Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

U.S. Park Ranger Gunned Down; Less Than 48 Hours till Iowa Caucuses; Who is Wall Street Backing? Bloody Start to 2012 in Syria; Rise of Rick Santorum; Hottest Gadgets for 2011; Climbing for a Cause

Aired January 01, 2012 - 22:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. Hello, everyone. I'm Natalie Allen in tonight for Don Lemon.

Our top story, a multi-agency manhunt going on right now on and around Mount Rainier in Washington State. This woman is the reason why -- United States Park Service Ranger Margaret Anderson. Somebody shot her dead today in Mount Rainier National Park. A spokesman said as she was doing her job conducting a traffic stop on park property. Officials say her killer then ran away in to the forest.

Authorities have a name and they have a picture of the man they are hunting. This is him. Benjamin Colton Barnes, 24 years old, believed to have military experience and an assault rifle somewhere in the sprawling national park.

And there's one other thing. Police say Barnes is their only person of interest in a shooting earlier today that left four people wounded outside Seattle.

So let's get more on this story. To Mount Rainier National Park we go and to KOMO TV's Jon Humbert.

John, what is the latest on the manhunt?

JON HUMBERT, KOMO REPORTER: We just stepped away from a police briefing literally seconds before we hit air here. And what they are trying to tell us now is the severity of Barnes, the power and danger that potentially he poses. Again, they have not officially fully named him as a suspect, but the only person of interest in this particular shooting and, obviously, the shooting earlier this morning when it comes to the New Year's Eve shooting.

Now Barnes has a military background. Definitely, some familiarity with military weapons. We were told that the car that he owns was found at the location that had a cache of armor. Also other weapons and survivalist gear is what they are telling us, the Pierce County authorities are saying.

And so this is a guy who definitely knows what to do with weapons and has a background. We're going to have some pictures later this evening for you as well of a tattooed Barnes with his shirt off, posing with weapons. We've just been handed some of those pictures. We'll try to turn those around for a little later. But this person definitely has some power and danger. And they want to make sure that if he is out there and is in these mountains right now walking around, that the hundreds of people that are up there right now locked away in some of the lodges and cabins and visitors centers are going to be all right.

ALLEN: Well, that's got to be terrifying for them to think that somebody could be in their midst with an assault rifle.

What else do you know about the shooting earlier in the day in Skyway that he could be a part of, according to some reports?

HUMBERT: According to what we've been told by sources, this was a situation, a typical New Year's Eve party. Obviously, Seattle is a big spot for that up and down the sound. And so what happened was, according to what we've been told by King County, was that there was some sort of fight at this party, and apparently the suspect in this case, Barnes, was asked to leave. There was some sort of fight.

And then there was apparently someone who came back with weapons and started firing, hitting four people. And from what we've been told, three of them are dead.

And so this is a serious situation that this man has been on the hunt essentially from the very early morning hours and coming to the park if it is the same man involved in both cases, as authorities believe. This is a man who definitely wanted to do nothing with any sort of authority figure, even so much as a gentle, docile park ranger.

ALLEN: Yes. And thanks so much. We appreciate it. Jon Humbert from KOMO TV there out of Seattle. Thanks so much for your information.

Now on the phone from near Mount Rainier, Park Spokeswoman Lee Taylor is with us.

Miss Taylor, first of all, what about the visitors now on the park? Are they aware of the manhunt? We know this is a very large park and there are a lot of people there on a holiday.

LEE TAYLOR, MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK: Yes, it is. It was a busy day today, one of our busiest winter days ever. Luckily, we've been able to evacuate most of the people who were in the park safely. And those who are remaining are holed up in our primary visitor center, the Jackson Visitor Center at Paradise. There's over 100 people there.

They are, we believe, in a safe location. They've got everything they need for their physical comforts -- food, water, et cetera. And they are in the presence of five law enforcement officers who can provide some, you know, some security and protection. And we are going to keep them there until we believe that it's safe to travel down the road.

Given everything that you just heard about the suspect in this case, we don't want to try to have those people get to their vehicles and caravan down the park road where there could be danger of, you know, being sniped at by a gunman. So for now, they are going to sit tight in the visitors' center.

ALLEN: Absolutely. What kind of square mileage are we talking about as far as the Mount Rainier Park, and what are conditions like for a person that would be on the run in this park?

TAYLOR: Well, the park itself is huge. It's hundreds of square miles. The Paradise Area, the area that's accessible by road this time of year, is substantial. And the terrain that the suspect is traveling in is mountainous terrain. There's a lot of snow on the ground. In fact, there's about, oh, gosh, probably four or five feet of snow on the ground, including about two feet of fresh powder. So it would be difficult to be able to move through quickly. And it's heavily forested.

