a celebrity like rodman. i've seen this over and over again. we had mohammad ali going and doing diplomacy. >> reporter: the agency will likely want to ask rodman questions after his visit about conditions there. conditions now prompting serious questions about the kim family dynamic. why did kim jung-un have his uncle, a former mentor, executed? it was for treason, but the plot may be thicker. >> here is a guy who knows where all the bodies are buried. he knows everything about relationships in this system and at the end of the day, that may be why he was shot. >> reporter: a kind of palace intrigue consistent in this clan. >> the violence within the kim family compared and the oldest brother to the current leader kim jung-un lives and is protected by the chinese from assassination. because he has openly told secrets that critical of the regime and his family. >> reporter: there was another sibling who kim jung-un leap frogged to take power. presumably seen here. analysts say their father kim jung-in found h

he wouldn't see us but he has a relationship with rodman. we shouldn't expect any nuclear negotiations between rodman and kim jong-un, any bilateral negotiations, but possibly he might do a favor to his friend by turning over kenneth bay and that would make the visit worthwhile. >> do you think that the administration or officials, whether we know it or not, might have had a bit of a word with him and given him a bit of an idea of what might be helpful? and even if they did or did not, it's embarrassing to have the worm, our de facto diplomat on the spot, do you think? >> well, i don't know whether the administration has talked to rodman. ilde surprised if they offered a briefing so that he knows what he's up against. the danger is that rodman might be used for public relations purposes on behalf of the new, young lead who are seems to be challenged internally. he's in charge but he's obviously got some domestic problems with some of the leadership in north korea that maybe see a power vacuum. but i do think that sports diplomacy, you know,

rodman? >> mr. rodman, if you're watching, please do think about this american citizen, a father, a husband, a son and a brother who has been imprisoned for 13 months in the dprk. and while you're there, could you think about him and his family waiting for him to come home for christmas and do everything you can to bring him home. >> terri chung, thank you for being with us. we'll be praying. >> thank you for having me. >> we'll be right back. the shelves. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle... and go. you can even take a full-size or above, and still pay the mid-size price. (natalie) ooooh, i like your style. (vo) so do we, business pro. so do we. go national. go like a pro. so you can see like right here i can just... you know, check my policy here, add a car, ah speak to customer service, check on a claim...you know, all with the ah, tap of my geico app. oh, that's so cool. well, i would disagree with you but, ah, that would make me a liar. no

rodman took advantage of it. there were several competing efforts to try to get nba representatives to north korea. rodman was the one who took advantage of it. in the coming weeks, we are and ato see another visit game involving other former nba players that is going to be held on january 8, kim jong-un's earth day. .- birthday there will be expanded interaction. it will depend on the eye of the beholder whether that game and spectacle will be one to help us -- help enhance the standing -- enhance the standing of kim jong-un. host: we go to california, the independent line, good morning. caller: thanks for taking my call. my question is regarding north korea and what their role is in -- do those islands or japan have the ability to shoot down an icbm? interestingis an set of questions. north korea has not figured in the island dispute between china -- china and japan. the u.s. got involved with vietnam and it is possible to imagine north korea might try to find ways to take advantage of the existence of other di

but we know that rodman is in north korea for four days. he's there to train these players to prepare for an exhibition match next month which will celebrate the birthday of north korean leader kim jong-un we know is a very good friend of dennis rodman. rodman will be returning to pyongyang in two weeks time for that match and he will also be bringing a team of american former nba stars. those names yet to be announced. it comes at a very interesting time. political upheral in north korea following last week's execution of kim jong-un's uncle. rodman says he is not interested in the political issues. he is not interested in raising, you know, human rights. he is merely there to play basketball and catch up with his friend, john. >> obviously, the united states has to be keenly independence as to what is happening inside north korea in the wake of this high profile execution last week and with security concerns all around that peninsula. the question is how closely is the united states government monitoring dennis rodman's trip? >> reporter:

a documentary crew is with rodman, of course, to capture it all which is weird, because rodman usually doesn't like attention. even though he's on a mission of basketball diplomacy, don't expect him to be giving kim jong-un any political advice while he's there, he says. >> it has nothing to do with me. nothing to do with me. i mean, i have no control over that. these things have been going on for years and years and years. i'm just going over to enjoy a basketball game and have some fun. >> just going over to play some basketball and have some fun. nothing says fun like hanging out with a dictator who just executed his uncle and former mentor, but snark aside, the big question, can rodman actually serve a purpose to the united states while in north korea? i want to bring in christopher hill, a former ambassador and assistant secretary of state, also the lead u.s. delegate during the six party talks with north korea from 2005 to 2009. mr. ambassador, good to see you again. even though the state department is not involved and rodman is not officially representing the u.s., does this tri

