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Expedition Team Stuck In Thin Ice; Target PIN Security Breach Widespread; Libya Sets Four Americans Free; Fears Of Civil War In South Sudan Growing Fast; Knockout Gamer Charged with Hate Crime; New Pope, New Vatican, New Hope?; Pope Francis the Fashionista?; Pot Becomes Legal in Colorado; Whiskey-Making Revs Up in London

Aired December 28, 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: Agent McMullen, tell us about your suspect. What led him to Tupelo and where do you think he might be right now?

DANIEL MCMULLEN, FBI SPECIAL AGENT (via phone): Well, we believe that the person responsible for the bank robbery and the murder of the police officer and critical wounding of another is the same person that is responsible for the Bank of America robbery in Atlanta on the morning of December 23rd. We have a number of similarities with regard to the entire method of operation with the bank robbery and also the automobile that the robber has utilized. We are looking at this as a nationwide manhunt. Multistate attempt to identify and locate this individual.

FLORES: Do you have a description? Because I'm thinking, what can the public do to help?

MCMULLEN: We have provided wanted posters. We have photos on www.FBI.gov that have pictures, surveillance pictures from the bank robberies. It captures the robber with a black mask and a very distinctive shirt and distinctive shoes and Khaki pants. We also have surveillance photos of what we believe to be a late model Chrysler 200. It is a gray sedan, again, possibly a late model Chrysler 200.

So, looking at the photos on our Web site and looking at the vehicle, there is information that can be taken from that. The size of the person, we believe between 5'8" and six foot tall, slender build. The weapon he was carrying. So, there are some things that may be of value putting out to the public and we are hoping anyone who is listening will go to that Web site, look at the pictures and see if there's anything that sticks out for you. And we have a 1-800-call- FBI tip line that's been established for that. So, it's 1-800-call- FBI.

FLORES: You know, in these cases, time is of the essence. It's been several days since the bank robbery attempts and those shootings. What is your the confidence level that you will be able to find this man now that all this time has passed?

MCMULLEN: Well, we are certainly hopeful. We believe a big part of this will be information coming from the public to get us closer to locating him and capturing him. For that reason, we have -- we are offering a reward up to $100,000 leading to the identification and arrest. Certainly, as every day goes by gets tougher. But we are certainly hopeful and as he's responsible for the attempted bank robbery in Atlanta and bank robbery here to Tupelo, we would believe he will continue on his (INAUDIBLE) criminal spree.

FLORES: And do you believe he is acting alone?

MCMULLEN: As it stands now, we are looking for one suspect. But we certainly can't discount the possibility that he is being aided and supported by others.

FLORES: I see. And what about the police officer who survived? Do you know his condition?

MCMULLEN: He is steadily improving.

FLORES: All right.

MCMULLEN: Well, thank you so much for that update. We appreciate it.

Special agent Daniel McMullen, thank you so much.

Now, we have been following the flight of a research ship that got itself in hot water in perhaps one of the coldest places on earth. Seventy-four people, scientists, crew and paying tourists, they are all on board this Russian flag ship, not far from Antarctica and they are stuck. They are stuck in thick ice.

Chris Turney is the expedition leader. He joins me live from the stranded ship.

It's great to see you.

Chris, first things first, how is everyone doing on board?

CHRIS TURNEY, ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION LEADER: Really quite good, actually. Surprisingly so. The team is fabulous and pulled together. And people are dealing with it in their own unique ways, of course. But, we are being supportive and giving regular briefings twice a day to the team, letting them know the greatest progress (INAUDIBLE). As you can appreciate, it is a very fluid situation.

In 12 hours or so, things change again. At the moment, moral is good, people are keeping busy. We have all sorts of different skill sets and life sets on the team. And learning and teaching each other all sorts of things. We had math lessons yesterday. We have a shocking movement a couple of days. We got choir practice. I hope we are out soon.

FLORES: Paint a picture for us. Many of us have never been there. You are stuck in the ice. Do you hear several noises? What's the weather like? Can you paint a picture for us?

TURNEY: Absolutely.

