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Clerk With Hammer Battles Robber With Stick; Woman Rescued From Car Under Fallen Tree; Pregnant Cow Rescued From 12-Foot Well; Oprah Launches OWN New Network; Whitney Houston, Where Are They Now?; Safety and Security for Times Square; The Top 10 Political Moments of 2010; Tornado in Arkansas
Aired December 31, 2010 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ALINA CHO, CNN ANCHOR: It is 9:00 a.m. on the east coast. 6:00 a.m. in the west. Good morning, everybody. I'm Alina Cho. Kyra Phillips is off this morning.
Happy New Year's Eve. The clock is ticking. The champagne is chilling, and the celebrations are already underway. To Sydney, Australia, we go where 2011 arrived just last hour, and what a celebration. More than 1.5 million revelers gathered at the famed opera house to usher in the new decade. Revelers in Auckland, New Zealand witnessed the largest fireworks display since the millennium celebrations.
And as other countries in other time zones get ready to ring in the new year, we begin with the crossroads of the world. New York's Times Square. But did they dig out all of that snow? CNN's Allan Chernoff has a bird's eye view. He joins us now live with more.
So, Allan, good morning to you. A million people expected. Are they ready for it?
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: They are ready. I'm wondering, hey, where are the people? You know, it's not New Year's Eve unless you stood out in the cold for 15 hours waiting for the ball to drop.
I have an expert who can answer that question for us. Tim Thompkins, he's president of the Times Square Alliance.
Tim, where are the people? What's going on?
TIM THOMPKINS, PRESIDENT, TIMES SQUARE ALLIANCE: Don't worry. They will show up.
CHERNOFF: Are you sure?
THOMPKINS: They will. Making a lot of noise.
CHERNOFF: I hate to throw a party and not have anybody come.
THOMPKINS: Yes, well, we have sort of gotten over the nervousness. We're pretty sure the people will show up.
CHERNOFF: That's a lot of confidence. So you can enjoy the evening. You don't have to sweat it.
THOMPKINS: Absolutely. Just thinking about my nap at 2:00 a.m. That's what I'm thinking about.
CHERNOFF: All right, OK.
Now, this party that we're having tonight, it is so different than it used to be in Times Square. I mean, when I was a kid growing up in New York, this place was a total madhouse.
THOMPKINS: Yes, so you were one of the rebel rousers.
(LAUGHTER)
THOMPKINS: It really was the story of New York. It was a little out of control. A lot of people. The only entertainment was from 11:59 to midnight when the ball dropped, and maybe that's why people needed something else to entertain themselves --
CHERNOFF: Drinking, fighting, the works --
THOMPKINS: Big mess. And they used to put boards up on all the retail stores because they'd be afraid of people throwing each other through the windows. Now, it's six hours of live entertainment. There's so much more broadcasting. Different technologies. Webcasts, webstream, everything.
CHERNOFF: It's really a family event now.
THOMPKINS: Yes. I mean, and it's much more an international event, too. Really -- like, Dick Clark was the only game in town. Now, you guys are here. Everybody else, they know New York is the center of the action. They want to be there for the entire world.
CHERNOFF: All right. Tim, happy new year to you.
THOMPKINS: Happy new year to you.
CHERNOFF: Alina, we are getting ready for the big event, just under 15 hours away. Back the you.
CHO: I have done that duty before, too. So, Allan, good for you. Stay warm out there. Thanks so much.
From the classic to the quirky celebrations, consider the flea drop in Eastover, North Carolina. That's right. The town was known as Flea Hill until the 1920s. Well, the name has changed, but the namesake lives on.
Some other notable drops to tell you about, the peep candy drop in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. That's home to the famous marshmallow candy that's a staple in Easter baskets. In neighboring Ohio, there's the Walleye Fish Drop in Port Clinton. Don't miss the possum drop in Brasstown, North Carolina or the Wrench Drop in - appropriately -- Mechanicsburg, PA.
Finally, for fans of the reality show "Jersey Shore," there is, of course, the Snooki drop in Seaside Heights, New Jersey.
Well, you never know what you will see or hear with Kathy Griffin is on our air. And she will be with us tonight, alongside our very own Anderson Cooper. CNN's special New Year's Eve program. That's tonight at 11:00 p.m. Eastern on CNN.
In New York, the roads have finally been cleared. The city is once again bustling, and the accusations flying. Chief among them whether disgruntled sanitation workers intentionally slowed down their response to the storm to prove a point. CNN's David Ariosto has a closer look.
