>> yeah, we know. >> but for you, t.j. holmes6th, 2012, because you're nye friend and i love you -- got to do it. whoa pig suey. go razor backs. >> that's huge. >> lenny? lenny? number one, t.j. tells me you're a very nice guy. because me and t.j. were together last night and i was killing you and he was defending you. so we -- he says charles, you're going to like lenny when you meet him because i was killing the right wing at dinner last night. i was killing you! >> you know what? charles, they deserve it. over the last several weeks they've just been turrible! you know this as much as i do! >> lenny, it's been a pleasure and one of the great joys that people like you, maria, also mario armstrong, folks that we recognize something in here on the weekend and put them on the air and now other people are recognizing your value as well, using you on different shows, many of them getting jobs as contributors an networks and other things and we know that's going to happen for you as well. but i think that's a test amount to who you a

i'm t.j. holmes. >> oh, baby! >> we are seeing a lot of scenes like this after years of fighting in iraq. u.s. service members are being reunited with their families. also, a u.s. marine has an unusual request for the first lady. you want to go out with me? >>> also, counting the rest of today, there are just eight shopping days let me tell for christmas. do you actually know what not to buy? >>> it was less than three weeks ago since the iowa caucus, the state's largest newspaper is getting ready to endorse its republican pick for the white house. the des moines register will make that announcement today. romney picked up a key endorsement in another early voting stays. we're talking about south carolina. >> it is with great pride, great respect, great support that michael and i are very proud to say that we are endorsing governor mitt romney for president of the united states. >> now, that's south carolina. that's nikki haley. how big of a deal is this south carolina endorsement? >> it's going to be a pretty big

i'm t.j. holmes. thanks for spending a part of your day with us. are you going to be one of those? are you going to be out there, the day before christmas, with you last-minute shoppers, it never fails. that retail rush is on. allison, they opened three hours ago, that mall where you are. things have steadily started to pick up. what are you seeing now, a rush to ship? >> it's -- you know, the rush is slowly moving forward here. you can see it's getting more crowded here now. a lot of procrastinators out. but they're also bargain hunting. this is a great time to find a really good deal. although it's been a relatively strong shopping season so far, the reality is retailers are stuck with a lot of merchandise. they're offering really big discountes and deep discounts because they don't want to be stuck with a lot of merchandise on their shelves. they're trying to move this merchandise. once christmas happens, after christmas, they have to mark down these items even more. so yes, you're going to get some really good deals today. that means if you're a shopper, it's a shopper's paradi

look who we have. >> t.j. holmes. day. >> of course you thought you would see the day. how are you doing? >> doing well. >> you look great. >> flew in from new york. so glad to see you. is this the last time we'll be on television together? >> it might be. well, here. >> our friendship endures. >> good to have you in atlanta. >> thank you so much. we have a lot coming up at the top of the hour. you've been talking about politics and newt gingrich and rick perry not making the ballot. in virginia talking more about that. the legal briefs. we'll talk about the biggest divorce settlement in hollywood history. >> i thought there was a big one. mel gibson, 8:50 million. i thought maybe was it harrison ford. >> it's hard to believe but it's a lot of money. the interesting part about it, his ex-wife robyn will be sbilgsed sbilg entitled to future earnings. how did that happen? can you say no prenup. thank you so much for the nice plug, my special big stars, big giving. you know we've been doing this for a couple of years. th

i'm t.j. holmes. >>> something you may have missed from overnight -- they really ganged up on the presidential front-runner newt gingrich hat a debate last night. so how did he hold up? we'll have reaction from iowa in just a moment. >>> also, just an awful, ugly scene at a college basketball game yesterday. turned into an all-out brawl between crosstown rivals. we'll let you see more of this. we know suspensions are coming. you're not going to believe what some of the players said after the game. >>> also, many of you b-- i kno you're dreading it -- the in-laws are coming for the holidays. that may stress you out and some of that stress may come from religious differences. all it that in our "faces of faith," tips how to deal with it. >>> let's start with the presidential debate from last night. you could tell we're getting close to the first votes. last night we heard a lot of back-and-forth and a lot of it actually got perm, maybe even more so than we've heard in the past. take a quick listen. >>

