from the cnn center, this is cnn sunday morning. hello, everybody. it is january 3rd. good morning. i'm betty nguyen. hey, there, reggie, how are you doing? >> i'm like ready to go. i'm reggie in for t.j. holmes. perhaps too anxious. >> that's all right. we like for you to be ready to go. this morning we have a special treat for you as we begin the year. we want to reflect on the best interviews and memories of 2009. our morning team got a chance to report on some really remarkable stories. and for the next hour, we are

going to take a look back. but first, here's a check on the morning's headlines. we do have breaking news out of yemen to tell you about. the u.s. embassy is closed after threats from al qaeda in the arabian peninsula to attack american interests. just yesterday top u.s. commander general pate just met with the yemen president to discuss anti-terror strategy according to a u.s. strategy source. that meeting came on the same day president obama made the strongest statement linking the christmas day plane bombing directly to al qaeda in yemen. we are told yemen pledged more support for u.s. counter terrorism strikes inside yemen. it is also offering assistance with the investigation into the attempted bombing. and in florida, police are arrested a suspect in the thanksgiving murders. paul marriage seen in this surveillance tape you see here was taken into custody at a motel about 200 miles from the crime scene last night after a tip from someone who saw the story on "america's most

wanted." marriage is accused of killing four family members, including his own 6-year-old cousin. relatives were relieved when they heard the news of his arrest. >> it means i'll be able to sleep a little better tonight and i won't be patrolling the inside of my house with my shotgun thinking that the monster is right around the corner. i've been in protective mode. and now that he's captured, at least my family, we can even begin the healing process. >> marriage faces four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder. the deadly mudslides in brazil, crews hoping to find survivors yesterday found nothing but bodies. after a huge piece of mountain collapsed on a seaside tourist resort, at least 60 people have died from the slides and torrential flooding on the southern coast of the country. el we'll get the latest on the weather here back in the us. it is awfully cold and it will be stormy when it comes to the

snowfall. >> we have the use the words polar, arctic. what else can we throw in there? >> freezing. oh, the cutie with the snowman. >> it is pretty snowy in that part of the country. it looks like more than three to four inches. >> let's get the latest. reynolds wolf is following the late els. no fun to shovel, but it is january. >> that's true. in the northeast, you tend to get snowfall. some of the heavy snow has been in places like maine where, oh, by the time is all said and done, there could be over a foot on the ground. the biggest story has to be the arctic blast affecting a great deal of the country. right behind me on the map, you see current temperatures out there, fargo catches the area. 25 degrees below zero right now right at zero for sioux falls and des moines. kansas city, omaha, singling digits. if you are wondering where to seek refuge from the cold weather, the first place you may think is the sunshine state, florida, right? take a look at the video. people along the coast are doing something very different they

don't typically do this time of the year, and that would be they are dawning heavier gear trying to deal with the cooler temperatures there. mom and dad out there with sweatshirts on. this one person wearing the baa quay knee, probably not the best choice to all. if you look at the map, you will see the reason why. they have the cold air continuing to march its way to the south and southeast. windchills this morning are going to be in the teens and 20s for many places, including the florida panhandle. and the reason we are seeing this is the big trough in the jet dream is allowing the cold air well to the north to pile its way into the southeast, so it is just like a giant sledgehammer bringing in the cold air. now, things are going to get better today in terms of your forecast. in fact, if you look at this, highs today going to 38 degrees. atlanta, a balmny 61. 31 in salt lake city. 72 in phoenix. 28 in boston. in terms of your travel, again, we'll have issues in boston later on today. the reason why is, of course, that area of low pressure continuing to bring the heavy snowfall to parts of the

northeast. of course, heavy waves and strong winds could keep planes grounded on the tarmac for a while. betty, that's the latest. back over to you. >> see you shortly, reynolds. we want to take a look back now at the best interviews and memories of 2009. more of the morning's top stories at 6:20 a.m. well, good morning. thank you for joining us. i'm betty nguyen with t.j. holmes and reynolds wolf. this morning we are doing something a bit different. we are looking back at the year in review. some of the big stories of the year and some of the stories we enjoyed covering. >> some of the biggest, no doubt about it. president obama. the first black president of the u.s. inaugurated in january. a lot of coverage dedicated to, that but we covered the big stories, but there were a lot of stories big and small we enjoyedful we'll be sharing those during this hour as well. >> we went across the nation in different countries covering stories.

>> like mexico and the weather-related story. >> you had the opportunity to go to mexico and cover hurricane jimena. while you are there, i was in southern california covering the station fire. one of the most damaging fires in southern california history and the widespread damage. we'll take you back to that scene. another big story we cannot forget about this year, of course, was michael jackson. the death of michael jackson. >> that was certainly another one of the big stories in the country. the network, certainly, all of us in some way or form or fashion were part of the coverage, but i got the opportunity to go to the apollo theater where michael jackson got his start. the jackson five, the little guy was up there singing. that's where the world first saw michael jackson's talent. thousands of people lined the streets to try to get into that, but two people there were fans and friends of michael jackson. al sharpton, the reverend al sharpton, and spike lee. the famous filmmaker. i caught up with both of the guys. take a look back at the scene. >> everybody is here to

celebrate the life and the brilliance of michael jackson. >> and this is what, before i move on to another question, what kind of guy was he on stage? >> well, you know, it is a celebration. we are not here to mourn. we are here to celebrate. we are here to let the world know how michael made us feel. and all of us grew up in the same generation with michael, so we went back to the days when we grew up playing "abc." spooik and i remember that day. >> that scene was unbelievable. it was a hot, hot day in harlem that day. >> people lined up for hours. >> hours down the block, some ten blocks down the street, but to get inside just to dance to some michael jackson music for just a few minutes, pay their respects and get on out of there. >> wow. michael jackson was making news, and i was down in houston, galveston. looking back at hurricane ike. so much devastation was caused by the hurricane, but how impbic i was covering that when i got a

