course, if you have suggested questions drop me a a tweet at bret baier. we may use one. thanks for inviting us into your home tonight. that's it for this "special report," fair, balanced and unafraid. "special report" online on the road now. >> shepard: this is the fox report. tonight, tired of tv commercials being so loud? solution is in the works. we will have all the details. plus 26 hours until the last debate before the election. so tonight it's all about iowa. newt gingrich running higher in the polls but mitt romney comes out ahead in a hypothetical matchup against president obama. so who should republicans support? tonight a big choice in the countdown to the caucuses. [shouting] >> shepard: all around the world people were frustrated, fed up,.

>> whose street? our street. >> and ready for a fight. inside "time" magazine's choice for person of the year. the protester. plus, a driver accused of trying to run somebody down inside a store. >> i saw him go across that curb and take that tree out. >> we will meet the hero nurse who stopped to help and paid a price. >> but first from fox this wednesday night, a little more than 26 hours now until the final debate before the iowa caucuses right here on fox news channel and a brand new poll shows newt gingrich is still the national frontrunner but mitt romney would do better against the president. the former house speaker leading the former massachusetts governor by 10 points in a new reuters ipso poll. the congressman ron paul and the texas governor rick perry tied for third place. but the same survey reveals president obama would beat newt gingrich by a bigger

margin than romney if the election were held today so it's hypothetical. a gallup poll daily tracking poll shows him losing grounds in the last week with romney holding steady. romney is warning voters do not nominate newt gingrich telling "new york times" zany is not what we need in a president. our own zany guy carl cammeron live in des moines tonight. it's the people who have not made up their minds and who could decide, right? >> listen, we know from all of these polls that gingrich has a lead but he doesn't have the organization required. mitt romney is in second and basically tied with ron paul. we are looking at a three way race to the finish that really is going to ultimately be decided by undecided voters. all the polls suggested half of the some 120,000 so 150,000 republicans caucus on january 3rd have not made a decision and likely to change their minds. it's quite open.

in the last 19 days two priorities for the candidates. tomorrow night's huge debate hosted by fox news in sioux city and it could be a game changer. get them to the ballot boxes and to make the decision. >> shepard: there is the potential for surprises this time. >> oh yeah. and we're going to see in the next two weeks very aggressive old style bus tour campaigning. rick perry is going to head out and hit 45 cities in the next 15 days. look for the polls to show he has got some movement. he is working on an organization busing people out of state and sewing up a good base here in iowa. michele bachmann county chairman in 9 a of the 99 counties in iowa they hope to have 1500 precinct captains to cover the 1800 precincts that will make up the caucuses on january 3rd. you have rick santorum who has been working very very hard with pastors, home schoolers and other socially

conservative christian conservative republics who make up about half of the caucus vote. all three of those candidates have the possibility of really surprising because organization is what ultimately matters most in the caucus. 120,000 to 150,000 caucus goers shep in a state of 3 million very small. six candidate race you can win with 30 or 40,000 votes. any of the candidates could organize that. >> shepard: carl cammeron live in des moines. one part of iowa say the candidates aren't visiting as much as they did four years ago. the state republic chairman warns there could be consequences. live update from iowa coming up in the fox report. i know we haven't mentioned this yet. one last chance to hear from the contenders before the first presidential contest. face off in final debate before the iowa caucuses tomorrow night 8:00 eastern 9:00 in oxford. this is fox news channel. lawmakers in congress are playing a high stakes game of chicken right now. they are essentially gambling our take home pay on the

outcome. here is what is happening. in january the payroll tax cuts are going to expire unless congress takes action. that means our paychecks would shrink. 100 million plus of us. republicans have been trying to bundle the tax cut extension with a deal that starts work on the controversial keystone oil pipeline crostles several controversial spending cuts. a nonstarter. it cannot pass. the democrats have made it clear in the words of the senate majority leader it's a dead duck. >> they stuck in a bunch of issues that really are hard to comprehend. issues dealing with the environment have nothing to do with this bill. >> shepard: the majority leader reid and fellow democrats have been trying to knock down that bill but republicans were not allowing a vote. there is another big problem looming over all of this. the federal government will run out of money on friday night again. republics now argue that's a more pressing need than the payroll taxes and they ought to deal with that first. >> our most immediate concern at this point is that despite

