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GOP Hopefuls Race Across Iowa; New Year All Over the World; Re- Inventing Success; 2011's Greatest Legal Hits; Lawyers Review Biggest Cases of 2011; Some Hackers Set Up Wi-Fi Services at Airports

Aired December 31, 2011 - 12:00   ET

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

E.D. HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Good. Well, I'll tell you what, I'm going to head out of here and you try taking over.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: OK. That's the easy part.

HILL: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks a lot. Have a great day, and see you again early, bright and early.

All right, let's talk about three days away from now, the first caucus contest taking place in Iowa, of course. Most of the Republican contenders are crisscrossing the state, trying to nail down support.

The latest CNN/Time Magazine/ORC poll shows Mitt Romney as the top choice for those likely to take part in Tuesday's Iowa Republican caucuses. Ron Paul is running second, with Rick Santorum in third, ahead of Newt Gingrich.

So let's take a look at where the candidates are today. Frontrunner Mitt Romney has two stops after arriving from New Hampshire this afternoon. Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann each have two events as well. Rick Santorum, who has just surged in the polls, puts in the drive time with five stops throughout the state of Iowa.

So, one face missing from that map of Iowa, Ron Paul. He says he'll instead ring in the New Year at home, in Texas.

Two fresh faces you will see in Iowa, CNN's political editor Paul Steinhauser, and political director Mark Preston, as they are both out at our forward operating base in Des Moines. And Paul, it's down to the last few hours there. Good to see you with that beautiful backdrop behind you.

So break it down for me, what is the logic behind the two frontrunner strategies, Ron Paul heading back to Texas this weekend; Mitt Romney leading after not spending a whole lot of time in Iowa in the first place.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Good question, and I guess it's a little surprising to some people. And that is the state capital, by the way, behind us. It is a beautiful state capital.

Well, let's start with Romney. You know, Mark, you saw him yesterday. He was right here yesterday, spent about 24 hours in New Hampshire.

Listen, New Hampshire's an important state for him (INAUDIBLE) second, and he's doing quite well there in the polls. But when he left here yesterday, he left the campaign keys to his bus in good hands. Chris Christie, the New Jersey governor, big surrogate for Romney and his wife Ann.

He's coming right back here, so I think the Romney campaign felt, listen, we can escape for about 12 to 24 hours. We've got some top surrogates right here in the state, and you're going to see now Romney straight through when he gets back here this afternoon to Iowa, straight through to caucus day.

As for Ron Paul, yes, he's down and out. For two days, back home in Texas, spending New Year's holiday weekend with his wife.

He was here for three straight days this week. The campaign says he's going to be back on Monday morning with his son, Rand Paul, from Kentucky as well, campaigning Monday and Tuesday.

The thing, Fred, about Rand - Ron Paul's supporters - and Mark, I think you'd agree - they're very energetic. They're very enthusiastic. They will show up on caucus night regardless where Rand Paul - Ron Paul is.

WHITFIELD: Yes. So he's feeling rather confident there and - and pretty assured.

So Mark, you know, Newt Gingrich, let's talk about him, you know, showing a real soft spot yesterday. Are caucus goers indicating whether that in any way kind of influences their upcoming vote?

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: You know, and - and we should put this in perspective, this was Newt Gingrich who was being interviewed on the campaign trail by a Republican pollster and strategist, Frank Luntz and - and Newt Gingrich was asked about his mother and - and some memories about his mother, and he got teary eyed, you know?

And some have speculated, Fred, that, you know, maybe that would hurt him with caucus goers. Maybe that would make them think that he's too soft and too squishy, but it was actually a very touching moment, I think, and - and maybe humanized Newt Gingrich, who at times has been considered very plastic and very concrete. You know, he's the - he's the type of guy that's very hard to get your arms around. I think at that moment yesterday, though, was - was a very touching moment.

It also shows, Fred, that - how exhausted these candidates have been, you know, from campaign event to campaign event. You know, their days start probably at about 6:30 in the morning and they close late at night. So I think that's what we saw yesterday, a confluence of exhaustion, and, quite frankly, some very poignant memories about his mother.

WHITFIELD: All right. You know, meantime, you know, the Iowa caucus is just a few days away. However, one has to wonder, Paul, you know, if the outcome of Iowa, how greatly it might influence the first primary to take place in New Hampshire.

STEINHAUSER: Well, here - here's one way it could influence it. We may not see all the candidates go to New Hampshire. Iowa doesn't always pick the winner, and often it doesn't, of the nomination. But it does kind of narrow the field. We may see one, maybe two candidates possibly drop out after the results Tuesday night, so that's one way to impact it.

