mosque fallout. republicans vow to make democrats pay in november for president obama's support of a muslim prayer center near ground zero. death in the desert. a crash kills eight spectator at an off-road truck race. investigators want to know why. and the craigslist killer, the alleged murderer dies in his jail cell of an apparent suicide. this is the "cbs morning news" suicide. this is the "cbs morning news" for monday, august 16, 2010. captioning funded by cbs good morning. thanks for joining us. i'm emily smith in for betty nguyen. president obama is kicking off a three-day cross-country trip today to talk about the economy and raise money for democrats, but republicans are pressing the controversy over the president's

support for that mosque planned near ground zero. mr. obama says the issue is religious freedom but a lot of americans see it differently. tara mergener has more from washington. good morning, tara. >> reporter: good morning, emily. what started as a local issue is now a national and a political one with the president at the heart of the debate. republicans say they have new ammunition against democrats in november's midterm elections. >> the white house, the administration, the president himself seems to be disconnected from the mainstream of america. >> reporter: the gop slammed president obama sunday for comments he made about a controversial plan to build a mosque near ground zero. >> i believe muslims have a right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. >> reporter: he appeared to clarify later saying while muslims have the right to build a mosque, that doesn't mean they should. >> you can't change your position from day to day on an issue which does go to our constitution. >> reporter: republicans argue

the proposed plan is insensitive. according to recent polls, nearly two-thirds of americans are also against it. still, supporters, including new york city's mayor pikal bloomberg insists religious tolerance is the best answer to religious extremism. >> this wouldn't be a controversy if it was a proposal to build a synagogue or church. we don't prefer people or punish people based on religion. >> reporter: while republicans warn the controversy could spell trouble for democrats in the fall, many democrats believe voters will be focused on bigger issues. >> i can't imagine any american given the challenges facing this country is going to vote based on what he said about the mosque. >> reporter: they say jobs and economy will dominate the elections. and the mosque would be part of a $100 million community center two blocks from the world trade center site. emily, back to you. >> tara mergener in washington, thank you. the california highway patrol has launched an investigation of a horrific crash during an off-road truck race that killed eight spectators.

it happened saturday in the mojave desert 100 miles northeast of los angeles. the crash and the aftermath were caught on tape. >> reporter: video captured saturday night shows the off-road truck right before and after it sailed over a jump and careened into the crowd. >> as soon as he jumped over, you just instantly saw the truck roll and roll over people. it was just -- just happened too quickly to see anything, but it just -- you just see the truck roll over everybody. >> reporter: right after the crash, the graphic video shows a chaotic scene. frantic spectators rushing to the victims, their bodies scattered around the truck. >> truck was coming down the hill. >> reporter: randall peterson lost his 24-year-old stepson zachary freeman in the crash. freeman's girlfriend left this memorial where he died with his shoes, sunglasses and hat. his stepfather was told freeman was injured but couldn't locate him at any area hospital. >> it didn't dawn on me the reason he wasn't in any

hospitals is because he never left here. he died at the scene. >> reporter: at least eight people were killed. a dozen others were injured, including mike clark, who dislocated his elbow. dislocated his elbow. he lost two of his friends. >> just confused. and sad. it's just -- it's just tragic. >> reporter: the accident happened at the very beginning of the 200-mile race in which offroad vehicles take jumps of speeds up to 80 miles an hour. this is the race course right here. as you can see, there are no barriers set up for protection, which is often the case at races like these in the desert. some say that needs to be changed. >> there needs to be safety barriers. they have to make sure every precaution is taken. >> reporter: the driver of the truck is not hurt. a highway patrol officer says he was forced to run from the accident because the crowd was so angry. cbs news, lucerne valley, california. in the gulf of mexico, this is usually a happy day for louisiana fishermen. it's the first day of shrimping season, but the oil spill disaster has put a damper on things.

some places remain closed to fishing and shrimpers can't be sure the areas that are open are free of oil. meanwhile, bp is pressing ahead with drilling the relief well it will use to permanently seal its blown out well. now to the war in afghanistan and what the new u.s. commander sees as chances as victory. general david petraeus says he is not in afghanistan to, quote, lead a graceful exit but to win. on nbc's "meet the press" he was asked if right now the u.s. is winning the war. >> we're making progress. and progress is winning, if you will. but it takes the accumulation of a lot of progress, ultimately, needless to say, to win overall. that's going to be a long-term proposition. >> petraeus says it's unclear if u.s. troops can begin withdrawing from afghanistan by next july, as president obama has promised. the u.n. secretary-general says he's seen many natural disasters but none like the floods in pakistan.

