a deadly explosion at a train station in southern rush yachlt officials believe a suicide bomber is responsible for this blast that killed more than a dozen people so far. >> rockets rip across the lebanon border into israel and artillery fires back. the unrest comes as israel prepares to release some palestinian prisoners and u.s. secretary john kerry heads to the region. >> and trapped in the ice, an update on a difficult rescue operation at the bottom of the

world as ice breaker ships are turned away, a helicopter becomes another option for the stranded passengers. thank goodness that you're not stranded to day. i hope you're just sifting batt and reloxing axing on a sunday morning. >> there is no rush to get out in this weather. i'm victimsor blackwell. this is "new day sunday." help for 74 passengers who are stranded on the ship in antarctica. it's so close yet so far away. this morning in australian ship is en route to help. >> a chinese ice breaker was forced to turn around yesterday just six nautical miles out. it is known as the snow dragon. it is still nearby and has a helicopter onboard to assist. >> the winds have been fierce. the icy conditions we've seen them for days. that i already forced also a french rescue ice breaker to call off its mission.

cnn's rosey thompkins joins us live from london. so this australian ship, how far out are they now? >> as far as we know, it's getting really close. we had several hours ago that ship was due to arrive close to the russian vessel around this time exactly 8:00 a.m. et. but we're not going to get any updates until we hear from the ship. the biggest question is whether or not it will be able to breakthrough the ice. the ice very thick. we do have the helicopter standing by as you mentioned. so there are various plans in place to get the people off the vessel. and we are he really standing by hoping for news any minute. >> i understand the folks onboard, you know, they're not suffering too badly. actually, they're having a good ole time. but how long will rescue crews let them stay where they are before they're going to go to plan b or c or whatever it is

we're talking about at this point? >> yes, christie, we don't have an exact time frame. we don't know when the ship will reach them. we do know it will be today. they're not willing to leave them on there any longer. they don't have any other options. if the australian ship can't cut through the ice and reach them, there are no other ships anywhere near close enough to try this approach. so they'll revert to the other option, the helicopter option. in the meantime, you know, from what we've been seeing, they're not in any rush to get off the ship. they're having a great time. they're sending youtube updates to show how they're doing. one of them this morning sent a message saying she's having a very special day. let's have a listen to that. >> hi, everybody. it's mary from antarctica having a wonderful time. you can see we have this wonderful snowy wonder land. it's my birthday today. it couldn't be a better day to have a birthday with my 80-something new friends. blew out all the candles on my birthday cake.

and i'm here out on the ice today. >> they're having a great time. they have plenty of food and water. and they're just waiting to see how and when they're leaving that ship. back to you. >> all right. ro rosey tompkins, thank you. >> so we got just a couple days left in 2013. this is the last sunday of the year. >> that just brings it all back you to, doesn't it? the last sunday of the year. >> it's almost over. a lot of the country still dealing with this rough winter weather. not getting a break at all. look. >> all right. so this is for folks in parts of north dakota and minnesota. look, your best bet as we understand it, just stay indoors. i know you've been dealing with blinding snow, brutally coals temperatur cold temperatures. the swind making it feel worse. i mean look at this. you don't want to drive in that. >> you don't want to venture

out. blizzard conditions making those roads obviously really dangerous at the end of the day. and to make matters worse, thousands of people from maine to michigan and eastern canada still don't have power. after last weekend's big ice storm, that's a long time to be without power. >> especially in these temperatures. they're trying to keep everybody warm. so, you know, a lot of people have plans. they go out and enjoy something. having a few drinks. >> they want to get out and celebrate. >> to celebrate the new year. let's check in with alexandra steel for a look at the forec t forecast. who is dealing with what? >> hi, everyone. good morning. this is really where it's the worst. wind chill warnings. we're going to see and field wind chills today up to about 50 degrees below zero. currently in fargo and minot, walking out the door on this sunday morning, it's like 30 degrees below zero. that's what it feels like. so we're going to see the winds abate. the temperatures will come up. certainly brutally cold.

