for cbs 5 "early edition." we'll see you back here tomorrow bright an early at 4:30 a.m. >> have a great day everybody. good morning. scandal on capitol hill. congressman christopher lee resigns after being caught accepteding shirtless photos to a woman online. the married republican from new york has apologized to his family. we are live in washington with the latest on this shocking resignation. giffords speaks. one month after shot point blank in the head congresswoman gabrielle giffords is talking and asking for toast for breakfast. this morning we will speak with one of her closest friends who was there to hear the first words since the tragedy in tucson. another blizzard burying parts of the midsection. two feet of snow and ice and frigid temperatures wreak havoc in the east "early" this

thursday morning, february 10th, 2011. captioning funded by cbs good morning to you. i'm erica hill. >> good morning. i'm chris wragge. breaking news. late last night, allentown, pennsylvania, a natural gas explosion at a two-story row house there. this explosion wiped out eight homes and six people unaccounted for so we will get an yun dating on this breaking news situation in a couple of moments. >> what a story those pictures tell. in washington, sudden surprising resignation of congressman christopher lee over a scandalous online exchange with a woman what pa not his wife. nancy cordes is on the hill with the latest. >> reporter: this happened so fast that most of lee's

constituents found out he was resigning before they learned of the scandal. those damaging e-mails hit the web at about 2:30 p.m. yesterday and by 5:30, he was gone. before yesterday afternoon, christopher lee was known as an up and coming republican congressman from new york. by yesterday evening, the two-term congressman was resigning amidst a cheating scandal on the internet. his fall from grace began with a stunning report on the gossip website gawker.com. >> putting people back to work. >> reporter: according to the report, congressman lee contacted a 34-year-old woman in response to an ad she place inside a women for men personal section on craigslist last month. he told the woman in e-mails he was a 39-year-old divorced lobbyist. lee is actually 46 and married with one child. after a quick search on the internet, the unidentified woman from maryland learned the truth about congressman lee and

provided gawker with e-mails from their exchange change. one e-mail read, quote, i'm a very fit fun, classy guy. i promise not to disappoint. in another, the woman asks about this picture. thanks. so do you always send shirtless piks to women from cl? the reply? sorry. it's all i had. lee's office originally denied the allegations, suggesting his e-mail had been hacked. but by yesterday afternoon, his resignation was read on the house floor. though, not by him. >> i hereby give notice of my resignation from the united states house of representatives. >> reporter: in a written statement, he apologized to his family, his staff, and constituents. without going into detail, he said he made profound mistakes and said he would work to seek their forgiveness. republican leaders say lee made the decision to resign on his own but no question they

encouraged him an long dragged out embarrassing scandal is the last thing the new house majority wants right now. >> what happens to this seat, nancy? >> reporter: well, the governor of new york has to call a special election to fill out the remainder of his two-year term and whoever wins will have a lot of time to get comfortable in this seat because the term just started last month. >> we will be watching for that development. nancy cordes, thanks. this morning, much of the south is bracing for snow from a powerful storm system blamed for three deaths and bringing blizzard conditions to the midwest. whit johnson is watching the storm in charlotte, north carolina for us this morning. whit, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, chris. as this massive storm moved east and ran into warmer temperatures in charlotte, north carolina, they donald the bullet. same could not be said for the country's midsection. take a look at this video.

many still digging out from the last big storm in the central plains before this dropped another two feet of snow. in texas the problem was rainy roads and turned slick after temperatures dropped as much as 30 degrees in just a matter of hours. and it's not over yet. parts of mississippi and here in north carolina, could get up to five inches of snow. when it's all said and done, atlanta is expecting only an inch of snow, but as we saw several weeks ago, that can still cause huge problems in a city with just eight snowplows. driving was especially treacherous in arkansas. this stretch of roadway you see in this video saw literally dozens of accidents and cars and trucks all piled up, sliding downhill into one another. fortunately, nobody was seriously hurt. but a lot of sheet metal took plenty of damage as well. these storms this winter have just kept coming one after another and as we have seen before, there were hundreds of flights that were either delayed or canceled, especially in the hardest hit places like dallas, houston, and memphis.

whit johnson, cbs news, charlotte, north carolina. >> whit, thanks so much. here is erica. want to get you the latest on congresswoman gabrielle giffords who is now talking one month after the shooting in tucson that nearly killed her. cbs news correspondent don teague is in houston outside the hospital where she is being treated. don, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, erica. in the weeks since gabrielle giffords was shot in the head during an assassination attempt doctors have termed her response miraculous. a turning point. on monday, less than a month after suffering a gunshot wound to the brain, giffords made a simple request. >> i was having breck fest with her a few days ago and she asked me for toast. >> reporter: in an exclusive interview, gifed ords chief of

staff told katie couric the qap congresswoman is making a miraculous. >> it's just very encouraging. >> reporter: the last public update was almost two weeks ago when doctors said a breathing tube in giffords throat prevented her from speaking. it's unclear whether the tube has been removed or if doctors have given giffords a speaking valve. either way, experts say speaking at all is a big deal. >> the fact that she is able to talk really tells us that a very complex, perhaps the most complex function in the brain is starting to come back online. >> reporter: as giffords continues rehabilitation, authorities announced wednesday they have finished their investigations into the january 8th mass shooting that killed six people and wounded 13.

22-year-old jared laoughner has pleaded guilty. mark kelly has resumed training to command the space shuttle "endeavour" in april. on his wife's facebook page on tuesday, kelly said she is recovering at lightning speed and now enjoying three meals a day, apparently at least one of those meals now includes toast. mark kelly says his wife's recovery really is now a marathon but, of course, in a marathon, every step you take is one step closer to the finish line. don teague, cbs news, houston. >> joining us now from capitol hill is florida congresswoman debbie wassermann schultz a close friend of congresswoman giffords. you were there with her on monday morning to hear her speak. describe for us the moment when you heard your good friend

speak. >> well, pia and were sitting and talking with her while she was eating her breakfast and she was, you know, eating her oatmeal, hospital oatmeal. it was sort of playing with it and not really looking very enthusiastic about the oatmeal and she took a look at her tray and there was bread on the tray and she looked at it and looked up and just said, toast. and so pia said, absolutely, we will get you some toast. and they sent to the cafeteria for toast. i think it had butter and jelly also. it's just another example of the grit and will of gabby giffords, all of us who know her and work with her and love her, are confident that while it is a marathon and she has got a lot of work ahead of her, she is working so hard. she is in intensive speech therapy and physical therapy and other kinds of therapy as well. we know she is going to walk back into the house chamber

hopefully, sooner rather than later and continue to do the fantastic job she does representing the eighth district of arizona. >> clearly, it makes such a difference in any person's recovery when they do have that determination, that grit as you describe it, that drive. >> absolutely. >> what did her voice sound like to you? did is sound like the gabrielle giffords that you snow? >> yeah, it sounded like gabby. i mean, it was -- you know, one simple word. but she knew what chef wanted and she asked for it and it was really -- it was really just -- you know, it filled my heart to be able to see her be able to ask for something that she wanted and she wasn't the first word she's said other things, but it's just, you know, another step in her progress. >> did it seem, too, that it brought her something when she recognized that her word was there, it was recognized and, in fact, she was going to get what she asked for? >> you know, i don't want to make more out of it than it was.

