girl who has been missing since friday. then at 2:00 eastern the epa plans a significant announcement. they'll give new restrictions on mercury pollution in the air. at 11:00 eastern time, that's when you get suzanne malveaux. she's here now. used to run around the white house quite a bit. are you missing all of this that's happening in d.c. right now. >> i have to say i like it right here covering it from right here. >> the calm. it's getting whacky up there. >> we'll see how it goes. could affect a lot of people. >> it's all yours. >> thanks, t.j. live from studio seven i'm suzanne malveaux. get you up to speed for this wednesday, december 21 ths. house members, they're on their holiday break today leaving the question of whether or not you're going to pay more taxes up in the air. house republicans refused to go along with a two-month extension of a payroll tax cut that was approved by the republican colleagues in the senate. if there is no deal, your taxes will go up january 1st. house speaker john boehner today

stood by his call for more negotiations. >> let's extend the payroll tax credit for a year. all we're asking for is to get the senate members over here to work with us to resolve our differences so we can do what everybody wants to do. less than two weeks before the iowa caucuses republican ron paul, now the new leader of the pack. in a new poll 28% say paul is their man compared to 25% who back newt gingrich. paul is holding a town meeting. that is happening in iowa this hour. more on the surge in the state later, our political ticker. turkish police detain dozens of people in an alleged ter or plot. many of them, journalists. journalists held this demonstration in istanbul. it was just hours after the police roundup. now they say free press is under

attack, but the government says those detained were suspected members of the press and propaganda wing of a banned separatist group. some american troops who just returned home from iraq have just learned now that they may be redeployed to afghanistan in six months. the new orders are part of an overall exit strategy from afghanistan. it's not known just how much are going to be sent at this point. they'll stay for nine months to train afghan troops to get them ready for the complete withdrawal of u.s. troops by the end of 2014. the occupy denver site was bulldozed overnight. the city's new police chief authorized the removal of all the stuff the protesters have been leaving on the sidewalk in civic center park. protesters reportedly set these fires as police tried to break up that camp. while the site has been torn down, the demonstrators say they're not going anywhere.

russian rocket, check it out, is on its way to the international space station. >> liftoff. >> the soyuz rocket made a spectacular launch this morning. the crew is expected to reach the international space station on friday. and earth links, all right. that's us. we may not be alone. a powerful nasa telescope has discovered two earth-like planets. they're outside the solar system. they osh by the a star similar to the sun. they're too hot. finding one that can may be only a matter of time. >> we are now discovering planets at such a high rate that it's only a matter of time, maybe even less than a year before we find an earth-like planet in the right location where water can be liquid.

that's the real big thing. it could be really soon. all right. so remember this? >> i'm just a bill. yes, i'm only a bill, and i'm sitting here on capitol hill. >> all right. so we all remember the schoolhouse rock path of how a bill becomes a law in this country. well, it seemed like a pretty simple, straightforward process, but right now there's a bitter standoff that is gripping congress and a much more complicated game of political combat that is going on preventing any work from getting done. so here's the catch. if this bill sitting on capitol hill, a two-month extension of the payroll tax cut does not become law by midnight this new year's eve, your family very well could see a 2% cut out of your paycheck. that is about $40 per paycheck for the average american household. this is not a small chunk of change in this state or this economy, especially not the week

after christmas. so, of course, neither side of the aisle wants to see that happen, but the problem here is broken government, plain and simple. understandably, a lot of folks thinking that their politicians no longer have their best interests in mind. >> the way the economy is and stuff, and now we're going to have to start paying more money. >> the economy doesn't agree on this right here, i don't know how we're going to make it. >> congress isn't really considering the people of america and the struggles that we're going through. >> so what can we, the people, do to make congress act? cnn.com contributor dean obidalo has an idea. lock the politicians in on capitol hill until they get something done. dean, he joins us now. i know that sounds crazy to folks at first, but a lot of people are frustrated and they understand. they want people to do their jobs. what do you think should happen? >> i'm actually not kidding when i say let's take a page from the

nba owners and lock congress out until they get something done for the american people. honestly, this is like the movie ground hog day but it's not funny. it's the same thing over and over every few months. there's some issue. i'm going to be honest with you, it's congress overall. the tea party members anded the house of representatives preventing a deal that are good for the middle class and all of us. my frustration is echoed by a vast majority of americans that are frustrated with our congress. >> dean, this idea is actually getting some traction, this occupy congress that is gathering momentum on line. what can people really do besides vote the bums out of office the next election? >> i'm going to be honest, voting the bums out sounds so easy. people say that all the time, but even in 2010 congress's approval ratings are 20%. still, almost 90% of the members of the house and senate running for re-election were actually re-elected so it's not that easy

to vote them out. one thing practically frankly, call your congressal office. send an e-mail to your congressman or woman. this is not working. it should not be have a tea party agenda or liberal agenda, it's an american agenda we need to help the middle class. 100% of us can benefit from certain things. making a deal on the payroll tax cut helps all of us. we need the money. >> right now it seems republicans are getting the brunt of the blame here this time. even "the wall street journal" editorial board this morning says this. it says, at this stage republicans would do best to cut their losses and find a way to extend the payroll holiday quickly. now i don't need to tell you this, dean, but that's pretty big news. when the "wall street journal," generally supportive of gop policies, takes aim at republicans, this is more than popular anger beyond liberals versus conservatives. >> i agree with you. it's not partisan. you have "the wall street journal." you have john mccane saying the same thing.

they know this tax cut will ultimately get passed. the question is how much time and delay that we must get to before it's achieved. we know what's good for the american people. there's a reason congress has 9% approval. congress, get your act together. it's the holidays. renew the payroll tax cut. >> all right. dean, that's pretty strong language there. that pretty much conveys how unpopular congress is. as you had mentioned before, there are things that we can do. send e-mails, tweets, flood these offices with calls. let people know how you feel about this. dean, thank you very much. >> thanks, suz zan. >> we want to hear from you about this. does it require something bigger to happen to end the partisan gridlock? our talk back question today. what can we do as everyday citizens to fix this broken congress? you can post your responses on my facebook page at

facebook.com/zuz zan cnn. >> here's a rundown of some of the stories. first a north korean risks his life to tell cnn about his country. >> reporter: north koreans don't speak openly he says. if anyone knows i'm talking i will be sent to prison. there's no mercy there. i would be shot dead. then a u.s. soldier facing tough times pawns his purple heart. plus searching for a planet just like ours. we're going to see how nasa's latest discovery stack up with our home planet. and the office in harlem impacting 400 million lives and 180 countries. >> i love this work. anybody that had the life i've had, anybody that was given the gift that i was given by the american people, you'd be crazy not to do it. >> how bill clinton and his foundation are changing the world.

