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Gaza's General Population Suffers, Mourns, As Israel Retaliates Against Hamas; Maryland Father Outsmarts Kidnappers; The Obama Workout
Aired December 29, 2008 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: More than 300 people in Gaza are dead. Israel says its forces are targeting Hamas leaders, but the United Nations reports about 50 civilians have been killed. The White House calling on Hamas to stop launching rockets into Israel; and we're seeing protests in other countries, from Iran and Lebanon to Greece and Great Britain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CROWD: Free, free Palestine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: That's what it looked like and sounded like outside the Israeli embassy in London not too long ago. Dozens of demonstrators tried to press their way closer to the building. Police ended up putting a barricade around that building.
While Israeli officials say that Hamas and its leaders are the targets, the panicked people of Gaza aren't so sure. CNN's Cal Perry reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAL PERRY, CNN INTERNATIONAL. CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Grief amid a continued barrage of violent attacks. As Gaza lays its dead to rest, Israel's military might remains unabated. As one of the most densely populated places on Earth is slowly reduced to rubble. As are the lives of those living in Gaza.
"What are my five girls guilty of?" this man says. "I have seven and five were killed. They were sleeping. I want to understand why they were killed. I only have God, that's all I have."
As the death toll continues to rise, Israel maintains it's not fighting the Palestinian people, but rather is targeting their Hamas leadership.
"We want peace," he says. "We have stretched out a hand in peace many times to the Palestinian people. We have nothing against the people of Gaza, but this is an all-out war against Hamas and its branches."
After more than 300 air strikes, all-out war is exactly what seems to be unfolding. Israel says the goal of its operation is to stop an ongoing stream of rockets being fired from Gaza into its south. But the Israeli military says that since its campaign began, more than 150 rockets have been launched from Gaza. Across southern Israel, sirens wail and the young and old run for cover. In the southern city of Stirot (ph), fear turns to overwhelming emotion. A grief counselor tries to help, but it seems to make little difference.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Cal Perry joining us now live from Jerusalem.
Cal, why is all this happening now? Everyone is questioning the timing.
PERRY: Well, I think you have to look at from Israel's perspective, they've wanted to take apart this group now for two years. But what we've got going on, you have to take a step back, you have to look at this globally. We have a power vacuum in Washington, D.C. Bush is out of power on January 20, Barack Obama comes in. And here in Israel, there are elections next month. This could be their one and only window of opportunity to decapitate Hamas, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, is that even a possibility? I mean, Benjamin Netanyahu is running in those elections in February. He says that Hamas needs to be toppled. Others are saying, no, it's got to be a cease-fire. There has to be negotiations. It's a back-and-forth that's been going on for years and years, Cal.
PERRY: Absolutely right. There's this really sort of fascinating thing that has been going on in the Middle East for years and years, as you know, which is every time Israel attacks a group, be it Hezbollah in Lebanon. Look at what happened in '06. They did the same thing they're doing to Gaza now. And Hezbollah came back more powerful than ever.
Think about all of those times that they would attack (AUDIO GAP). That would embarrass them in the international media. All it did was up his popularity in the West Bank. When you look at what they're doing in Gaza, you have to ask yourself, what is the end game? What is the end game for Israel? Do they want the rocket fire to stop, or will they not stop until they go in on the ground and completely dismantle this group?
PHILLIPS: We'll follow it with you. Cal Perry, appreciate it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AUDIENCE: No rockets, no peace! No rockets, no peace!
Now the fighting in Gaza is triggering protests in the streets of some cities here in the U.S. Demonstrators in Chicago yesterday denounced Israel for what they called the massacre of the Palestinians. The Israeli council general to Chicago defended the attacks saying the Israeli air strikes are not targeting civilians.
And in Phoenix, pro-Palestinian demonstrators also took to the streets, demanding an end to the Israeli attacks. The White House saying that the ball is in Hamas' court and urging its leaders to stop firing rockets into Israel. CNN's Elaine Quijano joins us now from Crawford, Texas. Elaine, have we seen or heard from the president on this yet?
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We haven't seen the president since Friday, Kyra. That is when he arrived here in Texas aboard Air Force One. He is leaving it to his spokesman to lay out the U.S.' position, which is very clear. The U.S. blames Hamas for this recent round of violence.
The president did began his day, here in Crawford, with a phone call with Jordan's King Abdullah about the situation in the Middle East. He also had his daily intelligence briefing and then took part in a discussion via secure video, we are told, with his top advisers, including National Security adviser Stephen Hadley, Vice President Dick Cheney, and the president's chief of staff, Josh Bolton.
