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House to Vote on Payroll Tax Cut; Storm Closes 200 Miles of Texas Interstate; Gingrich Slipping in Latest Poll; Kim Jong-Il Likes in State; NASA: More Planets Out There; Who is North Korea's Next Dictator?; Ex-Army Captain Helps Fellow Vets; AT&T Owes Up to $39 Billion Bid for T-Mobile; Disabled, But Helping Others; Lights Out Twice at Candlestick Park; Remembering the "Dear Leader"
Aired December 20, 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. I thought it was cool when Julio Iglesias kissed my hand. But you know what? Alina just topped that.
(LAUGHTER)
ALINA CHO, CNN ANCHOR, "AMERICAN MORNING": I don't know. It's close, that's pretty good, too.
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR, "AMERICAN MORNING": Pretty good. Both of those.
CHO: That's good.
PHILLIPS: Have a great morning, you guys.
Well, I'll tell you what, right now, millions of Americans are rushing off to work and they want Congress to do its job. As you know, today the House is expected to strike down a Senate bill that extends the payroll tax cut for another two months. House Republicans say that's not long enough and they want the full year guaranteed. But the clock is ticking.
If a deal isn't made by January 1st, well, 160 million American workers will see their paychecks shrink. An average of about $1,000 over the course of a whole year and no politician wants to take the blame for that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JEB HENSARLING (R-TX), CHAIRMAN, HOUSE REPUBLICAN CONFERENCE: Here's where the debate is. The Senate wants to punt the ball. They want to do a 60-day extension. House Republicans, frankly, this is one of the few times we agree with the president. We want to extend it for a full year. That's what the American people ask for, it's what the president agreed for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Kate Bolduan is on Capitol Hill.
So, Kate, the question for most Americans right now is will my paycheck be smaller in two weeks than it is today?
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is a very good question. A couple of points on that. There is still time this tax cut does not lapse, does not expire until the end of the year, but I'll tell you that for the first time there's beginning to be a question if they're going to reach agreement, if they're going to reach agreement in time.
Both sides, Kyra, seem pretty dug in at this point. House Republicans say they are going to go along with a short-term extension. They don't think -- you know, punting it down the road is a good idea. Senate Republicans, Senate majority leader -- Senate Democrats, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has given -- said that he has no intention of starting up talks again over this one-year deal that they have been negotiating until House Republicans sign on and pass the two-month extension that Senate Democrats, along with big support from Senate Republicans passed over the weekend -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. So, I guess bottom line, how serious is this revolt then, Kate?
BOLDUAN: Well, House Republicans, they are coming under fire from their colleagues in the Senate actually, which does not very often happen. One of them, I'll read you a part, a quote from Scott Brown, a Republican from Massachusetts. You know he is in a very tough re-election battle, but this is what he said in the statement.
He says, House Republican -- the House Republicans' plan to scuttle the deal to help middle class families is irresponsible and wrong, he says. He goes on to say that he appreciates the effort to extend the measure for a year, but a two-month extension is a good deal when it means we avoid jeopardizing the livelihoods of millions of American families.
So, you can see, he -- House Republicans are getting pressure from their Senate colleagues, but it doesn't seem like that at the moment is kind of pressure enough for them to bend. House Republicans are standing very firm that there is time. They want to negotiate a one-year deal. A two-month extension, they say, is not good policy, it's not good, and they're not going to go along with it because it's kind of the way that Congress has worked in the past with these short- term fixes.
So what we're going to see today, Kyra, is a bit of a procedural maneuver. House Republicans are not going to directly vote on whether or not -- whether or not, yes or no, to accept the Senate deal. They're actually using a procedural maneuver to vote to reject the Senate deal. This appears to provide a little political cover for House Republicans who don't want to be seen as voting against this payroll tax extension and thus adding fuel to the fire of Democrats who say they are then voting for a tax increase -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: We'll follow it. Kate, thanks so much.
Well, Thursday is officially the first day of winter. Try telling that to folks hunkered down in the nation's midsection. Blizzard warnings are blazing parts of five states now from Colorado to New Mexico to Texas. Wind gusts have been clocked at 50 miles an hour, some areas reporting up to 15 inches of snow. And a remarkable 200-mile stretch of Interstate 40 is now closed from Albuquerque to the Texas state line.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Winter storm is one of the worst ones I've seen in years, you know, basically because of the wind.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They told me to turn back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, let's get the latest on that road closure, shall we? Christie Ileto is a reporter for CNN affiliate KOAT in Albuquerque.
