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Shoppers Return to the Stores; Iowa Caucuses Eight Days Away; Churches Bombed in Nigeria; Anonymous Hackers Strike Again; Gunfire and Violence Flare in Syria; Seven Dead in Christmas Day Shooting; Post Office Torched, Shot Up; Winning $125M Powerball Ticket Sold; Boy's Special Wish Comes True; 2011: The Year in Sports

Aired December 26, 2011 - 09:00   ET

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

HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: All right, happy shopping to you, too, Alina and Ali. And good morning, everyone, in the United States. I'm Hala Gorani. I'm in Washington today. Kyra Phillips has the week off as these holidays wind down.

The presidential campaign season is heating up. One week from tomorrow, the Iowa caucuses will mark the first formal votes in the 2012 race. Right now, it's too close to call, statistically speaking. According to a poll from the American Research Group, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, and Newt Gingrich are locked in a three-way statistical tie. You can see it there, 21, 20, 19 percent apiece.

CNN political editor Paul Steinhauser is in Des Moines with more on this three-way battle. And no clear frontrunner at least for Iowa -- Paul.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: No clear frontrunner. And that poll you just showed from ARG, it came out on Friday. It's the most receipt polling we have of people likely to take part in that Iowa GOP caucus on January 30. It also indicates with just a week to go 1-10 still say they haven't made up their minds. And a sizeable amount say, you know what, I'm backing this candidate or that candidate, but I may change my mind.

Three-way traffic jam, I guess you could say, for the top spot. Ron Paul, though, and here is the story, look at this, this is this morning's "Des Moines Register," the main newspaper out here. Could Ron Paul win? That's what a lot of people are talking about. However, we have seen his poll numbers climb over the last month or two here in Iowa. Also nationally.

Remember he made a bid four years ago, and he got about one in 10 Republican voters. This I'm around, it could be a little different for Ron Paul -- Hala.

GORANI: OK. Let's talk about Iowa. It's not a predictor historically of who ends up being the nominee. Why is it important for candidates?

STEINHAUSER: Because it's first. And that is the key. This is the first state to have a contest in the primary and caucus calendar, and you're right, it doesn't always crown the victor, the GOP nominee. But it does weed people out. And some of the candidates who maybe might be in single digits right now in the polling if they do not do well here in Iowa, they may not make it onto New Hampshire and then South Carolina and Florida. So it has a good history of weeding out a lot of candidates -- Hala.

GORANI: All right. Mike Huckabee won the Iowa caucuses last year. Of course we all know he didn't go on to make it as the nomination for the GOP but he has an interesting theory about the weather and who it may favor in Iowa eight days from today. Tell us more about that.

STEINHAUSER: You're right. Huckabee knows a lot about the Iowa caucuses. The former Arkansas governor did pull that upset four years ago here, won the caucuses. But you're right, he did not go on to win the nomination. John McCain did. Another example of how Iowa doesn't always -- doesn't always crown the winner. But take a listen to what he said on the Sunday talk shows.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE HUCKABEE (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If the weather is good, Mitt Romney is in better shape. If the weather is bad, and it's real tough to get out, Ron Paul will win.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEINHAUSER: And here is why, because Ron Paul's supporters here in Iowa, very enthusiastic and energetic. They'll come out on a cold snowy night. Maybe some of the other candidates' backers won't.

Hala, right now, though, the weather very mild and sunny this week in Iowa.

GORANI: OK. Quick last one. Who's campaigning today? There's only one candidate out there campaigning. A little more than a week before these caucuses in Iowa.

STEINHAUSER: Right. Because it is the federal holiday. So only one candidate, that is Rick Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator. He's going to go pheasant hunting later today with what his campaign says are some prominent conservative Iowans -- Hala.

GORANI: Thank you, Paul Steinhauser in Des Moines, Iowa.

And this is a reminder to all of you, tune in a week from tomorrow for the country's first real votes and the candidates' first true test. "America's Choice 2012," live coverage of the Iowa caucuses. That begins Tuesday night, January 3rd, 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

As for the president, President Obama spent a quiet Christmas with family and friends in Hawaii. Earlier in the day, the first family, you see them there, attended church services at a Marine Corps base. The president and first lady greeted hundreds of service members and their families, posed for photos, and signed a few autographs.

All right. To the Middle East now. A suicide car bomber in Iraq got through six security checkpoints before setting off an explosion at the Interior Ministry today. At least five people were killed and 39 wounded.

