>> reporter: it may look like a christmas postcard, but snow spreading from the midwest to the southeast is causing headaches for some holiday travelers. delta airlines today canceled 500 saturday flights, 300 of them in atlanta which could see its first white christmas in 17 years. the storm system has already dumped nine inches of snow in iowa, six inches overnight in minneapolis causing nearly 270 accidents on snow-covered roads. >> the roads are terrible. >> reporter: parts of illinois saw up to five inches of snow and as the storm keeps moving, it's causing dangerous driving conditions as far south as tennessee. dallas was deluged with heavy rain. call it a wet christmas for last-minute shoppers. >> it's crazy out here and wild! but i'm loving it! >> reporter: in new orleans, hotels and restaurant owners are celebrating. business is up 25% in what's ordinarily a slow season. >> we haven't been to new orleans since hurricane katrina and i'm very pleased with the way it looks and i'm just glad that it's making a great comeback. >> reporter: elsewhere in the south, there's snow in the forecast for the first time in years. >> it would be beautiful to have that. it would be... it would be like a postcard. >> reporter: in places like charlotte, louisville, nashville and atlanta. in fact, 50% of the country could have a white christmas, prompting major airlines to announce they'll waive rebooking fees for passengers whose flights are affected by bad weather. the chance for the heaviest snow again, will be late sunday and sunday night, possibly somewhere along the east coast. while the snow is a treat for kids, it causes more potential problems for air travelers. the key here is not what the weather is like where you are, it's what the weather is like where the plane is that's supposed to come to you to take you to your on going flight. i passengers at o'hare and laguardia were greeted by white times of more than an hour to get through security but most kept their christmas cheer. >> it's been a joyful experience so far and that's surprising. >> reporter: well, christmas day isn't traditionally a busy travel day, but this big storm could still be dumping snow in the northeast, as you heard, sunday into monday and that could mean trouble for millions trying to get home. anthony? >> masonl-: don teague at dallas/fort worth airport. thanks. then there's that other holiday rush-- the stampede for last-minute gifts. the stores were ready, many were open round-the-clock the past few days, but time is just about up. key ski in new york's time square tonight. elaine? >> reporter: good evening, anthony, for those shoppers still racing around stores tonight, the finish line is almost here. and this holiday season looks like retailers are turning out to be the big winners. in the home stretch of holiday shopping, the strategy are all the same. >> everybody's coming in and just grabbing whatever it is that they need. whatever they can get their hands on. >> reporter: at 1:00 a.m. this morning, shoppers in new york were out in force and paying for procrastination. >> everybody's drinking starbucks to stay awake and keep going. >> reporter: it's turning out to be a very merry christmas for retailers this year with total holiday sales expected to top $451 billion, just short of the record total of $452 billion set in 2007. >> i think this year there's a lot more optimism on the part of the consumer than we saw last year. >> reporter: for some shoppers, it's a cautious optimism. >> i don't know if we're feeling a little safer this year, but i've definitely felt i spent a lot more this year. >> reporter: the average consumer is expected to spend about $689 on holiday-related item this is year. while that's up slightly from last year, it's still well below the pre-recession level of $755 in 2007. as for who's crowding the stores this christmas eve, surveys show that most of the procrastinators are men. >> they don't have quite as many people to shop for and they can get away with starting on christmas eve a lot of times, unlike women, who shop for between 15 and 30 people every year. >> reporter: now, for retailers, another bright spot this holiday season is online holiday sales, they were up to $36 billion, that's a 15% increase over last year. anthony? >> mason: elaine quijano. thanks. with so many people traveling tonight, security is a big concern at the airports and t.s.a. screeners are on the lookout far new threat. bob orr is in washington with a look at what has officials worried. bob? >> reporter: good evening, anthony. u.s. officials, i have to tell you, are more concerned than i've seen them in a long, long time. al qaeda and its affiliates are threatening holiday attacks and, like last year, a top target is aviation. it was christmas day one year ago, umar farouk abdulmutallab tried to bring down a northwest airlines jet liner with the type of underwear bomb most counterterrorism agents had not seen before. now security officials are on alert for another potential terrorist weapon. explosives hidden inside the liners of insulated drink containers. sources say there is no specific intelligence that al qaeda is planning a thermos-bomb plot. but as a statement just posted on the t.s.a. web site warns the possible tactics terrorist might use include the concealment of explosives inside insulated beverage containers. >> a thermos? that's a bomb? >> the interesting thing about this thermos is there's no liquid in the thermos. the bomb is built into the thermos itself. >> reporter: t.s.a. explosives chief ed kotell showed cbs news a thermos bomb which his experts built to train security officers. test explosives have been hidden in a number of everyday items like slippers, picture frames, magazines and even golf clubs. >> what we're trying to do is stay one step ahead of the terrorist. as we flow christmas day, the challenges that are posed by a non-metallic devices that are fully concealed. >> reporter: in the years since the detroit attack, officials say they've tightened defenses and improved their sharing of intelligence but the volume of threats is also up. >> so we need to be on top of our game, particularly during