ALLEN: My goodness. And tell us about the park ranger, Margaret Anderson, who was gunned down. How long was she at the park and what can you tell us about her personally and her commitment to the job that she was doing.

TAYLOR: Margaret worked at Mount Rainier for about four years. Like other park rangers, she was in the job not for money or for glory, but out of a love for the wild places in the national parks and because she believed in providing good service to the public. She was a person with a quick smile, a very gentle person, a very competent ranger.

And I might add that she's also -- was also a young mother with two small children at home. So, this gunman took the life of somebody who had a great deal to live for and was making great contributions to society by being a national park ranger.

ALLEN: Absolutely. Such a tragic loss. We thank you so much. We know it's a very sad day for you. And you have a very serious situation on your hands with this gunman on the loose. Park Spokeswoman Lee Taylor.

And again, the suspect that they are looking for right now, Benjamin Colton Barnes, 24 years old, fled on foot through Mount Rainier Park.

Also tonight, police in a San Diego suburb believe a shooting that left four people dead may be a murder-suicide. Officers responded early Sunday to a call of shots fired inside a condo. They found one body in a doorway. Inside, there were three more bodies, two men and a woman. Police did not take chances when they got to the scene.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. LARRY NESBIT, SAN DIEGO COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT.: Upon the initial arrival of the Coronado Police Department, they observed a male lying in the walkway in the doorway of the residence. Our S.W.A.T. team did respond to the scene and with the assistance of a robot entered the residence and discovered the bodies of two additional deceased males and one deceased female.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: Police do not believe there are any outstanding suspects, although they caution it is early in the investigation.

A 12-year-old Florida boy is in critical condition after being hit by a bullet apparently fired during a New Year celebration. The boy was sitting in the front yard of his home in Ruskin, that's south of Tampa, watching fireworks when he was hit. His relatives and neighbors say no one was firing a gun near the house. Police believe the shot could have been fired from miles away.

Well, the new year began in flames and smoke as an arson spree in southern California intensified. Seven more suspected arsons overnight bring the total to 39 that have scorched neighborhoods in the Hollywood area since Friday. Los Angeles investigators say cars are being torched with the flames spreading to houses. And one of those homes once belonged to Jim Morrison, lead singer for The Doors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. KELLEY FRASER, LOS ANGELES CO. SHERIFF'S DEPT.: Every lead, every possible rumor, you know, perception, whatever it is, our investigators are active. They are taking this, as we've talked about, real personal. And they are going to commit themselves. And they aren't going to just discard any kind of rumor whatsoever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: So far, only one injury to a firefighter. The mayor of West Hollywood, the site of seven of the fires, says his city is densely populated and burning a car next to a house is like setting off an explosive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR JOHN DURAN, WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA: Many of these buildings with open car ports are rent-controlled apartments. They are very dense. They are in parts of West Hollywood and Los Angeles, where we have 20,000 people living per square mile. Each of these buildings contains hundreds of residents, many of them frail seniors, many of them families with children that can't move as quickly as young people. And so, it's this new form of urban terrorism that we are seeing in our community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: A $60,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest.

In the wake of Saturday's earthquake, state officials in Ohio have ordered four wells be blocked from opening out of fear they could cause earthquakes. The wells pump fluid deep underground and were supposed to open in the next few weeks. An official explained the fear. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES ZEHRINGER, NATURAL RESOURCES DIRECTOR: What happens is the water acts as a lubricant. So, they were pumping water down at about 9,000 feet and it was working its way down in, and it wound up serving as a lubricant which then reduced the friction and we had the earthquakes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: A magnitude 4.0 tremor struck Ohio Saturday. It's one of 11 to hit in the past year.

Well, the first test of the 2012 election season is less than 48 hours away. The Iowa caucuses could set the tone for the rest of the race for the GOP. But those who are strong in Iowa may not be as strong elsewhere. The CNN political team is here to break it all down for us in two minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: Less than 48 hours left until the very first votes are cast in the 2012 presidential race. The Iowa caucuses are Tuesday night. And many of the Republican hopefuls spent their holiday making their last sales pitch to voters.

Here's how the field looks in the latest closely watched Des Moines Register Poll. Take a look at the top three. Mitt Romney in the lead, 24 percent, Ron Paul close behind at 22 percent, Rick Santorum, one of the biggest surprises, now up to 15 percent.

I'm joined here in the studio by CNN Political Director Mark Preston and in Des Moines, Iowa, Dana Bash is standing by live for us.

