CBS Evening News - 2008-12-27

Channel: malgent

Transcript

Language: English (original, YouTube automatic captions)

[0:01] Is your TV ready for digital? For more

[0:03] information, visit dtv.gov or dial 1888.

[0:06] Call FCC.

[0:09] >> Titans Colts. Sunday at noon on News

[0:12] Channel 5.

[0:16] >> Tonight, hundreds are killed as Israel

[0:18] launches its fiercest attack on Gaza in

[0:21] decades. World leaders are calling for

[0:23] restraint. Israel says there's more to

[0:25] come. Hamas is vowing revenge. I'm Jeff

[0:28] Gore. Also tonight, with prices

[0:30] plunging, will stores ever be able to

[0:32] charge full price again? The credit

[0:35] crunch. Homeowners deep in debt are

[0:38] falling prey to mortgage scammers.

[0:40] >> Predatory lenders are like vultures.

[0:48] >> And fantastic. As hard times shutter

[0:51] other shows, the Phantom is celebrating

[0:54] 20 years on Broadway. We'll take in a

[0:56] show up close with players in a pit.

[1:06] >> This is the CBS Evening News.

[1:12] Good evening. The death the death toll

[1:14] from Israel's air strikes in Gaza now

[1:16] tops 200 with hundreds more wounded.

[1:19] Israeli warplanes and helicopters

[1:20] launched a blistering attack on Hamas

[1:22] security facilities today. A response to

[1:25] the rockets Hamas had been firing into

[1:27] Israel for more than a week. Even though

[1:29] Hamas had been warned, the scale and

[1:31] intensity of this attack was surprising.

[1:34] The deadliest operation against

[1:35] Palestinians in decades. Mark Phillips

[1:38] has more now. And a warning, some of the

[1:40] images you're about to see may be

[1:42] disturbing.

[1:45] The Israelis say they were provoked. The

[1:48] Palestinians are calling it a massacre.

[1:51] It's another major Middle East

[1:53] convulsion, and it's probably just the

[1:55] beginning. Waves of Israeli war plananes

[1:58] struck a dozen targets, which the

[2:00] Israelis said were being used by the

[2:02] militant Hamas group, which controls

[2:04] Gaza, to store weapons and to launch

[2:07] rocket and mortar attacks into southern

[2:09] Israel. Hamas claims more than 200

[2:12] people have been killed with many more

[2:14] injured.

[2:15] >> Many of the wounded people are in

[2:16] serious, very serious condition. Uh many

[2:19] of them are civilians, children, women.

[2:23] >> Israel says it is responding to the

[2:25] renewed rocket attacks launched out of

[2:27] Gaza as the latest ceasefire there has

[2:30] broken down. One Israeli was killed in

[2:32] the latest Hamas barrage. And Israel

[2:35] says it has lost patience with Hamas and

[2:37] is now trying to change the situation.

[2:40] The Israeli leadership threatens this

[2:43] offensive may continue for some time. No

[2:46] country in the world can accept or equas

[2:51] with this approach. In the last few

[2:53] days, it became clear that Hamas is

[2:57] prepared to carry on the attacks and to

[3:00] increase the shooting of Kasam rockets

[3:03] and motor shells. These attacks may also

[3:06] have something to do with internal

[3:08] Israeli politics as well. With elections

[3:11] early next year and right-wing tough

[3:13] line parties showing well, no Israeli

[3:16] politician wants to be seen as weak on

[3:18] national security. And today's strikes

[3:21] won't do anything to calm fears. Hamas

[3:24] has accused Israel of a grossly

[3:26] disproportionate response and has

[3:28] inevitably threatened revenge.

[3:31] As rioting spread to the West Bank, some

[3:33] are calling for a third popular uprising

[3:36] or into FOD. This is another outbreak in

[3:39] the Israeli Palestinian conflict that

[3:42] may prove harder to stop than it was to

[3:44] start. Mark Phillips, CBS News, London.

[3:49] >> Joining us now is former Israeli Prime

[3:51] Minister and current defense minister

[3:52] Ahoud Barack. Mr. Defense Minister,

[3:55] thank you so much for joining us

[3:56] tonight. I know it's a busy time. Let me

[3:58] start by asking you. So far, this has

[4:00] only been air strikes. At this point,

[4:03] are you planning to go in with ground

[4:04] troops?