Major instability once again in Iraq. It happened on the heels of a meeting between Iraq's prime minister and some security officials where security instability topped the agenda ironically. A series of 20 explosions killed close to 70 people in Baghdad last week alone.

Speaking of explosions and violence and bloodshed, the United Nations says that it condemns the Christmas Day bombings that rocked Nigeria. A string of blasts tore through churches in five cities, leaving dozens dead or wounded. There were similar attacks on churches last year's Christmas season in Nigeria.

CNN's Zain Verjee is in London with more.

Any claim of responsibility for these deadly bombings against churches in Nigeria, Zain?

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Yes, Hala, there's a group called the Boca Haram that operates in Nigeria. That kind of loosely translates to western education is sinful. This is a group that's been around for a while. But what's worrying is that their attacks have become a lot more coordinated. They're kind of loosely structured or formed around the Taliban, that kind of a model from Afghanistan.

And what they really want to do is impose some kind of a Sharia law on Nigeria. So what a lot of people have been saying is they've been doing attacks like this. This one the second Christmas in a row, as well as others across the year, smaller attacks, but there have been a lot of conflict with police and security forces. And the perception is they want to kind of ignite sectarian violence between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria -- Hala.

GORANI: Now is this something that is likely to succeed, igniting, the sort of lighting the fire of sectarian and as far as this group, Boca Haram, is concerned, turning it into sort of a wider conflict in Nigeria?

VERJEE: Well, what a lot of people say is that they are in a position to do that, because they have successfully been extremely divisive in some parts of the country like Khana, for example, that has seen a lot of Christian-Muslim violence. But the majority of the country is actually pretty evenly split between Christians and Muslims. And they are also -- they do live in relative peace and stability with one another.

But this is a group that has a greater capacity, that seems to have improved its level of coordination, and the fear is that they could ignite that. But the majority of Nigerians that have been interviewed say that they don't want to have this kind of religious sectarianism going on in Nigeria.

GORANI: All right. Thanks very much. Zain Verjee who's in London. We'll speak to you a little bit later, Zain, for more news.

Now we spoke about the Middle East. We were in Africa with Nigeria. But how about globally? Because on the Internet, everything is worldwide. There's a hacking group known as Anonymous, and it is at it again. It claims it hacked a global intelligence company's Web site and released the names of corporate subscribers, along with information linked to thousands of credit cards.

It is Stratfor.com. Bank of America, Lockheed Martin, and the Defense Department are a few of its clients. This is a think-tank that says it that can provide security analysis.

Barbara Starr joins us from Washington to explain the possible fallout.

First of all, why did Anonymous say that it targeted Stratfor in particular?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, this is a hacking group, Hala, that has -- made these kinds of attacks before, cyber attacks, that has the U.S. military and the U.S. intelligence community so worried.

Usually when Anonymous comes out, the group, and says they have hacked, they get what they want. They get in. They are successful. They released a statement saying in fact that they had gone after this subscriber data information on 4,000 credit cards as well as Stratfor's -- pardon me -- private client list. And then there was a posting on another Web site called antisek, that's a Web-based collaboration with activist groups such as Anonymous.

Right now the U.S. government says they see no impact from this hacking event. It is a private company. But this is the kind of information that they publish, Stratfor publishes, that government clients very much want to see -- government agencies that want to see more about threats and risks around the world. That's what Stratfor does. It's big business. So everybody is just on a little bit of edge wondering what Anonymous has planned next -- Hala.

GORANI: Well, even the vice president -- vice president of intelligence for Stratfor is saying, look, once this group has its sights set on a -- on a Web site, generally speaking, it succeeds. But I imagine there must be worry about other possible hacking operations, because Anonymous itself is saying that it's going to go after other sites as well, Barbara.

STARR: Yes. That's exactly right. Will they go after, you know, other sites? There's this sort of cyber threat out there of more attacks over the coming Christmas and New Year's holiday. Are they going to go after government Web sites? Are they going to go after some of the -- you know, classified information?

The question is, you know, do the government Web sites now have the kind of encryption and protection and firewalls that can really keep these hackers out? It's not always the case. Some of the hackers have been very successful, and some of it is not very high-tech. You just have to look at the Bradley Manning case, where he downloaded a bunch of information. It's a lot of concern right now. The Pentagon will tell you, cyber tech, cyber warfare rapidly moving up the scale of the threats that they worry about -- Hala.

