Transcripts For WUSA The Early Show 20110307

captioning funded by cbs and hello, everyone. welcome to "the early show" here on a monday morning. good morning once again, i'm chris wragge. >> and i'm erica hill. good to have you with us this morning. we begin with that ongoing pain at the pump, which you have likely noticed. the unrest in the middle east has sent gas prices soaring over the past few weeks. a gallon of gasoline now averages which is 78 cents higher than it was just one year ago. cbs news business and economics correspondent rebecca jarvis joins us from a gas station here in manhattan with more on that price spike and how washington may respond to it. rebecca, good morning. >> good morning, erica. and this is a scene we're really seeing play out across gas stations throughout the country. prices back near $4 a gallon in some places. they even are paying $4 a gallon. back where prices were in 2008. and now the government is considering getting involved. unrest in the middle east has gasoline prices here soaring. in just two weeks prices at the pump have jumped 33 cents. that's the second biggest increase in that amount of time, ever. >> $65 for gas. pretty unbelievable. >> reporter: u.s. drivers are currently paying an average of $3.51 a gallon. with libya's oil fields shut and production stopped. if the crisis escalates, some analysts see $4 a gallon right around the corner, and that concern has the obama administration deciding whether to take the drastic step of tapping the nation. >> the issue of the reserves is one we're considering. i think that no one would doubt that the uncertainty in the middle east right now has caused this tremendous increase in the last number of weeks. >> reporter: the u.s.-held emergency oil supply called the strategic petroleum reserve contains 727 million barrels of oil. enough to supply the nation for several months. proponents say releasing oil from the reserves would calm spiking gas prices. but critics say the oil reserves r a true emergency. >> i don't think it's going to make a big difference with respect to prices. and i think at this point, we can digest these prices. >> now, to put this into perspective. we typically tap into those reserves following hurricanes or in the midst of hurricane season. the most recent time we did it was after hurricane katrina -- or rather hurricane ike in 2008, and then we tapped about 5.4 million barrels from the reserves. >> so if those reserves were to be tapped now, how much, how many barrels are we talking about here? and how quickly could we see the effects at the pump? >> well, this is really more an art than it is a science. to give some historical perspective, if you compare what happened after hurricane ike, versus what happened after hurricane katrina, we actually after hurricane ike took out a lot fewer barrels of oil. but the issue on wall street is really looking at what the government's next step will be, and determining whether or not that's enough. frankly, we have enough supply right now to meet current demand in this country. and the real issue is fear and instability in the middle east, and what could happen down the road. not so much what's going on now. so when the government looks at this country, there is no clear-cut or easy answer, erica. >> rebecca jarvis. rebecca, thanks. so just what impact could call of this have on the u.s. economy? joining us this morning from berkeley, california, is economist and former u.s. labor secretary robert reich who is also the author of "aftershock: the next economy and america's future." good to have you with us this morning. >> good morning, erica. >> she laid out that picture pretty well for us. the president can, of course, tap into these reserves. but if there is enough supply, as she pointed out, from an economic perspective, does it make sense to do this? >> it probably makes sense to do it, or at least to suggest that he will do it. the price of oil futures. but i'll tell you, americans are still trying to get out of the gravitational pull of the great recession, erica. and so, the higher gas prices undoubtedly are going to be a blow. it's not going to dramatically slow down the recovery. but it could definitely slow it down. >> and that perception may help a little bit. libya, as we talked about a number of times on this program, is the 18th largest oil producer. 18th. but we've seen prices skyrocket as we just heard from rebecca. is the public right to feel taken advantage of here in some ways, or even scammed? >> look, a lot of this is supply and demand. the country can feel a certain sense of taken advantage of. but some of this is the demand that's coming from china. i mean, you have developing nations all over the world who are coming out of the recession much faster than the united states and europe. and their oil needs are very high. and so they are also putting pressure on oil prices. it's not just the middle east. >> let's turn now and look at this latest jobs report. on friday the labor department reporting that 192,000 jobs were added. unemployment dipped to 8.9%. this had a very positive response it seemed. but you are a little bit more measured when you look at this and to you the headline here is not necessarily the jobs but the wages. talk to us a little bit about that. >> 192,000 new jobs is very good. let's not, you know, let's not say that this is a bad trend. this is a good trend. one of the problems, however, is that the new jobs we're creating, if you look at the 1.2 million new jobs created over the last year, those jobs in general are paying less than the 8 million jobs we've lost between 2008 and 2009, and the beginning of 2010. and so the long-term trend is troubling. the long-term trend, erica, is lower and lower wages and benefits. you see it, a lot of people have had to give wage concessions to their employers, or provide givebacks, or say, okay, we'll take a higher copayments, deductibles on our health insurance. we don't want to, you know, we won't take quite as much pension. or you don't have to contribute quite as much pension. or we will be fired and will go on as a contract worker, and we'll do pretty much what we were doing before, but we won't have any of the benefits we had before. and this is the story that's going on much around america, and has been going on for years now. but, the great recession accelerated it. >> and the concern there, of course, is that it's really hard to come back from that. appreciate your insight this morning. thanks for being with us. >> thanks, erica. >> chris? >> turning now to politics. none of the leading republican contenders for the 2012 presidential race have declared a formal candidacy yet, but that doesn't mean they aren't acting the part. cbs news senior white house correspondent bill plante has the latest on the race to unseat president obama. bill, good morning. >> good morning, chris. well, that's right. officially, nobody is running for anything. but tonight, in iowa, which just happens to be the nation's first caucus state, former house speaker newt gingrich, former pennsylvania senator rick santorum, and former minnesota governor tim pawlenty will all appear in something called a presidential forum. and over the weekend, former massachusetts governor mitt romney looked very much like a candidate. in new hampshire, the nation's first primary state, romney focused on president obama's signature accomplishment. >> obamacare is bad law constitutionally. it's bad policy. it's bad for american families. and that's one reason why president obama will be a one-term president. >> reporter: but when romney was governor of massachusetts, he pushed for and got a state health plan most consider very similar to president obama's. but romney says there's a difference. and he's attacking the president's plan. >> he understands that if he doesn't make that case up front, the president is going to be giving him, you know, is going to be killing him with kindness by praising his plan. >> reporter: other potential candidates are beginning the long march, hitting the early states