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World Leaders Watch for First Signs of Instability in North Korea; Egyptian Protester Dragged, Stripped, Beaten; Interview With Robert Champion's Parents; Family's Grief Over Hazing; North Korea Kim Jong Il Dies; Carter: Feed North Koreans; Bachmann On Kim's Death

Aired December 19, 2011 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour. I'm Suzanne Malveaux.

Want to get you up to speed.

Our top story, the sudden death of Kim Jong-il.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I'm announcing in the most woeful mind that our great leader Kim Jong-il passed away due to a sudden illness on his way to a field guidance on December 17, 2011.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: A tearful broadcaster broke the news last night on North Korea's state-run TV. She reported that the 69-year-old died of a heart attack on Saturday.

Kim was a reclusive dictator who starved his own people while building a nuclear weapons nation. Former U.N. ambassador Bill Richardson, who's traveled to North Korea many times, points to major concerns now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL RICHARDSON, FMR. U.N. AMBASSADOR: North Korea, the peninsula, is a tinderbox. This we knew was coming because of the health of Kim Jong-il.

The issue is going to be, will there be stability in the North Korean leadership? Will they continue the recent efforts of engaging South Korea and the United States over food aid over nuclear talks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Newscasts showed North Koreans weeping inconsolably for the man they called "The Dear Leader."

Kim's youngest son, Kim Jong-un, is now in charge. Very little is known about him, but the ruling Worker Party has already dubbed him "The Great Successor." The White House says it is closely monitoring the situation in North Korea. We are told that President Obama spoke with his south Korean counterpart, reconfirming the U.S. commitment to stability on the Korean Peninsula and to the freedom and security of America's allies.

Well, world leaders also watching for the first sign of instability in North Korea because it is a nuclear power.

International security analyst Jim Walsh, he joins us from Boston.

So, Jim, first of all, address that, if you will. The death of Kim Jong-il, does that impact U.S. security? Should we be concerned?

JIM WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Suzanne, I think the answer is yes. And it's yes for different reasons.

First of all, the U.S. has 28,000 troops, young men and women, stationed in South Korea who are sort of -- when I was in Seoul last spring, one of the senior officers there told me that their job is to deter North Korea and to restrain South Korea so that there isn't a Korean War 2.0. So we have assets on the ground.

We have a stake in this game in the future of the Korean Peninsula. But also, there's obviously the broader issue of security on the Korean Peninsula, the nuclear weapons that North Korea possesses.

If it were to run into problems or collapse, or there is internal divisions, that would have implications for the region -- refugees, economic problems, and the rest, our relationship with China and our relationship with South Korea and Japan. So a lot is at stake in this relationship.

MALVEAUX: And do we think that these nuclear weapons are safe?

WALSH: Well, it's not like they are the Soviet Union, where they have thousands and thousands of nuclear weapons. And, in fact, we're not really clear about what the stage of development is.

Now, they've tested nuclear devices, but there is still some distance from having tested a device to having a usable weapon, one that you could put on the tip of a missile or drop from a plane. And it's just unclear where they are at.

But the intelligence community in the U.S. has estimated in years gone by that it's somewhere between a six, a dozen devices that North Korea may have. But I don't think North Korea's looking to initiate a war. I think they know that if they used a nuclear weapon, that would end life as they know it. And if they fought a conventional war, they would lose and they would lose badly. South Korea's far more powerful than North Korea.

But the danger here is accidental war, inadvertent war, a war no one intends, but that you get just the same because people make mistakes, and you get a crisis that escalates.

MALVEAUX: Right. And you have the son who has no military experience. Perhaps that could happen under his watch.

But you mentioned before about nuclear weapons, they were tested in 2006, 2009. Today, North Korea fires this short-range missile over the East Sea. Is this something that the South Koreans should be worried about? I know that they've gone on higher alert.

WALSH: Yes. Well, first of all, that test appears to have been scheduled in advance, but I would not be surprised if we see more missile tests that sort of commemorate Kim Jong-il life, to send a message to the North Korean population that we are strong at a time delicate transition, to send a message to South Korea and the U.S., don't mess with us during this period. So I think we may see more of that rather than less.

