halfway home. the house is set to vote on president obama's tax deal after it easily passed the senate. the road ahead. the latest white house review on the war in afghanistan indicates mixed results. and hailing a hero. praise and thanks for the security guard who shot it out with the florida school board gunman. >> he saved our lives. there's no doubt in my mind if he hadn't did what he did when he did, many of us would not be here today. >> this is the "cbs morning news" for thursday, december 16th, 2010. good morning, everybody. good to see you on this thursday. i'm terrell brown in for betty nguyen.

the house is expected to vote today on the tax bill that president obama and republican leaders agreed on. the measure passed by a wide margin in the senate wednesday but faces stiff opposition in the house. whit johnson is in washington with more. whit, good morning to you. >> reporter: terrell, good morning to you. we haven't heard the words bipartisan support much in washington recently, have we? that's exactly what this tax cut deal got in the senate. it's unlikely frustrated democrats in the house can break that momentum. >> the yaes are 81, the nays 19. >> reporter: the tax cut compromise may have sailed through the senate but could have a rough ride in the house. democratic leaders plan to vote on the bill as early as today but first they want to raise the estate tax for the wealthy, a change, they say, would save billions. >> think of what you could do with that $25 billion. first of all, you could reduce the deficit. >> reporter: some republicans are also upset over the bill's $858 billion price tag and the fact it only temporarily renews

the bush-era tax cuts. >> a bad deal for taxpayers, will do little to create jobs and i cannot support it. >> reporter: even the slightest change would send the measure back to the senate. despite his concerns, president obama is urging the house to pass the bill as is so he can sign it before taxes go up for everybody. >> we worked hard to negotiate an agreement that's a win for middle-class families and a win for our economy and we can't afford to let it fall victim to either delay or defeat. >> reporter: senate republicans have also warned against any changes. >> we ought to pass the tax legislation and keep the lights on. everything else, mr. president, can wait. >> reporter: despite stiff opposition, most analysts believe congress will pass some sort of measure in time for the holidays. now, there's no question this tax deal is expensive but many economists say it's good for the country. at least in the short term. they predict it could help

expand the economy by as much as one percent next year. terrell? >> whit johnson in washington for us this morning, whit, thanks. still on capitol hill, a bill to repeal the military's ban on gays serving openly. for the second time this year, the house voted to repeal don't ask, don't tell. supporters of the bill believe they have enough senate votes to get it passed. the question is, do they have enough time? sandra hughes has the story. >> reporter: the house vote was not even close. >> the yeas, 250, the nays, 175. the motion is adopted. >> reporter: democrats pushed through a last-minute bill that would repeal the don't ask, don't tell policy on gays in the military. >> don't ask, don't tell doesn't contribute to our national security and it contravenes our american values. >> reporter: republicans had argued this is the wrong time to make this change in military policy. >> we should do nothing at this

time to threaten the readiness of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who are at the tip of the spear fighting america's two wars. >> reporter: more than 13,000 service men and women have been discharged under don't ask, don't tell since it went into effect in 1993. former air force major michael almy was let go after commanders read his personal e-mails. >> this had a huge disruptive effect upon my unit, my squadron. the mission suffered. the morale suffered, the cohesion suffered. >> reporter: he served four deployments in the middle east and hopes to return. >> i want to serve with integrity, with honor, without sacrificing my personal values, without having to lie every day about who i am. >> reporter: a pentagon survey found 70% of troops think repealing don't ask, don't tell would not cause major problems. the bill now heads to the senate but time is running out to act on it before the end of the lame duck session. sandra hughes, cbs news, los angeles. the white house releases its latest review of the war in afghanistan today, the report is

expected to indicate some progress against an enemy that won't go away. the taliban. it's been a year since the president ordered an extra 30,000 troops to afghanistan. the long-awaited review expected to show a reliance on counterterror operations including taliban leaders who live in pakistan. the president says the war strategy is making gradual progress. wednesday, the commander of nato forces in eastern afghanistan said he expected heavier fighting this winter. after nearly two decades the u.n. says iraq can go ahead with plans to develop a civilian nuclear program. vice president biden represented the united states at wednesday's security council vote. the vote to lift the 19-year-old sanctions was unanimous. they were designed to prevent iraq from developing nuclear weapons. vice president biden said the move was an important milestone for the iraqi government. wikileaks founder julian assange is expected back in a british court today. it's for another bail hearing. meanwhile there, are reports the

