TONIGHT ON "NEWSWATCH" THE
NEWEST CONGRESSIONAL CLASS HITS
WASHINGTON.
CAPITOL HILL FOR THE 113TH
CONGRESS.
PLUS STUDENTS FROM SANDY HOOK
ELEMENTARY HEAD BACK TO THE
CLASSROOM AFTER LAST MONTH'S
TRAGIC SCHOOL SHOOTING AND HOW A
RADICAL ISLAMIC GROUP IS WORKING
TOWARDS SHARIA LAW IN NIGERIA.
ALL OF THIS AND MORE TONIGHT ON
"NEWSWATCH." GOOD EVENING
EVERYONE I AM MARK MARTIN.
LAWMAKERS IN THE HOUSE AND
SENATE ARE BACK TO WORK.
113TH CONGRESS CONVENED TODAY.
IT HAS MANY AMERICANS EXPRESSING
FRUSTRATION WITH WASHINGTON.
JOHN JESSUP JOINS US FROM
CAPITOL HILL
REPORTER: JUST A FEW SHY OF
535 MEMBERS SWORN INTO CONGRESS,
SOME OLD, SOME NEW.
MARK, THEY HAVE THEIR WORK CUT
OUT FOR THEM
REPORTER: ON A BRIGHT AND
SUNNY DAY, LAWMAKERS TOOK THE
OATH OF OFFICE.
JOHN BOEHNER KEEPS HIS JOB AS
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE.
SOME APPEAR HOPEFUL, OTHERS ARE
NOT WITH THINGS ON THEIR PLATE.
AT A MERE 18% APPROVAL RATING,
THEIR IMAGE HURT BY THE FISCAL
CLIFF.
THE LAST SESSION OF CONGRESS WAS
THE LEAST PRODUCTIVE CONGRESS IN
65 YEARS.
THIS MORNING SOME ON CAPITOL
HILL STARTED THE FIRST DAY AT A
BIPARTISAN PRAYER SERVICE WHERE
THE HOUSE CHAPLAIN REMINDED THEM
THEY ARE CALLED TO BE SERVANTS.
THAT EACH MEMBER MIGHT
FULLY UNDERSTAND WHO THEY ARE
CALLED TO BE, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE
MUCH GREATER THAN THEY MIGHT BE
ABLE TO IMAGINE THEMSELVES NOW
BECAUSE THEY HAVE SERVANT HOOD.
PARTIES REMAIN DEEPLY DIVIDED
OVER GUN CONTROL, IMMIGRATION
REFORM, JUMP STARTING THE
ECONOMY AND TACKLING THE 16.4
TRILLION DOLLAR DEBT.
WE HAVE SO MUCH UNFINISHED
BUSINESS FROM THE LAST CONGRESS
AND PREVIOUS SESSIONS OF
CONGRESS.
A NEW YEAR WITH A NEW CONGRESS
AND NEW FACES.
MANY WILL BE FACING THE SAME OLD
PROBLEMS.
JOHN, DURING THE HOUSE
SPEAKER VOTE, JOHN BOEHNER GOT A
BIT OF A CHALLENGE.
TELL US ABOUT THAT.
A REPUBLICAN REMEMBER TOLD ME
TO EXPECT FIREWORKS.
I WOULDN'T DESCRIBE IT AS
FIREWORKS, A FEW MEMBERS SHOWED
DISAPPROVAL OF SPEAKER JOHN
BOEHNER'S LEADERSHIP AS IT
RELATED TO HOW HE NEGOTIATED THE
FISCAL CLIFF DEBATE.
THOSE MEMBERS WERE UNPLEASED.
THEY WANTED TO SEE A MORE
CONSERVATIVE PRINCIPLE EXECUTED
IN THE FINAL DEAL.
THAT IS NOT WHAT THEY ENDED UP
SEEING WITH TAX RATES INCREASING
FOR THE WEALTHY.
