the florida man including his cousin has been captured. how a popular tv show played a role in his arrest. al qaeda threats close a u.s. embassy as washington battles to move extremism with talks and with force. and it looks like new york's tavern on the green restaurant has gone out of business after all that time. a look at the party that ended it all and how people are remembering one of the city's most famous landmarks. you are watching "hln news and views" on this first sunday of 2010. great to have you with us. i'm susan hendricks. we want to get you updated. authorities have arrested a florida man who allegedly gunned

down four members of his family after thanksgiving dinner. u.s. marshals captured paul merhige at a hotel in the florida keys last night. there he is on surveillance camera. he was the focus of an intense manhunt after he allegedly shot and killed his twin sisters and a 79-year-old aunt. he also allegedly killed 6-year-old michaela sitton as she slept in her family's jupiter, florida, home. with his arrest, michaela's father says he will be able to sleep at night. >> it means i'll be able to sleep a little better tonight, and i won't be patrolling the inside of my house with my shotgun, you know, thinking that the monster is right around the corner. i've been in protective mode. and now that he's captured, at least, you know, my family, we can even begin the healing process. >> merhige was captured when a viewer of "america's most wanted" recognized him and his car. the u.s. embassy in yemen is closed today because of al qaeda threats against american interests. the embassy is not saying if

there is any specific threat. and it's unclear when it will reopen. the head of u.s. centcom, saved petraeus, met with yemen's president yesterday. a senior u.s. government official says they discussed the latest intelligence on al qaeda in yemen. he also gave yemen's president several messages from president obama. yesterday mr. obama tied al qaeda to that attempted airline attack on christmas day. he said al qaeda's yemeni branch trained the suspected bomber and gave him explosives. >> this is not the first time this group has targeted us. in recent years they've bombed yemeni facilities and western hotels, restaurants and embassies including our embassy in 2008, killing one american. so as president, i've made it a priority to strengthen our partnership with the yemeni government, training and equipping their security forces, sharing intelligence and working with them to strike al qaeda terrorists. and even before christmas day, we had seen the results. training camps have been struck. leaders eliminated. plots disrupted.

and all those involved in the attempted act of terrorism on christmas must know, you, too, will be held to account. >> the u.s. and yemen were hitting terrorist targets in yemen before the airline plot. now they are reportedly looking for new targets for retaliatory strikes. mexican police say they have captured the head of a notorious drug cartel. leyva was arrested in the northwest city. authorities say leyva was taken into custody after he showed a fake driver's license with an alias he had been using. his arrest comes a week after his brother was killed in a shootout outside mexico city. one of the two nba players who reportedly drew a gun in a team locker room is talking to the media. joe carter has the latest. hi, jeff. >> gilbert arenas spoke to reporters yesterday but really didn't get into too many details about the christmas eve incident with his teammate. arenas was careful with his words saying he used bad

judgment in bringing guns into the washington wizards' locker room. arenas also said that he does not gamble and that there are misconceptions in the various reports about the dispute between himself and teammate javarris crittenton. he wouldn't go into detail about other parts of the investigation but did tell reporters he has a meeting with law enforcement authorities tomorrow. >> the perception that things went wrong here, that someone pulled a gun on someone. that's not true? >> well, i can't, you know, speak on that. but, you know, if you know me, you've been here, i've never did anything violent, anything that's funny, it's funny to me. >> the wizards are certainly not laughing. they signed arenas to a six-year, $111 million contract in 2008. and depending on the severity of the findings in the investigation, they could attempt to avoid the remainder of that contract. the man accused of trying to attack a controversial danish cartoonist has been charged with attempted murder.

danish officials also tied him yesterday to an african militant group allied with al qaeda. officials say the suspect is a somali man who tried to break into the cartoonist's home friday night. the cartoonist reportedly hid in a panic room until police shot and wounded the suspect. this cartoonist is known for his controversial depiction of the muslim prophet mohamed. a delta flight from boston to new york returned to logan international airport when a pilot smelled smoke in the cockpit. a delta spokesman says the pilot turned back eight minutes into the flight. the odor was gone by the time the plane landed back in boston. all 34 people on board were rebooked on a later flight. now, delta is investigating the cause of the smoke smell. iran has issued an ultimatum over its nuclear program. it is threatening to enrich nuclear fuel on its own if the west does not renegotiate a u.n.-backed deal by the end of january. the demand came two days after iran defied a deadline by the

u.s. and other security council members. the west has been trying to get iran to swap its enriched uranium for nuclear fuel. now, the concern is iran may use its uranium to make nuclear weapons. iran says it needs the fuel for research. megachurch pastor rick warren got more than double what he asked for in a plea for donations. his church in southern california took in $2.4 million in just three days. on wednesday, he made an urgent plea for $900,000 to fill a deficit. warren said the recession and a huge drop in offerings over the holiday caused that shortfall. warren is the author of the best-seller "the purpose driven life." he also gave the invocation at president obama's inauguration. forecasters say there is more rain coming in an area where storms caused dozens of mudslides. officials say at least 60 people have been killed since rain started pounding southern brazil on wednesday. mudslides buried entire homes and shut down a major highway.

rescuers are looking for survivors sometimes digging with their bare hands. and in one case rescuers celebrated when they dug out a toddler whose entire family was killed at home. but the little girl unfortunately died later in the hospital. folks in rhode island broke out the shovels after seven to ten inches of snow fell over new england. most of the rain roads in the area were cleared for drivers. but the side streets in many neighborhoods are covered with snow. some people took that as an opportunity to make some cash. >> we're cleaning snow for money, shoveling, helping people and everything. if they need help, we shovel for $5. >> we've been fortunate it's been weekends. therefore it doesn't happen where you have to go to work. >> we're doing whatever we can. like even today, we've been really judicious about how we're calling in a few people so that we can keep the main roads and the hilly roads salted and sands. >> and more snow and wind are expected in the providence area today, but it is expected to end

by tomorrow. good news there. and temperatures should get a little warmer. when money is tight, usually the first thing to go is fancy restaurants, right? but coffee is something folks just won't give up. and one city is brewing up a new reason for tourists to savor the flavor of a cup of joe.

new york city's health commissioner wants people to kick the can. and the plastic bottle. the city is putting on an ad

campaign warning people that soft drinks can put on pounds they probably don't notice. but as dr. sanjay gupta reports in today's "fit nation," the ads are causing some controversy. >> reporter: it's the latest youtube sensation. it's not a water-skiing squirrel or even a dancing baby. but a public service announcement about soda. ♪ some viewers may find this revolting. but new york city health commissioner dr. thomas farley says it is starting to get people's attention. >> we have an epidemic of obesity that we feel we need to respond to. we wanted to communicate in a way that people understand, and the visual images are the way that we communicate these days. >> reporter: according to the ad just one soda a day, about 100 calor calories, can add ten pounds to your waistline over the course of a year. and recent research from ucla confirms the link, saying that one soda per day puts you at a 27% increased risk fofr obesity. >> people tend not to notice. >> reporter: the american

beverage association agrees that the hundreds of calories in sugary drinks can add up but says there was a better way to educate people. in a statement posted on its website, the ada says, quote, if the goal is to reduce obesity among new yorkers, then this public education campaign should be based in fact, not simply sensationalized video that's inaccurately portraying our industry's products. products that are fat free. they go on to say that the companies they represent offer low calorie and no-calorie options and that losing weight is as simple as calories in, calories out. farley says people have known that for years, but they still don't get the point. >> most people have a very positive image of sugar-sweetened beverages, a treat at the end of the day. we want to drive home they're a risk. >> reporter: with over 200,000 views on youtube, the video seems to be getting that point across. dr. sanjay gupta, cnn. the rough economy may have forced you to cut back, but one thing folks won't cut out is

their good old cup of joe. in seattle there are so many coffee shops, people are going on a coffee crawl to sample flavors. and our affiliate went along. >> reporter: most won't give up that morning cup of coffee no matter how many pennies they want to pinch. >> i've just noticed coffee houses have gotten busier with the economy going down. it's just a nice affordable luxury. something to go treat yourself. and i think it's causing people to drink a lot more drip coffee, and they're experiencing all the different flavors from all over the world. >> reporter: vickie shuman takes people around pike place market on a coffee crawl and not just tourists. coffee shops hope locals will take a sip and keep coming back. >> it's the best experience, you know. if you're going to come to seattle, you want to go to pike's market and see coffee and fish and, you know, this is what makes seattle. >> i really like it. and i like that there is not only starbucks in seattle. i was afraid it would be only starbucks here. >> reporter: and speaking of the seattle coffee company,

starbucks cut costs, laid off workers and reinvented much of the food sold in its shops this year to turn a profit. competition is fierce in the coffee world. >> it's like tradition. you know, starbucks is, like, the foundation. and everybody else spread because of starbucks. you know, people want to come back to where the foundation was started. >> reporter: now, wait a second. you're not a coffee drinker but you're on the coffee crawl? >> yes. >> caller: are you having any fun? >> it's really good. i don't normally taste the flavors. >> reporter: good for local coffee shops hoping to be the new hot spot. >> and our thanks to marley ginter for that story. now, the crawl is offered by a group np as seattle by foot which gives walking tours of the city. a college football team surrounded by controversy finally got back on the field. joe carter is here to tell us how it turned out. hi, joe. >> good morning.

texas tech fired their coach, mike leach, last week after he allegedly mistreated with a player. with everybody still talking about it, the red raiders took the field in front of an anxious almost angry crowd clearly in support of their former coach. credit to the team and interim coach mcneill, the raiders blocked out the distractions and beat michigan state, 41-31, in the alamo bowl. the tone of the crowd changed after the game. fans actually shouted "roughin' roughin'" as a thank you to leach's defensive coordinator who took over and guided the red raiders through a week the school is certainly desperate to forget. well, a team not in a hurry to forget, the university of connecticut. they remembered fallen teammate jasper howard before their bowl game against south carolina. the team lost howard a month into the season after he was stabbed to death during an on-campus fight. now, on the field, the huskies ended the trying season with a spectacular play and a big bowl win over south carolina, 20-7.

nhl action. st. louis/chicago. st. louis player keith tkachuk takes one for the team. watch in the replay. the shot on goal, off his face. he would be in pain. and to add insult to injury, his team would go on to lose. and finally, i can't say that i've ever heard anything like this. kraft foods is dropping $75,000 to be the official sponsor when the old texas stadium is blown up. they're calling it a cheddar explosion. there's really nothing cheesy about that. the stadium is expected to be turned into rubble this spring. that's a look at sports. i'm joe carter. it looks like more people than ever want to get a visa to visit the u.s., but some say after that failed terror attack on christmas day, authorities should make it more difficult for people to get one. this is "hln."

an oil well fire is proving to be very difficult for firefighters to put out. it broke out yesterday near luling, texas. the fire isn't threatening any homes, but it reportedly started in two oil tanks and spread to two more. just when firefighters thought they had it under control yesterday, it flared up again. firefighters are using specialized engines designed to fight petrochemical fires. there are no reports of any injuries.

now, because of that failed terror attack on a plane on christmas day, there is new attention to the way people from other countries enter the u.s. now. some critics say that incident is proof that the process should be improved. sandra endough shows us how a visa is the ticket for entry into america. >> reporter: for an entry into the united states, how difficult is it to get an admission ticket to america? citizens in 35 countries don't even need a visa to gain entry. as part of the visa waiver program, it allows them a maximum 90-day stay. but for those from other countries, travelers must apply for specific visas. there are temporary visas for tourists, business travelers, short-term employment, and students. each visa type allows a person to stay in america for different lengths of time. longer-term visa applicants need to show strong ties to their country of origin as proof they'll return home. student visas allow a person to stay for the duration of their studies.

and more than 650,000 foreign students attended u.s. colleges and universities last year. temporary worker visas permit a three-year stay with roughly 100,000 issued per year. the most common tourist or business visas allow a six-month stay. immigrant visas are for those looking to become a permanent u.s. resident. those applicants need sponsors like an american relative or u.s. employer. the u.s. state department can deny a visa to individuals with criminal records, certain diseases, or suspected terrorists. the alleged detroit bomber already had a visa but some critics say the process needs to work better to keep the bad guys out. and that includes revoking or flagging a visa holder for secondary screening. >> the chain is as strong as its weakest link. it starts with gathering intelligence. next it's the dissemination of intelligence. next it's acting on the intelligence. both at embassies and at ports of entry. >> reporter: the demand for visas to the u.s. continues to

increase. with 6.6 million nonimmigrant visas issued in fiscal year 2008 and nearly 237,000 immigrant visas granted in 2009. one big problem is people overstaying their visas. the department of homeland security estimates roughly 4 million people are overstaying them right now. congress is calling on the state department to revamp its visa regulations and close loopholes. in light of the christmas day plane bombing, the state department now requires u.s. embassies abroad to find out if suspicious individuals they're tracking also have u.s. visas. and the state department may start automatically notifying airlines if a person's visa has been revoked. sandra endo, cnn, washington. it was one of the most popular spots for weddings in new york city. you even saw it in the movie "ghostbusters." now that tavern on the green is closed, the new year's party that rang in the new year and closed out the restaurant.   

the florida man accused of killing four members of his family including his 6-year-old cousin has been captured. how a popular tv show played a role in his arrest. al qaeda threats close a u.s. embassy as washington moves to battle extremism with talks and with force. and it looks like new york's tavern on the green restaurant has gone out of business after all that time. a look at the party that ended it all and how people are remembering one of the city's most famous landmarks. you are watching "hln news and views" on this first sunday of 2010. great to have you with us. i'm susan hendricks. authorities have arrested a florida man who allegedly gunned down four members of his family

after thanksgiving dinner. u.s. marshals captured paul merhige at a hotel in the florida keys last night. there he is on surveillance camera. he was the focus of an intense manhunt after he allegedly shot and killed his twin sisters and 79-year-old aunt. he also allegedly killed 6-year-old michaela sitton as she slept in her family's home. with his arrest, michaela's father says now he will be able to sleep at night. >> it means i'll be able to sleep a little better tonight, and i won't be patrolling the inside of my house with my shotgun, you know, thinking that the monster is right around the corner. i've been in protective mode. and now that he's captured, at least, you know, my family, we can even begin the healing process. >> merhige was captured when a viewer of "america's most wanted" recognized him and his car. the u.s. embassy in yemen is closed today because of al qaeda threats against american interests. the embassy is not saying if

there is any specific threat. and it's unclear when it will reopen. the head of u.s. central command, general david petraeus, met with yemen's president yesterday. a senior u.s. government official says they discussed the latest intelligence on al qaeda in yemen. petraeus also gave yemen's president several messages from president obama. yesterday mr. obama tied al qaeda to that attempted airline attack on christmas day. he said al qaeda's yemeni branch trained the suspected bomber and gave him explosives. >> this is not the first time this group has targeted us. in recent years they've bombed yemeni government facilities and western hotels. restaurants and embassies including our embassy in 2008, killing one american. so as president i've made it a priority to strengthen our partnership with the yemeni government, training and equipping their security forces, sharing intelligence and working with them to strike al qaeda terrorists. and even before christmas day, we had seen the results. training camps have been struck. leaders eliminated.

plots disrupted. and all those involved in the attempted act of terrorism on christmas must know you, too, will be held to account. >> the u.s. and yemen were hitting terrorist targets in yemen before the airline plot. now they are reportedly looking for new targets for retaliatory strikes. mexican police say they have captured the head of a notorious drug cartel. carlos leyva was arrested. authorities say he was taken into custody after he showed a fake driver's license with an alias they knew he had been using. his arrest comes just a week after his brother was killed in a shootout outside of mexico city. one of the two nba players who reportedly drew a gun in a team locker room is now talking to the media. joe carter's been following this one and has the latest. hi, joe. >> gilbert arenas spoke to reporters yesterday but didn't get into too many details about the christmas eve incident with teammate javarris crittenton. arenas was careful with his words saying he used bad judgment in bringing guns into

the washington wizards' locker room. arenas also said that he does not gamble and that there are misconceptions in the various reports about the dispute between himself and his teammate. arenas wouldn't go into detail about other parts of the investigation but did tell reporters he has a meeting with law enforcement authorities tomorrow. >> gilbert, there's a perception that things went wrong here, that someone pulled a gun on someone. that's not true? >> i can't, you know, speak on that. but, you know, if you know me, you've been here, i've never did anything violent. anything i do it's funny -- well, it's funny to me. >> the wizards are not laughing. they signed arenas to a six-year, $111 million contract in 2008. and depending on the severity of the findings in the investigation, they could attempt to avoid the remainder of that contract. the man accused of trying to attack a controversial danish cartoonist has been charged with attempted murder.

