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Hagel to be Nominated as Defense Secretary; Al-Assad Defiant; Missoni Search On

Aired January 6, 2013 - 16:00   ET

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


MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: It is 4:00 p.m. in the east, 1:00 p.m. on the West Coast. I'm Martin Savidge, in for Fredricka Whitfield. Thank you very much for joining us. It is great to be with you. These are the top stories we are following right now in the "CNN Newsroom."

CNN has learned that President Obama will nominate Chuck Hagel to be Defense secretary tomorrow. The former senator from Nebraska is a Vietnam war hero and served on Capitol Hill for more than a decade but his confirmation process won't be smooth sailing.

Athena Jones is at the White House. And Athena, Hagel has angered some lawmakers, especially because of positions he has taken on Middle East issues. What has he done that could cause challenges, say, for him here?

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, he certainly has proven to be a controversial figure, even though he is a Republican. You think this would be a bipartisan choice that could maybe please both sides but let's listen to what the South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham had to say this morning on "State of the Union," touching on several of the problems he has with Hagel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), NORTH CAROLINA): Chuck Hagel, if confirmed to be secretary of defense, would be the most antagonistic secretary of defense towards the state of Israel in our nation's history. Not only has he said you should directly negotiate with Iran, sanctions won't work, that Israel must negotiate with Hamas, an organization, terrorist group that lobs thousands of rockets into Israel, he also was one of 12 senators who refused to sign a letter to the European Union trying to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: Some pretty tough words there. He has also angered the LGBT community with comments he made back in 1998 when he called into question a nominee for the ambassador to Luxembourg. He called into question his fitness because he was gay. He has recently apologized for those remarks but you know, Senator Graham said he would be very inclined not to support Hagel.

On the democratic side, Illinois Senator Dick Durbin did speak more positively about Hagel this morning on "State of the Union." Let's listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DICK DURBIN (D), ILLINOIS: Chuck Hagel was a Republican senator from Nebraska, a decorated veteran of the Vietnam war, a person who has a resume that includes service on the foreign relations committee as well as the intelligence committee. Yes, he is a serious candidate, if the president chooses to name him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: And so a serious candidate but surely a candidate that is going to face a big fight. Martin?

SAVIDGE: Athena Jones at the White House. Thanks very much.

JONES: Thanks.

SAVIDGE: It has been two days now since his plane vanished and the fate of famed fashion designer Vittorio Missoni is still unknown. Missoni, his wife and four others boarded a small plane off a resort, off of Venezuela, that was on Friday but they never made it to their destination outside of Caracas. So far search crews have not spotted any signs of a crash. The Missoni fashion hose is known for its high-end label of knit wear but it also produces a more affordable clothing line for Target.

And now to Syria, where President Bashar al Assad made a rare speech and was in rare form today as he blasted the opposition and defiantly resisted international calls for him to step down. Here is CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): In a rare public speech on Sunday, Syria President Bashar al Assad remained defiant and entrenched, blaming a conspiracy for the turmoil in Syria and standing firm against global calls for him to step down. Al Assad also denied that his forces were behind the violence that brought so much misery to Syria these past 21 months and accused foreigners of helping to fuel terrorism on the ground there.

PRES. BASHAR AL ASSAD, SYRIA (through translator): This is, (INAUDIBLE) those who wanted to take revenge against the people, and to fragment Syria. Those are the enemies of the people. And the enemies of god. And the enemies of god will go to hell.

JAMJOOM: Al Assad's speech which was delivered in an opera hall in Damascus was punctuated by loud bursts of applause by the audience who at time chanted with our hearts, with our souls, we will sacrifice for you, Bashar. At the end of the speech, Al Assad offered a plan to end the crisis in Syria. A plan that includes a national dialogue as well as the drawing of a new constitution that would be put up for a public referendum. There's one major caveat to the plan. Al Assad said he will not deal with terrorists. In other words, the vast majority of the opposition. Al Assad also vowed that his military will continue their fight against terrorism in Syria.

AL ASSAD (through translator): We will not stand down in combating terrorism. Quite to the contrary every time we are strong in fighting terrorism, we will continue with the political solution for Syria.

JAMJOOM: The opposition, for its part, said they will not work with anyone from Al Assad's "criminal government" and said they would not accept any plan that doesn't involve Al Assad's departure. CNN spoke with George Sabra, with the opposition Syrian National Coalition who told CNN, he repeated the same words and same concepts from the past two years of Syrian revolution. Unfortunately, he didn't tell the truth about what happened in Syria. "Who bombed the bakeries? Who bombed the petrol stations? He said that his government can deal with the political solution in Syria. If this kind of government can deal with a political solution, why did he wait for two years to announce his solution?"

