this is "cnn saturday" morning. great to see you. good saturday morning. i'm susan hendricks. thanks so much for starting your year with us today. coming up over the next few hours, a look at new year's celebrations, as we just saw, across the nation. plus, homeland security chief janet napolitano is ringing in the new year in a war zone. we will take you live to afghanistan this hour where she has greeted troops and diplomats alike. next hour, it's movie time. we'll check out what's coming to a theater near you this weekend and whether any oscar contenders are in the mix. i'll give you a hint, there are. and at noon eastern, celebrities in and out of court, new laws, and lots of lawsuits. our legal guys look back at some of the high-profile cases of 2010. our top story. a deadly start to the new year in parts of the south and midwest. many communities are in recovery mode this morning, after a tornado outbreak killed at least six people in arkansas and missouri. high winds blasted apart buildings and tossed around cars, leaving widespread damage to homes and businesses there. missouri is now under a state of emergency this morning, after those storms. cnn international meteorologist jennifer delgato is in sunset hills, one of the hardest hit parts of the state. jennifer, i hear it's pretty bad out there. as i can tell from looking at the video, we're expecting to see the governor out there today, is that right? >> reporter: you're right. we're expecting him actually to arrive in about an hour. and he's going to come out here and survey some of the damage left behind from yesterday's tornado. now, you can see the road is back home and the crews are still out here working, but we still have a lot of damage out here. reportedly, it was an ef-3 tornado. you have to keep in mind, we're talking about winds potentially up to 165 miles per hour. there's even talk that the national weather service says potentially it could be even stronger, an ef-3. now, let's go over to some video that we just shot, just a short while ago. this is going to show you some of the damage left behind. crews are still out here, trying to get things back together. but you're looking at video of damage done to businesses as well as homes, you see trees down, roofs torn apart. and some homes were completely destroyed after that tornado came through yesterday. now, i talked to a woman earlier, and she's going to tell you exactly what happened. she wasn't home when the tornado struck, but when she got home, it was a big surprise. >> everything's gone. we don't -- there's nothing left. maybe a few of my son's toys that might be able to salvage, but the christmas tree was still up. i mean, everything we had and everything i owned is gone. >> reporter: and susan, you heard the woman there. she said she lost everything but her christmas tree. i did call the sunset hills police department and we're trying to figure out exactly how many homeowners have been displaced from the tornado from yesterday. you have to keep in mind, this is the strongest tornado, potentially, this area has seen since 1967. now, this area is not the only area that was hit by tornadoes yesterday. we have more video coming out of rolla, missouri, and reportedly two people died there when the same storm system triggered a tornado across the region. it hit a mobile home park and reportedly caused extensive damage and when that tornado hit, two people were trapped inside their mobile home and they were killed. now, susan, we'll send it back over to you, but still a lot, a lot of cleanup out here. >> and it seems like the road is blocked behind you. is power down for many people, which i'm expecting? >> reporter: you know, there were some power lines down and there were some power outages, but it looks like things are back, power's back up to many areas. but like i said, red cross is going to come out here and kind of survey and see the needs of the residents around here, exactly what they need and try to move on from there. >> so devastating. jennifer delgato, thanks so much. and missouri not the only place that saw devastation. let's go to meteorologist reynolds wolf. reynolds, how's it looking in other parts? >> other places looking a little bit better this morning. and i say that very carefully. we still have tornado watches out there. but in terms of the same atmospheric instability that we had yesterday, the situation is altogether different. one key component with these storms that caused them to be so devastating is the idea that they moved so quickly. they're racing across the landscape at 45 to 55 miles per hour, and with that, it takes, again, really, really early warning to get shelter. and a lot of people didn't have that opportunity, unfortunately. hard to miss the storms at this point. you can see them right now, moving into georgia. parts of alabama, back into portions of even mississippi and louisiana. one spot we're keeping a sharp eye on also would be parts of atlanta, where already we're seeing some scattered showers. you see this vantage point on radar, let's show you what it looks like live outside. we'll take this shot full for you. and as you do, you see the sky, see the backdrop, and also see a few raindrops on the lens. more of those will be on the way as this frontal boundary marches its way to the east. as we go back to the weather computer, you can see this area shaded in red. that is your tornado watch. those are the places where the atmosphere is most likely to cause some super cell thunderstorms. rotating thunderstorms that can often spawn some tornadoes. we mentioned that it's been moving through parts of central alabama. you've got the rain, the wind, maybe even the possibility of some small hail and maybe even some flash flooding in locations. that's in the southeast. the top half of the system, way back in the northern plains. the story is very different. frozen precipitation, very light snow, but wind that has just been relentless and it's the combination of that arctic air coming in with the strong winds that makes like it's feel it's 18 degrees below zero along parts of the border. feels like 4 in grand forks. 