Dana, to you in a moment. Mark is fresh off the airplane from Des Moines here in Atlanta.

So welcome.

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Thank you.

ALLEN: And you have the front page of the "Des Moines Register." So you should know what the pulse is and what the feeling is back in Iowa.

PRESTON: Absolutely. Spent the last weekend in Iowa. This is what's going on out there right now. The voters are trying to figure out who they want to support in this race for the Republican presidential nomination. And out of nowhere, multiple storylines right now that are all working their way out in Des Moines.

But out of nowhere, Rick Santorum has shown that he is a strong contender right now. We start in a CNN poll earlier this week. Those numbers were backed up by an NBC poll. And, of course, the Des Moines Register poll, which is considered the gold standard for the Iowa caucuses, shows that Rick Santorum has a good shot at the beginning of the caucuses.

ALLEN: And he's been saying he hasn't been speed dating in the state either as he accused the other contenders. He's been there on the ground ...

PRESTON: A long time.

ALLEN: ...boots on. Yes. OK. Well, back to you in a moment.

For Dana, Ron Paul, running very close to Mitt Romney in Iowa, but why won't some in the Republican establishment support him? They just won't.

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, I mean, where do we even start. Look at the things that he supports, Natalie. The fact that he supports legalizing drugs. The fact that he wants to bring all troops that are stationed abroad home to the United States. The list goes on and on from there.

The issue, though, with Ron Paul is that he does also and has for a very long time, before it was cool, supported anti-government -- anti-debt kinds of ideals and positions.

And so the electorate, the Republican electorate has sort of moved in that sense economically towards him. And that's why he has gained popularity because he talks about things that we saw the Republican voters go for back in 2010 when they elected a Republican House. So that's the issue.

But look, you definitely see so many Republicans in the quote- unquote establishment trying very hard to stop his candidacy, particularly because of his views on foreign policy.

ALLEN: We'll se what happens on Tuesday.

With Mark, let's talk about 12:01 Wednesday morning. Who is going where after Iowa do you think?

PRESTON: Well, you know, traditionally what you would happen is the winners out of Iowa, first, second or third would head into New Hampshire. That would be the traditional path. However, what we're going to see this time around is that Michele Bachmann, who is the Minnesota congresswoman, as well as Texas Governor Rick Perry, they are going to go south. They're going to South Carolina because that's where they feel that they have a stronger bond with those voters down there.

Meanwhile, Rick Santorum just said a short time ago on our air that no matter how he does in the Iowa caucuses, he will go to New Hampshire and compete in New Hampshire.

The problem for Rick Santorum in New Hampshire, perhaps it's not a problem, is that Mitt Romney is considered to be the walk- away favorite in New Hampshire. If Rick Santorum can show pretty well up in New Hampshire, that could even provide a little more fuel to his candidacy. He doesn't need to win New Hampshire, but if he places well up there, he could do -- it could go a long way to help his campaign.

ALLEN: And it's kind of like where he kinds of stand in the polls right now in Iowa as well. Perhaps that's helping him move toward New Hampshire.

Dana, Newt Gingrich has deflated in Iowa. How much of that has to do with Newt turning the cheek after his rivals went negative on him?

BASH: It has a lot to do with that, and a lot to do with the fact that these outside groups, these quote/unquote super PACs, spent so much money with the strategic hit, really a hit, on Newt Gingrich. And he actually said today that he was -- he actually told our Jim Acosta he was too slow to respond. But listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I was just struck by the politico analysis that -- the sheer volume of anti- Gingrich ads run by Romney's PAC. I'll let you decide how you would describe it. It's pretty -- for a state this size to spend that number of dollars in negative ads aimed at one candidate is pretty amazing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: And I think he said he got Romney-boated, an illusion to -- really the first time we saw these kind of clandestine groups go after a candidate, that, of course, is back in 2004 when John Kerry got Swift-boated.

So there's no question about it. I'm sure Mark can attest to this because he's spent a lot of time here over the past few weeks. That that actually was intentional. That the Romney campaign, they were very nervous about Newt Gingrich doing so well. So they basically took him out.

And now even if Mitt Romney is second or third, if the top three are Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul, the Romney campaign thinks they are in pretty good shape going forward.

ALLEN: Dana Bash, we thank you, from Iowa.

And thank you for coming to Atlanta and we'll see you as our coverage, of course, presses on. Mark Preston, thank you.

Tuesday night, the country's first real votes. The candidates' first true test takes place in the Iowa caucuses. CNN special live "AMERICA'S CHOICE 2012" coverage begins Tuesday night, 7:00 Eastern.

