numbers. have a great day. good morning. shoppers are busy in stores and online on the day after christmas as retailers predict it record sales for the final week of the year. we're going to tell you how to boost in retail sales may help the economy. the gop presidential candidates race back to iowa with one week left before he caucuses. we'll get the latest from iowa and look at the wild card in the race, ron paul, who is leading the latest iowa polls. and guess who is getting guns these days? more women are shooting than ever. all kinds of women. some say it gives them the power to be feminine. and saints' quarterback drew brees passes the great dan marino breaking the nfl record for passing yards in a single season. "early" this tuesday morning,

december 27th, 2011. captioning funded by cbs and good morning. welcome to the "early" show here on a tuesday morning, just a couple of days after christmas. a few days before the new year. looks great out there right now. >> it does. >> happy holidays. >> happy holidays, chris. good to see you. i'm rebecca jarvis. erica hill is off this morning. and let's get right to it. a hugely important day for retailers appears to be one of the most profitable days of the holiday season. >> it is incredible the numbers that are coming out of this sales season. this latest bump in sales is giving businesses more hope for 2012, shoppers filled the stores on monday. i was one of them. it was insane. actually somebody described it as a war zone. overstatement. but, anyway, a lot of people exchanged gifts that they didn't want. they spent money they didn't have until christmas. michelle miller has more.

are you guys going to spend? >> yes. >> reporter: kathy brown's 8-year-old triplets can't wait to spend the holiday gift cards left under the tree. their mom was much more generous this year because this year she has a job. you spent how much more? >> oh, i would say maybe $1,000 more. >> reporter: so a good christmas for the triplets? >> oh, yes. >> reporter: and the day after was pretty good, too. take a look at the foot traffic at the short hills mall in northern new jersey. good weather and a three-day weekend helped draw in shoppers. >> i think it's the returns and the good deals. >> i'm pretty sure the parking lot is full to capacity. i'm not sure there's a single spot open. >> overall $29 billion today which may be bigger than black friday. >> reporter: retail analyst craig johnson predicts the consumers will rack up over a half trillion dollars in sales this holiday season. >> we think it looks pretty good

for sustained spend iing growth for the consumer because consumers are basically much healthier than they were a few years ago. >> reporter: through mid-december online sales tallied $32 billion, a 15% increase from a year ago. >> we've had about ten individual days of over billion dollar sales that compares to one day that hit that threshold last year. >> it's a gift card. >> reporter: a record $28 billion in gift cards were sold this year. >> today is a huge self-gifting day, and that means the gift card is like using other people's money so you don't mind paying full price for something. >> reporter: consumers are expected to bring back $46 billion worth of gifts this week. that's 10% of all holiday sales. michelle miller, cbs news, new york. >> that is a lot of returns. >> yeah. >> that's for sure. retail sales report final chapter of the year was full of significant financial news. just this morning sears announced that it's closing up

to 120 sears and kmart stores after holiday sales came in lower than last year. >> and here is a look back at the top money stories. lee gallagher of "fortune" and cbs montaey watch. we know the importance of the consu consumer. our sales, what we spend generates about 70% of the economy. but chris just mentioned sears is closing stores. but on the other hand you have the consumers spending more money this year. so, in your view, jack, where does this all shake out? are we in a better place than we were last year at this time? >> i think we are in a better place but still the number one problem facing our economy is absolute absolutely demand. we're on the shaug ar high where people were borrowing money from the houses, credit cards, buying stuff they couldn't afford. now a sweater that's too big for us, we have to grow into it. real demand has to come to fit that old economy that was bigger than the one we have now. if consumers are able to go out and spend without overextending themselves, that's a great sign for 2012. >> people are always looking for

signs. >> they are. and i think it's hard. you don't want to read too much. it's easy to read too much into the holiday sales numbers. there was a lot of activity. it's too early to tell whether that will move the needle. there were a lot of returns, there have been increases in prices. that's impacting things. there is pent-up demand. people want to believe things are getting better. we've seen a couple signs on the domestic economic front that are positive in the past month or two. there's a little bit more enthusiasm than around this time. it's important as jack mentioned. we're still deleveraging. the bigger picture is a little bit more wait and see. >> not out of the woods just yet. some of the bigger economic issues, the bigger stories of 2011, the housing market. obviously one that's high on the list right now. as far as the malaise that continues to exist, any sign of emerging from this slump at all? >> the housing market -- it's so funny. it's almost become a fact of life. we don't even talk about it day-to-day anymore. prices are still falling and people don't realize that. they're falling and they're falling in markets where they

weren't previously falling. it's actually getting worse. the good news is it's getting worse less fast. if if that means something. >> a slow crawl. >> but this is the epicenter of where the bad stuff lies. this is the focal point around which everything else depends. everybody thought it wasn't so long ago we thought 2009 was when things stabilized. this is going to be a big thing in 2012. >> housing construction is the first thing to bring us out of recession. we came out of the recession with too many houses, and the only little glimpse of good news i'll point out is housing inventory is now at a six month -- there's a six-month backlog of houses that's almost normal. it doesn't count foreclosures still coming on but we're much better than the inventory we had not so long ago. >> not so many houses that there aren't needs for people to build more of them. speaking of need for people to build more, any job in this country for that matter, you talk about a recovery with housing. jobs have sort of been the same thing here, lee.

though we're at 8.6%. there has still been the significant struggle to get that rate a lot lower. >> absolutely. this has been one of the biggest stories of 2011 and it's still one of the biggest things impacting our economy. we've had a couple of consecutive months of somewhat positive news. people like to pick that number apart and say, well, some people left the labor force altogether but, still, it's looking better than it was. the bigger picture here is we're going from a manufacturing based economy to a service based economy. this is a massive shift that was happening during the housing boom but it was kind of masked so we're still in this transition period and we will be for quite some time. >> you agree? >> oh, absolutely. and the problem is that the distance between the educated -- right now people over $150,000 in pay have a 3% unemployment rate. people down in the bottom have like 30%. that's depression level unemployment. so you're seeing the educated, college educated people in the service economy, in the

manufacturing economy they're really hurting. >> if you had to pick all the stories in 2011 as your major story, we talked standard & poor's, where do you factor in on a scale of 1 to 10? >> my favorite is the down grade because here you have the company that says that this subprime junk was aaa rated so the banks bought it up. so we had a recession. then they look at the recession ravaged u.s. budget and say we're going to downgrade it though we helped cause it. what do people do, they rush in and buy these downgraded treasuries and we now have treasuries at the highest level they've ever been in our history because the rest of the world luckily thinks we'll pay back our debts. >> that was did he haefinitely . >> doesn't get more than that. >> what's happening in silicon valley, we spend a lot of time here focusing on what's going on in the unemployment, the data, but the enthusiasm out there is really crazy.

