Skip to main content

tv   Happening Now  FOX News  December 31, 2013 8:00am-10:01am PST

8:00 am
>> don't forget the all american new year's special with bill and elizabeth. 9:00 here on fox. >> "happening now" right now. jon: we begin with this fox news alert. officials urging more than 2,000 people to leave their homes after a freight train carrying crude oil derails and explodes in north dakota. the fireball could be seen for miles away raising fears of toxic gas in the area. witnesses were in shock at what they saw. >> i have never seen anything like this happen before here. so, i mean, okay, i lived here, 70 years? so it's, it's really crazy. >> it was the third explosion that rattled the house and the doors and windows were all shaking and scott and i came out. the garage door and the flames
8:01 am
were so high and it was like it was right happening behind us. jon: what a new year's eve. wil carr following the breaking story from our west coast newsroom, will? >> reporter: jon as we're talking this fire is continuing to burn after one train derailed and hit the train carrying the crude oil. i want you to look at cell phone video we have. it captures one of the explosions. you can see a fireball shooting up into the air. this all happened just after 2:00 yesterday in north dakota. authorities say a bnsf train, owned by warren buffett, was heading east, was pulling over 100 cars, carrying grain. somehow it derailed. a train heading in the opposite direction, ran smack into the derailed cars. explosions could be heard for miles. witnesses say they could see thick, black smoke more than
8:02 am
15 miles. >> almost like it was nighttime, you know. it was just dark. the entire sky just blacked out. you know you can't see anything. so we come in here, dig around on the side street trying to get a close view. and, it was a pretty surreal feeling overall. >> reporter: roughly 1100 people voluntarily evacuated from the nearby town of casselton. authorities have been concerned about the wind potentially shifting, settling the thick plume of smoke on top of casselton which obviously would create major health problems. they have been working overnight. it is cold there. it is minus 11 degrees right now. at the same time they're testing the air quality to figure out exactly when people will be able to return home. we'll end with good news, jon, with all the explosions and crash, nobody was hurt. jon: wow, what a day. will carr reporting from los angeles. we'll keep an eye on that, thank you. arthel: right now, today's top headlines and brand new stories
8:03 am
you will see here first. jon: obamacare begins tomorrow for millions of americans but is everyone ready and enrolled? more on the latest warning from insurance companies, only hours before coverage is supposed to begin. 2014 starting with dangerously cold temperatures in the u.s. even a serious blast of winter weather for some parts of the country. we have your full forecast. we'll give you good news as you raise your glass for new year's eve. it is all "happening now." jon: and with the official start of obamacare coverage just hours away now as we get ready to ring in 2014, new concerns that some people who think they have health insurance actually won't be able to use it on january 1st. good morning to you, i'm jon scott. arthel: i'm arthel neville. good to see you. i'm in for jenna lee today. the white house changed deadline to enroll more than once and
8:04 am
tout ad december surge that saw nearly a million people flood the federal exchange but that rush of new customers proving to be more than the insurance companies could handle in such a short amount of time. jon: that's right. insurance companies again throwing up a red flag as they scramble to get everyone signed up, enrolled on the books in time. it is not a simple process and not everyone might be able to afford or be able to use i should say their intomorrow much some companies are trying to work with obamacare customers caught up in insurance limbo. walgreens will provide a month of prescriptions at no up-front costs as some customers have some proof of enrollment. we have a writer for the washington free beacon. this is the back end problem we're hearing about. people go in the door of obamacare, think they have enrolled on the front end and on the back end and find out paperwork hasn't been completed yet. >> right. this is a big problem. the original enrollment for
8:05 am
coverage on january 1st was supposed to be december 15th. the administration moved it back to december 23rd and moved it back to december 24th. it gave them more problem to enroll but didn't give insurers more time to process applications by the january 1st deadline. it left them with a bind. the problem, while insurance companies are saying if you have coverage, even if you haven't processed we'll retroactively reimburse you for charges before your coverage is paid for enrolling. for a lot of people that is a big financial burden they were not expecting particularly after the holidays. average cost of a sick visit for adult according to blue cross-blue shield for someone without insurance is $180. when you're not planning to pay for that, that is a big cost. this is a problem that will cause consumers problems. this is problem that has been created by the administration. jon: whether people who can't afford to pay for the coverage
8:06 am
or haven't gotten around to writing a check yet, it p.m. as problem when it comes time to implement the care. here is how "the wall street journal" described it in today's editions. normally insurers require it before coverage begins. they count enrollment only when a first month's payment is received to a customer. as of monday, only half of enrollees build by januaries offered by 100 insurers in 17 states, paid their first month's premium. that will be a backlog of processing checks, even if 100% of those people cough up the money. >> right. when you have a deadline moved to de20 fourth, that gives them seven days until january 1st to process all applications. they can't possibly go through all those especially with unrollment surge with people enrolled this month. insurance companies need more time to process that. while like i said while the administration moved the deadline and it was beneficial to consumers who needed more
8:07 am
time to enroll it didn't change the fact that insurance companies still had the january 1st deadline. they can't process it in time. that will people have issues, maybe won't have coverage immediately so they will have to pay for doctors bills should they go to the doctor before coverage and pay for that up front themselves that could be a financial burden on individual who weren't expecting to pay for that cost out-of-pocket especially with the peak of flu season coming up. jon: there is so much confusion about obamacare and nightmare scenarios played out and already played out among people with policies canceled who haven't been able to reenroll, apparently administration and democrats on capitol hill are coming up with positive stories. they have lined up all kind of twitter feed and facebook stories of people who have benefited or will benefit from obamacare. according to "politico," if wednesday's start of coverage for millions of americans doesn't go as planned, so far, a
8:08 am
little about obamacare has the airwaves will be dominated by stories of complications and dropped insurance and president barack obama will once again have to explain what went wrong. so they have lined up all the positive stories they can trot out to show people that all of the fuss was worth it. >> at best-case scenario you have a situation where you're showing winners and losers. i don't think very many people will be happy with this. but what it gets back to an issue i talked with you more than enough times you're probably tired of hear egg it this is originally a problem with the website. goes to democrats said before it was problem with the website but that was just the website. clearly healthcare.gov is bigger problem and led to multiples of ripples p of issues afterwards. this entire move of pushing back deadline to december is sort of like the fix president obama suggested where insurance companies can bring back canceled plans. it is not really a fix but an effort the administration could shift the blame to insurance companies. we tried to give you coverage.
8:09 am
it was insurance company's fault, not ours. it gets back to a problem with the website. jon: certainly a problem that the insurance companies did not create. ellison barber, from the washington free beacon. we'll continue to read you. >> thanks. arthel: maybe it is cold outside, but these, jon, are more than lyrics to romantic holiday songs, as more than half the company country is experiencing dangerously low temperatures t could last for a while. so you have to bundle up. meteorologist maria molina is here with more. maria. >> arthel, good to see you. we're looking dangerously cold temperatures across portions of canada, even down into the lower 48. i want to show you exactly how cold it is across some of these areas, because it is so cold, like in thompson, currently windchill temperature as you head out the door, feels like 5degrees below zero. feels like 59 below zero in big trout lake.
