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CNN Saturday Morning News

Tornadoes Tear Through South, Midwest; Millions Gather Worldwide To Ring In 2011; Unusual New Year's Traditions; Testing Hangover Remedies

Aired January 01, 2011 - 06:00   ET

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

JOE JOHNS, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to 2011. The new year dropped into Times Square amid tight security and huge crowds, and the good times rolled from there. We have every acorn, stiletto, peach and pickle that helped millions ring out the old and ring in the new.

Twisters in December. The year is off to an awful start in the nation's midsection after a line of deadly storms tore through five states and leveled entire neighborhoods. We're live in one community reeling from a rare New Year's Eve disaster.

From CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It's January 1, 2011. Good morning. I'm Joe Johns. Thanks for starting your year with us.

Also ahead, cybercriminals already have their New Year's plan of attack all mapped out. We'll tell you which smartphones and social- media sites are the prime targets in the weeks ahead.

Bloodshot eyes, aching head, upset stomach -- all signs you partied a bit too hard last night. There's all kinds of advice to cure hangovers, but what really works? We'll separate truth from fiction.

And take a look at this: What are these people literally dancing in the streets instead of at their own New Year's Eve parties? The strange story coming up.

The new year begins on a deadly note. Six people died in a severe-weather outbreak that raked across five states Friday. In Missouri, three people were killed as 160-mile-an-hour blew through Dent and Phelps counties. The National Weather Service now confirming at least one of the storms in Missouri was a tornado.

Meteorologist Jennifer Delgado from CNN International is live in Sunset Hills, Missouri, this morning.

Jennifer, the governor is planning to tour the disaster area we're hearing, right?

JENNIFER DELGADO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: That's right.

I'm actually live in Sunset Hills. And this area actually was hit one of the hardest out of that storm system that came through. As you mentioned, six people were left dead, three of those in Arkansas and three of those in Missouri.

Now, we are live at the scene. And behind us, we have some of the emergency crews out there and crews actually trying to restore some of the power and clean things up. But I want to show you some video of the damage left behind in Sunset Hills.

We're looking at areas where actually homes were leveled, businesses were damaged, trees of course were knocked down. And this video you're seeing right here just showing the damage left behind from reportedly an EF3 tornado. That is a system with winds -- or I should say, a tornado with winds up to 165 mph. There is a possibility it could have actually been an EF3. The National Weather Service is going to send another team out here later today to survey that damage.

Now, we have some sound with a woman who was actually not at home when the storm hit. But when she came home, this is what she found.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everything's gone. We don't -- there's nothing left. Maybe a few of my son's toys that I might be able to salvage, but -- the Christmas tree was still up. I mean, everything -- everything we had and everything I owned is gone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DELGADO: And that's right. You heard that woman there saying that everything was gone. Reportedly, when she came home, the Christmas tree -- everything was tossed around. A sad way to end out the New Year's.

Now, I have some more video. This is actually coming out of Rolla, Missouri. And reportedly, three -- three people actually died in that region, two of those in Phelps County. And you're looking at the video there. Actually, an EF1 tornado touched down in that region. This is an area that was pretty heavily populated for this region. It's located about two hours outside of St. Louis, and reportedly two people died when their trailer home was actually destroyed when that storm system came through yesterday.

And again, it started off -- it initially made touchdown, it looks like, in Rolla, then came through Fenton, Missouri, and then eventually came through Sunset Hills -- John.

JOHNS: Jennifer, now, you actually were in the area right around the time all of this happened. Give us a sense of why you were there and what you saw and heard.

DELGADO: Yes, that's right.

You know, I was actually -- I'm actually in town visiting family here, and I'm kind of a late sleeper. And it was about 11:40 Central Time yesterday -- I was actually in Baldwin, and I heard this loud noise coming through. I know it's a cliche, that you hear the freight train, it sounds like a plane, a jetliner taking off. Well, I looked outside -- everything was blowing around, and we actually had reportedly a tornado touch down across the Baldwin area as well, and there was a lot of damage across that region. But certainly, Sunset Hills was the hardest hit as that storm system pushed through. And those storms developed ahead of a cold front.

And I know Reynolds Wolf is in the Weather Center. He's going to talk a little bit more about the weather situation for today.

JOHNS: Absolutely. Thank you so much, Jennifer Delgado there on the scene for us --

DELGADO: Thanks, John.

JOHNS: -- in Sunset Hills. Appreciate your reporting. And we will get to Reynolds Wolf in just a couple minutes.

In northwest Arkansas, three people died in the small town of Cincinnati, two of them here at what used to be a house. An 88-year- old man and his wife were killed, several people were trapped under debris. At least a dozen were hospitalized. Some homes, buildings and a fire station damaged.