So Christie, the storm is winding down, what about the road conditions? Improving at all?
CHRISTIE ILETO, KOAT REPORTER: Well, yes, the road conditions in the metro area in Albuquerque proper have actually improved. They're pretty drivable but once you get out of the city, you head east, that's where the big mess is. For 14 hours now -- 14 hours is what we're going on. The I-40 eastbound lanes from the heart of the city all the way to the Texas state line are still shut down.
You can see we're here in front of one of the onramps. The gates are still locked. And why? Because the state police, New Mexico DOT say that a lot of the roads east of the city look just like this. They're very slick and slippery. And it's because of these really biting temperatures that has really caused all of this from the snow, the rain that we had yesterday. It's really frozen over. And they say that it's jam-packed. They've got a lot of trucks that are stranded in a town called Moriarty-Clines Corners. It's east of Albuquerque.
That's where the big pileup is and that's why they won't let any drivers, trucks -- just drivers, commuters, get on I-40 eastbound and head east to Texas because it's just clogged up. A lot of people are having to either wait it out until the closures are lifted or they have to find alternate routes, especially for morning commuters. They're going to have to stay off the interstate and use other arteries, street, city roads just to get to their destination this morning.
You know, keep in mind, New Mexico is a state that sees about 300 days of sunlight. Sunny. It's always sunny here and, you know, when you get these types of elements -- snow, rain, very cold temperatures -- it makes it very difficult for drivers to get around and really adapt to these driving conditions.
Reporting live in Albuquerque, Christie Ileto.
PHILLIPS: OK. Christie, thanks so much. So, Rob Marciano, give us a little more throughout -- as we look forward here.
(WEATHER REPORT)
PHILLIPS: OK. Well, it's just two weeks to go until the Iowa caucuses and the Republican race is too close to call.
CNN's latest poll shows that Newt Gingrich's double-digit lead is gone. Mitt Romney pulled into a tie with Gingrich, with Ron Paul in third.
And our political editor Paul Steinhauser has some reasons why Gingrich is slipping.
What do you know, Paul?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well, Kyra, when you break down the numbers in our new national poll, you know, we ask Republicans and independents who leans towards the GOP which candidate is most likable. Take a look at this. And well, you can see why Romney is on the rise and Gingrich is dropping by a 2-1 margin. They say Mitt Romney more likeable than Newt Gingrich.
Also more trustworthy, same thing. Romney, a 2-1 advantage over Gingrich. But look at there at the bottom, 42 percent of Republicans we questioned said Gingrich would be the strongest leader. Only 26 percent said the former Massachusetts governor, Mitt Romney, would be the strongest leader.
You know, our Gloria Borger caught up with Gingrich yesterday on the campaign trail in Iowa and she asked him why his numbers are dropping nationally and, also in Iowa, which of course its caucus is just two weeks away. Take a listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Your numbers have been heading in the wrong direction here in the state of -- can you tell us why?
NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Watch TV here for two days. You had -- you've got all sorts of people and all sorts of these super PACs who have consistently been running negative ads. Well, you get enough negative ads before you start answering them, your numbers go down for a while.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: Well, like I said, Kyra, two weeks until the caucuses, anything could happen. Look at this next poll number from our same -- from our same poll, from the same survey. And look at this. More than half the people we questioned on the Republican side said, you know what, I'm supporting a candidate, but I may not stick with him, 56 percent saying that. And another 9 percent, about 1 in 10, saying they haven't even made up their minds yet. So, they're -- right there at the top, only 35 percent say they definitely going to stick with the candidate they're supporting.
Kyra, this thing is far from over with just two weeks to go.
PHILLIPS: Isn't that the truth? It's just going to get more exciting. Paul, thanks so much.
All right. For all the latest political news, you can also go to our Web site, 24/7, CNNPolitics.com.
All right, let's talk about North Korea and dictator Kim Jong-Il now. This morning his body lies in state. His regime somewhat in limbo. His youngest son who took part in a ceremony beside the glass coffin has been named his successor. And the world is wondering who is really in charge right now.
Anna Coren is in Seoul, South Korea.
Anna, any clues this morning?
ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, I can tell you that not much is known about Kim Jong-Un. He is a young, inexperienced leader. We don't even know his exact age. In his late 20s is what we do expect. But he is being tested. This has been thrust upon him. Of course, Kim Jong-Il had started this succession process some years ago. He suffered that stroke back in 2008 but it wasn't expected that Kim Jong-Un, his youngest son, would have to take the reins so quickly.
