30,000 wounded warriors, many of whom still struggle with serious, life-altering injuries. >> reporter: it's estimated more than 150,000 iraqis lost their lives in the war. most of them civilians. 16 days to go before the typical american worker gets hit with $1,000 a year tax increase. there are some signs now republicans, democrats, might, might break their log jam over extending the payroll tax cut. democratic source says that president obama may drop his plan for a millionaire surtax to cover the cost of extending it. republicans oppose any new taxes on the wealthy. they would like to pay for the extension primarily by freezing ped ral pay. mitt romney rolling out an aggressive new strategy to stop newt gingrich. romney, in a flurry of interviews, says gingrich and his policy ideas are zany. that's right. he says we don't need zany in a president. he labels gingrich an unreliable conservative. gingrich climbed to the top of national presidential polls after herman cain's campaign went into a tail spin. you remember that. he scoffed at romney's new words. >> i understand what all the consultants are doing. that's fine. they should run their campaign the way they want to. i want to run my campaign the way i want to. >> so gingrich leads romney iowa, but romney still holds the top spot in new hampshire. new measure of poverty by the census bureau shows that almost half of all-americans are struggling. that's 146 million folks. 97 million fall into the low income category. another 49 million fall below the poverty line. more than 100 people have died after drinking moonshine in eastern india. at least 100 more have been hospitalized. most of the victims were poor villagers who paid only 10 cents for the liquor. police say they have arrested four people they believe were involved in making the illegal brew. so before it was suspected hazing. well, now authorities are looking into financial problems at florida a&m university. law enforcement officials say they found evidence of possible fraud while investigating the death of the school's drum major. they say the financial irregularities are not directly related to robert champion's death but they do involve the school's band and other departments. a fraternity at the university of vermont is now on suspension after a survey was circulated asking members who they would like to rape. that's right. sigma phi epsilon was already on probation for alcohol violations. well, now the national organization has ordered the campus chapter to shut down all operations. both university and fraternity's national leadership are investigating. >> it is not something that we stand for in terms of the values that our members pledge ourselves to, that our organization pledges itself to. >> it is technically free speech and yet it is deplorable and just absolutely inappropriate and offensive. 41-year-old woman has died in a tragic and bizarre elevator accident in new york. investigators say she was getting on the elevator when it suddenly shot up and pinned her between two floors. our affiliate spoke to a witness. >> the elevator was either next to me or one over. i heard a loud boom, crash and the whole thing shook. it was pretty extreme. like a couple of the girls on my floor were like crying and really panicked. >> two people in the elevator who saw this horrific accident, they were taken to the hospital to be checked out for psychological trauma. the french silent era film "the artist" leads this year's golden globes. hollywood foreign press association gave five 234078 nations each this morning to "the descendents" starring george clooney. the golden globe awards will be handed out january 15th. here's your chance, talk back on one of the big stories of the day. the war in iraq. as we mark the end of the war, we want to ask you, was it worth it? we want to hear from you. put your response on my page. it is facebook.com/suzannecnn. we'll post those responses later this hour. here's what's ahead on the rundown. census figures paint a stunning picture of the growing number of americans now struggling just to get by. >> think of a homeless person, you think of some wineo out on the corner. it can happen to anyone at any time. >> we're going to talk about that with president obama's outgoing presidential advisor. also there are now signs of a possible compromise to extend a payroll tax break for 160 million working americans before it expires. we're talking about january 1st. plus, foreclosures dropping, but some say it is just the calm before a new storm. the iraq war officially ended today. we're going to look at what is next for those who live in iraq and for the service men and women who are coming home. finally, florida a&m university's president talks about the deadly alleged hazing incident involving the school's band. when an investment lacks discipline, it's never this obvious. introducing investment discipline etfs from russell. visit russelletfs.com r a prospectus, containing the investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses and other information. read and consider it carefully before investing. [♪...] >> male announcer: book now, save up to 65%. call 1-800-sandals. president's righthand woman for domestic policy, melody barns is saying good-bye to the white house to consider opportunities in the private sector. she is leaving at a time when more americans are struggling to stay afloat. a new measure of poverty by the census bureau today shows that almost half, half of americans are low income or living in poverty. extraordinary figure. one of two americans low income living in poverty. so, melody, first of all, great to see you. i know you're counting down the days here. a couple weeks before you leave. as someone who is in the trenches here working on the president's domestic policy, what is your reaction to that figure? does that really seem real to you, that that many people are now suffering? >> well, first of all, suzanne, thank you so much for having me. it's a pleasure to be with you. it does. i mean, what we know is that while the effects of this recent downturn in the economy have been devastating for so many people, there are people who are already hurting prior to 2008, prior to what has been the great recession. that's why we started tackling these issues when we first came into the white house. if you look at the stimulus bill that the president passed, we did a lot to try and support people and actually keep several million people from descending further into poverty or into poverty at all. then we also recently put out a report, our pathways to opportunity report, that