SOME OF THESE MEMBERS WERE
REMOVED FROM THEIR PRIME
COMMITTEE POST.
THEY HAD A BIT OF A GRUDGE IF
YOU WILL.
SPEAKER BOEHNER WON.
IT WAS INCONSEQUENTIAL.
YOU MENTIONED NEW FACES, CAN
YOU TELL US ABOUT THE
DEMOGRAPHICS?
SURE MARK, 84 MEMBERS IN THIS
FRESHMAN CLASS OF THE HOUSE, 49
DEMOCRATS, 35 REPUBLICANS.
13 NEW SENATORS, ABOUT HALF OF
WHOM HAVE MOVED FROM THE HOUSE
OVER TO THE SENATE.
NANCY PELOSI CALLED THIS THE
MOST DIVERSE CONGRESS IN THE
HISTORY OF CONGRESS.
IN THE HOUSE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS,
MINORITIES AND WOMEN OUTNUMBER
WHITE COUNTER PARTS.
RELIGIOUSLY SPEAKING, YOU HAVE
THE FIRST HINDU IN CONGRESS.
ALSO THE FIRST BUDDHIST SERVING
IN THE SENATE.
OVERALL THIS IS A MORE
RELIGIOUSLY DIVERSE CONGRESS
FROM 50 YEARS AGO WHEN 75%
IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES AS
PROTESTANT.
ANY CHANCE WE ARE GOING TO
SEE LAWMAKERS IN WASHINGTON WORK
TOGETHER?
GIVEN THE STATE OF WHERE
THINGS ARE AND GIVEN HOW THINGS
PLAYED OUT WITH THE FISCAL CLIFF
NEGOTIATIONS AND WHAT IS IN
STORE WITH THE UPCOMING DEBATE
OR THE DEBT CEILING NEXT MONTH,
I DON'T SEE HOW IT IS LIKELY.
AMERICANS DELIVERED THE STATUS
QUO RE-ELECTING A DEMOCRATIC
PRESIDENT AND DIVIDED CONGRESS.
YOU HAVE REPUBLICANS, DEMOCRATS
DEEPLY DIVIDED OVER ISSUES.
THEY SEE THINGS FROM A
COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
PERSPECTIVE.
THEIR NOT MUCH MIDDLE GROUND.
AS MUCH AS PEOPLE WANT TO SEE
THE GRIDLOCK BROKEN, WE ARE NOT
GOING TO SEE IT.
SPEAKER BOEHNER SAID 113TH
CONGRESS WAS A TIME FOR
LAWMAKERS TO RISE TO THE
OCCASION.
JOHN JESSUP, THANKS FOR YOUR
TIME TODAY.
THANK YOU, MARK.
TWENTY DAYS AFTER A GUNMAN
TURNED A SMALL CONNECTICUT DOWN
UPSIDE DOWN, 400 STUDENTS
RETURNED TO A NEW SCHOOL, NEW
PRINCIPAL AND OLD DESKS, GEORGE
THOMAS HAS DETAILS
REPORTER: THE CHILDREN WERE
EXCITED, THE PARENTS WERE
UNEASY.
I HAVEN'T GOTTEN THAT PART
ABOUT NOT BEING WITH THEM.
I JUST NEED TO STAY WITH THEM
FOR A WHILE.
THEIR LIVES WERE TURNED
UPSIDE DOWN DECEMBER 14TH WHEN A
GUNMAN IN NEWTOWN, CONNECTICUT
KILLED 20 CHILDREN AND 6 ADULTS.
THEIR GOAL WAS TO MAKE THIS A
NORMAL DAY AS POSSIBLE.
GREAT DEAL OF THOUGHT AND
EFFORT TO MAKE THIS AS SEAMLESS
AS POSSIBLE AND MAKE IT LOOK
CHEERFUL AND HAPPY.
THE SCHOOL IS STILL A CRIME
SCENE, OFFICIALS REOPENED A
CLOSED SCHOOL IN A NEIGHBORING
TOWN OF MONROE.
