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CNN Sunday Morning
Disabled Ship Off Alaska Being Towed; Atomic Chief: Iran Now Nuclear Self-Sufficient
Aired December 05, 2010 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Good Sunday morning, everybody.
Take a look at that vessel there. Well, we've got a problem here, because this vessel carrying some half a million gallons of oil stranded right now, and they're trying to keep it from running aground. You're seeing pictures there of a rescue effort that's under way right now. They're trying to rescue that vessel that you are seeing, and we've got some high waves and high winds that they're dealing with. We'll tell - we'll give you an update about that situation.
Also this morning, we're hearing once again from Iran. A breaking story out of Iran. Iran saying, 'We do not need anybody's help.' They are claiming that now, their nuclear program is totally self- sufficient. This is a significant development. We will explain it and explain the timing of it as well this morning.
As we get started on this Sunday morning, from the CNN Center. Six a.m. here in Atlanta where I stand; 2 p.m. in Baghdad. Wherever you may be, glad you're right here.
We want to welcome all of you, and also especially welcome our troops who are watching on the Armed Forces Network in Iraq and Afghanistan and around the world. Thank you for being here as well. And of course, as always, thank you for what you do.
Also coming up for you over the next 90 minutes, a dramatic rescue. The highlighted part of the video you can see here. You can kind of make it out. We'll show it to you again.
But there's a man that stumbles onto a subway track in Madrid. The train just seconds away. And then an off-duty cop - all of a sudden, goes on-duty.
Also this morning, the volcano known as "The Throat of Fire" erupting in Ecuador. A cloud of ash some two miles high. We'll update you there.
Also, if you are ever tempted to stray, you've got an official scientific excuse: It is in your genes. It's not your fault. We'll tell you all about that - the cheating gene this morning.
But first, to that developing story that's going on right now off the coast of Alaska. They're trying to prevent a potential environmental disaster. A rescue operation is under way at this moment. The U.S. Coast Guard is conducting this particular rescue mission. They're in the process right now of towing what you're seeing there: a giant freighter. It was found adrift off the Aleutian Islands.
This is a massive, 738-foot freighter. Now, what happened here is that it lost much of its power. Still had a little power, but lost most of it. So when it lost its power, it had a tough time navigating those rough water. Those waters were awfully rough. There was some deteriorating weather conditions. But the waves got very high, up to 26 feet at least. We're also told that some of the winds got to 30, 35 knots.
Now, they couldn't combat that. So the problem was, it was starting to run adrift, possibly getting closer to running aground at some point.
Well, the weather died down, cooperating enough that they were able to use the controls that they did have to keep it from at least running aground, preventing what may have been an environmental disaster. The rescue is under way right now. The Coast Guard was able to get a tugboat out there. They are doing the slow process; they think it's going to take some 30 hours to possibly get it into harbor - a nearby harbor.
Again, you're seeing it there. There is a crew onboard, about a 20-member crew. Now, the crew is doing just fine, we're told. They're OK. But this is a delicate situation that really - much of it has to do with what's going to happen with the weather. They are dealing with it now.
Do we have the Coast Guard petty officer on the line now? Dana Wore (ph)? We do not have that person. We do have someone we're trying to get on the line to give us an update about exactly what's going on. But something we're keeping a close eye on and certainly the Coast Guard keeping a close eye on this morning as well.
We'll turn now to what to do about North Korea. Going to be some important meetings taking place here in the next couple of days, including with the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. She's going to be meeting with her Japanese and South Korean counterparts tomorrow.
China not invited to this meeting. China actually wanted the larger, six-party talks - the six-party group to get together following last month's attack by North Korea on South Korea, the South Korean island. Now, Washington and South Korea didn't want to go that route; they said they didn't want to be seen as rewarding North Korea with those talks for its provocative actions.
There are right now nearly 30,000 U.S. troops in South Korea.
Now, speaking of South Korea, we were talking a lot yesterday about that new U.S.-South Korea trade deal. We were following that quite a bit for you yesterday. The president talked about it yesterday as well. He's calling this "a landmark agreement," one that will increase U.S. imports by $11 billion. He says it will also support or create 70,000 American jobs. Now, a target goal, certainly there, about the 70,000 jobs, with our unemployment, as we just got word a couple of days ago, has gone up now - uptick from 9.6 to now 9.8 percent.
Also, this new trade deal will eliminate nearly all the tariffs on industrial and consumer goods within five years, especially opening up the Korean beef and auto markets.
Mr. President, sum this up for us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm interested in agreements that increase jobs and exports for the American people and that also help our partners grow their economies.
So I told Ron and our team to take the time to get this right and get the best deal for America and that is what they have done. The agreement we're announcing today includes several important improvements and achieves what I believe trade deals must do. It's a win-win for both our countries.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: All right. Well, the president also said that he is very disappointed that the Senate failed to make middle-class tax cuts permanent. We told you about this yesterday as well. This was happening live right here on our air yesterday morning.
Senate Democrats tried twice yesterday with votes in the Senate over these tax cuts. One vote would have kept the cuts for the vast majority of Americans but eliminated them for making more than $250,000. That one failed.
Try No. 2: a $1 million cutoff. That failed as well. No shock here; the debate went along - hmm, what? Party lines.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. DICK DURBIN (D), ILLINOIS: To give a tax break to the wealthiest people in America at this moment in history is foolish and reckless. And yet that is the position of the Republican Party and a definition of their values.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHUCK GRASSLEY (R), IOWA: This debate is not about cutting taxes. This debate is whether or not we ought to increase taxes on anybody during a recession, and we feel you should not raise taxes on anybody during a recession.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: All right. Want to turn to another story we were keeping an eye on here for you yesterday.
Spain - most of the air-traffic controllers are back on the job now. It looks like the threat of prosecution convinced them to get back to work. That'll usually work.
They went on strike Friday, and there was a backlog of stranded passengers at Madrid's airport and airports really all across Spain. The airports - this one in particular - can only handle about a third of its usual traffic right now. Folks who have been there for awhile, as you can imagine, they would like to go home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLIE DAVIDSON, STRANDED PASSENGER: I feel very disappointed. And the actual airline themselves have been pretty good; they've kept us informed a lot of the time. So, you know, in that respect it's been good.
But - but the actual experience after traveling for two, three days is - is getting - you know, taking its toll now with two hours' sleep. So, you know, I - I really need to get home and relax.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: OK, a developing story now out of Iran. Iran is now claiming nuclear independence. They say it has produced what's called "yellowcake uranium."