[4:06] >> If uh the goals of the operation will

[4:09] not be achieved by air strike, we will

[4:13] have to consider boots on the ground.

[4:16] >> What are the goals of that operation

[4:17] right now?

[4:20] goal is to change totally the behavior

[4:22] of the kamas is a terrorist

[4:26] regime that keep shelling Israel with

[4:29] thousands of rockets and motor shells

[4:32] over our civilian population

[4:35] indiscriminately.

[4:36] >> Whatever the motivation for these

[4:38] attacks, let me ask you, defense

[4:39] minister, you're being accused of a

[4:41] disproportionate response. These are

[4:43] powerful images we're seeing from there.

[4:45] Are you concerned at all that you might

[4:47] win this battle but lose the overall war

[4:50] for public opinion?

[4:53] >> We are trying to avoid damage and uh but

[4:57] we have to achieve our goals. We have a

[5:00] primal contact with our

[5:02] ci citizens to protect them quarter of

[5:05] million people living under daily

[5:09] shelling and rocketing. That's something

[5:11] that I cannot think of as acceptable.

[5:15] >> Mr. Defense Minister Ahood Brock, we

[5:17] appreciate your time. Thank you.

[5:20] >> World reaction to these developments has

[5:22] been swift today. We get more on that

[5:24] now from Thalia Shurus in Washington.

[5:27] Thalia,

[5:28] >> good evening, Jeeoff. Well, the

[5:30] president was informed of the situation

[5:31] early this morning and he has been in

[5:33] touch with leaders in the region. Now,

[5:35] the administration is calling for the

[5:37] ceasefire to be restored and is blaming

[5:40] Hamas for breaking it.

[5:42] >> The administration defended Israel's

[5:44] strikes against Hamas, which it

[5:46] considers a terrorist organization. A

[5:48] spokesman today called its members

[5:50] thugs.

[5:50] >> But we understand that Israel is

[5:52] reacting to the hundreds of rockets that

[5:54] have been fired upon the innocent people

[5:55] of Israel over the last few days. The

[5:58] renewed conflict flies in the face of

[6:00] President Bush's apparent optimism last

[6:02] week that peace talks launched last year

[6:04] in Annapolis, Maryland would bear fruit.

[6:06] >> I can't help but reflect on how far the

[6:10] process has come to bring peace to the

[6:13] Holy Land.

[6:14] >> Secretary of State Condisa Rice pushed

[6:16] the Annapolis Accord in eight trips to

[6:18] the Middle East this year, but failed to

[6:20] meet an end of December deadline for a

[6:22] deal. The task of resolving the Israeli

[6:24] Palestinian impass now falls to Barack

[6:27] Obama.

[6:28] >> We will stay in touch with their team as

[6:29] necessary.

[6:30] >> While visiting the Middle East this

[6:32] summer, the president-elect criticized

[6:34] the Bush administration for not engaging

[6:36] in the region enough.

[6:37] >> My goal is to make sure that we work

[6:40] starting from the minute I'm sworn into

[6:44] office uh to try to find some

[6:46] breakthroughs.

[6:47] >> Mr. Obama is vacationing in Hawaii. He

[6:50] had no comment, but he did discuss the

[6:52] situation today with Secretary Rice.

[6:55] Jeff

[6:55] >> Thalia Shures in Washington. Thalia,

[6:57] thank you. Gas prices are now at their

[7:00] lowest level in almost 5 years, falling

[7:02] today to an average price of $163 a

[7:05] gallon. That is down 60% from last

[7:08] summer's record high. Meanwhile, holiday

[7:11] shoppers are getting spoiled by

[7:12] retailers who've been forced to slash

[7:14] prices. Now, the question is, will they

[7:16] ever be able to raise those prices

[7:18] again? Here's Michelle Miller.

[7:21] >> The signs of these times are plastered

[7:24] on every window, clothing rack, and

[7:26] price tag in stores across America.

[7:29] Advertise sales as high as 75%

[7:33] 90 if you add special coupons and

[7:35] promotions, and shoppers have come to

[7:37] expect them. Will you ever go back to

[7:40] regular price?

