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Cain Might Give Endorsement Today; Iran Claims It Shot Down U.S. Drone; Post Service Cuts Down Next-day Delivery; Cain is Out; Gas Prices Drop; "Poor Kids Have No Work Habits"; Iraq Troops Reunite with Families; Iraq Troops Reunite with Families; Controlling Gestational Diabetes; Packers Stay Perfect; Two Men Try to Send Beer into Space
Aired December 05, 2011 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: All right, we're starting off this Monday, and there could be a huge announcement today in the Republican race for president now that Herman Cain is out. Who will get his support and his supporters?
Well, Cain talked a little bit about that over the weekend. It is in his exit speech. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HERMAN CAIN (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I will be making an endorsement in the near future. I will be making an endorsement. And I can tell you right now it will not be the current occupant of the White House. That will not be my endorsement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: All right. Let's bring in our Paul Steinhauser.
Paul , so Cain won't be supporting Obama's reelection campaign. No surprise there. Where do you --
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: What a surprise.
PHILLIPS: Yes, exactly.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: And where do you think he's going to throw his support?
STEINHAUSER: You know, there's a lot of speculation that maybe he throws his support to Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker. They're both from Georgia. It was funny -- it was interesting, on Saturday, soon after Gingrich -- soon after Cain suspended his campaign, Gingrich at an event in New York City said some very, very nice things about Herman Cain. A lot of the candidates would like that support.
OK, here's the drama. Last night or late last night, Gingrich adds a news conference today in New York City at 1:45. So there's all this speculation, will Cain be there or not? Cain aides, Gingrich aides, definitely saying no to that one.
The Gingrich people tell us that at 1:45 today, Gingrich will outline his 50-state strategy.
Listen, a lot of the candidates would like to have Cain's backing. No doubt about that. We saw Michele Bachmann, the congresswoman from Minnesota, and Ron Paul, the congressman from Texas, yesterday on Candy Crowley's "STATE OF THE UNION," both saying nice things about Herman Cain.
A lot of people would like to have that backing. We're going to keep our eyes on Herman Cain all week to see when and if -- who he endorses -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. What do you make of Donald Trump? He's been with Gingrich this morning and now he wants to moderate a debate.
STEINHAUSER: Yes. And Gingrich now becomes the fifth, the fifth Republican presidential candidate to go to Trump Tower and meet with Donald Trump.
Remember Trump himself earlier this year, back in May and June, was flirting with a bid for the nomination. He seems to be -- wants to be a player here. He's teaming up with Newsmax, a conservative Web site, to try and host a debate on December 27th.
Well, Ron Paul wants nothing to do with that. Take a listen to what he told our Candy Crowley.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. RON PAUL (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't quite understand it. I don't understand the marching to his office. I mean, I didn't know that he had an ability to lay on hands, you know, and anoint people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: A little bit of bad blood there, I guess, between Ron Paul and Donald Trump. What do you think, Kyra?
PHILLIPS: I just had visions of Donald Trump in a robe, you know, putting his hands on these candidates.
STEINHAUSER: Oh boy.
PHILLIPS: Yes. OK. Well, it's definitely going to be interesting to watch, that's for sure.
Paul, thanks so much.
STEINHAUSER: Yes.
PHILLIPS: And for all the latest political news, you can also go to our Web site 24/7, CNNPolitics.com. All right, let's talk about another big story that you're going to hear a lot about today. Iran claiming that it shot down a U.S. drone. Washington confirms that a drone is missing and our Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon trying to work this story.
What have you heard so far, Barbara?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, no surprise, conflicting accounts from Iran and the United States.
Over the weekend, Iranian authorities said they shot down a drone, and it was an RQ-170 drone. Why is that important? This is a stealth drone. One of the most secret weapons in the U.S. arsenal, developed for the U.S. air force. It can fly undetected by radars and pick up targeting and intelligence information.
The Iranians say they shot it down. The U.S. has a bit of a different story. It says it was flying a drone over that border region, but on the Afghan side. The U.S. issued a statement through NATO in Afghanistan saying the following. Let me read it to you.
"The UAV to which the Iranians are referring may be a U.S. unarmed reconnaissance aircraft that had been flying a mission over western Afghanistan late last week. The operators of the UAV lost control of the aircraft and had been working to determine its status."
So it's what the U.S. doesn't say. It doesn't say that it's an RQ-170, that secret stealth drone. It doesn't say that it was shot down. It does say that the U.S. has a drone that is lost. In fact, operators had said they lost control of a drone. They lost flight control.
