i'm alina cho. >> and i'm brooke baldwin. john and zoraida are off.u're having a wonderful early thanksgiving morning. >>> and we are 16 hours into a delicate cease-fire in gaza and israel. so far, it is holdings. the bombings and blood she had ha have ended in gaza city. israel and that haas agreeing to stop all aggressions after eight days of carnage. secretary of state hillary clinton putting the deal in perspective. >> this is a critical moment for the region. egypt's new government is assuming the responsibility and leadership that has long made this country a cornerstone of regional stability and peace. >> let's go live now to fred pleitgen. he's in israel. fred, good morning to you. what's going on where you are? >> reporter: hi, alina. this morning, as you said, it's fairly quiet compared to the past couple of days. there have been, apparently, some smaller cease-fire violations, according to the israeli military. they said that overnight, some three rockets were fired out of gaza on to israeli territory. all of those rockets hit either in ope

i'm alina cho. it's 5:00 a.m. in the east. thanks so much for being with us on this very, very early monday morning. >> it is early. but up first, the bombings and the bloodshed on the rise in gaza. the last day has been the deadliest. 11 civilians, including four children, killed by an israeli missile that leveled a two-story home in gaza city. there's no letup in sight to the violence. representatives of israel and hamas are in egypt separately for peace talks. hamas issuing its demand for a cease-fire. they want israel to end a long-running military blockade of gaza immediately. the carnage from the last 24 hours, arwa damon is in gaza city. >> reporter: the large slab of concrete and mangled metal finally gives way. buried beneath it, another lifeless body. it's the second child we've seen. there was also a baby. others in the neighborhood say the blast killed all ten people who lived here. israel says it was targeting a man who heads a rocket launch unit. people we spoke with said they never he

. >> good morning, everybody, i'm alina cho. happy black friday to you. it is 6:00 a.m. in the east. >>> we are going to start this hour with breaking news in the gaza/israel conflict. new reports of new violence this morning. it happened in gaza near the israeli border. according to hamas security sources about 700 people were participating in the anti-israel protests that approached the border. israeli forces allegedly fired at the protests killing at least one palestinian man and wounding three others. we are going to keep our eye on this for you this morning. we'll bring you the latest as it develops. now, to the other news today, it is black friday in america. somehow, this shopping frenzy became a holiday tradition. and this year, hard-core bargain hunters face a new challenge with more stores moving their door buster hours up to thanksgiving night, creating, yes, gray thursday. people camped out in the line for hours hoping to score some sweet deals. we have two live reports from some very brave reporters, cnn's george howell is at a best buy in atlanta, stacy coh

i'm alina cho.n kosik. john berman and zoraida sambolin are off today. it is 28 minutes past the hour. we're learning more this morning about the dramatic yawn fall of cia director david petraeus after an affair with his biographer. it's triggered new questions about an fbi investigation and demands from lawmakers concerned about a possible breach of national security. cnn's barbara star is following developments for us. she's live at the pentagon. barbara, good morning. talk to us about the timing of this investigation. >> well, good morning, alison. apparently it all started several months ago when the fbi began investigating a complaint about harassing e-mails a woman was receiving. those e-mails were tracked back to paula broadwell. so, the investigation proceeds. by all accounts, no evidence of any security breach at this point. but, it's the timing that is raising questions. it was election night, last tuesday night, when the director of national intelligence was first informed about the inves

"cnn newsroom" continues right now with alina cho. >> hey, carol, thank you very much. i'm in for ashleigh banfield today. we are so glad you're with us today. and let's get started. first up, we just can't call it the petraeus scandal anymore. today, the u.s. general in charge of allied troops in afghanistan, the top commander john allen is himself the subject of a pentagon investigation of allegedly inappropriate communications with jill kelley. yes, that jill kelley, we're talking about the same tampa housewife whom david petraeus' then mistress paula broadwell apparently saw as a rival. a whole new chapter in a saga that since last friday has been one bombshell after another. and so far, all of them have something to do with kelley. she's a volunteer military liaison at the air force base, home of the u.s. central command in tampa, florida. kelley complained to the fbi last spring when paula broadwell was having an affair with petraeus allegedly harassed her with jealous e-mails. petraeus admitted the affair with broadwell but denies any elicit contact with kelley.