you can look at the ipos, you can look at the way startups are getting funded, at the prices in palo alto are up 20%. >> thanks so much, guys. we turn now to politics as the republican presidential candidates get back to work after a short christmas break. >> just one week left before the first actual contest of the campaign, the iowa caucuses. dean reynolds in des moines with the very latest. hi, dean. >> reporter: hi, chris. sorry, it's cold out here. in this last week before the campaign the caucuses, the candidates are doing everything possible to drum up support in the most attention grabbing way they can. michele bachmann, rick perry, newt gingrich, and mitt romney will take to the roads trying to overcome the momentum that ron paul and his well organized effort have been generating here. paul will be visiting central and western iowa starting wednesday. he is bunched at the top with romney and gingrich in the

latest polling here posing a question few would have asked just months ago. but paul's rise has been accompanied by closer scrutiny from the news media of the controversial publications he oversaw some 20 years ago. newsletters that contained disparaging articles on blacks and jews. paul has disowned the content, said someone else wrote the newsletters, and, in any case, insists they do not reflect his views. >> nobody talked about it for 20 years until they found out the message of liberty was taking progress. everybody knows i didn't write them and it's not my sentiments. it's politics as usual. >> reporter: fresh ads are also airing. rick perry's takes a swipe at washington lawmakers. >> if washington is the problem, why trust a congressman to fix it? >> reporter: mitt romney concentrates on the economy. >> it is a moral imperative for america to stop spending more money than we take in. >> reporter: perry and gingrich failed to gather enough

signatures to quaul fay for the virginia republican primary, a development a gingrich aide likened to pearl harbor. as michael crawl put it, newt and i agreed the analogy is december 1941. we have experienced an unexpected setback, he said, but we will regroup and refocus with increased determination, commitment, and positive action. gingrich says he'll focus on the economy all this week and try to remain positive though he is running an attack ad in which he calls mitt romney a massachusetts moderate. and around here, chris, them's fighting words. the. >> also joinin us is jan crawford who is in washington for us this morning. good to have you both with us. dean, since you're out there freezing in iowa, ron paul as you mentioned currently had a he's really being heavily

scrutinized right now in some of those extremist newsletters are now starting to surface more and more. being on the ground there and talking with the people, what are ron paul's chances? i know he's polling well but what are people really saying about him? >> reporter: well, his chances are very, very good. he has a very deep, experienced organization carried over from 2008, and they are deeply committed. boy, you write something that is slightly critical of ron paul on blogs or say something on television and you really hear about it from his very fervent supporters so, yes, he has a very good shot at this. the polls show him up and right now with the others it's sort of flailing around like gingrich has been deflating lately. his chances are very, very good. >> dean mentioned gingrich deflating lately. he says his campaign advisers likened all of this to pearl harbor. what's been going on in the setbacks recently, do you think

it's possible for him to get back in this race and what would it take? >> well, sure. gingrich says he's picking up steam. he's picking up staff. he's getting support. but organization matters and unlike ron paul gingrich doesn't have a lot of it and he doesn't have a lot of time to build it. now one thing, too, he has been hurt by these ads. ron paul in particular was devastating in reminding of his past, saying he's the ultimate washington insider. we covered them in the media so people across the kcountry saw them, and gingrich didn't counter them effectively. he just complained about them and sounded like a whiner. as a result we've seen his support drop about a point a day. and his failure to get on the ballot the in his home state is really an embarrassment. that raises more questions about whether he can stick this out for the long haul. >> jan, where does he have to place in iowa to stay

competitive? >> gingrich says he'll be happy placing in the top three or four, but he needs to do better than that if he's going to somehow keep this momentum going. but the problem for him is reflected in another new poll we see out where voters in iowa say they just don't have a strong emoti emotional connection with him. they don't identify with him. they say he doesn't share their values. in with a like dean was suggesting, voters have the strongest emotional connection with ron paul. >> dean, let's bring you in for the final word here. rick santorum, rick perry and michele bachmann, what does one have to do in the final days here to break through and can they? >> reporter: well, they can. they have to get their common supporters to coalesce behind one of them. they all drink essential lip from the same trough. ivae evangelicals shows rick perry has been showing some momentum

actually closing in on gingrich. so if he can keep that going over the last week and draw from the likes of bachmann and santorum, he might do very well. the others have to try to do the opposite to him, but that doesn't look very likely right now. if there's any movement at all, it's probably perry. >> all right. cbs' jan crawford in washington for us. dean reynolds freezing in iowa for us this morning. we thank you both very much. good to talk with both of you. >> i hope dean gets some hot chocolate soon. we turn to jeff glor at the news desk with a check of the other headlines. guys, good morning to you. new reports says congress has become a millionaire's club and the economic gap is growing between americans and their lawmakers. in 2009 the median net worth of a house of representative was $725,000. for u.s. families it was $20,500. almost half of lawmakers are millionaires in congress, the richest california representative darryl isa

followed by texas representative michael mccall who is worth $380 million. representative jane harmon, $326 million. senator john kerry of massachusetts ranks fourth with $231 million. and senator mark warner of virginia is worth $192 million. the obama administration says it is still considering whether or not to allow yemens in salai into the u.s. for treatment. the white house denied a "new york times" report that he could arrive at a new york hospital as soon as the end of this week. britain's prince philip left the hospital this morning. queen elizabeth's husband waved to reporters as he was being driven away there. he spent four nights in the hospital after a successful coronary stent procedure for a blocked artery. he returned to the queen's private estate to join the rest of the family members for the holidays. and saints' quarterback drew brees has broken a record that stood for 27 years. pretty extraordinary stuff.

