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Gunfire at School Board Meeting; Big Blast of Winter; 'The Big Play'; Introducing the New CNN App for the iPad; Helping During the Holidays, Berkley Tables "Hero" Resolution
Aired December 15, 2010 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone.
Live from Studio 7 at CNN world headquarters, the news and information you need for Wednesday, December 15th.
It is the video that has everyone gasping in disbelief today. A man opens fire at a school board meeting in Florida. New details this hour.
Doctors say they cured a patient infected with HIV. They caution their technique may only be a clue, not a cure, for others.
And it is slippery out there. A blast of snow gives way to a late autumn ice storm from St. Louis, to Louisville, Nashville and more.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
Those stories and your comments right here, right now in the CNN NEWSROOM.
A routine school board meeting erupts into a deadly shootout, and the terrifying ordeal is captured by cameras. By now, you may have seen this shocking video.
A word of caution. Some of you may find it disturbing to watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This isn't worth it. This is a problem.
Please don't. Please don't. Please.
(GUNSHOTS)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: The gunman identified as Clay Duke calmly fires at school board members in Panama, Florida. Incredibly, none of them was injured.
A security officer exchanges fire with Duke and wounds him. Duke then fatally shoots himself.
This morning, police are still trying to determine how many rounds were fired, but they say the gunman had plenty of ammunition.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEP. CHIEF ROBERT COLBERT, PANAMA CITY POLICE DEPT.: What he was carrying was a Smith & Wesson .9 millimeter high capacity. I believe it had a capability of 12 rounds.
He had an extra magazine that was fully loaded in his back pocket at the time of the shooting. And then he had another box of ammo, and I believe that box of ammo was full and contained 50 rounds.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: "The good lord was standing in front of me." Those words from the school superintendent after he survives being shot at by the gunman.
Superintendent Bill Husfelt talked with John Roberts on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING," along with board member Ginger Littleton. Littleton had praise for the school system's chief of security, Mike Jones. And she was asked about her own effort to disarm the gunman.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: When you took a swing at him with your handbag there, and the gun didn't come out of his hand, obviously everything was a blur. But what was the thought that raced through your mind at that moment?
GINGER LITTLETON, BOARD MEMBER, BAY DISTRICT SCHOOLS: My thought was that plan A had failed and I didn't have a plan B, which was probably not one of the smartest things I ever did.
ROBERTS: Wow. I mean, he pointed the gun at you, he said something angry to you, but he didn't pull the trigger. And you must have felt God intervened right at that moment.
LITTLETON: I did. I don't know why he didn't pull the trigger.
My sense -- and I probably disagree somewhat with Bill -- is that he wanted to be killed rather than kill. But as time passed, obviously it appeared that he was getting more and more ready to do some real damage. And we're so thankful. Mike Jones saved the day, he saved all of their lives because he came in just in the nick of time, or there would have been a lot more bloodshed yesterday morning.
ROBERTS: That moment where he pulls the trigger, and you see you're clutching your chest, what did you think had happened to you at that moment?
WILLIAM HUSFELT, SUPERINTENDENT, BAY DISTRICT SCHOOLS: Well, he's as close to me almost as this camera is, and it was pointed right at me. And so I was trying to turn kind of sideways and put my hand up there. And, you know, it's just all reactionary.
It's just, you know, who knows what you do in a situation like that? But we were all scared and doing a lot of praying, I can tell you that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(NEWSBREAK)
HARRIS: President Obama nudging CEOs to kick-start investing and hiring 20 execs from blue chip companies like American Express, GE and DuPont at the presidential meeting this morning. American businesses are sitting on a record $2 trillion in cash and are reluctant to spend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This morning I hope to elicit ideas from these business leaders that will help us not only climb out of recession, but seize the promise of this moment -- ideas about tax reform, ideas about a balanced approach to regulation that will promote rather than undermine growth, ideas that will help encourage businesses to invest in America and American jobs at a time when they're holding nearly $2 trillion on their books. I want to discuss our shared mission of building a strong economy for the long run.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Let's do this -- let's bring in our senior White House correspondent, Ed Henry.
Ed, good morning to you.
What's the main goal of this meeting?
