he then sets her on fire. residents quickly called 911 but not in time to save her. >> i smelled smoke, like electrical fire. i go back outside, i see smoke pouring out of the elevator. i go back to my apartment, call 911. myself and someone from the sixth floor were running down knocking on everyone's door to get out. you know, knocking on doors, telling people there's a fire. get out, get out. >> nypd deputy commissioner paul brown joins us now by telephone. thank you so much, commissioner, for joining us. tell us what the suspect is saying. apparently he was owed some money, and that's why he said he did this, is that correct? >> well, that's his play, yes. he says he had done some work for miss jill gillespie over tht year or so and he was owed money for that. and that's the stated purpose of this horrific attack. >> so deputy commissioner, just because these are stills, was the woman doused with the flammable liquid or was she attacked with a molotov cocktail? >> actually both.

>> okay. >> he initially sprays her with the accelerant in the frame you're showing, spraying her with it. then he followed her into the elevator and methodically continued spraying her. the initial hit was in the face and then methodically doused her spraying it. and then he -- using one of those long lighters you would use for a grill, he lit a molotov cocktail and used the burning rag on the top of that to ignite her body. then he stepped out of the elevator, threw the malakhov cocktail inside and then returned one more time into the elevator to continue spraying flammable -- the accelerant on her. at this point, of course, she was down on the elevator floor. >> oh, my gosh. it's just horrific. can i ask you this, if those --

are these stills from videotape or is it just the stills of this incident? do you have videotape of it? >> there's videotape cameras both inside and outside the elevator. these were stills we took in order to show his picture when we were still on the hunt for him and not show the graphic attack on miss gillespie. >> on this woman. has jerome isaac, his name, he is 47 years old, has he been charged yet? can you detailed -- >> he's been charged with murder in the first degree. he's been charged with arson in this case. >> did he live in the building? >> he resided not too far away n. fact, about ten minutes after this attack, he went and ignited the door of the apartment that we have as his own residence and

he was concerned he may have burned himself in that second arson to the extent that he might be suspected of being involved in it and then he hid out on a rooftop in the neighborhood, fell asleep, and then later walked into a police facility wreak iing of gasoline and initially said he was responsible for a fire. but then under questioning with detectives implicated himself in the death of dolores gillespie. >> was he burned himself? >> i'm not exactly sure if he received burns or he thought he did in that second incident. >> what do you know -- >> there were no injuries to anyone else in that other incident. >> what do you know about the victim, 73-year-old dolores gillespie? >> from everything we hear about it, she was this sweet

73-year-old woman who lived for decades in that building. i think you may have had an earlier report she gave toys to children in the neighborhood. >> i nknow there's a first for everything. i have never reported on a story like this. have you ever heard of anything like in all of your years? >> this is as bad as it gets. >> deputy commissioner for nypd, paul browne, thank you, sir. we appreciate you joining us on cnn. it's a terrible story. let's move on now and talk about news overseas. recent clashes in cairo looked like a brief flare-up in violence. new video makes this look a lot different, more violent than before. a more violent revolution. the pictures show security forces mercilessly beating protesters. the pictures are grim and if there are children in the room you may want to take them out. we describe the scene in cairo. >> reporter: since we spoke,

don, the clashes have still been ongoing between the protesters and the police and the army. today the army we acquired cnn video of the woman that was beaten severely and stripped of a substantial amount of her clothes. i spoke to the man who filmed the video and he was very devastated because when he was filming he saw how cruel they were, beating elderly children, and the girl herself was extremely beaten. just now i spoke to a friend of hers and she told me that the girl does not want to speak to the media. she is worried the situation might be escalating. her parents don't even know she is the one in the video especially that the picture has been on the front page of several newspapers here in cairo. it has fueled a lot of rage. >> questioned about a cairo library that was torched burning han you scripts officials say

are irreplaceable. >> reporter: the library i was there at the site to see what happened to it. it's a 200-year-old library with manuscripts that cannot be replaced. today there was a rescue mission ongoing as we speak. many protesters and residents have been trying to salvage whatever is left from these books and manuscripts that clearly a big loss to egypt as a nation and, you know, they are trying to say whatever they can. there are people who are -- the church is helping and it's basically finger pointing. again, the military saying protesters caused the loss and the protesters are saying the military cause is lost because the military was on the rooftop of the library building throwing chairs and glass bottles at the pr protesters so they were responding. >> detail about cairo's -- the chaos raging in cairo right now.