last night against the falcons on his very last pass, a 9-yard touchdown to darren sproles, he set the record for most passing yards in a single season beating dan marino's mark set back in 1984. see how happy he was. they were cheering wildly when it happened. brees has 5,087 yards. he still has one game left to play. still ahead this morning on the "early" show, an eye opening

look at how the government could be making us fatter by spending billions of dollars subsidizing ingredients like high fructose syrup. why so many women are shooting. this is the "early" show on cbs. ! [ growling ] one step at a time. come on, snowy. look! did you ever see a more beautiful sight? captain! it's just a mirage. - snowy? what is it, boy? - [ barks ] what do you see? [ yipping ] [ woman announcing ] just like snowy, your dog's one of a kind. overactive imagination and all. [ barking ] long live your buddy. long live your dog. [ tintin ] snowy! purina dog chow. see the adventures of tintin, only in theaters. yeah, our low prices are even lower. we need to teach her how to walk. she is taking up valuable cart space. aren't you, honey? [ male announcer ] it's our biggest clearance event of the year where our prices are even lower. save money. live better. walmart.

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we will stand on principle or we will not stand at all. >> but, margaret, with all due respect, when one has been to war -- >> with all due respect, sir, i have done battle every single day of my life. and many men have underestimated me before. >> that is meryl streep as british prime minister margaret thatcher in "the iron lady." it opens this week. >> like every performance she did, every year she is in the oscar hunt. it's not every year that she

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there you go. a beautiful start to the day here on a tuesday morning. welcome back to the "early" show. i'm chris wragge alongside rebecca jarvis. erica hill has the morning off. probably still opening up christmas gifts. >> she got so many, right? forget about the spa. many women are finding a great way to relax is to fire off a few rounds at the shooting range. >> exactly. in the last decade the number of women who enjoy target shooting has nearly doubled. they're picking up weapons for many different reasons. we'll talk with some of these women who say, and i'm quoting here, you could be a girlie girl and still shoot a gun. >> that's right. love it when you bring your fair arm to work and we're doing a piece on it. >> that's not true. >> a serious question, with obesity rates rising and debt skyrocketing, should americans

be subsidizing junk food? >> come consumer advocates say we're spending millions promoting the wrong ingredients. even some farmest say it's time for a policy change. we plant what we eat and we eat what we plant. >> these are grape tomatoes. >> reporter: farming is a family affair. it's also a business that literally puts food on their table. >> we grow tomato, we grow basil, we grow cauliflower, we grow broccoli, chard and carrots. we grow the healthiest crops we possibly can. >> let's take them up there and wash them off. >> reporter: and their new enterprise is financially healthy despite the fact they receive no government subsidies. >> i don't think there is a subsidy for any of the crops we grow. as far as i'm concerned the only subsidies are for the big grain producers. >> reporter: between 1995 and

2010 american taxpayers spent more than $260 billion in agricultural subsidies. most to grow just a few commodity crops including corn and soybeans. and even more troubling to the demilles, $16.9 billion has gone to subs die high fructose corn syrup and other additives used in junk food. >> a lot of that money is going to junk food ingredients and not a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. >> reporter: in fact, according to the recently published report apples to twinkies comparing fresh produce and junk food, if american taxpayers received government subsidies directly, we would each get $7.36 to spend on junk food and just 11 cents to buy apples each year. enough to buy 19 twinkies but less than a quarter of one apple. >> there's a whole lot of attention to deficit reduction and wasteful government spending right now. just about anything you could think of, i think, would be a

better use of these dollars than subsidizing the ingredients of a twinkie. >> reporter: but what about much ballyhooed government efforts like michelle obama's let's move campaign to fight obesity and the new food icon my plate meant to teach healthy eating habits? >> certainly there are initiatives aimed at reducing childhood obesity but all these dollars are going out to make that task even harder. >> reporter: but according to john anderson, senior economist for the american farm bureau, that's not true. >> this notion that farm programs contribute to unhealthy eating or to the obesity epidemic, it has been out there for a few years and really i don't think there's any substance behind it. >> reporter: anderson says altering subsidy programs would hurt farmers and do nothing to improve the health of consumers. >> there's good research to show that changing that subsidy, making it more, making it less, is not going to have an impact on the retail prices and, therefore, it makes no sense to say it will have an impact on

those consumption patterns. >> reporter: as for the demilles, they say their business is thriving and they're not asking for a government handout. they just want a subsidy program that would encourage healthy eating. >> i think there was a level play i playing field with the subsidy programs that americans would have a healthier diet because people could afford to feed their families foods that are healthier. you look at the food the kids are eating and, boy, you wish it was more widespread that kids, especially in an early age, would eat healthy foods. so much better for you. >> and it looks appealing. something else appealing? keep sharing it. >> driving that point out. jeff xwlor glor with another check at the news desk. >> i can do bacon occasionally. >> i'm 65. i only look about 40. good morning, everyone. online shopping took a big leap this holiday season.

ibm says online sales increased almost 17% christmas day compared to last year. the dollar amount of purchases using mobile devices skyrocketed 173%. and nearly 7% of all online sales were made using ipads. the economy should grow next year by about 2.5%, but it warns the economy could still be up e ended by events in europe. it expects unemployment to stay around 8.6% this year. britain's prince philip was d discharged from the hospital this morning. he was admitted last friday. had surgery to clear a blocked heart artery. philip was then taken to the royal family's estate in eastern

coming up next, thinking of a new career in the new year? maybe it's time to become your own boss. >> we'll meet two women who achieved more success on their own than they ever dreamed of. this is the "early" show on cbs. ? 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.

