you'll be getting back to family today. unfortunately, we have to begin with tragic news on this christmas day. we're getting word that on christmas day, churches are being attacked. two churches in particular, two bombings. many people are dead and wounded. you're shown the area here, we're showing it to you, this is in nigeria, two cities in particular, madala and jos. you see the distance they are apart. a great distance apart. these are christian churches during christmas day services and prayers. again, there are a number of casualties. we do not have a definitive number yet. we're working to confirm how many, though. we'll get back to you on that. these attacks are reminiscent of last christmas day. bombers once again targeted churches in nigeria. dozens of people died in those attacks, as well. we are just getting word of this. a short time ago, these bombings just taking place. those details still coming in here at cnn. we're on top of it. we'll continue to keep you updated there. another important story happening overseas today. on the international stage, the biggest public protest we have seen in decades continue in russia. two things are bringing russians out in very large numbers this weekend. they are furious about the current leadership. vladimir putin's decision to run against for president. the democratic process you know, relatively young still in russia. today also marking 20 years since the fall of the ussr. officials estimate that some 30,000 people are in the streets and squares of moscow. protesters also angry at the results of parliamentary elections held this month. widely seen by russian voters as being rigged. also another important story from overseas. syrian troops pushed into the city of holmes this weekend with heavy shelling and machine gun fire. this is video uploaded by a resident who says thousands of troops are surrounding the city, digging trenches and positioning tanks. it's the epicenter of a long-time anti-government movement in syria. and news on the presidential election front. reaction coming in after newt gingrich and rick perry failed to get on the virginia primary ballot. a pretty big deal for them, an important state that they will not be on the ballot for. gingrich's team announcing that they would now launch an aggressive write-in campaign. one problem, though -- virginia law specifically prohibits write-ins for a primary. so now what? the gingrich campaign says it's evaluating the options. just three minutes past the hour on this christmas day now. and christmas celebrations taking place all over the world. a lot of people getting that shopping done. well, the pope is saying you need to set aside this commercialization of christmas. the pope presided over the traditional midnight mass last night. in his message, specifically he asked them to remember the "essence of christmas" rather than the commercial holiday it has become. also in russia, hundreds of families gathered to welcome -- there he is -- that's father frost. it's their version of santa claus. marking his arrival, the christmas tree. moscow's parks were lit up all at once. this debate comes every time this year. interesting numbers for you. what should we say -- what did you say? do you say merry christmas or happy holidays? a new poll asked americans who what they prefer. it found that 2/3 of americans would rather say "merry christm christmas" than "happy holidays." older americans overwhelmingly choose "merry christmas." 74% to 22%. bonnie, what do you say? >> happy holidays. i celebrate hanukkah. a lot of people say merry christmas to me. i don't mind. season's greetings, always nice to hear. >> that is a wonderful christmas dress you have going on. >> thank you, t.j. good to see you. merry christmas. >> some people travel on christmas. they wait to this day to make it to their family's house. any issues? >> i think we have some. first i want to start with the good news of where we have a white christmas. where you're waking up christmas morning and there's snow on the ground. a lot of plays out west are -- places out west are experiencing that. into colorado, montana. in the mountain of oregon and washington, plenty of snow. and that's the part of the country we're going to keep a watch for travel troubles later on today due to some storms that will be working their way into the pacific northwest. right now, if you're up early and you're heading out on the road, here's where the concern is. it's really in the southeast. so we're going to see rain working its way into alabama and into atlanta even. back out to the west, it's cold enough for snow to pop up into texas. but as we look at the southeast where we're watching for the thunderstorm activity, you see to jackson, mississippi, working to new orleans, the panhandle of florida also facing the threat for severe weather, and there's atlanta just getting some light rain right now. further off to the south and west of the city. overall we are going to see that change to a heavier rain. unfortunately, a wet christmas for atlanta rather than a white one. we've actually had snow here on christmas in the past. let's take a look at travel