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Race to Iowa Caucuses; Report: NYPD, CIA Spied on Muslims; Defectors Battle Syrian Army; Protesters Hold Anti-Government Rallies in Syria; Ron Paul Leaving Iowa Over New Year's Weekend; NOAA: 2012 One of the Most Disastrous Years on Record
Aired December 30, 2011 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Live from Studio 7 here in Atlanta, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Let's get you up to speed for this Friday, December 30th.
The race to the Iowa caucuses heads into the home stretch. The first votes of the 2012 presidential race are just four days away now.
A new poll shows that a CNN survey found earlier this week Mitt Romney is in first place, neck and neck with Ron Paul, in the second spot. A re-energized Rick Santorum is in third. More on the race straight ahead, live from Iowa.
And Newt Gingrich is starting his day in Iowa meeting with moms at a coffee shop in Des Moines. Gingrich has seen his support among likely caucus-goers plunge. Part of the reason is the onslaught of negative ads targeting him. Analysis finds almost half of all the political ads in Iowa have been attack ads against Gingrich.
(CHANTING)
WHITFIELD: And crowds defied danger and took to the streets in Syria today. Opposition groups called the rallies the "Crawl to Freedom Square." They urge demonstrators to defy sniper attacks to make their way to public gathering places. The opposition says 32 people were killed by security forces today.
The uprising in Syria has prompted some soldiers to defect.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABDEL RAZZAQ TLAS, DEFECTED FROM SYRIAN ARMY (through translator): We got orders in the army that went against my oath as a soldier. I had sworn to protect civilians, but when I saw what the government forces were doing to the people, I defected.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: And North Korea says that there will be no change in policy in the secretive country despite the death of Kim Jong-il, now replaced by his son. The state-run news agency put out a statement saying North Koreans are insulted South Korea didn't allow more people to attend Kim's funeral. It says the tears they shed will turn into a "roar of revenge." And police in Egypt storm the offices of 10 human rights and pro- democracy groups, some of which are U.S.-funded. Police took documents, computers, and other electronics. The Egyptian general prosecutor's office says it's part of an illegal funding probe. The U.S. State Department condemned the raids.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VICTORIA NULAND, STATE DEPT. SPOKESWOMAN: We call on the Egyptian government to immediately end the harassment of NGOs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: And President Obama is expected to ask for a $1.2 trillion increase in the debt ceiling later today. Remember all the drama over his last request? Well, not so much this time. The U.S. Congress will have 15 days to refuse the president's request, but since lawmakers are in recess until January 17th, it will likely go through without much controversy.
And New York police are preparing for a record crowd in Times Square tomorrow night. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly says he plans to deploy thousands of officers to keep the estimated one million people safe.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAY KELLY, NEW YORK POLICE COMMISSIONER: You'll see mounted police officers. Our helicopters will be up in the air checking a 200-block area around Times Square. Everyone who enters the area will have to go through a magnetometer check. Those entry points are along 6th Avenue and 8th Avenue. There's 16 of them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: And you heard about the mystery behind that winning lottery ticket that had been unclaimed. Well, it turns out just about two hours before it was set to expire, someone did emerge. The unidentified winner sent a representative to claim the $16.5 million jackpot. Lottery officials hope to find out why it took the owner a year to come forward.
All right. We're in the home stretch of the mad dash to the finish line, however you want to describe it. The Iowa caucuses now just four days away.
And we want to take a closer look at how the race is shaping up for the Republican presidential candidates. Joe Johns is on the campaign trail in Des Moines.
So, Joe, another poll showing that Mitt Romney is at the top of the heap. Is the Romney camp feeling very confident right now?
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Certainly not overconfident, Fred. He has said he thinks he'll do pretty darn well, and I guess he's already doing pretty darn well in the polls being first, tied with Ron Paul, who is second. And this is a guy who really didn't campaign here in Iowa all that much, though he's here right now.