Now, the head now - listen to them - the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization telling state media about the country's new moves now. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALI AKBAR SALEHI, HEAD, ATOMIC ENERGY ORG. OF IRAN (through translator): This means that Iran has become self-sufficient in - in the entire fuel cycle, starting from the exploration, and then mining and then turning it into yellowcake and then into converting it into USF 6, and then enriching it and turning it into fuel plates or fuel pellets.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Let me bring in our Reza Sayah, who's joining me now on the phone from Islamabad.
Reza, let's, if you can, put this in perspective for our viewers. This is a new development and a big deal, because now Iran is saying, 'We don't need anybody, anywhere, the rest of the world to do this. Our nuclear program is now self-sufficient.'
At least that's what they claim.
VOICE OF REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: First off, T.J. - I mean, whenever people hear about Iran and its nuclear program, the question is: Are they closer to building a bomb? And I think at this point, it - it's very important to emphasize that it takes much more than yellowcake to build a nuclear bomb. So I don't think Iran - there's any evidence that they're any - significantly closer to building a nuclear bomb.
But let - let's talk about yellowcake, because that's the announcement coming out of Iran, that they can now produce yellowcake. What is yellowcake? It's not the cake that you can spread with frosting and eat. This is uranium concentrate powder, and it's yellowcake that can be turned into highly enriched uranium that can then be used to fuel nuclear power plants that generate electricity if you're able to enrich it to levels of 90 percent, which Iran can't at this point, all evidence shows.
You can use it to use nuclear bombs. The ability to produce yellowcake is important because it's - it's part of the processing of nuclear energy, which Iran says it's doing. Now, if indeed this news is true, it's significant, because up until now, Iran couldn't produce its own yellowcake. They had to get it from other countries, and obviously, with the sanctions against Iran, it was tough for them to have access to yellowcake.
But if they produce their - their own, which they've announced they can, they're not dependent on other countries anymore. They've taken a major towards producing enriched uranium themselves, T.J.
HOLMES: All right.
And one more thing here, Reza. The timing - why are we hearing about this now?
SAYAH: I don't think it's any coincidence that they're - the timing is a day before Washington and its allies are scheduled to sit down and talk with Iran about its nuclear program. Again, Iran loves to posture; it loves to send out big headlines before big events.
This is an announcement to send a message to Washington and its allies that it's - Iran is not negotiating from a position of weakness, that despite all the sanctions and the outside pressure, it's making progress with what it calls a peaceful nuclear program. Of course, Washington and its allies say they're convinced that Iran is after a bomb, T.J.
HOLMES: All right. Reza Sayah, we appreciate you keeping this all in perspective for us this morning. Thanks so much, our Reza Sayah for us from Islamabad.
Well, often times out there, when people cheat on their significant other, they have all kinds of excuses for why they did it. Well, they may have a significant reason for it now. We'll explain.
It's 11 minutes past the hour.
But first, a check of some of the scores from yesterday's big college football Saturday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (WEATHER REPORT)
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: T.J., I know you got a lot more of an entirely different story to talk about. A good one.
HOLMES: An entirely different story.
Yes, we always - as people know, it was a big football Saturday yesterday, determined a lot. And we have now figured out who is going to play for the national championship in Glendale next month. That is going to be Auburn and it's going to be Oregon. We'll make it official today with the BCS rankings.
But yes, Auburn - his Auburn Tigers yesterday, at the Georgia Dome, here next to us, just whipped the South Caroline Gamecocks. There he is, Mr. Heisman - he's going to win the Heisman. We're going on record - not going out on a limb there. But yes, Cam Newton had a day. Six touchdowns yesterday. Just wore out South Carolina yesterday.
So as you all have been keeping up by now, Cam Newtown - has been in the middle. He's a superstar quarterback. He is going to win the Heisman. But he has been embroiled in this - this pay-for-play scheme. He was actually ruled ineligible last week, and then a short time later, reinstated and declared eligible with this pay-for-play scheme - it looks like his dad, they're saying, is the one who was trying to solicit money for his son's services.
But still, right now, nothing's touched him. Right now, congratulations. You all are moving on. If you have to vacate it in a few years...
(CROSSTALK)
WOLF: They - they were on fire yesterday.
You know, it - it's kind of like one of those things - I - I think that - that - as far as poor Steve Spurrier is concerned, Custer had an easier time at the Little Big Horn. It was - it was a brutal day if you're a South Carolina fan. I mean, it was absolutely incredible. He was on fire.
And you know what's weird about Newtown? He's one of those guys who - who seems to do better the more pressure you put on him - the more his game rises.
HOLMES: Well...
WOLF: It's amazing.
HOLMES: ...there must have been a lot of pressure yesterday because his game was outstanding.
One more here for you - sports-related, I guess A buyer's market still out there. Check out this house we have to show you here.
Dwayne Wade has a new crib. Dwayne Wade, as you know, superstar guard for the Miami Heat. Just bought this new house, six-bedroom, 13,000 square-foot mansion along the Miami coast -- $10.6 million. Now that surely sounds like a lot.
However, the original asking price was about $18 million.
WOLF: Mmm. Mmm. Mmm.
HOLMES: So he got a heck of a deal.
Now - and he has learned a little something about the housing market. Apparently, he lost $4 million in the sale of his last home. So maybe he made up for it on this one.
WOLF: I think he's doing all right. I think he'll be able to sleep at night.
HOLMES: He's doing all right.
Well, at 17 minutes past the hour, a quick break. Reynolds and I will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, the sun's coming in a little while there for San Francisco. A beautiful shot of the city by the Bay this morning, at 19 minutes past the hour.
Well, the latest job numbers, we've been telling you, are out. We got them on Friday. And they did not meet expectations. A big disappoint here.
One thing, the unemployment rate is now at 9.8 percent. It went up. Some jobs were added; about 39,000. But a lot of the estimates, a lot of the forecasts - the experts, the economists thought that 150,000 jobs would be created. So a disappointing jobs report.
But when you dig into these numbers a little more, you find a way to kind of double your chances of finding a job.
Josh Levs with that for us this morning.
Good morning, Josh.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, good morning to you.
