biggest singers and stars. that and more right here right now on cnn. hello, everyone. i'm don lemon. if you joined us tonight at the top of the hour, you're going to get an exclusive. there is a major political boost tonight for republican presidential hopeful newt gingrich. a surprise announcement by his former rival, herman cain. >> i hereby officially and enthusiastically endorse newt gingrich for president of the united states! >> that was just last hour in palm beach, florida. a new poll shows that newt gingrich could use the help right now, because mitt romney leading gingrich 38% to 29% in a new poll, in a new survey. ron paul and rick santorum lag far behind. i want to go now to cnn exclusive. you're looking at now what happened to romney in the panhandle. before we go there, let's go to herman cain on the phone. you endorsed newt gingrich. why? >> number one, we talked about him being open to 9-9-9 which i happen to believe is a critical solution to embrace. as a result of that, he has asked me to co-chair his economic growth and jobs advisory council. the second reason i endorse him is when i look at replacing the tax code, energy independence, regulatory reform, sound money, all of the things that i talked about, he and i are 100% in lock step in terms of what we need to do. so when you find a candidate that basically running steel from the ideals and ideologies i was running on along with him embracing 9-9-9, it was a no-brainer and i thought the timing was right. >> i have to ask you this. i read the polls it shows newt gingrich is trailing romney now. do you think this will help newt gingrich, your endorsement? >> you know, in some instances endorsements may not make a difference. i don't endorse based on where somebody standing in the polls. i made my endorsement based on my belief and this individual as one of the people sfil in the primary process that i happen to believe embraced most of the ideals and ideologies i represented. i don't care where he stands in the polls. it's to let me know that he is the closest to what i rep he wanted when i was still a candidate. >> mr. cain, newt gingrich has been dpleekts poor reviews. people said he didn't do well in the last two debates, and there have been report he's tired. what do you make of his performance and for people saying he was tired during the last couple of debates? >> i think in the last debate he may have been a little bit exhausted. i've been on the campaign trail for president, so i know what that's like and looks like. i believe he might have been. he might not have been on his a game. that one debate isn't enough to basically turn people out. in the previous debate before that he was on his a-plus game. so you can't really draw a conclusion based on one debate performance because a lot of factors go into how a person would come across, given the pressure in the intense situation you're in. i don't think a lotd of people will focus on that. i think people will focus on where he stands on the critical kreis he faces to increase the tax code as well as stopping the increase in the fashl debt. >> i have to ask you this as well because mr. gingrich got criticism as of late about blaming the media in debates and blaming the media when he's out in public. you know about strategy because you've done this. you had had your bouts with the media where you said it was the media's fault. what do you make of that? do you think that mr. gingrich should change that strategy of not blaming the meetd ya? do you think that is a factor? >> i think that mr. gingrich pushing back on some of the media spin has been a plus. i applaud that because the american people don't care about all that the. the american people are waking up to the dirty gutter politics of how things work in some campaigns. i applaud the way he addresses the accusations by the media. most of the american people feel likely the same way. ip don't have a problem with the way he is addressing the media and some of the things they want to make the center of attention and the american people are saying we not to know how to fix things and how so solve problems. >> i have to ask you this question because you said you were suspending your campaign. as we've been looking at it this particular gop race, one moment you're up and one moment you're down. every single candidate. do you ever think at times maybe i should have stuck it out longer? do you have any regrets? >> no, i don't. raise is i got out of the race because i put family first, and offany regrets of that. that's the way it goes. i expected some things in this campaign, and things happened that i didn't expect. i didn't expect dirty gutter politics would come into play. i was not going to put my family through the constant spin and respin of false accusations. as a result i got out and have no regrets because now i decided i'll have an impact another way in terms of supporting a candidate still in the race as well as promoting my ideas and solutions at cainconnections.com in order to be part of the mooichlt creating. >> you got the plug in, so very good job. you mentioned your family, and i'm glad you mentioned your family. last we saw you and your family, your wife spoke out and we saw your children. how is your family now that you're out of the race? are things better with your family? is the pressure off? >> things have been great with my family for a long, long, long time. it's only the perception of people in the media who think things vant been great. my family, my wife and i, we're doing just great, and that's how i want to keep it. >> i meant is the pressure off because urnt in the spotlight so much anymore? zool absolutely. look, when you're running for president you're under a microscope and everything you say it. it turns out not being as much under the microscope, absolutely some of the pressure is off. that does not mean that i'm not still focused on the umt mission, which wases to get some of these solutions passed in congress and the ultimate mission is to defeat barack obama. >> herman cain, best of luck to you. the news is that herman cain is endorsing newt gingrich tonight at an exclusive at the top of the hour. there's new involving rick san tear yum. he spent the day off the campaign trail at home in pennsylvania, and just minutes ago his campaign announced he was canceling events surnd morning in florida because his 3-year-old daughter bella has been hospitalized. santorum speaks about