5 in aberdeen, is what it feels like. we've got a live shot of minneapolis. you can see the i-35 bridge right below the mississippi river, the backdrop, and the snow that continues to come down. 2011 enters with a vengeance. unbelievable rough weather around the country. hopefully things will get better as we ease up the weekend, but certainly one of those weather patterns that just kind of takes the breath away. >> yeah, started on new year's eve. >> absolutely. >> reynolds, thank you. a lot of people traveling too. and people out on the road this weekend will have plenty of company. complicating matters, bad weather in many parts of the country. also, an old nemesis, skyrocketing gas prices. cnn's samantha hayes is standing by along i-95 just north of baltimore. samantha, what are you seeing and hearing out there? >> reporter: susan, fortunately, you were just talking about the weather, at least in this part of the country, i-95 is the interstate in back of me and i'm north of baltimore in aberdeen, maryland. the conditions are good, it's mild temperatures outside, certainly no snow or ice on the roads, and that's really good news for folks who are heading home from their travels for christmas and possibly even new year's eve, if they decided to maybe go to bed early and get up early this morning. probably not too many people doing that. but aaa, the auto club, estimated a few weeks ago in december that more people would be traveling this year. they would be traveling farther than last yea and also spending more money. here are the numbers. 92.3 million people traveling. that's up a little over 3% from 2009. by car, 85.7 million. that's up a little over 3% from last year too. and 2.75 million are flying. and that's up almost 3%. so we do see an uptick here in the travel for americans over these year end holidays. we're talking about christmas and also new year's. and they're also spending more money, on average about $670. and susan, i heard you mention gas prices. yeah, they are up. in fact, at this rest stop right over my shoulder, $3.09 for a gallon of gas. so that's going to hit you hard if you're traveling for a this holiday season. and a lot of estimates, you've probably seen them, are saying, look, by spring, it could be $4 or more. so while this may seem high, unfortunately, i wish i could say that maybe it's going to go down, but it looks like it's going to keep going up. >> appreciate the $3 mark while you can. samantha, thanks. the head of homeland security rings in the new year overseas. we're going live to afghanistan to tell you why she is traveling abroad. and 2011 means that the next presidential election is one year away, believe it or not. we'll look at who could be running against president barack obama. and later, oprah's next big deal, the launch of own. starting december 26 at 6am. get unbelievable clearance prices on select toys, home decor, clothing, candy, and seasonal items. it all starts december 26, while supplies last. it's the end-of-the-year clearance event at walmart! [ male announcer ] let's be honest. no one ever wished for a smaller holiday gift. ♪ it's the lexus december to remember sales event, and for a limited time, we're celebrating some of our greatest offers of the year. lease the 2011 is 250 for $349 a month for 36 months with $3,399 due at signing. see your lexus dealer. style that lasts a lifetime. what do you say we get the look we want, the softness we need, and an unbeatable lifetime stain warranty for whatever life throws at it. then let's save big on the installation. ♪ we're lowering the cost of going barefoot. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. get exclusive martha stewart living and platinum plus installed in your whole house for only 37 bucks. with welcome back. an explosion hits outside of a church in egypt. the country's interior of ministry says it looks like the work of a suicide bomber. it happened in the city of alexandria just after midnight. a car parked outside the church exploded as christians were attending new year's eve services. at least 21 people were killed. nearly 80 others were injured. alexandria's governor says the attack was not just against christians, but all egyptians. a nearby islamic mosque was also damaged in that explosion. homeland secretary janet napolitano is spending the first day of 2011 in a war zone. she arrived in kabul, afghanistan, in time to spend new year's eve with troops. she is expected to be briefed on security operations near the pakistan border during her state. our arwa damon has more on napolitano's stay. hi, arwa. >> reporter: hello. now, secretary napolitano had a series of meetings here. there are around two dozen current and former customs officials from the department of homeland security working to help train and advise the afghans. of course, border security is a very critical part of establishing security throughout the entire country. secretary napolitano traveled down to the border crossing yesterday with pakistan and we asked her about the challenges when it comes to securing a very porous border, like the one that afghanistan has, especially with neighboring pakistan. >> we really focused on what you need to do first by way of having ports and a port infrastructure. and it's both at the border, but