with brooke baldwin. happy thanksgiving, brooke. thank you very much, jim sciutto. same toyou, and same to all of you who are watching and hopefully filling your bellies with goodness on this thanksgiving day. i'm brooke baldwin. and speaking of filling bellies and other things here, this is a day we celebrate with overconsumption, a national feeding frenzy, if you will. overstuffing, which i plan to do in about two hours, ourselves on turkey and dressing and sweet potatoes and gravy. but this year is a bit different because retailers are really hoping we take our overconsumption to a whole new level. take a look at this list. these are several huge stores that are open today, on thanksgiving. big names. macy's. walmart, kohl's, best buy, sears, toys "r" us. they're all dishing out deals. some before the turkey is out of

the oven. obviously, they're hoping to coax you, to coax millions of shoppers to venture out on this thanksgiving day, and look at these pictures because people were out and about. these are people lining up early, early this morning at kmart, which opened all of its stores before the crack of dawn. this is burbank, california. kyung lah has been out all day long. tell me how many people you have been seeing. i'm like, where are you? >> i'm over here, behind the giant christmas tree that's being bought here. you can see how long the line is. people are actually out and about. this store has been open since 6:00 a.m. pacific time. that's five hours ago. we met marvin tate in line. he's here with his 2-year-old son, shopping before thanksgiving. >> yes. >> why on earth are you shopping when you're really supposed to be home watching football? >> this is the best time to come shopping. save as much money as you can when you have a large family

like me. this is my youngest. my other two are at home with their grandmother, so this is the best time for me to save the best. >> and you know, there are these theories that you don't save that much on black friday, but since we're talking about gray thursday, you feel like you're saving anything? >> to be honest, not really. but only on certain items. but it would be nice if you could save on everything in here. >> why are so many people here? >> i guess to save just as much as they can on certain items if they can. >> all right, thank you, and happy holidays, and enjoy thanksgiving. here you go. here are your -- bye-bye. bye-bye. so people want to save as much as they can. and if it's before thanksgiving dinner, brooke, we're not hearing that many customers here complaining that the stores are open. >> they're not complaining. they want those deals. what about the employees, though? is this a voluntary thing? a time and a half thing for these folks?

>> it's a time and a half thing. and remember, we've been doing how many stories about the economy? these are tough economic times. the employees you're seeing who are doing the ringing up, are making a little extra money. what these employees are saying is, hey, that's great. they then can turn around and pump more money into the economy and buy presents for their family and friends. it's going to be a bit different later in the day because those workers are really going to have to give up thanksgiving dinner. they're going to be able to work and then head home for turkey. >> maybe breakfast or dinner. thank you for working with us on this thanksgiving day as well. if you're not out and about shopping, you're probably going to the movies. >> talk about a problem. i sell ice for a living. >> that's a rough business to be in right now. i mean, that is really -- that's unfortunate. >> disney has this new musical called "frozen" about a young woman searching for her long lost sister with a couple sidekicks. if action is your thing, spike lee has a new joint "old boy"

stars josh brolin who is trying to figure out why he was kidnapped and kept in solitary confinement for 20 years. and in a limited release, the film based on the auto biography of nelson mandela. from childhood to his rise as a global icon. and now my fellow space geeks, listen to this, in the past half hour, just about, let's be precise, 20 minutes ago, 1:44 p.m. eastern, comet ison plaass within 1,000 miles of the sun. the comet could be blown totally apart. here's the thing, if ison survives and we will know soon, we could be in for a cosmic early season. with me now, astronomer david done do. thank you for joining me on this holiday. this is so, so exciting. and oh, i'm getting in my ear, this is a new picture, guys? okay, so look at this with me,

david. the first picture we're getting from nasa. tell me what we're looking at. >> you're looking at actually from the soho spacecraft. a spacecraft observing the sun and blocking out some of the bright glare around the sun, looking for any evidence of a comet coming around the sun. >> that's the sun in the center, the ball. >> the yellow ball is the center of the sun, and it looks like you've got some image of the tail of the comet over to the right. >> that's what the really bright light is on the right side. >> i'm guessing so. and so we're hoping that in the next day or so, we'll see the comet emerge from behind the sun. >> okay, chad myers. jump in because we were talking about this yesterday. prediction time. what is the probability this thing actually survives because the sun is very, very hot and the comet is not? >> the comet is a few hundred degrees below zero. >> wow. >> it's coming around the sun. just a few minutes ago, it was

reaching temperatures of about 5800 degrees around the comet. that's hot enough to melt steel. it's traveling 8,044 miles an hour. it's within 700 miles of the surface of the sun. the last comet to survive going around the sun close, back in 1962, the closest approach, was 3 million miles. this, if it makes it, is going to be the record holder. it looks like it's holding together. it's a little early to tell for sure. but it looks like it's making it. >> is it the heat that would tear it apart or the gravitational forces because it's so close to that ball? >> three things. one, it's losing material very rapidly. it's very unstable. it's sublimating right now. >> sublimating. >> that's our big word for the day. not only is your turkey roasting at home, this comet is roasting, and it's a ball of frozen gas, and that gas is turning directly from a solid to a gas. >> okay. >> and i have a demonstration.

>> let's do it, a little show-and-tell. >> he needs gloves. >> and glasses. >> i think i'm going to step back. >> step away. i've got this, chad myers. >> i've got a beaker here. brooke, if you could fill the beaker halfway with some water. >> yes, sir. >> water is at room temperature. >> what we're essentially going to emulate is the notion of what the comet passing the sun and the tail of the comet. >> yeah. this is dry ice. it's frozen carbon dioxide. approximately 100 degrees below zero. i'm going to place it in the water. most folks would guess the water would instantly freeze. but watch what happens when i put it in there. >> it bubbles. >> it looks like a cheap science fiction show. what you're noticing inside the beaker is that it's bubbling. it's not boiling. what's happening is the gas from this chunk of dry ice is turning directly from a solid to a gas. you can see it bubbling through the water. right now, comet ison is losing

about 3 million tons of material a second. and so that's one of the reasons, you know -- >> this must have been really big to start. >> it started out as something about two or three miles across. so it's losing material now. it's losing its outer surface. it's under great stress. it's changing direction. it's being hurled around the sun. >> if it makes it, that's the big if, and that's what we're waiting to see. if it makes it, when will we be able to see it, a, and b, will it be a naked eye viewing or do i need a telescope? >> right, so nasa will probably have some nice images with their spacecraft over the next 24 hours. earth-bound observers will probably have to wait a couple days for it to get out from the glare of the sun. as far as the amateur with a telescope or binocular, i'm guessing by wednesday or thursday. >> that soon? >> yeah, it will probably turn out in the predawn sky, about an

hour before sunrise and in the western sky, just after dark for a little bit before it sets. >> there are ancient paintings of comets and things like that in the sky. >> oh, yes. >> are we going to see this type of monumental sulenial, millennial type of event? >> perhaps. i know i'm not giving you the straight answer here. comets are capricious. so the comet could still fizzle and do nothing, but it was kind of underwhelming coming into the sun. it never really got to be the comet of the century and be really bright. >> i wanted to cut you off, could you come in and get a shot of his tie? do you see the comet tie? >> there has to be a story. >> an astronomy tie for every occasion. >> thank you very much. i'm removing my glasses. here we go. thank you so much. you can pop them on, chad myers. speaking of you, let's talk weather. >> is this sharp? does this look good? >> great look, my friend. >> thank you.

