good morning. breaking news. rebels in eastern libya have taken crop of a strategic oil town, but despite eight days of bombing the u.s. says military ground forces loyal to president gadhafi still pose a significant threat. on monday, president obama will address the nation on the libyan crisis. disaster in japan. japan's prime minister describes the situation as grave and serious, after another dangerous radiation leak is found at the crippled fukushima nuclear power plant. u.s. navy barges are bringing fresh water to try to head off a meltdown "early" this saturday fresh water to try to head off a meltdown "early" this saturday morning, march 26th, 2011. captioning funded by cbs

welcome to a gorgeous spring morning in new york city. 20-something degrees. but who cares, it looks nice. >> that's a beautiful picture, russ. >> welcome to "the early show," i'm russ mitchell. >> and i'm rebecca jarvis. we begin with the latest on the battle for libya. rebels have recaptured the key eastern city of ajdabiya. nato takes control of some of the u.s.-led operation in libya in a matter of days, and president obama will address the nation on monday night to explain u.s. involvement in libya. we begin our coverage with cbs news correspondent mandy clark, who is in ajdabiya this morning. mandy, good to see you. >> good morning. well, the streets of ajdabiya are relatively quiet at the moment. but it was a different scene earlier this morning, when rebels first took the city. rebel fighters and residents in the city are celebrating their

victory. allied bombings of pro-gadhafi tanks and ar tillys that controlled the east and west states of ajdabiya helped break the stalemate. the opposition says it's worried about what they'll find in the city that has been under constant shelling, and had electricity and water supplies cut off. in the west of the country, the cities of misrata have been under constant attacks. mortar shells and rocket-propelled grenades have pounded the city. the situation for civilians there is grave, though aid supplies have reached misrata. for days the rebels have been asking for heavier weapons. and say without even more air strikes, they can't hold off gadhafi's regime. -- operations to last up to three months. but they believe that gadhafi's command over his army is diminishing.

the latest reports we're hearing is that pro-gadhafi forces have pulled back around 50 miles to brega, another strategic spot on the coastal road to tripoli. >> mandy clark in libya, thank you. thank you, rebecca. as you've mentioned, president obama will address the nation monday night. to explain his decision to use military force in libya. mr. obama has been criticized by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for not cutting congress. they also accuse the president of not being clear about america's role. cbs news correspondent whit johnson is live from the white house with more. whit, first of all, the president spoke with democratic and republican congressional leaders yesterday, yet he apparently is still feeling the heat. why? >> russ, yeah, he may have eased some frustration but many of these lawmakers feel they've been left out of the loop in all of this. a bigger concern, even after this conference call, is that these critics are saying that the administration has not clearly defined the u.s. mission in libya. even after that conference call. and so, they're saying that there's a disconnect between the

u.n. resolution, the nato -- the now nato-controlled no-fly zone and the u.s. administration's policy that gadhafi has to go. >> the white house announced this speech to the nation late yesterday afternoon. what can we expect to hear from the president? >> well, russ, president obama is going to have to sell this to the american people, who are already engaged in two wars. and he'll likely start with the fact that nato has now assumed control of this operation. but he's going to have to explain exactly what that means. as far as the u.s. role in that. and define how far the u.s. is willing to go to get rid of moammar gadhafi. what happens if the fighting stops, and there's a stalemate and gadhafi stays in power? these are questions the administration hasn't answered yet. >> a delicate dance for the white house certainly. the president is making this address, interestingly enough, from the national defense university. from what you're hearing, is the white house prepared to call this a war? >> russ, when asked directly, the white house specifically is not calling this a war. and they're doing that very

strategically. when you ask them what this is, they describe it as a short-term, limited engagement, military engagement, with no prospect of american troops being on the ground in libya. and now, with the u.s. in a support and assist role, the world war is one that the administration does not want to use any time soon in describing the u.s. engagement in libya. >> cbs' whit johnson at the white house. thanks a lot, whit. now here's rebecca. >> russ, thank you. joining us now to discuss the rebel advances in libya is cbs news military consultant retired colonel jeff mccause lynn. thank you for joining us this morning. i want to begin with that breaking news this morning that the rebels have taken ajdabiya. on the road to tripoli, how significant is this? and how significant is it to getting a rebel stronghold and victory here? >> well, ajdabiya is critical. first of all, it's a reverse. the rebels have been losing, now they have retaken a city. a major intersection of a road network that cuts across northern libya in the direction of ee jiptd. and of course, again, a major

road network on the direction back towards tripoli, and certain other cities of libya. >> there's still a ways to go, however, to get to tripoli. what does this say about the rebel momentum here? >> well, things are gaining some momentum. but it's still about 400 to 500 miles across the desert. they've got to galvanize their combat power if, in fact, they're going to be successful in securing control of the country. >> mandy clark's reporting she talked about the fact that rebels are telling her that they still need more artillery. they still need that nato oversight. what does that say to you about how much farther these forces have to go in terms of getting their country back from gadhafi? >> it's going to be very, very difficult for them. first of all, of course, we have nato putting in the no-fly zone and hitting targets outside of ajdabiya over here in ms. raut to. the question is going to be, as they galvanize their combat power, will nato support that effort? it would seem to be outside the mandate of the u.n. security council resolution. >> so what's it going to take for them to overtake tripoli?

>> it's going to take several things. first of all they've got to galvanize that combat power to push to the west. they've got to coordinate their efforts with rebels in misrata, about 500 miles. they've got to take control of this city. this is the city of surt, gadhafi's hometown. they're going to be hopeful that nato is going to support that effort. they're also going to be hopeful to see residents in tripoli rise up as they did a week or so gag ago, and finally, of course, i think they're going to hold a combination of their efforts and nato's air efforts to undermine support in the army and see more defections to the rebels. >> nato has talked about a three-month time line here. do you think that's realistic? >> it certainly could be. because there's a number of different outcomes. one, of course, gadhafi could depart the country. second of all, there could be some kind of a negotiated settlement between gadhafi and the rebels. that would seem problematical based on how much blood was spilled. we could see nato saying we're going to protect civilians here and draw a line in the sand at ajdabiya which could result in separation of the country into

two different parts, perhaps a new country of benghazi or east libya then being formed. >> what does that look like, then, if there are these two separate countries in the future, what does that look like and what will nato's role be in enforcing it? >> it will be very messy. we could see nato having to role perhaps for a peacekeeping mission. nato perhaps brokering some kind of political negotiations between gadhafi and these forces, if he is able to stay in power. but the real question will be what is that end mistake going to be? how much time it's going to take. i think this point it's pretty unclear. >> what do you ultimately -- you say it's unclear now. ultimately what end game do you think everyone, the nato, the united states, can live with at this point? and what would make them most happy? >> well, obviously make it most happy is have gadhafi leave. the president has said that. mrs. clinton has said that. they've backed off from that in the last week or so, because within that u.n. security council resolution, it doesn't call for regime change. it calls for protecting civilians in a no-fly zone. but that would obviously be the

best end. i think people in the united states would be disappointed if this came to a conclusion that gadhafi was still in power. >> colonel, thank you for joining us this morning. now over to russ. >> thank you, rebecca. now let's get the latest on the disaster in japan. the stainless steel chamber around one of the reactors at the crippled nuclear plant may have been breached. radioactivity is rising in some of the plant units due to contaminated water. u.s. naval barges are headed to japan with fresh water to replace corrosive sea water used to cool damaged reactors. cbs correspondent lucy craft joins us on the phone from the fukushima state in northeastern japan close to the disaster area. what's the latest? >> good morning. we're here in fukushima prefecture, the location of the damaged plant. right now where i'm standing radiation levels are about 2 millisieverts. that's ten times the amount you'd receive in an x-ray. closer to the plant radiation levels have been fluctuating as the struggle to stabilize the plant continues. the latest threat at the fukushima number 1 nuclear plant, a food of radioactive

water. efforts to bring the plant under control have been sidelined as workers fight to bail out three of the plant's six reactors. three workers have been burned at reactor number 3, by radiation levels that have spiked 10,000 times normal. the current situation is that we're preventing it from worsening. but chief cabinet secretary yukio edano on saturday, a spokesman for the utility operator tokyo electric power says no one is sure where the radioactive water is coming from. but they haven't had a chance to check the structural integrity of the building since the quake. if there is a crack in the buildi over 100,000 residents in the outer ring of

the nuclear danger zone to evacuate. japan says it's stepping up checks of radiation and sea water. despite official assurances that damage is limited to the zone around the plant, contamination fears could hurt japanese seafood exports. russ? >> lucy craft in the fukushima district of japan. we'll talk to you later. professor matthew bunn, a nuclear expert at john f. kennedy school of government joins us from massachusetts. >> good morning. >> what is the biggest danger right now? what is going on at the plant? the instability there, or the radiation that has already got out and leaking to the food and water supply? >> well, we actually are making some progress. they've hooked up the electricity. they are switching over from the sea water to the fresh water. but we're definitely not out of the woods yet. and unfortunately, we may not be out of the woods for weeks to come. we just don't know a lot of what we would like to know. we don't know how much radiation has been released. we don't know how damaged the fuel is in these cores. we don't know for sure whether