And, yes, the South Koreans have gone on alert, but again, all parties should be careful here, because while it makes sense from a defensive standpoint for South Korea to go on alert, if you're sitting in Pyongyang, that may look like that's provocative. Right?

One person trying to beef up their defenses and security may look to the other person like you are getting ready to attack. So all the parties need to communicate, speak clearly, and avoid misperception and miscalculation during this delicate period.

MALVEAUX: A very tense time. Thank you very much, Jim.

The world's attention is also on Kim Jong-il's youngest son. That is Kim Jong-un. Now, North Korean's state-run news agency is calling him "The Great Successor."

Details about the Kim family, it's kind of sketchy, but here's what we know about the family tree.

Kim Jong-il had three wives and a mistress. He had two children with his mistress and two with his second wife. That wife, Ko Yong- hui, is Kim Jong-un's mother.

Right now, not much is known about Kim Jong-un, but our Kristie Lu Stout does have some insight.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A little over a year ago, North Koreans got their first glimpse of Kim Jong-un at a rare conference of the country's ruling party. The young man had been catapulted from obscurity only the day before to the rank of four-star general in the Korean People's Army. The appearance cemented rumors circling in and out of the secretive state for over a year that the Kim dynasty would run to a third generation. But unlike his father, Kim Jong-il, or his grandfather, Kim Il-sung, the founder of the country, whose their lives are celebrated in great detail every day in the official media, Kim Jong-un's early life is a blank for most North Koreans. The youngest of three known sons of Kim Jong-il, he was born into a life of privilege and luxury, while his compatriots endured famine and extreme poverty. His mother was a Japanese-born Korean and professional dancer. She studied as a teenager in an international school in Switzerland, and reportedly speaks English and German. Hardly a typical North Korean childhood.

North Korean propaganda mentions none of this, preferring to concentrate on the younger Kim's deeds of the last year, playing up his military connections, modern technological skills, and his tireless support of his father. Kim Jong-il was already a seasoned politician when he took over the family dictatorship in 1994, having served a 20-year apprenticeship at his father's side. But thought to be only 28 years old, and with so little experience, Kim Jong-un will have to rely on some powerful guardians. Chief among them, North Korean's power couple, his uncle, Jang Song Thaek, vice chairman of the National Defense Commission, and his aunt, Kim Kyong-hui, Kim Jong-il's sister and a four-star general.

Does his unconventional upbringing give hope for change, or will his reliance on the vested interest of the old guard mean business as usual on the northern half of the Korean Peninsula? The world will be watching closely.

Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: The House meets today to decide whether or not your taxes are going to go up next year. Lawmakers are going to take up an extension of the payroll tax cut. The Senate passed a temporary two- month extension, but House Speaker John Boehner is calling for negotiations to come up with a one-year deal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), HOUSE SPEAKER: The idea of a tax policy can be done two months at a time is the kind of activity that we see here in Washington that really has put our economy off its tracks. Last week, both chambers worked together to pass a full-year bill to fund our government, and I don't think this issue is any different.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: By the way, it's a big deal for working families, so what do you think? Should the House pass a two-month payroll tax cut extension? That's today's "Talk Back" question. You can post your thoughts on my Facebook page at Facebook.com/SuzanneCNN. We're going to air some of your responses at the end of the hour.

Here's a rundown of some of the stories that we are covering over the next hour.

First, the autopsy report is in on the college drum major who died after an alleged hazing incident. His parents join me to talk about how to stop future tragedies.

Also, a woman's stomach stomped on, a child beaten to death in Egypt's Tahrir Square. I'm going to talk to a journalist Mona Eltahawy about the renewed violence against protesters.

And then, one man who had unusual access to North Korean's Kim Jong-il -- President Jimmy Carter. Hear what he told me about the damage he believes that economic sanctions are causing the people in North Korea.

And a brand-new CNN poll shows who's ahead in the presidential race.

And later, meet a pilot whose mission is to save shelter dogs.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: I want to warn you, you're about to see disturbing issues out of Cairo. For the last four days, protesters have clashed violently with security forces in Tahrir Square.

