>> that's it for today. thanks for watching. "cnn newsroom" continues right now with don lemon. hello, thank you very much. i'm don lemon. randi is off today. time to get you automatic up on the news. here we go again. congress racing yet another deadline, risking yet another yet completely avoidable problem all because of yet another stalemate. within the past hour we heard yet another plea from president barack obama for lawmakers to pass an extension of a payroll tax break that benefits everybody who draws a paycheck. but people who don't draw paychecks wish they did face the cut-off of ferderal unemploymen act if congress does not act before the holidays. >> congress should not and cannot go on vacation before they have made sure that working families aren't seeing their taxes go up by over $1,000 and those out there looking for work don't see their unemployment insurance expire. there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to extend

these items. the payroll tax cut before the holidays. party leaders in the senate now say they're trying to come up with terms -- come to terms with something and that may be more likely now that democrats have given up trying to pass a new tax on millionaires. but wait, there is more. in less than 36 hours, much of the federal government will run out of money. the latest as seven budgetary stop gaps runs ot out at midnight tomorrow night. while lawmakers scramble to come up with a plan, nobody's voted on anything. we'll certainly keep you posted. in baghdad today, the end became real. u.s. forces lowered the flag of command, closing the book on a controversial war that claimed almost 4,500 american lives and cost more than $800 billion. defense secretary leon panetta was there. >> to all of the men and women in uniform today, your nation is

deeply indebted to you. you have done everything your nation asked you to do and more. your dedication, your commitment to this mission, has been the driving force behind the remarkable progress that we've seen here in baghdad and across this country. more than a million u.s. troops have served in iraq since march of 2003. all will be gone by the end of this year. we have to tell about a scathing report against the justice department that just came out against arizona's most outspoken sheriff. maricopa county joe arpaia, says the court, have dsystematically

broken federal laws. justice department found a wide range of civil rights violations including unlawful stops, depensions ad detentions and arrests. the result is the result of a three-year investigation. the judge in the amanda knox murder trial is shedding new life on the acquittal. in newly published legal papers he says the prosecutors did not prove in any way the guilt of amanda knox and rafael sole sleo for the crime of committing meredith kercher. the search continues this hour for missing from a bankrup brokerage. in a third congressional grilling, jon corzine, former mf global ceo, will be questioned on what happened to his client's money. according to a trustee overseeing the brokerage, the 5 hadn't $4 billion in customer funds, more than $1.2 billion is still missing. corzine, former senator and governor of new jersey has claimed he doesn't know where the money is and says he never

ordered transfers from customers' accounts. former french president jacques chirac has been found guilty of corruption. a cording to a press office, the 79-year-old was given a two-year suspended sentence for breach of trust, misappropriation of public funds and illegal use of influence during his time as mayor of paris between 1977 and 1995, he apparently used public money to pay people to work for his political party and paid others to perform jobs which did not really exist. it is uncertain will he will appeal the verdict. nearly half of all u.s. public schools failed to meet federal achievement standards this year. according to a new study, in the 2010-2011 school year, an estimated 48% of schools did not make adequate yearly progress under the no child left behind act. it marks an increase from 39% of schools in 2010 and the highest percentage since no child left

behind took effect in 2002. nearly 1 in 5 women say they have been sexually assaulted. details in the story straight ahead. first on a more positive night, selena needed a kidney and turned to craigslist. enter stephanie grant, one of the 100 people to responded to her plea and lives just a fuew miles away. she offered one of her kidneys and after months of waiting doctors gave the green light and both women are recovering in a florida hospital. for her act of selflessness, well, you are today's rock star. [ mom ] scooter? your father loves your new progresso rich & hearty steak burger soup. [ dad ] i love this new soup. it's his two favorite things in one... burgers and soup.

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>> male announcer: book now, save up to 65%. call 1-800-sandals. our next story could be a dirty little secret finally revealed -- except it is not all that little. it is huge. bigger than we ever knew. first let me give you some context. over the course of a lifetime, one american woman in eight will develop breast cancer. 1 in 3 will get heart disease. you've heard those numbers before but you haven't heard these. almost one american woman in five says she's been a victim of rape or attempted rape at some point in her life. 1 in 4 says she's been beating by an internat partnimate partn. 1 in 8 rape, beaten or stalked. this comes from the national center for prevention, injury

and control. doctor, these are breathtaking figures. were you surprised by the prevalence of sexual violence in society? >> well, we're very concerned when we saw these numbers and saw how large the problem is and how much of an impact it has long term on people's lives. >> impact long term. you talked about the health issues that go along with these -- with this problem. >> yeah. there are many health issues that we're seeing in women who have been victims of rape or intimate partner violence. chronic disease issues such as diabetes and asthma, post traumatic stress disorder, issues with substance abuse. so many things that continue to impact them long after the events have occurred. >> let's talk to you about men as well. we'll continue to talk about this but i want to bring in men because it may be surprise, men as well are affected by this. one in seven men were beaten by an intimate partner. there's also 1 in 71 raped by someone. so men are apart of this study

and that affects society as well. >> yes, it does. and one of the findings about men i think that is really important to highlight is that 28% of the men who experienced rapes were raped before the age of 10. >> doctor, what is the solution to this? first the solution for the problem -- i would imagine it is similar for both men and women, let's start with women first. what's the solution or at least part of it? >> well, the solution is really starting inn at an early age to prevent these events from occurring and that is to really help people develop safe and stable relationships, relationships in which they can feel as though they are not threatened. >> now what about men? is it the same exact advice for men? because lots of times men don't want to even admit it so to say that 1 in 71 were raped, and then 1 in 17 at least were affected by this. numbers are probably higher. do you have the same advice, the same solution for men? >> the solution is the same for

both sexes. it really is to develop relationships that are strong, that are stable, and to not allow violence to be a part of relationships or resolving conflict in relationships. >> one final question. you were disturbed by these findings. do you think people in general society know about this and if not, how does that awareness help them? >> well, i do think people were really -- are really aware of the extent of this problem in society. and i think this was helped by both bringing the problem to light, allowing people to feel more comfortable about reporting these incidents when they occur, and then developing ways of creating relationships that are stable and relationships that are healthy. >> doctor, thank you very much from the cdc. we appreciate your time. gasoline is the new big u.s. export. wait -- i thought we were short on gas. isn't that why the price of gas skyrocketed? the truth about how much gas the u.s. really has access to.

t. boone pickens will join us next. some folks call me a rock star, some call me the mayor... and i love it. and, i make everybody happy. i keep my business insurance with the hartford because... they came through for me once, and i know they've got my back. for whatever challenges come your way... the hartford is here to back you up. helping you move ahead... with confidence. meet some of our small business customers at: thehartford.com/business i don't think about the unknown... i just rock n' roll. when an investment lacks discipline, it's never this obvious. introducing investment discipline etfs from russell. visit russelletfs.com r a prospectus, containing the investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses and other information.