through the afternoon, the winds will settle down. watch them drop south and eastward. so as we look toward today, temperatures are 24 degrees below where they should be. but watch the warmth. chicago, the cold air settles to you. by the time we hit tomorrow, 20s and 30s. by tuesday, it settles in here to northern new england and even farther south. so the cold air is brutal. dropping south and east. it will moderate though. it won't be the same arctic air but it will be colder than it's been. a very wet day in the southeast yesterday. today it's the mid-atlantic's turn. washington, baltimore, annapolis. by the time we head toward tonight, moves through new york. as a rain maker. that cold air getting a day late. the rain moving in first and then the cold air. but where those two meet will be right here. so maybe watching us through stratton or white face. the green and white mountains, northern new england. maine the biggest winner with this snowfall. maybe three or eight inches for

maine. but that's where it will be confined to. also want to show you here's where the accumulations are. again, it's all really north of boston. so i want to take a quick look, show what you we're expecting. that cold air will be in new york city. here's your forecast for new year's eve. and chicago as well. all right. let's take a look at something else. incredible pictures out of mexico. this is a combination of a series of earthquakes, seven small ones, and a barrage of heavy rain. what happened, it forced the collapse of a highway in mexico near the u.s. border, about 58 miles south. no injuries. but the road completely collapsing. traffic, of course, being rerouted around. but the earthquake and then of course that heavy saturating rain just kind of allowing the earth to just crumble under that road. >> glad no one was hurt. >> no, no injuries at all. the traffic is rerouted around. >> all right. good to see you this morning. thank you. >> you, too.

happy new year. >> happy new year to you, too. >> this morning the breaking news out of russia. a blast at a train station. it's in the southern city. it killed at least, the number we're getting this hour, 18 people. initial reports saying a woman carried thought suicide attack. >> this is video we're getting in from russia. an outside security camera took this that showed that huge fireball inside what appears to be the main entrance to the train station when that bomb went off. >> we're following all the developments from moscow for us. anyone claiming responsibility for this yet, diana? >> not at this stage, no. in october in this town there was another female suicide bomber carried out an attack on a bus killing six people. again, there was no claim of responsibility that time either. but in july the most wanted man in russia who is a chechen

militant issued a video statement saying that head of the sochi alimb picks, his people should use maximum force to disrupt the olympics. if you look at this region where volgograd is, sort of southeast you have -- sorry, southwest, you have sochi, 400 miles away. southeast, you have the north caucuses. and where these female suicide bombers have been carrying out numerous attacks. so you can see the sort of nexus wrf this attack happened and, you know, in that context, in the context of the islamic insurgency that is fought so close to sochi. of course, this plays into the security concerns around the olympics. >> well, diana, i'm wondering, how detailed do they think this might have been in terms of targeting this particular train station at this particular time of day?

>> well, normally what we've heard from police is that, you know, attackers tend to want to travel out to moscow. volgograd is a major rail hub for that region. you would have to come through volgograd to go to moscow. it is also major holiday season. new year's eve is the biggest holiday for people in russia. so to target a rail hub like that midday on a sunday an every day about 3,500 people go through that station. it was presumably to target as many people as possible at this holiday time. because she was stopped just before going into a metal detector, authorities are saying that they prevented this from being far worse, for example, if she actually been in a waiting room or in a crowded train. >> you mentioned the chechen militant calling for attacks leading up to the sochi olympics. there's also, we know, the militant in the caucus states

who was killed over the weekend. is there any way to know and it's still early, if this is in line consistent with what the militant who was killed over the weekend typically calls for? this could have been retaliation for that militant's death? >> it could have been retaliation. and the man who was killed on saturday was affiliated with his group. the phenomenon of the black widows, you know, normally they are the widows of people who have been caught killed in the region. they do have been acting independently also instead of revenge simply on a more generally basis. so we don't know whether it's retaliation. that said, there is little rattrat -- literally an on going conflict. it's very difficult to relate specific events to each other at this stage. >> all right. diana, we'll let you get back to work. as we get more information about

the explosion at the train station there. it happened overnight u.s. time. middle of the afternoon on a sunday there in volgograd. >> the other story that we're watching, 26 palestinian prisoners are about to be free as israel makes good on a pledge from earlier this year. >> now who they are and when they'll be released, that's coming up. and that comes as secretary of state john kerry, he gets ready to head to the region to try to make head way in the quest for peace. mine was earned orbiting the moon in 1971.