also within the interior of the country in terms of checkpoints and the like that can be used to reinforce a border. and it really involves three things. it involves manpower, it involves technology, it involves infrastructure and how that infrastructure is set up. and you have to do it within the constraints of some very, very demanding geography. just like the u.s. border, north and south. so you never seal these borders, they're too big. they're complicated and the notion of sealing a border is not realistic. >> reporter: the solution, she said, would be to eventually try to force as much as the traffic through those border entry points. now, there are currently around 21,000 afghan border police, 1,700 custom officials. and the u.s. has plans to bolster its training program. and this is a very vital part when it's going to come to the eventually withdrawal of u.s. and coalition forces to ensure that the gains that are being made so far in afghanistan are not lost, susan. >> yeah, certainly a key point. arwa damon live in kabul, afghanistan. thanks so much. in alaska, it is the end of the road for joe miller's legal challenge to lisa murkowski's victory back in november. miller has dropped his challenge after murkowski's win was certified on thursday. he beat her in the republican primary, but lost in the general election when murkowski mounted a write-in campaign. >> people ask me what my plans for the future are. i know for a fact that standing down is not an option. and i will continue -- [ cheers and applause ] -- and i will continue to sound the alarm about our state and the nation. but exactly what form that will take, i don't know, quite. >> you heard by the applause there, he still has a lot of supporters. miller dropped his challenge after losing several court battles in alaska. here's something to think about. the presidential election is next year, believe it or not. still, there are still 22 months to go, but you are going to see the race for the white house heat up a whole lot in 2011. cnn political director paul steinhauser joins us now from washington. paul, a lot of people may say, aren't we talking about this too early, but it will be here before we know it, right? >> yeah. and actually, this time around, the interesting story line right now is it's starting slower than it had in the past. four years ago and eight years ago, susan, you already had candidates who had announced, who are already in the race. nobody's announced so far this time around. and it seems, the last couple of times, it was just too darned long. those campaigns, those presidential elections went on too long. and there's a general consensus, they want to keep it a little shorter this time. the first primaries, iowa and the new hampshire caucuses, they will be held a month later, next year in 2012 in february rather than january, and i think a lot of these candidates, or people thinking about running this time around, are saying, you know what, there's no need to jump in right away, so soon. >> who are the front-runners we're talking about? we can't not mention sarah palin, she's up there, right? >> mm-hmm. and that's an interesting thing and also another reason why you're seeing a later start. there is no front-runner. i want to show you our most recent poll here at cnn on the race for the white house on the republican side. we did this one back in late october, early november. mike huckabee, former arkansas governor, mitt romney, sarah palin, of course, newt gingrich, the former house speaker, all with well known. and there's a bunch of other people there. these are all possible contenders. but susan, our polls, other polls say the same thing. no real front-runners, nobody way out in front right now and that's one of the reasons nobody is jumping in yet. they don't feel the urge. >> we shall see as time goes on. let's talk about the tea party playing a big role in the midterms with, how will it affect the next presidential election. >> they had a big impact. a very big impact this year in the republican primaries. they helped nominate a lot of republican nominees who were much more conservative than may may have been. you saw that was successful in some cases, but in other cases such as the senate races in nevada and delaware, it ended up hurting the republican party when they lost those elections. so i think there could be a similar impact on the presidential contest. tea party activists are very motivated, they have a lot of energy, and i think they're going to play a big role in the race for the white house on the republican side and it could make that nominee a little more conservative than maybe they would have been. and again, you mentioned sarah palin, that's the big question this year, will she run or won't she run? i think that is going to be a huge story line all throughout 2011, until she makes her decision. >> and will she continue with the reality show, another question too. paul steinhauser, thank you. >> thanks. cheering in the new year from coast to coast. guess where that is. seattle. the space needle aglow in fireworks. we'll bring you more new year's celebrations. and what would the new year be without a resolution or two. but how do you keep them? a few tips coming your way. >> man: diving to 4,000 meters. >> boy: go down, down, down. down. straight. go straight. no, to the right. to the right. >> go to the right, go to the right. >> whoa! >> whoa! >> what is that? >> man: well, that's a, uh... i don't know. >> whoa. >> can we call him blinky? >> woman: expert teaching. deeper learning. together, we are the human network. cisco. ten, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one! >> 2011 is here, saying good-bye to 2010. the sound of about