stay dry. the rain starts later today. but we'll be ready for it because tracy told us all about it. see you tomorrow. specific specific big freeze. at least five more die as the week long storm continues to cripple nearly half the country. snow and freezing rain now move into the south. leading to thousands of accidents. ticking time bomb. new details emerge on the school board shooter clay duke. the troubled gunman planned the chilling attack complete with a date circled on the calendar. we'll hear from his estranged wife and speak with police about the invest. storming accusations a. meteorologist is accused of filing a false police report claiming to have been attacked and nearly raped in central park. we'll take you inside the bizarre case early this thursday we'll take you inside the bizarre case early this thursday morning, december 16th, 2010.

captioning funded by cbs good morning, everybody. not quite so cold in new york this morning. i'm harry smith. >> it's warming up. i'm rebecca jarvis. >> another look at the case in panama city, the stunning video we all watched yesterday. more details beginning to emerge about what exactly transpired and who was the man with the gun. so we'll have that in a bit. >> a lot of miracles there, harry. we begin with the deep freeze blanketing the east creating travel akos across the south where at least five people died in traffic-related accidents and new storm system is making things worse. don teague is in north carolina with the latest. good morning, don. >> reporter: good morning. snow, sleet and freezing rain causing problems in the mid-atlantic and southeast this morning. here in north carolina, hundreds of schools are closed as winter arrives full force.

a frigid wintry mess across the southeast and mid-atlantic. as snow, sleet and freezing rain threaten cities from kentucky to the carolinas, even georgia and alabama. already the system proven deadly. in mississippi and alabama, at least five people died wednesday in crashes on icy roads. memphis, tennessee, this bus in a ditch after the driver hit a patch of ice. thankfully, none of the children on board were hurt. >> calling from the cell phone. mom, we had a wreck. where are you at? i don't know. >> reporter: the atlanta area's evening commute chaos. over a thousand weather-related accidents reported in a matter of hours. in raleigh, north carolina, officials tried to get a jump on the storm. they've been pouring salt, sand and 100,000 gallons of deicing solution on the roads for two days. >> obviously, ice and sleet are a big concern for us, especially with the stuff projected to come

in in the morning commute. >> reporter: the winter weather already forced airlines to cancel flights across the southeast. florida's cold weather has the manatee population looking for warmer water to survive. this group gathered in the warm waters around the power plant at port everglades. in north carolina, volunteers had to rescue these sea turtles because of a sudden drop in water temperature and even in minneapolis where snow and ice are common, there are more problems. the metrodome which deflated sunday morning under the weight of snow and was being repaired has now sprung another leak. so it's a mix of precipitation here in north carolina. they have postponed finals at north carolina state university this morning. they're hoping to get them going later today. the problem is what began as snow earlier this morning is now freezing rain here in the raleigh area. it's causing accidents on the freeways and general chaos across the state in travel. don teague, cbs news, raleigh,

north carolina. now here's harry. all right. now the latest on the school board shooting in panama city, florida. we are learning about the troubled gunman clay duke and the hero security guard that shot him firing point blank at six officials. cbs news correspondent mark strassmann is in panama city with the latest. mark, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. mike jones, the hero you mentioned, will tell his story of how he wounded a gunman and stopped a potential blood bath. >> i'm going to die today. >> can we talk for a minute? >> reporter: the attack startled everyone else but he planned this. police found the date circled on the home calendar and once he held members of the school board hostage, he ignored the pleas. >> i've got a lot with my wife and family. why need to die. >> reporter: ginger littleton, the only woman on the board, snuck back inside. and tried to disarm duke with her purse.

>> ah! >> reporter: duke let her live and no one could talk him down. >> please don't. please don't. please. >> i'm going to kill you. >> i'm not a pansy but i was very afraid. i was scared to death. >> this was going to happen. he was going to do this. there was nothing we could have done to stop him. >> reporter: on wednesday, an emotional rebecca duke told reporters she was hoping to give her husband some good news. >> trying to fill out applications and trying to get on some interviews so that i could actually say, honey, guess what? i got a job. you know? everything's going to be okay. but evidently i didn't get that chance. i love my husband. he's really a gentle giant. >> reporter: by the time he opened fire, missing even at point-blank range, duke was a troubled and broke ex-con. angry the school system had fired his wife, a special needs teacher. his lawyers said duke was also

bipolar which kept him jobless so he couldn't afford his medications. and by the time somebody called 911 -- >> oh my gosh. he's firing. >> okay. >> he's firing. >> reporter: -- mike jones couldn't afford to wait. in the board room, here off camera, the school district security chief returned fire and dropped duke. >> i'm telling you, mike saved our lives. now, it doesn't get anymore real than that. you don't have to believe that or whatever. . we were in there. that gentleman was not going to stop shooting. >> reporter: jones hugged and hailed as a hero told cbs news duke fired 11 shots, all missed. jones fired seven shots and at least three of them wounded duke before the gunman wounded himself. in the dead man's pocket, 25 more rounds of ammunition. rebecca duke, the gunman's widow said he was an excellent marksman and missing the targets even at close range, he probably

it was because he wanted to. harry? >> mark strassmann in panama city this morning, thank you very much. also many panama city for an update on the investigation is deputy police chief robert culbert. deputy chief, good morning, sir. >> good morning, harry. >> was this fellow, this duke guy, was he a known character? known as a troubled character around town? >> you know, he actually was a virtual unknown to us. we were unaware of his -- any problems he had at the school board. he didn't show up in our computer databases and from a neighboring jurisdiction and probably led a lot to that. >> we're hearing a story as he entered the building, he encountered a group of rotc kids that had just been in there for the presentation confident lors and the rotc cadets had rifles with them. did -- was there an encounter? did he ask them some questions?

>> right. what they were carrying is more of a ceremonial-type weapon. they're not a live weapon. these are teenage rotc students. and what he did is begin questioning them as far as whether the weapons were real, loaded and what we believe is that at that point he was conducting intelligence gathering mission prior to going inside of the school board. >> wow. what do you know about his sort of internet life? he had this web page and i guess he was not the only one who was sort of a rebelled in the anti-government kind of talk and sort of anti-government think. >> right. we do know that he was active on one of the social sites and that he had quite a few postings that were anti-government and such as that that he had begin to get quite a gathering as far as people that were chatting with him through the social site. >> yeah. and apparently there's people supporting his actions on some

of these sites. the other thing -- go ahead, sir. >> no, i was going to say that's correct. we have been able to after the event transpired that there had been some activities of people that were voicing their support and opposition for his actions. >> talk a little bit about mike intelligence and the job he did. he's the safety director there for you guys. >> phenomenal job. you know, i said it earlier. you know, because of the actions of mike jones, there's going to be quite a few family that is are going to have their loved ones with them this christmas. >> can't say it any better than that. deputy chief, thank you very much for your time this morning. thank you very much. take care. >> thank you. >> now here's rebeck da. now heading to politics and the bush era tax cuts. the senate passed a bill and the house could take a final vote later today or make changes to destroy the deal and lead to a tax hike for everyone on january 1st. cbs news congressional