GORANI: Right. Well, for a company that says that it can evaluate risk, for it to be the victim of a hacking group, isn't the best PR for it, but there you have it.

Thanks very much, Barbara Starr. We're going to speak to you a little bit later with more.

Now we're going to take a short break now here on NEWSROOM. A team of outside observers heads to Syria today. Activists say they could find scenes like this.

This is at Homs. There are reports of more bloodshed, more violence, and part of an entire city under siege. We're talking about it in a few minutes.

And we'll show you a post office hit on Christmas Day with fire, graffiti, and bullets. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: An activist in Syria says snipers in some parts of the country are shooting at, quote, "anything and everything," as video shows tanks rolling through the streets of Homs, one of the flashpoint areas in that country in the anti-regime movement.

It's all part of a renewed government crackdown opposition sources say that has reportedly left more than 20 people dead so far today alone.

Well, as is the case with many pieces of video from Syria, this has emerged on YouTube. CNN cannot verify that video. We haven't been allowed into Syria since July. But it hit the Internet hours before a team of outside observers is set to arrive in the country to monitor what's going on.

Blake Hounshell is the managing editor at "Foreign Policy" magazine and he joins us from Washington, D.C.

So, Blake, these Arab League observers, I suppose the question is will the Syrian government allow them to some of these flashpoint areas such as Homs? And if they do, what's the best that anyone can hope for as far as how effective they might be?

BLAKE HOUNSHELL, MANAGING EDITOR, FOREIGN POLICY MAGAZINE: Well, I think the Syrian government is going to watch them very closely, and they'll be doing things like providing security, which is really another way of saying minders.It's a real open question, Hala, whether the Arab League observer mission was designed to succeed and stop the violence or whether it was designed to fail so that the Arab League can say, look, this isn't working, and kick it upstairs to the Security Council and move toward harsher action.

GORANI: I think many people look at what's happening in Syria and say, OK, we know the regime is brutal. We know part of this opposition movement is starting to arm itself. We know it's a desperate situation. We know all of these things. But what can be done?

HOUNSHELL: Well, what activists tell me is that they want some kind of buffer zone in the mountains to the west of the country so that more soldiers can defect and protect the protest movement. What they hope is that if the international community says, look, this is a safe zone, and we will protect you, there will be mass defections and people will move westward into those areas and the regime will collapse.

Now maybe that's more of a hope than a plan. But it's I think the best idea anyone's got going right now.

GORANI: And so, if it's the best idea anyone's got going right now, this buffer zone that would allow for more defections from the military, what scenario in the future? Do you have a civil conflict that just explodes throughout the country?

HOUNSHELL: Well, you know, people like to throw around terms like civil war and full-blown civil war. You know, I don't really like to debate those kind of terms. I think what we'll see is we'll see continued protests all throughout the country creeping closer to the power centers in Damascus and Aleppo.

The economy is getting worse. You know, companies can't pay their employees. It's a question whether the government will be able to pay these Shabiha (ph), which are these kind of sectarian gangs that go around attacking people.

The hope, I think, by activists is that the economic situation will drive more people into the arms of the opposition. But it's not clear which way it will go.

GORANI: And as we see some of these attacks from armed opposition defecting soldiers, et cetera, what we're seeing here, by the way, Blake, are images of the aftermath of a twin suicide bombing in Damascus. And that's very unusual in Syria.

HOUNSHELL: Yes. And there's a lot of suspicion from the opposition camp that this was something staged by the regime itself. They point to the fact that the regime hasn't released the names of all the victims, that they blamed al Qaeda within 10 minutes of the bombing. You know, I think this is certainly something that the regime is capable of, but there's no evidence that it did so itself.

GORANI: All right. And it's going to be -- France asking for these monitors to go into Homs today, not tomorrow. We're seeing Western countries increase pressure with sanctions. We'll see how it plays out.

Always appreciate your analysis, Blake Hounshell of "Foreign Policy" magazine in Washington.

HOUNSHELL: Thank you, Hala.

GORANI: A group of South Korean citizens are now in North Korea. They passed through the demilitarized zone to pay their respects to Kim Jong Il.

The former South Korean first lady is leading that group. There she is. Her husband won a Nobel Prize for trying to bring peace to the two Koreas, the peninsula. The civilian trip did get the go-ahead from Seoul, but there's no official delegation.

