winter wallop. a major storm pounds the northeast. the snow, ice and heavy winds after being blamed for at least six deaths across the midwest. and right behind it, more frigid temperatures, yet another storm system. we'll go live to marysol castro for the very latest on where these storms are headed and just how much snow is expected. the next step. less than two weeks after being shot point blank in the head, congresswoman gabrielle giffords leaves a tucson hospital later this morning to begin her rehabilitation in houston. we will speak exclusively to one of her closest aides who will be by her side for today's trip. and too much skin? mtv's sexy new drama is being called the most dangerous program ever for kids.

for its depiction of teen drug and alcohol abuse and underage nudity. does the show go too far? one major sponsor thinks so, already pulling its ads, "early" this friday morning, january already pulling its ads, "early" this friday morning, january 21st, 2011. captioning funded by cbs good snowy friday morning to you. i'm erica hill. good to have you with us. shot of hackensack, new jersey this morning. >> broken record alert. more snow here in the northeast. >> how about that? >> just when we've told mother nature we've had enough she continues to bring us back in. >> it's only january my friend. you are not done yet. those roads actually look pretty good. that is not the case for a lot of folks elsewhere this morning. we're going to get you the very latest on that. because as we know it's a ripple effect. even if you're not underneath that snow, it could hurt you across the country. we do want to begin with the latest snowstorm which is now pounding the northeast this

morning after leaving a trail of damage across the midwest. so far, the storm is blamed for at least six deaths. marysol castro joining us this morning from westport, connecticut, with the very latest. still coming down there in westport, marysol? >> it sure is, erica. we've seen about three to four inches here in westport, connecticut. good morning to you. we're along the banks of the river. believe it or not this is the fifth storm in four weeks. so the only consistency with this winter weather is that there's been an average of one storm per week here in new england. so we want to take a look at the radar picture so you can get an idea of what we're talking about. this storm came through in the overnight hours, dipped in from the midwest. it's a fast-moving storm so it's hitting new york, going through hartford, expected to go through boston, dropping anywhere from one to eight inches. we say good-bye to this storm as it goes past bangor, maine, later on tonight. just to give you an idea of what the winter of 2011 has been for this part of the country, in new york city, folks are well above

average. there you can see the snow plows have just been unbelievable. so the average for new york city, 7.8 inches of snow. this year alone so far, 31.9 inches. and then in boston, the average there is 15 inches of snow. they've already seen 42.3 inches. so you can see well above average. as this storm leaves and schools close and plows get ready folks have to brace themselves for next week, because on the heels of this storm, another storm expected by about next thursday. and of course we're going to have the latest on this storm, and your national forecast a little bit later on in the show. now back to new york city to check in with chris wragge. good morning to you. >> marysol, thank you. we'll see you in just a couple of moments. turning now to the latest on congresswoman gabrielle giffords. seems impossible, but less than two weeks after being shot in the head she's leaving the hospital in tucson, arizona, later this morning. moving to a rehab facility in houston, texas. cbs news national correspondent ben tracy in tucson with the very latest for us this morning. ben, good morning.

>> good morning, chris. you know in the hours before leaving the hospital here congresswoman giffords has made even more progress. on thursday, doctors actually took her outside for the first time. they wanted her to get some fresh air. they started her rehabilitation and now they plan to take her even further. gabrielle giffords has already made more progress than anyone expected. her husband mark kelly is now making this bold prediction. >> she'll be walking, talking, and in two months you'll see her walking through the front door of this building. >> reporter: but at 9:15 arizona time this morning, giffords will leave the hospital. in an ambulance escorted by hundreds of motorcycles. she will depart this tucson air force base for a 2 hour 15 minute flight to lousten and then helicopter to this rehabilitation center. doctors there are optimistic, knowing giffords has already stood up, patted her husband's face, and even scrolled through pictures on an ipad. >> the fact that she's able to do all these things is quite encouraging. seems like there's a lot of purposeful movement. >> reporter: the houston

hospital is the same place buffalo bills tight end kevin everett was treated after this life-threatening spinal cord injury in 2007. he was paralyzed from the neck down when he arrived. now he can walk. giffords has not yet talked, and the right side of her body is very weak. she may need to relearn even basic tasks. >> brush your teeth, wash your face, cook meals, get in and out of bed, go to the bathroom. those type of things will be the next step. >> reporter: but she's already proven she can overcome long odds. >> she is a fighter like, you know, nobody else that i know. >> reporter: and her husband says the outpouring of public support has been overwhelming. >> i know one of the first things gabby's going to want to do, as soon as she's able to, is start writing thank you notes. >> reporter: now, six people will fly with the congresswoman to houston today. that will be her husband, her mother, her trauma surgeon, and a nurse, as well as her chief of staff and communications director. chris? >> cbs' ben tracy for us in tucson. thank you.

joining us now exclusively from tucson is c.j. karamargin, a spokesman for congresswoman giffords. he is one of the gentlemen who will be traveling with the congresswoman later today in houston. good to talk to you again. >> good morning. nice to be with you. >> are you amazed at less than two weeks after this shooting the congresswoman is on the move? >> amazed is one way to describe it. we've gone in a period of less than two weeks from unbearable anguish to cautious optimism to moments of just joy. and today is one of those joyous days that i think we will all be celebrating. it's the beginning of the next phase of the congresswoman's recovery. >> the congresswoman smiled. she's stood up. she's scrolled through an ipad. dr. rhee said when he looks at her, he can see that she's in there, rewriting software. has she been able to connect with more people like yourself in the room besides just her husband mark? >> well, there's no question

that congresswoman giffords is a fighter. she's as tough as nails, and she's -- she's communicating with her husband in positive ways. and it's really a sign that, as mark said yesterday, that she's going to be back very soon. there's no question about it. >> you've been instrumental in the choreography for this move to memorial hermann in houston today. what exactly is the process? take me through it, if you could. >> well, the congresswoman will be leaving university medical center, and the excellent team here at about 9:15 local time. she will travel by ambulance to the air force base where we will make the short flight to houston. she will then travel by helicopter to one of the best rehabilitation hospitals in the world. and that's when this next phase of her recovery is going to begin. >> what do you think is going to be the congresswoman's biggest challenge in this next phase?

>> you know, i've heard it described as brain boot camp. i'm not sure. i'm not a doctor. i don't know. but, i think the team that they have at tirr memorial hermann, these folks really know their stuff. and the rehabilitation process is going to be aggressive. and we are all hopeful that it's going to be, you know, what she needs to get back to where she was. >> i know she's obviously very close, a close friend of yours and to the rest of the staff there in tucson. is it a little bittersweet? i know you want the very best for her, but is it a little bittersweet that she's leaving the state of arizona today for the short-term, at least? >> sure. no question about it. gabby giffords loves southern arizona. she is so much a part of this community. and we see, from the outpouring of support for her, that this community loves her. we have a little stuffed animals

that have been dropped at memorials all over the place. it's really amazing. but you know, we know that this is a positive development. it's going to be a long, tough road, as the doctors said. there's no question about that. but, you know, as i said, she's a fighter. and she's proving it every single day. >> c.j., thank you so much for taking the time and speaking with us today. >> thank you. >> good to talk with you again. c.j. karamargin, who will be on the plane in just a couple of hours. so today it all begins, less than two weeks. >> it is remarkable. >> by anyone's standards nothing short of amazing. >> it is miraculous. and more of that to come, clearly. especially just with the attitude alone. we do want to get you more of this friday's headlines. jeff glor is standing by at the news desk. good morning to you. >> good morning to you. and good morning to everyone at home, as well. and this morning a new message apparently from osama bin laden. this time a warning to france. in an audio tape released this morning, bin laden says france will pay dearly for its policy in afghanistan. the voice on the tape also said

the fate of five french hostages being held in niger depends on french soldiers leaving muslim lands. if it is bin laden it will be the first time he's been heard from since last october. president obama continues trying to build bridges to big business. today he's creating a new economic advisory panel headed by jeff immelt, the ceo of general electric. the panel will focus on creating jobs. in a just released cbs news/"new york times" poll look at america's perception of the economy and the president. cbs news senior white house correspondent bill plante has more on that this morning. hey, bill, good morning. >> good morning to you, jeff. the president heads to schenectady today. he'll talk to jeff immelt at a ge plant about jobs, then he'll head back and talk to some other folks who are worried about jobs, their own. members of the house, democrats on their annual retreat. last night the president celebrated a democrat president from another time. it was a gala marking the 50th anniversary of president john f. kennedy's inauguration. >> i confess, i don't have my

own memories of that day. i wasn't born until later that year. >> reporter: and this president can only wish for the overwhelming approval jfk enjoyed at the midpoint of his term. the new cbs news/"new york times" poll shows mr. obama with a 49% approval rating. just marginally better than the last few months. on health care reform, the numbers are trending the president's way. more americans, 48%, now want to keep the new legislation than the 40% who want to see it repealed. on politics, by a wide margin, 84% of the public thinks the overall tone and level of civility today is mostly negative. and at last night's jfk event, mr. obama made note of politics then and now. >> i can only imagine how he must have felt, entering the oval office in turbulent times.

