iowa intrigue. a big shake-up? in the gop race. michele bachmann;s campaign suffers a major defection and new poll numbers show rick santorum surging and newt gingrich slipping. bp probe. the u.s. government considers criminal charges for the massive gulf oil spill. a lucky puppy. one very cold labrador is rescued from a frozen river just in the nick of time. captioning funded by cbs this is the "cbs morning news" for thursday, december 29th, 2011. good morning, everybody, i'm whit johnson. thanks for joining us. we begin with a fight for votes in iowa. the caucuses is now just five days away.

a new cnn/"time" poll shows mitt romney in the lead with 25% of support from likely republican voters. ron paul is behind with 22% and rick santorum has jumped into third as newt gingrich has dropped to fourth place. new trouble for michele bachmann. with an 11th hour defection by her iowa campaign manager. duarte geraldino is in washington with more. >> reporter: michele bachmann was certainly surprised by that defection, but such dramatic shifts have become common in the weeks leading up to the caucus. now everyone is waiting to see what bold move will happen next. michele bachmann's campaign is dealing with another blow. just hours after appearing with the minnesota congresswoman at an event wednesday, her iowa campaign manager, state senator kent sorensen, defected, joining ron paul's team. >> i believe two tier of candidates and i believe ron paul is in that tier and i'm here to help him. >> reporter: but bachmann claims

his decision wasn't just based on politics. >> kent sorensen personally told me he was offered a large sum of money to go to work for the ron paul campaign. >> reporter: paul's team insist it did not pay sorensen accusing of slamming the state senator. a new poll shows only 9% would vote for her at next tuesday's caucus. the poll's biggest surprise, former pennsylvania senator rick santorum, after struggling for months, he suddenly surged to third place with 16%. that is an 11-point gain since the beginning of december. onetime front-runner newt gingrich, on the other hand, had plummeted to fourth place. ron paul is second with 22% just three points behind the leader mitt romney. >> the president said he wants to fundamentally transform america. i kind of like america. >> reporter: last night, the former massachusetts governor drew one of his largest crowds yet at a town hall meeting in iowa and he's hoping for a

bigger turnout at the caucus next week. it shows whoever wins there will face a rough battle for the eventual republican presidential nomination. >> giuliani depandi republican on tuesday, perry said he had undergone a transformation had undergone a transformation on the issue of abortion and opposed all abortions, including cases of rape, incest, or if the mother's life was in danger. but, yesterday, perry said he would allow abortion if a woman's life was at risk. ten members of the occupy des moines protest movement were arrested at a demonstration at mitt romney's campaign offices. the demonstrators banged on the office windows demanding that romney release his tax returns. they say they will not disrupt the caucuses but want their case heard. >> instead of saying this is the candidate i want to vote for, we say this is a candidate i'm going to occupy.

this is a candidate i think that's really pushing just destructive discourse. >> reporter: romney, a multimillionaire, says he has no plans took release his tax returns, but might disclose more financial information in the future. overseas. tens of thousands of mourners gathered in north korea's capital this morning at the memorial for dictator kim jong-il. today's service follows yesterday's funeral. kim jong-un who succeeded his father as the supreme leader, took center stage today, alongside the nation's military elite. iran's new threat to cut off a key oil supply route drew a quick response from washington. it won't be tolerated. iran is threatening to block the strait of hormuz at the mouth of the persian gulf. about 15 million barrels of oil pass through the strait every day. about one-sixth the world's oil supply. but traders say the iranian threat sounds empty. >> it really doesn't behoove

iran to shut the strait of hormuz because those barrels that they sell to china and travel through the strait of hormuz as well. >> this morning, the price of oil dropped on world markets after rising for six straight days. it's reported the justice department is considering filing the first criminal charges in its probe of the gulf oil spill case. the charges would be brought against employees of british oil giant bp. an explosion on the deep water horizon oil rig in 2010 killed 11 workers and led to a massive oil spill. nearly 5 billion barrels. "wall street journal" reports prosecutors are focusing on u.s. based bp engineers. the government says bp failed to conduct accurate pressure tests on one part of the drill. 2011 may prove to be the safest year on record for air travel. as the year comes to a close, there has been one fatality for every 7.1 million air passengers. according to an aviation industry consulting firm.

that compares with the previous record in 2004 of one passenger death per 6.4 million flyers, but that year, there were 33% fewer passengers on many fewer flights. on the cbs "moneywatch," a vending machine that can tell your age and gender. drew levinson is here in new york with that and much more. drew drew, good morning. >> good morning, whit. >> reporter: asian markets finished mostly lower today on new signs of strain on the european banking system. hong kong's hang sang lost almost 1% while tokyo's nikkei ticked down a fraction. today, wall street gets the latest on home sales and a look at the weekly jobless claim numbers. on wednesday, stocks stumbled, snapping a five-day rally. the dow fell 140 points. the nasdaq was down 35. wednesday's losses pushed the s&p 500 into the red for the year after barely turning positive on friday. for all of 2011, the index largely viewed as the best barometer for the market, is down 0.6%.