danish officials also tied him yesterday to an african militant group allied with al qaeda. officials say the suspect is a somali man who tried to break into the cartoonist's home on friday night. the cartoonist reportedly hid in a panic room until police shot and wounded the suspect. now, this cartoonist is known for his controversial depiction of the muslim prophet mohamed. a delta flight from boston to new york returned to logan international airport when a pilot smelled smoke in the cockpit. a delta spokesman says the pilot turned back eight minutes into the flight. the odor was gone by the time the plane landed back in boston. all 34 people on board were rebooked on a later flight. now, delta is investigating the cause of the smoke smell. iran has issued an ultimatum over its nuclear program. it is threatening to enrich nuclear fuel on its own if the west does not renegotiate a u.n.-backed deal by the end of january. the demand came two days after iran defied a deadline by the

u.s. and other security council members. the west has been trying to get iran to swap its enriched uranium for nuclear fuel. the concern is iran may use its uranium to make nuclear weapons. iran says it needs the fuel for research. megachurch pastor rick warren got more than double what he asked for in a plea for donations. his church in southern california took in $2.4 million in just three days. on wednesday, he made an urgent plea for $900,000 to fill a deficit. warren said the recession and a huge drop in offerings over the holiday caused that shortfall. warren is the author of the best-seller "the purpose driven life." he also gave the invocation at president obama's inauguration. forecasters say there is more rain coming in an area where storms caused dozens of mudslides. officials say at least 60 people have been killed since rain started pounding southern brazil on wednesday. mudslides buried entire homes and shut down a major highway.

rescuers are looking for survivors, sometimes digging with their bare hands. in one case rescuers celebrated when they dug out a toddler whose entire family was killed at home. but the little girl unfortunately died later in the hospital. folks in rhode island broke out the shovels after seven to ten inches of snow fell over new england. most of the rain roads in the area were cleared for drivers. but the side streets in many neighborhoods were covered with snow. some people took that as an opportunity to make some cash. >> we're cleaning snow for money, shoveling, helping people and everything. if they need help, we shovel for $5. >> we've been fortunate it's been weekends. and therefore it doesn't happen where you have to go to work. >> we're doing whatever we can. like even today, we've been really judicious about how we're calling in a few people so that we can keep the main roads and the hilly roads salted and sanded. >> and more snow and wind are expected in the providence area today. but it is expected to end by

tomorrow. good news there. and temperatures should get a little warmer. 2010 is here and with it comes freezing temperatures. let's get right to meteorologist reynolds wolf. reynolds, it is cold out there in the northeast especially. >> absolutely. northeast, you're right. northeast and parts of the midwest, shockingly cold. look at some of the numbers this morning. it is 25 degrees below zero in fargo. minneapolis, subzero conditions there, too. ten below. sioux falls, des moines, back into omaha, even kansas city, single digits. and same story in green bay, milwaukee and chicago. later on today, we do expect things to modify a bit in terms of temperatures going right to 32 degrees s in memphis. 54 in houston. that's only part of the story. the other issue is the strong winds you'll be dealing with where wrch factor will feel anywhere from 10 to 20 degrees in parts of the southeast and central plains. up towards the great lakes, western half, it's going to feel ten below just in terms of the windchill for much of the midday and early morning hours.

now what we can expect in terms of your travel, heavy snow may continue for parts of upstate maine. scattered snow showers across the empire state of new york and pennsylvania. snow showers also possible across parts of the central plains and back into the midwest. and in the pacific northwest, we'll see rain along the coast and snow back into the interior of washington state and parts of the columbia river valley. that is the latest for your forecast. i'm reynolds wolf for "hln." enjoy your day. when money is tight, usually the first thing to go is fancy restaurants, right? but coffee is something folks just won't give up. and one city is brewing up a new reason for tourists to savor the flavor of a cup of joe.

the u.s. postal service is kicking off the new year with a rate hike. starting tomorrow, prices will be going up for ground packages, air express items and international shipments. but the post office says the rate increase does not include first-class stamps. the rough economy may have

forced you to cut back, but one thing some folks won't give up is their good old cup of joe. in seattle there are so many coffee shops brewing, people are going on what's called a coffee crawl to sample flavors. and marley ginter of affiliate komo went along. >> reporter: most won't give up that morning cup of coffee no matter how many pennies they want to pinch. >> i've just noticed coffee houses have gotten busier with the economy going down. it's just a nice affordable luxury, something to go treat yourself. and i think it's causing people to drink a lot more drip coffee. and they're experiencing all the different flavors from all over the world. >> reporter: vickie shuman takes people around pike place market on a coffee crawl and not just tourists. coffee shops hope locals will take a sip and keep coming back. >> it's the best experience, you know. if you're going to come to seattle, you want to go to pike's market and see coffee and fish. you know, this is what makes seattle. >> i really like it. and i like that there is not only starbucks in seattle.

i was afraid it would be only starbucks here. >> reporter: and speaking of the seattle coffee company, starbucks cut costs, laid off workers and reinvented much of the food sold in its shops this year to turn a profit. competition is fierce in the coffee world. >> it's like tradition. starbucks is like the foundation. and everybody else spread because of starbucks. you know, people want to come back to where the foundation was started. >> now, wait a second. so you're not really a coffee drinker but you're on the coffee crawl? >> yes. >> are you having any fun? >> yes, i am. it's really good. i normally don't taste the different flavor, so now i have to and it's good to. >> reporter: good for local coffee shops hoping to be the new hot spot. >> and our thanks to marley ginter of komo for that story. now, the coffee crawl's offered by a group known as seattle by foot. which gives walking tours of the city. police arrested about 169 people in a cock fight raid

outside of ft. worth, texas, yesterday. a sheriff says child protective services also took as many as 15 children between the ages of 17 to 15 into custody. the raid site had been under surveillance for two weeks. and police say they found drugs and cash as well as dead and injured roosters. authorities also seized 114 roosters. a college football team ends what has been a trying season with a huge win. something they severely needed. joe carter is here with much more on this. hi, joe. >> on october 17th the university of connecticut lost teammate jasper howard after he was stabbed to death during an on-campus fight. the team remembered the defensive back by honoring him with his number 6 jersey behind the bench. on the field, the huskies came up with spectacular plays like this one, a one-handed grab scores the touchdown. uconn playing in its fourth bowl game in program history took care of south carolina, 20-7.

well, texas tech blocked out the distractions surrounding the firing of head coach mike leach and rallied to beat michigan state, 41-31, in the alamo bowl. an anxious almost angry crowd clearly support of their former coach changed their tone and started shouting for their defensive coordinator, mcneill, who was really in for the fired leach. ole miss/oklahoma state, cotton bowl. rebels' quarterback snead throws an interception and pays for it. he gets lit up, knocked out of the game. he would return. but meantime while he was on the bench, ole miss decided to run the ball. mccluster named the game's mvp takes off as ole miss beats oklahoma state, 21-7. it wasn't the happiest start to the new year for edwin encarnacion. the infielder was hit in the face by a firework by his

brother. he suffered first and second-degree burns on his forehead and cheek but expected to recover. remember, point your fireworks at the sky, not at your brother. that's a look at sports. i'm joe carter. it looks like more people than ever want to get a visa to visit the u.s. but some say after that failed terror attack on christmas day, authorities should make it more difficult for people to get one.

an oil well fire is proving to be difficult for firefighters to put out. it broke out yesterday near luling, texas.

the fire isn't threatening any homes, but it started in two oil tanks and spread quickly to two more. just when firefighters thought they had it under control yesterday, it flared up again. firefighters are using specialized engines designed to fight petrochemical fires. there are no reports of any injuries. because of that failed terror attack on a plane on christmas day, there is new attention to the way people from other countries enter the u.s. now. some critics say that incident is proof that the process should be improved. sandra endo shows us how a visa is the ticket for entry into america. >> reporter: for an entry into the united states, how difficult is it to get an admission ticket to america? citizens in 35 countries don't even need a visa to gain entry. as part of the visa waiver program, it allows them a maximum 90-day stay. but for those from other countries, travelers must apply for specific visas. there are temporary visas for tourists, business travelers,

short-term employment and students. each visa type allows a person to stay in america for different lengths of time. longer-term applicants need to show strong ties to their country of origin as proof they'll return home. student visas allow a person a stay for the duration of their studies, and more than 650,000 foreign students attended u.s. colleges and universities last year. temporary worker visas like the h1b permit a three-year stay with roughly 100,000 issued per year. the most common tourist or business visas allow a six-month stay. immigrant visas are for those looking to become a permanent u.s. resident. those applicants need sponsors like an american relative or u.s. employer. the u.s. state department can deny a visa to individuals with criminal records, certain diseases, or suspected terrorists. the alleged detroit bomber already had a visa but some critics say the process needs to work better to keep the bad guys out, and that includes revoking or flagging a visa holder for

secondary screening. >> the chain is as strong as its weakest link. it starts with gathering intelligence, the dissemination of intelligence, next acting on the intelligence, both at embassies and ports of entry. >> reporter: demand for visas to the u.s. continues to increase with 6.6 million non-immigrant visas issued in fiscal year 2008 and nearly 237,000 immigrant visas granted in 2009. one big problem is people overstaying their visas. the department of homeland security estimates roughly 4 million people are overstaying them right now. congress is calling on the state department to revamp its visa regulations and close loop hopes. in light of the christmas day bombing, the state department requires u.s. embassies abroad to find out if suspicious individuals they are tracking also have u.s. visas. the state department may start automatically notifying airlines if a person's visa has been revoked. sandra endo, cnn, washington.

it was one of the most popular spots for weddings in new york city. you even saw it in the movie "ghostbusters." now the tavern on the green is closed. the new year's party that rang in the new year and closed out the restaurant.

a florida man accused of killing four members of his family, including his 6-year-old cousin, has been captured. how a popular tv show played a role in his arrest. al qaeda threats close a u.s. embassy as washington moves to battle extremism with talks and with force. it looks like new york's tavern on the green restaurant has gone out of business after all that time. a look at the party that ended it all and how people are remembering one of the city's most famous landmarks. you are watching hln "news and views" on this first sunday of 2010. great to have you with us, i'm susan hendricks. authorities have arrested a florida man who allegedly gunned

down four members of his family after thanksgiving dinner. he was captured by u.s. marshals in the florida keys last night. he allegedly shot and killed his twin sisters and 79-year-old aunt and 56-year-old girl as she slept in her family's jupiter, florida home. with his arrest, her father says he will be able to sleep at night. >> it means i'll be able to sleep a little better tonight and i won't be patrolling the inside of my house with my shotgun thinking that the monster's right around the corner. i've been in protective mode. now that he's captured at least my family, we can even begin the healing process. >> merhige was captured when a viewer of the show "america's most wanted" recognized him and his car. the u.s. embassy in yemen is closed today because of al qaeda threats against american interests.

the embassy is not saying if there is any specific threat and it is unclear when it will reopen. the head of u.s. central command general david petraeus met with yemen's president yesterday. a senior u.s. government official says they discussed the latest intelligence on al qaeda in yemen. petraeus also gave yemen's president several messages from president obama. yesterday mr. obama tide al qaeda to the attempted attack on christmas day. >> this is not first time this group has targeted us. in recent years they've bombed yemeni government facilities and western hotels. restaurants and embassies, including our embassy in 2008, killing one american. so as president, i've made it a priority to strengthen our partnership with the yemeni government, training and equipping their security forces, sharing intelligence and working with them to strike al qaeda terrorists. and even before christmas day we had seen the results. training camps have been struck. leaders eliminated.

plots disrupted. in all those involved in the attempted act of terrorism on christmas must know, you, too, will be held to account. >> the u.s. and yemen were hitting terrorist targets in yemen before the airline plot. now they are reportedly looking for new targets for retaliatory strikes. mexican police say they have captured the head of a notorious drug cartel. carlos beltran leyva was arrested yesterday. police say he was taken into custody after he showed a fake driver's license with an aless they knew he had been using. his arrest comes just a week after his brother was killed in a shoot-out near mexico city. 1 of the 2 nba players who draw a gun in the team locker room is now talking to the media. joe carter has the latest. >> reporter: gilbert arenas spoke to reporters yesterday but didn't get into many details about the christmas eve incident with his teammate. arenas was careful with his words saying that he used bad

judgment in bringing guns into the washington wizard' locker room. arenas also said that he does not gamble and that there are misconceptions in the various reports about the dispute between himself and teammate kr kriten don. he says he has a meeting with law enforcement authorities tomorrow. >> reporter: there is a perception that things went wrong here, that someone pulled a gun on someone. that's not true. >> i can't speak on that. but if you know me, you've been here, i've never did anything violent. anything i do it's funny -- well, it's funny to me. >> the wizards are certainly not laughing nep signed arenas to a six-year, $111 million contract in 2008. depending on the severity of the findings if the investigation, they could attempt to void remainder of that contract. the man accused of trying to attack a controversial danish cartoonist has been charged with attempted murder.

danish officials also tied him yesterday to an african militant group allied with al qaeda. officials say the suspect is a somali man who tried to break into the cartoonist's home friday night. the cartoonist reportedly hid in a panic room until police shot and wounded the suspect. this cartoonist is known for his controversial depiction of the muslim prophet mohammed. a delta flight from boston to new york returned to logan international airport when a pilot smelled smoke in the cockpit. a delta spokesman says the pilot turned back eight minutes into the flight. the odor was gone by the time the plane landed back in boston. all 34 people on-board were rebooked on a later flight. delta is investigating the cause of the smoke smell. iran has issued an ultimatum over its nuclear program. it is threatening to enrich nuclear fuel on its own. if the west does not renegotiat

u.n.-backed deal by the end of january. the west has been trying to get iran to swap its enriched uranium for nuclear fuel. the concern is iran may use its uranium to make nuclear weapons. iran says it needs the fuel for research. rick warren got more than double what he asked for in a plea for donations. his church in southern california took in $2.4 million in just three days. on wednesday he made an urgent plea for $900,000 to fill a deficit. warren said the recession and the huge drop in offerings other the holiday caused that shortfall. warren is the author of the best seller "the purpose-brichb life." he also gave the invocation at president obama's inauguration. that brings us to our "your views" question of the day. are you confident that your house of faith is spending your donations responsibly and are you satisfied with the way religious organizations support your community? if you want to comment, head to my facebook page.

we love to hear from you. forecasters say there is more rain coming in an area where storms caused dozens of mudslides. officials say at least 60 people have been killed since rain started pounding southern brazil on wednesday. mudslides buried entire homes and shut down a mayor highway. rescuers are looking for survivors, sometimes digging with their bare hands. in one case people celebrated as a little girl was dug out, but she unfortunately died at the hospital. folks in rhode island dug out the shovels after 7 to 10 inches of snow fell over new england. most of the main roads in the area were cleared for drivers but side streets in many neighborhoods were covered with snow. some people took that as an opportunity to make some cash. >> we're cleaning snow for money, helping people and everything. we shovel for $5 or $10. >> we've been fortunate it's been weekends. therefore it doesn't happen

where you have to go to work. >> we're doing whatever we can. even today we've been really judicious how we're doing it, calling in a few people so we can keep the main roads and hilly roads salted and sanded. >> more snow and wind are expected in the providence area today but it is expected to end by tomorrow. good news there. temperatures should get a little warmer. 2010 is here, and with if comes freezing temperatures. let's get right to meteorologist reynolds wolf. reynolds, it is cold out there in the northeast especially. midwest. >> northeast, you're right. then in parts of the midwest shockingly cold. some numbers this morning, it is 25 degrees below zero in fargo. minneapolis, below subzero conditions there. 10 below. sioux falls, des moines, omaha, kansas city, single digits. same story in green bay, milwaukee milwaukee and chicago. today we expect things to modify a bit in terms of the temperatures. going right to 32 in memphis. 38 in atlanta. 51 tampa.