the last remaining american combat troops are now out of iraq bringing an end to a war that's lasted nearly nine years and cost almost 4,500 american lives. cnn was at the iraq/kuwait border the moment it rolled through. here is how it played out live on our show last night. this is breaking news and it is history, the war in iraq is officially over. u.s. troops are moving across the border into kuwait now. >> and what this means is the last vehicle and the last convoy, the last, last, last anything you can imagine in terms of the military is crossing into kuwait. >> it's probably this vehicle here is probably part of the route clearance element that comes through ahead of each series and makes sure that the road is clear. and behind those vehicles is going to be the last of the u.s. military presence or fighting presence in iraq.

there's about 500 soldiers who have come over, men and women who have come over during the night and these are going to be the last of these. so it's been quite a historic moment and a very emotional moment around here overnight. but this is the last of the last coming up hypbehind me right no. certainly after nine years, 4,500 deaths. this is now the very end as these guys come across. >> is this the last convoy truck behind you? they're closing the gate. >> reporter: yep, the gate is closing. the gate is closing. so this is the last vehicle. fittingly perhaps it is an mrat, one of the signature vehicles of this war brought in when the roadside bombs became so vigorous. let's listen as this truck drives past.

the gates are now closed. the last u.s. soldier is out of iraq. other than those who are going to be involved with mc duties and the like. history in the making. the conversation you've been having and we should continue to have is the iraq that they're leaving behind, an iraq where it may not be officially at war but it's certainly a long way from being at peace. >> joining us now is iraq's former and national security adviser. >> i have to say that big, big, big thank you to the united states of america for bringing down saddam hussein. that horrible, brutal regime just ended nine years ago. what happened after the bringing down of saddam hussein was a lot of collateral damage on the iraqi side.

and i think this is a jubilant moment. and we feel in iraq that we own the country now. we regain our country. we have now our sovereignty and independence completely. and we -- the sense of belonging is now sky high to iraq and we believe that we are on the right track. >> and that's how the war in iraq officially live on cnn ended last night. the philippines struggling to deal with the massive natural disaster. villages wiped off the map by flash floods. the death toll climbing. ♪ my ha ♪ cheap cologne ♪ motor home ♪ i'm the rocket man! [ both ] ♪ rocket man ♪ burning out his fuse up here alone ♪ burning out his fuse up here alone? ahh. [ male announcer ] crystal clear fender premium audio. one of many premium features available

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in the fill peps now the death toll rising rapidly from a devastating tropical storm that engulfed the islands. more than 650 people are confirmed dead. at least 125,000 people have been displaced or otherwise impacted. some help is getting to the victims. the u.s. has offered to help with that recovery. jacqui knows all about these storms and the philippines. really no stranger to storms. why is this one so deadly? >> well, it hit in a different part of the philippines for a part of the reason and this was an area that usually gets maybe one every 12 years so it's not as common there. it was a very quick moving storm. over a month's worth of rain in about 12 hours and the floodwaters came in and they reached the rooftops. there was very little time to get out of there. the good news now is much drier weather has moved in. this is where the storm is now and it's weakening, expected to dissipate altogether before it

has the chance to reach land at all. ho hopefully we're all over and done with that storm system. a very sad situation overall, certainly, don. >> there's a major snowstorm brewing right here in the united states. >> i know. a lot of people wanting to travel this week with the holidays approaching and this is really a very high-impact storm and it's going to cripple traffic, we think, in some parts of the country and the big area we're most concerned about along i-25 here into colorado, into new mexico, along i-40 as we head over towards oklahoma and then up here to the south of i-70 so this will be the area the most accumulating snow. it's going to be the area of strongest winds talking 35 to 45-mile-per-hour gusts that creates whiteout conditions and really makes it difficult to move around at all. so they're advising officials in new mexico, they've already released a statement saying stay at home. this gets started tomorrow. it's been bringing light rain into the southwest. a little bit of snow today. but this will pick up in forward speed, pick up in intensity and

will pick up a lot of moisture. on the front side of this, the potential for severe thunderstorms across parts of southeastern texas. that includes you in the houston area for tomorrow afternoon and there you can see on the back side that cold air advances and moves in where we're going to see a foot plus or so of snow. this spells it out for you. the best thing i can tell you for the most part it misses the big city. it stays north of oklahoma city and sneaks its way into kansas city so it's a less traveled area, slightly less population. so trying to look at it as the glass half full sort of thing. a cold front comes down associated with this as well and we're going to see a big drop in the temperatures. as we head into tomorrow, our forecast highs back into the 20s in minneapolis. only 30 in denver. still very mild so enjoy your 60s while it lasts because it's all going to sweep through and everybody is going to be a lot colder, don, by the weekend. 70s in december is really not. >> all right.

