randi kaye. the death of north korea's kim jong-il and its impact are far reaching and go beyond just the man. the 69-year-old reclusive dictator reportedly died of a heart attack saturday. but now questions revolve around north korea's future and the region's security. north korea fired a short-range missile today but officials say it was just routine. meantime, south korea's cabinet held an emergency meeting and put its forces on high alert. we are keeping our eye on that developing situation. more on that and north korea's new potential successor in a few minutes with former u.s. assistant secretary of state james ruben. don't miss that. we'll talk with him. secretary of state hillary clinton will be making a statement at any moment now about north korea and kim jong-il's death. this is a live picture from the state department. clinton is just wrapping up a meeting with the japanese foreign minister at the department of state. a joint statement is expected to follow shortly. earlier president obama called

south korea's president to re-affirm his commitment to korea's security and stability. when it comes to the payroll tax cut, it's one step forward and two steps back in congress. the house is expected to reject the senate's two-month extension of the payroll tax cut. house speaker john boehner says the house will be pushing a one-year extension. >> the idea the tax policy can be done two months at a time is a kind of activity that we see here in washington that really put our economy off its tracks. >> payroll tax cut along with emergency men fits will expire if congress does not act. the supreme court will set aside three days next spring to hear oral arguments on the federal health care law. proceedings will start march 26th with jurisdictional argument. on march 27th they'll discuss

the individual mandate requiring people to purchase health insurance. on march 28th, they'll look at the issue of severability -- in other words, whether eliminating the individual mandate would invalidate the entire health care law. they'll also hear arguments on that same day on whether states can be forced to spend more on medicaid. the court expected to rule in june. with the iowa caucuses just over two weeks away, four republican presidential candidates are campaigning there today. you're looking at live pictures from manchester, iowa where rick perry has a meet-and-greet. michele bachmann is making a stop also in iowa, this hour also in the hawkeye stake, nte, gingrich and rick santorum.

governor rick scott wanted the president of florida a&m university suspended because of the hazing with the marching band. the chairman said we will stand firm against outside influences which hinder the viability of the university. robert d. champion died last month after an alleged hazing incident. there's been no arrests in that case but three band members were arrested last week in connection with another alleged hazing incident. thousands said good-bye to the former czech president. the 75-year-old havel died sunday. he was a well known playwright who helped bring down communism in eastern europe with the power of his word. he once wrote "truth and love triumph over lies and hate." havel went on to become

president of czechoslovakia and the czech republic when the country split in 1992. the preliminary hearing of army private bradley manning went into closed session today so that the military courts could hear classified testimony. manning is accused of providing government secrets to wikileaks. before the courtroom was closed this morning, manning's lawyers cross examined an army computer expert. yesterday the expert's testimony appeared to link documents manning downloaded to documents that turned up on the wikileaks' website. today, however, the expert conceded he had found no match between the diplomatic cables he examined and the ditic cables on wikileaks. britain's prince harry is no stranger to the royal court but he could become the first member of the royal family ever to testify in a criminal court. the 27-year-old prince was talking on the phone with a friend recently when a robber came up to the friend and stole his cell phone. harry heard the whole thing. he even jumped in the car with

his protection officer and drove to the scene of the crime. now that police have made an arrest, a spokesman says harry is willing to testify against the suspect if asked. the world is watching as kim jong-il's son takes the reins as the great successor. what is the biggest concern during this transition of power? we'll talk about that next with former assistant secretary of state james ruben. but first, some holiday cheer. some people hit by the recession who's been buying gifts on lay-away are discovering santa has a lot of helpers indeed. across the country there are reports of anonymous donors going to kmart's and walmarts to pay off strangers' lay-away bills. they're being called lay-away angels and they are today's rock stars. ♪ give a little bit ♪ give a little bit of your love to me ♪ [ sniffs ] i have a cold. [ sniffs ] i took dayquil 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! you tell us what you want to pay, and we give you a range of coverages to choose from. who is she? that's flobot. she's this new robot we're trying out, mostly for, like, small stuff. wow! look at her go! she's pretty good. she's pretty good. hey, flobot, great job. oops. [ powers down ] uh-oh, flobot is broken. the "name your price" tool, only from progressive. call or click today.

the death of north korea's kim jong-il historically focused our attention here to the korean peninsula. two words can describe the situation right now -- uncertainty and anxiety. north korea's future, its successor, its stability and its nuclear weapons, all remaining big question marks, all of which have south korea on alert over its security. keep if mind, for 66 years north koreans have only known two leaders from one family. kim il-sung and kim jong-il. but nou all eyes are all on kim's youngest son, kim jong-un, already deemed the great sr.

successor by the ruling party. what's unknown until last year when he was promoted to a four-star yenl in what was seen as a calculated move by his father. remember he's just in his 20s, we believe. but all of this only raises more questions that be it answers about north korea, the region and its stability. former u.s. assistant secretary of state jamie ruben joins us to give us some perspective. kim jong-un is young without a political track record. what is the concern as people try to figure out. him and what his next move could be? >> i think the biggest concern right now is whether indeed he controls the levels -- excuse me -- the levers of power that his father did. there's a party bureaucracy. there's a secret service. there's the military. then there's other family members, all four of those factions were controlled by,

first kim il-sung, the founder leader, then his son kim jong-il. now it is very hard to imagine that a young man who hasn't had the decades of behind-the-scenes work that his father did before he took over can manage all that smoothly. so there are sure to be some people who feel left out. some people whose futures have been destroyed by this transition, some family members who are bitter and jealous, and those are the kind of dynamics that are worrisome, because north korea, let's face it, is not only a dangerous place for the people who live there, but because they've shown a willingness to sell dangerous technology, dangerous weaponry to other countries and perhaps some day the groups that would be of concern. we have to keep our eyes on this very, very closely, watch this transition, and see whether maybe it can turn out for the best. >> right. try to see if there will be

power struggles, as you say, within the family and what his alliance will be with the military. we do know that south korea's news agency says north korea did fire a short-range missile test today. do you think this is a coincidence or part what have we know north korea can do, which is they like to send message? >> i think had it been a test of a long-range missile, say over japan or a missile of significance, a bigger missile, i might have suspected it was tied to the death of kim jong-il. but because of the type of missile involved and the fact that this has been going on, on and off, for some time, i suspect it is just following the schedule that they chose not to cancel because of the death of the leader. so i don't see a big message here. but that kind of thing could happen in the coming weeks in a much more dangerous way. there are many, many places where south korea's navy and

north korea's navy come into conflict. there's the dmz where they stare eyeball to eyeball, dozens, if not hundreds, of troops armed to the teeth against each other along this 38th parallel that's been the scene of terrible fighting during the korean war and the standoff ever since. >> an considering this young and untested leader and the control and power that he will be, is there a danger that there could be some miscalculations that could have some serious reactions with the world watching and you never know what someone like kim jong-un is up to? >> i think it is possible that if there were some sort of power struggle, if there were some sort of split within north korea where one faction was trying to upset a smooth transition, they could try to take perhaps a

military action of some kind that could be generating concern in the south. it could be very dangerous. it could even be deadly. on the other hand, i think the united states and south korea become very skill over the years at maintaining vigilance along this border, at watching north korea's military for signs of danger and reacting to that. and i suspect that all eyes would be on the north korean military for many week to come and those resources of south korea, the united states, and others will ensure that at least there's no miscalculation. there could be danger, but at least you want to avoid misunderstanding one of these actions and responding accordingly. >> well certainly outside of north korea, kim jong-il was seen as a brutal dictator. but we want to show people the scenes that we say on the streets there in north korea as the people learned about his death.

