don't go anywhere. your top stories are next in the "cnn newsroom." have a great weekend. hello, everybody, from the cnn center, this is cnn saturday morning. it is january 2nd. happy new year. thanks for joining us. i'm betty nguyen. >> good morning. maybe getting up at this hour. i'm richard lui in for t.j. holmes this weekend. thanks for starting your saturday with us. >> great to have you around this weekend. let's get started with this. >> the president pointing fingers in the attempted christmas day terror attack on northwest flight 253. he says al qaeda is responsible. we hear from the president straight ahead. rush limbaugh out of the hospital this morning and talking to reporters. doctors say they found nothing wrong after he was admitted for chest pains. limbaugh held a news conference, and we'll hear what he had to

say. also want to begin this morning with president obama. he's making the strongest statement yet connecting al qaeda to the attack on northwest flight 253 christmas day. now, in his weekly address, the president links the suspect, umar farouk abdulmutallab, to al qaeda in yemen. >> i've made it a priority to strengthen our partnership with the yemeni government, training and equipping their security forces, sharing intelligence, and working with them to strike al qaeda terrorists. and even before christmas day, we had seen the results. training camps have been struck. leaders eliminated. plots disrupted. and al those involved in the attempted act of terrorism on christmas must know you, too, will be held to account. as the christmas day attempt illustrates, and as we were we re minded this week by the sacrifices of more brave americans in afghanistan, including those seven dedicated men and women of the cia, the hard work of protecting your nation is never done. so as our reviews continue, let us ask the questions that need to be asked, let us make the

changes that need to be made, let us debate the best way to protect the country we all love. that's the right and responsibility of every american and every elected official. but as we go forward, let us remember this -- our adversaries are those who would attack our country, not our fellow americans, not each other. let us never forget what has always carried us through times of trial, including those attacks eight septembers ago. instead of giving in to fear and cynicism, let's renew that timeless american spirit of resolve and confidence and optimism. instead of succumbing to partisanship and division, let's summon the unity that this moment demands. let's work together with the seriousness of purpose to do what must be done to keep our country safe. as we begin this new year, i can't imagine a more fitting resolution to guide us as a people and as a nation. >> president obama has ordered a full investigation of the christmas day plot, and he's calling in his homeland security team for a meeting on tuesday.

meanwhile, counterterrorism officials tell us that abdulmutallab may have had direct contact with a radical muslim cleric. anwar was linked to two alleged hijackers. abdulmutallab did have a visa, but that information was not passed on so the state department is changing the rules. so, millions of people are traveling by air this weekend as they wrap up their new year's celebrations, and we're going to continue the conversation on airline safety issues because coming up in ten minutes we'll talk to the inspector general with the u.s. department of transportation. seven cia officers killed. there are claims now that the suicide attack in eastern afghanistan was one carried out by an afghan soldier, supposedly an ally, and two, a man that the cia was possibly counting on as

an informant. cnn's atia abawi joins us live from afghanistan on both these items. atia, what's the latest? >> reporter: right now, richard, no one is talking officially about who this man was, how he got onto the base. right now, the only claim we're getting is from the taliban who state that he was an afghan soldier, a soldier that they were able to convince to switch allegiances, a man that used to fight on the side of the u.s. forces, they say, and then decided to fight on the side of the taliban. the taliban in that same statement say it's not going to be a one time thing, that it's happened in the past and they'll make sure it happens in the future. a day before this attack, another afghan soldier shot and killed an american soldier in western afghanistan, a completely different part of the country, and they say right now they're trying to infiltrate the afghan security forces. and right now the security forces of afghanistan with a push from president barack obama, a push from president

hamid karzai and all the na nato-led countries is to increase security forces so eventually they can take over the burden of protecting afghanistan. but the fear here is right now the taliban will take advantage of that and actually try to infiltrate. i was out with the ana recruiters just a couple weeks ago, and it really looked to be more about quantity than it was about quality. >> that would be a problem, atia, as you know. we understand the taliban, and meanwhile, has come out with a year-end statement. what are you hearing they're saying there? >> reporter: this is quite surprising. the taliban on their website also came out with a year-end 2009 statement saying that they're very happy and calling 2009 a very successful year when it comes to their politics, when it comes to their fighting on the front lines and their propaganda. well, they say their public relations with the media. and they also have a look ahead for 2010, and they say they'll start launching major military operations in april.

