page had hundreds of comments supporting and opposing the wedding. that's it for me. i'll be back at 5:00 p.m. eastern on "the situation room," and i'll speak with senator kirsten gillibrand, one of the democrats to watch in 2014. make sure to tune in for that, and "newsroom" continues right now with martin savidge. i'm martin savidge. thanks for joining us. happy new year to everyone. it's off to a devastating start in the city of minneapolis. an explosion and fire ripped through an apartment building this morning. authorities there not even sure that everyone has managed to make it out. flames were shooting 20 feet out of windows when the crews arrived. crews who went inside had to retreat. 13 people have been taken to the hospital. six are in critical condition. and then adding to this, the misery, is of course the extreme cold in manipulatinneapolis. the temperature is below zero, but the wind makes if teal like

it's 15 below. ted rowlands is watching this. what is the latest on the account of everybody inside? >> not everyone has been accounted for yet. they're trying to get a list of people associated with the ten apartments that are located in the second and third floors of this structure. the bottom floor is a grocery or was a grocery. you can see the pictures, not much left. adjacent to it is a mosque. there's also some concern if this turns out to, and there's no evidence of it, but if it turns out to be an intitianal act, this could be a hate crime. the islamic civic society has a representative on scene because of the location of the mosque, but again, i want to reiterate, no indication of that at all. firefighters, as you mentioned, had a tough time dealing with this. 13 people in all injured, six critical in hospitals. many sustained from people jumping or being blown out of the third floor apartments. >> ted, i'm curious, how much of

a factor is weather? we mentioned the bitter cold. it has to be a problem for those trying to get out and firefighters trying to get in. >> it's absolutely freezing in minneapolis today. and it has caused a lot of problems with firefighters. they had to use extra firefighters so they were going in and out quickly, and the water was literally freezing from the hoses as they were trying to put out the fire. made a very, very difficult situation even worse. >> all right, ted rowlands following the situation from our chicago bureau. i was just outside that apartment building earlier this year reporting on a story up there. thanks very much. the dangerous deep freeze in the midwest is already starting to move east. chicago is braving a windchill that is seriously toying with single digits and maybe even subzero numbers. also gearing up for another five inches of snow in the next 24 hours. boston and new york are bracing for a wallop of a snow storm. we're talking possibly about 4 to 12 inches.

meteorologist alexandra steele joins us. chicago seeing it first snow of the new year, but coboston coul drop below zero for the first time in how many years? >> three years. january 11th they had below zeros. 1 below on saturday. this old arctic air, we were looking at minneapolis. right now, the temperature is zero and it feels like 13 below. that's a lot warmer than it had been earlier. this incredibly cold arctic air. places like duluth, the eighth coldest weather on record. this isn't just typically cold arctic air. it's migrating eastward. we're seeing it be modified a little bit. still, temperatures only 13 in boston. 25 degrees colder than average. new york, 17 on friday. that's it. and also, we're going to see really intense winds develop on friday. so the cold air is set.

bring in the moisture. and we've got our first snow storm of the season. what's happening is these two areas of low pressure will phase together and bring snow. it's a two-day snow, thursday into friday. the snow will and in. here's thursday morning, you can see upstate new york, northern new york, the thruway, green and white mountains and through massachusetts and connecticut. that's the first phase. the second phase comes in on friday. you can see we pull in new jersey, long island with that as well. it all moves out. it's all done by friday afternoon, but then the ferocious winds come. incredibly cold on the back sid of the snow. totals, we have bumped them up from what we had with the last model run. 5 to 9 inches in boston. 12 inches in albany along the new york state thruway. 6 to 8 in buffalo. a robust system and a cold system after the snow friday. really intensely cold. >> we'll keep an eye on it. >> as she mentioned, the new

year's storm could throw a quick challenge at new york city's new mayor. bill de blasio took his oath of office as noon. bill clinton did the honors. how would you describe the mayor? sort of a left-wing populist. big plans for new york city. >> we're called to put an end to economic and social inequalities that threaten to unravel the city we love. so today, we commit to a new progressive direction in new york. and that same progressive impulse has written our city's history. it's in our dna. >> as with any new politician, you look to what their first act in office may be because it indicates how the rest of the term could be. this is rart interesting for de blasio. it concerns animal rights right there in the city of new york.

the old horse and carriage, the buggy rides through central park, that tradition that is pretty much a staple to many who visit. ashleigh banfield explains. >> hey, marty. so the day after new year's eve in times square, it seems fitting to come to central park to take a look at the horse-drawn carriages because they may be relics. if the new mayor who is in town, bill de blasio, has his way, you will not be seeing the beautiful horse-drawn carriages going through central park. there's a long argument about whether it's fair with the traffic and exhaust and do they get time in the pastures, the stalls where they stay, some of the animal rights activists say are small. on the other side of the coin, the people who have been driving the kaerjs, some for 30-plus years say this is how they make their living. if the horses are retired, they would probably go to paddocks where they would have no

exercise, no interaction. peta is stepping in, the mayor saying he plans to do this no matter what. whether it's by fiat or not is the other question. why they'll lovely to look at, the tourists are jumping in and getting a lovely visit, it remains to be seen whether he can just make a declaration or if he's going to do it through the legislative process. a little trickier. for his part, mayor de blasio, hard to say that, better get used to it, said he already hired a legal team to work on the legislation, but we'll have to see how it works its way through. but get a good look now because it may be gone. marlty, back to you, and a happy new year to you. >> happy new year. >> thanks, to everyone there. an interesting first move by the new mayor. >> this will likely go down in history as the day, and i like this, mary jane goes mainstream.

it slips hand to hand in the smoky lit rooms. as of today, you can legally buy marijuana in colorado, right out in the open, take it home, use it for fun, just like, say, buying alcohol, except for the long lines. people are waiting in the snow to get inside this denver pot shop. this is the first recreational pot sale indenver just after 8:00 this morning when the first marijuana shops opened. casey wian is there. i heard you say the people are using coupons to buy pot, which is almost something for us ma mainstream people to find unbelievable. >> the price is high, $50 per 8th of an ounce, plus taxes, state and local taxes that are about 25%. some folks have come in with coupons, dropping it down to $25 per eighth of an ounce. here's how the sales work, the retailers, they give the customers a chance to smell the

strain of marijuana they're planning on buying. they say different strains have different effects. they ask the customer what they're looking for, what type of a high they're looking for, whether it's pain relief or anxiety or what have you. so far today, they have serviced about 135 customers in the first four hours of this business being open. they have 500 people waiting in line overall, the number of people who have signed up to get a number to get inside, we can show the camera outside and show you the line waiting to get in here. the business closes at 7:00 local time tonight. the owner says they do expect that they're going to be able to service all of these customers before 7:00 p.m. mountain time tonight. the other concern that a lot of folks have, martin, is because of this high demand, there's a lot of worry about prices and supply. the owners say they have enough supply to last everyone at least through today, and they think going down the road further. soi ist's a very busy day, even busier than the business owners had anticipated, martin. >> we should point out this is

highly regulated by the state of colorado, right? what are the rules here? >> a lot of rules. first of all, you have to be 21 year s old to buy recreational marijuana. you can't give it to anyone else, you can't sell it, you can't drive while you're stoned, obviously, and you can't take it out of state. we have other rules that are specific to the packaging and labeling of the product. it's much different than the medical marijuana. c you can see, you have a machine that they put the product that people buy, whether it's actual marijuana or whether it's edibles, in this childproof bag, which makes it difficult for a kid to get in. one of the safeguards that the state is requiring of all businesses selling marijuana for recreational use, martin. >> very interesting. also, too, a lot of tax revenue that comes into the state of colorado. they would benefit from that. casey, thanks for all your

reporting on the subject. >> encouraging news for people in the beginning stages of alzheimer's. new research that a certain vitamin may slow the disease. plus, workers in more than a dozen states getting a big raise today. we'll break down the minimum wage, where it's rising. and then just in, james avery, who played uncle phil in the fresh prince of belaire has died. we'll have all those stories next. [poof!] [beep] [clicks mouse] nice office. how you doing? good. automatic discounts the moment you sign up.

