5:30 - 7am (mighty 90) qc slashing prices all week, making consumers feel better about spending money. ♪ good morning. north korean dictator kim jong-il is dead. in pyongyang, north koreans mourn their dear leader as he dice from an apparent heart attack. south korea goes on military alert and other nations are on alert for unexpected problems. instability makes for a dangerous period. a big question for the u.s. will his son take over as planned or will north korea and its threatened nuclear program fall into chaos. we'll ask bill richardson. a powerful winter storm moves into the plains. blizzard warnings are up from new mexico to kansas where they could get a foot of snow or more just as holiday travel starts to get busy. >> tim tebow and the denver

broncos. for them the fourth quarter miracle miracle's run out, but to be owe mania still alive and well early this monday morning, december 19 2011. from cbs news it's "the early show," with erica hill and chris wragge. >> welcome to "the early show." i'm chris wragge. >> and i'm erica hill. the death of north korea's longtime dictator, kim jong-il, he was revered as a godlike figure and feared and distrusted by everyone outside it. south korea is on alert. >> north korea has test fired a missile raising concerns over the country's nuclear program. silvia is live in beijing. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the death of kim jong-il have put governments across ashiaasia.

>> the shocked news anchor cried as she announced it. north korea's so-called dear leader kim jong-il dived a sudden heart attack saturday. the surprise death of the man who ruled over every aspect of north korea is creating uncertainty across asia. kim named his son, kim jong-un successor to the family dynasty after it was clear he suffered some kind of stroke. kim jong-il was groomed to be a leader by his father kim il sung, but this young heir is hardly ready for prime time. >> i think what will happen is there will be a caretaker leadership of kim jong-il's brother-in-law and his younger sister who are very important behind the scenes and they'll be shepherding kim jong-un along as he prepares to assume real power. >> reporter: but this country is at a breaking point.

kim jong-il was living the high life while many of his people starved. for years, his only bargaining chip threats that he would ramp up his illicit nuclear program for fuel aid. when the u.s. and allies got fed up with kim's refusal to abandon his nuclear weapons, china had to step in with the vast majority of north korean aid. chinese leaders were reportedly at the end of their rope with the eccentric mr. kim who spent millions for a 100th birthday celebration honoring his father. north korea, as promised would become a prosperous nation next year. although it seemed like an impossible goal, without the almighty kim jong-il north korea seems closer to collapse. word emerged of a new deal between pyongyang and washington thanks set to be announced next week. north korea was set to give up one of its nuclear weapons

programs in exchange for food aid. however that deal might now be in jeopardy on the news of kim jong-il's death and the missile firing. >> what has the response been inside today? >> china has been doing everything it can to keep north korea going. it's in china's interest to keep north korea a strong country. china worries if north korea does collapse north korean refugees could flood into china overwhelming the country and it worries that a unified korea that is friendly to south korea and also to washington could lead to u.s. troops leading right up to china's border, something the country does not want. >> thank you. the white house meantime is watching the events in north and south korea very closely following the death of kim jong-il. chief correspondent norah o'donnell has more on that. just how concerned is is the white house this morning? >> reporter: good morning to you, erica. they're very concerned.

i spoke with a number of senior officials and the death of kim jong-il comes at a momentous time in u.s.-korean relations. there was going to be a decision this week about whether to re-engage with north korea on those nuclear talks and whether to provide some of this critical food aid. the big concern is the changes kim's death may foster between north and south korea. the white house is monitoring this very closely and erica, in a sign of just how concerned how the united states is is president obama at midnight last night called the south korean leader president l ito reaffirm and i also spoke to a senior official this morning asking what is your biggest concern. and he wrote i wouldn't cite any one particular thing, but this would be an uncertain period as they work through their succession. >> norah for a lot of americans they immediately think of the troops stationed there. more than 28,000 u.s. troops in

south korea. has there been much talk about the changes in military operations from the u.s. side? >> reporter: no talk about changes at this point, although clearly, our pentagon is is watching this, monitoring this very closely as well as the president's national security team at the white house. as you mentioned, we have 28,000 troops in korthia. the u.s. has had a long presence and one of the reasons is the north koreans have a standing army of an estimated million on the border. they're always watching this closely and clearly. this is something that the president, too, since he was up at midnight speaking to the south koreans is watching as well. also with us this morning former new mexico governor bill richardson former u.s. ambassador to the united nations and has been to north korea on several diplomatic missions good to have you with us this morning. >> good to be with you erica. >> having been to the country, what is your biggest concern this morning? >> well the north korean

peninsula is always a tinderbox. my biggest concern is is a potential military clash between the north and south, a provocation by the north. my biggest concern is whether there will be stability in the leadership in north korea. things have gotten better. the u.s. is talking with north korea on food aid, possibly resuming nuclear talks. the north and south have been also talking. so things got a little better in the last few months. the issue is going to be will there be the succession that kim jong-il wanted? his third son. will the north korean military commanders accept that? it looks like they will. there have been some statements coming out of the party which is is the official entity of north korea saying he is taking over. nonetheless, there could be power struggles. >> there's also some talk that in fact it could be kim jong-il's brother-in-law who

could be doing a lot of the real ruling from behind the scenes and not necessarily kim jong-un because he's so young and has so much to learn. how much power do you see him having if this succession does follow the wishes of kim jong-il? >> well, i can tell you from my knowledge of the leadership there, the leadership, the ones that call the shots will be the north korean mil tear commanders and not necessarily the civilian leadership. obviously, the family is powerful, but the fact that kim jong-il designated his son, the third son. we know very little about him. we know he went to a swiss school. he hasn't met with many world leaders and is obviously inexperienced. the issue has got to be will the military leadership of north korea accept that transition now that kim jong-il is dead? we have to watch this very carefully. i think it's important, the the white house, i think, is is playing it correctly, playing it cool.

finding ways to see what happens, but also lean in favor of engaging the north koreans. i've always felt that when we isolated them it didn't work. >> right. >> if things remain stable resume the food aid and humanitarian assistance. >> which was potentially going to be announced this week. one of your fears is provocation at this point. north korea firing a missile which is unrelated and it's impossible to ignore that. >> that's right. >> the worry is this has happened. north korea did provoke shooting south korean civilians, an island, a ship. their factions within the north korean military that might take those steps to assert themselves, but you don't know. what you don't want right now is an escalation in the peninsula. i think south korea is playing it right, playing it cool. yes, you go on military alert

and just watch things as they develop and hope that this transition is as stable as possible so you can resume some kind of dialogue with north korea. i think it makes sense to engage them rather than isolate them but you have to watch things in the next 48 hours. i think what the north korean military commanders say in the next day or so is going to be critical. >> people will be looking and the examining every single word. we always appreciate your insight. thank you. >> thank you. for the first time since march 2003 there are no u.s. combat troops in iraq. the last unit left the country over the weekend and jim axelrod went along for the ride. he's in virginia this morning, good morning. >> this is a picture a lot of moms and dads are waiting to see, a lot of their sons and daughters safely out of iraq. they're focused on a volleyball