so it all started at 6:00, right at the top of 6:00 when we were talking about marriage. i'm not cynical. i'm just stirring the pot. i'm a big romantic. i'm just stirring the pot. >> oh, man. she deserves half. just saying. >> we'll agree to disagree. >> okay. we are less than a year from deciding the next president of the united states and it could be the ph.d. versus the nba for the republican nomination coming up. newt gingrich and mitt romney, what are their chances? in-depth analysis ahead on the other side of this break. ♪ motor home ♪ i'm the rocket man! [ both ] ♪ rocket man ♪ burning out his fuse up here alone ♪ burning out his fuse up here alone? ahh. [ male announcer ] crystal clear fender premium audio. one of many premium features available on the all-new volkswagen passat. the 2012 motor trend car of the year. ♪ and i think it's gonna be a long, long time ♪

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the tug of war over your paycheck may go back to square one. house republicans aren't happy with the plan the senate passed to extend the payroll tax cut for more than two months instead of a full year. john boehner tells nbc that the short term fix just isn't acceptable. >> two months is just kicking the can down the road. the american people are tired of that. frankly i'm tired of it on the house side. we've seen this kind of action before. coming out of the senate. it's time to just stop, do our work, resolve the differences, and extend this for one year. >> so the majority leader eric cantor says the house will convene tomorrow and either amend the senate's bill or pass a motion to send it, go to conference committee. that committee would slug it out over the differenceses between the senate's two-month extension and the house's full year extension plan. if they don't get it done by january 1st, 160 million americans will start taking home

less pay. your government at work. mitt romney is picking up steam in his run for the white house. republican presidential nominee bob dole endorsed him. so did the "des moines register" newspaper and, remember, the important iowa kcaucuses januar 3rd. nikki haley also rallied for romney. will all that political love make mitt romney more likeable, more acceptable? go goldie taylor is here with her take. goldie is sitting next to me talking to the tv saying, what? you say no. it's not going to make him more likeable. then what is? >> the g 0 op establishment long since came out in favor of mitt romney and still had his numbers have topped around 25%, 26%. the very idea many of them are coming out now, now that they're afraid a candidate they may not like may take the nomination,

they're coming out publicly. nikki haley has done it. the "des moines register" has done it. i'm not sure it's going to make a dime's worth of difference in a place like iowa where you have staunchly conservative republicans who don't trust mitt romney on the issues. >> what about newt gingrich? he was topping the polls. what happened? why can't either of these candidates break from the rest? >> i think they have a couple of issues. number one, you have this very ultra conservative republican base that if you stray away from their party line or their republican party, then you're just not going to earn their support. this is not a time for a common sense republican. this is a time for a very ultraright-wing republican and so the others can't survive in this environment. >> all right, one candidate who is riding high right now, ron paul, multiple polls show him in third place or tied for second. he was on "the tonight show" with jay leno on friday. here he is. >> how about mitt romney? >> he used to be governor of massachusetts. >> right, right, right.

very good. that's like the rick perry answer. >> maybe that's where he should stay. >> regardless of politics, he's a likeable guy. most people like him. >> depends on if he shoud up at your dinner party, you'd like to have him there. he's likeable depending on how much you know about his politics. >> does you have a chance in you know what of getting the nomination? >> he likely does not have a shot at the entire nomination but he has a shot at changing the conversation. and in iowa he has a clear shot to win iowa because he's organized, he has the money, the volunteers, the volunteer turnout that it takes to win in the retail politics of iowa. he'll make the other candidates have to go back and reorganize and start again. >> okay. so for us political novices or mini political novices, why are these caucuses so important?