Now, again, the White House is laying the blame for this violence squarely at Hamas' feet, saying it is Hamas' actions of firing rockets into Israel that has really precipitated Israel's response. At the same time, the White House is urging all parties to try to work towards what they call a sustainable and durable cease-fire. And on the issue of a possible ground operation, Kyra, into Gaza, the White House is being very careful in how it comments on that. Here is White House Spokesman Gordon Johndroe, earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GORDON JOHNDROE, WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN: I can't speak to any potential ground operation. I think that any ground operation according to the Israelis would be part and parcel of the -- of the overall operation, given their statements saying that they don't want to retake Gaza, that they simply want to protect their people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has also been in contact with President Bush by phone. She has been in contact with foreign ministers as well involved in this as they try to see if there can be a durable, sustainable cease-fire reached. We understand that she has not yet spoken to the Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas. She has spoken to Israel's prime minister. We should also note that the secretary has, in fact, had a conversation with President- Elect Barack Obama, who is vacationing in Hawaii, to give him the latest over the weekend on the developments in the Middle East - Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, Elaine Quijano, thank you so much.
We'll talk more about that next hour. We'll find out how the president-elect is being kept in the loop on this situation. It's certain to be an issue after he's sworn in. Plus, we're going to get some perspective on Gaza, itself, and why the area is so volatile right now. Well, for most of us, it would be the payday of our dreams: $4 billion. That's what GM and Chrysler are each getting today. Its part of the government's massive bailout aimed at preventing the automakers from going belly up. Chief Business Correspondent Ali Velshi joins us with the nuts and bolts of how the bailout is intended to work. Just imagine what we could do with $4 billion bucks ringing in the New Year, Ali Velshi.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, here's the thing. Can you imagine if you're getting these billions of dollars on the -- you know, on the last week of the year and you're actually worried about whether or not you're going to make it through the first three months of the year. That's what it looks like for General Motors.
This is the first installment of the money that the federal government has agreed to lend to General Motors and Chrysler. Ford isn't getting any money out of this.
Let me show you how it breaks down. Today, General Motors and Chrysler are each getting $4 billion. Then on January 16, General Motors will get another $5.4 billion. And on February 17, if Congress has a nice Valentine's Day, another $4 billion will go to GM.
Now, General Motors has been in the most serious straits and has said they would run out of money by the end of the year, if they didn't get this loan. They are going to have to try and get their act together. Because they've actually got less money, or they will be getting less money than they said they would need. We checked in with General Motors today and say, how are you going to manage? Because you said fairly clearly you were burning through about $5 billion a month and this wasn't going to be enough for you?
And they simply reissued their statement. They said, this is the amount of money we needed. They didn't address the fact that they're getting less than they need. So, Kyra, if I need -- you know, I told you I needed 100 bucks to get through the month and you gave me 40, we haven't addressed exactly where the rest of the money comes from and whether or not this is going to keep those auto companies afloat. I think what that means, Kyra is we can count on the fact that under the new administration, in a new Congress, we're going to hear from these automakers again. Particularly, General Motors, to say, we need more cash.
PHILLIPS: Are you saying you need 100 bucks?
VELSHI: I'm just saying if I did.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: You know I'd give it to you.
VELSHI: I know you would.
PHILLIPS: With a little interest.
VELSHI: That's only fair. I'm good for it.
PHILLIPS: Yes, I know you are. Ali, thanks.
VELSHI: Good to talk to you.
PHILLIPS: All right.
Last week's big snowstorm in the Midwest is blamed for a whole new set of problems, flooding. Warmer temps are melting all that snow and ice and rivers and streams are now on the rise. A lot of the problems are in the Chicago area and in southeastern Wisconsin. The flooding threat covers an area from Iowa to Ohio. In Michigan, a big weekend storm with heavy winds left hundreds of thousands of people in the dark this morning. In some areas, winds gusted to 60 miles an hour and on top of that, more snow in parts of the state.
Across the Pacific Northwest, just too much snow. The wet, heavy snow has caused roofs on both sides of the Cascades to collapse. These scenes in Spokane, but it's also a problem in Seattle and other areas.
Chad Myers, keeping track of all of that for us. What else is happening, Chad?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Literally 30 seconds ago I was on the phone with Jackson Hole, Wyoming, ski resort. They closed part of the resort because there's just so much snow. They've had over 180 inches already and it's not even January. They have had some avalanche danger. They have had some slides. Obviously, the skier killed on the Paint Brush, which is a very steep hill. Now, they're just saying, wait a minute, we have just got to get this fixed. Every place out there now taking these precautions to make sure that every skier and everybody who is out there is safe from all of this snow that is still coming down in some spots across Wyoming, into Washington State, and also into Oregon and into Montana. There you see even all the way down to Casper. More snow involved.
This is a big year. This is -- this has been a very big deal for a lot of great ski resorts. They're going to use this snow for a very long time. We're going to have a white June in some of these ski resorts. But just a little danger there when you get all of this snow packed on top of an ice layer, that's what we kind of have in Colorado. Kind of an icy layer on the bottom because of a freeze/thaw, freeze/thaw, early in the season. Well, now all this snow gets on it, then it wants to slide off. And you don't want weather like this out there anyway, because there is another reason for it to slide.
