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Times Square Preps for Ball Drop; How to Feed the First Family; Running 250 Marathons in a Year; Good Year For Stocks; The Help Desk; Hot Off The Political Ticker; New Laws For 2011; St. Louis Tornado Warning
Aired December 31, 2010 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, again, everyone. Live from Studio 7, I'm Tony Harris with the big stories for New Year's Eve.
Lottery players are hoping to start 2011 in the money. The Mega Millions jackpot for tonight's drawing has increased to -- can you believe this? -- $242 million. The lottery is played in 41 states and Washington D.C.
Ford and Chrysler are recalling thousands of pick-up trucks and crossovers. Ford says certain 2011 models could have an electrical short that could start a fire. Chrysler is recalling trucks and crossovers for model years 2007 through 2011. Log on to CNN.com for a complete list.
In New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he will look into claims city workers deliberately slowed snow removal to protest budget cuts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
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.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Parts of New York got hammered with two feet of snow on Monday. Residents complained workers didn't clear the streets fast enough.
Happy New Year to you. It is already 2011 on the other side of the world.
The clock struck midnight just seconds ago in Thailand, one of the most recent places to ring in the -- what's going on there? What's all that about?
OK. The Vatican is getting ready for 2011 with a thanksgiving vesper service beginning at this moment. The pope holds New Year's mass. Later, about 80,000 people are expected to flock to St. Peter's Square to hear Pope Benedict's annual New Year's address.
A million people are expected to jam New York's Times Square to welcome 2011 tonight.
CNN Senior Correspondent Allan Chernoff is there.
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SR. CORRESPONDENT: Tony, the countdown is on for the biggest party on the planet. Starting at 6:00 here in Times Square, we're going to have six hours of music, dancing, confetti, a wedding underneath the ball, and of course the big ball drop at midnight, followed by fireworks.
It's lots of great family entertainment, a big change from the way things used to be here at Times Square, when there was tons of fighting and drinking on New Year's Eve. You can say Times Square has cleaned up its acts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIM TOMPKINS, TIMES SQUARE ALLIANCE: They used to put up boards on all the retail stores because people -- they would be afraid of people throwing each other through the windows. Now it's six hours of lively entertainment. There's so much more broadcasting around the world different technologies, webcasts, Web speed (ph), everything.
CHERNOFF: It's really a family event now?
TOMPKINS: Yes. And it's much more an international event, too, really. Dick Clark was the only game in town. Now you guys are here, everybody else. They know that New York is the center of the action. They want to be there for the entire world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHERNOFF: That is heavily because of the police. The police basically lock this place down. They are going to barricade all the side streets leading into Times Square with cement blocks, police cars, even trucks filled with sand. Everyone coming in is going to be checked with a metal detector several times, and then there will be bomb-sniffing dogs, hundreds and hundreds of police, and plenty of surveillance cameras everywhere, all to ensure a safe New Year's Eve.
And here's wishing you a safe, healthy and very Happy New Year's -- Tony.
HARRIS: Allan, appreciate it. The same to you, sir.
Your front-row seat to all the festivities is right here on CNN. Watch "New Year's Eve Live" with Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin starting at 11:00 Eastern.
What is she going to say this year? What is she going to say? It promises to be an absolute blast.
(WEATHER REPORT) HARRIS: Happy New Year to you. Let's take another look at the New Year's celebrations this hour. It is already 2011 on the other side of the world.
The clock struck midnight just seconds ago in Thailand, one of the most recent places to ring in the New Year with a bang.
The Vatican is getting ready for 2011 with a thanksgiving vesper service. Beginning right now, the pope holds New Year's mass. And then, later, about 80,000 people expected to flock to St. Peter's Square to hear Pope Benedict's annual New Year's address.
And if you find yourself in Port Clinton, Ohio, don't miss the walleye drop. That's a 600-pound fish. That's what a walleye is. It's good eating too. I'm telling you.
And in Plymouth, Wisconsin, of course, the big cheese drop. North Carolina welcomes the new year down home style with the possum drop in Brasstown. And the acorn drop in Raleigh.
OK. The president dines out. Chef Alan Wong shows us how to cook when you've got the Secret Service looking over your spatula.