perhaps the grieving says a lot about the control and power that kim jong-il had over the public. any chance this could be any kind of turning point or opportunity for the people in north korea? >> well, yes, i think it's possible. i wouldn't put a huge percentage bet on it, but it is certainly possible that a younger leader who speaks english, who grew up in the era of globalization and is aware of the fact that north korea's an isolated, backward place where most of its people struggle to eat and survive, who have seen the rest of the world and recognizes how backward his country is, that slowly, slowly he could make some changes. it is certainly possible. one of the aspects of a one-person dictatorship like

this is that if that one person has a change of heart, things really can change. and so we know that the father and the -- his grandfather, the founding leader, carried with them enormous power to control the lives of the korean people. but it is certainly not impossible that the united states could find itself negotiating seriously with the north koreans again if the new leadership wants to take this opportunity to move in a positive direction. it is not impossible. >> that's a good note to enon. former u.s. assistant secretary of state james ruben, that very much for your perspective. listen to this number. 1 out of every 45 children in the united states is now homeless. up next here we'll talk with a sixth-grader about life on the streets. new one a day vitacraves plus omega-3 dha is a complete multivitamin for adults. plus an excellent source of omega-3 dha in a great tasting gummy.

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a sixth-grader in pennsylvania is different from most kids because of this disturbing fact -- he is one of more than 1.5 million kids who are homeless in the united states. that's 1 in every 45. according to a new study by the national center on family homelessness, that's a 33% increase from 2007. the center blames the recession for that huge increase. now take a look at this map showing the top ten states that the center says are doing the best job in helping homeless kids and the ten worst. among the best -- vermont, minnesota, and nebraska. among the worst, alabama, mississippi, and arkansas. rumi joins us from carlisle, pennsylvania where he lives in a

shelter with his mom. so glad to have you with us. and also with us, the president and founder of a non-profit advocacy group for homeless children. rumi, you spoke at a congressional hearing on child homelessness last week. that is quite a forum. tell us a little bit about that. what is it that you wanted people to hear about the struggles that you and your mom have had being homeless? >> well, we -- >> rumi, we can't hear you right now so we're going to try to fix that and come back to you in just a second. we'll go to diana. i want to read a little bit -- since we couldn't hear rumi -- what he did say in front of congress. he said that staying with other people was tough, adjusting to the families, different lifestyles. if we cross the line for some reason, boom, we're out. don't want to cross the line

because they would take it as disrespect and boom, we have to leave. but he talked so much about having to move and move again and move again. and the exhaustion and just not knowing if he and his mom were going to be able to be safe and what was going to happen to their lives. i'm certain that this is something you are used to hearing, especially in this day and age since we've seen so many children become homeless. >> well, certainly kids are traumatized by homelessness. and it is very many forms. it is a matter of really understanding that kids are the victims of poverty and lack of housing resources and kids like rumi are the collateral damage of our economy today. >> you have an interesting story, i believe, about how you got interested in the issue of homelessness. tell us about that. >> well, i ran a shelter in illinois for many years. and then after that, work with schools to try to get them to understand homelessness. in 2005 i decided that i wanted

to make a documentary film with kids talking about what it is like to be homeless so i sold my town house and got rid of everything and bought a motor home and started traveling around the country and have made some documentary films on this. so i'm on the road 24/7, 365 days a year. >> that's dedication. i think that we have rumi back with us. let's try again to hear from our sixth-grader. okay, rumi. sorry about that. tell us again what it felt like to talk before congress and the point that you wanted to make. >> well, it was a very -- like i felt very important because they are such special people and i'm just one person and they were willing to listen to me speak about homelessness and how it affects other people. >> and i read a little bit about what you said, rumi. but let us all try to appreciate

how hard it's been on you and your mom. i know there was a situation at home with violence, so you and your mom left. have just been moving an moving an moving. what is the hardest part been for you? >> the hardest part for me is losing all my friends and losing all of the relationships that we've had and the relationship with my father. and school was really hard. i was transferring to schools and from place to place. that's really hard. >> i know that it was hard to sleep because you were living in so many different places and you were always really tired at school as well. i know that you even said to them that you miss your dog, rocky. that's got to be a tough part about it, too. are you doing much better now, now that you're situated in a shelter? >> yeah, we are. we got -- we have a lot of new

friends and we have a roof over our heads. so that's pretty good. >> and how's your mom doing? she's been struggling with work and taking care of you. how's she? >> she's been taking care of me very well and she is doing very good and i really appreciate what she's doing for me. >> well, we wish you well and we hope you have a nice holiday and we'll all be thinking about you, rumi. there are a lot of children like you as well that many people in this country are thinking about and are concerned about and want to help you. all the best to both of you. thank you for your time. >> thank you very much. >> thank you. up next, hear why hundreds of suspected drunk drivers could go free in one county. [ mujahid ] there was a little bit of trepidation,

not quite knowing what the next phase was going to be, you know, because you been, you know, this is what you had been doing. you know, working, working, working,

working, working, working. and now you're talking about, well you know, i won't be, and i get the chance to spend more time with my wife and my kids. it's my world. that's my world. ♪

drunken driving is a serious problem, we all know. according to the centers for disease control and prevention, alcohol-impaired driving leads to nearly one-third of all traffic-related deaths in the united states. that's almost 30 people a day or a death every 48 minutes. but, in jefferson county, kentucky, about 600 suspected drunk drivers could go free. why? well four officers with metro corrections worked for months without the proper credentials to administrator breathalyzer tests. joining me for today's crime and consequence, the jefferson county attorney.

