security showdown. millions of americans hit the road for the holiday weekend but will plan protests over security measures jam up the airports? white-out, a wintry wallop out west threatens to stop holiday travelers in their tracks. and murder-for-hire, the shocking case of a texas priest charged of abusing a teen, now accused of trying to hire a hit man to silence his victim. this is the "cbs morning news" for wednesday, november 24th, 2010. good morning, everybody good to see you this wednesday i'm terrell brown for betty nguyen this morning. over the river and through the woods americans begin their

thanksgiving weekend today meaning a lot of us are on the move. check out the numbers, according to aaa, more than 42 million americans will travel at least 50 miles over the holiday 11% more than last year. more than 39 million of us are driving, up 12%. but a significant number, more than 1.6 million will fly. that means a lot of airport crowds and a lot of delays. it could be even worse if travelers rebel against the tighter airport screening and searching policies. whit johnson at reagan national airport in washington with the latest on that. whit, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. nobody really knows how big this body scan protest will be or what impact it could have on holiday travel. airports are basically preparing for business as usual today but the tsa says just a few protesters could really clog up the system. airports and travelers are bracing for possible backlash on the busiest travel day of the year. protesters against heightened

new security measures are calling on passengers to opt out of full-body scans demanding time-consuming pat-downs instead. >> i really don't understand why they would do that, when they see how much time it takes to do the patdown, they would probably prefer to go through the scan. >> reporter: the organizer of the so-called national opt-out day insists officials have gone too far. >> how much are we willing to let government poke and prod us and are we willing to let them see under our clothes just because we bought a plane ticket? >> reporter: just last week, a cbs poll showed 87% of americans favored them but in this week in another poll only 64% supported them and half opposed patdowns. >> we very much appreciate your involvement. >> reporter: the tsa head says the agency is working with security experts to make the patdowns less invasive but as thorough. for now, the procedures will stay put. >> i don't have any concerns at all. >> reporter: homeland security

reported tuesday 99% of passengers singled out for a scanning agreed to it rather than undergo a patdown. as the holiday rush pushes into overdrive, it appears the majority of travelers won't let let the tsa's watchful eye keep them from seeing their loved ones. more than 400 of these machines in about 70 airports across the country. tsa says it will be a busy day anyway so check the flights ahead of time and get to the airport early. terrell? >> whit, not everyone has to go through the new procedures, do they? >> reporter: no, terrell. if you are a flight attendant, a pilot, a congressional leader or top u.s. official, the government knows who you are. no enhanced body scanning or security screening for you. if not, terrell, get in line with everybody else. >> there we go. folks probably not too happy about that. whit johnson, at reagan national this morning, good to see you thanks. many thanksgiving travelers out west are getting hung up, there's a powerful storm bashing the northern rockies

this morning. blizzard warnings have been out all night in utah. the snow started falling last night. two interstate highways were shut down for a while, the same storm that caused huge problems in the seattle area blamed for at least three deaths in washington state. across the pacific, south korean officials say the bodies of two civilians have been found. those bodies were on the island in north korean forces shelled tuesday. survivors have been evacuated to the south korean mainland. both countries are still on high alert. president obama sends a u.s. aircraft carrier group to the area and says he wants more international pressure on north korea to back off. >> to get what it wants and what it needs it needs to make noise and it's willing to take the world to the brink of war to do it. >> north korean officials say the south fired the first shot, their government denies it. the hour-long shoot-out was one of the worst border incident in 50 years. no miracle for the 29 trapped miners in new zealand. there was a second explosion.

officials say none of the miners could have survived the explosion. new zealand's prime minister called it a national tragedy. the second blast happened a few hours after workers finished drilling a small hole into the mine. officials say rescue efforts didn't cause that explosion. seattle student amanda knox returned to court this morning in italy convicted of killing a college roommate nearly a year ago, appealing her conviction and 26-year prison sentence. her lawyers are trying to bring in new evidence and new witnesses. it is possible that the court will impose an even longer sentence. in texas this morning, a sexual abuse case against a roman catholic priest has turned into an alleged murder-for-hire plot. police say john fialla offered a neighbor $5,000 to kill a teen-aged boy. the boy claimed the priest abused him at gunpoint. the neighbor called police who set up a sting and arrested him. the teenager's lawyer says the priest first tried to intimidate the alleged victim two years ago.

