this is the "cbs morning news" for wednesday, december 22nd, 2010. good morning, everybody. good to see you this wednesday. i'm terrell brown in for betty nguyen. this morning officials in california are watching the skies, hoping a fifth straight day of record rain won't be one too many, the latest wave of storms started last night, the worst expected this morning. forecasters predict it could bring several more inches of rain to the water-logged state. meanwhile, more than 200 homes were evacuated last night in two los angeles suburbs. emergency workers went door to door to get people to leave. officials say those homes are in danger of being wiped out by mudslides. the governor has declared a state of emergency in six california counties and the damage isn't just in california. four homes including this one washed away in littlefield, arizona, near the utah-nevada borders. fire officials say a dozen more homes are at risk. this is the worst flooding in that region in more than five years. ben tracy has more from hard-hit southern california. >> reporter: water, water everywhere. >> the water is up past my knees. >> reporter: her living room is drowning in six to eight inches. >> every time they let cars drive by it makes waves go through the houses. >> reporter: near san diego, firefighters had to fight surging waters, climbing on a woman's car to pull her to safety. these five days of steady rain are downing tree after tree, causing rock slides to shut down sections of the pacific coast highway and even stranding horses up to their chests. the worst of it is still lurking off the coast. set to slam southern california with up to ten more inches of rain, those in foothill neighborhoods prone to mudslides are on edge. >> i don't think you can ever relax when it's raining. mother nature is unpredictable, you never know what you will get. >> reporter: here's the problem. after nearly five days of rain the hilled sides are so saturated that what looks like stable rock actually just falls apart increasing the risk of dangerous landslides and now this super-soaker is about to set records. already, more than seven inches have fallen in beverly hills, nearly ten in claremont. the city of los angeles has seen more than five inches. it will likely have gotten half its yearly rainfall in just six days. then, there's the snow. mammoth mountain, 300 miles north of l.a. is buried in 13 feet of it. a record. >> we're getting biblical rainfall. right now, mother nature is just giving us a wild ride with unusual weather. >> reporter: and the wild weather has come with many close calls. >> we made nine rescues in 14 hours. and luckily, they all turned out okay. but, those could have been nine fatalities just as easy. >> reporter: the worst of the storms is still ahead talking high winds, hail, thunder, lightning up to ten inches of rain. one forecaster said it will be like the finale of a fireworks show, definitely a level of excitement people around here just don't need. ben tracy, cbs news. in washington this morning, president obama will sign a bill making don't ask, don't tell a thing of the pass. congress voted to scrap the policy and allow gay men and women to serve openly in the military. hundreds of gay rights activists plan to attend today's ceremony. 9/11 first responders and families wait for a key senate vote today. it could cut off debate on a bill to provide up to $6 billion for rescue personnel who got sick from toxic exposure at ground zero. some republicans are trying to block the measure. they say democrats need to spell out where that money is coming from. the senate today is expected to ratify the new s.t.a.r.t. arms control treaty, limiting russia and u.s. to 1550 nuclear warheads each and also reduce each country's nuclear armed missiles and bombers to maximum of 700. both sides again will be allowed to inspect each other's arsenals. whit johnson has more on the senate debate. >> reporter: president obama worked hard to win over enough republicans to approve a nuclear arms treaty with russia and it paid off. he now has the gop votes he needs. >> i think the president would admit that he's spent more time reaching out to republicans recently than in previous times. >> reporter: president obama and russia's president signed the treaty in april. it would reduce the maximum number of strategic nuclear warheads each country is allowed by about a third. secretary of state hillary clinton and vice president joe biden each made a rare visit to the capitol to lobby lawmakers. several republicans have now agreed to vote for it. >> i'm convinced that americans are safer and more secure with the new s.t.a.r.t. treaty than without it. >> reporter: but several top republicans are weighing in against the treaty saying it doesn't do enough to make sure russia keeps its end of the bargain. republicans are, also, concerned that the treaty could create obstacles for a missile defense system. >> i think i understand why the russians don't want to reopen the treaty. they've told us, take it or leave it and my response to our russian friends is, i choose to leave it at this time. >> it's clear with this treaty, that they're trying to cram something else down the throats of the american people. >> reporter: a final vote in the senate could happen on wednesday. whit johnson, cbs news, capitol hill. >> this morning, the obama administration is closer to deciding how to keep nearly 50 terror suspects in detention indefinitely even if the guantanamo detention center is closed. the "washington post" reports their cases may be reviewed regularly by a special committee like a parole board to decide if any detainees can be safely released. president obama