making news in america this morning. >> the president's message from tucson. >> they believe and i believe that we can be better. >> challenging the nation to a new era of civility after the shootings. plus, news few expected. a hospital room miracle. the congresswoman opens her eyes for the first time. and new details. the suspect's former girlfriend talks about life in the loughner house. good morning, everyone. thanks for being with us. news of if congresswoman opening her eyes was one of the most emotional moments of the president's speech.

>> his was a brief visit to tucson to deliver comfort to the families and pull the nation together. >> emily schmidt joins us with the latest. good morning, emily. >> reporter: vinita and rob, good morning to you. the president last night spoke of heroes and hope. and then, he shared that unexpected news that brought thousands of people to their feet. there were 26,000 people in the memorial service crowd. and president obama told them, they were not alone in their grief. >> the hopes of the nation are here tonight. we mourn with you for the fallen. >> reporter: mr. obama honored the six people killed in saturday's shooting and 13 wounded. he had come straight from congresswoman gabrielle giffords' hospital room, with an emotional update. >> a few minutes after we left her room and some of her colleagues in congress were in the room, gabby opened her eyes for the first time. >> reporter: new york senator

kirsten gillibrand was in the hospital room. and she describes the moment. >> she struggled. and in a few moment, she opened her eyes. and mark, her husband, was so excited. he just said, if you can see us, if you can see us, give us the thumbs-up. she not only gave the thumbs-up, she raised her whole arm. >> reporter: it was a moment of hope in a day of new details about accused gunman jared loughner. police say he had 12 previous encounters with him, including 2 arrests for alcohol and marijuana possession. he was pulled over three hours before the shootings for running a red light but given a verbal warning. president obama cautioned not to use the shooting to turn on one another. >> it's important for us to pause for a moment, and make sure we're talking with each other in a way that heals. >> reporter: president obama said our democracy should be as good as 9-year-old victim christina-tailor green imagined it. her funeral mass will be held

this afternoon. vinita and rob? >> emily, we heard the thunderous applause when the congresswoman opened her eyes. what else happened in the hospital room? >> reporter: at the moment it happened, everyone was overwhelmed, including the doctor. who said the congresswoman's actions were greater and went beyond anything anyone had been hoping for. he also said that there's a true belief that she was responding deliberately to people's request. and that was a much-needed sign of encouragement, in the midst of so much grief. vinita and rob? >> amazing recovery also. emily schmidt, thank you. like many presidents before him, president obama's role last night in tucson was to be chief comforter. and his speech is being measured with those delivered in times of crisis by presidents reagan, clinton and even lincoln. matthew dowd says the speech's tone is one we will see again soon. >> i say stay tuned to his state of the union address. i think he's going to take this

speech and make it one step further to change the dialogue in this country. >> dowd says it will take more speeches by the president to overcome the current political polarization. we're learned more about the troubled side of jared loughner from those closest to him. his former girlfriend said she was dating him at age 13. and even at that age, he showed hostility at the government. >> what potentially set him off that way? >> things about politics. things about the government. he basically thought that the government was crap. and that it was this big, bad thing. i honestly think he had some kind of definite dysfunction in his fa his family. they were kind of there. i think he lacked parental role in his life. >> the young woman said the loughner's parents never allowed her in the house. she wrote things off, she says, because of loughner's outbursts that made her feel

uncomfortable. aides for sarah palin says there's been a surge in death threats against her since the shooting. palin's website last year, of course, placed crosshairs on targeted districts, including giffords'. there's also some new controversy that palin has released a video statement, blaming the media for stirring up emotions. >> journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel. this serves only to incite the very hatred and violence that they purport to condemn. >> palin's use of that term, blood libel, has offended some jewish groups. historically that refers to a time when jews were falsely accused of killing christian children for their blood. we'll have much more from tucson later today on "good morning america." turning overseas, now, to the deadly flooding in northeastern australia. there's actually some good news from the city of brisbane, where authorities say floodwaters are beginning to recede. it's hard to believe seeing these pictures, though.

the river crested three feet lower than its record level in 1974. one local leader says the rebuilding effort is going to be the equivalent of that after a war. meanwhile, in brazil, a mudslide has devastated a mountain town north of rio. the hillsides gave way after absorbing nearly a foot of rain in 24 hours. more than 250 people were killed. and rescuers expect to find many more when they resume their efforts later today. a lot of digging out in the northeast this morning, after another monster storm unleashed more than two feet of snow. the worst of it slamming new england. and a state of emergency was declared in massachusetts, where 100,000 people lost power. snowfall records were broken across connecticut. and 1,700 flights were canceled just here in the new york area alone. and now, for this morning's weather from around the nation. up to three feet of lake -- three inches, rather, of lake-effect snow from michigan,

