making news on this tuesday, february 8th. >> heavy toll. if impact of two weeks of egypt protests. new reports of death. plus, vanishing tourism. we're live in giza. a polite stickup. a thief apologizes while he robs a store clerk, saying he had no other options. and celebration nation. green bay gets set for its biggest party ever. good morning. and thanks for being with us. two weeks of protests have taken a huge toll on egypt. >> according to human rights watch, nearly 300 people have been killed in the clashes with police and government supporters. >> but anti-government protesters are not giving up. thousands are entrenched in

liberation square this morning, a tent city, on this, day 15, since the revolt began. >> and one other impact in all of this, tourism. aaron katersky joins us from giza, right near the great pyramids. aaron, what's the events you are seeing there? >> reporter: this is vast emptiness. it's extraordinary to look at the pyramids of giza that have stood here for the last thousands and thousands of years. normally, there are thousands of people visiting this spot every, single day. since the protests began, they've been closed. first time in memory, tourists have not been able to visit. and that's taking a toll. not only on the economy, rob, but also on the country's soul. >> and, aaron, back in cairo, president mubarak has promised to raise salaries for government workers and investigate those reports of corruption that we're always hearing. will that send any of these protesters home? >> reporter: it's unlikely, vinita. they simply do not believe that

a government still run by president mubarak is truly serious about making the change that they've been clamoring for for the last two-plus weeks. and now, the protesters are trying to galvanize even more support. they are the biggest political factor in this country right now. they don't want to lose any momentum. and they say there's no reason to quit now. >> we've heard about that google employee, that was held for nearly two weeks. he's now been released. what else do we know about him this morning? >> reporter: well, wael ghonim has become the symbolic leader of the protests, now. he was involved, it's believe, in helping to start the social network revolution here in cairo. he was detained for ten days by the egyptian authorities. one of google's most high-profile executives here in the world. upon his release, his twitter page said freedom is a blessing worth fighting for. and he broke down in tears when he learned that some of his fellow protesters had been killed in the uprising. >> aaron katersky, live in giza this morning. thanks so much for that report.

well, there is finally a claim of responsibility for last month's deadly airport bombing in moscow. as widely expected, a leader of chechen rebels said one of his fighters carried out the attack which killed 36. that rebel leader also claims there are hundreds of others willing to carry out future attacks. in other news now, president obama is challenging the nation's businesses to get in the game, by hiring more workers. it's part of a new white house strategy to improve relations with the nation's business community. emily schmidt has details about the president's first speech to the nation's chamber of commerce. good morning, emily. >> reporter: rob, good morning to you. president obama is telling businesses he wants them to hang out more help wanted signs to help american workers. but critics say, that's one tough sales pitch, in this economic and political climate. with the markets up and unemployment down, president obama says it's time for u.s. businesses to invest in america. >> american companies have

nearly $2 trillion sitting on their balance sheets. >> reporter: his audience has also been his frequent critic, the u.s. chamber of commerce. >> if there's a reason that you don't share my confidence, if there's a reason you don't believe this is the time to get off the sidelines, to hire and to invest, i want to know about it. i want to fix it. >> reporter: house speaker john boehner said in a statement after the speech, president obama has retooled his rhetoric, but not his job-destroying policies. a chamber executive said there's simply too many regulations. >> if you're a business and you're deciding whether to invest, whether to expand, you just don't know what's coming at you. >> reporter: 20 months after the recession technically ended, economic signals remain mixed. the nationwide average for a gallon of gas is $3.13, the highest ever for february. and jobs are more secure if you have one. but harder to get, if you don't. yesterday, continental airlines and united announced their

merger means 500 texans will be laid off. >> there's a little bit of feeling of betrayal from the top. >> reporter: the government says 13.9 million americans were unemployed last month, with just 36,000 jobs added across the country. president obama is set to release his budget next monday. and a white house spokesman is promising it's going to contain significant cuts and require some tough decisions. rob? >> a budget battle on the horizon. emily schmidt, thanks for that report. two high school students from texas have been killed in gun violence across the border. the two teens, along with a third boy, were in juarez, mexico, this weekend looking at used cars, when gunmen opened fire. juarez has become one of mexico's most dangerous cities amid a fierce drug turf war. a snowstorm is bearing down on the rockies and stretching all the way to kansas. it's expected to dump ten inches of snow in denver, albuquerque, amarillo, oklahoma city, and wichita. and more than 20 inches could pile up in the mountains near denver.

