yo-yo ma on this program. the 16-time grammy winner is one of this year's recipients of the kennedy center honors, fitting that a 70-year-old yo-yo ma actually performed for john f. kennedy some years ago. his latest project features a group of talented artists and a unique blend of musical genres. first, yo-yo ma, an honor, have you on this program. >> i can tell you it's such an honor to be on your show. tavis: i was giddy when i saw the list come out of the kennedy center honors, i was, like, yo-yo ma. you're so young. you got to be one of the younger ones to get the honor. >> i'm trapped in the body of a 96-year-old. tavis: we had sonny rawlins here a couple of weeks ago. i feel blessed to have two of you in the matter of weeks. >> you have the most interesting people on your show and you do what i think is a citizen's duty to check out what's going on in our country, and i think that's -- i think, you know, as musicians, we can't keep a steady job. you, at least, have a steady job. i don't have a day job so we're always traveling and what you see we try and actually put into music so it's a kind of reporting on what's goi

there is no doubt that yo-yo ma is a great musician and a great cellist, but tonight we also honor him because he is a great human being. thank you, yo[applause] barbara cook, neil diamond, sonny rollins, meryl streep, yo-yo ma -- at a time of year when americans everywhere are counting their blessings, we want to give thanks to their extraordinary contributions. they have been blessings to all of us. we are grateful that they've chosen to share their gifts, to enrich our lives, and to inspire us to new heights. and i think, for all of us, each of us can probably remember some personal moment -- michelle, during the rope line, was talking about how her dad loved jazz and could hear sonny rollins blasting through their little house on south side. and it's true -- everybody sings neil diamond songs no matter how many drinks they've had. [laughter] yo-yo ma, unfortunately my association with him is studying at law school, listening to bach and his -- no, it soothed my mind. [laughter] meryl streep, anybody who saw "the french lieutenant's woman" had a crush on her. i assume they -- everybody remembers that. [laughter] [inaudible] [laugh

yo-yo ma room. we keep inviting him and for some reason he keeps on coming back. [laughter] when yo took his first cello lesson, there wasn't a chair short enough for him. so he sat on three phone books instead. by the age of 4, he was learning another instrument. today, he has 16 grammys and is considered one of the greatest classical musicians alive. but maybe the most amazing thing about yo-yo ma is that everybody likes him. you've got to give me some tips. [laughter] [applause] in a profession known for, let's face it, some temperament among its stars, yo-yo is a little different. he named one of his 300-year old cellos, pe -- petunia. he's been named one of "people" magazine's sexiest men alive. he's appeared on "sesame street." i thought about asking him to go talk to congress. [applause] and yet, somehow he's also found the time to become one of the most innovative and versatile musicians in the world. yo-yo likes to say that his goal is to take listeners on a trip with him and make a lasting connection. his sense of curiosity has driven him to experiment from everything from

yo-yo ma. erica is off. rebecca jarvis with us. >>> one of the most famous musicians in the world yo-yo ma, played cello all awards and one of this year's kennedy center honorees. he talked to us about his incredible career. he played his first concert when he was 5 years old. if you've ever done anything in your life at home you thought was great, guess what? not even in his stratosphere. >> he's a mega talent. also ahead another notable name in the arts, jonathan safran foer, ""extremely loud and incredibly close"" we're here to ask if he thought about tom hanks and sandra bullock when he wrote the book. >> most people would dream of that. >> or having a movie at all. >> this will be a merry christmas for thousands of military across the country. >> they are celebrate the return of their loved ones who have been serving in iraq. anna werner met some in ft. hood, texas. >> reporter: britney has waited 10 months for this day. >> how are you feeling today? >> excited. really excited. >> reporter: wednesday morning britney hangs a warning sign on the front of the family home at ft. hood. she dressed 4-month-o

-yo ma and we will find out when we come back on "the early show." a little treat for you, a little yoay with us. we will be right back. announcer: this portion of "the early show" sponsored by hallmark. life is a special occasion. would you like me to read you a story? you can't read. [ grandma ] 'twas the night before christmas, and all through the house... whoa, that's grandma. [ grandma ] nothing was stirring, not kara, not maya. how does she do that? magic. [ grandma ] ...grandma loves you. goodnight, grandma. goodnight, grandma. [ female announcer ] be there to read them a story every night. read it to me again. [ female announcer ] hallmark recordable storybooks. this christmas, make it wonderful. ♪ care and dedication. our family-owned company has focused on making... the best-tasting sour cream for over four generations. it's made with farm-fresh cream... that's 100% natural without any additives or preservatives. and no added hormones. so you can feel good knowing every creamy dollop... will bring all your favorite dishes to life. ♪ do a dollop, do-do a dollop of daisy ♪ will

yo-yo ma room. [laughter] we keep inviting him, and for some reason, he keeps on coming back. [laughter] when yo took his first cello lesson, there wasn't a chair short enough for him, so he sat on three phone books instead. by the age of 4, he was learning the bach suites. at age 7, he was performing for president kennedy in this room. today, he has 16 grammys and is considered one of the greatest classical musicians alive. but maybe the most amazing thing about yo-yo ma is that everybody likes him. [laughter] you've got to give me some tips. (laughter and applause.) it's remarkable. in a profession known for, let's face it, some temperament among its stars, yo-yo is a little different. he named one of his 300 year old cellos "petunia." he's a big hugger. [laughter] for every question you ask him, he asks you two in return. people magazine's sexiest men alive. [laughter] he has appeared on sesame street; i thought about asking him to go talk to congress. (laughter and applause.) alsoet, somehow, he's found the time to become one of the most innovative and versatile musicians in the world. yo-yo