We have been talking a lot about who the voters of Iowa will support, but what about the power brokers, the people on Wall Street who have the clout and the cash to make a huge difference in this election. Our Susan Candiotti dug into the numbers to find out who they are supporting. Susan.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wall Street is already flashing plenty of green for presidential contenders. Here's a look at the latest numbers for the GOP.

So far, Mitt Romney is way out in front. The Center for Responsive Politics says the former Massachusetts governor has received more than $3.8 million from Wall Street stock brokers, brokerage companies and bond dealers through December 5th. Romney's take is about five times more than the rest of his competitors combined.

Next is Texas Governor Rick Perry, followed by Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, Texas Congressman Ron Paul and Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann with the rest trailing her.

PETER HAMBY, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, you want to make nice with everybody if you are a donor at this early stage in the race. I think, typically, when you talk about the financial sector, you're going to see donors giving more broadly to the sort of establishment- friendly kind of Republicans -- your Mitt Romneys, Jon Huntsman, Rick Perry. All of those candidates raised a lot of money on Wall Street.

CANDIOTTI: Who were the top donors? Well, remember these are not necessarily the companies themselves. They could also be people working for these companies or their political action committees.

At the top, Goldman Sachs, $2 million. Goldman is also Romney's top Wall Street donor. Next, Bain Capital, a firm whose specialties include corporate takeovers. Romney is a former director there and still has ties. But donors tied to Bain give the majority of their money to Democrats.

How is President Obama faring? Well, certainly, he's been at odds with Wall Street from time to time because of regulations in the wake of the financial crisis.

So far, GOP candidates, including House and Senate leaders, are getting nearly three times more than Democrats. Still, President Obama is cashing in, collecting $1.8 million so far. That trails Romney, of course, but it's still early -- Natalie.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: Susan Candiotti for us in New York. Thanks.

Well, we're warned every New Year's Eve about the dangers of getting burned by fireworks, but this may be a new one. Revelers injured when they swallowed fireworks. We'll have that story in two minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) ALLEN: New Year's celebrations got out of hand in the Philippines. Health officials say firecrackers injured around 450 people in the capital Manila. Another 18 people were hit by stray bullets fired into the air. Four people became sick after apparently mistaking fireworks for candy and swallowing it. On the bright side, officials say the number of injuries is down from last year.

2012 is off to an ugly start in Syria. Government opposition activists say at least 10 people were killed today. The arrival of Arab League monitors the past week has apparently done nothing to end the violence. And now critics within the Arab League say the monitors should leave. Mohammed Jamjoom is watching developments for us from Cairo.

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Reports of more violence and more demonstrations on the first day of the New Year in Syria. The flashpoint city of Homs reports that people gathered there New Year's Eve into the New Year for an anti-government demonstration in which they were chanting anti-regime slogans and saying that they wished for a new year free of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

There were also amateur videos reporting to show cakes that were baked that were on display wishing Syria a new year without its President Bashar al-Assad. Also reports on January 1st of demonstrations in Homs. Also demonstrations in the province of Idlib. Also reportedly on January 1st, a huge funeral procession for a child who was reportedly killed in Hama.

Meanwhile, the Arab Parliament, which is an 88-member advisory committee to the Arab League, called on the Arab League to withdraw its mission to Syria because violence continues, even though those Arab League monitors are on the ground there.

The Arab League issued a press release later in the day in which they said that it was only the Arab Council who could stop that mission, who could withdraw those observers, and that the observers on the ground there remain committed to their mission.

Mohammed Jamjoom, CNN, Cairo.

ALLEN: The New Year is ushering in tens of thousands of new laws that could affect you from the funny to the not so much. We'll run through some of them next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: Along with the New Year comes a slew of new laws, nearly 40,000 of them. They range from the controversial to the, well, quirky. Josh Levs has the highlights for us.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A couple of interesting ones. Hawaii and Delaware began allowing same-sex civil unions today. And in Honolulu, some couples gathered for a ceremony. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE AND UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We now pronounce that you are legally joined as partners in life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: That was just after -- that was just after midnight there in Honolulu. Five states now have same-sex civil unions. And that's six states plus Washington D.C. have same-sex marriage. That's not including California where same-sex marriages are currently not allowed. That followed a big debate.

Now also controversial is this. A new law in New Hampshire requiring parental notification for a minor who wants to get an abortion or that minor can seek a court order to avoid parental notification. And the governor, John Lynch, had vetoed it, saying he wanted an exception for rape, incest or abuse. The state legislature then overrode that veto. So that's in New Hampshire.

