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Target's Hacker Admission; Four Americans Held By Libyan Government Released; Al Qaeda Affiliates Pose New Dangers; Protesters, Police Clash Again in Cairo; A&E "Duck Dynasty" Resuming with Entire Cast

Aired December 28, 2013 - 15:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right, it is the top of the hour. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Here are the top stories we're following right now.

Target, the store, has admitted, yes, hackers did get your pin data in a giant credit card breach but they say it's encrypted. Will that be enough? We have the latest next.

And people aboard a ship stuck in ice in Antarctica are anxiously awaiting help. The rescue ship is within sight, but now it's struggling with ice, as well.

And an about face on "Duck Dynasty," the reality show's star is back in action after a very short suspension. We break down what this means for the future of this show.

Just a short time ago, officials in Libya explained why they held and released four U.S. military personnel last night. The four Americans were sent to Libya to work security at the U.S. embassy in Tripoli.

I want to bring in Sunlen Serfaty in Washington.

So Sunlen, what is the explanation now?

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well Fred, we are still just to start to hear some of the details. Reuters is reporting that Libyan police and military officials say this all started at a check point Friday. The four U.S. military personnel were in a convoy according to these Libyan officials. And at the check point, they were questioned about why they were carrying weapons. Now, as they were being questioned, the American vehicles drove away, one vehicle even caused an accident. The third car, according to the Libyans disappeared. The four military personnel were detained for hours held by the Libyan government. Hours later overnight, the U.S. defense department confirmed to CNN that they were released. Now, U.S. officials say the four were quote augmenting security at the U.S. embassy in Tripoli -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: And what about the White House, any word from it?

SERFATY: No word yet. The White House hasn't publicly reacted to the situation yet, but a White House official does confirm to CNN that President Obama was updated on the situation during his vacation in Hawaii by his national security staff. We'll, of course, keep you updated as we hear more, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Sunlen, thanks so much in Washington.

A senior U.S. state department official says U.S. secretary of state John Kerry will travel to the Middle East next week for peace talks. Kerry has been working with Palestinian and Israeli officials on a peace accord. Peace talks stalled in November with both sides digging in their heels. Key points of contention are the continued Israeli troop presence in the Palestinian territories and the construction of settlements in the West Bank.

A confrontation between security forces and student protesters backing the Muslim brotherhood turns deadly in Egypt. One student died in clashes on the campus of a Cairo University. More than 60 others were arrested. Unrest has escalated in Egypt this week after the government declared the brother hood a terrorist organization.

All right, and now back to that ship stuck in the frozen waters of Antarctica. This is the new video of the expedition leader. It's been four days since the group has been stranded. And although a rescue vessel is within sight, it's not been able to get close enough to the ship.

Out Isa Soares had details.

ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, help is so close yet so far. The Chinese ice breaker came within sight of the stranded vessel. All right, of six not to come out, but, unfortunately, it couldn't push through.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES (voice-over): The stranded passengers happily point to a dot on the horizon. Others cheer help is near.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's that on the horizon, cliff.

CHRIS TURNEY, EXPEDITION LEADER: That's the ice breaker coming to rescue us, Alec.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Brilliant.

SOARES: But their relief doesn't last long, thick ice has forced the Chinese ice breaker, the snow dragon to come to a halt.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was about six nautical miles away when the decision was made that the ice was too thick. It was beyond the vessel's capacity. And he turned around and went back through the channel that he'd created to open the water.

SOARES: A French rescue vessel also failed to penetrate the ice and has been turned back. But reinforcements are on the way. The Australian ship (INAUDIBLE) is en route and expected to arrive Sunday evening. The Australian vessel is stronger than the snow dragon and a higher ice rating. In other words, it can cut through ice as deep as 1.35 meters compared to the snow dragons one meter or so. But we're hearing reports that the ice in the area is as deep as two meters. And that can mean those onboard will have to be winched to safety by the helicopter onboard the Chinese vessel.

So, now they're not in danger, there's enough fresh food to last two weeks and dried food for longer if need. But Chris Turney who is leading the expedition says he's worried blizzards could hamper the rescue efforts.

TURNEY: We've got snow falling, but it's not too windy. Unfortunately, the weather forecast is continuing for the next few days.