these steel pressure vessels around the cores have breached. there's a lot yet to this story to play out. >> in foods and in water there's been contaminated spinach, milk and in tap water. do you think what we're seeing this morning will pose even a greater threat to the food t(ly? >> i don't think if no more radiation is released that we'll see much more threat to the food supply. and i think what we've seen so far provokes a lot of fear, but not a lot of fatalities. i think, if there's a much larger future release of radiation, which still can't completely be ruled out, then we would have a major problem. but so far, the levels of contamination we've seen don't pose a huge health threat. >> the fear factor, as you mentioned, is pretty high. on these shores do you think we're going to see more restrictions on japanese food coming into this country? >> well, the reality is, we don't import a whole lot of japanese food in this country. there is seafood, of course. but in general, japan is a very high-cost place to grow food, and most of their food is

consumed within japan. i do think you'll see a number of countries saying, let's hold off for the time being on food imported from japan. >> there are also people thinking about the possibility of radiation making it to these shores, to the united states. should they be concerned at this point? >> no. there's no significant threat to the united states from the radiation from this area. and, in fact, i would argue the people in the united states who are buying iodine pills ought to save them for the people in japan. the people in japan need them. >> japan is increasing, quietly increasing the evacuation zone around the plant, i believe it was 12 miles a week ago, now it's 18 miles. do you think tepco, and the japanese government, have been forthcoming with the japanese people, talking about the dangers, what's going on there? >> well, i think the reality is that people really haven't known what the status of these plants was, and what was going to happen next. and experts are often in a crisis like this overconfident because of their expertise.

they're in uncharted territory, but they think they know what's going on. so now, i think it is wise to evacuate this broader area. but i think the real lesson here for the rest of the world is that all countries that operate these kinds of facilities need an independent international team to come in and review whether their reactors are ready for this kind of one-two punch that could come either from an accident, or from a terrorist attack. and frankly, we're much less well-prepared around the world, especially outside the united states, for a terrorist attack, than we are for these kind of safety issues. >> tepco, being the utility company that manages the nuclear plant. >> yes. >> finally, sir, how much longer in your mind do you think this will go on? >> unfortunately, we don't know the answer to that question, either. we don't know how -- all the pipes, pumps and valves they need to get this cooling working again are. but a lot of estimates coming

out of japan today suggest weeks yet before this crisis is over. >> okay. professor matthew bunn joining us from newton, massachusetts. as always, we appreciate your insight. >> thank you very much. take care. >> now here's rebecca. >> russ, thank you. the presidential election is still 19 months away. but you wouldn't be able to tell that by what's going on in the vital caucus state of iowa this weekend. at least six potential republican contenders are there, and they're trying to build support for the 2012 campaign, and joining us to analyze the political landscape is former republican national committee chairman michael field in our washington bureau. great to have you with us this morning. >> good to be with you. good morning. >> this week, you've seen from a number of republicans from senator mccain, to speaker boehner, criticism of president obama about his handling of libya. is that going to be the main focal point this weekend in des moines? >> i think it's going toish one of the major topics, yeah. you know, we're now in the precipice of a third war in the middle east that the president who said he didn't want to do

the war thing. and so here now is an opportunity for republicans to take to task the administration on its middle east policy, and more specifically its policy in libya. and i think you're going to hear that sound bite quite often over the next few days, as republicans who are gearing up for the 2012 caucus in iowa, and the primaries in new hampshire, and elsewhere, are going to really try to hone their message and clearly define themselves. this is going to be an interesting little dance over the next few weeks as we get geared up for the first debate in south carolina in may, as these individuals begin to define their message against the president, and each other. >> and what do you think that message is going to be? >> ah, therein lies the rub. i think for a lot of folks it's going to be certainly a foreign policy, but at the end of the day, it's all going to come back home to the economy. it's going to come back to job creation. republicans' principle argument on wealth creation being in the hands of small business owners,

and not the institutions of government. i think for mcdaniels, who's got a very successful record in his state. he has an opportunity and governors like him will have an opportunity to give a hands-on assessment of how you correct the ills of the economy versus those who've been away from that process for awhile like newt gingrich, who will have to not only talk about it in theory, but talk about it in practice, but that's going to be an interesting dynamic. >> some of the top contenders for the gop that you've talked about, mitt romney, haley barbour, mitch daniels, donald trump, michelle bachman and sarah palin. if the election were going to be held tomorrow, who would stand the greatest chance and who would you put your money on? >> well, that one, i'm not going to step to that. >> do you not know? >> you know, i think the reality there is three of those individuals are going to be the "x" factor right now. certainly sarah palin, governor

palin is a large presence on the scene. but then michelle bachman, who is, a lot of people like to do the throw-away, tea party favorite. she's more than a tea party favorite. i think she translates very well with grassroots, not necessarily honed in to tea party movement, and then, of course, the donald. i think donald trump coming in to this thing, if he decides to really get serious about it, and everything i'm hearing is that he is, he could be a very dynamic presence, which will bring the establishment candidates like a romney or gingrich or others, you know, really kind of a little bit off kilter, i think, at first. and this is why the jockeying now is so important. to get those messages down pat and get a rhythm going. >> i want to make sure we get to this last question, that is the role of the tea party in this election. obviously played a huge role in the midterms. will they play the same role for republicans in 2012? >> absolutely. and i would, you know, just dress it up a little bit. not just republicans here. i sense a lot of my democrat

friends, after the shellacking they got this past november, pay attention to the tea party. there are a lot of democrat activists in the tea party, conservative democrats in the tea party movement, as well. it's not just a republican movement. it is an opportunity for both parties to really galvanize with grassroots activists concerned about the constitution and the economic principles that have defined this country for generations. >> michael steele in washington. thank you, we appreciate you joining us this morning. >> thank you. >> and now for the rest of this morning's headlines we turn to cbs news correspondent and "morning news" anchor betty nguyen who is standing by at the news desk. hey, betty. >> good morning, guys. good morning to you at home. anti-government activists in syria say security forces stormed a demonstration south of damascus overnight and arrested 200 people. now, this comes after days of nationwide protests in one of the most repressive nations in the middle east, that has left hundreds of people dead. this morning, syrian authorities reportedly released 70 political prisoners in an effort to

appease protesters. this country's air traffic controllers have new rules to prevent a repeat of last week's incident outside washington. two airliners landed without controller assistance last week at reagan national airport. repeated calls to the tower went unanswered. the lone controller on duty later admitted that he was asleep at the time. the faa now requires regional radar facilities to alert controllers working alone at night that a plane is approaching. the suspect in the murder of a georgia police officer is in custody, and his hostages are free after a standoff. jamie hood surrendered on live tv last night. he walked out of an athens apartment surrounded by five of the nine adults and children he allegedly held while negotiating with authorities. it ended a four-day manhunt. police say hood killed one officer, and wounded another, on tuesday. an order of jesuit priests in the pacific northwest has agreed to a multimillion dollar

settlement in a sexual abuse case involving hundreds of victims. the oregon province of the society of jesus will pay more than $166 million to more than 450 american indians and alaska natives. the abuse started in the 1940s, and continued into the '90s at indian boarding schools. it is the largest abuse settlement by a catholic religious order. and finally, someone is waking up a whole lot richer this morning. there was one winning ticket in last night's mega millions drawing, worth $312 million, and it was sold in new york. the winning numbers are, 22, 24, 31, 52, 54, and the mega ball, number 4. that's a whole lot of money. obviously i didn't win. 21 minutes after the hour. whoever won, good luck to you, congratulations. here's russ and rebecca. apparently you guys didn't win, either. >> i know at least four people in new york city who didn't win. >> we're all mourning the fact

none of us bought a ticket so we didn't convenient a shot at it. >> oh, well. maybe next time. lonnie quinn. you know, we win every time, lonnie. on vacation last week. he's back. >> nice seeing you guys. i was fine up until the mega ball number. let's get right to your weather headlines. this is what i've got for you. winter is hanging on in the northeast. i'm talking about anywhere north of delaware today, you're starting off with temperatures below freezing. there will be more precipitation out west. and that's going to be a lot of precipitation. tennessee valley gets stormy. now if you take a look at the satellite and radar picture. here are the storms that will be firing up around the tennessee valley. and those could become severe later on. this is your big story, though, out west. we have a big storm pushing onshore. going to be a lot of rain along the coast and the valleys. but in the mountain regions we're going to be measuring snow not with a ruler but with a yardsting. one to two feet of snow, if not three feet of snow on some of the higher peaks.

wherever you are, you make it a great day today. russ, rebecca, it's all yours. >> thank you. coming up the latest on american amanda knox, serving a 26-year sentence in italy for murder. could a new review of dna evidence set her free? we're going to have the latest on her appeal. >> and later l.l. bean is shaking things up by offering free shipping from now on. will this change the way retailers, online retailers, do business? find out what it for you. coming up, you're watching "the early show" on cbs. ,,,,,,

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$312 million up for grabs last night. >> and i didn't buy a ticket. what was i thinking. >> one person won it? >> yes. someone in albany. >> here in new york. one person. there are the numbers. >> my wife bought tickets last night. for the first time she let me pick the numbers. i'm sure i'm going to hear about this when i get home later. >> you always pick the same numbers, russ? >> i never pick. i just do random. it's your lucky day, pick the numbers. and it wasn't my lucky day. >> you know, a quick pick. what are the odds? >> who knows. >> astronomical. >> i've never bought a lottery ticket in my life. >> never? >> never. >> we had a cool at the cbs newsroom and apparently there were 40 or 50 people who got in

on it, everybody put in five bucks or something like that, and with all the people, they won $7. >> oh, well. >> so everyone could have a little piece of candy out of it? >> as the ad says, you can't win if you don't play. >> that's right. >> i'm okay. >> you could change your mind. this person in albany, apparently had the option, he or she, $312 million taken over 25 years. >> nope, lump sum. >> you taking the lump sum? >> i'm taking it. >> you get a pretty big tax hit. >> i like that, betty. >> what do you do? >> you absolutely do what betty says to do. absolutely. >> really? >> what everybody says -- whatever she says, do it. >> be careful now. >> but i like the idea of investing it in a business. create some jobs with that money. >> why not? put it back into the economy. >> not a problem we have to worry about. >> that's right. >> lots and lots of lotteries.