. >> the "cnn newsroom" with my friend t.j. holmes starts right now. hey, t.j. >> is that supposed to be some cruel joke you all segue to me with that story. you are just telling me today. what is that? >> i was going to say something to you, but i couldn't bring myself to be that cruel. >> thank you for doing that. good to see you, as always, ladies. i will talk to you both soon. >>> top of the hour here, i'm t.j. holmes in for kyra phillips and it's time to vote almost. three weeks away from the all-important iowa caucuses. no surprise last night that the frontrunner got beat up quite a bit. of course, newt gingrich at the presidential debates and the rivals, they exchanged jabs, engineer jeers and some jokes last night. even though there had been 723 presidential debates you always get something out of these things. maybe the line of the night. listen to who rick perry decided to compare himself to. >> there are a lot of people out there, i understand it. a lot of folks who said tim tebow wasn't going to be a very good nfl quarterback and people stoo

. >>> "cnn newsroom" continues right now with t.j. holmes. >> thank you so much. >>> yes, the "cnn newsroom," we are literally in the "cnn newsroom" right now. i am t.j. holmes in for randi kaye today. let's keep an eye on the markets. shall we? heck of a day yesterday. the strongest rally on wall street in more than 2 1/2 years. traders and investors wonder if we can keep this up. not quite keeping it up. for the most part the dow has been flat to slightly lower all day. right now you see it about 70 points down. yesterday a gain of 490 points was the biggest by far of this year. percentage wise the biggest since march of 2009. where are things happening today? hong kong, share prices there up more than 5.5%. we won't be going to for a away from the story on the markets. also today, world aids today. the world is marking 30 years since hiv was discovered. leaders, researchers and activists are pushing a very big goal -- ending aids forever. president obama today announced a $50 million boost in funding for hiv prevention and treatment in am

i'm t.j. holmes. glad you're spending part of your weekend with us. let's look at stories making headlines this morning. a major tropical storm has killed at least 180 people in the philippines. there's a desperate search going on right now. most of these deaths were caused from flash flooding. it was raining for 10 hours. still hundreds missing. soldiers have been mobilized to help with search and rescue efforts. ♪ ♪ at last my love come along ♪ >> you know that song from etta james "at last." her manager giving us news she's in the last stages of a terminal illness. she was diagnosed with hepatitis c more than a year ago and leukemia. we got that news. she's 73 years old now. turn back to washington, d.c. where there will be some work going on saturday. u.s. senate convening in two and a half hours. they are going to consider a couple of important bills. one is a spending bill to fund the government through september. looks like we will avert a government shutdown. the other is a payroll tax holiday extension. that's the one that could mean a tax in

i'm t.j. holmes. thank yos so much for being with us here. will be a big day in politics. thanks could really, really change today when herman cain steps out. he says he'll make an announcement on the future of his presidential campaign. he is back home in atlanta today for the planned opening of his georgia campaign headquarters, but instead many people are speculating that he could drop out of the race. this all after a georgia woman this week said she had a 13-year affair with cain. he denied it. >>> also this morning, a quote for you. this one coming from the u.s. defense secretary. just get to the damn table. those were the words from leon panetta for israel's leaders. he's talking about the prospects for middle east peace. take a listen. >> the problem right now is we can't get them to the damn table to at least sit down and begin to discuss their differences, you know. we all know what the pieces are here. to a potential agreement. they've been talked about, work through. we understand the concerns, understand the concerns of israel an

t.j. holmes.e have the facebook page and our cnn blog. >>> like i said, just past the bottom of the hour now. momentum is the name of the game right now. the republican presidential race, who's got that momentum just a couple of weeks away from iowa. it may not be what you think. [ indistinct conversations ] [ hissing ] agents, what did we learn here today? that lint balls are extremely flammable! well, yeah. and that 15,000 dryer fires happen every year! that's why it's important to regularly clean and inspect your vents! correct. where did you get that?! i built it. [ male announcer ] we are insurance. ♪ we are farmers ♪ bum, ba-da-bum, bum, bum, bum ♪ >>> just past the bottom of the hour on cnn "saturday morning." i'm t.j. holmes. protests in central cairo going on right now. at least eight people were killed last night and today in clashes between pro-democracy demonstrators and egyptian security forces. more than 200 people have been injured. the ministry is burning after an explosion there a

