For February 16, 2011, CBS

Chris Wragge, Erica Hill, Marysol Castro, Jeff Glor
CBS The Early Show
02-16-2011
CHRIS WRAGGE: And welcome back to THE EARLY SHOW. Chris Wragge and Erica Hill looking at this beautiful picture of Fort Lauderdale.

ERICA HILL: Fort Lauderdale, looking longingly at that beautiful picture.

It`s supposed to be what-- sixty?

CHRIS WRAGGE: Well, it`s sixty-one now which means-- ERICA HILL: Sixty-one now?

CHRIS WRAGGE: --it`s going to be a beautiful day in Fort Lauderdale. Good morning everyone.

ERICA HILL: Could be eighty today. So there you go enjoy that shot if you`re somewhere cold.

CHRIS WRAGGE: Possibly. It has been a long tough road for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and it is far from over. She was shot in the head six weeks ago. And over the past few weeks, we`ve heard snippets of how well she`s doing. Well, this morning we`ll speak exclusively with Giffords` chief of staff and find out just how well she is, in fact, doing.

ERICA HILL: We`re going to get to that in just a moment as Chris mentioned.

But first, we do want to check in with Jeff at the news desk for a closer look at some of the morning`s top stories we`re following for you. Jeff, good morning.

JEFF GLOR: Hey, Erica, good morning to you. Bernie Madoff says big banks and hedge funds willfully ignored signs of his massive fraud. In his first interview for publication since being in prison, Madoff told The New York Times, quote, "They had to know. But the attitude was sort of if you`re doing something wrong, we don`t want to know." Madoff says he`s helping to recover efforts-- helping to recover billions of dollars for victims of his Ponzi scheme but he won`t discuss criminal cases or provide evidence.

ALLAN DODDS FRANK (Financial Investigative Reporter, The Daily Beast): Bernie, in this interview, has been taking the classic, old-fashioned Mafia stance I`m not going to rat anybody out to the feds.

JEFF GLOR: Madoff is serving a hundred-and-fifty-year sentence for stealing sixty-five billion dollars from investors.

The political monsoon that`s rolled over the Middle East has reached Libya, it appears. This internet video appears to show last night`s antigovernment protests, apparently triggered by the arrest of a government opponent.

CBS News chief foreign affairs correspondent Lara Logan is back in the U.S.

now, continuing her recovery at home this morning after she was attacked while covering the events in Egypt. Logan was separated from her crew and surrounded by a mob the night Hosni Mubarak stepped down. She was badly beaten and sexually assaulted.

It is still unclear why two U.S. immigration and customs agents were shot in northern Mexico yesterday. One agent was killed. They were ambushed when they stopped at a roadblock.

And finally Borders, this country`s second-largest bookstore chain, filed for bankruptcy this morning. The filing shows Borders is nearly 1.3 billion dollars in debt. It plans to close thirty percent of its stores while reorganizing.

Time now for weather. It`s thirty-two minutes past the hour. Here`s a look at what`s happening outside your window.

(LOCAL WEATHER BREAK) ERICA HILL: We want to get you the very latest now on the recovery of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who as you`ll recall, was shot pointblank nearly six weeks ago in the head, critically injured, and yet we keep getting snippets about what some are calling a miraculous recovery. In just a moment, we will speak exclusively with Giffords` Chief of Staff for a closer look at how she`s doing. First, though, CBS News correspondent Don Teague is in Houston this morning with more on this story. Don, good morning.

DON TEAGUE: Good morning, Erica. Gabrielle Giffords has been undergoing intense rehabilitation here in Houston for most of the last month. She can now communicate with and speak with her family and friends. It`s great progress but experts say only time will reveal how much long-term damage she has to suffer.

In the nearly six weeks since Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head, doctors have called her progress nothing short of remarkable. Just last week, Giffords spoke, asking for toast with breakfast. Then, she mouthed the words to twinkle, twinkle little star. She also took part in a birthday celebration for her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, who is currently training for his upcoming shuttle mission.

