call, or visit care.org. death of a dictator. breaking news overnight. north korea's long time leader kim jong-il dies. now who takes over and what does it mean for the region and washington? whiteout. millions in the plains and the southwest hunker down as a colossal prewinter storm takes aim. and going postal. why today is the worst day all year-round to be a mailman. captioning funded by cbs this is the "cbs morning news" for monday, december 19th, 2011. good morning, everyone, on this very busy monday. good to be with us. i'm terrell brown. for 17 years, king jom ill ruled north korea with an iron fist. this morning, his reign is over.

he has died at the age of 69. a weeping broadcaster for north korean state tv broke the news today saying their dear leader died of heart failure on sunday and asking the 24 million citizens to rally behind kim's song, heir apparent. big questions about regional stability and the future of north korea's nuclear program and the relationship with the u.s. we begin our coverage with tara mergener in washington this morning. >> reporter: the white house says it is watching developments in korea very closely at this point, and that is efforts to get north korea to abandon their nuclear ambitions may have to be delayed. north koreans openly went over the death of their long time leader kim jong-il. both men and women broke down after hearing he died of a heart attack while on a train on saturday. it's urging its people to rally

behind his third son and heir-apparent kim jong-un. >> he apparently studied abroad in switzerland in his early years so he has kind of a western education but we don't know what kind of leader he is going to be and what direction he is going to take the country. >> reporter: immediately following news of kim's death, japan set up a crisis deem while south korea put its military on high alert. president obama called south korea's president overnight. he reaffirmed the commitment to south korea security and the overall stability to the region. kim's death comes just days after u.s. and north korean officials discussed possibly reassume be food aid to the country. >> i think that deal will go forward. it will probably be slowed down somewhat. they are very unlikely is what i

would say to give up their nuclear program but they may freeze it for a while. >> reporter: before any decision is made, north korea will likely first bury its beloved leader. a funeral for kim is planned for december 28th. and the official mourning period will go on for ten days. no entertainment will be allowed and no foreign delegations will be allowed to express their condolences. >> tara mergener in washington this morning, thank you. joining us with more is cbs news correspondent celia hatton in beijing. what is the reaction from china? >> reporter: well, china is north korea's biggest ally, so officially the chinese government said that mr. kim was a true friend to china, it was very distressed to hear the news and called mr. kim a great leader. they aren't certain whether future leadership of north korea will embrace the ongoing relationship with china or whether they will decide to warm up relations with washington and

that is something washington doesn't want. >> kim juong-un the heir-apparent. >> nobody knows much about him and has the region in a panic. we know he is somewhere in his 20s. he was announced as the successor a year ago by passing his two older brothers but since then, we have hardly heard anything about him. he is rarely seen in public so we aren't sure what is happening with his succession and it really is a bit of a concern if he does become leader, he will be a very young person in charge of a country with a lot of problems, military armed country that really has serious economic issues. >> celia hatton in beijing, thank you. appreciate it. we will have much more on kim jong-il's death and what it means for the region and the world a little later this morning on "the early show.." meanwhile, tension is high in egypt after three days of renewed protests and violence.

demonstrators fought with army soldiers throwing stones. at least ten people died in three days of battle. the violence has overshadowed the ongoing election process in egypt and the crackdown won't rule the generals much support. this shows a woman being beaten by police and exposing her in public. that's a very big deal when modesty isn't just the norm, it's the law. one soldier tried to cover her up but the video was already gone viral on social networking sites. capping a drawdown that saw the u.s. go from 50,000 troops in iraq as late as august to zero. the warp cost the lives of 4,000 u.s. military and 100,000 iraqis. the top u.s. general in the country called the exit the most complex logistical operation since world war ii. he said he is optimistic the iraqis are ready to assume total

control. >> i'm very hopeful that things will continue to move in the right direction. it's going to take the iraqi government, the iraqi people to make the right decisions and work together. >> the big challenge now is getting many of the u.s. servicemen and women back stateside for the holidays. a massive blizzard is taking aim in parts of the southwest and central states. the storm is expected to strike the southwest and central and southern plains. blizzard conditions with heavy snow and strong winds are expected. colorado and kansas may be hardest hit. winter storm watches and blizzard watches are in effect from southeastern colorado to kansas. the oklahoma and texas panhandles and eastern new mexico. snowfall amounts may range as high as a foot and a half in some places. snow over the weekend hit parts of the midwest including indiana. the slippery conditions on the road caused some accidents and minor injuries. to washington now. so many americans depend on is unknown. we all thought they had a deal

after the senate battle it out and now lawmakers appear headed for another capital showdown. whit johnson has more. >> reporter: in a surprise move, house speaker john boehner rejected saturday's senate deal to extend the payroll tax holiday for two months. >> it's pretty clear that i and our members oppose the senate bill. it's only for two months. >> reporter: yesterday, boehner supported the measure, but following a series of calls with house republicans, he changed his mind. he now insists any deal should last for a year. >> i believe that two months is just kicking the can down the road. the american people are tired of that. frankly, i'm tired of it. >> reporter: bipartisan majority of the senate voted to stop the payroll texas from going up on 160 million americans and extend long-term benefits for the unemployed. >> we had a tutduty to be here united states senators. >> reporter: threatening the senate which is now on vacation will stay on vacation even if the house tries to change the