These images of a woman being dragged, exposed, beaten by Egyptian security forces are fueling even more outrage in Cairo today. The woman's identity has been protected for her safety, but the Egyptian military has weighed in and is defending the use of force. It is another example of the chaos unfolding in Tahrir Square right now.

I want to bring in Egyptian journalist Mona Eltahawy.

And Mona, you are no stranger to this kind of abuse yourself. You experienced this, you say, at the hands of the Egyptian military. Remind our viewers, first of all, what happened to you.

MONA ELTAHAWY, EGYPTIAN JOURNALIST: Well, my left arm and my right hand were broken by Egyptian riot police about three weeks ago in Cairo during a protest. And I was also sexually assaulted by those same riot forces.

And I was detained by the police and then the military for a total of almost 12 hours, two of which I was blindfolded and interrogated. And I hold the Egyptian military, namely the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, responsible for all of that, because they are the ones who are supposed to be running the country. And clearly, as the images you just showed show us, they are doing a terrible job of running Egypt right now.

MALVEAUX: Mona, when you see those images of that woman being dragged away, what do you think her fate is?

ELTAHAWY: Well, first of all, I hope she survived. I hear from various people that she did survive, but I hope that she is able to recover. I hope that she is given the space and the therapy and whatever physical and emotional care that she needs to recover, because I cannot even begin to imagine what she went through. I've been unable to look at a lot of the images that have come out of Cairo over the past two days because they take me back to what I went through. But what this woman went through is incredible on so many levels.

I salute her, first of all, for her courage in being there. But second of all, I think what she does, and especially this picture that we are seeing right now, is that it exposes, once and for all, and kills any denial about the Egyptian regime, whether it was under Mubarak or now under the military, and the use of systematic sexual violence against women in Egypt. It is a shame, it has been denied for too long, and we must expose it at every level. And this is -- unfortunately, her tragic case has allowed us to do that very publicly.

MALVEAUX: Mona, how does this change here? I mean, this started as a revolution. There was a lot of support for the military. Now it seems that the military is turning against the people that they say they were representing here.

How do you manage this situation, where security forces are not giving over their control to this new government?

ELTAHAWY: Right. Well, you know, from the very beginning, Suzanne, many of us were warning about the military. Many people thought the military were the guardians of the revolution because they didn't open fire on people, but from the beginning, the military has been violating people's rights, have been detaining them.

Remember the virginity tests in March? One of the women that is taking the military to court for those so-called virginity tests, which are essentially sexual assaults, she was also detained over the past few days in Cairo.

What we need to do in Cairo is firmly tell the public, the Egyptian public that is not out on the street, that the military is not our friend, specifically the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. They are not our friends, they are not the guardians of the revolution, and we need to move immediately to a civilian leadership in Egypt. Field Marshal Tantawi, who is the leader of Egypt right now, who has essentially replaced Hosni Mubarak, is not a good leader for Egypt. He needs to go.

Washington needs to tell Egypt, because Washington gives the Egyptian military 40 percent of its budget, $1.3 billion a year. Washington needs to make very clear to Egypt that that money it knows is going to violate people like that woman in those pictures, like myself, like so many other Egyptians.

Every government that supports the Egyptian regime must stop, because the money that goes to the Egyptian regime, the Egyptian military, is being used to abuse people. And we need to revert to civilian leadership immediately in Egypt.

MALVEAUX: All right. OK.

Mona Eltahawy.

Thank you very much, Mona. I appreciate your perspective.

Next, I'm going to talk with the parents of the Florida A&M band member who recently died in a suspected hazing incident. We're going to ask them what they want to come out of this tragedy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Trustees at Florida A&M University decided today not to suspend the school's president during a hazing investigation. Well, here's what led up to today's action.

Last week, Florida's governor suggested that university president James Ammons be suspended. But over the weekend, an alumni group warned that could jeopardize the school's accreditation. The board of trustees met today to consider the governor's recommendation.

Of course, this follows the death of the band's drum major Robert D. Champion. I'm going to talk with Champion's parents in just a few minutes.