correspondent nancy cordes is on capitol hill with the latest. good morning, nancy. >> reporter: good morning, rebecca. the bill passed overwhelmingly in the senate and faces much stiffer opposition in the house and not just from democrats anymore. >> yay are 81. n ays are 19. >> reporter: even as the tax cut deal sailed through the senate by a vote of 81-19, house democrats were pushing to strike parts of the deal. like cuts to the estate tax for the wealthy. at a cost of $25 billion. >> think of what you could get -- do with that $25 billion. first of all, you could reduce the deficit. >> reporter: some house republicans are also having second thoughts. indiana's mike pence broke with his fellow republican leaders saying he would vote no because the bill extends the bush tax cuts for just two years. not permanently. >> we perpetuate the uncertainty. that's the enemy of the prosperity. >> reporter: hoping to stave off more defections, a group of 31

conservative blue dog democrats sent a letter to speaker pelosi urging her to quote promptly schedule this essential economic measure for a vote. the president after meeting with the group of top ceos left no doubt how he feels telling reporters he wants the bill passed as soon as possible. before the vote today, house democrats are going to introduce an amendment to strike some of those estate tax cuts and if that amendment passes, that throws this entire deal into flux because the bill would then have to go back to the senate and republicans have warned they might not accept any changes and keep in mind, rebecca, the bush era tax cuts expire in two weeks. >> good point. very timely issue. nancy, in terms of whether or not the house dems have the votes for the estate tax provision out of the bill, what is your sense there? >> reporter: well, it's a pretty uphill battle. because it's unlikely any republicans go along with it and then you have the 31 conservative democrats we mentioned who say they don't want any changes to the bill so

the rest of the democrats would all have to hang together in fay want to see this through. >> cbs' nancy cordes on capitol hill following the story. thank you. time to get the news. betty nguyen at the news desk with thorning. good morning. >> good morning, good morning to you at home. this morning, the white house releases the latest review of the war in afghanistan. the report finds that u.s.-led forces are making gains against the taliban but describes them as fragile and reversible saying militants find safe haven in pakistan. the al qaeda leadership in pakistan is at its weakest since the 9/11 attacks and that the u.s. remains the principle target for the terrorist organization. and u.s. troops will start to withdraw in july but americans will remain in afghanistan until at least 2014. this morning, a british judge is ordering wikileaks founder julian assange to be freed on bail rejecting an order

of swedish authorities to face changes. assange is fighting that effort and swedish prosecutors argued in court that he is a flight risk. assange's lawyers says he's very happy with today's decision. cbs news correspondent elizabeth palmer is at the courthouse in london with the latest on this case. >> reporter: yes, a big cheer just gone up here outside the royal courts of justice in the heart of london. we're hearing that julian assange has been granted bail. there are about 300 reporters out front as well as some of assange's supporters and been here some of them since 5:00 this morning. this is such a high profile case. apparently, though, assange's lawyers argued successfully for bail. when he arrived at court this morning and was escorted through a media free for all, assange flashed a "v" for victory. this morning's decision is a victory for him and the legal team if only a partial one. after handing over more than

$300,000 cash as a bail bond, assange will leave his jail cell for the country house of a friend outside london. he'll have to wear an electronic monitor, report to police every day, and return to court on january 11th in connection with the swedish sexual assault case in which he has not yet been charged. >> i think it's unfortunate and it's clearly evidence is part of the continuing vendetta on the part of the swedes against julian assange. >> reporter: assange has various high-profile backers including michael moore who announced on the website that he would post some of the bail. in the u.s., federal justice officials are considering how they might prosecute assange as the head of the website wikileaks for publishing vast amounts of confidential state department and pentagon material. julian assange will now be leaving london to stay with a friend on his estate in the countryside but he'll be back in court on the 11th of january for a resunks of the hearing into

his extradition. elizabeth palmer, cbs news, london. a monthly report on home foreclosures out this morning shows what analysts call a short-term lull in the crisis. in november, mortgage lenders took back almost 67,500 homes, fewest since may of 2009 and down 28% from october. but they're likely to rise early next year after banks finish deeming with paperwork errors that forced a temporary freeze. baseball fans are mourning pitcher bob feller. feller played 18 seasons for cleveland leading the indians to a world championship in 1948. a hard throwing right hander, he won 266 games, despite a career interrupted by world war ii service. bob feller died of leukemia last night in cleveland. he was 92. dave price joins us now with look at the weather this morning. good morning, dave. >> good morning to you, betty. 7:15 right now. a lot going on.

get to the maps and see what's happening. we heard earlier about the mess this morning waking up the really sloppy conditions and all of this beginning to push to the east. take a look. just north of atlanta, that's where you see that freezing line and that's where just to the north and to the east you're talking about precip that's icy on the roads. at least until late morning, early afternoon. then, all of that warm air's going to begin to roll on through. you can take a look. there's the rain in the blue. there's the freezing precip in the pink or the red, if you will. and there is the --

>> sloppy stuff. snow, freezing rain, rain. going to be a tough morning in sections of the east. >> thanks very much, dave. still ahead this morning, a tv meteorologist claims she was assaulted in new york's central park. now police say she made it all up. we're going to tell you more. also, in a few months these cribs will be illegal and tell you what you need to do to keep your child safe. the best christmas deals are not over yet. we'll explain why you may be

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♪ the star that sings, top your tiny tree, yeah ♪ central park sort of sacred ground in new york city and the last number of years an unbelievably safe place. >> you walk here to work. >> i walk through at 4:30 in the morning. a local weathercaster said she had been assaulted there not once but twice. police now say she's made up this stories and we'll have more on that in a bit. >> also, they've been blamed for dozens of infant deaths, drop-side cribs. the government is now saying they are outlawed. we're going to tell you what you need to know to keep your child safe. >> good idea. we'll be right back. >> announcer: this portion of "the early show" sponsored by the new windowsphone. see? it even has bing right here so... the second my flight gets cancelled, i can quickly find the nearest...

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demo e homes damage it is 7:25. time for news headlines from cbs, i'm sydnie kohara. san bruno will nollish three more homes -- demolish three more homes damaged in the pipeline explosion in september. the "chronicle" reports california regulators warned pg&e a year ago about safety problems with its gas distribution system. they include training issues for workers who check for gas leaks. crime is down in east palo alto in the last 22 years. a uc-berkeley study found a 50% drop -- 56% drop in violent crime since 1986. the overall crime rate fell 62% in the same period in east palo alto. and san francisco city schools going to put fewer school bus on the streets next year. the move is to save nearly $2 million a year. school staff will work in the next few weeks on new bus

routes and schedules. the unified school district stopped bus service for high school students this year. traffic and weather around the bay area in just a moment. stay with us. ,, [ mom ] my son only wanted one toy this year. i want a robosan 4000. [ mom ] the one no one could get. toy stores are reporting long lines and empty shelves. a robosan 4000. [ mom ] and i mean no one. so i did most of my holiday shopping on citi specials. with the money i saved, i bid online -and got exactly what he wanted. -a robosan 4000! [ television ] introducing the new robosan 5000. [ mom ] at least for now. [ male announcer ] make your happy holiday stories come true with citi specials. what's your story? citi can help you write it.