that's no big surprise because that is considered the beginning of the fighting season here in afghanistan, as the snow melts and the spring begins. richard? >> they seem very organized, atia, based on the statement you're saying they released at the end of the year despite that the fact that may not be the case, i guess. is that right? >> reporter: i'm sorry. i didn't hear that. >> i was saying that they released that statement indicating that they may be somewhat organized, the taliban, that is, despite the fact that perhaps across the different part os-that geography that may not be actually one organization. >> reporter: absolutely, richard. the taliban right now, they're definitely not the taliban of ten years ago. the taliban of ten years ago was particularly under one leader, mullah omar. if you look at different parts of afghanistan, you have different leaders basically in charge of different taliban organizations. in the west of the country, you have criminal gangs. in the south, you still have mullah omar, who is the basic leader, and then towards the east you have a person named

haqani, the one who is many believe are behind this boeming in that american base that killed those seven cia agents. what's also interested about this is the father was actually a mujahideen fighter against the soviets in the 1980s, and, get this, he was actually funded by the cia through the pakistani intelligence. richard? >> 7:37 in kabul, afghanistan weather the latest on the shock. thank you. when president obama gets back to washington next week, it is back to the grind on health care. >> that's right. it's just one of many big issues that's shaped his first year in office, but senior white house correspondent, ed henry, tells us some are wondering if president obama is doing too much, too quickly. >> reporter: betty and richard, this working vacation has been more work and less vacation, a reminder of the 24/7 nature of the presidency. but one of mr. obama's good

friends is urging him to slow down in 2010. as the president rests up for his second year in office, one of his closest allies here in hawaii is expressing concern about the pace of year one. >> i think he's done exceedingly well, although, for 50 years now, he is pushing himself too hard. >> reporter: the charge he has too much on his plate usually comes from republicans. this time it's democrat daniel ino inoue, who speaks with authority after serving in the senate with ten presidents now. >> five months ago we had some very informal gathering and the president looked at me and said, well, dan, how am i doing? and i had to hel him, mr. president, the campaign is over. i've yet to find any presidential candidate who carries out every political promise. >> reporter: in some ways, the first year has resembled the

campaign. the president barnstorming the country to sell the largest economic recovery and health care plans in history, all the while scoffing at the notion he's taking on too much after inheriting two wars and the financial crisis. >> i'd love if these problems were coming at us one at a time instead of five or six at a time. it's more than most congresses and most presidents have to deal with in a lifetime. but we have been called to govern in extraordinary times. >> reporter: besides, he promised major change, and after an historic victory and big democratic majorities, there's something to be said for striking while the iron is hot. >> he came in with sky-high approval ratings and if he was going to get anything done, it was going to happen this year. >> reporter: those approval ratings have come back down to earth, and on this hawaiian vacation, the president has been trying to get some down time. but the christmas day terror incident intervened, and now the president has added an overhaul of the intelligence community to his already full agenda.

>> it's becoming clear that the system that has been in place for years now is not sufficiently up to date. >> reporter: this is why daniel inoue says 2010 will be all about resetting priorities. >> the second year will be one where the first year will have to be clarified. >> reporter: white house aides have said the president will zero in on jobs in 2010, perhaps a sign that he's heard the concerns of some democrat who is want him to sharpen the focus on the economy while still tackling other challenges. betty, richard? >> all right. so if you're about to head out, be glad that you're not in north dakota this morning. and if you are in north dakota, you might not want to head out today. reynolds wolf joins us with that. >> you got that right. especially more to the east, like north dakota, you might not want to go to minnesota or international falls where it's currently 35 degrees below zero outside. basically you want to stay by the fire and do the hot cocoa thing. miami beach, we're talking about

an entirely different situation, highs in the 60s, and we have heavy snow to talk about. it's a full plate of weather phenomena we'll share with you in a few moments. >> all right. thank you. >> a long with that, cold water. you can tell looking at these people. a strange new year's day tradition. >> and look who's talking. rush limbaugh has a message for fans. r arthritis pain... in your hands... knees... and back. for little bodies with fevers... and big bodies on high blood pressure medicine. tylenol works with your body in a way other pain relievers don't... so you feel better... knowing doctors recommend tylenol more than any other brand of pain reliever.