call to go cover another hurricane really blew brewing at the time. they said, hey, do you want to go to cabo. as a journalist i was thinking, great, a work vacation. not really. it was a category 5 hurricane in the beginning and weakened by the time it made landfall, but when i got to cabo we realized, yeah, it is pretty much going to miss a direct hit on cabo. so we have hood up to constitution, mexico, where there was damage as hurricane jimena came ashore. i wasn't expecting to see my birthday in cabo covering a monster hurricane, but yet here we are. and the rains are really coming down now. a lot of people thought it would be a category 4 bordering category 5. hurricane jimena tore through mexico knocking out power and littering the streets with debris. the roof just ripped all the way off. >> yeah. >> do you know what's ironic about that? while you were dealing with the hurricane, i was 1,000 miles

north up in california covering the wildfires. 100,000 acres continues to burn. about 5% contained this time. lives have already been lost battling this blaze and it looks like with the weather conditions with very low humidity and, of course, high temperatures, this will be a battle to last for quite some time. when you are dealing with terrain like this, mountainous conditions in the san gabriel mountains, my gosh, man, how do you fight this thing? i tell you, the thing that made this fire so incredibly different is just the sheer size. a lot of serious stuff we have to cover on all the new cycles we deal with, but, of course, on the weekend, we are a family here and we like to do lighter stuff. we have done lighter stuff, including, reynolds, we sent you swimming the fishes. >> not just the fishes but the sharks. we put you in jeopardy on this one. >> i had a chance to jump in the tank at the georgia aquarium with creature that is are unchanged for millions of years. swimming with 40-foot long

dinosaurs. that was cool. >> i got to hop in the water with something far less intimidating. dara torres, we had our feet in the water by the pool. we were worried if she was going to be okay doing that. we didn't know how she was going to show up dressed. sending a text message saying, what are you wearing? it sounds crazy to be asking what she is wearing, but she said a mini squirt skirt. the shoot went just fine. >> many times when we are covering stories we can set things up with text messages or what not, phone calls, but sometimes they just happen while we are at work. that's what happened when dolly parton graced us with her presence here at cnn doing interviews. we caught wind of it, rushed down to her, and now we have a new theme song for cnn saturday and sunday morning. take a look. ♪ working 6:00 to noon what a way to make a living ♪ >> you are watching the best of cnn weekend mornings and there's plenty more to come.

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my nose and right around here. (announcer) want to give afrin a try? yeah. it cleared up right away. i can breathe. (announcer) so where would you rate it? 99.9. (announcer) afrin. why suffer? well, hello again. welcome back. along with my partners here, we are talking a look back at the top news stories. no doubt, the biggest story was the inauguration of barack obama. this country's first black president. cnn, we dedicated so many -- i would say all our resources. >> we even had hall grams dedicated to our coverage of president barack obama.

you know, it all culminated in the night of the many inaugural balls. i can't remember how many there were. >> at least ten. >> at least ten. and everyone wanted to know what michelle obama was going to be wearing and the dress she unveiled that night was made by a designer called jason wu. that's his name. i got to catch up with him in new york at fashion week. take a look. jason, after dressing michelle obama for the inaugural ball, this has been a big year for you. did you feel added pressure for this particular fashion show? >> well, you know, it is nerves and it is a lot of anticipation and a lot of nonstop work, but it is all worth it when you see the pros coming down the runway and looking exactly the way i dreamed. so, yeah, you know, this is it for me. i'm reach excited. >> absolutely. how chaotic were the last few hours, few days, before today's show? >> it is pretty chaotic.

i skrupted each dress and they were skull upped, sculptures here. >> during a recession that we are all in right now, are you catering at all to those who maybe don't have as much change to spend on wonderful designs? >> well, if you can keep one thing to desire and have it for a long time, then it is worth it for a long-term investment. >> it is an investment piece. gotcha. one last thing, after designing for the first lady, where do you go from there? who else do you want to fit? >> well, i keep challenging myself as a designer. i think it is important. i always want to do more. you know, i'm on the road, i'm going to china, berlin, and paris next month. it is jason international now. >> taking over the whole word,

huh? >> it is world domination. >> i love it. so nice meeting you. 26 years old, but that dress has made such a difference in his career and now he's one of the hottest designers outs there. >> i remember being out in new york when a lot of this was going on. she drug me to the fashion show. it was my first. >> you liked it, though. >> it was fun. i drug you to the u.s. open. >> which i loved. that was my first time there. >> also not there playing, we did work as well. we talked to the widow of author ash. he left an improhibit on the tennis game to this day. his widow, mrs. ash, is still taking on the legacy. take a look at the conversation. what happened since your husband saw another black man win the u.s. open, australian open, why not? >> i think it is going to happen, but i don't know when. maybe because we are a neat

oriented society today that it is all about yourself or you, that you haveless deep down inside purpose to be able to accomplish this gigantic goal, but i still think it is coming. it is coming. author used to say, it is coming. they are not going to look like me, they are not going to walk like me or talk like me, but it is coming and he was right. >> it is really important that kids understand from a grassroots level that they are not going to be in the top, not all of them are going to be in the top ten. getting in the top ten, you know, that's pretty significant, but what they must understand is that playing a game, having that commitment, learning the lessons, let it be a hook to changing your approach to how you conduct yourself in the public, how well you perform in school, how you treat your siblings, your friends and your

parents. >> there's a culture now in professional sports oftentimes with these device, not all of them, but still, it is all about me, self, selfish, egotistical, whatever you want to call it, does it drive you nuts given what you saw with your husband and given what you know about his legacy of giving back still exists, does it drive you crazy toe so the knuckleheads squander the opportunities? >> i can't say it that strongly, but what i can say is we have a void. and not having arthur's voice is a tremendous void. not just in sports, but just as, you know, a hero to kids. i know athletes don't like to hear that. people don't like to have to play the role as the role of a role model, but, you know, it comes with the territory.