appreciate it very much. >> thank you. weather wise, cold? >> cold. we know sunday's going to be a really big travel day. we emphasize how big yesterday was, but people all go home on sunday. and sunday is going to be pretty good. >> great. >> yeah, not going to be the day that we had yesterday where thousands of people were standing in line trying to get planes, trains, and automobiles, and trains were getting stuck in underbridges and all that stuff. i believe your drive home will be much better. if your car is prepared to wake up in the morning and drive in 15 degrees because there will be very, very cold temperatures that come down across the great lakes and into the northeast, so if your car sits out all night, it may not like 15 degrees because it hasn't seen that for a year or so. your battery may not like it either. snow north of grand rapids. not the organized stuff you sometimes see in buffalo. they had a couple inches. but this is about a 5-inch snowfall. what we don't have, we don't have the 5,000-foot high winds and the surface winds parallel

each other and that's when you get the big lake effect snow, and growing up right outside of buffalo, i tend to think of myself as an expert at lake effect snow. 32 will be the high in detroit. that's 11 degrees below where we should be. that means the morning lows will be 11 degrees probably lower than we should be. a couple cold days in store. >> thank you. this is a thought that might warm you up. let's run through pie. nine flavors of pie. at the white house, the first family's thanksgiving menu has nine pies for dessert. here we go, huckleberry pie. pecan pie, chocolate cream pie, sweet potato pie, pumpkin pie, banana cream pie, and i'm a good old fashioned -- i love my apple pie. they'll have the apple pie as well. and before dessert, they'll dine on a traditional thanksgiving meal featuring turkey, ham, ooh, oyster stuffing, cornbread stuffing, green bean casserole. am i making you hungry? >> i don't see the pyramid.

>> let's toss that out today. that doesn't count on thanksgiving. on the menu at the white house. coming up, troops are spending their 12th thanksgiving in afghanistan as the country's president faces pressure to agree to a deal or else. hear america's threat to hamid karzai. also ahead, celebrities right now are serving food at a homeless shelter. we'll take you there live in los angeles on this thanksgiving day. you are watching cnn. [ sniffles, coughs ]

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moore stationed with the task force life liner in afghanistan. i would like to wish my mom, my grandmother and all my family and friends a happy thanksgiving. i love you and i miss you. >> the white house says ten american troops got phone calls today from the president, wishing them happy holidays, and here's a reason to give thanks today. 2014 will be the homecoming year for most of our troops in afghanistan. and it could turn out they will all come home, but that's not something the u.s. wants. from the pentagon, here is cnn's barbara starr. >> this holiday season, commanders were looking forward to a new agreement with hamid karzai that would have kept just a few thousand u.s. troops in afghanistan after 2014. but after a meeting with

national security adviser susan rice, karzai is now refusing to sign the very deal he helped negotiate. in an afghan news channel interview, rice made clear u.s. patience may be at a breaking point. >> if the agreement isn't signed promptly, what i said to the president is we would have no choice. we would be compelled by necessity, not by our preference, to have to begin to plan for the prospect that we will not be able to keep our troops here. >> after 12 years of war with afghan corruption still rampant, billions of dollars in u.s. aide, more than 2,000 troops killed and more than 19,000 wounded, why shouldn't all the american troops just come home? >> americans are very right to be frustrated with karzai. but frustration is not national security policy. frustration is not foreign policy. >> some in the administration

believe without a u.s. presence, al qaeda will return. iran's influence may grow, and afghanistan will become a radical haven. >> if things fall apart in afghanistan, then much of what we have gained can unravel. and we may find ourselves having to go back in again. >> for now, however, u.s. troops are thinking about coming home. >> hi, i'm sergeant tyler baxter. this is my father. >> chief master sergeant richard baxter. >> coming from afghanistan. wanted to wish our family in missouri a happy holidays. >> barbara starr, cnn, the pentagon. some troubling signs out of north korea. the rogue nation may be trying to restart an aging nuclear reactor. this is coming from the director of the international atomic energy agency. it's observed activities thus triggering this concern, but the iaea reports since it's been blocked from going to the site,

it can't say for sure if the reactor has been started up again. now the agency is calling on north korea to fully cooperate to resolve that issue. and the leader of a billion some catholics is headed to their holy land. pope francis plans to visit israel. the vatican won't say when, but an israeli official says the pontiff will go near the end of may. this past april, pope francis met with israeli president shu mo shimon peres at the vatican. the jewelry post reports francis will be the fourth pope to visit the jewish nation. still ahead, an 89-year-old thanksgiving tradition in jeopardy today. find out why parade organizers had to keep a very close eye on the weather in manhattan. also, instead of shopping today, some workers and customers are protesting. details on what's causing them to strike on thanksgiving. hey, buddy? oh, hey, flo.

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on the new tempur-choice with head-to-toe customization. the triple choice sale ends sunday, thanksgiving weekend. ♪ sleep train ♪ your ticket to a better night's sleep ♪ my family is actually on their way to my house to start cooking for thanksgiving. it's also my mom's byte. happy birthday, mom, on thanksgiving. >> we have a competition with our turkey. she thinks she wins. >> i make a great turkey. >> i do, too. >> we made a great turkey. >> i'm not going to experience it, intried it one time. and that's a lot of work. >> it was a game time decision, but snoopy and wood stock got the all-clear to fly between manhattan's skyscrapers today for the annual macy's

thanksgiving day parade. now they may look a little different. that's because snoopy and the other huge balloons flew a bit lower than usual. about five feet lower because of the wind. the 16 largest balloons could have been grounded if winds had gotten too strong today. but when you look at the crowds, i mean, thousands of people jammed the streets to see the famous balloons and to take in the performers marching down the streets of manhattan. jason carroll talked to some spectators along the parade route. hey, jason. >> well, brooke, the helium heroes made it into this year's thanksgiving day parade. papa smurf coming down right now on central park west, making his way down the parade route. there was, as you know, we talked about this yesterday. talking about it again today early this morning. whether or not the wind would allow the balloons to make it into the parade. it turns out the wind measurements were where they needed to be to let the parade go on as it should be. a lot of excited fans came out

for the parade. the weather turned out to be cold but sunny. listen to what some said to say about what they liked. >> it's awesome. >> any favorites. >> yes. >> tell me, share. >> well, my favorite is santa at the end, but i think the football was the best. >> the balloon football? out of all the balloons to see, you had a choice of like sponge bob and how to train your dragon, you picked the football? >> because football is like the best sport ever. >> and it's not just the balloons that were in the parade. there were 900 clowns. 900 clowns. also made it into this year's parade. 900 clowns, not just a dozen or so that we have here. >> 901. >> very funny. thank you very much. >> this is extremely tiring. >> i bet it is. i bet it is. so lots of clowns, lots of

bands. everyone coming out here, brooke, had a really good time. you really have to love the clowns, though. got to love the clowns. brooke, back to you. >> have to go with it, jason carroll. jason carroll for us in manhattan. jason, thank you very much. >> the store ads, the shopping, the working, is it becoming too much? on thanksgiving day. i know a lot of you say yes. coming up next, we'll show you what these people are doing to protest the business of thanksgiving. >> hi. this is patty poole. gsa l & o, bagram air field. i wanted to say happy thanksgiving to my family. wish i was there, but i'll see you at christmas. love you. it's donut friday at the office. and i'm low man on the totem pole.

so every friday morning they send me out to get the goods. but what they don't know is that i'm using my citi thankyou card at the coffee shop, so i get 2 times the points. and those points add up fast. so, sure, make me the grunt. 'cause i'll be using those points to help me get to a beach in miami. and allllllll the big shots will be stuck here at the cube farm. the citi thankyou preferred card. now earn 2x the points on dining out and entertainment, with no annual fee.to apply, go to citi.com/thankyoucards