the family thinks i'm out shipping these. smooth move. you used priority mail flat rate boxes. if it fits, it ships for a low, flat rate. paid for postage online and arranged a free pickup. and i'm gonna track them online, too. nice. between those boxes and this place, i'm totally staying sane this year. do i smell snickerdoodles? maybe. [ timer dings ] got to go. priority mail flat rate shipping at usps.com. a simpler way to ship.

many of us are taken aback by these pictures. all right. so they show north koreans crying hysterically over the death of their dictator, kim jong il. all right. so we've wondered, what of all that sobbing. is it real, just for show? are they crying for a man. essentially they are crying for a man who allowed them to starve while he built nuclear weapons, indulged for cigars, gourmet food. he kept them isolated from the rest of the world. you have to wonder, how do they

really feel. stan grant goes looking for the answers. he is just over the border in the chinese town of daing dong. >> reporter: this man doesn't want to be identified. he's afraid to talk. there are many north korean spies here, he says. many, many. there are hundreds of spies. >> reporter: we'll call him mr. lee. a north korean living on the china side of the border. he risks it just being seen talking to us. >> translator: north koreans don't speak openly. if anyone knows i'm talking, i'll be sent to prison. there's no mercy. i'll be shot dead. >> reporter: as we percent severe he opens up a little more. he paints a picture of a harsh life across the border where people are starving, aid is scarce, and the only factories operating are for making military weapons. right now he fears a desperate country with the potential power

vacuum that could so easily lash out. >> translator: before kim jong il died he was preparing the country for war and death, he says, and to hand power to kim jong un. other north koreans here are in mourning, weeping for the death of the leader. >> reporter: flowers continue to be delivered. korean businesses, restaurants normally flourishing, have closed their doors. it's closed. it's separated from north korea by the river. about a kilometer, less than a mile across. cross border trade flourishes here. china props up the destitute north korean property. this is a small chinese city. tall buildings, noise, traffic. on the other side emptiness and

silence. from this pedestrian bridge we can walk right to the edge of the border. so close yet so you the jerlly different. >> reporter: this is the end of the line. this is about as far as the bridge goes. it stops right here where this side of the line i'm in china. if we step out from this bridge here i enter north korea. >> reporter: mr. lee knows too well what happens there. a regime obsessed with pumping money into its military while desperately poor people go hungry, he says. >> translator: pig feed. that's all we can eat. corn. no one can get full on that, he says. there is no food. not even food from china. it's been blocked for three years. >> reporter: even if you have money, he says, there is nothing to buy. any goods are traded for what little food remains. mr. lee is well off by his

countryman's standards. he has relatives on the china side who run businesses. it's a life line for his family back home. mr. lee is able to work here on a limited visa. he crosses back and forward just to keep his family alive. i can't not go back. i have to. i have a son and daughter, he says. if i don't go back, they can't survive. he has shed no tears for kim jong il and harbors no great hope that the so-called great successor, kim jong un. still he lives in fear of what the north korean regime can do. spied upon, afraid to speak out. as much a prisoner of the her mitt kingdom as those whose lives are trapped in its borders. stan grant, cnn, on the china/north korea border. more people are working now and dozens of states, the

national unemployment rate is now down. we're going to take a look at the bright spots in the job market. for more than 40 years, mcdonald's has been far away the biggestburger chain. "the wall street journal" may have started a beef by projecting a new number 2. the second placeburg ger wars are sizzling. with precise pain relieving heat patch. it blocks pain signals for deep relief precisely where you need it most. precise. only from the makers of tylenol. [ younger brother ] oh, do you want it? yeah. ok, we'll split it. [ female announcer ] made fresh, so light... ...buttery and flaky... this is half. that is not half. guys i have more. [ female announcer ] do you have enough crescents?

all right. we told you about a big beef. this is the battle over which burg ger chain is number 2. mcdonald's number one, burger king number 2. wendy's in third place. by the end of the year "the wall street journal" expects a big burger flip.

for the first time a new number 2, wendy's raining over burger king. an upset. stocks are upset. the dow jones is down 72 points. felecia taylor is at the new york stock exchange. felecia, i don't know if you're aburger eater or not. i know we do have some good news, right? good news and bad news on the housing starts. >> yeah. >> yesterday good news on housing that sent the stocks up higher. there's another report out today on how bad things were in the housing market whampt does that report show us? >> okay. so it's kind of a conflicting report. that's the point. by the way, as opposed to the burger, i'll take the fris. my favorite is mcdonald's. >> really? >> yeah. i know. >> okay. >> it's a weakness i have. i just admitted that on national television. >> you get one. >> what's interesting about this is that the numbers for the housing sector were revised

downward for the last five years and they were down 14%. that's very significant. the problem with that is clearly if we're coming from a lower place, it will take a longer time to recover. that's why there was a mixed reaction. it's not affecting the marketplace today. the marketplace is still taking a look at what's going on in europe and other sort of headlines coming out of the euro sector. that's not really what's important right now. the important part is how long it's going to take to recover, but the good news is that we are trending upwards. so if we can continue to see those numbers continue to the up side, that's a very good thing. while we know the patient was even sicker than it was before -- than we thought before, the point is we are getting better. that's the good news in the report. >> great way to put it. what about the general trends in the job market? how are those numbers looking? >> well, it's interesting because the numbers are improving. as you remember, we saw the last

jobless number go down by 8.6%. what's significant is that if you take a look at the unemployment rates in 43 states, they fell in november. so, again, very good trending moving forward. if we take a look at the map, it shows the biggest drops in the rate. michigan, 9.8%. it dropped nearly a full point from october. so clearly that's significant. also we had rates in alabama, minnesota, south carolina, and utah all fall. the part that doesn't really sit well is that it's not because of job creation, it's because that people actually fell out of the unemployment lines. they dropped from the jobless market and that's the part that's disturbing. it's a slightly misleading number. it's not because we're seeing jobs created necessarily but because people are going out of the jobs market. that's the problem. >> i see. all right. felecia, thank you very much. she brings up a very good point,

but it's not just the job market that is improving. we're going to talk with economists about other encouraging signs that things may have turned the corner. gas and bloating. with three strains of good bacteria to help balance your colon. you had me at "probiotic." [ female announcer ] phillips' colon health. why did we build a 556 horsepower luxury car with a manual transmission? because there are those who still believe in the power of a firm handshake. the cadillac cts-v. manual or automatic, that's entirely up to you. we don't just make luxury cars, we make cadillacs.

here's a rundown of some of the stories we are working on. it may be hard to believe, but there are some positive signs about our economy. then caught on camera, you're not going to believe this. holiday deliveries gone wrong. later, can planet earth have a twin? we'll tell you about the new discoveries. 2011 almost over. it's been a tough year for millions as the economy has struggled to recover from this great recession. as the year ends there are some encouraging signs about the

economy. joining us to talk about that, georgia tech economics professor, thomas danny boston. danny, you point out that there are some good things there? let's take a look at it. >> there are some good things. we ever' waiting for you to finish your spending. then we'll have the full picture. >> my spending, i have not gone christmas shopping yet. we'll see if that makes a difference in the economy. let's start with the housing. >> housing permits, housing starts up 90% over the last month up 15% over the last year. that's a good number because that has been the biggest drag on economic activity. >> new claims for unemployment dropping. what does that mean? >> new claims for unemployment. we've been looking for those claims to go under 400,000 for months, and now they've settled under that. the last figure was 366,000. that's a good number. >> consumers, they're spending and they're saving less. is that really good?