Back here in the United States, eight days and counting. With the Iowa caucuses barely a week away, a poll shows no clear winner. What can candidates do to win the states? Our political players weigh in.

Then --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IRVING KAHN, 106-YEAR-OLD STOCKBROKER: Well, when I got to the street in '28-'29, it was much more of a rich man's game. Not that I was rich, but, I mean, it was designed for banks or insurance companies or railroads or public utilities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: And taking stock and talking shop. This stockbroker is still on the job. I'll let you guess how old he is. We'll share his wealth of experience coming up.

Oh, I'm sorry. First, the thought that counts, right, unless it comes with a gift receipt. The National Retail Federation says Americans will set a record this year for the value of gifts they'll return after the holidays.

How much do you think we'll return this year? Twenty-six billion dollars, $36 billion, $46 billion? We'll have the answer for you.

And I think we really are going to a break now, everyone. And I will see you on the other side.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: Well, many of us will return gifts after the holidays. So we asked you, how much do you think Americans will return this year? The answer is C.

It's expected that shoppers will return a record-breaking $46 billion worth of gifts this year. Of course, people aren't just returning things. They are buying things as well. And this is crucial for the American economy. So much of it depends on consumer spending.

Analysts say the Monday after Christmas could be the third biggest shopping day of the year (AUDIO BREAK) in New York City.

And, you know, it was a great sort of post Thanksgiving Day. But then it kind of petered out. So, today is very important, Alison.

ALISON KOSIK, BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It is important. And it was interesting that you noted that those -- the people will be bringing back their purchases today. But one thing to keep in mind is that they are probably going to walk out with other bags. That's what retailers are hoping for. In fact, the National Retail Federation says 70 percent of people who go to return gifts today are actually going to buy something else, and that's what retailers are banking on.

And you said it. That Black Friday, those Black Friday sales, were exceptionally high. And that's also why you are kind of seeing these returns a little higher as well. It's sort of in proportion to the number of sales.

But I have certainly seen more people walk in today empty handed, and walk out with bags, because people that I talked to, some of those shoppers say they are looking for those discounts. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One, you get gift cards and stuff for the holidays. Two, it's always a great discount. So you can combine the two. So why not? And it's more fun shopping for yourself.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, this is our first time here. So, we're hoping it's going to be something quite beneficial to our pockets from South Africa.

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And if we can't get if here, we've got to go downtown and look at the cheaper shops.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: And retailers are definitely offering deep discounts. They're hoping to move this merchandise out, get that spring merchandise in.

And consumers, Hala, they are taking advantage of it. They lined up dark and early this morning. I saw them out here at 6:00 a.m., lining up outside of stores in and around New York City, waiting to get in to catch those bargains -- Hala.

GORANI: All right. All right. Well, that shows dedication.

Guess what the last thing a store needs today is? The last thing, Alison, is a strike in public transportation. So, Alison, we'll -- yes.

KOSIK: I can't even imagine that, especially in this city.

GORANI: Imagine that in the U.S. OK, it's not happening here, everyone. Don't worry. It's happening in the United Kingdom.

Today is the year's biggest retail day, like Black Friday in the U.S. But London shoppers are facing delays because of a 24-hour strike. Union drivers for the railway network are upset over compensation for holiday work so they are not working.

CNN's Zain Verjee joins us from London.

Hi there, Zain. So, OK, how bad is it?

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: It's pretty bad, Hala. Let me tell you. But the shopaholics of this country will not be swayed -- 5.6 million people, Hala, they got into their cars and they drove themselves into town, into their city, just so that they could shop today on Boxing Day.

Just take a look at some of the video. This was 6:00 in the morning on Oxford Street, and at Selfridges.

And I just want to show you in a moment the total stampede that happened as soon as the doors were open. There they go. Crazed shoppers of which I tried to get in there with them, but unfortunately I did have to come to work. It's not to far from the bureau here. But a lot of people, about 2,000 or so, were lined up outside of Selfridges.

And Selfridges actually reported its biggest first ever hour of trade on Monday. And then I was looking at some other numbers. There's a big group that represents a lot of different high street and retail stores, and they reported profits of $23 million in just the first few hours.

So, the strike is a real pain for a lot of people, but the shoppers are still out there and they're going to buy stuff.

Look, Hala, even I managed to slip away. I bought this little cassette case here, which is actually my iPhone cover.