Macon, Georgia, yesterday was 76; Wilmington, North Carolina was the same, even Myrtle Beach, a place to play golf. Could you imagine being out there playing golf at 70? You booked a vacation thinking, OK, I'll deal with 45 and 50, and all of a sudden you get there and it's 70 degrees. And you're golfing in that kind of weather there. Trenton, New Jersey, even all the way up to 66 today. And Bridgeport, Connecticut, to 59.
PHILLIPS: 40, 70 degrees, I don't care. I'd go play golf there any day. I know I could talk you into it. MYERS: Yes. I played -- I think it was a Pete Dye course, and I think I shot 178 on that course.
PHILLIPS: Oooh!
MYERS: Oh, it was brutal.
PHILLIPS: Well, Pete Dye put together some pretty difficult courses. So, you know, I'll give you a little leeway there, but that's pretty high, Chad.
MYERS: I'm just kidding, but the fareway might have been -
PHILLIPS: I might have to leave you back on the nine.
MYERS: The fairway might have been three feet wide, and the rest was just dirt.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: No fun. All right. Chad, thanks.
MYERS: Sure.
Rescue crews in Canada are looking for eight snowmobiles believed buried under heavy snow right now. Three others were rescued and taken to hospitals. Two avalanches struck yesterday near the small town of Sparwood in southeastern British Columbia. That's near the Alberta border. Some of those snowmobilers were actually trying to help victims of the first avalanche when the second one hit. The region, like the Pacific Northwest in the U.S., has been slammed by a series of big snowstorms. You heard Chad talk about it.
Ahead, in the NEWSROOM, folks in Sparewood, British Columbia, pray for a miracle as rescue crews are searching for those snowmobilers. We are going to hear from the town's mayor.
And it's one way to magically make headlines.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (SINGING): Barack the magic negro, lives in D.C., ...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, that's the man who says he wants to lead the Republican Party. Now, the leading figure in a CD controversy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, it's sure been a wild year on Wall Street. Many investors heading into the new year with their mouths agape over some of the decisions made by both big business and lawmakers over the last 12 months. Stephanie Elam at the New York Stock Exchange now with a review of some of probably the dumbest business moments of 2008 - Hey, Steph.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kyra.
Sometimes, you know, when it hurts, you've just got to laugh. That is the way to get through it. So our friends at CNNMoney.com have come up nearly with two dozen dumb business moments from 2008. Some of these, when you hear them, they might just make you cringe.
Let's start off with the CEOs of General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler. You know, they sat before Congress pleading for a multi- billion dollar bailout, just hours after arriving comfortably in their swanky corporate jets. Not too smart.
When they returned to the Hill, a few weeks later, all three arrived driving fuel-efficient hybrids made by their companies, making things a bit uncomfortable however. Chrysler chief Robert Nardelli, he drove the Aspen hybrid, it is a vehicle that is said to be discontinued.
It wasn't all about the carmakers, though. Microsoft bid - .remember it bid nearly $45 billion for Yahoo!, a move called dumb because it represents a whopping 61 percent premium over Yahoo! stock price at the time. Now, what's even dumber than that? Yahoo turned the offer down.
At the moment, shares of both companies are lower, as is the broader market. Let's take a look. The Dow off 128 points, at 83.87. Nasdaq off 2.33 percent, at 1,495. Of course, if you feel like you want to hear a little bit more dumb stuff, you can head over to see what they've got on CNNMoney.com.
But here's another one. The SEC's failure to pick up on Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme, to the accidental release of a Steve Jobs' obituary. That was not too smart.
My favorite, though? The app that came out on the iPhone that was nearly $1,000 and eight people bought it. As you know, everything there is just about $10 or less.
PHILLIPS: Which, you know, is not a bad deal. I'll have to check on and check out all the dumb moves. It's sort of like our bloopers that we have to suffer through at the end of a year at CNN. You know? All the mistakes we make.
ELAM: All the mistakes we make. Yes, we're constantly reminded.
PHILLIPS: Oh, yes.
ELAM: So maybe that's why we like those.
PHILLIPS: Oh, yes, the beauty of YouTube. All right, Steph. See you in a little bit.
ELAM: See ya.
PHILLIPS: A candidate to head up the Republican National Committee making a name for himself and making news. Chip Saltsman decided to send committee members a CD for Christmas. One of the songs, "Barack, the Magic Negro." It might sound like a rookie mistake, but as our Jim Acosta reports, Saltsman is far from a political newbie.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIP SALTSMAN, FORMER HUCKABEE NATIONAL CAMPAIGN MANAGER: We have already got a big crowd here for Governor Huckabee.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Chip Saltsman made a name for himself as the national campaign manager for Mike Huckabee's upstart bid for the White House.
SALTSMAN: I'm officially announcing my candidacy for Republican National Committee chairman.
