almost home. 4500 passengers and crew aboard the cruise to nowhere inch closer to dry land after days of roughing it on the high seas. online outrage, calls to boycott amazon.com after the retailer sells a guide for pedophiles. and slash and burn. pedophiles. and slash and burn. almost home. 4500 passengers and crew aboard the cruise to nowhere inch closer to dry land after days of roughing it on the high seas. online outrage, calls to boycott amazon.com after the retailer sells a guide for pedophiles. and slash and burn. a presidential commission proposes drastic measures to cut the deficit, that hit americans where it hurts. this is the "cbs morning news" for thursday, november 11th, 2010. good morning, everybody, thanks for joining us. i'm betty nguyen.

the cruise that turned into a nightmare is almost over. the carnival cruise ship "splendor" expected to dock in san diego as early as this morning. two tugboats are towing the giant ship knocked out of commission by an engine fire four days ago. we're learning more about the difficult conditions on board as kendis gibson reports this is a voyage everyone aboard will remember -- for all the wrong reasons. >> reporter: new video shows the disabled carnival "splendor" slowly making its way toward san diego. the ship is expected to make it to port by thursday and not a moment too soon for the thousands of passengers and crew members. >> everybody is trying to get along, you know, but you can tell some people are just angry and frustrated. >> reporter: the frustration has been building since monday's engine fire disabled the mega cruiseliner. the nearly 4500 people on board have been without hot food, hot weather and toilets are working with a backup generator. >> they signed up for a great cruise vacation and obviously that is not what they received.

>> reporter: the u.s. military airlifted supplies like spam, water and pop-tarts to the ship and has a crew on board to monitor conditions. once the ship arrives in san diego, a carnival team will meet them with their new travel arrangements. they'll also get a refund for this trip and a free cruise in the future. as carnival officials paint a bright picture of conditions on board -- >> we've had bands. we've had games. >> reporter: -- passengers are telling a different story. >> we've been given the run-around, kind of, this whole time of them saying there's no problem, everything is fine. they are fixing the issue then like getting worse and worse. >> reporter: whatever is happening on board the ship, conditions won't improve until everyone's finally back on dry land. kendis gibson, cbs news san diego. america's largest online retailer, amazon.com, has pulled from its website a book that offered advice to pedophiles, titled the pedophiles guide to

love and pleasure a child lover's code of conduct sparked outrage and calls to boycott amazon. the author of the self-o published ebook said he wrote the book it address unfair portrayals of pedophiles. >> kissing, fond lining, that sort of thing i don't think is that serious of a problem. the real pedophile doesn't assume any authority over the child. he's the child's friend, you know, and whatever happens between them happens as a matter of mutual agreement. >> at first amazon defended the sale of the book saying it would be censorship not to but, a former prosecutor says this is not about free speech. >> freedom of speech only restricts government's ability to be able to tell people whether or not they can do things, not private companies. >> the author says more than 70 copies of the book have sold. it's reported the pentagon can lift its ban on gays serving openly without major consequences or risk to the current war efforts. a pentagon study group sent a

questionnaire to active duty and reserve troops. the "washington post" reports more than 70% said the effects of repealing don't ask don't tell would be either positive, mixed, or non-existent. president obama is in south korea for the g-20 economic summit that begins today. but mr. obama announced the u.s. and south korea failed, so far, to reach a deal on free trade. and today is veterans day. the president placed a wreath at a memorial for u.s. soldiers who have lost their lives in the korean war, which began 60 years ago. meanwhile a preliminary report by a presidential commission to cut the nation's deficit has sparked a flurry of debate. whit johnson is in washington with details. good morning, whit. >> betty, good morning. republicans won the house pledging to reduce federal spending but these early findings are a potent dose of reality and politically unappealing for both parties. the 50-page draft proposal spares almost no one. the federal workforce would be

slashed by 10%, or 200,000 jobs. more than $100 billion in defense cuts. farm subsidies cut by $3 billion a year. on social security, benefits would be reduced for higher incomes and the retirement age would gradually increase from 67 to 69. advocates call the proposals tough but necessary. >> this is the kind of plan that could really fix our fiscal situation. >> reporter: some taxes would be cut. tax rates for the highest bracket of 35% could go as low as 23. corporate rates, from 35 to as low as 26%. and the alternative minimum tax intended for upper tax brackets but now hitting middle-class families would be eliminated. but overall taxes would increase because many popular tax breaks would be slashed, including the mortgage interest deduction, which would end for homes over $500,000 and for second residences. >> we're going to have to make some tough choices. >> reporter: in south korea this morning, president obama called

the plan a product of our economic reality. >> before anybody starts shooting down proposals, i think we need to listen, we need to gather up all the facts, i think we have to be straight with the american people. >> reporter: but the political reality is there's little stomach for these kinds of cuts on capitol hill. >> this is not at all something that i can -- can live with. >> reporter: lawmakers on the right don't want taxes raised. those on the left don't want programs for the needy slashed. and nobody wants to mess with social security, a sentiment not lost on the plan's co-author, former wyoming senator allen simpson. >> we are going into a witness protection program. >> reporter: it will be a major challenge for this bipartisan commission to reach an agreement on deficit cuts of this magnitude. the final report is expected by december 1st. betty? looks like it is going to be a tough road ahead.