He's got Chris Christie, the governor of New Jersey, campaigning for him. And the campaign certainly not expressing any overconfidence, but feeling as though, yes, things are in pretty good shape, certainly compared to four years ago, when there was a lot of chaos and a lot of concerns stemming from the fact that Governor Mike Huckabee was running very strong at that time -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: And so, Joe, let's talk about Rick Santorum now. I know you're about to head to the Santorum rally, at least one of them in Ames, Iowa, momentarily. So, can his campaign capitalize on the recent surge in the polls, and what do they feel is actually behind it?
JOHNS: Well, I talked to Rick Santorum yesterday, and he's very excited, obviously, about this strong showing now in the polls. A lot of people question why it took him so long to get there.
He is talking about what happens after Iowa. He says he'd like to do well in New Hampshire and has done a little bit of outreach there, done a little bit of outreach in South Carolina.
Let's listen to part of my interview with him. And I'll come back and talk some more about him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK SANTORUM (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What I think we've done is to show that we've got the right vision for this country and that we have the trust of the people of Iowa, that we're the authentic, real deal that can contrast with Barack Obama. We're the -- in a race similar to 1980, we're the Reagan versus the more moderate candidate. We're the clear contrast, and I think that's exactly what we need in this race.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: His problem though is organization and also fund-raising. Had a really good day once he got that pop in the polls, but still far behind a guy like Romney. Hard to see how Rick Santorum sustains a battle that goes well past South Carolina, if you will -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: OK. And then there's Ron Paul. He is close behind Romney, at the top in the latest poll. So, does Romney -- or does Paul, rather, feel like he's in position to win Iowa? And if he does, what happens to the race overall?
JOHNS: Yes, the Ron Paul people are feeling very good about what they're doing right now. They've certainly got his message out, his message about libertarianism, smaller government. And also, I have to point out, he's not doing too bad in the polls in New Hampshire as well.
What happens beyond that anybody's guess, but right now it's looking pretty good for Ron Paul in this state. And a lot of people think he can win it. The conventional wisdom, as you know, is that Ron Paul can't win the nomination, but I think conventional wisdom has gone out the window a few times already in this race for the nomination in the caucuses in Iowa -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: Yes, it's been pretty nontraditional from the very start and continues to be so.
Joe Johns, thanks so much.
All right. So, this weekend is your chance to see the Republican candidates for president offer their closing arguments, if you will, uninterrupted, in their own words. Watch "The Contenders 2012" on CNN this Saturday and Sunday, beginning at 2:00 Eastern Time.
And then, of course, this reminder. Tune in next week for the country's first vote in the presidential race. "America's Choice 2012," live coverage of the Iowa caucuses, beginning Tuesday night, January 3rd, 7:00 Eastern Time.
And it's your turn to "Talk Back." Whether political, economic, personal, what are your hopes for 2012? We want to hear from you as you ring in the new year.
What are your hopes for 2012? You can leave your post on my Facebook page. That's Facebook.com/FredrickaWhitfieldCNN. And we'll air some of your thoughts later on this hour.
All right. Here's a rundown of some of the stories we're covering this hour.
First, a group of Muslim clerics boycotting breakfast with New York's mayor over alleged profiling by city police and the CIA.
Then, police pull a man from this burning car. You won't believe what he was doing at the time.
And Verizon customers go off on Twitter over a new $2 fee.
Also this. More protesters are killed in the streets of Syria as demonstrators defy curfews.
And later, why 2011 was the costliest year ever for weather disasters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): One resident called it a silent monster, the ominous web-shaped image of disaster could be seen hitting the ground in Alabama and roaring toward Tuscaloosa on live television.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: In New York, a noted group of Muslim leaders boycotted the mayor's annual interfaith breakfast this morning. The reason? Recent reports alleging city police worked with the CIA to spy on Muslim communities following the September 11th attacks.
The reports by The Associated Press say the CIA helped the NYPD develop programs to profile and spy on Muslims, that police used informants to monitor sermons during religious services, and that taxicab drivers and food cart vendors were monitored. Last week the CIA reported its internal watchdog group did not find any evidence of wrongdoing. And the NYPD calls the AP reports fictional.