>> reporter: our polls show that 74% of the nation still thinks the economy is in bad shape. but that number is trending upward. it will have to go upward a lot faster if it's going to help mr. obama get re-elected, which by the way is now official. his press secretary said yesterday he will be a candidate in 2012. jeff? >> all right, bill plante at the white house this morning. bill, thanks. google is reshuffling top executives. in april co-founder larry page returns as ceo, a job he gave up in 2004 because some thought he lacked experience. current ceo eric schmidt bumped to executive chairman tweeted that he's leaving his post because google no longer needs, quote, day-to-day adult supervision. more than 125 alleged mobsters remain behind bars this morning. they were arrested yesterday in what the fbi called the biggest organized crime roundup in u.s. history. the suspects included reputted members of mafia families in new york, new jersey and rhode island.

actor george clooney made a humanitarian visit to sudan earlier this month, and it turns out he came back with a case of malaria. his secretary bout with malaria. his publicist says clooney has now recovered. first lady michelle obama has a new partner in her campaign against childhood obesity -- walmart. yesterday in washington mrs. obama helped walmart, the nation's biggest grocer, announce plans to give its food a healthier makeover. among walmart's changes over the next five years, eliminate trans fats, cut sodium by 25%, and sugar by 10%. walmart also plans to make healthier foods cheaper. also yesterday mrs. obama gave visitors on a white house tour a big surprise, as she personally greeted them with first dog bo. the special appearance was to mark the two-year anniversary of president obama's inauguration. but one tourist there had food on his mind. >> where's ben's chili bowl? >> where is ben's? okay, ben's chili bowl. these guys will know. >> great.

>> he asked her where he could find ben's chili bowl. it's a washington landmark, of course, where even president obama has dined. coming up on 14 minutes past the hour.

>> thanks so much. that is your latest weather. now back down to new york and check in with erica, good morning. >> all right, marysol, thanks. we do want to check in now on the che. the latest signs that 2011 may, in fact, be a better year. we'd all like that news. new reports say home sales are up, unemployment claims are down. cbs news business and economics correspondent rebecca jarvis is here to crunch those numbers for us. on the surface it feels like some positive signs. >> it does, erica. you have really these three major pillars of the economy that are growing, they're expanding from the jobs picture, where we're learning that fewer people applied for unemployment benefits.

37,000 is the number there that dropped last week. on top of that, manufacturing, which is a very important sector for the economy, accounts for about 11% of the economy, that's expanding. and purchases of existing homes actually jumped in december by 12.3%. which is a really massive number. the caveat there is that mortgage rates are also rising. so when mortgage rates rise, it tends to be the case that people rush out and they buy homes because they think, wow, my mortgage is getting more expensive, so i'm going to buy a home now, because it makes more sense to financially do it when mortgage rates are lower. >> but still just the fact that they're buying and that it is more difficult these days to qualify for those loans, it's still a good thing. >> it is a good thing. it's good on the surface and people are saying it's good. what we need to see is the momentum and that's the really big question going forward. >> that's related, too, obviously to the american consumer because we have a consumer-based economy. so if we're not all buying things, it's not going to work. so how is the american consumer looking in terms of health? >> well, our overall financial health is looking stronger.

we are paying our bills on time. fewer mortgages are going bad. we're seeing less defaults as far as credit cards go. so that's all good. we're getting our financial house in order. but we need to also feel optimism and positivety to continue spending going forward. >> a lot of that comes with the jobs issue. we just heard from bill plante about the president bringing in jeff immelt of ge to help when it comes to the economy. how is that going to influence as we move forward, and what does it say about 2011 for the long-term? >> the president's words are that it says we've come out of crisis mode and we're now in job creation mode. and that's number one. there has to be more jobs created with an unemployment rate of 9.4%, we still are a long ways away from a more normalized level, what we would consider this country normal unemployment. it's about 5%. we need to see more job creation to get there. >> all right, rebecca jarvis, always great to have you break it down for us. just ahead there is outrage and lots of it over the new mtv series "skin." teenage actors doing drugs, having sex. critics are actually calling it

child porn. we'll take you inside the growing controversy. plus work at home websites that really work. and yes, the ones that are just scams. and will end up costing you money. we're going to show you the very important difference just ahead. you're watching "the early show" on cbs. ♪ ♪ express yourself ♪ ♪ express yourself ♪ ♪ oh, do it ♪ oh, do it ♪ express yourself ♪ hey [ female announcer ] coffee is like life. it's better when you add your flavor. coffee-mate, from nestle.

it's better when you add your flavor. with chili's new $6 lunch break. choose a salad or tasty soup. pair it with a texas toast half sandwich, like our southwestern blt with applewood smoked bacon. served with fries, it's big flavor for just 6 bucks! weekdays at chili's. just got more powerful. introducing precise pain relieving cream. it blocks pain signals fast for relief precisely where you need it most. precise. only from the makers of tylenol. you won't believe your taste buds. you won't believe it's fiber. benefiber. clear, taste-free, and dissolves completely. what a beautiful way to get fiber everyday. that's the beauty of benefiber. what a beautiful way to get fiber everyday. wabout readingl and put it here. introducing nookcolor. experience books, magazines, newspapers and children's books like never before. nookcolor by barnes & noble.

nobody else has what this paint's got: and that's a number one rating. it's a paint and primer in one -- so it goes on bold, and looks even better. it means getting more done -- in half the time. and it means the shade you see on that swatch -- ends up on that wall... and is as durable as it is colorful. you know where to find it. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. try it for yourself. get your own 8-ounce sample of the number one-rated behr paint. now, just $2.94.

8>> critics say the teen actors are showing way too much skin. there's rampant drug and alcohol abuse. and we're not done talking yet. >> this portion of "the early show" sponsored by restasis. talk to your doctor about restasis cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion, 0.05%. [ female announcer ] here comes oatmeal at mcdonald's.

made with 100% natural whole-grain oats and loaded with real fruit. crisp, fresh red and green apples, sweet cranberries and golden raisins.

be honest now -- when has good for you made you feel this good and been this delicious? introducing mcdonald's new fruit & maple oatmeal. freshly made for you. the simple joy of loving what's good for you. that's what we're made of. ♪ including your skin. [ female announcer ] now aveeno reinvents positively ageless. with shiitake complex, it's shown to visibly transform skin, helping repair the look of past damage and prevent future damage. positively ageless. only from aveeno. and prevent future damage. can getting enough vegetables make you feel good? oh, yeah. v8 juice gives you 3 of your 5 daily servings of vegetables. v8. what's your number? what i did before gps. >> gps: turn left ahead. >> woman: actually, i got lost a lot. now i just follow the steps, and i can get anywhere i want to go.

turbotax lets me do my taxes the same way. its unique gps feature guides me step-by-step. searching over 350 deductions. so i get everything i deserve which helps me know it's done right. and gets me right to my maximum refund, guaranteed. >> man: try turbotax online now. you don't pay unless you're satisfied with the results. ,,,,

it's 7:25. time for news headlines from cbs 5. i'm sydnie kohara. an oakland elementary school teacher is on paid leave this morning following reports that second grade students engaged in sex acts during class. that teacher was reportedly present but says he was unaware of any such incidents. a summit will be held at stanford university this morning in an effort to save caltrain. the train system faces a $30 million budget deficit and will likely have to reduce service to close the gap. the silicon valley leadership group hopes to build a coalition to give the commuter service a steadier source of revenue. and governor jerry brown is the target of two death threat in southern california. those messages were found yesterday scrawled in graffiti across two walls in santa ana. the chp's dignitary protection

agency and the santa ana police are now investigating. traffic and weather around the bay area coming right up. stay with us. ,, [ wheezing breaths ] [ woman ] the first time i smoked, i was 13. i was in a hurry to grow up and wanted to look cool. big tobacco knew it, and they preyed on me. i'm here to tell you that big tobacco hasn't changed. they continue to profit... by selling kids the same lies... to get them to use... the same deadly products. don't be big tobacco's next victim.

good morning. i'm gianna franco in the traffic is have. stop and go on the bridge, eastshore freeway sluggish out

of becker to the toll plaza. slow and go on the plaza. earlier accidents at the treasure island, out of the way. surface street problem san pablo dam road southbound lanes closed between greenridge and clark due to a fatal accident that happened at may street and san pablo dam road. they are diverting traffic so use valley view to appian way to get around it and avoid delays. here's robert with your forecast. >> thank you, gianna. also out the door this morning, you are experiencing some hazy sunshine out there. but we do expect mostly clear and mostly sunny skies out there. we flirt with the possibility of some record-breaking temperatures today. yesterday in oakland, 67 degrees. we expect 68 as the daytime high today. 67 in the inland areas. upper 50s at the coast. saturday and sunday, sunny, upper 60s, even for the start of the new workweek

temperatures in the 60s mostly sunny skies. never in my lifetime did i think i could walk 60 miles in 3 days. 60 miles compared to what a cancer patient goes through is a walk in the park. from the moment i registered, people started immediately supporting me and asking me how they could help. you meet the most wonderful, inspiring people. when you accomplish those 60 miles, it's truly life-changing. (man) register today for the... and receive $25 off your registration fee. because everyone deserves a lifetime.

