breaking news. afghanistan crash. nine americans are killed as a helicopter goes down just north of kandahar. making it the deadliest year for international forces since the war began. angry americans. a new report declares the recession officially over. but many of us are not feeling it. even taking on the president himself. >> i'm one of your middle-class americans, and quite frankly, i'm exhausted. i'm exhausted of defending you, defending your administration. >> we'll talk live with one of president obama's closest economic advisers. and fighting convention. they've taken over our homes and hotels. fears in stores. bed bugs are big business. we're live at the first-ever bed bug summit early this tuesday we're live at the first-ever bed bug summit early this tuesday morning, september 21st, 2010.

captioning funded by cbs another gorgeous morning here in the city, as it is almost fall. good morning, everybody, i'm harry smith. >> and i'm maggie rodriguez. unfortunately we begin this morning with some breaking news. the sad story out of afghanistan where it's been another deadly morning for nato troops, specifically our troops. nine coalition forces, all of them americans, died in a helicopter crash in the southern part of the country. cbs news correspondent mandy clark is in kabul this morning to bring us up to date. mandy, what can you tell us this morning? >> reporter: well, according to nato sources, early reports indicate that all nine are believed to be americans, and they were on a special forces mission. the crash happened around 4:00 a.m. in southern afghanistan. sources say it occurred in zabul province just north of kandahar,

a taliban-dominated region. there was no enemy fire in the area when the helicopter went down. and the cause of the crash is under investigation. many of the covert operations happen at night. the goal of these missions are to hurt taliban activities. either hunting high-value commanders, or finding caches of drugs and weapons. helicopters are essential in the afghanistan mission. the country is mountainous and the roads littered with roadside bombs. but helicopter crashes have happened in the past. last october, two crashes left 14 americans dead. this year has been the deadliest for americans. and it's only september. nearly 40 have died this month alone. maggie? >> mandy clark in kabul. mandy, thank you. we will continue to follow the story throughout the broadcast. right now at 7:02, here's harry. now to the economy. a new report says the great recession is over. according to a nonprofit research group, the recession began in december of 2007, and

ended in june of 2009. but a lot of americans are still suffering its effects, and are taking it out on president obama. senior white house correspondent bill plante has more. good morning, bill. >> reporter: good morning, harry. the numbers may be going in the right direction, but if there was any doubt that most of america doesn't yet feel things improving, listen to what a frustrated voter had to say to president obama at a cnbc town hall meeting. >> i'm one of your middle-class americans, and quite frankly, i'm exhausted. i'm exhausted of defending you, defending your administration, defending the man extra of change that i voted for, and deeply disappointed with where we are right now. i have been told that i voted for a man who said he was going to change things in a meaningful way for the middle class. i'm one of those people, and i'm waiting, sir. i'm waiting. i don't feel it yet. >> reporter: on the defensive, the president responded by outlining some of his administration's accomplishments, but admitted

that things aren't where they need to be. >> as i said before, times are tough for everybody right now. so, i understand your frustration. but what i am saying is, is that we're moving in the right direction. >> reporter: but the president knows that the only real answer is providing jobs. and that saying the recovery takes time doesn't play well with voters. >> and what i'm really hoping to hear from you is several concrete steps that you're going to take, moving forward, that we'll be able to re-ignite my generation. re-ignite the youth who are beset by student loans, and i really want to know. is the american dream dead for me? >> absolutely not. >> reporter: but that's echoed on main street, on both sides of the aisle. >> i've been disappointed. unbelievably disappointed. >> yeah. >> from both sides. i feel like nothing changes. and so there's no point, really. everything will stay the same. no matter what i do, i could for or against and it will stay exactly the same.

>> reporter: the reality is that improving statistics aren't very convincing to voters who are worried about jobs, and that is the reality the president and his party face going into the november elections. harry? >> bill plante, thank you very much. >> all right, maggie. >> thanks, harry. the average american may be skeptical about an economic recovery, but the reaction on wall street to the end of the recession shows that investors are optimistic. let's go to cbs news business and economics correspondent rebecca jarvis at the new york stock exchange this morning. good morning, rebecca. >> good morning, maggie. we all know how much the great recession battered down stocks. well, yesterday, stocks responded positively to the news that it is now behind us. the dow ended higher by 145 points, putting it on track for the best september in 71 years. but still, as we all know, the struggles on main street, they do persist, and we're seeing that in the issues that the great recession raised for all of us. it wiped out 7.3 million

american jobs. 21% of our net worth was wiped out between december of 2007, and june of 2009. the official end of the recession. and economists believe it will take significant amounts of time just to regain the pre-recession levels on the employment front. in fact, some economists believe it will take as long as 2013 just to get back to normal employment levels in this country. another key in all of this is housing prices, and wall street will be watching a bunch of data this week on that. maggie? >> all right, rebecca jarvis at the stock exchange. back over to harry. >> joining us from washington with more on how the white house plans to turn the economy around is the new head of the u.s. consumer financial protection agency elizabeth warren. good morning. >> good morning. >> let me ask you, before we get to the particulars of your job, and the creation of this agency, i just want to ask you a philosophical question because you've spent a good time of your

professional career studying the middle class, and quite frankly, worrying about the middle class. as we get this kind of news that we got yesterday that the recession was over, so many people in the middle class are saying it doesn't feel like it at my house. when do you think it might feel like it at our house? >> well, we have to remember that we have a problem in the middle class that didn't just start in the fall of 2008. we have a problem that's been under way for 30 years, of squeezing, chipping, hitting on the middle class. flat wages, rising core expenses, families reached a point where they really couldn't save, they turned to credit, and the credit industry has drained billions of dollars out of their pockets. so, it's a -- it's going to take time to rebuild the middle class. and that really is part of the problem here. we're starting now with this new credit, consumer credit bureau,

and that's going to be one piece of it. i hope it's going to patch a big hole in the bottom of the economic boat. but there's still work to be done in a lot of areas. on wages, on housing. on student loans. on retirement security. it's not just one thing that went wrong, and it's not just one thing that's going to fix it. >> can these industries really be regulated? but regulated in a way -- i mean, there would be so much pressure from them for you to do as little as possible. this will be a giant tug-of-war in the days going forward to see who really does get control. >> you know, i'm not a washington person. i never really wanted a job here. i had this idea for this agency, and thought, that's it, you know, other people will take care of it. the president asked me to come here, and to start to work immediately. not to worry about titles, not to go through all that business, but to start to work to set up this agency, to start pushing

back. and that's exactly what i intend to do. and i intend to do it as hard as i can. >> by charging you with creating this agency, is this the best compromise possible? because a lot of people wanted you to head the agency, and they said, well, you're not confirmable. >> you know, i don't know the politics. but i don't see this as a compromise at all. there was one option, and that was to go the confirmation route, and i was told that would take about a year during which i couldn't do any work on the agency. and this is the part that amazes me, i wouldn't be allowed to talk about it. or, i could not have that title, and i could get to work right now. and so, i said to the president, i want to go to work right now. i don't care what you call me. let me go to work and let me try to help. and when i'm no longer any help, i'll leave. >> elizabeth warren, thank you very much for taking the time to speak with us this morning.

