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tv   CBS This Morning  CBS  May 28, 2012 7:00am-9:00am EDT

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good morning. it is monday, may 28, 2012, memorial day. welcome to studio 57 at the cbs broadcast center. i'm erica hill. tropical storm beryl slams into the coast, bringing drenching rain, driving rain and leaving tens of thousands without power. we'll check on the conditions there and see how it will impact holiday travelers up and down the east coast. i'm gayle king. we'll talk with america's top general about the challenges facing the military and our veterans. we'll visit with country music superstar, trace adkins. but we begin with today's "eye opener" your world in 90 seconds. >> this storm has the potential to produce localized flooding,
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down trees and power lines. >> you tropical storm beryl slams the southeast coast. >> storm warnings are in effect in georgia, south carolina and florida. >> this system is getting more organized. 60-mile-an-hour maximum sustained winds. > rain is the good part of this. we have a desperate drought situation going on across areas of georgia and florida. >> it spreads very quickly. the heat was just immense outside of our front do you. >> crews are on the fire lines in nine states this morning, trying to put out the flames now destroying hundreds of thousands of acres and forcing people from their homes. >> ready to go home, rebuild. we have to rebuild. >> this is an administration that went from yes we can to why we couldn't. >> mitt romney teams up with donald trump tuesday for a fund-raiser. >> donald trump is redundant evidence that if your net worth is high enough, your iq can be very low and still intrude into american politics. >> u.n. security council
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condemned syria for the massacre friday. >> police want to question justin bieber after a run-in with paparazzi, claiming he rough him up. >> three-time winner at indianapolis. >> all that -- >> the sky above san francisco lit up with fireworks to mark the 75th anniversary of the golden gate bridge. >> and all that matters. >> a stray dog spotted a group of cyclists during their long-distance three-week journey and ran alongside them for 24 days. >> on "cbs this morning." >> our economy is a disaster under obama. he vaguely knows what he's doing with regard to our economy. >> people are blaming obama, we couldn't be in this position if wesley snipes had paid his taxes. thanks for joining us on "cbs this morning." charlie rose is off today. four days before the
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official start of hurricane season, the first major storm of the year is tearing into northeastern florida and is sure to disrupt holiday travel throughout the southeast. >> tropical storm beryl made landfall in jacksonville just after midnight eastern time with top winds around 70 miles an hour. tropical storm warnings are up as far away as georgia. some areas we're hearing could get up to a foot of rain and may be 2 to 4 feet of flooding along the coast. utilities reporting tens of thousands of customers have lost their power during this storm. >> reporter from our orlando affiliate wkmg with the very latest on beryl. >> reporter: we're in flagler beach, florida, where the pier is closed this memorial day. in the last hour, the winds have picked up and the rains are coming in pretty hard. check out the surf here. people have been coming out all morning to see the surf, which has closed down the beach. the worry this morning are the power outages here in flagler county beach the power outages
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have reached 5,000 homes. up the street, an hour north of us in jacksonville, there are tens of thousands of people out of power. the wind there have reached 40 niles per hour. this morning, just last night at the height of the storm, they were 70 miles per hour. here there is a flood watch along the coastlines. this is a-1a that lines the beach for miles. streets just look like this. they're at risk of being closed down, which is the worry this memorial day weekend for so many people hitting the road. for "cbs this morning," flagler beach, florida. cbs news hurricane consultant david bernard is at our miami station. tell us what's happening right now with beryl. >> actually, some of the worst rain right now is around the jacksonville area. as we take a look at the radar out of the southeast united states, this is the current picture. we some of the strongest bands over jacksonville and as far north as savannah and even
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charleston. some of that activity is moving their direction. the current location is about 20 miles west of jacksonville, florida. notice the movement, west at 8. it's not moving inland very quickly. between now and tomorrow it's only going to move a little bit to the north and east. that's why i think the main threat going forward here over the next 24 to 36 hours will be excessive rain, but i'll remind everybody, there's been an extreme drought in south carolina, south georgia and north florida. and our rainfall potential map here is showing we could see widespread 5 to 10 inch rains well inland. that would actually be some good news despite the wash out for the holiday weekend. >> we'll focus on that positive, thanks. dicey situation in washington where more severe weather shut down the annual memorial day concert on the national mall. suddenly halfway through last night's concert, a line of strong thunderstorms moved into the nation's capital. thousands of concert goers were
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told to leave the area immediately and seek shelter. new violence in syria one day after the u.n. security council condemned one of the worst massacres since that country's uprising began last year. at least 108 people, mostly women and children, were killed in houla on friday. the u.s. resolution blamed syria's army for bombing and shelling civilian areas. syria's government denies responsibility. opposition leaders say more shelling killed another 41 people in the city of hamas. the u.s. and allies may decide to take stronger steps against syria's leadership. that could mean another new challenge for america's military. >> with us from the pentagon is general martin dempsey, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, america's highest ranking military officer. general, good morning. thanks for being with us today. when you look at syria, what is the bar for the u.s. and for the international community? >> first, let me wish you a
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happy memorial day. i'm going to encourage you to come back around and make sure you give me a chance to explain what that means. what does syria mean? syria is -- the events in syria over the weekend are just horrific, atrocious, really. i expect that the international community, that pressure will mount. i think diplomatic pressure should proceed any discussions about military options. that's my job, by the way. is options. not policy. so, we'll be prepared to provide options. >> in terms of those options, will anything short of military action make a real impact there? >> well, you know, that's always a question. i mean, we're asking ourselves the same question vis-a-vis iran right now. and i don't know whether in syria's case, a combination of economic and diplomatic measures will achieve that. but i certainly encourage our leaders -- the leaders -- the international leaders to take
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that course and try to come together in a way that would cause assad to make the right decision. >> i want to get your reaction now to some news we heard in afghanistan over the weekend, that a nato strike there killed eight civilians. what can you tell us about that? >> i can tell you that that investigation is ongoing. and that i was in touch with our military leaders in afghanistan on this issue over the weekend. to this point, we have not been able to determine -- there's more evidence to suggest it did not occur at this point, but the investigation's not done yet. >> we want to circle back to what you said at the beginning. think, happy memorial day because we're really honoring, paying tribute, remembering soldiers who have lost their lives for our country. what would you like us to remember? what would you like us to do on this day? >> well, you know, very few families in america have had the tragedy of being handed a folded