u.s. is working to build a conspiracy case against assange. the "new york times" reports federal prosecutors are trying to find out if assange worked with or encouraged the army intelligence analyst suspected of leaking classified documents. private bradley manning claims direct communication with assange. assange has been held in britain more than a week wanted in sweden for questioning in a sex crimes investigation. here at home that deadly winter storm with bone-chilling temperatures is hitting the southeast this morning. at least five people have been killed in weather-related traffic accidents. traffic deaths were reported in alabama, mississippi. the roads were more like skating rinks north of atlanta. hundreds of crashes there were reported. officials in north carolina are trying to stay one step ahead of the storm. >> the ice and sleet are a big concern for us, especially with the stuff projected to come in during the morning commute. >> air travel is affected, as well. airlines have canceled flights across the southeast. we're learning more about the man who opened fire on a florida school board. clay duke planned his attack tuesday for some time according

to panama city police. duke's wife says he was frustrated she lost her teaching job. he wanted to get me an answer, rebecca duke said, the economy and the world just got the better of him. duke shot at the school board several times and missed. he was eventually wounded by security guard mike jones, who is being hailed as a hero. >> mike and him got into the shooting barrage and that's what saved our lives. because, he was getting -- he had more ammunition and he was going to keep going. >> no one was injured except duke, who killed himself. police say he had at least 25 more rounds of ammunition. bp says there is no merit to a civil lawsuit filed by the justice department. the government filed suit wednesday against bp and eight other companies involved in the gulf oil spill. the justice department says the defendants violated environmental and safety regulations before the massive oil spill last april. >> we intend to prove that these violations caused or contributed

to the massive oil spill and that the defendants are, therefore, responsible under the oil pollution act for government, removal costs, economic losses, as well as environmental damages. >> the lawsuit makes it possible for the government to seek billions of dollars in penalties from bp. just ahead on the morning news baseball loses one of its all-time greats. plus, home foreclosures plunge to a nearly two-year low. but, it may not be the good news it sounds like. this is the "cbs morning news." you're watching the "cbs morning news." [ female announcer ] with rheumatoid arthritis, there's the life you live...

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former marine was killed in the shooting. four suspects were captured, one wounded. >> and currently, border patrol agents and our law enforcement partners are tracking a fifth suspect and i assure you that every effort will be expended to bring the remaining suspect into custody. >> the arizona-mexico border is the busiest route into the u.s. for both illegal immigrants and drug smugglers. overseas this morning, new mexico governor bill richardson is on an unofficial diplomatic mission to north korea. he flew to the north korean capital from china and spoke with chinese leaders about the latest crisis on the korean peninsula. the state department says he carries no official message from the u.s. government. cbs moneywatch time. a mixed day for stocks in asia. ashley morrison is here in new york with that and more. ashley, good morning to you. >> good morning to you, terrell. asian markets traded cautiously amid new concerns about europe's debt problems. japan's nikkei was flat while hong kong's hang seng lost more than one percent. today, wall street gets the

latest on the housing starts and a look at weekly jobless claim numbers. wednesday stocks dipped after an early rally ran out of steam. the dow lost 19 points, while the nasdaq was down 10. foreclosure filings fell last month to their lowest level in a year and a half. 67,000 homes were repossessed in november, a 28% decline from the month before. but, experts warn the drop is mostly due to several banks halting evictions following allegations the process was flawed. lenders remain on pace to foreclose on more than one million homes this year. despite the weak economy this could be a banner bonus season on wall street. this looks like the second-most profitable year ever for the securities industry and the average bonus may top last year's partly because so many bankers and brokers have been laid off. twitter doesn't need wall street's help. the company says wednesday it raised another $200 million in private investment.

the microblogging site turned internet phenomenon now worth a reported $3.7 billion. that's up more than 2.5 billion from just a year ago. twitter executives say they are in no hurry to take the company public. airline fares are going up again after american boosted its ticket prices by $10 on round-trip tickets traveling 500 miles or more, other carriers quickly matched it. shorter trips saw smaller hikes. more increases are expected after the new year. and if you are hitting the road for the holidays, get ready to pay up. fall lists now expect $3.00-a-gallon gas to be the norm just about every by christmas. the national average is now 2.98 a gallon up almost a dime in just the past month. aaa predicts 92 million people will travel 50 miles or more for the holiday. americans are also expected to spend 3.5% more on their travel plans this year. terrell? >> ashley morrison in new york.