54 houston. that's only part of the story. other issue is the strong winds we're dealing with in parts of the nation where windchill factors will feel like it is anywhere from 0 to 20 degrees. great lakes will feel like it is 10 below just in terms of the windchill. heavy snow may continue for parts of upstate maine. look for scattered snow showers across new york, into pennsylvania. snow showers also possible across parts of the central plains, back into the midwest. pacific northwest will see rain along the coast, and snow back into the interior washington state and parts of the columbia liver valley. that's the latest for your forecast. i'm reynolds wolf for hln. enjoy your day. when money is tight usually the first thing go georgia is fancy restaurants. right? but coffee is something folks just won't give up. one city's brewing up a new reason for tourists to savor the flavor of a cup of joe.

the u.s. postal service is

kicking off the new year with a rate hike. starting tomorrow, prices will be going up for ground packages, air express items and international shipments. but the post office says the rate increase does not include first-class stamps. the rough economy may have forced you to cut back, but one thing some folks won't give up is their good old cup of joe. in seattle there are so many coffee shops brewing, people are going on what's called a coffee crawl to sample flavors. and marley ginter of affiliate komo went along. >> reporter: most won't give up that morning cup of coffee no matter how many pennies they want to pinch. >> i've just noticed coffee houses have gotten busier with the economy going down. it's just a nice affordable luxury, something to go treat yourself. and i think it's causing people to drink a lot more drip coffee. and they're experiencing all the different flavors from all over the world. >> reporter: vickie shuman takes people around pike place market on a coffee crawl and not just tourists.

coffee shops hope locals will take a sip and keep coming back. >> it's the best experience, you know. if you're going to come to seattle, you want to go to pike's market and see coffee and fish. you know, this is what makes seattle. >> i really like it. and i like that there is not only starbucks in seattle. i was afraid it would be only starbucks here. >> reporter: and speaking of the seattle coffee company, starbucks cut costs, laid off workers and reinvented much of the food sold in its shops this year to turn a profit. competition is fierce in the coffee world. >> it's like tradition. starbucks is like the foundation. and everybody else spread because of starbucks. you know, people want to come back to where the foundation was started. >> now, wait a second. so you're not really a coffee drinker but you're on the coffee crawl? >> yes. >> are you having any fun? >> yes, i am. it's really good. i normally don't taste the different flavor, so now i have to and it's good to. >> reporter: good for local coffee shops hoping to be the new hot spot.

>> and our thanks to marley ginter of komo for that story. now, the coffee crawl's offered by a group known as seattle by foot. which gives walking tours of the city. police arrested about 169 people in a cock fight raid outside of ft. worth, texas, yesterday. a sheriff says child protective services also took as many as 15 children between the ages of 17 to 15 into custody. the raid site had been under surveillance for two weeks. and police say they found drugs and cash as well as dead and injured roosters. authorities also seized 114 roosters. a college football team ends what has been a trying season with a huge win. >> reporter: texas tech fired mike leech last week after he allegedly mistreated a player. with everybody still talking about it, the red raiders took the field in front of an anxious, almost angry crowd, clearly in support of their

former coach. now credit to the texas tech team and interim coach ruffin mcneill. they beat michigan state 41-31 in the alamo bowl. the tone of the crowd changed after the game. fans actually shouted "ruffin" "ruffin." he guide the red raiders through a week the school is desperate to forget. a team not in a hurry to forget -- the university of connecticut. they remembered fallen teammate jasper howard against their bowl game against south carolina. they lost howard a month into the season after being stabbed to death during an on-campus fight. the huskies ended the trying season with a spectacular play and a big bowl win over south carolina, 20-7. nhl action. st. louis/chicago. st. louis' player takes one for the team. the shot on goal, off o his

face. he would be in pain. to add insult to injury, his team would lose. finally, i can't say i've ever heard of anything like this. kraft foods, the mac and cheese company, is dropping 75 grand to be the official sponsor when the oldest say stadium is being blown up, calling it a cheddar explosion. the stadium is expected to be turned into rubble this spring. that's a look at sports. i'm joe carter. it looks like more people than ever want to get a visa to visit the u.s. but some say after that failed terror attack on christmas day, authorities should make it more difficult for people to get one. this is hln. to be difficult fors

to put out. it broke out yesterday near luling, texas. that is south of austin. the fire isn't threatening any homes, but it started in two oil tanks and spread quickly to two more. just when firefighters thought they had it under control yesterday, it flared up again. firefighters are using specialized engines designed to fight petrochemical fires. there are no reports of any injuries.

because of that failed terror attack on a plane on christmas day, there is new attention to the way people from other countries enter the u.s. now. some critics say that incident is proof that the process should be improved. sandra endo shows us how a visa is the ticket for entry into america. >> reporter: for an entry into the united states, how difficult is it to get an admission ticket to america? citizens in 35 countries don't even need a visa to gain entry. as part of the visa waiver program, it allows them a maximum 90-day stay. but for those from other countries, travelers must apply for specific visas. there are temporary visas for tourists, business travelers, short-term employment and students. each visa type allows a person to stay in america for different lengths of time. longer-term applicants need to show strong ties to their country of origin as proof they'll return home. student visas allow a person to stay for the duration of their studies. and more than 650,000 foreign

and universities last year. temporary worker visas like the h1b permit a three-year temporary worker visas like the h1b permit a three-year stay with roughly 100,000 issued per year. the most common tourist or business visas allow a six-month stay. immigrant visas are for those looking to become a permanent u.s. resident. those applicants need sponsors like an american relative or u.s. employer. the u.s. state department can deny a visa to individuals with criminal records, certain diseases, or suspected terrorists. the alleged detroit bomber already had a visa but some critics say the process needs to work better to keep the bad guys out, and that includes revoking or flagging a visa holder for secondary screening. >> the chain is as strong as its weakest link. it starts with gathering intelligence, the dissemination of intelligence, next acting on the intelligence, both at embassies and ports of entry. >> reporter: demand for visas to the u.s. continues to increase with 6.6 million non-immigrant

visas issued in fiscal year 2008 and nearly 237,000 immigrant visas granted in 2009. one big problem is people overstaying their vie is a pz. department of homeland security estimates roughly 4 million people are overstaying them right now. congress is calling on the state department to revamp its visa regulations and close loopholes. in light of the christmas day plane bombing, the u.s. state department requires u.s. embassies abroad to require individuals they are tracking to require visas and start tracking a person if their visa has been revoke. sandra endo, cnn, washington. it was one of the most popular spots for weddings in new york city. you even saw it in the movie "ghost busters," if you remember that. now the tavern on the green is closed. the new year's party that rang in the new year and closed down the restaurant. #ñ#ñ#ñ#ñññññ

the florida man accused of killing four members of his family including his 6-year-old cousin has been captured. how a popular tv show played a role in his arrest. al qaeda threats close a u.s. embassy as washington moves to battle extremism with talks and with force. and it looks like new york's tavern on the green restaurant has gone out of business after all that time. a look at the party that ended it all and how people are remembering one of the city's most famous landmarks. you are watching "hln news and views" on this first sunday of 2010. great to have you with us. i'm susan hendricks. authorities have arrested a florida man who allegedly gunned down four members of his family

after thanksgiving dinner. u.s. marshals captured paul merhige at a hotel in the florida keys last night. there he is on surveillance camera. he was the focus of an intense manhunt after he allegedly shot and killed his twin sisters and 79-year-old aunt. he also allegedly killed 6-year-old michaela sitton as she slept in her family's home. with his arrest, michaela's father says now he will be able to sleep at night. >> it means i'll be able to sleep a little better tonight, and i won't be patrolling the inside of my house with my shotgun, you know, thinking that the monster is right around the corner. i've been in protective mode. and now that he's captured, at least, you know, my family, we can even begin the healing process. >> merhige was captured when a viewer of "america's most wanted" recognized him and his car. the u.s. embassy in yemen is closed today because of al qaeda threats against american interests.

the embassy is not saying if there is any specific threat. and it's unclear when it will reopen. the head of u.s. central command, general david petraeus, met with yemen's president yesterday. a senior u.s. government official says they discussed the latest intelligence on al qaeda in yemen. petraeus also gave yemen's president several messages from president obama. yesterday mr. obama tied al qaeda to that attempted airline attack on christmas day. he said al qaeda's yemeni branch trained the suspected bomber and gave him explosives. >> this is not the first time this group has targeted us. in recent years they've bombed yemeni government facilities and western hotels. restaurants and embassies including our embassy in 2008, killing one american. so as president i've made it a priority to strengthen our partnership with the yemeni government, training and equipping their security forces, sharing intelligence and working with them to strike al qaeda terrorists. and even before christmas day, we had seen the results. training camps have been struck. leaders eliminated. plots disrupted.

and all those involved in the attempted act of terrorism on christmas must know you, too, will be held to account. >> the u.s. and yemen were hitting terrorist targets in yemen before the airline plot. now they are reportedly looking for new targets for retaliatory strikes. mexican police say they have captured the head of a notorious drug cartel. carlos leyva was arrested. authorities say he was taken into custody after he showed a fake driver's license with an alias they knew he had been using. his arrest comes just a week after his brother was killed in a shootout outside of mexico city. one of the two nba players who reportedly drew a gun in a team locker room is now talking to the media. joe carter's been following this one and has the latest. hi, joe. >> gilbert arenas spoke to reporters yesterday but didn't get into too many details about the christmas eve incident with teammate javarris crittenton. arenas was careful with his words saying he used bad judgment in bringing guns into

the washington wizards' locker room. arenas also said that he does not gamble and that there are misconceptions in the various reports about the dispute between himself and his teammate. arenas wouldn't go into detail about other parts of the investigation but did tell reporters he has a meeting with law enforcement authorities tomorrow. >> gilbert, there's a perception that things went wrong here, that someone pulled a gun on someone. that's not true? >> i can't, you know, speak on that. but, you know, if you know me, you've been here, i've never did anything violent. anything i do it's funny -- well, it's funny to me. >> the wizards are not laughing. they signed arenas to a six-year, $111 million contract in 2008. and depending on the severity of the findings in the investigation, they could attempt to void the remainder of that contract. the man accused of trying to attack a controversial danish cartoonist has been charged with attempted murder.

danish officials also tied him yesterday to an african militant group allied with al qaeda. officials say the suspect is a somali man who tried to break into the cartoonist's home on friday night. the cartoonist reportedly hid in a panic room until police shot and wounded the suspect. now, this cartoonist is known for his controversial depiction of the muslim prophet mohamed. a delta flight from boston to new york returned to logan international airport when a pilot smelled smoke in the cockpit. a delta spokesman says the pilot turned back eight minutes into the flight. the odor was gone by the time the plane landed back in boston. all 34 people on board were rebooked on a later flight. now, delta is investigating the cause of the smoke smell. iran has issued an ultimatum over its nuclear program. it is threatening to enrich nuclear fuel on its own if the west does not renegotiate a u.n.-backed deal by the end of january. the demand came two days after iran defied a deadline by the u.s. and other security council

members. the west has been trying to get iran to swap its enriched uranium for nuclear fuel. the concern is iran may use its uranium to make nuclear weapons. iran says it needs the fuel for research. megachurch pastor rick warren got more than double what he asked for in a plea for donations. his church in southern california took in $2.4 million in just three days. on wednesday, he made an urgent plea for $900,000 to fill a deficit. warren said the recession and a huge drop in offerings over the holiday caused that shortfall. warren is the author of the best-seller "the purpose driven life." he also gave the invocation at president obama's inauguration. that brings us to our "your views" question of the day. are you confident that your house of faith is spending your donations responsibly? and are you satisfied with the way religious organizations support your community? if you want to comment, head to my facebook page. we love to hear from you.

forecasters say there is more rain coming in an area where storms caused dozens of mudslides. officials say at least 60 people have been killed since rain started pounding southern brazil on wednesday. mudslides buried entire homes and shut down a major highway. rescuers are looking for survivors, sometimes digging with their bare hands. in one case rescuers celebrated when they dug out a toddler whose entire family was killed at home. but the little girl unfortunately died later in the hospital. folks in rhode island broke out the shovels after 7 to 10 inches of snow fell over new england. most of the rain roads in the area were cleared for drivers. but the side streets in many neighborhoods were covered with snow. some people took that as an opportunity to make some cash. >> we're cleaning snow for money, shoveling, helping people and everything. if they need help, we shovel for $5. or $10. >> we've been fortunate it's been weekends. and therefore it doesn't happen where you have to go to work.

>> we're doing whatever we can. like even today, we've been really judicious about how we're calling in a few people so that we can keep the main roads and the hilly roads salted and sanded. >> and more snow and wind are expected in the providence area today. but it is expected to end by tomorrow. good news there. and temperatures should get a little warmer. everybody wants to save more and spend less. we have just the guy to help you. join hln money expert clark howard at noon eastern. he'll show you ways to save more, spend less and avoid getting ripped off. the clark howard show noon eastern on hln. whp money is tight usually the first thing to go is fancy restaurants. right? but coffee is something folks just won't give up. one city is brewing up a new reason for tourists to savor the flavor of a cup of joe. i'm reynolds wolf and this is a look at your "cold and flu

season report." this thing is lit up like a christmas tree. where you happen to see red or blue on the map indicates regional or widespread cases of cold and flu. that is the situation for much of the eastern seaboard. green, only sporadic cases of the cold and flu. but where you have yellow, no activity. that's what you'll fine in nebraska. that is a look at today's "cold and flu season report."

the u.s. postal service is kicking off the new year with a rate hike. starting tomorrow, prices will go up for ground packages, air express items and international

shipments. but the post office says the rate increase does not include first class stamps. the rough economy may have forced you to cut back. but one thing some folks won't give up is their good old cup of joe. in seattle there are so many coffee shops brewing, people are going on what's called a coffee crawl to sample flavors. marley ginter of affiliate komo went along. >> i've just noticed coffee houses have gotten busier with the economy going down. it's just a nice affordable luxury, something to go treat yourself. and i think it's causing people to drink a lot more drip coffee. and they're experiencing all the different flavors from all over the world. >> reporter: vickie shuman takes people around pike place market on a coffee crawl and not just tourists. coffee shops hope locals will take a sip and keep coming back.