welcome back to "the early show." snowy friday morning. looking at pictures of westport connecticut, right there. covered with a nice layer of fresh powder. >> yeah, i like the positive spin you put on that for all the folks who are waking up with that nice layer of fresh powder. >> it's not a ski destination but there is fresh powder out there. >> it will make for some fine sledding as you try to get to your car later to clean it off. >> welcome back, everybody. i'm chris wragge along with erica hill. coming up, a serious issue for millions of relation 147s. money and dishonesty. according to a recent poll more than half of us don't tell our partners about everything we spend money on. it's called financial infidelity and it can often be more harmful

than physical cheating. we're going to look at ways to tell if it's actually happening to you and your significant other. >> and also ahead this morning, safe way for you to actually make a profit online. you see those postings all the time. make money while working from home! it's easy to do. and most of the time they're scams. we've told you about a lot of these scammers taking out ads, offering you the big bucks to work from home. however, there are some cases, legitimate websites, where you can earn a little extra cash. so we're going to show you which ones those are coming up a bit later. first we do want to get to this controversy. mtv under fire this morning from parents who say a new series on the network goes way too far. "skins" focuses on a group of teens, they're coping with adolescence. but it's the ways in which they're coping that are the issue here. jeff glor has more. and controversy may be putting it mildly this morning. >> yeah, indeed, erica, good morning to you. one issue that stirred controversy here is not just the strong content but the age of the actors involved. not twenty somethings but teenagers.

this morning one advertiser, taco bell, has pulled its ads from the program after a parents' group called "skins" dangerous. mtv's new drama "skins" debuted this week to big ratingses and even bigger controversy. the show, based on a similar british series, is being criticized for its portrayal of teenagers who openly dabble in sex, drugs and alcohol. the show stars teenage actors, some as young as 15. and one group says, it's the most dangerous program they've ever seen. >> they're engaging in the most reckless and irresponsible and sometimes even illegal behavior. and all of it is shown as a lifestyle. >> reporter: the parents television council has called for an investigation into the series. saying the show contains images of sexual exploitation of children and child pornography. >> okay? >> brittany and whitney special, two hours, right? >> i'll get the pizza. >> reporter: mtv executives reportedly held meetings over concerns that an upcoming episode, which shows a naked

17-year-old actor from behind, may have violated child pornography laws. but an official statement the network said, we're confident that "skins" will not only comply with all applicable legal requirements but also with our responsibilities to our viewers. more than 3 million people watched monday's premiere, including over 1 million under the age of 18. we showed parts of the show to parents to get their reaction. >> i think that there's a lot of inappropriate material for kids that are, you know, 16, even 17. >> that's a little too sexual and racy. >> i would not let my kids watch that show. >> they've got a detox. >> reporter: yet others are defending the show as a reflection of real life. >> real kids have sex. real kids get pregnant. real kids drink. they experiment with drugs. many of them struggle with eating disorders. and what we're seeing in "skins" is a lot of things that real kids can relate to. >> and despite the controversy here at home, the show has

thrived in britain where it's been on the air for five seasons. erica? >> jeff, thanks. we want to bring in now psychologist dr. jennifer hartstein who is also an "early" show contributor. and you deal primarily with adolescents in your practice. when you see this, we just heard one woman say, this is what kids are doing. it happens. >> right. >> but when you see it on the screen like that, does it encourage kids who aren't engaging in that behavior to do so? >> it's a really good question. the fact is yes and no. the kids that aren't doing it already aren't necessarily going to be influenced because it looks glamorous on tv. the kids that are definitely not going to do it are still not going to do it. but the kids that are on the fence, they're the ones that we want to worry about because it might make it look fun and having seen the bbc version and knowing where this one is going, it does start to show the not so pretty side of all of this stuff which we hope will give them lessons later. >> are you not as concerned and as outraged as some of the folks that we've heard from? >> i think this is what's happening. i think we have to start to think about the fact that a lot of kids, as the clips showed us, they're having sex, they're drinking, they really are

greating pregnant. they're doing things that we don't want to talk about. maybe it's a great launching off point to start to have some conversations. >> we did this informal cbs news poll asking the question, does mtv's "skins" go too far? 46% of respondents said yes. 40% hadn't seen it yet so they're reserving judgment. but of those who have seen it that seems like a pretty high number. even if it's getting us talking is it the right way to do it? >> we have a very sexualized culture. we've talked about it many times. it is everywhere. kids are seeing images of this stuff all over the place. they're watching shows at 8:00 with this kind of thing. is it just that it's more and pushing the envelope even more? who knows. >> the other issue is that the actors are young. actors are under 18. on other shows maybe it's older, early 20, playing younger kids. how much of a factor is that? >> i think it is a factor. it makes it that much more realistic because these are their peers acting in the same way that they act. good or bad, we can argue both sides of it. i think it could potentially be a great opportunity for parents to see what may be happening and

to really sit down and pay attention. >> so as a parent, then, how do you bring this up with your child? because, of course, at this age the last thing any kid wants to do is talk to their parents, let alone about sex. >> right. hopefully we've been having these kmpgss already. two things to think about. watch the show. even if you have no interest in watching it and your kid won't watch it with you. watch it together but separately and turn it into something that's teachable. talk to your kids about it. be open to it. let them know that they're not going to get punished if they admit to doing any of these things and get a dialogue between the two of you. >> what do you think is the biggest concern when it comes to teens and behavior these days? is it the sex? is it the drugs? is it any one thing? >> i don't think it's any one thing. and i don't think that it's necessarily more than what was happening before. i think we're just so much more aware of it, and

up next, easy jobs online for high pay. there's got to be a catch, right? >> yeah. >> scams? >> they're all out there. don't get stuck. we're going to help you separate the real opportunities from the wrong ones. this is "the early show" here on this is "the early show" here on announcer ] you know that old floor that's been lying around?

let's tear it up. and take it on. let's get a lot of style... for a lot less. get everything we need -- and everything we need to know then get to work making more rooms work for us. with guaranteed low prices on every square foot, the home depot is lowering the cost of a fresh new look. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. we've made a special buy on porcelain tile. get this tile now for just 98 cents per square foot. we've made a special buy on porcelain tile. [children screaming]

[growl] i met my husband here. i got to know my grandkids here. we've discovered so much here together. but my doctor told me that during that time my high cholesterol was contributing to plaque buildup in my arteries. that's why i'm fighting my cholesterol... with crestor. along with diet, crestor does more than help manage cholesterol, when diet and exercise alone aren't enough. crestor is also proven to slow plaque buildup in arteries. crestor is not right for everyone, like people with liver disease, or women who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant. simple blood tests will check for liver problems. tell your doctor about other medicines you are taking, or if you have muscle pain or weakness. that could be a sign of serious side effects. ask your doctor if crestor is right for you. i love it when we're here together. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. seven years ago, i had this idea.

to make baby food the way moms would. happybaby strives to make the best organic baby food. in a business like ours, personal connections are so important. we use our american express open gold card to further those connections. last year we took dozens of trips using membership rewards points to meet with the farmers that grow our sweet potatoes and merchants that sell our product. we've gone from being in 5 stores to 7,500. booming is using points to make connections that grow your business. well, working online from home is increasingly popular in

this economy. and it can be a good way to earn some extra cash but there are lots of scam artists who want to take your money. aol consumer adviser regina lewis is here with some legitimate opportunities and some other red flags that you need to be aware of before you embark on something like this. good to see you. >> thank you. >> are there actually some legitimate ways to make some real money online? >> there are. the broader trend, if i don't have to pay an overhead cost of keeping you in an office, it makes sense for me. it also broadens the potential applicants. now i can hire people who are dealing with child care. elder care. or frankly, who want to live in a less prohibitively expensive area. >> so when you see those advertisements online, you can work from home and make an extra $5,000 a month, i think some of them are scams but there is some legitimacy to some of those ads. >> sure. >> what are the real red flags for people? how do they find out which is real and which is bogus? >> i think you really want to do your research and stick with the big name players. we're going to point people in the right direction. the number one scam is actually when you have to pay first. when you have to buy these