>> i'll start with what it doesn't do. iowa does not predict the republican nomination. what it does, however, is allow these candidates to test their message. to test it up close with voters again and again. it gives them an opportunity to connect and show their meddle with the candidate. if so, when the big money donors take a hook, let me see what he did in iowa. let me see what dein new hampshire. >> okay. we're done with politics now. let's move on and talk about what we were talking with about in the break. we're talking about kobe bryant and his wife, and there's been a big discussion with the ladies in the studio and there are a lot of guys on twitter saying it's a war on men, half, why should we pay half when the woman is not earning and what have you. you say? >> it's a tough conversation to have. there's no right or wrong answer. i'll tell you why the law was put in place in the first place. men who had wives who stayed at home, who were taking care of children, keeping house. when they left for the next

marriage, they left these women without child support, without spousal support. woman who had not made a life for themselves. and so they changed this law, made this law, so these women and children could be taken care of in their transition. the number one reason for children living in poverty is lack of child support by the former husband. so whether he's making $40,000 or $40 million a year, then an equitable distribution is in favor. if he wanted to protect himself from half, should have done the prenup. >> here is the thing. you have to take care of your kid. there is no doubt about that and probably keep them in the lifestyle that they're accustomed to and if you can make it better, make it better. but why would someone who has not earned the money make hatch the money for the duration of their lives when you've been married only ten years? it doesn't make sense to me. i would not ask that of someone -- if my partner made more money than me and we broke up, i would never have the gumption to say half of yours is

mine and you owe me. no one owes you anything. >> marriage is a legal and social contract. and the social contract you make with your partner might be a different social contract than i make with my partner. so you might have -- my husband likes it that i work. that's the thing. no stay at home here. but there are other relationships where the social contract is that if you don't work and stay home and take care of house and children so that i can go out and provide, then i have a social contract with you that i'm going to provide for you in an ongoing way. and so i think it's a personal decision. kobe bryant made a personal decision. >> absolutely. absolutely. but also it's your choice to stay home and not make money. it's your choice not to go. you don't have to make that choice. i don't understand why anyone would block someone from getting an education. if you love someone you want them to be as big and as great. >> absolutely. they made that decision together. they are now making a decision to divorce together.

i understand the settlement has been made and that tells you a lot about this relationship. >> so the final thing here, prenup, everybody, right? >> if you need a prenup -- >> thank you. i appreciate it. you're the best. let's move on now. two very different pictures of alleged wikileaks leader bradley manning. his lawyers say he was talented but struggling with personal issues. prosecutors call him a skilled, calculating trigger. nancial conn ttd# 1-800-345-2550 when companies try to sell you something off their menu ttd# 1-800-345-2550 instead of trying to understand what you really need. ttd# 1-800-345-2550 ttd# 1-800-345-2550 at charles schwab, we provide ttd# 1-800-345-2550 a full range of financial products, ttd# 1-800-345-2550 even if they're not ours. ttd# 1-800-345-2550 and we listen before making our recommendations, ttd# 1-800-345-2550 so we can offer practical ideas that make sense for you. ttd# 1-800-345-2550 ttd# 1-800-345-2550 so talk to chuck, and see how we can help you, not sell you. ttd# 1-800-345-2550

we've saved people a lot of money on car insurance. feels nice going into the holidays.

ohhhh.... will you marry me? oooh, helzberg diamonds. yeah, well he must have saved some money with geico. reminds me of the gecko mating call. really? how does that go? shoo be doo be doo. geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. these are your headlines right now. during a military hearing in maryland today, prosecutors called bradley manning a calculating trader. known for his computer expertise, an emotional

outbursts. a defense expert said manning's computer in iraq had had an unusual amount of problems. manning is the army private accused of providing secret government documents to wikileaks. the determine will determine if he will face a full military trial. rescuers are searching for 49 people missing after an oil rig capsized and sank off eastern russia. they're battling high winds and huge waves in the freezing waters. these are file pictures of the rig that went down while being towed in a storm. officials say at least four bodies found and 14 people r rescued. more than 500 palestinian prisoners are free now. they filed into the west bank after israel released them. they are the second grum of prisoners exchanged for the release of shabot. he was freed in october after being held by hamas for five years. oh, my. >> isn't that odd?

