primary preview. washington insiders fight for survival as voters go to the polls picking candidates for november. under the microscope. a judge blocks federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. and on his own. tiger woods and his now ex-wife make their divorce official. this is the "cbs morning news" make their divorce official. this is the "cbs morning news" for tuesday, august 24th, 2010. captioning funded by cbs good morning and thanks for joining us. i'm betty nguyen. major primaries will be held today that could set the tone for november elections in three key states, arizona, florida and alaska, the balloting could come down to the establishment versus the outsiders. randall pinkston has more now from washington. good morning, randall. >> reporter: good morning.

well, the campaigning is over and now the name of the game is get out the vote. as voters decide which candidates will appear on the ballot come november. three washington insiders will try to hold their own today in key primaries around the country. >> i take every election that i've ever been in very seriously. >> reporter: in arizona, republican senator john mccain is in the political fight of his life against former congressman j.d. hayworth. the two have sparred over congressional spending and the state's controversial immigration law. in florida's democratic senate primary, the two top contenders have spent millions of their own money getting personal. >> profiting off of suffering. jeff green. >> reporter: polls show kendrick meek currently in the lead over jeff green. but the winner will have some stiff competition this fall. republican marco rubio and charlie crist who ditched the gop earlier this year.

at stake is control of congress and the obama administration's legislative agenda. republicans can take back the senate if they win all ten competitive races in november. they need 39 seats to win the house. alaska's gop senate primary will offer another test of tea party power. republican senator lisa murkowski is squaring off against sarah palin-backed joe miller. >> democrats have more money, they'll spend more money on these races and that's how they'll try to save them, but i think republicans have the momentum. >> reporter: but it may be swing voters who will determine the ultimate outcome in november. in addition to selecting candidates for seats in the u.s. house and senate, there are hotly fought state contests, too, and voters will be selecting the candidates for those races. a lot to look forward to in the returns tonight, betty. >> no doubt. we'll be watching to see how it all plays out. randall pinkston joining us live from washington. thank you. in other news, former agriculture department official

shirley sherrod is expected to meet with tom vilsack today about a new job offer. she was forced to resign last month when a conservative website published a video excerpt that depicted her as a racist. the white house later apologized to sherrod when the full video showed her remarks were taken out of context. the food and drug administration says there's no evidence the massive salmonella outbreak in eggs goes beyond two iowa farms. some 550 million eggs were recalled since the outbreak was reported last week. officials do not expect that number to grow. the centers for disease control says as many as 1300 illnesses could be linked to the tainted eggs. the cause of the outbreak? that has not been determined. a plan supported by president obama to expand the use of embryonic stem cell research has been dealt a setback. on monday a judge temporarily blocked government funding for the project. wyatt andrews reports. >> reporter: it was a much

broader ruling than expected, a ban on all federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, a ban that potentially freezes more than $200 million worth of stem cell research. >> this court decision means that millions of dollars that could be spent for stem cell research, that could help potentially millions of people, can now not be spent. >> reporter: despite the potential of embryonic stem cells to become any cell in the body and treat the toughest diseases, the embryo is broken up in the process of taking the cells. this is what a federal judge now says is against the law. citing an amendment to a 1996 congressional budget law, judge lamberth ruled that the amendment provides that no federal funds should be used for research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, and this research necessarily depends upon the destruction of a human embryo. the ruling does not extend to research on adult stem cells and

only applies to federal funding, not to privately sponsored research. conservative groups called it a victory for life. >> as we've said for years now, all throughout this debate, you shouldn't have to destroy any human life for potential medical treatments. >> reporter: most research groups, however, are angered by the ruling pointing out that a half million embryos are in storage in in-vitro laboratories and will probably be destroyed anyway if not used for medical research. the administration did not react in time for this broadcast, but an appeal is likely. wyatt andrews, cbs news, washington. now to the war on terror. we're learning that two american service members were killed this morning in an insurgent attack in eastern afghanistan. meanwhile, the u.s. military announced this morning that the number of u.s. troops in iraq has fallen to below 50,000. it's a level that president obama had set for an august 31st deadline. under mr. obama's plan, u.s. forces will not be used in combat missions, instead, they

will train iraqi soldiers. 14 people including five americans are believed dead in a plane crash in nepal this morning. the aircraft went down in a remote village about 50 miles south of kathmandu, the capital. the plane was headed for the mt. everest region. it was raining heavily at the time. and those trapped miners in chile received some much needed supplies. the 33 men survived a cave-in 18 days ago and are trapped half a mile underground. yesterday they were sent medication and hydration gel down a narrow drill hole the size of a grapefruit. the miners are said to be in remarkably good condition and spirits. it could be four months before crews finish digging a new shaft to free them. the miners have not been told of the time table. former president jimmy carter is planning to leave for north korea as early as today to win the release of an american imprisoned there. aijalon gomes was arrested in