8:10 am
you're looking dangerously cold temperatures with the potential of for frostbite if you don't go outdoors prepared. there are windchill advisories and several warnings as well. several spots across minnesota and wisconsin could feel as cold as 50 degrees below zero. like you mentioned, arthel, it is forecast to continue next several days. keep that in mind across portions of the midwest. otherwise for midnight tonight, a lot want to know what is going on with weather for new year's eve. doesn't look bad across florida. pleasant temperatures in miami. 73 at midnight. at atlanta, 44, staying dry. the west, l.a., temperature at midnight will be 56 degrees. across portions of the midwest you will have some issues, including city of chicago. we have windchill advisories in effect. we could see as much as three to six-inches of snow. so these advisories are posted for today also into tomorrow for some of you. as you know we have a storm
8:11 am
system that will start to develop. some of the energy from that clipper system swinging through the midwest will combine with a new storm that will develop off the coast. this storm does have the owe pension right now to actually produce up to a foot of snow. so that is the current forecast. some computer models are differing. so of course we'll have to keep an eye on this storm system as it develops. it will be thursday, into friday, the worst of the timing looks like thursday night in friday morning. new york city, arthel, up to six inches possible but that is right now. stay tuned. arthel: basically dangerous temperatures for most of the people but i'll bet that decadence will ensue in miami with 73 degrees on south beach. whoa. >> we can only dream about it. arthel: maria, thanks for staying on top of it. >> thank you did somebody say something about a super bowl in new york? coming up in a month. arthel: teams are playing and it will be snowing? if my saints are in there, i don't know if i can handle it. sorry i went off on that.
8:12 am
jon: my broncos will be able to handle it. they have a plan to recent cue dozens of people stuck on a ship in ice on bottom of the world. a built of an irony that they're stuck in ice but we'll get to that earlier. how they plan to get them to safety. did you get one of these for christmas? arthel: no. jon: mercedes-benz insists this high horsepower car can not do without. ♪ honestly, as much as i love this job, i plan to do a lot more. i needed a new laptop for my pre-med classes, something that runs office and has a keyboard. but i wanted a tablet for me, for stuff like twitter and xbox, so my downtime can be more like uptime. that's why i got a windows 2 in 1 which does both -- works as a laptop and a tabl.
8:13 am
so i can manage my crazy life, and also he a life. [ be ] gotta go. ♪
8:14 am
8:15 am
jon: now some international headlines we're watching for you this hour. two homicide bombings in southern russia, weeks before the winter olympics kick off in sochi. the deadly attacks, less than 24 hours apart in the southern city of volgograd.
8:16 am
thousands of police officers and paramilitary forces being dispatched there. we'll have a live report coming up. tropical cyclone christine hits the west coast of australia. the storm downgraded to a category one cyclone, knocking out power to thousands of homes winds hitting over 80 miles an hour. in argentina, protests held in the city of bain knows arrows. protesting constant power outages in the middle after heat wave. the government blames them on a electric service providers. arthel: brutal conditions plaguing a latest attempt to rescue dozens of people stuck on a research ship for one in antarctica. there could be a new strategy for saving 74 people on board. jonathan hunt is here now. jonathan, what are they planning for these people? >> reporter: yesterday, arthel, at this hour we were talking about a second icebreaker tried to reach the stricken passengers
8:17 am
on the schakowsky research ship. they couldn't get in there had to turn back. now the plan is evacuate the passengers by helicopter. to aid in the preparation for that difficult operation, those passengers were out on the ice in the last few hours, literally stamping down to make sure that that helicopter would have a safe and stable landing space. as professor chris turn any one of the leaders of the expedition explained here. >> it is 31st of december. 3:00 p.m. we just learned the aurora can't reach us. we're preparing the helipad by getting team to stamp down the snow and ice, a chinese helicopter from the snow dragon can reach us when the weather improves. >> reporter: that hello copper made a pass over the weekend t can carry 15 passengers at a time. it would have to do four runs. it's a difficult, dangerous operation. they're still waiting for weather to improve enough for
8:18 am
the helicopter to go in. meantime just after 5:00 a.m. now where the ship is. they have already celebrated new year's eve. i'm told they had champagne. i know very well as you are about to see, they also had a little sing along. look at this. >> ♪ we have traveled far and come doing science ♪ lots of snow and lots of ice, lots of -- very, very nice ♪ >> reporter: as you can see from that they remain in pretty good spirits despite the ordeal they have been through. i spoke to one of those on board, a science correspondent with the guardian newspaper. he told me everybody's doing great. they think they're being well looked after. they're proud of the way the rescue operation is being organized. although he did add at the end, arthel, still here in two months, it might be a little bit different. arthel: yeah, let's hope they
8:19 am
get out of there. >> reporter: 12 to 24 hours best first chopper can get in there. arthel: thanks for keeping us posted. jonathan, have a good new year. jon: plenty of champagne and ice to keep it chilled. arthel: good point. didn't think of that. jon: there is nothing quite like the sound of good old-fashioned horsepower when you step on the gas. you like that, right? that is one thing missing from electric cars. they are so quiet some are calling them danger on the road to pedestrians, cyclists, even the blind. daimler of parent company of smart mercedes-benz, they have get this, fake engine noise to the electric vehicles. arthel: i understand the safety aspect but isn't that a little counterproductive or counterintuitive to the whole idea? jon: it lets everybody know they're there. the smart ev city car starts at 25,000 bucks in the u.s. but for pricier cars the real dilemma is creating an accurate sounding noise. the mercedes b-class electric which is not sold in the u.s.,
8:20 am
reportedly will get a high-pitched sound similar to a four-cylinder engine. but look at the bad boy, the sls coup will get a deep throaty sound reflect to more than 700-horsepower it packs under the electric hood. if you're in the market for a new ride in the new year, this one starts at a cool $569,000. so put it own your wish-list. arthel: i'll be wishing for a long time. it's a good idea. i think it's a safety issue. i did this in beginning. a motorcycle is not a car so we'll erase that. correcting myself. jon: you probably don't drive a lot in new york city. arthel: that's why i like you so much. we're followings several stories this hour. a plan to remove syria's chemical weapons is hitting a roadblock. why the deadline won't be met. racing legend michael schumacher undergoing a second
8:21 am
operation after a skiing accident in the french alps. a live report on his condition moments away. campbell's homes. mmm! this is delicious katie. it's not bad for canned soup, right? pfft! [ laughs ] you nearly had us there. canned soup. [ male announcer ] they just might think it's homemade. try campbell's homestyle soup. eating healthier,tion by [ male announcer ] they just might think it's homemade. drinking plenty of water, but still not getting relief? try dulcolax laxative tablets. dulcolax is comfort-coated for gentle, over-night relief. dulcolax. predictable over-night relief you can count on.
8:22 am
8:23 am
at a company that's bringing media and technology together. next is every second of nbcuniversal's coverage 0f the 2014 olympic winter games. it's connecting over one million low-income americans
8:24 am
to broadband internet at home. it's a place named one america's most veteran friendly employers. next is information and entertainment in ways you never thought possible. welcome to what's next. comcastnbcuniversal. jon: right now new information on the condition of a racing legend. doctors say formula 1 champ michael issue macher is showing some improvement now after he suffered severe head injuries in a skiing accident in the french alps. laura engel is here with the latest. >> reporter: jon, doctors say they can't report the race car legend is out of danger but they have gain ad bit of time with the success of the second operation relieving pressure on his brain. here is what one of the doctors treating schumacher about his progress after reviewing his latest brain scan. >> the new images show the draining of the heem moment at that have been sack factorially
8:25 am
done. there are certain signs the situation is more under control than yesterday. >> reporter: as we've been reporting that the schumacher suffered critical head injuries and fell and struck a rock on right side of his head on sunday skiing in the french alps on vacation. he was wearing a helmet where doctors say saved schumacher's life. he was taken to a large university hospital with is which is known to have france's best neurology teams. it is no early to know when they will take him out of the medically induced coma intended to relief the swelling on schumacher's brain. the neurosurgeon treating schumacher said the scan shows a little bit of bruising on his brain everywhere. the head of the intensive care unit added for now it is out of the question to evaluate whether or not he suffered brain damage. schmu was shown to his fanned was aggressive on the track and shares the same intensity for
8:26 am
sports. he won seven formula 1 championshipps. rye ron i cannily schumacher was not involve at high speed. it looked like he hit a stone which catapulted him down on a rock and this is a case of a very, very bad luck. jon: all those races and this happens on the ski slopes. good thing he was wearing a helmet. arthel: thanks, laura. concern after terror attacks killed 34 people in russia where the winter games are expected to begin. live report ahead. your new year's taxes are going up again. a bunch of breaks you enjoyed are about to expire. jon: what? arthel: 55 of them, jon scott. we'll run through the list. ♪ i wanna spread a little love this year ♪ [ male announcer ] this december, experience the gift of exacting precision and some of the best offers of the year at the lex december to remembesales event. this is the pursui of perfection.
