from cnn world headquarters in atlanta, this is cnn saturday morning. december 10th. good morning, everybody. i'm christi paul in for t.j. holmes. i hope the morning has been good to you so far. republican presidential candidate newt gingerich facing a firestorm of criticism after he calls palestinians an invented people. a palestinian leader says the gop front-runner's comments are racist. thousands of white house visitors have done it.

now president obama has, too. he sets off a metal detector at a white house security checkpoint. and across russia, angry protesters take to the streets. they say parliamentary elections were rigged. the target of their anger, the prime minister vladimir putin and his party. controversial words from newt gingerich today. he says palestinians are -- and i'm quoting here -- an invented people. gingerich made the remarks in an interview on the jewish channel. here it is. >> well, i believe that the jewish people have the right to have a state. and i believe the commitments that were made at a time -- remember, there were -- there was no palestine as a state as part of the ottoman empire. i think that we've had an invented palestinian people who were historically part of the arab community. >> gingerich went on to say it's

tragic that palestinians didn't leave the area when they had the chance, rather, a war against israel. and he called the middle east peace process, quote, delusional. saed harab shot back. >> i believe this is a very, very low statement. this is a racist statement. and we condemn it with the strongest possible terms. and such statement is really inciting for bloodshed of mus m muslims, christians and jus in the region and we don't need such low level of particular statement. >> newt gingerich is likely to face more heat with his comments. tonight when he faces off with five of his republican rivals in a debate in iowa, mitt romney's campaign in already responding. i want to bring in cnn political producer rachel streitfeld. rachel, tell us, what is the romney campaign saying at this point?

>> we have yet to hear directly from governor romney. we'll see if that comes up in the debate tonight. in the meantime, we have hear from one of his supporters. she said these comments make her nervous and she said they will not help accomplish a solution in the middle east. tie that into a larger attack that the romney campaign has been pushing against gingerich. they say he is an undisciplined campaigner. what they're trying to say there, of course, is their argument that mitt romney would be a better opponent against barack obama than newt gingerich this fall. that's what they're hearing from the romney team. >> tell us what we're going to expect tonight in this debate. are we getting any sneak peeks at what's being topped on the agenda? >> we'll see the six gop contenders meet up. i think the things to look out for here is will they even let newt gingerich finish his introduction before they start going after him? we've seen gingerich solidifying his support in some of these

early voting states. he's crediting that success to his debate performances. so we'll watch mitt romney whose status as a front-runner has been threatened by gingerich's rise. so far, romney has been content to let his campaign do the attacks. we'll look to congressman roll paul. paul served with gingerich when they were in the house and he has not been shy about going after gingerich who called him a flip flot flopper and said he's not a true conservative. i expect we'll hear more of that tonight, christi. >> thank you so much for being with us and getting us that perspective again. a program note for you, too, join fredericka witfield every sunday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. eastern for a special hour dedicated to the presidential contenders in the 2012 election. on capitol hill now, the focus is still on the tax cuts. there's not a lot of common ground between them.

president obama has called on congress to get it done. in an interview with cbs news, in fact web acknowledged that there's no quick fix for this economy. >> did you overpromise? did you underestimate how difficult this was going to be? >> i didn't overpromise and i didn't underestimate how tough this was going to be. i always believed this was a long-term project, not a short-term project. and for individual americans who are struggling right now, they have every reason to be impatient, reversing structural problems in our economy that have been building up for two decades. it's going to take time. it's going to take more than a year, it's going to take more than two years, it's going to take more than one term. it probably takes more than one president.