and courting the voters. gingrich's appearance in iowa tonight will be his eighth visit there since last may. tim pawlenty will be spending his 12th day in the hawkeye state since last april. he's aggressively courting the tea party movement. >> i think the tea party is a welcome, helpful, energetic organization. >> it's an example where the voters want to see the candidates up close and shake their hand and talk to them and they see it not only as, you know, an opportunity to engage in the political process the way that everybody does, but they also see it as a responsibility to really touch the candidates. >> reporter: and there are plenty of others who want to test that process. former arkansas governor mike huckabee, present missy governor haley barbour and indiana governor mitch daniels. and don't forget the obama administration's current ambassador to china, who's leaving, republican john huntsman. he looks like a person who wants to run, as well. chris? >> cbs' bill plante for us this morning in washington. bill, thank you. also in washington this morning, cbs news political analyst john dickerson. john, good morning. >> good morning, chris. >> so we hear all the names out there but no one has officially declared anything yet. but in iowa tonight like bill mentioned, newt gingrich, tim pawlenty, rick santorum. so why is this important for these potential candidates? >> well, this event in iowa tonight is with social conservatives. we've heard a lot about the tea party backers. but the social conservatives play an important role in iowa, in particular. 60% in the last caucus in 2008, identified themselves as born-again or evangelical, compared to say new hampshire where that number is about 20%. so these candidates will be pitching, talking about issues like same-sex marriage, and about abortion, and the other key question is, these voters want to know, are these social issues going to be something candidates talk about all over the country? or only at events like this in states like iowa? >> mike huckabee will not be there tonight. he's been placing a lot of emphasis on social issues. as recently as last week went after oscar winning actress natalie portman for getting pregnant out of wedlock. he later kind of back tracked, clarified what he felt was potentially a gaffe on his part. was it a gaffe or was it a bigger point trying to be made here? >> it was both. and mike huckabee, who is atop of some of the polls, is enjoying the kind of scrutiny you get as a front-runner. he said that natalie portman was kind of glorifying single motherhood. and out of wedlock birth. in his recent book, this wasn't just a shot, this is part of what his book that he's out there selling is about, arguing that there's both a moral and economic case to the problem of single parent families. problem for him is that natalie portman is engaged, and about to have a formal, traditional family, which is obviously something he approves of. >> let's talk about mitt romney here for a second. trying to distance himself from the health care reform law that he signed into law as governor of massachusetts, which a 4r09 of people, like we heard in bill's report say, is very similar to obamacare right now. but we also heard mr. romney on saturday night say he would repeal obamacare. how big a problem is this going to be for mitt romney as he moves forward? >> this will be sort of a stone in the shoe for romney, as he continues his presidential campaign. you know, there was an issue like this for john mccain in 2008, where mccain had pushed for comprehensive immigration reform. republicans didn't really like that. well, that's true with romney here. mike huckabee has called it socialism. others don't like the individual mandate in massachusetts. romney is trying to push back in two ways. one, he's arguing, look, as a governor i'm supposed to do this kind of thing. this is what all 50 governors could do, what obama did that was wrong is try and take a single solution and clamp that down on the country. and then basically the second strategy is for romney to change the subject, talk about the economy and say as a successful businessman he knows how to create jobs. >> all right, john dickerson, thanks for talking with us this morning. good to see you. >> thanks, chris. >> all right. so many candidates. so many decisions to be made. >> and so little time. >> yes. >> jeff glor is standing by at the news desk this morning with a look at the rest of the day's headlines. jeff, good morning. >> erica, chris, good morning to you. good morning, everyone. whether is blamed for a deadly bus crash in northeastern pennsylvania. during an ice storm near scranton a tour bus turned over, crashing into a disabled car. a 41-year-old man standing next to the car was killed. most of the northeast is soggy this morning, many places under storm warnings and flood watches. streets in hillsdale, new jersey, are flooded after torrential rain there. meantime, parts of upstate new york may get over a foot of snow today. recovery efforts continue in louisiana, after a deadly tornado. the twister hit saturday about 70 miles west of baton rouge. a 21-year-old woman was killed when a tree crashed onto her home. hundreds of residents are homeless. the floighting in libya thi morning has intensified. rebel forces are trying to hold off counterattacks by government forces, including punishing airstrikes in a key oil port. cbs news correspondent mark phillips has more from tripoli. >> reporter: good morning. well, well into the third week of this conflict, it's already obvious that, unlike egypt and tunisia, this one won't be over quickly. instead, it's settling in to a protracted test of wills between moammar gadhafi, and those who want him out. another appearance of moammar gadhafi in tripoli late last night. to show his supporters and the world that he's still here. in fact, the tide may be turning in his favor. the advance of rebel forces, despite their enthusiasm, may have stalled. they were pushed back from their furthest point of advance, a town called bin jawad over the weekend. and they're now under pressure in ras lanuf, the oil port town they have held for several days. their numbers are small, their arms are light, and their organization sometimes nonexistent. the situation is similarly murky in other towns the anti-gadhafi forces have been holding. in misratah, a group of rebels have been resisting repeated attacks by government forces. and in zawiyah, just 30 miles from tripoli, government forces have launched several armored assaults, and control all access to the town. the government in tripoli has virtually declared victory. the reality may be a stalemate with rebel forces in control in the east, and the gadhafi regime re-establishing control elsewhere. and with neither side able to make significant progress against the other. and the pockets of rebel resistance are getting increasingly desperate. in zawiyah, they're occupying the center of town, surrounded by government forces. facing more frequent attacks, and with less and less ammunition, and fewer and fewer fighters. jeff? >> all right. mark thank you. defense secretary robert gates says u.s. forces will remain in afghanistan after the end of combat operations. gates began a two-day unaannounced visit to afghanistan this morning. u.s. combat operations are scheduled to end at 2014. gates says remaining u.s. forces would train and advise afghan troops after that. and finally, there may be no crying in baseball, but basketball? players and coaches say players were crying in the locker room last night after the miami heat, led by lebron james and dwyane wade, lost their fourth straight game. this one yesterday to the chicago bulls. it is 16 minutes past the hour right now. back over to chris and erica. guys? >> wipe those tears with $100 bills. >> exactly. exactly. >> come on, guys. it's basketball. >> let's get a check now of your weather on this monday morning. marysol castro is standing by with your first check. good morning. >> good morning the two of you. good morning, everyone at home. there was a lot of rain for folks over the weekend. take a look at the northwest. a mix of sun and clouds. but there's that big swath, a mixture of light snow, a lot of rain, and by the way, 12 records broken for rainfall, from the carolinas all the way to maine. we turn to the southeast, after a weekend of severe weather, take a look at this. drier conditions. very sunny. seasonable temperatures. there was an ef-2 tornado in louisiana. and then the northeast, rain, rain go away, come again another day. and before you do, you're going to bring a lot of cold, blustery temperatures with you. >> thanks so much. that's your latest weather. now back over to chris and erica. >> lovely, more cool temperatures. >> thanks, mary. coming up here on "the early show," the latest on the desperate search to find an american student missing in spain. we're going to speak with austin bice's father, whose in madrid this morning helping look for his son. >> also ahead, driving distracted. it is a growing problem in this country. especially among younger drivers. we'll take a look at some brand-new efforts to help keep the roads safe. you're watching "the early show" on cbs. 