ED HENRY, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, largely, the president wants to kind of reset his relationship with the business community. This is kind of a broader conversation because, as you know, there's been a lot of talk that they've been at odds, and they want to just kind of clear the air and get a fresh start, if you will. But I think more specifically than that general conversation, the president has got some major legislation there pending on Capitol Hill in this lame-duck session.
The clock is running out. If there's no action by the end of the year, you're going to see the Bush tax rates all of a sudden go up. And all of a sudden, you're going to see Americans all across the spectrum, from poor, to the middle class, to the rich, are going to see their taxes go up.
The president is trying to avoid that with that this tax cut deal that's been pretty controversial among some of his fellow Democrats. But it's cleared some hurdles in the Senate. It's moving closer to a vote in the House. And the president's message to the business leaders is, help me out here, because if you take a listen to what he said before the meeting, he was saying it's imperative to push Congress to finish the job.
Take a listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: I know there are different aspects of this plan to which members of Congress on both sides of the aisle object. That's the nature of compromise. But we worked hard to negotiate an agreement that's a win for middle class families and a win for our economy, and we can't afford to let it fall victim to either delay or defeat.
So I urge members of Congress to pass these tax cuts as swiftly as possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: They're hoping to get a vote in the Senate as early as today. They're hoping to get it on the House floor as early as tomorrow. And as you know, the president has held out the possibility he might even go up to Capitol Hill at some point here in the coming days to get this done. This is his top domestic priority -- Tony.
HARRIS: So, Ed, what is -- maybe you can dig a little deeper on this -- the back-story of this meeting? The president just mentioned the nearly $2 trillion businesses holding on to right now. I'm just curious, will this be, in your estimation, a spirited meeting with real points of contention on the table?
HENRY: Yes, I think there will be some bones of contention, no doubt, because you heard in the president's remarks that he was saying that these business leaders are sitting on this cash. On their side of the ledger, they say, well, hold on a second. There's these new regulations coming from Washington on health care, there's been all this uncertainty about what the tax rates are going to be. How can we start hiring people? We're sitting on this cash, they say, because they don't know what 2011 is really going to bring.
And I think the message from when you talk to senior White House aides that the president wants to bring is, look, we're bringing some certainty with these tax rates. If Congress finishes that job, you're going to have some certainty.
You're seeing retail sales pick up in the last couple days, some of those numbers. Wall Street has stabilized somewhat.
He wants to see these folks start hiring. And basically, he wants to know, what's it going to take? You've talked a lot about uncertainty. He thinks now he's bringing some certainty to the process, at least with those tax rates. And so, yes, I don't think it's going to be a fight, but I think that they're clearly -- both sides are going to air their differences and say what have we got to do moving forward here in 2011?
Tony.
HARRIS: That's good.
Our senior White House correspondent, Ed Henry, for us.
Ed, good to see you. Thank you.
HENRY: Good to see you too.
HARRIS: And hot online right now, "TIME" magazine's "Person of the Year."
"TIME" says Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is changing how we all live our lives. One out of 12 people on the planet has a Facebook account. Did you know that?
At 26 -- did you know that, that he was that young? Twenty-six. The site has made Zuckerberg one of the world's youngest billionaires.
And freezing cold right now for many of you in the country. Your weather, we'll talk about that in detail with two of our meteorologists. They'll join me live.
And take a look at the markets new. We are in positive territory, up 41 points.
We will be following these numbers throughout the morning for you, throughout the day, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: So take a look at this. Cold is really impacting just about everyone in the country today. And you, our CNN iReporters, are sharing your images.
The Schnecklers (ph) are showing some pictures of whiteout conditions in their front yard, and they live in Harbor Beach, Michigan. That's Huron County, where a blizzard dumped up to 22 inches of snow.
This sledding video is coming from north Georgia -- OK, there it is on the right. That's pretty cool in the town of Tiger in north Georgia.
CNN iReporter Susan Gober (ph) and her children really having a big time, big fun. That looks cool.
I actually want to listen to that. She says they thinks they've got maybe three inches of snow, and temperatures about 20 degrees or snow. So they're just snowed in right now and making the best of it.