Three hundred sixty-five days for 2010, 250 marathons for Martin Parnell. I will speak with him live.
First, though, your "Random Moment" in just minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: It is New Year's Eve, and we want to remind you of one of our favorite "Random Moments" in 2010. We call this fussy guy the Bob Marley baby. Watch and you'll see why.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He can only be soothed with one thing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the power of Jesus?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, the power of reggae.
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: It still kills. Bob Marley's reggae puts a smile on the baby's face. Look.
The viral video has 11 million hits on YouTube. Dad is even selling Bob Marley T-shirts, Baby Marley, to pay for college.
There you have it, the final "Random Moment of the Day" for 2010.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: You know, when the first family dines out in Hawaii, the couple always heads to Alan Wong's.
Senior White House Correspondent Ed Henry talked to Wong about what it's like feeding the Obamas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED HENRY, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Alan Wong is a world famous chef who is used to serving celebrities here at his original restaurant in Honolulu. The first time I came here, I saw Elton John sitting in this very chair with a very loud red jacket and matching red glasses. But that's really nothing compared to the couple that's basically regulars here and dine at that very table.
(voice-over): When they dine at Alan Wong's place, the president and first lady always pick this table.
ALAN WONG, CHEF/OWNER, ALAN WONG'S: If you believe in feng shui, this the power seat right here, because you want to have your back to the wall and you want to be able to see everything. But I think -- to tell you the truth, I think the Secret Service picked this place.
HENRY: You learn real fast that security dominates almost everything when you become one of the select few who gets a chance to feed the president.
WONG: It's pretty surreal. You know, you've got to remember, you've got to make the dinner good, you know? First and foremost. But, you know, it literally is like being in the movie when you start to see all the Secret Service, all of the security.
HENRY: Wong surprised me when he revealed he only gets about two hours' notice that the president is on the way, and even then the signal is indirect.
WONG: You start to see little signs. The dogs come around, the Navy chefs coming into your kitchen.
HENRY: The military chefs come to make sure the president's food is safe. And they watch every moment of preparation, adding to the anxiety.
But Wong says the experience is worth every second.
WONG: They're adventurous. They're willing to try different things. He has had a tasting menu before which has, like, five different things on the menu.
I do consider them foodies. They like to eat.
Michelle has a garden. She got the honey thing going. And she got a whole bunch of chefs together this past year to support, you know, the farm-to-table movement.
HENRY: While the Obamas don't dine out much in Washington, they seem comfortable here, because Hawaiians respect their privacy and don't fawn all over them. Well, at least most of the time. WONG: We've had a family stay and have five desserts, one at a time, so that they could stay and relish the moment.
(LAUGHTER)
HENRY (on camera): And you were staring at them to get out of here?
WONG: Well, we don't kick anybody out. So people have their own tricks.
HENRY: Alan Wong does have some advice for his fellow chefs who might be feeding the president -- do not experiment. Just relax and do your thing. And oh, yes, it better be good.
Ed Henry, CNN, Honolulu.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: We've got a robbery caught on tape, big stick versus small hammer. Can you guess how this one ends?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: A tornado killed at least three people in northwestern Arkansas today. The storm hit a rural community's fire station. As you would imagine, that slowed rescue efforts. Several people are still thought to be trapped under damaged buildings right now.
The deaths occurred in Washington County. That is just west of Fayetteville, home of the University of Arkansas.
Two injuries and five homes damaged in Benton County. A tornado also reported at Fort Leonard Wood. That's in Missouri.
In New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he will look into claims city workers deliberately slowed snow removal to protest budget cuts. The sanitation union says flatly, it didn't happen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRY NESPOLI, UNIFORMED SANITATIONMEN'S ASSN.: There's no slowdown out there. And as far as -- I don't believe that officers in the Sanitation Department are going to turn around and jeopardize the safety for the people of New York City. They are New York City. They live in New York City and they are New York City.
I just think that somebody is trying to take advantage of a bad situation right here. And I don't know who it is and I don't know -- I know everybody's getting calls on it, and I know that you people have to respond to it, but I know my workforce and I know Joe Magnon (ph), who is the president of Local 444. And there's no way he's going to jeopardize the health of the people out there in New York City.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HARRIS: OK.
