>> we are. >> enjoy your thursday. >> caption colorado, llc comments@captioncolorado.com takes the lead in iowa while michele bachmann's campaign manager says suddenly he's now a ron paul supporter. we'll check in with the candidates and tell you who is gaining ground in iowa. as the other candidates crisscross iowa, former utah governor has new hampshire all to himself. he'll tell us, live, why he expects granite state voters to turn his struggling campaign around. a team move in italy may signal the move for the euro and markets around the world. we'll get the latest on italy's budget troubles and why the euro matters to the u.s. and an awesome sight off southern california. a bumper crop of gray whales. we'll take you whale watching early this thursday morning, we'll take you whale watching early this thursday morning, december 29th, 2011.

captioning funded by cbs and good thursday morning, everyone. i'm jeff glor. >> are you sure about that? >> my name or the day? >> i don't know. confused about both at times. >> well, it is a holiday week. i'm debbie turner bell. >> a lot happening this morning. welcome, debbie, by the way. we'll begin with politics. new poll shows significant changes in the republican presidential race in iowa. >> it's good news for mitt romney and bad news for newt gingrich. chief political correspondent jan crawford is in cedar rapids with the new lineup and a surprise for michele bachmann, too. good morning. >> ron paul and then there's a name we haven't heard in the top tier, rick sanatorium. like you said, the biggest surprise of the day came from

the camp of michele bachmann. this sometimes bitter battle for iowa took a slightly unexpected turn monday when state senator joined ron paul's team. sor sor sorensteen had been the campaign chairman. >> congressman paul came and did three separate events for me and i felt like he was by my side and now it's my time to be by his side. >> loyalty came at a price. >> >> reporter: paul finds himself in the middle of a tough, three-way battle atop the iowa polls with mitt romney and a surging rick santorum. >> looks like there are more cameras than there used to be. >> reporter: paul a libertarian with a small government message said his rivals are no different than president obama.

>> you pick another status quo president, presidential candidate and nothing is going to change. >> reporter: santorum said he knew his time in iowa would come. >> we had the right message and we had the bold. >> reporter: santorum has run a traditional campaign spending all his time in iowa and hitting all 99 counties. he appeals to the social conservatives who make up a sizable portion of the electorate. the new frontrunner is the man who kept expectations low in iowa. mitt romney was greeted by big crowds of voters who like their business experience and thinks he's the best hope of beating barack obama. >> i feel like it's going to be a good, strong showing. >> reporter: many voters worry the one-time frontrunner newt gingrich can't win because he has too much baggage to survive a battle with obama, which may help explain why gingrich is down nearly 20 points in a month in this latest iowa poll. gingrich is feeling the heat,

reacting testily after romney joked about leadership's failure to get on the ballot in his home state of virginia. >> more like lucille ball at the chocolate factory. >> reporter: gingrich shot back. >> i'd love to have him say that to my face. >> reporter: but yesterday he was joking himself as he actually made chocolate in a campaign stop. >> governor romney had a cute line yesterday about my team representing lucy at the chocolate factory and i want to say, here i am, in the chocolate factory. >> now, gingrich also complained yesterday about some of the negative ads that romney and the other candidates have been running against him. i asked romney about that yesterday afternoon and he said, listen, if you can't handle the heat now from the republicans, how are you going to handle it when president obama throws everything your way? jeff, debbie? >> jan, that is an interesting point. now, even romney has been modest about his expectations in iowa. how do you account for his rise and gingrich's slide in the state? >> you know, it is remarkable to

see whaut's happened in these polls in the last month. they have absolutely slipped places. gingrich has plummeted 20 points and everywhere i go when i'm talking to voters, they're saying the same thing. they worry that you can't beat barack obama because of his past because of his baggage as they say. i heard that word baggage over and over and over. i talked to voters who said we were going to be for newt, we like newt, he's smart. but obama is going to kill him and that's why we're going to back romney. they think he's electable and they think he can beat barack obama and they don't worry that they're going to be surprised at his background coming out. they saw him four years ago and nothing came out then. that's why they're going to romney. keeping their eye on the prize. that's taking back the white house from barack obama. >> all right, jan crawford in cedar falls, thank you so much. debbie, thank you. not everyone is focusing on iowa, though. one week after the caucuses is the important new hampshire primary and that's where

republican candidate jon huntsman is campaigning. he joins us from manchester this morning. governor, good morning. >> hi, jeff, great to be with you. >> glad you could be here. we just heard jan talk about the electability issue. is mitt romney the only electable candidate. >> i think you have other electable candidates. one reason i'm here in new hampshire, in iowa activity playing out and they picked corn in iowa and picked presidents here in new hampshire. this is a state where they want to know your heart and soul and they want to know what's in your head and vision for america. when it comes down to it, two key issues that i think will drive this election and mitt romney is not the one that is going to be able to drive those home. they're both deficits, jeff. one is an economic deficit and it's going to take someone who can approach debt and spending and fire the engines of growth, much like i did as governor of the state of utah. the second deficit is one of a different kind. a trust deficit. people no longer have trust towards the institution in this country. everybody knows that congress

needs term limits. everybody knows we needs to shut the revolving door to become lobbyists. everyone knows on wall street where there's no trust either, that we have to deal with banks that are too big to fail. i'm here to tell you that we need a president that is as aggressive on the trust side in dealing with that deficit as on the economic side. >> governor, we saw, we see rick santorum surging in iowa where he concentrated almost exclusively and you're concentrating on new hampshire and are you hoping for the same sort of thing? to. >> we're going to get the same sort of thing, jeff. we came from no where. used to be the margin of every candidate. last week we were in the teens in polls. today we will celebrate a public event number 130. we're putting out the old shoe leather and we're doing it the old-fashioned way and it's hand shake by hand shake. people want to know who you are and what is inside and they want to know what your vision is for

this great country. and that's got to be done at the ground level. >> governor, what are you considering a win in new hampshire? the beat market expectations. the latest poll puts you at 10, let's say. you get an 11 in new hampshire, you consider that a win? >> no, we've been in the mid-teens here, as well. i'm telling you that market expectations were very low as we started this journey. we were at zero. we're the underdog and coming up with each passing week and the market expectations change and by the end of our journey here, as we approach the tenth, the market expectations are higher and we'll have to exceed those market expectations, whatever they might be. every town hall meeting we're doing are bigger and bigger with more people turning out and we're connecting with our message, jeff. every confidence, as always, conventional wisdom. people always think they know how these elections will turn out and comes the vote out of new hampshire and upends conventional wisdom. who ultimately can go on to beat

barack obama? the rap on me has always been, he can win the general election, but can he win the primary phase of this election cycle? >> governor, if you had to do anything differently in your campaign, what would it have been? >> i'll let the historians deal with that. you can only look forward. look at what lies ahead. we're gaining ground and moving up instead of moving down. that's the good news coming out of our campaign. in terms of what goes right and wrong like any. >> in the 30 seconds we have left here y want to ask you about north korea, which is in transition now. you are well aware of what happens in that area of the world. what do you make of it? >> not a very good outcome of north korea. kim jong-un is consolidating his power the most reckless, brutal dictatorship in the world today. a less good outcome is an implosion of north korea as a

nation state in which case you'll see millions of people flee over to china and then you'll have loose nuclear weapons, probably a half dozen that would be a huge international concern. but as for the united states, northeast asia is probably 25% of the world's gdp. when you have a reckless regime like north korea, it impacts trade and impacts the flow of commerce and impacts our relationship with south korea, japan and parts of china and russia. we have an economic interest at stake and we must do whatever we can to preserve stability. that is coordinating with our allies, south korea and japan and ensure that we're in deep talks with russia and china to ensure, first and foremost, stability on the peninsula. second of all, to make sure that if there is some implosion of the nation state of north korea, that people have an eye on those nuclear weapons. >> always a good conversation. we appreciate your time, sir. >> thank you, jeff. the latest on europe's debt crisis.