Kentucky is bracing now for a nasty wintry blast. And Rob Marciano is in Louisville.
Hey, Rob, what are folks there expecting?
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, they're expecting some snow to start later on today, have it turn to sleet and then freezing rain, and hopefully come to an end sometime tomorrow afternoon. But the problem is, is that the cold air is going to remain entrenched here. So, an icing situation is what is expected here in the Louisville area, across the Ohio River Valley, at least the southern part of it, and into the Tennessee Valley as well. So the mid-South is no stranger to ice storms, but to have two back-to-back cold waves like this in the middle of December, and to get an icing threat this early is certainly unusual.
All right. Let's talk about where we are as far as temperatures right now, because, obviously, that's going to tell the story quite a bit as far as what kind of precipitation is going to fall and how long it's going to stick.
The deal is, is that because the air has been so cold the past two days -- typically, this time of year, the first time you'd see snow or freezing rain, it wouldn't stick around too long. It would melt as soon as it would hit the ground.
But the ground now, because we've had two weeks of really cold weather, is pretty much like it would be in January. So, it's going to stick, what does come down.
Thirty in Birmingham. Freezing rain advisories right now for much of Alabama. So they're getting it this morning. And we've had a number of accidents, fatalities in Mississippi -- one fatality in Mississippi, two officially in Alabama, sadly, because of the dangerous roadways that have already occurred this morning.
Now, that precipitation is going to move up into Tennessee this afternoon, and into Kentucky tonight. And for that reason, there are winter storm warnings now for much of the state of Kentucky, including Louisville, through tomorrow.
We've already seen snowfall across this area. We're just along the banks of the Ohio River right here, and there's already a couple of inches of snow on the ground from what they saw this weekend.
So they've already seen some salt -- or they've already salted the roadways because of this snowfall, about 6,000 tons of it. They've got another 40,000 tons at the ready, and crews are waiting, both road crews and utility crews, because, as you know, with ice storms, tree limbs can come down, and that will take down some power lines. And that certainly is something they don't want to happen, but are ready for it if it does tomorrow morning.
I'll toss it back to Jacqui Jeras in the CNN Severe Weather Studio.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: We're going to turn up the heat in just a second here with that man, Rafer Weigel, HLN Sports. And the video you have to see is what we're calling -- let's see, we're calling it "The Jumpy Butt Soccer video."
(LAUGHTER)
RAFER WEIGEL, HLN SPORTS: That's not where I thought you were going, but it's good.
HARRIS: We'll show it to you and explain it -- maybe -- in just a minute.
We're back.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Hey let's get right to Rafer Weigel, HLN Sports, "Morning Express" with Robin Meade.
You are the man.
A sad story coming out of -- disappointing, disturbing.
WEIGEL: All of the above.
HARRIS: All of the above, right?
WEIGEL: Yes. I mean, we've seen players attacking players, we've seen players attacking fans.
HARRIS: Right.
WEIGEL: I've never seen a player attack a referee to this degree.
This is Mason Holland out of DeSoto County High in Arcadia, Florida. He gets into it with a Port Charlotte player, pushes him twice.
There, after getting ejected, he pushes the ref --
HARRIS: Look at this.
WEIGEL: -- and then look at this. He throws the ref to the ground WWE-style.
This is a team captain. He has been kicked off the team. He's been suspended by the school.
The coach says he will never play for this team again. The superintendent has hinted that he could be expelled. If this referee presses charges, assault charges, which he could, he would more than definitely be expelled, this kid.
HARRIS: And I know -- just like you, I watched the entire video, and there is a lengthier video available on YouTube or one of the sites. And I believe -- and I'm not excusing this in any way, shape or form, but there was a moment of better officiating to be had here.
Clearly, this is a scrum that happens on the inbounds play, right?
(CROSSTALK)
HARRIS: There was some pushing and shoving going back and forth, and it looks like the ref misses the initial push, but sees the shove.
WEIGEL: Right.
HARRIS: Both of these players should have been called for fouls. But for this to happen, this is -- I don't know what happened to the young man.
WEIGEL: Rasheed Wallace never went that far.
HARRIS: I don't know what happened to him.