Emergency crews will be assessing the extent of that damage later this morning. We'll get the latest on the situation in northwest Arkansas in just a few minutes, and we'll talk live with a local Red Cross official. That's going to be at a quarter past the hour.

Now, I want to talk to Reynolds Wolf just a little bit about that deadly tornado and also, as you know, Jennifer was referring to the EF scale. And I'm a bit unfamiliar with that. So could you sort of take us through what all of that means?

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely, my man.

Plain and simple, it -- it's like this -- I know you've been in TV for a very long time, and -- and you've heard of the -- the Saffir- Simpson scale.

JOHNS: Right.

WOLF: We would refer to the strength of -- of hurricanes. Basically, the same rule applies when it comes to tornadoes.

When you hear the Fujita scale, that was actually created by Dr. Theodore Fujita from the University of Chicago back in the 1970s. And basically, it -- it is a -- a measurement of damage, structural damage, when you have a tornado. And they were very strong in some places. Joe, I believe the number was 160 mph winds that they -- they estimate. That would be the equivalent of a major hurricane.

So certainly some devastating stuff. The problem is, we're not done just yet. That storm system still chugging its way to the East. As it does so, it's kicking up all kinds of trouble in parts of the Tennessee Valley, back in central Alabama. North Alabama, along parts of I-65, not too far from Bessemer at this point and Tuscaloosa, we've got some very intense cells. And with that, we have a tornado watch that is in effect for parts of the region, that region being into Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, even into portions of Louisiana, till 10:00 Central Time. We are -- also have, at this point, looks like a couple of warnings that are popping up north of Hattiesburg.

I can tell you, these warnings -- there's no visual confirmation at this time in terms of the tornado warnings. However, the -- they are storms that are rotating. They're super cells -- thunderstorms which are possible of creating a tornado. So again, if you happen to be anywhere in this watch area, it certainly is a time to -- to certainly think about your surroundings and have a plan if a tornado does indeed come calling.

Meanwhile, this is the problem. This is the storm system. It stretches over a thousand miles, all the way from the Great Lakes clear down to the Gulf of Mexico. Ahead of it, we've got some strong thunderstorms and possible tornadoes. Back half of it, blizzard-like conditions, where you have not only snow -- anywhere from 18 to 14 inches of snowfall possible today -- but just a rush of very cold air.

(WEATHER REPORT)

JOHNS: A million people watched that live, millions more around the world on TV as New York City welcomed in 2011. This is perhaps the best-known New Year's Eve celebration in the world, along with the huge crystal ball, 12 feet in diameter. More than a ton of confetti rained down on the crowd.

That ton of confetti is only the start for cleanup crews. Partiers left behind tons more trash. And because police removed most of the trash containers as part of their security plan, there was no place to get rid of it but in the street.

In Raleigh, North Carolina, instead of a crystal ball, the city dropped a giant acorn. But then, North Carolina seems to have unique New Year's Eve symbols. The town of Eastover, drops a 30-pound flea; Cure Beach, a giant lighted beach ball; in Mt. Olive, an illuminated pickle; and in Brasstown, people gathered to watch the lowering of a huge opossum.

Raleigh finished off its acorn drop with fireworks. Always a crowd favorite.

Nashville dropped a 10-foot Gibson guitar. But then, what else would you drop in the capital of country music? That tradition is only two years old, but it looks as if it could become a Music City fixture. Again, like so many other places, when the guitar hit bottom, it triggered cheers and fireworks, as people said goodbye to 2010 and hello to a new year.

In Afghanistan, a new year there. The year began as it ended: Fourteen people died when a minibus hit a mine in the southern part of the country Thursday. But some American troops were able to set aside the war if only for a little while, and celebrate the new year.

Four hundred soldiers threw a party at NATO headquarters in Kabul. American businesses donated the decorations and party favors; the troops supplied the smiles.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano surprised some American soldiers in Kabul, spending the New Year's with them. Her visit has also strategic significance; she reviewed security operations at a key point along the Afghan border with Pakistan. Her goal is to stop the smuggling of weapons and explosives into Afghanistan. She'll also meet with senior officials there during her trip.

A New Year's Eve tornado tears through Arkansas, destroying dozens of homes. We'll ask the Red Cross what residents there need the most.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHNS: Let's get more on our top story this morning: the deadly severe-weather outbreak that ripped through parts of the Midwest and the South yesterday, leaving six people dead. Three of those fatalities occurred in northwest Arkansas.

We'll show you some video now of the scene.

And we want to talk also with Michael Spencer, a spokesman for the Red Cross, joining me by phone for an update on the situation.