ACOSTA: Now, a candidate for chairman of the Republican National Committee, Saltsman is doing damage control. After mailing RNC members a controversial CD loaded with racially-tinged songs. One of the tunes, aimed at the next president.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (SINGING): Barack, the magic negro...
ACOSTA: A crude parody of the children's classic "Puff, the Magic Dragon".
PETER, PAUL & MARY (SINGING): Puff, the magic dragon...
ACOSTA: The song first touched off a brief firestorm when it aired on Rush Limbaugh during the campaign. Limbaugh blamed the media for stoking the controversy.
RUSH LIMBAUGH, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Every one of you out there that think you've got something here on Barack the magic negro, I'm going to try to help you and save you.
ACOSTA: Saltsman defends the CD. Telling CNN, I think most people recognize political satire when they see it. I thin k RNC members understand that.
But current RNC chairman, Mike Duncan, said he's appalled, in a statement to CNN.
"The 2008 election was a wake-up call for Republicans to reach out and bring more people into our party."
JON AVALON, POLITICAL ANALYST: There is a crowd of conservatives that takes a special pride in being anti-PC. But what I don't think they fully appreciate is it comes across somewhere between being indifferent to hostile. And that's how they've gotten in the larger problem they now face. Preaching to an ever-smaller choir, and looking for votes only in a group that's increasingly old, white, and rural.
ACOSTA: A concern echoed by Colin Powell, who recently singled out Limbaugh as part of the party's problem. COLIN POWELL, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: Is this really the kind of party that we want to be?
ACOSTA: Liberal media critics say the issue is bigger than Limbaugh.
KARL FRISCH, MEDIA MATTERS FOR AMERICA: It's unfortunate, but it's not surprising. This type of rhetoric, this type of hate speech, and fear-mongering, happens every day on conservative talk radio.
ACOSTA (On camera): One Republican who is coming to Chip Saltsman's defense is Ken Blackwell, the former Ohio secretary of state, and an Africa-American who is also running for the top job at the RNC. Blackwell blamed the media, telling CNN, quote, "Unfortunately there is hypersensitivity in the press regarding matters of race." Jim Acosta, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Talk about your after-Christmas mess. How would you like to have this in your yard? More than 1 billion gallons of sludge.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: A massive coal ash spill in east Tennessee may impact the way power plant waste is handled. The Tennessee Valley Authority promises to clean up the more than 1 billion gallons of sludge near Knoxville, but county officials want more. They want the TVA to stop using water-filled retention ponds. A pond wall burst last Monday, pouring sludge over 300 acres. Residents were told not to worry, but they're not sure.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM VEREB, HOMEOWNER: We're hearing all kinds of stories. You know, we're hearing everything from this is perfectly fine to be around to get away, as far as you can from it. So, we really don't know what the right answer is there. We're not going to panic about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, the TVA and the EPA say they'll test the air and water to make sure neither is contaminated.
I-Reporters are sharing their images of the spill. This is from Joshua Singletary, who was visiting relatives on the river in Kingston, Tennessee. He says the photo shows how cloudy the water was for days after the accident. Singletary says his relatives are worried about arsenic and other coal ash pollutants winding up in the groundwater and the surrounding eco system.
One Palestinian politician calls it insane. Israel calls it an all-out war. We're keeping you up to date as Gaza gets pounded for a third day.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Philips in the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
It is 2:27 right now. Here are the stories we're working on for you.
California police now say the man who killed nine people in the so-called Santa shootings had planned to escape to Iowa, not Canada. Bruce Pardo killed members of his former in-law's family at their home on Christmas Eve. He later killed himself.
Rivers and creeks across much of central and southern Illinois are high and rising; the result of weekend rain and run-off from melted snow and ice. The Illinois River could top its banks today in the Peoria area.
And expanding fears about the carnage in the Middle East. Israel is pounding Hamas targets in an all-out war and making plans for a possible ground invasion. Meanwhile, a chorus of international voices, including the U.S., is calling for the fighting to stop.
Secretary general of the United Nations is expressing alarm over the continued violence in Gaza. Ban Ki-Moon today also condemned both sides for the fighting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BAN KI-MOON, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: First of all, I am deeply alarmed by the current escalation of violence in and around Gaza. This is unacceptable. I have been repeatedly condemning the rocket attacks by Hamas militants against Israel. While recognizing Israel's right to defend itself, I have also condemned the excessive use of force by Israel in Gaza.
The suffering cost to the civilian populations as a result of the larger-scale violence and destruction that have taken place over the past few days has saddened me profoundly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: More than 300 people have been killed since the fighting erupted on Saturday.
And it is another reminder that the president-elect has a tough road ahead of him. Barack Obama in Hawaii, right now, staying on top of the situation in the Middle East through talks with Condoleezza Rice. CNN's Ed Henry joins us now from Honolulu. What is he saying, Ed?