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a lot of new things coming & up in the new year, maybe even the right time to become your own boss. we are ready to help kick start your career as a small business owner. co-founder of just between friends, the largest children's and maternity consignment sales franchise, president and co-founder of finding, screening, and scheduling babysitters. boy, those are some big business cards you have. incredible. ladies, good to have you with us. this is kind of like, i don't know, a trend for the new year for people sitting home saying i wouldn't mind branching out on my own and doing my own thing. it was a leap of faith for you,

was it not? >> we love business. we love business. i mean, for you i think it was a big jump. >> oh, my goodness. >> because you were a teacher. >> well, yes, and then i did advertising sales but just between friends on the side. i really had a passion for this idea, so i ran it by a lot of my business mentor friends and got their opinions and not just the yes people, the people that were going to tell you, this is a good idea. >> you'd be great at that. >> i got honest feedback and started it. >> for someone sitting in their living room right now saying i would like to do this but i don't know how, what would be your first piece of advice to them? >> i say write it down. if you have a business plan, put it on paper. it makes it real. and really take that jump forward. a lot of people talk about it and wrestle with it. but you have to jump out there and do it. >> you were a private investigator before? >> i am. i still am. that's the foundation of our company. we founded on the premise of in-depth background screenings. and that's really what our edge

is. i think anybody looking to start a business right now, you need to find what your edge is. >> you're shaking your head in agreement. >> i totally believe that planning and being persistent, making sure you do your research, try to figure out -- make sure you have a specific niche, check out your competition. >> people, i'm sure, are sitting home saying it sounds like a great idea. you rattled off a couple of things you should do. if you had to pick one, the most important piece of advice that you would basically tell to people -- >> actually adrian touched on it just a minute ago and that's planning and doing your research, because if you're going to start a business and you're going to go out on a limb, i think you need to plan and write it down and be persistent. also get the support of your family because running a business is hard. the people who do it well make it look easy for everyone, which is why people think they can do it. >> your expectations have to be cleared because you have to be prepared for disappointment. for every step forward there's usually two steps back. >> good point.

>> every step you make, you're planting a seed. it doesn't happen overnight and it takes a lot of work. that's really important. >> you can take the failures along with the successes, though, and every small business owner will tell you they've experienced some sort of failure. >> what do you think in terms of mistakes, was there one mistake that stands out in your mind that if i went back and did this over again, i would not make this mistake? >> when we went from a local can company to a national franchise, we tried to take some shortcuts to try to go faster, i guess you would say. one thing i recommend to people is always look for the experts. make sure you contact the right experts to grow your business whether that's a franchise attorney or the professionals that you need on your team like a graphics artist. make sure you have those experts. >> want to chime? >> yeah, my biggest failure probably was not setting a budget. when we started just between friends we did not -- we just spent at will and i thought, oh, we have money in the bank so i'm going to spend. and i believe it would be more profitable in the long run, i

think we would have been more profitable had we utilized a budget. >> great advice, guys. >> thank you very much. best of luck to you. continued success to both of you. thanks for being here. i spend long hours with her checking her heart rate, administering her medication, and just making her comfortable. one night britta told me about a tradition in denmark, "when a person dies," she said, "someone must open the window so the soul can depart." i smiled and squeezed her hand. "not tonight, britta. not tonight." [ female announcer ] to nurses everywhere, thank you, from johnson & johnson. yeah, our low prices are even lower. we need to teach her how to walk. she is taking up valuable cart space. aren't you, honey? [ male announcer ] it's our biggest clearance event of the year where our prices are even lower. save money. live better. walmart. nurse...!

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she is taking up valuable cart space. aren't you, honey? [ male announcer ] it's our biggest clearance event of the year where our prices are even lower. save money. live better. walmart. well, the face of the american gun owner is changing. more women than ever are picking up rifles, shot guns and handguns and target shooting is one of the fastest growing female sports. >> but looks can be deceiving. we're not talking dirty harry as "early" show contribute or foun out. i like to shoot guns. >> reporter: deirdre is one of a growing number of women who are embracing guns. for sport, for self-defense and the ohm factor. yoga seems the most peaceful, zen like pastime whereas guns and shooting would be completely the opposite.

>> yoga's zen like quality can be applied to shooting guns in a lot of ways. it takes focus, concentration and doesn't have to be about violence. >> reporter: target shooting in the u.s. has nearly doubled in the last decade growing to nearly 5 million since 2001. the industry is catering to female shooters. there are pink pistols and even purses with holster slots. >> brought together by a love of the sport. >> reporter: lisa ellenson for the national rifle association's women on target program. a lot of people wouldn't expect shooting to be a support women would be interested in and a lot of people would say guns are masculine. >> i think a capable woman is the most feminine expression there is. >> reporter: would you say a lot of women who shoot could be called girlie girls? >> very much so. >> i always dress up. i only wear skirts and dresses. i'm traditional and feminine in

certain ways. i feel empowered. >> reporter: an author and mother of three -- >> whoa, check out the mom with the gun. >> reporter: is another woman who has picked up the pistol for sport. there's a smiley face. she has even been approved for a handgun license, a process in new york city that's one of the most rigorous in the country. >> safety is on. there are no bullets. >> reporter: for cartman it was worth it. >> sometimes you kind of lose yourself in motherhood. as much as i am obsessed with my kids, i started to feel like my identity was consumed into being their mom instead of jill. i needed something my own and shooting is that for me. >> reporter: ellenson demonstrated the lure women find in firing a weapon at this new york range. >> you and me and that gun. bull's eye. >> reporter: did i hit it? okay, that was awesome. guns are hitting the bull's eye

for women who are redefining what it means to be a female shooter. the rewards are right on the mark. complete this sentence for me. when i shoot a gun i feel -- >> powerful. >> excited. >> relaxed. >> reporter: katrina szish, new york. >> scared. >> you're scared? and it scares you you were joking. >> playing on words. this is my house, this is my car, this is my gun collection. very nice. coming up, we will visit with meryl streep, a two-time oscar winner and kennedy center honoree. you're looking forwa. 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.