. >>> dennis rodman, he loves north korea so much, he's going back. what his big trip means for the u.s., coming up. >>> next, a rich teen gets off after killing four people while driving drunk. his lawyer says he's a victim of his own privileged upbringing. our legal team takes on this controversial case. that will be right after this. ♪ ♪ i wanna spread a little love this year ♪ ♪ i wanna spread a little love and cheer ♪ [ male announcer ] this december, remember -- true artistry is measured by a passion for bold design and advanced technology at the lexus december to remember sales event, with some of our best offers of the year on our most luxurious models. this is the pursuit of perfection. bob will retire when he's 153, which would be fine if bob were a vampire. but he's not. ♪ he's an architect with two kids and a mortgage. luckily, he found someone who gave him a fresh perspective on his portfolio. and with some planning and effort, hopefully bob can retire at a more appropriate age. it's not rocket science. it's just common sense.

>> well, dennis rodman is dennis rodman. you never know, you know, where he's coming from any way. so you know, for my own personal belief, trying to use sharing myself as a whole person. i'm a gay man living with hiv. i happen to be an olympian. the one thing that really concerns me about the whole sochi thing is that the ioc is totally ignoring principle six which is anti-discrimination. and that's very, very disturbing. and the thing that i'm concerned about is the children. there are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender children born in russia every day. who is protecting those children? i feel all children need to be protected and nurtured. i'm an athlete. i'm not a world leader and i'm not going to pretend to be. i'm not always up on what's happening in the world. so i just go about my business of living and you know, i take my medicine in the morning and the evening which reminds me that i have hiv. but most of my life is devoted to the part of living. >> john, this is now dennis rodman's third trip. is the u.s. getting anything out of this? >> there's certainly no sign of

>> well, dennis rodman is dennis rodman. you never know, you know, where he's coming from any way. so you know, for my own personal belief, trying to use sharing myself as a whole person. i'm a gay man living with hiv. i happen to be an olympian. the one thing that really concerns me about the whole sochi thing is that the ioc is totally ignoring principle six which is anti-discrimination. and that's very, very disturbing. and the thing that i'm concerned about is the children. there are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender children born in russia every day. who is protect go those children? i feel all children need to be protected and nurtured. i'm an athlete. i'm not a world leader and i'm not going to pretend to be. i'm not always up on what's happening in the world. so i just go about my business of living and you know, i take my medicine in the morning and the evening which reminds me that i have hiv. but most of my life is devoted to the part of living. >> john, this is now dennis rodman's third trip. is the u.s. getting anything out of this? >> there's certainly no sign of

. >> reporter: courtside in pyongyang, dennis rodman is calling the shots. a lot is wristing on these two shoulders. he is putting together a team of north koreans to represent their children against a team of nba veterans on january 8th. they lined up to celebrate the birthday kim jong-un. a man dennis rodman calls him a friend. >> a lot of people give me a hard time saying he is my tprepd. i am proud to say he is my friend. >> he is probably aware of his colored past, but the reality tv, and publicity stunts, and rodman knows all about kim. >> i got nothing to do with that. nothing to do with that. >> reporter: but it's troubling others rodman is having a hard time convincing some of the veterans to make the journey. >> it's all love, man. it's all love man, here, and this country is cool. >> reporter: cool, is also describing the relations tween the u.s. and north korea's relationship. >> i don't think anybody is putting any faith in rodman's ability to achieve any breakthroughs. >> reporter: is it just basketball, but the stakes are high. >>> next at 6:0

and take a listen to her personal appeal to dennis rodman. >> mr. rodman, if you're watching, please do think about this american citizen. a father, a husband, a son, and a brother who has been in prison for 13 months in the dprk. while you're there, could you think about him and his family waiting for him to come home for christmas and do everything you can to bring him home? >> reporter: rodman said it wouldn't be entirely appropriate for him to mix politics with his friendship with kim jong-un. it is worth noting, though, john he has traveled to north korea accompanied by a documentary film crew and it's a trip that is being sponsored by an irish online gambling company. john? >> ivan watson, thanks so much. >>> people have fun with this issue but lives at stake here. thanks, ivan. >> and politics involved for everyone who has got their hands in it. >>> more details inside what happened inside a doctor's office when a man with a gun opened fire and killing a doctor and killing another doctor and a patient before turning the gun on himself. they s

that's the quote from dennis rodman. joining us now the georgetown university professor victor cha, a have advisor during the bush administration. he's also the chair, has a korea chair at the center for strategic and international studies. thanks very much. the book "the impossible state north korea past and future." what do you think of this dennis rodman training north korean basketball players for some sort of exhibition bush administration match against former nba players? >> it is a spectacle for sure. i think in a sense that's what rodman wants but also what the north korean regime wants. they want to portray a sense of business as usual even though there's a lot of internal turmoil. >> this helps kim jong-un domestically and maybe some places internationally. >> i think so. i mean, he doesn't get any more western media coverage than when dennis rodman goes to north korea. if he just gave a speech, he wouldn't get the same level of media coverage in the west as he has with this dennis rodman. >> it would be amazin