yo-yo ma was here, he has a project now. a number of artists are trying to get some of this bluegrass' thing. what is happening? it is like a magnet attracting people to try their hand at it. >> a couple of things. the musicianship and bluegrass is color when you see the folks with us today. sam bush, a jury, ron, dan, barry. the improvisation as celebrated like crazy in bluegrass music. but for me, the real draw is the message which is a very simplistic message. when days were simpler and you always love the girl next door, home was the best place to be, you never wanted to leave. that is the nature of the music i am drawn to. tavis: is that what americans are drawn to? >> i think so, that simple life. tavis: tell me about paper airplane, how did you approach this one? gosh because we have been together as many years as we have, we have to travel and do other things. you have grown together, we started as teenagers. every place you go, you bring that experience back here. whether it is your work life, music live, or the musical life. i would love to see this whole band go out together and change. it is like the last one, it has its own stand and represents a piece of time for all of us. we approached it differently. i don't know if we approach it differently, because we don't approach any of them the same period in which follow what we feel like we have to record. i want to be satisfied -- it seems to come over and over. tavis: you started to hit on at a moment ago. you started to talk about lyrical content, being able to save the words. where it ranks for you in regard to the process. >> practically, i much better at fixing or changing a melody. everything has lyrics, it has to be true for me to say it. anytime i have reported something because it was catching or clever or something, i have always regretted it and it never lasts for me when i sing it. when it is true for me, and never gets old. things were recorded 25 years ago, i still can feel better after i sing it. tavis: since you went there, i am going to go there. since you went there, i am going to follow you. i recognize it takes a bit of courage but i am sure you are up to the task. you mentioned that when you made mistakes in your career, you did certain things that you regretted. it is easier to focus on your success because you have had so much of it. you think of a couple mistakes that you made, things you might have done differently. is there one or two that you might share with me that you wish you had done differently? you are so successful these days, one can't imagine that allison krause ever made mistakes or wishes that she could do something over again. >> if there is a lyric i didn't really connect to enough, it is a mistake because it is not true. life is too short to have anything come out of your mouth that isn't true. especially when you express this part of yourself through singing. it is always a mistake and it makes my stomach turn. he be think he will deal with it better later, but you never do. as far as big mistake, the whole thing is comprised in the first place. i don't have a lot of regret because i don't have a lot of expectations other that i wanted to be satisfied musically. i don't have a lot of regret or i should have done this or this, because it has all but a surprise, really. tavis: in what way? how has success caught by surprise? >> i thought this was something i would enjoy on the weekends, and it is really an exciting -- sam bush, i saw him play with his revival in louisville, ky about 26 years ago. i knew every word that he was singing. no one will ever know our words to sing. i just never thought i would get to do this for a living. i never thought it would happen, i was going to be a choir director. i loved the idea of picking songs and working on harmonies. i love the process, the way the director would get everyone to sing alike. i loved that part of it. when i was 19 or 20 and nobody else had another job, we were traveling in a 77 van with plaid and sides. tavis: what you feel like, all these years later, to look out at an audience and you see them and you hear them singing your lyrics? >> is amazing. we just got back from overseas and we see it over there. that is really amazing. and to know that you are doing what you feel led to do, people respond to that. i think that is a cool thing when people respond to truth. of itt even know how much has to do with the sound of your voice. it is just when you believe it, people react to it. people respond to truth and other people and it is something that you can't shy away from. >> i believe what comes from the heart reaches the heart. what is the trek, maybe that is the wrong word, keeping a band together this long? history is replete with bands that stayed together for a while and then they split up. there are a few still together, but it isn't the easiest thing to do. >> i feel like we should have had some sort of lesson taught us. it was outside of us being able to control that, because those are very big personalities, all of them. the main thing that i think about is that you have to let people know how valuable they are. and whatever that means, however you see that, in needs to be there for the cross. you have to respect people's differences, and respect their eccentricities. that is just the way it is. you don't have to understand everything, you just have to accept it. the commitment to the band is bigger than any personality differences. personality differences really are nothing. tavis: if the ban did not go on for another 30 years, the reason for going your separate ways would be what? >> i would hope that is not the case, i am very proud of what we have done together. what i see myself, it is always in a situation with them. tavis: what is the best part, the blessing of playing with the same guys year in and year out? >> there are many blessings, but this is how i feel like i am really myself, with them. when i hear music that i think we can do, because i hear it with them and the fact that i am a part of this, i think any other person would do the same. tavis: is impossible these days, i suspect this will be the case, in a good interview or any decent interview, we have to talk about the rubber plant project because the impact of that is still some monumental. i went back and doing some research, and i was tickled by a number of people that were skeptical when the word got out that you were working on this project. >> we were skeptical. [laughter] tavis: i did not see you quoted in any of those articles. tell me more. >> let's give it three days. we will see you next time. and i said, it is great, we went in for the three days and really had a great time. the point was to really set our own ahoy tastes aside. to produceidn't want any of this, so we called t- bone. tavis: not a bad call. >> we put our own tastes aside because we knew it had to be something other than our control issues. that is what we did. i think it turned out very moody and had a personality. at the end of it, we're going, ok. but the company was very fun, we had a great time. a lovely person. tavis: were you skeptical musically of the collaboration or something other than that? mosher just musically. he says, i have never some harmony before. this will be fun. it is a duet record, but it is not all duets. it was about the collaboration together, whether not we were sitting at the same time, i thought it had a real identity. the surprise was fun, i think, to see the two of us. it is a very romantic thing, and because of the contrast, it really works. tavis: i am a music lover, so i am curious about this. i get your skepticism going into it, musically. what happened in the studio? when did you know, this can work. >> probably the second song. one of the things that is really beautiful about him is that he is such a great castor, he always gets a huge peonalities. he has a band that he uses pretty steadily on his recordings. we got together and it sounded like nothing else that we had worked on, we knew it was interesting. we were a long, kind of for the ride. tavis: at least five times, you have used the word identity. it leads me to ask how you would describe your of identity at this point. once you have so many records and awards, you tend to be defined by your success, your defined by writers, interview worth, and others, but it strikes me every time you say it. how you define your identity at this point in your life? >> the closest thing that could identify about identity is in the material that i choose to sing. there are a couple tunes on here, one of them as a paper airplane. i think that what i choose to saying, they are words that a woman would say at her very last bit of being able to explain herself and lost love. levin, when you think of what they have, they have pride. they are cool, they don't show emotion, and it is the only way that you can show strength and really be respected. the lyrics that i choose our that stuck below where you do speak about what those things, the loss in the pain without pride. tavis: this is a simple point to make, but i make it because i am struck by this reality. the notion of love, the concept of love is inexhaustible. every year, every month, every day, somebody is putting out a record about love and is the most inexhaustible subject in the history of the world. >> because it is inexplicable, everybody is trying to explain it. tavis: i have figured out why that is, because people are trying to explain it. when you guys were doing paper airplane, was the content selected prior to what we hear, these 11 songs? or did that happen organically? got it had been awhile since we recorded and i am always collecting things. we hadn't recorded together as a band for about six years at that point. i had just come off the record with robert what i just had -- both of us had kept our opinions to yourself, and it was hard to get back into that mode and i was having migraine headaches allot. i had a real hard time judging if i thought something worked and taught. when you are in the studio, you have a very black and white feeling about what you hear. it is either great or you hate it. of the answers are perfect, because if it doesn't work, and you won't go back there. i wasn't feeling well, so we had to take a break and we got together and i said, i don't think we have got everything we need. they said, let's take a break. i came back with a paper airplane, about five new ones. tavis: that as a serious comeback. a dozen guys come back. how do you process these 26 grammy awards? i can't read my brain around that. quincy jones is a friend of mine and has been on the show many times. whenever i go to his house, i have been there a gazillion times. i go to the same place, and the room he had built, all of these grammy awards. i sit there and the calomel the time to make sure they are still there. i read them again because i want to see what saw that was for. it is mind-boggling to walk into our room and see that many grammy awards. how do you process 26 and counting since you are nominated this year? >> and we wonder what happened, there must of been a mistake in there. you were caught record and it is likely on the one you are ever going to make. to be recognized at all, it is pretty great. don'tt look back and i look too far ahead, it is about a span of time. i don't spend too much time thinking about it, thinking about the recording. if it is awful, we can't deal with it or if it is satisfactory, we are moving on. tavis: not that i have been invited to your house, but if i were to break into your house, not that i would do that either, but where are the grammy awards? >> i don't keep a lot of work stuff out because i have a son. tavis: i would have to go in search of it then. now i know where to look when i come by. her name is allison krause, her band is union station, the new project of this year is called "paper airplane." we tried a couple of times to get her on the program earlier this year and for various reasons, we cannot make the day to work. we were determined and thankfully, her team was also, determined to make this visit happen before the year closed. now i am more delighted to hear alison and her band. stay with us. the latest disk is called "paper airplane below, by her band featuring jerry douglas and special guests sam bush, she is performing "my love follows you where you go. " goodnight from l.a. and keep the faith. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [applause] >> for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org. tavis: hi, i'm tavis smiley. join me next time for a conversation with iconic cellist yocial performance from his new cd. we will see you then. >> every community has a martin luther king boulevard. it's the cornerstone we all know. it's not just a street or boulevard, but a place where walmart stands together with your community to make every day better. >> nationwide insurance supports tavis smiley. with every question and every answer, nationwide insurance is proud to join tavis in working to improve financial literacy and remove obstacles to economic empowerment one conversation at a time. nationwide is on your side. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> be more. pbs. >> be more. pbs.

yo-yo ma and meryl streep. is there anything meryl streep hasn't won? oscars, golden globe, last year she was named professional bull riding's rodeo clown of the year. when she jumps in the barrel, you believe it. now last night it was my honor to honor yo-yo ma. jim, honor me honoring him. >> tonight we celebrate the greatest living cellist, tonight we chellibrate, if you will. that from the new book i'm writing, a 1001 cello puns. all i need is a thousand more puns. (laughter) but i think it's going to sell because there's always room for more cello. (cheers and applause) now folks, my honoring did to the gun noticed. audience member and gop front-runner newt gingrich released this actual tweet today. stephen colbert was brilliant at kennedy center honors tonight. newt gingrich said i'm brilliant, okay. and newt reserved his twitter feed for things of the utmost importance like these actual tweets. i ate a reeses peanut butter cup for breakfast. and calista got me a reese's peanut butter egg. it is good too. and folks, for the record, newt did not say that because he's a lobbyist for reese's, they gave him 1.5 million dollars because he is a well-known chocolate historian. now folks, everybody knows that i am a conspiracy theorist, or