a million people cheering in the new year at new york's times square. the huge crystal ball descended on cue, and a ton of confetti rained down on the crowd as well. in atlanta, tens of thousands packed into downtown to watch the giant peach drop. that tradition started in atlanta in 1989. and in music city, the clock ticked down, the ten-foot tall guitar didn't quite make it, though. it got stuck about two-thirds of the way down, but that didn't start the celebrating or the fireworks. and look at this view from san francisco bay. a dazzling fireworks display lit up the skyline at the stroke of midnight. happy new years to you. and take a look at this. according to newyearsfestival.com, here are the top resolutions made every year. see the top of the list? getting into shape. it's usually number one around the world. next is getting more organized, giving up smoking, getting or changing jobs, and getting finances in order. just pick one. history tell us that most of us will throw out those resolutions, right out the window by next month. so that begs the question, how do you stick to the plan? for some answers, we turn to susan rednicky. thanks for joining us. >> thanks so much for having me. >> what is the number one resolution? is it losing weight? >> yep, everybody comes to me, i want to lose weight, lose the middle, lose right here. what can i do to lose this? >> why is it so hard to keep a new year's resolution? are we putting too much pressure on ourselves? >> i think coming from the perspective of a psychologist and personal trainer, most of my clients make the same mistake. they set up unrealistic expectations, they have goals that are unattainable. so from the very beginning, they're setting themselves up for failure without even realizing that they're doing it. and then what we also will have to think about, all of us need to think about is that it's hard work. i call it the four-letter work. >> it is hard work. we talked on the commercial break, susan, about new year's resolutions, and i say, i don't even bother with one anymore. do you recommend not putting so much pressure on yourself? >> exactly. we have to set up, and that is something that's really good for the year, not putting on too much pressure too fast, because then you're going to fail. >> how can folks start off the new year, first day of 2011, happy new year, by the way, start out on a positive note and stick to the resolution. let's say we want to get our finances together. how do you stick to that? >> our mind is very powerful, what we tell ourselves. we talk about self-fulfilling prophes prophesies, how worthy we feel to do hard work for ourselves, to make changes in our life, and the power in our belief to do things. so if we don't have those things, we're not going to affect change the way we want in our lives. if you start to think, i can't do this, this is too hard, you're not going to get that change. >> it's the positive thinking aspect of this. let's talk about weight. a lot of people go into the new year, i know, the gyms are packed come january. maybe people are watching us from a gym. and then by february, it kind of trickle down. the people aren't showing up at the gym anymore. what do you say? put a number on it. okay, i want to lose 50 pounds, or do you just start off slow? >> don't put a number on it. when people come into my studio, they'll say, where's the scale, where's the measurements? i say, i do not do that the here. you need to get fit from the inside out. we're multidimensional people. weight loss just one component of us. if we say these external measures, i want to lose 50 pounds, we're losing insight into what we need to do inside to change. >> is it really all about baby steps? do you say, okay, i may just take a walk today. >> you have to do baby steps. and if you need guidance to help you get those baby steps, you can get someone to help you, whether it's a psychologist, trainer, foolinutritionist, hel come up with baby steps to get to the long-term goals that you can maintain over your lifetime. there's no destination, it's the journey. and people forget that. we have to walk slow steps, you get that, become successful with that, and you can keep going with that process. you're never done. >> so in terms of resolutions, do your tell clients not to have them, or you say, set goals, not necessarily a resolution. >> i say, set short-term goals. a couple weeks, we're just going to work out for 15, 20 minutes, if they've never worked out before, i say, let's go slow. work out 15, 20 minutes, do that for a couple of weeks, see how you feel. i would suggest two or three times a week, little short bits, start slow. and from the beginning, don't focus on the weight. that comes as a by-product of working out your body and thinking through what's getting in your way. because a lot of what we have to do for weight loss is just get away from the food. >> so get away from the scale and maybe weigh yourself once a month. >> once a month is okay. your weight fluctuates a lot throughout the week. if you're constantly on that scale, you'll be in a negative mood a lot. >> you don't want someone obsessing about that number every day. >> exactly. >> susan, thanks so much. great advice. and happy new year. >> happy new year to you too. if you plan on getting outside to start on that more exercise that we're talking about, the new year's resolution, wait until you hear from reynolds wolf, what he has to say next. and our josh levs with new laws for 2010. josh? >> hey, there, susan. so many laws kicking in right now, and they're targeting all kinds of new things. like over-the-counter medicines, what to do if you get pulled over by a police officer, and a set of laws linked to former illinois governor, rod blagojevich. 