a december storm sends snow and ice sweeping from the rockies to the midwest, threatening the start of the holiday travel season. and the results are in from a new crash test, and one of the nation's most popular cars doesn't make the grade. captioning funded by cbs this is the "cbs morning news" for thursday, december 20th, 2012. good morning, everybody. good to be with you. i'm terrell brown. today vice president joe biden holds a meeting. he will meet with law enforcement officers around the nation. the task force is part of the reaction to the school shooting in newtown, connecticut. gun stores, though, are seeing a different kind of reaction since the massacre. record sales. gun enthusiasts are stocking up in anticipation of tighter gun laws. meanwhile more victims of the shooting were buried.

marlie hall is in newtown this morning. marlie, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, terrell. the issue of gun control has come into sharp focus and many lawmakers are taking aim. connecticut senator richard blumenthal and senator-elect chris murphy met with a group called newtown united. residents who came together to push a ban on assault rifles. they may have a new supporter in president obama. he wants new laws to try to prevent another tragedy like the one at sandy hook elementary school. >> the fact that we can't prevent every act of violence doesn't mean we can't steadily reduce it. >> reporter: as head of the president's task force, vice president biden will look into banning assault weapons but gun advocates say that's not necessary. >> there are lots of things we can do to make sure only the right people have firearms. >> reporter: there will be at least nine more funerals or viewings today.

on wednesday each of the victims was remembered in his or her own special way. paul simon sang at the funeral for 27-year-old teacher victoria soto. she died trying to protect her first grade teastudents. >> she gave her life for her kids. it breaks my kids. >> 7-year-old daniel barden wanted to be a firefighter when he grew up, so firemen across the region said good-bye to him as though he were one of their own. carolyn prev ity liked to draw and dance. principal dawn hochsprung was a mother of two but they say all the school was her kids. vice president bide listen get right to work on the task force. in fact, he's meeting with law enforcement officials today to get advice on how to redune gun violence. >> marlie hall in newtown. marlie, thank you so much. to the weather now, if you're getting ready to travel for the christmas holiday, you may run into trouble. the first major snowstorm of the

season is pounding a large portion of the midwest this morning. drivers in iowa have been warned to stay offer the roads. all of iowa and parts of at least six other states are under a blizzard warning. the storm already dumped more than a foot of snow in the rocky mountains. for essentially hours the main east-to-west route across colorado, interstate 70, was closed because of blowing snow and poor visibility. david bernard, chief meteorologist of our affiliate station wsor says the storm is headed east. >> we have a major blizzard across the midwest and it looks like that snow is going to continue at least for the next 24 hours or so. notice that blizzard conditions extend all the way from western kansas to southeastern nebraska and some of the worst of the weather is ending up in iowa, and that's going to continue through much of the day on thursday as everything moves to the east. also in the southern end we have possible tornados breaking out across portions of southern missouri, arkansas, and also southeastern oklahoma.

as far as watches and warnings go, blizzard warnings from northwestern kansas all the way to near milwaukee and southern wisconsin. some of the snow is going to try to get into chicago by tonight and going into friday morning. in fact, we're calling for up to 12 inches of additional snow through central iowa right into central and southern portions of wisconsin. some areas could see well over 12 inches. for chicago there's a possibility of at least two or three inches of snow, and there might be even a little bit more than that. i'm david bernard for cbs news, miami. forecasters warn of whiteout conditions in parts of nebraska this morning. high winds and heavy drifting snow may make travel impossible, but the rough weather didn't stop some diehard basketball fans from going to last night's game at creighton university in omaha. >> for those of us who are the adventurous type, the creighton game was a perfect out, to get out and go messing around a

