alison kosik is at the new york stock exchange. tell us more. >> it's like having a flashback to black friday. the deals, everybody killing each other just to get the deals but if you're a retailer you take a big hit on a day like today because the national retail federation says almost 11% of whole day gifts we got are returns. that adds up to $60 billion and a lot of that happens today. it's a busy day for retailers. if you're returning stuff today that's some good news here, most stores are keeping their return policies the same as last year so the whole process should be more familiar. even better, 10% of retailers say they're loosening their return policies, compares to 5% who loosen their policies last year so that works in shoppers' favor but remember retailers are still trying to get you in to spend money. they're offering big sales as you said, carol, and they know if you come in with a return you're likely to look around and do a little extra shopping on your own so you get rid of the sweater, buy the dress, they got you

alison kosik is in new york to tell you. hi, alison. >> hi, carol. this is one of the biggest lawsuits of its kind in the auto sector. it revolves around the sticky pedal issue that started happening from a few years ago. that's where some toyota drivers said they were experiencing what's known as unintended acceleration and that's when their gas pedals were getting stuck in floor mats, about 16 million vehicles are going to be covered by this settlement, and the model years ranging from 1998 through 2010. once a judge approves this settlement, the current owners, they're going to get a break override system installed as well as a customer care plan that will have a warranty on certain parts tied to the acceleration for up to ten years. another part of this payout will compensate current owners whose cars are not eligible for the override system and a separate fund that will go to former owners of these toyota models who sold their cars for reduced values because of the negative publicity. what the settlement does not cover, though, are any personal

alison kosik is in newtown. good morning, alison. >> reporter: good morning. linking on what you said. how he got into the elementary school. sources are telling us, that he blasted his way in. he shot his way, creating an entrance to get inside the school. despite, yes, the doors were locked as of 9:30. you had to be buzzed in to get into the school. and authorities are saying, once inside the school, he focused his shooting on two classrooms and in the hallway. police say they found three weapons on him inside the school, that he fired dozens of bull bullets, a semiautomatic rifle on his victims and a handgun to kill himself. >> the weapon that was utilized most of the time during this crime, was a bushmaster ar-15 assault weapon. it had addition aal magazines. and he had a glock and a 6 millimeter. all weapons had additional magazines and additional ammunition. the fourth weapon we recovered was a shotgun, recovered from the suspect's vehicle, that was parked outside of a school. >> reporter: he talks about ammunition that he still had with him, he's talkin

alison kosik at the new york stock exchange. thank you for that. >>> every 19 minutes someone dies of a drug overdose. most are not from elicit drugs, but fda drugs prescribed to millions of americans. dr. sanjay gupta reports. >> reporter: i rode along with lieutenant craig. he's been on the job for 30 years. he will tell you when he takes an overdose call, the usual suspect is a painkiller. >> what sort of impact have you seen here in seattle? >> i think if you pull a group of people together from this community, someone in that group is going to have had a friend or loved one that's had difficulty with a prescription drug or potentially died from that. >> reporter: the unit responds to 45 calls a month of overdoses involving these types of medications. this is important, it can be difficult to tell whether it's a painkiller or heroin because they come from the same ingredient and do the same sort of thing to your body. >> aside from needle tracks in the arms, someone who has had an overdose or heroin they could look the same.

alison kosik, thanks so much. joe, take it away. >>> coming up next, you've heard how vice president joe biden is becoming a major part of these negotiations behind closed doors. we're going to take a closer look at that. plus, hillary clinton's health scare. dr. sanjay gupta tells us her prognosis and it depends where the blood clot is. that's coming up. >>> joe johns here in washington, d.c. where we are following the fiscal cliff negotiations. we just heard from the president of the united states here in washington, saying that a deal is within sight, but it is not done. he urged his supporters to keep the heat on congress until it's done. he focused among other things the fact that this deal would extend tax credits for families, extend the tuition tax credit and other things. also expressed concerns about cuts to social spending, which have not yet been worked out. so we're following all of that, and waiting to hear more about these outlines of a deal that have started to emerge. deb, back to you in atlanta.

