iowa blitz. republican presidential candidates scramble for votes just one week before the iowa caucuses. economic outlook -- leading economists are upbeat saying the economy should grow next year but the unemployment rate won't change much. and passing record. the saints' drew brees breaks a record that lasted 27 years. captioning funded by cbs and good morning. thanks for joining us. i'm whit johnson in for betty nguyen. we begin with politics in the last lap before the iowa caucuses with which is a week remaining before iowans capped the first vote of the 2012 campaign. the candidates are ready with a

final round of speeches and unleash a new round of commercials. good morning, duarte. >> reporter: most decided to attend the kcaucus are still opn it to the idea of changing their minds. so with so much at stake, presidential kabd candidates are almost aggressive. rick santorum was the only presidential candidate campaigning monday spending part of the day pheasant hunting. the real hunt in the top spot will intensify today. >> i'm going to do something to government. i'm going to make it simpler and smaller and smarter. >> reporter: mitt romney released a tv advertisement that stated he tries to sway undecided voters. with only a we go to go to the caucuses, the latest polls show a three-way race between romney, newt gingrich and ron paul. rick perry is trying to improve his position to launch today and released a fresh ad in iowa. >> if washington is the problem,

why trust a congressman to fix it? >> reporter: paul at the top of many polls in iowa won't be there today. his next event is scheduled for tomorrow. gingrich and michele bachmann will make numerous stops on their bus tour as they hit the final stretch of campaigning. h historically a victory in iowa does not guarantee lasting success in the race for the republican nomination, but it often forces some candidates to finish in the back of the pack to drop out, possibly hitting the field a week after the caucuses. the big unknown is obviously voter turnout. some analysts believe a desire to win back the white house may bring more republicans out. whit? >> duarte, thank you. a belted christmas present for president obama. 47% of americans now approve the job mr. obama is doing. that's up 5% from mid-december. his disapproval rating fell to 45%. the first time since july the

president's approval rating has been in positive territory. the of course the economy will play a central role in next year's election. on the "cbs moneywatch" faster economic growth. drew levinson has that and more. good morning to you. >> reporter: asian markets were mixed lower today after japan's central bank issued a warning about possible risks from the european debt crisis. japan's nikkei lost a half percent. hong kong's hang seng gained over 1%. wall street was closed yesterday on friday. the dow finished higher by 124 points. the nasdaq was up 19 points. barring repercussions from the european debt crisis, economists believe the u.s. economy will grow faster next year n. a survey released this morning three dozen expect it to grow 2.4% next year. this year it grew less than 2%. but they don't predict a big change in the unemployment rate,

expected to be 8.4% by the election. holiday sales look to give this year's economy a boost. analysts say there were ten individual days over a billion dollars in sales this year. in just one day hit that mark last year. it's estimated post-christmas shoppers wracked up $29 billion in sales, bigger than black friday. >> it looks to be pretty good for sustained spending growth for the consumer. consumers are basically much healthier than they were a few years ago. >> and a big jump in online sales. ibm found online shopping jumped on christmas day over last year. the dollar amount of those purchases that were made using mobile devices leaped almost 173%. nearly 7% of all online purchases were made using an ipad. a just released study shows a growing income gap between most americans and members of 1

median wealth of members of the house rose 2 1/2 times from $280,000 to $725,000. that's according to "the washington post" and the university of michigan. over the same period the median wealth of american families declined slightly, $20,500. and that is a look at your business news. wh whit? >> not good for the approval rating, drew levinson, here in new york. the babysitter accused of murdering a 9 queer year indiana girl will be in court today. 39-year-old mike plumadore has been charged with killing aliahna lemmon. her body was found yesterday. police say plumadore was a family friend. >> after three different interviews with one of the individuals involved, he was taken into custody tonight about 9:00 p.m. and charged with murder. aliahna's remains have been located. >> according to court records plumadore has been convicted of

forgery and auto theft. investigators are trying to determine the cause of a connecticut fire that killed five people. the house has been torn down after the christmas morning fire that killed three children and their grandparents. the home was being renovated by advertising executive madonna badger who escaped but could not save her family. some charity groups will have to return some improper donations. the group calling itself anonymous gave money to the groups after stealing credit card information in a cyber attack on a security company. >> reporter: visitors to the stratfor intelligence website looking for analysis of world affairs found this video calling card posted by the hackers who broke into servers, stole a list of the company's subscribers, then posted their personal information on the internet. >> they released their name, a credit card number, the expiration date. >> reporter: internet security expert alex stavos says the information is a treasure trove

for people who want to commit identity theft. >> it contains people who work for the security teams in large corporations, banks, and even government agencies. >> reporter: stratfor analyzes global intelligence and security for police and the military, among others. the company declined interview requests but in a statement its ceo says stratfor is working closely with law enforcement in their investigation. the hackers claim to be part of the group calling itself anonymous, which has hacked other websites. in a message today, it linked this attack to the effort to free bradley manning, the u.s. army private suspected of releasing thousands of classified government documents to wikileaks. in an interview this past summer, a member of anonymous described their mission. >> we aren't a grew. we're an idea. we're an expression of the anger

that every person feels when they see injustice. well, coming up on "the morning news" a terrorist group takes responsibility for the deadly attacks in iraq. plus conflicting reports government tanks are pulling out of a syrian town. first, jeff glor has a preview of tonight's cbs "evening news." we're going to to take a look at a free phone service that might help you avoid legal pitfalls and save your home. that story tonight on the cbs "evening news." it feels totally different from a regular toothpaste.

