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New Day Saturday

Cold War Clash At G20 Summit?; Dispatch Audio Released In Ferguson Shooting; Deep Freeze And It's Not Even Winter; Rape Allegations Resurface Against Cosby; Obama Faces Showdown in Washington; Preventing Holiday Hacking

Aired November 15, 2014 - 08:00   ET

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

JOE JOHNS, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking overnight: America's top military leader now on the ground in Iraq. Could General Martin Dempsey be looking to expand the U.S. presence in the region?

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: And police dispatch tapes released from a deadly police shooting in Ferguson, Missouri under the national spotlight. The timeline those voices reveal now.

JOHNS: Plus, decades old rape allegations resurface against Bill Cosby. Why the women are coming forward and will the iconic comedian respond to their claims?

PAUL: Take a deep breath and welcome to Saturday, 8:00 on the dot. I'm Christi Paul.

JOHNS: And I'm Joe Johns in for Victor Blackwell. It is 8:00.

PAUL: Good to have you here.

JOHNS: Thank you so much. Glad to be here.

PAUL: You came in, boy, a lot of stuff going on.

JOHNS: Absolutely. There's breaking news out of Iraq, America's top general has made a surprise visit to the country. General Martin Dempsey arrived in Baghdad as the U.S. prepares to expand its assistance to Iraqi and Kurdish forces battling ISIS.

PAUL: This is the first trip, his first trip to Iraq since President Obama ordered noncombatant American forces back to the country. This week, General Dempsey testified before the House Armed Services Committee saying he is not ruling out sending U.S. ground forces to Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GENERAL MARTIN DEMPSEY, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: I'm not predicting at this point that I would recommend that those forces in Mosul and along the border would need to be accompanied by U.S. forces, but we're certainly considering it.

(END VIDEO CLIP) JOHNS: Joining us with more on General Dempsey's unannounced visit to Iraq, Douglas Oliver, senior national security fellow at the New America Foundation. Thanks for being with us. What's General Dempsey looking to accomplish with this visit, do you think?

DOUGLAS OLIVANT, SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY FELLOW, NEW AMERICA FOUNDATION: I think he's trying to gather more information, get his own sense of what's going on. You can get all of the reports you want over the phone or the videoconference, but there's nothing like being there and getting a sense of what people really feel about what's happening. I think he's just there to collect more data and talk to the Iraqis about the next steps forward.

JOHNS: CNN's Kyra Phillips sat down with General Dempsey last month. And let's listen to a little bit of that interview right here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEMPSEY: We need to develop a ground campaign. We've got an air campaign that's ongoing. We need to integrate into that a ground campaign. We need to be able to put pressure on ISIL from multiple directions simultaneously.

We need to continue to restore the capability, training and equipping of the Iraqi Security Forces and the Peshmerga. We need to keep pressure on ISIL in its safe haven inside Syria. We need to build up a Syrian opposition to confront that. And we need a bit of patience.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: Now General Dempsey clearly isn't ruling out sending ground forces to Iraq. You think this visit is going to sway him one way or the other or has he really already made up his mind?

OLIVANT: I suspect he's open to new data and again, General Dempsey is not the person who decides if people go. He is the senior military adviser to the president and he's always very careful to couch it in terms of what I would advise not of what he can do.

But that's not his job. But he is there to gather data, I met General Dempsey, he has a very good reputation. He is no stranger to Baghdad, he spent a year there as a two-star, a year as three-star.

He understands this country and he'll be gathering data to make better recommendations to the president and the secretary of defense when he comes back.

JOHNS: Douglas Olivant, thank you so much. Good to see you today.

OLIVANT: Pleasure.

PAUL: Now let's get to Brisbane, Australia. Leaders of the most powerful nations are there for the G20 Summit.

JOHNS: Just a little while ago, President Obama headed into a working dinner with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The headlines are all about Russia and its president, Vladamir Putin. Britain's prime minister is even comparing Russia to Nazi Germany.

PAUL: CNN's senior White House correspondent, Jim Acosta is live for us now from Brisbane. Jim, good to see you. I have to ask you, what kind of reaction have you heard about this comparison to Nazi Germany?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: You know, I haven't heard much about that to be honest with you, Christi. I can tell you that the rhetoric has been very heated, aimed at Russian President Vladimir Putin.