But an American-Islamic advocacy group is demanding answers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIHAD AWAD, COUNCIL ON AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS: The mayor, when he knew about this, he should have condemned it, he should have investigated it. The leaders in the community there communicated with his office and wrote him a letter declining respectfully the invitation because it is an opportunity to send a message that this is wrong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Mayor Bloomberg told reporters, "We obey the law. Authorities don't target anybody." He said police instead focus on leads.
So, who to believe in this story? And is any type of ethnic or religious fine warranted in the name of safeguarding lives?
Tom Fuentes is a former assistant director of the FBI. He's joining us this morning from our D.C. bureau.
So, good to see you.
Hi, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Did NYPD or the city of New York in any way cross the line?
TOM FUENTES, FMR. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, FBI: Well, I think, Fredricka, from a public relations standpoint, they may have. From a legal stand point, probably not. At least all indications of what they were doing appear to have been lawful.
But it's the appearance of trying to profile in the community, of being too aggressive in their surveillance efforts within the Muslim community, and not a sufficient amount of outreach to the leaders. And I think that's where the problem is.
This is a community who support the police, the FBI. All law enforcement and intelligence need their support, and they may have created themselves a public relations problem with that.
WHITFIELD: So, is New York different -- New York and Washington, maybe even parts of Pennsylvania -- a little bit different because there was a terror attack, a successful terror attack, and there have been other attempted attacks on New York? So does the city have different parameters than, say, other cities to have this kind of cooperation with federal authorities to watch certain communities?
FUENTES: Well, Mayor Bloomberg and Commissioner Kelly will say that they are unique and that they are a particular target of attack. And events over the last 10 years have proven them right. So, from that standpoint, that's true.
New York and Washington, D.C., are the top targets. We haven't had Midwestern cities or rural locations targeted by al Qaeda. We've had New York City, the heart and soul of America's economy, and Washington, D.C., the seat of government, as the two main targets.
WHITFIELD: And so what is the working relationship between the NYPD and federal agencies like the CIA, FBI? How closely are they working in this kind of cooperative, whether it be preventive law enforcement, intelligence-gathering?
FUENTES: Well, for decades there were restrictions on the amount of cooperation there could be between law enforcement and the intelligence community, a desire not to have the lines crossed between the two separate functions. But since 9/11, there's been outrage by what was perceived as a lack of sharing, and so the efforts have been, over the past 10 years, to increase the amount of cooperation, collaboration, and information sharing, and even training in terms of the techniques of conducting surveillances and other intelligence collection methods.
So there is a tremendous amount of cooperation, but in New York they believe that they need to enhance it with their own intelligence division and increase the amount of coverage that they're providing within their own communities.
WHITFIELD: So, these methods that are being alleged, and even some of the methods that you speak of, might that now be a setback for relations between Mayor Bloomberg and members of the Muslim communities since the mayor prides himself on working very hard to develop a stronger relationship with the Muslim community and now many members are feeling like they're being targeted?
FUENTES: Well, the fact that key leaders in the community have boycotted this breakfast, and you have members of Congress requesting that the Justice Department conduct a civil rights investigation, obviously it's a public relations almost nightmare for the city. They have to undo that.
WHITFIELD: It is a big setback potentially for intelligence- gathering?
FUENTES: Well, it's actually going to depend on how they handle it in the days and weeks ahead here.
Now, Mayor Bloomberg achieved great cooperation when he stood up for the construction of the Ground Zero mosque and said that any type of bigotry like that was not going to be tolerated. And now you have this situation.
So, depending how they handle it, depending on what happens in the subsequent investigations now, will determine really what kind of relationship they have in the community. But they absolutely need the cooperation of the community.
WHITFIELD: All right.
Tom Fuentes in Washington.
Thanks so much and Happy New Year.
FUENTES: Happy New Year. Thank you, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Thank you.
All right. Checking stories our affiliates are covering now across the country.
