call, or visit care.org. . winter weather, heavy snow, freezing temperatures and strong wind. the first serious snowstorm of the season takes aim at the midwest. heading south, the south carolina primary takes center stage. mitt romney hopes to close the deal as more conservative rivals hope to stop in. inside syria. the ten-month-old uprising against the government. journalists come under fire with deadly results. this is the "cbs morning news" deadly results. this is the "cbs morning news" for nurse, january 12, 2012. captioning funded by cbs good morning everybody. i'm terrell brown. we begin with the first serious winter storm. heavy snow and stropg winds are expected in the midwest.

winter weather advisories are posted in parts of kansas, iowa, illinois, wisconsin, indiana and kentucky. some areas will see blizzard-like conditions making travel difficult and dangerous. up to eight inches of snow expected in chicago. there will be accumulating snow as far south in st. louis. it blew past iowa last night. tough conditions in des moines. wind gusts up to 45 miles per hour. the windchill could reach ten below by later this morning. the same cold front spawned a possible tornado that hit two counties in western north carolina. police say as many as 40 buildings were damaged east of asheville. five collapsed during the storm. it started with heavy rain and hail. >> we heard thunder and lightning. >> at least three people were injured. one family was trapped in their basement when their house collapsed. the red cross is setting up shelters for those displaced. to cordova, alaska, a

fishing village trying to dig out of the snow. more snow shovels are expected to arrive today. they expect to have the one road open to emergency vehicles. a russian fuel tanker along with a coast guard icebreaker are slowly making their way towards nome, alaska. the town is on the verge of running out of fuel. the big storm prevented the fuel delivery last month. an ice ridge is keeping them from getting through the harbor. politics now. the south carolina primary. the candidates are looking to stop mitt romney, the unemployment rate in south carolina is almost as high as iowa and new hampshire combined. romney's opponent are taking his business clear to task. eye necessary fa ray has more. >> can romney get the win in south carolina.

his gop rivals are trying to slow him down. >> mitt romney is trying to tap into voter frustration to win over south carolina. >> it's been a tough three years for people in the palmetto state. unemployment at 9.9% still. >> at a rally last night he repeatedly blamed president obama for the nation's economic troubles. we're going through tough times because in part to the failure of one man. that's why he has to go. >> there's one conservative in the race that has the potential to beat governor romney. >> for weeks, newt gingrich has been to stop mitt romney. >> i want to beg you to redirect and go after his obvious disengine yunness about his conservatism and lay off the corporatist. >> obama makes it impossible to talk rationally in that area. because he is so deeply into class warfare.

>> even other gop contenders are calling on gingrich to switch gears and focus on romney's record as massachusetts governor instead. >> i'm not going to engage in hyper charged political rhetoric. that's not who i am. >> rick santorum didn't mention gingrich by name but called for an end to the hostile rhetoric. >> it's bad enough for barack obama to blame folks and business for causing problems in this country. it's one other thing for republicans to join him on that. >> santorum and the other gop candidates are going after romney's weak spot in south carolina, pushing for the social conservative vote. some conservatives are saying that the recent attacks against mitt romney could undermine the party's free market principles. it also only helps the democrats that want president obama to be reelected. they have to sit back and watch the republicans duke it out. >> inez, thank you so much. fundraisers in chicago, the

president told donors not to back down. it's going to be a close race. mr. obama stopped by his campaign headquarters and made a quick stop home to check up on things. overseas in afghanistan. the taliban is red toy hold peace talks. hillary clinton acknowledged that the u.s. is hoping to establish peace talks with the taliban. an e-mail from the taliban this morning suggests talks are closer, but in the mean time, the arms struggle will continue. the marine corps is investigating some disturbing video that appears to show marines urinating on the corpses of fighters. four men in combat uniforms in afghanistan urinating on the corpses. marine corps said it hadn't verified the authenticity of the video. but that it's not consistent with marine values. cutting staff in damascus because of security concerns. the ten-month-old anti-government uprising has

claimed the life of a french journalist. elizabeth palmer was gained access to syria and filed this report. >> the group of western journalists were midway through their government supervised tour of homes when the area came under fire. one french journalist was killed. so were eight syrians. ordinary residents of this middle class neighborhood. just 20 minutes earlier, we had been on the same street to hear from the people who say the threat of snipers and kidnapping is constant. we weren't allowed out of the site of our minders but could see from the bus window that it's eerily quiet. those opposed to the regime control neighborhoods. our bus driver didn't dare drive across town. he went around it. to the next destination on the tour. the military hospital where we

