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Holiday Shopping, Round Two; First Family's Hawaiian Holiday; Tube Strike in London Won't Stop Shoppers; How to Reduce Amount of Money You Give IRS; Is 2012 the Year to Buy a House; Polls Show Dead Heat between Gingrich, Romney, Paul in Iowa; 106-Year-Old Stock Broker Talks about Changes; A Look at Sports in 2012

Aired December 26, 2011 - 11:00   ET

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

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: Live from Studio 7 here in Atlanta, I'm Drew Griffin. Let's get you up to speed on what's going on this Monday, December 26th.

Just a week and a day until those Iowa caucuses. The latest poll, a three-way dead heat. These are the three: Ron Paul, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich.

The American Research Group breaks it down like this. Paul is at 21 percent; Romney at 20 percent; and Gingrich at 19 percent. The other candidates, all in single digits.

Dozens of people dead in Nigeria. A string of church bombings there on Christmas Day. Christian houses of worship targeted by Muslim extremists in five cities.

The White House condemning these blasts. Nigeria's president calling for an end to the sectarian violence, vowing to catch those responsible. Churches also bombed in Nigeria during last Christmas season.

More Arab League observers are on their way to Syria. Here's why.

An opposition group says security forces killed more than 20 people in the city of Homs today. The observers planned to go there. The U.N. says more than 5,000 people have died since Syria's crackdown on protests began in March.

A suicide car bomber in Iraq got through six security checkpoints before setting off an explosive device at the Interior Ministry. At least five people killed there, 39 wounded. Now, this happened after Iraq's prime minister was meeting with the senior security officials to talk about how to keep the country safe. A series of explosions killed almost 70 people in Baghdad just last week.

Mexico says it's captured the chief of security for one of the most wanted alleged drug kingpins in the country. The kingpin is known as "El Chapo," "Shorty." His real name is Joaquin Guzman. That guy made the Forbes billionaire's list last year.

Investigators say that Guzman's chief of security was involved in kidnappings, secret burials, and extortion plots. That's who they've captured..

The maker of the baby formula Enfamil says it tested its product and found none of the bacteria that's being blamed for an infant's death in Missouri. Another newborn did get sick but is recovering. Wal- Mart, remember, pulled the cans of Enfamil off its shelves last week, but so far state and federal and now company tests have found no evidence of the bacteria.

And a Christmas gift for basketball fans. The NBA season begins after a month-long lockout. It ended with a virtual 50-50 split between the owners and the players.

Well, Christmas has come and gone, but the shopping has not. And this day after Christmas is becoming as important to retailers as the days before.

Alison Kosik, outside Macy's in Midtown Manhattan.

Alison, as I understand it, some sales experts say this could be the third busiest shopping day of the year. I thought we were done.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Retailers were hoping that that's the case. And you know what? It feels a lot like Christmas still. The music is still going. The Salvation Army bell is still ringing behind me. People are still very festive and walking with lots of bags.

But you know what? For retailers, this winds up being a day where consumers wind up returning half of their Christmas gifts. And would you believe it's not necessarily such a bad thing?

Because the way the National Retail Federation sees it, 10 percent of all the sales from the holiday shopping season, they wind up being returned. But the good thing for retailers is that that means that consumers get back into the stores and are likely to return those items, Drew, but then walk out with more bags again -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: Do you have any idea on how this holiday season went for the retailers? What are they expecting after they add this all up?

KOSIK: Well, you know what's happened? Black Friday was one of those very -- it's been a very good Black Friday for retailers, to say the least.

Consumers came out strong. They spent a lot of money. But the reality is, the momentum of that purchasing power really kind of leveled off as the season went on.

But this week, the week meaning between Christmas and New Year's, it's considered the second season. And you look at last year, last year sales were around $62 billion. This year it's expected to be $72 billion.

So retailers have high hopes. We will certainly tally up the numbers when the week is over and see who is right -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: Alison, certainly a lot of shoppers behind you there in front of Macy's. Thank you so much.

Well, here's your chance to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day. We want to know, do you think that betting on a presidential race should b be legal? Here's the story.

A derivatives exchange is asking permission to offer trading, is what they're calling it, on the 2012 election. That means you could win money based on who wins the election.

The idea is to treat the candidates' campaigns like companies with stock values rising or falling and investors making or losing money. If approved, this would be the first time wagering on elections would be federally regulated.