i'm t.j. holmes. some bad news on this christmas eve for the presidential campaigns of newt gingrich and rick perry. their names will not be on the ballot in a key state after these two failed to qualify. we'll explain. >>> look at these scenes. this is just a mess. near riots at stores across the country yesterday. violence breaking out. police officers injured. why? because all of these people are after a particular pair of tennis shoes. what would you go this crazy for? we want to hear from you this morning. also reynolds wolf is here. he'll be along -- >> wait a minute, that car is going the wrong direction. the white one is going downhill, the black one uphill. there will be some nasty moments for some of you traveling during the holiday season. we do not recommend that on this "cnn saturday morning." >>> all right. well, when the folks in virginia go to the polls this march to vote for a republican candidate they will not see these two names -- newt gingrich or rick perry. both of them have now

it's me, t.j. holmes on this december 11. welcome to you all, and a special welcome to our military men and women watching on the american forces network. thank you for being here, and thank you for what you do. now, we'll tell you what you may have missed last night. yes, there was another republican presidential debate. once again, this one did not disappoint. newt gingrich learning what it's like to be the front-runner. the subject of a lot of attacks. we'll explain. >>> also, another black eye for major league baseball. one of its biggest young stars may have to sit out 50 games for breaking the rules. yes, the national league mvp now facing allegations of substance abuse in baseball. >>> also, thousands in the streets in russia protesting against the government. >>> now here at the top of the hour, let's start this morning. some of the headlines, the republican presidential debate in iowa. the new front-runner newt gingrich was the target of much of the night. his rivals lining up to take shots at him. mitt romney called

i am t.j. holmes. good to spend some time with you this weekend. we'll get you caught up on everything you need to know so you can get back to maybe doing some shopping and spending family time. this is not a good gift for these two guys. two republican candidates won't even be on the ballot in one key primary state. the problem for newt gingrich and rick perry now. also thousands of people, thousands of shoppers out there going in a mad dash. we're seeing violent scenes even. they're tearing down doors. people being arrested. you know what they're all after? a shoe. not just any shoe, though. an air jordan. we'll explain. also, possible ground breaking lawsuit against the nfl. a number of former players suing over concussions they say they got while playing the game. one of those players, jamal lewis, in studio with me in just a matter of minutes. don't miss that. let me start with this major political road block now for newt gingrich and rick perry. both candidates failed to qualify for the virginia primary. neither of them came up with enough va

. >>> welcome back to cnn saturday morning with t.j. holmes and me, reynolds wolf. seen my name on the screen right there. i've got your forecast for today which includes a look at southern california and the big story we have that for you. it's not what you're going to see, but rather what you're going to feel. we have a wind threat, the warnings and watches in effect. the winds are going to be very strong. we anticipate the gusts to be 45 to 60 miles per hour. yesterday we had some that topped 70 miles per hour. we could have some downed trees, power lines, all kinds of issues. something else we may see farther to the south in san diego and the high mountain passes, we might be dealing with some snowfall. perhaps even, snow that could range up to 5,000 feet upwards. take a look at this beautiful shot we have in vale, compliments of kusa. beautiful, beautiful conditions. some snow in the high-end peaks. not expecting much in terms of accumulation for today. you skiers, you're going to have a great day out there. get out there and enjoy it. it will be a lot of fun f

i'm christi paul in for t.j. holmes. i hope the morning has been good to you so far. republican presidential candidate newt gingerich facing a firestorm of criticism after he calls palestinians an invented people. a palestinian leader says the gop front-runner's comments are racist. >>> thousands of white house visitors have done it. now president obama has, too. he sets off a metal detector at a white house security checkpoint. >>> and across russia, angry protesters take to the streets. they say parliamentary elections were rigged. the target of their anger, the prime minister vladimir putin and his party. >>> controversial words from newt gingerich today. he says palestinians are -- and i'm quoting here -- an invented people. gingerich made the remarks in an interview on the jewish channel. here it is. >> well, i believe that the jewish people have the right to have a state. and i believe the commitments that were made at a time -- remember, there were -- there was no palestine as a state as part of the ottoman empire. i think that we've had an invented palestinian

i'm t.j. holmes in today for kyra phillips. this hour we need to begin in iraq.y mission formally ends in iraq nearly nine years after "shock and awe," a small, somber ceremony paying tribute to america's sacrifice. >> we remember the nearly 4500 brave americans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country as well as the more than 30,000 wounded warriors, many of whom still struggle with serious life-altering injuries. >> right now just a few thousand u.s. service members remain in iraq. they're streaming out of the country. cnn's martin savage has been with these service members on this long and dangerous road to kuwait. joins us from camp virginia. hello to you. what is the schedule, if you will, for getting all those few thousand out of iraq, getting them to kuwait and then from kuwait back to the u.s.? >> reporter: hello, t.j. the schedule pretty much is kept under raps at this point. they are not going to announce when the final pullout will take place other than what's already been announced by the president of the united states, that december 31st is

