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Three Dead in Kentucky; Obama Responds to South Sudan Violence; Rodman Wraps Up Trip to North Korea; Congress Passes Military Sexual Assault Bill; Deaf Athlete Thrives; Winter Storm Creates Havoc For Travelers In Northeast; New York City Gets 70-Degree Weather Three Days Before Christmas; The Big Business Of College Bowls; Story Behind Elf On The Shelf; Celebrating The Awkward Family Photos That Accompany Holiday Season; Being Targeted At Target

Aired December 22, 2013 - 17:00   ET

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

ROSA FLORES, CNN ANCHOR: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rosa Flores. Thank you so much for joining me. We're following developments in Hawaii, where the president is vacationing. He's been briefed on the emergency evacuation of Americans in Sudan. We'll go live to Hawaii for the president' statement in just a moment.

But we turn to this: be it snow, ice, or rain, bizarre and deadly storms are creating havoc for millions of holiday travelers and shoppers. The situation is especially urgent in the northeast. Roughly 350,000 people are without power in New York, New England and Toronto. That could spell disaster with temperatures set to plummet tonight. In the upper Midwest, the trouble is snow. This is Green Bay, Wisconsin. Now, that city and others in Wisconsin, Iowa, and the northwest parts of Michigan are getting slammed by heavy snowfall. Illinois and much of the deep south is in the deep water right now. Torrential rain and flooding have covered a major swath of the country. Severe storms are blamed on at least seven deaths this weekend alone.

Damage from that massive ice storm in Toronto is set to be catastrophic, one of the worst in the city's history. A quarter of a million people are without electricity and could remain in the dark until Wednesday. That's Christmas Day. The dangers from the falling ice became all too real for CTV network's Katie Simpson. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATIE SIMPSON, CTV CORRESPONDENT: So we have been seeing this all- morning long. This is very typical of what we've been seeing in these midtown neighborhoods. With that, I'm going to send it back inside. Oh, there it goes.

That just landed on a Toronto hydro-truck. That just landed on a Toronto hydro-vehicle. And then the wires are down. And you can hear the crackling. Just be quiet for a second. Listen to this cracking.

We were told by hydro crews to move. So we are sending it back inside, and we are not going to stand here anymore. Okay, sending it back in. Oh, we've got to go back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: Now, four of those killed were in storm-related accidents in Kentucky. Three died when a car went off a bridge. It happened overnight in a town of Newhope, south of Louisville.

On the phone with me now Joe Prewitt and he's with the Nelson County emergency management. And Joe, thank you so much for being here with us. Two other people in the car survived. Tell us how this all started and how those survivors got out.

JOE PREWITT, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, NELSON COUNTY KENTUCKY: Well, Rosa, in Nelson County, like a lot of other areas, we have hilly terrain and low areas. We have lots of streams that catch runoff from our agricultural land that is now bare because most of the agriculture has been harvested for this year. In this particular situation we've had in Kentucky about 4-5 inches of rain over the last 72 hours. The bulk of that rain coming last night. Most of the streams in low-lying areas are outer banks (ph), for a brief period. In this particular case, these folks were traveling south of Nelson County, Kentucky. And ran into an area I just described. Water was out of the banks, considerably up onto the roadway area. They ran their vehicle into the water. Two of the folks were exiting the vehicle as the swift water started pushing the vehicle downstream. And the other three occupants of the vehicle were unable to exit.

FLORES: Talk to us about the survivors. How are they? Do you know their conditions at this point?

PREWITT: They were transported by ambulance to a local hospital here in Nelson County. They were treated for hypothermia and distress, and admitted to that hospital. I have not got a current condition on them or whether they are still there or not.

FLORES: Now, were there warnings before all of this happened, and did people heed those warnings?

PREWITT: Well, in this particular area, there really was no warnings other than we had posted signs on the road on Friday because this is a problematic area for flash flooding. With the gust of the squall line that came through early Saturday night, those signs had been blown over. So the direction of travel these folks were coming from, they may or may not have known there's a hazard in front of them.

FLORES: All right, Joe Prewitt with the Nelson County Emergency Management, thank you so much for giving us that update.

Now, what kind of weather is in store here for the U.S. for the start of Christmas week? Meteorologist Jennifer Gray breaks it down for us.

JENNIFER GRAY, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It has been a mess of a storm across much of the country. We have seen very warm air filtering in across the southeast. Combine that with this cold air from the north, this cold front, and it sparked up severe weather across the deep south on Saturday.