[7:41] >> No, I think I could never spend the

[7:44] regular prices of these shoes. Yeah, I

[7:45] would never go and spend $70 on

[7:47] something I just bought for 30.

[7:49] >> With retailers pushing sales hard this

[7:51] holiday season, consumers have become

[7:53] accustomed to bottom basement prices.

[7:55] >> It'd be harder to pay full price when

[7:57] you know you can get it cheaper,

[7:58] >> which makes it harder for retailers to

[8:00] unload old inventory to make way for new

[8:03] full price merchandise. And if they

[8:05] expect shoppers to spend,

[8:07] >> retailers and manufacturers alike have

[8:09] to do a better job of getting the

[8:10] consumer excited. They've been trying to

[8:12] sell us the same old same old for so

[8:15] long.

[8:16] >> There's a new tool that may force

[8:17] retailers to become even more

[8:19] competitive mobile phones that bargain

[8:21] hunt for consumers.

[8:23] >> We're just going to say search for the

[8:24] product and it launches the camera.

[8:26] >> CNET's senior editor Natalie Delcante

[8:28] showed us just one of many programs out

[8:30] there like Shop Savvy. It scans barcodes

[8:33] and then searches for better prices

[8:35] online or at nearby competing stores. If

[8:38] you think about the way we used to do

[8:39] it, actually going from store to store,

[8:41] now you don't have to do that.

[8:43] >> A modern-day convenience that delivers

[8:45] every bargain hunter's dream, finding

[8:47] the lowest price possible. Michelle

[8:50] Miller, CBS News, New York.

[8:52] >> We're learning more tonight about that

[8:54] awful Christmas Eve massacre in Coina,

[8:56] California. Today, police released the

[8:58] names of nine people killed. They

[9:00] include the ex-wife of shooter Bruce

[9:02] Partardo. Also made public, a chilling

[9:05] 911 call from inside that house. Pria

[9:08] David has more.

[9:10] >> The chilling call to 911 reveals the

[9:13] Christmas Eve terror inside this

[9:16] Southern California home.

[9:19] >> What's your address?

[9:22] >> Ma'am, I understand. I need to know your

[9:24] address.

[9:25] >> The caller identifies herself as Leticia

[9:27] and says the gunman is her ex

[9:29] brother-in-law, Bruce Partardau. When he

[9:32] shot, I heard the shots and we there

[9:34] were like papers and I wasn't sure what

[9:36] it was. So, we all everyone started

[9:38] panicking and running, so we all dove

[9:40] under the gun. You know, some of us

[9:42] dove, some of us left. I don't know.

[9:43] >> Leticia and her wounded 8-year-old

[9:45] daughter fled to a neighbor's home and

[9:48] called for help.

[9:49] >> My daughter's been shot. She was shot in

[9:52] the face on the side and she's bleeding.

[9:55] >> I know. I I let the officers know. The

[9:57] officers are making sure it's safe for

[9:59] the paramedics. I need bandage, please.

[10:01] >> Her daughter is one of three injured

[10:03] survivors.

[10:04] >> Please come.

[10:08] >> Just this afternoon, police named the

[10:11] nine people believed killed. They

[10:13] include Partardau's ex-wife, her

[10:15] parents, her sister, her two brothers,

[10:18] and their wives, and her nephew. The

[10:21] victims were so badly burned they will

[10:23] have to be identified by dental records.

[10:26] >> I don't know who else is alive.

[10:28] >> I know. I know, ma'am. Just stay on the

[10:29] phone with me. Okay.

[10:30] >> My lost family.

[10:34] >> I know. I know.

[10:35] >> A family wiped out by one man with no

[10:38] history of violence who police say

[10:40] planned his attack in meticulous detail.

[10:43] Pria David, CBS News, New York.

[10:47] >> Still ahead on tonight's CBS Evening

[10:48] News, a mortgage relief scam that could

[10:51] cost you your home.

[10:57] Robbitasen knows one of the reasons we

[10:59] cough is to help clear away mucus.

[11:01] Robbitasen DM Max has a double dose of

[11:04] the medicine that helps clear mucus

[11:06] while also controlling your cough.

[11:08] Robbitasen DM Max, double the strength

[11:10] against mucus for a reason.

[11:13] >> Play the back nine.

