chaos in cairo. deadly clashes erupt between anti-government protesters and pro-mubarak supporters. deep freeze. dangerously cold temperatures follow that crippling winter storm that paralyzed much of the country. and stop the presses. introducing the cyber world's and stop the presses. introducing the cyber world's first newspaper for the ipad. captioning funded by cbs good morning, everybody, and thanks for joining us, i'm betty nguyen. we begin in egypt where downtown cairo has turned into a battlefield. it is now a deadly fight, pitting egyptian against egyptian for control of the

government. liberation square in cairo is still smoldering this morning. after overnight battles between anti-government demonstrators and supporters of president hosni mubarak. the anti-government protesters were sprayed with automatic weapon fire. at least five people were killed. cbs' mark strassmann is in cairo. mark, what's the latest there? >> reporter: good morning, betty. protesters are back in liberation square behind me, once again chanting for hosni mubarak to step down. for the last five hours or so, the -- for now. at day break some protesters were still throwing rocks and the bad blood spilled over into another day in the struggle for egypt's future. overnight brought more gunshots, targeting mubarak protesters, and two of them were killed. it's unclear who fired the shots. suddenly yesterday, it was bedlam in a well-organized assault, wave after wave of

mubarak supporters stormed into the square. pelting the protesters with rocks and attacking them with clubs, knives and homemade fire bombs. on both sides people made impromptu weapons, and fought for control of downtown cairo streets. for hours, mayhem ruled this part of the city. they started throwing stones, this protester said, and so we pelted each other with stones. they want to evacuate the square. another wave of attacks. a small cavalry of horses and camels charged on the protesters, adding to the bedlam. egypt's military made a few arrests but on the whole did nothing to intervene, nothing to stop the deadly attack beyond warning protesters before the attack began, to leave. your demands are not recognized, he said, and now we ask you out of love, not power, to return to your lives. there was little love shown in this melee. and what's almost certain, mubarak's government sent in

these attackers. they were well organized and on some of them protesters later found government or police i.d.s. a day after asserting he would not run again for office, egypt's president reasserted his authority, tried to crush this popular dissent, reminding protesters why they had taken to the streets in the first place. the unanswered question, of course, is whether today will bring more of these bloody clashes. overnight egypt's military moved in more resources, more tanks. some of those tanks actually cleared out some of the mubarak supporters. the sense here now is that if those supporters come back, once again, spoiling for a fight, they may get one. from these soldiers. betty? >> mark, we understand that you and your crew actually got caught in some of that violence. tell us what happened. >> we were going through a

checkpoint, betty, surrounded by a bunch of mubarak supporters, a photographer and i, and suddenly we just got attacked, mob swirled around us. it was like blood in the water. once one attacked they all attacked. the photographer was punched several times, maced in the right eye and there was just no place for us to go, and at some point a huge wave of people just started carrying us along towards the side, away from the area. but those were actually our rescuers, betty. these were people that saw what was happening and just wanted to put a stop to it. but they also said two things to us as they got us to a safe place. one, we're sorry this happened but two, please don't go back in there again. >> all right. well, we are glad you are safe. mark strassmann joining us live from cairo this morning. mark, thank you so much. in the words of one anti-government protesters, we cannot go back at this point. while president mubarak digs his heels in, opposition leaders insist they will not negotiate until he steps down.

>> because all what you do is, you know, give that legitimacy, which in my view they have lost. but more importantly i don't think he understand what democracy means. i don't think he understands that he really needs to, you know, let go. >> mohamed elbaradei says fears of a power vacuum if mubarak steps down are unfounded. the egyptian government is denying accusations that it had a hand in the attacks on the pro-democracy demonstrators. the white house was quick to condemn the violence. >> obviously, if any of the violence is instigated by the government, it should stop immediately. the time for a transition has come, and that time is now. >> the egyptian foreign ministry rejected calls for an immediate transition, saying the united states aimed to, quote, incite the internal situation in egypt. this morning, northeast australia is recovering from a powerful cyclone. it blew ashore wednesday with wind gusts of 186 miles per

