your "new day" starts right now. >> announcer: this is "new day" with chris cuomo, kate bolduan and michaela pereira. welcome to "new day," you're looking at auckland, new zealand, where it is about to be new years day. >> there it is! >> happy new year! >> happy new year, new zealand. the fireworks came out of the top of that famous sky tower. they've got an l.e.d. clock around so people all around the city could participate in the countdown. we wanted to start out our show with a happy new year from the other side of the world. we thought it would be fun and also gave john berman a chance to wear his special glasses. 55 degrees we're told in auckland. >> 4.4 million people in new zealand. we don't know how many hobbits

but hobbits also. they're celebrating all over the shire. as we all know, gandolf is an expert with the fireworks. >> he's a bit of an expert from many years back, if you will. we'll take a look at some of the celebrations throughout the morning because we thought this would be the best way to end 013. >> they apparently play the same music there we do here. >> it's a small world after all. >> midnight in new zealand. >> it's always drinking time somewhere john berman says. >> at this early hour sometimes it feels like it's the middle of the night. >> it certainly does. >> michaela pereira, john berman and anna cabrera here. kate and chris both have the day off. we wish them a happy new year. we start with this discussion of bitter, bitter cold and dangerous cold, right here in the u.s. people in the eastern half of the country now feeling the coldest air of the season so far. parts of the midwest and the upper midwest are enduring

subzero temperatures. check out minneapolis. where it will feel like 18 below 0 tonight. it will feel like 7 degrees in chicago, 11 in boston and 21 in new york city where lots of people, including our jennifer grey, who's in for indra petersons, will be watching. the weather and new years begin from a cold times square. you're there before all of the party kicks off. it's still very cold. >> let me just tell you, i can tell you, it is cold out here. it feels like the teens, actual temperatures in the low 20s. we are about 18 hours away from all the excitement here in times square when that ball will drop. it will be packed. let me just give you one key word, layers is what you will need. we were here yesterday and talking to the folks and they are getting excited. they're not letting the weather stop them. a brutal freeze is gripping the eastern half of the country in the final hours of 2013.

>> it's a cold day but a fun day. >> revelers are bundled up and ready to watch the ball drop in new york's times square where temperatures will feel like they're in the teens tonight. >> it's freezing. i've learned layers. i'm all layered up. >> reporter: bitter cold temps won't keep people away from the excitement. >> we have lots of layers and we'll keep together and we'll have a good time. >> reporter: new york is not alone. the midwest is contending with even colder temps for their festivities. parts of minnesota, iowa, illinois, wisconsin and michigan are under wind chill warnings and advisories. the extreme bitter temps are hard to fathom in some parts. this landmark waterfall in minneapolis, frozen slold with wind chills in northern minnesota monday plummeting to 50 below zero. the windy city will mark the new year with temps in the teens and wind chills that feel like 10 below. winds gusting up to 50 miles per hour created dangerous conditions for drivers in

minnesota and north dakota saturday. the arctic blast is also triggering heavy lake-effect snow for parts of the great lakes. and the new year is expected to get off to a snowy start. >> two weather systems converge on the first day of 2014. one model suggests that new england and parts of the i-95 corridor could get hit by a powerful nor'easter, packing heavy snow and bone-chilling temps that could be the cold nest years. some estimates have the storm dumping as much as 6 inches in new york and 10 inches in the boston area. >> why it will be cold in times square, this is not going to be the coldest spot. a lot of areas in the country feeling temperatures 20 and 30 degrees below zero with the wind chill. it will be very cold, the cold air that's in the north will move to the northeast over the next couple of days. and you can see temperatures are just going to plummet. we'll be in the single digits across much of the north as we

go through the next couple of days, as that cold air makes its way to the northeast, we'll see temperatures in the teens by friday. they do recover a little bit by the weekend. if you are ringing in the new year anywhere across the country, chances are you are going to be cold. look at minneapolis. happy new year with 18 degrees below 0. wow. >> jennifer grey, to make you feel better, take you back at least in your mined to new zealand where it's 55 degrees and already new years. doesn't that make you feel better? >> this has been going off for five minutes. they know how to party in auckland. >> can you imagine sittin on the beach and enjoying the new year? >> i wouldn't say i'd rather be there. >> you wouldn't hurt my feelings. >> it would be nice to be there, i'll say that. >> that's okay. i'll let is slide at this point. >> jennifer grey, stay warm,

bundled up. i'll have to send hot chocolate down for her. it will be cold at times square tonight. be sure to tune in from the warmth of your own home at 9:00 p.m. eastern, we send anderson cooper and kathy griffin back for more fun. i like to see how many times kathy can make anderson blush. >> that's a party, folks. we turn to a situation that is very serious and scary in north dakota. many people being forced to leave their homes after a fiery train collision, two trains, smashing into each other about 25 miles west of fargo. one of these trains was carrying crude oil, the other apparently derailed. the impact triggered a series of explosions and now officials fear the smoke from the burning wreck may make people nearby sick. look at that fireball, folks. we're joined now by cass county sheriff paul laney on the phone from casselton.

i do understand you advised people nearby that it would be a good idea to evacuate. >> last night we issued an evacuation order, it was in the a mandatory order but we strongly, strongly recommended that people recognize the order and evacuate the community. i would say we're guessing, it's a rough guess at this point but probably 65% of the community has evacuated, especially those closest to the scene. >> what is the current situation? are the flames still burning? have you been able to do any tests on the air to find out if it in fact is toxic? >> actually the testing crews are here. we met with them a short time ago. they have two or three crews taking readings from different areas, up near as close as they can get to the area and the additional housing that's nearby the scene. and they're starting to spread their way out into the community and getting the readings. the next few hours will tell us

a lot, as far as the current situation, within we can start bringing people back. right now we're going to hold the line. the area is safe, people are out. everybody's accounted for and at this point we're going to let the experts tell us what kind of readings they're getting, the railroad crews are responding and getting set up throughout the night here and ready to attack the fire at daylight. so things are definitely happening and everybody's safe. right now, no fatalities or injuries. we're thankful for that. >> you say no fatalities, no injuries. we've been looking at the dramatic pictures of the fireball and a huge explosion. no one was even hurt on board these trains as it happened? and i should also ask, no reports of any sickness in the surrounding areas from the air? >> as of now, no. what we've been advised by the railroad companies is that their crews are accounted for. there's been mixed stories that there may have been an injury from one of the train crews.

that's not what's being reported to us at this point. but the crews are accounted for. you see the fireball and you see the damage and the aftermath, that's amazing that nobody was hurt. and the closest house was about a quarter to half mile away. there were people inside their homes that could feel the heat from the explosion in their homes. probably three-quarter mile away i had an officer setting up a perimeter. when one of the explosions went in her squad car, she could feel the blast inside her car. >> amazing pictures. the great news, as you say, no one injured at all, no fatalities here. we hope you can have a happy new year and everyone in that community gets back to their homes as soon as and as safely as possible. >> thank you for thinking of us. to russia where the olympic focus is squarely on security after two terror attacks this week in volgograd. authorities found a link between

the bombings monday on a bus and sunday at a train station. new video of that attack is sending shock waves through russia with the death toll now rising and the countdown to the games now at 38 days. diana magnay is in moscow this morning to bring us up to date. we know some of those injured succumbed to their injuries, thus the death toll is rising there. >> reporter: that's right. a couple people dying overnight of their injuries. there's a huge anti-terror operation going on in volgograd right now. michaela, there's something like 5,000 police and security officials there. that's including the regular police there and they're detaining people, searching their documents. there have already been just under 90 people detained, apparently mostly because they don't have documentation for weapons they were carrying. you can get a sense of how deeply and thoroughly investigators are trying to look into this. they're also assessing the debris from both attacks, they say they have body fragments and they're trying to find edward

snowden samples to identify who the bombers were and they've already reached some other conclusions. russian authorities have discovered a link between the two deadly suicide bombings in volgograd. monday morning's attack on a crowded trolley killed 16 and on sunday, a massive explosion rocked the city's railway station. this chilling surveillance video captures the horrific incident. at the security checkpoint where a suicide bomber detonated 22 pounds of tnt, killing 18. authorities say both bombs contained similar shrapnel, a soon they originated from the same region. the attacks highlight the terrorist threat that russia faces. the olympic games are just 400 miles south of the devastation. >> all of the olympic sites have physical security, electronic security. everybody will be screened. i think it will be difficult for

a terrorist to set off a bomb inside a village or venue. >> reporter: russia's president vladimir putin is personally involved in security plans and promising maximum security in sochi. russian authorities say they will not change security measures they already have in place, confident they're well prepared. u.s. authorities have offered full support to the russian government in ramping up security measures. in a statement, the united states olympic committee says in part, we're always concerned with the safety of our delegation and the sochi games are no different in that regard. an effort by the committee to avoid a repeat occurrence of the bombing that killed two at the 1996 olympic games in atlanta. >> what concerns me is when you harden targets, you often force the terrorists to select softer targets. so that makes everything else in sochi and the surrounding area vulnerable. >> reporter: targets like transportation hubs, where tourists and athletes will

travel to and from the games. two issues here, can president putin keep the games safe and does he, as he claims, have the north caucuses under control? those two attacks would suggest he doesn't. back to you. >> thanks to diana magnay in moscow, following the story going on in volgograd. 13 minutes after the hour. a top obamacare official suddenly calling it quits as actual coverage starts kicking in at midnight. michelle snyder was at the wheel when the website sputtered to a start in october and now she's the second high ranking health official to leave, retiring at this critical moment. cnn's athena jones is in honolulu with the latest. athena? >> reporter: good morning, john. michelle snyder was the chief operating officer for the centers for medicare and medicaid services, responsible for supervising the rollout of healthcare.gov. she's retiring for personal reasons after 41 years as a public servant.

she was called a key member of the agency's leadership team and said that snyder had planned to leave last year but stayed on to help with the rollout. this comes as health care providers, insurance companies and pharmacies prepare to deal with thousands of people who could find themselves in a health care coverage limbo, starting tomorrow, thinking they've successfully signed up for coverage only to find out they haven't. this could be due to incomplete applications or errors in transmitting their information from the health exchanges to insurers. those folks who have paid their premiums should bring their insurance i.d. cards with them when seeking treatment or medicines. some providers have said they'll be flexible with people who can prove they've signed up for coverage but still a lot of other people may find if they don't have their insurance i.d. cards or customer i.d.s when it comes to pharmacies they'll have to pay out of pocket for the time being. john? >> athena jones in honolulu where they will be among the last to celebrate new years.