And then, Hala, a got this very exciting new telephone. What do you think?

GORANI: I love it. I think we should anchor the show from now on with that instead of an earpiece.

VERJEE: Yes.

GORANI: Very retro. Where were these people running to? I like when you open the doors and everybody just goes in different directions. You need to map out where you're going, because otherwise you're kind of running around like a headless chicken.

Hello? Can you not hear me?

VERJEE: Hello? Hello? Can you hear me now?

GORANI: I can hear you now. We're good.

VERJEE: What about now?

I think it was the Louis Vuitton section there, but I can't be sure. I'll call if I find out.

GORANI: Thank you, Zain. Zain, we'll talk to you later for more on the holiday madness and other news out of U.K. -- out of the U.K. and Europe.

Now, guess who won't be on the Virginia's primary ballot in March? Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich are both out. What's worse is that Gingrich lives in Virginia, and was considered a front-runner.

So what now? Our political panel is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: Welcome back. You're watching CNN.

Checking top stories now:

At least two people are dead after a suicide car bomber struck a security checkpoint right by Iraq's Interior Ministry compound. Dozens have died in bombings since the last U.S. combat troops left Iraq just over a week ago.

Also, more bodies are washing ashore in the Philippines after a brutal tropical storm. The number of dead now tops 1,200.

Also, the Japanese government wasn't ready for the Fukushima nuclear disaster and neither was the power company. A new interim government report is slamming the response, saying workers weren't properly trained and that the government hesitated too much when it came to people's safety after that disastrous tsunami.

To politics now. And we are just eight days away from the Iowa caucuses, and recent polls show the race is very close for the Republican presidential hopefuls.

Joining us are CNN contributors Will Cain and L.Z. Granderson. Thanks for being with us.

So let's start with the statistical dead heat. And we have Newt Gingrich and others there tied in the new polling.

Let me start with you, L.Z. What do you think about who might win Iowa?

L.Z. GRANDERSON, CNN.COM CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I think that the Republican Party is in a bit of a pickle, if you will, because it seems as if Ron Paul doesn't win in Iowa, he at least will finish in the top three, which presents a candidate that all polls are showing is not someone who is going to be electable in the general election.

And so, you know, the worst-case scenario, I would think at this point, would be for Ron Paul to come out ahead and win this. And then set the tone in Rhode Island to have a totally incredible and I'm sure frustrating conversation for the Republican Party.

GORANI: Let's talk about -- Will Cain, let's talk about a possible Ron Paul win. What impact on the rest of the race?

WILL CAIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I don't think whoever wins Iowa -- Ron Paul or Rick Santorum or Michele Bachmann or whoever -- matters all that much. I think that predicting the results of Iowa is turning out to be a lot like being a weather forecaster. It's, you know, one a day in the midst of many days, and a day that's going to turn out to not be that meaningful.

We always assign Iowa this meaningful position because it's first, and really because it coalesces what we call a bandwagon effect. In a sense, if you win Iowa, you'll do well in New Hampshire and South Carolina and on and on, the voters will coalesce behind you.

But I don't think that's going to happen this year. I think the field will remain fractured for several state primaries on into the spring. I just don't see any coalescing effect at all. I mean, Iowa by itself right now is a total jump ball. I mean, anyone from Newt down to Rick Santorum has a shot at Iowa.

GORANI: OK. So we know it doesn't necessarily predict the winner. Will, I just want to ask you this. Can it predict -- after Iowa, can you expect any of the candidates polling very low right now to drop out, or would it be too soon?

CAIN: You know, people are saying that Rick Perry and Bachmann and Santorum are putting it all in on Iowa and they have to show up and do well in that state. And I think there's something to that. They have to do certainly -- they have to show up. They have to poll somewhere in the mid-teens or so.

But I really don't know that I'm going to see -- we're going to see the people who don't win Iowa, say those people don't win drop out. I just -- Iowa by itself I don't think is an indicator of what's going to happen in other states. I don't think we'll see Iowa force this bandwagon effect. So, I don't know that we'll see anyone drop out.

GORANI: Yes. OK, now we have determined Iowa isn't all that important. Let's talk about Virginia.

(LAUGHTER)

GORANI: I'm glad we spent two minutes on that. Let's talk about Virginia.