it's progress. she was able to, you know, express that there was something that she wanted and asked for it and she's, again, just working very hard and in the month since i was there, because i was there with her on a couple of different days, you know, during the week of the tragedy, her progress from a month ago is just amazing. she you know, it gives us all the confidence that we had to start with, but, you know, they are confident she is going to come back and come back strong. >> i'm sure a lot of it has to do with the incredible support she a has seen from her friends and her family at her side throughout all of this. >> we are all rooting for her. >> congresswoman debra wasserman schultz, thank you for sharing that with us. >> thank you for having me. >> when you think they are not concerned about the hospital oatmeal it confirms she is on the fast track of what is going on. >> great news there.

what do you say we get another check of the headlines and check in with jeff glor. a huge fire that you mentioned off the top in eastern pennsylvania. downtown allentown last night, a blast apparently caused by a natural gas explosion leveled two homes and then the fire spread. two city blocks were evacuated. fire officials say at least one person was killed and as many as six are missing. at least eight homes were destroyed and 16 others were damaged. in egypt, anti-government demonstrations spreading and another big rally is planned for tomorrow. terry mccarthy is in cairo this morning with the latest. terry, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, jeff. gentlemen just got back from the square. the mood is getting ever more optimistic down there as they hear this protest is spreading around the country and feel that president mubarak is under increasing pressure to resign. one of the new developments is spreading of strikes around cairo, around the country. the bus drivers in cairo are on strike and railroad workers and

even suez canal some of the workers there going on strike. the canal is still open, though, to shipping. now, unrest is also spreading around the city. it's not just protesters in tahrir square. they are blockaded the parliament. the prime minister couldn't get in there yesterday. tomorrow calling for a march of millions. the idea more people involved in this the more people are protesting against the government the harder it is for the government to shut them down. jeff? >> terry mccarthy in cairo, thanks. on the heels of homeland security security janet napolitano warning yesterday how serious the terror threat remains for the united states. >> in some ways, the threat today may be at its most heightened state since the attacks nearly ten years ago. >> she says that is due to home-grown plots and the most serious concerns threats from al qaeda and its affiliates

overseas. bob orr is in washington with more on this. bob, good morning to you. can you give us a broader sense of what napolitano means when she talks about the heightened state of alert? >> reporter: she means we face threats on multiple fronts and not from the core al qaeda group we know launched the 9/11 attacks almost ten years ago. in fact, that terror group headed by osama bin laden now has been greatly weakened by relentless missile strikes carried out by the cia and frankly bin laden is not the force he once was but his radical message is still inspiring other al qaeda affiliates across the world and home-grown radicals in the u.s. want to carry out an act in his name so it is broad and diverse. >> can you mention one country they are specifically targeting right now and looking at? >> reporter: i think the top problem everybody agrees is the al qaeda branch in yemen. one of the leaders there as we have said before is the

american-born english speaking cleric anwar al awlaki who is known to all u.s. intelligence officials and helped planned the cargo bomb plot last fall and the failed underwear bomb attack you'll recall in detroit on christmas day in 2009. in some ways, awlaki really has eclipsed bin laden now on our public enemies list and his ability to reach out and inspire home-grown radicals like the ft. hood gunman that makes al awlaki especially dangerous. >> bob orr, thanks. this country's home foreclosure crisis is far from over but it slowed down last month a bit. a number of u.s. homes entering the foreclosure process in january fell 1% from december and striking 27% from a year earlier. but home prices are still falling in many parts of the country and that has left 27% of all mortgaged homes under water worth less than what is owed to the mortgage lender. we send it back to chris and

erica. >> jeff, thank you. talk a little weather. >> we heard a little bit from whit johnson off the top of the show. marysol castro is standing by with our first check of the weather to on give you a better idea as to what the entire

thanks so much. that is your latest weather. snow in the nation's heartland. rain in the southeast and then more cold temperatures, unfortunately. >> wet and cold, lovely. >> very lovely. >> we need more good news out of the weather department. i think we speak for the entire country. >> we will work on that. stale ahead on "the early show," danger in the sky. this is incredible. the government growing more concerned with people pointing lacers at planes as they take off and land. we will tell you why it's happening more than ever before and why the feds are cracking down on this dangerous practice. also ahead the cell phone wars heating up this morning. verizon is now launching the iphone. it doesn't matter, though, what kind of phone or even what plan you have.

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coming up, you know what it's like when you drive and someone flashes the high beams at you? >> awful. >> magnify that by about 50. if you fly lasers on the ground may be putting you at risk. some people like to shine these things at pilots. >> that means if you're in the plane, you're the one at risk riding along with the pilot. the faa reporting it happened more than 2800 times last year. it is beyond dangerous. we'll tell you what the government's trying to do about it ahead on "the early show." >> this portion of "the early show" sponsored by kay jewelers. every kiss begins with kay. - i'll be home soon. until then, i have my wingman helping me out. tommy? - i helped dad pick it out. - it's beautiful.

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checked with oakland p it is 7:25. time for news headlines from cbs 5. i'm sydnie kohara. we have just checked with oakland police about a sexual assault they are investigating. they are apparently looking into several juvenile suspects for that assault that was reported last night at a boys & girls club in east oakland. a 7-year-old boy had to be treated at oakland's children's hospital. we have live pictures now. chopper 5 over san jose police investigating a murder that happened about 2 hours ago. a female victim was killed near story road. so far there are no suspects. again, live pictures from san jose. and decision day at cal. the university ready to cut five sports to save money. but fans have been collecting cash, lots of it, to try to save the sports. and there is a chance the university might have to preserve the programs to comply with title ix rules. and we are getting word

from cairo that a senior egyptian army commander has told protestors that all their demands will be met. we have more details to come shortly. we are waiting a live report from cbs news. stay with us, weather and traffic in just a moment. ,, ,,,,,,

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it is westbound 580 right around first street. our sensors showing us some slowing right around the scene, in fact our drive time around the altamont pass pretty heavy. 25 minutes almost, about 24 minutes from westbound 580 from the altamont pass to the dublin interchange. to the bay bridge toll plaza, metering lights turned on around 6:20 so it's getting close to the 880 overcrossing 15 minutes to get on the bridge but right now no troubles on the upper deck. though we are just getting word of an accident on eastbound 80 out of oakland. no other details but stay tuned for our next traffic report in a half hour. in the meantime, here's lawrence with the forecast. >> we have a lot of sunshine out there today. we'll need it. we have cold temperatures breezing in parts of the north bay. 28 degrees in napa. 31 in santa rosa. 39 degrees in san jose. by the afternoon, here come those 60s though again. nice warm sunshine by the afternoon. a little cooler as we head toward the latter part of the

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like this can be a huge threat to airliners in the sky. some people like to shine them at planes flying low. >> and that gives you an idea of what it's like, flash bulbs going off in your face. the faa is now putting out a danger warning, trying to make it a federal crime to point a laser at a plane. >> saying if this doesn't stop a midair disaster is just a matter of time. welcome back to "the early show," everyone, i'm chris wragge along with erica hill. we're going to take a much closer look at this critical safety issue in just a moment. you would be amazed at what type of effect it has on a cockpit when a plane is trying to land or take off. >> and nding there.