let's go out to marin county southbound 101 an accident just cleared

approaching ygnacio. out of lanes. we are seeing slower speeds on the sensors, 29 miles per hour and it may slow past that earlier accident scene. here's drive time for you along that stretch. southbound 101, 12 minutes between novato and 580 in san rafael. but it's a pretty commute right now across the golden gate bridge and an easy ride across the span. different story at the bay bridge toll plaza. it is now backed up into the macarthur maze. so traffic pretty much at full strength now. the metering lights are on and it is pretty jammed from the incline out towards the "s" curve. better news in dal city. this accident just cleared out of lanes northbound 280 approaching serramonte boulevard. so still a little sluggish in the area but much improved. that's your traffic. here's tracy with your forecast. hey, thanks, elizabeth. sunshine out there this morning, yeah, sunshine for this morning but that's going to be changing. here's a look toward the bay bridge and we have some cloud out there this morning. and we'll have something else eventually and that's going to be rainfall. cold temperatures out there as you head out the door. 30s, freezing in napa and santa rosa and more cold temperatures on the east bay. conditions into the next couple of days, rainfall through

wednesday.

we'll visit with them thousand that is balmy, supposed to be up to 30 degrees. >> nice and cool. >> welcome back, everybody. a new ban this morning for a popular crib. the consumer product safety commission decided to outlaw the traditional drop-side crib n. recent years more than 30 small children have died after they got stuck inside the front of those cribs. millions of have been recalled. many homes still have them. we'll tell you everything you need to know to keep your child safe wimplts christmas around the corner you can't walk down the street without seeing the signs, promotions, every single store window has them. however, some of them have a dirty little secret, many of

those products that seem to really be on sale, well, they might not be cheaper than they usually are. >> what? >> coming up, where to find the best deals but truly cheap once. >> very good. first here in new york a prominent tv weather forecaster told police she escaped from attempted rape is now accused of making it up. heidi jones was arrested over the weekend, taken off the air by her station, wabc-tv, pending the authorities's ves dwags. betty nguyen is here to tell us more. >> good morning. it began as a horrific tale once had friends and colleagues of heidi jones feeling sorry for her. now, the truth is, it was all just a lie. >> between five and eight a.m. especially north of the city you want your umbrella. >> reporter: the forecast turned grim for the tv meteorologist last week when new york city detectives picked her up for filing a false report of attempted rape in september while jogging in central park. according to police, jones waited a month to report the incident and described her

attacker as a stocky, hispanic man who tackled her from behind. when authorities canvassed the area and began to ask questions, the story didn't add up. after questioning jones a second time police say there were inconsistencies in her story and when confronted, jones confessed. >> she stated that she had some personal problems and that, in fact, the information she had given to the police initially was incorrect. >> reporter: jones, who also fills in for abc's "good morning america" has been suspended pending an investigation. her attorney says she plans to enter a not guilty plea and issued the following statement. miss jones has had a distinguished keer as a broadcast journalist and urges all concerned to refrain from jumping to conclusions about the unproven charges against her being discussed in the press. police say jones fabricated the story after experiencing personal relationship problems. she was charged with a misdemeanor and could face up to a year in prison if she's found guilty. jones is scheduled to appear in.

let's bring in psychologist jennifer hartstein and "early show" contributor and cbs news legal analyst jack ford. good morning to you both. >> harry. >> good morning. >> jennifer, starting with you, what would prompt somebody to do something like this? >> it's a really interesting question that we're all kind of trying to figure out. she did admit there were some personal setbacks going on in her life, that she was potentially reaching out for some sympathy, that's one reason. clearly, something, much deeper than that is happening. did she have -- is this like a link to lots more trauma, a problem of lying that we can reach back into her past and, also find? we don't know. is it a psychotic break? i don't know. all of these questions really something really messed up with her reality testing and she doesn't have the skills to ask for the help she needs, which leads to the very big problematic behaviors. >> here's a person in public, right? >> uh-huh. >> then goes to the police would, have, you know, cognitive ability to know there are

consequences of that kind of an action. and then when the police do what they do, she knows they're going to do and they find out -- >> right. >> -- there's almost, do you put yourself in a situation where you are going to be found out? >> you know, there is a question of is there a thrill to that, too? you know, and there's that question. there's the acid case with bethany soros ages ago really reaching out and getting all of this attention. is it additional attention-seeking behavior, all interesting questions. to me it is really a skills deficit, asking for sympathy and going really big and broad having a break from reality to think about what the consequences are going to be when she does this behavior. >> going way too big with it. >> way too big. >> answers are probably a much smaller venue. >> exactly. >> from the standpoint of the law if you go to the police and you say this happened to me not once but twice and it turns out not to be true, the law doesn't look at that as an act of whimsy. >> a lot of people are surprised

harry, that's actually a crime. we are all familiar with the notion of perjury, swear to tell the truth in a courtroom or in a deposition in a grand jury and lie. that's an easy one, historically a crime but we've seen over the years most jurisdictions also say now, look, if you are being questioned about an investigation, an official law enforcement asking you questions and you lie about it, as long as it is something material, something porcht, not a detail but if you lie about it, the law says that also is a crime. the idea simply you are sending out law enforcement people chasing after something with limited resources and time and energy and there will be consequences. here, the allegation is that by making this whole thing up, she triggers an investigation and that's why she's looking at what she's looking at. >> in real life, is there a likelihood of jail time or prison time. >> i don't think jail time. it's a misdemeanor carrying a maximum of a year plus some fines. by all accounts she's a good and accident person. as jennifer says, why this happens, if it happens, we don't

know yesterday if she's guilty of it but why -- i would think if i'm her lawyer i would argue and i think a judge would up next, we're going to tell you about the new band on drop-side cribs and what you need to do now to protect your kids. this is "the early show" on cbs.

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a year ago susan koeppen

first broke the story of the largest crib recall in u.s. history. more than two million cribs with a drop-down front side a. new government announcements will officially ban all drop-side cribs in the united states. cbs news correspondent elaine quijano is here with the story. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, harry. drop-side cribs have always made it easier to lift babies in and out of a crib. the problem, they can also be deadly. after more than 30 fatalities and millions of recalls, a federal ban will take drop-side cribs off the market for good. in a unanimous vote the consumer product safety commission ruled it will soon be illegal to manufacture, sell, or re-sell cribs with sides that drop down. in six months all retailers have to sell only the new cribs. >> reporter: the problem with drop-side cribs, sliding side rails can malfunction due to hardware poorly made and create a space big enough for an infant

to become trapped and suffocate that. happened to this 10-month-old in 1997. his mother, mishel, found him. >> to see the horrific sight of him strangled was just horrifying to me. >> reporter: tyler was sleeping in a crib with a doctor-down side when his head got stuck in a gap between the siderail and the headboard. >> i just immediately fell to my knees and just started screaming. >> reporter: over the past ten years, at least 32 children have died in drop-side cribs and they may be the cause of an additional 14 deaths. hundreds more have been injured. today, the consumer product safety commission has done the right thing. >> reporter: for mishel witte's wednesday's long-awaited federal ban was some measure of justice. >> i'd like to just sincerely thank the people in this room and women standing next to me made it possible nobody will ever have to endure the loss.

thank you. >> reporter: make sure your crib hasn't been recalled, check it carefully and stop using it if it has been or loose and missing parts. >> show people what happens with this malfunction. >> what can happen with the drop-side cribs. as you can see the hardware is plastic both at the top and bottom. >> right. >> that can break. what that then creates is this gap here where a baby can then get drapd in that gap and suf catty. what ends up happening, parents have tried to fix these in the past and that hadn't hasn't worked and children have died, as well. adding to the fact a lot of these are past down and makes them more prone to breaking with a lot more wear and tear on them. >> thank you so much. do appreciate it. for more information on these cribs and the recall go to our website earlyshow.cbsnews.com. up next, we take the mystery out of holiday sales and show you how to tell if a sale item is really on sale.

