. >>> amanda knox victory. the stunning decision that she has been waiting three years. her parents join us live. >>> date night, prince william and kate middleton hit the town for the first time since announcing their royal engagement, plus details on kate's prechristmas lunch with the queen, "today" sunday you kate's prechristmas lunch with the queen, "today" sunday you december 19th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> good morning, everyone, welcome to today on a sunday, i'm lester holt. >> aim jenna wolfe. can you imagine having to deal with that kind of attention every time you -- >> going on a date? >> you probably go through that every day. lester holt goes -- >> back in my dating days. what toward believe, get used to it a taste of what is in store for the future princess, she start hearse new life as a royal, under pressure, in the spotlight, the inevitable comparisons. today, we will look at what the date night is like for the prince and future princess. >> no that the long ago was it? >> it was. horse and carriage. >> he said it. i didn't.

it is crunch time for amanda knox today. she will find out if the court will allow a full review of the forensic evidence that was used to convict her. now, knox's lawyer today says the case was full of gray areas and a huge miscarriage of justice. walking in court today, amanda knox had her head down and looked subdued, in what is her most important hearing since her conviction. the seattle student is appealing the harsh sentence of 26 years behind bars. so, too, is the prosecution. they want knox to serve a life sentence. knox hasn't seen her mother since the summer. today, edda mellas, is sitting as close as she can behind her. >> yeah, i saw her yesterday. she's okay. it's a very scary time for her. she's afraid in a the truth won't come out. but she's hanging in there. >> reporter: her lawyers are asking for fresh evidence to be submitted, including a jailhouse letter from a convict, giving details of who killed meredith kercher. and a full review of the forensic evidence. knox's lawyers argue that the alleged murder we

. >> reporter: amanda knox entered court today appearing pale and withdrawn. three years in prison, she says, have broken her. in an unexpected plea to the court, knox delivered a tear-filled declaration of innocence. speaking fluent italian, knox said she is the innocent victim of an enormous mistake. knox and her former boyfriend, raffaele sollecito were convicted of the murder and violent sexual assault in 2007 of her roommate meredith kercher, an exchange student from england. to the kercher family she expressed her remorse today at the loss of a friend, but says no justice is served to meredith and her family if the wrong people are convicted. back in her hometown seattle, knox's parents said on the "today" show they understand their daughter's fear. >> she's scared, because, you know, the justice system there has failed her so far. she was found guilty of a crime she didn't commit. she wants the truth to come out and she wants to be freed. >> reporter: many in the courtroom were struck by the passion of the 23-year-old student. >> i'm sure that when the

amanda knox's next appeal hearing is next saturday. that's when we'll most likely find out if the court will accept the evidence. bianna? >>> all right. and we're joined now from seattle by amanda's parents, curt and edda. thank you for joining us. curt, i want to begin with you. what are you most hopeful about having amanda's case overturned? is it the new evidence? the re-examination of the old evidence? or sit what many believe will be a friendlier court? >> i think it's a combination of two things. first of all, the media sensation that was brought about during the first trial, i think, had a result that happened during the first case. really, when they look at the facts, and hopefully, they'll reopen the forensic evidence, and when they do that, they'll find that amanda had nothing to do with this and she'll be set free. >> edda, i want to ask about amanda. her mental state. her appearance is described as softer, weaker. she's lost weight. she hasn't been that smiling girl that we've seen in court last year. how is she right now?

edda mellas and from seattle is amanda knox's father, curt knox. good morning to both of you. thanks for joining us. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> edda, i know this is the news that you've both been waiting to hear. we hear it was a very emotional response from amanda when the judge did make that ruling. she wept. and what we'd like to hear is what your view was of the scene in the courtroom, and what was the first thing amanda said to you? >> well, you know, afterward we weren't able to get too close to her. but we were able to look at her. i told her i loved her and told her to hang on, and she nodded and smiled back at me. and, you know, that's really all we were able to do before they whisked her out of the courtroom, but, yes, it was a very emotional day. >> and obviously, curt, this is news you were waiting to hear. how important is this for your ultimate goal of having the verdict dismissed? >> well, it's really the first step and actually gives us, you know, that much more hope that this particular court will really take a rereview o

