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Storm Hits Philippines; Iraq War Ends; Financial Planners Give Advice About Gift Cards; Actor and Singer Promotes Salvation Army; Movie Critic Looks at Recent Box Office Arrivals; Iraq War Veterans Discuss Difficulties of Returning Home
Aired December 17, 2011 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM where the news unfolds live this Saturday, December 17, 2011. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
We begin in the Philippines where at least 436 people are dead after a tropical storm slammed into the island nation. Hundreds more are still missing. The storm dumped as much as eight inches of rain in just 24 hours. Journalist Maria Ressa told me a short time ago the focus is now on search and rescue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIA RESSA, JOURNALIST: The storm is supposed to exit this evening, but it's no longer the storm itself. It's aftermath. We're turning to the aid and rescue workers who are looking for the hundreds missing. They're trying to supply drinking water. They're asking for volunteers to try to get food and clothes. Friday night the flood waters rose alarmingly fast reaching roof level while residents were sleeping.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The government estimates some 100,000 people have been displaced by the storm.
And some technical problems today as army PFC Bradley manning's pretrial hearing continued in a military courtroom at Ft. Meade, Maryland. An army investigator's attempt to testify by phone from Hawaii was delayed. Manning supporters held a rally today outside Ft. Meade's main gate. He is accused of providing classified government documents to WikiLeaks, which made those documents public.
The barefoot bandit will be cooling his heels in prison for the next seven years as 20-year-old Colton Harris-Moore pleaded guilty Friday to a two-year crime spree that stretched from the Pacific Northwest to the Bahamas. Moore reached cult-like status while dodging police on a manhunt that included stealing cars, boats, and planes, often while barefoot.
And 30 days of house arrest and two years probation, that's the sentence handed down yesterday for Barry Bonds, the homerun king. He was convicted of obstruction of justice in a federal probe of illegal steroid use in professional baseball.
And the wife of Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant has filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. Eight years ago Vanessa Bryant famously stuck by Bryant after he admitted to having sex with another woman. She is asking for joint custody of their two children.
And it's been a very busy day on Capitol Hill. With the clock ticking to the holiday break, the U.S. Senate has finally passed a key spending plan and a two-month extension of the middle class tax cut. A short time ago, President Obama sent this message to Congress.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm very pleased to see the work that the Senate has done. While this agreement is for two months, it is my expectation -- in fact, it would be inexcusable for Congress not to further extend this middle class tax cut for the rest of the year. It should be a formality. Hopefully it's done with as little drama as possible when they get back in January.
WHITFIELD: Our congressional correspondent Kate Bolduan is on Capitol Hill. So Kate, you heard the president there saying the plan should be extended beyond February. But the plan the U.S. Senate passed still faces a tough battle, right?
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. The Senate passed this version today, but it does need to go over to the house. The house does need to approve it. It's unclear at the moment where the support it and if it has enough support to pass.
Here's the reason why. On Friday, House members have been meeting on Friday. And there had been this idea of this maybe short-term extension came about. I'll tell you, many Republican members, especially more conservative members, were not happy with the idea of a short-term extension. Many Republican don't think this is good policy. They don't think it's helped the economy, especially they don't think a short-term extension will help either.
But they could vote on this. The House could come back in as early as Monday to take it up. The schedule is not yet set. I'll tell you the number two Democrat in the House Steny Hoyer issued a statement saying that the House must take action on this bill. You know, the president of course is saying the house should move on this and get it to his desk as soon as possible.
But it's unclear if the short-term extension has the support it needs. It's not necessarily that it doesn't, it's just unclear right now where it stands. In addition, it's also unclear with the added win for Republicans, if you will, of this Keystone pipeline provision. We know many of them had demanded be in any final deal. Maybe that will be enough to win over enough Republicans and Democrats in general to pass this thing through the house. We'll have to wait and see.
WHITFIELD: All right, Kate Bolduan, thanks so much for that update from Capitol Hill.
