here in the cnn newsroom, i'm rosa flores. millions of shoppers whose information was compromised at target are getting more bad news. cnn's alexandra field is live outside target. should shoppers get new debit cards, is that solution, you think? >> there is no good reason not to. that's the advice from security experts. meanwhile, target is trying to

tell shoppers their information is still safe and secure, despite the fact those incrypted pin numbers were stolen as part of the massive data breach. the pin information was fully incrypted at the key pad, remained incrypted within the system and remained encrypted leaving our system. so a few layers of security there but security experts are telling us with hackers this sophisticated, there are still reasons for shoppers to be concerned. >> i know that i never use my debit card. i just use my credit card. what are experts suggesting for people concerned if perhaps their debit card information being compromised? >> the first thing people need to do, because we are talking about 40 million shoppers, is replace the cards that could have been compromised and replace the pin numbers. and this is a good time to learn about the cards in your wallet.

it is understand for consumers to understand the liability between the cards because you are offered more protection with credit cards. people are seeing that now knowing their debit cards could be compromised. >> all right, alexandra field, thank you so much. no more delays. ups says customers can breath a sigh of relief. will backlog is now cleared. shipping service blaming delays on bad weather and exceptionally high volume of packages. the company would not give a number of how many deliveries were backlogged. ups suffered major backlash from angry customers whose presence did not arrive in time for christmas. over a million americans who have been out of work for nearly a year lost federal benefits today. emergency unemployment checks stopped going out.

>> whole be most affected by this program? long-term unemployed? this is people who have used up their regular unemployment benefits for 26 weeks and now are getting these additional emergency benefits that congress approved and we approved several times the last few years. the additional benefits cut off. how much is it? about $300 per week to each of the recipients and there are about 1.3 million people who will be immediately affected by this cut-off. they are spread around the country but some areas are hit more than others. in the northeast, you might look at new york, new jersey, pennsylvania, down here. florida, georgia. illinois, texas. california. out here. those are the places hit hardest. they have the most people who have been unemployed for the longest period of time. all of this brings up uncertainties. for those who support the idea of cutting emergency benefits. they believe it will not only save the government 25, $ 26

billion, but people may accept previously accepted jobs. their theory is that this pushes people out there to look a little bit harder for work. those who are against this say nonsense. long-term unemployed people are less likely to find work. that's why they are having such a hard time. you are just punishing them. wur not encouraging them any more at all. the biggest uncertainty, what is the impact of this on the econo economy? we don't know if you take all that spending out, but we will have to see. tom foreman, thank you. obama administration supports legislation to extend the program by three months. that bill will be voted on as soon as lawmakers return from recess. >> a mission to rescue a group of scientist and tourists is on hold for now. it is in the coldest place on earth. antarctica. research ship locked inside thick ice and hasn't budged an inch since monday. 75 people are on board.

they are making the most out of this. keeping spirits up. so far they have plenty of supplies. the expedition leader has been posting updates on-line. >> it is 28 december 2013. we have know falling, but it's not too windy. fortunately the weather forecast says conditions will continue for the next few days. it is our fourth day now trapped. it is important for family and friends know that everyone is okay. >> we should add this a chinese ice breaker tried to reach the stuck ship but the ice is just too thick to smash through. the rescue ship is a few miles away and will try to reach the research vessel again when conditions improve. the number of states reporting widespread flu activity is growing. this week, ten states, alabama, alaska, kansas, louisiana,

massachusetts, new york, pennsylvania, virginia, texas and wyoming are reporting widespread seasonal flu activity. last week only four states. the flu season usually begins in the winter. months and in peaks in january and february. experts say so far the cases appear to be those of the typical flu season. and still ahead, your phone and internet records are still fair game for the national security agency. a federal judge says the nsa spy program that includes those records is constitutional. just last week another federal judge ruled the program was likely unconstitutional. the program is part of a -- the patriot act and the judge calls it a critical weapon in the fight against terrorism. specifically against al qaeda. recently we've been hearing more about the threat of al qaeda again. cnn's barbara starr explains why we may be hearing a lot more about that terror group in the

year ahead. and that's next. and just ahead, it is called the knock-out game but it has life-threatening consequences. now one suspect is charged with the federal hate crime. that and much more coming up next. d"

