i suppose when the bullets are fired are unlikely to hit me. >> couric: i'm katie couric. also tonight, an infamous kidnapping case. >> i'm so thrilled with the verdict. >> couric: davis is convicted in of elizabeth smart. british security under fire after protesters attack prince charles's car. and scoring a piece of history, the birth certificate of basketball. captioning sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. >> couric: good evening, everyone. if you were channel surfing this afternoon, you might have done a double take when you saw the president of the united states in the white house briefing room. it was the 42nd president, bill clinton, taking questions from reporters. the 44th, barack obama, called in the biggest gun he could to help persuade congressional democrats to go along with the tax cut compromise. and the stakes couldn't be higher. in just three weeks, the bush tax cuts are due to expire for everyone. two million of the long-term unemployed could lose their jobless benefits, and the b

sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. >> couric: good evening, everyone. he says he is not a hero, but watching mike jones and the terrifying video from that tuesday afternoon school board meeting in panama city, florida, you're likely to disagree. jones is the security guard who,

katie? >> couric: nancy cordes. nancy, thank you very much. now to the president's quick trip today to afghanistan-- his second since taking office. chief white house correspondent chip reid reports it took him four times as long to get there as he spent there. >> reporter: after a 13-hour flight that was cloaked in secrecy, the president arrived in afghanistan to deliver a simple message. >> on behalf of more than 300 million americans, we are here to say thank you. >> reporter: because of the troop surge, he said, the war effort is finally turning a corner. >> we said we were going to break the taliban's momentum. that's what you're doing. >> reporter: the president met with one battle-hardened group of soldiers and, while describing it, teared up. >> i just talked to a platoon that lost six... six of their buddies. >> reporter: and he assured these men and women, so far from home during the holidays, that the american people are with them. >> everybody back home is behind you. everybody. >> reporter: but while the american people may be uni

katie? >> couric: chip reid at the white house, chip, thank you. the commission president obama appointed to come up with a plan to reduce the federal deficit is expected to officially roll out its recommendations tomorrow. and the republican's co-chairman of that panel, alan simpson, said today with his trademark candor he expects critics to tear right into it. >> they're gonna rip this thing to shreds and do it with zeal. we will listen now in the next few days to the same old crap i've been dealing with in all my public life. emotion, fear, guilt, and racism. and when people use emotion, fear, guilt, and racism on you, you use facts on them, which really irritates them. >> couric: we'll have comprehensive coverage tomorrow of the panel's recommendations and the tough choices we'll all be facing to reduce the sea of red ink. the outgoing congress has a lot on its plate. the senate passed the biggest overhaul of the nation's food safety laws since the great depression. it gives the f.d.a. new power to prevent food-borne illness which is kill 5,000

. >> "cbs evening news with katie couric" is coming up next. your weather is in 30 minutes. >> couric: tonight, wikileaks founder julian assange out of jail and defiant. >> no doubt some prosecutors are seeking to gain a bit of fame and reputation by taking us on. but they're going to lose. >> couric: i'm katie couric. also tonight, a major tax deal is signed by the president. republicans are elated, but many democrats are deflated. google tells us how words have changed through the ages, giving us a window on the world. and a football player plays secret santa and gives the gift of life. captioning sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. >> couric: good evening, everyone. the founder of wikileaks is threatening to post still more secret documents. julian assange reported today to a police station outside london as part of his bail agreement. he's wanted in sweden on sexual assault charges, allegations he says are part of a smear campaign. by his biggest risk, he says, is

sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. >> couric: good evening, everyone. we begin again tonight in the west where rain, floods, and mud are the holiday visitors that just won't leave. so hundreds of residents have been forced to, evacuating their homes under the threat of rising waters, or sliding mud. today's storm caps a five-day deluge that has hit several western states. rain came so fast and so often, some places have seen more than 26 inches since friday. bill whitaker is in the foothills above los angeles. bill, what's the latest? >> reporter: good evening, katie. the damage from this series of storms has been so severe, that governor arnold schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency in six of the hardest hit counties. in san diego, floodwaters surround a hotel, forces the emergency rescue the guests and turned the chargers's football field into a lake. in san bernardino county, east of l.a., 100 houses were evacuated when a trickle became a torrent, buckling a bridge. >> everything just came roaring through

