making news in america this morning. >> it's one of the busiest travel days of the year. but will the weather keep some families from getting together this christmas? about-face. house republicans back down from their standoff over the payroll tax cut to ensure millions of americans will not see a tax hike come new year's day. and bad buy. best buy tells some customers they won't have their gifts to put under the tree, just days before christmas. good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm sunny hostin. americans are heading out in droves this christmas weekend. the past few days have already brought drenching rain, mounds of snow and rare, winter twisters.

>> it's a mess. dozens of flight cancellations have set some holiday travelers back. but today, things are starting to look up a little bit. abc's paul beban has the latest on this. good morning to you, paul. >> reporter: good morning, rob and sunny. as you say, it's been a pretty crazy couple of days. even tornados in december. as of now, it looks like most people will be able to get where they want to go for the holidays. it's the peak of the holiday season. almost 92 million americans expected to travel. in denver, several feet of new snow is slowing things down at the airport. >> waiting to get out of here. >> reporter: this year, thanks to the sluggish economy, more people are driving than flying. road crews are out in force, to keep things moving. but snow isn't all mother nature has up her sleeve. in california, high winds toppled some tractor-trailers. >> a sign already flew off and almost hit us. >> reporter: across the south, severe weather. strong winds doing damage in louisiana. but so far, the overall travel picture isn't too bad. even flying to houston from afghanistan.

>> surprisingly smooth. >> reporter: and in denver, it wasn't the nightmare some had feared. >> i was expecting a lot worse. >> i was expecting much worse. i was expecting to have to stay in colorado an extra day. don't have any control over this. going to have to roll with it. do your best. have a good book to read. >> reporter: at chicago's o'hare airport, a frequent trouble spot, even santa made his connection. and even though fewer americans are flying this year, it may not feel like it. airlines have cut capacity. so, the flights are going to be full. and thanks to rising costs, fares are up, too. about 10%. rob and sunny? >> our abc's paul beban. thanks a lot for that report, paul. and that wild weather that slammed the south also spawned a couple of tornados. snapping trees, tearing off roofs and damaging some cars, as well. georgia was especially hard-hit. at least two people were injured by broken glass, as powerful winds and heavy rain tore through the northern part of the state. on top of that, thousands of homes and businesses lost power. and time, now, for the weather from across the nation.

snow finally tapers off by noon from albuquerque to el paso. more powerful santa ana winds sweep through southern california. much drier along the east coast, with lingering morning snowshowers in northern new england, around vermont and maine. scattered thunderstorms in florida, from orlando to jacksonville. >> a sunny and warm 83 in miami. 61 in atlanta. 51 here in new york. mostly 30s in the middle of the country. just 29 in fargo. 44 in billings. phoenix climbs to 61. sacramento, 56. salt lake city, 32. safe travels millions of americans worried about a tax hike on new year's day can breathe a little easier. there's going to be a two-month extension of the payroll tax cut after all. under intense republican leaders in the house agreed to go along with the senate's short-term solution. abc's karen travers is joining us this morning from washington with details. good morning, karen. >> reporter: good morning, rob. good morning, sunny.

house republicans really boxed themselves into a corner on this one. and it was starting to hurt them politically. by yesterday, it became a matter of when, not if, they were going to cave. congress has a holiday gift for 160 million american taxpayers. they won't have to ring in the new year with a tax hike. after digging in their heels for days, house republican leaders agreed to a short-term extension of the payroll tax cut. >> you know, sometimes it's hard to do the right thing. and sometimes it's politically difficult to do the right thing. >> reporter: speaker boehner announced tonight that his party will accept the two-month extension that passed the senate with overwhelming bipartisan support. but his reluctance came through, loud and clear. >> i don't think it's any time for celebration. >> reporter: as part of the deal, the senate will appoint members to negotiate with the house on a one-year extension that house republicans have been pushing for. that led house republicans save some political face, even as they threw in their cards. earlier today, president obama couldn't hold back his frustration with congress.

