Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Will U.S. Take Further Action in South Sudan?; Will Weather Hamper Holiday Travel Week?; Schumer Wants Target Data Theft Investigated; Pope Francis' First Christmas Mass; BuzzFeed's Predictions for 2014; Inspiring Barbeque Teaches Life Lessons; Ready for Super Bowl Tuesday?; Capitol Dome to undergo Big Renovation; Real- Life Wolf of Wall Street
Aired December 22, 2013 - 18:00 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 live in Atlanta. This hour, we are looking to the stories you'll be talking about and hearing about this coming week.
Let's begin with our five questions for the week ahead.
Our first question for the week ahead, will the U.S. takes further action in South Sudan? The State Department says Americans were able to successfully get out of the African nation today. The rescue comes after a failed effort Saturday that left four U.S. troops wounded. The violence in the South Sudan has grown since the president has accused his now ex-V.P. of attempting a coup.
Let's go to CNN's Athena Jones live in Hawaii, traveling with the president who's on vacation.
And, Athena, just a released a statement. What did he say?
ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Rosa.
Well, not too long ago, we were able to learn more details directly from the president about that failed evacuation attempt to reach those Americans and get those Americans working for the U.N. out of the South Sudan. This is part of a letter the president sent to Congress under the War Powers Resolution. The White House say this is standard practice whenever there are troops deployed overseas. But I'll read to you part of it.
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 approached Bor, the operation was curtailed due to security considerations. And the aircraft and all military personnel onboard departed South Sudan without completing evaluation.
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 security of U.S. citizen, personnel, and property, including our embassy and in South Sudan." And as, of course, we know now, there was another attempt to evacuate Americans and that was successful. So, we know that all of the Americans who presented themselves to the United Nations were able to get out of the country successfully. The question now is how many other Americans may be on the ground there in South Sudan, Rosa.
FLORES: All right. Athena Jones live for us in Hawaii, thank you so much.
We move on to question number two. Will severe weather hamper the busy Christmas travel week? A line of deadly storms is pushing further east after clobbering much of the country with ice, snow, sleet, and rain.
CNN's George Howell has a lot of what's in store for travelers at Chicago's busiest O'Hare Airport and the possible ripple effect across the country.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rosa, a very busy day here in Chicago and really around the United States when it comes to travel during this particular week over the holidays. You got a sense back here at the lines that we've seen here at O'Hare airport, very busy throughout this day.
The good news here in Chicago, we haven't seen a lot of bad weather. A little snow this morning, but so far, so good. Travelers here know that with a little snow, that could change.
(voice-over): Traveling through Chicago's O'Hare airport on one of the busiest travel weeks of the year --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We actually changed our flight. We were supposed to get out at 4:30, and yesterday we called change to be on an earlier flight. And so, when I saw the snow this morning, I thought, oh, good, I'm glad we're on an earlier flight. If we get delayed, we'll at least sometime -- we'll get there sometimes today.
HOWELL: Rachel, John, and their slightly camera-shy son Michael Copula (ph) hiding behind his mother on this occasion didn't take any chances on their way to New York, because for many travelers, weather is top of mind as a winter storm threatens to snarl travel from the East Coast to the Midwest.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were monitoring the weather a little bit, and we're thinking we're going to be OK.
HOWELL: So far, at least 15,000 flights have been delayed this weekend. More than a thousand canceled, all according to the airline tracking site, flightaware.com. With widespread delays, major hubs from Dallas to Chicago are feeling the holiday ripple effect.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're hoping the weather cooperates so that we can get out on time. HOWELL: Fortunately, when it comes to getting your Christmas packages to friends and family, companies like FedEx and UPS are on the ready, armed with snow removal equipment and teams of meteorologists on staff.
Executives in the shipping industry tell CNN they can route planes around the storms and remain confident that they can deliver packages ahead of the holidays. It's a different story for air travelers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't have anyone to watch our kids if we don't show up. And we're hoping they'll just be OK.
HOWELL: Just hoping that their luck holds up.
(on camera): The best advice we've heard from travelers is just to get to the airport early because you don't know if you could run into a line like this or a long TSA line, something you wouldn't predict. If you think it's OK, Rosa, you know, to get to the airport with an hour to spare, maybe you want to up that to two hours, especially on this day, just given how many people are traveling today, Rosa.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FLORES: And we move on to question number three of the week, who will get a white Christmas? Some areas are seeing bizarre weather. New York City enjoyed a record-breaking 70 degrees today, while in other parts of the country, people dug out of major snow and ice storms.