WEIGEL: And this guy had a pretty bright future. Maybe not as D1, but he could have played D3 or NAIA.
HARRIS: Yes. It's just unfortunate. Well, I can't explain it, what happens here.
But I want to stay with basketball here, but let's go to the college level.
Don't you love this story?
WEIGEL: This is a great story.
HARRIS: Taylor University, right?
WEIGEL: Taylor University. Let's set it up.
HARRIS: Upland, Indiana.
WEIGEL: OK. I wanted to send up the video first before we get to the sound bite, but I guess --
HARRIS: No, no. Just do it. It still works. It still works.
WEIGEL: So this is what happened. Taylor University -- it's called Silent Night. The entire students do not say a word until the 10th point is scored.
HARRIS: They're sitting on their hands. Right.
WEIGEL: They do this the Friday before finals. In the past two decades, they've been doing it. You can see the guys dressing up in costumes. They have got a nativity scene underneath the basket.
HARRIS: Right.
WEIGEL: But it's just a fantastic tradition because they don't say an entire word.
HARRIS: And then they lose their minds once the 10th point is scored. And then at the end of the game -- do we have that clip where they actually, at the end of the game --
WEIGEL: They start singing.
HARRIS: -- they start singing. Let's listen for just a moment.
(SINGING)
HARRIS: OK. How long has this been going on?
WEIGEL: This is going on about two decades. They would go ahead and win the game against Ohio State Marion. A small evangelical school, Upland, Indiana, outside of Fort Wayne.
HARRIS: It's terrific.
WEIGEL: You know, it's just a great situation.
HARRIS: OK. So I think what we're about to show, folks, is the best slam-dunk I've seen since the Derrick Rose of the Bulls' two- hand, rock your mama to sleep -- right?
WEIGEL: I would agree. You're so passionate about this, you take it.
HARRIS: Look at this. I can't remember the kid's name. All I just know is it's just ridiculous.
WEIGEL: That is DeMar DeRozan.
(CROSSTALK)
WEIGEL: DeMar DeRozan, posterizing (ph) Tyrus Thomas. The kid is straight out of Compton -- literally straight out of Compton. But that's a poster right there.
HARRIS: Oh my goodness.
WEIGEL: But here's the thing -- he missed the free throw.
HARRIS: He did?
WEIGEL: He missed the free throw.
HARRIS: He didn't get the N1?
WEIGEL: He didn't get the N1, and they lost the game, 97-91, to Charlotte. But Charlotte needed to win.
Michael Jordan got inducted in North Carolina Hall of Fame.
HARRIS: Yes.
WEIGEL: Sports Hall of Fame, so it was a good night for them.
HARRIS: And we've got to show the jumpy butt --
WEIGEL: We've got to show the jumpy but video.
HARRIS: -- soccer video. WEIGEL: The World Cup -- club World Cup. OK. This is TP Mazembe taking on Brazil's Internacional. And we just showed you the goalie, Mutaba Kidiyaba (ph).
HARRIS: Right. Well done, sir.
WEIGEL: That's his team celebrating. But look at Kidiyaba (ph).
HARRIS: Oh yes.
WEIGEL: Call it the jumpy butt. Call it rearing to go.
HARRIS: Have some. Yes.
WEIGEL: But you know what? He's excited, because his team made history. This is the first time an African club has made it to the finals --
HARRIS: Oh, man, that's terrific.
WEIGEL: -- of the Club World Cup. But then we have got to show you his coach.
HARRIS: OK.
WEIGEL: His coach gets -- his coach --
HARRIS: Do we have it? Oh, not the coach?
WEIGEL: Not doing so well.
HARRIS: Not so good.
WEIGEL: That's OK. It just shows you how hard it is really to do.
HARRIS: There it is, the jumpy butt soccer video.
WEIGEL: And that's what we've got.
HARRIS: You are the man. Thank you, sir. See you next time.
Rafer Weigel.
Still to come in the CNN NEWSROOM, it is the only Christmas present hundreds of families really want this year -- their loved one back from the war zone. Oh, we have got a reunion for you.
We're back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Live in living color here, in Washington, following the big stories trending right now on the Internet.