hour. the most powerful storm in a century there. buildings were destroyed, widespread flooding reported. but no deaths so far. the storm's center missed most of the populated areas. however, there is severe crop damage. and this morning, folks trying to dig out from that massive winter storm will have to bundle up big-time. the heavy snow and ice being followed by bone-willing temperatures. at least 12 deaths blamed on the storm, which stretched over 2000 miles. manuel gallegus reports from hard-hit chicago. >> reporter: the sky above downtown chicago is finally clear. after a massive snowstorm lived up to its hype, dumping more than 20 inches in 24 hours. now forecasters are warning another powerful punch is on the way. the mercury is expected to plunge to 20 to 30 degrees below zero. >> stay in. >> reporter: even hours after the snow stopped falling, more than 200 cars, trucks and buses were still stuck along the

city's iconic lake shore drive. >> 200, 202, 203 -- >> reporter: the heavy snow and blinding drifts after lake michigan left some vehicles looking more like igloos. drivers had no choice but to abandon their cars or wait to be rescued. >> we were trapped on lake shore drive for like seven hours. >> reporter: chicago wasn't the only place hit hard. by the time it was over the storm had stretched more than 2,000 miles across 30 states. in glenwood, minnesota, the roof collapsed on this hardware store. >> i run back into the back home, and hit the floor, the building's coming down! >> reporter: dark signal lights in austin, texas, were a nightmare for some drivers. and everywhere in the northeast, people were scraping and shoveling, trying to get out from the icy and snowy mess. some more creative than ours. in the air, more of the same. at least 6,300 flights were grounded wednesday. and in the middle of this monster storm, the groundhog did not see his shadow.

meaning spring is coming. but for the winter weary, it can't come soon enough. manuel gallegus, cbs news, chicago. president obama's health care law is headed to the supreme court. a republican move to repeal the law failed wednesday in the senate 47-51. the new law cracks down on the insurance industry, and mandates that most americans buy health insurance. two federal judges have ruled it unconstitutional. just ahead on the "morning news," get your orders in for verizon's new iphone. plus close encounter, or conspiracy? an unidentified bright light sparks talk of an alien visit. you're watching the "cbs morning news." news." honey, where's the -- ] top shelf! life can get a bit... routine. that's why i decided to switch things up with cottonelle ultra toilet paper. [ carl ] oh yeeaaah! you see? it's 35% thicker than the northern brand. [ carl ] love it! you might say this one little switch has made all the difference.

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one of islam's holiest sites. then the light quickly shoots into the sky. very weird. some skeptics insist the whole thing is a fake. meanwhile, though, nasa reports finding hundreds of new planets out there in the galaxy. in just four months, the new planet hunting space telescope has spotted more than 1200 possible planets circling other stars. a few are orbiting in the so-called goldilocks zone where earth-like environments might exist. on the "cbs moneywatch" it is a light day for stocks in asia on this holiday morning. ashley morrison joins us now live in new york with the latest. good morning, ashley. >> good morning to you, betty. hong kong's hang seng was one of many asian markets closed today to mark the lunar new year. japan's nikkei lost a fraction. today wall street gets the very latest on retail sales and a look at the weekly jobless claim numbers. on wednesday stocks finished flat. the dow gained almost two points while the nasdaq lost one. ahead of tomorrow's january jobs report, there is some encouraging news on the labor front.

the unemployment rate fell or stayed the same in december and two-thirds of the nation's largest cities, and five of them, washington, d.c., dallas, boston, phoenix, and minneapolis, reported large job gains. and a separate report is finding that private companies added nearly 200,000 jobs last month. much more than analysts were expecting. verizon begins taking orders for the new apple iphone today. the carrier's offering several plans, voice and unlimited text starts at $60 a month. the preorders are only open to existing verizon customers. the company will open up sales to everyone else a week from today. and you can log off now, the internet is all full. the last few blocks of numerical ip addresses will be distributed today by the international organization that hands them out. there is a new system that's ready to go that allows for a trillion more. but some are worried that the transition might lead to a few

hiccups online in the short term. betty, we all know what that can do. >> yeah. all right. try not to worry too much about it. thank you, ashley, joining us live here in new york. a new daily newspaper is on sale this morning, but you won't find it at any newsstand or even on paper. it is strictly for apple's ipad. alexis christoforous has more on "the daily." >> reporter: rupert murdoch is making a big gamble on the digital age. >> i'm pleased to welcome you to the launch of "the daily." >> reporter: murdoch's company news corp is sinking $30 million into the launch of the experimental newspaper that can only be read on apple's ipad. and news corp says it will spend about half a million dollars a week to keep it running. "the daily" costs 99 cents a week or $39.99 a year, and promises a more complete news experience. it will incorporate video and blogging in its coverage, and interact with facebook and twitter.