>> thank you. >> do appreciate it. >> so important to point out that the organization that deemed the recession officially over also was very careful to say, it may be over, but the economy is not recovering. that was a, by the way, that's important. >> slow recovery. >> and we could still dip into another recession. which we all hope won't happen. at 7:10 here's erica hill at the news desk with another check of the headlines. >> good morning to the both of you. good morning to everyone at home. two people are recovering this morning. they're in a hospital following a shooting at fort bliss in texas. officials at the post near el paso say a person opened fire yesterday afternoon at a grocery store. the post commander says two wounded people were taken to the hospital, but would not discuss their condition. the shooter was killed by responding officers. the washington state woman who confessed to an acid attack hoax is now facing criminal charges. an awrest warrant has been issued for 28-year-old bethany storro. you may recall she claimed a stranger threws asid on her face last month.

last week, however, storro admitted to police that she was, in fact, suicidal and that she, her self had wiped acid on her face, using drain cleaner. yesterday storro was charged with three felony accounts related to the $28,000 in donations that she received. >> the aggravator is that the defendant, miss storro, took the money from victims who were acting as good samaritans when they gave the money. >> court documents show storro spent $1,500 of that money on dinners for her parents and also on clothing. her parents plan to return all of the money. singer aretha franklin's son was severely beaten last night. a spokeswoman for aretha franklin says eddie franklin was attacked at a gas station in detroit. he was taken to a local hospital and was undergoing surgery. in washington today, transportation secretary ray lahood is hosting the second national distracted driving summit. new numbers show this is still a deadly problem in america. cbs news correspondent whit johnson joins us this morning with more. whit, good morning.

>> reporter: erica, good morning. since last year's summit, 12 states have banned texting while driving, but new numbers show people still aren't getting the message. distracted driving continues to kill thousands each year. this dramatic video shows the problem in action. drivers talking or texting on their cell phones, before losing control. >> oh, [ bleep ]. >> reporter: it's distracted driving that led to 5,500 fatalities, 16% of all deadly collisions in 2009. nearly 450,000 were injured. >> i lost my son. my beautiful, wonderful son, who i love more than life. >> reporter: bob okerblom's son was riding his bike in 2009 when he was struck from behind by a truck going 60 miles per hour. cell phone records show the driver may have been texting at the time of the crash. it happened on a long stretch of california road. a place bob still visits to talk to his late son.

>> i try to carry on. >> reporter: across the country, eight states, plus the district of columbia, prohibit drivers from using handheld cell phones. 30 states, plus d.c. have laws banning texting while driving. even oprah has taken on the cause. >> rising up together and putting an end to distracted driving. >> reporter: a star endorsement of a national issue. one that transportation secretary ray lahood says too many are still ignoring. >> it's an epidemic because most americans have a cell phone, or a texting device, and they think they can use it anywhere they go. they have very dangerous habits. >> reporter: secretary lahood says that he gets his way there will soon be federal legislation against cell phones out of the hands of drivers. he has support from at least two u.s. senators who will speak at today's summit. erica? >> look forward to that. cbs' whit johnson in washington

this morning. in brazil an investigation is under way into a collapse of bleachers. take a look at this video. there you see why they're investigating. it happened during a car race on sunday. nor than 100 people were injured, some of them critically. at least 500 people were standing on that metal structure. they're also looking to see as part of that investigation whether there may have been an issue with the structure itself. scary stuff. turn now to dave price for the first check of the weather on this tuesday morning. good morning, my friend. >> good morning to you. let's go to the maps,

>> at 7:15, that's a look at your weather. maggie? >> all right, dave, thank you so much. a unique showdown shaping up today in the senate over whether to repeal "don't ask, don't tell." it's senator john mccain versus lady gaga.

the senator wants to keep the ban but the world's biggest pop star is throwing her support behind the gays who want to serve in the military. cbs news correspondent michelle miller reports. >> doesn't it seem to be that "don't ask, don't tell" is backwa backwards? >> reporter: lady gaga held court in a portland, maine, park calling for the repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. a controversial senate vote is set for later today. >> doesn't it seem to you that we should send home the prejudiced. >> reporter: under the law created in 1993, more than 13,000 soldiers have been discharged. david hall, who escorted lady gaga to last week's video music awards, says he's one of them. >> a female cadet went to my commander, said i was gay. i made no comment, rated number one in my class, and then they discharged me just based off of what she said. >> reporter: lady gaga is more

known for selling 50 million singles and her outrageous outfits than for her political statements. ♪ but recently she's become more vocal with her political leanings, urging her twitter followers, she has a record 6.4 million of them, to write their senators over "don't ask, don't tell." the current law bans gay soldiers from serving, and forbids military leaders from asking about sexual orientation. essentially encouraging gay troops to keep it secret. >> i thought equality meant everyone. >> reporter: 60 votes are needed to avoid a filibuster and repeal "don't ask, don't tell." the singer known for being out there, hopes her gay friends in the military will simply be allowed to be out. michelle miller, cbs news, portland. >> i think it's important to

say, the reason john mccain opposes this, he's waiting for the results of that pentagon study on how this repeal might impact, you know, troops who are serving right now. >> right. and as serious as the subject may be, did it look like she had a fake nose on? >> i didn't notice. coming up for us, probation revoked, a bench warrant for her arrest. we'll see if lindsay lohan is really ready to take responsibility for failing a drug test. >> plus they're so dirty and creepy they've got their own convention. we're live at the first annual convention. we're live at the first annual bed bug summit. of lick starting with you, dsrl. stufy, make the call. ♪ [ dialing ] [ beeping ] [ beeping ] [ beeping ] [ eli ] it's go time. ♪ ♪

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you may have heard that a judge has issued an arrest warrant for linddy lohan. she could be going back to jail and she may even be sentenced for twice as long as the parole violation calls for. we'll explain why ahead here on "the early show" on cbs. >> this portion of the early show sponsored by ford. drive one.

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hello again, another gorgeous day to start, but cool. >> how's traffic? sharon will let you know and bernadette woods. >> we're watching the sunrise over the harbor. it is cool. temperatures around the region dropped into the 40s this morning. 50 in baltimore. take it in close, 40 in easton. 46 in bel air. this phone we're warming it up to 77 degrees under mostly sunny skies. tonight we only go down to 59 that begins our warmup that will really take over the next few days, close to 90 degrees by the end of the week. for a check on the roads, here's sharon gibala. >> good morning, everyone. in the last 25 minutes we have picked up two accidents one of

them on the beltway. you'll want to watch for that at harford road. trying to confirm where it is. you can see we have delays on the inner and outer loop. we have an accident recounting in reisterstown at franklin boulevard. 795 southbound still slow approaching the west side of the beltway, speeds very slow, 13 miles an hour. 95 slow from the beltway. 39 miles an hour. there is a live look at the bw parkway running smoothly without delays. we have delays on 95 and jammed between bel air and york road. this traffic report is brought to you by the national aquarium. they're rolling back their prices to 1981 in honor of the 33 -- 30th year. we have a baltimore county

school advisory. the prosdale center is closed today because of no electricity. also, there will be no afternoon classes. the condition of the johns hopkins surgeon shot last week is said to be improving today. andrea fujii has the story. >> reporter: good morning, don. dr. david cohen's condition has been upgraded from fair to good. police say he was shot on thursday by paul pardus who was upset with the outcome of his mother as arthritis surgery. he killed his mother and then himself. his wife released a statement saying he is recovering and hope their privacy is respected a complete review of security protocols at hopkins is already underway. don, back to you. a 66-year-old woman was bludgeoned to death with an antisteering device called the

club. she is now charged with the murder. murder. upup bob ehrlich pretends to be for the working guy... but he's not on our side. i thought i knew bob ehrlich, but then i found out... he raised property taxes on every maryland family... and business. he increased college tuition... by 40%. 40%. and i thought i knew bob ehrlich. he was against raising the minimum wage. made $2.5 million... working for a lobbying firm. $2.5 million? he's not really on my side. with this tough economy, we really need a governor on our side.