So it certainly has caught people off guard. It certainly caught the South Korean government off guard. There was a bit of an inquiry that went under way here in Seoul today. The head of the Intelligence Services Committee grilled the National Intelligence Service. It's the equivalent to the CIA here in South Korea. And wanted to know why South Koreans were left in the dark regarding the death of Kim Jong- Il.
You need to remember, Kyra, that South Korea did not find out that Kim Jong-Il had died until some 50 hours after his heart attack. That was with the rest of the world when that announcement was made on North Korean state TV. So an investigation is under way. The organization has defended itself. It said that North Korea's allies such as China and Russia, they were also in the dark, as to his death.
But they said that there was nothing different to the way that North Korea was behaving, which is why it didn't send off any alarm signals -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. We'll be following this story obviously throughout the morning and afternoon.
Anna, thanks. It's the epicenter of the reform movement in Egypt. A woman beaten, stomped and dragged across a street has triggered a massive march this hour. We're going to take you live to Cairo.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Checking stories "Cross Country" now.
A Louisiana lawmaker wants National Guard troops patrol the streets of New Orleans. He says the bad guys are running the city right now after a toddler was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting.
And police in Florida investigating this massive fire at the marina in Coconut Grove. Four expensive yachts, a total loss.
And San Francisco's Candlestick Park could have used a couple of candles. Two power outages briefly delayed last night's football game between the 49ers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Well, Kepler is one busy satellite. I'll tell you what, this afternoon NASA holds a news conference actually to announce the discovery of an even, well, more new planets are out there.
Rob Marciano has been following it for us. Do tell.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Seems like every week they've got something new coming out.
PHILLIPS: I know. We keep hearing about a new planet here, a new planet there.
MARCIANO: And they're just kind of like teasing us with this.
All right. We told you about the planet that was discovered about two weeks ago this time by Kepler. Here's a look first of all this amazing spacecraft. And, you know, looking at here, it doesn't look like a telescope. Well, it actually really just light or the changes of light being emitted from galaxies far, far away, or at least solar systems far, far away.
Or to recap what we discovered a couple weeks ago, it was announced a couple of weeks ago, that the planet that's very earth- like orbiting 22B. What they call a habitable zone. It's about twice as large as the earth. It's 600 light years away. Basically we're seeing now what was going on, you know, just shortly before Christopher Columbus was born just to give you some perspective on that.
All right, here's the thing with this. Just to wrap it up because the announcement is happening at 1:00 and we do have some information that is, quote-unquote, "embargoed." So, I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.
So, tune in after 1:00 and give you the latest on it. Likely this is more planets that Kepler discovered. The question is, where, around what star, and are these planets that they're going to announce in a habitable zone much like earth. That's the exciting stuff that we hope to come out this afternoon.
PHILLIPS: I was still trying to figure out when Christopher Columbus was born. I was tracing back, how many hundred years?
We'll get back to you on that. Thanks, Rob.
MARCIANO: OK. Yes.
PHILLIPS: Well, AT&T is giving up. The wireless company went head-to-head with the government in its bid to merge with T-Mobile. We're going to go to New York Stock Exchange for all the details.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, North Korea is preparing for the funeral next week of Kim Jong Il. And right now, the North Korean's leader's body is lying in state in Pyongyang. His son and successor, Kim Jong Un viewed his father's body today, along with other party officials and dignitaries.
On the other side, the heavily armed, demilitarized zone, DMZ, the South Korean government expressed its sympathy, asking church groups from lighting trees steel framed Christmas along the DMZ. Communist North Korea considers the structures psychological warfare.
Well, American journalist Laura Ling has witnessed North Korea's harsh communist government. She and another journalist were held by the North Koreans after illegally crossing into the country from China in 2009. Former President Bill Clinton helped get them released and Ling and her sister, Lisa, actually spoke with our Dr. Sanjay Gupta on "A.C. 360."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Laura, I have to ask you, Kim Jong Il's regime, I mean, they put you and your family through hell. I mean, so many of us watched while you were over there and you were in captivity for five months.
What were your thoughts when you heard about his death?
LAURA LING, JOURNALIST FORMERLY HELD IN N. KOREA: It was very surreal. I got chilled immediately. But I also thought about the North Korean people, people who have been suffering under that regime for decades. I also thought about my guards, my interrogator, my interpreter. You know, these are people who are tasked with keeping me prisoner, but at the same time, we did share, develop a relationship and I thought about what the future might hold for them.
