merchant of death. a russian thought the world's most notorious arms dealer delivered to the u.s. for trial. murder mystery. like a hollywood thriller, a powerful movie publicist is gunned down in beverly hills. reason, unknown. and royal wedding. the prince and princess-to-be happily discuss next year's marriage plans. this is the "cbs morning news" for wednesday, november 17th, 2010. good morning, everybody. thanks for joining us. i'm betty nguyen. viktor bout, the alleged arms a dealer known as the merchant of death in federal lockup in new york city this morning. the russian national extradited to the u.s. from thailand despite fierce protests from moscow.

whit johnson joins us from washington. what's the latest on this, whit? >> reporter: betty, good morning. among other things he's accused of supplying weapons to the taliban. the long legal battle for extradition came just in time for the u.s., days before bout was scheduled to be released. the accused russian arms dealer viktor bout makes his first court appearance in new york today. he faces four counts of terrorism, including conspiracy to kill u.s. nationals. >> viktor bout, sometimes called the merchant of death was the premiere international arms merchant fueling conflicts around the world for almost two decades, willing to do business with anyone willing to pay his price. >> reporter: he was extradited from thailand tuesday despite strong protests from russia's foreign ministry. the russians have claimed he's a legitimate businessman since arrested in bangkok two years ago. u.s. relations with russia have been steadying improving but there is concern this tug-of-war over him could

jeopardize coops on arms control, nuclear weapons and the war in afghanistan. >> we agree to disagree sometimes. we have tensions that crop up periodically and we work to manage those. >> reporter: analysts say the u.s. is willing to risk some turbulence with russia in order to make sure the most notorious arms merchant in the world stays out of commission. >> he built an international empire supplying everything from ak-47s to helicopter gunships to the heart of africa. >> reporter: he faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted of the terrorism charges. bout is a former soviet military officer and wealthy air cargo executive. the u.s. estimates his fortune worth $6 billion. betty? >> whit johnson live in washington. thank you, whit. there is concern russian anger over bout's arrest could derail president obama's push for a new nuclear arms treaty with moscow and senate republican leader jon kyl added.

to those concerns yesterday saying that senate debate on the treaty may be pushed into next year. on can to hill, veteran new york congressman charles rangel faces punishment after a house ethics panel found him guilty of financial misconduct yesterday. rangel insists he was treated unfairly. >> the fact that they had no criminal evidence, i really thought that with my opponent and newspapers and television pundits talking about crime, scandal and corruption, that the ethics committee might come forward and say there's a lot of stuff here but no -- >> the full house ethics committee will hold a hearing tomorrow to decide an appropriate punishment for rangel. randall pinkston has more. >> count 11, conduct in violation of the code of ethics. >> reporter: the house ethics panel announced its verdict against him. >> we found a conviction by clear and convincing evidence. >> reporter: the veteran new york congressman found guilty on

11 counts of breaking house rules including failing to disclose at least $600,000 in assets and income, failing to report rental income to the irs, and improperly soliciting donations from foundations and businesses that could benefit from his vote in congress. >> we have tried to act with fairness, led only by the facts and the law. >> reporter: the 80-year-old lawmaker addressed the panel monday claiming he had run out of money to fight the case and needed more time to set up a defense fund and hire a lawyer. after the verdict, rangel told reporters he didn't get a fair hearing. >> i will ask anybody anywhere that i can, does this sound like it has a scintilla of -- >> reporter: one of the most influential members of the house, serving 20 terms in congress. voters in his harlem district re-elected him just two weeks ago. 80% voted for him. >> my opinion of him really hasn't changed.

he's done a lot of good things for harlem. >> i think that the bottom line is it's a witch hunt. >> reporter: the full committee will recommend his punishment. he faces formal reprimand or censure. randall pinkston, cbs news, new york. president obama was set to meet with congressional leaders thursday but republicans asked that it wait a while, at least until after the thanksgiving holiday. republican leaders say they want to discuss areas of possible cooperation with democrats and the white house. now to a story that could be titled murder on sunset boulevard. the mysterious shooting death of a well-known movie publicist in the heart of beverly hills. it happened early tuesday as kendis gibson reports. >> reporter: the story could have come straight from the big screen, famed hollywood publicist ronnie chasen had just left a premiere for her latest film when she was gunned down in the middle of beverly hills. >> we heard a big boom. >> reporter: the sound was her car slamming into a light pole

