out of these lemons. even though i'm republican, i don't agree with all of his policies and politics. this was out of politics. there was no reason to focus such attention on this little grandchild. god bless the romneys for their big family, their 22 grandchildren. if all those 22 grand children had been white, this would not have been a segment on msnbc. >> do you agree? is this a teachable moment? >> i do agree it's a teachable moment. i don't agree with the fonx comparison. because they have a history of being a network that broadcasts a lot of racists comments.

they have an establish history of being a network that has published a lot of racists comments, but at the end of the day, i think this is about the beauty of adoption. the celebration of families, all family, no matter what they look like. and i'm disappointed with melissa harris-perry. i would prefer that they stick with love instead of antag nichl in politics. we're going to talk about how the closing of red lobster could hurt middle income families. there is a new article that we'll discuss next. and we're a few weeks away from the winter olympics, but will the games be safe? a massive antiterrorism operation is going on in russia

right now. we'll get the latest. i needed a new laptop 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. ♪ 1w

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you are look at a live picture from new york's time

square where the revelry is already beginning. people are gathered to welcome in 2014. but many americans are still feeling gloomy about 2013 and the economy and their own futures. we're back. and i want to talk about the economy improving. but the average american, you make a point in today's column on cnn.com today, the average american is not doing well at all. and i want to quote from your be piece. you said for black households, like the bun i grew up in, income fell by nearly 11%. red lobster remains a favorite place for black family to dine after church. i imagine it's hard to do with over a tenth of the income gone. we have barack obama in the white house. is he doing enough to help families like the one you grew up? >> it's important to note that

the struggles of african-american families in this country stretches far beyond president obama. this has been an issue in the black community for decades. we've always had twice as much unemployment, in terms of the unemployment rate. we've always trailed in terms of education, in terms of health, income and wealth. so this is a long-standing issue that is an american problem, not just a black problem, but an american problem. as for president obama, when i'm looking at his policies, i know that a lot of african-american leaders have criticized him for not having any policies that seem to directly be applying to the african-american family. to those critics i would say i have a very hard time looking at his policies and seeing how they don't help african-american policies. you don't need a policy to say for black people to help black people, our problem in my community is one that's been going on essentially since the end of slavery. >> and to be fair, income barely

grew under george w. bush. income was down 6.6% for families making over $4,000. tell me what the republican solutions are. i don't expect you to give mow a wonky policy dissertation here, but do you feel comfortable that your party, the republican party also has some ideas to help the working people in this country? >> you know, dana, i think the republican party tends to focus on growth and job creation and corporate america and see that as wait to make more jobs. i think republicans need though talk more and act more in defense of the poor, and in the seam way, i think democrats have to think about cooperate america and learn how to think about folks who are trying to create businesses. i think part of the problems that we have been having their congress is that the different

parties look at just one constituency or the other. and that creates problems, as we are seeing in obamacare. and i agree with l.z. i think this is not just about income. it's a holistic approach that needs to be taken, that includes things like addressing education and the disparities in education. we have education. the problem that you have is that people go into member wage jobs and end up having them for life. minimum wage jobs used to be starter jobs for teenagers. now you find people who have been having them for the last 20 and 30 years. and that's a real problem in america today. >> and i'm glad you brought that up. because that's going to be at the top of the democrats' agenda. hillary clinton tweeted i was proud ten years ago to begin working on boip efforts to save unemployment inshierns. let's do it again quickly this

year. is this hillary clinton making sure she's waving the populist flag as some of the liberals are looking at her going ah. >> it's so disappointing to me that the idea of making sure that people are able to eat and take care of their families is either a democrat eic effort or republican one. it seems to me fas thas if this american issue. and when you look at the economic charts about buying power versus inflation. this isn't, this should not be a politicized issue. it should just be a common sense issue. and what hillary clinton's tweet says to me is that she at least recognizes and believes that the rest of congress recognizes that

you can't kick people when they're down. government is there to help people get back on their feet, not keep them on their feet, but help them get on their feet. the fact that this is politicized, we have hungry children in this country is so disappointing to me. there is one thing i'd like to say and that is an honest comment regarding republicans building jobs. when you look at the numbers, and i hate to politicize this. but when you look at the numbers, you can go right to reaganomics being a key point from when the economy took a drastic turn from dollars being in the hands of the middle class and poor people and on its way up. we told that trickle down economics was to help everybody. what we've found, if you don't make the money come back down, it's not going to come back down on its own. we've let people do the right thing and making sure people are getting paid properly. they are not doing it on their

own. and part of the help is increasing the minimum wage. >> we're about to go to 2014. you want to turn back the clock three decades and respond to that? >> no. i want to talk about 2014 and 2013. >> she just gave you a pass, l.z. >> what you're seeing, you know, l.z. likes to get hishistorical like to look ahead. hillary clinton is seeing she has a left flank problem if she's going to be the nominee. tomorrow there's going to be 13 states that on a state level are increasing minimum wage. and i think that's important to know that states are taking matters into their own hands. it's more expensive to live in a place like new york than it is to live in a place like alabama. and they're trying to make things more even in the different states. but we saw this week where it was revealed that the minimum wage issue is going to be used

as a political wedge issue. that's what democrats are preparing to do. when that happens i get worried because oftentimes when you want to use an issue for political purposes, what is best for political purposes is not to pass anything, not to have a solution so that then you have an ea an issue to hit the other party over the head w and i would tell my democrat friends, be very careful you don't overplay your hand because people are watching and they will know whether what you're trying to do is realistic or blatantly political. >> happy new year. a massive antiterrorism operation is going on in russia right now after a pair of deadly bomb attacks. dozens of people have been dough taened, but that's doing little to ease fears the terrorists may