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flag as they bury their loved ones they lost serving their country. i want to make sure we focus on what the day means. and what it means to me is that, you know, some of us live this every day with our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, coast guardsmen and their families, but everybody america should live it on this day. everybody should remember just what we're celebrating, what we're memorializing. because those sacrifices have made us who and what we are. >> that dedication, that service continues long after many of these veterans have come home. there's a report from the a.p. this morning that more veterans are filing for disability benefits than ever before. are we doing enough to help those who sebed? >> you know, the answer to that is actually easy. no, we're not doing enough. we're working hard to try to understand -- you know, this is now, i think -- there may be some historian out there that would take me to task, but it
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certainly feels like the longest war we've ever been experienced in our history. we're fighting it with an all-volunteer force that's performed magazine magnificentl. we've asked them to are three, four, five tours and i think we're learning the effects of conflict that that's protracted on the human dimension. as we learn, we adjust. >> general dempsey, thank you for your time this morning. >> thank you. presidential politics is not taking a holiday this weekend. one high-profile republican didn't do mitt romney any favors in a tv interview the other day. >> jan crawford is in washington with the latest bump on the road to the white house. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. yeah it's been about two weeks now, i think, of these campaign surrogates who kind of strayed off message. the latest is yesterday when we saw former new york governor -- former new york mayor rudy
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giuliani almost give a backhanded compliment to his candidate, mitt romney. in 2008 rudy giuliani ran a tough campaign against mitt romney for the republican nomination. this weekend his words came back to haunt him with cnn's candy crowley asks how he compares his record with romney's. >> at that point i was probably comparing his record to my record. i had massive reduction in unemployment. he had a reduction in unemployment of 8, 10 -- i think it was 15%. i had a reduction of 50%. giuliani quickly got back on message saying mitt romney was far more qualified than barack obama. >> if he gets an economy that start improving, it could be anybody's ball game. >> reporter: it's not the first time campaign surrogates have gone off the rails. corey booker said last week that he disagreed with the obama campaign's attacks on romney's
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time at private equity firm bain capital in a sound bite that quickly became a romney advertisement. >> it's nauseating for the american public. enough is enough. >> reporter: the bain story line continued to play out over the weekend with romney supporters looking to define the bain attacks as anti-business. >> the president's hostile rhetoric to private investment and job creators is highlighting the fact that his policies are hostile to private investors and job creators. >> reporter: but on "face the nation" the campaign manager fought back. >> this is nothing to do with anti-business but a krivenlg a good criticism of mitt romney's only thesis for being president of the united states. he's some kind of economic sa r savor. >> reporter: other than what you heard right there from robert gibbs, the consensus over the weekend is pretty much the obama campaign has stumbled out of the gate with these bain attacks. the campaign is going to double down. they have plans to step up those attacks this week.
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what they're going to do is tie them, or at least try to tie them, to romney's record as governor. also, major, good morning. you look at the comments from giuliani over the weekend and it makes people wonder if there is some luke warm support for mitt romney. >> well, generally speaking i would say politicians are egoists and i've always found that egoists act egotistically, especially from new york. i would put giuliani in that category. a lot of people ran against mitt romney in 2008 or 2012 on the republican side and not always on friendly terms. on balance, giuliani said, romney would make a better president than barack obama, which is what in the main you want a surrogate to say. but i think there's a lot of republicans who ran against romney who will have to clear up this underbrush of what they said back when they were running against romney. goul an any did that.
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i assume the next time he appears, he might be more streamlined in his assessment. >> what do you think the romney's campaign reaction was to that? and i love when giuliani says, there's a little ego involved in this. >> if you're in a presidential campaign and you have giuliani on your side, someone with a lot of visibility, ego, and someone who likes to talk what he has done. it doesn't take him long to get to what he did to revolutionize and recreate the city of new york. anyone that remembers what new york is like in the '70s and '80s compared to now, you have to give rudy giuliani credit for turning that important american city almost completely around. >> mitt romney himself hasn't said much about bain capital. do you think he needs to jump in, too? >> i've talked to romney advisers about this. their assessment is two-fold.
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one, now is not the time for romney to jump into this because the romney campaign in boston believes if mitt romney were to alter his schedule or grant a bunch of interviews or do things to address this, he would be basically dancing to the tune played by the obama campaign. and romney's campaign never wants to do that. secondarily, they're intent to are this fought out by surrogates from both sides. at the right time, the right place, advisers tell me mitt romney will address this in his own way, describing his own approach to the presidency first of all and what his business experience at bain capital means to him as he approaches that job and voters look at him that way. but they don't think now is the time. they would like this to be a surrogate war and they're very happy that democratic surrogates like some of his own republican surrogates have had a hard time towing the company line attacking romney on bain. >> some is the focus of a washington post article this morning about democrats having luke warm approach to bain.
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is it a smart road for the obama campaign to take? >> that will be for the voters to decide. i guarantee you this, in all of my conversations with the white house and obama headquarters in chicago, this is a campaign they mean to continue. they're not backing off from this. the president said at public podiums and fund-raisers has made very clear, he believes this is the central message to take against mitt romney. he's not going to back off it. if democrats at margins are discomforted by this, the president dent care. he believes this is the single best effective way to disqualify mitt romney. if you're incumbent seeking re-election, you have to disqualify your challengers and that's what president obama is hoping to do. >> thank you. this morning a story about corruption, power struggles and etrayal is reaching the top of the vatican. >> the pope's personal butler has been charged with illegal possession of secret documents and as allen pizzey reports, it may be just the beginning.