shortly after midnight tuesday. she had been shot five times in the chest. the gunfire shattering the normally quiet affluent beverly hills neighborhood. >> normally it's safe but, you know, it can happen, but it's tragic. >> reporter: the 64-year-old well known in hollywood circles lead publicist on oscar-winning movies like "driving miss daisy" and "on golden pond" hob knobbing with the stars of one of her company's latest projects just moments before her death but police have few clues as to what happened between the premiere party and her car crash. >> we don't have a motive right now or suspect information. everything is actually in its preliminary stages. >> reporter: that mystery is only adding to concern for neighbors in her up-scale community. >> i will continue to run here on a daily basis and not feel like i'm in fear for my life. have to move forward hoping, indeed, this was an isolated incident and won't happen again

but you never know. >> reporter: police spent several hours searching her car, home and office for clues but so far, her death remains a mystery. kendis gibson, cbs news, los angeles. on the "cbs moneywatch" stocks in asia struggle again this morning. ashley morrison is here in new york with much more on that. good morning. >> good morning, betty. the markets were lower on new worries china will raise interest rates this week. japan's nikkei mostly down before finishing up a fraction while hong kong's hang seng dropped more than 2%. wall street is hoping for a rebound after some big losses. yesterday, the dow lost 178 points, hitting its lowest level in a month while the nasdaq fell 44. stocks are reacting to the growing debt crisis in europe, particularly in ireland. a meeting of european finance ministers ended without an agreement to bail out the debt-stricken dublin government. ireland has taken over three

banks, a bailout that already cost $61 billion. the dublin government says it does not need help but eu officials fear the crisis will spread. now to the passenger backlash over airport screening. the government says if you don't want to go through a whole body scanner or get a patdown, don't fly because you won't be allowed on planes. but the government says children will no longer be subjected to the aggressive patdowns that offends many passengers. more americans will be hitting the roads this thanksgiving holiday. aaa says about 42 million americans will travel more than 50 miles from home this year. that's up 11.4% from last year. and betty, it looks like the workplace perk is making a comeback at least a little. a management company that keeps track of these things finds that 12% of firms say they will give out thanksgiving gifts to employees, a slight rise from last year and employees can

expect more year-end parties. you know, betty, who doesn't like the holiday work party? >> bring them on, right. >> a good time. >> ashley morrison joining here in new york, thank you. just ahead on the morning news, accusations that bp ignored warning signs before the deadly oil well blow-out. plus, a fairy-tale wedding in the works for prince william and kate middleton. first, though, katie couric with a preview of tonight's "cbs evening news." more than 65 million people are expected to be diagnosed with alzheimer's disease by the year 2030, robbing them of their independence and sometimes their life savings. what can you do to spot the hidden warning signs? we'll look at new guidelines helping families cope tonight only on the "cbs evening news." v8 v-fusion juice gives them a full serving of vegetables plus a full serving of fruit. but it just tastes like fruit. v8. what's your number?

no way. covergirl has lightweight coverage just for your skin type. clean makeup for normal skin, oil control, and clean for sensitive skin. so take off that mask and slip into lightweight coverage that really fits. ♪ it's makeup that works for you... -and you. -and you. 'cause it's made for you. clean makeup in normal, oil control, and sensitive. from easy, breezy, beautiful covergirl. i couldn't sleep right. next day it took forever to get going. night after night, i sat up. sprayed up. took a shower... or took a pill. then i tried drug-free breathe right advanced. and instantly, i breathed better! i slept better. it felt...better. thank you, breathe right! [ male announcer ] breathe better, sleep better, feel better. now try new breathe right advanced for free... at breatheright.com. [ woman ] it's my right to breathe right. isn't it your right, too? [ woman ] it's my right to breathe right.

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. how about a coastal soup and grilled shrimp salad combination? or maybe skewers of wood-grilled shrimp. seafood lunches starting at just $6.99 at red lobster. wallach a new rep a new report says before the oil well blowout in the gulf of mexico, bp and its contractors ignored a series of warning signs.