A lot of rain for the east coast today, but it should be pushing out getting better and better as we get into Monday. But, as far as travel delays go, later this evening, we could continue to see slow downs in places like Chicago, D.C. and New York. D.C. and New York, you could see thunder storm delays. It could slow you down up to two hours is what we're thinking in those areas.

If you are traveling for the holidays, keep in mind this rain along, say, interstate 95 could slow you down throughout the day on Monday, but it is going to be pushing out by Monday afternoon and then pleasant weather across much of the south, the southeast, even up in the north. We're going to see pretty nice weather.

A couple of snow showers possible about the great lakes. If you are making plans for Christmas Day, though, looking good across most of the country. The south, the east coast clearing out, could see some snow showers up in the great lakes. But otherwise, looking good. Temperatures a little closer to seasonal for a lot of you for Christmas Day. We have seen very warm temperatures across the east coast. Temperatures in the 60s, but you will be feeling like the holidays by Tuesday and Wednesday, New York City, D.C., you will be back in the 30s by Tuesday and Wednesday.

FLORES: All right, Jennifer, thank you so much.

We switch gears with just a new days to buy those precious holiday gifts. Target says it's moving quickly after the hacking of 40 million credit card and debit card accounts. The company is offering free credit monitoring to its customers affected by this breech. Lawsuits have already been filed in California, and in Rhode Island. New York senator Charles Schumer said today that he wants a federal investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER, D-NY: If there's one silver lining in this mess, it's perhaps that we could use this troubling news as a lesson for the future. We can get to the bottom of how Target's in-store payment security was compromised in order to make sure that Target in the future and all other stores adequately protect consumers from this kind of devastating theft.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: The hack affected customers who shopped at Target between November 27, and December 15. There are reports that some of the stolen credit and debit card numbers are already for sale on the black market.

And coming up, later in hour, a look at what hackers can do once they steal your credit card information. And what countries outside the U.S. are doing to make credit cards more secure.

And NASA is delaying its next space walk because of a wardrobe malfunction. The space agency says there is a minor issue with one of the spacesuits. The two American Astronauts completed some of the repair work on the International Space Station yesterday. The next walk will now be on Christmas Eve, giving the drew time to resize that spare spacesuit.

And former NBA superstar Dennis Rodman is wrapping up his controversial trip to North Korea, but he's planning on going back in a few weeks. And you won't believe who's going to accompany hi,

Also, just ahead, do you know what this is? Take a close look. These guys are popping up in kitchens, bedrooms, and living rooms, all across the country. Are they nice or are the naughty? Do they kind of freak you out? That's just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FLORES: Right now, the U.S. is doing a critical head count, trying to see if any Americans remain in South Sudan. The State Department says Americans were able to get out of the African nation today. The successful rescue comes after a failed effort Saturday that left four U.S. troops wounded. Several military aircraft trying to extract Americans in Bor when the choppers came under fire. The violence in South Sudan had grown bloodier after the president accused his now ex- V.P. of attempting a coup.

Let's go to CNN's Athena Jones in Hawaii, traveling with President Obama who's on vacation. And, Athena, the president just released a statement on South Sudan. What did he say?

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Rosa. Well, we're getting a few more details directly from the president on that operation that failed to evacuate the American citizens from South Sudan yesterday. This is released just in the last -- less than an hour. It's part of the president's letter to Congress, which is required under the War Powers Resolution.

The White House says this is standard practice whenever there's a U.S. deployment of troops overseas. Let me read to you a bit from that letter.

It says, "On December 21st, 2013, approximately 46 additional U.S. military personnel deployed by military aircraft to the area of Bor, South Sudan to conduct an operation to evacuate U.S. citizens and personnel. After the aircraft came under fire as they approaches Bor, the operation was curtailed due to security considerations and the aircraft and all military personnel onboard departed South Sudan without completing the evacuation. The purpose of this operation was to protect U.S. citizens, personnel and property. As I monitor the situation in South Sudan, I may take further action to support they security of U.S. citizens, personnel and property, including our embassy in South Sudan."

As you mentioned at the top, we now know that several American citizens were able to be evacuated successfully today. The question, though, remains, how many remain on the ground? We know that the Americans who presented themselves to the United Nations were able to get out of the country successfully. And so the president and his national security team are keeping close tabs on the situation there. The president is going to be continuously updated.

FLORES: Could you elaborate a little on how those Americans were able to get out?