bill. if speaker boehner refuses to vote on the bipartisan compromise that passed the senate with 89 votes, republicans will be forcing a thousand dollar tax increase on middle class families. in the house, minority leader nancy pelosi wrote the only thing standing in the way of a middle class tax cut are tea party republicans. right now both sides are bigging this their heels. if the house won't pass the bill and the senate won't come back, most americans will see their taxes go up come january 1st. whit johnson, cbs news, washington. republican presidential candidate mitt romney got a boost heading into the important iowa caucuses with the endorsement "the des moines register." the paper said in its sunday edition, quote. newt gingrich reacted to the endorsement saying it's a liberal newspaper and he says he is the true conservative candidate in this race. take a quick break.

coming up on the morning news, wall street wonders what happened to the santa claus rally. a frantic search for a toddler who vanished in maine into thin air. this is the "cbs morning news." i'd race down that hill without a helmet. i took some steep risks in my teens. i'd never ride without one now. and since my doctor prescribed lipitor, i won't go without it for my high cholesterol and my risk of heart attack. why kid myself? diet and exercise weren't lowering my cholesterol enough. now i'm eating healthier, exercising more, taking lipitor. numbers don't lie. my cholesterol's stayed down. lipitor is fda approved to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients who have heart disease or risk factors for heart disease. it's backed by over 19 years of research. thanks for joining us.

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the board of trustees of florida a&m university meets today to discuss suspending the university's president. robert champion's death was ruled a homicide. in waterville, maine, the search continues for missing 20-month-old toddler. ala reynolds was last seen asleep at her father's house. her parents who don't live together is said to be cooperating with police. ashley morrison is here in new york with that and more. good morning. >> good morning, terrell. >> reporter: asian markets fell on the news of kim jong-il's

death. both tokyo's nikkei and hong ko kong's hang sang lost more than a%. any uncertain in the region is bad for stocks. markets are still on edge about european debt. those worries weighed heavily on stocks last week. for the week, the dow is down more than 2.5%, while the nasdaq lost 3.5%. don't look to your mutual fund for any holiday cheer. the average diversified fund is down almost 6% this year. that compares to 1.5% its yearly loss for the s&p 500 and that has investors looking for the exits through october, they pulled out almost $85 billion from stock funds this year. last year, that number was 37 billion. today is expected to be the busiest shipping day for the u.s. postal service. the usps says today is your last chance to get your package sent on time for holidays.

if you don't make it, you should upgrade on the shipping. 801 million cards and letters are expect to be processed. nearly double the average volume between thanksgiving and new year's, they will deliver 16.5 billion letters, packages, and cards. and at the movies, it was elementary, my dear, terrell. the new sherlock holmes film "a game of shadows" won the box office. "alvin and the chipmunks was in second. 12% fewer people went to any movie this weekend than they did last year. overall box office revenues are down 4% for the year. terrell, who has time to go to a movie with all this last-minute shopping? i still have to get your present! >> i haven't gotten yours yet, so no rush. don't worry. ashley morrison in new york, appreciate it. thank you. straight ahead, your monday morning weather. and in sports,

all of the great win streaks must come to an end. green bay no exception. the packers, perfect no more. i take an omega for my heart.

but to be honest, i find the omega choices overwhelming. which one is right for me? then i found new pronutrients omega-3. it's from centrum, a name i trust. it goes beyond my heart to support my brain and eyes too. and these ultra-concentrated minigels are much smaller than many others. it's part of a whole new line of supplements. there's probiotic and fruit & veggie too. new pronutrients from centrum helps make nutrition possible. 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 clouds moving to the

southern plains, where a storm system is taking shape. the southeast and northeast have clear skies. fair weather clouds are moving across the northern plains. a low lying coastal fog in the northwest. later today, a chance for severe thunderstorms in eastern texas and heavy snow in western kansas which will come from one storm system crossing the southern plains. the southeast will be sunny and mild. the northeast will be cool. showers are expected near the great lakes. the west coast will be nice, except for fog along the northwest coast. in sports this morning, denied for the green bay packers. at perfection, it is. facing the chiefs in kansas city, kc interim coach romeo crennel, his backup quarterback kyle orton to start and he goes big. chiefs get a crucial onside kick in the fourth quarter. kc coach gets a gatorade bath for the shocking win. there will be no perfect season for green bay. chiefs beat the packers 19-14.