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no reports of injuries on either side of the border. and that's just one of mt developments in the middle east. the secretary of state john kerry announces he is now heading back to the region. >> new year's day, actually, for israel and palestinian territories to continue talks on a peace deal. his trip comes as israel prepares to release 26 palestinian prisoners as promised last summer. >> would are these prisoners and can you tell us when they're expected to be released? >> victimor, there are 26 palestinian prisoners. we're expecting them to be released midnight monday night. they're convicted of violent crimes by an israeli court although the palestinians call them political prisoners. this is the third batch out of four that will see a total of

104 palestinians released. this is all part of the peace negotiation that's are currently taking place. >> okay. so what about the violence you've seen overnight with the rocket strikes? what might that do with these peace talks if anything? >> well, if there is a large escalation of violence on the border, there could be -- this could delay the peace talks because a full scale war would have that effect on it. kerry is coming to the region much he's talking with israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu as well as the palestinian president. but the peace talks seem to be in trouble. one the two palestinian negotiators effectively resigned complaining that process isn't moving forward. and that the united states hasn't been a fair arbitor. israel on the other hand has been fairly tight lipped about what's been going on behind the scenes but with such pessimism from the palestinian side, kerry

will have his work cut out for him to keep a peace process alive whether he meets with the two leaders. >> again, as christie said, leaving on new year's day to try to revamp these peace talks and we'll see what gets done. thank you. >> also this morning, folks for peace in south sudan. but the world's newest nation is facing the reality of war if the government and opposition forces don't lay down their weapons. >> yeah, that situation is escalating to the point that a lot of civilians are crowding into in u.n. compounds and terrified to leave. what are you seeing there? >> this is one of the compounds that is in the capitol. the people who fled here. and there is around 20,000 of them just seeking shelter at this one compound alone. tens of thousands in other areas. many of them with just the

clothing on their backs. they sprawled throughout the entire compound which is sizable. there are tents, if we can call them, mostly made out of sheets. you can see the wire behind me turned into something of a make shift clothesline. they have been receiving some assistance, things like thin mattresses and these food packets that really contain supplements that are very high in nutrients. but just to give you an idea of how traumaized and terrorized the population here is, the capital has been fairly stable for well over a week at this point. we were asking people why they weren't going back home. well, it's because they don't feel safe. one woman who is pregnant, she is due this month. she told us that her husband after the first days of fighting when they thought the situation was stable went back home to try to retrieve some essentials, try to get water because there weren't supplies here and he was killed. that is fear that is still very for the population that has the

refugees choosing to live like this rather than even attempt to go back home. >> this conflict continues. thank you. and still to come on "new day," you know it's always a good time to save some cash. >> never a bad time for that, right? >> never at all. we'll tell what you you need to be shopping for in the post holiday sales. ♪ i wanna spread a little love this year ♪ [ male announcer ] this december, experience the gift of exacting precision and some of the best offers of the year at the lexus december to remember sales event. this is the pursuit of perfection. the day building a play set begins with a surprise twinge of back pain... and a choice. take up to 4 advil in a day or 2 aleve for all day relief. [ male announcer ] that's handy. ♪ [ male announcer ] that's handy. at uwe know you can't afford

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♪ yeah. the holiday shopping season is just about done. but there are still some deals out there to be found. >> yeah. you can think of it as let's say more civilized, less elbows to the face kind of time to shop. >> yes. >> but here's the question. there is a season for everything, right? what should we be buying right now? we're joined by brad wilson. he is the author of "shop smart" and publishes braddeals.com. give it to us. what should we be looking for right now that's going to give us the best bang for our buck? >> yeah. this is one of my favorite times to shop. you want to be focused on seasonal apparel, coats, jackets, hats, gloves, those kind of things. toys as well. i'm seeing toys at 60%, 70%, 80% off. the toy season is over. so retailers are just dying to

