fireball. a holiday tragedy. a plane carrying six people, including three young children crashes in the arizona mountains but no one knows why. retail rush. holiday shoppers lick their lips as black friday blurs into thursday. and talking turkey. from the kind that float to deep fried disasters, the presidential pardons. america celebrates this national day of thanksgiving. captioning funded by cbs this is the "cbs morning news" for thursday, november 24th, 2011. good morning, everybody. happy thanksgiving to you. appreciate your joining us. i'm terrell brown. through the night, search

crews on the scene of a deadly plane crash in arizona. the crash includes three children who had been picked up to celebrate the holiday. the twin engine plane crashed in mountains east of phoenix after taking off from an airport in mesa. this is video of the plane hitting the superstitious mountains. it comes from a security camera on top of a home. six people, including the three children, were on board. there apparently were no survivors. the body of one child has been recovered. the plane went down in a hard to reach area. >> this is not a flat area. this is jagged peaks, and almost like a cliff type of rugged terrain, and so we are trying to make our way through that area. the fuselage is stuck down into some of the crevices in this rough terrain and we are doing our best at this point. >> reporter: besides the children, a pilot, mechanic, and another adult were on board. so far, no word on possible cause this morning. an american airlines jet made a safe emergency landing last night in los angeles. shortly after the 767 took off from los angeles headed to new

york, the crew smelled something burning. the plane turned to the airport, landing without incident. nine minutes later, 161 people were on board. if you have travel plans this thanksgiving, for most of the country, this is a good day to be on the move. a large storm system that hit most of the atlantic coast yesterday is gone. from the east coast, fair and pleasant weather expected. just the west coast will have some wet weather to deal with today. this is a vast improvement from yesterday. heavy rain and thunderstorms made a mess of one of the busiest travel days of the year. there were numerous flight delays and cancellations and the slick roadways made for some dangerous driving. in pennsylvania, it wasn't the weather that stopped drivers in their tracks. it was a flood of gooey muck. the tar-like chemical came from a leaking valve on a tanker truck. the driver had no idea so he drove 40 miles down the pennsylvania turnpike. about 150 cars and trucks were disabled and the sticky substance used to cover driveways, covered their tires and wheels.

>> you didn't know it at first. as soon as it started to harden up on your tire, you could feel the thugging. you thought you had a flat tire. >> reporter: even some state police and turnpike maintenance vehicles had to be towed away. by last night, most of the spill had been cleaned up and the driver charged for failing to secure his load. overseas, american soldiers were celebrating today. american soldiers in kabul, afghanistan, were visited by new york yankees outfielder nick swisher and his wife. >> we can't thank the men and women in our service enough for what they do and especially around the holidays. we know they can't be with their families and they know they would like to be. so we may not be their families but at least we could be maybe a couple of days. >> but they are going to celebrate. this year, the department of defense plans to hand 168,000 towns of turkey to the troops in iraq and situate. not to mention over 37,000 pounds of stuffing and 43,000 pounds of sweet potatoes and 34,000 pies. reports that 12 cia agents have been arrested in iran.

the lawmaker says the agent plan to strike iranian interests. including military and nuclear with the aid of israel. in egypt this morning, a truce between the police and the anti-government protesters appears to be holding. this is a live picture from tahrir square in cairo. at least 40 people have been killed in five days of deadly street battles. meanwhile, the military continues to hold three american college students arrested during the demonstrations. tara mergener is in washington with the latest this morning. tara, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, terrell. joy sweeney says her son sounded healthy during their brief conversation, but truce or not, it appears he and his friends may remain in custody for the holiday. protesters fled from an armed vehicle as it tried to chase them down in the city of alexandria. for a fifth straight night, demonstrators clashed with police throwing stones and molotov dock details. security forces launched back launching cans of tear gas.

>> it is disgusting! they have to go! they have no right to have any claim on any authority to make any decisions in this country ever again! >> reporter: protesters are demanding an immediate end to military rule in egypt. so far, the country's leaders have only agreed to move up presidential elections. wednesday, one of the candidates called for the violence to stop. >> this has to come to an end. this is unacceptable! >> reporter: the u.s. and the u.n. condemned the violence against demonstrators. us officials are also trying to secure the release of three american college students accused of throwing fire bombs at security force. egyptian police questioned the students again wednesday. one of them, 19-year-old derrick sweeney, had a 90-second conversation with his mother. >> i asked him if he threw anything off of a roof. he said, no, we didn't do anything wrong. >> reporter: egyptian authorities say the students will be detained for at least several more days, pending an investigation. and egypt's military also issued a statement this morning, apologizing for the loss of life

and vowing to bring justice to those responsible for the deaths of protesters. terrell? >> happy thanksgiving to you, tara. good to see you this morning. tara mergener in washington, good to see you. thanks. federal official investigating an amish crime wave raided a compound of a break-away group in iowa. sam mullet and six others were charged with hate crimes yesterday. the men allegedly attacked other amish, cutting the beards and hair of men and women and then took photos. the amish believe a man's beard is sacred. mullet said he didn't order the haircutting but didn't stop it. coming up on the morning news, "rolling stone" ranked the greatest guitarist of all time. shoppers get a turkey day jump on black friday. this is the "cbs morning news." get the brands you love and over 900 doorbusters! buy tires, get a $100 award card.