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DAVID ARIOSTO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Allegations and accusations swept through the Big Apple just days after a monster blizzard blanketed roadways and runways, clogging neighborhoods and stranding thousands of travelers. At issue, whether New York City sanitation workers were ordered to intentionally delay cleanup efforts ahead of budget cuts to the department.
MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (I), NEW YORK: I don't think it took place but we're going to do an investigation to make sure that it didn't. It would be an outrage if it took place, but I just don't know.
ARIOSTO: The rumors reached a fever pitch after a city councilman said three sanitation workers and two other state supervisors contacted him alleging sabotage.
(on camera): Do you personally think that sanitation workers and the supervisors would put New York City residents at jeopardy by not cleaning up some of the streets?
DANIEL HALLORAN, NEW YORK COUNCILMAN: Well, I don't think there was a -- I don't think that these supervisors who made this call were looking at the big picture. I think they were looking at the short term issue which is: 100 of them were about to be demoted.
ARIOSTO (voice-over): The president of the Sanitation Officers Association could not be immediately reached for comment. He did respond however to the allegations on WNYW, a local TV station here in New York.
JOSEPH MANNION, SANITATION OFFICER'S ASSOC. PRESIDENT: Absolutely not. No. No. Absolutely no sanctions from the union or from the membership at all. They know their job. Snow is a serious aspect of our job. We know that.
ARIOSTO: Mayor Bloomberg who was occasionally mentioned as a presidential candidate has faced mounting criticism over the speed of this week's snow removal.
But what actually went wrong is now the subject of investigation.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ARIOSTO: The fact -- and they indicated that harsh winds and mechanical failures was one of the reasons - or some of the reasons for the slow snow cleanup.
But what's unclear, however, is how this unfolding will affect Mayor Bloomberg as he moves forward. We have to keep in mind, however, that these are basically a handful of sanitation workers and supervisors at the Department of Transportation that waged these claims. This would be a major accusation.
There's going to be an investigation. We'll see where that unfolds, but what's interesting about this case is it's brought to light some of the city and budget and state issues that are plaguing both New York City and states and cities across the nation.
CHO: That's right. And Mayor Bloomberg, we should mention, usually does a fantastic job with cleaning up after storms, and I'll watch them after New Year's Eve tonight. I bet that will happen really fast. So, David Ariosto live for us in New York. David, thank you.
A vicious winter storm has raked the Upper Plains and left a trail of damage across several states. In North Carolina - North Dakota, rather -- look at that pile-up. Nearly 100 cars were involved. It happened near Fargo. Icy roads and poor visibility are to blame.
More of the same across Minnesota as the storm plows eastward. New Year's Eve revelers could be dealing with up to a foot of snow as the blizzard warning now covers much of the state.
Want a closer look at what's in store for you weatherwise, and for that, we turn to CNN's Reynolds Wolf over there in the Weather Center. And I know you're watching the weather across the country, but am I going to get out at 1:00 today back to New York?
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Where -- New York. You're headed for New York.
CHO: I'm headed for New York.
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WOLF: Happy New Year! Let's send it back to you.
CHO: All right. Reynolds, thank you very much. Stay inside. I think that's the best advice if you're celebrating New Year's.
All right. Maybe 2010 was a tough year for your family financially, but there may be some signs of hope in the new year. CNN's Christine Romans joins us now from New York with ways to cash in during 2011. Christine, do tell!
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Alina, I tried to come up with a top ten list of things to be hopeful about for your money in 2011. I came up with five!
CHO: Great.
ROMANS: I can feel really confident about those. It's my top five list for you.
Number one, bank lending is likely to improve next year. Both the report from the Federal Reserve Bank and also from Moody's shows that industrial and commercial lending should be up maybe three percent next year. Doesn't sound like a lot, but I'm telling you, that is improvement there. That means money could be getting to companies, small businesses, so that can start hiring and investing again.
Also, the mass layoffs appear to be over. We spoke about this yesterday at this very, very hour Alina. You had 388,000 people file for the first time for unemployment benefits in the most recent week, and that's down more than many people have expected. The big days of huge company layoffs are over, and you might start to see people who have newly been laid off have a better time finding a job.
I do have to point out those people unemployed six months or longer next year will still be a tough slog for them, but you're starting to see some activity on the front end.
Also, people who are moving on to bigger and better things in the jobs, perhaps. Recent survey of manpower found well over 80 percent of employees say, Alina, they want a new job. They don't like the job they have, and they're ready to move. That means bosses, beware. You might have to give raises, you more responsibility, better titles to people to keep them in the jobs. That' good for you on the job right now. It might be a good year to move up next year.
