christmas bombings. radical muslims target churches in nigeria, killing at least 39 people. personal credit info stolen to make donations to charity. and nba tip-off. let the games begin. a belated christmas gift to basketball fans everywhere. captioning funded by cbs this is the "cbs news morning news" for monday, december 26th, 2011. good morning, everybody. good to be with you. i'm terrell brown. this morning, the white house is condemning attacks in nigeria and islamic sect is claiming responsibility. at least 39 people have died in

bombings and attacks on a police headquarters. >> good morning. to experts, the sophistication to experts the of these christmas day bombings suggest that those responsible may have been trained outside of nigeria. charred and smoldering vehicles outside of a church in nigeria where a bomb exploded on christmas day. it starting worships who had just celebrated christmas mass. a radical muslim sect claimed responsibility for a series of coordinated attacks on the country. terrorists bombed three churches and a government security building, but this attack near the nation's capital, was deadly. almost three dozen killed and almost 50 injured. >> you can see so many families gone. gone. >> reporter: nigeria authorities carried some of the dead away in body bags. officials in the country acknowledge at first they had

difficulty getting help to the victims. the white house issued a statement calling the attacks senseless and tragic and says u.s. officials have contacted nigerian authorities. the extremists claimed responsibility for the bombing. they wanted law implemented across the country. local christian residents expressed their outrage. the death toll could have been even higher. authorities claim at least one man who they say was armed with a bomb that never went off. the group is still developing and its strategies are evolving but it is name roughly translated offers a hint at its goals and that may mean western education. terrell? >> thanks. >> pope benedict issued a call for peace in the wake of the attacks in nigeria. in his annual christmas day message, the pope called for an

end to violence in syria. in west bank town of bethlehem, hundreds attended christmas mass. the holy city saw an increase in visitors this year. an estimated 100,000 tourists were there. in iraq this morning, six people were killed. the bomber struck during this morning's rush hour. over 30 others were wounded. the attack followed a wave of explosions last week that killed over 70. the group that calls itself anonymous says it hacked a i think tank over the holiday. they claim they stole the personal information from stratfor, a texas-based firm. clients include apple, the miami police department and u.s. air force. the department of defense told cbs news there has been, quote, no impact on pentagon networks.

a christmas tragedy in texas. seven members of one family were found shot to death. police say it was murder and suicide and happened after they finished opening presents. selena hernandez of ktvt, our station in dallas-ft. reports. >> reporter: the merriment of the holiday was overshadowed by a horrific crime scene. grapevine police say the bodies of seven people were found shot to death inside this apartment unit. investigators say the victims include four women and three men and range in age from 18 to early 60s. police believe they are related, but can't elaborate on the extent of their ties. a 911 call led officers to the gruesome discovery. investigators say it appeared the family had just celebrated the holiday, unwrapped packages were found. as were two handguns. it's still unclear what led to the deadly shooting, but police do believe the gunman is dead. about nine hours later, investigators turned their

attention to the vehicles parked outside the crime scene. >> they believe the vehicles are related to the victims that are inside the apartment so they are searching on the vehicles to discover more details and give us some nor information, what we think may have led to this. >> reporter: a christmas tragedy that has left investigators and residents here wondering what could lead anyone to commit such a heinous crime on such a special holiday. >> it makes it a lot harder just knowing that, you know, they are having to go through that on a special day. christmas should be about celebration of families and not having to deal with a tragedy like this. >> in grapevine, selena hernandez, cbs news. a deadly fire ripped through the house of an advertising executive in connecticut on christmas morning. five people were killed including the executive's three daughters and their parents. two were able to escape from the burning house. to campaign 2012 now.

