back to business. the house takes up debate on repealing president obama's health care reform law. palin pushback. the former alaska governor says liberals are trying to use the tucson shooting to destroy her politically. >> they'll do all that they can to stop me because they don't like the message. and jobs report. new questions for apple after its founder and ceo takes his second medical leave in two years. this is the "cbs morning news" years. this is the "cbs morning news" for tuesday, january 18th, 2011. captioning funded by cbs and good morning on this tuesday. good to see you this morning. i'm terrell brown. it's back to work for congress today. the house is taking up president

obama's health care overhaul. a vote to repeal is scheduled for tomorrow. scott goldberg is in washington with more. >> reporter: good morning. members of congress who promise to bring more civility to politics will get their first real test today as the new republican majority in the house moves forward with its pledge to try to repeal one of president obama's signature legislative accomplishments. republicans are moving ahead with plans to repeal president obama's health care law. >> the real problem in health care is it costs too much and what we've done is expanded the coverage but haven't worked on the cost. >> reporter: today house lawmakers will begin debate with a vote set for tomorrow. the gop favors repealing the measure completely, while democrats are determined to keep at least the major provisions intact. >> are the tax cuts for small businesses not something we can all agree on? i think it is. >> reporter: lawmakers postponed the issue last week following the arizona shooting rampage which left six dead and congresswoman gabrielle giffords critically injured.

lawmakers are pledging a more civil discourse this time around hoping to keep the debate from turning ugly. >> we have to lead by example, and so all of us need to be more careful about the words that we choose to use. >> reporter: despite all the promises, some wonder how long it will last. >> i think we can have the debates we need to with a more civil tone and i think we'll find that's more effective from both sides. but keeping that in to the future will be a tough thing. >> reporter: many americans appear to be warming up to the new health care law. a new poll finds only about one in four want it repealed. and this could just be the opening salvo in the fight. republicans have said if they're not able to repeal it completely, they will try to take it apart piece by piece. >> scott goldberg for us in washington this morning. scott, thanks. meanwhile, after the tucson shootings, conservatives, particularly sarah palin, was criticized and even blamed for the attack.

palin defended herself saying liberals are trying to destroy her image. >> of course my first thought when i heard of the shooting and knowing that there were deaths was how absolutely atrocious this was. i know that a lot of those on the left hate my message and they'll do all that they can to stop me because they don't like the message. >> palin also said her political action committee's use of cross hairs to identify districts was not original and has been used by democrats. >> that came up right away that it must be a cause of this horrendous evil act of this shooter that perhaps he saw that map and that incited him toward violence. which of course is ridiculous and, again, it's not an original use of an icon or a graphic. >> palin said she receives a lot of death threats and so do her children, but she will not stop speaking out. congresswoman giffords

continues to make a remarkable recovery. karen brown has the latest. >> reporter: doctors say gabrielle giffords could be ready to leave the hospital for a rehabilitation center in a matter of weeks or even sooner. >> i think that full functional recovery is possible. i'm not going to promise it. but if she works hard, it's possible. >> reporter: nine days after being shot in the head, she continues to make remarkable progress. her latest breakthroughs, smiling at her husband and even giving him a neck rub. >> it implies a lot of things, that she is seeing him, she's recognizing him and that it's stirring emotion. the rapidity is something i couldn't have hoped for. >> reporter: her condition has been upgraded to serious. doctors took her off the ventilator and repaired a fractured eye socket. congresswoman giffords' neurosurgeon tells me that there is every reason to believe that she could eventually go back to work.

but right now, it's as if she's emerging from a long concussion and just starting to come out of the fog. also on monday, a memorial service was held for 30-year-old gabe zimmerman, giffords' director of community outreach who was killed in the shooting. and the family of the youngest victim, 9-year-old christina green, said her donated corneas have helped save the eyesight of two other children. what's going through your heart right now? >> definitely elation. definitely joy. there's no question. >> reporter: but doctors warn it will still be a long slow recovery. karen brown, cbs news, tucson. a new winter storm is hitting the northeast this morning, this time a dangerous mix of freezing rain, snow and fog. it's moved into new jersey, new york and connecticut just in time for rush hour. up to three inches of snow and a coating of ice will slow down travel. parts of massachusetts and new hampshire could see up to six inches of snow. philadelphia police announce a major break in the

investigation into a string of strangling deaths. 21-year-old antonio rodriguez was picked up last night. he's linked to the sexual assault and murders of three women by dna. three others were also attacked. rodriguez was taken into custody on an unrelated charge. so far he's not been charged in the murders. the camden new jersey police force has lost nearly half its officers to budget cuts. camden has the second highest crime rate in the nation. 163 police officers lost their jobs, that's 44% of the force. city officials say the cuts will not affect public safety. camden also cut 60 of its 215 firemen. government officials in tunisia say they'll open the government to opposition leaders. battles between protesters calling for democratic reform and security forces have swept the country for months.