We were at a protest earlier today, some G20 protests, and they were -- there were people making unkind references to the Russian president and there were some references to Adolf Hitler, these are the kinds of comments that the Russian president has heard before.

And the animosity is on the front page of one of the local newspapers in Australia. It says, "Ice Cold War," shows the Russian bear and Australian kangaroo duking it out.

So you know, that's just gives you a sense as to what the flavor is here. It has really been the G19 plus one, very isolated Vladimir Putin at this G20 Summit. The Russian president has gotten the cold shoulder from many leaders here in Brisbane.

And the summit's host consider this, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, he sent only low level officials to greet Putin at the airport. Aides to Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper say, he told Putin I guess I'll shake your hand, but you need to get out of Ukraine.

We did see, as you mentioned, President Obama walking into dinner with German Chancellor Angela Merkel deep in conversation. And in the video you can hear the word cease-fire. Officials had told us that President Merkel will be talking on the sidelines here.

And the president piled on Putin in a speech earlier in the day mentioning the downing of Malaysian Flight 17 and vowing that the U.S. will continue to take on a lead role in standing up to Russia. Here's what the president had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We're leading and dealing with Ebola in West Africa and in opposing Russia's aggression against Ukraine, which is a threat to the world, as we saw in the appalling shoot down of MH-17, a tragedy that took so many innocent lives, among them your fellow citizens.

As your ally and friend, America shares the grief of these Australian families, and we share the determination of your nation for justice and accountability.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: For its part Russia caused a stir here in Australia, at the summit by positioning some naval ships off of the Australian coast. Moscow said they were in the area for Putin's security. Australia responded by sending its own war ships to keep an eye on the Russians.

Besides Putin there are other big issues here at the summit such as Ebola, the G-20 leaders released a joint statement encouraging nations that haven't joined the fight and started contributing against this deadly virus, to start doing so.

And the battle against ISIS is also a top priority. Something that President Obama will discuss with the leaders from Australia and Japan tomorrow.

We may get a chance to ask the president about Vladimir Putin and this reaction that the Russian president had here over this G20 Summit. The president will have a news conference before heading back to Washington tomorrow evening.

PAUL: All right, Jim Acosta, we so appreciate it. Thank you, sir.

Listen, I want to get to some breaking news overnight, the release of police dispatch tapes from the deadly shooting in Ferguson, Missouri at the center of a national firestorm. The radio calls indicate that the encounter between unarmed black teen Michael Brown and Officer Darren Wilson who is white, lasted less than 2 minutes.

JOHNS: The new audio and never before seen surveillance video of Wilson in the hours after the shooting come as a grand jury is expected to decide any day now whether to indict Wilson in Brown's death.

PAUL: Stephanie Elam is joining us now live from Ferguson. So what more can you tell us about these police tapes, Stephanie?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christi and Joe, when you listen to these tapes it helps put into perspective the police side of things, what exactly they heard, what they knew and how things happened and also how Darren Wilson was involved in all of this on August 9th around high noon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAM (voice-over): "The St. Louis Post-Dispatch" obtained the police audio and video through the state's so called sunshine law according to the paper's timeline of the August 9th encounter between Darren Wilson and Michael Brown.

At 11:53 a.m. a dispatcher reports a stealing in progress at the Ferguson market.

UNIDENTIFIED DISPATCHER: A stealing in progress from 9101 West Florescent. Subject may be leaving the business at this time. Stand by for further.

ELAM: The "Post Dispatch" says about 19 seconds later dispatch issues a description of a suspect.

UNIDENTIFIED DISPATCHER: Twenty five, it's going to a black male in a white t-shirt. He's running toward Quik Trip. He took a box of Swisher cigars.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Black male, white t-shirt.

UNIDENTIFIED DISPATCHER: She said he walked out of the store.

ELAM: And there's more detail in the police cross talk.

UNIDENTIFIED POLICE: He is with another male. He's got a Red Cardinals hat, white t-shirt, yellow socks and khaki shorts.

ELAM: According to the paper, at noon, Officer Wilson reports he's back in service from another call. He then asks officers searching for the suspects if they need his help.

OFFICER WILSON: This is 21 to 25 or 22, you guys need me?

ELAM: Seven seconds later officers report the suspects have disappeared.

WILSON: Dispatch, relay. I couldn't hear.