more than two weeks after record monsoon rain swamped northern pakistan, floodwaters are still rising in the south, some 20 million pakistanis are effected. the u.s. military is delivering supplies to the stricken region but u.n. secretary ban ki-moon says much more foreign help is needed. on the "cbs moneywatch" stocks in asia were mostly lower this morning. ashley morrison is here in new york with that and more. good morning, ashley. >> good morning to you. asian markets mostly slid after new figures showed japan's growth slowed down. japan's nikkei lost more than half a percent while hong kong's hang seng was mostly lower. today wall street gets the latest report on housing. stocks are looking to bounce back after last week's selloff. the worst it a month and a half. for the week, the dow lost 3.3% while the nasdaq slipped back 5%. china is now the world's number two economy, according to numbers released today the country passed japan in economic output during the second quarter and now trails only the u.s.

china's economy is growing at about 10% a year and the nation is already the world's biggest exporter, auto buyer and steel producer. the days of surprise overdraft fees are certainly over. new rules went into effect on sunday that ban banks from automatically enrolling customers in overdraft protection programs. banks were prohibited from automatically enrolling new customers. starting if july, this rule ge goes a step further by dropping the service for existing customers who never asked for it. you can still chose to have the protection but you need to talk to your bank. at ford, the boss is back. the automaker announced plans to bring back the famed mustang boss 302 next year. the original made its debut in 1968 and ford is sprucing it up with a fancy paint job and high-performance parts. the new model should cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $40,000. and it's due out next spring. and at the movies "the expendables" turned out to be anything but.

the testosterone-charged action thriller starring sylvester stallone and his pushed up pals outmuscled the competition taking in $35 million to win the weekend box office. "eat pray love" starring julia roberts opened in second place with almost $24 million. emily, i'm guessing you're more of an "eat pray love" kind of fan? >> i hate to admit it, but, yes, i'm a chick flick kind of person. good thing my mom is, too, so i have someone to go with. >> that's good. >> we can keep the guys out of it. >> unfortunately, i'm more of a rocky fan, so i would -- i loved all those movies. i would probably be the one lone girl at the "expendables" except my husband with me. >> you're such a cool girl. >> not really. >> all right, thank you. ashley morrison here in new york. just ahead on the morning news, a concert turns ugly for reality star teela tequila. thousands flock to graceland to mark the passing of the king. first, katie couric with a preview of the "cbs evening

news." after the deadliest month for u.s. troops in afghanistan, we'll examine how the war is going. if our objectives are being achieved and whether the scheduled u.s. drawdown next summer should take place. our special coverage begins from kabul, this week only on the "cbs evening news." begins from kabul, this week only on the "cbs evening news."

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in california, two zebras got loose and ran through the streets near sacramento on saturday. the privately owned animals seemed to enjoy their freedom. they created some traffic jams as police tried to catch them. one of the animals was slightly hurt in a collision with a car. eventually they were captured. reality tv actress tila tequila says she was injured at a music festival in illinois. she claims members of the audience threw rocks and feces at her on stage. she finished her performance as body guards shielded her from the flying debris. the hantin county sheriff says

she complained she was injured by the stones that were thrown at her. she appeared to have some minor cuts and bruises. an autopsy is planned today on the body of phillip markoff, the so-called craigslist killer. they say he committed suicide in jail between saturday night and sunday morning. the former medical student was awaiting trial next march on charges he killed a masseuse through the advertising website. >> reporter: police say the man known as the craigslist killer has taken his own life. 24-year-old phillip markoff was found unresponsive, alone in his jail cell sin morning. >> there was a mountain of evidence. >> reporter: "48 hours" producer wrote a book about markoff. he believes the accused killer felt the odds were against him. >> the police had videotape, dna that matched. >> reporter: this surveillance video was part of that evidence. markoff at a boston hotel where 25-year-old julissa brisman was jurded. his attorney says he's shocked and saddened by the apparent suicide.

larose said markoff tried to kill himself two other times. he describes the boston medical student living a double life. >> on one hand he was the perfect medical student, a guy engaged to a beautiful woman. on the other hand he had a deviant sexual life. he joined a lot of alternative lifestyle websites. >> reporter: jail officials are investigating the death. terrell brown, cbs news. the food and drug administration has approved the use of a new emergency contraceptive pill. friday's ruling clears the way for the u.s. sale of the prescription drug called ella. it reduces the chance of pregnancy up to five days after sex. it is made by a french company and was already approved in europe. actress zsa zsa gabor asked for last rites. the 93-year-old gabor is back if a los angeles hospital in extremely serious condition. doctors were able to remove two dangerous blood clots from her upper body, one of them close to her heart. she had complications from her hip replacement surgery last month.