i'm katie couric. also tonight, a holiday surprise. the retail business is bouncing back from the recession. we'll tell you what's selling and what's not. we'll take you to "spider-man," the most talked about and dangerous show on broadway. and the american spirit of giving. billionaires take the pledge. >> to the extent you can help out, if you don't you're a jerk. captioning sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. >> couric: good evening, everyone. we begin tonight with the relentless storms hitting the west just days before christmas. since friday, it's been day after day of rain in parts of the country known for sunshine. the storm has produced major flooding all along the coast and in other low-lying areas. and mountains of snow at higher elevations. it could get a whole lot worse. another storm is expected to come ashore tonight. ben tracy is on high ground outside los angeles and, ben, i know there's a lot of concern about mudslides now. >> reporter: you're

katie? >> couric: chip reid at the white house. chip, thank you. as the president assess the war this week, so will we. beginning tonight with the cost. the u.s. death toll now exceeds 1,400 and six times that number have been wounded. as david martin reports, the surge has produced a surge in american casualties. >> reporter: if you want to measure the price of progress in afghanistan... >> good to meet you. >> reporter: ...there's no better place than the surgical ward at bethesda naval hospital. >> i was just sitting in the sand, and i was kind of digging around trying to find my left leg and i couldn't find it. >> reporter: it's been one month since marine sergeant thomas humprey stepped on a mine in southern afghanistan. he lost the right leg below the knee but doctors managed to save that left leg he couldn't find. >> the real beauty is this guy over here. >> reporter: oh, wow. >> they basically... >> reporter: ...whoo. >> it's kind of disgusting. all the doctors say it looks amazing. >> reporter: patient privacy laws don't allow us to show y

i'm katie couric. we'll be taking a closer look at some of those choices, including what can be cut from medicare and the defense budget. also tonight, how prisoners are ripping off the i.r.s., cbs news investigates. and 13 kids and counting-- there are no limits to this family's love and american spirit. captioning sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. >> couric: good evening, everyone. well, it's as simple as this the government is spending far more money than it's taking in. what's incredibly difficult is how do we finally get our financial house in order? it will mean a lot of tough choices spelled out today by the commission president obama established to come up with recommendations for getting this country out of debt. and that debt is enormous, well over 13 trillion. to start chipping away at it, the bipartisan commission put out 59 pages of proposals, everything from raising taxes on gasoline to cutting spending on enti

sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. >> couric: good evening, everyone. he says he is not a hero, but watching mike jones and the terrifying video from that tuesday afternoon school board meeting in panama city, florida, you're likely to disagree. jones is the security guard who, as bullets flew, risked his life to stop the gunman. today, jones, a 57-year-old former police officer said he was just doing his job. here's mark strassmann. >> wasn't in the building five minutes and i was in a gun fight. >> reporter: when clay duke held an entire school board hostage, mike jones suddenly pace faced a security chief's nightmare. he showed me how he hurried to the aboard roomia backdoor. >> i see the shooter with the gun and i see the bored members and they were all sitting upright. i didn't have a shot. >> reporter: the gunman noticed the security officer standing in the doorway, offcamera in this video. >> come on in. >> you you got a real gun there? >> come on in. >>. >> reporter: jones tried but failed to get duke out of t

sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. >> couric: good evening, everyone. it was fast and furious, the snowstorm that buried much of the midwest in snow. and right behind it, a blast of arctic air. the mercury will be plummeting all the way down to the deep south. this storm is blamed for at least 15 deaths, including five in traffic accidents. airlines are getting back on schedule after 2,00 flights were delayed or canceled over the weekend. and repairs are set to begin at the metrodome in minneapolis after the roof gave way under heavy snow. the storm system has now moved from the northwest to the northeast into new england. temperatures are taking a nosedive from the great lakes to the gulf of mexico. national correspondent dean reynolds is in st. joseph, michigan. dean, this is not exactly a winter wonderland. this is pretty miserable. >> reporter: it sure is. it sure is miserable on this street corner, katie. the weather is not only wintery, it's positively painful. howling 50 miles an hour winds that produced blizza