BOLDUAN: Of course.
WHITFIELD: And Now the American war in Iraq is officially over, but a few U.S. troops remain there, almost all of them focused on one thing, leaving. That's while the Iraqi government struggles to just stay together. I talked to Arwa Damon in Baghdad not long ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL Correspondent: It's quite disturbing, because the Iraqi government appears to be coming apart at the seams before that last soldier departed Iraqi soil. Today the Iraqiya bloc, and this is the biggest bloc in parliament headed by former prime minister Ayad Allawi, declared it was suspending its membership because they say Nouri al Maliki has absolutely no intention of implementing the power sharing agreement that allowed the formation of the current government, the agreement of course being between Iraqiya and Nouri al Maliki's State of Law coalition.
And a few days ago the deputy prime minister who is also part of Iraqiya flat out said he believed Nouri al Maliki was a dictator. He said al Maliki was playing a game between the U.S. and Iran that one day the U.S. would grow to realize this and regret their decision. So definitely not a lot of good indications there, Fredricka.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Thank you so much, Arwa Damon, there in Baghdad.
Also, coming up, Barbara Starr gets the brutal truth from some Iraqi veteran who have returned home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This country has a case of post-traumatic stress disorder, in my opinion. The entire country does.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: These U.S. troops, veterans, talk about the difficulties of trying to just simply blend in back home.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Checking headlines overseas now, a state of emergency declared in Kazakhstan after deadly clashing between striking oil workers earn riot police. Ten people were killed. The violence reportedly broke out when police tried to clear protesters from a main town square.
And it is a big but symbolic milestone for Japan's nuclear reactors damaged by the tsunami and earthquake. The prime minister says the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is no longer leaking substantial amounts of radiation. Still, experts say complete cleanup at the plant could take decades.
And one year ago today the event that triggered the so-called Arab spring happened in Tunisia when a street vendor set himself on fire in an anti-government protest. Demonstrations that followed spread throughout the entire Arab world.
And back in the U.S., fierce Santa Ana winds toppled trees and power lines in southern California. At one point 2,000 homes were without power. The National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning for parts of L.A. County through this afternoon.
(WEATHER BREAK)
WHITFIELD: So this holiday season more of you are buying gift cards. So are you getting gift cards from department stores, restaurants, or entertainment venues, or elsewhere? The answer right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, what kinds of gift cards are you buying this holiday season? According to the National Retail Federation, department stores topped the list with nearly 39 percent followed by restaurants at 34 percent, and then entertainment venues at 18 percent.
All right, it's the number one issue in American homes, getting your financial house in order. Today in our weekly financial fix, the pros and cons of buying and giving gift cards.
Ken and Daria Dolan are joining us now. Happy holidays. Good to see you.
DARIA DOLAN, DOLANS.COM: Same to you.
KEN DOLAN, DOLANS.COM: Happy holidays. Merry Christmas.
WHITFIELD: Are you guys into gift cards? Do you buy a lot of gift cards for people?
KEN DOLAN: I don't think we buy a lot of them. We buy a few. There's no doubt because of the popularity of gift cards, Fred, as you intimated. Billions of dollars are spent every year in gift cards. You know why, two things. They're easy to do. They're very convenient. And people really, really like to get them, but there are some concerns.
DARIA DOLAN: Well, number one with those concerns is last year we purchased $97 billion worth of gift cards.
WHITFIELD: Wow. That's a lot.
DARIA DOLAN: Which is great. Unfortunately, 25 percent of those gift cards will never be used.
WHITFIELD: Why not?
DARIA DOLAN: So when you --
WHITFIELD: Because people forget about them? KEN DOLAN: People forgot about them.
DARIA DOLAN: People forget about them, lose them, don't want to spend them because they don't like where they're from.
KEN DOLAN: Anyway, we start off with some of the cautions. You want to buy, in our opinion, a gift card from a company that has a lot of brands like the Gap and William Sonoma.
WHITFIELD: OK.