And then one more really interesting, controversial one. This is about immigration. Different states have new laws that contradict each other that show the split in this country over this program. EVerify, which is used online to check a prospective employee's citizenship or immigration status. What happened now is Louisiana, Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia are all requiring businesses to enroll.

California, meanwhile, is saying the state and local governments cannot require employers to use that program unless they have to, to receive federal funds. Supporters say the program helps businesses, make sure they're not hiring illegal immigrants. Opponents say it's not 100 percent accurate, it's expensive to operate and it pushes undocumented workers further underground.

So, Natalie, all those enacted today. Some of the most controversial ones for you right there.

ALLEN: Well, the subjects of some of these laws are as varied and interesting as Americans themselves, right?

LEVS: I like that.

ALLEN: Two other involved pets and tanning beds. Tell us about that.

LEVS: Yes, pets and tanning -- no, I didn't see this coming. When I was looking through this list of what's coming out. This new California law makes it a crime, and I have the words here, to sell a live animal on any street, highway, public right of way, parking lot, carnival or boardwalk.

And the reason for this, I'll tell you what. We'll look at this best pictures of pets. Animal rights groups have pushed for this. Because they say that often animals that are -- maybe have problems, that are ill, some people will try to sell them on a boardwalk and then impulse buyers will buy the pet but then regret it later and then you end up with abandoned pets. So they are hoping there will be fewer abandoned pets if they put in these new restrictions. We'll see how that plays out.

And tanning beds. One of my favorites on the list here. Check this out. It's now illegal in California for minors to use ultraviolet tanning devices, even with parental consent. For a while they had to have parents' permission. Now even if your parents says it's OK, you cannot use a tanning bed in California if you are under 18 years old. So that's just a few of them.

I want you all to see the language on this and see thousands more, which is why I posted them online for you on this megalist. It's on my pages here on CNN.com/Josh, Facebook and Twitter, JoshLevsCNN.

ALLEN: Happy reading. 40,000 new laws there.

Fireworks go up and dozens of birds go down dead from shock apparently. We'll have that story right after a break.

And maybe you are one of the lucky ones getting another day off Monday. If not, we have your back to work travel forecast.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: Some headlines across the country now.

Starting with the mystery in Beebe, Arkansas. Birds falling dead from the sky on New Year's Eve for the second year in a row. Wildlife officials say about 200 dead black birds have been reported. The same thing happened, you may remember, in Beebe last New Year's Eve, but on a much bigger scale. 5,000 birds dead in a square mile area.

In both cases, officials believe fireworks startled the birds. Last year's incident was considered an accident. This time around, investigators think someone intentionally went into the bird's roos and set the fireworks off.

A North Carolina man is in federal custody charged with trying to board a commercial flight with an explosive device. It happened Saturday in Midland, Texas. TSA agents say they spotted a suspicious item in the man's carry-on bag. They arrested Trey Scott Atwater, briefly evacuated the airport, then declared an all clear. It's currently carrying military grade explosives, but he did not have a detonator. That same source tells CNN this incident is, quote, "nothing nefarious."

And other news, Banana-Sam is back. You may remember the squirrel monkey that was taken Friday from the San Francisco zoo. Our affiliate KTVU reporting a good Samaritan spotted the 17-year-old animal in a tree at Stern Grove Park and coaxed it somehow into his backpack, then notified police. Zoo staffers noticed the little guy missing after spotting holes cut through the mesh fence of Banana- Sam's exhibit.

In Florida, a pirate-themed party boat ran aground Saturday hours before midnight, and the planned ship for New Year's Eve celebration. Another tourist boat tried to ferry passengers to shore but it also hit bottom. About 100 wannabe pirates ushered in the new year on shore, not as planned. We're thinking they probably still had a good time.

And town officials in western Pennsylvania are laying down the law on sledding in local parks. In Beaver Borough, sledding is banned altogether in one park following an accident. In another park, it is still OK to sled, but it's restricted to local residents only and kids under 12 must wear helmets.

No real commute. Headaches expected Monday. It is a federal holiday. But there's still some severe weather to keep an eye on.

Meteorologist Bonnie Schneider is here with that. So if there is some sledding weather out there, you have to wear a helmet in some places.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Definitely. You know, looking back when I used to go sledding as a kid, that probably would have been a good idea. We're pretty reckless.

ALLEN: We're still here somehow.

SCHNEIDER: Yes, I know. Well, you know, we are looking at snow unfortunately. And this isn't the fun kind of snow. What we're facing for the morning commute, unfortunately, is a lot of lake effect snow into parts of the great lakes. And in Michigan, a dangerous blizzard.