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military analysts tell cnn al qaeda will start nut year stronger than the year before and the terror group is actively planning more attacks. in the middle east, in europe, and even in the united states. our barbara starr is at the pentagon with more. >> cnn has learned recent intercepts of messages from senior al qaeda operatives in yemen are renewing concern the group is planning new attacks. the intercepts don't indicate specific targets but are described by one source as quote active plotting. >> there are multiple

indications in the arabian peninsula. both in yemen and u.s. and other western structures, are as well as overseas. >> the group in yemen well known and for the failed underwear bomber attempt to bring down an airplane christmas day, 2009. >> four years later, u.s. intelligence community believes it poses the greatest threat of an attack on the u.s. >> outside of yemen including plotting attacks against the united states in multiple locations, including trying to conduct attacks against the u.s. homeland especially by taking down the aircraft. >> analysts say the group reboubded in 2013 from battlefield losses. u.s. drone strikes have mixed results. a drone attack this month failed to kill an al qaeda planner believed to be behind a plot to attack the u.s. embassy. yemen says more than a dozen

members of a wedding party were killed in that attack. >> yemen's al qaeda leader, also advising al qaeda fighters across the region. and those al qaeda affiliates from yemen to syria, iraq and libya are kbrgrowing stronger. the threat they pose worries key members of congress. >> are we safer now than we were two years ago? >> i don't think so. >> i absolutely agree we're not safer today. >> in iraq, police are trying to crack down, but al qaeda openly operates training camps near the syrian border and from there, weapons and tactics learned during the u.s. war in iraq. >> a key al qaeda affiliate also stronger than a year ago. about 100 americans along with potentially hundreds from europe are fighting alongside thousands of militants. >> if they were able to return

to europe and to get access to the united states, or return directly to the united states, they were not put on watch lists. that would pose a very serious threat. well trained, radicalized and they have the ability and intent to strike the u.s. homeland. >> analyst say the new al qaeda affiliates is part of the price paid for years of attacks against the old core al qaeda. many of those leaders are long kbon including osama bin laden and now, the new affiliates have much more autonomy, much more freedom to operate as they see fit. barbara starr, cnn, pentagon. >> elsewhere, overseas today, student at university in egypt are blamed for setting on fire their school. it happened in cairo where widespread protests have erupted since the government declared the political movement muslim brotherhood a terrorist organization.

parent are supporters of the muslim brotherhood and allegedly stormed university with molotov cocktails. at least one student fighting with the egyptian police and government who sees anyone publicly backs muslmuslim- this will be kerry's ninth trip to the region. peace talks are digging in their heels. key point of contention include continued israeli troop presence in the palestinian territories and construction of jewish settlements in the west bank. and in just a few days, people in colorado will be legally allowed to smoke, buy and grow marijuana while others in neighboring states, if they do that same thing, could be arrested, fined and put in jail. and what about those in colorado already in prison for pot

crimes? do they get out now? we'll take a look at all of those questions and answers just ahead. and later, a massive underground drill hit something. something. and it can't get through. so we're talking about that mystery. so far, no one knows what's down there. >> hi, my name is leslie, with the screaming eagles 101st division in afghanistan. i would like to thank my husband, my eight children, avery, la tasha, ant net, darius, jessica, krista, aelijah, leyla. merry christmas. i look forward to seeing you very soon. i love you. is it africa? the middle east? canada? or the u.s.?