DARIA DOLAN: I'm sorry, Fred. Go ahead.
WHITFIELD: No, I'm just saying it sounds like it's smarter to do the multi-use gift cards.
DARIA DOLAN: Yes, yes, exactly. Or like in our family, my son-in-law loves Amazon gift cards because then he can buy anything and everything he wants.
WHITFIELD: Right.
DARIA DOLAN: But when you purchase that gift card, number two, be sure that when you say, you know, I want a $50 gift card or $100 that you have them scan the card before you pay for it.
WHITFIELD: Why?
DARIA DOLAN: You want to make sure it is for the amount that you think you're buying it for.
WHITFIELD: Wait a minute. Mistakes are made sometimes?
KEN DOLAN: Oh, yes.
WHITFIELD: Sometimes $100 doesn't end up on that card?
KEN DOLAN: Does not end up on the card. Can you imagine coming back the next day and saying, wait a minute, there's only $75 on this thing?
(LAUGHTER)
KEN DOLAN: Number three, you want to ask about fees, Fred. Are there any non-use fees, any reactivation fees? Is there a fee for a lost card? Those are some of the things on the giving side.
DARIA DOLAN: Now, when you give it to someone, there are a few things you should tell the person receiving your gift, and that is even if they use the card in full to hang on to it just in case they have to return something.
WHITFIELD: Why do you need that?
DARIA DOLAN: Oftentimes the stores are going to say, well, you did this on a gift card. Where's the gift card? KEN DOLAN: They don't believe you.
DARIA DOLAN: They don't believe you.
WHITFIELD: That's weird.
KEN DOLAN: Keep the gift card as long as you've got something you bought with it. Number two -- by the way, we believe in giving the receipt. When you give a gift card to the recipient, give the receipt. Keep the receipt in case you lose the card. Look what happened. I put it on my desk. The last one is --
DARIA DOLAN: Harkening back to that 25 percent of $97 billion that will never be spent, the retailers love you guys who forget. For heaven's sakes, if you get a gift card, use it as fast as you can for two reasons. You put it away, you're going to forget it, or you're going to lose it.
KEN DOLAN: One quick thing, Fred. The federal mandate says most gift cards have to have a minimum life of five years. You don't have to go out next week. But keep it in mind when the dust settles from the holidays. Use it or maybe lose it.
DARIA DOLAN: And remember too, there's going to be bigger sales after Christmas.
WHITFIELD: Of course.
DARIA DOLAN: You may want to go right away with that gift card.
WHITFIELD: Right. So is it still the case that some gift cards might even depreciate in value if you don't use it within 30 days, 60 days, et cetera?
DARIA DOLAN: That's why you need to ask about those possible fees. They're a dwindling number of those, but they're out there. And you wouldn't want to give somebody one or you wouldn't want to receive one you don't use for a couple months and find you're out ten bucks or something.
KEN DOLAN: Just be smart be when you buy.
WHITFIELD: We don't want to take the shine of getting a gift card.
(LAUGHTER)
Ken and Daria Dolan, always good to see you. Thanks so much. Thanks for bringing your holiday cheer.
KEN DOLAN: We love you.
WHITFIELD: Love you back. Thanks.
KEN DOLAN: We'll see you after Christmas.
DARIA DOLAN: Merry Christmas. WHITFIELD: And happy New Year. For more holiday tips and to sign up for the Dolan's free newsletter, go to Dolans.com.
So the holidays are a time to enjoy family and along with that good food. But don't we all agree it's hard not to overindulge? Elizabeth Cohen reports in today's "Health for Her."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Eating during the holiday season is all about balance, eating the treats we want but remembering our good health habits so we don't pack on the pounds. How do we make this happen?
DANA NARAI, REGISTERED DIETICIAN: Combine these items together.
COHEN: Registered dietitian Dana Narai says start by preparing lighter meals in between the holiday get-togethers.