>> this morning in italy things are getting better in the euro zone as alan pizzey reports. >> reporter: italian prime minister said a press conference that a package for italy was ready but the turbulent phase wasn't over yet and a lot of work to be done in spite of government debt having gone well. the yield, the interest rate italy has to pay was just under 7%. the sign the markets were banking on, if not happy, but less than miserable new year for the ailing euro zone. on wednesday the rate on six-month treasury bills, credit worthiness were half to just under 3%. >> remember, that's the k level that was deemed when portugal and greece and other kind of struggling nations after they went through that 7% and they found it hard to borrow from the

main markets. >> reporter: the replacement of silvio berlusconi may have helped calm the markets, but there are concerns that his government may not be able to hold on to political power. tax increases and severe pension reforms haven't gone down well with trade unions and opposition parties here and italy's growth rate is expected to contract by 0.4% next year with the threat of a full-blown recession. opinion on the streets of rome was divided. "their all the signs of incumbent disaster," he says. "next year will be a lot worse." but others see some hope. "if we manage to hold on and, most importantly, to make everybody pay," this man says "maybe we'll make it." the tenth anniversary of the euro is only a few days away and looking more like a tired old man than a teenager headed for a

growth spurt. allen pizzey, cbs, roam. alexis christoforous. why should americans be concerned about italy's bonds? >> look, if this was two years ago, we wouldn't be sitting here talking about an italian bond option but it is very important because this is a litmus test of investor confidence. look, italy is the third largest economy in europe. it is struggling right now under a mountain of debt and it's having this auction to try to raise some badly needed cash. if there is strong demand for this option, we believe italy is still a good investment and we're willing to hold on to these bonds and hold on to this debt and it drives interest rates in that country lower which is good news because it helps to spur economic growth. fell to an 11-month low against

the dollar today. that sounds bad news for europeans. >> it depends. you can look at this two ways. if you're traveling to europe any time soon, your dollar will go further there because the dollar is now stronger. you can buy more goods in europe. but on the flip side of that, multi-national companies here in the u.s. that do a lot of business overseas now see their exports becoming more expensive and the trickle down effect is if they're going to sell less overseas, they may have to pull back here and cut jobs or maybe not hire as many people as planned next year. >> ask you real quickly about this iranian threat for the strait of hormuz and whether that will have a serious effect on oil prices here in america. big deal? >> possibly. we know this is a speculative market and possibility could drive prices. other nations say don't worry we'll pump enough oil to make up for the fact that iran may shut down this important route. but oil prices have been good to us lately. we're getting a break at the gas pump. gas prices down 30 cents over the past six weeks.

the national average is now $3.24 a gallon. if we were to see a supply crunch or even the possibility of that, prices could move up, we could see higher heating oil bills as we move further into the winter and higher gas prices and depending on how high they go, that could really bite into a family's budget. >> alexis christoforous. here's wit johnson with a check of the headlines. >> the "wall street journal" reports the charges against u.s.-based engineers brought by bp. prosecutors say bp failed to conduct accurate pressure tests on one part of the deep water horizon rig. the conviction would carry a fine and up to five years in prison. it killed 11 workers and spilled nearly 5 million barrels of oil into the gulf. u.s. arm sales to iraq are

going ahead as planned. $11 billion worth of weapons and training are intended to help iraq rebuild its military and defend its borders. that's despite concerns that the iraqi government could create a one-party state and align itself with irain. in southeast turkey overnight, at least 35 people were killed in a raid by turkish warplanes near the iraqi border. local officials say only civilians were killed. new attacks in afghanistan this morning. two members of the french foreign legion were shot dead by a soldier in the afghan national army. earlier ten afghan police officers were killed by roadside bomb in helman province. packed a square for a memorial service in honor of dictator kim jong-il. his son and success kim jong-un attended the ceremony where he was called the supreme leader. and the south pacific island nation of samoa is about to

still ahead this morning, we've been watching these

spectacular pictures. >> it is so amazing. >> great whales making a big splash off southern california and returning in record numbers right now. >> we'll take you there for amazing whale watching. you don't want to miss this on "the early show" on cbs. it feels totally different from a regular toothpaste. new pronamel iso-active is a toothpaste in a can. the gel transforms into a foam and surrounds your teeth. pronamel iso-active helps protect against the effects of acid erosion. absolutely. thank you so much. no problem.

man: do your simple return with the turbotax federal free edition, and now get our free, one-on-one, expert tax advice, live by phone or chat. get the federal free edition, at turbotax.com. hershey's drops. a lot of hershey's happiness in little drops of milk chocolate. and cookies n creme. pure hershey's. is this your normal? jamie lee curtis?? oh, hi, yes...wow, you really went all out on the decorations, huh?! yeah, but i'm so slow taking them down after all the fatty holiday food. but that's normal. what do you mean that's normal? it doesn't have to be. to me, normal, means feeling good inside. not slow.

try some activia. activia helps with occasional irregularity, when eaten 3 times a day. keep a video diary and let me know about your new normal. love your new normal or it's free. get ready for sears happy new year's sale. use your savings pass to save over 65% on coats. over 65% on fleece and sweaters and over 65% on pajamas and robes for the whole family. plus it's the big denim event! get to sears.

♪ it's pretty right there but 2011 has been a year of weather extremes. record wildfires in arizona burned more than 500,000 acres and deadly tornado outbreaks and killed more than 500 people in the midwest and the south. >> we will find out coming up here what that might mean for the year ahead in 2012. you're watching "the early show" on cbs. stick around. announcer: this portion of "the early show" sponsored by citibank. what is your story? citi can help you write it. learn more at citi.stories.com. to pick up some accessories. d

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. [ male announcer ] what if we could keep enough plastic waste to cover all of manhattan out of landfills each year? the equivalent of 140 million trash bags, gone. by using new glad trash bags, designed with reinforcing bands

to be stronger with less plastic waste, we can. ♪ it's a small change that can make a big difference. ♪ [ smack! ] [ smack! smack! smack! ] [ male announcer ] your favorite foods fighting you? fight back fast with tums. calcium rich tums goes to work in seconds. nothing works faster. ♪ tum ta tum tum tums nothing works faster. do not miss sears after- christmas sale. get 60% off coats. 60% off fleece and sweaters. 60% off pajamas and robes for the whole family. plus its the big denim savings event! for serious after-christmas savings, get to sears! what's going on? we ordered a gift online and we

really need to do something with it... i'm just not sure what... what is it? oh just return it. returning gifts is easier than ever with priority mail flat rate boxes from the postal service. if it fits, it ships anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. plus i can pick it up for free. perfect because we have to get that outta this house. c'mon, it's not that... gahh, oh yeah that's gotta go... priority mail flat rate shipping starts at just $4.95. only from the postal service. a simpler way to ship and return.