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there are a lot of legal stories making headlines this week at the top of the list, the so-called knockout game. federal prosecutors are charging a texas man with a hate crime for his alleged attack on an elderly african-american man. police say they have video evidence that conrad barrett targeted his victim because he was black. and say barrett hoped to get famous with the violent attack. let's talk about it with holly hughs and dr. jeff gardear.

holly, let me start with you. so many questions about this particular case. >> right. >> where does the line get crossed for this to be a hate crime? >> when you target a victim solely because of their race or religion, sometimes gender, it depend on your state, what qualifications they have for what we call a protective class. however in this particular instance, in texas, their hate crime statute says if you pick somebody solely because of their race, and it's clear that that's what conrad barrett did to this elderly gentleman, because we look at evidence he used the "n" word in his daily routine. there is a lot of evidence to back up. he didn't just happen it hit a man who was african-american. he picked this man because he was african-american. to hit. >> jeff, let me bring you in. because barrett's attorney says his client has bipolar disorder and takes medication.

could his mental health have triggered this? >> typically we see people manic depressive, usually on their medications. and even when we go to manic or very depressed state. they don't act out. they are not known for being violent. if nothing else, they are known for having a lot of energy and very rarely do we see psychosis coming from this. certainly this person, i believe he knew what he was doing. which begs the question, if the attorney is talking about this, publicly, do you think he's going to use the mental illness defense here? >> absolutely. and number one, like you mentioned, he publicly put it out there, so he is tainting the jury pool. letting people know already, it is be his fault, not his client's fault. but it is not successful. when you talk about a mental

illness, you can't -- you have to not be able to tell the difference between right and wrong. you have to not be able to appreciate the nature and the consequences of your actions. like we talked about earlier, all of that prior evidence, all of that hate and that speech and those actions toward african-americans, they will use them to back it up and say, no, no, this wasn't a one-time event, guys. this was a hate crime and it is based on the attitude that this particular defendant has shown for a long period of time. not just that day. >> let's talk about the attitude and those actions that you're talking about because jeff, a lot of this sound like it's about notoriety. about getting attention. hunger for attention. this gentleman videotaped himself and posted this video. is it about getting attention, you think? >> i think he is getting attention and the problem is that these things are allowed to

post for a while before they are taken down and holly is correct. this is not an isolated incident and this is proof in the pudding that this guy knew the difference between right and wrong. because it wasn't that. he did this because he was crazy. now he planned it and then he went and posted it if he knew what he was doing. his actions were premeditated. >> let's zero in on premeditated. can weupgraded in the future? this is premeditated. >> premeditated is required for any kind of crime but what we say is pre mmeditated can be instantly formed and instantly regretted. is it a longer period of time on the back end? not because of the rantiveness of the attack but hate crime statute will allow for enhanced sentencing.

will allow the judge to say, we don't agree with this behavior in our state and therefore, i can jack up your sentence, based on the fact it is a hate crime. not on the randomness of it but on motivation for why this defendant attacked this particular victim. it is a fascinating conversation. stay with me. we got more to talk about in just a few days. people in colorado, can buy, sell, and smoke marijuana. it sounds like a pot lover's fantasy, folks. but there are some restrictions and some concerns as well. we will talk about it with holly and jeff after this short break. . ♪ [ male announcer ] the parking lot helps by letting us know who's coming. the carts keep everyone on the right track. the power tools introduce themselves. all the bits and bulbs keep themselves stocked. and the doors even handle the checkout so we can work on that thing that's stuck in the thing.

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welcome back. we are looking at top legal issues this week. with holly hughs and dr. jeff gardear and we will start with marijuana. colorado is the first state to legalize recreational pot in just a few days people in colorado will be legally allowed to smoke, buy and grow pot. holly, let me start with you. i'm thinking, okay. so colorado is a state in the united states. anyone visiting colorado, are these laws going to apply and how once you cross state lines?