UNIDENTIFIED DISPATCHER: We think that they disappeared.

ELAM: The paper says at 12:02, Officer Wilson responds.

WILSON: It's 21, put me on Canfield.

ELAM: On August 9th, Michael Brown's friend, Dorian Johnson said they were walking down the street when Officer Wilson told them to get out of the road. According to Johnson, he and Brown told the officer they were almost at their destination and would be out of the street shortly.

But Johnson said the officer grabbed Brown by the neck and drew his gun, eventually shooting Brown. By contrast, a Wilson family friend identified as Josie told local radio station, KTFK, that according to Wilson, Brown started a physical altercation with him and grabbed the gun which went off.

Both sides agree that Brown ran and then turned back. The "Post Dispatch" says 41 seconds after Wilson's call another officer was about to arrive at the location.

The radio calls also show other officers arriving at the scene and a call for a supervisor, and then according to the newspaper, this call at 12:07 p.m. with the apparent sound of a woman wailing in the background.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Several more units here. There's going to be a problem.

UNIDENTIFIED DISPATCHER: Any available Ferguson units, who can respond to Canfield and Copper Creek advise.

ELAM: The "Post Dispatch" also obtained surveillance video of officer Darren Wilson hours after the shooting. The paper says the video shows Wilson in the white t-shirt leaving the police station for the hospital two hours after the shooting, accompanied by other officers and his union lawyer. The video then shows him returning to the police station.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ELAM: Here in Ferguson the community is bracing for what may be the reaction once the grand jury ruling comes out and that's what people want to know. As they prepare some are stocking up on groceries, some planning to stay in their homes.

Others saying they believe that Ferguson is going to come out of this all right no matter what the grand jury decides on the fate of Darren Wilson -- Joe and Christi.

JOHNS: Stephanie Elam in Ferguson, Missouri, thanks for that.

PAUL: Still to come, early winter is descending. Have you felt it today? Have you opened the window, the door?

JOHNS: Got a little taste of it here.

PAUL: It's bitterly cold.

JOHNS: Our Jennifer Gray keeping tabs on the arctic blast coming up live.

JENNIFER GRAY, AMS METEOROLOGIST: That's right, guys. It is below freezing here, temperatures at 30 degrees, but much colder across other parts of the country. Of course, we will have your full forecast and a live report coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: All right, let me give you a little bit of perspective this morning. It's cold in parts of Georgia right now as it is in Anchorage, Alaska.

JOHNS: All right, take a look at this.

PAUL: There is something wrong with that.

JOHNS: It does. It's totally wrong. OK. At 4:00 Eastern this morning, the temperature in Kennesaw, Georgia was 25 degrees, in Anchorage, it was just 1 degree colder at 24. Now they did not take the temperature at Barrow, which is right close to the North Pole.

PAUL: Thank you for that. Doesn't that make us feel better? Jennifer Gray, our meteorologist, who is stylish and out in the middle of it at Centennial Park there. It's beautiful as is Jen.

JOHNS: Is that from the building?

PAUL: I think it's from the building.

JOHNS: They don't have a blimp. Hello, Jennifer. GRAY: Hi, yes, they brought the two cameras. No, I think it's a tower cam. It's a great shot. The sun's coming up. I'm counting on the sun to warm us up a couple of degrees because it's 30 degrees right now. And it feels even cooler.

We have a little bit of a light wind going on but it's much, much colder across other parts of the country with temperatures breaking records left and right. We have video of Redmond, Oregon, actually a really hard hit area. Central Oregon got a lot of snow.

Look at that, that's the airport. We're going to get more snow for the Midwest as we go through the next couple of days and no good news for the near future at least. We are going to continue to see temperatures very, very cold, just as cold as they are now, maybe even colder as we go through much of the upcoming week.

So let's switch to those weather graphics. We can get you those temperatures right now. We are starting out in the single digits across Minneapolis, Billings, Cheyenne, 18 in Denver this morning, 21 in Chicago.

And temperatures are going to continue to stay very cold like I mentioned for at least the next seven days. Forecast snowfall for the weekend, looks like 2 inches to 5 inches around Des Moines, right outside of Sioux Falls, 4 inches to 6 inches.