almost one-fifth of the year's cases could be thrown out. how could this happen and who dropped the ball here? >> well, we were notified last week by corrections, probably when they discovered that four of the breathalyzer operators had let their session expire and we began to determine -- try to determine how many cases that affected and our best estimate at this point, between 500 and 600. so they notified us and we took prompt action as best we could and we're trying to establish a protocol to deal with these cases. >> what do you do? what are the chances that many of these cases could be thrown out? >> well, i think we've made a determine ace that the evidencea non-certified operator is not admissible. so we cannot rely on that scientific evidence but we'll look at each case on a case by case basis and look ator

evidence that surrounds the case, whether or not the officer had video in the car while he was making the stop, the field sew bro sobriety test, any other statements the defendant may have made, any other presentment of beer, drugs or something that may have been in the car. any other evidence other than ba test we'll look at on case by case basis. some cases have already been disposed of where people have pled guilty to drunk driving and they're being notified, as well as those pending that we have cover discovered this diskreppy and they can act accordingly. >> we have this from the director of the louisville department of corrections -- this occurred in part due to a practice that relied on individual technicians to track their own recertification. i would think that that policy is going to change and quickly. >> i think it's probably already been changed by the director. he does a fine job and this is one of those human error matters

that occurred and is being corrected as quickly as possible as we go forward. >> you have a lot to do now having to revisit all of these cases. i can't imagine the minutia now without the breathalyzer and the difficulty it will be to prosecute. let's talk about the possible danger to citizens if many people who were driving under the influence are able to just go. >> well, will will take some positive steps on the person who's already pled guilty to come back into court and criticize that conviction. we don't know how many people are going to do that. that's certainly a real possibility. there many, many cases still pending that were affected by these breathalyzer operators an we're on top of those now in terms of letting people know and trying to akwar cquire and look other evidence to o try to achieve convictions. last year we prosecuted about 3,700 dui cases and fortunately

we have a conviction rate of 95% which is re, very high compared to the rest of the nation. so we take them seriously and we're going to take this problem seriously and try to correct it the best we can. >> that's the good news. i guess the best news is there were 3,700 cases still of drunk driving. certainly a problem in this country, as we know. we appreciate your time, the jefferson county attorney. thank you, mike. it is a $1,000 hit on millions of american families come january 1th. so why is congress still fighting over the payroll tax? we'll talk about that next. and as many of us gear up for holiday vacations, some of us, like the u.s. senate, may already be enjoying your time off. how do your vacation days stack up against congress? how many weeks of down time did lawmakers get this year? thank about it. we'll have the answer.

a moment ago i asked if you knew how many vacation weeks congress got a year. let's see how your time off stacks up. taking a look at this past year, congress members got some pretty healthy me time. for about 11 weeks of 2011,

congress was not scheduled to be in session. now the senate's vacation may play a big part today. it is time for "fair game" where we get to the meat of the political debate and anyone spewing partisan talking points get hit with something hard. john boehner tells senator to cut their vacation short because the house is about to kick it back. >> i've been around here for a while. i've seen congress kick the can down the road, kick the can down the road. it is time to stop the nonsense. >> joining me now, cnn contributor will cain and democratic political consultant ed espinoza. guys, it sounds like boehner stunned some in washington. ed, do you think this came out of left field or has this. brewing for some time? >> it's a larger issue. the difference between the things we say and the things we do. we've had similar debates in december 2010 that had do with

the bush tax cuts an extending those for affluent americans. a year later we're faced with the issue to extend payroll tax cuts for middle class americans which basically comes out to about $100 a month, a utility bill for most people and here we are haggling over that. this is something we have to recognize with ourselves, particularly the gop, and how we move so quickly on a millionaire's tax cut and yet so slowly on a middle class tax cut. i think that it is going to be a problem especially heading into the early primary states like iowa and new hampshire which are nice places but very middle class. >> what do you say, will? >> i think this is a tree falling far in the forest as far as the election and as far as strategy that ed just talked about. i don't think it will have much of a effect. if you want to play the blame game, there's plenty to to go around for everybody. we're not passing a tax cut today but only for a two-month extension into february. which means we'll have this fight again in two months.

it is not we're fighting right now for some great victory. should a federal payroll tax cut deprive social security of its revenue? that's the crux. how do you pay for the tax cut. >> we don't have an issue of paying for tax cuts a year ago. so i feel like it is disingenuous to say we want to figure out how to pay for these tax cuts but we didn't want to figure out how to pay for the millionaire tax cuts a year ago. >> the thing is here we are at the end of the year and people are hearing yet again congress haggling over a big issue and it is about their paychecks. isn't that on the tops of the minds of congress? do you think they will continue this and perhaps cut into their holiday vacations? >> i would have to think they will eventually come to some

agreement in the next week or two before the new year turns. but as far as you are talking about people's paychecks at home, there's also the greater economic impact of this. conservatives often talk about uncertainty, that the economy, business owners, taxpayers, consumers out there need certainty. you need another economic environment you're playing in. we have trouble passing the payroll tax extension. or pass one for just two months, you're not solving that problem. we still have a huge amount of certainty over what our tax bill will be. >> ed, final comment. >> there are so many issues that play into the play roll tax cut. we don't have time to get into all of them. but the problem is if we don't act now the pay cut will take effect january 1st. we need some sort of bridge until we can get to a larger consensus. >> let's talk about another issue that will probably perhaps continue to come up in iowa and that is the death of kim jong-il

and the story out of north korea. here's something that we heard on the campaign trail, jon huntsman calling him a tyrant. mitt romney says his death is an opportunity for the u.s. perry had some of the most dire words saying north korea remains a nuclear power and there is a great threat that those weapons might fall into the wrong hands. are we witnessing the birth of a new campaign issue here? start with you, will. >> well, yes. i mean this should be an issue. this should be an issue as an illustration. we often elect presidents assuming they're like our chief legislator. we think their platform on legislation that they'll champion or oppose is one of the most important things. we expect the president to be prepared for the unexpected. whether it is financial crisis or terrorist attacks on our soil, you always need to be prepared for the unexpected. having a new clear power in north korea, now with a huge leadership vacuum, we have no whether or not his son will be able to consolidate power is a

huge unexpected world event. how president obama handles it or a republican presidential candidate handles it is a huge question we need to be asking. >> ed? >> i absolutely agree with will. we're of like minds on this. that 3:00 a.m. phone call against a nuclear power is something you have to be prepared for. but in hindsight, the year 2011, a bad year to be a bad guy. mubarak, gadhafi, kim jong-il, osama bin laden, the world is better off in that we're rid of some of these guys right now. we're not completely out of the woods yet but it is getting better. >> yes. but certainly another big issue on the plate of the candidates as they press on towards january 3rd. thanks so much, both of you, for your perspectives. will cain and ed espinoza. that's "fair game." more on north korea next when we go "globe trekking." we'll take an in-depth look at the reclusive dictator known to the masses as "the dear leader. " ♪

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today's globe trekking segment takes us back to north korea and the death of kim jong-il. many north koreans are mourning the death of the man they knew as the dear leader. but as cnn's senior international correspondent reports, the outside world had a very different impression.