it's a glorious morning here in our corner of the world in new york city. i hope it is, as well, where are you. welcome back to "the early show." >> good morning, everybody. coming up, the marines are battling a tough but tiny enemy. have you heard about this? bed bugs have been found in the barracks at camp lejeune. the nasty critters also shut down the big nike flagship store right around the corner from us here in manhattan. the infestation has gotten so bad around the country, there is a first-ever bed bug summit. and our consumer correspondent susan koeppen is there. she'll have a live report for us. >> that is a tough enemy to eradicate. it really is. also, a sleepy town in england is getting ready for what could be an unwanted birthday blowout. have you heard about this? this is a young girl who used

her facebook account to invite some friends to her 15th birthday party. her mom says you can only invite a few. we don't have that much room. she forgets to make the evite private, though, and guess how many people rsvp? 21,000. the party is canceled but a lot of people say they're still going. we're going to talk to her. first at 7:30, lindsay lohan has been ordered to appear in court again, and she could even be sent back to jail for failing two recent drug tests. cbs news correspondent ben tracy has the latest on the troubled young star. >> i respect -- >> reporter: lindsay lohan broke down in the courtroom last july. now she's heading right back there. ordered to appear before a judge on friday morning, or she'll be arrested. >> this judge is going to be angry. i'm sure this judge is plenty mad. and could be mad enougug

temperatures starting out in the upper if the f we're going -- upper 40s. we're going to 77. we'll go to 88 tomorrow. 89 thursday, 90 friday. then we may get a shower. it will cool down up next here on "the early show," bed bugs are creeping up in the world. they have their very own convention this week. we are itching to tell you about this, so please stay with us here on "the early show" on cbs. style that lasts a lifetime. what do you say we get the look we want, the softness we need, and an unbeatable lifetime stain warranty for whatever life throws at it. then let's save big on the installation. ♪ we're lowering the cost of going barefoot. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. get exclusive martha stewart living

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[ male announcer ] quattron from sharp. you have to see it, to see it. [ takei laughs ] in this morning's "healthwatch," they're back, with a vengeance. bed bugs. in just the past couple of days new incidents of bed bugs have been reported everywhere from college dorms in pennsylvania and north carolina to the marine barracks at camp lejeune. and now a first of its kind bed bug summit is about to kick off in rosemont, illinois, outside chicago, where our consumer correspondent susan koeppen joins us live. susan, good morning.

>> good morning, harry. this summit is not only sold out, it's going to be standing room only today. there is a waiting list to get in to this event. everybody seems to be here, the cdc, epa, the military, colleges, universities, everyone is bugging out about bed bugs, and everyone is looking for solutions. it's been the year of the bed bug. no bigger than an apple seed, these little blood suckers have caused big problems. taking another bite in the big apple this past weekend, when an infestation shut down niketown's flagship store in new york city. the latest addition to a growing list of retailers, corporations, even the empire state building, overrun by bed bugs. according to a study by terminex, new york city tops the list of the 15 most bed bug infested cities in the country, with ohio holding the lowly distinction of the most bed bug infested state. >> there are just many more places where bed bugs will be

found. it's actually been building up over many, many years. >> reporter: experts say it's a pandemic. building for years, with no end in sight. how many cities in america have bed bugs? >> how many cities are there? >> reporter: philip cooper is ceo of bed bug central. which is hosting the first annual north american bed bug summit in chicago. a sold-out event. why so many bed bugs? >> nobody knows why there's so many bed bugs. >> reporter: in the past year, 95% of pest control companies have encountered bed bug infestations. the cost of eradicating the bugs has soared. topping $258 million in 2009. i'm in hotels every week. what are my chances -- >> huge. >> reporter: that i'm bringing home bed bugs. >> you're going to bring them home. >> reporter: on display here in chicago, the all-out assault against bed bugs from bags for your suitcase. so you trap the bed bugs in here? >> absolutely. >> reporter: to steamers for your mattress. and everything in between.

is there light at the end of the tunnel? are we going to get rid of these little guys? >> yeah. at bed bug central we truly believe that there light at the end of the tunnel. the question is when. >> reporter: and getting rid of these little guys, not easy. about $2,000 or more for the average size home, if you get an infestation, harry. >> hmm. i dare you to open that up and drop it on the floor. >> no! >> i imagine there's a lot of bed bugs at the convention. are people concerned about bringing them home with them? >> you know, the guys here told me, you're going to find bed bugs. and you're probably going to bring them home. they're so serious about this, i want to show you something. >> please. >> they actually have an oven for your suitcase. you get home with your suitcase. you put it in here. you zip it up. you turn it on. it heats up everything and burns the bed bugs and kills them off. >> wow. >> scary, scary. >> 120 degrees. >> 120 degrees.

>> all right. susan koeppen, good job. thank you very much. breakfast, lunch, and dinner. up next, a girl invites some friends on a facebook to her 15th birthday party, and about 21,000 people say, yeah, okay, we'll come. details on this social network snafu when we come back. >> "cbs healthwatch" sponsored by restasis. talk to your doctor about restasis lotion, 0.05%. [ woman ] i don't want to feel depressed.

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side effects include nausea, dry mouth, and constipation. talk to your doctor and go to cymbalta.com to learn about an offer to help you get started. depression hurts. cymbalta can help. equals chili's $20 dinner for two. share an app, like our texas cheese fries. then choose two entrees from 14 chili's favorites, like our new sweet & smoky chicken crispers. the $20 dinner for two, only at chili's. welcome back. at 7:47 we want to tell you about the facebook fiasco in britain. a teenager there wanted to invite a couple of friends to her 15th birthday party, but after an invite mix-up, 21,000 people rsvp'd. her mom has since canceled the party, but a lot of people are still planning to show up. cbs news correspondent mark phillips has more details. >> reporter: all rebecca javeleau was trying to do was invite her friends to her 15th

birthday party next month. but on facebook, there's only a one-click difference between inviting your friends, and inviting everybody. >> i forgot to click the private one. so now it's gone public. all over the world. >> reporter: within ten minutes, 2,000 people said they'd show up. within a short time, it got worse. >> since rebecca went, 21,000 guests turning up on the day. >> reporter: rebecca tried to take the invitation off the site. but by then others had copied it and posted their own. the family and police now fear the small apartment will be invaded. >> i'm dreading the fact that she actually put my address online. >> reporter: rebecca says she's learned a lesson. >> don't put anything public on that can cause you so much hassle. >> reporter: but the hassle may only have just begun. mark phillips, cbs news, london. >> and that is because people on facebook still say, they're going. there's a new facebook group that has 261 members so far who

say, we're showing up. >> well, i bought tickets. and they're nonrefundable. >> i hate to tell you, but you got scammed. it was free. >> he was talking plane tickets. >> he said he's still going and says he's 23. i think it will be funny if we all show up. on the bright side she's got thousands celebrating with her. >> but there's no room in their neighborhood. >> i know. >> it's all a positive. >> could be a boost. >> we'll keep you posted.

