it and walk out afterwards. >> "cbs evening news with katie couric" is next. >> couric: tonight, the mercury heads south. plunging temperatures as far down as florida where the citrus groves are serving frozen orange juice. i'm katie couric. also tonight, the president calls him a true giant of american foreign policy. remembering the man who helped bring peace to bosnia, veteran diplomat richard holbrooke. with u.s. policy in afghanistan undergoing a major review, we'll look at the toll s taking on the americans fighting it. and from boom to bust, why so many baby boomer marriages end in divorce. captioning sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. >> couric: good evening, everyone.

for much of the country it's a very good night to be inside. in the north, lake-effect snow is burying areas around the great lakes, an arctic air from canada is bringing uncommon cold all the way down to the deep south. a look at the low temperatures, records in some places, tells only part of the story. mark strassmann is in the heart of florida's citrus-growing country and, mark, farmers there are understandably worried tonight. >> reporter: they really have to be, katie. these... 70% of these groves supply america's citrus and these crops are now in a real desperate fight for survival. it's part of the deep freeze that grips so much of america. in wintery central florida, citrus farmers were frozen by fear. john arnold's crop faced ruin. >> well, we haven't slept in a day and a half. >> reporter: that's scary. >> yeah. >> reporter: overnight, freezing

temperatures menaced the state's billion-dollar citrus crop, two thirds of it unharvested. but good news. so, for instance, this, will this be in good shape? >> yup. >> reporter: good shape? >> yup. >> reporter: an overnight low here of 28, but not low enough or long enough to kill the crop. 27 degrees or lower, lasting four or five hours, would be devastating. >> as you can see, it's still juicy, but it was close. two or three more hours and we would have lost this crop. >> reporter: across much of the southeast, temperatures plunged up to 30 degrees below normal, with record lows in atlanta-- 14 degrees. vero beach, florida-- 26. daytona beach-- 24. >> i'm wear my florida winter clothes which are ridiculous. >> reporter: in kansas city, the spectacle was this giant ice house carved by four-degree weather and a nearby water main break. >> just trying to get up to their mailbox i was sliding. >> reporter: and there was snow, lots of snow. two feet fell outside cleveland with nine more inches expected by morning. more snow is on the way in pennsylvania, ohio, and new york where the layered look is back in.

>> one, two, three, more. >> reporter: not a fashion statement, a survival strategy. >> i don't care, really, how i look just as long as i'm warm. >> reporter: and on a snow-bound highway in ontario canada, military choppers had to rescue motorists. more than 300 people had been stranded in snow and ice for more than 24 hours. >> reporter: and back in florida, john arnold has his grapefruit harvest back under way but still feels anxious. freeze scares like this typically are february events, not december. >> we still have a long potentially very cold winter ahead of us. >> reporter: and again here overnight freezing temperatures are expected, 27, 28 degrees, but no lower. yes, farmers like john arnold are concerned but they hope the worst is over. katie? >> couric: mark strassmann in

florida tonight. thank you, mark. david bernard is the chief meteorologist at cbs 4 in miami. david, first of all, where all this cold air coming from? >> reporter: well, the big problem katie tonight is we have a huge buckle in the jet stream that is sending cold air straight from the arctic right into the eastern united states, including deep into south florida and all of this is in part to what we call a big blocking area of high pressure over the atlantic. that's just causing a trap for the cold air to sit over the eastern united states. >> couric: and how unusual is this? >> it's very unusual for one big reason. this is a very severe cold snap for so early in the winter season. we get into late december and january and even february it's not terribly unusual to see cold snaps like this, but for the beginning of december, this has been an extreme one. >> couric: and finally, david, how long will this cold weather last? >> the worst of it's going to shift east over the next couple of days, but i think until we get to the end of the year, there could be more cold outbreaks, particularly for the eastern part of the nation.

tonight is going to be one really bad night. in fact, it could be as cold as 33 in miami, 19 in atlanta and raleigh, north carolina, 18 tomorrow morning. >> couric: i know your blood gets thin down there in the south so bundle up tonight. david bernard of cbs 4 in miami, thanks so much, david. >> thank you. >> couric: turning overseas now, for a while it looked as though the founder of wikileaks might walk out of a british court today a relatively free man. but elizabeth palmer in london reports julian assange will stay behind bars for now over the protest of his supporters. >> exposing war crimes is no crime. >> free julian now! >> freedom of speech! >> reporter: with assange's supporters cheering, his high- powered lawyers arrived at the courthouse. inside, julian assange looked confident as the judge agreed to give him bail, though with tough conditions. just over $300,000 up front in cash and an order that he wear an electronic tag.