Meteorologist Alexandra Steele has look ahead at the forecast -- Alexandra.
ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, who doesn't dream of a white Christmas, right? Well, no dreaming here. This is the reality.
Now, meteorologically, a white Christmas is defined as having an inch of snow on the ground Christmas morning. So, where we're going to see it here, right along the northern tier of the country where we have snow and temperatures have sustained their cold factor.
So, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, the Dakotas, Michigan, Wisconsin, and then moving east. So that's where we will, and let me show you where we won't, of course, and a lot of that is contingent on the temperature.
So, Bismarck, this is Christmas Day, 27, Bismarck, you will have it. You have snow on the ground and temperatures will stay below freezing. Minneapolis, you will be there, too, lucky kids. Twenty-three, snow on the ground, staying well below freezing. Denver, you won't be. Don't have snow and look at temperatures. Forty-six on Christmas. Chicago, a white Christmas for you. Kansas City, not so.
So as we head farther eastward, all these big cities, forget it. New York City in the 70s today, right? Record high temperatures and, of course, we have the rain as well. So, by the time we get to Wednesday, 24 degrees, it will be cold enough, but there's not the next snowstorm. We've got to a little clipper moving through the Great Lakes but not the big ones.
So, not for you, New York City, or Boston, Pittsburgh. Detroit, though, you will have a white Christmas. So, we've got the storms and we've got the cold temperatures. That's where we'll see it. Certainly, the west, the Upper Midwest and the Northern Plains but certainly not far east and south than that.
So dreaming of a white Christmas, you don't have to dream in some big cities out there.
FLORES: And question number four for the week ahead. Is your personal data safe? The massive credit and debit card data theft from target has a lot of shoppers worried. One U.S. senator today said the incident should be an opportunity to review all retail security procedures.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: If there's one silver ling 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: Now, the hack affects customers who shopped target between November 27th and December 15th.
Now to our fifth question. How serious is the situation on the International Space Station? NASA says the second emergency spacewalk is now set for Tuesday. Astronauts spent several hours yesterday working on a replacement for a broken cooling pump. Without the pump, some of the station's important electronics have been shut down.
The second space walk was originally scheduled for tomorrow, but that's being delayed while they make adjustments to one of the space suits.
Now, I want to bring in one of the astronauts, Chris Hadfield. He's also the author of a book "An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth." He joins me from -- via Skype.
And I've got to ask you, how serious is the situation?
CHRIS HADFIELD, ASTRONAUT: The problem they're fixing is pretty serious. They had to power down a bunch of the station. It put as lot of the science they're doing on hold. It's not really life- threatening, but it's definitely something you don't want to be living that way on station. They're getting there. The first spacewalk went well and ready for the next one in a couple of days.
FLORES: Now, the other issue that they're talking about is the spacesuit. Can you talk to us about that, and explain the situation? HADFIELD: You know, outside in the sun, it's about plus 300 degrees Fahrenheit, so the suit has to be cooled. And the cooling system in that suit while they were coming back in yesterday may have got a little water into the cooling system. So just to make sure they're ready in two days, they're swapping out that suit.
There are three suits on board. They're going make sure the guys have the two best suits to go outside on the 24th to get the best shot of getting everything done. Hopefully, they'll get everything done in that one spacewalk.
FLORES: Now, we can't let you go without showing you this. Roll it.
(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)
FLORES: Now, I'm a huge fan, I've got to say. How did you come up with the idea?
HADFIELD: A lot of people all around the world via the internet asked for that, and it was sort of an evening project I did with my son Evan. I put together the audio and the video and he edited together only the ground. The space agencies approved all the video, and the reaction has been huge. Twenty million YouTube hits and hundreds of millions of views around the world.
So, kind of a nice thing to show what all the station can do.
FLORES: Chris Hadfield, thank you so much for joining us via Skype from Toronto.
And still ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM, the good feelings over the congressional budget deal may not last. The debt ceiling deadline awaits Washington not long after the New Year and President Obama says he's not in the mood to negotiate.
Plus --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The image behind me, the Capitol Dome, is one of the most recognizable in the world. And from here, it looks pretty good, but when you get up close, you can see it's in need of some serious repair. We got an inside look, a rare tour of the inside of the Capitol Dome and we're going to have that coming up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FLORES: And now, it's time for politics. Two of our favorites are here, L.Z. Granderson is a CNN commentator, and Kevin Madden is a CNN political commentator and Republican strategist.