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>> reporter: there was no hint at pentecostal mass that pope benedict xvi is facing the biggest cries of any pope in modern time. his personal butler, paolo gabriele is under detention in vatican accused of leaking secret documents to the italian press. the leaks began months ago and reveal internal power struggling, intrigue and corruption at the highest levels of the church. benedict is said to be pained he m may. >> reporter: in his homily he noted that we must live by the spirit of unity and truth. the problem for the vatican is that truth, which was supposed to remain secret, have been exposed in fullsome glory. the journalist who published many of the documents said he obtained them from multiple vatican sources, but did not pay anyone. in his six years as butler
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gabriele was privy to the secrets behind vatican city. he faces up to 30 years in jail. but vatican watchers are questioning why a man described as extremely loyal and devout would risk his career and the comfortable life his wife and children enjoy as residents of vatican city. the butler may have done it, but the greater mystery is who else was involved and why? for "cbs this morning," i'm allen pizzey in rome. time to show you some of this morning's headlines from around the globe. the new york times reporting facebook trying for a third time to build its own smartphone. sources say the company has hired former apple employees who worked on the iphone and hopes to release its own smartphone by next year. the indianapolis star says the winner of this year's indy 500 is honoring last year's winner, the late dan wheldon. dario franchitti wore wheldon's
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sunglasses. he poured the traditional bottle of milk, as wheldon did last year. wheldon was killed last year in a race. a father, mother and daughter were rescued from a small plane crash on sunday. a flight from sacramento their cessna crashed near silver city, idaho. they're in stable condition this morning. the rescuers were hampered by six-foot snow drifts. britain's daily mail says gordon ramsey took a hard hit on sunday during a soccer match for charity. he had to be taken off the field on a stretcher. he injured his back. doctors say there's no long-term damage. in that same match comedian will ferrell hurt his leg, too, but he managed to walk off the field on his own. that's good. it
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on this memorial day, a daughter sdribs the search for her father decades after he died in vietnam. >> i found parts of my father's plane, serial numbers, i found a helmet that had his name in it. >> that's your dad's helmet? >> it is. >> we'll visit the vietnam memorial in washington where there's a new focus on the sacrifices made in all of america's wars. and a warning for holiday drivers about skimming at the gas pumps. a little electronic device can let thieves get into your bank account. >> announcer: this portion of "cbs this morning" sponsored by ocean spray cherry juice drinks. all-american tradition
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♪ american >> a picture for you this morning from washington of the world war ii memorial on this memorial day. we see people preparing there. there will be a wreath-laying ceremony later on at world war ii memorial. welcome back to "cbs this morning." just a short walk down the national mall is vietnam veterans wall. thousands are expected to pay their respects, remembering the men and women who served and died in that long war. one american pilot disappeared two months before the war ended. barry petersen has the story of a woman who simply had to find out what happened to her dad. >> reporter: there are more than 58,000 names of those killed in
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vietnam on the memorial wall. one of those names, lieutenant colonel anthony shine, a pilot in the air force. >> my father was flying on the border of north vietnam in laos in 1972 when a plane descended cloud coverage and he was reported missing in action. >> reporter: his daughter was 8 years old at the time. through the years, military told colleen any further searching was useless. >> in 1995 they told me, they believed that was his crash site, they believed there was nothing more we could learn, they believed he was killed in action. any parts of the aircraft would have been skavaged by villagers for scrap metal and any remains would are been washed away in the floods and erosion. so i went to vietnam to have peace with knowing casualties. >> reporter: she found answers and proof of where her father died. >> i found parts of my father's
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plane, serial numbers, i found a helmet with his name in it. >> that's your dad's dad? >> reporter: it was. it was held by a villager who kept it as a memento in the war. when i saw my father's initials, i asked if i could keep it. >> reporter: that led to recovering his remains. in 1996 lieutenant colonel anthony shine came home to his country and to his family. what's it like, even now, to just see his name there? >> i think one of the most amazing qualities of the wall is that you see yourself in it. i see my father's name here and he's no longer living and his legacy is living. that reflection is me. that's how i honor his service and his sacrifice. is how i live my life. >> reporter: the memorial is
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here because of jan scruggs, a vietnam veteran who conceived of the wall. he started with $2800 of his own money and went on to raise $8 million. now he is the driving force behind an $85 million soon-to-be built education center where visitors will see the faces of americans who died not just in vietnam but in today's wars. >> americans have fought and died for people back here. they've had these great important values of loyalty, honor and duty. and this is a place where you will learn about these values by seeing the photographs of the soldiers who did not make it home from vietnam as well as iraq and afghanistan. >> reporter: a picture of lieutenant colonel shine will be among those photos. what is the lesson for families today who have lost a son or a daughter in afghanistan or in
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iraq? it's not as if the funeral is the end of this. it doesn't seem to go away. >> it doesn't. i think war reverberates for generations. if they continue to love that person and embrace the values for which they lived, then they never die. it's not in vein. >> reporter: barry petersen in washington, d.c. for "cbs this morning." i think patty, the stage manager said it best, you look at that piece and it gives you goose bumps. even when people said no, there's nothing, and she gets her dad's helmet. that's amazing. go, colleen. >> and such a beautiful observation, i think, on her part, the fact she sees herself reflected and in many ways that helps carry on her father's legacy and everything he did for so many. >> and a warm thanks to jan scruggs, when you look at the wall, you've been there, and it's the feeling, this is memorial day, to remember all those on that wall. nicely done, barry petersen.
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there are some 35 million americans on the road this holiday weekend. and a lot of that involves driving, of course. you could be getting ripped off at the bump. we'll take a look at the danger of gas station skimmers. >> oh, no. we don't approve. tomorrow we'll look at the presidential race with columnist peggy noonan. you're watching "cbs this morning." [ male announcer ] today a mom will see her doctor.