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last night here in new york, the much-anticipated premiere of the sequel to "wall street," "wall street: money never sleeps," and the main man michael douglas was there. harry, you were there, as well. he looked a little thin, but overall, all smiles, all business. not even discussing his illness. but a lot of actors were, and we'll show you what they had to say, coming up. my doctor said most calcium supplements...

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that's it. that one...right there. exactly how much did the other airlines make off with? ♪ it was like $25. was that one-way? or roundtrip? roundtrip. $50? did you have a second bag? yes. mm! it was $35. that's $120 roundtrip. [ gasps ] oh! ah! ♪

[ ding ] sharon will have traffic right after bernadette woods with the first warning weather. >> i guess there is a crispness in the air. the thing is we're really going to warm it up the next couple of days as we officially begin fall. we started out in the 40s. 47 still in elkton. 47 in westminster. as we head through the afternoon, we are warming up to 77 degrees. that is actually our average it. will be a beautiful afternoon. tonight we go down to 59. tomorrow we go back up to 88 degrees for our high. we're going to head over to sharon sharon. good morning, sharon. we have a picture of that

accident that i told you b it's on the -- about. it's on the outer loop at harford road. we also have an accidentworking in rosedale at hazel. a second one in pasadena. still approaching the beltway, night night southbound, 14 minutes between whitemarsh boulevard and 895. very slow and pretty major drive time on the top and west sides of the beltway. there a live look at the top side. a wreck at harford road. this accident is brought to you by the loyola school of education. move your education forward. back over to you. we have a baltimore county school advisory. the rosedale center is closed today because it has no eel ti. that means no afternoon

classes. five days after the shooting at johns hopkins hospital, the surgeon who was wounded is improving. andrea fujii has the latest. >> reporter: dr. david cohen's condition has been upgraded from fair to good. police say he was shot on thursday by paul pardus, who was upset with the outcome of his mother's arthritis surgery. parred dust then killed his mother in what police are calling a mercy killing so she wouldn't have to live life paralyzed. he then shot himself. dr. cohen's patients say he is an excellent surgeon. his wife said he is recovering. a complete review of security protocols at hopkins is already underway. back to you. >> up next, dr. jim belushi talks about ololololold gibbs c. today these factories are full of dot com businesses. and now my job is helping maryland create new economy jobs.

training new math and science teachers investing in our institutions of excellence pioneering new cyber security jobs and giving an old gm plant a jump start building electric motors. i'm barbara mikulski. i approve this message so you'll know i'm fighting for you.

welcome back to "the early show" on this tuesday morning. nice crowd out here with us. i'm maggie rodriguez with julie chen and harry smith. hello to my fellow floridians. going to be a beautiful day here in new york. coming up, everybody's talking about "wall street," the sequel. you guys saw it, right? >> last night. it was very good. >> very impressive. he is especially impressive. >> i cannot wait to see michael douglas. gordon gekko is back. he, of course, hollywood royalty. we all know he's got a real-life battle against cancer going on right now. we're going to look not only at his appearance last night at the premiere of the movie, but we're also going to talk about how he's doing with his throat cancer. >> also ahead this morning, it is getting more and more

expensive to send your child to college. the average public university costs about $14,000 a year. that's just tuition. private university costs $35,000, $40,000, $50,000 or more. we've assembled an expert panel to see if going to college is worth it in the long run. especially if you're in a situation where you have to accumulate debt. is carrying that debt forward can really, really be a drag. i mean the numbers bear out. if you go to college you're going to make more money than if you don't. but how do you make it really work in your family? we're going to work on that with you this morning. >> oh, great. it's important. also, who doesn't love jim belushi? do we not love jim belushi? for years he's made us laugh. but now the actor is moving from comedy to the courtroom in a new prime-time legal drama called "the defenders." and he's here to tell us about his role as a lawyer. >> but first let's go inside to erica hill who is standing by at the news desk with a check of the headlines.

>> good morning to you again. in afghanistan this morning, a helicopter crash has claimed the lives of nine nato service members. early reports indicate the dead are believed to be american. the chopper went down in the southern part of the country, a taliban stronghold where coalition troops have been putting increased pressure on insurgents. it was the worst helicopter crash for coalition force unless four years. economists say the recession ended last year. for many americans, though, it is far from over. during a town hall meeting yesterday, president obama got an earful from frustrated americans. >> i've been told that i voted for a man who said he was going to change things in a meaningful way for the middle class. i'm one of those people, and i'm waiting sir. i'm waiting. i don't feel it yet. >> my goal here is not to try to convince you that everything's where it needs to be. it's not. that's why i ran for president. but, what i am saying, is that we're moving in the right direction. >> the president defended his record on the economy, but

warned there was no quick fix. criminal charges have been filed against the washington state woman who admitted an acid attack was a hoax. we're also learning more about the state of mind. cbs news correspondent betty nguyen has the latest. >> reporter: new reports explain why 28-year-old bethany storro disfigured herself and claimed to have been the victim of a random attack. in the affidavit released yesterday, storro told police she was suicidal when she wiped her own face several times with drain cleaner in a park rest room. she then realized she could use her disfigurement to her advantage. >> why did this happen to me? i'm okay. i'm sorry. >> reporter: storro claims she was attacked withs asid by an african-american woman. but shortly after the incident, investigators became suspicious, and interrogated storro. she admitted the injuries were self-inflicted. saying, when i realized it wasn't killing me, i thought maybe this was the answer to all my problems.

to have a completely different face. storro is charged with three felony counts of second degree theft, for allegedly stealing some $28,000 in donations. >> and the aggravator is, that the defendant, miss storro, took the money from victims who were acting as good samaritans when they gave the money. >> reporter: storro's alleged lie may have a real victim. derri velarde was burned by acid just days later in arizona in what may have been a copycat attack. she appeared on the he "early" show last friday, shocked that the first attack was a hoax. >> my initial reaction was it just couldn't be possible. i thought no, there's just got to be some rumor out there or something. but i can't imagine someone doing this to themselves. >> we are deeply sorry for what happened. >> reporter: storro's parents have apologized, and pledged to return all the money ratzed in their daughter's name. betty nguyen, cbs news, new york. and police in colombia have

a new jail bird in custody. charged with tipping off drug dealers that the cops were coming. oh, lorenzo. lorenzo the parrot was arrested last week during a drug bust for aiding the drug traffickers by serving as their lookout. for the time being, at least, lorenzo is behind bars. crime doesn't pay, dave price. dave is standing by on the plaza with another check of the weather this morning. we should just get a weather bird. >> hold on. thank you. so you're telling me they arrested the bird? >> look. the bird was helping, he was trying to get the drug dealers out. you can't let a bird like that on the loose. >> so the drug dealers basically gave the police the bird. very interesting. nice to see you, erica, and -- nice to see you, too, everyone. we have got some remarkable

we're starting out in the 40s. we're warming it up. it's 52 degrees. those temperature also continue to go up. all the way up to 77 this afternoon with sunshine, just a

beautiful day. okay. here's how it looks over the next several days. the warmup continues, 8 on wednesday. close to 90 thursday and friday. could be a late thunderstorm. friday night into saturday with the cold front this weather report sponsored by sharp quattron tv technology. you have to see it to see it. >> that's a quick look at your weather picture. very simple message. stop alzheimer's now. maggie, back inside to you. >> thank you, dave. up next the stars come out for the premiere of the "wall street" sequel, and for its star, michael douglas, who's now battling throat cancer. we'll take you there next on "the early show" on cbs. at sharp, our goal is to reproduce every color in the world on tv. introducing quattron quadpixel technology, it adds a fourth color, yellow, to the standard rgb color system, creating a vast array of colors