get rid of those. perishable items, so talking about godiva chocolates, harry & david pears, they're 50%, 60% than they were 10 or 15 days ago. and then, you know sh the other thing i focus on is electronics. there are a lot of new tech products that are launched in january so those are sort of burning a hole in retailers' warehouses and balance sheets. >> this is also the time of year where i buy my christmas cards. i buy the boxed christmas cards and wrapping paper and all that. it is on great discount this time of the year. you know, the big story of the shopping season was this hack at target, the 40 million customers whose information was stolen. what can people do to keep themselves safe? >> yeah. so you raemy have three moves. the first is to simply request a new number. basically, you get a new card issued to you. but you'll keep the same

account. the second move is to actually cancel the entire account. and, you know, that's obviously more effort. but there is a ton of great signup bonuses for new cards right now. i've seen a bunch of offers where you get $200 or $300 in cash or 40,000 frequent flyer miles and that kind of thing. the banks are very competitive. and the third thing is you can just do nothing. so you're not actually -- you're not on the hook for the charges. so the catch there is that if you don't get a new card or cancel the account, i would recommend certainly monitoring the account going forward. i wouldn't assume that your credit card company is going to catch every last charge on your behalf. but if there is fraudulent activity, it's not on you. it's on them. so you can sit tight and procrastinate like i'm sure manufacture us will. >> let me ask you something. i know that -- isn't it after the first of the year furniture

and home goods are also another option where everything is going to go on sale? if people are weary of going out right now, there are some good stuff coming up seasonally, yes? >> that's right. it's a great time to shop overall. the week after christmas into january and, you know, you're right. you hit it right on the head. appliances are another category that i throw-in there that are discounted heavily. the irony of this whole target situation that i think many folks are reasonably spooked by is target is actually likely one of the best places to shop now. they have to be promotional to draw us back in. so, you know, it's funny how that sort of flips around sometimes. but it's -- you know, it's a great time to find deals for several more weeks. >> okay. it will last for several more weeks, people. don't be afraid to go out and shop. hint, hint, husbands, my husband

always says how much money did you save me today? >> that's a good way to put it. >> brad wilson, thank you so much. and still to come, the hunt is on for this giant python who's killed at least one man in indonesia. >> wildlife expert jewels sylvester joins us live to tell us just how dangerous these snakes are and, yes, he has a live python. stay with us. ♪ [ car beeps ] ♪

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country. here's five things you need to know for your new day. number one, 18 people are dead after an explosion at a russian train station. look at this again. we're going to play it again. the blast happened overnight in the city of volgograd. you see the video, it shows the moment the bomb went off. the attack appears to have been carried out by a female suicide bomber. this is the second bombing in volgograd since october. >> this is number two. this year is ending in parts of the u.s. was miserable weather. upper plains and midwest getting blasted this weekend with snow, ice, and you heard the fierce winds. this heavy rain in other parts of the country as well. date of birth careful out there. >> big time support for incoming new york mayor bill deblasio. former president clinton will preside at his inauguration. and will swear him into office

january 1st ceremony. these two go way back. >> number four, the new year could push florida into the third most populous state in the country. right now new york is number three. florida's population has been growing at a much faster rate. at last count both states have under 20 million people. new estimates come out tomorrow. >> number five, is this uncertain future for more than a million americans who lost their jobless benefits saturday. congress failed to extend a program for long term benefits when it passed the latest budget deal. the president is pushing for a three-month extension asking congress to act immediately after the winter break. >> this morning we have a better picture of how many people signed up for obamacare. 1.1 million. this is new numbers.

>> so just what can these americans expect from the affordable care act when it all becomes reality on new year's day? we have the details. >> a white house toast in 2010 when his health care bill passed in the house. but at the stroke midnight this new year's eve when that legislation becomes reality will the president again pop the champagne. >> i now have a couple million people, maybe more, who are going to have hk on january 1st. and that is a big deal. that's why i ran for this office. >> and a big debate for years. >> it's been a fiasco. >> come wednesday, the program gets its first full test. those who could sign up on the new insurance marketplaces will now be able to use their coverage although they now have until january 10th to make their

