stranded. airports open as flights resume in the wake of the blizzard. but it could be days before all travelers finally get where they're going. behind bars. an american jailed in haiti for kidnapping insists he's innocent. and to the rescue. a tv news helicopter saves a calf in deep trouble on thin a tv news helicopter saves a calf in deep trouble on thin ice. captioning funded by cbs good morning, everybody. good to see you on this tuesday. i'm terrell brown, in for betty nguyen. once again this morning, for people in the northeast, the snow plow is their best friend. they're still digging out from that powerful blizzard that blew through the region sunday and

monday. this time lapse video shows how fast and intense the snow piled up. warmer temperatures today in the mid-atlantic states should help the cleanup. areas from virginia to maine were hit hard. tens of millions of people were affected in some way. it's especially hard for anyone driving or trying to fly. whit johnson is in times square with the latest. good morning to you. >> terrell, good morning to you. this snowstorm made it to the top ten worst snowstorms of all time on record here in new york city. and as you could see, it's still piled up and still causing huge problems for folks trying to get out of town. northeast airports are back open. but that doesn't mean passengers are going anywhere any time soon. >> i'm trying to get to new orleans. unfortunately i don't think it's going to happen for me today. they said they can book me on a thursday flight. i'm supposed to come back on thursday. >> reporter: thousands of travelers may be stranded for days after the massive blizzard dumped two feet of snow in some areas. >> i'm aggravated. really aggravated. >> reporter: but it's not just the weather. many airlines moved their planes

and crews ahead of the storm, and still have to get them back in place. on top of that, nearly 7,000 flights were canceled during an already busy travel season. >> every flight is overbooked by like eight people, plus there's over 50 on standby for every flight until saturday. >> reporter: and train service isn't much better. amtrak expects only limited trips today between boston and new york, and is warning customers to expect more delays and cancellations. a massive cleanup operation is also under way here in times square, where the city is gearing up for the biggest party of the year. monday night snow plows made room for the nearly 1 million people expected on new year's eve. >> we'll get it ready. we always get it ready every year. get back to work. >> reporter: and there's plenty of work to do. the monster storm hit new york city especially hard. in less than 24 hours the region got nearly four times the amount of snow it usually sees in the entire month of december.

well, it's not snowing anymore, but for people traveling it might as well be. airports from here all the way up to boston say some people may not be able to rebook new flights until friday. terrell? >> whit johnson in times square for us this morning. thanks. meanwhile many of those passengers whose flights were canceled were stuck for a night, maybe even two, at the airport. the only thing worse was spending a night stranded on a subway train. that happened to hundreds of people in new york. michelle miller has more on the blizzard and the trouble for travelers. >> reporter: at new york's laguardia airport stranded passengers could do nothing but watch as plows worked late into the day to clear off more than a foot of snow. tonya was hit the back to bozeman, montana with her dog charlie. but they've been stuck here for the last 24 hours. she was among the 250 people who tested out overnight on cots, chairs, even the marble floor. >> just make peace with it. all right, i'm stuck here for at least 24 hours. okay. >> reporter: so how many nights

have you been stranded? >> four nights in total. >> reporter: passengers on el al flight 002 to tel aviv thought they were going to escape the winter blitz. but their plane never made it off the tarmac at jfk airport. they were stuck on the runway for nearly nine hours. >> well, they gave us dinner and entertainment. fortunately, i have nothing to complain about. >> reporter: it was a different story for passengers trying to leave kennedy by subway. >> we're not going nowhere. on a train with no heat. >> reporter: susan spent the night on the train, describing conditions in a phone call to wcbs-tv. >> we're doing okay. most of the people are just waking up now, and there's no water and no bathrooms. so it's a little difficult. just about everybody on this train was coming from kennedy airport. there was really no other way to get out of the airport. >> reporter: amtrak canceled 21 trains. and stranded air travelers from new york airports came to manhattan to see if they could get out by other means.

