the blizzard of 2010. states of emergency declared as a monster storm hammers the northeast. >> we're going to f the blizzard of 2010. states of emergency declared as a monster storm hammers the northeast. >> we're going to fight this storm with everything we've got. >> but it's not enough as white-out conditions shut down highways and thousands of flights are canceled just as many americans head home after the holiday. this is the "cbs morning news" for monday, december 27th, 2010. morning, everybody. good to see you this monday. i'm terrell brown in for betty nguyen. mother nature is ending 2010 with a bang. a powerful and dangerous winter storm continues to slam the northeast this morning. it's blasting gale-force winds and dumping record amounts of snow.

right now the blizzard is still hovering over new england. states of emergency have been declared in massachusetts, new jersey, maine, maryland, virginia, and north carolina. road travel is treacherous and thousands of flights have been canceled. by the time it's all over, the northeast and mid-atlantic could see as much as two feet of snow with records set up and down the east coast. a very cold whit johnson in new york's times square with more. whit, good morning to you. >> reporter: terrell, good morning to you. welcome to times square this popular tourist spot is being used as a dumping ground right now for all this snow. if you are trying to get around, it's really sort of a mixed bag. some of the streets as you can see are clear and good to go. others are impassable, completely covered with snow. for those actually trying to get somewhere like go home after the holidays, there are few options, if any. the first monster storm of the season continues to hammer much of the east coast this morning. crippling virtually every type of travel.

>> the streets are horrible everything's just horrible. >> reporter: overnight two of the busiest airports in the world, jfk and newark shut down completely after snowplows couldn't keep up. airlines are hoping to get passengers back in the skies later today african selling more than 1400 flights over the weekend. >> you take it for what it is. if you travel, you got to be prepared for any of the elements. >> reporter: but air travelers aren't the only ones stranded. amtrak suspended its train service between new york and maine. and officials urged drivers to stay off roadways. at least two deadly traffic accidents are already blamed on the bad weather. here in new york city, blizzard warnings are in effect until tonight. by the time the storm finishes moving through, the big apple will be buried under more than a foot of snow. states of emergency were declared from north carolina all the way to maine. >> we're geared up, ready to go. we're going to fight this storm with everything we've got. >> reporter: even sunday football got put on hold. the nfl postpone the eagles-ike

kings match up in philadelphia until tuesday. in maryland, the national guard was called in to help with weather-related emergencies. >> we weren't supposed to get a lot of snow. then, all of a sudden, it came out of nowhere. >> reporter: but digging out won't be easy. forecasters predict strong winds will hamper cleanup well after the snow stops falling. for those of us actually stuck in the mess, a big problem is the wind. it can be disorienting all this snow you see hitting my face right now, i can't tell you if this is falling from the sky or flowing off the street. city officials are urging people to drop their plans, stay home and await this thing out, terrell. >> whit johnson in new york's times square. stay warm out there, buddy. thank you so much, appreciate it. >> >> reporter: all right, bud. as reported, the massive storm is causing massive headaches for anyone trying to fly in or out of the northeast. many passengers are trying to make it home after the holiday

weekend. nancy cordes has more from reagan national airport outside washington, d.c. >> reporter: snowplows at newark airport couldn't keep up with this storm. >> praying that i can wait out this storm and make it home safely. >> reporter: by midday, nearly 1,000 flights had been canceled at new york's three airports. in philadelphia, 400 out of 600 daily flights were canceled. while in boston, in the heart of the blizzard, several airlines shut down operations altogether. at new york's jfk passengers who have been waiting a week to get to snow-socked heathrow learned the weather here is thwarting them now. >> we can't really be angry or it's just the weather. so, it's nobody fault. >> reporter: amtrak canceled all trains between new york and boston starting at 5:00 p.m. and a few in virginia, too forcing post-christmas crowds on sold-out trains to find another way home. at reagan national, gates were empty even before the snow hit as airlines pulled their planes out of the snowstorm's path.