32 minutes past the hour. we turn it back over to chris. >> jeff, thank you. now to the latest on danger in the air. powerful handheld laser beams are more available than ever right now. prices have dropped to a few hundred dollars and some of their users are putting pilots and their hundreds of passengers at risk. cbs news correspondent elaine quijano, live at new york's laguardia airport with that story for us this morning. elaine, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, chris. well, laser hobbyists enjoy pointing their lasers into the sky at night, when it's a lot easier to see those laser beams. but what some might not realize is that their hobby poses a threat to aviation safety. they may look harmless, but the faa says these tiny handheld

laser pointers pose a big threat. perpetrators on the ground aim the lasers at aircraft flying at low altitude, during takeoff and landing, a flight's most critical time. >> it's comparable to a flash bulb being set off in your face. >> reporter: ryan miller has been flying helicopters for the austin, texas, police department for 4 1/2 years. in that time, he says he's been blinded by a laser beam six times. >> you don't have an autopilot. we can't just take our hands off the controls and let the aircraft fly until we're okay. >> reporter: on wednesday a 14-year-old was arrested in los angeles, suspected of pointing a small green laser at a jet headed to los angeles international airport. according to the faa, the number of laser incidents at airports across the country has risen dramatically, from just over 1500 in 2009 to more than 2800 last year. that translates to an average of seven cases a night, including this case in 2009.

>> just got a guy shooting a green laser at the cockpit here from the ground. >> could you tell where it was from? >> the guy was on a hiking trail, and he shot it right at the aircraft. >> the initial point of the laser is very small, but when it gets to be, four to five miles away, basically what happens is when the beam hits the windshield it acts like a prism, and it can temporarily blind or permanently cause damage to the pilots' eyes. >> reporter: so far no crashes have been attributed to a laser interference. but aviation officials and lawmakers are so concerned they're considering legislation that would make the act of pointing a laser beam at an aircraft a federal offense, punishable by up to five years in prison. chris? >> cbs' elaine quijano at laguardia airport for us this morning. thank you. joining us now from washington is cbs news aviation cult rant mark rosenker, former chairman of the national transportation safety board. mark, good morning to you. >> good morning, chris. >> millions of people all around

the world getting on planes today. how concerned should passengers be about something like this? >> well, this is a serious and disturbing trend, and unfortunately it's growing. the more of these devices that get out there, the more potential for abuse that can happen. >> we saw last year that the number of incidents reported had doubled in just one year's time. should we consider ourselves lucky that there hasn't been a catastrophe? >> well, again, when you're talking about the millions and millions of operations that go on every day, in comparison, they're still a small number. but unfortunately this number is growing and could create a serious incident or even an accident. >> we're looking at some images, and we saw a number of images in elaine's piece a few moments ago. just describe what the pilot is going through, sitting in the cockpit, whether it's on takeoff or approach, what exactly is going on in that cockpit when this light comes through? >> well, the takeoff and landing procedures are really critical phases of flight. so you want to make sure that the crew is focussed on what it's supposed to be doing.

and unfortunately, when these lights are illuminated inside the cockpit, and most of the time that's in the evening, they are really, in some way shape or form, distracting the pilot, and many cases, they are clearly not expecting it, and in some cases, the flash blindness that could occur from these devices require and force the flying pilot to turn over the controls immediately to the non-flying pilot. >> are there any other options? is autopilot an option? because like some pilots have claimed that they're blinded for a few seconds here. i mean what is the initial reaction for pilots? >> the faa is beginning to look at this, and talk in terms of training procedures. the carriers are looking at it very carefully. the air force has put out a video for its pilots. they did that in 2009. so there is a great deal of interest in what can be done to, one, enforce rules and regulations to make sure people don't do this malicious, ridiculous kind of behavior. but, this is serious, and something needs to be done about

it. >> what are your thoughts, though, on making this a federal

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in this morning's "moneywatch," the cell phone wars have officially begun and that is great news for all of us. verizon launches the iphone today. but you don't to be in the market for an iphone to get a good deal. if you just want to improve your current plan, we can help you do that, too. cbs news business and economics correspondent rebecca jarvis here to tell us there are plenty of ways to use all of this hype to your advantage. >> timing is everything, erica. according to a recent study, 10% of consumers say they plan to switch wireless carriers in the next 90 days, and that's a big opportunity for phone companies, but also a big opportunity for savings for customers. . >> yes? i can hear you now.

en. >> only at&t's network lets your iphone talk and surf at the same time. >> let the cell phone wars begin. verizon rolls out the iphone 4 in stores today. and expects to sell 11 million of them this year. >> i'm excited to get a verizon iphone. i've wanted one for awhile. >> i have at&t and it drops calls all the time. i had verizon before that, and worked all the time. you know, never dropped a call. so i might go back. >> wireless providers at&t, sprint and t-mobile are all battling it out with their own promotions, trying to win the war with big bargains, and better service. there's the official deals like free mobile-to-mobile calling and free smartphones. and then there's the unofficial deals you can get. just by picking up the phone. and i'm wondering if you can give me any better deals than what's quoted on your website right now? we asked cbs news staffers to see how good a deal they could get by bargaining with their mobile phone companies.

>> so i could drop a $69.99 plan to a $39.99 plan. >> is there anything that you can do to keep me on at&t? >> from free texting to free minutes, even a $30 a month discount, each cell provider offered something extra. so, whether you're thinking of getting a new iphone, or staying with your old carrier, the winner of the cell phone war can be you. and with all the calls we made we found savings of about $360 a year. everyone who made a call agrees that it was worth their time. so those couple minutes can translate to big dollars. >> help us with those couple minutes, then. what exactly did you say to find that savings? >> well, you kind of have to let them know you're thinking about switching plans. they really want to keep you.al this is a cbs news special

report. i'm jim axelrod reporting from new york. there is breaking news from egypt are where anti-government protesters have been demonstrating for 17 days now demanding president hosni mubarak step down immediately. officials in cairo are now saying mubarak is ready to meet the pro-it testers' demands. we are expecting an announcement any minute. cbs news correspondent elizabeth palmer is in cairo. elizabeth, what can you tell us? >> reporter: well, for sure state television is the source on this that the supreme council of the armed forces is in permanent session and that the military says it's going to look after the interests and safety of the people. i think, in a word, that sounds like a coup, maybe a soft coup. what's not clear is whether the power will transfer from president mubarak into the hands of the vice president, omar suleiman, or whether it will go straight into the army's hands. the crowds behind me going wild,

but i don't think anybody really knows what this means or whether it is good for the protesters. jim? >> liz, we're hearing a couple different reports, one that hosni mubarak may address the country tonight. another report is that perhaps he's already left cairo if not the country. i'm wondering if you are hearing anything. >> reporter: we did hear that he was going to address the country later tonight and also the head of his party, his political party, said he hoped mr. mubarak would transfer power into the hands of omar suleiman, but there is no confirmation on whether he's still here and how public a gesture he wants to make this. it does seem that he's on his way out but nobody knows what sort of exit he chooses -- he'll choose. jim? >> elizabeth palmer in cairo, thank you. stay with cbs news for the latest on the crisis in egypt. we'll be back on the air with any major developments and, of course, complete coverage on tonight's "cbs evening news"

with katie couric. for now i'm jim axelrod, cbs news, new york. ever wish vegetables didn't taste so vegetably? well, v8 v-fusion juice gives you a full serving of vegetables, plus a full serving of fruit. but it just tastes like fruit. v8. what's your number? hey! wait up! ♪ [ female announcer ] you see a mud stain. but new wisk sees a particulate stain. with our breakthrough stain spectrum technology, wisk is engineered to fight all the major stain groups like particulates and oils. [ girl ] that lip gloss is soooo cute on you. [ female announcer ] you'll never look at stains the same way again. for a powerful clean against a full range of stains, use new wisk. fight stains with science.