and rodman should concentrate on doing that. i don't think rodman takes my advice very well, but that would be a big clue, to bring kenneth bay back. he's been there a year. he's in bad physical condition. his family is suffering. he should come home, and if rodman can pull it off, that is great. but rodman is not sohown signs f being interested in kenneth bay. i hope that changes. >> i think he did issue a statement early on, urging the north koreans to release kenneth bay. let's see what he does on the ground. we know he has a good relationship with kim jong-un, the new leader, two years in power. if he can bring home kenneth bay, that would be excellent work for dennis rodman. he would be praised if he were to do so. if you're watching, dennis, make the effort, bring kenneth home. governor, thanks very much. >> thank you very much, wolf. >> poets and presidents are among those remembering nelson mandela. among them, maya angelou. she shares her thoughts and memories when we come back. didn't come with a warning. today her doc

official, but listens to dennis rodman. if it starts a line of communication between north korea and the united states that is a good start. dennis rodman loves the spotlight and is getting paid by patty powers, an online belting company. >> this just in, the senate approved a sweeping defense bill. it passed a bill addressing sexuality all the in the military. it would block commanders from overturning court-martial decisions. the bill goes to president obama for his sit. >> next up going green with mushrooms. they could become the steyro foam of the future. say cheese, a look at some of the world's best photographs. clsz >> the united states makes nearly 2 billion pounds of poly-steyr een package, new york city council planned to ban plastic foam food containers. the real solution could be growing under our feet. >> every cubic inch of the soil is teaming with millions of inches of my psyllium. >> a walk through the foods of green island is a pleasure. when you are with gavin mcintyre and evan bare, you are sure to stumbl

dennis rodman notoriously eccentric when he was a player, since then. this bond that he's forged with the young north korean leader kim jong-un. >> i will preface this by saying i certainly am not in the mind of dennis rodman, and that's probably a good thing, but he's gone on record, he does like attention, he is certainly getting a lot of attention for this. also it wasn't that long ago that a ex-wife of him had him in court saying he owed her $800,000 in back child support payments, so the question has come up, how much money is he being paid to go over to north korea. dennis, of course, won't talk about that or how much of a facto that money is, not question the politics, but there are a lot of people who say that his line of reasoning, that he's just using sport as a way to find common ground between the west and a country that otherwise doesn't have any ground to -- well a lot of people think that's faulty reasoning. >> how does the nba, the professional community reacting to the push to play basketball with other nba stars. >> i'm talked to a few

but rodman says this trip isn't political. although on previous visits he has made himself available for basketball diplomacy, offering to be a mediator between his close friend kim and u.s. president barack obama. >> this guy wants to do one thing, let's have a conversation with you. that's it. so why obama are you afraid to talk to dennis rodman. >> anna coren, cnn, seoul. >>> so many folks are questioning whether or not something good could actually come of his visit to pyongyang. the only person born in the north korean labor camp to have escaped to the west has now written an open letter to rod man. the former -- he asked the former basketball player tore use his influence to make him hear the cries of his people. >> shin writes about people being starved, beaten and public ily executed in labor camps. he says he grew up watching executions including the hanging of his own mother. this open letter is published in the "washington post." >> here's a quote. it says "i cannot presume to tell you to cancel your trip to north k

dennis rodman has made no comment, nor has the manager. but will that exhibition game go on on the 8th of january to celebrate the birthday of kim jong-un? we just do not know. >> thank you very much. it is always fascinating to read the tea leaves in such a closed society. >>> turning to our politics lead, it is quiet here in washington, very quiet, with both the house and the senate gone for the holiday break. though they left on somewhat of a high note, passing a defense bill, a two year budget, confirming some of the president's nominees, they left a lot on the table. immigration reform, raising the debt ceiling and a farm bill to name a few. before he left town, i sat down with the number two republican in the house, eric cantor to talk about what you may call the dysfunctional congress of 2013 and whether 2014 will be any different. it is your responsibility to make the schedule on the house floor and you probably know that by most accounts, this has so far been the most unproductive congress in like 40 years. you bear some responsib

what do the south make of rodman's antics, his trips to the north? >> on the first part of your question, rodman is yet to announce a team that will be competing against the north koreans. he is putting together a bunch of american former nba stars and we are hearing reports that he hasn't been able to lock in all of those players because they are concerned about that political instability. as for what people here in south korea feel, it's a bit of a circus. you have to remember that north korea is one of the most oppressi oppressi oppressi oppressi oppressi oppressi oppressive regimes in the world. we are learning it wasn't over a power struggle which is what some analysts had been saying at the time of the execution but the actual fact it was a conflict of interest. some business deal gone wrong, the details are rather vague at this stage but that is what we are hearing. the situation is serious. dennis rodman comes in and draws attention what is happening in that country. as far as rodman is concerned, he there so play basketball and not intereste

