back to work. congress returns for a lame duck session and a partisan fight over extending tax cuts. ohio mystery. a teen-aged girl rescued from her alleged kidnapper but a frantic hunt continues for three others, including her mom. and lights out an nfl game at a brand new stadium is interrupted twice by power failures. this is the "cbs morning news" for monday, november 15th, 2010. good morning, everybody. thanks for joining us. i'm betty nguyen. the post-election congress that gets back to work today may be filled with lame duck legislators but they still have jobs to do and job number one is resolving the partisan dispute

over tax cuts. preeti arla is in washington with more on this. good morning, preeti. >> good morning, betty. republicans want to keep the tax cuts in place for everybody. the president has said we can't afford to keep them in place for the wealthiest americans. lawmakers have seven weeks to act before taxes go up for millions of americans. temporary tax cuts put in place by the bush administration are set to expire. >> we are in the midst of the greatest recession in the history of this country since the great depression. it is not the time to raise anyone's taxes. >> just about everyone favors extending the cuts for lower and middle-income taxpayers but the obama administration and republicans are at odds about extending them for individuals making more than $200,000 a year. >> we just can't afford to borrow another $700 billion for tax cuts that almost entirely are going to go to millionaires and billionaires.

>> president obama has hinted he may be open to compromise. he meets with democratic and gop leaders this week to see if they can find common ground. as lawmakers return to washington for the lame duck session, more than 100 mostly republican freshmen are in town for orientation as the largest incoming class in the house in more than 60 years. they've been collecting their laptops, checking out their new offices and learning the lay of the land on capitol hill. the lawmakers all know what voters want. >> we just want to talk about the economy and what it takes to get jobs coming back to america. >> both sides will have to work together to get things done. republicans will control the house, while the democrats still have a majority in the senate. the obama administration claims keeping the tax cuts in place for wealthy americans will cost $700 billion and add to our national debt and, betty, those tax cuts are set to expire december 31st. >> time is ticking. preeti arla in washington,

thank you preeti. an accused kidnapper will appear in court today after a missing teenager was found in his home. but, three more people are still missing and so far the suspect is not cooperating with police. randall pinkston has more. >> reporter: a s.w.a.t. team stormed this ohio home sunday morning and found a missing girl bound and gagged in the basement. >> we have located and rescued 13-year-old sarah maynard. >> reporter: police arrested 30-year-old matthew hoffman and charged him with kidnapping. >> they brought in a bunch of crime labs and vehicles and then they've been here every since. >> reporter: investigators are still looking for the girl's 10-year-old brother, kody, her mother, tina herrmann and her friend stephanie sprang. all four disappeared wednesday. herrmann was reported when she didn't show up for work at the local dairy queen. police found blood in her home and they located her pickup truck near this campus thursday

night and locked down the school. the investigation led to hoffman's house, about ten miles away where they found sarah. >> at this time, we don't know whether he's connected to the family or whether he connected himself to the family. >> reporter: the sheriff said hoffman's mother and step-mother's house is within walking distance from the victim's home. he has a prior conviction of arson in colorado and so far is not cooperating with investigators. one neighbor says hoffman threatened her son. >> he is a weirdo, he really was a weirdo. >> reporter: sarah maynard is in good condition and is talking to the police. >> we're optimistic. we try to remain optimistic. >> reporter: the community is helping with the search for the three who are still missing. randall pinkston, cbs news, new york. in southeast asia the pro democracy leader imprisoned in myanmar is enjoying her second day of freedom after years of

house arrest and she's urging followers to work for national reconciliation. >> reporter: the opposition leader aung san suu kyi spoke to a huge crowd of supporters hours after being freed from seven years of house arrest, she called for democratic rights in her military-ruled country, once known as burma. if we are to walk the democratic path, we have to walk together, build together, pave together, she told 5,000 supporters. she spent 15 of the last 21 years in detention and near isolation but she's never been forgotten. her father fought for burma's independence from colonial rule in the 1940s. decades later, she left her husband and sons in england to form a pro-democracy party in myanmar, sparking the first of many detentions. it's unclear how the rulers will

react to her calls for change. she was under house arrest when she won the nobel peace prize in 1991, which was accepted by her family. but her husband, who is dying of cancer in england, she decided to stay, fearing the country's leaders would not let her return if she left. to carry the hope and expectations of the people is a burden, but i'm not afraid of the responsibility, she told the crowd. aung san suu kyi will likely need that freedom from fear in the days and weeks to come. authorities say an explosion that killed seven people at a mexican resort was apparently caused by a gas build-up. the blast sunday at a hotel south of cancun blew out the first floor of the 676-room building. five canadian vacationers were killed along with two mexican hotel workers. at least 20 more people including two u.s. citizens were injured. u.s. and nato officials say they hope to begin winding down

the war in afghanistan next year with an eye to ending the u.s. combat mission there by 2014. the u.s. is expected to present elements of the plan at a nato summit in lis been later this week. but the fighting is far from over. a taliban attack today left a u.s. base in flames when rocket fire hit a fuel dump. no casualties are reported there, but nato officials say five coalition troops died in a weekend attack in the same area. after more than a year in the hands of somali pirates, a british couple is free this morning. and headed home. grateful to be alive. charlie d'agata with their story. >> reporter: out of the grasp of her captors rachel chandler could only laugh if she was asked if she felt safe. on the flight to kenya, they said they were happy to be alive after being held by somali pirates more than a year. paul chandler said they were rather skinny and boney but, otherwise, fine.

