wind whipped. a huge storm system moves east after battering the midwest with hurricane-force winds. communication breakdown. a technical failure sidelines part of america's nuclear missile arsenal. this is a cbs morning news for wednesday, october 27th, 2010. good morning, everybody, and thanks for joining us. i'm betty nguyen. overnight that massive storm system that pummeled the midwest moved east leaving behind a path of destruction in at least 13 states. the giant storm stretched from the dakotas for the great lakes and from alabama to maryland. the government says the storm was one of the five strongest non-tropical storms on record to hit the mainland united states.

it packed hurricane-like winds and triggered at least 24 possible tornados. this one, a twister caught by a security camera hitting a factory in northwest indiana tuesday morning. the tornado tore off the factory roof and downed power lines. no one was injured. dean reynolds has more now from chicago. >> reporter: the destructive power of this muscle-bound storm could be seen in the damage it left behind. tornado warnings and watches stretch from marquette, michigan, to memphis, tennessee. some 70,000 people lost power in the chicago area and travel slowed to a crawl at o'hare. >> it's a real pain. then we've got to get stuck here. it's really boring. it's freezing. i'm wearing two jackets. >> reporter: just walking was a battle in battle creek, michigan. while at mt. pleasant, wisconsin, the storm came up so fast, workers at the tractor plant said they ran for their lives. it may or may not have been a twister that wrecked justin

sloerds's farmhouse but to him it was probably a distinction without a difference. >> you didn't see anything, you didn't hear anything. it was like someone dropped a bomb out of the sky. >> the storm was a collision between cold canadian air and the warm midwestern variety and the worst may not be over. >> this storm over the next 24 hours will be the second strongest storm in recorded history in this part of the country. >> reporter: indeed the national weather service said the storm may diminish overnight but could well rebuild itself on wednesday. dean reynolds, cbs news, chicago. this morning the pentagon is investigating a communications error that knocked over 10% of the u.s. missile arsenal offline. the equipment failure affected 50 minutemen missiles at warren air force base in wyoming, 150 nook clear tipped international missiles are based there as well. the missiles like this one were offline for less than an hour.

some security protocols were affected as well but the pentagon says there is no evidence of foul play and in an emergency, the missiles still could have been launched. now to politics and the price tag on this year's midterm elections. according to the federal election commission, outside groups have spent $264 million so far. that is four times as much as was spent in the 2006 mid-terms. meanwhile the first lady is back on the campaign trail. >> reporter: good morning, betty. the president is spending his time at the white house holding conference calls with key groups while the first lady wraps up her tour out west. it's all hands on deck in these final days before the election. with midterm elections less than a week away, democrats are feeling the pressure. >> we need you to get on those phones, knock on those doors. there's still time. >> reporter: last night first lady michelle obama tried to fire up voters at a fund-raiser for california senator barbara

boxer. she's locked in a tight battle with republican carly fiorina. fiorina didn't campaign tuesday after being hospitalized for a surgery-related infection following breast cancer. >> her staff said she will be out on the campaign trail soon, and that's good news for all of us to know. yes. >> reporter: but there's still trouble for rhode island's democratic gubernatorial candidate frank caprio. at a debate last night he was criticized for comments he made earlier this week towards president obama. >> absolute knucklehead. >> reporter: after failing to win the president's support, caprio said he could take his endorsement and, quote, shove it. >> when you're dealing in a political situation, words like that are not uncommon. i stand by my words. >> reporter: the controversy was enough to spark even republican support for the president. >> i would never disrespect the president of the united states the way this man did. >> i'm going to behave the way i want to behave up at the state house. >> reporter: caprio may not have

g gotten an endorsement from the current president but will soon get help from a former one. bill clinton will campaign with him on sunday. later today the president will appear on "the daily show." betty. >> thank you. now a follow-up on that political scuffle in kentucky. a volunteer for a tea party candidate, rand paul, may face criminal charges. the trouble began monday, just before paul debated democratic jack conway. an activist for a liberal organization tried to present paul with a bogus award and was thrown to the ground. the paul volunteer says he's sorry, but the campaign still dropped him as a campaign coordinator and banned him from future events. overseas, twin disasters in indonesia. first at least 25 people were killed when a volcano erupted. it's located about 500 miles southeast of jakarta. the mountain exploded tuesday,