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♪ ...to wash any size load. it dissolves in any temperature, even cold. tide pods. pop in. stand out. bottom of the hour, i'm brooke baldwin. thank you so much for being with me here on this holiday. happy thanksgiving to you. hollywood celebrities are cooking and serving food today for the homeless on skid row. volunteer slots filled up months ago for this long-standing los angeles tradition. three shelters in downtown l.a., they stagger the meal times just so people can eat for free several times during this holiday week. actor lewis gossett jr. talked with stephanie elam just a short time ago. >> we were all poor when i was raised, you know, so it's natural for us to help one another. not just on thanksgiving, but thanksgiving you celebrate, and

christmas, you know, but it's got to be every day. >> let's go to stephanie elam. here she is. huge crowd around you. tell me what you're seeing there. >> reporter: brooke, the clouds have parted. it's a beautiful day out here in downtown los angeles. and there are a lot of volunteers who have gathered together so that they could help feed the people who could really use a good warm thanksgiving meal. i know that they cook all of their turkeys here. they're prepared to serve close to 4,000 people here today. so people are rolling in as they want to, sitting down, and getting a table. and they're getting a tray of food brought out to them. take a look at the food preparation here and all the volunteers getting it together. and they're busy getting their plates and setting it out. but all of this planned for months in advance. of this to give people who could really use this a little bit of warmth. some of that cozy american

feeling on thanksgiving and getting some of that today. dick van dyke has been out here, ed bagley jr. these are people who have been coming out to this mission to help and give back for years and years. and they have been doing this, and lou gossett told me three generations of his family are here. they come and do this and help out, and a little music behind them as well. all in all, just a heartwarming day as you see people out here helping each other. >> that's so wonderful, feeding 4,000 mouths. my fingers are crossed. maybe we can see and hear dick van dyke or neil patrick harris next hour. that's my challenge to you, my friend. what a wonderful thing they're doing in l.a. thank you. a pizza hut manager says he was fired for refusing to open today. now he's being offered his job back. tony has worked at his store in indiana for a decade. the store asked him to sign a resignation letter. instead, he wrote a letter saying he wouldn't quit, telling his bosses it's the people at the bottom of the total pole

who, quote, make your life possible. >> i said why can't we be the company that stands up and says we care about our employees and you can have the holiday off. thanksgiving and christmas are the two days they're closed all year, the only two days people are guaranteed to have off to spend with their family. >> i was a little shocked. i was thinking something would happen, but i'm proud he stood up for what he believed in. >> they're still going to sell pizza. i just didn't think it was right. >> the guy's bosses insist he wasn't fired, that he quit, and in a statement to cnn, this is what pizza hut is saying. we fully respect an employee's right to not work on a holiday, which is why the vast majority of pizza huts in america are closed on thanksgiving. we strongly recommend the local franchisee reinstate the employee and they have agreed. >> some of us are making a mad dash to grab the holiday bargains while the turkey is

still in the oven. take a look at these folks at a kmart in burbank, california, early, early this morning. some of you are saying heck no. no thank you. it's a holiday. i'm going to stay in my pajamas and enjoy my holiday. here's george howell on the thanksgiving shopping backlash. >> there's more to thanksgiving now than just turkey. walmart, kmart, and target. all open for early bird shoppers this holiday, just like last year. joining them this year, jcpenney, kohl's and macy's. but not everybody is buying into this. more than 370,000 people petitioned target to save thanksgiving for its employees and customers. and kmart was blasted for its decision to stay open 41 hours straight, starting at 6:00 a.m. thursday. >> we know last year, 35 million shoppers were out in stores and shopping online on thanksgiving day. and we're fully expecting to see

just as many people this year. >> but for those steadfast employees who have to work their thanksgiving day, shoppers on chicago's busy michigan avenue have some sympathy. >> sometimes we have to work when we don't want to work. it's just the reality of it. in the same note, i feel like people do need to be with their families. it's more of a choice than, you know, it's to each his own. >> in fact, several stores are choosing to give their workers the day off. closed on thursday, from nordstrom to rei, costco. >> it's important to us that our employees who worked hard have a day off with their friends and family and recharge before we go into the black friday weekend. >> jack spoke to me via skype. >> do you feel like your store is missing out by closing? >> not at all. i think there's plenty of other days to shop. plus, we'reoping 24/7 on our website.

>> it's a move that shoppers don't seem to mind. >> on thursday, i think -- i think i would close just because i personally want to be home with my family and i wouldn't want to keep other people away from their families. >> for those who feel they'd somehow be missing out, carly puts it bluntly. >> get a life. >> george howell, cnn, chicago. >> it was a contest and a shot of a lifetime, and he made it. he nailed it from halfcourt. >> for it to go in was as surprising to me as it was to anyone else. >> you do it for the prize money, right? it turns out this guy may not get the $20,000 he was promised. we'll explain. we're on the case. also, taking one for the team. find out why this police chief -- ooh, is getting tasered by his own officers. a subaru... ...are the hands that do good things for the whole community: the environment, seniors, kids, and animals.

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my two oldest kids, it's their birthday, so that's my gratitude will be deeply focused on them on thursday. >> eating, so much eating and so much sleeping. >> thanksgiving is all about food and family and fun and music and reminiscing and conversations. >> we were going to have a big kind of family dinner at a restaurant in pasadena, but i think tony has pulled the plug on that and wants to watch football. i think. >> now that actor bryan cranston has finished breaking bad, he's heading to broadway. he'll be starring at president lyndon b. johnson in all the way, a play which covers the

tumultuous first years of lbj's presidency. it's set to open in march of next year. take a look for yourself. a side by side for you. what do you think? we decided it's a pretty good fit. the play ran earlier this year in massachusetts to rave reviews. this thanksgiving day, a florida mom sentenced to 20 years in prison is at home with her family. marissa alexander is out on $150,000 bond as she awaits a new trial. her case drew more attention after george zimmerman was acquitted because unlike zimmerman, she was sent to prison after claiming she was standing her ground, defending herself when she fired at her allegedly abusive husband. this was back in 2010. a jury convicted her of aggravated assault, but an appeals court ruled the judge gave the jurors the wrong instructions. her new trial is set for march. >> i want you to listen to this one because this kansas college

student is proving how good a guy he is after he made this awesome shot. >> you never know when those half-court shots. they have to be almost perfect. >> swish, so this is cameron ryan. he won $20,000 when he hit the half-court shot. this is at an oklahoma city thunder game earlier this month. by the way, talk about odds. i don't know what's going on in oklahoma city, but he's the fifth fan to make this half-court shot in the last 22 games. he's the only one, though, with a bit of a problem, because rodriguez plays basketball for southwestern college in kansas. and he realized that $20,000 goes against the rules of the national association of intercollegiate athletics which says players can't get paid to play. >> as soon as it started hitting home with the $20,000, i started kind of thinking about the implications that might come up and stuff like that with my eligibility, and especially when i started talking to my coach and the thunder organization and

stuff like that. that's when it started getting more and more real. >> after owning up to his ca half-court winnings, he may not get the money after all, but he said there is still a chance. >> yes, we're currently appealing it with the naai to not just accept the money outright, but instead, for it to be donated straight to my college, towards my tuition instead. >> hmm. cnn legal analyst danny cevallos is on the case for us. happy thanksgiving, by the way. >> happy thanksgiving to you, too. >> when i saw this y thought, man, bummer for this guy. i mean, it sounds like he wouldn't take legal action, but let me begin with, if he were to, would he have grounds to sue sphif he's denied the $20,000? >> no, no. the ncaa -- not the ncaa. this is the naia, which is similar to the ncaa. yeah, different conference. he doesn't really have a legal action. he's a student athlete. what's more amazing about this is that this naia policy, the

idea that student athletes maintain this amateur status, student athletes are the only amateurs left in collegiate sports. this individual represents the 99% of college athletes. the people who don't -- who we don't see in the spotlight every day and who play for the love of the game and a meager scholarship. consider that the ncaa and cbs recently signed a $14 billion agreement over the next 14 years, and the ncaa is a nonprofit. it seems -- >> but it's a half-court shot. what are the odds? do you think he would have a shot at getting the money if he says, okay, this will go toward my scholarship? >> well, that's certainly a good argument. and because the naia like the ncaa makes its own rules, they can probably do just about whatever they want. this is not a public affair at all. the naia makes its own policy and can choose to grant or deny him this money for whatever purpose they may see fit.