>> they're really taking advantage of the tablet interface and the touchscreen and the sort of tactile and visual delight that comes with that. >> reporter: "the daily" arrives at a time when many newspapers are folding and most haven't been able to get people to pay for their online editions. with one exception. "the wall street journal," which rupert murdoch also owns. but industry experts are skeptical about drawing in enough readers to make "the daily" a moneymaker. people we spoke to are still getting their arms around the concept of a paperless newspaper. >> assuming it's the way everyone's going so ultimately, yeah, i guess i would pay for it. >> it's not bad. >> reporter: but murdoch has deep enough pockets to give "the daily" a chance to find an audience out there in cyberspace. alexis christoforous, cbs news, new york. straight ahead your thursday morning weather. and in sports, how much do the cavaliers miss lebron? well, without him they are one game away from a record that they do not want. [ female announcer ] finally there's a new choice in high performance detergent.

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>> ( beeping ) ( beeping stops ) >> announcer: free is better. do your simple return for free with the federal free edition at turbotax.com. turbotax. the most trusted brand of tax software. here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. new york, sunny, 32. miami, partly cloudy, 80. chicago, sunny, but 13 degrees there. dallas, mostly cloudy, 26. los angeles, sunny, 64. time now for a check of the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows clouds scattered across the northwest, while the southwest is mainly clear. later today, scattered showers will be developing over the

southeast. the great lakes could see a few flakes as snow sticks around. and the northeast gets a chance to dry out. in sports, the cleveland cavaliers are flirting with nba history. but that's not a good thing. at home against indiana the cavs watched the pacers erupt in multiple three-point shots and went on to a defeat, their 22nd straight loss. one more and they tie the nba's single-season record. in oklahoma city, kevin durant wowed the home crowd with another big night, scoring 43 points, and 10 rebounds against visiting new orleans. it was durant's fifth 40-point game of the season. as the thunder won 104-93. in college hoops, an upset in connecticut. with the loss to number six uconn, 17th ranked syracuse would have had its first-ever five-game losing streak, but that didn't happen. after a slow start, the orange came on to beat the huskies 66-58. now to the nhl. it was an amazing night for

detroit. on the ice in ottawa, franzen scored five goals. the first nhl player to do that since 2007. the red wings beat the hometown senators 7-5. and just three days to super bowl xlv. the packers worked out at an indoor high school complex. yes, high school. it is texas, after all. and the steelers practiced at tcu in fort worth in a facility named for the great sammy baugh. when we return another look at this morning's top stories. and egypt's army under pressure to act as violence mounts in cairo. [ beep ] [ beep ] [ beep ] [ beep ] [ male announcer ] find an italian masterpiece in your grocer's freezer. shrimp and lobster ravioli with garlic butter sauce, from buitoni. simple ingredients, artfully prepared. buitoni. create an italian masterpiece.

discover more buitoni masterpieces in the freezer section. the symptoms causing concern.. and the precautions the schools are taking. plus.. p-g and e forced to make several safety changes. the explosive concerns about some bay area pipelines. and.. caltrain on the verge of a budget emergency. the fare hikes and service cuts that could complicate your commute.

and the shocking secret behind.. mona lisa's smile. is "she" really a "he?" join us for cbs 5 early edition ... beginning at 4:30. ,,,, on the "cbs morning news" here's a look at today's weather, bitter cold continues for much of the great plains with morning lows in the single digits. later this afternoon, highs will be only in the 20s, and a few snow showers are likely across the great lakes and rockies.