temperatures are also plunging to more than 30 degrees colder than normal. the long, rough winter continues. now, for the rest of this morning's weather from around the country. a mix of rain and snow in the northeast, around philly, new york and boston. up to four inches of snow in northern new england, from vermont to maine. lake-effect snow from buffalo to rochester, new york to michigan. >> teens in detroit and indianapolis. dingell digits from fargo to minneapolis, and down to kansas city. 34 here in new york. 45 in atlanta. and 73 in miami. it's 42 in boise. 37 in salt lake city. and just 14 degrees in billings. well, on the heels of those numbers, some good news. we may not have to bundle up for much longer. spring may be in the air sooner than we think. accuweather predicts a break in the weather pattern that could bring warmer temperatures in the next ten days. one forecaster says dallas will hit 80 degrees. washington, d.c. will get up to 70 before the end of the month. >> on behalf of the nation, thank you. the victorious green bay

packers will celebrate later today, after, of course, their big super bowl win. the team returned to wisconsin yesterday, to a cheering crowd of thousands who lined the bus route. >> schools let out early. and fans took time off from work to watch the team arrival. missing from the homecoming was quarterback and mvp, aaron rodgers, who is at disney world. one dream came true. so, now, he's making the other one, right? >> very cool. celebrate, aaron. you've earned it. when we come back this morning, why gas prices show no signs of going down. then, an expectant mom's nightmare, after a local pharmacy mistakenly gives her an abortion pill. and the nfl's make-good offer to hundreds of angry super bowl fans.

the federal government releases the results of a major investigation into toyota this morning. it spent ten months researching whether an electronic problem made veh suddenly accelerate, sometimes causing fatal accidents. this morning, toyota reported a 39% prop in quarterly profits. americans filling up their cars can't but help to notice that gas prices are going up again. gas prices are now at their highest point since october of 2008. a new survey finds an average gallon of gas costs $3.13. rising worldwide demand and all that unrest in egypt are both being blamed. and we're also hearing about layoffs in the airline industry. 500 people are being cut at continental airline houston's

headquarters. continental is merging with united and moving some operations to united's headquarters. it is time, now, for a check of the overseas markets. tokyo's nikkei average gained 43 points today. hong kong's hang seng is down in late trading. in london, the ftse opened higher. yesterday, the dow gained 69 points. the nasdaq index rose 14. and some numbers for you this morning. an estimated 111 million people watched sunday's super bowl. that makes the packers' victory over the steelers the most-watched tv event in u.s. history. the previous record was last year's super bowl between the colts and the saints. and behind that, the finale of "m.a.s.h." way back in 1983. and of course, you can't blame the 400 fans with tickets but no seats, for being angry. they're were supposed to sit in the temporary seating section that went unused because of some safety concerns. but the nfl is giving them three-times the face value of their tickets. that's about 2,400 bucks. and they're also giving them

free tickets to next year's big game in indianapolis. >> some of them saying, i would have rather seen the original. >> just wanted to be in that number. exactly. coming up next on this tuesday morning, does the founder of facebook have a facebook stalker? plus, donald rumsfeld, naming names. who was to blame when the iraq war began to unravel? and the polite thief. apologizing while he got away with hundreds of dollars. thursday! finally! dinner with the girls tonight. i really want dessert. i better skip breakfast. yep, this is all i need. [ stomach growls ] [ female announcer ] skipping breakfast to get ahead? research shows that women who eat breakfast, like the special k breakfast, actually weigh less. now in new multigrain oats and honey. with honey kissed whole grains... you'll never want to skip breakfast again. make your breakfast beautiful.