Parts of New York, as you know, got hammered with two feet of snow. Residents complained workers didn't clear the streets fast enough.
You know it's winter when a storm trips up Fargo, North Dakota. One hundred cars and trucks piled up on I-94. The highway shut down from Fargo to Jamestown.
Winter will whip up a second blizzard across North Dakota and Minnesota tonight. It will taper off late on New Year's Day. As much as a foot of new snow will fall in places, with wind gusts howling at 55 miles an hour.
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: You know, it is hard to run one marathon, let alone 250 in one year. But that's exactly what Martin Parnell is doing. He is on his last run right now, and he joins us on the phone from Concord, Alberta, Canada.
Martin, how are you, sir? How are you holding up physically?
MARTIN PARNELL, MARATHON RUNNER: Good, Tony. Good to talk to you again. It's been a year, huh?
HARRIS: It has been almost exactly a year. I think it is exactly a year.
PARNELL: It's a year. Buddy, I have been running five days a week for a year, and here we are, the last one.
HARRIS: How do you feel?
PARNELL: You know, I feel great. I'm feeling good, but I'm done. You know, it's a long year, but that's enough. That's enough.
HARRIS: Yes. As you reflect on the year, and what you have attempted to do, what are your thoughts?
PARNELL: Oh, gosh, I guess what jumps to mind is I ran at 60 schools in the Calgary and Concord (ph) area. And I ran with over 12,000 kids this year from kindergarten to grade 12.
And what I remember is running around the soccer field a hundred times, and the kids join me. And they came up to me and gave me a couple of dollars to help the other kids. And they just understand what I'm trying to do so well.
HARRIS: Explain to us again what it is you're attempting to do here.
PARNELL: So what I'm attempting to do is run 250 marathons in one year. And I'm doing it to raise $250,000 for the children's charity Right to Play.
HARRIS: And how are you doing in terms of reaching your goal? I know there was a financial goal in mind. And how are you doing? And can we help you get over the line?
PARNELL: You bet you can. The goal, as I say, is $250,000. Up to a couple of days ago, we were around $175,000.
I had great support from the media, and we're up to $190,000. And so I would love to get over the $200,000 mark today. We are going to continue fund-raising until February the 4th. So I'm really going to give it a good go.
HARRIS: Most challenging moments in this challenging expedition, this journey, this adventure?
PARNELL: Yes. In February, after we had had our chat, Tony, I had a really bad leg injury. They thought it was a stress fracture. It ended up being a repetitive muscle strain. And I was off for two- and-a-half weeks, which almost kind of put me down because I only had 12 spare days left in the whole year, and I used them up this February.
So, to be frank, I have been under the gun since then. And yes, it's been a challenge.
HARRIS: How much do you weigh? Have you lost weight? Have you maintained? Tell me how physically you're holding up and what you've been doing to get you through this challenge.
PARNELL: Yes. That's a very good question.
The first month I dropped six pounds, which, you know, that sounds good, but for what I'm doing, isn't that good. And my nutritionist at that point said, "You better get on full milk, full yogurt, full butter, full cheese." Lots of fat is what I need, and I burn it.
So, I've managed to maintain my weight. I'm just four pounds under what I started.
But in terms of the medical side, I have a medical team, a physiotherapist every week. They work on me -- ultrasound, acupuncture. You know, the whole works. And they push me out the door for another week.
HARRIS: Give us the Web site address. We've got it on the screen, but for folks who are listening us to on the radio, give everyone the Web site address so we can get you over the line and get the money that you need to do the work that you want to do with the charity.
PARNELL: Oh, Tony, Fantastic. Yes, www.marathonquest250.com.
I just want to say thank you for your support.
HARRIS: Oh, man. It's been an honor. It's been an honor.
And thank you for updating us during the year. Happy New Year to you.
How far along -- you're 26 miles -- how far along into this last marathon are you now?
PARNELL: Yes. So, I'm six miles in, so I'm doing the last 20 miles of a 6,500-mile journey.
HARRIS: What's tomorrow going to be like for you?
PARNELL: Lovely. I'm going to cook breakfast, and I'm going to sit in front of the TV and watch sports. Yes, that's what I'm going to do all day.