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♪ so this may not be earth shattering news to millions of fans here, but jimi hendrix has been voted the best guitarist of all time. the "rolling stone" panel proclaimed him the king on wednesday. the fire and distinct style that science to inspire. the rest of the top five are all british. dr. conrad murray will be back in a los angeles courtroom next week and tuesday find out his punishment in the death of pop superstar michael jackson. yesterday, his lawyers asked if he could be released from jail and put on probation. prosecutors are demanding murray be sentenced to at least four years behind bars. new developments in the penn state sexual abuse scandal. a lawyer for former coach jerry sandusky, says sandusky is now accused of abusing his own grandkids.

another lawyer is suing the second mile to try to keep its assets from disappearing. on this cbs "moneywatch" the diet crisis is taking its toll on the asian markets. japan's nikkei dropped over to its lowest level in more than two years. hong kong's hang sang edged up a fraction. wall street is closed today for the holiday but the same fear rattled investors at home on wednesday. the dow fell 236 points. the nasdaq gave back 61. for millions of americans, thanksgiving means a lot more than just a big turkey dinner. it means big savings and some have been camping out in front of stores for days waiting to get a jump on the start to black friday. after the meal today, even more shops will head out to hit up the stores that are opening late tonight. alexis christoforous has more. >> reporter: it's not even thanksgiving and santa has been settled in at the mall for days. it's the final countdown to black friday. the official start of the holiday shopping season. and consumer experts think it could be a big one. >> 55 million americans, around 29% of adults, tell us they are going to be shopping on black friday. that's a big number.

that's the first uptick we have seen in a few years. >> reporter: the more they shop, the more catch goes into the economy which is why the stakes are so high. with many americans struggling financially, consumers will be looking for practical gifts like clothing, things people need, not just want. that works for michelle showback who is on a tight budget this year. >> i'm not buying myself anything and probably ask for more practical gifts for christmas, yeah, like sneakers. >> reporter: electronics will be big and gift cards. even though 1 in 4 americans still have one left over from last year. to pack in the shoppers, big retailers are extending their hours on black friday and many stores, like toys "r" us, are opening on thanksgiving. online retailers are also hunting for business with steep discounts and free shipping even before cybermonday and your cell phone could be your best shopping buddy this season.

>> there's an evolution going on. 13% of people use smart phones to get their deal information. >> reporter: stores are now sending coupons through mobile applications so shoppers can swipe the discounts straight from their phones. alexis christoforous, cbs news, new york. occupy wall street demonstrators have their own plans for the big shopping day. black friday protests are being organized that call for boycotting big change. like target, best buy and walmart. there are even reports that some protesters may want to block shoppers from getting into the stores. could get ugly. stay tuned. coming up on this thursday morning, we will have your weather forecast. in sports, why are these people yelling and there is no team on the field? my sinus symptoms come with a cough that stays even after i treat... [ male announcer ] truth is, most sinus formulas don't treat a cough.

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i got mine in iraq, 2003. u.s.a.a. auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation, because it offers a superior level of protection and because u.s.a.a.'s commitment to serve the military, veterans, and their families is without equal. begin your legacy. get an auto insurance quote. u.s.a.a. we know what it means to serve. 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 skies clearing over the northeast. the midwest has no clouds with fair weather stretching into the southwest and towards the great lakes. the west coast still has some rain and snow. later today, the east coast has wonderful weather. highs in the 40s and in the

northeast, in the 70s, the southeast, west coast will see more rain and snow. much of the southwest will have a mix of sun and clouds, but a few clouds could come down later today. >> duke are the kings in basketball in hawaii at least. back and forth against kansas and then this. the big shot coming up right here. time running out. tyler thornton drains the long distance three to put the blue devils ahead. duke takes down the jayhawks 68-61 to win the maui invitational. it was michigan wearing those bright yellow uniforms against ucla in the battle for third place. the wolverine dominated the bruins. spinning and jamming their way to victory, 79-63. glimmer of hope for the nba season. yahoo sports says talks about e resumed focused on settling their dispute. the two sides have to reach a quick settlement to start the season by christmas.