>> both parties are being pressured to make a deal. green champions for the women's rights in the developing world equally share this year's highest award for struggles, sharing the nobel peace prize. look at her there, the other recipient there is the first arab woman to win the nobel peace prize recognized for her role in this year's popular uprising in yemen. congratulation toes all of them. a death penalty decision in a home invasion murder case. but the attorneys for the convicted murderers say the jury's decision was wrong and thief got a reason. but my nose is still runny. [ male announcer ] truth is, dayquil doesn't treat that. really? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus fights your worst cold symptoms, plus it relieves your runny nose. [ deep breath] awesome. [ male announcer ] yes, it is. that's the cold truth! and...an apology card. this is ridiculous. yeah, and it's got apps. nice. it's got vudu, twitter, facebook.

no honey, not facebook. ♪ honey, you think my sweater's horrendous? cats don't skate. i think it kicks butt. [ male announcer ] get low prices on the gifts they love, like lg tvs with the latest technology. backed by our christmas price guarantee. save money. live better. walmart. nyqui tylenol: me, too. andrice cougnasal congestion.ers? nyquil:what? tissue box (whispering): he said nasal congestion... nyquil: i heard him. anncr vo: tylenol cold multi-symptom nighttime relieves nasal congestion... nyquil cold & flu doesn't.

this morning, there are new allegations that the head of the amateur athletic union sexually abused two boys decades ago. two men told espn that robert bobby dodd molested them in the 80s. there has been no comment from dodd, battling colon cancer now. now the aau and are bringing sexual abuse out of the shadows. at noon, we'll hear from the ex-wife of an abuser and the impact it has on the families. a connecticut jury has recommended the death penalty in the case of a bulths home invasion. it left a mother and her two daughters dead. >> christi, the petit family

came to this courthouse ever day of the trial and every day of the penalty phase as witnesses testified for the defense as to why the jury should spare the life of joshua karmashecsky. in the end, it was not enough. the jury did not buy the argument that karmaschevsky was mentally impaired during the commission of this horrible home invasion, nor did they believe that he played a minor role. death on all six counts for the murder of the mom, jennifer hawke-petit and her two daughters hayley and michaeala. the sole survivor, dr. william petit says this was not about blood loss or vengeance. >> we certainly have been criticized over the years that this is vengeance and blood loss, but this is really about justice. there was a number of people on that jury who really -- weren't really sure whether he should have the death penalty. but after they looked at the facts of the case, they could only see their way to find one appropriate punishment that would serve justice. >> komisharjevsky stood with his

hands behind hymn his back as each juror was polled. one juror told us a lot of tears were shed during the deliberations, but they believed while there were mitigating circumstances as to the upbringing of this boy, in fact, there were not enough to lessen the penalty. the defense lawyer for karmischevsky spoke after. >> we continue to believe that the appropriate punishment in this case is to confine joshua in a safe prison for the rest of his life, that it's just wrong to give their authorization to functionaries of the state of connecticut to kill this deeply disturbed young man. >> joshua komisarchevsky will be sentenced on january 27th and will likely join his accomplice on death row. christine. >> deborah, thank you so much. mean what time, i want to show you the candlelight vigil taking place on the campus of virginia tech. they gathered last night to

remember a campus police officer who was shot and killed on thursday. a father of five. state police say ross truat ashley killed that officer before killing himself. ashley was apparently a part-time student at nearby rad ford university. they're still searching for a motive, though, in that attack. an army of volunteers, men and women giving their time today to the military who are buried at arlington national cemetery. who these folks are, why they're doing what they do, we are live with you from arlington next. and winter officially begins december 22nd. i know it's close. for those of you thinking about escaping the cold, travel & leisure magazine just named the best cities for winter travels. we have those top picks for you in a moment.

so with the winter still still approach, "travel & leisure" mag zeend named the best places to travel for the season. phoenix in scottsdale, arizona, you spend time shopping, relaxing the at the spa in this metro area. i lived there for five years. i can tell you, it is a little slight slice of heaven. come in second, honolulu, hawaii. who is going to dispute that, really? it's great for couples and families because, obviously, the weather and the outdoor activities there. but, you know the top spot? san juan, puerto rico. stellar deals, apparently, and a big boost of sunshine boosted it