joining us now amanda knox's mother. edda mellas. ms. mellas, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> i know you just walked out of the hearing in a break taking place right now. how you would describe what's going on today? >> well, you know, the prosecution in and civil parties again have talked about how they don't want anything reviewed. they think everything needs to stand as it is and they just think it needs to stand. >> how would you assess the way things are going for your daughter? >> you know, it's hard to tell. everybody is listening very attentively. so, you know, we hope that they will choose to really look closer at the lack of evidence in this case so that amanda can come home. >> as you look at your daughter, what goes through your head during these tough times? >> oh, well,s it he' heart breaking to watch her suffer. it's a nightmare. >> kind of put this in perspective for us, what does today's hearing mean, how important is it? >> you know, i think our lawyers are telling it that it's pretty important. that if they op

alan pizzey was in the courtroom in the central italian city of perugia. >> reporter: amanda knox used the first full day of the appeal to make an emotional plea for herself and her former boyfrie boyfriend. "we are innocent" she said in italian, "and deserve to live our lives free." knox said she and raffaele sollecito were victims of an enormous mistake. and she reached out tearfully to the family of the victim, british student meredith kercher, who was found stabbed and with her throat slashed in a cottage she and knox shared. in a heartfelt article in a british newspaper, kercher's father, john, lamented while his daughter was a victim of horrific violence, knox has been accorded the status of a minor celebrity. but nox told a hushed room that it doesn't do justice to meredith and her loved ones to take our lives from us. and insisted she was not the dangerous, diabolical, jealous, uncaring and violent person portrayed by the prosecution. the base of the legal appeal will be the forensic evidence was tainted, mishandled and insufficient to convict knox and raffaele sollecito. the p

. >>> still ahead as "nbc nightly news" continues this saturday, a surprise victory for amanda knox, the american behind bars in italy in a high profile murder case. could this ruling change everything? >>> and later, comeback kid. the man behind the stunning transformation of one american neighborhood. >>> news from italy tonight of what could be a big break for amanda knox, that young american woman tried, convicted and imprisoned along with her ex-boyfriend for sexually assaulting and killing her british roommate. today, an italian court said it would allow a new review of the dna evidence in her case. knox's mother says her daughter is elated. >> she gave us a big smile. i haven't had a chance to talk to her. but at least there's now hope. it's no longer just total despair. there's some hope that they want to find the truth and really look at things carefully. >> among the pieces of evidence that an outside expert will now reexamine, a knife and a bra clasp, both considered crucial to knox's conviction. >>> the los angeles police department is being inundated tonight with phone c

joining us from seattle this morning amanda knox's parents. good morning, folks. good morning both you. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> when you hear the stories in his report and to hear your daughter making these overtures to the court can, i just ask you both, i know we've gone through this over the years but what are your thoughts, does it change at all, does it get any tougher or easier. >> it's the ongoing nightmare t. doesn't get any easier. we keep doing what we do because we know amanda's innocent and work to get her out of there. >> curt, you hear your daughter described as dangerous and diabolical. why do you think that image first came to the forefront? >> well, i think it's really the image from the first trial that the prosecution needed in order to try to present the case that they had, which was really nothing. so, they tried to do a character assassination of her and what we've been doing over the years is trying to really portray her who she really is. and she spoke about that in court today and i think she did very well. >> let me ask you b

. >>> coming up, could amanda knox go free? a court now orders another look at the crucial dna evidence used to convict her of murdering her roommate. amanda's mother joins us this morning. >>> plus, a look at owning history. we'll have the first look at william and kate's wedding souvenirs hitting stores today. william and kate's wedding souvenirs hitting stores today. [ female announcer ] letting go of your cigarettes can be hard. 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. . ♪ >>> check it out. there's a lull in the storms today but don't think the worst is over. more is yet to come. but today's dry skies are giving crews a chance to clean up downed trees at scattered sites throughout the bay area. the trees crashed through some buildings but no injuries reported. other crews are out around the rivers to see if flooding will be a concern when the rain starts again. >> good morning. chp has issued a

. >>> amanda knox is back and forth today. just moments ago she spoke out telling the judge she was innocent. we'll have much more on her emotional statement. we'll speak to her parents about the appeal coming up. >>> plus the fallout continues from this royal attack. student protesters pelted the limo carrying prince charles and his wife camilla. what does it say about the royal security and what impact will it have on the wedding of prince william and kate middleton. we'll take a closer look at that coming up. a lot to get to, but first, we'll start with the big blast from the great lakes down florida. scott williams joins us from minneapol minneapolis. good morning. >> well, good morning, lester. you know, it's not even winter yet and minneapolis is already digging out from its latest winter storm. this time it's a triple threat. it's bringing the snow, it's bringing the wind, it's bringing the bitter cold. it's already brought upwards of sivgs inches of snow. you can see it is falling here, a light snow. but really continu

coming up a huge legal victory for amanda knox in italy. we'll talk to her mother this morning about what that means for her daughter's appeal moving forward. >> also, don't let high unemployment numbers discourage you. there are jobs out there. we're going to show you where to look, who to talk to all coming up on "the early show." >>> this is "the early show" on cbs. withere's the life you live... and the life you want to live. fortunately there's enbrel, the #1 most doctor-prescribed biologic medicine for ra. enbrel can help relieve pain, stiffness, fatigue, and stop joint damage. because enbrel suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal, events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, and other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis. ask your doctor if you live or have lived in an area where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the