but that turned out to be just the opening round in what's become a media circus and a legal tug-of-war. even though british judge did give julian assange bail, he's back in jail tonight and he will stay there until thursday when swedish prosecutors appeal that decision. >> we've heard that the swedes won't abide by the umpire's decision and they want to put mr. assange through yet more trouble. this is really turning into a show trial. >> reporter: technically it was an extradition hearing relating to swedish sexual assault allegations. but global attention and celebrity backers that include bianca jagger have cast it as a fight for wikileaks and freedom of expression. and tonight american director michael moore put up $20,000 for assange's bail. as a policevan drove a

disappointed assange back to his prison cell, his web site continues to leak confidential state department cables on to the worldwide web. elizabeth palmer, cbs news, london. >> couric: meanwhile, u.s. army private bradley manning is suspected of providing wikileaks with many of the secret documents and video it's posted. some critics consider that treason, but tonight in berkeley, california, the city council is expected to vote on a resolution declaring manning a hero. many of the leaked documents concern the war in afghanistan. the white house said today a year-long review of the war due out thursday shows u.s. forces can begin to pull out in july. richard holbrooke wrote that review. it turned out to be the final assignment in his long career, here's chip reid. >> reporter: there was one crucial person missing today when the president met with his national security team-- richard holbrooke who died last night at the age of 69, marking the end of a legendary four-decade career as a u.s. diplomat.

>> he is simply one of the giants of american foreign policy. >> reporter: as the president's special envoy to afghanistan and pakistan, holbrooke traveled to the region constantly, often working around the clock, a schedule so hectic a cardiologist warned him to slow down but he did not. friday, during a meeting that included secretary of state hillary clinton, holbrooke collapsed after stuffing a tear in his aorta, a major vessel that pumps blood from the heart, a condition that can cause major internal bleeding. but even as holbrooke was being rushed into surgery, he couldn't stop thinking about the war. >> the medical team said "you've got to relax." and richard said "i can't relax, i'm worried about afghanistan and pakistan." >> reporter: the team of surgeons led by a pakistani then joked that if holbrooke would relax, they'd deal with afghanistan. holbrook joked, that if so they need to make sure they end war.

holbrooke's diplomatic career began in vietnam. he served four democratic presidents. >> the word that keeps being said over and over again is statesman. >> reporter: his greatest achievement came in 1995 when he led negotiations to end the war in bosnia using an aggressive style that earned him the nickname "the bulldozer." >> we have to go see president izetbegovic, we have a very tight time schedule. >> reporter: he hope add similar approach would work in afghanistan but he has clashed repeatedly with president karzai in a conflict that makes bosnia look easy by comparison. >> it's going to be a long, difficult struggle. >> reporter: for now, holbrooke's deputy will step into the job, but the white house admits it leaves a void in the president's afghanistan strategy because finding someone with the stature and toughness of richard holbrooke could well be impossible. katie? >> couric: chip reid at the white house. chip, thank you. as the president assess the war this week, so will we. beginning tonight with the cost. the u.s. death toll now exceeds 1,400 and six times that number have been wounded.

as david martin reports, the surge has produced a surge in american casualties. >> reporter: if you want to measure the price of progress in afghanistan... >> good to meet you. >> reporter: ...there's no better place than the surgical ward at bethesda naval hospital. >> i was just sitting in the sand, and i was kind of digging around trying to find my left leg and i couldn't find it. >> reporter: it's been one month since marine sergeant thomas humprey stepped on a mine in southern afghanistan. he lost the right leg below the knee but doctors managed to save that left leg he couldn't find. >> the real beauty is this guy over here. >> reporter: oh, wow. >> they basically... >> reporter: ...whoo. >> it's kind of disgusting. all the doctors say it looks amazing. >> reporter: patient privacy laws don't allow us to show you all the wounded marines at bethesda naval but take it from the commander of the hospital. >> there's no question things

have been hopping in the last few months. we're all in. >> reporter: almost all the marines were hit while on foot by an enemy tae never saw. >> they can set in, hide, set up an ambush and wait for us. we're the ones out there walking around patrolling the area. >> reporter: corpsman keegan purcell was shot through the leg. >> if you're going to get out there and... get out there and put the fight to the enemy, you've got to the go out on foot. >> reporter: all those specially armored vehicles the u.s. bought for the war in iraq aren't much use to the marines in afghanistan. it's the same story everywhere you go. >> it is. >> reporter: foot patrols. >> yup. >> reporter: that's what you've got to do? foot patrols? >> it's the easiest way to move around our area. it's the best way to talk to local individuals. it's just kind of a risk you take. >> reporter: that leaves the marines with nothing but their body armor to protect them from roadside bombs. >> we're seeing severe damage to the extremities and head wounds. >> reporter: a double amputee like corporal gabriel martinez is not at all unusual.