8:27 am
too small. too soft. too tasty. [ both laugh ] [ male announcer ] introducing progresso's new creamy alfredo soup. inspired by perfection.
8:28 am
8:29 am
8:30 am
jon: still to come this hour, a homicide bombing on a trolley in southern russia during rush hour. hours after another terror bombing in that same city. as russia prepares to host the winter olympics will the athletes and spectators be safe? a live report on that straight ahead. plus get ready to pay higher taxes when the clock strikes midnight. many tax breaks are set to expire in 2014. we'll have details on that for you. it is already 2014 in many places. how many people are celebrating the new year as it rolls in around the world. arthel: meanwhile the death to
8:31 am
rising to 34 in two terror attacks in the russian city of volgograd. they are focusing on insurgency leader as dokar umarov. known as the usama bin laden of russia. vladmir putin is calling for tightened security across the country saying he would fight the terrorists until they are annihilated. just hours later, a bomb ripping through a trolley bus during monday morning rush hour. the attacks come as the country prepares to host the winter olympics in sochi just weeks from now. amy kellogg is live in london with the latest. hi, amy. >> reporter: hi, arthel. i've just spoken with a important russian news editor in dagestan. he has it on authority that the two bombers were identified by police in dagestan and they are both from dagestan or were from
8:32 am
dagestan. bit players, not very well-known guys who were a part of what he calls the dagestan chapter of this caucuses emirate headed up by the man you referred to as being called now, arthel, russia's usama bin laden. however, there is another line of inquiry getting much attention in other russian media outlets. that is possible that one of bombers was ethnically russian convert to islam. the we need to say that the official line as the search continues for those two terrorist attackers. now this as the most seriously wounded from those bombings are transported to moscow for treatment. and the death toll from the back-to-back suicide bombings in volgograd rises by four. two from the attack on trolley bus monday. two from the attack on the train station sunday. this bringing the death toll from the two attacks to 34. police in volgograd rounded up
8:33 am
dozens of people and confiscated 150 illegal weapons in the process of the city so far doesn't appear those detained are connected to the attacks. the attack was caught on cctv while the leader of the radical group the caucuses emirate, called for attacks like these, terrorist experts say the radical islamists in russia is very fragmented and decentralized and hard to attack. as citizens of the former soviet union have particular disdain for police and special services especially in the southern part of russia, recruiting inforth mans is particularly challenging. this raises significant concerns about the security at the sochi owe olympics in february. the country's olympic chairman said no security measures need to taken, because quote everything necessary has been done. they are referring to a ring of steel, 65 by 25-mile security zone. cars not being led into the
8:34 am
zone. you know, a month up until, no sooner than a month or no later than a month before the olympics. various other draconian measures have been taken. president putin uncharacteristically silent since these attacks has apparently in his new year's address bits of it trickling out said he will annihilate the terrorists, arthel. arthel: let's hope no one can breach the security barriers. amy kellogg, thank you very much for the live report in london. jon: these attacks come at a pivotal moment in russia as the nation prepares to host the winter olympics weeks from now. it will be the first olympic games since the breakup of the soviet union. the u.s. state department urging americans traveling to the games to remain on alert at all types. joining us now, the director and senior fellow of the russia and eurasia program. the international olympic committee and vladmir putin himself have that the games will be safe.
8:35 am
they are confident of that. are you? >> probably not as vladmir putin and the chair of the ioc right now. the fact we already had three terrorist attacks in volgograd the last two months, the largest city reasonably close proximity to sochi suggests there are real holes in the security. and there are only a certain amount of security forces that russia has to deploy. i was reading this morning that 4,000 security forces have now been deployed down to volgograd for the, for the investigation and for preventative measures for the future. where did they come from? you know, 600 security forces from volgograd had been deployed earlier in the fall to sochi. so you kind of see the problem. it is almost if you push on one part of the bubble another part comes out and this olympic games
8:36 am
is something that the islamic terrorist groups individuals have had to plan for for a long time. jon: right. >> and it is really kind of the holy grail. so i have very, very serious concerns that what we have seen in the last couple of days, fortunately nothing today, is just the beginning. jon: i read that putin chose sochi as the location for the games in part to try to prove to the world that the up rest in the caucuses was a thing of past. if anything, it seems that he may have rekindled some of that. >> well, putin has a very, very strong personal attachment to sense that he has brought security and stability not only to russia but especially to the north caucuses. when he first came to power and named as prime minister and acting president in 1919, 2000, it was the second war in chechnya that really kind of catapulted his popularity in the minds of russians for being more
8:37 am
successful than his predecessor, mr. yeltsin, in the first chechen war. the war is deeply personal thing. he was first to call president george w. bush after 9/11. it was out of this sense that we are in the same fight together. but unfortunately russian government policies both federal and regional, have i think exacerbated the socioeconomic problems in the northern caucuses in close proximity to sochi and the other element being of course the radicalization of islamic individual and groups there. jon: right. this umarov, the guy described as the bin laden of russia, in july i'm told he lifted what had been a moratorium on attacks on civilian targets, basically said, anything is fair game to try to keep the sochi olympics from taking place. >> umarov is a curious guy.
8:38 am
he claimed responsibility for major terrorist attacks on the moscow metro years ago, the airport in moscow, the train between moscow and st. petersburg. none of these have been confirmed but i think he certainly represents the public face of a very, very loose network of individuals and groups that shares the same ideology. it is not one so much of independence, of the caucuses or the so-called caucuses emirate. it is more of a international jihadist ideology. jon: yeah, well, there are indication that is folks in volgograd are already staying away from public transportation. so in that regard the terror attacks already achieved what they set out to achieve, simply to scare people and disrupt their lives. andrew, thank you. >> thank you. arthel: a crucial deadline about to be missed in syria. that means some of the country's most dangerous chemical weapons are still out there. we'll go live to the middle east with an update on those efforts.
8:39 am
and get ready to pay higher taxes. more than 50 tax breaks are set to expire next year. we're going to tell you which ones next. ♪ no need to chuck, donate or burn them ♪ ♪ juspack them in our flat rate box ♪ ♪ we'll come to yo door and return them ♪ ♪ gifts you bought but never gave away ♪ ♪ or said you liked but thought were chey ♪ ♪ you don't even need to leave your house ♪ ♪ we'll come and take them, easy-peasy ♪ [ female announcer ] no one returns the holidays like the u.s. postal service. with improved priority mail flat rate, just print a label, schedule a pickup, and return those gifts at a same low flat rate.