[11:14] >> Yes, Advil. I used to take different

[11:17] pain relievers for different pains. Is

[11:19] there a better way? Yes, Advil. Nothing

[11:22] works better. Nothing works on more

[11:24] pains. Yes, Advil.

[11:27] >> I use stock for all my meat dishes. And

[11:30] here at home, that means new Swanson

[11:31] stock. It keeps the meat juicy and

[11:34] brings out the natural flavors. So, if

[11:36] you want to cook like Chef Christopher

[11:37] Lee, cook with new Swanson stock.

[11:42] Still got flakes? That's your clue to

[11:44] switch shampoo to Celson Blue. Maximum

[11:48] Celson strength medicine wipes out

[11:49] flakes. Plus, aloe moisturizers keep

[11:51] hair healthy. No flakes are itch. Celson

[11:54] blue shampoo. Got a clue? Get the blue.

[11:57] >> Two rinses. Both kill germs that cause

[11:59] gingivitis, plaque, and bad breath.

[12:01] Except one has the burn of alcohol and

[12:03] one doesn't. Crest ProHealth kills 99%

[12:06] of the germs that cause gingivitis,

[12:07] plaque, and bad breath without the burn

[12:09] of alcohol. Crest ProHealth Rinse.

[12:12] >> I'm Mark Goldston, chairman and CEO of

[12:14] NetZero. Here's a plan for America's

[12:16] broadband users to save $16 billion a

[12:19] year and $300 individually. Switch to

[12:21] Netzero dialup at $9.95 per month. Call

[12:24] 1800 Netzero or go to netzero.com.

[12:29] >> At 6:30 in the morning, I have a

[12:31] cigarette and then another on my way to

[12:33] work. At 10 on the dot, like clockwork,

[12:36] I have to go out for a smoke

[12:39] and then I grab another after lunch. For

[12:42] me, smoking is more than just a habit.

[12:44] It's an addiction to nicotine.

[12:47] You know, quitting isn't easy. And when

[12:50] willpower isn't enough, it's time to

[12:52] talk to your doctor.

[12:53] >> If you want to quit smoking, there is

[12:55] something you can do. Go to my time

[12:56] toquit.com or call 1866-57512000

[13:01] to get the information you need to make

[13:03] the most out of your conversation with

[13:04] your doctor. You can also sign up to

[13:07] receive tips on quitting and find out

[13:08] more about a prescription treatment

[13:10] option.

[13:10] >> It's 11:35

[13:12] and it's my time to quit.

[13:14] >> Hi, Kitty. Come on in. Millions of

[13:17] people have put cigarettes behind them.

[13:19] This year, so could you. Make 2009 your

[13:21] time. Go to my time toquit.com or call

[13:24] 186657512000.

[13:27] Now, inside that truck is something

[13:30] familiar. Duracell batteries. And if you

[13:33] think all batteries are the same,

[13:35] consider this. These batteries are going

[13:37] to the Mattel Children's Hospital, UCLA,

[13:40] because here they use the most

[13:42] technologically advanced equipment for

[13:44] the healing. and the play. And to power

[13:47] all those toys, the people at Duracell

[13:50] packed up a truckload of batteries.

[13:52] Because nothing's better than powering a

[13:54] smile. Duracell, trusted everywhere.

[13:59] It's do or die for playoff spots. First,

[14:02] the Pats battle the Bills. Then Chad

[14:04] Pennington and the Dolphins collide with

[14:06] Brent Favre and the Jets. Sunday on CBS.

[14:10] >> Freeze that's been blanketing much of

[14:11] the Midwest is lifting tonight. Rising

[14:14] temperatures and rain have led to a

[14:15] quick thaw of snow and ice, prompting

[14:17] new flood watches and warnings in parts

[14:20] of six states.

[14:22] California led the nation in

[14:23] foreclosures last month. And more scam

[14:25] artists are now emerging, ready to prey

[14:27] on desperate homeowners. Almost anyone

[14:30] can be drawn in as we hear from Bill

[14:32] Whitaker.

[14:33] >> This is my great-grandfather.

[14:34] >> This house is full of memories for

[14:36] Alexandria Craig. It was her parents'

[14:38] home, and when they died, she inherited

[14:40] it. What is it going to be like for you?