>> it will happen. >> hang in there all day, athena. appreciate it. let's go to anna cabrera. making news right now, a california judge extended his own order to keep a brain dead girl on life support. jahi mcmath will be kept alive until january 7th. the original order was set to expire last night. her family says a facility in new york has agreed to take her but the california hospital won't help. that hospital says it's not had any serious talks with any facility about transferring jahi and the girl had complications after a tonsillectomy. the state department is reis suring the family of al qaeda hostage, warren weinstein, saying a lot of people are working behind the scenes to secure his release. he was a consultant, helping with community projects in pakistan when gunmen stormed into his apartment and took him captive more than two years ago. it's believed al qaeda leader aymanal zawahiri is holding him. a worker at boston's logan

international airport is dead. this happened near the airport's cargo terminal near a parked plane. police say the truck's driver will be tested for drugs and alcohol, though he did not show any obvious signs of impairment. gun owners in connecticut are racing to meet a deadline to register their assault weapons and their high capacity imagine zoo -- magazines. this new law widens the definition of assault weapons and bans the sale or purchase of magazines that hold more than ten rounds of ammunition. okay. listen up netflix users, some of your favorite movies, tv shows, they're set to disappear from the site come new years day. more than 80 movies and a handful of tv shows will expire, no longer be available for instant streaming. among those being purged are "titanic," "top gun," the classics and "being john

malkovich." some seasons of "saturday night live" even are set to expire. the company says it frequently narrows its list of available items and say these have to go. while it brings other new items in. i have netflix. i have the hardest finding the new hits. maybe this will help. >> they have to make room. >> last day they took away "downton abbey." >> next up on "new day," it turns out helicopters may be the only way out for dozens of people still trapped aboard that ship in the antarctic ice. we'll have the latest on what is being done to get them out. and we have the information you need to know to stay on the right side of the law in 2014. a lot of new laws taking effect at midnight. if you're not careful, they could land you in some serious trouble.

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. i've quit for 75 days. 15 days, but not in a row. for the first time, you can use nicorette... even if you slip up... so you can reach your goal. [ male announcer ] now, quit on your own terms with nicorette or nicoderm cq.

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so glad you could join us for "new day." there is a new plan in place this morning to rescue some of the 74 people stranded on a ship in antarctica. the russian research vessel has been stuck in unusually thick ice since christmas eve. after three failed attempts by ice breaking ships, now a helicopter will be used to air lift passengers. matthew chance is live in london with the very latest. happy new year to you, matthew. >> happy new year to you, michaela. it's the only plan according to rescue workers that is going to get these people out of that packed ice. they've abandoned all the attempts to reach the stranded research special by sea,

instead, they're going to air lift the passengers and some of the crew to safety once weather conditions permit. this morning, new video, dozens of passengers walking arm in arm, doing what they can to speed their rescue. >> we've just landlord at aurora can't reach us. they are preparing the helipad by getting the team to stomp down the snow and ice so the snow dragon can reach us when the weather improves. >> reporter: it's not expected to get better until at least one more day. in the meantime, the crew has marked the spot in the ice where the chopper can land. once it does, it will transport 12 people at a time to a chinese ice breaker, then a barge will ferry them from the ice breaker to another strip, the 14ship se

out to retrace the steps of douglas morsen. they got stuck in thick ice. >> this was big chunks of ice. really thick, lots of years. lots of years worth of growth. this is the no going to be easy. the captain was persevering and trying to get through that. you could tell it wasn't going to happen. >> reporter: since christmas, three separate ice breaker ships have tried and failed to cut a path to the research vessel. once the rescue does happen, a skeleton crew will be left behind. but for most of the 74 people marooned, this antarctic ordeal may soon be coming to an end. we're keeping a close eye on the situations situation as it develops there. at the moment, the winds are far too high for the rescue teams to operate successfully. >> it's still a delicate operation.

skeleton crew will stay on board. they're not abandoning ship altogether. they want to get the eco tourists if you will, out thereof and to safety. >> the skeleton crew needs to stay by because there could be an economic calamity if the ship is left there and unaccounted for. it is money time now. the last day of a pretty amazing year for the stock market. business correspondent zane asher joins us now. >> we are about to close the books on the best year in stocks since 1997. by this year, the dow is up 26 -- i can hardly believe it by the way. the nasdaq up 38% and the s&p 500 up 29%. pretty much three times what you'd find in a normal year. some pricey parties scheduled for tonight. ripley's believe it or not, could cost you almost $1,000. yes. >> that's not going to cameo.

>> cameo nightclub in miami are offering 75 bottles of champagne in a meet and greet with lil wayne for $100,000. but of course if you don't want to pay anything, the ball drop in times square is free. it will just be you and 1 million of your best buds as well. >> we can celebrate here. check this out, this is actually the most expensive television in the world, $150,000, 110 inch model, samsung started to sell it in south korea. they say they've received ten orders for it, all from the middle east. >> the blue models are not included by the way. >> no word yet when it's going to be available in the u.s. >> which is a shame. i was thinking about ordering one. >> to go with your $100,000 new years party in miami. >> with lil wayne. >> our party, $7.99 right here. >> john berman is our entertainment. zain, you in?

>> i'm in, i'm in. next up on "new day," a spectacular eruption at one of the world's most famous volcanos. we take you to italy where eyes are on mt. etna this morning. why going skiing right now may not be the safest thing to do this time of year. we will have the details, coming up. if yand you're talking toevere rheuyour rheumatologistike me, about trying or adding a biologic. this is humira, adalimumab. this is humira working to help relieve my pain. this is humira helping me through the twists and turns. this is humira helping to protect my joints from further damage. doctors have been prescribing humira for over ten years.

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half past the hour. welcome back to "new day." let's get to anna. she has today's top stories. >> good morning, michaela and john and to you at home.

we can't forget the bitter cold start to 2014. temps expected to be in the 20s for ball drop in times square. winds even colder, in chicago, we're talking teens. some of the northern states might not get above zero degrees this week. once the confetti has fallen, we could see snow follow. late-breaking developments out of north dakota where a massive fire is still burning after an explosive collision involving two different trains. look at the fireball here. cass county sheriff paul laney telling "new day" just a few minutes ago that 65% of casselton has been evacuated because of all that thick, black smoke, still coming from the wreckage there. nearby homes were rattled by this explosion, people could feel the heat by as far as half a mile away. crews are now on that scene just starting to test the air for toxins. so far, no reports of any injuries. new video this morning of the phoenix bank robbery suspect

gunned down after a shootout with police. this is mario edward garnett, seen walking around that bank with his gun drawn, making demands. this was on saturday. garnett was shot by plain clothesed officers after exiting the bank and engaging in a shootout. officials believe he's the same man who shot and killed a police officer in mississippi. kim jong-un is marking the new year with a visit to the ski resort, the ski resort he is building. as a pet project of sorts for himself and the country's elite. it features 70 miles of ski runs, a hotel, heliport and ski lifts. he told state media it will open very soon. he was seen touring the resort with an ally of his uncle, the one he had executed earlier this month. a university in michigan is ready to put a few of the year's overused words to bed.

lake superior university has put out a list of the most annoying words, self-ie, twerk, those are a couple of the words the university wants to banish due to overuse and overall fatigue. the list is made up of nominations sent to the school throughout the year, a couple of the other words, twittersphere as well as hash tag. >> i might add totes. >> totes magotes. >> i like totes magotes. i'll stop at totes. it's time for our political gut check, new years eve edition. it's the first day for the plans under obamacare will take effect.

a lot of people wondering will it go smoothly, especially given everything that happened with the obamacare rollout. we're joined by the executive editor of the daily beast, john avalon, here to break it all down for us. we're a few hours away from when these health plans take effect, when people start using the insurance they've been trying to sign up for since october 1st. there was a lot of talk about the back end, whether or not it would be implemented smoothly. how high are the concerns right now? >> i think this will be flawless, given the history of the rollout. this is where the rubber meets the road, right? one of the challenges the president and administration faces isn't just the precedent of the website is the fact that any problems and frustrations that people have with their health care they will blame on obama and obamacare. >> i think there are people looking for problems and frustrations with the rollout of the insurance who may highlight that. >> you think? >> yes. >> i don't know, somewhere i think there's a partisan media

that might jump all over that. of course. if things aren't as bad as been advertised, there could be a reality check that kicks in before november. now is where the rubber meets the road. if there are bumps, there will be the moment where the voices get ratcheted up real quick. >> the white house is looking for obamacare success stories apparently to start highlighting and promoting the minute it goes into service tomorrow. >> of course. >> and whenever you can engage with the "p" word, propaganda, life has a way of poking holes in that. >> we reflect on the year to come and the mistakes we made in the past, speaking of obamacare. some would point to other political missteps, benghazi, we saw the president's poll numbers suffer as a consequence. what do you think he has to do to get back on track, looking into the new year/. >> i think the president's number one challenge, this is

not being reactive is reining in the mistakes. it's a historic opportunity for a president who was a constitutional law professor is who is nowen kmader in chief to reconcile those two things. that's one of the biggest fights he can take. he has to have a steadier hand on the tiller and allow a sense of per spektive to kick in about obamacare. the biggest thing is something we're not talking about, the ability to where he can rein in the service state that's cut his credibility in many ways. >> will he be accommodating or confrontational? what do you think will be the first sign here? >> state of the union, january 20th. the fact this is a midterm election year, surprise, surprise, capitol hill doesn't

like to be any more productive than it was in the past. probably less so. i think there are imperatives on things like immigration reform. if the president chooses to be simply confrontational, there could be blow-back come the midterm elections. this is really about whether the midterm elections can show some gain, where it actually ends up breaking the fever. we've heard a lot of that talk on capitol hill. the parties are deeply entrenched. the republicans realize, they have a problem with the extreme of their own party. that's going to be one of the fascinating things to watch play out this year. >> happy new year. we'll all be needing some of this. >> you have a little one at home. you'll turn in early tonight? >> no turning in early. the turn of the calendar will mean a whole lot of new laws that could affect anywhere from what you can spoke to what you can do with your pets. we'll break it all down. despite all that beautiful

white snow on so many slopes, this is a dangerous time of year to ski. there have been a lot of avalanches lately. the information you need to know to stay safe, coming up. [ ostad ] most people have never even heard of acid erosion. there's a lot of fruits and drinks that have acids in them that you might not know about. salad dressings, raspberries, strawberries... they all have acid in them, and it's working at your enamel. once the enamel is gone, it's gone. you can't get it back. i would recommend using pronamel as your regular toothpaste. pronamel will help to re-harden the enamel

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welcome back to "new day." let's go around the world. we'll start in italy where a famous volcano, mt. etna is erupting, showering lava and ash. erin mclaughlin has that. >> mt. etna is at it again, europe's tallest and most active volcano erupted in the early hours of monday morning, sending plumes of smoke and debris into the air, illuminating the italian skyline. this is the 20th eruption of 2013. while it may look ominous, they say it's posed no risk to nearby residents. the last major eruption was in 1992. back to you, michaela.