i'm katie couric, thanks for watching this week.chell will be here tomorrow and i'll see you again on m

i'm katie couric. thanks for watching. i'll see you tomorrow. good night.ioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org >>> your realtime captioner is linda marie macdonald. caption colorado, l.l.c. comments@captioncolorado.com >>> shot and killed on his second birthday. why two parents are under arrest tonight. >>> complaints about bogus bills and dangerous ways. tonight a major decision on the fate of smartmeters. >>> and they were convicted for leaving the bay bridge by police order. so will they have to pay? good evening, i'm allen martin. >> i'm dana king. >>> today was his second birthday. tonight a little boy is dead shot in the head in a tragic accident. the shooting happened this morning inside an apartment in the east bay. mike sugerman is in antioch where the parents are under arrest tonight. mike. >> reporter: how much sorrow can one family bear? violence seems to be following them

. >> couric: i'm katie couric. also tonight, they set it on fire. officials say this was the safest way to get rid of a home found filled with explosives. year ten: we'll put the obstacles between the u.s. and victory in afghanistan in focus. and a child will lead them: why these hard hats have a soft spot for her. captioning sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. >> couric: good evening, everyone. the bush-era tax cuts are due to expire in just over three weeks, but tonight house democrats are refusing to go along with the deal the president struck with republicans to extend them for everyone. the democrats held a private meeting today and decided not to bring the deal to the floor for a vote in its current form. congressional correspondent nancy cordes is on capitol hill tonight. nancy, the democrats are really angry about this deal, and they're letting everyone know it. >> reporter: they sure are, katie. in fact, reporters standing outside that closed-door meeting today cou

sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. >> couric: good evening, everyone. we begin tonight with the never ending threat of terror, including an exclusive report about a threat to poison our food. we'll have more about that in a moment, but first, a more immediate threat in britain. the police there rounded up 12 terror suspects today in what security sources describe as the most significant arrest in more than a year and a half. elizabeth palmer in london reports their targets allegedly included christmas shoppers. >> reporter: reports say the men planned to bomb multiple targets in the u.k., included crowded shopping areas and government buildings. the 12 men were arrested in a series of pre-dawn raids in four cities around britain. they were aged between 17 and 28 and were mostly british nationals with bangladeshi backgrounds. all 12 are being held on suspicion of terrorism. >> with the current threat level in the u.k. at severe and with the information we had i believe that today's arrests were absolutely necessary in

sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. >> couric: good evening, everyone. it's a frightening video that's gone viral and you can only imagine the terror members of that school board in panama city, florida, were feeling when a gunman threatened them, aimed at them, and then opened fire. tonight, we know more about that gunman and what drove him to do this. 56-year-old clay duke, an ex-con was apparently under economic pressure and angry that his wife, a teacher, had been fired. mark strassmann is in panama city tonight. mark, the idea of pulling a weapon on the school board didn't just come to duke yesterday. >> reporter: no, it didn't, katie. in fact police now know clay duke had planned the attack at the school board building for some time. in his trailer they found yesterday's date circled on a calendar. now a word of caution-- some of the following video may be disturbing. >> the school board policy 7.... >> reporter: from the moment clay duke spray painted a "v" on the wall, people in the room sensed something ugly w

i'm katie couric. also tonight, they're out for revenge. supporters of jailed wikileaks founder julian assange launched cyber attacks against credit card websites. america needs jobs. the mayor of new york says he has the answer. my exclusive interview with michael bloomberg. and 30 years after the murder of john lennon, the prophetic interview we've never heard. >> what they want is dead heros. i'm not interested in being a dead hero. captioning sponsored by cbs >> couric: good evening, everyone. more and more the terror threat in this country is coming from within. today a young muslim construction worker, a naturalized u.s. citizen from nicaragua was charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction against a military target in suburban baltimore. our chief investigative correspondent reports the suspect was caught in an f.b.i. sting. >> reporter: another case of suspected home grown terror. another u.s. citizen plotting to blow up americans. today it was 21-year-old antonio martinez, aka muhammad hussain, arrested by federal a