>> i'm trying to get to d.c. i give up on my travel plans, i think. >> reporter: authorities worked around the clock to rescue hundreds of trapped motorists. across the region, stations were held in an icy grip with service only returning slowly as the sun came out. michelle miller, cbs news, new york. a tragedy this morning in hialeah, florida, just outside miami. police say five teenagers have died accidentally of carbon monoxide poisoning. the victims' bodies were found monday in a hotel room. police believe they were overcome by exhaust fumes from a car that had been left running outside their room. a maid found them and called 911. >> all males. were unconscious. there was a vehicle running, and the garage underneath that adjoining room. all males had no signs of life. they were all deceased. >> police say the five victims were friends. they were together to celebrate the 19th birthday of one of them. a report this morning says an american aid worker is due in court today in haiti more than two weeks after he was jailed on kidnapping charges. paul wagner says it's all a

mistake. the 15-month-old boy he's accused of stealing actually died in february. a texas nurse says she was there and says the boy's father put his son in a coffin. >> we wrapped it in a little sheet of plastic, and i created a flyer on the front that had his name, and the date that he was born, the date that he died, and then in front of the father, i taped up the box. >> the father says a witch doctor told him the boy couldn't have died because his eyes were still open. heavy rain and flooding in australia is forcing hundreds of families out of their homes. some areas in the northeastern state in queensland already got nearly a foot of rain during the past two days. at least one town is entirely under water. some 300 roads have been closed and two major highways leading to the state capital of brisbane have been cut off. the heavy rain follows months of drought in that region. in britain nine men accused of planning terror attacks are still behind bars after a court appearance monday. three others are free. those 12 men were arrested a week ago when officials warned

of possible terror plots around christmas. the nine men still being held allegedly wanted to attack the u.s. embassy in london and the london stock exchange. and in india, an escaped leopard is on the loose this morning. it surprised the men who were trying to catch it. it jumped out of the bushes and into a crowd after the men set the bush on fire. the big cat attacked one man, who was holding a torch, and then ran off. the leopard has already attacked at least seven people in the nearby village. apparently that whole fire tactic isn't working out in this case. "cbs moneywatch" time on this cbs morning. stocks in asia edged a little lower this morning. good morning. >> good morning, terrell. asian markets saw light year-end trading. japan's nikkei lost half a percent. hong kong's hang seng dropped nearly 1%. today, wall street gets the latest on the housing market and consumer confidence. monday, stocks finished mixed. the dow lost 18 points. the nasdaq gained 1.5. that monster blizzard that

slammed the northeast is hitting the airlines' bottom line. besides leaving thousands of passengers stranded, the storm and its aftermath could end up costing the airlines $100 million. it's a bad end to a great year, though, for the industry. airlines are on track to post more than $7 billion in profits in 2010. and holiday shoppers definitely didn't have the recession on their minds. mastercard says consumer spending just 5.5% from november to christmas. to more than $584 billion. that's the biggest increase since 2007. clothing sales led the way with jewelry, and luxury goods also making a strong comeback compared to the past couple of years. and at&t is adding more hot spots. the company is set to announce today it's expanding wi-fi access in new york and introducing it in san francisco. these new hot zones are different from what you might be used to, because they cover

public outdoor spaces, and are clustered together, instead of being confined to a hotel, coffee shop or airport. at&t's smartphone and broadband subscribers can use the zones for free, and usage doesn't count towards monthly data limits. and meantime, apple users could see more cyber attacks this year. a new report from the anti-virus firm mcafee forecasts a huge jump in the number of viruses and hacks that plague window pc users. apple historically has been spared most of those attacks. and brace yourself for $5 gasoline. that's right. the former president of shell oil predicts gas prices will spike as global demand for oil increases. he says americans could be paying $5 for a gallon of gas by 2012. currently prices are at their highest they've ever been this time of year, averaging just over $3 a gallon. terrell? >> that's when you just park the car and walk to work. >> that's right. >> or take the bike. just forget it. appreciate it. thank you so much.

on the "cbs morning news," elton john hits a high note as he celebrates being a new father. plus bad times for mtv's teen mom star amber portwood, arrested for domestic violence. this is the "cbs morning news." [ robin ] my name is robin. and i was a pack-a-day smoker for 25 years. i do remember sitting down with my boys, and i'm like, "oh, promise mommy you'll never ever pick up a cigarette." i had to quit. ♪ my doctor gave me a prescription for chantix, a medication i could take and still smoke, while it built up in my system. [ male announcer ] chantix is a non-nicotine pill proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these symptoms or behaviors, stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of depression