8:40 am
just print a label, schedule a pickup, she loves to shop online with her debit card. and so does bill, an identity thief who stole mary's identity, took over her bank accounts, and stole her hard-earned money. unfortunately, millions of americans just like you learn all it may take is a little misplaced information to wreak havoc on your life. this is identity theft. and no one helps stop it better than lifelock. lifelock offers the most comprehensive identity theft protection available. if mary had lifelock's bank account alerts, she may have been notified before it was too late. lifelock's credit notification service is on the job 24/7. as soon as they detect a threat to your identity within their network, they will alert you, protecting you before the damage is done. lifelock has the most comprehensive
8:41 am
identity theft protection available, guarding your social security number, your money, your credit, even the equity in your home. my years as a prosecutor taught me that we all need to protect ourselves from crime. in today's world, that includes identity theft. it's a serious problem. we all have to protect ourselves. [ male announcer ] while identity theft can't be completely stopped, no one works harder to protect you than lifelock. you even get a $1 million service guarantee. that's security no one can beat. you have so much to protect and nothing to lose when you call lifelock right now and get 60 days of identity theft protection risk free. that's right. 60 days risk free. use promo code notme. order now and get this document shredder to keep sensitive documents out of the wrong hands. a $29 value free. don't wait until you become the next victim. ♪
8:42 am
♪ arthel: 2014 hold as great many unknowns but one thing is for sure inaction in washington could make the new year more expensive for you. 55 different tax breaks are about to expire. some like the ability to deduct any sales tax you paid are very popular in some states. elizabeth prann live in washington, with more. hi, elizabeth? >> very popular. this will affect millions of people. congress drops the ball typically every year allowing a bundle of tax breaks to expire. credits do vary. some are for large corporations like energy or research related. some are smaller scale and will hit individual businesses and individuals. taxes will go up for 57 millions
8:43 am
for those with no income tax. spokesman from h panned r block release ad statement. billions of dollars of tax breaks will expire impacting teachers, students, homeowners and investors and others if there is no action to extend them in the new year. there is no guaranty with tax breaks which have been extended up four times over the next seven years will exist after december. a group of lawmakers have been pushing to simplify the entire tax code, agreement on two sides continues to end in a stalemate making a very un predictable future for millions of people. >> there is a lot of uncertainty with people. they don't know whether to move forward or not, take the fine or not. there is a lot of up decision. lack of regulatory tax and incenter with obamacare, what do we do and not do. >> since law make remembers home for another week, there is no chance it will be renewed this year. similar to year's past, congress will address the issue later in
8:44 am
the session and hopefully in time for people to file their tax returns. arthel. back to you. arthel: let's hope so. elizabeth prann, thank you very much. jon? jon: today is the day syria was supposed to hand over most deadly of its chemical weapons. we are now learning that's not going to happen. the u.n. group in charge of dismantling the weapons including sarin and mustard gas says they have encountered too many logistical challenges to have all of it out by the end of the year. connor powell is keeping an eye on that, joining us live from the our middle east bureau in jerusalem. conor? >> reporter: jon, there was a lot of skepticism at the very beginning of this deal brokered between the united states and russia about whether or not this would actually happen. according to inspectors they say progress is being made but they will clearly miss this new deadline of removing syria's most dangerous chemical weapons including some 20 tons or so of mustard gas from syria by the indof tonight. now in november syria diddies
8:45 am
man he will its chemical weapons production facilities which was seen as the first real test of this new deal. the hope was to remove all of the other dangerous chemicals by the end of tonight. they're going to miss that. inpecktores are not blaming anyone in particular. they're not saying it is the fault of the assad regime. they say technical delays. obama administration says it is the responsibility of the assad regime to transport all the chemicals to seaports for destruction. this is complex task. syria is active war zone with the assad regime battling syrian rebels. they have also seen a real rough winter the past sort of two months or so which also complicated the fact. throw in fighting and that makes it a very difficult atmosphere to move chemical weapons around, to get inspectors in and out and get equipment in and out of there so it's a challenging task but inspectors are stressing they are making real progress and they aren't blaming the
8:46 am
assad regime. by all accounts the assad regime is acting in good faith working with the international community to remove these chemical weapons but, jon, given the history of the assad regime and syria, until the weapons are safely out of syria there will be a lot of skepticism whether whether or not assad will dismantle his entire edge game. they say the plan it is on pace to be dismantled by june 2014, jon. jon: he is still hanging on to power in syria. conor powell. thanks. arthel: as many of us prepare to raise a glass to toast the new year tonight, a new study suggest your favorite vino may be good for your health. our doc explains just ahead. plus as we count down to 2014 here in the u.s., a look at some amazing new year's displays from around the world. that is coming up next.
8:47 am
8:48 am
8:49 am
8:50 am
jon: right now tens of millions around the world are already ringing in new year. crowds in auckland, new zealand, kicking it off with an eye display from the iconic sky tower. folks in sydney harbor for always the brilliant display. love the harbor bridge. in japan, monks in tokyo ringing a large bell to start 2014 there. in china millions gathering at waterfront in shanghai for this spectacular light show. as the clock runs out on 2013 back here in the states with a live look at new york city's times square, how about celebrating with bill hemmer and elizabeth hasselbeck for the "all american new year"'s special, the party starts 9:00 tonight on fox news channel. arthel: sound good to me.
8:51 am
maybe you plan a champagne toast or blast of wine for dinner. a study shows that could boost your immune system and fight off infections. everything in moderation of course. dr. kevin campbell and cardiologist and assistant professor at the university of north carolina. good to see you, doc. >> good to see you. happy new year. arthel: happy new year. first of all what kind of wine are we talking about? white, or red or just red? >> we know red wine has very important health benefits. it has been shown to decrease the risk of heart attack and stroke. actually substances in the red wine actually shown to prevent certain types of cancer. this particular study that we read about today actually used an ethanol-like solution in the animal models. arthel: so just red or is white in there as well? >> you know, it's mainly the red wine. the white wine doesn't have the same substance chemical in the wine that's going to make the difference in promoting health. arthel: and how much wine are we talking about? are we talking about one or
8:52 am
maybe a glass 1/2 or two glasses at dinner every night? what are we talking about here, doc? >> well interestingly we are talking about what is defined as moderate alcohol consumption and if you look at the institute of alcohol abuse and alcoholism, they define moderate alcohol consumption no more than 14 drinks a week or seven a day in one day for a man and seven drinks a week for a woman, no more than three in a day. so that is actually quite a lot in terms of moderate. arthel: you can have a glass of wine every night then? >> exactly. arthel: go ahead, i'm sorry. we're having a little bit of a delay. go ahead. i apologize. >> the important thing to remember about this when they found they used this alcohol substance in this animal model, these animals found they boost their immunity. in fact they had a better, more active immune system than
8:53 am
animals just drinking sugar water. however it has to be moderate use because of the fact that in the heavier animals, the ones that had much higher alcohol levels they actuallydepressed i. it is a fine balance just like everything else we see. arthel: everything in mid-race. if you drink -- moderation. if you drink too much you break down the system and have less ability to fight off things out there trying to attack your body. so the bottom line is, the takeaway, it is in moderation, you're okay with a glass of wine at night or, you know, but the bottom line too, doc, you still have to be careful in terms of making sure that you keep yourself healthy overall. doesn't mean, okay, i'm going to have a glass of wine every night. so i can go and not wear proper clothes in the winter and get clothes, et cetera, you know what i mean? it is overall health plan, right? >> exactly, all about lifestyle modification. diet and exercise. there is no magic bullet.
8:54 am
having a glass of wine to relax, we know in moderation can have really important health benefits. however heavy drinking, drinking and driving, all the things that we must, must avoid obviously are dangerous for us and for others. arthel: and you, i want to go back and make sure people realize we're talking about red wine here. you said that white wine doesn't have the same benefit. we're not necessarily talking about liquor either. we're not talking about vodka or, you know, bourbon or rum or things like that, correct? >> that's exactly right. in terms of the cardiovascular benefits it is typically red wine. there is a study that looked at liquors and how they boost immune function and that actually was proven with moderate alcohol consumption, meaning blood-alcohol contents of .02 or .04 where not above the legal limit to drive or anything of that sort seemed to help promote immunity. above .08, above the legal limit to drive, actually hampers our ability to fight infections and
8:55 am
can hurt our livers and our overall body function. arthel: indeed. dr. kevin campbell, always good to talk to you. appreciate the information you gave to us this afternoon. have a good, happen nee year to you. >> happy new year to you. thanks for having me. jon: we'll ring in the new year in a little over 12 hours. you might know that my oldest son josh graduated west point a couple years ago. he is a first lieutenant serving afghanistan. as we get ready to wind down the longest of our nation's wars in 2014, he and his fellows from task force guardian got together to wish all of you the best. >> hey, dad. want to say hi to you and everybody else back home. i love you and miss you all. >> my tame is lieutenant colonel rich martin. on behalf of all the soldiers around families of 601st aviation battalion, forward-deployed afghanistan, we want to wish everyone back home, happy new year. jon: same to you guys. and ladies.