Workers in Allentown, Pennsylvania, could begin exhuming graves at an historic cemetery today because of a sinkhole. A water main break caused the ground to cave as much as two feet in the graveyard. Hundreds of the graves date back to the 1800s. And many belong to Civil War veterans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a fire! Jesus Christ!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: And that is the startled voice of a police office in Grand Rapids, Michigan, who saw a man sleeping in this burning car. Investigators say the man was drunk. His foot was pushing on the gas pedal, causing the engine to race and eventually catch fire.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OFC. ERIC HORNBACHER, GRAND RAPIDS POLICE: I grabbed a hold of him, and when I grabbed a hold of him, he came with me, so I knew that he was OK. But then I got him to the other side of the street where he was safe. Within a couple minutes the whole car completely went up in flames.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Wow. A close call. Meantime, the officer ended up arresting the man, but says he was happy he could actually save his life.
And check out this hiker and his dog clinging to the side of a cliff. The hiker lost his footing while walking on a trail in Lake View Terrace, California. Firefighters were able to send down a harness and actually pull both to safety.
And in a year when people say they've been fed to death -- I'm sorry, they've been "feed" to death -- a new word we're making up -- a new $2 charge by Verizon is riling customers. We'll take a look at what they're so upset about. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. A new $2 convenience fee by Verizon is really angering some customers, but there's some confusion over exactly what it is and how many of Verizon's 91 million customers it may actually impact.
Alison Kosik joins me now from New York, from the stock exchange there.
So, Alison, what exactly is this fee all about? And is it a one-time fee, or does it keep going?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: OK. Don't you, first of all, just love how they call it a convenience fee? I call it an inconvenience fee.
WHITFIELD: Yes. Whose convenience?
KOSIK: That's just my two cents.
OK. So what does it mean? It means that every time you make a one- time payment, meaning if you make a one-time payment on your credit card, or if you call up Verizon Wireless on the phone and make a one- time payment, Verizon Wireless is going to charge you that $2. This is of course in comparison if you set up, let's say, an automatic bill pay through your bank, or you have an automatic bill pay through your card.
Now, Verizon says this fee is meant to cover costs that are associated with those one-time credit card payments. The translation here, what Verizon Wireless is essentially doing is passing on those transaction costs that the credit card companies charge them. But one thing Verizon is doing, Verizon Wireless is doing, is it's encouraging its customers to use its free payment options, and it says it has many of those -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: OK. So can you avoid it?
KOSIK: Yes, you can. And let me go through all of the free payment options that Verizon Wireless says they have.
So, for one, you can pay with an electronic check online or on the phone. You can enroll in auto pay, like I suggested, on your credit card or through your bank. You can use a Verizon gift card. You could actually walk into the Verizon store and pay for it that way. Or do it the old-fashioned way -- put the old check in the mail.
But, you know, just the idea, this sort of principle of having to pay the company just so you can pay your bill, it's really caused a lot of outrage, especially if you went on Twitter or Facebook yesterday. You saw all the outrage from consumers.
And, you know, who knows if this backlash has any legs? You saw what happened with Bank of America when it was considering charging that $5 fee on those debit card purchases. Bank of America backed down because of all of that consumer backlash. We'll see if the consumer backlash has any bearing this time around, this time with Verizon Wireless -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. We'll see if Verizon follows suit.
All right. Thanks so much.
Alison Kosik.
Thanks so much.
All right. They are outgunned, but they're still determined to fight. I'm talking about Syrian army defectors battling to keep a neighborhood from government control. The exclusive story straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Here's a rundown of some of the stories we're working on.
Next, outnumbered and outgunned, but not giving up. Exclusive video shows how Syrian rebels are still fighting.
Then, how a canine came to the rescue of an Iraq veteran, saving his life off battlefield.
And later, putting down your guns, why there's a call to disarm New Year's Eve revelers.
It's a Syrian neighborhood under siege, but the government is not in control. That's because of army defectors who joined the rebel force known as the Free Syrian Army.
CNN obtained this exclusive video from a foreign journalist and filmmaker who was recently in the Syrian city of Homs. We have agreed not to name him for his own security, and in this report he looks at how the rebels, outgunned by government forces, keep fighting.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): In this Baba Amr neighborhood of Homs, anti-Assad fighters took me into a house where their men were engaged in a shootout with snipers from the Syrian military. These men say they are all defectors from Assad forces. They call themselves the Free Syrian Army.