to indianapolis and the colts/titans game. quarterback dan orlovsky throws for a touchdown. donald brown 80-yard td. colts get their first win of the season. 27-13 over tennessee. after the game, colts announced injured quarterback peyton manning will not return this season. manning hasn't played since having neck surgery back in september. no miracle comeback for tim tebow and the broncos. denver scored on their first possession, including this tackle-breaking td run for tebow. but it was all pats after that. new england qb tom brady tossed for a pair of scores and ran for another. the play boy outduels the preacher and patriots blow out denver. chargers quarterback philip rivers hit the 4,000-yard mark for the fourth straight season. running back ryan mathews got to

thousand yard rushing milestone and scored twice. chargers crush baltimore 34-14. when we return, another look at this morning's top stories. and what a deal! retailers pull out all of the stops as the christmas shopping season comes into the home stretch. this was the gulf's best tourism season in years. all because so many people came to louisiana... they came to see us in florida... make that alabama... make that mississippi. the best part of the gulf is wherever you choose... and now is a great time to discover it. this year millions of people did.

we set all kinds of records. next year we're out to do even better. so come on down to louisiana... we're fighting to make every section a smoke-free section. for a day when even vehicles quit smoking. we're fighting for clear skies over every city

and healthy lungs throughout the country. the american lung association isn't just fighting for air. we're fighting for all the things that make it worth breathing. join us in the fight at fightingforair.org. on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather. activity over the southern plains will pick up through the day as a storm system goes to the south. snowfall ranges 3 to 12 inches. here is another look at this morning's top stories. kim jong-il, the dictator of communist north korea, has died of heart failure. he was 69 years old. kim's death has sparked worldwide concerns over what is next for north korea, its nuclear ambitions and its relationship with washington. and a major preseason blizzard is heading for the southwest and some plain states.

more than a foot of snow is expected in some places. it is now less than a week before christmas and retailers are counting on you to do your part. this year, holiday shopping sales are expected to total 469 billion dollars, up almost 4% over last year. more than 46 million people say they are already done with their christmas shopping. even so, stores are banking on banner shopping season. here's our correspondent manuel gallegus. >> reporter: retailers are scrambling to rope in the last minute crowd. >> i am way behind on shopping. i haven't shopped for anybody. >> reporter: stores are mobbed with traffic and spending expected to peak. >> around 40% of holiday season sales takes place between december 15th and the 25th. >> reporter: retail analyst dana tellsy says stores are slashing prices all week making consumers feel better about spending money. >> feeling great. >> a lot of the discounted items are baked into the retailers

plan. the consumers are trained wait for the deal and then they will spend. retailers are learning to balance that and manage that. >> reporter: the strategy is paying off. this week, the national retail federation upped its holiday sales forecast from 2.8% to 3.8% over last year. predicting record sales of nearly 470 billion dollars for the season. analysts say the reason for the jump, great black friday sales. and also decent shopping weather across the country. look for retailers to discount last minute gifts like handbags and sweaters. >> it is a game but if you learn how to play it, why buy something full price when you can get it 20% off if you just wait? >> it's fun shopping last anyone. >> reporter: it is fun? >> yeah. >> reporter: fun and good for the economy. manuel gallegus, cbs news, new york. this morning, on "the early show," it's that time again. year-end tax tips. i'm terrell brown. and this is the "cbs morning news."

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good morning and welcome to 9news now. today is monday, d ecember 19th.

i'm mike hydeck. howard has your weather first. let's get you going here this monday morning. >> we have got a cold frosty start. another scraper alert people. you park outside, especially in the bur bes, -- in the a few more clouds today. right now 32 degrees in washington. clear skies this morning over us. you see clouds, pulling in, over minneapolis and st. louis but nothing to write home about, our wettest day this week will be wednesday. here's a look at some of the temperatures down in the lower temperatures. 21 this morning, 31 in hagerstown. 24 in la plate ta and andrews air force base. our high temperatures today

will be running generally into the low 50s with 52 in leesburg. good morning monika. >> reporter: good morning howard. rise and shine. no problems to report early on this monday morning. they had construction overnight on the beltway and on 270. we'll go to 270. a few minutes ago crews were clearing up that construction. let's take a live look at the beltway and college park. you are fine both loops of the beltway between college park and silver spring and bethese d.a. a last live look at 66 coming in from japaneseville all the way into fairfax, no -- gainsville all the way into fairfax. no problems. the house is expected to vote today on a senate approved

measure to extend tax cuts and job benefits. house speaker john boehner wants a new bill that offers a year long extension. >> we passed a one year extension of the payroll tax credit, unemployment insurance with reforms. making sure those doctors who treat medicare patients are not going to see their reimbursements cut. we had a reasonable, responsible bill that will be sent over to the senate. boehner agrees with the president but he size it must be an agreement which works for both sides of congress. a funeral for long time

north korean leader kim jong il is in the works. he died on a train saturday at the age of 69. people in north korea openly wept over the death of their long time leader, kim jong il. both women and men broke down after hearing he died from a heart attack while on a train saturday. as the communist country mourns kim's sudden death it is urging the people to get behind the son. >> he apparently stud aid broad in switzerland, so he has a kind of western education. but we don't know what kind of leader he is going to be or what direction he will take the country. >> reporter: immediately following news of kim's death japan set