game and getting home in time for christmas. >> eight months -- a unit of mps from the first cavalry, crossing the border into kuwait. it marked the end of a complex drawdown to restore 50,000 u.s. troops in iraq as late as august. not every soldier was finding it easy to let go. sergeant david salcedo from texas lost 13 friends in the fighting here. >> some of my dearest friends, specialist palacios specialist norquist specialist bradley hit me hard. >> lieutenant jennifer farland couldn't wait to get started. >> a little overwhelming, but we're watching history in the making. so it will be pretty magical when we cross the border. >> reporter: the final u.s. installation left at 2:30 sunday morning for the 110-mile drive. >> dawn has just broken over

southern iraq and we're now approaching the border into kuwait. this is the next to last vehicle of the u.s. convoy out of iraq just a medevac unit is behind us. the soldiers here are now just moments away from successfully accomplishing their last mission of the iraq war, getting out safely. >> for those waiting on the other side of the gate it was time to celebrate. the first of the welcome party's waiting for the troops on their long way home. >> get there christmas eve early in the morning and see my wife and my son. >> there were no casualties on the last convoy which leaves the final number of u.s. troops killed in the iraq war at 4,484 a big part of the reason for their safe arrival here the tremendous amount of air support offered by the military. at least 45 helicopters, fixed-wing and unmanned aircraft accompanied the convoy and were responsible for the safe arrival

in camp virginia in northern kuwait. >> jim axelrod in kuwait. thank you so much. now the latest from washington where congress may have to spend christmas at the capitalol thanks to an unexpected glitch for 160 million americans. >> they won't accept a compromised bill to keep that tax cut temporarily. >> it's pretty clear that i and our members oppose the senate bill. it's only for two months. i believe two months is just kicking a can down the road. the american people are tired of that. frankly, i'm tired of it. >> joining us this morning from capitol hill congressional correspondent nancy cordes. what happened over the weekend? friday it did seem like there was a deal. >> reporter: what happened is john boehner briefed his house republicans on saturday and they were overwhelmingly opposed to this deal to the surprise of many. as you heard him say the senate deal only extends the payroll

tax cut for two months because senate negotiators from the two sides could aren't agree on how to pay for it for the entire year. it just creates to much uncertainty. the american taxpayer won't know whether their tax cut is going to expire in the next two months and so they're opposed. >> so what happens then if the senate bill does in fact fail in the house? >> it could very well fail. what house republicans want is to change the bill but senate democrats said flatly they are not coming back. the senate voted overwhelmingly to pass this bill on saturday and it left town for more than a month. keep in mind if the two sides don't figure out a way to work this out, not only will they expire at the end of this month, but extended unemployment benefits, will too. >> nancy cordes yes. >> it had been a couple of months since we heard kick the can down the road. >> i was thinking the same thing. >> terrell is at the news desk

with a check of the news. >> a dangerous storm is headed to the southwest and plains states this morning. blizzard conditions along with strong winds are expected. up to 18 inches of snow could fall in some places. winter storm watches and blizzard watches are in effect from colorado to kansas oklahoma texas, and new mexico. an update on the hazing death of a florida a&m band member. the board of trustees has voted not to suspend james ammons during the investigation of champion's death. >> reporter: scrutiny in the florida a&m hazing death shifts to ammons the man responsible for the safety of all his students pending the outcome of several investigations into the hazing death of drum major robert champion. a death now ruled a homicide. hours after the school's marching band's biggest

performance of the year, champion died on a hazing attack aboard a band bus. his parent have demanded full prosecution. >> you just kind of wonder what kind of people are these, people that are doing this? >> champion's dath uncovered a culture of hazing that has existed for decades within the famed marching 100. last week three students were arrested for beating a female freshman band member in a separate alleged hazing initiation just weeks before champion's death. >> every allegation of hazing has been fully investigated. >> reporter: florida's governor wants ammons suspended and hundreds have demonstrated for him to stay. the leader of the national alumni association warns suspending ammons could affect the university's accreditation. >> at the end of the day we want justice for robert champion and right now they're using the situation to attack the university. >> reporter: because champion's death was ruled a homicide several students could face felony charges,

still ahead this morning, with only two weeks left until next year, it's time to start thinking taxes. >> already? >> the good news is this is a positive. we'll have you increase your deductions and hopefully get you a bigger refund. who doesn't like that? you're watching "the early show" on cbs.hat? watching "the early show" on cbs.

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over the past several weeks, tim tebow and the denver broncos have pulled out one last minute win after another. on sunday, though, they didn't! tom brady and the new england patriots ended that six-game winning streak! >> no tebow time in the fourth quarter but the broncos are still in the playoff hunt and tebow millions of fans are fascinated with him. coming up how long can the tebow phenomenon last?

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orning workers on the good morning. 7:25. i'm grace lee with your cbs 5 headlines. this morning, workers on the new eastern span of the bay bridge are installing the first strand of cable over the tower. this is a crucial step toward completing the self-anchor suspension span. and more than 2,000 feet, it will be the longest such span in the world. a van crashed into a church nursery in rodeo just moments after a service let out at the full gospel fellowship. people were just leaving the parking lot when a van suddenly accelerated and slammed into a children's nursery. no one was there at the time. facebook moving into a new quarters today in menlo park. 2,000 employees will be in the same complex for the first time. for the past 2.5 years, the company has been split into two

buildings about a 10-minute walk apart in palo alto. we'll have your traffic and weather coming right up. [ terri ] my husband, hank, was always fun. never took life too seriously. 'til our son was born... that day, he bought life insurance. now, there's no way i could send our boy to college without it. if there was one thing

i could say to hank, it'd be "thank you." you're welcome. hey, hank. [ male announcer ] life insurance you can use while you're still living. you are one lucky lady. mm-hmm. [ male announcer ] learn more from your state farm agent today. good morning from the traffic center. we're doing better out there on the freeways. in fact, as you work your way through the south bay, 880/237 no delays as usual. lots of folks on vacation. northbound 280 very light through downtown san jose. no problems there. traffic moving along. south 880 at 92, they are

clearing an accident over to the right shoulder. we are seeing some delays as you approach the scene. not affecting the san mateo bridge good in both directions, 880 good through oakland. check this out. the bay bridge is quieted down a lot, in fact metering lights remain on but just backed up to the mid lot there of the caltrans mid lot. not too bad, liz. >> everything is getting out of town early-morning for the holiday. taking a live look outside, this is ocean beach. a little overcast out there to start off your morning but partly to mostly cloudy skies, giving way to sunshine. by later on this afternoon, your pinpoint forecast for later on today, this is your temperatures you can expect. mostly in the upper 50s to low 60s across most spots. 61 in napa. and your warm spot up there 62 expected in santa rosa. high pressure effect for the next seven days including over your christmas holiday. it looks like temperatures are slightly above average at least by a few degrees so temperatures in the upper 50s to low 60s.