alison kosik is at the new york stock exchange. alison, simply give us a sense of the mood there. people must be watching very closely on new year's eve what they're doing. >> investors are certainly watching closely on capitol hill. a final trading day of 2012 could go two ways. it could be quiet because no one's around to trade because it's a holiday, or it could be one of the few volatile days because people are trying to shore up their positions based on how the negotiations are going on capitol hill with the fiscal cliff. some analysts and traders don't really know how the market is going to react if the deadline passes and there's no deal. but one trader told me no deal is better than a band-aid measure or a temporary measure because, as the market sees it, there's no certainty with that. with a short term or band-aid measure, things could keep changing, meaning the rules of the road as far as taxes go, and who's to say that lawmakers would be able to come to any agreement once they get the new negotiations going again. it is clear the market is nervous. you look at the vix.

alison kosik is live out in front of the lanza home. what are you finding out today? >> first of all, we are standing in front of the lanza home. it is the one behind me here on the hill. it is picturesque when you look at it. it is huge. sitting on a beautiful green lawn. there is a wreath over the front door. this, though is still an active crime scene and the investigation really does continue into what adam lanza was doing in the days and in the weeks and months before this massacre on friday. investigators now have proof that the gunman -- was -- at least one shooting range. they are not say when, they are not saying where. they are also saying that his mother, nancy lanza, who also lived with him at the house behind me, who he shot and killed before he went to the school, that she also visited at least one shooting range several times. they are not saying when. they are not saying where. there was a press conference a short time ago where police were asked if they recovered anything from a smashed hard drive and the way -- the lieutenant put it is that they are

alison kosik, describe what's happening now. demonstrators are starting to gather outside of the capitol. are they going to be allowed inside as this historic legislation is passed? >> reporter: they are inside right now as well as outside, so behind me you've got several hundred protesters that began arriving, even before daylight, with their signs, some inflatable rafts, often a symbol of union protests, sitting on the lawn outside here and inside, yes, there are protesters inside, especially right where the gallery is, right where the house floor is, because they want to watch the house in action when it begins in session at 10:00 a.m. in about an hour, so they'll be able to watch the legislative process at work. but there's a huge spillover crowd inside the capitol building, a huge crowd, a couple hundred, in each rotunda on three floors chanting, you can hear their voices inside the capital, once you walk in, you can hear their voices reverb rate, they're pounding their fists and chanting and certainly unified in what they

. >> alison kosik is in lancing with the latest for us. if we could take this to the 101 level here. explain right to work. >> it essentially means if this law passes, the right to work law, even it passes here in michigan, it means if you are looking for work in michigan you wouldn't be forced to pay union dues 0 are join a union as a condition to get a job or keep a job. for a state like michigan which was built on unions, it really is a huge sea of change here. and it comes with an element of symbolism as well. especially since unions are so engrained in this state. not only sort of undermine the power of unions in michigan, it could undercut the power and influence of unions even across the country, zoraida. >> how likely is to happen? i know i've been reading that the governor supports it. >> yes. i mean, we're hearing it is likely. first all, what's happening here today at the statehouse in michigan is around 10:00 a.m. the senate and house which have already passed measures last week, they just need to pass each other's measure. so

cnn's alison kosik joins us live from lansing, michigan. alison, i know this was a surprise to some in michigan because governor rick snyder did a bit of an about face on this issue. >> reporter: and some are accusing the governor of really pushing this issue through the state house, and clearly they're not happy with it. you can see how unhappy those opposed to this bill are, just looking at the sheer number of demonstrators who came out last week and are expected to come out this week. thousands are expected to come out between today and tomorrow. president of one teachers union who we spoke with put it this way. she said, you know what, never in a million years did i ever think that michigan would ever become a right to work state, that michigan was built on unions, and you know what, she has a point there. unions have really been the backbone for workers in this state, especially when you look at the auto industry. 17.5% of the workers in this state are unionized. it's one of the highest rates in the country. and if this law passes, ted

alison kosik is in new york. you probably get the best price on things today. >> you would think so. if you ever had any doubts that we're not a nation of procrastinators, think again. 17 million people out in the stores just today. believe it or not, it's not as many as the number of people who hit the stores on black friday weekend. still "consumer reports" put out a survey they conducted september 10th through 17th, and look at what they found. 67% of shoppers, they're not done yet shopping. 14%, they haven't even begun. so today is the first day they're starting their christmas shopping with hours to go. as you said, carol, you're probably going to find a lot of bargains out there for toys, winter clothes, and other items retailers want off their shelves by january. that's not what last-minute shoppers are likely looking for surprisingly. well over half told "consumer reports," they'll just grab a gift card at this point. wine and liquor, they're also popular last-minute shoppers. 27% said they'll give cash.