11 workers died in the april 20th explosion that led to the largest offshore oil spill in u.s. history. the report buy technical experts says there was a failure to consider risk and lack of management discipline. there are fears the cholera epidemic may spread to neighboring dominican republic. the country reported its first case, a haitian citizen who recently vacationed in haiti has been hospitalized with it. no other cases have been confirmed there. meanwhile, the cholera death toll in haiti has topped a thousand. in other news the excitement is already building in britain over the royal wedding. prince william, second in line to the throne, and kate middleton finally announced their engagement. according to buckingham palace the actual wedding ceremony will be held next spring or summer. mark phillips reports. >> reporter: she had been called waity katey, but kate middleton, katherine elizabeth middleton according to the palace

announcement is waiting no more. finally a marriage wildly rumored for years is official. an engagement sealed with the same sapphire and diamond ring william's father had given his mother. his way, william said, of bringing princess diana close to this joyous event. >> my way of making sure my mother is taking part in today. >> reporter: william had popped the question three weeks ago on a romantic vacation in kenya prompting the question today for a couple who had been together for at least eight years, why the wait? >> trying to learn from lessons in the past and i just wanted to give her the best shot to -- to settle in and see what, you know, what happens the other side. >> i'm -- also glad i've had the time to sort of grow and understand myself more. >> reporter: william's father took a pragmatic view of a relationship that's been going on so long. >> obviously thrilled. thank you very much. practicing for long enough. >> reporter: william avoiding some of the pit-falls that

helped doom his father's first marriage but comparisons between diana and kate are inevitable. the camera loved diana. it likes kate, too. diana loved fashion. so does kate. diana was hounded by the paparazzi. kate's had her share of that, as well. in the chess game of royal succession, this modern marriage settles a future that looked shaky not too long ago. behind the queen and prince philip stand charles and camilla. next in line behind them will be william and kate. if the function of the royals is to provide continuity, the pieces are now all in place. they've had a tough enough time carrying on their relationship in the past and, as they showed at the end of their interview, they seem to know there are tough times ahead, too. >> all done. >> reporter: mark phillips, cbs news, london. in other news, the defense is getting its turn in the

elizabeth smart kidnapping trial in utah. yesterday the defense called witnesses who knew accused kidnapper brian david mitchell when he was a member of the mormon church and defense attorneys asked the judge to acquit mitchell saying prosecutors failed to prove their case. straight ahead, your wednesday morning weather and in sports an overwhelming choice as the best pitcher in the national league. [ male announcer ] it's simple physics... a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving is easier. and celebrex is not a narcotic. when it comes to relieving your arthritis pain,

you and your doctor need to balance the benefits with the risks. all prescription nsaids, including celebrex, may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you have heart disease or risk factors such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods. nsaids, including celebrex, increase the chance of serious skin or allergic reactions or stomach and intestine problems, such as bleeding and ulcers, which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. do not take celebrex if you've had an asthma attack, hives, or other allergies to aspirin, nsaids or sulfonamides. get help right away if you have swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing. tell your doctor about your medical history and find an arthritis treatment that works for you. ask your doctor about celebrex. and, go to celebrex.com to learn more about how you can move toward relief. celebrex. for a body in motion.

here's a look at the weather. new yo here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. new york, showers, 65. miami, partly cloudy, 82. partly cloudy, 45 in chicago. denver is going to be sunny, 50 degrees. and los angeles, sunny, 72. time now for a check of the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows the northeast blanketed with clouds from a storm system racing through the great lakes. another storm is descending upon the central plains. on the northwest coast, another batch of rain clouds and down in the southwest, clear skies are prevailing. later today a gusty wind will blow into the northeast as showers begin to wrap up. rain is just getting started in the northwest. sections of the northern plains will see temperatures in the 20s and 30s, and temperatures in the 50s and 60s hang on in the southern plains. in sports, roy halladay of the philadelphia phillies won the national league cy young award, the 13th unanimous winner

of the award pitching a perfect game in may and no-hitter in the playoffs. halladay is only the fifth pitcher to win the cy young in both leagues. in the nba. the lakers get back to winning, kobe bryant had 31 points against milwaukee to end a two-game los angeles losing streak and the lakers beat the bucs 118-107. derrick rose of chicago scored 17 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter against houston. the 95-92 victory is the fourth straight for the bulls. in college basketball, some upsets. the team ranked 25 in the country, san diego state, pulled out a win over number 11 gonzaga. san diego state, 79-7 of over gonzaga. louisville knocked off butler which went on to the national championship game last year. unranked louisville got out to an early lead and upset number 16 butler, 88-73. when we return, another look at this morning's top stories and a day of honor and emotion for a war hero given the nation's highest military

decoration. thank you for calling usa pmy name peggy. peggy, yes, i'd like to redeem my reward points for a gift card. tell points please? 250,000. calculating... ooh! answer: five fifty! 550 bucks?! 5 dollar, 50 cents. minus redeeming charge. leaving 50 cents. say what? happy time! what kind of program is this? want better rewards? switch to discover. america's number 1 cash rewards program. it pays to discover. okay, now here's our holiday gift list. aww, not the mall. well, i'll do the shopping... if you do the shipping. shipping's a hassle. i'll go to the mall. hey. hi. you know, holiday shipping's easy with priority mail flat rate boxes from the postal service. if it fits, it ships anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. yea, i know. oh, you're good. good luck!