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good news coming out of north dakota. res dngts in a town that was evacuated after two trains collided, and you may have remembered that huge, massive fireball, they have been allowed back out. flames are out and investigators are on the ground searching for clues as to what went wrong. ntsb investigators say one camera captured the last 20 seconds before the crash. the train carrying crude oil hit a derailed train and burst into flames. good news for some in 13 states because they have started the new year with a hike in the minimum wage. most workers will see an increase of just under 15 cents an hour, but others will see jumps by as much as a dollar an

hour. new jersey, connecticut, new york, rhode island are some of the states where workers will see the bigger boost in salaries. there are 21 states with minimum wages that are higher than the federal level of $7.25 per hour. a vitamin may help some people with alzheimer's. a new study suggests vitamin e may slow the progression of alzheimer's in people with mild poomoderate forms. they were able to care for themselves longer and needed less help with chores. it appears in the journal of american medical association. >> somber news out of hollywood. james avery, well known to many as uncle phil from the fresh prince of belaire, has died. >> i'm not going to punish you today, maybe not even tomorrow. you see, i need to think a long, long time about just what i'm going to do with you. i don't know, it might come to me in the middle of the night.

or maybe next week, or a few years from now. in the meantime, why don't you worry about it? >> the man who played uncle phil's son, alfonzo ribeiro tweeted today, i'm deeply saddened to say james avery has passed away. he was a second father to me. i will miss him greatly. joining me now, cnn's digital entertainment senior producer, and what do we know? first of all, welcome. >> thank you. >> what do we know about how he died? >> right now, we don't have an exact cause of death. it's been reported he was in ill health for the last couple years, but he was such a beloved character on the show. so many people enjoyed it. >> one of those milestones in television that you remember your life by. he's the second person to be involved with the program who died, right? >> yes, one of the producers, jeffrey ian pollack collapsed

recently while out jogging. he was known for being the director of "booty call" and was also he managed folks like mariah carey and jennifer lopez, but a lot of people don't know the fresh prince of bel-air was his story of how his family took him in and helped him out. he passed away as well, so it's hitting the cast hard, i'm sure. >> just to show we remember a fun show and a sorry day. talk to you later about other news. >> thank you. coming up, how do you celebrate new year's if you're stranded in antarctica, with spirit and style. the 74 members of an antarctic expedition rang in the new year with anderson cooper. and sonya sotomayor granting a temporary extension to obama care. it's about ruling for

contraception just hours before they were set to go into effect. how is that going to affect the policies taking effect today? [ male announcer ] this is george. the day building a play set begins with a surprise twinge of back pain... and a choice. take up to 4 advil in a day or 2 aleve for all day relief. [ male announcer ] that's handy. ♪

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an expedition team waiting to be rescued from the frozen antarctic didn't get the blues because they're still stuck at sea. they found a jolly way to ring in the new year. ♪ ice storm ♪ ♪ ♪ the french dropped by but couldn't get near ♪ ♪ a bloody good shame we're still stuck here ♪ >> do you get the feeling they're going to be sad when they get rescued? expedition leader chris tourney shared with cnn had video of his team and their stranded ship. later, they spoke to anderson cooper about how they have been passing away the idle time.

>> hi, times square. >> perfect. we can hear you very well. how did you guys ring in the new year? we saw the video of you all singing. >> we had a special song. came up on the top deck and broadcast it live. 4:00 in the afternoon, and looking good. >> looks like all of the great poets of the time telling stories of what happens to us. this is our odyssey, and we're telling it as it goes along. >> speaking of spirits, have you guys been imbiding spirits? because it looks like some of the folks in that video are kind of red in the face. >> just a little bit, actually. just a little bit. >> with all the tall tales, there has been alcohol. what do you expect us to do? it's cold and we're alone from everyone. yeah, we have to drink something. >> the stranding has never sounded lie so much fun.

the good news is the australian maritime officials say an air lift to rescue them could happen as early as tomorrow morning. that is, of course, if weather conditions improve and allow. supreme court justice sonya sotomayor proved pretty adept at multitasking. no other justice has done so. that was just hours before the day job called at the request of two catholic groups opposed to having to cover their employees' contraception. justice sotomayor prevented part of obamacare from taking effect, at least until friday. with us from philadelphia, cnn legal analyst danny su vacevall. first of all, happy new year. >> happy new year. >> a lot of attributes of obamacare went into effect today. what is the overall impact of this specific ruling by the supreme court justice? >> well, the ruling is just a

two-day ruling to allow the government to respond to the stay. and really, the issue gets down to, there's the obamacare is allowing for exemptions for religious entities, but there are quasi religious entities and the battle here comes down to can they be forced to provide contraceptive coverage in their insurance policies? that's what the core of this battle is about. it really comes down to probably a free expression analysis, and the supreme court has scheduled hearings on this issue, but for the meantime, to avoid any, what they call draconian finds, these groups have asked for a stay of the obamacare provisions going into effect as they would have today. >> okay, so the obama administration is told they have to file the briefs by friday defending their position. what happens then? >> then the court will consider it. the fact that -- i was a little surprised that the supreme court

would grant a stay so quickly. people who follow the politics of the supreme court might observe that sote ameyer was an obama appointee. it's interesting, she is independent of judgment, but it is always interest whg an appointee grants a petition that is directly contrary to the president that appointed him or her. so people who watch that part of the supreme court might take note of that, but ultimately, it's an interesting thing that she granted the stay, but it really only is a two-day stay and we'll know what direction the government is going when we see their papers in a couple days. >> when the court bicks it up again, presumably after friday, is the stay in effect until they eventually rule? >> the stay should only be in effect as long as the order permitt permitted. a short order giving a two-day stay so the government can file a reply, but as i understand it, that's it after two days. >> danny, thanks for clarifying that.

moving on, overseas, russia's president spent today visiting some of the victims of this week's two suicide bombings. putin's visit was unannounced. yesterday, he spoke on russian state television vowing to fight until the terrorists were def t defeated. the two attacks left 34 people and added to concerns about the winter olympics which begin in less than six weeks. coming up, a new report suggests some of the wood in homes that brad pitt's charity build is starting to rot. find out what he's doing about it. plus, new details on the condition of barbara bush, who was in the hospital suffering from a respiratory issue. and then, as racing star michael schumacher remains in stable condition after a skiing accident, cnn retraces his exact route on the slopes.