Opposition activists reported that violence continued during Al Assad's speech, that shells hit several neighborhoods in Damascus and that it was a particularly bloody day yet again in Syria. This was the first time that Al Assad spoke in six months in that time, tens of thousands of more Syrians have been killed as a result of the conflict there.

Mohammad Jamjoom, CNN, Beirut.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAVIDGE: Egypt, meanwhile, is weighing in on that war in Syria. Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi said his country will always support the Syrian people. Wolf Blitzer, anchor of "The Situation Room," has the exclusive details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We are getting immediate reaction to the latest speech from the Syrian president, Bashar al Assad, from the highest levels of the Egyptian government. We are here at the presidential palace in Cairo. I just sat down for a lengthy interview with the Egyptian president, Mohammed Morsy. He has no love lost for the Syrian president, Bashar al Assad. He wants Bashar al Assad to go and go right away.

Listen to this change that I had with President Morsi.

So you want Bashar al Assad to leave to give up power? I guess, one amendment to that - do you believe he should be tried by the International Criminal Court for war crimes?

PRES. MOHAMED MORSY, EGYPT (through translator): It is not I who want this but the Syrian people who want this. This phase is the phase of the people, similar to what the Egyptian people wanted, the Syrian people wanted. And we support the Syrian people. And they are going to win and they have the will to win.

BLITZER: So you say the Syrian people want Bashar al Assad to be tried for war crimes?

MORSY (through translator): The Syrian people, through their revolution, and through the movement will, when the bloodshed stops, move to a new stage where they will have an independent parliament and the government of their choosing. And then they will decide what they want to do against those who committed crimes against them. It is the Syrian people who decide.

BLITZER: It's clear that President Morsy feels that time is running out for the Syrian leader, that the Syrian leader can either do it the easy way or the hard way but he wants him gone. He wants him gone right away. He says that's what the Syrian people want, the Syrian people deserve, and he wants to make sure that that happens.

Wolf Blitzer, CNN, Cairo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAVIDGE: And you can see Wolf Blitzer's full interview with Mohammed Morsy in "The Situation Room" this week.

A tense situation today along the border with Pakistan and India. At least one Pakistani soldier has died in the violence that flared up in the Kashmir region. There are conflicting reports of the incident, with both sides blaming the other. I spoke to our producer in Pakistan earlier. She reports that Pakistan is saying that Indian troops crossed into Pakistani territory.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHAAN KHAN, PRODUCER: As far as the Pakistani military is concerned, they have reacted in the sense that they have obviously made this public, apparently according to a Pakistani military official, the two countries have hot lines set up between them that includes the military as well as the diplomatic office and those conversations are expected to happen in the coming days.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: The Indian defense ministry says Pakistani troops opened fire first on the Indian posts in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir.

Still to come, we expect to learn a lot more this week about last summer's mass shooting inside of the movie near the Colorado.

And then later, my conversation with one of Notre Dame football's most famous underdogs.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAVIDGE: We know more about the standoff yesterday at a home in Aurora, Colorado, two women, two men, including the alleged gunman, died in that incident. Police said that a woman who escaped from that house told them that she had seen three bodies inside. Authorities also tried to subdue the suspect with tear gas. Ultimately, he died in a shootout with police.

Aurora, of course is where James Holmes is said to have opened fire last summer in a movie theater, killing 12 people.

Speaking of Holmes, he is due in court tomorrow for a hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence to try him for more than 150 crimes in that theater massacre. Our Casey Wian has a look what we can learn from the proceedings.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Aurora, Colorado, just after midnight, July 20th, 2012.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 315 and 314, first shooting at Century theaters. 14 300 East Alameda Avenue. They're saying somebody's shooting in the auditorium.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He came down with his gun in my face. He was about three feet away from me at that point. In that instant, I honestly didn't know what to do. I was terrified.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We rescue inside the auditorium multiple victims.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The guy is standing right by the exit just firing away. He's not aiming at a specific person. He's just aiming everywhere, trying to hit as many people as he can.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've got a child victim. I need rescue at the back door of theater nine. Now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was just thinking we've got to get out, just got to get out the doors. And if I just fall dead, just get my kids out of here. It was just so horrible.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The suspect is going to be a male, unknown race, black camo outside outfit, believed to be wearing a vest, gas mask and multiple long guns.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have a right to remain silent.

WIAN: That suspect, 25-year-old James Holmes, is charged with killing 12 people and wounding dozens more. Prosecutors are expected to call scores of witnesses before Arapahoe County district judge William Sylvester. He'll determine whether the evidence is sufficient for Holmes to stand trial on more than 150 counts, including murder, attempted murder and weapons charges.

