our colleagues at cbs news. >> more than i do. you know, i'd like my life back. >> osgood: before the new year becomes an old year. >> i do not know what an illegal immigrant looks like. >> you know, like all jews i was probably at a chinese restaurant. >> reporter: this sunday morning, we remember the events, the people, the times we've left behind. with each new year, we traditionally make resolutions about changing old habits and starting over. few, however, are actually forced as cynthia bowers will show us, to tackle the drastic changes that confronted one man you already know. >> reporter: for more than 40 years, roger ebert has guided our choices at the box office. his voice instantly recognizable. >> a sinister inner force took over and i found myself typing-- and i quote-- i hated this movie. >> reporter: but no longer. do you remember what your last words were? >> no, because i didn't know they would be my last words. or i would have written something great. >> reporter: tragedy, triumph and true love later on sunday morning. >> osgood: paula abdul has been a wonderful singer, dancer, even a talent judge. no wonder some people wonder who she really is. this morning she'll talk about that with our julie chen. >> reporter: she's a world renown dancer and choreographer. a multi-platinum recording artist. >> how about a lot of you coming in. >> reporter: and a frequent punching bag for comedians. >> then i saw her on television a couple of days ago. she was loaded like a carp. >> reporter: what's the biggest misconception about you? >> oh, where do we begin? where do we begin? >> reporter: stepping out with paula abdul. later on sunday morning. >> osgood: ring in the new is what i'm told millions of americans did the other night. our bill geist was right in the thick of it. >> reporter: on new year's eve the eyes of a nation were again focused on that krystal ball dropping in times square. overshadowing scores of other things, some really odd things, dropping all over the country. ringing in the new year at the brass town north carolina opossum drop later on sunday morning. ryan seacrest, eat your heart out. >> osgood: we'll have those reports and more but first the headlines for this sunday morning the second day of january 2011. arkansas, missouri, and mississippi begin 2011 under a state of emergency. yesterday a missouri woman became the 7th victim of the tornadoes that struck the south on new year's eve. over 100 homes were destroyed, hundreds more were seriously damaged. the capital building in washington was evacuated yesterday after a passenger plane landing at national airport briefly lost radio contact with flight controllers. the pilot had accidentally switched to the wrong frequency. three people are dead and 43 injured after a russian passenger jet caught fire as it taxied down the snowy runway in siberia yesterday. the plane then exploded but not before most of those on board were evacuated. northeast australia is bracing for even worse flooding. the deluge already affects an area in queensland as large as france and germany combined. residents are being urged to evacuate as the water level continues to rise. actors valerie bertinelli has married in california. the 50-year-old star of hot in cleveland married financial planner in malibu yesterday. texas christian university caps a perfect season with a thrilling finish in yesterday's rose bowl. the horn frogs held off the wisconsin badgers and became... in the game's final minutes. tsu has 13 wins and no losses. today's forecast is far from perfect. rain along the east and west coasts. snow up north and cold everywhere in between. hey, it's winter. it will remain cold, wet or both across the country except in hawaii where it will be sunny and in the 70s. next film critic roger ebert starting over. and later stepping out with >> osgood: starting over after a terrible setback is extraordinarily difficult, but a well known movie critic is doing just that. cynthia bowers has paid him a visit. >> first you don't know where it's going and then you don't care where it's going because the characters had developed such a quirky charm. >> a sinister inner force took over and i found myself typing-- and i quote-- i hated this movie. hated, hated, hated, hated this movie. >> reporter: for more than four decades, roger ebert has guided our choices at the box office. his syndicated newspaper column and trademark thumbs- up/thumbs-down routine with tv partner gene siskel were legendary but now that famous voice has been silenced. do you remember what your last words were? your last spoken words? >> no because i didn't know they would be my last words or i would have written something great. >> reporter: for the past three years, this is how ebert has been talking, a computer voice that speaks what he types. his lower jaw is gone, ravaged by cancer that nearly killed him. are you able to talk in your dreams? what are your dreams like? >> everything is fine in my dreams. i talk all i want. life is normal. sometimes in a dream i will remember that i can't speak. but then suddenly i can speak again. >> reporter: roger ebert could surely never have dreamed this story line for his life when he began at the chicago sun times back in 1967. his elegant style and wit quickly made his movie reviews must reads. what makes a movie great to roger ebert? >> i feel it. i sometimes even feel a tingle in my spine. honestly. it's an almost spiritual feeling. >> reporter: ebert won a pulitzer prize in 1975 for film criticism. soon he tried his hand at television teaming up with rival critic gene siskel from the chicago trub tribune. >> at first we were not on speaking terms. then we spoke but we fought a lot. our rivalry was very real but all the time we were becoming better and better friends. we were like brothers. >> reporter: and they fought like brothers on screen. >> you're wrapping yourself in the flag of a sophisticated film critic. >> boredom. >> i don't think so. if a friend asked me to see it, i would say see it but be prepared to be disappointed. >> that's great. >> reporter: their bitter arguments and thumbs up thumbs down rating system made them famous. >> i came up with the idea for the thumbs, which had never been used before to review movies. we were the first. trademarking them was gene's idea. >> reporter: siskel and ebert were a staple in homes across the country during the '80s and '90s. but in 1999 their partnership came to a sad end when gene siskel died of brain cancer. >> he taped his last show only