i'm sure dennis rodman doesn't want to do anything to jeopardize the relationship. rodman loves the attention, he loves the headlines, the world at the moment is watching hisser move. i have no doubt that the north korean state broadcaster will be putting out pictures of rodman doing everything and anything during his trip. so i'm sure that rodman doesn't want to necessarily jeopardize the close relationship that he has formed so far. >> anna coren, thanks so much. >>> still to come in "the newsroom," usually when airlines tell passengers no people get upset but delta says its latest move is exactly what flyers want. chris lawrence is live. >> reporter: hey, carol. the government is considering lifting this ban on using your phone, making calls in the air, but you may be surprised what some of the airlines think about it, and just how ris rdisruptiv would it be? oke? no, i'm good. ♪ [ male announcer ] every time you say no to a cigarette, you celebrate a little win. nicorette mini delivers fast craving relief in just 3 minutes. double your chances of quitting with

rodman is speaking out. what does he plan to do inside. >>> and obama's brother, he talks about his famous half-sibling and abusive father. he loves the president, because why did she call him, and i'm quoting him now, a lousy brother? >>> welcome to our viewers around the united states and the world. you're in "the situation room." more than 700 people were watching the play when parts of the ceiling came crashing down. according to the london fire brigade. dozens of people are injured, some of them seriously. officials updated us just a few moments ago. >> there has been a collapse of heavy plaster from what appears to be the roof of the auditorium. that's fall undown to the upper circle, the dress circle, and consequently we have a large number of casualty, many of whom are walking wounded, and are currently being treated. what are you see there, nic? what's the latest? >> reporter: wolf, let me try to get you the latest details. i'm talking with nick harding, the press officer for the london fire service

rodman said he is not interested. and despite a plea, he said he has no plans to discuss the detained american with kim jong-un. now more on the controversial company paying for the trip. >>> with his rocky image and bizarre behavior, dennis rodman might be the last person most advertisers want representing their brands. >> this is ground breaking things and petty power is the main source of doing this. >> reporter: but the former nba player has a big backer in a company called patty power. an irish online betting company dos some betting of its own by sponsoring his trips to north korea and an exhibition basketball game there next month. >> for paddy power, this is hugely exciting. it is going to be a great event. it is potentially an historic occasion. >> also, for the company to face sharp criticism from human rights activists. they and others question why any company would want to be associate with north korea's leader, kim jong-un who just had his uncle executed and has refused to release american kenneth bay. we

dennis rodman is calling the shots. assembling a basketball team of north korean national hitting against nba veterans next month. >> dennis is my friend. i'm proud to say he's my friend. >> more experts says the state department is monitoring rodman's visit. >>> love is in the air. high above union square. the art project that's adding a holiday twist to the drone and it involves kissing. ♪ >> the hi-tech combo over union square is delivering love. this holiday season san francisco artist decked out a drone with some mistletoe, there it is. they flew it over unsuspecting couples. reminding them to observe the holiday smooching tradition. the artist told the website that they wanted to change the scary ominous reputation of drones and it looks like it's working. they uploaded the video on tuesday. it has more than 60,000 hits so far. anthony slaughter told me during the break he's heading to union break immediately after this newscast. what's going on >> lies, lies, i tell you. we're looking at some very warm conditio

. >>> and will dennis rodman ask kim jong-un about executing his uncle. the million dollar picasso for 140 bucks. penguins parading for the holidays. thursday december 19th. "early today" starts right now. >>> good morning. i'm richard lui. we begin with a black friday security breach at target during the height of holiday shopping. about 40 million credit and debt card accounts may have been impacted in this. the statement this morning, target saying, quote, we take this matter very seriously and are working with law enforcement to bring those responsible to justice. end quote. now the secret service has confirmed the agency is investigating. investigators believe the data was stolen through software on store machines used to swipe debit and credit cards as early as november 27th and recently as december 15th. american express says it put fraud controls in place. visa and mastercard have declined to comment. >>> the star of "duck dynasty" is suspended indefinitely from his show. this after phil robertson made anti-gay remarks in jan's "gq" magazine. the

maybe rodman will get him out. if rodman has an iq, that would be something he could do that would gin up some sympathy for rodman. in the meantime, probably both get tattoos, him and kim, and they'll have a good time. all right, gentlemen. thank you. we have heard plenty from the atheists about christmas but not from the christians. tonight that will change. and what happens when you make big money and why is speaker of the house john boehner so tan? the house john boehner so tan? miller may [ male announcer ] it's simple physics... a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. us, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving i