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let's raise a glass to cookies just out of the oven. to the morning bowl of cereal. and to lactaid® milk. easy to digest and with all the calcium and vitamin d of regular milk. [ female announcer ] lactaid®. the original lactose-free milk. well if you are a diet soda lover, we have an eye-opening report for you coming up. >> a lot of the bottles here people recognize because people drink a lot of these, especially in the united states, every single day. they do it because they're trying to cut calories. they figure it's better for them. but it turns out, dr. ashton is here with us, they could be doing some serious harm to your health and be setting you up for a major risk. >> exactly. and we're not just talking about

kids here. we're talking about adults, as well. so when you make that choice of what beverage you're consuming you may want to think twice. >> because it could risk a stroke? >> possibly stroke, heart attack. and again we say it all the time, most things in moderation. this is probably no different. but there is some new research that you probably want to know about. >> we are going to talk about this more coming up because it's not -- you don't have to have six of these a day. we're talking about just a few. and i am right in -- you know how much i love diet soda. >> yes. >> so it is an eye-opening roar. a new study that's out. we're going to talk about it more with dr. ashton when we come back. we'll be right back. skin. only aveeno skin relief has an active naturals oat formula... to improve all five symptoms... of winter skin in just one day. discover the beauty and comfort of skin relief. only from aveeno. discover the beauty and comfort of skin relief. the best device for everything you love to read editors' choice. best dedicated ereader. magazines look spectacular. fantastic device.

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wn is dropping plans it is 7:55. time for news headlines from cbs 5. i'm frank mallicoat. governor brown is dropping plans to sell 24 state buildings to private investors. the state of the california has been in negotiations to sell the properties for $2.3 billion under a proposal by former governor schwarzenegger, the state would have continued to use the buildings by leasing them from the new owners. uc-berkeley expected to announce whether it's dropping baseball and four other sports teams in an effort to save money. there is a grassroots campaign though, a fundraising effort in hopes of saving the teams. there's also a chance the university might have to keep their programs to comply with title ix rules. and san mateo county is warning people to keep an eye out for a couple of mountain lions. they were spotted just before 5:00 yesterday afternoon in woodside near the west entrance

to canada college. the office of emergency services says mountain lions usually try to avoid confrontation with humans. but it's best to play it safe and keep a close watch out for small kids. traffic and weather coming right up. stay with us. ,,,,,,,,,,,,

good morning. lots of congestion out there right now. the bay bridge toll plaza back

up to the macarthur maze. 20 minutes to even get on the bridge then a lot of heavy traffic from the incline towards treasure island. if you are commuting 280 through the south bay northbound stop and go from downtown towards cupertino. 880 through oakland, word of an accident northbound 880 near 98th causing stop and go conditions from hayward at least from 238. your drive time almost a half hour from 238 up towards the macarthur maze. and usual slow traffic out of silicon valley westbound 237 backed up from 880 to about zanker road. that is your traffic. for your forecast, here's lawrence. >> all right, elizabeth. a lot of sunshine coming our way today and we're going to need every bit of it. it is chilly in parts of the bay area now overlooking san francisco. you have clear skies and no fog to speak of. boy, kind of hard to find any clouds out there, as well. temperatures chilly though. down in the 20s in the napa central valley. 30s and 40s elsewhere. in the afternoon, here comes the sunshine and it's going to training the temperatures up 60s across much of the bay

area. a return to rain next week. ,,,,,,,,

♪ ♪ when i see your face there's not a thing that i would change ♪ ♪ because you're amazing just the way you are ♪ great song. that's an incredible video, too. a year ago, though, chances are most of us had never heard of the man behind the magic, bruno mars. fast forward a year, he's nominated for seven grammys and he's doing much more these days than just singing. he writes, he produces, i mean he really is talk about a threat in the music world, he does it all. >> setting the world on fire. what a difference a year makes. >> that it does. >> we're going to get a little more bruno mars coming up this morning. also ahead -- >> tyler.

>> super fan tyler mcgill got to hang out with bruno, rehearse for suddnday's big show and how this overnight success, how it all happened. but it took 21 years. so some people think, oh bruno mars, just kind of happened, jumped on the scene, no way. >> he has been working hard, started out as elvis at age 4. that will get you to stick around. welcome back to "the early show." i'm erica hill with chris wragge. we'll get to all of that in a moment. tyler's chat with bruno mars back stage. >> a big weekend. another check of the news headlines and jeff glor is at the news desk once again. hi, jeff. >> we begin with breaking news from egypt where hosni mubarak, the country's president for nearly 30 years, may be about to step down in the face of those massive protests. cbs news correspondent elizabeth palmer is in cairo this morning with the latest. liz, good morning. >> good morning. well the rumors are flying thick

and fast. what we can tell you is state television has broadcast a really significant announcement saying that supreme council of the armed forces is in permanent session and going to look after the interest and safety of the egyptian people. that sounds to a lot of observers as if there's been a soft coup and that power will pass into the hands of omar suleiman, who is the vice president, who has been running things over the past week. it's not clear whether that's a victory for the people. i heard the protesters in the square behind me a few minutes ago, roar with joy, but i think that we haven't really understood what the implications are. jeff? >> all right. liz palmer following the story from cairo this morning, liz, thank you very much. at least five people remain missing following a massive explosion in eastern pennsylvania late last night. the blast, possibly caused about aghast leak, leveled two homes in allentown. the fire that followed quickly spread to eight other homes were

destroyed and 16 others damaged. hundreds were forced to evacuate. at least one person is confirmed dead this morning. at least six people were killed when a commuter plane tried to land in southwest ireland this morning. that plane overturned and caught fire on the runway. there was heavy fog at the time of that crash. in london, a couple of royal ladies did lunch. princess-to-be kate middleton and prince william's stepmother camilla seen having a friendly lunch together yesterday at a restaurant. camilla was reportedly offering advice into marrying into the family. lindsay lohan is free on $40,000 bail after pleading not guilty to grand theft charges. if convicted she could be headed to prison. cbs news correspondent bill whitaker has that story. >> reporter: a crowd of cameras captured lindsay lohan making a hollywood entrance at a santa monica courthouse, facing a new judge and a new criminal complaint that could land her behind bars for up to three years. >> plea of not guilty. >> reporter: through her

attorney lohan pled not guilty to stealing the $2500 necklace she was photographed wearing. she says it's all a misunderstanding. the judge warned her she's now facing a felony and said he won't tolerate more bad behavior. >> you need to follow the laws just like everybody else. you're no different than anyone else. so please, don't push your luck. >> reporter: lohan has been accused of stealing in the past. in january 2008, she was spotted in this $11,000 mink coat, the coat's owner claimed lohan took it from a new york club like the necklace in this case, the coat was quietly returned. last april, lohan was caught on camera wearing a missing rolex, valued at $35,000. but in each case, lohan was not charged with a crime. she's now violated her probation, stemming from a pair of drunk driving arrests in 2007. >> she's met regularly, only