The weapons included explosives allegedly used to booby trap Holmes' apartment. His attorneys are expected to present a diminished mental capacity defense.

RICK KORNFELD, FORMER PROSECUTOR: The government has been absolutely say that. The government is going to say this guy wasn't crazy, he was crazy like a fox. He was conniving, he was premeditated. He was methodical. And that all may be true, but at the same time, you can be all those things, but you can also have a mental disease or defect.

WIAN: He had been seeing a psychiatrist at the University of Colorado where he was a doctoral candidate in neuroscience until dropping out in June. His attorneys says he was hospitalized in November after repeatedly banging his head into a jail wall.

(on camera): The preliminary hearing is expected to last several days. The judge has issued a sweeping gag order, so this may be the first time that the public hears much of the evidence against Holmes.

Casey Wian, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAVIDGE: As we mentioned earlier, CNN has learned that tomorrow, President Obama will announce the nomination of Chuck Hagel to be defense secretary. The former senator from Nebraska is a war hero from Vietnam and he served on the hill more than a decade, but it's not going to be necessarily easy.

CNN's senior political analyst Ron Brownstein is with me. Let's go back to what could be perhaps - by the way, nice to see you, but what could be the main roadblock for Chuck Hagel?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, you know, Chuck Hagel has been an iconoclast on foreign policy, certainly within the Republican Party. He has said things about Israel and about Iran that are going to face criticism from Republicans. And look, you know there is no diminution of the overall partisan warfare, as we have seen, since the election. The president already has had his probably initial choice of secretary of state Hillary Clinton, Susan rice, by all indication, withdraw amid intense opposition from Republicans. There's a little bit of blood in the water. In some ways, the fact that she withdrew I think made it more likely that he was going to stick with Hagel in the face of the criticism. But I think all of the indications today on the talk shows are that you can expect a tough fight. On the other hand, he's former senator and there are very few examples of the former senators being denied ascension to the cabinet by the club.

SAVIDGE: Do you think he is going to make it through the process?

BROWNSTEIN: If i had to bet, I would say in the end, yes. I was thinking, you know, John Tower, as a former senator, was appointed by - selected by George . W. Bush as secretary of defense and was defeated, denied the confirmation amid charges about personal behavior. Chuck Hagel is someone who has had a very distinguished career. He is an iconoclastic thinker. He said things that I think put him in conflict particularly with the neoconservative side of the Republican Party. He was a critic of the war in Iraq. I think it's going to be rocky but in the end, I think the former senator usually do get through.

SAVIDGE: Let me - let's turn now to the fiscal cliff and the fallout from that whole big deal. Do you believe that this shows that the two parties can work together when put under the gun or did it really just sort of accentuate the flaws of the kind of a fractured political system or how fractured it had has become?

BROWNSTEIN: Yes, I think it really is the latter. I mean it shows how much difficulty we are having dealing with problems that even when everyone kind of acknowledge there is a problem. There's no question the $1 trillion a year deficit stretching out to the horizon are, you know, is a tremendous challenge for the country. And this was a moment when much more could have been accomplished. Instead, we ended up confirming permanently 82 percent of the tax cuts passed under George W. Bush. And it's hard to see how that is really affordable in the long term, given the kind of fiscal pressures we face not only immediately but with a number of seniors expected to double in the next 30 years and all the pressure that creates on social security, and Medicare, Medicaid.

So if there was ever a moment, the expiration of these tax cuts was the moment that provided leverage for a bigger deal. We didn't take it. We kind of took the path of least resistance, produced an outcome that was kind of unsatisfactory for both parties and I think unsatisfactory in the long run because it probably makes it tougher to get to a bigger deal down the road.

SAVIDGE: And that's exactly my next question. Did getting through that discussion, the fiscal cliff, sort of now make people more entrenched when it comes to the agreement that's got to be worked out regarding the debt ceiling? That's not that far off.

BROWNSTEIN: Right. You know, using the debt ceiling as the lever to try to force through a big deal is enormously problematic because of all the collateral damage that's associated with it. You're even beginning to hear a few Republican voices saying do we want to go through again what we did in 2011? I think the problem was the Bush tax cuts were the moment there was enormous, the expiration of the Bush tax cuts, was the a moment when there was enormous leverage to make a deal. And now I think it gets harder going forward.

