i'm ashleigh banfield in for bern burnett, who's on assignment in afghanistan. the second half hour with stories that we care about. internet typhoon, john mcafee, who was on the run for weeks, now appears to be back in the united states after being released and deported from guatemala this morning. guatemalan officials tell cnn that he boarded a flight bound for miami this afternoon and according to flight records, that plane has landed. international criminal defense lawyer douglas mcmahon says the only way that mcafee could be considered for extradition to belize instead was if authorities had charged him with a crime. but so far, mcafee is only wanted for questioning in the death of his neighbor, but not charged with hit. >>> venezuelan president hugo chavez is recovering in a cuban hospital after a six-hour surgery to treat cancer. the type of cancer remains unknown, but chavez's recovery will be complex and difficult and has asked venezuelans to pray for their leader. chavez's illness was first reported 18 months ago and he's had at least two operations si

police officer thomas shannon. >> officer burnett asks me to come back.some problems with the suspect. the suspect turned him in, asked what i was doing back there. >> what are you coming over here? >> because i want to come here. >> his reaction was like i was disrespecting him as well. >> don't disrespect me. don't disrespect me. >> put your hand down. sit down. >> the second time he squares off, he's ready to go. in the blinks of an eye, the fight was on. >> burnett, who is unarmed, goes for the pepper spray, but bergen knocks him back with a blow to the neck. officer shannon uses his baton but it has little effect on the suspect. >> he ran right through it. >> burnett calls for the officers to use pepper spray. >> i sprayed him, actually emptied my whole canister. >> officer burnett, reeling from pepper spray, runs from the room. >> pepper spray burns. it causes your tear ducts, your nasal cavity to open. probably nine times out of ten it's going to incapacitate someone long enough for you to apprehend them. >> but not so with this suspect. >> it almo

i'm ashleigh banfield in for erin burnett tonight who is on assignment in afghanistan. got breaking news right off the top. cnn just learning that the united states does not believe that north korea is in full control of that satellite that it sent into space with the long-range rocket launch. this is according to a u.s. official to our barbara starr at the pentagon. up until now, by most accounts, this launch has been seen as a success, or certainly it raised the bar on how we view their capabilities. erin burnett spoke with defense secretary leon panetta, exclusively in kabul about this very issue. take a look. >> mr. secretary, thank you so much for taking the time. >> good to be with you, erin. >> i wanted to start by asking you about north korea. i know, obviously, they've had failures with rocket launches and eight months ago they failed. now they've had a success. and i'm wondering if you know how they fixed it or whether they might have had help from another country? >> we have no idea. as a matter of fact, we're still assessing just exactly what happened here t

hi, i'm carol burnett, and can you believe that we did the carol burnett show every week for 11 years? i'll tell you, there was never a dull moment...

there was a robbery just down the street, just for the staff, the substitute >> this is christopher burnett, i am the applicant. can you hear me fine? yeah, so i also represent the building owner, i'm the managing member of the loc that owns the building as well as the managing building of the loc which is the tenant, so i am the sole member of both the loc's and i just wanted to briefly describe our business to you and our business model and what we're planning to do in the building, it is a historic building that's housed and a place of entertainment for a long time, i know a lot of you have heard of the purple onion and maybe you have heard that it's closed, we're looking to renovate the building, i have plans available, i'm not sure if you have the plans but we're looking to keep the historic nay xhur to have building, the historic preservation society has been involved in keeping the facade, pretty much keeping the facade how it was when the building was initially constructed. we are looking to renovate the interior to just provide access both ada to the basement which it currently doe

more entertaining than carol burnett. carol's legendary variety show won 25 emmys, and all of our hearts. it's as hilarious and spectacular today as it was the first time we saw it... heave! and now, the very best of carol's classic show can be yours! who are you? my name is barbrie. are you a wind-up doll?