>> it's the best experience, you know. if you're going to come to seattle, you want to go to pike's market and see coffee and fish. you know, this is what makes seattle. >> i really like it. and i like that there is not only starbucks in seattle. i was afraid it would be only starbucks here. >> reporter: and speaking of the seattle coffee company, starbucks cut costs, laid off workers and reinvented much of the food sold in its shops this year to turn a profit. competition is fierce in the coffee world. >> it's like tradition. starbucks is like the foundation. and everybody else spread because of starbucks. you know, people want to come back to where the foundation was started. >> now, wait a second. so you're not really a coffee drinker but you're on the coffee crawl? >> yes. >> are you having any fun? >> yes, i am. it's really good. i normally don't taste the different flavor, so now i have to and it's good to. >> reporter: good for local coffee shops hoping to be the new hot spot. >> and our thanks to marley ginter of komo for that story. now, the coffee crawl's offered by a group known as seattle by foot. which gives walking tours of the city.

police arrested about 169 people in a cock fight raid outside of ft. worth, texas, yesterday. a sheriff says child protective services also took as many as 15 children between the ages of 17 to 15 into custody. the raid site had been under surveillance for two weeks. and police say they found drugs and cash as well as dead and injured roosters. authorities also seized 114 roosters. a college football team ends what has been a trying season with a huge win. something they severely needed. joe carter is here with much more on this. hi, joe. >> on october 17th the university of connecticut lost teammate jasper howard after he was stabbed to death during an on-campus fight. the team remembered the defensive back by honoring him with his number 6 jersey behind the bench. on the field, the huskies came up with spectacular plays like this one, a one-handed grab

scores the touchdown. uconn playing in its fourth bowl game in program history took care of south carolina, 20-7. well, texas tech blocked out the distractions surrounding the firing of head coach mike leach and rallied to beat michigan state, 41-31, in the alamo bowl. an anxious almost angry crowd clearly support of their former coach changed their tone and started shouting for their defensive coordinator, mcneill, who was really in for the fired leach. ole miss/oklahoma state, cotton bowl. rebels' quarterback snead throws an interception and pays for it. watch this. he gets lit up, knocked out of the game. he would return. but meantime while he was on the bench, ole miss decided to run the ball. that was a good decision. dexter mccluster named the game's mvp. takes off as ole miss beats oklahoma state, 21-7. it wasn't the happiest start to the new year for edwin encarnacion.

the infielder was hit in the face by a firework by his brother. doctors say that he suffered first and second-degree burns on his forehead and cheek but expected to recover. remember, point your fireworks at the sky, not at your brother. that's a look at sports. i'm joe carter. time now for some "fancy footwork." arsenal taking on portsmouth in the english premier soccer league. aaron ramsey steals the ball, makes a nice move to get free, then fires it into the back of the net. ramsey showing us some "fancy footwork."

a oil well fire is proving to be very difficult for firefighters to put out. broke out yesterday near luling, texas, south of austin. the fire isn't threatening any homes though but it reportedly started at 2 large oil tanks, then quickly spread to two more. when firefighters thought it was under control yesterday, it flared up again. firefighters are using specialized engine designed to fight petro chemical fires. no reports of any injuries

pchlts becau. because of that failed tore attack on new year's day, some critics say that incident is prove that the process should be improved. sand sandra endo shows us how. for an entry into the united states, how difficult is it to get a visa? as part of the visa waiver program, you are allowed a 90-day stay. but travelers from other countries must apply for specific visas. there are temporary visas. each allows a person to stay in america for a different period of time. you need to show strong ties to your country of origin as proof you will return home. more than 650,000 foreign students attended u.s. colleges

and universities last year. temporary worker visas like the h1b permit a three-year stay with roughly 100,000 issued per year. the most common tourist or business visas allow a six-month stay. immigrant looking to become a permanent u.s. resident. those applicants need sponsors like an american relative or u.s. employer. the u.s. state department can deny a visa to individuals with criminal records, certain diseases, or suspected terrorists. the alleged detroit bomber already had a visa but some critics say the process needs to work better to keep the bad guys out. and that includes revoking or flagging a visa holder for secondary screening. >> the chain is as strong as its weakest link. it starts with gathering intelligence. next it's the dissemination of intelligence. next it's acting on the intelligence. both at embassies and at ports of entry. >> reporter: the demand for visas to the u.s. continues to increase. with 6.6 million nonimmigrant visas issued in fiscal year 2008

and nearly 237,000 immigrant visas granted in 2009. one big problem is people overstaying their visas. the department of homeland security estimates roughly 4 million people are overstaying them right now. congress is calling on the state department to revamp its visa regulations and close loopholes. in light of the christmas day plane bombing, the state department now requires u.s. embassies abroad to find out if suspicious individuals they're tracking also have u.s. visas. and the state department may start automatically notifying airlines if a person's visa has been revoked. sandra endo, cnn, washington. it was one of the most popular spots for weddings in new york city. you even saw it in the movie "ghostbusters." if you remember that. now that tavern on the green is closed, the new year's party that rang in the new year and closed out the restaurant. 

the florida man accused of killing four members of his family including his 6-year-old cousin has been captured. how a popular tv show played a role in his arrest. al qaeda threats close a u.s. embassy as washington moves to battle extremism with talks and with force. and it looks like new york's tavern on the green restaurant has gone out of business after all that time. a look at the party that ended it all and how people are remembering one of the city's most famous landmarks. you are watching "hln news and views" on this first sunday of 2010. great to have you with us. i'm susan hendricks. we want to get you updated now. authorities have arrested a florida man who allegedly gunned down four members of his family after thanksgiving dinner.

u.s. marshals captured paul merhige at a hotel in the florida keys last night. there he is on surveillance camera. he was the focus of an intense manhunt after he allegedly shot and killed his twin sisters and 79-year-old aunt. he also allegedly killed 6-year-old michaela sitton as she slept in her family's home. with his arrest, michaela's father says now he will be able to sleep at night. >> it means i'll be able to sleep a little better tonight, and i won't be patrolling the inside of my house with my shotgun, you know, thinking that the monster is right around the corner. i've been in protective mode. and now that he's captured, at least, you know, my family, we can even begin the healing process. >> merhige was captured when a viewer of "america's most wanted" recognized him and his car. the u.s. embassy in yemen is closed today because of al qaeda threats against american interests. the embassy is not saying if

there is any specific threat. and it's unclear when it will reopen. the head of u.s. central command, general david petraeus, met with yemen's president yesterday. a senior u.s. government official says they discussed the latest intelligence on al qaeda in yemen. petraeus also gave yemen's president several messages from president obama. yesterday mr. obama tied al qaeda to that attempted airline attack on christmas day. he said al qaeda's yemeni branch trained the suspected bomber and gave him explosives. >> this is not the first time this group has targeted us. in recent years they've bombed yemeni government facilities and western hotels. restaurants and embassies including our embassy in 2008, killing one american. so as president i've made it a priority to strengthen our partnership with the yemeni government, training and equipping their security forces, sharing intelligence and working with them to strike al qaeda terrorists. and even before christmas day, we had seen the results. training camps have been struck. leaders eliminated. plots disrupted.

and all those involved in the attempted act of terrorism on christmas must know you, too, will be held to account. >> the u.s. and yemen were hitting terrorist targets in yemen before the airline plot. now they are reportedly looking for new targets for retaliatory strikes. mexican police say they have captured the head of a notorious drug cartel. carlos leyva was arrested. authorities say he was taken into custody after he showed a fake driver's license with an alias they knew he had been using. his arrest comes just a week after his brother was killed in a shootout outside of mexico city. one of the two nba players who reportedly drew a gun in a team locker room is now talking to the media. joe carter's been following this one and has the latest. hi, joe. >> good morning, susan. gilbert arenases spoke to reporters yesterday but didn't get into too many details about the christmas eve incident with teammate javarris crittenton. arenas was careful with his words saying he used bad judgment in bringing guns into

the washington wizards' locker room. arenas also said that he does not gamble and that there are misconceptions in the various reports about the dispute between himself and his teammate. arenas wouldn't go into detail about other parts of the investigation but did tell reporters he has a meeting with law enforcement authorities tomorrow. >> gilbert, there's a perception that things went wrong here, that someone pulled a gun on someone. that's not true? >> i can't, you know, speak on that. but, you know, if you know me, you've been here, i've never did anything violent. anything i do it's funny -- well, it's funny to me. >> the wizards are not laughing. they signed arenas to a six-year, $111 million contract in 2008. and depending on the severity of the findings in the investigation, they could attempt to avoid the remainder of that contract. the man accused of trying to attack a controversial danish cartoonist has been charged with attempted murder. danish officials also tied him

yesterday to an african militant group allied with al qaeda. officials say the suspect is a somali man who tried to break into the cartoonist's home on friday night. the cartoonist reportedly hid in a panic room until police shot and wounded the suspect. now, this cartoonist is known for his controversial depiction of the muslim prophet mohamed. a delta flight from boston to new york returned to logan international airport when a pilot smelled smoke in the cockpit. a delta spokesman says the pilot turned back eight minutes into the flight. the odor was gone by the time the plane landed back in boston. all 34 people on board were rebooked on a later flight. now, delta is investigating the cause of the smoke smell. iran has issued an ultimatum over its nuclear program. it is threatening to enrich nuclear fuel on its own if the west does not renegotiate a u.n.-backed deal by the end of january. the demand came two days after iran defied a deadline by the u.s. and other security council members.

the west has been trying to get iran to swap its enriched uranium for nuclear fuel. the concern is iran may use its uranium to make nuclear weapons. iran says it needs the fuel for research. megachurch pastor rick warren got more than double what he asked for in a plea for donations. his church in southern california took in $2.4 million in just three days. on wednesday, he made an urgent plea for $900,000 to fill a deficit. warren said the recession and a huge drop in offerings over the holiday caused that shortfall. warren is the author of the best-seller "the purpose driven life." he also gave the invocation at president obama's inauguration. that brings us to our your views question of the day. are you confident that your house of faith is spending your donations responsy? are you satisfied with the way religious organizations support your community? if you want to comment, head to

my facebook page. forecasters say there is more rain coming in an area where storms caused dozens of mudslides. officials say at least 60 people have been killed since rain started pounding southern brazil on wednesday. mudslides buried entire homes and shut down a major highway. rescuers are looking for survivors, sometimes digging with their bare hands. and in one case rescuers celebrated when they dug out a toddler whose entire family was killed at home. but the little girl unfortunately died later in the hospital. folks in rhode island broke out the shovels after 7 to 10 inches of snow fell over new england. most of the roads in the area were cleared for drivers. but the side streets in many neighborhoods were covered with snow. some people took that as an opportunity to make some cash. >> we're cleaning snow for money, shoveling, helping people and everything. if they need help, we shovel for $5 or $10. >> we've been fortunate it's been weekends. and therefore it doesn't happen

where you have to go to work. >> we're doing whatever we can. like even today, we've been really judicious about how we're doing it, calling in a few people so that we can keep the main roads and hilly roads salted and sanded. >> and more snow and wind are expected in the providence area today. but it is expected to end by tomorrow. good news there. and temperatures should get a little warmer. 2010 is here and with it comes freezing temperatures. let's get right to meteorologist reynolds wolf. reynolds, it is cold out there in the northeast especially. >> absolutely. northeast, you're right. northeast and parts of the midwest, shockingly cold. take a look at some of the numbers we have for you this morning. it is 25 degrees below zero in fargo. minneapolis, subzero conditions there, too. in fact, 10 below. sioux falls, des moines, back into omaha, even kansas city, single digits. and same story in green bay, milwaukee and chicago. later on today, we do expect things to modify a bit in terms of temperatures going right to 32 degrees in memphis. 38 degrees in atlanta. 51 in tampa. 54 in houston. that's only part of the story.

the other issue is the strong winds you'll be dealing with in parts of the nation, where it will feel anywhere from 10 to 20 degrees in parts of the southeast and central plains. up towards the great lakes, western half, it's going to feel ten below just in terms of the windchill for much of the midday and early morning hours. now what we can expect in terms of your travel, heavy snow may continue for parts of upstate maine. scattered snow showers across the empire state of new york and pennsylvania. snow showers also possible across parts of the central plains and back into the midwest. and in the pacific northwest, we'll see rain along the coast and snow back into the interior of washington state and parts of the columbia river valley. that is the latest for your forecast. i'm reynolds wolf for "hln." enjoy your day. when money is tight, usually the first thing to go is fancy restaurants, right? but coffee is something folks just won't give up. and one city is brewing up a new reason for tourists to savor the flavor of a cup of joe.

the u.s. postal service is kicking off the new year with a

rate hike. starting tomorrow, prices will be going up for ground packages, air express items and international shipments. but the post office says the rate increase does not include first-class stamps. the rough economy may have forced you to cut back, but one thing some folks won't give up is their good old cup of joe. in seattle there are so many coffee shops brewing, people are going on what's called a coffee crawl to sample flavors. and marley ginter of affiliate komo went along. >> reporter: most won't give up that morning cup of coffee no matter how many pennies they want to pinch. >> i've just noticed coffee houses have gotten busier with the economy going down. it's just a nice affordable luxury, something to go treat yourself. and i think it's causing people to drink a lot more drip coffee. and they're experiencing all the different flavors from all over the world. >> reporter: vickie shuman takes people around pike place market on a coffee crawl and not just tourists. coffee shops hope locals will

take a sip and keep coming back. >> it's the best experience, you know. if you're going to come to seattle, you want to go to pike's market and see coffee and fish. you know, this is what makes seattle. >> i really like it. and i like that there is not only starbucks in seattle. i was afraid it would be only starbucks here. >> reporter: and speaking of the seattle coffee company, starbucks cut costs, laid off workers and reinvented much of the food sold in its shops this year to turn a profit. competition is fierce in the coffee world. >> it's like tradition. starbucks is like the foundation. and everybody else spread because of starbucks. you know, people want to come back to where the foundation was started. >> reporter: now, wait a second. so you're not really a coffee drinker but you're on the coffee crawl? >> yes. >> reporter: are you having any fun? >> yes, i am. it's really good. i normally don't taste the different flavors, so now i have to and it's good, too. >> reporter: good for local coffee shops hoping to be the new hot spot. >> and our thanks to marley

ginter of komo for that story. now, the coffee crawl's offered by a group known as seattle by foot. which gives walking tours of the city. police arrested about 169 people in a cock fight raid outside of ft. worth, texas, yesterday. a sheriff says child protective services also took as many as 15 children between the ages of 17 to 15 into custody. the raid site had been under surveillance for two weeks. and police say they found drugs and cash as well as dead and injured roosters. authorities also seized 114 roosters. a college football team surround by controversy finally goat back on the field. joe carter is here. >> texas tech fired their coach last week after he allegedly mistreated a player. with everybody still talking about it, the red raiders took the field in front of an anxious almost angry crowd, clearly in support of their former coach.

now, credit to the texas tech team, and interim coach mcneil, the raiders clocked out the distrabzs and beat michigan state 41-31 in the alamo bowl. the tone of the crowd changed after the game. the crowd shouted ruffin, ruffin, as he guided the school through a week they're not hurry to forget. the university of connecticut. they remembered fallen teammate jasper howard before their bowl game against south carolina. the team lost howard a month into the season after he was stabbed to death during an on-campus fight. on the field the huskies ended the trying season with a spectacular play and a big bowl win over south carolina 20-7. nhl action, st. louis/chicago. st. louis player tkachuk takes one for the team. watch in the replay, the shot on goal off his face. he would be in pain.

and to add insult to injury, well, his team would go on to lose. finally, a can't say that i've ever heard of anything like this. kraft foods, the mac and cheat company, is dropping 75 grand to be the official sponsor when the old texas stadium is blown up. they're calling it a cheddar explosion. there's nothing cheesy about that. the stadium is expected to be turned into rubble this spring. that's a look at sports. i'm joe carter. everybody want to save more and spend less. join clark howard at noon eastern. he will show you ways to save more, spend less and avoid goating ripped off. the clark howard show at noon eastern on hln. is looks like more penal than ever want to get a visa to visit the u.s. but some say after that failed terror attack on christmas day, authorities should make it more difficult.

an oil well fire is proving to be difficult for firefighters to put out. it broke out yesterday near luling, texas. that is south of austin. the fire isn't threatening any homes, though, but it reportedly started in two oil tanks and spread quickly to two more. just when firefighters thought they had it under control yesterday, it flared up again. firefighters are using specialized engines designed to fight petrochemical fires. there are no reports of any injuries. because of that failed terror attack on a plane on christmas day, there is new attention to the way people from

other countries enter the u.s. now. some critics say that incident is proof that the process should be improved. sandra endo shows us how a visa is the ticket for entry into america. >> reporter: for an entry into the united states, how difficult is it to get an admission ticket to america? citizens in 35 countries don't even need a visa to gain entry. as part of the visa waiver program, it allows them a maximum 90-day stay. but for those from other countries, travelers must apply for specific visas. there are temporary visas for tourists, business travelers, short-term employment and students. each visa type allows a person to stay in america for different lengths of time. longer-term applicants need to show strong ties to their country of origin as proof they'll return home. student visas allow a person to stay for the duration of their studies. and more than 650,000 foreign students attended u.s. colleges and universities last year.