Minneapolis, you could pick up an inch or two as well as Madison. Grand Rapids is still getting that snow off the lake, four to eight inches for you. We're going to see temperatures in the single digits, teens and 20s for Rapid City all the way through Tuesday, 38, a warm day for you, and that's your high temperature.

Minneapolis, you have been below freezing since Monday. It could be another week before you see temperatures above freezing, Chicago, barely hitting freezing, possibly tomorrow. And then Atlanta, look at Tuesday, circle that one, 37 degrees your high temperature on Tuesday.

So yes, we're all going to be feeling the chill. The southeast, the northeast could actually be colder the upcoming week than we have seen, guys, over the last couple of days.

So like I mentioned before, Thanksgiving, that's the week that we're all going to look forward to because we should be warming up by then.

PAUL: If we don't at least we'll eat enough to make us feel warmer.

JOHNS: Running road races.

PAUL: That's right.

JOHNS: Burn a few calories off.

PAUL: Jennifer, thank you so much. It's a good thing we got the heater for the chicken.

JOHNS: That's for sure. All right -- PAUL: Divorce.

JOHNS: Right, divorce. Now what's fair is in the eye of the beholder a lot of times, right? A billion dollars?

PAUL: B, a billion, sounds like a lot, right? Well, one ex-wife says no, I should have gotten more.

JOHNS: A billion dollars.

PAUL: We got details.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: Just about 22 minutes past the hour right now. I want to get you your "Morning Read."

JOHNS: There is a lot to talk about here. A report in "The Wall Street Journal" on how the government is keeping tabs on Americans. It says federal law enforcement agents are flying small planes loaded with gear to spy on cell phone calls. An official at the Department of Justice would neither confirm nor deny the report.

PAUL: Top defense officials are calling for major updates to the U.S. nuclear weapons program after an external review found, quote, "systematic problems." "The Washington Post" reporting that chief among the issues, a shortage of man power and inadequate and aging infrastructure. Defense officials estimate the upgrade to cost $7.5 billion.

JOHNS: In business, so when is a billion dollars not enough? How about when your ex-husband is worth 20 billion? Sue Ann Hamm isn't happy that an Oklahoma court awarded her nearly $1 billion in the couple's divorce. Her lawyers say she dedicated 25 years to the oil tycoon's business and says she should get more. She is appealing that ruling.

PAUL: Take care of the nuclear problem at that point. Listen to this guy. Talking about show me the money, 25-year-old Slugger Gian Carlos Statin reportedly in talks to sign a 13-year, $325 million deal with Miami Marlins.

According to Major League Baseball, the contract would be the richest in total value in professional sports history. It would also include the club's first ever no trade clause.

JOHNS: I bet he can't wait for the season to start.

Still ahead this morning, the growing cloud over Bill Cosby as another woman comes forward alleging rape. And despite canceled TV appearances in the wake of the allegations, Cosby is reportedly set to address this latest crisis.

PAUL: But first, there's a new trend that's rolled out on the streets of New York City. We're talking about fashion trucks. In this week's "Start Small, Think Big," we have a look at a boutique on wheels that's getting a lot of attention.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JESSE GOLDENBERG, OWNER, NOMAD FASHION TRUCK": Hi, I'm Jesse Goldenberg. I'm the owner of the Nomad Fashion Truck. We're open for business. I was inspired to take a leap of faith in starting this business really when I heard about the fashion truck trend happening out west.

I wanted to open my own store. I just couldn't afford the rent here in New York City. I actually found the truck on Craigslist. We parked the truck in my parents' garage and renovated it there for about two months.

We have a very laid back California vibe. The clothing we carry a lot of independent brands for the jewelry and accessories we carry a lot of handmade products. Social media is probably the most important thing to our business.

We'll post on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram where we are located for the day. We tend to get both walk-in customers and repeat customers, who do in fact track us on social media.

Did you want a receipt to your e-mail?

The biggest con about having a mobile boutique especially here in New York is the weather. If it's cold or rainy we can't open. I stumbled across this when I first was walking home from work. I love the taste, it's whimsical.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So fun. Wait, this brim is --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Awesome.

GOLDENBERG: I never imagined that I would be driving a truck full of clothes around New York City. It's really empowering to me that I have a dream and I followed through and I'm doing it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I knew something was going on, I would start asking questions and he'd say you know what, you don't trust me. You got to trust me. By the way, you were drunk.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Rape allegations continuing to haunt Bill Cosby this morning.