alison kosik joins me from the this morning stock exchange. >> have you run into walls? >> this does not make sense. i know shay not turn right or left here. big props with apple maps. this adds to the bad pr, right? >> you know, it could. very very least for google, it gives google a chance to say, hey, told you we were good. but apple could also turn this thing around, this goof, and say, you know what, we're not the best, we can't doefrg perfectly, but as apple, we're willing to do what's best for the customer. and you remember what happened. tim cook apologized, he actually apologized for its map app just weeks after it was introduced. this thing was just not forward prime time. cook went out and said apple fell short of its commitment to users. even ran into such problems that police in australia said the apple map put people 40 miles away from their destination in the middle of nowhere. so now it comes to today, though. we have this google option again. so as of last night, google maps are available for download, it's free. and i'm telling you, i'm seeing a lot of

alison kosik, live from the new york stock exchange. thank you as always. >>> the head of the national rifle association says to call him crazy for proposing more guns in schools. the nra's ceo wayne lapierre insists a ban on assault weapons won't prevent mass killings, which he blames on violent video games and the media. he says armed guns eed guards are the best way to prevent tragedies. >> if it's crazy to call for putting police and armed security in our school to protect our children, then call me crazy. i'll tell you what the american people, what they think it's crazy not to do it. >> and it's the end of an era for "newsweek" magazine. it's very last print e edition. the magazine will become a digital-only publication. this is a black and white photo and it's of the magazine's old new york headquarters. the 80-year-old "newsweek" fell victim to readers who moved online. in a statement, the editor said "we're making our last momentous change, embracing a digital medium that all our competitors one day will need to embrace. we are

alison kosik has more. tell us about how this deal is going to pay out people who currently own toyotas and those who sold them. >> there are three parts to this. this is turning out to be one of the biggest lawsuits of its kind. it reinvolves around the sticky pedal issue. that's where some drivers said they experienced unintended acceleration. their gas pedals got stuck in floor mats. this settlement is going to cover about 16 million vehicles for 1998 to 2010 models. once a judge approves the settlement, current owners of the cars will get a brake override system installed as well as a customer care plan with a ten-year warranty on parts tied to the acceleration. another part will compensation current owners whose cars are not eligible for the system and a third and separate fund will go to all the former toyota owners who sold their cars but for reduced prices because of all the negative publicity surrounding these events. the settlement does not cover personal injury claims, but it comes as they try to

alison kosik and s who we will go to. tell me what's going on. >> we are seeing the nasdaq dip a bit into negative territory. you are seeing a mixed bag at this point. you know, you see the buildup to the release of this report. investors, they have been cautious all week. heading into this report. expectation was that there will be a really weak mum coming out of this. this is a surprise to the upside. report was basically double what everybody was expecting. still you are seeing a lot of caution here on wall street because many of the jobs that were added were seasonable ones. this is the reality check with this. number of retail jobs added, 53,000, a number of those were temporary jobs important the holiday shopping season. come on. a surprise to the upside better than the alternative. even with the quirks the reading gave some evidence the economy at least jobs part of it is holding steady. despite the uncertainty about the fiscal cliff, as well. so the number isn't going to be impacting the practical reserve's meetin

alison kosik is at the new york stock exchange to explain this. so what is this all about? >> first of all, this would affect anyone who foreclosures on their home or who sells their home as what's known as a short sale. that's when you sell your home at a loss but avoid foreclosure. this could involve up to a million people. this is about a law put in place in 2007 called the mortgage forgiveness debt relief act. let's say you sell your house for $100,000 but your mortgage is $150,000. you normally have to pay taxes on the remaining $50,000. this law excuses homeowners from paying that tax. this law is expiring in a few days as part of the fiscal cliff. if congress does nothing, homeowners selling at a loss will have a big tax bill to deal with. it could be in the tens of thousands of dollars. it it comes at a time when they can least afford it. >> how are the markets doing today with all the news about the fiscal cliff and going over it being a possibility? >> markets are selling off just a bit. the dow is down 75 points. with rumors of congress coming back into session o