JONES: We understand that they were able to leave the country with the help of the United Nations. The president, when he was briefed on this, I should tell you he was briefed as soon as he landed on the ground over night, late Friday night in Honolulu. He was briefed while still aboard Air Force One. About yesterday - the evacuation attempt that failed, and the status of those four American servicemembers. He was then briefed again later Saturday morning. Briefed again this morning. So he directed his team to continue working with the United Nations to try to get these American citizens out of the country, and that's what happened. Rosa?

FLORES: Are there signs of other ways that the U.S. could get involved in Sudan? I understand the recent fighting has forced tens of thousands of people to flee.

JONES: At this point, we have no indication that there's going to be any involvement by U.S. military troops, for instance, in the conflict. We know that there ate troops there, who are there to buttress, to fortify, the embassies and protect personnel on the ground. But in terms of any sort of other military involvement, there are no indications, and I would not expect to see that happen.

We do know that the president - as part of the statement the White House put out yesterday, after meeting with his national security team via a secure conference call on Saturday, the president, again, urged the government, the leadership in South Sudan telling them it's their responsibility to protect U.S. personnel and also call on them to try to resolve these differences peacefully or risk withdrawal of U.S. and international support.

This is a country that's only two years old, and right now, it's involved in this increasing ethnic and political violence. So, the president, secretary of state, National Security Advisor Susan Rice are all calling on the leaders of South Sudan to resolve this peacefully through dialogue, but that's about it. It doesn't look like any sort of U.S. military involvement there.

FLORES: All right, Athena Jones, thank you so much.

We switch gears as Christmas draws near. Pope Francis focuses on homeless families reminding the faithful of how the holy family had no home in the days before Jesus was born.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE FRANCIS: (Speaking foreign language)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: Pope Francis told the thousands gathered in St. Peter's Square today to do everything possible to, quote, "assure that every family has a place to live." His message comes just days after "Time" magazine named the pontiff, the person of the year. . Former NBA star, Dennis Rodman, is wrapping up a trip to North Korea, but he plans to return in just a few weeks, and he plans to bring 12 other former NBA stars with him as well. Jim Clancy has more on Rodman's trip, and its significance.

JIM CLANCY, ANCHOR, CNN INTERNATIONAL: Rosa, Dennis Rodman is vowing I'll be back and downplaying the fact that he hasn't really met with his good friend, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Even before this trip, Rodman said he was just trying to bridge a gap.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DENNIS RODMAN, FORMER NBA PLAYER: I want to bridge a gap with North Korea. That's all I want

CLANCY: Humble aspirations from a controversial sports figure on an even more controversial visit to Pyongyang. Others hope he might be able to help free an imprisoned American missionary, Kenneth Bae, arrested more than a year ago serving a 15-year sentence for what the North Koreans say was an attempt to overthrow the regime

BILL RICHARDSON, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: There's a value if Rodman can get Kenneth Bae out. If not, then I don't think the trip will have much consequence.

CLANCY: Rodman insists that kind of diplomacy is not part of his trip. He says like it or not, he and North Korea's young dictator are just good friends.

MIKE GREEN, CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL AND STRATEGIC STUDIES: It's bizarre, and it raises serious questions about Kim Jong-un's own judgement.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: Rosa, Kim is actually getting exactly what he wants, our attention. It may well be that Dennis Rodman also thrives on that kind of attention, and of course he'll earn a paycheck. But don't lose sight of the core purpose that this all holds for the North Koreans. They know the regime is weak. It needs to get the U.S. to engage it. That Kim Jong-un really wants is a deal with the U.S., a treaty, that will ensure the survival of the Kim dynasty, and it will do anything to get it. On one hand, you've got the basketball diplomacy, and Dennis Rodman, but don't forget on the other hand, you've also got threats coming from North Korea, rolling off fax machines in Seoul, warning of a merciless strike that could come at any time. Rosa, back to you.

FLORES: Jim Clancy, thank you so much.

Still ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM, late Thursday, the Senate signs off on a bill designed to reform the way the military prosecutes sexual assaults. But, for some, this is not the fix they pushed for. We've got the details just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FLORES: Congress has passed a long-awaited defense bill paving the way for major reforms in how the military prosecutes sexual assaults. President Obama is asking for a full report on the issue by the end of next year. And he's shown reluctance to embrace some of the bill's larger reforms. So what does this mean for servicemen and women? Here's CNN's Sunlen Serfaty.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Former marine Ariana Klay says the cover up hurt more than the crime.