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and welcome back to the "early" show. chris wragge here along with rebecca jarvis. erica hill is off this morning. good to see you. >> good to be here. >> i hope you're having a good vacation week for all of those on vacation. >> still enjoying it. >> the kids are off from school. coming up on the program this morning, kennedy center hopperee meryl streep, she had 16 nominations. she could easily get another one this year for "the iron lady." we'll have a serious conversation with streep about her life and career as we wrap up our series on this year's kennedy center honorees. also ahead some amazing one of a kind hotels. for example, let's say you could stay in a converted boeing 747

or maybe an old crane at a seaport, even the old vacation home of joseph stalin. you love to stay where dictators have stayed before, you're getting tired of hotel chains where every room is the same, well, it could be just the thing. and by the way, some of them are actually in the price range of what you might pay for any other hotel. >> is that right? >> you pay about the same for these types of things. we'll have that in a few minutes. >> yeah, i would have thought to sleep in a crane would have cost -- >> thousands. but first, for the first time since spring protesters outside peace inspectors to see the damage for the month of fighting is as bad as they think. >> as the arab league inspectors arrive government forces were leaving the city at the center of the protest. elizabeth palmer has the story. >> reporter: with news that arab league observers were on the way, syrian tanks began

withdrawi withdrawing. the destruction from shelling and gunfire is everywhere. until now pictures of it come from activist cell phones of journalist have is been banned. the arab league observers will see it firsthand and they must judge whether this violence that's killed more than 5,000 people nationwide was, as the government claims, caused by armed terrorist gangs or whether the government itself was responsible with its brutal suppression of a movement demanding political change. at a meeting before they left, the observers said they would speak to opposition groups and ordinary citizens. but the syrian government says one activist wants to minimize those kinds of meetings. >> the government, in fact, to use some tricks over the past few days, they have cars into hamas and once they approached the cars which had arab observer, they arrest ed whoeve approached the cars.

>> reporter: the withdrawal of the tanks this morning is a start on what the arab league would like to accomplish. that is the removal of heavy weapons from cities across syria to allow human rights workers and reporters in. but is syria's government allows that, it may be clearing the way for its own downfall. we've just heard that the observers have finished for the day. that was a short visit. they are due to be there for a week. it's not clear how much freedom they're going to have to talk to whoever they would really like to talk to. chris? >> all right, cbs' elizabeth palmer in london for us this morning. now here is jeff glor at the news desk with a check of the day's other headlines. hey, jeff. good morning once again. a new survey predicts the u.s. economy will keep getting stronger but will grow slowly. the survey of leading economists forecasts the economy will expand next year by 2.4%. this year it grew less than 2%. it's expected 177,000 jobs a month will be created through election day, but the european debt crisis could still create a

setback. for the first time since the summer, more americans approve of the job president obama is doing as opposed to disapprove. mr. obama's approval rating jumped to 47% according to a recent gallup poll. 45% disapprove. in iowa three republicans presidential candidates launched bus tours a week before the caucuses next week. governor rick perry plans four stops on his campaign bus. michele bachmann is scheduled to travel to ten counties. newt gingrich plans three stops in dubuque. mitt romney will arrive in iowa today after a quick stop in new hampshire and right now what appears to be current iowa front-runner ron paul will campaign starting tomorrow.

this weather report sponsored by citibank. what's your story? citi can help you write it. learn more at citi.story.com. this month she adibi kennedy center honor to the list. >> julie chen sits down with the oscar winner. sories. 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,

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this morning we wrap up our special look it at this year's kennedy center honorees with the finest living actress. >> julie chen spent time with the one and only meryl streep. ♪

>> reporter: she's been called the greatest. >> we have meryl streep in the room! yes! >> this language i am butchering now. >> reporter: a master of accents, meryl streep can also show more emotion with a single look than most actors could ever dream. >> that's all. >> reporter: with 46 feature films on her resume, streep has been nominated for a record 16 academy awards winning twice. she is no stranger to accolades. >> she has actually lost twice to herself. >> reporter: yet they still seem to surprise her. including the latest kennedy center honoree. >> you think of yourself as a certain size, height and weight and capacity. and to join, you know, that

roster of imminence is thrilling but it also felt, oh, my god, why me? >> reporter: so then how do you feel when you read articles or hear critics say or people say that meryl streep is probably not only the greatest actress of our generation but maybe of all time? >> well, i don't believe any of that. it doesn't go in the way other information does like what time the train is coming for me. >> reporter: if it did, would it make you lazy as an actor, stop learning your craft? >> i don't think anything could make me lazy. and i will work hard every day to live up to their expectations. >> reporter: lazy isn't a word you would associate with streep who is known for her extensive preparation. >> well, it's different in every case. sometimes i roll out of bed and

do the part because the script is perfect. certainly when i'm playing someone who really did exist and who is measured against people's perceptions, i feel i have to do a lot more research. >> reporter: she has played real characters in many films including "silkwood." >> these are little tiny time capsules. >> reporter: "out of africa" and "julienne juliet." >> and we are so good at it. look at you. >> reporter: receiving academy award nominations for all. streep won her first oscar in 1980 for "kramer vs. kramer." >> i don't love you anymore. it was really exciting.

when i won that oscar, i was, i think, sitting near or next to lawrence olivier, bet davis was in the house. james stuart. it was a really long time ago. and the greats were there. >> reporter: soon after she received a letter from one of those greats. bette davis. >> basically she wrote, don't let the bastards get you town. >> reporter: and did you know what she meant right away? >> oh, of course. of course. she tried to have an interesting career around the corners of what was then a system that made people be one thing. and so she tried to buck that system. >> reporter: many years later streep realized that she finally bucked that system. her 2008 musical "mamma mia" made more than $600 million at the box office worldwide.

♪ >> reporter: at age 58 when actresses were supposed to be past their prime, streep made the leap from critical darling to one of hollywood's most bankable superstars. >> and then you realize, or the powers that be realize, there is -- there is an audience out there and there's not an age people, if you bring it, something wonderful, they'll go. >> reporter: acting was not an early career goal. >> i had a very ambivalent relationship with the idea of being an actor all along the way. so i started in high school. i was in some musicals. and then i went to vassar as a music major but competition almost killed me. i'm not math strong. and i decided to go into costume

design. but i did act, you know, and i sort of knew how to do that. and then i got into, while i was at yale in the masters program, i think the last year i was there, i submitted an abdomin application and was going to take the law boards. i overslept because i had a show the night before. so that was a sign, i thought. >> reporter: after grad school streep moved to new york and found success in the theater before focusing on film roles. >> well, you knew my history when you married me. >> reporter: she began auditioning, including a disastrous meeting with dino de laurentiis who was doing a remake of "king kong." >> he made this discussion, saying i'm very unhappy y. do you bring me this ugly thing? because i had to study eye tita. at vassar.