temporary worker visas like the permit a three-year stay with roughly 100,000 issued per year. the most common tourist or business visas ail will you a six-month stay. immigrant visas are for those looking to become a permanent u.s. visa. some vitices say the process needs to work better to keep the bad guys out and that includes revoking or flagging a visa holder for secondary screening. >> the chain is as strong as its weakest link. it starts with gathering intelligence. next the dissemination of the intelligence. next it's acting on the intelligence. both at embassies and at ports of industry. >> reporter: the demand for visas to the u.s. continues to increase with 6.6 million nonimmigrant visas issued in

fiscal year 2008. nearly 237,000 immigrant visas granted in 2009. one big problem is people overstaying their visas. the department of homeland security estimates roughly 4 million people are overstaying them right now. congress is calling on the state department to revamp its visa regulations and close loopholes. in light of the christmas day plane bombing, the state department now requires u.s. embassies abroad to find out if suspicious individuals they're tracking also have u.s. visas. and the state department may start automatically notifying airlines if a person's visa has been revoked. sandra endo, cnn, washington. it was one of the most popular spots for weddings in new york city. you even saw it in the movie "ghostbusters." now that tavern on the green is closed, the new year's party that rang in the new year and closed out the restaurant.

the florida man accused of killing four members of his family including his 6-year-old cousin has been captured. how a popular tv show played a role in his arrest. al qaeda threats close a u.s. embassy as washington moves to battle extremism with talks and with force. and it looks like new york's tavern on the green restaurant has gone out of business after all that time. a look at the party that ended it all and how people are remembering one of the city's most famous landmarks. you are watching "hln news and views" on this first sunday of 2010. great to have you with us. i'm susan hendricks. we want to get you updated now. authorities have arrested a florida man who allegedly gunned down four members of his family after thanksgiving dinner.

u.s. marshals captured paul merhige at a hotel in the florida keys last night. there he is on surveillance camera. he was the focus of an intense manhunt after he allegedly shot and killed his twin sisters and a 79-year-old aunt. he also allegedly killed 6-year-old michaela sitton as she slept in her jupiter, florida, family's home. with his arrest, michaela's father says now he will be able to sleep at night. >> it means i'll be able to sleep a little better tonight, and i won't be patrolling the inside of my house with my shotgun, you know, thinking that the monster is right around the corner. i've been in protective mode. and now that he's captured, at least, you know, my family, we can even begin the healing process. >> merhige was captured when a viewer of "america's most wanted" recognized him and his car. the u.s. embassy in yemen is closed today because of al qaeda threats against american interests. the embassy is not saying if there is any specific threat.

and it's unclear when it will reopen. the head of u.s. central command, general david petraeus, met with yemen's president yesterday. a senior u.s. government official says they discussed the latest intelligence on al qaeda in yemen. petraeus also gave yemen's president several messages from president obama. yesterday mr. obama tied al qaeda to that attempted airline attack on christmas day. he said al qaeda's yemeni branch trained the suspected bomber and gave him explosives. >> this is not the first time this group has targeted us. in recent years they've bombed yemeni government facilities and western hotels. restaurants and embassies including our embassy in 2008, killing one american. so as president i've made it a priority to strengthen our partnership with the yemeni government, training and equipping their security forces, sharing intelligence and working with them to strike al qaeda terrorists. and even before christmas day, we had seen the results. training camps have been struck. leaders eliminated. plots disrupted.

and all those involved in the attempted act of terrorism on christmas must know you, too, will be held to account. >> the u.s. and yemen were hitting terrorist targets in yemen before the airline plot. now they are reportedly looking for new targets for retaliatory strikes. mexican police say they have captured the head of a notorious drug cartel. carlos beltran leyva was arrested wednesday. authorities say he was taken into custody after he showed a fake driver's license with an alias they knew he had been using. his arrest comes just a week after his brother, arturo, was killed in a shootout outside of mexico city. one of the two nba players who reportedly drew a gun in a team locker room is now talking to the media. joe carter's been following this one and has the latest. hi, joe. >> good morning, susan. gilbert arenas spoke to reporters yesterday but didn't get into too many details about the christmas eve incident with teammate javarris crittenton. arenas was careful with his words saying he used bad judgment in bringing guns into

the washington wizards' locker room. arenas also said that he does not gamble and that there are misconceptions in the various reports about the dispute between himself and his teammate. arenas wouldn't go into detail about other parts of the investigation but did tell reporters he has a meeting with law enforcement authorities tomorrow. >> reporter: gill, there's a perception that things went wrong here and that someone pulled a gun on someone. that's not true? >> i can't, you know, speak on that. but, you know, if you know me, you've been here, i've never did anything violent. anything i do, it's funny -- well, it's funny to me. >> the wizards are not laughing. they signed arenas to a six-year, $111 million contract in 2008. and depending on the severity of the findings in the investigation, they could attempt to avoid the remainder of that contract. the man accused of trying to attack a controversial danish cartoonist has been charged with attempted murder. danish officials also tied him

yesterday to an african militant group allied with al qaeda. officials say the suspect is a somali man who tried to break into the cartoonist's home on friday night. the cartoonist reportedly hid in a panic room until police shot and wounded the suspect. now, this cartoonist is known for his controversial depiction of the muslim prophet muhammad. a delta flight from boston to new york returned to logan international airport when a pilot smelled smoke in the cockpit. a delta spokesman says the pilot turned back eight minutes into the flight. the odor was gone by the time the plane landed back in boston. all 34 people on board were rebooked on a later flight. now, delta is investigating the cause of the smoke smell. iran has issued an ultimatum over its nuclear program. it is threatening to enrich nuclear fuel on its own if the west does not renegotiate a u.n.-backed deal by the end of january. the demand came two days after iran defied a deadline by the u.s. and other security council members.

the west has been trying to get iran to swap its enriched uranium for nuclear fuel. the concern is iran may use its uranium to make nuclear weapons. iran says it needs the fuel for research. megachurch pastor rick warren got more than double what he asked for in a plea for donations. his church in southern california took in $2.4 million in just three days. on wednesday, he made an urgent plea for $900,000 to fill a deficit. warren said the recession and a huge drop in offerings over the holiday caused that shortfall. warren is the author of the best-seller "the purpose driven life." he also gave the invocation at president obama's inauguration. that brings us to our your views question of the day. are you confident that your house of faith is spending your donations responsibly? and are you satisfied with the way religious organizations support your community? well, if you want to comment, just head to my facebook page. we would love to hear from you.

forecasters say there is more rain coming in an area where storms caused dozens of mudslides. officials say at least 60 people have been killed since rain started pounding southern brazil on wednesday. mudslides buried entire homes and shut down a major highway. rescuers are looking for survivors, sometimes digging with their bare hands. in one case rescuers celebrated when they dug out a toddler whose entire family was killed at home. but the little girl unfortunately died later in the hospital. folks in rhode island broke out the shovels after 7 to 10 inches of snow fell over new england. most of the main roads in the area were cleared for drivers. but the side streets in many neighborhoods were covered with snow. some people took that as an opportunity to make some cash. >> we're cleaning snow for money, shoveling, helping people and everything. if they need help, we shovel for $5 or $10. >> we've been fortunate it's been weekends. and therefore it doesn't happen where you have to go to work. >> we're doing whatever we can.

like even today, we've been really judicious about how we're calling in a few people so that we can keep the main roads and the hilly roads salted and sanded. >> and more snow and wind are expected in the providence area today. but it is expected to end by tomorrow. good news there. and temperatures should get a little warmer. 2010 is here and with it comes freezing temperatures. let's get right to meteorologist reynolds wolf. reynolds, it is cold out there in the northeast especially. >> absolutely. northeast, you're right. northeast and parts of the midwest, shockingly cold. look at some of the numbers this morning. it is 25 degrees below zero in fargo. minneapolis, subzero conditions there, too. in fact, 10 below. sioux falls, des moines, back into omaha, even kansas city, single digits. and same story in green bay, milwaukee and chicago. later on today, we do expect things to modify a bit in terms of temperatures going right to 32 degrees in memphis. 38 degrees in atlanta. 51 in tampa. 54 in houston. that's only part of the story.

the other issue is the strong winds you'll be dealing with in part of the nation where your windchill factor will feel like 10 to 20 degrees in parts of southeast and central plains. up towards the great lakes, western half, it's going to feel like it's 10 below just in terms of the windchill for much of the midday and early morning hours. now what we can expect in terms of your travel, heavy snow may continue for parts of upstate maine. look for scattered snow showers across the empire state of new york and into pennsylvania 37 snow showers also possible across parts of the central plains and back into the midwest. and in the pacific northwest, we'll see rain along the coast and snow back into the interior of washington state and parts of the columbia river valley. that is the latest for your forecast. i'm reynolds wolf for "hln." enjoy your day. when money is tight, usually the first thing to go is fancy restaurants, right? but coffee is something folks just won't give up. and one city is brewing up a new reason for tourists to savor the flavor of a cup of joe.

the u.s. postal service is kicking off the new year with a rate hike. starting tomorrow, prices will be going up for ground packages, air express items and international shipments. but the post office says the rate increase does not include first-class stamps. the rough economy may have forced you to cut back, but one thing some folks won't give up is their good old cup of joe. in seattle there are so many coffee shops brewing, people are going on what's called a coffee crawl to sample flavors. and marley ginter of affiliate komo went along. >> reporter: most won't give up that morning cup of coffee no matter how many pennies they want to pinch. >> i've just noticed coffee houses have gotten busier with the economy going down. it's just a nice affordable luxury, something to go treat yourself.

and i think it's causing people to drink a lot more drip coffee. and they're experiencing all the different flavors from all over the world. >> reporter: vickie shuman takes people around pike place market on a coffee crawl and not just tourists. coffee shops hope locals will take a sip and keep coming back. >> it's the best experience, you know. if you're going to come to seattle, you want to go to pike's market and see coffee and fish. you know, this is what makes seattle. >> i really like it. and i like that there is not only starbucks in seattle. i was afraid it would be only starbucks here. >> reporter: and speaking of the seattle coffee company, starbucks cut costs, laid off workers and reinvented much of the food sold in its shops this year to turn a profit. competition is fierce in the coffee world. >> it's like tradition. starbucks is like the foundation. and everybody else spread because of starbucks. you know, people want to come back to where the foundation was started. >> reporter: now, wait a second. so you're not really a coffee drinker but you're on the coffee

crawl? >> yes. >> reporter: are you having any fun? >> yes, i am. it's really good. i normally don't taste the different flavors, so now i have to and it's good to. >> reporter: good for local coffee shops hoping to be the new hot spot. >> and our thanks to marley ginter of komo for that story. now, the coffee crawl's offered by a group known as seattle by foot. which gives walking tours of the city. police arrested about 169 people in a cockfight raid outside of ft. worth, texas, yesterday. a sheriff says child protective services also took as many as 15 children between the ages of 17 to 15 into custody. the raid site had been under surveillance for two weeks. and police say they found drugs and cash as well as dead and injured roosters. authorities also seized 114 roosters. a college football team ends what has been a trying season with a huge win.

something they severely needed. joe carter is here with much more on this. hi, joe. hi, susan. on october 17th the university of connecticut lost teammate jasper howard after he was stabbed to death during an on-campus fight. the team remembered the defensive back by honoring him with his number 6 jersey behind the bench. on the football field, the huskies came up with some spectacular plays, like this one, by moore, a one-handed grab scores the touchdown. uconn playing in its fourth bowl game in program history took care of south carolina, 20-7. well, texas tech blocked out the distractions surrounding the firing of head coach mike leach and rallied to beat michigan state, 41-31, in the alamo bowl. an anxious almost angry crowd clearly support of their former coach changed their tone and started shouting for their defensive coordinator, mcneill, who was really in for the fired leach. ole miss/oklahoma state, cotton bowl. rebels' quarterback snead throws

an interception and pays for it. watch this. he gets lit up, knocked out of the game. he would return. but in the meantime, while he was on the bench, ole miss, they decided to run the football and that was a good decision. mccluster named the game's mvp takes off as ole miss beats oklahoma state, 21-7. it wasn't the happiest start to the new year for edwin encarnacion. the infielder was hit in the face by a firework by his brother. doctors say he suffered first and second-degree burns on his forehead and cheek, but he is expected to recover in a couple of weeks. good reminder, point your fireworks to the sky, not at your brother. that's a look at sports. i'm joe carter. it looks like more people than ever want to get a visa to visit the u.s. but some say after that failed terror attack on christmas day, authorities should make it more difficult for people to get one.

an oil well fire is proving to be difficult for firefighters to put out. it broke out yesterday near luling, texas. that is south of austin. the fire isn't threatening any

hopes, though, but it reportedly started in two large oil tanks and quickly spread to two more. just when firefighters thought they had it under control yesterday, it flared up again. firefighters are using specialized engines designed to fight petrochemical fires. there are no reports of any injuries. because of that failed terror attack on a plane on christmas day, there is new attention to the way people from other countries enter the u.s. now. some critics say that incident is proof that the process should be improved. sandra endo shows us how a visa is the ticket for entry into america. >> reporter: for an entry into the united states, how difficult is it to get an admission ticket to america? citizens in 35 countries don't even need a visa to gain entry. as part of the visa waiver program, it allows them a maximum 90-day stay. but for those from other countries, travelers must apply for specific visas. there are temporary visas for tourists, business travelers, short-term employment and

students. each visa type allows a person to stay in america for different lengths of time. longer-term applicants need to show strong ties to their country of origin as proof they'll return home. origin as they'll return home. student visas allow a person to stay for the duration of their studies and more than 650,000 foreign students attended colleges last year. temporary workers permit a three-year stay for roughly 100,000 issued per year. the most common tourist or business visas allow a six-month stay. immigrant visas are for those looking to become a permanent u.s. resident. those applicants need a sponsor. the u.s. state department can deny a visa to individuals with criminal records, certain diseases or suspected terrorists. the alleged detroit bomber already had a visa, but some critics say the process needs to work better to keep the bad guys out. and that includes revoking or flagging a visa holder for

secondary screening. >> the chain is as strong as its weakest link. it starts with gathering intelligence. next, the dissemination of the intelligence, next, acting on the intelligence. both at embassies and as ports of entry. >> reporter: the demand for visas to the u.s. continues to increase, with 6.6 million nonimmigrant visas issued in fiscal year 2008. and nearly 237,000 immigrant visas granted in 2009. one big problem is people overstaying their visas. the department of homeland security estimates roughly four million people are overstaying them right now. congress is calling on the state department to revamp its visa regulations, and close loopholes. in light of the christmas day plane bombing, the state department now requires u.s. embassies abroad to find out if suspicious individuals they're tracking also have u.s. visas. and the state department may start automatically notifying airlines if a person's visa has been revoked.

sandra endo, cnn, washington. it was one of the most popular spots for weddings in new york city, you even saw it in the movie ghost busters. now the tavern on the green is closed. the new year's eve party that rang in the new year and closed the restaurant.

the florida man accused of killing for members of his family, including his 6-year-old cousin has been captured. how a popular tv show played a role in his arrest. al qaeda threats close a u.s. embassy as washington moves to battle terrorism with force. and it looks like new york's tavern on the green restaurant has gone out of business after all that time. a look at the party that ended it all and how people are remembering one of the city's most famous landmarks. you're watching hln news and views on this first sunday of 2010. great to have you with us, i'm susan hendricks, we want to get you updated. authorities have arrested a florida man who allegedly gun

down four members of his family after thanksgiving dinner. u.s. marshal s captured paul marriage at a hotel in the keys in florida. was the focus of a manhunt after he shot and killed his twin sisters and a 79-year-old aunt. he allegedly killed a 6-year-old cousin as she slept. with marriage's arrest, michaela's father said he will be able to sleep at night. >> it means i'll be able to sleep a little better tonight and i won't be patrolling the inside of my house with my shotgun, you know, thinking that the monster is right around the corner. i've been in protective mode and now that he's captured, at least my family, we can even begin the healing process. >> marriage was captured when a viewer of the show, "america's most wanted" recognized him and his car. the u.s. embassy in yellen is closed because of al qaeda threats against american

interests. the embassy is not saying if there's any specific threat. and it's unclear when it will reopen. the head of u.s. center command general david petraeus met with yemen's president yesterday. a senior u.s. government official says they discussed the latest intelligence on al qaeda in yemen. petraeus also gave yemen's president several messages from president obama. yesterday, mr. obama tied al qaeda to the christmas-day attack. he said yemeni's al qaeda branch trained the bomber and gave him explosives. >> this is not the first time the group has targeted us, they bombed yemeni hotels and embassies, including our embassy in 2008, killing one american. so as president, i've made it a priority to strengthen our partnership with the yemeni government. training and equipping their security forces, sharing intelligence and working with them to strike al qaeda terrorists. and even before christmas day, we had seen the results. training camps have been struck. leaders eliminated.