But - but there's a very different electorate in New Hampshire. Remember, in New Hampshire, independents play a big role. They get to vote in the primary on either side. It's a very different feel, very different electorate there.

And let's go back to the last two caucus primaries on the Republican side. Four years ago, Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas, governor won here. He did not win in New Hampshire. That was John McCain, who went on to win the nomination.

Let's go back to 2000, George W. Bush, then the Texas governor George W. Bush, won here. John McCain won in New Hampshire, but of course Bush went on to win the nomination and the presidency.

So, different states, no doubt about that, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, so - so Paul, you say maybe one, maybe two contestants drop out after Iowa. So Mark, one has to wonder, you know, what - when you kind of read the tea leaves, whose destiny really does rely on this Iowa caucus. Who might be dropping out, potentially?

PRESTON: Yes, and - and let's just talk about who's most likely to move on. Mitt Romney will move on. Ron Paul will move on. Rick Santorum will very, very likely move on. Newt Gingrich will likely move on.

So then it just leaves us, from (INAUDIBLE) here in Iowa, it just leaves us Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry, and if they perform so poorly on caucus night, if they come in last place or second to last place, you have to wonder will they move on.

Now, there is discussion within both of those campaigns that they would just skip New Hampshire all together anyway. The Iowa caucuses goers tend to be evangelicals, or at least majority of them do, Born Again Christians. That's the same kind of voter that you would see down in South Carolina, not up in New Hampshire.

So what could potentially happen now is that Michele Bachmann or Rick Perry does not get out of the race because the bottom tier is so close together. They're only separated by a few votes, maybe a few hundred votes.

So I think it's very likely we'll see at least one person drop, maybe two. But, then again, this field might stay intact, so to speak, through the New Hampshire primary.

WHITFIELD: All right. Incredible horse race we're watching. Thanks so much, Mark and Paul.

All right, coming up we're talking more politics, of course, and about Iowa. We've got the candidates live at length. Join CNN chief political correspondent Candy Crowley live in Iowa for "The Contenders 2012." That's coming your way 2:00 Eastern time today.

All right, if you live in - in the Midwest or the Northeastern portion of the U.S., expect a pretty chilly start to 2012. Meteorologist Reynolds Wolf here with your New Year forecast.

We know it's chilly in Iowa right now.

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: And it's been a little windy, too.

WOLF: That's very true.

WHITFIELD: So how about the rest of the nation?

WOLF: You know, it's going to be, for the most part, pretty easy in terms of travel and whatnot. I mean, if you're going to Times Square tonight, it's going to be above the freezing point. In fact, let's go and take the forecast.

A full 44 (ph) degrees, expected to be the temperature as the ball drops on Times Square. Skies mostly clear. It should be just fine there.

What we do anticipate in other parts of the country, well, in terms of travel, there will be some delays. Expect delays in San Francisco, San Diego, Denver, Chicago, even in Minneapolis. It looks like more of the trouble in Minneapolis are going to occur later on in the day due to the combination of rain and snow.

As we speak, we actually have some winter storm warnings across parts of the Upper Midwest and into the Eastern Great - or rather Western Great Lakes, mind you. You see them right there. There are the advisories, the winter warnings, six to eight inches of snowfall possible for portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, even the UP of Michigan could be fairly heavy there. Again, most of that activity expected to really build out into the afternoon.

A lot of wind across the Northern Plains, some wind gusts topping 60 miles an hour, some even stronger in the high mountain passes. Plenty of sunshine through Texas, the southeast going to be just picture perfect in Atlanta, with highs going to 63 degrees; 61 in Washington, D.C.; 52 in New York; 46 in Boston; Kansas City with 61; 42 in Denver; and 67 in El Paso.

That's a wrap, you guys. Let's send it back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right, looks like a good way to start the New Year. Thanks so much. Happy New Year, Reynolds.

WOLF: Happy New Year. WHITFIELD: All right.

All right, Lindsay Lohan, Rod Blagojevich, Conrad Murray - familiar names, right? Well, they all have something in common. They made some of the biggest courtroom splashes in 2011.

Our legal guys have selected their top five cases of the year. They're with me in a minute, live.

But first, Josh Levs is here. Happy New Year.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Happy New Year to you.

WHITFIELD: We're talking about 2011 ringing in in a few hours, but wait. It's already 2012, won't you say, in other parts of the world. (INAUDIBLE) 2011 again.

LEVS: Yes. (INAUDIBLE) having flashbacks. It's what we did a year ago, right now.