clean tests and has been a good probationer but i certainly understand the reason that miss myers is asking for probation to be revoked at this time. >> well a good probationer doesn't pick up a new case. >> reporter: the judge told the actress if she breaks the law again he'll lock her up without bail. >> do you understand what i'm telling you? >> yes, sir. >> reporter: bill whitaker, cbs news, los angeles. katie couric has a preview of tonight's "cbs evening news." >> good morning. a luxury boat, shredding parties and overzealous federal agents, is this really your government at work. the fishy story behind the agency that regulates $4 billion fishing industry, that's tonight only on the cbs evening news. now back to "the early show." >> and now we move over to marysol castro who has another check of the weather. good morning once again. >> good morning. jeff, everyone, at home. let's take a look at the radar so you can see what's really happening. a lot of the country seeing patchy clouds, the southeast contending with snow showers. the snow starts to move out of

there this morning. it is tracking not hugging the east coast, it's going to go out to sea which is good news for folks in

this weather report sponsored by ashley furniture. the number one name in furniture. thanks so much. that's your latest weather. over to chris. >> thank you. coming up next on "the early show," if you think diet soda is healthier, guess what? we're going to tell you why you should rethink that drink. this is "the early show" on cbs.

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we've known soda is not great for you, but this is an eye opening report on diet soda. >> the question is as you said not whether soda is good for you, whether it can be bad for you and how bad and this study really showed it. they looked at a little over 2500 people averaged 69 years of age, followed them for nine years and asked them questions based to report their own soda consumption. found that those who drank soda daily, one a day, were at this significantly increased risk, 48% increased risk, for what we call vascular event, heart attack and strokes. >> just one diet soda, wasn't like they were having a six-pack every day. >> exactly. >> where lies the link between heart attack and diet soda? >> that's the question and they don't know. this study was done on association so it it did not show cause and effect. if you're drinking something that has no calories are you lulled into a false sense of security thinking you can have the fat ay food or the extra calories somewhere else and does

it stack the deck against you in terms of all those other risk factors. >> the general rule of thought for me, if it's not regular soda, it's diet soda, half the battle is won right there, that's not the case. >> absolutely incorrect. our bodies are roughly 60% water, not 60% soda or diet soda. we say in moderation, probably fine. but moderation is a couple times a week, not once a day. >> i was going to say, moderation, how much more can you get than one a day. what about the other health risks associated with diet soda? >> we heard also that people who drink diet soda are at an increased risk for something called metabolic syndrome, a combination of obesity, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure that then put you at risk for heart attack and stroke and also interestingly enough, women who consume diet soda are found to be at increased risk for kidney failure and kidney disease. again, once in a while okay, but as a regular part of your beverage intake, really not a good idea. >> let's talk about people who

drink diet soda for weight loss reasons, thinking the empty calories with regular soda, eliminated those, we move to the diet. >> when you drink a sweet beverage, even if it doesn't contain calories, it starts you craving other sweet things. if you're not getting the calories in the form of the beverage you're going to look for it elsewhere. i think simple things that people can do, on a day-to-day basis try not to drink your calories. you've heard me say that before. go for more natural healthy alternatives. don't go for the diets. things like water, sell zer where you can put a little fruit into it if you want the extra flavor or unsweetened teas. there are a much healthier alternative when talking about your beverages. >> that's been my biggest problem. i will admit i cop to three diet sodas a day a minimum. >> you need to go on the wag an little bit with that. >> you want something there and i guess -- >> also the important thing to realize is if you're drinking that diet soda or soda, again

we're going to lump them into the same category for all intents and purposes, what are you not drinking? you're not drinking water, you're not drinking milk. that's what your body needs. >> this is something people need to pay attention to. >> you bet. >> i appreciate it. coming up from struggling songwriter to super star, bruno mars invites us back stage as he gets ready for the grammys. this is "the early show" on cbs. >> wow, that was good! >> "cbs healthwatch" "cbs healthwatch" sponsored by new aqua fresh whitening. e y? in a national consumer survey on production innovation thousands of americans voted. aquafresh iso-active was the clear winner! we guarantee it will be your favorite, too, or your money back. try aquafresh iso-active. amazing. or your money back. fitting into clothes is naturally satisfying. so select harvest light soups are 80 calories or less, 100% natural. and-oh-so-satisfying. select harvest light from campbell's.® it's amazing what soup can do.™

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♪ when i see your face >> it is the music industry's biggest night but this year's grammy awards are a lifelong dream come true for singer/song writer bruno mars. and who better to help us understand that experience than our own superfan "early" show special contributor tyler mcgill, who is in los angeles. and recently spent a little time with bruno mars. good morning. >> good morning, erica. yeah, i got to spend the day

with bruno mars arguably the biggest star in the music industry right now. and, a heavy favorite to be walking away with a lot of trophies this sunday at the grammys. we shot at a secret location where he was rehearsing for his big grammy performance. it was incredible. check it out. ♪ when i see your face >> if this voice sounds familiar it's because it ruled the airwaves last year. in 2010, bruno mars emerged as pop music's brightest star. ♪ cause you're amazing ♪ just the way you are >> reporter: his debut single "just the way you are" has generated more than 90 million views on youtube. and his collaborations with other grammy nominees resulted in some of the year's biggest hits. ♪ all over the world now he's nominated for seven grammy awards, including song of the year. and when he takes the stage at sunday's show, it will be the culmination of his journey from

unknown songwriter to international superstar. where were you last year at this time? >> two thank y2009 i was scalpi. get your tickets. >> you have seven nominations. where were you and how did you react when you got that news? >> the grammy released a press pack and it said eminem with ten and bruno mars with seven. we were trying to count, no, how did this happen? >> at 25 bruno mars is just becoming a household name but he's no stranger to the music business. at age 4 the hawaii native began performing onstage with his father in a vegas-style music revue. ♪ the 4-year-old elvis, were you not nervous onstage? >> gangsta, that's what it was. 4-year-old gangsta elvis. >> absolutely amazing. but you were so chill up there. >> you know, i just, i think i just loved doing it. i just remember like, the audience loved me. so i would just walk up onstage in smmy spedangled suit and get

down. >> reporter: he went from imitating the king of rock to the king of pop. >> there was an impersonation show that came down and they were holding auditions so i went down there with a hat and a glove and sang billy jean and did my little moonwalk and got the gig. in high school, after school i would go, do two shows a night. at 3:00, at 10:00 at night and go back to school the next day. ♪ i want to be a billionaire so bad ♪ >> reporter: after high school bruno moved to los angeles to make his dreams of becoming a star a reality. >> i really wanted to take a stab at, you know, writing my own music. try. so i bought a one-way ticket and i stayed with my sister, bless her heart, let me stay with her for a year. and we got things rolling. ♪ gave you what i had and you tossed it in the trash ♪ >> reporter: but stardom didn't happen overnight. it was seven years before the release of bruno's first album, but it was worth the wait. the record has some of the

year's catchiest songs and has made bruno a favorite with the ladies. did they teach you the way of the women? is that how you got -- >> every time i write a song i think about my experiences, with just the way you are, my experience with watching a girl do so much just to get ready, just to feel beautiful and feel sexy, and when truthfully you liked what she was wearing when she was just in her sweats and you thought that she was beautiful like that. >> reporter: three days before taking the grammy stage for the very first time bruno invited us into his brieft rehearsal. ♪ i'll catch a grenade for you put my hand on a blade for you ♪ ♪ i'd jump in front of a train for you ♪ that's the dance remix. >> wow, that was good. he makes it look easy, right? >> so how about that, tyler?