whit johnson in washington, thank you. on the "cbs moneywatch" stocks in asia shifted higher this morning. ashley morrison is no new york with much more on that. good morning, ashley. >> good morning to you, betty. asian markets inched up today, japan's nikkei added nearly half a percent to a four and a half-month closing high and hong kong's hang seng gained nearly 1%. today wall streets gets earnings from viacom and wednesday. -- disney. wednesday, stocks finished up after a rough start, the dow adding ten points and the nasdaq gained 15 and change. the market was helped by general motors, turning a third quarter profit of more than two billion dollars and should help attract investors as the company nears next week's initial public offering of stock. good and bad news on the foreclosure front. numbers released overnight show they fell by 9% in october but experts say that drop is most likely due to fallout from the robo signing controversy that led many banks to temporarily freeze home seizures last month. october marked the 20th straight month foreclosures topped 300,000. lenders are on pace to seize more than one million homes this year.

walmart's escalating the holiday season retail wars. according to the "new york times" the world's largest retailer will begin offering free shipping thursday via its website on some 60,000 gift items with no minimum purchase. the offer will run at least through december 20th. sears will be open on thanksgiving for the first time in its 124-year history. doors will open at 7:00 a.m. and close at noon, they are also planning to roll out their black friday sales earlier in year to jump-start holiday sales. and you may be able to ask for that raise next year after all. according to career builder, survey, 31% of employers say they'd be willing to discuss a raise with established workers to prevent them from leaving the company. 51% said newly hired employees don't have to settle for the first offer. betty, that's always kind of a fine line you are walking there. >> yeah. so, if our bosses are watching -- right? we're asking. all right.

ashley morrison joining us live in new york, thank you. just ahead on the morning news, new government anti-smoking campaigns go for shock value. plus, demolition gone wrong. a smokestack takes a dangerous fall. first, katie couric has a preview of tonight's cbs evening news. >> what do we really know about north korea? we'll take an in-depth look at the hermit kingdom and the threat the secret nation possess to the united states. so, that and more tonight only on the "cbs evening news." >> announcer: moneywatch sponsored by touch of gray, gets rid of some gray, never all. the challenge jobs. don't tell me about a dog. a day care full of kids, house chickens. call a day's work. call 1-800-steemer

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lines and a backup generator, knocking out power to several thousand customers. luckily, no injuries were reported. according to a new government report, nearly one out of every ten school-age kids has adhd. the national survey of parents found almost five and a half million u.s. children are diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. that is up 22% in just four years. the biggest jump is in older children, which saw a 42% increase. experts say the increase is most likely from improved awareness, as parents, schools, and doctors are doing a better job of recognizing and diagnosing the condition. the government wants to use shock therapy to convince people for quit smoking. a proposed advertising campaign would go after smokers and potential smokers by showing very graphic images. manuel gallegus reports. >> reporter: a woman dying in bed, diseased lungs, a man having a heart attack, they are graphic new images the government wants to put front

and center on cigarettes. >> we want to make sure that every person who picks up a pack of cigarettes is going to know exactly what the risk is that they're taking. >> reporter: the government says every day in the u.s., 4,000 children try their first cigarette. deborah green was one of them, smoking since she was 12. she says the new warning labels probably won't help her. >> even when they show the commercials of people on their death bed or losing fingers, i actually found myself even more so wanting to get up and go smoke a cigarette. >> reporter: tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable and premature death in the u.s. 433,000 people die each year. the new larger warnings and images like a mother blowing smoke in her baby's face or dead man in a casket could start appearing in advertisements and cigarettes packs late next year. >> once that happens, every single pack of cigarettes in our country will, in effect, become a mini billboard that tells the truth about smoking. >> reporter: many-pack-a-day smokers hope it's a message that gets through to teens.

>> for me, myself, i don't think so. for those who have not smoked yet but about to start smoking, it might be helpful. >> reporter: the new warnings part of a tougher fda strategy to significantly reduce the number of smokers by 2020. the tobacco industry is looking carefully at the new labels. some companies are already suing because new warnings will shrink brand names to the bottom of the pack. manuel gallegus, cbs news, new york. straight ahead, your thursday morning weather. and in sports, the number one nba draft pick starts to pay dividends for the washington wizards. ds for the washington wizards. be santabulous this christmas. right now at sears themed décor is 25% off. including all stylish country living...