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it was a tough game out there today. i thought i was going to be it forever, but then it was dig deep time, and i brought it... and i struck like a cobra. that was a good tag. [ male announcer ] kids take play seriously. nourish it. quaker chewy -- the goodness of whole grains, no high fructose corn syrup and 25% less sugar than the leading sweet snacks. unwelcome visitors are descending on the south florida shoreline. the portuguese man of war jellyfish are now being blamed for stinging more than 800 beachgoers in ft. lauderdale and palm beach over the weekend alone. and now, for a look at your morning road conditions. icy with snow on i-25, from albuquerque to denver and cheyenne. also slippery on i-70 and 80, from utah into kansas and nebraska.

wet an i-95, from philadelphia to maine. >> and if you're flying today, you can expect some airport delays in salt lake city, denver, kansas city, dallas, boston, new york and philadelphia. well, after four years of public silence, former defense secretary donald rumsfeld is speaking out. in a new book "known and unknown" rumsfeld discusses decisions surrounding the iraq war. >> diane sawyer sat down for an exclusive interview with the former head of the pentagon. >> reporter: why introduce iraq after 9/11? i mean, on that very day. >> people were trying to figure out what had happened. who did it. what was going on? so, it was their responsibility to raise those questions. >> reporter: did you drive iraq into the conversation? >> no. no. absolutely not. >> reporter: you believed, absolutely, categorically, saddam hussein had weapons of mass destruction? >> i don't do a lot of things categorically.

anyone who has around intelligence-gathering knows it could be wrong. colin powell has been around more than anybody. >> reporter: he was devastated. >> of course, he was. everybody was. he had more experience than anybody else. he worked hard with george tenet. with condi rice. he prepared his speech. he went up to the u.n. he made his case. and he wasn't lying. the idea he was lying or duped is nonsense. hillary clinton, john kerry, the french intelligence, the british intelligence, the german intelligence. it was uniform, across the board, that it was reasonable to assume that he had chemical and biological weapons. >> reporter: in his book, rumsfeld lays the blame on too many hands on the steering wheel. no coordinated plan. first, the president's right-hand adviser in the white house, condoleezza rice. >> she had never served in a senior administration position. she had been an academic. and you know, a lot of academics like to have meetings. every time, a big issue got

before the president, he was perfectly willing to make a decision. >> reporter: and secretary powell? >> he did not, in my view, do a good job of managing the people under him. there was a lot of leaking out of the state department. and the president knew it. and it was unhelpful. >> reporter: robert mcnamara said we were wrong. we were wrong. we were terribly wrong. >> that's not the case with iraq. i think the world's a better place with saddam hussein and with the taliban gone and with the al qaeda out of afghanistan. >> we will hear much more from the former defense secretary, when he appears later on "good morning america." safeway is apologizing for a prescription drug error that may have endangered a colorado woman's unborn baby. a safeway pharmacy near denver gave marina silva another woman's prescription for an abortion pill. doctors were able to prevent a miscarriage. but they said silva could lose the baby or have a deformed child.

facebook founder mark zuckerberg is trying to protect himself from an online stalker. tmz says zuckerberg retained a restraining order against a man, and his girlfriend. pradeep manukonda is also accused of sending facebook messages and a letter asking zuckerberg for money. a hearing is set for later this month. keith olbermann has a new tv gig. the former msnbc anchor is expected to announce an deal with current affairs channel. he left msnbc last month after a series of disagreements with management there. current tv is seen in about 60 million homes. and charlie sheen's career plans are also making news this morning. his attorney says the troubled actor will return to the set of his hit tv show in two weeks. sheen had been advised to stay in a rehab facility for at least 90 days. but instead, he's been getting personalized rehab at home. now

the seattle area, the remorsible robber. surveillance cameras captured the 69-year-old man holding up a gas station on saturday morning. he bought a cup of coffee. then, told the station's owner he wanted all the money in the register. >> i really am sorry to have to do this. but i've got kids. >> how about i give you $40 and this is it? >> well, i can't afford that, sir. i have rent to pay. bills. and the kids need to eat. >> the man there got away with more than $300. as he left, he said when he gets back on his feet, he would return the money. he has since been arrested. it is the second time he's been busted for armed the robbery. the first time got him three years in jail. and now, to your sports news this morning and a historymaking night in pro hoops. we get all the details, now, from espn news. >> good morning. i'm don bell with your espn news update. we start with a dubious record in the nba. byron scott and the cavs trying