ashley, always good to see you. thanks. meanwhile baseball fans everywhere are mourning one of the great ones hall of fame pitcher bob feller died last night in hospice in cleveland. and iowa farm boy. who could throw a fastball 100 miles an hour. feller began his major league career with the indians in 1936 at age 17. he went on to win 266 games over 18 seasons despite navy service during world war ii. in 1948, he led the indians to their last world series victory. healthy much of his life bob feller died of leukemia. he was 92. ♪ [ female announcer ] you see a mud stain. but new wisk sees a particulate stain. with our breakthrough stain spectrum technology, wisk is engineered to fight all the major stain groups like particulates and oils. [ girl ] that lip gloss is soooo cute on you. [ female announcer ] you'll never look at stains the same way again.

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makes the cold aisle easy. the robitussin relief finder. it's that simple. here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. partly cloudy, 36 in new york. 76, partly cloudy in miami. 27 with light snow in chicago, 52, windy in dallas. and 60 and sunny in los angeles. time for a check of the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows a fast-moving area of clouds from the southwest and into the mid-atlantic while the northwest is getting to see clearing. later today a mix of freezing rain and sleet is expected in the mid-atlantic. the southeast is looking at some showers from louisiana to georgia and a snowstorm is moving across the rockies. in sports this morning, a wild finish in an nba game here in new york. the knicks led boston at the half and put it on them in the third. a big reverse jam here. amar'e stoudemire with the score. 39 points. extending his streak of 30-point

games to nine. paul pierce gave the celts a two-point lead with less than a that's that shot right there. but stoudamire dropped in a three for looks like the game winner right here. but, wait a minute, it was not. replay showed the shot was too late. boston took its 11th straight. the score in this one, 118-116. in miami the heat stayed hot. lebron james fired to dwyane wade for a jam. wade went into the crowd and came up swinging. went on to score 28 points against the cavaliers. miami won its 10th straight, 101-95. the big dig-out out in minneapolis. take a look at this. the vikings hosting the bears. gangs of shovelers are clearing deep snow from the stands. out at the university of minnesota stadium. the same snowstorm last week collapsed the roof of the vikes' own metrodome. no telling when that will be fixed. when we come back another

look at this morning's top stories and family matters, the big role family history plays when it comes to diagnosing your risk for heart trouble. g your risk for heart trouble. i was really excited to use sensodyne iso-active because it was different than any other toothpaste i'd ever seen before. i have sensitive teeth as well, so i want to make sure that i can deal with that problem. i love the fact that the gel turns into a foam. it spread all over my mouth and was able to get all areas of my teeth -- in the back and around. you just feel like it's really working. my mouth and breath felt really fresh and clean. not only does sensodyne iso-active make my mouth feel fresh, but it also has that ability

to help me with my sensitive teeth... and it's totally working. to find another ride to school. the cost-saving move that has more than half the district's buses being sidelined. plus.. more missed warning signs in san bruno. what regulators told pg and e.. about the pipeline danger..*before the blast. and.. mom versus mcdonalds. why a woman is headed to court over happy meals. plus.. how living by the freeway.. could increase kids' risk of autism. ( results of a new usc study) join us for cbs 5 early edition,

on the "cbs morning news" here's a look at today's weather, snow is on the way to the mid-atlantic states. a wintry mix leaving the southeast with a coating of ice on the roadways. the skies in the northwest should be clear for at least one day. here's another look at the top stories this morning. the latest white house review on the afghanistan war is scheduled to be released today, it comes a year after the president committed 30,000 additional troops to the war. it is expected to show some progress but lingering problems. the white house or house, rather, is expected to vote on president obama's tax deal today, the measure easily passed by the senate wednesday. the bill keeps tax cuts in place for all income levels. in health news this morning

when it comes to predicting your risk for a heart attack, it's vital to look at your family history. that's according to a new report that offers startling statistics. kendis gibson reports. >> reporter: at just 32 years old, she has to visit her cardiologist every three months to have her blood pressure and heart checked. with plaque in her arteries and high blood pressure, she's at risk of having a heart attack just like her mother had in her early 50s. >> she died when i was 18 years old. and of a massive heart attack. >> reporter: now a new report from the american heart association shows women like anna are at a 70% increased risk of having a heart attack if one of their parents has had one early in life. for men, the risk doubles. >> if we have a family history, we really need to pay attention to exactly what our risks are for heart disease. that means getting cholesterol checked, getting blood pressure checked.