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look at how gorgeous that is. the cherry blossoms in washington, d.c. >> yes, it's cherry blossom festival begins today, and continues through next weekend. you ever had a chance to go to that? >> i always mean to and i never get a chance to. you've been. >> it is beautiful. >> it is beautiful. i'm glad we get to see it here on our tv screen. welcome back to "the early show," i'm rebecca jarvis. >> and i'm russ mitchell. l.l. bean has decided to offer free shipping for all orders from now on. plus a host of other perks. we'll tell you why this is such a game changer for online retail stores and what it could mean for you. >> and then later we're going to be talking about painkilling foods. we'll tell you what you have in your kitchen that can help fight cancer, it can ease your aches,

pains, cure cramps, and even rejuvenate your skin. but first we begin with a hearing in italy this morning, in the appeal of 23-year-old american amanda knox, who was convicted of murdering her college roommate in perugia, italy, in 2007. questions about a key witness and new developments on the forensic evidence may help overturn her murder conviction. cbs news correspondent allen pizzey joins us from london with the latest. good morning, allen. >> good morning, rebecca. well, the phrase, having your day in court, may have meant more to amanda knox today than it has at any other time because it represents the start of her defense team's best chance to take apart the evidence that convicted her. that meant today's arrival in court the most hopeful yet for the now 23-year-old student from seattle, since she and her former boyfriend raffaele sollecito were jailed for 26 and 25 years respectively. leaked documents indicate that two independent forensic experts will say that traces of knox's dna on a 12-inch kitchen five, and sollecito's on a bra clasp

found at the scene, were too small, and too contaminated, to be admissible as evidence. the bra clasp belonged to victim meredith kercher, who was found with her throat cut in a cottage she shared with knox. the expert re-examinations were part of an independent review of evidence granted by an appeal court judge earlier this year. >> today, then we'll know for sure how this whole thing pans out. >> reporter: testimony by a homeless self-confessed heroin user that he saw the two of them lingering near the scene of the crime on the night it happened is being disputed by defense witnesses. and seemed to contradict his own testimony. the vague rant based his timing on buses he said were passing. but bus company witnesses said there were none running that night because it was a public holiday in italy. in another development, knox is said to be upset and her family disgusted at the portrayal of the crime in a made-for-tv movie that has just been released starring knox look alike hayden pan terry.

the family tried unsuccessfully to have the movie blocked. the next court hearing is may 21st, when the evidence from the independent forensic experts will be presented. until then knox and sollecito will be back in jail, where they spent the last three years. rebecca? >> cbs' allen pizzey in london. thank you. and joining us now for a closer look at these new developments, criminologist casey jordan. great to have you with us. >> good morning. >> how significant is this independent forensic evidence? can it make the case for her innocence, her not guilt? >> for amanda, this is huge. her family has been fighting so hard for two years, been supporting. what their greatest enemy has been is a lot of misinformation in the press, this made for tv lifetime movie. everyone just assumes she's guilty. and hasn't really stopped to look at the evidence. which, in fact, is very weak. this independent panel of experts is coming back with a lot of findings that are contrary to everything that should have convicted her in the first place. >> it's interesting, you bring up the point how outspoken her parents have been throughout this process, and they said, if we were to look closer at the

forensic evidence we would see that she was not at the scene of the crime. now that this information is out there, now that the independent forensic tests have been done, we're not hearing from her parents. why do you think that might be? >> i think they're being very, very strategic and clever. because, the italian judicial system has smacked them, they smacked amanda, for libel and slander. every time they criticize the judicial system, they seem to be the subject of retaliation. now that they're stepping back, keeping quiet, allowing the system to save face, perhaps admit they did some things wrong, perhaps amanda was overprosecuted by this zealous prosecutor, who had this crazy theory of the satanic ritual. which is not supported by the forensic evidence. step back, let the system work. save face. don't criticize it. and perhaps amanda might eventually be set free. >> you talk about some of the issues with the system that did convict amanda knox. one of those issues has been this bra in question, where the

clasp is actually rusted. >> right. >> how does something like that even happen, when you have an ongoing trial? >> well i read that i was literally horrified. how could it have rusted? you always have to dry dna, very specific techniques, store it properly, chain of custody. it apparently was stored in a jar of liquid, formaldehyde, water, i don't know. but that is not proper starage of dna. whatever dna they originally claimed was on that clasp would be completely gone and degenerated if it was stored in liquid. the bottom line is, you've got something which has been destroyed by improper handling and it raises questions, how much else of the other evidence, of the other dna, was improperly handled and improperly stored or maybe just fabricated to start with. >> that said, what will it take for amanda knox to win this appeal? >> a mixture of patience, allowing the system to save face, and grind away, one day a week for the next few months, until they get to the point where findings of the independent investigators, which show that so much of that evidence was completely

inconclusive, there's not enough of it to retest. let the system work. let it save face, and they may step back and amanda and raffaele may walk free in may. >> in may you say. so it could actually be as soon as may, if this evidence is admitted in may at the end of may, as allen pizzey reported, we may actually have a verdict and a decision that soon? >> yes. it's a little bit different. in the united states, her verdict would be overturned, she'd be going back for another trial. in the italian system, if the judge, and i believe a jury of six people, agree that the evidence was inconclusive and that she was wrongfully convicted, her verdict will be overturned and she will be free. >> casey jordan, thank you for joining us. >> great to be here. >> and now here's lonnie with another check of the weather. >> good morning to you, rebecca. good morning, everybody. let's get right to the weather headlines. keep in mind, it is the first full spring weekend of the year. but, i mean, come on. philadelphia has low temp tums today in the 20s. look at the dakotas. you'll be picking up a few inches of snow. and for the sierras, it's not a

few inches of snow, we're talking about a few feet of show. now, if you want to find some place in the good old u.s. of a. that's got a little bit of a warmer feel, you want to focus your attention right around here. it's the gulf coast states. why? right about there, there's this big, strong high pressure system that is in control, high pressure, that just means nice, sunny skies out there. but it also, because of the circulation of air around that high, pulls in a nice, warm, southerly breeze. so san antonio, 85 with the sunshine. new orleans, 81. new orleans with the sunshine, as well. tampa, 84. you get the sunshine. i'm talking about some of the best weather in the country right there. a quick peek of a little old portion of our country.

all right, everybody, rain, shine, whatever the day is doing in your area, you make it a great day. russ, let's go over to you. >> good advice, lonnie. up next, l.l. bean is waiving all shipping fees from now on. will other online starr stores follow suit? you're watching "the early show" on cbs. is an 8.4-inch touch screen that lets you control the stereo volume, radio tuning, climate controls, turn-by-turn navigation, and bluetooth activation -- technology inside technology controlling more technology. welcome to the future. now lease the new 2011 dodge journey mainstreet for $299 a month for well-qualified lessees.