One of the men managed to take a ride with a precision scope with him when he defected, but most of the fighters from the Free Syrian Army are ill-equipped, short on guns and ammunition, and with no heavy weapons. Still, they have managed to take Assad forces out of Baba Amr and hold that area. It's possibly the first place in Syria beyond government control. Checkpoints like this mark the front line.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Assad's troops are about 25 to 30 meters away from us with soldiers and tanks. We are here to prevent them from passing and killing young and old.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The man introduced me to one of their leaders. Abdel Razzaq Tlas is one of the few willing to be identified. He was a lieutenant in Assad's army before defecting. His uncle is a former Syrian defense minister.
ABDEL RAZZAQ TLAS, SYRIAN ARMY DEFECTOR (through translator): We got orders in the army that went against my oath as a soldier. I had sworn to protect civilians, but when I saw what the government forces were doing to the people, I defected on June 2nd.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People like Abdel Razzaq Tlas are heroes for the people of Baba Amr. He was cheered at an anti-government demonstration. But Baba Amr is surrounded by the Syrian military and constantly shelled by tanks and artillery.
At a meeting in a safe house, Abdel Razzaq Tlas insists that even though Assad has not used his air force against the uprising, only a no-fly zone imposed by the international community could help the rebels win.
TLAS (through translator): We are in contact with soldiers who are in the army. They tell us that a no-fly zone is essential to prevent them from getting bombed if they defect.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For now, the men of the Free Syrian Army are fighting a guerrilla war against an overpowering foe. They smuggle fighters in and out of the neighborhoods they control, evading government checkpoints. At night, they search everyone entering and leaving the area to stop government death squads, the so called Shabia (ph), from getting in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The street you see over there is controlled by the Shabia (ph). They are known to kidnap our women and children. We try to prevent this. When strangers come here, we stop and search them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The people of this part of Homs are not afraid to take to the streets. There are regular nighttime rallies. But after months of casualties, they have long lost their faith in nonviolent protests. In Baba Amr, many believe that real change in Syria will only come from the barrel of a gun.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: So crowds of protesters held anti-government rallies across Syria today even as reports of problems against demonstrators increased. Opposition groups say as many as 32 people were killed today.
Joining us to talk about it is Fouad Ajami. He's a senior fellow at the Hoover Institute.
Good so see you.
FOUAD AJAMI, STANFORD UNIVERSITY & SENIOR FELLOW, HOOVER INSTITUTE: Thank you, Fredricka. Thank you.
WHITFIELD: Can it get any more volatile than this? Are we looking at another potentially -- another Libya unfolding, where rebels are taking on government leaders violently through gunfire?
AJAMI: Well, there are many Syrian people who would love to hear what you said. They would look at the Libyan analogy, the Libyan precedent as an encouraging one because, let's remember, in the end, the international community, NATO, United States, Britain, France, went to the rescue of the Libyan people. Alas, for the Syrian people, they're really fighting alone. This heroic story of the Free Syrian Army and the reporter who went there, it's important to look at this. It's important to understand that the Syrians are fighting alone, that they lack the guns and they lack the equipment to take on the troops of the murderers of Bashar al Assad. The international community will have to come to the rescue in order to level the killing field.
WHITFIELD: What are your greatest worries here?
AJAMI: Well, Fredricka, I think there are lots of things to worry about. We know that, in fact, the head of the Syrian National Council, the umbrella exile organization, is talking now that there may be in Syria 100,000 people who have been detained, 100,000, principally, young men have been detained, and many have been taken to barges in the Mediterranean in order to hide them from the Arab monitors. So there would be -- we have to worry about the detained. We have to worry, in fact, that the Syrian regime is going for broke because it is economically in trouble. In order to make sure it will overwhelm this rebellion, it will do anything.
WHITFIELD: Arab League observers are on the ground in Syria. What can they do? What will they see and be able to assess?