>> thanks so much, erin. and in china, a spectacular city chiselled from ice has taken shape. can you say frozen skyscrapers? anna coren has details. >> braving subzero temperatures, they are making the final prep tags to the snow and ice festival which opens in the new year. this 30-year tradition show cases massive skull -- sculpture s made from ice and snow. back to you, michaela. >> how cool is that? >> that's plain cool. >> the new year means a lot of things. one of the things it means is new laws from florida to washington state. an estimated 40,000 will take effect next year.

many of them begin at midnight tonight. it's time to bone up. learn what's what. cnn's rosa flores has what you need to know to stay on the right side of the new laws in 2014. >> reporter: from flash mob crackdowns to pet lemon laws. 2014 will ring in nearly 40,000 new state rules. here are the highs and the lows. smoking a reefer in colorado is legal but don't toss the butt of a cigarette in a public street in illinois. it's considered littering. you could pay in cash or jail time. don't even think about lighting one in a car with a child in oregon. the beaver state won't allow it. >> first we said can you smoke in this part of the restaurant? we said can you smoke outside, down the street? then we said can you move to another state? we do not like regular smokers. meanwhile, when it comes to marijuana, marijuana is fast becoming a legal substance in the united states.

>> reporter: but new moms in oregon can get away with this, taking their placentas home from the hospital, if you're wondering why do that in the first place? some experts think eating it has positive health benefits. >> as long as they're not giving it to other people to eat. i suppose it's okay. >> reporter: and talking about health, no more tanning beds for some teens in illinois and oregon. you'll have to be 18 to tan in a salon in those places. >> what a happy girl. >> reporter: but you don't have to keep your new pet if it's sick. illinois's new pet lemon law allows people to return a pet if an illness was not disclosed by the seller. and in colorado, gender identity matters. >> the student who identifies as a different gender may feel comfortable in that bathroom. what about the other student? s i think that will be a problem and parents may really revolt

against this law. >> reporter: serious moves can have serious consequences in illinois. the maximum penalty doubled to six years prison time for organizing a violent flash mob using social media. rosa flores, cnn, new york. >> did you get that all? write it down. >> it's a long list. >> pay attention. jennifer grey, in for indra petersons is in times square taking a look at this forecast which is set to be a very cold one this year. >> yes. we're in times square, feels like the teens, actual temperatures in the 20s. and this is nothing. over the next couple of days it will only get worse, feel like roughly 17, 18 degrees as you ring in the new year in times square and if that's not cold enough, just give it time. we have a system that's pushing across the coast and it is going to bring possibly snow and a lot of it to the northeast. we already have very, very cold air in place.

there are actually two scenarios with this, computer models aren't quite agreeing yet. one takes it well offshore which would be the best case scenario. worst case has the low sitting closer to shore and that can mean a lot of snow. let's track it as it goes across the country. by the time it makes it to the northeast, thursday night, friday time frame. if this is the track that it takes, this could mean possibly 6 to 8 inches of snow in stork city, 8 to 10 in places like boston. we're talking snow in the northeast, significant when you're talking about temperatures in the teens and single digits across much of the country with this storm system. not only the snow, it's going to bring cold temperatures and folks better bring layers today, to times square. let me just tell you, it is very, very cold. we're less than 18 hours away, guys, from the big moment, watching the ball drop. this place will be packed in a

couple of hours for sure. >> you're going to stay right there to secure your position? >> you have a front row seat. >> not a chance! you know what, i'm going to tell all of my friends, you know what i was in times square for new years eve. >> that's true. >> i was there. >> you have pictures to prove it. you might want to photo shop some other people in the crowd. >> that's the way all of us go to bed at 6:00 p.m. >> i saw her leave with the studio and she had a bag of layers. she's very well prepared. >> jennifer, hang in there. next up for us on "new day," if you're planning to go skiing this week, a new warning about the potential dangers. avalanches, they seem to be happening more frequently, especially this time of year. the reasons you need to be extra careful on the slopes, coming up. and peyton manning may not be the best after all. his newest record could be snatched away. over seven yards. you heard me right. over seven yards. that's coming up. i quit smoking.

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welcome back to "new day," everyone. tim tebow will be back in football next season, sort of. >> okay. >> andy scholes joins us now with more in the "the bleacher report." >> when you wake up on saturday mornings next fall to watch college football, tim tebow will be there to break it all down. espn announced yesterday they've signed tebow to be a part of their new s.e.c. network that will launch next fall. tebow isn't giving up on football just yet. he said he'll pursue his dream of playing quarterback in the

nfl but the opportunity with espn was too good to pass up. tebow is going to make his tv debut during next week's bcs national championship game. already, number two on bleacherreport.com, peyton manning's record for yards in a season, the nfl is currently reviewing this play where peyton manning made a pass to eric decker. it went for seven yards but it really does look like it's a lateral. the nfl could actually change this to a running play and if they do, he would fall six yards shy of drew brees's previous record for passing yards in a season. >> that would be hard. the team alake with the make a wish foundation made 8-year-old charvis's dream come true. they gave him a contract and a draft hat.

he got to have a wish come true and made history to become the youngest player to ever be drafted in the nba. >> that is fantastic. >> what a cool deal for him. >> look at how happy that kiddo was. >> youngest draft in the nba. i like it. >> andy scholes, we hope you have a fantastic and shave new year. >> you, too, guys. >> thanks. december of course marks the start of the ski season, many flocking to the resorts for a winter retreat. the early part of ski season can often be the most dangerous. there have been avalanches, accidents, as skiers push things too far. there is good news about a famous race car driver hurt in a ski accident, michael schumacher. his doctors say he has improved slightly after surgery in france. let's go back to poppy harlow for what you need to know about the dangers of skiing. >> that's good news about michael schumacher overnight

having a second surgery. 34 deaths in the united states from avalanches last year. and there are special avalanche advisories being issued for the holiday right now in colorado, in wyoming. a lot of skiers out west may be spending more time in the lodge than on the slopes. trails are closed at this utah resort after an avalanche temporarily buried several skiers monday morning. >> nothing to play with. it's serious stuff. and you know, just glad everybody is okay. >> they do their best to control the environment. we're mother nature and you can't always predict what's going to happen. >> they were lucky to get out, near the wyoming/idaho border, two people died in the last week when a skier and snowmobiler were buried in two separate avalanches. look at this unbelievable video, captured as brothers edwin and davis lamare were off trail skiing in colorado. >> is that an avalanche? we're in an avalanche.

>> what? >> reporter: davis rushed to his brother's side. he was buried up to his head in snow after being caught in a sudden avalanche. edwin survived with only a leg injury, lucky his brother was there to help. >> skiing within sight of a partner is always a good idea. making sure that others know where you're going, staying in control, having the problem equipment. >> reporter: avalanches often take place after fresh powder piles on top of frozen over snow. this amazing video of a free skier in spain was meant to be part of a car commercial. when he got caught in an avalanche he deployed an inflatable backpack that saved his life. the accident turned into an ad for the company instead. the common equipment you need to have with you, a beacon,

a probe, a shovel at a minimum. you should be prepared and educate yourself, know before you go. >> reporter: absolutely also always wear a helmet. most people don't. experts say helmets can be life saving as in the case of michael schumacher and in addition to that, you saw the inflatable backpack. there's also a device called an avalong, enabling you to hold your breath under the snow for about 30 minutes as rescuers dig you out. always go with someone who can dig you out, call for help. they said it may seem like why would you ski with a cell phone? always bring a cell phone with a charged battery. you can call for help or the gps signal. >> they can ping your location. >> it's a sad reality but we have to be aware of this. >> it seems like it's more frequent but experts say more

people are skiing off piste or off trail. a contestant on the price is right is going to have a very happy 2013. sherri hill won a car, price tag $157,300. check her out. jumping for joy, disbelief. what we'd all do if we won a prize like that. the car makes sherri the biggest prize winner in the price it right history. her t-shirt said "being on the price is right is on her bucket list." >> she's going to pop a blood vessel. >> she deserved the car. >> wouldn't you? i would lose my mind. >> congratulations. >> i love that. i love that. we have worries in north dakota after a dramatic train collision and this explosion. look at that. evacuations are under way amid concern that the smoke could be toxic. we'll have the latest. [ female announcer ] right when you feel a cold sore,

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it's going to be cold. layers. >> new years freeze, a brutal cold hits much of midwest. tonight, many partying outdoors in below freezing temperatures. will your celebration be frozen out? rescue by air, helicopters set to rescue those stranded passengers, trapped on a ship in the antarctica. the song that has nasa

officials upset. why does the song use audio from the nasa "challenger" explosion? this is "new day" with chris cuomo, kate bolduan and michaela pereira. >> such excitement over it being a new day. good morning. welcome back to "new day." so glad you could join us for this final day of december, the final day of the year, december 31st. 7:00 in the east. kate and chris are off today, taking a well deserved vacation. we put john berman and anna cabrera to the test. >> john is bringing the party. >> show them your glasses. these are great. >> 2014. we have the champagne. >> he's ready. >> never too early to celebrate. >> he has it nearby. >> just in case, for commercials. >> while it is still new years eve here and here -- >> don't mind me. >> bring us the news. come on. it's 2014 in new zealand. see the focus right here? this was the celebration as 2013

turned to 2014 in auction land. hundreds of thousands turned out. you can hear the cheers and the music and the sounds and a fantastic fireworks display. they had a wonderful l.e.d. clock lit up in the sky so everyone around the city could see the countdown happen. >> those fireworks went on and on. >> who was responsible for those fireworks? >> gandolf. >> he's a father to be sure. >> two minutes after the hour right now. back here in the u.s., we are closing out 2013 with another dose of dangerous arctic air. it is cold. people in the eastern half of the country now feeling the coldest jolt so far this season. parts of the upper midwest are enduring around the clock subzero temperatures. in minneapolis -- look at that, minneapolis, i can't even say it because it's so scary, 18 below we'll feel like there.

other major cities also not being spared. 7 in chicago, 11 in boston. 21 in new york city. jennifer grey, in for indra petersons is watching the forecast from a very cold times square. i should tell you, jennifer has about 37 layers on right now. >> yes. i had more layers on but i was so stuffed in here, i couldn't move my arms. i had to take one of the layers off. the ball will be dropping in about 17 hours. i was wondering if i was going to be the only person here watching the ball drop. i spotted the first group of people to show up in times square, miley cyrus fans with their miley for president signs. they'll have a front row seat for the ball dropping and it is going to be cold. definitely bring on the layers. a brutal freeze is gripping the eastern half of the country in the final hours of 2013. >> it's a cold day but a fun day. >> reporter: revelers are bundled up and ready to watch

the ball drop in new york's times square where temperatures will feel like they're in the teens tonight. >> we have lots of layers. we'll have a good time. >> reporter: new york is not alone. the midwest is contending with even colder temps for their festivities. parts of minnesota, iowa, illinois, wisconsin and michigan are under wind chill warnings and advisories. the extreme bitter temps are hard to fathom in some parts. this landmark waterfall in minneapolis, frozen solid with wind chills in northern minnesota monday plummeting to 50 below zero. the windy city will mark the new year with temps in the teens and wind chills that feel like 10 below. winds gusting up to 50 miles per hour created dangerous conditions for drivers in minnesota and north dakota saturday. the arctic blast is also triggering heavy lake-effect snow for parts of the great lakes.

