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 man reportedly trying

to rob a bank. on the phone with me now from an fbi command post, agent mcmullen. tell us about your suspect. what led him there and where do you think he might be right now? >> caller: well, we believe the person responsible for the bank robbery and the murder of the police officer and critical wounding of another is the same person responsible for the bank of america robbery in atlanta on the morning of december 23rd. we have a number of similarities with regard to the entire method of operation with the bank robbery and also the automobile that the robber has utilized. we are looking at this as a nationwide manhunt. multistate attempt to identify and locate this individual. >> do you have a description?

i'm thinking what can the public do to help? >> caller: we have provided wanted posters. we have photos on www.fbi.gov with surveillance pictures of the bank robberies. it captures the robber with a black mask and distinctive shirt and shoes. we have surveillance photos of what we believe to be a late model chrysler 200, a gray sedan, possibly a late model chrysler 200. looking at the photos on our website and looking at the vehicle, there is information that can be taken from that. the size of the person, we believe between 5'8" and six foot tall, slender build. the weapon he was carrying. there are some things that may

be of value putting out to the public and we are hoping anyone who is listening will go to that website, look at the pictures and see if there's anything that sticks out for you. we have a 1-800-call-fbi tip line that's been established for that. it's 1-800-call-fbi. >> in these cases, time is of the essence. it's been several days since the robbery and shootings. what is the confidence level you will be able to find this man now that all this time has passed? >> well, we are certainly hopeful. we believe a big part of this will be information coming from the public to get us closer to locating him and capturing him. for that reason, we have -- we are offering a reward up to $100,000 leading to the identification and arrest.

certainly, as every day goes by gets tougher. we are certainly hopeful and as he's responsible for the attempted bank robbery in atlanta and here, we would believe he will continue on his criminal spree. >> do you believe he's acting alone? >> caller: as it stands now, we are looking for one suspect. we certainly can't discount the possibility that he is being aided and helped by others. >> what about the police officer who survived? do you know his condition? >> caller: he's steadily improving. >> all right. thank you so much for that update. we appreciate it. special agent daniel mcmullen. thank you so much. we have been following the flight of a research ship that got itself in hot water in perhaps one of the coldest places on earth. 74 people, scientists, crew and

paying tourists. they are all on board this russian flag ship, not far from antarctica and they are stuck. they are stuck in thick ice. chris is the expedition leader. he joins me live from the stranded ship. it's great to see you. fist things first, how is everyone doing on board? >> really quite good, actually. surprisingly so. the team is fabulous and pulled together. people are dealing with it in their own unique ways. we are being supportive and giving regular briefings twice a day to the team, letting them know the greatest progress. itis a very fluid situation. in 12 hours, things change again. at the moment, moral is good, people are keeping busy. we have different skill sets and life sets on the team. learning and teaching each other all sorts of things. we had math lessons yesterday.

a shocking movement and choir practice. i hope we are out soon. >> paint a picture for us. many of us have never been there. you are stuck in the ice. do you hear several noises? what's the weather like? can you paint a picture for us? >> absolutely. i'm looking over this amazing sea scape. blocks of ice heaved up around. i don't know if you saw the youtube but on boxing day we had an incredible blizzard. wind speeds of 50 kilometers gusting to 70 kilometers. that was the average wind conditions. we are looking to make scientific observations to compare to. it's the winds they experienced. forced huge amounts of sea up against the vessel. when we worked the following

morning, we were aware of huge blocks of ice packed in very densely. the winds have eased. the low pressure system causing the blizzard passed away. we have some open water around us. a few ice burgs up in the distance, they are not moving, fortunately. on the port side is the antarctic continent. there's a few outlines of islands. rising up behind this enormous plateau of ice, which reaches up about 1,000 feet above sea level and keeps going. there's not much life. it's very still. maybe it's hard for people to appreciate back home how quiet it is. there's very little bird life around here. occasionally, occasionally, the penguins come and find us. they are about a foot tall. they break out of the water. they are very inquisitive