>> fialla told him in no uncertain terms if he told anybody what happened or reported it, he would kill him then on other occasions he said he would kill his girlfriend. on other occasions, he said he would kill members of his family. >> rhodes claims church officials knew more than 20 years ago he was a danger to children. money watch time, stocks in asia mostly lower. ashley morrison is here in new york with that. good morning to you. >> good morning. investors in asia cautious a day after the standoff between north and south korea japan's neck kay lost nearly 1% while hong kong's hang seng ended up half a percent. today wall street gets a full plate of news. the weekly jobless claim numbered released a day early because of the holiday and the commerce department has new reports on home sales, durable goods and personal income. on tuesday's stocks took a beating. the dow sank 142 points while the nasdaq gave back 37. the federal reserve is growing more pessimistic about the economic recovery.

the central bank now predicts the economy will grow no more than 2.5% this year. that's down sharply from earlier projections. the fed also expects unemployment to stay high through next year and inflation to remain low. gm speeding up on the road to recovery. the automaker plans to rehire nearly 200 workers in flint, michigan to make engines for the chevrolet volt and chevrolet cruise compact. the treasury department announced tuesday general motors paid back almost $12 billion in taxpayer aid. gm raised the money through its initial public offering of stock last week. the government put almost $50 billion into gm as part of its bailout. the beatles may wonder why they waited so long to go on itunes. apple says it sold more than two million beatles songs in their first week. the top selling album was abbey road. the best selling single was "here comes the sun."

normally when it comes to technology, what's new is king but not this time. the very first apple computer ever made, the apple 1, sold at an auction in london yesterday for $210,000. it came with its original packaging and a sales letter from steve jobs, the winning bidder an italian collector plans to restore it to working condition. terrell, the only problem with that is, when they have breakdowns, the computers, how are you going to find someone to fix it with the parts >> right. it's all dated at this point. but kind of inspiration to find the oldest cell phone you can find or anything old you had and keep it and sell it later. >> and try to use it. can you hear me? can you hear me now? >> right. ashley morrison -- >> i know what to get you for christmas. >> that's right. find the oldest thing in your house and i'll take it. thank you. a quick break this morning. just ahead, 911 considers moving into the 21st century. plus, the search for clues

in a costly pizza prank. the answer may be blowing in the wind. first, though, byron pitts with a preview of tonight's "cbs evening news." >> reporter: it was called "harvest of shame." a cbs news documentary about migrant workers in the u.s. it aired 50 years ago this week. tonight, an update on the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. "cbs evening news" with katie couric. juvéderm® xc is the gel filler your doctor uses to instantly smooth out lines right here. temporary side effects include redness, pain, firmness, swelling, bumps, or risk of infection. ask your doctor about juvéderm® xc. yeah. aww...that oj needs alka-seltzer plus. fast powder packs are a taste-free fizz-free way to transform your drink into a powerful cold fighter! there's a cold front moving in, but relief is on the way.

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if you live for performance, upgrade to castrol edge advanced synthetic oil. with eight times better wear protection than mobil 1. castrol edge. it's more than just oil. it's liquid engineering. so here in new york city, just before thanksgiving, some wild turkeys are really pushing their luck. a group of these guys invaded a residential neighborhood on staten island. some have been there for years. they gather on people's lawns and run through the streets and just in case you wondered, these birds are protected by law. so, ideally, they shouldn't end up on anyone's dinner table tomorrow. the key word "shouldn't." for most americans, some serious

