york city, i'm nora o'donnel. captioning funded by cbs it's wednesday, december 23rd, 2015. this is the "cbs morning news." a campaign trail clash. hillary clinton responds to the latest round of insults thrown her way by gop front-runner donald trump. weather worries, as the number of travelers heading out for the holidays hits a record. and mysterious lights illuminate the western skies. star gazers grab their cameras to record a fireball streaking along the horizon. so what was it?

57 newsroom at cbs news headquarters here in new york. good to be with you. i'm anne-marie green. donald trump is denying he used vulgar language to mock hillary clinton, but his latest, more personal attack on clinton is raising eyebrows and creating headlines. clinton told "the des moines register," she is not surprised and she's not sure trump has any boundaries at all. weijia jiang has our report. >> reporter: hillary clinton fired back at gop front-runner donald trump during her 20th campaign visit to iowa tuesday night. >> the rhetoric has been hateful towards so many people. we are better than that and we need to stand up and demonstrate it all the time. >> reporter: trump launched his latest attacks at clinton during his monday night rally in grand rapids, michigan. first, he critiqued clinton's weekend debate appearance when she dashed away during a commercial break to use the restroom. >> i'm watching the debate and she disappeared!

i know where she went. it's disgusting. i don't want to taught about it. >> reporter: then he used a vulgar, yiddish expression to slam clinton on her loss to president obama in 2008. >> she was going to beat obama and she was favored to win and she got -- she lost. i mean, she lost. >> reporter: republican rival jeb bush took a swipe at both candidates as he campaigned in new hampshire. at clinton. >> she is great at being the victim, you know, the school enhancer victimology status. >> reporter: then at trump. >> trump is not going to be president because he says these things. it turns people off. >> i hope you'll come caucus. >> reporter: the candidates will soon find out whether the strong language on the campaign trail will matter to voters. the iowa caucuses are a little more than a month away. weijia jiang, cbs news, washington. well, trump blames the, quote, dishonest main stream media for giving the word he used a false meaning. in a tweet, trump refused to back off and he said the word he

often used in politics. meanwhile's trump republican opponent ted cruz is lashing out at the "the washington post." . cruz was respond to go a cartoon which portrayed him as an organ grinder dressed as a monkey and monkeys danced around him. and then it followed an advertisement and cruz reaching christmas stories to his daughters. "the washington post" makes fun of my girls. stick with attacking me and caroline and catherine are out of your league. the editor said he did not look it before it was published. now to the weather. another round of harsh storms is expected to pound the west. there is heavy snow in the mountains of utah, california, and washington, while some areas have been soaked and battered by powerful winds. >> i heard a loud boom, but didn't really know what it was, and then the whole house, it was like on a little trampoline.

everything went flying. >> along the east coast, it's unseasonably warm. record breaking temperatures are expected for christmas eve and christmas day. well, today is get-away day for millions of holiday travelers, but some of that severe weather could put a damper on their travel plans. a large storm system has moved over the southeast, bringing rounds of heavy rain and travelers along the east will have to deal with heavy rain as well. don champion is here in new york at laguardia airport. don, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the lower gas prices and the improving economy are expected to help make this one of the heaviest traveled holidays ever. as you can see behind me so far here at laguardia, things are off to a smooth start, but as you mentioned, weather could create some headaches elsewhere. from the road to the friendly skies, people across the u.s. are making their way home for the holidays. >> it's always levels of

>> there is a long line on the gate when i was pulling up. i thought, oh, no, how long is this going to take? >> reporter: for the first time, aaa predicts the number of people making a journey 50 or more miles between christmas and new year's will top 100 million, making it the seventh consecutive year of growth. >> we thought we would go today instead of tomorrow. i know tomorrow will be a nightmare. >> reporter: the holiday rush comes as severe thunderstorms and tornadoes threaten parts of the south and midwest. >> cold dry air coming down across the plains and very unusually warm, moist air being lifted up out of the gulf of mexico, so we are watching this particular area. >> reporter: storms grounded several flights at san francisco international airport on tuesday. christina durant and her kids were on their way to disney land. >> a christmas gift from their aunts in san francisco. yeah. and this is the first time we are supposed to be together, you know, for christmas. >> reporter: rounds of heavy rain are expected across the

ahead of spring-like weather christmas day. now there is one bright spot for air travelers this year. aaa actually reports that air fares are less expensive this holiday season, with the average round trip costing $174. not too bad. at new york's laguardia airport. we are learning more about the americans killed in monday's attack at a u.s. base in afghanistan. six americans were killed. the deadliest attack on u.s. forces in afghanistan this year. the americans were killed by a suicide bomber at bagram air base, one of the largest u.s. facilities in afghanistan. margaret brennan reports. >> reporter: after his first tour of afghanistan, joseph lemm came home to surprise his children and his wife. but his second tour came to a tragic end this week. he was among the six u.s.