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right now in just about every store you see big signs saying "sale" but how do you tell if a product marked as "sale" is really the very best deal? great to have you you with us. >> thanks for having me on. for having me on. >> this is the age old question, am i getting the brea ing thtin? >> in a word, no. >> okay. that's straightforward. >> the shopping season started off with a bang. the thanksgiving weekend was a great time to shop. prices have leveled off a bit. and i also think you're going to start to see prices come back down a bit starting 22nd, 23rd and the week after christmas. to give you an example, the best deals from black friday are approximately 21% higher today than they were just three weeks ago. >> they're actually higher priced right now. in terms of the discounts,

discount versus ultimately what you pay. sometimes the retailers are going to try and trick you. >> that's right. there's never been more discounts but the question is are you getting the best deal. a lot of stores are selling things for very high prices and offering very big coupons and discounts. you might think you're getting a good deal but you're probably not getting the best deal. >> 50% off, is it really 50% off if it's 20% higher to start. let's talk about the deals out there right now that you say are the best deals. >> that's right. there are great deals every day. aren't quite as many as three weeks ago. to give you a few examples of what they are today, finish line has college sweatshirts for 2 for $40 shipped, fantastic deal. you can buy restaurant.com gift certificates for 70% off. another great deal. there's an $80 food saver kit for $24, fantastic price. >> huge savings. >> yeah. express is doing a large sale, 40% off sale. also has a $15 off a $30 order coupon. those are all big -- these are great deals going on right now.

the details are alled a brad's deals. >> in addition to those detail use also have big tips for people. so let's start with coupons. >> coupons are a no brainer. >> they're a no brainer but we don't use them all the time. >> everyone forgets. simply to remember to use a coupon. there are about 5,000 active online coupons today that we have at brad's deals. it's takes less than 90 seconds to get one. print it out and go to the store or get the coupon code before they shop online. savings is 24% in less than 90 seconds. >> credit cards. >> many will double the warranty automatically for free, no effort on your part. you and i probably both have credit cards in our wallet that do that. we probably don't realize it. it's worth knowing which ones do. you should never buy the extended warranty the store is selling you. take a look at your credit card. >> lastly, where do buy things so you don't have to pay sales tax. >> sales tax, when you shop

online, sales tax in many cases is not charged to 80% or 90% of the state. >> go online for sales tax, to not pay it. >> online shopping is usually sales tax free. huge savings. we'll be right back. this is "the early show" on cbs. y show" on cbs. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

a lot of people did it last weekend but this weekend is also going to be a very serious time, going out and buying a christmas tree, all right. >> you can get a good discount right now. maybe? >> maybe. we'll tell you the things to look for, when we come back on "the early show." hey, guys. printer's out of ink.

just shake it. [ rattling ] [ male announcer ] need ink? staples has a low price guarantee on all the ink you need. find a lower price at another store, and we'll match it. that was easy. ♪ [ 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. gotta get that bacon! dog: yummy. crunchy. bacon. bacon. bacon. there, in that bag! mom: who wants a beggin' strip? dog: me! i'd get it myself but i don't have thumbs! yum, yum, yum... it's beggin'! hm... i love you! beggin' strips! there's no time like beggin' time!

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b-s five... i'm robert lyles. six antioch police officers are a step closer to the it is 7:55. i'm robert lyles, time for news headlines. six antioch police officers are a step closer town employment after receiving pink slips from the city. the police chief says there is a chance the jobs could be saved if the city and the officers union reach an agreements on concessions. the naacp will hold a public hearing this morning over recent claims of police brutality in oakland. the oakland police department has been under investigation for several years and is under court orders to address police misconduct. and strong wind and heavy rains this weekend could delay construction on the bay bridge. caltrans is working around the clock to finish the third section of the suspension tower by christmas eve, which is next

friday. stay right where you are. a look at traffic and weather in just a moment. ,,,,,,,,,,

good morning. well, we have a big backup unfortunately heading towards the dumbarton bridge toll plaza. right around paseo padre parkway, multi-vehicle crash up to five vehicles involved. emergency crews are on scene. right now we just have one lane blocked, the carpool lane but unfortunately it is backed up solid to the 880 interchange.

once you get past paseo padre parkway then speeds improve as you can see there in our live traffic camera. the rest of highway 84 towards menlo park looks good. we have vta delays, light rail service is disrupted between the convention and civic center. traffic out of downtown san jose typical slowdowns approaching the 880 interchange and just want to quickly let you know about an accident northbound 17 right before 280. an accident there and traffic is pretty backed up from at least campbell. that's your traffic. here's tracy with your forecast. hey, thanks, elizabeth. well, we do have some cold temperatures out there this morning and even some fog that we're dealing with. from this shot here from mount vaca, plenty of sunshine expected. at least through the afternoon. here's a look at your seven-day forecast. today we have highs in the mid- to upper 50s. mix of sun and clouds but after that, it's all about the rain. rainfall moving in tomorrow through wednesday. ,,,,,,,,,,

a lot of lholiday revelers here on the plaza with us this morning. we'll get to meet them. i'm harry smith along with rebekah jarvis. while it is a little chilly outside i notice you don't have any gloves on. >> yes. >> do you mind just putting your hand out just like that? >> if i must, if i must. >> someone here just got engaged. and i thought that the most amazing thing is we chatted about this this morning. >> yes. >> you kept telling me you're the lucky girl. >> i am the lucky girl. matthew pierce hanson is out there, wonderful man.

proposed to me in chicago where me first met. i am the lucky girl. incredible. >> he's going to be a very lucky guy. >> i'm glad you think so. coming up, a new government warning about dietary supplements. some of them containing illegal ingredients that can have dangerous side effects. we're going to tell you which ones you need to watch out for. >> also, if you haven't noticed, christmas is just a little over one week away. if you still need a tree, you may neat help. in the the last-minute rush it's very easy to pay too much. so we have some very good advice so you can find the right tree at a very fair price no matter what kind of tree you want, harry. >> it's important advice, last minute. >> yes. let's get a check of the news this morning. we're cheering for christmas tree shopping. betty nguyen is at the news desk. good morning. >> good morning. lots to cheer about. congratulations. good morning to you at home. that wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rains that moved

into the south this morning. it's still snowing in indiana this morning. you can see ice coating the trees there. the rough weather is making travel difficult both on the ground and in the air. cbs news correspondent don teague is in raleigh, north carolina, with the latest. good morning, don. >> reporter: good morning, betty. yeah, across the mid atlantic and southeast we've been getting a mixture of snow, ice, and the worst of it is freezing rain. it's really causing travel troubles. hardest hit last night atlanta during the evening commute they had more than 1,000 traffic accidents reported. there were people that took three and four hours just to get home from work in the atlanta area yesterday as the ice started moving in there. there were also fatal accidents in places like alabama and mississippi as this ice has just been crawling across the southeastern part of the country. it's now in north carolina. it began here this morning as snow several hours ago. it's been freezing rain for