>> reporter: just. -- not just your parents. if a brother or sister has heart disease, your risk doubles whether you're male or female. there is some good news in the report. deaths from heart disease and stroke in the u.s. are down but operations and procedures for those conditions are up nearly 30%. >> if i don't take care of myself now, i'm going to die early, too, and i don't want that. >> reporter: and that's why anna and her doctors are working together to keep her healthy. kendis gibson, cbs news, los angeles. got to love these stories. athrillseeker in california took a heart-stopping leap off a bridge and did it right in front of the police. the 46-year-old was getting ready for a base jump from the side of a bridge, when a cop pulled up with a warning. >> don't even think about it. back up right now. >> the officer told him to get down but jester wasn't deterred and took that long leap about 280 feet down. police did catch up with him later charging him with resisting a police officer, driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol and trespassing.

always a smart thing to do, jump off a bridge, right? this morning on "the early show" the latest on the deadly cold weather in the southeast. i'm terrell brown. this is the "cbs morning news." [ female announcer ] experience dual action power with listerine® whitening plus restoring rinse. it's the only listerine® that gets teeth two shades whiter. and makes tooth enamel two times stronger. get dual action listerine® whitening® rinse. building whiter, stronger teeth. but my allergies put me in a fog. so now, i'm claritin clear! claritin works great on all my allergies

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according to a new gallup poll congress's performance is at an all-time low, just 13% of americans surveyed said they approve of the way the house and senate are doing their jobs. 83% disapprove. that's the worst gallup has measured in more than 30 years. congress is busy try to wrap up the work before the holiday break. but in the middle of the debate o over tax cuts and don't ask, don't tell, there is another controversy, billions of dollars worth of pet projects and a new spending bill. sharyl attkisson reports. >> reporter: 'tis the season. >> december, cold outside, snow on the way. >> reporter: so is this year's giant blizzard of earmarks. for all the republicans' scorn over earmarks, their fingerprints are all over the ones stuffed into the spending bill. republican leader mitch

mcconnell just last month. >> on the issue of congressional earmarks, as the leader of my party in the senate, i have to lead first by example. >> reporter: example, mcconnell's earmarks of $650,000 tax dollars to advance genetic technologies, a million for a blood center building, four million for marijuana eradication. democrats are right in there with billions of dollars worth of their own earmarks despite their supposed disdain from them. >> i'm somebody who is big on eliminating earmarks in congress. >> reporter: all tolled, congress added at least 6,600 earmarks worth $8 billion. many of the projects already get millions from the regular federal budget. these are extra sweeteners dolled out by members usually without competitive bidding. there is money for the coal fuel alliance. research on cool season lagoons, maples, small fruit and peanuts. management of beavers, blackbirdss potato pests and nokcious weeds. oyster safety

virus-free wine grapes and cranberry and blueberry disease. >> everybody who took a pledge and said we aren't going to do earmarks going forward didn't mean for this year but next year. >> reporter: in other words, congress was for earmarks before they were get them. it's gotten so confusing senator mcconnell now says he opposing the whole spending bill, his own earmarks included. >> i'm going to vote against things that arguably would been pit my -- benefit my state. >> reporter: one big one worth mentions comes from five dim creates spending $10 million of your tax dollars to honor the memory of their controversial colleague, john murtha. >> the king of earmarks korstd to many people and certainly a big defender of the earmark process. it is kind of ironic a memorial foundation in his name is funded through earmarks. >> reporter: members of congress committed to the earmarks before the election. but in case you're wondering, there's nothing to stop them from stripping the earmarks out of the spending bills, nothing except themselves. sharyl attkisson, cbs news, capitol hill. later on "the early show" a live report from north carolina

on the deadly cold weather gripping the southeast and when it will warm up. important safety news about drop-side cribs that every parent should know. and actor paul rudd from "how do you know" stops by the studio. all that and more coming up on "the early show." that's the cbs news for this thursday. i'm terrell brown. take care, everybody. i'm terrell brown. take care, everybody. we'll see you tomorrow! -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com