GUPTA: And, Lisa, I imagine some of your thoughts, your initial thoughts were the same, but it must have been a very emotional moment for you, as well.
LISA LING, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT, OWN NETWORK: It was. And it was actually quite surprising for both of us because when President Clinton met with Kim Jong Il when he negotiated the release of my sister and her colleague, he actually was very surprised by how coherent the, quote-unquote, "dear leader" was at the time. He brought his position with him and he noticed some paralysis on one side of his body, but he said that his mental faculties were fully intact.
GUPTA: Laura, let me ask you, Kim Jong Il's heir apparent, his son -- I mean, he's young. The country is a relatively young country in terms of demographic. He's been educated outside of North Korea.
I mean, does this make you optimistic at all for the future of this country?
LAURA LING: Well, I think that everyone right now -- all we can do is speculate. But I do think that there could be a window of opportunity, you know. Kim Jong Il, there is 20 years for him to be groom into a leader. Kim Jong Un has had less than two years.
And when you talk about this propaganda machine, Kim Jong Un has existed -- has not existed for very long in that machine. So, it will be interesting to see what happens.
LISA LING: Yes, when we were trying to negotiate Laura and Euna's release, it was interesting, because our sources were actually dealing with two entirely different factions inside North Korea because it seemed that there was this schism between the members of the foreign ministry and the military. So, if that is any indicator, it seems like it's just an extremely unpredictable time in that country right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: And as we mentioned, very little is known about North Korea's heir apparent, or his ability.
Brian Todd has more on what may have been his accidental rise to the top.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kim Jong Il had tried to prepare his son and his country for this day. The elder Kim had elevated profile of his youngest son, Kim Jong Un last year and gave him a rather drastic promotion in the army.
(on camera): He spent no time in the military before his promotion last year?
VICTOR CHA, SENIOR ADVISER, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: As far as we know, he has not spent a day in the Korean People's Army. And yet in September of 2010, he was promoted to the rank of four-star general.
TODD (voice-over): But Victor Cha, who dealt with Kim Jong Il's regime while on President Bush's National Security Council, says what Kim didn't do was prepare everyone for his own sudden death. Now, Cha says, we are left with very little to go on with Kim Jong Un.
(on camera): That's partly because Kim Jung Un is only in his late 20s, but it's also because he's had such a short apprenticeship for this position, compared the 20-something years his father spent preparing for the job.
(voice-over): There are widespread reports that Kim Jong Un went to boarding school in Switzerland and can speak English and German.
He's said to have an affinity for James Bond and Michael Jordan, but that's not going to help him among North Korea's military elite, which may not want to accept orders from someone who is not even 30.
There apparently weren't many options for the dynasty. I asked Cha why Kim Jong Il didn't tap his oldest son, Kim Jong Nam.
CHA: The reports are he came into great disfavor with the leadership because of his lifestyle. He tends to be a bit of a playboy and likes to gamble, keeps a condo in Macau.
TODD: According to analysts quoted on diplomatic cables posted on WikiLeaks, the second oldest son, Kim Jong Chol, was considered too effeminate to be a strong leader. So, it fell to the youngest son.
Analysts say the plan was for the late leader's brother-in-law, Kim Jong Un's uncle, Chang Sung Taek to be a key player behind the scenes while the younger Kim solidifies his leadership. Chang Sung Taek is married to Kim Jong Il's sister, Kim Kyong Hui, who is a general in the army.
But analysts say there are rumblings that she is sick.
(on camera): Are we seeing the beginning of the end of the Kim dynasty?
CHA: I think we are. You know, I think that this regime is really on its last legs. I could not imagine a more difficult scenario to affect a leadership transition than what we are seeing today.
TODD: What really worries Cha right now: the possibility of so- called loose nukes. With so much uncertainty at the top, he says, some rogue elements of the military might take control of the country's fast developing nuclear weapons capability.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well, coming up, the Iraq war is over, but the battles are not. Next, you're going to meet a vet who is doing something pretty unique to help his brothers and sisters in arms. You won't want to miss his story.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Checking top stories now.
Partisan fighting is putting your payroll tax cut in jeopardy with time running out on a deal. House Republicans don't like a Senate-passed two-month extension, and now want a conference committee to work out a year-long pact.
And a winter storm has shut down highways in the West and Midwest. Blizzard conditions still smacking the Southern Plains, as much as two feet of snow fell in northeastern New Mexico.
In the Philippines, the death toll there from a weekend tropical storm nearing 1,000. Flooding has left tens of thousands of people homeless.