yo-yo ma and unemployment dropping to 8.6% last month, the rate >> mitchell: while friday's jobs report showed overall unemployment dropping to 8.6% last month, the rate for young people is 14.2%. many new college grads are among the jobless, and that's tonight's sunday cover. boomerang kids moving back to live with their parents. ♪ when the disco ball lights up at joe's crab shack near philadelphia kim young joins the rest of the waiters in a dance routine. it's the restaurant's gimmick. but these days young doesn't feel much like dancing. what were you thinking was going to happen after graduation? >> i honestly thought right away i was going to get something in my field. >> reporter: young graduated from college in 2010. since then she say she's explored at least 150 job leads in her field, graphic design, with no luck. she works at the restaurant to try to make money, but it's only $65 a week. what did that do for your spirit, getting all those denials? >> oh my god, it's almost like-- it's almost like my soul is being sucked out. i've met a lot of artistic people... >> mitchell: young is just one of nearly 6 million young adults now living at home with a parent for financial reasons. that's up 25% since the recession began in 2007. how do you think your parent's lives have changed since you moved back home. >> we are both like headstrong, like fighting all the time and not getting along. but i think they finally realized oh, we no longer have a teenager living here, it's now just one of us. >> i would go out there and network for her if i could, or i would go out and have a sign saying my child needs a job in advertising or any field in the arts, and nothing. >> mitchell: for young's parents it's been a sacrifice as well. for mother katherine had to take a night job to help support her daughter. she's worried about the toll looking to start a career is taking. >> i'm sorry, i'm getting emotional, but it's hard, it is really, really is hard for me. >> it's time to put america's youth back to work. >> mitchell: professor andrew sum of boston's northeastern university says the growing number of young grads living at home has serious consequences for the overall economy. >> if you don't go out and form new households then the demand for new homes goes down, so that hurts the construction industry. you also have less spending by these young adults, if they don't make more, they can't spend more. so as a result, the aggregate economy is down. >> mitchell: what do you hope for yourself down the road as you move forward? >> i want a job that i can show that my talent isn't going to waste and i want to be able to support myself and be able to support my family down the line. >> mitchell: growing levels of student debt which average more than $25,000 per student are another reason college grads are having to live at home. kim young says she is not started paying any of hers back yet, and she expects to live with her parents for another three years. ahead this evening, can a tightrope walker provide a shot in the arm to niagara falls tourism? that story is next. my doctor prescribed dulera to help prevent them. 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no problem. you want to save money on rv insurance? no problem. you want to save money on motorcycle insurance? no problem. you want to find a place to park all these things? fuggedaboud it. this is new york. hey little guy, wake up! aw, come off it mate! geico. saving people money on more than just car insurance. confidence, with depend in color. now available in gray. looks and fits like underwear. same great protection. depend. good morning. great day. is the pain reliever orthopedic doctors recommend most for arthritis pain, think again. and take aleve. it's the one doctors recommend most for arthritis pain... two pills can last all day. ♪ >> mitchell: the recession is forcing many cash-strapped communities to think outside the box and that includes niagara falls, new york. as anthony mason tells us, the idea is to bring more tourist dollars by having a famous tightrope artist risk his life. >> my great grandfather said life is on the wire and everything else is just waiting. >> reporter: 32-year-old nik wallenda is a 7th generation tightrope walker. his great grandfather carl founded the famed flying wallendas. now wallenda hopes to be the first person to walk nearly 2,000 feet, 170 feet in the air across niagara's horseshoe falls. >> walking across niagara falls is a dream of mine. it's something that i have wanted to do ever since i could remember. >> reporter: niagara falls has a long storied history of stuntmen, acrobats and daredevils in barrels. some weren't so lucky. and after years of economic decline, new york officials think it's death defying past could be the perfect shot in the arm. governor andrew cuomo and the entire new york state legislature have agreed to give wallenda a one-time pass on laws banning stunts at the falls. wallenda estimates his act would bring in $125,000 spectators and $120 million tourist dollars to its region. but janice thomson of the canadian niagara parks commission which oversees the falls wants them enjoyed as a natural wonder. >> you know, people don't come here to a carnival type atmosphere, they're coming here to appreciate and pay tribute to the beauty and nature of niagara falls. >> i have never heard of a stunt man training for anything, it is an lifestyle, an art for us. >> reporter: last month wallenda addressed the parks concerns and was met by a throng of cameras. >> this is something i won't give up. >> reporter: not only will it be great for the economy, says wallenda, it will be great for the world in the economic dumps. >> there are a lot of people in the world on that wire with me right now looking towards that other end, hoping to make it to the other side. what a strong impactful story of this guy did it. he's on the wire and he made it across successfully and so can we. >> reporter: the canadian parks commission is considering wallenda's proposal. a decision is expected soon. until then, wallenda's walk and niagara falls' economic future hang in the balance. anthony mason, cbs news, new york. >> mitchell: and finally this evening, president obama played host tonight to a white house reception at for this year's kennedy center honorees included singers barbara cook, neil diamond, musicians yoress meryl streep. cbs will broadcast tonight's ceremony two days after christmas on december 27th. and that is the "cbs evening news." later on cbs, "60 minutes." thanks for joining us this sunday evening. i'm russ mitchell at the cbs broadcast center in new york. scott pelley will be here tomorrow. good night. captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org six figure pensions collecty a rising number of san josey workers... what's driving te trend -- and the impact it d have on pension reform. a frightening end to a victy celebration... cbs-5 captures the moment a railig collapses at a high school football game at a-t-and-t . and a celebration-- a long e coming for niner fans... hoe team captured their division today in impressive style. cbs 5 eyewitness news is ne. good evening, i'm ann notarangelo. california should be proud. we were the first to ban smoking on airplanes. the first to have smoke-free bars and restaurants. all while saving over $

yo-yo ma to merle streep and everything in between. >> we will take you to the kennedy honors coming up next on cbs. announcer: this portion of "the early show" sponsored by v-8 v-fusion smoothies. could have had a v-8! new v8 v-fusion smoothie. could've had a v8. the same whitening ingredient as strips. but that mostly dilutes away within seconds of brushing. hmmm. having the same ingredient doesn't mean you get even close to the same whitening. trust the whitening brand most awarded by beauty editors. crest 3d white. most awarded by beauty editors. >>> last night in washington, some big names from entertainment and politics paid tribute to five legendary performers. >> it was all part of the 34th annual kennedy center honors and correspondent whit johnson has the highlight. >> reporter: for washington, d.c., this is as hollywood as it gets. where the popular meet the powerful. paying tribute to those special artists of our time. >> we have merle streep in the room! yes! >> reporter: among the five kennedy center honorees, two-time oscar winning actress merle streep. >> everything i've seen merle struck how she portrays a wide range of characters. >> reporter: song writer and performer neil diamond. >> when it comes to neil diamond, i am a believer. we are all believers. >> reporter: cellist yo vcellist. >> reporter: and jazz great, sonny rollins. >> sonny, tonight, welcome home. >> and theater legend barbara cook who made her broadway debut in 1951. >> barbara cook at the cafe carlyle belongs on that short list of beloved new york treasures. >> reporter: it brings the greats in music and stage and screen and recognizing their distinguished careers and commitment to their craft. earlier in the day, president obama praised them for sharing their gift. >> by expressing themselves, they help us learn something about ourselves. they make us laugh. they move us to tears and they bring us together and they push the boundaries that are possible. ♪ sweet caroline >> reporter: whit johnson, cbs news, washington. >>> you can see the kennedy center honors on december 27th at 9:00 p.m./8:00 central right here on cbs. always a very cool show. >> yeah, it looks like a fun show to see in person too, by the way. >> we can sing along too if you want. >> i don't know about that. >> you did as

this year includes neil streep, and yo-yo ma. we will have a report from the carpet at 11:00. >>> a college football game in oklahoma turns violent. peoplee than a dozen hurt late last night. >> interview about rage. reaction, after a new sandusky interview. a cross-country mystery. [ female announcer ] more people are using wireless devices... in more ways than ever. and our networks are getetting crowded. but if congress frees up more wireless spectrum... we can empower more people to innovate... putting momentum behind our economy. and we can reduce the deficit... with more than thirty billion dollars paid by america's wireless companies. it's simple -- more spectrum means more freedom. for everyone. >>> what should have been a celebration turned ugly during an oklahoma football game team faced its archrival home and thousands of fans down the goal posts. during the celebration, some trampled and others were from the stands. least 13 people were hurt. an angry reaction from some the former penn state who gave an interview to t