And look, what it means is that we're up near double-digit unemployment, and that's not what anyone wants to see. It's getting close to 10 percent. So it was 9.8 percent right now. And according to these latest numbers, 15.1 million Americans are on these unemployment rolls, are out there looking for a job. And that doesn't include people who are underemployed and people who don't like their work. So you have millions and millions more people out there who are looking for jobs.
Well, take a look at this. This breaks it down based on education level. And this is where we're talking about doubling your chances of finding a job.
Let's zoom in here. People who have not graduated from high school are at more than 15 percent unemployed.
Now here, high-school graduates, 9.6 percent.
If you've done some college, it's at 8.3 percent.
And boom, way down here, people who have graduated from college, or you have a higher degree - so a BA or higher, unemployment rate there is only at 4.8 percent. So this tells us that the millions of people out there who are looking into going back to school because you can't find a job - they have reason to. It's backed up by the numbers. Getting that degree can do a lot toward getting you a job.
Now, one more thing I want to show you - because when we look at unemployment in America, it's very uneven among the races in America. There's all sorts of reasons for that. But let's zoom in right here.
Among black people in America, it's up at 16 percent. Latinos are at 13 percent. Whites down at 8.9 percent. And Asians at 7.6 percent.
And this sort of sliding scale down is what we see pretty much every month, it's that kind of difference in races in America.
Now, if you are looking for work, we have a resource for you. Take a look here: CNN.com/jobs. It has all sorts of information about jobs, the jobs picture in America, what kinds of jobs to look for.
And my favorite feature here - take a look at this map. We take you to a map in which you can look at the state of unemployment in every state, and look at specific jobs. So you click on your industry here - you can say, 'Oh, I'm looking for a job in retail trade.' You click on the state, and it tells you what's going on in each state in your field. If you're willing to pick up and move, it might help you find those jobs.
That's one of our goals here at CNN and CNN.com. We want to help you find work that works for you.
So it's at CNN.com/jobs. We've got it uplinked for you at my pages, Facebook and Twitter.
And T.J., what we all want to see, obviously, is the unemployment numbers go down as fast as possible.
HOLMES: All right. Josh Levs for us this morning. We appreciate you. Thanks so much.
LEVS: You got it.
HOLMES: Well, as we know, Congressman Charlie Rangel has been censured by his colleagues. But he's apparently not letting that get him down. He greeted a crowd in Harlem last night. He had some pretty tough words about those ethics charges.
That's ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, at 26 minutes past the hour, taking a look at a couple of stories that are making headlines.
Police in Mobile, Alabama, have arrested the father of two missing children who are now believed to be dead. Twenty-seven-year John Joseph DeBlase faces two counts of aggravated child abuse and two counts of abuse of a corpse.
Four-year-old Natalie and her 3-year-old brother Jonathan (ph) have been missing for weeks now.
Well, political chaos in Africa's Ivory Coast. Two rival candidates claim - they both claim they won the presidential election, even though the incumbent president was sworn into office again yesterday despite international appeals that he step aside.
The African Union is calling upon former South African president to mediate the dispute now.
And one of Ecuador's active volcanoes has erupted, spewing ash and lava about two miles into the sky. Check that out. People living near this glacier-capped volcano known as "The Throat of Fire" evacuated yesterday. The volcano is about 90 miles from Quito; that's Ecuador's capital city. It has erupted periodically over the last decade.
Now, as you know, there about 50,000 U.S. service members still in Iraq right now. They're on this "advise and assist" mission. Well, many of them are now preparing to come home as well.
I'm going to be talking now with a commander of one of those "advise and assist" brigades, someone that I spent time with as they prepared to leave, now going to talk to them as they prepare to come back home.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Bottom of the hour here now. Welcome back to this CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Glad you could be here.
And Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is determined to bring the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy for gay and lesbian service members for a vote before the end of the year. Reid criticized Senator John McCain yesterday.
First, let me tell you what McCain said about the policy on Friday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: No one came up to me and said, gee, please, Senator McCain, get to work on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." In fact, every place I went, members of the military came up to me and said things are fine. It's working.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now, Senator Reid, though, said yesterday he believes McCain has flip-flopped on this policy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HARRY REID (D), MAJORITY LEADER: It is the defense that he's given to an obsolete, embarrassing, discriminatory policy that weakens our military and offends values, is as follows. First, Senator McCain said he'd seriously consider repealing it if the military leadership thought we should, and the military leadership said it should be repealed. He pulled away the football.
Then Senator McCain said he'd need to see a study from the Pentagon. Now, the Pentagon produced a study saying a repeal would have no negative effect at all. He pulled away the football again.
Senior Senator from Arizona said he couldn't support repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" because of the economy. I have no idea what he's talking about, and no one else does, either.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now, the House already has approved the repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.
Of course, we know this is a lame duck Congress right now. They still got a lot of things they need to be doing. CNN's deputy political director Paul Steinhauser looks at the week ahead in politics.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Hey, good morning, T.J.
More action, or at least more negotiations on Capitol Hill this week as the White House and top Congressional Republicans and Democrats try to find common ground when it comes to extending those Bush-era tax cuts, extending unemployment benefits for those without jobs, and a host of other pressing issues on the lawmakers' to-do list.
Also, on Monday, President Barack Obama tours a biotech classroom at a community college in North Carolina, where he'll make comments on the economy.
And from the president to a man who may want to run for president, former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania gives speeches at Republican Party events in South Carolina today and tomorrow. Next week, Santorum's in Iowa, and last week he was in New Hampshire.
Santorum's considering a bid for the GOP presidential nomination, and all three states play a prominent role in the road to the White House - T.J.
HOLMES: Thanks to our Paul Steinhauser.
Well, two days after the House censured him on alleged ethics violations, Harlem Congressman Charles Rangel returned to his district and got a standing ovation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. CHARLES RANGEL (D), NEW YORK: This weekend will be the last time that I intend to refer to this matter in any way. I didn't go to bed with any kids. I - I didn't curse out the speaker. I didn't start a revolution against the United States of America. I did not self-deal. I did not take any money.
If you pick up just yesterday's newspapers, you would see Charlie the Crook, Charlie the Convict, Charlie found guilty, and nobody here can possibly show any evidence of self-enrichment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: He told a town hall meeting he's very pleased the two- year ethics investigation, which he called politically motivated, is, in fact, behind him.
Well, coming up, they have done their advising and assisting, and now they're getting ready to come home. We're going to be going live to Baghdad. Stay with us.
It's 34 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Thirty-six minutes past the hour now.