>> she didn't mind saying some of the guys out there, some of the knuckleheads could use a talking to. some of the athletes who are not giving back and don't have the selfless behavior like your husband had. >> she was nudging them as well. >> oh. she might have to nudge more on some of them. we had a great time in new york covering fashion and sports. you got mind a lawn mower. >> i did. i had to use elbow greece grease at the busiest airport. then i got to see the back colony and had an amazing chance to meet an american with an incredible front office. you are watching the facts of cnn weekend mornings and there's plenty more to come. i know. my diet? well yesterday i had an apple turn over mmm hmm, i know it's sort of my weakness - i always keep it in the house well, that and boston crème pie, white chocolate strawberries, ya ya -

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good morning, everybody. here are some of the top stories we are following from overnight. the u.s. embassy in yemen is closed today in response to ongoing threats from al qaeda to attack american interests in the country. officials are not saying when they will reopen the embassy. now, this announcement comes just a day after president obama

linked the christmas day bombing suspect to an al qaeda group in yemen. federal authorities in mexico say they have captured a suspected drug lord, carlos beltran leva was taken into custody after using a known alias on monday. this comes two weeks after his brother died in a shoot-out with mexican troops. and an ultimatum from iran. they are demanding that the west renegotiate a u.n.-backed deal aimed to keep enriched uranium out of iran or the islamic public will enrich the fuel on its own. the west has until january to accept this proposal. well, a burst of arctic air across the midwest and southeast. you can feel it this morning, couldn't you? >> in the bones, my friend. in the bones. we'll go to meteorologist reynolds wolf in the severe weather center. it is severe today. >> oh, my gosh. it was cold here. it is pounding parts of the nation like a sledgehammer. it is brutal out there and the numbers tell the story. take a look at what we have

right now. current temperatures fargo, 25 degrees below zero. in duluth, the teens below zero, 18 below. 10 below in minneapolis. green bay and milwaukee, even chicago in single digits. the same can be said for much of michigan. you don't see numbers up there, but i can guarantee they will be in single spots like detroit. in the great lake state, we have i-reports to tell the story and what they are dealing with. a lot of snow. all lake-effect activity. it says, for, cold, even here in florida. this is a dusting of snow. the ireport is sent to us from diana kalen. it will be chilly in three rivers, michigan, and the next couple of days. we are not expecting temperatures to warm up for a while. here's what's in store for the rest of the nation. it will be very cold and it is not just the temperatures but the combination of low temperatures with the wind. it will drop the windchill factor in parts like the southeast to 10 to 20 degrees.

that's what it feels like outside to the exposed skin. the thing is, don't expose skin. you want to be covered up as much as you possibly can. same thing for the tennessee valley and the ohio valley. in terms of your travel, we have this area of low pressure that is cranked up like a spring in a $3 wristwatch. look at that thing continuing to spin and to bring strong winds to maine. dumping a foot of snow in places, then we have the wind and the snow and the whiteout conditions. blizzard conditions are possible for parts of the i-95 corridor. travel will be a nightmare for you in boston back to new york. of course, maybe in philadelphia, then getting into the southeast, sunshine is there, but also the cold air will be in place, too. then back out west, pretty dry for you in the four corners. then, betty, looking to the pacific northwest, rain in seattle. what else is new? then we could see snowfall in places like spokane. back to you. >> that's pretty normal, though, right? >> yeah, typical out there. we'll have more of our best memories of 2009 after this

break.

good morning, everybody. we are taking a look back at the big stories we covered in 2009. celebrities, politicians, newsmakers and some of the folk that is had a profound effect on us as we were out there covering the stories, including a guy that's seen it all. >> you are talking about a guy named sam holbrooke who has been at yellow stone national park for decades. in fact, he's been there for a long time. it is a reaction you hear every 90 minutes al at yellowstone national park. at 47 years at the faithful geyser, sam holbrooke still finds it equally inspiring. as a park ranger, he takes notes and explains the phenomenon to thousands visiting each and every day. >> how long does the eruption last? >> each eruption lasts about four minutes, generally. about one minute up high, and about 130 feet, then it starts

down the last three minutes coming back down. >> for sam, there are lots of questions. >> you have about an hour. >> okay. thank you. >> yeah. >> and how many times are go you going to get that question each day. >> >> you are out here roaming for two hours each time. people say to put a sign on my chest. don't you get tired of that? no, i never do. you are talking to people. and that question comes up and then right after that two or three more questions. >> let me guess, it is when does the guide geyser erupt and the second one is where is the bathroom. >> how many gallons of water does it spurt out? >> 800,000 gallons of water every hour and a half. >> sharing that information is all natural for this former science teacher. where else can you find a job where you get to be outdoors, talk to people, see the light turn on in their face, give them information they are so excited about. i am thrilled to be here.