there are triple and even quadruple amputees. >> i remember myself flying up in the air and when i landed, like, i had this one on one with god and he asked me, he said "gabriel, do you want to live?" and, you know, i said "yes, i want to live." >> reporter: and he wanted his best friend, justin gertner to live. they were hit by the same blast and medevaced on the same helicopter. >> i was right there with him and he was right there with me and us holding hands. it was a good pain reliever. >> reporter: the next time they talked was in the intensive care unit at bethesda where gertner is still recovering from his wounds, including the loss of both legs. martinez still needs a nerve block to handle his pain, but what he needs more is to get out of the hospital and into physical therapy.

>> i'm not scared. i'm not worried, i'm just more anxious to put those prosthetic legs on and see how i walk. i might look like bambi at birth. ( laughs ) but it's... it's going to be exciting. >> reporter: you know, i'd call you wounded but i'm not sure disabled fits. >> not at all. you want to race? ( laughs ). >> it's almost empty so your straw is going to run out. >> reporter: is all this sacrifice producing progress? tomorrow we'll ask these four wounded marines who don't have a single working leg among them. david martin, cbs news, bethesda naval hospital. >> couric: and still ahead here on the "cbs evening news," from "i do" to "no thanks," baby boomers getting divorced and staying single. but up next, plenty of boomers have them-- silver fillings. are they safe? the f.d.a. is taking a closer look.

old legs. p.a.d., the doctor said. p-a-d... p.a.d. isn't just poor circulation in your legs causing you pain. it more than doubles your risk of a heart attack or stroke. i was going to tell you. if you have p.a.d., plavix can help protect you from a heart attack or stroke. plavix helps keep blood platelets from sticking together and forming clots, the cause of most heart attacks and strokes. call the doctor about plavix -- please? i will. [ male announcer ] certain genetic factors and some medicines such as prilosec reduce the effect of plavix leaving you at greater risk for heart attack and stroke. your doctor may use genetic tests to determine treatment. don't stop taking plavix without talking to your doctor as your risk of heart attack or stroke may increase. people with stomach ulcers or conditions that cause bleeding should not use plavix. taking plavix alone or with some other medicines including aspirin may increase bleeding risk, so tell your doctor when planning surgery. tell your doctor all medicines you take including aspirin especially if you've had a stroke. if fever, unexplained weakness or confusion develops, tell your doctor promptly.

these may be signs of ttp, a rare but potentially life-threatening condition, reported sometimes less than two weeks after starting plavix. other rare but serious side effects may occur. [ female announcer ] talk to your doctor about plavix. other rare but serious side effects may occur. 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. so, we set out to discover the nutritional science at purina one, we want your cat to be as healthy as possible in some of nature's best ingredients. that's how we created purina one with smartblend. nutritionally optimized with real salmon, wholesome grains

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it's absolutely amazing. >> reporter: prevett's ten amalgams were replaced with newer composite filling. amalgam is half silver and other metals and half mercury. it's more durable and cheaper than composite, a mixture of plastic and glass. others who claim amalgam made them sick spoke out today at an f.d.a. panel reexamining the safety of mercury fillings. >> i was vomiting everyday for months. >> my child now has 59 seizures a day. >> reporter: in 2008, the f.d.a. suggested pregnant women and children avoid amalgam, but one year later, the f.d.a. said there was no proof amalgam was dangerous. since then, consumer groups have filed four petitions challenging the government's position. mercury in dental fillings in released in small amounts as vapor that can potentially be inhaled, enter the bloodstream and travel to other parts of the body. mercury toxicity from other sources can cause kidney and brain damage. the american dental association insists amalgams are safe.

>> i have amalgams in my own mouth and my children have them, my wife, and we're convinced there are no adverse health effects. >> reporter: dentist such as dr. mark briner are unconvinced. >> you must handle mercury as a hazardous material. why would bit safe in the mouth? it makes no sense, defies all logic. >> reporter: tomorrow, the panel could recommend that the f.d.a. reconsider its position. but here's the problem: millions of people have these amalgams, millions of people have unexplained symptoms. it's very hard to prove or disprove cause and effect. >> couric: all right, dr. jon lapook. jon, thank you so much. still ahead pot. among some teens, it's now more popular than cigarettes. 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.