a few weeks before his death. he must have been in pain but he never once complained. >> reporter: do you miss him? >> i miss him terribly every day. >> reporter: only three years after siskel died, roger ebert was given his own devastating diagnosis of thyroid and salivary gland cancer. he was fighting for his life. but he was not alone. >> sometimes i really think that it was kind of destiny that we were together. >> reporter: attorney chaz ebert is roger's wife. >> throughout this illness you've had to learn a whole new language. what is that based on? >> i would say maybe it's the language of love. >> reporter: they found each other in the late 1980s and have been a team ever since. >> here we are just married. >> i was single for a long time. i met her and it just felt right. it still does. she is not an ordinary woman. >> reporter: and what she's done for roger is extraordinary. through the years of long hospital stays and near fatal complications, chaz has supported her husband even when it became so hard for them to go on. >> there were times that i had to not only fight for him but fight with him to tell him why life was worth living. >> reporter: but then after doctors repeatedly tried and failed to rebuild his jaw, ebert decided that was it. no more surgeries. he would spend the rest of his life unable to speak. but all those years on tv gave technology a rare opportunity. >> my name is roger ebert. >> reporter: graham leary works for a scottish company that is creating a roger ebert voice using thousands of his own words. >> there's a large archive of his voice from the years. we're able to use that. >> reporter: ebert has been using a computer voice until his is finished. we gave him some questions in advance so he could show us how he'll sound some day. >> it sounds like me. that feels great. but i have good comic timing and the personal delivery. no computer voice will be able to duplicate that. you can't tell a joke on a computer. >> reporter: when you hear the computer talk to you in roger's voice, what's that like? >> the first time i heard it, it was overwhelming because i did not realize that i had missed his voice. >> chaz, i love you. >> i love you, too. >> reporter: it's been 43 years since roger ebert first walked in to the chicago sun times fresh out of college. he isn't there much these days, but when he does go back, colleagues gather around to say hello. >> wasn't that a great party? >> we like you in the office here, you know. >> reporter: publisher john baren. >> people talk about him being the heart and soul of the paper. that's cliche but in this case it is true. >> reporter: but while he's back to visit, ebert is also there to work. cancer free and reenergized the 68-year-old has millions of readers on his blog. >> we can usually count on news to drive our traffic. in roger's case it's not necessarily news, just roger. these numbers are just astonishing. >> reporter: and he's churning out new books including one of rice cooker recipes, a gadget he discovered while trying to lose weight before getting sick. roger himself receives food through a tube but still loves to cook with chaz. he says he's happiest beside her. >> smell the ginger. >> reporter: there and at the movies. your own theater. with a ticket taker no less. ♪ a kiss is just a kiss ♪ a sigh is just a sigh >> reporter: so thumbs up or thumbs down on this movie? america's movie critic is back. >> thank you so much. >> reporter: ebert sees as many as ten films a week and a new version of his tv show debuts later this month. instead of shying away from the public and the way he looks, roger is embracing it. >> i said to hell with it. this is how i look. people with problems like mine should get on with their lives and not hide because of it. >> reporter: roger ebert is a changed man. but still there is one constant. >> we are on a mission together. >> reporter: what mission is that? >> to make each other happy. >> osgood: next we go 100 years back in time to 1911. 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[ snorting ] ♪ take the special k challenge, with so many ways to lose up to six pounds in two weeks. what will you gain when you lose? get started at specialk.com. >> osgood: 2011 meet 1911, 100 years ago. the very first indianapolis 500 was raced on may 30 of that year. the victor had an average speed of 74.6 miles per hour. the titanic was launched the very next day, may 31. with a top speed of about 26 miles per hour. she set sail on her first and last voyage the following april. june 15 saw the birth of the computing tab lating reporting corporation or ctr better known by its updated name ibm. speaking of births 1911 saw the birth of such luminaries as ronald reagan and gene harl owe. the two rogers ginger and roy, no relation. and redheaded comedian lucille ball. newspaper publisher joseph pulitzer died in 1911. journalism and literacy prizes he created live on. and truly marking an era's end the world lost william dobritz who was the very model of a modern music lyracist. so what will people remember about 2011? check back with us in 100 years. ahead, we remember our friend dr. billy taylor. for 25 years. d i was a packr i do remember sitting down with my boys, and i'm like, "oh, promise mommy you'll never ever pick up a cigarette." i had to quit. ♪ my doctor gave me a prescription for chantix, a medication i could take and still smoke, while it built up in my system. [ male announcer ] chantix is a non-nicotine pill proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these symptoms or behaviors, stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix. if you develop serious allergic or skin reactions, stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away as some of these can be life-threatening. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. dosing may be different if you have kidney problems. until you know how chantix affects you, use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. ♪ my benjamin, he helped me with the countdown. "ben, how many days has it been?" "5 days, mom. 10 days, mom." i think after 30 days he got tired of counting. [ male announcer ] it's a new year. so, ask your doctor about chantix. and find out how you could save money on your prescription go to chantix.com to learn more and get terms and conditions. and i figured i would take these... "dietary supplement weight-loss pills." ooh, "consult a physician if you experience rapid heartbeat, "dizziness, shortness of breath... "side effects may include chest pain, nausea..." yeah. couple days of that, and i will be in a bathing suit in no time! [ female announcer ] need a clinically proven way to lose weight now? then try the slim-fast 3-2-1 plan. 3 snacks, 2 shakes or meal bars, and 1 balanced meal. slim-fast. who has time to slim slowly? and 1 balanced meal. >> osgood: if you haven't already heard, i'm sorry to tell you that our good friend and colleague dr. billy taylor die this past week. he was 89 years old. for more than 20 of those years he was a member of our sunday morning family. ♪ player of jazz, teacher of jazz, composer, ambassador of jazz. dr. billy taylor was all those things and more. >> i think of myself as a pianist/composer. those two things are the things that give me the greatest pleasure. >> osgood: i first introduced billy taylor to sunday morning viewers back in 1981. of course we remember him for introducing us to the wonders of jazz. for more than 20 years as a contributor to sunday morning, he brought us the finest performers, old masters, and young lions. back in 2004, the late ed bradley asked billy how it was that he had such a passion for jazz. >> do you remember the first time you heard this music? >> oh, yeah. i had an uncle in washington d.c.. i loved the way he played. i told my dad i want to play like that. so he said that's okay, uncle bob is all right. but he's self-taught. i'm going to send you to a piano teacher and you'll learn how to play properly. i don't want to learn properly. i want to play like him. >> osgood: he learned to play properly all right and then some. what a career he had. the 1940s billy taylor came to new york from his hometown of washington, and it didn't take him long to find his place among the jazz legends. el l.a. fitzgerald took billy taylor under her wing. there he is under her wing. pianist art tatum relied on the young billy taylor to be his eyes. he was blind. >> he allowd me to take him to broadcasts and record dates. >> osgood: billy taylor himself became a broadcaster. he was musical director of the david frost show in the 1970s. he became the punch line of the duke ellington joke. >> ladies and gentlemen, mr. david frost presents willie the lion smith and... um... billy taylor. >> osgood: hundreds, perhaps thousands of jazz musicians today might say they are proteges of billy taylor. he taught others well. dr. billy taylor earned a doctorate in music education at the university of massachusetts. >> billy taylor, for his world chrags jazz artistry.... >> osgood: in 1992 he was awarded the national medal of arts by president george bush. and a master of jazz fellowship from the national endowment for the arts. >> i'm billy taylor. welcome to jazz alive. >> reporter: he hosted a jazz program on national public radio. and jazz at the kennedy center in washington d.c., a regular series. he wrote more than 300 songs. one was a favorite of rev. martin luther king jr.. >> he always asked me for a piece that i had written which was very popular during that period. but he never remembered the title. the tune was called "i wish i knew how it feel to be free." he would say play that baptist piece that you play all the time. >> reporter: billy was married for more than 60 years to the incomparable tedi taylor with whom he had two children. it was a love that inspired him always. >> this is the song i wrote for tedi. >> reporter: he inspired us as well. thank you, billy taylor, for the pleasure of your company. thank you for your grace and good will. for opening our ears and our hearts to the music you loved. >> osgood: america's future. our look at what's next is next. and later... ♪ what's next for paula abdul. at a start of a new year it's natural to ask what's next? that's not an easy question this year. we'll have reports later from europe and china, but we begin here at home with jeff greenfield. >> this country of the united states was not built by those who waited and rested and wished to look behind them. >> i've never felt more strongly that america's best days and democracy's best days lie ahead. >> our union can be perfected. what we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow. >> reporter: it is "the" core american faith: that this is a country uniquely even providentialally blessed, whose best days always lie ahead of us. and for much of our history, that faith has essentially been justified by reality. >> we have a lift-off. lift-off on apollo 11. >> reporter: throughout most of the 20th century, the american century, as life magazine proclaimed it, america was the richest, most powerful, most open society on earth. but today a specter is haunting america, a sense that we will no longer be "the" dominant world power. and more troubling, a sense that our future may not be brighter than our past. a sense captured in a recent poll revealing that nearly half of americans believe our best days are behind us. in a way this is nothing new, says author and journalist james fellows. >> as the early american republic was first taking form, already there were warnings, are we going to be rome even before there was any sort of great empire to worry about. >> reporter: and through the last half century in particular we worried about threats to america's supremacy. >> today a new moon is in the sky. at 23-inch metal sphere placed in orbit by a russian rocket. >> i can remember the launch of sputnik in the late 1950s and the sort of galvanizing effect that had on american education especially in science and math. and then in more recent history say starting 25 years ago was the japan he's. of course in the recent decade it's mainly been china that's been the comparison by which america is compared. >> reporter: this idea, call it relative decline, the concept that other nations may equal or surpass our economic or technical mastery may be hard for a "we're number one america "to accept but for paul kennedy who wrote the rise and fall of the great powers, it is neither new nor troublesome. >> no one stays on top. the u.s. has a very hard time in realizing that. great powers like the u.s., like british empire, like the on the... ottomans rise to a position of prominence over a century-and-a-half or so and stay on top for a long while and usually gradually decline. >> reporter: but it is a different idea that you can sense in the public conversation today, a sense that some of america's most enduring beliefs about itself are in doubt. beliefs that are at the center of what kind of country we are and how effective our political system in