little bit instead of sitting in the house. it's -- we need the moisture. i'll take all the snow we can get right now. >> good luck getting home. the weather is also expected to cause airport delays. several airlines have waived the fees they usually charge to change flights. >> the know dropped more than a foot of snow in the pacific northwest in the snoqualmie pass and drivers needed chains to make their way through the mountains. there were a number of minor accidents. today the house votes on john boehner's so-called plan b to avoid the fiscal cliff. it comes days before the automatic across-the-board spending cuts go into effect. he's aimed at keeping some tax rates at the current level. as well as forcing president obama to make a difficult decision. tara mergener is in washington. tara, good morning to you. >> good morning, terrell. well, speaker boehner has expressed confidence his plan b

will pass the house. it would extend current tax rates for americans making less than a million dollars a year. if that happens, boehner says the president will have a choice to make. >> he can call on senate democrats to pass that bill, or he can be responsible for the largest tax increase in american history. >> speaker boehner's plan is the latest swipe in the duel over the fiscal cliff. he wants the white house to come up with a proposal that includes more spending reductions, but as an earlier news conference, the president said his latest offer provides enough cuts. >> what i said is that in order to arrive at a compromise, i am prepared to do some very tough things, some things that some democrats don't want to see. >> president obama's plan provides $850 billion in spending cuts over ten years while raising $1.3 trillion in revenue. mostly by raising taxes on incomes over $400,000 a year. >> at some point there's got to

be, i think, a recognition on the part of my republican friends that, you know, take the deal. >> but the speaker says the president's offer fails to meet a balanced approach. >> i hope the president will get serious soon about providing and working with us on a balanced approach. >> and while the speaker is confident his plan b will pass the house, this is hardly a done deal. some members oppose any tax increases at all, and if the bill is blocked, negotiators will have lost two days worth of work, and, terrell, with less than two weeks go until the deadline, time is really running short. >> the drama continues. thank you so much. the lawyer for sergeant robert bales says the army's decision to seek the death penalty is irresponsible.

bales is accused of killing six afghans including 9 children. his civilian lawyer says the army is trying to divert attention from how it sends possible brain-damaged soldiers into combat. >> we think the army is attempting to escape responsibility for the decision to send sergeant bales to afghanistan for his fourth deployment, knowing that he had ptsd and a concussive head injury. >> no date has been set for bales' court martial. fallout this morning from the deadly terrorist attack on the u.s. consulate in benghazi, libya. four officials resigned after the attack on four americans, chris stevens and three other americans. public hearings on the attack are scheduled to begin today. coming up on the "morning news," surprising results.

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seems not all red jars are created equal. olay regenerist. two of the most popular cars in america got bad grades in a new crash tests and as edward lawrence reports this morning family cars earn higher marks in crash safety than most luxury sedans in the study. >> reporter: megan lynch's job keeps her on the road. she thought a 2012 prius would be a good investment. >> i was told i would get close to 50 miles a gallon, which would be great going back and forth. >> reporter: but she never thought the prius v would be among the worst performers in a crash test. the institute put 18 mid size family cars through the test, simulating what happens when only the front corner of a car hits another vehicle or object.

the institute says one quarter of serious injuries is and deaths in frontal crashes occur in these overall impacts. the survival rate for the driver in the prius v was found to be severely compromised. the side air bag also deployed too late. the country's top-selling mid size car the toyota cam are also got a poor rating. the wheel was shoved into the well on impact. the honda accord and suzuki got good ratings. the institute says 13 of the mid size cars in the test group offered better crash protection than all but three of their three luxury counter parts. up next, your thursday morning weather. and in sports, a crosstown basketball rivalry that ended in punches last year resumed in peace. slide on in for sears year end event... save up to 25% off appliances... ...plus an extra 15% off with your sears card. this is going out with a bang. this is sears. flavor boost, meet beef.