were shown injured syrian solders in nearly every bed. doctors say an average of 25 wounded soldiers arrive daily along with four to five dead. in damascus, syria's president made his first appearance in person at a rally since the uprising began ten months ago. speaking to this vast crowd of supporters, he once again blamed the violence on a foreign plot and promised to crackdown hard. in an ominous sign to mediate, the arab league has a team of observers here on the ground. in spite of their presence, the violence actually seems to be escalating. elizabeth palmer, cbs news, damascus. the united states says it had nothing to do with the murder of an iranian nuclear scientist. the scientist was killed yesterday. witnesses say two men on a motorcycle attached the magnetic bomb to his car. the driver was also killed.

iranian authorities blame israel. the latest in a series of attacks on scientists working on iran's nuclear program. a mississippi judge blocked the release of 21 prison inmates pardoned by governor haley barbour. state attorney general says some of the pardons may be illegal. on his last day in office, barbour issued or medical releases for more than 200 inmates, including convicted killers and some who worked as trustees. that angered and frightened many victims' family. >> we have our law enforcement officers out watching ones that have been a danger that have been released. i think they're going to be fine. just be careful. >> he says as many as 175 of the pardons issued may be illegal. hard times for ho hoes. something you think you'll never say. hostess files for bankruptcy.

plus. meet your new wing man. it let you soar with a falcon as your companion. first, scott pelley has a preview of the evening news. this is the anniversary of the devastating earthquake in haiti. billions of dollars have been raised in the two years since. but where has all the money gone? we'll ask the haitian prime minister. we'll see how families are still struggling in tent cities to survive. that story tonight on the cbs evening news. or food, it's all about taste. and the chefs at lean cuisine are loving tangy lemon, peppery poblano, sweet butternut. we're roasting, and grilling to create must-have meals with no preservatives. lean cuisine. be culinary chic. it's pro-cool technology releases armies of snowmen masseuse who cuddle up with your soreness and give out polar bear hugs. technology. [ male announcer ] new bengay cold therapy. the same technology used by physical therapists. go to bengay.com for a $3 coupon.

[ male announcer ] got a cold? [ sniffling ] [ male announcer ] not sure what to take? now robitussin® makes finding the right relief simpler than ever. click on the robitussin® relief finder. click on your symptoms. get your right relief. ♪ makes the cold aisle easy. ♪ robitussin®. relief made simple.

and it hasn't been going exactly as planned. cut. cut! [ monica ] i thought we'd be on location for 3 days -- it's been 3 weeks. so i had to pick up some more things. good thing i've got the citi simplicity card. i don't get hit with a fee if i'm late with a payment... which is good because on this job, no! bigger! [ monica ] i may not be home for a while. [ male announcer ] the new citi simplicity card. no late fees. no penalty rate. no worries. here's something that might be better than soaring like a bird. how about soaring with a bird. it's called pair a hawking. it combines falconry, flying with a trained bird of prey. gliding over the southern california coast. he sticks out his arm for his hawk and swooping in at up to 60 miles per hour. they'll start taking paying passengers along in a year.

cbs money watch time. new numbers show home foreclosures are trending downward and sour news for a company known for sweet treats. ashley morrison here in new york with that. >> good morning. i'll watch as well. in overseas trading, there was profit taking in tokyo. the nikkei index lost .75 of a%. hang seng finished a fraction lower. on wall street, stocks were mostly flat. two-day winning streak losing 13 points and the nasdaq edged up 8. a positive sign for the housing market. according to realty trac filings were down 34% last year. that puts some at their lowest level since 2007 before the howiho housing market collapsed. a new study finds rising tensions between america's haves and have notes shows growing middle class independent people

are likely o to cite disagreements between rich and poor. it will be a factor in this year's presidential election likely. the food and drug administration has temporarily stopped shipments of orange juice to foreign countries after trace amounts of a fungicide was found in juice imported from brazil. fda officials are not concerned about the safety of the juice, but the agency will step up tests to make sure it isn't a problem. fewer americans are munching on twinkies and ding dongs. hostess filed for interrupt si. the company has enough cash to keep operating. but with more americans trying to keep healthier, sales have taken a hit. i would not be part of that group. >> oh, no they didn't, ashley. >> oh, yeah, they did. >> ashley morrison, thank you so much. comedy was king at last