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fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. ask your gastroenterologist about humira today. remission is possible. of the dusty basement at 1406 35th street the old dining table at 25th and hoffman. ...and the little room above the strip mall off roble avenue. ♪ this magic moment it is the story of where every great idea begins. and of those who believed they had the power to do more. dell is honored to be part of some of the world's great stories.

that began much the same way ours did. in a little dorm room -- 2713. ♪ this magic moment ♪ former first lady barbara bush woke up today in a houston hospital. family spokesman said bush is being treated for a respiratory related issue. the 88-year-old is in great spirits. her husband and relatives have visited her in the hospital.

here's a fairly reese nlcent ph barbara bush and her husband in the white house this summer. president obama honored former president bush for his volunteer work. he gave bush a pair of brightly colored socks. he's well known for his fondness for whimsical socks. who knew? you can see barbara bush with a big smile on her face there. alena machado has been tracking the story for us. you know, what do we know about her past struggles with her health? >> this is at least the fourth time the former first lady has spent time in the hospital in recent years. she's been dealing with graves disease, which affects the thyroid, since the late '80s. in 2009, she had heart surgery after doctors found hardening in one part of her aorta. in 2008, she was hospitalized for abdominal pain and underwent surgery for an ulcer. details are few, but we know

she's being treated for a respiratory illness and she's been in the hospital since monday. a family spokesperson would not release additional details on her condition. >> i'm just curious, what are bush family confidantes saying about the former first lady's hospital stay? should we be worried? >> number 42, former president bill clinton is close to the bush family. he sent good vibes through social media. he tweeted, i'll be rooting for barbara bush's full recovery while she's rooting for baylor today. all my best to her and george h.w. bush. also weighing in is a longtime family friend and cnn affiliate, take a listen to what he said. >> i have known barbara bush since 1969. that is 44 years. having known her as i have, i have total confidence in her,

period, exclamation mark. >> and i think, martin, it's safe to say that everyone who knows barbara bush is rooting for her and hoping for a speedy recovery. >> absolutely. we send our very best for her quick return home. thanks very much. racing legend michael schumacher remains in critical condition after a terrible skiing accident. he's the most successful driver in formula one history, but this weekend in france, we're told he fell and he hit his head on a rock. schumacher's family waits and hopes, christina mcfarland retraces the exact route he took on the slopes. >> it was here on this ski slope on a sunny day in the resort of maribel that michael schumacher set out with his friends and 14-year-old son for a ski run that would end in disaster when he fell and struck his head on a rock. this is the area where it said michael schumacher fell just a

few days ago. it's a small area, just in between the two peaks here, and if you look down, you can see rocks jutting out to the left and right and fairly large holes just underneath the surface of the snow. the first people to respond to the scene were the ski patrol, who were located a short distance away in this hut. this man helped to direct the rescue operation wrfrb. >> normal procedure for us. having a witness saying that someone fell and they saw some blood on the head. so for us, we knew it was a quick rescue to proceed. this, i realized, clearly seen as being off-piste, and it was off-piste, as we have many, many slopes behind us where you can see the limits. maybe you can see there, the limit between the slope and outside the slope is something which is -- which seemed to be obvious for us and which seemed to be obvious for the skiers.

>> a local ski instructor tells us the snow conditions have been very uncertain in recent days. >> weird. yes, it's not clear. it's not as usual when you have much snow, because it's all white. you think there is many, but there are not many, actually. there are rocks everywhere. >> this whole area here is quite chopped up. it's icy in places and it's bumpy. it's not exactly the easiest ski ride. i was keen to see for myself how the snow felt, and so carefully, we traced the route. i have skied quite a lot of off-piste in my time, but that was really quite difficult and shaky in places. as i was skiing, the snow was deep and i could feel some of the rocks just under the snow. as michael schumacher remains in intensive care, his injuries prove that no skier can be certain of the hidden dangers of skiing off-piste. cnn, maribel.

brad pitt's charity, the make it right foundation, is living up to its name after things haven't quite gone so well for homes it had built. that according to our new orleans affiliate, wdsu. it reports that a couple dozen homes for the nonprofit made for survivors of hurricane katrina have begun to rot. the organization's aim was to provide well-built homes at low cost and high efficiency. bitt raved about make it right's work to cnn back in 2010. >> now every house you see here last month, every one but one, was producing more energy than it was consuming. >> that's big news. >> that's a big change. >> that's a game changer, is what it is. and there's no reason to build any other way now. >> lisa has come back and joined me once more. and i remember the whole rebuilding of new orleans and brad pitt's personal involvement in this. explain to me what's happened with some of these homes and

what are they doing to try try to make it right. >> they used a glass infused wood to build some of the porches and steps, 1k3 these are supposed to last for decades, and they have not. they have been rotting, falling apart. in some cases, things are growing out of them, but brad pitt is going to make it right. >> this is not actually the structure of the home itself, but as you said, the front deck. >> the porch, the stairs. >> i want to ask you, well, how are they going to make it right? do they specify? >> yes, they have already started. they have sent crews to start working on the houses and they have repaired some of them. brad pitt is deeply committed to the people of new orleans. he's been very outspoken upt that. they have started the repairs and they may be possibly mulling some type of legal action. >> that's in the lower ninth ward, one of the hardest hit ya areas of all of new orleans. we tried to reach the foundation and the company and haven't had any comment. moving on, another entertainment

headline, the wolf of wall street, convicted of bilking clients out of millions. now there's a movie mate about him, and he's written a couple books and made promises about proceeds. what's he doing? >> people have been taking him to task for making money and explained he's giving 100% of the car. he said for the record, i'm not turning over 50% of the profits of the books and movies, which was what the government wanted me to do. instead, i insist eed on turnin over 100% of the books and movie which is to say i'm not making a single dime on this. this should hopefully be enough to pay back anyone who is still out there. >> any idea what the reaction to this is? there are people who are going to say i'm not sure i trust him. >> the movie itself was so polarizing. you have to expect that people are picking sides. at the heart of it, people lost

a lot of money. people were victimized. no matter what he does, i don't think he's ever going to be viewed as the best of people. >> he broke the law, and even though he served his time, there are people who are not going to be fully made whole. >> exactly. >> nice to see you. >> nice to see you, too. >> coming up, a gay couple got married on a float during today's rose parade, and then faced some criticism. you'll hear from them and how they are responding to their critics. plus, tragedy on what was supposed to be the happiest night of their lives. a bride dies in a car accident just hours after her reception. could her new husband be charged? we'll have that story next. so ally bank really has no hidden fees on savings accounts? that's right, no hidden fees. it's just that i'm worried about, you know, "hidden things." ok, why's that? well uhhh... surprise!!!

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a family that celebrated a wedding on sunday now planning for a funeral, and they may soon also have to prepare for a trial. it comes after a terrible car accident that left the bride dead. and the groom facing possible charges, if a blood test reveals he was driving dunk. aaron diamond from our affiliate has more on this tragedy. >> i couldn't even see her. she was invisible. >> we met chris thomas monday at the scene of a horrific crash the night before that claimed the live of a newly wed. >> i'm thankful i didn't see

anything but the car. >> cali and her husband had just left their wedding reception when their sports car veered off the highway and rolled down a steep embankment, trapping cali underneath. thomas told us he saw clinton stumbling on the side of the road and called 911. >> he was shaken up, not making a lot of sense. he was hysterical. >> clinton led him to the wreck and then collapsed. >> i said, come here, buddy. i held him and we prayed. >> thomas said the hardest part for him was seeing the wedding party show up and telling them what happened. >> they still had their brid bridesmaids dresses on. >> they're coming to terms with the tragedy. clinton told investigators he swerved to avoid hitting a dog in the road, though their neighbor just hoped the family can find comfort. >> i know they're a very strong family, i know they have a lot of faith, and i think they'll

pull right through it because they know, they know their daughter. >> that was aaron from cnn affiliate wusb. and we're getting word that now hackers have breached more than 4 million snapchat accounts. the fast moving developments will be coming up next. this is kevin.ale ann] to prove to you that aleve is the better choice for him, he's agreed to give it up. that's today? [ male announcer ] we'll be with him all day as he goes back to taking tylenol. i was okay, but after lunch my knee started to hurt again. and now i've got to take more pills. ♪ yup. another pill stop. can i get my aleve back yet? ♪ for my pain, i want my aleve. ♪ [ male announcer ] look for the easy-open red arthritis cap.