delays for those of you that are heading somewhere for this christmas. atlanta, light rain. new york areas, nice, but wind could cause a slowdown or two. philadelphia, windy weather. chicago, winds. and also in minneapolis. overall what's really nice to see is that these -- most of these delays are under an hour. we will be seeing pretty good conditions. the breezy weather across the great lakes and as that colder air comes over the warmer weather of the great lakes, watch for snow flurries. especially further upstate new york. i mentioned the rain in the southeast, but look at this -- rain in the pacific northwest. we'll be dealing with that in portland and seattle today. most of the country enjoying a fabulous, beautiful christmas. looks nice, nice and comfortable. we had the snowstorm earlier this week. so far christmas day looks great. t.j.? >> that's good news. thank you. good to have you with us on this christmas day. we'll get to the story i told you about at the top of the hour. at least two bombings targeting christian churches on christmas day in nigeria. the first one hit a catholic church west of the capital. second one went off at the christian house of worship in the northeast. last christmas, last year, bombers killed dozens of people in christian churches in nigeria. on the line with me from nigeria, journalist hasan jahn. we're trying to get numbers of how many might have been injured and killed. do we have any indication -- how devastating much the bombings? >> reporter: yeah, it's been a terrible event this morning. we have from my count 19 dead from this report. we don't know how many -- this morning at about 8:00 a.m. in jos at 10:30, a police officer was injured in multiple bomb blasts inside a church. >> how close were you to these bombings or to that one in particular? >> reporter: yes, the one in jos, i was a few meters away from the blast when it went off. and until immediately after we went to the front of the church, we all took cover. then there was gunfire when they responded to the blast immediately. some young men, about -- no more than five of them, one had an automatic rifle and shot in our direction at the time -- just as the bomb went off. >> last thing here. people can remember what happened a year ago, christmas day, as well. explain to our viewers here why this is happening, where someone would target churches in nigeria. >> reporter: well, it's been -- it's a long history of conflict, actually, since the 1980s when the animosity between christians and muslims were fired by the political class. and consistently we have the attacks and reprisals that have been coming. but last year, christmas eve, christian communities were targeted. and we had more than three dead last year. it's happening in spite of the -- [ inaudible ] >> we believe that apart from politics and what experts say, it's overriding all this. >> hasan john, again, thank you for getting on the line with us. again, tragic news out of nigeria today. church being targeted on christmas day. at least from hasaan. working to get more details. unfortunate news on this christmas day. it's ten minutes past the hour. again, we're going to keep you updated. we'll be here until the bottom of the hour on this cnn sunday morning, give you the information you need on this christmas day. stay with us. hi, i'm master sergeant hoyle, i'm working with the f6 communications. i want to wish my family and friends back in my hometown of oregon happy holidays. imagine living your life with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is a non-narcotic treatment that's fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing of the skin or eyes. talk with your doctor about your medicines, including those for migraine, or if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles, to address a possible life-threatening condition. tell your doctor about alcohol use, liver disease, and before you reduce or stop taking cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. side effects include nausea, dry mouth, and constipation. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor about cymbalta. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. go to cymbalta.com to learn about a free trial offer. we are 2 minutes past the hour on -- 12 minutes past the hour on this cnn sunday morning. merry christmas to you all. some children aren't writing letters to santa this year. instead, they wrote letters to the president of the united states asking for something in particular. gustavo valdez with the story. >> reporter: this girl has one wish for christmas -- >> i don't want my family to be so frightened. >> narrator: the georgia native says some of her relatives are not in the country legally so she fears they could be deported. >> it would be sad for me. >> reporter: anna and some 5,000 children across the u.s. wrote letters not to santa claus but to president obama. >> they're angry at the things that have been created to take their parent away. >> reporter: this is the head of the georgia latino alliance for human rights. he organized a letter-writing chain in georgia. he says that the almost 400,000 