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trust me, you want to watch this because i've been talking to him in a break and is he also feisty. could it be an "undercovered" story about gas prices? supply and demand, right? prices spike when supplies get squeezed. here's the "undercovered part." gasoline prices aren't squeezes. when oil prices were the highest, the u.s. was selling gas to the world. this year we are a net exporter of gas and other things petroleum. that hasn't happened since 1949. in september we exported more

than 430,000 barrels of gas ple than we exported. prices are still over $3 a gallon. and remember this -- we're still importing huge a crude and well over half of what we use. so, why all the excess gas and stubbornly high prices? why is it still here and where is the solution here? t. boone pickens has some thoughts on all of this and he is an old-school oilman who now has an invest -- is an investment manager and champion of clean energy technology. thank you so much for joining us. so listen, it is a good thing to be swimming in oil, isn't it? >> well, you know why you're swimming in oil. >> why? >> global oil demand is down and the price of oil in a global market is $105. in other states it is $95. so we have the cheapest energy in the world in the united states. natural gas is $4. natural gas in the middle east

is $18. and $13 in europe. so now you can build your country back on the back of cheap oil and cheap natural gas. we have the cheapest. >> so listen, is it natural gas -- are we talking about -- let's keep our viewers on track here. we talking about gas that -- oil that we use to fuel our homes and we're talking about gasoline as well? are we talking about both here? >> well, natural gas to fuel your home is $4. gasoline today is about i think $3.27. but you see, we're bringing oil into the united states at $105, and we are exporting the products out of the country. so we have, yes, we have the cheapest gasoline in the world now. >> so tell us about this so-called t. boone plan or pickens plan that you have.

>> well, i just want to get on our own resources in america. we have plenty of resources here. we have renewables, in solar, we've got natural gas, more natural gas in the united states than any other place in the world. and so -- an i gave you the comparative, $4 natural gas here, $13 in europe. so we have the cheapest natural gas. are you going to see within the next six months where we are exporting not only gasoline but we will be exporting natural gas also. >> are we on the right track here do you think? >> well, not totally. you want to get on your own resources and we still import about 12 million barrels a day of oil. 4.6 million barrels a day from opec. now we are down from where we used to import 6 million barrels from opec. we're down to 4.6 million.

but we're down on a percentage basis from 44% of our imports came from opec that are now 43% because our demand has gone down. >> finish your thought. i'll ask you after. >> don't have the idea that we're cutting out opec. we are cutting down on opec because the demand is down. that's the only reason. >> i think for the person at home and the person who drives to work every day and sees the high prices in gas what they want to know is when will we get to a point. if we continue on this track, where gas prices will be lower significantly. >> you're talking about gasoline prices. >> yes. >> you can't get natural gas any lower. it is the cheapest you could ever expect. okay, gasoline prices lower. rememb remember, oil prices are set in a global market and they're set

by opec. they have 30 million barrels of oil a day. the world uses about 90 million. the 30 million they have will set the price for the other 60 million because it is concentrated in one spot and it stays together and they tell what you the price is going to bsaudis have told us they need 94% oil to meet their commitments. >> before the break, we were talking and you said, listen, i could talk about this for 30 minutes or more. you think this is one of the most important issues facing the american people. >> i absolutely do. when you look at the milken

institute report released two weeks ago, from 1978 -- i know it is a long time ago -- to 2010 we have spent $7 trillion on opec oil. okay. now, take the last ten years. we have spent $1 trillion in the last ten years now going forward ten years at $100 oil we will spend $2.5 trillion for opec oil. we have resources in this country we can use and not have to do that at all. why do we do it? it's because our leadership does not take us in the direction of our own resources. with resources, you've got jobs. hundreds of thousands of jobs. look at the states right now. pennsylvania is having a boom. north dakota is -- has 3% unemployment. texas has great activity in oil and gas. oklahoma, 4% unemployment.

and it's around over the country we should capitalize on it. >> t. boone, real quick, i got to run -- but what is the website for the pickens plan? >> pickensplan.com. i got 1,700,000 people signed up with me. >> you're also on twitter #boon pickens. an alleged victim of hazing at famu says she was not alone. >> not everybody was but a good few people got hit. >> her story in her own words in the growing investigation into hazing allegations against famu's marching band. that's next. welcome to idaho,

where they grow america's favorite potatoes. everyone knows idaho potatoes taste great. but did you know they're good for you too? they're high in vitamins and potassium. and idaho potatoes are now certified to carry the heart checkmark from the american heart association for foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol. so they're good for my family, and for yours. heart smart idaho potatoes. always look for the grown in idaho seal.

it is time for today's crime and consequences. we are getting a disturbing look at the alleged hazing at florida a&m university, details that come straight from a band member from the iconic band the marching 100. 24 hours ago we learned bria hunter was giving up a full ride after what police described as a brutal hazing ritual. officials told us yesterday on our show she may sue the university for happen. she was beat son savagely she suffered a deep femur deep bone bruising and blood clots. hunter was a good friend of fellow band mate robert champion who mysteriously died. his death was a couple weeks after hunter was allegedly hazed and hospitalized. hunter talked to affiliate wxia. this was done after hunter withdrew from school. her face is blurred because her

family was concerned about her safety. she and her mom who was there during the interview were clearly on edge. hunter says weeks before champion's death she was beaten by the red dog order, a group of band members from georgia. >> the first day like everybody was. not everybody but a few good people got hit. >> this needs to stop. >> i'm not comfortable. >> they went around the room and they asked people, did you want to be a part of this organization? this is the organization within the band. well, it's not affiliated with the band but it is in the band. >> what do you mean? >> like, it's not legal. >> well, hunter says champion was a mentor and warned her about the hazing. >> he didn't like it. he told me not to let anyone touch me. >> these three famu band members are charged with hazing, which

is a crime under florida law. two of them are also charged with felony battery. now in the meantime state investigators looking into champion's unexplained death say they've uncovered possible fraud at the school. but they say the suspected fraud is not directly related to his death. famu's board of trustees could not comment but say they are cooperating with investigators. in political news mitt romney and newt gingrich are leading the pack but which one can win over female voters and could their wives be the secret weapons? that's next if our "fair game" segment. but first our political junkie question of the day -- the term "first lady" was first used in reference to which presidential wife? the answer is just ahead. hey, mom? what? pay you? for what? for unloading the dishwasher?! kid, you need to pay me for making this delicious -- whoa. hold on there, mom. kitchen counselor. um, mom, i think what she means is "greasy dishes." yeah. in fact, check it out. cascade complete pacs are the ones with the real liquid top.

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before the break we asked who was the first presidential wife to be called first lady? the answer -- dolly madison. legend has it the term was first used at madison's state funeral back in 1849. so now you know. the ad that you are watching right now, it is called "leader." it highlights mitt romney's faith in family, something that ann romney also talked about in the campaign trail. >> he has the character and the integrity to make us proud and

to trust him and to know that he is a really, really good person. and that he has strong family values and that's what matters to him. >> all right, not just right-out saying it but the question is, is this a transparent attempt by the romney doorm court women and evangelical voters with the rise of newt gingrich? maria cardona and crystal wright author of conservativeblackchick.com. maria, we'll start with you. does this mean we are about to see even more of ann romney? and probably other candidates' wives as well. >> possibly so, don. i think what you are seeing from the romney campaign is a last-ditch effort before the process really gets started in terms of the caucuses and primaries. we all see that gingrich has now the front-runner. he's been really rising in the polls and this is mitt romney's attempt to really get at him and to really get i think at the