TEAMS WORKED AROUND THE CLOCK TO
MODIFY THE SCHOOL, THEY PLACED
FAMILIAR BACKPACKS AND PENCILS
ON DESKS TO MAKE THEM FILL AT
HOME, THE SCHOOL HAS BEEN
RENAMED SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL.
WHEN YOU RETURN TO FLAIR
FAMILIARITY IT HELPS THE TRAUMA.
THE STREET BETWEEN NEWTOWN
AND MONROE LINED WITH GREEN
RIBBONS IN A SIGN OF SUPPORT.
MESSAGES OF HOPE AND LOVE SENT
AROUND THE WORLD ARE DISPLAYED
IN THE HALLWAYS OF THE MIDDLE
SCHOOL.
GEORGE THOMAS, CBN NEWS.
SECRETARY OF STATE HILARY
CLINTON IS BACK HOME AFTER A
BLOOD CLOT LEFT HER IN THE
HOSPITAL FOR DAYS.
CLINTON WAS DISCHARGED FROM THE
HOSPITAL WEDNESDAY EVENING.
YESTERDAY WITH THE FIRST TIME
THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAS BEEN
SEEN PUBLICALLY SINCE DECEMBER
7TH.
AL JAZEERA BOUGHT TV.
THEY HAVE TRIED FOR YEARS TO
REACH A LARGER AUDIENCE.
SOON AFTER IT WAS CONFIRMED,
TIME WARRENER CABLE DROPPED
CURRENT TV FROM ITS LINEUP.
NEW CHANNEL IS SCHEDULED TO
BEGIN BROADCAST THIS YEAR.
THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR HAS KILLED
MORE THAN 60,000 PEOPLE
ACCORDING TO AN ESTIMATE BY THE
UNITED NATIONS.
FIGHTING BETWEEN REBEL FORCES OF
BASHAR ASSAD BEGAN IN MARCH OF
2011.
IN THE SUMMER 1,000 KILLED EACH
SUMMER, IN THIS PAST SUMMER THAT
ROSE.
THE GROWING NUMBER OF DEAD TRULY
SHOCKING.
EVEN SO THE SYRIAN GOVERNMENT IS
CARRYING OUT DEADLY AIR STRIKES.
A LOST TRIBE HAS COME HOME TO
ISRAEL.
SOME BELIEVE THE RETURN COULD BE
PART OF BIBLICAL PROPHESY.
CHRIS MITCHELL WAS AT THE
AIRPORT WHEN MORE THAN 50
MEMBERS OF THE TRIBE MADE
HISTORY.
THEIR ARRIVAL WAS TEARFUL AND
EMOTIONAL.
I FEEL LIKE I AM HOME.
EXCITED, OVERWHELMED, AND
EXTREMELY, UNEXPLAINABLE.
I FEEL LIKE CRYING.
THIS GROUP IS THE FIRST OF A
LONG AWAITED MIGRATION, NEARLY
2,000 TRIBE MEMBERS LIVE IN
ISRAEL.
FIVE YEARS AGO THE GOVERNMENT
SOUGHT THEIR RETURN.
ABOUT 7,000 RETURNED.
THE 10 TRIBES MAY HAVE BEEN
LOST TO US FROM MANY CENTURIES.
THEY WERE NEVER LOST IN TERMS OF
THEIR IDENTITY.
MICHAEL FROIN OF SHAVA,
ISRAEL WORKED FOR THIS MOMENT.
THE PROPHET ISAIAH SAYS, [
FOREIGN SPEAKING ] FEAR NOT FOR
I AM WITH YOU, GOD SAYS.
[ FOREIGN SPEAKING ] FROM THE
EAST, I WILL BRING YOUR
DESCENDANTS.
YOUR DESCENDANTS, THESE ARE THE
DESCENDANTS OF ISRAEL.
THEY ARE COMING BACK FROM THE
EAST.