a little quality time with bruno mars in that secret location. what was it like? >> absolutely amazing. because we got a chance to kind of shoot the breeze, talk a little bit and then we walked next door to the studio and he's in there just like a natural performer. he showed me the moonwalk, some old school m.j. moves and he gets onstage and he can play the piano, the guitar, the drums. and he gets to the mike, starts singing. all the girls in the room melt. the dude's a star. >> you're clearly going to try to pick up some moves from him. he tried to get you to sing, too, right? >> oh, yeah. i got put right on the spot. basically what happens is i'm just soaking up the experience of being in the studio, next thing you know he's like, hey maybe do you know any instruments? i'm like no, not really. he goes, oh, that's a yes. next thing i know i'm singing with bruno mars in front of his whole band. it was interesting, to say the least. ♪ i guess you say what can make me feel this way ♪

♪ my girl my girl ♪ ♪ my girl talkin' about my girl ♪ ♪ i've even got -- >> very nice, tyler. very nice. >> yeah, i don't think any girls were melting there. >> we'll see. let us know how it works out for you. tyler mcgill, thanks as always. just a reminder you can see the 53rd annual grammy awards right here this sunday night, 8:00, 7:00 central. you will only find the grammys on cbs. still ahead, they are fun, flirty and affordable. lovely lingerie choices for valentine's day for yourself, or maybe for that special someone in your life. stay with us you're watching "the early show" on cbs. your local news is next. honey...? [ mom ] yes.

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it's 8:25. time for news headlines from cbs 5. i'm sydnie kohara. a fatal car crash in san francisco caused delays for muni riders this morning. that crash happened off geary and arguello boulevards. witnesses say one car sped through a red light and t-boned another vehicle. the driver of that second car was killed. muni trains are now running on schedule. police are searching for a suspect who old fire on and a a.c. transit bus in richmond. one passenger was cut in the face by glass and taken to the hospital. that shooting happened near third and grove at 9 happen last night. and the future of some sports at uc-berkeley will be announced today. the athletic department deciding whether or not to cut five teams to save money. those teams at risk are baseball, rugby, men's and women's gymnastics and women's

lacrosse. traffic and weather coming right up. stay with us. ,,,,,,,,,,,,

good morning. out to san jose, northbound highway 85 near winchester we have an accident possibly blocking one lane. you can see it is pretty sluggish in that area. that's a lot of slow traffic around the south bay out of downtown san jose. we can show you a live look at 280 traffic. it's heavy, just the usual stuff here though, especially bottlenecking around the 880

interchange. all right. elsewhere, bay bridge toll plaza busy morning, backed up well into the macarthur maze, also sluggish up the incline heading towards treasure island. i want to zoom in here, though. if you are heading towards the lower deck of the bridge, there was a person seen wandering on the lower deck. so anyway, traffic remains backed up in the area. i guess chp was out there for a while and it remains heavy you can see, backed up to at least the 101 interchange. mass transit is all on time. that's your traffic. here's lawrence with your forecast. >> elizabeth, you're going to like this. we have more sunshine coming our way today and temperatures will warm up very nicely outside as, yup, high pressure sitting overhead and looking at that you can see the golden gate from our mount vaca cam. backing up, you can tell the whole bay area looking sunny and clear and looks like it's going to stay that way all day long. temperatures a bit chilly, though, outside right now. latest numbers 33 degrees napa, 32 and freezing in santa rosa and 37 degrees in livermore. next couple of days we are expecting still a whole lot more sunshine than clouds but it will cool off in the latter

part of the weekend. chance of rain returns next week. ,,,, the smell of warm maple syrup. honeysuckle and rosemary. the smell of shaving cream. whatever scents fill your household, purina tidy cats scoop helps neutralize odors in multiple cat homes... giving you just what you need to keep your house smelling like it should. purina tidy cats scoop. keep your home smelling like home.

>> do you want to try some of the nuts? >> oh, brother. >> a chocolate chip pan take. >> yeah, the comfort food cook-off took a decided turn for the worst yesterday when i was dealt a 2. >> the lowest score in the history of the competition. >> for a pancake which i think we can all admit was pretty darn good. >> i would disagree with that. >> you were talking about yesterday, we're having a battle all week long. the battle for breakfast. we each pick a breakfast food and the other anchors try to cook it. yesterday was jeff's food, pancakes. chris, you didn't stock up according to our celebrity guest judge. >> he was a tough judge. >> he was very tough. i only got a 3. i thought i did a halfway decent job which is remarkable for me in the kitchen. >> marysol would like to remind us that she got a 4. she's over there at the weather wall showing us she got a 4.

she's in the lead at this point with 8 points. i'm right behind with 7, honey. look out. >> luckily for us, though, we have a qualified judge who's here today, katie lee. >> oh, ouch! >> as opposed to the rank amateur who was here yesterday. >> chris will never be eating at scott conant's restaurant. katie is going to judge us making marysol's favorite breakfast food which is french toast. >> good stuff. >> mm-mmm. >> we'll show you the tote board when we do the cook-off a little later on in the program. right now marysol is in the lead and the two of you are fighting over second place, and i am a distant third. >> there's still time. >> we're going to check in with marysol, the first place leader right now. marysol? >> thank you very much. good morning, you guys. good morning, everyone at home. let's take a look at the national picture. you can see it's pretty quiet with the exception of the southeast. we still have some precipitation that is expected to move out of there later on today. take a look at this. half of the nation has snow on the ground. you can see springfield, 9

inches, oklahoma city, 5 inches. wichita, 7 inches. the good news is that by the weekend, the sun starts to come out, and

>> thanks so much. that's your latest weather. now over to erica. >> mary, thanks. flowers and candy, good things for valentine's day. but let's be honest, the flowers wilt, the candy is eaten. sexy lingerie, however, is a valentine's day gift that keeps on giving. "early" show style contributor katrina szish is here with some fun, affordable options for everyone. good to have you with us. happy early valentine's day. this is kind of, it can be a little intimidating for people, too, for both the wearer and the buyer. so you're here to help demystify that for us this morning. >> absolutely. and i mean, lingerie is one of those things, it kind of has become synonymous with valentine's day. but it also strikes fear in the hearts of many. i think especially the women who are going to wear them. what we don't want is all of those contraptions. we don't want too many garters and snaps and buttons and all of those kinds of things because, let's face it, they're v not ve comfortable. >> they're not. >> but there are so many options that are comfortable and sexy

and it's the perfect combination. >> we love that. let's start off with our first combination of comfortable and sexy. >> the retro inspired sort of pinup girl look is super hot and on blair we're seeing a beautiful ensemble here. even going down to the higher waisted panties that we're seeing coming back. but because of the detailing and of course paired with that sexy push-up bra, you definitely have the va-va-voom. >> you have the va-va-voom. and you've got the robe to go with it if you're feeling like you need a little more coverage. >> i love the robe with the short sleeves, a little bit of influence. the robe is $19 from kohl's. so it's really the way to be very elegant, sophisticated but very affordable. >> and we've got to love the price tag which is beautiful. blair, thank you. it can be a little tough if you're thinking valentine's day because maybe you want to go red, and you want to go pink. >> yeah. >> there are these cliches that you can feel a little cheesy. >> and again you think, okay, ws bows, ruffles, lace. but you can do it right. >> okay. >> and on daphne here we're

going to show you how to do it right. we've got this beautiful classic chemise for the fashion forward, elegant woman. it's buy flora nikrooz from bloomingdale's. it's a fun color. it's kind of bright. but it has that lace overlay. you're going to be very game and show the back. but again you've got the ruffles. you have lace and the bow but it's delicate. flirtatious, very fashion forward. it's a little bit trendier than the typical, very valentine's day holiday gift. >> we like trendy trendy. it's kind of fun. >> trendy but elegant. >> thank you very much. >> thank you. >> when it comes to valentine's day, too, you may want to make sure you feel sexy but without feeling overdone. for a lot of women this is not something they typically wear. >> yes, exactly. >> satin and lace is not for everyone. frills are not for everyone. so for the girl who likes to be a little more casual but still wants to get in the spirit we have this great little chemise slip from victoria's secret on kristen. and kristen is a yoga instructor and she said, listen, i want to be comfortable.