So what do you think about it? Should it be allowed? Should betting on a presidential race be legal?

You can join the conversation on Facebook. Post comments on Suzanne Malveaux's Web page, Facebook.com/SuzanneCNN. We'll look forward to getting your responses to that.

And here's a rundown of some of the stories we're covering over the next couple of hours.

First, how can you make this year's tax return bigger than last year's? We're going to try to tell you how to do that.

And hackers break into a global intelligence company's Web site, grabbing information from 4,000 credit cards.

And a 106-year-old stock broker has learned from decades on Wall Street. His wisdom to share with you.

And also a look at Christmas in Hawaii with the Obamas.

And later, scuba divers make an amazing discovery off of a beach in Florida.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: President Obama and his family are spending the holidays far away from Washington, enjoying some fun in the sun in Hawaii.

White House Correspondent Brianna Keilar has pulled the tough assignment of traveling with the president. She joins us from Honolulu.

Brianna, what have the Obama's been up to du ring their Hawaiian holiday? Well, the president really just got there a couple of days ago, right?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, he got here a couple days ago, just in time, the day before Christmas Eve. And it's been pretty light business, as you can imagine, Drew.

Coming here on Friday, after signing that payroll tax extension into law, so kind of with a bit of a victory under his belt. And now he's just been up to some of the standard holiday things.

And for President Obama, that meant yesterday, that he and the first lady went to the marine base not far from the home that they're staying at in Kailua. And he got to meet a lot of service members and their families.

And actually, we had -- our travel pool of cameras had quite a lot of access to see what happened. And it was pretty funny, actually.

There was -- there were a couple of really light moments that included babies, which seems to be a pattern with President Obama. And you can see a little 8-month-old baby who actually was talking to President Obama -- or his parents were talking to the president -- and after a couple of minutes, that baby just decided that he was going to go ahead and stick his hand in the president's mouth. So you can imagine that got a lot of applause. A really light moment there on Christmas Day here in Oahu.

GRIFFIN: You know, Brianna, I've got to ask you about these babies, because the president has been in some pretty tough fights back in Washington, D.C., and all of a sudden, the babies seem to be popping up everywhere. He seems to have the baby vote locked up.

KEILAR: The baby vote is locked up. Yes, there have been a couple of funny baby moments.

And of course you know it's an election year. There's a whole lot of kissing babies that has to go on. But I think I would say as well, it seems like there's been a lot of it lately. But actually, we've seen this for some time.

In fact, one of the more funny moments that I recall in recent history was during the congressional picnic this summer. I think it's probably one of the funniest moments I've seen with the president.

He and the first lady were working a rope line. The first lady took a baby because the parents wanted a photo with Mr. and Mrs. Obama, and the baby went crazy, was really upset, had to be handed back to the family. Eventually, because they wanted a photo with the president, took the baby, the baby calmed down, completely simmered down. All was well.

So I think he's maybe a bit of a baby whisperer. I don't know -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: All right. Brianna Keilar, it looks beautiful there even though it's dark, early in the morning on Waikiki Beach. Thanks, Brianna.

(WEATHER REPORT)

GRIFFIN: And here are the stories making news across the country.

Investigators trying to figure out what set off a deadly house fire in Connecticut on Christmas morning. Two adults and three children died there. Two people made it out alive. Then, a big find at the bottom of the ocean. A group of scuba divers spotted this plane off of Florida. It looks like a World War II plane may have been there for decades.

And talk about a happy holiday. Somebody hit it in Maryland, the winning $125 million Powerball lottery. The winner called the store to confirm the ticket, but hasn't come forward yet. Working on a plan, I guess.

Nothing will keep bargain hunters away from after-Christmas sales, not even a transit stop.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Well, today is Boxing Day, a huge day for retail. Such a big shopping day in London, that even a transit strike isn't keeping bargain hunters from stampeding stores.

CNN's Erin McLaughlin is live in London.

And Erin, there has been some trouble there, at least. A fatal stabbing. What can you tell us about that?

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Drew.

Well, it occurred outside of the Foot Locker on Oxford Street. That is one of the major shopping thoroughfares here in London.

We understand that the victim was in his late teens to early 20s. We don't really know the circumstances around this particular stabbing. The police are still investigating the incident.