>> reporter: with the oversized subglasses and trademark jump suit, kim jong-il looks every bit the tyrant. >> the appearance made it a little bit more difficult to treat him seriously, at least at first. >> reporter: he was the diminutive dictator with a reputation for indulging in fine wine, cognac and foreign prostitutes who held total power over a failing state, developed nuclear weapons and forced the u.s. to negotiate. >> that is not necessarily the work of a womanizing, booze-swilling individual, drunk during the day. >> reporter: inside north korea, it was all about kim. betrayed by his propaganda machine as a military, political, technological and cinematic genius, a renaissance man who's flown in fighter jets, sung in operas, and shot a hole

in one in golf. he was hailed as "the central brain" in "the morningstar." he was a crazed ruler who loved to make people dance. a million of them all at once and all in step. he p his official biography says he was born in a log cabin on a sacred korean mountain under rainbows of stars. western scholars say it was probably in siberia at a soviet camp where his father was training to fight. he loved movies. james bond was apparently among his favorites. he reportedly was unhappy with north korean's betrayal in "die another day." no word on what he thought about "team america." in the late 1970s, it is believed he purposefully ordered the kidnapping of a south korean actress and her director husband

after eight years until they escaped forced them to make propaganda films. kim did apologize for north korea's kidnapping of 13 japanese and allegedly approved the bombing after korean airlines flight which killed more than 00 people. the apparent motive was to disrupt the 1988 olympic games in seoul while u.s. officials dubbed north korea the soprano state for its role in organized crime, including the production and distribution of heroin and methamphetamine means. >> his legacy will be that he actually made some pretty bad choices for his country. >> reporter: he was the man who every day it seemed had a bad hair day, who threatened people with the fourth largest military in the world and built missiles that could reach japan and possibly beyond. certainty of his brutality is gone. in its place, the terrifying uncertainty of what comes next. john vause, cnn, beijing.

well here is a question. would you give actor james franco a "d" in the director of actor class. one nyu professor said and he says he got canned because of it. but first from the basketball court to the divorce court, koeb court, kobe bryant fouled out on marriage front in 2011. his wife vanessa stood by him eight years ago when he admitted to a tryst with another woman? remember the apology, the 8 carat diamond? kobe, get ready to say good-bye to a chunk of that multi-million tlar salary, not to mention your

15 minutes.

you are looking at a live picture from the white house where press secretary jay carney is expected to take the podium. he will likely have some comments on the death of kim jong-il. one of our top stories. we'll bring you his comments live when we see him. for now, let's check stories making headlines. first to brooklyn, new york where a disturbing crime took place.

>> i just assumed god didn't want me to be there. >> police say say 73-year-old dolores gillespie was doused with gasoline and started on fire. this man faced charges of first and second degree murder along with arson. he told police gillespie owed him $2,000 for work he did for her. in ventura, california, the case of another brutal murder is k08 to an inend. a 17-year-old shot a 15-year-old at point blank range while typing papers in a computer lab. he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter. he will likely receive 21 years

in state prison, setting him free just shy of his 39th birthday. next to pennsylvania where the jerry sandusky xroefrs continues. penn state lawyers rejecting a public records request for a copy of the 1998 campus police report tied to allegations made against the former assistant football coach. amy elizabeth mccall, assistant general counsel for the university, asserted in a letter to cnn, because the 1998 investigation did not result in any criminal charge it's is not criminal history information and the university's police are thus required by law to keep that information within the police department. now to the southwest where a blizzard is roaring across several cities. the national weather service has issued a blizzard warning for parts of new mexico, colorado, kansas, texas and oklahoma. some areas expected to see as much as two feet of snow. so stay with us for severe

weather updates throughout the day here on cnn. and athens, texas, is becoming home to what some are calling the fight for christmas. organizers estimated that 5,000 people gathered in downtown athens this weekend to support a nativity scene outside an east texas courthouse. earlier this month an atheist group asked county officials to remove the display. they say theirs is a simple request. but the demonstrators made it clear they want the christian icons to stay, some calling it a holy war. no one from the atheist group attending the rally. now to new york where former jets quarterback brett favre is being sued by p two massage therapy ittists for sexual harassme harassment. it targets the jets organization and its massage organizer. it centers around explicit text

messages favre reportedly sent the two. there was a news conference to talk about the lawsuit but no other details made public. in new orleans a warning about nettie pots. some believe the nettie pots used by many to flush out their sciences is linked to two recent it deaths. if you're wondering about the connection, a deadly amoeba may have entered the individuals' brain ares after officials say they used netti pots used with tap water. you should only use sterilized ob or distilled water. and finally to new york. according to the "new york post," former ny professor jose santana says he was fired for giving james franco a "d" and is

suing for his job back. he said he gave the star the grade because he missed 12 of his 14 directing the actor classes. i guess you can't just cut class no matter who you are. just two weeks to the iowa caucuses and the race is still wide open. our paul steinhauser has new poll numbers for you next. riendi were going on vacation, so i used my citi thank you card to pick up some accessories. a new belt. some nylons. and what girl wouldn't need new shoes? we talked about getting a diamond. but with all the thank you points i've been earning... ♪ ...i flew us to the rock i really had in mind. ♪ [ male announcer ] the citi thank you card. earn points you can use for travel on any airline, with no blackout dates.

just two weeks before p iowa caucuses and just release poll numbers show is it's anyone's game to be the republican nominee. paul steinhauser joins me. what's the latest with the numbers? >> natalie, if you don't like the poll numbers just wait a couple of days. remember we talked about gingrich, how he was peaking right at the right time, just before the caucuses and primaries started? maybe speaking too soon. take a look, brand new numbers cnn/orc, this is among republicans and independents who lean toward the gop, all knotted up again. if u go back a week or two, gingrich was way ahead in a lot of poefls. but naturally, all knotted up according to our new numbers, 28%s for him, 28%s for former masses mass governor mitt rom y romney. look at ron paul, 14%. his numbers starting to go p up nationally a

nationally. bachmann at 8%, perry at 7%, former senator rick san foreign at 4%, the former governor of jon huntsman at 2%. go to the next board. this kind of explains why romney is jumping up again and gingrich starting to fade. we asked the opinion of the candidates. you can see, who is the more likeable of the two? romney by far. who's more trustworthy by a two to one margin, romney over gingrich. but who would be the strongest leader? republicans say gingrich comes out on top on that one, natalie. >> interesting how the campaign handled their campaign peaking too early, perhaps. supposedly the top three out of iowa go on and others fade away. but, paul, auz say, fickle as they go, we still could see some changes, couldn't we, until january 3rd, in the numbers? >> isn't that crazy? two weeks from now, you think people have made up their minds in iowa and the other states? not really.

take a look at this from our poll. we asked the republicans nationwide, are you basically set with the candidate you're supporting? 35%, yes, 56%, more than half of those we requested said, you know what? i may change my mind. so stay tuned. who knows what will happen in january. things will change, no doubt about it. >> absolutely. down to the wire perhaps and it will certainly make it interesting for us and for all of you watching it every day. paul steinhauser, thanks so much. we appreciate it, as always. thank you for watching today. "cnn newsroom "continues now with brooke baldwin. >> thank you so much. hi, everyone. happy monday to you. i'm brooke baldwin. as always, we top the hour with rapid fire, things making news happening now. unfolding a sudden change of power in one of the world's most mysterious countries. a third generation of kims is set to take control of north korea, following word that his

father kim jong-il died. the news of kim's death quickly spread around the world and reaction was most profound on the divided korean peninsula. we'll take you live to the south korean capital as we get in touch with cnn's anna koran live in seoul. anna, set the scene for me there, in the southern part of the peninsula, is there concern? is there celebration? >> reporter: brooke, i have to say there's a great deal of concern here, and understandably so. this is one of the most heavily armed regions in the world. just to the north of us, an hour and a half drive, is the dmz, the demille tarized zone, the border between north and south korea. north korea has nuclear weapons. that is why there's so much attention on this story and the death of kim jong-il. his son kim jong-un will be his successor. he ace in his late 20s. that's where the uncertainty lies. the people here don't know what

he'll bring. he's inexperienced obviously very young and doesn't have the credibility. one thing i want to mention is that south korean officials, here while they have the military on high alert and the president lee munbak is getting his staff prepared for whatever may p happen, there is criticism that the south koreans did not know of kim jong-il's death until it was announced to the public at midday monday local time. so certainly the south korean officials copping a lot of criticism for not having accurate information as to what was happening to the north. >> quickly, anna, what more do we know about this youngest son, kim jong-un, other than the fact we think he's late are 20s, possibly western educated in switzerland and he likes american basketball? what else do we know?