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online retailer l.l. bean is upping the ante when it comes to free shipping. waiving all shipping fees from now on with no minimum order. will other online retailers do the same? and what other perks are being offered to get your business. joining us is our "moneywatch" personal finance expert carmen wong ulrich. >> good morning. >> is this a big deal? >> you know, it is. because so few sites actually do this. so it's a big discount. a lot of this has to do with customer service. i mean, the best at customer service because really, you go to these sites and see that you're only spending $30 and shipping is $8.95 you're a lot less likely to actually buy. >> any other websites offering these deals? >> l.l. bean is free shipping for everything for two to five

days delivery. zappos is the other big one that's always offered free shipping. this is because they're all about customer service. it's about getting you to actually check out and buy what's there. and also, they're not deep discount sites. zappos and l.l. bean are not knowing for having 80% off so they have to make it about that customer service experience. >> is this something they're just doing now? or will we see this from now on? the holidays come up, a lot of people are shipping things. >> this past holiday about 45% to 50% of sites offered free shipping. the holiday before that, that was around 30%. i think every holiday season this becomes more and more popular. for example amazon, the huge behemoth of online shopping. they have a membership program, $79 you pay, and you get free shipping throughout the year. that only makes sense, of course, if you shop often. >> right, amazon prime we're talking about. >> exactly. the amazon prime program. >> do you think these types of programs have helped zappos -- >> yeah. >> has it helped zappos a lot? >> i think it has. because, again, if you're not going to be able to offer the deep discounts like bluefly you

have to offer something else. the barriers to online shopping for people are, if i can walk down the street and go to the star why would i pay for shipping? and customer service, if i can't try it on ahead of time, what can you give me so they have great customer service. you can return things with lots of ease and you don't have to pay for that. >> you've got to wonder if other companies are saying we should do the same. can we economically afford to do it? >> it's not a huge profit margin for folks but shipping is very expensive. here's what you can do for most all the other sites out there, go to sites like retail me not and freeshipping.org and look for free shipping coupon codes. it will spay free shipping spring 11 and it gets you that free shipping. so you can shop at dozens of websites and get free shipping at least for that one purchase. >> even if you don't see it on a particular website you can go to those? >> that's right. >> other online trends? >> a couple big ones. social networks. let's say you friend a big retailer like target on facebook or on twitter and you go to their twitter feed. they will give you, and just you, a certain discount like 10%

off this week. or 20% off through the season. and that's really important, because they won't offer that discount to anyone else. now another one which some folks don't like as much, google has been doing this and facebook just announced this yesterday, what they're doing with their customers is realtime promotions. they actually, computer actually reads what you type and looks for key w0rds. >> oh, my goodness. >> i send an e-mail toll my friend saying i'm looking for a new pair of jeans, in the ad box will pop up instantly an ad for gap. so -- >> that's creepy. >> some find it a little creepy. what they're trying to do, advertisers are trying to hone in on what you're looking for, because it increases the odds and the chances that you're going to actually click and shop through. >> ask you, why would i go to target, you just answered the question. >> if it's money in the target. >> that's true. let's look down the road, in the crystal ball, carmen, what do you see down the road? >> what i see is that this is going to be kind of a battle between the customer service, and the free shipping. you know, research has shown that when a lot of folks go to online shop, once they get to

that checkout box and they see it's going to cost them $8 to ship, they cancel the order. the majority of people do that. so if you can eliminate that barrier, well you're going to actually get that business. so whatever they lose to that free shipping and paying for that, they really make up in sales. >> you type in the name of a company -- >> this happens on facebook, too. they monitor their chat. it's interesting. >> okay, all right. and you can save even more by picking the right day to shop online. visit our businesser is website cbsmoneywatch.com for tips on when to schedule your online shopping. carmen, as always, thanks a lot. >> thank you so much. >> see you next time. >> up next some great ways to ease those aches and pains and even fight cancer. right in your kitchen. this is "the early show" on cbs. [ male announcer ] springtime belongs to the doers. those of us who know grass doesn't turn green just because the calendar says to. and that a big difference can grow from a small budget. for those of us with grass on our sneakers... dirt on our jeans... and a lawn that's as healthy as our savings...

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interesting to me because some of the stuff is for those normal everyday aches and pains, but some ot it is also even more serious conditions may be useful, and i want to begin with the rosemary. >> well, rosemary has therapeutic oils. so you can actually make a muscle rub, and rub it into sore muscles, just sea salt, the chopped rosemary and some rosemary oil, and just rub it on shower it off and it really is great for after a workout, or any time you're sore. >> what is it about rosemary that's helping aid your muscles? >> it has anti-inflammatories. so it actually -- the oils seep into your skin, and just help to relieve those sore muscles. >> if you were to eat it, instead of scrub it on your body, is it going to have a similar effect? >> no. but it has other properties. you can use it in a marinade and help to cut down on the carcinogenic agents that form when you grow food. >> and it smells great. so that's why sometimes maybe people put rosemary on grilled food? >> exactly. >> ginger is another thing that

can be very useful, in particular maybe for your stomach. >> yes. absolutely. so it actually neutralizes the stomach acids, and gas that can form when you have stomach cramps. so it actually works just as well as ibuprofen studies show. >> hmm. >> great for nausea, as well, which i've been use ago lot since i'm expecting. >> congratulations, by the way. >> thank you. so actually what's recommended is to drink either flat ginger ale or ginger beer. >> okay. >> and that works really, really well. actually works as well as over-the-counter motion sickness meds. >> very interesting. so you don't necessarily want to eat the ginger with a bunch of other things that are already going to upset your stomach like garlic and onions. >> exactly. stick to just the ginger. candied ginger is also good. >> cilantro. i don't know if we have enough here this morning. >> i'm not sure. you always have to pick it up to make sure that it's cilantro and not parsley. this is definitely cilantro. this is great for reducing swelling. it's also a wonderful anti-inflammatory, and what we made here is just a little concoction with al low vera gel

and chopped cilantro. say you're out running, you sprain your ankle, you have a little bit of swelling. rub this on, leave it on for 30 minutes, it actually really helps bring the swelling down. >> really? it's going to bring the swelling down. any other things you could do with it like if you eat it? >> you can make a marinade with this, as well, and it will work as an anti-bacterial and cut down on salmonella and other bacteria. >> honey. honey is always great for grilling season. honey is something i always have as a go-to when i'm cold or a cough or whatever. >> well, you're right to do that. it does help to thin the mucous in your throat. it also helps as a barrier, so a couple of teaspoons before bed, if you're waking up with a hacking cough, which i know a lot of people still have end of winter colds right now, so it's perfect for that. it also helps to heal cuts and scrapes. >> oh, so you could actually apply it to your skin. >> mm-hmm. >> okay and you want to put something that's anti-bacterial on there as well or is this something you could use on its own? >> you could use it on its own.

just make sure that you don't put like a angora sweater on top. >> lastly nutmeg. >> this is something i wish i knew about about a year ago. because you can use nutmeg oil to relieve tooth pain. so you can actually even use it on infants. >> really? you would rub it on your tooth. >> rub it on the gums, anywhere that you have swelling and it helps to bring the pain and the swelling down. and then you can also use it to zap zits. so take the ground nutmeg, mix it with whole milk. >> dab it on your face? >> dab it on. >> walk around the house, i'm sure you'll get a lot of interesting looks from your friends and family. >> you may want to rinse it out before you go off on your hot date. >>cefrances, thank you so much. we appreciate you joining us. >> thank you. >> for more tips on how to ease your aches and pains go to our partner in health coverage webmd.com and search for natural pain relief. we'll be right back. this is the early show on cbs. ♪

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powerful, right? v8. what's your number? a fascinating story of a paralyzed mother who won a legal battle this week to see her kids. her kids were born, triplets, back in 2006. during the birth of these triplets she suffered a stroke and became a paraplegic. she and her husband divorced, and for the last five years she's been fighting for the right to have some sort of custody agreement with her husband to see them. she doesn't get to see them. this week, a judge in los angeles gave the okay. she can see them. a lot of people are saying it's still unfair, she should see them more. a lot of questions going on there. going to talk about that in just a bit. >> she can only communicate by blinking her eyes. this issue that she faced during delivery has basically taken away so many of her capabilities. but she has been fighting for this for four years now. and we're going to talk about it coming up shortly. for some of you, your local news is next.

lonnie quinn who is the main weather dude for wcbs-tv. >> the main weather dude. >> of course he can't leave until the 11:00 news is over. but during final four, the 11:00 news often comes on at midnight. what time did you get up -- >> we didn't go on the air last night until, had to be about 12:30. you've got to wait for the games to finish up. >> they were great games. >> how is your bracket? >> oh, my bracket has been destroyed. although i've got to tell you right now of the elite eight, me personally, i want to see butler. >> i do, too. >> i love them. >> butler's in my final two. >> that game last year when butler lost, if that guy had hit that last shot that i would have

been the greatest college basketball game of all time. as it was, it was a great game last year. but butler last year, they weren't right there with the "a" schools as far as the -- >> are you on board with butler? >> i am on board with butler but much as i hate to say this, it's going to be kansas. >> it's going to be kansas? >> you thought that about duke and you've seen what happened to duke. >> that's true. >> number one team in the country was ohio state. and for them to go down. >> anybody's game right now. >> i was going to say the "early" show, sponsored by butler basketball. because we're all on board with butler. i'm only kidding. >> there you go. >> next week, i'm going out to houston. >> oh, right. >> this is going to be great. because you're going to be there when it's the final countdown, when it's the moment of truth for everyone. >> we'll be live next saturday. >> you going to -- >> we've got everything happening. >> game day eats? >> next saturday morning. >> i always like the game -- or the food more than the basketball. that is just me. i mean, i watch the game, but i

like the food that comes with it. ,,,, 3q experience the new limited edition white collection from air wick, a choice of elegant spring fragrances like white lily and orchid, to brighten up your world. add a touch of pure sophistication to your home, with the new limited edition white collection from air wick.