to the top spot. volunteers across the country are spending this saturday morning at military and vet cemeteries helping lay holiday wreaths on the headstones of fallen service members. this is the arrival this morning of donated wreaths at arlington national cemetery outside washington, d.c. about 100,000 wreaths will adorn headstones just at arlington alone. i want to go there live now with athena jones. she's with these volunteers. i bet you've heard a lot of moving stories today. tell us about it. >> all of the headstones behind me in section six, this is where all those fallen in iraq and afghanistan are laid to rest. earlier on, there were hundreds and hundreds of people here. there were a lot of people in uniform, marines, people from the army, people in wheelchairs, soldiers who had been injured,

very young people in stolers, boy scouts. so we talked to several people. i talked to one woman who was here to support a friend who lost her son in iraq in 2007. she drove all the way from tennessee. listen to what she had to say followed by what another person had to say here. >> i think it's important for everybody to be recognized, personally. >> it's a nice time for everyone to come together and remember why we're here and what we're fighting for and some of these tombstones and graves, they haven't been visited in years. i think it's amazing that we can come here. >> so there's been a lot of emotion today. you have some praying their loved ones will come home safely. there was another woman who came up from florida, she lost her son at the beginning of 2007. while she was here to see him laid to rest at his funeral, she hadn't been able to come back

here and see his headstone. so you have a lot of stories like that, people who wanted to come out and just to pay their respects and honor the sacrifices the troops have made, even though they didn't personally know anyone serving or who had lost. this is, of course, an event that began 0 years ago with this group, wreaths across america. they've now expanded. the this number, 100,000, marks the biggest number of holiday wreaths being laid here on this 20th anniversary. >> i can imagine, especially for that woman in florida who had never seen her son's burial place. it has to be comforting on some level to see that much people there remembering these men and women. athena jones, thank you so much for bringing us the story. we always, of course, remember the men and women who have

fought for us and their families, as well. thanks, athen ma. you've probably heard a lot of times this year, didn't you, did you hear what they said? we're going to run down the year's most memorable quotes from some pretty memorable newsmakers, like that guy, charlie sheen.

what was the top quote of

2011, you wonder? we're talking about the most powerful, most meaningful, maybe just most memorable words spoken by people in the news this year, words that in a lot of ways shape what the year was about, right? josh levs is here with the countdown. i say meaningful and i know one you're going to quote. and there was nothing meaningful about it, but it was comical. >> it was comical. here is why i like these. they help us stop and take stock. we look back at some of the big stories for the year. the first quote is really hard to guess. here is the quote. it has been a really tough weekend. and the person who said it is harold camping, whom "time" describes as dooms day preacher predicted the world would end. that quote came two days after the rapture failed to occur as he said it would. >> yeah. not so much.

>> and then he predicted the world would end again in october, unless it did and we're stuck in a vortex. >> but maybe he doesn't realize where he is and that might be part of the issue. i hope he's okay. >> number four you're all set for, right? quote, i'm on a drug. it's called -- >> this is what is so sad about this. i do not remember this quote. i do not hear this quote. but when i hear it, i go it's charlie sheen. >> here it is. take a look. >> yeah, i am on a drug. it's called charlie sheen. it's not available because if you tri-it once, you will die. >> oh, my goodness. he was insisting he was not on drugs or alcohol and that's what "time" is calling the number four quote of the year. >> that was number four? >> that was number four. let's go number three now. this is chill to go hear in retrospect. the quote here is, they love me, they will die to protect me, my

people. >> they love me all. >> but if they do -- >> they will die to protect me and my people. >> that was former libyan leader moammar gadhafi seven months before he was captured and killed in his hometown. number two, totally not guessble again. but i'll tell you what it is. it's they had to know. and this quote comes from bernie madoff. "time" is calling this the second most quote of the year. a lot of people look back on this case and think it's no larger university that know just him as a sign of corruption elsewhere. so time is calling that number two. and finally, this one is a give away. i'm going to tell you three words. the number one quote of the year, quote, we got him. what's that? >> is it obama? >> it is. >> in fact, that's what president obama said about osama