>> reporter: you said? >> i gave him hell, babe. no, i didn't. i just said, i understand what you're saying. i didn't feel triumphant in any way. but i did feel ugly. >> it did make you feel ugly, him calling you ugly? >> yeah, and that was a thing that when i was little, because i wore glasses and i felt not like a pretty girl, i -- it probably affected me. you know, these things are good. they make you figure out what's important. it's what you do not how you look. >> reporter: and there are certain things you won't see this mother of four do. i've never posed on a poster. i always wonder about the actor who allows that image to go out

because it's very, very hard to not play into that, the glamour of violence. i don't know. so i, yes, that's because of my kids. wrinkled, wrinkled little star. >> reporter: after 45 years of making films -- >> because the last time you saw me standing up naked i was in my 40s. >> reporter: streep knows what is important. >> i'm just happy when people go to the movies and suspend the decisions with about the whole trainload of work that i've done before. whether they've liked it, whether they haven't liked it. i just am always so that they will come to the theater and see something fresh. your character becomes your destiny. valuable that maybe i've brought them. >> reporter: julie chen, cbs news, washington.

very incredibly huge body of work, "the iron lady" comes out on friday. already oscar talk like we mentioned. >> why don't they just give it to her? >> meryl cannot do a film without getting nominated or talked about getting nominated for an oscar. >> that's why you don't see her on any movie posters. you can see the kennedy center honors tonight at 9:00, 8:00 central here on cbs because it is true, she has 0 obviously never been in an action movie. she just keeps it classy. >> she makes choices, very good choices. coming up next, is your carpeting good for your kids and should you worry if they snore? >> we'll get some answers when we come back. after 1 week we took their close-ups. when they saw how much more beautiful their skin looked they had only one question... ♪ dove visible care creme body wash. ♪

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clean air is vital to all of us he especially to children dug their early years. >> a specialist at treating children's breathing issues at ucla medical center has written a guide for parents called "take

a deep breath." doctor, good to have you here this morning. >> good to be here. >> you deal with young patients and parents every day. what are the greatest concerns parents do have right now when it comes to kids and breathing? >> i'm a doctor but i'm also a mom so i completely understand what parents are going through. the parents that i see that have the most concerns for their kids are the parents of little tiny babies. newborns, any little thing that a newborn does a parent is going to be concerned. a newborn has a stuffy nose, it seems like a problem. so what i always like to tell parents is look at your baby. if your baby looks like they're having a lot of trouble, they probably are. if your baby is comfortable, they're probably okay. the older kids, i see a lot of snoring and that's a big topic in my specialty. >> respiratory problems we're learning more and more have as much to do with anywnature as t do with the nurture side of things. how much does the environment impact children's respiratory abilities and also what can you do to prevent problems in your child? >> well, the environment is such a big concern and thankfully

it's actually the one piece of good news is that it's actually improved because of the clean air act in 1990, we have cleaner air, even in los angeles where i live where there's a lot of smog, the air quality has improved significantly. so the environment has actually on the upswing as far as improving the air quality. >> as far as the air quality at home, what can parents do to keep that, i guess, staying on the same trend that you said air quality on the outside is getting better. what about air quality at home? >> the inside air quality is also a big concern. babies spend most of their time inside. the number one thing we cn do to improve the air quality is not to smoke. this is a basic issue. even if you smoke outside the home, you're bringing toxins inside to the home. the other issue is lead. if you have a house that was built before 1978, you may have lead paint. you don't want to just strip that with a baby at home and spread lead particles all over the house. >> but there are other things,

too. it could be the carpeting. god forbid you have mold. there are so many different things that can basically -- >> new carpeting if you have a new baby and they bought this beautiful area rug tore your baby and it actually can contain a lot of toxins, volatile organic compounds. these can be emitted into the air. so you want to air out the room when you get a new carpet. >> how concerned should parents be about their children's sleeping patterns and whether or not they snore? >> snoring is a big problem for kids. it is not normal for a child to snore. a little bit of noise is okay. but snoring can be a sign of sleep apnea, it can affect their health, their daytime performance, their school ability to phone cuss. so snoring, if you are concerned about your child's snoring, you need to have it checked out. >> you say kids this daycare centers are less likely to get asthma. why is that? >> this is an interesting thing. you think of daycare as filled with all this dirt and germs and the kids are going to get sick, and is it actually true? there have been some studies that show if you put a child in

daycare very early, it's sort of giving their immune system a boost. they're getting extra exposure,

and welcome back to the "early" show. the skaters up and out early in central park this morning. always good to see. i'm chris wragge along with rebecca jarvis. erica hill has the morning off. got your skates with you? >> i wish i did. >> maybe when we get done, go rent you some? >> good call. are you going to drag me around the rink? well, this time of year we should be thanking other people for chryistmas gifts, for helpig us over the past year. coming up, a man who said writing thank you notes actually turned his life around during a dark period. he wrote 365 thank you notes in a year and he'll be here to talk about his touching memoir,

remembering those difficult times. >> one for every day. also ahead, a man who gets a lot of thank yous from his former students. johnny long is known as the most inspirational band director and he's left an amazing legacy. more than 300 of his students have gone on to become band directors themselves. and that is only part of the story. you'll harper the whole thing coming up in a few moments. >> an amazing legacy, a guy revered by so many for so long. but first, we want to help you get in credit shape for the new year, 25% of americans have a fica score below 600. that means your credit is bad. >> before the recession, that number was just 15% of the full group. so financial contributor carmen wong ulrich. >> the only reason i would be upset is this number matters. >> it matters a lot. january is a great time to get

yourself geared up to pay attention to your credit for the new year. there are a lot of changes coming up with your credit and credit scores and a lot of confusion as to what scores are important. here is the deal. a lot of credit scores out there. the really important ones, the majority of lenders look at are your fica scores attached to your credit bureau reports. go to myfica.com. that's where you go to look at the scores. fica is coming up with a new score. they've teamed up with core logic and look at your borrowing, your lending, your payments on those, renting, your utilities, every payment you have is going to be monitored. so this year really pay attention to all those bills. >> you pay the bills on time, you get a better credit score. >> exactly. exactly. >> that's the thing. until you actually get older and you have to start approaching homes and cars, i think when you're younger you don't realize you miss a payment here or there, that stuff stays with you. it seems to come back and haunt you. >> and the younger you are, the