because of the notoriety of this case, they may make an exception and allow him to use it towards his actual scholarship and his tuition, which would probably be an equitable result. >> my takeaway from the story is two-fold. one, i have to get to oklahoma city to sink a shot because something is in the water there, and two, i guess if you're a college basketball player, you shouldn't be taking these half-court shots, right? >> well, i mean, the reality is, who actually thinks they're going to make a half-court shot? >> five people recently. >> probability renders it very unlikely. >> casino people would argue that's going to make it less likely to happen. participating was probably okay. never thought in a million years he would make it. he was having fun, and the reality now, the idea that his scholarship and his eligibility could be jeopardized really requires us to take another look at the policy behind paying or not paying student athletes. >> i mean, donate the money.

there are a lot of people who could use the $20,000 if he couldn't keep it. we'll see what happens. danny, thank you so much, and happy holidays to you. i love this story. you're a coach in the nba and it's late in the game. you're out of time-outs. what do you do? how about the old, spill some soda on the court play? watch this. we circled this. nets head coach jason kidd, i'm talking to you here, check this out. it appears kidd says -- watch this, hit me, to one of his players. and there it goes. hit me. did you read his lips. he spills his drink everywhere. causing a stop in play. that gave him time to draw up this last-second play. it didn't actually work, if you watched the game, the nets lost 99-94. kidd said in the presser he simply dropped the cup. just a reminder, kidd was an all-star point guard when he played in the nba. coming up next, a police chief agrees to be tasered by his own officers. we have the video for you, and we'll tell you why the heck he

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an indiana police chief taken down by a taser, but for a good cause. yes, suffering the pain is part of the fund-raiser to pay for a new police cruiser. drew smith with our affiliate has the story. >> i love my job. i'm not responsible for anything that comes out of my mouth or any other orifice of my body. >> so much so that he's willing to get tased for it. police chief danny baker has done it before. >> if you get hurt, i'm going to kill you. >> twice. >> if i get killed you're never going to speak to me again are you. >> and he would do anything for knightstown. >> it's my hometown. my dad died when i was 9 years old. he was a businessman here in town. after he died, i didn't have one parent, i had 2,000. okay? this is my way of repaying the town.

>> so chief baker worked out a deal with a friend in town that he would get tased if together they could raise $5,000. >> there's a check for $50. i got another envelope here with another $50 in it. >> they need the money for police cruisers. this is the only squad car they have that runs. the others have nearly 200,000 miles on them. but the money is now flowing in, including a $25,000 gift confirmed today. things are looking up now for knights knightstown pd. this is what they plan to buy as their next vehicle. >> are you ready for this, guys? are you ready for this? >> don't do that. >> ready as i'm going to get. >> hi, buddy. how are you doing? >> the jovial 63-year-old chief went through with it. it's why they came tonight. >> taser. >> hold still. >> i got a cramp in my leg.

>> and the crowd loved it. it's obvious they love their chief. people contributing what they could as they passed the donation buckets. >> give thanks to all the donations. we really appreciate it. i think that's just an example of how small-town communities, people stick together. >> thanks again, wrtv for sharing that story with us. coming up next here on cnn, dramatic dashcam video of this police officer saving a man from a burning truck. we'll hear from this hero and how he pulled this off. also ahead, a cnn special report. a woman says she briefly crossed over to heaven. this is during her battle with cancer. hear her compelling story coming up. but first, this. i'm lieutenant colonel mike mcgregor here in kandahar, afghanistan. i wanted to send a shoultout to my two sons, caleb and spencer. happy thanksgiving, buddies. i miss you, love you.

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talk about nerves of steel, a new jersey police officer risked his own life to pull a man from this burning truck. you see this dramatic scene caught on the officer's dashcam. this is monday. the 61-year-old driver was hospitalized in critical but stable condition. earlier today, officer scott christianer recounted this scene. >> a million things going through my head. i wasn't sure if anyone was in the vehicle. if someone was, i just wanted to get them out. >> any fear, any hesitation at all? >> definitely in the back of my mind, i wanted to get away from the truck as soon as i could. when i opened the door, i didn't know what to expect. i reached my hand in and felt him and pulled him out. >> was he hard to move? >> to be honest, i don't remember. >> was he trapped in the vehicle? what was the scenario with that? >> he was just unconscious. >> wow.

he also dismissed the hero label, giving -- some people are giving him. he said it seemed like a lot of people in this position, nope, just doing my job. >> have you heard of those feces who survived a brush with death and explain something they can't quite explain, maybe it's heaven. sunday, anderson cooper brings us the stories of three such people, including this cancer survivor who spoke with randi kaye. >> you could still see your husband. how was he reacting to the fact you were in this coma and he thought he was losing you? >> he was very distraught. he was there by my bedside. he was holding my hand, and i could feel he was willing me to come back. >> and you had a choice to make. >> i had a choice as to whether to come back or not. at first, i absolutely did not want to come back because why would i want to come back into this sick and dying body?

but then it was as though in the next moment i understood why i had the cancer. all the years of beating myself up, feeling flawed, had turned my own energy against me and manifested as cancer. >> fear in a way poisoned your body. >> yes, it did. and i understood that now that i knew this, my body would heal. >> you had this huge revelation. and sony and your father both affirmed what needed to be done. >> both of them said to me, go back and live your life fearlessly. and it was around that time that i started to come back. >> so how long were you in the coma? >> about 30 hours. i was in the intensive care unit, but within four days, they were able to take off the oxygen. they were able to take out the food tube.

and the tumor shrunk by 70%. >> and the doctors, they kept testing you, right? they kept looking for cancer. they kept treating you. >> they were saying, there's no way that cancer disappears like that. >> watch anderson cooper's special report, to heaven and back. that airs 7: sunday at 7:00 eastern and pacific only here on cnn. and we continue on hour two. thank you for tuning in to cnn on this holiday. i'm brooke baldwin. happy thanksgiving to you and your family. let's talk turkey, because if your turkey is still in the oven as i speak, that is good news because you still have time to go shopping before you're totally full and sitting there on the sofa as i plan to be in just about an hour and a half from now. you already had your big

thanksgiving meal? you can walk off those calories at macy's, walmart, kmart, toys "r" us. we're going live to the cart cam as it wheeled up to kyung lah. she's at kmart in burbank, california. been open since dawn. cart cam. nice. kyung lah, where are you? there you are. >> right here. >> set the scene for me. >> this has been open since 6:00 a.m. you can see people are still rolling around, buying items. the black friday frenzy that u.s. used to be just on friday has now extended. the shoving. the screaming. the swearing. >> push one of my kids and i will stab you [ bleep ]. >> let the fists fly, retailers call it the super bowl or shopping, or black friday. but scenes like these at flood the internet give the bargain

battle a black eye. this ugly clash at a los angeles walmart two years ago was captured by juan castro. >> all the people just went in there and they just started destroying the boxes. >> all this for marked down xbox games. >> people were fighting, trying to get the deals. that's when some lady brought out the pepper spray and just started going at it. >> my eyes are burning! my eyes! >> was that moment a turning point for walmart? >> certainly. i think we could do a better job at managing crowds and helping customers get into the store, find the item they're looking for, and get out. so i think we learned a lot. >> walmart says this time, it's a calmer black friday. orderly lines through the store. shoppers will get wrist bands and rain check tickets to ship items that run out, but what won't change are the surprise deals through the store. >> they said 40 seconds, and all the people are going to go crazy. >> so predictably wild that this dad brought his kids to walmart to witness the mayhem firsthand.