bin laden. he did not say this later when he came out and spoke. but when he was announcing, this is what happened in the white house situation room after learning s.e.a.l. team six had located and killed osama bin laden. find links to all of this at my pages at cnn.com/josh and on twitter and facebook. this is totally subjective. so whatever you think the quotes of the year are, tell us. >> and i ask you to go to my facebook page. i'll start something here in a minute. i want your best quotes of the year. you've got president obama, moammar gadhafi and charlie sheen on the same list. >> so charlie sheen can be on it -- >> i want to know what you think is the best quote. i'll put it on there in a minute. >> and later we're going to share some of your best quotes. >> thank you very much. the clock is ticking down to tomorrow night's cnn all-star

heros. it's recognition that can help our ownerees do even more to help others, which sounds impossible when you see what they've already cop published. mag news mac farlane-borrow, his global food program feeds more than 580,000 people children worldwide every day. but this year, magnus successfully took on a daunting new challenge. take a look. >> it's the most severe drought in southeast africa in 80 years. >> it's overwhelming coming here and seeing the scale of the need here. most people, when they see children on the brink of starvation, the first desire of all of us is to give those children something to eat. >> that's exactly what magnus has been doing since september when he brought 20 tons of food from mogadishu.

delivering the aid was a challenge as a terrorist group has blocked many organizations from entering the country. mary's meals helped. >> we've just seen today that it certainly is possible. the meal that we provide is a porridge mixture, very, very cheap, but very nutritious. >> mary's meals plans to ship a total of 200 tons of food by the end of the year. that's more than 2 million meals. it's ban life changing journey for this one-time salmon familiarer who feels more at home helping others than he does in the spotlight. >> the cnn heros thing, it was the most wonderful opportunity to tell people about mary's meals and it's allowed us to meet many more people as a result. >> thank you. >> pretty awesome guy there. don't forget to tune in this

sunday night, 8:00 p.m. eastern, tomorrow night to cnn heros, an all-star tribute. it's hosted by anderson cooper. it will inexpire you, i promise you that. thousands of people, meanwhile, are packing the streets of moscow today, furious. they say last weekend's election was rigged and they're not taking it sitting down. we're live from the russian capital, next.

i want to get you your top stories right now. a huge rights group says at least 16 people were killed today in clashes outside of syria. the united nations says more than 4,000 people have now died in syria's anti-government protest. on friday, the body of a 10-year-old boy was carried to his burial. this year has been a record setter for u.s. drivers. you probably know this. you've spent a lot of money on gas. totally, it's been $448 billion on gasoline so far this year. but i want to put that into perspective for you. that's already 100 billion more

than last year. the oil price information service points to consistent did ily high oil prices as the main reason for that there. president obama and vice president joe biden taking in some football action today. they're both attending the army/navy game this afternoon in landover, maryland. it's the 112th meeting between the two big rivals. tens of thousands of russians filed into a moscow square today to protest last weekence's parliamentary elections. the protests come after they believe there was favoritism to vladimir putin's side. i know it's over, but they were expect background 20,000 people and upwards of they were hope for. phil, do you think they made it? >> reporter: they got something pretty close to that. the organizers did this

themselves. they claim it was upwards of 80,000. it was probably somewhere in between. was still an impressive crowd. tuns of thousands of people coming together in a political protest in the streets of moscow is not something that has been seen in two decade webs among the fall of communism here. it is a significant political statement in and of itself and it seems to have gone off quite successfully. it was peaceful. the crowd there was in a very good mood generally. i would describe them as defiant but passional. there were lots of happy faces. the general attitude among the crowd was -- and many of them told me this. this isn't a revolution. we're not trying to overthrow the government. we want the government to know that our vote should count. there was the overwhelming feeling that their vote had been taken away from them and were ultimately worthless as a result. they wanted to reverse that. they want those parliamentary elections to be declared null and void and to have a fresh new

