firing fallout, outrage and firing fallout, outrage and debate after npr fire as long-time news analyst over comments about muslims. back home. a california man is released after spending two and a half years behind bars in iran. and body on board. a california woman drives around with a corpse in her car for ten months. this is the "cbs morning news" for friday, october 22nd, 2010. good morning, everybody. thanks for joining us. i'm betty nguyen. long-time news analyst juan williams says he stands by the comments that got him fired from national public radio. williams said monday he gets nervous when he boards a plane and sees people in muslim dress. williams is a regular

contributor to fox news, where he just signed a new multi-year contract. last night on fox's bill o'reilly show williams said he doesn't understand npr. >> they take something totally out of context like one word or one line and forget the fact here i am engaging you bill o'reilly, right, we're having an honest discussion, this is what america should be, people having a real debate -- >> as ben tracy reports, williams' comments set off a firestorm of criticism and debate. >> when i get on a plane, i got to tell you, if i see people who are in muslim garb and i oop think they are identifying themselves first and foremost and muslims, i get worried, i gets nervous. >> reporter: no saying that juan williams got one more thing, fired. even though williams was quick to point out that not all muslims are extremists. >> there are good muslims. >> reporter: in firing him two days later, npr said it repeatedly warned williams he

too often crosses the line between analysis and opinion. >> if you want to be a political activist, you may not, also, be a reporter or news analyst for npr. >> reporter: many muslims call williams' comments religious profiling. >> when you stereotype an entire religious minority and seem to legitimize singling them out as a security threat, that becomes a problem. >> reporter: americans continue to struggle with separating radical islam that led to 9/11 from the mainstream religion. in 2005, 41% of americans had a favorable opinion of islam. now, it's just 30%. 38% view it unfavorably. >> -- killed us on 9/11. >> no. oh, my god! >> reporter: the bitter divide on display last week on "the view" when bill o'reilly said muslims attacked america on 9/11, two of the hosts walked off the set. >> this is a highly toxic political environment in which

every comment that anybody makes is instantly a football for some person's cause or another. that's not the way a country can discuss really complicated issues. >> reporter: juan williams was back on fox but not taking back what he said. >> you cannot ignore what happened on 9/11, and you cannot ignore the connection to islamic radicalism. >> reporter: you also can't ignore how raw emotions still are nine years after the attacks. ben tracy, cbs news, los angeles. president obama is in california this morning where veteran democrats are, in part, pinning their hopes on female voters. the president is doing his best to win their support. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, betty, the president wants to persuade women his policies have helped them hoping it will sway their vote on election day. president obama's west coast campaign swing stops in los angeles today, where democratic senator barbara boxer is locked

in a tight race with republican challenger carly fiorina. >> we're going to win this race. >> reporter: at a campaign stop in burbank the former ceo of hewlett packard said boxer has failed in washington for the past 28 years. >> people, i think, all across our state, are tired of career politicians. >> reporter: boxer is not the only west coast incumbent fighting for political survival. thursday, the president lent his star power to washington senator patty murray trying to hold off a challenge from dino rossi. >> if you haven't already voted for patty murray, let me be clear, you need to go, right after this rally, fill out that ballot, and mail it in. >> reporter: during his longest campaign blitz since taking office the president is clearly aiming his message at women voters. but, at the "m" street cafe in sherman oaks, california some female obama supporters say

they are waiting for the president to deliver. ooepz >> i keep in mind the things i remember hearing, the promises i've been told, i keep all of that in mind for november 2nd. >> reporter: polls show many women voters are still undecided and both sides know their last-minute decisions can determine whether republicans can win control of the house or senate. after a stop in los angeles today, the president heads to nevada for a stop with senate majority leader harry reid, another high-profile democrat fighting for his job. >> indeed. thank you. american businessman back in his california home this morning after spending two and a half years behind bars in iran. reza taghavi arrived in los angeles last night. he was imprisoned in iran allegedly for giving $200 to a rebel group but was never charged. >> i have a great family. they support me. i was thinking whole time about

