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Michael Schumacher In A Coma; 16 Killed In Blast At Russian Train Station; Will the Obamacare Signup Surge Continue?; Top 10 Stories of 2013

Aired December 29, 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: Here in the CNN NEWSROOM, I'm Rosa Flores. Thank you so much for spending part of your Sunday with us.

We are watching for developments this afternoon from the world of international sports. That's where the biggest name in formula 1 racing was badly hurt in an accident today in France. It wasn't a car crash. Michael Schumacher fell on a ski slope today and suffered severe head trauma that needed emergency brain surgery. Right now, Schumacher is in a coma. He officially retired in 2012.

You want to stay with CNN. We'll update you on his condition as soon as we know more.

And now, we look ahead to the stories you'll be talking about and hearing about this coming week.

At number one -- you can't hear it but you can certainly see it. Terrorism in Russia, not far from where the world will gather in just a few weeks for the winter Olympics.

Russian authorities believe a female suicide bomber blew herself up, killing 16 people and wounding at least 34 others. Will the attack force security changes before the Olympic Games?

CNN's Diana Magnay has the very latest from Moscow.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DIANA MAGNAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A huge blast in the main railway station at noon on a Sunday in peak holiday season. New Year's Eve is one of Russia's biggest holidays. So, designed to cause maximum damage.

Authorities are telling us that this was the work of a female suicide bomber and they say that casualty count could have been far higher.

VLADIMIR MARKIN, HEAD OF RUSSIA'S INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE (through translator): According to valuable information, this was carried out by a female suicide bomber who saw a police officer next to her on the way to the metal detectors. She became nervous and activated the explosive device. Preliminary, the explosion was equivalent to 10 kilograms to TNT. MAGNAY: Now, two months ago, in Volgograd also, another female suicide bomber blew herself up on a bus, killing six people. This phenomenon of the female suicide bomber or black widow as they're known is a hallmark really of the fighting and the Islamist insurgency, which is raging in the North Caucuses region, about 400 miles from Volgograd, and also, quite close to Sochi where President Putin's Olympic games will begin in just a few weeks' time.

Back in July, a key Chechen warlord who heads up really the most important Islamist groups there, he's also Russia's most wanted man, Dokka Umarov, issued a video statement saying that he wanted to unleash maximum force to prevent President Putin from holding these games.

Now, Volgograd is quite far from Sochi, at some more than 400 miles, but it is possible given the high security around the Olympic Games that terrorist are now looking for other targets in southern Russia, which might not be so well protected, to spread fear and terror and prevent people from coming to the games. And Volgograd is a key regional rail hub, where he go either from the northern Caucuses or Sochi, on route to Moscow, you have to travel through them.

Diana Magnay, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

We move on to number two. New Year, new extremes in weather across the Northern Plains. Who's going to get hit by the frigid weather?

An arctic blast is blowing into the Dakotas and part of Minnesota dragging along with it a sub zero temperature and blinding winds that top 50 miles per hour. The mercury has dropped and dangerous wind chills are setting in. We can see temperatures, hear this, 10 to 20 degrees below average come tomorrow.

Meantime, in northern New England, fresh round of winter weather advisories are spreading across the region. More than 10 inches of snow could fall.

Meteorologist Alexandra Steele has more on what to expect as we close out 2013.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Rosa.

Well, certainly cold air is the story weather-wise, the coldest air of the season for some. Upper Midwest, Northern Plains, wind chill values today have been 40 to 50 degrees below zero. But the air temperature today in single digits, the winds have been howling.

But as we head towards the next couple of days, very cold arctic air moves east ward, it modifies Monday you get colder in Chicago and by Tuesday, that coldest air modified still will drop temperatures in Burlington and New York City, down only into the teens at 20s and 30s. So much colder than it's been.

Also, we've got an area of low pressure climbing the coast by Sunday night into Monday. Finally moving off the coast, but it will bring some snow to northern New England. So maybe three to four, five inches of snow there. And then by Monday, it all moves out.