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in syria reports this morning government tanks are being pulled. this video taken from a social media website shows the tanks prowling the streets. arab league monitors are on their way to make certain the government complies with a peace plan. activists say government forces have killed hundreds of civilians across syria in recent days. in nigeria at least two suspects are under arrest for the christmas day terror bombings that killed at least 35 people. david martin reports on how africa's most populous nation is struggling with the growing islamist movement. >> reporter: a nigerian newspaper called it the blackest christmas ever. dozens of people killed in the bombings of three christian churches. a radical islamic group popularly known as the nigerian taliban claimed credit for the attacks which marked an especially bloody day in the war against its government, the world's tenth hardgest oil producer. the nigerian taliban, whose official name roughly translates

as western education is evil, is trying to establish an islamic state in the largely muslim north of nigeria. with an estimated size of only a few hundred followers, it has been fighting a violent insurgency against the central government with atrocities committed by both sides. in august, they claimed credit for the bombing of the united nations headquarters in nigeria which killed 23 people. the latest attacks raised the destabilizing prospect of a civil war pitting the muslim north against the christian south. the u.s. has been providing nigeria with intelligence on bokoharam and they say it has no significant ties to international terrorist groups like al qaeda and no plans to attack targets outside my jnige. even so, the u.s. has offered to help the nigerian government track down the bombers. an offer which includes sending fayfy agents to assist in the

investigation. david martin, cbs news, the pentagon. an al qaeda front group is claiming responsibility for a wave of attacks in baghdad last week. 69 people were killed when bombs went off in cafes, grocery stores, markets, and government buildings. they were the first major attacks since u.s. troops withdrew from iraq this month. straight ahead, your tuesday morning weather. and in sports, drew brees leads the saints to a record and a rout over the falcons. i'm a dad, coach... and i quit smoking with chantix. knowing that i could smoke during the first week was really important to me. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix is proven to help people quit smoking. chantix reduced my urge to smoke -- and personally that's what i knew i needed. [ male announcer ] some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these, stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix.

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here is a look at the weather in some cities around the country. new york afternoon rain, 55. miami rain, 80. chicago windy, 38. dallas, sunny, 56. los angeles sunny, 58. time for a check of the national forecast, the latest satellite picture has a massive system bringing snow to the great lakes and rain to the gulf coast. the northeast shows clouds. the southwest is clear while the northwest has another storm washing ashore. later today the storms along the coast from georgia to virginia could turn severe. rain showers will move into the northeast. the northern plains have scattered snow showers. it will be sunny and breezy in the southwest with rain and snow heading into the authority west. in sports, the saints' drew brees was on fire against the falcons. not only did he throw for four touchdown passes including this

third quarter toss to robert meacham but in the fourth he broke the nfl record for passing yards in a single season set by dan marino in 1984. and of course he did it with the td pass. the saints blow out the falcons 45-16. in college ball, missouri rolls over north carolina in the independence bowl. a trick play in the first quarter captures the tar heels secondary off guard. missouri scores and by the end of the first half they had racked up 31 points. the independence bowl record. missouri trounces north carolina 41-24. in basketball the suns blow it at home against the who ahor. under pressure, eric gordon nails the jumper to put new orleans up by one with less than five on the clock. then phoenix loses the ball. after the inbounds pass, the hornets survive. the suns 85-84. in charlotte, the clock is

winding down and augustine to the hoop, giving them a one-point lead over the bucks. then mike dunleavy takes the desperation shot for the win, and it bounces off the rim. bobcats over the bucks, 96-95. when we come back, another look it at this morning's top stories and the japanese obsession with beethoven's ninth. is this your normal?

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on the cbs "morning news" here is a look at the weather. a wintry mix will impact the great lakes area. severe weather moves into the east coast. the southern plains will be dry with temperatures in the 50s to the 70s. northern plains see scattered snow showers. here is another look at this morning's top stories.

with just a week before the iowa caucuses, three republican candidates begin bus tours through the state today and several have launched new campaign ads. and a big jump in online sales this holiday season. ibm found online shopping jumped 16.4% on christmas day over last year. the dollar amount of those purchases that were made using mobile devices leaped almost 173%. a couple of grin was in minnesota stole some presents, and it's all caught on videotape. you can see the two burglars enter the apartment in st. paul. they took a laptop and other valuables from the family of a soldier serving in kuwait. police are still looking for the suspects. in japan everyone has a favorite song at this time of year, but it's not a japanese song. in the land of the rising sun, they all rise for beethoven's ninth. >> reporter: in countries like japan while most people still