i still want to be festive but with this bright color with the lace. turn around and show the back a little bit. it's sexy, elegant but super soft t-shirt material. >> it looks cozy and comfortable. >> kristen said my boyfriend -- my husband, i should say, prefers this look. >> it's affordable, $35. >> that's the thing. they're not super luxe lingerie choices we went to find. these are available to everyone out there. >> our next model, who is dee ann, a little sort of a retro that we saw off the top with blair but something else in there, too. >> exactly. you can go for lace and frills and romance. i'm definitely girlie girl and i love how this looks on dee ann. this is from macy's. you can go for a two-piece look. but the skirt is flirtatious and sexy but at the same time gives a little extra coverage. you're not totally bare. >> all like a little extra coverage. >> the sheer robe gives you a little more of that feeling of

safety, especially on national tv. but it also is pretty delicate look. >> it's still delicate. a lot of women would feel like this is pretty but that bare midriff. >> you have to think of what works best for your body type. this looks great for dee ann, she's sexy, curvy. she's got the great hourglass figure. you have to choice something you're comfortable in. there are plenty of options without the bare midriff. >> we have another option. it's got sort of a fun, playful valentine's day print going on. >> showing you, listen, if you really are one of those hearts kind of girls, you want to be festive you can go for the subtle heart pattern and can go for something really trendy. this is a romper from fredrick's of hollywood. it's comfortable, inexpensive and really is on trend. >> $24. >> 24 bucks. >> i mean, you can't beat it. >> and it looks great on brittany. >> you always have such great stuff for us. >> thank you. >> enjoy your valentine's day. ladies, thank you all. especially for being so brave with us this morning. lord knows i couldn't do that. for more on these fashions you can find it at our website,

earlyshow.cbsnews.com. ♪ hey hey good lookin' what you got cookin' ♪ >> time of the day for -- it's time for day three of this, what we consider one of the all-time great pastimes on morning television. battle for breakfast supremacy. we began on tuesday with grits. that was chosen by erica. that was her favorite. yesterday was jeff's turn so we made pancakes. and after two days marysol is in the lead. congratulations. >> thank you. i know you don't mean it but thank you, anyway. this morning we are making my favorite, french toast. and here to help us, judge it and taste it our "early" show contributor katie lee. french toast, so many different variations. you obviously have a favorite. >> i love french toast. it's a great thing to make for breakfast. we're going to do a really simple one just to kind of get you guys started. you need some eggs -- >> simple is good for us. >> less is more. >> i sense a lot of nerves here.

>> you do? >> just a little. >> it's a light competition. so, whole milk, because i like to have some fat in there. i'm splashing. and i use a shall dough dish. and just a little sugar. i don't like to overpower it because you are going to put the, you know, the maple syrup. i put a little powdered sugar on mine, some vanilla. and now once you have this, you can do anything. can you get as creative as you like once you have this batter. i like to put a little bit of orange zest in mine. >> oh! katie! >> have you been reading my recipe, katie? >> i bet you're drawing inspiration. >> cheating? >> yeah. >> so then the bread goes in. >> are you using -- >> i'm using brioche because it's a fattier bread, has more butter in it. speaking of butter, let's put a little bit on here. >> how long you soak it in there? >> and i put some canola oil. >> why do you do that? >> because then you get a higher smoking point. the butter won't burn.

so -- >> you guys get started. >> you taking notes over there? >> oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. >> and get started. i'ming will to let mine cook. okay, so what do we have going on down here with mr. glor? >> a soon-to-be disaster, i have a feeling. so this is actually my mother-in-law's recipe. i should give her credit. >> so if i don't give you a good score then i get you in trouble? >> right. she will come after me. >> i don't want to cause any marital problems here. >> she knows how to cook and i don't. >> i see that you are using challah bread. >> nutmeg and cinnamon, as well. and then what i'm going to do, actually, i think one of the keys, i'm told is after this i'm going to put some walnuts on it. >> oh, okay. >> with some cured syrup from western new york. >> i know that you're really in to your syrup. >> i'm huge into the syrup. >> and you have several kinds here. >> yep. >> do you do a mixture? >> they're all from wyoming county, new york.

which is the only place to get syrup. and then we're going to garnish with a mixture of sour cream and cream cheese. >> oh, that's interesting. >> and then -- >> i mean that in a good way. i want you to know. i think that sounds really good. >> some apples and raspberries. >> are you going to cook those apples? >> we may cook them a little bit. >> i think that that's probably a good idea. i don't know if i'm allowed to give you tips. and you're going to soak your bread and do the whole bit? >> yep. >> all right i'll check back in with you. what's going on here? >> i've got the eggs, a little bit of cream, this is one that my husband makes. sugar, vanilla and then grand marnier. >> ooh. >> and a tiny bit of orange zest. when we make it in our house we use french bred, sort of thick and we soak it in the fridge overnight. >> i do that sometimes when i bake my french toast. >> well sometimes you can bake it. in this case i'm not going to bake it. that's one of the reasons christmas eve we can do it because christmas morning you

just throw it in. >> i love the make-ahead. it sounds very good. i like the orange zest. >> okay. so this is your favorite food? >> this is my favorite food. i just have some eggs, some heavy cream, a little bit of vanilla, a little bit of cinnamon. the boys really like it. and this is just plain old white bread. i like the soaking situation. i like to get it really nice and soaked. i surf this -- >> oh, what's going on here? >> he stole the oil. >> i was wondering where it went. >> what the -- >> katie i have to be honest with you, you set us up with that canola oil. >> share! >> learn to share. >> jeff is spilling it. >> what adds to this is i serve it with i -- >> seem to be a little nicer down there. >> kindness is the word of the day. >> properly soaked i serve it with a fried egg and bacon done in the oven. because everything is better with bacon and i just want to --

>> loves her bacon. >> is that allowed? is bacon allowed or is that cheating? >> not really. >> everything is better with bacon. but it is not for eating. >> savory and sweet. >> absolutely. >> boy, that is some -- thick french toast. >> my inspiration is a little place called jane down on hampton street, they do a really, really thick french toast. that's something that i always really, really love. i went with vanilla extract. i actually have, in there as well. >> vanilla bean. >> kind of along the lines of what erica had, grand marnier, also some orange zest. so you know, cooking -- >> you're going big or going home. that is large. >> i need to make up some ground. i'm well behind in this competition right now. >> did you soak it long enough? >> yes, i think so. >> i see that you did bring back whipped cream even after yesterday. >> it's just there for some reason. it's not going to be used because it was so successful yesterday.