NARAI: You want to focus on foods that are naturally low in fat and high in fiber, like vegetables, whole grains, and beans.
COHEN: Such as in this dish with brown rice, lentils, butternut squash, and parsley. And when you head to the holiday parties, try not to pile too much on your plate.
NARAI: You want to try not to consume more than the typical amount you would consume at any other sit-down meal.
COHEN: And if you're drinking alcohol, here's a trick to cut down on calories.
NARAI: Try refilling your glass with water in between dock cocktails.
COHEN: Though our schedules get hectic this time of year, it's important to remember to exercise. It could help burn off those extra calories so that when we do indulge, we don't leave the holiday season with an extra bulge.
That's this week's "Health for Her." I'm Elizabeth Cohen.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right, and you may know Robert Davi from "The Profiler," the television series, or as James Bond's nemesis in "License to Kill." Did you know he's also a singer?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SINGER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh, a beautiful singer. And he's taking his tunes to the direction of a really great cause. He's teaming up with the Salvation Army. We're going to explain after this. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, so President Obama says the war in Iraq is over. Now servicemen and women are coming home and trying to get back to normal. It isn't as easy as it sounds. Five veterans talked to our Barbara Starr, and we'll have their stories in 15 minutes. Right now, a look at today's headlines.
Tropical storm Washi has left more than 400 people dead and more than 100,000 displaced in the Philippines. Hundreds others are still miss. There are reports an entire village was swept away. Government officials say 20,000 people are staying in evacuation centers throughout the region.
And prayers are going out to Grammy award winning singer Etta James. Her manager says she is terminally ill. She's best known for her romantic hit "At Last." The 73-year-old has been diagnosed with leukemia and Hepatitis C. She's also battling Alzheimer's disease.
And live pictures right now from Capitol Hill where just a few hours ago the U.S. Senate passed two big pieces of legislation. One keeps the government running through September. The other extends the payroll tax cut for two months. The extension now goes to the U.S. House, where it faces strong opposition.
And nothing like a little caroling to get you into the Christmas spirit. That's what travelers at Los Angeles International Airport are hearing. Take a listen for yourself.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SINGING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The Pacific University choir wandered through the terminals at lax bringing Christmas cheer to anyone who would listen. About 90 members were hired by airport officials to entertain travelers. They sound great.
The Salvation Army's red kettles are Christmas tradition. This year, actor and singer Robert Davi of "The Profiler" television show is putting something extra into the kettle. He's recorded a new version of classic Christmas song "Mistletoe and Holly." He joins us now from Los Angeles along with major George Hood of the Salvation Army. Good to see both of you.
ROBERT DAVI, ACTOR/SINGER: It's great to see you, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Robert, let me begin with you. What inspired this project?
DAVI: Well, it's a long answer. There's quite a bit to that. I'll try to be brief. First, singing was my first love. I recently started to embark on that part of my career again by doing an album, "Davi Sings Sinatra -- On the Road to Romance." I've helped in my life different charities, but being able to sing lets me do so much more. and this holiday season was approaching, and I thought, what could I do? How could I help in some way? Because, you know, I believe that your gifts are given to you by god. As you know, your dad is a tremendous -- Avery Friedman told me all about your father and his accomplishments. He's a great American.
WHITFIELD: Thanks so much.
DAVI: So whatever we could do to help and give to our society.
So I called up Phil Ramon, who produced my record and Al Schmidt. I said, I want to do a Christmas song "Mistletoe and Holly." It's a song Sinatra had done. I did my first film with Sinatra. It's the only Christmas song he had a hand in writing. I found that out afterwards.
I wanted to, you know, get in touch with the Salvation Army. A woman was there. She says, oh, Robert Davi, you're terrific. I like you as an actor. Her name was Denise Richardson. She goes, I'm with the Salvation Army. I says, you're kidding. Low and behold, I sent her the song. She immediately sent it to Major George Hood. He said, OK, let's do this. I said I want to give all the proceeds.