yo-yo ma, meryl streep. big, big celebrities out there at the kennedy center. good-looking day. 42 at national airport. not much of a breeze just yet. later on today, winds south at 5 to 10 miles per hour. 40 in dulles. annapolis, 46 degrees. even up into northern maryland, temperatures up close to the 40-degree mark. so it will be a nice day today. temperatures low to mid-40s through the rest of the morning hours. easily into the mid-50s for a time this afternoon. 100% dry for today. rain chances will be going up as we get to the end of the day tomorrow, then into the day on tuesday, a lot of moisture down across parts of the ohio valley and down into the deep south. all that moisture is riding the conveyor belt all the way to the gulf coast to us. so the clear skies we have outside this morning we'll gradually pick up mid and high-level cloudiness. clouds a little bit more of a milky white color as opposed to sparkling blue. a good-looking day with the sunshine. mild for today and tomorrow ahead of our next chance for rain showers which will bring a cloudy stretch of weather for tomorrow, tuesday, wednesday, and maybe thursday. enjoy the sunshine and mild weather today. temperatures in the upper 50s to near 60 for your sunday high temperature. then come, plenty of clouds around. but it will be plenty warm. highs tomorrow in the upper 50s and low 60s. again, with a chance of a few showers out way west and southwest of washington. all-important seven-day forecast. enjoy the sunshine while it's here because you won't see a whole lot of sun from monday to thursday afternoon, unfortunately. chilly sunshine back for next weekend. >> thank you, chuck. take a break, grab some snacks, buddy. all right. well, if you've got an ipad or iphone you won't want to miss this week's kidspost. >> good morning. this week on kidspost on tv, ipad answer that are really top rate, where you don't need ice to use your ice skates and donating books to a special prima primate. good morning to you. let's talk about some of the coolest answer. you always have good ones. >> in sunday's kids post we look at 10 apps. there's a new study out from nielsen saying 44% of kids ages 6 to 12 want an ipad for christmas. >> is that outrageous? >> it is outrageous. >> that's an expensive toy. >> but lots of parents have them. all of our apps also work on the ipad touch which a lot of kids have. so this one is one of our favorites. it's called stack the states. it's actually a little bit educational as well as fun. >> that's good. >> kansas city is the abbreviation for which state? i'm kansas. and which of these states is louisiana? >> i have forgotten all my geography. >> you have to hit drop it. the state drops. and the idea is to stack this until they reach this line here. we like where is my water is another one? and lily and the lost key is a great example of a book that works well as an app. >> check them all out. >> the the most expensive is $4.99. if you already have the device this is a way to augment learning and creativity. >> you can share with your kids. >> absolutely. a family ipad. >> holiday time at the national zoo. >> well, zoolights again. they have added some new elements this year. including an ice skating rink that is made not with ice but with recycled materials. so it's a green ice skating rink. so it's free. it's through new year's. we encourage everybody to go. >> kids love it every year. finally a book drive with unexpected recipients. >> so chimp haven is a retirement home for want of a better word, for chimps in louisiana. and they wrote to us and said could you ask your readers to send us old, used board books. >> oh, my goodness. >> because the chimps love them as enrichment activities. obviously any books are fine. but board books work better. so in sunday's kids post we have all the details about how, you know, those torn, drooled on board books that you would probably putn the trash you can sent to chimp haven. and anybody who does gets a thank you note. >> i have a stack, boxes full. tracy, thanks so much as always. for fun family activities visit nbcwashington.com or washingtonpost.com and click on kidspost. that is kidspost on tv. >> that's good stuff. caps were looking for good stuff. they were looking for their first win under coach hunter. here's hakim dermish with your sports minute. >> reporter: good morning, everyone. your sports minute begins with hockey. last night the capitals hosting ottawa senators. game goes to overtime. tied at overtime. in o.t., cams on the attack. sets up brooks light for the game winner. he scores just 12 seconds into overtime against the only other nhl he has played for. caps win 3-2, ending the four-game losing streak and give dale hunter his first win as an nhl coach. virginia tech playing clemson for the acc championship and a trip to the orange bowl. it was pretty much all tigers. third quarter, clemson up 17-10. taj boyd rolls out and throw toss a wide open sammy watkins. clemson defeats virginia tech, 38-10. second round of the fcs playoffs. mickey matthews and james madison on the road at north dakota state. bison just too much in the end. mcmorton runs for a 60 yard touchdown. north dakota state defeats james madison, 26-14. college basketball. georgetown hosting the new jersey institute of technology. thompson finishes with a career six three-pointers and and game-high 20 points. hoyas crush the highlanders, 84-44. georgetown improves 7-1. virginia beats longwood. 86-53. and george mason beats townsend. 65-53. that's your sports minute. i'm hakim dermish. have a great day. >>> the time now is 9:26. 85-year-old woman claims she was strip searched at the airport. the tsa, though, telling a very different story. we're going to bring you both sides of that story when we return >> that's right. also ahead -- >> i start screaming bloody murder, 911, police. >> terrifying moments for several georgetown students after they discover intruders in their homes. this morning those students are discussing their ordeals in a news 4 exclusive. ♪ [ male announcer ] from our nation's networks... ♪ ...to our city streets... ♪ ...to skies around the world... ♪ ...northrop grumman's security solutions are invisibly at work, protecting people's lives... [ soldier ] move out! [ male announcer ] ...without their even knowing it. that's the value of performance. northrop grumman. that's the value of performance. bformula one car is sometimes a about more than breaking speed records. it's about breaking barriers. and exploring how robotics systems work is about more than taking apart machinery. it's about dismantling stereotypes. no matter who you are, or what you love to do, you get the chance to master it at rochester institute of technology. around here, we only expect one thing from our students: to be totally and completely unexpected. >> are you sexually attracted to young boys, underaged boys? >> am i sexually attracted to underaged boys? sexually attracted. >>> we're hearing jerry sandusky's explanation to his puzzling statement last month. >> good morning. i'm erika gonzalez. >> i'm angie goff. >> jerry sandusky is speaking out about the allegations against him. >> he repeated the assertion that he is innocent and all the sexual abuse allegations are simply not true. jay gray has the story. >> this weekend jerry sandusky is speaking out. >> i didn't do those things. >> the embattled coach sat down for a wide-ranging interview with "new york times" reporter joan becker. >> he's trying to get his story out there. >> a part of that story, his explanation of what penn state officials knew about the allegations and what they did. he said former athletic director tim curly, facing perjury charges, approached him with concerns but never went any further. >> i still have my keys. >> and sandusky said legendary coach joe paterno never discussed the issue. >> i don't know that he didn't know. i know that he never said anything to me. >> he was very loyal still to coach paterno and very upset. talked about being very upset that he had been fired over this whole thing. >> another regret, how he answered this question. from nbc's pwoft costas and his only other interview. >> are you sexually attracted to young boys, underaged boys? >> am i sexually attracted to underaged boys? >> yes. >> sexually attracted? you know -- they're saying what in the world is this question? i general -- that's what i was trying -- i enjoy spending time with young people. i enjoy spending time with people. >> but since the charges and the controversy these days he spends most of his time you with his dog bo. jay gray, nbc news, state college, pennsylvania. >> sandusky says since the grand jury report became public last month most of his friends and former colleagues have distanced themselves from him. he said he misses those relationships and his charity, the second mile the most. >> virginia tech is appealing a federal fine more than four years after a mass shooting tragedy at the school. the education department says virginia tech was too slow in notifying students, faculty and staff about a gunman loose on the blacksburg campus. the 2007 shooting spree left 33 people dead. the government fined the school $55,000 for violating a federal law that requires timely warnings about safety threats. virginia tech says it acted appropriately and will appeal its case wednesday. >>> all right. shifting things over to weather. you have to great news for us. another nice day. >> i have very good news for both of you. >> spill it. >> it's going to be sun y. the only thing better is if you had the day off to be in the sunshine. but 10:00 a.m., we're off. then plenty of sunshine. 4:46 the sun goes down. temperatures a little warmer today than yesterday. we're all in bonus material now. average high temperature only 50. every tick above 50 is bonus ground around here. nice-looking day outside so far. sunshine out there. temperatures are climbing from the 30s. now into the 40s in many neighborhoods. 37 in fredericksburg and culpepper. 39 degrees in bethesda, chevy chase, silver spring. nothing showing up on doppler. we will be dry the rest of the day. that's good news for everybody. sunny and mild day. temperatures in the mid to upper 50s. perfect weather for the jets and the skins. kickoff is at 1:00 this afternoon. no weather problems there. milder tomorrow. but plenty of clouds around tomorrow. and the rain drops follow the clouds after that. >> you know, the sun is going down earlier. a good suggestion is to go out and check out the holiday lights. a lot of great displays out there. >> i agree. >> thanks, chuck. >> right now police are investigating two shootings that happened less than a mile apart from each other in northeast washington. the first victim was shot in the face late last night 21st street near maryland avenue. there's no word on his condition. a woman was shot and killed on 23rd place northeast. there's no word on her identity or if police have a suspect in the shooting. police are not saying whether they think the shootings are related. >> there is a community alert out there for george stks town university and the surrounding area after reports of two break-ins near campus. police say someone got in two off-campus apartments, both near 36th and 0 streets. in the first case, a man somehow got into a home on 36th street friday night and scared a woman when he jumped out of her closet. 30 minutes later, police say an intruder got into another home. he had on a mask like the one in the movie "scream." >> i started screaming bloody murder, 911, police. he looked at us and continued on. >> the man who broke in was pocketing items, an ipod, cash. police do not know if the two cases are related. >>> an 85-year-old grandmother said she was injured and humiliated when she was strip searched at new york's jfk airport. she feared body scanners would interfere with her defibrillator so she opted for the pat-down. the screener made her take off her pants and she banged her leg causing her shin to bleed. they deny strip searching the woman. she said closed-circuit television footage shows tsa followed proper procedures. >>> later today, a local landmark will celebrate five major icons in american entertainment. ♪ ♪ sweet caroline >> sing it, angie. i'm just kidding. >> tonight is the 34th annual kennedy center honors. neil diamond, meryl streep, yoollins and barbara cook will all walk the red carpet for the black tie gala. they're all being honored for their lifetime contributions to american culture. a number of dignitaries from around the world come to attend this event. >> hollywood desends on d.c. >> love it. >> going to be a great night. >> all right. time now early on this sunday, 9:37. still ahead, walking the plank and looking quite swell. arr! ♪ [ jerry ] attention shoppers. your groceries are the size of idaho but the interest rate on your checking is small potatoes. earn more at capital one bank. get new high yield free checking. your interest rate will be 5 times the national average. that's huge. and free atms at any bank. free is good. sign up at capital one bank. what's in your wallet? what is he, a clydesdale. hey, jessica, jerry neumann with a policy question. jerry, how are you doing? fine, i just got a little fender bender. oh, jerry, i'm so sorry. i would love to help but remember, you dropped us last month.

yo-yo ma. president obama was on hand to toast these individuals. >> in the most amazing thing about yo-yo ma is that everybody likes him. you got to give me some tips. it's remarkable. >> tip number one he stays out of politics. the president also thanked the honorees for sharing their talents with the world. >>> okay, still to come this morning new developments involving a violent attack at a mcdonald's. that tape and see if you agree with a new decision in this case. >>> also, facebook reveals more of its plans for next year and definitely won't involve -- it definitely involves absolutely adding more people to the payroll. thousands of them. >>> plus developing this hour out of japan a radioactive water leak at fukushima plant. progresso. it fits! fantastic! [ man ] pro-gresso they fit! okay-y... okay??? i've been eating progresso and now my favorite old jeans...fit. okay is there a woman i can talk to? [ male announcer ] progresso. 40 soups 100 calories or less. okay is there a woman i can talk to? when you're a sports photographer, things can get out of control pretty quickly. so i like co

yo-yo ma. dressed to the nines, he said that yo-yo ma taught him that has music is like playground and mix everyoneion. some like to let it grow out. who knew? sam posted a couple of shots of the new beard. he started a twitter battle. some were swoons over the skruf. others said they liked clean-shaven sam. this tweet said, i will mail you plate of my famous christmas cookies if you keep the beard. another said tell "gma," sam, that your beard should stay so you can play santa later this month. >> yeah, yeah, oh, yeah. the santa one. i remember that one. >> i will say, i did say that i was in full support, mr. lincoln. take that daniel day lewis. look at that. >> enough. say good morning, everybody. how are you? nice to see you. >> good morning. >> it's a good crowd. it's nice to be back in times square. fog going on in morning. out of purple and gold. right? and a little bit of the packers' yellow going on, too. >> yeah. >> snowbuquerque this morning. that's not that strange. look at where it goes. dallas, wet snow flakes today. amarillo, light snow. the cold air brings the temperaturin temperatu