to avoid an nba record, 25-straight losing streak. they're taking on the mavericks. cavs down by three. 35 seconds left in the game. down by five. ramon sessions misses. but j.j. hickson would put that down. cavs up, 99-96. same score. under ten seconds to go. anthony parker misses the three. kicks out to jamison now. and oh, they can't get off another shot. they lose one. 25-consecutive losses. it's an nba record for the cavs. carmelo anthony and the nuggets, hosting the rockets. melo had a big game. second quarter, the jumper. and fouled on the play. down by two. fourth quarter, anthony, drilled the three. later on, still trying to come back, anthony gets the reverse lay-in. 50 points. later on in the fourth, now, rockets, doing their think. shane battier to kenyon martin. he had 37 points. rockets win, 108-103. and that's all for your espn

news update. i'm don bell. now, back to you in the studio. coming up next, the stories we'll be following today. the korean peninsula comes back from the brink. and on top of all that, a city of cheeseheads gets set for a big celebration. with 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. in a medical study, 7 out of 10 stelara® patients saw at least 75% clearer skin at 12 weeks. and 6 out of 10 patients had their plaque psoriasis rated as cleared or minimal at 12 weeks. stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and increase your risk of infections. some serious infections require hospitalization. before starting stelara®, your doctor should test for tuberculosis. stelara® may increase your risk of cancer. always tell your doctor if you have any sign of infection, or have had cancer. alert your doctor of new or worsening problems including headaches, seizures, confusion and vision problems. these may be signs of a rare,

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killed since those demonstrations began. representatives from north and south korea have been meeting today, setting the stage for future negotiations. it's the first official dialogue since the north's rocket attack on a south korean island last year. first lady michelle obama launches a media blitz to mark the first anniversary of let's move, her campaign against childhood obesity. people from the rockies to the plains are bracing for another big snowstorm that could dump nearly a foot of snow around amarillo and oklahoma city. and packers' fans who cheered their team's buses on the way to lambeau field yesterday can celebrate the victory today inside the stadium. the players, coaches and management are holding a big party today to honor sunday's big victory over the steelers. coming up later today on "good morning america," a florida teenager who is not content with the usual dog or cat for a pet. this young girl sleeps with a tiger cub in her bed every, single night. the full story on "gma." for some of you, your local news is next.

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we want to show you some video that caught our attention this morning. the job market is so bleak in japan, they are actually holding pep rallies to encourage college students who are looking for

work. >> more than 1,000 students crowded into a park to offer each other moral support and to appeal for jobs. it's gotten so bad in that country that the government is offering money to companies willing to hire new grads. >> we could use some pep rallies in the u.s. >> amen. finally this morning, the big buzz over that little boy behind one of the most popular super bowl ads. >> now that the minidarth vader has been unmasked, he is in new york. and more, now, from abc's lucy yang. >> reporter: he's the pint-sized kid who stole the super bowl show and america's heart. we made 6-year-old max page on broadway, still trying to channel the force. >> oh. >> reporter: truth be told, max, a child actor from california, has never seen any of the "star wars" movies. >> it hurts your hands. but i can't -- i don't get tired. it's fun. >> reporter: max was invited to

the stage of "driving miss daisy" to meet the real voice of darth vader, james earl jones. >> that's the fun part of being an actor. fun part of being a child. >> reporter: max was born with a heart season. at 3 months old, he had open-heart surgery. a pacemaker was implanted. doctors said he would never play pro football. but they never said anything about playing at the super bowl. >> our goal isn't that max is famous at anything. >> we're hoping that through max and some of the story, there's parents and families out there that's going to hear this and be able to rally. >> it's kind of fun for my brother to, like, act. >> reporter: for this overnight sensation, it's not about what he can't do. it's about all the things he can. >> hi. >> reporter: in times square, lucy yang, channel 7, eyewitness news. >> adorable little boy. that's what's making news in america this morning.