dealing with what threatens us. at the center of the doubts is the wounded american economy, not just the 50 million who are jobless or underemployed, not just the trillions lost in the economic meltdown of the last few years, not just the millions who have or may soon lose their homes. it's the broader picture. >> in the last 35 years, the median wage in america has gone down. most americans in the last now two generations have done worse economically, which is unprecedented in american history. >> reporter: and it poses a special threat to a pattern that we took for granted from world war ii through the '70s. blue collar workers finding secure, well-paying jobs that provided them and their families a measure of security and comfort. moreover if america's economic machinery is stalled, it means trouble, serious, potentially devastating trouble, for our governments and their obligations. our federal government has a $14 trillion debt. and in towns, cities, counties and states, pensions and health care costs of public employees threaten to leave those governments literally bankrupt. >> it is not sustainable. >> reporter: former new york lieutenant governor has spent a lifetime dealing with budget crises. this time he says it's different and worse. >> i think that it's only a matter of time before you begin to see bad things happening like cities or counties not making payroll, defaulting on debt. >> reporter: so is optimism a thing of the past? the answer to james fellows is, yes and no. >> we could solve what's wrong with this country fairly easily considering how rich we are, all the resources we have. whether we'll actually do that is a different matter. >> reporter: the real question may be, is our 200-year-old political system capable of dealing with today's dilemmas? >> i think we have a very poor constitutional and political system for the 21st century. we have a system which was marvelous for 13 independent loosely tied states in 1783, 1786. >> i spent a lot of years of my adult life living outside the united states and people will often say i wish we had x, y and z comparing us to the united states. no one has ever said to me i wish we had a governing system like yours. >> we are following up... i will not yield to the candidate. >> because our political system to match our great potential resources with the problems we have, that seems different to me sometimes. >> reporter: which is, says historian paul kennedy, why america's most urgent need is to distinguish between what is beyond our reach and what is in our power to change. >> the reversible things are what you do with your national budgets, with your science and technology programs, with your education. those are reversible. and therefore my answer to you about, you know, is america ultimately in decline is there's the irreversible stuff just forget about. concentrate on what is improveable. and then we start looking better. >> the president-elect of the united states. >> osgood: ahead, the world that was ten years ago. oh, yeah. v8 juice gives you 3 of your 5 daily servings of vegetables. v8. what's your number? 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( applause ) >> osgood: by june he had signed the tax cuts that still bear his name. >> mcvey was calm throughout the entire process. >> reporter: timothy mcveigh was executed for the 1995 oklahoma city bombing that took 168 lives. f.b.i. agent robert hanson was caught spying for the russians and sentenced to life in prison. >> it was paradise, paradise. >> reporter: dennis tito paid russia $20 million to become the first space tourist. >> boom that's the i-pod. >> osgood: back on earth apple's steve jobs unveiled the i-pod ♪ catch a falling star and put in your pocket ♪ >> osgood: just the thing for playing the very different songs of perry como and joey ramon both of whom died that year. throughout much of 2001 americans followed the mystery of chandra levy, the washington d.c. intern who had disappeared in may. though eventually cleared of involvement congressman gary condit was at the center of endless media speculation. the story was still in the news as americans woke up on the morning of tuesday, september 11. we all know what happened then. ♪ from sea to shining sea ahead, a look back to the >> osgood: the year 2010 saw natural and man made disasters, some inspiring human accomplishments, and everything in between. time for a last look back. >> couric: major disaster right now in haiti. >> i want my life back. >> we've come to take our government back. >> they could repudiate.... >> prince william.... >> america is not at war with islam. >> are you ready to restore sanity? >> the world is is coming to an end. ♪ i need all of these lines being crossed ♪ >> couric: news of this devastating earthquake really came in waves. >> we stand in solidarity with our neighbors to the south knowing that but for the grace of god there we go. >> couric: the most horrifying site just to see endless rows of dead bodies. haiti was in a state of shock. ♪ i need a sign ♪ let me know you're here >> couric: i saw a woman in a wheelchair. her head was enveloped in bandages. she was so swollen and bloody. ♪ i need a hand to help build some kind of hope inside of me ♪ >> couric: there was one little boy. he was screaming and yelling (screaming) for this one boy this was the agony of an entire country. 33 miners are trapped in chile for 17 excrutiating days their families waited for word hoping and praying as crews dug through the rock to get to the miners. suddenly came word. >> 33 of us are fine in the shelter. ( cheers and applause ) >> the first miner has just made it to the surface. >> couric: after 70 days, they are finally free. ♪ the more things change, the more they stay the same ♪ >> every american family will keep their tax cuts. ♪ tomorrow isn't what it used to be ♪ >> couric: unemployment is getting worse and becoming chronically high. >> it could be four or five years before we are back to a more normal unemployment rate. >> a frightening free fall in the market. the dow at one point was down 998 points. ♪ it's time to roll up our sleeves ♪ >> couric: optimism about an economic recovery sent the dow above 11,000 for the first time since september of '08. late today the coast guard called off the search for 11 workers. >> human decisions can have deadly consequences. in the gulf 11 families don't have someone with them because of this explosion. >> b.p. is responsible for this horrific disaster. >> the greatest oil spill in american history