we'll talk at the top of the hour. >>> i'm t.j. holmes in for kyra phillips and all eyes on congress, the calendar and literally the clock. take a look at this. you think the white house is getting their point across? that is a countdown clock showing nine days that that is how much time the white house has to extend the payroll tax cut or your taxes are going to go up. americans can go to this site and actually share their stories of what will happen to them if they lose their $40 per paycheck. that's the average an american will lose. let me bring in dan lothian and, dan, this seems like a full-on pr campaign by the white house and they're keeping the pressure up and i don't know if people saw it on the screen. this is what happened if congress doesn't act. it crossed out the word congress and it specifically says, the house doesn't act. >> they've been keeping the pressure now on house republicans all week and now it's another effort by this white house to drive that point home today where the president is holding an event here at the

you know t.j. holmes. >> oh, i do. yes, i do. i can only imagine, kyra. you have twins.oy and a girl. the thing about jennifer lopez, jenny from the block, from fashion designer, "american idol" judge, she does it all. she does say it was a health scare with her twin daughter that inspired her to give back to all the women and children who are less fortunate. just like she's done with her career, she's dreaming big. ♪ 6. >> reporter: she's hollywood's triple threat. she sings, dances, acts. >> you did not just poke me. >> reporter: now she's a judge on "american idol." >> you're going to hollywood! >> reporter: she's jennifer lopez. >> reporter: you're a mother, you're a philanthropist, actress, singer, dancer, you're a judge on "american idol." >> i'm tired. what i am is i'm tired. >> reporter: how do you do it all? >> i don't know. one day at a time. ♪ one step at a time >> reporter: the theme song of her life and also the mir ra bell foundation, a nonprofit lopez started with her sister, linda, in 2008. it was a health scare with her newborn daughter emme that motivat

i'm t.j. holmes. thank you for being here. randi kaye is off.news today. >>> president obama is taking comfort and evye

i'm t.j. holmes. we have got a lot ahead for you this hour. we are standing by for herman cain, waiting for him to talk about the future of his campaign. that announcement would come at any time. he's battling, as you know, the latest allegations that he had a 13-year affair. also, former penn state football coach squarery sandusky is giving his side of the story. he says he never had sexual contact with young boys. but you'll hear from him in his own words. >>> we're telling new this hour, yeah, this is a tough economy, but you can still get your dream job. it's true. stick around for that. a lot to get to, though, and a lot on politics. seems to be a lot about herman cain today. some think this could be decision day for him. after weeks of sexual conduct allegations, he's expected to announce how exactly he's going to move ahead in this republican presidential race. again, we could get that at any moment. an event is taking place right now. it's just getting earn way. we have a lot of political players. look at who is joining us on this cnn

i'm christi paul in for t.j. holmes. thank you so much for sharing your time with us today.'s get you informed with the top stories this morning. new allegations that the head of the amateur athletic union sexually abused two boys years ago. two men tell epsn that robber bobby dodd molested them back in the 1980s when they were playing on his aau basketball team. no comment from dodd. he's battling colon cancer. >>> protests are happening right now in russia. this is part of today's demonstration that's been going on in moscow. thousands of people have been gathering all week to protest the elections. demonstrators are saying there's voter fraud and they're pointing the fingers at vladimir putin's united russia party. freshly minted front-runner newt gingerich has sparked a new round of controversy in this new round of controversy calling palestinians an invented people. >>> a top palestinian executive committee member said the comment is, quote, the most racest statement i've ever seen. >>> so you know almost all the republican candidates for president are in iowa for a deb

i'm t.j. holmes. we want to head back out to our shannon traffic advice standing by at the campaign headquarters at this event for the opening of this campaign headquarters. spoe supposed to start here in under an hour from now. we've been talking about in this morning. is there any way someone makes a big announcement that he's dropping out on the same day that he's opening his campaign headquarters? that just can't happen. >> reporter: well, you know, it's herman cain, t.j., so anything can happen with him. here is a guy who has been foraging an unconventional campaign thus far. he's defied a lot of expectations. he's risen and fallen in the polls. this guy could come out here today and say, you know what? i'm going to thum thumb my nose at this latest accuser like i did at the other accusers in the face with all the cameras here and with everybody watching and say that, again, deny that these allegations are untrue, say that they're untrue and say, you know what? i'm foraging ahead with this campai