Now, part of the story that no one realizes is that besides the salvation army being in different films like "Guys and Dolls," when I was a young boy, my grandfather, who was from Italy, he was a bootlegger with Marshall Field and Joseph Kennedy. He was in that world for a bit of time and left it. He left before prohibition ended.
He then lost all his money when the Depression came. He had apartments and he had businesses. When I was a young boy in long island, we would go to the stores, the different stores around New York. There would always be the kettle and the bell. And he would put his 50 cents or a dollar in that bucket. He told me one time, he says make sure you help these people because they help me when I lost everything when your mother was little. That's part of the story of me wanting to do this.
WHITFIELD: That's fantastic. The Salvation Army Kettles, it's a real mainstay. Major Hood, give me an idea how important it is. Everyone tries to make what contribution they can when they see the red kettles. This really is a beautiful collaboration with Robert and with the Salvation Army. How meaningful is it, and how kind of contagious is that kind of giving?
MAJOR GEORGE HOOD, THE SALVATION ARMY: Well, it's very important because of the number of people that we see on an annual basis. Some 30 million people come to the Salvation Army every year who are in crisis and turn to us to help them find a way out. So the Christmas season is our biggest fund raising season. All of the money that's raised in those red kettles actually stays in the community where you give so that they can do the work of the Salvation Army all year long.
So it's very important. And this is a very practical way to help generate funds for that red kettle campaign. We're so grateful Robert had the vision and heart to partner with us in this. And I tell you, the track swings. I just have a great time listening to it. It's a great track. I think when people download it, they're going to get all excited about Christmas and knowing they're contributing to a red kettle campaign that's now in its 120th year starting out in San Francisco that far back.
WHITFIELD: That's incredible.
Let's listen to a little bit more of Robert's song here. Then I have another question for you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SINGING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: That is so great. Listening to caroling, Christmas music, it makes you feel so good. I'm sitting here bopping in my seat a little here, Robert. How good did it feel recording then? General Hood, I'll close it out with you. Give us an idea of what the drive has been like this year. It's been a tough time for so many families. You have to wonder if donations are up or down. Robert, you first. How does it make you feel doing this?
DAVI: First I'd like to tell everybody to go to Amazon and iTunes and you can download this. Also, the distribution fee has been lowered. Both distribution companies lowered their publishing fee so we can give more money into the pot.
The other thing I wanted to say, I was recently filming a movie in Shreveport, Louisiana, playing a mobster. But I went to the local chapter yesterday morning. It was amazing, Fredricka, because in this warehouse, there was 6,000 Christmas packages and bicycles in that local community. And it's one thing to be able to say the money goes to help the needy. But when you see it, and when they tell me 50,000 families in that community alone, in Shreveport, Louisiana, are going to be helped by the salvation army, it's staggering the great work they do. It felt great singing this song. It absolutely felt wonderful.
WHITFIELD: You can hear the happiness in your voice, your singing voice.
So, General Hood, have donations been on pace with previous years, or has it been a tough year?
HOOD: It's an amazing phenomenon because for three straight years of a very difficult economy, fund raising has been very, very difficult. All charities are struggling to keep those revenue streams alive and coming in.
But what we have found with the red kettle campaign, it is so iconic, it is so traditional, it is so effective in helping parents teach their children how to give that in the past three years, we've set new records each year with the red kettle campaign. And $142 million donated into those red kettles last year. And as we compare day to day this year, we're staying right on track. In some parts of the country, we're behind by one percent, in other parts of the country, we're ahead by two or three percent. So the American public is extremely generous during the holiday season. That puts a tremendous responsibility for stewardship upon our shoulders.
WHITFIELD: Wonderful. Well, thanks so much. Did I call you general, Major Hood?
HOOD: Quite all right. You can call me general any time. It's OK.
(LAUGHTER)
WHITFIELD: I crown you general now. Major George Hood, thanks so much. Robert Davi, thank you so much. Your good friend Avery sending holiday spirits your way. Thank you for the mention of my dad. That was so sweet. He's watching.