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and helps you stay on top of your business anytime, anywhere. get a 30-day free trial at intuit.com. hello, everybody. welcome back on this second day of the new year, and boy, it is cold in many parts of the nation. reynolds wolf has been watching it all this morning. we're not just talking freezing temperatures. we are talking below freezing. yeah. this is like freezing your face off. 27 below in fargo, 20 below in duluth. but in this spot right up here in international falls, we have temperatures at this hour of 35 degrees below zero. that doesn't include the windchill factor. thankfully the wind isn't much of a factor, but certainly cold times. mims, 14 degrees. voila, here's the city of mary

tyler moore. that's right. looks pretty good there. we see a little bit of the heat coming off the buildings but not going to be that warm of a day. the highs for that part of the world, only 2 degrees, single digits all day for you or those minus conditions. over in chicago, 12 degrees the expected high. in new york or boston, a little warmer, into the 30s, boston in the high 30 degrees, could be a little warmer, the charles river, you see the low clouds hanging up above, but i tell you, you want to talk about up above, farther north of boston, the big story is snowfall, especially upstate maine. we could be seeing up to a foot of snowfall. when you combine that heavy snow with the strong wind gusts, whiteout conditions will be possible in parts of 95, so people going out for a drive heading south you'll be moving into much warmer areas, but at the same time just making that pas from maine into, say, massachusetts you'll be dealing with possibly whiteout conditions at times. farther south, drier conditions,

parts of the southeast, temperatures in atlanta only in the 30s. in the nation's midsection, we could be seeing some snowfall in the central and northern plains, cascades and northern rockies, the wasatch range, look for a chance of snowfall. but cold temperatures this morning, 15 as we speak in des moines. that is the latest in the forecast. cold times. i mean, it's a beautiful area up there, love the people up there, but this time of year, not so much. >> yeah. >> reynolds, when you show us those pictures, i was thinking about the summer. great towns in the summer, minneapolis, boston. >> beautiful. >> not now. >> yeah. it's great if you're on the other side, a good 72 degrees, fire and hot cocoa. >> not if you're having to shovel off the sidewalks. >> or los angeles. >> south is always a good time, l.a., don't have to shovel sunshine. >> they just cheat down that way. >> yes, they do. >> thanks, reynolds. up next, the woman who has been warning the public about airport security for more than one decade.

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wait. fedex has ground shipping? oh, that's right. you just woke up from a 23-year coma. yeah, it was a long one. did i miss anything? uh, the cold war ended. [ man ] pluto's no longer a planet. culture club broke up. the berlin wall came down. wait. the club broke up? i never saw them live. that was too soon. what have i done? [ male announcer ] we understand. you need it there fast. fedex ground. president obama has ordered a review of intelligence operations in the wake of the christmas day terror attack attempt, plus air force and airlines are rethinking their own security procedures and strategies right now. well, mary schiavo is a former inspector general with the u.s. department of transportation and

an expert of airline safety issues and also the awe shor of the bestseller "flying blind, flying safe." mary schiavo joins us from detroit on this story. thank you for joining us. let's start certainly with the top of the mind subject, abdulmutallab. how was he able to get so far? >> he was able to get so far because we have lots of people involved in security and a lot of watch lists. unfortunately, because we have four different watch lists and they're progressively more alampling, he did not make it onto the most alarming one, the do not fly list. before that, there's a secondary screen list, about 14,000 names on that, and beyond that there's a 400,000 name list and a 500,000 name list. he simply did not make it onto the no fly list, although he should have been, and that's an executive department function, a law enforcement function, and they did not coordinate. >> mary, people at home, critics will say, wait, his father went to a u.s. embassy to warn them, number one. two, there was a report that resulted because of that

warning. why did he not make it onto this list? >> well, that's very disturbing because that's the same question a lot of people had about september 11th, and i'm one of those people that's been litigating it for passengers since september 11th, 2001, and there were warnings about several of those hijackers, as well. 19 for 19 of them got through, and there it was a simple issue of coordination along with aviation security. the airlines were performing the security and it was abominable. so even though he didn't get on the list, the hijacker before 9/11 didn't get on the list either, they didn't excuse the security lapses as well. so it's two parts. one, they should have been on the warning list and they should have been on the no fly list, but, two, you have to perform the airport security. >> you may be intimating here about a breakdown in the way systems work together. and i go back to the book that you wrote back in 1997 which i read, "flying blind, flying safe," and you say here --