election. >> what's the plausibility that that would happen, that there would be a new election? and is there any early indication at this hour that the government has heard them? there's no sign that the prime minister is ready to give in just yet. he has maintained from the time that the results started coming through that it was fair and democratic. and regardless of the anger we've seen on the street, it doesn't appear ready to exchange that view. the protesters themselves weren't necessarily expecting this one event to change the political landscape or to achieve that specific political goal. but what tlebl is that this in itself was an achievement to simply make this happen. as i say, unprecedented on these streets for such a long time. they've shown it can be done and

they hope to hold similar events like this. >> and it seems like they may have benefited in some way because moscow wasn't the only place that saw these protests, was it? >> no. we understand not. it's an indication that perhaps that the anger about these elections is more than just what exists here in moscow. there was another big demonstration in st. petersburg. that was the next biggest one. thousands of people there. we understand that went off peacefully, as well. and there are reports of other smaller protests across this vast country also. so it is a movement as such. there are a great many people across the country that feel this way and ultimately want these elections to be redone. as i said, vladimir putin is not about to make that happen to to

allow that to happen just yet. but in the eyes of all of these protester webs they believe they've seen a fairly powerful message to the cripple lynn today. >> thank you so much, phil, live in moscow. we appreciate it. high tech gifts, you know how popular those are. i bet you have them on your list, too, for christmas. come up, we're going to show you some things that is going to make your gift stand out on christmas. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] everyone deserves the gift of a pain free holiday. ♪ this season, discover aleve. all day pain relief with just two pills.

you see that there, a total lunar eclipse. sky watchers were thrilled by this in part of the u.s. earlier today. i had people on my facebook page saying i'm out, i'm looking for it. folks on the west coast, you had the best seat in the house. this is how it looked from seattle. bonnie schneider is with us now as we talk weather. we missed it because the sun was up too soon for us. >> yeah. but really beautiful pictures coming from the west coast with that red/orange. april 14th, we all know that date. that is that will be the next time we see a tune lunar eclipse

once more. the sun is shining in chicago, but it's a cold one. you can see the numbers take us to about 18 degrees at this hour. it's starreding off cold. notice the temperatures at this hour, 35 in nashville, tennessee. in the midwest, a little bit of rain down in south florida for today. watch out for freezing fog in parts of texas, oklahoma and new mexico. other side, we're looking at clear skies. high pressure dominating across much of the country. so, really, the weather is pretty kap calm in this weekend. overall, it's looking nice. we have warm conditions across much of the country. taking what look at highs, you'll see a high of 67 in los angeles. we're expecting showers today

and tomorrow for florida. unsettled through the southeast. the sun continues to shine through the midwest and the central plains and showers develop as a new system comes on shore for coastal california. christi. >> all right. thank you so much, bonnie. >> sure. it is establishmented as many as two out of every three gifts this holiday season wsh they're going to be those electronic devices everyone loves. so many choices, though. we'll help you wade through that information to pick the right gift. earlier today, i talked to mario armstrong about some on the hot high tech gifts out there. >> first thing is first. it's cold now. i have on what seems to be a regular pair of gloves. these are made by a company called free hand. it reveals a little bit of your fingers so you can touch screen on all of your device webs there are different gloves that have the conducive tips on them, as well. these are inexpensive and a

great gift for those that still want to text while it's cold outside. >> with technology, you don't have to go up out of your seat very much, so what about the coach potatoes? what will make them happy? >> the couch potatoes, if you do not have an interpret connected tv, you want to get a box called roku. it connects to your internet connection at home and context to your television to you can get content from netflix right to your tv. so it basically brings the internet on to your television and it has an easy to use remote. we're talking like $79 for this and no monthly fees for it. >> nice. the kids might like that, one too. there has to be something geared towards kids, right? >> yes. tablets are absolutely big. a lot of people say, mario, do we do ipad, the kindle fire?