AJAMI: Well, unfortunately, not very much. I think there are many Arab journalists and commentators who have begun to mock this Arab League mission. They call it not the Arab League monitors but the Arab League spectators. When you send a mission to Syria where there is this brutality against the population, headed by a Sudanese general, Lt. General Dabeu (ph), was in the forces of Anwar Bashir (ph), an abducted war criminal. when you send that kind of man and when he goes to Homs and says he saw nothing frightening in Homs, when we know that a poor boy, a poor child, an infant of five years old was presented -- was brought to the monitors and put on the car one of the monitors, so when this man says he saw nothing frightening in Homs, he must be thinking of the Darfur standard. His sense of what is frightening may be very different from yours and mine.
WHITFIELD: Is it up to the Syrian president, Assad? Can he single hand deadly stop this kind of violence?
AJAMI: Well, he can, but he's not going to because his regime is really invested in this kind of violence. There is his younger brother, Mayha (ph), who's a killer. There is his sister and brother- in-law. They're the intelligence barrons. There is his cousin is king of the economy. They're looting the country and killing the people. And the wrath, by the way, at the city of Homs, is that that city found the courage and the nobility and the heart to stand up to this tyranny and to stand up to this official violence.
WHITFIELD: Fouad Ajami, a senior fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institute. Thanks so much.
AJAMI: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: Mending the wounds of war certainly takes time. When the wounds are emotional, however, it's even more difficult. See how a canine companion became an Iraq veteran's link to healing.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A soldier goes to war and returns home with severe emotional scars. In this week's "Human Factor," Dr. Sanjay Gupta introduces us to Iraq war veteran, Jeff Mitchell, whose road to healing came from an unlikely source.
(HUMAN FACTOR)
WHITFIELD: This weekend, Sanjay takes a look back at the top medical stories of 2011 that captured his attention and changed our lives. Be sure to check out "Sanjay Gupta, M.D.," this Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 a.m. eastern right here on CNN.
Lake Superior State University has come out with its annual list of words and phrases that should be banned from the English language. They asked people to nominate words that are being overused or misused. So here are some of the most nominated words. "Man cave" -- you hear that one all the time on those home-improvement shows in particular. Here's another one, "ginormous." And the phrase, "Thank you in advance."
Which overused words do you think top the banned List here's a hint. One CNN anchor uses it a lot.
(LAUGHTER)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: So we told you some of the words and phrases a Michigan University says should be banned because they've just simply been overused or misused. Words like "ginormous," "thank you in advance." So what was the most nominated word? "Amazing." That's amazing, isn't it? One nominator mentioned our own Anderson Cooper for being a frequent over-user of that word.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Amazing pictures out of North Korea. Have you seen these pictures of the elaborate funeral of Kim Jong-Il?
We turn to the funeral of North Korea leader, Kim Jong-Il.
The video is just amazing.
Caught on tape, a driver's rampage through his neighborhood. Amazing video.
It's amazing. The video has had more than 300 million hits.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let me tell you.
COOPER: OK, amazing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: OK. I hope he loves that. We still love him.
So would a Lake Superior University give Anderson a "ginormous" "thank you in advance" for not using that "amazing" word in the future? He's still amazing.
All right. At least one presidential candidate is actually leaving Iowa today just four days before the caucuses there.
Paul Steinhauser is live from the campaign trail in Des Moines.
Paul, who is leaving so close to the caucuses? Isn't that dangerous?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: It's one of the two -- maybe, maybe not. Here is the story. It's one of the front- runners out here in Iowa. That's Congressman Ron Paul of Texas. Fred, that's where he's going, back to Texas. His campaign tells me the congressman going to spend tomorrow and Sunday, New Year's Eve weekend, with his wife, and then back here early Monday to campaign again.
I put up a story on CNN.com earlier today. Here's my take. Listen. We know Ron Paul supporters in Iowa and nationwide, very energetic, enthusiastic. They will come out on caucus night even if he's not here for a day or two. It is kind of interesting, Fred.
WHITFIELD: It certainly is.