I'm looking over this amazing sea escape effective near. Jumbled ice, blocks of ice been heaved up around. I don't know if you saw the Chris Turney You Tube, you check its site's channel, but on boxing day we had an incredible blizzard. We had wind speeds of 50 kilometers now gusting to 70 kilometers now and that was very much, that was the average wind conditions more since expedition. The Australian (ph) Antarctic expedition that we are looking to make scientific observations to compare to. It's the winds they experienced. (INAUDIBLE) forced huge amounts of sea up against the vessel. And when we worked the following morning, we were aware of huge blocks of ice packed in very densely. Since then the winds have eased. The low pressure system causing the blizzard has passed away. It has opened some needs. We have some open water around us. It is wide team of horizon, a few ice bergs up in the distance, they are not moving, fortunately. And just away on the port side is the Antarctic continent and there's a few outlines of some rocky islands, the age of a constant. And then rising up behind this enormous plateau of ice, which reaches up about 1,000 feet above sea level and keeps going.

There's not much life. It's very still. And maybe it's hard for people to appreciate back home how quiet it is. There's very little bird life around here. Occasionally, occasionally, the penguins come and find us. They are about a foot tall and they will just break out of the water. They are very inquisitive creatures. They come look at us almost to say what the hell are you doing here?

FLORES: Very inquisitive. I bet. Now, what is the latest on your rescue? Do you have a time line at this point?

TURNEY: Well, working in Antarctica, the common theme you hear is the "a" factor, the Antarctica factor. And to be perfectly honest, you just never know what is going to happen. It is they call it misconceptions, its thing operate the glaze slow pace over here. And it is just not the case even though it's ice we are dealing with, it can change so quickly.

And as a result of which, the Chinese snow ice breaker, snow dragon really struggled to get through (INAUDIBLE). We have another ice breaker coming toward us at the moment, The Australian vessel, the Aurora Australian. It's due to arrive on the edge of the sea ice about 20 nautical miles away sometime around midnight to the early hours. And then, they will have to get between the captains of the two vessels and try to find a route through of greatest arms.

Basically, it's like lancing a wound. You have to relieve the pressure around the vessel so we can get out. It's going to take quite awhile. So, at the moment, it's hurry up and wait basically which is watching patiently and the AC (ph) will be as best as we can.

We would just like to say a big thank you to everyone out there, all our family and friends. Please be reassured that everyone is well. And if they would like to learn more, visit the expedition Web site, SpiritofMawson.com, where we are loading daily updates on how people are including video so people can see loved ones. But ship is not in immediate danger and everyone is well.

FLORES: That's great to hear. And I'm following you on twitter as well. If you want to his journey, follow him on twitter.

Chris Turney, thank you so much.

Target massive debit card security breach has taken on new levels of concern. And this after the company announced yesterday that not only were customer debit cards at risk, but pin numbers were also stolen. Forty million debit accounts were affected by the hacking. Many customers rushed to get new cards while the retail company quickly partnered with the department of justice to launch an investigation.

Joining us live is Kevin Mitnick, a former hacker who was once the FBIs most wanted computer criminal. He's now the president of Mitnicksecurity.com.

And Kevin, first of all, thank you so much for joining us. Target says that the pin numbers are encrypted, so they are still safe. What is your take?

KEVIN MITNICK, PRESIDENT, MITNICKSECURITY.COM: Well, that's what we have to go on. Unfortunately, we really don't know for sure if the hackers were able to put in software into the point of sale systems at any of the target stores. It's possible they could have intercepted the information but we really don't know. But really, who cares if the hackers got the pins because if they got the debit card numbers, they are able to probably use these debit cards online without the pin because the only thing you really need is the code, the CVV code to actually commit fraud with using those cards as long as the debit card allows you to use it as a point of sale card as well.

FLORES: Now Kevin, you have quite a resume. You maintain a 100 percent successful track record for being able to break into any corporate system for which you have been paid to hack. What is your advice? What advice would you give to target to protect themselves against future hackings?

MITNICK: Well, Target, obviously, Target had a huge security issue. They were compromised and we really don't know how the hackers got in. But obviously, Target needs to obviously ramp up their security. And what concerns me is the hackers were able to get unencrypted credit card numbers. So, my question is, is target actually storing any of the customer credit cards in the clear, which would be a mistake.