i think for kids, the kindle fire, it's $200, less expensive than buying a $500 tablet, but i think for kids to do educational things, to read books, do homework, have music, videos, apps, all types of things from education to entertainment, i think for $200 and getting a kid a tablet, there is a solid one. although this is also for parents and those doults out there, as well. they would want a kindle fire, as well. >> my mom, i think they fought technology for a long time, but they love the ipad. what's out there for grandparents? >> well, you know, i think the ipad is great for grandparents because you can do everything for scrabble and word games that they love. but one way to go old school with it is something i'm holding right here. it's called the icade. check it out on thinkgeek.com. you can see i have a regular joy

stick and button, like a 25 cent slot here. basically, you download an app on to your ipad for 14 bucks and then you can play with the joy stick all the old school classics that you grew up on. >> i love it. >> so this is loads of fun. so pacman, tank, missile command -- >> asteroids. i challenge you to asteroids, mario. >> you're on. done deal. you're going down. >> let's do it. >> yeah, you remember those days, asteroids, all the good ones. the holiday shopping season may get you into the christmas spirit. your wallet may have some other ideas. we'll show you how you can save a few bucks and still celebrate the holiday season.

the national retail federation says the average holiday shopper will spend $704. they're very specific in those $4. collide anderson told me about ways to save money on gifts without feeling like a scrooge. he says, just like when you go to the grocery store, you have to start with a list. >> a list is a perfect thing to do and a lot of us don't do that.

it's so simple. make the list and determine how much you want to spend on these lists. know exactly what i'm looking to spend and who i'm buying gifts for. >> how beneficial is it to spend on line? >> it's amazing how much you can save by spending online. there's several companies that if you spend online, they'll do free shipping for you. i bought a book on amazon for a penny last week. and so -- >> but wait, did you get free shipping with that? >> no. but it's amazing, give the gift of knowledge. but i think it's too easy for some people. they're used to the hustle and bustle. >> you know, whoever gets a book from you this year will be wondering if they can get it for a penny now. let's talk about the layaway. now it's back and walmart has introduced layaway again. layaway is a great way to security those items that you

want to get but maybe you're looking to save up more money or you want to put it aside until you make the purchase. it's better than using a credit card because you don't pay any interest. you may pay a fee, but you don't pay interests and you don't get caught up in those holiday cards, save 20%. and interest rates are so high on those cards, you need to stay away from them. and the repeat deals, most people never do the rebate. >> why are we so lazy we don't do that? >> i don't know. >> i don't know. i don't know. you say cut down on accessories. what are you talking about? >> when you're talking about shopping for the holiday, everyone spends a lot of money on giftwrap and all these other things. go to the dollar store, get some gift bags, name tags, a little tissue paper. make it look presentable, but don't go and break the bank on fancy gift wrapping. >> and you're saying the focus should be the kids and they don't care about giftwrap, anyway. >> exactly. think about it. call some of your friends, your family members and say, listen, this year we're focusing on the

kids and that's what christmas is about. they're excited about it and some other people may be relieved. everybody is trying to save money right now. >> what who uses their junk mail? >> people don't -- overlook the junk mail. lot of times there are great coupons and deals. set up a different e-mail just for coupons. set time aside to go through and look in and you will find great save. >> people might say i just can't k not squeeze any more money out of my wallet. it is just not there. i guess -- giving time is the next best thing. i think you ought to look at that from the standpoint of what the season is, true reason for the season. go back to giveback. if we have time, time is one of our most valuable assets. if i can give time to help in a homeless shelter, feed the hungry, help children reading stories, doing something that's different and really kind of stepping outside the box and realize this is what it is

about. >> "newsroom" continues at the top of the hour with fredricka whitfield. >> we have a lot straight ahead beginning with the legal guys. they are with us every weekend. so dedicated. we have interesting topics and including that of erin andrews. she was a victim of a peeping tom and the gentleman was convicted. another case involving her and that peeping tom back in court. she's now suing the mayor yad hotel chain as well as the convicted peeping tom for invasion of privacy. our legal guys will be along to see. >> could you have seen that coming. don't you think? when it all happened. thought there's a lawsuit in here somewhere. >> i guess, you know, i'm surprised because i thought perhaps she was moving on. you know, it is -- unresolved. that's what she is saying. a financial fix. i know you talked earlier about