Today, you had Mitch McConnell on "Meet the Press" at least half a dozen time saying taxes have now been resolved, even though we're only raising $600 billion the next decades, half the amount that the president, you know, said he believed he needed to get the deficit under control. And on the other side, with the tax issue off the table, it's not really clear what is the leverage that is going to allow the Republicans to force Democrats to deal with the entitlement side, unless you can believe they can do that through the debt ceiling. As we said that is a problematic lever.

So in an odd way, something very rare happened with this fiscal cliff deal. It reduced the leverage of either side, the Republicans or the Democrats to move forward, I think, on the side of the debt crisis, debt challenge that they think is necessary.

SAVIDGE: Yes, I agree. Ron Brownstein, as always, we appreciate the insight. Thanks.

BROWNSTEIN: Thank you.

SAVIDGE:: Well, when North Dame takes the field for tomorrow's BCS national championship, there will be one very famous former player in the crowd. I got a chance to talk with the man who inspired the movie, "Rudy."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAVIDGE: Danny "Rudy" Reuttiger. He became a household name after the release of the 1993 movie "Rudy," tells the story of a working- class kid's struggle to get into the University of Notre Dame and then to make the football team and then ultimately to make a little history. I had chance to speak to Rudy earlier about tomorrow's BCS championship between Notre Dame and Alabama and about his recent encounter with a very special family. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAVIDGE: Well, Rudy, North Dame hasn't played for a college football championship since 19898, so, to kind of quote an old phrase from back in the day "are you psyched"?

DANIEL "RUDY" REUTTIGER, INSPIRED THE MOVIE "RUDY": Let's put it this way, Notre Dame's ready. They're hungry. And I think every Notre Dame fan feels the same. They have been waiting a long time for this culture to come back. And it's exciting to see for college football.

I was at a fund-raiser for the state of Alabama yesterday for basically helping them raise money for their seafood. It's good to eat and was with a couple ex-Miami Dolphins, Eric Bowcamper, some of his teammate, ex-Alabama football players. And it's interesting to see how they embrace "Rudy," the message, too.

SAVIDGE: Well, I think it crosses many boundaries. It certainly crosses sports team alliances, but what's the atmosphere right now down in Miami?

RUETTIGER: It's very exciting. Everyone's excited. Everyone is anticipating the game. You can just feel it's growing, peaking right now.

SAVIDGE: You're going to be there I understand, right?

RUETTIGER: Mm-hmm. I'm going to be there with, Mercedes, they brought me in, premiere sporting - Premiere Sports Company brought me in.

SAVIDGE: Nice.

RUETTIGER: With Mercedes. So I get to meet a lot of fine people and a lot of great people.

SAVIDGE: Yes. And see some nice cars presumably.

RUETTIGER: Yes.

SAVIDGE: What do you think the Irish need to do to win tomorrow night? RUETTIGER: Edge. You know, keep that edge. The underdog edge. Like we belong here and just know that their defense is very profound this year, which is -- the saw the recruiting of Coach Kelly and even some of the recruiting of Coach Weiss coming to fruition. The kids bought into the defensive call and offensively, they are coming around and Alabama has a great offensive line and defense, too. So it's going to be a hard-fought game and I think it's going to come and hopefully, can (INAUDIBLE) Johnny football.

SAVIDGE: You going to make a prediction on the final score?

RUETTIGER: Well, again, I think it's going to come down to a field goal. That's my feeling.

SAVIDGE: I want to switch gears a little bit here, because I know that you've been in touch with the family of one of the first graders that was killed last month at Sandy Hook school.

RUETTIGER: Correct.

SAVIDGE: Grace McDonnell was a huge fan of yours. I'm wondering what does it mean to you that she found your story so amazing to her? She loved your story.

RUETTIGER: Well, you know, I talked to Jack, the son of Grace, his sister, who was killed and he was taking it pretty hard. And Lynn, when she was interviewed by Anderson Cooper and also the husband, I got inspired. I really got inspired by what they said. They wanted Jack to release all his anger and forgive. And so he can move on in his life. And he was very strong about that so I sent Jack a Rudy package, a helmet, a jersey, a football, and a book and some memorabilia of the carry-off.

I said "Jack, here's what we are going to do, my friend. I said you are going to come to a Notre Dame football game, next year. We are going to get you there, your mom, you, you're going to have that experience. He really got excited. I talked to Lynn, the mother, and boy, she was just as - as pure as you can get in forgiving and what a wonderful example she is for everyone, for the strength and the character and the husband was the same.

I mean, it was - for that the question - the answer to your question, I never thought in my wildest dreams that this movie would impact America like this, like it has.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAVIDGE: Ad what an impact it has made. Thanks again to Rudy Ruettiger.