creatures. they come look at us almost to say what the hell are you doing here? >> very inquisitive. i bet. what is the latest on your rescue? do you have a time line at this point? >> well, working in antarctica, the common theme is the "a" factor, the antarctica factor. you never know what is going to happen. things operate at a slow pace here. even though it's ice we are dealing with, it can change quickly. as a result, the chinese snow ice breaker, snow dragon struggled to get through. we have another ice breaker coming toward us at the moment. the australian vessel. it's due to arrive on the edge of the sea ice 20 nautical miles away somewhere around midnight and they have to get between the

captains and try to find a route through. it's like lancing a wound. relieve the pressure around the vessel so we can get out. it's going to take quite awhile. at the moment, it's hurry up and wait. watching patiently. we would like to say a big thank you to everyone out there, family and friends, be assured, everyone is well. if they would like to learn more, visit the expedition website. we are loading daily updates on how people are including video so people can see loved ones. the ship is not in immediate danger and everyone is well. >> that's great to hear. i'm following you on twitter as well. follow him on twitter. thank you so much. massive debit card security breach took on new levels of concern after the company announced not only were customer

debit cards at risk, but p.i.n. numbers were stolen. 40 million cards were affected by the hacking. many rushed to get new cards. joining us live is kevin, a former hacker who was once the fbis most wanted computer criminal. he's now the president of a security site. target says the p.i.n. numbers are encrypted, so they are still safe. what is your take? >> well, that's what we have to go on. unfortunately, we really don't know for sure if the hackers were able to put in software into the point of sale systems at any of the target stores. it's possible they could have intercepted the information but we really don't know. really, who cares if the hackers got the p.i.n.s because if they got the debit card numbers, they

are able to use the debit cards online without the p.i.n. the only thing you need is the code, the cvv code to commit fraud using the cards as long as the debit card allows you to use it as a point of sale card as well. >> you have quite a resume. you have a 100% track record for being able to break into any corporate system for which you have been paid to hack. what is your advice? what advice would you give to target to protect themselves against future hackings? >> target, obviously, they had a huge security issue. they were compromised. we don't know how the hackers got in. obviously, target needs to ramp up their security. what concerns me is the hackers were able to get unencrypted credit card numbers. is target actually storing any of the customer credit cards in

the clear, which would be a mistake. i believe target should audit their systems, look at web applications, train their people against social engineering attacks. imagine how easy it is for a hacker to break into target or any company's network. they could send a trap or document or pdf file. once the employee is tricked, it gives the hacker control over the computer. it's really that easy. the hacker only has to find one victim at a company to compromise to get their foot in the door of that company's network. >> you know, what you mentioned reminded me about companies, retailers saying do you want a printed receipt or e-mailed receipt? it makes me leary to give out my e-mail address to get information from a retailer.

>> it shouldn't bother you. getting a receipt via e-mail probably is not a risk. but, when we, as consumers go into bricks and mortar and use our credit card, we assume they are secure. unfortunately, hacking the companies is far too easy. you mentioned earlier in the program, when companies hire us to do what we call a penetration test, which is an ethical hacking exercise, we have 100% success rate over the last decade. that goes to show that companies out there need to innovate new products and services to help businesses like target really mitigate the risk to stop these hacking attacks. >> kevin, thank you so much for sharing your expertise with us. we appreciate it. >> thank you, rosa. better late than never, right? u.p.s. says all delayed holiday packages have now been delivered. u.p.s. says the volume of

packages this year exceeded its capacity. they could have asked drivers to work christmas day, but decided not to do that. u.p.s. says severe weather in the dallas area created a backlog and the volume proved to be too much. fedex was late with deliveries as well and said any isolated issues have been resolved. just ahead, it's called the knockout game. it has life threatening consequences. now, one suspect is being charged with a federal hate crime. but first, a lot of americans will be receiving money that could help them put food on the table and congress is getting the blame.