night's 38th annual people choice awards on cbs. bridesmaids took the award for favorite comedy movie. how i met your mother was voted favorite network tv comedy and another cbs hit, two broke dpirls, the award for favorite new tv comedy. they have to separate us. coming up, we'll have your weather forecast. in sport, a wild overtime duel in l.a. the heat and the clippers including it out. we'll be right back. [ male announcer ] this is coach parker... whose non-stop day starts with back pain... and a choice. take advil now and maybe up to four in a day. or choose aleve and two pills for a day free of pain. way to go, coach. ♪ ♪ [ gong ] strawberry banana! [ male announcer ] for a smoothie with real fruit plus veggie nutrition new v8 v-fusion smoothie. could've had a v8.

new v8 v-fusion smoothie. but one is so clever that your skin looks better even after you take it off. neutrogena® healthy skin liquid makeup. 98% saw improved skin. does your makeup do that? neutrogena® cosmetics. does your makeup do that? went all out for the decorations, huh? yeah, but i'm so slow taking them down after all the fatty holiday food. but that's normal, right? it doesn't have to be. activia helps with occasional irregularity when eaten 3 times a day. you'll love your new normal.

here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. 54 in new york. partly cloudy and 79 in miami. snow, 30 degrees in chicago. sunny in dallas, 49 degrees. sunny in l.a. too. 74. in sports this morning. nba action. big night for the l.a. clippers. visiting miami. chris paul scored 27 points with 11 assists. including a no look pass to blake griffin for the alley-oop. later, mario chalmers. late into the third period, it went into overtime. a missed goal tending call helped the clippers win it. final 95-89. here in new york, we saw his stuff with a drive and a one-handed jam. all anthony in this one. he dropped 27 points. enough to snap the six-game win streak. 85-79.

college hoops now. in top ranked syracuse, the orange led against villanova including a reverse layup. all of this early in the game. scoop darden had a buzzer beater to put syracuse up by 19. on the second, waders scored on a transition jam. we're going to sit and watch. yes, sir. syracuse wins 79-66 to remain undefeated. 18-0 on the season. a hard fought game in auburn. kentucky drew for a layup and a foul. land pass to anthony davis for an alley-oop. wildcats win 68-53. when we come back on a thursday morning, new hope for a severe heartburn patients. a simple device to help them enjoy eating again. [ eva ] you know when you push your hair to the breaking point? that's me with the blow dryer and the flat iron until i see smoke. so pantene said, "breakage and split ends? no problem."

they gave me this pantene called breakage to strength. [ female announcer ] the keratin protection pro-v system helps prevent then repair split ends. zero fear of breakage, 100% more strength. [ eva ] no regrets, just health. [ female announcer ] split end repair creme, winner, cosmo beauty award. pantene. hair so healthy it shines. sears big weekend ne. savings event is here! and shop your way rewards members get a $10 award card when you spend $50! plus, all nordictrack is on sale. get up to 25% off kenmore. and take an extra 30% off clearance clothing. hurry in to sears!

here's a look at the weather in some cities. partly sunny and 59 in d.c.

partly sunny and 53 in atlanta. detroit, mostly cloudy skies. 46 degrees. 30 degrees and sunny in denver. 44 degrees, partly sunny skies in seattle. in lima, peru, sentencing expected tomorrow for joran van der sloot. he pleaded guilty yesterday to murder. he admitted killing a peruvian woman he met in 2010. prosecutors are seeking a 30-year prison sentence. he remains the prime suspect in the 2005 disappearance of american teenager natalee holloway in aruba. holloway is thought to have been murdered but her body never found. in health news, people who suffer from severe heartburn may have a new treatment option. an fda advisory panel is recommending an implanted device to stop acid reflux. edward lawrence reports. >> for more than 20 years, kelly morissette couldn't eat without feeling the pain and discomfort of heartburn and acid reflux. >> a lot of times as i was

eating, not even halfway through a meal, the food would start coming back up. >> she has gastroesophageal reflux disease or gerd. >> i was taking maximum of all the different drugs. >> she turned to doctors at tech medical center of usc testing an experimental device. the small band of magnetic beads is placed around the valve at the end of the esophagus to keep stomach acid from getting in. >> the force of the magnetic beads coming together puts an increased force on that weak valve which helps keep it closed to prevent the reflux. >> the surgery takes about 15 minutes. doctors put the patient under general anesthesia before making five small incisions to insert the device. >> most of the pain is gone within a few days of the surgery. patients get on to a regular diet quicker than with conventional surgery. >> the doctor says his patients haven't had major complications