>> well, you know, we're kind of getting back to the old habits, but right now it's good because consumers had been saving almost at record rates, at close to 5% of their disposable income. now it's down to 3%. they're spending more. online spending was up 15% over last month. another good indicator. >> european debt crisis, how does that relate to what's happening here in this country? >> well, very important because the three largest banks are actually over $15 billion of european sovereign debt in the five countries that are hardest hit. so resolving that issue that makes more money available for u.s. consumers because u.s. banks don't have to set so much aside in reserves. that's a good resolution as well. >> the job market, are there more jobs becoming available to folks? are they going to see more opportunities in the coming year? >> the signs indicate that they will. we've done a small business

survey that indicates that they're going to be significant hiring. the claims for unemployment insurance, those claims are down. so all the indicators are that there will be increased hiring over the next several months. >> you sound kind of optimistic. >> yeah. sure. >> you're not usually. >> it's getting into the holidays. >> i like that. i like that a lot. i guess i should go out and do a little spending, right? >> you have to help us. we need your stimulus dollars. >> not a lot of dollars this year. thank you very much. so do you ever wonder what happens to all those carefully wrapped packages you pay for and you drop them off to be delivered? stick around.

a microchip and sky miles just made this holiday season especially special for a teen in missouri and her four legged buddy. that's addison popping out of the bag. she disappeared in june while her family was in florida. she was eventually picked up as a stray. identified through her microchip. fellow dog owners rallied to send her home. one of them gave up her frequent flyer miles. addison flew first class arriving just in time for christmas. love that story. all right. you're feeling a little warm and fuzzy from that one. this one's going to make you mad, especially if you are having packages delivered for

christmas. jeanne moos with the worst deliveries ever caught on tape. >> reporter: 'tis the season for packages, and next time you open one intact, be grateful this didn't happen to it. this was a computer monitor, tossed over a gate in southern california by a fed ex delivery man, but then the surveillance camera video was delivered to youtube and made the news. >> oh, no. >> reporter: now fed ex is saying, we have seen the video and, frankly, we were all shocked. but that's not the only dropoff memorialized on youtube. >> handle with care. oh, yeah, just like that. ground service. i get it, ground. you throw the stuff on the ground. >> reporter: it's not just fed ex. ups brown can toss your package underhand. it can toss it overhand.

>> see that. >> wow. >> reporter: it can toss it like a horseshoe. fences and gates are the delivery man's nemesis as a driver posted. from a delivery point of view, gates are hostile. don't like it, get rid of the gate. the guys videoing this u; s delivery man compared his technique to loading garbage. >> do you think there's nigs that can be damaged in there? nah? >> reporter: of course, it could be worse. at least they're not ace ventura. ♪ >> reporter: of all of the special deliveries we saw, none was more special than this by fed ex. there were sparks coming off the box. the man who was shooting -- >> this guy has no idea that he is pushing an oven. >> reporter: as for the computer monitor heaved over the gate, the person who posted it says the monitor was broken, and it's

sad because he was home at the time if the delivery man had just rung the bell. i'm sure what you're probably wondering is does this guy still have a job? >> reporter: if he had ex-tells cnn, we have identified the employee involved. he is being handled according to our internal disciplinary processes. >> federal expense, when it has to be there overnight. >> reporter: they said overnight, not in one piece. but now that everyone has a camera, it doesn't pay for the delivery elofs to get sloppy. ♪ >> reporter: jeanne moos, cnn, new york. decade ago former president bill clinton left washington for an office in harlem. now the clinton foundation is world renound impacting 400 million people in 180 countries. stick around for a preview of our big stars, big giving special. [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus fights your worst cold symptoms,

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presidential candidate newt gingrich came to get an endorsement from an iowa lawmaker, but he also got heckled at the event in des moines just moments ago. here's how it all played out. >> i want to say -- >> we're talking about the 1%

candidate. >> the people first. the people first. the people first. the people first. the people first. >> the 99%. >> put people first. put people first. >> all right. so demonstrators from an occupy des moines. that was them shouting put people first as gingrich first started to speak. as you can see, they were escorted out of the room. one man who stayed behind interrupted gingrich again a few minutes later. ron paul, the man to beat in the iowa caucuses. jim acosta is live from the political desk in washington. jim, this is interesting, a new

poll showing that ron paul is now leading the pack? >> that's right, suzanne. i can't believe the words that just came out of your mouth a few moments ago. ron paul, the man to beat in the iowa caucuses. you know what, he might be. if you look at this pole that came out from iowa state, it takes your breath away. ron paul with 28% of the vote. very close behind with 25% of the vote, gingrich. i have to say, suzanne, the other interesting factor in all of this, ron paul, he has a very formidable organization in iowa, but after the beating that newt gingrich has taken in iowa, you just showed a video clip a few moments ago, those occupy wall street protestors giving him the business there, all of these negative attack ads coming from the proromney super pac, coming from rick perry, coming from you name it out in iowa, to see newt gingrich just three points out of the lead within the margin of error should be good news to

newt gingrich that he is not out of this yet. we'll have to wait for other polls. we should caution our viewers that poll was taken over a ten-day period. sometimes that snapshot might in the first couple of days of that ten days he might have been looking good. the last ten days not so much. sometimes those polls you have to take them with a little bit of a grain of salt. good news for paul and gingrich. >> what about mitt romney here because you bring up a good point. the fact that you've got these negative ads that he has been hitting gingrich with that seem to be impacting his poll numbers now. does he defend these ads? what does he say behind those? >> you know, mitt romney talked to the press a little while ago this morning and he was asked about these ads. they're actually coming from a pro-romney super pac. these are not coming from the romney campaign we should caution. people might be asking themselves, what's the difference? the difference is the romney