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libya is setting free four americans detained for several hours. authorities are being cagey about just why they took the u.s. military personnel into custody in the first place. cnn has more on their release. >> reporter: rosa, we are starting to hear some of the details. reuters is reporting the libyan police and military officials say this all started at a check point friday. the four u.s. military personnel were in a convoy. according to the libyan officials, at the check point they were questioned about why they were carrying weapons. as they were questioned, the american vehicles drove away, one causing an accident. the third car, according to the libyans disappeared. the four military personnel were detained for hours, held by the

libyan government. the u.s. confirmed they were released. the four were, quote, augmenting security in tripoli. the white house has not stated a reaction to this, yet. a white house official says president obama was updated on the situation during his vacation in hawaii by his national security staff. rosa? >> thank you so much. more than a million americans out of work lost financial help from the federal government. emergency unemployment benefits ended because congress failed to pass an extension before the holidays. now the question is, whether the cash-strapped americans get them back? athena jones is live in honolulu with the president. which americans are being affected by today's developments and what is the effect on the economy? >> reporter: hi, rosa. we are talking more than 1.3

million people collected long term unemployment. these are the benefits that kick in after state benefits run out. those are the folks that saw their benefits cut off today. the numbers will rise the longer the benefits aren't in place. this is coming at a time americans are feeling glum about the economy. i want to read a few numbers from the cnn poll. 68% of americans believe economic conditions right now are poor. more than half, 56% say conditions will still be poor a year from now. now this pessimism is affecting consumer spending, which is a big driver of the u.s. economy. 36% said they cut back on food or medicine. 58% have cut back on clothes. 56% say they postponed major purchases like furniture or appliances. the folks losing the unemployment benefits aren't

spending that money in the economy. it's going to have ripple effects. rosa? >> let's talk about the timing. the president says he endorsed the proposal to extend benefits. how soon before this would happen and why hasn't it happened already, before the holiday? >> reporter: well, congress could not agree on extending this beforehand. some wanted to include it in the budget deal but it was not. the president has been stressing this all along in the press conference before he left washington, d.c., to come here. he called on congress to make extending unemployment the first order of business when they come back into session in january. it looks like that is what's going to happen. they are going to take it up very, very quickly. the president had a phone call with two senators, a democrat from rhode island and a democrat from nevada.

a proposal that would extend it. one that includes a way to offset it, a way to pay for it. we expect this matter to be addressed as soon as congress gets back. we have to see whether it can get through. rosa? >> athena jones live in honolulu. thank you so much. still ahead -- protesters in egypt met with gunfire and tear gas as police clash with supporters of ousted president morsi. we'll have the latest on the violence. stationed with the office of security corporation in baghdad iraq. i want to wish my mother in columbus, georgia a merry christmas and happy new year. i love you so much, mom. i'm beth...

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over seas, students are blamed for setting fire to their school. it happened in cairo where widespread protests erupted since the government declared the muslim brotherhood a terrorist organization. the students are reportedly supportered of the muslim brotherhood and stormed the university with molotov cocktails. at least one was killed today fighting with egyptian police.

a syrian opposition group says 25 people died today in an air strike. allegedly on a vegetable market in the city. cnn cannot verify the death tolls. meantime, in a message to pope francis, syria's president assad said the government is ready to take part in peace talks. but, he says outside countries have to stop supporting terrorist groups for civil war to end. the pope is said to be constantly following the situation in syria. secretary of state, john kerry is headed to the middle east to restart peace talks between israel and the palestinians. peace talks stalled in november with both sides digging in their heels. key points of contention here include the continued israeli presence in the palestinian territories and construction of jewish settlements in the west bank. fears of a possible civil

war in south sudan are growing fast. neighboring countries are threatening to step in if the violence doesn't let up soon. today, united nations secretary general moon threw his weight behind an ulty may tum calling to stop fighting. senior international correspondent arwa damon has more. >> reporter: east african leaders issued a warning following a meeting that took place on friday giving them four days to lay down their weapons or face the consequences. exactly what the consequences are at this stage is unclear. south sudan's government said it is willing to come to the negotiating table without preconditions. the vice president is blaming rebel leader and former vice president for the fighting.

