state of emergency. houses swept away and vauxs are orders as things go from bad to worse along the rain-soaked west coast. we'll go live to california where the monster storm raising fears of mud slides and tornadoes. bull run. stocks hate two-year high as holiday shoppers boost the struggling economy. we'll tell what it could mean for your wallets in the coming year. and the drama. police open an investigation after until accused of assaulting an officer in rehab. could she be headed back to jail? we'll get her side of the story from her father michael in an exclisive interview early this wednesday morning, december exclisive interview early this wednesday morning, december 22nd, 2010. captioning funded by cbs

good morning from a cold day in new york city. we've been complaining and nothing came paired to out west. >> chilly here and fierce there. >> this is a live west coast edition of "the early show." take a look at this. folks start the day. this is what they're dealing with. national weather service calling the events of today and the weather events of the next coming days in their words a three-ring circus. >> looks like it. >> governor arnold schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency as they prepare for the monster storms this morning. cbs news correspondent bill whitaker is in la canada flintridge with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, russ. above me here, this mountainside was scorched by fire and now

drenched by rain and now the fear is it will turn into a river of mud. residents were urged to evacuate. the rain now coming in expected to fall at about a rate of a half inch an hour and if that doesn't sound like a lot, look at the destruction this weather system caused already. this week's relentless rain traveling from california to arizona turned a house into a houseboat. in just seconds, floodwaters crumbled this house not far from las vegas and carry it away. many others are threatened from the massive storm plaguing the west. here in the foothills above los angeles, police went door to door evacuating hundreds of homes, officials warned residents they don't have a choice. >> the evacuation orders that are places place now are mandatory. >> if you fail to comply, it could result in death. >> reporter: while the fear in la canada flintridge is hillsides giving way, throughout southern california, the

southeastern is flooding. both man and beast found themselves trapped by surging water and there were several close calls. >> we made nine rescues in 14 hours. and luckily they turned out okay but those could have been nine fatalities just as easy. >> reporter: four days of virtually nonstop rain loosened rocks, weakened trees and this is the result. >> ground saturated and a lot of trees falling over. >> reporter: there's a silver lining to too many storms. it is the record amount of snow, more than 15 feet of powder in 5 days at california's mammoth mountain. may be a skier's paradise but down below, the rain is a nightmare and keeps getting worse. >> i cannot over emphasize the magnitude of the storm bearing down upon us right now. >> reporter: and it's not just rain. it's wind, thunder, lightning. even a tornado is predicted to

come along with this weather system sweeping in to southern california. now, this is predicted to go on for about six hours and we're bracing for the worse. all of the residents around here now can do is hope that the hillsides hold and the houses are safe. russ? >> okay. cbs' bill whitaker in la canada flintridge, california, thank you for joining us. now joining us is the mayor of la canada flintridge, mayor voss. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> this is a rough patch for your town. how are residents holding up? >> well, quite well. it's been raining for several days now. perhaps ten or 12 inches so far. many more inches to come this morning. we endured this last year in the wake of the station fire that was in august and september 2009. and this is the second of perhaps five winters when we're looking for mud slides. >> talk about evacuations. about 150 homes evacuated overnight. did that process go smoothly and

how many people are staying in their homes? >> about -- of the 150 homes that were evacuated or identified for evacuation, residents in about 100 homes elected to stay behind. they're free to do that. we're asking them to sign a waiver to assume the risk of that decision. the risk is if things get very bad, they may not be able to evacuate later on. >> if you could speak to those people like you're speaking to me, what would you say? >> i would say, good luck. we're blessed to have very independent-minded residents in la canada flintridge. they have a sense of when they should and should not suffer from evacuation. some are suffering from evacuation thfatigue from last year. >> what is job one for you and your crew this morning? >> well, i think we handled job one last night. we did order the evacuation.

we have informed residents with reverse 911 calls. we've gone door to door to warn of the risks. we are as prepared as we can be and holding on and hoping for the best result. >> is there a chance that you're hearing from the experts that the hills will hold? >> yes. they have done quite well so far. we have several debris basens that were built in the '30s and expanded with the $1.2 million program from the county and performed extremely well so far. we hope they continue to. >> okay. mayor -- >> the hillsides themselves are becoming -- >> go ahead, sir. >> thank you. >> okay. we'll wrap -- >> the hillsides are saturated so there's a risk. >> listen, mayor, best of luck to you today and thank you for joining us. >> thank you. >> take care. >> really hope the hills hold. >> yes. >> here's betty nguyen at the news desk. good morning. >> good morning. on capitol hill today, the senate is expected to ratify the new s.t.a.r.t. treaty reducing the u.s. and russian stockpiles

of nuclear weapons and short time ago president obama signed landmark legislation, the law repealing don't ask, don't tell, another legislative victory for him. cbs news senior white house correspondent bill plante has more. good morning, bill. >> reporter: good morning, betty. the repeal of the law fulfills a campaign promise the president made in 2008 and he told an enthusiastic audience made up of many gay rights act viivists th he was proud to bring an end to don't ask, don't tell. >> no longer will our country be denied the service of thousands of patriotic americans who were forced to leave the military, regardless of their skills, no matter the bravery or zeal. no matter their years of exemplary performance because they happen to be gay. no longer will tens of thousands of americans in uniform be asked to live a lie. or look over their shoulder in order to serve the country that they love.

>> reporter: mr. obama used 15 pens to sign the law and gave them to people as is traditional that helped get it passed and the policy doesn't change until the pentagon draws up a plan and the president signs off on it but he told the arms forces that are gay that they will be the first generation to serve openly and set an example. also, another major victory expected later today, the ratification of the s.t.a.r.t. treaty limiting nuclear arms in the u.s. and russia by more than the two thirds majority needed. it is a string of victories for president obama, the white house planned -- plan having to say so after the deneat if november. >> bill plante at the white house, thank you. also today, the senate faces a key test vote on a plan to compensate 9/11 first responders. the bill commits up to $6 billion to pay medical bills and lost wages for tens of thousands of people who got sick because

of toxic gases at ground zero. americans have more safe cars to choose from. the insurance institute for highway safety says 66 cars made it to their highest level for 2011. for protection and front, side and rear crash tests. last year, there were only 27. the winning automakers, hyundai kia and volkswagen audi. each with nine cars in the safest category and gm and ford did well with eight models each. the economy grew at a slightly faster pace last summer. the government said gross domestic product increased from july through september. that is slightly heer than earliearly estimates. stronger spending by businesses to build inventories was a major factor. the results of the 2010 census redrawn the u.s. political map. a population shift to the south and west means texas will gain four house seats, florida two, new york and ohio will each lose

two seats. the new figures are expected to impact the 2012 presidential election. the makeup of the electoral college will change to reflect republican-leaning states gaining influence. 89 and counting. the university of connecticut women's basketball team now has the new record for winning streaks. last night, mia moore scored 41 points as uconn beat florida state 93-62. it was the 89th victory in a row going back to the start of the 2008-2009 season. and in the middle of the post game news conference, the huskies' coach got a call from president obama. >> we have not lost since you've been inaugurated and how about we keep that streak going for a couple more years, huh? >> the 89th win broke the 88-game streak by the ucla men's team back in the