indiana, to buffalo and pittsburgh. snow across much of minnesota, down to the quad cities. stormy in the pacific northwest. two feet of snow in the northern cascades and northern rockies. and rain along the coast of washington and oregon. >> still cold in the south. 41 in dallas. 44 in new orleans. 34 in atlanta. the northeast hovers around the 30-degree mark. meanwhile, 20s from detroit to kansas city. just 14 degrees in fargo. it's 41 in boise. and 33 in salt lake city. and one more weather note this morning. you wouldn't know it judging from the frigid temps you've been seeing in the u.s. and europe, lately. but 2010 actually tied with 2005 as the warmest year on record. 2010 also went down as the wettest year ever. >> knowing it was the warmest doesn't make me warmer right now. >> not at all. when we come back on this thursday, the effort to reschedule passengers from the 5,000 canceled flights this week. plus, one airline's new approach to overbooked flights. could it change the industry? and one pop star's nine-digit payday.

brace yourself for higher prices at the supermarket. a drop in key crops, including corn and soybeans, sent grain prices surging to their highest levels in 2 1/2 years wednesday. many food companies were already planning to hike prices that year. and rising crop costs will only put more pressure on them. a record number of americans fell victim to the foreclosure crisis last year. and this year may be even worse.

figures out this morning show 1 in 45 homes received some type of foreclosure notice last year. banks also repossessed more than 1 million homes. and most experts believe foreclosures will peak this year. aig says it will close a deal with the government tomorrow, paving the way for it to repay its massive taxpayer bailout. the agreement will let the insurance company sell stock and free itself from government ownership. asian markets are higher this morning, as fears over europe's debt crisis eased. tokyo's nikkei average rose 0.7% today. hong kong's hang seng climbed 0.5%. in london, the ftse opened lower. on wall street, the dow rose 83 points yesterday. the nasdaq added 20 points. well, how much would it take for you to give up your seat on an overbooked flight? delta is now letting passengers name their price. it has created an auction system, taking bids for bumping. of course, delta accepts the lowest bids first. so, you don't want to ask for too much. well, 2011 could be lady

gaga's year. after landing at number seven on "forbes'" list of highest-earning musicians last year, the magazine predicts the pop star will be number one this year. she is expected to earn more than $100 million, thanks to a hit tour and the release of her second album, which is due out in may. not bad to be gaga. >> not bad for 24 years old, too. >> incredible. coming up next on this thursday, another member of congress is threatened with death. then, the reluctant hero. we talk to the college student seated next to the president during last night's memorial. and a seismic loss on the college hardcourt. an unranked team takes down number one. g? but i was still skating on thin ice with my cholesterol. anyone with high cholesterol may be at increased risk of heart attack. diet and exercise weren't enough for me. i stopped kidding myself. i've been eating healthier, exercising more

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and new england yesterday. the airlines are hoping to have everyone on their way today and off their floor, i'm guessing. >> wow. if you're flying today, you can expect some weather-related airport delays in seattle, minneapolis, detroit and boston. >> stormy conditions will also leave i-5 wet along the oregon and washington coast. snowy roads in the cascades and rockies on i-94, from fargo to madison. and on i-90, from cleveland to syracuse. icy across the south, on i-20, from shreveport to atlanta. more on our top story this morning. the memorial service last night in tucson for victims of saturday's shooting. among those who spoke, daniel hernandez, congresswoman giffords' famous tern. >> he had worked for her for five days when he rushed toward the gunman to her, and likely saved her life by applying pressure to her wounds. david wright spoke with hernandez last night. >> reporter: i cannot imagine how humbling it must be to have, not only the president of the

united states singling you out by name, and applauding your heroism. but 14,000 members of your community standing on their feet to second the motion. >> i think it's humbling to get recognized by even one person. when you start getting recognized by people like the governor and the president, it's a humbling experience. >> reporter: you had the added burden of having to get up there and speak yourself. that must have been nerve-racking. >> it was nerve-racking because you only get one shot at it. at the end, i ended up tossing out what i had written beforehand and just kind of winged it. i thought it would be better if i spoke from the heart. >> reporter: i think the thing that people took away from the speech, and the thing that the president took away from it, your demurl on the heroism. >> i don't think i'm a hero. people they be brave at the time. i think to do something that's heroic, is to do something that's long and sustained. people like congresswoman

gabrielle giffords has been doing all her life. gabe zimmerman, who lost his life. and pam summer, who i had a chance to talk to today briefly for the first time since the incident. they're people that have dedicated their lives to helping others. giving up your life to help others is really something that's heroic. not stepping up once and being brave. >> reporter: the president did share a bit of good news in his piece. the fact that congresswoman giffords' eyes opened for the first time since saturday. did you have any idea that was coming? >> i had no idea. that's the first time i smiled in days. hearing that news, after hearing that she was breathing on her own is incredible. that type of injury, i've been told, is extremely dangerous. not a lot of people make it. but knowing that gabby is the real fighter she is, she's going to keep on fighting. >> thanks to david wright for that. threatening messages from a democratic congressman from washington state has landed a man in jail. charles haberman of palm

