this morning, it is now the law. >> president obama, signing the fiscal cliff bill overnight, 5,000 miles from the latest firestorm on capitol hill. outrage over the failure to vote on sandy relief. a rocky start, as the 113th congress is sworn in today. also today, together again. students and teachers of sandy hook elementary resume the school year just hours from now. flu fears. could this be the worst season in years? why an early start is an ominous sign. and caught in the act. home surveillance cameras coming in handy. a couple who snapped these thieves in their living room. even a politician, out for revenge.

and good morning, everybody. belated happy new year, from me to all you guys out there. and we begin with the presidential seal of approval that should keep the country from plunging back into recession. >> late last night, president obama signed the bill to avert the fiscal cliff. he did it from his vacation home in hawaii, via autopen. it's a mechanical device that copies his signature in washington. and that opposition had house speaker facing opposition from fellow republicans. >> he put his job on the line to get it done, only to be met by a new round of outrage by both parties over the hurricane sandy aid package. here's abc's jonathan karl. >> reporter: a political firestorm erupted over what congress has failed to do.

adjourning without passing an aid bill for victims of hurricane sandy. >> the rug is pulled out from under us. absolutely indefensible. >> absurd. absolutely absurd. >> shame on you, mr. speaker. >> reporter: the failure to even vote on the $60 billion bill prompted an outburst from new jersey governor, chris christie. >> 66 days and counting. shame on you. shame on congress. >> reporter: his wrath aimed squarely at republican leaders in congress. >> they forget, we sent them there. we sent them there to do the work for us. not to sit down there and play with each other. >> reporter: all that sound and fury apparently paid off. late wednesday, speaker of the house john boehner said that aid to victims of hurricane sandy would be the first priority of the new congress to get sworn in on thursday. the first vote for sandy victims coming on friday. jonathan karl, abc news, the white house. >> our thanks to jonathan. the speaker conceding to pressure over sandy aid. but he's taking a stand on

another issue. the hill newspaper reports that boehner is promising to end any further one-on-one talks with the president, reportedly an effort to regain his party's respect. and despite all of the controversy in the last few weeks, boehner is expected to be re-elected as speaker today, as the session opens at noon for the new congress. the 113th congress will have the fewest number of military veterans since world war ii. also, several long-time lawmakers will not be returning. including barney frank and joseph lieberman and olympia snowe. the new senate will have the largest class of women ever. a record 20 female senators. they all sat down with "world news" anchor, diane sawyer, sharing their views on everything from their male counterparts to a female president, possibly. you can catch diane's interview tonight on "world news." no one may be looking forward to climbing the steps of the capitol than illinois

senator mark kirk. he is returning after suffering a stroke nearly a year ago. he underwent extensive speech therapy. but kirk says he is up to the job. and one more note from washington this morning. word of another political battle taking shape. "the huffington post" reporting that the president will begin his efforts to reform the nation's immigration law possibly as soon as this month. any proposed bill, however, would still be months away. and secretary of state hillary clinton is back home after being released from a new york hospital where she was treated for a blood clot. with her husband and daughter by her side, clinton walked out of colombian presbyterian yesterday afternoon. a spokesman says the secretary of state is anxious to get back to washington. but her stay there will not be long. president obama has nominated john kerry to take clinton's place. and a developing story overnight from pakistan. a u.s. drone strike has killed a

top taliban commander. nazir was famous for announcing pakistan's polio eradication months ago. he was responsible for orchestrating attacks across the border in afghanistan. a total of ten taliban were killed in that strike. and back here at home, children, teachers and staff who survived the sandy hook shooting take up a familiar routine this morning. they're going back to school. parents are being reassured that the new setting is the safest school in the entire country. as the children from sandy hook elementary school rise the bus to class today, the streets leading to their new school will be lined with green ribbons. the ribbons are the color symbolic of sandy hook elementary school. people around the world are also showing their support. some sent snowflakes with messages of love and hope that are hanging throughout the new school. >> a great deal of effort and

volunteer work make this as seamless as possible. to make it really look cheerful and happy. >> reporter: the newly-named building, originally designed as a middle school has been modified for the younger kids. the sinks and toilets were lowered. the sign outside has been changed to read sandy hook elementary school. and in many classrooms, students will find everything exactly as they left it. desks, backpacks, even the pencils on their desk. >> when you return to familiarity, and a situation that feels comfortable, that will help restore your previous belief. and restore that world view that might have gotten shaken up by the trauma. >> reporter: and former principal, donna pegae is returning. on wednesday, students and parents had an open house to get a look around. police will be patrolling the area. but they don't want the children to feel overburdened by the police presence. >> right now, it has to be the