Let's get right to your morning commute tonight. And we can show you what's happening. We're going to count down five cities where we're looking at some of the worst weather that may cause you some slowdowns.

Like in Seattle, of course, some rain. That may give you a little bit of a slowdown. Atlanta, believe it or not, it's the wind. We've had some rain here certainly, but winds will be strong. There's a wind advisory in effect for Monday.

New York City, blustery. The high about 43 tomorrow, but it will feel like it's in the 30s because of that brisk wind. And of course that will likely cause slowdowns at the airport.

All right, now we're getting to the big stuff. Cleveland, heavy snow. Blowing snow. And when you have wind and it's blowing snow, you are definitely looking at the potential for high snow drifts. So it's fascinating about Cleveland. I just want to mention there was 50 degrees there earlier today. And the temperature is 38 right now. It will be high of 29 tomorrow.

Buffalo, the same for you. Blowing snow accumulations will start tonight. A very, very strong wind. So that's a look at your commute. Unfortunately, it's going to be a tough one due to this. It doesn't look as menacing on the radar, but I can tell you with the wind whipping, snow that's hitting Michigan right now, upstate New York and Ohio is just fierce and problematic. It's actually dangerous in many locations as that wind works its way across the warmer waters of the great lakes.

It pulls up that warm, moist air and then just plummets it down as heavy, heavy snow, as soon as it hits land and some of the worst of that will be in northern Michigan in places like Traverse City. That's where there's a blizzard warning in effect, not only straight through tomorrow night. So look for blowing and drifting snow and very high snow drifts that could be well over a foot, maybe two feet.

ALLEN: Stay indoors if you are there and just enjoy the day off, perhaps if you have it.

Thanks, Bonnie.

He was once considered an also-ran candidate. Now Rick Santorum is near the top of the polls in Iowa. Next, we are asking our political analyst, is it because he's gaining traction or because the leaders are losing it?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: One of the biggest surprises in these final days before the Iowa caucuses is the rise of Rick Santorum. For months he struggled to gain traction, but in the most recent polling, he is in third place behind front-runners Mitt Romney and Ron Paul.

So is Santorum's rise an indication of growing popularity, or is it a result of so many of his rivals falling flat earlier in this campaign? I posed that question to L.C. Granderson, a contributor to CNN.com and senior writer at ESPN and CNN contributor Will Cain.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL CAIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Santorum's rise has correlated with Newt Gingrich's fall. So we can see some of that support is going over to Santorum.

But let's not take away what Santorum has accomplished. He's put in a lot of hard work. He's visited every county in Iowa. I said this before, his campaign seems tailor-made for Iowa -- social values, family values, social conservatism, that plays well to Iowa. So, you would expect that Rick Santorum could do well in Iowa and now it looks like he is doing well.

ALLEN: Well, I want to play this sound from NBC "Meet the Press" this morning. David Gregory pressed Santorum about his endorsement of Mitt Romney back in the 2008 campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICK SANTORUM (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: So I -- DAVID GREGORY, MODERATOR, "MEET THE PRESS": Romney will stand up for the conservative principles that we hold dear. But you didn't say "compared to".

SANTORUM: Well, of course, I'm not going to say compared to. I mean, I'm trying to advocate for his candidacy at a time when --

GREGORY: So, you didn't mean that then?

SANTORUM: Well, I was saying that relative to John McCain. And that's what I mean then. Remember, it's not like I was an early supporter of Romney. I endorsed him actually seven days before he dropped out of the race. So, maybe I was a little bit of a --

GREGORY: Does he have conservative values, conservative principles?

SANTORUM: Of course, everybody on that stage that is in these debates has conservative values vis-a-vis President Obama.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: L.Z., do you buy his explanation there that he endorsed Romney purely for political reasons?

L.Z. GRANDERSON, CNN.COM CONTRIBUTOR: Absolutely not. You know, Rick Santorum -- I have been trying really hard not to call him a knob but I don't know what else I can do besides say that, because the guy continues to put himself in these positions where he looks like a very weak leader. He looks as if he's always flip- flopping even with his own principles.

I mean, he criticizes Romney in his flip-flopping where he had very similar views about abortion as Romney did. And then he flip-flopped his own views with regard to abortion when it got time for him to start to run for president.

So, I don't understand the guy. I don't -- I can find very little with him talking about the economy, very little talking about jobs. It's always about abortion. And he thinks about gay people more than I do. And I'm gay. So, I don't get the guy.