springs, california, made a court appearance yesterday. he is charged with making threatening phone calls to representative jim mcdermott. he could be released on bond later today. haitians at home and abroad paused to commemorate a somber anniversary. services were held across the poverty-stricken nation yesterday, to mark one year since the thquake that killed more than 230,000 people. there was a moment of silence at 4:35 p.m., the exact moment that quake struck. in your medical news this morning, a promising, new test could make amniocentesis a thing of the past. a new test is catching every days of down syndrome. doctors said the test offers the same answers as a risky amnio, that kauszs women to miscarry. we finally know who is going to split that what happening $380 million megamillions

jackpot. a week after a washington state couple claimed their half, lottery officials say a 29-year-old mother of two in idaho is holding the other winning ticket. holly lahti is not ready to face the public just yet, though. she is separated from her husband, who says the first he heard about his wife's windfall was from a reporter. and here are some numbers from last night's college basketball action. 15 of the top 25-ranked peoples were in action. and five of them lost, including the one at the very top. we get the details now from espn news. >> good morning. i'm don bell with your espn news update. a major shakeup in college basketball. we go to tallahassee. coach mike krzyzewski and duke taking on florida state. nolan smith hits the three. top of the key. duke down by one. next possession, derwin kitchen driving to the hole. pulls up with the big line jumper. he had 42. florida state up by three. 30 seconds left to play.

smith hits the three. duke down by two. 22 seconds left. smith, driving. the shot, no good. it's a major upset. florida state wins 66-61. new michigan football head coach, brady hoke, sitting courtside as the wolverines host ohio state. and tim hardaway jr., with the three. tied at 31-31. second half, soldier in the lane. he had 20 points. buckeyes up by nine. under 20 seconds to play. michigan down by four. darius morris, with the drive. michigan down by just two. after two buckeyes free throws, hardaway jr., no good. the buckeyes win, 68-64. that is your espnews update. i'm don bell. now, back to you in the studio. >> as a carolina grad, no problem with that duke loss. i have to put that out there. sorry. coming up next, we'll update

our top story. what some are calling a miracle from the hospital room of congresswoman gabrielle giffords. [ spongecaster ] we're here at the winter dishwashing championship, a challenge to hands this time of year. what's this? she's hurtling down that sink with no protective gear. oh, no! her hands could dry out. [ female announcer ] don't worry, you can keep your hands in beautiful form with dawn hand renewal with olay beauty. it goes beyond dishwashing to help your hands seal in moisture while you do the dishes. [ spongecaster ] hands down, a beautiful performance. [ female announcer ] dawn does more... [ spongecaster ] so it's not a chore. with chili's new $6 lunch break. choose a salad or tasty soup. pair it with a texas toast half sandwich, like our southwestern blt with applewood smoked bacon. served with fries, it's big flavor for just 6 bucks! weekdays at chili's. so my old contact lenses would sometimes move out of place and blur my vision.

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husband's arm. and even tried to hug him. funeral services are set today for the youngest of the victims. family and friends attend a mass this afternoon for 9-year-old christina-taylor green. overseas, vice president biden has follow-up visits to pakistan and afghanistan with an unannounced stop in iraq. on the agenda is the future of the u.s. mission there, which is set to end this year. the aircraft carrier "uss enterprise" sails for deployment to the middle east today. "the enterprise" is under new leadership after captain owen honors was relieved of his command after a series of raunchy videos. and the government is taking on new guidelines for school lunches. "good morning america" has an exclusive look at what foods will be on and off the cafeteria menu. >> a lot of new bans to salt and sugar. for some of you, your local news is coming up next. >> for everyone else, more from the president's emotional speech in tucson. winter can be beautiful.

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and finally this morning, another look at that very emotional memorial in tucson. >> as the country comes to terms

with the violent attack, president obama paid tribute to the innocent victims who were gunned down in a matter of seconds. >> the loss of these wonderful people should make every one of us strive to be better. to be better in our private lives. be better friends and neighbors. co-workers and parents. let us remember, it is not because a simple act of civility caused this tragedy. but rather because only a more civil and honest public discourse can help us face up to the challenges of our nation, in a way that would make them proud. we should be civil because we want to live up to the example of public servants, like john roll and gabby giffords, who knew first and foremost that we are all americans. who knew that we can question each other's ideas without questioning our love of country.

they believe and i believe that we can be better. we may not be able to stop all evil in the world. but i know that how we treat one another, that's entirely up to us. and i believe that for all our imperfections, we are full of decency and goodness. and that the forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us. that's what i believe. in part, because that's what a child like christina-taylor green believed. imagine for a moment, here was a young girl who was just becoming aware of our democracy. i want to live up to her expectations. i want our democracy to be as good as christina imagined it. i want america to be as good as she imagined it.