more entertaining than carol burnett. carol's legendary variety show won 25 emmys,

you see erin burnett and we will get her report coming up. you have seen the bickering and the public sniping. what you haven't heard is behind the scenes here of the fiscal cliff, that is until now. that's next. but you're progressive, and they're them. yes. but they're here. yes. are you...? there? yes. no. are you them? i'm me. but those rates are for... them. so them are here. yes! you want to run through it again? no, i'm good. you got it? yes. rates for us and them -- now that's progressive. call or click today. spending the day with my niece. i don't use super poligrip for hold because my dentures fit well. before those little pieces would get in between my dentures and my gum and it was uncomfortable. even well-fitting dentures let in food particles. super poligrip is zinc free. with just a few dabs, it's clinically proven to seal out more food particles so you're more comfortable and confident while you eat. so it's not about keeping my dentures in, it's about keeping the food particles out. [ charlie ] try zinc free super poligrip.

hear more on erin burnett "outfront" starting at 7:00.edicare and... social security are just numbers in a budget. well, we worked hard for those benefits. we earned them. and if washington tries to cram decisions about the future... of these programs into a last minute budget deal... we'll all pay the price. aarp is fighting to protect seniors with responsible... solutions that strengthen medicare and... social security for generations to come. we can do better than a last minute deal... that would hurt all of us. >>> finally good news about the health of our economy and i have two words for you. retail therapy. alison kosik looking at our first major reading since the start of the holiday shopping season. i've been doing a lot of it. >> me, too. love retail therapy. but that's good. so you're counted in these stats. this is you. we are getting this first glimpse into the all-important holiday shopping season. when the stores opened early on thanksgiving evening, receipts s let's see if it worked. in november, retail sales rose 0.3%. doe

more entertaining than carol burnett.'s legendary variety show won 25 emmys, and all of our hearts. it's as hilarious and spectacular today as it was the first time we saw it... heave! and now, the very best of carol's classic show can be yours! who are you? my name is barbrie. are you a wind-up doll? uh huh! you are not a... i am now! what have i done to myself? i've turned from a man into a woman!

. >> hello, steve mathias from central station, i met with steve burnett and we went through the old purple onion and went over the different plans, following their state of business plan, we'd like to request the following, they retain the security video that he's already setting up for the building for a minimum of 30 days and provide to sfpd upon request, and then 2 second one is we would like a hands-on approach to where the area is not sublet to third parties or promoters with at least one manager on site in control of the venue. >> would you like them to notify your department for special events? >> what we would like is just in talking with mr. burnett, i think that the plan as far as different ideas, it sounds fantastic and i would like to see the purple onion come ba k, we just want to make sure that it's under his control, i've noticed that other places, you know, i haven't had contact with him in the past but somebody to basically give up the keys and have at it and leave, we would like to have a manager on site if they're going to have a third party come in. >> i think th

. >> erin burnett "outfront" >> erin burnett "outfront" starts right now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> "outfront" next, just 25 days until the fiscal cliff and a new idea is born. it comes from an unexpected source. howard dean, does the former vermont's governor's plan add up? plus, a sailor charged with espionage and the war on drugs. we lost it. sir richard branson is "outfront." let's go "outfront." good evening, everyone. i'm erin burnett. "outfront" tonight, a bright idea. brought to us by the liberal former governor of vermont, howard dean. a man who brought us the scream heard around the world when reran for president. dean says let's face it, america, tacks need to go up for everyone. now, this might not be what you expect from someone like howard dean. it's certainly not the president's position or the position of most americans. another new poll out today shows that most people like the president's idea of only raising taxes on other people. specifically, the top 2%. the problem is according to the congressional research service, the math doesn't add up. that tax hike wo