>> now here's rebecca. >> thank you, john. turning to the economy, stocks have surged to the highest level in two years as retail sales for the critical holiday shopping season are predicted to show their biggest gains since before the recession hit. liz ann saunders chief estimate strategist at charles schwab is here to tell us what it means for you in the coming year. great to have you with us. >> thanks for having me. >> we have seen the surge in retail sales because of the holiday shopping season and consumers are optimistic. the stock market looks like it's more optimistic. what's driving all that? >> there's a relationship between the two and not sure if people realize this. there's about a 90% correlation of the stock market in the fourth quarter of the year and holiday sales. so that is a big boost of confidence but i think the other factor is what i've been calling frugality fatigue. i think after two years of

consumers being frugal, paying down debt, i think they're tired of being true inaugurfrugal. >> and unemployment, people are without jobs, 9.8% unemployment, been stuck there for some time now. in 2011, how does the jobs picture look to you? >> i think looking better. i don't expect to see a big move down in the unemployment rate. i think a fairly slow slog but the leading indicators point to better job growth are in place. initial unemployment claims trending down. companies increasing the use of temporary workers and converting them to permanent help. numbers of hours worked is expanding. the business conditions are there to justify hiring. i think some of the uncertainty that existed prior to year end is starting to wane and i think we'll see better jobs numbers. >> when you talk about the uncertainty we now know that tax law extended into next year. unemployment benefits for 13

months. how significant are those actions? >> i think the extension of the tax cuts was largely built into expectations but the two pieces of that package that were not would be the additional payroll tax deduction and also the ability for businesses to fully expense investment. i think those two are particularly additive to economic growth in 2011 so they're pleasant surprises on top of now knowing that we are not going to see a tax hike. >> i want to make sure to get to the stock market next year and your prediction. if someone is thinking about putting money into the market next year, what do you recommend? >> you have to look at who you are as an individual investor and where you are on the risk spectrum. there's not one right answer for every investor. a conservative investor ought to be careful about how much exposure they have to the market. a younger, more risk-tolerant investor, you probably want to make sure you have decent exposure, absolutely. >> thanks so much for joining us. happy holidays. >> you, too. >> here's russ. >> thank you very much. a new safety measure in place for the spider-man musical

after the terrifying accident monday that saw an actor plunge 30 feet to the stage. cbs news correspondent elaine quijano in times square with more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. the musical resumes tonight even as investigators continue the work trying to determine what went wrong earlier this week. on the heels of monday's terrifying accident, when stuntman christopher tierney plunged about 30 feet, producers for the musical agreed to implement new safety measures, the additional precautions come after a meeting with federal and state labor officials tuesday. in the video of the incident, it a peers that the safety line is not anchored to anything. he suffered broken ribs and internal bleeding. the accident the fourth since the musical began preview shows last month. >> this latest injury, again, throwing everything off because all of the actors now so cautious and tentative and so

afraid to perform the show. >> reporter: in a written statement, the director said, an accident like this is obviously heartbreaking for our entire team and, of course, to me personally. nothing is more important than the safety of our spider-man family. the high-flying production fuses sbi cat, fast-paced aerial sequences with music of u2's bono and guitarist the edge. brothers jonathan and michael were in the audience monday night and witnessed the fall. >> we were expecting something to go wrong. because they had so many problems before but no one expected this to happen. ♪ >> reporter: now, producers are postponing today's matinee performance but they plan to resume the regular show schedule starting tonight. one theater critic says the show's problems appear to be sparking more interest. >> ironically, because people are fascinated by a train wreck, the injuries led to a boom at the box office. you cannot get a ticket in the

coming week. >> reporter: safety inspectors with the state labor department are set to meet with the shows producers once again today and discuss the additional safety procautions the show is expected to take. russ? >> elaine, thank you very much. you wonder how long the show can go on. you probably have insurance issues coming up. actors, prominent broadway actors saying they should close the show, it's too dangerous. >> people say i want to see this now because it's gotten so much press. scary. >> sold out this week. coming up this morning, lindsay lohan may be in trouble again. she's accused of being drunk at rehab and attacking a staffer at the betty ford clinic. we'll hear from her accuser and talk with her father about the investigation that could send lindsay back to jail. also, a major credit card company is accused of misleading customers a s and costing them money. and she's the most powerful celebrity in the world and now the kennedy center honoree.

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coming up we'll take a look at the latest controversy surrounding lindsay lohan accused of assaulting a worker at the betty ford center in california, in b. we'll talk exclusively to her father, there he is, michael, to get his side of his daughter's story. >> on a financial note a major credit card company out there a number of you probably have one now they've been accused of overcharging customers without their knowledge. we're going to show you what you need to do to protect yourself right here on "the early show." that's coming up soon. >> announcer: this portion of "the early show" sponsored by kay jewelers. every kiss begins with kay. - behind every open heart is a story. - it's beautiful. - tell yours with my open heart collection at kay jewelers. keep your heart open,

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six of the seven suspects in last year's gang rape at richmond high school will be tried for the atta good morning. it's pat that. six of the seven suspects in last year's gang rape at richmond high school will be tried for the attack on the san francisco-year-old. charges were dropped against the youngest, a san francisco- year-old. a new prosecutor will be on the case for the next case. the deputy district attorney is being demoted by the newly elected district attorney. california's two senators want the u.s. epa to set drinking water standards for cancer-causing chemical chromium. that after the environmental working group found levels in drinking water in san jose to be well above state limits. and president barack obama is urging gays discharged under

don't ask don't tell to rejoin. this morning, the president signed the bill to repeal the policy. he praised military leaders for supporting the repeal. traffic and weather in just a minute. ,,,,,,,,,,,,

good morning. first went to let you know about slight delays between

dublin and daily city. all other lines are ontime. at the bridge toll plaza, no delay really as you approach the pay gates. the metering lights are on, but no back-up at all. bridge, we were dealing with a number of spinouts, but we have quieted down. right now, a good drive time, that's about 13 minutes to foster city. and to through oakland, nice ride to the airport or up into downtown oakland. that's the traffic. here's the forecast. >> thank you. well, we have a few showers out there on our storm watch. but most of the latest storms have moved out of the bay area and back behind it, lingering showers. little if any activity moving through. forecast for today, plenty of clouds expected and showers are still possible, scattered showers, highs in the upper others. sunshine thursday and friday. and rain fall for the holiday