>> reporter: well, this his jus the thing, brooke. we don't know a lot about him. we've seen those pictures, seen him with his father had when he made those public appearances. but other than that it's very limit limit ared as to the knowledge of who actually kim jong-un actually is. we do know, houfr, he doesn't have the preparation his father had. had his father had some 14 years in preparing to become president of his country. that was not the case for kim jong-un. he had some few years after his father suffered that stroke back in 2008. so it will be interesting to see the succession and how smoothly it runs in the coming days, brooke. >> a lot of variables, anna coren, thank you. we have every angle covered for you, including what life is really life inside north korea. who'ses in charge of the nuclear weapons and how the u.s. reacts if the new leader decides to

flex his musscmuscle. don't forget special coverage. in other news, parts of the southwest getting ready to get hammered by a major snowstorm that could affect folks from arizona to kansas, and it could be life threatening for those traveling along the roads, some places could see up to two feet of snow and winds up to 40 miles an hour. police may have to close interstates if it gets too dangerous. more than 900 people are dead after the tropical storm lashed the southern philippines. this is according to the country's disaster agency. flash floods, mud slides, some 67,000 people have been afkted by the powerful storm. philippines red cross says hundreds of missing after entire villages swept away. the defense begins its case for the man accused of giving p up secret ares. a computer expert testifying that it's nearly impossible

showing whether l thousands of rt documents came from bradley manning's computer. but an investigator says documents found on manning'ses computers were later seen on wikilea wikileaks. an iranian official says they have captured a u.s. spy and secured a confession on camera. a semiofficial iran news agency aired the alleged confession yesterday. the man in the video says he joineded u.s. military in 2001 and received special training before he was sent on to iran. cnn has not been able to confirm the report. and he still can't walk yet, but the san francisco giants fan who was brutally are beaten at dodgers stadium is now speaking out on camera for the very first time. i want to play just part of the interview brian stowe did with nbc'ses "rock center". >> hi! i'm nancy. >> hi. >> how are you? >> fine. >> i've heard so much about you.

>> how are you? >> i'm doing very well, thank you. you're just as handsome as your are sister said so. >> according to the web site, stowe is in a rehabilitation center. he proudly are wore his giants 2010 championship t-shirt in that interview. the twof men arrested in his beating have a preliminary hearing january 17th. mark your calendars for three days near the end of march. the supreme court will hear sprez president obama's health care reform law, one of the controversial parts forcing everyone to buy health insurance. the justices expected to make a ruling next june. and a saudi billionaire making a $300 million investment in twitter. prince awaly and his investment firm announcing the news today calling it a quote unquote strategic stake in the microblogging service. it's unclear how much control his investment will will provide. the prince has a reported net worth of $21 billion. and we have a lot more for

you coming up in the next two hours. watch this. it's a country with nuclear weapons, has a history of starving its own people and now someone new is calling the shots in north korea. i'm brooke baldwin. the news is now. two weeks ago the republican presidential candidates race toward iowa, just in to cnn, new polls showing where each of them stands. as florida a and m deals with a hazing stand al, more than 200 miles away a high school district is suspending its marching bands over suspicions the bad behavior began there. >> hazing, which is a national problem. >> one point says innocent kids are are being punished. plus, if congress can't agree soon, everyone's taxes will go up in 13 days. the senate passes the payroll tax cut deal. >> the only things that get 90%

support in the united states senate these dies are mom, apple pie and chocolate ice cream. >> but republicans in the house said, not so fast. and horrific images out of egypt as blood spills and violence breaks out, including video of a woman being dragged, undressed, and beat be. we'll take you live to the middle of it all. [ nadine ] buzzzz, bzzzz, bzzzz, bzzzz, you know, typical alarm clock. i am so glad to get rid of it. just to be able to wake up in the morning on your own. that's a big accomplishment to me. i don't know how much money i need. but i know that whatever i have that's what i'm going to live within. ♪ ♪

[♪...] >> male announcer: book now, save up to 65%. call 1-800-sandals. did you know the u.s. military has nearly 30,000 troops in south korea precisely because of the instability

generated by kim jong-il and before him his father. the dmz is dotted with massive air bases, capability of putting bombers over north korea in a matter of minutes and the ufs seventh fleet patrols the sea around japan and the korean peninsula american commanders are paying closes attention to north korea's next move. let's go to the pentagon and chris lawrence. let's talk more about the military's stance on now a north korea without as they referred to him as their "dear leader". >> that's right, well, i think the important thing, brooke, is that so far u.s. military officials tell us they haven't seen any indication any north korea in terms of military movement, no troop movement, no repositioning, that would be cause for alarm. obviously they're keeping a close eye on the situation, but that -- you know, some of the signals would be moving of troops or a lot of equipment or machines being moved.

they just haven't seen that yet, so military officials are taking that as a good sign so far. >> what about the chairman of the joint chiefs today, general dempsey? i know he spoke with cnn. what did he tell us? >> you know eks talked about the late are-night phone call, the meetings overnight to try to assess what was going on. we also know that defense secretary leon panetta was on the phone this morning with his counterpart in south korea. all of them basically urging that everyone be prudent, you know, trying to mitigate any sort of misunderstandings. general dempsey also talked about what the u.s. would be looking for in terms of signs that something was going on in north korea. >> with the timing of kim jong-il's death, we've also learned that north korea it t t test-fired at least one short-range missile today. is there any connection between the two?