And then, we welcome in the New Year. And for the most part, we do it with some cold temperatures, ringing in the New Year in New York City. By midnight, it will be at 31 degrees. Cold there. Chicago as well, temperatures only in the teens, a few snow showers around. But it doesn't look like much will accumulate.

Temperatures ringing in the New Year, below average in 30s in Atlanta. Maybe ringing it in in Los Angeles, temperatures dropping from 60s at midnight only at 52 -- Rosa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FLORES: All right, Alexandra, thank you so much. We move on to question number three. How much longer will that science ship be stuck in the ice down in Antarctica.

Come on, folks. It's been almost a week already. They went down to study climate change and boy did their climate really change. Their ship is locked tight in the middle of a world of ice and no -- and one after the other, all those attempts, have been no-goes.

CNN's Rosie Tomkins is following from London.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROSIE TOMKINS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): So close and yet so far. This was the happy scene on Saturday when the stranded passengers saw help on the horizon.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's on that horizon?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's an ice breaker coming to rescue us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Brilliant.

TOMKINS: Hopes were quickly dashed though. China's Snow Dragon soon became the second ice breaker to give up before reaching its target.

ANDREW HAYWARD-MAHER, AUSTRALIAN MARITIME SAFETY AUTHORITY: He was about six nautical miles away, when that decision was made, that the ice was too thick. It was beyond the vessels capacity and he turned around and went back through the channel that he created to open water.

TOMKINS: While the Chinese vessel remains on stand by, a third ship, an Australian vessel, has now arrived to the edge of the (INAUDIBLE). It's been making its way there for some time and is waiting for visibility to improve before it proceeds.

(on camera): The question is, what happens when it gets there with no guarantee it will succeed where others fail. The Australian vessel is bigger and more powerful, with an ice rating of 1.35 meters. But with ice as thick as three meters in parts, there is no guarantee it'll be powerful enough to break through.

(voice-over): In which case, enter plan B. Those onboard will be lifted to safety by the helicopter on board the Chinese vessel. While they wait, the teams are well-equipped. With enough fresh food to last two weeks and dried food for longer if needed.

But expedition leader Chris Turney expressed concerned that the blizzards may continue to work against them.

CHRIS TURNEY, EXPEDITION LEADER: We've got some snow falling, but it's not too windy. Unfortunately, the weather forecast has conditions that will continue for the next few days.

TOMKINS: Rosie Tomkins, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FLORES: Rosie, thank you so much.

Question number four for the week ahead: will chemical weapons be removed from Syria by the deadline?

Syria's government has until December 31st, two days from now, to remove important chemical weapons from its country. A U.N.-related mission says it doesn't appear Syria will make it. However, Syria is making important progress in eliminating those deadly weapons.

And question number five, after a rocky start, the Obamacare Web site is racking up some encouraging new numbers. But will more sign up? The White House says more than a million people signed up between October 1st and Christmas Eve. A Medicare and Medicaid official calls it a welcome surge.

Athena Jones has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Rosa. After a disastrous roll- out, Healthcare.gov is now working much better, health officials say. And the proof is in the big jump in enrolment in the month of December. According to HHS, more than 1.1 million people signed up for health plans via federal exchange between October 1st and December 24th, with nearly a million of those, 975,000 coming in the month of December alone.

Now, those numbers don't include new Medicaid enrollees and they also don't include the numbers from the state-run marketplaces. But many of those have also seen a surge in activity in recent days. And the pace of enrollment on Healthcare.gov is also picking up. Officials say that enrollment in the month of December at least so far is already seven times higher than that in October and November.

What's not clear from these numbers is how many women continue to struggle to use the Web sites Healthcare.gov. This is the site the government has worked night and day to fix, since its glitch plagued rollout.

This week, the White House working with congressional Democrats and outside groups who support the law will be collecting and sharing the stories of people who are going to have health coverage in January because of Obamacare.

We'll also hear from high profile supporters of the law, people like Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will be writing op-eds and tweeting about the benefits of the law -- Rosa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FLORES: Athena Jones for us, thank you so much.

And still ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM: legendary formula 1 driver, Michael Schumacher is in critical condition after a serious accident on a ski slope. The latest on his injury is next.