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[ male announcer ] indeed, business pro. indeed. go national. go like a pro. gaue grmatains heyesy.rc g happy new year to you. the new year means new laws. that is just ahead. but first, a quick check of the top stories we're following. pope benedict announced religious intolerance during his new year's mass at st. peter's basilica today. he's now planning on holding a summit of world religious leaders in italy in october to promote peace. it will take place on the 25th anniversary of a similar event. 21 people were killed in egypt after a car bombing attack. 79 others were wounded. eight of the wounded are muslim from a nearby mosque that was also damaged. and back in this country, a tense standoff in texas ended friday when police stormed a bank and rescued the hostages. they are all safe. two alleged bank robbers are now under arrest. the new year begins with people assessing the damage from deadly storms in the south and also the midwest. the severe weather that swept through missouri killed at least three people in dent and phillips county. the governor has declared a state of emergency there. look at the damage here. some survivors had only seconds to get to safety. >> i saw things flying by our window on the first floor of the house. our patio table, barbecue grill went flying by as i went around the corner to get to the basement. >> i came out of the garage and the lumber and everything was flying, so i ran in the house, ran to the basement and grabbed the kids and that was it. >> sounds surreal, if you can imagine seeing that outside your window. more possible tornados in arkansas where three people died in this small northwestern town of cincinnati. entire buildings were destroyed, including a volunteer fire station with two engines still inside. boy, the damage is extensive. reynolds wolf at the cnn severe weather center has much more on how it looks today, the first day of 2011. reynolds? >> well, susan, people are going to be waking up with utter devastation across parts of the area. some of the places that were hit especially hard would be sunset hills. we've got an i-report to share with you. this was actually sent in from matt hallerman sent this one in. and take a look at this video. you can see trees are toppled in many places, tall trees with the winds rushing by at 165 miles per hour left behind a scene of disaster. rubble everywhere. widespread power outages. several people dead in that part of the world. in parts of arkansas, the neighboring state, the natural state, more of the same. it's a really familiar story, and unfortunately, we're not done yet with that possibility of severe weather. in fact, we're going to come back to the weather computer and leave parts of missouri and arkansas and make our way back towards parts of alabama. in fact, that the area, we see this long line of storms, part of that frontal boundary that extends from cleveland, tennessee, just of east of birmingham, alabama, down through selma, out near the alabama river and crossing the tom bigbie river. so we're not done yet. the very rough weather in parts of northern plains where you have the strong winds coming in. that arctic air sandblasting parts of the northern plains to the tune of temperatures that are going to be subzero. at least in terms of the windchill factor. right now it feels like 5 below in grand forks. the same thing a little bit further to the south in fargo. but when you get up to the u.s./canadian border with the wind and cold air, it feels like 17 degrees below zero. mercy me. it is going to be rough there to say the least. let's show you what else can be expected in terms of the national perspective. minneapolis, your high for the today will be 10 degrees. 26 in denver, the mile-high city. 45 in new york. scattered showers moving to the big apple as we make into the midday hours and into the afternoon. rain certainly possible in places like birmingham and atlanta. 70, different story in miami, plenty of sunshine tloo. 67 in san antonio. san diego with 63. and a tower cam for you, not in san diego, but in atlanta, here's the shot. you see the buildings, you've got to raindrops, the clouds. we can expect a better forecast for tomorrow, but for today in the southeast, it's all rain. chance of thunderstorms, and of course, possibly more tornadoes. susan, let's send it back to you. >> good place to start your resolution would be miami, it looks like today. >> yeah, i think so. i think you're better off going to miami. >> reynolds, thank you. we'll check back. along with the new year comes a long list of new laws affecting everything from vending machines to trash, even plants. and one set of laws is linked to former illinois governor rod blagojevich. can't wait to hear what those are. josh levs is here to fill us in. >> let's take a look at what some of these new laws are, susan. it's amazing every time we get to the beginning of a new cycle, especially beginning of an actual new year, you have a whole bunch of new laws. in illinois, there's a series of campaign finance reform laws that have now kicked in. and they were signed into law on the anniversary of the arrest of this man, former illinois governor rod blagojevich. the new law says individuals are limited in how much money they can give candidates. up to $5,000 in one election. and then there's groups, they can give up to $10,000. a lot of states have laws like that. illinois didn't have this, and a lot of people think it might help clean up illinois politics, at least a little bit. let's take a look at something that will affect everyone. if you ever use a vending machine, check out