Good morning, Michael. What can you tell us? What's going on there? Any update on the number of injuries and fatalities?

MICHAEL SPENCER, RED CROSS SPOKESMAN (via telephone): Well -- well -- well, good morning.

You know, it's just 24 hours later since this storm ripped through about this time. And so, you know, the community's just beginning to wake up. You know, the numbers has pretty much stayed consistent for the last quite a few hours. And so that's what we're seeing right now.

JOHNS: So I -- I would also expect that there are a lot of people at temporary shelters and such.

Any update on that? Are there a lot of people out of homes, displaced? Where are you putting them and how many people are we talking about?

SPENCER: There's -- there's a couple dozen homes that were destroyed, and actually most of the disaster victims actually stayed with family and friends last night. So we had a shelter on standby, but we didn't actually have to open that shelter. So the fan -- the community is really pulling together to help each other. That's what I saw yesterday, actually.

JOHNS: Was the warning system pretty good? Did a lot of people get the news that there was a real problem in time to try to do something about it, or did get -- people get caught sort of flat- footed? SPENCER: Most of the people that I talked to, they didn't -- the only warning they heard was the sound of the storm itself. And when you hear that sound, it's -- it's too late.

So a lot of people did not -- and I -- I heard a lot of people saying, you know, 'I wished I would have had a weather radio.' So we really encourage people, even -- year-round, you know, think about having an emergency weather radio that will sound a siren any time for you.

JOHNS: And there may be other supplies that you might need in that area. Are you getting the kinds of supplies you need beyond the -- the issue of weather radios or what you have you?

SPENCER: Yes, we're getting tons of -- supplies were moved in from throughout -- across the state of Arkansas and (INAUDIBLE) that were needed. And the community's really pulling together and that's -- that's been great, donating -- and so we're making sure that everyone in town here has a hot meal and a warm place to stay.

And we'll be setting up today, actually, a meeting with the families one-on-one to talk to them and sit down and -- and help them to begin to plan their steps to recovery.

JOHNS: Michael Spencer, thanks so much for joining us early on this New Year's Day. A very sad start to this year for folks there in your area. Thanks so much for you all you do.

And again, if you want to help victims of these storms, go to redcross.org.

Say goodbye to e-mail spam. It's so 2010. Cybercriminals are getting much more sophisticated. You and all their Facebook friends could be their No. 1 target in 2011.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHNS: With a new year comes a new warning about cyberattacks. This year's big targets could be social media and your smartphone.

Josh Levs is here to tell us about it.

Hey Josh.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there.

You know, there are people all over the world who spend incredible amounts of time trying to come up with ways to infiltrate your computer. And what we have right now is the annual report from McAfee, which is called the "Threat Predictions Report."

And in it, they're talking about the fact that there's been a significant drop in spammers targeting e-mail accounts, partly because lots of people are going elsewhere, like Facebook. They are predicting that attacks on instant-messaging services, Facebook, Foursquare and URL shorteners are going to be increasing this year. Now, it's important to keep in mind, McAfee sells antivirus software so it has an incentive to keep people concerned about computer security. But threats are real, and -- and McAfee is respected for its expertise.

One of the central ideas that they're talking about in this threat-predictions report is that, if you're on social media, a lot of the time, you are giving away tons of information about yourself. And scammers who want to can collect that information and then use it to target you specifically, coming up with a scam just for you. And they might.

Take a look at this quote here from McAfee. They say, "In just a few clicks, cybercriminals can see in real time who is tweeting, what their interests are and the operating systems and applications they are using. That then becomes child's play to craft a targeted attack."

Here's what the means basically: Based on information you're putting out there, scammers might send you a tweet or a Facebook post that says, 'Hey, you know that story you were just in? Here's a product you'll probably like. It's at a cheap price. Here's a link.' You just might click on it. You click on it, you get malware.

And McAfee also says it believes the Apple operating system will increase -- face increasing threats in the coming year as well, as well as various kinds of smartphones.

There's a lot of good warnings in here to take a look at, and I've posted it for you at my Facebook and Twitter pages. I'm up at JoshLevsCNN. Take a look there; let us know what you think.

And Joe, look, you know, there's a business incentive for groups out there to keep people a little bit paranoid, a little bit afraid. That said, it's also a reality that there are these attacks to watch out for.

JOHNS: I -- I -- one of the last things you said was very interesting to me.

You know, there's this myth out there that Apple equipment doesn't get attacked that much. But you're saying, we're going to start seeing more of that.

LEVS: Yes, McAfee is predicting that what they're calling "the long-protected Apple operating system" will face increasing threats in the coming year. It's the kind of thing that's a prediction, so until it's -- it -- you know, a year from now, I won't be able to tell you if it played out that way.