DAVI: Well, from what I've read he's a great man. God bless you and your family and everyone else out there.
WHITFIELD: Thanks so much. Happy holidays to both of you. Appreciate that.
Straight ahead, weekends are a good time to go to the movies. So there is indeed a battle at the box office this weekend with two blockbusters hitting the theaters near you soon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you see?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything. That is my curse.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Oh, thriller stuff there. We'll find out whether this is worth your buck.
All right, Hollywood is full of millionaires, but some actors were luckier than others this year. Forbes ranked Hollywood actors by box office ticket sales and created a list of the top grossing actors of 2011. Take a look. Coming up at number five is Bradley Cooper with $743 million. Number four, Robert Pattison with $750 million. At number three, Johnny Depp with $1 billion. Oh, my gosh, the top two grossing actors in Hollywood right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Before the break, you saw some of Hollywood's highest grossing actors who made the top list. In second place, Shia Labeouf with $1.1 billion. And the number one highest grossing actor in Hollywood, you see it there, Daniel Radcliffe of "Harry Potter" fame, $1.3 billion. Quite the list.
So if you're planning to go to the movies this weekend, perhaps we have a couple flicks you want to see. Movie critic Matt Atchity with RottenTomatoes.com joining us from Los Angeles. Good to see you. Happy holidays.
MATT ATCHITY, EDITOR IN CHIEF, ROTTENTOMATOES.COM: Thank you. You too.
HOLMES: OK, let's begin with "Sherlock Holmes: a Game of Shadows." Set it up for me. Then we'll watch a little clip.
ATCHITY: It's the return of Robert Downey, Jr., as Sherlock Holmes. This time, he's facing his arch nemesis Professor James Moriarty.
WHITFIELD: That's Jude Law, right?
ATCHITY: No, that's played by Jared Harris. Jude Law play Watson, his long-suffering side kick.
WHITFIELD: Have you noticed I haven't seen the series yet? Let's take a peek. Let's look.
(LAUGHTER)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, and by the way, they're not pursuing my. They're escorting me. Instead of three, there seems to be four.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Steady hands with that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think it's my hands you have to worry about. Now, be careful with the face, boys. We have a dinner date tonight. Don't fill up on bread.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: OK. So what do you think? Is it witty and charming as the previous one was said to be?
ATCHITY: Yes. I really enjoyed this movie. It's a lot of fun.
Now, I have to say there, those people who don't like what director Guy Ritchie has done with "Sherlock Holmes," A lot of people don't like they've turned him into an action hero. I, for one, think it's a great idea. I really like the first movie. I really like this one.
If you like the first movie, chances are you're going to like this one because it's basically the same film as the first one. But I think that's a good thing. There's a lot of laughs here. The action is pretty good. You know, the style gets in the way a little bit. There's a lot of super slow-mo type stuff. There's a lot of CGI. It almost gets overwhelming.
But it's really fun and very witty. And the face-offs that happen are really, really intense. They really crackle with a certain amount of energy and it's really great to watch.
WHITFIELD: Robert Downey, he's so great. His expressions, just in the trailer you can see he brings his character to life, doesn't he? ATCHITY: Yes, he really does. He's fantastic here. For the ladies that really like him, he spends a good amount of time with his shirt off. And he's in good shape.
WHITFIELD: Good for him. What's the grade?
ATCHITY: I give it a B. It's not perfect, but it's a lot of fun.
WHITFIELD: OK, "Mission Impossible," talking about somebody who takes his shirt off every now and then and people like that. I'm talking about Tom Cruise. Set this one up for me. We know it's set in Dubai. He does his own stunts, right?
ATCHITY: Among other places, yes. We see great stunt work here. Tom cruise returns as agent Ethan Hunt. He and his team are falsely accused of blowing up the Kremlin. They're completely disavowed. In fact the whole system they're part of, the IMF, the Impossible Missions Force, not the International Monetary Fund. The IMF gets shut down. It's up to this small band to clear their names and save the word.