JOHNS: Why women are coming forward now, and when will the comedy legend respond? Bottom of the hour.

PAUL: Yes. I'm Christi Paul. Glad to have you with us. JOHNS: I'm Joe Johns.

PAUL: So we'll talk about these decade old rape allegations against iconic comedian, Bill Cosby, because they just will not go away.

JOHNS: So Cosby's had repeated denials, alleged victims continue to come forward with horrifying tales of being drugged and sexually molested. This week the whole thing blew up again after Cosby unwittingly re-ignited the allegations by inviting fans to reach out to him on Twitter. And this morning Cosby is set to speak on NPR.

Alexandra Field is following that story for us. She joins us now live from New York -- Alexandra.

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there Joe. This is a much anticipated interview people waiting to hear what Bill Cosby has to say after a week when he has been widely attacked on the Internet.

Here's what we know. Scott Simon the journalist for NPR who has conducted this interview is saying that he asks Bill Cosby directly about the rape allegations that continue plague him. He says that people should listen in and decide for themselves whether or not Bill Cosby says yes or no to that question.

This debate these allegations have been re-ignited since Monday when Cosby or his social media team put a post on Twitter asking people to mean him and that unleashed the flood gates, people accusing him of rape and going so far as to call him a rapist. There are women out there who say that they were victimized by Bill Cosby among them Barbara Bowman.

As a young actress she was mentored by Bill Cosby. She says after she turned 18 he attacked her. And she talked to CNN about why she decided to come forward with the allegations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARBARA BOWMAN, CLAIMS COSBY SEXUALLY ASSAULTED HER: So after going to my agent and going to the lawyer, and getting smacked down both time I just said let me just get on with my life, move on with my life and let it go.

And in 2004, finally when one woman did have the courage to come forward and file a lawsuit, I said I will not sit in silence any more and I believe this woman. They were dragging her through the mud, calling her a liar and I said I believe her because it happened to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FIELD: That lawsuit that Barbara Bowman was talking about was filed by a woman who says that she was drugged and raped by Bill Cosby. Police investigated at the time. They said there was a lack of evidence to charge Cosby with the crime. The suit was settled confidentially and through the years Christi and Joe, Bill Cosby and his attorneys have repeatedly denied any and all allegations. He has never been prosecuted. He's never been charged with a crime yet these allegations continue to crop up.

PAUL: Do we now how they are affecting him at all?

FIELD: I think we're going to hear a little bit more when we hear this interview on NPR when he is asked again, we'll hear from him, you know, what he is feeling right now, what he has to say. But we know that as these allegations continue to be repeated that they are becoming attached to his name. Look, when you see articles about him in the "New York Times" or the "Washington Post" these allegations are attached to it.

He does still have a sitcom that is set to air next year on NBC. It seems that that's going forward. But there have been reports of some appearances being canceled including some conflicting reports about why an appearance on Queen Latifah's show was canceled. That came after a fellow comedian Hannibal Buress really skewered and attacked Cosby, calling him a rapist back in October.

Certainly these allegations they continue to come forward, they continue to be talked about and when Bill Cosby's name is mentioned people are bringing this up.

JOHNS: Alexandra Field, thanks so much for that.

PAUL: We want to talk about this a little more with our legal analyst Joey Jackson because Joey, people see this and I'm sure that a lot of them are wondering because these accusations go back ten years, some of them plus, what legal action could somebody take?

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: You know, it's interesting Christi because rape especially in New York, if you look at the op-ed piece that Miss Bowman wrote when she was mentioning exactly what had happened to her and how he took advantage of her she mentioned that in his brownstone in New York apparently he drugged her, allegedly, and that there was some activity that he engaged in with her that was unwelcome.

So in New York there is no statute of limitations on rape particularly when it's either A, forcible compulsion, or as Miss Bowman alleged, Christi, when it relates to a victim who is helpless so. And so theoretically, in theory a prosecutor can look at it, examine it and see whether or not they can go forward. But a prosecutor only takes a case if they can prove it beyond a reasonable doubt.