weekend. saturday and sunday, more showers expected. ♪ hark how the bells, sweet silver bells, all seem to say, ♪ ♪ throw care away, christmas is here, bringing good cheer, ♪ ♪ to young and old, meek and the bold, ding dong ding, dong, ♪ ♪ that is their song, with joyful ring, all caroling, ♪ ♪ one seems to hear, words of good cheer, from everywhere, ♪ ♪ filling the air, oh how they pound, raising the sound, ♪ ♪ o'er hill and dale, telling their tale, gaily they ring, ♪ ♪ while people sing, songs of good cheer, christmas is here, ♪

wow. good of you to come out and see us on a frosty morning here in new york city. >> always. >> we welcome you back to "the early show." i'm russ mitchell along with rebecca jarvis. coming up, oprah winfrey spoke with julie chen about what it marines to be one of this year's kennedy honorees and share the stage with one of her idols, paul mccartney. >> and you might want to take a close look at your discover statement. the credit card giant is accused of misleading customers costing them big money. our correspondent susan koeppen will show you how to fight those

fees, because they show up on your bill. you've got to find them and fight them. >> coming up in a few minutes. first, lindsay lohan may be in trouble again. the actress is accused of assaulting a worker at the betty ford rehab center. speaking exclusively to her father michael lohan in a moment. first, cbs news national correspondent has the latest. >> reporter: during her stint in the betty ford center lindsay lohan has been mostly out of the public eye except for the paparazzi's telephoto lenses. all that changed after an alleged incident with a staffer that placed the 24-year-old actress under investigation. dawn called police to report a physical altercation with a troubled actress and tells tmz she confronted lohan about breaking her curfew and trying to administer a breathalyzer test when the alleged incident occurred. >> she pushed me when i had told her to take her hands off of another patient. >> reporter: she claims she

smelled alcohol on lindsay's breath and on the phone with police lohan wrenched the phone from her injuring her hand. lohan says she touched her first and will file a complaint. schae be she has been fired from the betty ford center for discussing the case. lohan has been reported as a suspect in an investigation. the victim desires prosecution. the incident could be found to be a violation of her probation, her 2007 arrest for drunk driving. under the terms of her arrest, she must follow all laws. >> if lindsay is found to done this, she could go directly to jail. >> i'm not taking this as joke. this is my life. >> reporter: her current stay at betty ford is lohan's fifth nim rehab and her second this year. recent paparazzi pictures show her to be healthier looking. as the talented young actress

continues in her recovery and trying to get her career back on track. ben tracy, cbs news, los angeles. and joining us exclusively from los angeles is lindsay's father michael lowman. how a >> your daughter is apparently drinking. you have spoke ton lindsay. are the charges true at all? >> absolutely not. i've been with lindsay from the beginning of this and have seen how it's twisted and turned. to be quite honest, i don't know how this kind of thing can happen and be twisted the way it has. listen, i know it does happen, it's rehab, to be made public and made into something it's not, it's really didn't-it's very trying on lindsay and it's -- i'm very disturbed by it. >> yr daughter is scheduled to leave rehab next month. how concerned are you she's actually going to go to jail for x months? >> i know -- i have a lot of

confidence in joy chapman holly and i a confidence in god. even the program i work with, it would have been handled differently. i do give betty ford a lot of credit for helping my daughter. she's made a 182-degree turn. she's doing extremely well. she's healthy. she's more -- has more clarity than i've seen in a long, long time. it's just you know, it's very lard for her to deal with this, this type of thing. if lindsay's wrong i'll stay and tell her. when she's right, stand behind her 100% and go to the end with her. >> i read one interview. i want to ask, you said your daughter is struggling. what do you mean by that? exactly? >> well, strugging with all these thingship when you're in recovery going through this process, you don't need the stress put on you like she has while inside of a program. this should have never gotten out. she shouldn't be -- i mean, it's ridiculous, because it wasn't

the truth. i was there. i heard it. lindsay did not -- how can you smell alcohol on someone's breath had they weren't drinking? she tested negative when she took the breathalyzer. the woman grabbed her arm and she tried to get her to take a breathalyzer and lindsay said, let go of me and pushed her away, but she did submit to it. lindsay called police. ms. holland didn't call the police. >> you and your daughter have had a rocky relationship in the past. how would you describe that relationship now? >> stronger than ever. you have to understand something, too. and i understand the difference between lindsay and i when things were happening when she was in the place she was before. i'm not the type of person giving candy to a baby. when someone does something wrong i'll say it, when someone lies i will call them out on it. this is my daughter. i'm a father first and i wanted to put her in her place and understand that nothing is going to -- as long as you tell the truth and live by the truth,

thingless work poupt that's why i know this will work out for lindsay. i have a lot of faith in sean. >> her attorney. correct? >> yes. >> it's hard for many to remember actually she's only 24 years old. how optimistic are you that she's going to be able to some day put this behind her and have a successful acting career again? >> you know, addiction goes farther than drinking and alcohol. you can never put all of this stuff behind you. it will always be there. it's something we have to battle, and i say, we, because i do, too, every single day of our lives. it's a disease. like someone having cancer or heart disease. that's the sard part. because people beat people up when they have a drinking or alcohol or gambling or sex problem, but at the same time do they do that to people with cancer? no. lindsay has a disease, and she's beating it. she's fighting it. there's no cure for it, but she has all the tools she needs to live with it and get better and better. >> lindsay is expected to go back to court early next year. what's the best you hope to get from that hearing?

>> you know what? whatever's best for lindsay. whatever the judge thinks is best. whatever her lawyer thinks is best and whatever god thinks is best. i don't know the answer. i don't have the answers. i just rely on the people that are in power in this case, and the that power lind

up next this wednesd wednesdaymorning a credit card giant is accused of misleading its cust merps some add stlis can save you money and lots of headaches, that's when we return. this is "the early show" on cbs. dad put me in time out

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more than 176 million people own at least one credit card, and one of the big giants in the industry is now being sued for allegedly misleading its customers. consumer correspondent susan koeppen is here with the story. what about this? good morning. >> good morning. credit card companies are trying to make money any way they can.