But based on the trends that they're seeing, they're expecting more targeted attacks on Apple systems.

JOHNS: Right. Yes, that's the other question. You wonder, just how do they know this? How do they know this is going to happen? How do they know it's about my smartphone now, or about personalized malware? LEVS: Right.

JOHNS: It's just all prediction, isn't it?

LEVS: It -- it is.

I mean, what they do know is that there's fewer attacks on e- mail. They do know that there are more people out there trying to attack smartphones and these other things. And what they begin to see are these little trickles in 2010, and based on previous years, the way trends works, they're guessing for next year.

But yes, no guarantees. You're right.

JOHNS: Josh Levs, thanks so much for that.

LEVS: You got it. (INAUDIBLE).

JOHNS: All right. We'll see you again later in the program.

After a miserable 2009, floor traders and investors end 2010 with something to sing about. We'll look back at the year's business highs and lows and find out what 2011 might hold.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SINGING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: They're even in tune.

Traders on the New York Stock Exchange sang in the New Year, belting out a rendition of "Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie." It's a longstanding tradition. They've been performing the song on New Year's Eve since the Great Depression.

So did Wall Street and the economy end 2010 on a high note?

Here with the answer, two members of the CNN business team: Alison Kosik and Poppy Harlow.

Let's start with you, Alison.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Joe.

No Santa Claus rally this year. Instead of quiet week to close out a positive year for the stock mark, overall the Down gained 11 percent in 2010. The Nasdaq jumped nearly 17 percent. And the broader S&P 500 rose almost 13 percent. New claims for unemployment benefits fell below 400,000 for the first time since July 2008. Analysts believe that claims have to hold below 400,000 in order to bring down the jobless rate. But many are worried that claims will go back up after many temp workers, hired for the holidays, go back on unemployment.

And MasterCard's spending poll said that holiday spending rose by more than 5 percent from 2009.That was helped by a more than 15 percent jump in spending online.

That's a look at the week that was. Here's Poppy Harlow with a look at the week ahead -- Poppy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Thanks so much, Alison.

Well, the economy certainly issue No. 1 in 2010, and it will be again in 2011 given the continuing unemployment crisis in this country. And looking ahead to next week on Wall Street, the first official trading week of 2011, we'll get December sales results from individual retailers, all signs pointing to pretty solid gains thanks to holiday shopping.

And the big number of the week comes out on Friday. That's when we get the December jobs report. Analysts expect a gain of about 110,000 jobs for the month. But the unemployment rate is expected to remain stubborn high at 9.8 percent.

And you may have heard this expression: As goes January, so goes the year. A gain for stocks in the first five days of January has led to a positive return for the full year more than 80 percent of the time. So here's hoping for a great first week and prosperous 2011 -- Joe, back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JOHNS: Thanks to Poppy and Alison for that.

A New Year's Eve nightmare for some folks in Missouri.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Patio table, chairs, barbecue grill went flying by as I was coming around the corner to get down into the basement.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: Everyday objects become flying missiles as a tornado passes through.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHNS: Welcome back. I'm Joe Johns. Thanks for starting your year with us.

Checking our top stories, a terrible start to the New Year in Egypt. State media there reporting an explosion outside a church in Alexandria that killed at least 21 people. Seventy-nine others are wounded. The car exploded shortly after midnight. A nearby mosque was also damaged and eight Muslims were hurt.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is spending New Year's Day in Afghanistan. She's scheduled to meet with U.S. and Afghan officials. Napolitano spent New Year's Eve with American troops and visited a key point along Afghanistan's border with Pakistan to review security operations. Her weeklong trip overseas include stops in Qatar, Israel and Belgium.

Today, officials in Virginia are expected to release the identities of two people killed in aircraft collision near the Shenandoah Valley Airport. Authorities say a medical helicopter collided with a single-engine airplane yesterday. The plane went down, killing both people onboard. The chopper was able to land safely. It's unclear right now what caused that collision.

The New Year begins on a deadly note in Arkansas, where authorities are waiting on sunrise to further assess the damage from a suspected tornado that touched down Friday. Three people were killed in Washington County, more than a dozen people were hospitalized, a number of homes, buildings and a local fire station all took damage. The National Weather Service now confirming it was a category F-3 tornado that hit the area.

In Missouri, similar devastation. The National Weather Service confirming it was a category F-3 tornado that hit near St. Louis yesterday, leaving three people dead and plenty damaged in the storms' wake.

From CNN affiliate KTVI, reporter Chris Hayes has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS HAYES, KTVI CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A mile-long path of damage you can see along the rooftops.