campaign cannot coordinate with this pro-romney super pac. this pac which is called restore our future, it can blanket the air waives with attack ads. they have damaged newt gingrich. mitt romney was asked about this. he said, look, newt gingrich can complain all he wants about these ads, but basically romney is saying if you can't stand the heat in the kitchen that's underway in iowa, new hampshire, he said, the held's kitchen, as he called it from the obama campaign is coming. that's going to be a lot hotter in there. mitt romney is saying to newt gingrich, deal with it. >> all right. jim acosta, thank you, jim. the latest political news, you know where to go, cnnpolitics.com. okay. we are talking about $40 a paycheck. that is how much the gridlock in washington could cost your family starting new year's day if congress doesn't do something

fast. with the clock ticking it feels like there is little that we can do to convince lawmakers to stop the fighting. for today's talk back question we are asking you, what can we do as everyday citizens to fix the gridlock in congress. zachary says we can post the names of the representatives and senators everywhere possible with the heading, these are the people holding the country hostage for political gain. vote for someone else. burl says stop paying these politicians. let them see how it feels not to have a decent paycheck. adam agrees. recall their pay for the year. if i didn't do my job i would get fired and not get paid. why are they any different? every person in this congress should not be allowed another term in office. carla says we need more people running as independents for congress. perhaps if we could elect someone who isn't first behold den to their party, then maybe some work would get done. we're going to be airing more of your comments in the next hour of "cnn newsroom." please keep them coming.

post your ideas on my facebook page at cnn.com/suzannecnn. big names giving back. she goes one on one with former president bill clinton. alina joins us live from new york. alina, amazing here. former president bill clinton. he has been busy ever since he left office. this new chapter in his life, he keeps going. >> he does. it's unbelievable. as you know, suzanne, from covering the white house, he famously does not sleep. over the past several years i've had an opportunity with the big stars big giving series to interview people like madonna, elton john, halle berry. bill clinton not a hollywood star but he is one of the best known names on the planet. he's a former u.s. president. he's the founder of the clinton foundation. for a decade as a private citizen he's been using his influence to change the world. the thing is, he says it's changed his life too.

>> reporter: no matter where he goes, president bill clinton is greeted like a rock star. the man many democrats call the best president in modern times is working to make the modern world a better place to live. >> you had it in your mind that you didn't want to spend the rest of your life wishing. >> that i was still president. i enjoy talking about what happened when i was president. i don't mind telling those stories, but you just need to keep doing something new. >> reporter: that urge to do something new inspired the former president to open an office in harlem and create the william j. clinton foundation. today the clinton foundation celebrates what it calls a decade of difference. >> 400 million people impacted in 180 countries. when you hear that do you think it's incredible or oh, boy there's a lot to be done. >> both. this little pill, because of the

discount it will save $200 billion. >> driving down the price of aids medicine and malaria medicine, building up health care systems that people can afford. people ask me are you doing more good now? i say i'll have to live a long time to do as much for all the people as when i was in government. >> you request go places. >> i can go places and do things. >> how many sites? >> reporter: as the u.n. special envoy to haiti, he's visited the country 20 times since 2009. his foundation has raised $23 million toward the rebuilding effort. helped fund programs to fight childhood obesity in 13,000 u.s. schools, established a mentoring program for entrepreneurs, then there's the clinton global initiative. >> we want it to be better. >> reporter: since 2005 the annual meeting has drawn a wide range of people. 150 heads of state, 20 nobel laureates. everyone from bill gates to

actors like matt damon. >> i try to bring people together who know things i don't know. >> reporter: when fully funded, the commitments will be valued at $49.2 billion. >> you are so beautiful. >> reporter: working tirelessly to make a difference, traveling all over the world. >> 150 countries, more than that. what keeps you going? >> i love this work. anybody that had the life i've had, anybody that was given the gift that i was given by the american people, you'd be crazy not to do it. >> you know, he likes to joke that it gave him something to do after leaving the white house. suzanne, he says he has a wife with a traveling job. secretary of state hillary clinton, the most traveled secretary of state in history. no matter what your politics are, you have to respect the

measurable difference that he has made since launching the clinton foundation. you just look at what he's done with aids medications driving down the prices of aids medications. as a result, 4 million people around the world have life saving aids medications who might not otherwise have them. >> wow. >> he works tirelessly. he doesn't stop. he's been to 150 countries and counting. what he's been doing is extraordinary. >> alina, i remember when i covered him at the white house, famously he would jog to the mcdonald's and have aburg ger and fridays. he takes good care of himself. he's in much better health. how did you find him in terms of the way he's able to get around, his energy, enthusiasm? >> he looked incredible. you know bill clinton and we were told we'd have about 15 minutes with him. we had about 45 minutes with him. afterwards he wanted to stick around to talk about his diet. first of all, he looked very thin as you can see. he looks unbelievable.

i asked him, are you still vegan. i had two little bites of turkey at thanksgiving. beyond that he told me, which is interesting, the two hardest things for him to give up when he decided to go vegan were not theburg gers and that thing, he said frozen yogurt and cheese. >> okay. well, he has not stopped and, alina, we appreciate your great reporting. you don't want to miss the holiday special "big stars big giving." she's lined up more rare and revealing interviews with celebrities and causes they support. it airs this saturday, december 24th, christmas eve, at 2:00 p.m. eastern. again sunday christmas day at 4:00 p.m. eastern. have you met the neighbors yet? these are a different kind of neighbors. the ones outside our solar system. nasa says it's discovered a couple of earth-like planets.

a russian rocket is on its way to the international space station. the rock made a spectacular and amazing launch. the crew with one american is expected to reach the international space station on friday. >> we may not be alone. a powerful telescope has

discovered two earth-like planets. they are outside our solar system, and orbit a star that is similar to the sun. they cannot sustain life as we know it. but finding one that can may only be a matter of time. >> it means that we have made another step closer to finding the holy grail of all the research that we do and that is to find a planet that is the size of the earth in the right location around its star so that it could have liquid water and you know the next line, possibly have some form of life. >> for a big step forward, bringing in alexander who is joining us. i love this. >> it can't sustain life? >> it's too darn hot. it's about 1,000 degrees.

now the size of these is really one of the most key factors. a 6.1 day orbit. temperatures over 1400 degrees so hot enough to melt glass. it is certainly not warm enough to support life. way too hot. here is is what's most notable. o give you a little perspective, these new planets are earth sized. they have found a lot of planet since 1995, about 200, but most of them much larger than earth. they are finding them at farther

and farther distances which is key. the next goal is to find a planet which is in the sweet spot or the goldilocks spot. i like that. it's called the goldilocks zone. >> just a matter of time. >> now we have got super planets. pluto has been downgraded. >> lots and lots of planets. >> the size of the planets that are being found outside the solar system, the smallness of them. that's really the key, the size of the earth. >> exciting stuff. expect to find tvs or jewelry in a pawnshop but not this. this priceless treasure.

how one soldier's military medal ended up in this store. [ female announcer ] help i need a holiday party idea.