SOARES: In the meantime, the 74 people on board which consists of scientist, tourists and crew are updating family with daily You Tube messages.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, mom and dad. I hope you're enjoying as much as I am. As you have probably heard, we are currently in the set of a bit of ice, but not to worry, everything is going well.

SOARES: So well, it seems, they are continuing in their research, counting birds and drilling through the ice and photographing sea life. The team has re-traced from the footsteps taken by Australian explorer Douglas Moreson (ph) in 1911. He knocked out the Antarctic region was mapped out but faced a harrowing journey stranded with no companion, no food, and no icebreaker. He had to wait a year for the ice to melt.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: The Australian maritime safety authority says they'll assess the situation once the Australian vessel arrives Sunday night. But they have the backup in the form of the Chinese helicopter. So they won't need to wait for the ice to melt at after all -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, Isa. Appreciate that.

All right, a lot of Americans won't be popping the champagne cork on New Year's Eve. They'll be spending the holiday to figure out how they're going to pay the bills. Federal emergency unemployment benefits end today for 1.3 million people. Last week Congress failed to pass the extension as part of the budget deal. Lawmakers are expected to consider it again when they return from their holiday recess. One New Jersey woman who has been out of work for a year says she'll probably have to apply for food stamps and she might even lose her car.

A&E network has lifted the suspension of "Duck Dynasty's" Phil Robertson. Robertson was indefinitely suspended by the network after making homophobic and racist comments in a "GQ" magazine interview. That suspension lasted nine days. Petitions signed by hundreds of thousands of supporters. They have changed A&E's mind. Coming up, we'll talk with Bradley Jacobs, the senior editor of "US Weekly" about whether A&E is ducking this controversy.

All right, Congress does not have a whole lot to be proud of in 2013. But does it deserve the title worst in our lifetime? What voters think coming up.

And next, your debit card pin could be in the hands of hackers. That's the latest in that target store breach. What the company is saying to its customers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Target customers are even more on edge after a new update that hackers did, indeed, steal pin data in a massive credit card breach. The retailer initially said it didn't happen.

Alexandra Field is following the story live for us from New York.

So Alexandra, what is the latest?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this serve as so many concerns for consumers, not just the 40 million who were hacked as part of the security bridge, but also for all of us, reminding us our information can be very vulnerable. At the same time, Target stores are trying to reassure customers saying that the pin data that is stolen is secure and safe. They say the data was scrambled and can't easily be deciphered.

Here's the statement from their spokesperson reads, quote, "the pin information was fully encrypted at the key pad remains encrypted in our system and remained encrypted when it was removed from our system."

So those layers, all of that sounds good. It might be comforting if you are one of the people shopping at target. But we also spoke to security experts and some of them say all that may not be enough.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID KENNEDY, CEO, TRUSTEDSEC: The encryption itself it's actually an industry graced standards called data encryption data and they use something called triple dash (ph) which definitely allows it to be protected. But unfortunately, the problem with the pin numbers is there's only four characters which means that there's only about 10,000 different combinations that you can do in order to get it. So altogether, it's not going to hold up because hackers can do is called brute forcing it to such grab those pin numbers itself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FIELD: Initially, Target had said that card numbers and names were stolen. They are now saying, of course, that the pin data was also stolen. So, the bottom line for anyone out there who was affected by this, they're being advised to get new pin numbers, it's the best thing to protect yourself moving forward, Fred. WHITFIELD: All right, Alexandra Field. Thanks so much in New York.

All right, let's bring in an expert on hacking, David Chronister, joining me now via Skype from St. Louise. He's the founder of Parameter Securities.

So David, Target says pins are strongly encrypted, but can anything be decoded?

DAVID CHRONISTER, FOUNDER, PARAMETER SECURITY: Any sort of encryption can be broken. And, again, depending on what type of encryption they were using, some of them like triple dash (ph) is a lot harder to decrypt. But again, if your pin number's four digits, it's going to be easier to just guess and figure out what that pin number can be.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness. So, what should people do? What's your best recommendation?

CHRONISTER: Well, first, again, understand that Target is the one that we're hearing about today, but a lot of different merchants are having attacks they don't even know about. So, understand, this is the reality. Make sure that you're using credit cards and not debit cards. Make sure you're not using your pin number. If possible, use something along the lines of a prepaid card or cash. Something you're wanting to understand that if your card is compromised that you can mitigate your damage.