now covers 29,000 square miles. this is so heavy i can barely lift it. >> it looked like chocolate pudding. i remember at that point thinking if it's this bad now and there's that much more oil to come, this could really get bad. >> no one who wants this thing over more than i do. i'd like my life back. >> that really made people and angry. >> he wants to get back to his way of life. i'm pretty sure that brown pelican wants to get back to her way of life. >> no one seemed to have an idea of how to stop the leak at that point but there was no plant from the beginning. >> malia says did you plug the hole yet, daddy? ♪ i'm fixing a hole >> we are absolutely committed to clean every drop of oil. >> i wouldn't say it's failed yet. ♪. >> bottom kill, static kill, top kill, containment. top half. >> i'm deeply sorry for how this has affected your families. >> i think the expectations were so high i don't think there's anyway that anyone could have met them. >> they knew things were going to get bad. i don't think they were aware they were going to be as bad as they turned out to be. >> this scares the hell out of me. >> democrats spent a year debating and working on health care when americans were saying what we care about is jobs. >> hell no you can't. >> do you wish you had waited on health care until the economy grew stronger? >> no because keep in mind jobs were my number one priority last year. >> how is that hope and change and stuff working out for you? >> the united states senator from massachusetts scott brown. >> we are tired of them spending our money and not listening to our views. >> is this my new reality? ♪ we will be victorious >> i'm not recommending for every future president that they take a shellacking like i did last night. >> please raise your right hand. >> our next supreme court justice elena kagan. >> where were you at on christmas day? >> you know, like all jews i was probably at a chinese restaurant. >> great answer. >> the supreme court today allowed don't ask don't tell to remain in place. >> in my view the concerns of combat troops do not present an insurmountable barrier to successful repeal of don't ask don't tell. >> couric: do you ever regret it as a policy? >> oh, yeah, but keep in mind i didn't choose this policy. the reason i accepted it was because i was promised it would be better than it was. >> we need to secure or borders. >> i do not know what an illegal immigrant looks like. >> you are being criminalized based on the color of your skin. >> you don't like the bill, then carry out the federal responsibilities which are to secure the border. >> couric: 3,240, the number of days the war here has gone on. >> nominate general david petraeus to take command in afghanistan. >> couric: is this july 2011 time line undermining your efforts? >> it's not a date when there's an exodus of u.s. or coalition forces. >> we are moving toward a new phase in afghanistan. that will conclude in 2014. >> you are approaching an area of hostility. which is under a naval blockade. >> mobbed, clubbed, beaten, stabbed, the organizers' intent was violence. >> they are raising a white flag to the israeli army. this is after one person had been killed. >> our soldiers to to defend their lives or they would have been killed. >> i believe muslims have the right to practice their religion as everyone else. >> this facility that is being debated is universally known as the ground zero mosque. what do you call it? >> a hub of culture. a hub of co-existence. a hub of bringing people together. >> our burning of the koran is to call to the attention that something is wrong. >> i am heartened by the condemnation of this disrespectful, disgraceful act. >> this is the corner where an s.u.v. was parked full of explosives. >> the real danger coming from within. these are people in our midst. >> faisel shahzad the prime suspect was attempting to flee the country. >> only because he was a poor bomb builder were we saved from a real calamity. >> authorities intercepted two packages, one aboard a cargo plane in england, the other a cargo plane in dubai. >> they do apparently contain explosive material. >> tens of thousands of classified documents leaked and posted on the web. >> the real story is that in war it's one damned thing after another. >> we're looking at all the things we can do to stem the flow of this information. >> ten people here in the united states pled guilty to acting as agents of russia. >> it wasn't my idea to send her back. ♪ >> i think it invades the privacy. ♪ they groped me which is not okay ♪ >> if you touch my junk i'm going to have you arrested. >> i did do everything i was told to do. >> hot and dangerous. >> i don't want you to think that i don't respect you. >> 30 days in jail. i'm going to lose it now. >> provocatively dressed ought time. >> i'm going back to the hotel and have you come over tonight. >> welcome to my new show. it's called conan. i named it conan so i would be harder to replace. >> reporter: 21-year-old went over a track wall at 88 miles per hour and struck an unpadded steel pole. he was pronounced dead this afternoon. >> couric: yeardley love was found face down in her bedroom yesterday. he told police he shook love and row petedly banged her head against a wall. he killed himself after secret video was posted online. >> i am devastated over the death of 18-year-old tyler clementi. he announced he was gay on the internet and he killed himself. >> if you're getting bullied for not fitting in with everybody else, reach out, get help. >> i'm not a witch. >> i've got a good feeling about this. >> that's right. >> people can't afford to pay their rent. >> couric: this year brought out the best in us and the worst in us. >> instead of good-bye, how about so long? ♪ you can start all over again ♪ >> i'm deeply sorry. >> you can try to find a way to make another day go by. >> couric: for every celebrity out there setting a bad example, there were also heroes to look up to. ♪ you can shine a little light on everything around you ♪ ♪ some day we'll figure all this out ♪ ♪ how to put an end to all our doubt ♪ >> couric: we really don't know the epilogue of some stories that have receded from the headlines. ♪ maybe some day we'll live our lives outloud ♪ ♪ we'll be better off somehow ♪ ♪ some day >> in beijing. tianamen square. for centuries this was the gate to china's imperial palace, home to an all powerful eferp rower. now as china rises again the government buildings house assertive leaders. >> my sense is is that chinese diplomacy