this new law as part of the health care reform legislation that president obama signed. operators with 20 or more vending machines will now be required to disclose calorie content for some of their items. same thing goes for restaurants with 20 or more locations. here's another one affecting you all over the country. those of you with flexible spending accounts, you can no longer use them for over-the-counter drugs, unless those drugs are prescribed by a doctor. and that hits americans, millions of dollars in total. because americans have been saving all this money in taxes by using the fsa for those medicines over the counter, no more. now a couple of funky state laws. maryland now has a new law about what to do if you get pulled over and ticketed by a police officer. instead of getting a date for a trial, now you will go and request your own date for a trial afterwards. apparently, what happened was, a lot of people were waiting the day before a trial to call in and pay those tickets, and then that messed up the schedule for officers who thought there was going to be a trial. so they're hoping people taking charge of their own tickets will help do something about this. two more. indiana, you can't throw out electronics anymore. if you have an ancient walkman, broken toaster, whatever it is, flashlight, you can't put it in the trash. there are programs for collecting and recycling electronic waste. my favorite quite a few quirky law, saw this in "newsday," nassau county, new york, is now making it illegal to have certain plants, including japanese honeysuckle. that's an illegal plant to transplant now in gnnassau coun, new york. >> so if you have a honeysuckle plant and listening to your walkman, you're in trouble. new laws are not the only changes we're getting this year. less than two hours from now, the most anticipated television debut in recent memory comes to life, but will oprah be able to hold her own in cable? i'm thinking yes. plus, she gave away $100 every day for a year. next, why she decided to do it. ♪ [ male announcer ] let's be honest. no one ever wished for a smaller holiday gift. ♪ it's the lexus december to remember sales event, and for a limited time, we're celebrating some of our greatest offers of the year. lease the 2011 is 250 for $349 a month for 36 months with $3,399 due at signing. see your lexus dealer. when betty londgren's father died in 2003, he left his daughter a nice inheritance, but instead of spending all of it, she decided to give some of it way, a lot of it away, $100 a day for a full year. she also wrote about her at her blog. there is the blog right there, whatgives365 is what's it's called. she gave away the last of the $365,000 yesterday, and she is here to tell us why she did it. betty, what a great thing to do. i was so excited to meet you when i heard about what you did. >> just like everybody, i watched so many stories on tv that were heart wrenching and cry a little and then i would feel powerless and dumb. so when i went to see "julia & julia," i came home and it was my aha moment. >> we're speaking of oprah today because she's launching her new network, o.w.n., and she always says on her show, a-ha moment, it feels good to her to give. she gets just as much pleasure giving away than to get. >> it was the journey that gave me so much more than i gave away. every day, i would be able to share these things that i had found about organizations in africa and south america and india, people doing all kinds of unbelievably remarkable, compassionate things for other people, and every day i got to interact with them and then i got to tell their stories on my blog. it was a complete adventure. >> do a couple of the stories stick out to you? can you share some of them with us? >> yeah, sure. well, this was a good one. sting actually paid for the research for a soccer ball called one world football, and it's indestructible. so it can be used in refugee camps and in all kinds of developing countries where they don't have, you know, the inflation. you can't pop it, you can't puncture it. so every time you buy one of those footballs, they're given to a refugee camp. >> i remember hearing about it. i think we had one of the balls here. >> they're blue, just crazy. >> yeah. >> and then there was this unbelievable guy, jackson who was a ugandan, and he was getting his doctorate here in the united states and basically his brother died of aids leaving three orphans, and then his sister died of aids with her child. there are 1.2 million orphans, aids orphans in uganda, and he took the money that he had saved for a down payment on a house and he went back to his little town in uganda and opened an aids orphanage and school and there are 427 kids in school and there's a technical school and a farm and microfinancing and -- >> just with you giving the $100, it add to this. this is pretty amazing. >> and i always try to go with the smaller grassroots, really boots on the ground causes that no one had really heard of. and i think that was the part of excitement for my blog. because there were 365 things they probably hadn't heard about of people doing remarkable, compassion in the work. >> you were left this money when your father passed away? is that correct? >> yeah, i'm one of eight children and my parents were both big givers. my loved nothing more than giving money away. so i kind of grew up with that model. oh, they're so cute. and so i thought that i really wanted to honor the money that i had gotten from my dad in that way. and i thought giving to others and encouraging other people to give to others was probably the best way i could honor their memory. >> betty, i had a feeling that your parents were giving as well and i