has not yet agreed to the plan. the latest on the korean border dispute. today south korea's military began four days of exercises promising to punish the enemy, north korea, if it carries out new attacks. for the first time in seven years, a giant christmas tree has been lit on the south korean side of the border. north korea calls that tree propaganda. on the cbs moneywatch, stocks in asia are mostly higher this morning. good morning to you. >> good morning, terrell. most asian markets saw small gains today. japan's nikkei dipped late in in the day to a finish -- to finish a fraction lower. hong kong's hang seng was higher. today, wall street gets the latest on the housing market. tuesday, a string of multi-billion dollar mergers put investors in a buying mood. the dow jumped 55 points and nasdaq added 8 pushing stocks to two-year highs. major indexes up about 5% this month on track for double-digit gains for the year. the s&p 500 commonly viewed the broadest measure of the market opens this morning at a level not seen since since the lehman brothers collapse in 2008 at the height of the financial crisis. a raise on tap for almost 650,000 minimum wage workers in seven states, arizona, colorado, montana, ohio, oregon, vermont, and washington will boost it next year between nine and 12 cents. all seven already have minimum wages above the federal threshold of $7.25 an hour. toys 'r' us is banking on a frantic finish to the holiday shopping season. for the first ever, the chain will keep all its stores open 24 hours a day for last-minute shoppers. the marathon began yesterday morning and will continue until just a couple hours before christmas. and if your mailbox isn't as full with holiday greetings as it used to be, it's not just you, don't feel bad. according to one research firm, 62% of americans bought christmas cards last year, down from 77% in 2005. and even less are expected to do so this year. and it's not just because of e-mail. more americans are turning to social media, instead of licking a stamp, perhaps tweeting, terrell? >> maybe not a bad idea. thank you so much. ahead on the morning news, find out the safest cars on the road. plus, rehab drama for actress lindsay lohan. she's now accused of being a mean girl. first, though, katie couric has a preview of tonight's "cbs evening news." >> the greatest terror threat now comes from inside our own country. what does a home-grown terrorist look like? we'll examine why they're harder to recognize than ever before as we put this latest danger in focus tonight only on the "cbs evening news." sass! [ laughter ] [ woman ] i'm feeling that! [ female announcer ] the special k challenge begins january 1st. free personalized plans at specialk.com. what will you gain when you lose? free personalized plans at specialk.com. if you live for performance, upgrade to castrol edge advanced synthetic oil. with eight times better wear protection than mobil 1. castrol edge. it's more than just oil. it's liquid engineering. because it was different than any other toothpaste i'd ever seen before. i have sensitive teeth as well, so i want to make sure that i can deal with that problem. i love the fact that the gel turns into a foam. it spread all over my mouth and was able to get all areas of my teeth -- in the back and around. you just feel like it's really working. my mouth and breath felt really fresh and clean. not only does sensodyne iso-active make my mouth feel fresh, but it also has that ability to help me with my sensitive teeth... and it's totally working. actress lindsay lohan is being investigated for allegedly assaulting a staffer at a rehab facility in california. during her stay at the betty ford center, she was involved in an accident with a female staffer. this is allegedly here. if she's found to have violated her probation she could go back to jail. the employee says on december 12th, she called police to report a physical altercation with lohan. >> she pushed me when i had told her to take her hands off of another patient. >> she says she confronted lohan about breaking her curfew and trying to administer a breathalizer test when the alleged assault occurred. meantime, holland has been fired for violating patient confidentiality. this morning the results from the annual crash safety test have been released and many more vehicles rated top picks this year. preeti arla is in washington with the latest. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, terrell. the head of the insurance institute for highway safety says all cars must meet federal safety requirements so what they're looking for when it comes to these crash tests are those manufacturers who go above and beyond what is required and this year, dozens of cars made the pick for top safety. this crash test of the volkswagen jetta helped earn the company a top safety pick designation from the insurance institute for highway safety. this year, 66 vehicles earned the highest rankings in four crash tests conducted by the institute, compared to just 27 last year. >> i think for consumers, it's good news because there's lots of vehicles to choose from. they're in every market class and every manufacturer offers at least one top-safety pick. >> reporter: the institute conducts front, side, rollover, and rear impact crash tests. >> these are the ways people get injured in the real world. >> reporter: models with the highest designation must also have electronic stability control to help drivers avoid accidents. the big winners this year are hyundai, kia and volkswagen audi, the combined brands can boast of nine vehicles that earned the highest ratings. another company that improved the safety of its vehicles, toyota. last