is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. >> smith: good evening, katie is off tonight. there is breaking news at the white house. after weeks of haggling, nasty debate and political posturing, it appears that president obama and congressional republicans have struck a deal to extend the bush tax cuts and to extend unemployment benefits as well. the question: will democrats go along? senior white house correspondent bill plante is following developments. good evening, bill. >> reporter: good evening, harry. it wasn't easy getting there, >> this is not perfect but it's a potential step on the road to recovery. >> reporter: the deal includes a two-year extension of the bush tax cuts for everyone, including the wealthiest taxpayers in exchange far 13-month extension of unemployment benefits for long-term out-of-work americans. the estate tax returns at 35% on estates worth over $35 million and there is a one-year 2% cut in payroll taxes for all workers. the compromise was all but

sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. >> smith: good evening, katie is off tonight. we begin once again with a blizzard that has paralyzed the east coast. in the aftermath today, strained backs for those still digging out and frayed nerves among stranded travelers, especially at the airports. in boston, they dumped 25,000 tons of salt on the roads. and across the northeast, commuter trains slowly got up and running again, but many with very limited service. the real pain is being felt by those still waiting to fly. michelle miller is at laguardia airport with the latest. michelle, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, harry. well, activity has picked up at

don't go away, there is much more ahead on the cbs evening news katie couric, including how is the war in afghanistan going? what wowo,, >> couric: tonight, stairing death in the face. members of a florida school board are lucky to be alive. >> please, don't. please. >> couric: after a gunman opens fire. i'm katie couric. also tonight, christmas at the capitol. a spending bill turns into a christmas tree with $8 billion worth of earmarks. wounded warriors speak out about afghanistan. >> are we going to let it be in vain, just pick up and leave? >> couric: and what if every face in a crowd looked exactly the same? it does for victims of face blindness. captioning sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. >> couric: good evening, everyone. it's a frightening video that's gone viral and you can only imagine the terror members of that school board in panama city, florida, was feeling when a gunman threatened them, aimed at them, and then opened

i'm katie couric, thanks for watching this week.chell will be here tomorrow and i'll see you again on monday. good night. [ female announcer ] safeway talks holiday favorites. i think there are eggnog people and non-eggnog people. and which are you? i'm a fish. on a tree. [ female announcer ] if it tastes like the holidays, we've got it. safeway. ingredients for life. wow. i love the way she plated that roast. [ female announcer ] safeway talks the main course. yeah. i said "plated." he's been watching too many cooking shows. mm-hmm. [ female announcer ] serve a main course brimming with comfort and joy. safeway. ingredients for life. the most watched entertainment news magazine in the world. >> sarah palin, fires back at hollywood. >> why did you shoot rudolph? >> we eat, therefore we hunt. >> her controversial new interview, which emmy winner is sarah gunning for now. >> mine is aimed at dinner. >> anne hathaway's oscar surprise for new york's real life glee. only we are th

katie? >> couric: all right, dean rends. dean, thanks very much. and, by the way, get yourself a warmer hat! >> reporter: (laughs) i'll try. >> couric: even though i sound like your mother, all right, thank you, dean. meanwhile, the twin cities were hit especially hard by this storm. today schools are closed, cars are still stuck in the snow and the vikings are playing a home game in detroit. here's liz colin of our minneapolis station wcco. >> reporter: it looked like a waterfall as snow poured on to the field from rips in the metrodome roof on sunday morning. it took 17 inches of snow in 18 hours to burst the metrodome's bubble, leaving three gaping holes, clearly visible from above. the inflatable dome just could not handle the weight. >> 1,360 tons of snow. that's more than four fully-loaded 747 jumbo jets. >> reporter: sunday was the worst of four collapses of the dome in 30 years, all caused by snow. crews spent the weekend shoveling the roof and examining the damage, both inside and outside. across the twin cities of minneapolis/st. paul, th