HARRIS: Martin, we think the world of you. And thanks for your time, and thanks for the updates during the year, and thanks for what you're doing for your charity and for others, which is the most important thing.
Happy New Year to you and your family.
PARNELL: Well, and the same to you, Tony. Look, all the best to you as well for the new year.
HARRIS: Thank you, sir. Appreciate it.
Martin Parnell.
Checking top stories for you right now.
Janet Napolitano is spending New Year's Eve with the troops in Afghanistan. The Homeland Security secretary is in Kabul to review security operations at a key point along the Pakistan border. It is part of an ongoing effort to strengthen Afghanistan's local police forces.
More delays for the Discovery. Cracks have been found on the external fuel tanks of the space shuttle Discovery. Its final mission has already been put off several times since November.
And a 90-game winning streak stopped cold. The UConn lady Huskies lost their first game in more than two years to Stanford. I hope they applauded their achievement. It's a heck of a run. The final, 71-59.
The social network site Facebook is now bigger than ever. How big? We will tell you how it measures up against Google.
We're back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: OK. We've got some new pictures to show you from a tornado that touched down in Arkansas. At least three people are dead in the northwest part of the state. The storm hit a rural community's fire station, and of course that slowed rescue efforts. Several people are still thought to be trapped under damaged buildings.
Actually, the deaths occurred in Washington County. That is just west of Fayetteville, home of the University of Arkansas. Two injuries and five homes damaged in Benton County.
A tornado also reported at Fort Leonard Wood. That's in Missouri.
And time now to go "Cross Country" and check stories our affiliates are covering today.
Dramatic video of a fatal shootout in Maine between federal agents and a member of the Outlaws motorcycle club. The Attorney General's Office says the four officers who fired and killed Thomas Mayne used deadly force in self-defense.
A smoke shop owner in Waco, Texas, decides to fight back against armed robbers. He pulled out a gun and shot at them at point-blank range. He says he wasn't scare, he was just "in my zone." The robbers got away, but he's pretty sure one is nursing a wound right now.
And a robber in Manassas, Virginia, arms himself with a giant stick to intimidate the store clerk. So what does the clerk do? He gets a hammer.
Neither backing down until the robber jumps the counter to get the upper hand. The man gets away with the cash.
And a 23-year-old at an Usher concert -- yes -- is arrested after throwing a fit -- hmm -- when fans wouldn't let her get up to get a drink. Witnesses say -- let's see that picture again. Witnesses say the woman had already gotten up from her seat 20 times. Hello?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She probably doesn't remember what happened, but everyone else round her remembers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Bitter, party of one.
OK, let's check the markets here. New Year's Eve and we're in positive territory, we are up 23 points. We've got a couple of red arrows on the board today, certainly won't spoil some big returns for stocks in 2010.
Alison Kosik is joining us now from the New York Stock Exchange with a look back.
Alison, it was a bit of a roller-coaster ride, huh? ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Oh, god, what a wild roller-coaster ride it was for investors, Tony. But the good news is we're going to go ahead and finish at the highs for the year. And just take a look at what a ride it's been.
The Dow, this year, got off to a really good start. Then, of course, we had that flash crash on May 6th and it was a really tough summer, stocks actually reached their lows. But then, at the end of August, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke spoke in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He was hinting at new stimulus measures and then the markets took off from there, finishing with a strong December.
The S&P 500 had a really nice run of it this year. It's up 17 of the last 21 sessions actually of this month. And overall, looking at stocks overall, looking at an 11 percent gain on the Dow, more than 17 percent for the Nasdaq and 12 percent for the S&P -- I'm talking about the year.
Now this, of course, follows two horrendous years for stocks. In 2009, the Dow tumbled 34 percent and in 2008 it lost 31 percent. So just the fact that we're up and up so well and so high, it's a really good way to finish 2010 -- Tony.
HARRIS: OK. And, Alison, how are traders feeling about 2011? Are we going to see this rally possibly continue?
KOSIK: If you talk with traders downstairs, as I do every single day, they are feeling really confident. They see growth in the year ahead. They say, what's really going to power this growth is the fact that we've had this extension of those Bush-era tax cuts.