let's get straight to alison kosik at the new york stock exchange. investors clearly on edge and stocks are lower and up and down, they aren't going to make any big moves on the last day of the year not knowing what's going to happen with the cliff. >> a wait and see mode, christine. the stocks are flat right now. the investors are waiting for lawmakers to make their move. what's interesting this session, stocks started off deeper in the red. they turned around. they're more flat now because the market really is trading on these headlines coming out of washington. right now those headlines seem more positive than negative. volatility could pick up toward the close as we get closer to the deadline and investors get more uneasy about holding onto their positions because they're gun-shy to hold onto positions because they don't know which way lawmakers will go on wednesday when the markets re-open after new year's day. >> they made a lot of money this year. let's be honest, this has been a good year in stocks, despite all the fiscal cliff uncertainty. i

i'm alison kosik. >> and i'm christi paul. it is 8:00 on the east coast. 5:00 for all you early birds out west, obviously. >> and it's early. >> yes. >>> start with negotiations going on this weekend to try and keep going off the fiscal cliff. the deadline is now just three days away. president obama is modestly optimistic. our chief white house correspondent jessica yellin has more on what needs to happen in order to make a deal. >> reporter: alison, christi, hi. the good news is things could have been worse. it doesn't seem to those of us watching from the sidelines as though time is running out, but congress does some of its best or at least its speediest work when the nation's back is against the wall. after a rare oval office meeting with top congressional leaders, the president said he's modestly optimistic a deal can come together. emphasis on "modestly." >> the american people are watching what we do here. obviously, their patience is already thin. this is deja vu all over again. >> reporter: both sides left an agreeme

. >> and i'm alison kosik. thanks for starting your day with us. >>> take a look at this. a construction sign in portland, oregon, having a little fun with that looming deadline. the flashing orange lights warn of a fiscal cliff. >> that is funny. i like that. >> and they give the dates as january and february. but let's get back to washington, no one's really laughing there right now. president obama says he's modestly optimistic about the prospects for a deal after meeting with top political leaders. and now it's up to the senate to come up with and agree upon a plan. senate majority leader harry reid and mitch mcconnell say they are hoping to have a plan ready for a vote when both houses reconvene on sunday. >>> in michigan, republican governor rick snyder signed a new abortion law for his state. the controversial measure requires any clinic that performs more than 120 abortions a year to become a quote licensed free standing surgical outpatient facility. it also takes steps to ensure pregnant women are not being coerced into a decision and includes rules that a physici

he may address this situation as well. >> alison kosik, thank you very much. there hasn't very much. there hasn't been an east coast port strike since 1977. [music: artist: willy moon song: "yeah yeah" label: universal] ♪ everybody well don't you know it's me now? ♪ ♪ yeah who's it, who's it huh? ♪ ♪ willy's back with a brand new beat now, ♪ ♪ yeah doin' it doin' it up! ♪ heyyy yeah, tryin' to bite my style! ♪ ♪ heyyy yeah, how you like me now? ♪ ♪ na na na na na na na na ♪ and everybody go uh! >>> 2012 was a great year for the world of showbiz. it brought us some spectacular and unforgettable moments that captured our hearts and tragic ones like the passing of some of hollywood's best. we have look at the top 10 most fascinating entertainers of this year. >> catchy dance tunes, celebrity breakups and the tragic death of a singing icon, just a few topics that had people talking in the world of show business. here's a look at cnn's top 10 entertainment news stories from 2012. ♪ so "call me maybe" >> the song was almost inescapable. t

our alison kosik is live in lansing with the latest. i know they're really bracing for an onslaught of people. specifically by tomorrow. lay out the essentials of the story for me if you would. >> exactly. they are police are bracing for what's to come tomorrow. right now is sort of the quiet before the storm. you know, you see the barricades going up here and there is a pretty good police presence here today in and around the state capital building here in michigan in preparation for who's to come because last week, we got a taste of it. thousands of demonstrators descends upon this building as these votes were coming through on this right to work law. and you know, as we get closer to the final votes, which are expected to happen tomorrow, these demonstrations are expected to grow even more intense. what's going to happen tomorrow is the house and senate inside the building here, each has to pass each other's bill and once that happens, by the way, the votes will start around 10:00 a.m. once that happens and it is expected to pass, th

alison kosik joins us with that information. what's the latest that you've learned. >> what we're learning is the push for more information is going on. as far as the atf goes, they're done with tracing the weapons, as far as who owns the weapons. federal agents are chasing the leads, 30 gun ranges, 400 gun dealers. they're trying to figure out what the gunman was doing in the days leading up to this massacre. now i am in the neighborhood where, where, where the gunman used to live with his mother nancy. we're not yet able to confirm whether or not they've closed. whether or not authorities have closed this area as a crime scene. there hasn't been any activity here since early afternoon. what we're learning from 9 governor of connecticut, dan malloy, we're learning how lanza got into the school. knowing there were security measures in place at the school. that you had to be buzzed in as of 9:30, buzzed into the building. in fact there were security cameras you could look at the security camera, as to who is looking to come into