Interest rates remain low. They've been crawling up a little bit recently, but you still have mortgage rates that is are around and below five percent in some cases. Thirty-year fixed rate loans are cheaper. Still, very, very cheap. That means if you're in a position to buy a house -- if you can brave the housing market, rates remain very low.
And the debt purge, number five. The most important, really, for everyone, the debt purge continues. Americans are shedding mountains of debt. They're paying off the past years and are getting to more financial flexibility. More of your discretionary income is actually yours to use and not to pay off your debts and to pay off your fixed expenses. A little bit more, that is. So, that's something that's good news for American families into next year. Alina?
CHO: That's great. And psychologically, puts you in a better mood going forward, doesn't it?
ROMANS: I think it does. CHO: All right. Christine Romans, happy new year.
ROMANS: Sure. You, too.
CHO: I'll see you in New York. See you soon. All right.
ROMANS: Yes! Bye-bye.
CHO: Bye.
ROMANS: There will be no pardon for Billy the Kid. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson made that announcement this morning on ABC's "Good Morning America" as he gets ready to leave office. Richardson had been looking into whether another New Mexico governor promised to pardon William H. Bonnie, known as Billy the Kid for killing a sheriff's deputy some 130 years ago.
The countdown is on. Not New Year's. We're talking about Oprah Winfrey. The queen of all media will launch her own cable channel, which happens to be called OWN tomorrow. What's at stake and will it succeed? We'll go behind the scenes next.
But first, another look at one of the first to ring in 2011. We go down under to Sydney, Australia.
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CHO: Time now to travel across the country to check on some stories that our affiliates are covering this morning. First stop, Manassas, Virginia. Take a look at these pictures. A robbery suspect armed with a massive stick takes on a convenience store clerk, who fights back with a much smaller object. A store surveillance camera caught the action as the clerk picked up a hammer to defend himself. Well, didn't quite work. The robber got away with an undisclosed amount of money. That's our picture of the day.
Next to Boca Raton, Florida, where a woman is recovering after a huge ficus tree fell onto her sports car. Crews used chainsaws to cut branches from the tree and finally freed the trapped woman. It's not clear what caused the tree to topple. I'm guessing weather.
Finally, in Alameda County, California. A pregnant cow is free after falling down a 12-foot well. Rescuers drained the well, then brought in a crane to hoist the animal to safety. The cow was unhurt. No word on why it ended up there.
Well, Oprah Winfrey will celebrate New Year's tomorrow with a launch of her very own, new, basic cable network. It's called, appropriately, the Oprah Winfrey Network or OWN, O-W-N. And that has us talking, what's at stake? Will it succeed? Kareen Wynter takes us behind the scenes.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The final countdown is officially under way. No, not just to New Year's, but to the day millions of Oprah Winfrey fans have been waiting for, the launch of her very own cable TV network.
OPRAH WINFREY, OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK: It all begins here.
WYNTER (voice-over): It's arguably the most ambitious endeavor of her career. A 24-hour television channel dedicated entirely to the vision of Oprah Winfrey.
WINFREY: I could take every hero who inspired me.
MATTHEW BELLONI, "HOLLYWOOD REPORTER": The launch of OWN is a huge deal in the television business.
WYNTER (voice-over): TV expert Matthew Belloni says he knows what OWN's greatest strength and challenge will be.
BELLONI: Oprah, she has a huge advantage in launching a network because she is a brand. The danger is that the programming may not live up to the brand. I mean, that's the big question mark.
WYNTER (voice-over): Here's how Oprah plans to answer that question.
PHIL MCGRAW, OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK: This is a time for new beginnings.
WYNTER (voice-over): In "Ask Oprah's All-Stars," a live audience goes one on one with Dr. Phil, Suze Orman, and Dr. Oz.
WINFREY: Everybody has a story.
WYNTER (voice-over): "Master Class" profiles eight world icons. "Season 25" takes fans behind the scenes of Oprah's hit talk show, while "Big Bowl of Love" invites viewers into the kitchen of Christina Ferrare.
CHRISTINA FERRARE, "CHRISTINA FERRARE'S BIG BOWL OF LOVE": This is my dream come true chapter. And this is what I love to do.
WYNTER (voice-over): And for those who love clutter, Peter Walsh has "Enough Already."
PETER WALSH, "ENOUGH ALREADY WITH PETER WALSH": This is a show that looks at people's stuff and gives them a road map out of this overwhelming amount of clutter in their house.