And if there is only her allegations then of course you run the risk of well, he says then she says. The other piece to that Christi, though, is sometimes a prosecutor will look and they'll say ok, there is no physical evidence and it's so long ago, but is there what we call a recent outcry witness, someone, a friend, a relative, that you went to and said someone's doing this to me and this is what they did. And of course that would be evidence that would be admissible in a court of law.

So could she be prosecuted, excuse me, could Bill Cosby be prosecuted, yes. Would he be, it's a stretch in the event the prosecutor wants to take the case, they can. PAUL: All right. Hey Joey Jackson, thanks for laying that out for

us. We appreciate it.

JACKSON: Of course. Thank you.

JOHNS: As Republicans are set to take over Congress, President Obama is trying to stand his ground. It may be cold outside but tensions are hot in Washington, D.C. We'll get an inside perspective from Democratic representative Sheila Jackson Lee coming up next.

PAUL: But first, according to a Veterans Administration report, on average 22 veterans commit suicide daily. In this week's "Impact Your World" a former marine is changing that using a film and a book about his experiences at war. Meet Mike Scotty.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE SCOTTY, FORMER MARINE: My name is Mike Scotty and I'm a former marine who fought as part of the initial invasion in Iraq independent 2003. I just happen to have a video camera with me and I just videotaped kind of what was going on.

The car ran the road block and the marines had no choice but to light it up -- turned out to be a father and his baby girl.

When I first got home I just went down a hole. I started spiraling down and went almost all the way. The first couple of months was garden variety depression. And then you know I started to become angry. You are angry that your friends are getting killed or wounded over there and angry that the country you sacrificed for sometimes seems to forget that it's fighting a war.

Then you start having thoughts of, you know, what are you going to do? Am I going to kill myself? Am I going to join up and go on active duty and go back to the war try to get myself killed? When it started to come together as a film and it was a rough cut and I saw other veterans see it, and I watched, I would watch them watch, it really, really started to click for me was that this wasn't just my story. This was, you know, everybody's story, every veteran's story.

Sorting out what you experienced over there can feel like it's impossible. You live in a sort of limbo where everything gravitates toward uncertainty, chaos and disorder.

I realized that there was a lot of people who were sad or suffering or keeping these feelings inside of them. The advice that I would give to veterans, call your buddies, write about it. Do something creative. If you think you need help, ask for it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: A lot of people have been waiting for this news. And we are just getting word that Bill Walker has won the governor's race in Alaska. An Independent candidate, he was up against Republican Governor Shawn Parnell. Now Walker is a lawyer, former mayor, the first Independent candidate to get elected to the office in the state but again, as I know that a lot of people were waiting for this news and you waited almost two weeks. Bill Walker has won the governor's race in Alaska.

JOHNS: When President Obama returned from Australia he will face a showdown with congress. Obama has been attempting to use his executive powers with a variety of issues such as immigration and climate change and Republicans are simply not happy about it. Democratic representative Sheila Jackson Lee joins us now from Houston. Republican leaders really have some harsh words for the President at least at this stage, Congresswoman. Let's listen and then we'll get your take.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R), KENTUCKY: The American people elected divided government. And we'd like for the President to recognize the reality that he has the government that he has, not the one that he wishes he had. And work with us to try to find a way to improve our immigration system.

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: We're going to fight the President tooth and nail if he continues down this path. This is the wrong way to govern. This is exactly what the American people said on Election Day they didn't want.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: Congresswoman, we're talking about lame duck politics right now here at the end of the year, the house just passed the hotly debated Keystone XL Pipeline legislation. Republicans have been saying it will create jobs.

But you're opposed to it? Can you tell us why and why you don't think this is a place where Democrats and Republicans can connect.

REP. SHEILA JACKSON LEE (D), TEXAS: Well, let me say this. It's interesting that when it serves the will of the Republican Party, not the will of the American people, they are able to use lame duck politics, they are willing to go against the President. But when it serves a broader view, such as comprehensive immigration reform, there is no interest, if you will, in working with the president. It is quite a story for the American people to understand.

Every movement to improve the lives of Americans Republicans have been against. And they have been against it if the President has been for it.