♪ we welcome back to "the early show," at half past the hour i'm erica hill along with chris ragge. nice to say that. i've missed you. >> i missed you too. the broncos and tim tebow didn't have a prayer. the patriots romped the broncos. >> when have you a tim tebow, you always have a chance and the broncos' loss hasn't dampened tim tebow fever. we'll speak with the co-author of the best selling memoir. why so many people are so fascinated with number 15 quarterback tim tebow. >> we'll have that ahead. first, a lot of fascination with politics these days.

the republican presidential hopefuls, of course getting closer to the official race for the white house. now becoming a sprint with the iowa caucuses two weeks away. >> a busy weekend for the candidates. we are in washington with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, chris. former speaker newt gingrich still leads former massachusetts governor mitt romney in most of the polls in iowa. when it was romney who won the endorsement of "the des moines register" newspaper, gingrich's response, he's welcome to it. gingrich appeared with bob shieffert on "face the nation." the "des moines register" endorsed mitt romney. what is your reaction. >> a new hampshire newspaper, ebb endorsed me. "the des moinz register," a

liberal newspaper, endorsed romney. >> reporter: he stepped up criticism of the judicial system. gingrich's attacks on what he calls out of touch activist judges, is getting a response from the conservatives he needs, especially in iowa. >> we've have rulings that outlawed school prayer that outlawed the cross, that out lawed the ten commandments a steady secular drive to radicalize this country away from its core beliefs. >> the president is intent on spending. >> reporter: romney pocketed two key endorsements from two different wings of the republican party. first, the endorsement of bob dole from the establishment side of the gop and then the backing of south carolina's governor nikki haley, a favorite of the tea party. >> this is about looking at washington saying it's in complete chaos, saying we can't have anybody associated with washington, because we need somebody to go in and fix the problem. >> reporter: romney appeared on a sunday public affairs show for

the first time in nearly two years. and he use thad time to target president obama's handling of the economy. >> he's extraordinarily vulnerable. we'll say how does that work mr. president? how well did those programs work? did poverty decline in this country? why not? >> reporter: romney is facing questions about his work at maine capital, where democrats say romney got rich at the expense of laidoff workers. transfer will be fun. i recognize that the president will go after me. i'll go after him. >> reporter: romney is still trailing gingrich in iowa but the once-commanding lead is slipping in almost every new poll. he built that lead after several strong debates, there are no debates left before the caucus. >> ron paul where does he factor in in iowa right now? >> ron paul, a serious contender in iowa.

often left out of national conversation, but in iowa a very strong base and of the most recent polling of likely caucus goers, gingrich slipped a lot, romney slipped a little. but ron paul building on his base. >> thank you. 34 minutes past the hour. charles brown at the news desk this morning with another check of headlines. good morning. >> good morning. north koreans mourning the death of kim jong-il. he died of a heart attack on saturday at the age of 69. this raises concerns about the future of north korean. his son is expected to take over as

comi coming up we look at the tough campaign ads in the gop presidential race. >> and the top political ad man if the ads work. what makes for a good political

ad what impact is this current crop having on the campaign? that's ahead, you're watching "the early show" on cbs. ly show" on cbs. (greenery) hey cheese log. (cheese log) hello centerpiece. (greenery) fruit cake. how are ya? [fruit cake] dry. (greenery) who's the new guy? edible arrangements bouquets beautiful like flowers but unforgettably delicious visit, call, or go to ediblearrangements.com

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the gop presidential race really heating up as candidates led by ron paul are putting out a flurry of negative ads on both tv and on the internet. >> republican pollster joins us. to tell us why some of the ads work and some do not. frank, good to see you this morning. >> it's a pleasure. >> before we get into some of the ads, you use a technique called the dial test. what is this really quick? >> i have done this with over 2,000 ads. people react on a second by second basis. use a remote control device about that size and react to every word every phrase. they turn it up if they agree, and turn it down on disagree. the higher you see the lines climb, the more persuasive. >> and people are watching similar lines. you dialled up to two recent ads, anti newt gingrich ads. this first one, for ron paul talking about serial hypocrisy. >> newt gingrich renewed his

suport for an individual mandate. >> for an individual mandate? don't ask me to explain this. >> gingrich railed against when he was in the house. he went the other way when he got paid to go the other way. >> demonstrating itself to be very much about washington insiders. >> about serial hypocrisy. >> what do those lines tell you? >> goes above 50 an impact. above 60 serious impact. the ad is in black and white to grab your attention. they use the actual words of people who spoke and that's one of the keys to effective negative ads. a lot of them don't work. the ones that work are credible. they use specific facts or statistic statistics, have the actual visual and voices of people involved and deliver a call to action. that one had a very tough ending so that one was effective against the speaker. >> the serious voice of the announcer. >> actually usually when you get that announcer voice, a

negative. because then people -- any time that you've got that kind of fake drama, voters turn off. >> let's talk about the next ad from mitt romney's campaign. it shows gingrich and speaker of the house nancy pelosi. urging a solution to climate change. >> we agree, our country must take action to climate change. if enough of us demand action from our leaders together we can do this. >> with an ad like this, why is it so compelling? why does it work? >> the same black and white, it seems so manufactured so fake. by putting speaker gingrich next to nancy pelosi they thought it would be negative but it's not credible. they know people talk to each other. ron paul running most negative campaign in iowa as he's climbing in the polls and i'm surprised he's not more focused

on building his own support. >> apparently that's why. maybe he sees it's working and support rising. good to have you with us this morning. thank you for coming in. just ahead, latest on the tim tebow phenomenon. >> he lost a game. but his story is drawing new fans all the time. this is "the early show" on cbs. honey, check your email! [ cellphone chimes ] [ cat yodeling ] kids! [ cat yodeling ] sing, larry, sing! [ cat yodeling ] we should have got a cat. [ male announcer ] get low prices on gifts to stay connected. order your last-minute gifts at walmart-dot-com and get free same-day pickup on select items. save money. live better. walmart. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] light up your season with a brighter, whiter smile. with crest 3d white professional effects whitestrips.