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it's a great way to get more out of the things you're into. build yours to fit your life by adding packs filled with bundles of rewards and benefits. it's not just a card. it's your canvas. create yours at zynccard.com. get up, get moving. subway has breakfast. and it's a slam dunk. i like my breakfast sandwich with green peppers, onion, banana peppers and mustard. i like eggs with black forest ham on wheat. with everything. i like a little kick. that's a good call. i like mine with egg whites. and... a napkin. [ male announcer ] have you built your better breakfast? now's the time! try our better-for-you western egg white muffin melt or the dee-licious double bacon egg and cheese on toasty flatbread. subway. build your better breakfast. actor michael douglas, now battling late-stage throat cancer, walked the red carpet proudly last night in support of his "wall street" sequel, and found plenty of co-stars on hand

to support him, as well. >> michael! >> reporter: michael douglas, accompanied by wife catherine zeta-jones, turned up at last night's premiere for "wall street: money never sleeps." the actor was all smiles, and all business, despite an ongoing battle with stage four throat cancer. >> he's a wolf. you know, he's got a good, strong family. good, strong support system. good group of friends. and cancer picked the wrong guy. >> reporter: douglas did not talk on the red carpet. but in a recent interview with the "l.a. times" he spoke of a grueling battle with his disease. the actor is undergoing daily radiation treatment for the next two months. and expects he will not be able to eat or speak in just two weeks. of his constant pain, douglas says, sores start forming in your mouth, then lesions, and then you can't swallow. >> it's hard, difficult, and i think to some degree he's buoyed by the reception he's gotten, the recognition for this.

and wants at the same time to do some good for this disease. >> you know there's fortunes to be made. >> reporter: douglas, who reprises his role of gordon gekko in the "wall street" sequel which opens friday, only learned of this illness in late july and first spoke about it with david letterman last month. >> i have cancer. found out about it three weeks ago. >> reporter: determined to fight his disease, douglas' biggest fear is weight loss, especially dangerous for a person in his condition. >> he's dealing with it extremely well. >> that's the measure of a man when you got challenged like that. >> reporter: and at last night's premiere, the actor, known for his strong performances on screen, remained so in front of his fans. joining us now are bonnie fuller, she is editor in chief of hollywoodlife.com, and our medical correspondent, dr. jennifer ashton. good morning. >> good morning. >> bonnie, you, of course, you guys covered the premiere last night. what were the reviews that you got from your reporter about

michael douglas? >> he looked fantastic. i saw all the pictures myself. he looked robust. he was strong. he didn't look in any way sick. the only thing is, he didn't talk much. he was protecting his voice. >> because, as we know, you know, they can lose their voice, especially from all the treatment, doctor, right? >> absolutely. and you know, it can affect your voice. it can cause hoarseness. but the most important thing is really going to be the impact on his nutritional status. because with any treatment, radiation to the throat, it not only kills the cancer but it kills or damages the healthy tissue around there, also, so being able to swallow, being able to eat, being able to drink, will all be impaired. and his nutrition will suffer, as anyone knowles fighting a chronic illness, you need good nutrition. so that's going to be his major struggle. >> it was so amazing that he turned out for this, considering what he's going through, bonnie. >> he looked determined. he had said he wanted to walk the carpet. he's proud of his work in this film. and it's a great film. i saw it yesterday.

he deserves to be proud. he commands the screen. he's just riveting. he's gone through so much this year, not only this diagnosis, but his son is in prison. you know, he's got this lawsuit from his -- >> ex-wife. >> ex-wife going on. and yet he's keeping it all together. you ask his wife, and she says he is still very much the rock of our family. >> that's right. you know, there's been photographs of him actually taking his daughter, who 17, to school every day. i think he's trying very hard to keep routine. the film is a lot about being a father. and i think that's extremely important to him. and in fact, there's even some word out there that he may renew this marriage vows with catherine for their tenth anniversary coming up. >> that would be very sweet. we can't forget, though, that he does have stage four throat cancer. so what does that mean, jen? >> it's stage four out of four. there are four stages. most people know, you want your best chance for cure comes with a lower stage. basically, to be stage four, when you're talking about head and neck cancer, based on two criteria. size of the tumor, larger

meaning more advanced. and also whether any lymph nodes have been involved. he had said repeatedly that he has been given about an 80% chance of cure. so that is definitely good news. it's likely means that no lymph nodes have been involved. but it is a large tumor. >> and he says what? why should the doctors be wrong? he's very, very optimistic. >> and your state of mind is so important when you're fighting cancer. >> what are the risk factors for a tumor in the throat or the mouth? >> just being male increases the risk. men are ten times more likely then women to be inflicted with head and neck cancer. age over 50. so he's just turning 66. age is a risk factor. then you can't control those things, things you can control, smoking, drinking, and the human papilloma virus is now implicated in a lot of head and neck cancers. interestingly enough, though, maggie, if you have hpv in your head and neck tumor you tend to do better with treatment. they tend to be more responsive to chemotherapy and radiation. so that's possibly a good thing. >> let's hope all goes well for him. everybody is rooting for him.

>> everybody was rooting for him, his co-stars, everybody. >> which is nice to see. bonnie fuller, thanks. and up next, from laughs to the law. jim belushi is here to talk about his role as a las vegas attorney with some pretty unique sin city clients. you're watching "the early show" on cbs.

tax on everything you buy? s that's in andy harris' unfair tax plan. 23% sales tax. a 23% sales tax will cut my business in half. would be devastating. andy harris' 23% sales tax absolutely makes no sense.

23% sales tax would really make things unaffordable. that's too high for the average american out here. i don't know how we would manage it really. don't like that idea. we can't afford andy harris' idea. i'm frank kratovil and i approve this message. well, if your were gambling on which new prime-time show will make it big this season, a good bet would be "the defenders." it's a drama about a pair of las vegas defense attorneys, and jim belushi plays nick morelli, a hard-nosed lawyer with a soft spot for his clients. >> they will bury this jury in charges. they'll confuse them. the jury is a wild card here, bud. they could give you 40 years. this plea gives you a chance to have a life. >> what kind of life is that? i didn't do anything wrong. >> look, you want to go into court tomorrow and tell them to

shove it? we'll do that. but do me a favor, all right? sleep on it. >> jim belushi, good morning. >> good morning. >> your character is so likable. and the best part about it is that he's based on a real defense attorney in vegas. >> yes, there's a criminal law firm in vegas and they had a documentary done on them and basically cbs bought the rights and wrote the script for me and jerry o'connell. these guys are characters. >> do they really have a billboard of themselves? >> no. no they don't have a billboard. >> you see the big billboard. you're like, are these the types of lawyers that you see advertised on television? >> you know, these guys are in a different business. and you know, anything can happen in vegas. you know, you know there's more direct flights to las vegas from around the world than new york? >> sin city. >> sin city. and people have that great feeling of, of indulgence and fun. and when you cross the line in