The search for a plane that is carrying an Italian fashion mogul, Vittorio Missoni. The search is intensifying. We have new details about how officials are trying to locate the plane two days after it vanished.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) SAVIDGE: Welcome back it is 4:28 p.m. in the east and of course, 1:28 p.m. on the west coast. I'm Martin Savidge, in for Fredricka Whitfield. If you're just tuning in thanks for joining us.

Here are the top stories we are following right now in the "CNN Newsroom." Crews in Australia searching for dozens of people who are missing after wildfires engulfed southeast Tasmania. Rescue workers are going door to door trying to find people who have been missing since those fires broke out Friday. No casualties have been reported so far, but more than 100 homes have been destroyed by the flames.

The U.S. Coast Guard and Shell, they are trying to tow a grounded Alaska oil rig. Bad weather has prevented them from towing it to a safe air. The vessel ran aground about 200 miles south of Anchorage last week. Shell says the fuel tanks seem to be intact and there's no evidence of any sheen in the vicinity.

Boats, helicopters and dive teams, they are all searching for a missing plane with six people aboard. Among them, famed fashion designer Vittorio Missoni and his wife. Their small plane disappeared Friday after taking off from a resort off the Venezuelan coast. They were headed for Caracas. Rough seas are making the search effort more difficult. Earlier today, Randi Kaye asked editorial producer Nadia Bilchik for an update on the search and the impact the Missoni family has had on the fashion industry.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Tell me first about where this plane was headed, about the flight itself?

NADIA BILCHIK, CNN EDITORIAL PRODUCER: Well, we know that Vittorio Missoni, as you said one of the three heirs to the Missoni fashion empire, was with his wife, another couple, a pilot and co-pilot. They were in the island of Los Roque. They left there on Friday morning and 11:30 on Friday morning, only 10 miles after having left Los Roques, we know that the 71 year old Venezuelan-born pilot spoke to the mainland and that was the last we heard from the six of them.

KAYE: Just ten miles out.

BILCHIK: Just ten miles out. So they have disappeared somewhere off the Venezuelan coast.

KAYE: And from what we understand, he was actually heading back home to Italy right maybe to unveil a new line?

BILCHIK: That is right. They were going to the main airport in Caracas; they were going to Madrid and then Italy. The latest in the men's ware fashion which is in fact designed by his sister, Angela Missoni.

KAYE: So popular, I mean you see it every where. How did they get started, do you know?

BILCHIK: Well it started with their parents in the 1950s. You had Ottavio and Rosita Missoni started knit wear and from knit wear it really morphed into this major fashion empire and the Missoni's, Ottavio and Rosita have been credited with making Madrid one of the fashion families that have made Madrid one of the fashion hubs of the world.

KAYE: So he played pretty big role, Vittorio did?

BILCHIK: Vittorio has, just in terms of the expansion, the international expansion. So bear in mind he works with his brother, Luca, sister Angela and various grand daughters as well. But he was the person, for example, responsible for doing the deal with Target. So, I don't know if you'll remember --

KAYE: I remember seeing it there. Did it do well?

BILCHIK: Exceptionally well. So well that in 2011, when Target joined with Missoni, the website of Target crashed. You could not get onto their website to get your Missoni at a more affordable price, bringing fashion to the masses and people like me.

KAYE: Yes. So, but on a more serious note, they are out there, they are trying to get in touch with somebody --

BILCHIK: Absolutely. I mean the chances of actually finding a plane in this water, we hope that they find the black box so we at least know what happened, but you look at the parents and their smiling faces and you begin to wonder the grief, the uncertainty that they are going through and then what happens to the fashion empire, bearing in mind that you have Luca, you have Angela, you have the grand daughters and the parents are still very involved. Vittorio at 91 is involved and his wife Rosita still designs the house ware and this is a company that is now expanded into fragrance, apparel and even hotels.

KAYE: Well let's see what they find. Not going to give up hope yet. You never know.

SAVIDGE: That was Randi Kaye and Nadia Bilchek.

These stories are trending right now on the web. After a sixteen hour negotiating session NHL players could be back on the ice in a matter of days. The league and the players have a ten-year tentative agreement. It settles thirty issues like the salary cap and revenue sharing. Both sides still have to ratify the deal.

Former South African President Nelson Mandela is completely over his lung infection and gallstone surgery. He is getting stronger at home every day and he says he will soon get back to his daily schedule. Mandela spent 18 days in the hospital during much of December. He has a history of lung problems since suffering tuberculosis near the end of his 27-year prison term.