safest school in america. we actually installed numerous different security devices at this school. >> reporter: and because everyone knows the first few days will be a balancing act between security and normalcy, parents will be allowed to come into the school and into classrooms with their children. at the nearby volunteer firehouse, that's where so many parents learned the grim news their child had died. there's 26 bronze stars that line the roof in memory of the victims. >> it is -- it's going to be such an important day. but hopefully the families and the children can find comfort in some of the similarities they've tried to replicate. >> and just getting back to normal. it is time, now, for the weather across the nation. up to six inches of snow in southwest texas and the new mexico desert. windy in southern california. light lake-effect snow from grand rapids to western new york and pennsylvania. thunderstorms in the southeast. showers along the gulf coast. >> just shy of 50 in dallas, atlanta and new orleans. mostly 30s here in the

northeast. teens in minneapolis and fargo. and when we come back, what a difference a deal makes. wall street kicks up 2013 in record style. then, something new at starbucks today. rather the cup itself. cup, but and politicians gone wild. the one-time congressional candidate accused of slashing a rival's tires 54 times.

welcome back, everybody. well, wall street will be looking to build on the very stellar start to 2013 after the

fiscal cliff deal. the dow soared 308 points, the digest point gain ever for the first trading day of the year. but it turns out day one doesn't help forecast the rest of the year. that's a 50/50 tossup pretty much. but the direction for all of january predicts the rest of the year. about three-quarters of the time. and one thing sure to influence the markets in coming weeks, the battle over the budget deficit. moody's credit rating agency has sent congress a new warning saying, if lawmakers do not come up with a plan to shrink the deficit, the country's top-notch credit ratings could be cut. current tv, the network started by former vice president al gore has just been sold to al-jazeera, the arab news channel, looking to expand here in the united states. it could boost from 5 million u.s. homes to 40 million. but time warner, which is the country's second-biggest cable company is dumping current tv because of that deal. and there's a change in the

rental car world. avis is buying zip car for $500,000 looking to grow its business. zip car's smartphone apps help renters locate cars around cities and college campuses, instead of the traditional rental counter. and avis hopes to tap into that technology. and there will be something new at starbucks stores today, refusible plastic cups. the coffee giant will be selling the cups for a buck and giving customers a 10 cent discount for every refill. the cup pays for itself after using it ten times. >> and they'll reportedly wash it for you. i'll pay 10 cents for that. when we come back, have you seen these thieves? house burglars caught on tape. now, the victims want them caught for real. and a sour night for heavily-favored florida at the sugar bowl. we really love tailgating.

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a private plane has crashed at a las vegas airport. but fortunately, no one was seriously hurt. the twin-engine plane skidded off the runway and burst into flames yesterday afternoon. the two people onboard managed to get out before the fire completely engulfed the cabin. they escaped without any serious injuries, thankfully. and a quick look, now, at your morning road conditions. drivers there face gusty winds in southern california. will have snow-covered roads in southern new mexico and southwestern texas. also, a wet commute for parts of the gulf coast and southeast. and a slick ride around the great lakes. >> it looks like a pretty good day for flying. airport delays are only expected in los angeles with those high winds. and turning back to the news now and some down and dirty, dirty politics. a former congressional candidate accused of going on a tire-slashing spree. >> yeah.

spree, we cannot overestimate that. gary smith who ran for a seat in new mexico has been arrested, accused of vandalizing a car for former rival, janice arnold jones. she had to replace 54 tires. 54. and she's being stalked. police say he was ordered to stay away but didn't listen. a judge has ordered a psychiatric exam, by the way. both candidates lost the race. >> well worth it. >> and a lot of tires, as well. a couple in raleigh, north carolina, had a camera to check in on their pets. what they saw, three men rummaging around, taking their ipad and x-box, and $1,000 in cold, hard cash. more than 150,000 people have looked at the video so far. they're hoping someone will be able to identify the house breakers. if you know them, please step forward. >> big brother has its advantages. celebrities are demanding action after a photographer was

killed after trying to shoot justin bieber's car. abc's brandi hitt has more on the accident, now, from l.a. >> reporter: pop star justin bieber says enough is enough, after a paparazzo was killed while photographing his car in los angeles. bieber's friend was driving his white ferrari tuesday night and was pulled over for speeding. that's when officers say photographer chris guera parked his car and crossed the street to snap pictures. >> he ordered him to return back to the vehicle. we had to order him twice. >> reporter: guerra was struck by an suv and killed. bieber wasn't there. in a statement, the singer offered his condolences to his family. and said, quote, hopefully this tragedy will prompt new legislation, and will protect the lives and safety of celebrities, police officers,

and the photographers themselves. this isn't the first dangerous run-in involving paparazzi and the pop star. a high-speed chase led to a photographer being arrested and charged with 2009's anti-paparazzi law. but a judge later threw out the charges. the driver that hit guerra on the street had her two grandchildren in the car. the lapd said she was not at fault and will not be charged. >> thanks to brandi hitt live from los angeles. word from government health experts that flu season has started earlier than it has in a decade. and doctors are predicting it could be the worst flu season we have seen in years. if you haven't gotten sick, it's not too late to get the flu shot. if you're trying to keep from getting the bug, doctors say wash your hands frequently. use some hand sanitizer. don't let anybody breathe on you. >> all that good stuff. in sports, now, another bcs bowl in the record books for