REPRESENTATIVE DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (Giffords` Friend): She was able to sing Mark, happy birthday. You know, mouthed him happy birthday and they`re using the singing therapy which uses a little bit different part of the brain to help sort of retrain her brain to speak again.

DON TEAGUE: But as encouraging as Giffords` progress appears, doctors caution the long-term damage is still difficult to measure.

DOCTOR JONATHAN FELLUS (Neurologist & Neuro-Rehab Specialist): The long- term issues are-- are really going to be focused on-- on her language, her communication abilities, reading, writing, and, of course, moving that right arm as well.

DON TEAGUE: Yet for Giffords, friends say these long-term issues are obstacles she`s determined to overcome.

REPRESENTATIVE DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: You could see she wanted to engage and she wanted to be responsive, and she really responds with facial expressions and smiles and frowns. But, you know, I also saw a little frustration in her wanting to try to respond because she understood and, you know, she just wasn`t yet able to.

(End VT) DON TEAGUE: Well, Giffords still has a long recovery ahead of her, but so far her doctors have repeated that her healing has been nothing short of miraculous. Erica.

ERICA HILL: Don, thanks.

And joining us now exclusively this morning from Washington is Pia Carusone who is Gabrielle Giffords` chief of staff and has been very close to the congresswoman both before and as she is going through this recovery. Thanks for being with us this morning.

PIA CARUSONE (Chief of Staff to Representative Gabrielle Giffords): Good morning, Erica.

ERICA HILL: As we just heard from Don, the congresswoman is able to communicate, even speak in some respects with her family and with her friends. Does she understand at this point the full extent of what happened on-- on that Saturday morning in Tucson, not just to her, but to everyone else?

PIA CARUSONE: She certainly knows that there`s been a traumatic event here.

The-- the details of the-- the severity of the injuries to others, you know, she doesn`t-- she doesn`t know yet about. But she will in time when-- when she`s, you know, at a higher level of communication. It`s that, you know, doctors have said it`s not-- not really fair as you can imagine to tell someone-- ERICA HILL: Mm-Hm.

PIA CARUSONE: --something so tragic and not-- you know someone that might not have the ability to ask the detailed questions that someone will have when-- when they hear this news.

ERICA HILL: How much is she able to ask? We heard-- we heard from her dear friend there, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, talking about the fact that she really noticed express-- her facial expressions and even some sort of frustration and not-- perhaps not being able to get out everything she wanted to say. I mean can she answer simple yes or no questions? Or can she give more elaborate answers with several words?

PIA CARUSONE: It-- it`s a combination. I mean, you know, there`s various words in her vocabulary that are-- that are coming back and new words everyday that we hear, short phrases, simple thoughts. She-- there`s no doubt that she understands what`s happening around her. She laughs at the appropriate times. She, you know, when the conversation turns serious she, you know, she I think can sense that. So fully recognizes people that come in to visit her. So we-- we no one that has-- that has seen her has any doubt that-- that she can understand everything around her. And, you know, she`s just working really hard and progressing. It`s paying off and everyday there`s new progress that-- that you see. And so, you know, we-- we feel very hopeful at-- at her recovery.

ERICA HILL: What-- what is her day like there in rehab? And what kinds of signs are you seeing on daily basis be the physical or-- or even perhaps something you notice in her internally?

PIA CARUSONE: Her days are busy. I mean, you know, part of the reason she`s at TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston is because they`ve got a track record for putting together a really great rehab program. So it`s-- it`s multi- faceted. I mean it`s-- you know, there`s different teams of therapists that work on speech and physical and-- and occupational therapy. Obviously, eating is-- is a big part of getting better and sleeping. I mean that`s-- ERICA HILL: Mm-Hm.

PIA CARUSONE: --you know basics that-- that we all know, so she does lot of those things. You know and-- ERICA HILL: Just practicing in terms of like feeding herself, for example?