. >> an italian court will resume hearing an appeal by a man -- amanda knox is serving a to prison sentence for killing meredith kercher. her lawyer says the challenge to forensic that -- forensic evidence. you are watching "bbc world news." prospects that a deal of the un clement summitt appears to have been improved -- u.s. climate summit appears to have been improved. hillary clinton says it is their responsibility to end -- metropolitan police are reviewing security arrangements after the attack on prince charles and camilla. footage shows an angry mob surrounded the vehicle and kicking the car door. an inquiry has been launched after a student was left unconscious. it is alleged he was hit on the head by a policeman. this report does contain flash photography. >> the west end on a day of rioting in westminster. a distinctive black car is in the wrong place at the round -- wrong time. the heir to the throne is in the passenger seat. camilla's horror is written on her face. >> her window is lowered for an unexplained reason. the convoy pushes through the crowd. scotland yard said protect

and amanda knox's mother reacts to an italian court's decision to let experts review dna evidence from her case. >>> and now keep it on this channel for continuing local news, weather, sports and more. i'm lynn berry. thanks for watching "early today," just your first stop of the day, today on your nbc station. have a good one. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

. >>> to italy now where amanda knox has won a key victory in the appeal of her murder conviction. an independent review of the key evidence used at her trial. we'll talk to aman da knox's mother in just a moment, but first keith miller has the latest. >> reporter: showing the strain of prison life as she entered the courtroom, amanda knox was soon in tears as she heard the appeals judge declare a full review of the forensic evidence used to convict her. knox's mother in the courtroom to offer comfort broke down in tears in relief. knox, a 23-year-old student from seattle, along with her former boyfriend, rafael sew sollecito, were found guilty of murder and violent sexual assault of knox's roommate, meredith ketcher, an exchange student from england. the case against them rested largely on dna evidence, the prosecution entered this knife as the murder weapon, saying it had dna from knox and the victim on the handle and the blade. not so, argued the defense. now it will be up to an independent panel of experts to draw their own conclusions. the knox family believed the findings wil

a legal victory for american amanda knox, who is appealing her murder conviction in italy. the appeals court gave the go- ahead for an independent review of crucial d.n.a. evidence. knox was convicted of murdering her roommate and is serving a 26-year term in prison. in britain, prince william and his fiance, kate middleton, stepped out together in public tonight for the first time since announcing their engagement last month. the two attended a christmas variety show for a cancer charity. they'll be married next april. and this is the way millions of visitors view the majestic niagara falls, but few have seen them this way. recently uncovered pictures show how the american side of the falls looked 41 years ago when army engineers drained it to remove loose rock. they turned the spigot back on after four months. still ahead on tonight's cbs evening news, americans helping poor and distant villages $1 and one book at a time. . [ male announcer ] an everyday moment can turn romantic anytime. and when it does, men with erectile dysfunction can be more confident in their abilit

. >>> amanda knox teared up in court this weekend as her murder conviction appeal continued in italy. >> reporter: good morning, matt, well the appeal has just stard and already amanda knox wasted no time in declaring her innocence, to a new judge and jury. when she arrived in court on saturday, surrounded by guards, knox appeared pale and uncertain. prison life, she admitted, has broken her. she was scheduled to be a preliminary session, but knox unexpectedly took over her own defense declaring to the court she did not commit murder. given permission to speak to the court, knox, in fluent italian says she is the victim of an enormous mistake. knox and her former boyfriend rafaele sollecito were convicted of the murder and violent sexual assault in 2007 of her roommate meredith kercher, an exchange student from england. in a 20-minute declaration of innocence, knox expressed her remorse to the kercher family, choking back tears, she said, it does no justice to meredith and her loved ones to take our lives from us. >> it was extremely emotional and clearly it had an impact on everyone