by issuing preconditions namely that cease-fire or peace cannot be reached unless a negotiation is conducted and a number of sufferers. >> his political allies be releaseed from jail. they say they have to go through the judicial process. meanwhile, the first of the u.n. troops have arrived in country. just a handful of the five and a half thousand that are expected. their focus to protect the civilian population. tens of thousands seek shelter on bases. doctors without borders issuing a statement calling on both sides to lay down their weapons and allow them access to where

people are in desperate need of medical care. just to give you an idea, we just arrived here. a curfew is in place. it has been stable, safe for the last week or so, civilians are still refusing to leave the u.n. compound here. that is how terrified they are. that is how traumatic the ordeal they have gone through has been. arwa damon, cnn. >> thank you so much for that report. still ahead, fans of cable's top reality show have to be feeling ducky today. one of the stars is back on the show but has a suspension had any effect on the show's future? plus, a young man is charged with a federal hate crime in connection with a knockout attack. find out how his attorney is defending his alleged actions. [ male announcer ] this is george. the day building a play set

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a 27-year-old could spend ten years behind bars for playing the so-called knockout game. prosecutors say conrad's vicious attack on an elderly black man was racially motivated. the feds claim he laughed and said knockout as the man fell to the ground. a district judge denied bail

friday for him. margaret has the latest on the attack and the history of this dangerous game. >> reporter: 27-year-old conrad bareette is charged with a hate crime. a judge said the crime was vicious and he stalked his victim. there's strong evidence he committed this offense. it is a hate crime. he attacked because of the man's race and color. he made a video of the attack where he said, quote, the plan is to see if i hit a black person would this be nationally televised. he uses the "n" word saying african-americans haven't experienced the blessing of evolution. the brutal attack happened in katy texas. the victim suffered two jaw fractures and in the hospital for several days according to the complaint. he is bipolar. he went to a bar and showed the

video to bystanders, one an off duty police officer. with video that has gone viral from states like illinois to washington to new york. the purpose of the so-called game is to knock unsuspecting pedestrians out cold with a single punch. >> state law just enhances hate crimes. in other words, your sentence is enhanced if you committed a hate crime. however it's defined in a particular state. under federal law, hate crimes are a separate crime, which raises questions about the constitutionality about the clause z. >> he says he is sorry. he will await trial and could face a $250,000 fine and up to ten years in prison. >> the attorney for the knockout suspect spoke to our own don lemon last night. don asked him how his client's

actions are a result of a bipolar disorder. take a listen. >> your client was a functioning member of society, had the where with all to plan this, to pick out a victim, an elderly man who could not defend himself and now, since he has been caught doing it, it appears to most people that using bipolar disorder as a defense is an excuse for racist behavior. >> it's a mitigation and can be viewed as such. i don't think there's an insanity defense in the works in this particular case. certainly, i think that the federal definition of insanity precludes use thag particular type of defense in this case. >> seems like he planned this out every single detail. he could have gone and stolen a

car. he could have gone and shoplifted. he could have gone and did a number of things, but he planned this out in a manner that used race as the focus. and you don't see that as a federal hate crime? >> well, what happens is that first of all, people that are mentally ill make rational decisions all the time, premeditate matters all the time. secondly, this individual did something very bizarre. after the action, he brags about it. he shows a video around to individuals saying that, hey, look, what i have done. i have hit a knockout. not being aware of how severely injured the individual was that he hit. again, that all has to be proven. i'm sure you understand that. but, i'm saying that you have to take into consideration the

supreme court said whether it's a hate crime or not, you take into consideration the mental aspects of the individual that did the action in question. that's all we are saying here. >> we should add that the elderly victim told the court he hopes barette will not be released. he says he's afraid he may try to hurt him again. still ahead, pope francis has become hugely popular around the world. in a minute, we'll look at why not everyone in the church thinks that's a good thing. captain renee with the united states air force. mom, happy holidays, no tears, i'll be home soon. dan, i can't get you the '76 mustang this year. jacksonville, keep my family safe. go jaguars. ñn

the first priest in the u.s. charged with covering up child sex abuse in the catholic church is getting out of prison. a court reversed the conviction of william lynne on thursday. he was convicted last year of child endangerment and went to prison. at the time, lynn said he tried to serve god as best as he could. philadelphia's district attorney says he's likely to appeal. for years, it seemed like the vatican would never redeem itself from the child sex abuse