the holiday season. but throughout the year. >> reporter: now, officials stress there is no credible information pointing to a specific holiday plot, but as always, they're worried about what they don't know. anthony? >> mason: bob orr in washington, thanks. we don't often report on minor police chases, but yesterday in hi hey man being pursued by officers caused quite a commotion when he sped past a security checkpoint at president obama's vacation compound. secret service agents drew their guns and confronted the driver, he got away briefly but was captured the man was wanted for several traffic violations. the president was playing golf at the time and was never in any danger. now to afghanistan where it's already christmas. getting into the mood to celebrate can be a challenge for the 90,000 service member and women deployed in what's now the longest war in u.s. history. that doesn't stop them from trying as mandy clark reports from forward operating base bostwick deep in taliban territory. >> reporter: this is no christmas carol and the holiday spirit seems a world away today as head hunter troops from task force ban did takes to the roads of eastern afghanistan. >> i.e.d. in the middle of the road. stand by. >> reporter: the roadside bombs hit the lead vehicle two kilometers from the patrol. no one is hurt so the convoy continues. today's mission is to search for an illegal taliban checkpoint u.s. soldiers have heard about. it's dangerous work trying to go into areas the insurgents are claiming their s their turf. >> most of the contact in this area comes from across the river overthere. it's called the shark's tooth. >> reporter: the men have to stay focused so any thoughts of home in the holidays are pushed aside. >> i have... really it don't feel like christmas eve or christmas time. >> reporter: villagers say the taliban has been blocking the road recently. the taliban check point is no longer here, but it was believed to be just down this road. now, the taliban use these checkpoints as a toll booth to tax the local population but also an ambush site to try and kidnap afghan security forces. the taliban captured two afghan border police in the area last month. there were also reports that some afghan soldiers are working with the insurgents. that hasn't been confirmed, but it's a big concern. >> if they was working with them it just kind of threw a few things off. >> reporter: once safely back at base, sergeant gibbson switches from camouflage to cowboy hat and turns on the christmas lights. ♪ we'll bring you right back here... ♪ >> reporter: it may not be most people's idea of a holiday, but for now it will do. ♪ on a flat bed truck... >> reporter: mandy clark, cbs news, kunar, eastern afghanistan. >> mason, still ahead on the "cbs evening new," the holidays wouldn't be the same without them. and one family's on a mission to make sure everyone gets a christmas tree. but up next, fed up with a failing school, parents stage a take yovrp and the law is on their side. >> i'd like to say hello and her ci christmas to my lovely wife who is now in findley, ohio, and also my home station base in michigan. merry christmas! check out the myboniva program. it's free to join, and it shows you lots of ways to help improve your bone strength. like bone-healthy exercises that are easy to do. boniva works with your body to help stop and reverse bone loss. and myboniva gives you calcium-rich recipes... monthly reminders... and even a month of boniva, free. so call or go to myboniva.com and sign up now. ( announcer ) don't take boniva if you problems with your esophagus, low blood calcium, severe kidney disease, or can't sit or stand for at least one hour. follow dosing instructions carefully. stop taking boniva and tell your doctor if you have difficult or painful swallowing, chest pain or severe or continuing heartburn, as these may be signs of serious upper digestive problems. if jaw problems or severe bone, joint, and/or muscle pain develop, tell your doctor. ask your doctor if boniva can help you stop losing and start reversing. and join the myboniva program. to get one month free, plus more tips and recipes, visit boniva.com, or call 1-800-4-boniva. [ man thinking ] i'm so stuffed with gas. ohh, noo, not that! not, not here! [ male announcer ] prevent uncomfortable gas moments with gas-x prevention. just one before meals helps prevent gas before it starts. from gas-x, the gas-xperts. just one before meals helps prevent gas before it starts. to stay fit, you might also want to try lifting one of these. a unique sea salt added to over 40 campbell's condensed soups. it helps us reduce sodium, but not flavor. so do a few lifts. campbell's.® it's amazing what soup can do.™ [ malhis day starts thwith his arthritis pain.. that's breakfast with two pills. the morning is over, it's time for two more pills. the day marches on, back to more pills. and when he's finally home... but hang on; just two aleve can keep arthritis pain away all day with fewer pills than tylenol. this is steven, who chose aleve and 2 pills for a day free of pain. and get the all day pain relief of aleve in liquid gels. >> mason: more rain may hit southern california tomorrow as the cleanup continues following a week's worth of storms. early estimates say at least $70 million worth of damage was caused by the rain and floods. much of it was in highland, where cars and homes were caked in four feet of mud. now to a storm of a different sort surrounding california's schools. a new state law allows a majority of parents to essentially take over a failing school. and its first test case is causing quite an uproar. ben tracy has more in tonight's "reading writing and reform." >> yes, we did! yes, we did! >> reporter: these parents are fed up. their kids go to mckinley elementary in compton, california. it's a tough town and the school is one of the worst in the state-- ranked in the bottom 10%. shemika murphy says her second grader is still reading at a first-grade level. she signed a petition along with 262% of mckinley parents forcing the school district to make it a charter school-- publicly funded by privately run. >> we want to turn in