and the new year is expected to get off to a snowy start. >> two weather systems converge on the northeast on the first day of 2014. one model suggests that new england and parts of the i-95 corridor could get hit by a powerful nor'easter, packing heavy snow and bone-chilling temps that could be the cold coldest in years. some estimates have the storm dumping as much as 6 inches in new york and 10 inches in the boston area. >> guys, it is going to be cold. the northern plains are cold, around the great lakes and here in the northeast, this is just the beginning. temperatures will feel like the teens as that ball drops tonight and it is only going to get colder from here. look at those temperatures in the north. those are current wind chills. as we go through the next three days, single digits across the northern plains, detroit 17 by friday. and then that cold air travels to the northeast. look at new york city's high on friday. 17 and we'll be in the 20s in

boston and temperatures in the teens, even in pittsburgh. wind chill, these are your midnight temperatures across the country, below zero in minneapolis, bismarck and even in the teens across places in texas. guys? >> times square folks aren't going to be the only ones. hopefully they'll have about a million neighbors snuggle up against you and stay warm. >> lean on a friend. >> just to make matters worse, jennifer, i moved here from los angeles. tomorrow is the rose parade on new years day. i wanted to see how nice it was going to be. 76 degrees in los angeles tomorrow. >> well done. >> i moved here from miami. i've never felt farther away from miami as i do now. >> right this moment. >> miami is in the 70s. >> think warm thoughts, miami thoughts. >> i can see the look of doubt. >> palm trees and sand. palm trees and sand. >> jennifer grey in times square, thank you so much. you can see things just sort of getting started behind jennifer right now. it will be quite a party there.

1 million people. so tune in tonight at 9:00 p.m. eastern as anderson cooper and kathy griffin welcome in the new year right there in times square. starts at 9:00 eastern. you will not want to miss a second on cnn because something is bond to happen. >> absolutely. turning back to our other news right now, there is growing concern in north dakota this morning after a powerful explosion, just look at this, ripped through an area west of fargo, two trains colliding. one was carrying crude oil, the other derailed. now the smoke from that burning wreck forced thousands of from the small town of casselton out of their homes. we're joined been i phone by cass county sheriff laney. has everyone been able to get out of town safely? >> the evacuation went smoothly. we were able to communicate through the media. we've drilled these types of

exercises a number of times. we were very, very happy and impressioned with how smooth it actually went. we're testing about 65% of the community has been evacuated. a number of people did choose to stay. we made it -- we did not make it mandatory. we strongly, strongly encouraged because of the fumes, because of that plume of smoke. >> we know you train for situations just like this. give us an idea the wind conditions there today. are you concerned that the wind is going to take that toxic air further afield? >> we very much were last night. initially the wind was out of the north and the northwest. we didn't really get a break there. as it switched around, it came straight out of the west and the wreck and wreckage is straight west of the town about a half mile. it was going to push that plume back towards the city. that was our biggest concern at the time. we knew we had a few hours

because of the timing, the winds weren't going to change until later last night. so we made the call, myself in consultation with the mayor and chairman of the county commission to recommend the evacuation. and people listened. it was orderly and it went very well. we were able to get the majority out before the winds change. it looks like they'll change back on it and maybe start pushing it away. we have experts here. there's a number of crews monitoring the air and looking at the particles in the air. by midmorning we should have a good idea of what the quality of the air is. we'll start making decisions on how long people need to be out and when we can start opening the community back up. they're also outside right now. it will be a while working on the wreckage. there are still cars burning. the railroad firefighting crews are dealing with this.

they have an action plan. at daylight we're going to kick into the next phase of that. and then at that point we'll see how long it takes them to knock it down. keep in mind, there's 10 to 12 cars out there still burning. >> yes. that's sheriff of casselton, cass county, paul laney. we hope the folks in the community in north dakota will get out safely. there have been no fatalities. >> thank you so much for keeping us in your thoughts on this new year. we're thankful, when you see that explosion, that nobody was hurt. >> agreed. thanks so much, sheriff. ten minutes after the hour. a blizzard preventing the rescue of those trapped on a ship stranded in antarctica after three failed attempts by ice-breaking ships, the new plan is to send in a helicopter to

air lift passengers. problem is that may not happen anytime soon. now after spending christmas on board that ship, they will ring in the new year as well. matthew chance live in london with the latest. good morning, matthew. >> reporter: good morning, john. that's right. they'll be bringing in the new year. they've posted video messages of themselves preparing for the new years celebrations. there is a new plan, you're absolutely right. it's the only plan that's going to work according to the rescue officials. they've abandoned all the attempts to reach that stranded research vessel by sea with ice breakers. instead they'll stand back, send in a helicopter. they can only do that once weather conditions allow. this morning, new video, dozens of passengers walking arm in arm doing what they can to speed their rescue. >> we've just learned the aurora can't reach us. we're preparing the helipad by getting the team to stomp down in the snow and ice so the

chinese helicopter from snow dragon can reach us when the weather improves. >> reporter: the weather conditions are not expected to get better until at least one more day. in the meantime, the crew has marked the spot in the ice where the chopper can land. once it does, it will transport 12 people at a time to a chinese ice breaker, then a barge will ferry them from the ice breaker to another strip, the ship set out to retrace the steps of douglas morsen. he studied life on the frozen continent a century ago. they got stuck in thick ice. >> this was big chunks of ice. really thick, lots of years. lots of years worth of growth. this is not going to be easy. >> reporter: since christmas, three separate ice breaker ships have tried and failed to cut a

path to the research vessel. once the rescue does happen, a skeleton crew will be left behind. but for most of the 74 people marooned, this antarctic ordeal may soon be coming to an end. we're keeping a close eye on the situation. the weather conditions they're enduring something in the region of minus 22 degrees fahrenheit. far too cold, far too windy at present for the helicopters to safely operate. back to you. >> doesn't sound pleasant but they keeping their spirits up. matthew chance, appreciate it. we'll talk about serious international terrorism concerns. the big question over whether athletes and fans will be safe at the olympics coming up in russia, that is the big question after two terror attacks this week just 38 days before the games. the death toll from the bombings, talking about just 400 miles from sochi, the death toll stands at 34 and authorities say they have found a link between both these attacks. for more now on the security

concerns let's bring in raymond may, a former fbi agent and president of security consultants international corporation. may managed counterterrorism security planning and operations for the 2002 games in salt lake city. he provided assistance for the 2006 winter games in turin in italy. he joins us now from salt lake city. thanks so much for joining us. >> good to be here, john. >> so in salt lake city in 2002, obviously it happened in the wake of september 11th here in the u.s., concerns over terrorism were very, very high. sochi is a different situation. what you have now is weeks before the game, these blasts happening a couple hundred miles away. how high do you believe the concerns are right now? how worried would you be? >> well, the concerns are obviously very high. and security always is the focus of attention prior to the games and the runup period just before the games. however, i believe that the

russians will be up to the job and safety and security will be paramount in the sochi area. i believe these games will be safe and secure. >> you say there are always terrorism kerns. indeed there are. security is always a major issue. you seem to have specific threats coming from this chechen insurgent leader who calls the games s s satanic. he wants to disrupt the games in sochi. do you believe that's a particular reason for concern? >> it's definitely something out of the realm we're not used to hearing, someone coming directly out in making threats like this. however, all these threats have been considered by the russians. in the wake of 9/11. all of this goes into the various factors that you have to consider in terms of planning and pep ration. i still believe the russians will be up to the job and they are going to do a great job with

these games. >> you talk about the russians being up to the job. there was an interesting statement yesterday from the international security council here in the united states. it condemned the terror attacks in volgograd. the end of the state said this, we would welcome the opportunity for closer cooperation for the safety of the athletes, spectators and other participants. to me, that read that u.s. officials wish they would have some greater involvement in what's going on there. >> i mean, that's a very -- a difficult thing, because of the fact that a country that's hosting the games wants to -- this is an opportunity for that country to show their capabilities and their ability to stand up to the job. every country will have their own -- this is their chance to show the world that they're capable of doing this. we did the same thing in 2002. you recently saw that in london in 2012 and certainly this is an

opportunity for us to cooperate with the russians better and the games provide that great opportunity. >> what do you think the biggest risks are in sochi right now? who is most at risk, the athletes or the spectators? >> i don't believe the risk will be there for anyone to tell you the truth. i believe that the outer perimeter will be highly secure. the resources, the security, the personnel that will be brought to bear on this event will make it safe and secure environment. what happens throughout the country of russia is a whole other ball game in terms of what can happen in places like volgograd. however, i believe that the area immediately in sochi where the events -- the various venues will host the various events for 17 days swell the outer perimeter surrounding the city of sochi will be a safe and

secure environment for our athletes and the participants that will be at these games. >> you make a very good point. there are concerns that terrorists might use this opportunity to attack other parts of that country, not just the games. raymond may, thank you so much for joining us. really appreciate it. >> thank you, john. let's go to anna cabrera for some of the day's other top stories. >> thanks, john. making news, the see-saw swing of obamacare news continues, following a reports of a big surge in enrollment, a big health official is calling it quits. she's retiring as coverage just begins and the white house is bracing for possible startup stutters. athena jones is in honolulu this morning. you know there will be a lot of eyes watching, a lost anticipation for how this new health care system is actually going to work. >> that's right, anna. michelle snyder was the chief mating officer for the centers for medicare and medicaid

services. she's stepping down after 41 years, retiring for personal reasons. she was called a key member of the agency's leadership team and said she had planned to step down a year ago but stayed on to help out with the health care rollout. the white house health insurance providers, health care providers and pharmacies are preparing to deal with thousands of people who could find themselves in a health care coverage limbo starting tomorrow, thinking they've successfully signed up for coverage and finding out they haven't. this could be due to errors in transmitting their information from the health exchanges to the insurers or it could be because of incomplete applications and other reasons. those who have paid their premium and have their insurance i.d. cards should bring those with them if they go and seek treatment or medicines. but those people who don't yet have an insurance i.d. card but those people -- >> honolulu following the first

family is doing over the holiday, we appreciate your time this morning. alaska, nevada, new york, north dakota, texas and virginia. now, the goal is to test the droughns in a range of terrains and scenarios to see if they're safe for general use by the public and the industry. an arizona woman is behind bars accused of stabbing her ex-husband and poisoning her four kids on christmas day. killing one of them. connie villa faces one count of murder, four counts of attempted murder. authorities say she forced her children to take prescription narcotics. her 13-year-old daughter died. her other kids, ages 3, 5 and 8 survived. the exboyfriend is in stable condition. boston's new years celebrations include a special display for the heroes and the

victims of the marathon bombings. this ice sculpture unveiled monday night near the finish line. it will be unveiled at dusk. security will be tight across the city with up to a million people also expected to take part in those celebrations. now this isn't a scene from the mel gibson movie "signs." this is actual footage of giant crop circles that appeared on this farm near the central california coast. two friends driving on a nearby sunday night said they witnessed strange bursts of light flashing on the horizon. they videotaped that, posted it on youtube, bringing curious onlookers. no one has yet come forward to admit they are behind it. >> we're going to get to the bottom of this. >> i see lawnmower tracks. >> the truth is out there. >> anna, thank you so much. coming up next on "new day,"

another new york tradition. a horse drawn carriage ride through central park but they may become a thing of the past if the new mayor has his way. it's a controversial move that has a lot of people talking. is this sending the wrong kind of message to teens? we went to the mile high city to find out. it takes on a whole new meaning. we're aig. and we're here. 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.

