FAMU President Suspends Task Force
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello there, everybody. I'm T.J. Holmes. Thank you for being here. Randi Kaye is off. Let's get right to the news today. And President Obama is taking comfort and, yes, even a little credit for a brand-new jobs report that shows movement in the right direction. The month of November saw a net gain in jobs of 120,000. Also, a surprising drop in the jobless rate from 9 percent to 8.6 percent. We'll get into the numbers more here shortly, but at an event promoting energy efficiency, the president noted 21 consecutive months of private sector job creation and pledged to keep the growth going. And to that end, he wants Congress to work through the holidays if they need to to pass an extension of a payroll tax cut. All year long, Americans have paid just 4.2 percent on their paychecks into social security as opposed to the usual 6.2 percent, but that's due to end at the end of this month. Democrats want the cut deepened to 3.1 percent with a new tax on millionaires to pay for it. Republicans say they could live with extending the current rate, but only if spending cuts offset it. Last night in the Senate, both parties' plans were voted down so there is work to be done before the end of the year. Also, out in California, powerful winds are still in the forecast for parts of southern California. Nothing like the winds that did this though. Did you see this damage? Gusts topping 140 miles an hour were measured in the mountains outside Los Angeles. At 140 miles an hour, that equals a category four hurricane. Also, you can imagine power lines were just no match for some of this. A lot of people, tens of thousands of them, are without power still today. Also ,Honda has expanded a previously announced recall to nearly 900,000 vehicles. The problem is potentially dangerous air bags. The global recall affects several cars in their line-up, including the Accord, the Civic, the Odyssey, CRV, Pilot as well, this would be the models years of 2001 to 2003. Most of the cars targeted are in the U.S., but vehicles have been also been recalled in Japan, Australia and Taiwan. Penn State University said they will donate $1.5 million to the Pennsylvania coalition against rape and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. The funds will come from Penn State's share of this year's Big Ten Bowl revenues. In light of this recent scandal, the president of the school, Rodney Erickson, says, quote, "We can and will do more to stop and prevent abuse." Also, the president of Florida A&M; University has postponed the work of a task force set up to review anti-hazing regulations on campus. He says the postponement is to allow the University to fully cooperate with an investigation set forth by the Florida Board of Governors and into the university's handling of hazing activities. This, of course, coming now after the death of the band's drum major, Robert Champion. Champion's parents say hazing is to blame in the death. Also, we'll stay in Florida now where the mother of singer Mindy McCready is pleading for McCready to bring back her 5-year-old son Zander. Now, Zander, you're seeing right there, was last seen Tuesday at the Cape Coral home of his grandparents who have legal custody. Now, McCready was visiting at the time and doesn't deny she took her son, authorities now consider him a missing person. Police nationwide are being asked to take him into custody on site. McCready, by the way, happens to be pregnant with twins right now. And the wife of Georgia evangelist Eddie Long has now filed for divorce. Vanessa Long says the decision came, quote, "after a great deal of deliberation and prayer." End quote. This comes also after a year that saw Bishop Eddie Long being sued by several young men for allegedly coercing them into sex. Those cases were settled out of court in May. Well, Billy Graham, Steve Jobs, and former President Bill Clinton, all three among a group of people being considered by the U.S. post office for the first-ever postage stamp to honor a living or recently deceased American. The postal service recently waived rules requiring an honoree to be dead at least five years and asked its customers to submit the nominees. Well, good news and possibly some bad news on the job front. The unemployment rate is down, that's great, but those with jobs now facing a possible payroll tax hike. We'll look at how all this is affecting you. You need to stick around for "Facetime," that's coming your way shortly. But first, a salute to all U.S. service men and women who have serviced in Iraq. Today, the U.S. handed over control of camp victory to Iraq. The one-time palace of Saddam Hussein served as headquarters for U.S. forces there. Just about all the American service members will be gone by the end of the year. More than 4,400 U.S. service members have died in the war since 2003. So for your unparalleled service and your sacrifice, all of you who have served, you are today's "Rock Stars."