(LAUGHTER)

ALLEN: Let's turn to Ron Paul, we'll leave it there for Santorum. Let's turn it to Ron Paul who is second in that "Des Moines Register" poll.

There's always a question about whether he is too outside of the mainstream to be electable in a general election. Here's what he said this morning on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. RON PAUL (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm pretty electable. I was elected 12 times once people got to know me in my own congressional district. So, I think that's more propaganda than anything else. So, we'll wait and see and we'll know a lot more about how the election goes tomorrow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: Will, is Ron Paul letting the Iowa poll numbers get to his head?

CAIN: No, I mean, that's perfectly rational reason that he just gave. Look, here's my issue with Ron Paul. Is he electable?

Tim Ferriss wrote a book a couple of years ago called "The Four-Hour Workweek." And in that book, he talked abut Pareto's position. Pareto's principle is that you can break most things in the world down to an 80-20 proposition. In business, 80 percent of your business comes from another 20 percent of your clientele. Simultaneously, 80 percent of problems come from another 20 percent of your clientele.

I think this applies to Ron Paul. Eighty percent of what he says is great -- small government, constitutionalism, dedication to liberty. But 20 percent is a total deal-killer.

The interesting thing is that 20 percent is different for everybody. For some, it's that he would legalize drugs. For others, it that's he'd pull troops out of Afghanistan, Iraq, Germany, Japan, and South Korea. And for others is that he would kill the Federal Reserve.

It's different for everybody but it's always a deal- killer. That is why he's not electable.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: There you have it from our guests earlier. Tuesday night the country's first real votes. The candidates' first true tests take place in the Iowa caucuses.

Our special "America's Choice 2012" coverage of the Iowa caucuses begins Tuesday night, 7:00 Eastern. Please join us.

2011 saw plenty of gadgets come on the market. Did you keep up? So what will the new year hold in the world of technology? You've got more gadgets to look at. Find out about them in two minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: 2012 is only a few hours old, but amazing new technology is already on the horizon for the year ahead. New computers, cameras, gaming consoles, gadgets everyone is going to be talking about. And we've got tech reporter Katie Linendoll to tell us all about them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATIE LINENDOLL, TECH REPORTER: 2011 was all about the year of the tablet. And now get used to this buzz word of ultra books, because 2012 is the year of ultra books. And exactly that means it's a buzz word meaning light, portable, compact, and efficient.

And according to Intel, who has trademarked the word, they say by the end of 2012, 40 percent of all consumer laptops sold will be an ultra book. Now there are certain specifications that make it an ultra book. And we talked about how thin it is, taking cues from the MacBook Air, less than 0.8 inches thick and also it's going to weigh less than 3.1 pounds. Five to eight hours of battery life and around $1,000, so pretty consumer friendly. But great for any of those college students or, of course, people that love to travel. So first on the list, ultra books.

ALLEN: Yes. Lighter than your Starbucks venti, perhaps. Or headed that way. Of course, we can't talk about tech without talking about Apple. I'm an Apple freak myself.

LINENDOLL: Yes. A lot to talk about on the Apple side. And these are merely guesses, but I will tell probably the biggest question again is when's the iPhone 5 coming out? When is the iPad 3 coming out? Probably around fall for iPhone 5, maybe as early as February for iPad 3.

But let's talk about something that a lot of people didn't expect, and we got a little insight of Steve Jobs' biography, written by Walter Isaacson talk of an AppleTV. And not the set topbox that most people know, the Apple TV is actual television. And what's exciting about this is Apple could really shake up the television market.

A lot of rumors speculating that there could be use of series, so you might be able to control your television with your voice, and also have an a la carte channel programming lineup. Now we know that would be very tough to do with cable and licensing, but if any company has the clout to do it, it is Apple.

So looking forward to that iTV, probably later in 2012.

ALLEN: I got that book for Christmas. I haven't gotten to that part. I'll have to flip ahead and see. Sounds intriguing.

Also on your list, a new kind of photography?

LINENDOLL: Yes. No camera got more attention in 2011 than one that isn't even on the market. And this is going to be out early 2012. This is Lightro. It's a $400 camera, but it uses kind of a whole entirely different kind of photography. It only has three buttons on it. No settings. It has a zoom, a shutter, and a power button, but it's all about using light field photography.

And what that allows you to do is with this little gadget, again it doesn't really look like a camera, right? It gives you the capability to take a photo and then go back to any photo that you've taken and change the focus, which looks really cool, and it gives you more power than an amateur photographer. So nice little option there. I would say it is a high price point and also it doesn't take any video and it doesn't have an SD card in there. So you're going to have to use the desktop software, which is a little bit of a setback.