WHITFIELD: My goodness. Well, a lot of folks are hearing you say use your credit card or cash. And, wow, everyone feels that using their cash card is oh so convenient. And wasn't the pin number, wasn't that designed to give you a layer of security?

CHRONISTER: Well, it's what we call two factor authentications. But the problem you have is when both of the authentication points are sitting on the computer, it really doesn't help if someone's able to grab that information.

WHITFIELD: And you say there really needs to be a major overhaul. I mean, we're talking really countrywide. There are some countries that have like special chips or certain assets of technology they apply to their cards to better secure them. What's missing on the U.S. market that you think is desperately need?

CHRONISTER: A smart card technology. And, again, this gets rid of the account numbers. And understand that America was one of the first countries to deal with credit cards. And so our infrastructure was built back in the '60s, '70s and '80s. You go outside of the United States and most of North America, you go into Europe, Africa, you are going to deal with smart cards. And this gets rid totally of your account number. It's a one-time transaction. If someone's able to grab your quote "credentials,' they're not going to be able to use it again. Unfortunately, the credit card industry says that the cost to upgrade costs more than the actual breaches now. I hope they go back and research that again.

WHITFIELD: David Chronister, thanks so much. Appreciate it. And happy New Year.

CHRONISTER: Thanks, Fred. You, too.

WHITFIELD: The threat from al-Qaeda. Well, it's growing. Experts say intercepted messages from the terror group paint a disturbing picture that's coming up.

Also next, watching Congress hit wall after wall in 2013 was incredibly frustrating for voters. Poll numbers reflected, so what can lawmakers do to get back on track? That's next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Fame, fortune, and millions in prize money. Who did the best players in the world have to thank for making tennis what it is today?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ladies and gentlemen, Billy Jean King.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We really stood together to form the WTA back in '73. And I think everyone's really proud of themselves now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Billy Jean King took center stage when the WTA reunited the past number ones in London.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Billy Jean has been one of my ultimate inspirations.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's always so inspirational. To see and just being around Billy, you feel better after talking to her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Really, the players today are living our dream.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, Congress is facing a huge uphill climb in 2014 if it wants to win back the public's trust. Its approval rating is in the tank. And it seems like nothing has been getting done. And voters are furious. So furious that some say this is the worst Congress in their lifetime.

Dana Bash has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Freshman Angus King and Joe Donnelly just wrapped up their first year in the Senate. Their take on the institution is telling.

SEN. ANGUS KING, JR., (I), MAINE: It's still pretty bad we haven't been able to get more done.

SEN. JOE DONNELLY (D), INDIANA: The more cooperation we can get, the better off we will be. BASH: A new CNN/ORC poll shows 67 percent, two-thirds of the country, call this the worst Congress of their lifetime. And nearly three- quarters of those people, 74 percent, have lived a long life, they're 50 and older. Seventy-three percent say Congress has done nothing to address the country's problems.

The public approval of Congress is still pretty low. Does that surprise you?

DONNELLY: No, because what they see every day on television is deadlock and fights and screaming. What you don't see every day is large groups of both Democrats and Republicans coming together saying how can we work through this process?

BASH: One thing that is bipartisan, the blame, the public doesn't trust either party. Fifty-two percent say policies of Democratic congressional leaders will move the country in the wrong direction. Republican leaders fair only slightly worse, 54 percent, saying the GOP will move the country in the right direction.

Moderate Republican Susan Collins spent the year organizing bipartisan discussion to solve big problems. She wants Americans to have hope for 2014.

SEN. SUSAN COLLIS (R), MAINE: I hope that the American people will realize that there are some of us who are trying to build bridges and bring people together and solve problems.

BASH: Congress did leave for the year on a higher note than when it started passing a bipartisan budget through the house and Senate. Several senators told me they had people coming up to them all over the states thanking them for being reasonable. One told me he first he thought he thought it was a nice compliment. But then he realized, that's a pretty low bar.

Dana Bash, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, those are tough poll numbers hanging over Congress going in to 2014. So here to break it down, how bad is it really, Republican strategist Rich Galen and CNN's political commentator Charles Blow.

All right, gentlemen, good to see you.

All right, so Rich, you first, is public opinion too harsh or do they have it right?