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he keeps sliding this bottle of champagne in front of me. the horse-drawn carriages could soon be riding into the sunset. mayor-elect de blasio may soon outlaw them, calling them inhumane. margaret conley joins us with more. >> it's a horse buggy battle. some tourists are flocking to central park to see the horses or go for a ride one last time as mayor elect bill de blasio says it's over. horse drawn carriage rides, an iconic way for so many visitors to take in central park. soon they may be a thing of the past. tomorrow he takes over for

michael bloomberg. >> we are going to get rid of the carriages, period. it's over. >> reporter: they've been celebrated on film here in "barefoot in the park." >> we just got married! >> reporter: and on tv, including "sex and the city." >> i wasn't going to question any of it, not even how he found a horse-drawn sleigh in the middle of manhattan. >> that's part of new york city! >> it's one of the things you need to do. >> don't get rid of the horses. or we won't come back. >> how many horses have to die? >> reporter: an man rights groups have long been calling a ban on the rides. they argue the animals are forced to live in conditions that are inhumane. >> the horses are not kept in a good condition. >> reporter: mayor elect de blasio says he's open to suggestions.

steven malone says the move to get rid of the horses just won't work and that he and other drivers plan to fight it in court. >> the horses are the star. he's the star. that's what people come for. you can't create that with an electric car. you'll never create it. >> reporter: the two sides are going back and forthwith animal rights groups saying horses don't belong in an urban setting, they breathe exhaust and it's too dangerous for them to dodge traffic. the carrier says the horses lead great lives, the horses get at least five weeks vacation time with some of them getting up to six months off. de blasio hired legal counsel to try to get this done. >> wow. people visiting from all around the country and world love having their pictures taken on those trips. >> the political lines are drawn here. i think the mayor has been crystal clear what he wants to do. >> that's going to be a big hit.

lots of horse-drawn carriages. >> makes it hard to run, actually. >> i was dodging them. >> there's the leftover stuff. happy new year. coming up next on "new day," with recreational marijuana about to become legal in colorado, there aren't new concerns about teenagers, it's still illegal for them but is there any way to stop them from getting their hands on pot? we'll have that story. and could this photo bomb be a fake? >> no. >> a california mother says it's real. so why all the questions? is anything on the internet actually real? that and more when "new day" return. s. wish i saw mine more often, but they live so far away. i've been thinking about moving in with my daughter and her family. it's been pretty tough since jack passed away. it's a good thing you had life insurance through the colonial penn program. you're right. it was affordable, and we were guaranteed acceptance.

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it is the bottom of the hour. thank you so much for the champagne and for coming to join us on "new day." anna has a look at some of the top stories. making news this morning, mother nature once again. we're ending 2013 with another deep freeze. people in the eastern half of the country expected to feel the coldest jolt that they've had so far this season. parts of north dakota, minnesota, wisconsin, and michigan, not expected to climb above zero. forecasts show subzero temperatures in new england and upstate new york as we head into the new year. some late developments from north dakota this morning after two trains collided just west of fargo. this powerful explosion followed a couple of trains that collided, leading to mass evacuations. thousands have been forced from their homes and crews this morning are testing the air for toxins.

sheriff paul laney tells "new day" there have still been no reports of any injuries. the russians insist they have solid security in place for the sochi olympics after two terror attacks in the country just this week. authorities sa say they will not change security measures and the u.s. is offering up support if needed. the death toll has risen to 34 from those attacks on a bus and the train station. new video has arisen as well. a wild ride for a walmart manager in florida. mike dawson tells police two people shoplifted a cart full of beer. he jumped into the back of the getaway truck. all the while. he was throwing beer out of the back of the truck. hopefully someone would see him, call police. they came with a gun, stopped the truck, dawson jumped out and the suspects took off.

an investor in north california is pushing a voter initiative to split the state into six separate states. tim draper says california has been rendered nearly ungovernable by social and economic changes. the citizens would be better served with a more localized government, says his ballot initiative. he's going to have to collect thousands of signatures before the measure to be brought from the voters in november. >> that's california. let's talk now about colorado. because tomorrow coloradans week up to legal recreational marijuana. with it there are serious fears about teenagers using smoking pot, the drug will still be illegal for those under 21. the fact that he's been illegal for years has not stopped kids from getting their hands on it. federal officials say legalization could change attitudes among teenagers in a dangerous way. anna is based in denver and has much more on this story. >> we had a chance to go to the high schools in denver and talk

to some of the teenagers and their attitude about pot was surprising to me. they tell me marijuana just doesn't seem harmful. they say it's easy to get even though it's illegal for them. the question really is now, what's going to happen when this drug becomes even more accessible in the new year? >> colorado schools have a pot problem. how many people around your age do you know who have smoked marijuana? >> almost i want to say nine out of ten students. >> really? it's that prevalent? >> definitely. >> now that it's legal everybody is getting it. >> while still illegal for anyone under the age of 21, younger people are finding ways to get their hands on marijuana and we found they don't shy away from talking about it. >> i see people selling it and i think it's easy for people to get now. >> even for somebody who's under age? >> yes. >> do you know of anybody who comes to school high or gets high during lunch break for example?

>> oh, yeah, definitely. >> not that uncommon? >> it's not uncommon at all. there's a bunch of people that come to this school high. >> while some teens seem to think using marijuana is okay, schools are trying to send a message that it's not. pot is now the number one reason students are kicked out of colorado public schools. 230 expelled last year because of marijuana according to the colorado department of education. pot proving to be a bigger problem than alcohol. disobedience or weapons violations. >> the message we'd like to get out from the school safety resource center, we need parents to be talking to their children about the risks. >> the evidence is very clear that it's addictive. >> reporter: adolescence and addiction specialist dr. paula riggs says one out of six kids that tries marijuanas is a teenager will become addictive. the marijuana sold today has a higher concentration of thc, a chemical that impacts memory and learning, reaction time and motor skills. riggs says a developing brain is

most vulnerable. >> daily or near daily use can be associated with six to eight-find reduction in their adult iq. it looks like you don't get that back. >> that doctor tells me what she is seeing is so concerning, she believes marijuana prevention and treatment programs need to be in the schools because she says that education is so important, especially when it comes to this issue, letting the kids know what the risks are. >> the real question you raise in this piece is will the attitude change with it being legal for adults there? will it become more acceptable and more common among the teens? i think that's what a lot of people have to watch there. >> that's what we will be watching. colorado setting the stage for the rest of the nation as far as what's going to happen with marijuana and moving forward. hopefully teenagers don't become a problem within we talk about drugs and kids using them. >> a great look at that story out of colorado. thanks so much for that, anna. next up on "new day," a controversy or a nontroversy?

is that really a shark lurking in the water near those two kids? >> beyonce is coming under fire for audio from one of her new songs. what clip of audio did she use and what does she have to say about it? she's defending herself. stay with us. top for my pre-med classes, something that runs office and has a keyboard. but i wanted a tablet for me, for stuff like twitter and xbox, so my downtime can be more like uptime. that's why i got a windows 2 in 1 which does both -- works as a laptop and a tablet. so i can manage my crazy life, and also have a life. [ beep ] gotta go. ♪

well, it's beautiful where the ball is going to drop at times square. it's also very chilly. we sent jennifer grey there to give us an idea of just how cold it is. but we'll get with her later to find out how cold -- >> it's so cold she ran inside. wise, wise move. >> there she is.

>> i'm here! >> how cold is it, jennifer? >> it's some kind of cold out here. temperatures in the 20s, feeling like the teens. it's going to feel like that tonight as the ball drops. we will start seeing the people pack the streets in the next couple of hours. temperatures will top out today in the 30s, barely above friesen. and then dropping into the teens as the ball drops. there is a bigger story setting up across the country, that is that area of low pressure we've been tracking. it will be marching across the country. the problem is we already have cold air in place. as the low tracks to the east, we've been watching this. the one closer to shore could create quite a bit of snowfall across a large portion of the northeast. we'll be continuing to track it thursday night into friday. that's the time frame we're looking at. if it does take that track,

guys, closer to shore we could see anywhere from 6 to 8 inches of snow in new york and 8 to 10 inches in boston. a very snowy scenario shaping up for the first week of 2014. >> thank you. did you know some kind of cold is an official weather term? >> florida's own jennifer grey shivering at times. >> bless her heart. we'll turn to questions circling around a photo that's gone rifle. you've seen it, the shark in the water. this is a snapshot taken by a california mother named june emerson. she was at the beach friday with her twin boys when she says she saw this, a shark, what looks like a shark in the water there. many are calling the shark a photo bomber. experts are debating whether there this was a shark. could it have been a dolphin? could this photo have been doctored? let's talk about this with brett larson, the host of "tech

bytes." is this real? >> let's face facts, first of all, every photo on the internet is real. i am 6'4" and 165 pounds on the internet. i have a six pack of coca-cola in my desk. here's the thing. i'm totally on the fence. i'm leaning towards it's real only because we've seen sharks and other animals that swim at that point in the water. >> absolutely. we've had them on the show -- not on the show but we've seen video and evidence of that on the show. >> if you watched any of shark week, the part that was real, not the part that the discovery made up with megeladon, they tend to swim close to shores. >> we reached out to the mother. she swears the photo was real. we sent the photo out to forensic experts. what they tell us is they

preliminaricy can't tell. they need to see the original. no definitive word there. >> the problem here and why we would question whether it's a real photo. >> we question everything we see online. >> because it's so easy. there's probably a stamp in photo shop where you can stamp on the photo and make -- it could also be, if you look at the full photo, it could be a shadow that happens to look like a shark. >> or a piece of drift wood. >> there are people arguing it's a dolphin, not a shark. even if the photo is real. >> we've seen the hoaxes. >> we have. >> we've been fooled by so many. >> this is your favorite. >> the guy who's flying like a bird. that can totally happen. >> or the eagle that picks up the child. >> the eagle that picks up the baby is hands down my favorite fake. it's just so fake. >> this was done by students. >> it was pretty impressive. >> this was a big elaborate film project done by canadian students.