WHITFIELD: OK. No Dominique Strauss-Kahn cameos.
ATCHITY: No, no.
WHITFIELD: Let's look.
(LAUGHTER)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. So we enter the party separately as guests. Jane gets the coats.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I switch off the fan. You jump into the computer. I catch you. You plug in the transmitter. Then Ethan feeds me the codes, which I use to pinpoint the location.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You breezed over something really important, the computer array part where I just jump.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I catch you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why is that so hard to grasp?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right, and Jeremy Renner there. Nice to see him in this kind of movie as well. All right, so your thoughts on this one?
ATCHITY: This is a fantastic movie. In fact, I would say that this is the best one of the whole franchise. Director Brad Bird, who is most famous for "The Incredibles" and the "Iron Giant," this is his first live action feature, and he has done a fantastic job here. The movie is super exciting. He gets great performs out of Tom Cruise and Simon Pegg and Jeremy Renner, who does a great job. There's talk we may see him in the future of this franchise.
The action sequences are second to none. The stuff you see in Dubai is fantastic. I saw it in I-Max. It's only showing in I-Max this weekend. Definitely see it in I-Max, because you definitely feel like you're fall off that tower in Dubai. The sets are really exciting. It gets a little confusing. They bounce all over the world. You don't really know why except it lets them go to exotic locations.
WHITFIELD: OK. Your grade.
ATCHITY: It's like an old James bond movie. I give it a B. It's a lot of fun.
WHITFIELD: A little Washington, D.C. in there as well. That's going to be fun. I'm looking forward to that one. You know, everybody wants a really good movie on Christmas day. This one definitely looks to be it.
ATCHITY: This is a great one to see.
WHITFIELD: Matt, thank you. Maybe not Christmas Day. It would be wrong to leave the family. How about the day after?
ATCHITY: Take them with you.
WHITFIELD: All right, Matt. See you. Thanks so much. Have a great holiday.
ATCHITY: You too.
WHITFIELD: All right.
All right, 17 days away until the Iowa caucuses, and the Republican contenders are on the trail. Checking in on the CNN Political Ticker right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, time for a CNN Political Ticker update. We're keeping an eye on all the latest headlines at the CNNPolitics.com desk. And here's what's crossing now.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is campaigning in South Carolina today with Governor Nikki Haley. Romney hopes Haley's recent endorsement will help him against rival Newt Gingrich, who has a commanding lead in the state.
And with the Iowa caucuses two weeks away, candidates are crisscrossing the Hawkeye state. But how about this - Michele Bachmann scheduled an event today at the Chocolate Seasons gift shop in Algona, Iowa, and Rick Perry had an event at the Chrome Country restaurant in the very same town at very same hour. So a meal at one place, dessert at the next. A Florida presidential debate will focus on Hispanic issues. CNN, the Estate Republican Party, and Hispanic Leadership Network have announced plans cosponsor a debate in Jacksonville on January 26. That's just five days before the Florida primary.
And for the latest political news, you know exactly where to go, CNNpolitics.com. And join us every Sunday at 4:00 eastern right here when we dedicate an entire hour to the presidential contenders in the 2012 election.
And veterans feeling detached from communities as they return home from war. They're opening up about the new challenges facing them now on U.S. soil.
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WHITFIELD: Too often we hear about our fallen heroes who make the ultimate sacrifice. Today is no exception. Marine lance corporal Christopher Levy returns to Greensboro, North Carolina, where he will be laid to rest. Levy was on his second tour of duty to Afghanistan while he died from injuries sustained while in combat. He was only 21.
And as troops are heading home from the Iraq war and it comes to a close, challenges the veterans face are just beginning. CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr sat down with a group of veterans who say they feel isolated and disconnected from American society now that they are back home.