Simulating war in the California desert. That's what they do at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California. I spent a week in the desert a year ago as the 1st Brigade prepared for their mission in Iraq.
Well, their mission is about to wrap up. They have been in Iraq about a year now. We're going to check in with them as they wrap up.
But first, let me take you back to my story from a year ago and that training mission in the California desert.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) to move my kids (INAUDIBLE) from here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
HOLMES (voice-over): For the 1st Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division, it was shaping up to be a very bad day. As the convoy wound its way through a desert canyon, it comes under attack from insurgents perched in the surrounding mountains. The soldiers eventually fight their way through to a suspected insurgent hideout. They're forced to clear the village building by building.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get in there! Get in there!
HOLMES: There are casualties. But this isn't Iraq -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Guys, move, move, move!
HOLMES: -- or Afghanistan. This is California, and before heading to war, many soldiers come here to the Mojave Desert, where training is anything but basic.
This is the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, billed as the most realistic training facility in the world.
CAPT. SCOTT STEPHENS, 1ST BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM/3RD INFANTRY DIVISION: I'll tell you what. They get it so doggoned close here, I had to kind of close my eyes just a few times and remind myself, you know, hey, this is - you know, this is just training and this is just - we're in California.
HOLMES: When it opened 30 years ago, the NTC was meant to prepare soldiers for conventional warfare against primarily a Soviet threat. Times and enemies have changed, and so has the NTC.
COL. BENNIE WILLIAMS, 1ST BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM/3RD INFANTRY DIVISION: It's actually no comparison. When I first came out here as a young lieutenant in 1985, the entire place was a desert. But, over the years, NTC has done a great job in adapting to what our forces are geared towards and what the current fight is.
HOLMES: The California desert provides an ideal natural terrain -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: By the time they get to war and ready to go into the building.
HOLMES: -- for the Army's own version of a Hollywood production, complete with props, special effects, and actors.
We spent a week in the desert with the 1st Brigade out of Fort Stewart, Georgia, for their training rotation before deployment to Iraq. Colonel Gregory Sierra is one of the commanders of the 1st Brigade.
LT. COL. GREGORY SIERRA, 1ST BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM/3RD INFANTRY DIVISION: You're there. You are - when you are on a mission, the - the conditions have been set appropriately by the - the National Training Center, that it - it puts people in the - you're in - you're in Iraq. You're - mentally, you're in Iraq, and that's what we want.
When we go out on a combat patrol when we get to Iraq, and my guys are going outside the wire, it wouldn't be the first time, because in their mind they already did it here at the National Training Center. (END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, coming up next, I am going to be speaking live with two of the soldiers and one that you saw featured there. There he is on the left, Lieutenant Colonel Sierra, and also Sergeant Major Sean Cook, I spent time with out in the desert last year, and they are getting set to come home, just about ready to fulfill their mission.
I'll talk to them live after the break. Stick with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Forty-two minutes past the hour.
We showed you just before the break the - the time that I spent with the unit - an army unit that was preparing to go to Iraq for their mission. That mission is about to wrap up now after a year deployment, and I want to bring in now two of the gentlemen that I did spend time with during their training out there in Fort Irwin, Sergeant Major Sean Cook, there on the right; and, on the left, Lieutenant Colonel Greg Sierra.
Gentlemen, I am so happy to be able to talk to you all this morning and so happy to be able to report as well that, like you said, Lieutenant - or Colonel Sierra, half of your unit already back home, the other half will be home by Christmas. Quite frankly, let me have your reaction, Sir, just to hear those words uttered out loud.
SIERRA: We are incredibly excited, and I know all the soldiers and families are as well to get everybody back home after a great (INAUDIBLE) accomplishment in the mission.
HOLMES: And I want to talk about that mission now, because when I was with you guys out at the National Training Center, that training center evolved, and you all did a lot of training that had to do with having meetings and - and doing things with your - your comrades on the other side, the Iraqis, that advise and assist.
So let me ask you, Sean, have you felt like an adviser there in - in Iraq since the combat mission wrapped up earlier this year?
COMMAND SGT. MAJ. SEAN COOK, U.S. ARMY: Oh, yes. When we - when we came over here, we - we started out as - as stability ops and advising and assisting Iraqis and continued to the end. New Dawn was - was just another day for us.
HOLMES: That was going to be my next question, and it sounds like, Colonel Sierra - well, I think it was August 19th when the last combat brigade rolled out of Iraq, and at the end of the year - or, excuse me, end of that month is when the operation actually changed. But did it feel any different, Colonel Sierra? Did you do anything any differently once the mission officially changed?
SIERRA: Not really, T.J. We put a lot of thought into this mission before we even deployed, when we were out at NTC with you. And then, as we came in, it was really about the Iraqi security force commanders, the two division commanders that we've been partnered with, and we've been supporting them and ensuring that we help them do their mission the whole time.
So, really, Operation New Dawn the 1st of September, there was no difference between the 31st of August and the 1st of September for the battalion.
HOLMES: And let me go back. I guess, just kind of going back and forth with you now, Sean, at any point on - people here advise and assist, and people might get the idea, and some did, that maybe you guys were just sitting around in offices and answering phone calls or something like that. But you all are - are always combat ready.
So after the mission officially changed, how often, Sean, did you all find yourselves back in somewhat of a combat role and having to be supportive of your Iraqi comrades in more of a combat role?
COOK: There's always a chance that - that something bad is going to happen, and, when it does, you know, we react. The Iraqi security forces, though, had - take the lead, and - and we help them when needed, for the most part.
HOLMES: And Colonel Sierra, are you going to be leaving Iraq feeling like - certainly, I guess, your time at least is wrapping up. But will you be feeling that the mission is wrapped up or would you be leaving thinking there is still more you and your unit and American forces can be doing there even beyond the deadline of the next year to get all U.S. forces out?
SIERRA: You know, T.J., there's a couple parts to that. The first part is the - there's a security agreement between the two nations, and - and we'll comply with the security agreement, because that's - our two nations have agreed to that.
I'd said to the soldiers, before they deployed, that, at the end of the day, you want to be able - when you get home, you want to be able to look at yourself in the mirror and know that you spent a year away from your family and you made a difference. And what we have seen in an exponential growth in Iraqi security force ability to secure their - their populace right now, those soldiers can do that. They can be very proud of themselves and what they accomplished.
There - there's always improvements where you can refine the security force capability, but for our two divisions that we're partnered with, no mistake about it, those guys are in charge of security in their areas.