katie. >> couric: david martin at the pentagon, david, thank you. in other news, the founder of wikileaks, which posted all those secret u.s. documents about the war, is free on bail tonight. julian assange, who is wanted in sweend on sexual assault charges has spent nine days in a london jail. he posted more than $300,000 bail, some of it contributed by bianca jagger and filmmaker mike will moore. he must wear an electronic monitoring tag. on capitol hill, the house is debating the senate tax cut. meanwhile, congress still needs to pass a spending bill to keep the government run. majority leader harry reid said he'll keep the senate in session until it does, through the holidays, if necessary. sharyl attkisson reports the problem may be all the pet projects in the bill. >> reporter: today, senate leader harry reid held up a tiny copy of the constitution to defend, of all things, earmarks. >> the little constitution that we have doesn't have a lot of information in it. >> reporter: earmarks are pet projects that members of congress pay for with your

. >> "cbs evening news with katie couric" is next. i got get me -- no, i don't. i'm not going to get me -- >> once ayear. >> hill: tonight, stuck in the mud: southern california trying to dig out after a week-long monster storm, only to learn more rain could be on the way. i'm erica hill. also tonight, hitting the road. more americans are traveling this holiday season while at the malls, shoppers are in a spending mood. it was the congress everyone loved to hate. >> hell no, you can't! >> hill: but it also passed more landmark bills than any session in four decades. and the eight-year-old who is giving santa claus a run for his money. captioning sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. >> hill: good evening, katie is off tonight. the west is finally seeing a break in the clouds. but a week of storms has left a serious mess behind. runoff is still drowning over roads in some places while in other areas, residents are finding almost everything they own buried in mud. and it's all due to wave af

don't go away, there's much more ahead on the cbs evening news with katie couric. back here at 11:00, for eyewitness news aftete >> couric: tonight, wikileaks founder julian assange out of jail and defiant. >> no doubt some prosecutors are seeking to gain a bit of fame and reputation by taking us on. but they're going to lose. >> couric: i'm katie couric. also tonight, a major tax deal is signed by the president. republicans are elated, but many democrats are deflated. google tells us how words have changed through the ages, giving us a window on the world. and a football player plays secret santa and gives the gift of life. captioning sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. >> couric: good evening, everyone. the founder of wikileaks is threatening to post still more secret documents. julian assange reported today to a police station outside london as part of his

sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. >> smith: good evening. katie is off tonight. we begin tonight with the tale of two coasts, the east still digging out from that monster blizzard christmas weekend, and now the west, where another big rainstorm has landed. it comes just days after a week- long deluge, and along with it, new worries about floods and mudslides. bill whitaker is in waterlogged highland, california. bill, good evening. >> reporter: harry, there are 78 houses here encased in mud. residents had barely begun to clean up when this storm happened. the sentiment around here-- enough already. in highland, california, they're shoveling. bagging. scooping. and hoping that today's storm doesn't bring more of last week's mud and misery. >> we wish mother nature would learn to moderate and spread out over the years and over the months, not dump it all at one time. >> reporter: this latest storm blasted into northern california last night, flooding streets, knocking out power to at least 10,000 households. by this mo

sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couricening, everyone. he says he is not a hero, but watching mike jones and

sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. >> mason: good evening, katie has the night off. from small family get togethers to services in the world's great cathedrals, the christmas celebration is under way tonight. pope benedict led christmas eve mass at st. peter's basilica. security was tight after yesterday's bombings at two foreign embassies in rome and attempted attacks on the pope during each of the last two christmas eve masses. pilgrims flocked to bethlehem, the traditional birthplace of jesus. the crowds were the biggest in ten years due to the drop in violence between palestinians and israelis. in europe, thousands won't be home for christmas. a new batch of snow has left them stranded. more than a third of all flights were canceled today at charles de gaulle airport in paris. travelers are sleeping on cots there tonight. making matters worse, there's a shortage of de-icing fluid. new supplies had to be flown in from the u.s. bad weather is also complicating holiday travel plans in this country. a huge storm syste