first payment. >> we screwed it up. zbh a website plagued by glitches is now improved but shifting deadlines and canceled policies have created more confusion. at this library in northern virginia saturday, that confusion still bringing people needing help enrolling. >> if you try to do it by your self and you sit down at the website and work through it, it can be a little bit difficult. >> this past week the website has seen a surge in traffic. nearly 900,000 visitors christmas eve alone. but it's still unclear whether insurance companies are getting reliable information. has this been the worst year of your president i >> after the botched website rollout, the president took heat for not paying close enough attention. now while he's on vacation in hawaii, the white house is taking pains to show that he's not dropping the boll as new year's approaches. saying the president reiterated to his health care team that

minimizing the disruptions that have come from switching plans in the past and maximizing consumer flexibility must remain the priority. but on january 1st, will there be something to celebrate? and the administration did announce this morning that 1.1 million people are now enrolled. we previously had not known exactly how many people were able to sign up. and they say the majority of these signups nearly one million of them were in december alone. and they called that no surprise, christie and victor, welcome surge. back to you. >> thank you so much. >> so you have heard about this frightening story out of indonesia? the hunter for a killer python. this thing strangled a hotel security guard in indonesia. >> there is no small snake. it looks like this. apparently it suffocated the man. he was trying to capture the snake. >> you might be wondering, how dangerous are these things and how in the world does anybody catch it?

wildlife expert jewels sylvester is with us live in los angeles with steve, the snake. so obviously -- >> good morning. >> steve, good morning. steve isn't so dangerous. but generally let's talk about this. how dangerous are they? >> a snake like this size, this one is only eight feet long, but he's been born in captivity for five, six generations. but this is the type of snake that apparently killed that gentleman in bali. sadly, this is actually a very, very powerful snake and can be quite dangerous. steve is good natured. but this is a better meez python. there are two types of python that's live in bali. you have this guy that grows up to 0 feet and probably weigh over 200 pounds. and then you have another one called a reticlated python that can grow to 32 feet. but i believe this is the culprit that took this gentleman out. >> so jewels, i -- >> yeah? >> i understand that these

snakes are strong. i get that. but this gentleman was trying to capture it. how quick are these things? >> well, pretty quick. if you try catch this snake and he's a wild one, he will react pretty violently because he doesn't want to get caught. and, of course, he's got a large -- he has a head in here, he has about 75 good sharp teeth. all pythons bite. that's the first thing they do is try to get ahold of you. and if he is being defensive, which he was probably was, he turned around and bit the guy and within two seconds he is wrap all over him. we don't know how big this guy was. the indonesian guard is probably 5'3," 130 pounds soaking wet. the python, if it's anything like this size this is only eight feet, they can get to 11, 12, 13, 14, feet, he would have had them in two or three seconds. if it gets around your neck,

you're unconscious in seven to 15 seconds. and he will not let go. he will not let go until your heartbeat stops. that's it. >> where do officials look for these snakes? where do they generally hide? >> they'll hide just about anywhere. i've been catching snakes for 40-odd years. i pull them out of toilets, people's rest rooms and take them out of churches. they can be found anywhere. anywhere there are rodents where human habitation is. get off my big boy. wherever they find human habitation. you have rodents, wherever the reed ends, of course, you have the cleanup crew that comes along and looks for them. this is where we run into trouble. you come around the corner at 3:00 in the morning and there is a 15 foot snake across the road, the best thing to do is leave it alone. there is always somebody that wants to catch it. we have the results of this gentleman being killed. >> jewels, we know there are some poem not fond of snakes. who fear snakes. >> yeah. >> is there any way to know

which ones we should fear? i mean that old wives tale about the colors that touch and don't touch? is that true? >> pretty much. if it's 15 feet long, you should leave it alone. >> oh, yeah, anything that big, yeah. >> i think so. >> there is no real -- in america we got the coral snake which is red and yellow killer fellow. red and black you're okay jack. but when you get a fright like this, red and black, i think it's right jack, i am not sure. but basically anything with an arrow shaped head. but that's an arrow shaped head. there is no real general rule. whether in doubt, leave it alone. >> oh, yeah. >> they've been around for millions of years. we still don't get it. we still walk up and say what is that and give it a poke. we're pure primate. we're very inquiztive. that's what we do, we poke at things and see what happens. i'm always surprised when the animal tries to poke back.

it's nobody's fault. there is no fault in here. just bad decisions probably. >> and instinct, sure. >> sometimes they end up in a very, very sad -- it's a terrible way to go. it's quick. in fact, you know, these guys that kill you quicker than a cobra. >> really? >> 15 seconds. if you don't have friends and you're on your own this thing wraps around you, 15 seconds you're unconscious and then you die. you're done. >> wow. >> jewels sylvester, you have given us a lot to think about this morning. thank you so much. thank you to steve. >> you're very welcome. >> your little buddy there. >> thanks. >> thank you. still to come, preaching to a flock of sinners and, emphasis on the sinners. we're going toibility deuce a bold and brash preacher who is packing her church with believers. 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.