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one of 4 tasty choices for $4 off the 2-4-6-8 value menu. only at denny's. could be home to bacteria. so use lysol disinfectant spray on soft surfaces everyday when you're cleaning up to kill 99.9% of bacteria. lysol. mission for health. this election's going to be all about demographics. the white people, latinos. mitt romney trying to get latinos. he was here in california this week with latino businessmen. he claims he was very familiar with the latino culture. kind of blew it when he ate his gna nachos with a fork. >> they're good with a fork. >> a lot less messy. >> you don't get your hands dirty. first time gas prices hit $4 a gallon around the country, a lot of drivers freaked out.
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>> now there's a real crime happening at many pumps out there as sharyl attkisson reports, the target, none other than your bank card. >> reporter: volunteer fireman mark young recently got out of the hospital after neck surgery only to be dealt another blow when he checked his bank p>> i had $2300 in the bank and it said i only had $1,000 in there. >> reporter: police say this man is suspected of stealing young's debit card number and going on a shopping spree. he allegedly used it four times in two days, at target, walmart and macy's. detective eric says the trick is finding out how the thief got young and other victim's numbers without actually stealing their card. >> they all use their cards at gas station, which is unfortunately a very recurring problem as far as the locations of skimming devices. >> reporter: this is a skimming device bought legally online for $200. it records card numbers on a
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memory chip. hacker and exconvict greg evans showed us how a crook can use a popsicle stick and super glue to attach the skimmer. >> it's important to align it so is goes in evenly. this way the person doesn't even know when they're sliding the card in. the person thinks he's pumping hi gas and everything is fine but in actuality somebody just stole his credit card. >> reporter: this demonstration was done in just a matter of few minute. the real skim artist can make it seamless and undetectable. how many numbers can a small skimmer hold? >> about 1,000, 1,000 credit card numbers. >> reporter: the thief retrieves the skimmer and then downloads the data. >> now we can duplicate that card and go shopping with the card. >> i was really angry. >> reporter: police caught the suspect and say just last week they charged him with fraud, forgery and identity theft.
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>> the skimmer's reading it first. >> reporter: there's no foolproof way to identify a gas pump rigged with a skimmer. it's up to consumers to identify the theft and report it to the police and bank. if it's reported quickly, all banks have a policy of refunding the money to you. that's why young tells others to check their accounts often, if your card is still in your wallet. someone could be enjoying a shopping spree at your expense. sharyl attkisson, washington. >> low, low, low. now i'm thinking because i do self-serve and pay with a credit card, now i'm thinking you have to look for that little device. >> and i was staying this to tony just a couple minutes ago, there was one time i went to the atm in my neighborhood a year and a half ago and something about it didn't look right. they could be anywhere. those little devices. >> pay attention.
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two billion vehicles have crossed the golden gate bridge in 75 years. of course that deserves a party. we're going to take you to this weekend's big birthday bash in san francisco when "cbs this morning" continues. good morning, golden gate. with the red, white, and blue. ocean spray cranberry, white cranberry,
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became the stage for a fireworks spectacular and thousands of san francisco joined the celebration. >> it connects us all and probably one of the most magnificent pieces of architecture on the west coast if not the world. >> reporter: at 75 the bridge looks pretty good for its age. when the bridge was opened in 1937 it became an immediate symbol of american achievement. many thought it impossible to construct a span across the treacherous and deep golden gate strait. the 1930s gave it a style it would not have had if it was built later says california historian kevin starr. >> i don't think it would have been as beautiful, quite frankly. you look at some of the constructions from the 1950s and '60s, they don't possess the kind of elegance of this 1930s art deco structure. >> reporter: the original design wasn't nearly -- >> oh, the original design was hideous. in fact, one of the critics called it an upside down inverted rat trap.
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>> reporter: it's a structure enhanced by distinctive color, international orange. it fits the natural surroundings, says mary curry, the bridge's communications director. >> it blends with the marin headlands, the dirt, and contrasts with the oceans and clouds. we wouldn't be talking if it didn't have this fantastic color. >> reporter: but on a sunday morning 21 years ago the color and style of the golden gate bridge was the last thing danielle romo was thinking about. she was racing to the hospital to give birth to her son, eric. >> he was born right in the car. >> reporter: right here in the car? right here? >> in the car. his birth certificate says, place of birth, golden gate bridge. do you think about this every -- >> every time. >> reporter: every time you cross? >> every time. >> reporter: traffic stopped, but just for an hour. after all, golden gate bridge still has a job to do, getting people from "a" to "b," a job it
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does beautifully. for "cbs this morning," john blacksto blackstone, san francisco. >> not many people can say on their birth certificate, golden gate bridge. >> pretty cool. i love that bridge. you know how much i love that city but -- >> why do you love that city? >> a number of reasons. one of the great things, we were talking with our stage manager -- we're giving a lot of love to patty and tony on the floor. it's an amazing thing to walk or run or ride your bike across that bridge. >> because? >> the view is phenomenal. to be up there and look down and around and you see the view coming back into the city if you're heading into marin, it's just gorgeous. >> i feel badly. i feel i lived in the san francisco bay area, went to high school, and never walked the golden gate bridge. that's bad. >> gayle, i'm adding that to our list for our road trip. >> they say, you live in the area and then you don't go. you live in the area and never go. not bad for a bridge that was described as an upside down
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inverted rat trap, not bad. >> love that description. trace adkins is a big man with an even bigger heart. he'll tell us why it's so important to memorialize our troops. you're watching "cbs this morning." [ jennifer ] what if i can't do it?
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that little white dog has true grit. it found these long distance cyclists in china. welcome back to "cbs this morning." cute little dog. >> they said they started feeding him and then what dogs do, you feed me, i'm coming and now adopted by one of the cyclists. if you want the best time on vacation this summer, throw away that guide book. peter greenberg says, if you think like a local, you'll get a more authentic experience. >> the first place you should stop is a fire house. he's chatting with our other guest.