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spring of last-second victories. a team matured from curiosity to contend contender, on the will of a man of deep religious faith. tebow's routine, genuflecting in prayer have imitators everywhere. two high school football players were suspended for tebowing, as it's called after 40 classmates blocked a hallway. >> everybody should be happy they are following a good role model. >> reporter: teeno mania has reached that level of cultural marination to illicit a skit on "saturday night live" and tebowing has gone worldwide, pictures of people on one knee. in afghanistan, at the south pole, underwater. >> breaks the tackle and takes it off, in for the touchdown. they had him for a loss. >> tebow gave the faithful an early gift slipping three of

what looks like sure tackles to gain the first touchdown. miracles ended there tebow fumbled. his teammates did too. and patriots built a fourth-quarter lead that even tebow's magic couldn't overcome. the bronco' drive to the playoffs stalled, but tebow faithful are keeping the faithful. c bnch cbs news, new york. >> join us now is nathan whitaker co-author of tim tebow's memoir "through my eyes" tebow nation taken on a fanatical approach the last couple of weeks. has the tebow nation come back down to earth with this loss? or are they still on cloud nine? >> they are still pretty excited. he's such a great kid and doing a great job and i'm sure that the broncos have a lot of bright spots in their future. >> you know him well. you wrote the book.

after four games as an nfl quarterback. did you ever think it would take on this type of level, the way this fanatacism has really kind of gripped the nfl, maybe the entire nation not just the football nation? >> right. i would like to think it was all because of the book. i wonder if maybe his football doesn't have something to do with it too. it's been amazing, what he's done and how great this -- this run is unprecedented for a young quarterback to do the things that he's done and broncos playing great around it. >> did it surprise you? you see some of the reaction around the world, and just the way people are emulateing it. does that surprise you, that he has had this type of affect on people? he hasn't one anything yet beside as a couple of football games. he hasn't won the football game. >> what really surprises me is what a good kid he is. so likeable so appealing to

people, such a good role model. for the level it's reached, it's pretty unique. >> he says all of the right things, defers all of the credit to teammates. in the world of greedy athletes more self-serving he's a team guy in i guess would you say that really leads to the way it carries the day for him? >> that's a huge part of it. really hard to write a memoir about a guy that won't talk about him. he was written on proverbs 2:22. let another person phrase you. he says why am i going to put these awards in a book? same thing with hospital work. he does so many good things and said i didn't do it so you could write about it. >> thank you for your time. you're watching cbs.

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a local labor group is opposing an effort to recall oakland good morning. it is monday, 7:55. in the headlines, a local labor group is opposing an effort to recall oakland mayor jean quan. the oakland-based alameda labor council says a recall would distract attention from efforts to deal with the city's problems. quan's critics need about 20,000 valid signatures from registered oakland voters to put the recall on the ballot. this is the day facebook is officially based in menlo park. the company expects to complete its move from its former location in palo alto. so this move allows 2,000 facebook employees to work in the same complex for the first time and is supposed to improve communication. gas prices are falling. the average prices for local

metro areas, according to gasbuddy.com, these prices for regular unleaded are down more than 20 cents from a month ago, more than 20 cents higher, though, than last year. an update of your traffic and weather coming right up.

good morning from the traffic center. if you are heading out the door and you plan to take the bay bridge toll plaza you're in luck. some light conditions, in fact no delays at all as you

approach the pay gates so it's eased up nicely this monday morning. elsewhere, if you are headed to the altamont pass, still busy in some spots but improved in certain areas, as well. we do have reports of an accident along 580. southbound 101 in marin county not a bad ride. looks good into san francisco. that accident on 580 is westbound right at portola avenue blocking one lane so expect slight delays. that's your morning ride. how's the forecast? >> looks like people are heading out early for the holiday. if you are planning on heading out, expect possible flight delays at sfo. delays on arrivals up to 50 minutes. this is the reason why, low clouds and fog. hi-def doppler, we had some overnight rogue rain showers. they are continuing their journey farther south. so you may find a few very, very light rain showers over portions of morgan hill if you are traveling over portions of 101, but again, that should be completely out of here very shortly. seven-day forecast looking great.

♪ ♪ welcome back to "the early show" at the top of the hour. i'm erica hill along with chris wragge. this morning the isolated nation of north korea is mourning its language-time leader kim jong-il. however, there were rallies in south korea celebrating kim's death at the age of 69. >> celia hatton is in beijing with more reaction to the news this morning. celia, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. well kim jong-il had been in ill health for years, but news of his death still came as a shock to those both inside and outside the country. in the capital of pyongyang, north koreans openly went. the shocked news anchor cried as she announced north korea's

so-called dear leader kim jong-il, died of a sudden heart attack saturday. as the communist country mourns kim's sudden death, it's urging its people to rally behind his third son and heir apparent kim jong-un. little is known about the younger kim who's believed to be in his 20s. >> i think it's important to keep in mind that north korea is basically an organized crime family posing as a government. >> reporter: immediately following news of kim's death, south korea, the north's long-time enemy, put its military on high alert. this news bombshell comes just days after the u.s. and north korean officials discussed possibly reconsumingsumeing food aid to the country. it could have included a pledge from north korea to stop its controversial uranium enrichment program. >> what you don't want right now is an escalation in the peninsula. i think south korea is playing it right, playing it cool. yes, you go on military alert, but just watch things as they develop and hope that this

transition is as stable as possible. possible. >> reporter: an unnamed south korean government official is reporting to the south korean media that north korea test fired a short-range missile today. however, sources in seoul are downplaying the news under reports that it was a routine test firing that has yet to be confirmed by the south korean military. >> celia hatton in beijing for us. thank you. we want to bring in our chief white house correspondent, norah o'donnell, who has more on the u.s. reaction to kim's death. good morning. celia just mentioned that there was set to be potentially this announcement about food aid later this week. obviously this could change things and also change potentially relations in the region region. >> reporter: no doubting. this is a very big deal. the obama administration is deeply concerned about instability on the korean peninsula, the succession and who takes over the leadership in north korea and finally i'm told

that this deal is now in jeopardy. this would have been a significant deal where for months there have been these ongoing diplomatic talks where the united states would donate a large amount of food aid to the millions of starving people in north korea. in exchange north korea would agree to suspend their uranium enrichment program. that is significant. now with the death of kim jong-il, i am told that is in jeopardy, it could be delayed. so that's a significant thing. certainly this administration is not talking about reengagement but they had had these exploratory meetings. if the obama administration could get north korea to suspend uranium, their uranium enrichment program, that would be a significant development. that may now be delayed. >> we know you'll continue to update us. thanks. terrell brown has a check of the other headlines this morning. terrell, we welcome you in. how are you? >> doing well thanks. the southwest and plains states are preparing to face a blast of wintry weather this morning.