8:56 am
arthel: you're so proud. so proud of all the men and women out there, but i could see you beaming especially because of your son. jon: sure. absolutely. he is doing good work over there. arthel: thanks for sharing that. jon: well, thank him. arthel: major developments in the case of a teenage girl declared brain-dead after tonsill surgery. a live report on her family's fight to keep her alive just ahead. plus we, just a few hours to go until the start of the new year. crucial midterm elections are just around the corner. what the botched obamacare rollout means for democrats and republicans. that's next conquer the globe. stop floods. now she could use a hand, so she can keep living on her own. comfort keepers can help you help her. our professional caregivers are carefully chosen and highly trained to provide a variety of in-home services while truly engaging with your aging loved ones so they can stay happy at home.
8:57 am
comfort keepers. keeping the comforts of home. call comfort keepers now to learn more. progress-oh! [ female announcer ] with 40 delicious progresso soups at 100 calories or less, there are plenty of reasons people are saying "progress-oh!" share your progress-oh! story on progresso.com.
8:58 am
8:59 am
arthel: new developments on our top stories and breaking news this hour. jon: the president coming off a tough year with the botched obamacare rollout taking a real toll on his popularity. can he turn things around in 2014? if so, how? we'll go in depth. the balance of power up for
9:00 am
grabs on capitol hill. can republicans take back the senate? plus authors of a landmark study on adhd do an about face when it comes to treating children diagnosed with that condition. what they now say works best. it's all "happening now." arthel: new poll out after the woman in charge of building the troubled obamacare website retires just hours before coverage officially kicks in. jon: i should say welcome to the second hour of "happening now." i'm jon scott. arthel is in for jenna lee. the website is working together. the initial glitches and delays could mean some enrollees won't be able to use their new policies for days or even weeks. arthel: and one major drug store chain is offering to help all of this. jon: we learn more about the retirement of the woman who
9:01 am
oversaw the building of the obamacare website. the president is live in honolulu. >> michelle schneider was the chief operating officer for medicare and medicaid services. both of those things came under criticism in the botched rollout. she planned to step down in 2013 but she was persuaded to stay on. she characteristically chose to postpone her retirement at my request to help me with the challenges facing c.m.s. in 2013. the retirement was schneider's idea. the president's former press secretary said that heads should roll. on this eve of the official
9:02 am
start of the affordable care act, there are concerns that a number of enrollees still haven't gotten their insurance cards or prescription drug cards. some insurers are giving people until the end of the month to pay the first premiums. some drug stores are using enrollment forms as proof of coverage. the senator says it's in the billions of dollars being spent. >> we've asked specific questions of the department about its spending, about how it's paying for things, where the money is coming from, what the success has been, what the testing of the website has been, how things are changing and the answers that i've received took seven weeks to get any answer but it's like putting a check in the box without providing any real information. >> senator moran complains the department of health and human services is basically making its own spending decisions on
9:03 am
obamacare, though administration officials fear republicans in congress would simply defund the affordable care act if they were given that authority and senator moran doesn't believe that obamacare can be fixed. jon: thank you. the botched obamacare rollout is taking a stole on the president, damaging his credibility and sinking his approval numbers. with his second term agenda seemingly stalled, is there a plan for turning things around? gerald writes in the "wall street journal" today, president barack obama exits 2013 in the weakest political position of his presidency and now faces a basic strategic choice. does does he try to recover by working with republicans or confronting them heading into next year's elections? mark, what do you think about the premise there? do you believe that this is the weak point for president obama
9:04 am
thus far? >> absolutely it is. it's not unusual for a second term president to go into the last congressional election of his tenure in a very weak position. obama is in an especially weak position because, for example, 75% of the american people think big government is the country's biggest problem and he epitomizes advocacy for big government so he's got some real challenges coming. jon: up until now, people have always liked him. i say up until now. you know, i guess he's still considered likable but a good number of the american people don't think he's honest and trustworthy. he's taken a real hit in the polls in that regard. >> and in a very real sense, that change is probably the politically most significant fact other than the obamacare rollout problems of 2013 because he's had and in the view of many people deservedly so, a great
9:05 am
benefit of the doubt on most questions for most americans and what happened with the obamacare lies is that mistake, if you will, was punths you' -- pucturo the point that they don't believe him and that's dangerous. jon: you think he's undermined his best political asset. >> very much so. jon: in the past, when he first took office, it was the republicans who had driven the economy into the ditch. even recently the shutdown of government was part of the speech he was giving about obamacare. the blame always went elsewhere. do you get the sense that this time around, i mean, in this term ahead, he's going to be reaching out to republicans or will it be more confrontation? >> i think it definitely will be more confrontation and that's really unfortunate for him and for the country and for
9:06 am
republicans, for all of us, because our system is designed to work best when all of the politicians -- they may not like each other but they are forced for consensus and compromise and this president, his mode of operation has always been especially when he's in trouble, to go on the attack and frankly, to discredit and destroy if possible his opposition. so i think 204 is going to be a very, very tough year. jon: when you look back, bill clinton had a pretty rough first term and reached out -- or first half of his first term, reached out to republicans and actually got some things done that proved politically very popular and got himself reelected. why not look to that model? >> not only got himself reelected but he's even today one of the most popular presidents and i think that's -- that attests to the way the system is designed, the way the
9:07 am
founders designed the system to work. when you seek compromise and consensus, things get done. when you seek to discredit the other side, things don't get done. that's the dilemma that obama has. jon: we have elections coming up in november. big midterms. thanks for joining us >> my mesh you'-- pleasure. don: democrats and congress are feeling the heat regarding the midterm elections in november. democrats currently control the senate with 53 seats examine two independent senators also caucus but fears with an obamacare backlash are raising the possibility that republicans could take back the senate this coming year. chief political correspondent is live in washington with more so carl, the numbers go like this. the republicans need to pick up six seats. can they do it? >> sure. but it's going to be a tough task.
9:08 am
it's a very narrow window and they cannot afford to lose any seats they already have. there's a variety of states to take a look at but we want to show you four key states, four u.s. senate seats that will be available where 23 republicans are vying for just those four u.s. senate seats. it will make a heck of a game of musical chairs. in iowa, there the democratic incumbent tom harkin is retiring and the g.o.p. is looking for one of the six pickups there. there are seven republicans battling for the nomination and the fear is that a nasty race could weaken whoever the winner ends up being and ultimately hand the race to the democrats in what is a key swing state in the heartland. in georgia, a republican senator is retiring so the g.o.p. must defend this seat. they can't go backwards and hand it over to democrats. there are eight republicans already in a brawl in the peach state and there's mounting concern that the biggest beneficiary of the race is the democrat who is already running strong in the polls.
9:09 am
she's the daughter of sam nunn who is well known in georgia. north carolina, g.o.p. is hoping to knock off the freshman democrat. feshman are at their most politically vulnerable. three republicans are fighting for the chance to take her on and it's a battle and then you go all the way to alaska where five republicans are fighting for the chance to go after the incumbent democrat there, also a freshman in a red state so those are the opportunities but with so many republican candidates battling with each other and these are all tough races, there's a concern they could wound the ultimate winner and hobble them in november. arthel: and we hear a lot about g.o.p. senate leader mitch mc connell facing a tough primary. what's the story there? >> it's a tough sell in that as the senate republican leader, he has a long conservative record but matt bevin has been trying to whoop up the tea party against him. mc connell has huge experience
9:10 am
even if he were to prevail a tough battle with the republican would help the democrat in kentucky. her name is allison grimes. she's running strong in the polls and if the republicans trip one another up in the next few months before the upcoming general election, democrats are seeing the opportunity of knocking off a couple of republicans and the g.o.p. can't afford to lose even one in the senate if they hope to win the majority. arthel: it will be interesting leading up between now and then for sure. thank you so much. >> you bet. jon: a california judge decides to extend life support for 13-year-old teen. declared brain dead after complications from throat surgery bringing temporary relief to her family who have been fighting to keep her on the ventilator. >> how could you tell people they can't come see their loved one and this is the last time you're going to see them? do you know the torture i have for someone to tell you that your child is going to die on december 30 at 5:00 as a parent? who wants to know the date and time their child would die?