lovely new york city and they're still ice skating there on is it wolman rink? >> wolman rink, exactly. it's beautiful in new york, like 20 degrees. >> but it is spring. welcome back to "the early show," i'm rebecca jarvis. >> and i'm russ mitchell. >> our top story is the battle for libya. rebel forces have recaptured the key eastern city of ajdabiya. people there are celebrating after a week-long siege. and in his weekly radio and internet address president obama says the u.s.-led military campaign to topple moammar good if i is succeeding. and that the u.s. mission in libya is clear. mr. obama will address the nation on monday night about the u.s. role in libya.

cbs news correspondent mandy clark is in ajdabiya with the latest this morning. mandy, good morning. >> good morning, rebecca. well, people are certainly jubilant in ajdabiya. i don't know if you can see, but behind there are rebels on top of a tank which they had captured. now this is a western gate where we're at and it was virtually impenetrable for rebel forces because it was owned by gadhafi forces. until an allied strike hit this western gate and the eastern gate this morning. that allowed rebels to take ajdabiya. and now we're being told that pro-gadhafi forces are now 50 miles down the road to another strategic spot called brega. along the coastal road. however, we also spoke to some civilians in ajdabiya today. they say that pro-gadhafi forces may have kidnapped at least ten families. however, the rebels here say they're going to go all the way

down to brega, all the way to tripoli chasing the gadhafi forces. >> mandy, you're on the ground there. how much momentum do the rebels feel they have behind them at this moment? >> they feel like the momentum, and the war now is back on their side. every rebel we've spoke to saying, thanks obama, thanks the western forces for providing these allied air strikes. because, really, it's those heavy weaponry that's really been stopping their advance. and now they feel like it's more of an equal battle with pro-gadhafi forces. >> mandy clark in libya. thank you. now over to russ. >> thank you, rebecca. let's get the latest on the disaster in japan. one of the reactors at the nuclear power plant may have been breached. and the u.s. navy barges are bringing fresh water to try to cool off the overheated reactor amid fears the salt water used is corrosive. lucy craft joins us on the phone from the fukushima area in

northeast japan near the disaster site. what's the latest? >> good morning. we've had a setback at the fukushima number 1 power plant as the crisis goes into a third week. right now, the hundreds of workers on site are trying to deal with radioactive water, cooling in the reactors, and assessing whether there's a crack. three workers have been injured by high radiation levels in a pool of water. those levels reaching 10,000 times normal. the dousing effort, which releed on sea water up to now is now shifting to fresh water after concerns that sea water was actually heating up the pools for spent fuel rods. the u.s. has shipped in barges carrying fresh water to assist in the effort. as far as humanitarian aid goes, u.s. has launched c-130s carrying 1 million pounds of bottled water to more than a quarter million evacuees still without water in northeastern japan. back to you, russ. >> lucy craft in the fukushima district of japan. now let's get the rest of the headlines with cbs news correspondent and "morning news" anchor betty nguyen at the news

desk. >> good morning, russ and rebecca. good morning to you at home. syrian authorities released some 260 political prisoners, mostly islamists, in an effort to appease the growing demands of anti-government protesters. syria, one of the most repressive dictatorships in the middle east, is in the middle of increasingly violent demonstrations. dozens of people have been killed in protests in the past few weeks. as the u.s. braced for possible fallout from japan's nuclear crisis, it turns out part of the nation's radiation warning system was not totally up and running. four of the eleven stationary monitors in california were offline for repair or maintenance work last week. about 20 monitors out of 124 nationwide were out of service earlier this week. still, experts say dangerous levels of radiation have not reached the u.s. a major step in the fight against melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. the fda has approved an injectable drug that helps small

segment of patients studied live and average four months. it helped them live longer than patients given older medications. now, the drug is made by bristol-myers squibb and is for late-stage melanoma. it is the first new drug approved to treat melanoma since 1998. and finally jessica mcclure morales who will forever be known as baby jessica, turns 25 today. more than two decades ago, jessica, then 18 months old, fell down an abandoned water well. the world held its breath for 2 1/2 days until little jessica was rescued. today's birthday gives jessica now a stay at home mother of two access to an $800,000 trust fund donated by sympathetic strangers back then. five minutes past the hour. here's lonnie quinn with another check of the weather. you remember that story, don't you, lonnie? >> baby jessica? >> yeah, we all were watching. >> of course. i would have been out of college, i would have been a working adult, and i would have been listening to bruce springsteen's born in the usa

album at that point in time. let's talk about the here and the now. all across the country this time of year, you get a big range in temperatures. so the hottest spot, del rio, texas, hits 93 degrees today. coldest spot, cook, minnesota, down to 6 degrees below zero. arizona, sunshine, mid 70s. but watch out, if you push too far to the west you're going to run into a big storm system pushing onshore. if you happen to make a little bit more of a trek to the east you're going to catch the tail end of a cold front, which will be pushing off through the tennessee valleys.

>> this weather segment sponsored by starbucks. you and starbucks. it's bigger than coffee. >> and have a great day, everybody. russ over to you. >> lonnie, thank you very much. lawyers are calling it a milestone for the disabled. after a court battle she fought since her youngsters were born a severely paralyzed woman has won the right to visit with her triplets. terry mccarthy has the story. >> reporter: abby dorn gave birth to triplets almost five years ago but during the delivery excessive bleeding starved her brain of oxygen. today she's paralyzed. her parents say she can communicate by blinking her eyes. a long blink is yes, they claim, a short blink is no. and they say she wants her kids to visit. >> the law is in california that parents are entitled, by laws, to reasonable visitation with their children, unless a parent can show detriment. >> reporter: her ex-husband contends abby is in a vegetative state, and seeing her would be harmful to their children. but now a judge disagrees. awarding abby one week's

visitation with her children every year, a monthly skype call and a shelf in the children's home with photos of her. >> this is an astounding victory. >> reporter: the judge ruled the children need a relationship with their mother. that even if she can't interact with them, the children can interact with her. the ruling does stipulate that the father should be present during the visits, and abby's mother should not. >> he's not opposed to them seeing their mother. he would like to be there. what he's opposed to is the extended family trying to speak for abby. >> reporter: it is a heartwrenching case and lawyers say will set new precedents for the rights of the disabled. terry mccarthy, cbs news, los angeles. >> and joining us now our legal analyst lisa bloom from los angeles. and psychologist and "early" show contributor dr. jennifer hartstein is here in new york. we talk about the legal aspects of this first. as terry just said in his piece, i have to ask you what you think. will this case set a precedent for cases involving the disabled? >> well, legally it does not set a precedent, because this is a

trial court decision, and only appellate level decisions set legal precedent. but i think it does set a precedent in terms of hearts and minds across the country. because we've all followed this case. and if a woman who is this severely paralyzed has the right to have her children present, at least some times, at least under these strict conditions, i think that gives hope to millions of disabled parents. >> it appears the father is still going to fight this. in your mind what are the chances this case will be overturned? >> i think the chances are low. i happen to know judge sheller, i just tried a case in front of him a couple of months ago. he is a very thorough, meticulous, careful judge. very fair to both sides. he obviously considered all aspects of this case in reaching this decision, which in many ways is a compromise. because the father gets a lot of what he wanted, too, in terms of the conditions that are imposed on the visitation. >> from a legals aexpect, lisa, were you surprised at the outcome of this case? >> i wasn't. i think this is the right outcome. biological parents do have a right to have visitation with their children, unless there's a detriment to the children. and millions of children do have

disabled parents and they learn how to cope. in this case, there will be an adult present, the father. he can help the children get through the process. help them understand this is their mother. their mother who loved them very much, and help them understand how to deal with a disabled parent. >> jen, i'll bring you in. we're talking about a disabled mother here. >> right. >> you think a week a year is enough time for her to develop some sort of bond with these kids? >> well, it is that in combination with this monthly skype call. so there is a combination of the two things which will have some contact with them. it's better than nothing. before, you know, it was being with held. it's at least something where they can get to know her, have interaction, and have connection. as they get older they'll be able to choose how much more or less of that they want. >> considering the mom is severely disabled how hard is it going to be for her to develop some sort of bond? >> well, i think the fact is, these kids can play on the floor and she can watch them. there is something there that she's aware of, we know. so she can be, at least present. they can tell her stories. they can talk with her. it will be wonderful for them to have some sort of bond. it can be built.

it's not the same as a traditional parent. but even with her disabilities there can be something there. >> the father's contention was the kids, seeing their mom in this state, would be detrimental to them. it would harm them for the rest of their lives. what do you think? >> well, i think there's a yes and a no to that answer. the yes part of it is that we have to be really mindful that these kids never think that it's their fault. it did happen during childbirth. we have to make sure that they are okay not knowing that they had nothing to do with it. it was not their fault. that could be the part that could be detrimental. the wonderful part of it is they learn how to accept people with disabilities. they learn how to be much more accepting in the world. they learn how to really love people with good and bad parts of them. all of that stuff. so it can really be very helpful and actually make them better, more well-rounded kids at the end of the day. >> lisa, let me go back to you for just a second. you think the judge made his decision in part because of the way the mom was disabled here, having a stroke during childbirth? >> well, that certainly gives her a lot of sympathy. but ultimately i think no. he looks at all of the facts of the case and he decided that this mother has the right to see

her three children, under very narrow, very cautious circumstances. that's the ruling. and i think that's the ruling that's going to be upheld. >> as lisa said, the dad will be in the room. jen, let me ask you, the dad will be in the room when the kids are visiting the mother. what advice, if you were to counsel this father, what advice would you give him? >> i would encourage him to let them have that time with her, and not kind of take it away when they leave. so i think it's really important that they figure out how to have a nontraditional coparenting arrangement where he supports that bond being developed. and when they get home, doesn't badmouth, doesn't talk badly, doesn't say anything that's negative about the mom. but supports the children's exploration of a relationship with her in some way. >> okay, jen hartstein here in new york city. lisa bloom in los angeles. as always, thank you. >> thanks, russ. >> thank you. >> now here's rebecca. >> russ, thank you. coming up next, we look at elizabeth taylor's personal fortune. some estimate it could be as high as a billion dollars. we're going to tell you how the screen legend made so much money, and where it's all going. right here on "the early show" on cbs.