with the first caucuses and primary due in early january, most of the republican presidential candidates are back on the campaign trail tomorrow. all of them took christmas day off. whit johnson reports. >> mitt romney got a christmas gift from new hampshire. a new state poll has him leading by 22 points over rivals newt gingrich and ron paul. the poll also shows him favored by 32% of the state's independent voters. although he trails newt gingrich nationally and in iowa, romney has historically polled better with independents. a recent study in "usa today" shows that there are now 24 billion registered independents and a poll from earlier this year say their numbers have increased over 8% from the last decade to 37% of american voters. the most of any time on record. democrats and republicans still have them beat with more than 70 million registered members combined, but their numbers have been slipping. it's not just republicans that need to appeal to voters outside

their party. president obama whose 2008 victory was due largely to a surge of independents knows he has to do more to win back their support. jim kessler is a senior vice president of third way, an independent think tank. >> they will be the deciders. they will pick the next president. they are very fickle voters. you don't know what they are going to do. >> reporter: as americans grow more disgusted with dysfunction in washington and are turned off by bitter party politics, candidates may want to start thinking purple instead of red or blue. whit johnson, cbs news, washington. president obama spent part of his christmas with a young admirer as he visited u.s. marines and their families in hawaii. mr. obama was posing for photographs when an 8-month-old baby put its hand in the president's mouth. way to capitalize, kiddo. the president joked that the president liked his big nose nd that is why he reached for his face. earlier, the first family opened

their christmas gifts at the vacation house they are renting in honolulu. must be nice. coming up on "the morning news," a big christmas tree for bargainon hunters. a christmas sighting? could that blaze be santa and his reindeer? but first, scott pelley with a preview of tonight's "cbs evening news." it was a strong start to the holiday shopping season but how did it finish? we will tell you if stores turned a big enough profit to boost the economic recovery tonight on the "cbs evening news." ...9.99 sweaters for her. 70% off sleepwear for him. just 3.99 for bath towels. and buy two bras and get two free. plus with jcpcash... ...get $10 off when you spend just 25. storewide. no exclusions. unlike other stores, we don't make you come back to save! go to jcp.com to see everything on sale. we make style affordable. you make it yours. jcpenney.

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a mysterious streak of light lit up the night's sky over germany on christmas eve. some thought it was a star. perhaps even santa in his sleigh. how about that? officials say it was probably a meteorite. or even a piece of space junk. slow day for stocks food. japan's nikkei was open and

finished 1% on news of the u.s. housing market and the deal to extend the u.s. payroll tax. call it megamonday. today is expected to be one of the busiest shopping days of the year. consumers will flock to stores looking for the big post christmas discounts. it's already been a great holiday season. national federation says sales are up about 4 h% over last yea and expected to reach almost $70 billion. if you're planning on returning some of those holiday gifts, stores are reportedly making it easier on the shopper. alexis christoforous has more in this this morning's cbs "moneywatch." >> reporter: retailers are expecting another wave of big crowds as the holiday return season gets under way. this year, more stores are being flexible and extending the number of days customers have to return an item. many retailers including best buy and apple have done away with restocking fees and stores including walmart and target allow returns without a receipt for most products. retailers estimate holiday returns will be up 4% from last year.

on wall street, stocks gained last week on hopeful signs about the u.s. economy and job markets. on friday, the dow climbed 124 points, the nasdaq added 19. the economy is still worry number one for most americans. 57% of people polled say the economy is the most important issue facing the country now. 51% say unemployment is the country's biggest economic problem. there are signs the job market is slowly but steadily improving. the number of americans applying for unemployment benefits at a three and a half year low. and the jobless rate fell in 43 states last month. most economists predict the unemployment rate will hover at at 8.5% through next year. that is your "moneywatch." in new york, i'm alexis christoforous. to the movies we go. tom cruise forth mission movie tops the weekend box office.

"mission impossible" goes protocol and took in 26.5 million in ticket sales. sherlock holmes "game of shadows" was second and "alvin and the chipmunks" was third. straight ahead, your monday morning weather. and in sports, the knicks and the celtics kick off the nba season. celtics kick off the nba season. [ male announcer ] cranberry juice? wake up! ♪ that's good morning, veggie style. hmmm [ male announcer ] for half the calories --

plus veggie nutrition. could've had a v8. plus veggie nutrition. hershey's air delight. experience light and airy, melty bubbles. made from pure, delicious hershey's milk chocolate. hershey's air delight. [ femala $100 cream. we were flattered when regenerist beat flabbergasted when we creamed a $500 cream. for about $30 regenerist micro-sculpting cream hydrates better than over 20 of america's most expensive luxury creams. fantastic. phenomenal. regenerist. metamucil uses super hard working psyllium fiber, which gels to remove unsexy waste and reduce cholesterol. taking psyllium fiber won't make you a model but you should feel a little more super. metamucil. down with cholesterol. here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country.