strike the russian olympics in just a few weeks. russia is promising a tight security. >> president putin has said they want to make sure it's secure. russian police are carrying out this massive operation in volgograd. they've got 5,000 officers. >> and they've already questioned 1,000 people. but, will that prevent other future possible attacks in other locations? >> reporter: a suicide bomber detonates himself at a russian train station, a security camera capturing the seconds before the explosion. russia is reeling, after two terrorist attacks in volgograd killed 32 people and injured 72. president putin in his new year's address rallying his fellow russians. >> translator: we will fiercely

and consistently continue the fight against terrorists until their complete anileation. >> reporter: and with his $50 billion olympics a little over a month away, he pledged to hold the games at a very high level. but this man, dou doku umarov s these are dances on the graves of their ancestors. some are worried. she told the associated press saying i don't know if i necessarily trust their -- the russian security forces. dagestan is the heart of the terrorism, the same region where

the men implicated in the boston bombing lived before moving to the united states. the russians are overall responsible for security. the u.s. will send agents to help. >> our personnel have been working with the russians for many months. they work with our team, with high level officials. we're ready to support anyway we can to help with the security situation. >> reporter: the sochi olympics are one of vladimir putin's highest priorities right now. russia's chance to shine on the international stage, but a high stakes gamble, if you can't keep the games in russia secure. and protecting russia may be difficult challenge. mr. putin is promising the sochi olympics will be safe, and the security forces have moved to

basically lockdown that site. but protecting the rest of russia, all of its nine time zones is an overwhelming job. >> it sure is. and he certainly has staked his reputation, the legacy of russia, everything on this. obviously, we're all hoping that it is safe. and let's get to some other top stories coming up in the situation room. supreme court justice sonya sotomayor has responded to papers regarding same-sex marriage in utah. a district court judge struck down the ban on unions on december 20, allowing gay couples to wed legally for the first time in the state. and more news now from the nation's high court. a group of catholic organizations is asking for an emergency delay to a part of obamacare that requires religious affiliated groups to

provide contraception to their workers. and being a reporter is tough. believe me, i know. in live television, anything can happen. but so does brooke gram with our utah affiliate. watch what happened during one of our live shots. >> hi, you guys. you guys are teaching me how to cross country ski. so give us some -- okay. >> are you okay? >> yes. now i'm going to toss it back to you guys. i just tripped and fell. but tell people the basics of coming up here and paying $7. >> she wrote in her blog that she's totally fine. she faints a lot in high altitudes.

and you handled it like a pro. the royal baby's public debut, but not every picture you've seen of prince george is the real thing. plus a fireworks display goes down in the world records. you're going to see the amazing show just ahead. 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 highlights of 2013 was the new royal baby. prince george made a picture perfect debut this year but not every picture you see is the real thing. here's jeanie moos.

>> reporter: for once, handsome prince harry, kissing his mother the queen was the opening act for the new star. 3-month-old prince george was carried into the royal chapel by his dad. and there was a whole lot of jiggling going on as prince william displayed his son. even the royal guard. seemed to be jiggling. after the baptism being carried out by his mom, prince george seems sedate. a lot more sedate than this prince george who kept spitting up as he posed for pictures, even pictures of the queen taking his picture and prince william changing his diaper and kate, william and george playing rub a dubdub. wait a minute. the palace would never release these. >> i have five or six different prince georges. >> she is known for her celebrity look-a-likes.

>> there is only one of him and he is fantastic. he really is. i have about five kate look-a-likes. >> she uses an 82-year-old ball of energy to play the queen. the photographer says these aren't about the royals, they're about us and how we feel about the famous. >> the obsession, the worlg gone crazy with celebrity. >> we should have known something was amiss when we saw prince william and catherine post half naked. there is something intimate about these photos. dirt on the sole of the prince's foot. of course the actual royals don't come on things like this. >> i hope they time it amusing. >> she's been doing this for a did he go aid, posing look-a-likes from beck hal to kanye west and their baby northwest. and she is out west in l.a. shopping for more look alikes.

>> anybody looks like miley cyrus. >> she has the queen baby on a tote bag, the prince doing diaper duty on a t-shirt. then there's this. >> what are we calling that a milk man boob. >> fit for a prince. and you be the judge of how alike this little look-a-like looks. cnn, new york. it's new years fireworks display for the record books. just a short while ago, due buy handed itself in the guinness book of world reports. sarah snyder was there as they were trying to break that record. >> reporter: this is supposed to be a record breaking month. you can hear what is going on. check this out. this is supposed to be 400,000

fireworks going off over a six-minute span. it is pandemonium here. the skies are absolutely lit up. check around me. not just here but over here. check it out. lit up with fireworks. they are going for the guinness book of world records. so you are seeing what might be a history making day. >> and dubai was not the only place to ring in the new year with a bang. it is 2014 in much of the world. here there best displays we've seen so far. plus, we end the year by showing the name of people who work so hard to make the situation room happen every day. >> fo4, 3, 2, 1 --

-- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

>> check that out. that is big ben on the right. big ben just about to strike midnight 2014 in london. and also -- there you go. times square. that's where everybody is looking and focused where our coverage will be tonight with kathy griffin and anderson cooper. and for us, that is it for us

here. from all of us at cnn. a very happy new year to you. erin burnett "outfront" starts right now. ♪ next, new years eve. the world ushers in new years eve. we'll take you to parties all around the world. plus the latest from north dakota where a fiery train collision forced town officials to have an evacuation order. and the hosts of msnbc show says she is sorry for comments about mitt romney's black grandson. did her apologies go far enough? good evening. i'm don