And later this hour, our Don Lemon is counting down the top stories of 201, all leading up to the big reveal of the top stories of the year chosen by you, our viewers.

Stick around. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FLORES: A legendary race car driver is in critical condition right now in France.

Michael Schumacher needed emergency brain surgery today after a bad skiing accident in the Alps. Our sources in France tell us that Schumacher is in a coma.

Let's get Mark McKay here back with us with CNN Sports.

And, Mark, Formula 1 is not as popular as NASCAR here in the United States. But there is no bigger name than Michael Schumacher.

MARK MCKAY, CNN SPORTS: There is no bigger name than Michael Schumacher in Formula 1 and, really, Rosa, in a lot of ways, there's no bigger sport than Formula 1 around the world except maybe North America. This is a driver that won no fewer than seven world titles during the course of his career. He made his debut in 1991 out of his native Germany.

He first retired in 2006 after winning five titles with the Italian- based Ferrari racing team. He tried to give it a go again in 2010 with Mercedes but struggled to repeat his past glories. And then Schumacher retired a second time last year.

We're learning details about the skiing accident. He apparently owns property in the French Alps, skiing Sunday morning, skiing off course on an unmarked course when he fell, hit his head on a rock. He was apparently wearing a helmet. But air lifted to a hospital in Grenoble, France, where he remains in critical condition tonight.

FLORES: How is word spreading in the sports world?

MCKAY: It's -- you know, now, everything gets out there pretty quickly. When you have the name Michael Schumacher attached to emergency surgery, as we have it here on CNN, it will gain attention. Michael Schumacher is a name that's up there with one of the top athletes in the world. You know, whether you are talking basketball, football or in the sports we may not know about here, rugby and cricket around the world, Michael Schumacher is a legend. He's using the name legend and when he is in this kind of condition, there is interest all around the world with a guy of his stature.

FLORES: And he has a noble heart. He is doing a lot of things in the community, doing a lot of good. Tell us a little bit about that. How he spreads both his fortune and his love.

MCKAY: Well, you know, like any of the athletes who gain worldwide stardom, these guys try to remain grounded as much as they can. But, yes, very much involved in charity work around the world and realizing that they do give back.

But what Michael Schumacher has done with all his race fans, giving them so much joy, whether they were pulling for Ferrari, whether they pulled for him as a German driver, or whether they just love the sport and what he did for the sport. There's much concern tonight about his condition after suffering a very serious injury skiing on Sunday morning.

FLORES: So, I bet all those people that he has helped throughout his career are definitely praying for him.

MCKAY: No doubt about that.

FLORES: All right. Thank you so much. We appreciate it.

MCKAY: OK, Rosa.

FLORES: And still ahead, we have new information on the man who gunned down a police officer during a bank robbery then led the FBI on a national manhunt. The details right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FLORES: Welcome back.

In the last hour, Phoenix police have identified the suspected bank robber whose violent coast to coast crime spree ended today. Officers say this is the body of 40-year-old Mario Edward Garnett. Phoenix police killed him after he fired on them, they say, trying to escape a robbery, his third in less than a week.

The FBI believes Garnett is the gunman who shot down this police officer on Monday, in Tupelo, Mississippi. Another officer was also hit but survived.

CNN's Alexandra Field tracks the suspect's movements while apparently started in Atlanta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard one boom, boom, boom.

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For nearly a week, a nationwide manhunt was on. But Saturday morning, a deadly shootout in Phoenix, Arizona, ended the search. Police believe they killed the man who killed one of their own.

BETH STAUFFER, WIFE OF KILLED OFFICER: Numerous people didn't get to celebrate Christmas with their families because they were trying to bring peace to our family.

FIELD: Gale Stauffer, a Tupelo, Mississippi police officer was killed Monday. His colleague was critically injured, following a gun fight with a suspected bank robber. Police say a masked suspect left the Tupelo bank with a bag full of cash before opening fire on the two officers.