But first, want to bring in George Howell. He was at the board of trustees meeting today.

George, tell us about this meeting and how they reached their decision.

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Suzanne, that meeting took place over a conference call, so all of the board members called in and no one was physically here for that call. Dr. James Ammons, the university president, also called in, but was not here physically in the room to participate in it.

The board made two things very clear. First of all, that they have no plans to suspend Dr. James Ammons from his post, and that they will not be pressured by outside influences.

Keep in mind that Governor Rick Scott here in Florida has been very vocal in his comments, asking Dr. Ammons to step down or resign as this investigation continues. The board also made it clear that they will meet once a week, at least for the next 60 days, to discuss the facts of this investigation, the murder investigation of Robert Champion.

Now, this conference call lasted for a good 30 minutes. We were able to listen to the full thing, and we also talked to some people who were inside, faculty members who support the president.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLYDE ASHLEY, FLORIDA A&M ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR: The Constitution of Florida is very clear that universities must be allowed to operate independently, and therefore the governor and no one else should interfere. We have an investigation going on. Why there is this jump to get ahead of the investigation, let the investigation get completed, and therefore the appropriate action can be taken at that time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Also want to give you this statement from Governor Rick Scott that came through today. It says that, "We have a process in Florida and that process has been followed. I totally agree with the decision made by Florida A&M University board of directors."

So at this point we are watching as the investigation continues. Also, keep in mind that the head of the alumni association made it very clear that if this board bends in any way to political pressures, this school could lose its accreditation. So, at this point, the decision not to suspend Dr. Ammons -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And George, what about where things stand with the band director and the band itself?

HOWELL: Well, keep in mind, the band director was fired and four students were suspended several weeks back. But the Florida Department of Law Enforcement asked this university to hold on any disciplinary actions, so those decisions have been basically rescinded. The university's band director back on leave with pay. Those students were put back into the band. And all of this just pending as the murder investigation continues -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right, George. Thank you.

Next, I'm going to talk with Robert Champion's parents and ask them what they hope will come out of this tragedy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Beyond the headlines about hazing -- the board of trustees' meetings and the investigation into the death of a young man with a bright future.

Robert D. Champion was just 26 years old when he died last month. On Friday, the medical examiner's office released details on how Champion died, and authorities have ruled his death a homicide.

Joining us right now, his parents, Pam and Robert Champion.

And first, my condolences to the both of you, and just our appreciation for your being here and having the strength to talk about this.

We saw the autopsy report and we read some of the details. And among the details, it says that he suffered multiple blunt trauma blows to his body that resulted in internal bleeding, and that this was an incident of hazing.

When you read this report, what did you think about your son's final hours? ROBERT CHAMPION, ROBERT CHAMPION'S FATHER: The brutality that he had to endure, the pain and the suffering. I couldn't imagine what my son went through. To see the autopsy and the part that -- they hit him all over his body, so it was pretty painful to know that my son had to go through something like that.

MALVEAUX: Do you feel as if you've gotten information, the kind of information you need to understand what happened to your son?

PAM CHAMPION, ROBERT CHAMPION'S MOTHER: No, I don't have all the information, because as everyone knows, there's a lot of stories going around. But what I do know from the autopsy results is the anguish and the pain that my son went through, and the thought that people are OK with that, that's totally not acceptable.

MALVEAUX: Who do you want to address your concerns to? Do you feel as if the university -- has the university reached out to you and explained what's happening in this investigation?

P. CHAMPION: I haven't talk to the university. The university hasn't explained anything about what they're doing.

What I'd like to do is to see what things they're going to put in place to ensure that this does not happen again. It's clearly a cruel and a hateful thing to have anybody to go through. So I would like to see what kind of things they're planning on putting into place. Obviously, what they had in place was not working.

MALVEAUX: Do you feel that the university is doing the right thing, the president is going to be part of the school, that he's not going to step down at this time? You have the band leader who was suspended and now will be back.

R. CHAMPION: Well, I hope that everything will come out. If he needs to being removed from the school to make the school better for the kids, and safer, we need to take whatever action we need to take.