HOLMES: And, Sean, back to you here now. We talked about the National Training Center and how it has had to evolve over time when the mission changing and things changing on the ground in Iraq. If you were going back to advise the National Training Center now after your year in Iraq, what would you tell them to do to tweak kind of the training they do out there to make it still fit what's happening on the ground in Iraq right now?
COOK: I think they got that just about right. It's - it's hard to - to make adjustments because the environment over here changes a little bit. However, the - the training center prepared us as it continues to prepare soldiers to deploy, and I think - I think they've got it about right.
HOLMES: Well, gentlemen, I will wrap up on this last note here, and I'll have both of you answer it, and, Colonel Sierra, I'll let you answer it first. Just how excited you are to come home? It's been a year.
And, earlier, I think you - you all both know, they held an event for you guys, and I think, Colonel Sierra, your wife played a big role in it. It was called The Halfway There Picnic, and that was kind of the halfway point. They marked the halfway and only - of just so much left before you guys are going to come home.
So I'll let you both wrap up by first just saying whatever you might want to say to your families back home, but just the idea of knowing you are coming home and you will be here for the holidays.
So, Lieutenant Colonel Sierra, you - you'd start it off.
SIERRA: OK, three points. First, just overall to the populace back there, there's been a lot of money, blood, sweat, tears, lives that have been - that have been put into this mission, and it has absolutely made a difference in the - the growth of the security force ability to secure the populace. So people can feel very confident in that - and that's - that makes us happy.
To the soldiers, incredibly proud of them. They've earned this Christmas. They have earned their time there. I already said, they look in the mirror, they should be proud of what they did, so I'm incredibly proud of what those guys have done over the course of the year.
And then, most importantly, to the families. The guys, I can't tell you how happy everybody is. We want to get home to them. We could not have done this mission without the support of our families and friends back home, taking care of us. Their - their actions back home, taking care of the home front, allowed us to do this mission here.
So, I cannot wait to get home to my family, and I know every soldier feels exactly the same.
HOLMES: And you go ahead, Sean.
COOK: I - well, I'd like to thank all the families for supporting all the soldiers over here for - for the year that we've been here. And all of them are looking forward to getting home, and we're proud to - to bring them home and say hey, and happy holidays.
HOLMES: All right. Gentlemen, it is so good to see you both. I am certainly going to follow up with you and hope to see you down the road. I will see you down the road when you guys get back.
But thanks so much. Please give my best to the rest of the men and women in your unit that I spent some time with. But thank you so much. Looking forward to seeing you guys back home.
SIERRA: Thank you.
COOK: Thanks, T.J.
HOLMES: All right. It's 49 minutes past the hour now. We're going to take a quick break on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Take a break on that note, and we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right, Nadia Bilchik joining us this morning, as she always does, talking about a big - a big birthday party.
NADIA BILCHIK, CNN EDITORIAL PRODUCER: Yes.
HOLMES: They're sparing no expense here, right?
BILCHIK: No expense for King Bhumibol Adulyadej. So I thought I would start off with the (INAUDIBLE) of the King of Thailand, the longest reigning monarch in the world and one of the most beloved monarchs in the world, King Bhumibol.
HOLMES: Which birthday is this?
BILCHIK: He turns 83.
HOLMES: OK.
BILCHIK: He became king when he was only 18 years old.
Now, why he's so loved. He has done so much for the poor of Thailand. He's the most considerate leader. He is so revered that most Thai families will have a picture of the king.
Now, it's very interesting. It's a constitutional monarchy in Thailand, and there's been controversy. There were riots earlier this year. The king stays out of politics unless he absolutely has to intervene, but you seldom find a king as revered as this. There are going to be balloon festivals.
We spoke about the Monkey Festival happening in Thailand yesterday.
HOLMES: Yes, we did.
BILCHIK: It is quite the time to be in Thailand this weekend. They're opening Madame Tussauds Museum. There's a sunflower festival. There's be fireworks - these are the balloons. They're quite exquisite.
HOLMES: Now, you say they're sparing no expense here. We have any idea about the expense?
BILCHIK: Not exactly, but it will certainly run into the millions because nothing is too much for the king. HOLMES: Now, what is this here?
BILCHIK: This is the Sunflower Festival.
HOLMES: OK.
BILCHIK: Now, note the color of the sunflowers is, of course, yellow. You are wearing a gold yellow tie today -
HOLMES: Yes.
BILCHIK: -- maybe in honor of King Bhumibol.
HOLMES: Let's go with that. OK.
BILCHIK: Why yellow? Because he was born on a Monday, and, in Thailand, the day you are born has certain colors associated. So if you're born on a Monday, it's yellow. If you're born on a Tuesday, it's pink.
Do you know what day you were born?
HOLMES: I can't remember what day (INAUDIBLE) -
BILCHIK: Well, you do need to ask your mother because if it's Wednesday it's green; Thursday, orange; Friday, blue; Saturday, purple; and Sunday, red.
HOLMES: OK. I'm going to look that up as soon as we get off here.
BILCHIK: Please, look - that's a very big part of it.
So, so many people throughout Thailand will be wearing yellow today in honor of King Bhumibol, the longest reigning monarch in the world.
Now, the kind of philanthropy he would be involved in, he was involved in many, many projects, as I mentioned for the poor. Well, just to show how considerate he was, when his mother was very, very ill he wouldn't go to Bangkok during the day, which have caused great disruption because of his entourage. He'd visit her at night.
Just a superb human being. Extremely bright.
What is going to happen after he dies remains to be seen.
HOLMES: OK, and one last thing here, what kind of health is he in right now?
BILCHIK: Very good health.
HOLMES: There you go.
BILCHIK: Obviously, the Thai diet works.
HOLMES: OK, 83 years old. Wow.
BILCHIK: Eighty-three. Happy birthday, King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
HOLMES: Adulyadej. Very nice.
All right. Nadia Bilchik, as always, we appreciate you.
You might want to stick around for this next one. When I first heard about it this morning, I figured this is one of the stories you were going to be telling me about.
Are you faithful to your significant other? Have you never cheated before? Congratulations, that's great. But you still have a cheating gene. It's in you.
We'll explain this, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, just a couple of minutes to the top of the hour now.
Check this out. Do you see what just happened there? We have it spotlighted there, but this is a subway station in Madrid. Man falls off the platform, falls into the tracks there. Other passengers waving their arms, trying to get a train pulling into the station to stop. You see that?