[14:44] >> I don't know.

[14:48] I don't know.

[14:49] >> She now stands to lose her home after

[14:52] taking out a series of highinterest

[14:54] loans that have left her hopelessly in

[14:56] debt.

[14:57] >> Why the loans?

[14:58] >> It kind of helped to balance out what I

[15:00] was short.

[15:00] >> Her salary as a parallegal for LA County

[15:03] was not enough to make ends meet.

[15:05] Desperate to hold on to her house, she

[15:07] answered a slick sounding ad that turned

[15:09] out to be too good to be true.

[15:12] >> I paid him for it.

[15:13] >> You paid him

[15:14] >> $30,000 for it

[15:16] >> to take your house?

[15:17] >> Well, yeah, sort of.

[15:19] >> Craig agreed to pay $30,000 and share

[15:22] title on her house to a foreclosure

[15:24] rescue company. The company said it

[15:26] would use equity in her house to pay off

[15:27] her debts and her credit would be

[15:29] repaired. After a year, she thought

[15:31] she'd get her house back. There should

[15:33] be a huge red flag for anybody who

[15:36] offers to do this for money because

[15:38] there is no reason to pay for help. Loan

[15:40] modifications can be done for free. In

[15:43] the typical scam, the homeowner

[15:45] transfers title to a third party who

[15:47] promises to secure a lower interest rate

[15:49] on the mortgage. But what often happens

[15:52] is the third party cashes out the home's

[15:54] equity, leaving the home owner as a

[15:56] renter.

[15:57] >> This is the American dream, and they're

[15:59] losing it. And someone's coming, and

[16:01] they're going to rescue them. It's very,

[16:03] very appealing.

[16:04] >> In California, so many people have

[16:06] fallen for this scam, the attorney

[16:08] general issued a consumer alert. But the

[16:11] warning came too late for Alexandria

[16:14] Craig. Her house is in foreclosure, and

[16:16] next week she's being evicted. Both the

[16:19] foreclosure rescue company and the bank

[16:21] foreclosing on her house deny any

[16:24] wrongdoing.

[16:25] >> You feel like you're drowning and you

[16:27] feel like there's nobody throwing you a

[16:29] life raft.

[16:31] Barring a miracle, Craig says she'll be

[16:33] moving into her car next week, losing

[16:36] family memories and her American dream.

[16:39] Bill Whitaker, CBS News, Woodland Hills,

[16:41] California.

[16:43] >> Just ahead on tonight's CBS Evening

[16:45] News, making the grade. Is this Chicago

[16:48] Charter School a model for the nation?

[16:53] >> This holiday with Crest White Strips

[16:55] Premium, you'll bring home a smile that

[16:58] can't be missed. See whiter teeth after

[17:00] just 3 days. Full results in seven.

[17:04] Share a whiter smile. Crest White Strips

[17:06] Premium. Why let heartburn stop you when

[17:10] you can stop heartburn? Just one Zantac

[17:12] with a cool men's sensation can knock it

[17:14] out all day or all night for strong

[17:16] lasting relief.

[17:19] Heartburn? Attack it. Zantac.

[17:23] >> For pain across your whole back, Icy Hot

[17:26] has it covered. Icy Hot Extra-L large

[17:28] patch starts icy to dull the pain, then

[17:30] hot to relax it away for up to 8 hours

[17:32] of relief across your whole back.

[17:33] >> Icy Hot hasn't covered.

[17:35] >> Icy Hot XL XL relief for XL pain.

[17:38] >> And the secret to perfect stuffing is

[17:40] this, but it's an old family secret.

[17:43] >> So don't tell anyone.

[17:44] >> I promise.

[17:46] >> Want to hear a secret?