scandal, then came pope francis. he's been in charge for fewer than ten months now. already, many catholics see him as a breath of fresh air. unafraid to shake up the church and very different from his pred assessor, benedict xvi. here to talk more is a professor of religion and theology at emery university and ordained minister as well. thank you so much for being here, first of all. we have so many memorable moments, i think, that really when you talk about rattling the catholic church. what moment has impacted you the most? >> well, there's so many. he's had a great year, right? there's two moments that have gone viral when i think of pope francis. the first is when the little boy interrupted his talk, came up on stage, hugged his leg and sat in his chair. the other one is when he hugged

that horribly disfigured man. in both of those, you know, both of those moments, the pope was acting very much like jesus when he said let the children come to him or when he touched and healed a man with skin disease. in catholic talk, the pope is representative of jesus christ. those two moments are extremely memorable. >> there's a lot of talk about what he's doing and the change he's bringing. do you see this as more just style or substance? >> you know, "time" magazine recently said the pope changed the music at the vatican, but not the words. if you change the melody enough, the lyrics aren't going to work. we have seen the small changes that made a big splash. the other thing that is important in christian teaching is symbols are so important, the cross, the manger, the bread,

the wine. think about last easter when he washed the feet of that young muslim woman and what that signi signified. >> think about changes in the catholic church. women priests. perhaps contraception. do you, perhaps see some of those things happening in our lifetime with pope francis? >> he's very traditional on these things, women clergy. any changes, i think are going to be small and take a long time. as we have seen with him, small changes can have a big splash. what he said about women, for instance, they were essential to the church or what he called the feminine genius is necessary when church decisions are made. it doesn't sound radical to us in the united states. in other parts of the world where women are fighting for basic human rights, it's a radical statement and stunning statement that could have a great impact. clearly, his biggest significant

change has been for the poor, needy and vulnerable. >> if there's a pope that can do it, it's probably him. >> he's a surprising one, for sure. for sure. >> many things, i guess virtues we are think about when it comes to pope francis. for you, which stand out the most that you say wow, this is really talking to the christians out in the world. >> you know, it started back to the choice of his name, francis. all kind of johns and benedicts but the first francis after the 13th century patron saint of the poor and needy. that choice signaled a new day in the papacy and the vatican with pope francis with this renewed emphasis on the poor and the needy. his humility, his compassion, these are the things that stand out and mark his papacy going forward. >> one of the things i'm hoping

for is that he visits the united states. do you think we'll see that? >> i hope so. his first papal exhortation, he had strong reports about the tyranny of capitalism and the idolatry of money. i would love to see him come to the states and preach that sermon here. it's a sermon we need to here as much, if not more than anyone else. if he was preaching that, i wonder if he could unite the people sharply divided on these issues. >> we know our globe needs peace. he's definitely been talking for peace and making all those messages. thank you so much. brent strong, professor of religion and theology at emmerson university and ordained minister. thank you for joining us. appreciate that. a fashion report about the pope? that's a new one. pope francis made it on to the cover of "time" magazine as the person of the year. now, he's a cover model yet

again? "esquire" magazine considers him the best dressed man in 2013. aaron mclayoff lynn explain what is earned him the honor. >> reporter: move over brad pitt. step aside george clooney. you have serious competition in the fashion department. pope francis is named the 2013 best dressed man of the year. this is an unconventional decision. they point to his style decisions as signaling new hope for the catholic church. look at pope benedict, the elaborate robes. the look, so last season. now it's about pope francis with his simple garments. he's been trying to focus the catholic church on helping the disenfranchised and the poor. the holy roman emperor does have

new clothes and reflect the people's pope. >> interesting stuff. in just a few days, people in colorado can smoke, buy and grow marijuana legally while others in neighboring states, if they try to do just that could get arrested. is colorado ready? that's next.