yo-yo ma, and the marshal tucker band perform their favorite christmas songs. ladies and gentlemen, governor mike huckabee. [applaus [applause] >> thank you, a great audience here tonight. thank you and and merry christmas everybody. welcome to huckabee from the fox news studios in new york city. i don't usually talk about sports on this show, but it's kind of hard to ignore the talk of all sports casts and headlines across the country. tebow fever. tim tebow led the denver broncos out of obscurity and into the thick of the nfl playoff race and while many athletes give credit to higher power when their team wins a game. tebow has many asking if god is really rooting for his team. >> first and foremost i'd have to thank my lord and savior jesus christ. >> when he was winning in high school he he had doubters and winning in college he had doubters. they say he doesn't have the mechanics to be a successful quarterback and now that he's winning in the pros,'s doubters and never considered his heart and his faith. >> if you believe, you know, unbelievable things can sometimes be possible. >> since tim tebow took over as starting quarterback of the denver broncos, halfway through the season the season turned its season around winning seven out of eight games and often winning in dramatic fashion, coming back late in games after starting poorly. >> what is it about their quarterback's ability to bring his team back. he might have explained it when he was a guest on this show last summer. >> i'm not going to be perfect. i'm never going to be perfect i'm going to mess up and mess up every day that's what grace is all about and that's what faith is about, and getting back up when you get knocked down and continuing that journey of faith and continuing to try to improve and try to get better. >> tim's kret i cans are not limited to shows who put down his game. he's been ostracized because he's open about his faith and often kneeling down praying near the game and the tebowing craze created controversy at least one new york city and recently four students were suspended for leading classmates mimicking tebow. have people told you tum, back off and throttle back on the faith stuff? >> absolutely, it would definitely happen and a lot of people that say you don't need to show it so much. >> that doesn't stop him who continues to take the high road. after last week's comeback against chicago-- and there's linebacker brian erlacher refused to give tebow credit and instead giving the quarterback a backhanded compliment by calling him a good running back. well, instead of responding negativetively to the latest job, tim turned the other cheek. >> coming from a good player, that means a lot. >> the contrived controversy over his rookie season in the nhl has become the conversation in the sports world as well as beyond. forget the presidential primary and the wars in the middle east and staggering government na is choking we have a nfl quarterback who lives jesus lives a life that acknowledges personal on his faith. and he doesn't imagine that god purchased the total nfl package on tv or parades around in a broncos jersey. i feel that the almighty while mindful of the winning streak of the deven franchise and hasn't taken more role in determining the outcome of the game in fixing the election for either of the candidates from the two mange parties. despite what devout dreamers may declare. tim tebow is simply a very gracious, humble and disciplined young man who was raised to believe that he's personally accountable for his actions, both on and off the field. and it would appear that he's been pretty consistent in both orbits. sports writers, tv analysts and other football players seem obsessed with opinions whether tebow ought to openly declare his allegiance to god after taking a knee and the controversy rages among fellow christians some of whom have amazingly been critical of his outward displays. personally i'm kind of refreshed to see a professional athlete to advertise something wholesome like prayer to god. i've seen of drug users, awe bus abusers, gun toting, general jerks, sure there's room for someone advertising love for mother and father, and their sport. as for openly declaring a love for jesus, some eat their soup louder than others and the soup tastes the same either way and for those who like the expressions of faith subdued so be it, but some people are maybe naturally, maybe supernaturally expressive and i'm fine with that. most of all i rejoice to see a young person as a role model won't encourage my grandson to smoke dope, treat women disrespectfully, cheat, lie, get in drunken brawls, use profanity to cover a lack after decent vocabulary or start fights on the field. i'll buy a room full of posters of that kind of here he owe for my grandson. if the broncos lose, god is no less god and tim tebow will probably be a fine young man, but i hope tebow and the bronc keep winning and critics have something better to whine about than the fact that he prays. that's my view and contact me at mike huckabee.com with your view and facebook and twitter if you have something to say about that. this past week i was in des moines, iowa with four of the presidential candidates and also with an overflow crowd and a magnificent theater to premier the movie "the gift of life" it's a stunning and i think very powerful portrayal of why every life has worth and dignity. i hope you'll get a copy and you can find out more about it at the gift of life movie.com. the gift of life movie.com or follow the link for mike huckabee.com. hey, we had a big moment from the huckabee show. full page ad in the wall street journal this week about the forum that you saw here a few weeks ago with the attorneys general and showed we were the first in the ratings, beat cnn, msnbc and headlines news with total viewers and wonderful reviewers from the new york times and daily beast who normally don't have that many wonderful things to say about me or fox news. [applause] >> and during thursday's republican presidential debate in sioux city, iowa most of the candidates aimed their attacks at president obama, but minnesota congresswoman michele bachmann set her sights on those sharing the stage with her. >> i've never heard a more dangerous answer for american security than the one that we just heard from ron paul. we know that he cashed paychecks from freddie mac, that's the best evidence that you can have. over 1.6 million dollars and frankly, i am shocked listening to the former speaker of the house, because he's defending the continuing practice of freddie mac and fannie mae. >> mike: joining us from iowa, republican presidential candidate michele bachmann. congresswoman, it's good to have you with me again. thank you very much for joining us. >> thank you, governor. it's a pleasure to be with you. [applause] >> most of the analysts who i've seen who talked about the debate thought you had an exceptionally strong night and that you took your game straight to your fellow candidates. was that intentional strategy on your part or did it just rise up in you, there were things being said you had to challenge? >> he will it was the latter, mike, i had no strategy to do that, it was based upon things that i heard and the first clip that you played was that of ron paul. and ron paul, i believe, would be a very dangerous president of the united states. and that's not personal. i'm not trying to be personal against him, but i think it's very clear, people across the world recognize iran is hell bent on obtaining a nuclear weapon and they've made it abundantly clear they'll use it against our ally israel and use it against the united states and we know that because the president of iran said he would as recently as august and also in september when he was here. this is a very serious situation and i come as someone who sits on the intelligence committee and we deal with the secrets and we have to take this threat on because it's real. >> mike: i agree that iran is a real threat and the only country i know of who not only want today develop the nuclear weapon and developing it with the express purpose of using it. >> that's right. >> mike: yet, on the tonight show when ron paul was on this week, he made this comment i'd like your reaction to it after we listen to it. >> michele bachmann. >> she doesn't like muslims, he she hates muslims. she wants to go get them. >> mike: congresswoman you said it was not person, you to him, but it sounded a little personal from him to you and he made a pretty bold, i would go so far as to say an outrageous allegation that you hate muslims. i've never seen that in you. respond. >> no, no, you're exactly right. you never have because i never have said anything that foolish, what i believe is that i move the american people and i love this country, and i want this country to be safe, sovereign and free. the real hate that you hear is coming from the president of iran. he hates jews. he hates jews in israel and he hates the american people and so do the mullahs in iran who have expressly stated that it is their goal to kill jews in israel and also to kill americans. that's a real threat and that's why as commander-in-chief this have nation i will stand up and make sure that iran never obtains a nuclear weapon, and i will stand with our ally israel. >> and let's address that specific allegation that you hate muslims and you want to go get them. do you hate muslims? >> of course not. i don't hate muslims and that's outrageous to say that, but i do recognize that we have a very real threat, just like when hitler was building up the threat prior to world war ii, all of the signs were there, ne were evident and people who want today bury their heads in the sand. we're living in a time when there's another madman and if there's anything mike, the last 100 years taught us. when a madman speaks we need to listen and take that threat seriously. and i do, i'll stand with the american country that i love. >> mike: and you and i were together with several of the presidential candidates at an overflow event for the movie "the gift of life" and one of the things i think people are saying, these issues don't matter, the issues of the sanctity of life or marriage. it appeared to matter to some iowa voters the other night when they were there. would you react to whether or not the issues are asked of you as you campaign across iowa? >> well, mike, they were even today. i'm on a 99 county tour. every county in iowa we did ten stops yesterday, ten stops today and governor, i'll tell you, this morning, people brought up the issue of life and said this is the number one issue, and i know that you agree that life needs to be protected. we talked about that in the debates and for your viewers, i encourage them to stay tuned to fox, because fox will show the debate again, and the issue of life came up in the debate. and i said very clearly that i believe that the life needs to be protected from conception until natural death and that's why i brought up that issue. because the former speaker of the house, newt gingrich. had a chance to defund planned parenthood. he didn't do it and even more shockingly, he reconfirmed again that he would be willing to support and campaign for republicans who support the barbaric practice of partial birth abortion. i could never do that. and that's why the very important question was asked by george will to the speaker. he said when is it ever a virtue to tolerate infantside? it's not. we need to be a party that stands for life, you do, i do, the republican party does and people across iowa want a champion to stand for life and i will. >> mike: congresswoman michele bachmann, it's always a pleasure to see you, have fun out there and good luck in iowa, and thank you very much for joining us today. >> it's always a pleasure to be with you, governor, thank you. >> mike: thank you, merry christmas to you. when barack obama was campaigning for president, he condemned the war in iraq with you, but when announcing the end of the war in week he called it one of the most extraordinary chapters in the history of the american military. statesmanship or just plain old flip-flopping? we'll debate on the hot seat when we come back. 