vegas, if it happens in vegas, call 1-800-555-1213, you're going to need an attorney. >> what have you learned about the legal system in vegas? >> it's tough. the state of nevada is very tough. very conservative state. again, it has this great feeling of freedom in vegas. but, if you cross the line, if you get into that court system, they're very conservative. i mean, think of it, nevada's done better at putting away california criminals than california. i mean, we couldn't put o.j. away. nevada did. paris hilton met trouble in l.a., and now nevada's closing in on her. i mean it's a tough state. >> don't cross the line. >> you're going to need attorneys, believe me. >> you know, i noticed while watching this last night, the pilot, there's great chemistry between you and jerry o'connell. >> jerry o'connell is a ball. >> are you guys friends in real life? did you know each other before this? >> i met him once. i'd done a commercial with his wife, or it was a fantasy

sequence where i was sending her a car and in the fantasy i walk over and kiss her. then the fantasy breaks, and when we flew back to las vegas together i met him. i think he was a little jealous because i kissed his girl. >> well rebecca is hot, hot, hot. >> and he goes, oh, it was only first base. >> and i go oh, you know, you can get stuck on first base for a long time, jerry. we got along fine since then. >> it shows. it looks like you guys have been, you know, you play law partners and buddies, and it's almost like you guys are brothers. >> well, we hung out a lot and smoked a lot of cigars and drank a lot of beer right before the show and created a real, natural friendship and we just carried it right on. it's fun. >> now we're used to seeing you in a half hour comedy "according to jim" and now what is it like for you as an actor going to a one-hour drama, where there is comedy in it but it's not the same type of acting? >> it's just much closer to the chest playing in a drama. you know, it's just closer to who you are.

in sitcoms you kind of have to jump up the energy. it's almost doing a farce, you know. so, the energy is different. and the playing. but it's also the time. sitcoms you work five days a week, maybe five hours a day. and on this show, we work 12 hours a day, and it's grueling endurance. but it's fun. >> well, hard work pays off. now, what is this buzz i'm hearing that you might get your buddy dan aykroyd to come on the show? >> yes, he said he'd like to play a judge and came up with an idea. he goes i'll be a judge that you don't get along with, that i never let you win, and you hate me, and then i get busted for solicitation on the strip and then i ask you to represent me. >> very good dan aykroyd imitation. >> and so we just said that's a terrific idea. but he's unavailable until january. >> well we'll be seeing you soon. jim belushi, thank you so much. you can catch "the defenders," the premiere tomorrow night at 10:00, 9:00 central right here on cbs. still ahead, she's written

more than 100 books, most of them best-sellers. and now danielle steel i i,,,,,,

hello again. we have bright sunshine. if you were sitting in the upper deck, you would feel pretty brisk. >> everywhere around the region was cool. we're starting to warm it up. coming in right now across the area we have everything from 52 in baltimore. 40s out west. 4 in elkton. jumped four degrees in easton. 46 in bel air. 4 in westminster. this afternoon we're going up to 77. it's going to be another beautiful afternoon. tonight we drop down to 59. not as cool as this overnight was. that would lead to a big time warmup. we'll send it over to sharon.

>> good morning, everyone. still a mess on the top side of the beltway. take a look out of harford road. still blocking the right lane. it's causing a significant backup all the way from bell hair to york road about a 25- minute set back. a new accident on essex, another one nearby in roseville on kenned with at hazelwood in pasadena. 83 southbound slow from the northern park way to 28th street. seven minutes. another 10 minutes on 95 between whitemarsh boulevard and 895. there's a live look at the top side of the beltway, 25 minutes. there is a look at 95 at 295. this traffic report is brought to you by mazda. take a test drive at your mazda dealer today. zoom zoom forever. the condition of a johns

hopkins hospital surgeon who was shot last thursday is asking for his privacy. >> reporter: dr. david cohen's condition has been upgraded from fair to good. police say he was is the on thursday by paul pardus who was upset with the outcome of his mother's arthritis surgery. pardus then killed his mother in a mercy killing. he then shot himself. dr. cohen's patients say he's an excellent orthopedic surgeon. his wife said he is recovering and hopes their privacy is respected. a complete review of security protocols is underway. a baltimore county jury finds the first of six defendants guilty. 28-year-old seamus coyle for his role in the murder of the man. prosecutors argued coyle arranged the meeting.

stay with wjz 13. up next, does ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

welcome back to "the early show" on this tuesday morning. the time is 8:30. it's a little chilly here in new york. fall is right around the corner. coming up, as the sequel to "wall street" opens, we thought we'd look back at some of the iconic roles michael douglas has played in classics like "the american president," "basic instinct" and "fatal attraction," to name just a few. we're going to tell you our favorites, and check out some great clips from his films. >> so many to choose from, it was hard. >> it's true. >> plus it's a question that turns conventional wisdom on its head. is going to college worth the cost? so many people accumulate so much debt, it gets so expensive every year. we know you make more money if you have a college education, but in the end of the day, is it really worth it? we've got a panel of experts who

are going to really tackle this subject. we have some of your questions that we're going to involve, as well. we're going to do that coming up in this half hour. >> plus, also, you will meet one of the top ten best-selling authors of all time. >> all time. >> danielle steel. she's written her 113th book. about a modern-day woman, and the inspiration that she gets from the native american ancestor. she's going to tell us all about it and about how on earth she does it. >> wow. and she looks incredible. but first, dave has a final check of the weather. take it away, dave. >> all right.

it's starting to warm up.

we were in the 40s. we're up to at least 52. we'll continue going up to 77 for the high. take a look at the next few days. talk about warmups. on wednesday. chance for a late day shower close to 90 thursday and friday. the cold front comes through thursday night. there is a chance for a shower. really what we're gobbing -- going to notice is the and that's a quick look at the weather picture. enjoy the weather where you are this morning. maggie, inside to you. >> thank you, dave. it's been said that her own life is like, well, a danielle steel novel. wherever she gets her inspiration, it is certainly working, because this prolific author has sold more than half a billion copies of her books. her latest work is called "legacy" and danielle steel herself is here to tell us about it. such a pleasure. good morning. >> thank you. thank you so much. >> i love this book because it forced me to ask myself a

question, what kind of person do you want to be? do you want to be the kind of person who handles challenges with courage like one of your main characters? or like your other main character, the type of person who is scared of everything? >> and waits for it to happen. >> and at the end you realize ipt a no-brainer which one is better. >> i agree. i agree. i fell in love with the character. but i like the other one, too, because she's very human and she falls in to a lot of the pitfalls that we all do. but the brave sioux girl is irresistible. >> the sioux girl, she is the daughter of a sioux chief. who lived a long time ago. and her name is wachiwi. how did you find this character? >> she came to me. i loved the story that there are sioux indians that stayed in france in the time of the court of louis xvi they came over as guests of the court and stayed. and i wanted to find a character that would fit with that. and i came up with this character, and then i fell in