Critical question now, Kyra, what do the Iranians really, if anything, have their hands on? Is there a wreckage? Do they now have any kind of access to that stealth technology or the highly classified sensors that were onboard that drone? If they do, the U.S. knows it's not getting it back -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: What are their options? Does the U.S. have now?
STARR: Well, you know, that really is the key question. What do you do? Typically in the past in Iraq or Afghanistan, when a drone has gone down or some sensitive piece of technology is lost on the battlefield, the U.S. has called in air strikes to bomb a wreckage to make sure that militants or insurgents don't get it.
You are not going to see a U.S. air strike inside Iran. That's just not possible. So it's a problem now. Do they have it? What do they have their hands on, if anything? And what is still really contained in that wreckage that the Iranians could make use of or possibly even try and get the Chinese or the North Koreans or other countries' experts in to help them take a look at it -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, Barbara Starr from the Pentagon. Barbara, thanks.
Well, we're getting word that the U.S. Post Office is about to take a drastic step to deal with its epic money problems.
CNN's Karina Huber is covering that for us.
Karina, what's the plan?
KARINA HUBER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, the latest plan is that the U.S. Postal Service wants to limit its next-day service. You know, currently the postal service guarantees first class mail delivery in one to three days. What it is proposing is to change that delivery time to two to five days.
Now why this is important is because it would help them in their plan to cut more than half of their mail processing facilities across the country. The bad news, this could mean further job losses and problems for anyone who still pays bills by actual snail mail.
So we'll get more details later today when the U.S. Postal Service is expected to make its proposal -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. So then that's hopefully we'll find out when exactly it's going to take effect.
Now it's interesting because Christmas is just less than three weeks away. The timing here seems a bit odd.
HUBER: Right. The timing is off. And it's unlikely that any changes will take effect anytime soon. We have no details yet on when exactly it would take effect, because any major changes do need congressional approval, and postal cutbacks are unpopular, which means they are hard to push through in Congress as well.
Any changes to labor contracts need union approval, so it could take some time. That's good news for us, but of course these are problems that really need to be really rectified in the U.S. postal service.
PHILLIPS: All right, Karina, thanks.
Southern California is in for another day of hurricane force winds. Rob Marciano following those Santa Ana winds that are back.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: They are back. And this is what we have seen so far, Kyra. A 50-mile an hour winds. And we're just getting the day started. They'll increase throughout the morning, decrease again this afternoon, and then increase tonight, just like they did last week with the exception of the fact that they won't be as strong as they were Wednesday into Thursday.
But the problem is, with all of the debris that's on the ground still, anything that blows 40 to 60 miles an hour, that's gong to be dangerous. And any trees that are weaken already or branches that are weakened already may come down. And this will go on for the next two days. And with this also comes the risk for fire.
(WEATHER REPORT) PHILLIPS: Coming up, Herman Cain's out, but he's not down. More on his big announcement and what it means with our political contributor Mary Matalin.
And after months of peaceful protests, things get pretty tense at "Occupy D.C." We'll check the news "Cross Country" next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: All right. Let's check news "Cross Country" now.
Washington police have hauled off dozens of "Occupy D.C." protesters after a standoff at base camp. The demonstrators refused orders to dismantle their new wooden shelter and had to be wrestled from the roof. Thirty-one arrests in all.
The folks at "Occupy Buffalo" have a roof over their heads just in time for winter. They are staying in a protective dome now donated by an anonymous supporter. And the city is cool with it for now.
Quite the opposite in Denver. "Occupy" protesters already sleeping in the snow. They are relying on tarps, blanket, and body heat. They'll need plenty of it, too. Today's high temp, 13 degrees.
Well, in the end, Herman Cain said it was too much for his family and the country. All those allegations of sexual misconduct -- misconduct, rather, too hurtful, too distracting, so he's out of the race for the White House.
CNN's political contributor Mary Matalin joining us now from New Orleans.
So, Mary, one thing that stood out to me from Saturday was how Cain looked into the eyes of all of his supporters and said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAIN: I am at peace with my God. I am at peace with my wife. And she is at peace with me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Mary, what did you make of that? Do you believe him?
MARY MATALIN, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: Yes. He's very powerful. He answered that -- or that was that same behavior that he displayed when he was on with our own Wolf Blitzer when the second round of allegations broke. And he -- and Wolf asked him flat out if he had had an affair, and he said no.
When you are that definitive, that demonstrative, it's -- you have to believe it. What we -- and that's part of his attraction obviously. What we can't believe, and that's equally demonstrable, is that his campaign, whether or not the allegations were true, his campaign was not equipped to deal with that kind of onslaught that not -- that came through those series of allegations but also the debate preparation and what.