people say, how do you get a job like that? i'm not going to tell you. grab you a seat here, folks, because it will fill up. >> and while he calls it a job, he definitely doesn't think of this as work. >> i'm 77 years old, so how much longer do i have to work a 40-hour week. i don't have to work a 40-hour week, but i do. i would probably do this for free, but don't tell the park rangers that. >> that was one of my favorite stories of the year. we love that story. one of my favorite stories, one of the people will recognize this. that face there. she made a debut on the "american idol" stage, but now she is taking to a different stage where audiences are checking her out. that was one of my favorite stories of the year. one of mine was usher. another person who knows how to sing a little bit. shall we say five-time grammy win her? he took me to studio and gave me

a less son in dancing, of all things. >> do you know how to tap? >> no. that's all? that's all. yeah. i can't hang with that, usher. >> you are watching the best of cnn weekend mornings and there's plenty more to come. there's a big reason to lower high cholesterol... dangerous plaque that can build up in arteries. it's called atherosclerosis--or athero. and high cholesterol is a major factor. but crestor can help slow the buildup of plaque in arteries. go to arterytour.com and take an interactive tour to learn how plaque builds up. and then ask your doctor if crestor is right for you. along with diet, crestor does more than lower bad cholesterol and raise good. crestor is proven to slow the buildup of plaque in arteries. crestor isn't for everyone,

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hello again. welcome back. we are, of course, our weekend team here taking a look back at an interesting year, a fun year. things we are looking back on now, i guess we can call this our grammy winner block now or the singer block we are about to talk about now. >> because i got a chance to interview five-time grammy winner usher. he was inducted this summer into the boys and girls club hall of fame, not only for the tremendous work that he does

around the nation, but also for the fact that's where we grew up. he grew up in the boys and girls club of america. that's where we found a home as a young child. and it instilled in him a drive that has made him who he is today. take a look. >> it did motivate me and that's what the clubs are really about. >> inducted into the boys and girls club of america hall of fame. what does that mean to someone like you that's come so far? >> i have to attribute a lot of my success to the fact that i was motivated to do something positive as a child through the boys and girls clubs out of chattanooga, tennessee. to now be recognized for it, i have to thank my mother, one, for paying the admission for me to be there, but more than anything, all of the counselors that i worked with, all of the people that i met, you know, it teaches you communication skills, everything. it is just such a positive place to be. but i now, to be amongst all of the alumni who have been, you

know, elected to be in the hall of fame, it is like something to be proud of. >> not only is he a great guy, a fantastic performer, but really informsed in giving back. it was great to see him inducted into the boys and girls club hall of fame. >> it is cool to see this side of folks. i said at the beginning, this is kind of the singer block here because you talked to usher and we talked to alicia keys and fantasia, but on alicia keys, you talk about the work in giving back, she is helped fund and organization called keep a child alive. dedicated to trying to save lives in africa. >> she's gone back several times, hasn't she? >> she's gone back several times, focused on south africa and wants to expand work to india as well. really a treat to some of the folks we have been a fan of for many years of their music and seeing them use this for a good reason. also, fantasia, we all know her from the "american idol" fame, but a lot of audiences are getting to know her because

she's on broadway doing stage stuff. the color purple is on broadway. we caught up with her including a serious health issue that really threatened her very livelihood, that singing career. the last thing any singer wants to hear is there's a problem with her throat, so we'll take a look back. >> i had to do a scene, she's a part of me now. when i got into the first week, i thought, oh, my god. this ain't no joke. it is not. you know, it was different for me the first time i did it in new york for a year, and i think that when i was doing it then i had so much baggage of my own that it was hard for me. >> and now you are back. everybody wondered where did you go? >> there was a lot going on. actually, i had tumors, i had to have a surgery, and i was just tired. i didn't understand why i was so tired. i would go from the color purple and go gettives because they

would say i was dehydrated, but it was not that. i had two tumors draining everything out of me. >> for fantasia, getting news about tumors was bad enough, but they were in her throat of all places. the worst news given she's a woman without a high school diploma whose success has been solely based on her about ability to sing. >> it was a trying time for me, we'll say that. after having the surgery, i couldn't speak for six weeks. so i'm like, everything at the time was going wrong. i couldn't speak or talk, can't work for six weeks, and i work to pay my bills. and i have to take care of my whole family. >> you are fully recovered now? >> fully recovered. >> how are the vocal chords? >> strong as ever. the only thing you have to do is have somebody work with me because my talking is worse than my singing. i've never heard that before but -- >> what does that mean? >> i don't know. everybody is like, do you really talk like that? i'm like, yeah, but the doctor

says my talking is worse than my singing. >> while the speaking voice may need some work, the singing voice, judge for yourself. fantasia's health scare prompted her to get a backup plan, an education. you want to go back and get your diploma? >> uh-huh. >> it is going on now, right? how is it going? >> it is hard. it's been a long time. i dropped out of school in the ninth grade, but i'm doing it because i have an 8-year-old daughter and a 16-year-old brother. and i'm so hard on them about school. i'm so hard on them. and i'm like, how about this? watch your sister go and get her diploma. and i'm still cool. >> really scary stuff there. somebody who depends on the voice to make a living, your singing career is threatened with scary stuff, but he takes it in stride. a human personality in fantasia. >> looking forward to see what's coming up with her.

a lot of the celebrities, newsmakers do come through atlanta. we saw a lot of that this year. yeah. if i'm not mistaken, the guy by the name kid and play came through. >> was he kid or play? >> it was kid. >> it was kid. >> christopher reed. >> okay. this was funny. >> betty nguyen, man, man, i better not catch you on payday. come on now. oh! betty nguyen. i'm trying to win. oh! >> you are watching the best of cnn weekend mornings and there's plenty more to come.