>> it is frustrating because it is not really snowing here. >> i've had two flights canceled and will miss my los angeles flight by ten minutes. >> reporter: the price family got stuck halfway between minneapolis and orlando, where disney world awaits. >> i just heard our flight is canceled and next time we can fly will be tuesday. >> reporter: even passengers in sunny san francisco got caught up in the cancellations. especially those headed east. the problem with rebooking all these stranded passengers is that many of these holiday flights are already sold out so, in some cases, it's going to take them a day or two to to get to their destination. nancy cordes, cbs news, reagan national airport. >> meanwhile this blizzard is definitely not what retailers had on their christmas list. the severe weather kept many americans at home not at the mall. some analysts think it could cut post-holiday shopping by as much as 50% after what looks to be a record holiday shopping season. jay dow reports. >> reporter: with a major blizzard threatening shoppers in the northeast, many die-hard

bargain hunters hit the malls early. >> i just want to get out here before the snow comes down heavy. >> reporter: to take advantage of a flurry of post-christmas deals. >> everything is like 60, 70% off. i just went to jc perchny and got five or six things for $20. >> reporter: retail analysts say the storm could devastate profits during a pivotal period. >> when there's snow like this, this two and three days they're gone, they can't recover and will be forced to have bigger deals in january. >> reporter: according to america's research group retailers are having a good season. holiday sales increased 3.1% over last year. tv sales are up 8%. children's clothing, up 25%. and video games are up 80%, which put a major dent in toy sales. one stand-out trend, fewer consumers used their credit cards and chose to buy with cash. >> they have been saving money at least two or three months and thought about this for weeks and weeks and weeks and had a plan and followed that plan. >> reporter: but with snow

accumulations being measured not in inches but feet, shopping plans must also involve an exit strategy. >> i don't want to be stuck out here. not being able to catch a bus back home. >> reporter: if this bad weather continues to be a factor, retailers may be forced to extend their sales well into january. they're under pressure to clear their winter inventories before the presidents' day holiday to make room for new spring merchandise. jay dow, cbs news new york. a nato service member killed by a roadside bomb this morning. it happened in a taliban stronghold of southern afghanistan. the service member's nationality was not identified. 697 nato service members have been killed this year in afghanistan making it the deadliest of the nine-year-long war. in egypt eight americans died yesterday, more than 20 injured when their tour bus crashed into a truck. the group on its way to see ancient temples. it is the latest in a string of deadly crashes involving tourists in egypt. police in brazil are

investigating the bizarre case of an elderly woman declared dead. she woke up hours later in a coffin. the 88-year-old was rushed back to the hospital but she died two days later authorities want to know if poor medical care and the misdiagnosis contributed to her death. wikileaks founder julian assange signing a million and a half dollar book deal saying he reluctantly agreed to write his autobiography to pay for his mounting legal bills and to keep the intersnet whistle-blower site afloat. the book is due out next year. presidents obama and the first family still on vacation in hawaii this morning. saturday, the president and first lady joined u.s. marines and families at a nearby base for christmas dinner. while he he enjoys golf and spending time with his family, the president is also meeting with advisers planning for a new year and new congress. that new congress convenes on capitol hill in less than two weeks. when it does, it will be a republican-controlled house that will not be looking to make life easy for president obama. joel brown reports. >> reporter: the president's

hoping for more of the cooperative spirit back home that led to a string of legislative wins in the lame duck congress. but, compromise may prove harder to come by in the new year. >> the biggest flash point between president obama and congressional republicans is going to be the budget. republicans say they want to cut a lot out of the budget. president obama is somewhat wary of that. he may, indeed, foresake his own party, the democrats, to get some of these accomplishments going into the 2012 presidential campaign. >> reporter: for the gop, 2011 will be about reversing some of the president's biggest victories of 2010. there's threats to choke off funding for health care and wall street reform, a full-scare war on the white house agenda analysts say will force the president to clearly define his message. >> the president hasn't really offered a very visionary look at where we're going as a country. >> reporter: he'll get his first chance to spell out that vision in his upcoming state of the union address, an official start to part 2 of the president's

first term, as he slowly builds the case for his own re-election. there is one early area of common ground in washington. gop leaders are loosening the rules and allowing house members to use their blackberries on the house floor. of course president obama has worn his full time since arriving at the white house. joel brown, cbs news, washington. >> just ahead on the morning news stocks look to finish the year on a high note. plus remembering teena maria, the ivory queen of soul dies at age 54. this is the "cbs morning news." , the ivory queen of soul dies at age 54. this is the "cbs morning news." wait, did you say? i did! no preservatives. [ female announcer ] only lean cuisine's got over 90 dishes with no preservatives like sesame stir fry with chicken. it's got crisp, farm picked broccoli and bell peppers, and 100% tender white meat chicken steamed in a savory sesame sauce. yum. mmm. yum is right. can i have a bite? uh huh.

