lame duck comeback. president obama heads out on a family vacation after ending the year with a flurry of legislative victories. west coast he clean-up. after a week of torrential rain, the sun may come out, but the threat of dangerous mud slides isn't over. and seoul searching, outspoken jets coach rex ryan has little to say about a foot fetish video that appears to show his wife. this is the "cbs morning news" for thursday, december 23rd, this is the "cbs morning news" for thursday, december 23rd, 2010. captioning funded by cbs i'm terrell brown for betty

nguyen. boy, what a difference a month makes in politics from the midterm election she lacking in november to getting almost everything he wanted from a lame duck session of congress president president obama is headed to hawaii this morning to vacation with his family. before adjourning for the year congress repealed the military's don't ask don't tell policy, passed a 9/11 health care reform bell, ratified a new nuclear treaty with russia, passed a food safety bill giving the fda more power an extended the bush-era tax cuts along with an extension of jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed. preeti, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, terrell. the president called this a highly productive session of congress and said one of the lessons learned is that, quote, congress isn't doomed to endless gridlock but could end when they reconvene in january. he will be vacations until the end of the year. he delayed his trip for days until congress wrapped up its

lame duck session which turned out to be unusually productive. >> i think it's fair to say that this has been the most productive post-election period we've has in decades and it comes on the heels of the most productive two years that we've had in generations. >> reporter: the president accomplished most of his goals this session. congress approved the start start nuclear arms treaty with russia, legislation to repeal the don't ask, don't tell policy in the military, and a $4.2 billion bill to help 9/11 first responders. the president also struck a deal with republicans to extend bush-era tax cuts to all americans. >> my hope heading into the new year is that we can continue to heed the message of the american people and hold to a spirit of common purpose in 2011 and beyond. >> reporter: but, democrats still controlled this session of congress, a political balance that shifts next year. president obama will have much more difficulty winning concessions from republicans, especially concerning the budget. >> that's where i think the real fight is going to come in, there

are already some predictions of a government shutdown. that may be a couple steps down the line, but that is going to be the most contentious issue and it's going to go on for some time to come. >> reporter: the president is also pushing for approval of the dream act, which would give children brought to the u.s. illegally a path to citizenship. he acknowledges there will likely be heated battles in the next few months. and the president says reducing defendant sit will be a major issue next year and promises to start talking about that as soon as the new congress is sworn in. terrell? >> preeti arla in washington for us this morning, preeti, thanks. security at the home of former president george bush near dallas officials say a man was showing off his classic sports car wednesday morning, his gas pedal got stuck and ended up on the former president's front lawn. the man passed all sobriety tests and released. the former president and his wife laura were home at the time but never in any danger. former white house chief of

stam rahm emanuel one step closer to running for mayor of chicago. a hearing officer recommended this morning his name appear on the february ballot despite challenges of residency. he spent much of the last two years living in washington working for president obama. the chicago board of election commissioners needs to approve the ruling. after a week of torrential rain, southern california is finally drying out. totals range from over 8 inches in los angeles to over 26 inches in san bernardino county. but the threat of more dangerous mud slides is not over yet. kendis gibson reports. >> reporter: after a week of torrential downpours, wednesday's major storm was too much for many waterways to handle. karen hernandez had to make a life-or-death decision as waters surrounded her home. the second floor window was her only way out. >> i started running. by the time i knew it, i didn't have no house. the rocks, the mud, everything came through. >> reporter: linda hess says she

had moments to escape the gushing water and credits her visiting grandson saving her life. >> i've like we got to get out of here rye now or we'll die. >> the san diego river overflowed its banks sending six feet of water gushing into a hotel. floodwaters entered the city's stadium one day before the poinsettia bowl n. orange county, five inches of rain assist fell in a matter of hours turning streets into rivers. here in laguna beach the rain stopped hours ago but crews are still cleaning up the debrew from the floods. this is being described as the worst storm to hit this area since 1997. >> look at this pant. you can see how high the water went. >> reporter: heidi miller has owned this dress shop more than 20 years. >> until you come down to see it, you don't get it. >> reporter: miller says these days before christmas account for 25% of her business. she and so many across southern california are now turning their

silsts to the daunting clea yes.