starter kits. right? you don't know how that's going to go and they've got the money. any time you're writing the first check that's a concern. the highest, most sophisticated scam is we're going to send you $1,000. you keep what you've earned and send us the change. here's what's happens. you deposit that $1,000 check, it bounces, you write them the $200 to pay them back. that check is through, you just lost money. >> that's something to be well aware of. the better business bureau predicts that these scams are on the rise. i mean from the diligence standpoint, other than that scam you talk of, how diligent do you need to be to make sure, i would assume this has just got to be so sketchy at times. >> i think the big players, we're going to talk about them. it's not sketchy. they've got great systems in place in terms of how to pay you, et cetera. the number one thing you've got to be is tech ready. this is not the time to have a love/hate relationship with your computer, not have a dedicated phone line. the people who do this successfully deal with legitimate companies. number two they make it seamless. months, years later, people say i had no idea you were working

from home. >> let's talk about some of the sites that you do recommend and chacha.com. >> chacha.com is a neat one. 62,000 people are doing this. search engines, we're all familiar with googling. there's a search engine called chacha where human beings are the guides. you're sports, i'm into fashion, and we get people results. we've got to take a test. they only accept 10% of applicants. but if you're a night owl, college students are doing this. on average people are earning hundreds of dollars a month. >> only 10% of the applicants. >> they're looking for people who are quick and frankly you've got to know you're topic. if you're into music, pick music. >> if you love people, vipdesk.com is a great way. >> customer service. particularly if you're bilingual. 50% of the people who are taking their calls for credit card companies or affinity programs. you know when you get great customer service by phone, you think that person was a rock star. you get paid a fixed price about $10 to $12 an hour. you can live anywhere. and they are hiring. >> is that right? a lot of people are freelancing out there in all different businesses. all different jobs. but there's one great freelance.

>> very legit. here's how it works. it's called ee lance. as in become an elancer as opposed to a freelancer. right now have 35,000 jobs posted. create a powerpoint. because the days of administrative assistants are long gone. you submit a proposal, if they accept it, the money goes in escrow and you get paid, which solves the problem of knowing you're going to get paid for the work. >> chacha.com, vipdesk.com and elance.com. those are three great ones to check out. and some of them are really hiring. regina, thank you. >> sure. >> we saw this woman go face first into a fountain. now she's headed to court. and you're not going to believe why. this is "the early show" on cbs. that's coming up next.

>> ( beeping, beeping stops ) >> announcer: free is better. do your simple return for free with the federal free edition at turbotax.com. turbotax. the most trusted brand of tax software. ♪ [ gasps ] tuna pasta, tuna fajitas, and tuna bruschetta. tuna is a natural source of omega 3's and that is good for your heart. these 27 latin lovers agree... [ latin lovers ] we agree! ♪

si bonita, we agree! oh muchachos. well there you have it! tuna, it's good for your heart. [ latin lover ] tuna the wonderfish. did you know up to 50% of new cavities form between teeth, in places you can't even see? aquafresh iso-active whitening is a breakthrough gel that transforms into an active foam. its active fluoride formula penetrates deep, surrounding and protecting the whole tooth against cavities -- front, back and in-between. for strong, healthy teeth for a lifetime, try triple protection iso-active whitening from aquafresh. amazing.

from aquafresh. [ giggles ] hey, max. [ announcer ] you can help significantly extend your dog's healthy years. a groundbreaking 14-year study by purina... proves that puppy chow, then dog chow nutrition, fed properly over a lifetime, can help extend his lovable antics up to 1.8 healthy years. long live your buddy. [ laughs ] oh, max. long live your dog. purina dog chow. double dog dare you to try better-tasting than ever purina dog chow. we know your dog will love it. welcome back. yesterday, we talked about miss morrero, the now infamous mall fountain faller.

yesterday, we'll run through that video again. she's texting along. she works at the mall. and not paying attention. and before you know it -- >> runs into the fountain. there she goes. >> right into the water. and she was not hurt. >> no. not hurt. >> she's okay. but she was upset and the reason we talked about this video, the video has been seen millions of times on youtube. she was upset at "a" the video made it onto youtube. "b," she didn't feel there had been appropriate follow-up. that people had checked in on her to make sure she was okay. she had hired an attorney general. and yesterday we learned. >> a little bit more to the story. by day falling into the mall. by afternoon in court, appare apparently she's been out on bail for allegedly using a co-worker's charge card at the store that they both work at in that aforementioned mall. so yesterday she spent the day in court, facing a series of charges, all alleged charges of basically not paying this woman back, illegally using someone else's credit card. a number of different things. >> but she's already been convicted of theft multiple

times. right. >> from a previous -- >> exactly. >> from previous years. so -- >> lots of trouble there. so now, of course, everyone wonders what's the motivation behind now suing the mall because you fell in the pond. >> the video is so great britainy. the question is why do you come out and begin with and say yes, that was me, i did it. i fell. >> would anyone have known? >> and would she have been upset, as she says it is, about no one in her words really caring about it if she hadn't come out -- >> two words, cash settlement. come out -- >> two words, cash settlement. we'll be right back.love abouing and put it here. introducing nookcolor. experience books, magazines, newspapers and children's books like never before. nookcolor by barnes & noble. introducing wisk with stain spectrum technology. try new wisk. we upgraded the formula, but not the price. ♪

[ ding ] [ in korean ] how may i help you? do you have something for pain? oh, bayer aspirin? oh, no, no, no... i'm not having a heart attack. it's my back. trust me. it works great for pain. [ male announcer ] nothing's proven to relieve pain better than extra strength bayer aspirin. it rushes relief to the site of pain. no matter where you're hurting. thanks for the tip. [ male announcer ] for powerful pain relief, use bayer aspirin. and to fight pain and fatigue in the morning, try bayer a.m., the morning pain reliever.

but when i was diagnosed with prostate cancer... i needed a coach. our doctor was great, but with so many tough decisions i felt lost. unitedhealthcare offered us a specially trained rn who helped us weigh and understand all our options. for me cancer was as scary as a fastball is to some of these kids. but my coach had hit that pitch before. turning data into useful answers. we're 78,000 people looking out for 70 million americans. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare. with the $2.50 breakfast combo. get a 16oz. cup of piping-hot seattle's best coffee and a savory new sunrise subway melt built fresh to your order for just $2.50. subway. build your better breakfast.

for just $2.50.

b-s five... i'm sy it's 7:55. time for news headlines from cbs 5. i'm elizabeth wenger. the silicon valley leadership group is stepping up efforts to help caltrain beginning with a special summit this morning at stanford. caltrain faces a $30 million budget deficit and will likely have to reduce service to close the gap. they hope to build a coalition to increase revenue for the commuter service. caltrain is not supported by taxes and gets no money from the state or federal governments. a couple of big business stories in silicon valley this morning including a new job for google cofounder larry page. he is taking over as ceo of the mountain view internet giant. and meg whitman is joining the board of directors of palo alto-based hewlett-packard. whitman ran for governor of

california last year after serving as ceo of ebay in san jose. traffic and weather around the bay area in just a moment. stay with us. ,, can i eat heart healthy without giving up taste? a man can only try... and try...and try. i heard eating whole grain oats can help lower my cholesterol. it's gonna be tough...so tough. my wife and i want to lower our cholesterol, but finding healthy food that tastes good is torturous. your father is suffering. [ male announcer ] honey nut cheerios tastes great and can help lower cholesterol.

good morning. the southbound side of 101, we have an accident right at de la cruz cup the of cars involved. all the ak fifth on the right shoulder but traffic backed up in both directions. north of there shoreline road at least to san antonio we are seeing slow and go conditions,

as well. elsewhere on surface streets southbound san pablo dam road closed between greenridge and clark road. use valley view to appian way to get around that fatal accident. highway 4 westbound slow to the bay bridge toll plaza. at the bay bridge backup, as well. you're slow and go across the upper deck as well into san francisco. that's traffic. here's robert with your forecast. >> gianna, thanks so much. record-setting temperatures yesterday in oakland and we flirt with the potential of records yet again today. a live look at mount vaca. that beautiful sun in the center of your screen, that's what's controlling our weather. mostly sunny skies after that haze burns off. the expected high in oakland today, 68 degrees. we'll see the upper 60s in our inland areas and here's what you really want to look out for. the weekend, saturday and sunday, we expect the mid- to upper 60s but take a look at the inside the bay. 67 degrees the expected high. we'll see the upper 50s at the coast, as well. monday, tuesday, wednesday, i know you don't want to think about the start of the new workweek but think about this.

mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-60s. get out and enjoy!

sh> welcome back to "the early there they are, at the ready in anndover, mass. >> it's tough to see, you can see the snow is coming down in massachusetts, it looks so great on this friday morning. >> they have been getting walloped the last couple of days. they've got it worse up there. >> the bad news is, sorry to say, it is not over yet. but we're glad you can make it, spnd extra time inside with us this morning. i'm erica hill. >> pull up that cup of coffee. the cold weather is the next wave of the entire system. the cold temperatures coming

your way. >> and perhaps another storm. but we won't bore with you those details. let's talk about the nonweather things. >> enjoy your weekend. >> love and marriage, of course, such a beautiful concept. when it comes to money and marriage, though, it can be a really difficult mix. get this, a third of americans say they're not exactly truthful with their spouses when it comes to how they are spending money. to say that could hurt a relationship might be a gross understatement, it has led to a number of breakups. we'll show you the warning signs of financial infidelity and if you're one of those people, why it might be better to share. >> that surprises me, that study. >> he didn't mean that. >> also this morning, what part of your home has more germs than any other? the answer goes to -- what do you think? >> it's the kitchen sink. it's disgusting. stop sharing your sponges. >> maybe that's the answer, maybe it's not the answer. we'll tell you how to get rid of those germs that can make you sick over and over and over again.