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welcome back, everybody. we are taking a look back at our favorite interviews from 2009. this is our team, but we don't do this by ourselves. >> there's a lot of people who attribute to this. we have our tech guy, mario armstrong, the sports guy, rick horrow. our housing guy, clyde anderson. we can go on and on, but we would be missed if we didn't mention josh levs. levs, look out. >> josh, what has been your favorite story of 2009? does anything standout to you? >> this is a fun exercise to think about it, right? this is the one we chose because i felt good about this. we did a story called the youtube symphony.

in tend it was about taking people who had given up on their dreams and finally making the dreams come true. >> hello. i play this. >> i started playing the violin when i was 5 years old. >> hello. i am from romania and play the violin. >> they are coming from all over the world to live out a dream. >> i'm coming to you from bermuda. >> 3,000 people submitted audition videos onyoutube. music professionals chose 200 finalists and youtube use irs voted. 96 people from 30 countries get to fill these seats. >> i'm 28 years old. i work as a systems engineer for a government contractor out in los angeles. there's no other way that someone like me who is not even a professional musician would have ever made it to car good evening hall.

carnegie hall. >> this bass player is a working on a ph.d. in physics. he pulled his base out of the closet. >> i practiced many years in college. carnegie hall is the pinnacle of achievement for the classical music world. once you have made it to carnegie hall, you have really made it. >> mirksing classical music with the power of the internet and a little bit of "american idol." >> dallas call music world was always something that, you know, strives for perfection and was seen as something traditional and outdated and somewhat the latest, but i think this project has gone to show that's not actually the case. we hope this is game changing in the sense it redefines the audition space and brings people closer together and lets them collaborate tran senting and linguistic boundaries. >> google that owns youtube is covering the cost of travel for the winning musicians to come to

new york. now is their moment to shine. they know they better be ready. >> yes. for the past few weeks, any schedule has been work, eat, practice and sleep, pretty much around the clock. >> people are flying in from all over the world and they have a couple days to become a fantastic orchestra together. do you think that will be done? >> oh, absolutely. i do not underestimate the motivational power of playing at carnegie hall. >> they also have another incentive, the chance to be led by one of the most well respected conductors, michael thomas, who had final say on whether they made the cuts. >> get the notes under your fingers, get the rhythms inside your body and any minute we'll be together and it will be a really good time. >> now that symphony yourself, you can look online. i took a look today and i have seen that tens of millions of people are watching the entire symphony, so the people who were total unknowns who have gone on to other careers suddenly have made their dreams. >> that's great. >> great tunes, great music.

speaking of tunes, steve mar sri has people singing a new tune. >> yes, he does. it is called "act like a lady think like a man." we have relationship advice. >> stay with us. we'll find out if she learned how to act like a lady but think like a man. >> wow. >> you are watching the best of cnn weekend mornings and there's plenty more to come. i feel congestion, p9right around here. my congestion is so bad right now i really am looking forward to getting relief. i've never used afrin before. relief! oh, it's like night and day. can i keep this? (announcer) afrin. why suffer?

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well, welcome back. once again, we are taking a look back at the biggest stories of

the year and some of our favorite stories of the year. we have been all over the country. >> yes, we have. all kinds of stories, especially if you are a sports fan, and we are all. you got to cover a really interesting one this year. >> it is a story about sports, but at the same time it is a story about second chancesment we are talking about the 1993 teams of'ston, pennsylvania, high school, and phillipstown, new jersey. they played in the game in 1993. the game ended in a tie. everyone came back and played a rematch all these years later. here's that story. it is one of america's most heated high school football game rivalries. the state liners from phillipsburg high school and'ston easton high school. in 1993 bruce was one of the players from the team. >> i was a defensive player of this game. i had a big stop at the goal line that presented them from scores in the first half. >> the game ended in a 7-7 tie. while it was an unexpected

showing from the phillipsburg team, the players left the field frustrated after not having a win. >> i didn't know how to feel about not being on top. i didn't want it to end like that. >> fast forward 15 years. gatorade is organizing a replay. same players, same field, same rivalry. 10,000 tickets sold between the two communities in a matter of 90 minutes. now a family man in his early 30s, bruce weighed 302 pounds and was taking medication for high blood pressure and cholesterol. not wanting to let his teammates down, bruce decided to do whatever it took to get ready for the game. >> basically, i would work out an hour and a half in the morning, do my cardio, then i would go back and go back in the afternoon endo my weight training. just a huge change in my diet, eating short meals throughout the day, a very high protein, a lot of fruits, vegetables. >> in just three months he lost nearly 60 pounds and he no longer needs his medication.

it is a common theme among many of the players preparing for this rematch. >> the inspiration is really hearing some of these guys, you know what? this has made a difference in my life. it taught me what to do from the hydration standpoint and the nutrition standpoint that i'm going to apply this and change my behavior. this is a lifestyle now. >> while this is an opportunity to settle the score between the two bitter rivals once and for all, bruce also sees this as an opportunity for life. is this a decision you are trying to keep to for the rest of your life? >> absolutely. i think this is a second chance in a lot of ways. now, unfortunately, the game itself was not quite as exciting as everything leading up to it. phillipsburg did win the game and beat easton, bus but just the chance to travel back in time and play the game again, off the charts. >> absolutely. they are still feeling it today. >> more than likely. we are talking about our favorite stories. we loved that one, but you and i had a great time doing this one.

we talked to steve harvey who always has something to say, but he had a book out that was telling women to act like a lady but think like a man. and this was a huge book just about every woman i knew around atlanta was reading it. >> i read it from cover to cover. it was great. you wouldn't think going to a comedian for rels ship advice, right? take a listen to some of the stuff he had to say. steve, in your book, you talk about five thing that is women need to know about men. what are those five things? >> well, it is five question that is a woman should ask a man when they meet. you know, because a lot of women have been sold a bad bill of goods. you know, we have created this thing that if you ask us too many questions, if you are too inquisitive, that you are encroaching on our privacy and we won't have anything to do with you. that's not true. you have every right knowing what you are getting into. >> stop messing around and find out what you need to know to keep them or let them go.