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last night the lights were dimmed on broadway in honor of screen legend elizabeth taylor, who died wednesday at 79 years old. taylor left more than just a hollywood legacy. it's believed she was worth between $600 million, and $1 billion. so just how did she amass that you with us.une? >> nice to be here. >> so, make it clear for us, how much money did elizabeth taylor have? >> well, that's a pretty broad range. you are hearing a billion. you're hearing $600 million. i think $600 million seems to be what most people are settling on. but, you know, clearly they're auctioning off her jewelry collection. they think that's going to be about $150 million. she had real estate that was worth at least $130 million. but a lot of the money she made was actually in her perfume business. she had costume jewelry.

this was an entrepreneur. so it wasn't just an actress who amassed a fortune. she was one of the first people out there basically branding her personality. >> that's what's interesting about this. because she actually made more money as a businesswoman than she really made as an actress. >> well, she came to hollywood during a very interesting time. she used to call herful mgm chattel because right up to 1961 she was basically under studio contract. then she started to make big money in hollywood. but you're right, the perfume business was where she made a lot of her money. even last year, $77 million in sales. a lot of that was white diamonds. but she was somebody who understood the power of her celebrity and started leveraging it more than 20 years ago. >> it reminds me of that commercial. white diamonds. >> throw down the diamonds. >> and the fact that is, i think, the best-selling perfume brand of any celebrity. right now, it's ubiquitous. even alan cumming has his own

cologne. you cannot be a celebrity without having a fragrance attached to you. she was one of the first to do that and she was one of the first to get into costume jewelry. she really was a pioneer in that area. she did make money, obviously made a lot of money in the movies. she was the first woman to get a million dollars for a movie. but, the reality is she made most of her money as an entrepreneur. >> so what happens to that money now? >> well, that's a very good question. you've heard will it go to the dog, will i go to the manager, will it go to the kids? there is a sense a lot of her money will go towards aids. that was obviously something that was a big cause of hers. she raised more than $270 million for that through her foundation. four children, i'm sure she'll give some of it to them. but realistically, i think that a lot of it will go towards the research that she felt was very important. >> you talked about her real estate, her jewelry collection, and then, of course, her line of fragrances. those things can still keep making money, can't they, into perpetuity? >> well, michael jackson made a

lot of money last year. that's why they have the dead celebrities list, i hate to say it, elizabeth arden has already come out and said we're going to continue selling this fragrance, these perfumes. they will be very popular. the family can obviously make money off licensing her image. i think we'll see a lot of money made for and from liz taylor for years to come. >> michael jackson set the bar as high as it could go before. is elizabeth taylor going to surpass that potentially with her -- >> you know -- >> income after death? >> he has, obviously, there's music, it's a different business model. but clearly she is a name that resonated long after she was in the movies. so i think you'll expect for probably a generation to come, we'll be seeing liz taylor out there and there will be money to be made from that. >> diane brady, thanks for joining us. we appreciate it. >> thank you. >> coming up next the mini series everyone is talking about. the history channel refused to air it. but now it's making its small screen debut on another channel. we're going to talk about why

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not photographing? >> i like horses. >> oh. >> and what do you do when you're not congressing? or cutting a swath through washington? you have quite a reputation. >> that's not true. if it were i'd be dead by now. >> that's a clip from "the kennedys." the much talked about new mini series starring greg kinnear and katie holmes. next weekend the eight-part drama will air on the little-known network reelzchannel after the history channel decided to kill the project. some reports claim members of the kennedy family pressured the history channel not to air it. while others say historians had too many issues with the accuracy of the series. joining us with the inside story is a senior writer for "newsweek" magazine. thanks for coming in. we appreciate it. the his chi channel pays $7 million to air this, the $25 million production. history channel decides to kill it, why? >> reelz channel pays $7 million to air it.

the history channel kills it because they say, suddenly out of the blue, it's not part of their brand having watched it. they didn't really criticize the acting or the production or the directing. >> yeah. >> but you know, kind of implied that there's something wrong with the movie, and it goes from network to network to network and everyone passed on it. >> so what do you think? you've heard the stories of caroline kennedy somehow got involved and had them pull it. maria shriver somehow got involved. do these stories have any merit whatsoever? >> there are reports. even the producer of the mini series says he's not going to know what led them not to air it. but i think the quality was grate, i think it was well done, well acted. and they thought they could make money off of it i don't think they could have pulled it. >> there's some heavyweights in here. greg kinnear, academy awarding winning nominated actor, katie holmes as jackie kennedy. that was controversial from the start, saw these pictures to begin with, she's a ringer for jackie kennedy. what did that do? >> you know, it sort of added

this tabloid element to the entire production. every time katie holmes would come out in a jackie kennedy outfit all the tabloids would run pictures of it. and then, it sort of became a little bit of a punch line. it looked like she was playing dress up. and on screen then she doesn't really have -- it's a very difficult thing to play a real person. a real, living person that we know. she doesn't really have the gravitas to pull off the role. and the accent, as you just saw, it's a little -- for eight hours, it's a long time to be, you know, watching her play this character in the way that she does. >> also this news out there that historians looked at the script and said it was inaccurate. >> right. historians did look at the script. on our website thedailybeast.com we have scenes from the first episode that we got exclusively. they've toned down the more controversial elements when you watch it now. but, you know, it's still joe kennedy kind of comes off as a caricature. sort of like a karl rove figure. and you know, i don't -- i mean, i only watched the first five hours. i have three hours left to go. but i don't think people are

going to tune in until the very end. >> what is your review of those first five hours? >> it's not very good. it's not very, you know, it's sort of -- it's a strange production. the characters are kind of over the top. >> yeah. >> there's not a lot of characters. it's not very believable. and kind of roll your eyes at some parts because it's really cheesy. >> was there a thought ever that this series would never see the light of day? >> yes, there was. every channel, i tnk even tnt passed on it. so there was a lot of speculation whether it would just go straight to dvd. >> the reelz channel paid $7 million. >> they paid $7 million. >> good move on their part? >> it's a lot of free advertising for them. i don't think most people were watching the reelz channel. they say they're viewership went up from about 3 million to about 5.5 million just since they acquired the movie in january. and they're hoping about 12 million people watch it. >> no disrespect. where do you find the reelz channel? >> cable, pretty high up. >> okay. >> thank you so much. >> thanks for having me. >> thank you for coming in. coming up, everyday household

supplies with a double life. surprising off-label uses of ordinary items like tin foil, pencils, coffee filters. first your local news is next. so, you guys, you gets cable bill sometimes, and it could be a surprise, right? >> sometimes. a little expensive these days. >> also pay-per-view. >> sure. >> sometimes it can be a very big surprise. >> yes. >> what does your cable bill run you here in new york city? >> mine, okay. >> ridiculous. >> like everything, mine runs me close to like $185 a month. >> oh, my goodness! >> well, this guy in dayton, ohio was paying $80 a month. all of a sudden he gets a bill for $16 million for one month. >> coming up. >> but this is what i love about this story. because here's what he had to say to the news, had i known

this i would have bought showtime, and five bucks more for showtime is a bit much but heck, $16,409, 112, who cares. in the end, he said all he really wanted to do was watch march madness, but $16 million. >> he could have gone to every single game. >> he could have bought one -- >> it must be a mistake. >> he's probably bundling his internet bill, as well. >> obviously a major mistake on the cable company's part. >> yes. it was human error. this is a result of human error. >> you think? >> he didn't watch that much pay-per-view television. >> yeah. >> look you always hear about a story like this. the phone bill comes. >> right. >> we've run a number of these stories. it's always -- >> but he doesn't want to wreck his credit. because they had to cut off the cable, go through -- >> a $16 million bill will do that. i moved recently and got a cable bill that wasn't $16 million, it was insane. they claimed i watched all these shows which i hadn't.