plots disrupted. and all of those involved in the attempted act of terrorism on christmas must know you, too, will be held to account. >> the u.s. and yemen were hitting terrorist targets in yemen before the airline plot. now they're reportedly looking for new targets for retaliatory strikes. mexican police say they've captured the head of a notorious drug cartel. carlos beltran leyva was arrested thursday. he was taken into custody after he showed a fake driver's license with an alias they knew he had been using. his arrest comes a week after his brother was killed in a shootout outside of mexico city. one of the two nba players who reportedly drew a gun in a team locker room is now talking to the media. joe carter has been following it and has the latest. >> gilbert arenas spoke to reporters yesterday, but didn't get into too many details about the christmas eve incident with his teammate. arenas was careful with his words saying he used bad

judgment in bringing guns into the washington wizards' locker room. he said he doesn't gamble and there are misconceptions in the various reports about the dispute between himself and his teammate crittendon. arenas said he did tell reporters he has a meeting with law enforcement authorities tomorrow. >> there's a perception that things went wrong here and someone pulled a gun on someone else here. that's not true? >> i can't speak on that. but you know, if you know me, you've been here, i've never did anything violence, anything i do, it's funny, well, it's funny to me. >> well the wizards are certainly not laughing. they signed arenas to a six-year, $111 million contract in 2008. and depending on the severity of the findings in the investigation, they could attempt to void the remainder of that contract. a delta flight from boston to new york returned to logan international airport when a pilot smelled smoke in the

cockpit. a delta spokesman says the pilot turned back eight minutes into the flight. the odor was gone by the time the plane landed back in boston. all 34 people on board were rebooked on a later flight. now delta is investigating the cause of the smoke smell. iran has issued an ultimatum over its nuclear program. it's threatening to enrich nuclear fuel on its own. if the west is not renegotiate a u.n.-backed deal by the end of january. the demand came two days after iran defied a deadline by the u.s. and other security council members. the west has been trying to get iran to swap its enriched uranium for nuclear fuel. now the concern is iran may use its uranium to make nuclear weapons. iran said it needs the fuel for research. megachurch pastor rick warren got more than double what he asked for in a plea for donations. his church in southern california took in $2.4 million in just three days. on wednesday, he made an urgent

plea for $900,000 to fill a deficit. warren said the recession and a huge drop in offerings over the holiday caused the shortfall. warren is the author of the bestseller, "the purpose-driven life." he also gave the invocation at president obama's inauguration. that brings us to our "your views" question of the day. are you confident that your house of faith is spending your donations responsibly? and are you satisfied with the way religious organizations support your community? well if you want to comment, head to my facebook page. we love to hear from you. forecasters say there's more rain coming in an area where storms caused dozens of mudslides. officials say 60 people have been killed since rain started pounding southern brazil on wednesday. mudslides buried entire homes and shut down a major highway. rescuers are looking for survivors, sometimes digging with their bare hands. and in one case, rescuers celebrated when they dug out a toddler, whose entire family was killed at home. but the little girl,

unfortunately died later in the hospital. folks in rhode island broke out the shovels after seven to ten inches of snow fell over new england. most of the main roads in the area were cleared for drivers. but the side streets and many neighborhoods were covered with snow. some people took that as an opportunity to make some cash. >> we're shoveling snow for money. helping people, we shovel for $5 or $10. >> we've been fortunate it's been weekends. >> we're doing whatever we can. even today, we've been really judicious about how we're doing it, calling in a few people to keep the main roads and hilly roads salted and sanded. >> more snow and wind are expected in the providence area today. but it is expected to end by tomorrow. good news there. and temperatures should get a little warmer. when money is tight, usually the first thing to go is fancy restaurants, right? but coffee is something folks just won't give up. and one city is brewing up a new

reason for tourists to savor the flavor of a cup of joe.

new york city's health commissioner wants people to kick the can and the plastle bottle. the city is putting out an ad campaign warning about soda. the ads are causing some controversy. >> reporter: it's the latest youtube sensation. not a waterskiing squirrel or even a dancing baby. but a public service announcement about soda. ♪ >> reporter: some viewers may find this revolting. but new york city health commissioner said it's starting to get people's attention.

>> we have an epidemic of obesity that we need to respond to. the visual images are the way we communicate these days. >> reporter: according to the ad, just one soda a day, can add ten pounds to your waistline over the course of a year and recent research by ucla confirms the link, saying one soda puts ut you at an increased risk for obesity. the american beverage association agrees that the hundreds of calories in sugary drinks can add up 689 but says there's a better way to educate people. in a statement posted on its website, the ada says -- >> reporter: they go on to say that the companies they represent offer low-calorie and no-calorie options. and losing weight is as simple as calories in.

and calories out. farley says people have known it for years, but they still don't get the point. >> most people have a positive image of a sugar-sweetened beverage. sort of a treat at the end of the day. we want to drive home that these are a risk. >> reporter: with more than 200,000 views on youtube. the video seems to be getting that point across. the u.s. postal service is kick off the new year with a rate hike. starting tomorrow, prices will be going up for ground packages, air express items and international shipments. but the post office says the rate increase does not include first-class stamps. the rough economy may have forced you to cut back. but one thing some folks won't give up is their good old cup of joe. in seattle there's so many coffee shops brewing, people going on what's called a coffee crawl to sample flavors. and marley ginter of affiliate komo went along. >> reporter: most won't give up the morning cup of coffee, no

matter how many pennies they want to pinch. >> i would just notice that coffee houses have gotten busier with the economy going down. it's a nice affordable luxury. something to go treat yourself. and i think it's causing people to drink a lot more drip coffee and they're experiencing all the different flavors from all over the world. >> reporter: vicky takes people around pike place market on a coffee crawl and not just tourists. coffee shops hope locals will take a sip and keep coming back. >> it's the best experience, if you're going to come to seattle you want to go to pike's market and see coffee and fish. and this is what makes seattle. >> i really like it. and i like that there's not only starbucks in seattle, i was afraid there would be only starbucks. >> reporter: and speaking of starbucks, they cut costs, laid off workers and reinvented much of the food sold in its shops this year to turn a profit. competition is fierce in the coffee world. >> it's like tradition. starbucks is like the foundation and everybody else spread

because of starbucks. and this is, people want to come back to where the foundation was started. >> reporter: so you're not really a coffee drinker, but you're on the coffee crawl? >> yes. >> reporter: are you having fun? >> yes, i have. it's really good. i normally don't taste the different flavors, now i have to and it's good to. >> reporter: good for local coffee shops hoping to be the new hot spot. and our thanks to marley ginter of affiliate komo for the story. the coffee crawl is offered by a group known as seattle by foot. which gives walking tours of the city. police arrested about 169 people in a cockfight raid outside of fort worth, texas. and child protective services took as many as 15 children between the ages of 17 and 15 into custody. the raid site had been under surveillance. and police say they found drugs and cash, as well as dead and injured roosters.

and authorities seized 114 roosters. a college football team surrounded by controversy finally got back on the field to play. joe carter is here with more on the story. hi, joe. >> reporter: texas tech fired their coach, mike leech last week after he allegedly mistreated a player with everybody still talking about it, the red raiders took the field amongst an anxious, almost angry crowd in support of their former coach. according to the interim coach, the red ratders blocked out the distractions and rally 20d beat michigan state 41-31 in the alamo bowl. the tone of the crowd changed after the game. the fans actually shouted "ruffin, ruffin." in a thank you. now a team not in a hurry to forget about anything, the university of connecticut. they remembered fallen teammate jasper howard. the team lost howard a month

into the season after he was stabbed to death during an on-campus fight. the huskies ended the trying season with an impressive win, an incredible one-handed grab for the touchdown. uconn would beat south carolina 20-7. nhl action, keith tkachuk takes one for the team during the game against chicago. tkachuk actually takes the puck off his face. the goal would count but his team would go on to lose. and finally, i can't say that i've ever heard of this -- kraft foods, the mac and cheese company, is dropping $75,000 to be the official sponsor when the old texas stadium is demolished. they're calling it a cheddar explosion. the stadium is expected to be turned into rubble this spring, and while there's nothing cheesy about that. that's a look at sports, i'm joe collins.

an oil well fire is proving to be difficult for firefighters to put out. it broke out yesterday near luling, texas south of austin. the fire isn't threatening homes, it reportedly started in oil tanks and spread. just when firefighters thought they had it under under control yesterday, it flared up again. firefighters are using specialized engines designed to fight petro chemical fires. there are no reports of injuries. now because of that failed terror attack on a plane on christmas day, there's new attention to the way people from other countries enter the u.s.

now. some critics say that incident is proof that the process should be improved. sandra endoshows us how a visa is the ticket for entry into america. >> reporter: foreign entry into the united states, how difficult is it to get an admission ticket to america? citizens in 35 countries don't even need a visa to gainfully. as part of the visa waiver program, it allows them a maximum 90-day stay. but for those from other countries, travelers must apply for specific visas. there are temporary visas for tourists, business travelers, short-term employment and students. each visa type allows a person to stay in america for different lengths of time. longer-term visa applicants need to show strong ties it their country of origin as proof they'll return home. student visas allow a person to stay for the duration of their studies and more than 650,000 foreign students attended u.s. colleges and universities last year. temporary worker visas like the

h1b permit a three-year stay, with roughly 100,000 issued per year. the most common tourist or business visas allow a six-month stay. immigrant visas are for those looking to become a permanent u.s. resident. those applicants need sponsors like an american relative or u.s. employer. the u.s. state department can deny a visa to individuals with criminal records, certain diseases or suspected terrorists. the alleged detroit bomber already had a visa, but some critics say the process needs to work better to keep the bad guys out. and that includes revoking or flagging a visa holder for secondary screening. >> the chain is as strong as it's weakest link. it starts with gathering intelligence. next it's the dissemination of the intelligence. next, it's acting on the intelligence. both at embassies and at ports of entry. >> reporter: the demand for visas to the u.s. continues to increase, with 6.6 million nonimmigrant visas issued in 2008. and 237,000 immigrant visas

granted in 2009. one big problem is people overstaying their visas. the department of homeland security estimates roughly four million people are overstaying them right now. congress is calling on the state department to revamp its visa regulations and close loopholes. in light of the christmas day plane bombing, the state department now requires u.s. embassies abroad to find out if suspicious individuals they're tracking also have u.s. visas. and the srd may start automatically notifying airlines if a person's visa has been revoked. sandra endo, cnn, washington. it was one of the most popular spots for weddings in new york city. you even saw it in the movie "ghostbusters." if you remember that. now the tavern on the green is closed. the new year's eve party that rang in the new year and closed out the restaurant.

the florida man accused of killing four members of his family, including his 6-year-old cousin has been captured. how a popular tv show played a role in his arrest. al qaeda threats close a u.s. embassy as washington moves to battle extremism with talks and with force. and it looks like new york's tavern on the green restaurant has gone out of business after all that time. a look at the party that ended it all and how people are remembering one of the city's most famous landmarkings. you're watching hln news and views on this first sunday of 2010, great to have you with us. we want to get you updated now. authorities have arrested a florida man who allegedly gunned

down four members of his family after thanksgiving dinner. u.s. marshals captured paul mehrige at a hotel in the florida keys last night. there he is on surveillance camera. he was the focus of an intense manhunt after he allegedly shot and killed his twin sisters and a 79-year-old aunt. he also allegedly killed 6-year-old makalya sitton, with mehrige's arrest, the girl's father said he will be able to sleep at night. >> it means i'll be able to sleep a little better tonight. i won't be patrolling the inside of my house with my shotgun thinking that the monster is right around the corner. i've been in protective mode. and now that he's captured, at least you know, my family, we can even begin the healing process. >> mehrige was captured when a viewer of the show, "america's most wanted" recognized him and his car. the u.s. embassy in yemen is closed today because of al qaeda threats against american interests.

the embassy is not saying if there's any specific threat. and it's unclear when it will reopen. the head of u.s. central command, general david petraeus, met with yemen's president yesterday. a senior u.s. government official says they discussed the latest intelligence on al qaeda in yemen. petraeus also gave yemen's president several messages from president obama. yesterday, mr. obama tied al qaeda to that attempted airline attack on christmas day. he said al qaeda's yemeni branch strained the suspected bomber and gave them explosives. >> this is is not the first time the group has targeted us. in recent years they've bombed yemeni government facilities and western hotels. restaurants and embassies, including our embassy in 2008, killing one american. so as president, i've made it a priority to strengthen our partnership with the yemeni government. training and equipping their security forces, sharing intelligence, and working with them to strike al qaeda terrorists. and even before christmas day. we had seen the results -- training camps have been struck. leaders eliminated.

plots disrupted. and all of those involved in the attempted act of terrorism on christmas must know, you, too, will be held to account. >> the yuxt and yemen were hitting terrorist targets in yemen before the airline plots. now they're reportedly looking for new targets for retaliatory strikes. mexican police say they've captured the head of a notorious drug cartel. he was arrested wednesday in the northwest city of kulika in. authorities say leyva was taken into custody after he showed a fake driver's license. his arrest comes a week after his brother was killed in a shootout outside of mexico city. one of the two nba players who reportedly drew a gun in a team locker room is now talking to the media. joe carter has been following this one and has the latest. hi, joe. >> reporter: gilbert arenas spoke to reporters yesterday. but really didn't get into too many details yesterday about the christmas eve incident with teammate, gentleman vars crittendon.

arenas was careful with his words saying he used bad judgment. arenas also said he doesn't gamble and there are misconceptions in the various reports about the dispute between himself and his teammate, javarus crittendon. >> gil, there's a perception that things went wrong here and someone pulled a gun on someone inside here. that's not true? >> i can't speak on that. but if you, if you know me, you've been here, i've never did anything violence. anything i do, it's funny. well, it's funny to me. >> reporter: well the wizards are not laughing -- they signed arenas to a six-year, $111 million contract in 2008. and depending on the severity of the findings in the investigation, they could attempt to void the remainder of that contract. a delta flight from boston to new york returned to logan international airport when a pilot smelled smoke in the

cockpit. a delta spokesman said the pilot turned back eight minutes into the flight. the odor was gone by the time the plane landed back in boston. all 34 people on board were rebooked on a later flight. now delta is investigating the cause of the smoke smell. iran has issued an ultimatum over its nuclear program. it's threatening to enrich nuclear fuel on its own if the west does not renegotiate a u.n.-backed deal by the end of january. the demand came two days after iran defied a deadline by the u.s. and other security council members. the west has been trying to get iran to swap its enriched uranium for nuclear fuel. now the concern is iran may use its uranium to make nuclear weapons. iran says it needs the fuel for research. megachurch pasten, rick warren, got more than double what he asked for in a plea for donations. his church in southern california took in $2.4 million in just three days. on wednesday, he made an urgent

plea for $900,000 to fill a deficit. warren said the deficit and the huge drop in holiday offerings over the holiday caused the shortfall. he's the author of the bestseller "the purpose-driven life." and he gave the invocation at president obama's inauguration. that brings us to our "your views" question of the day. are you confident that your house of faith is spending your donations responsibly? and are you satisfied with the way religious organizations support your community? well if you want to comment, head to my facebook page. we love to hear from you. forecasters say there's more rain coming in an area where storms caused dozens of mudslides. officials say at least 60 people have been killed since rain started pounding southern brazil on wednesday. mudslides buried entire homes and shut a major highway. rescuers are looking for survivors, sometimes digging with their bare hands. in one case, rescuers celebrated when they dug out a toddler, whose entire family was killed at home.