[17:48] >> Trusted for generations. The secret to

[17:50] perfect holiday stuffing is Swanson

[17:52] broth. I always thought calcium and

[17:54] vitamin D and exercise would keep my

[17:56] bones healthy, but I got osteoporosis

[17:59] anyway. So, my doctor started me on once

[18:01] monthly bonva and he told me something

[18:04] important. Bonva works with your body to

[18:07] help stop and reverse bone loss. My test

[18:10] results proved I was able to stop and

[18:12] reverse my bone loss with Bonva. And

[18:15] studies show after one year on Bonva,

[18:17] nine out of 10 women did, too. Don't

[18:19] take Bonva if you have low blood

[18:21] calcium, severe kidney disease, or can't

[18:23] sit or stand for at least 1 hour. Follow

[18:25] dosing instructions carefully. Stop

[18:26] taking Bonva and tell your doctor if you

[18:28] have difficult or painful swallowing,

[18:30] chest pain, or severe or continuing

[18:32] heartburn, as these may be signs of

[18:33] serious upper digestive problems. If

[18:35] severe bone, joint, and or muscle pain

[18:37] develops, tell your doctor.

[18:38] >> I've got this one body and this one

[18:40] life, so I wanted to stop my bone loss,

[18:44] but I did more than that. I reversed it

[18:46] with Bonva. Ask your doctor if Bonva is

[18:49] right for you.

[18:50] >> Bonva helps stop and reverse bone loss.

[18:54] >> Some nights it takes more than a soft

[18:57] pillow to fall asleep.

[19:00] Nights when aches and pains keep you

[19:02] awake.

[19:04] Those are nights when you worry most

[19:06] about becoming dependent on sleep

[19:07] medicine.

[19:09] Tylenol PM rapid release gels are

[19:11] different. They don't just quiet the

[19:14] pain. They help you fall asleep in a

[19:16] non-habit forming way because the less

[19:19] you worry, the better you sleep. Feel

[19:22] better. Tylenol.

[19:24] >> Will Illinois's governor step down? And

[19:26] what's next for the economy? Lieutenant

[19:28] Governor Pat Quinn and Nobel

[19:30] Prizewinning economist Paul Krugman face

[19:32] the nation Sunday.

[19:36] >> Number of charter schools in the US has

[19:38] reached nearly 4,000 and more than a

[19:41] million students now attend. most from

[19:43] minority groups. They're free of many of

[19:45] the rules that govern public schools,

[19:47] but are they the right model for the

[19:48] future? Cynthia Bowers reports.

[19:52] >> This plus 2X

[19:54] >> to say students at RER College Prep High

[19:56] School on Chicago's west side are

[19:58] beating the odds doesn't give them

[20:00] enough credit.

[20:01] >> So, we're done here.

[20:02] >> They are exceeding even their own

[20:05] expectations.

[20:06] >> 3 hours of homework at night, it doesn't

[20:09] really bother me. RER is one of seven

[20:11] noble charter schools in Chicago. The

[20:14] graduation rate is 95%.

[20:17] 85% of its graduates go on to college.

[20:20] >> It's okay to be the smart one. It's okay

[20:22] to be the the one committed to your

[20:24] community. They find here a culture

[20:25] where it's safe.

[20:26] >> At the two public high schools in the

[20:28] same neighborhood, graduation rates are

[20:31] 50 and 67%

[20:33] and fewer than 12% of those students

[20:36] meet even basic academic standards. Is

[20:39] the solution to have all charter schools

[20:41] or to have public schools use the

[20:43] charter school model?

[20:46] >> Yeah, and I I think it is the latter. Do

[20:47] they have the freedom and and um

[20:50] accountability uh that charters do have?

[20:54] >> I want to thank all the people of

[20:55] Chicago. Arie Duncan, Chicago public

[20:57] school CEO and now education secretary

[21:00] nominee, has been a big proponent of

[21:02] giving failing schools more individual

[21:04] control. But only charter schools have

[21:07] the total freedom to hire non-UN

[21:09] teachers and uncertified principles.

[21:12] >> We have the flexibility and the

[21:13] accountability to meet our students

[21:15] needs and help really prepare them for

[21:16] college without the excuses. Yet,

[21:19] according to education watchdog David

[21:21] Stevens, high graduation rates and less

[21:23] red tape don't tell the whole story.

[21:26] >> I don't think it's necessarily uh uh a

[21:29] question of finding the right model and

[21:32] just, you know, spreading it like wild

[21:35] flowers.

[21:36] >> He points to overall charter school

[21:39] student performance in science, reading,

[21:42] and math. All lag behind their public

[21:45] school peers. And Stevens says despite

[21:48] getting taxpayer dollars, charters can

[21:51] weed out students who aren't making the

[21:53] grades.

[21:54] >> We're looking at the survivors, right?