>> as this place becomes so dysfunctional, that even when people agree to things, we can't do it. >> reporter: all week, the white house has kept up a steady drum beat, focusing on how this partisan standoff would cost americans $40 every two weeks. >> we all have bills to pay. we try to make it paycheck-to-paycheck, the way it is. >> reporter: president obama congratulated congress for getting this wrapped up. he says this is real money that will make a real difference in people's lives. rob and sunny? >> thanks a lot, karen. mitt romney has picked up a pretty influential supporter. former president george h.w. bush is giving romney his unofficial endorsement. he tells "the houston chronicle" that romney is the best choice. bush says he likes fellow texan, rick perry, but says perry lost a little of his momentum. the former president says he likes romney's stability, experience and principles. well, christmas has some early for school systems in seven states. they will divide a $200 million jackpot, as part of the obama

administration's race to the top. the states are arizona, colorado, illinois, kentucky, louisiana, new jersey and pennsylvania. the money will go towards improving "k" through 12 education, especially in science, technology, engineering and math. the passenger who helped subdue that so-called underwear bomber on christmas day two years ago is now seeking $10 million in damages. the man says he sustained numerous injuries after jumping on uram farouk abdulmutallab as he attempted to set off a bomb in his underpants. he's claiming that delta and air france-klm were negligent, by allowing abdulmutallab on the flight. a judge in new york has signed off on a virtually meaningless judgment that finds that al qaeda, the taliban and iraq were liable for the 9/11 attacks. the ruling came in a $100 billion lawsuit, brought by family members of victims of the attacks. and lots of changes apparently need to be made on what is probably the nation's

most hallowed ground. congress says one-quarter of the headstones in arlington national cemetery need to be replaced or added to accurately account for the dead. a cemetery official says a full review continues. and that it is premature to estimate how many headstones should be replaced. and up next on "america this morning," why best buy may not have been the best place to get your christmas gifts this year. >> a lot of folks not happy about that. and also this morning, a breakthrough in the search for the geezer's bandit. how the nickname may have thrown investigators off the scent.wl @@qh$ ú

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♪ overseas markets are up on signs the u.s. economy is getting stronger. tokyo's nikkei exchange was closed today. but hong kong's hang seng gained 251 points. in london, the ftse opened higher. and on wall street, the dow picked up 62 points yesterday. the nasdaq index was up 21. for some holiday shoppers, best buy has become worst buy. the world's largest consumer el

canceled some online orders because it simply ran out of the products. the orders were placed thanksgiving weekend. but best buy's only now notifying customers that it cannot deliver. all indications are that holiday shopping is up this year. but so are returns. customers are expected to return more than $46 billion of products purchased this holiday season, a 4% increase. of course, some of that rise is because sales were also up. pilots who fly u.p.s. planes say they want to be protected by the very same, new government rules about getting enough sleep. so, now they have filed suit over the issue. cargo carriers are exempt from the new rule. the faa says it would simply cost too much when compared with the safety benefits. a rare american sports car goes on the auction block next year. it's a chevrolet corvette roadster from 1953, the first year they were made. it was the fifth to roll off the assembly line and one of the first three to be sold to the public. the car is expected to fetch,

get this, more than $500,000. >> that's what i want for christmas. and a piece of hollywood history is also up for sale. the new york city home featured in the legendary movie, "breakfast at tiffany's" is now on the market. only the exterior of the duplex townhome was actually used in the movie. but it will take a movie star's paycheck to buy it. the asking price, almost $6 million. >> i want that house. >> you want that house? >> "breakfast at tiffany's." >> i get the car. you get the house. very nice. >> we're there. >> 22 years of layaway payments. when we come back this morning, tim tebow is on fire on the football field. find out why book sellers are very happy about his heroics. plus, a close encounter with a family of gorillas.

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a series of powerful earthquakes in new zealand sent workers diving under their desks

in the city of christchurch. about 60 people were treated for some minor injuries including fractures, injuries sustained in falls and also people with some emotional trauma, as well. christchurch is still recovering from a devastating quake that killed nearly 200 people back in february. the washington monument is also recovering from an earthquake. it's been closed ever since a 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck the washington area last august. a new report says there's extensive cracks and chipped stones at the top of the 157-year-old monument. it will cost about $15 million half wilto fix it. half will be paid by the government. half by private donations. now, let's take a look at your morning conditions on this friday. wet on i-90, from the boston to buffalo. and i-90 new york to portland. icy northward. rain dampens i-10, 75 and 95 in florida. snow and ice on i-10, 25 and 40, from new mexico to the texas panhandle. also, windy on i-5, from l.a. to san diego. >> if you're flying,

weather-related airport delays are possible in new york, boston and los angeles. and the search for little ayla reynolds in maine is nearly a week old. and police say everything still remains a possibility. 20-month-old ayla was last seen last saturday at her parents' home. police tape was put up around the house yesterday, as authorities intensified their focus there. two of maine's top homicide prosecutors were there. but authorities said nothing should be read into that. authorities in southern california are re-evaluating their search for a bank robber. the old man known as the geezer bandit is now being blamed for 16 holdups just over the past 2 years. but as we hear from abc's alex stone, the investigators now think the perp may be just a pup. >> reporter: he looks like an old man, leaving the fbi to call him the geezer bandit. for two years, federal agents have been on his trail. they thought they were trying to nab somebody in his 60s or 70s.