IT IS AS IF THE HEADLINE OF
TODAY WAS WRITTEN BY ISAIAH, THE
PROPHET, 2500-2600 YEARS AGO.
THE EMPIRE EXILED THE TRIBE
ALMOST 3,000 YEARS AGO.
TRIBE MEMBERS KEPT THEIR JEWISH
ROOTS FOR 2,000 YEARS.
SEVERAL CHRISTIAN ORGANIZATIONS
HELPED BRING THEM HOME.
HEBREW PROPHET SAYS IN THE
LAST DAYS, THAT THERE WOULD BE
GENTILES HELPING AND BRINGING
THEM BACK.
I'LL BECKON TO THE GENTILES.
WE HAVE THIS INVITATION FROM GOD
HIMSELF TO BE INVOLVED.
[SINGING].
ANOTHER NEARLY 300 SCHEDULED
TO ARRIVE IN JANUARY WITH
THOUSANDS YET TO COME.
CHRIS MITCHELL, CBN NEWS, BEN
GORIAN AIRPORT, TEL AVIV.
COMING UP, IT IS THAT TIME OF
YEAR AGAIN, WHY THE FLU IS
HITTING ESPECIALLY HARD.
FLU SEASON IS IN FULL SWING.
THIS YEAR'S FLU SHOT DOESN'T
SEEM TOP ENOUGH TO PROTECT.
THERE HAS BEEN MORE FLU IN THE
LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS THAN TLAST
YEAR.
SAME SYMPTOMS, ALL THROUGHOUT
THE DAY AND NIGHT.
FOR THOSE WHO GOT THE FLU
SHOT AND STILL COMING DOWN WITH
THE FLU, EXPERTS SAY SOME DON'T
RESPOND TO THE VACCINE.
SOME AREN'T FULLY PROTECTED.
THEY SAY YOUR SYMPTOMS MAY NOT
BE AS SEVERE IF YOU HAVE BEEN
VACCINATED.
CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL
BELIEVE THE NORIL VIRUS MAYBE TO
BLAME.
MORE THAN 400 PASSENGERS WERE
SICKENED.
CDC SAYS MILLIONS WILL BE INFECT
INFECTED BY THE NORIL VIRUS.
LORIE JOHNSON SHOWS US WHAT WE
CAN DO TO PROTECT OURSELVES.
NORIL VIRUS IS ROBUST, LIVING
UP TO TWO WEEKS ON HARD SURFACES
AND UP TO TWO MONTHS IN COLD
WATER.
IT CAUSES VOMITING, DIARRHEA AND
STOMACH CRAMPS THAT LAST ABOUT
TWO DAYS.
NORO VIRUS CAN SPREAD LIKE WILD
FIRE IN SCHOOLS OR CONFINED
AREAS LIKE CRUISE SHIPS.
IT IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF FOOD
POISONING EATING SALAD FOOD, RAW
OYSTERS OR WHEN ANY FOOD COMES
IN CONTACT WITH CONTAMINATED
HANDS OR COUNTER TOPS.
IT MAKES IT TOUGH TO FIGURE
OUT HOW YOU GOT SICK.
YOU CAN DO INVESTIGATED WORK,
YOU CAN TRACE IT.
A WHOPPING ONE IN FIFTEEN
PEOPLE GETS THE NORO VIRUS,
ISN'T VERY SERIOUS.
VOMITING AND DIARRHEA CAN LEAD
TO DEHYDRATION.
KEEP YOUR HANDS CLEAN, WASH YOUR
RAW FOOD, CLEAN YOUR SURFACES
WITH BLEACH AND MACHINE WASH
CLOTHES.
LORIE JOHNSON, CBN NEWS.
SURPRISING FIND ON WEIGHT AND
MORTALITY.
PEOPLE WHO ARE OVERWEIGHT BUT
NOT OBESE MAY LIVE LONGER THAN
THOSE WHO ARE A NORMAL WEIGHT.
MANY EXPERTS DISAGREE.