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stronger, holds up better... all wrapped up in a value you love. new angel soft®. now stronger than ever. here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. new york, sunny, 46, chicago, 46 degrees. sunny in dallas, 52. mostly sunny, no surprise, in l.a. 66 degrees. let's check your national forecast. alerts stretch from kansas through michigan as major storm brings blizzards, severe thunderstorms and damaging winds. expect thunderstorms in the gulf coast states and cooler temperatures in florida. in t northeast sees rain tonight with a wintry mix in new england. a storm moving ashore in the pacific northwest and november california is creating heavy mountain snow and coastal flash flooding. hmm.

that was almost not the word i said there. "cbs moneywatch" on your thursday. a gm buyback and big bargains for last-minute bargain shoppers. save me, ashley. >> was a slippery slope there. good morning to you. it triggered profit taking. tokyo's nikkei dropped 1%, while hong kong's hang seng added a fraction. hope turning to frustration over congress's ability to avoid a fiscal cliff sent a chill down wall street. the dow dropped nearly 99 points while the nasdaq shed 10 points. >> the u.s. government is selling its stake in the automobile maker that taxpayers bailed out four years ago. gm is buying back 200 million shares from the government. they'll unload the rest of its shares by 2014. the government's $50 billion bailout saved general motors from collapse, however, uncle sam stands to lose billions of dollars. and expect big discounts as the days wind down to christmas.

many stores offered free shipping and free lay away unlike last year where they chopped prices. with but deals of 70% off and but experts say to now expect deals of 70% off and buy one/get one free as retailers try to salvage the weaker than expected shopping season. i think we need to hit the mall and get our freak on with personal shopping. >> i was going to ask. what are you going to buy -- >> you buy, i get the free. that's how the plan works. >> as longs i get my gift. i haven't started shopping. ashley morrison in new york. ashley, thank you so much. we go to sports. in the nba, there's the oakland city thunder and then there's everybody else. okc on the road in atlanta looking to win their 11th straight. the thunder stars ruled the night. russell westbrook, 27 points. oklahoma city im most heated kevin durant draws a season-high 41 on the hawks. oklahoma city improves to 20-4 with a 100-92 win. one of the most heated rivalries in college hoops resumed laugh night. cincinnati and xavier met for the first time since that big brawl last year. the team shaking hands before the game. it was held on a neutral site to

diffuse some of the tension. xavier would take the lead into the half, but in the second, cincinnati runs away with the game. the 11th ranked bearcats remain unbeaten. they win, 60-45. when we come back, a high-flying hoax. millions watch this viral video showing an eagle trying to snatch somebody's child. mama said this though. don't believe everything you see on the internet. don't believe e'eri everything you see on the internet. maybe you can be there;

maybe you can't. when you have migraines with fifteen or more headache days a month, you miss out on your life. you may have chronic migraine. go to mychronicmigraine.com to find a headache specialist. and don't live a maybe life. the peninsula. what was found in the basement of th san mateo home. shots fired - on a busy baya highway. the question now - was the driver targeted? and call to action. preside obama promises to tackle gun violence. what he wants to try - and his very short timeline for action. join us for cbs 5 eyewitness news this morning... beginng at 4:30. good morning. it's thursday, ,,,,

here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. in washington, clouds, then rain, 50 degrees. thunderstorms in atlanta, 63. very windy in st. louis, 46 degrees. sunny in denver, 37. showers in seattle, 41 degrees. there is a new reigning miss universe this morning. and miss universe, 2012, is

-- usa! >> yeah, usa. 20-year-old olivia culpo of rhode island took the crown last night in las vegas. the last time a miss usa won was back in 1997. this week millions watched the viral internet video showing the eagle swooping down trying to carry away a baby. you saw it yesterday morning here on "cbs morning news." turns out it was not real at all. it was students on a class project. we have the inside story. >> reporter: everyone who saw it couldn't believe it, a baby being snatched by an eagle on mt. royal. the video was posted on youtube last night and so far 5 million people have seen it. >> oh, my god, poor thing. >> that's so scary. my god, wow. >> reporter: and that was the goal of the assignment for these four students, to make a viral video that's also a hoax. >> we searched online to see