>> but before we get to that, marysol castro joins us from west port, connecticut, this morning with another check of the weather and white stuff. >> i'm telling you, chris a >>

this weather report sponsored by farmers insurance. find a knowledgeable local

farmers agent at farmers.com. we are insurance, we are farmers. >> thank you so much. that is your latest weather. now back over to jeff. jeff, the snowplows are just starting to come in here. so hopefully things will be clean. >> i see that. watch the driving, slow down, take it easy. thank you, marysol. today if all goes as plan, gabby giffords will be moved to a rehabilitation center in houston. her husband said, quote, very grateful to the docs and nurses at umc, giffords got her first breath of fresh air yesterday since she was shot in the brain two weeks ago. she got a last look at the mountains around tucson. she's able to scroll through pictures on a computer and did more physical therapy, making progress no one could have imagined. >> she'll be walking, talking in two months you'll see her walking through the front door of this building. >> this morning giffords'

spokesperson says her reh rehabilitation will be aggressive. >> we've gone in a period of less than two weeks from unbearable anguish to cautious optimism to moments of just joy. today is one of those joyous days that i think we're -- we'll all be celebrating. it's the beginning of the next phase of the congresswoman's recovery. >> and it's estimated giffords will spend a month or two at the houston rehab center. it's been two years since president obama took the oath of office and there's a new poll about how americans feel about his presidency. a just released poll finds a large majority, 74% say the condition of the economy is bad. on health care reform, more americans, 48% want to keep the just-passed reform law, and the president has a 49% approval rating, just slightly better than the past few months. last night mr. obama took the stage at washington's kennedy center for the performing arts

at a tribute to president john f. kennedy. on the 50th anniversary of the famous inaugural address, mr. obama said even now kennedy's speech, quote, inspires us and lights our way. jfk's grandchildren, rose, tatiana and jack read robert frost's poem, the road not taken. >> i shall be telling this with a sigh, somewhere ages and ages hence, two roads diverged in a road. and i i took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. >> beautiful stuff. singer/songwriter paul simon performed along with cellist yo-yo ma celebrating jfk's legacy. quite an event, there, jeff. thanks. just ahead, cheating on your partner's checkbook. if you've ever lied about money, turns out you're not alone. this morning we're tackling financial infidelity. you're watching "the early show" on cbs.

- to best serve your customers, you have to know them. personally. only a local agent can do that. [click, motor hums] - doug pierce. lives in tornado alley. - hobby? - collects stamps. - excellent. - annette thompson. small business owner. hates cantaloupe. - good. - the lee family: twins. with another on the way. - mazel tov. - that's meatloaf. - hmm. [click] that's still meatloaf. - very good. moving on. - we are insurance. - ♪ we are farmers ♪ bum di bum bum bum bum bum ♪ wabout readingl and put it here. introducing nookcolor. experience books, magazines, newspapers and children's books like never before. nookcolor by barnes & noble. introducing wisk with stain spectrum technology. try new wisk. we upgraded the formula, but not the price. ♪

♪ express yourself ♪ ♪ express yourself ♪ ♪ oh, do it ♪ oh, do it ♪ express yourself ♪ hey [ female announcer ] coffee is like life. it's better when you add your flavor. coffee-mate, from nestle. nobody else has what this paint's got: and that's a number one rating. it's a paint and primer in one -- so it goes on bold, and looks even better. it means getting more done -- in half the time. and it means the shade you see on that swatch -- ends up on that wall... and is as durable as it is colorful. you know where to find it. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. try it for yourself. get your own 8-ounce sample of the number one-rated behr paint. now, just $2.94.

s in this morning's health watch, financial infidelity. when we talk about cheating on your spouse, usually the conversation has to do with sex. lying about money, however, can sometimes be even more damaging to a marriage or relationship. michelle miller has more. >> reporter: sometimes you see an item you just can't live without. but it comes with a price tag your partner can't live with. >> how much are we paying for the shoes? >> sometimes $1700. >> reporter: how much? >> $1700. >> reporter: $1700! many are tempted to hide them from a significant other. >> someone sold me at the mall for this great curling iron, and i had to buy it and it was 200 bucks. >> reporter: what? >> even i was like, no way, but

i got a deal and i got it for 100 bucks and i knew if i told him he'd freak so i told him it was 25 bucks. >> reporter: experts say this deception is a common occurre e occurrence. >> on my radio show women call up and say they lie about purchases. they hide them in the trunk of their car and they slowly bring out a new sweater and claim it's an old sweater because they don't want their husband to ask, well, is this where my money is going? >> reporter: according to a recent poll, one-third of americans in committed relationships have lied to their partners about money and more than half have hid cash or minor purchases. these small buys can become big problems. >> financial cheating can be worse than physical cheating because money is our livelihood. >> reporter: when brought to light, these infidelities can lead to separation and divorce. it seems the secret to a blissful bottom line is honesty. >> you have to treat money like

you treat every other aspect of the relationship. let's put it all out there on the table. because that is what's going to come between the two of you at some point. >> back to tell us what financial red flags you need to watch out for, although the woman spent $1700 on a pair of shoes. >> right. >> not surprised she's hiding that one. >> that's a hard one. we're both surprised at that one. kind of hard to hide that. and shoes for $1700. >> thas a little crazy, too. that's a separate segment. but the woman who bought something for $100, told him it was only $25 this is probably a mot more common. which is more damaging? lying about financial infidelity or financial cheating in this case or an affair of the kind that we always think of when it comes to sex? >> lying is a betrayal. so any part of it is betraying your confidence. we get married we say, you know, in sickness and in health, we honor one another, not lie. >> richer or poorer. >> all of those things. we want to think about what that

means. if you're not being honest, that's a huge problem. because what does it mean in the big picture, if you can't be honest about this really tough subject. >> what is it about money? it's not just marriage or relationship it's tough to talk about money. this is probably one of the most difficult topics of conversation for anyone. why? >> well, it's funny, because people say they can talk about sex more than they can talk about money and the fact is money denotes power, it denotes security, it can in some situations denote love and we have to be really aware of what that means and that's why it's so rife and so fraught with this conflict and these difficulties. >> so if there may be a problem in your relationship, what are some of the signs question look for? >> well, you want to think of a couple really important things. so one of the things you want to think about, do they get defensive and change the topic any time you bring up money, you have to wonder, why are we not abe to talk about this. you also want to think about, are they the only person managing the finances? are they in control all the time and won't discuss it with you. so it's not a matter of one

person being better at it than the other, it's really just we're not going to discuss it just give me your paycheck and i'll take. >> take control. >> exactly. and last thing, are they dishonest about money with other people? because if they're going to be dishonest about what money they make or what they're spending with other people they may be dishonest with you, so you might want to question that as well. >> this is obviously a good impetus for you to monitor accounts better. >> absolutely. you want to be as involved as you can in things and there's some things we want to talk about, about what that might look like. >> so in terms of being more involved, do you have to have a joint account? >> you don't, but you want to talk about early on how you both are going to look at money. you want to talk about that. that's super important. how are you going to spend it, what are you going to do? you want to then negotiate how you're going to spend your money. if you know that music is really important to you, you want to spend money on concert tickets, make sure you can do that and that's built into a budget. recognize how you feel about money, what's your relationship, how were you brought up with it, and lastly, get help if you can't come to any sort of agreement together. seek professional help.

a financial counselor, help you build a budget, a therapy, because it is such a powerful -- >> a lot of times people in a relationship come from different backgrounds, what they learn from their parents. >> exactly. what you learn indicates what you'll do. >> does it help if you each have a certain amount of money that you don't have to account for? say there's $100 a month that you can spend on anything, whether it's a pair of shoes or lattes i'm not going to ask about it. >> a discretionary fund, if that's going to help, why not. you're still being honest, here's your hundred bucks, do with it what you want. >> thanks so much. jim nantz is marking a new milestone in his fight with alzheimer's disease, we'll check in with him about that, and a rather important football ahead. this is "the early show" on cbs. sponsored by truvia natural sweetener, honestly sweet. ♪ zero-calorie, guilt-free no artificiality ♪ ♪ my skinny jeans zipped in relief ♪