RICH GALEN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: People can be as disappointed as they want to be. I think that judging Congress is by on how many bills they pass is like judging a cop on how many parking tickets he wrote, the one with the most parking tickets wins.

WHITFIELD: But is it just that or is it also that there have been, you know, a lot of contention? GALEN: Fred -- and it is, I think one of the issues that we have is that the nature of the relationships between members on both -- each side of the aisle has changed dramatically since I first came to Washington in the late '70s. And I think Charles will agree that. The notion of being able -- when members lived here, their families were here, they would see each other's kids at, you know, doing plays and concerts. Those days are gone. Everybody goes home almost every weekend. They have nothing to do with each other. And it's a lot harder to, I think, just turn your back on somebody if you know them personally than it is if they're just somebody -- another name that's on the other side of the aisle.

WHITFIELD: So Charles, what's happened with the culture of doing business on Capitol Hill?

CHARLES BLOW, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I think Rich is right in one sense that the relationship piece is a big piece. But I think it's bigger than that. It is more philosophical than this. That they don't agree on the priorities. And simply, you don't agree on the priorities, it's really hard to get something accomplished out of that.

And a lot of priorities used to be kind of bipartisan priorities. So, we build bridges and infrastructure and things like that everybody could say this just in the nation's interest and we can at least to agree to do these things even if we disagree on some other kind of social issues or what have you.

That is no longer even the case. And you have many newer members of Congress, many, almost all of them, Republican members of Congress, who basically this is what they were elected to do, which is they were elected to go to Washington to stop Washington. There is a sentiment in the country, particularly on the right that says that if Washington tries to do it, they will kind of foul it up. And the health care debacle has kind of fed that fire. And you may see even more of this coming out -- can happening next year and after the midterms depending on how that turns out.

So, if you don't even agree that this is a problem, some people look at this and say, this is not a problem. This is exactly what we wanted you to do. Go make those guys stop doing things and that is precisely what many of the newer Republicans are doing.

WHITFIELD: And Rich?

GALEN: I think, Charles, once we get through the majority of the filing deadlines, this is pretty far down in ridge. But once we get through the filing deadlines where members don't have to worry about being primaried on either their left or right, it may well be that they find some more things they can do. Obviously, immigration comes immediately to mind. But I think once we get passed that era, which will be about March, April, May that I think we may see more bills actually coming to the floor and getting across the rotunda and being able to picked up.

BLOW: But I think many the big bills are not, you know, don't stand a very good chance of moving. So, they are -- the things the American people really wanted to see happen. These are big things, not like the small things you can pick through the less than 60 bills that were passed this year. It is a -- you know, these are big things. These are not big things. But there were big things that most Americans, vast majorities of Americans that this is something that we think should be addressed, immigration, should be addressed. Something should be done on the gun issue.

Whatever it is, no matter how big or small you think it should be, we think that something should be done. We don't want to see, you know, room full of elementary school kids dead. We don't want to see that. So, -- but we can't get these big things done. And when you have just today, you can't figure out how to do something about the millions of people who are losing long time unemployment benefits. And it's the idea that, you know, they're lazy people.

No, that's a horrible thing to say because we all know these people. These are our neighbors, these are people who go out, try to look for places, jobs, have, you know, a stack full of resumes on their desks and they just can't find it because there are so few jobs to be had. You can't tackle that, that's hard on people. People see that and --

GALEN: So Charles, will this be reflected in the midterm election results? And if so, how?

BLOW: I still believe the midterms are very far off. I mean, we didn't even know that health care would be the deal that it is now. We didn't know that the government shutdown would fade so quickly from the public's perception. I think, you know, nine months out is still a long time out. So, I'm not sure how it'll play out in the midterms. It is conceivable that you could have Republicans take control of the Senate. It is also even a longer shot that you could have Democrats much, much longer shot, actually, Democrats take control of the House of Representatives. But even if you do have Republicans take control of the Senate, you still won't have them take control by a veto proof majority.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: So I wonder, Rich, then, if not for those big -- those kinds of incentives, those big issues or not even midterms. Are there any other incentives to have a new year and a new attitude for members of Congress, Rich?