PIA CARUSONE: Yeah or, you know, just-- you know, she-- we all-- it`s-- it`s, you know, nice to eat. It`s like making you feel like a normal person.

ERICA HILL: Mm-Hm.

PIA CARUSONE: So she-- you know, she`s fortunately got time for all her meals and Mark`s ordered in some food that she likes. And the-- the folks at TIRR have been great. You know-- you know, they-- they-- they just-- they really know what they`re doing, top-notch facility. And so she`s got busy, busy days.

ERICA HILL: All right. Well, we-- we will continue to follow the progress.

We do appreciate you taking some time to keep us updated this morning. Pia, thanks.

PIA CARUSONE: Happy to.

ERICA HILL: Just ahead from shoes to groceries, the cost of many household items are going up. You`ve likely noticed it. But do you know why those prices are rising? We will give you the back story and also help you save money. You`re watching THE EARLY SHOW on CBS.

(ANNOUNCEMENTS) CHRIS WRAGGE: In this morning`s MarketWatch, rising prices. It seems the cost of just about everything is going up and that has a lot of consumers worried, especially as they head to the grocery store or the mall. So what`s behind it? And more importantly, what can we do about it? Well, joining us once again is CBS News business and consumer correspondent Rebecca Jarvis. Rebecca, good to see you again.

REBECCA JARVIS: Hey, Chris.

CHRIS WRAGGE: So we`re going to talk about a couple of things here. Why the prices are going up and what the people at home can of course do to save a few dollars? And let`s start with ground beef.

REBECCA JARVIS: Mm-Hm.

CHRIS WRAGGE: Because they`re actually raising the price on ground beef at the grocery store.

REBECCA JARVIS: Yeah, and you`re really seeing it go up as a result of the fact that companies are paying much more for the input, the-- the cattle input on these commodities has been going up since the summer. And finally, you`re seeing it passed along to the consumer. You pay for ground beef about nine thirty.

CHRIS WRAGGE: Yeah.

REBECCA JARVIS: Nine dollars thirty cents for a pound. You`re going to see that go up about 6.2 percent this year. The way that can you save on it if you go and shop at the grocery store is to shop early. Because sometimes when it`s closer to its expiration date, you can get a better deal on it.

You shop earlier in the day, you get the fresher meat and you get a better deal on it. Also buy in bulk-- CHRIS WRAGGE: Yeah.

REBECCA JARVIS: And put it in the freezer. You can you put it there for four months, it`ll save.

CHRIS WRAGGE: Buy a big bulk of-- of ground meat there. Some appliance companies like Whirlpool, say a giant when it comes to refrigerators, washing machines and things like that. The prices of steel and aluminum going up in April right now. So they`re going to start raising their prices on washing machine.

REBECCA JARVIS: Yeah, well and the primary inputs into washing machines, steel and aluminum are the commodity costs that are rising. You see for an average washing machine will run you about four-hundred dollars.

CHRIS WRAGGE: Yeah.

REBECCA JARVIS: That price is set to rise about ten percent this year to four dollars four-- four hundred and forty dollars, rather. And what you can do is shop in September and October when they clear out the floors because they put the new models in, you get a much better deal on the sale models.

CHRIS WRAGGE: All right. So save your-- your washing machine shopping until the fall. That`s the best tip you have for them.

REBECCA JARVIS: Yeah.

CHRIS WRAGGE: Okay.

Cotton right now at fifteen-year high. Just in the last year alone, it was at fifty-five cents a pound, now it`s over almost a dollar and ninety a pound?

REBECCA JARVIS: Yeah, it`s a huge increase over the last year and you are finally seeing it in the cost of clothing. For example, we spoke with Hanes. And a pack of three T-shirts there is going to run you about seventeen dollars depending on where you`re shopping-- CHRIS WRAGGE: Mm-Hm.

REBECCA JARVIS: --in the country right now. We could see that rise this year by even more than ten percent. Hanes right now is saying they`re looking at the cost of cotton going forward, if it stays stable maybe you`ll see a ten-percent increase in the cost. But if it doesn`t stay stable and say it goes up more, you could see even-- even larger increase.