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an army sergeant told her son she wouldn't be home for christmas. said she was stuck in afghanistan. but then -- >> hi, you! >> she surprised her son. it was amazing.

in the meantime it was a surprise waiting for sergeant kristy sexton at home. they even put the word army in green lights across the lawn. you can find a lot of things in a pawnshop but one prized possession getting a lot of attention in a michigan store. here is the report. >> reporter: the phone has been ringing off the hook inside a to z outlet in holland. >> i see so much every day or week. >> reporter: the buzz is from one of the store's newest items. beyond the rings and watches is a purple heart. a medal awarded to u.s. soldiers wounded in battle. this one was earned in afghanistan 2010. >> he needed some money and asked me that time and he brought it in the following week. i purchased it from him and put it on display. >> reporter: the active duty

soldier home on leave needed a little extra money. so he reluctantly sold something he almost gave his life to get. many veterans wanted to help. >> i have people walked in and asked me how much did you pay for it? i will pay for it. >> reporter: this is one of those people. >> a purple heart is a treasured thing among service guys so i thought it would be a good thing to help him out. especially during christmas time. >> reporter: but the medal is not for sale. he will keep it safe until the soldier decides to come back. it's a pleasant surprise for carlos mendez, who was not born in the united states and doesn't take his citizen ship for granted. >> reporter: many items have a story. >> it means the ultimate

sacrific sacrifice. you can't get much closer to the end. >> the shop's owner said that the soldier will remain unanimous. the owner did not say how much he paid for that purple heart. >> i want to get you up to speed. house members are on their holiday break. how republicans refuse to go along with the two-month extension of a payroll tax cut approved by republican colleagues in the senate. if there is no deal, your taxes go up january 1. john boehner stood firm in his call for more negotiations. >> let's extend the payroll tax receipt for a year. all we're asking for is to get

the senate members over here to work with us to resolve our differences so we can do what everybody wants to do. >> less than two weeks before the iowa caucuses, ron paul now the leader of the pack in a new poll, 28% say that paul is their man compared to 25 who back newt gingrich. >> and rod blagojevich is now appealing. he is scheduled to report to prison on march 15. the sentence stemmed from his attempts to sell president obama's former senate seat back to 2008. >> turkish police detained dozens of people in an alleged terror plot, many of them journalists.

just hours after the police round up they say that free press is under attack. those detained were suspected members of the press and propaganda wing. >> syria's main opposition group is accusing the government of horrific massacres this week. this amateur video is said to show a gun battle on the streets of damascus. almost 250 people were killed over a 48 hour period. the group is calling on the arab league and the u.n. security council to step in and stop the deadly crack down. an iranian american man who is being held on spying charges in iran is being told he has got to face trial here. he is an ex-marine and arrested in august while visiting relatives and his family says he was forced to confess in a

televised video. the state department says he is being falsely accused. >> the faa just announced new sweeping changes to prevent pilots from flying fatigued. 50 people were killed. federal transportation investigators did not cite fatigue as a direct cause of the crash but said neither pilot appeared to have slept in a bed the night before. there are tens of thousands, right, of flights every day around the world. showing all the flights in air right now. leading into the holidays there is 43.3 million people who will fly. under the old rules which were unchanged since the 1960s,

pilots potentially worked overnight shifts of up to 16 hours. the eight hours could include eating, showering, and going to hotel. a workday could be extended if a pilot flew an empty play. now under the new rules duties would range from nine to 14 hours, beginning when reporting to duty and end when parking the plain. minimum rest periods of ten hours so that pilots have an opportunity for eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. pilot and aviation analyst is joining us from new york. so, miles, great to see you. >> my pleasure. >> what do we make of these rules, these new rules? are they going to make a difference? >> it's a step in the right direction. the rules you referred to really date back to the 1960s. they really didn't know a lot in

those days about our stra kadian rhythms and how working at night you're never going to be as alert, you will always be a little more fatigued so this new rule recognizes that, giving pilots who fly at night a little less work and more rest and those who fly during the day, their duty will increase ever so slightly. the big concern expressed by the families are the cargo carriers. they fly primarily at night. and they do not have to abide by these new work and rest rules. there is a big question. like exempting truckers from drunken driving laws. >> what kind of rest do pilots

need to be sure they can fly safely? >> every individual has their own requirements for sleep. and each pilot will have to attest and sign a statement saying they are, in fact, ready for work. and if not, they should be sent home. eight hours is a good place to start. when you have a eight hour time frame, do the math on getting to the hotel and having dinner and so forth and you realize they were not sleeping enough. in the case of 3407, there is no proof that either of those pilots did not get a proper night's sleep in a bed the night before. you and i know in our heart of hearts because you can listen to that flight data recorder, they were yawning the whole way to the ground. >> why did it take so long to get the rules changed? >> this is a big frustration. the faa has given the airlines

two more years just to implement the rule change. the rules of bureaucracy move awfully slowly. you have to wonder what that means for all of our safety. there are a lot of pilots flying all of us around this holiday season. >> all right, so nice to see you. have a great holiday. our economic future, if congress doesn't get it together on a payroll tax deal. and a look back at the year when a world of frustrated people decided to speak up. and a cnn exclusive. iran's nuclear ambitions, a concern about a renewed arms race. and a veteran facing foreclosure makes a call to occupy atlanta. and how's this for number crunching? >> i was very lucky to be born

in 1905. i was just in time for a lot of the new technologies. radio, television. >> trade secrets from a 106-year-old broker still operating on wall street.

[♪...] >> male announcer: book now, save up to 65%. call 1-800-sandals. >> all right. so remember this. we all remember the path of how a bill becomes a law. it seemed like a simple straight-forward process.

here is the catch. if the tax cut does not become law by midnight this new year's eve your family could very well see a 2% cut out of your paycheck. that is about $40. that is not a small chunk of change in the state of this economy, especially in the week after christmas. politicians no longer have their best interest in mind. >> the way the economy is, and stuff, now we're obviously going to have to start paying more money. >> if the economy doesn't agree on this right here, i don't know how we're going to make it. >> congress isn't really considering the american people or the struggles we are going through. >> so what do we the people do to make congress act?

cnn.com contributor has got an idea. lock the politicians in on capitol hill until they get something done. i spoke with him this morning about his unique proposal. >> i'm actually not kidding when i say let's take a page from owners and lock congress out until they start getting something done for the american people. honestly this is like the movie "ground hog day" but there is no bill murray and it's not funny. congress is getting more and more focused as john mccain said of the tea party members of preventing a deal on certain issues that are good for the middle class and good for all of us. my frustration is echoed by most of americans. >> this idea is actually getting some traction in this occupy congress that is gathering momentum online. what do people really do besides vote the bums out of office this next election?