with the device. they may have difficulty swallowing at first but that doesn't last long. it's been two years since the implant for kelly. >> i do not take any medicine whatsoever. i can eat mig in the world i want. >> including oranges. something she never would have enjoyed before the surgery. cbs news, los angeles. the new report on the leading causes of death in this country shows homicide has fallen from the top 15 for the first time since 1965. the cdc report shows that in 2010, infant mortality dropped to an all-time low of just over six per thousand births. the life expectancy for a child born that year rose by about a month to 78 years and 8 months. heart disease and cancer are the top killers, accounting for nearly half of the deaths. the death rates for both continue to decline. coming up later on "cbs this moning," the second anniversary of the earthquake in haiti. and the child adoption problems that country still faces.

i'm terrell brown here in new york. this is the "cbs morning news." they're two of a kind. and, just like toddlers, puppies need food made for them. that's why there's purina puppy chow... with all the essential nutrients your growing puppy needs. purina puppy chow. but my nose is still runny. [ male announcer ] truth is, dayquil doesn't treat that. really? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus fights your worst cold symptoms, plus it relieves your runny nose. [ deep breath] awesome. [ male announcer ] yes, it is. that's the cold truth! [ male announcer ] yes, it is.

your favorites, in pieces.

well, good morning and welcome to 9news now, today is thursday, john 12th. i'm -- january 12th. i'm mike hydeck. she's monika samtani, she does traffic. >> i'm jessica doyle, andrea has the day off and we have howard bernstein as well here with us this morning.

>> the little radar clicker with us this morning. rain and lightning and thunder even overnight. you may have heard that. >> oh, wait, wait, that's our producer, for the second day in a row, ferry farm elementary school in stafford, virginia is going to be closed but kids still have to go to school. students and teachers are expected to go to dixon elementary school. however, you have to report to dixon smith middle school. sorry howard. >> all right, we have a mild start to the day. temps in the 40s now. even some 50s south and east and may see 60 before the day is out south and east of town. near 60 in the metro area and it is going to be sharply colder almost painfully for tomorrow, saturday and sunday compared to today. right now still light rain and 48 degrees in washington but the last of the rain is about to leave. fog over to annapolis, andrews is worse, visibility at two and a half miles. you can see the heavy showers

that have been lifting through the region during the overnight and there's the last of it here. a few showers not mountains -- in the mountains, on live doppler 9000 hd, you certainly see south and west of town almost clear the entire fairfax county. loudoun county is clear now but prince george's county, still dealing with the moderate and even heavy showers embedded here through baltimore up to westminster and carroll county as well. our temperatures range from the mid 50s on the eastern shore in southern maryland to the upper 30s in the shenandoah valley. we sit at 48. let's go over to monika and find out what's happening this morning. wet roads, have to slow things down? that's right, wet roads are going to slow things down and definitely need to give yourself that extra time to deal with the conditions. if you're going over to the beltway and all around town just a heavy steady rain right now. over to 270. no problems to report other than the wet road conditions

coming down to the point where the lains divide from frederick. all lanes are open as you travel past university boulevard. both loops are looking fine. between 95 and 270. back over to the maps, this time we'll go further east on 95 coming down from baltimore. bw parkway through cheverly, you're fine. springfield on the northbound side of i-95. that ramp to the inner loop of the beltway. there's an accident involving a truck. single vehicle accident i know authorities are arriving on the scene and be aware of that if you're going to the inner loop. and a last live look at 66 inbound, no problems to report coming in from gainesville to the beltway. coming up in my next report, at 4:39. back to you guys. is the video authentic? that's what the u.s. marine corps is trying to find out after footage appeared on youtube which seems to show marines urinating on dead

taliban fighters in afghanistan. >> it could hurt peace relations and put us at risk of retaliation from militant groups around the world. gary nuremberg has the video and story. >> reporter: the video appears to show a marine team urinating in afghanistan on dead bodies described as those of taliban fighters. the men joke through the 39 second posting. >> like a shower. >> reporter: the publication marine corps times reports the military is trying to identify the apparent marines and will investigate. the counsel condemned what it calls the desecration of the dead calling it disgusting and immoral and it could ultimately endanger other civilians and marines. they told the associated press the actions portrayed are not consistent with our core values. a navy spokesman called it egregious behavior but the writer is also