winter storm watches and blizzard watches are in effect from new mexico texas, oklahoma colorado and kansas. blizzard conditions are expected to bring up to 18 inches of snow in some parts, and 45-mile-an-hour winds. parts of the midwest already got their taste of

this weather report sponsored by kleenex brand tissues, helping you sneeze shield your kids wherever they go. on "60 minutes" last night we saw meryl streep talking about playing margaret thatcher in the new movie called "the iron lady." >> but there was more to that interview you didn't see last night. this is a clip from "60 minutes overtime" on cbs.com. they talk about some of her greatest co-stars. >> i want to talk about some of the leading men. just give me a thumbnail description of each of them and how it was to work with them. robert de niro in "the deer hunter." >> we were shooting in a trailer

in weirton, west virginia. the cinematographer had stripped down to his -- i'm sorry to say, speedo underpants. it was 110. i had a wool mohair sweater on and the makeup man had to come in and mop. >> let me take your coat. >> de niro never broke a bead of sweat, in a full marine dress uniform. unbelievable. he has control over his -- yeah. >> dustin hoffman. >> dustin. dustin shocked me because we were shooting a scene -- >> you're going to have to do it. >> i'm very sorry about this. >> my wine glass was sitting there and he just with his hand you know brushed it so that it whizzed by my nose and broke on

the wall and little pieces of glass. and then in another scene he slapped me. and when i see the movie, i see the imprint of his hand. not in the take that they used but i see the hand from the previous take. so that was like a trial by fire. i thought, ew maybe this is the method or something. but i think he's very very gifted. it wasn't the most fun i've ever had on a film. >> kevin kline in "sophie's choice." >> i remember coming home from that experience and saying to my husband, we can't do anything wrong. it's like you know when you make a movie, you have a good day, you have a bad day, you think, oh i hope they reshoot that whole day because i sucked

or, you know -- >> with this ring i be troth myself to you. >> it was a wonderful experience. >> and you also did theater with kevin kline. >> that's a different story. there he does try to upstage me. i've spoken to him about it. >> jack nicholson. >> well if you like to laugh, you know which i do you like to work with jack. it's pure pure pleasure. ♪ this evening has been so nice ♪ ♪ look out the window at the storm ♪ >> funny man off camera? >> funny man, generous man, smart man, yeah. all those things. >> clint eastwood.

>> how many more have you got there? >> only a few. one more one more. >> clint was the man that i worked with that most of the other men were most intimidated by. >> i'm not on a date am i? picking flowers for a woman, a sign of appreciation? >> no not at all. except those are poisonous. >> which was not by virtue of anything he did, but by what he didn't do. he made no unnecessary gesture, he never raised his voice except for once. he's an instinctive, effortless filmmaker. >> steve martin and alec baldwin. >> jany, could i talk to you? >> he needs me for a quick sec. >> one i like and the other i don't like at all, but you'll have to guess. but they'll be worried.

>> i wonder who it will be alec baldwin? >> i love that, that was a great interview. up next, help yourself two ways. lower your taxes and improve your retirement. >> i'll take both please. we'll have those and other tax tips. you can take advantage of all of them before the end of the year so get a pen and pencil paper, and a writing instrument ready. you're watching "the early show" on cbs. or a smartphone. . a great interview. >> she was amazing. up next help yourself two ways. lower your taxes and improve your retirement. >> i'll take both please. we will have those and other tax tips to help you. you can take advantage of all of them before the end of the year so get a pen, paper, and writing instrument ready. or a smart phone! you're watching "the early show" on cbs. kleenex. softness worth sharing. time is running out! sears last minute gift sale is on now. get up to 50% off all craftsman mechanics tool sets.

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no matter where you go. so come on down and help make 2012 an even better year for tourism on the gulf. brought to you by bp and all of us who call the gulf home. we don't want to ruin your christmas cheer -- >> but we will. >> good ole college try. you only have two weeks to improve your tax situation. >> here's how i'm looking at this. you could look at mr. glass half empty, or we're going to go glass half full and try to get you a little more in your last two weeks of the year. last year the average refund was about $3,000 but there is still time to get more money back. financial contributor carmen wong ulrich is here with just in

time tax tips. >> thank you erica, but putting a positive spin. >> it's all about the positivity. >> nobody likes to talk about taxes. but since you're here -- >> i'm going to talk about how you can save more money, of course. >> can we get started? >> go for it. >> let's get started. medical deductions. please understand that most folks would be able to deduct your monthly premiums action and we know that this year like every past year we've been paying more and more in premiums, right? what about your co-pays to the doctor's office? what about other things you can get done before the end of the year procedures that you have to pay out of pocket. if they're more than 7.5% of your adjusted gross income then those are deductions that you can take. >> let's talk about charitable deductions. a lot of people do it. >> here's something very interesting here. i do this. donating to charity with your credit card online through the

website. if you do that this month and you can claim it as a deduction, even if you pay the bill in january. so just keep that in mind. >> because you want to pay your bill in full. >> exactly. if you're 70 1/2 and older, you can give $100,000 out of your ira to charity. this is not a deduction, but that money gets shaved off your adjusted gross income. when you take money out of an ira you pay taxes on that but you don't if it's donated to charity. >> 70 and older? >> 70 1/2 and older. >> we also talked about credit cards and your ira and 401(k). what about longer term tax benefits, though? >> this would be your retirement contributions. when i say longer term it's like killing two birds with one stone. you're giving to yourself in the future and putting away money but also getting a deduction. your ira contribution we have the maximum contribution of $5,000 and $6,000 if you're age 50 and older. those are deductions for the ira. your 401(k) this has changed for 2012. it's gone up by $500 so it's

now $17,000 that you can contribute. also if you have a sep, if you're self-employed, this is a percentage of how much your company makes, so that goes all the way up to $50,000. but don't forget if you are self-employed too, all the deductions you can take for everything from driving to go meet clients taking people out, your home office those are huge deductions every year. >> what's the glaring mistake that people make around this time where they're sacrificing themselves and not getting as much money back. >> actually the biggest problem is people getting too much money back. that's the biggest problem and it really, really irks me because the government should not be your savings account. so if the average refund is up close to $3,000 you need to make sure that you have the right amount in your w-4. do not have the government save your money. make sure that you're doing that on your own. if you owe a little tiny bit, that's okay. >> my father-in-law always says it's not even them saving your money. you're giving them an

interest-free loan. so ideally we want to sort of zero out when it comes to tax time. >> you want to be as close to zero as possible. the irs at irs.gov has a withholding calculator where you put in your information and give you an idea of where you pretty much come out even. don't give them that free money. i know you're going to head there right now. >> i am. >> we're going to open up these laptops and see who can get that url open faster. >> i'm all about the government not having my money. up next a surprising look at youutensils that are supposed to be biodegradable. we'll see how friendly they are ahead. i know you're heading there right now, wragge. >> i am. you think i'm not interested in this. >> we are going to open up the laptops and see if we can get the url open faster. >> i like it. >> good to see you. up next a surprising look at utensils that are supposed to be biodegradable.