i'm alina cho. >> i'm brooke baldwin.t this hour between israel and hamas. >> hamas, which the u.s. considers a terrorist group, controls gaza. remember, palestinian national authority, the much more moderate group favored by the u.s. controls the west bank. but the palestinian authority was largely sidelined in this conflict and hamas appears to have strengthened its in negotiations. palestinian national authority spokesman, miss oaday, thank you for joining us. the cease fire has been in place about 18 1/2 hours. in a few hours at the 24-hour mark, the border crossings into gaza will reopen. and the negotiations will continue. i'm curious from your standpoint, what are you looking for as we look ahead? >> first of all, thank you for having me. the number one priority for the palestinian government and the palestinian leadership is that the assault has stopped. the killing has stopped and whoa don't have to mourn the loss of any more of our children. over 30 of them have been killed over the past eight years of -- eight

coming up, our alina cho goes one-on-one with youtube sensation.ave used androgel 1%, there's big news. presenting androgel 1.62%. both are used to treat men with low testosterone. androgel 1.62% is from the makers of the number one prescribed testosterone replacement therapy. it raises your testosterone levels, and... is concentrated, so you could use less gel. and with androgel 1.62%, you can save on your monthly prescription. [ male announcer ] dosing and application sites between these products differ. women and children should avoid contact with application sites. discontinue androgel and call your doctor if you see unexpected signs of early puberty in a child, or, signs in a woman which may include changes in body hair or a large increase in acne, possibly due to accidental exposure. men with breast cancer or who have or might have prostate cancer, and women who are, or may become pregnant or are breast feeding should not use androgel. serious side effects include worsening of an enlarged prostate, possible increased risk of prostate cancer,

alina cho sticks around.ent veterans day remembering veterans and the other 364 days a year forgetting about veterans. you know especially when you think of all the issues that many come back with, ptsd, many veterans are homeless, and have all kinds of challenges to deal with. you, you've been focusing on meditation. i know we'll talk more about it later. why veterans, though? >> well, because, first everyone should have time to let the noise settle. but meditating is a great way to fight off stress. and people who have been through kind of experiences that some of our veterans have need it. and it's a dramatic shift for many in their consciousness, in their ability to deal with coming back to the world. you know, so it's something that we've given, and found great results from, and i'm on the board, by the way, the david lynch foundation. we raise funds and then do these programs for veterans. >> i started meditating because of russell. i read his book and he talks a lot about transcendental medication and

alina cho, cnn, paris. >>> how old is the big blue planet that we're all living on right now?years old? the one and only bill nye the science guy will tell us what he thinks. at unitedhealthcare insurance company, we understand that commitment. so does aarp, serving americans 50 and over for generations. so it's no surprise millions have chosen an aarp dicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, it helps cover some of what medicare doesn't pay. to find out more, call today. throughout our lives. one a day women's 50+ is a complete multivitamin designed for women's health concerns as we age. it has more of 7 antioxidants to support cell health. one a day 50+. with features like scanning a barcode to get detailed stock quotes to voice recognition. e-trade leads the way in wherever, whenever investing. download the ultimate in mobile investing apps, free, at e-trade. >>> welcome back. a controversial statement by a rising star in the republican party grabbed headlines this week. florida senator

cnn's alina cho is at a makeshift polling station in brooklyn, new york. , alina. >> john, good morning to you. i'm at the only school in new york city that is serving as both an emergency shelter and a polling station today. the polls are open here in new york. a line has formed around the corner, about a dozen people on line. these are people who are not displaced, but they are very excited to vote. including one woman who even brought a chair. she said she's very serious about it. but you're absolutely right. late yesterday, just hours before the polls opened, new york governor andrew cuomo signed an executive order that essentially says, if you live in a federal disaster zone in new york, you can cast your ballot today, not just in your district, but in any polling site in the state. now, all you have to do is go into that site, sign an affidavit, and you can vote. this is unprecedented. and it will mean that up to 143,000 voters in new york city alone will be able to cast their ballots today. these are people who might otherwise have problems getting t