we went to break talking about the latest hacking we have learned of. a few more details here. we're getting word the hackers have accessed the personal

information of more than 4 million users of snapchat. that is an app that allows people to share picture messages that self destruct after several seconds. we're told that phone numbers are included in the hacked information. snapchat hasn't responded, but there's a website allowing users to find out whether their accounts have been compromised. they warned about security gaps in snapchat. markets are closed on wall street today, but as we move into the new year, we can look back and say, 2013 was definitely one for the record books. at least when it comes to stocks. the s&p 500 gained nearly 30%. the dow jones had its best year since 1998. with gains of almost 27%. the nasdaq surged a whopping 38%. so can the economy in 2014 top last year? a lot of that depends on, as usual, congress, but not

everything is in their habdz. christine romans gives us her best guess on how that year, the one we're in, will go. >> what can you expect for your money in 2014? it's that time of year for predictions, so here goes. the economy will again be the big story. it will be a year of economic growth and growing worry that the recovery is not benefitting everyone. the unemployment rate will likely fall below 7%. that's the trend. the real story is the underemployment rate. don't expect that to budge as companies hold back on hiring full-time workers whenever they can. the recently unemployed will have a better chance of getting rehired next year, but the long-term unemployed face the same problems. congress may reinstate recessionally jobless benefits early in the year, but by the end of the year, expect that program to end for good. the minimum wage will rise in tlaeb states, but not as high as the $13 that legions of low-paid workers are protesting for.

with the recovering economy, the minimum wage debate won't fade. the stock market may not return as richly as it did in 2013 as the taper is finally here, and mortgage rates will likely rise. will that end the recovery in home prices? probably not. rates are still well below the post-world war ii average of 6%, and higher rates may spur banks into lending more freely to first-time buyers. i'm on the record. that's my forecast for 2014. >> thanks very much, christine. coming up, martini, whiskey, beer? what you drink actually says a lot about your personal politics. we'll tell you why. and 2013 was a great year for pop music. we've got a dj's mash-up of 68 of the hottest songs. plus, bold predictions on what to expect from the music world in the new year. stay tuned. check it out.

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the 2014 motor trend car of the year.

a rose parade first went off without a hitch, actually, one hitch. two men got hitched on one of the floats. >> and danny's story took center stage. aubrey and danny have been together for over a decade, and

this morning, their relationship becomes legally recognized in the state of california by way of a rose parade ceremony. you may have caught the white doves released. they were released just as they came around the corner on the colorado boulevard. this floral display, every bride or groom's dream. roses of white, green, red, coral, peach, and orange, enhanced with tulips, and vines of curly willow. our best wishes to aubrey and danny on their wedding day. >> danny is the groom with the beard, and aubrey got married on the float, sponsored by the aids health care foundation. they beat out about a dozen other couples vying for the unprecedent eed display of affection. i had a chance to talk to them, and they said what it says to the millions watching. >> so many people fought long and hard for gay men and women to be able to marry in the state of california. hopefully one day all over the

united states. we hope what they see up there is, you know, something that honors that and respects that. >> aubrey, there has been, of course, some backlash. the tournament of roses has received postings like this one that reads in part, so sad that for the first time, our family will not be watching the parade. we do not wish to be slapped in the face with something so extremely offensive to us. you had to have expected this. and do you think that this is a way to change minds? >> absolutely, it's a way. it's a great flatfiplatform for express our love, for people to get to know us, and for people to get educated. everyone is entitled to their opinion. so far, for every one negative or hateful review or posting, there's been two or three positives. we have never watched the rose bowl parade, we will now. so we're standing in, we're on

top of the cake to express our love and share that with the world, and we're getting so much love and support, from around the world, actually. >> the fact we're doing it publicly is only to show people that there's nothing to fear. we're an emerging family. one day we will be raising children, and we are showing up all over the country. so we are doing it publicly so as to remove some of that fear that seems to be still present in a lot of the rhetoric across this country. okay, this is pretty fascinating. what if i told you i could tell how you were voting based on what you're drinking. planning and placement says it's possible. they looked at two years of data and based on that, they say democrats like their champagne along with absolute or grey goose vodka and gin. republicans go for whiskey, especially jim beam, wild turkey, and canadian club.

voters like their wine. 14 of 15 brands most popular were wine. the other was tang garay. so what do least likely voters like? national media says dawn julio tequila, and jagermeister? really? all right. 2013 was a wild year in pop music. vancouver dj daniel kim put together a mash-up of some memorable tunes to remember from last year. he does this every year. watch this video that became viral. ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ >> to me, it's not the videos but the music, the way he makes them flow so seamlessly that one day i would love to ask how he duds it, but we want to know where pop music is going to go in 2013, so we turn to amanda fields with me. from best week ever. she joins us from new york.

happy new year. >> happy new year. >> let's start. give us your bold music predictions for 2014. >> my bold music predictions for twaent 14, well, i am a dj along with being a comedian on vh-1, and you know, you kind of have to look at what was moving people in 2013 to know what's going to happen in 2014. one of the biggest things that i saw was that dance music has really, like, taken its place in pop. you know, when you see daft punk be considered a pop record, which once upon a time, they were these edm crew that people only knew about in that world, and now they're huge. when you see "blurred lines" which is an r&b record but gets played as a dance record, when you see rihanna and katy perry delving into the edm side of things, dance music is really happening and it's going to get

bigger. >> i love all music. i have a fondness for pop music. i saw maroon 5 and macklumore. >> really? >> yeah. who do you see as being the ones, really the stars? that shone very bright in 2013? >> you definitely have to say mack macklamore. in the hip-hop community, there's still a dichotomy, but what they really did is they were able to take really strong issues going on in our social spheres and put it into music, which is, i mean, what music is best at doing, and doing that on such a large scale, and getting so much praise for it shows they have had a great year. we couldn't even blink without miley. so we definitely have to acknowledge that. >> i actually like her music. with all criticism on maybe her actions off camera, i think some of her songs -- i enjoy them.

>> really, that surprises me? i think what miley is doing that is interesting is that she does come from a country background. she was considered like country pop, and now she blatantly went the hip-hop route and added in that flavor. she's really bringing together a whole different crew. she's bringing together several different crews of genre supporters. so that's interesting. and big stars. well, i love emily sonde, and she's somebody i think a lot of folks may not know about yet, but she really had a breakthrough year, and it's only going to get bigger next year. >> before you go, i want to ask you about beyonce. she dropped the album, such a big surprise, but a huge business move. that's the part i'm really impressed with. a great album, but the business move. what do you think the impact is going to be on the industry by the way she did that? >> i think there's something to be said for the fact that, you know, she could do that. you know, i mean -- >> probably only her. >> very few artists that would

be able to do that. and that also speaks to the decision for target and amazon to not carry the physical album on their shelves because they don't want to encourage other artists to exclusively give their albums to itunes first and shut them out. that's something that beyonce has been able to do, not only because of her position as a pop star, but also, you know, she is alongside jay-z, she is a massive franchise. she's not just an artist. >> no, she's not. i thought it was interesting you had to buy the whole album. just like the old days. thanks very much. pleasure, really, reviewing the year in music. >> happy new year. >> and to you, thanks. okay, top of the hour. i'm martin savidge. and we begin with a tragedy that is coming out of minneapolis. an explosion and fire. it destroyed a building and sends at least 13 people to the hospital, many of them now in critical condition.

flames shot out of the windows as firefighters tried to rescue people from the building which contained a market and ten apartments. some victims were either blown out of the windows or jumped. authorities don't know how many people were actually inside or if all of them managed to get out. ted role nldz is monitoring the situation from our chicago bureau, and ted, can firefighters get inside the building now? >> they can. the fire is basically out now, marty. they're going through the debris, and they're looking for people that are missing. these are people that are associated with the ten different apartments in this building that they have not accounted for. it doesn't mean they are deceased. it just means they can't find them, so they're hoping that they just weren't home at the time of the fire, which took place at 8:15 approximately this morning. you mentioned the people that jumped or were blown from the third floor. there are six critically injured people and some of those are being treated for trauma from the drop. when firefighters arrived, the flames were so intense.