Well, with the Iraq war over, thousands of young men and women begin the next phase of their lives. And the new chapter is going to be pretty tough. Rates of suicide and PTSD cases in the military are unprecedented. And veterans are struggling to hold on to their homes and find jobs. Unemployment among vets back from Iraq and Afghanistan is well above the national average.
But some folks have managed to come home and succeed, and they've got their fellow vets' backs.
Toby Watson is one of those guys. He was an Army captain who deployed twice to Iraq, earning two Bronze Stars. Now, he's used the fitness training that he learned in the military to opening a pair of CrossFit gyms in the Atlanta area. And his business has taken off so well he's expanding to Brazil.
But he's never forgotten the sacrifice of his comrades or the bonds forged in war, and he's trying to make a difference in vets' lives. We're going to tell you all about it now.
Toby joins us live in studio.
Good to see you.
TOBY WATSON, IRAQ WAR VETERAN: Thanks for having me.
PHILLIPS: Before we talk about CrossFit which I think is such a fantastic philosophy, was the war worth it to you?
WATSON: As a whole, yes. I lost a lot of friends and we saw a lot of growth there and overall it was a life-changing experience that I wouldn't trade for the world. It's -- I have mixed feelings about it ending and where we left it and how we're leaving it, but as a whole, it was worth it to me.
PHILLIPS: You learned a lot from the Iraqis and they learned a lot from you. That's one thing I remember you telling me.
WATSON: I did. You know, the Iraqis are an interesting group of people. They get a lot of bad press and a lot of -- you know, we treat them as they're different, but, really, they're very patient and it's amazing to see what they go through on a daily basis and how they're patient and supportive of what we're doing and the change that's coming. So, it's a pretty neat experience.
PHILLIPS: Now, let's talk about your comrades. We've all watched this and you know since you've come home -- PTSD, suicides, depression, anxiety, alcoholism -- it's unbelievable what they're going through as they come home. But you had an idea and it was this CrossFit idea and you've actually, not only helped employ vets, but heal them.
Tell us about this philosophy.
WATSON: Well -- so, CrossFit wasn't my idea, but an idea I learned about while in the military. It's a worldwide company that is free on the Internet, crossfit.com but it start would the military.
And it's a great philosophy of how to work out. It changes the way you work out, what you're doing. It's much more functional and using things that are going to, you're going to use in everyday life. And I saw it in a lot in the military in the operators, the Ranger battalion.
And what was really unique about it is t that it brought people together to work out and it made working out fun as opposed to spending hours on a treadmill and doing other things like that. It was -- it's much more community-driven and it makes it much more useful and it helped bring me out of a state of depression.
I got up to 270 pounds after my second deployment.
PHILLIPS: Wow.
WATSON: And I was looking for an answer and CrossFit was that and it gave me a community to relate to and to celebrate with and my successes and my failures. And so, I took that and made my own version with my two gyms here in Atlanta.
PHILLIPS: I guess that's what I should have said. OK, the idea was out there, but you brought it home and you decided to start some gyms and implement this CrossFit idea.
Now, you're hiring vets, you're totally giving back. You've even committed your gyms to fallen soldiers.
Explain to us how you're doing that through the workouts. I was -- you were telling me about the Murph.
WATSON: Right. So, CrossFit is an amazing community and CrossFit H.Q. names a lot of workouts after fallen soldiers -- military folks who died in the line of duty, firefighters, police officers, the whole bat. And these workouts are called hero workouts.
And everyone knows them to be the worst ones because of the sacrifice. They're dedicated to the sacrifice of the soldiers and service members.
And so, like the Murph, it's a terrible workout. But everyone loves it. It's a one-mile run and then you come back in and you do 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats, and then you run another mile.
And the people who are really fit do it with an added weight vest on. So, it's an amazing experience.
PHILLIPS: So, is it an actual name of a fallen soldier?
WATSON: Yes.
PHILLIPS: So, what do we know about Murph? Was he a tough guy? Was he -- did he always work everybody really hard out in country?
WATSON: It was Lieutenant Murphy. I don't know his full story off the top of my head, I apologize for that. But there's a whole story about him and he died in the line of duty with his comrades serving and he was doing CrossFit and so CrossFit named a workout in his honor.
PHILLIPS: So, tell me, what has this done for vets and how do you find these vets that are out of work or struggling, like you were, you know, with weight or with depression? And how do you get them in your gym?
WATSON: Well, we are open to everybody. And, so, I support, I'm involved at Ft. McPherson. They closed down in Fort Gillem and we advertise online, and then we try to get them.