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, he's not saying very much because he's trying to walk a very fine line here of not interfering with the Bush administration. The transition officials saying that Barack Obama wants to make sure the U.S. is only speaking with one voice. That there's no confusion around the world about the incoming and outgoing administrations. But you're right, he did try to stay in the loop over the weekend, speaking by telephone with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Also, last evening, the president-elect was on the telephone with some of his own advisers. Retired Marine General Jim Jones and the incoming national security adviser and Senator Hillary Clinton, the incoming secretary of State, if she's confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
And what's interesting, is yesterday Obama's senior advisor, David Axelrod, was on NBC's "Meet the Press" talking about how as a candidate Barack Obama visited Israel this summer and talked about Israel's right to defend itself in a situation like this. But, again, he reiterated the general view that the incoming administration wants to be careful to make sure they're not setting U.S. policy yet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID AXELROD, OBAMA SENIOR ADVISOR: He did, as you said, visit Sderot in July, and he said then that he though that when bombs are raining down on your citizens, it's obviously unacceptable, and there is an urge to act. And so -- but, again, I don't want to go beyond that because we only have one government and one president at a time. And he's going to continue to consult with Secretary Rice and the president and the administration on this and monitor these events, and he'll be prepared to take over on the 20th and discharge his responsibilities then.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: And until he takes over on January 20th, we won't know exactly what the Obama approach to this crisis will be. But if you look at it just on the surface with what David Axelrod said there about Israel having a right to defend itself, there's really very little daylight from the Bush administration's approach right now. Again, just on the surface, we have to wait and see exactly how, as president, Barack Obama will approach this. But for now, the rhetoric is very much the same as the Bush administration's, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. We'll be tracking it with you. From Hawaii, Ed, thanks.
And the fighting in the Middle East comes just seven weeks before crucial national elections in Israel. Joining us with her take on this and the impact of the fighting, CNN's senior editor for Arab affairs, Octavia Nasr. And it is interesting to see, not only is President Bush sort of heading out of office, Barack Obama is coming in, there are also elections in Israel come February.
So, everybody's wondering, OK, what's the issue of timing here?
OCTAVIA NASR, CNN SENIOR EDITOR FOR ARAB AFFAIRS: Definitely. And the Arab world is also wondering about the timing because, you know, what's happening is very concerning to so many people. You see the evidence of that concern in the massive demonstrations across the Middle East. And, you know, they are sitting there waiting and they feel that not only the U.S. is waiting for a new president, but they feel that their leadership is not acting quick enough. So, a lot of frustration on the Arab street.
And you can sense it also on Arab media. The op-eds in newspapers, the commentaries on television. People are really very uncomfortable with this wait and the politics surrounding the situation.
PHILLIPS: And of course, the $50 million question: Why can't a ceasefire work? Why can't there be negotiations? Why is there constant bombing and rocket attacks? Let's listen to what the ambassador Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian permanent observer to the U.N., had to say with regard to that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RIYAD MANSOUR, PALESTINIAN PERMANENT U.N. OBSERVER: In all these occasions, the Palestinian side was respecting the ceasefire, but in return, Israel was doing two things. They were frequently having incursions and assassinating and targeting individuals in the Gaza Strip. And, two, they were blocking the entire Gaza Strip from having food and basic necessities, including medicine, so that the lives of Palestinians in Gaza was unbearable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: So is that true? Is there an innocent bystander? I mean, it's coming from both sides. The question is, how do you bring an end to it, seeming that one side is usually stronger than the other?
NASR: Right. And you know, I mean, Ambassador Mansour is right about what he's saying. But at the same time, Israel will tell you after three days of air strikes, more than 300 people killed and thousands -- more than 1,000 injured, Katyusha rockets are still being fired at Israel.
So, you know, the question of ceasefire and who is respecting the ceasefire and who controls, for example, Hamas, Israel will tell you, can Ambassador Mansour control Hamas? Can he talk to them about a ceasefire? And the answer is going to be no. As a matter of fact, the split within the Palestinian camp right now is something that is very concerning to many people, Arabs and Westerners alike.
PHILLIPS: And what do you make of this op-ed piece that was published in Haaretz newspaper, the Israeli newspaper, calling the Israeli government the neighborhood bully? This quote: "Once again, Israel's violent responses, even if there is justification for them, exceed all proportion and cross every red line of humaneness, morality, international law and wisdom. What began yesterday in Gaza is a war crime and the foolishness of a country."
And this is written by an Israeli. What's your take? Is there a lot of momentum within Israel that's actually turning against its government?
NASR: Well, you know, in Israel, the media are free. And you hear a lot of opinions. As you said, this is the opinion of one person that was published in Haaretz. This opinion is echoed across the Arab world, and many people feel that even though there are maybe a -- there is a minority in the Arab world that believes that Hamas needs to be dealt with in one way or the other, but they believe that the response by the Israeli military is a little bit harsh, they say.