to me, there are so many complications. >> can you buy it in colorado. you can't take it across state lines. like you are saying, colorado is the only state in that locale that has legalized it. there are restrictions. you have to be 21. you can't smoke it in public or where you can be seen in public. you can't stand on a hotel balcony and light a reefer. there are restrictions in place. but visitors, if you're looking to toek up and enjoy yourself, head to the rocky mountain state. is that what they call it? colorado, rocky mountain high. >> a whole other high there. >> gives the song haul new meaning. >> help us understand this. will more people be inclined to try marijuana simply because it is legal? >> i think that certainly if there is a curiosity and we see it with young people for example, that it will be much easier to get. let's let the cat out of the bag

here. there are professional people and i'm not saying holly is one of them but there are professional people for example. you know, there are professional people out there who have one job doing something and then another job selling marijuana on the side. those people never get busted. it is something that's so low level. so i think what you will want to see is i don't know if there is a tremendous amount of increase in the use especially for people who are older. because it is already easy for them to get, even though it sill legal in many, many states. >> now, i'm intrigued by the employment law and work. will people be able to be high? >> absolutely not. and people can be fired if you come to work high. once again, you are talking about a restricted area.

so, when you good to your employers, there are certain rules we all have to follow, right? we can't come in here brandishing a gun, just because we're at work. we can't come in here and toke up, dr. jeff, because we're at work. i'm a criminal defense attorney, of course and i used to prosecute. the other thing it'll do for the criticism that will justice system in colorado is free up a lot. now you won't see a lot of the state resources and prosecutors dealing with low-level crimes because it is no long ear crime. >> what about people in jail for crimes -- >> in the law, what we call grandfather, you won't get grandfathered in. there is no going back if time. so if you are already in for it, you are in for it. at the same you committed the crime, it was not legal. so no one is going home if they are serving and the issens.

>> so i'm concerned about the impact on kids. their perception of marijuana. kids growing up now, for them, it is legal. >> this is where my real concern is. we do know now that marijuana is almost matching alcohol is one of the most abused substances for very young people. now the message is that yes it is legal. and i'm not getting into the politics of it. i'm simply playing shrink. but kids have the perception, now it is legal, so i can do this as much as i'm doing alcohol. i think we will see increased use in young people and there won't be the stigma for them to use it. our only hope is they don't use it to the point of where they now use it as a gateway to other much more serious drugs. >> let's move on to the next

topic. an appeals court overturned the charges of monsignor lynn. this is landmark case with a lot at stake. holly, let me start with you. the, i guess, this overturn -- overturning of this case, implication of this -- >> right. what the court held when they wrote this opinion, a three judge panel, went through everything. wrote the opinion and what they said is monsignor was convicted after fl a law at the time that he was not part of like we talked about that protective class. in the law, have you to be part of it. the way the child endangerment law was constructed, you had to be a parent or care giver. someone personally responsible for the care. he was an employer. he was a supervisor of the priest who admitted, and let's remember that avery was the

priest who admitted, to some of the sex acts. plead guilty to them. and then they went after his boss, monsignor lynn. and the court said, at the time, he wasn't included in that law. so, no, even though what he did was morally reprehensible, it was not illegal under the law. >> jack, what does the ruling say to the victims in this case? >> i think what we have seen here is that, holly, again is correct. that this is a situation where this is not included in the law. i think the law will be reviewed and much more inclusive. in some cases, it is a slap in the face of the young people, who are older now, who were abused when they were younger. i think the important issue is this did go to trial. they did grandfather it in. they did put monsignor lynn behind bars. it is overturned. but all of the wheels have been

set, that they are going after all of the individuals that they try to shelter these people in positions of power. these priests and so on. they are not going to let them do that and get away with it again. so what these people need to do is you got away with this monsignor lynn, but no other person will get away with it under the law. it'll be tightened up. >> jeff, holly, thank you very much for the fascinating conversation. thank you for your time. >> thank you. >>. now back to one of our top stories this hour. antarctica, where a russian ship with 74 people on board, is stuck in the ice. it is understandable how most ships would get stuck. but ice breakers? how does that happen? cnn's carl azour has the answer.