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wabout readingl and put it here. introducing nookcolor. experience books, magazines, newspapers and children's books like never before. nookcolor by barnes & noble. in oklahoma, an amazing rescue of a calf stranded on an icy farm pond. the rancher called tv station helicopter pilot mason dunn. he helped rescue a stranded deer three years ago. he flew over the pond to see if he could help. he used the wind from the chopper's rotor blades to push the calf toward shore. >> it set up perfectly, there were no trees, no wires. it was a huge pond. the calf was out in the middle of the pond. it was an easy decision, we just went right down there and like i said, it took me about 30 seconds to blow it over to the shore. >> lucky calf. the thin layer of ice cracked.

the struggling calf was able to make it out of the water safely. for the third year in a row, president obama tops the most admired men list. he was the runaway favorite in the annual gallup poll released monday. secretary of state hillary clinton was the most admired woman. other notable men were presidents george w. bush and bill clinton, nelson mandela, the pope and glenn beck. also on the women's side, former alaska governor sarah palin finished second, queen elizabeth and angelina jolie and former first lady laura and barbara bush all in the top ten. singer elton john is now a dad. john and his partner are parents of a baby boy born on christmas day. his publicist said the child was born to a surrogate whose identity is not being revealed. the parents say they are overwhelmed with happiness and joy. the child's name zachary jackson levon furnish-john. and also some great news from actress natalie portman. she's engaged and pregnant. portman met her fiance during the production of her new movie

"black swan." her role in the movie has earned her nominations for a golden globe and a screen actor's guild award. teen mom star amber portwood is expected in court today in a domestic violence case. portwood, a star of mtv reality show "teen mom" turned herself in to police monday. she was charged with hitting gary shirley, the baby's father. portwood's attorney says she's facing significant prison time if she's convicted, and hopes she will be released on bail. straight ahead on this tuesday morning we'll have your weather forecast. and in sports the defending super bowl champs punch their way to the playoffs.

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twizzlers. the twist you can't resist. here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. new york, partly cloudy, 34. sunny and 63 in miami. 26 and partly cloudy in chicago. light rain and 47 in dallas. and sunny and 65 in los angeles. time now for a check of the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows clear skies above the southeast and southwest. small storm system is building up in the southern plains. yesterday's blizzard is moving away from the country but snow showers are still falling in its wake in the northeast. and it's overcast in the northwest. later today a small, gusty wind in the northeast will make the air feel cold, it will be sunny. southeast is looking to be mild with temperatures in the 50s. northern plains are staying frigid with daytime highs in the 20s. and the northwest will see

another day of windy and wet conditions. in sports this morning, the defending super bowl champion new orleans saints are in the nfl playoffs. drew brees' saints led a fourth quarter comeback against atlanta that ended with a touchdown pass. 17-14 new orleans win, moving them within one game of the falcons in the nfc south. in the nba, dallas wins again but loses its best player. dirk nowitzki suffered a knee injury in the second quarter. the rest of the team rallied to beat oklahoma city 103-93. that was the 17th victory for dallas in their last 18 games. in charlotte the bobcats gave new interim coach bob ellis a win in his first game since he replaced larry brown. charlotte built up a big lead and then hung on for a win over detroit. and aaron brooks of houston, 13 points of his 15 points in the fourth quarter against washington to beat the wizards. houston has won five straight games. when we return on this tuesday morning, another look at

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only miralax is clinically proven to relieve constipation with no harsh side effects. miralax is the only one. restore your body's natural rhythm with miralax. but the travel mess continues. we'll have the latest on flight cancellations.. and what it's going to take to get airports back on track. car buyers beware. how robbers are using great deals on craigslist to attack unsuspecting shoppers. will the party go on? the new decision about a controversial ban on raves. and.. stiff competition. why the pool of people fighting for jobs is about to get bigger. join us for cbs 5 early edition,

on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather. skies are going to clear up here in the northeast. snow will be coming to an end today in maine and turning sunny outside. showers in texas. the midwest will be quiet. the northwest is seeing more rain. take another look at the top stories on this tuesday morning. the northeast still has a lot of snow to clean up after that massive blizzard that dumped two feet of snow in many areas. airlines, they canceled 7,000 flights over the past two days. saying that it could take all week to get all those stranded passengers on their way. and mastercard says holiday shoppers spent almost $600 million this year. the biggest one-year increase