>> well, it is in your best interest. do you know what i'm saying? you have got to stop. women have got to empower themselves. that's what the book is for. so you can empower yourself. you have to be -- you have to stop being at a man's beckening call. you have every right no know whether he wants to marry you or not. you have every right no know when this marriage is going to occur. this is your future we are talking about. you really need to know if he's into your kids. >> a lot of people follow you and the fellas are saying, why are you not giving us relationship advice. >> that would be great, but they don't buy books. let's just tell the truth. i really don't care what you think. no, really, but, you know, the first three chapters in the book, what drives a man, what a man needs and how a man loves, is absolutely the best part of the book. because it actually helps a man in his relationship, because a lot of women just really don't know as the title of the book, they don't know how we think. our love is different. you know, we don't love the

same. you are great communicators, you are very nurturing, you encompass a lot of things in your love. a man's love is shown three ways. i call it the three p's. we profess it, we provide and we protect. >> we are laughing and cracking up and having a good time, but are people going to be disappointed, and maybe you get reaction. people see your face and name and prepare to open the book and laugh. it is not funny. >> no, it is not. you know, i'm sorry. but i got enough stuff out there on tape that's funny. this book isn't a clinical study, you know, because most women aren't married to dr. phil anyway. you are dating a guy that has a job somehow that you are trying to figure out. i took all my talks with t.j., who is a friend of mine, guys that played ball, guys as tv stars, guys that drive trucks, guys i worked in a factory with, and i put all of this -- i'm 52.

i put all the information together of how we really think and it is done purely to empower women. >> for all the ladies out there, answer me this one question. why do men cheat? >> well, that's the million-dollar question no matter how i answer it it will be a $10 answer. i'll tell you this, number one, i try to teach women to release themselves from blame. you know, as soon as a guy cheats, the woman tries to find out what's wrong with her. it has nothing to do with you oftentimes, it is just inadequacy in your man that makes us go outside because we constantly are trying to feed our ego, trying to feel better about ourselves. >> a lot of this in the book can be applied to all men and women, but speaking particularly to black men and women here. is there a new standard for all black men and women and couples to follow given what we see in the white house snow. >> the book is written for everybody, but there is a new mandate here. obama is the president.

we got to do better than this, and that's just the tone that's out there in the country for a lot of people. there have been other beautiful families in the white house, nobody is knocking that. i think george bush, i thought it was a good family man and father, but this is special for the african-american community and everybody has to kind of understand that. >> we appreciate your time, steve. thank you so much. >> best interview i've ever done. >> what i love about steve harvey is that he puts it out there plain and simple chen when it comes to relationship advice. applying it, ladies, could be difficult, but if you work on it, think like a lady, act like a man. >> what does he have to do? he gave you a manual. what else do you sfwhant. >> a road map. >> i don't even want to hear it, although, whether or not you are a bit difficult to figure out, you have been great to work with this year. >> it has been great working with you. really, we have a blast on the air. hopefully you all know that we are a team and a family in these situations. hopefully you notice that and it

has been great having you stick around with us this year. stick around with us next year as well. >> please! >> thank you for joining us. there's much more to come here on cnn. from the cnn center, this is cnn sunday morning. it is january 3rd. good morning, everybody. thank you for joining us. i'm betty nguyen. >> i'm richard louis in for t.j. holmes. thank you for starting your day was. breaking news out of yemen. the u.s. embassy closed its doors after warnings to u.s. citizens to be on alert for possible attacks. the president has already blamed al qaeda in yemen for the failed christmas day northwest airlines attack and the u.s. military top general pate just there held a meeting with yemen's president.

what can be done from stopping al qaeda from growing in the country, we'll take a look. there. also, can you say arctic blast? half the nation is waking up with low temperatures at or below zero. reynolds wolf will have your forecast in a few minutes. we'll get to the top story right now out of yemen. as we just told you, the u.s. embassy there has closed because of threats from al qaeda to attack american interests in yemen. we'll get a live report from dubai in just a home. we are also told u.s. general david pate justst patreas met with the president from yemen. this after president obama directly linked the attack to yemen. a bail hearing for the suspect abdulmutallab is scheduled for monday in detroit. florida police have arrested a suspect here in the thanksgiving murders. paul marriage seen in this

surveillance videotape here was taken into custody at a motel 200 miles from the crime scene last night. police were reportedly tipped off to his whereabouts after an episode of "america's most wanted." marriage killed four family members, including his 6-year-old cousin. relatives were relieved when they heard the news of his arrest. >> it means i'll be able to sleep a little better tonight and i won't be patrolling the inside of my house with my shotgun waiting, thinking that the monster is right around the corner. i've been in protective mode, and now that's he's captured, at least my family, we can even begin the healing process. >> marriage faces four counts of first-degree murder and at least one count of attempted first-degree murder. well, an ultimatum from iran. it is demanding that the west renegotiate a u.n.-backed deal aimed to keep enriched uranium out of iran or the islamic republican will go ahead and enrich nuclear fuel on its own.

the west has until the end of january according to iran to accept this proposal. all right. more now on the breaking news from yemen. the u.s. embassy there is closed following threats from al qaeda. mohummad jamjoom is joining us now. what do we know about the threats from the embassy there? >> reporter: well, richard, we heard today from the u.s. embassy they are closing their doors from unspecified threats from al qaeda located in yemen. they are basically ratcheting up the rhetoric and saying they are going after american targets, one of the targets would be the embassy. this is not the first time the american embassy closed for an indefinite period of time in yemen over the last several years. in fact, the embassy was attacked by al qaeda in the arabian peninsula in 2008, so there's a history there. they are american targets prime