if you don't do it already, it's time to start reading your statement looking for hidden fees. in a country where credit is king -- it's the hidden fees that get people charged up. jill has been a devoted discover card customer since 1990, but was surprised when she discovered charges for a payment protection plan she never signed up for. >> i was looking at my discover bill and happened to see a charge that i hadn't ever noticed before. >> aill. >> reporter: two years ago, company telemarketers called her at home to offer services for a fee. she declined and in a phone call obtained by cbs news, she double checked she won't be billed. >> i want to verify that i'll fill out paperwork if i want to enroll. you just won't enroll me? >> reporter: but she was enrolled and it took six months

before she noticed $180 in charges. >> they took what i had said as enrollment, even though i blatantly said, you are not going to auto enroll me. >> discover played gotcha with consumers instead of playing fair. >> reporter: now lori swanson is taking action. earlier this month she filed suit demanding discovery stop misleading consumers and refund fees to customer sold unwanted identity theft protection, wallet protection, payment protection and credit score protection. >> if they're going to sell these optional financial products they should do so through a square deal. do it fairly. not through fraud. >> reporter: one out of every four house holds has a discover credit card. the company earned more than $300 million last year from selling protection products. up 37% since 2007. >> all of the financial services, institutions, are looking for extremely creative ways to increase fees.

where the in the case of a fee frenzy, in the midst of a fee frenzy. >> reporter: discover is also facing a class action lawsuit accusing the credit card giant of selling unwanted services to consumers across the country and bilking in them in some cases out of thousands of dollars. jill says from now on she's reading her bill more carefully. >> a lot of people are like myself. you get the bill, look at the total amount. sometimes you scan it, but might not look tat line item by line item and i think you really need to do make sure you're not missing anything. >> and jill was give an full refund by discover after she complained. in a statement to cbs news, discover says they don't comment on pending litigation, but they "take any customer complaint seriously" and have worked with millions of americans for 25 years to main thain the highest levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty in our industry. rebecca? >> it is creepy when you listen to that phone conversation

between jill and the customer service representative where she is saying i don't want this, and then she got it. how does someone protect themself? >> first thing you should do, always read your credit card statement very carefully. go line by line. it might be a pain, but you're going to see a charge that might look suspicious, and feel free to dispute it. also, choose your words carefully. if you get a phone call like this, don't say, okay, let me think about it, because they may take that okay as an affirmative, yes, she wants to be signed up for this. so if you know that you don't want it or you know you just want to think about it, don't say okay. don't say yes, send me some information. just say, let me think about it. >> no affirmative statements. >> no affirmative statements. >> thank you for being with us. this is "the early show." we'll be right back. ♪

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they are enduring the cold this morning. >> yes, they are. >> good reason. julie chen sat down with oprah winfrey to talk about her life, childhood, meteoric ride. we have a five-part profile series that kicks off with oprah winfrey today, and julie chen is sitting down exclusively together. it's going to be history. >> it must be a great life if you're oprah winfrey. i'm guessing. >> yeah. i can imagine. just to get a little taste of that. >> that's right. if you're listening, oprah, help us out. we're coming back. this is "the early show" on cbs. n cbs. [ laughter ] ♪ [ male announcer ] for tim and richard smucker, giving a gift of their delicious jam always made the holidays just a little bit sweeter. we forgot to put our names on them! richard, i think they'll know who it's from. ♪

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the oakland city council has voted to move forward with an environmental impact report, for a new ballpark for the a's. team the oakland city council voted to move forward with an environmental report for the new ball park. the owner says they need to leave the coliseum to stay financially viable. a major league baseball committee has not decided whether to allow the move. race organizers have been uneasy about elements of the san francisco plan and have been working with rhode island as a possible site in to the. and it is day six of wild weather in california. governor arnold schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency across six southern

counties. heavy rain has caused flooding and mud slides. a look at traffic and weather in just a moment. stay with us. ,,,,,, the moment you feel run down or achy nip flu-like symptoms in the bud, with oscillococcinum. get oscillo and feel like yourself again.

oscillococcinum, nip it in the bud. good morning. southbound 0 before high street, we have an accident blocking the right lane there. is near the coliseum. the accident is in the southbound direction. a little bit of slowing there. but back-up in the northbound lanes in the commute direction as well. once you get past the downtown

oakland exit, things improve. one right lane blocked at high street. and another accident southbound 8 to at winton. the volume is just so light on this holiday week that it's not causing huge delays. that's also off to the shoulder. across the san mateo bridge, look great. asia minute drive time to foster city. and the bay bridge toll plaza, metering lights are on, but you wouldn't know it, no delay into san francisco. here's the forecast. >> thank you. so our forecast for this morning still have just a few lingering showers out there. hard to point them out. just a few. otherwise today, expecting a whole lot of clouds and maybe scattered showers. p p to forecast high. sunshine, yeah, sunshine and we are drying out thursday and friday. but rain fall will be back in the bay area as early as christmas day as well as sunday.

7:57, sixth avenue on a wednesday morning. people here from north carolina, florida, all over the place. >> south carolina. we have cannolis behind us. i love that. >> that's right. from the village. what's the name of the bakery? >> vinaro's. >> leave the gun. welcome back to "the early show" i'm russ mitchell along with rebecca jarvis. coming up, ooh, it's cold out here. what's better for treating a cold, echinacea or chicken soup, praps? what role does exercise play in keeping your healthy? a couple of questions we'll address when our dr. jennifer

ashton helps us deal with the common sniffles. also, here's another question. who's the most powerful celebrity in the world, russ? >> let me guess. it wouldn't be oprah winfrey, would it? >> it would absolutely be oprah winfrey according to "forbes" magazine. now the little girl who once had a crush on paul mccartney in person is getting a kennedy center honor alongside the legendary beatle. we'll see her exclusive conversation with julie chen. >> very nice. except for you. except for you, very nice. >> except for you, russ. and betty nguyen has a check of the newsline. good morning. >> good morning, rebecca and russ. good morning, everyone. the fifth straight day of stormy weather in california is expected to be the worst yet. forecasters say two or more inches of rain could fall today around los angeles. hundreds of homeowners have already been told to evacuate because of the fear of mudslides. earlier, one mayor told russ that two-thirds of the folks in this town who should leave are staying put.

>> they have a sense and a feeling as to when they should and should not evacuate. some are suffering from evacuation fatigue from the previous year, but we're hop hopesing for the best, obviously. >> six counties already declared disaster areas. some of the worst damp is far from the pacific coast. floodwaters destroyed at least four homes in littlefield, arizona, near the utah and nevada borders. luckily, no one was inside this house as it was washed away yesterday. wow. look at that. in the sierra nevada, though, mammoth mountain ski resort reports about 13 feet of new snow. take to you europe. more plane, trains and automobiles are running on time this morning, but london's heathrow airport is still cancelling up to 30% of flights today. several days after a snowstorm crippled operations and stranded thousands of passengers. on capitol hill today, president obama gets another boost if, as expected, the senate approves the new s.t.a.r.t. nuclear arms treaty