JON PRICE, RESIDENT: So I ran to the front window, and I was looking out and that's when I saw like a funnel coming down over here. And that's when I told everybody to get to the basement.

HAYES: Trees lifted from their roots left the smell of evergreen.

PAUL MICH, RESIDENT: I just kind of looked out the front of the house and just saw something just flip on by. There's like a big pressure, and then we just turned around and went downstairs real quick, and it was over like that.

HAYES: Insulation scattered among branches like a holiday decoration and damage with no apparent pattern. ROGER JESSE, RESIDENT: I saw things flying by our window on the first floor of the house. A patio table, chairs, barbecue grill went flying by as I was coming around the corner to get down into the basement.

HAYES: This seems to be the core of destruction within the Summit Heights neighborhood, with a utility pickup blown over, and pieces of homes thrown into other houses.

TODD DUPONT, RESIDENT: I looked out the garage and there was -- the lumber and everything was flying. So I just ran in the house, ran in the basement, grabbed the kids, and that was it.

HAYES (on camera): Firefighters checking out houses and looking for injuries. So far they found at least five houses that can no longer be lived in, like this one, but they found no injuries so far.

HAYES (voice-over): It might be because no one we talked to stuck around to watch the incredible sight.

PRICE: Somebody asked me if I got it on video tape, and I was like no, I was too busy running away from that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JOHNS: That was Chris Hayes from CNN affiliate KTVI, out of St. Louis.

Also worth mentioning, Fort Leonard Wood Army Base was hit by a suspected tornado. A number of injuries and damages have also been reported there.

It may look like bumper cars, but definitely not as much fun. Ice and snow making Colorado drivers lose control all over the place. Look at that.

Then there's this. You can let a traffic jam ruin your day, or you can turn it into a party. Georgia drivers dancing in the streets.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHNS: Yikes. Now, that's what you call a major lack of traction in Colorado Springs. Happens Thursday as Ian Smith rolls video on a runaway pick-up truck, slip sliding away on the icy road.

As you can see, the truck hits just about every vehicle in its path. I wouldn't want to be that insurance guy.

It's New Years. It's New Years. That's what we call making the best out of a bad situation. Would-be revelers, New Year's Eve, caught in a bumper-to-bumper traffic jam that shut down a suburban Atlanta road. So stuck motorists turned up the volume knob and strutted their stuff.

That's fun. I didn't have that kind of fun last night. How about you, Mr. Reynolds? WOLF: No. No, I did not. Would -- would you ever -- has the mood ever -- ever gotten to you to hop out of a car in the middle of a traffic jam and start dancing?

JOHNS: I don't think so.

WOLF: No?

JOHNS: Not -- not the -- that I can say -- unless. I might not have remembered it, but that's --

WOLF: Yes. Yes. (INAUDIBLE) memories. Absolutely. Yes.

I'm seeing that. I'm thinking if I were to do that, as my family in the control room knows very well, that would be making a bad situation even worse. My dancing, not so good. Like to dance, but some of us aren't good at it.

Right now we danced around the raindrops. We've got plenty of them right through parts of Alabama. Let's show you what we've got.

And there's this area that's shaded, right here, at least this area that's a -- that's a rectangle, this point changing shape as we speak. This is a tornado watch that is in effect at this time. We don't have any tornado warnings, that's the good thing, but we may see more of those develop.

Right now it's moving through mostly the heart of Dixie, right through parts of Alabama, right along portions of 65 as we speak, even I-20, Tuscaloosa getting hammered, some very heavy storms moving right past Bright (INAUDIBLE) -- Bright Day (ph) Stadium and towards Birmingham, (INAUDIBLE) you're going to be next. Gadsen and Addison, right near Mt. (INAUDIBLE), you're going to see some cells really developing. I would expect that out by the supers speedway you could have some hail, maybe even a little bit of flash flooding in spots that have poor drainage.

That's not the only big story we're following now. The other story is going to be something that you're never really going to be able to see, but it will be something that you could definitely feel, and we're talking about the brutal -- just brutal cold in parts of the -- the Northern Plains.

Take a look at this. The areas you see here in the red, those are your blizzard warnings, and when you have a blizzard, it can involve snow, but it is primarily a wind event, and this is what it feels like in places like Grand Forks. It feels like one degree. It feels like three in Aberdeen; Sioux Falls, zero. For our friends up along the U.S.-Canadian border, 16 degrees below zero. Wow. That is a heck of a way to start off the New Year.

But if you happen to be over towards Thunder Bay in parts of Minnesota, hey, break out the Bermuda shorts. You've got 24 degrees. Life is beautiful for the time being. But, again, a lot of that is going to change. Your forecast around the nation is as follows. We're going to keep it rainy in parts of the Eastern seaboard. If you happen to be in D.C., it looks like it's going to be later tonight before the rain comes calling. Again, we mentioned the blizzard conditions, but for the Central Plains, things really should be fairly nice. High pressure is going to be the dominating feature, which gives you pretty stable conditions.