I believe target should audit their systems, look at any of their web applications. They have to train their people against what we call social engineering attacks. And what that is imagine how easy it is for a hacker to break into target or any company's network. They could send a booby trap or document or PDF file. And once an employee is tricked into opening up this file, it gives the hacker complete control over that employee's computer.

So, it's really that easy. And the hacker only has to find one victim at a company to compromise to get their foot in the door of that company's network.

FLORES: You know, what you mentioned reminded me about companies, retailers saying do you want a printed receipt or do you want an e- mailed receipt? It always makes me a little leery to give out my e- mail address to get information from a retailer. MITNICK: It shouldn't really bother you. Getting your receipt via e- mail probably is not a risk. But, when we, as consumers go into bricks and mortar and use our credit card, we assume that those bricks and mortar are secure. Unfortunately, it is hacking the companies is really far too easy like you mentioned earlier in the program, when companies hire us to do what we call a penetration test, which is actually an ethical hacking exercise, we have 100 percent success rate over the last decade. So, that really goes to show that companies out there need to innovate new products and services to help businesses like Target really mitigate the risk to stop these types of hacking attacks.

FLORES: Kevin Mitnick, thank you so much for sharing your expertise with us. We appreciate it.

MITNICK: Thank you, Rosa.

FLORES: Better late than never, right? UPS says all delayed holiday packages have now been delivered. UPS says the volume of packages this year exceeded its capacity. They could have asked drivers to work Christmas day, but decided not to do that. UPS says severe weather in the Dallas area created a backlog and the volume proved to be too much.

FedEx was late with deliveries as well and reported as quote " any isolated issues have been resolved."

And just ahead, it's called the knockout game. But it has life threatening consequences. Now, one suspect is being charged with a federal hate crime.

But first, a lot of Americans will be receiving money that could help them put food on the table and Congress is getting the blame.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FLORES: Libya is setting free four Americans detained for several hours. But authorities are being cagey about just why they took the U.S. military personnel into custody in the first place.

CNN's Sunlen Serfaty has more on their release.

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Rosa, we are starting 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.

The White House has not publicly stated a reaction to this yes. A White House official confirms to CNN that President Obama was updated on the situation during his vacation in Hawaii by his national security staff -- Rosa.

FLORES: Sunlen Serfaty for us, thank you so much.

More than a million Americans out of work lost financial help from the federal government. Today, emergency unemployment benefits ended because Congress failed to pass an extension before the holidays. Now the question is, will those cash-strapped Americans get them back?

Athena Jones is live in Honolulu with the president.

And Athena, which Americans are being affected by today's developments and what is the potential effect on the economy?

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Rosa.

We are talking more than 1.3 million people who have been collected long term unemployment insurance. These are the federal benefits that kick in after the state benefits for the run out. In some states, that starts as early as 14 weeks. So, those are the folks that saw their benefits cut off today. And the numbers will rise the longer the benefits aren't in place.

This is all coming at a time when Americans are already feeling great, glum about the economy. I want to read to you just a few numbers from out latest poll, the CNN/ORC poll. It shows that 68 percent of Americans believe that economic conditions right now are poor. And more than half, 56 percent say conditions will still be poor a year from now.

Now this pessimism is already affecting consumer spending, which is a big driver of the U.S. economy. Thirty-six percent said they cut back on food or medicine because of the economy, 58 percent say they have cut back on clothes and 56 percent say they postponed major purchases like furniture or appliances. And of course, there folks who are losing these unemployment benefits aren't going to be spending that money in the economy. So, t hat is going to have ripple effects, all of us and the economy, Rosa.

FLORES: Let's talk about the timing. The president says he endorsed the proposal to extend benefits. How soon before this would happen and why hasn't it happened already, before the holiday?

JONES: Well, Congress could not agree on extending this beforehand. Some people wanted to include this in the budget deal but it was not included in the end in that budget deal. And so, the president has been stressing this all along in the press conference right before he left Washington, D.C. to come here. He called on Congress to make extending unemployment its first order of business -- insurance, I should say, its first order of business when they come back into session in January. And it looks like that is what's going to happen. They are going to take it up very, very quickly.