MALVEAUX: There was another student who was seriously injured as the result of an alleged hazing incident, and your son tried to warn her about what was going to take place. I want you to listen to this part of the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He didn't like it. He told me not to let anyone touch me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Were you aware that your son was trying to warn other students that there was -- that this kind of torture was happening?

R. CHAMPION: Well, actually, this is the type of person my son is. He wouldn't haze nobody, and he would tell other people, you don't have to be hazed. You don't have to be hazed to be a part of an organization. And that's the way we raised our son. And for his death to have to be done in hazing is just something hard to take right now.

MALVEAUX: Did he ever express to you any concern or fear about being part of the band, that there was hazing that was going on?

P. CHAMPION: No, not at all. Robert enjoyed being in the band and performing, and not only in the marching band, but the concert band as well. He enjoyed the whole band.

So he never expressed any concern about being in the band. He was always -- when I talked to him, it was always excitement about the performance they just performed, or the performance that they were, or on his way to a game, on his way back from a game.

MALVEAUX: And I understand that you've had a chance to talk to some of his friends since this happened. Is that right?

P. CHAMPION: We have talked to some students, yes.

MALVEAUX: What do they tell you?

P. CHAMPION: Well, like everyone else, it seems to be a cry out for somebody to do something, that something needs to be done to stop it. Of course, everyone tells us how -- the kind of person and the demeanor and the character of my son and how he was, of course. And the things that people have said that Robert had said to them, or advised them, because he was a mentor, it didn't surprise me at all, because that's the way he is.

So, but, yes, we've had students reach out. And the sense is that something needs to be done to stop it.

MALVEAUX: What would you like to see come out of this, if there is anything that can come out of this, so that another parent doesn't go through the loss of their child like you have?

CHAMPION: Well, we need some harder and tougher laws. We need laws that are going to make a person think of the actions that they do and think that this happened to another kid. So we need to put the laws on the book and make sure that they understand the laws and if it happens again they will be faced with a tough penalty that will be put in place.

MALVEAUX: Is there anything that you'd like us to know about your son that we don't?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Any time I'm asked to describe my son, it makes me thinks like he's not even a real person (inaudible) Robert was. He was always very easy going, always a smile on his face and he was very laid back.

He never let anybody -- let anything get to him. He was driven, determined, for whatever he decided he wanted to do. As I stated before, Robert was a mentor and he loved tutoring students and helping them, coming back to the different schools here in Atlanta and working with them, their performances, helping them with their routines.

That was just Robert's way. He taught himself to play the keyboard. He played the drums in church. He was an avid Christian. So Robert was always involved doing things to help others. He would never do anything knowingly to hurt anyone else.

And if he was identified as doing something, Robert would be the first one to step up and apologize. And that's just his demeanor. This whole thing, as my husband indicated, is just unreal.

There should be stiffer penalties, stiffer laws. And the people that are involved should be held accountable for what they've been doing. They know it is wrong. Step up and do what is the right thing. Put education in place.

MALVEAUX: Do you think those students who were allegedly part of the hazing, should they face criminal charges? This is a homicide.

CHAMPION: Yes. Because if you don't use the people who are involved with this type of action for an example, that if you happen to behave and hurt someone, these are the actions that will be done to you. So we need to show an example.

MALVEAUX: All right, well, thank you once again. We really appreciate you taking the time and again my condolences.

CHAMPION: Thank you.

MALVEAUX: It is still not clear what the future has in store for North Korea after the death of its dictator. We're going to take a look at what Kim Jong-Il's death means for his people and for American security.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Right now, we are refocusing on North Korea. It's reclusive dictator has died suddenly of a heart attack leaving a power vacuum. Now stability is a major concern.

Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, she joins us live from Ramstein Airbase in Germany. So Barbara, first of all, we know his son, Kim Jong-Un is going to succeed him. We don't know very much about him. I would imagine that the U.S. military having this be such an unknown is concerned.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, they are indeed, Suzanne. Now we're here in Germany traveling with General Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

We arrived here last night and the news broke overnight. General Dempsey meeting with a small group of traveling press. CNN is the only American network with him and he spoke to us about this very question of the son of Kim Jong-Il.