year, the brand had no models on the list. this year, eight made the cut. the institute added a new test last year to ensure the roofs of vehicles are strong enough to support four times the vehicle's weight which would help protect its occupants in a rollover accident. >> it's not rocket science to build a strong roof. so, manufacturers have responded and now we have 66 that meet that requirement this year. >> reporter: 40 cars, 25 sport utility vehicles and a minivan won the top safety pick awards. the institute's president says several automakers have already asked for tests on new models coming out next year and predicts more winners could be added to the list. terrell. >> preeti arla in washington for us, preeti, thanks. here in new york, the new "spiderman" musical resumes this morning following a terrifying accident monday. take a look. christopher tierney, a stunt man was seriously injured. he fell about 30 feet after a cable apparently snapped. today's matinee performance will be postponed but other tickets have been selling fast. >> ironically because people are fascinated by a train wreck, the injuries have led to a boom at the box office. you cannot get a ticket to "spiderman" in the coming week. >> producers have agreed to implement new safety measures. they met tuesday with federal and state labor officials. >> we'll take a quick break here. still to come this morning, we'll check your weather forecast. in sports, nowitzki passes bird for a new nba scoring milestone. of gourmet coffee and tea to choose from. ♪ keurig is the way to brew fresh, delicious coffee in under a minute. way to brew. [ female announcer ] so with keurig, every cup tastes like it's brewed just for you. ♪ because it is. choose. brew. enjoy. keurig. choose. brew. enjoy. how can expedia now save me even more on my hotel? well, hotels know they can't fill every room every day. like this one. and this one. and oops, my bad. so, they give expedia ginormous discounts with these: unpublished rates. which means i get an even more rockin' hotel, for less. my brain didn't even break a sweat. where you book matters. expedia. ah, it's stinging a little bit more than usual! yeah, you'll get used to it. the longer you keep your high mileage car, the more it pays you back. get castrol gtx high mileage. it helps engines last longer by fighting the main causes of engine failure. i think a dime went up my nose. yeah, it happens. don't change your car. change your oil to castrol gtx high mileage. its more than just oil. it's liquid engineering. here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. 70 -- or, wow, how about sunny and 39 in new york. sunny and 73 in miami. 34, partly cloudy in chicago, 63 partly cloudy in dallas and 53 with thunderstorms in los angeles. time for a check of the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows storm clouds from washington to southern california. in the midwest, there are partly clearing skies. later today, sunny and warm along the gulf coast. those soaking rains on the west coast are expected to get even and the northeast is cold and windy with some snow showers. in sports this morning, a career-scoring mark, as dallas wins again. dirk nowitzki of the mavericks passed celtics great larry bird for the 25th on the nba's scoring list. the mavericks beat the magic 105-99. dallas has won 16 of the last 17 games. in los angeles, earl boykins of miami, by the way 5 feat 5" scored season-high 22 points against the lakers and the bucks surprised los angeles 98-79. the final in that game that ended the lakerss' five-game streak. kevin durant of oklahoma city scored 32 points against charlotte. the thunder dominated the fourth quarter and beat the bobcats 99-81. oklahoma city tied with utah for first place in its division. when we come back on this wednesday morning, we'll get another check of this morning's top stories and 89 straight. uconn women's basketball team lays claim to a new record. [ female announcer ] with rheumatoid arthritis, there's the life you live... and the life you want to live. fortunately there's enbrel, the #1 most doctor-prescribed biologic medicine for ra. enbrel can help relieve pain, stiffness, fatigue, and stop joint damage. because enbrel suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal, events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, and other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis. ask your doctor if you live or have lived in an area where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. ask your rheumatologist if enbrel is right for you. and help bridge the gap between the life you live... and the life you want to live. how changes at the d-a's office could put the case in jeopardy. the officer caught on tape beating a san jose student.. may lose his job. why the city is going against the wishes of the police chief. teens allowed to drink.. on so- called party buses. the loophole.. some bay area parents are trying to close. one more wet morning..before we finally get a break. when the rain is expected to return again. join us for cbs 5 early edition ... beginning at 4:30. ,,,, on the "cbs morning news" a look at today's weather flooding rains continue in california as well as heavy snow. the colorado rockies also seeing more snow. snow showers lingering in the northeast. the south is sunny, warm, and pleasant. here's another look at the top stories on a wednesday morning, hundreds of homes are being evacuated outside los angeles as powerful storms dump more heavy rain on california. the storms have caused flooding and damage as far east as utah, hundreds of miles from the pacific coast. the senate today expected to ratify the new s.t.a.r.t. treaty