you've really got to watch that stuff. ,,,,,,,,

the big city on a spring day, central park. looking at central park west. far away you're seeing the hudson river in new jersey. a glorious day in new york city. we like it. welcome back to "the early show," i'm russ mitchell. >> and i'm rebecca jarvis. good morning. >> good morning. a week into spring but chances are your yard is still recovering from a very wicked winter. our master gardener is here with tips for seeding, feeding and planting that will give you a lush lawn in no time. >> sounds good to me. and get those aprons on. we're taking you to cooking school with chef hastings. the juiciest roasted chicken you've ever tasted.

smells delicious in here. plus bread pudding with white chocolate and ross berry. >> the juiciest chicken ever? >> we promise you. it's all coming up. but first over to lonnie quinn for our final check of the weather. >> good morning to you, rebecca. let's get right to it. the juice ki chicken's got to wait. i've got my weather headlines right here. you're going to be sunbathing in the florida keys today. temperatures in the 80s. beautiful sunshine overhead. you'll be skiing at mammoth mountain in california. by the end of this day, one to two feet of snow. and going to be chilly for the cherry blossoms in washington, d.c. today. kicks off the cherry blossom festival. why is it going to be chilly for the northeast? because there's a high pressure system way up in canada. all right, it's going to be bringing in that cold, canadian air. so i'm talking about places like albany, boston, new york city, philadelphia, yes, washington, d.c. temperatures 10 to 15 degrees below normal. brisk northwesterly winds out there. this system is going to hold true for a good portion of the upcoming week, as well.

>> all right, everybody, you know i'm talking about how it's kind of cool out there in the northeast. let's talk about the cherry blossoms, because it is time for lonny's shout-out to wusa's 9 news now in washington, d.c. they are covering one of the most beautiful events of the year. look at those pictures. it is the annual cherry blossom festival. it all begins today, and it runs through sunday, april the 10th. now the cherry trees, if you're familiar with the forry. they were a gift of friendship from the mayor of tokyo to the city of washington in 1912. this is the 99th year.

and this year the celebration clueless nearly 400 free events, all kinds of fun performances. if you are in d.c. i'm telling you, take my word on this, you're not going to be disappointed. check it out. we would like to thank everyone watching "the early show" saturday on 9 news now. all right. there you go, guys. hope you make it a great day wherever you are. rebecca, have you ever seen the cherry blossoms? >> i have not seen them in person yet, lonnie. but they look great behind you right there. all right i'm going to make a point of it. if you're still using pencils to write and tin foil for leftovers, you're not thinking outside the box. there are some very creative uses for everyday items around the house, and alex banden is online editor at this hold house. you brought all the solutions. i love when you bring your solutions to the house, they're all things you have around the house and they're easy to do but i don't think of them and the first one is what to do with a sponge. >> oh, yeah. this is a really easy one. you know how you put down the soap after you use it and it's all messy. >> and slimy.

>> and it doesn't last very long. put a sponge under it. put this next to your sink in your kitchen or bathroom and the soap will dry out and it lasts longer when it's dried out. >> why do we have sponge cubed up here? >> this is great. if you are worried about your vases or furniture scratching the wood, you can put a cut-up sponge, a little glue on the bottom and stick it to the bottom of the vase or furniture and it protects the furnaces. >> almost like a coaster for a cup but in this case it's for the vase. pencils, now actually we were talking about this yesterday in our meeting. lonnie said he knew this one. but i don't know this one. >> okay so you have a sticky lock, you know the key is a little bit stuck, it doesn't turn very well, what you actually do is rub a pencil along the edge of the jagged part of the key and put it back in. that lubricates the lock. if i can find it. >> rather than putting moisture in there you're going to use the pencil and that's going to help make the lock come undone? >> right. graphite is the main ingredient of pencil lead and graphite is a

really good lube rickant for locks. instead of buying the spray for it. >> put the pencil on the key, not inside the lock. because the last thing you want is the tip to fall off inside the lock. >> don't want to break anything off in there. >> coffee filters. this is interesting. >> this is one of my favorite ones at this old house. everyone's got them lying around the house. you look at your shoes and think uh-oh they look scuffed up. just shine them up with a coffee filter. >> nothing on it? >> you can wet it, or if there's something you need to get off the shoe or you could do it dry to buff it up. but it works well because they're lint free and they don't tear easily. >> so it doesn't leave some sort of residue or just become really hard to deal with. if there is coffee on it can you still use it? >> you can use the used one, just probably only on brown or black shoes. >> no white suede shoes with the coffee filter. what about this? >> you're getting your grill out to get it ready for the spring, hopefully, and it's all krupsed up. well you know, put a little baking soda on it. >> okay. >> sprinkle it on. and leave it overnight.

you might have to wet it a little so that it sticks. it works good on greasy grills and the next day just scripp it off with a wire brush, and you can see all that greasy stuff comes off. >> what i like about this, too, we used to run into this problem, when you clean it a lot of the time it has poison in the clean are or whatever and you don't want that going on your food. >> totally natural. >> all right, great. last thing aluminum foil. >> i love this. >> other than wear it as a crown. >> you have, you know, utility scissors that you have lying around the house, you sharpen them by cutting through folded up tin foil a few times. and fold it like six or seven times and make a few cuts and suddenly you'll have sharp scissors. >> i would like to try that. this is making it sharper. >> just cutting. >> really? >> the best part is when you're done, you can crumple up the tin foil and use it to clean the grill. >> alex, thank you so much. now here's russ. >> okay, rebecca, thank you. up next, right now is the time to start getting your yard ready for spring.

we'll get some tips from this guy, master gardener william moss. you're watching "the early show" on cbs. that's why we make ocean spray 100% juice. it has plenty of natural goodness, but there's no added sugar. so, say, "hello," to 100% juice. and, "goodbye," to added sugar. i thought we weren't adding any sugar. oh. oh -- okay, nobody use these cranberries over -- over here. also try ocean spray light, only 50 calories, and a full serving of fruit. today we're going to surprise people with the taste of activia. there you go. strawberry and vanilla. thank you. that's good. wow. this is really good. great flavor. it's really creamy. it's really tasty. oh, wow! jamie lee curtis! it's activia! it's delicious. really? were you surprised that that's activia yogurt? i am shocked. i thought it would have like a little bit of an aftertaste. it's really yummy. it's delicious. it's hard to believe it's that good for you. it's so good. try the fabulous taste of activia today.

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so you can better talk to your rheumatologist about protecting your joints. ♪ but you're not sweet you hit on my friends ♪ ♪ i'm not your fool i won't just sit here and drool ♪ ♪ i'm tired of sharing you this is the end ♪ ♪ so i found a new love a natural true love ♪ ♪ that comes from a leaf green and bright ♪ ♪ zero-calorie, guilt-free no artificiality ♪ ♪ my soul sings with joy and delight ♪ ♪ its name is truvia i had no idea ♪ ♪ and i am loving every single bite ♪ [ announcer ] truvia. honestly sweet. it sure was a brutal winter. a lot of yards around the country took a real beating. getting your lawn in spring shape sounds like a job for a master gardener. sounds like a job for a master gardener, it sure does. william moss joins us for part two of our start your garden

early series. good morning. >> good morning. how you doing? >> i'm doing just fine. nasty winter. is now the time to start getting things ready? >> definitely. took a real hit from a lot of snow and cold. first thing you want to do, get out there with your rake and wake up everything. get the thatch, the leaves, the dead stuff out of the way. >> it's a heavy duty rake. >> that's what you need. you need that big thick rake. then if you've got bare spots and patches, you want to come in with the grass seed. see these patches we've got? sow the seed in there and make sure to keep that nice and moist. and then they'll take up and fill these spots. >> even though it's cold in some parts of the country, many parts of the country, start seeding. >> start seeding now. >> all right. what about fertilizer if you don't have a dog, what do you do? >> two things that you can do. now if you don't -- if you're seeding go ahead and do the top dressing. if you've got a nice lawn already i like to use a nice weed and feed. i like to use an organic one so i can spread this out, it not only feeds but will keep some of the weeds down as well, and it's 100% natural. so don't have to worry about any

like pets or kids getting out. >> got you. definition of top dressing. >> something that goes on top of the soil that feeds. like an organic material that dissolves and feeds it. >> what about grubs? >> grubs are a big problem. you've got two ways you can handle that. one way i like to use is this product here that you attach to the hose. grub killer and you sit back and spray it. it's 100% organic, don't have to worry about toxic residue. >> it does a good job? >> does a great job. does a great job. follow directions. i've got this other cool thing. this is a max of tiny microscopic warms and they eat grubs, so you spread it out on your soil, just like a little sand or something, and they grow down like heat-seeking missiles and dig into the grub and kill them all off. >> oh, my goodness. >> in this box right there? >> you've got to do this now. the grubs are only vulnerable early spring, midspring. >> another definition. grubs. >> grubs are little -- they're