you look at the pictures, just amazing that there were no fatalities. at this point, nobody has perished from the firefighter. firefighters were able to get into the first floor for a while and then had to quickly retreat. they helped others out using ladders. bottom line, again, a miracle, really, that nobody at least so far has died from this inferno. >> we should point out, and i think the last time we spoke, there were still some they thought were unaccounted for. has that changed at all? >> no, there are still people who are unaccounted for. these are people who are associated with the apartment building, they just can't find them. they're trying to find their numbers, seeing where they are. and the assumption is they weren't home at the time of the fire. >> let's hope that's the case. we'll stay in touch. you can see in the images how cold it was. brutally cold. arctic air blowing in now to the windy city, and parts of the northeast. and right behind it, well, the

year's first snowstorm. bone chilling temperatures and up to 12 inches of snow are expected to blanket areas like chicago, boston, new york over the next few days. alexandra steele is tracking the falling temperatures from the weather center. we're talking about very serious, dangerous cold here, right? >> absolutely. you know, speaking to minneapolis, right now, it feels like 12 below zero. so an incredibly arctic scenario there. and duluth right now, feeling like 18 below. duluth going down in the books this past december as the eighth coldest on record. international falls, we call that the ice box, they're going to go down, second coldest december on record. arctic cold and prolonged cold to boot. here's a look at the high temperatures for the next couple days. 20 degrees below average tomorrow. duluth coming in alt zero. marquette, minneapolis as well. this arctic air in place,

shifting to the east. and modifying, so it's extremely cold, but colder than they have been. boston, low temperatures. boston saturday morning when you get up and walk out, the air temperature will be below zero. that's the first time that has happened in three years. not even factoring in the windchill. very cold, dangerous, arctic air, feeling like 8 in new york city on saturday morning. the groundwork is laid with this very cold air. now bring in the moisture, and we've got a snow storm for the northeast. washington south, you're not going to see that, but here's a look, a two-day affair. this is thursday morning. we'll see it come in waves. that's the good news with the storm, as many inches as we're going to get, it will come in two waves so it will be a little more manageable. the first wave on thursday. second wave on friday, and friday, the wave a little farther south, connecticut, long island, and into new jersey as well. then it all moves out on friday behind it, though, incredibly strong winds. so very cold. here's a look at the totals.

9 to 12 in boston. that's what you'll see thursday and friday. 12 plus in albany. it will be brutal. then factor in the winds on friday, gusting 45 miles per hour. new york picking up 5 to 9. so it's a substantial storm. and we're also going to see a lot of very cold and windy conditions after the fact. >> but it is the way i like my storms. manageable, as you explained. alexandra steele, thanks very much. >> sure. >> positive news that may help some people with alzheimer's. a new study suggests vitamin e may slow the progression of people with alzheimer's with moderate or mild forms of the disease. they were able to care for themselves longer and needed less help with their chores. this appears in the journal of american medical association. big doings in the big apple today. you may have found this out, but they're getting a new mayor. >> please welcome to 109th mayor

of the city of new york, bill de blasio. >> that's a very royal sound to it. bill de blasio was sworn in after noon today, and he prom e promised a strong taste of progressivism to the city that has roared back under its own style of conservatism. >> so help me god. >> probably recognize bill clinton, the president, doing the honors there. his presence underscoring the hope being placed on de blasio by democrats around the country. susan candiotti is with us now from new york. why is all this hope, really, being placed on bill de blasio? >> hi, marty, happy new year to you. a lot of democrats are paying close attention to this race around the country because of the liberal progressive policies that mayor bill de blasio is now promising to start employing here in new york city.

they want to see whether he will be able to carry out his promises. such as making a more economic and equal playing field for people in new york city, and can those policies be implemented around the country? they're paying close attention to this, nationwide, because other cities want to see whether they, too, can duplicate these policies. and also, keeping an eye, of course, on the midterm elections and the next presidential election because if bill de blasio is successful in a huge city like new york, let's see where the next presidential candidate, for example, will be able to do the same thing. one of the things he talked about is taxing the wealthy. in order to pay for universal pre-k programs and after school programs for all children. and this is what the mayor had to say about that. >> those are in between $500,000

and a million dollars a year, for instance, would see their taxes increase by an average of $973 a year. that's less than $3 a day. about the cost of a small soy latte at your local starbucks. >> hoping to make that more palatable to the wealthy who may be having to pay higher taxes. and he also talked about reforming the controversial stop and frisk policy in new york city. he got the blessing for all of this from former president bill clinton. what is his connection to him? well, de blasio used to work for bill clinton and his administration. and de blasio also headed up hillary clinton's first senate campaign in new york state. successfully, of course, as we know. so president bill clinton, his blessing meant everything. list listen. >> he represents with his family the future of our city and the

future of our country. >> and in fact, president clinton even called de blasio's family the real thing in terms of the modern family because it's the first interracial family, certainly, they have seen in terms of the mayor's family here in new york. de blasio is married to an african-american woman. and they have two african-american children as well. so the question, of course, marty, in all of this, is let's see how he does. can he pull it off? >> a lot of people watching. thanks very much. as you can judge by the conversation, there's more of a sense of more than the mayorship. jake, you heard de blasio's inauguration speech today. what does his election mean for the progressive movement? what does it mean beyond new york? >> it means they have a very vocal, strong-willed advocate for the progressive cause.

in new york city, and the reaction to mayor de blasio's speech today, he talked in his speech about two cities and how he didn't want new york city to be two cities anymore. and this is somebody who was elected with more than 70% of the vote. to his base, to the voters, the progressives in new york city, he gave a very muscular argument in favor of what he wanted to do. i have to say there's another reaction, a lot of times inaugurals are times when people, when presidents or mayors or governors can reach out to critics, reach out to those who maybe didn't vote for him. this was not that. i want to read some things that were retweeted by one of mayor bloomberg's outgoing mayor bloomberg's top aides, he retweeted something written by an israeli journalist who said an outside observer, hard to understand the bitterness. there's a time for everything and this isn't it. that's not from the former

bloomberg aide. he retweeted it, but it may be a window as to how those in the bloomberg administration viewed the tenor of the de blasio speech. >> in a speech like this, we expect everyone to be included. before i let you go, you spoke with jeff ross and got his take on the art of the comic roast. >> one of the biggest events of comedy central's year was this roast of james franco. we talked to jeffrey ross about the art of insulting people. here's a little clip from that. >> i did my first roast in 1995. they couldn't get anybody to roast steven seagal. in new york. and i was like, this was before youtube. i had to go to the museum of broadcasting, look up the roasts to see how far you could take it. i looked at it, it was like my yankee stadium. a lot of you don't know me, but i feel uniquely qualified to be here, because i'm also a crappy actor.