has shifted gears in the past year. >> reporter: explains brookings institute senior fellow kenneth lieberthal. in the past chinese officials insisted their foreign policy strategy was to lie low, but as america's influence dims china is demanding attention. just last month it reiterated claims to disputed waters in the south china sea and pressured countries to stay away from a nobel prize ceremony honoring jailed chinese activist. >> almost every country in asia has expressed alarm to the u.s. privately that they are becoming very worried about china. china has thrown its weight around, being more brusque, harder edged. that kind of thing. >> reporter: washington's been stung by china's assertiveness too. after president obama met tibet's exiled spiritual leader the dalai lama china scaled back purchase of u.s. treasuries. when the white house announced $6 billion in arms sales to china's taiwan they jinxed several military ties. the message to the outside world is clear but inside china there's a lively debate about how the government should wield its growing economic political and military might. >> the relative decline of the u.s. and the relative rise of china doesn't necessarily mean a power shift from one to the other claims political professor. indeed many argue china's facing many serious domestic problems, preventing its move from emerging power to super power. from choking environmental pollution to a rapidly aging population, and 470 million people still living on less than $2 a day. when china wakes, it will shake the world. said napoleon bone part. country's entrepreneurs awoke decades ago. now it's china's politicians' turn to step into the spotlight. >> what's the biggest misconception about you? >> osgood: next. >> julie, there are many misconceptions about me. >> osgood: julie chen talks to paula abdul. >> where do we begin? where do we begin? >> osgood: and later bill geist ringing in the new. for the smaller low-fat one, you'll cut about 12 grams of fat. then take alli with it to help boost your weight loss. so for every 2 pounds you work to lose, alli can help you lose 1 more. alli. how healthy works. but the nicoderm cq patch gradually steps you down off of nicotine in just three steps, doubling your chances for success. nicoderm cq. 3 steps, 10 weeks and you're free. affect wheat output in the u.s., the shipping industry in norway, and the rubber industry in south america? at t. rowe price, we understand the connections of a complex global economy. it's just one reason over 75% of our mutual funds beat their 10-year lipper average. t. rowe price. invest with confidence. request a prospectus or summary prospectus with investment objectives, risks, fees, expenses, and other information to read and consider carefully before investing. style that lasts a lifetime. what do you say we get the look we want, the softness we need, and an unbeatable lifetime stain warranty for whatever life throws at it. then let's save big on the installation. ♪ we're lowering the cost of going barefoot. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. get exclusive martha stewart living and platinum plus installed in your whole house for only 37 bucks. >> osgood: until last year paula abdul was a regular on the highly rated american idol tv show. now she's set to launch a new tv reality show of her own. julie chen offers this sunday profile. >> let's take it from the top. here we go. 5, 6, 7, 8 and dance. >> reporter: paula abdul is at it again. this week the veteran dancer, choreographer and recording artist will debut "live to dance." an all new reality show on cbs where amateur dancers of all ages hoof it out for a half million dollar prize. >> i want amazing people to live in their unique ability. >> reporter: "live to dance" could launch a whole new crop of stars. it might also launch a whole new paula abdul. she was a judge on american idol. >> i think you're amazing. >> reporter: the nice one. >> paula, you are just so sweet, hearing your voice. >> reporter: she helped to make that show one of the biggest in tv history. >> tell us what are you looking for this season? >> how about a lot of you coming in. >> reporter: but her eccentric behavior. >> well, let's put it this way. when the show started the record industry said this show is going to ruin the music industry. >> reporter: sometimes turned her into a punch line. >> paula and... abdul has got it going on. she was loaded like a carp. >> reporter: what's the biggest misconception about you? >> oh, julie, there are many misconceptions about me. i think that... where do we begin? where do we begin? >> reporter: paula julie abdul was born and raised just a few miles from hollywood and caught a bad case of dance fever early on. what's your earliest memory of dance? >> my earliest memory of dance probably was what gave me the bug to actually become a performer was when i was four years old. i was watching "singing in the rain." ♪ i'm singing in the rain ♪ just singing in the rain ♪ snolt. >> my mom and dad were sitting on the couch, and i kept getting closer to the television set. then i kissd the tv set to kiss gene kelly. i looked back at my dad and i said, "that's my dad." my father said, "no, i'm your dad. that can be your television dad." as my parents said, i put my fist down and i said, "i'm going to be an entertainer." >> reporter: and she kept her word. paula abdul's real breakthrough came on a basketball court when she won a cough ited spot on the l.a. laker cheerleading squad. the laker girls. she began core yog graphing the routines herself. her work caught the eye of some very famous fans. is it true that the jacksons saw you at a laker game and that's how you got hired to core yog graph them? >> that's absolutely true. >> reporter: and the jacksons were only the beginning. abdul core grog graphed this scene from 1988 coming to america. as well as the cheerleading routines from american beauty. and the end zone dance in jerry maguire? all paula. but there was more to paula abdul than dance moves. she started making records and released a debut album in 1988. forever your girl went multi-platinum. with a string of number one hits. >> when straight up came out, everything was like a fast freight train. it was a bullet train that just was taking off. i was always running to catch up. to see what was ahead. ♪ hurry, hurry, love has come to me ♪ > it did, however, slow a bit. her follow-up records were big but not colossal. her marriage to actor dissolved after two years. a second marriage