>> right. >> hats off to the canadians again, michaela pereira. >> and the hero pig may have been my favorite one. the hero saves -- >> the pig saves the goat. >> i bought this one. i'm like pigs are amazing, they could do it. >> we reached out to june emerson. she insists it's real. we'll probably be hearing about this online. it went viral, of course. >> the only way to know truly whether it's real, ask the shark, jump the shark and get the original photo. it is -- it is also a sad state of affairs that anything we see online -- >> we question. >> we go is that real? >> thank you, brett larson. some people connected to the space program are not the biggest fans of beyonce right now. it's because of something she did on her new album, specific audio she included on the recording. we'll tell you about it, coming up. the unique patch with time release smartcontrol technology

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beyonce is defending herself after it was revealed that her new song exo, you can hear the moment that it exploded. nasa has already responded. the widow of the challenger's commander said, in part, we were disappointed to learn that the day we lost our loved one was

use used in the song xo. it's interesting. beyonce doesn't usually find herself in this controversial territory. >> she released this new album with no hype. surprise album. no one knew it was going to happen. she wanted to put a focus on her art. we're focusing on what she has to say. that's a danger you run when you do that. nasa has a problem with what she's doing because it samples a bit of the audio challenger disaster. she's defending herself, saying this is a tribute to people who have lost loved ones. you watch the video, the video is at coney island, they're having a time, in bumper cars, going down roller coasters. it's not exactly where you go if you're trying to pay tribute. >> nasa is concerned that this

will trivial iize. with the hope they will never be forgotten. my heart goes out to the families of those lost in the challenger disaster. what do you make of that response? >> when you use that audio, you kind of lose control of your art. you can hear some of the audio from the destruction of the twin towers and victims of the 9/11 tragedy had problem with his that. that's happening here, too. beyonce can say whatever she wants, that her lyrics mean whatever they mean but something real at the beginning of her song and that person has a family, colleagues that work with them and now they're taking issue with what she has to say. part of the task interpretation has been pulled away from her and now is in the hands of nasa and astronauts and people who lost loved ones who have an

issue with this clip. >> it doesn't appear she was trying to be provocative here. as it works with news or the editorial process, shouldn't someone raise their hand and say, hey, guys, this is a problem? this is going to upset some people. >> trying to take control of her art, it seems, on this album, flexing her muscles. this album deals with her feelings about having children and family and some exstential issues. she's trying to show she can be more than the femerist we hear on the radio. >> that comes with its own issues as well. thank you very much. men at work, sydney australia, a few minutes away

from celebrating the new year. we will bring it to you live. so there i was again, explaining my moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis to another new stylist. it was a total embarrassment. and not the kind of attention i wanted. so i had a serious talk with my dermatologist about my treatment options. this time, she prescribed humira-adalimumab. humira helps to clear the surface of my skin by actually working inside my body.

in clinical trials, most adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis saw 75% skin clearance. and the majority of people were clear or almost clear in just 4 months. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. make the most of every moment. ask your dermatologist about humira, today. clearer skin is possible.

lots of layers and keep together and we're going to have a good time. >> holiday on ice. freezing start to the new year. outdoor revelors preparing for dangerous cold temperatures across the northeast. and behind it, a possible nor'easter. look at this video, terrifying fireball as a freight train explodes.

on board, toxic fuel. thousands being evacuated, fearing the air may be dangerous. epic air. the local reporter who literally passes out while on camera and then her amazing recovery. she's owning it this morning. she joins us live. your "new day" continues right now. good morning. welcome back to "new day." it is tuesday, december 31st, the very last day of 2013. kate and chris are both off today. john berman and ana -- i looked at you in the wrong order. sorry about that. our first or last day of the old year and the new year begins. australia is about to begin

2014. fireworks will be set out for the first time on top of the famous opera house. should we countdown together? >> countdown to australian new year here. >> seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. >> oh, they're on a different countdown. >> let's do it with them. >> three, two, one. happy new year! >> all right, sydney. >> for those of you who can't stay up tonight, there you go. you already celebrated. >> more than 1.5 million people are gathered there right now. if you're hating on how cold it is here in america right now, because we're having quite a cold snap, it is 70 degrees. that is warm champagne, people. it's summer in australia which, of course, certainly helps. how much fun is that? >> fire works, so, so nice.

men at work song. >> you had gandolph setting off the fire works in -- who is setting them off there? >> men at work. who can it be? >> keith urban. he's from australia. got your back, berman. >> different parts of the country will be celebrating new year's, but this is sydney. and i've got to tell you, so far i think this is one of the better fire works show. >> did you hear about dubai trying to set a new begguinness

world record? >> you know they practice and bring the pyrotechnics in for that. but in dubai, you get one shot. you don't want to do that over and over again. >> beautiful fire work. >> and music synchronized with it as well. >> thank you for giving us an excuse to get our champagne out early. >> it's out. >> and the glasses. >> it's warm, but it's here. it's ours. >> back here in the united states we are bidding fathrewel to 2013 with another deep freeze. getting hit with the coldest jolt we've endured so far this season, the worst of it hitting the midwest and upper midwest. people there have to deal with a round-the-clock subzero conditions. minneapolis, 18 degrees below zero tonight. that's what it will feel like. 7 degrees in chicago. 11 in boston. 21 right here in new york city. that is where we find jennifer gray in for indra petersons, watching the forecast from a chilly times square.

>> that's some kind of cold. >> i think that's an official meteorology term i now discovered. feeling like the teens here in times square. we've seen people with signs and they're just kind of hanging close. i think they're staking out their spots. cold times square for tonight and a cold rest of the country as well, of course. if you are coming to times square, the key word will be layers. a brutal freeze is gripping the eastern half of the country in the final hours of 2013. >> it's a cold day, but it's a fun day. >> revelor erevelers are bundle ready to watch the ball drop in times square. >> it's freezing. i've learned layers. i'm all layered up. >> reporter: bitter cold temps won't keep people away from the excitement. >> lots of layers and we'll keep together and we're going to have a good time. >> reporter: new york is not alone. the midwest is continuing with even colder temps for their

festivities. minnesota, iowa, illinois, wisconsin and michigan are under windchill warnings and advisories. the extreme bitter temps are hard to fathom in some parts. this landmark waterfall in minneapolis frozen solid with windchills in northern minnesota monday plummeting to 50 below zero. the windy city will mark the new year with temps in the teens and windchills that feel like 10 below. winds gusting up to 50 miles per hour created dangerous conditions for drivers in minnesota and north dakota saturday. the arctic blast is triggering heavy lake-effect snow for parts of the great lakes and the new year is expected to get off to a snowy start. two weather systems will converge on the northeast on the first day of 2014. one model suggests that new england and parts of the i-95 corridor could get hit by a powerful nor'easter, packing heavy snow and bone-chilling temps that could be the coldest

in years. some estimates have the storm dumping as much as six inches in new york and 10" in the boston area. >> so, guys, this is just the beginning. if you think it's cold now, you haven't seen anything yet. temperatures will continue to fall as we go through the next couple of days. that very chilly arctic air still in the northern plains, feeling like 40 degrees below zero in some parts. and that cold air is going to stick around over the next couple of days. we'll see temperatures in the single digits across much of the northern plains. and then that cold air, yep, pushing to the northeast. we'll see temperatures in the teens friday, in new york city. 17 degrees and then d.c., high temperature friday only at 22. as you ring in the new year, here are your midnight temperatures. how about 34 degrees in dallas. we'll see temperatures well below zero across the north, guys. layers, layers. it is going to be cold, ringing

in 2014. >> some of your friends are starting to drop by, jennifer. >> they are? >> they are. there are a few of your friends in the background. keep an eye on them. >> welcome to new york. >> several friends joining tonight might have some of this as well. anderson cooper and kathy griffin are back, welcoming in the new year right there in times square. tonight, you can watch from the warmth of your own sofa, 9:00 pm here on cnn. >> let the mayhem ensue. >> it will ensue. thousands of residents have been evacuated after a dramatic train collision and a series of fiery explosions. carrying crude oil collided with one that derailed west of fargo. those explosions were felt and heard for miles. then came this thick, black smoke. earlier this morning, we spoke with cass county sheriff about

the evacuations in the area. >> the wind was west-northwest. we didn't get a break there. straight out of the west and the wreckage is straight west of the town about half a mile. so it was going to push that plume right back toward the city. that was our biggest concern at the time. we knew we had a few hours because of the timing. the winds weren't going to change until later last night. we made the call, myself in consultation with the mayor, directing eat vac wags and people listened. it was very orderly. it went very well. we were able to get the majority out before the winds changed. it looks like they'll change on us again this morning, pushing it away. number of crews here are monitoring the air, looking at particles of the air. by mid morning, we ought to have a pretty good idea of the quality of the air, to help us

make decisions on when people need to be out. it's going to be a while, while they work on the wreckage. still a lot of cars are burning. >> you feel you'll have that contained fairly quickly? >> the crews they have here -- they brought in crews from all over the country, experts dealing with this. the railroad firefighting crews are dealing with this. they have an action plan. daylight, we'll kick into the next phase of that. at that point we'll see how long it takes them to knock it down. there's ten to 12 cars up there burning. >> cass county sheriff paul laney from north dakota. you watch the images of that fireball, it was incredible that no one on those trains were injured. >> it is incredible, and a good thing l. athletes and fans be safe at the olympics coming up in russia? big question after two terrorist attacks hit five weeks before the games.