33 years after his death, remembering the king. in memphis, tennessee, thousands turned out to light candles for the annual vigil at the grave of elvis presley, despite 100-degree temperatures. the vigil begins a week-long celebration. presley died at age 42 at his graceland mansion in 1977. straight ahead, your monday morning weather. in sports, a dramatic two-man playoff decides the pga championship. championship.

here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. new york, thunderstorms, 89. miami, thunderstorms, 87. chicago, sunny and 83. denver, thunderstorms and 84. los angeles, partly cloudy, 71. time now for a check of the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows clouds scattered across much of the southwest while skies are clear above the northern plains and ohio valley. later today, the southwest is in for a real soaker with showers and thunderstorms developing throughout the day. the northwest and southwest both remain hot with temperatures in the 90s and even near 100 in some spots. scattered showers and thunderstorms are likely around the northeast. the pga championship in wisconsin was decided in a thrilling playoff. on the third hole of the

playoff, bubba watson used his wedge to get out of the sand trap and his ball hits the flag but rolls away. then 25-year-old martin kaymer of germany just misses the par putt but taps in for the bogey to beat watson and win the pga championship by one stroke. in baseball, cincinnati is back in first place in the national league central division. miguel cairo of the reds hit a two-run home run to account for all of cincinnati's runs against florida. the reds' 2-0 shutout of the marlins gives cincinnati a one game in the lead in the standings over st. louis. atlanta's troy glaus had a three-run homer against the doj dodgers and the braves pounded los angeles 13-1. atlanta tops the national league east by two games over philadelphia. and in the american league, michael young of texas hit a three-run home run in the seventh against boston. the 7-3 win over the red sox stretches the rangers' lead in the american league western division to 8 1/2 games. when we return, another look

at this morning's top stories. and campaign clout. plans to deploy the first lady on the election circuit. deploy the first lady on the election circuit. , thanks to new pampers cruisers with dry max. ♪ hey!! [ female announcer ] they're not just 20% thinner... ♪ they're also 2 times drier. ♪ it's next generation dryness. so playtime never ends. and it's now one of the most awarded diapers. thanks, mom, for choosing pampers cruisers with dry max. only from pampers. ♪ 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 and 5 grams of fiber per serving, it's a satisfying way to help you manage your weight.

special k low-fat granola -- a taste of freedom. good morning. i'm john kessler. and i'm juliette goodrich in for sydnie kohara. the accident happened at around midnight last night. the teenager fell off the moving vehicle. coming up at five... what police say the teen was doing before he fell off the car. it's the first day of school for many in the bay area today. and a south bay school rises from the ashes. the work to get trace elementary back up and running after being burned to the ground just last month. louisiana shrimpers hit the water today for the opening of shrimp season. the extra effort to make sure seafood is safe after that oil leak in the gulf. and zebras run amok in a sacramento area neighborhood. join us for cbs 5 eyewitness news early edition ... beginning

at five. on the on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather. heavy rain and scattered thunderstorms will be developing across the southwest. much of the west remains hot and dry. scattered strong thunderstorms will be popping up around the northeast. here's another look at this morning's top stories. authorities are investigating this weekend's tragic crash at an offroad race in the mojave desert. eight spectators were killed by a racing truck that rolled into the crowd. today is the start of shrimping season in the gulf of mexico, but louisiana shrimpers are worried their catch may be spoiled by oil from that broken bp well. now to campaign 2010. the crucial midterm elections