>> alison kosik for us live outside the state capitol in lansing, michigan. and of course, that state, michigan, synonymous with the auto industry and union jobs. in fact, it is the birthplace of the unusual united autoworkers or uaw union. so for michigan to become a right to work state could be quite a blow, especially to the uaw. our poppy harlow is live outside, also in the snow, but with the president of the uaw. so take it away, poppy. maybe you can get some reaction live for us on the scene. >> reporter: absolutely, ashleigh. well, this is the birthplace of the united autoworkers and with me now is bob king, the president of the united autoworkers. to give our viewers some perspective, when you think union, you think uaw and bob king. so no one better to weigh in on the union perspective for us. bottom line, we were just talking, and you said, looks like this is going to pass. i know the governor is going to sign it, because he told me that on friday. what does this mean for the workers in the state of michigan? >> well, it demonstrates to workers and

i'm alison kosik in for randi ka kaye. bottom of the hour. here are the stories we're keeping an eye on this hour. it's down to the wire in washington. less than 48 hours left for congress to make a deal and avoid the fiscal cliff. leaders from both political parties have expressed hope that a deal can be reached. in the senate negotiators worked late into the night trying to put together a plan, and the whole senate will come together in a few hours from now for a rare sunday session beginning at 1:00. an hour later the house will meet. in a world far away from the capitol, everyday americans are growing frustrated with political leaders and their lack of action when so much is at stake. we asked or cnn i-reporters to send us their messages for washington and we got a ton of responses. lynn to vernon hill with a bit of advice for politicians. >> my new year's message it to washington is to grow up, act like adults, do juror jobs or resign immediately. we are tired of you being useless and refusing to do your jobs. >> here's one from missy wi

now to the latest on the investigation, cnn's alison kosik joins us with new information from police. allison? >> i am standing, don in the neighborhood where the gunman, adam lanza, lived with his mother, nancy lanza, who he police say killed before he went on the massacre at the school. now we're not sure yet if this area has been closed down, as a crime scene. we certainly have not seen any activity here since yesterday afternoon. you know the focus really seems to be on the school at this point. we're learning new details, even from the governor of connecticut. dan malloy. he confirmed what our sources had been telling us, that the gunman literally blasted, he shot his way inside the school. despite the fact that the school had security in place. that you had to be buzzed in as of 9:30 to get into this school. because the doors were locked. including security cameras inside the school as well. but once again, we're learning that he literally shot his way into the school. from state police, we're also learning that they discovered four weapons at the school, they were found at the

i'm alison kosik. let's begin with the latest on that terrible story out of britain, the investigation continues into the apparent suicide of a nurse at the hospital where the duchess of cambridge was being treated. she took a prank phone call from australian radio deejays looking for information on the duchess' condition. today, a letter to the hospital, he called the whole thing quote truly tragic and said we are anxious to review the results of the investigation. the family of the nurse posted about her on facebook her daughter wrote simply i miss you. i love you. >>> the dallas cowboys took the field today without two players. jerry brown jr. was killed early yesterday when the car he was riding in hit a curb at high speed in irving, texas. police say the mercedes went 900 feet, flipped and caught fire. police say cowboys nose tackle was pulling him from the burnt car when they arrived. brent was charged with intoxication manslaughter. >> our officers on scene felt as if alcohol was a contributing

alison kosik, good morning. >> good morning. walmart is no longerizing the bushmaster ar-15 but the retailer says you can buy it at select locations. walmart is one of the biggest gun dealers in the world and high capacities and guns like semiautomatic military style rifles are the fastest growing in the market. you look at walmart's advertising, the bushmaster is no longer listed, not on bass pro shop but you can still view it on cabell's. retailers are trying to distance themselves from the tragedy. >> big stores are distancing themselves, but smaller been stores across its country, some of those say people are buying guns like mad. >> you look at gun sales they've been up over the past few days and in some way it's not a huge surprise. some people want to protect themselves and gunshop owners say they are worried about gun control laws after the president sunday signaled the possibly for more action, it's pressuring, getting people to buy guns and buy weapons now before a possible crackdown can happen and you could also see p