IT COMES FROM A REVIEW OF
RESEARCH PAPERS COVERING THREE
MILLION PEOPLE.
SOMETIMES THAT SURPRISES
PEOPLE.
THEY SHOULD NOT BE TOO
SURPRISED.
IN OUR CATEGORIES, 87% SHOW
LOWER MORTALITY THAN IN
OVERWEIGHT THAN NORMAL WEIGHT.
COULD BE BECAUSE OVERWEIGHT
PEOPLE GET BETTER MEDICAL CARE.
OBESITY WAS ASSOCIATED WITH
HIGHER MORTALITY RATES.
UP NEXT, CHRISTIANS TARGETED BY
TERRORISTS.
SEE WHO IS BEHIND AN ONGOING
WAVE OF DEADLY ATTACKS.
U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT IS
CONSIDERING WEATHER TO LABEL
BOKO HARAM AS A TERRORIST
ORGANIZATION.
SO FAR THE DEPARTMENT SAYS IT IS
NOT READY TO.
THE GROUP IS BLAMED FOR KILLING
NEARLY 800 PEOPLE IN 2012 ALONE,
ACCORDING TO THE ASSOCIATED
PRESS.
CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF
NIGERIAN AMERICANS WANTS THEM TO
CALL BOKO HARAM TERRORIST.
IT COULD END FUNDING FOR THE
GROUP.
THEY HAVE NOT DECIDED TO LABEL
THE GROUP IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE
WAY TO DEAL WITH IT.
THE AL-QAEDA-LINKED FIGHTERS
HAVE DECLARED WAR ON NIGERIAN'S
HOMES INCLUDING A DEVASTATING
CAR BOMB ON A CHURCH ONE YEAR
AGO.
THERE IS CALLS FOR REVENGE AND
ALSO FORGIVENESS.
HERE NOW AGAIN IS GEORGE THOMAS.
*
IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY, WE
CAME TO CHURCH TO CELEBRATE THE
BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST.
PEOPLE STARTED COMING AS EARLY
AS 6:00 IN THE MORNING.
IT WAS GOING TO BE A JOYOUS
OCCASION.
IT NEVER TURNED OUT THAT WAY.
A SUICIDE BOMBER IN A VEHICLE
PACKED WITH EXPLOSIVES DROVE UP
THIS BUSY STREET AND STOPPED IN
FRONT OF THE CHURCH.
THIS MAN AND HIS 17-MONTH-OLD
SON JUST WALKED OUT WHEN THE
BOMB EXPLODED.
MY SON WAS HURLED ACROSS THE
OTHER SIDE.
AROUND ME I COULD SEE BODIES ON
FIRE.
WITHIN MINUTES, HUSBANDS
WIDOWERS, WIVES WIDOWS, CHILDREN
ORPHANS AND PARENTS CHILDLESS.
THE SUICIDE BOMBER NEW
PRECISELY WENT TO STRIKE,
SHORTLY AFTER 8:00 A.M. THAT
CHRISTMAS MORNING AND THE
SERVICE WAS CONCLUDED.
26 OF THE 44 PEOPLE THAT DIED
ATTENDED THE CHURCH.
THEY HAVE ONLY EVIL?
THEIR HEART AND WANT TO DIVIDE
US.
BOKO HARAM CLAIMED
RESPONSIBILITY AND SEVERAL OTHER
ATTACKS THAT DAY.
BOKO HARAM'S GOAL IS TO TURN IT
INTO AN ISLAMIST NATION.
I AM VERY ANGRY.
I WILL NOT RESPOND OUT OF ANGER.
HE AND SON SPENT SEVERAL
WEEKS IN THE HOSPITAL RECOVERING
FROM THIRD DEGREE BURNS.
TODAY YOU'LL FIND HIM AND HIS
FAMILY PRAYING FOR THE
ATTACKERS.
ANY
I WANT GOD TO TOUCH THEIR
HEARTS.