WYNTER (on camera): But Peter, so many new networks fail. Why do you think this one is different?
WALSH: People want -- want to be the best they can be. People want heroes. People want inspiration. Here, at last, is a level of programming that brings people that. FERRARE: There are a lot of critics out there. I personally don't understand it. Why wouldn't you want to have this kind of programming when today, all you see now are those shows about housewives pulling each other's hair.
WALSH: I know it's easy to be cynical or skeptical. But I, for one, am so excited about what going to happen when that switch is flipped.
WYNTER (voice-over): The switch gets flipped New Year's Day, when viewers will decide whether they will shine a light on OWN.
WYNTER (on camera): And the first official program on OWN, it airs at noon on New Year's Day. It's going to be a two-hour special, hosted by Oprah herself. It's going to be called "Oprah's Guide to OWN." As for all those Discovery Health shows, only two will remain on the network, "Deliver Me" and "Mystery Diagnosis."
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CHO: All right, Kareen Wynter, thank you. Next hour, we'll talk to a well-known television critic about Oprah's big jump from network TV to basic cable. Will her audience jump with her? We'll ask him.
Like so many stars, her public image is often at odds with her public life. But, certainly, no one disputes her talent.
(MUSIC - "Million Dollar Bill")
CHO: There is no mistaking that voice. It's Whitney Houston. But what is she up to these days? Find out next.
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CHO: Whitney Houston, that unmistakable voice. Undeniably a star, with very public problems. A high-profile marriage, then a divorce, drug problems, the list goes on. So, what's she doing now? Our Brooke Anderson has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TEXT: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
(MUSIC - "I Will Always Love You")
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The year was 1992, and 29-year-old Whitney Houston hit a career high note with ten chart-topping singles and a pair of Grammy awards.
RACHEL MARRON, "THE BODYGUARD": The only thing I can figure is for you to take me out.
ANDERSON (voice-over): It was also the year she debuted on the big screen in "The Bodyguard" and tied the knot with R&B bad boy Bobby Brown.
(MUSIC - "Humpin Around")
WHITNEY HOUSTON, SINGER/ACTRESS: I got married, I was "The Bodyguard," I was pregnant and had a baby, and "The Bodyguard," and "I Will Always Love You" was at its peak, and everything was running so fast. So, I just -- after "Preacher's Wife," I just stopped the train for a minute. I just stopped it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whitney!
ANDERSON (voice-over): But the controversy was just beginning. Houston's marriage with Brown was tumultuous as his legal problems constantly made headlines, and she herself battled drug addiction. The couple divorced in 2007.
TEXT: MAY. WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
HOUSTON (singing): After all that I've been through --
ANDERSON (voice-over): In 2009, Houston made a comeback, releasing "I Look to You," her first studio album in seven years.
HOUSTON: It was really kind of, like, really cool to go to a grocery store, be shopping, and go, "When you coming with your album?" It humbled me, and it kind of like said, OK. I think I want to do this just one more time.
ANDERON (voice-over): The album debuted at number one on the Billboard chart, but her spring tour was reportedly plagued with vocal difficulties. Her reps blamed an upper respiratory infection.
In September, Houston lent her support to Alicia Keys' Keep a Child Alive benefit in New York. And this month, she took the stage for a surprise duet with singer Kim Burrell at BET's "Celebration of Gospel," which airs in January.
HOUSTON (singing): Will always love you --
ANDERSON (voice-over): Whitney Houston may not be the same entertainer she was at 29, but at 47, she's a survivor.
HOUSTON (singing): I look to you --
ANDERSON (voice-over): Brooke Anderson, CNN, Hollywood.
HOUSTON (singing): I look to you --
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: As a million people begin to gather in New York's Times Square to ring in 2011, an army of police will be working to make sure the event is safe. There's a live look at Times Square. We're going to look at the precautions that are being taken before one of the biggest celebrations in the world.
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CHO: The former car czar owes some big money to the New York attorney general this morning after settling accusations against him, rather.
Alison Kosik has a look at that, a look at today's market moves from the New York Stock Exchange.
We're talking about Steve Rattner. So, what happened, Alison?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Exactly, Alina.
And you remember the name Steven Rattner. He was called the "car czar" with the Obama administration. But before that, he managed a hedge fund that was allegedly engaged in a scheme involving New York state's pension fund. Yesterday, Rattner agreed to pay a $10 million fine to settle the case. He happens to be the eight person to plead guilty in the investigation.