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"discovery" is scheduled to land wednesday. it will then be retired and sent to the national air and space museum at the smithsonian in washington. and on hawaii's big island, a new vent opened this weekend on the kilauea volcano. take a look at this. the display featured fountains of lava 65 feet high. it is 32 minutes past the a california college student studying abroad in spain has been missing in madrid for ten days now. as police in spain investigate the disappearance of 22-year-old austin bice, his friends and family are searching the streets where he was last seen. bice's father joins us from madrid in just a moment. but first, cbs news correspondent liz palmer has the story of the desperate search. >> reporter: austin bice left his five friends outside a madrid night club february 25th, and vanished. this weekend, his father led hundreds of volunteers in a search for his son, posting flyers around the city. >> we sigh his picture. >> he's never done drugs. he's pretty clean-cut young man. he's never been in trouble. so something happened that night. >> reporter: bice, a business major from san diego state, had been studying abroad since january. in his last blog, he showed an ad for a party and wrote, it should be a fun night. witnesses say bice, drunk, was turned away from a club. but his family and friends say he only had a few beers, and then he left to walk home alone. >> all of those circumstances set up a scenario in which he is, you know, walking down a street alone late at night, in which you have to think about the possibility of foul play. >> reporter: officials in madrid have issued a europe-wide alert for the missing student. >> i worry that he was subdued. he worry that he doesn't know that we're looking for him. >> reporter: back home in san diego, pamela bice is taking the search for her son online, using his facebook sites to get the word out in english and spanish. >> i always think it's going to be tonight's the night. today's the day. and another day goes by. >> reporter: elizabeth palmer, cbs news, london. >> and joining us now from madrid is austin's father larry bice. mr. bice, good morning. i know you've been in madrid since last week. is there any progress to report this morning on the search for your son? >> no. i don't have anything to report. the police here work a lot differently than they do in the united states. you know, most in the united states, you often have daily press conferences. here they keep things pretty close to themselves to make sure the investigation goes smoothly. we are going to meet with them in a few hours today just to go over some formal things with them. and then we'll ask them a more pointed question as to, you know, exactly what they've been doing. >> i know you've just come from a meeting with the u.s. embassy. what did they say to you there? what is the exact plan of action for you now? >> they are really behind us. at the very top of their, you know, list of things to do, and take care of. and they're devoting their resources to us. >> you fautalk about the police madrid doing things a little differently. were you concerned at all about their initial response? it appears from what the reports say, that they didn't consider this disappearance a priority saying that, "a," he wanted to disappear, or "b," he was probably with a girl so he'll show up, don't worry about it. but, it seems like valuable time may have been lost there. what's your response to that? >> well, you know, you always hope when it's yours they don't do that. but they do have a 72-hour waiting period after the disappearance to really start a search on it. because they do have, you know, often cases where, you know, kids go away for a couple days and then just come back. so they'd be wasting a lot of time if they chased every one of those. i think they, you know, now they, or even last thursday, they realized it's a real case, and we -- it's not like austin, and they started really working on it. >> can you tell us what have his friends said? there have been conflicting reports. some said he was drunk. some said he only had a couple beers and wasn't drunk. what have you been able to ascertain in talking with his friends there, doing a little investigating on your own? >> well, i haven't pointedly asked questions to his friends. that's not what my concern is. my concern is to find austin. the people at the night clubs can deny entrance to anybody for any reason. and so, whether he was -- had been drinking a lot or a little bit, it's, you know, we're not really concerned about that. we're only concerned about just finding him. >> larry bice, we wish you the best. thank you for taking the time and joining us this morning. >> thank you. >> all right. coming up next here on "the early show." a disturbing new survey finds that millions of americans are driving while distracted on a daily basis. we're going to tell you why that's a major problem and what the government is now frying to do about it. this is the "early" show on cbs. twizzlers. the twist you can't resist. ♪ [ male announcer ] what are you gonna miss when you have an allergy attack? 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[click] that's still meatloaf. - very good. moving on. - we are insurance. - ♪ we are farmers ♪ bum di bum bum bum bum bum ♪ there's a troubling new report out this morning about distracted driving. consumer reports poll shows 63% of respondents under the age of 30 admit to using a handheld phone while driving. and 30% say they actually text while driving. 64% of those polled say they're not concerned about the problem. just 30% see it as a danger. and all of this despite the fact that in 2009, nearly 5500 people were killed, half a million more injured, in crashes which involved distracted driving. one of those who was killed was 21-year-old kelson vaillancourt. he was killed in an accident two years ago in south dakota. his family believes that it was caused by distracted driving. his sister loren is the current miss south today. she has made awareness of distracted driving her personal crusade and she joins us in the studio this morning. the department of transportation is launching a new initiative on the dangers of distracted driving as well. we know how close this is to your heart. good to have you with us. >> thank you for having me. >> you're speaking to people about this all the time. some of those numbers we just put up, the fact that over 60% say they're not really concerned about the problem. 