GALEN: I don't know. Unfortunately, I think not. As Charles accurately pointed out, when these members go, especially members of the house go home to their very finely determined districts. By the way, when you make a Republican district more Republican, something has to happen to the Democrats. They go into Democrats districts so they become more Democrats. And what happens is that they go home and hear from the people that put them there and that they want them to essentially continue doing what they want to do and with Republicans in the house in control. What they want to do is, as Charles put it, stop government growth. And I think that's probably not a bad idea. So, I don't think there is any incentive the way you put it. Unfortunately, I wish there were. WHITFIELD: OK.

BLOW: But the tragedy is that, you know, we could be looking at a long stretch of time where this becomes the norm. And we do have large kind of national priorities that we should be tackling that probably will not be tackled.

GALEN: I got to write three days a week. The last thing I need is an era of good feeling. This is good.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: All right. Charles Blow, Rich Galen, thank so much and Happy New Year. Let's be optimistic about it.

All right, thanks so much, gentlemen.

All right, coming up, 2013, well, in addition to a few problems on Capitol Hill, there have been a few scandals, not just in the U.S. but in all of North America. So from crack-smoking mayor to a sexting mayoral candidate, we are releasing the top stories of the year.

And it's been two years since Osama bin Laden has been killed but al- Qaeda may pose a bigger threat. I'll explain why next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The U.S. State Department said this week it's giving weapons and drones to Iraq to help the country fight a growing threat from al-Qaeda. The terror group may have taken a hit in 2011 when Osama bin Laden was killed, but now experts say it's getting stronger.

Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): CNN has learned recent intercepts of messages from senior al Qaeda operatives in Yemen are renewing concern the group is planning new attacks. The intercepts don't indicate specific targets but are described by one source as quote, "active plotting."

SETH JONES, RAND CORPORATION: There are multiple indications that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is plotting attacks both within Yemen against the U.S. and other western structures, as well as overseas.

STARR: The group in Yemen already well known and for the failed underwear bomber attempt to bring down an airplane Christmas Day, 2009.

Four years later, the U.S. intelligence community believes it poses the greatest threat of an attack on the U.S.

JONES: They're still capable of conducting attacks outside of Yemen including plotting attacks against the United States in multiple locations, including trying to conduct attacks against the U.S. homeland especially by taking down the aircraft.

STARR: Analysts say the group rebounded in 2013 from battlefield losses. U.S. drone strikes have had -mixed results. A drone attack this month failed to kill an al-Qaeda planner believed to be behind a plot to attack the U.S. Embassy. Yemen says, more than a dozen members of a wedding party were killed in that attack.

Yemen's al Qaeda leader Nasser al-Wuhayshi, also advising the al-Qaeda fighters across the region. And those al-Qaeda affiliates from Yemen to Syria, Iraq and Libya are growing stronger. The threat they pose worries key members of Congress.

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Are we safer now than we were a year ago, two years ago?

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: I don't think so.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: I absolutely agree that we're not safer today.

STARR: In Iraq, police are trying to crack down, but al-Qaeda openly operates training camps near the Syrian border and from there, al- Qaeda has moved into Syria with weapons and tactics learned during the U.S. war in Iraq.

Inside Syria, a key al-Qaeda affiliate also stronger than a year ago. About 100 Americans along with potentially hundreds from Europe are fighting alongside thousands of militants.

JONES: If they were able to return to Europe and to get access to the United States, or return directly to the United States, they were not put on a watch lists. They would pose a very serious threat. They're well trained, they're radicalized and they have the ability and the intent to strike the U.S. homeland.

STARR (on camera): Analyst say, the rallies of the new al-Qaeda affiliates is part of the price paid for years of attacks against the old core al-Qaeda. Many of those leaders are long gone including Osama bin Laden and now, the new affiliates have much more autonomy, much more freedom to operate as they see fit.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: In Egypt, students who back the Muslim brotherhood are again protesting on the streets of Cairo. One student has been killed in the violence. And 60 others arrested by authorities. Our Ian Lee has details.

IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, it's been a deadly week in Cairo and around Egypt as security forces crack down heavily on protesters out supporting the ousted President Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood. The main focal point though has been al-Azhar University in Cairo, this is the main school of Sunni Islamic thoughts in the world. And it's not surprising that the Muslim Brotherhood in Islamist organization would find support there despite the fact that the administration supports the government.