>> alison kosik for us. lieutenant vance from the state police described it, alison, as peeling back the layers of the onion. we can see in your report there's still a lot to dig into, maybe some questions they may be able to answer ultimately. thank you for that report. want to get to steven barton. steven was hit by 25 shotgun pellets in his face, his neck, and his chest. happened during the aurora, colorado movie theater shooting back in july. you might remember that 12 people were killed, 58 people wounded on that day. steven currently works as an outreach and policy associate for mayors against illegal guns. he also lives about ten minutes from here. you've had so much interaction with guns in a terrible way from sort of your hometown to what you experienced in aurora, colorado. i want to start by playing a little bit of what the president said in the vigil from last night. listen. >> in the coming weeks, i'll use whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens from law enforcement, to men

cnn's alison kosik is watching the post christmas trading. she joins us next. >>> retailers were hoping shoppers will spend big today. early figures show holiday sales slum slumped to the lowest levels in three years. alison kosik, every time i drive by the mall, the parking lot was full. every time i went in one, there were people everywhere. what is behind the weak sales this year and can post christmas shoppers really turn things around now? >> you make good points, victor. analysts are telling us there are two big factors at work here. hurricane sandy, hit holiday shopping right when it was beginning to rev up in early november. then the worries about the fiscal cliff they took over everybody's pocketbooks. people are really worried their taxes going up. so what do you get? you get holiday sales not doing too hot. holiday sales are up a little less than 1%, winds up being the weakest growth in three years. it is still early. these numbers are still rolling in. but, you know what, they're not a good sign. after christmas spending, it could

i'm alison kosik. randi kaye is off today. we're just three days away from possibly crossing over the fiscal cliff. for the first time in weeks, there's some hope coming from washington. senate leaders are negotiating a deal they hope can go to a vote, go to a vote soon. cnn radio capitol hill correspondent lisa desjardins is in washington. you were on thrill yesterday for the political action between president obama, between congressional leaders. they sound more optimistic, at least president obama does. do you think we're any closer to a deal at this point? >> i think there's no doubt that we are closer to a deal, but how much closer we'll know probably in the next 24 hours. it's interesting because in the last 20 hours, the silence that had pervaded capitol hill was completely changed after the president and the four congressional leaders he met with all announced that they're shifting negotiation tactics now to a group of two. two senators, mitch mcconnell and harry reid, the two party leaders in the senate, are going to

alison kosik is at the new york stock exchange so is it being sold and what does this mean? >> well the deal has been made, that still needs regulatory approval but if the deal does go through it would mean the building i'm sitting in, the new york stock exchange euronex will wind up operating essentially under new ownership. intercontinental exchange is looking to buy nyse, the parent of the new york stock exchange, an $8.2 billion cash and stock deal. it's known as i.c.e., it operates as this electronic exchange and trades futures and over-the-counter energy and commodity contracts. i.c.e. has other exchanges looking to buy the nyse is trades in other things different from what's traded here. they trade crude oil, natural gas, and they've even expanded their activities into softer commodities like cotton and sugar and coffee, so you're seeing sort of something new being thrown into the mix. as we speak shares of the nyse are surging 35% in the premarket. remember the nyse euronex is a public company and you're seeing these shares surge, carol, because the deal values it at

. >> and i'm alison kosik. thanks for beginning your morning with us. >>> let's start in washington where it's down to the wire in the fiscal cliffhanger. three days left for the president and congress to make a deal and avoid those automatic tax hikes and spending cuts. obama met with top leaders from the both sides of the aisle in a rare meeting that lasted over an hour. afterward, he spoke about the importance of the deal for the u.s.'s still recovering economy. >> economists, business leaders, all think we're poised to grow in 2013. as long as politics in washington don't get in the way of america's progress. so we've got to get this done. >> senate minority leader mitch mcconnell also spoke after their meeting expressing home that the weekend would bring a deal. >> we are engaged in discussions, the majority leader and myself and the white house in the hopes that we can come forward as early as sunday and have a recommendation i can make to my conference and the majority leader can make to his conference.