frank mallicoat ... we're keeping watch on a good morning. it's 7:25. get you caught up with some of the headlines here in the bay area. we're keeping a watchful eye on a standoff at south san jose. it's an apartment complex down there. this is live pictures there. s.w.a.t. team has been called in. police have been there for several hours this morning. they say a man that brandished a machete has threatened them, holed up in an apartment there. they don't think that there's anyone else in the apartment. and nobody has been hurt. but we'll continue to monitor that situation. investigators plan to start looking for the cause of a three large fire in the berkeley hills. about an hour and a half from now, the fire did heavy damage to two homes on miller avenue last night. three firefighters were treated. two for heat exhaustion and for a minor knee injury. if you have a 4-g device running on verizon it might not be working. san francisco is one of the

major markets hit by a network outage. it is the third time in a month for verizon data connection problems. older devices may still be working. got your traffic and weather coming up.

good morning from the traffic center. let's head to the peninsula where we have a traffic alert that was issued by chp south 101 right at rangesdorf. they have shut down the two right lanes to retrieve an accident with major injuries. an accident at san antonio blocking both right lanes. both incidents causing delays in both directions on 101. west 580 at 13 wreck on the right side. foggy continues. dense fog advisory for the bay bridge, limited visibility. >> can't see much of anything in your traffic camera, thanks, gianna. we have fog over the bay this morning and it's creeping into the city. check out the camera. this is from the transamerica building. that's where our cameras are positioned and you can see that fog is an issue. temperatures are mild in the 40s out there now. you can see 51 in pacifica. cooler areas, 35 out in fairfield. warming up to the upper 50s, low 60s by this afternoon, a dense fog advisory for the north bay should be lifted by 9

a.m. next chance of rain friday.

welcome back to "the early show," everyone. i'm jeff glor, along with debbye turner bell. coming up here, a huge treat for whale watchers in california. great whales are migrating in record numbers this season. four times normal -- more normal sightings because we are seeing more whales than we have seen in 30 years. >> you can matter the oohs and ahs. whatever the reason they are around, it's beautiful. first, a record year for extreme weather. 96 declared disasters in the u.s. costing billions of dollars and killing more than 1,000 people. >> here to look at the top five weather events of 2012 is m.

sanjayan, lead scientist at t. >> it was a lot worse in terms of big disaster than we have ever seen before. >> why? >> a harder question. a perfect storm of events. we had a la nina year. a thing called oscillation that drifted further south but we have this underlying factor of climate change that makes everything warm and super charges the atmosphere. plus, people today are living in places that sometimes puts them in harm's way. >> a coastline? >> coastline, canyon, or in more extreme environments because we know someone will come to rescue us. >> let's tick down some of the big catastrophic weather events starting off with number five, we will call it on our countdown, the droughts in the south. they were just devastating. >> absolutely.

and they were probably the costliest disaster of last year because they went on for so long and it affected lots of us. cattle died off. 600,000 cattle were sold off in texas which means your hamburger prices even if you don't live in the south went up. >> up next is the wallow fire in arizona. >> biggest wildfire in arizona's history. the good news about that one, more good news, places where they had good fire management and forest management didn't suffer as badly in places where they didn't manage the forest well. >> seems like a long time ago. july, terrible heat wave. every state hit a record of some kind during that month. what happened? >> you only have to say texas. a hundred days above a hundred degrees in texas. can you imagine living through that? that wasn't just a u.s. phenomenon. a global phenomenon. that is only going to get worse. >> then hurricane irene which a lot of people remember as unfortunate because it wasn't the wind from irene, it was the rain and the flooding from irene. >> right.

that's the part we didn't really quite understand. the rain from that and the flooding and the backing up of that flooding created a lot of problems in vermont and new york. it shut down new york. first time all of the transit stuff came to standstill in new york. >> and then, of course, the tornadoes in the midwest and the south. probably where was the hardest hit area? >> absolutely. in alabama region, you know, you had -- and missouri region, you had 300 deaths in one day. that's pretty amazing. >> it is. tornadoes are so scary. >> yeah. and looking at 2012, more tornadoes, any predictions what is going to happen here? >> it's not gob as bgoing to be bad. climate changes will continue so you will continue to see droughts but i don't think we will suffer from as many tornadoes like last year. so that is the positive news. droughts will probably continue. >> we will hold you to it.

>> hope you're right about that. >> i hope i'm right for part of that and wrong about the other part. >> thank you very much. >> happy new year. >> appreciate it. you too. time for a look at the rest of the news. here is whit johnson at the news desk. good morning. the iowa caucus five days away, newt gingrich is slipping and rick santorum is surging. a new cnn "time" poll of likely iowa caucus voters finds mitt romney in the lead at 25%. ron paul follows at 22% and rick santorum in third while newt gingrich fades to fourth place. new violence is reported in syria this morning. a human rights group says at least eight people were killed when syrian security forces opened fire on protesters. the

up next, banks are not as kind to small businesses as they used to be. >> we are going to take a look at some of the other ways that small businesses can get the start-up cash they need. you're watching "the early show" on cbs. you shouldn't just get it fast,

you should also get it for free. that's why at h&r block... you could get money that's both fast and free on an emerald card. just bring in your tax information and get a refund anticipation check... in 7-14 days, for up to $9,999. you pay nothing out of pocket. hurry. this offer ends february 4th. why pay for fast money when you can get it for free? call 1-800-hrblock to make an appointment. h&r block. never settle for less. it attends wrap parties... with the crew. there's nothing like the taste of the big mac snack wrap. but hurry. it has places to be. ♪ as a va doctor, i have more time to spend with my patients. and that's the kind of attention our veterans deserve. ♪ (announcer) learn more about careers with today's va at vacareers.va.gov.

if you have painful, swollen joints, i've been in your shoes. one day i'm on top of the world... the next i'm saying... i have this thing called psoriatic arthritis. i had some intense pain. it progressively got worse. my rheumatologist told me about enbrel. i'm surprised how quickly my symptoms have been managed. [ male announcer ] because enbrel suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculis, lymphoma, other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. get back to the things that matter most. ask your rheumatologist if enbrel is right for you. [ male announcer ] enbrel. the #1 biologic medicine prescribed by rheumatologists.