[ announcer ] truvia. honestly sweet. with olay challenge that. olay bodywash has 2 times the combined cleansers and moisturizers and 25 percent less water than the top selling bodywash. soft, smooth skin. with olay.

this sunday jim nantz and cbs news will be calling the afc

championship game in pittsburgh. but that's not his biggest event on the week. on wednesday he helped open the nantz alzheimer's center at houston's medical hospital. inspired by his father's struggle with alzheimer's disease which he chronicles in his book "always by my side: the healing gift of a father's love." jim is here this morning. >> good to see you, my friend. you make houston proud. we have that connection. >> not me, but you. >> that book which became a "new york times" instant best-seller has been spired me to do more. i hear about it every day for people and i knew there was more to do. >> i remember seeing you on charlie rose back when the book first came out and you said this is what i want to be known for. 25 masters, and ncaa tournaments, and super bowls, but this is what i want to be known for. and now, with this hospital, i would think they are one and two now, correct? >> this for me, there's nothing you can do in terms of giving your time to positively affect millions of people around the

world. we have very ambitious goals down at the nantz national alzheimer's center. the center's named in honor of my dad. but we want to find a cure. we want to be a symbol of hope for people around the world. i know there are millions watching right now who know what i'm talking about. because i used to google search every day when my dad was alive and struggled for 13 years to see if there's something breaking somewhere around the world. can we reverse the course of action here for my dad? of course nothing did happen. he passed away in '08. so people go to nantzfriends.org, they can read the mission statement. it's ambitious. but we're going to be in this thing for a lifetime commitment. and it's going to be really special. >> new person diagnosed every 72 seconds. there is so much work to be done. was this surreal for you to see this unveiling this week? >> it was. >> because you've really committed yourself -- you have committed yourself to this fully. >> i have a lifetime commitment. >> so to actually see this happen and to see them unveil it, to your your name.

>> it's my father's name. it's my father's voice. my father gave me his voice. you call the house when i was a teenager you couldn't tell if i picked up the phone or it was my father. used to think if i took ill my father could do the game, would sound exactly the same. my father's voice now, now today, needs to be heard. not the broadcaster's son, his voice, through me, needs to be heard. we lived through it as a family. caregivers out there, they know what i'm talking about. there's not just one victim here. and we need to do something to rally people together. i real ly with maria shriver, ad my heart goes out to her family with the passing of sargent shriver. i know the stories i've heard her tell before we need more people to join hands. we have this national center in houston. this is going to be where we hope the best research and breakthrough technology is being discovered. and i have faith in the people down there at methodist hospital to do that. >> like we've talked, even with gabrielle giffords, the congresswoman now going to houston, some of the best

medical facilities in all the world are right there in the state ofexas in houston in particular. talk a little football? >> let's do it. >> a little game around the corner. you've got a big one. one last week with the jets and the patriots. now you've got the jets and the steelers this week. >> it's going to be another down to the wire thriller. they met just five weeks ago, december 19th. same site. came down to the last two plays. the steelers had two throws to the end zone, both incomplete. and the jets had their first-ever win in pittsburgh. so the difference here is that pittsburgh that day did not have troy polamalu who is one of the biggest difference makers in football. he'll be on the field sunday. >> the jets, they've got a very vocal head coach. they've got players who are very confident. you can factor in the inspiration of dennis byrd speaking with them last week. there were so many factors at play that led them to dismantle the patriots' offense. >> what a turnaround. to go six weeks after being defeated by six touchdowns in this 45-3 shellacking.

this is a cbs news special report. i'm harry smith reporting from new york. arizona congresswoman gabrielle giffords wounded in an assassination attempt two weeks ago is expected to take a long road to recovery. she is leaving the university medical center in tucson this morning and will be flown for a rehab facility in houston, texas for evaluation and therapy. an ambulance is taking her from the hospital to davis-monthan air force base and then flown to hobby airport in houston and transferred to a hospital for the final leg of the trip. among those traveling with her her husband, the astronaut mark kelly, and her mother gloria giffords. our ben tracy as he he has been two weeks now standing by in tucson with the latest. ben, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, harry. the congresswoman is going to

have quite an escort to the airport here in tucson today. there is going to be local police motorcycles. there are also going to be some volunteer motorcycles. members of the local vfw have decided they want to join this procession at some point. this is going to look a little bit like a presidential motorcade at some point. however, the vip in this case is actually in the ambulance. they expect this journey to the air force base to take about 20 minutes and then she will be loaded on to a plane. that plane will fly to houston lobby international airport and take a helicopter from the other the rehabilitation center where she will be handed off to her new doctors and likely spend fight a few months there in houston. >> allay some people's fears about her having to undergo this arduous journey for a person in her condition. what do the doctors and what do the medical experts say about a journey like this? >> that's a question we have actually asked the doctors here and they are fairly confident. they are not that worried. at all. this plane she is on is like a

air ambulance and like a flying hospital room and on the plane with her will be her trauma surgeon dr. peter rhee who is treating her here and as well as a trauma nurse. he will hand her off to the surgeon there in houston. almost like the passing of the baton, kind of the medical version of that and then that doctor will be be responsible for her care. they are very confident. they think they have this move well planned for and that she will be fine. >> one thing i want to bring up is the fact that as traumatic an injury as she sustained, her remarkable -- her recovery in the last 13 days has been nothing short of remarkable. where she is about to go and what she is about to undergo is -- this is no walk in the park. this is really tough stuff. >> reporter: that's a really good point. you know, the last 13 days, a lot of people vr talking how miraculous this is and how fast the recovery has been and that

is all very true. the doctors are trying to dial back the expectations and say once she gets to rehab the milestones won't come as quickly. she has to learn to walk and talk again. her doctor told us yesterday she may have to learn simple things like how to brush her teeth. a long journey, of course, harry. >> ben tracy, thank you so much. a poignant picture yesterday as they took the congresswoman up to a landing at the hospital so she could actually feel the sunlight on her face and look at her beloved mountains there outside tucson. so congresswoman gabrielle giffords so her way to rehab in houston as she continues her recovery from her gunshot wound. there will be more about this story on your local news and on your cbs station and on our website at cbsnews.com and on tonight's evening news with katie couric. for ben tracy in tucson, i'm

harry smith, cbs news, new york. the man accused accused of it is 8:26. let's take a look at news headlines from around the bay area. i'm sydnie kohara. >> the mother of the man accused of kidnapping a young boy from the central valley says her son might be too afraid to return the child. police are still searching for 4-year-old juliani cardenas. he has been missing for four days after being taken from his grandmother's home. efforts to save caltrain beginning this morning with a special summit at stanford university. caltrain faces a $30 million budget deficit and will likely have to reduce service to close the gap. the silicon valley leadership group hoping to build a coalition to give that commuter service a steadier source of revenue. progress in keeping the 49ers at candlestick park for four more years. the park commission has approved a tentative five-year lease. the 49ers can opt out of the

final year if the stadium in santa clara is ready. the board of supervisors has to sign off. gianna has traffic. >> troubles on 280 right now. northbound 280 we have some slow and go conditions due to an accident at lawrence expressway. looks like traffic is slow and go through downtown san jose. 101 also pretty slow and go as you work your way through downtown san jose, as well. we had an earlier accident northbound 101 at de la cruz. that's been cleared. now taking a look at the bay bridge, a much better story here. we are seeing a backup pretty much to grand. now there is really no delays. things are moving well through there past the toll plaza up the incline into san francisco. everything is moving problem- free. back to 101, delacruz accident on the right shoulder. still slow and go in both directions so give yourself some extra time. as you work your way on the golden gate bridge, 13 minutes southbound 101 from 37 to 580. overall, though, traffic is fairly light through marin county and not too bad. just some extra volume on the southbound drive through the golden gate bridge. that's a look at your morning commute. here's robert with a look at

our sunny and beautiful forecast. >> gianna, thanks so much. how thankful are you that it is friday!!! take a live look outside at the transamerica tower. clear skies, and mild temperatures. we expect it to be mostly sunny throughout the bay area today. in fact this weather picture is going to play out for at least the next four days. rain, snow, none of that in the forecast through the close of the month. we had record setting temperatures yesterday in oakland. and take a look, expected high today, 68 degrees. mostly sunny skies. flirting with record-setting temperatures yet again. we'll see the upper 60s in the inland areas, this is what you really want to watch out for saturday and sunday. mostly sunny skies, if you are headed to the sierra it will be a perfect day. monday, tuesday, wednesday, i know you don't want to think about the start of the new workweek, but i can tell you mostly sunny skies return, temperatures will hover between the mid-60s to the upper 60s. it will even be nice at the coast. ,,,,,,,,

♪ okay, jeff. let's see you jam. >> nice. >> we've sang this for katie. >> it's on youtube, by the way. if you go to youtube and you search, you go to katie's channel, look for her birthday, there was a tribute two weeks ago today was her birthday. >> yeah. that was fun.