The president yesterday had a phone call with two senators, a Democrat Jack Reed from Rhode Island and Republican Dean Heller from Nevada. Those are the two who look forward a bipartisan proposal that would extend unemployment insurance for three months while keeping Congress the time to work out in a more comprehensive plan for extending unemployment insurance benefits, one they would includes a way to offset it, a way to pay for it.

So, we expect this matter to be addressed as soon as Congress gets back. And we just have to see whether it can get through -- Rosa.

FLORES: Athena Jones live for us in Honolulu. Thank you so much.

And still ahead, protesters in Egypt met with gunfire and tear gas as police clash with supporters of ousted President Morsi. We'll have the latest on the violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. JEANETTE LUCAS, BAGHDAD: This is Captain Jeanette Lucas, stationed with the office of security corporation in Baghdad Iraq. I want to wish my wonderful mother, Angeline Brown in Columbus, Georgia a merry Christmas and happy new year. I love you so much, mom.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FLORES: Overseas today, students at the university in Egypt are blamed for setting fire to their school. It happened in Cairo where widespread protests have erupted since the government declared the political movement Muslim brotherhood, a terrorist organization. The students are reportedly supporters of the Muslim brotherhood and allegedly stormed the university with Molotov cocktails. At least one student was killed today fighting with Egyptian police.

A Syrian opposition group says 25 people died today in an air strike, allegedly on a vegetable market in the city of Aleppo. CNN cannot verify the death tolls.

Meantime, in a message to Pope Francis, Syria's President Bashar al- Assad said his government is ready to take part in peace talks. But, he says outside countries have to stop supporting terrorist groups for civil war to end. The Pope is said to be constantly following the situation in Syria.

Secretary of state, John Kerry is headed to the Middle East to restart peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Peace talks stalled in November with both sides digging in their heels. Key points of contention here include the continued Israeli presence in the Palestinian territories and construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Fears of a possible civil war in South Sudan are growing fast. Neighboring countries are threatening to step in if the violence doesn't let up soon. Today, United Nations secretary general Ban Ki- moon threw his weight behind an ultimatum calling for war in sight to stop fighting within days.

Senior international correspondent Arwa Damon has more from South Sudan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: East African leaders have issued a warning to the war in faction following a meeting that took place on Friday giving them four days to lay down their weapons or face the consequences. Exactly what those consequences are at this stage is unclear.

South Sudan's government has said that it is willing to come to the negotiating table without preconditions. And t he South Sudanese vice president is blaming rebel leader and former vice president Reik Machar for the ongoing fighting.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE). By issuing preconditions namely that cease-fire or peace cannot be reached unless a negotiation is conducted and a number of suffers.

DAMON: Among those potential obstacles is Machar's demand that his political allies be released from jail. The South Sudanese government is saying that they have to go through the judicial process.

Meanwhile, the first of the U.N. troops have arrived in country. Just a handful though, of the five and a half thousand that are expected. Their focus, of course, to protect the civilian population. Tens of thousands of which continue to seek shelter on U.N. bases. Doctors without borders also issuing a statement calling on both sides to lay down their weapons and allow them access in to various areas where people are in desperate need of medical care.

Just to give you an idea, we just arrived here. A curfew is in place. And even though the capital relatively speaking to other parts of the country has been stable, safe for the last week or so, civilians are still refusing to leave the U.N. compound here. That is how just terrified they are. That is just how traumatic the ordeal that they have gone through has been.

Arwa Damon, CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: Arwa Damon, thank you so much for that report.

And still ahead, fans of cable's top reality show have to be feeling a little ducky today. One of the stars is back on the show, but has a suspension had any effect on the show's future?

Plus, a young man is charged with a federal hate crime in connection with a knockout attack. Find out how his attorney is defending his alleged actions.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSA FLORES, CNN ANCHOR: A 27-year-old could spend 10 years behind bars for playing the so-called knockout game. Prosecutors say Conrad Barrett's vicious attack on an elderly black man was racially motivated. The feds also claimed Barrett laughed and said knockout as the man fell to the ground. A district judge denied bail Friday for Barrett.

