things that make it worth breathing. join us in the fight at fightingforair.org. hole kay standoff. will you get a tax hike for new year's? fatigue fact factor. nearly three years after a deadly commuter airline crash. special delivery. you definitely don't want this to be your fedex guy. this is the "cbs morning news" for wednesday, december 21st, 2011. good morning. thanks for joining us. i'm drew levinson. in washington this morning, the same old story but the stakes are higher than ever. most american families will see

higher taxes come the new year. president obama was quick to blame house republicans and demand action. but most lawmakers have already left town for the holiday. tara mergener is in washington. she's here with the latest. >> reporter: so far, there is no indication they are coming back either. neither side at this point seems willing to -- and congress is running out of options to keep this tax hike from kicking in. president obama is calling out house republicans. >> we have more important things to worry about than saving face. we have people who are counting on us to make their lives a little bit easier. >> reporter: he wants them to reconsider -- the gop rejected the senate measure tuesday following heated debate. >> this new year's gift we are going to give to the american people? that their taxes are going to be raised? >> give the american people a year! not two months! >> reporter: republican leaders now want president obama to call the senate back to washington to

work out a one-year extension. >> i need the president to help out! all right? [ laughter ] >> reporter: but senate democratic leaders are digging in their heels refusing to return until house members pass the two had been month measure. >> the clock is ticking. time is running out. >> reporter: congress has just ten days to reach a deal or 150 million workers will see about $20 less in their paychecks every week and 2 million others could lose their unemployment benefits. >> let me inform my republican colleagues this is real life with real people and real consequences. >> reporter: consequences many economists predict could take a devastating toll on an already fragile economic recovery. one business group says no tax cut could jeopardize the creation of 168,000 new jobs next year. drew, this is a tough one. >> it certainly is. tara mergener in washington, thank you. today, the faa is expected to issue new rules aimed at

reducing fatigue among airline pilots. under the draft proposal released a year ago, pilots would be required to have nine hours off between shifts. that's one more than now. pilots who work at night would fly less but pilots who fly during the day could end up flying more. the new rules were prompted by the 2009 crash of a regional airliner near buffalo new york that killed 50 people opinion an investigation found both pilots were probably suffering from fatigue. now to politic and the republican race for the presidential nomination. in the latest cbs news poll, republican voters were asked which gop candidate is best prepared for the presidency? 45% picked newt gingrich. more than twice the number choosing mitt romney. but when they were asked which candidate has the best chance of beating president obama, romney beat gingrich 37-31. meanwhile, gingrich is accusing romney of a running a smear campaign against him p.m. the former house speaker is most upset about ads being run by a political action committee with

close ties to romney. dean reynolds has more on that. >> if you've seen one of these candidates running negative ads, ask them to stop it! just look them in the eye and say, it's unworthy of iowa and it's unworthy of america! >> reporter: the iowa air waves are full of attacks. the vast majority on the former speaker whose past positions and statements are being used against him in ways he calls reprehensible. >> he is demonstrating himself to be the essence of the washington insiders. >> reporter: it's the most pointed and personal come from super pacts. >> the only speaker in history to be reprimanded. >> reporter: republican action committee can spend money without working for any candidate. ron paul and rick perry are attacking gingrich in their ads but gingrich appeared to be more upset with mitt romney are

spending nearly a million dollars. clearly exasperated gingrich fired back. >> i don't object to being outspent. i object to lies. >> reporter: he said those behind the attacks are disgraceful and insulting and he suggested romney is too. >> we have to understand these are his people running his ads and doing his dirty work while he pretends to be above it. >> reporter: do they work? >> in the short run they work, sure. unanswered negative ads work in the short run. >> reporter: unfortunately for gingrich, with two weeks to go before the caucuses, the short run is the only run there is. dean reynolds, cbs news in iowa. the deadly blizzard that caused so much trouble in the southern plains is gone this morning, but work crews are still struggling to clear roads of heavy snow. the storm system has weakened as it moves east and today is primarily a rainmaker for the

gulf coast. drifts up to ten feet deep closed roads in parts of colorado, texas, new mexico. awe in report this morning of a cyberattack of u.s. business interests from china. "the wall street journal" reports they attacked security systems of the u.s. chamber of commerce. communications 50 chamber members were compromised. it's possible the hackers had access to the network for more than a year. the journal says the security breach was discovered and shut down in may of 2010. the crisis in north korea may have forced a shift to collective leadership following the death of dictator kim jong-il. a memorial service for kim was held yesterday. his son kim jong-un was the chief mourner but reuters quotes

a source that kim jong-un will share power with the military and his uncle. an an arctic adventure. the british author and travel writer hopes to become the first person ever to ski solo across the icy continent. so far, she has covered 500 miles and will stay at the u.s. base at the pole for a much-needed few days of rest. just ahead on the "morning news," new allegations of child sexual abuse against a well-known sports figure. can the market hang on to the game? this is the "cbs morning news." hi. you know, i can save you 15% today