So basically you're hearing all kinds of opinions. Those who are thinking that this violence hasn't led to anything in the past. Why would it lead to anything now? But you also have a camp that's saying, there is a situation on the ground, especially in Gaza where Hamas is in total control, the Palestinian Authority, President Mahmoud Abbas is not in control of Gaza, and they feel that needs to be remedied. And however Israel chooses to remedy it is their own business.
PHILLIPS: Octavia Nasr, thanks.
Rescue crews in British Columbia are looking for eight snowmobilers believed buried under heavy snow right now. The search is now in its second day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CPL. ANDY VELTMEYER, ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE: At the present time, we have searchers on site and they're undergoing search and recovery efforts. Helicopter access, those people are being brought in by helicopters. And so far we haven't found anybody.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: In the small town of Sparwood, British Columbia, they're praying for a miracle as the search goes on. With us now on the phone, Sparwood Mayor David Wilks. Mayor, I understand that you know some of these snowmobilers personally. Is that right?
VOICE OF DAVID WILKS, MAYOR OF SPARWOOD, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA: Yes, I know all 11 of them.
PHILLIPS: And so this is not only a professional mission for you, but also a personal one as well.
WILKS: That's correct. Many of these young gentlemen that were in their early to late 20s, I've known most of their adult life. And this has affected this community drastically.
PHILLIPS: Well, Mayor, what can you tell me about them? I understand that some of them that had survived that first avalanche went back during the second one to try to make a rescue, and that's how they got trapped.
Can you tell me, you know, what -- they obviously know the area well, but do they have experience dealing with avalanches? Kind of give us a feel for their background. They're not just strangers to this type of environment.
WILKS: No, they're not. They have been accustomed to this type of environment for most of their adult life. They're very avid snowmobilers. They're very accomplished at it. It would appear on this certain situation that they were caught off guard by a cornice (ph) that had let loose from the top of the mountain that initially trapped a few of them.
And then the second cornice (ph) let loose while they were trying to help their fellow snowmobilers. And then all 11 of them were buried. Three of them were able to get themselves out of the snow. Then a third cornice (ph) came down, and then a fourth cornice (ph) came down. This was quite a dramatic effect for all of them.
PHILLIPS: We're actually looking at a live picture now from our affiliate there, CBC, Mayor, just to kind of get an idea of how intense the conditions are right now. How is visibility? How's the weather? The temperatures? I know you're holding out hope, but really give us a reality check of the rescue mission right now.
WILKS: Reality check is that it's about minus 11, minus 12 Celsius. We have light winds from the north. It's starting to snow. The weather is starting to turn on us.
I dearly hope and pray that they can find some survivors, but reality is that if you've been buried in snow for over 24 hours, if hypothermia doesn't start to set in, certainly asphyxia does. And we hope and pray that those young lads can be found alive. But every hour that they remain in there is one less hour that is in all likelihood survival.
PHILLIPS: At what point are you going to deem this a recovery mission versus a rescue mission?
WILKS: I have not spoken to search and rescue and/or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in the last hour, but I would suggest that it may revert within the next 12 to 18 hours.
PHILLIPS: Well, Mayor David Wilks, I know this is not easy for you on many levels or the families of those eight missing snowmobilers. Our thoughts and prayers will be with you. We'll continue to follow up on the story.
WILKS: Thank you very much, and have a great day.
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Mayor.
Well, some crooks hoping for easy money didn't bank on a clever hostage. Their plot foiled by a quick-thinking dad.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Surprise and dismayed. That's how Caroline Kennedy is reacting to the revelation that she failed to vote in a number of elections.
Kennedy, who wants to fill Hillary Clinton's soon to be vacant Senate seat, didn't offer an excuse for her lapse at the polls.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAROLINE KENNEDY: I was dismayed by my voting record. There isn't a good excuse. So I don't have one. And obviously going forward, I will make sure to correct that. So I appreciate the fact that everybody in the city now knows about my mistake.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: A new CNN Opinion/Research Poll shows that 52 percent of Americans believe Caroline Kennedy is qualified to be a U.S. senator. 42 percent disagree.
But there's a gap along gender lines. About 57 percent of women polled say Kennedy could do the job. Men were more evenly split. 47 percent say she's experienced enough to handle it. 46 percent say she's not.
Oil prices are moving in response to the conflict in the Gaza Strip. So where does crude stand now? And where does it go from here?
CNN's Money.com's Poppy Harlow has our Energy Fix from New York.
Hey, Poppy --
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Hey, Kyra.
Well, we're not at $147 like we were in July, but oil is moving higher pretty quickly, up about two bucks right now.
Just two weeks ago, to give you some perspective, oil was trading at a four-year low, near $30 a barrel. Today it's around 40 bucks. Traders are worried the fighting in Gaza could affect the price, of course.
As you know, Kyra, the Middle East, the largest oil-producing region in the world. So, some major concern today.
Kyra --
PHILLIPS: Well, and the Middle East does produce a lot of oil, but Israel and Gaza Strip -- the Gaza Strip rather don't have any.