erin burnett "outfront" starts erin burnett "outfront" starts right now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> "outfront" next, president obama visited a toy factory today. and while everyone in washington is acting rather childish about the fiscal cliff, this is not child's play. u days left and susan rice facing new skrcrutiny today fro democrats. this time about her personal investments and the number of drones has surged. the newest versions though, pretty incredible. they look like a cheetah and a fish. let's go "outfront." >>> good evening, everyone. i'm erin burnett. "outfront" tonight, a washington stop playing battleship. yes. battleship. we went out and bought it because we wanted to remind you, the kids game where the goal is, i'll read it, can you sink your opponent's fleet before your opponent sinks yours? pretty perfect. this fiscal cliff though is not child's play. it's just 33 days away and today, president obama's visit to a toy factory in pennsylvania had everyone acting a bit childish. >> i've been keeping my own naughty and nice lists. >> we're not interesting in playin

erin burnett "outfront" starts erin burnett "outfront" starts right now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> "outfront" next, just six days until we all fall over the fiscal cliff and tonight, there's no action on capitol hill. will that change by the end of the year? tonight, two congressmen come out front to talk. plus, arizona's attorney general backs a plan reminiscent of the nra. and -- big from the worst of our politics. >>> i'm in for erin burnett. "outfront" tonight, christmas is over. washington back to work. the countydown is on. you've got six days to prevent this country from going over the fiscal cliff and today at least, we didn't see any action. nothing. now, i'm not trying to be a g n grinch here. i hope everyone's had a merry, merry christmas. >> drink some eggnog, have some christmas cookies, sing some christmas carols. >> but today's the 26th. you've drunk, you eaten and you've sung. now is the time for action. the latest news out of washington tonight, treasury secretary tim geithner told congress that the country will hit the debt ceiling on december 31st, some two m

. >> americans wild characters on the carol burnett show.rt of that program burnett said not a show went by when somebody didn't ask her to do what? p, please. the answer is, roll the tape. >> in 11 years of questions and answers, i don't think there has ever been a time when some member of our audience hasn't asked this probing and significant question: hey, do your tarzan yell. >> bill: they were right. that was easy. here is number two. comic don rickles has been entertaining audiences since the 1950s. no one is off topics. he once roasted a u.s. president at his own inaugural ball. which president was it? >> bill: cards up, please. the answer is, roll the tape. >> good evening, mr. president. nice to see you, sir. and your lovely wife nancy. it's a big treat for me to fly all the way from california to be here for this kind of money. [ laughter ] >> bill: all right. you guys are right again. two for two. i don't know what to say, callum didn't know the topic and she has got the first two right. they might be too easy. here is a tough one

host erin burnett recently interviewed the man behind wiki leaks to talk about his new book cypherpunks but it didn't exactly go as planned i want to start by asking you something in the very beginning of your book that really shocked me you said the internet is a threat to human civilization and i thought saw that and i thought but the internet is the tool by which to julian assange to become one of the world's most controversial people where you've published all this information why is the internet bad. oh here's a book here is world it's all aback as well that quote looks like that interview got off to the wrong foot and it only escalated from there. period a situation where the i don't agree to talk about the surveillance really in the situ for the fun story maybe burnette should be talking more about the surveillance state her network is after all c.n.n. is beginning to resemble our tina many respects with all of its coverage of bradley manning domestic drones and cyber security now r.t. america had a chance to collaborate with our sister station r.t. international to pose a few qu

>> different musician, different producer, t-bone burnett. and no standards at all. just old songs from the 1920s that i found on 78 records. >> stephen: where did you first hear these. >> on 78 record, growing up. >> stephen: so you were a child of the 19 --. >> yes, i was. >> stephen: you look fantastic for a 90-year-old woman. >> well, you know, i dressed up like groucho marx for halloween. i was really into the marks brothers. and my aunt was involved in 20s and my dad collected records and i thought everybody loved jazz and old music and johnson so i didn't start discovering until i was 16. i mean you didn't grow up in great america, you grew newspaper canada. >> but very close to the border. >> stephen: so-- you could put your ear to the border and hear music coming over? >> yes. i actually could. because we lived right, well, on vancouver island. >> stephen: the cover of this album, we have that cover up on the album right there. i didn't realize how much i liked jazz you got some heat for this. why did you get heat for this. are jazz women not allowed to be a