Earlier in the day, they say the same man tried to rob a bank in Atlanta, Georgia, where he also robbed an ATM customer. Nationwide, law enforcement officials were put on the look out for a man believed to be driving a gray Chrysler sedan.

Then, on Saturday, a break. Investigators say he turned up on the other side of the country in Phoenix, Arizona, where he was spotted leaving the bank with a bag and gun. Police say he shot at two officers who were not hurt before one of the officers shot and killed him.

CHIEF BART AGUIRRE, TUPELO, MISSISSIPPI POLICE: We are in the process of healing at this time. This closure has helped us mend and begin to heal that deep, deep wound.

FIELD: The deadly shot fired in Phoenix a day after the funeral for Tupelo's Officer Stauffer. He's believed to be the first officer in history of the department to be killed in the line of duty. More than 300 police cars formed in a procession to honor the fallen officer. He leaves a wife and two young children.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We brought a flag from our house. It is just a tragic thing. And I'm so sorry for him and his family, and all of the law enforcement that it worked through the holiday here. And it's just the kind of thing that shouldn't have happened.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FLORES: And Alexandra joins me now.

And, Alexandra, what more do we know of Mario Garnett?

FIELD: Well, Phoenix police are saying that he is from the Midwest and he served for four years in the Army. But he has no record in the state of Arizona and they don't know why he headed to Phoenix specifically. They also say his name is known to the Secret Service -- Rosa.

FLORES: And what evidence does the FBI say that they have that ties him to these crimes?

FIELD: Well, they are pointing to a couple of factors. They say that there were similarities between those three robberies in the three different states. They've also got a court order to review his cell phone records and they say that those records indicate he was in those three states and in those three cities, at the time of those three crimes -- Rosa.

FLORES: All right. Alexandra Field, live for us from New York, thank you so much.

Two competing theories on the cause behind last year's deadly attack in Benghazi are likely both wrong. That's according to "New York Times". An in-depth report by the paper finds al Qaeda probably was not involved in the assault that killed four Americans. Nor was the attack sparked solely by an anti-Muslim video as initially suggested by the Obama administration.

Instead, the reports states independent Libyan militias played a key role. The conclusion, parallel CNN's previous reporting but nonetheless garnered reaction today on Washington's handling of the matter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DARRELL ISSA (R-CA), OVERSIGHT & GOVERNMENT REFORM CHAIRMAN: The initial reports did not name this video as a prime cause. There was a small piece of information in a cable. They seized on it, along with a lot of other information and chose to use that as a talking point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: And we should add that 15 months after that attack, there are still no arrests.

And still ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM, the crimes, the scandals, the Hollywood headliners. We're counting down the top ten stories of 2013.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You may want to think twice the next time you spit out your gum or drop a cigarette butt in public. New York artist, Heather Dewey-Hagborg, might pick it up, extract the DNA, and turn it into a 3D face that could look like you.

HEATHER DEWEY-HAGBORG, ARTIST: A lot of my work begins with a question. In this particular case, the question was, what can I learn about someone from a single hair?

BALDWIN: Once she finds a sample, she takes it to the lab to mine it for DNA and then analyze the results.

HAGBORG: From a cigarette butt, I can learn where someone's ancestors likely came from, their gender, eye color, hair color, complexion.

BALDWIN: That information is then fed into a computer program that generates a 3D model of a face.

HAGBORG: The way that I'm using code here is a lot like how a sketch artist would use a pencil.

BALDWIN: It takes about eight hours to print in 3D at NYU's advanced media studio. Then the excess powder is removed to reveal the disembodied face from a stranger's DNA, but there are limitations. The length of the nose or shape of his or her face cannot be determined.

HAGBORG: The faces have a general likeness. It might look like a family resemblance. Right now, I can't determine age, so all of my masks are aged between 20 and 40.

BALDWIN: Dewey-Hagborg started the project called "Stranger Visions" after creating her self portrait two years ago. Now, she's hoping it will raise questions about genetic privacy.

HAGBORG: It's meant to be an exploration at the intersection of art and technology and science. And it's meant to be a provocation.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FLORES: I'm Rosa Flores at CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. Thank you so much for sticking with me. I'll be back at the top of the hour with the day's headlines, including one of the world's most popular race car drivers seriously injured in a skiing accident.