So why are supplies a big concern right now?
HARLOW: It's a great question.
A lot of people are wondering that. So far we have not seen oil supplies disrupted by the tension there. The fear is the fighting could spread. It could be long-term, surrounding nations already voicing opinions about the conflict on both sides. The anger is rising throughout the Arab world, as we've been telling you all day.
Syria has broken off peace talks with Israel. Remember, the Gaza Strip is controlled by Hamas. Hamas is backed by Iran. Iran has the world's second largest oil reserves. It controls a vital channel that is used to ship oil, Kyra.
So the fear is that this could transpire into something much bigger.
PHILLIPS: In the long run, shouldn't the oil prices keep dropping because the worldwide recession is having a much bigger effect, right?
HARLOW: That's what some people are saying. Some people are saying this could really trump that.
If the fighting remains contained though I did speak to an oil trader today who said oil won't go much higher, stabilizing somewhere between $35 and $40. That's because the economy around the world, that's not turning around any time soon.
According to economists, demand is likely to remain weak. So far though, if you look at 2008, oil is down more than 100 bucks from this summer. Take a look at that chart. Just a dramatic decline. With just a few days left this year, oil is on track to fall about 60 percent, Kyra.
That would be the biggest annual drop on record. The only good thing out of it is lower gas prices. That's an energy fix all of us want to remain here. But again oil prices up about two bucks today on that tension in the Middle East.
PHILLIPS: All right, Poppy. Thanks.
Well, you've got some bad memories of 2008? Just shred them away. Some New Yorkers gathering to destroy worthless stock certificates and depressing bank statements from this year's financial meltdown.
And a few looking to make extra clean starts in 2009. They shredded photos of their cheating lovers. Hey, let the countdown to New Year's begin.
Sounds like the plot of a scary movie. A stranger sneaks into your attic, living there, watching every move.
You think that's bad? Well, guess what, he steals your Christmas presents, too.
It happened to one family. We'll fill you in.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: As always, team Sanchez back there working on the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM.
What you've got going, Rick?
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: This story is really getting some legs. We're now being told, I was just over talking to the international desk, and they're saying that there are some pretty sizable protests that are going on right now in Greece.
Also, in Berlin. Something like 2, 500 people that have taken to the streets as a result of what's going on in Israel. Also, protests in Rome, and you saw the protests. I think you had the video of the one in London.
We've also just gotten word that very likely at the beginning of our newscast, we're going to be talking to Israel's ambassador to the United Nations who says, she says quote "We're wiping out Hamas."
Strong words and very different from what they've been saying to you and other correspondents around the world on this.
So this thing is getting interesting to the point where you almost need to go into the nuances of it and find out what's really going of. Is this a military incursion? Is this a political action? And if so, why?
So, we've got a lot of people that are going to be lined up taking us through this. And as get the answers, we'll be providing them for you.
PHILLIPS: Sounds good. See you in a little, Rick.
SANCHEZ: Sure, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, it was a movie-type plot with an even more Hollywood ending. The day after Christmas, two masked gunmen forced their way into a Maryland home. They take a bank employee and her family hostage. And they tell her that she'll help them raid the vault or her family dies. In the morning, she and her husband, their two kids and one of the crooks, head to the bank. Dad's behind the wheel driving and thinking fast.
James Spruill told "AMERICAN MORNING'S" John Roberts, what happened next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES SPRUILL, FOOLED BANK ROBBERY PLOT: The gunman had took his mask off. So when he was taking his mask off, that's when I started weaving, you know, weaving in and out of traffic. Just weaving and swerving the car. And then the state trooper pulled us over. So what I did was, I handed him my bank card instead of my license. And then -- which made him kind of sense that something wasn't right.
So I said, I can give you my driver's license if I can unbuckle myself, you know, from my seat belt.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Right, right.
SPRUILL: So when he let me unbuckle myself from my seat belt, that gave me the opportunity. You know, I looked at my son, gave him a look. He moved to the side and that's when I jumped on the assailant. I jumped on his back and held him down and told -- said to the assailant, he has a gun, he has a gun.
ROBERTS: Wow.
SPRUILL: And that's when the trooper responded quickly. He drew his weapon. And backup came. And they apprehended the suspect.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Now, police have arrested two men in connection with the robbery plot. They're still searching for a third suspect.
And during the holidays, many people play host to house guests, right? But a Pennsylvania family had a bit of a bizarre and unwelcomed one. A man that they didn't know living in their attic.
Carla Campbell with CNN affiliate WBRE, has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STACEY FERRANCE, HAD UNINVITED GUEST: It's just disgust. You know, like, how could you do that?
CARLA CAMPBELL, WBRE REPORTER (voice-over): We've all heard about unwelcomed house guests.
FERRANCE: He stayed with us basically for a week, you know?
CAMPBELL: Those seven days were too much for Stacy Ferrance.