And Sandy, what's hot on the Web this morning? SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, trending today, Tony, on CN.com, OK, first of all, what kind of car comes to mind when you think about spending $200,000 for a vehicle, Tony?
HARRIS: That Mybok (ph) thing, or is that even more expensive?
ENDO: Yes, I think that's actually more. I think that's double that. But check this out.
Would you think of a Chevy?
HARRIS: No.
ENDO: Well, this is the first sellable Chevy Volt. It was auctioned online, and the bidding ended yesterday evening.
It sold for $225,000. GM says the sticker price for the plug-in concept car, all souped up with leather seats and a backup camera, is $45,000. So not a good bargain there for the person that won, but the car is eligible also for a $7,500 tax credit because it's all green and great for the environment, and for energy conservation.
But all that money, Tony, that the guy spent on this car, it goes to a foundation to support Detroit Public Schools. So definitely a good cause, yes.
And real quick, trending today, as well, breaking news this morning. "TIME" magazine announced its "Person of the Year." He's responsible for keeping 500 million people connected around the world.
He's one of the youngest billionaires at 26 years old. We're talking about Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The other contestants or runners up were the Chilean miners, the Tea Party, and the guy behind WikiLeaks, Julian Assange.
So interesting group there. Right, Tony?
HARRIS: Wow. Are you kidding me? He's just 26 years old?
ENDO: Yes, a billionaire.
HARRIS: And a billionaire. OK. I guess I need to go see the movie.
All right, Sandy. See you next hour. Thank you.
ENDO: OK.
HARRIS: After 25 years on the air with CNN, only two nights remain before Larry King folds up his suspenders.
Tonight, Larry drops in on the legendary Barbra Streisand at her Malibu home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": I asked you this once.
BARBARA STREISAND, SINGER, ACTOR & DIRECTOR: Did you?
KING: Are you a singer who acts or an actor who sings?
STREISAND: An actress who sings. Yes. I mean, I really didn't start to sing but out of a need for a job to pay the rent. I wanted to be a classical actress. You know, Shakespeare, Ibsen, Chekhov, yes. And I couldn't get a job there, so I entered a talent contest and got work as a singer.
KING: But did you always know you had that voice?
STREISAND: A little bit when I was a young girl. I kind of -- yes, I was the kid on the block with a good voice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Barbara Streisand is with Larry for the full hour tonight.
As for tomorrow, the file show, boy, that's a surprise for both you and Larry.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Cities are struggling with tight budgets, as you know. Live tower cam view now of Houston, where the mayor there is pushing to raise fees for 150 different city permits and services from fire alarm renewals to pool inspection fees. The proposal is an effort to dig the city out of a $30 million budget deficit.
A gunman opens fire at a school board meeting and the deadly standoff is caught on camera. First, a warning. You may find the video you're about to see disturbing. Let's roll it. Clay Duke claimed - actually showed up at the Florida school board meeting with a handgun and a can of spray paint. And -- oh, boy, That's pretty disturbing. He painted a V on the wall there.
Let's have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEPUTY CHIEF ROBERT COLBERT, PANAMA CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT: I know that he had some postings on his Facebook site for V for Vendetta and obviously the V that was spray painted at the scene. I think it's just safe to say at this point this obviously Mr. Duke had some mental health issues.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: He then ordered everyone to get out except for six board members. That's when he took aim at the superintendent and opened fire. Thankfully, incredibly, he missed. The other school board members scrambled beneath their desks. Falling to the ground, Duke then turned the gun on himself. Before he opened fire, Clay Duke gave a rambling speech about taxes and his wife getting fired. The school superintendent tried to reason with Duke and talked about the encounter on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, "AC360": At one point you say to him this is between you and me. I mean, but you didn't know him. Were you just saying that hoping he would let other people go?
WILLIAM HUSSFELT, SUPERINTENDENT, BAY DISTRICT SCHOOLS: And I told him that I'm the one that's responsible for hiring and firing. I'm the superintendent, I'm the one that makes the final decisions, I sign the forms, or they're stamped with my name on them.