now, before you react to what you've written back in '97, i also have a statement from janet napolitano, who is the secretary of homeland security. she said this. >> one thing i'd like to point out is that the system worked. everybody played an important role here. >> okay. but she also couched that statement saying that later on there could have been a breakdown based on what happened with abdulmutallab. are we still having trouble based on your criticism in 1997, today with organizations across the country that work in different spaces, working together to combat situations like this? >> yes, we still are having trouble, and the system is still breaking down. that's very disturbing because i base a lot of my criticisms from december 1988, when pan am 103 was bombed out of the sky over lockerbie, and we had so many presidential commissions since then, each one making recommendations.

as far as explosives detection, we scrambled -- i was in the department of transportation, we scrambled in 1996 to get four explosive detection machines down to the atlanta airport and still were scrambling to get explosive detection machines. so the system is broken but we're very slow to put it in place. we lose our resolve. >> on that note, then, we have had some progress. 150 machines of those body scanners, those back scanner x-rays, those are going to be in place. are those going to help was this problem? >> tremendously so. we've had a lot of equipment available that we haven't purchased. the problem is they're going to put those in the category "xx" airports first, the big, international airports, europe is ordering them, as well, a tremendous improvement for our security, but we cannot overlook the smaller airports. on september 11, two of the hijackers went to portland, maine, specifically looking for a smaller airport where they

thought the security might not be as vigilant. >> weak as our weakest link? >> yes, and we have to have those machines. the profiling d id not work on 9/11 and it clearly did not work here. we have to back it up with the hardware. >> as a former inspector general of the u.s. dot as well as being a consultant on these issues, you've heard some of the plans that the president is look into. what would you suggest to him right now, an opportunity to get his voice? >> right now he has to send a budget to congress. when he does the state of the union, he has to mention this on january 20th, he has to put it in the budget to kwet gete the equipment needed but the most important thing is not to backslide. after every tragedy in the past, we're vigilant for a few months then we backslide. it's almost impossible to believe we're in this situation after we suffered september 11th attacks. the most important thing is for him to keep that seteely resolv and make sure we are not left vulnerable. >> how have we done so far? >> well, not well enough.

medioc mediocre. >> d, c, b? >> i'm going -- since 9/11, we've improved a little but for this response we have to have a d. >> marchy schiavo, thank you so much. >> straight answer. a d. the battle between fox and time warner threatened to keep the network off millions of tv sets but one side blinked and a deal has been made. those details next in our top stories. and rush limbaugh's first comments since being released from a hospital. and the sixth state to allow same-sex marriages. no. you didn't hear it from me, but this malibu, it offers better highway mileage than a comparable camry or accord. estimated 33 highway. i saw that on the epa site. so how come the malibu costs so little. it's a chevy. you have cop hair. now get 0% apr for 72 months or during the chevy red tag event, use $1,000 holiday cash to get $3,000 total cash back on select '09 malibu vehicles in stock.

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nothing is wrong with rush limbaugh's heart. the serve radio host is out of a hospital in honolulu. he checked in on wednesday complaining of chest plains but an angiogram showed nothing. he had nothing but praise for the care he received. >> based on what happened here, i don't think there's one thing wrong with the american health care system. it is working just fine, just dandy, and i got nothing special. i got no special treatment. >> doctors haven't found whatever caused limbaugh's pain.

so, time warner cable's 13 million subscribers a sigh of relief today. they'll be able to keep watching fox network shows. fox and time warner have ended a battle over how much the providers should pay for fox programming. d.c. police are investigating an incident in which gilbert arenas allegedly had a gun. he and javaris crittendon drew guns on each other over a gambling debt. arenas denies pulling a gun. the wizards are cooperating with police and monitoring the situation. new hampshire now, the fifth state to marry same-sex couples. 15 couples tied the knot on the steps of the statehouse yesterday when the new state law took effect just after midnight. the new law replaces the civil union status. connecticut, vermont, massachusetts, allow same-sex marriages.