january for entering the communist north illegally. he was sentenced to eight years in prison. gomes could be released as early as thursday. on the cbs "moneywatch," stocks in asia dipped again. peggy bunker is here in new york with the latest on that. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, betty. asian markets saw a selloff this morning. the nikkei dropped more than 1.5% to a 15 month low. hong kong's hang seng was also mostly lower. today wall street gets the latest on home sales. monday stocks finished lower after a new batch of bad economic news. the dow lost 39, the nasdaq gave back 20. credit card interest rates have hit their highest in nine years. the average is now 14.7%, up from 13% a year ago. that spike is due to those new consumer protections such as capping late fees that are now eating into the bank's profits. now banks are just charging higher rates up front. and gasoline prices are at an eight month low and still dropping. aaa says that the nationwide

average for a gallon of regular is sitting at $2.71 down almost a nickel in the past week. the summer driving season about to end, analysts expect pump prices to drop anywhere from a dime to a quarter in the weeks ahead. and it's about to cost more to get that morning fix. coffee futures hit a 13 month high on monday after poor weather in parts of central america threatened to hurt the coffee supply. in just the past two months, retail prices for folgers, dunkin donuts and millstone have jumped 13%. experts say tight supplies could send them even higher. and google is making it easier to avoid that e-mail catastrophe. g-mail added a feature that holds an e-mail for 30 seconds before sending just in case you change your mind. now, previously, it held the e-mail for only five seconds. hopefully you can cut down on those messages that you send that you almost immediately regret. and let's face it, betty, who hasn't done that once or twice. >> oh, we've all done it and i

think a few more times than just once or twice unfortunately. that's a good plan. i like it. all right, thank you. just ahead, actress lindsay lohan may get sprung from rehab early. plus, a speeding car takes flight in an unbelievable crash caught on a police dash camera. first, though, katie couric has a preview of tonight's "cbs evening news." if you need a kidney transplant, where you live could determine how long you have to wait. but now kidney chains are changing that and saving thousands of lives across the country. we'll have that story and more tonight only on the "cbs evening news." >> announcer: "moneywatch" sponsored by vagisil. introducing vagisil wash with odor block. the confident clean. introducing advantage sill wafsh with odor block. the confident clean. i'm chef michael,

and my dog bailey and i love to hang out in the kitchen. you love the aroma of beef tenderloin, don't you? you inspired a very special dog food. [ female announcer ] chef michael's canine creations. chef inspired. dog desired.

first runner up is -- jamaica which means mexico, you are miss universe 2010.

>> 22-year-old miss mexico was crowned the new miss universe last night in las vegas. she won an undisclosed salary, a luxury new york apartment, plus jewelry, clothes and shoes, well, fit for a beauty queen. there was a dangerous ammonia leak in alabama. more than 120 people were sickened monday at a warehouse and four of them are hospitalized in the intensive care unit. the leak forced workers to evacuate one of bp's main staging areas for the cleanup of the gulf of mexico oil spill. cleanup workers were among those hospitalized. the leak forced residents within a mile radius to stay indoors. now to a spectacular crash that was captured on video. a camera in an ohio police car monday caught a car passing the officer at high speed. look at that. and it went on to the grass and then to the center median. and airborne unfortunately. the crash into the overpass bridge, well, you can see it right there.

the 19-year-old driver was hospitalized with serious injuries. incredible that he survived that at all. the ruling in another case is expected today in the lindsay lohan situation. no one knows what the ruling about the actress will be, but there are unconfirmed reports that lohan could be released early from the drug rehab program that she's been in since august 2nd. before moving to rehab, she spent 14 days in jail for violating her probation in a 2007 drug case. tiger woods is now officially single again. after a hearing in a judge's chambers in florida on monday, the golfer and his wife divorced after six years in marriage. kendis gibson reports. >> reporter: woods spent parts of the last nine months in rehab, in counseling, and even apologizing in public for his affairs. but it was not enough to save his marriage. the couple released a statement saying we are sad that our marriage is over and we wish each other the very best for the future. the financial terms of the

agreement weren't made public, but some legal experts estimate elin will get upwards of $100 million. >> it's hush money and the rationalization is always, well, look, you got to pay her so much anyway, so pay more for hush money. >> reporter: the revelations about woods' life were set off by his thanksgiving crash. several alleged mistresses came forward. woods took a break from golf as many of his multimillion-dollar sponsors dropped him. he took time during a stay in rehab for sex addiction to make this public apology. >> i know i have bitterly disappointed all of you. >> reporter: by the time he returned to golf this spring, his game was off. he hit a low point at a tournament in philadelphia. woods failed to break par for the first time in 11 years. that same weekend, the couple signed their marital settlement. the couple's statement indicated they will share custody of their 3-year-old and 10-month-old children saying their happiness is of paramount importance.