spots for attacks by groups like al qaeda in the arabian peninsula. with the heightened threat of what's going on in the region, this is the case that the american embassy would close its doors. >> it is not just al qaeda in the array arabian peninsula we are talking about. this is a hunt for terrorism. >> reporter: that's right. yeam yep season a magnet for terrorists and militants. it is a hub and attracted a lot of the groups. what you are seeing in yemen now, it is a very poor country in a rich neighborhood. a lot of the neighborering countries are reach from oil money. yemen is not. yep season a poor country. it has very poor borders and very easy to come in and out and a weak ineffective central government. because of that, it sort of is the perfect storm of conditions for militants and their groups to set up base there, to have camps, to train people, to plan attacks and to carry out those attacks. so you are seeing all kinds of groups that are refugees from

somalia, a lot of al qaeda-type groups to set up a business there. only in the last year have regional neighbors and the u.s. really kind of taken notice and seen how dangerous the situation is in yemen and how difficult it is for the government to combat the terrorists. >> based on what you are saying there, it looks like the yemen government does need help. general david petraeus meeting with the president. what sort of information do we have in terms of how much the united states will be involved in working with yemen to combat terrorists? >> reporter: well, what's interesting, richard, is in the last few weeks because there have been air raids carried out by yemen's government against al qaeda targets, there's been a lot of mounting speculation that the u.s. has been involved more in these attacks than the u.s. would led on. the u.s. said they are supporting yemen with intelligence and monetary aid. certainly, you have seen general

david petraeus there yesterday. many are blenl pledging aid and support in the fight against terror, but nevertheless, people are wondering what the role is of the u.s. in the last few weeks. they have not been involved in drone strikes or aerial support to the military, but a lot of people think they have. the u.s. may be planning retaliation attacks against the al qaeda targets there, but yemen's government is maintaining any atacks that happen could get intelligence from the americans, but they are going to do this themselves. it is clear that u.s. and yemen are working together to battle a al qaeda in the region. >> thank you so much for the latest on what's happening in yemen. in other news, iran is talking tough to the west. as we mentioned just a few moments ago, it also is taking a hard line with some of its own

people right now. >> opposition protests turned deadly in iran a week ago. we are at the iran desk with new images from that day. >> for nearly a week now, iranian officials said the security forces did not fire weapons during mass protests last sunday by the opposition movement. new amateur video into the iran desk reportedly from the sunday protests indeed appears to show a security officer take aim with a weapon and fire. here's the video. the video appears to be shot by a person hiding behind the car looking down at an intersection. and in a few second, you will see what appears to be a gunman run into the intersection, take aim, fire and run away. moments later he is chased by what looks like dozens of protestors. according to iran's state-run media, seven people were killed during the protests. some run over by security vehicles, but iranian officials deny that security officers were

responsible for the deaths. they say many of the deaths were either staged or accidents. among those killed, the nephew of the opposition leader who was shot and killed. his website said on saturday key opposition figures visited him and his sister to pay respects for his nephew's passing. this comes after he released his first statement after the sunday protest. in that statement, he said he is ready to die for the movement. meantime, more threats from the hard-liners. this time from ayatollah. enemies of god and the gentleman regime suggested they be executed. over the last few weeks, the supporters have been arrested and iran's state-run media says many will be put on trial in the coming days. reza from the iran desk in

atlanta. many people are heading home from the holiday, but there's a lot of ice and snow to report. >> it looks like it is across the country. let's go to reynolds wolf with the latest. >> we have strong winds and heavy snow in parts of maine to cause backups at logan airport and boston. same thing for new york. the other traveling on foot in the northern plains and parts of the midwest, don't bother. we'll snow you why coming up. unbelievable cold air. back to you. >> all right. and how difficult is it to get into the united states? the rules for getting a visa are coming up.

noetds ♪ >> what was that? >> sometimes you start to lose control. i celebrate start to finish. i celebrate her entire collection. i got ya. a lot of people aren't celebrating at the airport because of the snow and the ice. is it causing airport delays at this point? >> in some places, yes. this is not the biggest travel day of the year, but there are a lot of people heading home today. think about the northeast corridor, if you are in boston and the new york airport, maybe philadelphia and d.c., you are going to see things stack up because of the wind and the snow. the snow is coming in heavy in parts of upstate maine, but the central plains, it is not the stuff you can see. it is the stuff you can feel.

the cold air. i'm sure you felt it coming in today. >> it was so cold this morning. i mean, there's no ice on the ground. no snow. but, boy, you stepped outside and you want to run back in. >> it is funny. some of the places to seek refuge would be florida. take a look at this in clearwater. you have people out there, some wearing the bikinis, others bundled up. she is dressed like she is in the north. why not? expect no major changes for the forecast in florida. plenty of sunshine is mixing in with the sun and the clouds, but lady, go get a jacket or parka. that's what i'm talking about, wearing a bikini, good times in july, but this time of the year is nuts. we'll show you the cold air. we'll give you some of the cold, hard numbers right now. what we have for you is just startling in many places. fargo, we have been talking about you guys over the last couple of days. certainly, today, worth mentioning. 25 degrees below zero. 12 below in duluth.

18 below in green bay and milwaukee. single digits for des moines and omaha. back over to denver, 28 degrees. that seems warm all things considered. denver later today going to 40 degrees, but kansas city, minneapolis and chicago still in the teens or single digits. tampa, 51. 63 in miami. again, cold air will be in place for quite a while. when you factor in the cold air with the wind, here's what you have. you have a thing called the windchill factor, which is the windchill kind of feeling like this to the exposed skin. when you combine those factors, it will feel colder into the ohio valley and tennessee valley. for the rest of the day, here's what betty was talking about in terms of delays. we'll see blizzard-like conditions for maine. you will probably be on the mar mack longer than you feel comfortable, with uh d.c., new york, you may will issues. may see stray showers later in the day for miami. trouble with highs going into the 60s for south florida.

all right. that's the latest on your weather story. as always, it gets busy on the weekends. i'm sure it will be the same for the week ahead. back to you. thank you so much, reynolds. which were the clips that we couldn't get enough of this year? >> well, we have josh levs and plenty of them. >> live video. >> i love this. so this right here, one of the biggest youtube stars of the year. take a look. i am going to tell you who this little baby is plus the classic music video and the international me mom that can show you how to have your own viral video in 2010. pure cane sugar and the stevia plant.