And will he really succeed and will he be able to take control of the government and the regime of North Korea? I want you to listen to a little bit of what General Dempsey told us earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. MARTIN DEMPSEY, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: It is my expectation as I sit here with you that he will be the successor. We've done a significant amount of work to try to understand him and I would only say at this point that he is young to be placed in this position.

And we'll have to see whether in fact it is him and how he reacts to the burden of governance that he hasn't had -- he hasn't had to deal with before. So, I don't know, Barbara.

I worry about -- look, I worry about transitions every place. I'm worried about a transition in North Korea. I'm worried about a potential transition in Syria. I'm worried about the continuing transitions in Egypt. Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: General Dempsey making very clear he is worried about the transition in North Korea. The U.S. military has seen no evidence just yet of any movement of North Korean troops or North Korean weapons.

But looks at on one indicator of how little the U.S. really knows about what's going on inside North Korea. Later today, these U.S. officials here acknowledge that they believe the North Korean leader died on Saturday, but they only found out about it last night when it appeared on North Korean television -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And Barbara, we know that today North Korea fired a short-range missile over the East Sea and South Koreans now going on a higher state of alert. Does that trouble the U.S. military? Do they believe that this could lead to an escalation here between these two countries?

STARR: Well now, as for those two short-range missile tests, they're saying those were expected. The North Koreans were notified those were likely to take place. They don't believe it is related to any of the current situation.

But the U.S. intelligence community working with the U.S. military is now really 24/7 eyeballs on North Korea, on the peninsula looking for any indication of troop movement, artillery, missile movement, any of these kinds of military indicators that the North Koreans are moving things around and any potential indications of instability -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right, Barbara Starr. Thank you very much, Barbara.

Kim Jong-Il is dead, so what does that mean for the future of North Korea and is it going to change U.S. policy of denying aid to the repressive country?

In the past three years, President Obama has increased sanctions on North Korea calling the rogue nation a security threat to the United States.

But former President Jimmy Carter says those sanctions have only hurt the people of North Korea, not Kim Jong-Il's government. I had a chance to talk to him about it back in May.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIMMY CARTER, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: The United States imposes on them an absence of food aid because they're trying to punish Kim Jong-Il.

MALVEAUX: Those are very serious allegations though, to use that -- to say that the Obama administration is using this as a political tool to not provide food aid.

CARTER: I think that's accurate. We are obviously and publicly officially not providing any food aid to North Korea right now because we disagree with the policies of Kim Jong-Il.

MALVEAUX: But the State Department says --

CARTER: People are suffering.

MALVEAUX: The State Department says you know better because they know that Kim Jong-Il is the one in charge of distributing the food and denying the food.

CARTER: So what? So we just stop giving the people food?

MALVEAUX: Who should be held responsible? Should it be president Obama?

CARTER: I'm not trying to hold anybody responsible. I'm just trying to convince the administration through the state department to make USAID to give food aid to the people starving in North Korea.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: The White House says it is closely monitoring reports out of North Korea right now. So far there has been no discussion of a change to U.S. policy.

Kim Jong-Il will be remembered as repressive, but also eccentric. We wanted to share with you some of the bits of information you might not known about the leader.

Kim Jong-Il, he was obsessed with movies. He is said so to have more than 28,000 in his collection. His favorite films were said to be "Rambo" and "Friday the 13th." He even visited a North Korean movie set.

He was also known as a wine lover. It is rumored that he had more than 10,000 bottles in his wine cellar. The North Korean leader reportedly had a fear of flying so he traveled by a private armoured train.

It's a photo of him aboard his train back in 2002. North Korean state-run media also say that Kim Jong-Il was an avid golfer, that he shot a 38 under par and according to his official biography, he composed six operas and enjoyed putting on elaborate musicals.

The primary is just two weeks away. The race for the Republican nomination just got a whole lot tighter. Wolf Blitzer is going to bring the latest CNN polling out of Iowa.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: We just saw Michele Bachmann. She is on the campaign trail in Iowa and she's just commented on the death of Kim Jong-Il. Let's listen in.