someone -- you know, meaning behind your spending this holiday season. okay. karen lee, financial expert, will be along and will talk about making extra money. because you are likely to spend a little bit. people are always extending their budgets, exactly. she says, you know, there are a few things you can do, virtual garage sale. might be one way. really tap into your skills. maybe you are great at gift wrapping. maybe that's a -- side business. >> i bet there are people that would pay for that. >> yes. >> good thinking. >> yeah. >> considering, you know, a lot of things i probably don't want to do that if somebody does it better than me i will pay them for it. then -- reclaiming your career. valerie burton joins us every weekend to talk about things you can do to improve your, you know, professional outlook. lot of folks are out of work or perhaps you have a job and it is time to think about how to maximize what you -- what you have. so negotiating. the art and skill of negotiating. whether it is for a pay raise for better position.

she will tackle some of the steps that you need to take. because there is an art to kind of -- you know, asking for something, sometimes you have to give up something as well. negotiate when at the table with your boss >> how do you pose it and the verbiage you use. >> right words to use and ones to stay away from. lot straight ahead beginning at noon eastern. >> thank you, fred. good. >> good to see. >> did you you, too. lot of white house visitors know what it is like setting off a metal detector. >> hopefully not. >> he had to try it on for size. >> he was walking back to the white house from the blair house and stopped -- stopped at security guard apely and stopped at a gate. walked through it. and it beeped. apparently it was his cell phone and joked he wanted to see what it was like going through. just going through the checkpoint. >> he enjoyed being like everybody else and then you get into the white house and he's like you know, i need a reminder of what it is like to be like everyone else. >> like everybody else.

>> food and water shortages, we know, are two crucial global concerns. a simple idea may go a long way in solving a complicated idea. we will introduce you to plant power. direct rates side by side to find you a great deal, even if it's not with us. [ ding ] oh, that's helpful! well, our company does that, too. actually, we invented that. it's like a sauna in here. helping you save, even if it's not with us -- now, that's progressive! call or click today. no mas pantalones!

checking stories across-country today. we start with a big move for coca-cola in atlanta. the world's largest soft drink maker moved its secret formula to the soft drink to a new home. the company's world of coca-cola museum. the formula developed in 1886 had been kept in a safety deposit box in a vault in a downtown atlanta bank since 1925. the closely guarded secret remains in a safety deposit box but it is now housed in a new exhibit entitled, quote, the vault of the secret formula. sounds a little like an "indiana jones" flick. in the portland, oregon, suburb, proof you have got to watch those little ones every minute.

4-year-old jesus ran out of his house while babysitter was changing his little sister's diaper. what a trip he took. surveillance video showed him get on a rapid transit train for a two-mile ride. apparently headed for the building where his mother had an appointment. smart 4-year-old, right, though? fortunately police did find him and took him home. santa delivers an early christmas gift for two sisters in harde een county, kentucky. >> is that what you want for christmas? are you sure? >> army sergeant first class tommy neil surprises his daughters at school. he had just returned from his fifth deployment overseas. >> it is tough on grownups, up can't hide from that. as far as them, it is really tough on them. >> welcome home, tommy. we are betting this family has a lot of catching up to do. those stories never get old.

"cnn newsroom" continues with the one and only fredricka whitfield. >> have a great day. see you tomorrow morning. shock and outrage now from palestinians following remarks from a republican presidential candidate newt gingrich. he said, quoting now, palestinians are, quote, an invented people. the remarks came during an interview on the jewish channel. >> i believe that the jewish people have the right to have a state and i believe that the commitments made at a time, remember, there were -- there was no palestine as a state. part of the empire. and i think that we have had an invented palestinian people who -- arabs and historically part of the arab community. >> gingrich went on to say it is tragic that palestinians didn't leave the area when they had a chance and instead sustaining a war against israel. just moments ago his campaign staff sent this response.