>> supposed to be! we will see just how friendly they are ahead. rñ

as julie watts of our san francisco station reports. diners of this outdoor cafe like more than the food. food. they also like the cutlery. >> i think it's great. >> it's a nicer texture. doesn't taste as plasticy. >> even per, the sign says it's com postal. >> this is what happened after going through a 60 to 90-day com posting process. >> these pieces of tater ware same kind used at the cafe were fished out of a com post file in solano county. >> they are basically intact. >> and he says they are not the only green utensils not living up to expectations. >> it's very frustrating. consumers are being duped. they are naturally confused. so much mislabeling. >> macy's takes issue with the

words. >> biodid heegradable. >> experts say everything is biodegradable. some call it green washing. >> making it look green when it's not green. >> the consumer believes there's an environmental help. >> reporter: even many utensils certified by testing aren't breaking down under commercial com posting. >> i'm not aware of any that are com postable. >> one reason. >> they need a certain thickness for function. that same thickness acts as a barrier to microbial degradation. >> a disconnect between standards and reality. utensils are certified com postable if tests show they break down in 180 days at a commercial com posting operation. the average commercial com posting cycle is less than half

that. a study in san diego found none of the 35 com postable utense i believe so put through a 60-cycle showed any sign of degradation. why the discrepancy? about money. >> the goal is to make it as quick as they can. >> not enough to warrant changing the situation but what happens to all those utensils that get sent to commercial com posters? smithline contends most get screened out at the very beginning of the process and end up going to landfills. just the fate these diners were hoping to avoid. >> now tater ware says its utensil biodegradable will break down in the landfill. many are calling for new more realistic standards for com postable utensils. julie watts, cbs news san francisco.

>> always wondered. interesting stuff. just ahead this morning. use the force to take [ male announcer ] for andy, tracking his spending with citibank is as easy as... making breakfast. omelet? sure. scrambled eggs. [ male announcer ] actually, it's easier. citi financial tools. easier banking. standard at citibank. hi it's dave. [ robotic voice ] if you are satisfied with your message -- [ beep ] hi. dave here. [ male announcer ] for dave, using citibank's online bill pay is as easy as setting up voicemail. hi it's dave. [ male announcer ] actually, it's easier. hi, it's dave. i'm out of the office. [ male announcer ] online bill pay. easier banking. standard at citibank.

grace lee. a van crashes into a church rodeo {ro-day-oh} good morning. it's 8:25. i'm grace lee with your headlines. a van crashes into a church nursery in rodeo just moments after the service let out. it happened last night at the full gospel fellowship. people were just leaving the parking lot when a van suddenly accelerated and slammed into a children's nursery. no one was inside the building at the time. no one was hurt. and we have another milestone for the bay bridge. crews will start putting cables on the new eastern span later this morning. the first strand is set to be put up. the new bridge is expected to be open to traffic in the fall of 2013. today facebook plans to complete a move into its new headquarters in menlo park. 2,000 employees will be in the same area for the first time. for the past 2.5 years, the company has been split into two

buildings. they are 10 minutes apart in palo alto. now they are back together. we'll have an update on your traffic and weather coming right up. [ woman ] my boyfriend and i were going on vacation, so i used my citi thank you card to pick up some accessories. a new belt. some nylons. and what girl wouldn't need new shoes? we talked about getting a diamond. but with all the thank you points i've been earning... ♪ ♪ ...i flew us to the rock i really had in mind. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] the citi thank you card. earn points you can use for travel on any airline with no blackout dates.

good morning from the traffic center. nice ride on the freeways quiet holiday light. you can take mass transit if you like. good choice. bart, ace, muni and caltrain and your ferries all problem- free. it is a "spare the air" so we encourage it. san mateo no bridge no delays, 14 minutes between 880 and 101. also, the bay bridge very

quiet. no delays at the toll plaza. in fact, you're clear all the way across the upper deck into san francisco. looks good on the golden gate bridge, as well. and elsewhere, later on today 101 we're seeing slight delays so you might see delays for folks heading to the 49ers game as they play the steelers at the park. dublin clearing and sunshine out there. appearances may be deceiving. we still have a lot of low clouds and fog in the north bay where the fog is thick in some spots. here's your forecast for later orn today. fog clears by this afternoon, bringing us plenty of sunshine and those temperatures are crawling up towards the upper 50s and low 60s in some spots. and the rain is out of here. we're doing well as far as high pressure goes. it's bringing up plenty of sunshine for the next six to seven days and temperatures in the upper 50s to low 60s. actually these temperatures are a little bit at or maybe even above average.

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"the talk," new york and home for the holidays. today, country superstar miranda lambert, her life with blake shelton. what is married life like? >> well we haven't seen each other much so it's perfect. >> henry winkler, and our gifts for you, sexy santa. >> "the talk" all new on cbs. that's right. central park makes y that's right, central park makes you want to just jump right in. 32 degrees today in new york. great day to go swimming. welcome back to the "early show," i'm chris wragge along with erica hill. this has been a great year for viral videos. remember the talking dog? >> who could forget? >> come on talk. come on, baby come on. this has gotten over 70 million

hits on youtube, 70 million. coming up we're going to show you some of the hottest internet videos of the year. >> that dog is very clean, too, by the way. also ahead, a look at the local legend that's being called america's loch ness monster for centuries. centuries! people have said they see him in the deep waters of lake champlain. we'll hear from a couple locals who say they have seen this mysterious monster, first sìc& reported siting 1609. >> i believe you're right. plus we all know the fruitcake is the most notorious christmas gift of all, but if you give friends or family a really good loaf of what is this? >> venetone? >> thank you very much. they will thank you for it. this very tasty italian dessert bread is one of our favorite holiday treats and she's going to show us exactly how it's made. it cannot rival the fruitcake, could it? >> well maybe not people from

clackston, georgia, which is the fruitcake capital. did you know that. >> i guess i was on vacation. >> you were not. first, though you may have heard about drivers converting cars and trucks to run on cooking oil instead of gasoline. now ford is using the same general idea to actually build new cars. >> the automaker's green initiative is growing into an environmental revolution as betty nguyen reports. >> reporter: researcher debbie malevski works in an industry not known for being green, but make no mistake, she's a true environmentalist. >> the major motivator is to reduce their dependence on petroleum and try to conserve the environment. >> reporter: she leads a groundbreaking effort at ford finding ways to get rid of the oil-based plastics in all of the company's vehicles. about 300 pounds per car. >> what we're trying to do is substitute in things that are more environmental, or we can grow in this country, and put that into the vehicles for all the plastics around you. >> reporter: most other manufacturers are undertaking

similar efforts, but ford's biomaterials team may be the most ambitious. the research here is already paying off in a big way. instead of oil from the middle east a lot of the material in ford vehicles like foam used in seat cushions and headrests, is derived from american-grown soybeans. >> it used to be made entirely of petroleum, and now we substitute up to 25% soy oil instead of that petroleum oil. >> reporter: that adds up to over 3 million pounds of soy oil, a boom for the environment and for farmers. >> very strong. >> reporter: future materials in ford's green pipeline will also come from the farm like this bioseat that sounds good enough to eat, made from soy, sugar cane and corn and that's just the beginning. >> everything you're looking at here, the fabric the carpet and the hard plastics, are 100% corn based. >> reporter: by now, you may have noticed something else unique about ford's biomaterials

