visit literacy.gov and let the journey begin. state of emergency. mandatory evacuations are ordered as wildfires burn closer to california communities. killed in action. three more american soldiers die in afghanistan making july the deadliest month of the nine-year-old war. blow back. the investigation into the leaking of war secrets turns criminal. this is the "cbs morning news" criminal. this is the "cbs morning news" for friday, july 30, 2010. captioning funded by cbs good morning, everybody, and thanks for joining us. i'm betty nguyen. topping our news today, a wildfire in california burning out of control this morning. and it's forcing hundreds of evacuations.

the blaze is centered in the hills around palmdale, about 35 miles north of downtown los angeles. the fire has scorched more than seven square miles, fed by heavy brush and dry grass. about 1200 homes in leona valley and part of palmdale are under mandatory evacuation orders. >> we just packed up our valuables and we have our grandchildren with us and we're on our way to a friend's house. >> i have to get gas before it burns all up. and i'm on empty. didn't plan for evacuation today. >> the fast-moving blaze has destroyed at least two buildings but crews haven't been able to tell if there's homes or buildings on many of the ranches in the area. at least 500 firefighters are battling the blaze. so far there have been no reports of injuries. now to the firestorm of controversy over arizona's new immigration law. the state is asking an appeals court to lift a judge's order

blocking the most controversial provision. that judge is reportedly getting death threats. the outrage continues on both sides of the debate. sandra hughes reports. >> reporter: police made multiple arrests in phoenix as protesters faced officers dressed in riot gear. in new york city, hundreds marched across the brooklyn bridge. >> my mother was an immigrant. i feel very strongly about immigrants being able to come here. we're the ones who built this country. >> reporter: using saws, los angeles police cut through chains holding protesters together, and arrested them hours after they took over this intersection. why are you blocking this intersection? >> we're blocking this intersection because it has gone into effect. a partial victory is not a victory. >> reporter: although a federal judge blocked many parts of the arizona law, these protesters won't be happy until the entire law is repealed. among the provisions the judge struck down, police officers could check the immigration status of people they detain for another reason. immigrants would need to carry their papers at all times.

and the part of the law that makes it illegal for the undocumented to look for work in public places. also demonstrating today, people who believe the entire arizona law should stand. >> i pay taxes. i don't like to see my taxes sucked away by people who are just presumed to have entitlement. >> reporter: arizona officials aren't giving up. they've already filed an appeal. andra hughes, cbs news, los angeles. the u.s. consulate in juarez is closing temporarily for a security review. officials aren't saying what prompted the review, but the consulate shut down. that comes about four months after a drug gang hit and killed four people connected to the consulate, including an employee and her husband. meanwhile, igna krichlt o cor coronel has been killed in a gun battle.

the mexican army calls his death the biggest strike against the cartel in years. july has become the deadliest month of the afghan war for u.s. forces. three american service members died in two explosions in southern afghanistan on thursday and that brings the death toll for july to 63 americans killed. casualties have been rising steadily this year as nato forces go on the offensive against taliban strongholds. in other news, the investigation into the leak of tens of thousands of afghan war documents could stretch beyond the military. terrell brown is in washington with the latest on this story. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. we've always been under the impression these documents were leaked from someone within the military. defense secretary robert gates is saying that may not be entirely true. the fbi is being brought in and now there's a new person of interest. wikileaks founder julian assange could soon find himself at the heart of a criminal investigation. >> the battlefield consequences of the release of these documents are potentially severe

and dangerous. >> reporter: defense secretary robert gates hasn't ruled out asang could be a target after his website posted more than 70,000 secret papers. gates has asked the director of the fbi to join the investigation. the army is also trying to track down whoever downloaded the afghanistan war documents. officials are looking closely at private bradley manning, who's been charged with leaking other materials to wikileaks. the 2 2-year-old is being proved from a prison in kuwait to a brig at quantico. he says he didn't put anyone in danger by leaking the document. top military officials say that's not the case. >> they might already have on their hands the blood of a young soldier or that of an afghan family. >> reporter: along with exposing military tactics, they show the names of afghan informants.