failed. and it seemed that paula abdul's star was fading. and then in 2002 came american idol. >> one of the worst auditions i've ever heard in my life. >> really really really bad. cito gastonly. >> reporter: and fellow judge simon cowel. >> shut up. >> i'm just reinforcing your point. i don't have a problem saying anything in front of your face. >> i'm going to say no. >> i feel like quitting this show right now. i really do. >> we saw what the energy was on air. but what was it like when the camera stopped rolling? >> worse. >> reporter: worse? that's a show i want to see then. >> that's the show that should have been produced all along. you know, there's something, first of all, one thing that i was kind of surprised you picked that song but when... well, first of all.... >> reporter: abdul's slurred speech and frequent loopyness led some to conclude that she was either not very smart or not very sober. >> what i'm loving about this season, you have such a great instrument. you're musical. >> did she like it or not? >> reporter: what bugs you that people say about you that you know and your friends and family know that is just not you? >> i am intelligent. >> reporter: people don't give you enough credit for having a brain. >> having a brain. that's a concept, yes. i have a brain. >> reporter: did you ever have a drinking problem? >> i've never had a drinking problem. even though i've been in this business for quite some time i've never physically been drunk in my life. i've never been drunk in my life. i don't use recreational drugs but i am goofy. >> reporter: so it's just paula. >> it's paula. it is paula. even the people on idol know that none of that existed ever. >> you are exactly what makes people live to dance. >> reporter: now paula abdul begins 2011 a bit older and a lot wiser. with high hopes for her new show and for herself. you've learned your lesson. >> julie, i have learned so many lessons. >> osgood: just ahead, the new year's resolutions of faith salie. when you realize that depression has left you nowhere to go. when you've lost interest in everything. when you've had one too many days feeling sad or anxious... aches and pains, fatigue. when it becomes hard to ignore that you need help. that's the day you do something. depression hurts. cymbalta can help with many symptoms of depression. tell your doctor right away if your depression worsens, you have unusual changes in behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing of the skin or eyes. talk with your doctor about your medicines, including those for migraine, or if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles, to address a possible life-threatening condition. tell your doctor about alcohol use, liver disease, and before you reduce or stop taking cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. side effects include nausea, dry mouth, and constipation. is today your day? 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[ rattling ] [ male announcer ] need ink? this week at staples, buy any hp ink and get a second one at 40% off. that was easy. >> osgood: day 2 of the new year. none too soon for a reality check in the opinion of our contributor faith salie. >> reporter: well, happy new year. how are those resolutions going? didn't you say you were going to drop 15 pounds? okay. i know yesterday was a holiday and today, well, today you've apparently decided to watch sunday morning instead of your weight. but really, didn't you at least vow to be more organized in 2011? i mean, how long does it take to alphabetize your spice rack? but who am i to judge? i was supposed to be talking to you in spanish by now but i can't even roll my rs. about half of americans make new year's resolutions and then four out of five of us break them. so depressing. so, i propose this year make some resolutions you can keep. because they'll feel good. resolve to fall in love. it's as easy as a scaring contest. one scientific study asks strangers to stair at each other for four minutes without talking. the strangers found themselves deeply attracted to each other and two of the subjects even got married. sounds crazy, right? let's try it. oh, my. have i ever told you how dreamy you are? what are you doing next sunday morning? make a resolution to stay in love. do something out of your comfort zone with your partner. i don't mean play naked scrabble with your in-laws. when you do activities together that involve fear your brain produces arouseal chemicals that get misattributed to your partner. so grab hands and bungee jump. or contemplate a palin presidency. and in 2011 try falling in love with yourself a bit more. impress yourself by deciding to learn one new thing and then really do it. take an improvisation class, read "as i lay dying" not at the same time though. learn to make flan. happy 2011. embrace your new resolutions. and i wish you good luck in spanish. buena suerte. 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[ light snort ] [ male announcer ] cold symptoms tackled. quarterback sacked. vicks nyquil cold and flu. the nighttime, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, fever, best sleep you ever got with a cold... medicine. ♪ myth. head & shoulders is just for dandruff. myth. the fact is, it gives you seven benefits like relieving dryness, itch, even oiliness for a healthier scalp and beautiful hair. ♪ ♪ i can't tell you what it really is ♪ ♪ i can only tell you what it feels like ♪ ♪ right now it feels like in my wind pipe i can't breathe ♪ >> this is elizabeth palmer in london. battered by storms and buffeted by riots in the wake of near economic collapse, europe and europeans are feeling bruised and a little fragile. maybe that's why there... they're especially sensitive to reports about america's decline. we decided to ask several commentators from around europe for their perspective. >> europeans especially germans i would say they fear a decline of american power. >> reporter: peter klein berlin bureau chief says europeans hope first for a revitalized u.s. economy. >> they do american leadership. they do need a strong america. because you cannot solve any of the major problems and crises in the world without american leadership. >> reporter: there have been serious risks... rifts with europe over the u.s. invasion of iraq, for example, and more recently wikileaks which revealed what american diplomats really think of some european leaders. but the common bond in europe even as geo politics shift. >> we're never going to have the political