[21:55] We're looking at the students who had

[21:58] enough motivation to kind of stick

[22:00] through all the challenges that they

[22:01] faced.

[22:02] >> Still, charter schools like RER do

[22:05] provide students access to greater

[22:06] opportunities.

[22:07] >> I've been getting straight A's. I was so

[22:09] happy. I've never done that before in my

[22:10] life.

[22:11] >> And a chance at a brighter future in

[22:13] academically challenged times. Cynthia

[22:16] Bowers, CBS News Chicago.

[22:19] >> Next up on tonight's CBS Evening News, a

[22:22] whole new look at Broadway's longest

[22:24] running musical.

[22:30] >> For pain across your whole back, Icy Hot

[22:32] has it cover.

[22:33] >> Icy Hot Extra-L large patch starts icy

[22:35] to dull the pain, then hot to relax it

[22:37] away for up to 8 hours of relief across

[22:39] your whole back.

[22:40] >> Icy Hot has it covered.

[22:41] >> Icy Hot XL XL relief for XL pain.

[22:44] Serious sore throat sufferers know

[22:46] there's nothing worse than a sore throat

[22:48] with a bad cough. Only new seaol sore

[22:51] throat plus cough spray has the power to

[22:54] stop both fast.

[22:55] >> Thank you.

[22:56] >> Only seaol stops both fast.

[23:00] >> Steaming is such an important part of

[23:02] fresh Asian cuisine.

[23:03] >> Our innovative steamer cooks right in

[23:04] your microwave

[23:05] >> for tender chicken and fluffy rice in a

[23:07] delicious sweet and spicy sauce. New

[23:10] Asian inspired healthy choice cafe

[23:12] steamers in four authentic recipes.

[23:16] This is two-dimensional,

[23:20] but your teeth are three-dimensional.

[23:25] That's why the OralB Triumph delivers 3D

[23:28] cleaning action. Unlike a manual brush,

[23:31] our unique 3D cupping action surrounds

[23:33] each tooth, giving you an extraordinary

[23:35] clean. And it even improves gum health

[23:37] better than Sonicare Flex Care.

[23:41] Power brushes with 3D cleaning action

[23:43] from Oral B.

[23:46] >> My sinuses are so congested I can't

[23:48] think.

[23:50] >> The pressures keeping me up at night.

[23:53] >> My sinuses are about to explode.

[23:56] >> Introducing Pseudafed PE Day and Night

[23:58] Dual Pack. Maximum strength relief of

[24:00] sinus pressure and congestion. Two

[24:02] different tablets relieve sinus symptoms

[24:04] so you can get through the day and rest

[24:05] at night.

[24:06] >> My sinuses

[24:07] are relieved.

[24:09] >> I feel rested.

[24:10] >> I feel like myself again.

[24:12] >> Sudafed PE day and night. Unblock your

[24:15] head.

[24:26] >> Well, are you going to pick it or not?

[24:29] It's not ready yet.

[24:32] Tim and Richard Smucker grew up learning

[24:34] that you have to pick fruit at the peak

[24:36] of perfection if you want jam to taste

[24:38] extra delicious.

[24:40] >> It's getting close.

[24:42] >> For five generations with a name like

[24:44] Smuckers, it has to be good. Still got

[24:47] flakes? That's your clue to switch

[24:49] shampoo to Celson Blue. Maximum Celson

[24:52] strength medicine wipes out flakes.

[24:54] Plus, aloe and moisturizers keep hair

[24:56] healthy. No flakes are itch. Celson blue

[24:59] shampoo. Got a clue? Get the blue.

[25:02] >> Next week. Sure, money's tight, but you

[25:04] need those repairs done. How you can fix

[25:06] up your home without paying a dime. Next

[25:08] week on the CBS Evening News with Katie

[25:10] Kurrick.

[25:14] The weak economy is forcing some

[25:16] Broadway shows to bring down the curtain

[25:18] next month. But the longest running

[25:20] musical plays on. Russ Mitchell now with

[25:22] an exclusive look inside the orchestra

[25:24] pit at Phantom of the Opera.

[25:28] For 20 plus years, the Phantom of the

[25:31] Opera has been singing the music of the

[25:33] night on Broadway.