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call 1-800-lifelock today. lifelock. relentlessly protecting your identity. an investigation is under way in new jersey into the deadly plane crash. a small plane went down on a major highway yesterday. all five people on board were killed, including two children. investigators suspect icy conditions may have caused the plane to spin out of control.

in philadelphia, baseball hall of fame sports writer bill conless in has been accused of sexually molesting four kids 40 years ago. one of the alleged victims is his niece. authorities say no charges will be brought against the 77-year-old baseball writer because so much time has passed. conlin says he will fight those allegations. on the cbs "moneywatch," will santa claus get to keep its rally? >> reporter: the rally continued today in asia. markets across the region were all sharply higher on good news about europe's death. both tokyo's nikkei and honk song hang sang were up close to 2%. today, wall street gets the november home sales report. on tuesday, indices up 3% or more. the dow gained 337 points while

the nasdaq added 80. after the closing bell a couple of high profile earnings reports. nike punish oracle missed the mark and could be a bad sign. their stock dropped 10% in after hours trading. look ahead, 2012 is shaping up as a good year for stocks. a survey of economists by "usa today" shows most expected double digit gains next year with the average projecting a 10.5% increase. among the reasons why? historical trends, better news from europe, and -- recession fears here at home. u.s. builders broke ground on more homes last month than any time the past year and a half. construction in november was up more than 9% over october and more than 24% over the previous year. permits for future work also jumped to a one-year high. online retailers are counting on your many happy

returns. due to customer demand, many are offering free return shipping if you're not happy with your gift. saks fifth avenue and nordstrom offer this with many more coming in 2012. if you see this man coming to your door, watch out. what makes it even worse is that the recipient was actually home at the time and the package contained a fragile computer monitor. the clip has gone viral on the internet and many want fedex to do something about it. >> i don't think it's a package you need to rattle any more. i think it's broken. >> i think so too. and how would you like a free car? you probably would, but here is a "bear" of a catch. a car dealer in central illinois is offering a free vehicle if

and a big if, the chicago bears not only beat the green bay packers on christmas day, but shut them out. >> i've been told i'm full of it. there's no chance. and i had a green bay fan that said there is absolutely zero chance. >> in case you are wondering, the bears did shut out green bay back in 2006, but the packers have never been shut out with their current quarterback aaron rodgers. straight ahead, your wednesday morning weather. and in sports, it is tip-off time in nba preseason action and a big payday for the league mvp. for my high cholesterol ithout 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.

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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 the eastern third of the nation under a thick blanket of clouds. a new storm system is taking shape in the northern rockies. later today, strong thunderstorms are likely along the gulf coast. look for rain across much of the eastern third of the country and a lot of sun in the southern plains. in sports, the chicago bulls hope they finally got that championship mix. in a preseason game against the indiana pacers, reigning mvp derek rose scored four points and richard hamilton popped in 13 in his debut as a bull.

chicago over indiana 93-85. the bulls are betting derek rose will be a big part of the championship season. it is reported before last night's game he signed a contract extension worth about $ $94 million. the extension will start in 2012. pistons up by a point. at the buzzer, the cavaliers took a shot for the win but it bounces off the rim. pistons won the game 90-89. the nfl is not taking any more chances with concussions. beginning this week, the league requires teams to put a trainer in the press box to help monitor head injuries. colt mccoy took it to the head earlier this month. the browns never tested mccoy for a concussion and he was sent back in the game and he has been sidelined ever since. it looks like tim tebow will be staying with the denver

broncos. hall of famer john elway who is the broncos chief of football operations once said he would trade the unorthodoxed quarterback but tebow winning ways certainly have changed his mind. when we return, another look at this morning's top stories. and home for the holidays. american troops make it back from iraq in time for christmas. sears last minute gift sale is on now. use you 15% off savings pass for amazing deals like up to 65% off sweaters, coats and pajamas for the whole family. and 35% off fragrance gifts sets for him and her. shop sears now for great deals for everyone on your list. sears.

on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather. the snowstorm that battered the southern plains yesterday has turned to rain as it moves east. the behind it, temperatures are turning warmer with highs expected to reach the 50s and the 60s. here is another look at this morning's top stories. senate leaders say there will be no negotiations on the long-term extension of the payroll tax unless the house approves a national passed two-month

extension but the house republicans reject that yesterday and unless a deal is reached, taxes will go up on january 1st. today, the faa is scheduled to release new rules aimed at ending pilot fatigue and required to face increased time off. the defense department says the national guard border force will be cut from 1,200 to fewer than 300 starting on january 1st. president obama is expected to sign a bill to speed the movement of u.s. service members tlur airport security. the house passed the measure yesterday and september it to it gives homeland security six months for a screening process for american military troops travel by air. the last of the u.s. troops to leave iraq are finally back in the states or soon they will be. one of the last soldiers to depart was captain mitchell moore and his family who is happy he is home for the holidays. jody brooks in denver reports.