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many investors either on vacation or already locked into profits. last week, traders kept the year-end rally going strong. the dow added 0.7%. the nasdaq added close to 1%. 'tis the season for gift returns. at least 20% of americans plan to return at least one gift and many plan to do so today. despite the big storm in the northeast, the national retail federation predicted spending this holiday season will reach $451.5 billion, up 3.3% over last year. that would be the biggest increase since 2006. gasoline prices are surging again. just in time for the millions driving home from christmas gatherings, the average price hit 3.04 a gallon sunday. gasoline prices have gone up six cents in a week and 18 cents in a month. analysts expect more increases in the months ahead.

and at the movies a big win for "little fockers" despite truly awful reviews. the ben stiller robert diniro comedy had $34 million. the coen brothers' "true grit" opened in second place and "tron legacy" finishing third. >> you got through it. try saying "little fockers" on tv three times in a row and see what comes up the third time, right? good stuff. good to see you this morning, thanks. congratulations for hugh hefner, the "playboy" magazine founder getting married for the third time. hefner is 84 years old. his bride-to-be is 23. they got engaged off the holiday. on a twitter posting hefner called it his, quote, happiest christmas weekend in memory. some sad news to report this morning from the entertainment world. teena marie, known as the ivory queen of soul, has died.

♪ i just want to rock your world ♪ purchase >> teena marie was one of the most gifted and respected white artists embraced by black audiences. she had such hits at "love girl" "square biz" and "fire & desire" one of the few white singers to work for the motown label. she died sunday in los angeles apparently of natural causes. she was 54 years old. beauty ed. the clinical results are astounding. olay professional pro-x. read all about it at olayprofessional.com. mattress spectacular at sears! get an extra 10% off mattresses already half off. plus instant rebates up to $300 on select mattresses. and free delivery and haul away hurry, it all ends sunday. sears. naturally colorful vegetables are often a good source of vitamins, fiber, or minerals. and who brings you more natural colors than campbell's condensed soups?

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in some cities around the country. time now for a check of the national forecast. , partly cloudy in chicago, 50 and sunny in dallas and 67 degrees and sunny in los angeles. time now for a check of the 28 degrees, snowy acwithin in new york, 58 degrees, sunny in miami. 26, partly cloudy in chicago, 50 and sunny in dallas and 67 degrees and sunny in los angeles. time now for a check of the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows that monster blizzard still hovering over the northeast. skies clear across the midwest. later today one to two feet of snow expected to fall by the time the blizzard in the northeast moves on. skies will be sunny in the midwest with temperatures in the north and 60s in the south and lots of sun in the southeast. in sports this morning, get ready for tuesday night football. the nfl delayed last night's vikings-eagles game in philadelphia over fears of the big winter storm. the game, the first on a tuesday night since 1946, will kick off at 8:00 p.m. tom brady completed three touchdown passes. the patriots crushed the bills 34-3. the victory clinched the afc east division for new england meaning the patriots have the top seed and also have home field advantage through the first three rounds of the playoffs.

in green pay, aaron rogers threw for 404 yards to rout the giants, 45-17 the final. packers improved to 9-6. the loss leaves the giants clinging to fading playoff hopes. troubled san francisco 49ers fired coach mike singletary. he was let go after san francisco was eliminated from playoff contention yesterday. they went down 25-17 to st. louis. the 49ers have a 5-10 showing this year. they were expected to win the nfc west. the defensive line coach was promoted to interim coach. when we return this morning, white-out. the blizzard of 2010 wreaks havoc in the northeast. some place are buried in as much as two feet of snow. we'll be right back. twizzlers. the twist you can't resist.