i'm t.j. holmes. at some of the stories making head loons now. >>> testimony expected to resume this morning in the pre-trial hearing of army private bradley manning accused of leaking more than a quarter million classified u.s. military documents that ended up eventually on the wikileaks website. he faces 22 counts of vifl lating military code including the most serious of the charges, aiding the enemy. >>> also search and rescue operations under way after a migrant boat sank off the coast of java in indonesia. two people confirmed dead. more than 100 still missing. emergency officials telling cnn almost 90 people have been rescued. 200 people were on-board the wooden boat when it capsized traveling to the australian territory of christmas island. >>> also southern baptist recalling its breast cancer bible. they say it had ties to planned parenthood. the pink bibles were sold at walmart stores and other major retailers. $1 for each copy sold went to a dallas-based cancer foundation. >>> turning to ou

from the cnn center in atlanta, georgia, this is your cnn sunday morning, i'm t.j. holmes. coming up, herman cain decides to bring that cain train to a halt. which candidate is going to reap the benefits now? >>> also, yesterday you heard jerry sandusky talk about his "attraction" to young people. this morning we are getting reaction from the attorneys of two of his alleged victims. >>> also this morning -- well, it looks like a christmas tree. right? the lights, a star, a few ornament on it. if you live in rhode island, however, it is a holiday tree, taking christ out of christmas. the subject of this morning's "faces of faith." >>> but we begin with the end for herman cain. here is part of his announcement, if you missed it yesterday. >> i am suspending my presidential campaign because of the continued distraction, the continued hurt caused on me and my family, not because we are not fighters, not because i'm not a fighter. >> all right. but he won't be fighting on as a presidential candidate. the campaign is suspended. doesn't mean he's not still going to have some kind

i'm christi paul in for t.j. holmes. this hour, republican presidential candidate newt gingrich says the palestinian people are "an invented people." we're going to have reaction to his controversial remarks. plus, look at this live picture from arlington national cemetery. hundreds of volunteers are laying wreaths on the graves of american's fallen warriors. and if you think it's just too cold to get out of bed and go to work, it may change your mind. a total eclipse of the moon. you're looking at live images there right now. we want to start this hour with controversial comments from a republican presidential candidate, newt gingrich. take a listen to what he said. >> i believe with the jewish people have the right to have a state. i believe that the commitments that were made at a time, remember, there were -- there was no palestine as a state. and i think that we've had an invented palestinian people who are arabs and historically part of the arab community. >> now he said the palestinians are an invented people. he

i'm t.j. holmes. going to get you caught up on everything you need to know.u need to know about today as well. a big political story, not a good christmas gift for these guys. gingrich and perry, bad news, their name will not be on the ballot in a key state after these two failed to qualify. also, a lot of people will be out shopping. but look at this. violence erupted at several places across the country yesterday. these folks are not after the hottest christmas gift, they're after that pair of shoes. we're asking you this morning what would you go crazy and stand in line for? also, did you fall into some spending traps this year? we'll make sure you don't fall into those same traps in the new year. >>> that battle for the republican nomination for president maybe got tougher for newt gingrich and rick perry. both candidates failed to qualify for the virginia primary in march. neither of them came up with enough valid signatures. virginia is not only an important super tuesday state, it is the state gingrich currently lives in. let's bring if our athena jone

i'm t.j. holmes. thank you for spending part of the your weekend here with us.ions for occupy protesters. the latest spot where authorities are clearing out parks and also arresting demonstrators. >>> also, herman cain is out of the race. who's in the best position to take his supporters, and also the best position to take iowa? voting starting in about a month. ever w we have new poll numbers that will give us some clues. >>> shaq, superman, shaq diesel, what do you want to call them? the big shamrock. a lot of nicknames, but he is talking to me. and he's got a new book talking about the feud, yes, with kobe. he said it was all manufactured. we'll get to that in a second. >>> here are some of the headlines you need to hear about. police in riot gear sweeping through a portland, oregon, park, taking out the occupy protesters. this happened overnight. a number of people were arrested. they had set up camps after being kicked out of another park by police a few weeks ago. after police cleared the park, city workers came through, tore down all the tents. while they