ARIANA KLAY, FORMER MARINE OFFICER: This all was, you know, you're degraded beyond human comprehension. But what happens afterwards is, just couldn't imagine it.

SERFATY: In 2010, she says she was raped by a senior officer. A military court sentenced her attacker to just 45 days of military confinement.

KLAY: The protection afforded to perpetrators, and the commanders who retaliated is what shocked me the most.

SERFATY: A pentagon report shows that 26,000 servicemembers reported sexual assault or harassment last year. A staggering 37 percent increase in one year alone. In June, Congress blasted the top military brass.

SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, D-NY: You have lost the trust of the men and women who rely on you.

SERFATY: Congress' response came this week with these proposals for the Pentagon, which would eliminate military commanders authority to dismiss court marshal rulings, require civilian review if a commander doesn't prosecute, take away the one-year statute of limitations, make retaliation a crime and dishonorably discharge those convicted.

Not included? A proposal from Senator Gillibrand to take prosecution outside the chain of command which the Pentagon doesn't support. The White House doesn't have a position on the bill yet.

KLAY: Until we have an independent judiciary, we're going to continue to see the same problem.

SERFATY: President Obama has given the changes one year to work. A formal review is due next December.

KLAY: A year of evaluation without actually putting a fundamental reform in the system is not going to result in much change.

SERFATY: Sunlen Serfaty, CNN Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FLORES: Now, this is only day two, officially, of winter. And so far, it's a strange one. Hundreds of thousands without power in parts of the northeast while it's T-shirt weather in New York City. We'll go live to Central Park next.

But, first, every day people overcome odds to achieve their passion, but hear this. That's what Derek Coleman of the Seattle Seahawks has done. Dr. Sanjay Gupta has his story in this week's Human Factor.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Derrick Coleman is living a boy's dream. Playing in the NFL for the top team in the league, the Seattle Sealauks. He didn't start playing football until seventh grade because his mom didn't want him to.

DERRICK COLEMAN, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS: I was just a normal kid. I was just going out there and trying to play football.

GUPTA: And the dream of making it to the pros began in high school. There, he was ranked the number two fullback in the nation by ESPN.

COLEMAN: I wasn't really thinking about it so much until maybe my senior year, and I was just going out there and playing hard. I just wanted to play.

GUPTA: Next up, UCLA, where he was a running back for four years. His college career ended with a degree in political science, and now the 23-year-old is showing his versatility as a fullback for the Seahawks, scoring his first touchdown in the pros earlier this month.

He's gotten this far with lots of hard work and by overcoming something only two other players in the entire NFL have -- he is legally deaf, the result of a rare genetic disorder.

COLEMAN: Basically, I lost my hearing when I was three. I had hearing aids ever since.

GUPTA: How does he do this? Well, first of all, he makes no excuses.

COLEMAN: No matter what the issue, that shouldn't stop you from doing what you want to do. You should always find a way.

GUPTA: His skull cap keeps his hearing aids in place, and --

COLEMAN: I can read lips. And I can read lips very well. So what I do is when I can't hear something, I always go and make sure I'm looking at the person. The person who I know is the quarterback or whoever, they look at me.

GUPTA: Off the field, Coleman tries to make time to speak to deaf and hard of hearing children to offer words of encouragement, especially for those who may be struggling.

COLEMAN: Don't let your hearing be an excuse for not wanting to go for your dream, whatever your dream is. Successful people, in my opinion, they always find a way. If you really want to be successful, you have to find a way. GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FLORES: At least seven people have been killed in bizarre weather mix across the country, including tornadoes, ice storms, and record- setting warmth. Four of the deaths occurred in Kentucky; three people drowned when a car plunged into a river. In another crash, a rider in an ATV overturned into a creek and was trapped underneath. Meanwhile, in Kansas and southeast Nebraska, snowfall will total 3-6 inches. And those cold temperatures will keep folks shivering. CNN's Nick Valencia is in Kansas City, Missouri. Nick?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, those that are waking up in Kansas city, Missouri this morning, this is what they're waking up to - about 3-5 inches of snow. Check it out! Lots of snow here on the ground, just on this bridge right near the interstate.