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blizzard slams the east coast. we're live with the ripple effect it's having at bay area airports. singletary's out! the fired 49ers head coach speaks to cbs 5 about his regrets in an exclusive interview.. return rip-off? how much some stores are charging you to bring back your unwanted holiday gifts.,,,, on the cbs morning news a look at today's weather. the blizzard in the northeast will leave the region but right behind it are gusty winds and

cold temperatures. cold temperatures expected in the southeast with 40s likely along parts of the gulf coast. the southwest will be sunny and warm. we want to get another update on our top story this morning. the massive winter storm blasting the northeast, the first blizzard of the season and by any measure, a monster storm. we're talking howling winds, thousands of canceled flights and up to 24 inches of snow in some areas in the northeast. elaine quijano has more. >> reporter: mayors in the cities in the path of the storm have all declared states of emergency. in philadelphia, where sunday night football is postponed until tuesday -- >> we fight storms. that's what we do. that's what we're in the business to do. >> reporter: in new york, where one to two inches of snow is steadily falling every hour -- >> we also have more than 180,000 tons of salt on hand over at 30 locations. >> reporter: and in boston.

>> we're asking everyone to stay home, stay off the main thoroughfares. >> reporter: the blizzard has already caused treacherous conditions in the south. the storm is being blamed for at least two deadly crashes and throughout the region the nor'easter has broken numerous records. the snowstorm arrived in time to alter holiday travel plans. in richmond, virginia, steven sutton held off visiting family in north carolina. >> as soon as i get this gas, i'm going in the house. >> reporter: the snow means holiday headaches for some. for others, including tourists in new york, the snow only adds to the holiday spirit. >> last year we came it was pouring rain and we still came and this year it's -- we don't care about the weather. we just like to see the city. >> reporter: the storm is continuing to take aim at new york city, with wind gusts more than 35 miles per hour. the blowing and drifting snow is making any kind of travel tonight here dangerous. elaine quijano, cbs news, new york. this morning on "the early show" the latest on the blizzard blanketing the northeast.

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there's a there's at least one company in the nation where business means more than just serving the bottom line, making sure food is served for all who come through its doors. the unique approach is earning praise as well as profits. cynthia bowers reports. >> thank you very much for being a part of us. >> reporter: at panera bread company, the nation's best performing restaurant chain, the breaking of bread with customers is an opening day tradition. >> some people cut a ribbon. we share bread. >> reporter: but what's happening at this dearborn, michigan store is decidedly non-traditional. >> we made a decision to take this store and literally give this store to the community. >> to make sure everyone gets a meal, even if they can't afford one. >> reporter: panera cares as it is called doesn't list prices on

its menu board. it suggests donations instead. >> you leave more or less in the donation box. >> reporter: the pay-what-you-can concept is his way of offering more than a simple handout to those in need. >> i'm only working part-time right now. so, on days i can afford it, it will be great. and on days i can't, i'll definitely take use of it. >> reporter: but for some customers, the new concept can be difficult to grasp. >> what different does is make i pay you 3.70 or four bucks or 25 cents? >> reporter: customers able to pay have to sometimes be willing to donate more than their fair share. >> that was the big risk here. will the community step up and take on shared responsibility? >> reporter: this dearborn location is the company's second such store. the first, which opened seven months ago in st. louis, is doing better than skeptics predicted. >> financially it is working.

we're making enough money to be self-sustained, able to pay the labor, the food, the rent. >> reporter: in st. louis so far 60% of customers are donating the suggested amount. 20% are donating more. 20% donating less. he says a restaurant's location is key to staying afloat. >> we have to be in communities in which there are both people that can sustain it and people that can benefit from it. >> reporter: some companies do good to capitalize on the holidays or to clean up after a p.r. nightmare. but marketing experts say what panera is doing makes no business sense, which could be business genius. >> the best kind of p.r. is getting caught in the act of doing something good. and this is a classic case of that. >> it's easy to get behind, feeding your neighbor. >> reporter: and it's that appetite for giving that panera is counting on to help them give back. cynthia bowers, cbs news, dearborn, michigan. coming up later on "the early show" continuing coverage

of the massive blizzard that has socked in a large part of the east coast. also a look at president obama's likely plans to seek a second term as president. and a report on the trouble-plagued broadway production "spider-man" and how the show will go on. that's the "cbs morning news" for this monday. appreciate you watching this morning. i'm terrell brown. take care, everybody. i'm terrell brown. take care, everybody. have a great day! -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com