>> name the secretary of transportation. there's no official leader. we'll look at the nominee and the holdup next. and put that iphone you got for christmas to work. we'll show you how to make those long waits at the airport bearable somehow. hey bets, can i borrow a quarter? sure, still not dry? i'm trying to shrink them. i lost weight and now some clothes are too big. how did you do it? simple stuff. eating right and i switched to whole grain. whole grain... studies show that people who eat more whole grain tend to have a healthier body weight. multigrain cheerios has five whole grains... and 110 calories per lightly sweetened serving. more grains. less you. multigrain cheerios.

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garlique's clinically proven ingredient maintains healthy cholesterol naturally. eat right. exercise. garlique. insert teeth-chattering sound here, right? >> a look at minneapolis. man, in there is ever a shot that just describes cold, that is it right there. that's the definition of cold, my friend, just a look outside at minneapolis.

many places across the nation this morning waking up to temperatures below zero. >> that's right. another city of lakes there, right? >> where is that? >> chicago, i believe. is that right? >> there you go. that's not white sand, either. >> no, ma'am. the two words we all hate to hear, lake effect. minneapolis, the city of many lakes and chicago, the city of one big lake. >> reynolds wolf will be up shortly to talk about how cold it is in many parts of the nation and what you can expect throughout the week. in the meantime, we want to talk about this. if it hadn't been for the bravery of one passenger, things may have ended very differently for northwest flight 253. >> what a story this is. cnn's sandra endoh found some travelers who found that even with added security measures at airports, they still need to stay alert while flying. >> reporter: there's a whole different attitude when it comes to flying. passengers are dealing with extra security measures, but there's also a heightened awareness about the behavior around them on board flights.

flying these days shouldn't be a gamble, like in the movie "passenger 57" with wesley snipes. >> the flight is in the air. hijackers are on board. one passenger is fighting back. >> on occasion? >> always bet on the black. >> reporter: with the threat of terror in the skies, passengers may need to become real-life action heroes. >> i'm pretty sure i'd springed into action. >> now people have a more proactive attitude, if they think you're doing something unsatisfactory, they'll pretty much take you down themselves and not wait for air marshals to show up. >> reporter: the department of homeland security is taking added caution to prevent that from happening. >> this is a special security announcement. >> reporter: expect more bomb-sniffing dogs, air marshals on flights, and 100% screening of passengers traveling into the united states. still even the president admits security measures can't catch everything. >> an alert and courageous

citizenry are far more resilient than an isolated extremist. >> reporter: which leaves the flying public on the front lines, just as on christmas day when a passenger confronted the alleged terrorist on that northwest flight. one traveler we spoke with says he wants airlines to give passengers better guidance on how to react. >> there should be advice given, and if that advice is taken, well, that's a different matter. >> reporter: security experts say being on the lookout is key, not profiling someone based on ethnicity but checking for out-of-place behavior, and many travelers we spoke with recognize it's important to be vigilant. >> i try to keep a look out for something weird. ? all of us need to be in it to help because it's our lives and our country that we're trying to prote protect. >> reporter: the transportation security administration says more air marshals in training now will be on board in the next two months but still not enough for every flight, leaving passengers and crew to fend for their own safety. betty, richard?

>> all right. so, you know, despite all the talk about the urgency of airport security, there is still one high-profile federal security job that is empty. >> a lot of people are watching it, too. a member of the senate is holding up the confirmation of the man nominated to take the helm at the transportation security administration, the tsa, because of a heated debate over union, security, and politics. we go to our correspondent jeanne meserve. >> reporter: 50,000 transportation security officers screen, inspect, question, and observe at the nation's airports to keep dangerous people and items off planes. senator jim demint believes giving them collective bargaining rights would hurt security. >> collective bargaining would standardize things across the country, make it much less flexible, much harder for the agency to adam to changing threats around the world. >> reporter: harder, for instance, to react to something like the christmas day bombing attempt or the 2006 plot to blow

up airplanes with liquid explosives. within hours of learning of that, the tsa ramped up security and temporarily banned carry-on liquids. the union representing 12,000 tsos says demint's argument is rubbish, pointing out the federal protective service and others all have full union representation. >> you know, no one talked about union membership when the cops and the firefighters went up the stairs at 9/11 at the world trade towers. no one talks about our two officers, two union members, who took down the shooter at ft. hood. there was nothing in their union membership that stopped them from doing their duties. >> reporter: during the presidential campaign, barack obama rote wrote the union that giving tsos collective bargaining rights would be a priority. unions gave him support in the election. >> it's all about politics. it's payback. >> reporter: demint pushed the issue at a recent hearing.