with russia's in a test vote on tuesday, 11 republican senators voted yes, even though gop senate leaders oppose the treaty. it calls for big cuts in both country's nuclear stockpiles. last night congress passed a stop gap budget bill to keep the federal government operating until march of 2011. it will freeze all agency budgets at current levels. republicans plan to try next year to cut budgets to most domestic agencies by as much as 20%. there was a violent prison riot in chili. about 100 prisoners demonstrated on the roof yesterday. 34 inmates and 6 security guards were injured. the inmates were protesting the death of 81 prisoners and a fire at a different jail two weeks ago. if you like your drinks on the rock, check out this lounge made of ice in northern minnesota. the drinks are served in ice glasses, and can you get comfortable on the benches made of ice blocks, and there's even a fireplace if it gets too

chilly. i have a feeling that's probably going to be a popular spot in the lounge. katie couric now has a preview of tonight's "cbs evening news." >> good morning. the greatest terror threat now comes from inside this country. so what does a home-grown terrorist look like? we'll examine why they're harder to recognize than ever before as we put this late ef danger in focus tonight, only on the "cbs evening news." now back to "the early show." and now here's john marshall with another check weather outside. good morning. >> a large crowd out here. do you have a sweet tooth? aol city's best. the best in the city. panera's, east side, the village. all of these cannolis. everybody's having one, right?

this weather report, sponsored by macy's. now here's russ. >> all right, john, thank you very much. up next, winter is officially here. and so is the common cold. we have tips for you.

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in this morning's "healthwatch," how much do you know about the common cold? 'tis the season for stuffy noses and scratchy throats. got one myself today. does frigid weather actually kautz to you catch a cold? our medical correspondent dr. jennifer ashton is here to separate cold facts from fiction. good to see you. >> good morning, russ. our health i.q. >> okay. see how go on this. fact or fiction, cold weather actually bring on colds. >> what do you think? >> initially i thought, fact, because so many people get colds this time of year, but after thinking about it, i'm thinking, maybe not. >> not true. it's fiction. tell your mom, your grandmother. being in cold weather does no predispose to you get a cold. remember, the cold is a virus. what happens in cold weather that more people tend to be inside, in close proximity to each other. so it's easier to pass the germ.

those germ, still around in the summer. the cold weather has nothing to do with it. >> number two. echinacea, a popular herb remedy can stop a cold. >> this is fiction. a big one. this is a very popular herbal remedy that's actually been studied in a scientific manner and found to be no more effective than dummy pill it's in stopping the severity and at most studies it can shorten duration of symptoms by seven or eight hours. again, talking a risk-benefit a low-risk herb. if it makes you feel better taking it, go ahead. >> exercising. exercise can wash away a cold. >> what do you think? >> i'm going to say no. no. let me clarify that. exercise can build up your resistance to colds, but actually having a cold and doing exercise is not a good idea. >> actually, it's true for both. this is is actually a fact. i'm a big proponent and advocate of exercise. stupdies have shown people who exercise moderately, taking a

brisk walk five time as week are 46% more likely to suffer a common cold than those who don't. the thinking, exercise, even mild or moderate exercise, can stimulate your immune system, make you less susceptible to colds. if you clully have a cold, go ahead and exercise, because it can shorten the duration of symptoms. >> if not feeling well, exercise is good. >> long agency you don't have a high fever, go ahead and work out. >> antibiotics can treat a cold. fact or fiction? >> big faction, russ. something something i go through every day in my office, my parents get sick, they feel awful, might be coughing, sneezing up green stuff. the first thing they do, pick up the phone, say to the doctor, i need antibiotics. it's a virus. antibiotics do no good against the common virus like a cold. really, all you're doing is harming yourself, because when you give someone an anti-biotic and they don't need it you're potentially building up resistance and later when you ghav person an anti-biotic it

might not work as well. let the cold run its symptoms. >> something everybody's mom tells them. chicken soup can stop cold -- >> this one is right. there may about substance in chicken soup that actually spikes the inflammation that comes way common cold. drink your liquids and chicken soup and feel better. >> moms all over america. >> don't go work sick. >> now you tell me. dr. jennifer ashton, see you next time. up next, oprah winfrey tells julie chen about her life, her career and the end of her talk show. an exclusive and revealing conversation when we return. this is "the early show" on cbs. coersation when we return. this is the "early show" on cbs. fortunately there's enbrel, the #1 most doctor-prescribed biologic medicine for ra. enbrel can help relieve pain, stiffness, fatigue, and stop joint damage.

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,,,, the kennedy center honors the quints essential award for a lifetime of artistic excellence. this morning we kick off our series profiling the honorees profiling the mega star oprah winfrey who sat down with julie chen with this exclusive interview. >> named the world's most powerful celebrity four times. now oprah win tree is a kennedy center honoree. >> an amazing feeling to look up and see the most powerful person in the world and right next to

her, barack obama. [ laughter ] >> i, you know, understood deeply what it meant to get this award. it is huge when i think of myself on welfare, being raised by a single mother, living in this two-room flat, the only decoration on the walls were posters of paul mccartney and me dreaming of one day being able to actually see the beatles and get to say hello to paul. i then i went to maybe once he sees me he'll want to marry me. so, it's completely full circle. you can't even imagine for me what it means to be in the paul mccartney class of kennedy center. >> reporter: that circle began in the back woods of mississippi where she was raised in poverty by her beloved grandmother, hatti mae. >> i have my grandmother to thank for me being the essence of who i am, a belief that if you worked hard and showed --

proved yourself to be excellent that excellence would follow you. >> reporter: it was when were you a little girl in church that you were first told that you were gifted. >> uh-huh. >> reporter: did you even know what that meant? >> no, i didn't know what that meant. but, you know, my grandmother raised me in the church and i always say that my broadcasting career began there. and so, as i'm speaking out of the night that covers me black as a pit from pole to pole, i thank whatever gods there be for my unconquerable soul. i'm 6 years old. i don't know what the hell i'm saying but it sounded good. >> reporter: but it's called gifted. >> people would say this child is gifted, this child can talk that. was the beginning of me really feeling comfortable speaking in front of people. >> reporter: sadly, her grandmother passed away a short time later and 6-year-old oprah was sent to live with her mother in milwaukee. years of pain and abuse followed. her last chance was a father she hardly knew in nashville. he taught her the importance of

an education and gave her the confidence to flourish. you were still in college while working in radio and you got offered a television job in local tv and you turned it down. >> oh, yeah. >> reporter: why. >> you know what, julie, i was in my owe i was in sign class with mr. cox, w.dewey cox and gotten a phone call for the third time for the local cbs affiliate. i went back to class and mr. cox said, who was that. oh, chris clark, the third time they called me from cbs and wondering if i wanted to do this tv job. and mr. cox said i told them yes and i go, no because i had to finish all my classes. and he said i'll never forget. he said that is why you are going to class, fool, so that cbs can call you, fool!