>> he also said he was preoccupied with the ongoing tensions between north and south korea. stocks in asia were mixed. good morning to you. >> good morning, terrell. asian markets were lackluster hong kong's hang seng lost more than half a percent. japan's nikkei was closed for a holiday.

today wall street gets the november personal income and spending report, as well as a look at the weekless jobless claim numbers. wednesday, positive news on housing helped the market keep the christmas rally alive. the dow gained 26 points. the nasdaq was up almost four. oil prices are at their highest level in more than two years, topping $91 a barrel this morning in asia. analysts predict crude will hit $100 a barrel early next year. that spike is sending prices at the pump higher, too. the national average for a xwal lon of regular is now $3.00. retailers are looking for another big sales day with christmas falling on a saturday, some analysts predict today could be the second biggest day of the holiday shopping season. new figures show retail revenue was up 5.5% last weekend. a major improvement over last year. and skype is returning to normal this morning after suffering a major outage wednesday. a technical problem knocked the internet phone and video service

offline for millions around the world, dropped calls and service quality have long been seen as a weak point for skype. it has 124 million users as of october. and as the first baby boomers get set to retire next year, it seems they're feeling pretty good about themselves. a new aa rv p survey finds while they have some concerns about their finances and health, 82% are optimistic about the next five years. seven out of ten said they'd achieved all or most of what they wanted in life. and nearly 80% say they're satisfied with the way things are going for them right now. terrell? >> not bad. don't worry, be happy, right? >> that's right. >> appreciate it. thank you so much. just ahead on the morning news whether the placebo effect is the real deal when it comes to helping patients. plus jets coach rex ryan side-ste this is the "cbs morning news." 'll talk about it. this is the "cbs morning news."

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to miami we go. a monkey was on the loose. the animal escaped tuesday from a neighbor's house and bit a man who was cooking dinner. the monkey was hungry. climbed onto the roof until it was coaxed into a small cage. wildlife officials were checking to see if it had vaccinations and needed to see if the man bitten would need rabies shots. a placebo can help a patient feel better even if they know they're taking a sugar pill. researchers did a study on what's called the placebo effect. almost 60% of the patients felt better after taking placebos compared to 35% patients in a control group. the broadway musical "spider-man turn off the dark" is scheduled to resume performances. wednesday's were canceled because of safety concerns. monday a stuntman was injured in a fall during the show. state inspectors and the producers agreed to put new safety measures in place. in new york, we've grown accustomed to the gift of gab of jets coach rex ryan, but he

didn't have much to say when asked about a foot fetish, a video making the rounds on the internet and it appeared to feature a woman looking very much like his wife. christine sloan from our new york station wcbs tv reports. >> just resting for a few minutes. >> reporter: the woman in this provocative individual wrote that deadspin.com says is running wild on a fetish site looks and sounds like the wife of jets coach rex ryan. the website says the man in the background sounds like coach ryan. >> do you mind if i touch them? can i smell them? >> this is a personal matter. it's a personal matter. you know, it's personal. i just want to keep things that it's a personal matter. it is a personal -- it's a personal matter. >> reporter: during an awkward press conference the coach would not deny the woman in the video is his wife michelle. >> obviously i knew these questions were coming and things.

you know, this is a personal matter and i'm not going to discuss it. >> reporter: but, according to jets cornerback dorell rivas and interview rex did talk about the videotape with his players, addressing the foot issue saying he was embarrassed by the story getting out. is the woman in the video michelle ryan? here she is in a cbs 2 news interview and side by side with the woman in the foot fetish video that greatly resembles her. >> he's a very gentle man in private. >> reporter: while the coach didn't talk about the video, he did talk about michelle. >> my wife's beautiful. she's been -- we've been married for 23 years. and, you know, we've -- you you know, she's awesome. >> that was christine sloan from our new york station wcbs tv reporting. i just hope they smelled good and were pretty feet. straight ahead on this thursday morning, we'll have your weather forecast and, in sports, the best team in the nba keeps its win streak alive.

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here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. 39, mostly cloudy in new york, 73 degrees and sunny in miami. 34 degrees, partly cloudy in chicago. 45 degrees and cloudy in dallas. 62 degrees and sunny, finally, in los angeles. time now for a check of the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows the remnants of the california rainstorm moving east into the rockies.

and the northeast is seeing some snow showers. later today, the rockies get more snow and could be heavy at times. rain in texas as remnants of the weak storm moves east. the northern plains will see temperatures in the teens and 20s while, down south, the gulf coast enjoys 60s and 70s. in sports this morning san antonio and boston both extended their long nba winning streaks. the spurs made a fourth quarter comeback against the nuggets. san antonio beat denver 109-103, winners of ten in a row with the best record in the nba. in boston, paul pierce scored 11 in the second half and the celtics won their 14th game in a row on their home court. boston held off philadelphia and win 84-80. the celtics have the second best record in the league. carlos boozer scored 30 points against washington. the bulls rolled ahead in the third quarter against washington. chicago took the win, 87-80, their ninth win in their last ten games. in college football, number 10 boise state dominated the maaaco bowl in las vegas.

kellen moore threw for two touchdowns. boise state finished the season 12-1. a quick break. when we come back this morning, we'll have another check of the morning's top stories and christmas countdown, why 11th-hour shoppers may not find the deep discounts they're used to. we'll be right back. d to. we'll be right back. - oh, we miss you, honey. - i'll be home soon. until then, i have my wingman helping me out. tommy? - i helped dad pick it out.