maybe rodman will get him out. if rodman has an iq, that would be something he could do that would gin up some sympathy for rodman. in the meantime, probably both get tattoos, him and kim, and they'll have a good time. all right, gentlemen. thank you. we have heard plenty from the atheists about christmas but not from the christians. tonight that will change. and what happens when you make big money and why is speaker of the house john boehner so tan? miller may know the reason. stay tuned for those reports. ea. know the feeling? copd includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. spiriva is a once-daily inhaled copd maintenance treatment that helps open my obstructed airways for a full 24 hours. spiriva helps me breathe easier. spiriva handihaler tiotropium bromide inhalation powder does not replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms. tell your doctor if you have kidney problems, glaucoma, trouble urinating, or an enlarged prostate. these may worsen with spiriva. discuss all medicines you take, even eye drops. s

rodman talked about peace, and he said i'm not a diplomat. he has not been pressing his buddy to free this american kenneth bay. convicted of hostile acts against north korea. this is a video of him back in october. we spoke with his sister this morning. >> i would certainly hope and plead with mr. rodman to reconsider and say, you know, while you're there, you know, make the case. and you know, let this american citizen who has been detained for 13 months, longest of any other american in recent history, to come home to his wife and his three children. >> gordon, if you were dennis rodman, again, this guy is no diplomat, but how hard would you press him on freedom of kenneth bay? >> well, if i were dennis rodman, i would press really, really hard. you know, rodman did send out that twitter message saying do me a solid, kim jong-un, let kenneth bay go. but he won't do that. as a matter of fact, he said he won't do that because he said it's not his business. he said he's going over there purely for basketball diplomacy and he's not going to ra

rodman will be in pyongyang for four days training the team. he'll then be returning in two weeks with 12 american basketball players for the exhibition game. cnn, seoul. >>> on tuesday the state of oklahoma executed the 39th and final death row inmate of 2013. i know that number is big, 39, but actually it's the lowest number in five years. across the country 80 people were sentenced to death this year and that's the lowest since capital punishment was ruled constitutional once again back in 1976. again, across the country only 32 states and the federal government still actually sentenced anyone to death. maryland being the latest to stop that practice. and the trend away from death row and using the death penalty at all is being driven by a couple things. just how costly it is to run through all those appeals for decades, the very real danger of making a mistake and wrongfully convicting someone and ultimately wrongfully killing someone, and then lately, a strange phenomenon. a shortage of the lethal anesthetic. got an update on a story we to

. >>> let's get you up to speed on the world's most bizarre bromance, former nba star dennis rodman and his buddy north korean leader kim jong un. tonight rodman is back in north korea working on plans to bring other former nba players there for some sort of exhibition game next month all part of a big birthday batch for the north korean leader. rodney says he knows all about kim having his uncle executed recently on the grounds of a plotted takeover, but rodman says he's not interested in that stuff. he has no plans to talk to kim about human rights either. >> if it happens that he wants to talk about it, great. if it doesn't happen, i'm not going to bring it up. i don't want him to think i'm over here trying to be an ambassador and trying to use him as an advantage as a friend. >> this is rodman's third trip to north korea just this year. >>> coming up under the dome, an inside look at the repairs now underway at the u.s. capitol. >> should i go down the slide? what do you think? ♪ at h.h. gregg's countdown to christmas sale you'll save up to 25% on appliances, electronics, furnitur

next at 11:00, former nba star dennis rodman is back in north korea tonight. what he's doing to hopefully improve relations between the communist regime and america. and -- >> i'm going to miss it. >> as we head towards the 49ers last regular season game at candle stick, the people who know the stadium inside and out are bidding it a very fond farewell. we all have our little tricks. mom swaps one of my snacks for a yoplait. i don't mind, i mean it's orange crème. and when mom said bobby was too edgy... 'sup girl. i just swapped him out for tyler. 'sup girl. mom never questioned bobby again. two can play at this game. [ female announcer ] swap one snack a week for a yoplait. and everybody wins. yoplait. it is so good. of happier holidays. time to enchant, delight and amaze. safeway will help you gather everyone 'round. a smoked, shank half ham is only 99 cents a pound. starbucks is just $6.99, that's a cup of good cheer. get sweet clementines for $4.99, enough for everyone here. turns out this season less is really so much more. so make your holiday merrier t

exhibited -- and remember, dennis rodman is the highest profile american ever to meet with him. there is a chance possibly he could advance bae's case, possibly bring him back. that's a long shot. >> he should at least raise the case and tell his pal, kim jon y -- jong-un, let this man go. >> he tweeted that. of course, nothing has happened. this could advance the case. >> a little of the dynamics within the family. what's going on? >> well, the speculation now turns to kim jong-un's aunt. this is the wife of the man who was just purged and executed. you'll see a picture of her there. according to "the new york times" on sunday, she appears to have survived this purge. she is a four-star general. she is the sister of kim jong-un's father. she appears to have survived this purge and appears to be safe for now. but again, not seen in some of these recent pictures. we don't know what's happened to her. >> all right, brian. thank you. that's it for me. thanks very much for watching. see you at 5:00 p.m. eastern in "the situation room." "newsroom" continues right now with brooke bald