federal funding expiring two days from now friday night, my friend the majority leader is blocking action on the funding bill that would keep the government open. >> shepard: but the democrats say they are concerned if allow a vote on the spending bill leave town and the tax cuts will go down the drain. mike he emanuel tracking all of this on capitol hill. i'm well aware that the word compromise has been eliminated from the dictionary in washington. is there any chance of one. >> that is the question. we certainly seem to believe that the leaders here on capitol hill are feeling the pressure of the calendar. everyone wants to get home for christmas. they have to figure out funding the government beyond friday and what they are going to do about the payroll tax holiday issue. we know key leaders just left a meeting in senate republic leader mitch mcconnell's office. the speaker of the house also the senate majority leader harry reid before that meeting. the speaker blasted the democrats. >> i'm tired of hearing what

the senate can't do. i think it's time for us to wait and see what the senate can do. so i'm hopeful that the president and the senator reid will allow the appropriators to sign the conference report and allow that bill to come to a vote in the house and the senate to keep our government open. >> this afternoon senate democratic leaders were summoned to the white house. among the topics discussed scrapping the surtax on millionaires as the pay-for of this payroll tax holiday. that, of course, has been controversial with republicans. shep? >> shepard: mike, what is the chance in your estimation that we might actually see a government shutdown by the weekend? >> it feels like everybody is trying to avoid that. a last-minute scramble is underway. it should be noted that the appropriations people, the people that deal with spending matters have a deal but the senate leadership has not moved forward with it. so, one key democrat in the house who negotiated this deal

bucked his leadership and said they shouldn't mess with the deal. take a listen. >> if we have a reasonable agreement with the republics on funding the government, we should seize that opportunity and do it and not hold it up for what may be more political considerations. >> now, the democratic leadership would like to tie that government funding bill with the payroll tax holiday, unemployment benefits and that is where things kind of get stuck, shep. >> shepard: mike, some breaking news happening as we are going through all of this. the time something good. the house of representatives has just voted to passion a big defense bill. mike, give us the details of that if you would, please. >> it's a 662 billion-dollar package to fund a lot of what our military does. a critical bill to pass. passed the house tonight by a wide margin. it will come up for a vote in the senate tomorrow. there was some controversy about the way you would handle terrorist suspects. initially said it would go to military custody instantly.

the language has been softened. the white house says the president will sign the bill when this gets to his desk. shep? >> mike emanuel live for us tonight. mike emanuel on capitol hill. thank you, sir. china's first aircraft carrier is reportedly on the move. and there is apparently a new picture to prove it tonight, what the experts are saying about the military threat from beijing. plus, time magazine revealing person of the year. you have met this person? it's actually thousands of persons. there is that and how the volume on your commercials may go down. it's a big night around the big cube. from the journalists of fox news, this is the fox report. [ male announcer ] what if that hemorrhoid pain

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"time" magazine named its person of the year this morning. this year's pick has had an influence on just about everything on every continent in the world. [shouting]

[chanting] >> "time's" top honor goes to the protester. in 2011 we have seen protesters topple dictators and wage bloody battles and occupy wall street and beyond. look at some of the countries that have had major uprising. the first sign of unrest in to your knowledge last december with a street vendor setting himself on fire. that would explode into the beginning of the arab spring and soon we would see full blown revolution like in egypt and libya. the months of fighting and libya liberating with muammar qaddafi dead. we have seen people fed up here at home as well. the occupy wall street movement that started months ago in new york city has now spread all across the country. so the person of the year is the protester. our chief fox report correspondent jonathan hunt is here. everybody doesn't seem happy about this as is often the case with the person of the year. >> yeah as is often the case, shep. happiness or unhappiness depends largely on your view

of the protest. if you disagree with the aims and actions of the protesters in the arab world, for instance, all the protesters in europe or occupy wall street here in this country or even the crowds who turned out in russia over the weekend. you are not happy to seat protesters on the front cover the "time" magazine. this should not be seen as a prize more as a measure of influence. listen. >> what's important is that all of these people in their own way and in their own countries helped to change the conversation. helped to bring attention to their causes in a way that we have not seen before. and it's forced not just ordinary people to pay attention to them but forced their governments and ruling elites to reckon with them. in a very serious way. >> editors also say they simply wanted to spark debate. they have certainly done that shep. >> shepard: they have done that very successful. others in the mix besides the one person. >> interesting group of