Good to see you both of you. Now, we have a budget deal. Everyone is happy. But, of course, the debt ceiling deadline still awaits and the president says he's not in a mood to negotiate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: To repeat, the debt ceiling is raised simply to pay bills that we have already approved. It is not something that is a negotiating tool. It's not leverage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FLORES: Now, L.Z., you heard the president, but Republican Congressman Paul Ryan says the Republicans want something in exchange for raising the debt limit. Now they have until February 7th, we should add. Are we going to see compromise or do you think this is going to be the next crisis in Washington?
L.Z. GRANDERSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think we will definitely see compromise, and here's why. We're heading toward the midterm election.
And if you remember what happened to the Republicans' popularity, the last time they were dogmatic about this conversation, it took a severe hit. They don't want to do that.
The reason they don't want to do that is because Democrats have been so afraid of the Affordable Care Act that if Republicans could just seem sane enough they would be ready to write it through the midterm elections and have a good showing because Democrats on a scramble. They don't want to take that away by creating another false drama, have a hit to their popularity and allow Democrats to kind of skate by from the Affordable Care Act debacle.
FLORES: So, Kevin, I'm going to ask you. You're a Republican strategist. Should the GOP stand firm and force a new shutdown?
KEVIN MADDEN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: No. Look. I don't think shutdowns are good. I think that the reason we were successful on reaching a budget deal was that Republicans don't want to see a shutdown. I think they'd much rather have an election year fight over contrast like Obamacare, versus something like the budget.
Look, I think a key part of what was missing from the president's sound bite there, what he said on Friday was I'm not willing to negotiate but I'm willing to talk. I think that does signal that he's going to talk with folks like Paul Ryan, that there are going to be discussions. I think -- I do think that L.Z.'s right. That we may not see a shutdown, but we will see that the usual battle that Republicans have on issues like debt and spending with Democrats.
I think the budget deal changed the atmospherics but there are still big structural differences between Republicans and Democrats up on Capitol Hill.
FLORES: Now, L.Z., there's been a lot of optimism, lots of happy because of the budget deal. Was that all happy talk premature, do you think, or do you foresee another crisis?
GRANDERSON: Well, you know, I'm trying to see who are all these happy people about the budget deal. I mean, we might have been happy that they, you know, didn't kill each other. But let's face it. Neither group was really happy. And you really had to try to -- you saw a lot of sound bites from both leaders trying to sell their parties and all the things they weren't going to get from the budget deal.
And then, of course, on the flip side, you saw John Boehner totally going off on organizations and the Tea Party about the budget deals. So, I don't think everyone was happy about that happening, but they were pragmatic about it. I think you'll still see the pragmatism when it comes to the debt ceiling, because again of 2014 midterm elections. No one wants to screw this up.
FLORES: Now, let's turn to another topic and the topic is Obamacare. The president said Friday the program is getting better every day, but Democrat Senator Joe Manchin was on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION" today, and Obamacare, he says, is not out of the clear just yet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D), WEST VIRGINIA: Are they willing to basically come to the realization this is all America is willing to pay and this is what they're wanting for what they pay and they're getting the best product. Don't say this is what you've got to buy whether you like it or not and you're going to pay more even if you think you weren't. I think that's where we are.
CANDY CROWLEY, HOST, CNN'S "STATE OF THE UNION": Otherwise, you think this thing falls on its own weight?
MANCHIN: Oh, it falls at its own weight. It's basically the cost becomes more than we can absorb. Absolutely.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FLORES: So, L.Z., do you think Obamacare could still collapse?
GRANDERSON: You know, the conversation about the Affordable Care Act, and I prefer calling it that versus Obamacare, because I want to take the Obama factor out of it, because it helps remind the American people that the reason why this law was enacted in the first place was because the American people and American economy were under a great deal of weight because of unsustainable health care situation, because of unchecked debt that was being driven up by health care cost. The Affordable Care Act addresses that, and it's important to keep hammering that home.
Now, the Affordable Care Act has been not smooth at all. That is an understatement. But when you look back through history, I cannot find a single significant law that was as wide reaching as this that did not have flaws at the beginning and wasn't adjusted throughout the decades. Whether we're talking Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security introducing 35. We're still passing laws to fix it today. So I suspect that the Affordable Care Act will be very similar as the other laws that have passed that have helped great deal of Americans in the long run. Didn't start off smooth, wasn't perfect, and continued to be fixed.
FLORES: So, Kevin, to you, people are still signing up.
MADDEN: Yes.