Brazilian officials say they have foiled a bizarre jailbreak plot. Officials say guards saw a suspicious-looking cat entering the prison it had a cell phone, drills, assorted batteries and two saws taped to its body. Nobody knows yet who the cat was supposed to be helping. It is going to take billions to rebuild the northeast after super storm Sandy, but sometimes, the smallest human touch means the most to those who lost everything.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAVIDGE: Juarez, Mexico, was once known as the world's deadliest city n 2010, the drug trade helped push the murder rate to more than eight a day. Since then those numbers have fallen dramatically. I want to bring in our own Nick Valencia. First off, Nick, let's put it in perspective what do we talk about now numbers wise?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are talking about a staggering drop in numbers. More than 100 percent drop in homicide rate. If you look at the numbers that were released recently by the attorney general's office there in Chihuahua, 750 homicides in 2012, Martin, when you compare that to just a year before, over 2,000 homicides. And it is even more staggering when you look at the height of the violence there in 2010 when it became, as you mentioned, the world's deadliest city, they had eight murders a day, 3,116 homicides.

SAVIDGE: All right. Well, I love the news. It's welcomed, certainly, but why? Why is it happening?

VALENCIA: It is two juxtaposed positions and it depends on who you talk to and who you want to believe. If you talk to local authorities, which I have, they tell us it is because of stronger police force, tougher policing, that there is team work between these civil society organizations and the local police. But if you talk to the more cynical every day resident in Juarez, they tell you that it's because the Sinaloa cartel, which was at war with the local Juarez cartel, that they won this bloody turf war and that is the reason that the homicide rate has fallen.

SAVIDGE: You've been down there you reported on the crime, the violence, and above all, daily life. I mean what is life like for many people in that town?

VALENCIA: Yes, I was there just in 2011. I spent some time there. And it paralyzed the every day life of citizens in Juarez. This -- it went to the very core, every minor detail of life, going to the grocery store, going out to eat, going to restaurants, even something as simple as talking to your neighbor, Martin. People were so scared because you don't know who was tapped by what cartel to get involved in this violence.

I know when I was there, a newsgathering, I was at a taco shop just across the street from the U.S. Consultant and I felt you know how can I talk to these residents if I don't know if the person I'm speaking to may or may not be involved in a cartel?

The fact of the matter is though this is a city now that has changed dramatically. People feel, however relative it is safe to go out on the streets, safe to go out to the night clubs, hundreds of businesses have reopened, three high schools reopened. New sports facilities. And now, people are going out in the streets. And this is not the Juarez that grabbed headlines with those eight murders a day.

SAVIDGE: No it is not. Very positive news. Thanks for bringing it to us, Nick.

VALENCIA: Thank you.

SAVIDGE: Let's talk politics and religion now. You probably heard that there are more women and minorities in the new congress. But it's also a religiously diverse congress; a new survey by the Pew Forum says the freshman class is more diverse than the congress it replaced. The survey points out only 48 percent of the new class identifies as protestant, that it is down from 58 percent the previous class. This session will also see its first Hindu, first Buddhist in the senate and the first member of either house to list their religion as none.

Well, for many, the devastation from super storm Sandy is still very much a part of their daily lives, ever since that storm hit, St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Bay Head, New Jersey, has been serving meals to hundreds of people every day. For those who homes have been damaged or destroyed, the comfort provided by that church, well how can you put it? It has been a real blessing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFED FEMALE: It is freezing out and they just had a couple water bottles and coffee set up. Then came in the next day they had a buffet of like penny vodka and baked ziti, it was, like, wow, it is really amazing. My mom started tearing up. I was like, this is -- this is amazing, that they actually opened this church up to everyone.

UNIDENTIFED FEMALE: Wasn't just having food and everything. And it was -- you know, having other people around you after the storm and realizing that you know, everyone is going through the same thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: Pastor Scott Bostwick knows the power of Sandy firsthand. He was displaced by his -- or from, rather, his own home by the storm. And Pastor, thanks very much for being with us, first of all. And you know this is a really big commitment. So, tell us what you're doing and how did it all come together?

PASTOR SCOTT BOSTWICK, ST. PAUL'S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: Well, it's great and thank you for the opportunity to be here. This is certainly -- this is part of the blessing, to be able to share the story of what had happened during the hurricane and for the survivors. And basically what had happened was the day after the hurricane, as soon as we were able to get back into the town, back into Bay Head, my wife, Karen and I drove into town, first to take a look at our house. And the first floor of the house had been washed out completely and we took a quick assessment of the damage there, but right after that, we needed to go around the corner and to check out the church and to see the condition of the facilities there.