>> that's something about black friday. your integrity. >> these chicago area cousins don't care about the mayhem. in fact, they thrive on it every year. using shopping apps and meticulous planning to save on toys for their young kids. >> eight hours of shop sng. >> yeah, all night. yeah. eight hours or so. >> seriously, all night. >> it was worth it. >> mm-hmm. >> she spent $960, half of her budget, saving $1,000 on gifts. enough to make her want to dance. >> so yeah, the jig had to happen. i would do it again if i got a deal like that. >> not a laughing matter to victoria, who has seen enough video of the fighting -- >> anytime you want, [ bleep ] -- >> and doesn't want any of it, even if it's literally a pillow fight. >> i think they're crazy. to them, it's a sport. la crosse is a sport. black friday is not a sport. >> she shops all online.

sure, she gives up on some of the deals, but savers her serenity. >> savings aren't worth the bail money. >> after capturing the walmart wildness, juan castro avoids the retailer on black friday. but still can't resist a short outing. >> i should get a bullet-proof vest and make sure -- maybe some football gear would do me good. >> that may be good advice because for shoppers like these, it's game on. so if you want in on the game early, this retailer is open right now. the others, like best buy, even walmart, are going to do a reopening ceremony in a few hours. you can get to them tonight. >> watch out for the pillow fights. that video was kind of awesome that you pulled out for that piece. let me ask you this, because listen, it's one thing for the folks who want to shop on thanksgiving day to do so, but for the workers, let's say, at

the kmart where you are, is this kmart saying to the workers, you have to work on this holiday, or if you want to work, you can make extra money? >> exactly. you can make a little extra money. it's time and a half for the workers who choose to work. now, do they choose to work? many of them do. especially in the early morning hours. because these are lower-paid jobs. they can use the income. then they can then spend the money in the economy. they can buy their kids presents. the people who are working this evening, they're really not that excited about coming in, according to some of the workers i have spoken to. they actually traded in order to try to come in this morning because, you know, who really truly wants to work at night on thanksgiving? >> right. kyung lah, thank you very much. >> if you did stay home today, you want to try to hit the stores tomorrow for the black friday specials, stick around. we'll talk to the man who runs a website that show cases all the best deals of the day. so i'll ask him about his black friday success tips, some of his top deals right now.

stay tuned for that in 20 minutes. stay with me. >> buzz lightyear got the all clear to fly between manhattan skyscrapers today for this annual thanksgiving day parade. the giant balloons did fly a bit lower than usual. about five feet lower, because of the wind there. the largest -- 16 largest balloons could have been grounded if the winds got too strong, so they had to make the game-time decision this morning to lower them. but that didn't stop the people from coming out. thousands of people jammed the manhattan streets just to see this in person. watch the performer s marching down the streets. cnn's jason carroll talked with some spectators at the parade. jason? >> caller: well, brooke, right now, what you're looking at, that's the very end of the macy's thanksgiving day parade. a lot of people who came out here today to talk to had a really good time. lots of folks who came out, braved the cold weather.

>> california. love you! >> but everyone had a great time when they came out. there were concerns about the balloons, concerns the balloons would not make it. >> and they did. >> but the balloons and the babies, they all made it out to this year's macy's thanksgiving day parade. >> we believe. >> we believe. take a listen to what said had to say about what they enjoyed about this year's parade. >> loved it, loved it. >> really wonderful. >> is this your first time? >> yes. >> first time. so there was a controversy -- >> fourth time. >> fourth time? wow, you're a trooper. >> i enjoy it. >> there were concerns earlier that the balloons, the giant helium balloons might not make it into the parade. were you concerned when you came out? >> when i got up this morning, it wasn't windy, so i said there's a possibility. we were very happy. >> once again, all 16 giant helium balloons and all the bands, the clowns, all the fans, making their way out for this year's macy's thanksgiving day

parade. everyone out here, i have to say, was a great parade, weather ended up cooperating. people were friendly. >> yes. >> so for the rest of the united states that's watching, new yorkers are a friendly bunch, correct? >> absolutely. >> that's what you wanted to hear. >> happy thanksgiving. >> so brooke, until next year, brooke, happy thanksgiving. >> happy thanksgiving, jason carroll. thank you so much. and from new york to overseas, thousands of u.s. troops are having a thanksgiving in afghanistan for the last time today. come 2014, most of our troops will come home, and it could turn out they all come home because afghan president hamid karzai is becoming increasingly coy about a long-term security deal. the u.s. says he needs to sign it and sign it very soon. today, the white house said ten senchs men and women got phone calls today from the president. got this picture for you, wishing them happy holidays from the oval office. speaking of our heroes, it's

the best part of coming home. >> is this your card? >> yes, it is. >> you will see how this emotional reunion played out. also, take a look at your thanksgiving comet. this collision is making astronomers very excited today. the big moment happened just a short time ago. we'll all geek out on this thanksgiving. stay with me. that's next. just by talking to a helmet. it grabbed the patient's record before we even picked him up. it found out the doctor we needed was at st. anne's. wiggle your toes. [ driver ] and it got his okay on treatment from miles away. it even pulled strings with the stoplights. my ambulance talks with smoke alarms and pilots and stadiums. but, of course, it's a good listener too. [ female announcer ] today cisco is connecting the internet of everything. so everything works like never before.

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but i didn't want her towait see my psoriasis. officer. no matter how many ways i try to cover up, my psoriasis keeps showing up. all her focus is on me. but with these dry, cracked, red, flaky patches, i'm not sure if i want it to be. this is more than uncomfortable, it's unacceptable. visit psoriasis.com where you can get refusing to hide, a free guide filled with simple strategies for living well with psoriasis. learn more at psoriasis.com and talk to your dermatologist. it was a big surprise for one military family. the happiest place on earth, three little brothers planned on meeting mickey mouse, and then just watch.

is this your card? >> no. >> no? it's not? that's right. let's cut the deck. tap, and say alakazam. now, is this your card? >> yes, it is. >> come here. >> how you doing, guys? i missed you. don't cry, buddy. hi. how are you? i missed you, man. hey, buddy. come here. give me some kisses. >> pass the tissues. dad is home. tears of joy for these three and their father. this is lieutenant colonel jason ladell, just back from

afghanistan. now the family is back together after 14 months apart. right in time for thanksgiving. within the past hour or so, comet ison passed within a million miles of the sun, and nasa released this image. take a look for yourself of ison. this is taken from one of several space telescopes tracking this incredible journey. that's the sun smack dab in the middle of that picture. if ison survived the sun's heat and gravity, that's a huge if, we earthlings could see a huge show. that's a huge, huge if. with me from west orange, new jersey, tariq malik, and chad myers joining me here as well. but tariq, let's begin with you here. what do you know as far as whether or not this thing survived? aren't comets really supposed to melt the closer to the sun they get? >> that's right. this is a sun-racer comet, which