JOHNS: Let me just jump in there right now. This issue of the President signing executive action on immigration as opposed to going through the regular process with legislation especially with the new congress coming in, what's wrong with going ahead and trying to do it in the regular procedure as opposed to letting the President, you know, sign something and make it the order of the land, if you will? LEE: Joe, I'm very excited about that question. And the reason is

because the President's been working with the Congress, Democrats have been working with Republicans from the moment the President was sworn in on this issue of comprehensive immigration reform. Having served on immigration subcommittees for almost two decades, I can tell you that we have been pushing for comprehensive immigration reform through a number of presidents, but the Republicans have continuously blocked it. And what they are saying now is an insult to the American people's intellect.

They should carry the constitution around. There are three branches of government. I carry this book around. And I recognize the legislative powers but the President has executive powers. Those powers include interpreting how the law will be enforced which is what this executive order may do, expanding the opportunities for parents of citizen children so that children are not ripped away from their parents, looking at the potential of giving documentation to farm workers so America's farms will not continue to suffer as they are doing. Looking at the idea of those with tech skills so that those we educate and give doctor to don't leave this country. But the issue is he has broad executive power.

JOHNS: Yes. But the question really is if he does an executive action, a lot of people in Capitol Hill are saying all it's going to do is poison the water and make it impossible to get anything of substance through over the next two years. Plus there's a question of judicial challenges to whatever the President signs. So, how do you overcome all of that in this environment?

LEE: Well, I have been talking to the White House and I am quite confident that the lawyers in the White House have done an enormous search, constitutional review, Supreme Court review, Justice Roberts confirmed if you will the executive powers of the President in the current Supreme Court. We know that other presidents from Reagan to Clinton to Carter and certainly to both Bush 1 and Bush 2, have used executive powers specifically in immigrant situations, such as Cubans, Haitians and others, Liberians for example. And therefore, I am not in any way intimidated by the attacks of Republicans and the reason is because the Republicans have been intimidating and attacking forever.

The senate passed an immigration bill with 60 votes. The house has waited forever for Mr. Boehner to put it on the floor. But I sit on homeland security. We passed a bipartisan border security bill. I was excited when we did that. I helped write some of the language and we were looking for that bill to go on the floor of the house.

You know why they didn't put it on the floor of the house? Because they did not want to upset their Tea Party members, not because it was bad for America, and so the constitution is going to be I think the storyteller. The President has executive power to be able to do this and use prosecutorial discretion.

JOHNS: Thank you so much, Congresswoman. I have to say we did try to get a Republican from the area there to talk to us about this immigration question and we weren't able to this morning.

Appreciate it. You are right down there on the border where it all matters this issue.

LEE: And it will help Houston and Texas. It will help them. Thank you so very much.

JOHNS: Thank you so much, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.

PAUL: All right. Talk about holiday shopping, shall we.

JOHNS: You bet.

PAUL: Because you know, you're ready to go out and spend but hackers, they are waiting to pounce. Where is it safe and how is it safe to pay? We're talking about it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A lot of crowds. A lot of mayhem.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The big concern the holiday season.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN HOST: Retailers are going into overdrive to lure in last-minute shoppers and deal hunters into their stores.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And there are some concerns over this holiday shopping season.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're going to begin with what may be the biggest credit card hack ever.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We've got serious and potentially growing breach of credit card security, Neiman-Marcus has also reported a data security breach. There are fears of a major coordinated cyber attack.

We know Target was affected.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That massive breach at Target could be spreading.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: So clearly, it's easy to get hacked. We've seen that since last November. It can happen to anybody. We're all ready to spend our money for Christmas now.

JOHNS: That's right. Like it or not, while we're all swiping credit cards and shopping for gifts online during the holiday shopping frenzy those cyber criminals are going to be lurking all over the place, hunting for our personal information. So watch out.

Our data is more valuable apparently than we think. That's why hackers likely targeted retail giants this year -- Home Depot, Albertsons', C.F. Chang, Super Value, Neiman-Marcus -- and that's just a couple of them. JOHNS: Yes, CNN technology analyst Brett Larson joins us live from

New York for more. Brett, at the height of last year's holiday shopping season, hackers hit some 100 million Target shoppers, so how are you supposed to stay safe?

BRETT LARSON, CNN TECHNOLOGY ANALYST: Yes. Especially when you hear a number like that -- 100 million -- that means one in three Americans were a victim of this hack. Which means either you, someone you know, someone in your family was actually hacked. I can actually say my Father went to target, used his debit card and he was hacked because of the cyber breach. So, even the father of the tech analyst for CNN can get hacked which means you can too.