. >>> another case, american college student amanda knox is getting a second chance. an italian appeals court has agreed to an independent review of dna evidence and will allow several new witnesses. she's sentenced for killing her roommate in 2007. >>> when we come back, the hollywood star, the middle school chorus, and their oser moment. their oscar moment. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. > the hollywood star, the middle school chorus, and their oscar moment. 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 deat

. >>> a tearful amanda knox was back in court today. the american student and her former boyfriend were convict in the 2007 murder of her roommate. the saturdayrial was scheduled to be a preliminary hearing but she declared her innocence. she said justice would not be served by taking her life away. the trial is expected expected to resume ler in the week. >>> prince william and kate middleton released their official engagement photos over the weekend. the photographer has a poignant connection to the prince. peter alexander reports. >> reporter: they're at ease, affectionate and in love. their first official photographs. the principle of cuddles. >> they had time to adjust to each other. the reason they look so happy is because they are. >> reporter: for much of their eight-year courtship, william and kate were rarely seen touching in public. even hand in hand. it was these unforgettable shots of his mother princess diana shortly before her death that ledwilliam to select mario for his engement photographer. who describe the young coup

. >>> amanda knox convicted of sexually assaulting and murdering her british roommate is back to court. her appeals murder trial has resumed with the court expecting to issue a key decision on whether to allow a review of the case's evidence and new witnesses. knox's defense lawyers are seeking an independent review of the evidence. if the court rejects admission of that evidence, it could be a blow to knox's attorneys hopes of overturning the guilty verdict. last year, knox was sentenced to 26 years in prison in italy. >>> wikileaks is taking another hit. the controversial whistle blowing website, which has put thousands of documents in the headlines is losing support from bank of america. b of a announced it is declining to process payments to wikileaks, joining master card, paypal and visa europe by refusing to process transactions intended for wikileaks. they plan to release documents that will high light unethical practices at a major u.s. bank and it is widely thought that that bank is, in fact, bank of america. >>> san francisco is still waiting to find out if it gets to host th

amanda knox returns to an italian court to appeal her murder conviction. a jailhouse letter of a convicted felon, the key to setting her free? police have made an arrest in the killing of fashion designer silvia cash shea. why her boyfriend maybe responsible for her death and hear from her brother. and is the power of imagination strong enough to combat your waist line? some researchers say visualizing food in your mind and imagining yourself eating it can help you curb your craving. does it really work? i was skeptical. you have to watch and i guess there is some good take-away from this but visualizing food doesn't always keep me from eating it. >> that's a great psychological move but you're missing out on all the pleasure. >> i'm with you! >> it's been a pleasure sharing back and forth. i'm taking a short sabbatical here so i won't be talking to you much. >> well, good for you. >> well, thank you. >> best of luck. i've enjoyed our saturday mornings as well. >> likewise. i won't be tuning in every saturday. >> best of luck to you. happy holidays, bye. >

an italian appeals court said it will allow review of a crucial dna evidence in the case of amanda knox. two dna experts will review evidence on a knife believed to be the murder evidence. knox, 23, was convicted with her boyfriend of killing and sexually assaulting her roommate in 2007 she is serving a 26 year sentence. >>> a vote in the senate means gays and lesbians would be able to work in the military. the house had already approved repeal and president obama is expected to sign it. this means for the first time in u.s. history gays will be able to acknowledge sexuality without fear of discharge. more than 13,000 have been dismissed since 1993. the new policy would not take effect immediately legislation includes a 60 day waiting period for the military. >>> well, just about every city unfortunately is strapped for cash. >> some san francis cans believe one way to generate more revenue for mass transit is start charging people a toll for driving into downtown. >> joining us now jose lewis of san francisco county transportation authority thanks for joining us. >> my pleasure. >> we

and an important victory for amanda knox as she continues the appeal of her murder conviction. i'm going to speak live from italy this morning with her mother for her reaction to that. so very busy monday morning here on "the early show." back to you guys. >> thank you. see you at 7:00. >>> from snow in the sierra and flight delays, we'll have an update. >> time is running out. the important deadline to make sure your cards and gifts arrive on time. >> if you have a story idea or comment to share us, email brian@cbs5.com. we'll be right back. ,, lots of lotions promised healing. this one actually does it. [ female announcer ] gold bond ultimate healing lotion. nothing feels like it, smells like it, heals like it. gold bond. this stuff really works. you know what i want for the holidays? do tell. true love. true love is a myth. [ gasps ] you're a myth! excuse me? [ female announcer ] it's the thought that counts. and the gift. safeway. ingredients for life. verizon 4g lte. rule the air on the most advanced 4g network in the world. that smells scrumptious. yummy! smells delightfu