the retired british couple were sailing in the indian ocean when they were seized by somali pirates in october 2009. their kidnappers initially threatened to kill them if their demand for the $7 million ransom was not met and released videos to show they were serious. >> just please, please help us. >> reporter: despite international efforts to stop them somali pirates have attacked ships in the seas off their coasts for years, usually targeting large cargo vessels hijacking them and demanding millions in ransom to let crew and cargo free. pirates are still holding close to 500 hostages and more than 20 ships. it's thought somalis living abroad helped pay some of the estimated $500,000 ransom money to secure the chandlers' release. british officials would only insist the uk would never award hostage-takers. the couple will spend the night at the british high commission in nairobi and one of the first

flights back to the uk tomorrow. the family says although they appear in good shape it is hard to tell how the ordeal has affected them physically and emotionally. in london charlie d'agata, cbs news. another safety scare for qantas airline today the fourth in less than two weeks. this time a qantas boeing 747 carrying 221 people on a flight to buenos ares turned back to sydney after an electrical fault was detected. the plane landed safely. just ahead on the morning news, higher prices just in time for the holidays, plus you will not believe who won this face-off between a cat and an alligator. first, though, katie couric has a preview of tonight's "cbs evening news." >> tonight how this man reached for the stars and came up with a way to move heaven and earth right in his own backyard. that's "assignment: america i've "only on the "cbs evening news." oopdz "assignment: america i've "only on the "cbs evening news." p and grilled shrimp salad combination? or maybe skewers of wood-grilled shrimp.

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a clip on youtube getting a lot of attention, a riveting video showing a cat facing down an alligator. eventually the gator leaves but then comes back with reinforcement. and still, the cat holds his ground and keeps the gators at bay. wow! that's amazing. on the "cbs moneywatch" a mixed day for asian stocks. ashley morrison is in new york with much more on that. good morning, ashley. >> good morning to you, betty. asian markets saw early gains before a sell-off japan i's nikkei managed to add one percent and hong kong's hang seng fell nearly one percent. on wall street, investors hope for a new start after the market had its biggest weekly drop in three months. last week, the dow was down more than 2%, while the nasdaq also shed more than 2%. the irs has issued new requirements for tax preparers, more than 60% of this year's returns will be put together by a tax preparer.

those who are not cpas, lawyers or irs enrolled agents will have to pass a competency test and meet annual continuing education requirements. the size of the average house is shrinking. according to the real estate site trulia, the median-size home is now about 2100 square feet, down some 200 square feet from 2007. if you think those reusable grocery bags are environmentally friendly, listen to this. turns out lead has been found in some of those bags. new york senator charles schumer is calling for a federal investigation amid fears the toxins could pose a health or environmental danger. "megamind" remains the biggest draw at the box office. the animated comedy featuring the voice of will ferrell made just over $30 million in its second week in the theaters. fit was followed by the denzel washington thriller "unstoppable" and "due date" the comedy featuring robert downey jr. i went to see "megamind"

with chdz achaz, and i got to say it is one funny movie. >> for adults and children alike, huh? >> well, i laughed. >> i bet your son loved it, too. ashley, thank you so much, joining us here in new york. stores from around the country were hoping to get consumers to jump-start the holiday shopping season a bit early this year but as prices for some items seemed to go higher and higher, consumers are being extra cautious this time around. bill whitaker reports. >> just when retailers were hoping the coming holidays would get shoppers spending their dollars, rapidly rising prices might make them pinch their pennies, instead. gas costs 13 cents more per gallon than last year. a will go lon of milk is up nearly 30 cents. in just the last month, coffee has gone up 24 cents a pound. and now, cotton prices are at all-time highs, up 400% in the last two years. last week's price was nearly double what it was in july.

the cotton cost more so the pockets cost more, which means these all-cotton jeans are going to cost you more. higher prices are a tough sell in this economy, so manufacturers are cutting where they can. using synthetic blends, lowering labor costs, and searching for long-term alternatives. including from an unlikely source, bamboo, which looks like cotton, feels like cotton and at this point is cheaper than cotton. >> shows all the kids styles. >> reporter: he says inquiries for his bamboo fabric are up almost 50%. >> more manufacturers and more brands, more designers are looking for alternative fibers and alternative fabrics. >> reporter: tough times can be fertile ground for new ideas. bill whitaker, cbs news, los angeles. straight ahead your monday morning weather and in sports a touchdown that you just have to see to believe.