holiday shopping is on tap after thanksgiving. what's at the top of the gift wish list this season. not the ipad or cashmere sweater. the most popular gifts might be something that fits neatly in your wallet or purse. manuel gal lass it would allow texts, videos and to spend an average of $145 each on gift cards this year, up about 4% from last year. in adds up to nearly $25 billion for the holiday season. all that evening though last year's gift cards can might still be sitting in a drawer. >> one of the most frequently purchased and frequently desired gifts but yet two-thirds of americans who had a gift card last year have, you know, yet to spend one of them. >> reporter: over the past two years, gift card sales were starting to cool, but people are spending more now and they're getting new protections from the government. under the new credit card act. gift cards can't expire at least

five years from the date of purchase. if there areny fees, they have be printed on the cards or packaging. if you are shopping for a gift card experts say request one from behind the counter rather than on rack, to make sure no scammers have copied the card number. and remember, not everyone's a fan. >> i actually don't really like it. i feel like it's impersonal. >> reporter: even so, gift cards have been the most requested present four years in a row. by the latest counts, 57% of americans are asking for plastic. man well gallegus, cbs news, new york. a pizza mystery in massachusetts, they took a big order friday night. 178 pizza, placed by a man caught on the shop's security camera. he claimed to be singer bob dylan's tour manager and said he wanted to feed the band after they played. the manager didn't think it was a prank so didn't ask for a deposit. >> all of our guys were excited to make food for someone famous.

we consider it the best around. we like it show up. >> the issue is no one came to pick up the pizzas or pay for them. some were donated but most of the 178 pies were thrown out. the restaurants was out almost $4,000. the government is calling for next generation 911, call centers that handle 911 emergency calls around the country are not able to handle the newest technology. more than 70% of 911 calls are made through a mobile phone but you can't use texting or other functions to make an emergency the proposal to update the system would allow texts, videos and photos to be sent to 911 dispatchers by 2020. straight ahead your weather forecast and in sports a major upset in college basketball. we'll be right back. the same old way... consider this: things just got beautifully simple. introducing the duracell mygrid™. simple and smart. it's mygrid™. from duracell. trusted everywhere.

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here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. new york, sunny, 52. miami, sunny, 82. chicago, thunderstorms, 40. 35, cloudy, in denver. and los angeles, sunny and 62. time now for a check of the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows clouds over the western half of the country while back east clear from new york to florida. later today travel conditions could get rough in the midwest as a storm system pushes through. thunderstorms expected in the mississippi river valley and areas along the gulf coast will see highs in the 80s. in sports this morning connecticut upset number 2 michigan state.

to the highlights, walker scored 30 points against the spartans knocking down a big jumper with less than a minute left. uconn edged michigan stage. 70-o 67. number one ranked duke easily beat number 4 kansas state. 82-68. duke's coach now the fifth coach to win 800 games at one school. he had 873 total victories and third place on the all-time list of winning coaches. in the nba, washington beat philadelphia in overtime. nick young of the wizards hit a three-point shot in the closing seconds of overtime. money. washington beat philadelphia. 116-114. josh hamilton won the american league most valuable player award. hamilton, of texas won the batting title with a .359 average leading the league in slugging percentage and helped the rangers to the world series for the first time. when we return, another look at this morning's stop stories and will she or won't she? sarah palin's new book tour raises more questions about her plans for 2012. questions about her plans for 2012.

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the bay. which cities are flirting with record low temperatures. stepping up safety in the wake of the san bruno blast. the changes being made to beef up california's pipeline inspections. could the busiest travel day of the year get even busier? we're live at s- f-o.. how body scanner backlash could affect your travel plans today. and.. a major recall involving california cheese. join us for cbs 5 early edition,

on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather. holiday travelers beware of a big storm building in the midwest. the northern plains will see snow and gusty winds. there will be ice and sleet near the great lakes and thunderstorms in the mississippi river valley. here's another look at this morning's top stories. airports are bracing for big holiday crowds and the possibility of widespread protests against tighter screening policies and new airport scanners. a passenger rights group is urging flyers to ask for time-consuming security pat-downs. meanwhile, the powerful snowstorm in the pacific northwest is blasting the northern rockies. some interstates in utah were forced to close overnight. former alaska governor sayer ray pa kicked off her new book tour in phoenix today, taking her across the country some. say it is a dry run for a presidential bid. kendis gibson reports. >> reporter: billed as a