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[applause] >> the quar in (applause) >> with the war in iraq officially over and our troops headed home. president obama took a look the at the bright side. >> what's happening over the last several years has linked the united states and iraq in a way that is it potentially powerful and could end up benefitting not only america and iraq, but the entire region and the entire world. >> mike: but that sounds a lot different from the president's old stance on america's mission in iraq. >> i don't oppose war in all circumstances and when i look out over this crowd today, i know there is no shortage of patriots or patriotism. what i do oppose is a dumb war. >> mike: why is the president changed his mind? i think it's time for the hot seat. my challengers today, news day columnist elliss henican and jehmu green, both are fox news contributors. good to have you here, welcome. jehmu, is this a flip-flop on the president's part? >> as a candidate, he opposed to the war. as, you know, i said that he was going to end the war and as a president he has after nine years, i don't think i have any more tears to cry, and the reunions and naers meeting their babies for the first time. i have a question for you, governor. >> mike: ask. >> given he's lived up to every promise he made with iraq is he not the greatest command ner chief in modern day of presidents not the 21st century, but the 20th century. >> mike: aur audience doesn't think so. no, i don't think so. he always wants to talk about what he inherited. he inherited a war that turned because after surge that he opposed. he inherited incredible military that he had never been so fond of until he became commander-in-chief and realized these are the most remarkable americans that live. i'm grateful these americans are coming home. i'm grateful it's ending. i hope it works out well. but i don't see how i can see those two piece of videotape and say this is a president that had to change his view about the military and elliss, did his view on the mission change. >> no, he was against it dependent think it was good to go in, you can't erase history. he wanted us. >> mike: don't be so sure. i'm rarely. >> on this one, the power of logic has overwhelmed you, governor, you know you want these guys to come home and you know you don't want another ten year occupation somewhere and let's get them out of afghanistan, too, right? >> i never want today see this thing go ten years. >> gooed. >> mike: i would rather see as america would typically go in as colin powell would say overwhelming force and make it it quick and decisive. the fact that it's lasted ten years, there have been a lot of people that didn't come home to their families and the pain of this war is unquestionable. my point goes back, this is a president it wasn't just the war, we all support the troops, the president supported the troops i'm the not going to question his patriotism nor his support for the troops. i'm talking about his support for the mission of the war. >> wasn't the libya model better, we got in, did a piece of business and got out of there and in fact support from our allies. >> and he knew how to do it from the start to the finish. >> mike: as far as libya i would remind you that the president's original proposal was not in fact what we did, but i'm grateful it's turned out and i'll give him credit because he is the commander-in-chief and i'll give him credit for a number of good decisions. so i'm not dismissing everything he's done. i do think he made a major change, you know why? the reality of being president set in. it's easy to be a candidate and tougher to govern and we've got to go to another topic. does the media hold the g.o.p. field to a different standard than the democratic field. let's look at a tape and you can react to it. >> strategic advice over a long period of time. >> how much would you spend on a monthly basis doing at that kind of work, seems like a lot of money. >> as ceo of bayne capital romney made huge profits while bankrupting five companies. >> and (inaudible) >> now, there are tough questions there, candidates running for president and tough questions, i've got no problems with that. are the questions specifically related to some of let's say financial information i found it especially interesting. you've got al sharpton who owes about half a million dollars in taxes and he's raising questions about the integrity and character of one of the candidates. am i overreacting? >> yes. >> i knew you were going to say that. >> and certainly what happens when you're a front runner and just weeks ago, newt gingrich said bring it on, he welcomed the heat and put up on his website, answering the questions and i think the media is treating this field differently because they've allowed-- republicans have allowed the media to turn this into a circus and reality show, as an american who wants the best nominee. >> mike: what do you mean reality show. >> i don't think the media is at fault for turning it into a reality show. >> how did they do that? >> allowed donald trump to control the the debate and they had allowed candidates like herman cain who clearly did not have the type of standing, i think, to be a front runner. and all of the attention they put on him and i mean, some of the questions we've seen in the debate have really crossed the line, focusing on michele bachmann's migraines rg early on and it's out of line. >> mike: and that's my point. some of the questions the media asked are ridiculous, why on earth would they ask michele bachmann about a migraine and herman cain some things they've asked him. and that's my point. there's been unusual level of scrutiny and some of which haveening to do with president. aren't you sick. >> mike: and not today-- >> you were a presidential candidate, aren't you sick of whining candidates. when you run for president in our country you better expect some questions ab pit bulls. sadly this time around the republican candidates frankly have been suffer on each other, and nobody is tougher than michele bachmann and make woodward's and bernsteins-- >> and you can't forget mitt romney as a front runner for the last year, he stayed away from sunday talk shows for what, 18 months, he stayed away from doing-- what is up with that? >> you know what, i don't blame him frankly you go on these things and ask obscure questions about something you said 20 years ago, unfortunately the hot seat is cooling down. we've got to go. elliss and jehmu, always great to visit with you. merry christmas to both of you, thank you. happy new year. all eyes are on iowa. coming up, salem sipped kated network host in iowa is going to break down why his home state is the police to be for politics over the next couple of weeks. 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[ deep breath ] thank you! that's the cold truth! bring the stuff home. wrap the stuff. wonder if it's the right stuff. get insecure about the stuff. put stuff in closets. put stuff in drawers. this year, let's take a break from all this stuff... and give something that means something. give the gift of hope, help and compassion when it's needed most. for the people on your list, give from the red cross catalog in their honor. go to redcross.org today. >> and nex >> (applause) >> over the next two and a half weeks iowa is going to be the epicenter of the world. the iowa caucuses happen on january 3rd and kick off the primely season. joining us from iowa to explain why it's so important. nationally syndicated talk show host and author of the book, we won't be wrong again. my friend steve is from iowa, steve, welcome, good to have you here. [applause] >> everybody talks about the caucuses of iowa and they talk about them as if people really know what that means. walk us through a caucus night and tell us what happens when people go to a caucus as opposed to a primary election. >> totally different environment, mike. first of all, a caucus may take place at your kid's school, might take place at your own church and a lot of times you explain why you're voting for somebody or the candidates will have proxies that will speak on their behalf. let me give you analogy. let's say you're going in there looking at two or three candidates and you're not sure which you like the most, pat tore of your church and somebody you respect stands up and gives a passionate speech for one of the candidates. they might tell you on the candidate right there at the caucus site and there's politicking and horse trading that goes on during the awe causes themselves so it's a totally different environment than a primary. >> one of the things that happens, steve, this is very public, it's not like you go in quietly and secretly mark a ballot. you have to take a stance in front of your neighbors that live in your neighborhood? >> that's right, this is particularly in iowa caucuses you see christian dominate. if you're a squishy voter and money type. if a primary you secretly vote for the squishy rhino type and nobody knows a difference. but caucus when you're with the your kids' teachers and parishioners, and own the candidate you're supporting it has its own enforcement mechanism. >> and indicates why polls are unreliable in iowa. it may look like a candidate is doing well, but caucuses pulls out intensity of a voter support. do you see somebody surprising this coming january 3rd. somebody the media has overlooked that's going to be stronger than they expect? >> i definitely think there is a chance either michele bachmann and/or rick santorum will finish way above their polling numbers and the rick perry's ads and debate on thursday night he has a chance to substantially i am pror where he's add. in my opinion, michele bachmann and/or rick santorum will do better than showing. the oo aye poll, incredible straw poll voters had rick santorum at 2%, he got 10% of the straw poll vote. so i think it's impossible to gauge with an organic process what the support is. polls in the caucuses measure mine share more and they might measure more who they're talking about and people are thinking about, but don't necessarily measure what the actual support of the person they're thinking about is. >> and few people in the country i know, keep up with the iowa scene better than you do, steve. thank you, and we look forward to seeing you soon. >> thanks, mike, appreciate it. >> and so we all have our list of best loved christmas songs, i kind of like oh little town of bethlehem. we have a lineup of musicians, toby keith and marshal tucker band playing our favorites. i wonder if they'll play yours? stay tuned, you'll find out. mrooep mrooep. ♪ i wish my patients could see what i see. ♪ that over time, having high cholesterol plus diabetes... or high blood pressure... or family history of early heart disease... can put them at increased risk for plaque buildup. and they'd see that it's more important to get their cholesterol where their doctor wants. and why for these patients, when diet and exercise alone aren't enough, i prescribe crestor. adding crestor lowers bad cholesterol by up to 52%. and is also proven to slow plaque buildup. 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(laughter) >> everything i could get and i knew what it was before i got t that is my memory, really. it was just, you know what, i say it's just family. it was knowing that everybody was getting together at the holidays. >> mike: yeah. >> and regardless of anything else, you always knew if you walked inside, and i wore a hat like this, i was in, baby. >> mike: what's the best christmas present you ever got? >> i think i just received it when we played in iraq, okay? (applaus (applause) >> it's going to be a lasting thing for us because we-- i was in vietnam and got to see bob hope come and perform, okay? and that was '69. that's my present this year. >> mike: that's a great present. [applause] >> we're going to do a christmas song with you guys. "merry christmas baby." . >> i'm ready. >> let's do it. ♪ merry christmas, baby, you sure been good to me ♪ ♪ merry christmas baby, oh, you sure been good to me ♪ ♪ su give me all of the good loving i need ♪ no ♪ i can't wait ♪ she gave me new present ♪ i listen to it day and night ♪ ♪ every time she sits beside me, i know everything is going to be all right ♪ ♪ merry christmas baby, you sure look mighty fine to me ♪ ♪ i can't wait for santa to come down that chimney, baby ♪ ♪ yeah, i'm gonna have some company ♪ >> play it for me. ♪ ♪ merry christmas baby, merry christmas to me ♪ ♪ i sure like that little hi-fi you gave me, baby ♪ ♪ i listen to music ♪ ♪ i know you're looking mighty fine, woman ♪ ♪ merry christmas ♪ >> thank you. [applaus [applause] >> wonderful. you can go to huckabee.com. and also, kelly wright and the little rockers with have yourself a merry little christmas. and coming up, yoal. they steam and bake the actual whole grain while the otr guy's flake is more processed. mmm. great grains. the whole whole grain cereal. premier of the packed bag. you know organization is key... and so is having a trusted assistant. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle...and go. you can even take a full-s or above and still pay the mid-size price. here we are... [ male announcer ] and there you go, business pro. there you go. go national. go like a pro. (applause) >> world famous cellist yo-yo performed all over the globe. there's no place he would rather be at christmas than home. >> from the moment our children were born, well i think they were like 3 or 4 or 5 years old. i live in the boston area there's a group that celebrates christmas every year that is called the rebel. it is a group of people who sing and dance with children and adults, and what they do is celebrate christmas and the winter solstice from all different par