cutting u.s. and russian nuclear weapon stockpiles. the treaty passed a key test vote tuesday. it was destiny fulfilled for the university of connecticut women's basketball team. tuesday night, the team bounced into the record books with their 89th consecutive win breaking a record that had stood for three decades. michael hertzenberg reports. >> reporter: from opening tip-off the connecticut team dominated their florida state opponents racking up their 89th win in a row, the most of any ncaa division 1 team ever. >> i'm constantly amazed by these kids and what they're able to do. >> reporter: in the middle of the post-game news conference the coach got a call from president obama. >> we have not lost since you've been inaugurated. how about we keep that streak going for a couple years, huh? >> to work as hard as we do, to focus as much as we do and be aware and pay attention and put that much emotional energy and effort into everything we do on the court is remarkable. >> reporter: the coach says if you watch some of his team's moves, you'll see some of the plays used by the legendary ucla team which set the record of 88 wins in a row back in the early 1970s. ucla coach great john wooden wasn't alive to see his record broken but his grandson came to see the game. >> i'm absolutely thrilled. my grandfather would have loved to have been here to see this. and knowing that, it makes me happy to be here to see it >> reporter: fans were excited to see their team make history. >> they're extraordinary, fantastic, terrific. beyond words! >> our women are tough, you know what i'm saying? i mean, just look around you, you know. what place has this many fans, you know, they just come in and want to see the women? >> reporter: what a packed house saw was domination, by uconn, something that's become the norm, only twice during their run has any team come within single digits. this morning on "the early show" comedian jack black star of "gulliver's travels" i'm terrell brown. this is the "cbs morning news." the "cbs morning news." ah, it's stinging a little bit more than usual! yeah, you'll get used to it. the longer you keep your high mileage car, the more it pays you back. get castrol gtx high mileage. it helps engines last longer by fighting the main causes of engine failure. i think a dime went up my nose. yeah, it happens. don't change your car. change your oil to castrol gtx high mileage. its more than just oil. it's liquid engineering. pride. pizzazz. sass! 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[ female announcer ] the special k challenge begins january 1st. free personalized plans at specialk.com. what will you gain when you lose? the 2010 census shows the u.s. population is shifting, which impacts the political map. populations in the south and west rose about 14% over the past decade. the midwest grew only 4% and the northeast 3%. >> over the last ten years, actually even over the last 40 years, the american population has been seeking the sun. they've been moving to the sun belt. population equals power. >> six states in the south and west gained a seat in congress, florida will get two new seats. texas picks up four. eight states will lose a seat. new york and ohio will each lose two. only three more days left before christmas and retailers are hoping for a last-minute shopping blitz to boost sales. on the saturday before christmas, by the way, traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year, sales totalled more than $7 billion, up 15% over last year. anthony mason has more. >> reporter: for retailers, five of the top sales days of the year happen in this week leading up to christmas, after a strong super saturday, shopper trax is now forecasting holiday sales will jump 4% this season. >> it's clearly a turn after two negative years in a row for the holiday season. >> reporter: the winners and losers so far, electronics are up just .4%, sales of 3-d tvs disappointing but jewelry up 2.6%, women's clothing, 4.4% and men's clothing 8.4%. and with shoppers spending more on gifts, retailers are spending more on advertising. >> advertisers are more confident about telling us to spend money. >> reporter: mike chapman editor of ad week says companies are taking more risks like target with its shop-a-holic pitch lady. love her or hate her she's impossible to ignore. >> i haven't slept in days. literally, days! >> in many ways the secret source, to get attention any way you can. >> reporter: online spending is up 12% so far this holiday and retailers are using the internet as a promotional weapon to spread word of mouth. >> it's a real fight to the finish. >> reporter: this analyst says sales at abercrombie have rebounded after it started to offer promotional deals to its more than three million fans on facebook. >> if i'm a fan of abercrombie and fitch on facebook and i see this pop-up in my news feed i feel they are speaking directly to me. >> reporter: after black friday and super saturday this coming thursday expected to be the third biggest shopping day of the year. retailers call it father's day because of all the procrastinating dads out looking for last-minute gifts. ant tee mason, cbs news, new york. put me on that list. coming up later on "the early show "the latest on the disastrous rainfall in california. lindsay lohan accused of assaulting a staffer. her father sits down for an exclusive interview. and actors from "gulliver's travel" stop by. all that and more a little later on "the early show." that's the cs morning news for this wednesday. i'm terrell brown. take care, everybody. i'm terrell brown. take care, everybody. have a great day! -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com