runners up. among them admiral william mcgraven. you may not have heard of him but he heads u.s. special operations and therefore was the commander of the operation that took down usama bin laden. the chinese dissident who spent 81 days in solitary confinement this year for his protests over chinese corruption. paul ryan the republic congressman described as the most influential politician in america by "time" magazine because of his budget plan and finally my personal favorite. waity katie getting hitched and bringing gloss back to the royal family. >> shepard: quite a mix there. thanks a lot. you don't speak for "time." nice to see you. stocks were down today and the price of gold took a big hit. price of diamonds is an entirely different matter. especially when they're the ones elizabeth taylor once wore. wait until you hear the

details of a record breaking auction. that's coming up. plus, are you sick of the tv commercials that blast your eardrums? seems the feds are too. >> the most annoying thing ever, constantly turning the volume up and then turning it back down. >> it's all part of the game for those trying to sell you something. >> the job of an advertiser is to get your attention. >> shepard: now regulators say it's full-time for -- it's time for commercial to turn down the volume. how and when that should happen coming up. x ne

>> shepard: we have all seen them. commercials a lot louder than the television shows. come this time next year, they will have to take it down a notch. you see, the feds have passed new rules that force

broadcasters to lower the volume on ear-splitting commercials and getting big industry support. the veteran tv producer of frazier and modern family say quote it may be the single best thing the government has ever done. now if they could just mute the volume of political ads i would be thrilled. that wouldn't be good. they pay the bills. trace gallagher has the news in our west coast news hub. how are they going to enforce, this trace? >> the fec would dish out fines for those who don't cooperate, shep. as you noted the broadcasters still have one year to get their volume levels in line. the problem right now is the commercials are recorded louder than the programs themselves so the broadcasters either have to allocate the volume signal or they have to go back and rerecord the commercials. the fec says and i'm quoting here for far too long tv viewers either frantically reached to turn down the volume when television programs began or endured with

frightening decimal levels that decibel levels. everybody admits it might take out a few years to work out the bugs. >> shepard: wake you up in the middle of night if you forgot to turn off the tv. >> this is the right call they acknowledge it's kind of annoying. those who support the advertisers say look, these companies spend way too much money on commercials to have people scrambling for the mute button. listen. >> the job of an advertiser is to get your attention. and then, of course, when your attention they have to hold it when the volume goes up there is a propensity to almost stop in your tracks and times it's shockingly loud. >> especially during football games when the advertisements come on. the fec didn't just do this on their own, shep. they still had to go to congress to get the authority to get this rule in place. >> they got it trace gallagher in l.a.

thank you. a freak accident today in new york city a horrifying one. a woman is dead tonight in an elevator accident it happened in midtown manhattan right around the corner and office tower from us. police say fire -- police and fire officials say apparently the victim's foot or leg got caught in a closing door somehow. the elevator shot up suddenly and dragged her with it her body crushed between two high rise floors. two other people on that elevator were not physically hurt but they went to the hospital for testing for possible psychological trauma after what they had just seen. a new study shows more teens claim they are smoking pot because they don't think it's as risky as the other drugs. that's according to a new survey from the national institute of drug abuse which reports today one of every 15 high school seniors now admits to smoking pot almost every single day. the study claims drug use among kids is higher than it's been in three decades. it's apparently a growing

problem. up now for the fourth straight year. there is a flip side though, the study shows teens are not drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes as much as they used to do. that's way down to the lowest ever reported. it's apparently time to go to rehab on planet blago. our blago. the former illinois governor rod blagojevich wants to kick off 14 year prison term drug inmate. can help inmates shave time off their sentences. we don't know if our blago actually has some sort of drug problem. his attorneys have declined to comment on that. they made a request yesterday and the judge agreed to make a recommendation and now it's up to federal prison officials. our blago, rehab. thanking america's troops for the sacrifices for the war in iraq. even as the war draws to an ultimate close, the president is catching criticism for how its ending. the details on that plus a

nurse jumped into action quickly when a guy drove his truck right into a store. but what happened next had her calling for help. >> it's a small price to pay really just to know everybody is okay. >> shepard: hello? >> @xóx