Margaret Conley has the latest on the attack and the history of this dangerous game.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARGARET CONLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 27-year-old Conrad Barrett has been charged with a hate crime for knocking out a 79-year- old African-American man. A Houston judge said today that the crime was vicious and Barrett, quote, "stalked his victim. There is strong evidence he committed this offense. It is a hate crime."

According to the federal complaint, Barrett attacked because of the man's race and color and he made a video of the attack where he allegedly said, quote, "The plan is to see if I were to hit a black person, would this be nationally televised."

In a separate video, Barrett allegedly uses the N word and says that African-Americans, quote, "haven't fully experienced the blessing of evolution."

The brutal attack happened here in Katy, Texas, in November. The victim, who does not want to be identified, suffered two jaw fractures and was in the hospital for several days according to the federal complaint.

Barrett's attorney claims he is bipolar but was off his meds the night of the attack. Later he went to this bar and showed up the video to bystanders, one of them an off-duty police officer.

A string of cases over the last year has garnered more national attention with video that has gone viral, from states like Illinois to Washington, to New York.

The purpose of the so-called game is to knock unsuspecting pedestrians out cold with a single punch. The Barrett case has prompted lawmakers to re-examine state versus federal hate crimes.

DANNY CEVALLOS, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: State law just enhances hate crimes. In other words, your sentence is enhanced if it is proved that you committed a hate crime, however that's defined in a particular state. But under federal law, hate crimes are a separate crime, which again raises some questions about the constitutionality, about the equal protection clause.

CONLEY: Barrett's attorney says he is sorry. He will now await trial and if convicted could face a $250,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison.

Margaret Conley, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FLORES: Now the attorney for this knockout suspect spoke to our very own Don Lemon last night. And Don asked him how his client's actions are a result of a bipolar disorder. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Your client was a functioning member of society. Had the wherewithal to plan this.

GEORGE PARNHAM, ATTORNEY FOR "KNOCKOUT" SUSPECT: Correct.

LEMON: To pick out a victim, an elderly man who could not defend himself. And then now, since he has been caught doing it, it appears to most people that using bipolar disorder as a defense is an excuse for racist behavior.

PARNHARM: Well, I think the bipolar disorder is a mitigation, if you will, and can be viewed as such. I don't think that there's an insanity defense in the works in this particular case. And certainly I think that the federal definition of insanity precludes using that particular type of defense in this case.

LEMON: Seems like he planned this out, every single detail. He could have gone and stolen a car. He could have gone and shoplifted. He could have gone and done a number of things, but he planned this out in a manner that used race as the focus. And you don't see that as a federal hate crime?

PARNHARM: Well, what happens is that, first of all, people that are mentally ill make rational decisions all the time, premeditate matters all the time. Secondly, this individual did something very bizarre. After the action, he brags about it. He shows the video around to individuals saying that, hey, look what I've done. I have hit a knockout. Not being aware of how severely injured the individual was that he hit.

And again, that all has to be proven. I'm sure you understand that. But I'm saying that you've got to take into consideration the Supreme Courts have said whether it's a hate crime or not a hate crime, that you take into consideration the mental -- all in mitigation, the mental aspects of the individual that -- that did the action in question. And that's all we're saying here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: And we should add that the elderly victim told the court that he hopes Barrett will not be released. He says he's afraid Barrett may try to hurt him again.

And still ahead, Pope Francis has become hugely popular around the world. In a minute, we'll take a look at why not everyone in the church thinks that that's a good thing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. RENEE CHARITY CASSIDY, SOUTHWEST ASIA: Hey, Jacksonville. It's Captain Renee Charity Cassidy with the United States Air Force and Paxton High School class of '04. Mom, happy holidays, no tears, I'll be home soon. And Dad, I can't get you the '76 Mustang this year. Jacksonville, keep my family safe. And go Jaguars.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FLORES: The first priest in the U.S. charged with covering up child sex abuse in the Catholic Church is getting out of prison. A court reversed the conviction of Monsignor William Lynn on Thursday. He was convicted last year of child endangerment and went to prison. At the time, Lynn said he had tried to serve God as best as he could. Philadelphia's district attorney says he's likely to appeal.