As for stocks today, we're looking at yet another quiet day. Checking on the numbers now. The Dow down about nine. The S&P off slightly, as well. It is the final trading day of the year, but business is open here at the stock exchange for a full day.
Now, stocks are likely to go out with a whimper. But, you now, it's really been a good year. The Dow was up 11 percent, the NASDAQ up more than 17 percent, and the S&P 500 up more than 12 percent.
And, you know, some people are feeling the good times and spent a little more on New Year's Eve for the first time in a few years. And I'll tell you what? You can always tell when things are better. Right here at the New York Stock Exchange.
Korbel, the $10 a bottle champagne hybrid, rang the final closing bell of the year last year. Today, closing bell, Alina, it's going to be run by Veuve Clicquot. You know that one.
CHO: Yes, I certainly do.
KOSIK: A higher end, more premium champagne, kind of a nice dichotomy from last year.
CHO: That orange label. Don't I know it well?
KOSIK: Yes.
CHO: Yes. All right, Alison, happy New Year. Happy New Year, I hope you get out there, get out of work early and I'm sure some of those traders will be leaving early, too. Thanks so much.
KOSIK: OK. Probably will.
CHO: Here's a look at the stories that have us talking this morning.
A vicious winter storm has raked the Upper Plains and left a trail of damage across several states. In North Dakota, icy roads and poor visibility are to blame for a nearly 100-car pile-up near Fargo. And in Minnesota, New Year's Eve revelers could be dealing with up to a foot of snow. A blizzard warning now covers much of the state.
A warning from Nintendo about its new line of 3D games for its handheld Nintendo 3DS. Get this -- the company says kids younger than 6 who played the 3D games may get eye problems. Nintendo recommends that people take periodic breaks from playing those games.
The champagne is flowing in Sydney, Australia, where 2011 arrived in the past hour. More than 1.5 million revelers gathered at the fames an Opera House to usher in the new decade. Take a look at those pictures.
And revelers in Auckland, New Zealand witnessed the largest fireworks display since the millennium celebrations.
Stateside, millions will watch the huge crystal ball drop in New York's Times Square tonight. But while they're watching the ball, police will be watching them. It's no small task.
Here's CNN's Mary Snow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CROWD: Three, two, one -- happy New Year!
(CHEERS)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A rehearsal in Time Square of the ball drop to ring in the New Year as thousands crowd around it to watch. Behind the scenes, the New York City's Police Department is gearing up for a massive security operation.
RAY KELLY, NYPD COMMISSIONER: This is sort of a nerve center.
SNOW: New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly says the department updates its plan each year to secure crowds who must be within barricades and go-through metal detectors. Radiation detectors are also used. And backpacks are banned.
KELLY: We're concerned about a device that someone might bring in on their person -- a vehicle-borne device, a vest of some sort, explosives on the body.
SNOW: Cars and sand trucks block side streets to try and prevent car bombs. Manhole covers on the streets are being sealed. Armed police officers will be on rooftops.
The commissioner says the department is always looking to learn from terror incidents around the world, including the attempted car bombing in Time Square this year.
(on camera): This is also the first New Year's Eve since the attempted bombing back in May.
KELLY: May 1st. That's right. Faisal Shahzad.
SNOW: Lessons learned from that?
KELLY: Oh, sure. A lot of us. We're very lucky, no question about it. He was not in anybody's radar screen.
SNOW (voice-over): One thing that's different this year, cameras like these in Time Square now feed into this nerve center. Authorities say there are roughly 400 police and private cameras just in the Time Square area that can be monitored.
The private sector also works with the police. Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance, says people staying in hotels in Time Square are restricted in terms of where they can go.
TIM TOMPKINS, PRES., TIMES SQUARE ALLIANCE: People may think I'm in a hotel, I can just wander into Time Square. Absolutely not. It's very, very controlled in terms of who gets out into the street. Once the pens are filled, it really is lockdown.
SNOW: Tompkins estimates the crowd could be anywhere from 750,000 to 1 million people.
KELLY: It is a big, complex operation. And, you know, you always breathe a sigh of relief when it's -- when it's over.
SNOW (on camera): The police commissioner says that recent terror-related arrests in Europe have given the NYPD, in his words, some cause for concern. But he says there are no specific threats against New York City.
Mary Snow, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: And we have breaking news just coming in from the Seattle area. These pictures courtesy of KIRO, our affiliate out there. This is in Ballard, Washington, where we're told that six people had to be rescued from a house fire.