WHITFIELD: I got to get used to that part, too, you know?

LEVS: No, look, I mean I'm loving these videos that we're getting from around the world, beautiful fireworks celebrations. We have been following them throughout the day. We have the most spectacular ones for you, including an unprecedented fireworks display -

WHITFIELD: Really?

LEVS: -- which is coming up next. Really.

WHITFIELD: I can't wait.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, for you and for us 2012 is less than 12 hours away. But in cities across America, big celebrations are planned, including the famous Waterford crystal ball drop in New York's Times Square.

But, you know what? Well, you know this already. But maybe you don't know this, that 2012 is already here in other parts of the world, and Josh Levs is going to take us on a journey right now.

LEVS: So we (INAUDIBLE) out watching some of the best videos. We've got a tea, following it. We're actually going to start off with a couple live.

WHITFIELD: OK.

LEVS: Going on right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS (voice-over): Let's jump over to Bangkok first. Happening right now. And this is in Bangkok, Thailand. I'll tell you a little bit about what's going on there. Our folks at CNNGo, which is a website that's part of the CNN family, it says fireworks are going off all over the city, including the Central World Annual celebration, which this year is named Smile Up to 2012, which I like (ph).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: Let's jump over to the Vatican now. A live service going on there, even though it's not midnight yet.

OK, we don't have that (ph). But it'll be coming it later.

WHITFIELD: OK.

LEVS: There's a service of thanksgiving. It is there, right there. We've got some pictures right there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEVS (voice-over): There's a service that's going right now in thanksgiving. It's the vespers service. And then later there will be a midnight mass in St. Peters Basilica. Still five more hours. So, a little more in a nutshell.

OK, so let's see. Let's jump over to Hong Kong now. This one is really interesting, over Victoria Harbor.

WHITFIELD (voice-over): I'm sure it was extraordinary.

LEVS: It is beautiful, one of the many pieces of video we're getting in. Hong Kong, this is a golden dragon spiraling up a building, (INAUDIBLE) the Year of the Dragon, (INAUDIBLE) Zodiac.

All right, and I promised you unprecedented, right? Are you ready for this?

WHITFIELD: Yes.

LEVS: Let's go to Sydney.

WHITFIELD: Oh, they're the ones, huh?

LEVS: Sydney, Australia -

MULTIPLE PEOPLE: -- one - Happy New Year!

LEVS: -- always goes all out.

WHITFIELD: Look at - there's a grid there usually going off (ph).

LEVS: I find that crazy. Beautiful.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

LEVS: They go all - listen to this. As we - as we watch this, I we want to tell you all about it. Fifteen months of planning for this. Seven tons of pyrotechnic explosives, including 11,000 aerial shells, 25,000 shooting comets, all being fired from 130 firing points along Sydney Harbor Bridge, seven barges and the rooftops of seven buildings.

And great little feature on what's happening in Sydney, what did happen in Sydney for New Year's this year, they had an all Australian soundtrack for the first time.

WHITFIELD: Really?

LEVS: So I'm assuming that's Olivia Newton John, the Bee Gees -

WHITFIELD: You know, I'm kind of hung up on the whole 15 months of planning. So that means they started planning for 2012 before they even rang in 2011?

LEVS: Yes. Oh, yes. They've already - they already know, probably -

WHITFIELD: They wanted to best whatever they did last year, and they knew it was going to be great.

LEVS: They know what they're going do in 2013. I know, they go all out.

WHITFIELD: That's amazing.

LEVS: Before I have to leave here, let's jump over to Tokyo real quick.

WHITFIELD: Oh, yes.

LEVS: I want you to see what's going on there. We've got this video of Tokyo. Beautiful, and I'm actually seeing this with you for the first time, (INAUDIBLE) celebrations I believe in the downtown area. And there's lots going on throughout Tokyo as well.

WHITFIELD: So, yes.

LEVS: Getting these beautiful videos from all over.

WHITFIELD: It's nice to see. That is getting us all revved up for what will be unfolding at our time midnight.

LEVS: Yes.

WHITFIELD: We've got a little taste of this. So, you know, you can start - start planning those resolutions now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Start making plans on how you're going to spend your 2012.

LEVS: And, you know what? I'll tell you this -

WHITFIELD: Don't wait till midnight.

LEVS: -- some people have these really unique celebrations, things they're doing, and were having conversations about it online right now. My pages, at CNN.com/Josh, and at Facebook and Twitter, JoshLevsCNN. Because, what I find every year, some people have ideas that never occurred to me, and are really nice and beautiful and symbolic, so -

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: Oh, that's nice. And we all need to be inspired.