but the little girl unfortunately died later in the hospital. when money is tight, usually the first thing to go is fancy restaurants, right? but coffee is something folks just won't give up. one city is brewing up a new reason for tourists to savor the flavor of a cup of joe. this is a look at your cold and flu season report. this thing is lit up like a christmas tree. where you happen to see red or blue on the map, that indicates regional or widespread cases of the cold and flu. that will be your situation for much of the eastern seaboard. where you see green, only sporadic cases of the cold and flu, where you have yellow, no activity. and that is where you're going to find in nebraska. that's a look at today's cold

and flu season report.

the u.s. postal service is kicking off the new year with a rate hike. starting tomorrow, prices will be going up for ground packages, air express items and international shipments. but the post office says the rate increase does not include first-class stamps. the rough economy may have forced you to cut back. but one thing some folks won't give up is their good old cup of joe. in seattle there are so many coffee shops brewing people are

going on what's called a coffee crawl to sample flavors. and marley ginter o affiliate komo went along. >> reporter: most won't give up the morning cup of coffee, no matter how many pennies they want to pinch. >> i was just noticed coffee houses have gotten busier with the economy going down. it's a nice, affordable luxury. something to go treat yourself. and i think it's causing people to drink a lot more drip coffee and they're experiencing all the different flavors from all over the world. >> reporter: vickie takes people around pike place market on a coffee crawl. and not just tourists, coffee shops hope locals will take a sip and come back. >> it's the best experience if you want to come to seattle you want to go to pike's market and see coffee and fish and this is what makes seattle. >> i really like it and i like that there's not only starbucks in seattle. i was afraid it will be only starbucks here. >> reporter: speaking of the seattle coffee company, starbucks cut costs, laid off

workers and reinvented much of the food sold in its shops this year to turn a profit. competition is fierce in the coffee world. >> it's like tradition, there's starbucks is like the foundation and everybody else spread because of starbucks. and this is, people want to come back to where the foundation was started. >> reporter: so you're not really a coffee drinker, but you're on the coffee crawl? >> yes. >> reporter: are you having any fun? >> yes, i have. it's really good and i formally don't taste the different flavors, so now i have to, and it's good to. >> reporter: good for local coffee shops hoping to be the new hot spot. >> and our thanks to marley ginter of affiliate komo for the story. the coffee crawl is offered by a group known as seattle by foot. which gives walking tours of the city. police arrested about 169 people in a cockfight raid outside of fort worth, texas yesterday. a sheriff said child protective services took as many as 15 children between the ages of 17

to 15 into custody. the rain site had been under surveillance for two weeks and police say they found drugs and cash as well as dead and injured roosters. authorities also seized 114 roosters. a college football team ends what has been a trying season with a big bowl win. joe carter is here with the story. >> reporter: good morning, susan. back in october, the university of connecticut lost teammate jasper howard, after he was stabbed to death during an on-campus fight. now the team remembered the defensive back by honoring him with his number 6 jersey behind the bench. the huskies came up with some spectacular plays like this one, a one-handed grab that scores a touchdown. uconn playing in its fourth bowl game in program history, beat south carolina, beating them 20-7. texas tech blocked out the distractions of firing of head coach mike leech and rallied to beat michigan state. anning an 14us, almost angry

crowd clearly in support of their former coach changed their tone after the win, shouting in support of defensive coordinator, ruffin mcneal who took over for leech after he was fired. old miss, oklahoma state, cotton bowl, rebels quarterback jeven sneed got revved up after throwing an interception. while he was on the bench. ole miss decided to run the football. good decision -- dexter mccluster took this one 86 yards for the score. he was named the game's mvp. ole miss goes on to beat oklahoma state, 21-7. it wasn't the happiest start to the new year for toronto blue jay, he was hit in the face by a firework if his brother. doctors say he suffered first-degree and second-degree burns on his forehead and cheek, but is expected to recover in a couple of weeks. point the fireworks at the sky, not at your brother. that's a look at sports, i'm joe

carter. has too much new year's cheer caught up with you? well let's go beyond the surface to find out if there really is way to get rid of a hangover. no one likes having a hangover. hangovers make you feel miserable in all sorts of ways. and because of that, there are all kinds of cures suggested for hangovers. i've heard of people mixing raw eggs, using vegemite. artichokes, bananas, aspirin, the hair of the dog, drinking more. some other combinations of drinking all kinds of things together. but none of these have been proven to work. alcohol is broken down into toxins, and those particular toxins are the things that it's broken down into, are a big part of what make us feel bad. if you do have a hangover, there are things you can take to help with some of the symptoms. if you have a headache, something like aspirin may help you with the headache.

unfortunately, though, none of these things have been shown to cure the whole thing. so avoiding alcohol is your best bet.

an oil well fire is proving to be difficult for firefighters to put out. it broke out yesterday near luling, texas south of austin. the fire isn't threatening homes, but it reportedly started in two large oil tanks and spread quickly to two more. just when firefighters thought they had it under control yesterday, it flared up again. firefighters are using specialized engine designed to fight petrochemical fires, there are no reports of any injuries. everybody wants to save more and spend less, we have just the guy to help you. join hln money expert, clark howard, at noon eastern. he'll show ways to save more, spend less and avoid getting ripped off. getting small businesses up

and running after hurricane katrina hit in 2005 was vital to new orleans' recovery. sean caleb looks at how a business that opened way back in 1941 got some help and made the turn-around. >> reporter: it's a bowling alley, restaurant and a place known for its live music. it's also a beacon of light in new orleans. and proof that businesses can return. >> my name is john blanchard and this is my turn-around story. >> reporter: when hurricane katrina destroyed his business, blanchard did what he does best. he went back to work. >> what really helped me turn the thing around it was a combination of both my faith, my family, friends and goodwill from a lot of people that wanted to help me and wanted rock inn bowl to not die. >> reporter: blanchard's family

pitched in and so did a local group that supports entrepreneurs. >> after hurricane katrina, we were tasked with going through the community, in the streets, every single neighborhood to find the true change-makers. those those entrepreneurs that if we can get their business up and help them start, not only would this create jobs and revenue, but the social impact to what that can mean to our community. >> reporter: cl >> i got a grant that helped. every little bit help. >> reporter: the rest of the money came from insurance. $50,000 later, and only six weeks after katrina, rocket bowl was back in business. >> six weeks after the storm? >> that first night, 700 people showed up. >> reporter: that first night, john knew his business would make a turnaround. since reopening, revenue is up 50% according to blanchard. enough to move to this new more modern location. and while blanchard's business has turned around, his hard work

has taken a toll. >> let me see how you fair. >> this is only the second bowl i've season hethrown here in si but we'll see how i go. if i can even stay on my feet. you see? >> well, you got barack obama tieses. >> reporter: sean callebs, cnn. it was one of the most popular spots for weddings in new york city. you even saw it in the movie ghost busters if you remember that. now the tavern on the green is closed. the new year's eve party that rang in the new year and closed out the restaurant.

a florida man accused of killing four members of his family including his 6-year-old cousin has been captured. how a popular it tv show played a role in his arrest. al qaeda threats close the u.s. embassy as washington moves to battle extremism with talks and force. and the tavern on the green restaurant has gone out of business. a hook at the party that ended it all and how people are remembering one of the city's most famous landmarks. you're watching hln news and views on this first sunday of 2010. great to have you with us. we want too get you updated now. authorities have arrested a

florida man who alledgedly gunned down four members of his family after thanksgiving dinner. u.s. marsha u.s. marshal captured him. he allegedly killed 6-year-old michaela as she slept. a her father can now sleep. >> i won't be patrolling the inside of my house with my shotgun thinking that the monster is right around the corner. i've been if protective mode. and now that he's captured, at least my family can even begin the healing process. >> he was captured when a viewer of the show america's most wanted recognized him and his car. the u.s. embassy in yemen is closed today because of al qaeda

threats against american interests. the embassy is not saying if there is any specific threat and it's unclear when it will reopen. the head of u.s. central command general david petraeus met with yemen's president yesterday. a senior u.s. government official says they discussed the latest intelligence on al qaeda in yemen. petraeus also give yemen's president several messages from president obama. yesterday mr. obama tied al qaeda to that attempted airline attack on christmas day. he said al qaeda's yemeni branch trained the bomber and gave him explosives. >> this is not the first time this group has targeted us. in recent years, they've bombed government facilities and western hotels. restaurants and embassy, including our embassy in 2008 killing one american. so as president, i've made it a priority to strengthen our partnership with the yemeni government, training and equipping their security forces, sharing intelligence, and working with them to strike al qaeda terrorists. and even before christmas day, we had seen the results. training camps have been struck.

leaders eliminated. plots disrupted. and all those involved in the attempted act of terrorism on christmas must know you, too, will be held to account. >> the u.s. and yemen were hitting terrorist targets in yemen before the airline plot. now they are reportedly looking for new targets for retaliatory strikes. mexican police say they have captured the head of a notorious drug cartel. he was arrested wednesday in the northwest city. authorities say he was taken into custody after he showed a fake driver's license with an alias they knew he had been using. it comes a week after his brother was killed in a shoot-out. one of the two nba players who reportedly drew a gun in a team locker room is now talking to the media. joe carter has been following this one. >> gilbert arenas spoke to reporters yesterday but didn't get in to too many details about the christmas eve incident with javaris.

arenas was careful with his records saying he used bad judgment in bringing guns in to the wizards locker room. he also said he does not gamble and that there are misconceptions in the various reports about the dispute between himself and his teammate. arenas wouldn't go into detail about other parts of the investigation, but did tell reporters he has a meeting with law enforcement authorities tomorrow. >> i feel there's a perception that things went wrong here and someone pulled a gun on someone. >> i can't speak on that. but i've never did anything violent. anything that do i is funny. well, it's funny to me. >> the wizards are certainly not latching. they signed a rethat is to a six year, $111 million contract in 2008 and depending on the severe different findings, they could attempt to void the remainder of that contract. the man accused of trying to attack a controversial danish

cartoonist has been charged with attempted murder. danish officials also tied him yesterday to an african militant group allied with al qaeda. officials say the suspect is a so he mality man who tried to break into the cartoonist's home friday night. the cartoonist reportedly hid in a panic room until police shot and wounded the suspect. this cartoonist is nope for his controversial depiction of the muslim profit mohammed. a delta flight from boston to new york returned to loi beg logan international airport when a pilot smelled smoke. he turned back eight minutes in to the flight. the odor was gone by the time the plane landed back this boston. all 34 people on board were rebook ordered on a later fligh. delta is investigationing the cause. iran has issued an ultimatum. it is threats thing to enrich nuclear fuel on its own if the west does not renegotiate a u.n. backed deal by the end of

january. the demand came two days after iran defied a deadline. the west has been trying to get iran to swap its enriched uranium for nuclear fuel. now the concern is iran may use its uranium to make nuclear weapons. iran says it needs the fuel research. rick warren got more than double what he asked for in a plea for donations. his church in southern california took in $2.4 million in just three days. on wednesday, he made an urgent plea for $900,000 to fill a deficit. warren said the recession and a huge drop in offerings over the holiday cause that had shortfall. he's the author of the best seller the purpose driven life. he also gave the invocation at president obama's inauguration. that brings us to our your views question of the day. are you confident that your house of faith is spending your donations responsibly and are you satisfied with the way religious organizations support your community? if you want to comment, just

head to my facebook page. we'd love to hear from you. forecasters say there is more rain coming in an area where storms caused dozens of mudslides. officials say at least 60 people have been killed since rain started pounding southern brazil on wednesday. mudslides buried entire homes and shut down a major highway. rescuers are looking for survivors sometimes digging with their bayer haea hands. and they celebrated when they dug out a little girl, but she unfortunately died later in a hospital. folks in rhode island broke out shovels after 7 to 10 inches of snow fell over new england most of the main roads were cleared for driver but the side streets were covered in snow. >> we're cleaning snow for money, shoveling, helping people and everything. if they need help, we shovel for $5. >> we've been fortunate it's been weekends.

that's why. >> we're doing whatever we can. even today, we've been judicious about how we're doing it, calling in a few people so that we can keep the main roads and the hilly roads salted and sanded. >> and more snow and wind are expected in the providence area today. but it is expected to send by tomorrow. good new there is. and temperatures should get a little warmer. 2010 is here and with it comes freezing temperatures. let's get right to reynold wolf. it is cold out there in the northeast especially. >> absolutely. northeast and parts of the midwest, shockingly cold. take a look at some of the numbers. it is 25 below zero in fargo. minneapolis, subzero conditions there, too. sioux falls, single digits. same story in milwaukee and chicago. later on we do expect things to modify a bit. 32 in them physical, 38 in

atlanta, 51 in tampa, 54 in houston. but that's only part of the story. the other issue is the strong winds we'll be dealing with where windchill factors will feel 10 to 20 degrees in parts of the southeast and central plains. up towards the great lakes, it will feel like 10 below just in terms of the windchill. heavy snow may continue for parts of upstate maine. look for scattered snow showers in new york and pennsylvania snow showers also possible across parts of the central plains. and the pacific northwest will see rain along the coast and snow back into the interior of washington state and parts of the columbia river valley. that is the latest. i'm reynolds wolf. enjoy your day. when money is tight, usually the first thing to go is fancy restaurants. but coffee is something folks won't give up. and one city is brewing up a new season for tourists to savor t

flavor.

the u.s. postal service kicking off the new year are a rate hike. prices will be going up for ground package, air express items and international shipments. but the post office says the rate increase does not include first class stamps. the rough economy may have forced to you cut back, but one thing some folks won't give up isn't their good old cup of joe. in seattle, there are so many coffee shops brew, people are going on what's called a coffee crawl to sample flavors. our affiliate went along. >> reporter: most won't give up that morning cup of coffee no matter how many pennies they want to pinch. >> ich just noticed coffee houses have gotten busier with the economy going down. it's a nice affordable luxury, something to go treat yourself. and i think it's causing people to drink a lot more drip coffee and they're experiencing all the different flavors from all over the world.