her on on the campaign trail. a programming reminder for you. keep it on cnn for the florida primary on tuesday night. the special coverage will begin at 6:00 p.m. eastern. in oakland, california, tonight, we haven't seen this ruckus at an "occupy" protests in weeks. tear gas, smoke and protesters on the ground. there's dark from our affiliate kgo, police have been corralling hundreds of occupiers at a ymca building of the this stand offhas been going on for hours. >> whose's streets? >> our streets. >> the protesters called it move in day. police declared an unlawful assembly and moved to detain them. police say the protesters hit them with bottles, met pipes, rocks, spray cans and even ieds and burning flaring. officers through tear gas and snow gree grades to disperse the crowd. three are hurt so far. i want to bring in time ryan, he's a rormter from the radio. he's at the scene now. what's happening on the streets right now in. >> don, the arrest total is 40-plus and likely to go higher. these protestors are moving around the streets of oakland after daying ago promising to take over a vacant shlg. the building they attempted to take over hours ago was the vacant convention center, a large shlg in all of oakland. they have a line of oakland riot cops. they regrouped and an hour oor two ago they so it again. oakland is attempting to corral them. there were bricks thrown at the officers and there was a couple of loud blasts that scared all of us. what they ended up doing is rushing into a ymca. not a vacant building at all where people are inside working out. they said this crowd bum rushed them. they were not violent but very provocative. the police moved in and arrested about 20 or so inside the ymca. those arrests are continuing, don. >> we're talking about ieds and all of the things that protesters have said they hit them with. have you observed any of that? >> yeah, i've seen the tear gas on the side of the police and i've seen smoke bombs tossed at police. the violence is coming from both sides. one guy was really puzzled by an oakland police officer with a patton. i didn't see what was that algdly provoked that attack. a lot of people wake up tomorrow with sore eyes and tear gases. there's blows on the streets of oakland as well. >> how has this spoens been different than the one in october? it was very violent back in october. is this one different? >> the main difference right now, and the arrest totals maybe similar, a few dozen. what i haven't seen yet amount here on the west coast it's still early. i haven't seen the vanldzism to profound months ago. just dozens upon dozens of buildings with their window broken. i don't think that's ith case here tonight, dawn. if oakland can survive this with just a few dozen arrests and some gratety, i think they're going to -- the city, that is, is going to call this quite a successful night for the city of oakland. a lot of times it's a little later at night had this crowd frustrated gets out of hands and starting breaking things. >> thank you so much. we really appreciate you joining us this evening. the medical mystery has a a lot of people talking and has attracted the famous environmental activist erin brock vish. wendy walsh is here with us. she's sitting back to talk about this story. what exactly is going on with these 15 students. we're back in a moment live on cnn. so who ordered the cereal that can help lower cholesterol and who ordered the yummy cereal? 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[ male announcer ] red lobster's four course seafood feast is back. get soup, salad, cheddar bay biscuits, dessert and choose one of 7 entrees. four courses for only $15. offer ends soon. i'm jody gonzalez, red lobster manager and i sea food differently. with my vial and syringe. me, drawing my insulin dose. and me the day i discovered novolog flexpen. flexpen is pre-filled with your mealtime insulin. dial the exact dose, inject by pushing a button. no vials, syringes or coolers to carry. flexpen is insulin delivery my way. novolog is a fast-acting insulin used to control high blood sugar in adults and children with diabetes. do not inject if you do not plan to eat within five to ten minutes after injection to avoid low blood sugar. tell your healthcare provider about all medicines you take and all of your medical conditions, including if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. the most common side effect is low blood sugar. other possible side effects include reactions at the injection site. get medical help right away if you experience serious allergic reactions, body rash, trouble with breathing, fast heartbeat or sweating. with flexpen, vial and syringe are in the past. ask your doctor about novolog flexpen, covered by 90% of insurance plans, including medicare. will be giving away passafree copies of the alcoholism & addiction cure. to get yours, go to ssagesmalibubook.com. now to a medical mystery. p in leroy, new york at least 15 high school students are suffering from a strange illness that causes them to have uncontrollable twitching and verbal outbirss. drew pink ski is all over the story and last night he talked with brosh vich about her investigation. >> there was a serious train derailment that caused one ton of cyanide to spill and 45,000 gallons of tce. >> is that the same thing in your movie? >> no. >> it's a well-known carcinogen. it can also cause neurological problems? >> i have read and been involved in cases that we have that tce can be associated with neurological disorders. >> brock vich believe that is bedrock and ground water is contaminated. aside from the contamination fears, is there another story here? dr. wendy watch is here. drew spoke with a teen, so let's listen real quickly. >> i was in school for a little while after it started, but i ended up leaving the last week of october because i didn't feel i could handle school anymore. >> it's hard not being able to do what you love, even going to school. i love going to school. but it's -- it's hard to -- i think it's harder knowing that i don't know what's going on. i'd like to answer people when they ask me what's happening. >> we've been talking about this a little bit. mass hysteria, there are cases of it. could this be a case of mass hysteria? >> it it looks like it. this is very common in adolescent girls. when i say mass hysteria of a conversion disorder. meaning it converts anxiety into real physical symptoms. they're