harder to build your score up. part of your score is credit history so you can't even have a great score until you've got years and years. so really the mistakes you make early on can affect you later on but you can do things to change it. in terms of the credit bureaus and what your score is based on, you get that for free once a year. go to annualcreditreport.com. this is where you get your report for free. and i want you to scour them. the public interest research group found over 80% of credit reports have errors. i know i have found errors on my report. so go through and scour them. some of the most common errors include the amounts owed. how much you owe can be very wrong. also, your credit limits. if your credit limits aren't updated and you're using a card and carrying a balance, it can look like you're maxed out and you're not. you want to make sure that matches. old items can remain on there. only should be on there seven to ten years. and just outright fraud. anything fraudulent, that's why it's important every year to take a look at your credit report. go to ftc.gov, click on the consumer tab to find out the

process. >> how labor intensive is the process? people who have had credit issues, are the story you always hear, it takes forever. >> the fraud especially if it's identity theft or outright fraud that can take a lot more time. if it's as simple as changing your credit limit, call the credit bureau and your creditor and it takes those two phone calls to make the adjustment. of course it takes 30-60 days to show up on your report. stay ahead on it rather than react when you go to apply for a loan. do it beforehand. >> preemptive strike. >> not only that you're saving money along the way. the better deal you'll get with a bank when you go for a loan. >> it saves you a ton of money. it's important to keep perspective here. a lot of folks will do anything to save their credit score. the problem is, if you are carrying balances and need to get out of debt, it may make more sense to do something that may cost you on your credit score so you can get rid of the debt like transferring a balance from one card to another even though it will look maxed out but it will save you, 0% from 23% will save you the money.

when do you need your score, what's more important? if you already have a home, a car, but you need to get out of debt, don't worry about that 10, 20 points. get out of debt. you can always recoup the points later. >> but you think this is a good way of house cleaning first of the year, start the new year right, get those credit reports and make sure everything is in check. >> absolutely clean the file and do this every year. make it routine so you can stay on top of it and when you need to borrow for the car or the house you'll be in great shape. >> thank you so much. >> jeff glor at the news desk with one more check of the headlines. what's that number? 575? >> significantly lower. always learn something when carmen is here, right? good stuff. good morning, everyone. holiday shopping did not take a holiday. ibm says online shopping and christmas day jumped more than 16% from last year. and shoppers are using more mobile devices. sales were 173%. the ipad accounted for 7% of all online sales. online purchases the day after

christmas were up 10% from last year. sears announced this morning it will close down between 100 and 120 sears and kmart stores because of weak holiday sales. same store revenue fell more than 5% for the fourth quarter. in ft. wayne, indiana, the neighbor accused of killing the 9-year-old girl he was babysitting will be formally charged with her murder. this morning police say that mike plumadore told them yesterday where to find the body of aliahna lemmon. she disappeared last friday. in san bernardino, california, 19-year-old suspect ruben ray jurado is under arrest in the shooting of a soldier at his homecoming party. friday night christopher sullivan who served in afghanistan was shot during an argument at that party. sullivan is in critical condition and may be paralyzed from the neck down. a historic discovery in the water off jupiter, florida. a world war ii plane was found lying on the bottom. look at that. almost 200 feat under the water. the plane is upside-down but the

wings and tail are still attached. and a shantytown in columbia got a huge upgrade. take a look at this. instead of hiking 35 minutes up the side of an incredibly steep hill, residents of the poorest district can take a six-minute escalator ride in six different sections. it covers the height of a 2 28-story building. it took more than $6 million to build, was built by the government, and it is free for

if you're not into staying in cookie cutter rooms and chain hotels when you travel, there are many other options. and some of them are cutting edge. some of them are even on the edge. travel editor peter greenburgh is here to show us some of the most unusual alternatives to the average hotel. i'm interested in this one, party. good morning. >> good morning. >> what is this jumbo stay concept? >> if you're going to stock holm there is actually a hotel room that's a convert ed 747. >> really? >> yes. now the bad news is it's only 25 dormitory rooms. they're not very expensive, $52 a night. i know you're all about the upgrades. so you want the presidential suite -- >> can you stay first class? >> you go. in fact, you stay in the cockpit. that suite is about $240 a night. but, hey, you're in a 747. and they have an observation deck. do you know what it is? >> what? >> the wing. >> the wing. >> you get to walk out on the wing. not a bad little deal. >> very interesting. i guess you could stay in a

drape pipe. i need explanation. >> with respect to moammar gadhafi there is a hotel, one in germany and austria, you are actually living in a drain pipe. there they are. look at this. >> wow. >> double beds. they even have electricity. leave the light on for you. the funny thing is you ask the rate, i can't ask. you go as you go, what you think it's worth. >> really. so what do you think something like that is worth? >> all depends on who you're running from. >> people stay in these things? they're fuel fully booked at ti. >> it's a great conversation piece. >> it sounds like a building crane, the fact you can stay in a building crane would be great conversation -- >> you can stay in a building crane in the netherlands, hoisted up about 200 feet from the ground. that's where you stay the night. >> not for the faint of heart. >> not for the faint of heart. and they even have room service. how they get the breakfast up to you, i have no idea. that's for two people. >> and how much is that again? >> $150 on up.

if you're afraid of heights, i don't recommend it. >> literally on up. these are all outside of the u.s. what about a crazy place to stay here in this country? >> the cedar creek tree house in mt. rainier. 50 feet up on a 200-year-old red cedar tree. for four people, there's even a bathroom. >> it looks beautiful. >> talk about a room with a view. it's great. you can't call anybody. there's no staff. you're it. >> how much does a hotel like that get booked up well in advance? >> you would be surprised. it's seasonal. >> how about for animal lovers? what hotels do you recommend? >> this is called the dog bark inn. look at this. you stay in the dog. $92 a night. you're 30 feet up. you see the little dog -- >> is that another hotel? >> that's for the kids. >> very nice. >> i'm not kidding. >> where is this? >> that is in idaho. and, you know what, $90 a night but it's a fun thing.