. >>> good morning, i'm alison kosik. randi is off today. thanks for starting your morning with us. we begin this hour which may be the worst day of bloodshed syria has suffered in almost 200 days of war. and syria is bracing for more violence today. international efforts to restore peace are continuing, but are they having any success? let's go to cnn's mohammed jamjoom. yesterday was the deadliest day since january of last year. claims of a mass execution coming out. tell me more about it. >> that's right, alison, opposition activists reporting at least 397 people killed yesterday. that's a staggering number, even by the standards in syria where these days routinely we're hearing that well over 100 people a day were killed because of the fighting there. what we're hearing, the reports that are emerging that in hums province that at least 200 people were killed after regime forces retook a city from the rebel free syrian army forces. now, one activist told us that they got some of their information from a captured syrian soldier that told them that many people had been rounded up.

>> alison kosik, thank you. we won't go too far from you. want to remind all of you, we're watching, awaiting the president in redford, michigan. as soon as we see him, we will bring you back to live pictures on the issue of these unions in lansing. also wanted to let you know, the vice president of the uaw will be joining me here within the next hour or so. and we'll talk to her. she's negotiating. she's the one negotiating with the governor on behalf of some 17,000 members who are working for the state of michigan and we'll ask her if she has some last minute salvo or plea for the governor. stay tuned for that. i want to switch gears to a fast moving story, a group of syrian rebels helping the fight overthrow bashar al assad is about to be declared a terrorist organization. u.s. government documents indicate the radical group, known as the al nursa front has ties to al qaeda. they'll be labeled as terrorists tomorrow. the same rebel fighters are believed to be playing a part in the iraqi insurgency. these documents show that secretary of s

alison kosik outside the michigan state house in lansing. give us a sense of why this is so important to folks there. a huge demonstration. people who are angry on both sides. >> reporter: oh, yeah. unions are really at the fabric of so many people who live in michigan. it's why these protesters have come out today though the numbers, they got probably as high as a few thousand. the numbers have dwindled ever since that first vote came through. this means so much to the folks who live here in michigan because unions were practically born here. the united autoworkers union born here in 1935. 17 357b9% of the people who work in the state belong to unions. it's one of the top of the highest rates in the country. so to see the union undercut by the right-to-work legislation, that is being discussed right now inside the capitol building here in michigan, it's tough for them to take because what this legislation will essentially do if passed it will mean if you're looking for a job in michigan you will not be forced to join a union. you would not

. >> alison kosik. >> what's the latest on the protests? >> protestsers starting to gather behind me. signs in hand, even the inflatable, a common theme when you see unions protest, the rats. thousands are hoping their voices will be heard. final votes taken on legislation, that right to work legislation, if it's passed would mean that workers would not be required to pay union dues. wouldn't be required to join a union which would be a huge hit to not only unions here in michigan, but also across the country. because michigan really has been the birthplace of the organized labor movement and would be a hit to the movement. what's happening today inside the chambers? the state and house approvaling, finalizing their votes if those measures pass, that bill will go to governor rick snyder's desk and he is expected to sign it. >> alison kosik. thank you. >>> big story in washington, d.c., no news at all. silence about the fiscal cliff. the president and the house speaker john boehner holding closed door meetings to work out a deal or try to. 2

. >> i am alison kosik at the new york stock exchange. facebook will get a new home this week, moving to the nasdaq 100. it's an elite index made up of the 100 biggest nonfinancial companies on the market. we'll also get november retail sales. expectations are high because of a record-breaking black friday weekend. meantime, the federal reserve meets on interest rates and will have a new outlook on the economy. and fedex preparing for its busiest day in history and the company expect to move 19 million packages monday as people rush to make online purchases in time for christmas. follow that and more on cnnmoney.com. >>> i'm "showbiz tonight's" a.j. hammer. rihanna, nicki minaj, lady gaga, "showbiz tonight" is counting down the most provocative celebrities of the entire year. so much drama but which star will come out on top? it's the "showbiz" countdown that can't be missed. >> thank you very much. >>> the bombing of pearl harbor, and cnn sat down with one soldier that was there to hear his incredible story. eóoç=Ñp >>> here is one