9:11 am
think about that. if somebody told you on this date at that time, your child is going to die. that's what i've been going through all day, all week seeking god, help me. i do not want december 30 at 5:00 to come. jon: her family is hoping for her miraculous recovery. adam is live at oakland children's hospital with more. than two weeks now as she's been in that state inside this hospital, being kept alive on a ventilator. the family has insisted a number of facilities were interested in taking her in, including in southern california but now it appears the only one that may be coming through so far is in medford, new york. new beginnings has agreed to bring her there or to allow her to come there. they gave a statement in part that says that we are aware of her dire situation and we're willing to open our facility to her. that came from the new
9:12 am
beginnings owner this morning and they've also had a longer statement talking about how they believe that they should open their hearts and help this patient and they, of course, specialize in traumatic brain injuries. the family attorney has spoken about the situation and he insinuates the hospital is not helpful at all as they try to find a facility. take a listen. >> what they're hoping is when the facility is locked in, that this hospital will do the procedure or let someone come in and do the procedure. what baffles me is they say that she is dead but they won't give us her body. >> she is in a situation where she has to have a feeding tube as well as a ventilator to keep her alive so in order to move her to new york, they have to do a special flight. family has raised more than $20,000 for that process. a pediatrician or a doctor would have to go with her body as it's flown to new york so there's still a lot in place that has to be done. meantime, the hospital says they're doing everything they're supposed to do but they were a bit surprised by the court's
9:13 am
order while they were surprised and didn't necessarily agree with the court's order to extend this until january 7, they will comply. take a listen. >> the hospital is not at all surprised by the extension. it is not unusual for a court given these sorts of circumstances and the situation to give more time to a family like this. we're not sure it was the right judgment call but that was the judgment call of the judge and we will comply with it. >> the new york location is on long island. the family still hopes to find a place closer than new york but at this hour, it appears the only location right now that they have is in new york and that does seem like it is falling into place. we'll have more information as this moves forward. the family has until january 7 when the court order expires. jon: adam reporting live from california. thank you. and our legal panel is going to join us coming up to talk about this very sad case and what we can expect next. arthel: feathers have been
9:14 am
ruffled and now the family behind duck dynasty will speak out about their patriarch's controversial comments. we've got the 411 coming up. and women are working it in the workplace, showing resilience after the recession. we have more details on this coming up next. ♪ ho ho ho [ female announcer ] at 100 calories, not all food choices add up. some are giant. some not so giant. when managing your weight, bigger is always better. ♪ ho ho ho ♪ green giant
9:15 am
9:16 am
9:17 am
arthel: going public after weeks of controversy, the family behind the hit show "duck dynasty" will speak out on the controversial remarks by the patriarch phil robertson as well as a & e's decision to end his suspension from the show. we have more so what is going on with this story now? >> of course it wouldn't be a reality show without drama and controversy, right? at the center of it all, phil
9:18 am
robertson and his homophobic comments about african-americans that got him on the show. tonight willie and his wife will speak out in an exclusive interview during this evening's special. it is the first time the family has talked about the controversy since a & e reversed their decision and unsuspended one of the main players. the graphic nature of phil's comment angered many, including the advocacy group glad that released a statement following the announcement of his return to the show, letting the network and its reality star know how displeased it was with the decision saying, and i'm quoting, phil robertson should look african-american and gay people in the eyes and hear about the hurtful impact of praising jim crow laws and comparing gay people to terrorists. until tonight, the robertson clan has steered clear of the controversy saying that they
9:19 am
were, quote, excited to keep making a quality tv show for our dedicated fans who have showed us wonderful support. we'll continue to represent our faith and values in the most positive way through duck dynasty. a & e released a statement reporting phil's comments explaining he and his family have publicly stating they regret the coarse language he used and the misinterpretation of his core beliefs based only on the article and he made it clear he would never incite or encourage hate. the all american new year special airs tonight at 9:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. eastern right here on fox news channel. the robertson appearance will air a little after 11:00 p.m. and again shortly after midnight so stay tuned but hopefully you'll be watching the entire special tonight. i'm sure many will as we ring in the new year here. jon: we'll be watching. thanks. the family of that california teenager hopes for a miracle. doctors declaring the 13-year-old brain dead after complications from surgery. now a judge has extended an order to keep her on life
9:20 am
support. our legal panel breaks down what this means. and the dow ending 2013 the way it started, climbing even higher, up 48 points right now. we'll take a look back at the year in business just ahead. ♪ i wanna spread a little love this year ♪ [ male announcer ] this december, experience the gift of exacting precision and some of the best offers of the year at the lex december to remembesales event. this is the pursui of perfection.
9:21 am
crestor got more high-risk patient bad cholesterol to a goal of under 100. way to go, crestor! yh! tting to goal is a big deal, especially if you have high cholesterol plus any of these risk factors. because you could be at increased risk for plaque buildup in your arteries over time. so, when diet a exercise aren't engh to lower cholterol, adding crestor can help. go, crestor! ♪ ♪ oh, yeah [ female announcer ] crestor is not right for everyone, like peoplwith liver disease or women who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant. tell your doctor about other medicines you'rtang. call your doctor rht away if you have muscle pain or weakness,
9:22 am
fl unusually tired, have loss of appetite, upper belly pain, dark urine, or yellowing of skin eyes. these could be sig of rare but seris side effects. crestor! yes! [ female announcer ] ask your doctor about crestor. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca y be able toelp.
9:23 am
jon: women are outpacing men when it comes to recovering jobs after the recession with a record 67 million women bringing home the bacon while nearly 69 million men out in the work force, that number is down from just six years ago. anita is in our los angeles news room with a look at this. so where are the jobs, anita? >> well, hi there, jon.
9:24 am
the biggest industry for women right now is the health care industry. consider this. in 2013 women made up 80% of the employees in the health care industry while men accounted only for 20%. aside from health care, hospitality, education and retail have also weathered the recession fairly well and you do see a lot of women working in those industries. now, take a look at this. you can see how in 2007 at the beginning of the recession, men far outpaced women in the work force but now that gap has closed significantly. and employment experts say if you get laid off from one industry, you need to be ready to try something else. >> i think in this economy, men and women are seeing the need to learn new skills and retrain for the new jobs that are growing in our economy. >> take, for example, 37-year-old bobby gonzales who spent most of her career in construction. she recently decided the job was
9:25 am
taking a toll on her physically and she was concerned about the future. so she decided to do a six week training course in customer service. she ended up with multiple offers and now works selling telephone products. >> i feel like now my income has improved and, you know, it's not always just money when we talk about improvements. like for me it was benefits as well. it was something i didn't have in construction so for me, benefits was the key. >> many men out there lost jobs during the recession in the construction and manufacturing industries. they have been a bit slower than women to turn to other things, although health care in particular is starting to attract more men as they realize it's the number one growing industry. back to you. jon: it's just not fair. we men are in such trouble and you women get all the jobs. it's not fair. >> you have to work a little harder, jon. jon: anita in los angeles, happy new year to you.