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137bz. on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather. the west coast will dry out now that the rain has moved toward the central plains. cold air is on its way through the mississippi river valley, and the northeast is still dealing with windy conditions. another look at this morning's top stories on a thursday after getting almost everything he wanted from the lame duck session of congress, president obama is heading to hawaii this morning to vacation with his family.

he returns to washington the first of the year. and south korea held new military exercises this morning, the largest air and ground firing drills of the year. north korea condemned the drills but stopped short of threatening a retaliatory strike. only two more days left until christmas and today is expected to be an especially busy shopping day. but if you're holding out for some of those last-minute deals, it may not be such a good idea. >> reporter: 'tis the season for last-minute shopping. >> i am a very last-minute shopper. i'm a procrasti-santa. >> reporter: she's got plenty of company. retail analysts say a quarter of all consumers left at least some of their holiday shopping until the last week before christmas. one in five hadn't even started yet. >> i actually just started, first store, first purchase. >> reporter: thursday, december 23rd now expected to be the second busiest day of the season after black friday.

there are promotions and special offers everywhere you look here at the mall and online. >> stores are giving pretty good discounts on items just before christmas here so i'm kind of happy that i waited. >> the things i'm looking for i haven't found on sale but i get the e-mails every day that say 40% off at this store, 30% off at this store. >> reporter: this year discounts are not as deep retailers were careful not to overstock and having their best season in at least four years. so, they don't need to give away the store. >> they definitely are not as good as last year. last year, i was finding really, really good things and not so much this year. >> reporter: retailers are using other tactics instead, free shipping at hundreds of websites, best buy got rid of restocking fees and many stores are extending their hours. toys r us stores nationwide will be open around the clock from now until christmas eve for the last-minute shopping scramble. coming up in a couple of hours on "the early show," advice on how to stick to your

new year's resolutions, that and so much more coming up on "the early show." i'm terrell brown. this is the "cbs morning news." ah, it's stinging a little bit more than usual! yeah, you'll get used to it. the longer you keep your high mileage car, the more it pays you back. get castrol gtx high mileage. it helps engines last longer by fighting the main causes of engine failure. i think a dime went up my nose. yeah, it happens. don't change your car. change your oil to castrol gtx high mileage. its more than just oil. it's liquid engineering. wabout readingl and put it here. introducing nookcolor. experience books, magazines, newspapers and children's books like never before. nookcolor by barnes & noble.

we always love stuff like this. check this out, incredible time lapse video shows the mill key way over nevada's lake tahoe, breathtaking view of the galaxy over a period of about nine hours. the photographer says the pictures were not processed except for color correcting. now officially a british site of national importance. beatles fans from around the world flock to it in north london. the famous picture on the album cover shows john, ringo, paul and george strolling through the crossing. as reported earlier in the broadcast president obama signed a law repealing the long standing ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military ending 17 years of don't ask, don't tell.

but as david martin reports this morning, it will be some time before the repeal actually takes effect. >> thank you. yes, we did. >> reporter: an echo of president obama's yes we can campaign slogan you don't hear too much these days. but for this audience, which included gay combat veterans who had been discharged from military service, the president delivered. >> thank you, mr. president! >> you're welcome. >> reporter: but after all the applause lines, the president had to say not so fast. >> now, the old policy remains in effect until secretary gates, admiral mullen and i certify the military's readiness to implement the repeal. and it's especially important for service members to remember that. >> reporter: in other words, if you come out of the closet now, you are still liable for discharge. although as a practical matter discharges under don't ask, don't tell have ground to a halt. lieutenant colonel victor faranbach is gay

and still on active duty. >> i've been speaking out while i've been continuing to serve in the same job, same capacity, same squadron, same base for the last year and a half as an openly gay man >> reporter: pentagon officials say it could take months, particularly since some of the joint chiefs have doubts and want to go slow. >> the pentagon is trying to drag its feet on this and, unfortunately, what we're seeing is some political obstructionism from the service chiefs. >> reporter: the president tried to allay the fears of gay advocates like aaron belkan. >> i've spoken to every one of the service chiefs and they are all committed to implementing this change swiftly and efficiently. we are not going to be dragging our feet to get this done. >> reporter: once it is done, not only will gays in uniform be free to come out, but those who have been discharged will be eligible to reenlist. david martin, cbs news, the pentagon. coming up later on "the early show" an exclusive interview with rebecca duke, the

widow of the gunman who opened fire on a florida school board. also creative ideas for last-minute holiday gifts you can order online and still have arrive for christmas. i'll be watching. and a conversation with country music legend merle haggard, recently honored by the kennedy center, all of that and more coming up this morning on "the early show." that's the "cbs morning news" for this thursday. i'm terrell brown. take care, everybody. i'm terrell brown. take care, everybody. have a great day! -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com