>> voting the bums out sounds so easy. people say that all the time. but in 2010, congress's approval rating was 20% and almost 90% of members of the house were actually re-elected so it's not that easy to vote them out. send an e-mail. it puts all of us for the whole year we need the money. >> if there is no deal on the tax cut extension, it directly affects your paycheck. the average person will pay about $10,000 more in taxes starting january 1. it's a broad range. if you make $35,000 a year you will pay $700 more.

if you make $110,000 and up you will pay over $2,000 more but it could also impact the whole economy. explain to us how this might actually affect economic growth in the coming year. >> that's a fairly sizable reduction. it doesn't sound like it. if you take a look at it it really is. by not extending the tax holiday, that means less money in our pockets to use and less money to spend and put back in the economy. the same is true for extending unemployment benefits. it does have the drag on effect on the economy. >> could this tip the u.s. back into a recession? >> yeah, well -- the most

worried economists say that definitely it could. that's because flanationally th is just bad timing. take a look at this chart. the good news is that it's picking up. but overall gdp averaged just 1% in 2011. 1% compared to what we had in 2010. the economy needs at least 3% or more to be considered growing at a healthy rate. the fear is that growth could slow down again if this payroll tax holiday isn't extended. it puts the dreaded uncertainty back into the economy. it means that our economy has less margin for error. we get more bad headlines coming out of europe's debt crisis. we just don't really have any room for more mistakes to happen.

>> they have got to get this done. thank you so much. >> so, i want to hear from you about the payroll tax debate. how can you get involved? is it as simple as tweeting your congress person? our talk back question today, what can we do as everyday s citizens to fix this broken congress? you can post responses to facebook.com. we will air some of your thoughts later in the hour. >> outrage, violence, people taking to the streets. we will take a look back at a year of protests around the globe. priority mail flat rate boxes. if it fits, it ships for a low, flat rate. paid for postage online and arranged a free pickup. and i'm gonna track them online, too. nice. between those boxes and this place, i'm totally staying sane this year. do i smell snickerdoodles? maybe. [ timer dings ] got to go.

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a horrific massacre in syria. that is how the country's main opposition group is describing the government's crack down this week. this amateur video you are seeing is said to show a gun battle on the streets. the opposition said almost 250 people were killed over a 48 hour period. the group is calling on the arab league and the u.n. security ko council to step in and stop the killing of civilians. they turned out by the thousands. joining us live from cairo. you have actually been to see one of the women who was attacked. what did she say about what is taking place there.

>> we have scheduled an interview today. a 48-year-old egyptian female protester who was beaten and whose beating because caught on tape. when we got to the hospital today, it was a very disturbing scene. they went into the room. the woman was screaming in pain. heavily bandaged on her head with a skull fracture. she had visible gashes on her face. heavily bruised. wouldn't stop screaming, saying she thought she was going to die, that she needed help. we were not able to speak to her. she didn't understand the questions that we were asking her. a very disturbing scene. if i could just take you back to the video that caught our attention of this woman this happened this past saturday. you see her in a red coat in

tahrir square trying to help another injured protester. they start beating her and clubbing her repeatedly to the head. it's hard to imagine how somebody can sustain this kind of a beating. when we were at the hospital today, doctors were saying she might have to be take on the the icu. this is just one case of many that we have heard about that has caused so much outrage. one of the reasons these women were marching saying that the armed forces should step aside and that a civilian government should be pus in place. and that this needs to stop as soon as possible. >> can you explain to us, i mean, this is so disturbing. to see that woman crying and screaming in bed like that, who is taking care of her? i mean is she getting painkillers? her family is there? who is there who is actually helping her?

is there someone who is there to help her? >> her family has been there, her brother, her brother's wife. they have been trying to help her. they just don't know what more she is going need. she sustained multiple blows to the head. when we were there it looked like she might be take on the the icu. there have been interest in trying to speak with her. our producer got in touch with her last night. she said she wanted to get her story out. she wanted people to see what happened to her and be outraged but she was not able to speak to us today. it begs the question what's going to happen to her? how is she going to be taken care of. and the other demonstrators that have been faced with so much brutality and this crack down, what's going to happen to them? really a big question mark right now. we can only continue to check in on them and try to report their

stories in the days to come. >> please do. we really appreciate that and following through what happens to her and many of those other women who have been attacked. responding to the attacks on female protesters, egypt's military council posted a statement saying "the supreme council expresses its great regret to the great women of egypt for the violations that took place during the recent events in the demonstrations that took place at the parliament of the minister's council and reassure its respect and appreciation for egyptian women and their right in protesting and their active positive participation in the political life." that is the end of their statement. >> as 2011 draws close to a close, the year might best be remembered for those protests. taking a look back on the

moments that have captures our attention. we want to warn you some of the images are graphic. >> it was the year of people power, of revolution. >> something i have never seen before. men on horse back and on camels. >> reporter: and bloodshed that doomed dictators. >> no one is going to go home. we're in this until the end, even if it means we're going to do. >> reporter: it started with one man in one country to set himself on fire when the police confiscated his fruit cart, leaving him with no way to make money. that set a movement in motion. the region was gripped with freedom fever. fuelled by social media, protests erupted in other areas. the leader was jeersly injured for treatment, left, returned

and later gave up power. protests in morrocco and jordan, protesting in cairo for weeks. >> these protests have gone on all day long. two hours after curfew has begun. still the square is packed with people and these protests will likely go well into the night. >> reporter: their demand? long time ruler mubarak has to go. by february, he was gone. >> did you ever imagine that this would be happening? >> never. one month ago i would never believe it. i am a young man and i almost believed that my generation would never make any history. >> reporter: and then the protest hits libya. nato launches air support. the country becomes a war zone. tripoli eventually falls.

>> this is an important day especially for the rebels who gadhafi said would never be able to take the city. >> reporter: the tyrant was dead. the world's attention now focused on sire yria. will it be the next domino to fall? demonstrators are on the streets. according to the u.n., at least 5,000 have been killed since march. some fight for their freedom. others protest for bread and butter. thousands demonstrate, angry at tough economic conditions. furious protesters in greece battle with riot police for weeks against pay cuts and layoffs. >> suicide earlier on by the governor. he said if we don't pass this, the country's gone.