>> we talked to jeff ross about the art of insulting people. he, of course, took some shots at me as well. but he also talked about something near and dear to him, which is the troops. he had just gone to water reed before he came here, and we talked about his going abroad to try to amuse and entertain wounded warriors. >> good for him. good for him. jake tapper, thanks very much. nice to talk to you. >> happy new year. >> and to you. check out more of jake's interview at the top of the hour on "the lead." as you see already, it's pretty funny. >> the wait for weed is over. if you care. at least in parts of colorado. people lined up outside of stores today as pot legally went on sale. next, we're taking you inside a store that started selling weed just hours ago. plus, we'll talk live to a woman who is the denver drug czar. how about that job? in charge of everything pot. also, we'll talk about jovan

belcher and the former nfl player who killed his girlfriend and then himself. his mom is suing his former team. should the chiefs be held responsible? we're on the case, coming up. r . i go to angie's list to gauge whether or not the projects will be done in a timely fashion and within budget. angie's list members can tell you which provider is the best in town. you'll find reviews on everything from home repair to healthcare. now that we're expecting, i like the fact i can go onto angie's list and look for pediatricians. the service providers that i've found on angie's list actually have blown me away. find out why more than two million members count on angie's list. angie's list -- reviews you can trust.

over the pizza place on chestnut street the modest first floor bedroom in tallinn, estonia and the southbound bus barreling down i-95. ♪ this magic moment it is the story of where every great idea begins. and of those who believed they had the power to do more. dell is honored to be part of some of the world's great stories. that began much the same way ours did. in a little dorm room -- 2713. ♪ this magic moment ♪

people are lining up around the block for the first day of legal marijuana sales in colorado. take a look at this crowd in denver braving the snow to wait for their turn to step inside and buy weed out in the open like alcohol. buyers started lining up about an hour before the first pot shops open. our casey wian tweeted this picture this morning. it's the first one -- the first one stepped up to the counter shortly after 8:00 a.m. he paid $60 for an eighth of an ounce of pot, and marijuana infused truffle. interesting. casey wians watching the comings and goings in the most ambitious marijuana social experiment on record. how is it going? >> it's really busy here. we're at evergreen apoth carry in denver. you mentioned alcohol. we're familiar with the term bartender. i learned a new word today. these are bud tenders here. they're helping customers decide

which strain of marijuana to buy. there's different effects, different smells. different strains. and so they're here as kind of consultants helping the customers, many of whom are coming here and saying they need an education as to what kind of marijuana they should buy, what form they should buy. we have a camera outside and we can give you a sense of the line. it's a little after 1:00 local time. this business opened at 8:00 in the morning. there are still dozens and dozens of people outside. the business is handing out numbers. they have handed out 700 numbers and serviced about 200 people. we don't know if they're going to be able to get through all of these people before the business shuts down for the day, but they're going to be busy again tomorrow. there were concerns about supply because of all of the anticipated demand. the business owners say they have enough supply to get through the foreseeable future. if you see here and want to buy marijuana, it's not cheap.

$50 for an eighth of an ounce. colorado residents can buy up to an ounce. out of state residents can by a quarter ounce. very big day. very big turnout. >> i profess i'm not a big pot fan, but i find this fascinating. last hour, you mentioned the use of coupons, which was really surprising. now i'm wondering, is it possible other stores give out free samples? >> no one is giving out free samples and my understanding of the law in colorado is you can't do that. there are several things you can't do. obviously, you can't drive under the influence, you can't give it to someone else or resell it to someone else. you can't take it across state lines. so there are some regulations and restrictions. and of course, you have to be over the age of 21. >> yeah, we're going to talk a bit more. thank you. fascinating insight. selling pot in colorado is hardly a free for all. there's a lot of oversight. denver even has a pot czar. and she's with us, joining us on the telephone. ashley kill roy is the city's

executive director of marijuana policy. thank you for being with us, happy new year, and how is the first day going from your perspective? >> the first day has gone very smoothly. we're very pleased with that. we had a number of individuals in line, all acting respectfully and responsibly, and you know, moving through the lines, and also from what we have been able to see, people are respecting the laws that this law prohibits open and public consumption. >> you know, when it comes to this law, what's your biggest challenge? >> well, right now, what we have been focused on in the last couple months is moving towards this day. moving towardso opening some retail marijuana shops. today is the first day, but this is going to be a transition period, and more and more retail marijuana shops will be opening over the year. and what we have done is we've only allowed individuals that have already been medical

marijuana shops who have a proven track record to move into the retail market. >> fans of pot are watching this, and also many municipalities because as we say, this is a very first step in the nation. we want to show you this. it is a map, you can take a look at the city of denver. they posted this map showing where to find legal pot shops, and are tourists welcome? and do they have to abide by special rules? >> well, of course, tourists are always welcome to denver. but we don't anticipate any type of marijuana tourism. there are going to be pot shots, pot cafes or open in public consumption. the law, amendment 64, passed by our state voters, limiting the constitution, really only prevents private, personal use of marijuana for adults over 21. >> ashley, this is a fascinating

subject. thank you very much for taking your new year's day to talk to us on the telephone. >> wonderful. thank you, martin. next, he was the beloved uncle on the fresh prince of bel-air. remember that show? but today, james avery passed away. he's not the only person connected to show who died in the past week. we'll have more on that, next. c explore what's new. for 575 calories or less on our lighter fare menu. enjoy fresh tossed. go fish. and try our new rosemary garlic chicken at olive garden. you wouldn't have it she any other way.our toes. but your erectile dysfunction - it could be a question of blood flow. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex.

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the first day of the year brings some sad news out of hollywood. actor james avery, well known as uncle phil from the '90s show the fresh prince of bel-air has died at the age of 67. >> i'm not going to pinunish yo today, maybe not even tomorrow. you see, i need to think a long, long time about just what i'm going to do with you. i don't know, it might come to me in the middle of the night. or maybe next week, or a few years from now. in the meantime, why don't you worry about it? >> the man who played uncle phil's son, an fallso ribeiro tweeted i'm deeply saddened to say james avery has passed away. he was a second father to me.

i will miss him greatly. joining me now from los angeles, alan duke. nice to see you. welcome to 2014. do we know how he died? >> well, from complications to heart surgery in glendale, california, which is not far from here in hollywood. he's had heart problems for a while, we understand, and we have just learned that his actual age, according to his passport, was 68. initially, it was reported as 65 and then kaev, but he was 68, but he was an active actor. even the isyear, just a few months ago, he completed a film that i understand is going to debut at the sundance film festival coming up early this year. but it was heart trouble, and he was here in los angeles. >> you know, the show -- we all remember it. it's a certain period in your life as you grow up. it's the second death, also, we were discussing, that happened involving a member of the show, right? >> yes, there was a really -- a really shocking one that

happened last week, just around christmas. when jeffrey pollock, who was a director and producer on the show, was jogging around hermosa beach, his home in hermosa beach here in the l.a. area, when listening to his ipod, running, nothing odd, just dropped dead. last week, so the cast and the crew and the family from that show, fresh prince of bel-air, suffering double tragedies in the last few weeks. by the way, i might also add that james avery was seen in other shows, not just that one show. he played a judge in "the closer" rather a doctor in "the closer" and a judge on "l.a. law." >> worth noting. thanks for talking to us today. coming up, workers in more than a dozen states getting a raise. today, we'll break down where the minimum wage is on the rise. >> plus, north korea's kim jong-un calls the uncle he had

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starting today, millions of americans will earn more money.

now that the minimum wage is going up in 13 states. most increases amount to less than 15 cents per hour, but minimum wage workers in places like new jersey, connecticut, new york, and long island will see a much bigger bump. >> you have no money on your lunch account? >> no. >> at 29 years old, joanna cruz is stuck, stuck in a job that pays $7.30 an hour. she works overnights at a deli, 40 hours a week. her weekly paycheck, $244.70. what do you need to make to be able to get by on your own? >> i would have to make at least $14, $15 to be able to live comfortably. >> you add it up as you go? >> yeah. >> you do? >> i have to. >> she's a single mom fighting to get by. don't be mitaken, she blames herself for not finishing high school and not going to college, but she tell me there has to be more she can achieve. >> there is no moving up.

i might get a raise if i'm there long enough, but that's about it. >> joanna's life mirrors her moth mother's. augusta cruz worked years in a mattress factory and said she never made over $9. >> it's a vicious cycle for everybody. >> her mother provides the home joanna can't afford. >> if it weren't for you, where would joanna be? >> in a shelter, in the street? >> years of low-wage work has left joanna with little hope. >> i'm already 29. by the time i finish school, i'll probably be like 40. like, and then who's going to hire a 40-year-old who just started off with no experience? probably not going to happen. some days i don't want to try. >> tell me what you mean. >> i mean, i feel like, what's the point? like, what's the point of trying? i'm not going to make it anyway. >> do you think from the outside looking in, people have any idea what you go through? >> no. none.