the gold rush on wall street is long gone. gold fell almost 2% yesterday to it's lowest closing price since july. silver was also down. the precious metals value is dropping largely on signs of strength in the u.s. economy. one of those signs of strength, holiday sales. last-minute shoppers helped push retail sales up 4.5% the week before christmas. americans spent a record $35 billion online this holiday season and that is up 15% compared to last year. the next big shopping wave is expected to come when people start cashing in their gift cards. meanwhile, a new survey shows netflix and gap among the worst performers when it comes to customer satisfaction this season. the poll also had four marks for sony and toys "r" us. amazon gets the top spot with the biggest improvements coming from tigerdirect.com and j.c. penney's. coming soon to a mall near

you, vending machines with brains. the so-called smart vending machines using a optical sensor and computer processor to determine the person' gender and age. the technology was designed for market research but could be used to control who is permitted to buy a particular product. that, i'm not so sure about. >> a little creepy. >> very strange. >> drew levinson here in new york, thank you. it's a kind of time travel. the south pacific island nation of samoa is skipping friday. at midnight tonight, its calendar will change to saturday, december 31st. the reason? after nearly 120 years east of the international date line, samoa has decided it wants to be west of it to match up with trading partners like australia. american samoa to the east will stick with the current calendar. news," the latest on a drug to treat ovarian cancer. plus, why california is banning cough syrup sales to teenagers. but, first, jeff glor with a preview of tonight's "cbs evening news." staying healthy.

as you grow old. we will tell you about new research that shows it may be possible for seniors to keep their bodies very young. tonight on the "cbs evening news." tonight on the "cbs evening news." the next i'm saying... i have this thing called psoriatic arthritis. i had some intense pain. it progressively got worse. my rheumatologist told me about enbrel. i'm surprised how quickly my symptoms have been managed. [ male announcer ] because enbrel suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculis, lymphoma, other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. get back to the things that matter most. ask your rheumatologist

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when you sweeten with splenda®. ♪ two new studies suggest the cancer drug avastin does not improve survival for most women suffering from ovarian cancer. study say avastin keeps the disease from worsening for only a few months and then it causes unnecessary side effects. last month, the food and drug administration revoked its approval of avastin for treatment of breast cancer. colorado has become the third state to ask the federal drug enforcement administration to reclassify marijuana in a way that allows doctors to prescribe it as a medical treatment. last month, the governors of washington and rhode island also asked that the government list marijuana as a scheduled 2 drug like morphine. starting next year, california will become the first state in the nation to ban the sale of some over-the-counter cough syrup to most teenagers. bigad shaban explains.

>> reporter: the doctor's office isn't the first place jennifer berry turns to when she has a cold. the 16-year-old almost always relies on over-the-counter cough syrup, but starting january 1st, jennifer will no longer be able to buy a bottle on her own. california lawmakers are banning the sale of most cough medicine to anyone under 18, because teens are getting high on one of the ingredients. in large doses, dextromethorphan or dxm can cause hallucinations, even death. >> the number one drug of children under 18, more common than marijuana because it is so easily accessible. >> reporter: teens will be able to buy the cough syrup if they have a prescription. otherwise, pharmacists will have to check i.d.s for proof of age. an estimated 5.5% of ten graders got high on cough medicine this year. >> people using it for recreational purposes may be taking half a bottle to a full bottle and maybe even more that on a daily basis.

>> reporter: the makers of cough medicine support the change and are trying to raise awareness about dxm online. >> it seriously destroyed me, it really did. >> reporter: but this teen isn't convinced the law will prevent abuse. >> if they want to get it, they will. doesn't matter if there is a law against it or not. >> reporter: and she says it only makes it harder for people like her who want to take the right dose for the right reason. bigad shaban, cbs news, los angeles straight ahead, your thursday morning weather. and in sports, texas trickery. the longhorns pull a surprise play in the holiday bowl game. paperless discount. paid-in-full discount. [yawning] homeowner's discount. safe driver discount. chipmunk family reunion. someone stole the nuts. squirrel jail. justice! countless discounts.