>> reporter: in england peaceful protests turned ugly. discontented youth conflicted with police and looted and destroyed parts of the city. in september the occupy wall street movement started in new york and soon gripped major cap t talls around the world. and by december, a glimpse of people power in russia, thousands launched projecting election results, frustrated, too, with corruption and economic stagnation. 2011 shattered and rattled the political orders of the world. >> this will send shock waves throughout the region. >> reporter: setting in motion a wave of discontent, the promises to wash into the years to come. cnn, london. >> an army sergeant wounded in iraq had bigger problems when

she got home to atlanta. she couldn't pay the mortgage any more and occupy movement stepped in. we will hear her story. vaaa vrooom! need some help, ma'am? grrrrrrr! [ in high voice ] oh thank you. these things are heavy. zzzzzzzz! [ male announcer ] built for work. and everything you work for. hey, honey. i'm glad you're home. [ male announcer ] the chevy silverado. our most powerful hd yet. from fathers to sons, [ boy ] dad! [ male announcer ] chevy runs deep.

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can be even more powerful, with precise pain relieving heat patch. it blocks pain signals for deep relief precisely where you need it most. precise. only from the makers of tylenol. here is a run down of some of the stories we are working on, how an occupy woman helped save a woman's home from foreclosure. and gingrich no longer in the lead. and you know the saying age nothing but a number? well a 106-year-old stockbroker definitely proving that. this veteran was forced to retire from the army because of her injuries. brigette walker lost half of her income when that happened and

after 22 years in the army she could no longer afford the payments in her atlanta home. she asked the bank to lower the monthly payments and was rejected. walker reached out for help. occupy atlanta got involved. along with civil rights activists. just a couple days ago the bank lowered her payments by more than half. they reached out to chase. we're very pleased we could help a military veteran who has sacrificed for her country. before he loan was modified she was among 2 million homeowners being foreclosed on right now here in this country. another 6 million are 30 or more days past due on their mortgage. it is good to meet you. congratulations. i know that it was a pretty tough situation for you. what does it mean for you now on the holiday that you're not

going to be kicked out of your home which was just weeks away? >> it's a blessing. i'm happy. overjoyed, excited. instead of trying to plan to move now we can actually plan for christmas. >> that's nice. how did this come about? i mean you lost your -- half of your income. you went to the bank. what was the response? >> they were telling me to submit certain type of documentation. it was a cycle of submitting documents and denials stating that i needed to have more income because my expenses were too great or income was not enough. it was just a continuous psych toll get some help so i could breathe. >> i understand you have had to sell a lot of stuff and give up a lot of stuff. >> i had three vehicles. i scaled down to one. i was very tight on every dollar

that i spent. i had a little savings before i was medically retired. that carried me a little bit. going from making good money in the military, my income was below half but my expenses and bills were still at the level of being on active duty. >> at what point did you feel desperate enough to seek out help outside of what you were doing? >> i was watching tv and saw the story of the 103-year-old lady. i pulled the article up online and found the contact information. sent them an e-mail detailing the hardship i was going through. within two hours of that he called me. >> wow. so they got involved. do you know if there was anything that they did that. do you know how it actually came about that they were able to get

this renegotiated for you. >> they got everyday common people like us involved. they got the story out. a lot of people are going through the same thing that i'm going through but you wouldn't know. and doing what they do as occupy atlanta, everything came together and it was a win for everybody. >> what would you -- what kind of advice would you give people who might be watching. you say you watched the story about the 103-year-old lady. people are watching now, they are watching you and what happened with you. what do people need to know to do if they are in a desperate situation? >> don't be afraid to let someone know your struggles. before anyone can help you you have to voice your struggles and let them know what's going on. a lot of us have that fear of people having these bad thoughts about us or we shouldn't get this because we can't afford it or so on and so forth. but that's not the case. we face daily hardships and some of those hardships can cause us

to lose our homes. this is something we don't want to lose and it's affecting a lot of families across america. just let somebody know what you're going through and it will spread like wild fire of people willing to help you. >> thank you for letting us know what is going on your life. >> i want to thank everybody and i just appreciate all the support and this is not only a win for me but a win for everybody who is in my situation. >> all right. thank you. >> thank you for having me. >> we did some research and found out what you can do if you are not able to get your loan modified and are about to lose your home. we want to go to this website here. it is the institute for foreclosure and legal assista e assistance. it is www.foreclosurelegalassistance.o rg. he has been following the action on wall street for 80 years. >> i was born in 1905. i was just in time for a lot of

the new technologies. radio, television. >> amazing. we will hear from a 106-year-old stockbroker about the changes that he has seen. ♪ now i'm a geologist at chevron, and i get to help science teachers. it has four servo motors and a wireless microcontroller. over the last three years we've put nearly 100 million dollars into american education. that's thousands of kids learning to love science. ♪ isn't that cool? and that's pretty cool. ♪ isn't that cool? and that's pretty cool. ♪ sen♪ co-signed her credit card - "buy books, not beer!" ♪ ♪ut the second at she shut the door ♪ ♪ girl started blowing up their credit score ♪ ♪ she bought a pizza party for the whole dorm floor ♪ ♪ hundred pounds of makeup at the makeup store ♪ ♪ and a ticket down to spring break in mexico ♪ ♪ but her folks didn't know 'cause her folks didn't go ♪

♪ to free-credit-score-dot-com hard times for daddy and mom. ♪

isn't following the wild swings in the stock market since before the graeat depression.

we sat down with a 106-year-old stockbroker. >> reporter: wall street 80 years ago. know who was there? irving. when were you born? >> december 19, 1905. >> how has wall street changed during your life. >> when i got to wall street it was much more a rich man's game. not that i was rich, but i mean it was designed for banks or insurance companies or railroads or public utilities. it's no longer a rich man's business. it's a business for everybody. >> do you still watch the stock market very closely every day? >> i have the number which is

right here. >> you're a valued investor? >> and i stick to the 29 stocks that i hold. >> who is your idol? >> ben graham. >> that is warren buffet's idol, too. >> i don't know many who could do what he did. >> he works every day. >> what do you think is to thank for your father's longevity. >> the fact that he has an office to go to, and a job and responsibilities. >> let me ask -- >> do you want to? >> you didn't always have bloom berg terminals. >> no. i was very lucky to be born in 1905. i was just in time for a lot of the new technologies. radio, television. >> do you have a cell phone?