heart of what is very important to a lot of conservative voters and especially conservative women which is the trust issue and the trust issue when it comes to gingrich is a very serious one. the three marriages he's had, the hypocrisy, afierce thai affs had i think are issues all conservative women have an issue with. i think ann romney is going to do everything she can. >> is this always going to help him? can it actually hurt romney with some female voters? >> i think it can hurt romney with female voters because it's becoming really -- every time romney gets on the debate stage he says i've been married to ann for 40-some years. i'm such a mr. clean guy. i'm the prom king really. well, the prom king is nice to have around but i don't think that republican women voters are really going to go in for this character assassination romney is attempting and frankly, being

married 40 years is not a qualifier for being president of the united states. and mr. gingrich, while he has been married three times and people might not like that, i think that's a thing of the past and many women and men are supporting gingrich. let's face it, polls this week, gingrich is 40% in the lead ahead of romney at 22% among likely republican voters. i think this could be a liability for romney. people want to see passion from romney. not mr. clean i'm the prom king. >> they want to see actually a personality. not just a robot. hair-sprayed guy. >> yeah. i think it is nice that romney wants to be the ken doll in this competition but this is a race for the presidency of the united states and there's a lot at stake and people want to see romney's passion. that has not come through. >> maria, reagan didn't win iowa. mccain didn't win it last time. does iowa really matter? >> well, i would say it matters if you're a viable candidate,

don. i think what we have seen -- you just mentioned it -- is iowa tends to give the win to some candidates who are not viable. so if those candidates aren't viable, they're not going to make it through the whole process. if are you a viable candidate, clearly winning the very first contest is going to be great for you, but then the challenges, are you going to be able to get through. i think both romney and gingrich hold some very, very tough challenges ahead and you heard it from crystal. a lot of conservatives just do not like romney. they might not trust gingrich on personal issues but they do not trust romney to really take the banner of conservatism and be real with it because he's been such a tremendous flip-flopper during his whole political career. he's done a 180 on some of the most major issues that are facing this country and it is an issue of trust for both of them. >> maria and crystal, that has to be the last word. that's "fair game" today. thank you both for joining us. iran hijacks the u.s. drone. that's the incredible story one

iranian engineer told journalist scott peterson. real cloak and dagger claims we'll talk about with scott. there he is live. there he is live. next. ♪ my hair is gone ♪ cheap cologne ♪ motor home ♪ i'm the rocket man! [ both ] ♪ rocket man ♪ burning out his fuse up here alone ♪ burning out his fuse up here alone? ahh. [ male announcer ] crystal clear fender premium audio. one of many premium features available on the all-new volkswagen passat. the 2012 motor trend car of the year. ♪ and i think it's gonna be a long, long time ♪ hey, hey, hey, hey. i can see who's on my network people! lance? lance? yes, yes you are next. all right. dave, i'm in. ♪ katie! what are you doing, sweetheart? supplementing my allowance. how long have we been gone?

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thrnl thrnlts. u.s. stealth drone rq-170, the sophisticated multi-million dollar technically advanced spy vehicle that went down in iran

this month. u.s. military officials tell cnn the drone that went down in iran last week was on a surveillance mission of suspected nuclear sites in the country. but just how did iran get control of the apparently almost-fully intact drone? first u.s. and nato officials had said the drone was on a mission to patrol the afghan-iran border and had veered off course. then word came out iran may have shot it down. now here's what we are hearing. in what could be the most complicated twist yet and the escalating spy war with iran, a report in the christian science monitor says iran hijacked that drone. it claims "iranian specialists recon figured the drone's gps coordinate to make it land in iran and what the drone thought was its actual home base in afghanistan. scott peterson, a staff writer for "the christian science monitor" joins me now from istanbul, turkey. it is his report. thank you so much for joining us. first, i want to say to you, how

do we know -- how -- this is an iranian engineer that you're getting this information from. why is this source credible? >> well, this source is credible. the iranian colleague hwho i worked with on this story i've known for many, many years and the actual source himself, the iranian engineer, is also someone he's known for several, several years. actual chain of trust is very, very short in this case. >> okay. so listen, if it works at this gps, it flies at 50,000 meet, designed to invade sophisticated air defenses, then how did they do it? >> well, our understanding, both from the iranian engineer himself but also from a lot of other information coming out from experts on this kind of electronic warfare is that this stealth drone is not actually a stealthy as it might appear. there are sensors on it, other

items and it is almost always in constant communications sending data streams back and forth to its control base, as well as communications with the gps satellites which take it where it is meant to go. the fact that it is communicating like that makes it vulnerable to jamming into other kind of electronic interference. >> scott, it is really easy, if you know anything -- a little bit about technology -- gps is really easy to hack in to. apparently this isn't something new when it comes to hacking into gps and hacking into intelligence for these types of drones and these types of devices. so the u.s. knew about the possibility. so is the u.s. underestimating or did the u.s. underestimate iran's ability to hack in to this drone gps system? >> i think that's precisely what's happened. what we hear from this iranian engineer that they've been observing for the last two years at least the overflights coming from afghanistan of some of these stealth drones. they've been aware. they've also captured themselves

and shot down a number of other less sophisticated non-stealth drones. but those drones are still using the same gps navigational characteristics. surprisingly enough, we've had -- we heard last september we had revolutionary guard commanders basically claiming that they had this capability that they had a way of reprogramming, stepping in and reprogramming a gps set of coordinates so that it could move, it could basically spook the drone into thinking that it was landing where tit was supposed to be but landing where the spoofers, the hackers, wanted it to land. >> we've heard from the secretary of defense leon panetta did not rule out the possibility when asked that it could have been hijacked and that it could have been jammed through a cyber attack. the house intelligence committee chairman says categorically iran had nothing to do with the fate of the drone. he says i will say without hesitation that this is not something that anyone had

anything to do with coming down with other than a technical problem. i will tell you there was a technical problem that was our problem. nobody else's problem and i think there is a lot of pr going on. we asked the pentagon for their reaction. they referred to us u.s. president obama's statement he gave on december 12th a couple of days ago. he said with respect to the drone inside iran i'm not going to comment on the intelligence matters, then he asked for the drone back. you may have seen or heard his statement because he said it in front of cameras. what do you make of the president's statement of asking for that drone back? >> well, i don't think anyone seriously ever thought that -- and probably the president himself didn't expect that the drone was ever going to be handed back by the iranians. i mean the united states, israel and some european countries have been engaged in a covert war against iran over its nuclear -- and with iran over its nuclear program for several years. it's been especially gaining pace over the last year. but going back to the statements from those senior american officials, stating that really

it was just a malfunction, what we haven't heard foreign policy american officials is the description of the kind of malfunction that took place. the reason is because they don't know themselves what kind of malfunction took place. as far as we understand, the drones disappeared from the ability to communicate with the ground base. that's what happened to the drone so they aren't actually aware of precisely what took place inside iran. what i understand from experts on this electronics warfare and not just from the iranian engineer, but that this has been a known vulnerability, one that's been written about for several years and that really lets you take a specific set of measures to stop it which it doesn't seem to have happened in this case. there's nothing much you can do. >> scott, it is call spoofing. it is nothing new. they get the latitudinal and longitudinal data and make the drone think it is landing where it is actually supposed to land. what happens here when they get the information it is called reverse engineering. so they go backwards and they