forcing thousands to flee. experts say it could erupt again. meanwhile monday's earthquake in indonesia triggered a ten-foot tsunami that killed at least 154 people. rescue crews are trying to reach the remote islands where most of the damage was done. reports indicate there's not enough food or medicine or even enough people to dig graves. on the cbs marketwatch, stocks in asia were mixed this morning. ashley is here with much more. >> reporter: good morning to you, betty investors in asia were cautious ahead of the release of corporate earnings. japan's nikkei was up a fraction while hong kong was mostly down. today we get the durable goods report, the latest check on the housing market. on tuesday the stocks edged up. the dow ticked up 5 points while the nasdaq added 6. ford and gm are closing the quality gap while toyota and honda dominate this year's consumer reports of reliability survey. the magazine says ford is

quickly gaining ground and that gm has made some big improvements. the rankings also show gains for hyundai and kia, jeep, dodge and chrysler did not get high marks. barnes & noble is injecting some color into its e-reader. it unveiled its new nook on tuesday. it also has improved wi-fi capability. the new color, nook color will be available at barnes & noble stores starting today with a price tag of $249. it's also available online for preorders, but won't ship until around the middle of november. yahoo! is giving its e-mail a facelift. besides updating it with a new look, the free service is now more compatible with facebook and twitter. yahoo! also says it should work fasterer. you can choose to use the new look starting today, but all accounts will change to the new format sometime next year. and something new from the airlines, and this time it's not a fee.

air new zealand has announced sky couches, seats that are designed to be combined into something a little or a lot more comfortable. they'll be available on flights between new zealand and los angeles. to qualify, passengers have to book three seats together on the same flight, and that sounds kind of expensive, betty. i think i'd just book three seats anyway and take a little nap that way. >> or just fly three friends -- or two friends. all right, ashley, thanks for joining us. just ahead on the morning news, government steps in battle against bullying. plus charlie sheen faces questions after a hotel rampage. in 2008 they helped president obama win the white house, but will african-americans turn out to vote in the midterms this year? you'll hear from some of them as we continue our special series, you'll h on the cbs evening news. our special series "american voices" tonight only

on the cbs evening news. tends . staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving is easier. and celebrex is not a narcotic. when it comes to relieving your arthritis pain, you and your doctor need to balance the benefits with the risks. all prescription nsaids, including celebrex, may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you have heart disease or risk factors such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods. nsaids, including celebrex, increase the chance of serious skin or allergic reactions or stomach and intestine problems, such as bleeding and ulcers, which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly

are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. do not take celebrex if you've had an asthma attack, hives, or other allergies to aspirin, nsaids or sulfonamides. get help right away if you have swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing. tell your doctor about your medical history and find an arthritis treatment that works for you. ask your doctor about celebrex. and, go to celebrex.com to learn more about how you can move toward relief. celebrex. for a body in motion.

testimony under way in the trial of leonard patrick gonzales, jr., for the home invasion murder of a florida couple. he is the first of seven men to stand trial for the 2009 murders of burt and melanie billings. the killers allegedly thought they had a safe filled with millions of dollars. among the witnesses, the couple's daughter and the neighbor, who found their bodies. >> she was in the bedroom in front of the dresser, face down, in the bedroom. >> did you find miss billings also in there? >> she was in front of the closet. >> if convicted, gonzales could get the death penalty. a new survey on bullying. the study of 43,000 high school students found that 43% said they'd been physically abused, teased or taunted in a way that seriously upset them in the past year. and 50% admitted to being

to being the bully. the white house is taking on the issue of bullying with a letter to schools and colleges around the country. sandra hughes reports. >> reporter: 17-year-old samantha gerson was bullied so much she transferred schools. >> it was tough. i know i would come home crying from middle school about this one girl who used to bully me nonstop. >> reporter: the cases are multiplying and horrifying. tyler clemente an 18-year-old rutgers college student killed himself after being taped during a gay sexual encounter. tuesday in hartford, connecticut a mother was arrested for sending her son to school with a bb gun to defend himself against bullies. now the federal government is sending a 10-page letter urging schools nationwide to comply with harassment laws. the los angeles school district is holding training sessions on how to deal with the problem. >> and if you make me go back, i will kill myself. i hate my school that much. >> reporter: this expert explains how bad it can get

urging school counselors to not treat it as a ri rite of passag. >> we are definitely working with our adults to recognize the signs, to recognize the fact that although they may not necessarily think that it's a significant issue, it is a significant issue to the student. >> samantha gerson is holding her own now that she's in a school with zero tolerance for bullying. sandra hughes, cbs news, los angeles. actor charlie sheen has left the hospital here in new york. sheen was hospitalized tuesday for a psychiatric evaluation after a plaza hotel security called police saying he was disorderly and had broken furniture in his room. kwees had he's had alcohol, drug and legal problems in the past. sheen's publicist blamed an allergic reaction to medication and said sheen was returning to los angeles. straight ahead your wednesday morning weather and, in sports, find out how much heat miami brought to opening night of the nba season. night of the nba season. here, take the card.