Now, this comes as the Muslim Brotherhood is declared a terrorist organization by the Egyptian government. Meaning, the hundreds of protesters who have been arrested face possible tough sentencing with the organizers of the protests facing possible life sentences. And on top of that, the Egyptian government has frozen the assets of the leadership, the Muslim Brotherhood and their NGOs -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, Ian Lee.

And as reported earlier this hour, the Libyan government released four U.S. military personnel who had been taken into custody. President Obama is on vacation with his family in Hawaii. And our Athena Jones is live for us now from Honolulu. So, Athena, any reaction from the president on what took place in Libya?

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Fredricka. Well, the White House isn't saying much about the situation in Libya. Directing question says, the State Department and the Pentagon, but an official does say, the president was briefed on the situation there in Libya by the National Security council staff. And this is exactly what would be expected. The president of course is president wherever he goes, even here in Hawaii. He may be spending his day at the beach or golfing, and going out at centers at night but he still gets his presidential daily briefing and any other briefings necessary. So, he has been updated but that's all we have from the White House -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: And what about on Egypt?

JONES: That's another situation where the State Department is in the lead. No direct response from the White House yet on that area, as well. But we do know that the Secretary of State John Kerry has expressed concern directly to Egypt's foreign minister earlier this week, about the interim government decision to declare the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization. As you know and as Ian mentioned, it's one of the biggest political party in Egypt. And this goes far beyond politics. We're talking about NGOs, charities, it's a big social movement in that country.

And so, the U.S. government is expressing concern about that move by Egypt's government. But the real question here is, how much influence the U.S. has over what Egypt does. And so, you can bet that the White House and the national security staff are closely following the situation, monitoring the situation and keeping the president updated. But no direct response from the White House so far -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Athena Jones, thanks so much from Honolulu, I appreciate that.

All right. Coming up, the real life scandals that kept us glued to our television sets. Which one made it to our top list for 2013? And next, "Duck Dynasty" fans are happy, happy, happy. Phil Robertson is back on the show. But the decision is not without controversy. We'll tell you why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) UNIDENTIFIED MAN: We think he had the right to say it and we believe in the same morals and Christian beliefs that Phil believes in. So we're behind him 100 percent.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Well, the comments were pretty harsh. Yes, there's a way of saying things. You know, if you don't agree with something, there's ways to word it to where you're not trying to, you know, dehumanize someone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. That's the reaction from some people in Louisiana. To the A&E Network reinstating "Duck Dynasty" star Phil Robertson. Really they were commenting about what Phil Robertson said. But nonetheless, there's been a lot of reaction over A&E. Now, lifting that suspension. So he was originally suspended indefinitely from the show ten days ago for his controversial comments about African-Americans and gays in a GQ interview. Well, A&E now says, the show will begin filming in the spring with the entire Robertson family.

Well, not everyone is happy about that. Glad released a statement saying this, quote, "If dialogue with Phil isn't part of next steps then A&E have chosen profits over African-American and gay people, especially its employees and viewers," end quote.

So Bradley Jacobs, senior editor at "Us Weekly" joins us now from New York. OK. So, Brad, what was the suspension about in your view in the first place?

BRADLEY JACOBS, SENIOR EDITOR, "US WEEKLY": Well, Phil did an interview with "GQ" and he made some anti-gay statements and said African-Americans were happier before civil rights. So, that created a fire storm. And A&E immediately suspended him. The problem is, it wasn't that simple. People who supported Phil were saying, well, his anti-gay statements were related to his passion for the bible. And then suddenly A&E was being seen as anti-Christian. And that was a very difficult place for A&E to be. And that is what likely motivated their decision to lift the suspension yesterday.

WHITFIELD: And then I wonder, was A&E a straight shooter in all of this? Because A&E had this indefinite suspension. But then I understand right on Christmas Day, they still had like a "Duck Dynasty" marathon and Phil Robertson was in just about every episode. So, was A&E really setting up to do anything by having this indefinite suspension if he was still going to be on the air?

JACOBS: You've got to remember, Fredricka, this is A&E's biggest show by far. It's got 14 million viewers. We put it on the cover of "Us Weekly" and it sells extremely well. There's merchandise for "Duck Dynasty" in Wal-Mart. They did a Christmas album, "Duck the Halls" which has sold 700,000 copies. This is big business. So why wouldn't A&E run a marathon on Christmas Day? Everyone was just sitting around at home. It is one of their biggest shows. They do have these shows, you know, on the shelf, ready to show. So I don't think that that was so hypocritical really. WHITFIELD: OK. So then making that point, then, why wouldn't A&E go ahead and lift the suspension knowing that it is such a, you know, cash cow or cash duck in this case that of course they're going to resume shooting the series come spring.