figure out the intelligence behind this particular drone as they have done in the past and that's how they get the information to the united states. here's the question. this was a sophisticated drone or was it someone said -- i've read that it was a dumbed-down drone and i've read that it was a sophisticated drone. which one is it? >> this is a very, very sophisticated drone. its purpose in life was to go deeply behind enemy-held territory basically, in this case iran. certainly when it was used in overflights over osama bin laden's compound before he was killed in pakistan. that this is not second or third tier technology that's being used. now when people talk about a dumbed-down drone, they are talking about the fact that this stealth technology isn't the greatest. it is not the very best that the united states has and that may also be true for some of the central material. but relative to everything else and everyone else's capabilities around the world this is absolutely the best you can

find. >> scott, we're quickly running out of time here. how much u.s. intelligence was compromised here? according to officials, if it was a dumbed-down drone, not much intelligence compromised. but if it is a sophisticated drone, that may not be true. >> well, i think that in terms of actual information, it is not clear yet how much damage the drone actually sustained because we didn't see when the iranians showed it what happened to the undercarriage which is of course where most of the instruments, the sensors, the things that for example the chinese and russians never mind the iranians might be especially interested in. we're not sure how well those survived in fact and i don't have a read on that from the iranian engineer who is working on it. but in terms of the vulnerability for these kind of drones, it seems that if this happened one time and if iranians were involved as they say and this iranian engineer says, there's no reason why it can't happen again. >> can't wait to see the underbelly because it was damaged because they were a little bit off on their calculations of the underbelly

so they didn't show it in the video being released from iran. scott peterson, thank you so much from "the christian science monitor." very good reporting. many u.s. troops are returning home from iraq and walked straight into the arms of their families. i witnessed it yesterday in the airport but what happens after that first embrace? how military families prepare for their returning loved ones coming up. a military wife joins us to explain. with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is a non-narcotic treatment that's fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers,

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mpbls the iraq war is over. a war that started with shock and awe and embroiled that country in sectarian violence has led to the fall of saddam hussein. leader put on trial for crimes committed against his own people. found guilty and eventually executed by his own countrymen. today u.s. forces lowered the flag in baghdad marking the end of the nearly nine-year iraq war. the remaining soldiers will be out by new year's and eventually head home. but some never got to go home. 4,487 u.s. troops have been killed since the conflict began. one of those, private 1st class andrew nelson, killed in action, christmas of 2006 in iraq. his father's allen nelson, and he joins me today via skype. and there's also angelina stanford, her husband recently returned from afghanistan, two tours there. three in iraq. thank you both for joining us. i'll say straight off, thank you for your service to this country. because you serve as well even though your family members are

serving. first, allen,ky go to you? your feelings as you see this war coming to an end. >> i'm really happy that our guys and gals are going to be able to return safely and that their parents are never going to get that knock on the door that we did on christmas day five years ago. i'm extremely happy for those guys and gals and their families. i have mixed feelings as to whether this is the right time to pull out or not. i have some concerns as whether or not it's -- >> alan, your sound is cutting out a little bit. as we get that fixed i'm going to go to angelina. you heard him talk about the concerns there. what do you make? are you concerned that maybe we're pulling out of iraq too

soon? >> my opinion is i'm curious as to how the country is going to function without the military presence there. it's been so strong and such a long time, too. my husband was there right from the start. but the relief of having your loved your loved ones home is immensely appreciated. it is just very nice to have them home and know that is a chapter in our life and our military career that we can hopefully close and move forward from. >> yeah. i saw it. i was in the airport yesterday and i saw some service members coming home from afghanistan. they had been there ten months. when you see them with their wives and children and family and they first see each other and they're home for the holidays, you can't help but tear up. your husband served three tours in iraq. are you worried that he will have to go to afghanistan? >> you know, we have new orders so i know we're not going to be having any deployments any time

soon. whatever, however the president decides to take our military forces is yet to be seen. so we'll come across that in the next couple of years. but i hope not but we'll see. >> hey, military families united. you are 57 involved in that. that's how you honor your son. how important are organizations like that? >> very important. we really have gotten a lot of support through military families united. we get together with other gold star families. and it is great because they all, we nu all know what each other is going through and another avenue of support besides our friends and family and our communities. we've become good friends with a lot of other gold stars through military families united. and we always take every opportunity we can to get together with them. we all understand what each other is going through. kind of a shoulder to lean on. >> i have to ask you this question. it's a tough one. as we look at pictures of your

son, i'm sure not a day goes by that he doesn't cross your mind. what do you say to him and what do you say to at least the higher power that you serve about your son and about the other men and women in uniform? >> well, i just thank them all. i thank andrew. i thank all the guys and gals that have made the ultimate sacrifice. i think the guys and gals continuing to serve right now, our way of life would sure be a lot different if we didn't have people like them that were willing to do this. the fact that andrew was killed on christmas day makes christmas time a little harder for us. but being a christian myself, i understand that the birth of jesus is much more important than andrew's death. and we'll always continue to celebrate christmas and be happy about that. >> alan nelson and angelina, thank you both for your service and merry christmas to you. >> thank you. could it be the end of

websites like flicker and ebay? how a battle could end the internet as we know it. plus, gop candidates are battling it out in iowa. john king is there toll us what's happening in the race for the hawkeye state. there he is. before we get to john, here is an l.a. company's pitch to the networks. be the first to interview casey anthony. so what's the price tag to interview the mom acquitted of murdering her young daughter caylee? reports say anywhere between $500 and $750,000. who is bilg and who will shell out the big cash first? so far, you might like this answer, nobody. it seems like the cable network have moved on and it seems like we can only hope casey anthony, your 15 minutes are up. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 let's talk about fees.

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international trade commission to deal with the piracy websites instead of the justice department. to alabama now. home of what could be the largest municipal bankruptcy in u.s. history. a bankruptcy judge in birmingham is starting a two-day hearing on whether jefferson county meets the legal requirements to file for chapter 9. it is $4.2 billion in debt. mostly over a sewer project but it is not insolvent. back in september, the county made a deal with its creditors. a deal it wants to scrap. we're now less than three weeks away, three weeks away from the iowa caucuses. tonight the last debate before it takes place in sioux city, iowa. that's where we find, of course, john king, the host john king usa. good to see you. what can we expect tonight? lift the curtain for us? >> reporter: last debate before the caucuses. speaker gingrich is leading in the polls. he gets the kick me sign.

we've seen some evidence both here in iowa and new hampshire that what they like to call newt-mentum is beginning to the stall. he is down a few points in iowa, down in new hampshire. what does that coincide with? very sharp attacks fromron paul, mitt romney and the others on speaker gingrich. there is no reason to believe it will be any dmif tonight. speaker gingrich's work tonight, all the activists i've spoken to during our week here say he would win. but it is not tonight. it is 18 days from now. so look for a lot of incoming. >> we see a lot on the polls and the horse race. i think what people are interested in, especially when you're on the ground, you've been there a while traveling around. take us there. what are you hearing and seeing? >> it's a very interesting campaign. because remember, the republican party has not had a national leader. john mccain was the national leader in the last cycle but he lost the election. george w. bush was the last republican president. he's been gone a few years. the republican party is trying to figure out who do we want to

be our standard bearer? do we want someone like mitt romney or newt gingrich or somebody closer to the tea party which came out of nowhere and shocked the system in 2010? that is debate we're having. forget the names and certainly what kind of a republican. that's the debate you're seeing at the grassroots. here's one other thing i want to add. gingrich is leading. there a chance romney will make a much bigger play but do not forget ron paul. can he win the iowa caucuses? most people are skeptical but don't count him out. he has a strong organization here. and ron paul who most republicans see as outside the party's main stream, he will be an impact player in eye waffle that is something you pick up without a doubt at the grassroots level. >> some pretty fancy digs you're seated at right now. are you and wolf blitzer in sioux city's living room? what's going on? >> reporter: this is the historic orpheum theater. it fell into disrepair.