Ad I want to go, Natalie, right from photography to gaming, because we can't talk about tech in 2012 without talking about gaming consoles. One of the most anticipated is the Wii-U console system. It is of course the successor the Wii which came out in 2006. It's Nintendo's sixth console. And what's different about this one is not only does it give you the capability to have 1080p graphics, which is cool, it's all about this touch screen controller.

The Wii-U will have a controller that you can use separately. The TV doesn't even have to be on. You can use it in conjunction with a TV, you can do video chatting with it, and it will also be backwards compatible with the Wii and Wii game and the balance board. So a lot of people looking forward to the Wii-U coming out later this year.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: Lots of good stuff. Try to keep up with it.

The night's top stories are next and a major league baseball player risking his life for a cause. But by doing so, he could lose his multi-million dollar contract.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: Checking some of our top stories.

We are watching Washington State tonight. That's where police are fanning out all over Mt. Rainier National Park. The man they are hunting, Benjamin Colton Barnes is believed to be armed, military trained and the man they say shot and killed U.S. Park Ranger, Margaret Anderson. Police say her killer fled into the forest and is still on the run. The national park is immense, nearly 400 square miles. Visitors to the park this holiday weekend, one of the busiest weekend they have had in a while, have been either evacuated or taken to safe locations on the mountain.

Seven more suspected arson fires in the Los Angeles area have boosted the total to 39 since Friday. Investigators say cars are being torched with the flames spreading to houses. So far, there is only one reported injury to a firefighter. A $60,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest.

Ohio officials are blocking the opening of four wells after an earthquake in Ohio. The magnitude 4.0 quake struck Saturday. It is one of 11 to hit in the past year. The wells pop fluid deep underground leaving some to suspect they are causing an increase in seismic activity.

A professional baseball player for the New York Mets is trying to take slavery awareness to new heights. On Tuesday, pitcher, R.A. Dickey, will begin climbing Mt.Kilimanjaro to raise money for the Bombay teen challenge in India. The group helps rescue and rehabilitate victims of the sex trafficking industry in Mumbai. I spoke with Dickey on Saturday and asked if he was ready for the climb.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

R.A. DICKEY, NEW YORK METS PITCHER: I feel as prepared as I can be. You know, it's -- you don't have any experience -- I don't have any experience climbing so I don't know what -- i don't have an expectation, but I certainly got myself in good shape and used an oxygen deprivation mask to try to help me train. But, you know, it is all going to come down to, can you do it or can you not. And if I start experiencing some symptoms of altitude sickness, I'm not going to try to push through. I'm just going to stop right there. I have a lot on the line.

ALLEN: Right, absolutely. You have a huge contract with the New York Mets. What has been their reaction to you taking on this challenge?

DICKEY: Well, the Mets publicly, you know, can't really get behind it because I'm one of their assets. And if they support an asset that goes over to Kilimanjaro and gets hurt and can't be of use to them on the field, you know, it certainly doesn't make a lot of sense. I completely empathize with that position. And I've talked to the owner and the general manager. And they are both, you know, kind of, they are encouraging, if not supportive, publicly, they are certainly encouraging it. You know, there is no acrimony there. We are on the same page.

ALLEN: Well, I certainly know, we all know a few people who have gotten to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro. And some people are just born to want to get up there and to do this and have this achievement. I know that you were in part inspired by reading Hemingway as a young boy. Tell us about that.

DICKEY: Yes, you know, in seventh or eighth grade, I can't remember which, I picked up the short story, "Snows of Kilimanjaro" by Hemingway. And I was struck just by his description of the mountain and the frozen leopard carcass on the west summit. And it was somewhat mythical to me. So I kind of filed it away as a young boy and thought, you know, I would like to go visit that place one day. The opportune moment has arisen and I am trying to seize it.

ALLEN: When do you start? What's the day you start your ascent and how long will it take?

DICKEY: I start on Tuesday and we fly out via Detroit, Amsterdam, down to Kilimanjaro. It is about 18 hours on a plane. And then we actually step foot on the mountain on January the 5th. And that ascension will take us probably about eight-and-a-half days.

And we just want to ensure that we are going to have the best chance to summit. So we are taking it a little bit longer. And I'll be writing a blog and an article in diary form for "The New York Times." So you can track the climb on there. But again, everything needs to point to the Bombay Teen Challenge and what those guys were doing, the work they are doing in Mumbai.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: New York Mets R.A. Dickey, we wish him well on his climb.

I'm Natalie Allen at CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. Have a good night and a great week and a great year. Thanks for watching.