world renowned cellist yo-yo ma and meryl streep. is there anything meryl streep hasn't won? oscars, golden globe, last year she was named professional bull riding's rodeo please standby please standby please standby please standby please standby please standby please standby please standby him. >> tonight we celebrate the greatest living cellist, tonight we please standby please standby please standby please standby please standby 1001 cello puns. all i need is a thousand more puns. (laughter) but i think it's going to sell because there's always room for more cello. (cheers and applause) now folks, my honoring did to the gun noticed. audience member and gop front-runner newt gingrich released this actual tweet today. stephen colbert was brilliant at kennedy center honors tonight. newt gingrich said i'm brilliant, okay. and newt reserved his twitter feed for things of the utmost importance like these actual tweets. i ate a reeses peanut butter cup for breakfast. and calista got me a reese's peanut butter egg. it is good please standby please standby please standby please sta

yo-yo ma, singer barbara cook and saxophonist and composer rollins. this is the kennedy center honors taking place. the president of the united states will be wishing them well and congratulating them right there at the white house, at the special reception before things get under way. you can see there actor john lithgow and among many other dignitaries there, hollywood stardom as well as some of the political stars as well. they're filling the room. and, of course, we'll continue to watch the developments there and if the president emerges, we'll take his comments live before this evening's big gala, just down the street at the kennedy center. >>> coming up next, international diplomacy comes in many forms. china sends more four-legged ambassadors to the west. ♪ >>> i'm catkinsmith, managing editor of etocracy. we love the word scorpacciata. it is an italian word that translates roughly into consuming copious amounts of an ingredient while it is in peak season. now, it isn't just fun to say. it is also a really great way to eat. because when you're following along with nature's rhythms, you're guaranteed to get the freshest, best tasting produce that hasn't been sitting in a warehouse for weeks or even months. now, right now that means you should be digging into bushels full of apples and beets and broccoli, kale, potatoes, pumpkin, winter squash, so much more. all you have to do is talk to your local farmer or produce manager about how you can sink your teeth into some scorpaccia. my contacts are so annoying. they're itchy, dry and uncomfortable. i can't wait to take 'em out, throw 'em away and never see them again. 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[ male announcer ] discover why it's the brand eye doctors trust most for comfort. if you have astigmatism, there's an acuvue® oasys lens for that too, realigning naturally with every blink. ask your doctor for acuvue® oasys brand. >>> overseas, israeli leaders are concerned about how the election in egypt is taking shape. early results from the first round of voting for egypt's parliament show strong support for moderate and hard-line islamist parties. israeli officials call the results disturbing. it is first democratic exercise in egypt since the ouster of long time president hosni mubarak. >>> bomb squad says they managed to diffuse two enormous bombs discovered in a river in germany. the bombs date back to world war ii. nearly half of the residents of one city evacuated for safety reasons while the bombs were diffused. >>> and talk about traveling in style. this endangered turtle flew first class from portugal to florida and is bound for the warm waters of the gulf of mexico. the turtle mysteriously turned up in europe, just a few years ago. thousands of miles from its natural habitat and scientists plan to check it out medically and then release it. they checked it out as best they could. they think it is okay for flying and now it is on to its long awaited home. >>> other endangered animals in the news today, this charter plane you're about to see touched down in scotland, short time ago. it was a private flight that originated in china. on board, the little stickers are the indicator there, pandas. a giant panda, a male and a female. they're a gift from the chinese government and they'll live at the edinburgh zoo for ten years and hopefully make a family of their own. they're the first pandas in britain in nearly 20 years. look at the fanfare and you can hear the bagpipes there. of course, the federal express -- yeah. that's so sweet. so this is a big deal. >> it is. >> when china gifts a panda or a pair and the idea is that, you know -- >> it is very difficult. >> yeah. but they use it to improve relations. they call it panda diplomacy. we heard of all sorts of diplomacies, but this is a very specific chinese thing. china is the only place which offers a habitat to the species, which is a very rare species close to extinction, only 1500 of them left in the wild. so when it makes this gesture it really wants to improve or boost relations with the country, and the timing is very significant. >> what do you mean? >> the vice president of china announced this loan in january, when he came to secure some trade deals in britain. the pandas are arriving now as the first secretary of scotland, guess where he is, china, securing trade deals. it is quite obvious and china is not making a secret about the use of pannia iapandas to impro relations. >> they never had a pair of pandas before. uk may have, but -- >> that was 17 years ago, but the country as a whole hasn't seen pandas, you know, up front and personal for 17 years. >> so people are reacting how overall? they have to be thrilled. >> the red carpet was rolled on, dignitaries were there, crowds at the zoos, the zoos get an immense boost the first year. you've seen the pant ipandas in atlanta. we talked to a woman from the zoo this morning, a scientist, rebecca snyder. we asked her what does it do? why do zoos fight to have pandas. here is what she had to say. >> like a stuffed animal, so cute. >> for our zoo, it was just a decision that this was a species we really wanted to commit to. they are an attraction. people are excited about them. our attendance did increase first year we had them. >> the attendance increases. the scottish zoo is expecting attendance to double first year. it goes back, until there is a baby, once there is a baby, attendance shoots up again. >> off the charts. >> absolutely. >> the marketing madness will begin if it hasn't already. >> expecting to boost the tourism, the economy, even the wildlife advocates are not happy. they say this is an exploitation, the pandas are not happy in those habitats. but the woman we spoke to, rebecca snyder, claims they adjust very well and that helps them in their survival. >> interesting. all right. i love that. thanks so much for bringing us that. >> my pleasure. >>> this week, we'll remember a day of infamy. december 7th, 1941, but this year something new is on the horizon, the children of pearl harbor survivors step up to fill the gap. >>> adult onset diabetes can be influenced by weight or your genes. but gestational diabetes, a condition which develops during a woman's pregnancy, can be a risk factor as well. elizabeth cohen explains in this week's health for her. >> reporter: when she was pregnant with her first child, sarah wallace learned she had gestational diabetes. >> i was surprised. and kind of worried. >> reporter: dr. michael randell says the condition, which develops during pregnancy, can be treated and usually goes away when the baby is born. >> somewhere between 7 and 14% of all pregnant women will develop gestational diabetes. >> reporter: those women need to be concerned for several reasons. >> these risks for the mother include elevated blood pressure or pre-eclampsia and a risk for cesarean delivery. >> reporter: for a baby, an increased risk for obesity and developing diabetes later in life. while all moms to be are screened for the condition, certain factors increase the risk for it. those include a family history of diabetes, being overweight or obese, and older age and race. american indian, african-american, and hispanic women are at a higher risk. wallace improved her diet and gave birth by c-section to a baby boy. now she's being monitored closely, but wallace says the diagnosis was a warning sign. >> to know that i am at higher risk to develop diabetes later in life and to be aware of that and to make the right choices in food and exercise and diet, to try and prevent it. >> reporter: for today's health minute, i'm elizabeth cohen. >>> the republican presidential race gets a little smaller now that the cain train as they call it has departed. where is the campaign headed? 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[ male announcer ] another reason more people stay with state farm. get to a better state. ♪ get to a better state. ♪ sen♪ co-signed her credit card - "buy books, not beer!" ♪ ♪ut the second at she shut the door ♪ ♪ girl started blowing up their credit score ♪ ♪ she bought a pizza party for the whole dorm floor ♪ ♪ hundred pounds of makeup at the makeup store ♪ ♪ and a ticket down to spring break in mexico ♪ ♪ but her folks didn't know 'cause her folks didn't go ♪ ♪ to free-credit-score-dot-com hard times for daddy and mom. ♪ >>> live pictures now of the presidential reception at the white house for this year's kennedy center honors. these are america's most accomplished performers that are being honored. among them five, meryl streep, sunny rollins, neil diamond, yoten in to the president right now. >> -- past the school auditorium. that's why we dance, even if as michelle says, i look silly doing it. it is one of the downsides of being president, your dance moves end up on youtube. but tonight's honorees take it a step further by expressing themselves, they help us learn something about ourselves. they make us laugh. they move us to tears. they bring us together. and they push the boundaries of what we think is possible. and each of them has been blessed with an extraordinary gift. tonight we thank them for sharing that gift with us. barbara cook has been said to have the most magnificent voice in popular music. but she was born into a family that didn't know the first thing about singing. growing up while the other kids in her neighborhood were out playing hide and seek, barbara would be inside listening to opera on the radio. by the time she was 23, barbara was starring in her first broadway show and went on to win a tony for her performance a

