>> mitchell: tonight, day 12 of egypt in crisis. tanks ring the protesters in liberation square as president mubarak clings to his job while behind the scenes, diplomats work towards an orderly transition of power. i'm russ mitchell. also tonight, out of egypt. american students just back from cairo tell stories of the protest and their escape from a country in crisis. dying town-- we'll go to a community where deadly clouds of toxic materials killed hundreds of people. and field of dreams. if they build a billion-dollar stadium in los angeles, will an nfl team come? captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with russ mitchell.

>> mitchell: and good evening. it has been another day of fast- moving events and high tension on the streets of egypt, and on the diplomatic front. on this, day 12 of egypt in crisis. here's the latest. army tanks have moved to the edge of liberation square as the egyptian work week begins. leaders of the country's ruling party, including hosni mubarak's son, resigned today. and the obama administration continues to work behind the scenes, pushing for an egyptian transition of power. we have a team of correspondents and expert analysis for you tonight, and we begin with mark strassmann in cairo. >> reporter: russ, there's a continuing clash here but it's not with rocks or punches. it's a fight over principle, and what is the needed timeline for mubarak to step aside? tahrir square felt more on edge today, vaguely ominous, as though protesters standing their ground might also be pushing their luck. for a 12th day, they chanted for change-- immediate, dramatic

change. they'll leave once mubarak leaves. this protester said, "i don't want to go home. i won't sacrifice the blood of those who died." this past wednesday, cairo's streets erupted. that mayhem is now over but not the menace, not completely. in the square, the battle- scarred are everywhere and looking over their shoulder at a new worry-- egypt's army. the security presence here wants these protests to end. today a senior commander urged the crowd to bring down their barricades and go home. he was shouted down. but on the edges of the square, there are new signs of the military's impatience. tanks closed this bridge leading to the protests. checkpoints became chokepoints with long lines to get in. it's a tightening circle and to many people here it feels like a noose. despite promises to the contrary, is the army about to

clear the square? this is one of the battlefield where's the two street armies squared off. now, behind me, and behind all those people, the army has extended the no-man's-land. in case the thugs come back, the distance, they hope, will keep the two sides apart. president mubarak faces multiple crises. an economy collapsing, along with his regime. the central bank is still closed and egyptians are running out of cash. in closed-door meetings, mubarak's top advisers and opposition leaders are now negotiating his early removal. in a shift, washington is now pushing for a more deliberate transition. >> revolutions have overthrown dictators in the name of democracy, only to see the political process hijacked by new autocrats. >> reporter: the top leadership of mubarak's political party all resigned today. he's staying, infuriating protesters. this woman hasn't slept in two days. "all this is for my children's rights and the rights of these people here," she said. "we just don't want him." what they want, insist on, is an overnight democracy.

>> for the first time we feel we are proud of our country, of our youth, of our men. it's the first time in our lives, really. >> reporter: proud but wary at all of the square's entrances and exits, an arsenal of piled stones lies waiting just in case. right now, protesters are actually sleeping in front of they're hoping that bodies are enough of a deterrent to stop the attentions from rolling into the square. and to keep the pressure on, organizers plan three million-strong marches over the coming week, and the first of them is tomorrow. russ. >> mitchell: mark, i understand there's been a change in the tone of coverage on egyptian tv. what can you tell us about that? >> since these protests began, russ, the state-run tv, mubarak's mouthpiece, has essentially been in denial about these protests. today, for the very first time, they started putting some of the protesters on television, hearing what they had to say, and that the president was corrupt. it's an effort on the part of mubarak's regime to say that,