>> shepard: a good samaritan could be out of thousands of dollars after she tried to help the victim of crime. a lot of surveillance video captured it columbia,

tennessee. happened on friday. an investigator tried to run down a female friend with his pickup. she ran and he plowed the truck right into the store. you can see the owner there, he takes a big hit. but somehow neither he nor anybody else was seriously hurt. the nurse, the good samaritan nurse described how it all unfolded. >> he drives all the way down and i see him go across that curb and take that tree out. at that point i'm on the phone with the 911. and i see him hit the white cadillac and drive through the store i'm like oh my god he just drove through the store. >> shepard: the nurse said she thought the driver must have been sick or having a heart attack. she went over there to try to help im. she walked, in the suspect walked out right by her. and she says he jumped into her car. >> i turned around and i noticed the guy is out at my car and i'm like oh my god he has stolen my car. >> did. right after he pulled out. he smashed head on, look at this, smashed head none a bed

truck in her car. good samaritan nurse says her car is totaled and she doesn't have insurance and she says the suspect's car insurance company refuses to pay for the damage because he was in the middle of committing a criminal act. and then there is the guy who used ohio state pickup truck on the entrance to a department store. that tops our news across america. missouri. here's one way to try a smash and grab. the suspect backing his truck through the front door of a kansas city store. you can see him load up the bed with clothes. but then he gets stuck on the way out. filling part of the store with smoke from his spinning tires. cops caught up with him. michigan. police say they have arrested four suspects after two of them flew into an airport northeast of lansing with 150 pounds of pot in their luggage. a police chief says the marijuana brings were in vacuum-sealed plastic with deterrent soaked sheets over

them to try to mask the smell. florida. a would-be thief broke into the wrong church east of tampa, turns out the pastor there is a war vet. he says he used his military training to track and subdue the suspect. >> i moved to these. and then i moved in around the corner and caught him at the entrance of the door right there. >> then he calle the sheriff's office. new jersey, quite a christmas display at this home southwest of trenton. the owner says he plans a year in advance for the show. >> each year it gets a little bigger, brighter, better. of course, tackier. >> we're told the family raises money for a health care center and that's a fox watch across america. >> shepard: i'm shepard smith. this is "the fox report." it's the bottom of the hour. time for the top of the news. after nearly nine years of roadside bombs and sniper fire and suicide attacks, the end of the war in iraq is finally

in sight. that's the message from president obama today as he praised our service members at a visit to fort brag in north carolina. as you know, the last u.s. combat troops are scheduled to leave iraq on december 31st, 4500 service members have died there. including more than 200 from fort brag alone. the president hailed what he called an extraordinary achievement. >> all the fighting and all the dying, the bleeding, and the building and the training and the partnering all of it has led to this moment of success. iraq is not a perfect place. it has many challenges ahead. but we're leaving behind a sovereign, stable and self-reliant iraq. >> shepard: the president went on to say that the war has, of course, been the source of great controversy. but today the arizona republic

senator john mccain sharply criticized the president for the speed of this withdrawal. >> i continue to be that this decision represents a failure of leadership both iraqi and american that it was a sad case of political expediency triumphing over military necessity both in baghdad and in washington. >> shepard: regardless, december 31st is to mark the end of the nation's second longest war and mark a major milestone in american history. ed henry is live at the white house with nor on this tonight. the president tried to focus on the troops not on politics. >> that's right, shep. let's not forget the whole political career the fuel for it really was opposing the war in iraq. as a state senator he called it a dumb war. the bottom line as a candidate for president in 2008 he promised to bring all u.s. troops home by the end of his first term as he is now. he said there had been politically charged debate. he didn't want to get into

that today. he thinks people on all sides of the debate were patriots and that the focus should be on the fact that this war is now ending with folks returning to their loved ones. take a listen. >> so as your commander and chief, and on behalf of a grateful nation, i'm proud to finally say these two words and i know your families agree, welcome home. >> now in addition to fulfilling the campaign promise to bring the troops home the president also promised in 2008 as those troops came home he would focus more on al qaeda. as he noted today, he believes that has worked especially after taking out usama bin laden, shep. >> shepard: it's important to note that senator mccain not only criticized the war effort and the ending thereof he went after the president as well. >> one of his beefs was president obama praised the surge that president bush implemented to turn the war around when it was going badly

in 2006 and 2007. senator mccain said look, president obama never noted as a senator he opposed that surge. senator mccain was also pretty fired up about the fact that he believes some military generals as has been noted wanted at least a small u.s. force to remain behind. president obama could not come to an agreement with iraqi officials. senator mccain charged this was about politics take a listen. >> i believe the history will judge this president's leadership with scorn and disdain that it deserves. >> the fear of being among republicans who have criticized this president that once the u.s. leaves the iraqis will not be able to stand up on their own but the remaining u.s. commander on the ground in iraq today told reporters he believes the iraqi troops are tenacious and that they will be able to stand up on their own, shep. >> shepard: ed henry chilly night on the capital. remember jessica lynch? her capture made international