>> we sang that. >> it's been -- it was a great birthday. we don't recommend it if you want to see how good we are. but welcome back to "the early show" on this friday morning. hopefully you're getting ready for a great weekend. i know we are. >> we are. >> football. >> and what better item to discuss before the weekend is the flu virus. and two days after your best friend sneezes in your dining room, can you still catch whatever he or she has unless you get rid of the germs in your home. we'll show you the very best ways to scrub everything down. >> so this is when your friends are over watching football this weekend or if you're at their house you don't leave something lingering behind that can get them sick. >> you scrub after. >> there you go. so we're going to help you keep your home germ free. also ahead this morning, who says cooking has to be complicated? not our friend claire robinson. she is back with her incredible dishes which have no more than five ingredients. she brought us a number of

recipes which use the same five ingredients. i've been smelling this for the last 40 minutes or so in the studio, the smell of that basil is intoxicating. i'm ready for breakfast. >> basil on the breath, i keep saying, would you stop eating it, we need it for the segment. >> i only took like three tomatoes, you'll be fine. >> i'm living proof, i won the cookoff. living proof. >> we had a cookoff last week on the show and i would like you to know, chris wragge, my grandmother says it was fixed. right, mimi? >> mimi, call me, we'll talk. >> in a brand-new film taking on a whole new meaning, bringing the mechanic, an elite assassin, back to life on the big screen, following in charles bronson's footsteps. >> if there was a guy who could do it, it's jason. first, marysol is in westport, connecticut, and get another check of the weather report. good morning once again.

>> if is ever-changing. good morning, you three. i miss you all terribly. 26 degrees here in westport. the snow has all but tapered off and we see peeks of blue skies. so let's show you what's happening across the nation. this storm in the northeast is expected to exit around midnight as it flies off the coast of bang bangor, maine. cold, cold temperatures. in the southwest we still have very warm temperatures, and in the northwest we're dealing with some rain and some snow. let's go to the northwest. they had a brief reprieve earlier in the week, but there you can see we have fog, early morning fog in and clouds in portland. wintry mix as we go

>> thanks so much. that's your latest weather. chris, i know you're a huge giants fan. >> yeah. >> who are you rooting for sunday? >> still was going to root for the giants. i'm going to root for the giants to be there next year. how's that for a pretty piecy answer? >> you've got to root, root,

root for the home team, as they say. >> yep. some do. okay, marysol, thanks so much. being called the toughest guy in hollywood in an action hero for a new generation. he'll hold on to those titles without a doubt in the movie "the mechanic" in which he plays a different type of hit man. ♪ >> well? those were my two best teams. i guess i'll have to send more. >> save the fuel. i'm coming for you. >> and he's with us this morning, good morning. so obviously this is a romantic comedy. >> in some ways.

>> were you a fan of the original? charles bronson in 1972? >> i've been a bronson fan for many years. in fact, most of the movies from the '70s. so when the opportunities came, it's ironic that it was the same script that was actually the shooting script from the original, that i signed on to do. you just never know how things sort of transpire. but in the end they have to kind of modernize it and give it a modern sort of a turn for the -- today's audiences. >> the producers said they could not even imagine doing this movie without you leading the way. you starring in this thing. that had to be pretty flattering to know that you were the target. >> that's very flattering, yeah. owen winkler is a very significant producer, done brilliant films, and that, to come from him, is a nice thing for sure. yeah. >> you've got to be in pretty good shape to pull off a lot of the stunts you pulled off. because you don't employ a whole lot of stuntmen. you like to do your own stuff. >> i sort of dug my own hole

with that, if you like. one of the first action films i did we didn't have any sort of financial reserve. >> no budget. >> yeah. to do any green screen or any sort of enhancement to any of the stunts, so, you know, i ended up doing all my own stunts. so now it's an expectation and so it's sort of a sticky situation i can't seem to get out of. >> this thing off the side of the building right now, now i know this might surprise a lot of people, but you used to be a diver. okay? and you were able to employ some of those skills you learned way back went into some of the stunts you did in this movie. >> you know, we do a lot of training that sort of creates an aerial awareness, if you like, so it gives you a lot of confidence when you're standing on the edge of a 300-foot building. but ben foster knows someone that is very used to doing anything like that, so for him to get up there and also do that stunt was just incredible. >> how did he respond? >> you know what? he's a real -- >> i want you to be honest about

it. >> he's a brilliant actor to say the least, but for someone who throws himself in a situation that, you know, he's not very keen on heights at the best of times. so it's just something to admire. >> that wouldn't have been too good. again, it's a very physical, it's one of those types of movies where you can see, you can probably beat yourself up pretty good. you say the best way to stay in shape is -- >> the best way to stay in shape is -- you're looking for a tip? >> you talk about the prison workout and it sounded a little extreme to me, so i was wondering, what do you do to maintain the physical shape so you don't get hurt out there? >> i think there's a lot of things you can do. you know, diet and exercise are the two contributing factors to staying in shape. >> yeah. >> as long as you employ those you'll be all right. >> you're on the cover of "men's journal," the toughest guy in hollywood, his wild life and his shady past. remember this is morning television here, but how shady a past was this? >> you'll have to read the

article. far too revealing. >> are you surprised, though? you have come a long way. it's kind of one of those mark wahlberg stories where you had that troubled childhood or i guess early adulthood and now you're acting alongside the likes of de niro and wallberg and your clear is where it is now. >> it's a strange world, it could happen to anyone, i suppose. >> well, we appreciate you coming and talking to us, jason. "the mechanic" opens nationwide next friday. now let's go over to erica. when someone in your house is sick, they can leave cold and flu germs and viruses that stay on surfaces for days. and that is why the cycle keeps going and going. we want to break it for you this morning. sascha de gersdorff is here to help us get all those germs out of our home. good morning. >> good morning. >> it's the perfect time of year for it. >> it is. >> we hear all the time one of the most important things you can do during cold and flu season, really any time of year, is to make sure you wash your hands. >> single most important thing for sure. so the thing to remember is you

want to wash them in warm water for at least 20 seconds. about as long as it takes to sing the happy birthday song. >> and clear up the mystery for us once and for all, does it matter -- multi part question -- bar soap, anti-bacterial soap, hand sanitizer. is one better or more effective? >> hand sanitizer is okay in a pinch. but when you're washing your hands, you really want to use soap. it doesn't actually matter what kind of soap you use. you don't have to use the anti-bacterial of the most important thing is washing for that 20 seconds and also you want to dry off completely afterwards. so don't leave anything wet between your fingers. >> and with a clean town. clean towel is key. some of the towels are also some we see in the kitchen. the kitchen we always hear is the germiest place, especially the sink. >> kitchen sink competes with the toilet. >> so it's a lovely rivalry there, isn't it? >> so what you want to do is when you're talking about the kitchen sink is you want to make sure you clean it at least once a week. a lot of food gets caught down

there and bacteria and germs can breed in that. you want a solution of a tablespoon of bleach mixed with a quart of water and wipe down your sink with that, and then pour the rest of it down the drain to kill anything festering in there. >> also comes in handy for your cutting boards. >> that's right. cutting boards, 200 times more germs on a cutting board than on your toilet seat. >> that is lovely. as you're making dinner. >> yes. so if your board has a lot of old grooves, germs get caught in those, replace it if it's getting that old. plastic and glass go in the dishwasher after every use and if you do have a wood boreard, e a few drops of bleach after every use. glass and plastics are better for meat. >> the sponge, i have to say anyone that watches this program, this is my personal, this is my pet peeve in the kitchen, don't use your dish

sponge on your counter or sink. >> when have you it for a month, there's two ways to clean it that are effective. one, you run it through a full cycle in the dishwasher, make sure it gets nice and dry at the end and two and even better is you nuke it in the mickcrowave r a minute. make sure it's wet before it goes in and that will get rid of the bacteria. >> easy enough to do. moving on to the bathroom. >> right. >> and the germy toilet seat which isn't as bad as your cutting board. >> in the bowl is a different matter. >> yes. but surfaces right now towels, you would wash them once a week. i would hope we're washing them once a week, people. >> general rule, once a week for everything. towels, washing off those skin cells, bacteria loves to breed in those. so that's why wash them once a week for sure. >> and hang them up.