"listen, we are listening. we're willing to have this debate. please, now, go home." russ. >> mitchell: mark strassmann in cairo. thanks a lot. there has been a flurry of maneuvers and counter-maneuvers on the diplomatic front today as the obama administration uses new language to send word of its goal to cairo. whit johnson is at the white house with the latest on that. >> reporter: the white house is trial desperately not to be seen as the puppet master in egypt, but in the process, its message has evolved. yesterday, president obama's message had an urgent tone. >> the future of egypt will be determined by its people. it's also clear that there needs to be a transition process that begins now. >> reporter: but today, at a security conference in munich, secretary of state hillary clinton suggested that process will be a gradual one. >> it's important to support the transition process announced by the egyptian government,

actually headed by now vice president omar sulieman, and that takes some time. i mean, there are certain things that have to be done in order to prepare. >> reporter: taking time is not what protesters on the streets of cairo want to hear. they want egyptian president hosni mubarak to leave now. but today, former ambassador to egypt, frank wisner, who met with president mubarak this week at the request of the white house, indicated the embattled leader should stay put while the new government is developed. >> the president must stay in office in order to steer those changes through. it's his opportunity to write his own legacy. >> reporter: u.s. officials were quick to point out wisener was only speaking for himself, but u.s. diplomats may be signaling that a smooth transition without mubarak and no clear opposition leaders will be a tough one. >> no question that the white house wants mubarak out. they want him out now, as the president said, but also no doubt that we want to see a

process of transition that is not chronically destabilizing for this part of the world. >> reporter: and today, vice president joe biden had a conversation with his new egyptian counterpart. it's not the first time these two leaders have spoken, but this time vice president biden had a ramped-up sense of urgency, suggesting that there needs to be a clear agenda and timeline for the transition. russ. >> mitchell: whit johnson at the white house, thanks. for more perspective on today's developments in egypt, we are joined by a former undersecretary of state, nicholas burns, who has served extensively in the middle east. nick, good evening. thanks for joining us. >> good evening. >> mitchell: when you hear some of the words the administration used today, words like "gradual," and "taking time," does it say to you the administration is somewhat softening its tone in its drive to get mubarak out. >> russ, i think the administration is dealing with the extraordinary complexity of this drama we're witnessing.

one of the most important moments in the history of the middle east, millions of arabs standing up for freedom and a different way of life. so the administration is trying- - and obama specifically-- to throw their weight behind the reformers. that's what you've seen over the last couple of days. but at the same time, the mubarak regime is still there. it hasn't left power. and so behind the scenes there's a lot of quiet diplomacy, lots of discussions about how to nudge this very proud 82-year- old leader, hosni mubarak, from power and how to work with his vice president, omar sulieman, and some of his team to craft a transitional government that might include some reformers so egypt can begin to think about how it prepares for an election, how it prepares for democracy, a democracy egypt has not had in its entire history, going back many decades. >> mitchell: you mention the omar sulieman. in your mind how likely is it he will take over in some fashion while cutting a deal with the opposition groups? >> you know, i think it's inevitable right now that president mubarak at some point is going to have to leave power because he's lost control of his governments. he's lost a lot of credibility internationally.

omar sulieman is a very strong figure. he's been a senior member of the government for a long time. secretary clinton today, who is in munich, pointed out that he is in charge of the transition, and so the administration seems to be focusing on him, and i would look for him to be the leader of this effort, perhaps, to pave the way towards a transition. >> mitchell: nicholas burns, as always, thank you for your insight. the turmoil in cairo and other cities is hitting close to home for parents of american students enrolled in egyptian schools. as elaine quijano tells us, for many of those families the days of anxiety are finally ending in moments of relief. >> reporter: lucy kourides is used to welcoming home her 20- year-old son, nick, from trips abroad. >> it's good to see you. >> nice to see you, too. >> reporter: but she savored this reunion at new york's j.f.k. airport more than the rest. nick, a student at the american university in cairo, barely made it out of egypt. he says cairo's airport was mobbed with thousands of people desperate to leave.