Any flights into Denver should be OK. Cold, yes, but sky condition should be very nice.

Then, out to California, another one of those Pacific storms, not quite as strong as the one we've seen over the last couple of weeks but certainly you're going to see some raindrops and some puddles from San Francisco, northward to about Crescent Bay. Then when you get into the San Joaquin Valley, all rain. And upslope, what happens? You've got the snow.

Once again, more snow for ski country. Certainly great news for them. But, again, the bitter cold in parts of the Upper Plains, certainly something you're going to be feeling and throughout much of the day, be on guard in the Southeast, tornadoes, a possibility.

Let's send it back to you, Joe.

JOHNS: All right. Thanks so much, Reynolds.

WOLF: You bet.

JOHNS: Checking back with you.

New Year's Day and college football ball games go hand-in-hand, and at 5:00 P.M. today, Pasadena, California, the so-called granddaddy of them all, the Rose Bowl, pitting TCU's Horned Frogs against the Wisconsin Badgers.

Wisconsin ended up the season looking like one of college football's hottest teams, crushing their last opponents in double digits. A lot also at stake for TCU. They are out to prove they belong with the power football programs.

Meanwhile, college bowl fireworks right next door at the Georgia Dome. Florida State taking out South Carolina at the 43rd Chick-Fil-A Bowl. And FSU can thank a reserve quarterback, with Florida State's starting quarterback sideline with a concussion. The reserve quarterback puts on a show, leading two touchdown drives for the Seminoles. Final score, 26 to 17, in South Carolina's third consecutive bowl game loss.

In the NFL, Brett Favre couldn't shake off his concussion. He's listed as doubtful to play in the Minnesota Vikings' final season game tomorrow against Detroit. Favre suffered the head injury in the game against Chicago on December 20th. His injuries this season ended his record for consecutive starts.

Favre has also been fined $50,000 by the NFL for his alleged involvement in a sexting scandal. He was rebuked by the league for not cooperating with the investigation.

And sailing for top prize in the city by the bay, San Francisco has won the bidding to host the Americas Cup in 2013. The announcement yesterday, coming after talks between San Francisco and New Port, Rhode Island went down to the deadline.

Brazilians wear their national colors with fierce patriotic pride, so why isn't it fashionable to wear green and yellow in Rio today? Ahead, Nadia Bilchik joins us with some unusual New Year's traditions around the world.

But first, we bring you some fun facts from Forbes.com, the top five money making movies of 2010. At number five, DreamWorks, "Shrek Forever After"; "Inception" came in at number four; the number three was "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." After the break, we'll tell you who was -- were the top two box office winners of the year.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHNS: Before the break, we brought you three of the five top earning movies of 2010. The list is from Forbes.com.

Now, for the two biggest earners of the year. Number two was Disney's "Alice in Wonderland." That was a great movie. And the highest-grossing film of 2010, another Disney movie, "Toy Story 3," which made more than $1 billion. It also hit the record for the highest-grossing animated film of all time.

Violent weather swept across the Midwest yesterday. Take a look at the damage here in Sunset Hills, Missouri. Tornadoes splintered homes and knocked out power to thousands. The governor of Missouri declared a state of emergency and will tour devastated areas today. Three people died in Missouri.

Three more died in the tiny town of Cincinnati, Arkansas in that same line of fast-moving storms. The tornadoes destroyed nearly everything in the town -- homes, chicken farms, even the fire station.

Police in Garland, Texas have charged a former NBA player's son with capital murder. Nickey Van Exel is charged with shooting his friend and dumping the body at a nearby lake. Nickey is the son of Nick Van Excel, who played 13 seasons with a variety of NBA teams. He's now on the Atlanta Hawks' coaching staff.

The younger Van Exel says he and the other man were playing with a shotgun when it went off, accidentally killing him.

After hours of negotiation, an armed man who tried to rob a bank in Pearland, Texas surrendered peacefully yesterday. He and an accomplice had taken several hostages. Police took that first gunman into custody early in the standoff after an exchange of gunfire. The other held out until police stormed the bank.

In the end, no one was hurt. Along with the hostages, three people who have hidden in the closet emerged unhurt as well. Watching the ball drop in Times Square, it's a time-honored New Year's tradition. But you'd be surprised at how some other countries welcome in their New Year.

Nadia Bilchik joins me now to look at the bizarre New Year's customs past and present from around the world. So we're going to start with Brazil, I hear.