I was at the scene just a few hours ago, and from what I could tell there was a man being led away in handcuffs. There were other arrests, we understand, from police as well. They cordoned off the area, which is creating quite a bit of congestion on what is an extremely busy street here on Boxing Day -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: I want to ask you about the congestion and getting -- I was surprised to see the shoppers storming the stores in some video that you sent earlier. But there's a transit strike going on. The tube isn't running. I can't imagine London without that easy transport access.

MCLAUGHLIN: Absolutely, Drew. Well, the tube, Londoners rely on the tube. That is the underground subway system. We rely on it to get around. I know that my morning commute was disrupted by the limited service that is being offered today.

Nevertheless, though, it seems that shoppers still made it out to the stores, whether that be by foot or by bus. London is offering around 200 more buses to its service today.

Selfridges this morning, when it opened, as you mentioned, was quite the scene as shoppers stormed through the stores. It's a chance to get some of those luxury discounts. Selfridges sell luxury goods here in London.

We talked to some of those shoppers that were brave enough to take to the stores today. And this is what they had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Actually, we were quite lucky. We came around the side entrance and kind of avoided most of the queuing. So that was quite handy. But I did see quite a bit of a crush going on right at the beginning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Last year we missed out on the sales. So we thought it was worth our while getting up early this morning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Most of them are better than half price.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've been doing it since the '70s. So it's a family tradition, more or less, coming to the Selfridges sale. And especially the handbags. A very good value.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bargain shopping for us in South Africa. Because of the exchange rate, it makes it very affordable for us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We came here to find some piece of (INAUDIBLE) in our country. And the sales are huge.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCLAUGHLIN: For some of those shoppers that may have been deterred by a lack of transportation here in London, tomorrow is yet another bank holiday here. The tubes will be fully operational, so they'll have a chance to get some of those discounts -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: All right, Erin. Thanks a lot for that view over in England today. Thank you so much.

Well, hackers caused chaos for a Texas-based intelligence firm. We're going to tell you how and why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Here's a rundown of some of the stories we're covering.

First, hackers have broken into a global intelligence company's Web site. They accessed thousands of credit cards.

Also, countdown to 2012 and tax time, how to max out your tax breaks and make your return bigger.

And then we're going to have a story about sage advice from this 106- year-old stock broker, what he's learned in all of that time working on Wall Street.

And later, a preview of the Republican field's first true test, the Iowa caucuses a week and a day away.

Then, at 11:45 Eastern, a growing medical emergency is happening in India. Ten thousand doctors are on strike.

First, let's tell you about this hacking story.

Hackers compromising the security of a global intelligence company based in Austin, Texas. They claim to have information from 4,000 credit cards, as well as the company's private client list. This company provides information on global security issues. Most recently, releasing intelligence on Iraq.

John Abell from Wired.com joins me from Westchester, New York.

John, good to have you with us. How serious really is this breach?

JOHN ABELL, NEW YORK BUREAU CHIEF, WIRED.COM: Well, you know, it's one of the many, many, many such breaches which have occurred in the past year or so. Not terribly serious.

They went in, they got some personal details, they got some credit card numbers, and they playfully used them. But this sort of thing happens a lot these days, and it's just another notch in the belt of these pranksters.

GRIFFIN: I happen to know this company a bit, and I get some of their e-mails and alerts. But why would hackers target them specifically?

ABELL: Well, you know, you never quite know what the reason is. Stratfor is in the business of providing geopolitical information the way the State Department does about political climates business, climates at a very granular, real-time basis, both to the general public and in a more broad way, and very specifically in their e-mails that people pay for. So, in a sense, they are in the security business, and so that makes them kind of a ripe target for headline purposes, I guess.

GRIFFIN: Yes. When this first happened we all thought that it was the group "Anonymous" that was doing this. But now it may be another group.

Have you learned anything about that?

ABELL: No. I mean, you know, these groups are very sort of ephemeral and transient. And they call themselves lots of different things, and people gravitate from one group to another.

So the groups don't really matter so much. There's just sort of a hard-core collection of people that find this sort of thing fun and amusing. And whatever they call themselves is almost immaterial.

GRIFFIN: John, we did reach out to the company, Stratfor. I want to read you this statement.

"We've learned that Stratfor's Web site was hacked by an unauthorized party as a result of this incident. The operation for Stratfor's servers and e-mail have been suspended. We have reason to believe that the names of our corporate subscribers have been posted on other Web sites. We're diligently investigating the extent to which subscriber information may have been obtained."