Two men, according to "The Seattle Times," were taken to the hospital. One of the eight people injured apparently in critical condition. According to "The Seattle Times," the cause of the fire was accidental -- from overheated electrical wiring.
We are following the breaking news. We'll bring you more details as they come into our newsroom.
New Year's resolutions -- most of us make them, but how many of us actually keep them? On CNN's AMERICAN MORNING, clinical psychologist Jeff Gardere offered some tips on seeing them through.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFF GARDERE, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: You have to be specific in your goals. Everyone's all over the place with the goals. They're too broad. They're not achievable. They're not planning them. They're not well-thought out. They're just throwing everything --
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: It's an idea. It's not a goal.
GARDERE: Exactly.
ROMANS: What I want to be, but you have to work to attain goals.
GARDERE: Well, yes, and they're going with the spirit and the spirit is good when you're setting resolutions because studies show that people who do set resolutions this time of the year are 10 times more likely to achieve their goals but these are people who work at it and that's what's most important.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: That's good advice. So, is this -- Gardere says, most of all, if you fail to keep your resolution, forgive yourself, and then try again.
Well, just hours left in 2010, which means we have one last chance to look back at some of the wild and weird political stories from the year.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Candy Crowley with the top 10 political moments of 2010.
At number 10: a big no-no in the Florida governor's debate. Democratic nominee Alex Sink broke the rules when her makeup artist showed her a cell phone message during a commercial break of the debate. Her opponent, Republican Rick Scott, saw it and called her out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK SCOTT (R), THEN-FLORIDA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: First, Alex, you say you always follow the rules. The rule was no one is supposed to give us messages during the break and your campaign did with an iPad, or iPod.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: Sink said she couldn't even read the message since the text was so small, because she ended up firing the campaign staffer involved.
At number nine: a tickle fight lands a U.S. congressman in hot wire.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": A time ago, you said, quote, "Not only did I grope him, I tickled him until he couldn't breathe."
ERIC MASSA (D), FORMER U.S. CONGRESSMAN: Larry, when you grab someone and you're wrestling, I don't know how to describe that word.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: Congressman Eric Massa resigned his seats. His reasons: recurring cancer and an ethics committee investigation into sexual harassment claims.
At number eight, a false idol named Aqua Buddha.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NARRATOR: Why did Rand Paul once tie a woman up, tell her to bow down before a false idol and say his god was Aqua Buddha?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: Yes, that ad from Democratic candidate Jack Conway made the phrase "Aqua Buddha" into a major issue in the Kentucky Senate race. Conway used the ad to question the Christian faith of his Republican opponent Rand Paul. To no avail, Paul won the November race.
Number seven: another campaign ad, this one featuring a flock of "demon sheep." The ad came out during the primary campaign for California's Republican Senate nominee. The campaign of former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina launched the ad, showing her opponent as the dangerous predator with glowing red eyes. Strategists questioned the strategy of portraying voters as dim-witted sheep. Fiorina won the nomination, but lost the election to incumbent Democrat, Barbara Boxer.
And number six:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER: Will the gentleman from New York, Mr. Rangel, kindly appear in the well?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: In December, the House of Representatives formally censured Congressman Charles Rangel. Rangel was philosophical when it came time for him to speak.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. CHARLES RANGEL (D), NEW YORK: But at the end of the day, as I started off saying, compared to where I've been, I haven't had a bad day since. Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: 1983 was the last time the House censured a member.
The top five political moments of 2010, right after this.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY: I'm Candy Crowley. Now back to the list of the top 10 political moments of 2010.
At number five: New York Senate candidate Carl Paladino's soprano-like confrontation with a reporter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARL PALADINO (R), THEN-NY GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: You send another good to my daughter's house and I'll take you out, buddy.
FRED DICKER, REPORTER: You will take me out?
PALADINO: Yes.
DICKER: How are you going to do that?
PALADINO: Watch.
DICKER: What, are you threatening me?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: That's Paladino with a columnist whose newspaper had wring about a daughter Paladino had out of wedlock. Paladino lost his race to Democrat Andrew Cuomo, but never let go of the thug image. In his hand during his concession speech -- a baseball bat.
At number four: the symbolism and emotion of the health care debate. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi used a historic gavel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PELOSI: I'm carrying this gavel that was just given to me -- correction -- lent to me by Chairman Dingell. It was used in the enactment of the Medicare law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: But before she gets to bang that gavel, tension ran high, Republican congressmen -- cheerleading and carrying handmade signs, and then there was the actual floor debate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN LEWIS (D), GEORGIA: Answer the call of history.