means it comes so close to the sun, the chances of it breaking apart and evaporating away are high. the latest picture, i just saw one now from the soho spacecraft, and it's not looking good for the comet. they saw it coming in. it was strong, and then it just sort of faded dramatically in the last six hours or so. a lot of scientists are worried that the head of this comet has crumbled away and all we have left is the dust tail. >> uh-oh. chad myers, you have been listening to nasa, eavesdropping. can you corroborate? >> let's pretend the cup is the sun, and this is the back side. they saw the comet come in this side. waiting, waiting, waiting for it to come out here, and there wasn't much left when it came out the other side. you know, this thing had the title forces just being torn apart by the sun. sure, it's melting and it's subliming, as our guests talk about, going from a solid to a gas. so hot where it s but it's the

forces pulling the nucleus apart, and it doesn't loo good right now. >> how often does this thing happen where you have a comet like this passing by the sun? it doesn't seem close, but it is kind of close in scientific terms, right? >> well, brooke, yeah. sun-racer comets are fairly common. the spacecraft, the soho, sees one every few days or so. but comet ison is something special. it's the first time coming in from the vast cloud of comets outside the solar system. it's hot goinot going to be com back again, at least for millions and millionoffs years, or if it's dead, it will be gone forever. and also, they discovered it in september of last year, which gave nasa scientists sky watchers around the world 14 months of lead time to really get ready for this, to move spacecraft, to see it. they saw it from mars, the hubble space telescope saw it coming in.

they had a phenomenal amount of lead time, which built up the expectations and the fear -- >> the disappointment. >> yeah. >> the disappointment. tariq malik, thank you so much as always for joining us from space.com. and chad myers, oh, well. >> it could still come out the other side. you know, remember -- >> i appreciate his optimism. >> remember the first "apollo" when they lost contact. are you there, are you there? >> yeah, we're there. >> we just haven't found it, but so far, i don't see it. >> thank you. coming up, a popular band cancels a concert after watching a cnn film. while the barenaked ladies say they'll no longer perform at this specific venue. can you think of what that might be? >> plus, an update to a story we have been following. an ohio couple facing charges for abandoned their adopted child. they returned the 9-year-old to childrens services, and now they're fighting to get him back. can they do that? do they have a case? that's next. ready to run your lines?

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i'm lieutenant colonel mike mcgreggen here in cokandahar. i want to send a shoutout to my two sons caleb and spencer. happy thanksgiving. i miss you and love you. the bare naked ladies have decided to stop the music and make a statement. ♪ it's been one week since you looked at me ♪ ♪ five days since you laughed at me said get back together come back and see me ♪ >> you know that song, but do you know this?

the band is pulling its show at seaworld orlando after watching "black fish" a cnn documentary about an orca that kills its trainer. they posted this, this is a complicated issue and we don't claim to understand all of it, but we don't feel comfortable proceeding with the gig at this time. the seaworld folks have been gracious and extended us invitations to the park to learn more about what they do and how they do it. the show has been taken off the schedule. >> talk about tormented. an ohio couple faces charges of abandoned their adopted son, and yet court records show they now want him back. this is all coming to us from our cincinnati affiliate wlwt. cleveland and lisa cox just pleaded not guilty to a charge of non-support of dependents. the prosecutor says they returned this 9-year-old son, a boy they had raised since he was 3 months of age, to the department of childrens services a couple weeks ago.

some of the proof, this letter. this mother, lisa cox, left in a bag, the only item the boy had when he was abandoned. let me just read part of the letter she penned. she wrote, i will never, ever forget you. you will always be in my heart. i pray one day you will come to see and believe that. and that you will understand why we did what we did. i want so much for you to be healthy and happy. now, this letter may be referring to an argue incident in which this boy reportedly threatened the family with a knife. that's when the mother called 911. >> got a steak knife and he said i'm going to kill you. he's on medication, he's seeing a psychiatrist, but he's kind of -- this is the first time he's gone like this. he ransacked my house. >> sounds like he needs some help. >> he does, and i can't get it. i've tried everything. >> cnn legal analyst back with me, danny cevallos.

when you hear this story, let's talk about the parents, because after they were indicted, they told authorities they wanted to stop any of these relinquishment proceedings. they want the little boy back. do you even think that could happen at this point? >> well, it could have. see, these defendants are probably guilty of simply not following procedure. ohio law, like every other state, has procedures for what we call unruly or uncorrigible children. they would have done an intake and evaluated whether or not the child was safe and provided services and scheduled a court hearing to find out whether or not this kid can remain in the home and what services should be provided. instead, parents can't simply drop them off like returns at the gap. you can't do that. >> this is a child. >> they probably failed to follow the correct procedure. if they had done that, they would have the opportunity to have the kid stay with them and eventually if he got better, if he got the services he needed, then have him remain in the

home. >> let me get back to the letter. let me quote a little more from the mother again. it breaks my heart that you can no longer be a part of our family. i love you so much. from the very first day i have always loved you. i am praying that god will continue to take good care of you and he will find the perfect family to love you, and i believe he will. couldn't this letter -- clearly, this mother loves this little boy. could this letter be used in her defense? in the criminal case? >> i mean, what is the legal definition? what evidentiary value does the word love have when it comes to the letter? her actions speak louder. it clearly shows that irrespective of what's in the letter, she took the child to the center and dropped him off like he was in a basket. the law does not allow that, at least procedurally, it may be that ultimately this child should be removed from the home, but that will require a court determination. parents who have the legal obligation to care for the children cannot make that

decision unilaterally and go dropping children off at churches. that's just not the appropriate legal procedure. even though ultimately the court may determine the same thing that the child may not be able to remain in the home. >> you're right. words are one thing. actions are something entirely different. danny, thank you very much. speaking of words, two words that make some shoppers salivate this time of year. you know who you are. black friday. you fight the crowds. you find these crazy amazing deals. so what are some of the tips to help you save the most money? we're going to talk to this guy. it's his job to know how to get a bargain. don't miss this. that's next. you're watching cnn.

you really love, what would you do?" ♪ [ woman ] i'd be a writer. [ man ] i'd be a baker. [ woman ] i wanna be a pie maker. [ man ] i wanna be a pilot. [ woman ] i'd be an architect. what if i told you someone could pay you and what if that person were you? ♪ when you think about it, isn't that what retirement should be,

paying ourselves to do what we love? ♪ i'm dylan sheets with the 577 squadron at kandahar air field. i want to give a shoutout to my family and friends in vermont and say happy thanksgiving and to my fiance in maryland. >> happy thanksgiving to all of you. i'm brooke baldwin. thank you for being with me on this holiday. in a couple hours, the nation's largest retailer kicks off the super bowl of shopping. black friday weekend. if you have ever wondered what it takes for a massive chain like walmart to get ready for this rush, wonder no more.

chief business correspondent christine romans gives us the insider's view. >> some 140 million people are going to go to the stores on black friday, and retailers are doing everything they can to lure you in. we go behind the scenes of the nation's largest retailer. >> welcome to walmart. >> 1.3 million workers in 4,000 stores around the country building up to one event. black friday. the world's biggest retailer says it's the most important shopping day of the year. >> we call it the super bowl of retail. >> say good-bye to tomatoes and hello to toys and televisions. >> if you go into a supercenter at around 2:00 or so on thanksgiving day, it looks like a food store. then two or three hours later, we go from the largest food store to the largest gm store in the world. >> but walmart can't sell what it doesn't have, so it's buying more. >> we bought over 55% more tvs, five times as many sheet sets, two times as many tablets.