And I believe that's related to some financial questions as well.

But John, what are they trying to -- what are any hackers trying to accomplish when they do something like this?

ABELL: Generally there's two reasons. And depending on the circumstance, one may be weighted greater than the other.

It's usually to embarrass the target, to say, hey, you know, you call yourself safe and secure and you're not. And sometimes it is utterly sort of criminal effect (ph), to steal credit card numbers identifying information so that the global black market I.D. -- to feed that sort of beast. I think in this case it's more of an embarrassment sort of thing.

There's reports that they used some of the credit card numbers to make charitable donations and stuff like that. So basically they want to just embarrass Stratfor and sort of "out" some of their private client lists who may or may not want people to know that they subscribe to the newsletters like (INAUDIBLE) agencies and private companies, Fortune 500 companies, things like that. So it's probably more embarrassment than (INAUDIBLE).

GRIFFIN: All right. Well, let's end the embarrassment then, John. Thanks for joining us. Appreciate you coming in today, on this day after Christmas. Take care.

You're probably not thinking about next year's tax returns just yet, but tax time is just April 15th. A finance expert is going to tell you how you can -- what you can do now actually to save on the tax bill next year.

And we all wish for a happy and healthy new year, but one country already has a big head start. Who was named the number one in a new list of the most prosperous countries in the world?

Here's your choices: Germany, the United States, Norway, or Japan? The answer in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: OK. What is the most prosperous nation in the world? Germany, the U.S., Norway or Japan? The answer is Norway. The Legatum (ph) Institute says Norway has the best of both worlds, wealth and well-being. So where did the United States rank? Not too shabby -- number 10. We'll take it.

It is the day after Christmas and one of the last things on your mind is next year's tax return, but there are things you can do now to reduce the amount of money you give to the IRS.

Joining us with some of the end-of-the year tax tips, Clyde Anderson, finance expert and author of the book "What Had Happened Was."

Thanks for being here. Let's start with income and expenses. It is not too late to do something.

CLYDE ANDERSON, FINANCIAL EXPERT & AUTHOR: No, no.

GRIFFIN: What's the number-one thing you can do?

ANDERSON: It depends on your situation. A lot of people might be receiving bonuses. This is a great time to talk to your employer and see if I can defer that bonus until January. I don't have that income that I have to count until next year. That helps your position from that standpoint. That's one of the things that you can do.

GRIFFIN: One of the other tricks of the trade is to pay your January mortgage now to get some of that interest, right?

ANDERSON: A lot of people say, why pay the January mortgage now? A great way to do it is because you have the interest that you're paying. A lot of people want to write off that interest. Again, it reduces the amount of income you've made for 2011. If your mortgage company allows you, go ahead and pay that mortgage payment in advance, then you don't have that interest. You have the interest you can include now instead of counting it for next year.

GRIFFIN: The one thing that you are mentioning that I didn't really think about, because we have so many entrepreneurs now, so many contract employees and people just doing work on the side, because maybe they're out of work, they're doing contract jobs, don't send out your bills yet.

ANDERSON: Yes. The name of the game right now -- really, again, you've got this income that you've made this year. That's going to be additional income coming in that you have to pay taxes on. If you want to be smart and think ahead, say, wait a minute, let me bill some of these clients for January even though the work was done now in 2011. I'll bill them in January and I'll get that income for next year instead of having it included right now.

GRIFFIN: We always talk about taxes this time of year for April 15th.

ANDERSON: Exactly.

GRIFFIN: Is there anything you can think of that I can do for April 15th, 2013, that I should be thinking about?

(LAUGHTER)

Be a little more long-term strategy.

ANDERSON: Some of these strategies that we're talking about work. If you start to think about it now, plan out next year. One of the things people don't think abut as well is with the IRA. A great thing to do is contribute to an IRA. It's a great tools when looking at retirement because it actually -- the tax is deferred. It's a great way to minimize your taxes or the amount of income you're having. If you're 50 and below, you can do $5,000. If you're 50 and above, you can do $6,000. You can actually have, up into 2012, April 17th, to include that income.

GRIFFIN: Now is a good time to figure out how much did I put in, did I maximize that contribution to make sure I get the best bang for my buck?