LEVS: I like that.

WHITFIELD: We like that.

LEVS: It's always newsworthy (ph).

WHITFIELD: All right, Josh, happy New Year.

LEVS: Happy New Year to you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, 2011 has been an especially tough year for America's unemployed in particular, especially those over the age of 50. How two men in their prime defied the odds. Their advice on success, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, GOP candidates are crisscrossing Iowa today, trying to win the hearts of potential voters. Coming up, we're following all the campaign trails and we'll go live to Iowa.

Also, why Iowa anyway? And how did this caucus come to mean so much? I will explain that, straight ahead.

And they were Boomers without jobs, but now they have found a way to reinvent their careers. In this week's "Smart is the New Rich," Christine Romans takes a look at starting over after 50.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RID FRANCISCO, LIZBETH LANE CUISINE: Eating is a very emotional thing.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): And now it's a livelihood for Rid Francisco and Michael Dernoga.

FRANCISCO: Really, really good.

ROMANS: Almost two years ago, the friends and next-door neighbors cooked up Lizbeth Lane Cuisines. It's a line of all-natural, gluten- free simmer cooking sauces.

MICHAEL DERNOGA, LIZBETH LANE CUISINES: These are sauces that we make on a regular basis.

ROMANS: In 2008, Rid's advertising business tanked.

FRANCISCO: When the phone stopped ringing, I knew I had to do something quick.

ROMANS: And when Michael lost his job in health care management, he found inspiration from his 12-year-old daughter.

DERNOGA: Once, she said, "So Dad, what is it you really liked to do?" and out of those conversations was, you know, my love of food.

ROMANS: Neighbors and foodies, together with 60 years of work experience, they named their new company after the street where it all began.

DERNOGA: Being two 50-some-year-old guys, you know, we're not afraid to admit that, you know, we don't know.

FRANCISCO: It was exciting, but it was also a little terrifying because at the age - at the time, I was 58 years old, and to reinvent yourself at that age is a - a pretty drastic thing to do. But I knew that if we stuck with it, it had a possibility of really working.

ROMANS: Rid does the design, ads and labels. Michael handles operations.

DERNOGA: I'm sort of the suit, and Rid is kind of this creative guy.

ROMANS: And it's about profit and principle. They ship their sauce using Handi-Crafters. It's a non-profit organization that gives jobs to people with disabilities and other employment barriers. Rid's stepson, Rob, works there.

FRANCISCO: There are a lot of parents out there that - you know, who have these special needs children who lay awake at night wondering, well, when he gets out of school, what are we going to do with him? And it really - this - this - a place like Handi-Crafters really gives them a wonderful opportunity to have a responsible 9:00 to 5:00 job.

ROMANS: Now, with 50 stores in 16 states, their Boomer reboot is working.

FRANCISCO: If we started this out, you know, right out of college or, you know, in our late 20s, early 30s, it properly would have been much tougher.

DERNOGA: So totally different from just having a 9:00 to 5:00 job. I mean, I've done both and I know where I want to be and I'm where I want to be.

ROMANS: Christine Romans, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, 2011 was dominated by some extraordinary legal cases, and our legal guys kept us on top of them every step of the way and today they are back. But this time bringing us something a little different, breaking down their top five picks for 2011, right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Huge crowds turning out all over Syria again today. And we're getting reports about new violence and clashes between anti-government protesters and riot police. Full details on that coming up.

All right. Every weekend we bring you the top legal cases of the week with our regular legal guys Avery Friedman and Richard Herman. And now they have picked their top five cases of 2011.

Avery Friedman, Civil Rights Attorney in Cleveland. Good to see you. Happy New Year.

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Hi, Fredricka. Same to you.

WHITFIELD: All right. And Richard Herman, Criminal Defense Attorney in Las Vegas, good to see you. Happy New Year.

RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Happy New Year, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, guys. Let's take a look at the list right here, the greatest legal hits of the year in your opinions. We've ranked your favorites. Here they are. Let's count them down.

Avery ranks the case of Dominique Strauss-Kahn and his sex assault charges as number five, which you tied, by the way, with Warren Jeffs and his sex assault charges.

FRIEDMAN: Yes.

WHITFIELD: And Richard chose actress -

FRIEDMAN: They're a tie (ph).

WHITFIELD: Yes. You couldn't decide.

And Richard, you chose actress Lindsay Lohan in and out of court and jail as number five.

So you both agreed, by the way, that on number four that Illinois - former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich for his corruption conviction and sentencing deserved that spot.