cnn's alison kosik joining us from the lanza home. the state police, connecticut state police, just gave us an update. for those of the viewers weren't watching cnn live, tell us the main points that the police made. >> state police say that adam lanza shot and killed his mother, shooting her multiple times inside the house, that is in this neighborhood where i'm standing right now. police still have the street leading up to his house blocked off. you know, there hasn't been much activity since yesterday afternoon, up until about -- i would say a little over an hour ago, we watched about six police cars drive up several officials got out of their car, talked a built and then got back in the cars and drove off, we assume to adam lanza's house. we learned from state police, their focus was on this school. they found that four weapons were found at the school, three found in the classroom a shotgun was found in lanza's car that was parked outside the school. we also learned that lanza mostly used a semiautomatic weapon called a bushmaste

alison kosik is at the new york stock exchange. millions of americans are expected to brave the stores tonight, alison. >> 17 million people are expected to hit the stores today for last minute gifts. consumer report survey conducted from december 10th through the 17th found 67% of shops her not finished their christmas shopping yet. 14% had yet to start. there are probably a lot of bargains out there, for toys and winter clothes and other items that retailers want off their shelves by january. that's not necessarily what last minute shoppers are looking for. well, over half told consumer reports they'll grab a gift card, wine and liquor is a popular last minute choice. 27% will end up giving cash. while 4% say they'll give an iou this year. there is the cyber shoppers. online shopping is up 16% this holiday season. this season has seen 12 days with online spending of over a billion dollars. last week, americans spent $3.7 billion online. that's up 53% from 2011. by most measures, it has been a huge year for online retailers and it

. >>> hello, i'm alison kosik with a check of our top stories. going over the fiscal cliff could send the u.s. economy into verse. christine lagarde spoke with candy kroll crowley about how a needs to be hammered out. >> the best way to go forward is to have a balanced a i approach that takes into account both increasing the revenue, which means either raising tax or creating new sources of revenue and cutting spendings as well. >> the imf has a real interest in how the u.s. economy is doing because it will directly impact how the global economy does. financial markets are also waiting on new forecasts from the federal reserve, but any positives could be dampened by uncertainty about what's going to happen with the fiscal cliff. >>> in egypt, opponents of morsi are calling for a major march on the presidential -- in

. >>> hello, i'm alison kosik with a check of our top stories. going over the fiscal cliff could send the u.s. economy into verse. christine lagarde spoke with candy kroll crowley about how a needs to be hammered out. >> the best way to go forward is to have a balanced a i approach that takes into account both increasing the revenue, which means either raising tax or creating new sources of revenue and cutting spendings as well. >> the imf has a real interest in how the u.s. economy is doing because it will d

alison kosik at the new york stock exchange. >> already down for the dow 117 points. kinding seeing a shift in attitude. if you see what's happening over the last few weeks wall street has been banking on a deal and you can see that in how stocks performed. the s&p 500 is up over the past month. guess what? now wall street is nervous, one analyst says this plan b vote was a litmus test for congress's ability to work out a solution. the way wall street sees it now this is a sign of gridlock. the s&p pa 00 is up 15% so just to put that in perspective, get ready for a tough friday so it's hardly time to panic. the sell-off won't last through the end of the day so they're more optimistic. >> could a sell-off influence washington to get something done? >> a sell-off could be a wake-up call for congress, just out playing chicken with the economy and it has worked before. you look at 2008, stock sold off after the house initially rejected a bank bailout. congress came around and passed it. it may take a direct hit to give lawmakers a kick in the butt especially since we've b

alison kosik is joining us from new york. i did it last night and i found good deals. >> you procrastinate. every year we have the same conversation, suzanne. >> that's so true. >> if you're a bargain hunter, this is the time. retailers push it off their shelves by jans especially toys. i remember reporting that toys are among the worst thing that you can buy on black friday because you wind up getting a better price later in the season. now we are later in the season. if you're looking for htoys, you'll find some bargains. people hitting the stores are really procrastinators like you, suzanne. well over half of the shoppers said, you know what? we'll just grab a gift card aas a last-minute gift. wine and liquor are popular last minute choices. 27% say they'll give out cash, and 4% an iou will have to be given this year. suzanne. >> i'm not that bad giving out ious but pretty close. >> good for you. >> she was saying the weather might impact how folks are moving around. will it have an effect on the deliveries as well? >> a l