look at that. it's hard to believe and it's kind of hard to watch. seven people were injured when this runaway cart plowed right into some people at cowboys stadium last night. it happened after a high school playoff game. all seven, though, were treated for minor injuries at the stadium but espn is reporting one man was taken to the hospital just as a precaution trying to figure out why it happened. all right, gas prices keep tumbling. the lundberg survey says a gallon fell 5 cents starting a trend that started in october. the average price of a gallon of regular is $3.24. crude oil prices dropped $7 a barrel over the last two weeks. a special group of angels is pitching in this holiday season to help. in indianapolis, a woman walked into a kmart and paid off the layaway bills of several cash strapped families. the shopper said she wanted to

make the holiday better for as many people as she could. she paid off the layaway bills of 50 customers ranging from $10 to nearly $800. the same thing is happening all across the country. >> she said she had money. she wanted to make christmas happy. and it was like an angel just dropped out of the sky. >> i took out my credit card to pay my minimum balance. she said, don't pay that. i'm going to pay it for you. i said what can we do for you? she said the only thing you can do for me is to give back. >> there is proof there the holiday spirit is alive and well. nice goings. straight ahead, the alumni association delivers a message. weighing in on the future of famu. nearly half of america's public schools failed federal achievement standards. how can parents help turn around a failing school?

we get some advice from education contributor and principle steve perry in "perry's principles." " there are ways you can improve the school. the first is that you as a 35ir7 parent have to get involved, meet with the principal and the teachers there and you have to come and be solution oriented. coming in and pointing out problems doesn't help anybody. we see the same problems you do. talk to other parents and see what they think. get your pta together and as a group be solution oriented. talk about how you can improve your reading scores, math scores, how you can make it a more comfortable environment, fight the powers that want to maintain the status quo within the school. demand that people stay after school with your children even if it is outside the contract. you must be determined to get the best education out of any school that you have to send your child to. [ carrie ] i remember my very first year as a teacher,

setting that goal to become a principal. but, i have to support my family, so how do i go back to school? university of phoenix made it doable. a lot of my instructors were principals in my district. i wouldn't be where i am without that degree. my name is dr. carrie buck. i helped turn an at-risk school into an award winning school, and i am a phoenix. [ male announcer ] find your program at phoenix.edu. nice, huh? yeah. you know what else is nice is all the savings you can get on cruze and traverse over there. oh! that's my beard. [ chuckles ] it's amazing. ♪ [ male announcer ] this holiday, chevy's giving more. now very well qualified lessees can sign and drive a 2012 cruze ls for around $199 a month. ♪

florida a&m says their president should not be suspended over the hazing scandal. an autopsy ruled robert champion died from blunt force trauma during a hazing indent. tonight the alumni group says hazing needs to stop. >> we are 70,000 dwrad watts strong and we call an end to senseless hazing rituals. we stand ready to take lead on

the universities as well as middle and high schools around the united states and the country to solve this age-old problem. >> no one has been charged in champion's death. another band member says he warned her weeks before his death. last night i spoke with the person representing hunter. she did an interview, she and her mom before you became her attorney. let's do the longer sound bite first, a longer one where she talks about the hazing and her mom stops her, i don't think you need to say any more. >> the first day everybody -- well, not everybody was -- some, a good few people got hit. >> we need to stop. >> okay. >> i'm uncomfortable. >> they went around the room and they asked people, do you want to be a part of this organization? >> it's an organization within

the band. >> well, it's not affiliate d with the band but it's in the band. >> what do you mean? >> like it's not legal. >> okay. the mom was not comfortable talking about it but they in some way kind of knew what was going on but did they know how severe it was? >> obviously no. you don't know your child is going to be beat to the staple that she's in the hospital or with robert champion, your child is going to die. >> her dad was in the band, wasn't he. >> her dad was in the band but it wasn't like this when he was there to this level. again, this is the problem. it's an open secret at florida a&m. >> let's talk about robert champion. he died. his death was ruled an autopsy. it was ruled a hazing trauma caused his death. they were friends. he warped her. listen.