taliban suicide bomber who drove a motorcycle packed with explosives into the american patrol. lemm was a 15-year veteran of the new york police department and a member of the air national guard. major adrianna vorderbruggen was the highest ranking officer killed and one of the first openly gay female air force officers killed in action. special agent peter taub also lost his life. his mother runs this washington restaurant and posted a note on the door saying they were closed to mourn this horrible loss. a regular customer, vivian ramgate, left a teddy bear and a christmas tree at the front door. >> i'm grieving for my friends. and i'm truly devastated. >> the three other airmen killed were michael cinco, chester mcbride, and louis bonacasa. only a day after the american ambush, u.s. and british soldiers went to the aid of the strugging afghan army trying to hold off a takeover of the taliban has been gaining

the u.s. combat mission and drawdown. they released a photograph of the bomber they claimed attack the americans. these deaths are especially heart breaking for so many families. coming right before christmas and just months after president obama decided to extend the longest war in american history. margaret brennan, cbs news, the pentagon. iraqi forces say that they are on the verge of retaking a key city from isis fighters. ramadi is the capital of a aar province and its loss was a major blow to the iraqi government. yesterday, iraqi troops entered the city's outskirts but they expect a tough fight. isis overran ramadi in may. it's estimated up to 10,000 civilians remain in the city. coming up on "cbs this morning," we will discuss the situation in iraq with former cia deputy director mike morrell. army sergeant bowe bergdahl has delayed his plea for leaving

bergdahl was arraigned tuesday at ft. bragg on charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. he was held by the taliban for five years until being freed in a controversial prisoner swap. bergdahl faces a possible life sentence. coming up on the "morning news." miracle survival. a victim is pulled out alive from the rubble of a massive landslide. and, later, police want your help in finding the grinch of chattanooga. this is the "cbs morning news." when heartburn hits fight back fast tums smoothies starts dissolving the instant it touches your tongue and neutralizes stomach acid at the source tum, tum, tum, tum

i don't want to live with the uncertainties of hep c. or wonder whether i should seek treatment. i am ready. because today there's harvoni. a revolutionary treatment for the most common type of chronic hepatitis c. harvoni is proven to cure up to 99% of patients... ...who've had no prior treatment. it's the one and only cure that's one pill, once a day for 12 weeks. certain patients... ...can be cured with just 8 weeks of harvoni. with harvoni, there's no interferon and there are no complex regimens. tell your doctor if you have other liver or kidney problems, hiv, or other medical conditions, and about all the medicines you take including herbal supplements. -taking amiodarone with harvoni

common side effects of harvoni may include tiredness, headache and weakness. i am ready to put hep c behind me. i am ready to be cured. are you ready? ask your hep c specialist if harvoni is right for you. there's only one egg that gives you better taste and better nutrition in so many varieties. classic. cage free. and organic. only eggland's best. better taste. better nutrition. better eggs. a survivor was rescued overnight from a massive landslide in china. more than 60 hours after being trapped. he said he was trying to escape the building when it collapsed under the mud and debris. more than 70 people are still missing from sunday's disaster at an industrial park. a gun went off at a packed long island new york shopping

robber was nabbed. the suspect entered a watch store at the roosevelt field mall yesterday and flashed a gun and he was confronted by mall security guards. as they wrestled the gun went off and hitting a mall worker across the corridor. the bystander is in stable condition. the search for a christmas grinch who swiped packages. a new security breach involving the secret service. those are some of the headlines on the morning newsstand. the minneapolis star tribune reports on a black lives matter protest set for america's biggest mall. today's demonstration is over last month's deadly shooting of clark by minneapolis police. mall of america sought a court order blocking the protest. a judge yesterday barred three organizers, but said she couldn't stop everyone else. "the washington post" reports on a new embarrassment for the secret service. police say an agent's handgun, radio, and badge were stolen from his car in washington.