here's another look at this morning's top stories. the nation's midsection is waking to bitter cold temperatures this morning. right on the heels of that massive storm. windchills are expected to reach 30 below in some areas. and there was sustained violence overnight in cairo. supporters of egyptian president mubarak attacked anti-government protesters. at least five people were killed. and for the first time, egypt's army appears to be taking action today, by making a few arrests. after staying on the sidelines during the week-long demonstrations. elizabeth palmer takes a closer look at the egyptian army. >> reporter: after brutal riot police melted away last friday and the army rolled in, they were embraced as protectors come to restore public order. in fact that's been their main role for almost 40 years. but it actually hasn't been in combat since 1973 in the war against israel. back then, the dashing air force commander, hosni mubarak, was

hailed as a hero. and in 1981 he became president. the military then amassed huge power and wealth. in a leaked cable, u.s. ambassador margaret scobee described the military as a quasi-commercial enterprise itself, which owns vast tracts of prime real estate and has major interests in, among other things, hotels, construction, and weapons manufacturing. it's estimated to control at least a third of egypt's $200 billion economy. it controls much of the state, too. all three top cabinet officials appointed by president mubarak a few days ago are senior military commanders. so far, the soldiers have stayed neutral in this crisis. all day their top commanders were receiving calls from the pentagon, urging restraint. but they still hold the balance of power. and the question is, if mubarak orders them to put down this

uprising, will they obey? elizabeth palmer, cbs news, cairo. and i'm betty nguyen. this is the "cbs morning news." ews." right now, all over the count discover customers are getting five pcent cashback bonus at restaurants. it pays to switch, it pays to discover. introducing wisk with stain spectrum technology. try new wisk. we upgraded the formula, but not the price. ♪ see you next time. ♪ [ researcher ] it always feels great when your dentist tells you you've done a caring for your teeth. oride. it helps you get a better dental check-up. giving you a clean, healthy mouth.

a more complete way to a better dental check-up. ahh. [ researcher ] new crest pro-health complete rinse. ,,,, a great change is at hand and our task is to make that revolution, that change, peaceful and constructive for all. those who look only to the past or the present, are certain to miss the future. do not pray for easy lives. pray to be stronger men. ask not what your country can do for you.

ask what you can do for your country. fireworks lit up the predawn sky over beijing this morning, marking the lunar new year's celebration. according to the chinese zodiac this is the year of the rabbit. people born at this time are thought to be curious, calm, thoughtful, stylish, and passionate. here in new york city, people can get ready for some of the nation's strictest bans on outdoor smoking. a bill approved wednesday makes it illegal to smoke in pedestrian plazas like times square. smoking will also be banned in parks and public beaches. critics say the law infringes on individual liberties. mayor bloomberg, though, is expected to sign the bill this month. a rare ice storm in dallas is putting this week's super

bowl celebrations in a deep freeze. on wednesday, football fans were forced to deal with windchills in the single digits and rolling power outages. and the frigid weather is expected to stick around for at least another day. kendis gibson reports. >> reporter: north texas has been planning for super bowl week for more than three years. but no one anticipated the area would be hit by the worst cold snap in years. >> that wind is extremely cold. >> reporter: organizers expected fort worth's sundance square would be a main gathering place for fans. espn set up shop with an outdoor stage. but even with plenty of heaters scattered around, few fans showed up. >> i expected it to be packed. we were going to come down here and i expected to fight crowds. >> reporter: the restaurant in the square doubled its staff for super bowl week. but so far, it's been less than super sales. >> i imagine with the streets clearing up today, and even tomorrow, we'll probably expect a pretty good crowd. >> reporter: tuesday's storm

blanketed much of the area in a sheet of ice, forcing the nfl to punt and cancel some super bowl week events. and overnight temperatures have been dropping to the single digits. the coldest temperatures here in 15 years. not good news for the more than 100,000 fans expected to visit this week. like steelers fan ennis chamberlain. >> i did not expect this kind of weather. put kind of a damper on things, if you know what i mean. >> reporter: even though the weather is expected to improve by game day, north texas officials fear the freak storm may ruin their chances of hosting the game again in 2016. but as fans in sundance square proved, this is still football weather. just not the kind super bowl fans and businesses were counting on. kendis gibson, cbs news, fort worth, texas. coming up a little bit later on "the early show," live reports on the crisis in egypt. we'll hear from arizona senator john mccain. also, a mother caught on tape using hot sauce and cold showers

to discipline her son? well she's facing child abuse charges and we'll hear from her attorney. and actor johnny galecki from "the big bang theory" stops by. that's the "cbs morning news" for this thursday. thanks for watching everyone. i'm betty nguyen. have a great day. ,,,,,,,,