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take a look at this. it is the catch of the day. darrell fallberg went flying over the fence to make the last out of friday's game. whoa. 4-2 victory. >> and his back's okay? >> yeah. our producer said it was unfreaking believable catch. that's a tv news term. 8:00, welcome back to -- you're welcome, matt. welcome back to "cbs this morning." i'm gayle king. >> i'm erica hill. most of us have a certain routine. when you go somewhere you've never been before, you grab a guide book, hire i tour guide, ask the hotel concierge the best spot for dinner. >> our travel editor says
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there's a much better way to travel like a local. just happens to be the name of his new series of michelin guide books "travel like a local." i figured you would be out traveling someplace. >> if you're a local, last time you want to travel is holiday. >> you said the first thing you should do is go to the fire house. >> absolutely. who knows a city better than the firefighters? >> are they -- really, peter, if tourists, random people show up at the fire house -- i know tom cruise actually does this. >> you're a firefighter. >> that's the place to go. >> they're happy to see tom cruise but local folks who says, peter greenberg told me to stop by your place. >> who said to mention my name? >> now we're -- >> yeah. the bottom line is, they've been to everybody's house, in all the restaurants, where to go late at night, early morning. they're the best guide you can get. you can go to a hotel concierge,
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look at a guide book, a broch e brochure. anything is possible with photoshop. you want a genuine experience, why not ask the people on the streets. >> and they'll tell you the truth. >> absolutely. >> you said they know value. one of your other bits of add rice is to budget like a local. >> you budget by local goods and services. not the hotel cost almost always valued in u.s. dollars. a tube of toothpaste, a club sandwich, for example, hotel.com did a survey of the most expensive or least expensive club sandwiches in the world. you have to budget when you eat. most expensive, what a surprise, paris. 33 bucks. the least expensive, india, $9.50. >> what do you say we do with that? we get these prices and that lets us know how much money to bring -- >> tells you where to go to begin with pip a tube of toothpaste in venezuela is lot less expensive than those in tokyo. the big mac index. . it might surprise you toe see
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how a big mac costs in norway versus numb bmumbai. >> we just did a story about golden gate bridge. lived there for years and years and never went. people in new york say they've never been to the statue of liberty but you think locals are the best place to get information from them? >> city by city, place by place, it's not just a question of where you go, but when you go. for example, if you're in new orleans, everybody wants to go to cafe dumont and get your benoits. instead of going when the regular tourists go, go at 1:00 in the morning because that's when everybody who works in new orleans goes there to hang out and that's where you learn all the information you want to learn. >> 1:00 in the morning? >> 1:00 in the morning in new orleans is when people are getting started. >> that's the beginning of your evening. >> what about buenos aires. but go out to the private clubs,
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the neighborhoods, and they get going around 11:00 at night. that's where you have a true -- not only a true experience, they'll get you out on the floor. that's what you want to see. >> that would be fun. you also say think like a contrarian which is my version of a cranky yankee. you mean what by that? i'm thinking that ain't ever gool good. >> no it's a great idea. you do everything in the opposite way. frachl, you want to sew a great icon, like the taj mahal or the great wall of china, you don't go at noon or the pyramids, you go at 4:30 in the morning, you get out before dawn, you're the only person there on horseback at pyramids, only person on the great wall -- >> because no one else is freaky enough to be up in the morning. >> why are you recommending these crazy hours? >> it's the magic hour. if you're on dawn on great wall of china, four other people -- >> that would be magical. >> when you're ready to leave, you look down and here come all the tourists buses. >> you broke this down by
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region. you touch on new orleans, buenos air aires. quickly, how do you do the caribbean like a local? >> it's all about the food there. in jamaica there's an entire jerk trail of 22 different local stands where you can get great jerk food. my favorite being scotchies. for example, in tushgz and caicos it's all about the conch. you go there at 8:00 at night and that's when you get it. >> i think i need to travel with you, peter. >> bring an alarm clock because you're getting up
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memorial day holds a special place in trace adkins' heart. the country music star will tell us why honoring americans -- america's fallen heroes is so very important to him. you're watching "cbs this morning." [ male announcer ] there are only so many foods that make kids happy. and even fewer that make moms happy too. with wholesome noodles and bite sized chicken, nothing brings you together like chicken noodle soup from campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do.
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♪ i'm proud to be on the right side of the dirt ♪ >> i'll bet you. if you know country music, you know that voice, trace adkins -- that was the intrepid, by the way. for more than 15 years his big voice has entertained millions of fans. >> this week he's the fan cheering on men and women in new york for fleet week. and jeff glor caught up with him. >> trace adkins is fiercely loyal to those who serve and he also has a lighter side. we got to see that personality in full when we sat down with him. ♪ swing batter batter batter swing batter batter swing batter batter ♪ >> reporter: at 6'7" and with
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more than 10 million albums sold, it is hard to miss the man. but trace adkins says some still miss the message. >> i believe that the memorial day should be the most reverant day of the year for us american. >> reporter: do you think it's not taken seriously enough? >> i think it's taken very seriously by the people that recognizes and then there are some people it's just another day off from work. that's too bad. >> reporter: what else should we be doing? >> you know, we shouldn't just shoot fireworks on fourth of you'll. we should shoot fireworks on memorial day and valentine's and every day. >> reporter: thanksgiving? >> -- just shoot fireworks. we should shoot more fireworks. >> reporter: at age 50 it's been a life full of fireworks. a near-fatal car crash when he was 17. a gunshot wound through the
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heart and lungs, courtesy of his ex-wife in 1994. and just last year, his family's home burned to the ground. ♪ and all this life and dying here inside is what i call living ♪ >> reporter: he survived and typically thrived. >> this is a no coast in business. if you want to stay relevant, you can't coast. >> reporter: that's one reason adkins is playing mostly small shows. >> it's not that i'm getting tired of what i do but sometimes when you go out on the arena stage, you put your foot in the floor, hold it there for 90 minutes and a lot of times there's not very much connection, it doesn't seem, with the audience. so this year we've been doing a lot of theaters. >> reporter: do you like it better? >> i do. i think i sing better now, too. i haven't had a cigarette in about three years or so.