>> u.s. officials tell us no. they say this looks like it was something that was planned. they have tested these short and medium-range missiles before, that it had no direct connection to kim jong-il's death it. the bigger question is their development of the long-range missile, missiles that can fly upwards of 4,000 miles. and of course and their ongoing nuclear program. there's two ways to do a nuclear bomb, it appears they're going both routes. interestingly enough, we were talking to some defense officials in that region just about six weeks ago, and theyed said the north koreans had indicated to them that when they looked at what happened in libya, the north koreans felt that moammar gadhafi's regime was ousted in libya are in part because libya abandoned its weapons of mass destruction program. so he said that sort of takes you aback when you're

negotiating about how serious they are about really trying to downsize their nuclear ambition. >> well, that's one variable. multiple variables at play as we look ahead to the next chapter of north korea. just go with me because one possible worst-case scenario is you have stability that could totally break down between the two yekoreas. we mentioned 20,000 u.s. troops there. what role would the u.s. military play? who takes the lead in that situation? >> well, obviously south korea would take the lead in that situation. you know, there's sort of a misconception that the u.s. is there to sort of save south korea. you look at south korea's military. they are capable of defending themselves against north korea. now, any sort of widespread conflict is going to cause catastrophic damage on both sides, but south korea is a very capable force with very modernized military equipment. the thing that really jumps out

at you and when wiwhen you talk is not so much the worry the north will use the weapons in a first strike, the worry is about proliferation. who we've talked to believes that the north will sell to anybody they can. it's more about where these weapons will end up. where does this technology go when north korea develops it and sell it's? >> it's a question and certainly would be a concern. chris lawrence at the pentagon. also want to remind everyone, all this reporting can be found on our security clearance blog, cnn.com/security clearance. and as we've been outlining, tensions. they were already mounting on the korean peninsula really this time last year with the south accusing the north of an attack. remember the attack that killed four south koreans? former u.s. ambassador to the u.n. bill richard areson went to pyongyang on an unofficial visit to help the tensions. wolf blitzer went along on that

trip, joins me from washington. wolf, i remember when you were gone. it was, had what, six days in pyongyang last zes. just in terms of color, because certainly i've never been in north korea, even when you just land there, they take your passport and your cell phone and blackberry, is that right? >> right. i didn't even bring my blackberry or cell phone. i was in beijing. i left it all there. i was afraid to even take it with me to pyongyang because i knew they would confiscate your cell phone or blackberry or laptop in addition to your passport and they would hold it. if i was there for six days i didn't know what they would do for six days, try to open it up and copy it or whatever. so i just left it in beijing iflt didn't even bring it along because i knew it would potentially be compromised if i gave it to north korean authorities. sot smarter thing was just to leave it back some place a little safer. but, you know, you're right. you get to pyongyang, you get to

the airport there, and this is the capital of north korea, a country of about 24 million, 25 million people. you know how many flights a day they have from pyongyang out or in? you think about a capital city with a few million people. guess how many? >> three. just a guess. >> you're about right. they have a flight maybe every other day or so to beijing, maybe once in a while one to somewhere in russia. but that's about it. they don't fly around internally. >> so isolated. >> you look up on the board to see where the flights are going, and you see two or three or four. na's about it. it aels totally isolated that country, very poor, and it becomes obvious now. we spent most of the time inside pyongyang, the capital. we saw what they wanted us to see, although they did let us one day get outside the capital, go into the countryside and see what was going on a little bit. but they're very restrictive in what they let foreign

journalists see and i guess that's from their perspective understandable. >> and do you agree, it seems like there are a myriad of concerns as we go forward. one, it's soort of this variable kim jong-un, what sort of leader will he be, who is he? and two, as chris lawrence was explaining, it's not just the fact they have this active nuclear program, it's not them using the nukes, it's the proliferation, where they'll sell the nukes. >> you remember they were providing nuclear material to syria a few years ago and the idz raillies got wind of that and went ahead and bombed that nuclear facility in syria. that was material that was being provided to the syrians by north korea. the north koreans earlier had a relationship with a cue kahn, the father of the pal stannian nuclear bomb if you will. they worked with libya nor gadhafi. chris is right, they want to make money, one of the ways to do that is to sell their military or nuclear capability. this they need it, this is a

country thated money they have the military. facing nearly a million south korean troops south of the dmz and about 28,000 or 30,000 american drops with the south koreans just in between, if you will. it's a very, very dangerous point, bill richardson always says it ace a tinder box and presumably right now one miscalculation, brooke, by the south koreans or the u.s. doing something which the north koreans would regard as provocative, endangering them, would trigger the north koreans to do something. and before you know it, it could get very, very hot on the korean peninsula. so there's a lot at stake right now, everyone has to calm down, take a deep breath and roll with it, if you will. >> a tirdinder box, perfect way put it. thanks, wolf. now to the alleged hazing beatings involving the marching band at florida a&m.

there was a call to kick out the president of the university, we've now learned had his fate, details coming up. plus, we're all waiting to hear about the payroll tax legislation are. the senate passed the two-month extension, but it looks like the house will reject it. we'll take you live to capitol hill for that, straight ahead. also, first lady michelle obama gets a surprising request for a date? what's eastbound more surprising, though, is how she responded. that story and much more, coming up after this quick break.

the house is expected to vote today on a bill that could have an immediate impact on how

of money you take home. and unless congress takes action, a payroll tax cut will expire in 13 days. now, the senate has already passed this two-month extension, two months being the key there, but the house now is balking. republicans want the cut extending now for the entire year. so i want you to take a look at this. just to put this in perperspect, if this payroll tax cut expires, you'll feel it right away, for example, if you make $35,000 a year, your taxes increase $700 next year. if you make $110,000, let's say, your are taxes go p up by more than $2,300. want to bring in cnn congressional correspondent kate bolduan who have been watching this back-and-forth. we've now hear from speaker john boehner who says the house vote will fail. he's none too please ared about this two-month deal. >> he's not. he says house republicans are opposed to the two-month deal

because they're not fans of the short-term fixes, short-term gimmicks, as he calls them. he doesn't think it gives americans the level of certain itty they need when you're dealing with tax policy. and to be quite honest there are many house republican ares, specifically conservative members, who all along have been really lukewarm on the question of extending the payroll tax cut at all, brooke. many republicans in the house don't think it's good economic policy. they don't think it's helped the economy to this point. so that of course goes to this issue of why are are they opposed? listen here to house speaker john boehner from just earlier today where he talks about why they're opposed to a two-month extension. >> the idea of a tax policy can be done two months at a time is the kind of activity that we see here in washington that's really put our economy off its tracks. last week both chambers worked together to pass aa full-year

bill to fund our government, and i don't think this issue is any different. >> so, kate bolduan, speaking of working together, i thought both parties, we're talking dems and republicans, say they want to extend the tax cut for a full year, so why can't they agree on that? >> reporter: i think we he need to be specific to say both republicans and democratic leaders do not want the tax cut expire. leaders want to see it extended. why couldn't this they agree? they're know negotiating toward it a more comprehensive deal towards a one-year extension, but where we're told talks really are broke down came on the issue of how to cough the cost of the tax cuts. dealts and republicans were trying to consider out these pay-fors, how to cover the costs the tax cuts flts in the bill they had agreement on quite a bit of them, and they could not bridge the gap. that's where the two-month extension dame, but clearly that divide is still there as we speak today. >> so, quickly, if this does

fail, as speaker boehner projects, tonight, then what? what's next? >> reporter: speaker boehner also said that there they're going to have a vote to move to conference, it's another kind of legislative maneuver you can do when there's a difference on legislation between the house and senate. if they move to conference it's a way the house and senate could come together with negotiators and try to hash out their differences. i'll tell you, if you just look at a statement put out by senate majority leader harry reid today, that's going to difficult because he's given zero indication he's looking to bring anyone from the senate back in to continue negotiations. just briefly, brooke, he he said senator mcconnell and i negotiated a compromise at speaker boehner's request. i will not reopen negotiations until the house follows through and passes this agreement that was negotiated by republican leaders and supported by 90% of the senate. and there of course he's it talking about the fact that the vote on that short-term extension was a vote of 89-10.