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slate from chase gives you extraordinary control over how you pay for life's surprises. trip...lets... slate customers pay down their balances twice as fast with blueprint. here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. . new york, sunny, 54. miami, sunny, warm, 82. chicago, sunny, 67. denver, snow, 37. and l.a., it's a sunny 70. time now for a check of the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows a few clouds swirling over the rockies while storms linger off both the northwest and northeast coastlines. later today, a few weak thunderstorms will pop up in the southern plains. it's going to be very warm in the southeast, with temperatures in the 70s and 80s. and chilly in the northeast with temperatures in the 40s. in sports, the nba's top rookie rewards the team that drafted him. number one pick john wall, the washington wizards, was all over the court against the rockets.

wall got his first triple-double in the nba with 19 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds, also added in there some key steals and washington beat houston 98-91. in oklahoma city, kevin durant scored 31 points and helped pull out a win over philadelphia with a three-point play with 44 seconds remaining. the thunder beat the 6ers, 109-103. in college basketball an easy win for some top-ranked teams. number 5 pittsburgh got 24 points from ashton gibbs and got out to a big lead for an easy win against illinois-chicago. the final, panthers 97, 54 over the flames. number 13 illinois also had an easy night against toledo. they led by 29 points at halftime. and improved on that in the second half. illinois beat toledo, 84-45. when we return, another look at this morning's top stories and anarchy in the uk. a student protest that got way out of hand. protest that got way

out of hand. ,,,,,,,,

on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather. light snow accumulations will build up in several cities in the rocky mountains and showers and storms are moving through the plain states. all thanks to a storm system approaching texas. here's another look at this morning's top stories. the disabled cruise ship the carnival "splendor" could be towed into the port of san diego as early as this morning. an engine room fire sent the giant ship adrift. there are 4500 passengers and crew aboard. a white house commission on cutting the nation's deficit proposes deep cuts in social security, reductions in federal spending, and higher taxes. budget cuts in britain have resulted in higher university

tuition fees and that sent tens of thousands of students through the streets of london wednesday in a violent protest. at least 32 people were arrested. charlie daggetta reports. >> reporter: hundreds of british students went on the rampage. smashing their way into the headquarters of the ruling conservative party in central london, they tore down the ceiling, trashed the lobby and shattered sheets of glass. one crowd broke off and reached the roof. protesters burned placards in a bonfire in front of the building. an estimated 50,000 students gathered to voice their anger over the government's decision to let universities triple tuition fees. the increase blamed on an enormous budget deficit. but, what began as a peaceful rally turned into a riot. british police underestimated the size and fury of the crowd and were soon overwhelmed. as angry students surged,

out-numbered officers struggled to battle them back. reserves were called in, and riot police arrived to contain the demonstration. >> we were planning today for a peaceful demonstration and we remain very disappointed that some people have chosen not to protest peacefully. >> reporter: organizers condemn the violence and vandalism. they blame a small group of troublemakers for hijacking the protest, but hundreds of students were seen swarming into the government offices. british police have made dozens of arrests and investigators will be taking a close look at the security camera footage to find those responsible for starting the violence. charlie daggetta, cbs news, london. now to some video that makes your stomach a little queasy just by watching, amateur video shows some fearless teenagers in russia hanging out 900 feet in the air and horsing around on steel beams. there is no safety equipment involved. goodness.

one boy even stood up on the edge, as you see right there of one of the beams. it appears, though, no one was hurt. this morning on "the early show," the latest on the crippled carnival cruise ship and we'll hear from a passenger. i'm betty nguyen. this is the "cbs morning news." or maybe skewers of wood-grilled shrimp. seafood lunches starting at just $6.99 at red lobster. seafood lunches starting at just $6.99 ah, it's stinging a little bit more than usual! yeah, you'll get used to it. the longer you keep your high mileage car, the more it pays you back.

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hello again. it's veterans day. >> let's take a look at how this veterans day is doing to play out. sunny skies. if you liked yesterday, you'll like today. going to a high of 62. take it away. those election night robocalls a political consultant he aranged to have them place but the attorney general disagrees and is filing suit. >> cargo bombs could have done over the east coast no and why

amazon refuses to pull a back with a controversy pal emergency. more knew, first warning weather and your first traffic report of the morning in a couple minutes. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

hello again. it is the 11th day of the 11th morning the veterans day in this country and it's also purple thursday. >> i'm still trying to get