>> he told me not to let anyone touch me. >> even worse what that child said and it gives me chill bumps. bria has told me that be robert said to her hazing is like a cancer. and one day can it's going to be found and come to light. and who could have realized that what's brought it to light was that child's own death? if that doesn't give every person chill bumps who says why are you going after the school? why is it the school's fault? there is a tradition and fraternities and sororities and a lot of alums know exactly what i'm talking about. but they have to stop and think things are changing, times are changing. why is violence a way to show your loyalty? you can show your loyalty to your fellow pledges, to your classmates in so many other constructive ways and in a world where we're upset about bullying, this whole newscast about the violence in our world. these are the good kids, kids

who are scholars and musicians. >> and it doesn't mean that it has to go on being that way. it doesn't mean were you doing the right thing. >> exactly. it has to stop and that's what we're going to work on hard here. >> thank you very much for that. she was the nation's first female prisoner of war and rescued in iraq. now she is a college graduate. a one-on-one interview is next. but first, turning to your money. if you're looking for a job had time of year, you may be able to take advantage of this holiday season to get ahead. christine romans has some helpful tips. >> reporter: what do you need to be doing this time of year to get a job? >> i'm going to holiday theme this. one tip i have is don't be greed y this holiday season. and a lot of job seekers want to hold out for the perfect job. now if you've been out of a job a week, a month, maybe you can hold off for some stuff. if you've been long-term unemployed, you want to try to

get a job, any job. and i see people saying like i was a director. they're only going to make me a manager. my advice is prove it on the job. >> just get in there. >> get in there. it's easier to have that discussion with someone in hr once you've been there six months rather than arguing before you start working. >> if you're going to have 5 million people rolling off unemployment benefits, you can't afford to wait too long for what you think is your old level, right? >> exactly. and that's what a lot of people are doing. just get in, do something, as long as you're not going to be miserable. >> how should you use the holiday season maybe to find those connections and networks? we talked about networking as an important opportunity keeping up your connections but holiday parties, is it crass or savvy to be making those connections? >> well, i think it's never a bad idea to network and people definitely think or get worried they're going to have to be too crass. people enjoy iing. they want to tk to friendsto hear what's going on and they want to legitimately help you. it's not a bad idea. today, investors want retirement planning on their terms.

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today is the first day of no combat roops in iraq after more than nine years. the united states invaded.

jessica lynch made headlines. when u.s. troops rescued her from iraqi captivity, the best known pow from the iraq war has conquered new challenges. susan candiotti has her story now. >> reporter: at 28 jessica lynch is celebrating a fooly earned college degree that could fulfill her dream to be a kindergarten teacher. what does reaching that goal mean to you? >> everything. >> reporter: everything because she's gone through so much. in march 2003 the army filmed her dramatic rescue from an iraqi hospital. lynch was a 19-year-old p. 0 o. held apart from others nine days captured after surviving an ambush during a supply mission. 11 fellow soldiers were killed including her best friend laurie. >> it's hard not to think back to that day and not remember those faces that were sitting beside me and how bravely they

were performing. >> during the rescue unable to move because of injuries, lynch was terrified until american soldiers identified themselves. >> it's okay. it's okay. >> they were looking at me and saying we're american soldiers. we're going to take you home. yeah, i'm an american soldier, too. >> reporter: by the time she came home, the official story made her out to be like rambo. she set the record straight. her gun jammed, she couldn't fire a round. what really happened? >> i was knocked unconscious so there was no rambo fighting. there was no gi jane. there was none of that. it is the time for truth, the whole truth, versus hype. >> reporter: lynched testified before congress four years ago about misinformation in her case and others. >> we have so many heroes, we don't need to fabricate them. there are soldiers out there every day that are doing heroic things.

>> reporter: do you still get flashbacks? >> every day. every day is a constant reminder of what happened that day. >> reporter: lynch has had 20 surgeries on her legs so far. she wears a brace and says the pain is always there. she is now a mother of a 4-year-old daughter. >> i know iraq is in the past and that little bundle of joy, that's my future. >> reporter: i see that engagement ring. >> yes. >> reporter: is a marriage in the future? >> i hope so. >> reporter: she is happy to see american troops come home from ir iraq. the end to an unpopular war. her legacy is more complicated. >> people remember me as the prisoner of war and the fabricated stories but, you know, to me, i was just another soldier there just doing my job. >> reporter: like so many vets returning from iraq, wounded but moving on. susan candiotti, cnn, parkersburg, west virginia. >> and coming up, it is one of the hottest games of the holiday

season, a new spin on a classic. every gamer has fantasized about driving one of those cool mario carts and, guess what, now you can actually do it. >> it was one of those meetings i took and i was like, can i really do this? can i turn a digital video game that my kids play into real life? >> all right. are these for real? look at that. we'll take you for a test drive.

if your kids are gamers, this is probably on their list this year. the brand-new mario kart seven, the deliriously paced racing game for nintendo 3ds. when you're playing easy to ima you're behind the wheel. these are been way too fantastic for the real world. we have a live report. katie, nintendo did something n unprecedented for the launch and had an exclusive look at it so spill the beans. give us details. >> for the launch of it, nintendo wanted to do something entirely different and commissioned west coast customs to build two life-size mario karts. here's the kicker. they only had 30 days to create them for the l.a. auto show. all they had to go off was animation from the game. we had an exclusive look. check it out.