>> reporter: vicky takes people on a coffee crawl and not just tourists. coffee shop hopes locals will take a ship and keep coming back. >> it's the best experience. if you're going to come to seattle, you want to go pike's market and see coffee and fish and this is what makes seattle. >> i really like it and i like that there is not only starbucks in seattle. i was afraid it would only be starbucks here. >> reporter: and speaking of the seattle coffee company, starbucks cut costs, laid off workers and reinvented much of the food sold in its shops to turn a profit. competition is fierce in the coffee world. >> it's tradition. starbucks is like the foundation and everybody else want to come back to where the foundation was started. >> so you're not really a coffee drinker but you're on the coffee crawl? >> yes. >> are you having any fun? >> yes, i have. it's really good. and i normally don't taste the different flavors, so now i have to and it's good to. >> reporter: good for local coffee shops hoping to be the

new hot spot. >> and our thanks of k mchlt omo for that story. the coffee crawl is offered by a group known as seattle by foot. which gives walking tours of the city. police arrested about 169 people in a c on ock fight raid outside of ft. worth. child protective services also took as many as 15 children between the ages of 17 to 15 into custody. the site had been under survey labs for into week and they found drug and carve and ted and injured roosters. authorities also seized 114 radios roost roosters. >> a college football team finally got back on the field to play. >> texas tech fired their coach mike leach last week after he allegedly mistreated a flare h. play player. and wefsh still talking about it the red raiders took the field in front of apanxious, almost

angry crowd clearly in support of their former coach. a credit to the texas tech team, an interim k0e67 ruffin mcneill, because they blocked out the does his tractions and rallied to beat michigan state 41-31. the tone of the crowd changed after the game. fans actually shouted ruffin as thank you to the defense sich coordinator who took over the team and led the school through a week they certainly want to forget about. now, a team not in a hurry to forget about anything, university of connecticut. they remembered jasper howard before their ball game before south carolina. the team lost howard a month in to the seen after he was stabbed to death during and on democrat campus fight. the huskies on the football field ended the trying season with an impressive win. moore with an incredible one handed grab for the touchdown. uconn would go on to beat south carolina 20-7. nhl action, one for the team during a game against chicago. watch the replay.

he actually takes the puck off his face. the goal would count, but his team would go on to lose. and finally i can't say that i've ever heard of this. kraft foods is dropping $75,000 to be the official sponsor when the old texas stadium is demolished. they're calling it a cheddar explosion. the stadium is expected to turn into rubble this spring and while there's nothing cheesy about that. the that's a look at sports. it looks like more people than ever want to get a visa to visit the u.s. but some say after that failed terror attack on christmas day, authorities should make it more difficult for people to get one. this is "hln."

an oil well fire is proving to be difficult to put out. it broke out new luling, texas south of austin. it isn't threatening any home, but it report thely started in two large oil tanks and spread quickly to two more. just when firefighters thought they had it under control, it flared up again. firefighters are using specialized engines designed to fight petrochemical fires. there are no reports of any injuries. now, because of that failed terror attack on a plane on christmas day, there is new attention to the way people from

other countries enter the u.s. now. some critics say that incident is proof that the process should be improved. sandra endo shows us how a visa is the ticket for entry into america. >> reporter: for an entry into the united states, how difficult is it to get an admission ticket to america? citizens in 35 countries don't even need a visa to gain entry. as part of the visa waiver program, it allows them a maximum 90-day stay. but for those from other countries, travelers must apply for specific visas. there are temporary visas for tourists, business travelers, short-term employment, and students. each visa type allows a person to stay in america for different lengths of time. longer-term visa applicants need to show strong ties to their country of origin as proof they'll return home. student visas allow a person to stay for the duration of their studies. and more than 650,000 foreign students attended u.s. colleges and universities last year.

temporary worker visas permit a three-year stay with roughly 100,000 issued per year. the most common tourist or business visas allow a six-month stay. immigrant visas are for those looking to become a permanent u.s. resident. those applicants need sponsors like an american relative or u.s. employer. the u.s. state department can deny a visa to individuals with criminal records, certain diseases, or suspected terrorists. the alleged detroit bomber already had a visa but some critics say the process needs to work better to keep the bad guys out. and that includes revoking or flagging a visa holder for secondary screening. >> the chain is as strong as its weakest link. it starts with gathering intelligence. next it's the dissemination of intelligence. next it's acting on the intelligence. both at embassies and at ports of entry. >> reporter: the demand for visas to the u.s. continues to increase. with 6.6 million nonimmigrant visas issued in fiscal year 2008

and nearly 237,000 immigrant visas granted in 2009. one big problem is people overstaying their visas. the department of homeland security estimates roughly 4 million people are overstaying them right now. congress is calling on the state department to revamp its visa regulations and close loopholes. in light of the christmas day plane bombing, the state department now requires u.s. embassies abroad to find out if suspicious individuals they're tracking also have u.s. visas. and the state department may start automatically notifying airlines if a person's visa has been revoked. sandra endo, cnn, washington. it was one of the most popular spots for weddings in new york city. you even saw it in the movie "ghostbusters." if you remember that. now that tavern on the green is closed, the new year's party that rang in the new year and closed out the restaurant.  

the florida man accused of killing four members of his family including his 6-year-old cousin has been captured. how a popular tv show played a role in his arrest. al qaeda threats close a u.s. embassy as washington moves to battle extremism with talks and with force. and it looks like new york's tavern on the green restaurant has gone out of business after all that time. a look at the party that ended it all and how people are remembering one of the city's most famous landmarks. you are watching "hln news and views" on this first sunday of 2010. great to have you with us. i'm susan hendricks. we want to get you updated now. authorities have arrested a florida man who allegedly gunned

down four members of his family after thanksgiving dinner. u.s. marshals captured paul merhige at a hotel in the florida keys last night. there he is on surveillance camera. he was the focus of an intense manhunt after he allegedly shot and killed his twin sisters and 79-year-old aunt. he also allegedly killed 6-year-old michaela sitton as she slept in her family's home. with his arrest, michaela's father says now he will be able to sleep at night. >> it means i'll be able to sleep a little better tonight, and i won't be patrolling the inside of my house with my shotgun, you know, thinking that the monster is right around the corner. i've been in protective mode. and now that he's captured, at least, you know, my family, we can even begin the healing process. >> merhige was captured when a viewer of "america's most wanted" recognized him and his car. the u.s. embassy in yemen is closed today because of al qaeda threats against american interests.

the embassy is not saying if there is any specific threat. and it's unclear when it will reopen. the head of u.s. central command, general david petraeus, met with yemen's president yesterday. a senior u.s. government official says they discussed the latest intelligence on al qaeda in yemen. petraeus also gave yemen's president several messages from president obama. yesterday mr. obama tied al qaeda to that attempted airline attack on christmas day. he said al qaeda's yemeni branch trained the suspected bomber and gave him explosives. >> this is not the first time this group has targeted us. in recent years they've bombed yemeni government facilities and western hotels. restaurants and embassies including our embassy in 2008, killing one american. so as president, i've made it a priority to strengthen our partnership with the yemeni government, training and equipping their security forces, sharing intelligence and working with them to strike al qaeda terrorists. and even before christmas day, we had seen the results. training camps have been struck.

leaders eliminated. plots disrupted. and all those involved in the attempted act of terrorism on christmas must know you, too, will be held to account. >> the u.s. and yemen were hitting terrorist targets in yemen before the airline plot. now they are reportedly looking for new targets for retaliatory strikes. mexican police say they have captured the head of a notorious drug cartel. carlos leyva was arrested. authorities say he was taken into custody after he showed a fake driver's license with an alias they knew he had been using. his arrest comes just a week after his brother was killed in a shootout outside of mexico city. one of the two nba players who reportedly drew a gun in a team locker room is now talking to the media. joe carter's been following this one and has the latest. hi, joe. >> good morning, susan. gilbert arenas spoke to reporters yesterday but didn't get into too many details about the christmas eve incident with teammate javarris crittenton. arenas was careful with his words saying he used bad

judgment in bringing guns into the washington wizards' locker room. arenas also said that he does not gamble and that there are misconceptions in the various reports about the dispute between himself and his teammate. arenas wouldn't go into detail about other parts of the investigation but did tell reporters he has a meeting with law enforcement authorities tomorrow. >> gilbert, there's a perception that things went wrong here, that someone pulled a gun on someone. that's not true? >> i can't, you know, speak on that. but, you know, if you know me, you've been here, i've never did anything violent. anything i do it's funny -- well, it's funny to me. >> the wizards are not laughing. they signed arenas to a six-year, $111 million contract in 2008. and depending on the severity of the findings in the investigation, they could attempt to void the remainder of that contract. the man accused of trying to attack a controversial danish cartoonist has been charged with attempted murder.

danish officials also tied him yesterday to an african militant group allied with al qaeda. officials say the suspect is a somali man who tried to break into the cartoonist's home on friday night. the cartoonist reportedly hid in a panic room until police shot and wounded the suspect. now, this cartoonist is known for his controversial depiction of the muslim prophet mohamed. a delta flight from boston to new york returned to logan international airport when a pilot smelled smoke in the cockpit. a delta spokesman says the pilot turned back eight minutes into the flight. the odor was gone by the time the plane landed back in boston. all 34 people on board were rebooked on a later flight. now, delta is investigating the cause of the smoke smell. iran has issued an ultimatum over its nuclear program. it is threatening to enrich nuclear fuel on its own if the west does not renegotiate a u.n.-backed deal by the end of january. the demand came two days after

iran defied a deadline by the u.s. and other security council members. the west has been trying to get iran to swap its enriched uranium for nuclear fuel. the concern is iran may use its uranium to make nuclear weapons. iran says it needs the fuel for research. megachurch pastor rick warren got more than double what he asked for in a plea for donations. his church in southern california took in $2.4 million in just three days. on wednesday, he made an urgent plea for $900,000 to fill a deficit. warren said the recession and a huge drop in offerings over the holiday caused that shortfall. warren is the author of the best-seller "the purpose driven life." he also gave the invocation at president obama's inauguration. that brings us to our your views question of the day. are you confident that your house of faith is spending your donations responsibly? are you satisfied with the way religious organizations support your community? if you want to comment, head to my facebook page.

forecasters say there is more rain coming in an area where storms caused dozens of mudslides. officials say at least 60 people have been killed since rain started pounding southern brazil on wednesday. mudslides buried entire homes and shut down a major highway. rescuers are looking for survivors, sometimes digging with their bare hands. and in one case rescuers celebrated when they dug out a toddler whose entire family was killed at home. but the little girl unfortunately died later in the hospital. let's get to wretreynolds w. it is cold out there. >> northeast and parts of the midwest is shockingly cold. take a look at the numbers. it is 25 degrees below zero in fargo. minneapolis, subzero there,

sioux falls, kansas city, same story. we do expect things to modify. 32 in memphis, 51 in tampa, 54 in houston. but that's only part of the story. strong winds will make windchill feel 10 to 20 degrees in parts of the southeast. but great lakes, it will feel like 10 below just in terms of the windchill. now what we can expect in terms of travel, heavy snow may continue for parts of upstate maine. look for scattered snowstorms across new york. pennsylvania, snow showers also possible across parts of the central plains and back into the midwest. pacific northwest will see rain along the coast and snow back into the interior of washington state and parts of the columbia river valley. that is the latest for your forecast. enjoy your date. when money is tight, usually the first thing to go is fancy

restaurants, but coffee is something folks just won't give up and one city is brewing up a new city for tourists to savor the flavor of a cup of joe.

the u.s. postal service is kicking off the new year with a rate hike. starting tomorrow, prices will be going up for ground packages, air express items and international shipments. but the post office says the rate increase does not include first-class stamps. the rough economy may have forced you to cut back, but one thing some folks won't give up is their good old cup of joe. in seattle there are so many coffee shops brewing, people are going on what's called a coffee crawl to sample flavors. and marley ginter of affiliate komo went along. >> reporter: most won't give up that morning cup of coffee no matter how many pennies they want to pinch. >> i've just noticed coffee houses have gotten busier with the economy going down. it's just a nice affordable luxury, something to go treat

yourself. and i think it's causing people to drink a lot more drip coffee. and they're experiencing all the different flavors from all over the world. >> reporter: vickie shuman takes people around pike place market on a coffee crawl and not just tourists. coffee shops hope locals will take a sip and keep coming back. >> it's the best experience, you know. if you're going to come to seattle, you want to go to pike's market and see coffee and fish. you know, this is what makes seattle. >> i really like it. and i like that there is not only starbucks in seattle. i was afraid it would be only starbucks here. >> reporter: and speaking of the seattle coffee company, starbucks cut costs, laid off workers and reinvented much of the food sold in its shops this year to turn a profit. competition is fierce in the coffee world. >> it's like tradition. starbucks is like the foundation. and everybody else spread because of starbucks. you know, people want to come back to where the foundation was started. >> reporter: now, wait a second. so you're not really a coffee drinker but you're on the coffee

crawl? >> yes. >> reporter: are you having any fun? >> yes, i am. it's really good. i normally don't taste the different flavors, so now i have to and it's good, too. >> reporter: good for local coffee shops hoping to be the new hot spot. >> and our thanks to marley ginter of komo for that story. now, the coffee crawl's offered by a group known as seattle by foot which gives walking tours of the city. police arrested about 169 people in a cockfight raid outside of ft. worth, texas, yesterday. a sheriff says child protective services also took as many as 15 children between the ages of 17 to 15 into custody. the raid site had been under surveillance for two weeks. and police say they found drugs and cash as well as dead and injured roosters. authorities also seized 114 roosters. a college football team surround by controversy finally

got back on the field. joe carter is here. >> back in october the university of connecticut lost jasper howard after he was stabbed to death. the team remembered the defensive back by honoring him with his number six jersey behind the bench. on the field the huskies came up with spectacular plays like this one handed grab. uconn playing in its fourth bowl game in program history took care of south carolina. they beat them 20-7. now, texas tech blocked out the distractions surrounding the firing of mike leach and rallied to beat michigan state 41-31. an anxious, almost angry crowd, clearly in support of their former coach actually changed their tone after the win shouting in support of defensive coordinator ruffin mcneill who of course took over for leach after he was fired. ole miss, oklahoma state, cotton bowl, rebels quarterback, watch this, he gets lit up after throwing an interception.

knocked out of the game. he'd return, though, but in the meantime, while he was on the bench, ole miss decided to run the football. good decision. dexter mccluster took this one 86 yards for the score. he was named the game's mvp. ole miss goes on to beat oklahoma state 21-7. it wasn't the happiest start to the new year for the toronto blue jay. he was hit in the pace with a fire work by his brother. he suffered first and second degree burns. but is expected to recover in a couple of weeks. a good reminder, point your fireworks to the sky, not at your brother. that's a look at sports. i'm joe carter. more than ever want to get a visa to visit the u.s., but some say after that failed terror attack on christmas day, authorities should make it more difficult for people to get one. this is hln.

an oil well fire is proving to be difficult for firefighters to put out. it broke out yesterday near

luling, texas. that is south of austin. the fire isn't threatening any homes, though, but it reportedly started in two large oil tanks and quickly spread to two more. just when firefighters thought they had it under control yesterday, it flared up again. firefighters are using specialized engines designed to fight petrochemical fires. there are no reports of any injuries. because of that failed terror attack on a plane on christmas day, there is new attention to the way people from other countries enter the u.s. now. some critics say that incident is proof that the process should be improved. sandra endo shows us how a visa is the ticket for entry into america. >> reporter: for an entry into the united states, how difficult is it to get an admission ticket to america? citizens in 35 countries don't even need a visa to gain entry. as part of the visa waiver program, it allows them a maximum 90-day stay. but for those from other countries, travelers must apply for specific visas.

there are temporary visas for tourists, business travelers, short-term employment and students. each visa type allows a person to stay in america for different lengths of time. longer-term applicants need to show strong ties to their country of origin as proof they'll return home. student visas allow a person to studentses to stay for the duration of their studies. temporary worker visas like the h 1 b permit a three year stay with roughly 100,000 issued per year. the most common tourist or business visas allow a six month stay. imgrant reas are for those looking to become a permanent u.s. resident. those need sponsors like an american relative or u.s. employer. the u.s. state department can deny a via to individuals with criminal record, certain diseases or suspected terrorists. the alleged detroit bomber already had a vee sarks but some critics say the process needs to work better to keep the bad guys

out and that includes revoking or flagging a visa holder for secondary screening. >> the chain is as strong next acting on the intelligence, both at embassies and port of entries. the demand for visas continue to increase with 6.6 million non-immigrant visas in fiscal year 2008 and nearly 237,000 immigrant visas granted in 2009. one big problem is people overstaying their visas. roughly 4 million people are overstaying them right now. congress is calling on the state department to revamp its visa reg tagzs and close loopholes. in light of the christmas day plane bombing, the state department now requires u.s. embassies abroad to fun out if suspicious individuals they're tracking also have u.s. vits as and the state department might start notifying airlines that a

visa has been revoked. sandra end on, cnn, washington. >> it was one of the popular spots for wed negligence new york city and you each saw it in the movie ghost gubusters if yo remember that. they rang in the new year and closed out the restaurant. what do you do with an old freighter? a good eco-solution would be send it to the fishes. that is what miami-dade county in florida is doing. the freighter ophelia bryant was sunk on wednesday. the 210-foot ship is the latest addition to the program off of key biscayne. a news release from the program says the freighter should provide a boost to south florida's diving and fishing industries. look at it go down from there

and on the ecological front it should strengthen the area's marine habitat. for more environmental news, check out the website for cnn.com/eco-solutions.