about the last hour or so. the good news here at least, they expect the temperatures to warm up above freezing shortly and hopefully by this afternoon, whatever is on the ground will have melted away. but it's caused hundreds of schools to close and here at north carolina state university, they've had to postpone finals for several hours as they're trying to deal with this big mess. betty? >> cbs' don teague in raleigh. thank you. we are learning new details of the latest white house review of the afghan war due out this morning. it finds the taliban have lost much of their power in afghanistan over the past 12 months. but that the gains against the taliban remain fragile and reversible. the al qaeda leadership in pakistan is at its weakest since the ne9/11 attacks and the u.s.s the principle target for the terrorist organization. they will begin to withdraw in july but some american forces will remain in afghanistan until 2014. in london this morning a judge ordered wikileaks founder julian assange freed on bail,

rejecting an appeal from swede accident. swedish police want to question assange about sex crime allegations against him. he has not been charged. meanwhile, the "new york times" reports the u.s. may try to charge assange with conspiracy involving a leak of hundreds of thousands of secret documents. the dannon company agreed to a huge settlement over improper health claims or yogurt and dairy drinks. the settlement totals $21 million to be paid to 29 states which said its activia yogurt boosted immunity. the man who opened fire on a florida school board planned his attack for some time, according to panama city police. clay duke shot at school board members several times on tuesday and missed. he was eventually wounded by a security guard and then shot himself to death. duke complained about his wife losing her job as a teacher. she says she hoped to bring him

some good news. >> trying to fill out applications and trying to get some interviews so that i could actually say, honey, guess what, i got to job, everything is going to be okay. but evidently i didn't get that chance. i love my husband. he's really a gentle giant. >> mike jones, the security guard who shot duke, is being hailed a hero. duke had at least 25 more rounds of ammunition in his pockets. let's go back outside now, dave price has another check of the weather. awfully cold on the plaza, dave. >> 23 degrees outside right now, betty. how are you? now, imagine if you're out just wearing tights to sell a product, that's chilly. but power man can power through it. nice going, power man. >> thank you. >> we've got friends from walmart here doing nice things trying to eradicate hunger.

for more information, there's that website. in the meantime, let's see what we can do about getting good weather through the latter portion of the workweek. there we go, plenty o

this weather report sponsored by daisy brand sour cream. a dollop of daisy is a natural way to make good food taste better. seven minutes after the hour right now. that is a look at the weather as we begin this hour. let's send it inside to you. up next, the fda cracks down on illegal dietary supplements. we're going to tell you which ones are considered dangerous and how to know for sure. this is "the early show" on cbs. ♪ daisy, do-do a dollop

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in this morning's healthwatch, illegal dietary supplements. the fda is warning manufacturers to stop spiking their products with steroids, prescription drugs or other substances. dr. jennifer ashton has information about how to protect yourself. >> good morning. >> tell us, what is this and how wide spread is it? >> it is wide spread and potentially dangerous. the problem here when you're talking about dietary supplements, even if they're, quote, unquote, natural products, is that the fda does not have to police their safety before they come to market. so they are only responsible for ascertaining their safety after they're on the shelf. what you're talking about here are three very popular categories of supplements that are available both on the internet and in some cases in retail stores for weight loss, for sexual enhancement and for body building. three very popular categories with potentially very dangerous side effects. >> let's talk weight loss.

what do you see there? >> when you're talking about the weight loss category the concern here is that some contain a substance that is very similar to a medication called subumarine, which is like meridia just pulled from the market. stroke and potentially heart problems and heart attacks. when you're talking about weight loss, natural does not always mean safe. >> and you've talked about body building products here. numerous times on the program what do you need to look for there? >> the concern with the body building products is that they sometimes promote on the packaging that a legal alternative to antibiloic steroids, live problems and serious hormonal consequences. other issue is that sometimes the packages will give a warning and say you may test positive on drug testing, you have to realize that if it works to build muscle and it can give you a positive drug test, that there are substances in there that can

work as steroids do, which is potentially very dangerous. >> also sexual enhancement drugs you mentioned could have issues with illegal and dangerous substances. >> exactly. in the sexual enhancement category the fda is issuing a warning for people to stop taking certain categories of these supplements because the concern here is that they can contain drug very similar to the prescription medication in viagra which can affect blood pressure, so they're warning people to stop taking vigor 25 is one game, duro extend capsules for men, magic power coffee and man-up now. these are available now on the internet and in stores. p feel are taking them, stop immediately. >> it's a red flag to note that people would need a prescription, that would will a red flag. how do you know if you're safe? >> discuss any of these products even if you think they're natural with your doctor. there are some actual very good books that are out there that you can get. one is called a pdr for herbal

product which you can read and research these products. you cannot assume that things are natural or safe. we have to remember, cocaine comes from a natural plant, that's obviously not safe. >> thanks for keeping us safer. thanks. now up next, still looking for the perfect christmas tree. well, we've got your cover. to find the very best last-minute deal. this is "the early show" on cbs. cbs healthwatch sponsored by restasis. about restasis cyclosporine opthalmic emulsion 0.05%. most people like to hear

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♪ i gotta make this holiday glow, like a light bulb ♪ ♪ ♪ tie it all up in a big shiny bow. i'm a "home for the holiday" superhero ♪ ♪ mrs. claus ain't got nothin' on me. i'm dancin' circles ♪ ♪ around the christmas tree.

you don't really get into the christmas spirit without a christmas tree. as "early show" contributor taryn winter brill tells us finding the ideal tree can be a big project or just something you do in your spare time. >> reporter: christmas trees aren't just beautiful traditions, they're serious business. each year 13 million are cut and sold, making this a billion dollar industry. and with nine days left until christmas, there's still time to find the right tree to brighten up your holiday. every year, this family finds the holiday spirit together at this new jersey farm. what does it mean to you as a family to have this tradition, to go out in the cold and get the tree. >> it's important, i guess, you know. brings us -- we get up here today. didn't get everybody this year but nicer than having the tree delivered or picked out for you. it makes the tree important, you

know. >> reporter: a bonding experience. >> yeah. >> the ambience and getting it back on top of the car that's part of it, too getting it packed. >> like the christmas holiday spirit. my favorite time of the year, so -- >> reporter: back at the house it's a perfect fit. >> high-five. nicely done. merry christmas. >> teamwork. >> yes, absolutely. >> reporter: when time is in short supply popular retailers like the home depot offer a quick and economic alternative. do you come here every year. >> yes, we do. >> yes, over year. >> reporter: why do you come here? >> it's convenient. the prices are good. >> and we live close. >> we live close. >> we live close and like the selection. >> reporter: reason enough. how long did it actually take you to pick the tree out? [ inaudible ] >> it only actually took me about five minutes. >> reporter: if you just can't