>> thanksgiving thursday is the new black friday. kmart, best buy, target, and walmart, all opening earlier this year. walmart's black friday deals start at 6:00 p.m. on thanksgiving. walmart says its customers bought nearly 5,000 items a second during its four hours of thanksgiving day sales last year. >> we did over 10 million transactions. about 1.3 million tvs, 1.8 million towels, 1.8 million toys. >> that will take all 600 of this store's employees -- >> it's a seamless move from the back room to the floor, it's mapped out of where the product is going to be lrb. >> and when it's over, it starts again. >> it's a 52-week planning process for us. we literally start the day after black friday one year and start planning for the next year. >> so brooke, retailers have been planning out all these sales all year. this is incredibly

choreographed. it's all a sales strategy. there are six fewer shopping days this year between thanksgiving and christmas, so retailers are pulling out all the stops to make up for those lost days of revenue. brooke. >> christine romans, thank you. while we're on it, let's talk shopping. it's time to get you ready for black friday. we're about to clue you in on some of the very best deals out there. we'll find out what you should wait to buy if you want the best price. this is brad wilson. it is his job to know how to get a bargain. brad is founder and editor in chief of bradsdeals.com. brad wilson, welcome. you're everyone's best friend today as we want to save our pennies, nickels, and dimes here. before we get into the nit nitty-grit nitty-gritty, tell me, are there many bargains to be had this year? >> this is one of the strongest black fridays i have seen. so absolutely. >> that's good news. let's talk about the deals, let's talk about some of the most popular items listed on your website, bradsdeals.com. for example, the kitchenaid

mixers are a hot item this year. who has the deals? >> the best deal at kohl's. they have put their black friday deals online in advance. you get a five-quart mixer for $143 online. >> that's awesome. the next item i kind of want for the airplane. this is the beatz by dre headphones. >> $115 at target. fantastic deal. >> black & decker appliances, $2? >> this is another early deal from kohl's. a coupon and a rebate and a couple layers involved. we have the details at bradsdeals. hard to beat. these are small kitchen appliances, blenders, waffle makers. >> that's the key with the rebates there. a couple quick ones. i was schooled today on what a furby is. for the furby boom, and for the ladies, this is my favorite thing, these cashmere sweaters. as we know, that can be expensive. how much?

where do you go? >> $39.99 at macy's. hard to pass up. another example of, you know, these are the lowest prices we're going to see on these items during the holiday season by far. >> and the furbies. >> the furbies, they're $29 at sears.com right now. anything under $30 is great, and they're going to go quickly. >> these are for black friday, but i know some items you should wait to buy, yes? some items, there's better deals if you wait a while? >> certainly, video game consoles is a big one. the play station 4 and xbox 1 are new. you're not going to get a good deal on those. you'd be lucky getting one and not paying sales tax. you're going to have to wait weeks on those. beyond that, black friday is a broad-based sale and the closest thing to shooting fish in a barrel that we see as far as getting a deal goes. >> what's on the top of your list, brad wilsowilson? >> i'm looking for a flat screen tv. and i'm pretty sure i'm going to find it over the next four or

five days. >> okay, brad wilson. bradsdeals.com. thank you so much, best of luck to all of you shoppers. up next, a segment you will be talking about tonight. a mother tells her college-aged son, son, get those ladies to text before you have sex. you heard me right. she says she wants these ladies to give her son proof that she is in fact willing to do the deed. she explains to me next. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] with five perfectly sweetened whole grains... you can't help but see the good.

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one mother is taking college prep to a whole new level. and it will blow your mind. former espn executiverox an jones just wrote this piece, an opinion piece, on cnn.com. in it, she advises her son and

other college men to get women they're about to have sex with to text consent beforehand. let me quote part of her piece here. crazy, i know, but i have been encouraging my son and his friends to use sexting minus the lewd photos to protect themselves from being wrongly accused of rape. just as damning text messages and facebook posted help convict the people from steubenville, they can also prove insnls. >> i talked to roxanne about how she approached this subject with her son. >> maybe you should get a text message when you're about to have sex. i talk to my son as a real man, a responsible young man. the tex can say anything. let's hook up. i can't give him the words, bring your condoms. i don't care what it says. he needs to have frank conversation about consensual sex if that's what he's doing. and i also suggested he send a

text after. i don't care if it sounds crazy. my job as a mother is to advise him in the best way possible and to protect him. i think that's the job of every parent. >> just so i'm clear, i would love to be on the inside of this conversation with your son, hear how he's responding to it. but what exactly do you tell him before they are, i don't know, about to do it? you say, son, have the woman -- let's go there. >> send your a text. let's go there, because i have been in the courtroom covering rape trials. i don't care how you say it, but what i say is, look, send a text message. if you can't do it before, do something after. >> when it comes to your son, what has he said to you? how does he respond? >> he's mortified. >> here you are on national television. >> right, right. you know, he says, yes, mom. i mean, he's thinking. many young men, not just my son, many young people, women as

well, are thinking about this very seriously. >> women as well. >> yes, women as well are thinking about this very seriously. how they are communicating. and to be clear, my column was written in cases of extreme intoxication. i'm not talking to people who are going on a date, who are dating people. because we all know rape can happen in those situations, too, but i'm talking about when heavy alcohol use is involved for both the young men and the young women. and when it comes down to it, nobody is in the room with them, or as in steubenville, many people, there was evidence. i'm happy there was evidence there, but we're not in the room. we're not wherever the sex happens, and it's left up to us to guess, to be horrified, to fill in the blanks. the women can't remember because they're drunk out of their minds, and they can't remember. and they can't say no. so that's my whole point. if you are so intoxicated you can't grant or deny consent,

you're intoxicated to that level. the boy is intoxicated as well. it's still a crime, and we need to have some facts around what has actually happened. i think it's a very serious conversation. >> just so i'm clear, ten seconds, your son has said, yes, mom, i will do this? >> he has said, yes, mom, i'll consider it. i don't really want to talk about it with you. we know things are going on, we have seen the stories, and i'm mortified and don't use my name. >> you can read her entire piece, judge for yourself. cnn.com/opinion. >> families across the country are gathering to give thanks today, but it's a tough thanksgiving for those in the midwest. this is a live picture. that's the devastation left behind by the tornado that ripped through washington, illinois. just about ten days ago now. we will tell you all about this special gathering aimed at helping that community celebrate this holiday. and a live look at los angeles, and a lot of food. this is where some hollywood

celebrities are volunteering on this thanksgiving to help serve meals to those in need. we'll check in with crews in both those parts of the country here on this thanksgiving day. stay with me. what you wear to bed is your business. so, if you're sleeping in your contact lenses, ask about the air optix® contacts so breathable they're approved for up to 30 nights of continuous wear. serious eye problems may occur. ask your doctor and visit airoptix.com for safety information and a free one-month trial. i started part-time, now i'm a manager.n. my employer matches my charitable giving. really.

i get bonuses even working part-time. where i work, over 400 people are promoted every day. healthcare starting under $40 a month. i got education benefits. i work at walmart. i'm a pharmacist. sales associate. i manage produce. i work in logistics. there's more to walmart than you think. vo: opportunity. that's the real walmart. [knock] no one was at home, but on the kitchen table sat three insurance policies. the first had lots of coverage. the second, only a little. but the third was... just right! bear: hi! yeah, we love visitors. that's why we moved to a secluded house in the middle of the wilderness. just the right coverage at just the right price. coverage checker from progressive.