them, especially those two, you see them? i know the kids talking to them, we want you here. we want you here. >> his release was arranged by his attorney. a former u.s. diplomat. at the last minute iran wouldn't let him go because of paperwork issues but those were finally resolved. three hikers missing on california's mount whitney since monday have been found alive. mount whitney at 14,494 feet, is the highest peak in the continental united states. the three missing climbers got caught in a snowstorm. a text message to one of their fiances painted a grim picture. >> i ask how he's doing and at 5:58 we got one back saying cold but alive. things went bad. we in shelter. call dave. >> the three men were found in the hut they took refuge in, apparently none the worse for the wear. but two other hikers, a father and son from iran, have been missing since tuesday. this morning, in northeastern taiwan a massive

mud slide trapped about 400 tourists on a coastal highway. the defense ministry says no one is hurt. soldiers are working to remove the rocks and mud. it was triggered by torrential rains as a result of typhoon megi, a powerful storm that killed at least 26 people. turns out there's a lot of water on the moon. last year nasa deliberately crashed a satellite into a lunar crater. that crash picked up about 41 gallons of ice and vapor, enough to extract up to 13 gallons of water and more than scientists originally expected to find. scientists calculate there could be one billion gallons of water in that crater alone offering hopes astronauts could use the water to survive and even make rocket fuel. on the cbs morning moneywatch, most stocks in asia inched higher this morning. ashley morrison is new york with the latest on that. good morning, ooshley. >> good morning to you, betty. asian markets posted gains ahead of the g-20 meeting.

ja man pan's neck kay added half a percent and hong kong's hang seng was mostly lower. thursday some strong corporate profits kept stocks on the up side. the dow gained 38 points and the nasdaq edged up two. bailing out mortgage giants fannie mae and freddie mac could cost taxpayers as much as $360 billion over the next three years. the new estimate is more than double what the companies have already received from the government. both companies have been under government control after nearly collapsing during the housing bust. the final cost will depend on the direction of home values over the next few years. honda is recalling an undetermined number of vehicles because of brake fluid leaks. honda says the recall affects certain 2005 through 2007 model year accura rl sedans and honda odyssey minivans from the 2005 to early 2007 model year.

there have been no injuries or accidents tied to the problem. on thursday, toyota announced it was recalling a million and a half vehicles also because of brake fluid issues. and netflix customers are hoping today is a better day than yesterday. the website for the video sup description service was down for hours yesterday prevent iing customers from streaming movies and tv shows over the web. when working, the service is the largest source of internet traffic during peak evening hours. other sites like facebook or twitter occasionally go down but unlike them, netflix charges for access to the site. i'm sure there are pretty unhappy customers there. >> yep. time is money. >> right. >> that always plays a factor in that. all right, thank you ashley, joining us live here no new york just ahead on the morning news mel gibson's comeback hits a snag. plus health news and a diabetes wake-up call for millions of americans. this is the "cbs morning news." hey, parker, want to race home? bet i could beat you there.

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in in california, a smoky scene thursday as a mall was partially destroyed by fire. police near sacramento say a man barricaded himself in a video game store and started that blaze. he was arrested and authorities thought the mall's sprinkler system put the fire out but flames spread to the roof. they evacuated the mall. there were no injuries. the number of americans with diabetes is expected to sky rocket the next 40 years. the centers for disease control report one in ten americans with diabetes. about 24 million people. by 2050, they project that number will double to one in five or triple to one in three. the cdc says the numbers are certain to go up if americans continue to gain weight and avoid exercise. a bizarre story out of california, where a woman drove around with a corpse in her car for almost a year. police say she let a homeless woman sleep in her vehicle but when the woman died in the car ten months ago, the owner was afraid to go to the police.

officers discovered the remains under a blanket when they were called because the car was partially blocking a driveway. police say the woman had a box of baking soda in the vehicle and was somehow not bothered by the smell. >> she had some sinus issues and couldn't smell and she also indicated that the vehicle is her father's vehicle and she indicated her father is incontinent. >> police say the dead woman is believed to have been in her 50s or 60s. foul-play is not suspected. actress lindsay lohan is due in court today. she spent three weeks in rehab at the betty ford clinic. she checked in september 28th after failing a court-ordered drug test. the judge could decide to send her back to rehab or jail for violating her probation in a 2007 dui case. mel gibson lost his comeback cameo role, to play a tattoo artist in the movie "the hangover part ii" the director todd phillips says the producer supported his decision to cast