>> reporter: oprah found a job at the anchor's desk, but not her passion. >> what i realized in all of those years of preparation in news is that wasn't the -- that wasn't what made my heart sing. what made my heart sing was being able to be myself. my interests and my energy flowed better from the time they got fired as a news person and was put on the local talk show in baltimore. that was freedom for me. >> welcome to the very first national oprah winfrey show. >> reporter: that freedom led to a phenomenon. >> i realized it was big. i always believed it would be successful. >> reporter: but, did you ever think it would get as big as it got? >> i feel like that, um, that show became bigger than me, it became and is as big as every audience member who ever decided that i'm going to go back to school. everyone whoever watch ad show

about battering and said i will no longer allow myself to be beaten, every person who ever hit their kid who said, i won't hit my children anymore, it'll be everybody who ever lost weight. >> 67 pounds. >> i'm happiest when i'm doing shows that i know people are going to be brought some light into their lives, where there's going to be a sense of, i never thought of it that way before. that makes me really happy. and i'm happiest on movie set. movie set feels like a vacation to me. >> reporter: you grew up wanting to be an actress. >> uh-huh, i wanted to be an actress and wanted nothing in my life more than i wanted "the color purple". >> all my life, i had to fight. i had to fight my daddy, i had to fight my uncles. i had to fight my brothers. girl, child ain't safe in a family of mens. >> not wanting anything as much since. i won't let myself want anything as much as "the color pu pler" i wanted that more than anything i

wanted in my life. >> reporter: eventually she opened harpo studios, telling stories she believed in. and after 25 years as a pioneer, america's best friend, i inspiration and favorite thing, she is about to bring an end to the oprah winfrey show. >> when i return in january, i will have 67 shows remaining. but, who's counting? i've been counting since two years. so, i have 67 shows left. >> reporter: does that sound like a drop in the bucket at this point or does that sound like you still have that many? >> no, it sounds like, ooooo! not only do i see a light at the end of the tunnel, the light is coming all the way through the tunnel and there is a little hula dance at the end although i think i'm going to have to comfort my best friend gayle, who calls me every now and then and goes it's so sad.

it's so sad. i go what are you talking about? i've been doing it for 25 years, what's sad about that. she goes, it's so sad. aren't you sad? no, i'm not. i'm not sad. >> reporter: how are you then? >> i am -- oh, this is how i am. i feel like, well done. well done! >> wow. >> such a powerful story and especially in the backdrop those powerful influences her grandmother, her father. really, really great stuff. >> an amazing story and the thing about it, even though she is leaving her talk show, the story is not over. >> yes. >> she's starting this new network which starts next year. the sky -- she's already got the sky. >> continue to take more. >> ka she do. >> beyond the universe. >> congratulations to her. >> absolutely. you can see the kennedy center honors next tuesday december 28th at 9:00 p.m., 8:00 central on cbs. >> still ahead this morning it is called rap rage. not what you think but it is

ruin any holiday. we'll show you how to take care of the packaging issues this ,,,

rescued a man from underneath a train in oakland this morning. he is now in the hospital. the ma ave been sitting it's 25:00. fire crews rescued a man from underneath a train. he appears to have been sitting in a wheelchair next to the tracks. rescuers say he was talking, moving and breathing before he was freed. no word on his current condition. animal controllers captured one of two dogs believed to have attacked a woman. she says she was leaving her home monday night when two stray pit bulls pounced and started biting her. a neighbor came to her rescue. san francisco is making changes in hopes of salvaging its bid to host the america's cup yacht race. organizers are uneasy about some elements of the san francisco plan. they have been working with

rhode island as a possible site in to the. the new changes have not been revealed. traffic and weather coming up. [ 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 and internet plus choose home phone or wireless voice service starting at $99 a month. or choose to get $300 back via promotion cards with other qualifying bundles. bundle the services that fit your life. with u-verse tv, record and play back your shows in any room from a single dvr. call now to get three services starting at $99 a month. or choose to get $300 back via promotion cards with other qualifying bundles. ♪ for the bundle that fits your life, at&t.

go out to oakland, southbound 8 to at high street. an accident now cleared. traffic still slow in the area. slow and go from t to out to high street. and northbound roll sluggish as well as you pass the colorado see yum. but we are seeing improvements. athe bay bridge toll plaza,

they turned the metering lights off because traffic was so light today. so an easy ride into san francisco and no problems down the east shore freeway. only a 19 minute drive time now. from the bridge to the maize, shopping instead of commuting. a live look out of downtown san jose, northbound traffic on the 0, looks great as well. a nice ride along the peninsula. mass transit, all ontime. here's the forecast. >> thank you. well, not a lot to show you, but i'm going to show you i don't have a lot to show you. just so you know. a look at the radar. most of the rain fall has moved out. and just a few light showers. forecast for today, what can you expect? well, misting still out there. we will not rule that out. cloudy skies, highs in the 50s. thursday, how about sunshine? yeah, i would love that myself. drying out thursday and friday. but just in time for christmas, saturday ask sunday, more rain fall.

check it out, the crowd still out here on a wednesday morning. they've been here all morning. >> that's how you do it. >> that's how you do it. >> i love this guy's sign, i love you mom. can we get a shot of that? >> was there a doubt in mom's mind you didn't love her? >> he says he wants santa to come by with lots of gifts. >> ohh. >> all right. welcome back to "the early show." i'm russ mitchell with rebecca jarvis along with betty chen, texas and minnesota and broth freezing. >> i'm not used to this weather. >> cold either way no matter how

you cut it. >> coming up the definition of two wild and crazy guys jack black and jeff se gel here to tell us about their new film the 3d feature "gulliver's travels" and basically to make us laugh anyway che choose. >> basically amusing themselves. >> also a nuisance the holiday season unwrapping gifts and pock kajs not the pretty but the shells, the clam shells and shrink wraps can be nearly impossible to open. in fact, 200,000 injuries are reported every year from trying to rip apart these packages. so, we're going to learn some easy and safe ways to do it. i've had problems. sometimes the package has won. >> never a good sign. it is a christmas eve tradition in many italian homes, the feast of the seven fishes, celebrity fish michael simon with all the ingredients for a spectacular seafood menu. the studio smells delicious. i know it is early in the morning but still smells great.

>> we'll be digging in soon. first mr. john marshall of wcbs has a fine check of the weather. you have a pal there. >> a huge

>> now, here's russ. >> two of com''s biggest stars so it makes sense they're in a new film about an oversized hero, jack blank and jason segel teamed up on a 3d movie based on "gulliver's travels" with a modern prince. >> how sees it going? >> if things go well, within two to four years she may dare to speak to me. >> whoa, whoa, whoa, hold your horses. >> thank god, hold you.