can collect on the surface of a denture. leading regular toothpastes are not designed to kill the bacteria that polident is designed to kill. polident's unique microclean formula has been proven to eliminate thousands of times more of the germs that can grow on dentures than leading regular toothpastes. that's why it's best to clean your denture by soaking in polident. not just once or twice a week, but every day. using polident on a daily basis will make sure that you are as confident as you can be in that denture. will make sure that you are as confident as you can be

credit is one of the most important challenges for a small business, if not the most important challenge. this year small business loans fell to a 12-year low. >> but now alternative sources of cash are on the rise and financial contributor how closely is job creating tied for small businesses in this country? >> tremendously. it has for many years. between 1993 and 2008, 2009, 65% of jobs created in this country were by companies that have less than 500 employees. so that is our official small business definition. a tremendous amount of these jobs. but here is what has happened. since 2008, lending to small businesses have been cut in half. it has contracted by 54%. just since 2008. >> we talked about some of the ways to try to increase this and get the economy going more. one of the mesh ups between social media and learned. how do these things work? >> wimba we have heard about

pure to pure lending around a while and this is different. this matches up borrowers, small businesses of people who need funds, with professional lenders. not just another peer but actual professional creditors and lenders. the borrowers put up an anonymous post about their business and up-front shop. the lenders get to scan and look through. the lenders if they find borrowers they like they pay to access to profile on that borrower and wemba takes that fee and only fee they get. >> are they making a difference? >> it is making quite a bit of difference. these just started and we know pure to pure lending boomed since 2008 because lending to small businesses and individuals have just been so, so difficult to have. these sites are popping up because there is such a need. >> there are small businesses that are doing well but they need a little bit of a boost. what services are available? >> if you're a business up and running and seeing your profits go up and go up 40%, 5% a year

and a bank weaned lend to you. lighter is looking at companies $200,000 in an revenue and making investments up to $500,000 and you have a revenue loan. someone loans you the money that is based on your earnings. as opposed to a vent tour capitalist or investor say i want a percentage of your company in exchange for this money. i want some control of your company. this lighter capital gets rid of that controlling interest and, instead, ties the loan to how well your company is doing. ties it to the revenue. >> seems much more appealing to a business owner. >> it is a bit more on the revenue end that you're giving up. it could be anywhere from 3% to 25%. they want to make quite a bit of their money back but you're giving up that controlling aspect of having someone come in and say let's do the business this way. >> are there lenders that focus only on small businesses? >> this would be credit unions or community lenders and such

but t. >> we are talking about one thing i want to mention which is rebirth financial. this is a pure to pure lending process. you put up posts and people fund your businesses and businesses can fund your businesses. the average loan, $27,500,000. their average loan is $150,000. rebirth financial loans is high. $80,000. that's your average loans. >> will banks up and start lending more in 2012. >> we hope they would open up the money because bank profits have been high. small business is a huge part of the growth of this country. >> yeah. it only makes sense. >> it does. carmen wong ulrich, thank you. up next, scientists say they haven't seen anything like this in 30 years. >> we will head to the california coast where the

whales seem to be having a population explosion. gosh. they are so beautiful. this is "the early show" on cbs. [ male announcer ] you have plans... moments you're looking forward to... what if they were stolen from you? by alzheimer's. this cruel disease costs americans more than $180 billion a year, and could cripple medicare in the near future. the alzheimer's association is taking action, and has been a part of every major advancement. but we won't rest until we have a cure. you have plans... help the alzheimer's association protect them. act now, go to alz.org. ♪ that's good morning, veggie style. hmmm [ male announcer ] for half the calories -- plus veggie nutrition. could've had a v8. plus veggie nutrition. it's not over... 'til it's over. it's not over, it's the sears after christmas event. right now get up to 25% off kenmore appliances.

10% off whirlpool and kitchenaid. and an extra 15% off all appliances with your sears card. sears when you need it the most, it's the comfort of a scent you've always loved, it's freshness that lasts for 14 days, it's snuggly softness you depend on. it's value you can feel good about. it's what makes the world a softer place. ♪ let's snuggle®. we've done a good job caring for our mouths. that's why there's a rinse like crest pro-health multi-protection. it helps you get a better dental check-up. so be ready for your next dental check-up. try any crest pro-health rinse.

they're smart. they can outsmart their humans. and their canines. that's why they deserve the smartest choice in litter. so we make fresh step scoopable litter with carbon, which is more effective at absorbing odors than baking soda. fresh step. your cat deserves the best. look for new fresh step, with better odor elimination than ever before. come for a smoke? yeah. no. you telling me you quit? yeah, i'm on my way. i'm trying nicoderm cq. [ male announcer ] every time you say no to a cigarette, celebrate a little win with nicoderm cq, the patch with smart control technology that gives you a burst of nicotine in the morning then continues working for up to 24 hours

so you can go from one little win to another. until you reach your goal. nicoderm cq. quit one day at a time. every year, great whales migrate from the arctic to warm waters off baja, california, swimming along the coast to the delight of whale watchers every year. >> this year, they seem to be arriving in record numbers and scientists don't know why as national correspondent lee cowan reports. >> reporter: it once was considered lucky to catch a sight like this. after all, the great whale used to be in danger but this month, along the california coast, flock is surfacing like never before. biologists say there are nearly 170 sightings of great whales this month alone.

more than four times the normal number. >> oh, my gosh! >> i never seen a real whale before so i was super super surprised. >> there she blows up at 11:00. >> my favorite sound is when people scream. when you hear them screaming and they are happy on the front. that is what makes my day. >> reporter: the grays have been captured under water as well. this video is already making the rounds on youtube. >> that is where it should be. >> reporter: even from shore. they seem almost close enough to touch. >> one was just right here. >> very, very close. so close, you can actually hear them very often. >> can you really? >> yeah. >> reporter: no one knows exactly what the sightings mean. are there really more whales out there or are they just swimming closer to shore and easier to spot? what is known is the great whales aren't the only ones crowding the shores this season. >> there she blows! >> reporter: last spring, hundreds of blue whales were spotted off california's coast too. and then there were the hop

backs. gave kayakers the surprise of a lifetime. whatever the reason, at the very least, researchers hope it all means things in the whaling world are well. >> it could very well mean that more are coming down because they are pregnant and ready toive give birth and others are coming down ready to get pregnant for the next year. >> reporter: leaving whale watchers hopeful that this aquatic traffic jam will get even busier. lee cowan, cbs news, los angeles. >> you know, the big question is why? why are they seeing them so much more? hard to know. dr. sanjayan had a theory it's a la nina year the pattern is closer to the coast so their pattern is closer to the coast. >> let's make a field trip. >> let's go. right after this show! a long time beacon of hope and creativity gets a new lease on life. >> we will go inside the harlem school of the arts when "the early show" continues. [ male announcer ] little owen wanted to play,

but his nose was raw and sore. achoo! [ male announcer ] and common tissue made it burn even more. ♪ puffs plus lotion is more soothing than common tissue, and it delivers our most soothing lotion for every nose issue. a nose in need deserves puffs plus lotion indeed. to give your cold a comforting scent, try puffs plus lotion with the scent of vicks. oh how i wish i could resist jiggling this holiday. oh joy oh natural joy! truvia®, box of bliss, zero calorie sweetness from a leaf, my sugar plum happiness. truvia®. honestly sweet.

♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] some people just know how to build things well. give you and your loved ones an expertly engineered mercedes-benz... ho ho ho! ...at the winter event going on now. but hurry -- the offer ends january 3rd. but hurry -- is this your normal? jamie lee curtis?? oh, hi, yes...wow, you really went all out on the decorations, huh?! yeah, but i'm so slow taking them down after all the fatty holiday food. but that's normal. what do you mean that's normal? it doesn't have to be. to me, normal, means feeling good inside. not slow. try some activia. activia helps with occasional irregularity, when eaten 3 times a day. keep a video diary and let me know about your new normal. love your new normal or it's free.

a standoff at an apartment complex in sou good morning. it's 7:55. i'm grace lee. a standoff at an apartment complex in south san jose is now over. the suspect voluntarily left his apartment just minutes ago on capital village circle. that's near snell avenue and capitol expressway. now, police say that the man had a machete and had threatened officers while being holed up in his apartment. officers also say the man was very confrontational during the surrendered. a police dog helped in the arrest. this morning the state supreme court is set to release a decision that's crucial to cities across california. this has to do with the state's plan to divert $1.7 billion of redevelopment money. this is to reduce california's budget deficit. a lawsuit says that it violates

proposition 22, a voter- approved measure that bars the state from seizing local tax money. when we find out that decision, we'll bring it to you. we'll have an update on your traffic and weather coming right up.

good morning from the traffic center. continues to be very foggy out there on the freeways. advisories for the bay bridge, carquinez bridge, benicia and the richmond/san rafael bridge. you can hardly make out the bay bridge but i promise, it's

there. this is the direction up the incline. lights are out on the lower deck of the bay bridge so use caution. if you are headed into palo alto, mountain view, we have an accident in the clearing stages. southbound 101 near rangesdorf is over to the right shoulder. north 101 at san antonio this wreck also in the clearing stages. but some slight delays as you work your way along 101 in both directions. san mateo bridge we had an earlier fog advisory. that has been lifted but you can see traffic moving well through that portion. and no delays on the golden gate bridge. that's traffic. check out the fog, liz. >> i know. it's all over the bay area this morning. it's creeping into san francisco. you can see it lingering there over san francisco's marina. you can maybe make out the top of the golden gate bridge. it sounds like the worst of it in the north and east bay valleys. north bay dense fog advisory until 9 a.m. a lot of 40s right now. 49 right now in san francisco. cooler spots where the fog is beginning to clear, 39 in fairfield and napa. warming up to the upper 50s to low 60s by this afternoon the

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ welcome back to "the early show" on a thursday morning. i'm sure this time. i'm jeff glor along with debbie turner bell. coming up, an inspiring story at the harlem school of arts. >> the school has reopened its doors. that is sweet music for the children who study here. we'll show you how the school under a new leader, continues to inspire through dance, music and so much more. but first, family and friends of a teenager, a rising star in youtube will gather in houston. >> he died leaving behind a touching video revealing what

took his life. >> hi, guys. thanks for watching. >> reporter: for more than a year ben breedlove has been cultivating a following on youtube. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: offering kids his age advice on everything from dating to the s.a.t.s with the wit and wisdom of someone far beyond his 18 years. >> so what are your views on -- >> he was the most joyful person i've ever known. >> reporter: just before christmas, ben made a different kind of video. still funny, but also terribly sad. ben shared with the world his personal struggle with a life-threatening heart condition and how that challenged him every day of his life. >> he was 13 minutes old and we were approached by a cord yol gist and found out he had a condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. >> a thickening of the heart muscle that makes it difficult

for the heart to cause blood and causes chest pain, high blood pressure and eventually heart failure. ben cheated death three times beginning at age 4 and earlier this month. the paramedics had to revive him at school. >> i just asked him if he was happy that he woke up and he said i guess, and he said he was so glad to be back with the family, but that he just wanted to be back in that peace. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: shortly after ben returned to that peace. he passed away on christmas morning while playing in the backyard with his younger brother. his family did not see the video until the following day. it was his last christmas present to them. ♪ ♪ >> very proud of him for choosing to be so vulnerable and share something of himself that was so personal. >> reporter: and then also left his followers and the world with a message of hope.

♪ ♪ ♪ >> and it seems, at least on youtube, the world was listening. offering ben something back. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> as of this morning this video has been viewed by more than 1 million times on youtube. >> it's amazing. i watched it a few times and i'll watch it again. >> it is heartbreaking, but inspiring. we have more headlines at the news desk. good morning to you. >> good morning, everyone. it is reported that the justice department is considering criminal charges in last year's gulf oil spill. the government says bp

this weather sport sponsored by party city. nobody has more new years for less. i don't care what your day is like, there is nothing like cute polar bear cubs. >> yes, indeed. >> adorable. >> for nearly half a century the harlem school of the arts taught music, art, dance, theater and visual arts until it closed a year ago. >> today it opened again and a visionary new leader is turning things around. christina lewis talked to students who say they can't imagine life without this school. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: from artists who have mastered the notes. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: to novices who are just learning. >> that's my boy. come on. the harlem school of the arts is an after-school community program that welcomes a wide range of talent and discipline. ♪ ♪ >> if you weren't coming here

every day what would you be doing? >> i would find a way to dance probably. >> reporter: 14-year-old ariysa white has been dancing here for five years. >> dancing is not a hobby for me. it's, like, my life. it comes from the inside. it makes me feel good about myself. it makes me feel like i can really do something and not just sit on my couch. even when i'm tired, i don't want to stop. >> reporter: ariysa comes to hsa daily, but she almost lost that opportunity for good when the school was forced to close its doors for three weeks last year due to financial problems, but thanks to a new leader who took charge in january, the school's finances are back on track and its doors back open. >> how did you do this? people have called you a force of nature. >> that's a funny phrase. i somehow believe things can happen. >> reporter: a former dancer for

the alvin ailey group she has a math in theics degree from uc berkeley. in her first year as president she's helped raise $2 million and cut the school's budget by 80%. >> we are providing something for the kids right now because of the situation with the economy so that this generation of kids will be the fans of tomorrow, and i appreciate tomorrow because how is the opera supposed to survive if there's no one to sit there and watch it. >> reporter: hsa has served tens of thousands in its community and yvette says after-school programs like it are especially crucial today. >> the president council of the arts has done studies across the country. they've proven that kids that have sustained quality arts program, any discipline, it doesn't matter, are four times more likely to succeed academically. that's proven stats.

done. >> i want to become a professional dancer after high school -- after college. yeah. >> do you think that dancing is equally as important as everything that you learn in school? >> i think -- i think it is. it is a way for children to stay out of trouble and to have something to do because when you're just sitting around it just -- it escalates to something. ♪ ♪ >> i love the sound of the piano. >> an exceptional player, matthew whitaker is blind, but he can still see music. ♪ ♪ >> he can't read the note, he learns by listening and playing with his instructor. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> accomplished jazz pianist and composer didi jackson. >> we can try out something completely new that i think he may not learn and he'll come and

he's mastered the idea. >> reporter: matthew has been playing the piano since age 3 and only started jazz two years ago when his father brought him here. >> how important was arts to matthew? >> it wasn't for the arts or the music. he just loves it. it's in him to play. he has to play. >> reporter: and he's not just practicing. at age 10, matthew has already opened for stevie wonder and recently performed in japan. >> in the past year he's performed probably 20 times. you have to get on matthew's calendar to have him perform. he's becoming, through his music, an amazing young man. >> reporter: one that yvette campbell is a shining example of what the harlem school of the arts is all about. >> it's about giving the kids the ability to dream through art and to be better citizens and innovative thinkers because today you can't just compete by

going to school and getting a degree. you have to have something else. katrina fish, cbs news, new york. >> wow! first of all, i think we haven't heard the last of that young man, so good. what a neat program. >> if kids have an interest in music why not indulge it and get them into it? >> it can change lives. >> from life changers to world changers, up next, a look at 25 people who changed business in the world. >> they're the people behind fedex, home depot, starbucks and much more. we'll hear about the challenge they had to face. you're watching "the early show" on cbs.

you'll save 100 calories a day. that could help you lose up to 10 pounds in a year. and now get even more with splenda® essentials, the only line of sweeteners with a small boost of fiber, or antioxidants, or b vitamins in every packet. just another reason why you get more... when you sweeten with splenda®. ♪ it's one thing for an >> it's one thing for an entrepreneur to become rich or powerful, but only a few of them have changed the world we live in. >> author john a. burn identifies these people in his new book "world changers. 25 entrepreneurs who changed business as we know it." john, good morning.