erin burnett "outfront" starts erin burnett "outfront" starts right now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> "outfront" next, investigators today did a new sweep of the house where adam lanza and his mother lived. we asked the police chief what he found and what was his mental state at the time of the shooting? we look at autism and killer's brains as we focus on mental health and tonight, no deal in washington. let's go aufz. good evening, everyone. "outfront" tonight, desperate for answers. investigators spent the day at the home of 20-year-old adam lan lanza, sweeping the house for evidence of a motive. there are also new details tonight about nancy lanza's where abouts in the days before the shooting. deborah fayerick is live outside the home tonight. what has happened there tonight and today? >> it's rather remarkable because the major crime squad has been here all day and as we push into the house, lights are on in the top and bottom floor. now, they brought back the emotional crime lab and they're processing this crime scene. investigators have not retrieved any information from t

. >>> this sports cast dedicated to mark burnett. one of our fine sports casters.ch how they use light pam, jacky and myself, a team that gets along and has fun together. i hope you enjoy your spotters roll! >>> another rough night for the raiders. mark isn't going to like this, neither is dennis allen. allen's father passed away on sunday. came back to watch peyton manning in denver tonight jump out to a seven-0 lead. carson palmer, when you're opposite pay son manning, everything -- peyton manning, everything negative jumps out. 19-30, 273 yards. darren mcfadden did something tonight, at halftime, it's 13-7. here's the highlight for many fans tonight. howie long, ronny lott, the late al davis's wife caroline on hand tonight. this was hall of fame tonight. but the raiders didn't respond. denver recovers, and they roll it in with marino on his way to 100 yards rushing. manning threw for 110 yards. >> that team that we played tonight obviously is a very good football team. they're led by hall of fame quarterback, john fox and his staff do an outstanding job. we came

erin burnett "outfront" starts erin burnett "outfront" starts right now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> "outfront" next, 27 days away from the fiscal cliff. things are getting silly. octogenarians doing gangnam style. plus, what the united states is planning to do if assad uses chemical weapons against his own people. and 24-year-old amy copeland contracted a deadly flesh eating disease in may. doctors gave her a 1% chance of survival and tonight, she's "outfront" to talk about it. let's go "outfront." tonight, gangnam style. yep, this is how one man sees the fiscal cliff and it's a pretty important man. this is alan simpson. ♪ yep. that maybe the most action the fiscal cliff saw today. here's the scene on capitol hill at noon. yep, people leaving. members of congress leaving washington, heading home on wednesday afternoon. one man left standing was the house speaker and he says i'm not going anywhere. >> i'll be here and i'll be available at any moment to sit down with the president to get serious about solving this problem. >> but of course, it takes two to tango, so where does pr

i want the children to be the basis for our solution. >> that's gene rosen speaking with our erin burnettchildren will be going back to school but they will be going to a new school and will not be seeing their teacher again. victoria soto is set to be buried tomorrow. there are a number of funerals this week. hers is among them. we are back after this. song: "yeah yeah" label: universal] ♪ everybody well don't you know it's me now? ♪ ♪ yeah who's it, who's it huh? ♪ ♪ willy's back with a brand new beat now, ♪ ♪ yeah doin' it doin' it up! ♪ heyyy yeah, tryin' to bite my style! ♪ ♪ heyyy yeah, how you like me now? ♪ ♪ na na na na na na na na ♪ and everybody go uh! [ sniffs ] i took dayquil but my nose is still runny. [ male announcer ] truth is, dayquil doesn't treat that. really? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus fights your worst cold symptoms, plus it relieves your runny nose. [ breathes deeply ] awesome. [ male announcer ] yes, it is. that's the cold truth! >>> one of the bright spots that we've been able to fine sense we've been here in newtown, connecticut a group that's come from