>> how can unionization and collective bargaining enhance security in our airports? >> well, senator, the answer is collective bargaining and security are not mutually exclusive concepts. >> reporter: demintd is holding up the confirmation of errol suters to head the tsa. though he told demint he wouldn't recommend anything that would potentially compromise the safety and security of the flying public. >> i think that the nominee is -- understands the confirmation process and that he doesn't want to say anything controversial, but ultimately, wu once he's confirmed it's not going to be his choice. it's going to be the choice of the secretary and ultimately the choice of the president. and the president has made it clear where he stands. >> reporter: senate majority leader harry reid now says if p senator demint hasn't changed his mind by the time the senate comes back in mid-january, he will take steps to hold an up-or-down vote on the nomination. jeanne meserve, cnn, washington.

take you to denmark now because a somali man trying to break into the home of a political cartoonist has been charged with attempted murder. danish police shot and wounded the 28-year-old suspect last night as he tried to enter the home of curt westerguard, the artist known for his contentious depictions of the muslim prophet mohammed. coming up, a check of the top stories. and reynolds returns with the temperatures. hem. i didn't use fedex. better cross your fingers. [ man ] oh, yeah, the accident. well, you better knock on wood. remember, we did a green renovation in here, there's no wood. but russ bought a rabbit's foot. it's a bear claw. you could throw salt over your shoulder. actually, that's a salt substitute. but you should find dan -- i think he's a leprechaun. what is it about me that says leprechaun? can someone tell me please, someone? you should have used fedex. [ male announcer ] we understand. you need reliable overnight shipping. fedex.

time now to check some of the top stories this morning. a 4-year-old boy hit by a stray bullet while he was in church has died. the incident happened around midnight during a new year's eve watch service in decatur, georgia. >> i want to say to who did this to my son, please come forward and say something. we need justice. >> the bullet came through the roof of the church and struck the child in the head. and we're getting compelling pictures from inside a hospital where the victims of a deadly suicide blast were treated. at least 93 people are dead, 34 others hospitalized after a car bomb exploded at a crowded volleyball game in northwest

pakistan. most of the victims are teenagers. officials say the blast was felt up to 11 miles away. several homes nearby collapsing from the force. well, at least 45 people are dead in brazil after mudslides triggered three days of rain. look at this video. about half of the victims were killed when part of a mountain collapsed onto a vacation resort. hundreds had been left homeless in rio de janeiro's suburbs. we have've been talking about that cold weather, haven't we? >> and a lot of people feeling it right about now. it is not just cold 37 it is below freezing cold. hey, reynolds. >> hey, guys. really brutal, especially in parts of the northern plains and into the western half of the great lakes. it's as though old man winter has put a bull's-eye in that area because temperatures will be well below the freezing point in many areas, places like fargo, north dakota, 27 below, 20 below in duluth, back in minneapolis, 14 below zero is

what we have. but we're headed for warmer times, and temperatures going to 2 degrees above zero in minneapolis. positive side of things in chicago, 32, but in parts of the northeast, especially new england, even though the temperatures will be a bit higher, you'll still be dealing with all kinds of winter weather phenomenon, mainly snowfall. wmur. that's from new hampshire, you see the snow coming down. but heavier activity can be expected later on today, and that's going to take place especially in spots like maine where we could see snowfall upwards of a foot between now and tomorrow afternoon. when you combine the heavy snowfall as it's coming down with some wind gusts that could top 30, 40 miles an hour, there's chance we could have wit whiteout conditions in a few places. no blizzard warnings as of yet, but that may change into the afternoon, during nighttime hours, also. lake-effect for michigan, the upper peninsula, cleveland, same story. central plains could see snow,