all the art on the wall, of course, is all chainsaw art of dogs. >> very dog central. >> we're not going any further than that. >> can you bring your puppy? >> yes, you can. >> good move. what about for history buffs? >> this is my favorite. do you want to sleep with the enemy? joseph stalin's old villa in russia. all the former dictator homes. it is in italy. >> it's gorgeous. >> beautiful. this is where mussolini spent part of his life. unbelievable stuff. and it has a number of rooms. this is ultralux, will cost you over $1,000 a night. but if you want the villa where he stayed, that's about $3,500 a night. look, hey, not a bad place to spend the war. >> apparently being a dictator was good. >> well, probably after he left. >> peter greenberg, thanks so much. weigh apprecia we appreciate it. very interesting options. >> see you in the crane. four years ago this week john kralik was in trouble

living in a tiny apartment about to be divorced. his law firm was failing. then he decided to focus on what he had rather than what he didn't have. he said everything changed. john kralik writes about his journey in the book "a simple act of gratitude." how learning to say thank you changed my life, which has just come out in paper back. we are happy to have john here with us this morning. >> morning. >> how are you. >> i'm great. >> the thank you card is really the lost art. used to be so prevalent and now it's gone the way of e-mails and things like that. >> well, i hope it comes back because it has unique benefits. there's something you get when you write it out. i got that out of just finding the person's address and focusing on where that person actually physically lived. and the effort that it took them to make the effort to give me a gift. >> let's start with this gift you talked about and have written about. four years ago you wrote a thank you card that kind of started it all.

what was it about this letter and what was the genesis of it? >> well, the genesis of it was i had an inspiration when i was going for a walk in the mountains and i was lost. and i received an inspiration that until i learned to be grateful for the things i had, i would not receive the things that i wanted. and i made the resolve to write 365 thank you notes that year. of course i had completely forgotten that resolve by january 3rd. but i received a thank you note for a chryistmas gift that i ha given, and i remembered as i'm grateful l as i felt and as awful as i felt my life was, i remembered that i had gotten a few christmas gifts including a coffeemaker from my son. and i sent him a thank you note for that. and a few days later, he showed up in my office and gave me -- repaid a loan to me of $4,000. i had another thank you note to write, of course. but at that moment i actually really needed the money, so i

really appreciated it. and at every stage of this journey, all three the 365 thank you notes, there was something when i would flag and stop writing them for a few days, something like that would happen to reinspire me and keep me going. >> and in addition to being reinspired by events, good things happening to you as a result, was there any other thing that kept you going when it was difficult to write a thank you note? >> i think -- well, i set the goal, which was, you know, something that i decided i was just going to do. my inspiration was not to write a book. it was to write thank you notes. i think i wanted to write a book but what i got was the inspiration to keep writing thank you over and over. and i became grateful as i noticed the good things in my life, even if nothing ex term was happening to me. i noticed the good things that i already had. i had a beautiful daughter, two wonderful sons. i had wonderful people working

with me at my firm, brothers and sisters, a mother and father. and all these things i had not been looking at. >> this book has resonated with people. what has been the response? what are some of the responses you've got? >> well, the most beautiful responses are the thank you notes that i have received. at the time i was obviously writing more thank you notes than i was receiving and that has changed. i now receive more than i write. my new year's resolution is to tray to answer all those who have written thank you notes to me. and in the new paper back i try to write for now a thank you note to all my readers. i wanted to appeal to the best in people, and what i found was the book appeals to the best people. and so i have really loved the readers who have written to me. >> wonderful. we thank you for being here. we do appreciate it. can't tell you we'll send you a thank you note but you never know. >> i might send you one. >> we really appreciate it. >> very good to see you. to read an excerpt go to our

website earlyshow.cbsnews.com. wrat a thank you note especially write after the holiday season. i'm sure you have plenty that you could write out. >> you hear about the impact and can't help but want to do it. up next, you know you are doing something right when 300 of your students follow in your fo footsteps. >> not in law, medicine or business. we'll have this pied

we leave you this morning with a story of a real life music man. he's a band conductor for more than 60 years. >> he's long been a legend down south and went on the road to learn about the magic of his music. the national band conductor's hall of fame in troy, alabama, has 52 inductees. 50 of them you've never heard of. >> this is paul yoder. the band movement in japan. >> reporter: one you probably do

know. and one you just met. >> another guy is me. >> reporter: who? >> me. >> reporter: his name is johnny long. you're what they call a living legend. >> well, i don't know about that, but i'm living and that's important. >> reporter: starting in 1943 as a high school band director and later as director of the troy university band, johnny long became known as one of the most inspirational band directors in america. 300 of his students went on to become band directors themselves. >> and all i know about band which is not very much but i've done it for 60-some years, f-u-n. you change that, it's over. >> reporter: he retired 14 years ago to spend more time with his wife, mary lynn. >> pour the coffee. >> okay, i'll do it. >> reporter: his passion for band never went away. he dreamed of forming a topnotch community band in troy. this is a small town with not a ton of topnotch talent. >> i didn't think it would work. i really didn't. >> reporter: fortunately there was one thing johnny hadn't

considered. the devotion of his former students. now once a week during concert season, they drive in from all over the south and across the decades. 65-year-old bobby johnson was in long's first college class. he lives in atlanta and drives three hours each way to practice. what is it about johnny lopping that makes you drive such a long way? >> he's such a unique character. i just admire him so much. >> reporter: it's a note i heard echo in this rehearsal hall 50 times over. >> he just has the energy field around him, and euroyou're just consumed in it. >> he's the single biggest influence on my career. >> he was a father figure to me. he's just a genuine person. >> reporter: when all is said and done, what do you want to be remembered for? >> i would like to be remembered as a teacher. i think teacher is the greatest

word in the english language next to mother. >> johnny long. >> reporter: fortunately we're quite a few years away from writing any epitaphs. johnny still doesn't miss a beat. "stars and stripes" are johnny's favorite and his band now easily o one of the best community bands in the country can play it like the fourth of july. a real american class courtesy of a real american class act. steve hartman, cbs news, troy, alabama. ♪ that is so cool. so cool. by the way, johnny long turns 86 tomorrow. we wish him a very happy birthday. >> yes, and many more. the world needs more johnny longs. >> 100% onboard with that. >> teachers, they just mean the world to so many people. and to see a story like that and to have all of those students come back, drive three hours each way just to practice with him and be in the same room says so much about mr. long. so happy birthday, johnny.

great job, steve hartman, as always. that is it for us today. your local news is next. if you're out there shopping, be careful. see you tomorrow. wm÷so ñh