And for number three, Penn State's Jerry Sandusky, and American student in Italy Amanda Knox also at number three.

OK. So, Avery, you first, why didn't you put Sandusky on your list?

FRIEDMAN: Well, you know what, if - if cases were based on allegations, then Casey Anthony would have been convicted.

I think the Jerry Sandusky case is an important case and it's opening up a lot of observation and concern about what goes on in campuses and college campuses and high school. But the bottom line is at this point we have some very outrageous allegations.

Let's see what happens in 2012. May make the top ten of 2012. Right now, it's absolutely too early to put on the list.

WHITFIELD: Yes. But Amanda Knox instead?

FRIEDMAN: Oh, yes.

WHITFIELD: What stood out for you on that?

FRIEDMAN: No question - well, Amanda Knox I think is very, very important. We read 143-page what's called a motivation by the Appeals judge and demonstrated unlike the American courts how perverted some judicial systems are in terms of safeguards. Safeguards meaning the right to cross-examination, the right against self-incrimination.

The good news is that the Italian Appeals Court looked at the mistakes made by the trial court, no motive, no weapon, even criticizing Amanda Knox about her underwear. And the bottom line is she was freed but it demonstrated the difference between the two judicial systems.

WHITFIELD: OK. Let's look at that list one more time. And while we do, Richard, you know, you had very strong opinions on Lindsay Lohan in and out of court, but she did not, amazingly, you know, make your list.

HERMAN: Well, you know, she's on number five, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Wait a minute. I am seeing that. There she is. She's at the top. Number five.

HERMAN: Yes. I mean, I had - it was very tough between Warren Jeffs and her. But, you know, we were just glued every time it seemed you turned on the TV, there she was. There she was again in court violating probation, violating probation.

And these judges, you know, these candy judges in California just couldn't do anything about it except wave their finger at her. But, you know, Fred, anywhere else in the United States, you violate probation that many times, you're going to prison.

She's not treated like everyone else. You want to talk about celebrity justice. But the best of all was when she was in court that day with her nail polish with the "F.U." on her nail polish as she put it up to her face there so the cameras zeroed in on it and everybody could see that. I mean, she's completely out of control.

I don't care what the current probation reports show. This woman has been a train wreck. She was gifted. She had the world handed to her on a silver platter and she's blowing it big time.

I don't know. It seems that, you know, between the drinking and the drugs that she has some major issues that if they don't get a hold of her right now she's going to be the big story in 2012 and it's not going to be a pretty one. So for her sake, I hope her family and her friends can get together and try to, you know, help her get her life back on track. You know, I hope that's what happens in 2012.

But, you know, Warren Jeffs was a very significant case. Avery put it on his list. Very, very powerful.

WHITFIELD: Yes. You had it tied, Avery, along with Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Why is it you could not decide?

FRIEDMAN: Right. There was no quantitative basis for a tie. I just couldn't figure it out. And I think - I think that's right. I mean, the fact is just like Dominique Strauss-Kahn, this is like some old guy taking advantage of young women.

The good news in the Warren Jeffs case is that they got him out of Utah. They finally got him to Texas. They tried this guy. And it was maybe the most bizarre trial of the year because what he did was he stood during closing arguments, said nothing and tried to stare down the jury.

And the good news, the jury came back two felony counts. We put this man away for life. And let's see if we can establish the lives of both these young women and the young men who were affected so that they can start a new day and live the life the way they should live.

WHITFIELD: OK. So that's just the taste of the top three, except in Avery, your case is like three and a half - kind of four really.

FRIEDMAN: Yes. Right, sort of.

WHITFIELD: OK. But we've got more. We're going to reveal the rest of you all the list of the most fascinating or at least top picks of the legal stories in your view of the year 2011 coming up in just a few minutes.

And then just three days away until voters in Iowa tell us what they think of the 2012 Republican candidates, coming up, how Iowa became the center of the political universe, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Headlines from around the world this hour.

Across Syria, another day of large scale public protest, people angry at the government for cracking down on pro-reform demonstrations. An activist network based in Syria said at least nine protesters died today killed in clashes with security forces. Two opposition groups there signed a deal a few hours ago making a transition plan in case the president there steps down.

And you can call him Supreme Commander now. A report in North Korea's state-run media today says that title has now been bestowed on Kim Jong-un. He is the 20 something son of the late North Korean ruler Kim Jong-il. The title supreme commander makes him the head of the armed forces. North Korean officials announced yesterday there will be no policy changes despite the new leadership.