it was renovated in the 1990s. it is a beautiful place. i remember being here in my first campaign. i covered back in 1988 coming here for an event way back in the day. it is a beautiful historic sight in sioux city. they've been nice enough to let us use it. you have your fancy studio in atlanta. that was built in recent years. this is a bit more of an antique. >> we will be watching because john mccain will be on. j.k.usa. thank you. appreciate it. i have to get out of here. it's time now for miss brooke baldwin. she will catch you up on all the news you need to know. >> i'll take it. thank you very much. let's go. let's get you caught up on everything news. rapid fire beginning in iraq. a simple ceremony in baghdad today marking the official end of the war there. american troops lowering the flag of command that it had flown over the iraqi capitol. it has been almost nine years since the war started. nearly 4,500 americans have lost their lives in iraq. more than 30,000 were wound and

reportedly tens of thousands of iraqis have been killed. most of them civilians. here we go. the clock is ticking again. tomorrow night the government shuts down. that is unless congress gets its act together and reaches a deal. we're told, talks are underway there on capitol hill. one of the biggest issues at stake, whether your taxes will go up in january. that pay roll tax cut set to expire. we're watching the cal endafrl 17 days away. also, four fishermen from the bahamas are extra grateful today. why? they launched five days ago from a larger fishing vessel. but they became stranded when their smaller fishing boats conked out and they were unable to return to the larger ship. the men had been without food or water for five days. the u.s. coast guard located and rescued them yesterday. just about 50 miles from andros island. and war of words between vladimir putin and john mccain? huh? here's the deal. the arizona senator suggested

russia might end up like libya. so that inspired the russian prime minister to suggest mccain is, well, nuts. >> translator: he had been held not just in jail but put in a pit where he was kept several years. any person under those circumstances would hardly remain mentally sane. >> as you know, senator mccain spent time as a prisoner of war in vietnam. the republican took to twitter. here you go. dear vlad, is it something i said? the senator appearing as don lemon just mentioned tonight at 6:00 eastern. do not miss that. also today, secrets out on the american drone in iran. the u.s. military sources say the cia was using it to spy on iranian nuclear sites. that version quite different than the previous one. the u.s. had said the drone was other a bored he patrol mission. president obama is asking for the drone back but iran is refusing. and the man known as america's toughest sheriff is facing some trouble today. the justice department accusing

joe arpaio's office. this comes as the supreme court announces it will decide whether the tough immigration law is unconstitutional. and a terrible accident involving an elevator shaft in new york. did you hear about this? a woman stepped into an elevator as usual, leaving work. suddenly it shot up before the doors closed, trapping her between floors. she died. >> i heard this like loud boom, crash. and the whole thing kind of shaked. a couple of the girls on my floor were like crying and really panicked. >> police looking into what caused the elevator to go haywire. amanda knox back home in the united states. now her judge in italy is speaking out. he said prosecutors did not prove her guilt in any way. knox acquitted of killing her roommate in a drug-fueled sex game back in 2007. police have arrested the man who tried to rob a pennsylvania coffee shop from his car.

take a look at what he did. thanks to surveillance video we can show you. he is waving his tire iron, climbing through the windows at the drive-through. then you see the person inside, actually it was the wife, slams him in the face with a metal coffee pot. and then threw steaming hot milk on him. ultimately, he left without a dime. the shop owner describes how his wife defended herself. >> he jumped through the window out of his driver's seat. that's when my wife saw him coming in and grabbed one of these, we call them air pots. full of coffee. pretty heavy. she hit him in the face with it. >> good thing for coffee pots. an update now on a medal of honor story, person, awarded that medal in the white house ceremony last september. >> for a fourth time they went back. dakota was now wounded in the arm. their vehicle was riddled with bullets and shrapnel. dakota later confessed, i didn't

think i was going to die, i knew i was. but still they pushed on, finding the wounded, delivering them to safety. >> you see the time stamp. that was back in september. the president rekounling the heroic actions that earned dakota myer the medal of honor. except there are now published news reports questioning the official version of the events as it happened that day. the "washington post" saying substantial portions of the narrative are, quote, untrue, unsubstantiated or exaggerated, end quote. even so, no one disputes that myer deserved the medal. the marine corps responding to today's report in the post saying it firmly stands behind the vetting process and that myer rightly deserved the honor. and got a lot more for you in the next hour in the newsroom. watch this. it's over. after more than eight years of war in iraq, more u.s. troops are getting ready to come home and we're going to take you live to the war zone. the only way cnn can.

i'm brooke baldwin. the news is now. a disturbing wake-up call. 20% of suicides in this country are veterans. >> cnn goes inside a hotline center. two rescues are caught on tape. >> can you put that knife away for a little bit? >> here we go again. the government could shut down tomorrow and then in 17 days, your taxes could go up. so is congress anywhere close to a deal? plus -- >> if we cross the line for some reason, boom, we're out. >> reporter: the heart breaking voice of a child without a home. right now, one in 45 kids in america knows the fear, the shame of being homeless. and i'll speak with one of them live. and breath taking moments as kayakers take a plunge.

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for the last 71 years. [♪...] >> male announcer: book now, save up to 65%. call 1-800-sandals. something happened today in iraq that may take some time to really sink in. here it is. for all intents and purposes, after nearly nine years, the u.s. war in iraq is officially over. today. watch with me. a flag was lowered. some ceremonial music played. a couple of key dignitaries spoke about sacrifice and loss, symbolism. it happened at baghdad's airport. take a look at this historic moment. >> almighty god, today marks a

very important day in the history of iraq and the united states. since 2003, our nations sought a common good, rarely tried in the history of mankind to bring the rule of law to a nation. >> we look back at the sacrifices made by so many americans and so many iraqis. but we also look forward to an iraqi the that is sovereign, the secure, and self-reliant. an iraq with whom the united states government will continue to work in every way possible. >> you came to this land between the rivers. again, and again, and again. you did not know whether you would return to your loved ones.

you will leave with great pride. lasting pride. secure in knowing that your sacrifice has helped the iraqi people begin a new chapter in history. >> eight years, eight months, and 26 days ago, as the assistant division commander for maneuver for the third infantry division, i gave the order to cross the border. as fate would have it, i now give the order to case the colors today. >> i want to bring in martin savidge. there he is. it looks like there may even be a christmas tree over your shoulder in kuwait where the final troops are crossing out of

iraq on on the way home. you've been talking to the troop on. this day, how do they feel about it all? >> reporter: well, it's quite a remarkable day, brooke. no doubt about it. it is certainly a day that goes down in history. so i think for the troops, when you talk to them and say, what do you think about being here, they give you three answers. first of all, they're thrilled because they know they're on their way home. two, they're thrilled because they know their deployment was cut short as a result of the president saying everybody out by december 31st. the third thing is they know they'll make it home for christmas. that is what is very foremost in their minds. then you start talking to them about the significance of today. the significance, eight and a half years later, where we are, the end of a war and they are here to witness it and it sinks in. they really get it. that's when they say, it's not a victory. no one is high fiving and nobody is planning to have that vehiclery parade when they get home to the home towns. that's not it. they realize iraq is facing a very difficult future. we went in, we did our job, we trained the troops, we trained