violent gangs roam the streets. more than 78 have lost their lives. the president was forced from office last week. in northeast australia, there is no relief from the widespread flooding that's killed at least 30 people. more evacuations were ordered this morning as the flooding spread. the city was cut in half. australia officials say this may be the country's most costly natural disaster ever. meanwhile in brazil, a man buried for 16 hours under a collapsed building was pulled to safety monday. mudslides and flooding prompted by days of torrential rain have cut off entire communities. more than 660 people have been killed. president hu jintao arrives in washington today. hu last visited five years ago. he'll have talks with president obama tomorrow and then a state dinner will be held in his honor. tonight he'll dine privately with the president and hillary clinton. still to come, facebook users beware, the latest

security loophole could compromise your personal information, but oprah opens up. the queen of daytime reveals a shocking suicide attempt. this is the "cbs morning news." at purina one, we want your cat to be as healthy as possible. so we set out to discover the nutritional science in some of nature's best ingredients. that's how we created purina one with smartblend. nutritionally optimized with real salmon, wholesome grains, and essential antioxidants for strong muscles, vital energy, a healthy immune system, and a real difference in your cat. purina one with smartblend. discover what one can do. nobody else has what this paint's got: and that's a number one rating. it's a paint and primer in one -- so it goes on bold, and looks even better. it means getting more done -- in half the time. and it means the shade you see on that swatch -- ends up on that wall... and is as durable as it is colorful. you know where to find it. more saving. more doing.

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piers morgan replaced larry king on cnn last night. his only guest was oprah winfrey. she made a shocking confession about considering suicide when she was 14 years old and pregnant. >> so i'm thinking i'm just going to have to kill myself. so -- >> did you come close to doing that? >> no. i did stupid things like drinking detergent and all that kind of crazy stuff that you do when you're trying to get attention when you're really just trying to cry for help. >> oprah also told morgan she could never see herself getting married saying, quote, i'm not the marrying type. when the stock market opens this morning, all eyes will be

on the fortunes of apple, the second most valuable corporation in this country. apple ceo steve jobs is taking a second medical leave of absence in two years. he's battled cancer and had a liver transplant. investors are now worried about the health of his company. anthony mason reports. >> reporter: no other ceo is more closely tied to his company's success than steve jobs. >> he's the creative genius at apple, he's the one who says our next product is the ipad. >> reporter: but jobs was conspicuously absent when apple announced its new verizon iphone in new york last week and in a note to employees, jobs said he's taking a medical leave of absence so i can focus on my health. >> in this case it seems like it's an open-ended time frame which is quite worrying. >> reporter: the 55-year-old jobs who had surgery for a rare form of pancreatic cancer in 2004 was not specific about the health problem forcing him to take more time off. he asked for privacy, but apple was heavily criticized in the

past when it disclosed nothing while its ceo became alarmingly thinner. >> i think the call for more disclosure could be louder this time because the stakes are higher and, frankly, apple is just more important than it used to be. >> reporter: with the success of the iphone and ipad sending apple stocks soaring 62% over the past year, it's become the second most valuable company in the country behind only exxonmobile. >> apple and its success and the phenomenal ride is infinitely tied up with steve jobs and i don't think there's another person on the planet who could step into that role and do as well. >> reporter: anthony mason, cbs news, new york. and on the "moneywatch" this morning, stocks in asia edged up. ashley, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. well, asian markets got a small boost from tech shares. the nikkei finished up a fraction while the hang seng was unchanged. today wall street's very latest on the housing market and another round of corporate

earnings with citigroup and apple among the big names to report. apple set to announce a stunning 50% jump in quarterly earnings, but the company could still see its stock slip over the health concerns of steve jobs. facebook may have another privacy controversy on its hands. the social networking giant is giving app developers access to 500 million users' personal information. users do have to grant permission by clicking okay, but it's likely that many have done so without even knowing it. facebook has been increasingly criticized in recent years for how it handles the privacy of its account holders. most major u.s. airlines are expected to report big profits later on today. it's estimated that the top five airlines earned a combined $3.4 billion last year. in 2009, they had combined losses of over $4 billion. the reason?

a limited number of seats that pushed up fares, improved demand and stable fuel prices. and for those whose morning jolt needs more kick, starbucks is supersizing. behold the trenta, the new size holds 31 ounces and will be used only for iced beverages. the coffee chain introduces it today in 14 states, but it should be everywhere by may. and i have just figured out the difference between tall, grande and venti, but i'm thinking i like the trenta best. >> i'm going to have to supersize my patience, too, dealing with people who have already had too much coffee. all right, ashley, appreciate it. we'll take a quick break. when we come back, we'll check your tuesday morning forecast. and in sports, a rookie phenom has his best game of the season. om has his best game of the season. with chili's new $6 lunch break combos. choose from a house salad or hot, tasty soup.