And as we got around, I mean, it was just amazing because the water had literally come to within an inch of entering into the building. This had a very large crawl space underneath but no water entered the building. As soon as we got there, we knew that we had to do something, because people were walking around the streets and in the neighborhood. They were in shock. They were in disbelief. They weren't sure what to do next. And we were posting on face book different pictures and different things that had happened. And by that afternoon, a friend of my had got back to me on face book and called me and said, listen, Scott, I have a generator could you use that for anything? And I said, sure, bring it on up.

SAVIDGE: So, that's how it began?

BOSTWICK: Yes.

SAVIDGE: It certainly has continued. We have said it has brought so much comfort to so many people. How many members of the congregation are taking part?

BOSTWICK: Probably -- just a handful of the congregation. We've got about 200 members in the congregation and for the folks, especially in the beginning who could get into town, the area was secured by the National Guard and so we had a combination of persons from the congregation as well as persons from the community and people from the surrounding towns.

SAVIDGE: So, these were just strangers, people who felt that they needed and could offer a hand to help as well?

BOSTWICK: And it's amazing, because on -- I tell everyone, on any given day, I can walk through the church and meals are being served, people are cleaning tables and stocking things on the shelves and I would have no idea who any of them are. And yet everybody is chipping in.

SAVIDGE: Sorry, has this changed your church? Has it changed you, going through this?

BOSTWICK: Oh, it certainly has. The face of the church and our relationship with the community has certainly changed. We are now really a community center in the middle of Bay Head. We are a place where people from whatever church affiliation they may have had or no church affiliation, folks who are just looking for a place of sanctuary, a place of comfort would come and they would share the stories of what happened to them, their homes, find resources from FEMA or county agencies and really just find a place where they can sit and talk and to feel comfortable and safe.

SAVIDGE: Having been through many of these natural disasters, covering them, I realize how these community centers are so vital to people's mental well being. Let me ask you this congress has approved some aid for communities hit by Sandy and is considering more, maybe a lot more what are the biggest needs you see?

BOSTWICK: Some of the biggest needs I see in the community is perhaps more coordination of efforts to match folks who perhaps have fallen through the cracks. Some of the elderly or some of the folks who are trying to work on the homes themselves, match them with resources or volunteer groups that can come in and help them with either demolition or reconstruction.

Some of the supplies that we have been receiving through agencies such as the Red Cross or Encore, the United Methodist Community of Relief, or other areas are being passed through, but a lot of the island is still like a war zone. There are parts that are just opening up this week. There are parts where folks have not seen their homes. And there are places where folks just have no home to go back to. There's nothing there but sand where once stood their house and their home and everything they owned.

SAVIDGE: Mm-hmm.

BOSTWICK: At least this package -- I'm sorry.

SAVIDGE: No I was just going to say as a result of this, they have faith and they also have friends, clearly, as your congregation is providing them much-needed food and comfort at this time.

BOSTWICK: In deed. And folks are recognizing where perhaps they had not had faith and they are just kind of folks in the community, they realize that God is doing something and God has provided a safe place for them and the attendants at worship has increased by about 40 percent each week and folks who are helping at the church, it is just amazing. And just giving thanks for what they have and priorities are realigned. We are not so dependent upon things anymore but we know that it's people that really count and people that matter. And God has certainly blessed us in that way.

SAVIDGE: You're right. Makes a big change in your lives. Pastor Scott Bostwick, thank you very much, and your congregation and all those strangers who are helping so many others there.

BOSTWICK: Thank you.

SAVIDGE: Thank you.

You can see more stories about faith on our "Belief Blog" at CNN.com/belief.

OK. All you "Downton Abbey" lovers. It's almost time. The third season of the British period drama premiers tonight. What's going to happen this season? Stay right here.

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SAVIDGE: My 94-year-old mother, who I know is watching, by the way is just thrilled about tonight, because it is a new season of "Downton Abbey." For fans like myself, oh the drama. This is the third season of this TV drama. And this season there, is a new addition to the cast, much anticipated Shirley Maclaine. Joining me now, L.A. Bureau Chief of Buzzfeed, Richard Rushfield. He joins me from Los Angeles. I'm not sure you're all a twitter as I am, but it's going to be a big night. Be sure to explain to people who may not know just how big a phenomenon this has been for PBS.

RICHARD RUSHFIELD, L.A. BUREAU CHIEF, BUZZFEED: Well, this is the biggest show, I think in PBS history. Never seen anything like this, particularly a dramatic show that has gone this wide and attracted audiences that traditional networks dream of.

SAVIDGE: In fact, there had been -- I believe there is a spin off coming to the traditional networks as a result of this, right?