i'm ashleigh banfield in for erin burnett. a deadly shooting in a crowded shopping mall in a suburb of oregon. three people including the gunman are confirmed dead. one other is in critical condition. the authorities say the gunman died of a self inflicted gunshot and that no shots were fired by law enforcement. we have new video taken from inside of the mall. look at the scene as police were clearing this mall and evacuating some of the frightened shoppers to safety. many of them holding their hands above their heads and holding their children at the same time. witnesses are describing a scene of complete chaos as the shots rang out near the food court in the mall 3.30 p.m. local time. there are reports that the shooter was wearing a flak jacket and hockey mask as he moved throughout the mall firing an assault rifle. outside of macy's, gunshots echoed where a man was portraying santa clause in the santa village and taking photos with kids an he heard two gunshots and 15 to 16 more and immediately he said he hit the floor amid

sean burnett no longer with the nationals.an't keep everybody. >> why do they call him the vulture? does he eat dead things? >> he eats up innings, batters. >> okay. got you. i always wondered about that. >> doesn't eat dead things. >> appreciate the information. >>> coming up next, dogs driving. welcome to chevy's year-end event. so, the 5.3-liter v-8 silverado can tow up to 9,600 pounds? 315 horsepower. what's that in reindeer power? [ laughing ] [ stops laughing ] [ male announcer ] chevy's giving more. this holiday season, trade up to get the 2012 chevy silverado all-star edition for 0% apr financing for 60 months plus $2,000 cash allowance or get a total value of $9,000. >>> it's getting chilly out there now. >> for sure. because today, we managed okay. in the 50s. but now for your evening, chilly. and then cold by tomorrow morning. 39 to 46. those are your evening temps. there will still be a little bit of wind hanging on. tomorrow morning, look at that, way below freezing so many spots. it's been over a week since we've

i'm erin burnett. "outfront" tonight, a bright idea. brought to us by the liberal former governor of vermont, howard dean. a man who brought us the scream heard around the world when reran for president. dean says let's face it, america, tacks need to go up for everyone. now, this might not be what you expect from someone like howard dean. it's certainly not the president's position or the position of most americans. another new poll out today shows that most people like the president's idea of only raising taxes on other people. specifically, the top 2%. the problem is according to the congressional research service, the math doesn't add up. that tax hike would only give $678 billion in additional revenue over ten years, now, remember, we're $16 trillion in the debt. now, if we go with howard dean's idea, that gets us $2.8 trillion or about 17% of our debt. adam davidson is the cofounder of planet money and he did the math. he wrote in "the new york times" a while ago, a set of numbers that has stuck with me ever since that increasing

let's go "outfront." >>> i'm john avalon in for erin burnett.ront" tonight, a stark warning from capitol hill. senate majority leader harry reid says we're all headed for fiscal disaster. >> if we go over the cliff, and it looks like that's where we're headed, mr. president, the house of representatives, as we speak, with four days left before the first of the year, aren't here. >> we're now told the house will finally return to work on sunday. now, that's december 30th. in other words, less than 48 hours before we go over the fiscal cliff. meanwhile, president obama cut his hawaii vacation short to return to washington today. but has he been working on a deal? "outfront" tonight, reports from both ends of pennsylvania avenue. chief white house correspondent, jessica yellin, and senior congressional correspondent, dana bash. jessica, first, to you, the president's back in washington, wheels down. he left his christmas vacation early. but was this just a bit of showmanship, or has he been working on something specific? >> reporter: hey, john. wel

erin burnett "outfront" starts now. >>> breaking news, massacre in newtown, connecticut. i'm ashleigh banfield in for erin burnett. this just in. listen. >> 6-7 muc. sandy hook school. caller thinks someone is shooting in the building. front glass is broken, unsure why. all units, the individual that i have on the phone is continuing to hear what he believes to be gunfire. units responding sandy hook school at this time, the shooting appears to have stopped. the school is in lockdown. >> that broken glass is the result of the gunman reportedly shooting his way into the school. the unthinkable tragedy has left this very small new england town shattered tonight. 28 people dead. that's including the shooter himself. most of those killed were students at the school. very, very young students. there were 20 children killed. between the ages of 5 and 10 years old. there were also 6 adults shot dead after a heavily armed gunman dressed in black fatigues and a military vest opened fire in the school. >> we just told a little boy about his sister now and just to see him, he said w