REP. PAUL RYAN (R), WISCONSIN: This bill is a fiscal Frankenstein.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: And real emotion from Republican Leader John Boehner on the House floor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R), OHIO: Look at how this bill is written. Can you say it was done openly? With transparency and accountability? Hell no, you can't!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: Coming in at number three --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE O'DONNELL (R), THEN-DELAWARE SENATE CANDIDATE: I'm not a witch. I'm nothing you've heard. I'm you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: Christine O'Donnell, a surprise Republican Senate candidate in Delaware, trying to explain away comments she'd made on the Bill Maher show in 1999.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O'DONNELL: I dabbled into witchcraft, I never joined a coven. But I did.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wait a minute. You were a witch?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. She --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: O'Donnell lost the November race.
And at number two --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(APPLAUSE)
SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI (R), ALASKA: We did. We did it. We made history.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: That's Lisa Murkowski declaring victory in Alaska's Senate race two weeks after Election Day. She is the second person ever to win a write-in bid for the U.S. Senate.
And that brings us to the number one political moment of 2010.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama.
This is a big (EXPLETIVE DELETED) deal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: Vice President Joe Biden dropping the f-bomb in the majestic White House East Room right before President Obama signed the historic health care bill. The President didn't react but spokesman Robert Gibbs later tweeted, "Yes, Mr. Vice President, you're right. A Democratic group even made a commemorative T-shirt.
I'm Candy Crowley and those are the top ten political moments for 2010.
CHO: All right. You saw some of the top political stories of the year. Now we want to know what news stories do you think are the most memorable of 2010 and why? Go to cnn.com/Kyra and I'll read some of your comments later on in the hour.
And we have some breaking news: reports of a tornado touching down in Cincinnati, Arkansas. We want do get to Reynolds Wolf over at the Weather Center. So Reynolds, how bad is it?
WOLF: Well, we're getting some early reports from local affiliates, also local emergency management reporting that in Cincinnati, Arkansas as you just mentioned, we have had some storm damage. We're not clear as to whether or not this happened to be a tornado; could be straight line winds. All indications are that it might be a tornado.
Just to give you a broad sense of what's been happening, we have got this area, mostly parts of Missouri into Illinois and, of course, Arkansas currently under a tornado watch at this point. We have had some tornado warnings. The tornado warning that we're referring to and the place where we have the damage is just to the west of Fayetteville in this town, Cincinnati.
Local emergency management is reporting three dead -- let's see -- a damaged building, brick building. Three trailer homes that have been destroyed, also a barn destroyed. These storms have been racing through right along this frontal boundary, some straight-line winds that have been damaging.
We've had reports of tornado, nothing in terms of visual confirmation as of yet, but it's still very early. What we're going to do is take a very quick look at what the storm has done. It's still moving off to the east. It's still going to provide the possibility of more tornadoes in other parts of the mid-Mississippi Valley and, of course, possibly following this frontal boundary that you can see plain as day right here. We've got a lot of moist air that's coming through, very unstable atmosphere at this time. That combined with that front coming through makes for very, very rough situations in terms of strong winds right along parts of 40. We've got that tornado watch possibly meaning more tornadoes may spawn in parts of Missouri, also. Especially near St. Louis and possibly in St. Louis through the afternoon hours.
And then the top half of the system we're dealing with something entirely different; a brutal winter storm with blizzard conditions, winds that could to bring anywhere from 35 to 45 miles per hour.
So, again, it is a very potent system. It's proven deadly already today. It's been rain, sleet, snow, blizzard conditions, to say the very least. A very rough situation we are going to be seeing across the center of the nation.
We're going to talk more about what you can expect as you ring in the New Year in mere moments. Let's send it back to you -- Alina.
CHO: All right Reynolds. Thank you very much.
WOLF: You bet.
CHO: Russian spy Anna Chapman, why is she making news? We'll tell you when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Scanning our "Morning Passport", we begin in Moscow where Russian spy, Anna Chapman has broken her silence. In her first television interview, Chapman told the host of a Russian talk show that she enjoys pistols and is a very good shot. She would also love to have a pet lion cub. Wouldn't we all?
Chapman also promised to reveal all of her secrets on television in 2011. She was one of the accused sleeper agents arrested in the United States last summer and deported to Russia in a controversial spy swap deal.
Of course, that was one big story that we watched. But in 2010, a lot of other big news stories happened around the globe leaving a remarkable impression on the world and our reporters who covered them.