and back in the central and northern rockies, wasatch range and over on the coast, especially coastal range and into, say, the sierra nevada as well as portions of the cascades, a possibility. as we wrap things up, looks like overall for much of the nation should be an okay travel day with the exception of what we're seeing in parts of new england, heavy snow, but everything else looks pretty good. not too bad. >> all relative. okay. >> reynolds, break out your speedo. i know you want to use it. >> any opportunity. sure. >> bikini, whatever you choose. >> whatever because we have some pictures that may make you want that. we have the polar bear plunges. yeah. they're screaming. it is cold. >> does the hat really help? i see this lady going. she's pulling the earmuffs things down. one wearing a biking helmet. i don't think that's appropriate. >> this happened in rhode island. dozens jumping into icy waters

for a very good cause. there you go. i was just about to say, why do people do this? well, the money here raised will go towards sending a teenage cancer patient on her dream vacation to the caribbean. but in scotland, about 200 people took a similar leap, taking part in the loony dook challenge. what is that all about? >> summer down that part of the world. right, reynolds? >> southern hemisphere is warmer, northern hemisphere not so much. but, you know, again it's what you wear that makes any difference. leave the speedo at home and go for maybe a different model. >> a wet suit. >> not revealing. the opposite of revealing. more i guess concealing as opposed to revealing. >> protecting, shall we say. >> shrinkage, not good. >> oh, my goodness. moving right along, shall we?

we'll fire things up, especially those laptops. we have some web sites that you'll want to bookmark if you plan to travel soon. >> yeah, because you want to get away from that cold weather. we'll talk to one of the top gadget bloggers about sites and gadgets. (announcer) where are people with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis going? they're discovering the first self-injectable ra medicine it's simponi,™ and taken with methotrexate, and swelling of ra with one dose a month. visit 4simponi.com to see if you qualify

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they have the right tools. co-founder of a social networking website. happy new year to you. thanks for being with us today. >> thanks for having me on. >> all right. let's start with the bassics. you know, a lot of people can sign up for different things when it comes to making sure you get to the airport on time, making sure that flight is on time. but what is the best source when it comes to trying to figure out if your plane is there or delayed? >> well, there are a handful of different applications out there. there's one called flight delays, which is a website actually formatted for mobile phones so that if you're on your way to the airport or already there and want to see if you have delays, you can log in and search for your airport and it will tell you whether flights are delays by 20 minutes or an hour or whatever. >> is there a way -- because a lot of us are carrying laptops, mp3 players, all kinds of

different technology, is there a way to get those through security without having to take them out of the bag every time, our luggage and what not? >> yeah. so, one of the things that's a hassle about traveling is you have to take your laptop out of your bag. a couple of years ago the tsa instituted a policy where they have tsa-approved laptops so you don't have to take it out of your bag, you can open it up, unfold it, see what's there and you don't have to take it out, put it into the bin, and put it through security. it doesn't make a huge difference but when you travel a lot little thing makes a big difference. >> every little thing counts sometimes when you are late for that flight. >> exactly. >> if there are delays, people want to know if p it's wi-fi friendly, the airport, and where can i go for those charging stations if your blackberry or iphone is almost out of battery? how do you find out about that ahead of time before you get there and are out of luck? >> there's an app for the iphone

called airport wi-fi. it tells you which airports have wi-fi and almost as important whether or not the wi-fi is free or paid. that actually is something you want to know if you're stuck. if you're logging on for 15 or 20 minutes you might not want to spend that $10 or $15 for access. >> it is amazing how technology can give you all this information at your fingertips, whether cell phone, blackberry, ipod or anything like that. this is most important to me. i'm going to ask this because i fly a lot and many times i'm running late. i want to know is it better the eat before you get through security or after? what what are your restaurant choices? sometimes you think maybe i'll find something better after i get through security and then you're stuck with nothing but fast food? >> there's another one for the iphone called gate guru. >> okay. >> this will tell you what your options are. it just tells you is there a starbucks before security or after security. it also will tell you depending on what time of day you're going through security what's open before you go through the gate

and -- before you go through security and what's open afterwards. i travel a lot, and one of things i find frustrating is sometimes your food options are better you go through security than after. >> yes, exactly, and then you're stuck because you don't want to go back out and go through security once again. other folks, especially families traveling and delays and all that want to know where is the closest restroom. there's an app that finds the closest bathroom? >> yeah. airport maps, which has maps of all the different airplanes of the terminals. this is useful because sometimes you don't have a lot of time, right, before you have to get on your plane. maybe you have just a couple minutes. and you can't be running around try to find out where that bathroom is or buy a bottle of water before you get on the plane. this tells you exactly where to go. >> for international travelers, jetlag is the worst. there's an app for that. how so? >> jetlag rx. you enter where you're going, where you're coming from and