since 2007. clothing sales led the way with jewelry and luxury goods. also making a strong comeback. another big difference this year, more customers paid cash. it's one way to warm up in this cold winter weather, hitting the gym for a good workout. but you might want to skip breakfast if you're serious about taking off that extra weight. >> reporter: paul burns says he drinks a strong cup of black coffee before working out in the morning and that's it. >> i can't do cardio if i eat anything before i come to the gym. but i have a big breakfast afterwards. >> reporter: burn may be on to something. a new study in the journal of physiology suggests exercising in the morning, before breakfast, might be the fastest way to lose weight. researchers in belgium followed three groups of young men for six weeks. the first just ate a fatty breakfast. the second group ate a carbohydrate packed meal, then worked out. the third worked out first, then

ate the same carb-filled meal. the group that ate without working out packed on six pounds. the group that ate before working out gained about three pounds. here's the surprise. those who ate after their workout gained almost no weight. >> the conclusion today seems to be that if you do not eat breakfast, and you are fit, you are going to have the fat as a fuel source for your workout. >> reporter: but hitting the gym on an empty stomach may not be for everyone. some fitness experts recommend eating a little something so you have the energy to get the most out of your workout. >> you should not be eating a heavy carbohydrate-rich breakfast but a piece of fruit would do you good. >> reporter: billy says he needs some fuel in the tank to work out. >> you have to have some sort of carbohydrate in the morning, otherwise you'll fall apart. >> reporter: and the study shows an added benefit for those who can hold out until after working out. their blood sugar level was lower, reducing their risk of diabetes. cbs news, new york. this morning on "the early show," an update on airport

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here in the northeast, thousands of airline passengers stranded by the snowstorm are hoping to get on a flight soon. many will be fighting for seats on overbooked flights. but if they know their rights as an airline traveler they can stay ahead of the game. julie wise of our san francisco station has details. >> it was at 9:00. >> i'm exhausted. >> reporter: their stories may be different, but they share a similar plot twist. stranded at the airport, now what? >> now we're concerned that there are overbooked flights, so i don't know if we have seats. >> you shouldn't assume that she's going to be on that plane. >> reporter: travel lawyers say when it comes to widespread travel delays like these, you need to know your rights. and in many cases airlines can make a lot more money by bumping you. >> if she has to keep those

tickets she may find herself overbooked and the carrier can take that $500 ticket and sell it as an $1800 last-minute ticket. >> reporter: and while there are no laws to prevent that, there are laws that say you have to be paid for being involuntarily bumped. if the airline bumps you, and you can't get out in under two hours the department of transportation says they owe you 100% of your fare, up to $400. bumped for more than two hours, they owe you 200% of your fare, up to $800. but keep in mind, if they cancel or delay your flight, they don't owe you a dime. they simply have to get you on the next available flight, with, quote, seats of the same class. >> and here's where they got you. oh, i'm sorry there are no more $39 tickets. but we do have an $1800 coach. >> reporter: he says under current regulations you might be better off getting bumped. at least you get paid. but if you're willing to pay for

it, the same loophole could get you home quicker. >> i'm the one at the counter who says, i'll pay for that full seat. i'll pay you the higher price. and you watch how all of a sudden it becomes available. >> reporter: but for now many of these folks are still waiting for their seats to become available. not such a surprise ending to their holiday travel story. >> it's the holiday season. you just have to deal with it. you know. we travel a lot regularly, so you get used to it. it's unfortunate. >> reporter: he stresses if you do get bumped you want to ask for a check but not one of those travel vouchers because they often come with extra stipulations. if you're flying international you want to fly an international airline because if your flight is delayed or canceled due to weather, international carriers do have to put you up in a hotel and take care of you. on the consumer watch, i'm julie watt for cbs news. >> coming up a little later on "the early show," an update on the airports snowed in by the northeast blizzard and the thousands of stranded travelers to get moving again. also from shoveling snow to staying warm, tips on how to keep yourself safe this winter

season. and paul mccartney takes a walk down memory lane and recalls how his legendary music career got started. all that and more coming up on "the early show." that's the "cbs morning news" for this tuesday. i'm terrell brown. take care, everybody. have a great day. ,,,,,,,,