FLORES: The Web site is improving, we should add. Should Republicans move on to something else and just accept that Obamacare is the law of the land?
MADDEN: No. I think the big problem here is that it's not just a Web site. It's much bigger than that.
You remember about Medicare and Social Security. Those were laws passed to deliver with a sliver over the American population. Obamacare affects everybody in health care, and that has essentially rearranged 1/6 of the American economy and it applied one federal standard where it used to be state-by-state market place. That's one of the big problems.
I think what's significant about Senator Manchin's comments today, he's essentially a case study for how many Democrats up on Capitol Hill feel. And as L.Z. pointed out earlier, we're going into an election year. This is a sign of real Democratic panic, panic within the president's own party, about the prospects for Obamacare.
Obamacare is like a game -- is like a policy game of Jenga. When you take away one little piece, the whole thing collapses, and I think that's sort of what's happening right now with some of the announcement coming out of the administration as it relates to the individual mandate.
FLORES: L.Z. Granderson and Kevin Madden, thank you so much for the great conversation.
MADDEN: Great to be with you.
FLORES: And still ahead, as we look ahead to Christmas, here's a touching story for you. A mother sends a special Christmas message to her family two years after she died. Her wish? For her husband and his new fiancee next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FLORES: As you know, less than three days until Christmas, and not everyone is embracing the spirit of the season.
So, this next story is for all of you Grinches out there.
CNN's Jennifer Gray takes a look at the things people hate the most about the holidays.
JENNIFER GRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rosa, "Consumer Reports" actually did a poll and nearly 20 percent of Americans hate shopping for Christmas gifts.
But that's not the only thing they hate about the holidays. Wholesalers, seasonal music and movies playing repeatedly on TV really gets on people's nerves, also receiving gifts from people you don't anticipate, maybe it's because you don't have a gift ready in exchange.
Fake holiday cheer, aggressive driving in store parking lots, not a shocker there, and crowds, of course, and long lines.
Well, what people hate and what people do with the gifts that they hate may not surprise you either. A lot of people return/exchange them of course. Other people vanish them to the basement or storage and just lock them. Other people actually donate their gifts they don't like. Some people re-gift them, which can be dangerous, you know. And some actually find a way to put them to good use. So, some of those shocking, some not as much -- Rosa.
FLORES: Interesting stuff there.
The dying wish of an Iowa woman is granted two years after she lost her battle with cancer. She wanted to keep it a secret until just the right time.
And an Iowa radio station made it all come true. Kevin Cooney with our affiliate KCCI has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEVIN COONEY, KCCI (voice-over): Of the thousands of Christmas wishes the station has received over two decades, they've never received one like this.
SCOTT ALLEN, STAR 102 RADIO: "When you are in receipt of this letter, I will have already always lost my battle to ovarian cancer."
COONEY: Brenda Schmitz (ph) wrote the letter more than two years ago, shortly before she died, and she arranged to have a friend keep it until --
ALLEN: Brenda's wish was she wanted David to find somebody to love him and to take care of their boys and help raise them and that when that had happened and he had moved on, that it was OK for this letter to be sent to us for her wish to be granted.
COONEY: Yesterday, David heard the letter for the first time.
COLLEEN KELLY, STAR 102 RADIO: "My reason for writing this, I have a wish. I have a wish for David, the boys, and the woman and her family if she has kids also. I want them to know I love them very much. I was hoping one small act you all could do for me could change and help their lives forever and they know I am with them always.
First for David's new livelong partner, a day or better yet a weekend of pampering in all aspects of her life -- hair, makeup, body massage, clothes, shopping, spa, or weekend getaway, whatever. She deserves it."
DAVID SCHMITZ, HUSBAND: Before Brenda had died, and the reason I say this, she had told me, you know, she wanted me to move on and hopefully meet somebody, et cetera. She says, I know you'll find somebody, you know? I said, how will I know if it's the right person? She goes, because you'll know I'll be there.
KELLY: "Make her smile and know her efforts are truly appreciated from me.
For the family, a magical trip somewhere where they all can enjoy their company and companionship as a family and create those memories that will be with them forever."
COONEY: There was one other wish, a big party for the people who cared for her at mercy.
DR. DEBORAH TURNER, GYNECOLOGICAL ONCOLOGIST: There are people in this world that no matter who they touch, they bring something special to that person's life and Brenda was that kind of person.
COONEY: "May God bless and keep all of you safe there. Thanks for this. When you wish upon a star. Brenda."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FLORES: And we should add that the radio station has put together a trip to Disney World for the entire family, including pampering for David's new fiancee.