I had no idea what he was talking about, but I'm telling you, if you looked in his eyes, you knew somebody was going to die. And Anderson, just to be very candid with you, I don't have a death wish, but I know if I were to die today, I know where I'm going and I was fine with that. But I did not want everybody in that room killed.
That would have just been a waste and a tragedy. And I knew he wanted to die. He said that a couple times. He was paying attention to the windows, what was going on outside, even though the blinds were closed. You could see the lights flicker out there. It was almost like he wanted somebody to come rushing in so he would have a reason to start shooting.
COOPER: Earlier I heard you say that he almost had a smile on his face.
HUSSFELT: Yes. He had that comfortable look like, I'm going to do this and I'm glad I'm going to do it. I mean, it just -- you know, and again, it's sad. I feel sorry for his family. But, I mean, there was no doubt in my mind this was going happen. Somebody was going to get shot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Man, oh man.
Just about everyone in the country is feeling the cold of this week and we're hearing from you. Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras joins me with some of your iReports.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: If you've ever wondered how many apps are out there, the folks at Apple tell us more than 300,000. And now there is one more: CNN's new app for iPads.
Let's do this, let's bring in our digital producer Derek Dodge.
Derek, look, I will tell you this will, I don't know these people who review apps and offer critiques. But what I'm hearing from the tech press about this app, they seem to love it.
DEREK DODGE, CNN DIGITAL PRODUCER: They do. They love it. I love it. Mashable said it was stunning. Gizmodo named it their App of the Day.
And just take a look at this video, Tony. Tell me this video is not stunning. I mean, that's one of the greatest things about this app is that you're going to bring CNN's video to you wherever you are on your iPad.
And this tablet app was designed specifically for a tablet. And you can really tell that, just the way it's organized. The first thing you're going to see is this broadsheet view. And this layout wouldn't make sense if anything on but a tablet. And that's really what this is about. It's exploring CNN News in different ways like the broadsheet view.
Also in the slideshow view is a really, really cool way to just sort of sit back and flip through the news like this. Also live video. So wherever you go, you can bring live video with you, as well.
HARRIS: How about text stories. Can you still get that, as well?
DODGE: Oh, yes, you can read the news, too. It's also very social. You can share them on Facebook, share them on Twitter or via e-mail, too.
HARRIS: OK, terrific. I just wanted to draw everybody's attention to it again and make the point that, boy, we've done this, it's really being received well in the press.
All right, Derek, appreciate it, thank you.
In the information age, there really is no such thing as privacy, but that's a lesson some kids don't seem to be getting. You won't believe what your children are posting on social media sites. That's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: The continental United States is big. I mean, it's huge. And most of the country, you realize this statement, is dealing with these cold frigid temperatures.
(WEATHER REPORT)
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Let's get to those iReports.
HARRIS: Perfect.
JERAS: Love those iReports. Thank you to everybody who sent these in. The first one is from William Bernstein from Hampton Roads (ph), Virginia. He said he got about an inch and a half of the heavy, wet snow. It was on the grassy surfaces. Something you don't see every day, he says, in his neck of the woods.
Patrick Ryan Wilson, our next iReporter from Chicago. He took this video on Monday on the lakefront. Check out these waves. Let's listen to it for a second. Can you hear it? Yes, crashing. He says he goes down to the lakefront all the time. He thought it was very unusual to see waves this big. And he said the winds were gusting about 50 miles per hour at the time he shot then.
And then, here's your surprise, Tony. Are you ready for it?
HARRIS: Oh, come on.
JERAS: Oh, yes. Does this make you feel better about the cold? Not so much. Chris Marrow (ph) from San Diego sent us this iReport, talked to people on the beach regarding the warm weather in San Diego. A record high in San Diego on Sunday, 83 degrees. But today -- this might make you feel a little better -- fog. They'll be lucky to get to 60.
But, parts of the southwest have been really warm. We had a record high in Phoenix, yesterday, pushing 80 degrees. So a small part of the country seeing some good stuff.
HARRIS: Twenty-five or so degrees here in Atlanta. Do you know how good 50 degrees will feel here?
(CROSSTALK)
HARRIS: Giving back during the holidays doesn't necessarily mean spending money. A few ideas when we get to top tips with the CNN Money Team.
We're back in a moment.