on this thanksgiving, we have new video just to show the power of those deadly tornadoes that ripped across the midwest just a couple weeks ago, not even. about ten days ago. this is security footage inside a school as the ef-4 tornado hits and the school is gone. these motion activated cameras were triggered just as the storm took out this gym. washington, illinois, suffered really the brunt of the storm. wow. look at this picture. more than 500 homes gone. some families are still sifting through the debris, but today, survivors of the storm are joining together to give thanks for what they do have, their

lives. cnn's ted rowlands is there for us in washington. i tell you, just talking to the people there in washington, it really puts in perspective what the rest of us are thankful for, huh? >> absolutely, brooke. and boy, you know, we just came from an event at a local church here. they're so positive, even though this is what they're dealing with. you know, over the years in this neighborhood, there were thanksgivings being hosted, families getting together in their homes, and thanksgiving is such a holiday that revolves around a home, whether it's yours or your grandmother's. and for these folks, they don't have a home. we just came from one of several gatherings happening today, and there was one yesterday in washington. we met a woman who lost everything, and she said normally, yes, she would be cooking the turkey, but she has nothing. she doesn't have a kitchen. we also talked to the pastor. they both talked to us about the spirit of thanksgiving. >> when you see it on tv, it's

one thing. but when you're out there and working, it's almost overwhelming. it's surreal. but the support of the community working together, and everyone lending a hand is really heartwarming. >> i don't have a kitchen to prepare a meal today. and it has been just wonderful. everybody is just so kind, so supportive, and of course, my friends -- i have seen my friends here. it's just been so nice to come in and really, it's a festival day. >> what a day for these folks, brooke, because it really is a stark reminder of their new reality. they don't have a home, they don't have a place to host thanksgiving. you're out here, and you met a lot of these people. their spirit is really amazing. they've got a long road ahead of them, months. even years before they figure out the situation, but they're thankful today. one person died. it still amazes me when you look at the rubble and think only one

person perished. >> many of them were in church when it hit on that sunday morning. it could have been worse if it hit in the middle of the week. ted, thank you. we're thinking of all of them in the midwest. ted for us in washington, illinois. >> a pizza hut manager says he was fired for refusing to open today. now he's being offered his job back. tony has worked at his store in indiana for a decade, and he says the store asked him to sign a resignation letter, but instead, he wrote a letter saying he wouldn't quit. telling his bosses it is the people at the bottom of the total pole that, quote, make your life possible. >> why can't we be the company that stands up and says we care about the employees and you can have the holiday off. thanksgiving and christmas are the only two days we're closed all year. >> i was a little shocked. i thought something would happen, but i wasn't sure. but i'm proud that he did stand up for what he believed in. >> we're still going to be open, i'm sure, and

>> the guy's bosses insist he wasn't fired, that he quit, and in a statement to cnn, let me read this for you, from pizza hut, quote, we fully respect an employee's right to not work on a holiday which is why the vast majority of pizza huts in america are closed on thanksgiving. we strongly recommended that the local franchisee reinstate the store manager and they have agreed. no word on whether the manager will take his job back. hollywood celebrities are cooking and serving food today for the homeless on skid row and volunteer slots filled up months ago for this long-standing los angeles tradition. you have three shelters in downtown l.a., they actually stagger these different meal times just so people can eat for free multiple times during this holiday week. here's neil patrick harris, working food prep today. about 4,000 meals will be served, we're told. let's go straight to stephanie elam outside this is the midnight mission in downtown

l.a. stephanie, we understand plenty of famous faces are expected. who else is on hand? >> reporter: yes. a lot of celebrities came out to lend a hand. we saw dick van dyke. lou gossett junior, ed begley, jr., also the former mayor of los angeles also on hand today, handing out food and they have been doing it pretty much throughout the morning. if you take a look, they are still putting out trays of food. every turkey was cooked on hand at the midnight mission and they have got donations of pies and everyone getting a full-on traditional thanksgiving meal. you got the cranberry, the yams, the carrots, the stuffing, the turkey, there is even ham here. feeding a lot of people who could use a good home-cooked meal and enjoy a slice of american culture here with some warm food, something to help them feel a little better during a day that, you know, they may be feeling a little bit of the

pinch, little less fortunate but at least they know they can come out here and get a good meal. you've got all these volunteers who have been signing up to be out here to hand out this food, help get people to tables and help get them set up. everything they just would need to make sure they can enjoy this meal. i have to say, it's also a very beautiful day here in los angeles. it's also adding to the spirit of good tidings on this thanksgiving. >> so many people are freezing today so enjoy that sunshine, stephanie elam in los angeles. thank you very much. on thanksgiving, a lot of you and your families have traditions but we here at cnn have a tradition. this is a tradition we are so proud of. honoring everyday americans who are making a huge difference across the globe. we call them cnn heroes. next, a preview of our heroes celebration. >> this is sergeant first class james graves. i want to wish my wife and

family back in north carolina a very happy thanksgiving. i wish i could be there with you but unfortunately, i'm not. i want to wish you a very happy thanksgiving, say i love you and at the same time, i wish you a very happy anniversary, baby. i love you.

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this is captain estella morris stationed in bagram airfield, afghanistan. i would like to wish my mom, grandmother and my family and friends a happy thanksgiving. i love you and i miss you. >> as we were talking on this holiday, if you're wondering what the first family gets to feast on today, how about this for pies. nine flavors of pie at the white house. the obamas' thanksgiving menu, nine pies for dessert. i guess everyone gets a piece of their favorite. they include chocolate cream, pumpkin, banana cream pie,

huckleberry pie. for the main course, they will dine on the traditional thanksgiving meal featuring turkey, ham, oyster stuffing, green bean casserole, am i making you hungry yet? i'm four minutes away from heading home to my turkey, among other dishes at the white house. thanksgiving isn't just for eating. there are a couple movies coming out to take advantage of this long weekend. >> talk about a problem. i sell ice for a living. >> that's a rough business to be in right now. that is really -- that's unfortunate. >> this is disney's "frozen" about a young woman searching for her long-lost sister with a couple sidekicks. if action is your thing, spike lee has a new joint called "old boy" stars josh brolin who is trying to figure out why he was kidnapped and kept in solitary confinement for 20 years. and, in a limited release, the movie based on the autobiography

of nelson mandela. speaking of those traditions, cnn is honoring everyday people who are changing the world. on this thanksgiving day, let's just give a special tip of the hat to our cnn heroes. you can watch and we want you to, anderson cooper's all-star heroes tribute this sunday at 8:00 p.m. eastern. our entertainment correspondent was there and has a preview. >> reporter: it's that time of year again, when giving back to others is in the air. hosted by cnn's anderson cooper, this year's annual heroes event is packed with emotion and unforgettable moments. a night when hollywood's brightest stars come together -- >> it shines a light on people that don't do it for the light. >> these are the people to get excited about. >> reporter: -- to shine a spotlight on ten remarkable people who are changing the

world. >> this is like the academy awards for good people. >> reporter: like a great grandmother, who used her life savings to turn a bus into a classroom. >> get on the bus, everybody. cnn hero. >> reporter: and a woman who started a drill team to keep kids off the streets. >> the pride of camden, new jersey. >> reporter: turning the tables on a traditional awards show. >> i'm not the only hero in this room and none of us is heroes stand alone. >> reporter: cnn heroes puts these everyday people center stage. it's a star-studded event with a few surprises. and the heroic ending that you don't want to miss. >> the 2013 cnn hero of the year -- >> reporter: a night to gather together to celebrate the human spirit. >> after you watch that sunday night at 8:00, i want to invite

you to start watching me monday night. you can catch me at 11:30 p.m. eastern, 8:30 for you west coasters. it's a new show we're calling "in case you missed it." we'll take a look at the day's best moments on and off your tv screen. watch me from 2:00 to 4:00 eastern, then in prime time. for now, thanks for being with me. happy thanksgiving. jim sciutto takes it from here. a very happy thanksgiving here in the newsroom. what better way to show your loved ones you're thankful on this holiday than abandoning them to go elbow a stranger over a blu-ray player or big hugs elmo? black friday madness spills over into the holiday. plus, for so many families in the midwest, they are spending this thanksgiving with no place at all to call home. how they're finding something to be thankful for after tornadoes took everything. and how would the native americans who were at the first