find the time to stop and shop, the interthet could save your christmas. >> in general, the online tree shopping experience? how do you feel about it? >> very easy. point and click and just like everything else and it shows up the next day. didn't have to haggle with prices or go out in the cold. >> reporter: in between shifts at the hospital, phil ten nabt ordered history online and this showed up on his doorstep. what i find most interesting this huge tree fit in this tiny box. >> it does. and it was easy to put up, kind of stayed in the box, put the stand on it and didn't make a mess in the apartment. >> reporter: i think he's proud of you, dad. you done good, as they say. but, no matter how find your special tree, it's the memories you create around it that really count. >> well, if you still have not bought your tree don't worry jason cochran from walletpop.com has the facts on getting the right tree at the right price. did i get that right, the

walletpop.com? >> walletpop.com. >> very good. christmas tree prices this year are. >> actually about what they were last year, good news, right. about eight to ten dollars per foot. so about six feet, 48 to '60, most places. in the city it can be a bit more. >> in the city on the sidewalks, you can get hosed -- >> 20 bucks here. >> -- you can get hosed if you don't know what you are doing. things you have to remember if you are buying a he tree from the lot you have to remember, that saw. >> they are drying out by the time you get them and the sap is cat riced, it can't drink. you have to make sure to stay fresh and that great smell. you cut off about a half of the trunk you get it home. they do it there, too. you can do it twice. maybe a quarter gallon of water every single day this thing will drink. >> we've had ours up almost two weeks and it drinks like crazy.

you can't water it enough. you can still do this, plenty of time, to go to a christmas tree farm, how do you find the right farm. >> there is a christmas tree farm network, actually with a website. >> who is that. >> christmas dash tree dot com. i recommend further out from the city tend to be less expensive than the ones where people come from the city. you might find a good deal there. near the city is about the hot cocoa and the fun with the family and kids like we just saw. >> that is a cool experience, you wander around and find the right one. in some farms they give you the saw yourself and you can go out and cut it down. >> make sure it is straight otherwise you have to cut it again, it will be crooked. >> it takes practice if you haven't done it before. we saw in taryn's piece you can actually get them delivered. >> sure, yeah. it's convenient. >> how does that work? >> not necessarily the cheapest option in most cases. major retailers, smaller ones, i think target, costco, home

depot, a lot of deliver for you and had their cut-off earlier this week for this year so now the smaller guys you might find online but you will will pay probably two or three more -- times more than if you picked it up yourself sbloo speaking of which, trend every year is more and more people are buying artificial treels. are you paying for artificial trees. >> i think they start for something my height i'm about six, about $1 a50. again home depot sells both real and artificial trees. you want it nice, fuller, lights in it, prices go up significantly. but pays for itself in a year or two. >> very much so. on the other hand you don't have the fragrance. >> there are ways around it but they are chemical. >> the other thing the big trend for people to buy trees that are living, living plants. >> i love this idea, actually. say your first christmas together as a family or anniversary or anytime at all you get a potted tree and it stays alive during the season and the season is over, you plant it in the krard. you keep it, you remember that

memory and it's also better for the environment. you don't have to recycle it or throw it away. >> good job.,,,, ♪ [ female announcer ] with cable's bundle choices, there's not much to see. with at&t u-verse tv, you can record up to four shows at once on a single dvr. hey. yeah. on my way home. [ female announcer ] you can even choose wireless voice service. he can't do that with cable. now you have your choice of offers. call today to get u-verse tv

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go to capitalone.com!!!!! what's in your wallet? somebody help me down. minutes president obama will speak to ut the it is 8:25. time for news headlines. in 20 minutes, president obama will be speaking to reporters about the government's latest assessments of conditions in afghanistan and pakistan. he says the u.s. is still on a path to start taking troops out in july and there is progress in weakening insurgents. you can see the speech live on cbs5.com at 8:45. the buses will stop next year for thousands of san francisco school students. the school board is cutting the number of school bus by about half to save nearly $2 million a year. new routes and schedules will be worked out in the next few weeks. six antioch police officers are a step closer to unemployment after receiving pink slips from the city. the police chief says there is a chance the jobs could be

saved if the city and the officers union reach an agreement on concessions. traffic and weather around the bay area coming right up. stay with us. ,,,,,,,,,,,,

good morning. if your commute takes you across richmond/san rafael bridge, chp just issued a dense fog advisory for the span. this is our third advisory for

one of the bridges in the bay area, also one at the carquinez bridge one at the benicia bridge. we have a traffic alert before the dumbarton bridge toll plaza. right before paseo padre parkway, five-vehicle crash blocking lane of traffic. past the paseo padre parkway speeds improve but slow through newark backed up to 880. so consider the san mateo bridge which is fine, just the usual commute on westbound 92 between hayward and foster city. your drive is about 20 minutes. so overall not too bad and the nimitz freeway 880 through oakland just started to really get backed in these northbound lanes as you pass the coliseum. that's your traffic. here's tracy with your forecast. hey, thanks, elizabeth. [ laughter ] >> get out of the shot! >> i guess that's my cue. >> temperatures cold out there. we have fog in the bay. and cold temperatures in the 30s in the north and east bay. ,,,,,,,,

all right. good crowd out here on the plaza and people are in the holiday spirit. >> oh, yeah. >> to say the least of the welcome back to "the early show." paul rudd has been in a lot of high-profile comedies in the last couple of years. his new film is no exception, a romantic comedy called "how do you know" we'll ask what it was like to work with reese witherspoon and jack nick cal son and in this movie actually kisses them both. >> very interesting. >> how is that for a tease? >> he knows how to deliver the laughs. also, former project runway finalist laura bennett is here

to help you make amazing leather goods, i'm telling you, at a tiny fraction of the cost. >> if you still haven't planned your christmas dinner, chef eric ripert has a truly mouth-watering menu, royced pork loin, sliced butteris not squash, spiced hot chocolate and kin mon benets for dessert does. it get any better. >> i doubt it. >> maybe it does. dave price is here. that's better, right? hey, dave. >> stop it. congratulations! >> isn't that great. >> oh, thank you. thank you, dave, i really appreciate that. >> wow, thighs rock there. >> that'll keep you warm. >> thank you dave. >> a lot to talk about weather-wise, right? huh? is it cold enough for you? >> yes, it is. >> i agree with you there. let's go to the maps and see if it will get colder where you are. it looks like we have oop a mess brewing heading to the carolinas today. it is going to be short-lived. things will will improve. it will warm up a bit,

everything kind of movers east and we'll see warmer air move east. but in the meantime, some of those roads really icy. greenville, raleigh, again all the way back to louisville and knoxville. there, you are going to see some slippery roads this morning. do take extra time and you could have school delays and cancellations, the whole nine yards. something to watch out for as you start your day. let's see what else is happening across the country. southwest you will see precipitation, as well in the

[ cheering ] >> that's your latest weather forecast. harry, inside to you. >> paul rudd is a familiar face in many of hollywood's biggest comedy hits the last decade, one of the funniest leading men

around this time a troubled businessman trying to get close to reese weather ther spoon in the romantic comedy "how do you know". >> what sort of trouble are you in, george? >> simply put, currently unem ploeed my girlfriend recently broke up with me, i'll soon out of money and i'm the target of a federal investigation. >> wow. you're a real chick magnet, aren't you? i'm sorry. >> well, we'll see. >> i think the lines end up working pretty well. paul rudd is here. good morning. >> good morning. >> so, just to get this straight because i've seen the film and i'm going through the background on all of this. you have to kiss jack nicholson in the movie and end up kissing reese witherspoon in the movie. who is the better kisser. >> boy, that's really -- that's apples and oranges. >> pressure is on. >> that's tough. really tough. >> yeah. >> they are both great!