NADIA BILCHIK, CNN EDITORIAL PRODUCER: Let's start with Brazil and a beautiful tradition. Brazilians wear white on New Year. Now, think about white -

JOHNS: Oh, that's nice.

BILCHIK: -- what does white represent?

JOHNS: Purity.

BILCHIK: Purity, yes, and peace. So you'll find Brazilians wear white.

And they also have this extraordinary ceremony on Panama Beach in Rio de Janeiro, where they take a barge and they put flowers and candles and jewelry and they send the barge into the water to honor the Goddess Iemanja, who is the Goddess of Water.

JOHNS: Well -- well, this is going to be very nice, because we have a lot of events coming up.

BILCHIK: Yes.

JOHNS: In the next --

BILCHIK: 2014 World Cup in Brazil. 2016, we have the Olympics.

JOHNS: Plenty of opportunity to see the beautiful ceremonies and enjoy the Brazil music.

BILCHIK: Oh, Brazilian music and gorgeous women, right?

JOHNS: Yes. Everybody is -

BILCHIK: (INAUDIBLE).

JOHNS: Not going there.

BILCHIK: But certainly, Brazil, just a beautiful, beautiful tradition. And imagine everybody wearing white and beautiful --

JOHNS: Yes.

BILCHIK: -- ceremonies.

Now -- then we go to United Kingdom. And United Kingdom, Scotland has a fascinating tradition called "First Footing".

JOHNS: First footing?

BILCHIK: First footing. So that is the first person who visits your home after New Year, preferably a man.

JOHNS: Right.

BILCHIK: OK? And he brings gifts like coal, sugar, bread, to show abundance.

JOHNS: So this is where this started? Because, you know, I was always taught that there was a tradition that the first person to visit your home during -- after New Year's brought you good luck, if it was a man, which is kind of a sexist notion.

BILCHIK: Exactly. But wait. Not only a man, he cannot be a redhead or a blond.

JOHNS: Oh, really? But I'd -- I'd be OK, right?

BILCHIK: You -- you'd be perfect and I'll tell you why, because if it was a dark man, maybe he could be Scottish. If he was blond or redhead, then he may be a Viking.

JOHNS: Oh, and that's not good?

BILCHIK: That's not good.

JOHNS: Why? Because they'll rape and pillage?

BILCHIK: You are a man of great information and resources.

JOHNS: Oh, yes.

BILCHIK: Now, we go on to Germany. Now, Germany has the tradition of taking molten lead, pouring molten lead into cold water. And depending on the shape the molten lead -

JOHNS: Pollution.

BILCHIK: -- takes -

JOHNS: No?

BILCHIK: That would give -- but what's that, if the molten lead took the shape of a heart or a ring, it would mean romance in your life.

JOHNS: Really?

BILCHIK: Yes. If it took on a shape of a ship or a plane, you were going to travel this year. And if it took on the shape, let's say, of a pig, it means an abundant year in terms of food.

JOHNS: Really? And -- as I guess, there's no way to game that, you know, and it's not fair to like put it into a mold.

BILCHIK: No. But, you know, it's like seeing a cloud. You can think of anything, right?

JOHNS: Right.

BILCHIK: What would you like your molten lead to say this New Year?

JOHNS: A dollar.

BILCHIK: OK. Abundant and prosperous year.

JOHNS: Right.

BILCHIK: Now, in Taiwan this year, and now Taiwanese celebrate Chinese New Year. So Chinese New Year in 2010 was on February 14th, our Valentine's Day. In 2011, large Chinese New Year is going to take place on February the 3rd, and no doubt we'll be talking about that on February 3rd.

JOHNS: Absolutely.

BILCHIK: This long, beautiful, ceremonial Chinese New Year.

But there's a very interesting Taiwanese tradition. And, by the way, this is going to be the Year of the Rabbit.

JOHNS: OK. Right.

BILCHIK: So we'll discuss the rabbit in a little more detail. But the Taiwanese tradition is the night before New Year, your boss will take you out and they'll have a lottery where you can win anything from $50 to a Mercedes-Benz, and like that --

JOHNS: Well, that's a -- yes, that's a pretty good deal. Well, I'll take the Mercedes-Benz.

BILCHIK: Why not? And then they have a chicken in the middle of the table and they will rotate the chicken and you hope that the head doesn't face you because that is not a good omen. That may be that you may be fired.

JOHNS: Wow. Just because -- if the chicken ends up looking at you. It's -- it's not a living chicken?

BILCHIK: No. Hopefully a dead -- but a very much completely dead chicken with the head.

So from Brazil -

JOHNS: That's kind of -

BILCHIK: -- to Taiwan. -

JOHNS: -- bizarre, yes.