you don't often see those nuks in the senate these days. it's unclear where things go from here, but we know speaker boehner is looking forward to this vote this evening, which he's confident it will fail on the two-month extension the senate passed this weekend. >> 13 days and counting, kate bolduan. we know they want to go on vacation. perhaps something will get done. kate, thank you. you ever think about who your dream date would be? i'm sure you've thought about it, how you would ask him or her out. some marines this year have already done this. remember justin timber late, mila kunis? now more high-profile invites. this gutsy marine was brave enough to invite michelle obama to next year's marine corps ball as she attended this toys for tots event. her response? i'd love to. leaks, by the way, did ask for the president's permission. now to all the alleged hazing incidents at florida a&m university. the governor of florida wants the president of the university to be removed from his job. we'll tell you what the board of

trustees decided about the fate of that particular president right after this quick break.

suspected haidzing hazing that has clearly rocked that campus. >> we will stand firm against outside influence regardless of how well-intended. it may lead to detrimental consequences that threaten the viability of the university. >> since the death of drum major robert d. p champion, investigators say they have uncovered possible employee fraud and misconduct at the university, and that is why the governor of florida wanted the president to step aside. i want to bring in george howell who's been following this for

us. he is live in taltallahassee, george, the board did not follow the governor's recommendation. do you know who's behind the board's decision today? >> reporter: brooke, for context you have to go back to tommy mitchell, the head of the alumni group herement i says the group that oversees accreditation for colleges and universities sent a warning to governor rick scott that this board of trustee should be able to make the decision without governmental pressures. we saw a board today firm in its decision that it has no desire to remove dr. are james ammons from its post and it will not be influenced by outside pressures. later in the day we got a response from the governor saying he will abide by the decision of the board of trustees here, brooke. >> i want to read this. this is mhow the governor reacted. i'm kweeting here. to assure the public that these investigations are clearly independent, i believe it would

have been in the best interest of the university for president ammons to step aside. however, we have a process in florida and that process has been followed. governor scott mentioned an unrelated case of child molestation on this campus. some say, quote, financial irregula irregulaties. are these incidents, george, putting more pressure on this board? what's next for famu? >> clearly you have a very complicated case, financial issues, clearly the hazing incident of robert champion. at this point, the board made it clear that they are going to meet each week, whether over phone or in it person still unclear, but they're going to meet each week for the next 60 days to start discussing the facts of these cases so that they can start making decisions related to the murder investigation of robert champion, brooke. >> george howell, thank you very much. speaking of robert champion, his death reaching much farther than simply florida a&m. it's affecting high school students hundreds of miles away. we're going to speak with a parent of a high school band

member who is furious his son's economic future could be ruined because of these stories. now, north korea's leader died fd a heart attack just this past weekend. and the story today is all about what's next. how will kim jong-il's youngest son rule this nation? what about the country's nuclear program? how will the world markets react to today's news? we'll answer all of those questions for you after this quick break.

kim jong-il's death threw a sudden and new uncertainty on to the korean peninsula. that's certainly reflective in market activity today. let's go to alison kosik at the new york stock exchange. alison, i know asian markets were horrible today. what about our markets? what's the impact, if any? >> first, the asian markets, it was the driving force for the sell-off. it's just concern about the regional instability following his death. you saw japan's nikkei, hong kong's hang sang both falling 1%, south korea fell more than 3%. as for companies hit hardest, shares of sam issung, lg, they plunged. what p happened there not a huge surprise, geopolitical concerns almost always pressure stocks. there are worry that a military confrontation could happen.

that was weighing on the markets. analysts say it's kind of bad timing. everybody is already worried about europe, slow growth worldwide, and analysts say, you know what? the last thing anybody needs at this point is another shock to global activity. brooke? >> alison kosik, thank you. with the death of kimjong-il, a lot hangs in balance. his death comes as north korea is pursuing a nuclear weapons program. 28,000 american troops are in south korea. i want to bring in john park, a research fellow at harvard. nice to have you back. first question, just quickly looking back, i know north korea kept the news of kim jong-il's death a secret for an entire 48 hours. why is that? >> i think basically they had to get their house in order. we're in an accelerated leadership succession order to begin with. then kim jong-il suddenly dies. they had to get the message

right, make sure it was sent through the organization correctly. what we've seen there are is the announcement of kim jong-un as the great successor. i think we'll see more of the titles and roles for kim jong-un but also in the title of close relations with china. >> let's talk about this great successor. i mean, john, we don't even know for sure his age. it's been projected 27, 28, 29. he's a bit of a mystery man. perhaps western education in switzerland, likes american basketball. what else do we know about this man? >> we know officially he was appointed to two very important roles when the north koreans convened their party conference in 2010, the first was to a four-star generalship and second to the vice chair of the central committee of the worker's party of korea. these are important elements xs

this vice chair position related to the military position. that as we see this leadership succession unfold, the institutional organization between the workers party of korea and communityist party of china is remarkable and i think significant. >> given these title tsz, two questions. will he be the key central player here of the next iteration of the regime? or will he be supported by collective leadership and, two, by the presumist heir will he be open to changes, reform, or will he want to prove he's the new tough guy? essentially he has his fi-- >> north korea has proclaimed itself as a nuclear weapon state. with that announcement there's concern about how the country will continue with command and control of their infrastructure. but i think the key point here is the inner circle you referred to. these are individuals

hand-picked by kim jong-il. if you look at their power and legitimacy, it derived from kim jong-il. if you picture jong-il as a energy source, these are solar panels. the key question is, what is the solar energy source? clearly it's not kim jong-un. he's still in the process of being groomed and becoming a leader. this is where i go back to the institution building occurring between the chinese and korea. north korea needs that type of institutional support. i think gradually we'll see more of these votes of confidence and support coming out of beijing for this frale regime in north korea. >> what about the u.s. role? we have 28,000 u.s. troops in south korea. can you just explain the stakes here as it relates back to america? >> stakes are very high. we've seen the reaffirmation of the u.s. presence in the asia pacific region and we've seen the u.s. put a tremendous amount of emphasis on the two key