>> good morning. >> so what's the criteria? how does someone change the world? >> number one it's impact. it's the way we live in the world or have fun in the world. people like steve jobs who changed our relationship to technology. howard schultz who has made coffee a sort of european staple in america and around the world. john mackey of whole foods who taught us the value of eating healthy and having organic food. it's really changed. >> is it by accident or design or can it be both? >> i think it tends to be by accident and i don't think anybody starts a business and has the idea to change the world entirely and those that contend that they do i think are full of it. >> it seems like a common thread and they're very different ideas and very different people and they've overcome setbacks. >> that is an amazing attribute of these exceptional people. ted turner was 24 years of age

when his father crawled into a bathtub and shot himself dead. oprah winfrey was 13 when she began to be sexually abused. steve jobs was abandoned by his own parents and one after the other and you see this incredible tragedy and you see them overcome this by a singular focus in an idea and a business. >> do you think they achieve this in spite of the adversity or because of the adversity? >> the adversity to bury it, to hide it to escape from it, you put all of your focus and all of your energy into an idea and just pursue it completely, and i think that's what happens to a lot of these people. >> but there's no one mold for what makes this world changing idea because we know how different steve jobs and bill gates are. >> indeed. there are some characteristics or dna. ernst & young which identifies the entrepreneur of the year has identified three common traits. you have to have an opportunistic mindset, an ability to accept failure and

assume risk, and third, you actually want a sense of independence and control because many of these people could never work for anyone else. >> stubborn. >> yeah. >> very stubborn. >> may be why they're world changers. you spent time talking about howard schultz of starbucks. how do you account for his success after he came back to the company. >> two had a second coming. steve jobs was thrown out of his company, came back and rescued it. howard schultz left as ceo and came back and rescued it. michael bell is in the process of doing the same thing. to these people, their companies are their babies and when their babies are under distress they want to come back and do everything they possibly can to turn it around. >> what about the entrepreneurs that seemed to have created that distress themselves like netflix who has had well-documented problems and now he has to try get things back on track, right?

>> yes. what you'll find is that this is a long haul. this is not instant gratification. in fact, what great entrepreneurship is is all about deferred gratification and great sacrifice and every great entrepreneur has overcome huge adversity. >> john byrne, thanks very much. if you want to see the world changers go to cbsnews.com. we appreciate you coming. >> thank you very much. >> stick around. earlyshow.cbsnews.com. 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.

it attends wrap parties... with the crew. there's nothing like the taste of the big mac snack wrap. but hurry. it has places to be. ♪

as we approach the new year, tens of thousands of u.s. troops are leaving the military and entering a really tough job market. and it's especially hard for female vets with families to find work and housing. >> michelle miller went to north carolina and met some of the women looking for help to change their lives. >> i thought you wanted to read a certain story. >> reporter: shawn mclean served in the army for four years. >> i would do it all over again.

>> reporter: but no luck finding a full-time job since her discharge in 2008. >> i don't think when you're getting out they actually point you in the right direction. i mean, they give you a bunch of briefings but you're not in briefing like one-on-one so sit down and say when i get out, this is my next step. >> i went to a place i figured could give me a head start in looiv life. >> both are homeless living at the shelter for women veterans near ft. bragg, north carolina, called the jubilee house and started by barbara marshall. >> you're in the military, everything is taken care of for you. yeah, good pay. typically, good housing. all of those other kind of u.s. perks, but then when you leave that setting, you've got to kind of start from ground zero. >> real life hits? >> absolutely. >> reporter: donaldson has not been able to find a full-time job since she asked to be discharged to care for her

autistic son. that was three years ago. >> it's much harder to give our experience from the military and have it transition over into a job that civilians find acceptable. i was an ammunition specialist. who is going to hire that? >> reporter: it must be hard with an autistic son. he has a lot of needs. >> as hard as it is, he makes it it worth it. he's my family, so he's what i've got. >> reporter: the veterans administration estimates there are close to 68,000 homeless vets in america, more than 5,000 are women. to combat the problem, the v.a. is training many of its 7,000 case managers to deal with issues specific to women. >> i want to go back to school to be a medical assistant. once i get in school, i figure things will start like lifting up. >> reporter: and it already has. with barbara marshall's help, both women have moved into v.a. subsidize housing and ruth donaldson is getting her degree in computer graphic design and

hopefully a paycheck to support her son donte'. >> i figure that is one way to get out of the minimum wage jobs and create a future that is stable for him and me. he'll know his mamma and has a place to come home every day after school and i will be there waiting. >> reporter: donaldson and shawn mclean are thankful for their temporary home at the jubilee house which now has four new families and looking forward to permanent work in the new year. michelle miller, cbs news, fayetteville, north carolina. >> the department of veterans affairs has set a goal for no more homeless veterans by 2015 which is three years from now. >> wouldn't that be a great goal? >> i hope they meet that goal, absolutely. coming up, tell you about an innovative program that helps patients suffering from alzheimer's as well as their family with acting and role playing and helping them with their memory. it's really a neat program.

>> it's all coming up on "the early show." stick around. we will be right back. ♪

secondhand smoke affects everyone's health. it's not just irritating. it can cause heart disease and even death. speak up about secondhand smoke. your health and the health of your family depend on it.

custody after a police stand-off good morning. 8:5 is your time. let's get -- 8:25 is your time. in the headlines on this thursday in the bay area, one man in custody after a police standoff at a san jose apartment complex. he was armed with a machete and barricaded him side in an apartment off capital village circle this morning. a s.w.a.t. team helped officers on the scene. less than an hour ago, he left the apartment on his own. officers say they had to call in k-9 unit for the surrender. a new state law for stricter guidelines for pipelines operations goes into effect on new year day. the legislation is in response to the san bruno blast that killed 8 people, destroyed dozens of homes last year. starting this sunday, the law forces utilities to install remote-controlled shutoff valves on the pipelines.

they will also force the state's public utilities commission to track money on pipeline repairs. traffic and weather coming up after this. so stay right there. ]?2ñ#ñeñhz

good morning from the traffic center. the main thing this morning are the foggy freeways affecting your bridges. we have a fog advisory for the bay bridge, benicia bridge and the richmond/san rafael bridge as well as the carquinez

bridge. here's a live look at the bay bridge toll plaza. you can actually make out some of the cars right now. it's getting a little better out there but again, still limited visibility so use caution. golden gate bridge looking foggy, as well. still a nice ride there. accident at 37 at 29 sonoma boulevard. give yourself some extra time there. elizabeth has your forecast. >> the fog is getting better depending where you go. this is a live look from the roof cam. can't see much of anything this morning. that's supposed to be the skyline over san francisco. in our north bay valleys we still have the dense fog advisory in effect so thick in spots out there, as well. and visibility is a quarter of a mile or less over at sfo. so expect delays on arrivals. otherwise, temperatures right now mostly in the 40s. we're climbing up to the upper 50s, low 60s, by this afternoon under partly cloudy skies. chance of rain on friday and we are looking nice and dry for new year's weekend.