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>> couric: rome looked like a battle zone today after the prime minister survived two votes in parliament to remain in power. protestors set fire, broke store windows and fought with the police. more than a hundred people were hurt and there were 40 arrests. silvio berlusconi has been under fire for sex scandals and a sluggish economy. meanwhile, here at home, when researchers asked teenagers about drug use, they got some troubling responses. a new survey found daily marijuana use increased among all the groups surveyed-- eighth, tenth, and 12th graders. for the oldest group, pot is now more popular than cigarettes and a growing number of eighth graders admit to trying some type of illegal drugs. now to a baseball superstar who'd rather be in philadelphia. free agent pitcher cliff lee is

returning to the phillies, the team he helped lead to the world series last year. lee has reportedly agreed to a five-year deal worth $120 million. he was offered up to... offered up to $30 million more by the yankees but in october, rowdy fans in new york harassed lee's wife while he pitched for texas and that may have been a factor in his decision. coming up next, apparently for baby boomers breaking up isn't hard to do. copd makes it hard for me to breathe. but with advair, i'm breathing better. so now, i can join the fun and games with my grandchildren. great news! for people with copd, including chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both, advair helps significantly improve lung function. while nothing can reverse copd, advair is different from most other copd medications

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taxpayers? the new twist in the fight over america's cup next when jay laviolette tells people >> couric: finally tonight, love and marriage. they don't go together as often as they used to. in fact, in a recent study, 39% of americans said marriage is becoming obsolete. that's up for from 28% who thought so back in the '70s, and that's about the time the oldest of the baby boomers-- now in their 60s-- were getting hitched. but many wound up splitting. in partnership with "u.s.a. today," richard schlesinger continues our series "senior moment." >> this is my wedding day. i actually cried when i looked at the picture because it reminded me of a time when i was

very happy and hopeful about the future and thinking that this was going to be my husband forever. >> ♪ leave it to beaver... >> reporter: like millions of other baby boomers, wendy grew up in the era of "leave it to beaver." >> i'll go with you, dear. >> reporter: but real life ended up more like kramer versus kramer. >> ted, i'm leaving you. >> reporter: by 1979 when that film came out the divorce rate hit its all-time high. >> my wife at the time used to say i was happy being miserable. i thought i was happy. on the outside maybe i wasn't. >> reporter: now 35% of all baby boomers have been divorced and that generation makes up the majority of all divorced people in america. so what happened? >> life happened. >> there's no question that a lot of women woke up during the women's movement and said "who more is this?" >> reporter: nora ephron has written extensively about divorce-- most notably her own she's just written a new book

about her life and edits a blog on the huffington post all about the "d" word that once dared not speak its name. >> when i was growing up, the word divorced was practically whispered. i remember i had a friend whose mother was... ( whispers ): divorced. >> reporter: the traditional wife and mother image of june cleaver went out with black-and- white t.v. >> e.r.a.! >> reporter: and during the sexual revolution women who said "i do" claimed their right to say "i'd rather not." >> i was engaged at 20 and married at 21 and i had my two children very soon after. but our generation was the first-- at least women-- that were college grads and career options were open to us that the generation previous to us didn't. >> reporter: i guess the question is did baby boomers have time for marriage?

>> i think marriage is much harder than it looks. >> reporter: and that might be why the children and grandchildren of baby boomers are waiting longer to marry-- about four years longer. since 1979, the average age of grooms has risen from 24 to 28, brides from 22 to 26. nobody wants to inherit what turned out to be a troubling trait of an older generation. >> nobody gets married and wants it to fail, and any way you look at it, a divorce is a loss of a dream. >> reporter: richard schlesinger, cbs news, new york. >> couric: and that is the "cbs evening news" for tonight. i'm katie couric thanks for watching. i'll see you back here tomorrow. until then, you'll find the latest news and much more at cbsnews.com. good night. captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org

t, it's almost decision t your realtime captioner is linda marie macdonald. caption colorado, l.l.c. after months of bitter argument, it's almost decision time. which schools are on the chopping block for mount diablo. >> this type has probably not been examined since 1956. >> in its report on the san bruno pipeline explosion, what investigators did not find at the scene of the blast. and why would a bay area city buy the same piece of property twice? good evening, i'm allen martin. >> i'm dana king. rain is moving through the bay area this evening. we are seeing a slow commute at this hour. we're going to check in with roberta. >> the heaviest precipitation moving through the bay area just in time for the evening commute. you can see obviously this is a back side of the front as it continues to dig down in a southerly directio