love with her. >> so you found out that little nugget about the sioux indians. and from that you just wove this incredible story. >> yeah. >> that's how it usually happens for you? >> i get a tiny idea. >> amazing. >> and from what it grows. >> you have done that a total of 113 times. >> i have. >> and sold 590 million books. do you think that they get better as you go on? >> i'd like to think so. i hope so. i worked very hard to make each one a little better and different than the last one. i push myself very hard. and i love what i do. >> do you go back and read your old books? >> no. once they're published they're gone forever. >> why? >> because i'm working on new ones. just they're gone. sometimes i read them a little bit. but usually not. >> are you working on your next book already? >> two of them. >> how do you do it? where do you find -- because, by the way, your life is kind of busy outside of this. >> yes, my life is always busy. i have nine children. that keeps everybody busy. >> i did not know that about you, but i open this book and i see to my beloved children,

beatrice, trevor, todd, nick, sam, victoria, vanessa, max, and sarah. nine children. what's the age range? >> 22 to 39. >> and you still have just one lives at home? >> i have one at home. holding on dearly. >> what are you going to do after that? a new chapter? >> write more books. they keep me busy. i see them all the time, and we travel together, and i live with them. but it's been very hard after being mostly a mom, to develop an adult life of my own. and not being married anymore, i have to come up with challenges. so i get into all kinds of things like starting art galleries and traveling. visiting my children. annoying them endlessly. >> who knows, maybe you'll find a romantic adventure like something out of your books. >> those are pretty scary. >> but some of them are great. >> those are wonderful. >> why don't you like, i understand that you don't like to be called a romance novelist. but your books, each one, is so

romantic. >> well, because they're not really about romance. it's an element in life. but i think of romance novels as more of a category, and i write about the situations we all deal with. loss and war and illness and jobs and careers, and good things, bad things, crimes, whatever. and i really write more about the human condition. >> but luckily it's always love that seems to get us through, huh? >> hope, i say. hope even more than love. >> thank you, danielle. >> thank you so much. appreciate it. thanks for having me. >> and we would like to invite our readers, our viewers to get an excerpt of "legacy" on our website, earlyshow.cbsnews.com. harry, back over to you. >> all right. thanks, maggie. now to the growing debate over whether college is really worth it. in fact, the cost of college has increased roughly 25% over the past decade alone. the average four-year tuition at a public university, $56,000 for

four years. for a private school, $140,000 for four years. and if you need to borrow money, boy, the news only gets worse. americans owe, listen to this, close to $830 million in student loan debt. that is more than the national credit card debt. who knew that? factor in a record unemployment rate of nearly 5% among those with college degrees. people start to wonder, hmm, what to do. is college overrated? joining us this morning with their thoughts our early show financial adviser ray martin, child and adolescent psychologist and "early" show contributor dr. jennifer hartstein and career expert nicole williams. good morning to you all. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> this is very interesting. because you look at some of the numbers. one of the lowest number and the unemployment rate is people with college educations at 5%. higher than it ought to be but it's still the lowest. and you also realize people who

have a college education far outearn people with less education. so those are the things we know going in. but you say there are some real pitfalls out there, especially when it comes to debt. >> well, those student loan numbers are astounding. why is there a student loan epidemic in this country? most families are not rich enough to pay for college with their children with cash but they're not broke enough to get enough financial aid and grants to subsidize the cost. and as a result two-thirds of folks lean on student loans. they get into student loan debt. the average student loan debt in this country is somewhere north of $23,000. that's average. there are so many more, with double or triple those numbers. >> and some people say okay, this makes sense to me. this is good debt. this is kind of a good debt. is there such a thing as good debt? >> i used to fall in the camp where i thought student loan debt was good debt. colleges will tell you that. student loan companies like sallie mae, of course they'll

tell you, and it's a belief that it is. i'm saying it's a myth. there are these myth busters to prove it. the 15-year default rate on student loans is north of 20%. higher than any other kind of consumer debt in the country. >> wow. >> there's no other loan in the country where you can borrow six figures without any income or assets to prove you can repay it. >> except your degree? >> it's like giving a child a car without training or license to drive it. and lastly here, the collection rules for student loans are the harshest in the country. if you make a mistake and borrow way more than you're ever going to earn, you can't charge off in bankruptcy and your wages get ganached and you won't get a job. >> there's a lot of reality that people need to be especially in these very difficult times, need to be facing with their eyes wide open. and if the contention is true, and i think it,if so many people whose families make enough money that they don't really qualify for significant financial aid, they're stuck between a rock and a hard place, how do you have

the conversation, in the family, to say, you know what, you may not be going off to state u. this fall. >> exactly. and i think you need to be honest with your kids starting earlier than senior year when everybody in that herd mentality is going to college. you need to start to talk about what other options might be available. what other options they might want to do. maybe they really have an interest in something that's not found by education so they can go pursue a love of cooking and take a cooking class for a semester and go to paris and be a pastry chef and an apprentice of some sort. so you can really find other alternatives. they call it a gap year, to get finances in order to build up some resources to help you later. >> just go work for a year. >> and it's really up to the family to start to talk about what the reality is. because people even who have means for a significant period of time might have lost them with all of the changes in the economy. >> it's funny, because i've been reading about this a lot. in the paper today, it talks about higher education, equals higher pay. not a high school graduate, make

24 grand in a year. if you're a college graduate, you get to 55 on average. is the degree -- the degree, i have to argue that the degree is worth it. >> yes. >> just depends on how much you spend for it. >> absolutely. and how -- what your experience is over the course of that college diploma. are you meeting people? are you getting real, tangible work experiences that you can leverage and differentiate yourself once you've graduated. >> or life experiences. >> yes. and that's exactly it, harry. because the degree is, without question, there are a lot of industries you're not even going to be considered without the college diploma. but at the end of the day what the employer is looking for in this kind of economy is someone who has a proven track record. that is through a trade program, through internships. it's through relationships, leverage your alumni community. that's how you're going to find a job. it's not just purely this piece of paper. >> you know what, back to ray's original point. we've been checking with our facebook pages and talking to our viewers, and they've been

talking to us, here's, this is from rhonda on facebook, she says i've not been able to get a full-time teaching position, then i got this wild idea, why don't i go get a masters. i could get hired, she was passed up. she now has $80,000 in student loans. ay-yi-yi, she can't make more than $15,000 subbing. she's really between a rock and a hard place. >> yeah. you know, harry, here's where the degree is worth it. but the economics of what you paid for it, the two have to be in balance here. for rhonda, you know, that's not very good advice. all i can tell rhonda here is look into income-based repayment option on your student loans where the payment can be 10% or less of your income to be able to afford it. and there's public service loan forgiveness for folks working in not for profit teaching professions. something rhonda could consider here. you don't want to be in that place first of all. >> here's another viewer says, my oldest child's 6. we encourage him all the time to strive for a college degree. we plan to have him go to a

community college first, not just to save a little money, but because i want them to have extra time to mature. >> that point around maturity. so that you can leverage that college experience so that you're not just drinking that college degree away or -- >> what a lot of pressure can do. >> that's going to be more meaningful. to be more meaningful experience at the end of the day if you're working to be part of it. it becomes much more yours. >> case in point, i didn't go to ivy league school, i went to community college and worked my way through school and served in the military. didn't turn out too badly. >> just going to say. the other thing is, you go to a community college you would be shocked at the transfer opportunities out of those into some very, very, very good schools. >> absolutely. >> all right, well listen, we kind of got a lot of stuff done. but i'm -- i have a sense that if you have a question about college cost at home, or student loans, ask our experts via e-mail, facebook, or twitter. we may answer you right here on

"the early show." this is good. this is good. way to go, guys. we're going to be right back. you're watching "the early show" on cbs.,,,, [ ehrlich ] annapolis -- if they have their way, we're facing a mountain of debt and a massive tax increase. employers will continue to leave our state, taking their jobs with them. the next four years will impact the next decade, so we've put together a road map to 2020. a plan that brings jobs back to maryland by reducing spending and lowering taxes.