♪ a beautiful morning here in new york city. welcome back to "the early show." i'm debbye turner bell, along with jeff glor. this guy. >> this dude. >> you probably recognize him. coming up this half hour, a wisconsin man who is like dear abby for people in financial need. a newspaper column, he gets in touch with people who need help getting back on their feet paying the rent or buying food and in the past two decades, he has helped 20,000 people in astounding numbers.

we will meet him and some of the people he has helped. >> incredible story. if you're a meat lover with a smart gadget, this one is for you. a new app created by one of new york city's most famous butchers. he will teach you all about meat from the different cuts to how to sharpen your knives helpful info and if you'd like to look at meat, there you go. why not? >> so many jokes. >> we will have that story very soon. >> it will be very helpful. first, people in the early stages of alzheimer's disease are struggling not only with memory loss, but with frustration of losing control. >> now there is a unique program that is using improv theater to remind people of roles they used to play in life. elaine quijano reports. >> reporter: every week a group of with early stage alzheimer's meet for a little bit of nontraditional therapy. >> i remember this. i dance with my father like this.

>> reporter: a theater class is helping people like mark kahn. >> fred astaire? >> i love all music. >> reporter: acting coach linda gelman work with the participants and care givers to revive old memories even as more recent ones fade away. >> the feeling of community that they get from a class like this is very intense and very important. >> reporter: research shows social and cognitive estimation are associated with a reduced . their functioning stays more at a same level. they don't go downhill as quakely. >> liberation of one's cells and that you're in a comfortable environment to the degree that you can say almost anything.

>> headaches. >> reporter: 89-year-old roy roistacher, a retired prefer of dentistry uses the class to sharpen his love of language and tell stories of his boyhood in new york. you remember those days pretty well? >> right. but i don't remember what i did yesterday. >> reporter: is that hard for you? >> yes. of course, it is. overwhelmingly hard. >> take your hat off at least. >> reporter: he worries most about the burden on his wife. >> she carries her load. >> reporter: you have a load too. >> her load is to see what happens to her husband. we have been married almost 60 years. bye-bye. and did you see her? she is a knockout! knockout! she is 85 years old! >> reporter: laughter is an

integral part of her lesson. she is a 30-year veteran of improvisation theater and a member of the troup city limits. >> improv helps people access themselves. >> reporter: through word games. >> k.! >> kleptomaniac! >> reporter: and role playing. >> he's a marriage counselor. >> these students get a chance to reclaim their path. elayne kahn who once was a therapist gets her voice back as she plays the role of marriage counselor. >> can you tell me in a few words? >> you leave me exhausted! >> reporter: >> they have a place to share who they were. >> two different marriage counselors! >> and who they are still are. we see the disease. we don't see who that person is, what they have done, what their life has consisted of. >> roy, you wrote a book, right?

>> reporter: it's a place to help them reclaim the dignity their disease is stealing away. >> all right! let's give him a hand! >> reporter: elaine quijano, cbs news, new york. >> linda gelman is now writing a book for caregivers and explaining her technique. >> good. here is whit johnson with a final check of the headlines. less than a week to go until the iowa caucuses and another shake-up in the polls. latest cnn "time" poll puts mitt romney ahead of the presidential pact. romney is followed by ron paul and rick santorum, out of nowhere, who is quickly gaining ground. newt gingrich who was the front-runner a month ago, is fourth. he is followed by rick perry. meanwhile, michele bachmann's campaign took a big hit just hours after appearing with bachmann at a campaign stop yesterday. her iowa campaign manager defected. kent sorenson says he supports

ron paul now. sorenson believes the race in iowa is down to two candidates, rom know and ron paul. >> i believe that we're here in iowa at a crucial point. i believe two top-tier candidates running right now. i believe the race has come down to mitt romney or ron paul. >> michele bachmann says of money to work for ron paul. >> kent campaigned with us earlier this afternoon in iowa and then he went immediately afward to a ron paul event and announced he is changing teams. kent said to me yesterday that everyone sells out in iowa, why shouldn't i? then he told me he would stay with our campaign. the ron paul campaign had to answer for his actions on these events. >> paul's campaign said it was not paying sorenson and was puzzled why bachmann would make such a claim. one candidate, jon huntsman, is not competing in iowa but is focusing on the new hampshire

primary on january 10th. earlier, huntsman told jeff the results in new hampshire may surprise some people. >> the rap on me has always been we know he can win the general election but can he win the primary phase of this election cycle and we will start by doing that here in new hampshire. >> the latest poll in new hampshire shows huntsman at 9% and mitt romney with 44%. in central vermont, the last stretch of highway damaged or destroyed by the remnants of hurricane irene is set to reopen today. the august storm washed out 500 miles of roads and 200 bridges across the state. dozens of towns were cut off for several days. we have some remarkable video this morning from new

from the detergents to

deodorants making people feel sick. >> scientists are analyzing dozen of them to see if is there a problem. >> reporter: take a whiff. there is plenty of citrus and lots of sweets and a mountain of fresh consents in the cleaning slides. >> actually, i don't like fragrance because i have allergies. >> i had phone calls and e-mails from hundreds of people telling me they were getting sick from common fragrance household products. >> reporter: the complaints range from headaches to breneling difficulties, each loss of consciousness. so diamond's lab analyzed 25 popular scented products. she won't reveal which ones but says they are commonly used. air fresheners, personal care, laundry and cleaning supplies and what she found surprised her. >> all of them emitted chemicals that are classified as toxic or

hazardous under federal laws. these chemicals can damage the brain, the lungs, the central nervous system and cause cancer. >> reporter: they are not just in traditional scented products. simon says those labeled green and organic and natural contain these chemicals too. >> i have not found a one that was classified as tox ic or hazardous. >> reporter: partly because fragrances are considered a trade secret because in many cases the ingredients wouldn't fit. earlier this year, clorox voluntarily published a list of all of its fragrance ingredients on its website. the list has more than 1,200 products. >> they are safe. >> reporter: the fragrance industry is turning up its nose at simon's process. >> there is a process we have that we have and several steps in the supply change. >> reporter: they say most evidence that scented products

cause health products but this doctor has treated patients who reported symptoms from scented products. >> right now, i wouldn't panic. these are potential carcinogens and relatively low amounts of the product. >> reporter: he is concerned about a long period of time using them. >> especially if you have pulmonary disease like asthma. >> reporter: this lady stopped using them ten years ago aafter she made her sick. >> i can't do it fast enough. >> reporter: her cleaning supplies are simple and surprising. lemon and few sprays of cheap vodka for the countertop and borax for washing clothes. >> the trick is stop looking in the soap aisles for these things. >> she says it's cheaper and now she is breathing easily. juli watt, san francisco. >> the study has not claimed these hazardous ingredients in scented products directly cause any health problems but maybe