>> yes, i do. see? i don't use it much except to remind myself what my number is. >> i see. >> but irving doesn't think that technology necessarily makes things easier when he looks at the gadgets his grandson uses. >> he also has to know how to work the whatchamacallit? the ibook? >> bobby joins us live from new york. i love that story. i love it. i understand his birthday he turned 106, two days ago? that was his birthday? >> that was his birthday, december 19. >> was he at the office working? >> reporter: here is how sweet he is. he invited us to his 106th

birthday. we couldn't make it. i know he ate a lot of coconut pie because that is his favorite thing. we asked his son, tom, who by the way his son is 69 years old. all right does your dad really work when he comes in the office. and he absolutely does, he takes meetings with some of our biggest clients. people that have $10 million with the firm and he makes smart investment choices. it was fascinating to see this through his eyes, let alone going through the great depression, what it has been like in this position seeing really history just go by decade after decade after decade. i was shocked at how healthy he is. he gets around without a wheelchair. and he loves thai food. maybe that's the secret. >> there is no question about retirement. >> totally out of the picture. i think going to work is part of

what keeps him kicking. it's tough for me to take a vacation because my father never takes a day off. >> i want to go the white house briefing where dick karney is speaking and answering questions about the state of the economy and the stalemate that is taking place over the tax cut extension. let's listen in. >> unfortunately, thus far the house leadership has refused to allow the house of representatives to vote on the measure which has overwhelming bipartisan support. we urge the house leadership, speaker boehner, to reconsider that position to allow the senate bill to come up, to allow the house of representatives to vote on it because we are

confident with both democratic and republican support. i know you all are aware because many of you have been reporting on it, on the growing chorus of republicans who are calling on speaker boehner and the house leadership to do the right thing and to pass this bipartisan compromise so that americans don't have their taxes go up in ten days and 11 hours. that's the result of failing to act. taxes go up. the bipartisan compromise exists. it was worked out by the senate democratic leader. they should just get it done. and then we can all -- the

senate, the house, the administration, work on extending the payroll tax cut the entire year. a commitment this president has made when he was the first to put on the table for the american jobs act a payroll tax extension for 2012. but we have to get this two month extension done or else taxes will go up on the american people. and it really -- it really is not that difficult. the house has the ability to call up the senate and legislation, pass it, and move on. and taxes will not go up. the average american family will not have to worry about how to make ends meet with $1,000 less next year.

>> in exchange for passing -- >> the president is committed to a one-year tax cut. that's what he has been pushing both here in washington and around the country since september as part of the american jobs act. when it was separated out from the american jobs act. senate democrats, house democrats are all committed to doing that. republican leaders of both houses say they are committed to doing that. it can be done. so, it would require finishing the work that senators mcconnel and reid started as they tried to reach a year-long agreement. they made good progress. a lot needed to be done. they moved to the two-month extension to be sure that

americans didn't have their taxes go up. that is the sensible thing to do. pass the extension, return to work on the year long extension. or else explain to the american people, 160 million of them, why congress would not listen to them, would not listen -- why the house republicans would not lyn to their senate colleagues, would not listen to republican elder statesmen all around the city telling them to do the right thing here. it's bad for the country. and it's bad for the economy and the american people not to pass this bill. so we, you know, we feel very strongly about it as you can tell. >> did the president expect to move back on whether this might be an opportunity? >> look, i think it's pretty clear, not because i say it but many others are also saying it that the ball is in the house's court. there is a compromise available

an avenue out of this blind alle alley. sit the senate bill. vote on it, pass it, and we can go on to figuring out the solution for the year long extension. senator from tennessee, i know what's going to happen and i agree with the editorial in the wall street journal. the best thing to do is get this behind us and move on, urging the house republican leadership to change course and endorse the compromise reached in the senate that got the support of 90% of those members, democrats and republicans alike. so do the right thing. pass the payroll tax cut. make sure americans don't have their taxes go up on january 1.

>> just going with this theme, what is the president offering the speaker in return. >> you misunderstand here. this is not a game of high stakes poker as one republican congressman deemed it. we're talking about 160 million americans and their paychecks. there is no political kid pro quo here. at the direction of the republican leader in the house. that initially garnered the support of the republican leader in the house. and let's review some history here. the president and democrats initially supported the american jobs act which is paid for entirely including the payroll

tax cut expansion and the paid for is in that bill or what the president believed if he could have his way entirely was the way it should be done. when republicans blocked that, the senate democrats crafted a separate payroll tax cut extension and some other measures, and tried to move it and have it paid for by asking the 300,000 wealthiest americans to pay a little extra, republicans blocked that. so we compromised. it was pased by the senate 89-10 did not have what the democrats wanted or what the president submitted but a compromised set of provisions that paid for it that won the agreement of 89

senators including many republicans. that is the essence of compromise. the bill included an extraneous political part that republicans insisted on. >> when will the president sign it? >> when it gets here. >> i'm not sure if it's physically here. there is a process in the institution that takes time in terms of producing the bill for him to sign but he will sign when he gets here. >> additional steps is a sad regime. what are you talking about specifically? >> the fact of the matter is we have throughout this process

worked both unilaterally and collectively to increase pressure and isolation on the regime. what you have seen is a continuation of horrific acts of violence, needles violence. >> listening in on the white house briefing there talking about what a lot of people are talking about and that is whether or not congress is going to be able to get through this gridlock and whether or not that means there will be a tax cut extension for the new year, whether or not taxes will go up for all working americans. we put that question to you, what do you think congress should be doing? how do we get through this impasse? this is $100,000.

we asked total strangers to watch it for us. thank you so much, i appreciate it, i'll be right back. they didn't take a dime. how much in fees does your bank take to watch your money ? if your bank takes more money than a stranger, you need an ally. ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense.

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stop the fighting. today's question is what can we do as everyday citizens to fix this broken congress. >> create the people's term limits. next election vote out every incumbent no matter which party. >> i believe they should take money out of their paycheck. let them see what the other 99% feels then they might work. >> see more responses on my facebook page. keep the conversation going. progresso. it fits!

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doing whatever it takes to make life easier for people dying, just having someone there could make a world of difference. our focus is for today's strangers, caring for the dying. >> it's me. hi. >> if i do more in-patient care where you go into people's homes and usually give the care giver a break. it's too early for your pills. with each patient it's different. you just have to find out what they're comfortable with what do you want to do today? how about your nails? with joyce it's that she's not alone in this journey that she's on. give me your hand. which one should we start on? people are there for her and care about her and want to make her life easier. >> good afternoon, montgomery

hospice. >> i'm looking for volunteers who don't look for fame or being important. who don't look for wanting to be loved. we're looking for somebody who is truly wanting to give back and understand that the person they meet will die. for many patients it's the last front of their life. >> they look differently. i don't think i understand that. what we're doing is trying to gentle the journey, as we say