kendis gibson, cbs news. straight ahead, your tuesday morning weather. and in sports, the benches clear as tempers flare in toronto. o. ♪ just one bite opens a world of delight... ♪ ♪ a flavor paradise of delicious fishes ♪ ♪ friskies seafood sensations. ♪ ♪ feed the senses. they smile and sparkle and itch! when allergies make your precious eyes itch, don't wait for your pills to kick in. only alaway comes from bausch & lomb. with over 150 years of eye health expertise, alaway works in minutes and up to 12 hours. so, trust the experts,

alaway from bausch & lomb. because it's not just your allergies, it's your eyes. bausch & lomb alaway. ♪ [ female announcer ] nutri-grain -- one good decision... ♪ ...can lead to another. ♪ ♪ ...made with real fruit and now with more of the whole grains your body needs. nutri-grain can help you eat better all day. here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. new york, rain, 67. miami, thunderstorms, 88. chicago, sunny, 82. sunny in denver, 80 there. and a sunny 94 in l.a.

time now for a check of the national forecast. latest satellite picture shows mostly clear skies over the west coast. while the east coast is looking at gloomy skies with a chance of rainstorms. later today much of the western half of the country will be seeing sunshine. the southwest is heating up in some areas and thunderstorms will be impacting the eastern seaboard as well as the central plains. in sports, a win for tennessee on monday night football. chris johnson scored one of the titans' three touchdowns on the ground against the cardinals. and tennessee beat arizona 24-10. in baseball, a confrontation in toronto. josé batista got mad after a pitch came close to his head and the benches cleared. but no punches were thrown. two innings later, batista got his revenge with his 40th home run, the most in the majors, and that gave toronto a 3-2 victory. in texas, rich harden of the rangers struck out six and had a no-hitter going. after he was taken out, the twins finally got a hit in the

ninth inning. texas held on to beat minnesota 4-0. and a media casualty at the little league world series. the pitcher for mexico threw a wild pitch that bounced up and hit the camera behind home plate and broke the camera's protective glass. mexico, though, went on to beat puerto rico 4-2. i don't think i've ever seen that happen before. when we return, another look at this morning's top stories. and you might want to drink up if you want to get skinny. the newest weight loss fad is as simple as h2o. [ female announcer ] food myth #9. [ woman ] chopping and peeling can be kinda relaxing at the end of the day. [ female announcer ] relaxing for who? try new market creations from lean cuisine. the new steam pouch locks in the fresh taste of crisp veggies, tender chicken, and al dente pasta, new market creations from lean cuisine.

and my dog bailey and itender love to hang out in the kitchen. you love the aroma of beef tenderloin, don't you? you inspired a very special dog food. [ female announcer ] chef michael's canine creations. chef inspired. dog desired. ready for another sizzler today. good morning. i'm john kessler. and i'm sydnie kohara. crowds hit ocean beach in san francisco... as well as public pools all over the bay area, trying to keep cool. today... expect it to be even hotter than yesterday. it is also a spare the air day... the second so far this summer season.

a new school year brings new rules for students who get caught cutting class in richmond. among the punishments... a date in juvenile court... and a hefty fine for parents. we use them all the time to fill our tanks. why the state fire marshal says many of the gas pump nozzles we use... are unsafe. and why the price of coffee is about to go up. 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. a cold front is crossing through the middle of the country bringing about thunderstorms and cooler temperatures behind it. the west coast, though, is starting to heat up and the northeast will see another cool day.