i'm erin burnett in newtown, connecticut. "outfront" searching for answers.hat's what we've all been doing, trying to understand how this happened and why it happened. investigators in connecticut returned to the home of the gunman. the suspected gunman, 20-year-old adam lanza, searching for evidence. so far, authorities have been unable to retrieve any information from his computer, which was found smashed to pieces in the house he lived in with his mother, nancy. now, investigators have been trying to piece together an explanation for the crucial why, why did he do this, why did he shoot and kill his mother, why did he go to school -- a school that he had no link to and shoot 20 innocent children and six adults. the community is just starting to try to begin to heal. most students began going back to school, trying to go back into a routine today. they went back to school. police were standing guard outside the schools here. but the district superintendent said today that students and teachers from sandy hook elementary will not actually be going back to sc

you can't go wrong loving it. >>> i'm john avlon in for erin burnett.e second half of our show with other stories we're following tonight. russian president vladimir putin has signed a bill into law that bans u.s. families from adopting russian children. the u.s. state department calls the move politically motivated. the law is seen largely as retaliation for an act signed by president obama that restricts human rights abusers from traveling into the u.s. >>> two military officials tell cnn the syrian government is now using more accurate iranian-made missiles. this week the sources say the regime fired at least two of those short-range ballistic missiles in an attempt to hit syrian targets more accurately. the use of these weapons has prompted nato to send patriot missile systems to protect turkey. they're expected to be in place by the end of january. >>> a 24-year-old woman has been arrested in connection with the gunman who ambushed and killed two firefighters when called to a house fire in upstate new york. police announced today she purchased the

i'm erin burnett. out front, gangnam style. this is how one man sees the fiscal cliff. this is allen simpson, as in the simpson in simpson/bowles. ♪ >> yep, that may be the most actions the fiscal cliff saw today. here's the scene on capitol hill here at noon. yep, people leaving, members of congress leaving washington, heading home on a wednesday afternoon. one man standing was the house speaker and he says, i'm not going anywhere. >> i'll be here and i'll be available at any moment to sit down with the president to get serious about solving this problem. >> but, of course, it takes two to tango. where does president obama stand? >> we can probably solve this in about a week. it's not that tough. >> he's absolutely right about that. but we heard earlier this evening the president and speaker boehner did speak late today on the phone. that's good news. but in this case, we think we need facetime. they need to sit down face to face, pound it out, face to face breeds trust. even the democrats think the president needs to do a little more in-person work on this. >> the pre

i'm erin burnett. "outfront" tonight, cliff, slope, grand canyon. i don't know, martian cave, jupiter like storm. is the fiscal cliff really a fiscal slope. a downward spiral to something much worse. the possibility of going off the cliff is just 22 days away, and it sounds pretty ominous, but it could be a walk in the part compared with what could happen if lawmakers don't take a closer look at our bigger debt picture and soon. because what they're talking about is peanuts. president obama was in michigan today pushing his fiscal cliff plan. he made the solution sound so simple. >> when you put it all together, what you need is a package that keeps taxes where they are for middle class familiefamilies, w some tough spending cuts on things we don't need, and then we ask the wealthiest americans to pay a slightly higher tax rate. >> but not so fast, mr. president. we need a little more than you're talking about. president obama says his plan reduces the deficit by $4 trillion over ten years. forget the fact it counts war savings which shouldn't count