Also, that payroll tax cut is really going to help because it means that 73 million people are going to have an extra $600 to $1000 in their pockets, you know, to spend next year and help the economy move forward.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves, because there's still plenty of things to worry about out there. Talking about oil prices going up, European debt issues and can't forget that cities across this country in the U.S. have huge debt problems, that could be one weighty issue next year.
But let's look on the bright side before I go. One portfolio manager says the Dow could go as high as 14,300. If it does, it would be an all-time high. Think about it, right now we're at about 11,595. That's a ways to go, but you never know it could happen, Tony.
HARRIS: OK, Alison, appreciate it. Happy new year to you, thank you.
KOSIK: Happy new year to you.
HARRIS: Appreciate it, thank you.
Very quickly here, we're getting some aerial pictures in from our affiliate KOTV/KWTV. Pictures from Washington County, Arkansas, tape just in. And if Chad were with me right now, I think he would confirm that this looks like the work of tornado.
As we continue to follow these storms, we can at least tell you that three people have been killed in a severe line of storms making its way through Arkansas and Missouri right now, 12 hurt, as you can see, five people have been injured critically.
We know that in Arkansas, the storm hit in and around Fayetteville, we also know that's the home of the University of Arkansas. We know that the storm also struck a rural community and it's fire station. Several people are still thought to be trapped in Arkansas under damaged buildings.
And again, these are pictures from Washington County and west of Fayetteville.
Let's take a break, we're back in a moment. We will update this channel, join me. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Facebook has surpassed Google in 2010 as the most visited website in the United States. That's according to the firm Hit Wise. One hitch, though, the group did not measure YouTube hits. If it did, Google would beat Facebook.
Say it ain't so. As if this high profile family isn't already everywhere these days, another Kardashian sister gets her own reality show? "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT's" Kareen Wynter has the scoop.
And, Kareen, I hear she's teaming up with a Los Angeles Laker, is that correct?
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Tony. And in fact, someone she knows really well, her husband of more than a year, basketball player Lamar Odom.
According to reports, Tony, this show, it'll be similar to Jessica Simpson's and Nick Lachey's as newlyweds. Remember that one? Aired several years ago back on MTV when Jess and Nick were a couple. And while Khloe and Lamar aren't exactly newlyweds, the creators behind this show, they apparently thought, Tony, hey, they're interesting enough and anything Kardashian -- you know this -- creates big dollars these days. The public just eats it up. So why not have a spinoff show about this couple's busy life.
But, Tony, really important here, Lamar will have to finish his game on the court. This basketball season before letting the cameras roll.
HARRIS: Yes, well, that's a good thing for the Lakers, I'm sure.
No New Year's Eve partying for Lindsay Lohan. And when is she going to --
WYNTER: We hope.
HARRIS: -- get out of rehab? Yes, we hope.
WYNTER: Well, fingers crossed that she'll make it to next Tuesday, Tony, with no drama.
No drama, Lohan.
Lohan has been out of the limelight the last three months and that's because she's been in rehab, it's part of a court mandate for all of her substance abuse issues. Her dad, Michael, confirmed to "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" that, yes, Lohan is expected to get out of rehab January 4th.
But she's still not totally off the hook, she must abide by the terms of her probation by her next court date. That will happen the end of February. Otherwise, Tony, she's back to the slammer for six months. So that's -- that's an incentive, I'd say, to stay out of trouble.
HARRIS: Yes, I would think so.
And singer Mark Anthony is in some trouble. What's the story here, Kareen?
WYNTER: Yes, one that will cost him into the millions, Tony. Singer Mark Anthony, he'll have to dish out big pucks to Uncle Sam in unpaid taxes. It has to do with his Long Island, New York home.
Now his reps told "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT," we've got it taken care of and, quote, "Marc Anthony, his current management and financial team have reached an agreement in principle resolving all of Mr. Anthony's financial tax liabilities."
But it must be nice, write a little check, take care of all your financial problems. There you have it, Tony.
HARRIS: That can make a lot of problems go away.
Kareen, good to see you, happy new year.
WYNTER: Happy new year, Tony.
HARRIS: And if you want information on everything breaking in the entertainment world, watch "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" at 5:00 and 11:00 on HLN.
An MIA governor returned from vacation to deal with a blizzard hangover.