And it looks very pretty, right? It's gorgeous out here. But it is also creating some major problems on those roads. Very slick roads. Dangerous conditions. We spoke to the Missouri Department of Transportation. They said at least one weather-related death as a result of this severe weather system. And what's happening here in Missouri really is sort of a snapshot of what's happening all across the midsection of the United States. We've seen a possible tornado reported in Arkansas, heavy weather going through the state of Mississippi. Oklahoma also waking up to things like freezing rain and severe weather there.

And this weather couldn't have come at a worse time: 94 million Americans expecting to travel for Christmas weekend. And that's creating just really bad problems for transportation. The first day of winter certainly lived up to the hype. Rosa?

FLORES: All right, Nick Valencia for us. Thank you so much.

Ice picks, snow shovels and flip-flops were in short supply today, depending on which part of New York people were in. Check this out: an eye storm and below-freezing temperatures covered upstate New York. While New York City enjoyed a record-breaking 70 degrees!

CNN's Alexandra Field is live in Central Park. Now Alexandra, when I left New York, it was cold. We're three days til Christmas, and you're in a T-shirt.

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Rosa, most of the day out here in a T-shirt on December 22nd. Can you believe it? Just something we haven't seen in New York City before. Temperatures hit a record high, 70 degrees today. The last record was set in 1998 when temperatures got up to 65. You can see, thought, that the rain has started coming down. Now I put on my jacket; the wind is kicking up a little bit. Just a little bit of a damper on an otherwise beautiful weekend. A lot of tourists came to New York hoping they would see some snow. Of course, it is the season for that. But some of the tourists they spoke to say, hey, they don't mind the higher temperatures, either.

FLORES: I bet they want a white Christmas! Now, we were talking warm weather New York City. But it's a different story in upstate New York, isn't it?

FIELD: Absolutely. The worst of winter in upstate New York. Through the night, crews there were working to cut down branches on ice- covered trees. Of course, they're working to limit any potential power problems. The governor of New York State, Andrew Cuomo, has issued a state of emergency because of the ice storm in parts of upstate New York. So a very different picture all in the same state, Rosa.

FLORES: All right. Alexandra Field live for us in New York City. Thank you so much.

And still ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM, it's the second day of winter, but we're in the middle of college football bowl season. We're going to run the numbers next.

And look at just how much money is made in all of these bowl games.

Also, have you seen these guys take a close look? They're showing up in homes all around the country. Are they nice? Are they naughty? Are they making messes in people's homes? We'll explain, coming up.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FLORES: We're in the middle of college football bowl season. This year, there are 35 games. Now compare that to 13 years ago when there were only 25. And chances are, there's a bowl for every single taste. We have the Little Caesar's Bowl, the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, the Sugar Bowl, just to name a few.

The business of bowl season is big business. Take a look at this. According to the most recent figures from the Football Bowl Association, the net revenue for the schools in a bowl season with $179 million. Most of that money came from TV deals. Host cities banked to the tune of -- --hear this -- $1 billion.

Joining me now is Barrett Sallee, lead SEC writer for Bleacher Report. Now, let's start with all of these piles of cash. Does it mean if a school has a bowl game that they are actually going to score every single time? And by score, I mean they're going to make some serious cash?

BARRETT SALLEE, LEAD SEC WRITER, BLEACHER REPORT: Not initially. Because sometimes you have bowls that lose money. There's a ticket allotment they must meet if they accept a bowl bid. But all in all, these bowls are going to make money long term because of the TV deals, because of -- you know, making a BCS bowl game, you do get that money and most conferences do share that revenue. So in the end, you are going to make money although, there are teams that right off the bat, they don't come out in the black right off the bat. But that happens -- you know, it's a long-term buzz. Sometimes, it just doesn't work out if you have a team that's lost four straight bowl games and they draw and uninspiring match-up. The fans are not going to be excited about it.

FLORES: Now, I'm very curious. Are these bowl games just created out of the blue? And is it just to make money?

SALLEE: It is just to make money. I think a lot of these are from local communities that really want to ingrain, entrench themselves within the community. That's why you see a lot of local advertisers. But they know that money -- people are going to come. And around the holidays, people have time off. They want to go on vacation. Might as well follow their team.

And it is a massive moneymaker for local communities. A billion dollars over the last year combined throughout -- all the bowl host cities. The Sugar Bowl here in Atlanta -- $28.1 million. Not the Sugar Bowl, I'm sorry -- the Chik-Fil-A bowl. $28.1 million; $1.5 million of which was directly from hotel and motel tax.

So it is a moneymaker for the city. It's a moneymaker for the hotels, restaurants, bars. They all love them because they do bring people to their cities.