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over in the northeast for several of the big cities, snow drapes over the ohio river valley. the western half of the nation won't be eventful with sunny skies in the southwest and arctic temperatures in the northern plains. in sports this morning, a spectacular nba rookie set the high scoring mark this season. blake griffin had 47 points against the pacers. los angeles put on the points in the fourth quarter, they beat indiana 114-107. in boston, the return of kevin garnett sparked the celtics to beat the magic. paul pierce hit the winning shot in the closing minute. boston wins 109-106. college basketball, pittsburgh got the lead and beat number three syracuse. panthers held off the orange for the win, 74-66. the eighth win in a row for pitt. the first loss of the season for syracuse. and brett favre sent his retirement papers to the nfl again. 41-year-old favre says he's done this time, although he said that

before. favre also said he thinks the packers are the best team in the playoffs. he predicts they will win the super bowl. as we know not always the best team wins the super bowl. when we come back, we'll check this morning's top stories. and financial secrets. wikileaks next data zone promises to reveal famous names. famous names.

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on the "cbs morning news," , here's a look at today's weather. warm air in the southwest with highs near 80 degrees. northern plains are seeing subzero temperatures, and rain, snow and sleet across the northeast. here's another look at this morning's top stories. congress returns to work today. the house has promised to take up debate on health care reform. a vote is expected tomorrow.

and in a broadcast interview, sarah palin defended herself against charges that she helped incite the tucson shooting. the notorious wikileaks website has a new target in sight. this is the same site that posted the secret u.s. documents last month. on monday, they promised to blow the cover on people who evade taxes. >> reporter: julian assange made a rare public appearance as another whistleblower came forward with information allegedly about banks in switzerland. >> what i want to do is to hand this over to wikileaks. >> reporter: former swiss banker rudolph elmer says he has secret details of the rich and famous trying to dodge taxes by stashing cash in offshore accounts. >> i want to let society know what i do know and how this

system works because it's damaging our society. >> reporter: he won't name names, but says they include high profile people from the u.s., britain and all over. assange promises full revelation, but says it's going to take some time. >> depends on how much stuff there is. we have quite a few things to deal with at the moment. >> reporter: among them, his own court case. he's fighting extradition to sweden where he's wanted on sex charges, claims he denies. assange appeared here at london's frontline club for journalists. he hasn't made many public appearances since his release on bail. by night he's under house arrest at a friend's mansion. elmer himself is headed to court in switzerland to answer charges of violating the country's strict banking secrecy laws. his former bank employers accuse him of launching a personal vendetta against the bank. charlie d'agata, cbs news, london.

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he here in the u.s., the catfish business reels in $4 billion a year. in the last decade, foreign countries have quickly taken over the industry. now american farmers are calling for the government to step in. mark strassman reports. >> reporter: this is catfish country, central alabama. and as a third generation farmer, townsend kaiser says he's become the small fish in trouble. >> i'm not afraid of competition on a level playing field. playing fields are different right now. >> reporter: kaiser's talking about foreign catfish, the kind debbie brown would never serve in her restaurant. >> they'd run me out of town. >> reporter: 2500 people live

in greensboro, alabama. without local catfish farmers, they might as well take down its sign. >> if they don't do well -- >> put us out of business. it's going to really hurt the economy even more. >> reporter: the state produces one-third of america's catfish, 130 million pounds annually. but farmers like kaiser feel squeezed. his sales are down 10%, but his costs have spiked 60%. foreign catfish, mostly chinese and vietnamese, dominate america's market. with cheaper labor, imported cat fish sells for $1.25 a pound less than u.s. catfish. american farmers say unlike their fish, foreign catfish is suspect, full of antibiotics and other chemicals banned to american farmers as unhealthy and it's a threat to american consumers and to this entire industry. >> this is not a trade issue, this is a safety issue. >> mr. president, please -- >> reporter: domestic farmers are pushing the obama administration. they want the usda to inspect

foreign fish the way it does beef or poultry. the 2008 farm bill mandated tougher inspections, but they've never begun. >> i feel like the usda, this administration needs to step up and get the rules in place. >> reporter: national fisheries institutes john connelly calls the actions of u.s. farmers shameful. >> what we have is a fake food safety scare designed by a special interest group that wants to limit its competition. >> reporter: and connelly says changing those rules could spark a larger trade war with the vietnamese and chinese. so for now, u.s. farmers like townsend kaiser say they're struggling to hang on worried the catfish market its family farm helped build from scratch might become the one that got away. mark strassmann, cbs news. coming up, an update on gabrielle giffords' remarkable recovery.

also, the future of computer giant apple. steve jobs announced he's taking a medical leave of absence. and five time grammy nominated singer james blunt performs his new song live in the studio. all that and more coming up this morning on "the early show." that's the "cbs morning news" for this tuesday. appreciate you watching. i'm terrell brown. appreciate you watching. i'm terrell brown. have a great day. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com captioning funded by cbs