So, L.Z., neither Newt Gingrich nor Rick Perry will make the ballot in Virginia. They didn't reach the 10,000 signatures requirement to be on the ballot for the primary for that state. They can't wage a write-in (AUDIO BREAK) prohibits write-ins. So, where does that leave Gingrich?

GRANDERSON: You know, I have to confess when I first heard the story, I had been drinking, you know, out with friends, partying for the holidays the night before. So when I read the story in the morning, I assumed I was still a little fuzzy from my holiday festivities because this just doesn't make any sense to me.

How do you proclaim to be the best person to be the president of the United States when you can't even get your name on the ballot in the state you live in? How people are still looking at Gingrich as a viable candidate in Iowa, when you know the man couldn't even get his name on the ballot in the state he lives in, and he is supposed to handle as something as complex as our economy?

GORANI: Well, how much will it hurt him?

GRANDERSON: You're supposed to handle foreign policy?

GORANI: How much will it hurt him?

GRANDERSON: You know, because he has this ability to, you know, do a Jedi mind trick, if you will, over the people -- I don't think it's going to hurt him the way that it should. I'll put it that way. I think people are still frustrated with Obama. And so they'll put their energy behind anybody they think can beat Obama, even though the candidates continue to show just how flawed they are.

GORANI: Well, Will, what do you think about this Virginia situation for Gingrich?

CAIN: Well, I think it's what happens when your book tour accidentally turns into a presidential campaign. We have seen that happen with Herman Cain as well.

Look, at first you look at this Iowa thing and think, look, five out of seven Republican nominees -- I mean, this Virginia thing, five out of seven nominees aren't getting on the ballot. Something is amiss here. Only Ron Paul and Mitt Romney can get on the ballot.

But that being said, you know, four years ago, people like Fred Thompson got to the ballot in Virginia, and Dennis Kucinich got in on the Democratic side. So the rules are tough, but they are definitely doable.

You know, Gingrich not getting on the ballot, it's going to hurt. It's going to hurt him in prior states like Iowa and New Hampshire. I mean, are you going to vote for a guy who doesn't even make the ballot in later states?

GORANI: All right. Will Cain, L.Z. Granderson, thanks very much. Pleasure talking to you both.

For all the latest political news, go to our Web site, CNNPolitics.com.

Coming up, the weather outside is frightful. We'll tell you where the holiday travelers could get stopped in their tracks. If you're flying today, you'll want to listen in. A look at the delays and there are some airport headaches out there just ahead.

Also coming up, when Irving Kahn talks, people listen. Our Poppy Harlow talk shop with this seasoned stockbroker. He is 106 years old. And guess what? He's still on the job.

His story after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: He's been following the wild swings in the stock market since before the Great Depression, and he is still at it today.

Poppy Harlow sat down to talk shop with the 106-year-old stockbroker.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM (voice-over): Wall Street 80 years ago, know who was there? Irving Kahn.

(on camera): When were you born?

IRVING KAHN, STOCKBROKER: December 19, 1905.

HARLOW (voice-over): He rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on his 100 birthday. That was six years ago.

(on-camera): How has Wall Street changed during your life?

IRVING KAHN: Well, when I got to the street in '28-'29, it was much more a rich man's game. Not that I was rich, but I mean, it was designed for banks, for insurance companies or railroads, public utilities. It's no longer a rich man's business. It's a business for everybody.

HARLOW: Do you still watch the stock market very closely every day?

IRVING KAHN: Well, I have the Bloomberg, which is right here. I don't watch it, because I'm not a trader.

HARLOW: You're a value investor?

IRVING KAHN: Right, and I stick to the 20-odd stocks that I hold.

HARLOW: Who is your idol, Irving?

IRVING KAHN: Ben Graham.

HARLOW: Ben Graham. That's Warren Buffett's idol, too.

IRVING KAHN: I know. A lot of other people. I wish they could do what he did.

TOM KAHN, SON OF IRVING KAHN: He works every day.

HARLOW: What do you think is to thank for your father's longevity?

TOM KAHN: Oh, I would say that the fact that he has an office to go to, and a job, and responsibilities is extremely important.

HARLOW: Do you think that you will live to be as old as your father has so far?

TOM KAHN: Well, let me ask -- am I going to live --

HARLOW: Did you want to?

(LAUGHTER) HARLOW: You didn't always have Bloomberg terminals right?

IRVING KAHN: Oh, no. I was very lucky being born in 1905. I was just in time for a lot of the new technologies -- radio, television.