FLORES: Why is it so successful? It's a successful business. It's a big business.

SALLEE: College football has grown by leaps and bounds. I think the advent of the BCS has done a lot for the growth of the sport as a whole. As a result, you have people more passionate about their school, more passionate about their program.

Again, people have time off on New Years. They want to go somewhere fun for New Years. And if your team is playing somewhere where you want to go spend a couple of days there, why not go do that? Because you're going to be with people that you know or at least people that share a similar passion in college football, so you know you're going to have a good time.

FLORES: Now, let's talk about some of the criticism. There's some criticism about unpaid labor because these college players don't get paid. But yet, these bowl games make a lot of money. The cities make a lot of money.

SALLEE: They do. And the paying players and the bowl game discussions, they're not directly related discussions, but they are kind of cousins. Because if people are against bowl games, they can't really be for paying players because the bowl games themselves, players get compensated more legally during bowl games than they do at any other time during their college careers. You get bowl gifts, a max of $550 per player. But they buy them in bulk, so players this year are getting Playstation 4s. I don't know a college kid in America that doesn't want a Playstation 4right now. They do carpool, they save per diem money, they get to go on a vacation for a week and experience a place that they probably have not experienced before.

So it is -- bowl games are rewards for players. And I think it is the one time where they actually do get benefits and their work does get paid off. Not as much as it should, but at least enough.

FLORES: Yes. And one thing is for sure, they also get a lot of Twitter followers, followers on Facebook, a lot of notoriety.

All right, Barrett Sallee with the Bleacher Report, thank you so much. We appreciate it.

The Elf on the Shelf is making its rounds in the CNN Center in Atlanta. Take a look: he visited with me in make up earlier today. Taking a moment to see how he looked in the mirror, all while they were doing my make-up. And now, take a look: he's here in Studio Seven. Is he watching me?

More on his rise to fame in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FLORES: The Elf on the Shelf. Those five words can both bring a smile to parents' faces and let's just face it, tears to their eyes as well. We're talking about the magical Christmas tradition. So we should say this: it's probably a good time to send your kids out of the room.

In the eight years the book and the doll have been on the market, it's gone from a small business venture to an international sensation. If you haven't heard about it, here's the gist of it. The elf serves as a scout for Santa, and it has to be moved stealthily every night, traditionally around Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve. The elf's mission is to report back to the boss in red on who's naughty and who's nice. Children can't touch the elf or the magic is lost.

One of the book's authors, Chanda A. Bell, joins me right now. And I kind of have been following your story, I should be honest, for a very long time, reading about how a sensation your book became. Did you think it was going to be this big when you first wrote the book?

CHANDA A. BELL, CO-AUTHOR, "THE ELF ON THE SHELF": No, I never dreamed that it would be. My mom and I wrote this book based on our own family tradition. Really for us, it's just about creating meaningful family moments for people where they can engage with their very own elf in the North Pole.

But we never dreamed when we sat down to write this story based on our own family tradition that it would really become a tradition adopted by millions of families around the world.

FLORES: You said it was a family tradition. Had it lived in your family for a while? Where did the idea come from?

BELL: When I was a little girl, Santa used to send an elf to visit our home. And the elf used to watch and report. And we just made such wonderful memories together as a family. And then every night, the elf would report back to Santa on what we had done. You know, I'm sure there was lots to tell.

But in the morning, the real fun came when the elf hide in a new spot. And so we would run and go find our elf. And I remember talking to the elf and telling him what I wanted for Christmas. It just made such special family memories. And that's what my kids are doing today with the Elf on the Shelf. So, we just put that in a story in a rhyme and have a chance to work for Santa Claus.

FLORES: Now we've got to be honest, it seems like a lot of work for parents having to change the elf from one location to the next.

BELL: Well, you know, elves fly.

(CROSSTALK)

FLORES: With Christmas magic, wink, wink.

BELL: Yes, yes, with Christmas magic, they fly. But, you know, really and truly, I tell people all the time, and this is very important, a good Christmas tradition is what a family makes it. And so every elf's family matches its personality. So some elves are crazy and fun. And other elves are kind of calm. Our elf just moves around our house and plays hide-and-seek with our kids.

So, I think it's about what the family wants their elf tradition to with. And so the elves know they match the personality of their family.

FLORES: When we think elves, we think Christmas. But Elf is making a leap. He's now he's making a leap to birthdays. How did that happen? Tell us.