have a feeling that you will pass this on to so many people, including your children. how do they feel about this? i bet you're passing it along to them as well. >> well, my daughter suggested i give $50 away and give the other $50 to her. >> come on, mom, i need it! >> but i think they've been really, really supportive. my stepdaughter loves it, reads it every day. and she's a model of giving too. she taught in the dominican republic and now teaches in the public schools in atlanta. >> it just shows me, and i hope that our viewers will see this, how much one person can make a huge difference. you really are a huge role model in starting the new year, an example for so many. betty, thank you. great meeting you. >> you're so welcome. happy new year. he has been the toast of the professional football for 20 years now, and it's all about to come to an end, or is it?! the only question is whether brett favre's career end on the field or on the bench? we'll tell you. get unbelievable clearance prices on select toys, home decor, clothing, candy, and seasonal items. it all starts december 26, while supplies last. it's the end-of-the-year clearance event at walmart! [ male announcer ] breathe, socket. just breathe. we know it's intimidating. instant torque. top speed of 100 miles an hour. that's one serious machine. but you can do this. any socket can. the volt only needs about a buck fifty worth of charge a day. and for longer trips, it can use gas. so get psyched. this is a big step up from the leafblower. the 2011 chevrolet volt. it's more car than electric. a big weekend in sports. ray d'alessio is here to tell us all about what's going on. a big game here in atlanta last night? >> the chick fillet bowl last night. and if i'm a south carolina fan, i want nothing to do with atlanta anymore. of course, a couple weeks ago they lost to auburn in the s.e.c. championship. last night, watch this. their star running back, marcus latimer absolutely leveled by florida state's greg reid. you see latimore fumbled on the play, down for several minutes, left the game, did not return. the official reason given was for a cut lip, but during the broadcast, the head coach also said that latimore suffered a concussion on the play. and florida state beat the game cox won. >> let's pretend we weren't there. what about the rose bowl? remember back in the day, arizona state/ohio state. >> it used to be the game! >> it's not the game anymore? >> the rose bowl -- it's lost its emphasis and its prestige, i guess, because there are so many bowl games now and because the bcs game is played a week later, the national championship. but today's matchup very interesting. you've got wisconsin and tcu. tcu, so much attention here. they're the little guy trying to compete with the big guys and they have been doing that. they've got a 25-game regular season winning streak. they haven't lost a game since 2008. last year, they got shut out of the bcs national championship game. this year they got shut out of the bcs national championship game. so they are out to prove that, yes, we belong on the field with teams like wisconsin. and i've got to be honest, i'm going to predict them to win today. >> you are?! >> i don't make predictions, i don't make predictions, because usually i'm wrong, but i've got a good feeling. >> you know this is on tape? let's rewind it. >> let's rewind it tomorrow so i look good if they win. >> we're talking about paterno? >> the outback bowl, penn state and florida. joe paterno coaching in his 37th bowl game. he's been the lion's head coach since 1966. a lot of speculation as to whether or not he is going to retire after the season, but paterno said yesterday, no, i'm staying, i'm not going anywhere. urban meyer, on the other hand, the head coach for florida, he has already announced that he is going, that he is stepping down. he announced that he is stepping down after this bowl game. he cites that he wants to spend more time with his family, wants to pursue other interests. of course, last year he retired and then changed his mind and came back because of health reasons, but he has not said he is retiring because of health reasons, he's just -- >> i remember him saying, i missed a couple of game with my daughters, i don't want to do this anymore. >> but 46 years old, he's one of the premiere coaches in college football. he's got two national chi championships, he could win a couple more -- >> his family won't want to hear that! >> i'm a football guy, what do you expect. >> i'm a family girl. what about brett favre, will he or won't he? >> that's the big question. he has still yet to past his post-concussion test. he suffered that concussion a couple weeks ago on that monday night game against the bears. he has yet to pass those doubts. right now he's listed as doubtful for tomorrow's game. and unless he passes the post-concussion test today, he will more than likely end his storied 20-year career on the sidelines tomorrow. i know a lot of people are like, yeah, right, we've heard favre say before he's going to retire, this year, he is definitely done. this guy has suffered numerous injuries this year, the concussion, he's playing on a broken ankle. he can't continue like he's going. his body is completely battered and broken and i believe him when this the year says will be his last. >> nine lives. . >> looking at reynolds wolf, who do you think he's a fan of? look at his pocket square and tie and shirt? auburn, i think, right? >> oh, yeah, he likes auburn in the bcs? what'd we say before, the auburn game, a couple months away still? >> it seems -- i believe it's going to be in three years. it seems like it's just been forever, which is kind of fri e frightening if you're