yo-yo ma were honored for their lifetime contribution to american culture. at a white house reception, the president had a bit of fun with one honoree in particular. >> the most amazing thing about yoat everybody likes him. you have to give me some tips. it's remarkable. >> top hollywood stars and political dignitaries attended the gala performance. among them, actors stanley tuchi and sarah jessica parker and rahm emmanuel. >>> okay. so with herman cain out of the race for the white house, his supporters are now fair game for the republicans who are still in the fight. and i asked, where cnn contributor will cain saw those backers going? >> there's two polls out. des moines register and public polling policy -- public policy polling. they both say about 40% of herman cain supporters see newt gingrich as their second choice. we should stop, you know, and kind of marvel at that absurdity. those attracted to the ultimate washington outsider in herman cain are going to opt as their second choice for the ultimate washington insider -- >> well, also, too if you think about it the thing that drove herman cain out of this race were allegations of infidelity and his shenanigans with women.

and yo yo ma and meryl streep. >> movie goers still have a crush on twilight, breaking dawn, part 1, topped the box office. it made nearly $17. coming in number two, the moppets. $11.2million in sales. the 3-d film pulled in $7.6 million. >> good time of year to go total movies. you have to use care and caution tonight. there is fog out there. it will overspread the area as we go through the overnight hours. no visibility at all in wilmington, paw tux et river. foggy start in the morning, we get to 60 by tomorrow afternoon and the week ahead, again, gets cooler for the second half. be ready for that. >> take it slow heading out tomorrow. >> ravens win, it is a great week for all of us. here we go. >> keep them coming. >> that will do it. [ male announcer ] are you paying more and more for cable and enjoying it less and less? upgrade to verizon fios and get tv, internet and phone for our best price online -- just $79.99 a month for two years with a 2 year agreement. this holiday deal is only for a limited time. so don't wait. get fios at this great price. act now and we'll add a speci

paying tribute to actress meryl streep, saxophonist sonny rollins, cellist yo-yo ma, and singer neil diamond. very classy. what a star-studded event. do you have a favorite neil diamond song? >> not off the top of my head. >>> and this comes to us from wpxi, pittsburgh, pennsylvania where one boy visited the expert on making christmas wishes come true. chris went to see santa claus about the number one gift on his christmas list. he asked for his father to come home from afghanistan. moments later, the 5-year-old got just what he wanted. after nine months away, sergeant john smurbeck and his son had an forgettable reunion. >> santa is great. >>> this is "early today" just your first stop of the day on your nbc station. >>> one children's hospital in argentina recycles to benefit both the environment and the children they serve. it took only eight hours for hospital staff to set a new world record, collecting 26 million bottle tops weighing more than 91 tons. for 12 years, the hospital has these recycling to raise funds. this year, the bottle tops will be sold to buy a mobile blood do

. >> neil diamond meryl streep, yo-yo ma, barbara cook will be recognized at the 34th annual kennedy center honors. every year people who have made lifetime contributions to culture. there will be a big spread in tomorrow's paper of every one of them. >> among those five, who's the biggest star? that's some pretty heavy hitters there. >> every year it's the same thing, yeah. >> for those of them that are not washington natives or locals, they're in town for the weekend, they had a little sunshine today. and they're going to get even more sunshine tomorrow. that's welcomed news indeed. another easy to take weekend here in the washington area. last weekend we were in the 60s, this weekend we're in the 50s. that's not such a bad thing. outside on your saturday night. a mostly clear sky is overhead, as a result it's going to be a chilly start first thing tomorrow morning, that's all right, it's december after all. outside now, temperatures are friending backwards down into the upper 30s and low 40s. we're 43 at national airport, with a light breeze out of the south at 6 miles an hour, th

we are all believers. >> reporter: cellist yo-yo ma. >> tonight, we celebrate the greatest living vcellist>> sonny, tonight, welcome home. >> and theater legend barbara cook who made her broadway debut in 1951. >> barbara cook at the cafe carlyle belongs on that short list of beloved new york treasures. >> reporter: it brings the greats in music and stage and screen and recognizing their distinguished careers and commitment to their craft. earlier in the day, president obama praised them for sharing their gift. >> by expressing themselves, they help us learn something about ourselves. they make us laugh. they move us to tears and they bring us together and they push the boundaries that are possible. ♪ sweet caroline >> reporter: whit johnson, cbs news, washington. >>> you can see the kennedy center honors on december 27th at 9:00 p.m./8:00 central right here on cbs. always a very cool show. >> yeah, it looks like a fun show to see in person too, by the way. >> we can sing along too if you want. >> i don't know about that. >> you did ask earlier. i'm willing to. >> you start. >> i mean, no,

paying tribute this year to actress meryl streep, saxophonist sonny rollins, cellist yo-yo ma and neilen to some neil diamond. >> me, too, "september morning"? >> wow, you're a fan. >> i am. i'm aditi roy, and this is "first look" on msnbc. stay tuned, "way too early" with willie geist starts right now. >>> newt gingrich continues to pick up steam on the way to the iowa caucuses, just 29 days from now. with new polls showing him leaping ahead in a couple of early states. the question is, can the gingrich campaign that didn't see this burst coming itself organize to hang in for the long nominating haul. >>> it looks like gingrich is bringing in supporters of herman cain, who are now looking for a new man after cain dropped out of the race on saturday. the question is -- would you have had cain's improbable run in any other way, than with a pokemon quote from the candidate. that's what he did. >>> and aaron rodgers breaks the heart of giants fans with game-winning drive that took less than a minute and kept the packers perfect. the question is, will anybody beat these guys? it's "way too

politicians and entertainers paid tribute to rash ka cook and nyle diamond and sonny rollins and yo-yo marle streep. before the ceremony, president obama hosted them at the white house. >> by expressing themselves, they he us learn something about ourselves. they make us laugh. they move us to tears, they bring us together, and they push the boundaries of what we think is possible. >> caroline kennedy hosted the program which finished with a neil diamond song he named after her. ♪ classic. and you can catch the entire kennedy center honors show on december 27th at 9:00 p.m. right here on cbs. >>> this morning, on "the early show," how to protect your cash savings without stuffing it in the mattress. i'm elaine quijano. and this is the "cbs morning news." ugh, my sinus congestion, and it's your fault. instead of blaming me try advil congestion relief. often the real problem is swelling, not mucus. advil congestion relief reduces swelling due to nasal inflammation. so i can breathe. [ mucus ] advil congestion relief. - this is for cindy. i wanted to get her something special this year. - yo

world renowned cellist yo-yo ma and meryl streep. is there anything

meryl streep, neil diamond, yo-yo ma, sonny rollins and barbara cook were all recognized for their influence of american culture. and smoky robinson serenaded caroline kennedy with "sweet caroline." >> she's probably had a lot of people sing that over the years. >> she's enjoying it i think. >> makes you wonder. how many times has she had that sung to her? >> so many. >> not with a crowd like that. pretty amazing. >>> coming up, jerry sandusky speaks out about the sexual abuse allegations leveled against him. >>> also major changes coming to the u.s. postal service. what it means for your mail delivery. >>> and how this car crashed through a san diego restaurant leaving customers horrified. >>> it's going to take longer for your cards and letters to arrive. facing bankruptcy, the u.s. postal service planning cuts that will virtually eliminate the chances of overnight delivery for regular mail. more than 100,000 postal jobs could be cut. >>> italian prime minister mario monti outlining the government. it includes taxes on luxury cars and boats. the yale-educated economist says he won't take a

plus a celebration with recent kennedy center honoree yo-yo ma.and much more coming up on "the early show." >>> that's the "cbs morning news" for this thursday, the first day of winter! i'm drew levinson. have a great day. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

broadway star barbara cook, singer neil diamond, and saxophonist sonny rollins as well as cellist yo-yo ma we honor five giants in the arts not for a single performance but for a lifetime of greatness. >> just by being a symbol, a building dedicated to the performing arts, it represents the care of a nation for their artists. >> the awards ceremony will be broadcast on national tv on december 27. always a good time. >> is that grover? >> is that one red or blue? >>> still another half-hour or ahead. >> the nfl might never be the same. the super bowl has blocked a veteran superstar for the 2012 halftime show. >> for the first time, mass arrests at the occupy d.c. base camp. the story coming up. >> adam caskey in the belfort furniture weather center. dense fog >> live and in hd, this is "good morning washington," on your side. >> straight ahead the occupied protesters tried to hide from the cold police are now warming up to the idea. good morning washington, it is monday december 5. >> two schools are closed today due to power outages over the weekend. this is the list on your screen. >>> it