>> reporter: you think because this is a glacial environment, sea ice would move at a glacial pace. not the case. ice rush offered the sea by wind. they can expand and grow thicker, rise and fall with waves beneath them and blizzard conditions come into antarctica even in summer don't help. you might remember this scene from minnesota when wind blew ice ashore. climbing and cracking into doors and windows. think of the same principle in a massive frigid sea. you can see how a vessel got trapped. how earnest and the endurance were surrounded and how that ship was crushed. even animals, like trapped whales drama tiesed in last year's movie "big miracle" are vulnerable. >> did you see that? >> what does it take to get through the ice and rescue

whales, cruise ships or anything else getting stranded? wait. sea ice as thick as ten feet can be broken. and the sloping holes of some ice breakers are designed to actually wedge up on top of the ice so the heavy ship can crush down on it. the bows are also designed to then move the cracked ice to the side, plowing a path that other ships can follow. a crusty road to open water, out after frozen maze. >> most of you believe that the current congress is the worse net your lifetime. and not only does it seem like democrats and republicans are at each other's throats. the republican leadership has been sounding frustrated by its own members. so can congress gets its act together in 2014? more about that next. >> i'm major thomas here at head quarters in germany. happy holidays, merry christmas and happy new year to a dad and marry and all my family answers friend in toledo, ohio. love you guys and miss you very

much. have a blessed new year. we're h. to help secure retirements and protect financial futures. to help communities recover and rebuild. for companies going from garage to global. on the ground, in the air, even into space. we repaid every dollar america lent us. and gave america back a profit. we're here to keep our promises. to help you realize a better tomorrow. from the families of aig, happy holidays.

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congress has plenty of work to do. lawmakers earned a reputation for constant bickering and not getting much done. look at this recent cnn orc poll. nearly 70% of those surveyed say this congress is the worst congress they've ever seen. just 28% say no, this congress

is not the worst. right before the winter break, republican congressman paul ryan spear headed a budget deal with democrat senator patty murray. some people in washington rejoiced that there was a budget deal. professor, it's sad that simply passing a budget represents a real progress in congress. >> i think that's absolutely true. that's how bad the situation has become. that what should be routine. what should be normal is fierce political debate and gridlock. but the hope is that by passing this budget they might have taken the issue off the agenda for at least a few months. so the congress can deal with other issues. >> that's my next question. is there going to be a big impact, you think, by this budget, long-term. or is this just a short term deal? >> the budget deal itself is not

so significant. it doesn't really solve many of the major problems that parties have been fighting about. and paul ryan, who was the engineer, on the republican side of this deal has already suggested he's ready for another fight with the debt ceiling in the months to come. so, it is unclear what kind of long-term impact this will have. i think people in washington are just hoping for a few months of breathing room. >> and let's talk about ryan. do you think having a budget deal cut by someone with ryan's conservative credentials, will get the right on board with other issues in the future. >> paul ryan does have very solid credentials among conservative issues. on the budget. there is a possibility that he is able to rally the republicans in the house to support this budget deal and to prevent another fight from breaking out in the year to come.

in the past year, some of these republicans are very hard to control and they don't really care who the established figure is. they are fighting a fight and will take all kind of measures if necessary. >> what about speaker boehner's comments about the tea party? could we see the gop split with the tea party wing? >> if the gop is already split over the past year and i think at the end of the year, we still have speaker of the house who is incredibly frustrated his own caucus and believes that the tea party republicans are really dragging down the party. so the fact he said that in public, and made those statements suggest that in coming few months, if they take on these members of the caucus, even possibly even relying on democrats. >> what about changing filibuster rules? it sound like a real inside washington story. but it could have a huge impact, right?