. >> you know more about dennis rodman than other people. >> defend dennis rodman. i met him on fox. a segment on huckabee. he is not what the media paints him. thoughtful and smart. i want to remind folks when nixon started a dialogue with china, he started with sports, ping-pong. and if he can duo good with norh korea. more power. off awe >> i disagree. >> rodman, the cia spy. >> i saw "homeland." >> yes, very popular show. next year,obamacare, ongoing disaster. gift keeps on giving. we laugh to keep from weeping. how is this ever going to get better, will it ever change or will well have a solution for this? >> i think what americans are going to do are just give up and say let the nsa fill out my obamacare website form. because they have all right information. probably hit a button and do it with auto fill. you know, give me the silver plan. and give the guys next to you the platinum plan. we'll all be happy. >> what do you say? >> right now, looks bad for democrats in terms of what is happening with obamacare. 15%, 20% swing in who americans prefer for congress

rodman is proud to call kim a friend, but he can't control how kim runs the country. >> i can control what they do. i'm trying to come here, you know, as a sports figure and hope i can open the door for a lot of people in the country. >> this is rodman's third trip to north korea. it comes less than two weeks of the release of an elderly tourist, merrill newman, detained more than a month because he fought in the korean war. they refused to release him until he read a video tapes apology. >>> firefighters are making progress on the wildfire burning in big sur, california. it's 79% contained. there are predictions it may be completely detained by tonight. it's sooner than thought. light rain is helping. the fire broke out sunday and burned about one square mile. at least 22 homes destroyed. residents are standing by waiting for word about when they can return to their home to survey the damage. >>> well, is it going to be a night for star gazing and el fresco dining? amelia? >> i would say el fresco dining, star gazing might be iffy. we are looking at plenty of clouds around. they migh

if that's true, is this the end of the game for dennis rodman? >> i can't independently confirm that, but this is what north korea does. they run these staged media events for the purposes of propaganda in order to distract the world that they're a murderous organization engaged in threatening the world with nuclear weapons. once those facts come to light, independent businesses that have gotten their media bounce out of attaching themselves to rodman's ridiculousness, often find the downside is worse than the upside. >> strangely enough, we have found now names thus far, so we'll see -- >> exactly. i mean, i don't go to bed with mass murderers. i don't wake up with mass murders. that's how i live with myself. >> thank you very much. daily beast there for us today. appreciate it. >>> now to this. the fallout from the "duck dynasty" controversy shows few sides of fading. in fact, this is only getting bigger. the star of the show, phil robertson, you know the deal. he's been suspended after the remarks he made to "gq" magazine sparked both outrage

what do you make of dennis rodman returning to north korea again? >> dennis rodman probably knows more about the leader of the 30-year-old leader of north korea. what we ought to do. put the nsa to work. make sure they are listening in on the conversations that dennis rodman is having with kim jong-un. >> if you had a magical ear pose in his head, what would you want him to ask the leader of north korea? >> mr. kim jong-un, are you also talking to the iranians about the nuclear program or chinese or anybody or are you just busy executing all of your political oppons and even the uncle who put you in power? >> maybe dennis rodman is listening. >> thank you. >> think about the point? rodman having more face-to-face contact than anybody. >> putting the wrong pedal to the floor. sent the driver crashing through a store window, did you so that? >> megamillion jackpot is $700 million. how would you spend all of the dough. >> getting everything paid off. i like to travel and i wouldn't mind going somewhere warm like hawaii or the bahamas. i am ready for wa

dennis rodman is making another trip to north korea. the former nbc player and a documentary crew arrive in the country on thursday. during the basketball diplomacy trip. rodman will train members of the north korean basketball team for an upcoming game against former nba players. >>> friday, president obama and first family head to hawaii for another annual holiday retreat. this is the first family's sixth christmas in the aloha state. the white house says the obama family will stay on the island throughout new year's day. that's your weekly five. >> congressman paul ryan brokered the budget deal that just passed the house but he said today that republicans will gather after the holidays to plot a strategy over the next showdown. the next vote, to suspend or raise the federal budget. the federal debt, rather. let's talk budget politics with anna navarre wa navarro. she joins us on the phone. lz granderson is a cnn commentator as well. ana, go ahead and rub it in. what's the temperature in miami right now? >> oh, a balmy 82 degrees. and