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and i think i've gained just a little bit on the top end, you know. bottom's still there. >> reporter: i can tell. >> i'm always had no problem with bottom. >> reporter: what song means the most to you? >> if other artists would honest they would answer that question by saying, my favorite song is your favorite song. ♪ left right left >> reporter: for me, it's still the donky donk, when i do that song, people party. >> reporter: can we talk about the origins of that song? >> sure. it was literally three drunk song writers watching a big woman knock people around on the dance floor. that's where the song was born. >> reporter: does this woman know a song has been dedicated to her? >> i hope not.
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>> reporter: now sung worldwide. >> i wish she did. >> reporter: it's his unique blend of humor, hearty living and hit-making. ♪ you're going to miss this >> reporter: it has made adkins a hero to his fans, especially those that serve. a feeling that appears to be mutual. >> if you have the chance and you have an opportunity to spend time with bona fide heroes, why would you not want to do that? >> i wrote a song last year about the marine corps and i'm going to play it for you right now. >> reporter: when i get the opportunity to do it, i like to do it. i hope some of them will rub off on me. >> reporter: do you think it does? i know i always -- i always come back with a full heart, you know. and i feel proud. ♪ super fine ♪ so gung ho to go and pay the price ♪
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>> they restore your faith in humanity. >> like him, jeff. i like him a lot. number one, 6'7", i didn't know he was that tall. >> huge. >> i love he can't even say badonka donk without smiling. what a life. shot by an ex-wife. >> and he keeps pushing. no plans to quit right now. >> where did this -- so many people have such a profound respect and admiration and even love for those who serve. but what is it for him? >> when trace was in high school he had a chance to go into football or join the marine corps. he pursued football at the time. and i think maybe at times in the 30 years since there have been some regrets. about that choice. he's certainly been a success. he certainly pays tribute now. i think that's part of where it comes from. >> listen, i only knew the
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bodonka donk song. i'm going to put him on my ipod. >> i wonder if there are woman now taking credit, that's me. i launched that tune. >> he likes talking about that song. >> i like him very much. >> i think that was a rough assignment for you, wasn't it? >> very difficult. very challenging. >> it was a great piece. >> you can't even say that with a separate face. we know the kids love the bieb but he might have made an imprtant enemy over the weekend. justin bieber, say it isn't so. we'll make that "long story short." you're watching "cbs this morning." >> announcer: this portion of "cbs this morning" sponsored by the new disney's art of animation resort at walt disney resort where you can stay inside a disney store. now you can apply sunblock
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as we looked around the web, we found a few reasons to make some "long story short." "newsday" says charles schumer wants airlines to drop seat fees when they prevent families from sitting together. more airlines are charging extra for aisle and window seats. >> no fair. >> and schumer says many families cannot afford that. the airlines say they try to keep the parents and the young children together but there are no guarantees. it's hard to pay for something we used to get for free. in everybody's interest to keep the family together? is cursing enough to hurt your career? experts say a bad word at the right moment can either motivate or dissolve tension on the job put bethey say women who curse on the job face greater risk with those words than men do. reuters says addition. >> who says so? >> men. >> that's right. reuters says the latest "men in black" movie topped "the
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avengers," taking in $55 million over the weekend. that's lower than what was expected but still very good. "the avengers" dropped to second place. the l.a. times reports justin bieber is being investigated for misdemeanor battery. a photographer claims bieber hit him for taking a picture of him and his girlfriend selena gomez. the biebs lost his shoe in the h hubbub. a 340-pound woman, just take that in for a second, is accused of pepper spraying and spitting on employees at the piggly wiggly grocery store in georgia after being caught -- this is where it gets good -- trying to steal bacon, cheese, chicken wings and beer. police say she also punched a store clerk in the face.
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as she left the store, she dropped the beer. >> so much for the party. a new york station wcbs-tv says michelle obama were among the folks racking out to beyonce. i. >> know someone else rocking out at that concert. >> i was definitely rocking out, doing my seventh great moves, trying not to embarrass myself. i love the mutual admiration society beyonce and the first lady have for each other. the show, i are to say, was beyond amazing. she looks spectacular, sounds spectacular. the production of the show -- they have to figure out how to put it on the road. they has a final show tonight at revel casino in atlantic city. they have to figure out -- beyonce is back. >> i want to see it. >> i actually tweeted, fierce is
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back. toni mother on is up next with her haunting new story toni mother on is up next with her haunting new story about a let's play indoors this weekend. all we need is a couple of gallons of our hardest-working paint... ...from the home depot. the place that gives us more top-rated brands than anywhere else... ...at prices that won't shake up our budget. let's make a one-wall statement... ...or tackle a total room takeover ...with paint that'll get the job done in fewer trips up and down the ladder. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. get $5 off gallon cans of our best paint brands now through may 30th.
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i like that shot. the tomb of the unknown at arlington national cemetery on this memorial day as we welcome you back to "cbs this morning." china's built the world's second largest economy mainly by making things we want to buy. tom doctoroff says it's time for us to understand the chinese just a little better. >> he is an advertising executive and leading expert on consumer psychology in china. his latest book is called "what chinese want:culture, communism." nice to have you with us. >> thank you very much. >> it's a book, i have to say, i learned a lot from. wasn't really familiar with a lot of things you talk about.