you go to the shops... i'll meet you at the gate. thanks. please remove all metal objects out of your pockets. with chase freedom you can get a total of 5% cash back. fun money from freedom. that's 5% cash back in quarterly categories and an unlimited 1% cash back everywhere else. and this too. does your card do this? i'm going to need a supervisor over here at gate 4. sign up for this quarter's bonus today. chase what matters. go to chase.com/freedom. i love running my tongue across my teeth and feeling all the stuff i missed. [ male announcer ] no one really wants plaque left on their teeth. done. [ male announcer ] but ordinary manual brushes can leave up to 50% of plaque behind. oral-b power brushes are inspired by the tools professionals use, to clean away plaque in ways a manual brush can't. for that dentist-smooth, clean feeling every day. fight plaque with real power. oral-b power. get 50% off oral-b power brushes for a limited time. visit oralb.com for details. let's take a look at the stats.

mini has more than double the fiber and whole grain... making him a great contender in this bout... against mid-morning hunger. honey nut cheerios is coming in a little short. you've got more whole grain in your little finger! let's get ready for breakfaaaaaaaaaast! ( ding, cheering, ringing ) keeping you full and focused with more than double the fiber and whole grain... in every tasty bite -- frrrrrrosted mini-wheeeeats! didn't know i had it in me. here's here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. new york, rainy, 73. miami, partly cloudy, 88. chicago, thunderstorms, 68. sunny in denver, 60 degrees there. l.a., sunny and 79. time now for a check of the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows the huge storm swirling in the northern plains that has gripped the country with all kinds of weather is still hanging out there. elsewhere, though, it's calmer in the southern plains.

later today, the snow will continue in the dakotas and the rest of the northern plains. the southeast and portions of the eastern seaboard will see strong thunderstorms. brisk winds are heading into the midwest and it's warm and sunny in the southwest. in sports, baseball's world series starts tonight in san francisco. the starting pitcher for the national league champion giants is tim lincecum. he will face cliff lee and the american league winners, the texas rangers. opening night for the new nba season. lebron james of miami scored 31 points against boston but dwyane wade, chris bosh and the rest of the heat could not match it. ray allen of the celtics had 20 points as boston beat the heat 88-80. in los angeles, kobe bryant scored 27 points as the lakers came from behind to beat the houston rockets 122-110. before the game, bryant and the team got their rings and unfurled their championship banner for last season. and portland's nicholas

batune scored 19 points including three-pointers down the stretch to lead the trail blazers to a 106-92 victory against the suns. the trail blazers lost to phoenix in the playoffs last season. when we return, extreme downsizing, finding happiness with only 100 possessions or less. 100 possessions or less. but it's also rich in powerful nutrients that help cleanse and purify your body. cranberries are the ninja fruit. wh-wh-whoa! ocean spray -- tastes good, good for you. like the cranberry, the pomegranate is a superfruit, prized since ancient times. he would know. [ snickering ] also available in light and diet.

we have complete coverage on the kickoff to the world series.. from last minute ticket prices.. to how to avoid the traffic. plus... senate candidate carly fiorina spending the night in the hospital.. an update on her condition and what it means for her campaign. and breaking news out of the south bay.. a fire tears through a san jose strip mall. a live report on the damage, coming up. join us for cbs 5 early edition ... beginning at five.

,,,, on the "cbs morning news" here's a look at today's weather. it is day two of the midwest super storm. there are blizzard-like conditions in the northern plains. severe thunderstorms with hail and tropical storm-force winds expected in the northeast and clearer skies have settled in the southwest. here's another look at this morning's top stories. a severe storm system that battered the midwest is headed east.

the storms had wind gusts of up to 81 miles an hour and stretched from the dakotas to the great lakes. the storm triggered at least 24 tornadoes. and a communications failure temporarily knocked 50 american nuclear-tipped missiles offline last saturday. the minuteman missiles are based in wyoming. the pentagon says foul-play was not involved. in a backlash against american-style consumerism some people are striving to live the simple life. for some, it means getting rid of our stuff. jeff glor met a man who has downsized stuff to just 100 things. >> this is my place. >> reporter: a bed, some clothes, a laptop computer. typical items found in most american households. but, these are some of the only items in everett boggs apartment. >> two pots and two pans. >> reporter: last year he decided to de-clutter. it's big, just nothing in it. and reduce all his possessions to fewer than 100 things.