a football fan, because you wonder, are both teams going to be able to maintain the same intensity. >> and there's so many obscure names for bowl games this year. you have the ticket city bowl now. >> that's in today's forecast. the northwestern versus texas tech, it's tommy tufervol's first game. they're playing in dallas, the ticket city bowl. >> i'm from the midwest, a big ten guy, i'm going with northwestern. >> i didn't know the rose bowl was not hip anymore. >> hey, these things happen. hey, take a look at this one. the capitol one bowl game in orlando, that's number 16. alabama, crimson tide taking on the michigan state spartans. i've got to pull for michigan state. the reason why, my wife is a spartan. i pull for the other team, i'm sleeping outside for the rest of the year. plus, alabama, i'm an auburn guy -- let's go to the knicks bowl game. progressive gator bowl. it's mississippi state versus michigan. and wisconsin and tcu, rose bowl. should be amazing. and thes tostitos fiesta bowl, oklahoma versus connecticut. >> what's the goofiest name of a bowl game? there's like the hunger bowl. >> you don't want to knock the humanitarian bowl, but they have the humanitarian bowl, the ticket bowl, the meineke car care bowl. >> did you see wheat eater? >> there was the wheat eater bowl years ago. >> there's all kinds of bowl games. >> going to a bowl game that's fair to partly cloudy, but going to some that are a little bit -- >> and think about it, these days there are so many bowl games, if you have six wins, you qualify for a bowl game. >> good times. learn something new. >> that's why we need a playoff, susan. with the holidays winding down, thousands of people are heading home. coming up at the top of the hour, a live report from an interstate along the east coast and a preview of what to expect. also next, what could be a new era in tv begins in just about an hour. the countdown to the oprah winfrey network. me. what do you say we get the look we want, the softness we need, and an unbeatable lifetime stain warranty for whatever life throws at it. then let's save big on the installation. ♪ we're lowering the cost of going barefoot. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. get exclusive martha stewart living and platinum plus installed in your whole house for only 37 bucks. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] here's hoping you find something special in your driveway this holiday. ♪ [ santa ] ho ho ho! [ male announcer ] get an exceptional offer on the mercedes-benz you've always wanted at the winter event going on now. and stay connected with three years of mbrace service complimentary. [ gorilla ] nice move. but can your retirement income keep pace with changing interest rates? this variable annuity from axa equitable has an option that can help your retirement income move with changing interest rates. but what do i know? i'm just the 800-pound gorilla in the room. [ female announcer ] make the retirement cornerstone annuity from axa equitable part of your retirement plan. consider the charges, risks, expenses and investment objectives before purchasing a variable annuity. contact a financial professional for a prospectus containing this information. read it carefully. whoo hoo! happy new year to you. it was just like the famous new year's eve party in times squ e square, but this party was for the little ones and it was a little earlier so they could get to bed. >> five, four, three, two, one! >> thousands of children rang in the new year yesterday at legoland amusement park in california. the festive celebration featured a countdown and a lego block dropping. oprah is starting the new year with the launch of her own network. on oprah.com, you can see the countdown clock clicking off the last few minutes until it goes to air. looking forward to this one. so what can you expect to see? only greatness, right? cnn's kareen wynter gives us a preview. >> it all begins here. >> reporter: it's arguably the most ambitious endeavor of her career. a 24-houring television channel dedicated entirely to the vision of oprah winfrey. >> i could take every hero who inspired me -- >> the launch of o.w.n. is a huge deal in the television business. >> reporter: tv expert matthew bellini says he knows what o.w.n.'s greatest strength and challenge will be. >> oprah, she has a huge advantage in launching a network, because she is a brand. the danger is that the programming may not live up to the brand. i mean, that's the big question mark. >> reporter: here's how oprah plans to answer that question. >> this is a time for new beginnings. >> reporter: in "ask oprah's all-stars," a live audience goes one on one. "master class" profiles eight world icons. "season 25" takes fans behind the scenes of oprah's hit talk show, while "big bowl of love" invites viewers into the kitchen of christina ferrari. >> this is what i love to do. >> and for those who love clutter, peter walsh has "enough already." >> this is a show that looks at people's stuff, but gives them a road map out of this overwhelming amount of clutter in their house. >> but, peter, so many new networks fail. why do you think this one is different? >> people want to be the best they can be. people want heroes. people want inspiration. here at last is a level of programming that brings people that. >> there are a lot of critics out there, and i personally don't understand, why wouldn't you want to have this kind of programming when today all you see now are those shows about, you know, housewives pulling each other's hair. >> i know it's easy to be cynical or skeptical, but i, for one, am so excited about what's going to happen when that switch is flipped. >> reporter: the switch gets