what is viral, what people look -- what people find interesting, and babies and animals are super popular. >> reporter: the 37-second video took seven weeks from the store boarding to the filming. they spent close to 500 hours on post production alone and finally handed in their assignment yesterday. >> you think the press and all the reaction everywhere, friends of mine posting it online, not really knowing that i made the video, it's great feeling to see and to have. >> reporter: and they'll likely pass the viral video course with flying colors. the students were promised they would get 100% if they managed to get more than 100,000 views on youtube. >> i ask myself why do people want to see it that much. i still don't understand that. i'm happy. >> because it showed a bird picking up somebody's child. that's why. is thats with ann mcclair of global news reporting. many knew it was a hoax from the start mostly because gold about eagles are known to steer clear

of populated areas. it was a good one guys. and according to the mayan calendar, tomorrow may be the end of the world as we know it. thousands have been gathering at the mayan ruins. it's meant to usher a new age of enlightenment, not armageddon. this is the "cbs morning news." not armageddon. this is the "cbs morning news." save up to 25% off appliances... ...plus an extra 15% off with your sears card. this is going out with a bang. this is sears. ♪ you make me happy [ female announcer ] choose the same brand your mom trusted for you. children's tylenol, the #1 brand of pain and fever relief recommended by pediatricians and used by moms decade after decade.

students of sandy hook elementary school will return. to class next month in a different building about six miles away. scott pelley sat down with newtown school superintendent janet robinson and asked how students and teachers are moving forward. >> there is a team of counselors assigned to every school. they're with that faculty. they're with those students. we have a parent room manned by counselors at every school, we have a room for students and one for teachers. we understand people are going to react in different ways and maybe unexpectedly. when they think they're doing

fine, something will trigger that emotion and they need to talk about it. >> when do you think the new school for the sandy hook kids and teachers will be opened, and when do you think they'll return to class? >> we're thinking after the holiday break, that january will be a fresh start. >> what do you think at this point is going to happen to the building at sandy hook elementary school? >> you're asking a question that i'm asking myself at 3:00 in the morning when i can't sleep. the teachers and the parents have been telling me they can never re-enter that school, that it would be just beyond them to do it. one teacher said i will quit teaching before i go back in that building. >> these are very early days, but how do you move forward? >> these are early days, and i think we are forever changed.

but we have to move forward. we -- it is good for kids to know that we are strong and that as a community we support them, and i have been moving to get some regular routine for students. i know that's in their best interests, and all of us as adults are -- we need that too. and i know once schools start like yesterday, the adults -- the kids are therapy for the teachers. the kids want the routine. they're happy. and once the teachers start teaching and interacting with their kids, it helps them heal and move forward.

these kids have their futures ahead of them. survivors need to have -- we're responsible to see that good things happen for them. i can't take away what happened already. >> scott pelley with newtown school superintendent janet robinson. coming up after your local news on "cbs this morning," a the latest on a severe storm system pushing its way into the midwest and charlie rose sits down with david letterman for a rail interview. that's it for the "morning news" on this thursday morning. appreciate you watching. i'm terrell brown in new york. take care, everybody. have a great day. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

and i'm brian hackney. frans off this morning. time is 4 >> your realtime captioner: linda marie macdonald. good morning, everyone. it's thursday, december 20, i'm

michelle griego. >> i'm brian hackney. frank is off this morning. it is almost 4:30. and we're going to get a check. weather first thing. here's lawrence, mr. k. >> yeah, guys. big changes in the weather coming up. we have a cold front diving into the bay area. gusty winds, heavy rain headed our way. we'll talk about that coming up. >> and we already have an accident reported this time in fremont blocking languages of northbound 880. once you get past there, looks good through oakland all the way towards the macarthur maze. much more "timesaver traffic" coming up. >> all right, elizabeth. thank you. a bomb squad on the peninsula called in to deal with chemicals deemed too dangerous to move. cbs 5 reporter anne makovec is outside the house in san mateo. >> reporter: good morning, this was an exercise in emergency response for the bomb squad and the neighborhood. this is the area where they blew these chemicals up. first they loaded up all of these sandbags and right behind it, that is the house where these hazardous materials were found. there are some broken windows there but it could have been