BELL: Yes, we got letters from children all over the world, literally thousands of them asking if their elf can come back for their birthday. So, of course, we ask Santa for permission. We never do anything without his blessing. But we had a chance to write this really fun story about how your elf that you love can come back and visit you on your birthday. So hopefully, that allieviates some of tears we hear about on Christmas Eve when the elves have to go back to the North Pole, where they have to go back and see Santa.

FLORES: Now, we've been following the elf, we searched it on the Internet. And although, elves, you know, are for children, there is some R-rated elf stuff out there on the Internet. And I was wondering what your reaction was to that? Because I guess it's taken on a life of its own.

BELL: Well, it certainly has taken on a life of its own. But, you know, I think for us, it's certainly not our intention. It's not what we intend the elf to be. We intend it to be a special time for children and for families. And I hope that people will keep in mind that there are little people on the Internet, watching and paying attention to these things. I think there's so much out there that's adult, why can't fun things just be special and meaningful for children? And that's what we try to do with Elf on the Shelf. FLORES: Now, we wanted to point out because in 201, the article in "Psychology" magazine had 10 different holiday gifts that they say caused psychological damage to kids. And so, I'm sure you didn't think about this when you were creating Elf. What's your reaction to that? Do you really think it could cause damage to children to have this elf?

BELL: There are so many things that are dangerous to children. I'm a former teacher. So I would never do anything that is harmful to children. And I'm also a mom. I have two children of my own. And I grew up with this tradition. And what I tell people all of the time is that the idea that Santa Claus has been watching has been around for generations. That's nothing new.

So, for me, it's an opportunity for children to correct their own behavior when parents say something like, you know, your elf is watching. You know for me, that's self control. There's nothing wrong with teaching kids self control.

So, I think it's all the way a parent presents this. Is this an elf that you've adopted and it's part of your family, or is this elf watching you? And there's a real difference between those two tings. And in our family, this is a member of our family, our elf, that we adopt from the North Pole.

FLORES: Chanda A. Bell, author of "Elf." Thank you so much. We really appreciate having you here.

BELL: It is really my pleasure. I love the opportunity to share my story. And I hope it encourages other people.

FLORES: All right. Thank you so much.

BELL: Thank you so much.

FLORES: And -- Chanda Bell, thank you so much. Of course, how can this popular Christmas tradition impact your child? I asked clinical psychologist Jeff Gardere.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. JEFF GARDERE, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Here's what the impetus is on this, Rosa, this whole idea of what the parents do with Elf on the Shelf. So, if you're telling your child you better be careful because that elf is watching everything that you're doing, and if you do something that's bad or something that's wrong, the elf is going to go right to Santa.

So the key here is for the parents to keep it positive, keep it upbeat, and to use the elf on a shelf more as positive reinforcement for good behavior. Don't focus in on the bad behavior and how that's going to be reported to Santa.

FLORES: And what about age? Does it need to be age appropriate?

GARDERE: Yes. I think certainly when you're working with children, you need to be careful as to how you approach them with elf on a shelf. The younger they are, the more they're going to believe in that mythical character, the more they're going to believe in Santa, and the more they're going believe that elf perhaps has magical powers.

Because remember the whole idea is that the elf doesn't just hang around the Christmas tree. The elf shows up on the shelf. The elf shows up at the breakfast table. The elf may be sitting in the child's room. So, the game is to move it around the house so you can give as much positive reinforcement as you can to good behavior. So a child who really believes in this elf, that the elf has magical powers and can transport and be anywhere anytime, a child might get freaked out over that, especially if the parent says you'd better be careful because that elf is watching everything that you do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: All right, thank you so much.

Coming up, we stay in the holiday spirit. It's one of the best parts of the holiday season: the awkward family Christmas photos. And we've got the man who's collected some of the worst. That and much more coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FLORES: With the holidays comes, of course, holiday photos. And a couple of industrious Americans have taken the worst of all of our photos to make one of the most entertaining Web sites on the Internet. The site has been published as "Awkward Family Photos: Celebrating the Highs and Lows of Family Time."

Now, earlier I spoke with the site's co-founder, Mike Bender. I asked him why there was such a wealth of awkward holiday family photos out there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE BENDER, CO-FOUNDER, AWKWARD FAMILY PHOTOS: I think it's a time of the year we are with our families, we take lots of photos, we wear matching outfits, and it just is -- we like to think of it as the most awkward time of the year. They say the most wonderful time of the year, but it's definitely awkward.