headlines back in the war in iraq. about to complete her own personal mission. 10 years ago she joined the army to pay for college. on friday she gets her teaching degree. as you may recall, u.s. special forces saved her under the cover of darkness and on a stretcher because she was too wounded to walk. she had been a prisoner of war after nine days after iraqi forces ambushed her supply convoy. jessica lynch is now 28 years old. she still walks with a limp and says she has no feeling in her left leg. but she says she is happy to be alive and ready to start teaching. well, 2012 is almost here and weak housing and job growth continue to way down our prospects for economic recovery. europe's financial crisis still threatens the financial markets. that didn't stop folk from shelling out a whole ton of money 1 auto million dollars for pieces of the late actress elizabeth taylor world famous jewelry. 115 million. that's reportedly more than double the previous record for any auction, a single collection among the top

sellers in this one a 16th century pearl necklace that fetched close to 12 million bucks. elizabeth taylor 33 karat diamond ring sold for nearly 9 million. three times the asking price. gerri willis got that one. she is here from the fox business network. i don't see it wear it later. you don't want to show up. people spend a lot of money. there is more stuff on auction as well. >> it's christmas time, shep. anything you want to buy. listen, what's going on sale, not everything has been sold her -- fancy pants quite literally includes all kinds of things. the dress she got married to richard burton in one of the times because they did it twice. >> shepard: i don't know how many times they did it but they got married twice. >> i think that's right. >> all this money goes to the elizabeth taylor foundation for aides. that's where that money is going. tell you about details on these pieces so interesting. that ring is fun. she called it her every day ring. and it was 33 karates. and the necklace that you

described, the pearl necklace that was once worn by mary do you door of england. 16th century. it's the season, time to be generous. >> shepard: all of this liz taylor excitement dragged the markets down today. >> direct correlation on that. unfortunately italy having to pay nor for their debt up to 7%. dow down 131 points. been down 360 points. gold down 2.6%. that's a big number for gold to be down. fourth steepest decline on record. >> a date is not a trend make but a lot of people have been predicting volatility in the gold market. >> it had to happen. it was only going up. it has got to go down he. >> shepard: it's balloon boy in that way. eventually comes down. sometimes not so great when it does. >> i thought so. >> shepard: gerri willis part of the best team in business. airs over weekday afternoon 4:00 in oxford on the fox business network. some employers are now

offering an extra incentive to get employees to lose weight. we will tell what you that incentive is and why the experts say it could help all of us in the long run. plus, it happens every year, some mystery donor drops off a big wad of cash or a diamond ring in one of those red salvation army kettles. well, it's happened. and wait until you hear about this year's installment. ho ho ho. my name is robin.

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and investing in communities across the country, from helping to revitalize a neighborhood in brooklyn to financing industries that are creating jobs in boston or providing funding for the expansion of a local business serving a diverse seattle community and supporting training programs for tomorrow's workforce in los angeles. because the more we can do in local neighborhoods and communities, the more we can help make opportunity possible. >> shepard: seems we're getting a look at china's first aircraft carrier. satellite company reports it took this photo of the ship in the yellow sea last week. the pentagon is not confirming it's authentic but here it is. we have seen pictures of this carrier before. the chinese claim it's only for research and training and humanitarian missions. but it's apparently raising some concern over in taiwan which is said to be working on missiles to strike a carrier at sea. experts say it will probably

be years before china can actually launch planes from that ship. it points out the u.s. has 11 aircraft carrier battle groups with bigger and more advanced ships. more employers are paying their workers to lose weight. and it goes beyond company image. way beyond. the goal is to cut health care costs. keep in mind the centers for disease control and prevention reports one in three american adults is obese. one in three. the study show that costs our economy more than $200 billion a year. from medical expenses and lost productivity among other things. dan springer is following. this is he in seattle this afternoon. is this plan to pay for weight loss working? >> well, shep, economists say we won't know for a while because this is a relatively new trend. but there are some success stories out there. we found a big one in dallas, texas where five employees entered a nationwide competition, each lost at least 20% of his weight. one guy shed 100 pounds in 13