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what is the biggest misconception we as americans have about the chinese? >> i think it's that chinese are becoming modern and international, but they're not becoming like us. they're not becoming western, not becoming individualistic in a western way. so, our way is aspirational, interesting to them, but they still are profoundly chinese, profoundly tied to the family and the obligations to society. >> and they like it that way. >> well, there's a tension. they like it but on the other hand it's limiting. they don't want to rebel, but they accept it. this is natural for them. >> they're told to like it that way, too. that all falls in line, correct? >> the basic unit of chinese society still isn't the individual, it's the family. so, if you cross the red line of rebellion, you become an outcast. have you no choice not to accept it. that's just the way it is. it's been that way for thousands of years and it will stay that way in the future. >> you say that understanding chinese consumer culture is a good starting point to
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understand the nation. what do we learn by understanding their consumer culture, about them, the people? >> the role that plays in consumers' lives is to resolve a tension between on the one hand regimentation, structure, hierarchy, but on the other hand standing out, moving to the head of the class, climbing up that social hierarchy. >> you said the leading goose, i like this, is often shut down. >> that's very chinese. people want to get ahead but they don't want to do so conspicuously. it's dangerous to be in front but people still want to be climbing up that ladder of success. chinese are very ambitious. i always say there's a dragon in every chinese heart but letting it out requires courage. >> you know what i thought was interesting about the book, what you said about counterfeit goods. i've been known to buy a counterfeit item. >> you do not. >> yes, and i'm not telling
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nobody. yes, yes, i got it aat a boutique. in chinese culture they wear it as a badge of honor has i have a counterfeit. >> not exactly. >> or a point of pride. >> i mentioned when apple opened a fake store, it was a point of pride because the chinese said the developers were clever. but actually, if you're a consumer and you're in the middle class and you buy a counterfeit good and you get caught with it, that's a big misstep. so, i don't think the counterfeits are point of pride for people that can afford the right thing. >> it also reflects that desire for these brands, which you mentioned. >> oh, definitely. >> people want that status symbol. >> brands in china are not to just be enjoyed. they're tools of advancement, weapons on the battlefield of life. chinese people are willing to spend a lot of money for any brand that other people see you with, to project status. for example, all mobile phones, they are -- leading mobile
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phones, are multinational brands. but anything in the house, kitchen apalestines, they're local and very cheap. so, that's a golden rule of marketing. >> because no one sees them. >> no one sees them. except for the refrigerator. >> not subzero? >> not yet. a little too much. >> i remember when subzero was a huge, huge deal in this country. i'm fascinated by the american companies. we had howard schultz on recently in starbucks and he said they're doing gang busters in china. i think of china as a tea drinking society but starbucks is huge there, why? >> they've performed a miracle. by the end of this year they'll have 1,500 stores. what they've done in the tea culture is position the starbucks location as a place where new generation professionals go to hang out together and proclaim their affiliation with the new middle class. so, it, too, is about projection of status. and that's why people are willing to spend $6 on a cup of
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coffee in a tea culture. >> i was fascinated. i never think of starbucks' status. >> they've redesigned the stores. tables, not just plush chairs. a police where people can come together. >> what about this thinking in the u.s. especially that china -- this fear that china could surpass the u.s. with this dominant presence in the world. is that well founded? >> i don't think so. i think china and america have complementary strengths and weaknesses. we're very innovative, we are institutions to protect individual interests and harness our productivity. the chinese, on the other hand, are great at collectivization and mobilization of researchers for a natural level but i don't think we'll ever compete directly. unless we get nervous. if our government and our leaders don't help people understand the rise of china, we could get a little nervous. >> there you go. read your book and we'll understand it better. thanks for being here.
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there is no other writer like toni morrison. the trail-blazing author will be here to tal dad look, you can get eggs, bacon and pancakes for $4. umm. in my day, you get eggs, bacon and pancakes, and it only cost you $4. the $4 everyday value slam.
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beautiful shot of chicago there. good morning. tomorrow at the white house, president obama will award the presidential medal of freedom to 13 people, including the great novelist toni morrison. >> recently she visited tud yoe 57 to talk with charlie about that honor and her latest work. >> toni morrison is one of america's most celebrated authors. she received pulitzer prize, national book critics and noble prize in literature and she'll add one more honor to that, the presidential medal of freedom. her latest novel "home" tells of a a korean war veteran's desperate journey to save his sister. proud to have you here. >> thank you.
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>> congratulations. >> thank you. >> tell me about frank and tell me where he is and why this journey is so important for him. >> he's one of those anonymous veterans from the korean war that we don't talk about very much. we're still at war, apparently. you know -- >> a lot of troops in south korea. he has the terrible experiences of being a warrior then. comes back. he's totally messed up. what we call -- used to call shell shock. and he can't make it. then he gets a letter that someone is going to die, who he loves --. >> his younger sister. >> his younger sister. so the point is two. one, he has to go back through the country, which is really like another battlefield for him. and ripping away, or i am, that glorious period that we think of now as the '50s.
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and i'm just looking underneath the sunshine to find out what the '50s were really and truly like. >> how long have you lived with this story? >> four or five years. >> because you mentioned to me in a previous conversation. >> see. >> why does it take this long? >> i'm trying not to write just because i can. or just write more. i'm trying to write less that means more, that says more, to refine it in a way. >> your role in part is to take history and tell us what it says to us today. >> exactly. i think the past, at least in my books and probably in many others, is about suppression. it's not just over. the past isn't even past. it's right here.