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we talked about it in the past that a lot of people are turning away from the church.

churches are fighting to bring people back through the doors. the congregants though at the house for all saints and sinners in downtown denver is fighting for every last empty seat. they're filling up. >> i know. with us is nadia webber. she is bold, brash, covered in tattoos and her fans give her the rock star treatment. so her message has gone all the way now to the "new york times" best seller list. >> we're joined by nadia webber now. thank you for joining us this morning. i want to first talk about -- >> my pleasure. >> i want you to talk about the title, "pastrics." >> yeah, so it is actually a term of insult that my detractors started to give mement they think women shouldn't be pastors. and so when they would write hateful things about me on their blogs, they wouldn't use my

actual title which is pastor nadia webber. so they started calling me pastrix. so then i just thought screw it, i'll use that as a title for my memoir which technically means i win. >> yeah. i was going to say. i think you kind of put them in their place with that one. i understand your church is in downtown denver. the name, the house for all sinners and saints is wildly popular. what do you think it is about your church that has people gravitating towards it? >> it's something i'm really curious about myself. i don't have definitive answers about that. i have a lot of curiosity why the people keep showing up. when we started it, i was urban young adults. and now it's just expanded. there are all sorts of different kinds of people there. we have soccer moms who drive in

from the suburbs. we have babyboomers corporate rat people and young adults. i mean it's -- you walk in and you go, you know what? i'm really unclear what all these people have in common. and i think that the thing that they have in common is not so much maybe they all share one particular very specific belief. but i think they all have in common the practice of having an open table. the fact that everyone's welcome to receive the ucris in our church. we don't ask people to check part of their personality or part of their story at the door in order to be accepted. i don't. i don't have like my pastor personality that i put on at church. right? they have a leader who is just who i am. and i'm not really apologetic about it. i really want to help create spaces where other people can be who they are, too. >> and you've been really open about your past drug addiction

and a lot of people actually say they appreciate the openness and that space to tell your entire story. is there still a rift between your church and traditional houses of worship? >> well, i don't know that there's a rift. i think in some ways they're doing the same things. we're just doing them differently. so i have a lot of respect for traditional churches. i can't sort of say they're really doing everything wrong. i think that those churches really thrived in a cultural context that we see waning in the cultural context that we're living in now that i think is only going to be -- we're going to only see it increase. we just had the benefit of being able to start out six years ago to where we're really rooted in

a context rather than quickly trying to adapt to something we don't understand. and, you know what? maybe the way we're doing it will be completely irrelevant in ten years. i can't really speak to that. i don't know. but right now this is what's working. i think one of the things -- one of the things that's really critical to understand is the way in which these people in the congregation are participants, not consumers. they're helping to create what it is that they're experiencing. they're not passively coming in and consuming a relujous product that authorities have assembled for them, you know, in a sort of patronizing way. so they really are participating in what it is that they're experiencing. i think that's important. >> nadia bolz-webber is working. a lot of churches are struggling to bring people in, people are struggling at getting a seat at the house for all saints and sinners in downtown denver. thank you so much for speaking us with. the book is "pastrix."

thank you. >> thank you. >> for more stories on faith, be sure to check out our belief blog at kcnn.com/belief. >> a report on last years attack in benghazi shoots down much of what the gop claimed in accusing the obama administration of cover-up. the administration isn't completely off the rails here either. details on the report and how republicans are reacting next. you make a great team. it's been that way since the day you met.