♪ you're bringing a video game to life. >> there's one of those meetings i took and it was like, can i really do this. can i turn a digital video game into real life? >> yeah. >> we do a lot of different stuff and always building cars and crazy things and people come up with these ideas but this is by far the craziest thing we've ever done. >> reporter: how long did it take to build? >> 30 days to build two. all this stuff is off the video game. it's identical to what the kart looks like but it works. we built a chassis from scratch and took the dimensions and my guys hand built everything. >> you had to create everything. exhaust, lenses, this is almost street legal. >> it goes 30 miles an hour so you have to have a driver's license for this. >> holy cow.

yahoo! you brought these to the l.a. auto show. how are they received? >> when we pulled the covers off, people were -- it was more like quiet like they couldn't believe it. >> he did a phenomenal job bringing those out of the game into real life. >> wide the opportunity to drive them and it's like a little kid again driving these cars around. i mean it's a dream come true. >> whoo-hoo! >> katie, that was so much fun. you must have been tempted to just drive that thing home and not go back. i mean is someone actually going to buy this thing? >> oh, my gosh, it was insane. i had to tell you it has three speeds. you saw it go up to 30 miles per hour, low, turbo and reverse. they're ralphing one off at gamestop here in l.a. and anyone across the country can enter. someone will win one and they'll take one back to nintendo headquarters but celebs are coming out in droves. we always talk about justin bieber but he's buying one too.

naturally. >> justin bieber is becoming kevin bacon. it's going to be like six degrees of justin bieber. is this thing street legal? >> listen, you got to have a license for it. no way you could actually take it out on the street but, look, it's drivable. it was so much fun and i thought it was so cool to talk to ryan who is the founder of west coast customs because he said this is the most unique thing and everything that they've created. i can tell thaw being inside there, the projects they're working on and commissioned for with celebrities, they're off the charts. to say this is the most unique was really special. they lit up talking about it. they said that young and old people are very receptive to these two custom builds. >> were you really throwing bananas out of that thing. >> i brought bananas. a couple of blue shells, too. >> you are bananas. okay, so do they plan to make these like a bunch of them and mass produce these things,

because i think a lot of people would be interested. >> i know. i think a lot of people would be, as well. here's what they did. they built two molds but out of courtesy to nintendo they've destroyed those molds, so to re-create them and i imagine this is what they're going to be doing for justin bieber too, they have to start back from scratch and to build off of an animation and they were telling me there was two tech programs they used to get this from basically a cartoon to real life was no easy task so i imagine it's going to take a lot longer than 30 days to build but they are on it, they said. >> it's really cool. hey, listen, yesterday you and i were on the radio together just for a moment and i heard some sad news, that someone's no longer with us. >> yes. yes, if anyone remembers our two-day segment, one of the features was the r2-d2 robot i wanted for a year now. there was a call to my cell phone r2 has exploded in my apartment back in new york city

so we'll take a moment to pay homage to r2. he's dead. >> r2, you will be missed. katie, thank you. appreciate it. >> thanks. when we come back, some sweet reunions between troops taken their families.

it has certainly been an historic weekend in iraq where the final military convoy has left the country bringing the war to an end after nearly nine

years. the last remaining combat troops crossed the border into kuwait. nearly 4,500 americans lost the w ir lives. we've been seeing so many great homecomings. here are some of those sweet reunions between the troops and their families. ♪ >> if you could hear me i would say thanks for serving us and our country. >> just happy and shocked. really happy. >> it is a tremendous feeling and one that very few moments in life parallel just really thankful to be home. >> i love you. ♪

>> oh, baby! oh, my god. >> mommy. >> what a surprise. what a shock and this is the best mother's day present. >> i have a surprise for you. >> oh. >> oh. >> i'm very blessed, very proud to be the mother of a soldier. >> really sweet. welcome home. welcome home and we want to you have a great holiday season. speak of a great holiday season weigh want one of our colleagues to h