death toll is rising from the bombings and authorities have found a link between monday's explosion on a bus and sunday's blast at a train station. there's also dramatic new video of when this attack took place. diana is in moscow to bring us up-to-date. good morning, diana. >> a huge security sweep in volgograd, checking buildings, checking people's documents as investigators continue to sift through the debris, trying to piece together what happened. discovered a link between the two deadly suicide bombings in volgorgrad. monday's attack on a trolley killed 16 and sunday a massive explosion rocked the city's railway station. this chilling surveillance video captures the horrific incident at a security checkpoint when a suicide bomber detonated 22 pounds of tnt, killing 18. both bombs contained similar

shrapnel, a sign they originated from the same region. it highlights the terrorist threat that russia faces as it hosts the olympic games next month in sochi, 400 miles south of the devastation. >> all of the olympic sites will have physical security, electronic security. everybody will be screened. i think it will be difficult for one to set off a bomb inside the village or venue. >> reporter: personally involved in security plans, president putin is promising maximum security in sochi. officials say they will not change security measures they already have in place, confident they're well prepared. u.s. authorities have offered full support to the russian government in ramping up security measures. in a statement the united states olympic committee says, in part, we're always concerned for the safety of our delegation. and the sochi games are no different in that regard. an effort by the committee to

avoid a repeat occurrence of the bombing that killed two at the 1996 olympic games in atlanta. >> what concerns me is when you harden targets, you often force the terrorist to select softer targets. that makes everything else in sochi and the surrounding area vulnerable. >> targets like transportation hubs where tourists and athletes will travel to and from the games. >> reporter: president putin's claim that he can protect the olympics also depends on whether or not he can control the situation in the north caucuses. he says he can, but it would seem that the terrorists are intent on proving that he cannot. michaela? >> really concerning. 38 days before the sochi games. diana, thank you very much. have a safe and happy new year if we don't get a chance to talk with you. it's 12 minutes in, 13 minutes in now. i think australia is still

going. look at that. >> you go, sydney. >> go on with your bad self. this is impressive, to think that they can sustain a fireworks show for 12, 13 minutes like this is fantastic. >> gives me a chance to put the glasses back on. it is 2014 in auts trstralia ri now. >> if you're a child or dog that doesn't like loud noises, this would be your worst nightmare. if you're a semi-imbibed reveler -- >> happy new year, sydney. >> the hair and the glasses. >> let him have a moment. >> we have some serious news to talk about this morning. >> we do. making news right now, top official behind the obamacare rollout is retiring just as coverage takes effect for the first enrollees. creation of the obamacare

website and now she is the second high-ranking official to leave since the botched rollout this year. 55 popular tax break also expire at midnight tonight, creating some uncertainty for millions. this happens every year and typically congress reinstates them retroactively. some people complaining that this isn't right because any uncertainty make it is impossible to plan for the future. warren weinstein, that people are working behind the scenes to secure his release. working as a consult ant in pakistan on a community project when more than two years ago gunmen stormed into his apartment and took him captive. it is believed al qaeda leader ayman al zawahari is holding

him. going on tomorrow despite planned protests over this. planning to wed on the 8th health care foundation float. they have been together 12 years. david versus goliath from missouri where a group hub is facing off against starbucks. a cease and desist letter to the pub. it brews a beer there called frappicino not frappuccino. a check for six bucks, the profit he says he made off selling the beer. apparently it wasn't popular. >> confusion between the coffee and the beer? >> i was like, how can you spell frappicino versus -- >> if you get the two confused,

you have had too many beer. >> you walked into the wrong place. >> yes, you did. read your sign. 100 years in the making. 1 million people are expected to crowd into times square to watch the largest crystal ball in the world drop. why? it's an old maritime condition to help sailors keep time. not everyone will drop a time ball tonight. the list of weird object that will descend from the heavens seems to grow every year. i took a look at some of these. they're fascinating choices. >> reporter: michaela, the list is really something. they drop cheese in wisconsin and bloologna in pennsylvania. from a pineapple in hawaii, a

peach in atlanta and a music note in tennessee, states across the country are preparing oddball objects to drop at the countdown at the start of the new year. in florida, they've been doing a drag queen shoe drop for years with female impersonator. >> priscilla queen of the dessert, with the high heel on top of the bus. >> reporter: here in new york, the confetti has been tested by the superhero of new year's eve, spiderman. waterford crystals, and weighing nearly 12,000 pounds, the times square ball is a 106-year tradition, even with its own twitter handle. new yorkers and visiting tourists are helping to generate power by pedaling these bikes. if you do plan to be in the middle of the action at the stroke of midnight, get to times

square early. police will start closing down roads as crowds grow. backpacks in large bags won't be permitted. drinking in public in new york is illegal. but the energy of this crowd at midnight is arguably better than bubbly. now that crystal ball, they'll raise it and light it at 6:00. then a chinese cultural performance will start off the festivities. live performances by blondie, melissa etheridge, miley cyrus and sonia sotomayor, the first supreme court justice to push the button to have the ball drop. michaela, john? >> that sounds like a party. thank you for letting us know some of the other fascinating, intriguing and bizarre traditions around the country. >> bologna. >> i'm very excited about blondie. call me. and you have miley cyrus and

sonia sotomayor in the same place. who knew? >> couple of extremes. >> exactly. how much longer can they hold out? three failed rescue attempts. another is on hold. we'll have the very latest for those trapped on a ship in antarctica. we will run down some of the laws to keep you on the right side of the law. ♪ ♪ maybe i'm wrong ♪ ♪ and nobody ever says goodbye ♪ ♪

three, two, one. we might want to revise that. a new year, of course, means new

laws. 30,000 will take effect next year, tomorrow. many beginning at midnight tonight. it is time for you to know what you need to stay on right side of the law. the new laws. >> happy new year. best wishes in 2014. >> absolutely. >> and the new year could mean new habits for a lot of us. from what you could do in your car to what bathroom your kids can use at school, you're going to want to listen to this. from flash mob crackdowns to pet lemon laws, 2014 will ring in nearly 30,000 new state rules. smoking a reefer in colorado is legal, but don't toss the butt of a cigarette on the street in illinois. it's considered littering. you could pay in cash or jail time. don't think about lighting one in a car with a child.

>> can you smoke in the restaurant, can you smoke outside, can you move to another state? we do not like regular smokers. meanwhile, when it comes to marijuana, marijuana is fast becoming a legal substance in the united states. >> reporter: but new moms in oregon can get away with this, taking their placentas home from the hospital. if you're wondering why do that in the first place, some experts think eating it has positive health benefits. >> as long as they're not giving it to other people to eat, i suppose it's okay. >> reporter: and talking about health, no more tanning beds for some teens in illinois and oregon. you'll have to be 18 to tan in a salon in those places. >> oh, what a happy girl. >> reporter: but you don't have to keep your new pet if its sick. pet lemon law allows people to return a pet if an illness was not disclosed by the seller. in california, gender will no longer determine what school

bathroom children can use. it's gender identity that matters. >> the student who identifies as a different gender may feel comfortable in that bath roo. what about all the other students? i think that's going to be a problem and you'll see parents really revolting against this law. >> serious moves could have serious consequences in illinois, maximum penalty doubled to six years prison time for organizing a violent flash mob using social media. and here is one more for you. if you're an illinois driver, don't pass school buses when they're stopped. hear this, school districts are allowed to install cameras on buses. if you're caught, you're going to get busted be. you're going to get fined and that money will go to the schools. >> good. >> thank you so much. good to see you and happy new year. >> happy new year. trapped in antarctica. dozens of people are making the most of it, posting this new video of how they're celebrating

the new year. looks like fun. however, probably not fun being stuck in antarctica for a week. >> it's like 22 below there. talk about keeping your composure, look at this, local news reporter faints, falls to the ground live on the air. she wakes up and keeps going like the consonant professional she is. not only is she okay but she'll join us on "new day" to talk about what happened. elp secure s 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.

oh, yeah. i'm just getting ready.

the ball is going to drop in times square. it's too cold outside for indra petersons. she is a warm weather girl. we sent jennifer gray from miami down to times square where it's very, very cold. >> reporter: i'm thinking palm trees and sand right now. it is very, very cold. temperatures in the 20s, starting to warm up a little bit. we're trying to. temperatures will feel like the teens, if you are celebrating new year's eve in times square. it is going to be cold. bundle up. if you happen to be in chicago, it's going to be cold for you, too. 14 degrees is what it will be at the stroke of midnight, with that windchill even more. you'll have a chance of snow showers. just be aware of that. you'll want to bundle up for sure. we have very, very cold air in place across much of the country. and as we continue to watch this next storm system move in. because that cold air is already in place, it's going to set the stage for a very, very cold second half of the week.

we'll be watching two computer models the past couple of days. it's going to be crucial. if it takes the path that's closer to shore, this would be the worst case scenario, we could see quite a bit of snow in places like new york city and boston with 6 to 8" of snow possible in new york city and possible 8 to 10" of snow in boston. something we'll be watching closely over the next couple of days. thursday evening into friday timeframe. it could make the second half of the week a little bit of trouble. we'll be watching that closely. here in times square, people are starting to pile in. it's getting a little busier. not getting warmer. a little busier. it's going to stay chilly all the way through the day and the night, guys. >> good advice. >> very true. >> it's going to be a long day. >> michaela has been planning

for her new year's party here. french bread and ice cream, she has limes and lemons at the very tippy top of the lips there. >> it might be for lemonade and limeade or not. >> that's going to be some party. stranded on a ship, people in antarctica will be ringing in the new year there in antarctica. trying to make the best of it, in a holiday tent. >> how festive. >> new year's holiday tent. meanwhile, planned helicopter air lift is on hold until the weather clears up. the russian research vessel has been icebound, literally, since christmas eve. ice breaking ships have failed their attempts to break them out. >> they look like they're having a good time. they might be sorry when it's over. it's not quite over yet for

them. abandoned all plans to reach their vessel by sea, with ice breakers. the ice is simply too thick for them to cut through. the only plan that's going to wo work, they say, which is to air lift them off by helicopter. of course, they have to wait for the weather conditions to change before they can do that. >> this morning, new video. dozens of passengers walking arm in arm, doing what they can to speed their rescue. >> we're preparing the helipad by getting the team to stomp down the snow and ice so the chinese helicopter can reach us when the weather improves. >> weather conditions are not expecting to get better until at least one more day. meantime, the crew has marked the spot in the ice where the chopper can land. once it does, it will transport 12 people at a time to a chinese ice breaker, then a barge will

ferry them from the ice breaker to another ship from australia. the stranded research ship, the academic chikowski can retrace the steps, who studied life on the frozen continent a century ago. they got stuck in thick ice. >> big chunks of ice. really thick. lots of years worth of growth. this is not going to be easy to get through. >> since christmas, three separate ice breaker ships have tried and failed to cut a path to the research vessel. once the rescue does happen, the skeleton crew will be left behind. for most of the 74 people marooned, this antarctic ordeal may soon be coming to an end. >> we're keeping a close eye on the weather conditions down there. the moment, we're told the winds are far too high for the

helicopter to operate safely. they're stuck still on board that boat. >> let's hope things calm down so those people can get out. matthew chance in london, thank you so much. story that is touched us, gave us hope. we're going to run down the top ten stories of 2013 as ranked by you, our viewers. and you have to look at this. a reporter passes out during a live interview. but it's what she does right after that, i have to tell you, that's remarkable. she is okay and will join us live this morning to talk about this. stay with us. [ man #1 ] we're now in the approach phase. everything looking good. ♪ velocity 1,200 feet per second. [ man #2 ] your looking great to us, eagle. ♪ 2,000 feet. still looking very good. 1,400 feet. ♪ [ male announcer ] funny thing happens when you shoot for the moon.