their lives are in danger. >> will people whose lives are on the line trust us to keep their identities secret? >> reporter: it may not be over yet. wikileaks has another 15,000 documents waiting to be released. gates said the pentagon is working right now on tightening rules on classified information that comes out of war zones as a result of this leak. betty? >> terrell brown in washington. thank you for that report. it appears new york democrat charles rangel, once one of the most powerful men in congress, could be facing a ethics trial. he reportedly had a plea deal with lawyers for the house ethics committee but members of the committee has not agreed to the settlement. rangel is facing 13 charges of ethics violations, including claims that he improperly used his office to solicit contributions for a school to be named in his honor. shirley sherrod, former agriculture employee forced to resign after a blogger posted an edited video clip that made her sound racist, says she is going

to sue the blogger. andrew breitbart posted the clip a sherrod says he hasn't apologized. >> he -- andrew breitbart, and don has been trying to help me say his name each time because ee keep forgetting, but he had to know he was targeting me. >> sherrod still hasn't decided if she'll accept the new agriculture department job. on the "cbs moneywatch," stocks in asia retreated this morning. alexis christoforous is here in noik with the latest on that. >> good morning. happy friday to you. asian markets tumbled on news that japan's jobless rate rose and industrial production fell. japan's nikkei lost more than 1.5%. hong kong's hang seng was also down sharply. today, wall street gets the latest on how much the economy is growing. on thursday, stocks fell after an early rally ran out of steam and the dow industrials lost 30 points. the nasdaq gave back 12. a federal reserve official warns

the weak economy may lead to deflation. that's when prices and wages drop for a prolonged period and can create a vicious cycle of declining profits and higher unemployment. the official said the fed should have a program in place to reverse that trend in case it happens. there will be no apologies from outgoing bp ceo tony hayward. in his first interview since agreeing to resign from the company, hayward told "the wall street journal" he did everything he possibly could after the oil rig explosion in the gulf. he said he became, quote, a villain for doing the right thing. but hayward admits he had to step down to help restore bp's image. another recall for toyota. this time its 412,000 avalon sedans and lexus suvs. they could have a problem that causes the steering wheel to lock up. this brings a total number of toyotas recalled in the u.s. since october to 5.3 million. and it's superman to the

rescue. or at least this classic comic book that introduced the man of steel to the world back in 1938. a family who wants to remain anonymous says they were about to lose their home to foreclosure when they found it in the basement. it could be worth up to $350,000. now, this family will reportedly get to keep their home while they wait to put it up for sale next month. so, betty, i guess one man's trash is another man's treasure. >> or superman to the rescue, right? >> you bet, big time. >> alexis christoforous joining us live here in new york. thank you. have a great weekend. just ahead on the morning news, "american idol" shocker. ellen degeneres calls it quits. important news about taking calcium supplements and heart attack risks. news about taking calcium supplements and heart attack risks. if you fight to sleep in the middle of the night,

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discover a restful lunesta night. hi, may i help you? yes, i hear progressive has lots of discounts on car insurance. can i get in on that? are you a safe driver? yes. discount! do you own a home? yes. discount! are you going to buy online? yes! discount! isn't getting discounts great? yes! there's no discount for agreeing with me. yeah, i got carried away. happens to me all the time. helping you save money -- now, that's progressive. call or click today. up to 50 homes in michigan have been ordered evacuated because of this week's oil spill. more than a million gallons have leaked from a pipeline into the

kalamazoo river, according to the environmental protection agency. governor jennifer granholm warns the incident could turn into what she calls a tragedy of historic proportions if the oil reaches lake michigan. we'll continue to follow that story you. in the meantime, wildlife officers in montana think they captured the grizzly bear that killed a man near yellowstone national park. a bear went on a rampage in a campground wednesday. two other people were injured. if dna tests confirm the bear that was captured was responsible for the attack, it would be put down. two of the bears' cubs were also caught but their fate has not been determined. in health news, calcium supplements are supposed to be a good way to keep your bones strong but now a new study raises concerns they could lead to an increased risk for heart attack. dr. jon lapook reports. >> reporter: lisa has two problems -- her bones are thinning and her cholesterol is high. she's taking calcium but now

she's worried that what may help her bones will hurt her heart. >> i think why this study concerns me is because of all the different factors i represent. and at some point we're going to have to make a decision as i get older. >> reporter: it's a decision faced by millions. new research looked at 11 studies involving 12,000 patients. those receiving calcium supplements had a 30% increase in heart attacks. >> i think it's important for us to look at this study and rethink our practice. we shouldn't just recommend supplementation for all of our patients. >> reporter: more study is definitely needed but now it looks like it's better to get your calcium through food, which doesn't seem to cause this type of problem. dr. jon lapook, cbs news, new york. the senate is expected to pass a major aviation safety bill today. yesterday the house approved the legislation prompted by the deadly crash of a commuter airliner in buffalo, new york, back in 2009. among other things, it would force airlines to hire more experienced pilots and train