PAUL: He's probably saying you're not doing your job if this is happening to me.

LARSON: Exactly, exactly. Well, you know, the one thing I do like to say when we report on these hacks is there is some good news to it in that we're talking about it, we're alerting consumers about it. We're letting consumers know that this is a genuine risk during the holiday season. And we're also letting retailers know that they can't just sit back and say oh, of course our stuff is totally safe. Why would anybody want to hack us?

When you're hacking PF Chang you know that there is a problem.

PAUL: Let me just ask you something quickly. Because a lot of people are thinking but what can I do to avoid it? Is it, for instance, is it wise to avoid retailers who have already been hacked? Not that I'm trying to say don't go shopping.

LARSON: Right. I know there is definitely a feeling of helplessness that comes with these hacks because the consumer did nothing but their normal routine. They went shopping, used their credit card like they have for decades and then they got hacked. I would actually say that a retailer that has been a victim of hacking would probably be a little safer because they have gone the extra mile to make sure.

They don't want that PR nightmare again. They don't want to have to come back out in the public and say, oh my gosh, we let 100,000 people get hacked. We thought our systems were clean and now you're not.

But some easy tips when you're out there this holiday season -- I know this first one sounds like the total Captain Obvious but keep your cards close. I had my credit card account stolen in the few minutes it was taken away from me at an airport restaurant and brought back. I mean it happens that quickly. Monitor your account. This one is really important. I use the Web site mid.com that oversees my banking. It's set up to alert me. My credit cards are set up to alert me. You should definitely take a moment, go through all of your credit and debit card information and set up all of those alerts.

Have an alert set for if you're going to spend more than $50. Have an alert set if your card was used but wasn't present. That's always a big red flag. Check the security of online sites when you are out there doing your online shopping. Look for the s in the https, make sure it's a legitimate Web site.

And, of course, this and we saw this last year and most of us have probably seen this e-mail. Those phishing attacks really start to pick up this time of year. That hey, your FedEx delivery didn't make it, but if you click here and give us your credit card --

PAUL: I just got that in my e-mail. I just got it. You know what I thought? How did FedEx get my e-mail?

LARSON: What did I order?

(CROSSTALK)

PAUL: Think about that.

LARSON: They're so creative. It's really -- they are really out to get us and you have to be extra vigilant. I wish there was a one size fits all answer to this but there really doesn't seem to be just yet.

PAUL: Well Brett, you gave us some great information today.

JOHNS: That's for sure.

PAUL: Thank you so much.

LARSON: You bet.

JOHNS: And you know, there are people out there who are worried about too much security and can't use their cards. Anyway -- we'll talk about that another time.

PAUL: Yes. Thank you, Brett very much. We're going to be back in just a moment. Stay close.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHNS: Here are some of the top stories we're following right now. General Martin Dempsey is on a surprise visit to Iraq.

PAUL: The head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff arrived unannounced in Baghdad today as the U.S. prepares to expand assistance to Iraqi and Kurdish forces battling. That was General Dempsey's first trip to Iraq since the President ordered advisory U.S. troops back to that country.

JOHNS: Bill Cosby reportedly addressing rape allegations during an interview with NPR that airs later this morning. We'll bring you that as soon as it becomes available. Also Cosby's appearance on David Letterman show next Wednesday has been canceled as these decade-old allegations resurface.

PAUL: A Nebraska hospital that successfully treated two patients with ebola is getting a third patient this weekend. The doctor became infected with ebola in Sierra Leone. He's flying to the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha as we speak right now. JOHNS: This could be one of your worst nightmares. Imagine that

everyone thought you were dead and then you wake up in a funeral home. It happened to a 91-year-old woman in Poland. A doctor declared her dead, then she woke up 11 hours later in cold storage -- cold storage. She is home now doing fine.

PAUL: Thank goodness.

And the famous Philae comet lander is dead, at least taking a long nap, we should say. The space probe soared into history this week when it landed on a comet 310 million miles from earth but its batteries have run out of juice. Scientists were hoping solar energy would be able to power it. but it landed in the shade and it isn't getting enough sun light.

JOHNS: Well, that's about it for us. We'll see you back here at 10:00 Eastern in the CNN NEWSROOM.

PAUL: Yes. "SMERCONISH" is starting for you right now.