For years, it seemed like the Vatican would never redeem itself from the child sex abuse scandal, and then came Pope Francis. He's been in charge for fewer than 10 months now. But already, many Catholics see him as a breath of fresh air. Unafraid to shake up the church and very different from his predecessor, Benedict XVI.

Now here to talk more about this is Dr. Brent Strawn, he's a professor of religion and theology at Emery University and an ordained minister as well.

And thank you so much for being here, first of all.

REV. BRENT STRAWN, RELIGION AND THEOLOGY PROFESSOR, EMERY UNIVERSITY: Hi. Yes, thank you.

FLORES: We have so many memorable moments, I think, that really when you talk about rattling the Catholic Church. What moment has impacted you the most?

STRAWN: Well, there's so many. He's had a great year, right? There's two moments that have gone viral that I think of when I think of Pope Francis. The first is when that little boy interrupted his talk at Vatican City. Came up on stage, hugged the Pope's leg, even sat in the Pope's chair. And he couldn't get him off even with candy, you know.

And the other one is when he hugged that horribly disfigured man, Vinicio Riva. And in both of those -- you know, both of those moments, the Pope was acting very much like Jesus in the New Testament when Jesus told the disciples to let the children come to him or when he touched and healed a man with skin disease.

And, you know, in Catholic talk, the Pope is the representative of Jesus Christ on earth so those two moments are extremely memorable.

FLORES: Now there's a lot of talk about what he's doing and the change that he is bringing. Do you see this as more just style or substance?

STRAWN: Yes. Yes. You know, "TIME" magazine recently said that the Pope has changed the music at the Vatican, but not the words. You know, but if you change the melody enough, the lyrics aren't going to fit anymore, you know, and we've already seen how small changes in what the Pope has done have that made a big splash.

And, you know, the other thing that's important in Christian teaching is symbols are so important, you know, the cross, or the manger, or the bread and the wine. And so even small symbolic changes could be fraught with major meaning. I mean, you think about last Easter when he washed the feet of that young Muslim woman and all of that that signified.

FLORES: When we think about changes in the Catholic Church, a lot of people probably think, OK, so women priests. Perhaps contraception. Do you perhaps see some of those things happening in our lifetime with Pope Francis?

STRAWN: Well, he's very traditional on these things, on women clergy, abortion, contraception, so any changes there are likely to happen I think are going to be small and they're going to take a long time. But as we've seen with him already, small changes can have a big splash. And, you know, what he said about women, for instance, that they were essential to the church or that what he called the feminine genius was necessary when church decisions were made.

It doesn't sound very radical to us in the United States. But in other parts of the world where women are still fighting in some places for basic human rights, that's a radical statement and a stunning statement that could have a great impact.

I think, though, clearly, his biggest most significant change to date has been the concern he's had for the poor and the needy and the vulnerable.

FLORES: And if there's a Pope that could do it, it would probably be him.

(LAUGHTER)

STRAWN: Yes.

FLORES: If there's somebody that could (INAUDIBLE) the change.

STRAWN: That's right. He's a surprising one, for sure.

FLORES: Definitely.

STRAWN: For sure.

FLORES: There are many things, many, I guess, virtues that we can think about when it comes to Pope Francis. For you, which one stands out the most that you see and say wow, this is really talking to the Christians out in the world.

STRAWN: Yes. Well, you know, it started all the way back to the choice of his name, Francis. We've had, you know, all kinds of Clements and Johns and Benedict, 16 Benedicts but the first Francis after the 13th century patron saint of the poor and needy. And you know, that choice signaled a new day in the papacy and in the Vatican with Pope Francis with this renewed emphasis on the poor and the needy.

So his humility, his compassion, these are the things that I think stand out and will mark his papacy going forward.

FLORES: And one of the things that I'm hoping for is that he visits the United States.

STRAWN: Yes. Yes.

FLORES: Do you think we'll see that?

STRAWN: I hope so. You know, his first papal exhortation, you might know this, you know, he had some strong remarks about capitalism and the tyranny of what he called unfettered capitalism and the idolatry of money. And you know I'd love to see him come to the states and preach that sermon here because it's a sermon that we need to hear as much, if not more than anyone else.