at one point, he got down to 57. everett may be an extreme example but one of thousands who have adopted a minimalist lifestyle. >> i look at it from like what do i actually use in my daily life. >> who would even want to live with less than a hundred things. >> reporter: jessica shwartz can't begin to count all the items in her new york apartments. >> i have about 500 pair of shoelaces here. >> reporter: although she will never get things down to double digits, she is not looking to add, either. >> i have a goal. not so much to live with less but not that much more. >> reporter: professional organizers saying the buy no more mindset is gaining momentum, due in large part to the recession. >> people, at the moment, have paused to stop and look at how they've spent their money. suddenly now, they're in tougher times and whether we like it or not, we all have to do more with less.

>> reporter: it turns out 80% of what we keep we never use and we wear 20% of the clothes we own, 80% of the time. some of the most popular minimalist blogs are now averaging 60,000 readers a month and a new book called "the 100 thing challenge" is set for release in december. >> we are moving to a deeper level of contentment and happiness that is not tied to the accumulation of stuff. >> reporter: as the old saying goes, maybe less really is more. jeff glor, cbs news, oakland, california. a movie mystery that is sparking conspiracy theories of a time traveler, from footage included in the dvd for charlie chaplain's movie "the circus" showing the premiere but appears to show a woman talking by on a cell phone. a man in ireland spotted her and concludes it is a time traveler attending the premiere. others say she could have been holding a hearing aid.

while source others say the film clip is doctored. you decide. this is the "cbs morning news. with patented sonic technology philips sonicare is the number 1 recommended power toothbrush by dental professionals it's no wonder philips sonicare is the toothbrush america loves switch now and if you're not 100% satisfied, we'll give you a full refund. 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. i was surprised, thermacare worked all day. you feel the heat. and it relaxes and unlocks the muscle. you've got to try it. [ man ] thermacare, more effective for back pain than the maximum dose of acetaminophen, the medicine in tylenol.

go to thermacare.com today for a $3 off coupon. thermacare. no pills. no pain. just relief.

well, well, for the first time, candidates in the midterm elections are expected to spend more than two billion dollars. with less than a week to go before election day their ads are getting downright nasty. nancy cordes has more. >> they arrogantly raise taxes and spending. >> reporter: in the elections' final week attack ads have lost all their subtlety, if they ever had any. >> john raese's ideas are crazy! >> reporter: this republican spot uses great depression-style images to tar california's barbara boxer. >> billions in taxes. our hopes crushed by washington. the legacy of barbara boxer. >> reporter: while this

democratic ad ties nevada congressman joe heck to the spread of cancer. >> we can't eliminate every risk factor tied to cervical cancer but -- >> this is clearly aimed at women voters. >> reporter: the political ad experts says 1600 election ads are airing every day in las vegas alone. >> sharron angle too dangerous to have real power over real people. >> reporter: and there's one important difference from years past. >> traditionally what you would see right now groups would be cutting off people they didn't think had a chance to win. now they are adding more races. you are seeing the ad landscape get wider and wider closer to election day. >> reporter: that's because republicans are flush with cash. take the national republican congressional committee is spending $54 million to run ads in 90 congressional districts, double the number of districts it targeted in 2008. american crossroads, the conservative organization

supported by karl rove plans to spend $3 million on ads in a dozen districts. see if you can spot the theme. >> and heath shuler is making it worse. >> sanford bishop, made things worse. >> scott murphy's votes in washington have made our condition go from bad to worse. the overwhelming majority of ads from outside groups say nothing about the person they are intended to support. they are slamming the candidate they want to defeat. >> reporter: all the mud slinging is prompting some groups to run ads against the ads. >> this ad is not paid for by the corporate front groups. >> and oil billionaires. >> who are trying to buy this election. >> reporter: democrats out-spent republicans the last two elections but this year the tables are turned. by the time it is all said and done both parties and those outside groups could spend upwards of $3 billion on ads. that's more than in 2008 when there was a presidential election in the mix. nancy cordes, cbs news, capitol hill. and that's the "cbs morning news" for this wednesday. thanks for watching.

coming up later on "the early show" an interview with the female activist who was attacked outside kentucky's senatorial debate. also, tips on tech etiquette. is it rude to text while on a date? and steven slater, the former jetblue flight attendant who famously resigned by sliding down an emergency chute tells his side of the story. i'm betty nguyen. his side of the story. 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 it's been a long time since san francisco has had a winning team in this area. and we're so excited. >> get chills every time