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an investigation by "the new york times" into last year's attack in benghazi shoots down much of what republicans are saying and accusing the obama administration but it is likely that indpint libyan militias played a key role. >> the report finds it was fueled in part by a u.s. made anti-muslim video but not solely as the obama administration suggested. so some wrongs perhaps on both sides of the aisle. at tack and questions about circumstances surrounding it have been, as you know , the subject of a long running battle. we want to go to the state of the union anchor candy crowley. how is this likely to change the talk about benghazi and how it's used in the political arena?

>> i'm not sure it will. next year is an election year. the fact is you point out there is a little something of everyone in here. there is, of course, that sort of belief that there were just no al qaeda involvement, it appears through this investigation, but no international terrorist group. this appears to be a band of militia which there are many bands within benghazi. the idea that it was the tape in part sparked others to join this ban and it was being stoked by the leaders of the militia. but it was not solely that. there was a preplanned attacked. it wasn't clear this is when we're going to do it. perhaps they took advantage of it and brought other people in. so it's pretty mercury. and there are also, i probably suggest to you that republicans

will say well the people we talked to say it was clear it was terrorist borne. i'm not sure it will change the parameters of the debate. so we're getting word there is some serious girl power maybe coming up on your show today. >> we have four of my favorite gal pals who are coming on to talk about 2013 moments. the top ten political moments. and kind of spin it forward in the 2014. what does it mean for the elections? what does this moment mean if anything for how congress will react. so it's -- it will be a fun show. >> all right. looking forward it to, candy. thank you very much. and stay here for "state the union with candy crowley." starts at the top of the hour, 9:00 a.m. eastern right here on cnn. all right. so there's is an australian ice breaker that is getting closer to this group of stranded

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so you're waking up this morning warm in your bed. nice and toasty. maybe some tea or coffee. yeah, this morning 74 people are

stranded at the end of the earth in the bitter cold as they're waiting for help. that's how they're starting their day. an awe stral january ship is en route to assist the rescue efforts. >> there is a chinese ship that failed to reach the vessel yesterday. it's standing by as well with a helicopter. you think a ship designed to breakthrough the ice and do just that. well, as we explain in this week's "science behind," it's not that easy. >> you'd think that because this is a glacial environment, sea ice would move at a glacial pace, not the case. ice moved quickly, rushed over the sea by wind. they can expand and grow thicker, rise and fall with the waves beneath them. and blizzard conditions common to antarctica even in summer don't help. you might remember this scene from minnesota when wind blew ice ashore from the lake climbing and cracking into doors and windowsment think of this

same principal in a massive frigid sea. can you see a a ves ellen route to antarctic got trapped. they were surrounded and how that ship was eventually crushed. even animals used to these conditions like the trapped whales dramatized in "big miracle" are vulnerable. >> did you see that? >> so what does it take to get through the ice and rescue whaelz, cruise ships or anything else that gets 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 boughs 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 of a froze maze. >> good luck to them. all right.

an engagement ring missing for more than six years is found just in time for the holidays. adam tiller says his fiancee lost the ring a month before their wedding. that was in 2007. >> two weeks ago one of the friends took his car to the auto shop. when hickman went back to pick up his car an auto technician told them they found a die mopped ring during that service. >> and that's when hickman realized, hey, it's the long last ring that belonged to tiller's wife. hickman returned the ring to tiller and he surprised his wife with the ring christmas morning. i wonder how that ring got in his friend's car? he has explaining to do, lucy. i'm kidding. >> so a new york man, he claims a lottery prize more than a year after he stumbled upon a winning ticket. now here's why. we're going to tell you in a moment. you have to understand where he found it. it was hidden in a pile of leaves. >> he was cleaning up debris after superstorm sandy when he

found this ticket which worth more than half a million dollars. here's what he's going to do with it. >> i'm going to buy me a house, help churches and help my family. >> now he had to wait a year because the ticket wasn't his. >> right. "sta "state of the union with koundy crowe candy crowley starts right now." >> the top political moments of this year and what they tell us about the next one. >> today, ladies rule. a special edition of "state of the union." donna brazile, anna navaro and others with their take on 2013 including politicians behaving badly. >> these were anonymous people on the internet. >> historic year for same-sex couples. >> i now declare you spouses for life. >> and -- >> there was a time when i was