priority mail flat rate shipping starts at just $4.90 only from the postal service. rally to have their voices heard.. the cost that has many parents now considering private school. plus.. she's back. the election is over.. but see what meg whitman's former maid is asking for today. banning blackout in a can. the fed makes a major decision on alcohol energy drinks.. why you may still see them on store shelves. and.. the bug that kept some facebook users from logging on. join us for cbs 5 early edition ... beginning at five. ,,,,

on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather. the northwest with rain showers returning again to the region. from the mid-atlantic states through the northeast, there will be scattered showers and windy conditions. and a cold brisk wind blows through the northern plains. here's another look at this morning's top stories. viktor bout, alleged russian arms dealer known as the merchant of death will appear in court today in new york. he was extradited to the u.s. from thailand despite strong protests from russia. police in beverly hills hunt for clues in the murder of a prominent publicist shot and killed in her car on sunset boulevard early tuesday. a soldier receiving the nation's highest military award

remains humble. president obama awarded the medal of mon nor to 25-year-old army staff sergeant sal giunta. three years ago he rescued two fellow soldiers caught in an ambush in afghanistan. two men were killed in that attack. >> this is an incredible time, but it's also kind of a bittersweet time. times like this, because of this day, i lost two dear friends of mine, specialist hugo mendoza and sergeant joshua brennan. and, although this is so positive, i would give this back on a second to have my friends with me right now. >> he is the first living veteran of the iraq and afghanistan wars to receive the medal of honor. this morning on "the early show" live reports from london on the newest details of prince william's royal wedding. i'm betty nguyen. this is the "cbs morning news."

[ female announcer ] treat yourself to something special for lunch at red lobster. how about a coastal soup and grilled shrimp salad combination? or maybe skewers of wood-grilled shrimp. seafood lunches starting at just $6.99 at red lobster. seafood lunches starting at just $6.99 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.

regarding so-called end-of-life care. a new study finds a third of patients with advanced cancer often die in hospitals receiving aggressive treatment they may not want. dr. john lapook reports. >> i'm sad. deeply saddened. but, it is what it is. >> reporter: the 58-year-old confronts advanced cancer. what do you think the different possible pathways are? >> it's over for me very, very soon. >> reporter: decided to stop chemotherapy. instead the hospital is giving him paliative care which means relieving symptoms like nausea and pain.

it's not about trying for a cure or resorting to a feeding or breathing tube. the hope is to enable him to go home. >> hope's got many dimensions to it. it isn't all just about living longer. >> reporter: studies show most patients don't want to spend their last days in a hospital. dartmouth researchers analyzed how well this wish is fulfilled around the country. they found the quality of end-of-life care varies widely. in mason city, iowa, 7% of patients died in the hospital compared to almost 50% in manhattan. >> the care they receive is much more dependent upon where they receive their care than the care that they want. >> reporter: within manhattan, there were large differences among hospitals. at memorial sloan kettering, 34% of cancer patients died in the hospital. at lenox hill that figure was nearly 50%. >> many patients are dying away from their families in unfamiliar settings with a lot of discomfort and pain. and that's a tragedy. >> reporter: another measure,

aggressive treatment at the end of life when the chance for a cure is remote. at sloan kettering, just 4% of patients receive chemotherapy in their last two weeks. at lenox hill, that figure was over 12%. lenox hill told cbs it's re-evaluating the balance of burden and benefit of -- and it has recruited physicians specializing in this care. from the beginning his doctors have been honest with him about his odds and prepared him for this moment. >> i have to be a grown-up about it and say, this is where i'm at. this is -- my wife and i, our lives have taken us right here. today. >> reporter: helping patients find their way at the end of life is one of the toughest and most important jobs a doctor has. dr. john lapook, cbs news, new york. indeed. coming up a bit later on "the early show," full coverage from

london on the latest details of prince william's upcoming wedding to kate middleton. also an eye-opening report on how much food americans waste every year and what we do to stop it. which celebrity hunk will it will it be? "people" magazine reveals this year's pick for sexiest man alive. that's the "cbs morning news" for this wednesday. thanks for watching. i'm betty nguyen. thanks for watching. i'm betty nguyen. have a great day! -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

your realtime captioner is linda marie macdonald. caption colorado, l.l.c. taking back their education. uc students fed up with the cost of college plan a major rally this morning. what has some now considering private