So whatever -- the reason he is where he is today has less to do with the allegations and more to do with the way his campaign mishandled them.
PHILLIPS: So why leave the race?
MATALIN: Well, Kyra, you know, it takes more than having the right philosophy, the right policies, the right temperament. You really have to be able to run a campaign, which is perceived by voters rightly or wrongly to be a microcosm of what it takes to run a country, to run a White House.
They are not completely on point. I have been involved in both enterprises. But to the extent you're facing a lot of unpredictable problems and an adversarial position, I think there -- there's somewhat -- voters are right to expect a campaign to be able to run in a plausible way. And this one, he just couldn't get his campaign together. This is a good candidacy brought down by a bad campaign.
PHILLIPS: So, let me ask you this about all of these sexual -- allegations of sexual misconduct. If they're true, and indeed that's what brought him down, within as you say a campaign, a group of people that just didn't know how to handle it, what does this tell us about the moral compass of voters?
MATALIN: I think voters -- well, I don't think. I know. You've seen plenty of examples of voters being very forgiving, and our country is about redemption. Our culture is about forgiveness. Our country is less tolerant of fabrication and being flat out lied to in that manner.
But if he -- if he is -- if there is any evidence, documents, real documents, hard evidence, that he's lying, then he won't have any future in politics.
You can have -- you can fall. We are all sinners. We have all fallen. You have to make reparations. You have to seek forgiveness. And voters will give that.
But that's not what this is at this point.
PHILLIPS: Final thought. The first thing that you actually heard was all the cheering for Gloria. You didn't hear a bunch of people saying, "Herman, Herman, Herman." It was interesting. The first thing that you really heard loudly when his news conference began was the crowd cheering for Gloria, shouting her name.
MATALIN: Right. People, voters -- I don't care what your party is or your philosophy -- the Americans really have a sense of fairness. And it really is unfair the extent to which families get dragged into these campaigns. They do it willingly, wives and children.
But it's been my experience that the candidates are always more pained by what their families are having to go through than the arrows that they have to take -- and people do just cringe at the thought of poor Gloria, who was offstage and doesn't seek to be in the limelight at all had to be subjected to that, what is the rough and tumble and the really ugly side of politics because her husband wants to serve.
PHILLIPS: Mary, appreciate your time this morning.
MATALIN: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: Gas prices falling, oil prices rising. Why the disconnect? We'll explain.
And eight Ferraris in a colossal pileup. Not on the raceway but the expressway. You'll see it, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: 2011 is almost over, and we want to you get you to actually help us pick the top 10 stories of the year. All you have to do is go to the Web site CNN.com/topstories. Take part in our online poll between now and December 15th. Then the top 10 stories of the year will be unveiled on air and online December 30th.
Well, this will catch your attention. Eight Lamborghinis in one crash.
Jeff Fischel, it's probably got to be one of the most expensive crashes in history.
JEFF FISCHEL, HLN SPORTS: Yes. You know, insurance companies are cringing after they see the video of this. What kind of a payout?
PHILLIPS: Not one, not two.
FISCHEL: It happened yesterday in southwestern Japan. Highway wet from recent rain. Police say one, yes, one of the Ferraris, skidded and smashed into the median divider. That set off a 14- vehicle crash, including eight Ferraris, a Lamborghini, three Mercedes-Benz, hardly worth a mention, two Toyotas.
The big question, how were all of these great cars driving together? The drivers were part of a group of luxury car enthusiasts. As bad as it looks, no one was seriously injured, except for the tears shed overseeing their prized cars.
PHILLIPS: OK. We were told it was Lamborghinis, which is what I said off the top there. There are eight Lamborghinis. But we're talking about eight Ferraris, a Lamborghini, three Mercedes-Benz.
What costs more, a Lamborghini or a Ferrari? Do we know?
FISCHEL: You're pushing the limits of my luxury -- the ones I have at home, you know --
PHILLIPS: Exactly. Well, my Lamborghini costs so much.
We have to do a price check on that. I'd like totally that up. Like how much? What do you think, Scott?
FISCHEL: Our director is chiming in.
PHILLIPS: OK. Scott things a Lamborghini is more expensive. So, we're going to price this out.
FISCHEL: Directors definitely make a lot of money.
PHILLIPS: Yes, the directors are big money guys. I think Scott's got a Ferrari. And we'll tally it up. What do you say? And when you come back --
FISCHEL: When I come back in half an hour, I'll have the answer. Eight Ferraris would be more than one Lamborghini.
PHILLIPS: I want hard numbers.
FISCHEL: And also Tiger Woods's first win in two years.