>> reese, i guess won. i think i kissed jack nicholson maybe a thousand times. and, you know, they're -- they're both of them tender, caring, and -- >> passionate. >> passionate. there's passion. but not too much. and -- >> it is acting, after all. >> well, you got the whole crew around and it's always, you know, an awkward thing. but, you know, it was -- i felt great after kissing both of them. >> for the record, we needed that. >> i got you. >> i want to move on. james brooks is the guy who did this movie and has done all these classic romantic comedies over the years. you had to audition for him? >> yeah. i went to meet him here in new york, i went to his apartment. >> right. >> had a fever, though. i had about a 101-degree temperature. i shouldn't have gone out of the house, really. >> right.

>> i auditioned and it was horrible. >> it was horrible. >> i was able to talk him into letting me do it again a couple weeks later. >> you sold him the second time around. >> apparently so. >> he said you are to this movie what jack nicholson was to the classic -- >> "shining." >> -- "as good as it gets". >> he didn't do the "shining". >> the first scene i do like this talking out of my pinkie. >> red-rum. >> red-rum. >> that's high praise. >> do you know he said that? >> i didn't know he said that. i was sort of making a joke. actually, i'm kind of overwhelmed. >> flabbergasted. >> he's the maestro. >> he is. >> you are the full crumb around which all other levers go up and down. can you explain what your job is in this movie. >> i'm trying to make reese witherspoon fall in love with

me. >> there you go. >> but that's -- then i also have an actual job. boy, i'm wearing a lot of hats in this thing, now they think about it. >> big-time stuff. yeah. well, you know, you rise to this amazing level of popularity and stardom and then, you have a lot of responsibility. [ laughter ] >> nobody ever put it that way before? >> no. i'm getting nervous. >> you better find another line of work. >> yeah. >> you know, what can i ask you one more question? >> of course. >> do you know "how do you know? ". >> no >> because that's the whole point of the movie. >> no, i know. you'd think by this point i should -- i'd have an answer to that question. do you know? >> i kind of pretty much do. >> tell me, please. >> i'll just tell you what it is, when you realize one day that all of the other ones that you think aren't, that's how you know. >> that is a great answer. actually, i mean, i do feel like i know in my own life in the sense that i would rather be around the person in this case

my wife than not. >> yeah. >> so, that's another. >> it's not particularly romantic. >> that sounded horrible. i better come up with -- can i steal yours? here's one. i inner thought i could be more myself in front of somebody than -- that's getting better. >> ohh, much better. much better. it would have sound sod much better about a minute ago. >> yeah. you can edit that. >> we'll switch it -- we'll fix it in post. >> appreciate it. >> thanks, dude. appreciate it it opens nationwide tomorrow. rebecca. >> thank you, harry. if christmas shopping gives you sticker shock especially when you see something you really want but can't afford, we have the solution. designer laura bennett, a finalist on "project runway" and mother of six is here to show you how to make something really special at homeless than $30 and you promised it will be easy enough anyone can do it. >> this is so simple you are going to be shocked. >> what is this? >> this is, i'll show you how to make a little eyeglass case. the reason i chose this project because it is so virs tell, once

you get down this method of construction you'll be able to make anything for anybody. >> start with the tools we are working with here today. >> the tools that i'm going to work with, i use this cutting board but you can use a piece of cardboard. a box cutter, a snap-played cutter, a straight edge. a little screwdriver to install the hardware and binder clips to clamp your project while the glue is ying. >> mostly things you might already have around the house. >> absolutely. >> the other elements we're working with? >> the materials you need are a piece of leather. this is about a square foot of leather. it would cost you about $5.00. i used some little harded ware comes in a packet, everything you need just like for two or three dollars, depending on the style you choose. some double-stick tape and glue that drys clear. >> these are all things you could go to the craft store and they would show you around and where to find things? >> i buy most of these things online. >> okay. >> so, i think on "the early show" website are all my

favorite websites where you can get all of these things. >> we love this. >> let's get started. >> so easy. >> what do i need to do? >> the first thing you are going to do is cut out your piece of leather. and so, what you need is for the body is a piece of leather 8 inches by 10 3/4 and for the flap, a little piece, 8 inches by 3.5. i like to trace them. >> you've measured out pieces of paper first and mutt them down on the leather? >> yeah. i tend to make more than one so i do a pattern but you can measure it directly on the back of the leather. then you why a straj edge and snap-blade cutter but also can use scissors and just sort of cut out your pieces. it's easy, see. >> you do make it look easy. >> leather cuts very easily and you can totally use scissors. >> and you end up with something like this. >> you end up with, this the body and this goes on the flap. the first thing you need to do i have this really wide

double-stick take from 3m. just going to cover -- cover this. then we'll cover it -- you know, you would cover it completely, but we don't need to. you put that on there and peel. i'll let you do this part. you peel this off like a peel-and-stick. >> got it. >> and stick it onto there. >> both down sides onto each other you have the rough part. >> exactly. exactly. so, that's going to give you your flap piece. >> right. >> then the next thing you need to do we'll glue the sides here, put a line of glue. leather is actually really easy to glue because it is porous. >> you are not actually going to have to put too much glue. >> you don't need to, you can use any household glue anything that dries clear you want to doimplts you fold it back. >> while it dries, sometimes i like to put a little scrap of leather. here's a scrap for you. i just like to clamp it with thighs binder clips but it actually drys quite quickly. >> how long are we leaving it

like this for? >> oh, gosh, i'm sure five minutes or soinchts really? only five minutes. >> white glue tends to dry really fast. and it's easy, you can work with it after that. so now, you'll have your piece all glued. >> yes. >> like this. the next thing to do inwill stall the hardware, which is the fun part. >> okay. >> so, what you do is first you get, this is like a two-part piece. way like -- what i've already cut a little hole here but this is what you can do, you press it into the leather then you can see that little mark. >> the imprint. >> yeah, you trace it out. of course you will will do this in the center, actually. like press it on there, trace it out and cut out that little section with your knife. >> gotcha. >> i'll let do you this to show you how easy it is. >> there's the hardware. >> the hardware goes on this and this one goes on the back. then they have these little screws. >> this is where this comes in handy. >> yeah. and you just screw that in.

how easy. >> well, it is easy if you have your hands free and not thinking about it on television, probably, a lot easier. actually, this really isn't hard i'm telling you once you get the screwdriver going, it works out. >> the next thing do you is fold this down and mark the spot where -- >> you are going to cut out. >> where this goes. >> you don't even need to cut out. just two little quick slots. >> okay. >> see? just like that. this piece goes in. of course, this is closed on the side. >> sure. >> these little tabs fold back. the last thing i like to do and i will let you do that scrap of little has a little stick. >> oh, i see. >> -- on the back. >> you put more double-sided tape on this one. >> that prevents whatever's in your case, keep it from scratching. >> oh, a really nice thought. >> so, it's that easy. there you go. >> and you have your finish the product.

