child to read today. a belate christmas gift to basketball fans everywhere. this is the "cbs news morning news" for monday, december 26th, 2011. this morning the white house of nigeria and islamic sect is claiming responsibility. at least 39 people have died in bombings and attacks on a

plaurs. >> good morning. to experts the of these christmas day bombings suggest that those responsible may have been trained outside of nigeria. charred and smoldering vehicles outside of a church in nigeria where a bomb exploded on christmas day. a radical muslim sect claimed responsibility for a series of coordinated attacks on the country. terrorists bombed three churches and a government security building but this attack almost three dozen killed and almost 50 injured. >> you can see so many families gone. gone. >> reporter: nigeria authorities carried some of the dead away in body bags. officials in the country now had difficulty at first getting help

to the victims. the white house issued a statement calling the attacks senseless and tragic and says u.s. officials have contacted nigerian -- the extremists claimed responsibility for the bombing. they wanted law implemented across the country. local christian residents expressed their outrage. the death toll could have been even higher. authorities claim at least one man who they say was armed with a bomb that never went off. the group is still developing and it's strategies are evolving but it is name roughly translated offers a hint at its goals and that may mean western education. terrell? >> pope benedict issued a call for peace in the wake of the attacks in nigeria. in his message he called for an end to violence in syria.

in west bank town of bethlehem hundreds attended christmas mass. the holy city saw an increase in visitors this year. an estimate 00 thousahundreed 1 six people were killed. the bomber struck during this morning's rush hour. over 30 others were wounded. the attack followed a wave of explosions last week that killed over 70. the group that calls itself anonymous claim they stole the personal information from stratfor, a texas-based firm. clients include apple, the miami police department and u.s. air force. the department of defense told cbs news there had been, quote,

no impact on pentagon networks. a christmas tragedy in texas. police say it was murder and suicide and happened after they finished opening presents. our station in dallas-ft. reports. >> reporter: the merriment of the holiday was overshadowed by a horrific crime scene. seven people were found shot to death inside this apartment unit. investigators say the victims include four women and three men and range in age from 18 to early 60s. police believe they are related but can't elaborate. investigators say it appeared the family had just celebrated the holiday, unwrapped packages were found. as were two handguns. it's still unclear what led to the deadly shooting but police do believe the gunman is dead. about nine hours later,

investigators turned their attention to the vehicles parked outside the crime scene. >> they believe the vehicles are related to the victims inside the apartment so search on the vehicles to discover more details and give us some nor information, what we think may have led to this. >> reporter: a christmas tragedy that has left investigators and residents here wondering what could lead anyone to commit such a heinous crime on such a special holiday. >> it makes it a lot harder just knowing that, you know, they are having to go through that on special day. christmas should be about celebration of families and not having to deal with a tragedy like this. >> in grapevine, cbs news. a deadly fire ripped through the house of an advertising executive in connecticut on christmas morning. five executives were killed.

to campaign 2012 now. with the first caucuses and primary due in early january, most of the republican presidential candidates are back on the campaign trail tomorrow. all of them took christmas off. whit johnson reports. >> mitt romney got a christmas gift from new hampshire. a new state poll has him leading by 22 points over rival newt gingrich and ron paul. the poll also shows him favored by 32% of the state's independent voters. although he trails newt gingrich nationally and in iowa, romney has historically polled better with independents. a recent study in "usa today" shows 24 billion registered independents and a fall from earlier this year say their numbers have increased over 8% from the last decade to 37% of american voters. the most of any time on record. democrats and republicans still have them beat with more than 70 million registered members combined but their numbers have been slipping.

it's not just republicans that need to appeal to voters outside their party. president obama 2008 victory was due largely to a surge of independents knows he has to do more to win back their support. jim kessler is a senior vice president of third way, an independent i think tank. >> they will be decided. they will pick the next president. they are very fickle voters. you don't know what they are going to do. >> reporter: as americans grow more disgusted with dysfunction in washington and turned off by bitter party politics, candidates may want to start thinking purple instead of red or blue. whit johnson, cbs news, washington. president obama spent part of his christmas with a young admirer as he visited u.s. marines and their families in hawaii. mr. obama was posing for photographs when an 8-month-old baby put its hand in the president's mouth. way to capitalize, kiddo. the president joked that the president liked his big nose and that is why he reached for his face.

earlier the first family opened their christmas gifts at their vacation house in honolulu. coming up on the morning news a big christmas tree for bargain hunters. a christmas sighting? could that blaze be santa and his reindeer? but first, scott pelley with a preview of tonight's "cbs evening news." it was a strong start to the holiday shopping season but how did it finish? we will tell you if stores turned a big enough profit to boost the economic recovery tonight on the "cbs evening news." ...9.99 sweaters for her. 70% off sleepwear for him. just 3.99 for bath towels. and buy two bras and get two free. plus with jcpcash... ...get $10 off when you spend just 25. storewide. no exclusions. unlike other stores, we don't make you come back to save! go to jcp.com to see everything on sale. we make style affordable. you make it yours.