And still ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM, the pope is celebrating Christmas by serving the underprivileged. We'll tell you who he's reaching out to at this special time of year.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FLORES: It will be a Christmas at the Vatican unlike any other. That's because it will be the first for the new pontiff, Pope Francis. Just nine months as the leader of a billion Catholics worldwide. Francis' bold, nontraditional ways have reinvigorated the fateful.
We'll remind you how in just a few moments but first CNN's Erin McLaughlin reports on the preparations at the Vatican for Pope Francis' first Christmas as Pope.
ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There's a sense of excitement here in Rome for Christmas, and Pope Francis has a lot going on. On Christmas eve he will celebrate the traditional two-hour mass at St. Peter's Basilica. He's so popular that this year there were a record number of requests to attend. Christmas Day we expect thousands of pilgrims to flood through St. Peter's Square to hear him deliver a special message to the world.
Now Pope Francis already has his Christmas gifts taken care of. Two thousand immigrants at a local shelter received special packs complete with Christmas cards signed by the Pope. The packs include everything an immigrant might need to be able to contact loved ones back home including stamps and international calling cards.
So a very busy week ahead for Pope Francis as he celebrates his first Christmas at the Vatican.
FLORES: And let's take a look at BuzzFeed's best Pope Francis moments of 2013. Take a look.
They include when he washed the feet of others, and then, of course, when he prayed with the sick, including kissing a severely disfigured man, and when he plays with kids including one boy who hugged him during his homily in front of thousands of people.
Let's (INAUDIBLE) this our BuzzFeed specialty and let's reflect not only what has happened but what will happen. So let's get BuzzFeed's 2014, I guess, predictions, shall we say?
Joining me now is BuzzFeed's reporter Ryan Broderick.
Ryan, thank you so much. We really appreciate you joining us today. And we should say, a BuzzFeed prediction for 2014. Miley Cyrus will be respected as a serious artist? What?
RYAN BRODERICK, REPORTER, BUZZFEED: Yes. I know. I know it sounds crazy. But I think that the time of making fun of Miley Cyrus is about to end. I think we're going to see a very serious, very Lady Gaga-level Miley Cyrus in 2014.
FLORES: Interesting. Now, otters, big in 2014. You've got to explain this one.
BRODERICK: Well, it sounds crazy to say certain animals are popular on the Internet during certain years but 2013 was the year of the French bulldog and I think that 2014 is going to be the year of the otter. They're like little dogs, they're very cute and they hold hands when they swim together. It's a perfect combination for a great viral animal.
FLORES: And of course we have to talk about chat, we have to talk about Internet, the rise of Instagram and the fall of Snapchat. Why?
BRODERICK: So Snapchat was super big app this year and it was making all kinds of headlines and everyone was very afraid of what teenagers might do with the self-destructing pictures, but now that Instagram has direct message and its own form of self-destructing pictures, it's kind of hard to argue that Instagram isn't primed to take over the world.
I was Instagramming just about a couple of minutes ago. It's addicting. You can't stop doing it, you know.
FLORES: Now BuzzFeed has so many lists out there. Do you have a favorite?
BRODERICK: So we did a list of about pretty anything you can think of for an end-of-the-year wrap-up but my favorite was a BuzzFeed staff writer Katie Heaney's list of the most cringe-worthy online dating profiles and messages of 2013. And they are pretty darn cringe- worthy.
(LAUGHTER)
FLORES: Now there -- it seems like there's nothing is off limits at BuzzFeed. Take for instance, there were 41 cats who had a worse year than you. What are on these lists? I've seen very ridiculous. What do you have on the cutting floor, you think?
BRODERICK: Well, we look at pictures of weird animals and weird people doing weird stuff all day, and the things that we don't include are just ones that don't really make us feel a certain way. You know those boring pictures that don't really fit anywhere. If it makes us feel a certain way, it's not off limits at BuzzFeed.
FLORES: Well, and I think that a lot of people around the world have so much fun with your lists.
Thank you so much for joining us, for taking the time. We appreciate it.
BRODERICK: Thanks for having me.
FLORES: And we're going to be talking sports straight ahead. Are you ready for Super Bowl Tuesday? Don't laugh. It could happen if the weather gets rough. So who thought an outdoor game in New York would be a good idea in the winter? We're going to talk to Terence Moore next.
But first, in today's "American Journey," we're taking you to a barbecue joint in Washington, D.C., with a sauce that goes beyond your taste buds.