>> you can't woo a lady hoping to dane she will speak to you. you have to plan grade acortage. >> speak to me, this courtage that you speak. >> yeah, i could teach you some of my moves. >> yes! thank you. >> if you beat me back home. >> give me a head start. >> on your mark, get set, go. >> good morning, thanks for coming in. >> top of the morning to you. >> you guys are pals from way back, right, back when were you "heroes" jason. >> jack was very kind to me, he gave me my first writing job when i was like 19 years old. >> yeah? you can't really take credit for discovering the brilliant young jason segel. it was [ inaudible ] that gave you your first acting gig. >> gave me my first acting gig. >> your mentor, tu mentor. >> both of you and jack swooped in with the writing job. >> that's right. i put him under this wing, squashed him and turned into a

diamond. >> looks like you are having a great time in the movie. jack, obviously this is a different take on "gulliver's travels" hour important was it for you to make it different from the classic book. >> i didn't think anyone really wanted to see me in like a period costume talking in an accent, you know, in 1743 version of "gulliver's travels". >> right. >> i wanted to update it, freshen it up and put in new bells and whistles. >> jason, you play horaciot, his best pal. >> yes. >> what did you like about this part. >> again working with jack was an honor and i got to dot period piece, the costumes and accent. as you saw from the clip i got to show off some of my athleticism and offered me every opportunities i wanted and i got to woo emily blunt, kind of a dream come true. >> not bad. >> it was pretty fantastic. >> you didn't do badly, either, jack, amanda peetz. >> amazing. we hit the jackpot on the actresses. >> really dinchts you did a duet

of "the little drummer boy" ala bing crosby and -- let's take a look. ♪ can it be ♪ every child [ laughter ] >> frankenstein in makeup. >> extra forehead. >> what do you think of your likenesses there? >> i think we may a very entertaining cartoon duo. >> look at those two. i want to see them. >> i was going to say i'd watch that series, saturday morning. >> this was available on irdz tunes is that correct? >> yes, all goes to blue star families an organization made up of military families, supporting other military families. >> where did this idea come from to do that clip sthimplts to be honest, it came from us thinking of ways to promote "gulliver's travels" we're like let's make a holiday jam. this was an old gem, david

bowie and bing crosby dying to be rock-ified i like to say. we put our spin on it and said let's give the money to charity that's what you have to do during the holiday, holiday times. >> jason, making "the muppet mov movie". >> i am. >> what's that like. >> fantastic, totally real. i cried like a baby the first time they brought kermit out, it was embarrassing but jack and emily blunts have agreed to little parts, so the cast is pretty insane. >> in addition to kermit the frog and all those guys. >> they were my first comic influence. when you're a kid, kermit the frog is tom hanks, you know what i? or jimmy stewart or something like. this he sort of set the bar for who i wanted to be as an actor. >> jack two, kids? >> spending time with my boys and having a holiday feast with the family. >> sounds fantastic. jason. >> same, see my family and try to spread joy throughout the world. >> all right.

there you go. guys, good luck. thank you so much for coming in pleasure. >> pleasure was mine. >> you went up against "king kong" a few years ago and this year kind of like it. >> that's right. christmas day. "gulliver's" will be unleashed. >> greatest family fill m of all time. >> well said. >> thank you, gentleman. it makes its way to a theater near you christmas day. rebecca? >> thank you, russ. always cited as one of the biggest annoyances of the holiday season, no, for the the crowds or in-laws i'm talking about the hard-to-open packages that drive us all crazy. ♪ ♪ >> opening the toys, some of the packaging is almost impossible to get into. >> you have the zip ties where everything is twisted in the back through cardboard. >> it's almost impossible. >> two nails broken today. >> cd packages, very difficult to find the toej get started on. >> you definitely need scissors

for this one, with all the tape on it. >> oh, my god, what did you do, reinforce this stuff? >> right about now, i'm really -- i'd be starting to yell at my wife. >> i'm going to be afraid to cut her hair. >> tough to get in there. yeah. there we go, you wind up breaking the lid trying to get it open. >> here are your directions, hon. >> i got it. i feel like i've accomplished a lot. >> joining us with advice on avoiding wrap rage "early show" contributor shannon eis. great to have you with us. >> good morning. >> watching that video, clearly people think it's a problem but how big of a problem quantified is it. >> a pretty big problem, about 200,000 injuries reported, whether the device or the way you do it or rushing a lot of injuries can happen from this. we'll have tips to help solve them. >> why would retailers do it this way or companies package their things like this. >> a lot of things, theft prevention, harder to get out,

the harder to see. they think consumers want to see what he with a they are getting, clearer visual but securing parts, the long distance a lot of the products make overseas so a lot of different reasons but ends up with a lot of frustration for consumers. >> it really does. we'll try to cut some of that out today. let's begin with these clam shells and how you open them. >> three culprits and one is the clam shell packages, the plastic, sealed, almost impossible. >> a lot of people use scissors and devices. one thing we found work is actually a can opener. it was surprising to me as i saw it. you really snap it along the seam and twist the dial and go around the edges of the package. one tip, don cut directly across the package cutting instructions, warranties, information for the product itself. use something safe, take your time and go around the seam best you can. >> what else do we have to show for tips and advice. >> a bit of advancements in the

category. thing we found ironic, the sciss scissors themselves are sealed in a package that requires scissors to get them out. this has a tab you can pull and moves easily. one thing it produces rough injuries, where a lot of injuries are coming from. another innovation, the cardboard back, the bubble front and cardboard back and peels off. also, retailers say that causes a theft ish sue but still a better experience for consumers. >> it s. i get excited when i flip it over and see it will be a much easier thing. >> instant reward. scissors are a good handy tool but something with a blade a little more hidden and secure. >> i like this idea of the can hoper, something i never thought of. >> and everyone has one in their house so it works. >> also shrink rap. >> in the piece you saw the guy with the teeth, we go there first. not a good idea. recently a san diego pitcher

stabbed himself in the stomach trying to use an exact-o nice. use a retractible blade, along the seams, peel that off and the sticker. once you open them, you can't return them, that's another reason why some of the packaging is the way it is, retailers want to try to control -- >> you can't really make it back once they see you've made a mess of it. >> for sure. next we have what's really infamous in the toy and electronic industry the ties and bindings that trap you from the product and keep you from the bliss christmas morning. she has traveled six weeks on a ship or train she wants to look beautiful when she hits shelves and this is what that takes, it is glue. >> hold it in place. >> bindings, all parts of her body are attached to the back. it could take literally minutes, 10 to 20, it took me to get mine out of its package, even my daughter is standing there frustrated wanting to brush her hair. with the twist ties especially