And the New Year arrived in Sydney, Australia. Take a look at the countdown there. A bang and spectacular display, wow, of fireworks. The city welcomed 2012 with a massive show over the famous Harbor bridge and opera house. It wasn't first in line to kick off the New Year, however. That honor goes to the residents of Samoa and the Christmas Islands.

Let's talk again about the Iowa caucuses, just three days away now. And the GOP candidates heating up the campaign trail. But it may be the weather that plays the biggest role in picking a winner. Former governor Mike Huckabee won in 2008 and gave his picks this year based on the weather.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE HUCKABEE, (R) FORMER ARKANSAS GOVERNOR: 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)

WHITFIELD: Who knows better than you? How bad --

WOLF: I think Mike Huckabee.

WHITFIELD: No one. No one. How bad will it be, or how good?

(WEATHER BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Just three more days until the voters in Iowa Christen that 2012 presidential race. The most recent poll from NBC shows Mitt Romney leading the pack. A CNN-TIME-ORC poll from Wednesday looks a lot like this. You don't even see Jon Huntsman's name there. This week he said Iowans pick corn not presidents, but history tells a very different story. Here is CNN's Mary Snow.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Republican presidential hopefuls make the final sprint in Iowa. As they crisscross the state, campaigns and supporters flood the airwaves with ads, $8 million worth and counting just this month. So how much can a win in Iowa matter? That depends.

BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This was the place where America remembered what it means to hope.

SNOW: For Barack Obama, a victory in Iowa proved to be a game changer. On the Republican side, a different story.

HUCKABEE: Tonight I love Iowa whole lot.

SNOW: Mike Huckabee's upset victory with help of Iowa evangelicals failed to maintain momentum outside the state. John McCain was the eventual nominee.

(on camera) When you look at who won in Iowa compared to parties of the nominee, a win in 2008 was not only crucial for Barack Obama but in 2004 for John Kerry and particularly in 1976 for Jimmy Carter. On the Republican side in recent years, Iowa victors George W. Bush in 2000 and bob dole in 1996 went on to win their party's nomination but their wins in Iowa were not as crucial to their campaigns. (voice-over) Started in 1972, the caucuses are more about winnowing down the field of candidates. Winners gain no delegates, and some political watchers say the Iowa contest has become more about the media attention.

DENNIS GOLDFORD, DRAKE UNIVERSITY: It's essentially in and of itself a meaningless event, but it has tremendous political impact, because if a candidate does worse than expected, support and especially funding tends to dry up. And if a candidate does better than expected, that support tends to expand, and in particular funding, campaign contributions tend to increase.

SNOW: Last presidential election about 118,000 Republicans took part in the caucuses. And in Iowa there's a stronger focus on social issues than other parts of the country, as 60 percent of GOP caucus- goers in 2008 describe themselves as evangelical or born again Christians. That turnout of Republican caucus-goers in 2008 amounts to roughly one-fifth of registered Republicans in the state. Estimates for what turnout may be this time are all over the map.

Mary Snow, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And later we will give you a chance to see Republican candidates make their pitches to be the next president. It's live and in-depth. Joining CNN chief political correspondent Candy Crowley live in Iowa for the contenders 2012 coming your way at 2:00 eastern time.

So far on our legal guys list of big legal cases of 2011, Rod Blagojevich, Lindsay Lohan, and Dominique Strauss-Kahn. What are their top two cases? More of Richard and Avery next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, every weekend we bring you the top legal cases of the week with legal guys Avery Friedman and Richard Herman. And now they have picked their top five cases of 2011. They are back. Avery is a civil rights attorney in Cleveland, Richard, a criminal defense attorney in Las Vegas.

OK, guys, one more time, here's the list. Number five Richard choosing Lindsay Lohan. Avery, you couldn't decide on just one so you chose Dominique Strauss-Kahn and Warren Jeffs. Number four an agreement on the former Illinois governor's trial and conviction of Rod Blagojevich on corruption charges. Number three, Richard choosing Jerry Sandusky and Avery choosing Amanda Knox.

Now drum roll, please, to number two legal case of the year. Conrad Murray, the doctor of Michael Jackson, you all in agreement on that. And number one Casey Anthony acquitted of murdering her two-year-old daughter, you, again, agreeing on that.

So let's begin with that number two slot, Conrad Murray. Richard, you first feel as passionately about Conrad Murray at number two as you do of Jerry Sandusky being your number three.

RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, Sandusky, that's just a powerful case. Avery said it, it's only allegations. It's right. It's only allegations. But victims testified under oath at a grand jury, Fred. And those allegations caused the firing of the most storied, winningest college football coach in the history of football, Joe Paterno. Those allegations caused two indictments against Sandusky and those allegations will be tested in court because his attorney says it's a fight to the finish. You're going to see these victims testify. It's going to be very, very powerful. I think Sandusky is in big trouble. The whole Penn State football program in big trouble because of what happened here and how Joe Paterno potentially had information and saw Sandusky on the premises for years after he was told point blank that by McQueary that Sandusky was raping some kid in the shower. In any event, that's a very powerful case.

Moving onto number two, Conrad Murray, look, he's a cardiologist feeding Propofol to his client at home. How anybody can get around that, you can't.

WHITFIELD: He's maintaining he still did nothing wrong. Even though he's been sentenced, he's in jail. He maintains he only did what his client wanted him to do but he's paying the price.

HERMAN: Hey, Fred, any time you go to any prison facility, everyone in there says I didn't do it, they got it wrong, it's wrong. This man is going to be stripped of his medical license in three different states. He's finished. He's going to go to prison. In a very short period of time he'll be out.

But you cannot give anesthesia to someone at home in a home setting without -- you can't do that period. Forget about proper protocols. You just can't do that and the jury grasped it -- shocking. And he's done. Very powerful case. The king of pop, this guy killed him.

WHITFIELD: Very powerful case, Conrad Murray, how do you suppose the outcome of that case might be influencing the way in which a lot of these other so-called boutique doctors do their business?

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: To me it strikes me there are basic standards. There was no surprise to me. The reason I have Conrad Murray as number two, Fredricka, on the list is it's the case of the century, the trial of the century that wasn't. This case was so touted. And it was touted because he was responsible for the death of the king of pop. That's why it was an important case.

But in terms of medical practice, this struck me as a no-brainer. The fact is, it was a case where the evidence is overwhelming. Who administers Propofol at home? We have powerful experts who testified about the inappropriateness of his medical behavior. I don't know where this guy went to medical school but I'm in agreement. He has no right to be practicing medicine. And because the California system is kind of screwed up because of overcrowding, it's unlikely this guy is going to do much time, if at all. And there will be personal injury cases but he has nothing left. So he's there only because it was not the trial of the century.

WHITFIELD: Quite the opposite outcome as it pertained to the Casey Anthony trial which you both agreed was your number one case to watch over the last year, her acquittal. So Avery, is it the acquittal, the case itself, the circumstances of the investigation that make it your number one?

FRIEDMAN: It was number one because it's the legal shocker of the year. And there are a number of factors go into it very simply stated. Again, allegations versus what the jury did. We had a horrible crime, the homicide of a child, a lousy mother, a lousy lawyer. But the reason this case blew up bigger than a tick on Dracula was it was an overcharge by the prosecutor. I understand they wanted to go for broke. We understand all that. But to me, I think most Americans who watched this case, some were glued to the television, understood Casey Anthony probably was responsible for the death of the child. But we also learned about the importance of the standard beyond a reasonable doubt. It was reaffirmed, ratified in the minds of Americans. That's why this case is number one.

WHITFIELD: And Richard?

HERMAN: She's acquitted, Avery, so you can't say she's probably -- she's acquitted, the jury acquitted her. The state could not prove her case. She's acquitted. To me it's incredible. Next to O.J. Simpson, this the most shocking trial I've ever seen, Fred. This jury withstood --

WHITFIELD: Is it over? Or do you see it being revisiting in any way in 2012.

HERMAN: It's over. All these proceedings taking place by Equusearch, this ridiculous defamation case Zani nanny, who is not the person she's referring to. These cases are meaningless. These people are just do it for publicity. Trust me, Fred. It's over there.

But here is a case where you take the legal textbooks on how to try a case and throw them out the window. Baez He stood up in his opening, promised to deliver certain things in a theory of defense, proved none of it at trial. And normally every law professor or trial attorney will tell you that spells doom. Here is an acquittal. It was painful to watch Baez cross-examine and get objected on every question. Yet I thought he was incompetent trying the case, but I tip my hat to him. He got an acquittal in one of the largest if not the largest case in the last 50 years we've seen.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

FRIEDMAN: It's just an amazing verdict. People were glued to their TVs. A young girl dead and the mother came up with crazy stories where she was, where she was going, where she gave the baby. The prosecution could not tie her into the scene of where she was buried, and that's how it went down with this jury.

WHITFIELD: We know many of those cases made your blood boil, gentlemen. We're so glad you broke it down to your top five of the year 2011. Happy New Year to you. But maybe the next item will warm your heart since the blood has been boiling for some time over these cases. Twin baby polar bear cubs. Richard, Avery, still with me?