time now for a check on the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows clouds scattered around the northeast. while much of the mid-atlantic and ohio valley looks at clear skies. however, it's cloudy across the southwest and northwest. later today, a few scattered showers. they are likely in the northwest. thunderstorms will develop across the southwest. elsewhere, gusty winds will howl across the northern plains and much of the mid-atlantic and ohio valley will enjoy calm winds and plenty of sunshine. in sports this morning, a christmas gift for nba fans. the season tips off a hard-fought game between the knicks and the celtics. to the highlights. just over a minute and a half left. carmelo anthony splits two defenders to put the knicks up by two. then at the buzzer, boston's kevin garnett takes the shot for the tie and misses. knicks survive the celtics by two. 106-104. a dramatic finish in l.a.

derek rose with a one-handed floater givers the bulls the lead with less than five on the clock. kobe bryant would come up here with a big drive. and it would be this shot possibly for the win and blocked. not happening. chicago holds on to beat the lakers 88-87. championship rematch in dallas as the mavs go up against the heat. only this time, miami takes the home opener from the reigning champs. lebron ends up with 37 points. the heat scorch the mavs 105-94. in football, the bears put up a fight against the packers but, once again, aaron rodgers having a great game. in the third, he launches a bomb to wide open jordy nelson. look at that. beautiful! rodgers had five touchdown passes in the game. the packers slammed the bears 35-21 and they nail down the number one seed in the nfc.

take a quick break. when we return, another look at this morning's top stories. spending christmas with u.s. troops in a remote section of afghanistan. it feels totally different from a regular toothpaste. new pronamel iso-active is a toothpaste in a can. the gel transforms into a foam and surrounds your teeth. pronamel iso-active helps protect against the effects of acid erosion. no exclusions. with jcp cash get $10 off when you spend just 25. storewide. unlike other stores, we don't make you come back to save! get $10 off with... ...no exclusions. we make style affordable. you make it yours. jcpenney.

the best deals for post-holy shopping. plus a toddler -- tossed frm the second story with only w bruises to show for it. what happened just before te child was thrown out the wi. and a church bombed at the t of christmas mass. why the nigerian military says this massacre could have been evn worse. join us for cbs 5 early edin ... beginning at 4:30. winter coats are hot. and toys are flying off she.

on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather. a new storm system will bring scattered showers to the showers while the mid atlantic remains dry. much of the west coast will stay dry, except for a few showers developing around the northwest. here is another look at this morning's top stories. the u.s. is calling a series of deadly bombs in nigeria senseless. at least 39 people were killed in the attacks on churches yesterday. most were killed on the steps of a catholic church. a radical muslim sect has claimed responsibility. president obama is monitoring the developments while vacationing in hawaii. in his annual christmas message, pope benedict spoke out against the violence in nigeria.

he issued a plea for world peace an end to the bloodshed. the pope also called for an end to the violence in syria, with thousands of anti-government protesters have died this year. help has finally arrived for the crew of a stranded russian ship floundering off the coast of antarctica. an ice breaker reached the ship today and repairs will be made and hopefully it will be towed to safer waters. more than 91,000 u.s. troops in afghanistan celebrated christmas on the front lines. one small american unit is in an outpost in afghanistan. melissa ward reports. >> reporter: at 7,000 feet, this outpost, o.p. mustang is one of the most remote and one of the most breath-taking in all of afghanistan. it's been the scene of some pretty heavy fighting over the last six months. the 19 soldiers based here took a little time-out to enjoy

christmas on top of the world. christmas morning, the men here man their post as usual. far from home and nine months into a grueling employment on the pakistan border, the season's spirit has been slow to set in here. but there were a few noticeable changes. >> it may look nice, but he's not. >> reporter: a helicopter flew in from an nearby base bearing gifts and mail from home. >> that's nice. >> yes! >> reporter: corporal billy jennings worked as a pastry chef before enlisting so the men are in very good hands. >> my role up here is to basically make the guys feel happy. >> reporter: the food seemed to hit the spot. after a few moments, the men were able to relax, even their afghan guards wee getting into the spirit, but the meal was cut short. a neighboring checkpoint came under attack. the soldiers rushed off to fire mortars at suspected enemy locations. the war doesn't stop for holidays up here, but it does