your arrival and departure times and it will calculate when you need to eat and sleep to minimize jetlag. >> the key is following it. >> obviously -- yeah. i mean sometimes you can't control exactly when you sleep or eat on your plane, but if you do follow this, it will help minimize the impact just a little bit. >> love it. all right, peter. thank you so much. great information out there. like i said, at your fingertips. just a matter of knowing where to go. >> thanks for having me on. >> if you're interested in the latest gadget in general, check out our blog at cnn.com/newsroom. we have many of them listed and other information as well. it's a great site for the latest info. >> i'm going to use those. >> the bathroom finder. >> jetlag, another good one. to low tech now for you air travelers talking about the flu. there are easy ways to avoid getting sick while in that enclosed capsule we call the airplane. here are some tips in this week's" on the go."

>> traveling during cold and flu season can put you at risk. >> flu spreads during the winter primarily because we're more indoors, we're closer to each other so we're toughing each other. >> in those tight situations like on a plane, keep your hands away from your face. >> places on your body that are specifically susceptible to viruses, your eyes, your mouth, and your nose. so when you're traveling, lots of hand wipes, i keep lots of wipes with me and i'll watch down the armrests on the airplane seat, wash down a tray table. >> but the best tip for a healthy holiday season is to keep your immune system in shape. >> get enough sleep, get enough water. make sure you're extra clean during this time of year. prevention is always better than trying to deal with the aftermath. (woman) dear cat.

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well, this morning at 6:00 a.m., we had a special treat for you. as we begin the year, we wanted to reflect on some of the best interviews and memories of 2009. and our morning team got a chance to report on some remarkable stories last year and we took a look back. here's a clip. we'll look back at the year in review, some of the biggest stories of the year and story we enjoyed covering. >> the biggest, president obama. first black president of the u.s. naug rated in january. a lot of coverage dedicated to that. we covered the big stories but there were stories big and small we just enjoyed. we'll share those during this hour. >> we went across the nation and different nations. >> like mexico. >> weather-related stories. >> it was a really quiet hurricane season, but you had the opportunity to go to mexico and cover a hurricane. while you were on assignment there i was in southern california covering the station fires, one of the most

devastating fires in southern california. we'll take you back to that scene. >> another big story we cannot forget about was michael jackson, the death of michael jackson. >> certainly another big story in the country. all of us were a part of that coverage. i got an opportunity to go to harlem, new york, the apollo theater, where michael jackson got his start. the jackson 5, the wee little guy up there singing on stage when the world first got to see michael jackson's talent. >> just a little clip of our special that aired this morning from 6:00 to 7:00. if you didn't get a chance to see it, you had one other chance tomorrow morning 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. eastern time. if you're not up that early, you definitely want to make sure you record it because it's something worth watching. stay with us. the favorite flavor with a fever on top.

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all right. so whether it is to spend more time with the family, learn a new language, lose a little weight, how many of us keep new year's resolutions? i've already broken mine. >> cnn's fredricka whitfield introduces us to one woman who does all year long. >> good for her. >> almost every day, betty chen heads out to feed the homeless in eureka, california. she's done the same thing for 24 years. good morning. >> good morning. >> she's here without fail rain or sunshine. she's like a second mom to us. >> she's given me hope. she's given us blankets and hot coffee. she keeps us going. >> she knows what it's like to live in despair. during china's cultural revolution in the '60s, she was separated from her family and forced to live on the streets when she was just 7.

>> i still cannot understand how i alive today. >> chinn eventually escaped china, came to the united states, and started her american dream. >> i had so much. i want to do something. >> reporter: with money from her part-time job, she started taking care of people she truly understood -- the homeless. >> thank you. >> you're welcome. >> like many communities, we have a significant homeless problem, and unfortunately the problem outstrips the resources of the community. betty is in many ways an angel of mercy to these people. she provides them with meals. she provides them with bus tickets, clothing. plus she's inspired other members of the community to get involved. >> reporter: volunteers also help her prepare meals at a church. >> there's something about doing something practical and tangible for the poor. she brings out the best of us. >> reporter: in 2008, chinn wz honored with a $25,000 reward wh