely come out, no matter what the temperature is, and be a part of that.

BALDWIN: One snow machine, 30 tons of snow, and four dump trucks later, Sophia got her winter wonderland.

KELLEY SWANN, STONE MOUNTAIN PARK: Knowing that we were able to be a part of her wish and her family's wish is -- make a little girl's dream come true is just exciting, and very fulfilling.

BALDWIN: Sophia's parents find fulfillment in finding their little girl with joy and laughter the rest of her days.

WAYNE LANGFORD: It's a cliche but you know, every day, every day is Christmas.

BALDWIN: As long as they're filled with smiles and perhaps a sudden Georgia snowfall.

Brooke Baldwin, CNN, Atlanta.

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LEMON: If you want to learn more about Sophia or find out what you can do to help her families and others, log on to carepages.com, carepages.com. Her link is Sophia's Journey, spelled out as one word, just one word. And if you want to know about send me a thing on Twitter and I'll put the address up for you. Speaking of Twitter, log on and give us some of your responses. Let's read some of them now. Let's read -- not now? All right, we'll track it.

Let's go on and we'll talk about more Christmas stuff. Let's talk about tracking one of the riders on America's orphan trains. It has changed his life and his future son's, and it's a story from America's past that might astonish you.

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(FIT NATION)

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LEMON: We have breaking news into the "CNN NEWSROOM." You're look at these live pictures that we're looking at them from Gaza right now. We're hearing the air strikes started back up there. As we look at these pictures, I want to tell you the latest information we have just gotten that CNN is confirming. An F-16, an Israeli F-16 hit a mosque in Gaza City. Again, that happened overnight. And we're also reporting one person who is there, a stringer, which is a videographer for us, said she saw two bodies lying in the rubble. They are searching for more. The mosque is near the hospital, near a hospital in Gaza City. Again, more than 225 people killed there. At least 225 people, and more than 400 injured.

Again, these air strikes, we are told here at CNN, have started once again on Gaza. And an Israeli F-16 has hit a mosque in Gaza City tonight. We'll continue to follow the latest developments as we get them into the "CNN NEWSROOM."

It's that time of year when hearts are open to helping other people. So CNN pulled together a series called "Focus on Giving." Tonight, one of our photojournalists profiles 89-year-old Stanley Cornell. He was part of a program that took some 200,000 parentless children on the streets of New York and put them on trains with the hope of finding a loving family out west.

Here's Stanley, who's remembering the orphan train.

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STANLEY CORNELL, OPHRAN TRAIN RIDER (voice-over): They called them orphan train riders that rode the train looking for a mom and dad. Like I did, my brother and I. and now that she's passed away and she's passed away. These are the ones are in Colorado and are orphan train riders.

Now we can only account for about 15.

My first feelings, I remember standing by my mother's bedside when she was dying. She died from tuberculosis. She knew she was dying and said, be good to your daddy and all that. That's the last I saw of her. The state sent someone out to check on us to see if he had enough money to take care of us. He wasn't. They told him he'd have to give up the boys.

This is a picture of Vic and I, just about the time we were in the orphan's home.

It was kind of rough in the orphan's home. The Children's Aid Society was a wonderful thing for taking those street urchins.

This is a type of engine, train that took us out of New York City, out to Wellington, Texas. That's where dad happened to be in town that day. He just bought a new model T Ford. He former friend that was with him said you've been wanting two boys. You got two girls. You ought to go down and look those boys over.

We was the last ones holding hands together in the circle in the lobby of that hotel, because there was a blizzard outside. That was December 10, 1926.

This is a picture of my mom and dad now that give us a home, J.L. Deiger (ph) and Ethel Deiger (ph). They treated us like we was new gold. It was just like there was no one quite like us. We accepted in full faith.

We lived on a farm. We had our own ponies to ride to school.

DANA CORNELL, STANLEY'S ADOPTED SON: The orphan train was actually amazing, how many children were actually on the orphan trains. The areas that they went to, which was all over the United States.

CORNELL: That's -- did I pick that up? Yeah. Sounds like old times.

DANA CORNELL: I don't think Vic or Stan could have had better parents.

CORNELL: This new home really hit the spot.

DANA CORNELL: I kind of can relate to that, because dad adopted Dennis and me.

CORNELL: I knew what it was like to grow up White House parents. We had a good, good home.

Very grateful. Definitely. Always will be.

(SINGING)

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LEMON: Our thanks to photojournalist John Toreogi (ph) for that profile. We appreciate it.

OK, now we want just some of your responses now. First up, solidcactus? Solidcactus. That's a crazy name. "Holiday shopping is painful the way it is. Why can't people leave their kids at home?" OK.

And (INAUDIBLE), "Recovering, December 26th -- did December 26th at Target before 9:00 a.m. and it was incredible. Got stuff that was much needed and for great prices."

One more. I like this guy. This is presidentor. He says, "I was just outside that reporter's live shot on 34th Street in New York. First time in New York, and never seen many people in a store and no security. President, there's tons it of security in there. don't be fooled why in. Watch yourself.

Thanks to all of you for your twits. We want to know what's on everyone's mind tonight. Make sure you log on to Facebook, Twitter, MySpace or ireport.com. We will get your responses on the air.

The rampage, well it is over. But the details get more and more bizarre. Tonight at 11:00 p.m. eastern, we'll take a closer look at the horrific Christmas Eve massacre outside of Los Angeles. We have new details to share and new insight from our guests. That's tonight's at 11:00 eastern right here in the "CNN NEWSROOM." I'm Don Lemon here in Atlanta. Make sure you stay tuned for that.

"After Party, Where Do We Go from Here," begins right now.