PHILLIPS: This was not the Masters, all right? Let's just talk
FISCHEL: She won't give Tiger a break.
PHILLIPS: All right. I will not him give -- all right, more later, I'm told. See you, Jeff.
FISCHEL: All right.
PHILLIPS: Something we will talk more about now, though, gas prices. They are dropping. But will they last?
Karina Huber, at the New York Stock Exchange -- Jeff, maybe I should ask Karina how much a Ferrari goes for it.
What do you think, Karina? You're a money gal.
KARINA HUBER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know what? My hope is that with these cheaper gas prices, maybe that will allow more people to go out and buy one of those Lamborghinis or Ferraris. I don't know. My guess might be on the Lamborghini. I'd say $100,000. That's my guess -- somewhere around there.
But here is the good news. We do see that gas prices have dropped. The latest Lundberg survey shows us that gas dropped 18 cents in about six weeks. That brings the national average to $3.28 a gallon.
Now the people who are the luckiest are those in Albuquerque, New Mexico. That's where gas is the cheapest right now, $2.84.
But, Kyra, what's really surprising about this is that we are seeing a drop in gas prices despite higher oil prices. If you take a look, you can see that oil rose 7 percent during the past month, while gasoline fell 4 percent. Now, usually these prices move in tandem.
What's happening right now is you have weak demand for gas because we drive less in the winter, and the economy still isn't fully revved up. At the same time, though, oil is used in a lot of other things like diesel and jet fuel. So that can push up oil prices.
But here's the bad news, Kyra, analysts are saying that if those oil prices stay high, we should expect gas prices to follow suit.
PHILLIPS: All right. Well, we keep tracking it.
All right. I hear there could be a pretty nice rally at the opening bell, right?
HUBER: Yes. That's what we're hoping for. And, again, the focus is on Europe.
And there's hope that the region will move forward on fixing its debt problems. There's a flurry of activity happening across the ocean this week. We got Sarkozy and Merkel meeting today. And Italy's new prime minister will present a proposal of budget cuts today.
Later in the week, euro zone leaders are meeting with Secretary Geithner.
And there's just a sense right now that we could be on the cusp of some really changes in policy when it comes to dealing with the crisis. Because of that, the Dow futures are up by about 140 points right now. This is on the back of a really hot rally last week, when the major averages all rose more than 7 percent, giving it its biggest gain in more than two years. So,lots to celebrate today.
PHILLIPS: All right. Thanks, Karina.
Well, Newt Gingrich rising in the polls. We're going to ask our contributors, L.Z. Granderson and Will Cain, if his blunt views have anything to do with that.
And Madonna has been picked to perform on football's biggest night. Details coming up in showbiz.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Checking top stories now:
The U.S. military says that one of its drones is missing but not confirming Iranian media reporting that it shot it down.
Today, Democrats plan to unveil what they call a compromise plan to extend payroll tax cuts. Republicans don't want the cuts paid for by raising taxes on the rich.
And Bishop Eddie Long told his parishioners he is taking time off from his megachurch to work on his family. Long's wife, Vanessa, filed for divorce last week.
Newt Gingrich is surging in the polls, but he is continuing to get criticism about these remarks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Really poor children in really poor neighborhoods have no habits of working and have nobody around them who works. So they literally have no habit of showing up on Monday. They have no habit of staying all day. They have no habit of I do this and you give me cash -- unless it's illegal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, Donald Trump defended him this morning. He says Gingrich is just telling the truth, and that's why he's, quote, "skyrocketing."
CNN contributors Will Cain and L.Z. Granderson with their takes this morning.
All right, guys, let's start there. Politically incorrect or just telling the truth? L.Z.?
L.Z. GRANDERSON, CNN.COM CONTRIBUTOR: Newt's a jerk. OK? He is a jerk. And I'm just cutting straight to the chase.
PHILLIPS: You're going to lay it out.
GRANDERSON: Well, you know, we were all wondering, right, if the benevolent Newt that we saw the last two debates had really been a changed Newt, the Newt that we hated was the one who said that if you were under 18 and pregnant, you were not eligible to receive any sort of welfare or assistance. We were wondering if that heartless Newt from the '90s was still here.
Well, yes, yes, he is. He is still here. He doesn't like poor people.
And of the 10 poorest states in the country, they also happen to be red. So, he's not talking about just people in the hood, if you will. He's talking about the poor that are in the poorest regions of Mississippi and Alabama as well.
So, if you're a Republican, he is talking about your kids too.
PHILLIPS: L.Z., he is surging in the polls.