We've hired several military folks and some still work with us and we have lots of police officers and several military folks still working out in our facilities.
I prefer to hire military folks because of the things they have, the things they know. They've already been in systems and they understand functions and they know how to work as part of a team. The great thing about CrossFit and the communities we're creating, all about the community and the team success.
And military folks really understand that, but what's really cool is that we're bringing that to the civilian and you kind of mix it. So, like, if you came to our gym, you could put a face on what's really going on in Iraq and Afghanistan by doing a workout in honor of one of our fallen soldiers. So, it really --
PHILLIPS: Be motivated. Yes.
WATSON: It changes it. You see a different attitude when people come and do one of those hero WODs. It's an amazing experience.
PHILLIPS: I can see why. Crossfit.com, you can learn more about it. What a fabulous thing you're doing, Toby. Thank you so much.
WATSON: Thank you for having me.
PHILLIPS: You bet.
Well, AT&T has given up. The wireless company went head-to-head with the government in its bid to merge with T-Mobile. We're going to go to the New York Stock Exchange for more details right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, it's the end of the line for "Dancing with the Stars" competitor. Chaz Bono and his girlfriend have broken up.
"Showbiz tonight's" Kareen Wynter joins me now with more scoops.
So, we understand the couple has called of the engagement. What's going on?
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: They have. You know, Kyra, this is really sad news for all of Chaz Bono fans. The pair -- they were dating since 2005 and we just saw Bono's proposal on his reality show "Being Chaz".
Now, a spokesperson for Bono, he says the couple, they've decided to split up and, quote, "They leave this relationship with great love and respect and affection towards one another."
We spoke with Chaz, Kyra, a lot this season during "Dancing with the Stars." You see him shaking his stuff there. And he was so fun to watch, and a great competitor.
So, we truly, wish him the best. It's tough breaking up any time, but especially during the holidays.
You can see the couple there during happier times.
PHILLIPS: All right. Well, we understand there's a new list of the 10 worst Christmas movies ever. Here's something a little fun to talk about. I guess all the movies that we shouldn't rent, right?
WYNTER: Isn't this interesting? I am so excited to be dishing on this, especially with you, Kyra. So, get ready for this.
Fandango, they polled fans and they just released a list of films you just don't want to see during the holiday season.
So, in first place, drum roll, or maybe the worst place in this list is "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians." In case you're wondering, it's a film from 1964. It's a science fiction film with a complicated plot, Kyra, involving Martian children and a plot to kidnap Santa Claus. I tried to explain it to you a little bit more, but the story just doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
You know, this is regularly considered to be one of the worst movies of all time. So, probably not a surprise to see it here.
Some of the other films on this list, Christmas movie, "Silent Night, Deadly Night." which, Kyra, I actually saw. Also --
PHILLIPS: What did you think?
WYNTER: I thought it was horrible back then and I'm not surprised it made the list.
But I love horror films, so I kind of just watched the whole thing.
OK. Also, Arnold Schwarzenegger's films about Christmas commercialism, "Jingle All the Way." The Michael Keaton film "Jack Frost."
And Hulk Hogan's "Santa with Muscles" -- what a title. My producer asked me to flex my muscles while saying that. Not going to happen.
There are actually 10 movies, Kyra, but we only have time to run down five this morning. I know you're so disappointed. I don't know why we're happy about this --
PHILLIPS: How about the best holiday movie? Best holiday movie -- "Love Actually," OK? I know you've seen that movie.
WYNTER: I have, I have. It's wonderful. So, maybe we'll do that next time. We'll talk about what you could possibly view this season.
PHILLIPS: There you go -- something to get you in a good mood.
(CROSSTALK)
WYNTER: Yes, but now you know, lots to see. So, cheers to that, Kyra. Cheers to that.
PHILLIPS: There we go. All right, Happy Holidays.
WYNTER: You, too, Kyra. Thanks.
PHILLIPS: All right. Let's check the big boards, shall we real quickly. See how the numbers are doing.
Dow industrials up almost 220 points. That's good news. We're hoping to keep them in positive territory throughout the day.
We'll take a quick break. More from the CNN NEWSROOM straight ahead.
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PHILLIPS: All right. Let's head out to see Felicia Taylor at the New York Stock Exchange.
We want to talk, Felicia, about this deal that would have created the nation's biggest wireless carrier. However, not so fast, right?
FELICIA TAYLOR, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, not so fast.