ANDERSON: Exactly. These strategies work to start implying or put it into place for now so you're prepared for 2013 and we're not waiting until the last minute.

GRIFFIN: All right, Clyde. Well, we didn't wait until the last minute. It's December 26th. We have a whole week.

ANDERSON: We're ahead of the game.

GRIFFIN: Thanks a lot.

ANDERSON: Thank you.

GRIFFIN: Take care.

It has been a terrible three or four years for the housing market. But some experts say things are settling down. Does that mean 2012 is the year to buy a house?

CNN spoke with "Money Magazine's" Amanda Gengler about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMANDA GENGLER, MONEY MAGAZINE: Hopefully, 2012 will bring good news for the housing market and prices will finally stabilize. Prices dropped another 5 percent or so nationwide in 2011. And economists are forecasting that to reverse course in 2012. They're expecting a 95 percent of the nation's (INAUDIBLE), so pretty much most of the country will actually see a slight uptick in prices.

Now I should emphasize the word "slight" because they're predicting a .25 percent increase for 2012. Basically, consumers will feel that prices are going to stabilize and stop falling.

So if you're gearing up to buy a home, 2012 will be a great year. You have cheap prices, record low mortgage rates. In most places, there's very little competition. You want to focus on smaller homes in areas that are close to restaurants, retail stores, because those McMansions that were coveted during the boom aren't in demand. When it goes time to sell, you will have an easier time to unload a home that's not 3500 square feet, way out in the outskirts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: The race in Iowa is a dead heat just eight days before the caucuses. Ron Paul is still in the hunt. We'll talk about his chances ahead in our "Political Ticker" update.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. RON PAUL, (R), TEXAS & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm delighted to be here and delighted to see such a nice crowd out here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Well, finally, the first votes in the 2012 presidential race are just a week away now. We're talking about the Iowa caucuses.

Paul Steinhauser, live from Des Moines today.

Paul, the latest polls shows a dead heat and Ron Paul at the top.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Ron Paul at the top. You're right. It is a three-way traffic jam, I guess you could say, Drew, right now with eight days to go. A little windy here. I'm not wearing a coat. It is in the 40s right now. There's no snow. Very warm.

I want to show you this though. Look at this. This is the "Des Moines Register." Here's the front page today, "Could Ron Paul win"? That's what a lot of people are asking right now. And I guess it is no surprise. He's got a lot of enthusiastic supporters here. A lot of people willing to come out on a cold night to a caucus to vote for Ron Paul in this caucus, which kicks off the primary caucus calendar. Drew, a lot of people are saying, four years ago, when Ron Paul ran, maybe he was the extreme candidate. Now people are saying that a lot of the Republican Party has come to Ron Paul on some of the issues. It is the buzz of Iowa right now.

GRIFFIN: Let me ask you a question, Paul. If Ron Paul does win Iowa, what does it mean when he heads into New Hampshire where he's, right now, way down in the polls against Mitt Romney? Is there going to be a significant enough bump to get him across that New Hampshire poll?

STEINHAUSER: Listen, four years ago, a guy called Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, he pulled an upset and won in Iowa. Did he win New Hampshire? No. That's the thing about Iowa, it doesn't always pick the eventual nominee. What it does do is weed out the field. We may see some of the candidates a little lower down in single digits, if they don't do so well, that may be the end of their campaigns.

Another thing some people are saying is, if Ron Paul wins the Iowa caucuses, it could diminish the influence of caucuses to in years to come, in future cycles. That's what some people here -- mostly establishment Republicans, are saying -- Drew?

GRIFFIN: I did look at the forecast, Paul. It looks like, eight days away, it won't be bad at all, 39 degrees for a high. Huckabee, you're speaking about Governor Huckabee, he predicted, if the weather is fine, Romney will win.

STEINHAUSER: Yes. Here's why. As we said, Ron Paul supporters are going to come out even if there's a blizzard. They'll get out and go to the caucus sites to be with their candidate. Maybe some of the supporters of the other candidates like Mitt Romney are a little more fair weather. That could help a Mitt Romney. Romney hasn't spent a lot of time here in Iowa campaigning. In the last couple weeks, he's been up with ads. The independent super PAC that's behind him is flooding the air waves with ads, many of them critical of Newt Gingrich who, just two weeks ago, was the frontrunner here, Drew, in Iowa. No longer. As you showed in that poll, it is a three-way battle now -- Drew?