Well, an off-duty officer was there. He drags the man to safety just seconds before the train arrives. You see the man fall there, and then the officer finally gets down there. But the train is really just seconds away when the officer - you can see him coming into the frame now - gets the man and drags him out of the way, and as soon as he does - look at that, the train comes by.
The officer's name - Angel.
Well, cheating - playing around, one-night stands. If your heart just has a tough time staying loyal, of course, this could wreak havoc on your relationships. All kinds of excuses out there for why people cheat. They have all kinds of excuses. But, it may turn out it's not your fault.
Boy, you can just hear some cheaters right now, just - their ears perked up when I said that. Well, let me explain.
A new study claims a genetic variant is responsible for cheating and promiscuous behavior. The study's author says we all have this gene.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JUSTIN GARCIA, SEX RESEARCHER, BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY: So it turns out everyone has the gene. The gene is called DRD4. It's a dopamine D4 receptor. We all have it, but we vary in the type of variant that we have for the gene. So, everyone's got it. It's kind of, imagine like height. We all vary in our height. And the same thing is true with the genes, and it varies in its length. And the one particular variant: people who seek dopamine more. They're more likely to kind of need thrills and want to jump out of airplanes and extreme sports. They're more likely to gamble and abuse alcohol.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Good morning, everybody. Welcome to the CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
You know, we've heard so much about the drug wars in Mexico. It seems like it's hard to shock you with any news these days. But this was a bit shocking. A 14-year-old is accused of working as a hit man for a drug cartel. You will hear from him.
Also, a developing story this morning out of Iran. It may now be very close to having everything it needs to become a nuclear power. And this comes just days before a very important meeting where Iran's nuclear program is going to be discussed.
From the CNN Center, this is your CNN SUNDAY MORNING for this December 5th. Good morning to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes. Glad you can be with us this morning.
We can go it alone. That's the alarming message Iran is sending out to the world this morning about its nuclear capabilities. The Islamic Republic claims -- they claim at least -- they can produce everything necessary for nuclear fuel. That means they don't need any help from anybody else, any other countries.
The U.S. and its allies fear that Iran is trying to produce a nuclear bomb. Iran denies that. The head of Iran's atomic energy organization tells state media is the country is now mining and processing what's called yellowcake uranium.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALI AKBAR SALEHI, HEAD, ATOMIC ENERGY ORG. OF IRAN (through translator): This means that Iran has become self-sufficient in the entire fuel cycle, starting from the exploration and then mining and then turning it into yellowcake and then into converting it into UF6 and then enriching it and turning it into fuel plates or fuel pellets.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: The announcement comes just a day before Iran is to continue stalled nuclear talks with top world leaders.
Well, an important meeting is going to be taking place over the next couple of days, having to do with North Korea and its most recent provocative acts. But what's interesting here is who is being left out of the meeting. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is going to be meeting with her Japanese and South Korean counterparts tomorrow. China is not invited. China wanted a meeting of the six-party group following last month's attack by North Korea on a South Korean island. Washington and South Korea balked at the idea of six-party talks, saying they did not want to be seen as rewarding North Korea with a seat at the table for its provocative actions. Right now, there are nearly 30,000 U.S. service members in South Korea.
Speaking of South Korea, we talked a lot yesterday about that trade agreement between South Korea and the U.S. The president talked about it yesterday. He's calling it a landmark agreement, one that will increase U.S. exports by $11 billion.
He says it will also support or create some 70,000 jobs here in the U.S. -- a target goal, of course, with the unemployment rate now ticking up, or at least it did last month in November. It went from 9.6 percent to 9.8 percent.
Also, this new trade deal will eliminate nearly all the tariffs on industrial and consumer goods within five years, especially opening up the Korean beef and auto markets.
Here's how the president summed up the deal:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm interested in agreements that increase jobs and exports for the American people and that also help our partners grow their economies. So, I told Ron and our team to take the time to get this right and get the best deal for America. And that is what they have done. The agreement we're announcing today includes several important improvements and achieves what I believe trade deals must do. It's a win-win for both our countries.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well, the president also says he's very disappointed the Senate failed to pass middle class tax cuts. The Senate Democrats tried twice yesterday working in a Saturday session.
One vote would have kept the cuts for the vast majority of Americans but eliminated those tax cuts for those making more than $250,000. That failed. They tried again with another measure that would have the cutoff at $1 million -- so everybody making less than $1 million would see the tax cuts staying in place. That one failed, too.
Where do you think the vote was? Maybe along party lines?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
SEN. DICK DURBIN (D), ILLINOIS: To give a tax break to the wealthiest people in America at this moment in history is foolish and reckless -- and yet, that is the position of the Republican Party and a definition of their values. SEN. CHUCK GRASSLEY (R), IOWA: This debate is not about cutting taxes. This debate is whether or not we ought to increase taxes on anybody during a recession. And we feel you should not raise taxes on anybody during a recession.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
HOLMES: Let's follow up on another story from yesterday. Spain, where the air traffic controllers were on strike. Well, now, most of them have gotten back to work today. There was a threat of prosecution against them, and that seemed to work to get them back into the office, get back into those towers. They went on strike on Friday.
The backlog of stranded passengers at Madrid's airports thinning out. Not completely, though. The airport can only handle about one- third right now of its usual traffic -- still trying to get things up and going. And, of course, the folks, they are just trying to get home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLIE DAVIDSON, STRANDED PASSENGER: I feel very disappointed, and the actual airline themselves have been pretty good. They've kept us informed a lot of the time. So, you know, in that respect, it's been good. But the actual experience, after traveling for two, three days, is getting -- you know, taking its toll now into our sleep. So, you know, I really need to get home and relax.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: All right. Let's give you more now on another developing story this morning. This is off the coast of Alaska. Maritime rescue operation is going on to try to avoid a potential oil disaster.
The U.S. Coast Guard is towing a giant freighter. It's found adrift off the Aleutian Islands. It's a 738-foot freighter that lost much of its engine power Friday morning. It's carrying about half a million gallons of crude oil and diesel fuel.
Well, a woman who's been missing the last 10 days has been found alive. Debra Collins is her name. She was found by a group of hikers early Saturday in California's Santa Cruz Mountains. She was believed to be delirious when found and possibly suffering from hypothermia.
Well, at seven minutes past the hour, time for us to say good morning once again to Reynolds Wolf.