team -- all the scientists here are women. some call them the material girls. >> my main focus is looking at bio-based resins. >> reporter: plastics research engineer angela harris started here as an intern. she says having great female mentors has been an inspiration. >> when you see someone love their job, and when you see someone passionate about the environment or about automotive it really kind of rubs off on you and it becomes a part of who you are, and you just can't help but get excited about it. >> pulling it up and stuff -- >> reporter: so is it just chance that brought these women together, or is there some deeper connection? >> i don't necessarily know that men don't care about the environment, but we all do have very young children and we all are concerned about resources being there and keeping the planet as clean as we possibly can for the next generation. >> reporter: actually henry ford himself was very interested in going green before there was any environmental movement to speak of. he built this soy car in 1941

but shelved the project because of the war. >> every time we think that we had a brand-new idea and we start working on it in the lab, we'll always run across some old, historical document where henry ford had already done some of this work because he felt so strongly about it. >> reporter: now, ford's dreams are finally being realized. by a team even he could have never imagined. >> before i retire i would love to see every single plastic material in the interior exterior and under hood of the vehicles produced from a sustainable resource. >> reporter: betty nguyen, cbs news, new york. >> 35 minutes past the hour. terrell brown in for jeff glor this morning with one final check of your headlines on this monday. good morning. >> hey, erica and chris. good morning to you both. behind every ondemand american drone plane, there's someone on the ground at the controls. a new study finds that often, they are seriously overworked. air force research says that 30% of those who operate drones are emotionally exhausted. many of them work 50 to 60 hours

per week because of the increased use of drones and the lack of operators. the report says that the mind-numbing monotony and increased work loads put strains on family. this morning, syria agreed to allow arab observers into the country. the deputy minister signed the deal with the arab league aimed at ending a crackdown on demonstrators. the u.n. estimates 5,000 people have been killed during the uprising. in egypt this morning, a fourth straight day of deadly protests. at least three people were killed today after egyptian soldiers opened fire during a raid. that brings the overall death toll from recent protests to at least 14. the demonstrators are demanding an end to military rule. some of the outrage by protesters is being fueled by a video that's gone viral. it shows a young woman being beaten by police this weekend, her religious robe being pulled off, exposing her in public. that's a big deal. it's against islamic law. one soldier did try to cover her up to preserve her modesty. in the czech republic this morning, people gathered to

remember former president vacslav havel. candles and flowers were placed to remember him. his death was yesterday at age 75. the world-famous playwright was a hero to the country for leading peaceful revolution that toppled the regime in 1989. a funeral is scheduled for friday. a new report finds the first 11 months of this year were the safest ever on record for commercial air travel. the international air transport association said the accident rate worldwide was down 22% from the year before the lowest since they began

y deadline by the way. 7 minutes past the bottom of the hour. time for one more check of your weather. now here's a look at what's going on outside your window. bridget cary good to have you here with us this morning. >> good to be here. >> that was a giveaway. the darth vader ones i can't wait to see it. >> it's super cute. it's hard not to love it. >> how are you? good to see you.

>> good to be here. humor's always the big thing that makes a video go viral. >> is that the selling point? if you're sitting at home right now and say, okay i want to put something out there that's going to make a big impact? >> get your pet on there or get a baby on there. if you have a pet and a baby double the bonus, yeah. >> let's look at the videos that have generated the most buzz. first is -- let's see, let's do -- >> the talking dog. >> the talking dog, exactly. let's take a look here. >> food i just couldn't stop thinking about it so yeah. i went to the fridge and i opened up the meat drawer. you know what the meat drawer is right? >> yeah. what was in there? >> well, i'll tell you what was in there. you know that bacon that's like maple? it's got maple flavor? >> the maple kind yeah? >> yes. >> yeah? >> i took that out and i thought -- >> yeah? >> -- i know who would like that me! so i ate it. >> oh! no you're kidding me. >> look at those eyes! look at those eyes. >> no way did that dog --

>> you may not have seen it but what 73 million people and counting did? >> yeah and then there's the talking baby where we don't know what they're exactly talking about, probably maybe why one's missing a sock or something, but it's adorable. having a little conversation in the kitchen. >> we have that right? these are the twins. [ babbling ] >> they're adorable. >> the twins do have their own language. >> let them keep going. >> we only have so much time. we've got to move it along. >> yeah, exactly. i mean that was just hysterical. and the mom's just like filming. you never know what you're going to catch. >> 56 million people have viewed that. >> yeah. >> all laughed. it's good stuff. commercials also get a lot of play, the old spice guys. >> remember the old spice guy

from last year. >> and now this year it was your guy. >> yeah it's the kid dressed up as darth vader trying to use the force around the house. it's the volkswagen commercial from the super bowl. you may have saw it. until he or she gets the dad's car -- >> a spoof. >> maybe the force was unleashed. >> that was a good one, did get plenty of play. so, these are one type but there are also people that put these out there of themselves not just kids or pets or repurposing a commercial. what makes something, you know grab a lot of attention, if you're going to put it out there online? >> something candid something real captured in the moment or in the case of one, somebody captured on a web cam where two cute seniors did not know that they were -- >> they are our correspondents! >> we loved them. they were great. they joined us on the show. they were fantastic. >> they were trying to figure out the web cam and didn't realize it was recording the whole time. >> 9 million viewers saw them. >> and then there's the case of the 29-year-old girl. >> yeah.

>> who recorded herself getting a hearing device at the doctor where she heard her own voice for the first time after 29 years of being deaf. >> incredible. >> people were so touched by that. i've seen that all over facebook so. >> that's had a ton of coverage. there are also breakout sort of news -- common news moments, the pepper spray incident we saw recently out in california. a lot of traction and a lot of that coming on youtube. >> right. in the case of you know the pepper spray cop here and just all of occupy it was just a movement on youtube this year. there might not have been one or two massive videos but the movement as a whole -- >> collectively, yeah. >> between that and twitter, it really did kind of help fuel or continues to help fuel it. let's talk about people that actually fake moments to kind of make their own viral video. >> fake it until you make it. >> yeah. >> sometimes you can be successful faking that honest moment. there is one where a woman puts on an eharmony video, a personal

video of herself. she calls herself debbie and she has a big passion for cats. >> i'm sorry, i'm thinking about cats again. i just i think about/÷eo÷ how many don't have a home and how i should have them cute they are and their ears and the whiskers and the nose. i just love them and i want them and i want them in a basket and i want little bow ties. >> those are just some freak -- >> yeah i mean you see that has poor audio quality, poor video quality, could it be real? but she's actually an actress and already has a store online selling all this merchandise -- >> does that mean she's not eligible? maybe you should get her number. >> i was wondering why i didn't hear back from her. so much for eharmony. >> she was at the shelter picking up a new cat. >> good for her.