serve as a reminder of what is important in life, which is why no one here lets down his guard, not even on christmas. it's already back to business for these soldiers, but the good news is that in march, they will be heading home to schofield barracks in hawaii, so just a few more months to go. melissa ward, cbs news, afghanistan. by the way, this is the first day of kwanzaa. the week-long celebration honors african-american heritage and culture. kwanzaa ceremonies including light a candle holder with seven candles and there is music, drumming and dancing and a feast, and a feast. and plenty of gift giving. on a beach in india, a santa made of sand. it's huge, too, by the way. good gracious! maybe even a world record. did kriss kringle like this? 35 feet high and using 1,800 tons of stand and 16 sculptures dressed in santa suits worked for three days to make the work.

the artist said he did it to send a message of world peace. this morning, on "the early show," advice on how to make the christmas gift returns hassle-free. good stuff. i'm terrell brown. and this is the "cbs morning news." ♪ [ female announcer ] introducing kleenex cool touch tissues. the only tissue that actively releases a cool sensation to soothe a sore nose on contact. kleenex cool touch tissues. a cool new way to soothe. i love it. not wash. power wash. ok. whoa. [ female announcer ] life comes with headaches. excedrin extra strength gets rid of them fast. in fact, for some, relief starts in just 15 minutes. excedrin. for life's headaches.

in fact, for some, relief starts in just 15 minutes. today is a special day. today, we gather as a nation and as an international community to recognize the selfless decision of one of the most influential women of our time. she's been recognized by religious figures, and politicians around the world. to us, she's just rachael, but to the rest of the world she's the woman who, after having one too many drinks, chose not to drive home buzzed. here today to honor rachael is the family whose lives she spared.

just two decades ago, the california condor was on the verge of extinction. not today. it is thriving thanks to an intensive effort by one man. bill whitaker reports. >> reporter: of all the sights to see in california, this is one of the rarest. a california condor gliding 15,000 feet in the air, riding thermal air currents. with a wing span of ten feet and weighing up to 30 pounds, these high flying scavengers once ruled the western sky. in the early 1980s, the number of california condors plummeted after decades of poaching and environmental hazards like pollution, habitat loss and lead poisoning.

just 22 birds remained. conservationists scrambled to protect them with breeding programs at zoos in los angeles and san diego to keep them wild in captivity and to keep them from growing attached to humans, scientists used puppets to raise the condor chicks. the breeding programs appear to be working. by next year, the condor population is set to soar past the 400 mark. >> we have saved the species genetically and demographically. >> reporter: michael mace has devoted most of his career at the san diego zoo to protecting the california condor, releasing more than 100 into the wild. he is proud of the bird's progress, but -- >> the environment still has challenges. there are still pressures on the spe species. >> reporter: pressures like these power lines stretching near the northern california community of big sur.

they bring power to an air traffic control radar system and cut through a condor flight path. covered by coastal fog, the lines are difficult to see and have electrocuted three condors. kelly sorensen tracks the birds at big sur. >> it's almost impossible to see until it's too late. >> reporter: so pacific gas and electric, the company that owns the power lines, took them down. the utility used helicopters to bring in underground piping and then buried the wires. the total cost? $4.2 million. according to the federal government, it's one of the largest projects ever launched to protect an endangered species. >> i think we can all agree to have our children see condors and their children's children see condors in the wild, it's going to be a great thing. right now we are in this race. we want to get the population up as fast as we possibly can. >> reporter: and now there is one less obstacle in the way of the condor's recovery. bill whitaker, cbs news, los angeles. coming up later on "the early show" a look back at the

big stories of this year from the arab spring uprising to the death of osama bin laden. plus a look ahead to next year to see if president obama will be able to break the log jam and work with congress. and the colossal of sax. jazz great sonny rollins talks about being a kennedy center honoree. all that and more coming up later on "the early show." that's the "cbs morning news" for this monday. appreciate you watching. as always, everybody, i'm terrell brown. take care. have a great day. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com