>> americans have long believed in a fair day's pay for a fair day's work, but we can't agree on what that wage is today. president obama supports raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to about $10 an hour. but critics argue that won't help. it will hurt. costing jobs and increasing prices. >> in general, prices go up, people buy a little letsdz, and firms use less labor. you're better off if you earn a higher wage, but weigh that against the likelihood your employer is going to make do with less workers and you may be one of the workers. >> in 2012, the average pay for a fast food worker was $9 an hour. for a retail worker, $12.17. both higher than minimum wage. still, tiffany, a part-time walmart worker, is among those demanding higher pay. she's a member of our walmart, a

union-backed group that does not represent walmart workers but protests for higher wages. >> it isn't enough money for me to get by. it's very hard. we're at a standstill right now with my family. >> walmart's u.s. ceo said they pay a fair wage and are unfairly criticized. >> we provide a fair wage and provide incredible opportunity. the discussion around the starting minimum wage is one that the country needs to have, but it's not the issue. the issue isn't where you start. it's where you go to once you started. >> tiffany wants more opportunity, but at $10.70 an hour, she said she can't afford to work full-time, given the child care costs she would nee to cover. why doesn't she look for another job? >> i'm actually not unhappy with my job. i really like my job. i like being with the customers, so it's not -- it's pointless for me to find a job. i would rather stay and fight. >> as for joanna, her pay will go up in january when minimum

wage in new jersey increases to $8.25 an hour. she will still struggle but hopes her childrens' lives will be better. >> it's not going to happen to my kids. it's not. i promise you that it's not go to happen to my kids. it's just not. i won't allow it to. >> poppy harlow, cnn, reporting. it was a subdued new year's eve in volgograd, the russian city that closed out 2013 with two bombings that left 34 people dead. today, president vladimir putin made an unannounced visit to some of the survivors. yesterday, putin spoke to the nation, promising to fight until terrorists are defeated. north korea's leader gave his own speech today, but it's doubtful it made anyone feel safer. in the address, he called the u.s. and south korea war maniacs and suggested that they're laying the groundwork for war.

cnn's brian todd joins me with more. brian, happy new year, i guess. >> happy new year, martin. >> is this just unusual, over the top propaganda, the kind of stuff we're accustomed to hearing from north korea, or is there more to it. >> >> analysts say it's not more serious than threats in recent years, but at the same time, given the political upheaval in careera, any threat from kim jong-un is ominous. he called the u.s. and south korea war maniacs, saying they were gearing up for nuclear war, and then this morning for america. >> translator: the u.s. and south korea war maniacs have deployed legions of equipment for a nuclear war in and around the korean peninsula. this creates a critical situation where an accidental military skirmish could lead to an all-out war. that would result in a deadly nuclear catastrophe and the

united states would never be safe. >> i spoke with one analyst, bruce clinger, who was a cia officer assigned to monitor north korea. he said with that warning, he's saying north korea can hit the united states. more specifically, the west coast, with a ballistic missile, possibly a nuclear-tipped one. >> pretty troubling. how about his uncle? we know prior to all of this, he had his uncle executed. did he mention that at all? >> he mentioned the event. he never mentioned the uncle by name, but he said of that execution, quote, in the seething period of the effort for rebuilding a thriving country last year, we took the resolute measure of removing the factionalists lurking in the party. that's what he called his uncle and his cronies. kim says the purge of the uncle unified north korea, but analysts said there are more likely purges coming ahead and more instability inside this very volatile regime. >> thanks very much. easy to laugh it up, somewhat,

but so many truths on a hair trigger up there. thanks very much. next, we're learning about a lawsuit filed by the mother of a former nfl player. javon belcher killed his girlfriend before killing himself. now his mom is suing the kansas city chiefs. we'll explain why. hi, i'm terry and i have diabetic nerve pain.

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the violence in chicago and the epidemic, it seems to have been suffering. there's good news, it seems to be on the downswing. the city is poised to have its lowest murder rate since the 1960s. ted rowlands finds out why and just what is changing. >> solace. >> sir. >> the final roll call of the year at chicago's ninth precinct, the lieutenant talks about new year's eve and goes through his precinct's numbers for the year. >> shootings, we're down 88 from last year. a 46% decrease. >> 2013 was a great year for the entire chicago police force over all. crime was down nearly 25% from 2012, and the murder rate was the lowest since 1967. >> it's hard not to be pleased, but you know, we're not satisfied. >> some of the credit goes to chicago police superintendent gary mccarty who was brought in two years ago by mayor rahm

emanuel. they made sweeping changes that now seem to be paying off, including major changes at the police department. >> moving cops from behind the desk out onto the street. officers doing foot patrol. the interdiction strategy on gangs. >> besides policing the city has invested in more after school programs and this year, doubled the size of its summer jobs program. it's also putting pressure on parents to keep better tabs on their kids. >> get close to home now, it's starting to get late, boys. >> several heartbreaking stories in 2013, including the killing of 15-year-old hadiya peterson, shot after taking her final exam. president obama talked about her in his state of the union. >> she was shot and killed in a park just a mile away from my house. >> the biggest problem still facing chicago is illegal guns and the lack of accountability

for those caught with one. an example, the man accused of killing hadiya peterson, who mccarthy said would have been in prison if illinois gun penalties were stronger. >> her alleged killer pled guilty to illegal possession of a firearm in november of 2012. and killed her in january of 2013. >> still, things are better, and most people on the south side of chicago we talk to say they have noticed a difference. >> it has slowed down, though. it has slowed down. >> getting better? >> yes, it is. it's getting better. >> it's kind of all coming together in one monstrous thunder clap, and the goal is to keep making it better. >> make sure you watch each other's backs. okay? thank you again. have a good night. be safe. >> thousands of people right now are saying good-bye to a colorado student who was shot at and killed last month at her denver area high school. these are pictures that are live now coming from a public

memorial happening for 17-year-old claire davis. she attended arapahoe high school. claire died december 21stering eight days after being randomly shot by karl pierson. pierson committed suicide after that violent attack. the national western stock show says later this month, it will honor her memory by naming a horse show in her honor. today, all the flags state wide were lowered to half staff on all public buildings in her memory. the mother of a dead nfl player is accusing his team, the kansas city chiefs, of literally playing him to death. jovan belcher killed himself in december of 2012 after he fatally shot his girlfriend. the family gave a brief statement at that time. >> we will cherish the wonderful memories we have of jovan, and pray that those memories will bring us peace as we grapple to

understand the unpredictable and tragic ending of his life and the life of kasandra perkins. >> that struggle to understand has turned into a lawsuit from belcher's mother, cheryl shepherd. she just filed it in missouri claims court. the kansas city chiefs caused belcher to get, quote, post concussion syndrome. now, we're aware of his cognitive and neuropsychiatric impairment, end quote, and required him to play through his injuries, riving his, quote, further neurological harm. the chiefs know about the lawsuit, but they're not saying anything about it. danny cevallos is on the case, he's back with us again. let me ask you this. do you think this family has a solid case against the team? >> typically, suicide in negligence cases is an independent, intervening cause that breaks the chain of

causation. but missouri courts and other courts increasingly hold that if you can prove that the negligent act caused some kind of insanity and that insanity then caused a suicide, if you can show that causation, and i imagine that's going to be a difficult burden, then your case can proceed to a jury. this really isn't a significant development because historically, suicide, we all understand to be an independent act. and historically, it has broken that chain of negligence, typically absolving a tort-feasor or a defendant of liebt. >> i'm with you on this because as you point out, suicide is one of those acts where we would say, the person who did it is responsible. and the whole idea of concussions and this has come out. players and other nfl families have sued over brain trauma, including the loved ones of junior seau, who killed himself at the age of 43. but they went after the nfl and settled. does suing the team directly

make a difference in this case? >> well, the first problem they're going to have -- the obstacle they're going to have to overcome is the workers compensation bar. they have already pleaded that this falls outside of workers comp. most people don't realize you can't sue your employer because of a statute that says you have to go through the workers compensation process. if they can show this was not an accident as defined under the code and this was not a work-related single incident accident, then they may be able to avoid that workers compensation issue. but i have to maenl that the nfl has been a much more appetizing defendant because it's not a direct employer of the players. if they can get over the hurdle, the plaintiffs, of suing the kansas city chiefs directly, the decedent's employer, then the case will proceed, then they have their burden to show causation, causation, causation. this insanity was caused by the injury which caused the suicide.