Newt Gingrich, let's talk about him. He is there still in Iowa. He's holding an event right now, in fact. It's kind of a coffee event, right, for mostly moms in the audience?
STEINHAUSER: Yes. Live pictures, as you said, right here in Des Moines. Just a couple blocks from where I am. It's his second coffee stop this morning here in the capitol of Iowa.
Here's an interesting thing about Gingrich. Remember, he was a frontrunner here in Iowa just a couple of weeks ago. All those negative ads against him on the air waves have brought his numbers down.
Now, a new study just came out today that indicated half of all the ads on TV here in Iowa are attack ads against Gingrich. He's thinking about maybe putting up his own ad, defending his ties to Freddie Mac. Remember, the mortgage giant? He did work for them and received a lot of money. He's been getting attacked by the other candidates over that.
Gingrich, a couple minutes ago, was talking about these negative ads. And a funny thing happened. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWT GINGRICH, (R), FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't know what the number is, $6 million, $8 million, $9 million. All of you experienced that. (INAUDIBLE).
(LAUGHTER)
You see, there's an attack right there.
(LAUGHTER)
I bet Ron Paul is behind that.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
WHITFIELD: So it sounds like everybody has a good sense of humor about it.
(LAUGHTER)
STEINHAUSER: You never know what's going to happen on the campaign trail.
WHITFIELD: Right. You never know. You just have to roll with it, right? Sometimes you're really graded on that spontaneity, how well you handle it.
(LAUGHTER)
Thanks so much, Paul Steinhauser. Appreciate that in Des Moines.
For the latest political news, you know exactly where to go, CNNpolitics.com.
You are sounding off on our "Talk Back" question, what are your hopes for 2012?
Julia writes, "I hope I can get enough funding to stay in school."
More of your responses moments away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A Massachusetts man has reached a milestone in saving lives. Rocco Russo has been donating platelets. They decided to donation. He was first inspired by a friend's daughter who was undergoing chemotherapy at the time. 14 years later, she is alive and well, and was on hand to actually celebrate him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RALPH "ROCCO" RUSSO, DONATES PLATELETS: I just saw her laying there, so I just had to do something so I chose to come here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some people give once, some twice, but to give 300 times every other week religiously is incredibly moving.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: He is remarkable! The hospital's director estimates Russo's donations have saved 600 lives.
You've been responding to our "Talk Back" question, as we are in the waning hours of 2011, what are your hopes for 2012?
Here's Jeff's list. "Optimistic about the economy getting better, hope the tone in politics changes and that President Obama gets re-elected."
Liz writes, "A new president with the solid integrity, character and knowledge and experience to save our economy, and wisdom to shore up our constitution and save our nation as the world leader -- Mitt Romney. He loves the backbone of our nation, the family and God. And I've gotten to look him in the eye and talk with him. He is the real deal." That from Liz.
Kyle says, "I just want to make great grades in 2012."
Chester writes this, "My wish this 2012 is that the whole family is complete and filled with peace around the world. Happy new year."
Keep the conversation going. You can leave your post on my Facebook page. That's facebook.com/FredrickaWhitfieldCNN. We'll air more of your thoughts next hour right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Deadly tornadoes, damaging droughts, massive wildfires -- Chad Myers will have more of why this year's weather was so extreme, and looks ahead to what we can expect in 2012.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: The National Weather Service says 2011 was one of the most disastrous years on record. Violent weather killed hundreds of people and left tens of billions of dollars in damage.
Chad Myers has a look back.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): One resident called it a silent monster. The ominous wedge-shaped image of disaster could be seen hitting the ground in Alabama and roaring toward Tuscaloosa on live television. Despite that real-time coverage, at least 41 people died in a six-mile path of destruction. It was part of a super cell week of over 175 violent tornadoes that killed at least 327 people in the South.
JACK HAYES, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE: I would say 2011 was certainly a year for the record books. Deadly, destructive and relentless are the word we're using in the National Weather Service.
MYERS: But 2011 was more than tornadoes. NOAA says a new U.S. record was set with 12 separate billion-dollar or more weather disasters. Which combined, caused property damage to the tune of $52 billion and killing 646 people.