>> reporter: everyone has a wish this holiday season. and this christmas, the marzo family wants exactly the same thing as little zoe writes, dear santa, please bring home my dad and with just days to go, their gift arrived. >> hi! oh! >> reporter: after serving five months in iraq, army physician captain mitchell marzo is home hugging his wife and holding his two girls zoe and lucy. this is christmas. >> yes. very good to be back. black and blue a lot of traveling. >> reporter: but what this army captain doesn't know. ♪ >> reporter: his extended family is here too to greet him at the airport's main terminal. captain marzo was expected to return from iraq in march 2012, but the end of the war meant an early return home. as much as this hero's welcome

is about him, he thinks of the other servicemen and women. >> i think the important thing for everybody to remember is that there's still a whole bunch of people in afghanistan who are risking their lives every day. >> reporter: this christmas, it's a special delivery. >> over the past four months, we probably watched 80,000 people leave iraq and it's been great. >> reporter: it's a present that doesn't need fancy wrapping or a box with a bow. this gift is simple. it's daddy. santa did it again. >> that was kcnc's jody brooks reporting. travelers at los angeles international got a treat. tsa agents instead of patting down passengers are singing to them. ♪ >> yes, that's a tsa choir siging "what a wonderful world for passengers." they also sang some christmas classics and belted "an r. kelly tune that has a special meaning for them "i believe i can fly."

this morning, on "the early show," tips for holiday travelers on handling airport security. i'm drew levinson. and this is the "cbs morning news." [ male announcer ] what can you do with plain white rice? when you pour chunky beef with country vegetables soup over it... you can do dinner. four minutes, around four bucks. campbell's chunky. it's amazing what soup can do.

good morning and welcome to 9news now. today is wednesday, december 21st. >> oh, wow. >> last full day of fall! good morning. i'm andrea roane. it feels -- >> i'm mike hydeck. >> it still feels pretty warm. here's monika samtani.

traffic time momentarily. mr. bernstein, how are you my friend? >> i'm all right. no snow in the forecast. >> 50 degrees. >> no, no, no. even try to plan skiing, they're struggling up in the mountains. we're going to need the rain gear. we've got showers moving in this morning. at times today, coming down moderately. periods of rain and very mild and breezy. upper 50s by noon. highs, 60s. yesterday, what a bust on my forecast. thought it would be near 50. we got near 57. >> that's one way to bust it. >> that's a good bust right there. 49 this washington. sunrise at 7:23. showers stayed up in pennsylvania yesterday. this morning, we're seeing some showers trying to get into the shenandoah valley but the bulk of the rain still west and southwest of us as far as our live doppler 9000 hd, couple of sprinkles in and around fort royal scattered about into wardensville. everything moving off toward the east maybe toward loudoun county west of aldie, you might

run into a sprinkle there. temps are on the mild side. it is 39 in hagerstown but it is 54 in fredericksburg and culpepper. 49 here in washington and 50 in easton. highs today, upper 50s north to low 60s south. is this december 21st, monika? freezing. >> totally doesn't look like it. >> we planned skiing as well with the kids. >> that's not happening any time soon. if you're heading out on the roads, on the beltway, really looking good. we'll zoom into the south side of town. take a live look at the beltway at pennsylvania avenue on the inner loop at route 4, the outer loop at route five, watch out for overnight construction. also northbound on forestville road, right at the beltway, there is construction, a bridge rehab project. be aware of that as well. let's take you over to virginia on the inbound side of i-66 at the beltway, there is construction inside of leesburg pike. no problems as you head toward the roosevelt bridge. last live look at the beltway

northside of town, university boulevard, everything is has been moved to the shoulder from overnight. coming up, another look around the area at 4:39. andrea and mike? >> thank you, monika. 160 million americans could see their paychecks shrink into the new year. house republicans rejected a senate measure which would have extended unemployment benefits for two months. >> g.o.p. voted instead to request negotiations with the senate for a year-long extension. but as tara mergener tells us, the senate has already gone home for the holidays. >> reporter: president obama is calling out house republicans. >> we have more important things to worry about than saving face. we have people counting on us to make their lives a little bit easier. >> he wants them to reconsider a two-month extension of payroll tax cuts and unemployment benefits. the g.o.p. rejected the measure following heated debate. >> is this the new year's gift we're going to give to the american people that their

taxes are going to be raised? >> give the american people a year. not two months. >> republican leaders now want president obama to call the senate back to washington to work out a one-year extension. >> i need the for the help out. -- i need the president to help out. >> senate democratic leaders are digging in their heels, refusing to return until house members pass the two-month measure. >> the clock is ticking. time is running out. >> congress has just ten days to reach a deal or 160 million workers will see about $20 less this their paychecks every week. two million others could lose their unemployment benefits. >> let me inform my republican colleagues this is real life with real people and real consequences. >> consequences many economists could predict could take a devastating toll on a fragile economic recovery. tara mergener for cbs news, washington. >> $1,000 payroll tax cut is not extended, the average american would