them better. well, ellen degeneres is voting herself off of "american idol." degeneres will not return for the tenth season of the talent show. she says it was hard for her to judge people and sometimes hurt their feelings. actress/singer/dancer jennifer lopez is reportedly close to signing a deal to become a judge when the show returns in january. straight ahead, your friday morning weather. and in sports, an exciting extra inning finish for the phillies.

here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. new york, sunny, 84. miami, partly cloudy, 90 degrees. chicago, partly cloudy as well, 80 degrees there. it's 88 with thunderstorms in denver today. and a sunny 80 degrees in los angeles. time now for a check of the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows storms breaking apart over the southeast. and there are clear skies over the west coast, northeast and parts of the southern plains. later today, though, both the east and the west coast will see sunny skies and pleasant conditions. the midwest looking at showers and thunderstorms. some severe. and thunderstorms will be popping up in the afternoon in the southwest. in sports, a big baseball trade since top houston pitcher roy oswalt to the defending league champion philadelphia phillies who are already on a roll. in the 11th inning of last

night's game, the phillies' wilson valdez singled for a walkoff win against arizona. the 3-2 win brings philadelphia to within 2 1/2 games of division-leading atlanta. in san diego, oscar salazar, of the padres singled in the ninth inning for are a walkoff victory over los angeles 3-2. the padres increase their lead to seven games ahead of the dodgers. in the american league, the white sox now lead the central division by 1 1/2 games. paul kanerko homered. the white sox beat the mariners 9-5. carlos pena, tampa bay, homered and had four runs batted in against detroit in a 4-2 victory. rays' david price became the first pitcher to win 14 games in the american league this season. when we return, another look at this morning's top stories. and a heart-warming homecoming for some four-legged heroes.

there's oil out there we've got to capture. my job is to hunt it down. i'm fred lemond, and i'm in charge of bp's efforts to remove oil from these waters. bp has taken full responsibility for the cleanup and that includes keeping you informed. every morning, over 50 spotter planes and helicopters take off and search for the oil. we use satellite images, infrared and thermal photography to map and target the oil. then, the boats go to work. almost 6,000 vessels. these are thousands of local shrimp and fishing boats organized into task forces and strike teams. plus, specialized skimmers from around the world. we've skimmed over 27 million gallons of oil/water mixture and removed millions more with other methods. we've set out more than 8 million feet of boom to protect the shoreline. i grew up on the gulf coast and i love these waters. we can't keep all the oil from coming ashore, but i'm gonna do everything i can to stop it, and we'll be here as long as it takes

to clean up the gulf. and i'm sydnie kohara. we are still getting details on what happened. but what we know is... a man walked into the emergency room and held a nurse at gunpoint. coming up: what the man said when he walked in... and what police say about the man after he was taken into custody. a dark day for the san jose fire department today. what more than fifty firefighters have to do in just a few hours... that some say... puts safety at risk. a new wildfire erupts... and burns out of control in southern california. and there are evacuations. and... a shake-up at american idol. who's in... who s out at the judge's table. join us for cbs 5 eyewitness

join us for cbs 5 eyewitness news early edition ... beginning at five. on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather. relief arrives in the northeast with cooler and dryer air. scattered severe weather is moving through the central plains. and showers and storms will cover a good portion of the midwest. here's another look at this morning's top stories. more than 1200 homes in northern los angeles county are under mandatory evacuation orders as wildfires burn out of control. at least two buildings have been destroyed. and july has been the deadliest month in the afghan war for u.s. forces. three american service members were killed thursday, bringing the monthly death toll to 63. for one american soldier serving in afghanistan, some stray dogs became a lifesaver, so he returned the favor by

bringing them back home. jeff glor has more on this special reunion. >> reporter: when georgia's national guardsman chris duke was serving in afghanistan he made friends with the locals, stray dogs sasha, target and rufus. >> a lot of us used the three of them as kind of an escape, you know, whenever you're homesick. >> reporter: but they did much more than keep him company. >> my firm belief i probably would not be here today if it weren't for him. >> reporter: on a february night, a suicide bomber tried to get into duke's barracks but the dogs began barking and biting the intruder. he blew himself up before he could kill 50 soldiers inside. sasha was severely injured and had to be put down. but rufus and target were both nursed back to health. duke returned home a month later. the dogs had to stay behind. >> i was really worried, the fact that the next unit may come in, not want them there. >> reporter: as another soldier kept an eye on them, duke wrote