identify with buddhism the usual trappings of christmas are a side note. but there's nothing low key about one japanese holiday tradition. ♪ >> reporter: this time of year japan goes baty, beethoven's masterpiece "ode to joy." the beethoven craze began strangely enough during world war i. german soldiers being held as prisoners in japan staged the very first performance of number 9 here. the japanese liked what they heard. by the mid-20th century number 9 had become a holiday hit. as japan recovers from the tsunami last march, the lyrics have taken on deeper meaning this year. "the disaster showed us we need

to help one another," said one chorus member. from concert halls to department stores, number 9 now is a welcome if predictable for japanese musicians and conductors. >> i have done more than 150 times. >> reporter: for shear scale, nothing beats the 10,000-man number 9 chorus. talented and tone deaf alike, all vie for the chance to stand on stage, for a shattered nation. preparations are under way for the annual rose parade in pasadena, california. workers are putting the finishing touches on floats that took most of the year to design and build. the theme this year is just imagine. the rose parade with its spectacular floral floats is the day after new year's.

this morning on the "early" show pistol pack iing mamas. why the number of women learning to shoot has shot up. i'm whit johnson. this is the "cbs morning news." a new belt. some nylons. and what girl wouldn't need new shoes? we talked about getting a diamond. but with all the thank you points i've been earning... ♪ ...i flew us to the rock i really had in mind. ♪ [ male announcer ] the citi thank you card. earn points you can use for travel on any airline, with no blackout dates. earn points you can use for travel on any airline, hershey's air delight. experience light and airy, melty bubbles. made from pure, delicious hershey's milk chocolate. hershey's air delight. nyquil tylenol: we are?ylenol. you know we're kinda like twins. nyquil (stuffy): yeah, we both relieve coughs, sneezing, aches, fevers. tylenol: and i relieve nasal congestion.

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good morning. you awake yet? i'm trying my best. welcome to 9news now. how you doing? andrea roane is off today. here's monika samtani. >> two second ago, if you had seen what happened. >> i'm dizzy.

>> olga is in for howard. rumor has it, there is going to be some rain on the way. >> rain will be falling down, not quite here yet. i think we're off to a quiet start this morning. if you're going to be out all day long, take your umbrella with you. we'll hold off on the rain at least until about the 10:00 a.m. hour. a dry commute that's always good news. the clouds are here. we've been socked in for most of the overnight. that's kept our temperatures fairly mild. we'll have overcast skies as we head in toward midmorning and then the rain is going to approach from west to east. it could be a little bit heavy at times. it will start out fairly moderate. our temperatures should be holding steady right around the lower to midrange 40s through the middle of the day. we'll start to bump up closer to 50 degrees by the time we get into late afternoon. it does look like things will start to clear out. right around the rush hour time, 5:00, 6:00, we should see the moderate rain begin to taper off and things start to improve into the afternoon. satellite and radar, only clouds right now.

the moisture is coming in from the south and the west. this will be a factor for us or most of the day today. current temperatures sitting right around 40 degrees for reagan national. cooler av off to the north and west. winds will stay out of the south and east. highs will take us to about 52 in the city center. mid-40s out to the north and west. next three days, not so bad. once we get done with the rain for today, we'll be cooler. only the for wednesday and chilly on thursday. we'll bring back the sunshine. monika? >> if you're planning to head over to the beltway in prince george's county, there was an overnight accident. good morning, everybody. it was on the inner loop of the beltway just south of the bw parkway, involving a tractor trailer, just a single vehicle involved there with a fuel spill. it happened just before 2:00 this morning. we'll take a live look at the beltway right at that point at the good luck road overpass. you can see that equipment remains on the scene. i just got off the phone with maryland state police.

they tell me it was just a fuel spill that took a little while to clean up. as you can see, they're moving along and all lanes are being reopened on the inner loop of the beltway at the good luck road overpass. you should be ok in the greenbelt area this morning. let's take you over to the beltway in silver spring look great. no problems to report here at university boulevard. in fact, all construction cleared up. no problems between 95 and prince george's county and 270 in bethesda. coming up in my next report, another look around the area at 4:39. back to you, mike. >> thank you, monika. this morning, a family is still waiting to find out about a missing relative and they're hoping he will contact them. mitchell smith who is blind, disappeared about a week and a half ago. he was last seen on an amtrak train heading from washington to birmingham, alabama. even though smith doesn't carry a cell phone, his familiarly in bladensburg was hoping he would contact them. police in charlotte, north carolina are involved in the case. smith may have gotten off the

train there, confused about a possible transfer. >> through the confusion, when they hold him evidently he would have to wait and catch another train to go to birmingham, he said send me back to d.c. now, amtrak says they put him on a train back to d.c. we have heard nothing from him. >> smith was blinded ten years ago after getting shot in prince george's county. he also suffers from bouts of depression. that's why his family is very concerned about him. the man believed to be responsible for shooting and killing two people and kidnapping a 2-year-old boy is now in police custody. police say this man, 27-year- old jamal lewis clemons was taken into custody after a tip he was inside an apartment. on christmas leave, clemons allegedly killed edward lee bowmer jr. and robin sheryl clapp. he then took her suv and there was a boy inside. the boy was safely reunited with his mother. clemons is now facing abduction and robbery charges but at this