but now, it appears he may actually be much younger. >> when you look at the video and see him sprint away from the bank parking lot, it would appear that the person who's running, is running a pretty good pace. >> reporter: this is video from the geezer bandit's most recent heist. a bank teller was able to put a dye back in the bag of money. >> you see him drop to the ground. he scrambles around, appearing to collect his belongings. collect some of the money and other documents he had there in the bank. and then, he sprints out. >> reporter: if it is a younger man, the disguise has worked. he's pulled off 16 bank robberies in california. and he's gained a following. the geezer bandit facebook page now has close to 12,000 fans. and they even sell geezer bandit merchandise. the fbi now believers the robber bought his old man mask from this company in van nuys, california, the place that made the mask freddy krueger wears in "the nightmare on elm street" movies. if true, it's not the first time criminals have come here. >> people have used our masks

for illegal purposes. >> reporter: a young chinese defector recently used the elder mask to board a plane in hong kong. police have issued a search warrant to get a list of who bought in old man mask from the company. the fbi wants to know if the geezer bandit really is a geezer. alex stone, abc news, los angeles. john edwards is trying to delay his upcoming criminal trial by two months because of an undisclosed medical condition. attorneys for edwards filed the request yesterday, stating the medical issue would make it extraordinarily difficult if the trial were held late next month as scheduled. edwards is charged with using money from wealthy donors to support and hide his pregnant mistress during his 2008 presidential run. we told you yesterday about his disparaging comment about first lady michelle obama made by republican congressman jim sensenbrenner. sensenbrenner has apologized for saying mrs. obama has a big butt. he says he regrets the inappropriate comment.

he also sent the first lady a personal note. denver broncos quarterback, tim tebow, of course, has been a phenom on the football field this season. but he's been just as successful off of it. tebow's biography, "through my eyes" is the top-selling release of the year from a leading religion book publisher. the book has sold 200,000 copies since june. and not surprisingly, sales have been surging with each broncos win. and most of the nfl -- most of the week 16 nfl action, excuse me, takes place tomorrow. of course, because sunday is christmas. it all started with a surprising thursday night special, though, as we hear now from espn news. >> good morning. i'm zubin mehenti. welcome to your espn news update. and break out the indianapolis colts. what has gotten into them lately. no peyton manning. but apparently no problem for the colts. it was not easy, though. first quarter, dan orlovsky, the

scrimmage for indy. fumbles. texans recover. turns it over rt indy turns it over right off the bat. and houston would take advantage thanks to the best running back in the game. arian foster, untouched, nine yards into the end zone. 7-0. let's move ahead to the fourth. colts down 13-9. orlovsky drops back. austin collie, the former byu star, streaking down the sidelines. colts within field goal range. they're down 13-12, as a result. later in the fourth, fourth down for houston. t.j. yates, behind kevin walter, the ball is deflected a couple of times and somehow ends up in the hands of jacoby jones for the first down. one more look. peyton manning is beside himself. and jones grabs it off the back. texans would grab a field goal out of that and take a 16-12 lead. ensuing drive for indy, orlovsky drops back and throws to reggie wayne. these two had words early in the game. but everything seems fine now. they're connecting. down to the 20. first and goal for indianapolis. later in the drive, orlovsky throws incomplete to jacob

handy. pass interference is called on the play. peyton manning wants to see it thrown. and on the last play, he throws it to wayne. he goes up and makes the catch. that gives the colts their second win in as many weeks, after losing their first 13 games of the season.colts win, . colts win, 19-16. and that is your espn news update.bin mehenti. i'm zubin mehenti. have a great day. >> colts found their groove just a little too late, though. >> yes. well, we have some spectacular video to show you this morning. it was shot by an astronaut aboard the international space station. and it shows a comet called comet lovejoy. love that name. as it passed by earth. >> check it out. before the sun came up, the earth's rim is lit up here as a sliver of green. then, you see the comet, the long streak of light on the left side of your screen. just seconds before sun rises and blocks out the view. the space station commander, ben burbank, says it's the most amazing thing he's seen in space. the video was shot 240 miles above earth's horizon.