the police, we established the seeds of democracy for that nation. now it's up to the iraqis. we'll go home and watch from there. so that's the mindset you get here. definitely a very upbeat mood. but still all eyes will be on the future for iraq. >> so sinking in there. i think it is beginning to sink in for folks here at home. and with the troops there, i know not all of the troops, martin, will be coming home. how many, can you tell me are expected to stay in kuwait and what will their mission be there? >> reporter: well, what will happen now, a lot of the troops coming out of iraq that are coming down here to kuwait, they will go home for christmas. there is another rotation though of other troops that will come into this region. not just kuwait but also ships at sea and in other bases in other parts of the middle east. and there is going to tip to be a significant presence. the exact number of forces the u.s. military doesn't like to give that out. one, for security reasons, but two, they know the countries here are sensitive about basing

u.s. troops. but there will be tens of thousands either on land or at sea. are they here to respond to iraq if it all goes upside down? no. that's not the case. the they are here to send the message that the u.s. remains strong and to those, the u.s. still considers this a strategic region. it is still here in a strong presence. >> martin savidge for us at camp virginia. another big story we're watching, the republican race for the white house. the free for all really. the heat is on newt gingrich and we're all wondering, how is he going to respond to that? wolf blitz will join me live. plus this. >> we didn't have electricity or water for six months. we had to eat at the gas station at the corner because they had a microwave. it smelled really bad because we couldn't flush because the water was shut off. >> listen to her story. children struggling for food,

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it is blow-back time for newt gingrich. here it comes. how about this one for a zinger? in an interview with the top rival mitt romney calling the form he house speaker, zany. quote, zany is not what we need in a president. that is mitt romney saying that. this was bound to happen. gingrich, after all the front-runner. the gop establishment is

beginning to sound a bit panicked at the prospect of gingrich being the party's nominee for president. how is this for today? from the influential national review. this is from the editors, and i want to quote. to nod at gingrich would be to blow this opportunity for the white house. they go on to say impulsiveness, grand i don't think at this and half-baked ideas. wolf blitzer is in washington. does the tenor surprise you? this rising pitch of alarm from gingrich from certain multiple old guard republicans? >> it does surprise me, the degree, the extent of the criticism is surprising. i knew there was no great love for newt gingrich from the establishment. the government shut down in the '90s, after the successful contract with america, then newt gingrich was sort of removed. and they're very fearful that he would not necessarily beat

president barack obama in the general election in november of 2012. they think mitt romney would have better chance. that's why so many established republicans are going with mitt romney and they're really intensifying the heat on newt gingrich. it is getting closer and closer. it looks in iowa, a three-man race is shaping up in less than three weeks from now. mitt romney, gipg gingrich and ron paul. i spoke to him this week. he has a much more sophisticated, highly organized campaign operation in iowa. than either of his two main rivals have right now. ron paul could win in iowa and shake things up dramatically going into new hampshire, south carolina and florida. but look at mitt romney himself. and you hinted at this. if you take a look at what he's done. he's every single day giving interviews and he is intensifying the rhetoric on newt gingrich on monday with politico. with that interview he did.

tuesday in the "washington post." with "the new york times" on wednesday, suggesting that newt gingrich is zany and irresponsible. >> let me jump in. >> he is upping the ante and so far, so far, i think it will change. newt gingrich is not taking the bait. he is still trying to be statesman like, the high road. he is not fighting back but he will. >> we talked about this earlier in the week. it was monday. this whole spat between romney and gingrich that began when romney suggested gingrich should return that seven-figure fee for advising fannie mae and freddie mac. this was gingrich firing back. >> i would just say that if governor would like to give back all the money he's earned from bankrupting companies and laying off employees, over his years at bain, that i would be glad to then listen to him and i'll bet you $10 -- >> $10. ha! there was also some back and forth after that. i want to point this out. this retort coming from conservative columnist, he heard

what gingrich said. this was his take. quote, this kind of attack is what you would expect from a socialist. the so you pointed out what happened in the 1990s, the leader of the republican revolution socialist. a little over the top. do you think? >> a lot of the republican critics of newt gingrich, they even suggested that what newt gingrich said on monday, that's when he did take the bait. >> he did. >> we all know, the last couple days he's trying to take the high road saying he wants to run a positive campaign. he is waiting to go after president obama. but other republican critics of newt gingrich are saying that comment criticizing mitt romney when he was head of bain capital on getting rid of bad companies, firing employees or whatever. that's the kind of thing would you hear from the liberal economyist writer for the new york times. so they're really going after newt gingrich on.

this i suspect newt gingrich will come back very, very hard on mitt romney and all of his critics. that is in his nature. it is very hard, i suspect, for him to get slapped and turn the other cheek and take the high road. i think it will change. that's my gut having covered him for 20 years. >> you have all the candidates. they're working hard in eye wax you mentioned ron paul. he's working hard. but also the newt gingrich was supposed to be in washington tomorrow selling one of his books. now we're getting word that he is canceling. do you know why? >> i assume he will want to do what politician who wants to run for the republican nomination needs to do. stay in iowa or at least new hampshire and campaign. coming to sell books in d.c. unless you're going to raise a ton of money, you have fund-raisers and raise a million or two and start getting on television to promote yourself. they are slamming him. i'm not in iowa. if you watch television, you see

all the campaign commercials really hitting. serum packs or whatever. romney's campaign, rick perry's campaign, misdemean bbl bbl's c. that's why this race in iowa is really closing up. and why ron paul could take whole thing unless mitt romney. mitt romney i never thought would win in iowa but i did suspect that newt gingrich would have a good chance. let's see what happens in the next two and a half weeks. >> i suppose he could sell his book in iowa. who knows? >> thank you very much. amazing what's going on in iowa. coming up, 100 beluga whales are now trapped in the arctic. i've seen them describe as prisoners in ice. we'll tell you what's being done to save them right now. that's two minutes away. w. s e. i lyou alo. [ male aou b t sp

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containing the investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses and other information. read and consider it carefully before investing. right now there is a desperate race against time, against elements and against the season in far eastern russia. more than 100 beluga whales are trapped by these ice floes in a channel in the bering sea. they're getting air through the ice but they're virtual prisoners of this fast freezing water. requests have been made for ice ships to come in and save them. right now ice fields are so large, there is no way they can actually swim up to free them. i want to bring in laurie. i'm told a thing or two about beluga whales as well. so essentially the issue is they're trapped in this ice. and i imagine they can only stay underwater for so long. >> yeah. it's an urgent situation.

because they can hold their breath for a few minutes at a time. but that is when they're not compromised. right now they've been trapped. they're probably hungry, dehydrated. their energy is spent and they may be beginning to panic. and all of that adds up to a really urgent situation. >> these are beautiful creatures. they're there, stuck under the ice. what there can they eat? >> well, they could possibly, they can't possibly eat that much because they won't be able to hunt the way they normally do. so it's very unlikely that any of them are really eating anything. >> how much longer do these whales have before the situation there truly becomes fatal? >> the situation is rapidly approaching fatal. something has to be done very

soon. i hope that there isn't any sense that this can wait because it really can't. >> lori, we'll watch it with you. those whales trapped in the ice. thank you so much. now to this number. this took my breath away. did you realize that one in 45 american children are homeless? that's the statistic, if i can say that, each and every year. coming up, i'll speak with an 11-year-old child. he's moved 14 different times. let me repeat. that 11 years of age, lived in 14 different places. what he wants congress to know about his situation, his homeless experience. i'll speak with him live next. portable navigation. a bluetooth connection. a stolen vehicle locator. roadside assistance. and something that could help save your life - automatic help in a crash. it's the technology of five devices in one hard-working mirror. because life happens while you drive. this holiday, give someone you love an onstar fmv mirror for only 199.