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phil robertson is returning to "duck dynasty" nine days after a & e banned him for controversial comments. they plan to air unity, tolerance and acceptance among all people. robertson was suspended for controversial comments he made to "gq" magazine calling homo sexuality sinful. >> is it a meteor? a fire ball lit up the sky caught on a security canada in north liberty, iowa. 700 people in seven states

reported seeing the event to the american meteor society. one witness described it to ams as a bright, blue-green ball with gold sparks trailing. sometimes, patient pays. watch this, a robber walk sboos a florida drugstore and demands money from the clerk. instead of handing over the cash, the woman says she needs to ask her manager if that's okay. the robber agrees and waits while the clerk gets her manager. the manager comes over, waits until the clerk finishes with a customer, then he comes around and hands over hundreds of dollars in cash. the robber got away but police hope someone recognize him from the video. in a few days, buying marijuana may be as simple as purchasing milk or bread for shoppers in colorado. buying recreational marijuana

becomes league january 1st. the first marijuana license were mailed out this week. now pot shops are scrambling to be ready to open their doors. our correspondent has more. >> reporter: the countdown is on. pot becomes legal in a matter of days. the state hopes it generates tens of millions of dollars of tax revenue. businesses are seeing green as well. certain pot shops, stores selling medical marijuana open their doors to a whole new clientele. the green rush in colorado is about to get bigger. this week, state licenses went out to local businesses giving them to green light to sell recreational marijuana. >> money does grow on trees. it's the can bus plant.

>> reporter: anyone over the age of 21 will be able to buy marijuana. 136 medical marijuana dispensaries now have state licenses to sell it. 178 businesses can now grow it for recreational use. >> i would say we are like the united states amsterdam. >> she runs this store. they make marijuana edibles, drops and candies. she expects business to at least double in the new year. >> i really hope that people are responsible with it and don't mess it up for the rest of us. >> most companies here won't be ready yet on january 1st. retail outlets had major hurdles to get approvals. if i think prints, financial checks and fees up to $15,000. tony fox has more than $1 million invested in her center. her store is one of only a handful expected to be ready for business on that first day.

>> a year ago, i would have said i wish i hadn't done it. now, i'm very excited and i'm looking forward to the future. >> a future they hope to pay off the massive investment. it was medical marijuana that paved the way for this retail search. much of this is being rolled out on the existing infrastructure supporting medical marijuana, in particular how the state plans to regulate the product. there are stricter rules when it comes to the recreational marijuana. keep in mind, the federal government still considers it criminal. whiskey is on the comeback trail in london. they may not be able to sell their home grown product for awhile. donut friday at the office, i use my citi thankyou card to get 2x the points at the coffee shop. which will help me get to a beach in miami and they'll be stuck at the cube farm. the citi thankyou preferred card. now earn 2x the points dining out, with no annual fee.

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whiskey has not been made for more than 100 years in london. now a group of entrepreneurs is breaking into the whiskey business to change that. we have more on the whiskey comeback in london. >> reporter: matilda is starting to purr. this copper bottom whiskey still, they always seem to have female names, is now starting the long process of fermenting whiskey in london. >> london is crying for a distillery taking it on a small scale. craft brewers can bring in a brew set. why not add a still? >> reporter: they wanted to play off the heritage of london

whiskey making, but had to go back to the 19th century to do that. >> it comes as a shock. >> this day has been long coming. a rule change in 1996 made it easier and cheaper for potential producers in england to compete with scotch and irish whiskey. as far as we know, no one has in london until now. the distillery company was born in 2011 and started the planning process. >> i told them to come in down the drive way. >> reporter: that included the delivery of matilda back in february. after hours of maneuvering, matilda was in place and ready to be revealed. though it took the rest of 2013 to get approval to start making

whiskey. you will be able to drink it soon. >> really not put anything out there until we feel it's right. we have to be excited about what we do. do it right. it's the right thing to do. you might not see anything for 20-25 years. >> reporter: does that mean when he knows he funded him to the tune of $400,000? >> we'll have to wait two decades for a return. thankfully not. here is christina. she makes gin. the london distillery company has permission to make a number of spirits which can be sold within months. this operation is still very much about whiskey. now that this group set the precedent, surely others will follow. >> you are competing with $100 scotch. you are competing with swedish, japanese, american, whatever. you have to have a difference.

it can't just be a pretty bottle. it has to be quality. >> reporter: gin has been made in london for centuries. another group of young entrepreneurs make a craft gin in london using prudence since 2009 with the claim she was the first copper pot still in london for nearly 200 years. back at the london distillery company, matilda has taken on the challenge to make at least 80 to 100 casts of whiskey a year, a tiny amount compared to the big players, to be sold sunday. jim boldin, cnn, london. you are in the cnn news room. i'm rosa flor