what an image. up next, "the pulse." and why fewer people may be kissing this christmas. >> that's disappointing. and humans and gorillas. closer than you may think. hurry to jcpenney... ...for the final day re christmas... ...and shop til midnight for those last minute gifts. save 60% off must have winter coats. 60% off the coziest sleepwear. 9.99 for the coolest men's shirts. and 40 to 60% off fine jewelry. need another idea? get the jcp gift card. the perfect gift to bring holiday cheer. don't miss the final days to save before christmas. go to jcp.com to see everything on sale. we make christmas affordable. you make it yours. jcpenney. come for a smoke? yeah. no. you telling me you quit? yeah, i'm on my way. i'm trying nicoderm cq. [ male announcer ] every time you say no to a cigarette, celebrate a little win with nicoderm cq,

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they say it's the season for gifts and good cheer. but this year, it's not the season for mistletoe. >> that's right because there's a severe shortage of the greenery, so famous for all those kissing beneath it. the shortage is blamed on a severe drought in texas and poor weather conditions in other areas where it's grown. >> it was so bad, in fact, one of the nation's largest suppliers, which is based in texas, actually halted shipments for the first time in nearly 60 years. >> you can still kiss. >> fellas, just find more creative ways. that's right. and if you spend much time in a big city, you're familiar with pigeons. they're just all over the place. and they hate to yield the sidewalks to people. but who knew how smart they are? >> isn't see this comie ingcomi. it turns out, they're math whizzes. a new zealand study finds they cannot only count, which lots of animals can do. they can learn abstract rules about numbers, too. that makes them as smart as monkeys. or one researcher put it, they are the einsteins of the bird world. >> that surprises me. that shocks me.

>> i thought they were dumb birds. >> i grew up in the city. they're everywhere. i had no idea they were outsmarting other birds. >> learn something every day. now, to an amazing close encounter between man and beast. it was all captured on camera. >> braver than i am. a pack of wild gorillas, babies and all, strolled into a campsite in uganda and was captivated by one of their human cousins. the man stayed still as they poked and prodded. they even groomed his hair a little bit. once the gorillas had enough of him, they just as casually sauntered back into the wild. >> close encounters only happen a few times a year. and they're rarely caught on tape. i'm afraid for him. those are strong animals. >> that could have ended badly. better him than me. i would have been gone, through the woods. later. you're brave. for some of you, now, your local news is coming up next. >> and for everyone else, we'll be back with a holiday gift from a brother to his sister that's going to be hard to match this year.

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their own beds. holiday shopping takes a violent turn. a man was shot in the san leandro wal-mart parking lot. freezing cold this morning until at least 9:00. we may have a repeat performance tonight. updating the day's top stories. much of the wild weather that's been slamming parts of the country should taper off by this morning. that's making it easier for millions of americans to get to their christmas destination. the payroll tax cut will be extended for at least two months. house speaker john boehner admits opposing the extension may not have been the smartest move politically. mitt romney gets an endorsement from former president george h.w. bush. mr. bush had packed rick perry but now says perry has lost momentum. looking now at today's weather. more ferocious santa ana winds in southern california. and snow wraps up from

albuquerque to el paso. scattered thunderstorms in florida. and lingering snow in northern new england. and finally this half hour, a story about the true spirit of this season. it's all about a pair of siblings in south florida. >> a younger brother has given his older sister the gift of life. arie haight from our west palm beach affiliate reports. >> reporter: kristy carlson is ten years older than her little brother. but they've always been close. >> i was always her little shadow growing up. >> reporter: but neither noticed that kristy was sick. she was always tired. but just thought that was normal. then, in june, she noticed her feet were swollen. >> that kind of scared me. i went to the doctor. they did the bloodwork. the next day, they said go to the e.r. >> reporter: it turns out, kristy's kidneys had never matured. she was in end-stage renal failure. kristy was dying. >> i didn't believe them. i'm like, you're wrong.

i need another opinion. >> reporter: but every opinion was the same. her best chance for survival, a kidney transplant. and that's where casey comes in. >> considering her condition, i thought it was necessary to go through with it and help my sister out. save her life. >> i was superexcited. superhappy. very thankful. wondering if, when the day comes, if he's going to go through with it. >> reporter: months of testing later, that day did come. and casey did go through with it. the two siblings arrived at the hospital at 4:00 a.m., terrified. together. and we held hands and kind of just said good-bye. >> thank you. love you. see you in a few hours. >> reporter: casey and kristy woke up in separate hospital rooms. now, a month later, both are healthy. >> he's my little hero. brave, brave hero. >> i don't know if i'm a hero. >> you are a hero. for sure. >> thank you.