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pretty poignant and emotional testimony today by some of the youngest victims of child poverty in america. homeless children. six holeless and formerly homeless kids talked to lawmakers today on capitol hill about their own experiences. the new study says these young stirs are not alone. one in 45 kids in the u.s. experiences holelessnemelessnes and every year. these kids bravely sat there, shared their stories about the insecurities and indignities and fears they experienced with living with and growing up homeless. here is some of what they shared today. >> for most of my childhood, i

did not have a stable place to live. my parents got separated when i was young. after they split, my mom, sister and i ended up living with different relatives and friends. since then my mom got and lost a number of apartments and when we were not together, i had to move from place to place. >> after aging out of foster care in my senior year of high school, i became homeless again. i had a scholarship to college but i lived in my car and on the couches of some relatives and friends for two months before college. housing solutions just didn't really exist. i made it through my first year of college but as the year ended i was again without housing. i crashed out on the couch of a girl i met at a party. after a couple weeks, i was buying all the groceries and because she did not have a car and i did, i was expected to drive her and her kids wherever they needed to go. i was not able to find other housing so i felt stuck. this happens a lot when you are doubled up. you feel indebted to the people for letting you stay but then you are taken advantage of by them. they took my money and then told

me i had to leave. >> i really hate moving from place to place. it is so hard because you get to know people and then you have to move. it made my life hard. when we lived with other people, they were not nice to us. we couldn't ask them for anything. they were mostly mad that we were there and did not want anyone else to know. especially their landlord we lost our housing when the economy got really bad and we had to close all of our stores. both my parents didn't have a job and they kept looking for several months. that summer the power and water got shut off. we didn't have electricity or water for six months. we had to eat at the gas station at the corner because they had a microwave. the toilet smelled really bad because we couldn't flush because the water was shut off will we had to bring buckets to a local church to fill with water for the toilet bowl. >> someone else who spoke today is a sixth grader from carlisle, pennsylvania, he shared his

story. we want to bring him in as well as die an niland joining me from washington. thank you both for coming on. diane, i should mention is with a nonprofit advocacy group that gives a voice to homelessness. are you glad you came to washington? how has your trip been so far? >> it has been great. >> it's been great. wonderful. how long have you been without a home? >> probably about a year or two. >> a year or two. and describe it. what has it been like? >> it is very hard and it is not the best situation. but i still enjoy it because i still have a roof over my head and it's very stressful. >> it's stressful because you have moved from place to place. i read your testimony from a home to a hotel, back to a home. how has that affected you at school? >> it made me very exhausted and

it made my grades go down. >> because you're tired. because you're stressed and have a hard time sleeping? >> yep. >> what else? has it improved at all for you since you're now in the shelter? >> it hasn't yet but i'm trying to work up on my grades. >> your grades. you told me in the commercial break your favorite class is science. i'm going to get back to that in a minute. i want to bring you in, diane, and if you will, i know this is very, you're passionate about these and you talk about the invisible. the children who are homeless in this country. what are you hoping to achieve from today's hearing? >> well, there is a piece of legislation today that is basically a common sense this change to the way h.u.d. looks at holelessness. up until now, h.u.d. hasn't counted families, kids like rumi as homeless. because they don't count, h.u.d. doesn't give the numbers to congress.

congress doesn't give the money to fund programs that would provide housing for kids like rumi. so congress has been in the dark and rumi has been on the streets. >> why is that? why haven't kids like rumi been counted? >> in the 25 or so years i've been doing this, we thought of homeless people as the scruffy guy on the street. congress and h.u.d., they have not adapted the thinking to the fact that families and youth are holeless in large number. probably 40% of the population of homeless people in our country are kids. and families. and you just kind of go, when is congress going to get a clue? and this committee today, they got more than a clue. the panel that spoke, they were so eloquent and articulate about the reality of homelessness. so now it's going to be taking that information back to the full body of congress and get some legislation and some funding for this.

that's at the root of all this. >> you were talking to some pretty powerful people today. what are you hoping they will do after listening to your story? >> i hope that they'll open new housing for homeless people and give much more opportunities for homeless people. and i hope that they'll make a law about homeless people and just help people. because they're in a very bad situation that you're not. >> you told me that your favorite class in school is science. r you were mi, what do you want to be when you grow up? >> i want to be somebody who entertains people. entertains people. okay. i appreciate it. and diane, thank you so much as well. best of luck to you. >> coming up, a 42 terpt at the university of vermont suspended for sending out a survey. in this survey, one of the questions asked if you can see this, if i could rape someone, who would it be?

that was the question. we'll hear from the students here at this university in two minutes. also, a millionaire found dead in his home in massachusetts alongside his wife of 40 years. their murder, a total mystery. in a town that hasn't had a homicide in nearly a decade. that's next. only one calcium supplement does that in one daily dose. citracal slow release... continuously releases calcium plus d for the efficient absorption my body needs. citracal.

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maple super and fall foliage. at the university of vermont in hot, hot water today. the 45-member house under suspension, ordered to stop all activities over what looked like a fairly innocuous survey. it asked fraternity brothers, names, interests, future goals. but then take a look. personal question number three. if i could rape someone, who would it be? yep. that was in there. the school is investigating and so is the national fraternity. >> it is technically free speech. and yet it is deplorable and just absolutely inappropriate and offensive. >> it is not something that we stand for in terms of the values that our members pledge ourselves to, that our organization pledges itself to. >> the fraternity there was already on social probation for underage but students signing online petition want more than double secret probation.

they want them kicked off campus. >> we're trying to get as many on campus and offcampus organizations involved with this and sure this doesn't go unseen. rape is such a forceful and violent term that it is really just completely inappropriate and unacceptable. >> the school's investigation is expected to take a couple of days. and a weekly family ritual leads to a gruesome discovery inside a million-dollar mansion. this real estate developer john mcgee and his wife of 40 years, geraldine were found dead. yesterday. inside their mansion in massachusetts. friends coming forward, describing them. nice folks, the perfect family in the mold of ozzy and harriet. but somebody had a reason to kill them in this or ifg discovery was actually made by the couple's daughter who brought her young children to the couple's mansion every wednesday. >> they found two victims in the first floor of the residence.

those victims had been shot and we're classifying this as a double homicide. >> and then the mcgees' car was found mile away in north boston. it had been set on fire. neighbors, they're stunned. >> oh, my god. it surprises me 100% and it is, it shocks me. >> the house i grew up in, he once owned, my parents bought from him. he still owns a lot in the neighborhood. only heard great things about them. the couple's dog was found waiting inside the mansion. the dog wasn't hurt. with the u.s. pulling most of our troops out of iraq, many think the war in iraq is not over. it's not. michael holmes will join me live from kuwait to show iraqi who's must live with the wounds of war for the rest their lives. stay with us. that day, he bought life insurance. now, there's no way i could send our boy to college without it. if there was one thing i could say to hank,

it'd be "thank you." you're welcome. hey, hank. [ male announcer ] life insurance you can use while you're still living. you are one lucky lady. mm-hmm. [ male announcer ] learn more from your state farm agent today. for others, it's somethingelong discovered yesterday. mm-hmm. we all have things that speak to us. they drive us to get up early, and stay up late. getting lost in the things we love has never felt quite like this.