GRIFFIN: Yes. Let me ask you about one more candidate, Rick Santorum, one of the single-digit guys you talked about. Possibly, he could be weeded out after this. He's still plugging away. What's he up to?

STEINHAUSER: He's still plugging away. In fact, today, he's the only candidate on the campaign trail. It's a federal holiday. Everybody is laying low except for Rick Santorum. A couple of hours from now, he'll be pheasant hunting with what his campaign says are some prominent conservatives in Iowa. I've learned from a source with knowledge of the event that one of those people is Congressman Steve King of northwest Iowa. Some people say he's a king maker here. He has not endorsed yet. He says he may not endorse before the caucus. We're going to keep our eyes on that event. We'll see what happens.

GRIFFIN: Paul, appreciate it. Good job there in Iowa. Hunker down for this big event coming up a week from now.

This reminder that tune in a week from tomorrow for the country's first real votes at the candidates' first true test. "America's Choice 2012," live coverage of the Iowa caucuses begins Tuesday night, January 3rd, 7:00 eastern.

He's been following the action on Wall Street for 80 years.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IRVING KAHN, 106-YEAR-OLD STOCK BROKER: I was very lucky being born in 1905. I was just in time for a lot of new technologies, radio, and television.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: We're going to hear from the 106-year-old stock broker about all of those changes that he's seen.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: A doctor strike in India leads to panic and chaos at hospitals. There's about 10,000 doctors on strike. They're fighting for more pay and promotion. Now there's a rush to hire more than 1,000 military doctors, trying to fill the gap.

Sara Sidner is on the phone. She is following this story live.

This strike started six days ago, Sara? Does that mean the state hospitals are closed because there's no doctors working there? SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, but it does mean that there are far fewer doctors available and medical staff available at these hospitals. What has happened in some of the hospitals that we actually saw ourselves -- went into a hospital that was rural, which is very different from the hospital that's here in the capitol, the largest city, Rajastan (ph). We saw in the rural hospital not a single doctor in that hospital. It was completely empty. Even when patients came in, they had to go right back out because there was really no doctor there to give them any medical advice. On the wall, it was written that the doctors were not taking any appointments. They were told by the main nurse that the doctors had actually gone into hiding for fear of being arrested.

Now here at the big hospital, one of the main hospitals in the capitol, what we saw was also a bit disturbing, but also heartening. I say that because 1,000 doctors apparently left this particular hospital. Patients are saying they're fighting over the amount of money that they're being paid and some of the benefits they say they deserve and are not getting. 1,000 doctors left the hospital, left the patients here. The patients say the fight between the doctors and the government is killing their loved ones because there are not enough doctors to care for the patients.

What has happened here that we have witnessed ourselves today is that 300 doctors from a neighboring medical college have decided to come over and work this hospital. They are taking emergency patients only but at least they're treating patients who have life threatening diseases. They say they can't handle much else. They're doing the best they can. We're talking about a hospital that gets more than 400 people per day in the emergency room alone -- Drew?

GRIFFIN: Sara, I have been reading, there have been disputes on whether any of the striking doctors have -- or the lack of doctors have caused deaths. Has that been confirmed by any government agency or group, that the lack of doctors has led to certain number of patients who have died?

SIDNER: That is absolutely being denied by the state health department. They have denied that, so has the health minister himself here in the state. He has denied that, saying that they do not believe that a single death has occurred because of the lack of doctors.

What they will say is there is a gross amount of doctors who are not there. They need more doctors in these hospitals, and they are working hard to try and get doctors to come into the hospitals. They're even making deals with the private hospitals, trying to get the private hospitals to take some of these patients. The government says they will pay government rates to the private hospitals to allow patients to come in.

I do want to make one point. The state hospitals are so important in states around this country because this is where the majority of people who get treatment, because treatment for the most part is free. So the impoverished people of this country often use these state hospitals to get medical care, otherwise, they simply can't afford it -- Drew?

GRIFFIN: Sara Sidner reporting live from (INAUDIBLE).

Sara, thank you very much. Very late at night there. We appreciate that. He's been following the wild swings in the stock market since before the Great Depression. Still at it today.

Poppy Harlow sat down with this guy, talking shop with a 106- year-old stock broker.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC)

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Wall Street 80 years ago. Who was there? Irving Kahn.

(on camera): When were you born?