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if we don't clarify, understand, get a point of view, how can we deal with what's going on now, as though it's this brand new invented life? it comes out of the past that we have. >> what do you hope the cumulative value of your work is? >> i think art really is the acquisition of knowledge. and it can lead knowledge to wisdom. that's what i write for. that's what i read about in other people's work. it's not playground. it's not just creative writing, sort of a nice little self-involved enterprise. for me, it's extremely important for the clarification, not only of the past, but of who we are as human beings in this country. >> these are the books. a mercy loved, jazz, beloved,
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all fiction and nonfiction the dancing mind, playing in the dark, whiteness and the literary image nation. for all of this -- with specifics, you have received all of these honors. now the presidential medal of freedom, the highest award this country can give you. >> yeah. >> by the president, the first african-american president in our history. >> i get to meet him. i've never met him. >> that's amazing to me. you've talked to him on the snoen. >> i talked to him on the phone. i went to the inauguration. the best day of my life, and the worst because the temperature was like 2. >> and the crowd. >> but now i get to meet him. >> but the best day because you saw -- >> absolutely. i felt like i belonged. really. >> what has meant the most to you. the noble prize did something for you but it doesn't change your ability to write. >> no, no. >> it changed, perhaps, the
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number of people who will listen and read. >> precisely. that's all. it doesn't help you in any way that has to do with your creative skills. i had a moment when i thought, oh, god, now what i do do? you know, the expectations will be enormous. but i was fortunate, really because when the prize was given to me, i was in the middle of a book called "paradise," so i simply had to complete that. >> chapter 17 of "home "request, i stood there a long while staring at that tree. it looked so strong, so beautiful. hurt right down the middle, but alive and well. she touched my shoulder lightly. frank? yes. come on, brother, let's go home. so, frank goes home. >> and he has a home. >> and where is going home for toni?
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>> it's your faith, nobody's out to get you. they may not like you but they help you. it's comfort. it's not death or quiet. there's something that has to be done. the tree is split down the middle. >> what might have been -- >> or has already been. regret. it's gone. >> any of those? >> enough. >> but then there's the joy, the joy of knowing not that you received all these awards -- >> the work. >> the work. >> the work, the memory, you know. writing books for me is eden. >> eden? >> it's -- the land of milk and honey. >> it's so free. and it has a danger that i can control. you know, the danger of making a mistake. and doing it wrong. but i can control that.
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and it's mine. and nobody tells me what to do. >> that's the great thing about writing. >> oh, yes. >> had you written the stories you want to write? >> not all of them. there's one more. >> give me a hint. >> it's sort of nowish. i've never written a -- well, i did once in "tar baby" sort of, but to write about, you know, through 2008, 200 9, i haven't pin pointed it yet but i'm getting there. not really historical the way others have been. we'll see. >> can't wait. >> thank you. >> great to see you. toni morrison, a long-time friend, who i cherish. >> thank you, charlie. >> the book is called "home." >> toni morrison, 81 and still going strong. before you start up your
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grill today, we'll take you back to a great barbecue place. you remember this one in the little town with only one main item on the menu? doesn't need anything else. you're watching "cbs this morning."
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♪ hello, des moines, iowa. a few weeks ago we showed you a little place in northeastern arkansas that was just honored as one of america's best restaurants. >> and on this day when millions will be firing up the grill, we thought we'd take another look at the jones barbecue diner as mark strassmann reports, it's been serving up one special recipe for more than 100 years. >> reporter: the james beard awards, considered the oscars of food, recognize hot chefs from new york to san francisco. and now mayrietta, arkansas, 410
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people scraping by in the arkansas delta. it's also home to what may be america's best ba rbecues. >> i come to work with my daddy and grandaddy. >> reporter: james jones is both owner and pit master. a one-man whirlwind in a tiny two-table restaurant. >> thank you, ma'am. >> have a good day. >> you too. >> reporter: jones barbecue diner dates back to 1910. it may be the oldest black-family owned restaurant in the south. >> the way things are going, for some reason, it isn't going to last long. >> reporter: the 67-year-old sleeps upstairs. betty jones is his wife of 40 years. you're a barbecue widow. >> this is his second wife. hi to get used to it.
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>> reporter: out back sylvester runs the smoke house. oak and hickory logs burn 24/7. pork shoulders smoke in this barbecue pit for 24 hour. years. mel the same? >> that's the key, the smell. and the taste, of course. >> reporter: what you can smell -- >> when you make the turn, you can definitely smell the aroma. >> reporter: smith, a local insurance agent, showed us the ropes, which wasn't hard. >> mr. jones, need two sandwiches. >> reporter: park sandwiches, drenched in a vinagry and coleslaw, $3 apiece, $6 a pound. >> that's so good. >> reporter: it's incredibly good. wow. and the only thing on the menu. for four generations, jones barbecue has fed this town. >> oh, it's good. it's the best meal we have here.
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food pulls people together. you can share a meal together and you're friends, no matter white, black, yellow, green, any age. everybody loves barbecue here. in the south, that's part of what we do and eat. this is as good as it gets. it's better to me than any barbecue i've had. >> reporter: jones follows the same family recipes as his grandfather, who sold meat from a wash tub back when locals called the restaurant the hole in the ground. the recipe for his sauce and his slaw are top secret. >> i don't want to know. it's like his father and grandfather promised the children to not ever tell the secret. >> reporter: what's the secret of the sauce? >> no. >> reporter: come on. >> ain't no way. no, sir. >> reporter: not going to tell it? >> no, no. you give that up, you're out of business. >> reporter: then one day they got a phone call, something about an award.
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the james beard award. >> first time i ever heard of it. >> you sit down because we want to talk with you. >> that didn't sound good. >> my heart start going 100 miles an hour. i said, oh, lord, we haven't paid the taxes on time. >> reporter: they know what the beard award means now, recognized at one of america's top chefs. >> i'm on cloud nine right now. >> reporter: for making one distinctly american dish and making it perfectly. for "cbs this morning," mark strassmann in marianna, arkansas. >> now i'm hungry again, gayle. >> i'm saying, i wanted to lick the screen. now i'm drooling. he didn't just say the sandwich was good. he said incredibly good and that got my attention thinking, i must go to arkansas. never been there either. >> i think it's time. >> i think so, too. >> a list of places to visit. >> on my bucket list, china and arkansas. coming up next, your local news.
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have a safe memorial day. we'll see you tomorrow on "cbs this morning." take it easy. pull on those gardening gloves.
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