GRANDERSON: I know. It's idiotic, right? It's absolutely crazy. I don't understand how we got to this point, right, where the Republicans had three years to find someone that they can hold up against President Obama as a significant challenger. And here we are, we're going up and down, up and down with all of these ridiculous candidates. And now we're back to Newt, you know, heartless Newt.
I mean, to me, that is the saddest commentary of it all, is that the leadership in the Republican Party has failed to present the American people with a sound alternative.
PHILLIPS: Will?
WILL CAIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Couple of things here. First of all, it's possible it's politically incorrect and true at the same time. Second, I lament this fact, but it appears I'm going to be on the same side as Donald Trump on an issue.
Third, I think that L.Z.'s outrage, emotional outrage muscle is overdeveloped and his logical conclusion muscles are being underutilized. All you have to do is draw a series of simply logical conclusions.
Let me ask you this. Is unemployment higher in poor neighborhoods? I think we all know the answer to that. Do children emulate the behavior of their parents? We all know the answer to that. Therefore, would children in poor neighborhoods be deprived of work habits they might be seeing in their parents?
There are many things -- many, many things which I have gone on TV and written about Newt Gingrich which are substantively very problematic and should deny him the nomination as Republican nominee for president.
But this right here, this isn't one of them.
PHILLIPS: So, why do you think he's surging, Will?
GRANDERSON: This is class warfare.
CAIN: This isn't class warfare. This is an attempt to help. This is an attempt to correct a problem that he sees. Whether or not you think the solution is a good one, lowering child labor laws, is beside the point as far as the debate is concerned right now.
The question is, has he identified a problem and is he seeking a solution? He is not trying to divide people or saying he hates poor people.
I simply, L.Z., look, man, I don't know how you got to that conclusion.
PHILLIPS: Go ahead, L.Z. I'm going to move on to question number two.
GRANDERSON: I got to that conclusion based upon the things that we've seen from him over the last 20 years. And let me tell you something, work ethic, that's not bound to how much money your parents make. That's about the values that your parents teach you.
CAIN: Nobody said that. Nobody said that. It's not --
GRANDERSON: Let me finish, Will. Let me finish. Let me finish.
There are a lot of rich kids who have very, very poor work habits and a very poor work ethic. So to make it about poor kids, that's why I said it's class warfare.
CAIN: You're absolutely right. But nobody is dealing in absolutes here. And if Newt Gingrich is dealing in absolutes, then he's wrong. But I don't think that's what he's doing.
He is saying there is a higher proportion of unemployment in poorer areas. And with work habits, therefore, be deprived of children in poor areas. It's not a blank statement. It's not rich people have good work habits and poor people have bad work habits. That's not what he said.
GRANDERSON: Did you hear him say some? Did he say some poor kids? No. He said poor kids, poor neighborhoods. The only example.
Let me tell you something, I was a poor kid in those poor neighborhoods. I worked my butt off. I had good examples.
So he did make a blanket statement. He didn't say some. He just said poor.
PHILLIPS: We're going to have to leave it there, guys. I had to let you go and have the discussion. I wanted to talk about sexual misconduct and Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich. I guess I'm going to have to save that one, doesn't it?
CAIN: Haven't we covered those bases?
PHILLIPS: It's old school. OK. I got you.
Guys, thanks. It's always great to listen to you guys. That's for sure.
CAIN: Good to be with you, guys.
PHILLIPS: All right.
Well, we know he can sing, but can he dance? Stevie Wonders he wants to be on the next season of "Dancing with the Stars." But there's one thing that the soul legend says he has to do before going on that show. We'll tell you in showbiz headlines next.
And what a relief for Tiger Woods? His reaction is priceless after he sinks a birdie -- a birdie putt, rather, for the win. His first win in more than two years. That story and NFL highlights, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: All right. We've had the Black Eyed Peas, The Who, even Janet Jackson and a wardrobe malfunction. Now, Madonna.
We're talking about the Super Bowl and our half time entertainment.
A.J. Hammer has all the details.
Hey, A.J.
A.J. HAMMER, HOST, HLN'S "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": Hey there, Kyra.
Yes, Madonna is going to be the next star to perform at the Super Bowl, and this has been something that's been floating around as a rumor for months. But the NFL confirmed the news just last night.
Now the halftime show is about the biggest audience a performer can attract at one time. According to the NFL, last year's super bowl halftime show was watched by more than 162 million viewers, and that was just here in the United States alone. The Super Bowl this year is going to air on NBC. It's on February 5th.
And Madonna, ever the smart businesswoman -- well, let's just say she's not doing this simply for the love of the game. She's got a new album expected to release early next year, and her movie "W.E." is supposed to open just days after the Super Bowl.
