i'm betty nguyen. >> i'm drew griffin. t.j. s off this morning. >> what has been a week since operation started in afghanistan. atia, give us the latest on what's happening on this offensive. >> well, betty, i can tell you that the aufshsive is still going on. the battle is still going on throughout the city of marjah. the marines are slowly but surely making headway in the city but they are meeting very heavy resistance when it comes to the taliban fighters. the taliban are not giving up the city of marjah very easily. it is their last stronghold in helmand province and a big money maker when it comes to narcotics. it said the taliban made around $200,000 a month by taxing the narcotics industry alone in this one city. that being said, betty, it has been a week of fighting, raging battles between the taliban and the u.s. marines. even though the u.s. marines have advanced weaponry and technology, the taliban using their ak-47s, using their other weapons that are not as sophisticated as the u.s. marines, they're not giving up be

betty nguyen in for tony harris. >> hi there. it's tuesday, february 2lnd. the defense secretary. momentum builds to abolish don't ask, don't tell. >>> a prominent medical journal retracts a landmark study that linked autism to childhood vaccines. >>> and heart break from haiti. parents say they gave their children away in hopes of a better life after the earthquake. good morning, everybody. thanks for joining us. i'm betty nguyen in for tony harris today and you are in the "cnn newsroom."

hello, everybody, i'm betty nguyen, in the "cnn newsroom." >>> it is noon on capitol hill, where defensert gates, is set to announce a review that could end don't ask, don't tell. >>> across the nation, toyota dealers brace for the big fix. millions of recalled cars about to roll in for pedal repairs. >>> and in haiti, parents who say they gave their children away to americans so that the kids would have a better life. >>> let's get you started. it is battle time in congress over gays in the military. the administration's effort to repeal the don't ask, don't tell policy begins this hour with president obama's defense secretary taking the first steps. take you live now to pentagon correspondent, barbara starr. she joins us and the question is what is the secretary expected to say today? are we going to hear specifics? >> we do expect to hear specifics, betty. let me explain to everybody what is going on right now inside the senate hearing room. the secretary has actually been in the witness chair for about three hours talking about the annual defense budget. $700 billion in spending. but