Cropless fields in Texas. In the south and west, heat and drought conditions brought losses to crops and live stock to $10 billion. And it fueled massive wildfires like this one in Austin, Texas, which ravaged this neighborhood. The drought was forecast to continue well into the New Year.
(on camera): But if you look at our water it looks like we have plenty here. This is Atlanta's drinking water, Lake Lanier. The only problem as I walk up the hill to this stick, at full pool, this water would still be way over my head.
(voice-over): This year the trouble started early. A Ground Hog Day blizzard in Chicago paralyzed the city with two feet of snow. In the spring, Midwest snow trickled south and combined with three times the normal rainfall, caused the Mississippi to flood.
And above-average hurricane season resulted in only one storm making landfall -- that was Irene. A Category 1 in North Carolina, but it moved up the Atlantic coast causing widespread flooding and 45 deaths.
And then there was the unheard of Halloween snow in October.
But why are we seeing these extremes? One reason -- la Nina.
(on camera): Let me explain la Nina. It is when cooler than normal water is off the coast of South America. It changes our forecast pattern because it changes the jet stream just a little bit. It creates a big drought across Texas -- we saw that -- a drought across the southeast, and a new area of wet weather that this year turned into a new tornado alley.
(voice-over): The weather pattern allows for a new normal, say experts, with bigger, deadlier and more active weather extremes, events which now have growing cities and populations to target.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've moved people. We've put resources and had economic and life issues now with these.
MYERS (on camera): Have we put people in danger by letting them move there?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that's one of the grand things about America. We let people make their own choice.
MYERS: So NOAA is launching a new public awareness campaign to remind people from coast to coast that it can happen to you.
HAYES: There is always to say, not here. I think we've found, in some of our service assessments, that found people were desensitized to warnings.
MYERS: As 2011 ends, the New Year is already beginning to define itself with conditions eerily similar to those that caused so much death, havoc and sorrow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Chad Myers with us now.
So la Nina is getting a good part of the blame for all of that destruction in the U.S. Are we looking at another year of la Nina effect?
MYERS: The numbers are still pointing to another la Nina in 2012.
WHITFIELD: Oh, boy.
MYERS: So that could cause the drought to continue in Texas. The new tornado alley, that is Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, parts of Georgia, could continue. We didn't really have that many tornadoes in tornado alley itself. It kind of shifted to the east.
Look at the size of this. There were six F-5 tornadoes this year.
WHITFIELD: Wow.
MYERS: That's a couple hundred and a half miles an hour or better. The last one before this year was 2007, before that, 2008 and then 1999. So these don't happen very often.
WHITFIELD: And those were typically in tornado alley?
MYERS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: In those places?
MYERS: Yes. Iowa, Oklahoma, places like that.
WHITFIELD: Oklahoma, Arkansas.
MYERS: But six F-5s in one year is unbelievable. To kill that many people -- it's the second-highest deadliest tornado season since we've been counting people's deaths.
WHITFIELD: Incredible.
MYERS: I know there are more people out there and there are more people in the way, but we have better sirens. We have warnings. We have radios. So the understanding that people now know that they're coming, but these tornadoes were so big this year, some of them were unsurvivable.
WHITFIELD: Makes them hard to get away from, yes. Oh, that's incredible. We'll keep our fingers crossed that hopefully 2012 will bring us better luck weather wise.
MYERS: We have tours come through here every day. Hundreds of people come through, thousands of people, too. They're out there. We can look at them now. But people from Texas yesterday came in and said, please make it rain. It is so awful.
WHITFIELD: Too dry.
MYERS: It is so awful living where we live right now. There is nothing living. There are no plants. We lost a half a million trees in Texas. So we need to shake this up.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: -- they've already been stressed out and that makes it even worse.
All right, thank you so much, Chad Myers. Happy New Year.
MYERS: To you, too.
(CROSSTALK)
MYERS: Because we're hoping it is going to be a happy one.
MYERS: I'll see you next year.
(LAUGHTER)
WHITFIELD: Yes. 2012. A good one.