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a mysterious streak of light lid up the night over new jersey on christmas see. some thought it was santa and his sleigh. officials say it was probably a

meteorite. on news of the improved u.s. housing market and the deal to extend the u.s. payroll tax. today is expected to be one of the busiest shopping days of the year. consumers will flock to store looking for the big post christmas discounts. it's already been a great holiday season. national federation says sales up over 7% over the year. alexis christoforous has more in this this morning's cbs "moneywatch." >> reporter: retailers are expecting another wave of big crowds as the holiday return season gets under way. this year, more stores are being flexible and extending the number of days customers have to return an item. many retailers including best buy and apple have done away with restocking fees and stores including walmart and target allow returns without a receipt for most products. retailers estimate holiday

returns will be up 4% from last year. on wall street, stocks gained last week on hopeful signs about the u.s. economy and job markets. on friday, the dow climbed 124 points, the nasdaq added 19. the economy is still worry number one for most americans. 57% of people polled say the economy is the most important issue facing the country now. 51% say unemployment is the country's biggest economic problem. there are signs the job market is slowly but steadily improving. the number of americans applying for unemployment benefits at a three afternear low and the jobless rate fell in 43 states last month. most economists predict the unemployment rate about hover through next year. that is your "moneywatch." to the movies we go. tom cruise forth mission movie tops the weekend box office. "mission impossible" took in

26.5 million in ticket sales. sherlock holmes "game of shadows" was second and "alvin and the chipmunks" were third. straight ahead, your monday morning weather. and in sports, the knicks and the celtics kick off the nba season. [ male announcer ] cranberry juice? wake up! ♪ that's good morning, veggie style. hmmm

[ male announcer ] for half the calories -- plus veggie nutrition. could've had a v8. plus veggie nutrition. hershey's air delight. experience light and airy, melty bubbles. made from pure, delicious hershey's milk chocolate. hershey's air delight. [ femala $100 cream. we were flattered when regenerist beat flabbergasted when we creamed a $500 cream. for about $30 regenerist micro-sculpting cream hydrates better than over 20 of america's most expensive luxury creams. fantastic. phenomenal. regenerist. metamucil uses super hard working psyllium fiber, which gels to remove unsexy waste and reduce cholesterol. taking psyllium fiber won't make you a model but you should feel a little more super. metamucil. down with cholesterol. 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 scattered around the northeast. while much of the mid-atlantic and ohi valley looks at clear skies. however, it's cloudy across the southwest and northwest. later today, a few scattered showers. much of the mid-atlantic and ohio valley will enjoy calm winds and plenty of sunshine. in sports this morning, a christmas gift for nba fans. knicks and the celtics. to the highlights. just over a minute and a half left. carmelo anthony splits two defenders to put the knicks up by two. boston's kevin garnett takes the shot for the tie and misses. knicks survive the celtics by

two. 106-104. a dramatic finish in l.a. derek rose with a one-handed floater givers the bulls the lead with less than five on the clock. kobe bryant would come up here with a big drive. and it would be this shot possibly for the win and blocked, not happening. chicago holds on to beat the lakers 88-87. championship rematch in dallas as the mavs go up against the heat. only this time, miami takes the home opener from the reigning champs. lebron ends up with 37 points. the heat scorch the mavs 105-94. in football, the bears put up a fight against the packers but once again aaron rodgers having a great game. in the third he launches a bomb to wide open jordy nelson. look at that. beautiful! rodgers had five touchdown passes in the game. the packers slammed the bears

35-21 and they nail down the number one seed in the nfc. take a quick break. when we return, another look at this morning's top stories. spending christmas with u.s. troops in a remote area in afghanistan. it feels totally different from a regular toothpaste. new pronamel iso-active is a toothpaste in a can. the gel transforms into a foam and surrounds your teeth. pronamel iso-active helps protect against the effects of acid erosion. no exclusions. with jcp cash get $10 off when you spend just 25. storewide. unlike other stores, we don't make you come back to save! get $10 off with... ...no exclusions. we make style affordable. you make it yours. jcpenney.

on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather. new storm system will bring scattered showers to the showers while the mid atlantic remains dry. much of the west coast will stay dry, except for a few showers developing around the northwest. here is another look at this morning's top stories. the u.s. is calling a series of deadly bonks in nigeria senseless. at least 39 people were killed in the attacks on churches yesterday. most were killed on the steps of a catholic church. a rad ral muslim sect has claimed responsibility. president obama is monitoring the events while he vacations in hawaii.