a simple act in iraq today. ♪ >> music played as the flag is lowered. the ceremony signaling the end of the war in iraq. cnn's michael holmes takes to us a place where the war is not over. not even with the u.s. troop withdrawal. >> reporter: in a baghdad rehabilitation facility, victims of nearly nine years of war try to rebuild shattered bodies. they're not soldiers, not

insurgents, they're regular everyday people. more than 30,000 u.s. troops were wounded during this war. how do we know? everyone of them was counted. how many iraqi civilians, though, were maimed by the bombs and the bullets over the years? nobody knows for sure. best guess? hundreds of thousands. but of course, all of those numbers have a name. amma, age 30, caught in a marketplace bombing. paraplegic. this man, age 34, shot in sectarian violence. paraplegic. kareem, 26, truck driver, shot at random while driving. paraplegic. usef, taxi driver, lost his leg after being shot in a market. >> this will destroy their hopes in the future in this iraq. the what will be in this country after this war? they are very worried about the future. >> translator: it destroyed our

lives. he is my only son. it crushed our morale at home. >> reporter: he is a broken man. his son was 12 when a roadside bomb went off as he walked home from school in 2006. he hasn't walked since. >> translator: life at home is like hell now. his psychological state is not like that of other children who can go out. it is painful for him to see these other children. >> reporter: those who think the war is over because the americans are going aren't living in today's iraq. nearly 200 iraqis died last month, more than 300 wounded. in horrific ways. most of them nnlts in the wrong place at the wrong time as bombs went off or gun fire erupted. the oday, a humble driver for the education ministry, set off for work one morning last month. minutes later, a bomb stuck to the bottom of his vehicle

exploded. the father of a 3-month-old child lost his leg. victim, it appears, of one of a series of such bombings of government workers. not high profile people. anyone who works for the government. >> translator: i really don't know who did it or why, he tells me, bewildered. i'm not an important person. >> reporter: we leave him to visit this particularly heart breaking case. the 29-year-old was her impoverished family's sole income earner, selling tee on the sidewalk on the sidewalk last month when a bomb planted seemingly at random hit her leg. it was one of three bombs. killed seven. wounded 28. it is difficult to watch her physical and emotional agony. >> translator: i don't know.

i don't know anything. i just want my leg back. i don't want anything else. >> reporter: what did this girl do to deserve this, her father asks? her whole future is gone. what can we do? put her on a cart and take her out to beg? >> reporter: michael holmes, cnn, baghdad. >> michael holmes is live now for us in kuwait city. those are, as you described in your piece, regular, everyday people suffering the wounds of war. how do they balance their opt mix toward a future iraq versus anger? >> reporter: a lot of those that you see there wounded, some of them are philosophical. others are angry and they're not really getting the balance the anger. you know, brooke, the thing is, you think of it this way. last month alone, there were 200 iraqis killed by these sorts of

attacks. bombings and shootings and the like. 350 of them wounded. what country in the world would have those sorts of fatalities and injuries and it doesn't even make news anymore. it really doesn't. and it is not unusual. it is happening all the time. i just came out of baghdad yesterday and the day i left, seven dead, 28 wounded in a variety of different attacks around the country. so for iraqis, the americans leaving, well, okay. fine. but the war is not over. >> so what's next for all these people you've met in your years of covering this war each and every year of the war since? >> reporter: yeah, this was my 12th trip there. i have been there every year since it began. and there is a lot of that he is mix, i have to say, brooke. there is some joy for americans as their troops come home and that's great. but for the iraqis behind, they're being left with a country that is being shattered by this war. the infrastructure, the electricity is still not good.

the electricity is off for half the day for most peel. nine years in, you would think they could have got the power original wouldn't you? that's life. other areas, sewage and the like, roads and all of that. they're still problem attic. and you have a political system that we like to say is democratic. it is kind of democratic. nuri al maliki is centralizing power. he still runs the defense ministry. a lot of criticism and the concern about the political structure. and the factions that are competing for power. sectarian mainly but others as well that weren't there before the war and they're now there. >> that's a perspective from a lot of those iraqis. i know you've met over the years. now from this perspective. this is a tough number to tell you. eastbound. did you realize that 18 american veterans kill themselves each and every day? 20% of all suicides in this country are veterans. we went behind the scenes at the front lines in the fight against suicide at the veterans crisis

line. take a look. >> will you put that knife away for a little bit while we talk? >> he said he had a big knife on his lap. that he was going to use it to kill himself. >> he kept saying that he took all his medicine. so there was a possible overdose. >> can i send somebody to help you? i think that's what i'm going to do, okay? because i think you want help. you called the hotline. >> two police officers on the scene. >> remember i said i was sending somebody to help you? >> that was probably as close as i'm i've come to a completion over the phone. >> the cdc estimates approximately 20% of all suicides are completed by veterans. >> every rescue, there is a hint of anxiety. there is always the chance that something is not going to go right. >> i need to know what we can help you be safe today. >> he was an amputee who had his leg blown off by an ied. he didn't feel that he wanted to be a burden to his family

anymore. with the sheriffs on the way, he shot himself. >> that is just a portion of what we saw. we're going to show you even more next hour, including the rescue of a veteran who called in to the hotline just to give word of his funeral arrangements to his children. and we can't say this enough. i'll say this again next hour. if you or you know someone who is at ifks are suicide, call the veterans crisis line. 1-800-273-8255. or go online. veterans crisis line.net. a new belt. some nylons. and what girl wouldn't need new shoes? we talked about getting a diamond. but with all the thank you points i've been earning... ♪ ...i flew us to the rock i really had in mind. ♪ [ male announcer ] the citi thank you card. earn points you can use for travel on any airline, with no blackout dates.

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the blank adjective. the falls are swollen, plenty of run-off. three guys, buddies see the falls as a challenge strapped on a helmet cam. took the plunge. let's just get your heart pumping. take a look at this. okay. we'll all just keep talking then. who does this? as we watch this. this guy sitting to my left. one of the three kayakers that we're seeing in this video that is all spliced together. before we chat, i guess i should point out the people at the falls in alabama, none too pleased. you guys decided to take kayaks. we'll get to that in a second. my thought to you is, dude, seriously? why? >> yl, well, it's there. that's the easiest thing i can tell people. i've been working on my kayak progress. and the two other guys i was with were doing the same thing. i've looked at this water fall

multiple times and decided that day was the right time to kayak off the falls. >> so as the front tip of your kayak is perched precariously over the at this point of the falls, are you thinking at that time or does your mine go numb? >> absolutely. that's the most important time. as you crest over the lip, that's when you lose control. you have to set your angle and be really focused on your landing from there. the idea is to land with your kayak pointed vertically down so that that was really necessary on this water fall to keep from being injured. >> so as you land, you want your kayak to be perpendicular. >> almost as if you're high diving. >> you lost your paddle. >> yeah. i threw away my paddle. you don't want anything to be in front of you if you impact, the paddle can hit your chest or go into you. so one of the techniques that we're working on with water fall running is throwing the paddle and actually tuc