assets in northeast asia, the u.s./south korea alliance and u.s./japan alliance. when it comes to these 28,000 u.s. service personnel and their dependence in the korean peninsula, they're a very important part of this u.s./south korea deterrence stance. when it comes to the actual threat, though, northee area has a large force but it's detier yaited overtime. i think if there's sudden instability in north korea, what happens to the nuclear material? when it comes to the security of those components and materials, that's where i think the greater concern about the direct threat to u.s. national security comes in. >> what about -- and i'm peeking out of my eye because i'm looking at the white house daily briefing room. we're still waiting for that to p happen. what do you think -- here it is it -- should the obama administration, john, express condolences to north korea? >> i think at this stage there has to be a little more coordination specifically among the united states, south korea and japan when it comes to how

they're going to move forward. japan has already sent its condolences to north korea, but i think in terms of this coordination and signaling it has to occur at the highest levels. the leaders of the countries involved i think need to start engaging in clear as well as regular communication because we frankly entered a period that is the fog of the post-kim jong-il period. >> the fog. john park, always a pleasure. we really appreciate you. thanks so much. >> we're going to take you to washington as we have brand new poll numbers out for you just this afternoon in the race for the white house. we'll break those poll numbers down for you coming up. plus this -- >> a pilot friend of mine sent me an e-mail about a dog rescue flight. i had no idea about these. i said, oh, that sounds interesting. >> coming up in 60 seconds, a program that links up willing and abled pilots with a program to save shelter animals. we'll be right back.

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all right, let's talk presidential race. just 15 days -- horse race, thank you eric. 15 days until the iowa caucuses, the latest cnn/orc poll shows the republican race tight at the top.

gingrich and romney are locked at 28% in this new nationwide survey. they're locked. ron paul third, you see the flaen%. others are in the single digits. when republicans are asked what's important to their vote, 62% say personal qualities like leadership and vision trump their stands on the issues. there is still room for someone to make a move, though. 56% say it's possible they could change their mind about who they will support. mike young says his dog's death from cancer last year left a hole in his heart so had when he heard he could put had his pilot skills to use by helping abandoned dogs, he signed up. since then, young has rescued more than 100 dogs with more than 20 flights usually picking up dogs from either north or south carolina and bringing them up the northeast coast before they're euthanized in shelters. >> my dog's name was conan. he was a german shepaherdshephe.

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for this dog. you know that dog's going to have a good life. >> thank you, sir! oh, have a merry christmas and happy new year, and thank you. you actually made our christmas. >> so how can i not spend my time and money giving to these dogs? giving the owners of these new dogs the opportunity to have the love that i have for these dogs? and really that's what it's all about. >> oh! make sure you watch cnn's "giving and focus" special airing 4:30 p.m. eastern christmas day hosted by tom foreman. now some video stuff to look at. a video of women being punched, dragged, stomped on and stripped. all of this happening in the middle of the street in the protests in egypt by uniformed security officers. the video and the story behind it, don't miss this. i'd race down that hill without a helmet.

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the city that really never completely calmed down after this year's revolution exploded into deadly violence over this past weekend. just a warning, some of the video you're about to see, some of the images, are very, very, very graphic. i'm talking about cairo where this brutal scene -- look at this, caught on camera saturday, just off tahrir square in central cairo -- you can see all these uniformed security guards viciously beating, kicking these two antigovernment protestors, one of them i need to point out a woman. so watch as they -- here they go, drag her across the ground,

they partially rip off her clothes and then stomp on her exposed body. the reason for the violent protests and strong reaction, this isn't new, the singling out and beating of an arab woman, though, that is something we have not seen there in egypt. i want to go straight to egypt, mohammed jamjoom. first of all, this woman, do we know who she is, how she is today? >> reporter: well, brook, since this video emerged, our team has been reaching out trying to get ahold of this woman in the video. we've not been able to. we've spoken to a woman who purports to be a friend of this woman. she says that the woman has been severely traumatized, that she's just not ready yet to speak to the media. she's pretty badly bruised you, adds you can imagine, and maybe she'd want to in the days to come, but right now she's not ready to tell her story publicly at this stage, brooke? >> looking at these images, her shirt ripped off her, these

uniformed officers' feet stomping on her, what has the reaction been in both the public and the press there where you are? >> reporter: to put it simply, one of outrage. as you can imagine, in an islamic country, for people to be seeing a woman treated in this way, not just being abused, not just being beaten, but having clothes torn off, being stomped on, as you mentioned, in the intro. to be beaten this badly, this unrelentingly, by the security forces here, it's engendered a lot of anger. it's really added fuel to the fire. tensions are already high here. this is the fourth day where clash vz happened. at this point, 14 people have been killed, over 800 injured. this is the video that's made the rounds the most since it happened on saturday, it's really just caused so much anger, causing more people to protest on the streets what's going on in the government. in fact, we're hearing there are plans tomorrow for women to come

out and lead a protest in at that require square, which you see behind my shoulder, to protest what p happened. >> that is for women for tomorrow, in addition to all of this, apparently one of our own cnn news crew say they saw riot police beating children and elderly people? what do you know about this, this new violence with this new under current with they've had election there, leaders trying to bring forth a newer egypt? >> reporter: brooke, it really undermines these horrific tales and videos and eyewitness accounts that we've been hearing and seeing the past few days, the message that the supreme council of the armed forces, this is the military body that's been ruling egypt ever since hosni mubarak was ousted several months ago, undermines the message they've been trying to put out that, once elections are over, a civilian government will take over this country, that the peaceful revolutionaries will have gotten what they wanted.

but the revolutionaries had tyie out there, the protestors, activists, they say they're tired of the military council ruling. they say they believe the country has gone backward. they say they need new leadership, the field marshal that heads the supreme council of the armed forces to step down, they want the prime ministers to step down. what you're hearing from the government, much different from what you're hearing as the people in the streets, angry as ever and vowing to continue to come into the streets as long as the military council that rules the country is still in place. >> it's a's a mazing so many months after hosni mubarak is gone, this continues. thank you, mohammed. coming you, major winter storm warnings across the country. five states now under a blizzard warning. we're talking a foot or more of snow. the track of the storm, who gets it, next after this quick break. stay with us. cer ] 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.

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take a look at this behind me. a blizzard warning is in effect for people in new mexico to kansas, some places could see up to two feet of snow. so this obviously could cause a bit of a nightmare for traveling. al eexandra steel is in for cha today. we're talking new mexico, texas, kansas -- >> that's right. >> -- and it's already started in some places. >> right it's this blizzard bull's eye on the southwest and southern high plains.

blizzard warnings in effect until tomorrow morning. in addition to the snow, it really will be perilous travel and interstates could be potentially closed. let's show you. here is a look at the radar. you saw that behind brooke, just a sea of the green with the rain and white being the snow. we're going to see a changeover, all that rain will change over to snow on the back side of this certainly much colder. it's a cold front pushing in, and when the colder air reflai s s warm, that's when the changeover happens. it's not just a snow event, it is, but it's winds, gusting and sustained 35 to 45-mile-an-hour gusts sustained for at least three hours, minimum blizzard criteria, and nearly zero visibility. that's the caveat and the trouble. this is the blizzard bull's eye, the reddelineating the warnings. 12 to 15 inches you can see where that will be, of course, into new mexico, the panhandles of