You got everything together there? Last-minute adjustments on the tie.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Making all the adjustments we possibly can. I'll tell you what? We're also going to try to adjust that forecast and show you what we can expect around parts of the country. Yesterday was all snow business in parts of -- actually into Chicago. They had 5.1 inches of snowfall. It doesn't sound like a whole lot when you think about Chicago, but it was a record for that date. Today in Atlanta, we're expecting some pretty nice conditions. You can see the shot right over me.
We're going to talk about your full forecast coming up in a few moments. That is straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Are elephants cute really?
WOLF: Baby elephants are darling. They're beautiful.
HOLMES: OK. We are looking at zoo animals here. This is out of Germany. They're trying to deal -- oh, they put the elephant up for me.
Is that a baby elephant? Or that was a baby elephant, wasn't it? OK, nobody knows. I'm sorry.
But, yes, they're dealing with the snow as best they can. They've -- what -- Great Britain got hit with a wave of weather, kind of made its way over -- across Europe now. And the --
WOLF: What is that thing?
HOLMES: It's a baby elephant.
WOLF: It looks more like a Woolly Mammoth, doesn't it? It appears to have some kind of hair on it.
HOLMES: It's got a do.
WOLF: It does. It's kind of weird stuff, man. It's kind of like all spiky and whatnot.
HOLMES: OK, that's my job. You got any more pictures per chance of the weather?
WOLF: I've got a picture of Chicago.
HOLMES: OK.
WOLF: Let's show you what we have over here. We've got the flamingos up. And they do look good. Isn't it nice how their little necks are together and makes a little heart? It kind of warms the heart. The winter weather you're seeing over there.
HOLMES: We were clearly up too late.
WOLF: You have no idea.
Take a look at what we got here. Here's a great shot we have from downtown Chicago. You know, this is kind of a beautiful shot that we have compliments of WLS.
You see the tree here. To me, it's kind of a sad story about the tree you have in Chicago. This is a tree that's actually donated by a family to the city of Chicago. This was a tree planted back in 1923, and it is certainly beautiful. But the family that had this tree celebrated weddings, family get-togethers, everything near this beautiful Douglas fir tree, and then it was cut down and donated to the city. Great, very, very giving, but I'd have a hard time parting with something like that. But the good side is everyone gets to enjoy it.
Yesterday, if you were in Chicago, you enjoyed the snow. Guess what? Your neighbors across Lake Michigan, in the state of Michigan, will be enjoying some of that snowfall. Enjoying it? I don't know.
You're going to have a few scattered inches of snowfall from Muskegon heights. Well, when you get a little bit further to the south, just west of Kalamazoo, some places over the next couple of days could see several feet of snowfall.
They are not alone. Farther off to the east, over towards Lake Erie, same situation. Not so much for Buffalo today -- Buffalo is going to get the majority of its snow overnight and into tomorrow.
But from Cleveland to Ashtabula, over to Erie, you could see several feet of snowfall there, too, anywhere from one to four inches of snow, possible in parts of the Appalachians and into the Smoky Mountains, which will be nice for you, if you happen to be up in Ashland, you will enjoy the snow.
But if you're hoping for sunshine in parts of the Southeast, you're going to get it. It should be a beautiful day in spot like Houston with 62 degrees the expected high; Boston with 39 degrees; Salt Lake, in the low 40s; upper 60s in San Diego; and Miami, 78 degrees, with a chance of thunderstorms into the afternoon.
T.J., it looks like a pretty nice day across the nation. Where we are seeing the snowfall, again, it was record-setting in Chicago yesterday for that date at 5.1 inches of snowfall. But I'll tell you, if it happens to be in, say, February, and they get that amount of snow, they're going to be happy. It's great. It's nothing later on to what's coming.
HOLMES: All right. Reynolds, thank you.
And I got some video, I don't know if you've seen this yet. But let's -- we're not cross-country folks. We're not marathoners. But look at this.
A young lady is trying to finish the race. This is in high school out in California, the state championships. Just didn't have it in her at the end of the race and collapses.
Well, watch what she does now, folks. She's going to finish this race. She's not going to walk across or run across the finish line. She literally is crawling across the finish line. This young lady, the name is Holland Reynolds. And you know, long race -- she just conked out. But she crosses the finish line. It was so important to do so because she was running on behalf -- her whole team was here, Reynolds, for her coach who had just been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease.
So, they had kind of something they were running for. And she wanted to battle and battle across, and she made it. But it's just -- to see that picture.
WOLF: I don't care who you are, that's wonderful to see. Obviously, your heart goes out to her, but to see her work that hard is kind of a neat thing.
HOLMES: Well, congratulations to her on that effort at least.
Also, another effort we want to tell you about, show the pictures of this first. It will look a little silly maybe to you, but it's for a noble cause. We told you last -- you might remember this, Reynolds.
The November, the "Mowember" they called it. Guys were growing mustaches. It's growing out there.
WOLF: Oh, yes.
HOLMES: But now, we have this "Decemburns" is what they're calling it. And, yes, December, and you're growing out these sideburns. Now, this is being used now to draw attention to AIDS and AIDS/HIV in Africa.
The idea is to grow them long enough to look so silly that people ask, what is your problem? Why are you doing that? And then you can spark the conversation about what's happening in Africa and what's happening to women, children, men as well certainly, but the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa.
WOLF: People ask me what my problem is every day.
HOLMES: And what do you tell them?
WOLF: Well, I should be using that. That's a great thing. What a wonderful cause. I'm going to let mine grow out.
HOLMES: Are you really?
WOLF: I'm thinking of doing that, absolutely. But, you know, maybe just a little bit. Maybe just a little bit. I don't know.
The problem is, you know, I don't know if I could let it go. I don't know if they'd be happy with the big pork chops on air.
HOLMES: Pork chops.
All right. 15 minutes past the hour now.
We were showing you this video a little earlier. A man stumbling onto the subway track in Madrid. The train seconds away. Off-duty cop goes on duty. We'll show you how this played out.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Nineteen minutes past the hour now -- time to see what's hot on the Internet. There's always a new viral video out there.
Josh Levs keeping track of them for us -- Josh.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we've got a bunch of good ones today.
This first one has a lot of stunning images in it. Take a look here. It's from a company called Batelco. Let's watch.
(VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: This is a telecommunications company based in Bahrain. And they're calling this video "Infinity." It's about a journey through people's ideas, taking imagination and making thing real, bringing them to life.