>> sometimes when you talk about the filibuster but what the filibuster has undone is make everything in washington require 60 votes in the senate which is incredibly hard to obtain. so now, the senate democrats have reformed that on judicial nominations and we've seen and the courts are starting to change and the question is that this scares republicans from filibustering on other kind of legislation. if all that stops, if the filibuster threat diminishes, i think can you see a congress that is a lot less gridlocked. >> as we look ahead to 2014, do you think anything really big could get resolved. like let's say, immigration reform. >> i think immigration reform is possible. there are many republicans who for years have been clamoring for an immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship and they have been at odds with certain republicans in the house of representatives.

and i think speaker boehner's comments at the end of the year and the fact that he hired someone who worked on immigration reform for john mccain suggests he is ready to try this. and since senate republicans are on board, i think immigration reform is very viable in the year ahead. >> and professor, your prediction for successes on capitol hill in 2014? >> well, immigration reform would be the big one that i think has a chance of passing and the other issue that's always there, that i think has a chance in 2014 is tax reform. congress is desperate it raise money. and there are many people in both parties who say, close some loop holes. that's the best way the government can get more money quickly and without raising tax rates. >> all right, professor julian zellezer, thank you so much. >> thank you. >> an about face on "duck

dynasty." the rereality show is back on after a very short suspension. good move? we're discussing it, next. ♪ should not all those presents make the cut ♪ ♪ no need to chuck, donate or burn them ♪ ♪ just pack them in our flat rate box ♪ ♪ we'll come to your door and return them ♪ ♪ gifts you bought but never gave away ♪

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phil robertson's exile from "duck dynasty" didn't last long. a&e welcomed him back to the flock. he called homosexuality sinful and comparing it to beast ality. but his critics weren't as loud as his fans. did a&e doing the right thing or is giving in to the show's fans sending the wrong message? joining me now or two cnn commentators, ben furgason, host of the ben furgason show, and mark lamont hill, associate professor at columbia university. mark, i want to start with you. a&e is a business. let's face it. customers wanted robertson back. what were they supposed to do? >> they are a corporation and corporations typically don't move on their own individual

sentiments nor do they move based on politics. they often move based on money. they want it maximize shareholder wealth and maximize with a show that has 14 million viewers and they did the financially correct thing to do. i think it was morally wrong. i think politically wrong. but i think they made a decision that most companies would make. when you say, what were they supposed to do, i think they were supposed to stand with the community. stand with the many lbgt supporters in their fan base and viewership base. that was supposed to cost them money. they shouldn't be driven by profit motives. >> they said things that offended a lot of americans. does a&e owe them anything? >> no. a conversation with them and family and bring them back was exactly the right thing to do. the family said they did not agree with the course way that phil said some certain things and interviewed. if you read the actual

interview, there are 1 other sins. and look, i'm quoting basically what i believe in through the bible. there are people that don't like it. there are people that don't like their aura and sins in the bible and it is not the correct way he said it from the very beginning. this hoe is not some evil show. the show talks about family. there is morality. they are not doing drugs like other tv shows. can a man say sorry for the way he said something. phil said he was sorry for the way he said it. people are ready to move on tp but the show itself is not some evil show. and if people watch it, i think 14 other million people watching it on a regular basis agree with me. >> people have a choice. no one is making people watch "duck dynasty." if people hate what robertson said, why can they just not watch? >> that's absolutely what they

can do. and i hope that millions of people no longer watch the show if they believe it is something that offends their sense of abilities and politics and values. but the question is, that the issue is not so do corporations. a company doesn't have to hire somebody. he is entirely allowed to say whatever he wants and believes. i never want him to be silenced. i will fight for him to say the awful, heinous things he says. a & e has a right to defend we don't want to stand next to somebody that has these views. it's about an individual person saying things we find deplorable and not wanting to see him employed by that. we are not silencing free speech, he can say what he wants, but he doesn't have to have a tv show. >> now that he's back on, do you

feel the outcome was predetermined, part of the plan, do you think? >> i think this is a massive moneymaker for a & e. it's a show that is incredibly popular. it's a merchandise mecca that makes more money off the merchandise than the advertising on the show. maybe there is such thing as forgiveness. >> oh, please. >> look at the reality tv stars say all the time. look at twerking by miley cyrus. this guy said something some people say is politically incorrect. at the end of the day, he stands up for what he believes, in, that is the bible. he made a reference to 12 sins in the "gq" magazine. if you read the article, that writer does not like christians, it was a hit piece, an article written with tons of curse words in it, mocking christianity.