9:26 am
thanks. arthel: a retrieve for the family and their daughter, the california teen declared brain dead after complications from tonsil surgery. a judge extending life support for the 13-year-old girl just as a previous court order was set to expire. joining me now to weigh in is our legal panel, lis wiehl and doug burns. good to see both of you. i'm going to start with you on this. they said that, listen. children's hospital in oakland, you have to keep her on this respirator, on the ventilator until january 7. as you know, yesterday the family attorney for her, they requested in court to -- for the hospital to perform a tracheotomy on her in order for them to insert a breathing tube and a feeding tube so they can transport her from oakland to a facility in long island so i ask you, first of all, such a
9:27 am
request would have to be expedited, i would imagine and what facts or league cases would a judge reference in a case like this? >> think back to terri schiavo and cases like this. this is not that case. here we have a little girl, a little 13-year-old girl who has been declared brain dead from the brain stem, you know, of all of the brain by at least three independent doctors. forget about the doctors inside of the hospital because obviously there could be some bias. so you've got three independent plus doctors saying she's technically dead. then you've got her patients' rights and you pit those rights against the hospital saying, we can't perform any other medical procedures on what essentially is a corpse. then you bring in the new york facility saying, we'll take her. that adds in another layer of law that i'm sure doug will get into about transporting the body
9:28 am
and what has to be done to transport the body which is, you know, a brain dead person. arthel: the hospital is saying basically that the family raised some $28,000 to hire this private jet company and it's an air ambulance company, a doctor has to be on board this private jet to care for her in the process, in transit. with the owner or operator of this jet exposing themselves to any liabilities? >> that's a very good question. you kind of have to break this down. working off of what lis said, she's medically dead but she's really not legally dead because there's still pending legal proceedings so the answer to your question lies in the fact that no matter how you shake it out, i think this judge, who initially ruled that some new experts would review the declaration of brain dead, this judge is going to have to answer the following question which none of us know the answer to and that is, where somebody is dead under california law via a brain death, can the family on their own financial backing
9:29 am
maintain that person even though they're dead under california law? extremely tricky question and the judge will have to answer. arthel: and they've heard a lot from the family attorney. right now i want to pull a sound bite from him. listen. >> i think what's important for people to know is this case is about her but even more importantly it's about choices and who gets to make these choices regarding your children and health care in this most intimate and fundamental choice where you live or die? is it the family who brought the child into the world or is it a mistake that has taken her life? so people are critical about the fact that we've been fighting for the choice to live. arthel: children's hospital in oakland have not yet said exactly how the complications arose during the surgery but according to court documents, it shows that she underwent what they're calling elective
9:30 am
surgery, a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. you know before you have surgery that you have to waive the rights for many things that could go wrong so i ask you, with that in mind, you know, what sort of rights did perhaps her guardian, which would have been her mother, perhaps would have signed away? >> you sign away most rights when you go into elective surgery like that. but you do not sign away the rights to gross negligence -- against gross negligence. you don't assign the rights for a doctor to be negligent. if a family can show that or at least bring a case to show that, there would be a wrongful death case but therein lies another legal issue. wrongful death but they're saying she's perhaps not dead, they want to keep her alive with this now road to new york so we're opening up a huge legal quagmire here. >> the lawyer says we want to
9:31 am
preserve the electsive right to make a parental choice as to who lives or dies. i understand he's getting caught up in making the best sounding argument he can but he's ignoring the law and i know i sound harsh but the reality is, under california law, sadly and tragically, she is considered deceased. and so he shouldn't really be framing it in those terms. not to be a broken record, when should a family be able to maintain somebody who is technically deceased? that's a difficult question and the judge is going to rule on it one way or the other. >> and this case highlights the clash between the rights of a patient and parents as guardians and the rights of the hospital not to, as they would say, operate or do any kind of medical procedure on what they deem to be a dead person, a corpse. arthel: i do appreciate it. i have to leave it there. lis wiehl, doug burns, thank you very much. it's definitely a sad situation. >> it is. >> very sad.
9:32 am
jon: brand new numbers out on housing. what impact did home prices and sales this year? and what is the outlook for 2014? plus a live look half a block west of our studios as times square gets ready for a huge party. they're testing everything. clay. mom? come in here. come in where? welcome to my mom cave. wow. sit down.
9:33 am
you need some campbell's chunky soup before today's big game, new chunky cheeseburger. mmm. i love cheeseburgers. i know you do. when did you get this place? when i negotiated your new contract, it was part of the deal. cool. [ male announcer ] campbell's chunky soup. it fills you up right. ( bell rings ) they remwish i saw mine of my granmore often,y soup. but they live so far away. i've been thinking about moving in with my daughter and her family. it's been pretty tough since jack passed away. it's a good thing you had life insurance through the colonial penn program. you're right. it was affordable, and we were guaranteed acceptance. guaranteed acceptance? it means you can't be turned down because of your health. you don't have to take a physical or answer any health questions. they don't care about your aches and pains. well, how do you know? did you speak to alex trebek? because i have a policy myself.
9:34 am
it costs just $9.95 a month per unit. it's perfect for my budget. my rate will never go up. and my coverage will never go down because of my age. affordable coverage and guaranteed acceptance? we should give them a call. do you want to help protect your loved ones from the burden of final expenses? if you're between 50 and 85, you can get quality insurance that does not require any health questions or a medical exam. your rate of $9.95 a month per unit will never increase, and your coverage will never decrease -- that's guaranteed. so join the six million people who have already called about this insurance. whether you're getting new insurance or supplementing what you already have, call now and ask one of their representatives about a plan that meets your needs. so, what are you waiting for? go call now! we'll finish up here.
9:35 am
c explore what's new for 575 calories or less on oulighter fareu. enjoy fresh tossed. go fish. and try our new rosemary garlic chicken at olive garden. arthel: new numbers on the housing front examine they show home prices in most american
9:36 am
cities increased in the fall but at a slower pace, mainly because of higher mortgage rates. overall, home prices were strong for the year. what's ahead for next year? peter barnes is live from washington. hi, peter. >> hey. single family home prices rose just .2% in october, less than expected. but prices posted their strongest annualized gain in more than seven years, up 13.6%. the fastest pace since february 2006. back in those bubble days. one of the authors of the report says do not expect that pace increase to continue in 2014 but also don't worry about new housing bubble. monthly numbers show we are living on borrowed time and the boom is fading because price increases are getting smaller east month.
9:37 am
he projects mid single digit increases in home prices next year, closer to historical averages. key question for housing in 2014 is the federal reserve's efforts to keep mortgage rates down through its easy money program. now, prices in all 20 cities in the index rose year over year led by a 27% gain in las vegas and 20% or so gains in three california markets, all of those markets were hit hard in the housing crisis but don't call those increases signs of any bubble. the last bubble, he says, was caused in part by sub prime and zero down payment mortgages which lenders don't offer much these days. arthel: you have to have really, really, really good credit and a lot of people's credit took a hit. >> and 20% down. arthel: happy new year. jon: it's been a wild ride in
9:38 am
the world of business and economy from major mergers and soaring stocks to a government shutdown. brenda has a look at all the highs and the lows of the past year. >> you might call it the year of the bull. you know that by looking at the 401k. hitting record after record, gaping more than 20% by early december. it was a bad news is good news market. any sign the recovery was faltering sent stocks soaring on the hopes the fed would not ease up on the easy money policy. the central bank's bond buying bing the fuel for this year's rally. many tech stocks hitting highs and some say 2013 should be called the big i.p.o. year. twitter tweeted, going public, part of the biggest class of the silicon valley's firm launching i.p.o.'s since before the financial crisis. twitter raised more than a billion dollars in its i.p.o.
9:39 am
investor enthusiasm helping even small companies like pot belly and the container store dae -- debuted with large jumps. for a moment it seemed like it might not happen but in late november, it was official. american airlines and u.s. airways would combine into one mega carrier. mergers taking off in the airline industry in recent years. this as the price of a domestic round trip flight has climbed by more than 15% since 2009. a mega mobile merger in another sector, china mobile and apple teaming up to give china mobile customers access to iphones. the deal giving apple a possibility of 700 million new subscribers. u.s. government shutdown in october furloughed 800,000 federal workers but in the end, it wasn't the prices many predicted. and the unemployment rate falling to 7% in november hitting a five-year low. still the real certainty in washington is uncertainty.