the agency's headquarters. a congressional investigation recently called the secret service an agency in crisis. the colorado springs gazette reports that planned parenthood shooting suspect robert dear is due back in court today. at a hearing two weeks ago, dear declaring himself guilty. his attorney may seek to have dear declared mentally incompetent. he is charged with killing three people in the attack and he vowed to refuse a psychological evaluation. the las vegas review journal" reports on the driver accused of deliberately plowing into a crowd. lakeisha holloway is expected in court today. prosecutors charged the homeless woman with murder, child abuse, and hit and run. sunday night's crash killed one person and injured dozens more. "the chattanooga times free press" reports on a grinch

delivered to homes. police are searching for this man who is suspected of swiping packages off front porches after they have been dropped off by u.p.s., fedex, and the postal service. they have dubbed him the grinch of chattanooga and they are urging him to turn himself in. still ahead, unidentified flying object. a mystery light that is seen streaking across the sky and causes panic on social media. first, a skier narrowly escapes a drop from the sky as a drone crashes down. the life behind it. those who have served our nation have earned the very best service in return. usaa. we know what it means to serve. get an auto insurance quote and

if you have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis... ...isn't it time to let the... ...real you shine... ...through? introducing otezla, apremilast. otezla is not an injection, or a cream. it's a pill that treats plaque psoriasis differently. some people who took otezla saw 75% clearer skin after 4 months. and otezla's prescribing information has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. don't take otezla if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. otezla may increase... ...the risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression... ...or suicidal thoughts, or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. side effects may include diarrhea, nausea, upper respiratory tract infection, and headache. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, and if you're pregnant or planning to be.

otezla. show more of you. here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. a very close call for a world cup skier in italy. austria's hersher was nearly hit by a drone that crashed down behind him on the solemn course. it was carrying a tv camera that was shooting the race. hursher finished the race and didn't seem to notice. he came in second. on the cbs "moneywatch." twitter's idea for a social media drone. a boost for obamacare sign-up. hena daniels is at the new york stock exchange with that and more. good morning.

the 2016 enrollment for obamacare is outpacing last more than 8 million people have signed up via the federal that doesn't include sign-ups in states with their own exchanges. this is the third obamacare open enrollment and more people are gains by energy companies street. the dow jones gained 165 points. the s&p 500 rose 17. the nasdaq closed 32 points higher. there has been another hollywood hacking. alonzo knowles is charged with hacking into stealing private sex videos and he is held without bail. he tried to sell the materials when undercover agent claimed he had materials from 130 entertainment stars and executives. we are learning that twitter filed a patent for a drone that

the messaging enabled unmanned aerial vehicle could record and transmit video but here is the catch. the patent application says drone control may be determined through democratic means. that means a bunch of people trying to control the same drone. chances are, the faa probably isn't going to go for this. >> i'm thinking that drone isn't going anywhere either. hena daniels at the new york stock exchange, thanks a lot, hena. still to come. a mystery in the sky. social media goes wild after a bright light is scene streaking over three western states. later, the university of florida's one-handed guard makes a basket of a lifetime. and that is where soup comes from. campbell's fresh-brewed soups. oh, i thought we were talking about babies. made for real, real life. mom! coughing...sniffling...

when your cold is this bad... ...you need new theraflu expressmax. theraflu expressmax combines... maximum strength medicines available without a prescription... ...to fight your worst cold and flu symptoms... ...so you can feel better fast and get back to the job at hand. new theraflu expressmax. the power to feel better.tm discover card hey! so i'm looking at my bill and my fico credit score's on here. yeah! we give you your fico credit score. for free! awesomesauce! the only person i know that says that is... lisa? julie? we've already given more than 175 million free fico credit scores to our cardmembers. apply today at discover.com my brother brian was my best friend, but when he went to college and struggled with depression, he felt alone. he thought he was to blame and no one would understand. when he finally told me he was hurting, i didn't kno .few months later, my brother took his life. if someone you know is struggling like brian did,

what will you say when someone suffering from depression comes to you? learn more at activeminds.org. want to do something special this holiday season? support i have a dream foundation. help a child achieve the dream of a higher education. cbs cares. organ donation can truly provide a second chance at life. find out how you can help someone in need be a real survivor. go to donatelife.net. cbs cares. want to do something special this christmas? support i have a dream foundation. help a child achieve the dream of a higher education. cbs cares. here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around