this is rodman's third trip to the her mit kingdom this year. rodman says he's not interested in politics or raising the issue of human rights. nor is he willing to bring up the imprisonment of american missionary kenneth bay sentenced to 15 years hard labor for allegedly trying to overthrow the regime. the u.s. government insists it has not asked rodman to replay a message to u.n. on its behalf. the two countries have not spoken for at least two years. the analysts believe both washington and seoul will be closely watching rodman's trip trying to get whatever information they can on north korea's young dictator. back to you. >> all right. anna coren there. there has been a fairly speedy verdict in na million dollar fraud case against two former assistants of the celebrity chef nigella lawson and her ex-husband charles saatchi. >> francesca and liz bet ta were found not guilty of misusing credit cards when they racked up luxury purchases worth more than $1 million. cnn's erin mclaughlin explains nigella lawson's confessed drug use during the tri

rodman told me, i hope so. this is more than just the latest chapter in the unusual friendship between north korea's reclusive dictator and the former bad boy of the nba. dennis rodman may be one of the first outsiders to meet kim john un sin -- kim jong-un since he had his uncle executed for treason. >> i have no control over that. these things have been going on for years and years and years. i'm just going over to do a basketball game and have some fun. >> reporter: rodman is going to have some fun in a country that may be in the midst of a major political purge. he's bringing along a documentary film crew on a trip sponsored by an irish gambling company. on thursday, he told me, in the future, he wants to bring other former nba players to pyongyang. meanwhile, the sister of kenneth bayh, an american missionary imprisoned in north korea is begging rodman for a very different favor. >> if you're watching, mr. rodman, please do think about this american citizen, a father, a husband, a son and a brother, who ha

. >> you know more about dennis rodman than other people. >> defend dennis rodman. i met him on fox. a segment on huckabee. he is not what the media paints him. thoughtful and smart. i want to remind folks when nixon started a dialogue with china, he started with sports, ping-pong. and if he can duo good with norh korea. more power. off awe >> i disagree. >> rodman, the cia spy. >> i saw "homeland." >> yes, very popular show. next year, obamacare, ongoing disaster. gift keeps on giving. we laugh to keep from weeping. how is this ever going to get better, will it ever change or will well have a solution for this? >> i think what americans are going to do are just give up and say let the nsa fill out my obamacare website form. because they have all right information. probably hit a button and do it with auto fill. you know, give me the silver plan. and give the guys next to you the platinum plan. we'll all be happy. >> what do you say? >> right now, looks bad for democrats in terms of what is happening with obamacare. 15%, 20% swing in who americans prefer for congres

what reaction has been there been of rodman's trips? >> i think people here in korea certainly feel it was a wasted opportunity. rodman went in saying i'm not an ambassador, i'm not getting into politics. i'm just there to train the basketball players, but certainly there is a real feeling that he needed to relay a message to kim jong-un. we mentioned the excuse of his uncle. the most serious upheaval we have seen. the national intelligence service has really shared some light on what perhaps took place. they believe that it wasn't a power struggle between the uncle and kim jong-un, but rather a conflict of interest over the business deal so a bit of insight, perhaps into this repressive regime. >> anna, thank you. >>> ahead she went from being a cheerleader on nfl sidelines to the battlefields of afghanistan. details of her remarkable story and how she's being honored, next. ovide the power for all this? natural gas. ♪ more than ever before, america's electricity is generated by it. exxonmobil uses advanced visualization and drilling

dennis rodman as odd as it sounds is the only u.s. person who's met kim jong-un but he's resolutely apolitical and this at a time of manifest brutality, this public execution and it's not the first and likely not to be the last. ha there home run massive punches going on. there's anyone's guess whether there might be another nuclear test or more threats against the united states. you remember not so long ago, threats of a nuclear attack. obviously they didn't happen. this is an incredibly ruthless leadership and we're going to unpack that on my program shortly with a former british ambassador to north korea. and we'll report what he has to say. >> we'll check back with you, thanks very much. we'll see what, if anything, dennis rodman does positively in north korea if he gets the american missionary out, that would be good news. let's see if he does that. coming up in about 20 minutes, i'll speak live with caitlin cahow. one of the members of the u.s. delegation going to the winter games in sochi. we'll get her thoughts on the games co