In the meantime, here's my good friend Don Lemon with the top ten stories of 2013.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon.

This is CNN's top ten of 2013 -- a look back at the top stories that kept our attention this year, from the outrageous crimes to the entertainment headlines, the political showdowns, even the biggest scandals. We are counting them all down.

A super model killed by her famous boyfriend on Valentine's Day, a teenage athlete suffocated inside a gym mat, a shooting spree inside a military gun base. We can't close out 2013 without a look at the year's crimes and mysteries.

Here's a look back at the top 10 crime and justice stories of the year.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON (voice-over): Number 10.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: We have a report that shots have been fired at Washington Navy Yard.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: The U.S. Navy is telling us three shots were fired. They tell us an active shooter is still inside that building.

LEMON: Former Navy reservist Aaron Alexis, a military contractor, gunned down 12 people before police shot and killed him.

Number nine.

CUOMO: Now for a story CNN has bb following from the beginning. Brand new evidence in the death of 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We've got some questions about the Kendrick Johnson case.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I won't discuss that with you.

BLACKWELL: Why not, sir?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because our case is closed (ph).

LEMON: His body found up side down in a rolled up wrestling gym mat in the high school gym last January. Local authorities ruled it an accident. Kendrick's parents believe he was murdered. Now, federal authorities are investigating.

JACQUELYN JOHNSON, KENDRICK'S MOTHER: We are Kendrick Johnson. That's my child and we're going to fight until it's over.

LEMON: Number eight, Oscar Pistorius, the Blade Runner, a double amputee, beloved South African Olympic athlete, indicted on charges of murder in August for the shooting of his modeled girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. He admits he shot her on Valentine's Day, but says it was an accident. His trial starts in March.

Number seven. California teen, Hannah Anderson rescued after a week- long hunt for her abductor in August. Family friend James DiMaggio killed her mother and her brother and the family dog. Their bodies found in his burned home. FBI agents killed him in a shootout.

Number six, a woman who needs no introduction --

JODI ARIAS: You should have at least done your makeup, Jodi, gosh.

LEMON: Her outrageous behavior in the interrogation room, the brutal murder of her ex-boyfriend, Travis Alexander, and ex-rated details of their sex life gripped the nation. Jodi Arias convicted of first- degree murder, but the jury couldn't decide if she should live or die.

Number five, a gang of bikers taking on an SUV driver on a highway in Manhattan, his wife and 2-year-old daughter inside. It started with a bump. And moments later, this terrible scene. The driver runs over one biker his wife says was left paralyzed. Eleven other bikers, including an undercover cop, are indicted. Number four, Edward Snowden, branded by some as a hero, by others a traitor, for exposing the NSA's spying programs in May. Perhaps the biggest intelligence leak in U.S. history, charged with espionage, granted asylum in Russia.

Number three, George Zimmerman, found not guilty in July of murdering Trayvon Martin.

GEORGE ZIMMERMAN, ACQUITTED OF MURDER: So I was screaming help, help, as loud as I could.

UNIDENTIFIED 911: Do you think he's yelling help?

UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: Yes.

LEMON: A tragic case that ignited questions about race.

DONALD WEST, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Trayvon Martin put race in this.

RACHEL JEANTEL, STAR WITNESS: No.

WEST: You don't think that creepy ass cracker is a racial comment?

JEANTEL: No.

LEMON: A 17-year-old in a hoodie with a pack of Skittles, enduring images from a case that's prompted cries for civil rights charges and an emotional debate, even the president weighed in.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon.

LEMON: And since Zimmerman's acquittal, he's had a couple of other run-ins with the law.

Number two, inside a Cleveland house of horrors. Three girls kidnapped, raped, and held captive for more than a decade. But on May 6th, Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight finally broke free.

That was 10 through two. This is number one.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Apparently, there's been an explosion at the Boston marathon. I am told.