30% don't even see this as a problem. is that a reaction or a perception you see more from young people, or is it across the board? >> i feel like mostly young people feel that way. and i really think the reason why is it's a feeling of instability. when i was in high school and learning how to drive i probably wouldn't admit it then, but i felt the same way. you think things like this will never happen to you. and believe me, if they can happen to me and my family, they can happen to you, as well. >> and it's not just a handheld phone. it's not just texting. there have been numerous studies which show listening to the radio, having a conversation, can be equally as distracting. do they see those as distractions at all? >> not really. that's something that really surprised me. i talk about texting and driving and cell phone usage. but i also talk about all forms of distracted driving. especially if you combine them, it can be just as dangerous as anything else, as texting and driving as well. >> you believe it was distracted driving that led to your brother's death, he was just 21 years old. what happened in that accident? >> my brother was an intern with the fish and wildlife service in my hometown of huron, south dakota, and he and another intern were going out into the field to count some water fowl the day the accident happened. it was in broad daylight. my brother was wearing his seat belt in the passenger seat. the driver of the vehicle had stopped at a stop sign, and then proceeded to pull out in front of a semi. and my brother was pronounced dead the next day due to brain injuries. >> it's understandable why this is so close to your heart. do you feel that being out there, speaking about it, even bringing these numbers out, is that making an impact? do people -- are they starting to understand how dangerous it is? >> i think so. and i talk to a lot of high school students and a lot of middle school students about it. thousands of students, and truly i think they're really starting to get the point. and it's about time. >> and what do you think -- what else needs to be done to stop distracted driving beyond talking about it? does there need to be nationwide legislation? >> absolutely. there needs to be some sort of strong legislation against distracted driving, especially texting and driving. that is proven to be, you know, you're 23.3 times more likely to be in an accident if you are texting and driving. so that is, you know, just as dangerous, if not more dangerous, than drunk driving. we need to take it seriously. >> all it takes is a split second for you to remove your eyes from the road. loren thank you for spending some time with us this morning. >> thank you for having me. >> just ahead, two promising young athletes die suddenly during games just days apart. dr. jennifer ashton is here to explain what's behind these tragedies. you're watching "the early show" on cbs. women move the world. move our families forward. move us all to a better place. and caltrate moves us. caltrate knows 80% of us don't get the calcium we need. and when we don't, our bodies steal it from our bones. caltrate helps put it back. with 1200 mg of calcium and 800 iu of vitamin d. women need caltrate. caltrate helps women keep moving because women move the world. 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[ female announcer ] join the dreamworks experience for the ultimate vacation, only on royal caribbean. good morning here on a monday. >> sit monday already? >> it is monday. not so bad. not so bad. welcome back to "the early show" everyone, i'm chris wragge along with erica hill. >> just ahead this morning you may have a little trouble waking up this morning. you know what could be having a major impact on your sleep every night? all the stuff in your bedroom. the alarm clock, the tv, the dvr. maybe you've got a laptop, maybe two. maybe a blackberry or smart phone. all of these light displays could really have an impact on the quality of your sleep, and then, in turn, how you function during the day. a little experiment for us, it was rather telling. she's going to join us with those results. >> i found out in my apartment if i keep the blinds open the reflection from the lights of the tv and the clock aren't as bright. >> really? >> keep the blinds down, lights it up. we're going to get to that coming up. first jeff glor is at the news desk with a check of the headlines. >> the blinds open? >> i know, i'm shocked, too. >> how about that? good morning, guys. good morning, everyone. in the news this morning, a deadly crash was blamed on stormy weather in pennsylvania. it was during an ice storm last night a tour bus turned over after hitting a disabled car on the highway near scranton. one man standing outside the car was killed. flooding problems in new milford, connecticut, and across the northeast this morning after a weekend of heavy rain. streets are under water and the scene is similar in hillsdale, new jersey. some parts of upstate, new york, may see over a foot of snow today. a deadly tornado touched down in louisiana 70 miles west of baton rouge over the weekend, a young mother protecting her baby was killed when a tree struck their home. hundreds of others lost their homes. facing rapidly rising oil prices, the obama administration is considering tapping the nation's emergency supply. crude oil topped $106 a barrel this morning. the highest since 2008, spurred by problems in the middle east. the average price of regular gas jumped 33 cents in the past two weeks to $3.51 a gallon. that is the second highest two-week price jump ever. but some say it's not time to use the strategic petroleum reserve. >> i don't think it's going to make a big difference with respect to prices. and i think at this point, we can digest these prices. they're not high enough to really do a lot of damage. >> but this morning, economist and former u.s. labor secretary robert reich told erica it makes sense to use some of the reserve, or at least to suggest using it, as a way to calm the markets. >> as americans are still trying to get out of the gravitational pull of the great recession, erica, and so the higher gas prices undoubtedly are going to be a blow. it's not going to dramatically slow down the recovery. but it could definitely slow it down. >> reich said it's important to do whatever is needed to prevent a relapse of the economic crisis. in libya this morning, troops loyal to moammar gadhafi are striking back hard. gadhafi appeared on television last night. the fighting on several fronts has intensified today. rebel forces are under attack from libyan air force jets, at a strategic oil port that opposition troops have held for days now. this morning the united nations says more than 1 million people, some remaining in libya, and others who fled the crisis, need humanitarian aid. a game of peekaboo went terribly wrong apparently on a recent virgin blue flight. a woman says that a flight attendant in a prank with the father put her 17-month-old son in the over-head bin and then closed the latch. the boy was in the compartment for only about ten seconds before being let out. but the mother now claims her son suffers from anxiety. the flight attendant has been fired. surveillance video from a southern california jewelry store shows lindsay lohan on the day she allegedly stole a necklace. stills from the 42-minute video have been released. it's unclear whether the pictures show anything incriminating. experts say the fact the store reportedly sold that video for a reported $35,000 might harm the prosecution's case against lohan. and this morning, never before seen pictures of kate middleton. family photos show middleton climbing a rock at age 3. another shows a smiling kate at age 5. there she is. meantime everyone's wondering this morning is this the wedding dress that kate will wear? from the late alexander mcqueen's fashion house. yesterday the sunday "times" reported that midson had chosen the queen's creative director to design her dress. but there have been denials all the way around. katie couric now with a preview of tonight's "cbs evening news." >> good morning. honoring those missing in action. as a young girl, she vowed to never take off her p.o.w. bracelet until he was found. the final chapter in the mystery is tonight's "assignment: america." only on the "cbs evening news." now back to "the early show." >> and now over to chris and erica. guys? >> all right, jeff, thank you very much. boy that virgin story was something else, huh? >> i know. i don't get it. well, i wouldn't have put the kid in the overhead bin but that's just me. >> the boys would not have been in the overhead compartment. >> nor would they have gone quietly. the weather, quiet? >> not really. my boys are more quiet than the weather. let's take a look at the national picture. the northeast, the rain and snow starts to move out. colder temperatures start to move in. the southeast is partly to mostly sunny. the humidity levels start to plummet a bit. take a look at that swath of precipitation in the central plains. it's going to bring a lot of messy weather up the east coast. here we go, to the southwest, dangerously dry conditions, sunny skies and gusty winds make for fire. so we're keeping an eye on this area. severe drought conditions in effect, so of course there are some watches and warnings for arizona, new mexico, texas, oklahoma. red flag warnings, burning conditions likely in the next 24 hours. high temperatures, take a look at the contrast. 