And if he was here preaching that sermon, I wonder if he could in fact unite the people that are so sharply divided on our country on these issues.

FLORES: Yes. And we know that our globe needs peace.

STRAWN: Yes.

FLORES: And he's definitely, you know, been talking for peace and making all those messages.

STRAWN: Yes. That's right.

FLORES: Well, thank you so much. Brent Strawn, professor of religion and theology at Emery University and an ordained minister. Thank you so much for joining us.

STRAWN: Thank you.

FLORES: We appreciate that.

STRAWN: And my pleasure.

FLORES: A fashion report about the Pope? That's a new one. Pope Francis made it on to the cover of "TIME" magazine as the Person of the Year, and now he's a cover model yet again? "Esquire" magazine considers him the Best Dressed Man in 2013.

CNN's Erin McLaughlin explains what it is about the Pope that earned him the honor.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Move over Brad Pitt. Step aside George Clooney. It looks like you have some very serious competition in the style department. "Esquire" magazine has named Pope Francis the 2013 Best Dressed Man of the Year.

Now the magazine admits this is an unconventional decision. But they point to Pope Francis' very simple style decisions as signaling new hope for the Catholic Church.

Take a look at Pope Benedict, the elaborate robes the golden cross. "Esquire" magazine says this look, oh so last season. Now it's all about Pope Francis with his very simple garments, his iron cross. So Francis has been trying to focus the Catholic Church on helping the marginalized, the disenfranchised, the poor.

"Esquire" magazine writes, "The holy Roman emperor really does have new clothes and they reflect the people's Pope."

Erin McLaughlin, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FLORES: Interesting stuff, Erin.

In just a few days, people in Colorado can smoke, buy and grow marijuana legally while others in neighboring states, if they try to do just that, could get arrested. Is Colorado ready? That's next.

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FLORES: Phil Robertson is returning to "Duck Dynasty" just nine days after A&E banished him for controversial comments. The network says it also plans to air public service announcements promoting, quote, "unity, tolerance and acceptance" among all people. Robertson was suspended for controversial comments he made to "GQ" magazine calling homosexuality sinful and comparing it to bestiality.

Up in the sky, it's not a bird, not a plane, but is it a meteor? A fireball lit up the Midwest sky Thursday night, caught on a security camera in North Liberty, Iowa. More than 700 people in seven different states reported seeing the event to the American Meteor Society. One witness described it to AMS as a bright, blue-green ball with gold sparks trailing.

And sometimes, patience pays. Watch this, a robber walks into a Florida drugstore and demands money from the clerk. But instead of handing over the cash, the woman says she needs to ask her manager if that's OK. Well, the robber agrees and waits while the clerk gets her manager. The manager then comes over, waits until the clerk finishes with a customer, then he comes around and hands over hundreds of dollars in cash. The robber got away but police hope someone recognizes him from the video.

In a few days, buying marijuana may be as simple as purchasing milk or bread for some shoppers in Colorado. Buying recreational marijuana becomes legal in Colorado starting January 1st. The state's first retail marijuana license, they were mailed out this week. Now pot shops are scrambling to be ready to open their doors.

Correspondent Ana Cabrera has more. ANA CABRERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The countdown is on. Pot becomes legal to sell for recreational use here in Colorado in just a matter of days. The state hoping this is going to generate tens of millions of dollars of new tax revenue. Businesses are seeing green as well as certain pot shops, the ones already selling medical marijuana open their doors to a whole new clientele.

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CABRERA (voice-over): The green rush here in Colorado is about to get even bigger. This week state licenses went out to local businesses giving them the green light to start selling recreational marijuana.

TONI FOX, MARIJUANA RETAILER: And money does grow on trees and it's called the cannabis plant.

CABRERA: January 1st recreational pot sales will be legal and heavily regulated by both state and local authorities.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to do some profit.

CABRERA: Anyone over the age of 21 will soon be able to buy marijuana. 136 medical marijuana dispensaries now have state licenses to sell it and 178 businesses can now grow it for recreational use.

MORGAN IWERSEN, OWNER, CANYON CULTIVATION: They kind of say we're sort of like the United States Amsterdam.