weeks. they walked away 10 grand. the company that ran the competition is called healthy wage. allows individuals to bet on themselves to lose weight. >> it's hard to get engagement if it's not -- if there is no big carrot attached. the competition moves them forward but they decide to participate because of the opportunity to win the big money. >> companies like this competition so much they are putting these teams together. and they are paying their entrance fee in the competition, shep. >> shepard: you wonder, does this just shift cost from healthier workers to those overweight or smokers or whatever. >> yeah. it really does. those people who opt out of these wellness programs the companies are running end up paying higher premiums than those in the program obviously. take the smokers who work at wal-mart. they are a prime example. $2,000 surcharge if you work at wal-mart and smoke. workers in king county can pay up to $1,600 more if they don't agree to losing weight and having blood pressure

monitored. 90% participate in the program and save taxpayers $61 million in health care costs and led to 2,000 overweight workers dropping 24 tons. officials say higher costs to those who opt out are justified. >> their nonparticipation creates a higher deductible. they are choosing to accept a higher deductible by not participating in our program. >> as you showed at the top, this will not be a problem solved overnight. the cost of health care in this country $2 trillion and going up primarily because of the obesity problem, shep. >> shepard: dan springer in seattle. i think i called you diane. >> yes, you did. >> shepard: you are no diane. sorry, pal. journalists clashed with cops and shoulders during a protest and it tops our news around the world in 80 seconds. honduras. [siren] >> shepard: the journalists say they want justice for the 24 news professionals reportedly murdered in the

country during the past 8 years. the group marched to the presidential palace and tried to break through a barrier. that's when police and troops took out batons and tear gas. china. a worker at a jewelry store in an eastern province challenging two would be robbers. the shop attendant says the man and woman asked about a piece of jade and then hit her in the head. you can see she fought back. she claims she bit the hand of one of those suspects. now both in custody. chile. doctors in the capital city of santiago they successfully separated conjoined twin girls during a marathon 20 hour surgery. their mom and dad said the good byes before the operation. it was tough and tricky but the twins are doing well. united kingdom. need a reindeer for a party? give this rural farm a call. they rent the animals. this shop owner says she got some for an event. >> nothing says christmas more

than reindeer and we needed something that was different. >> we're told some of these reindeer even made an appearance at a christmas party the prime minister hosted. that's a wrap on this fox trip around the world in 80 seconds. >> hey, you married? you're on the verge of becoming a minority in this country. details on a drastic drop in the marriage rate and what the researchers are saying is behind it plus, eyes on the road. a police officer explains what he was doing when that happened. that's coming up. the droid razr by motorola.

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>> shepard: fox news is america's election headquarters and we are less

than three weeks away now from iowa's first in the nation g.o.p. contest. tomorrow night fox hosts the final debate before the caucusing begins in iowa. many making stops in the hawkeye state where it seems the voter landscape is changing. western iowa has traditionally been friendlier to the g.o.p. but the percentage of registered republicans has actually dropped in those counties over the last 10 years and gone up in eastern iowa. now folks in the western part of the state say they are getting a lot less attention from presidential cap democrats compared to earlier. steve brown is in western iowa. sux city tonight. how much less attention steve >> some say a third of the visits happened in 2007. consider the visit by rick santorum the only visit in sioux city over the course of the last three weeks. no one here can remember when that happened last. far less attention than republicans out here are used to having.

>> four years ago it just seemed like there was candidate all the time at a coffee shop. hotel room. want to talk about what they have done, what they want to do. this year it's, for some it's polar opposite. >> now, there still are a lot of republicans out here. they are wondering where the visits went. shep? >> shepard: i bet they are. if the republic vote has grown in other parts of iowa. what's wrong with candidates spending more time elsewhere? >> that does make sense but the state parties republic chair says that there are some candidates that may be facing some peril by not spending time out here in western iowa. have a listen. >> that may be a mistake. one thing that we know, the republicans and turn out on caucus night. even though there are more republicans across the state the one thing you do know in iowa republicans will turn out and they will start the process for whatever it takes to replace barack obama. >> at this man late but rick perry and michele bachmann will make bus tours here

before the to reach out to western and northwestern iowa trying to get those republicans on their side at the very last minute. shep? >> shepard: steve brown live tonight in iowa. remember, les we let you forget. tomorrow is much watched fox night as gather together. all begins 9:00 eastern time. 8:00 in oxford right here on fnc. fewer americans are getting married now than ever before. according to a report from the pew research center. just 51% of adults today have tied the knot. steep drop from 57% in the year 2000. and 72% in the year 1960. one researcher says younger people now see marriage, quote, as an obsolete social environment. and while the drop is reportedly worsened with the economy. we are told the decline in marriage rates have persisted through good and bad times. well, one cop's distracted driving left him up a tree.

