This Morning from CBS News, Feb. 17, 2015
Nasty Weather
A large stretch of the South and mid-Atlantic is struggling under a heavy coat of snow and ice, while Washington, D.C., is under a winter storm warning, reports CBS News correspondent Vicente Arenas. Virginia and the Carolinas are hard hit, and some of the coldest air of the winter is following the storm, with more snow expected in the Northeast, reports CBS News correspondent Jericka Duncan.
Closed ports
U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez is in California today to help resolve a labor dispute affecting major shipping ports along the West Coast. In recent weeks, as the labor dispute worsened, industry representatives called on the White House to become more involved.
Slow burn
Fayette County 911 officials told CBS News this morning crude oil fires are expected to last another day or two. This, after a train carrying more than 100 tankers of fuel derailed during a snowstorm in southern West Virginia yesterday, sending at least one tanker into a river, igniting at least 14 cars and sending a fireball hundreds of feet into the sky, officials and residents said. The entire town of Boomer was among the areas evacuated, reports CBS Huntington, West Virginia affiliate WOWK-TV.
Ready to serve
In many ways, Vice President Joe Biden should be well positioned to run for president in 2016. In a normal election year, his record could make Biden an early favorite for his party's nod - but 2016 is not looking like a normal election year. For one, early primary polls indicate a huge majority of Democrats see former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton - not Biden - as the president's heir-apparent.
Passing checkpoints
A Florida lawyer is offering what he considers a foolproof way to get through DUI checkpoints: Don't say a word to police. The Fair DUI flyer is a controversial new approach that's gaining traction but, reports CBS News correspondent Jan Crawford, advocacy groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving fear it could enable impaired drivers to bypass the law.
Hidden tax
The Alternative Minimum Tax, or AMT, requires taxpayers to refigure their income tax liability without many of the tax deductions and exemptions allowed under normal circumstances. The AMT was originally intended to ensure that a very small number of the wealthiest taxpayers paid some tax. But now, CBS News MoneyWatch reports, it entraps millions of taxpayers because the income threshold originally used to calculate the AMT has not been increased at the same pace as taxpayer incomes. Today, approximately 5 million Americans pay about $35 billion in additional income tax due to the AMT. Here's how you might minimize it if you're affected.
Model weight
Fashion Week in New York City is a chance to take a sneak peek at the latest styles to hit stores, but it's also a chance to scrutinize the world of modeling. Are models too thin? Are their photoshopped ads creating unrealistic body images among women? CBS News correspondent Vinita Nair reports on how the issue is making its way to Capitol Hill.
Marathon crawl
In a moment that's as hard to watch as it is inspiring, Hyvon Ngetich crawls to the finish line at the 2015 Austin Marathon. CBS News correspondent Manuel Bojorquez has the story of what's being called one of the bravest moments in the history of marathons.
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