So, Kyra, it will be a Madonna-rama as we kick off the brand new year.
PHILLIPS: It's amazing. She just keeps reinventing herself.
All right. Stevie Wonders says he wants to compete on "Dancing with the Stars." What do you know?
HAMMER: Yes. This is really cool.
The news actually started to get out last week after Stevie appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres show. I can never really say your name. Ellen, I apologize for that -- the Ellen DeGeneres show.
Ellen asked Stevie point blank about doing "Dancing with the Stars." Here's what he told Ellen DeGeneres.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELLEN DEGENERES, TV HOST: You have to tell me, is there any truth to the rumor, are you thinking about doing "Dancing with the Stars"?
STEVIE WONDER, SINGER: I'm losing weight. When I get to where I feel like I'm going to look good enough for what I want to do, I'll do that.
DEGENERES: You're going to do --
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And the audience goes wild. They love the idea.
I love the idea. Stevie would be the first-ever blind contestant on the show. Kyra, I think he would impress us all -- as you know in addition to just be a genius in what he does best, he is a fun, funny man. I think he'd be great on "Dancing."
PHILLIPS: Yes. And he's got a great heart. And apparently, he's been on this special diet, doing meditation and eating well. And it's working. He's looking good.
HAMMER: Yes, yes.
PHILLIPS: All right, A.J. You're going to be back with us next hour with more showbiz headlines.
So, coming up at 10:00, A.J. is going to be talking about the president side-by-side with five stars on the stage, screen, and music at the Kennedy Center honors last night in D.C. and we're actually going to take you there with A.J.
All right. U.S. troops home from Iraq and not going back. Coming up, we're going to go in depth on the last days of the Iraq war and meet some very happy families.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK0
PHILLIPS: Checking news cross-country.
An 84-year-old woman plans to sue the TSA after she says she was not only hurt, but humiliated during a strip search.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LENORE ZIMMERMAN, CLAIMS SHE WAS STRIP-SEARCHED BY TSA: I have a defibrillator, so I don't go through the machines. I asked them to pat me down. They took my pants down and then they took my underwear down.
Don't I look like a terrorist? I'm going to be 85 years old and I weigh 103 pounds. And they strip searched me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, here is the TSA response: "While we regret that the passenger feels she had an unpleasant screening experience, the TSA does not include strip searches as part of our security protocols and one was not conducted in this case."
Jury deliberations begin today for the second man convicted in a brutal home invasion that ended with the death of a Connecticut woman and her daughters. He could get the death penalty.
In Utah, first, powerful winds, now, heavy snow. The National Guard has been called in to help with preparations for another storm moving into that area.
Well, all this week, CNN is going in depth on the final hours of the Iraq war. Thousands of U.S. military men and women are going home to spend the holidays with their loved ones. And they're not going back to Iraq.
CNN's Chris Lawrence was at Ft. Hood, Texas, over the weekend when soldiers and their families finally reunited.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dismissed!
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At the first glimpse of her father in nearly a year, Alexandria Frey showed just how fast a 14-year-old can move. She's starting high school while her dad was gone. Her mom had to do everything alone.
MICHELLE FREY, HUSBAND BACK FROM IRAQ: It has been a very long 10 months. Glad it's over.
LAWRENCE (on camera): Is there any way to describe what it feels like to have your dad back after so long?
ALEXANDRIA FREY, DAD BACK FROM IRAQ: No. It's good.
LAWRENCE: What did you miss most about it?
A. FREY: He was like my best friend. Yes.
LAWRENCE: Now you've got your best friend back?
A. FREY: Yes. I have more of a bond with him than anything. So yes.
LAWRENCE: Go enjoy your time.
(voice-over): The last few hours of waiting were the toughest. Then, the planeful of soldiers finally landed. And the troops got a welcome home fit for rock stars. Christmas wishes were answered, their time in Iraq finished.
For Sergeant Major Erik Frey, it's bittersweet.
SGT. MAJ. ERIK FREY, JUST BACK FROM IRAQ: I guess in one sense, I feel happy that it's over with and that we're getting all of our service members out. But then you kind of look back at the sacrifices that our soldiers have made, and our family members have made.
LAWRENCE: Both in blood and money. At one point, the U.S. was spending $5,000 per second in Iraq. The war took nearly 4,500 American lives. And 32,000 troops came home wounded.
But these are some of the last Americans to leave Iraq, and they won't be going back.