JACOBS: Well, that's what they've decided to do. You know, it will be interesting to see what happens from here. As you said, groups like GLAAD have come out and said, we're not satisfied with this. Even Christian groups are saying, well, we're still not satisfied either because now is A&E going to be representing us? Are they going to be standing behind Phil Robertson and his passion for the bible? But one thing is for sure, this comedy, this fun, light reality show is now going to be controversial for years. And any time...

WHITFIELD: It's a lightning rod.

JACOBS: ...Phil Robertson doesn't interview with a magazine or anyone else, you're going to be looking for those incendiary remarks. He's going to be grilled on his opinions on gay marriage, for instance. He's going to be asked about Obama and, you know, everything he says is going to be looked at and make headlines so it will attract more viewers for the show. It will be even bigger in its next season, I'm sure.

WHITFIELD: Wow. Incredible. Bradley Jacobs, thank you so much. We can see it just might be a banner year for "Duck Dynasty" or even A&E come the New Year's beginnings.

All right. Thanks so much. Good to see you.

JACOBS: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Happy New Year. All right. So we did see lots of scandals in 2013. Including the personal dramas, some of it that went very public and some of the gaffes that went very viral. Which scandals made our top ten lists? The answer, next.

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WHITFIELD: All right. It's been a big year for scandals. And Joe Johns names the top ten scandals of 2013.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Number 10, beam me up, baby. It's seldom you get the crack question of the year and the crack answer of the year in the same place, but it happened to the now notorious star of his own crack-smoking video.

ROB FORD, MAYOR OF TORONTO: Am I an addict? No.

JOHNS: Toronto Mayor Rob Ford when he got put on the spot in an open forum with the whole world watching.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you purchased illegal drugs in the last two years? FORD: Yes, I have.

JOHNS: Ford was a trendsetter in 2013 -- leader of the pack in the category of mayors gone wild with honorable mention to number nine, San Diego's Mr. Smooth himself, Bob Filner, who resigned as mayor facing a tidal wave of sexual harassment allegations. Charges of unwanted advances including a former female employee who filed suit, Irene McCormick Jackson, alleging that Filner asked her, "Wouldn't it be great if you took off your panties and worked without them on?" He was eventually sentenced to 90 days home confinement and three years' probation for assaulting women.

Number eight, also in the runoff for worst mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, the former hip hop mayor of Detroit convicted of racketeering and extortion so pervasive that prosecutors said it helped pushed the Motor City into the largest municipal bankruptcy in American history. Kilpatrick finally got the term he wasn't elected to serve 28 years in federal prison.

And speaking of elections, number seven on our list isn't a mayor, but he could have been. New York's former Congressman, Anthony Weiner a hit performer on the list from past years for the sexting controversy that made him leave Capitol Hill. Weiner made an encore running for the Big Apple's top job.

But when more explicit pictures surfaced that were sent to a 22-year- old woman under the alias "Carlos Danger," Weiner, who is married lost the primary with less than five percent of the vote. Magnanimous as always Weiner gave the media the universal "We're number one hand signal as a parting shot."

While we're on the subject of popularity, number six on our list is that agency everybody loves to hate -- the Internal Revenue Service. And in keeping with the season what might be described as one of the most notorious naughty list in recent U.S. history. It seems somebody at the IRS got bright the idea of singling out conservative groups, especially Tea Partiers, for extra special attention.

The practice attracted outrage from coast to coast. And an investigation by the other federal agency that gins up fear and anxiety everywhere, the Justice Department.

And speaking of spilling the goodies, there are some non-government players that must be mentioned for outstanding performances in 2013.

Number five on our list is the former Man of Steel, Lance Armstrong. Here is a guy who was master of the cycling world and the big lie, winning the Tour De France seven times, claiming repeatedly that he wasn't doping to enhance his athletic performance. But after being banned from the sport, he gave a tell-all, sort of, interview with Oprah, where else? He confessed and offered what may be remembered as the biggest understatement in the history of sport.