BILCHIK: It can be a little bizarre and different and interesting. And then in the 8:00 hour, I'm going to take you to Hungary and Spain and talk about the significance of grapes.

JOHNS: Oh, I'm loving this, Nadia. Really interesting stuff. Thank you for this.

BILCHIK: Enjoy and have a great -

JOHNS: All right.

BILCHIK: -- rest of your day -

JOHNS: Absolutely.

BILCHIK: -- and a very happy 2011.

JOHNS: And same to you. All right.

BILCHIK: Thank you.

JOHNS: So we'll see you again in the next hour.

People all over the world waking up in some pain this morning. Well, we're here to help, of course. A look at tried and true hangover cures, next.

But first, if you're looking for something special about your city to brag about, how about this? Men's Health Magazine made a list of the drunkest cities in the country.

Topping the list was Fresno, California? How random. Followed by Reno, Nevada, then Billings, Montana. Number four among the Golden State cities, Riverside, California. And coming in fifth Austin, Texas. I could have figured that one.

After the break, we'll bring you the least drunk cities, with a couple of surprises. Atlanta wasn't in there. Go figure.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHNS: Before the break, we told you what topped the list of most drunk cities. Now, how about the places where folks are not overdoing it?

Cheers to Boston. This is a little hard to believe for being the least drunk city. This is followed by Yonkers and Rochester, New York, then Salt Lake City. I would have figured that one. And in fifth place, this is a big surprise for me -- Miami, Florida. What about Mojitos? I don't know.

It doesn't matter where you live. Last night was New Year's Eve. Chances are you've downed more than a few last night and a lot of you out there are hurting this morning. So what's the best way to treat a hangover?

Senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen put some remedies to the test.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Just in case you overindulge this New Year's Eve, here's some ideas about hangover remedies. Some of them work and some of them don't.

So let's talk about the first one, a favorite among college students, a hair of the dog that bit you. That's right. Having another drink the morning after to help get over your hangover. Well, this isn't such a great idea. You may temporarily feel better because -- well, you are getting drunk, again. However, you are adding more toxins to your system and you're going to make that hangover even worse.

Now, let's talk about Alka-Seltzer. For about 80 years it's been around and many people use it for a hangover and actually it can work to settle your stomach, if that's what's bothering you. It can make your stomach feel better, because it's got sodium bicarbonate in it.

Now, let's take a look at hangover remedy number three, and those are those hangover remedies you see them sold all over the place. Well, some doctors actually put them to the test and they found that they don't work. They're no better than a placebo. So those really aren't worth trying.

Now, some people take an aspirin or an ibuprofen before they go to bed or when they wake up in the morning and that actually can help the headache that accompanied the hangover. However, it can also irritate your stomach. So if your stomach tends to be kind of queasy and not do well the morning after, you've had a little too much to drink, these probably are not a good idea for you.

Now, let's move on to coffee. A lot of people think, well, I'll just drink some coffee. That will wake me up. I'll feel much better in the morning. Coffee, not such a great idea and here's the reason. Caffeine dehydrates you and you're already dehydrated, plus it can raise your blood pressure. There is one exception to this. If you're already addicted to caffeine, do have that cup of coffee because the last thing you want on top of the hangover are symptoms of caffeine withdrawal.

Now, let's move on to another one that involves the liquid, but this liquid is water. Water is actually a terrific idea. It's probably the best hangover remedy that there is, because you're hydrating yourself and that's exactly what you need. You can also do Gatorade or another sports drinks.

And I have another terrific hangover remedy right here. And it's called a pillow. That's right. A pillow where you need to do is sleep it off. That is also another terrific hangover remedy.

Now, to read about 10 hangover remedies and whether they work, go to CNNHealth.com and we go through all of them. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE) JOHNS: Elizabeth Cohen.

Thirteen rowdy beasts -- and we're not talking about people who were drinking last night. Bringing the running of the bulls to a small Pennsylvania town, that's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHNS: Let's go cross country on this New Year's Day.

First stop, Maple Hill, Kansas. Some teenagers jumped into action when a wildfire started threatening their homes in a neighborhood. They grabbed shovels and rakes and started putting off the fire, working alongside firefighters.

This is Bend, Oregon. A dog ventured out on a local pond and fell through the ice. A firefighter risked his life to save the shivering animal. He said he did it to save someone else from risking his life to rescue the dog.

Last stop, New Holland, Pennsylvania, where a rowdy group of 13 bulls broke out of their pins and rambled through a neighborhood, tearing up yards and fences and forcing people to hide in their homes. It took police several hours to corral the animals, calling on cowboys' skill they didn't know they had. Nobody was hurt.