national book tour for sarah palin but has all the trappings of a presidential campaign. media from around the world and enthusiastic crowds showed up for her first stop in phoenix tuesday night. >> this is incredible. she's an american hero. >> it was awesome. she's just an awesome lady. >> reporter: fans lined up 15 hours in advance for palin's early evening appearance, hoping for an autographed copy of her new book "america by heart" the book and tour on the heels of a very successful midterm election season for the former alaska governor. half of the tea party candidates she supported were elected to office. with an itinerary taking her to iowa, south carolina, and many other early presidential primary and caucus states, political experts suspect she's definitely testing the waters. but even some of her staunchest supporters don't think she's ready to be president. >> i think she'd be better going on campaigning for whoever is going to get the election. i think she can draw more interest that way.

>> reporter: whatever she decides, there's little doubt sarah palin will be a factor in the next presidential race. kendis gibson, cbs news, phoenix. meantime sarah palin says she's so proud of her daughter, bristol, even though she went home empty handed in the finale of the reality show "dancing with the stars." palin ended up in third place last night, controversial she even made it that far in the competition to begin with. but, as for the winner it came down between the disney star and "dirty dancing" actress, jennifer grey. >> jennifer and derrick. >> the 50-year-old performed her dances injured. get this, she suffered a ruptured disk in her spine and a torn knee tendon but managed to perform a perfect score. amazing. this morning on "the early show," actor jake gyllenhaal from the new movie "love and other drugs" i'm terrell brown. this is the "cbs morning news." drugs" i'm terrell brown.

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this is what i'm talking about. high stepping right here. the couple doing a mean salsa trying to set a world record dancing over the city of chicago on this sky deck. they made it look easy. more than 1300 feet in the air. the key, i guess, any good dancer will tell you this, don't look down. for britain's prince william and kate middleton, plenty of work to look forward to especially since they set a day and place for their much anticipated wedding. mark phillips reports. >> reporter: unlike her grand daughter-in-law-to-be, the queen was not checking out the facilities at westminster abbey when she attended a function.

kate middleton provided a major wedding location hint when she visited last week. but now, it's official. the invitations, perhaps like this one, can go out. william and kate will join a long list of royals who have used the abbey for nine weddings, 38 coronations, and 17 funerals over a thousand years. the queen, herself, was married here to the then phillip mountbatton. >> heading the procession down the -- >> reporter: and william's been here before, too. once at his uncle's prince andrew's failed marriage. that's him as a child behind the then happy couple and that's him at his mother, princess diana's abbey funeral when he was just 15. westminster abbey was always the odds-on favorite for the wedding although a brave choice for william because of his very personal tragic memories here. still, the other possibility, st. paul's cathedral in marital omens, at least, was possibly a

worse choice. st. paul's, where william's parents married and we know how that ended. both of london's big cathedrals come with royal baggage. >> they are both, in a sense, associated, i don't want to say tainted with princess diana and and that doomed marriage. i mean, we know kate middleton has got the ring of doom already on her engagement finger. >> reporter: kate may now wear diana's engagement ring but will this wedding in these tough times be another fairy-tale extravaganza. >> the word "fairy-tale" -- like the moment at which the bad fairy appears at your wedding and lays a curse on you. >> reporter: are we stuck with it? >> we are. >> for a record the queen and kate's parents will cover the

the costs except for the $100 million for the security bill. is that her majesty making her first down payment on the abbey's collection plate? mark phillips, cbs news, london. coming up, a live report from it he will alley, amanda knox's appeals trial opening today and an interview with her parents, as well. shoppers get ready, tips where to find the best black friday sales offering rock-bottom prices. and actor jake gyllenhaal from the new romantic comedy "love and other drugs" stops by. all that and more coming up on "the early show." this is the "cbs morning news" for this wednesday. i'm terrell brown. for this wednesday. i'm terrell brown. take care, everybody. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

your realtime captioner is linda marie macdonald. caption colorado, l.l.c. comments@captioncolorado.com feeling the freeze! how low temperatures dipped across the bay and how the morning chill will affect your commute. how much