when it comes to spreading germs, the toilet is a real source of germ spreading. >> of course. that's because when you flush it, small molecules of water sort of explode out of it and land on all sorts of surfaces. so make sure you close the lid. >> we have so many lovely visuals this morning. so close the lid and also don't keep certain things on the counter. >> right. toothbrushes, hair brushes, those are targets for germs to land on. make sure you put those in drawers or behind the cabinets when not using them. >> so limit the spread there. in the bedroom, i remember going to college and one of the guys on my floor changed his sheets for the first time after thanksgiving break. >> somehow not surprising but totally gross. >> yeah. we shouldn't do that. >> right. sheets, also once a week. change them out, wash them in hot water and hot drier cycle once a week. >> and really quickly, while you're in your office, these can be your life saver. how often do you wipe the things in the office or even the remote off. >> once a day. i know that sounds like a lot

do. it when you remember. make a routine maybe leaving at night or when you wake up in the morning, wipe down things everyone touches a lot. >> ten seconds for this, green clean, some people worry they're not as effective, you say they can be. >> they can be, they require a bit more elbow grease, they're a little costlier but great for the environment. >> more for the lovely visuals, log on to our website. now here's chris in the kitchen, a clean kitchen. >> it is nice and clean, we scrubbed this baby down before we started. a great recipe doesn't have to be long and complicated. you can make something incredible using no more than five ingredients. claire robinson proves it in her cookbook, five ingredient fix inspired by her food network show of the very same name, now going into season six, right? >> yes. >> claire, good to see you this morning. congratulations on the show, the book. >> thank you, thank you. >> so what are we doing here today? >> it's exciting. i'm taking a three ingredient

recipe, then i'm making all these recipes. so one three ingredient recipe turns into four. >> we're just doing three ingredients here. >> yes. >> then we're just going to add two along the way. >> two along the way for each recipe and it's so great. so starting with tomatoes, little grape tomatoes, the five ingre ingredien ingredients, grape tomatoes, garlic and olive oil. >> okay. as far as seasonal, is there a bad time for grape tomatoes or no? >> they're the one thing that i love kind of year-round. you can actually find them pretty easily. you know, they're in little pinlts and they're flown in postally anyway, so it's actually the tomato i do tend to use year-round. it's great, little bit of salt, and then freshly cracked pepper. this goes into the oven and they turn into those incredible, amazing jewels. >> and how long are we putting these tomatoes in the oven for in. >> i go in about 45 minutes, but really, it's more -- here's the thing. i want you to really be a cook and look for this.

>> smell that garlic. >> oh, yeah. so you're looking for this. so this is more important than actually the time. the garlic will get nice and roasted and buttery. i mean, it's insanely good. >> got it. don't overdo it, so 40, 45 minutes, make sure you check on it. >> if it goes longer, it goes longer. it just gets more incredible. >> so that's our base and now we're adding to it. >> grape tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, now we're addi ining bague and ricotta. i'll show you how we do that, take a little bit of olive oil, again, i already used this in the mow tatomatoes. >> so it doesn't count. >> pop this in the oven, it gets nice and golden brown and crispy, almost like a chip. when you're watching the game this weekend. >> great little apps, huh? >> exactly. the jets win.

>> don't -- >> not that i'm biased at all. >> not at all. >> i like to do a little bit of salt. there's gray salt, sea salt, kosher salt, whatever you've got. >> all your salts and peppers don't count. >> salt and pepper does not count. my only two free byes and that's it. these get nice and toasty. look at you. you're still going. okay. maybe i'll do that. >> you're the one with the show. >> that's right. i am the chef here. >> don't knock, this guy won a cookoff last week. >> i've heard. i heard something about that. i also heard it was rigged. what was that? >> only think i can hang my hat on. >> so tomatoes go on, they're insane. so now let's do some chicken. bone-in skin on chicken braef e, take the tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, chicken and tare fwon. >> simple, buzz it until it looks like this. this goes right on top of the

chicken. and that's it. watch this. >> how long are we putting this in the oven for? >> this, about 30, 35 minutes, you just want to get your chicken nice and cooked. so you bake it like that, super simple. and there it is. want to try it? >> is it okay? >> get into it. and then i put fresh tarragon at the very end. i don't bake it with the tarragon, i finish it with the tarragon. so you've got a little bit on there actually. try it. and then i made angel hair pasta, tossed the same, grape tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, fresh basil and then poached egg, same tomatoes. >> my goodness. the same ingredients and we've made all of this. this almost looks like french toast. >> it's a breakfasty item. but yes, poach an egg and egg will ooze all over those tomatoes and that brioche, it's so easy. >> hello. we have to sample. >> we couldn't resist.

>> you've been smelling the basil. be your own chef and add basil but each one of these is five ingredients. >> claire, once again you've done it. when can we expect to see you on television? >> let's see. i'm on every saturday at 10:30. >> i was kidding. great to see you again. really wonderful. >> so there you have it, folks. earlyshow.cbsnews.com. we'll be right back. you're watching "the early show" on cbs. >> great for a snowy day.,,,,,,

my second diagnosis-- i was told to go home, retire, and enjoy the time i had left. to say it was a shock is just a complete understatement. i mean, i don't think there are words. she had put up a really good fight, but it was her time. you... don't have a choice of getting breast cancer. i had no choice. i wanted to do something bigger than myself. that 3-day gave me that opportunity. and i can actually do something to help. i think it's a very bold thing to do. 60 miles in 3 days-- i can do that. i'm sure if it was 100 miles, we'd still walk it. it was a big statement for me of... (voice breaks) i'm alive. we can do this. we can do this. we can rid the world of this terrible disease... so that no mother... granddaughter...

sister... daughter... mother... go through what my wife had to go through. this is more than just three days. this is a lifetime. (man) register today for the... and receive $25 off your registration fee. because everyone deserves a lifetime. yummy snack. >> before we say good-bye. i was the only person who could actually talk because you guys were eating. i was able to just kind of -- >> finish up. even as i said to claire, even a little cold, this brioche with the poached egg and the tomatoes, i love it. >> delicious, right? >> it's really great.

>> now eat! >> this is great. >> you talk about some great items, though. especially for the weekend you mentioned. you know, the weather. not so great. >> and ingredients, too, because for anybody who is busy these days, who isn't when it's time to make dinner or even on the weekend you want to do a special breakfast. it's nice to know i have about five things. i throw it together. it looks special. >> it is but healthy and tasty. actually healthy dishes. >> they are. >> how about the crunch of this bread. wow. >> you like that? >> amaszing. >> i think you guys have noticed -- you were working on stuff. >> you won the cook-off last week for comfort food, all right? >> we already heard. >> all my friends and family coming to the house for the football viewing party, i hope you like this. >> does this mean you're cooking for me next time? >> the invitation is there. whenever you want. >> you heard it. >> have a great weekend. >> your local news is next. >> see you monday. [ alarm clock buzzing, indistinct conversations ]

[ female announcer ] important events can sneak up on you. oh, i am not ready. can i have a couple weeks? [ female announcer ] but with yoplait light's two week tune up, you could be ready. you could lose 5 pounds in 2 weeks when you replace breakfast and lunch with a fruit, grain, and yoplait light. betsy bets. you haven't changed a bit. oh...neither have you... sean.

well, yeah. [ female announcer ] go to yoplait.com to start your two week tune up.

headlines... a judge will hear pre-trial ar gorgeous good morning. it is 8:50 5. i am here with your cbs 5 headlines. a judge will hear pretrial evidence today over slugger barry bonds. prosecutors say they have proof that bonds lied to a jury about steroid abuse. much of the evidence is linked to bonds personal trainer who refuses to testify. the victim of a murder in san jose has saved lives as an organ donor. 30-year-old joe hernandez died after he was struck? the head during a fight at a nightclub. his family is keeping the details private.

larry page will be replacing eric schmidt at ceo of google. page was 27 at the time he started with the company. schmidt will stay on as and add vicor. traffic and the sunshine- filled weather forecast coming right up. ,,,, honey...? [ mom ] yes. honey, i can't find my internet cord. oh, i'll borrow hailey's. you're downloading movies. fast! from here? where is her cord?! we switched to at&t high speed internet and got wireless access.

no more cords. wireless, okay, honestly, can i just get a cord, please? dad, the cord's invisible. [ female announcer ] for a limited time, call to get high speed internet for just $14.95 a month for 12 months with select services and a 1-year price guarantee. it's our fastest internet for the price. oooh. videos online? here? how much is that? nothin'. at&t high speed internet at home includes access here. our invisible cord is really long, dad. oooh. [ female announcer ] get access to the entire at&t national wi-fi network for no extra charge. so for a limited time, get high speed internet for just $14.95 a month for 12 months with select services and a 1-year price guarantee. aren't you glad we switched to at&t? yes...but i want my own invisible cord. you already have one. oh. ♪

good morning. it is a nice drive right now into san francisco if you are commuting toward the bay bridge. the median lights remain on but there is no delay right now as awe approach the pay gait. 23 minutes on west point 80 from the car tina bridge toward the maize. there is an accident on the lawrence x-ray but not to -- x- ray but not too bad of arrive there. is san jose bridge clear heading toward foster city. here is the forecast. if you are experiencing some of the haze out there, don't worry at all. mostly sunny skies will be weather story today and through the weekend. blue skies and beautiful conditions. yesterday we saw record temperatures in oakland. we flit with them today.

68. mostly sunny skies. temperatures hang on in the upper 60s. ,, ,,,,