The government fought really hard against the deal. And so, basically, AT&T just kind of gave up, which was kind of a little bit of a surprise, but then, again, you know, it's going to cost them buku bucks. And I mean buku.
The government claimed that the combination would lead to higher prices, worst service and less competition.
AT&T still maintains that the deal would have been good for customers and here's why. There's a shortage of what they call sort of spectrum. We're using tablets, smartphones and all that sort of, you know, more variety of things and, thus, a lot of wireless spectrum. So, wireless companies are trying to consolidate to get access to more spectrum and be more competitive.
AT&T -- this is the kicker on this one -- AT&T is going to pay a $3 billion, "B" for billion for break-up fee to T-Mobile parent, Deutsche Telekom. And that's why this is such a landmark un-breaking of a union that could have been with Ma Bell.
PHILLIPS: All right. So, how is Wall Street reacting?
TAYLOR: Well, what's interesting about this is that AT&R right now, the stock is up just about a half of 1 percent, which is interesting -- considering how much money they're going to have to spend to break up this deal. Sprint, however, the competition, is up 4 percent. It fought to have the deal blocked.
So, now there's talk that T-Mobile might merge with Sprint instead. T-Mobile doesn't have enough spectrum for a competitive 4G network, so, it may turn to Sprint. So, we'll see what happens. This deal -- deal isn't over yet.
PHILLIPS: All right. Dow Industrials right now up 242 points, that's good news. Felicia thanks.
Well Dodgers manager Don Mattingly may be a little out of his league. He goes drag. Oh, yes, huge hoop skirt, makeup, wig, full Monty. We're going to tell you why he took off his uniform for the spectacle. Sports in ten minutes with Jeff Fischel.
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PHILLIPS: Well, a Brandywine, Maryland High School senior doesn't let epilepsy and other disabilities get him down. Trenton Gilstrap is determined to help others in his community cope with theirs. He and his mother started a nonprofit and that's today's "Giving in Focus" segment.
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TRENTON GILSTRAP, FOUNDER, HIP KIDS: Well, it's not my fault. I was born this way.
TATIA GILSTRAP, TRENTON'S GILSTRAP'S MOTHER: And he was nine, he was diagnosed with epilepsy. When he was 10, he was diagnosed with an intellectual disability known as Asperger's syndrome and he had a connective tissue disorder called Ehlers-Danlos.
TRENTON GILSTRAP: There's very few kids in my school that know my disability because as you may know my disabilities are hidden. Since I'm slightly autistic, I find myself being slightly challenged when I'm having conversations with my peers. They'll just say, oh he's just a normal weird guy. He doesn't have any disabilities. Look at him he's not on a wheelchair or anything.
Seizures are abnormal electrical surges in the brain, my non- profit organization is called HIP Kids. HIP stands for Him Inspiration Project; it gives back to kids in many ways. One of the main ways it does it is a scholarship that me and mom have been funding from our non-profit organization.
We give to people that normally won't get scholarships. Those people that don't have the highest of GPAs and yet they get or go through this with disabilities. I really wanted to go to engineering school and become a biomedical engineer that specializes in prosthetics.
When I got something in the mail from the University of Pittsburgh, I'm like, what could they want? So I opened it up and they're giving me a full tuition scholarship, and that shows me that there are some schools that really value what I do.
TATIA GILSTRAP: The more we found out that he was different, the more he's been able to bridge a gap in so many people's lives, and especially my life.
TRENTON GILSTRAP: It makes me feel like all that work and all that struggling and crying all alone at home finally equal success.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, be sure to watch "CNN'S GIVING IN FOCUS" special at 4:30 Eastern Christmas Day. It will be hosted by our Tom Foreman.
All right let's go ahead and check some other stories making news today.
12:05 Eastern, President Obama and vice President Biden taking part in a ceremony marking the return of the U.S. flag and military colors from Iraq. That's at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
And NASA holds a teleconference at 1:00 Eastern at Washington announcing a new planet discovered by the Kefler Mission.
Also in Washington the National Hanukkah Menorah lighting ceremony will take place at 4:00 Eastern.
And we're following lots of other developments in the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM. Let's go ahead and start first with our Rob Marciano -- Rob. ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey Kyra, watching this blizzard tear apart parts of the Southern High Plains. It's moving towards the Great Lakes in the northeast. Will it spell snow for you? Detailed forecast in the next hour.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Kate Bolduan on Capitol Hill. The House is set to vote to reject the Senate measure extending the payroll tax cuts. So what's next after that and what does that mean for you and for your paycheck? I'll have more at the top of the hour.
ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And I'm Anna Coren in Seoul. We got confirmation from the South Korean government that they knew nothing about the death of the Kim Jong Il until it was officially announced. So we speak to the head of the intelligence services committee who is demanding answers. That's coming up next hour.
PHILLIPS: All right, guys thanks so much.
Also next hour it's been a long and busy year. It seems like we have had breaking news every other day. We're actually going to look back at some of the biggest stories of 2011.
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PHILLIPS: It's a little ironic that it's called Candlestick Park. I mean, I had to go there.
JEFF FISCHEL, ANCHOR, HLN SPORTS: The lights go out, what do you need? Candlesticks might come in handy.
Last night's 49ers-Steelers game twice stopped by power outages. Of course, the gall of it all, the power company said there was just one customer without power. That's a nice way to say it. That one customer was Candlestick Park so two teams, 70,000 fans, millions on TV waited twice.
This is just before the game. A transformer -- look at the left side of your screen -- just explodes, and from there, there it goes and the lights go out. so no lights for 20 minutes. Final they will get the game started, and in the second quarter it happened again.
Thankfully 16 minutes later, the lights were back on to stay. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger really hobbled with an ankle injury, two or three interceptions, was sacked three times, fumbles here. The 9ers rolled over the Steelers. Frank Gore was rushing for a touchdown for the 49ers. San Francisco wins 20-3; a big win for the 49ers on a Monday night.
You just get a bad vibe watching LA rivals, the Clippers and Lakers played last night in the pre-season game. The two teams both wanted Chris Paul. The Clips get him. Look at Blake Griffin. He's excited about having his new teammate. Look at them. They're off the glass. Kobe Bryant did look good, but boy, do the Lakers look old right now. Bryant thought he would get to finish his career with Chris Paul. Here's Paul breaking down the sweet alley hoop to Deandre Jordan. The Clippers win by 19. It's just pre-season but, you know, the Lakers (INAUDIBLE) they didn't get their man.
College hoops last night. Kansas and Davidson, hoops junkies know they love this match-up because it's a great (INAUDIBLE) classic in 2008. There's the Jayhawks. Elijah Johnson to Thomas Robinson. But Davidson had 11 three-pointers. Nick Cochran 21 points in 21 minutes. Tiny Davidson upsets 11th rank Kansas 80-74.
Don Mattingly as certainly updated his look, I'd say. The Yankee legend and Dodger manager is going with a different look. He was Mother Ginger in a performance of the Nutcracker in a performance in his home town of Evanston in Indiana. Mattingly admits he wasn't dancing, just goofing around. The ballet's director though says he wants him back for another role.
If you saw Mattingly, he was kind of swinging his arm around giving signals like he was a manager, basically telling that kid, maybe sacrifice a bunt. There you go, take a big swing. Mattingly said he had a good time.
PHILLIPS: How much do you want to bet, sold out, I bet you, every show?
FISCHEL: Biggest performance of the year.
PHILLIPS: Thanks Jeff.
FISCHEL: Ok.
PHILLIPS: All right. Well, I'll you what; not everyone is mourning the death of North Korea's Kim Jong Il. Who better yet to tell us this story than Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When the "Dear Leader" became the dealer departed, don't expect too much respect.
Contrast that with how the news was delivered by a North Korean anchor, near tears. The same anchor who delivered the news that Kim Jong Il's father 17 died years earlier.
But in the West, Kim was seen as a ruthless cartoon character dictator with an ego as big as his glasses, his many pairs of glasses. Kim was most famously portrayed by the creators of "South Park", feeding U.N. inspector Hans Blitz to his pet fish in Team America.
And singing mournfully as he made plans to destroy the world.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm so lonely, so lonely, so lonely and sadly alone. MOOS: Those who portrayed him as a rapper weren't alone.
A Kim Jong Il impersonator even delivered the weather on "30 Rocks" all the time always a good time.
And while in the West he is mocked, North Korea is being rocked by grief, if you can believe the video. State TV showed North Koreans crying and slapping the ground. A skeptic posted, I've seen better acting from Paris Hilton.
If it was acting, there was plenty of it. Inside homes, in front of murals, before statues. But the tears were more likely to be from laughter in the West over various lists circulating, like the "top 10 strange facts about Kim Jong Il" -- hard to confirm facts. Such as, he once attempted to breed giant rabbits to alleviate famine, and he claimed to have invented the hamburger.
People don't usually speak ill of the dead unless your name is Kim Jong Il.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