CABRERA: Morgan Iwersen runs Canyon Cultivation. They make marijuana edibles, drops and candies. She expects business to at least double in the New Year.

IWERSEN: I really hope that people are responsible with it and they don't mess it up for the rest of us.

CABRERA: But Canyon Cultivation like most companies here won't be ready just yet on January 1st. Retail outlets had major hurdles to get state approvals. Fingerprint based background checks, financial checks and fees up to $15,000.

Toni Fox said she has more than $1 million invested in her medical marijuana facility 3D Cannabis Center. Her store is one of only a handful expected to be ready for business on that first day.

FOX: A year ago I would have said I wish I hadn't done it. Now I'm very excited that I've done it and I'm looking forward to the future.

CABRERA: A future she and the state hope will pay off that massive investment.

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CABRERA: It was medical marijuana that really paved the way for this new retail search. And much of this is being rolled out on the existing infrastructure supporting medical marijuana, in particular how the state plans to safeguard or regulate those product. And there are even stricter rules when it comes to the recreational marijuana. But keep in mind, the federal government still considers this criminal.

FLORES: That was Ana Cabrera reporting.

Whiskey is on the comeback trail in London. But they may not be able to sell their homegrown product for awhile.

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FLORES: Whiskey has not been made for more than 100 years in London. Now a group of entrepreneurs is breaking into the whiskey business to change that.

Jim Boulden has more on the whiskey comeback in London.

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JIM BOULDEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Matilda is starting to purr. This copper bottom whiskey still -- they always seem to have female names -- is now starting the long process of fermenting whiskey in London.

DARREN ROOK, CEO, LONDON DISTILLERY COMPANY: We thought well, London is crying for a proper distillery, an actual distiller who's taking ingredient on a small scale. Craft brewers can bring in a craft brew set. Why not just add a still for the sake of that?

BOULDEN: Rook and his partners wanted to play off the heritage of London whiskey making, though they've had to hark back to the 19th century to do that.

DAVE BROOM, SPORTS WRITER: The idea of London making whiskey probably comes to people as a bit of a shock these days. I mean, it has been a century since the last distillery that's making whiskey in this great city.

BOULDEN: This day has been long coming. A rule change in 1996 made it easier and cheaper for potential producers in England to compete with scotch and Irish whiskey. As far as we know, no one has in London until now. The London Distillery Company was born in 2011 and started the planning process.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I told them to come in down the driveway so.

BOULDEN: That included the delivery of Matilda back in February. After hours of maneuvering, Matilda was in place and ready to be revealed.

Though it took the rest of 2013 to get approval to start making whiskey. Not that you'll be able to drink it soon.

ROOK: My ethos is to really not put anything out there until we feel it's right. We have to be excited about what we do. You know, do it right because it's the right thing to do. So you might not see anything for 20, 25 years. And you never know. BOULDEN: Does that mean that Rook knows who funded him to the tune of $400,000 which included crowd funding? We'll have to wait two decades for a return. Well, thankfully not.

Here is Christina. She makes gin. The London Distillery Company has permission to make a number of spirits which can be sold within months. But this operation is still very much about whiskey. And now that this group has set the precedent, surely others will follow.

BROOM: If you're a single malt whiskey, you have -- you are competing with 100 odd scotch distillers. You are competing with Swedish and Japanese, and American and whoever. So you have to have a point of difference. And it can't just be a pretty bottle and it can't just be pretty good made. It has to be quality.

BOULDEN: And gin has been made in London for centuries with no pause. Another group of young entrepreneurs now make a craft gin, Sipsmiths, in London, using prudence since 2009 with the claim she was the first new copper pot still in London for nearly 200 years.

Back at the London Distillery Company, Matilda has taken on the challenge to make at least 80 to 100 casts of whiskey a year. A tiny amount compared to the big players, to be sold Sunday.

Jim Boulden, CNN, London.

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FLORES: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rosa Flores. Thank you so much for spending part of your Saturday with me. We have a lot to cover and we start with this.

The bottom line, 40 million credit and debit accounts may be at risk after statements assuring customers that their PIN information was safe despite an ingenious hacking plot that scooped account numbers, codes and other data from Target shoppers. Target had to issue a reversal.