he issued a plea for world peace an end to the bloodshed. the pope also called for an end to the violence in syria, with thousands of anti-government protesters have died this year. help has finally arrived for the crew of a stranded russian strip floundering off the coast of antarctica. an ice breaker reached the ship today and repairs will be made and hopefully it will be towed to safer waters. more than 91,000 troops in afghanistan celebrated christmas on the front lines. there is no holiday for enemy fire. melissa ward reports. >> reporter: at 7,000 feet, this outpost, o.p. mustang is one of the most remote and one of the most breath-taking in all of afghanistan. it's been the scene of some pretty heavy fighting over the last six months. the 19 soldiers here took a little time-out to enjoy christmas on top of the world. christmas morning, the men here

man their post as usual. far from home and nine months into a grueling employment on the pakistan border, the season's spirit has been slow to set in here. but there were a few noticeable changes. >> it may look nice, but he's not. >> reporter: a helicopter flew in from an nearby base bearing gifts and mail from home. >> that's nice. >> yes! >> reporter: corporal billy jennings worked as a pastry chef before enlisting so the men are very good hands. the food seemed to hit the spot. after a few moments, the men were able to relax, even their afghan guards were getting into the spirit, but the meal was cut short and neighboring checkpoint came under attack. the soldiers rushed off to fire mortars at suspected enly locations. the war doesn't stop for holidays up here, but it does serve as a reminder of what is important in life, which is why

no one here lets down his guard, not even on christmas. it's already back to business for these soldiers, but the good news is that in march, they will be heading home to schofield barracks in hawaii so just a few more months to go. melissa ward, cbs news, afghanistan. by the way, this is the first day of kwanzaa. kwanzaa ceremonies including light a candle holder with seven candles and there is music, drumming and dancing and a feast, and a feast. and plenty of gift giving. on a beach in india, a santa made of sand. it's huge, too, by the way. good gracious! maybe even a world record. did kriss kringle like this? 35 feet high and using 800 tons of stand and 16 sculptures worked for three days to make the work. the artist said he did it to send a message of world peace.

this morning, on "the early show," advice on how to make the christmas gift returns hassle-free. good stuff. i'm terrell brown. and this is the "cbs morning news." ♪ [ female announcer ] introducing kleenex cool touch tissues. the only tissue that actively releases a cool sensation to soothe a sore nose on contact. kleenex cool touch tissues. a cool new way to soothe. i love it. not wash. power wash. ok. whoa. [ female announcer ] life comes with headaches. excedrin extra strength gets rid of them fast. in fact, for some, relief starts in just 15 minutes. excedrin. for life's headaches.

good morning and welcome to 9news now. i'm mike hydeck. andrea roane is off today. mr. howard bernstein is off today. we'll start with olga. how was your holiday? >> pretty good.

yours? >> feeling the chill this morning? >> feeling the food and all of the food i ate. >> there is a little tiny bit of flock on the grasses and the drier areas. this morning, you might need time warming up the car if you're hitting the road early on this morning. mainly clear skies. few passing clouds at the moment. mainly our winds out of the south. so things are looking chilly for right now. satellite and radar, it hasn't been too active over the last 24 hours. few morning clouds will stick with us until the 9:00 hour. in the afternoon, plenty of sunshine. temperatures not warming up too much because of the winds coming out of the north and northwest today. mainly sunny skies for 9:00. most clouds will move on out. we'll still be in the lower 40s. we'll ease into middle 40s by noontime. late in the day, mainly about 4:00, 5:00, we should see temperatures top out in the upper 40s to near 50 degrees.

by 5:00, we're still looking chilly. with temperatures sliding into the 30s, even 20s overnight tonight. monika? >> if you are working on this holiday monday, all roads look great. clear and no construction to worry about around town. here's what it looks like on the beltway. let's zoom into 270 first. live look at clarksburg at route 21. no problems. nice and light. few people out coming down from frederick down past 121 and the point where the lanes divide. this time over to the bw parkway and route 50 through cheverly and outside the beltway from baltimore on the parkway and 95, everything looks fine. we'll go to the south side of town in virginia on the northbound side of i-95. inbound 66 all good. beltway good through annandale. 395 near seminary road, no one is there heading to the 14th

street bridge. coming up, another look around the area at 4:39. back to you, mike. >> the search continues for 27- year-old jam a.m. clemens wanted in collection with a double murder in richmond, virginia, which also sparked a christmas eve amber alert. edward balmer jr. and cheryl class were shot to death and the gunman took off with the couple's car apparently with 2- year-old kaden burnside in the backseat. investigators don't think clemens was aware there was a child in the car. kaden was found safe in the backseat of an suv and has been since reunited with his mom. >> anne arundel police are searching for a man accused of an attack in laurel. a female employee reported a man held a gun to her head early saturday morning and then tried to force her into a motel room. that man ran away when witnesses started to see what was happening. a series of christmas day

attacks across nigeria ended with 39 people dead. a bomb exploded amid gunfire in central nigeria and a suicide bomber attacked a military base in the northeast. one man was caught before his bomb detonated. a radical muslim sect claimed responsibility for a series of coordinated attacks. the christmas day violence highlighted the threat of a growing from the muslim group. they're calling the attack senseless and tragic. afghanistan's president hamid karzai is condemning the attack that killed nearly two dozen people yesterday including a member of the natural parliament. the suicide bomber blew himself up as of a gabs were leaving a funeral of a village elder. drew levinson has more on the attack. >> reporter: a suicide bomber killed at least 20 people and wounded 50 more in a final in afghanistan on sunday. the bomber attacked mourners as they left a service. a member of the