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♪ >> it is like you are doing this. >> beonsay gets a lot of people to move around. >> people of all ages, apparently. >> a lot of people have goals set for 2010. for some, some is to have a big viral video. >> you have got to see this video of a baby dancing to that song that we were just airing. josh levs joins us now with some of the best video on the internet. hey sh josh. hey, josh. ♪

>> all right. let's break this down. some soft the top videos of 2009, the most likely way to have your own huge viral video in 2010 is the one really out of reach for basically everyone on earth. the best way to have a huge viral video is to become an overnight international superstar sensation. ♪ i dreamed a dream in time gone by ♪ >> we have seen this a lot of time. susan boyle from being unknown to the most watched singer in the world the next day. she was, it is official now, the number one viral video of the entire year according to this right now from time.com. they broke down the top ten viral videos. we linked this to our main page. now it is time for betty's favorite video. this is capturing the video of a kid doing something awesome and

hilarious. watch this. ♪ >> there you go. this baby is getting down to beyonce. this is cory elliott from new zealand. his dad created website now called single babies. >> i love this child. the kick is precious. look at that. >> this is like a future star. he has the kick and the dance. >> who knows. this child just has some moves early on. if you have a baby, can yours do this? >> not yet. give it a few months. >> you have to work on viral video of your own, josh. >> we'll let you know. send us your favorite viral videos at any time at

cnn.com/josh. always good to stop on a sunday morning and put a smile on everybody's face. there you go. dancing baby did it for the year. >> that woke us up. that was great. not that we were asleep. >> we needed good news. thank you, josh. okay. you probably sat in front of a television yesterday and watched some football. i'm sure many of you did. >> a lot of football. lots to watch. >> there were lots of bowl games, my goodness. >> who had the play of the day? we have it for you.

here are some of the top stories we are following from overnight. the u.s. embassy in yemen is closed today in response to ongoing threats from al qaeda to attack american interests in the country. officials are not saying when they will reopen the embassy, but this announcement comes a day after president obama linked the christmas day bombing suspect to an al qaeda group in yemen. and one of the oldest survivors of the san francisco earthquake in 1906 has died.

janette trapani was 107 years old. her daughter said she suffered from pneumonia. she was 6 years old when the quake hit. much of san francisco was left in ruins back in 1906. well, the prayers have been answered for evangelist rick warren. the associated press says his mega church in southern california has raised, get this, a whopping $2.4 million just since wednesday. that is more than enough to cover the church's $9,000 deficit and more is expected to roll in. he made his plea nor donations online. the failed bombing attempt christmas day has put our visa application process under a whole lot of scrutiny, but getting permission to come into the united states is still a hot ticket in many countries. >> yeah, sandra endu takes a look at the process of deciding who comes in and who is kept out. >> reporter: foreign entry into the united states, how difficult is it to get an admission ticket to america? citizens in 35 countries don't

even need a visa to gain entry as part of the wee sa waiver program that allows them a maximum 90-day stay, but those from other countries, travelers must apply for specific visas. there are temporary visas for tourists, business travelers, short-term employment and students. each visa-type allows a person to stay in america for different lengths of time. longer term zee visa applicants need to show strong originen and an intent to return home. 4,000 students attended colleges and universities in america last year. temporary worker visas permit a three-year stay with roughly 100,000 issued each year. immigrant visas are for those looking to become a permanent u.s. resident. those applicants need sponsors like an american relative or u.s. employer. the u.s. state department can

deny a visa to individuals with criminal records or suspected terrorists. the alleged detroit bomber already had a visa, but some critic says the process needs to work better to keep the bad guys out. and that includes revoking or flagging a visa holder for secondary screening. >> the chain is as strong as the weakest link. it starts with gathering intelligence, next it is the dissemination of the intelligence, next it is acting on the intelligence, both at embassies and ports of industry. >> reporter: the demand for visas to the u.s. continues to increase with 6.6 million non-immigrant see sast issued in 2008 and 236,000880 immigrant visas granted in 2009. one problem is people overstaying their visas. the department of homeland security says roughly 400,000 people are overstaying them now. they are looking to close loopholes. in light of the christmas day

plane bombing, now u.s. embassies abroad are trying to find out if suspicious individual there is also have u.s. visas and they may start automatically identifying airlines if a person's visa has been revoked. well, you can call it a reversed collection plate of sorts. churches helping out in this economic crisis by giving back to parishioners. >> and that is in our faces of faith segment. something we do every sunday morning in the 8:00 a.m. hour. my high cholesterol was contributing to plaque buildup in my arteries. that's why my doctor prescribed crestor. she said plaque buildup in arteries is a real reason to lower cholesterol. and that along with diet, crestor does more than lower bad cholesterol, it raises good. crestor is also proven to slow the buildup of plaque in arteries. crestor isn't for everyone, like people with liver disease, or women who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant.

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okay. >> that animation is always funny. >> it makes dogs howl and makes children cry. it is a for fiing thing. this time of the show we often show people some wacky weekend events. we'll go back in time and show you something from yesterday. it is the play of the day from pap pa john's. in birmingham, alabama. take a look at this. yukon's zach frazier throws one down the sideline and there's a one-handed catch and he takes it for the 37-yard touchdown. he pull that is thing into this chest for the touchdown in round two. my goodness. take a look at that. the focus on that and the balance after. frazier lucked out. he looked out and saw a man