We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Time now for "The Help Desk," where we get answers to your financial questions. Joining me this hour, Donna Rosato is a senior writer with "Money," and Lynnette Khalfani-Cox is a columnist for walletpop.com.
Thanks for being here, ladies.
First question is, "how long after you file Chapter 13 bankruptcy should you apply for a mortgage?"
What do you think, Donna?
DONNA ROSATO, SENIOR WRITER, MONEY: Well, just because you filed for bankruptcy doesn't prevent you from getting a mortgage. That said, it's a good idea to wait probably at least two years. In the Chapter 13 bankruptcy, you have to come up with a payment plan and start rebuilding your credit and paying down your debts. That's the good thing. What kind of mortgage rate you're going to qualify for will depend on your credit. So two years or longer is probably a good time to wait. That will give you a chance to show that you can pay your bills on time and improve your credit history.
ELAM: Just showing your history is a little bit better. All right.
ROSATO: Exactly.
ELAM: The next question is from AA who writes, "my wife and I have two young kids and currently don't have any life insurance. What would be the best way to obtain a term life insurance policy? Any particular websites we should go to for quotes?"
What do you think, Lynnette?
LYNNETTE KHALFANI-COX, COLUMNIST, WALLETPOP.COM: One good website is insure.com. They'll give you a term life insurance policy, some quotes for that. You can also , of course, through agents. You can just, you know, do a Goggle search and, you know, put in life insurance and there's other websites as well. But I think sometimes an agent is a good approach for insurance needs because they can help you to evaluate all of -- you know, the complete picture. They mention having kids, for example. You need to think about if you'd have enough life insurance to pay off a mortgage if you die, to pay off other things, stuff like that. So sometimes --
ELAM: For all the things (ph).
KHALFANI-COX: Right. So sometimes getting a person involved in this kind of area is a good thing, not just going to the web.
ELAM: Right, because you get that well rounded picture.
All right. Well, thank you, Donna and Lynnette, for helping us out today.
And if you have a question you'd like to get answered, there's no reason why you can't send us an e-mail any time. Just hit us up at CNNhelpdesk@CNN.com.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, noticeably absent during the big blizzard, returns from a Florida vacation. And, boy, he found a bit of a mess on his hands. Jim Acosta, part of "The Best Political Team on Television," live from the political desk in Washington.
Goods to see you, Jim.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you, Tony.
You know, it is a small world in the world of politics as Chris Christie has found out. The New Jersey governor took his family to Disney World for a holiday vacation and then the blizzard of 2010 happened and he took a lot of hits for not returning home to his state from that vacation.
He held a press conference earlier this morning, just a few moments ago actually, where he defended that decision and said, well, this was a gift, a promised gift to my children, and I wasn't going to go back on that promise. So he said he was on the cell phone almost continuously while he was down in Florida keeping tabs on progress being made to clear all of that snow in New Jersey.
Now, another governor in a different mess altogether. Out in New Mexico, Bill Richardson, he had really stirred up a lot of controversy in that state with his decision to perhaps pardon the old wild west outlaw Billy The Kid. Well, this morning, on Richardson's final day in office, he decided that he was not going to pardon Billy The Kid. He even held an online, I guess you would call it a referendum or a vote on whether or not to continue with this pardon. And the votes came in saying he should go ahead and do it. But, in the end, Richardson decided that he was not going to pardon Billy The Kid.
And finally, if you thought that the election season was over, think again. Coming up on Monday, there is an election for the new chairman for the RNC -- or not an election, excuse me, a debate for the new chairman of the RNC. And Michael Steele is running for his old job. You would think that perhaps Mr. Steele would not want to do that after all of these gaffs. But he's making the case that he's had a pretty good year if you consider the fact that the Republicans took back the House of Representatives. He's saying he's not had a bad year. But there are about five other candidates for this position who are lining up to run against him saying, you know, Mr. Steele, maybe it's time to move on.
Tony.
HARRIS: Yes. Yes.
All right, Jim, good to see you. Thank you, sir. And happy New Year to you. ACOSTA: Good to see you. You, too.