WOLF BLITZER, HOST, CNN'S "SITUATION ROOM": A 26-mile, 385-yard marathon and it was wrapping up. Wrapping up when you look at these devastating pictures right at the finish line. These are pictures that were shot just moments ago.

LEMON: Double bombings at the finish line of the Boston marathon on April 15th. Three people were killed, 264 others were wounded. And four days later, one suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev, shot and killed by police. Then the manhunt for his brother Dzhokhar that shut down the city.

ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, CNN'S "AC 360": We believe that the suspect is cornered in a boat.

LEMON: Tsarnaev arrested April 19th and later charged. Now the U.S. attorney deciding whether he'll face the death penalty.

The attack knocked the city down, but it was far from defeated.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I kind of feel like we're all Boston.

LEMON: The whole country united with one re-sounding message.

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Strong. Not just strong, Boston strong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: From BlackBerry's demise to Bitcoin's rise, there were plenty of big money stories in 2013. We'll continue our countdown of the TOP TEN STORIES OF THE YEAR right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Storms, floods, drought, blizzards, you name it, 2013 had it. But the biggest weather story of the year was so powerful and so large, it was like nothing any of us had ever seen.

Here is CNN meteorologist Chad Myers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Super Typhoon Haiyan, the strongest storm to ever make landfall in recent history. A 200-mile-per-hour monster super typhoon. We had 20-foot storm surge. Andrew Stevens was there. Anderson Cooper was there. 6,000 people died as a 200- mile-per-hour wind rolled through Tacloban. Also with that 20-foot storm surge, there are still 2,000 people missing. There are millions of people that don't have homes right now, still, in the Philippines.

All of this happened in a year that the IPCC put out their climate report. Those are the climate gurus for the United Nations. And they say we're going to have more heat waves in the future. We're going to have more floods. We're also going to have more droughts because of climate change.

So maybe what we think of right now as extreme weather might just be the new normal.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: 2013 was the year of new stock market highs, fast-food protests and package deliveries via drones?

Here is Richard Quest and Christine Romans with our "Top 10 Money Stories of the Year."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) RICHARD QUEST, HOST, CNN INTERNATIONAL'S "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" (voice-over): Number 10, Jeff Bezos. The Amazon chief executive is taking on print media. Bezos paid $250 million for "The Washington Post." He's investing in cutting edge technology, too, pitching a plan to deliver your Amazon purchases, yes, by drone.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Number nine, Marissa Mayer. One cool year on the job, so now we can see what kind of leader she is at Yahoo! Her goal, to make Yahoo! cool again. Her strategy a shopping spree, $1.1 billion for the blogging Web site Tumblr and Mayer picked up former evening news anchor, Katie Couric, and long time "New York Times" tech writer, David Poeh.

QUEST: At number eight, BlackBerry not dead yet. According to the company at least. Smartphone granddaddy had taken drastic measures to keep itself alive. It put itself up for sale, laid off around 40 percent of its workforce before cancelling plans to sell itself. Even that may not save the company.

ROMANS: Number seven, tech winners. A year and a half after Facebook's face plant IPO, the stock higher than where it started and Twitter launched on the New York Stock Exchange making some of its co- founders, very, very, very wealthy. But neither Facebook nor Twitter can match Google when it comes to share price. Google shares topped $1,000 this year, partly thanks to profits in the company's ad business.

QUEST: Number six, in Bitcoin we trust. Now Bitcoin, which is electronic cash, shows the world that it's real. At least for now. Some even are calling it the safe haven investment for the 21st century despite massive volatility on the way. The little virtual currency that could had surged. It was up $14 at the beginning of the year. It closes around $1200 at the end of November.

Number five, U.S. Airways and American Airlines, the merger that's taken off, creating the world's largest airline. The carrier has given up some take-off and landing slots at Washington Reagan and New York LaGuardia.

(On camera): The Justice Department says that will bring in low cost carriers and help travelers. Though with ticket prices on the rise, consumers may still lose out.

ROMANS: Number four, the government shut down. Part of the government shutdown after Congressional Republicans tried to defund Obamacare. That shutdown lasted 16 days. Government offices, national parks closed, 800,000 workers sent home.