KAHN: December 19th, 1905.

(MUSIC)

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

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

KAHN: Well, when I got to the street in '29, '9, 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 or 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?

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

HARLOW: You're a value investor?

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

HARLOW: Who is your idol, Irving?

KAHN: Van Graham.

HARLOW: Van Graham, that's Warren Buffet's idol, too.

KAHN: I know a lot of people that 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?

I would say 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 estimate --

(CROSSTALK)

HARLOW: And do you want to?

(LAUGHTER)

HARLOW: You didn't always have Bloomberg terminals. Right?

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

HARLOW: Do you have a cell phone now?

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

(LAUGHTER)

HARLOW: I see.

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

KAHN: He also has to know how to work his -- whatchmacallit -- the berry, you have to know how to work it in order to talk. Too much.

(LAUGHTER)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: You've been sounding off on our "Talk Back" question: Should betting on a presidential race be legal. A derivatives exchange is asking permission to offer trading on the 2012 election. That means you could win or lose money based on who wins the race. If approved, that would be the first time that wagering on elections would be federally regulated.

Here's the responses so far.

Dahlia, "It's bad enough that no one listens to the people. If they want to gamble, let them. Either way, the economy is going to hell."

Albert says, "American politics have become so unpredictable due to the partisanship, brinksmanship and extremism, to open the door and allow betting on political outcomes would only bring more of the same because everybody wants to be a winner and, many times, some will even cheat to win."

From Derek, "Just what we need, another incentive to rig elections."

Lisa says, "No. Money, property and prestige has corrupted our country enough already. Gambling is still destructive."

Thanks to all for writing. You can be part of the conversation. Join in, Facebook.com/suzannecnn. More of your responses in the next hour.

For thousands of Americans, this year's holiday travels are life changing. They are U.S. troops coming home after completing their mission in Iraq.

CNN photojournalists, Mike Green (ph) and Barry Schlegel (ph), captured some of the sights and sounds of their long awaited homecoming.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(APPLAUSE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome home, Air Force.

(CROSSTALK)

GEN. ANTHONY ROCK, 321ST AIR EXPEDITIONARY WING COMMANDER: The families are really the power behind the warrior. So thank you very much, because it is your sacrifice and service that makes this all worth while and makes it all possible.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well thank you for bringing him home safely.

(APPLAUSE)

ROCK: The families need to hear that we appreciate, as senior leaders, their sacrifice and service.

(CROSSTALK)

ROCK: This is the end of 8.5 years of combat and training the Iraqi forces after combat. But it is really the end of 21 years of involvement in Iraq -- Operation Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Northern Watch, Southern Watch, Provide Comfort, Desert FOX, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn. And that's the real message to America is, this is not just the end of 8.5 years. It is 21 years of involvement in that country.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're the last guy. What do you think?

(CHEERING)

UNIDENTIFIED U.S. SOLDIER: I think I'm glad to be back in the good old U.S. of A.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: Good to see them back.

Newt Gingrich says it was his first wife who wanted to end his first marriage, but court documents obtained by CNN tell a different story. We'll have details ahead in the "News Hour" in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: The NBA kicked off its season on Christmas. The Chicago Bulls and the L.A. Lakers went right down to the wire. The Bulls' Derek Rose getting that shot. The time line is down. Kobe Bryant came back with a chance to win but his shot -- right there -- at the buzzer. The bulls 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.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARK MCKAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: To call the 2011 sports year tumultuous is an understatement. And nowhere was that more evident than in college sports. Ohio State football players 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.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jerry Sandusky is charged with molesting eight boys.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Where were the authorities?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is not a case about football. It is not a case about universities. It is case about children who have had their innocence stolen from them.

MCKAY (voice-over): 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 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 Frasier, one of the greatest heavyweight 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 lead Green Bay to a Super Bowl title.

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

A 33-year-old head coach, named Chaka Smart (ph), leading 11th seed Virginia Commonwealth University to the final four, college basketball's grandest stage.

A 21-year-old from northern Ireland, named Rory McElroy (ph), who won the U.S. Open, and made many ask -- Tiger who?

Not to be outdone was Alexie Thompson who, at 16, became the youngest player to ever win an LPGA tournament.

(on camera): And 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 championship? His performance earning him the series MVP.

Those are some of the stories that reminded us why we watch.

Mark McKay, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)