and a grand tradition in college football is about to come to an end. thousands turned out for what could be the last lone star showdown yell practice. it's held every wednesday night before arch rivals texas a&m and the university of texas hit the gridiron on thanksgiving. since the aggies are moving to a new conference, this could be the last big yell. looks kind of weird, yelling and nobody is on the field. when we return, another look at this morning's top stories. and lots of hot air. new york gets ready for the city's greatest thanksgiving tradition. happy holidays to colorado springs from our troop. >> happy holidays! all because so many people wanted to visit us... in louisiana. they came to see us in florida... nice try, they came to hang out with us in alabama...

once folks heard mississippi had the welcome sign out, they couldn't wait to get here. this year was great but next year's gonna be even better. and anyone who knows the gulf knows that winter is primetime fun time. the sun's out and the water's beautiful. you can go deep sea fishing for amberjack, grouper and mackerel. our golf courses are open. our bed and breakfast have special rates. and migrating waterfowl from all over make this a bird watcher's paradise. so if you missed it earlier this year, come on down. if you've already been here come on back... to mississippi... florida... louisiana... alabama. the gulf's america's get-a-way spot no matter where you go. so come on down and help make 2012 an even better year for tourism on the gulf. brought to you by bp and all of us who call the gulf home.

on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather. the east coast will be fair and pleasant. looking for sunny skies with

highs ranging from the 40s in the northern plains to 80s on the gulf coast. and it's wet along the west coast with snow over the mountain ranges. here is another look at this morning's top stories. a twin engine plane crashed into the mountains outside of phoenix, arizona. search crews were on scene overnight. six people were on board, including three young children who had been picked up for the holiday. it's believed there are no survivors. one body has been recovered. a truce between anti-government protesters and police in egypt appears to be holding this morning. five days of violence has claimed at least 40 lives and three american college students are still being detained. they are said to be doing well. at the white house wednesday, a thanksgiving tradition. >> i like doing that. you are hereby pardoned! >> president obama officially pardoned the national

thanksgiving turkey whose name is liberty, by the way. after the ceremony, liberty was sent out to live out his days at mt. vernon, george washington's estate in virginia. the president also pitched in at a local food bank. religious broadcaster pat robertson is raising some eyebrows this thanksgiving. on his show, 700 club, this was on wednesday. robertson showed a clip of former secretary of state condoleezza rice. she was asked what she was looking forward to most today. >> what is the most thing on thanksgiving you just have to have? >> mac and cheese! >> sister, that is my dish. only one thing i can rock. >> but only once a year. >> good interview, christy! what is this mac and cheese thing? is that a black thing? >> it is a black thing, pat. listen! you guys. other people. the world needs to get on board with macaroni and cheese. >> are you kidding? i have plenty of white friends that love mac and cheese. by the way, just to be fair, the dish is especially popular among

minority groups on turkey day, especially where i'm from down south. before the mac and cheese and turkey, many will watch the thanksgiving day parade in new york city. hazel sanchez of our new york station wcbs reports. >> reporter: year after year, thousands of people flock to the upper west side to see the macy's thanksgiving day balloons come to life. >> it's really cool. lots of balloons to see. >> there is no place in the world and nothing like it. >> reporter: it's become a tradition for this mclaughlin family and 3-year-old's gracy's first time at the balloon blowup and she quickly decided the smurf is her favorite. why do you like the smurf one? >> because i'm going to be a smurf for halloween. >> it's a really special night. we have included my parents in the tradition as well and we wouldn't miss it for the world. >> reporter: this year, the 85th annual parade will showcase 15 giant character balloons and 44 novelty balloons, a new sonic the hedge hog is making his

dah buy, along with pete frank's julius. and the old favorites will also take to the skies. spiderman and snoopy and kermit. >> i like the energizer bunny. >> just seeing them live and in person. you can't imagine how big they really, really are. >> reporter: this is mickey's hand. kung fu panda's face. and this is spongebob's foot! mayor bloomberg, this is a tradition that never gets old, does it? >> it never gets old. whether you're young or old or in the middle, it's always new. >> brings memories of watching the parade when you're little. just wishing you were able to be there. >> every year coming to see the floats beforehand knowing what is happening the next day, everybody is excited and this is the real start of the holiday season. >> that was wcbs hazel sanchez reporting this morning. i've got turkey on the brain, guys. i'm sorry. this morning, on "the early show," from meals to wheels to the best shopping deals. the latest on today's thanksgiving celebrations. all that coming up on "the early

show" this morning. i'm terrell brown. and this is the "cbs morning news." ♪ ... why is that? they give me 5% cash back at department stores this quarter. but only on up to $300 worth of merchandise. so the most you can earn is $15 dollars. chase freedom also gives you 5% cash back at department stores this quarter but on up to $1,500 worth of purchases. that is $75. that's 5 times more! woo. get your cash back. activate today at chase.com/freedom. this year, we won't settle for second best. we're going to give all the top brands. like kenmore, craftsman, nordictrack, die hard, samsung... and our gifts will be top notch. our wrapping? that's another story.

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good thanks giving morning. we will have ,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,