85 in san angelo, 15 in fargo. that's a look at the weather across the nation. >> this weather report sponsored by chrysler. >> thanks so much. that's your latest weather. now here's erica. >> mary, thanks. just ahead, they blink all night. and then you end up blinking all day. all those electronic devices in your bedroom could be depriving you of some much-needed sleep. our sleep experiment, and the very important findings for your "zs" when we return. you're watching "the early show" on cbs. there are other companies that have minivans with similar safety features as the chrysler town & country. the difference between theirs and ours is that all our safety-tech features come standard and most of theirs are optional. we don't think safety or technology should be optional. ♪ now well-qualified lessees can lease the 2011 town & country touring for just $319 a month. ♪ [ sneezes ] [ female announcer ] kleenex brand tissues are america's softest. no wonder people go out of their way to share them. ♪ [ sneezes ] ♪ ooh! ooh! ♪ [ sneezes ] [ female announcer ] go to kleenex.com for more fun ways to share. kleenex tissues. softness worth sharing. [ female announcer ] go to kleenex.com for more fun ways to share. with chili's new $6 lunch break. choose a salad or tasty soup. pair it with a texas toast half sandwich, like our southwestern blt with applewood smoked bacon. served with fries, it's big flavor for just 6 bucks! weekdays at chili's. in this morning's "healthwatch," is all that technology disrupting your sleep? a new study from the national sleep foundation finds the active use of electronic devices like smartphones, video games, shortly before bedtime may be one sleep deprivation factor. "early" show contributor taryn winter brill, though, found a few more for us. good morning. >> i did. good morning. i slept great last night. let me tell you. well, if you're like me, you probably go to bed with the tv on or keep your computer close by, right? but if you shut down all of those electronic devices that are invading your bedroom you might get some more shuteye. i set up an unscientific sleep experiment to find out. after a long day, many of us just want to crawl under the covers, turn on the tv, and fall into a sweet, dream-filled slumber. but getting the 7 to 9 hours of sleep doctors recommend can be a nightmare for some. in a study released today, 43% of adults reported they rarely get a good night's sleep during the week. while 60% complain of sleep problems. like waking up in the middle of the night. >> not getting good, quality sleep has serious consequences to your daytime energy, and your health. >> reporter: so what's behind all of the tossing and turning? turns out the technology designed to make living easier makes sleeping harder. now here in my bedroom on any given night you'll find at least seven different electronic devices lighting up the place. that's two laptops, my tv, dvr, stereo, alarm clock, and, of course, my blackberry. and i'm not alone. 95% of the study's respondents said they use some type of electronic device within one hour of bedroom. that exposure to light-emitting gadgets suppresses the release of melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep. but turning off the tv may not be enough. all of those l.e.d. lights in our bedrooms could have the same effect. >> that's not what you want in your bedroom at night. gadgets like tvs, cell phones, ipads, which all emanate daylight spectrum light, are things that are going to keep us up. >> reporter: so we conducted an unscientific experiment over two nights. the first night, i'll follow my normal routine of watching tv in bed with my computer on my lap and blackberry nearby. now once i do close my eyes, it's evident my sleep is pretty restless. over the course of the night, i tossed and turned a staggering 18 times. last night was pretty typical for me. got in bed at 11:30. watched tv. didn't fall asleep until about 1:30. got about 6 1/2 hours of sleep or so. just like every morning feeling pretty exhausted. >> when we go to bed we have to get good sleep which means the bedroom is quiet, dark and cool. any light tends to wake us up. >> reporter: the next night i'm following doctor's orders. turning off the tv and computer, and covering up every single light in my room. and all of those electronic devices? gone. so everything has been covered up. as soon as i turn this light off i'll be surrounded by complete darkness. i fall asleep faster than ever. and tonight i toss and turn only seven times. that's eleven times fewer than the night before. since i didn't watch any tv i pretty much hit the pillow, fell right to sleep, and now i feel good. i don't feel the need to have to go back to sleep like i normally do. our little experiment has convinced me that turning off those electronics before bed is the perfect prescription for better sleep. indeed. incidentally i was feeling so energized that second morning that i went for a run as soon as i woke up. regular exercise is key for sleep quality. just make sure you don't work out at night. very important when you ker sooist. >> we saw you toss and turn less. was there anything else that you noticed between night one and night two? >> i mean, i think the biggest surprise was how fast i fell asleep. and with such ease. i hit the pillow, it's pitch black and i was out. i wake up, i feel really refreshed, and then once again when i look at that footage i was shocked to see how much less i tossed and turned that second night. >> for a lot of people though, it's a little easier for you because you're doing this as part of an experiment. but some people, it's really hard for them to tear away, they may have things they need to do in that hour before bed. >> i feel like you're one of those people. >> i don't have a television in my room. i haven't really ever, probably since high school. but i do have a blackberry. i have two blackberries in my room. i know i'm not not supposed to but every now and again i logon to my laptop before i crash. >> they say if you can't pry yourself away from the electronic devices, put on a pair of these glasses. low blue light glasses. they have an orange lens. there's this blue light coming out of all of these electronic devices. that blue light specifically suppresses the production of melatonin, the hormone we need to sleep. the idea is if you put on these glasses it can block that blue light. melatonin production won't be affected and you can fall asleep. >> we're going to try this now. so we have an ipad here. >> so how does it look? it's different, right? >> it looks a little different. there's sort of an orange glow to it. it's not as bright. you can still see everything. >> it's softened. everything is very clear. but you're blocking that blue light which is key so your melatonin production won't be affected. >> pretty cool. >> and i think they look kind of neat, too. >> they look really hot. anything else that we should be doing to help sleep better? >> yeah, i mean there