MAJ. MIKE IANNUCCILLI, U.S. ARMY: This is my third deployment. First one, with both of these guys. And it was a lot harder, but it just makes it that much sweeter coming home.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: All right. I was watching Chris there in the monitor and we both got a little teary eyed when I saw you interview that teenaged gal, Chris. But you actually --
LAWRENCE: Pretty fast, huh, Kyra?
PHILLIPS: Exactly. I mean, it really -- boy, it hits home. It's been a long war. That's for sure. And it's been a long haul for these families.
Well, the troops that you had a chance to speak with, do they feel a sense of history in any way being the last men and women to leave Iraq?
LAWRENCE: Yes. More than one of them, Kyra, told me, you know, they felt really honored in a way to sort of be the troops that ushered the U.S. out of Iraq.
But a lot of them say, you know, that the men and women who really deserve a lot of the credit are those that were there in 2006, 2007, 2008, who really saw some of the fierce fighting. A lot of the soldiers I talked to had lost friends during some of that fierce fighting in Iraq. And their memory was really on their minds as they came home for the final time.
PHILLIPS: And -- and did you get a sense that most of these soldiers are going to stay in the Army or get out now?
LAWRENCE: Really wide range. You know, the thing about it is, some of these soldiers joined after the war in Afghanistan had started. So they joined wanting to go into combat. And some of them were saying they hope to get an Afghanistan deployment before that war winds down.
Others were thinking, you know, the deployment schedule has been really tough with multiple deployments. One wife said, look, I've got to be the taxi driver. I have to be the good cop, the bad cop. I'm sort of a solo mom while he's gone.
And so it's been really tough on some of the families with the multiple deployments. But some of the soldiers say they may have to put off getting out because the economy is so bad right now. They say it may be better to try to re-up for another four years or so and wait and see if the civilian economy is any better at that point.
PHILLIPS: Yes. A lot to see. Chris, thanks.
LAWRENCE: Yes.
PHILLIPS: So here is a question for the Iraqis now that U.S. troops are leaving. What to do with all of Saddam's palaces. He loved to build opulent shrines to himself. But with the dictator gone, what happens to all the fancy real estate? That story is coming up next hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Gestational diabetes is a condition that develops in women during pregnancy, and it can be treated safely for mother and baby. But there are still reasons to be concerned.
CNN senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen explains in today's "Health for Her" report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When she was pregnant with her first child, Sarah Wallace learned she had gestational diabetes.
SARAH WALLACE, HAD GESTATIONAL DIABETES: I was surprised. And -- and kind of worried.
COHEN: Dr. Michael Randell says the condition which develops during pregnancy can be treated and usually goes away when the baby is born.
DR. MICHAEL RANDELL, OB/GYN: Somewhere between seven and 14 percent of all pregnant women develop gestational diabetes.
COHEN: Those women need to be concerned for several reasons.
RANDELL: These risks for the mother include elevated blood pressure or preeclampsia as well as an increased risk for a caesarean delivery.
COHEN: And for the baby an increased risk for obesity and developing diabetes later in life. While all moms to be are screened for the condition certain factors increase the risk for it. Those include, a family history of diabetes, being overweight or obese, older age, and race. American Indian, African-American, and Hispanic women are at a higher risk.
Wallace improved her diet and gave birth via C-section for a healthy baby boy. Now expecting her second child she is being monitored closely. But Wallace says the diagnosis was a warning sign.
WALLACE: To know that I am at higher risk to develop diabetes later in life and to be aware of that and to make the right choices in food and exercise and diet, to try and prevent it.
COHEN: For this week's "Health for Her", I'm Elizabeth Cohen.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well, checking stories making news later today.
At 11:00 Eastern NASA is holding a news conference to announce the discovery of a new planet.
At 1:30 Eastern President Obama meets with a group of college presidents at the White House. They're going to talk about the high cost to college.
And at 6:30 Eastern an anti-hazing forum at Florida A&M University. Everybody -- every student rather will be asked to sign an anti-hazing pledge. It's in response to the death of a student band member, Robert Champion.
All right, we're following lots of other developments for you in the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM. Let's go ahead and start with our Mark Preston -- Mark.
MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: Hey, Kyra. You know Herman Cain's meteoric rise for the Republican presidential nomination came crashing down this weekend but will his fall provide more fuel for Newt Gingrich's rise and ascension to the top of the leader board for the GOP nomination? We'll have more at the top of the hour.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I'm Rob Marciano on the CNN Severe Weather Center. Flood watches and warnings are posted. Bitterly cold air diving into the west and the Santa Ana winds are coming back. Details in the next hour.
KARINA HUBER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Karina Huber at the New York Stock Exchange. It's the season of giving and taking apparently. What are the most shoplifted items this year? Kyra I'm counting them down in the next hour.