a letter to veteran assistance group called hope for the warriors. >> i owe my life to those dogs. my wish is to bring them home and give them the best life i can. >> reporter: have you ever gotten a request like this? >> no. this was going to mean a lot to him s so whatever we needed to do to get this wish done. >> reporter: other organizations heard about the story, and a facebook page won't up in which less than three months raised $21,000, enough for the dogs to leave afghanistan. this week rufus and target finally arrived in the u.s. >> hi, puppies. >> reporter: today in atlanta they were reunited for the first time with duke and his wife. >> hi, buddy. i was pretty much in disbelief all the way up until the moment i saw them. >> reporter: target will live in arizona with another soldier. rufus will stay with the dukes. >> i'm going to have him for the rest of his life. man, it's exciting. >> reporter: it's exciting because he knows he wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the dogs. and now they wouldn't be here if

it wasn't for duke. jeff glor, cbs news, atlanta. just another reason why they're called man's best friend. this morning on "the early show," cyndi lauper performs in the concert series. i'm betty nguyen. this is the "cbs morning news." can of getting it done? and get this year's colors up on the wall...this year. let's get better prices... and better paint. let's break out the drop cloths, rollers, brushes, and tape. let's start small. then go big. no matter what the budget. and when we're done, let's take a bow. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. behr premium plus ultra. the only interior paint and primer in one that's rated number one. ♪ now i know ♪ freedom is all that i need [ female announcer ] ladies, raise your spoons. now there's nothing left standing between you and a satisfying breakfast. introducing special k low-fat granola. with 50% less fat than the leading granola

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there's new outrage in the investigation of mismarked graves at arlington national cemetery. it's estimated that 6600 graves may be unmarked or mislabeled. on thursday the cemetery's former superintendent testified before a senate subcommittee. he blamed his staff and lack of resources for the scandal. the giant insurance company prudential is facing its own scandal regarding a death benefit for our nation's fallen heroes. the company now says it's in talks with the department of veteran affairs. cbs's katie couric has details on the investigation. >> reporter: it's being called the life insurance industry's dirty little secret. revelations that the nation's

second largest insurer was profiting from the death benefit of fallen soldiers. >> until today i actually believed that the families of our fallen heroes got a check for the full amount. of their benefit. so, this came as news to me. >> it's sad. >> reporter: survivors like cindy lohman whose son ryan was killed in afghanistan believed they would be getting checks, too. instead they were told their death benefits were being placed in a secure interest-bearing account. but the funds are actually held in the company's own general corporate account, allowing prudential to earn the lion's share of the interest for itself. >> i was stunned to realize that, yeah, i had been duped. >> reporter: in 2008 when cindy lohman's statement said she was earning less than 1% interest on her alliance account, public records show prudential was earning almost 5% on its

corporate account. >> when i read about it and saw how despicable it was, i thought it was treasones. >> reporter: patrick murphy is an iraq war veteran himself and says he's looking into possible legislation to permanently end the practice of so-called retained asset accounts. >> i'm not sure if it's criminal or not, but what i know is it's wrong and it should stop. if they don't stop it themselves, we'll stop it for them. >> reporter: but the practice extends well beyond the military. new york-based metlife, the country's largest life insurer, is one of over 120 insurance firms holding some $2 billion in retained asset accounts. new york state attorney general andrew cuomo launched his own consumer fraud investigation serving subpoenas to metlife and seven more life insurance providers. >> i am so angry at the insurance companies. >> reporter: meanwhile, the writer of the bloomberg markets magazine investigation said his

inbox was flooded with e-mails from policyholders saying they're reeling from a broken trust. >> they sound like they feel betrayed that they didn't have more information about how these policies worked and they had to learn about it from reading a magazine article. >> katie couric reporting there. that's the "cbs morning news" for this friday. thanks for watching. hope you'll join us a little later for "the early show." i'm betty nguyen. have a great weekend. ,,,,

your realtime captioner is linda marie macdonald. caption colorado, l.l.c. comments@captioncolorado.com the emergency room at children's hta