are a few things that you can do. the national sleep foundation, the sleepfoundation.org, little things. no caffeine. no alcohol. no big meals before bed. something i did read that was kind of interesting, they say when it comes to napping, keep your naps to 45 minutes max. you want to keep them before 3:00 p.m. in the afternoon. >> interesting. >> do not nap half 3:00 p.m. because that will disrupt your sleep cycle. >> i'll remember that if i ever get the chance to nap. taryn good to have you here this morning. just ahead, she said she was a loser in high school but judy greer has been winning praise for her acting for years. she's going to join us to talk about her new sit come "mad love" when we return. you're watching "the early show" on cbs. >> "cbs healthwatch," sponsored by aleve. two pills, all day strong, all day long. hewith arthritis pain. that's a coffee and two pills. the afternoon tour begins with more pain and more pills. the evening guests arrive. back to sore knees. back to more pills. the day is done but hang on... her doctor recommended aleve. just 2 pills can keep arthritis pain away all day with fewer pills than tylenol. this is lara who chose 2 aleve and fewer pills for a day free of pain. and get the all day pain relief of aleve in liquid gels. i want you tonight! [ female announcer ] wish granted. lean cuisine has a fresh new bag. lean cuisine market creations steam meals. like new chicken poblano with tender white meat chicken, crisp veggies, in a savory cheddar sauce. new from lean cuisine. crisp veggies, in a savory cheddar sauce. ♪♪ a flavor paradises aof delicious fishes ♪♪ ♪ friskies seafood sensations. ♪ ♪ feed the senses. well the new thbs comedy "mad love" centers around four new yorkerers two who are fouling in love and two who despise one another. actress judy greer stars as connie, a quick witted, sarcastic and sometimes mean-spirited nanny. >> what did you think it would be called? >> oh, god, so many things. i think the main one was that it was inevitable, she's wanted me since the moment she's laid eyes on me. >> good-bye, larry. >> yeah, but if i'd known how disappointing it would be, i might not have wanted you so much. >> really? you seemed pretty satisfied at the time. >> yeah, i'm the first woman who ever faked an orgasm. >> well i may be the first man who ever faked on orgasm. >> faked it pretty quick. >> judy greer, good morning. >> good morning. >> so obviously you're the feisty one in the group. any difference between that character and what you're like sitting here right before me right now? >> before we started shooting this show, i would have said yeah. but, i think i've taken on my character pretty well. >> yeah? >> on and off set. unfortunately for my friends. >> oh, god, she's in character again. or is this just the same old judy. what is your take on this? >> i think they're like same old judy but like a little feistier. >> yeah? >> yeah. >> how do you like this? i know you're good friends with sara, so you kind of made for a great little combination there. >> i know. it's so fun. because she and i started out as close friends and then i've gotten so close with tyler and we have the best time ever working on this show. i mean, we think we're hilarious all the time. but, it's really good mix. >> it is always good to find yourself funny when you're on a comedy. this is something that, it's about two couples who, one is a love at first sight couple, the others, you really can't stand one another. >> yeah. >> has it been challenging, has it been fun? how would you describe this whole process? >> it has been hard at times to not be so mean. i have to say mean things but i have to sort of like the guy, too. that part has been fun and a challenge to like learn how to sort of -- you know, about my attraction to him on the set. i mean. let's talk a little bit about high school because it sounded like it was a blast for you. you describe yourself as a loser, not popular, couldn't get a date. but it looks like now you're probably able to look back and say, so how do you like me now? >> i know. but i think you never lose that like desire to want to impress your high school classmates. >> was it that bad? when i saw this it really kind of stood out for you. >> yeah, well i mean i wasn't getting screamed at in the hallways all the time. some guys called me chia pet for awhile because i wore some green tights by accident. but it was like a little lonely. i was a little lonelier than most. >> you trained for ten years in classical russian ballet. >> yeah. >> what made you stop? >> i was not good at it. >> took you ten years to figure that out? >> no. but it took me ten years to stop doing it and trying to get better. i was not good. but that's how i ended up being comfortable onstage. so i owe it a lot. but i was never going to be awesome. >> is there the potential they may have worked that in to the character at all? >> oh, gosh, i hope. i hope not. i mean, i mean they could get some free ballet classes or like a trainer or a little while if they did, which would be awesome. >> and you knit, too? >> i do. i love knitting so much. >> how did that come about? >> well, i started doing it a long time ago to make friends when i first moved to los angeles. i took classes, and i met a whole bunch of nice knitters. and then it turned out to be that there's like a lot of like powerful women knitters in hollywood. so i was making some good connections. >> real power broker types get together? >> yeah. >> you wouldn't think that. >> you'd be surprised. >> i want friends, i want dates i'm going to learn how to knit. >> totally. >> it was really nice to talk with you. and the show "mad love." you can see it tonight, 7:30 central right here on cbs. now here's erica. >> chris, thanks. still ahead, if you're tired of lifting those heavy baskets of laundry, maybe you just need a little laugh the next time you're baking, are you in luck? we have the hottest new gadgets to help you out around the house. something for nearly every room and plenty of goods for the kitchen. stay with us. you're watching "the early show" on cbs. your l ♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] bursting with mouth-watering real fruit and refreshingly blended with creamy low-fat yogurt, mcdonald's strawberry-banana and wild berry smoothies are 100% pure sipping fun. the simple joy of real fruit smoothies. ♪ welcome back to "the early show." just ahead this morning, who doesn't want to make their life a little easier? perhaps a little healthier. >> good question. >> i think we're all in. >> then we're all in luck. because here with us in the studio we have the best new gadgets from the international home and house wares show. ice cream pops. >> ice cream pops? >> we're making iced tea. >> excellent. >> and a blender that makes soup. >> oh! >> and some fun little gadgety things that kind of look good. that's why i like them. >> big soup fans. >> if that's not entertaining enough for you, we are also thrilled, i'm talking over the moon excited to have esperanza spalding with us this morning. she made history at the grammys this year by becoming the first jazz musician to win the best new artist award. i'm sure you heard that's justin bieber fans, all the beliebers not so thrilled. this is probably one of the biggest upsets of the night. she's going to perform her hit single "little fly." how are you over there? >> wonderful. >> it is so well deserved. she joined us a couple of years ago on "the early show." we're very happy to have her back. before we get to that marysol has a final check of the weather. >> good morning, everyone at home. as you take a look at the national forecast you can see that big swath of precipitation over the rockies and the central plainses bringing some snow and some rain. that system will begin to track in an eastward direction, bringing another round of precipitation to the southeast. from there we go to the midwest. wide, sweeping storm continues from the west, it spreads from nevada to kansas. we'll have some blowing snow, some rain, as it moves further into the central plains. the next chance for severe weather will be for tuesday. the west coast, look at the west coast. 