Tom Foreman explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Where there is smoke in D.C., there is Inspire Barbecue, a small restaurant that is making a big impact by teaching struggling young people the basics of working life. How to show up on time, balance a checkbook, take and give fair criticism.
CHEF FURARD TATE, OWNER, INSPIRE BARBEQUE: We're not giving all our secrets, Tim.
FOREMAN: Chef Furard Tate who grew up here cooked up the idea.
TATE: How do we get out of poverty? You get out of poverty through work. You get out of poverty through doing a good day's work every day and looking at the goodness of what you produced rather than what you don't have.
FOREMAN: Over the past three years Inspire has taken in hundreds of young folks ages 16 to 23 to work and learn for a period of time. Some have trouble with the law, some with drug abuse. Some like Daniel Gaskin with education. He graduated high school but quickly failed out of college. And by the time he found Inspire -- DANIEL GASKINS, EMPLOYEE, INSPIRE BBQ: All the money I've earned, it was kind of wasted. So it was just like, where do I go from there? Where do I go next? Do I find a job? Should I go back in school?
FOREMAN (on camera): This place had to be like a godsend.
GASKINS: It was.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Today he talks confidently about his future and his ideas.
TATE: You're learning how to do everything so that you can transition into a permanent employment.
FOREMAN (on camera): These are life skills.
TATE: These are life skills.
FOREMAN (voice-over): So in the end, this food is not just fantastic. It truly is inspirational.
Tom Foreman, CNN.
(On camera): I better try another taste.
(Voice-over): Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FLORES: Welcome back. It's time to talk sports and America's Super Bowl obsession. I'm joined by Terence Moore. He's a contributor to CNN.com and a columnist for mlb.com.
Terence, I'm so excited to be in Atlanta so I get to see you.
TERENCE MOORE, CNN.COM SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR: Welcome.
FLORES: Because of that conversation -- thank you. And we're talking about the Super Bowl. OK, so let's break it all down. We're talking about the Super Bowl in the northeast in February in a stadium that's not covered. Who thought it was a good idea to do this?
MOORE: Can you say Satan?
(LAUGHTER)
Yes, I'll tell you, this is going to be an absolute disaster. We knew this three years ago when the NFL owners first gave the Super Bowl to New York.
FLORES: So the time was ticking.
MOORE: Oh, yes, yes. But to answer your question directly, whenever you build a new stadium, you're pretty much guaranteed the Super Bowl. You're talking about the Jets and the Giants combining that $1.6 billion facility and the largest media market in the world, OK, then you have the Mara family who have owned the Giants for years. They're beloved by their fellow NFL owners who decide who gets Super Bowls.
And, Rosa, where is NFL headquarters located? New York City. This was a disaster waiting to happen. Open air stadium in February Super Bowl. This is just nuts.
FLORES: So it begs the question. Is the winner not going to be based on talent but whoever can fair the weather the best?
MOORE: Yes, I mean, no question. But it is worse than that. I mean, that's secondary to this. OK. They openly admitted, and you alluded to this earlier, that they're -- they're talking about moving the Super Bowl game up a day or back as far as a week if the weather is bad.
If the weather is bad? I mean -- but here's the thing. You're talking about tens of thousands of people from around the world who come to these Super Bowl games. And besides the extraordinary amount of money they pay for tickets, think about all the money they pay for plane tickets, for hotel tickets.
You move just the time period of it? This is a -- it's going to be a disaster. It's going to be utter chaos and perhaps a lawsuit waiting to happen if they're going to move that game.
FLORES: Unbelievable. I've been reading about it, I've been obsessed for a while so I've got to talk to you about Manning, and we're talking on how I just went to the Manning restaurant in New Orleans.
MOORE: Yes.
FLORES: But Manning setting another record.
MOORE: Yes. Payton, and I'll tell you something. As soon as he threw those seven touchdowns in the first game, you knew that something like this was going to happen. He was going to set the all- time NFL record for touchdowns in the season. And he did that in the first game against Baltimore, the defending world champions and who have a great defense. So I guess you can say that he's over those neck surgeries.
FLORES: And now let's talk Kobe Bryant.
MOORE: Kobe, Kobe.
FLORES: Goodness.
MOORE: Kobe.
FLORES: Injuries, injuries, injuries. Is he going to be the same?
MOORE: Kobe will never be Kobe again but it won't matter because Kobe's got one of those magic names. He's up there with Tiger and LeBron and those types of things. And right here in Atlanta, the Hawks have the second worst attendance in the NBA. But you know what? When the Lakers came to town with Kobe, it was packed. People were enthusiastic. So as long as he got that name, he'll be all right at least in that regard.