9:40 am
business leaders say government squabbling over the budget makes them less likely to hair and invest. u.s. corporations may be sitting on record piles of cash. you, perhaps, too if the bull keeps running. arthel: some authors of a landmark study on adhd now doing a complete 180. what they have to say about the popular drugs used to treat the disorder and we're live at times square as new york city gets ready to ring in the new year so what words would you like to hear much less of in 2014? a list of the worst words coming up next.
9:41 am
9:42 am
9:43 am
arthel: a landmark study on attention deficit hyper activity disorder in children now called into question by some of the study's own authors. at issue, whether medication alone is the best long-term
9:44 am
treatment for adhd sufferers. the multi million dollar study conducted 20 years ago initially finding that drugs like ritalyn or aderol trounsed behavioral therapy but now there's doubt whether the medication benefits last as long as those from therapy. joining us is dr. chuck williams. good to see you. >> thanks for having me. arthel: absolutely. first of all, how did they come to this new discovery? >> well, you know what? this is actually a very, very important conversation. the comments that are being made by the researchers who were part of this national institute of mental health study who were convinced that medication was the best way or in many instances the only way to go to treat adhd in children, look. they're coming out, doing an about face but i think it's up to the government agency, the national institute of mental
9:45 am
health to put out an advisory, to put out something sort of explaining why they push the psychologists or psychiatrists to sort of move in this direction and to let the american people know, look. the kids who were drugged up for so many years because they were told that it was the only way they could be able to deal with adhd, their impulseivity, inattentiveness, one or the other, they deserve ab explanation from our government because they funded the study. they allowed this thing to happen and it's really, really tragic because we now have adults who are probably addicted to medication as a way to deal with their inattentiveness or hyper activity when they could have learned things like social skills and that could have helped them and been just as effective if not more effective. arthel: and you mentioned some people are now adults, of course. in recent times do you know if some of the parents have been advised to give their children these harsh medications for
9:46 am
adhd? >> when i did school based behavioral health for seven years, working with kids with diagnosis like autism and the homes and the communities and the schools, what i saw was there was a push, especially around adhd, to provide medication. i did not know, you know, in all honesty, about this landmark study. i knew something about this thing around the edges in terms of talking about using med indication to treat it but i had no idea this was the real reason why as i even saw in my own work and my own practice again and again, people kept pushing for medication, pushing for medication. and i wondered why. now i know why. i saw that all the time and i pushed back. i would say, look. yes, medication may work. let me be clear about that. there are times when adults and kids need medication beyond what we call the talking cure which is psycho therapy in order to have healthy, productive and, you know, lives where they are happy about themselves and
9:47 am
what's going on. arthel: you're saying -- pardon me. i want to say not to do away with medication totally but you're saying really, really, really rely on more therapy. correct? >> especially when it comes to kids and the experts now who are part of that landmark study, they agree with me. that's a good thing. arthel: all righty. dr. williams, thank you for bringing that very, very important information to us here. >> happy new year. arthel: happy new year. jon: new information on the top story, that massive fire sparked by a train derailment. hundreds of folks now forced out of their homes and fears that toxic smoke could blow their way. so when do they get the all clear? we're live with that story. also he tossed a great game in the world series and helped the red sox go from worst to first but john lester is only an ace pitch he were. he's also a cancer survivor and shares with us how he's giving back. plus talks about a little boy who made a real impact on him
9:48 am
next. ♪ ho ho ho [ female announcer ] at 100 calories, not all food choices add up. some are giant. some not so giant. when managing your weight, bigger is always better. ♪ ho ho ho ♪ green giant
9:49 am
9:50 am
it took a lot of juggling to keep it all together.k. for some low-income families, having broadband internet is a faraway dream. so we created internet essentials, america's largest low-cost internet adoption program. having the internet at home means she has to go no further than the kitchen table to do her homework. now, more than one million americans have been connected at home. it makes it so much better to do homework, when you're at home. welcome to what's next. comcastnbcuniversal.
9:51 am
jon: one of those great stories. john lester led the boston red sox to the dramatic -- from worst to first world series win. he's a former cancer patient who has formed a foundation with the pediatric cancer research foundation. he raises money and this year met hundreds of young cancer patients and their families at 10 different ball parks, signing autographs and telling them they should never quit. >> there's a lot of attention drawn to, you know, the prostate cancers, breast cancer awareness and all of that for adults. there's not a lot for kids so we really wanted to get something out there that had kind of a little punch at the end and we could get a point across and try to really raise the awareness of
9:52 am
pediatric cancer. >> john partnered with the cancer research foundation about three years ago and last year in 2012 we launched but never quit platform across the country. >> green monster is a beast. >> p.s.a. was filmed, i believe, in april of 2012 and john talks about fighting -- >> i fought and beat cancer. now it's time to fight for the kids. each ball represents a child diagnosed with cancer. >> we travel across the country to the parks where john is playing and when he's not pitching that night, we bring some kids down to the field on batting practice and we get them tickets and they have a whole night at the stadium and we give them the never quit balls and remind the kids, never quit. >> teams have been great as far as hosting us and hosting these kids and getting them to the game and getting tickets and so it's been a good thing for us to build and it's fun. >> was it hard? >> was it hard? yeah.
9:53 am
it was hard. but, you know, it was -- i think it helps you later, you know? once it's over, nothing else holds you down, you know? yeah. it's hard. hard for you? it's easy for you, right? you're strong. >> yes. >> yeah? good. i like it, man. i like it. do you want to take a picture? >> it's beyond encouraging. it's definitely giving him the strength, giving him that momentum, that push he needs to actually beat cancer. it's a fight of our life and he knows that it's a big fight and when he sees other adults who have actually gone through this, gone through it and beat it and they're looking healthy and strong and they got muscles and they're doing all kinds of fun things, it is beyond motivational, beyond motivational. couldn't get any better than this. >> meet a kid like that, just some stuff that he would say and
9:54 am
like i said, it made -- it may definitely made my month to meet him. and he gave me a bracelet for him and, you know, wrote his name on my glove and, you know, he's just -- he's one of those kids that you meet and you kind of -- he kind of sticks with you. and, you know, it was definitely a pleasure to meet him. everybody is different. you know, there's some guys that want to be role models and other guys that just want to be a baseball player, you know? or a basketball player, whatever. they don't want that responsibility. i think in the position that we're in, i feel like you don't really have that choice. everything kind of gets better with age. you figure things out, you start to understand yourself, settling down, being a husband first examine then being a father next and kind of figuring out where priorities are in your life and understanding what people expect of you and want of you and
9:55 am
accepting that. and then, you know, doing what you can from there. jon: there's a great role model. lester has kept in touch with zein through the summer and the fall and up until now. you might recall even tweeted a message to zein when he started a round of chemo during game one of the world series. fox broadcaster talked about lester's work and showed the tweet. zein is still undergoing intensive treatment with at least another six months to go. zein's family says lester's support gives them and zein hope for the future. arthel: incredible spirit that reminds us all of the little things we stress over, they don't matter. jon: that's right. arthel: when we come back, we'll show you how three minnesota boys really put the white into a great white shark.
9:56 am
9:57 am
9:58 am
okay so talk about a great
9:59 am
white. three brothers creating a shark sculpture in minnesota. they prayer paired in advance to make the creature and clocking in 90 hours for work on the masterpiece. jaws should stay for a while. the thermometer will be below freezing for a week. >> hope they get art points for that. >> 2013 reigning in awful words. michigan state lake superior creating a worst words list. twerck make the last. and hash tag used to mark the symbols in a tweet. it is in the daily consideration too often.
10:00 am
and the worst worth is sel fie. all a year obsessed with social media. >> and gregg jarret is up in america's news headquarters, happy new year everybody. and we begin with a fox news alert. ntsb investigators on the scene of a foury train crash in north dakota as health other than cans grow welcome to hq in for bill hemmer. >> a tv news crew happen to catch the explosion and fire ball on tape. authorities are conducting air quality tests as we see. the fire is sending black soot in the sky and falling on the near by town of cast

414 Views

info Stream Only

Uploaded by TV Archive on