Thanks, Jacqui.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Taking a look at "Top Stories" for you right now.
Researchers in Germany say they may have cured a man of HIV. The man had cancer at the time, and the treatment used seemed to take away his cancer and HIV. Coming up next hour, senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen looks at what they did and what it means for the future of AIDS treatment.
South Korea conducted its largest ever civil defense drill to prepare for potential military attack from North Korea. The drill comes after North Korea shelled a South Korean island a few weeks ago.
The cameras were rolling when an Army staff sergeant surprised his family with an early homecoming in a K-Mart toy aisle. How about this? He came home three months early from Afghanistan just in time for the final Toys For Tots drive for Christmas that he used to spearhead. The latest report card on Congress, Paul Steinhauser, part of "The Best Political Team On Television," live from the Political Desk in Washington.
And what are you following, Paul?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well, Tony, that's just it. Congress, you know, they are very busy right now, that lame duck session, with a lot on their plate, but how do Americans feel about Congress?
Check out these new numbers from Gallup. Only 13 percent of Americans in this poll say they approve of how Congress is handling its duty. That's the lowest ever approval rating in Gallup polling, they've been doing it about 30 years, asking that question of Congress.
You can see 83 percent disapprove, that's the highest disapproval rating ever in Gallup polling on Congress. So some very unflattering numbers, I guess, for Congress.
Let's talk about the next race for the White House, Tony. You know, nobody's officially jumped in yet, but there's a lot of action going on. Today Rick Santorum, former senator from Pennsylvania, he's thinking about maybe running for the White House. He's in Iowa, he's going to be talking to Tea Party groups and Republican activists and leaders.
Of course, Iowa very important, its caucuses kick off the presidential primary season -- Tony.
HARRIS: So, Paul, I understand CNN is getting a piece of the action when it comes to the presidential debates.
STEINHAUSER: Yes, we are. Markdown June 7th, 2011. I'm going to ask Tony Yurani (ph), our cameraman, to zoom right into the CNN Political Ticker, because on that date, on June 7th, CNN, WMUR of New Hampshire and the "New Hampshire Union-Leader" all are going to be hosting a Republican presidential primary debate. Mark it down.
Remember, of course, New Hampshire, Tony, very important in presidential politics. Its primary, the first in the presidential primary season. We teamed up with these partners before and we look forward to next year -- Tony.
HARRIS: Yes, that will be something to see.
All right, Paul, appreciate it. Thank you, sir.
Your next political update in an hour. And for the latest political new, you know where to go, that's CNNPolitics.com.
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HARRIS: How about this? The holiday season is certainly a time for giving back, right? But if cash is tight, there are other ways that you can pitch in for your community.
Stephanie Elam is at the New York Business Desk for top tips. Good morning, Stephanie, and tell us a bit more about the ideas you found.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: If you can't find it in your budget to make a big donation this year, that doesn't mean you should count yourself out from lending a hand for the neediest people.
First off, think about adding a community service project to your family's holiday to-do list. Help is always needed at soup kitchens, hospitals, nursing homes and homeless shelters, and you don't need any experience to pitch in. You can find great local groups near you on sites like volunteermatch.org or servenet.org, and they also can find kid-friendly projects, as well, so the whole family can join in together.
Also, if you have the time, you can sign up to be a mentor to a young person between the ages of 6 and 18. Head to mentoring.org to find opportunities in your area.
And also, community service, it's just a great way to spread some good will. And who knows? Maybe you could actually find a new family tradition for everyone, Tony.
HARRIS: Yes, absolutely. You've got something that families can do today, tonight or even this weekend from home.
ELAM: Yes. At first, you may not sound too excited about it, but the whole family can get together to clean out closets. But the good thing about this is you can donate anything this good condition to a good cause. You local Salvation Army or Goodwill will take everything from clothes, they'll take your furniture, they'll take old movies, they'll take cooking pans. And make sure you get a receipt because, hello, this is all tax deductible here so you want to make sure you get that tax credit there.
And what about all those old toys that may be taking up space in your house? Donate them to a children's hospital or shelter. It's a great way, also, to show your kids how good it feels to give to others.