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southeast. there are scattered clouds in i the northeast and the northwest and northern plains are looking at mostly cloudy skies. now, later today, a chilly air will move through the northern plains. in the southeast, heavy rains along the gulf coast states. and a wintry mix is heading for the northern rocky mountain region. in sports, a power failure for the giants. the lights went out during the third quarter of new york's game with dallas. not once, but twice. the game was delayed a total of 11 minutes by the outages. in the game, though, dallas seemed have found new life under their new head coach. their quarterback passed for three touchdowns, dallas upset new york 33-20. on the final play of the game in jacksonville, houston's defensive back deflected a pass, right into the hands of the jaguars' receiver, mike thomas. look at this. he stepped across the goal line for the winning score. jacksonville over the texans,

31-24. in cleveland jets quarterback mark sanchez connected with santonio holmes with only 16 seconds left in overtime for the winning touchdown. the jets went on to beat the browns 26-20. when we return, another look at this morning's top stories and amazing survival, three fishermen are found after being lost at sea overnight clinging to their boat. to their boat. okay, i need a better pizza. one made with only real cheese. a pizza my family will love. [ female announcer ] freschetta naturally rising crust pizza. no other pizza tastes like freschetta, because no other pizza is made like freschetta. ♪ [ female announcer ] the newest seasonal flavors are here. ♪ express yourself ♪ [ female announcer ] because coffee is like the holidays. it's better when you add your flavor. coffee-mate. from nestle.

after a cable car operator is stabbed on duty. how a trail of blood led police to an arrest. plus.. crab season gets crackin'. the change this year that could mean lower prices for all of us. it's called the g-mail killer. facebook gets ready to stomp the competition. the project that could change the way we use e- mail. and.. the mystery behind thousands of jellyfish on a bay area beach. join us for cbs 5 early edition ... beginning at five.

,,,, on the "cbs morning news" here's a look at today's weather. much 'needed rain is entering the gulf coast states. the midwest remains quiet with a mixture of sun and clouds. the northwest has more shower activity falling down in the form of rain by the coast and a wintry mix in the mountains. here's another look at this morning's top stories. congress returns to work today for a post-election lame duck session. at the top of the agenda,

deciding what to do about the income tax cuts due to expire at the end of the year. and ohio police rescued a 13-year-old girl from an alleged kidnapper but her mother, brother, and family friend are still missing. three fishermen are back on dry land after surviving 18 hours lost at sea. randy waldrofff was greeted by oopdz his family in kansas night, rescued saturday afternoon off clearwater, florida, with two friends. their boat ran into trouble after some big waves >> when we decided we were going to head back, that we started realizing that the boat was taking on water. >> their boat overturned 25 miles offshore. the three men hung on to the side of the boat through the night before being discovered. he suffered jellyfish stings and two other men are said to be doing just fine. this morning on "the early show" dave price checks in as he makes his way back from alaska on his "no way home" series. i'm betty nguyen.

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students at a high school students at a high school outside of boston made a remarkable comeback in testing. they credit a team of dedicated teachers who put the emphasis on a single subject. >> reporter: they call her dr. zak. the principal is brockton high school's number one cheerleader. and a driving force behind an academic turnaround the experts said could not be done because the school was just too big. >> i believe people expect us to fail. a large urban high school, 4,200 kids are here right now and they come from great poverty, but i want them to fight. >> reporter: her battle began in

1998, when the state of massachusetts introduced an exam that all high school students had to pass in order to graduate. >> we had 44% failing english and 75% failing math. so, the school was in trouble. >> reporter: desperate, she came up with a plan. a small committee of teachers meeting on saturday mornings engineered a back-to-basics curriculum called the literacy initiative. at its core, reading, speaking, reasoning, and, most importantly, writing. >> writing is thinking. once they started the writing, they started learning the material better. >> reporter: writing doesn't stop at english class. the choir writes about a composer. the band writes about music. even in gym class, pencils fly. >> every day, every class, no exceptions. >> reporter: over 12 years, the improvement has been dramatic.

in english, a 44% failure rate dropped to 5%. in math, a 77% failure rate dropped to 15%. >> honestly, i hated it. i thought it was tedious. >> reporter: this basketball player rolled her eyes at first. >> even though it was just -- >> reporter: but now she says it has upped her game on all fronts. >> everything's clearer, actually. there are times when i'm on the court to when i'm inside making my bed, it's crazy. they get to you, creep up on you. >> reporter: the method is supported by the teachers union and studied by harvard university. the bottom line for brockton students is a brighter future. >> students don't have a right to fail. we have an obligation to make sure they don't. >> reporter: and that is something to cheer about. coming up a little bit later

on "the early show," a live report from capitol hill as congress gets back in session for the first time since the midterm elections. also, before you hit the stores, advice on shopping traps that could cost you money. and we will check in with dave price as he makes his way back to new york from alaska in his "no way home" series. that's the "cbs morning news" for this monday. thanks for watching. i'm betty nguyen. thanks for watching. i'm betty nguyen. have a great day! -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

what sea pect let the crabbing begin. the bay area prepares for its best crab season if years. what seafood