insect larva. they basically feed on the roots of your turf and grasses until summer when they hatch, and they turn into june bugs and japanese beetles that feed on your roses and everything else. they eat your lawn and your garden. so kill them now. >> that's ugly. lawn care here. you've got a heavy duty lawnmower. >> this craftsman smoort start. the neat thing about everybody with their lawnmower now should be lowering it down to two inches. that's going to give you a nice, smooth cut. >> lower the blade down? >> it's also going to help the yard look a little better, and fill in quicker. then summertime comes, you raise it back up to three inches. >> okay. >> but right now i want everybody's lawnmower down to two inches. >> this stuff has become so much lighter. >> yeah. look how light that is. >> so light, yes. >> that's the next step weed trimmer. this weighs about five pounds. >> yeah. fun to play with. over here it's time to plant stuff. >> yes, it is. so in the garden itself, time to start out with the pansies, with

the perennials, all those other neat things. some people can even start planting petunias now. i've got a special one for you to plant. this is a pinstripe you can put in there. i'm going to plant a native plant, because we want to have butterflies come to our garden as soon as they're ready. we need to have stuff for them. >> oh. feel like that picture of richard nixon on the beach in a suit and wingtips. >> that's all right. you can garden any way. come as you are when you garden. i like that. just come any way. >> biggest mistakes people make? >> they don't use rich enough soil. i like to use a rich soil. that way the plants can grow healthy, lush, full. they'll flower a long time and healthy plants can fight off bugs and insects and diseases better. >> over there we were talking about grub control with the organic spray. any type of spray you'd hem recommend to this? >> i would recommend more than anything using a good, rich, organic compost. that's what you want to start with. you may not have bug problems. they'll be well fed and grow healthy. >> for more you can go to our website, cbsnews.com/saturday.

marser gardener william moss. thanks a lot. >> no problem. >> reminiscing about our days as kids. it all worked out. 11 now here's rebecca. >> thank you, russ. i am going to think of richard nixon every time i think of you from now on. coming up next, chef chris hastings shows us how to make the perfect roasted chicken. parentheses have a place. but not on your face. juvéderm® xc is the gel filler your doctor uses to instantly smooth out lines right here. temporary side effects include redness, pain, firmness, swelling, bumps, or risk of infection. ask your doctor about juvéderm® xc. all you expect from the number-one recommended detergent by dermatologists. all free clear is free of dyes and perfumes. and has powerful stainlifters to help get your whole wash clean. it's all good. and i wondered what it was. i found out that connected to our muscles are nerves

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this week our "chef on a shoestring" will give us a master class in the touch, taste and smell method of cooking. if it feels, tastes and smells good, well then it is good. chef chris hastings is the co-owner of hot and hot fish club in birmingham, alabama and was just nominated for best chef of the south by the james beard foundation. he's here to show us a wonderful, three-course seasonal meal for under 40 bucks. it's a meal our viewers have chosen in a very close contest. great to have you with us. >> thank you. >> congrats on the nomination. >> fourth time. hopefully we'll get it.

>> we're pulling for you. maybe after today we're going to be able to really pull through. what's on the menu today? >> bibb lettuce salad with a citrus vinaigrette, then we're going to have the roasted free range chicken with asparagus and vidalion onions and watercress and bread puding with raspberries. >> sounds amazing. >> what do we do with the salad? >> citrus. that's reduced orange juice, the herbs, the shallots, the lemon zest and the olive oil. and the idea here is that we have a really, bright, fruity vinaigrette. nice thing about this vinaigrette, very, very useful outside of just the salad. you can marinate chicken in it or do any number of things in it. fabulous vinaigrette. at this point we're done. the touch, salt and pepper and lime juice and lemon juice. >> a little too slow for you. you're too fast for me, chef. >> i've been told that.

all right, you ready? >> all right. >> we're going to toss the good, properly dressed salad is not overdoing it. also you have to have the vinaigrette, the acid right. we have enough acid where it's bright, and you coat the lettuces. but yet -- >> not drowning in it. >> they're not drowning in it. nothing worse than a salad that's overdressed. >> agree. >> we want to lightly, lightly dress that. and then i'm going to assemble it real quickly. >> you're laying it down on a bed of what looks like goat cheese. >> it is goat cheese from northern alabama. it's a fantastic little dairy that produces some of the best goat cheeses we've ever had. we love supporting our local farmers and cheese makers and honey makers. simple, nice little crouton. basic salad, little cheese, light delicious, let's move along. >> i'm going to do the taste test while you go over to the chicken. >> perfect. so at this point, we're going to take some of the farrow. farrow is a grain, super healthy. it's making a great comeback

along with quinoa and all the great grains out there. we're going to combine it with the roasted vidalia onion. a little bit of the blanched asparagus. beautiful spring asparagus. we are also going to take a touch of herbs, fresh herbs, chopped parsley. a little chive. fresh, chopped thyme. >> thyme. >> a little pinch of salt and pepper. now one thing i'd also like to do, you see the chicken here is roasted, right? >> yes. >> it's rested and what happens is the juices from the chicken will come onto the plate. i like to squeeze a little bit of lemon. >> okay. >> over it. add a touch of olive oil. hand me that, it would be great. and you'll take all these great juices from the chicken and we're going to incorporate it in to the farro. that gives it a richness and a brightness from the lemon. >> and how long are you letting the chicken rest for here? >> 20 minutes.

20 minutes is plenty. no more than that. so then we're going to take a little lemon dijon vinaigrette, put a little in there. that's going to add that brightness to it. and a little richness from the olive oil. and a touch of the wild watercress. >> i love the flavor combinations you're putting to the. >> truly healthy. the great thing i like about this whole menu. healthy salad. healthy chicken and save room for a little dessert. >> yeah. >> reward yourself. >> we want to get that dessert. so you're putting this on the plate, and then you have the chicken prepared with it. after you mix it up. and then on to the dessert. and you can actually smell the des sert in here. it just came fresh out of the oven. i want to make sure we have time to put that one together. >> it's super simple. there's the chicken ready to go. >> looks delicious. >> fabulous. >> nice thing about the dessert. this is a great recipe. everybody loves bread pudding, right? >> mm-hmm. >> this is a recipe that's super easy and fantastic. >> yes, we do. >> right on cue.

>> you said everybody loves bread pudding. >> and the natives arrive. >> i need to try this. how low did he go? how low did you go, shech? >> i maybe wasn't the cheapest. >> well. $39.66. you made it in for under $40. so you're not in the leader board but you did get it. >> it's the best food. >> you have fantastic food. i'm glad you can answer that question. you did fantastic. we're going to keep tasting these here. if you would like to use these recipes, you can go to our website, cbsnews.com/saturday. chef chris, thank you very much. don't go away. this is "the early show" on cbs. >> this "chef on a shoestring" sponsored by campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do. who's your someone? campbell's healthy request can help.

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monday on "the early show," erica hill will be reporting from buckingham palace with all the very latest on the royal wedding. in fact this weekend supposedly is william's bachelor party. >> oh, yes. you got your invitation, right,

russ? next saturday on "the early show," it is the final four of the ncaa basketball tournament in houston. lonnie is going to take us for a special look behind the scenes. >> lucky guy that i am. >> before we go today i want to talk about our lucky guy russ mitchell who had a nice little birthday yesterday and we wanted to make sure that before we say farewell to say happy birthday to you. >> oh, boy. >> oh. >> here comes the cake. >> thank you. >> it was a very vague one candle. >> very vague one candle. that is so sweet of you guys. thank you so much. >> oh. don't stop there. i got you this great "early" show mug! >> that's my mug! it has lipstick on it. >> before we go, russ, what are you going to be doing for your birthday? >> let's see. i'm going to go to the gym. we have no evening newscast tonight so i'm actually off for the rest of the day. >> you're going to watch some basketball. >> go to the gym. have lunch with my family. it's going to be great. >> oh, that's a good day. thank you to your family for

letting you hang out with us this morning. have a great weekend, everyone. we end with our saturday spotlight. this week's story comes from argyle, texas, which is just north of dallas. a miniature horse can now run like the wind, thanks to the miracle of modern science. melissa newton of our dallas station ktvt has this remarkable story. >> reporter: 4-year-old midnight has a past as dark as his name. he was brought to ranchhand rescue after suffering from abuse and neglect. but this miniature horse now has a bright future. missing his hooves and the lower half of his hind leg, even walking was a challenge for the young horse. >> he literally walked on three legs. and he's never ran. >> reporter: so bob williams, who runs the animal sanctuary, turned to a company called prosthetic care in fort worth.

>> prosthetic care had never built a leg before. they'd never built them for horses. that's his foot. >> reporter: the company created and donated this prosthetic leg which midnight put on for the first time sunday. what happened next exceeded the expectations of williams and the rest of the ranchhand rescue staff. >> our hope was that with the prosthetic leg he would be able to walk. and that he'd be able to exercise. and be out in the pastures with the other horses and just enjoy being a horse. when he ran, and he jumped. we all cried. it was the most amazing thing i've ever seen in my life. >> reporter: and thanks to the mir ack of science, midnight now shines as bright as the sun. >> he can live another 25 or 30 years, happy, healthy, full life. >> thanks for watching, everyone. join us again monday on "the early show" op. >> for more about "the early show," visit us at cbsnews.com.