We asked our correspondents to talk about their most memorable stories.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Gary Tuchman in Port-au-Prince Haiti. When we arrived here in Haiti the morning after the earthquake, we had no idea how catastrophic this disaster was.
We saw the prime minister of the country on the tarmac. He told us the presidential palace has collapsed. He also estimated the death toll to be in the six figures. He was right about the palace and also right about the death toll.
At least 230,000 people died. That's literally one out of every 45 Haitians. In the last few weeks there's been a cholera epidemic. There also been much violence on the streets after a presidential election that many thought was fraudulent. This was a terrible tragedy and it continues to stay bad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PATRICK OPPMAN, CNN ALL-PLATFORM JOURNALIST: I'm Patrick Oppman in Seattle, Washington. And the story that I covered in 2010 that left the biggest impression on me took place 6,000 miles away from where I am right now. The rescue of the 33 trapped miners in Chile.
I got to cover most of the men's long ordeal and it was truly amazing to see how they kept their spirits up, as did their family members, many of whom moved into Chile Atacama Desert to be closer to the rescue operation.
When those men finally were able to escape from that mine, it became a worldwide event. But in spite of their newfound fame, the miners that I got to know said they really just wanted to return to the lives that they led before the accident. And some of those miners actually told me they hope to go back to working in Chile's mines.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: Well, good for them.
Looking back at 2010 and ahead to 2011, Kathy Griffin will sit alongside our very own Anderson Cooper for what is expected to be a very memorable night. CNN's special New Year's Eve program, it begins at 11:00 p.m. Eastern time right here on CNN.
But first, our flashback is appropriate for today. So this date back in 1929, we hear the song, Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians played "Auld Lang Syne" as a New Year's Eve song for the first time. The band played it at the stroke of midnight at a party at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City. And so the yearly tradition began.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: A record college basketball winning streak was on the line last night. So did it end?
Former Atlanta Falcons running back, Jamal Anderson is here with the sports highlights. We're talking about the UConn women's team. So say it isn't so -- Jamal.
JAMAL ANDERSON, FORMER ATLANTA FALCONS RUNNING BACK: I'm telling you right now, UConn goes into this game against Stanford with a record 90 straight wins in NCAA basketball. And listen, the last time UConn lost, April 2008 to Stanford. Stanford's Jeanette Pohlen (ph) spots up for a three-pointer right there and buries it. Pohlen led all scorers of the night.
You check out Connecticut trying to come back to rally, but a three point attempt right here is way short. Stanford's (INAUDIBLE) slips behind everyone and scores the easy lay-up right there.
Stanford led this game from start to finish and ends UConn's historic streak at 90 games. Again, the last time to beat UConn was Stanford.
To the NBA and the wild, wild, west -- you got the San Antonio Spurs versus the Dallas Mavericks and the ever present Mark Cuban is in the house again. A 21-2 Spurs run late in the first quarter will break this game open. Second quarter right there, (INAUDIBLE) at the top of the key with a three-pointer.
Spurs lead by 16 later in the second right here, you're going see Caron Butler nail the three-pointer and the Mavs pull within four. In the fourth quarter, Spurs' Antonio McDyess spots up right there, sees Richard Jefferson in the corner, who drains (ph) the three. The Spurs add to their lead as Gary Nelson scores three of his 21 points right here on the night.
Tim Duncan held in the previous game to two points, bounced back this game, 17 points, 11 rebounds. The Spurs go on to win 99-93.
Now two of the most exciting moments in sports are coming up next right here and the season, you have to check it out right here, Tim Thomas of the Bruins and Ondrej Pavelec of the Thrashers in this shootout right here. Thrashers Stapleton makes a shot right there. We have a big time shoot-out right here.
The shot by Thomas the Bruins rookie; this is big right here for the Thrashers. Pavelec goes on down and kicks away the puck. Here it is big, coming up and he scores right there on the move.
This is all the pressure right here. You're going to see it again -- Pavelec had a tough time stopping that one right there. The last chance for Boston is coming up right here. Big, big, big games there; Pavelec with the easy stop and it was a tough one, tough one right there -- Alina.
CHO: It was tough. And UConn losing, that's just -- I guess they had a good run. I mean 90 games --
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: You can't complain about the 90 games in a row, but the fact that Stanford beat this team last time in 2008 and then to do it again is major.
CHO: That's right. It is. All right, Jamal. Thank you so much. Happy New Year to you, by the way.
ANDERSON: Happy New Year to you.
CHO: All right. Great.