RUSHFIELD: Yes, Julian Fellows, who made "Downton Abbey", is now doing one for NBC here. It's a success in Hollywood it is off imitated, so I expect to see a lot of Downton rib offs and a lot of trips back to the Victorian England here.

SAVIDGE: Of course a lot of fans tonight are wondering what is season three going to bring and how is it going to change? And I'm wondering do we have any clues? Do we know?

RUSHFIELD: We do. Not to give too much away, but the criticism of Downton and previous seasons, particularly last season, people thought that it got very soapy, with a lot of sort of mysterious visitors coming in with their faces burned off and murder mysteries and all this. And this season, we are going to get -- it's going to be much more about the family. They are going take Downton back to basics, back to the Abbey and the family is going to be on some tough times. And the -- whether -- whether the family stays in "Downton Abbey" will be very much on the line this season.

SAVIDGE: You know this is a British drama and of course it has captivated not only British audiences but Americans seem to love it perhaps even more so. Why do you think it is so popular here?

RUSHFIELD: It absolutely is this have your cake -- have your tea cake and eat it too show for American audience is completely a soap opera premise. It's these plot lines with the murder mysteries and all this that would be right at home in "General Hospital" but dressed up these prestigious British actors and the period costume and the setting and just -- it makes you feel like you're doing something very educational while you're watching what is, in fact, a soap opera.

SAVIDGE: Masterpiece classic is I believe the program that runs this and they never had ratings like they had seen, especially the end of last season. Do you think it's still going to be a gold mine this year?

RUSHFIELD: I think there's a huge amount of interest for it. People are so looking forward to this new season and I think they are going to get back to basics in a way that will please the core audience a lot that maybe alienated them a bit last season. I think it's going to do very well for PBS.

SAVIDGE: All right. He is the chief of Buzzfeed, that's Richard Rushfield and he is joining me to talk about one of the shows I really love to watch, "Downton Abbey," which premiers tonight. Thanks very much.

RUSHFIELD: Thanks for having me.

SAVIDGE: All right. The fiscal cliff, a deal is done. We never hit the so-called dairy cliff, that's a good thing, but dairy products are still about to cost a lot more, as are a lot of other goods. We have some ways to help you save money, coming up.

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SAVIDGE: Just what you don't want to hear, a lot of the things that we buy every day are suddenly about to cost a lot more. Prices are jumping this year on all sorts of basics. Our Josh Levs is here to break it down for us and leave us broke apparently. Hello, Josh.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well. Hey there, look Martin. We will have some bad news but then there is going to be good news as well, I promise. We will balance it out here. The first thing that we all need to know, there has been a lot of talk about the dairy cliff not happening. The fact is nevertheless, prices on a lot of the goods that we buy all the time are going up in 2013, you should know this in advance so you don't get caught off guard when you go shopping.

Let's take a look at some of the basics here. Starting with meat products, in general, we are expecting all meat products, as a rule to go up 3 to 4 percent. This is a result, largely, of the drought that's been going on in America. Keep in mind it has affected the corn supply. Corn is a major product used to feed cattle. A lot of farmers have cut back on the number of cattle they have, that creates a crunch in the end, the long and short of it you see meat prices going up.

We are also seeing dairy product prices go up this year, expect them to go up about 4.5 percent, it is not like milk doubling, which is what could have happened in the so-called dairy cliff, the expiration of a farm bill that was avoided. But we are still looking at prices going up again, for a similar reason there, what's going on with agriculture in America. A couple more to piece through here, shipping prices are going up, this is whether you deal with the postal service, FedEx or UPS. Look at prices between 4 and 5 percent. That's them offsetting some of their costs as well.

Public transit in a lot of cities is going up as well. Again cities offsetting some of their costs. And take a look at this one health care premiums; you know the cost of health care in America are a major issue in this country. There's a study by Ann Hewitt that found that health care premiums in America in general are going up about 6.3 percent across this year. Time to jump in one more, planning to buy a new car this year, expect the prices to jump a little bit more than they have in some other years, including more than $1,000 for some models out there.

Now, here's what I want to you know. I have a link for you, up on my page, face book and twitter, that traces you through a lot of these products that are going to cost more and next hour, I'm going to be here with the opposite. I'm going to show you new technologies, including new apps and some other things you are not familiar with that will help you save money this year. So for those of how have the goal in 2013 of saving money, despite all this, we can seriously help.

Martin, I promise I will be back with that.

SAVIDGE: We will hold you to it. Josh Levs thanks very much.

LEVS: You got it.

SAVIDGE: Facing freezing temperatures and deadly bombs, Syrian refugees, many of them children are struggling to survive the coming months and they are looking to Turkey for help.

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