(BEGIN LIVE COVERAGE)

REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: While we have one less dictator in the world who is oppressing his own people, there is no indication that there is hope for freedom on the horizon for the people of North Korea because his successor could quite likely be even worse than Kim Jong-Il.

That's why worse, with us together working with the Chinese, the North Koreans are actively working to help the Iranians to obtain missile technology to deliver a nuclear weapon. This cannot be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: The Republican presidential hopefuls all weighing in on the death of North Korean's leader, Kim Jong Il.

Just released now, poll numbers showing no clear front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination. In fact, we are now learning it is neck and neck between two of the contenders.

I want to bring in our Wolf Blitzer to break down the numbers for us.

Wolf, what have we just learned?

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, what we have learned in our new CNN/ORC poll, Republicans and independents tending to vote Republican nationally.

Nationwide, look at these numbers. We will put them up. Gingrich and Romney tied right now among Republicans, 28 percent each, Ron Paul coming up third place with 14 percent, everybody else in single digits, Bachmann 8 percent, Perry 7 percent, Santorum 4 percent, Huntsman 2 percent.

But it is neck and neck nationally among the Republicans. This is not for Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida. These are national numbers. Again, in the national numbers, we asked the Republicans and independents, leaning Republican, their opinion of the candidates. Who was the most likable, Romney and Gingrich? Romney wins that category over Gingrich, 30 percent to 15 percent.

Who is the most trustworthy? Romney 24 percent, Gingrich 12 percent. But look at this? Who is the strongest leader? Romney 26 percent, Gingrich 42 percent. They think Gingrich would be a stronger leader, but not necessarily the most likable or most trustworthy.

As far as undecideds and people willing to change their mind, how committed are folks right now, Republicans, going forward? Look at these numbers. Only 35 percent, one in three of these Republicans, say they have definitely made up their minds, they would definitely support the candidate. But 56 percent say they're open to changing their minds -- 9 percent are unsure.

So it is still a fluid situation, only 15 days to go before Iowa. So we are seeing some movement. And 15 days, all of these campaigns -- Suzanne, you have covered these political races for a long time, as have I. All of their strategists will tell you 15 days leading to Iowa, that is a lifetime in this contest.

MALVEAUX: A lot of time for people to go back and forth and change their minds. All right, thanks, Wolf.

The House is meeting today to decide whether or not your taxes are going to go up next year. Lawmakers are going to take up the extension of the payroll tax cut. So the Senate passed a temporary two-month extension, but House Speaker John Boehner calling for a one- year deal.

"Talkback": Should the House pass a two-month extension of a payroll tax cut?

Dallas says: "No, they should not pass a two-month extension. Short-term fixes are not the answer, plain and simple. If they approve a two-month fix, we will just prolong the problem even further. Fix the problem."

Kevin says: "When it came to extending the Bush tax cuts for the rich without any way to pay for them, no problem. But when it comes to working people, it is all of a sudden a problem. I hope Americans remember this on Election Day."

Glenn says, "No, they need to do their jobs and pass a year at a time."

You can see all of the responses on my Facebook page, Facebook.com/SuzanneCNN.

The first step toward building your investments digging out of debt, right? Not so easy, especially during these holidays.

Well, in this week's "Smart is the New Rich," Christine Romans explains the best way to keep your spending in check.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The worst present you can give yourself for holidays is more debt. You are listening, Congress? Don't buy that hype that you need to add to last year's debt this year. No sale, no hot holiday toy, no impulse purchases worth it at 20 percent on your credit card.

First, if you can't afford it, put it down.

GAIL CUNNINGHAM, NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR CREDIT COUNSELING: In a perfect world, you would never charge more than you can pay in full when the bill arrived. Worst case scenario, plan to pay it out no longer than three months.

ROMANS: Track your spending. The National Foundation for Credit Counseling surveyed shoppers and found 56 percent had no idea where they spent their money by the end of the month.