gibson despite the scandals over his custody battle with his ex-girlfriend but says the entire cast and crew did not agree. straight ahead your friday morning weather and in sports staying alive in the baseball playoffs. ♪ [ sniffs ] morning. you got in pretty late last night. dad, i'm not sixteen anymore. still, it was late. well... you're not gonna have to worry about that anymore. yeah, why's that? ♪ todd's a lucky man. ♪ the best part of wakin' up... ♪ that's what i told him when we talked last week. ♪ ...is folgers in your cup no pills, no pain. how can you get pain relief without taking pills around the clock? try thermacare heatwraps, for all day relief without pills.

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new york, sunny, 58, miami, sunny, 85. chicago, sunny there, too. 62 degrees. denver, rainy, 63. it's mostly cloudy, 67 in l.a. time now for a check of the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows clouds coming over the west coast, while skies are clear in the southeast and northern plains. later today, the east coast will be seeing a wide variety of temperatures, from the 40s in the northeast to the 80s in the southeast. both regions will be under sunny skies. portions of the midwest could be shaken up by large thunderstorms that could bring hail and heavy rains and showers are arriving on the west coast. they could be hanging around for a couple of days. in sports the phillies stay alive in the baseball playoffs. philadelphia scored three runs in the third inning against san francisco for the early lead and the phillies jayson werth hit a home run in the ninth for the 4-2 win over the giants. san francisco still leads the series three games to two. game six is tomorrow in philadelphia. in college football number

one ranked oregon crushed ucla. darren thomas passed for more than 300 yards and connected on three touchdowns against the bruins. michael james ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns. oregon beat ucla 60-13. and the head of a peruvian football club says four of his players were drugged by the opposing team. the match this weekend four players passed out on the field in the second half. they accepted water from the opposing team and hospital tests showed signs of a tranquilizer. the opponents deny the charges. the players have recovered. when we return, another look at this morning's top stories and turning a corner. teen car crash deaths on the decline.

bay area.. his pricey fundraisers.. with some local v-i-p's last night... the big rally planned in so cal today. it started with a man barricaded

in a northern california mall. but soon a raging fire caused the roof to cave in... now the suspect's family reveals new insight into what may have led to the incident. and the giants.. couldn't clinch.. now they're headed to philly. what went wrong.. in game 5. join us for cbs 5 early edition ... beginning at five. ,,,, on thecb on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather. the nice weather can be found down in the southeast where it's sunny and warm. in the northeast, it is cool and breezy.

thunderstorms are looking to strike the southern plains and rain is moving into the northwest. here's another look at this morning's top stories. president obama is in california stumping for democratic candidates locked in tough re-election battles. the president is vigorously wooing women voters who could make the difference. and news analyst juan williams fired by npr after he talked about getting nervous when he sees people in muslim clothing on a plane has signed a new two-year contract with fox news. a boy in marion, south carolina can't seem to stay out of trouble. monday, a police dash camera showed the 11-year-old boy leading officers on a 45-minute chase after he allegedly stole a pickup truck. the next day, the boy drove off in an suv outside a restaurant. the fourth grader has been charged with grand theft out -- auto.

meanwhile there, is some good news for young drivers overall when it comes to safety on the road. a study found a 36% drop in fatal crashes involving 16 and 17-year-old drivers from about 2200 in 2004 to 1400 in 2008. jim axelrod has details. >> reporter: the stories are horrifying. in brooklyn last weekend, a 16-year-old with just a learner's permit crashed a minivan killing a 13-year-old passenger. but scenes like this are actually now less common across the country. one reason for the 36% decline in fatal crashes involving 16 or 17-year-old drivers are gdl laws, graduated driver licensing policies, which limit those with new licenses from driving under high-risk conditions like at night or with other teens in the car. >> states have looked at it and have determined that that's a way to really improve driver safety. >> reporter: the laws vary from state to state and, therefore, so do the rates of fatal accidents. 9.7 per hundred thousand teen drivers in new york and new