are only a few months away and president obama has been busy fund-raising for the democrats, but the party hopes to count on another obama to bring it home. manuel gallegus reports. >> reporter: with first lady michelle obama now more popular than the president, some congressional democrats believe she's their secret weapon this fall. >> i think she should be deployed as much as possible and as much as she's willing and able to. to help the cause. >> reporter: cbs news has confirmed four democrats have requested the first lady on the campaign trail. first-term congressman gerald connolly, who face a close race in virginia, calls mrs. obama a political asset. >> it's critical we make sure our base stays energized. michelle obama has, i think, enormous power in energizing the base and re-energizing the base where that's necessary. >> reporter: the first lady has won praise for her efforts to curb childhood obesity and promote healthy foods. she's known for being a mom in chief and fashion icon. >> even if you're not

necessarily a big fan of barack obama's presidency and policies, a lot of people that still like michelle obama as a person and as a mother and as a role model. >> reporter: mrs. obama spoke at this democratic national committee event in may, which raised $1 million. last week the white house indicated there may be more to come. >> i anticipate that at some point she will likely make some appearances. >> reporter: the first lady is ahead of her husband in public opinion polls with an approval rating of 50%. but she received negative press for her recent trip to spain, criticized as extravagant when many americans are in need. republican strategist leslie sanchez says, democrats do face a risk. >> the danger is, is she setting a strange example with these mixed messages of i care about the plight of working families but i take this lavish trip? >> reporter: democrats say she could make a difference in certain races, like she did in the campaign race when her nickname was "the closer".

manuel gallegus, cbs news, new york. this morning on "the early show," actress laura linney. i'm emily smith. ress laura linney. i'm emily smith. my family spends a lot of time here. i have a personal interest in ensuring that we get this job done right. i'm keith seilhan. i'm in charge of bp's cleanup on the gulf coast. bp has taken full responsibility for the cleanup and that includes keeping you informed. you may have heard that oil is no longer flowing into the gulf. there's less oil coming ashore every day, but we still have thousands of people ready to clean it up if it does. we're going to be here as long as it takes to make this right.

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there was a scare overnight in new york's times square. the fire department and hazmat crews were called in after hydrogen peroxide was spilled on the 53rd of an office building. 30 gallons were spilled. after a machine malfunctioned. no one was hurt. several blocks were closed to traffic for a short time. a day earlier in times square the scene was a lot different. hundreds of people got together to reenact that famous kiss, that photograph of a kiss between a sailor and nurse at the end of world war ii. some veterans and their children took part. the kiss-in was part of a campaign to celebrate the world war ii generation. meantime, hollywood has had a lot to celebrate with the recent success of 3d movies. studios can't put them out fast enough. some say the love affair with 3d

may be short lived. priya david clemens reports. >> reporter: from dance showdowns to a battle between man and fish, hollywood is serving up more in your face entertainment than ever before. >> every time i've gone, it's been a fun, interactive experience, i guess. >> reporter: six of this year's top ten grossing films are in 3d. total take, $1.6 billion. yet for some a-list filmmakers, 3d fatigue is setting in. >> lately it's become decidedly uncool to like 3d movies. >> reporter: among leading skeptics, "star trek" director abrams. >> when you put the glasses on, everything gets dim. it feels gray and muted. >> reporter: and the man behind "iron man," john favro. >> coming at you 2d. take the money you save and see it twice. >> a lot of these great

filmmakers are saying, i don't need 3d. i'm a great storyteller. i don't need this so-called gimmick. to briveng bring people into the movie theater. >> reporter: there's a premium on 3d movies, an $3 to $5 a ticket, one reason hollywood studios are diving into the 3d deep end. rushing 60 3d films to theaters next year. >> works for the animated move move have is but for some others, not so much. >> reporter: call it the "avatar" effect. the global blockbuster raked in $2.7 billion. despite higher production costs, the studios are fired up. >> this is not like the hula hoop, some cheap gimmick or trick that's going to come along and go away. it's here to stay. >> reporter: purists say 3d isn't right for all films. >> it hasn't changed anything except it's going to make it harder to shoot. >> reporter: but in hollywood, money talks. for the big action films you

think 3d is the way to go? >> yes, i do. even if it's a couple dollars more. >> reporter: as long as the studios hear that, expect to see more 3d at a theater near you. >> we all knew this day was coming. >> reporter: priya david clemens, cbs news, hollywood. that's the "cbs morning news" for this monday. thank you for being here with us. we hope you'll join us later for "the early show." i'm emily smith. "the early show." i'm emily smith. have a great day. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

your realtime captioner is linda marie macdonald. caption colorado, l.l.c. hey, good morning! it is the 16th of august. there was a deadly stunt overnight. a teen fell off a moving car. so l