i want to talk about dennis rodman. this is the man who last week had his uncle executed for treason. rodman said, i love the guy, he's awesome. they accused the north korean government of unspeakable atrocities. what is he thinking? >> anybody think he's going there for free? he's being paid to go there. the moment the checks stop coming, i guarantee he's not going back. >> this is not the first time his judgment has been called in effect. i stick to a simple motto, trying to figure out crazy will make you crazy. >> right. right. >> his claim is that sports is a way of bringing people together. >> he is lying. i'm going to tell you right now, he is lying. there's no way he cannot know what's going on. is he going to read this stuff and go i didn't know this was happening. he's not stupid, he's a grown up. >> if an athlete gets involved politically, and we don't like it, we are critical? >> we need more athletes to be activists. that's not going to happen. i have yet to see it. the 14 years i played nfl, good or bad, pe

the adventures of dennis rodman in north korea? what did he say? >> i guess it's his third trip to north korea. i asked chris hill, former ambassador, what he thinks. can this actually achieve anything? a u.s. citizen held captive there. obviously, kim jong-un and his country have been belligerent, bellicose to south korea. they shot a south korean ship, shelled a south korean island. what can he actually do? not to mention the nuclear weapons program. >> not to mention. >> he thought it was a double-edged sword. on one level, it's possible that going there could achieve something, but jegenerally speaking, this tends to serve the interests of the north korean government. one thing that a former ambassador and governor bill richardson has suggested that rodman could come back and tell the government officials what he has seen, but he poured cold water on that saying he didn't think rodman would brief state official -- >> kill my mike. >> hello? anyway, of course the big question right now -- >> i'm sorry, tapper. i had to cough. i'm fighting a cold

. >>> now to dennis rodman. he's make iing his third trip t north korea. he says he wants to spread the word about basketball. is his visit doing more harm than good at a time of high tensions between the u.s. and north korea? ♪ this holiday season, our priority is you ♪ ♪ through 12 ice storms brewing ♪ ♪ 10 straight days raining ♪ 9 hailstorms pounding ♪ 5 mysteriously heavy holiday fruitcakes ♪ ♪ 4 actual tree houses ♪ 3 blackouts ♪ 2 weird to mention ♪ and a roaming horde of carolers ♪ ♪ with my exact same route [ female announcer ] no one delivers the holidays like the u.s. postal service. priority mail flat rate is more reliable than ever. and with improved tracking up to 11 scans you can even watch us get it there. and look for our limited edition holiday stamps. life with crohn's diseaseus ois a daily game of "what if's". what if my abdominal pain and cramps come back? what if the plane gets delayed? what if i can't hide my symptoms? what if? but what if the most important question is the one you're not asking? what if t

why is dennis rodman going back to north korea at this time? >> reporter: wolf, it's certainly fair to say that dennis rodman is coming to north korea at a very controversial time. as you say kim jong-un had his own uncle executed last week for treason. it was something that certainly shocked people here in south korea and certainly right around the world. his uncle was his right-hand man, second in command and also seen as an adviser to the young leader, the 30-year-old youngest head of state. as you say, dennis rodman is arriving in pyongyang a little later this week. they are apparently very good friends and he is there to coach north korean basketball players. we also understand that he'll be returning to north korea in january to put on an exhibition match with former professional basketball players but that's what we know about his trip at the moment, wolf. >> might get some insight into what's going on in north korea during this visit. this is the first foreign visit since the uncle's execution. is that what north korea watchers will ant

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. >>> plus will dennis rodman ask kim jong-un about assassinating his own uncle? >>> the million dollar picasso for 140 bucks. and penguins on parade just for the holidays. good morning, i'm mara schiavocampo. we begin with a major security scare. a black friday security brooep breach at nearly every single one of target's 1800 u.s. stores potentially involving at least 1 million credit and debit cards, all according to the closely watched industry blog. secret service has confirmed that the agency is investigating but target has not yet commented. investigators believe the data was stolen through software installed on machines used to swipe credit cards. american express says it's put fraud controls in place, visa and mastercard have declined to comment. the breach could have extended up until just this past sunday. >>> the star of one of hottest shows around is under fire for anti-gay remarks. bill robertson has been suspended indefinitely from the show after making comments in january's gq magazine. the 67-year-old called homosexuality a sin and compared it to

i then we shall traded him for the guy that was caught in that testing just give him dennis rodman just let him keep him. he is a u.s. ambassador, this is ridiculous it is like saying that--tim teboe. >> he is a marketable, yet when he really nelson something. >>it was a bad year for me, and no. 2, the government shut down. the 2013 was the year. >> we came that close to a shutdown, unless the budget deal, the big bargain goes through, it is impossible that we could lose, we could default a again. we have to move back and where britain. >> we do not want that, they have a bed and teeth over there. >> i do think we should invade canada. they have oil, they have and women, they have beer. >> number one, this has to be a good one. >> i think the website for the health-care. they were using eight dowel up modea dial to www.willdurst.com >> pets of the french like to say let's read some mail. >> e-mail no. 1 comes from derric, he wants to know what he's is still like facebook and twitter stock, yes. they have no competition he looked at companies like ups, specs. and there is competition out