there is much more ahead on the cbs evening news with katie couric, including casualties of war. horrific wound suffered by patrols in afghanistan. ,, >> couric: tonight, the mercury heads south. plunging temperatures as far down as florida where the citrus groves are serving frozen orange juice. i'm katie couric. also tonight, the president calls him a true giant of american foreign policy. remembering the man who helped bring peace to bosnia, veteran diplomat richard holbrooke. with u.s. policy in afghanistan undergoing a major review, we'll look at the toll the war is taking on the americans fighting it. and from boom to bust, why so many baby boomer marriages end in divorce. captioning sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. >> couric: good evening, everyone. for much of the country it's a very good night to be inside. in the

sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric>> smith: good evening. katie is off tonight. it is fast and furious-- the winter storm that slammed into the pacific coast yesterday is heading east tonight. after rolling over several western states, that system is now pummeling a huge area from the southwest up through the plains, and it's leaving a path of destruction. homes flooded, trees toppled, and bill whitaker reports, it's making for a miserable holiday week for millions. >> reporter: from the pacific to the mississippi, winter weather is wreaking havoc. freezing rain and high winds led to a 100-car pileup in fargo, north dakota. iowa was shrouded in dense fog. and california can't seem to get a break as drenching rains move out, wicked winds blow in. frigid gales and gusts, up to 94 miles per hour, lashed l.a., knocking out power, toppling trees on to cars. >> before i knew it, i had a tree in front of my windshield. >> reporter: north of l.a., in lamont, california, the last of the rain flooded an irrigation canal. 120 hou

obama, president clinton, governor schwarzenegger, bill maher, ryan seacrest, brine williams, katie couric, it was a galaxy of stars. joining him fred armmyston at "snl" who plays larry king on "saturday night live" they did a little back and forth and had aen interview. back to president, the zipper club, it's an exclusive club of people who had open heart surgery. if you don't know the term like many americans it could have been confusing last night when bill clinton started talking about the zipper club. >> i'm glad to see you here and still up and going. >> we're both in the zipper club. by the way, you looked very good last week in the briefing room at the white house. by the way, the suits wanted me to remind you what the zipper club is, if you had open heart surgery they had to zipper it up. i thought everyone in the world knew it. >> we did not know that. >> oh. >> wondering -- i'm sure you did. brian, do you have any questions for the president. >> i'm glad you clarified that. >> i see what you mean. oh. oh. >> president clinton wanted to clarify not that kind of zipper club. one

sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. >> smith: good evening, katie is off tonight. some are calling it a hurricane with snow. a final storm for 2010 and one for the record books. it dumped 32 inches of snow in some places, and concealed cars under drifts five feet high. all of it delivered by fierce wind, some gusts topped 80 miles an hour. the snow and wind made travel difficult and dangerous, blamed for at least a dozen deaths on the road. air travel stopped. about 6,000 flights have been canceled turning airport terminals into makeshift dormitories. states of emergency have now been declared by seven governors and a look at where this storm has been over the last 24 hours explains why. from virginia to maine, snow and more snow. since christmas eve, tens of millions of people snowbound or close to it. we have several reports on the storm and we begin with national correspondent jim axelrod in new york's midtown manhattan. >> reporter: it was a nasty one, harry, and while it's clear now, as you can tell from the looks

katie couric will be here tomorrow. good night. captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org stepping up patrols. >>> holiday shopping comes with shopping. the recent spike in robberies that has police stepping up patrols. >>> virginia place in the bay area, investigating the discovery of a missing 12-year- old girl. they now say they are concentrating on a murder case. >> my kids are sad right now. everybody's sad. >>> muni workers complain the grinch has stolen christmas. why the city is holding up millions in year end bonuses. cbs 5 eyewitness news is next. ,,,,

cbs news with katie couric is next. anita is in for derek at 7:00. we'll see you then.