Batelco hey worked with Spy Films to create this. The music was created for it. It's gone absolutely viral. Clicking at it like crazy.
And at the end, they send you the Facebook page for Batelco. That's getting a lot of visits, too.
All right. Comedy front now. People are loving this one. Take a look at the cats playing patty cake. And listen to what they're saying.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOICE: Baker's man. Bake me a cake as fast as you can. Roll it.
VOICE: That's not "roll it."
VOICE: You dropped it, man.
VOICE: That's not "roll it."
VOICE: You quit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: This is from Justin C. Elliott. Hilarious stuff on that site. And you can watch the two cats go at it for a while. Basically, they got a video of them doing this. They voiced it over, and people eating it up.
All right. Now, take a look at this kid with some serious dancing skills.
(VIDEO CLIP) LEVS: This kid is the new hot dancer online. People are loving this. He's at some kind of street fair. If anyone can make out the song behind him, let us know. But he's got some moves.
And finally, this new Hanukkah song has got everybody talking. Take a look.
(VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: This went up last week. It already has like 1.5 million views online. We had a front page story about it on CNN.com, on our main page. Thanks to Uri from the Maccabeats. This group, a cappella group, the Maccabeats telling the story of Hanukkah.
Also, a viewer tweeted this to me the other day. Absolutely viral.
All right. Everything I showed you just now is up on my page, at Facebook -- facebook.com/JoshLevsCNN. I have also tweeted it out there. So, if you're on Twitter, you could follow me there. You'll see the whole lists, people eating it up.
You can always send me your favorites. I'll have some of those for you next week.
T.J., back to you.
HOLMES: All right. Josh, we do appreciate you. We've got another video coming up.
LEVS: Oh, yes.
HOLMES: People are going to want to see a mascot arrested at his football game. Don't worry. They had a backup mascot ready to go as well. We'll explain this.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Turning now to some of the stories that are making headlines.
Something more to shock us in the Mexican drug wars -- a 14-year- old alleged assassin telling his story now. The boy -- who CNN will not formally identify because of his age -- has been dubbed El Ponchis, or the cloak, is his name. He's accused of ruthless killings on behalf of a Mexican drug cartel boss. He says the leader made him do what he did.
Here's part of the interview and its translation into English.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, UNIVISION)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Who gave you the orders to hit them, to execute them? EL PONCHIS, ALLEGED ASSASSIN FOR DRUG GANG (through translator): El Negro.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where did you learn to execute, to beat?
EL PONCHIS: I got high.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you get drugged?
EL PONCHIS: El Negro drugged me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: El Negro drugged you. Since when did El Negro drugged you?
EL PONCHIS: Since I was 12.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You belonged to the gang since you were 12?
EL PONCHIS: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: We turn to Albania now, where help is on the way for thousands who have been displaced by torrential rains and flooding. Twelve thousand people have been evacuated from their home. State of emergency is in effect for some of the hardest hit areas.
Also, look at this out of Madrid, Spain. We have it highlighted there. You see a man falls off the subway flat platform, falls onto the tracks. Other passengers are waving their arms are actually trying to get the oncoming train to stop.
Then you see there's an off-duty police officer who comes into the frame there. He grabs the man, drags him out of the way, literally just in the nick of time. The police officer, would you believe, his name is actually Angel.
Well, I want to turn to some sports now, welcome in our guy -- sports anchor Joe Carter from Headline -- HLN, excuse me -- HLN. Sorry about that.
This is great yesterday. That was great football action yesterday. But a mascot ended up in handcuffs. This is great.
JOE CARTER, HLN SPORTS: Of all that happened yesterday, yes, the talk this morning is about a Bearcat mascot who went "loco," for lack of a better word.
Now, I've seen people, I've seen fans throw things onto football fields before. I've never seen a mascot do such a thing. Now, during this run, you see the running back for Pittsburgh Dion Lewis starts getting pelted with snowballs. It's coming from a mascot.
Now, he starts to encourage everyone around him to do the same thing. HOLMES: I thought -- when I saw that, I thought the crowd was just throwing snowballs. But it was actually the mascot who was pelting the guy.
CARTER: He basically took charge of the whole thing and said, let's start throwing snowballs with this guy. He was booked and then charged with disorderly conduct, taken to the pen. And they said, you know, we're going to call in the bench. They brought in a backup mascot.
HOLMES: Who has a backup?
CARTER: That's what I said. Who in the world -- where does he sit? Is he in the locker room? Is he like somewhere in the press box, like -- is he just waiting for the other guy to go down?
They brought in the backup mascot. It didn't work. Cincinnati would lose that game to Pittsburgh. They finished their season, I think, 4-8, really bad season, and sort of embarrassed that their mascot got out of control.
HOLMES: Will he get his job back?
CARTER: I doubt it.
HOLMES: Really?
CARTER: I doubt it.
HOLMES: OK. So, this is a big opportunity for the backup now to shine.
CARTER: Yes, in just one instance, everything can change for that backup.
HOLMES: All right. Well, it seems like everything is going to change today possibly for Tiger Woods. He's wrapping up the year and possibly with a victory.
CARTER: You know, what a difference a year makes. You know, last year this time, Tiger Woods hit a tree and several mistresses fell out. A lot of people were wondering if he'd ever get back from the fall from grace.
And now, he stands just four shots -- excuse me -- 18 holes from winning his first tournament over a year. He's got a four-shot lead going into today. And just like I said yesterday, the course really plays into his favor. It's got a lot of long par 5s, plays into his long game.
You know, he got a new swing coach this year, Sean Foley. It looks like that is starting to come through in terms of getting his swing back and adjusting his game.
But, yes, Tiger actually could get that world number one ranking back that he lost earlier this year. Mathematically, it's possible if he wins today. So, a fall from grace and potentially ending the season with his first tournament win and back at number one is a lot of momentum heading into the next golf season.
HOLMES: I don't know how much you know about that calculation they use, but it's something about even tournaments he won two years ago that will factor in. I'm going to do a whole segment with you -- I'm going to do a whole segment with you one day just on those rankings.
Joe Carter, good to see you as always, my man.
CARTER: Thank you, too.
HOLMES: Thanks for that.
And to that poor mascot -- come on, man. You can't be throwing stuff at players on the field.
All right. It's bottom of the hour here now. More top stories when CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues at the top of the hour.
But, first, I want to hand it off to the good doctor.