links with china or russia the way we have them with the u.s.. >> reporter: tim marshal diplomatic editor in london for sky news. >> i don't think america is in decline. i think it's an overstated case. people mistake the fact that china is growing in power, that japan and germany will be greater economic powers and so there's going to be competition. that doesn't mean america is becoming weaker. militarily america has got a good 50-year lead everybody else. >> reporter: and much as europeans have recented american military supremacy, they still depend on it. >> if the u.s. is indeed losing influence in the world then most people here in the netherlands would feel that... would view that as bad news. >> reporter: a political reporter with rtl dutch tv. >> the dutch public and the dutch politicians here in the haig have seen the u.s. as their last line of defense, as their nuclear shield against aggressors. >> reporter: and they hope leading the way in new ideas. >> america's greatest strength is innovation. >> reporter: maria, news anchor for rye tv in italy, says it's america's youth and drive that still inspire. >> america is "the" country where you can become president before you're 50. that is from italy's point of view where all politicians are fixed and glued to their chairs until the age of 75 or more, that is quite a lot. >> reporter: so as the year turns, europe's verdict tingd no doubt with wishful thinking, reports of america's decline are greatly exaggerated. ♪ way down south >> osgood: and next, bill geist. >> reporter: i spend new year's eve at the opossum capital of america with this. no offense. ralax. it's the one. the one recommended by more doctors. only miralax is clinically proven to relieve constipation with no harsh side effects. miralax is the only one. restore your body's natural rhythm with miralax. on new year's eve all eyes were on the krystal ball dropping in new york's times square. what? nobody was dropping anything anywhere else? get serious. a giant pickle plunged into a barrel in north carolina. a 200-pound balogne fell to earth in pennsylvania. in times square they drop the ball. and here they drop a shoe. >> reporter: a live drag queen floated down in key west. and the frozen carp named lucky descended to the throne in wisconsin. here at clay's corner gas station, sort of the times square of north carolina, they were doing a traditional dropping of the opossum. ♪ opossum right in the middle of the road ♪ >> reporter: clay logan founder of the opossum drop would like you to know that their opossum is lowered not dropped as delicately as new york's waterford krystal ball. >> if we said come to the lowering of the opossum, well, nobody would enjoy that. but this opossum that we use is... as a matter of fact, there are probably opossums up around my house with little signs saying, "use me next year." >> reporter: clay says the town is proud to call itself opossum capital of the world and pays tribute to the critters each year at a pre-drop spectacular that draws thousands. and where opie, this year's designated opossum dropee was the star. opie could look down through his plexiglass cage and see the remarkably eclectic extravaganza below. ♪ in the sweet by and by >> reporter: there was the baptist church choir ♪ on that beautiful shore >> reporter: followed by a cross-dressing beauty pageant. there was the brass town brigade, an outfit that blesses people at the new year by chanting.... >> we wish you a happy new year. great health. long life. >> reporter: firing black powder muskets and playing tuba solos. and there was a truly moving tribute to fallen soldiers. ♪ but now i see >> reporter: which only in brass town could be followed by the opossum drop. >> it's midnight. let's get the opossum down. happy new year. >> reporter: when the crowd had finally gone, opie was released. is that a stirring, emotional moment for you, the separation? >> well, you know, we say good-bye. we don't kiss. but we say good-bye. >> reporter: happy new year, opie. stay out of traffic. >> osgood: words to live by from our bill geist. now to our friend harry smith in washington for a word on what's ahead on face nation. happy new year, harry. >> smith: a busy morning around here and a busy week in washington with a brand new congress. a lot more republicans, fewer democrats. is it a recipe for gridlock or progress? that's what we'll be talking about. >> osgood: thank you, harry smith. we'll be watching. next week here on sunday morning... we catch up with actor javier bardem. >> ( beeping, beeping stops ) >> announcer: free is better. do your simple return for free with the federal free edition at turbotax.com. turbotax. the most trusted brand of tax software. ooo whatcha got there? uh oh, sesame stir fry from lucky dynasty. oh, me too! but mine's lean cuisine, so no preservatives. wait, did you say? i did! no preservatives. 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[ female announcer ] no preservatives, all delicious. lean cuisine. >> sunday morning's moment of nature is sponsored by... >> osgood: we leave you this first sunday morning of the new year among the whooping cranes of the national wildlife refuge on the texas gulf coast. >> osgood: i'm charles osgood. we wish each of you the best in this new year and hope you'll join us again next sunday morning. until then, i'll see you on the radio. that my chronic bronchitis was copd... i started managing it every day. i like to volunteer... hit the courts... and explore new places. i'm breathing better with spiriva. spiriva is the only once-daily inhaled maintenance treatment for both forms of copd... which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. i take it every day... it keeps my airways open to help me breathe better all day long. spiriva does not replace fast acting inhalers for sudden symptoms. stop taking spiriva and call your doctor right away if your breathing suddenly worsens, your throat or tongue swells, you get hives, have vision changes or eye pain... or have problems passing urine. tell your doctor if you have glaucoma, problems passing urine or an enlarged prostate... as these may worsen with spiriva. also discuss the medicines you take... even eye drops. side effects include dry mouth, constipation and trouble passing urine. now, i'm managing my chronic bronchitis every day. ask your doctor if once-daily spiriva is right for you. captioning made possible by johnson & johnson, where quality products for the american family have been a tradition for generations