quite a few reasons, actually. highlights, now, from espn news. >> good morning, i'm todd grisham. this is your "sportscenter" update. we start in the sugar bowl, where louisville was two-touchdown underdogs. everyone expected a blowout. it was a blowout, all right. but not the way people thought. the first play from scrimmage, an interception. a pick six for floyd. and louisville, up 7-0, 15 seconds into the game. third quarter, the first play of scrimmage, in the second half. they scored again. bridgewater to damian copeland after florida could not recover an onside kick. 33-23, the final. it wasn't as close as the final score indicates. jim boeheim entered wednesday's game against rutgers with 902 career wins. tied with bob knight for second all-time. and they had no trouble in this game against the starlet knights in their big 12 opener.

james sutherland for three. part of a 17-0 run. second half, cues up 52-41. emphatically. trish for three. boeheim gets win number 903. he only trails mike krzyzewski on the all-time win list. and speaking of all-time, one of the greatest players ever, ray lewis, has announced he will retire after this season. few hit harder than this man. that will do it for this edition of "sportscenter." i'm todd grisham. have a good day. >> an emotional run for the ravens in the playoffs. >> a well-earned retirement for ray lewis. up next, "the pulse." and a delivery room photo like

none other. a c-section that's going viral. let the mud wrestling and garbage-flying begin. "buck wild" premieres tonight. but people are plenty mad at mtv. stay with us. resources they need. bright students are getting lost in the shuffle. and administration's work gets more complex every year. when you look at these issues, do you see problems or opportunities? with an advanced degree in education from capella university,

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light & fit greek. be light and fit. and satisfied. time to check "the pulse," and get ready for a controversial tv premiere tonight. after bringing the world classics like "bevis and butt-head" and "jersey shore," mtv is rolling out "buck wild." "buck wild," already under fire for heavy-duty hillbilly stereotypes. >> it features mud fights and a dump truck swimming pool.

west virginia senator joe manchin calls the series repulsi repulsive. we got the first viral facebook photo of the year. just seconds before being delivered by cesarean, this infant grabbed the doctor's finger. the dad was so amazed that he grabbed his camera and snapped that shot. >> mom is actually the professional photographer in the family. when she posted the picture on facebook, she was worried that viewers might find it too graphic. but she says the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. adorable. who knew there wereundreds of youtube videos of kids riding roombas. not sure who gets a bigger kick out of this, the parents or little aria. >> wee. >> she's like, where's my seat belt? this got more than 40,000 views and will likely be used to embarrass little aria when she becomes a teenager.

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updating our top stories now. as the president signed their fiscal cliff legislation overnight, the new congress is being sworn in today at noon. and a record 20 female senators are among them. secretary of state hillary clinton is back home in suburban new york this morning after spending four days in the hospital being treated for a blood clot. staffers say clinton is eager to return to the office. students, staff and teachers who survived the sandy hook shooting return to school today. officials planned as normal a day as possible. and looking at today's weather. windy in the los angeles area. snow from new mexico into southwestern texas. showers along the gulf coast. snow around the great lakes. and thunderstorms in the southeast. and finally from us this morning, another look, now, at that capitol hill comeback that we mentioned earlier. illinois junior senator, returning to washington, a year

after getting sidelined by a major stroke. >> and senator mark kirk is raring to go. more from paul menke of wls. >> the greatest honor of my life was to serve the state of illinois as their senator. as their junior senator. and there was no way i was going to quit. >> reporter: his speech is sometimes a bit halting. but it's determined. he has minimal use of his left arm. but he's able to walk for short distances with a cane. much of his travel will be in a wheelchair. this is after three brain surgeries and an aggressive rehab program. all that reaches a moment of symbolism when mark kirk will walk up the steps of the capitol. >> i thought about, the capitol has a lot of steps. that would be a good, symbolic goal for me. and for me, it's about setting goals almost every month, that are big enough and meaningful for me.

>> reporter: kirk says his walk was also very much a symbol for other stroke patients. the reality, though, is many who suffered similarly and haven't had the similar caliber of rehab, aren't able to come to work. >> somebody has some degree of improvement. to improve enough to go back to work is sadly, relatively unusual. >> reporter: the senator is a beneficiary of an outstanding therapy program and his own determination. to your constituents who are largely sympathetic to your condition and wish you well, but may have some doubts about your ability to do the job that you were elected to do, what would you say to them? >> i would say, i would thank the people of illinois for their patience with this patient. >> do you have the stamina? >> i do. >> great moment when he climbs those steps today. that's what's making news in america this morning. >> stay with us for "good morning america." have a great thursday. thanks for joining us, everybody.