CUNNINGHAM: We work very hard for our money and then we spend it very casually. You will never know where the leaks are until you write down every cent you spend for 30 days. Seeing your spending staring back at you in black and white is a real wakeup call.

ROMANS: Prioritize your debt. Credit card debt is particularly unforgiving, even with new protections. Aim to pay it off. The best boost to your credit score is paying off big amounts of debt and then paying on time every time with the card after that.

Did you know a missed credit card payment stays on your credit history for seven years? Finally, making a resolution to get out of debt and stay out of debt in 2012.

RYAN MACK, PRESIDENT, OPTIMUM CAPITAL MANAGEMENT: Go to AnnualCreditReport. com and print out your credit report to see how much debt you owe. Organize your debts in terms of from smallest on the bottom to largest on the top. Start calling your creditors to maximize and reduce the interest rate.

Going into 2012, this is one of best things that we can start to do to organize our own financial futures to get that right peace of mind.

ROMANS: Christine Romans, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: The dangers of Dumpster diving. That's right. A North Carolina man gets a wild ride after ending up in a trash compacter truck.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to speak soon at the State Department. She met earlier with the Japanese foreign minister. And, of course, he's one of North Korea's strongest allies. We are expecting for her to comment on the death of North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Il. As soon as she steps to the podium, we will bring you those remarks live. But, first, what cities have the most generous givers in the country? According to a new study, here are the top five cities where at least 60 percent of people donated to charity this year.

Washington, D.C., comes in fifth place. Greenville, South Carolina, comes in fourth, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in third. Minneapolis in second. And what's the city with the most giving spirit in America? That answer in just a few minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: So, the economy's been hard on everybody this year, but a new study says that Americans were still pretty generous in 2011.

According to a consumer research firm, these cities had the most residents donating to charity. But what city is the most charitable? Did you guess? Salt Lake City -- 68 percent of all households gave to charity there this year. Good for them.

Now to a dog lover with a big heart who's putting his skill as a pilot to good use.

Mike Young, he flies up and down the Northeast coast rescuing shelter dogs. He said he's made more than 20 trips on his own dime. And he says he's going to keep taking to the skies to give dogs affected by the Gulf oil spill one more last.

Photojournalist Burke Buckhorn shows us how.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE YOUNG, VOLUNTEER PILOT: My dog's name was Conan. He was a German shepherd. We paid good money to have the cancer treated. He responded well to the chemo, but his kidneys failed. And that's ultimately why we had to put him to sleep.

Now I'm on Pilots N Paws, which is a Web site that people have dogs that have to be transported. These are rescuers who pull them from high-kill shelters, post on this Web site that they have dogs to move from A to point B.

And pilots like me get e-mail saying another request has been posted. And I scan through them to see if there's any rescue flights that are within my area that I can do.

Hey, Doug. How do you doing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey. How is life treating you this fine day?

YOUNG: We're doing good.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Save some more dogs.

YOUNG: It's OK, Bo. It's OK. They actually look like they know that they're about to be saved. This is different. There's people loving them. There's other dogs around them. And they almost know that they're going to be going to their forever home.

All right, Bo seems to want to be in the back seat. You know what? He just managed to get to the front.

Transporting dogs is one of the most important steps in saving dogs. You have to move them from rural areas typically to more urban areas, where there is a higher probability that they're going to get rescued.

Here you go.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, she's beautiful.

Hi.

YOUNG: What do you guys think of your new addition to your family?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's absolutely beautiful. We love her.

YOUNG: When you look into the new owners' eyes for the first time they're going to get to hold their new dog...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you want to hold it, buddy?

YOUNG: ... and they just hold their dog like they just had it forever and they were waiting forever for this dog, you know that dog's going to have a good life.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, sir. Oh, have a merry Christmas and a happy new year. And thank you. You actually made our Christmas.

YOUNG: So how can I not spend my time and money giving to these dogs, giving the owners of these new dogs the opportunity to have the love that I have for these dogs? And, really, that's what it's all about.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: What a great story.

CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Natalie Allen.

Hey, Natalie.

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Suzanne. Thanks so much. That is a sweet story to end on.