HARRIS: For the latest political news, you know where to go, it's CNNpolitics.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Let's look at these aerial pictures from Washington County, Arkansas. As you know, a line of storms, tornadoes, straight- line winds, moved through that area. Some of the storms popping up as early as 6:00 a.m. local time. And you can see the devastation left behind in that storm's wake. There is some concern, and Chad has voiced it, that -- and showed you some of the pictures and showed you the satellite images, that St. Louis is certainly in the bull's-eye for this storm system right now and we will keep you posted on developments with this storm. Please be careful. We will keep you posted throughout the day.
The new year is bringing some new laws all over the country. They include laws about pet cages, red light cameras that catch you speeding and illegal plants. Josh is here tracking all of that for us today.
Josh.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Didn't see that coming, did you, illegal plants?
HARRIS: No.
LEVS: So, you know, I just started digging to see what some of these new laws are that kick in, because every time you have a new cycle, sometimes during the year and always on January 1st you have interesting things.
And I saw this one reported on in "Newsday" about in Nassau County, New York, it is illegal now to have certain plants, including Japanese honeysuckle. It's among the plants that cannot be transplanted basically in that area.
Let's take a look here. Iowa is becoming a "shall issue" permit state for weapons. If you now meet the requirements, you receive a concealed weapons permit. Before, sheriffs actually had discretion on who was allowed to carry a weapon and who was not.
And here's one out of Iowa. Limiting prescription transfers. There's a bunch of new laws in -- rather, Ohio, sorry. There's a bunch of news laws there surrounding how -- if you want to switch a prescription from one pharmacy to another, how often that can be done. How it happens. Obviously they have a lot that they want to watch out for in terms of protecting the use of those drugs.
California. This one's interesting too. Youth counseling without parental consent. This is a law that went through, in part, because of concerns about suicides and other troubles among gay youths. Some officials had said that there's some kids who aren't ready to come out to their parents but need help. So there's this law now I was reading about in something called "The Bay Area Reporter" that talks about how kids now between 12 and 17 can get counseling without parental consent.
Finally, you know those cameras that sometimes catch you on the street. They're called red light cameras. They're usually right near a traffic light and they can catch you in various infractions, speeding or going through a red light. Well, in Illinois, it's going to be a lot tougher now. The new law requires independent verification of a violation that's caught by a camera. In some counties it will have to be reviewed by an actual officer. And authorities are going to have to post to the locations of the cameras on their websites.
Take a look at my page here. I posted for you a bunch of these things. And we're hearing from you about laws in your town, in your city. I also posted information, or I'll add it there, about one in Hawaii, watching out for the rules now over pet cages, making sure they're big enough, comfortable enough for those animals. So go ahead and weigh in there and let us know what you think about all of that.
Tony.
HARRIS: All right, Josh, thank you, sir.
LEVS: Tony, thank you.
HARRIS: Thank you.
LEVS: Thank you.
HARRIS: Before I go, a quick word of thanks. It has been a joy to sit in this chair for the last six years. For the last few years, this program has been called CNN NEWSROOM with Tony Harris. So I need to tell you one thing. I need to tell you that the most important part of that show title is CNN NEWSROOM.
On my first day here, I was told by a former CNN anchor that this job is like taking a midterm exam every day. Man, was Daryn ever right about that. As you know, if you've watched this program, anything can happen anywhere in the world. And when it does, no group is better at getting you ready for that real-time pop quiz than the people who work in the CNN NEWSROOM.
To each and every one of you, I say thank you. To my team, Team Tony as it is commonly referred to, it is a team that is made up of a small but amazing group of people, many of whom have been with me for most of my years here. I can't thank them enough for helping me do one thing every day, that is cut through the noise and distractions of our sometimes raucous public debate so that we can carry on a meaningful conversation about the news of the day with you the viewer. And did you ever respond through your phone calls, e-mails, blog comments and later your tweets. Thank you for your smarts and thank you to my team for turning the thoughts, ramblings and impulses of a big kid into television.
I will be hitting the road and traveling the world for a bit, beyond borders and boundaries, as we like to say. I will be posting videos of my trips and of the interesting people I meet along the way on Twitter at tweettonyharris. My CNN Facebook page will morph into TonyHarrisENT in a few days. And look for the launch of my website coming soon.
But for now, thank you and happy New Year.
CNN NEWSROOM continues with Fredricka Whitfield after a break.
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