Now another idea here, you can take advantage of the holiday promotions that are out there. So if you see a two for one sale on, say, a sweater or a coat, go ahead buy that one, make it a gift, and then give the second one to your local homeless shelter.
And, you know, we have so many ideas here. Here's another idea for you, too. This one, this time where you don't have to tear your kids away from the computer to get them to do it. Go to freerice.com. Test your vocabulary skills, and for every word definition you get right, the non-profit site run by the U.N. food program will donate ten grains of rice to help end hunger. That's awesome. So you can bone up on your vocabulary while you're also giving back and maybe learn a few words or two. HARRIS: Yes, exactly.
Stephanie, if you would, stay where you are. When we come back, I'd love for you to share with everyone things that you can do at work to give back.
Let's take a break, you're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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HARRIS: And we are back with Stephanie Elam and top tips.
And, Steph, what can people do at work give back around the holidays?
ELAM: There are, actually, a lot of options here. Many companies put major focus on helping their communities at this time of the year, so jump in and lend a hand. You know, you could even suggest a project or two if something is near and dear to your heart.
Some companies will even give you and your team time to do a volunteer project together. You could organize a Red Cross blood drive, Toys For Tots or collect food at your local food pantry. Those are just some of the ideas you could do.
Some companies might even donate money directly to help out your cause, so you could definitely check with your HR department. But again, it might be another way to start up a good tradition on what you do during the holidays.
HARRIS: That's terrific, Steph.
Stephanie, as always, thank you. See you tomorrow?
ELAM: Sure. Sounds good.
HARRIS: And we are hard at work to bring you a number of stories next hour.
The fight against HIV and AIDS. An attempt by researchers in Germany to cure a patient of cancer seems to have cured him of HIV. What does this mean for other HIV patients? Senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen gives us a dose of reality on this one.
Hits are all over social media, Facebook, Twitter, you name it, but do they know the impact of all of that socializing online? A candid look ahead in CNN's "End of Privacy" series.
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HARRIS: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange remains jailed in London today despite bail. You saw the court drama play out during this hour yesterday. The judge set bail for Assange at $387,000, but Swedish prosecutors quickly appealed. That appeal will be heard tomorrow. Assange is fighting extradition, as you know, to Sweden where he is accused of sex crimes. WikiLeaks is under fire for publicizing secret State Department cables.
The man suspected of giving secret documents to WikiLeaks, U.S. Army Private Bradley Manning, is jailed as well. Last night, the city of Berkeley, California, tabled a resolution to designate Manning a hero and patriot for his actions.
Alan Wang, with affiliate KGO, shows us the bait.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NATHAN PITTS, BERKLEY RESIDENT: One man dared to show the truth behind what's really going on. He did this for us. He did this for this nation. We have the responsibility to return the favor to him. He is a hero. He needs our support.
ALAN WANG, KGO REPORTER (voice-over): The proposed resolution would honor Army Private Bradley Manning for leaking sensitive information and causing an international embarrassment for the U.S.
DANNY GONZALES, BERKLEY RESIDENT: I'm urging you not to vote for this resolution to call this traitor, Bradley Manning, a hero. He has -- if he has done what he's accused of doing, he has endangered his fellow troops.
WANG: Manning is currently in a military jail facing a 52-year prison sentence for illegally downloading 92,0000 sensitive documents that were posted online by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
CYNTHIA PAPERMASTER, BERKLEY RESIDENT: Martin Luther King Jr., Jesus Christ himself was persecuted for the truth that he told. This man is in that tradition.
WANG: Berkley's Peace and Justice commission, which drafted the resolution, says it exposes a government cover up and sheds light on war crimes and corruption.
JEFF PATTERSON, BERKELEY RESIDENT: The State Department would like us to believe they've unleashed a danger to our troops, but yet they haven't pointed to a single person that's been harmed by these releases.
WANG: But Retired Army General Paul Monroe, who lives in Berkeley, says it's a matter of honor.
MAJ. GEN. PAUL MONROE, U.S. ARMY (RET.): We take an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. We keep -- most of us take this seriously.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Berkeley's mayor tells CNN there is simply not enough information about Private Manning's actions right now to call him a hero.