HARLOW: Do you have a cell phone now?

IRVING KAHN: Yes, I do. I don't use it much, except to -- to remind myself what my number is.

(LAUGHTER)

HARLOW: I see.

(voice-over) But Irv doesn't think technology necessarily makes things easier when he looks at the gadgets his grandson, Andrew, uses.

IRVING KAHN: He also has to know how to work except -- what should they call it, the iBook. You have to interrupt, otherwise I talk too much.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GORANI: Sometimes it is too much, when it comes to technology. And you can do the old-fashioned way, just like Irving Kahn. That was Poppy Harlow reporting in New York.

Early tests on a popular baby formula are back. We'll tell you if some batches of Enfamil were found to have dangerous bacteria.

And the gifts are unwrapped, but surprises still await some holiday travelers trying to return home. We'll look at what parts of the country are facing travel delays. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: A look at news across the country now.

Police in Grapevine, Texas say three men and four women were shot to death on Christmas Day. They may have been opening gifts when they were killed. The apparent murder-suicide happened at an apartment outside of Dallas. Officials believe all the victims were related, seven victims total.

Officials in Nevada suspect arson in the blaze that heavily damaged a post office on Sunday. About 800 people get their mail there. Investigators also found bullet holes and anti-government graffiti on the walls, and federal agents are joining the investigation into this one.

And there is a new multimillionaire in Maryland. Lottery officials say the winning ticket for Saturday's $125 million Powerball Jackpot was sold at Wesley's Restaurant and Lounge.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOHN WESLEY, WESLEY'S RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE: One of my employees talked to him, and he said think he got the ticket here. And they said, asked him the number again. And said I'll be in about two days to see you. I want everything to settle down a little bit.

TERRI WILFONG, CUSTOMER: I hope it's somebody that really needs the money. It's a lot of money. It's going to change their lives, for the better I hope. What a great Christmas present.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: 100 times less money than that would change their life, $125 million.

It's the day after Christmas, and Americans are returning home from their holiday travels. Some will find delays and frustration.

CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano is here with a look at the weather's impact on this travel time. So where are we seeing delays, Rob today?

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: In spots of San Francisco right now and Newark specifically but nothing compared to what we saw last year at this time. Remember the day after Christmas, that monster snowstorm that just crippled much of the northeastern corridor? We're not seeing that today thankfully.

San Francisco as I mentioned, an hour delays right now and Newark seeing 30-minute delays. We had a little bit of light snow across upstate New York and northern New England. Those folks saw a bit of a white Christmas. But again compared to last year, there was a lot of brown and a lot green as far as what you're seeing.

Some light snow flurries across parts of upstate New York right now. And temperatures in D.C. and New York right around 40 degrees or so.

Cool front just coming through. Behind that will be fairly tranquil weather. But we've got a decent storm system that's developing across the Gulf States and it's going to combine with something coming out of Canada. As those two come together, we'll see some interesting weather developing here over the next 36-48 hour.

Right now, just rain across eastern Texas -- much needed rain I might add -- getting into parts of Louisiana and Mississippi. So if you're traveling through those states, mostly rain. But as this thing gets into some colder air over tonight and tomorrow morning, Western PA up through upstate New York and northern New England once again will be the spots; they'll see some snow accumulating potentially on the roadways.

So tonight, again into -- or is it tomorrow and into Wednesday morning is when we're looking for this to be the bulk of the action here.

Temperatures will remain mild. Temperatures in the 40s. And across Chicago, that's unusual. And storm track finally taking shape across the Pacific Northwest. Hala, that's going to be the problem spot not only today but over the next several days after a fairly quiet December and the past few days have ramped up in what is typically a very stormy area this time of year -- Hala.

GORANI: Ok thanks, Rob. We'll see you a bit later.

MARCIANO: It sounds good.

GORANI: It's the time of the year when everybody makes lists of the best and the worst. The NBA lockout has got to make the 2011 sports list. Get your list together. And we'll give you a chance to see if it matches ours.

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GORANI: Well, it was the surprise of a lifetime for a young man with muscular dystrophy. Lane Mullins asked for a Star Wars bunker. And the Make A Wish Foundation made sure he got it.