in the toy products, we recommend something like an aviation snips a formidable tool but really can save frustrating minutes off your life and be careful with the snipping, you see glue on here. there's a lot for a parent to get through here to give a product to their child. as much as you can do in ad vens of the holiday morning we definitely recommend. >> thank you so much, shannon eis. we really appreciate it. >> thank you. >> now russ. >> thank you very much. one holiday tradition in many italian homes the feast of the seven fishes christmas eve. food network star michael simon with his delicious and easy-to-prepare version of the dinner. good to see you. >> you, too. one of my favorite traditions. i have a sis sillian and greek mother. we always do the seven fish growing up a great way to get together as a family and celebrate. >> i've had the pleasure of having this meal a few times in my life. it is fantastic. explain the feast of the seven fishes. >> a lot of people say it's the seven sacraments, you know, all different things, some do 13

fish for the 12 aawfuls and jesus. seven, you can do as many as you want but a good rustic feast, the last day of fast. usually the big seafood feast, go to midnight mass then you proshuitte when you get back. >> i have garlics sweating in extra virgin olive oil and adding littleneck clams. if they open before, no good. to that i'll add chili flake. >> spice it up. >> a bite, a punch. >> and some white wine. >> you don't add the great white wine doing this right. >> no, safe the really great stuff but a nice drinkable wine is good. you don't want the box stuff but a good drink of wine. cover this up. >> how long approximately would you cook it? >> it will take three to five minutes until the clams open. i have one going. >> the traditional rule, if it doesn't open, toss it.

>> let's see, here go. we got one that didn't pop. no good. we'll discard that one. >> all right. >> for this we have the chilis, garlic, oil. >> smells great. >> i'll add a little bit of butter. italian secret, you add butter. and my pasta, right from the water right in. let some of the pasta water go in there, too because, you know, it adds a little bit of thickness and body to the sauce. >> al dente, of course. >> a dent sdae, of course. >> how long does it take to get the pasta the way you want it. >> about four minutes, extra virgin oil, a bit of flat-leaf parsley, so italian passa, so no cheese. >> no cheese. >> i've heard that in italian restaurants, you get dirty looks in italian restaurants. >> italian grandmothers will lose their marbles. >> don't do it. >> you can't. >> toss it out, bring it up and you see that beautiful broth on the bottom, the oil, the clams. come on, you smell it?

>> looks fantastic and smaels great, too. >> something i have more as a main but i lay out the food for the whole dinner. >> i see sgru want snacky stuff, too. a lot of times a lot of fried things, smeltz, different fish, shrimp in this case we have oil about 350 degrees. >> shrimp frito, what you are making. >> shrimp it frommo, all-purpose flour and corn starch which makes it extra crispy and salt in there. give ate whirl. >> these shrimp are huge. >> they call it a 16/20, meaning there are 16 to a pound. >> okay. >> this is just, you know, dip the scrimps -- more than one. >> does the size impact the flavor at all? >> yeah, i mean, you could do this with the rock shrimp and they'll be sweeter but i like these size because they are sweet but also there's substantial people can grab them and feel they are getting something special. you know, it is the holiday

time. but, you know, at the end of the day. this kind of meal is a russ stick meal. you want it more on the husband stick side. you don't have to get lobster and shrimp and high-end ingredients. cod, whole roasted salmon, baked oyster, swordfish, muscles. kudo it more on the inexpensive side. >> we talked about this earlier. initially it was a peasant dish, right. >> italian food in general is peasant food you sit around with the table with your family and have a gnoch, doesn't have to be this big expensive feast. >> linguini and clams doesn't have to cost you a lot. >> how long do you cook this shrimp. >> just a bit. i'll put fresh rosemary, it flavors the oil. >> looks delicious. >> not a batter, just nice and soft, nice and crispy, right on top. a little bit of -- oh, man, i dropped. >> let me have some of that sea salt. >> the five-second rule.

it's been seven seconds we'll leave it down there. >> a bit of sea salt on top, you know, nice sliced lemon, you could fry the lemon, too. >> can i try one of these? >> absolutely. dig in. >> oh, my goodness. >> are you happy? >> aim very happy. >> happy is good. you see you get a bit of that rosemary, the punch of lemon, nice and crunchy on the outside and simple, simple, simple. >> awesome. one more time around the table, muscles, swordfish? >> the baked oysters, a bit of breading on top with fresh herbs and lemon, linguini and clam sauce. whole-roasted stharp. just, you know, put some fresh mint, fresh lemon, shallots, garlic. >> this over here i shouldn't try to pick this up. >> beautiful bay scallops, sliced rad dishes, sliced fennel, dill, italian food is simple, clean, delicious. that's what it is all about. >> thank you. merry christmas to you.

>> absolutely. have a great holiday. >> for these recipes, you can go to our website earlyshow.cbsnews.com. we're coming right back. you're watching "the early show" on cbs. [ mom ] my son only wanted one toy this year.

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all this week we're looking at some of the impressive holiday light displays our affiliates and facebook friends have told us about. today instead of individual homes we're visiting two neighborhoods where they let it glow first let's go to decker heights, brooklyn known every year at this time at decker lights. our station here in new york, wcbs says this has been a neighborhood tradition some 25 years attracting around 150,000 visitors annually. the six-block area begins its

transformation the day after thanksgiving. the results include a life-size reindeer, a 25-foot-tall talking saents, get this. >> i wonder what it says? >> and, of course, tens of you thiss of lights. look at that. that's amazing. >> and they blare christmas carols throughout the neighborhood. you can go and hear the carols to get you in the spirit. >> you can't miss it, as they say. >> goes on and on, as they say not just one house but a row and entire neighborhood. >> seems like people more and more are decorating? >> they are, in philadelphia, by the way, where we're going to next. we thank our affiliate kyw if the views of south smedley street, a 60-year tradition, every house on the block is decorated each window with a different theme. they start setting up the beginning of november and turn the lights on at thanksgiving. listen to this one, one homeowner moved to this block just to be a part of the display. >> are you serious? >> you know, listen, if you think your house or home in your neighborhood is worthy of national recognition tell us about it on our facebook page.

friday we'll be live on the scene of our final fantastic light display. >> it's got,,,,,,,,,,

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good morning. they just closed the highway

southbound between lincoln. and there's flooding concerns in the area. not a lot going on on the roads. very quiet morning commute. we turned the metering lights on on the bay bridge and it never really got backed up and they turned them off. no delay into san francisco. easy commute as well on the east shore freeway. no back-ups at all. nice and light, 19-minute commute from the bridge to the maize. and you can see very bright, 32 looking good as you head towards san jose. that's your traffic. here's the forecast. >> thank you. forecast for today, clouds are expected and maybe just a few scattered showers in the forecast. here we are looking out to ocean beach. and that's a gloomy looking coastline. forecast for today, gloomy. expecting clouds, highs in the upper 50s. captain rule out a possible shower. drying out thursday and friday with sunshine. rain fall, another storm system headed towards the bay in time for christmas. the holiday weekend will be

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