FLORES: Especially with a lot of family members perhaps you don't see all the time. Now, is there one in particular that stands out as especially bad?

BENDER: Yes. I think, you know, on the cover of the book actually we have a photo of a Santa Claus. It was a mall Santa. He has a very severe black eye, and the children are sitting on his lap. It's just amazing to me that he showed up to work that day and that he took presumably a lot more photos with children. To me, that's the classic awkward Christmas photo.

FLORES: And perhaps a Santa with multiple jobs. Now, I've got to ask you -- BENDER: We hope so.

FLORES: Are some of these photos just older photos or are these newer photos as well? Because right now in the social media age, it almost seems like almost everybody is sharing almost everything.

BENDER: Yes. It honestly it runs the gamut. We get photos -- we get black-and-white photos from the 40s and 50s. I think that people are taking more photos now because everybody has cameras in their phones. So, we actually get more submissions, I think, from today than from the past when people have to scan in their photos. But you know, awkwardness from our perspective, it's never going to go away.

FLORES: Ooh, I love it! So, since you're talking about genuine awkwardness, what are the ingredients of an especially awkward photo?

BENDER: Well, I brought up matching outfits. That's a classic. I would say posing -- any sort of pose, lined up by height when Mom and Dad had us line up by height, piled up on top of each other. We've seen that. Those are very, very awkward sort of family portrait traditions. And then there's just sometimes the family dynamic that's going on where brother and sister are literally punching each other while the photo is being taken.

FLORES: Now, given the social media age, do you think this ever going to change?

BENDER: Well, I hope not first of all, selfishly. But I think, you know, just -- we're just in a time and an age with everything is being shared, and I think there's some negative things about that. But at the same time, our site is about celebrating the awkwardness. It's about people actually coming together to celebrate those uncomfortable moments of family.

And so, it's about smiling, being self-deprecating. And so in that way, I think sharing can be a wonderful thing to know. Hey, there are other people out there suffering at Christmas because they have to pose.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FLORES: We switch gears. The massive theft of credit and debit card theft at Target in recent weeks has highlighted the threat of credit card fraud. But how do hackers actually make use of the data that they steal? Here's Laurie Segall.

LAURIE SEGALL, CNN TECH CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Rosa. Well, 40 million customers affected by Target hackers. We wanted to take a look at what information is available about you on that magnetic strip on the back of your card. Take a look at what we found.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAURIE SEGALL, CNN TECH CORRESPONDENT: If you've done some holiday shopping at Target, you might be wondering what a hacker could learn about you from your credit card. When you swipe, here's what a hacker could learn from the data in that magnetic strip. Your name, your credit card number, the card's expiration date, and the CVV code on the back.

JOSE PAGLIERY, CNN MONEY: All of this key data that can be used to falsify that card and go ahead and fraudulently use online, they can access that just by taking just what's on the strip.

SEGALL: In the case of the Target hack, that data may have been enough for the hackers to make a counterfeit card. One security researcher, who showed us a different credit card hack, explains.

To the employee everything looks normal.

MIKE PARK, TRUSTWAVE: I just have to log in. I can make a selection here, and then I can do a credit card swipe. It will ask me for the CVV. I can put in a CVV, whatever numbers I want. And then click pay. Right? Nothing seems untoward.

SEGALL: For the customer, pretty standard.

PARK: You've paid, you get your receipt, you move on.

SEGALL: But for the hacker --

PARK: I have access to the entire magnetic strip data that's on this device, and I can get all of this and enough information to actually create a whole different card.

SEGALL: The Target hack has some saying the U.S. is a little behind the times in terms of secure payments.

PAGLIERY: Well, one more secure solution they have in Europe right now is this chip and pin system in which the card doesn't actually have a strip. It has a chip within it. Every time you use it, you also have to use the pin.

SEGALL: According to the Federal Reserve, credit fraud in England plummeted 34 percent in the six years after English banks and merchants implemented chip and pin cards. During a similar period in France, fraud from in-person cards fell 35 percent.

But this holiday season, millions of American shoppers might have been the target.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SEGALL: And Rosa, Target put out a letter saying in the case of this hack, PIN numbers on the debit cards weren't affected. They also said the CVV data obtained was not the three- or four-digit code on the back. Instead, it's information in that magnetic strip on the back of your card. And what that essentially means is you wouldn't necessarily be able to use the card to make an online purchase. Rosa?