64 in los angeles. i could take that any ti >> thanks so much. that's your latest weather. now over to erica. >> mary, thanks. all eyes on chicago this week, because as many as 60,000 people will descend to the windy city for the international home and house wares show. it's a trade event featuring the newest consumer, lifestyle products and trends for all areas of your home. senior editor david gregg of behindthebuy.com has gone through. he's got about a dozen of the best new gadgets that will soon be hitting the market. you always bring us fun stuff. today you're not disappointing. >> this show is very engs citing. gives me a greater appreciation for everything, as i was walking around my bathroom and kitchen and saying, wow at one point it came through that show floor. >> the first thing we're going to start out with. >> is right here. >> the rising roller. >> it's the rising roller. this is for people that don't have the luxury of having a washer/dryer in their home. what it is is a collapsible hamper that's very strong, that goes up together, you put all your laundry in here. it's got different storage compartments for your spray starch and detergent. even a little pocket for your quarters. slips shut and has a telescoping handle and it's on wheels. >> a lot of people, too, maybe it's a distance even if it's on one floor from where your laundry room is to where you need to bring this. this is great. you can wheel stuff back and forth. >> we won't tell anybody but you still use your old push cart. >> i do. i have one of those red, collapsible carts. >> i need to hold this aside for you. >> i'm going to take that home. >> here's a way to keep hydrated but keep your beverage that you've got in here, namely water, cool. what's going on is here is an icy solution that freezes up when you put knit the freezer and keeps your beverage cold as you're drinking it. >> i like it. my mother-in-law would love that. >> just a new spin on kitchen gaugers with regard to graters and zesters. these are from edgeware. >> is it ergonomic? >> it's a rubberized type of feel. and comes in all those cool colors that people are looking too. appeal to their kitchen design sensibility. >> i have a couple things in my kitchen gadgets with these little guards on them and this is nice because then you don't have to worry as much about your fingers. >> you don't want any skin with your cheese. >> and i like, so this actually holds your lemon zest in here until you're ready to use it. >> exactly. >> a little storage compartment, too. this is a great solution for people that are stuck husking corn. instead of having to peel all these little silks off you stick it through the silker. >> oh, look at that. >> it will pull them right off. >> making life easy there, too. >> these are all just adorable. i don't even care if they work. >> they're called the talking timers. most people associate a timer with something that goes beep, beep, beep. obviously they do more than beep. they talk. here's the kitty cat. >> meow, meow. >> i want to know what -- >> i like the hippie dude, actually. >> it sounds like a gong. >> all right, man! >> all right, man! >> so your food is ready. >> turn it up, man. >> okay. >> these are the funkiest measuring cups i've ever seen. they're like easter island meets a shot glass. >> it's casa bella. is it easter island or nefertiti? >> oh, it could be. >> looks like something out of egypt >> a scoop for one, a scoop for another, for your flour because you're never supposed to pack down flour. >> and they're also made of silicone which is a popular substance that a lot of kitchen ware is being protected of. and these salt and pepper greaters are very interesting, too. they have a cool design so you know exactly what's in there. >> i kind of like the handle. >> and they have little adjustments on the top. >> for how fine you like it? >> exactly. >> nonstick cook ware can be a little bit of a challenge for people. ceramic nonstick cook ware. is the newest thing >> at the house wares show one of the biggest categories happened to be cook ware pieces and this is from berghoff. what really separates it from the pack is the fact that it uses a ceramic base. unlike petroleum base nonstick coating. if you're replacing your cook ware every year or so because it's peeling off. >> you get the scratches in there. >> that stuff is getting into your food. that means it's getting into your body and that's not healthy. this is six times stronger than traditional. it's also induction compatible so it's green as far as working with special types of cook surfaces. >> right. >> lifetime warranty, also. if there's ever an issue, you bring it back. >> even though, as you said, it's six times stronger. if i do scratch it does that mean i can send it back and get a new one? >> that is correct. >> love that. >> and you're not going to because it's ceramic. >> because it's not going to scratch. or i'll call you, david. this is kind of fun. we do love soup here at the "early" show. the anchors eat a lot of soup. >> if you're a big soup eater or you like to just blend in general, this is a combination soup and blender. what it does is you put your ingredients in that you want blended, and if you want solid pieces, it's got a heating element on it. it heats it up and you serve the soup directly from the container. this is brand new from cuisinart. >> real quickly. >> about 20% of coffee drinkers like it cold, cureic has a new way that you can brew over ice. they have these special k-cups available. >> iced tea. >> you put it in, close it, fill with ice and you actually have an ice-brewed beverage. >> removes the heating element. >> and saves you upwards of about $5 each time you go to get an iced tea or coffee. >> we've got about ten seconds. >> the quick pop maker. you freeze it overnight and then you put these inserts in with all good, natural ingredients. >> yum. >> you can see how really pretty they are. this is a great alternative to having sweet corn syrup based pops. because these are all natural. >> and it makes you think of summer. love that. david gregg, always love the treats you bring for us. for more on these products logon to our website, earlyshow.cbsnews.com. >> erica, thank you very much. we all think about rewriting history at least on a personal level. and jeff greenfield has done it for five of america's major political figures. in his new book "then everything changed," the cbs news senior political correspondent asked a series of what if questions and the result is a fascinating alternate history of 9 last 50 years. jeff is kind enough to be with us this morning. good to see you. >> thank you. >> this whole butterfly effect thing that we talk about in asking what if, we could probably drive ourselves a little crazy asking what if, no matter what we do on a day-to-day basis. what was it about this whole theory that got you writing about this? >> i worked for robert kennedy. i've been asked dozens of times, what would have happened if he lives? i've always said, who knows. one day because i read a book about what might have happened with mayor daley in chicago i started thinking about the chain reactions. if he'd lived the country would have felt differently about him. even his opponents. and then what? so it just started a chain reaction. then i went back to the one that nobody knows about that changed history. >> which was fascinating to me. it's the first chapter, and it was about this gentleman, richard pavlik, kind of this crazy from new hampshire who had an ax to grind with soon-to-be president kennedy. >> he went to kennedy's beach house with a car filled with dynamite. the only reason he didn't blow john kennedy up was jackie came to the door and he didn't want to do it in front of his wife. he was seconds away, the secret service chief said, of losing john kennedy before he ever became president, no new frontier, lyndon johnson with the cuban missile crisis. you start playing