reason to pause. maybe a little less possibly. all right. so we are talking now to the devoted carnivores out there. there's an interesting new app out there that we wanted to tell you about. >> each week, apple chooseses the apple of the week. bridget carey checked out one that shall we say is truly a cut above the rest. >> we pull that filet and cut wherever it connects. >> reporter: pat is not the next top tv chef but on the new york meat scene he is a rock star. >> we are here at porter house new york in new york city. >> reporter: they supply 600 restaurants in new york city alone. now he is opening his shop to the digital shop. >> we wanted to make it user friendly so the public can see all of the different options and different cuts and all of the different types of meat. >> reporter: it reads kind of like a book. there is video. you have 50 minutes of video in here? >> there is 50 minutes of video

and there is twice the amount of text that a normal book would have. >> reporter: readers can learn about more than 400 cuts of beef, lamb, poultry, and pork. even lessons on how to grind meat and sharpen knives. >> more you use your knife the more imperfections you'll get on the actual sharp surface. >> reporter: an app i saw one of the things you go over is how to avoid a sucker steak. can you explain that? >> any app i call a sucker steak. a huge vein that is called a nerve. >> reporter: while it's often the pricest cut on the menu, lafrieda he suggests skipping the porterhouse and the dried a million dollars of flavor. 6,000 pieces of meat aging on these shelves. you can see things that are really, really fresh that we just put up compared to products

that is about so or 12-week aged. so in this room, we have short loin, 109 rib steaks and new york rib steaks. anything, any steakhouse in new york city would really want. we have about a million dollars worth of meat in here aging at any given time. >> reporter: and like all good cuts of meat, at $7, pat lafrieda's big app for meat isn't cheap. >> there is so much information and much more than any textbook could offer and textbooks on this subject cost about $60, $70. >> reporter: so you basically made a 7 dollar interactive textbook? >> yes, without cutting any trees down. >> the app also includes a meat quiz and you can even order your favorite cuts from pat lafrieda's butcher shop. >> a meat quiz? >> that's right. test your meat proficiencprofic >> i laugh. >> when you see different cuts

laid out on the diagram and you learn it again. >> i went to veterinarian school. you'd think i would know. >> do you have any favorite apps? >> mine are basic like map quest and movies and most are for my daughter who can use my phone now. >> she is how old? >> he is is not even 2. she can turn it on, go to an app. what about you, favorite app? >> yeah, i like the flight track app. >> flight track? >> i travel a decent amount. i like the cbs sports football app. not a plug but yi it a lot. >> speaking of cbs. i like the "60 minutes" app. a huge fan. up next he is truly a hero for our time. a time when so many people need help just paying the bills. >> we will meet a man who has

[ male announcer ] citibank's new app for ipad makes it easy for anne to view her finances from anywhere. like gate d12 for the next three hours. citibank for ipad. easier banking. standard at citibank. [ 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.

for more than two decades, a man who is north of chicago has been trying to help as many people as possible. it's come to about a thousand people a year. >> steve hartman has the story of a man who says when it comes to help, the time is now. >> reporter: if jesus were to come back, would it be as a real estate broker in wisconsin? probably not. but lord knows, this bearded man in white burning the midnight oil sure fits the bill. more than anyone i've ever met. >> we have to love one another and take care of each other. and that is what it's about. >> reporter: sal demasally is poring over the dozens of letters he gets every week asking for help. they are for poor people in need of minor miracles mostly like getting their furnace fixed or a utility bill paid so they can have their gas turned back on. sal makes it happen, using donations and a lot of his own

money and then tells the stories in a local newspaper column he writes called "the time is now to help." >> the whole sidizing off that side. >> reporter: his latest tip brought him to this should be torn down trailer. >> i thought there can't be people living in here. all of a sudden, i heard little children inside. my heart just sunk. >> reporter: six of them. as we learned, each more adorable than the next. >> hi. >> reporter: they belong to hani acuff and her boyfriend. the only heat they get is from the electric stove. yet, hani says she didn't write a letter. somebody else must have. >> never realized that you were like those people in those articles? >> not really. i feel lucky. >> you feel lucky? >> yeah. i feel like having my family, they are all loving and caring. >> reporter: all of the more reason for sal to want to help, although his main motivation is much more personal. take me back to when you were a little boy. >> i remember being evicted.

evictions coming. >> reporter: evictions? >> evictions. we were like gypsies. >> reporter: and poverty chased them to every new address. >> i made a promise to god that i would never forget these roots. >> reporter: eventually, sal, who owns the real estate company, became a multimillionaire, although according to his bookkeeper and wife korene, sal has given away almost all of it. $4 million and counting. >> yeah, i worry sometimes, but there is no convincing him. >> it gets contagious. you want to do it again and again. this is a van. >> reporter: over the last 20 years, sal's helped about 20,000 people. >> here is the master bedroom here. >> reporter: today, it's hani and her boyfriend tim. >> toaster. >> reporter: who, thanks to sal, are now in a new completely furnished apartment. this isn't what you were expecting? >> i can't even -- i don't

even -- i don't even know. >> reporter: who knows how much longer sal can afford to keep doing this. >> well, thank you so much. i'm to grateful to you. >> reporter: if only hugs were dollars, it wouldn't be an issue. >> thank you very much! >> reporter: if only there were more sals in the world, there wouldn't be a need. steve hartman on the road in lake geneva, wisconsin. >> you know what i love most about this story? not millions of dollars or a big program but the small things that make a big difference. >> if only there were more sal's. >> and we all could be a sal. >> have a great day, everyone. your local news is coming up next. ñh

with your c-b-s five headlines... a san jose police stand-off has t. police say good morning. 8:55. i'm grace lee with your cbs 5 headlines. a san jose police standoff has ended with one arepresents police say the man threatened officers with a machete at an apartment complex. nearly five hours later the suspect went outside on his own. a k-9 dog bit him when he became confrontation during that surrender. and right now investigators are searching for the cause of a three-alarm fire in the berkeley hills. crews are cleaning up the fire damage at two homes on miller avenue. last night three firefighters were treated, two for heat exhaustion and one for a knee injury. fines for speeding on what's known as blood alley will double on new year's day. that's for the 19-mile stretch on vasco road between livermore and brentwood. the number of deadly crashes is 1 1/2 times higher than similar roads in california. and update of traffic and

weather coming right up .

good morning. no accidents but foggy. on the bridges, especially the bay bridge toll plaza, richmond/san rafael bridge and

the benicia bridge, carquinez bridge fog advisories kin. towards the bay bridge toll plaza, you can see it's socked in. limited visibility across the span. 880 a bright spot looking good both directions no delays there. you can barely see the san mateo bridge? i can't even make that out. that's the san mateo bridge. foggy in both directions, as well. so give yourself some extra time. and the golden gate bridge i can tell which one that is, elizabeth. >> yeah, fog is still an issue gianna. a cool view of san francisco. you can see the tippy tops of the buildings over the low clouds. a little tiny bit of the golden gate bridge peeking out. but obviously, dense fog still going to be an issue this morning. we still have that dense fog advisory in the north bay. it's expected to clear by 9 a.m. we'll let you know later if that changes. in the meantime temperatures outside right now until the 40s and 50s. 50 in pacifica right now. we are warming up to the upper 50s, low 60s across the bay area by this afternoon.