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trublend...from covergirl. here's a look at the weather in somties 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 thick clouds in the northwest producing rain showers and snow showers and cloud yy or the great lakes bringing a light wintry mix. mostly clear in the northeast. the southern half of the country is calm with just a few clouds cutting over the southeast. the northwest will have rain and wind with snow in the northern rockies. the southwest will be mild with highs in the 60s and 70s. new england will be seasonally

cold with highs in the teens and 20s. in sports, the texas longhorns dip deep into the playbook at the holiday bowl. texas quarterback david ash handed off a double reverse and take a look at this. then look. then he catches it. a pass for a touchdown against california. later, ash connected on a 47-yard touchdown pass and the longhorns went on to a 21-10 victory to finish the season. in college basketball, number one ranked syracuse remains undefeated. the orange got a career high 12 points from fab mellow against seton hall. mellow also blocked ten shots. a new school record. syracuse crushed the pirates 75-49. in kentucky, the fourth ranked louisville cardinals were upset by number 12 georgetown, as starks had a career high 20 points. the hoyas held off louisville in the closing seconds for a 71-68 win. in the nba, the heat are

still perfect this season. in the fourth quarter, miami's lebron james went for a dunk. take a look at this. it goes through the rim but the ball hit gerald henderson's head and bounced out. the refs should have called it a score but didn't. in the closing seconds, dwyane wade hit a clutch bank shot over henderson. miami went on to beat charlotte 96-95. when we return, another look at this morning's top stories. and a milestone achieved for new york city's 9/11 memorial.

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on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather. another storm system is on its way into the great lakes bringing light snow and rain to michigan and pennsylvania. other storms are delivering rain and snow to the pacific northwest. here is another look at this morning's top stories.

michele bachmann's iowa campaign manager has jumped ship. bachmann says kent sorensen joined the ron paul campaign because he was offered, quote, a large sum of money. paul's campaign says that's not true. and federal prosecutors are said to be considering filing criminal charges in the gulf oil spill case. the "wall street journal" reports prosecutors are focusing on bp engineers based in the u.s. a milestone for the september 11th memorial here in new york. it will be announced today that the site has had 1 million visitors since it opened to the public this past september. about 10,000 people visit the ground zero site each day. no more than 1,500 people are allowed into the memorial grounds at one time. the library of congress has chosen more than two dozen new titles for the national film registry. the selection brings to 575, the number of classic movies to be preserved for their cultural, artistic, or historical

significance. manuel gallegus reports. >> my mom always said, life was like a box of chocolates. >> reporter: 1994's "forrest gump" is one of 25 films the library of congress chose this year to preserve for future generations. the newly honored classics span decades from 1912 silent melodrama "cry of labor" to walt disney's "bambi." >> it's a film that succeed with each generation. it captures a new age of viewers and is one of those films that endures from one generation to the next. >> reporter: some are based on true stories like "stand and deliver." part of a wave of movies that latino filmmakers made in the '80s. and "norma rae." a drama about unionization and the empowerment of women. it's actually the public that votes on which movies can be considered, but any new movies out now will have to wait.

they have to be at least ten years old. >> the current films, i don't think any of them would belong in that. >> the redemption is one i should say should be added to the registry. >> reporter: the library chooses movies that reflect american culture and history. from the controversial depiction of african-americans in this one, to the cold war hysteria of alien invaders in 1953 "war of the worlds." even one of the greatest villains of all time, hannibal lecter made the cut. "silence of the lambs." >> i haet eight him with fava beans and chianti. >> reporter: something for every taste. manuel gallegus, cbs news, new york. a dog in north dakota is back home safe and sound after a big scare in a rescue. the black lab named jake fell into the icy red river in fargo, tuesday. you can see his paws just barely holding on and holding on for dear life on the edge of the ice

with his front paws, but could not get out of the water. a firefighter who was wearing a small camera was able to pull jake out. he was wet and very cold but not seriously harmed. there he is. back home. a little warmer. i'm whit johnson. and this is the "cbs morning news." and it's all your fault. naturally blame the mucus. he's funny. instead of blaming me, try this, advil congestion relief. often the real problem is swelling, not mucus. advil congestion relief reduces swelling due to nasal inflammation. so i can breathe. happily ever after. another story? from him! [ mucus ] advil congestion relief. the right relief for the real problem. [ mucus ] advil congestion relief. you could get money that's both fast and free on an emerald card. just bring in your tax information... and get a refund anticipation check in 7-14 days, for up to $9,999. call 1-800-hrblock to make an appointment.

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good morning, everyone, i am jessica kartalija, in for don scott, the top headlines in just a minute but first over to marty. >> let's take a look at how this day is going to square away, it is thursday, folks, a mental get away to what is a long holiday weekend that everybody is going to commence tomorrow morning, whether it is on a calendar or not. beautiful weather today. sunshine in the area. we lost that wind yesterday. anywhere from the upper 20s to low 30s, 42 at lunch, going to a high of 44, 38 at dinnertime this evening. a little cloudy later. jess, take it away. >> marty, thank you. here is what we have got our eye on today. a man is honored for helping

turn the animal shelter into a no hill facility. montgomery county is set to implement a fee on bags. the department of public works want you to recycle. a continuing investigation into the death of phylicia barness, how much progress have police made. gas prices on the rise and set to spike higher, the reason for the jump. several popular florida theme parks, including three of the four disney world parks. more news, first warning weather and your first traffic report of the morning in just a few minutes. ,,,,,, when it comes to getting my family to eat breakfast,

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