>> if belcher's mother is successful, i imagine this would sort of open the door for many other lawsuits like it. >> absolutely. i mean, bringing these lawsuits requires a lot of science. they're expensive because you need a neurologist or another expert to testify the causation of the injuries, that the brain injuries were caused in the manner that was the negligence of these employers. the negligence of these teams and the negligence of the nfl. if they can demonstrate that, then they may have a cause of action. so i expect that some well-fundwell-fund ed lawsuits will begin if this one is allowed to proceed. these lawsuits we have seen so far are just the first of many. >> i agree with you. danny cevallos, as always, a pleasure to talk to you. thanks very much. stuck in a ship for days, forced to celebrate christmas and then new year's away from home. how would you be feeling? ♪ ice storm cha-cha-cha

>> apparently, great. that's the crew aboard an exhibiti exhibition ship stranded in the arctic. that's not the only video they posted. we'll show you more coming up. ty of the little room over the pizza place at 315 chestnut street. the modest first floor bedroom in tallinn, estonia and the dusty basement at 1406 35th street. it is the story of the old dining room table at 25th and hoffman avenue. the southbound bus barreling down i-95. ...and the second floor above the strip mall at roble and el camino. ♪ this magic moment it is the story of where every great idea begins. ♪ so different and so new where those with endless vision and an equal amount of audaciousness believed they had the power to do more. time and time again. ♪ and then, it happened at dell, we're honored to be part of some of the world's great stories. stories that began much the same way ours did. in a little dorm room -- # 2713.

♪ this magic moment ♪ ♪ this magic moment and it feels like your lifeate revolves around your symptoms, ask your gastroenterologist about humira adalimumab. humira has been proven to work for adults who have tried other medications but still experience the symptoms of moderate to severe crohn's disease. in clinical studies, the majority of patients on humira saw significant symptom relief, and many achieved remission. 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. ask your gastroenterologist about humira today. remission is possible. former first lady barbara bush is in a houston hospital. a family spokesman says she's being treated for a respiratory issue. the 88-year-old in great spirits. her friends and relatives have

visited in the hospital. bush has been dealing with grave's disease, an autoimmune disorder that effects the thyroid since the late '80s. we don't know whether the current hospitalization may be linked to that disease. she got a warm wish today from president obama. here is the president's message. michelle and i send our best wishes to mrs. bush for a speedy recovery. barbara is blessed to have both a loving, supporter family by her side and vibrant spirit we hope will have her feeling better soon. i know i speak for americans everywhere when i say our thoughts and prayers are with barbara and her family on this new year's day. it is kind of a "gilligan's island" with a lot of snow and no palm trees. i am talking about the 74 people stranded on an expedition in the ice off antarctica because they had so much time on tv for being stranded.

but they could be rescued in just a maert of hours. >> reporter: finally some encouraging news for the 74 passengers and crew on the research vessel stuck in ice in antarctica since christmas. we just got off the phone with captain murray doyle of the australian ice breaker coming to assist. he believes that rescue operation could begin as early as thursday morning. well, at the moment, they're 12 nautical miles from the vessel, but two nautical miles from the chinese ice breaker that's also come to help. the chinese ship is in a holding position because the ice surrounding it is so deep. once the australian vessel arrives, it is hoped the two ships together can reach open water. if that happens, a helicopter on the chinese ship will fly to the research vessel and evacuate scientists and journalists in groups of 12 to 15. they will then be transported by barge to the australian ice breaker where they will stop at casey, an australian basin

antarctica before heading to australia. the 22 crew will remain on the stranded vessel until the ice loosens up. they have ample supplies and will also be restocked. despite the situation, everyone on board is in remarkable spirits. their plight attracted the attention of the world's media, including our anderson cooper who spoke to them. >> you guys are keeping up morale. >> working hard to keep everyone going and everyone has been fantastic, very team spirited. just looking forward to getting home really. >> reporter: bad weather has been the biggest obstacle in reaching the ship, but according to the australian captain on route to their aid, the skies have now cleared, a promising sign for rescue teams and those on board the stranded vessel. anna coren, cnn, hong kong. the guinness record for

largest fireworks display with more than 400,000 pyrotechnics lighting the skies as 2014 began. we had it for you live yesterday. the city in the united arab emirates set off the show near the world's tallest building, involving 400 parts of the skyline and spanning 62 miles of water front. reportedly the over the top exhibition cost about $6 million. next, the nfl playoffs, they're coming up this weekend and fans are gearing up for a super bowl run, putting green bay, the packers game may not even be shown on local tv, we'll tell you why. keeping up with these two is more than a full time job and i don't have time for unreliable companies. angie's list definitely saves me time and money. for over 18 years we've helped people take care of the things that matter most.

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it's connecting over one million low-income americans to broadband internet at home. it's a place named one america's most veteran friendly employers. next is information and entertainment in ways you never thought possible. welcome to what's next. comcastnbcuniversal. it is the first of the year, for college football fans, the start of bcs bowl season. there are two bcs games. stanford takes on michigan state, and the university of central florida against baylor. if your memory is long enough, you might remember the football game that came to be known as the ice bowl, december 31st, 1967. packers versus cowboys, green bay, wisconsin. it was so cold at the ice bowl, how cold?

the referees couldn't make their whistles blow and trumpets got stuck to band members' lips, minus 15 at game time, wind chill minus 48. what's going on in green bay now? they have a playoff game sunday. some of the hardiest fans are staying home. it is too cold. >> a tv blackout in green bay for a playoff game? seems unbelievable, right? it actually could happen sunday. nfl rules state teams must sell out games 72 hours before kickoff or the game will be blacked off in the television market. as of last night, packers had 11,000 tickets unsold, shocking considering they sold out 319 straight games at lambeau field, and have nearly 100,000 on the season ticket waiting list. weather is believed to be a factor. low temperature in green bay sunday night is expected to be around negative 15 degrees.

as you can imagine, fans may want to stay home, watch the game on tv. the dilemma is they can't if it is blacked out. the nfl has extended the deadline to sell the game until thursday, because of today's holiday. green bay packers quarterback aaron rodgers is subject of rumors swirling around the internet and he wants everyone to know it is not true, he is not gay. multiple websites suggested that rod gers was gay because of a relationship with an x personal assistant. they attended numerous award shows together and were roommates, but he squashed the rumors on his radio show yesterday. >> i am just going to say i'm not gay. i really, really like women. there's always going to be silly stuff out there in the media that just, you know, you can't worry too much about it. i think they should be professional is professional and personal is personal. >> with that out of the way, he can start to think about the big game against the 49ers sunday. martin? >> yes, he can.

andy shows, thank you very much. happy new year. thank you for watching. that's it for me. the lead with jake tapper starts right now. for those of you nursing a hangover, we promise no yelling pundits for the next hour. jake tapper, this is "the lead." the national lead. get your birth control on someone else's dime, nuns in colorado say. they're challenging the law that goes into effect today that forces religious affiliated groups to cover employees. the money lead. wha do you buy when you have more than most could dream of? how about karma. find out who donated the most to charity in the past year. and the pop