Oliver Janu was there when Lane saw his wish come true. Here's today's "Giving in Focus".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where we are right now is in Goldvein, Virginia; population, about 200. I think we're going to double that population today.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are making magic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today is all about Lane.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Figure them on.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lane is 11 years old. He has muscular dystrophy. My son made a wish with the Make a Wish Foundation. They approved to build him a Star Wars fort.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The detail is incredible.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And they are making that happen today.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, just flip it. It'll be fine.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We will all scream at the appropriate time, "Move this truck".

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you think Scott?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's pretty cool. I mean, there's a lot of people with Storm Trooper scout armor. But I don't know how many kids that's got an indoor bunker in their backyard. That's pretty cool. And I'm a little jealous.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He has no idea. It's super exciting that so many people came together to do something for someone they don't know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Am I in heaven? Am I dead? Am I dead?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is going to be the only house with a Star Wars bunker.

It's so heart-warming. Everybody is like an angel to us who has done this. And it's just so much goodwill.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: We are following many developments in the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM. Let's check in first with our political editor, Paul Steinhauser.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, Hala, I'm here in Des Moines, Iowa. We are eight days away from the caucuses here and it's anybody's game as to who's going to win. We've got the CNN Express. I'll have details of the latest polls at the top of the hour.

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Mohammed Jamjoom. As international observers begin to arrive in Syria, activists there tell us the government's brutal crackdown continues. I'll have all the details and newest video, amateur video of scenes of today's violence at the top of the hour.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: I'm Barbara Starr in Washington. A cyber attack that has the national security community on edge. I'll have details coming up next.

GORANI: Thank you, everyone.

And you played a major role in documenting the biggest news of 2011; the news that in 2011 made history.

Next hour we will bring you the best of your iReports for 2011.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: Well, here's a quick look at sports for you. If you were too busy wrapping gifts or eating to watch football on Christmas eve, you might have missed this. Check out this touchdown at the two-yard. Jerome Simpson (ph) does a front flip into end zone and has a finish that would make some gymnasts possibly jealous. Cincinnati won the game and might have the highlight of the year.

The NBA kicked of its season on Christmas. Chicago and L.A. went right down to the wire. The Bulls' Derrick Rose hits this, let's see it, high arching shot with time winding down. Kobe Bryant comes back with a chance to win but the shot is blocked at the buzzer. The Bulls get a Christmas win, 88-87.

The NBA lockout was just one of many sports controversies of 2011. CNN's Mark McKay looks back over the year in sports.

MARK MCKAY, CNN SPORTS: To call the season tumultuous is an understatement and nowhere was that more evident than in college sports. Ohio State football sold and traded memorabilia for cash and tattoos, something the head coach tried to cover up.

A booster for the University of Miami said that over the span of eight years he spent millions on Hurricane players, including paying for prostitutes.

But at Penn State the transgressions were far worse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Jerry Sandusky is charged with molesting eight boys.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where were the authorities?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is not a case about football, it's not a case about universities; it's a case about children who have had their innocence stolen from them.

Reporter: A child sex abuse scandal involving former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky resulted in the firing of head coach Joe Paterno and a legacy that was six decades in the making is now in shambles.

Bernie Fine an assistant basketball coach at Syracuse for the past 36 years was fired after allegations emerged that he molested children.

In the NFL and NBA we saw owners and players fighting over billions of dollars while the rest of the country suffered through economic hardship.

And there was tragedy on the racetrack when Indy car driver Dan Wheldon was part of a 15-car crash which cost the 33-year-old husband and father of two, his life.

We also said good-bye to Smoking Joe Frazier, one of the greatest heavy weight champs of all time.

But amidst all the darkness there were stories and athletes to celebrate. Packers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers emerging from the shadow of Brett Favre to a Super Bowl title.

Dirk Nowitzski, a player from Germany, taking the Dallas Mavs to its first NBA title against the team that featured two of the NBA's biggest stars.

A 33-year-old head coach, Shaka Smart, leading 11th-seed Virginia Commonwealth University to the Final Four; college basketball's grandest stage.

A 21-year-old from Northern Ireland named Rory McIlroy, who won the U.S. open and made many ask "Tiger who?"

Not to be outdone was Alexi Thompson who at 16 became the youngest player ever to win an LPGA tournament. (END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKAY: Who could forget the story of David Freese a kid who grew up in St. Louis rooting for the Cardinals and leading them to a world series championship? His performance earning him the series MVP.

Those are some of the stories that reminded us why we watch. Mark McKay, CNN, Atlanta.