i'm katie couric. thanks for watching. i'll see you tomorrow. until then, for the latest news online, you can check out cbsnews.com. good night. >>> now, "entertainment tonight," the most watched entertainment news magazine in the world. >> the ryan and scarlet split. still wearing her wedding ring. >> plus the latest on two more star breakups. michael c. hall and jennifer carpenter. zac efron and vanessa hudgens. >>> the new photo of the star

sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. >> axelrod: we begin tonight in rome, where pope benedict xvi celebrated christmas mass. in his traditional christmas day message, the pope spoke to catholics in china, urging them to have courage in the face of oppression. amid heightened security at the vatican, the pope prayed for a just and peaceful coexistence in the middle east. in bethlehem, an estimated 100,000 pilgrims made the journey to the birthplace of christ. officials say that's double the number that visited last year. security, as always also, was tight but the scene was calm and joyful. back in the u.s., there's a double-barreled blast of winter under way. one storm is making a mess in the south, and now a blizzard warning as a nor'easter is preparing to slam the east coast. the national weather service forecasts 11-16 inches possible from new jersey north. whiteout and blizzard conditions and wind gusts up to 55 miles per hour. for those trying to get home from their holiday visits, the dream of a white christmas m

katie couric will be here tomorrow. good night. >>> another round of heavy rain and strong winds in the bay area, the damage left behind and how long before the next wave hit. >>> the sierra getting buried under a preholiday blanket of snow, the danger for travelers beyond the road conditions. >>> and major delays on b.a.r.t. cause problems in the transday, too. cbs5 eyewitness news is next. e? her diary. when you're done, i'd love some feedback. sure. your mom and i read that thing cover-to-cover. loved it. thanks. would you mind if i cut the lawn this weekend? only if you let me talk to your mother on the phone for hours on end. done. [ male announcer ] u-verse brings peace to the family. at&t u-verse lets you record four shows at once from any room and play them back on any tv. now get up to $300 back in promotion cards.

katie couric and other network news stars stopped by.s all for larry king's final show on cnn last night, it's the last of nearly 7,000 including about 50,000 interviews. at the end the 77-year-old king addressed his fans. >> i am -- i don't know what to say except to you, my audience, thank you. and instead of good-bye, how about, so long? >> king will continue to appear on cnn in occasional specials and plans to work in radio and he says have time for baseball. >>> there is newly released security video this morning showing a violent incident aboard a seattle school bus. it happened last month. five teen-aged girls seen attacking another girl, who is pregnant. her boyfriend steps in but the fight goes on and investigators say several items were stolen. the oldest of the five attackers was 19 and later arrested and charged with assault. the other four are charged with second degree robbery. >>> in health news this morning, the swiss drugmaker roche defends the use of its popular breast cancer drug avastin. the fda says studies have fail

cbs evening news with katie couric is up next.

katie couric will be pulling for them. can vote for next week's poll at dc.highschoolsports.net. and now it's time to look at the excellent and not too excellent time of the year. we do a drum roll here. december 16th i'll need a better one. driver of the packers, he's been out this for 13 years and won't go down. goes past the second and third guy. three guys try to tackle him. that is a pretty good catch for a 35-year-old guy. this is the last play of the game in fresno. this is the quarterback garrett steel. he is going to swing the ball down field and he has a man that goes all the way to the house. play lasted 25 seconds. that is forever in a football game. >> amazing. >> here is the bad. worst hero. cowboys running back choice. his team got whooped on on sunday and after the game he gets michael vick to autograph the glove. come on, where is the pride. [ laughing ] >> you can't do that. worst new mascot. they introduced an inflatable cannon but, i don't know, does that look like something else to you? like something

. >> in an interview with katie couric today julian assange denied having any contact of individuals that submit material to that group. >>> victims of bernard madoff are getting billions of dollars back. the widow of long time madoff investor says she wants to give 7.2 billion to people who lost money in the ponzi scheme. she had withdrawn the money before the investment collapsed. lawyers for his widow barbara told her they could preserve most of it by fighting for it in court but she says she wants to give it all back. the agreement brings madoff victims halfway toward recovering all of their losses. >>> it is fight night for two former office workers in berkeley literally. these guys used to be couch potatoes so they say, but they quit their jobs, hit the gym and just a few minutes ago they stepped into the ring to fight one another. the white collar brawlers. grace? >> reporter: it has been intense here tonight. they just finished up the fight a couple minutes ago. we just found out who the winner is. you can see them giving some final comments. it has been standing room only in

next on the "cbs evening news with katie couric," burning down the house, the place so dangerous investigators had no choice but to set it on fire.