FLORES: But a two-year contract, $48 million. Is that a mistake?
MOORE: Yes, but you know what? They're paying him not only for what he does on the court but also what he brings off the court.
FLORES: Money and attention and everything else.
MOORE: That's exactly right.
FLORES: Now there's also something about a brawl with women's hockey? It's all over Twitter. I've been pulling up the pictures.
MOORE: Yes.
FLORES: Tell us about it.
MOORE: Yes. First of all, these two teams don't like each other. Team USA, Team Canada.
FLORES: Team Canada.
MOORE: This is the third brawl they've had in the last three years. And this is an exhibition game.
(LAUGHTER)
But I want to tell you something, Rosa. Call me a chauvinist, if you will, but I mean, this was disgusting. Because it took place in North Dakota. They were playing the rocky music in the background when they were duking it out there. And I read the AP story, the Associated Press story. And it said that little girls, quote, "were cheering in the background," so we are truly in the final days.
FLORES: Oh, my goodness.
(LAUGHTER)
Terence, thank you so much for joining us.
MOORE: Thank you.
FLORES: We really appreciate it. And you'll be here next week, right?
MOORE: I will be. And you will be here, too, right?
FLORES: Of course I will, I will. Thank you so much.
And still ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM, the new film "The Wolf of Wall Street" is raising a lot of eyebrows. Some of the stuff that happens in the movie is kind of crazy we should say, but the character that Leonardo DiCaprio plays was based on a real story, a real guy, and guess what? A lot of that stuff really happened. We'll show you.
Plus --
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You see that beautiful fresco at the top of the rotunda? Well, architects here say that could be damaged because of cracks on the outside of the Capitol dome. We've got a rare look inside way up there. That's coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FLORES: From a distance the Capitol Dome in Washington looks pristine, but it's a different story all together when you get a close-up look.
As Dana Bash reports the legendary structure is in need of some major repairs.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BASH (voice-over): The Capitol Dome, one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world. We got a rare tour inside the dome, more than 200 feet up in the air, where you can really see some of the damage. A long crack in a window, rust eroding the dome's ornaments and underlying structure. Architects count more than 1300 cracks in the Capitol Dome caused by wind, rain and sun threatening the historic frescos inside.
KEVIN HILDEBRAND, ARCHITECT: When the rust develops between the plates, it binds the plates from moving, and that creates enormous pressures within the ironwork.
BASH: This spring, a massive two-year renovation will start. It's no easy task. The dome is made of nine million pounds of iron.
HILDEBRAND: I'm going to lift this coffer.
BASH: With an incredibly thin exterior shell as demonstrated here.
When the Capitol was first built in the late 1700s, this dome didn't exist. It was added 150 years ago.
Taking us through narrow steep staircases behind its walls, the architect was eager to show off the dome's beauty, why it is so important to restore.
(On camera): To get up here we had to walk hundreds of stairs, very narrow, very treacherous staircase. But, boy, was it worth it. Look at the view, up and all the way down.
(Voice-over): From famous frescos, including Washington ascending to heaven, to dramatic acoustics high inside the rotunda.
HILDEBRAND: You have to be careful when what you're saying when you're up here because anyone on the opposite side can hear you. Please be very careful and duck as you go through the doorway. BASH: Then, to the breathe-taking view outside.
(On camera): All the way up here, 260 feet in the air, this is what you get to see.
(Voice-over): It's really clear from up here the Capitol is the focal point of the city's design.
HILDEBRAND: The access of the Mall, Maryland Avenue, Pennsylvania Avenue, all radiating from the central point.
BASH: Starting this spring, the dome will be wrapped scaffolding and stay that way through the renovation. Congress already approved $59 million for the restoration. Still, these costs tend to explode.
(On camera): So can you guarantee you are not going to go over budget?
STEPHEN AYERS, ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL: Guarantee? That's a big word. Well, we're pretty confident, I'll give you that.
BASH (voice-over): It has been meticulously planned, in the works for years.
HILDEBRAND: It's just something that has to happen. There is no more recognizable symbol of the country than the capitol dome or our national flag.
BASH: Dana Bash, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FLORES: Are you looking for something to do after the presents are open on Christmas day? You could go see one of the five new movies opening that day.
And here they are. "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty", "47 Ronan," "Grudge Watch," "August Osage County," and "The Wolf of Wall Street" are all hitting the silver screen.