alina cho is at a high school in brooklyn that is doubling as a shelter for all of the sandy evacueeslso be a voting site, we understand. alina, how are the preparations going there? >> reporter: well, i think we'll have to wait and see until election day tomorrow, zoraida. good morning. we are at brooklyn tech high school. you're absolutely right. right now it is an emergency shelter. housing those with special medical needs. and tomorrow it will become a polling station. and in that way, it is unique. it is the only school in new york city that will be both an emergency shelter and a polling station. now, across the city on election day, some 60 polling sites will either have to be combined or relocated due to damage from hurricane sandy. and in a move that could be unprecedented, voters in some new york counties including some on long island could actually get an extra day to cast ballots if voter turnout is less than 25%. but right now up to 40,000 people in new york city alone are without a home and are looking for one. so the most immediate concern is housing. >> if you get cold

alina cho sits down with the man at the center of this global craze. >>> coming back from that bus accident that allowed me to grow that much quicker. ♪ >> don't go back down. >> i don't think there's anything more satisfying than helping out another human being. i'm very happy that cnn heroes is doing what they're doing. when you see these people that are sacrificing themselves for others, to me, that's a hero. every step of the way. i'm going to dream about that tiramisu. what a night, huh? but, um, can the test drive be over now? head back to the dealership? [ male announcer ] it's practically yours. but we still need your signature. volkswagen sign then drive is back. and it's never been easier to get a passat. that's the power of german engineering. get $0 down, $0 due at signing, $0 deposit, and $0 first month's payment on any new volkswagen. visit vwdealer.com today. to provide a better benefits package... oahhh! [ male announcer ] it made a big splash with the employees. [ duck yelling ] [ male announcer ] find out more at... [ duck ] aflac! [ male announcer ] ...forbusiness.com. ♪

cnn's alina cho is at a makeshift polling station live in brooklyn, new york, this morning. good morning, alina. >> john, good morning to you. i'm at the only school in new york city that is actually doubling as a shelter and a polling station today. the polls have been open here for about an hour, and if turnout is any guide here i can tell you that turnout will be very high in new york state. hundreds of people have already cast their ballots, i spoke to a lot of people inside where the line was snaking inside the building. lots of people said to me, this is a very important election. i want to cast my ballot early. i spoke to another young woman who is voting in her very first election. she came with her mother today. late yesterday, in an extraordinary move, new york's governor andrew cuomo signed an executive order basically saying that if you live in a federal disaster zone in new york, you can cast your ballot not just in your district, but in any district in new york. that is significant, and unprecedented. the governor says just because you are displaced, it doesn't

but want to take you to my colleague alina cho who is taking a look at what is happening in new york now at polling site there, do i have that right, alina? >> reporter: that's absolutely right, jim. great to see you. i'm here at what is really the only school in new york city that is doubling as emergency shelter in the wake of superstorm sandy and a polling station today. polls have been opened in new york for 7 1/2 hour. lines incredibly long inside this building behind me. in fact the people coming out are telling us that they've been waiting two, 2 1/2 hours to vote. expressing a lot of frustration saying that it's disorganized inside. in the end they are happy they're able to cast ballots. people are voting. except in rare cases where they can't stand the wait. >> it's just a very long line and probably try around 12:30 or 1:00. >> reporter: might be slower then? >> i don't know. if it's not we'll wait for it then. >> reporter: how long did you wait before you gave up? >> about a minute. just a very long line. >> this is inspiring to see so many people up and out to vote already

. >> i'm alina cho. soledad has the week off. back in black. were sleeping, shoppers came out in force. retailers couldn't be happier. >> except at walmart, where a black friday strike threatens to hit the huge company right where it hurts. >>> plus deadly gunfire at the gau gaza border. will it upset the uneasy truce in the middle east? >> it is friday, november 23rd. black friday. and "starting point" begins right now. >>> good morning, everybody. it's 8:00 in the east. the day after thanksgiving. our "starting point" deck the malls with tons of shoppers. stores across the country have been open for hours now. in keeping with the black friday tradition. some of the biggest retails got a jump on that by opening on thanksgiving. >> it appears there are plenty of bargains to be had. george howell is checking that out for us at a best buy store outside atlanta, georgia. what are you seeing? >> reporter: john, good morning. look, you look around this store there are a lot of deals to be had. look at this. you save, what, $40? $40 here. $30 here. w