CHRIS WRAGGE: So what would you recommend?

REBECCA JARVIS: The recommendation is to shop now for back-to-school because-- CHRIS WRAGGE: Yeah.

REBECCA JARVIS: --that increase could be coming in the back-to-school season time. If you buy now, you`re going to get a better deal on it. But make sure if you`re shopping for your kids, buy in multiple sizes.

CHRIS WRAGGE: Okay. Rebecca Jarvis. Thank you very much.

REBECCA JARVIS: Thanks, Chris.

CHRIS WRAGGE: Up next, there`s still no cure for the common cold but a new study says help may be on the way. We`re going to tell you what the help is all about when we come back right here on THE EARLY SHOW.

(ANNOUNCEMENTS) ERICA HILL: We love to bring you good news, especially when it happens in the fight against the common cold. So get ready. A just released study has found over-the-counter supplements containing zinc can reduce the severity- - severity and actually the duration of a cold. Children, it turns out get between six and ten colds a year; adults between two and four. That accounts for forty percent of missed work days. So maybe it`s a mixed bag for you if you wanted a day off. Medical correspondent Doctor Jennifer Ashton is here with the details. There have been all of these studies done for a long time looking at zinc that found pretty much the opposite, that it didn`t do anything.

DR. JENNIFER ASHTON (EARLY SHOW Medical Correspondent): Right.

ERICA HILL: So what has now changed with these findings?

DR. JENNIFER ASHTON: Well, the controversy continues. And we`re always looking for the cure for the common cold. This might not be the cure but it certainly looks like it`s a promising treatment. This was a-- a study that looked at fifteen other studies, a little over thirteen-hundred people and found that those who took zinc in supplement form every one and a half to two hours reduced the severity of their cold symptoms and shortened the duration of the cold. Not by a lot, by one day, but still if you`re suffering from a cold that one day means something.

ERICA HILL: And that`s fantastic news. How do you have to take the zinc?

DR. JENNIFER ASHTON: Well, in this study, you could take it in any form.

So, you can take it in liquid drop form, in tablet form, in the lozenge form. We have to remember when we`re talking about zinc, like any other supplement, you can take too much of it.

ERICA HILL: Mm-Hm.

DR. JENNIFER ASHTON: So the side effects that were seen were a little upset stomach, nausea, abdominal pain. You can get some mouth irritation. But again they found that it did help them a little bit with their cold symptoms.

ERICA HILL: So then the take away for all of us, if you feel a cold coming on should you just reach for the zinc?

DR. JENNIFER ASHTON: Well, right now, the-- there`s not conclusive evidence to support that. It can`t hurt you if taken in moderate amounts. So again that`s what the study really showed.

ERICA HILL: Mm-Hm.

DR. JENNIFER ASHTON: But the-- the old standbys when you`re talking about treatment for the cold, because it`s a virus so there`s no cure for it, the basics. You want to rest. You want to drink plenty of liquids. You can reach for the over-the-counter cold remedies, pain medications, things like that. Chicken soup one of the best things you can take for a cold and let it run its course. But if you want to shorten it by a day, zinc right now according to the study-- ERICA HILL: All right.

DR. JENNIFER ASHTON: --looks like it will help.

ERICA HILL: We`ll take it and wash your hands and if you`re really sick, stay home-- DR. JENNIFER ASHTON: Stay home.

ERICA HILL: --as you tell us all the time.

DR. JENNIFER ASHTON: Absolutely.

ERICA HILL: Jen, thanks.

DR. JENNIFER ASHTON: You bet.

ERICA HILL: We`ll be right back with more. You`re watching THE EARLY SHOW on CBS.

(ANNOUNCEMENTS) END

Content and programming Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Transcription Copyright 2011 Voxant, Inc. (www.voxant.com), which takes sole responsibility for the accuracy of the transcription. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.


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