or a utility pole. sort of. yesterday, a detective in miami said the officer was reaching down for a penny had dropped when his car ran off othe road, hit a wire attached to that poll and up he went. the locals say they came outside to find the cruiser balanced precariously at 45-degree an dwell there rescue workers had to use a crane to get it back on the ground. after they freed the officer from the driver's seat. he wasn't hurt. probably a little embarrassed but not hurt. playboy's lindsay lohan hearing something she is probably not used to hearing in court. praise. we'll tell you what she did to impress the judge. oh playboy's lindsay. that's coming up ♪ la la la ♪ can't get you out of my head ♪ boy, your love

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try bayer advanced aspirin. it's not the bayer aspirin you know. it's different. first, it's been re-engineered with micro-particles. second, it enters the bloodstream fast, and rushes relief to the site of your tough pain. the best part? it's proven to relieve pain twice as fast as before. bayer advanced aspirin. test how fast it works for you. love it, or get your money back. this was the gulf's best tourism season in years. all because so many people wanted to visit us... in louisiana. they came to see us in florida...

nice try, they came to hang out with us in alabama... once folks heard mississippi had the welcome gn out, they couldn't wait to get here. this year wagreat but next year's a be even better. and anyone who knows the gulf knows that winter is primetime fun time. the sun's out and you can go deep sea fishing for amberjack, grouper and mackerel. our golf courses are open. our bed and breakfast have special rates. and migrating waterfowl from all over make this a bird watcher's paradise. so if you missed it earlier this year, come on down. if you've already been here come on back... to mississippi.. florida... louisiana... alabama. the gulf's america's get-a-way spot no matter where you go. so come on down and help make 2012 an even better year for tourism on the gulf. brought to you by bp and all of us who call the gulf home. >> you are watching "the fox report" from america's news leader on academy capable fox

news channel. a secret santa dropped $50,000 into one of those little red kettles. it happened in joplin, missouri. anonymous donor dropped five checks wrapped in dollar bills, each check for 10 grand and signed simply santa. we're told the same anonymous donor has dropped about a half million bucks in those red army kettles over the past eight years. but we're not sure how they know that. now to another christmas miracle. the actress lindsay lohan successfully getting through this month's court ordered service hours and she did it ahead of schedule. much to the surprise of the judge. >> ms. lohan, have you actually done the work. and done it not only on time but early. >> shepard: the judge gave her props for finishing the extra therapy sessions as well which key didn't have to do. not to mention her 2011 mugshot now has some competition with the latest edition to what is clearly an already impressive photo

collection. her spread in playboy magazine online and available in stores on friday. you are looking at the cover. another banner year for our girl. before we go our team's top five things of the day. number a, holiday returns could hit a new record as cash strapped shoppers rethink their purchases. number four, federal regulators approving new rules to lower the volume on loud television commercials. number three, a white house analysis shows two and a half million young adults have gained medical coverage because of the new health care law. number two, president obama today marking the end of the iraq war at fort bragg in north carolina, all u.s. troops are expected to be out oof iraq by the end of the year. and number one, democrats may drop a surtax on millionaires to help pass a payroll tax cut extension. but there is a bigger issue looming. the federal government could run out of money on friday night unless lawmakers agree on a budget. and that's "the fox report's" top five.

and on this day in 1911. the norwegian explorer raoul became the first man ever to reach the south pole. for some reason the guy is not as famous as he might be because getting to the south pole back then was not easy at all. it's still not for that matter. first he sailed 11,000 miles to antarctica. then he set up a base camp closer to the pole than the british team, the plan to beat him with a motorized sled. the norwegian only had dogs and a slay. unfortunately for the brits their sled brong down and they all died. but he and his dogs made it planted the flag and returned nor way a hero. hours ago at the south pole a celebration for an amazing feet of endurance that happened 100 years ago today. and now you know the news for this webs, december the 14th already, 2011. i'm shepard