deportations reported by the government last year are having an effect on the kids. >> they're writing and saying, listen, don't do this to us. leave my father here, let him spend christmas with us. let the family be together. >> reporter: not all of the letters were written by kids whose parents are undocumented. danielle godina says his parents and brothers are u.s. citizens. but still wanted to reach president obama. >> so i can be able to give the president a better understanding of why i don't want this -- >> reporter: he says he has friends with parents who have been deported from the only place they consider home. >> hopefully my friends from school don't have to go, and i just -- this right here is my life. here's my town. here's my everything -- everything i have is here in georgia. i don't want to go. >> reporter: he said these children have shown an awareness to this difficult issue far beyond their age. the letter were sent to the white house and members of congress in hopes the leaders can reach agreement on immigration reform. for now the fear of the unknown overshadows the joy of the season. >> what i think is going to happen is more and more kids are going to be more sad than they've ever been in their life because their parents have been separated. >> reporter: gustavo valdez, cnn, atlanta. we're a quarter past the hour on this christmas morning. and a lot of people out there are serving meals, trying to help other this holiday season. and one in particular group serving meals with a particular message. instead of me going to the store, always getting chips and cookies and things of that nature, we're trying to provide them with alternative ways of eating. >> we're talking ex-cons now, using meals to make a difference in their lives and others'. it's our "giving in focus" on this christmas morning. ♪ happy holidays. i'm senior master sergeant colleen blake-harris in kyrgyzstan. i'd like to say merry christmas and happy new year to my husband, isaac harris in las vegas, nevada. miss you, see you soon. ...got promoted to director? so 12 seconds ago. we should get him a present. thanks for the gift basket. you're welcome. you're welcome. did you see hr just sent out new... ...office rules? cause you're currently in violation of 6 of them. oh yeah, baby? ...and 7. did you guys hear that fred is leaving? so 30 seconds ago. [ noisemakers blow ] [ both ] we'll miss you! oh, facecake! there's some leftover cake. [ male announcer ] the new htc vivid. stay a step ahead with at&t 4g lte, with speeds up to 10x faster than 3g. ♪ forty years ago, he wasn't worried about retirement. he'd yet to hear of mutual funds, iras, or annuities. back then, he had something more important to do. he wasn't focused on his future but fortunately, somebody else was. at usaa we provide retirement solutions for our military, veterans and their families. from investments... to life insurance... to health care options. learn more with our free usaa retirement guide. call 877-242-usaa. ♪ we're about 19 minutes past the hour on this christmas morning. welcome back. sometimes what people need in the way of help is not necessarily so extraordinary. they just need an opportunity. that is what d.c. central kitchen is all about, helping people who will have a hard time convert their lives through food. >> i shall return. this should be enough. i'm an ex-con in washington, d.c. early in life i got into robbing banks. [ sirens ] >> that was a thrill. we was running from the feds. we would rob whatever bank we could. finally caught up with us. they gave me 20 years. when i did get out, things were different. i just didn't feel as though i was a part of society. thanks to the d.c. kitchen and opportunity they gave me, they actually changed my life. so began my transformation. >> the thing that's uweek in d.c. central kitchen, it is a community kitchen. we make 5,000 meals every day, and they go out to breakfast meals on the street, all the city shelters. >> all right. we're in business. >> and with that meal goes the message that back at home in our kitchen is a 14-week program that will get men and women back on their feet with a culinary job training program. they leave with jobs. >> where do i begin today? i come in and get my route sheet. i've got two, four, sick. >> healthy corners is an interesting program. the last few years have been a focus on healthier meals. >> i'm making a significant difference in the community by providing these items. >> there's been an interest in getting this healthy product into the corner stores that are in the food deserts all around d.c. food desert is an area where they do not have access to good local product. >> instead of being able to go to the store, always getting chips and cookies and things of that nature, we're trying to provide them with alternative ways of eating. >> what's cooking? >> bo's been a friend for a long time. i remember him coming through as a student. he's been through every aspect of the kitchen. bo worked in catering, in the production line. we thought he'd be perfect for healthy corners because he knows the community. when you're around somebody changing their life