>> don't flip those yet. >> i'm going to go back and forth. >> you think that's a good idea? >> it doesn't sound like it. >> you want to let it get a nice browning on there. you've already flipped it once. it's okay. i'll wait to judge till the end. >> don't you worry. >> i'm going to go check on jeff again. >> everybody is doubting me. >> he was nervous. >> how long do i need to cook the apples. >> oh, boy. >> i just brown them a little bit? >> i think they need a few minutes and i also think maybe you need a couple more on there. don't be skimpy with them. i like a lot of food here. and what about your nuts? are you going to toast those? >> well, i -- >> i tell you what. >> take two. >> walnuts. >> you tell me. you take the lead. i -- >> i always get myself in trouble. >> you do. >> listen, the beauty of live television. >> katie how is this looking? >> fabulous. i like that. it looks nice and brown. not overcooked, but not undercooked.

so very good. now, see you also have some of those oranges peeled. are you going to do something with those? >> that may be part of my secret reveal in the garnish afterward. >> the secret reveal? >> i don't know if i should give too much away. chris is already using my grand marnier. i don't want him to use my garnish as well. >> we'll be right back. we've got to sort this out. we'll be right back to see who gets the best score. this is "the early show" here on cbs. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

we're back now with our battle for breakfast. it is a huge series. it is sweeping the nation. katie lee cannot get enough of this french toast. >> well. >> that much we know. after three days, though, let's give you a quick check of the leader board. marysol leading the way with 8 points, erica in second place

with 7. jeff right on her tail at 6 and i am way behind with 5 right now. but hopefully that's about to change. we'll see because we have finished our french toast which was marysol's favorite comfort dish here on this challenge and our celebrity chef, katie lee. >> i've got to tell you i'm a little nervous. because unlike the other judges i have to come back and see you guys next week and the week after and i have a feeling i'm going to be hearing about this for a long time. >> you might come back to see us. >> oh! >> oh! >> really rough. okay. so. >> we love you. >> good thing you already sent in her score before she said that. we have a little taste of all of these. i have to tell you during the break i tried all of them and they're really, really good. so this is really difficult for me. >> what is -- >> it's a sour cream and cream cheese little mixture on the side. >> oh. >> goes really well. >> look at you. >> not my idea. it's a good one. >> it's really good. jeff i'm going to have to tell you you get a 4. >> very nice! very nice.

>> look at that smile. >> good job. >> that's a good job. >> and your mother-in-law likes it a lot. >> we can can have her over for christmas. >> it was great. i like all these so much i just want to keep eating them. >> i feel like we all did really well this morning. >> i love the orange, the grand marnier is really coming through. it's really, really nice, erica. i'm going to give you a 3, though. >> hmm. god! build me up and then just hack away my legs. >> wow. >> because i think that it maybe needs a little bit of something extra to take you to the next level. >> i think my downfall is the fact that i'm a less is more kind of girl. >> sorry, erica. >> okay. >> sometimes less is more. >> all right. >> all right. >> let's try this. >> i love the egg -- >> it's a fried egg with the bacon. the egg and the syrup is always a good combo. >> i think this is a case where less is more. and i'm going to give you a 3.

it's really, really good but the egg took away for me. it wasn't quite salty enough. >> oh, my goodness. >> i am -- >> it's really good. >> okay. >> are you trying to entice her by feeding the judge? i'll do all the work for you. >> i can't really taste your grand marnier but it tastes really, really good. i like that it's nice and big and fluffy and yummy. i'm going to give you a 3, too. >> oh. >> jeff glor you won today! >> jeff is the clear winner today. >> first time ever. >> really, really good. >> everybody's were great and i would tell everyone at home to make these recipes because i think they're phenomenal. you did a really good job. >> in a few minutes these are going to be gone. >> we will polish them off. >> and in my opinion you're definitely -- >> can i ask you a question because you were giving us all tips and we're going to give information on the win scythe for people that are perhaps intrigued by what we made here, when you say it needs a little

something more. what does it need if we don't want to overdo it? >> well i think maybe like something like jeff's sour cream/cream cheese mixture. or if you did like a sandwich. >> well, i was going to say, you take my french toast but you didn't help yourself to the bacon. >> i did try the bacon. >> you can't revise the scores. >> marysol. take a look at the leaderboard one more time as we go in to our final day of competition. mare toll leading the way with 11 points. erica and jeff running a very close send, 10 points each. i am out of this thing. katie thank you very much for helping out. we'll see you 2014. see new four years. very nice. tomorrow's grand finale of "the early show" kickoff features my breakfast favorite and that segs. now, sadly, you just saw the leader board. >> who says you can't make it? five. >> we could all bomb. >> you could also pay op -- >> i'm glad i didn't have to judge the egg day. >> it is interesting, because

the judge we have for the egg contest is spike mendelsohn who was here for the cook-off to give chris the edge he needed to take the trophy. >> i'm just saying it's interesting choice. >> a long series of awkward moments. we'll see what we can do with eggs tomorrow. good job today, jeff. a well-fought battle you did a wonderful job. we hope the people at home have some new ideas for french toast now that they didn't have before. grand marnier works for us, didn't work for katie. >> no, it worked on erica's. >> thank you for clarifying, katie. >> that, all. >> thanks for being with us this morning. we'll see you tomorrow. your local news is next. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

it's 8:55. time for news headlines from cbs 5. i'm frank mallicoat. police are investigating a murder at this hour at san jose. it happened around 5:30 this morning. officers say a woman was stabbed on story and south king roads. she was pronounced dead at the hospital. at this hour, no suspects in that case. pg&e has been putting off gas line inspections for more than two years. a new state audit shows the utility started dragging its feet after that san bruno pipeline explosion. the utility has been faulted for its methods of spotty welding flaws. san mateo county is warning people to keep an eye out for two mountain lions, spotted yesterday in woodside near the west entrance of canada college. neighbors are advised to avoid hiking or jogging at dusk or dawn when mountains are most

active. keep an eye out. traffic and weather coming right up. stay with us. i love america, i love my pet bald eagle brock, my bison sara, i love my pick the custom constitution paint job... i celebrate jury duty... i love america so much, i'm making an all american jack combo two jumbo patties, with melting cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickles, plus fries and a drink for only $4.99. i've celebrated every american tradition...except one... spring break cancun yo!!!!!!!! try the all american jack and enter to win

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101 between 3rd towards interstate 80. sluggish to the tunnel due to police activity. a right lane on the upper deck is blocked, backing up the bay bridge toll plaza, still backed up into the macarthur maze. heading down towards whipple northbound 880 at whipple, we have a couple of lanes blocked. really heavy traffic in those northbound and southbound lanes of 880. 880 past the coliseum, not looking too good in those northbound lanes all the way up towards downtown oakland. that's your traffic. for your forecast, here's lawrence. >> all right, we're looking at some great weather around the bay area today. more sunshine and looks like nice conditions all the way to the coastline. but it's chilly in spots out the door, but this afternoon no jacket required. freezing now right now in santa rosa. 32. 37 in napa. 37 livermore. by the afternoon, here come the

60s again with abundant sunshine. rain returns on monday. ,,,,,,