. >>> a major court decision is expected any time now in italy for amanda knox. lawyers for the 23-year-old are asking for a review of forensic evidence in the case. that evidence was used to convict knox of murdering her roommate, meredith kercher, in 2007. today's hearing is the latest attempt to overturn her conviction. she was sentenced to 25 years. >>> investigators are still trying to figure out what sparked this massive four-alarm fire at a historic tabernacle in utah. the roof is destroyed. a fire marshal says there is serious structural damage. the tabernacle was built in the 1880s and 1890s. it has been on the national register of historic places since 1975. >>> taking the happy out of the happy meal. mcdonald's maple must children's meal is part of a target for the toys in the box. >> reporter: if they had a home outside the cardboard box, the reece household in cincinnati might be it. leslie started eating happy meals with her son 25 years ago. back then, he was enticed by the toys. she was enticed by the cheap meal. ever since, their home is practica

. >>> in amanda knox' appeal trial, a judge is expected to decide on two requests, first a review of all the evidence and a second for new witness testimony. >>> as a precaution, the man accused of plotting to set off a bomb in portland, oregon, is being kept away from other prisoners. those are your fast five headlines. >>> it's the last weekend before christmas. many americans are hitting the road to go shopping or head home for the holidays. here is how it looks at chicago's o'hare airport this morning. some of these folks may be among the 2.5 million americans traveling by air this holiday. will the weather cooperate for them? we'll look at our national forecast. we're going to our resident weather god. bill karins, good morning to you. >> no pressure there. alex, we were talking earlier in the week, the possibility of a big snowstorm moving up the east coast. that's not going to happen any more. the eastern half of the country looks just fine this weekend. still a cold blast of air, but that's not going to cause any travel issues if you're flying or driving. all of our concerns

a legal victory for amanda knox the american college student convicted of murdering her roommate in italy. yesterday an appeals court agreed to allow an independent review of the case's crucial dna evidence. in parts of europe blizzards and freezing temperatures have stranded drivers and closed airports. many travelers spent the night at london's heath rowe airport where service is limiteded to just a handful of take-offs. a winter storm system is threatening to cause flooding and mud slides in parts of california. southern california could see up to four inches of rape by the end of the weekend. as far our national forecast, today we expect snow-rain and lots of both out west. freezing cold up north and mild temperatures in the south. besides christmas, the week ahead will bring the official start of winter and some christmas card weather to go with it. ahead, can you judge a book by its cover? and later,. >> i love this time of year in,, >> osgood: as we reported a few minutes ago, the senate has voted to repeal don't ask don't tell. clearing the way for gay men and women to serve openl

. >>> this morning harsh words for amanda knox from the father of the woman she's convicted of killing. last week knox's appeals trial started in italy. she's serving 26 years for murdering roommate meredith kercher. today her father says he's tired of the media attention that knox has received. john kercher writes, "knox, it seems has been accorded the status of minor celebrity. sometimes it seems there's no escape from her or her jaunty nickname, foxy knoxy." mr. kercher says all he wants is peace and to celebrate his daughter's life. >>> katie couric has a preview of tonight's "cbs evening news." >> goo>> morning.> clap.d if anp again? with the house expected to vote today, we're going to take an in-depth look at your taxes "in focus" tonight only on "the cbs evening news." now back to "the early show." >>> and at four minutes past the hour, we return back outside. where it's a little cool this morning, mr. price. >> well, now i have no top story, jeff. >> my apologies. >> i mean, really. i mean, now what are people going to tune in for? nice to see you. you are right, my friend. yo

. >>> amanda knox is back in court and expected to hear a key decision in her appeals case. the italian court will announce whether they will allow a full, independent review of the forensic evidence that led to her conviction. knox and her italian ex-boyfriend are serving a prison sentence for their convictions in the sexual assault and killing of her british roommate. >>> a wintry mess is causing chaos across the pond. you are now looking at some live pictures of buckingham palace. look at that. snowing there. it's much worse in western britain, northern ireland and scotland, where they are dealing with blizzards. hundreds of departing flights have been canceled out of london's airports. numerous motorists were also sfranded stranded on the icy roads. >>> well, wikileaks founder julian assange is free on bail he is threat being another document dump next week, involving a major bank, widely thought to be bank of america. on friday the bank said they will join other financial institutions and not process payments to wikileaks. assange is fighting extradition to sweden, wher