THE IMPORTANCE OF
FORGIVENESS.
WHAT I NEED FROM BOKO HARAM
IS TO REPENT AND STOP THE EVIL
WORK AND CONFESS.
THAT LIKELY ISN'T GOING TO
HAPPEN.
200 MILES NORTH OF THE CHURCH.
SO MANY PEOPLE LOVED MY
HUSBAND.
HE LOVED TO SHARE THE GOSPEL.
THEY WOULD NOT LET ME SEE MY
FATHER'S BODY.
HE WAS BEYOND RECOGNITION.
HE WAS SHOT IN THE MOUTH,
ELBOW AND BACK.
I AM ASKING GOD TO BRING
PEACE TO OUR CITY.
BLANKETING KANO WITH PRAYER.
JANUARY 20TH, 26 DAYS AFTER THE
CHRISTMAS DAY MASSACRE, BOKO
HARAM KILLED 185 PEOPLE IN A
STRING OF COORDINATED ATTACKS IN
KANO.
IT WAS THE GROUP'S DEADLIEST
STRIKE TO DATE.
AMONG THE DATE WERE THE LOVED
ONES OF THESE CHRISTIAN FAMILIES
FAMILIES.
THE BIBLE SAYS WE SHOULD LOVE
OUR ENEMIES AND PRAY FOR THEM.
THEY HAVE DECLARED WAR AND
THE COUNTRY'S CHRISTIANS.
IN A VIDEO RELEASED ONLINE.
HE SAID ENJOY KILLING ANYONE GOD
COMMANDS ME TO KILL THE WAY I
ENJOY KILLING CHICKENS AND RAMS.
KANO IS OVERWHELMINGLY MUSLIM.
EXTREMIST GROUPS USE THIS CITY
AND SURROUNDING AREAS AS A BASE
OF OPERATION.
IT IS DIFFICULT TO SHARE THE
GOSPEL HERE IN NIGERIA.
JOSHUA WORKS QUIETLY IN
NORTHERN NIGERIA.
CBN NEWS AGREED TO CONCEAL HIS
IDENTITY.
THEY SEE CHRISTIANS HERE AS
INVADERS.
I AM PART OF THE NORTH YET
BECAUSE I AM A CHRISTIAN, I AM
TREATED AS A FOURTH CLASS
CITIZ
CITIZEN.
NOW HE FEARS BOKO HARAM IS
SPARKING WAR.
SOME CHRISTIAN NEIGHBORHOODS ARE
TAKING MEASURES TO DEFEND
THEMSELVES.
OTHERS RELY ON GOD FOR
PROTECTION AND TAKE COMFORT IN
HIS WORD.
I WILL NOT BE AFRAID FOR YOU
ARE CLOSE BESIDE ME.
GEORGE THOMAS, CBN NEWS,
KANO, NIGERIA.
PRAYER WARRIORS THERE.
UP NEXT, HOW A PAIR OF
FIVE-YEAR-OLD TWINS SAVED THEIR
MOTHER'S LIFE.
A NEW YORK MOTHER ALIVE TODAY
THANKS TO THE QUICK THINKING OF
HER FIVE-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER.
WERE YOU WORRIED ABOUT YOUR
MOM?
WHERE WAS SHE?
BY THE KITCHEN STOVE I WAS
SO PROUD THAT MY GRANDDAUGHTER
WAS ABLE TO CALL ME.
THEY SAID GRANDMA, OUR ADDRESS
IS --
IT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE
FOR THE GIRLS AND MOM.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN A REAL
TRAGEDY.
THEY ARE MY LIFE.
MY LIFE.
WOW, SOME SHARP FIVE YEAR
OLDS.
ANNA ADMITS SHE AND TWIN
DAUGHTERS HAD NOT BEEN FEELING
WELL.
THEIR ILLNESS WAS CAUSED BY
CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING.
THAT IS ALL FOR THIS EDITION OF
"NEWSWATCH."
THANKS FOR WATCH