PHILLIPS: All right, thanks, guys.
Also coming up we're going to look at the controversy that erupted over Carrier IQ, a stealth program installed on many Smartphones that critics blast as spyware.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: How about those Packers? That's all I have to say, Jeff Fischel --
JEFF FISCHERL, HLN SPORTS: You're a Packers fan, I know you are.
PHILLIPS: That's right. That's right.
FISCHEL: They keep on winning. After Sunday's game against the Giants they are now 12-0. But this one was as tough as it comes. Eli Manning, a touchdown pass with 58 seconds left to Hakim Nicks. And boy, it looks like we're going to overtime. But the Pack has Aaron Rodgers who was 4-4 on the final drive. Hooks up with Jordy Nelson there. And then as time runs out the field goal from Mason Crosby, 38-35. The Packers, four games away from a perfect regular season.
Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos. They find a way to do it again; 1-4 before he became a starter. 6-1 with him in charge. 200 yards passing. Two touchdowns, against a Viking. Look at an escape and then gets this done. He also ran in a two-point conversion. The Broncos, it comes down to the final play in this game as well. A field goal as time runs out. They've won five straight. They now lead the AFC West.
The Cowboys' ticker (ph) Dan Bailey, he can win one as time runs out against the Cardinals but it's Coach Jason Garrett calls a time- out. Look at -- Bailey made it. But Garrett called a time-out. He iced his own kicker. We go to overtime after Bailey ends up missing his second chance.
And in overtime Kevin Kob for the Cardinals finds little Rod, Stephen (INAUDIBLE) coming out of the backfield. Little man takes it all the way for the 52-yard touchdown. Garrett has some explaining to do after the time-out call. The Cardinals win 19-13.
College football. Is anyone outside SEC land excited about a rematch for college football's national championship? LSU will play Auburn January 9th in New Orleans. LSU beat Bama 9-6 in overtime last month. Alabama beat out number three, Oklahoma State in last night's BCS, that might have been fun. Both teams had just one loss.
Oklahoma State will play Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl. That might actually end up being the more exciting game.
Golf: Tiger Woods did something he hasn't done in more than two years. He won a tournament. He did it like Tiger in old fashion. Down a stroke, he birdied 17, and then 18 to win it. It's his fifth Chevron World Challenge -- World Challenge title. It's his tournament. So he's donating he's winning $1.2 million to his foundation.
That makes you like Tigers -- no.
PHILLIPS: Move on. Have a great Monday Jeff. No, sorry. He lost my respect, among many others, a long time ago. I'm rooting for Rory McIlroy, the younger generation of great golfers.
FISCHEL: I totally understand.
PHILLIPS: Thank you.
Beer and space is a pretty novel idea. It would also make one heck of a commercial. CNN's Jeanne Moos looks at a video that could be both.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Forget 99 bottles of beer on the wall. How about one can of beer in space?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey. How are you doing? We're going to shoot a beer into space.
MOOS: Attached to a weather balloon? That at least is what Danny Burns and Rich Toma claim.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome to mission control, a.k.a., my parents' garage.
MOOS: The two say they saw YouTube videos of people sending lame stuff up into space like an iPhone. So why not the first beer in space?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We happened to be drinking a couple of Nati Lights at the time. We were like, duh. MOOS: Some say you'd have to be duh to believe this story but we'll get to that. The guys say they contacted the makers of Nati Light.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were like, hell, yes.
MOOS: Nati Light is not exactly known for being shall we say, out of this world. Beer advocate Web site gives it a D minus. Reviews range from "this is a great beer for the money" to "perfect to clean your toilet with".
Danny and Rich say they packed a can of Nati into a styrofoam cooler along with a camera positioning it to shoot the journey with an empty can of beer the outside as a decoration.
Next come the lovely images of the beer going up, up and away above the clouds to 90,000 feet in the atmosphere. Hippy little subtitles and music added, the balloon seemingly pops. And the cooler plummets down, slowed by a parachute until, splash down. GPS on the cooler supposedly allows the guys to locate it.
Do I smell a rat? Perhaps a gorilla of viral marketing campaign? The date when the guys say the launch took place is wrong. Anheuser- Busch now admits further opening a can of worms we believe at least one of the guys has a marketing company and may have done some event planning for Anheuser-Busch a few years back. Anheuser-Busch assured CNN that the video is real, not computer generated, and that Danny and Rich approached the company to do this and were not paid.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That beer's intact.
MOOS: But is their story, as someone posted, one small step for man, one giant leap for alcoholics?
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