FERRANCE: He ate the same food we ate, he was wearing some our clothing, which is a little bit disturbing to know that he actually went through our dresser drawers and took some clothes.
CAMPBELL: Disturbing because he wasn't someone she knew. Police say 21-year-old Stanley Carter, who was staying with friends next door, made his way into a shared attic space on December 19th. They didn't have a clue until Christmas morning. They opened presents, then visited family.
FERRANCE: We came back about 2 1/2 hours later and noticed some things missing from the house.
CAMPBELL: The police came and Ferrance went to another get- together.
FERRANCE: We left about 6:00, came home approximately 11:00, 11:30, later on Christmas night. Noticed more things missing.
CAMPBELL: The police came again, but no sign of the intruder until Friday afternoon. Ferrance's dad owns the house and suggested she check the attic crawl space.
FERRANCE: When I went up there, I just glanced over at the side wall and there was a perfect foot print right there at eye level. That was it. CAMPBELL (on camera): As soon as Stacey noticed the footprint, she called police. And when they got here, they heard the man walking around upstairs in the attic.
FERRANCE: One (INAUDIBLE) got here with the dog, is when he started saying, I'm coming out, I'm coming out.
CAMPBELL (voice-over): Plain Township police still can't believe what happened.
VOICE OF SGT. RON DOMBROSKI, PLAINS TOWNSHIP POLICE: One of the oddest. I'm going to write a book and tell everybody about it.
CAMPBELL: Carter took blankets, a laptop computer, candles.
FERRANCE: My toothbrush.
CAMPBELL: And made a make-shift living space in the attic.
FERRANCE: It's absolutely bizarre. That it's just -- I'm glad just that everybody is safe.
CAMPBELL: And happy to know Carter's extended stay has been moved to the Lucerne County prison.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well, talk about a healthy son of a gun. This newborn weighs more than some people's Christmas hams. More on the not-so- little boy in just a minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, in just a few weeks, Barack Obama will become one of the most powerful men in the world. In the meantime, he's hitting the gym. Our Ed Henry checks out the workout regimen that may help him deal with the weighty issues that are about to fall on his shoulders.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY (on camera): Everyone's looking for a New Year's resolution. So, after those paparazzi photos here in Hawaii, I thought I'd try to figure out what it takes to be like Barack.
(voice-over): Meet personal trainer Mike Sapp, who worked with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in his body-building days and has been reading up on President-elect Barack Obama's routine.
(on camera): I've got the paparazzi photo that's been seen all around the world. How do I get from here to there?
MIKE SAPP, PERSONAL TRAINER: OK.
HENRY: Is there any hope?
There is. There is. I mean, he's in pretty good shape. So, we're going to have our work cut out for us.
HENRY (voice-over): A combo of cardio and strength training, just like the President-elect, who's religious about working out six days a week.
(on camera): 13, 14, and 15.
SAPP: Good job.
HENRY (voice-over): I've got a long way to go. But just a couple of months ago, Governor Schwarzenegger mocked candidate Obama's physique.
GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: And then I'm going to go and give him some biceps (INAUDIBLE) to beef up those scrawny little arms.
HENRY: The Govern-ator has since walked that joke back. And it's easy to see why. Mr. Obama is clearly in better shape now than he was at the beginning of the campaign.
On this Hawaiian holiday, he started every single morning except for Christmas, at the workout facility of a local Marine base, dubbed Semper Fit. That can be an inspiration to millions of Americans trying to get fit.
SAPP: It's going to kill the -- you know, I don't have time theory, right? I mean, if he can make the time and he makes the commitment, then I think you owe it to yourself to try to get in shape also.
HENRY (on camera): So, Mike, how'd I do?
SAPP: Arnold would be proud.
HENRY: Oh, really? Not too shabby. Puts new meaning into the term, fit for office.
Ed Henry, CNN, Honolulu.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Rick Sanchez, aren't you hitting the gym every day?
SANCHEZ: As a matter of fact, I am, young Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Yes? How do your guns look?
SANCHEZ: Not working well.
PHILLIPS: You're a svelte, I don't know, 185, right?
SANCHEZ: Exactly.
PHILLIPS: How much did you weigh when you were born?
SANCHEZ: About 28 pounds. I was a big boy.
PHILLIPS: Well, you know what? Then you put everybody to shame.
SANCHEZ: They grow them big in Nevada.
PHILLIPS: Well, how about Orange County? Look at this one. This is a lot of weight off of mama's mind and her belly. This little bruiser of a baby boy, born last week in California. He entered the world by cesarean, thank God. Baby Richard tipped the scales at 14 pounds. That's half of what you birthed there, my friend. The hospital says he's one of the biggest births in Orange County ever.
Are you ready to take it, Rick?
SANCHEZ: That's a big boy. We're starting it.
Thank you, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Big Boy Sanchez takes it from here.
SANCHEZ: Right now.