here's another look at this morning's top stories. key primaries get under way today around the nation. they include republican arizona senator john mccain's seat who is being challenged by former congressman j.d. hayworth. and a federal judge has temporarily blocked all federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. it freezes more than $200 million. >> the average american is more than 20 pounds overweight. so if you're carrying around an extra few pounds, you may want to try the newest fad in weight loss. as manuel gallegus reports, it's simple, affordable and appears to be actually working. >> reporter: we all know water is good for us. >> i'm a runner, so water, hydration, has always been important. >> reporter: but now there's even better news. drinking water helps shed pounds, too. research shows drinking two eight ounce glasses of water just before a meal makes us eat less, about 75 to 90 calories

less. and day after day, it adds up. a 12 week study of middle aged men and women found dieters who drank water before meals three times a day lost about five pounds more than those who didn't. it seems logical that water can help fill us up and curb our appetite, but until now there's been very little scientific information out there to back it up. >> this is an inexpensive and effective way to help with the obesity epidemic. >> reporter: diet drinks can also help suppress your appetite, but registered dietitian tara miller says they don't have the other benefits of water. >> water because of the hydration effect can also help you with other goals you might have like staving off headaches, fatigue, irritability. >> reporter: as for how much liquid we should drink every day, medical experts say nine cups for women, 13 for men. most people don't. >> i don't drink enough water. you know, i know that. >> reporter: experts say by the time you feel thirsty, you're actually dehydrated. so keep sipping and you may lose weight along the way. manuel gallegus, cbs news, new york.

i will drink to that. i'm betty nguyen. this is the "cbs morning news." will drink to that. i'm betty nguyen. this is the "cbs morning news." of our work. g i'm iris cross. bp has taken full responsibility for the clean up in the gulf and that includes keeping you informed. my job is to listen to the shrimpers and fishermen, hotel and restaurant workers and find ways to help. that means working with communities. we have 19 centers in 4 states. we've made over 120,000 claims payments, more than $375 million. we've committed $20 billion to an independent claims fund to cover lost income until people impacted can get back to work. we'll keep looking for oil, cleaning it up if we find it and restoring the gulf coast. i was born in new orleans. my family still lives here. bp is gonna be here until the oil is gone and the people and businesses

are back to normal... until we make this right.

it's a species not exactly native to the chicago river. a second alligator this month, about three feet long, was spotted monday attracting quite a crowd. the first one was captured two weeks ago. both are believed to be pets abandoned by their owners. in new orleans, the first historic marker that tells the tragedy of hurricane katrina. on monday, a ceremony was held to unveil a plaque at the site of the 17th street canal levee breach. it blames the levee's collapse five years ago on the u.s. army corps of engineers. a group hopes to raise money for other plaques at breach sites. gulf residents today are struggling with a more immediate disaster, the bp oil spill. the broken well has been plugged for more than a month now, but for a lot of local businesses, the red ink keeps flowing.

on monday, a new person in charge of the compensation fund took over promising speedy payments. kelly cobiella reports. >> reporter: jenny cheryl runs a beach wedding and catering company with husband, chris. when oil began to gush, a dozen brides canceled their plans and asked for their deposits back. >> what's left in your savings account? >> nothing. we're check to check, money to money, day by day. >> reporter: the cheryls filed a $42,000 claim with bp and like 45,000 others received a check, but only for $10,000. >> there's been a lot of false advertising by bp stating that we've been taken care of down here. >> reporter: now everyone with a claim has to refile with the gulf coast claims facility. the $20 billion fund run by washington attorney kenneth feinberg. >> it's as if bp never existed. we're starting over. >> reporter: with controversial new rules. for one, being farther from the gulf could mean less money. or none at all.

ann stevens owns an rv park in alabama seven miles from where oil washed ashore. >> all of our businesses are affected by the fact that our tourists are not here. >> i hear what you're saying. i can't give you an answer right now. >> reporter: those who agree to a final settlement with bp may have to waive their right to sue. >> this has been no decision made whatsoever by me or the facility if terms of waiver of rights. right now, we're talking about emergency payments. >> reporter: those checks are intended to help businesses through the next six months. feinberg is promising less paperwork and faster payments. >> my current claim number is only six digits, but it's asking for my 13 digit number. >> reporter: but once again the cheryls hit road blocks. >> the gulf coast claim, a representative will return four call as soon as possible. >> reporter: no one answered the help line. so they tried the local bp claims office with a new sign, but the same retrained staff. after an hour of filling out forms -- >> i'm hopeful.

so we'll just keep our fingers crossed. >> reporter: with 148,000 businesses and individuals still waiting for bp to make good on their claims, there are a lot of crossed fingers on the gulf. kelly cobiella, cbs news, orange beach, alabama. and that's the "cbs morning news" for this tuesday. thanks for watching. hope you'll join us later for "the early show." i'm betty nguyen. "the early show." i'm betty nguyen. have a great day. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

your realtime captioner is linda marie macdonald. caption colorado, l.l.c. comments@captioncolorado.com hey, good morning. it's tuesday, the 24th of august. >> whew. >> hot enough for you yesterday? >> don't you hate that question? >> yesterday? what about today? >> today's going