LANCE ARMSTRONG, CYCLIST: I'm not the most believable guy in the world right now. JOHNS: Number four on our list with another kind of credibility problem -- that phony sign language interpreter who crashed the Nelson Mandela memorial service. It would be funnier if it weren't so creepy. This guy got within arm's length of the President of the United States, making meaningless gestures. It later came to light that he had once been accused of rape and murder but was found not guilty.

Number three is Paula Deen.

PAULA DEEN, CELEBRITY CHEF: My goodness.

JOHNS: What would possess a host of a popular cooking show that get herself embroiled in a lawsuit where somebody was actually going to ask her under oath whether she ever used the "n" word when she knew she did? Can you say settle the case already?

And speaking of legal problems, number two on our list is the not so secretive anymore NSA, the National Security Agency. Who would have thought that one government outfit that was supposed to be stealth city could manage to embarrass or anger just about everybody in the U.S., by letting a rogue former contractor named Edward Snowden download a busload of secrets, so-called signal intelligence, from its computer system, splash some of it to the media and then run off to Russia, of all places, while the goodies continue to be spilled item by item for maximum effect.

And finally on our list coming in dead even, tied for first place for the broken government award of the year, Congress, for the absolutely inexplicable government shutdown crisis of 2013 that featured an absurdist dramatic reading of a Dr. Seuss classic in the midst of a 21-hour Senate talk-a-thon.

SEN. TED CRUZ (R), TEXAS: I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them Sam I am.

JOHNS: And not to be overlooked, the Obama administration for the utterly disastrous bungled rollout of the HealthCare.gov website. Which debacle was worst is entirely in the eye of the beholder. The futile attempts by a Congressional minority to dismantle a law of the land upheld by the Supreme Court with the stated aim of getting rid of the President's signature achievement or the video replays of the leader of the free world promising that his signature achievement would allow anyone to keep the status quo only to find out, that well, it just wasn't true.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan.

JOHNS: Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, Joe. And you've been picking your top 10 stories of the year on CNN.com. We will reveal what viewers voted for their top ten choices Monday 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. All right. With the holiday shopping surge behind you, the thought of more shopping, just might make you cringe but this is the best time to get some great deals. We'll tell you how after this.

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WHITFIELD: All right. You've shopped for the gifts, you've opened the presents, and this weekend, many of you are still headed to the stores. For more, and in some cases to make some returns but guess what, this is a good time to take advantage of more big sales. Christine Romans shows us what bargains are out there and where to find them.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It is the most selfish time of the year. After Christmas when the discounts are deep and you're shopping for everyone else, these are already done. The best after Christmas sales are clothing expect huge mark downs from Banana Republic, Club Monaco, Gap, French Connection. This is according to deal news. Last year, Gap and French Connection shopped retail expert were extra discounts of 30 percent to 50 percent off on top of sales of up to 75 percent off.

New Year's Day is the best time to buy furniture. That's what Brett Beamer says, it's America's Research Group. It has become a tradition for people to shop for furniture on that day. New furniture lines come out in February. So there's old product to move. It's also, the second or third biggest day of the year. For mattress sales. Mattress sales companies are caught on to this furniture trend and they have now successfully piggybacked with those major furniture sales.

OK. If you want a big screen TV, think Super Bowl weekend. Beamer says, that's the perfect storm. The consumer electronics shows in January. The Super Bowl is in early February. Retailers are looking forward and they're moving out the old stuff. And how about a new car? Did you know that December 31st is the best day? Dealers and auto makers want to meet their year-end goal, experts say. Kelley Blue Book says, consumers are going to get the best possible deal on a new car on the last day of the year maybe until January 2nd if it's included in the dealership sales calendars. Hunt for zero percent financing as for people who qualify and hefty cash rebates.

Christine Romans, CNN, New York.

WHITFIELD: All right. Good deals on some big shopping there. Christine Romans, thanks so much. That's a good deal for me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Up next, my colleague Rosa Flores here in the house. It's nice to see you again. I can't help it. Have a great evening, you have a lot straight ahead.

ROSA FLORES, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. And Happy New Year.

WHITFIELD: Happy New Year. That's right. I'll see you tomorrow.

FLORES: Oh that's true.

WHITFIELD: But then after that, we'll see each other in 2014.

FLORES: Definitely so. The next hour of NEWSROOM begins right now.