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BARBARA STARR, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Many veterans of the Iraq war think of themselves as the real one percent in this country, those who did serve, and they say they feel disconnected from many Americans. We sat down at a Veterans of Foreign Wars lodge with five Iraq combat veterans to talk about how they feel. You will hear some brutal honest honesty.
CAPT. JAMES MEEHAN, U.S. ARMY, (RET.): You're either the highly successful, nothing shakes you, nothing shatters you, you're the best go-getter type worker there is, or you're the broken down veteran that's a day away from suicide with PTSD and all kinds of problems. And it just seems like you come back, and you're supposed to fit into one of these two extremes. It's like a caricature. You must fit one of these or the other. Which one are you? Which one are we all?
For myself, I feel like I'm lost in that. I'm lost in the gray that's between those two, you know, very anonymous in that sense. It does. It leaves you feeling, for me anyway, very isolated, very separated from society but also within our own group if you can't, when you come home, really identify who you are.
STARR: Do you feel the same way, Kayla?
KAYLA WILLIAMS, FORMER ARMY SERGEANT: I think that sense of isolation can be enhanced for female veterans because we are even more invisible. People think that vets look a certain way, like this, really. Because female veterans don't fit that stereotype of what a veteran looks like, who a veteran is, we can blend into the background even more.
STARR: Do you, John, feel separate from the rest of America because you served and you served in Iraq?
JOHN KAMIN, FORMER ARMY SPECIALIST: Well, I think when it comes down to reintegrating into civilian life, the process is never going to be complete for us. I think that Vietnam veterans are maybe good people to talk to and other veterans from past wars to see what's in store for us.
IAN SMITH, FORMER ARMY SERGEANT: I think the attention span of the American public is not broad enough to survive withdrawal of troops. I think it's going to shift. I think the attention span is going to be focused on the current problems, not mopping up the mess of two wars.
STARR: Because?
MEEHAN: Because they can read the numbers that scroll across the bottom of the screen about this many died today. This many Iraqis were killed, this many soldiers, and go about their day. It's not penetrating their lives, their daily lives, most of the American public. They can go to airports and clap for veterans or soldiers when they walk by, but there's not much more to that.
WILLIAMS: They don't even put stickers on their car. It's magnets so they can pull them off without damaging the paint on their cars.
LUIS CARLOS MONTALVAN, FORMER CAVALRY OFFICER: What I think the American public struggles to deal with, and it often is -- and I think it's also part of the disconnect between the service members, veterans, and society, is that there's been no accountability. I didn't have a problem with going to Iraq. That may be hard to swallow, but at the time I didn't know what we knew now. I was a dutiful soldier.
STARR: Right.
MONTALVAN: But as things reveal themselves, as evidence comes forward, then one has a moral compass. This country has a case of post-traumatic stress disorder, in my opinion. The entire country does.
MEEHAN: People ask me why I joined the military out of college. Honestly, I don't remember. Whatever young, idealistic reason I had for joining is dead, if I ever had one. But what I was able to learn from my service and the experience I had with my brothers in arms is something far greater than anything I could have ever imagined.
KAMIN: It's just a slight difference, but when you hear the question, why would you do that, where there's a lot more implication. Like, you really support those wars? What's wrong with you? MEEHAN: The phrase, I support the troops, but I'm against these wars. To me, that's damning. That's hurtful because this is what I did. To hear that while you're enduring it is really difficult.
WILLIAMS: I do think that there is an issue with what support meanings. I've spoken to people across the country, and a number of people have said, what can I do? They want to contribute. They want to make a difference, but they don't know how. That's where I think we can have this disconnect. We understand that there is a degree of support in a mental or emotional way. But people don't know how to translate that into actions that provide support.
MONTALVAN: I think most Americans want to do something. They do care. But the common statement that I get is that they don't know what to do. They don't know who to give their money to. They don't know what to do. And there's so much that can be done.
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WHITFIELD: Coming up later on the CNN NEWSROOM with Don Lemon, Barbara Starr exposes the invisible wounds of the American troops.
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