There's Oscar buzz swirling around "The Wolf of Wall Street" which stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a disgraced financial executive in the 1980s. Some of the wild hard partying scenes seem too crazy to be true, but we found out they're not that far off from what actually happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEONARDO DICAPRIO, ACTOR, "THE WOLF OF WALL STREET": My name is Jordan Belfort. The year I turned 26, I made $49 million, which really pissed me off because it was three shy of a million a week.
JORDAN BELFORT, REAL-LIFE "WOLF OF WALL STREET": Four months ago I said that we would reach new levels of productivity. We think -- we look back and say the numbers that we've been doing four or five months ago were nothing. I make one more guarantee. Six months from now, what you're doing right now is going to be nothing against.
DICAPRIO: This is the greatest company in the world!
BELFORT: When I made my first $600,000 in one trade, I went out and bought a white Ferrari Testarossa. Not a yellow one, not a black one, not a white one. You know why? Because it was the car that Don Johnson drove in "Miami Vice."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What a great life, huh?
BELFORT: A lot of guys here right now, in a few months, you're going to be making a lot of money.
DICAPRIO: Was all this legal? Absolutely not.
BELFORT: Yes, $1,000 suits in the gold watches. And no. The drinking at lunch and the cocaine at the end of the day. All this -- it was like -- it was almost like adult Disneyland of dysfunctional people basically.
Back then, I had 1,000 best friends. Everyone was my best friend because everyone wanted something from me. Everyone could benefit from what I was doing. I was really generous with my money. I mean, yes, sure, didn't have any meaning to me. It was like monopoly money to me.
BELFORT: It's part of everybody here, not me, not Kenny, not a couple partners. It's made up of everybody here. You guys are part of. You built it. And without you, it doesn't run. If we all stick together, next year at this time, we'll be double the size. We already are the most powerful firm, but we'll be a legend on Wall Street, guys. And that's our goal, all right?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FLORES: And so who was the box winner. At box office? Well, it was a battle of the sequels at the box office this weekend. The "Hobbit" earned $31 million while the "Anchorman 2" pulled in almost -- hear that -- $27 million.
Two expected Oscar contenders, "American Hustle" and "Saving Mr. Banks", both broke into the top five.
And coming up the death toll climbs to seven from the fierce winter storm hitting nearly half of the country. And the danger isn't over yet. Ice and snow are creating treacherous road conditions for tens of millions of holiday travelers.
Plus, Americans airlifted out of south Sudan as violence spreads. We will update you on the situation coming up ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) FLORES: Here's a look at your weekly five. For some Americans, Monday is the last day to sign up for Obamacare and have health care on January 1st. But some will have up to January 10th to sign up. Open enrollment where you choose your coverage plan will continue through March 31st.
Tuesday, astronauts will do a second space walk to the International Space Station. They're continuing repairs to a broken pump that started during the spacewalk on Saturday.
Before the sleigh, Santa dons his ski, the condition continues in Washington when Santa water skis the Potomac River on Christmas eve. His reindeer will be knee boarding and be on the lookout for the evil jet skiing Grinch.
Pope Francis celebrates the first Christmas as Pope. During the Vatican Christmas celebrations the Pope will preside over the traditional Christmas Eve liturgy and deliver his Christmas message to the world. A Vatican expert thinks the Pope will forego the former rhetoric and reach out to ordinary people.
Federal jobless benefits expire on Saturday. About $1.3 million are expected to lose their benefits. Congress did not extend benefits in its recent budget deal which has not yet been signed by the president.
And that's your "Weekly Five."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FLORES: The U.S. is now trying to determine if there are any more Americans to evacuate from south Sudan. Officials say today all Americans who showed up at a U.N. camp in the town of Bohr were airlifted out of the troubled nation.
The successful rescues came one day after a failed attempt that left four U.S. troops wounded. The fighting there has grown worse since south Sudan's president threw out his cabinet. President Obama has been briefed on the situation as he vacations in Hawaii.
Tragedy in Kentucky. Four people were killed in a storm-related accident today. Three died when a car veered off of a bridge into a river overnight near New Hope, south of Louisville. That brings the number to seven people killed in severe weekend storms.
Apple is expanding its reach to the world's most populous country. Apple struck a deal with China Mobile which has around 700 million customers. The iPhone 5-s and 5c will be available January 17th with presales starting on Wednesday.
I'm Rosa Flores. "BACK TO THE BEGINNING" with Christiane Amanpour begins right now.