erin burnett "outfront" starts erin burnett "outfront" starts right now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> "outfront" tonight, breaking news. new evidence that syrian president assad's regime has started mixing deadly gas. how that changes president obama's stance on a possible intervention. john boehner offered up his own plan to avoid the fiscal cliff today. does it add up? and the u.s. ambassador to the united nations comes under fire again. this time, it's over ra wwanda. let's go "outfront." evening, welcome, everybody. i'm soledad o'brien. breaking news. president obama puts the syrian president bashar al assad on notice. the president is reacting to new notice that the regime is mixing with chemicals to make deadly gas. and today, i want to make it absolutely clear to assad and those under his command, the world is watching. the use of chemical weapons is an would be totally unacceptable. and if you make the tragic mistake of using these weapons, there will be consequences and you will be held accountable. >> assad is on the edge of president obama's so-called red line against s

i'm soledad eye brine in for erin burnett. "outfront," lowering expectations ten days before we fall off the fiscal cliff, and there is still no deal in sight. tonight, president obama urged congress to broker a scaled-down deal. >> i just spoke to speaker boehner and i also met with senator reid. in the next few days i've asked leaders of congress to work toward a package that prevents a tax hike on middle-class americans, protects unemployment insurance for 2 million americans, and lays the groundwork for further work on both growth and deficit reduction. that's an achievable goal. that can get done in ten days. >> yesterday the house speaker john boehner failed to garner enough support from his own party to even hold a vote on his plan to raise taxes for those with an income over $1 million. >> while we may have not been able to get the votes last night to avert 99.81% of the tax increases, i don't think -- they weren't taking that out on me. they were dealing with the perception somebody might accuse them of raising taxes.

let's go "outfront." >>> good evening, everyone, i'm erin burnett. "outfront" tonight, let there be light. finally, some bulbs turned on in washington this evening. well, on the congressional christmas tree, that is. pretty beautiful. lights, love, camaraderie, song. but while our lawmakers took some time to celebrate together, they still weren't showing any spark when it came to negotiating a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff, which is the christmas present the country needs. today we heard president obama's response to the proposal that house speaker john boehner put on the table yesterday. >> the speaker's proposal right now is still out of balance. >> of out of balance. kind of similar to what republicans said last week when the president sent over his terms. so now what? will they sit down and talk it through? well, not according to at least one senior republican aide who told cnn today, no conversations today, no e-mails, tweets, carrier pigeons. as for boehner and obama, they actually did see each other in person at the white house holiday party

"erin burnett outfront" starts right now. >>> "outfront" next, violence in afghanistan.ay, a horrible act of violence. an american soldier was killed here after a suicide attack. it happened at a base in kandahar, just a couple of hours after i visited the base with the u.s. defense secretary, leon panetta, and it's a sad reminder of how safe this country remains after 11 years of war. i'll ask the defense secretary about what's next here, as american troops prepare to leave afghanistan and about the fight for al qaeda. let's go "outfront." >>> good evening. i'm erin burnett live in kabul, afghanistan, tonight for a special edition of "outfront," as we focus on the future of afghanistan. i want to welcome our viewers in the united states tonight, as well as around the world. thanks for joining us. tonight, violence rocks afghanistan. a sobering reminder of how america's longest war is still not won. we still do not have a secure afghanistan. today, just hours after i wrapped up an interview with the secretary of defense, leon panetta, in kandahar at an american base, the

." >>> i'm ashleigh banfield in tonight for erin burnett. "outfront" tonight, our top developing story, we are just learning now that president obama and the white house or rather, president obama and the house speaker have spoken tonight. good news. this after they each fired another shot in the ongoing fight over how to resolve this fiscal cliff mess. cnn is now getting details about two new offers that were made and previously undisclosed, too. they kept a pretty tight lid on them. one of them by president obama, that was yesterday, then a counteroffer by the speaker. that was today. all of this as the president tells abc news tonight that he is confident that republicans will not hold middle class tax cuts hostage. so there's a lot of news that's all of a sudden coming out. after some relative quiet. our white house correspondent dan lothian is on the case and joins me now by telephone, because you've been working your sources. take me into the conversation. all of this breaking late today and it sounds good. it sounds at least like ther