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this portion of "the early show" sponsored by "tinkerbell and the great fairy rescue" now available on blu-ray and dvd. we spoke about michael douglas earlier, and it's hard to believe it's been more than 20 years since his "wall street" character gordon gekko told us that greed is good. now douglas stars in the highly anticipated sequel, "wall street: money never sleeps." >> you some kind of energy freedom fighter? >> no, mr. gekko, i'm just looking to make money like anybody else. >> what about money? do you like her? >> do i like her? i've never thought about money as a she. >> oh. she's lying there in bed at night with you, looking at you,

one eye open, money never sleeps. >> well, we decided to take a look at some of our favorite michael douglas films with the help of dalton ross, assistant managing editor of "entertainment weekly" magazine. good morning, dalton. >> good morning, julie. >> first of all, what is the buzz on this sequel? >> first of all, it's oliver stone's first sequel. which is interesting. more interesting than that, how do you have a character off the shelf for 23 years and then come back and be played by the same actor. i think it's fascinating. people want to see what happened to gordon gekko. is he reformed? is he a good guy? is he back to his oily ways? >> do we want him back to his oily ways? >> i kind of do. i kind of do. that's what made him great. i mean, that's what won michael doug has the academy award. >> how's it going to compare to the first one? are you setting yourself up to say, it's not as good? >> it's honestly a tough hurdle. because the first one wasn't just great performances. it really tapped into the culture of the time, the

economic climate, all of those things, in the '80s. so, you know, obviously in a different economic climate now. how is this going to tap into that? >> i think it does a pretty good job. >> harry's on board. >> harry and i saw it last night at the premiere. >> there's oscar buzz for michael douglas. >> absolutely. and michael douglas has throughout his career, such a range that he can do. i think it's going to be really fun for him to be able to come back and play this character. what a great character to play. >> he won the oscar for the original one. >> he did. >> which is dave's favorite michael douglas film. >> there were a lot of great michael douglas movies. but in this movie he literally disappeared. you didn't see an actor. . you saw gordon gekko. and i think that's why all these years later, the character remains so strong. that it will bring people back. still even at the time, all that tension was on wall street. and now, 20-something years later it's back on wall street again. >> that movie was prophetic, as it turns out. >> yeah, certainly so.

>> look at that. it's either gordon gekko or pat riley. >> by the way, pat riley was at the premiere. >> all right, dalton ross, what is your favorite michael douglas film? >> i've got a lot. when i was a kid i loved "romancing the stone." and i kind of knew it was a "raiders of the lost ark" rip-off and i kind of didn't care. an amazing adventure and you had a great, you know, chemistry between him and kathleen turner, and danny devito. it was so fun. then as i get older i look at some of his darker roles, like "basic instinct." the most famous leg cross in cinematic history. and you look at michael douglas. he's had a lot of strong female roles in a lot of these movies and the best actor makes everyone around him better. i think he did that in "basic instinct." >> erica, i know you like him paired up with kathleen turner. >> yes, "the war of the roses." someone asked me yesterday morning, and it was the first one i could think of. >> why? >> it's just the first one that came to my head.

it's just, to me, it was just this -- i haven't seen this movie in years. >> it was dark, though. >> it is. absolutely it's dark. >> you think -- >> you think it's going to have a happy ending where they're going to reconcile and live happily ever after. not so much. >> maggie and i went mainstream. >> which couldn't be more different from each other, "the american president" which is this sweet movie where he's a single dad with a daughter, widower in the white house, falls in love with a lobbyist played by annette bening. and then "fatal attraction." >> you have a dark side, maggie. >> that is my all-time favorite, favorite. i have seen this movie 500,000 times. and he's not going to be ignored. he goes on and on and on. only michael douglas can play this role, where you're actually sympathetic to a cheating husband. >> i know! >> no one else could get away with that than michael douglas. >> that was 1987. same year as "wall street," the ultimate villain and the

ultimate sympathetic character. >> shout-out to glenn close, because she really brought him out. >> her eyes in that movie. >> freaks me out to even talk about it. >> anyone boiling bunnies, just -- >> get that restraining order. >> all right. your favorite michael douglas film? >> not so of 0en seen, remember when he plays this guy who's working for a defense contractor, and he just wreaks havoc -- >> in "falling down." >> stunning. kind of a movie of its time. >> was that panned at the time? i thought -- >> it was controversial. it wasn't panned. it was controversial. it was filmed during some of the l.a. riots. what about having someone else's skin. look at this look there. he's usually a suave, dashing guy and he looks like nerd gone wrong. he really sold it. >> very impressive. dalton, great to have you here, as always. a lot of netflixing going on. >> that's right. >> all right. listen, have a great day, everybody. your local news is next. we'll see you back here tomorrow.

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everyone knows a fee is a tax. you raised some taxes during that period, particularly the property tax as well as a lot of fee increases. as you know, there's a big difference between fees and taxes. but...they're the same. it's a tax. it's a tax. it's a tax. it's a tax. there's a big difference between fees and taxes. fees and taxes are one in the same. if it comes out of my pocket, it's a tax. now he says it isn't true. we didn't raise taxes. what?

still doing the same thing, paying out more money. typical politician. definitely. hello again. a bit brisk as we've been pointing out. bernadette woods is in for marty bass. it's a gorgeous morning but a cold one. we started off in the 40s. we're up to 52 in baltimore. up to it. 51 in elkton. we've gotten close to 50 in westminster. 61 in annapolis. this afternoon we're going up to 77 for our high. it's going to be a gorgeous one. tonight we drop it down into the 50s. tomorrow 88 degrees for our high. we have a big time warmup coming our way for the first day of fall. close to 90 thursday and friday and cool it down over the

weekend. in the news, the condition of the johns hopkins surgeon shot by a patient's son is improving today. it's andrea fujii who stays on the story. >> reporter: good morning. dr. david cohen's condition has been upgraded from fair to good. police say he was shot on thursday by paul pardus, who was upset with the outcome of his mother's arthritis surgery. pardus then killed his mother in what police are calling a mercy killing so she wouldn't have to live paralyzed. they then shot himself. patients say he's an excellent orthopedic surgeon. his wife said he is recovering. a complete review of security protocols at hopkins is already underway. dison, back to you. >> a baltimore county jury finds the first of six defendants in a murder for hire case guilty. seamus coyle was found guilty for the murder of his uncle.

the prosecutors argued that coyle arranged the plot and he faces life in prison. a 66-year-old city woman is bludgeoned to death with the antisteering device known as the club. aon na simmons called 911 and said she hit her aunt in the head several times using that device. she is now charged with her aunt's murder. a viewing will be held for the high school student who died crossing the street. joey d'entremont was hit by a car. the 19-year-old driver had the right of way and will not be charged. the viewing will be at the mt. christian church in joppa. the governor wants to put $90 million into two new light rails. one would run from east to west and the other is the purple

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