ahh, that's affirmative. [ male announcer ] you get there. you're a go for landing, over. [ male announcer ] the all new cadillac cts, the 2014 motor trend car of the year. 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.

one of the thing that is we love about our viewers, the "new

day" family, you are really involved. we asked you to rank the stories that impacted your world, and stories that moved us to tears. we have been following them all year long. alina machado has the list. >> reporter: topping off your top ten of 2013, the u.s. supreme court strikes down a key part of the defense of marriage act. 5-4 vote paved the way for same-sex couples who were legally married to receive the same benefits given to heterosexual couples. number nine, cleveland, ohio, and this unbelievable call for help. >> i've been kidnapped. i've been missing for ten years. i'm here. i'm free now. >> amanda berry, gina dejesus, and michelle knight rescued after years of captivity inside this house of horrors. a ariel castro, sentenced to life

in prison, later killed himself. next typhoon haiyan swept through the philippines, one of the most powerful kills more than 6,000. your choice for number six, obamacare. >> obviously, we screwed it up. >> administration officials responding to criticism after the launch of healthcare.gov, plagued with problems and glitches. number five, the third longest government shutdown in u.s. history. 800,000 federal employees furloughed, federal museums and parks closed for 16 days. one of the largest security breaches ever sits at four. edward snowden leaks documents showing the nsa was collecting both phone calls and e-mail and

internet traffic of virtually all americans. he was born in south africa, but belonged to the world. the death of nelson mandela is number three. the world comes together to mourn the 95-year-old and remember his life, a symbol of the struggle against racial oppression. after two bombs explode near the finish line shall the hunt for the two suspects gripped the nation for days. and at number one, the rise of pope francis, the 266th pontiff, the first from latin america, capturing the world with his acts of compassion and his mission to transform the catholic church. his remarkable year also landing him the title of "time" magazine's person of the year and your choice for the top story of 2013. alina machado.

>> it's remarkable how they're not just of tragedy and devastation, but hopeful and forward thinking. >> glad to see that pope francis is number one. >> a positive. >> exactly. if you want to look at the stories more in-depth, go to cnn new day.com. you can't keep a good reporter down. live when she fainted. this video gone viral. it is a reporter's worst nightmare. good news, she is okay. got right back up, went right back to work. and she is here to talk to us about the whole thing. >> that a girl. ♪

♪ maybe i'm wrong ♪ ♪ and nobody ever says goodbye ♪ ♪

meaning for you in one second. the show must go on, as they say. one salt lake city reporter took that phrase to heart saturday when she encountered some, let's call them, difficulties during a live interview. you have to see this. >> hi, you guys. i'm here with richard and katie from the nordic alliance of utah and you are teaching me how to cross country ski. so give us some -- okay. yes.

now i'm going to toss it back to you guys. i just tripped and fell but tell us -- >> she comes back, finishing the live interview. >> yes, she did. >> while sitting in the snow. brooke graham joins us now. let me just make sure. promise us you're okay. >> i am great. good morning, you guys. >> good morning. >> what an attitude you had. >> so what happened there? explain to me what you were feeling and exactly what went on. >> okay. so, i could feel myself getting a little sick. i tried to warn the producer before they came to me. hey, i'm not feeling so hot, but she didn't hear me. i heard them tossing to me and i just decided, okay, let's see if i can do this. obviously, you saw how far i got. but i just went right down, like a tree. >> were you feeling flu-like symptoms? have you fainted before?

>> yes. so, i have passed out due to altitude before. when i've gone skiing downhill, i have, in the middle of the hill, passed out before. so i kind of felt those same kind of things happening to me and i kind of knew what was coming. >> one of the things we've been talking about, brooke, is how amazingly you popped back up. >> and covered it. >> and were able to continue on. what was going through your mind when you woke up? >> well, thank you. when i woke up my first thought was how did i end up on the ground and how did i get here? my second thought i saw the camera pointed at my face and decided okay, i better keep going. >> go on with the interview here. >> it was incredible how quickly you recover. >> what we also want to know, how come your co-anchors were laughing at you. >> okay. so if they actually didn't see any of it. they were outside. so they just heard me say oh, i just slipped and fell. so they were laughing at that.

they didn't actually have a screen or monitor to watch. they're not as cold-hearted as you think. >> you didn't skip a beat. you kept on going there. i can't believe how those questions kept popping into your mind there. >> consonant professional. >> the guy you were interviewing, he looked concern, there to help you. >> he checked my pupils and made sure i was okay. richard, who was with me that morning, handled the situation so gracefully. i'm so glad he was the person that got to deal with everything. >> you know you've gone viral, right? >> i do. i have to say it's a really weird feeling to be a viral video. >> on the other side of the news for once, right? >> i am. it's a different feeling, for sure. >> is it a triumphant feeling? we've now seen this 20 times this morning. you hear the thump. >> i know. >> do you feel -- are you proud now that you made it through it

or does this make you cringe? >> i think -- well, i can't stop laughing when i watch it myself. so i am just fine with people giggling a little bit when they see it. it catches people off guard because that's the last thing you think you'll see when you turn on the tv is somebody just going straight down. >> here is the deal. brooke graham. remember that name. news directors in larger markets that are at lower elevations. >> that's right. >> please hire this woman. she is a consonant professional. gets right back up when she is down. thanks for sharing your story with us today. >> thanks, you guys. good talking with you. >> happy new year to you, brooke. >> you, too. >> she had to make a phone call to mom and dad, too, if they were watching live. >> absolutely. >> we want to turn now to a celebrity who is trying to help when she's not shooting her hit tv show elementary. lucy liu takes on another role, unicef ambassador. she recently visited children in

lebanon and says there's much you can do to change your futures. >> hi. i'm lucy liu. we can make an impact for syrian children. there's a civil war going on that is creating absolute pandemonium and people are fleeing into lebanon, jordan and iraq. children are suffering. they have lice, scabies and they don't have family. they're not going to school. they're not getting the nutrition they need, the medication they need. there will be a lost generation of children if this continues. children deserve to have a childhood. what happens on the other side of the world isn't just their business, it's our business. because we share the same water. we share the same environment. if we understand that, we are actually one community. then it makes the world so much smaller and much more tangible for people to understand. unicef is desperate for donations to syria.

join the movement. impact your world. cnn.com/impact. >> great work. >> so nice to see the smiles on the faces of the kids there. really hope we can see many, many more. >> many more. good work, lucy. miracle dog gets his due, earning his place of honor after surviving against odds. he will join us with his owner live from pasadena, next.

the rose parade, an annual tradition. a dog will finally get his day. that's a little beagle mix, only 6 months old when he was scheduled to be put town in florence, alabama, back in 2011, but he survived. miraculously. they named him daniel, after the biblical figure who survived in the lion's den. he found a home with john joe dwyer, motivational speaker. tomorrow they both will ride on the lucy pet foundation float in the rose parade new year's day. good to see you both. hello, daniel. hello, joe. >> good morning. thanks for having us here. we're thrilled to be here. >> we just heard of daniel's amazing survival story, of surviving being put down. and how did he get to be with you? how did you adopt him? >> well, we were very fortunate to meet the criteria of 11th

hour rescue, which was to have a home with other rescue dogs, and have ample time to exercise. we met their criteria and are happy to balance his life with being a dog, having a family and doing what we're doing, to spread the message of the lucy pet foundation. >> i love him dazing off camera, looking for a snack. how is he doing? do you know how he managed to survive? what did he go through? >> well, he went through up to the 30 minutes in a gas chamber with probably 17 other dogs and miraculously, he survived. there have been many accounts of how that happened but at least from my perspective, this is a dog who is so upbeat and has such a great attitude. and now i think he knows his mission. that's how i believe he survived. >> he obviously had a will to live. >> now he's taking a rest. >> and he, obviously, is a tough little guy. tell us more about daniel.

obviously, he is a sweetheart, by the looks of things. has he got a funky personality or is he kind of mr. mellow? >> he has a great personality. he's just wonderful to be around. and, you know, i think one of the important things to realize is that there are 80,000 daniels that take the form of loving dogs and cats in our country every week that lose their life. and we want to put a stop to that. and the lucy pet foundation is wonderful. we're here. we're hosted by them on their float in the rose parade. they are all about spay and neuter. they are all about trying to end the horrific gas chamber and we want to make sure that other daniels -- as we said, there are many every week that lose their life -- end up in loving families. lucy foundation and daniel and i are ready to make that happen. >> countless volunteers spent many, many hours decorating that beautiful float and others just

like it, that we'll see on new year's day. tell us about what will happen with you and daniel aboard that float tomorrow. what are people going to see? >> well, we're really looking forward to it. it certainly will be an experience. the lucy pet foundation float is absolutely spectacular, as you can see it behind me. it's taken an incredible turn over the last couple of days with many volunteers working on it. we, along with other rescue dogs that will be performing here on the float will be riding through the streets of pasadena in the tournament of roses parade. we'll be waving to the crowd and trying to bring an awareness to all the things i mentioned before. the theme of the tournament of roses parade is dreams come true. >> oh, wow! >> to make this happen for companion animals. >> do you have any tricks? what's he going to do on that float? how are you getting ready? >> daniel has a couple of tricks. he's certainly not as accomplished as the dogs you'll see on the float with him. he has two tricks that are very

important. >> can you show us? >> he does a high five to keep his friends alive. we can try. >> come on, daniel. >> no pressure. >> it's early in pasadena this morning. >> oh, yeah. >> daniel, daniel, high five. high five. high five. good boy. >> i love it. >> he also does a happy dance for lucy pet, but -- >> i feel like he may have to save that for tomorrow. >> i agree. >> we want to say a big thank you to you, joe dwyer and daniel. tremendous dog and tremendous story. we hope you have a great time tomorrow. annual tradition for pasadena and for america. thank you for joining us, joe. >> big high five to both of you. >> thank you very much. we appreciate being on today. thank you. >> be well. happy new year. >> happy new year. >> thank you. i'm having a twinge seeing that. i've been part of the rose parade for many, many years.

to all my california friends who are watching. it's a great tradition. be sure to tune in tomorrow. >> happy new year to all of our friends. be safe, everyone. it is time now for "newsroom." kyra phillips in for carol costello. >> love it. that's our old stomping grounds, michaela, that's right. the rose parade. berman, unless you do the happy dance. as long as you do the happy dance. >> go ahead. take it away. >> i'm so jealous. happy new year, guys. "newsroom" starts right now. here's what's happen right now in the newsroom. battling flames after an explosive train crash in north dakota. thousands of people are urged to evacuate as smoke and fumes threaten that town right now. new year's deep freeze. >>