>> bridget, thanks always fun to look back at these. >> bridget, thanks. i have never tried eharmony for the record. >> moving on. this morning our "local legends" series goes to lake champlain on the vermont/new york border where some people say there is a watery beast called champ. >> he's a north american version of the loch ness monster. he's got a video, his own coffee cups and t-shirts. poor guy, though probably isn't seeing any of the profits, but here's the story of champ as told by four longtime residents, including two who say, yes, they've seen champ. >> i've been doing champ stories for 28 years. in contrast to stories that people disagree with about town budgets and things like that almost no one disagrees with the champ story. everyone loves the champ story. >> they always describe him as very long slender neck you know the long neck and very long body. >> ought to be maybe 8 or 10 feet long. >> it was sort of a dark greenish-brown brownish-green. >> it was maybe 10 to 12 inches

in diameter and it was round, like a snake or a serpent. >> we were driving along in the mid-'80s first weekend in december. i turned to my husband and i said, what's that post-like thing out there? and when i turned my head back here were concentric circles on the water moving out, and the post was gone. now, posts don't just disappear. they float or stick up or do something. they don't just go down. >> i've seen beluga whales i've seen sturgeon i've seen a lot of things, and my mind was not able to put this in any category that i ever thought of. >> it's fun to have things devoted to champ. it's funny how many people will come in looking for something that has champ on it and funnier when people come in and say, where can i find champ? where can i go to see him? >> champ originated in an entry

in samuel de champlain's diary he wrote in 1609 that he had seen a sea serpent in the lake with large coils and scales that reflected in the sunlight. most of the people that i talk to who say they've seen champ say they've seen a large creature of some type coming out of the lake. >> there are times when you see things in the lake and you think, gee, i wonder if that could be champ. maybe this is the one time he'll show himself. >> on summer weekends around cocktail hour you will see out here a couple humps. >> i think it's the idea of something mysterious something maybe almost supernatural a prehistoric throwback living in lake champlain and it sort of makes everyday life a little more interesting. >> do i want this being to be netted or killed or shot by somebody or bound and finally determined? you know absolutely no i

don't, because there's so few mysteries left in the world. you know they've all been taken away from us by our incredible inquisitiveness. >> it's just a mystique of almost like santa claus. >> you do have to keep looking and keep hoping and believing. i'd really like to have some more champ sightings. i don't know if we will or won't have them. >> what do you think, double? >> of course. >> yeah? >> but if it's the same champ that was seen in 1609 -- >> old. >> wow! >> those underwater creatures can live to be very old. >> it's amazing, the powers. >> water preservation. still ahead, katie lee brings us a tasteful christmas treat. >> that's good. i'm hungry. a little italian

some people say fruitcake is a rodney dangerfield christmas gift it gets no respect.

>> "early show" contributor katie lee says there is an alternative, the italian christmasbread called metatome. >> the holidays are a perfect excuse for indulge in a sweet treat. my personal favorite is out of this world. >> panatone is a christmas tradition in italy, right? >> yep, absolutely. >> tell me about that. >> well there are many legends how this originate. some say it came from a little baker, who his name was tony. and for the christmastime, they were very poor in milan back then and they were making a traditional bread for the holidays, but wanted to spruce it up a little bit and they put raisins and some vanilla, is so people liked it. and out of that the name panatoni came out. >> tell me about your family's

panettone. >> we had a baker in milan who started making these and our recipe has been the same ever since since. >> what are some different ways to serve it? >> we have traditional ways which is simple as this one here with just plain whipped cream. you toast the panettone with whipped cream. it can be replaced with a mousse, so you have a richer taste. my mom loves it. she has to have it. or with this eggnog mousse, which you have right here. >> ooh, this looks really good. this looks really sinful actually. it's a good thing i worked out this morning. >> it is good. >> that's where it's at. that is so good. wow. wow. let me try it this way, too. mm-mmm, delicious.

>> we're digging in. katie brought some panettone back for us this morning. you brought it naked. >> yeah. >> but it's delicious. >> this way, you can get, you know, the flavor of it and taste the vanilla and the citrus. it's so good. it's definitely not a fruitcake. it kind of has that reputation sometimes, but it has dried fruit, and that's sort of the similarity. >> it's much lighter. it won't break if it ends up -- >> it's light and fluffy. it's so good. this is one of my favorite christmas traditions. i always buy this and it makes great french toast for christmas morning, i'll make that. >> should make it ahead of time for christmas morning. but this is -- you don't see this outside of christmas, do you? or has that changed? >> no it's only for christmas. they produce it one month, december to january, that's it. he told me that a lot of places are manufacturing it now as early as august, but san ambrose, strictly christmas. >> mm-mmm. >> pretty tasty, right? >> does it have the shelf life of fruitcake?

can you keep it for four years? >> i wouldn't try that. >> thank you. >> have a great day, everyone. enjoy your ♪ making your way in the world today ♪ ♪ takes everything you've got ♪ ♪ wouldn't you like to get away? ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ you want to be where you can see ♪ ♪ our troubles are all the same ♪ ♪ you want to go where everybody knows your name ♪ ♪ ♪

with your c-b-s five headlines... a pposing it's monday, 8:55. i'm grace lee with your cbs 5 headlines. a local labor group is opposing an effort to recall oakland mayor jean quan. the oakland-based lamb labor council says a recall would distract attention from efforts to deal with the city's economic problems. about 20,000 ballot signatures from registered oakland voters are required in order to put the recall on the ballot. san jose police might be closer to catching the man who allegedly killed a fellow hells angels member during a funeral service back in october. investigators say that they have credible evidence that steve ruiz was spotted in san jose. ruiz is believed to be armed and dangerous. a water main break is prompting controversy in san pablo just off interstate 80. a 60" east bay m.u.d. water main burst saturday morning. once the water stopped flowing,

another pipe was discovered in the torn-up pavement and that pipe belongs to a nearby conocophillips refinery, which says the line is safe. residents until the area are concerned. we'll have your traffic and weather coming right up.

good morning. we're just getting word at chp of a fog advisory for the richmond/san rafael bridge. so limited visibility as you cross the span. use caution through there this morning. south 101 not too bad out of marin county into san francisco. traffic free and clear there. later on 101 near candlestick expected to be very sluggish due to the 49ers steelers game taking place this evening. so mass transit is a good choice and everything is on time. that's a look at weather. let's check on traffic now with elizabeth. >> thank you, lawrence. -- that's a look at traffic. elizabeth has the forecast. foggy all over the bay area. this is a live look from the roof cam. a little low clouds but we are warming things up by this afternoon. all this should clear and then we should be left with sunshine. here's your pinpoint forecast today. mostly in the upper 50s to low 60s across most spots and the rain is pretty much out of here for the next six to seven days including for christmas. temperatures a few degrees above average. looks like we'll be in the 50s

through 60s through sunday.