what is that? i hope it's not -- >> it's something bright. [ inaudible ] a lot further than that. >> yeah. what is that? that was the question a lot of people were asking last night all over the southwestern united states. this fireball lit up the sky from california to arizona. the u.s. strategic command says it was debris from a russian rocket that launched on monday. people captured the unusual event and posted their videos on social media. it's unknown where the debris landed, if any actually reached the ground. zach hodskins is probably the most celebrated walk-on player in college basketball history. and despite being born without a left hand, hodskins is a member of the university of florida's team. last night, the second-year player scored his first points as a collegiate. hodskins drives the hoop and scores in the final minute of florida's victory over

that is how you want to do it. a couple of nhl players were not in the holiday spirit all last night. good thing the announcer was. >> ho, ho, ho! this could be something! we wish you merry christmas we wish you a merry christmas we wish you a merry christmas and a happy new year >> randell gets up and is punching! i love the holidays! >> boston bruins announcer jack edwards providing the backing vocals for a fight between tyler randell and ryan reaves. their new year's resolution? maybe a little anger management classes? just a suggestion. i know, it is hockey. coming up after your local news on "cbs this morning," holiday travel tips from peter greenberg. i'm anne-marie green.

news." just press clean and let roomba from irobot help with your everyday messes. roomba navigates your entire home cleaning up pet hair and debris for up to 2 hours. which means your floors are always clean. you and roomba from irobot better together . when cigarette cravings hit, all i can think about is getting relief. only nicorette mini has a patented fast-dissolving formula. it starts to relieve sudden cravings fast. i never know when i'll need relief. that's why i only choose nicorette mini. more than 3 million people already know the feeling of feet so silky smooth that you can't help but touch them. discover the latest innovation in the amop\ foot care line. the new amop\ pedi perfect with diamond crystals and extra-coarse roller head. it softens calluses effortlessly and efficiently for beautiful, soft feet in an instant. feel it yourself! with amop\ pedi perfect with diamond crystals.

amop\ love every step. want to do something special this holiday season? support i have a dream foundation. help a child achieve the dream of a higher education. cbs cares. organ donation can truly provide a second chance at life. find out how you can help someone in need be a real survivor. go to donatelife.net. cbs cares. want to do something special this christmas? support i have a dream foundation.

cbs cares. a house in kirkland, washington takes christmas lights to a new level. a seattle seahawks fan uses 175,000 lights to decorate his hawk house for the past five years. but some neighbors are fed up with the traffic and noise. mitch received a letter from the city warning him that he could be fined for not having a permit. it's a lot. operation secret santa is under way at a louisiana police department. instead of handing out tickets, officers are spreading holiday cheer. ashley roddrick of our local affiliate in new orleans wwl reports. >> reporter: deputy chief doug aerowood is on a stakeout.

due to foggy roads, the rest of the police department are following special orders. >> today is a gloomy day outside. weather is nasty, but we are going to brighten it up. >> reporter: the mission comes with an arsenal of 50 100 dollar bills to spread cash throughout the community. >> it speaks volumes of your character. you're not giving your hard-earned money for any type of recognition. you simply want to make a difference in someone's life. jingle bells jingle bells jinel all the jingle all the way here i am brighten up your day gle all the way here i am brighten up your day >> reporter: he surprised kimberly walters. >> i was wondering if i could help you out with a little secret santa cheer. you get a hundred dollar bill. merry christmas. >> thank you! >> reporter: walters, who works with special needs children, says she is planning to use the

rosy parker, the mother of an officer in new orleans parish was stunned by the gift. >> merry christmas. >> thank god! thank you! >> reporter: since the program continues to grow in donors and dollars, he hopes to spread more than christmas cheer. >> i would like to see other agencies, if they could do the same thing, that would be fantastic. >> thank you, thank you, thank you. >> have a merry christmas. here i am with a hundred one's to brighten up your day hey! >> reporter: not only at christmastime, but all the time. >> merry christmas. coming up after your local news on "cbs this morning," we will have much more on the space debris that lit up the western skies overnight. plus, travel expert peter greenberg has tips on surviving your trip this holiday season. and we will talk with kennedy center honoree seiji ozawa. >> the genius? not if you ask him. it's just hard work. this is what you were studying this morning? >> yeah. i was restudying. >> reporter: throughout most of

5:00 a.m. reading music. even on the day we met at the age of 80, he had been studying an opera. >> you can't make phone calls. >> reporter: you study other parts of his life? >> right. >> that's all ahead on "cbs this morning." that is the "cbs morning news" for this wednesday. i'm anne-marie green.