and see that change and they're publicing a better person, it makes you want to do the same in your life. >> and cnn's "giving in focus" is on today, 4:30 eastern time right here. and at 20 minutes past the hour, this time of year, everybody puts together a has of some kind. the best and worst of this and that. what was the best and worst in sports this year? get your list together. see if it matches ours. and you can be sure that nba lockout is going to make that list somewhere. hi, this is commander lynne blankenbecker from kandahar, afghanistan. i want to wish all my family and friends in concord, new hampshire, a very messy christmas and happy holiday. bye, love you all. okay-y... okay??? i've been eating progresso and now my favorite old jeans...fit. okay is there a woman i can talk to? [ male announcer ] progresso. 40 soups 100 calories or less. nice, huh? yeah. you know what else is nice is all the savings you can get on cruze and traverse over there. oh! that's my beard. [ chuckles ] it's amazing. ♪ [ male announcer ] this holiday, chevy's giving more. now very well qualified lessees can sign and drive a 2012 cruze ls for around $199 a month. ♪ so i used my citi thank you card to pick up some accessories. a new belt. some nylons. and what girl wouldn't need new shoes? we talked about getting a diamond. but with all the thank you points i've been earning... ♪ ...i flew us to the rock i really had in mind. ♪ [ male announcer ] the citi thank you card. earn points you can use for travel on any airline, with no blackout dates. as we come to the bottom of the hour on this christmas morning, we'll take you to rome where pope benedict is reminding his catholic followers of the essence of the holiday rather than the commercial celebration that christmas has become. thousands poured into st. peter's square and the basilica to glimpse the aging pontiff as he presides over his seventh christmas mass as pope. also, christmas means nba basketball. yes, finally the season's starting today. you remember the whole lockout. five-month lockout. the nba season getting underway. five big games today. the defending champs -- the dallas mavericks are going to raise the banner and get their rings today from their championship they won last year. and they get to do that in front of the miami heat. the teams squared off in one of the championships today. the lockout one of many sports stories and sports controversies of 2011. mark mckay looking back at the year that was in sports. >> reporter: to call the 2011 sports year tumultuous is an understatement. and nowhere was that more evident than in college sports. ohio state football player sold and traded memorabilia for cash and tattoos. something the head coach tried to cover up. a booster for the university of miami said that over the span of eight years, he spent millions on hurricane players including paying for prostitute. but at penn state, the transgressions were far worse. >> jerry sandusky is charged with molesting eight boys. >> where were the authorities? >> this is not a case about football or universities. it's a case about children who have had their innocence stolen from them. >> reporter: a child sex abuse scandal involving former penn assistant coach jerry sandusky led to the firing of joe paterno. a legacy six decades in the making is in shambles. bernie fine, assistant basketball coach at syracuse for the past six years, was fire department after allegations emerged -- fired after allegations, merged that he molested six children. in the nfl and nba, they were struggling through contracts. and tragedy on the race track when indycar driver dan weldon was part of a car crash that caused the husband and father of two to die. and good-bye to joe frazer. one of the best athletes of all time. packers' quarterback aaron rogers emerging from the shadow of brett favre to lead green bay to a super bowl title. dirk nowitzki from germany, taking the dallas mavs to its first nba title again the team that featured two of the nba's biggest stars. a 33-year-old head coach named shaka smart leading the virginia university to the final four, the grandest stage. a 21-year-old from niner ireland named rory mcilroy who won the u.s. open and made many ask, tiger who? not to be outdone was alexi thompson who at 16 became the youngest player to ever win an lp g a tournament. and who could forget the story of david freeze? a kid who grew up in st. louis rooting for the cardinals and leading them to a world series championship. his performance earning him the series mvp. those are some of the stories that reminded us why we watch. mark mckay, cnn, atlanta. and i will be back with you at the top of the hour for my final hour here with you on cnn as we continue cnn sunday morning. we'll get you caught up. right now, take a break and after the break, the good doctor. is it because taking a step represents hope? or triumph? at genworth, we believe in taking small steps every day to keep your promises, protect what matters, and prepare for a secure financial future. no matter where you want to go, one step at a time is the only way to get there. go to genworth.com/promises.