nobody said we should ban "gq" magazine, cancel your subscription to gq. one side got attacked harder because they are christian and do believe in the bible and people don't like that because it talks about right and wrong and people don't like that. >> mark, final word. >> no, people have different ways of interpreting the bible. there are plenty of christians who don't agree with what he said and don't think it reflects christian values and ethics. this is not attacking christianity. if people thought it was attacked, they had every right to say we don't want to buy "gq". >> the people that watch "duck dynasty" aren't buying gq. a & e believes in forgiveness. this was never about morals and conscious. it was about money. it was a press release and free

advertisement for the show. what does it mean to suspend a show for nine days. they never stop taping or advertising. no one lost a dollar or a day of work. this was nothing about trying to make people feel good who are protesting, winking to the people who are going to continue to watch the show who don't give a darn about homo phobia in the country. >> we're going lighten up the mood and talk some football. ben is in dallas. he's a big dallas fan. mark, a philly fan, right? >> yes. >> a bad day for mark tomorrow. >> the cowboys quarterback is out for the season, we should say. we'll hear what these two football fanatics think about tomorrow's showdown. that's up next. [ male announcer ] this is george.

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are you ready for some football? the nfl regular season ends tomorrow. the prime time game features two rivals, the eagles an cowboys. one game, one spot in the playoffs. the cowboys will take the field without their star quarterback, tony romo. who will win and the bigger question, which team deserves it the most? cowboy's fan, ben ferguson and mark join me again. i love that you have your

jerseys. who feels like their team is due? who has suffered more? ben, 30 seconds. >> tony romo, this jersey is not a romo jersey because it's sold out. everyone wanted to support tony romo because of the season ending surgery. i think the cowboys are due. phillys are going to come in, be in jerry's world and terrified of this other quarterback they have not been planning for. the team is going to be playing for tony romo. he had serious surgery. if i'm a philly fan, i'm not sure i would watch the entire game tomorrow. >> mark, are the stars going to align for you? >> there's going to be no need to watch the entire game. at halftime, we are going to be up by five touchdowns. i wish tony romo would play. he always loses the game for the cowboys. i was sending him get well

cards. >> except last week. except last week. >> all right. >> he beat the redskins. >> this is what i'll say. it's my team, when my team beats your team, okay, i'm going to ship you this jersey, fedex to you and you have to wear it on tv next time we are on. >> for the next segment. >> i'm going send you this jersey on tv. we are going to win and we are going to win big in dallas. there are two things we do in philadelphia, we boo santa and beat cowboys. that's what's going to happen. >> i love the trash talk. thank you for joining us. we will talk about it later for sure. >> go cowboys! >> thank you so much. we move on to this. in seattle, big bertha, the underground drilling machine hit something it can't get past.

stephanie elam has the story. >> reporter: no doubt, bertha is a bow hee mouth. she's built as the largest diameter tunnelling machine in the world. she was put to work to grind a tunnel for a planned highway. she was a tenth of the way on the two-mile journey when she encounters something large enough and strong enough to stop her in her tracks. >> we are being cautious not to damage the $80 million machine. >> reporter: what is it? the mystery is fueling lots of speculation. they were filled in with anything by the city's pioneers. >> old shoes, newspapers, there's a boat buried in downtown seattle. you name it, it could be down there. residents have their guesses. >> a burial ground, maybe?

>> reporter: if that's the case, bertha's christmas break started two weeks ago. the tunnel project has been on hold as workers drill wells to alleviate water pressure in hopes of sending workers to the front of the drill to see what she's up against. >> we can't back the machine up. all you can do is proceed forward. >> the transportation department says she's not moving forward until at least early next year, after the mystery is solves. stephanie elam, cnn, los angeles. you are in the cnn news room. the fbi is on the hunt for a man they say shot one police officer to death and badly wounded another. the officers were shot in mississippi when they faced off with the