not faking. these are real physical symptoms. >> what do we know about cases like this? it's real physical symptoms. >> throughout history we see many incidences in adolescent girls because at this stage they conform. they have the same jeans and same hairstyle and be in love with justin bieber so they have the same symptoms unconsciously. in 1962 in tanzania some schoolgirls had a laughing epidemic. in 1938 in palestine there was the west bank fainting epidemic, and, of course, the country thought it was chemical warfare but it faded away. in 2006 in portugal there was something called the strawberries with sugar epidemic. the girls watched a character get a strange virus and they got a strange virus. >> is that how society contributes to this? i have to wear the jeans and this is on television and the movies? >> society has a piece, but i think the piece really is repressing and putting stress and anxiety on young girls. if it were me, guild to that school and find out what's changed lately in testing procedures. what kinds of academic stresses are these girls under. because of media are they highly sexualized? are they supposed to be thin and beautiful sxa and there's a lot of pressure. at's what i would like for is the source of anxiety. >> you said it's adolescent girls or not unheard of in men or boys? >> no. one of the most common kind of conversion disorder in men is fears that they're genitalia are shrinking. i'm not joking. it tends to be in societies where there is less scientific snoj, and it spreads like a big fear that their penis is going to disappear. >> dr. wendy, thank you very much. move on to other news now. the syrian government isn't ending the crackdown. the regime says it will stop at nothing to keep it's grip on power, but activists aren't backing down either. king good. you've lost some weight. thanks. you noticed. these clothes are too big, so i'm donating them. how'd you do it? eating right -- whole grain. 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[ female announcer ] new multi-grain cheerios peanut butter. everyone at home, i have got to warn you now that we're about to show you some very disturbing video. it is not, i repeat it is not appropriate for children. if if you have children in the room get them out. i want you to imagine this, living in syria defying the crackdown on pro-democracy protests and then being shot and escaping to safety in cairo and then smuggling yourself back across the border to return to the mayhem. our next guest did just that, and we will only use the name danny. danny returns to homz. here the troubling images we'll show you. >> children, brutally murdered, alleged by thugs supports the syrian government. it is just another traj dick in the city of homz. the person i told you about, danny, joins us now from there. danny, i want to start with your stories. why did you return to homz? >> i left here because i got shot. i tried to get the news out, and i watched a lot of friends die here. this is a revolution. we're going to finish it. i'm not running away from it. we have to come back and finish it. >> what can you tell us about that poor family in that video that was killed? >> right. there's something normally you see every day. they try to put fear in people's hearts. they're thugs that go into a house and kill a whole family so the whole neighborhood doesn't ask for freedom, so the whole neighborhood doesn't talk about this regime. if you say you want freedom, you're -- hugh do you say it? you're a traitor. you get killed. you get shot. there have been stabbed to death. people can't get their bodies out of their houses. they've been getting people out from house to house. they can't take them out into the streets. it's a bombardment on that neighborhood, on this neighborhood. it's been a bombardment from 6:00 a.m. until like two or three hours ago. >> this conflict has raged for ten months now. some say president assad can keep his grip on power for another year. what's going to be the tipping point here? he won't stop. he kills a family, the whole family comes out. he kills a friend and all his friends come out. more than 40% of the population going out in dmon sdragss right now. how are they going to stop? nare never going to stop? he's done so many crimes in this sa city in syria. no one is going to stop. no one is gog live. he's sent security to rape women and kidnap women and children. today we just got three bodies that have been tortured to death. >> danny, i have to ask you this, because we have seen in these protests unfortunately people we have spoken to not survive, and we end up doing stories on them not surviving. they've come on, like you are. like you are now. do you think you're going to survive the fighting, survive fighting the al assad regime? >> i hope i do. i'm just one of the people asking for freedom. i hope i see the end of it, butd if ip don't see the end of t-i'll be like my friends. i've lost more than 30 friends now. if i don't survive it, it's just my luck. it doesn't mean i'll stop figts for it. we started this revolution and end it. the crimes he's done, as civilians we don't know what he's done yet. we haven't seen anything yet. half of his crimes are hidden yet. we don't know what his security forces have done. >> danny, thank you and we hope you do survive. thank you for joining us. >> i hope it, too. thank you very much. >> coming up next on cnn we go inside the devastated neighborhood around the infamous nuclear power plant. it's a cnn exclusive. [ female announcer ] if whole grain isn't the first ingredient in your breakfast cereal, what is? now, in every box of general mills big g cereal, there's more whole grain than any other ingredient. that's why it's listed first. get more whole grain than any other ingredient... just look for the white check. more disturbing video we're about to show you on cnn. there was hardly any time to spare when residents near japan's fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant were forced to evacuate. people scrambled to leave, but the pets are still there that survived. we traveled to the so-called exclusion zone to see for herself. >> reporter: we are heading into the exclusion zone. this is the 20-kilometer radius around the fukushima nuclear plant, and this is the area that the government has said the radiation is too high for people to live in. some 70,000 people have evacuated out of the area. we wanted to see it for ourselves.