[25:42] >> And for 20 plus years, LOL Hershey has

[25:45] been playing the music of the nights.

[25:47] >> Well, I started from the beginning with

[25:49] rehearsals in uh late December 1987.

[25:52] That's almost 5,500 shows and far from

[25:56] being a primadana.

[26:01] >> The trumpet player is just one of 11 in

[26:03] the orchestra who've been with Phantom

[26:05] since the very beginning. A tenure

[26:07] unheard of on Broadway. Others like

[26:10] violinist Joyce Hammond are right

[26:12] behind.

[26:13] >> Being with you, Joyce, how long have you

[26:14] been here at Phantom of the Opera?

[26:15] >> About 19 years.

[26:17] >> 19 years.

[26:17] >> Yeah. I I'm I'm a new cover.

[26:19] >> It's very hard to leave a show like

[26:21] that. Uh, you know, if somebody offers

[26:22] you another show, you have no guarantee

[26:24] that the other show is going to last

[26:25] more than a week after it opens.

[26:27] >> And so they stay on playing the same

[26:30] songs night after night.

[26:32] >> How do you keep it fresh after all of

[26:35] these performances that you've been a

[26:36] part of?

[26:37] >> I occupy my mind by reading. I I do

[26:40] puzzles. I've learned to read French,

[26:42] Spanish, and Italian sitting in the pit.

[26:44] So, while the audience is engrossed in

[26:46] the falling chandelier,

[26:50] Hershey and his colleagues are deep into

[26:52] their crosswords until someone does

[26:55] something unexpected.

[26:57] >> All of a sudden, you can make a mistake

[26:58] on something that there's no reason you

[27:00] should ever have made a mistake on. It's

[27:01] not that it's difficult. You've done it

[27:03] for 16, 17 years without ever having

[27:05] made a mistake on it, but something

[27:07] changes in the brain and then you are

[27:09] very alert for the rest of the show.

[27:11] >> Sure. Was there any point in those early

[27:15] days where you said to yourself, "Okay,

[27:16] I'll have this job for a year, maybe

[27:18] two, then this show will be gone."

[27:20] >> The real cockeyed optimists were saying,

[27:22] you know, this this show could go 5

[27:24] years, you know, and and we were like,

[27:26] "Wow, that would be great."

[27:29] >> Five years have long passed, but another

[27:32] five

[27:33] >> I did ask them if they would consider

[27:34] putting in a wheelchair ramp for us into

[27:36] the pit when they were putting in a new

[27:38] sound system.

[27:39] They didn't build a ramp, but a new

[27:42] sound system probably means Phantom and

[27:44] Joyce and LOL will be playing the music

[27:47] of the night for a long, long time.

[27:54] >> Russ Mitchell, CBS News, New York.

[27:58] >> And that is the CBS Evening News. I'm

[28:01] Jeff Gore, CBS News in New York. Good

[28:03] night.

[28:06] Heat. Heat.

[28:39] Heat. Heat.

[29:09] CBS News is

[29:10] >> Hi folks, Larry Stoves in the Lincoln

[29:12] Mercury dealer in Madison. From now till

[29:14] January 3rd, all this week or until I

[29:17] run out. $79.95 for 07 Cobalts, no money

[29:21] down, 139 a month. Air, automatic, CD,

[29:25] lots of stuff. Bumper, uh, what do you

[29:27] call it? powertrain warranty with

[29:28] 100,000 mi. Remainder of factory

[29:30] warranty here and it's got 100,000 mi

[29:32] and it's got windows locks and it's a 07

[29:36] focus and it's $89.95 and it's 159 a

[29:39] month. Come get you one.

[29:40] >> News Channel 5 nominated for 32 Emy's

[29:43] twice that of any other local news

[29:44] station.

[29:46] >> A line of thunderstorms moving toward

[29:47] Middle Tennessee now parts of the area

[29:50] under a severe thunderstorm watch. I'll

[29:51] give you a radar update coming up.

[29:58] This song was a middle Tennessee

[29:59] politician's Christmas gift to his GOP

[30:02] colleagues. Did it cross the line? Also,

[30:05] how these police cruisers collided is a

[30:08] mystery tonight. Your news begins now.

[30:11] From your news and information leader,

[30:13] Tennessee's first local news in