that out. >> the series of events which follow in the book. it was amazing. that was december of 1960. >> he was president-elect. >> and literally this gentleman was sitting there watching, finger on the plunger. >> yeah. >> he was that close. >> and this has become so obscure in history that even a couple of john kennedy's biographers didn't know about him. >> when you stumble upon something like this, or write something like this and see all the different paths which history, the different courses history could have taken i bet this book probably could have been twice as big. >> you're absolutely right. we almost lost franklin roosevelt in 1933 before he ever got to be president. if john hinckley's gun had been pointed in a slightly different way, reagan would have lasted -- president reagan would have been eight weeks. and think about 2000. how many different little tiny incidents like the size of a ballot could have determined who the next president was. >> you think of all those ballots that got thrown out because people did a little something here with the ballot if they hadn't done that could have potentially changed everything. aside from kennedy the other, the other political figures you chose to write about. how did you have to whittle the list down in order to choose these five? >> they all had to be events that almost really happened. so for instance i couldn't make george mcgovern beat richard nixon or barry goldwater beat lyndon johnson because that was too big a spread. but 1976, president ford makes a mistake, he says there's no soviet domination in eastern europe, he's given a chance to correct himself. no, i meant it. cost him a week. that election was decided by a sfu thousand votes in a few states. not the popular vote. now he's president. instead of jimmy carter. does the shah of iran fall a year later? his national security adviser who i interviewed said we never would have let him fall because the ayatollah comes to power. there's no hostage crisis. there's dozens of things big and small all changed by the merest little twist of fate. and that's the lesson of the book i think. >> how long did it take you i guess from conception to actually puttinged words on paper. because this had to be something you were thinking about for a long time. >> that's exactly right. from the idea of actually doing the book and persuading the publisher to write it maybe 15 months. from thinking about this to writing a book, 15 years. >> yeah, wow. >> and i've got to pick up the pace. >> exactly. just looking ahead, you talk about there being a narrow window of opportunity for politicians. to become president. >> sure. >> hill ray clinton, has that, has that window closed? >> almost certainly. and in florida and michigan in 2008 had kept their primary dates where they were and counted she'd have been the nominee of the democratic party. now i think, this notion of it's too late, we've seen that the whole point in this book is you cannot predict what fate will do. old proverb, you want to hear god laugh, make a plan. >> yeah. >> and i think there's a lesson for all of us about that. there's just so much, you see all these amazing historical events that would have been in many ways totally different but for a missed meeting, it didn't rain in dallas, so the bubble top came off john kennedy's car. >> yeah. >> they're almost endless. >> like you said, even with kennedy, if he doesn't go through the kitchen, if he goes to a meeting where he was supposed to go, then everything changes. >> that's right. >> unbelievable. it is a brilliant read. it really is. thank you for coming in and speaking with us about it. >> pleasure. >> now here's erica. >> thanks. esperanza spalding beat the odds at this year's grammy awards. she walked away with the award for best new artist. really there's nothing new about this singer and bassist. she's been writing and performing music for most of her life. >> the grammy for best new artist goes to esperanza spalding. >> at last month's grammy awards the jazz bassist shocked the music world by beating pop superstar justin bieber in the category of best new artist. >> wow. >> for months many saw a bieber victory as a foregone conclusion. his first full album went double platinum and he sold more than 7 million songs online. while esperanza spalding was on stage her win had people scrambling online, trying to figure out who she was. the next morning, her name was the top search on google. and what many learned was this 26-year-old has serious musical chops. by age 5 spalding was playing violin for the chamber music society and she graduated from the berkeley college of music and became its youngest faculty member. her 2008 solo debut album reached number one on billboard's contemporary jazz chart where it stayed for more than 70 weeks. among spalding's fans, some pretty big names. stevie wonder asked her to perform during his tribute concert at the white house. and the first lady invited her back. president obama even asked her to perform when he accepted the nobel peace prize. last year, spalding released chamber music society, the album earned her even more acclaim, and she made history, becoming the first jazz musician to win a grammy for best new artist. and joining us this morning to perform "little fly," the single off 9 krthd "chamber music society" please welcome esperanza spalding. ♪ ♪ little fly my thoughtless hand has brushed away ♪ ♪ am i not a fly like thee ♪ ♪ for a dance and drink and sing ♪ ♪ till some blind hand shall brush my wing ♪ ♪ if thought is life and strength and breath ♪ ♪ and the want of thought is death ♪ ♪ oh, little fly a thought is life and strength and breath ♪ ♪ and the want of thought is death ♪ ♪ then my a happy fly ♪ ♪ oh, am i if i live or if i die ♪ ♪ ♪ >> fantastic. it's so great for us to have you back. you did debut with us in august 2008. >> thank you for that. >> we've been waiting for you to come back. what was that moment like you heard john legend say best new artist, esperanza spalding. >> for a split second i thought maybe he was kidding. i thought it was a joke. i was just totally shocked. nobody really expected that. we were, what? and then, excited, of course. >> yeah. has it sunk in? >> i think so. i mean, i don't know what it is yet. >> right. >> exactly. i've never been there before. but, you know, we're doing our daily sort of playing, practicing, touring, and my mind is more focused on that. every once in awhile, oh, yeah, i don't know, i hadn't thought about it. yeah. it's great. >> well, the top search on google. a lot of people say, who are you? i've been around for a little bit. some justin bieber fans were a little bit upset. he wasn't that upset. he was really sweet. >> yeah, i was very gracious, and we met right after the show and exchanged hair. he was very sweet and gracious and he didn't seem upset. very kind young man. >> well, we know you're already at work on the next one and we look forward to you coming back again soon. >> thank you. please. we will. >> esperanza spalding joining us. we will be right back with more. you're watching "the early show" on cbs.  boy. miss spalding. not bad, huh t >> what a treat. >> the entire studio was just a little bit excited for her to be here this morning. and you actually got to -- she let you touch her bass. >> 150 years old. >> beautiful. it's beautiful. >> it is. >> did you wash your hands? >> he didn't break it. >> have a great da [ male announcer ] from maryland to the mall and beyond, it's easy to spot a capital one bank. ♪ ♪ ♪ the most branches and atms in the dc area. one near you. what's in your wallet? i think it can. one of the challenges for kayla being gluten-free is actually finding choices the whole family will love. then we discovered chex cereals. five flavors of chex are gluten-free, including the honey nut flavor, and that's amazing to a mom like me. as a parent you don't want to have to tell your kids "no" all the time. it's nice for me to be able to say "yes" to something that they want to eat. 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