recounts some of the more innovative things we've done over the course of the administration to try and keep those in the middle class in the middle class and create a pathway for those who are struggling to get out of poverty to get into the middle class. >> what do you think is the single biggest thing that needs to happen to turn it around? is it something that president obama or the government should be doing or does it have to come from the private sector? >> well, it's really a cross-sector. this is an all hands on deck moment. the president has obviously been focused on job creation. that's one of the number one things you can do for people, create jobs and make sure that people are prepared for those jobs. so important job training initiatives. if you look at his american jobs act it is chalk full of ways that we can make sure people are prepared for jobs while we're also trying to create them. also education. making sure that we've got young adults and adults, whether they are shifting in transition because of jobs that may not exist anymore or coming out of college, that they are prepared and they have the tools and the skills needed. the president has a jobs council. we've been talking to those ceos of medium and large businesses about what kinds of jobs are available and how to prepare people for them. they're looking down the pike and making sure our kids are ready for the jobs of the future as well. >> let's turn the corner to iraq. officially it is the end of the war in iraq today. >> yes. >> president obama fulfilled that campaign promise. here's what he told veterans. >> our commitment doesn't end when you take off the uniform. you're the finest our nation has to offer, and after years of rebuilding iraq, we want to enlist our veterans in the work of rebuilding america. that's why we're committed to doing everything we can to extend more opportunities to those who have served. >> melody, specifically what does the administration need to do right now to make sure the veterans come back and they are part of an economic recovery? >> absolutely. it's veterans and their families. so many people have made -- there are 4500 who made the ultimate sacrifice. tens of thousands who were harmed and millions who have served. there's several things we've done and put in place. first of all, if you look at the american jobs abt it includes a tax credit to make sure those who have served and are coming back, we're encouraging employers to hire them. including those who have service-related disabilities, one. two, earlier a few months ago we put in place plans to make sure that those who are caring for veterans who are coming home, that their caregivers have the necessary support so that they can do that and we can blunt, buffer the economic hardship to those families. then you've got the first lady and dr. biden in their joining forces effort. that's to make sure that we're looking at those families and supporting them across the board. that's consistent with what the president asked for across the administration. how their kids are doing as they have had to shift schools. how spouses are doing when they need jobs and public/private partnerships to make sure the jobs are available. >> let's talk a little bit about your tenure now that you're on your way out. you were one of the power houses in the white house, one of the few women who was in the inner circle. a lot was made at the time when you were at the white house about about whether or not there was an old boy's network, the president playing basketball with the guys. i think we have the picture, you were the first woman to get the invite to play golf with the president. so tell us, now that you're on your way out, is there kind of this all boys guy culture there? has it changed a little bit? what was your experience? >> one of the things that i will miss most, i said this to my colleagues just two days ago, is the comaraderie and this bond. in serving the american people who are struggling, we want to create opportunity for them, there's a fire that you go through with a group of people and it makes you stronger and the fabric of the white house stronger. i certainly feel that and will miss that. i've had wonderful colleagues, men and women. we've had vigorous and vibrant debates. that's what the president wants. that's what the president needs. i know i have felt respected in that way, and i think my female colleagues do as well. we have all benefitted and been enriched by this experience of being in the white house. >> as someone who's a close friend of the president, can you tell us anything we don't know about him? can you share? >> people often say to me, what's he really like? i'll say, what you see is what you get, which is wonderful. there is no pretense. he is steady. he has his eye on a vision for america that is one of opportunity for all people. he cares deeply. he walks around with those ten letters that he reads every day. he often comes to us and says how are we going to fix this? is what you're doing going to fix this person's problem. he'll chide us and say that's a policy idea a wonk would love. is this going to help in the real world. he has been a wonderful leader to follow by virtue of who he is. >> melody, can you share any of your plans about moving forward? >> first thing i'm going to do is i'm going to sleep in. i start my day with a 7:30 meeting. i end my day around 9:30 every night. my husband and i are going to have dinner before 9:45 or 10:00 every night. >> it's been a pleasure. congratulations. wish you all the best. >> thank you so much. going to hear from president obama at the top of the hour, noon eastern. he'll help unveil a plan to give federal pay protections to home health care workers. the president is also likely to comment on this battle that is taking place to extend the payroll tax cut. while fewer foreclosures, the numbers are out this morning. there are signs of trouble now for the new year. we'll check in with alison kosik. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] everyone deserves the gift of a pain free holiday. ♪ this season, discover aleve. all day pain relief with just two pills. setting that goal to become a principal. but, i have to support my family, so how do i go back to school? university of phoenix made it doable. a lot of my instructors were principals in my district. i wouldn't be where i am without that degree. my name is dr. carrie buck. i helped turn an at-risk school into an award winning school, and i am a phoenix. [ male announcer ] find your program at phoenix.edu. here's what's making news across the country. we start with a car crash in wisconsin. you can't tell from the dash cam video but the car is burning. the driver is trapped inside unconscious. the police officer smashed the passenger side window to pull that driver out. thortsz donauthorities don' caused this tanker truck to explode outside of l.a. the flames were so intense officials believe the overpass and freeway were damaged. in pennsylvania video cameras at a coffee shop catch a bold robbery. he climbs from his car through the drive through window. shop owner's wife fought back by throwing a coffee pot at his face. she tossed a pitcher of steaming hot milk at him. police are looking for him today. a bright spot in the housing market, but experts now say could be a sign of bad things to come. want to bring in alison kosik at the new york stock exchange. first of all, so how do the numbers look today? what do we make of what we're seeing here at the market? >> suzanne, you know what, if you look at the headline number, it looks pretty good. foreclosures for november are down 3%. if you compare this november to last november foreclosures are actually down 14%. guess what, we've seen this kind of thing at this time of year and we're seeing it again where lenders like fannie mae and freddie mac have put a moratorium out. they don't serve notices around the holidays for obvious reasons. they don't want to bring bad news during the holidays. there's the harsh reality that remains. nevada continues to lead in defaults. california and arizona are up there. people are out of work and falling behind. many have stopped making payments 5altogether. this could set up for an interesting 2012. >> following november's figures, what does it say about what we are expecting moving forward here? >> exactly. so consider this the calm before the storm because these filings are down, but it actually sets the stage for more foreclosures to come in the new year. the big reason is because the number of homes scheduled to go to bank auction actually grew significantly. these filings have been down because of paperwork issues. after that global signing scandal, now banks are cleaning up their books. they're catching up. that could mean that repos are likely to come roaring back in 2012. a brighter picture today for the markets even though stocks are off their best levels of the day. the dow right now is up 54 points. the nasdaq is up as well. so looking like a pretty good day for the markets thanks to some pretty positive economic reports here in the u.s. >> great. thank you. it's a historic day for the united states and iraq. after almost nine years the war in iraq is officially over. we're going to find out what this day means for the country and its people. we're also going to check in on american troops in kuwait. first, memorable images from the iraq war. "shock and awe" over baghdad as the war begins in march 2003. iraqi kids caught in the middle of the violence in their homeland. they're on the street as a car burns. former dictator saddam hussein getting a medical exam after he was captured and later executed. charred bodies of u.s. contractors hang frg a bridge over the euphrates river in falugha. he needs to use the brush more dentists use. oral-b. trust the brush more dentists and hygienists use. oral-b. life opens up when you do. [ female announcer ] we never forget the nearly 12 million cancer survivors in america today... and the countless lives lost. we owe it to them to protect funding for cancer research, prevention and access to care. congress, make cancer a priority and give millions of americans what they need most. is best absorbed in small continuous amounts. only one calcium supplement does that in one daily dose. citracal slow release... continuously releases calcium plus d for the efficient absorption my body needs. citracal. it's easy to see what subaru owners care about. that's why we created the share the love event. get a great deal on a new subaru and $250 goes to your choice of 5 charities. with your help, we can reach $20 million dollars by the end of this, our fourth year. some folks call me a rock star, some call me the mayor... and i love it. and, i make everybody happy. i keep my business insurance with the hartford because... they came through for me once, and i know they've got my back. for whatever challenges come your way... the hartford is here to back you up. helping you move ahead... with confidence. meet some of our small business customers at: thehartford.com/business i don't think about the unknown... i just rock n' roll. here's what's ahead on the rundown. next, the iraq war is officially over. we're going to look ahead to what is next. then signs of compromise perhaps on extending the payroll tax break for millions of working americans. as cnn's jason pearl confronts the president of florida's a&m's alleged deadly hazing event. so we're going to go in depth now to iraq. after almost nine years the war is over. it officially ended today in baghdad during a ceremony known as the casing of the colors. from the beginning to now almost 4500 americans have lost their lives in iraq. more than 30,000 wounded and tens of thousands of iraqis have been killed, most of them civilians. cnn's barbara starr is in baghdad with more on the war's end and what it means to iraq. >> reporter: at the height of the surge more than 170,000 u.s. troops served here in iraq, but as we count down the final days and hours, just a few thousand are left, perhaps just a few hundred here in baghdad. this has been the end of mission ceremony. that's what they're calling it. putting away the flag that u.s. forces have flown here for so long. that flag never to come out again. today defense secretary panetta, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, general dempsey all here to pay tribute to those who have served. of course, more than 4,000 u.s. forces lost their lives here. more than 30,000 wounded. this is the place where america came to know the phrase ied, improvised explosive device, the weapon that has proved to be so deadly both here in iraq and of course continues to kill and wound u.s. troops in afghanistan. we've spoken to commanders here and what they tell us is now that the mission is wrapping up here in iraq, they are looking at the broader picture for u.s. military presence here in this region. expect to see u.s. troops continue to serve in kuwait. expect to see a beefed up presence in the persian gulf. the u.s. military wants to make sure it has that continuing presence here in the region. but as far as iraq goes, it was back in may of 2003 when pres