>> very nice. >> looks amazing. >> we have all these, these get a little more embellished. >> depending on your skill level or what you are comfortable with. this one i sewed on the sewing machine and used the same color thread. even if you make a mistake it barely the show. >> laura bennett thank you so much. >> how about that? >> we appreciate it. >> for more tips go to our website earlyshow.cbsnews.com. >> announcer: this portion of "the early show" sponsored by big lots! for all your holiday shopping needs think extreme value. think big lots! >> chef eric is here with great ideas for christmas dinner, the brains behind the world-renown french restaurant in new york and also author of avec eric and host of the pbs show of the same name. >> this is not a walk in the

park. it's rough. >> thank you so much. cheers. >> real pleasure. >> chin-chin that. was a real adventure. >> it really was. >> it's okay. you just bite to it and the garlic will come out. >> great show, great cookbooks and restaurant, the great eric ripert. >> how are you. >> good morning, chef. >> good morning. >> we'll make christmas dinner. pork tenderloin. >> actually, a loin, not a tenderloin. >> oh, okay. >> i'm going to show you how we tie it in a timely manner. you know, you have choice, you can do a knot every quarter inch or can go very soft like going to do now. >> i'm not sure i've ever reeled to do this. >> you put the string like that. >> like tying a package. >> yes, it's very important to tie it because you are going to, first of all keep the shape of the pork loin and, also, you are going to keep all the juice inside. if it wasn't tied like that, you

will lose all the juice and the pork will become dry. today, pork doesn't have to be, also, cooked well done like it used to be long time ago, afraid of -- >> sick notices. >> today you can have it medium, medium rare if you like it. >> wow. and probably easy. >> easy, right? >> yeah. >> you save a lot of time. if you make 20 knots, it takes about 20 minutes. and we are going to saute the pork with also some mushrooms. so, you are going to cook the mushroo mushrooms. >> all right. >> they're yours. oil here for inside the pan. i'm going to take care of the pork. and we -- here's the pork. i'm going to season the pork and you are going to season the mushrooms, like that. >> okay. >> this is for you. and -- oh, wow, you're good.

you have some shallots and garlic. i have some sage and thyme that goes in the pan and garlic, as well, in the skin, like this. and we get a nice coating of the pork. you see the pork already has a nice color. >> look at that. >> very important to have a nice color to sear the meat. >> exactly right. this pan was very hot. >> that pan was very hot. yours was, too. >> maybe a little too hot. >> no, no it is perfect. you want to carmalize your mushrooms. the pork is going into an oven staying 20 minutes maybe at 400 degrees. >> that's all? >> that's ul a. when it is cooked, of course, the pork comes back. >> oh, look at this. >> and, i'm going to remove the pork. excellent. doing a good job. >> the best we can. >> we are going to make the jus the sauce, a bit of white wine

like that. a little bit of chicken stock. >> right. >> and we're going to let it boil a little bit. >> butter? >> a tiny bit, not much. you know. and -- >> oh, the smell. you added that white wine. >> a bit of butter on your mushroom maybe harry, i'll give you the butter. >> i'll slice the pork. >> i'm going to switch places with you. >> okay. we can do that. >> also, when you are slicing the pork, because of the way i tied it, it's very easy to remove the string, you see, it comes out by itself. >> oh, look at that. >> so, it's very easy. now, i'm ready to slice. going to remove the fat like that. >> oh. look how good that looks. >> and we are going to have a beautiful pork with mushroom. you see the color is kind of -- >> a little bit pink. >> a little bit, not too much. and -- okay one more slice. >> what we serving this with? >> with some brussel sprouts and

chestnuts. we have also fingerling potatoes, roasted. sweet po taye he toes and i'm going to pour the jus on top of the pork. it's hot. >> yeah, careful. >> like that. just a little bit of the jus on top. you see? here. ohh. the mushrooms are perfect. and now -- >> can i put them on top? >> yes, absolutely. >> it looks beautiful. >> we have to sew that to the camera. we can cook together christmas dinner, huh? then for dessert with the bignet, hot kok lat infused with spices. >> this one is yours. >> i know where i'm going for christmas dinner. >> and this one is for me. >> all right. >> i don't know if you like mash mellows on top or without. >> i'll take mine without.

>> me, too. but the benet will be -- cheers. >> joi noelle. >> you can have find these recipes on our website earlyshow.cbsnews.com. we'll be right back. you are watching "the early show" on cbs. save $523! 16 minutes could save you 16%! come on... isn't it time an auto insurer gave it to you straight? that's why you should talk to state farm. but not yet. first, talk to any one of the 40 million drivers who already have state farm. 40 million. yeah, that's more than geico and progressive combined. by a lot. 40 million drivers. more savings. and discounts up to 40%. where else you gonna get discounts like that?

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the only thing we didn't get to, chef, the bignets. look how gorgeous. >> they are tiny. i like the fact they are small because you were have one, two, three -- >> or 20! >> are they hard to make? >> no, not hard to make. you have to just have a little bit of knowledge in pastry or follow the sdrekss of the recipe, very simple. >> right. >> then you fry them at home and you can keep them all day, they don't change. >> no. >> coat them with sugar and goes really well with chocolate, too.

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to get our best offer of the season ends soon. see your local chevy dealer now. it's not too well done? nope. but it is a job well done. what are you reading, sweetie? her diary. when you're done, i'd love some feedback. sure. your mom and i read that thing cover-to-cover. loved it. thanks. would you mind if i cut the lawn this weekend? only if you let me talk to your mother on the phone for hours on end. done. [ male announcer ] u-verse brings peace to the family. at&t u-verse lets you record four shows at once from any room and play them back on any tv. now get up to $300 back in promotion cards. at&t. rethink possible.

new signs that california good morning. it is 8:55. i'm robert lyles. time for cbs 5 headlines. new signs that california regulators were concerned about pg&e safety before the san bruno pipeline explosion. the "chronicle" reports that the puc sent the utility a letter a year ago warning it about persistent safety warnings in its gas distribution system. it said workers were not properly trained to check for leaks. the naacp will hold a public hearing this morning over recent claims of police brutality in oakland. the oakland police department has been under investigation for several years and is under court orders to address police misconduct. and the founder of wikileaks will soon be out of jail and sent to stay at a

countrymantion. today a judge in the uk granted julian assange bail. he must wear an electronic tag and report to police daily. he is fighting extradition to sweden on sex crime allegations. stay right there. a look at traffic and weather when we return. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

all right. a traffic alert orn westbound 84 before you get to the dumbarton bridge is cancelled and all lanes are open towards the dumbarton bridge toll plaza. right now across the span across the san mateo bridge looks good. good visibility. 22 minutes from hayward to foster city. 880 the nimitz freeway still a mess as you pass the coliseum. an extra slow ride this morning heading up into downtown oakland and the bay bridge unfortunately it is still backed up solid to the macarthur maze. also a pretty slow ride as well down the eastshore freeway, 40 minutes from the carquinez bridge to the maze. that's your traffic. here's tracy with your forecast. hey, thanks, elizabeth. well, for the morning, what can you expect? well, we do still have a few clouds out there, especially low clouds and fog. and here is a nice look this morning and we are seeing plenty of sunshine out there, as well. here's a look at our forecast for the day. seven-day forecast, mid- to

upper 50s with a mix of sun and clouds. rainfall moving in... ,,,,,,