jersey. to 59.6 per hundred thousand in wyoming. of those involved in deadly crashes, 65% of teen drivers are male, 35% female. >> turn left on -- >> reporter: in new york today, 16-year-olds need 50 hours with a certified instructor before they can get a license. tyrese burrow said it's a good idea. >> the law's for kids my age. it helps us be less distracted or even be safer drivers and avoid crashes. >> reporter: 17-year-old michelle silva got her license in san francisco. >> i just want to drive by school, my house, and show everybody that i got my license. >> reporter: she then proceeded to demonstrate why limits on young drivers seem so necessary. another factor in the decrease in the number of accidents, the economy. reduced family income plus increased gas prices have meant less discretionary driving, which is exactly what most teen-aged driving is.

jim axelrod, cbs news, new york. this morning on "the early show" tips on saving money at the supermarket. i'm betty nguyen. this is the "cbs morning news. e. and asked frequent heartburn sufferers, like carl, to put prilosec otc's 24 hour heartburn protection to the test for two weeks. the results? i can concentrate on everything i'm doing, not even think about it anymore. since i've been taking it, i've been heartburn free, which is a big relief for me. [ male announcer ] take your 14-day challenge. ♪ prilosec otc. heartburn gone. power on. look at all this stuff for coffee. oh there's tons. french presses, espresso tampers, filters. it can get really complicated. not nearly as complicated as shipping it, though. i mean shipping is a hassle. not with priority mail flat rate boxes from the postal service. if it fits it ships anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. that is easy. best news i've heard all day! i'm soooo amped! i mean not amped. excited. well, sort of amped. really kind of in between. have you ever thought about decaf?

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for the past few weeks for the past few weeks u.s.-led forces have been pushing deeper into the southern part of afghanistan, part of a key offensive to root out the taliban from their stronghold of kandahar. the fighting has intensified, increasingly putting civilians in danger. mandy clark reports now from the front lines. >> reporter: throughout the war u.s. commanders emphasized the need to protect civilians at all costs. but, in the long and bitter battle for kandahar province, any threat to u.s. forces is now being met with overwhelming and sometimes indiscriminate firepower. as this platoon, from the 101st airborne division was on its way to a village known as

a taliban stronghold, two of its armored vehicles drove into a canal, the taliban quickly opened fire. american helicopters flying low overhead tried to stop the insurgents. they report a truck full of armed men is carrying the body of a fighter out of the bombed-out village. the platoon leader orders his men to kill them. they missed the target, but the truck stops. there are no armed insurgents. the body in the back is the mother of this little girl. her family says she was killed in the nato bombardment of the village. >> tell him i'm deeply sorry. i'm sorry that she died that in this conflict, in this fighting, people continue to die when we're just try to make the taliban go away. >> reporter: troops fighting in kandahar are allowed to shoot suspected enemy spotters even if they don't have a weapon. the military is using heavy artillery often and ordering more air strikes. that makes civilian casualties inevitable. but, there's little time for the

troops to reflect on the rules. early the next morning, they head back out to the village to find and kill the taliban fighters. again, they come under fire. and, once again, the military sends in the heavy weapons. but, the insurgents are still moving inside the village and artillery shells come crashing in. as we were coming down here, we came under some small arms fire. the american reaction was overwhelming they hit them with everything they've got. 2,000-ton bombs, missiles, artillery now we'll see what's left. the village is abandoned but the soldiers find a body, one of three insurgents killed in the heavy bombing. someone threw a sheet over it. >> i hope they didn't rig this body. >> reporter: this time, there's no doubt, they've found the enemy. >> i was going to say a prayer but i just thought, he's dead.

as far as the carnage part of it, i'm really not bothered by it. >> reporter: the taliban fighters will probably sneak back in the village overnight but for this platoon, it's mission accomplished, at least for now. mandy clark, cbs news, combat outpost jfm, afghanistan. that's the "cbs morning news" for this friday. thanks for watching. hope you'll join us a little bit later for "the early show." i'm betty nguyen. later for "the early show." i'm betty nguyen. have a great weekend! captioning funded by cbs www.vitac.com

your realtime captioner is linda marie macdonald. caption colorado, l.l.c. comments@captioncolorado.com president obama waking up in the bay. his pricey phraser with some local vips and his next