this petition. >> reporter: it's the first use of california's so-called parent trigger law where a majority of parents can demand a school shut down, change staff, or become a charter. >> we want it to be peaceful. we're not trying to start a war, we just want a better education for our children. >> reporter: but it has become a nasty fight. some parents now say they were tricked or intimidated into signing the petition. if enough of them withdraw their signatures, this whole trigger effort could backfire. >> i've heard countless... dozens of accounts of misleading lying. >> reporter: yet those calling for reform say they're the ones being threatened. told their kids will be kicked out of school or parents could be deported. >> it's sad how my son told me last time that he hated me because of all this... what i'm doing. >> reporter: governor schwarzenegger is now calling for an investigation. these parents are also getting support from michelle rhee, former head of washington, d.c.'s schools and the darling of the reform movement. >> if what we want is more parental involvement, then when the parents get involved, you can't create a hostile environment. >> reporter: mckinley teachers say they are shell-shocked given that their state test scores have jumped nearly 13% in the past two years. >> it's very hurtful because we see how hard we work here and then to hear the rest of the country talk about as if we're doing nothing. we're a great school, we're on the mend. >> reporter: some parents say they can't afford to wait for bad to get better. ben tracy, cbs news, compton. >> mason: up next on the "cbs evening news," protecting the privacy of a princess to be. >> wishing my family back home in sacramento, california, a happy holidays. merry christmas, i miss you all. i'll be there next there. i love my beautiful wife, my three girls and my boy. ♪ [ male announcer ] open up a cadillac during our season's best sales event and receive the gift of asphalt. experience the exhilarating cadillac cts with a direct injection v6. it's the one gift you can open up all year long. see your cadillac dealer for this attractive offer. backed by the peace of mind that only comes from cadillac premium care maintenance. the season's best sales event. from cadillac. 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[ male announcer ] prevent uncomfortable gas moments with gas-x prevention. just one before meals helps prevent gas before it starts. from gas-x, the gas-xperts. >> mason: in britain, the engagement of prince william and kate middleton is being celebrated with a growing list of official wedding-related merchandise. but a new commemorative coin is creating a royal fuss. is image on the coin is drawn from a photo of the couple, but at best it's only a so-so likeness of him and resembles her-- well-- hardly at all. this for a coin priced at over $2,000 for the solid gold version. royal watchers are appalled. no comment from buckingham palace. tonight, the royal family gathered for christmas eve at an estate north of london but not prince william or his betrothed. he's on military duty, she's with her parents. kate middleton won't enjoy such privacy for much longer but as mark phillips reports, her new family is determined to protect her. >> reporter: this is the kind of picture the royals like to see. the newly engaged couple in a controlled setting in a glare of a grateful world media. this is what they're trying to avoid. a princess to be scurrying away from a persistent pack of prying paparazzi. this scene filmed during kate and william's brief breakup period three years ago. it's a scene reminiscent of the kind of hounding that became a regular part of william's mother's lives. culminating on that night in paris when diana and dodi fayed died in a car crash while trying to avoid photographers. two inquests later blamed the deaths not on the photographers but on the speeding car's drunken driver. still, the royal family has now warned that any intrusion on william and kate's privacy will bring the full force of british law down on the intruders like a royal ton of bricks. >> i honestly believe if tiger woods had been british you wouldn't have known about tiger woods. that's how is it in this country now. >> reporter: and english privacy law is a lot stronger than american privacy law. here's there's something called the red carpet rule. if it's an official function on a red carpet-- real or imagined-- it's okay. pictures can be taken. if it's a private function, off the carpet, it's private, off limits, and the courts back that up. in fact they've already backed up kate middleton. sneaked photos of her playing tennis were kept out of the papers here by royal legal pressure and the photo agency which took the pictures had to apologize and pay damages. at the heart of this threat is william's desire to protect kate. it's an arrange. the notoriously unruly british tabloids seem happy with for now in the pre-honeymoon period. but what happens later? >> my suspicion is that there might be some domestic ups and downs which will still make rather good pictures and rather good words and therefore will lead to the royal family getting very irritated and on that basis the line may hold but i wouldn't bet on it. >> reporter: the royals are bet nag a happy couple will continue to make good news. >> very nice hat! >> reporter: if not, the law is on their side. mark phillips, cbs news, london. >> mason: there's no better time for caroling than christmas eve, especially if you're joined by one of the world's most famous singers. ♪ and so this is christmas... ♪ for rich and for poorer and the new one just begun... ♪ >> reporter: that's bono of the band u2, of course, leading a crowd in christmas in his native dublin tonight to raise money for a charity that helps the homeless. coming up next, a deep-rooted christmas tradition. ready sensei. hey tough guy, that cold needs alka seltzer plus! it has the cold-fighting power of an effervescent packed in a liquid-gel for all over relief! hiyah! dude! hiyah! this holiday, do you really want to cut corners by using a broth with msg? 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