HERMAN: Yes.

WHITFIELD: They're set to make their debut at a zoo in China in this New Year but their CNN debut is right after this break. Happy New Year to both of you. Always great to have you. Can't wait to hear from you in 2012.

FRIEDMAN: All the best. Happy New Year.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Tuesday is right around the corner, the day of the Iowa caucuses. And today the GOP hopefuls are literally all over the map. Coming up a breakdown of what the candidates are doing to win over potential voters in Iowa.

Reynolds Wolf back with me now talking about something really, really cute that's gone viral. When you've got animals --

WOLF: It's hard to go wrong.

WHITFIELD: It's hard to go wrong. In this case we've got beautiful polar bear cubs.

WOLF: There they are. What do you think of those guys?

WHITFIELD: They are so sweet.

WOLF: Tell me about them?

WHITFIELD: OK. Well, they were --

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: They were born to a mother that actually had twins last year as well. These ones were born October 14th in a Chinese polar aquarium. You meant that literally. That's funny.

WOLF: I didn't mean to be mean. Tell me about these bears.

WHITFIELD: I know. They are just so cute. I'm admiring them so much as everybody else is. You've got a boy and a girl here. They are sweet and curious.

WOLF: They are going to nourish the first two years of their life. And then eventually they will grow -- especially the males, grow up to 10 feet high, weigh 1,500 pounds. They can actually eat 20 percent of their body weight. Now, know they are cute, adorable, but one day they will have the ability to rip your face off.

WHITFIELD: Mama is not trying to feed all four cubs.

WOLF: I don't think so. Looks like these guys are trying to feed them. They may become dinner.

WHITFIELD: Feed for two years. Mama has a lot of work to do. They are so sweet.

WOLF: Do you see him? He may be pulling back a nub before long. That's dangerous.

WHITFIELD: That's right. These are bears.

WOLF: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: They have serious teeth and claws. That's fun. Thanks, Reynolds. You knew a lot more about it than I did.

Go figure.

WOLF: Happy New Year to you and bear cubs.

WHITFIELD: Yes, they're sweet.

All right, perhaps you're traveling, may want to tote along your laptop. You have you to be careful wherever you are. Hackers can target with a fake Wi-Fi hot spots and take your personal information. Watch out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, if you're using Wi-Fi to make an Internet connection at the airport, you could also be connecting to hackers. Ted Rowlands has details in this week's "On the Go."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Those waiting for their flight often pass time going online. And Wi-Fi networks in airports have made that easier than ever and dangerous.

GREGORY EVANS, CYBER SECURITY EXPERT: I will go and set up a fake Wi- Fi. Once they connect to it and start surfing the Internet, now what I'll do is grab their traffic.

ROWLANDS: We launched a fake network called "LAX Free Wi-Fi." Within minutes people start connecting to it. Evans then showed how a hacker can track what I was doing on my laptop.

EVANS: They go to their bank, it will grab banking information, Facebook, if they are writing love letters, I can grab all that.

ROWLANDS: Experts say there are a few things can you do to protect yourself. If you're at an airport or public spot find out who the Wi- Fi is. If it costs money, pay the money. They say change your passwords and use different passwords for different accounts. And keep in mind, someone may be watching you next time you're on the go.

(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: Watch out out there. Meantime counting down to the Iowa caucuses just three days away. We've got our eyes on all the campaigns today. And we'll run it all down for you next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A look at top stories this hour on CNN. Iranian officials now say they have no intention of blocking the Strait of Hormuz. Iran threatened to close the vital shipping route a couple days ago apparently in response to U.S. plans to ratchet up sanctions. The reversal announcement was broadcast on Iran's state-run television.

And the world is ringing in the New Year as the clock strikes midnight in many places overseas. Seoul, South Korea, they did it with the striking of a bell. Tokyo just welcomed in 2012. And here in the United States the party is about to start in New York's Time Square and in other cities. Where the famous ball drops there in New York, an estimated one billion poem worldwide will be watching.

And with the Iowa caucuses Tuesday, the GOP candidates are making their final pitches. Mitt Romney is Iowa-bound after hosting a New Hampshire breakfast. Newt Gingrich's bus stops at a restaurant in Council Bluffs Iowa. Rick Perry in Fort Dodge meeting voters at a coffee shop there.

And then starting at 2:00 eastern time right here on CNN you will get your chance to see the Republican candidates making their pitches to be the next president live and in-depth. Join CNN chief political correspondent Candy Crowley in Iowa for "The Contenders 2012."

I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Right now, time for "YOUR MONEY."