>> we were worried we might be stuck there for a little while so we got out. >> reporter: you lucked out. >> we did luck out, big time, yeah. >> ladies and gentlemen, we're here from the u.s. embassy. >> reporter: nick was one of more than 2,300 americans evacuated from egypt this week aboard one of 19 state department-sponsored flights. officials say other u.s. citizens found alternate flights out of the country. >> many other americans departed either-- through private means, either through commercial airlines or private charters. >> reporter: cornell university student alexandra woodhouse nearly found herself stranded in egypt this week but scrambled on board a flight out wednesday. she said the violence in cairo came right to her front door. >> you could smell tear gas out the front of our window. it was just a very difficult to see the place i love so much in distraught. >> reporter: now safe at home in the united states, alexandra says her thoughts are with friends she's left behind. >> i want nothing more than to go back, and i don't know when

that's going to happen. >> reporter: officials at the u.s. embassy in cairo say another state department- chartered flight left egypt today headed to greece, but officials say because commercial flights are now available, it's unlikely there will be additional u.s. government charters. russ. >> mitchell: elaine quijano here in new york. thank you very much. here's what else is happening tonight. in the dallas area, the big question this evening is, "are you ready for some football? and more snow?" the super bowl is now less than 24 hours away, and the host city of arlington is getting ready for the big kickoff and another chilly, icy day. north texas did get a break today, though, as don teague explains. >> reporter: after four days of temperatures in the teens and low 20s, the super bowl city of dallas is finally thawing out. >> oh, it's beautiful. >> it's beautiful. >> the sun's out. couldn't ask for a better day. >> yeah. >> reporter: work crews took advantage of 50-degree temperatures and sunshine to remove the remaining ice from cowboy stadium. sheets of ice falling from the

domed roof hurt six workers on friday. >> look out! >> reporter: adding injury to the insult of winter weather that's kept fans stuck indoors or, like dale arnold, stuck in atlanta's airport with a now- useless super bowl ticket. >> my head went down, my heart was broken. my dreams were shattered. >> reporter: some say the weather has hurt this city's chances of hosting another super bowl any time soon. >> go back to where it worked. the whole beauty of going to the super bowl is you get a week in new orleans, san diego. dallas? snowstorm? i don't think so. >> reporter: as dallas thaws, residents from the ohio valley to new england are getting another blast of winter weather, 6-12 inches to hit part of at least six states, even as they're digging out from wednesday's massive blizzard. today's storm is blanketing northeast indiana in near- whiteout conditions and further south, icy roads in little rock, arkansas, caused dozens of accidents. when it's all said and done, places like cleveland will have at least four inches of new snow.

you're looking live at workers who are removing the last of the snow from the roof of cowboy stadium. it is beautiful here in texas right now, but, again, there's snow in the forecast tomorrow along with some rain. the game's going to be played indoors but, of course, getting to the stadium could be a little messy. >> mitchell: don teague in arlington, texas, tonight. thanks. still ahead on tonight's cbs evening news, an american mining town where toxins are poisoning the residents. residents. got gas on your mind? your son rip is on line toot. [ male announcer ] try gas-x. powerful relief from pressure and bloating in a fast-acting chewable. gas-x. pressure's off.

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metamucil uses super hard working psyllium fiber, which gels to remove unsexy waste and reduce cholesterol. taking psyllium fiber won't make you a model but you should feel a little more super. metamucil. down with cholesterol. >> mitchell: it sounds like an environmental horror story interest another country and another time, a town so polluted by a toxic mine its residents are dying by the hundreds. but as seth doane tells us that story is unfolding right now in the former mining community of

libby, montana. >> reporter: gayla benefield, her sister, eva thompson, are both slowly dying. they suffer from asbestos-related lung disease which is likely to progress to mesothelioma. >> that is the only cancer caused by asbestos and it is fatal. >> reporter: it already killed their father, eva's husband, too. their mother was bedridden because of the disease for 17 months before she died. and their children have toxic fibers lodged in their lungs. >> when your children are diagnosed, that is when i got angry. because that is not fair. >> reporter: their town, libby, montana, is home to the deadliest superfund site in u.s. history. 400 people have died here. >> it's not a matter of if you die of the disease. it's when you die of the disease. >> reporter: for three decades, the company, w.r. grace, mined vermiculite here for use in home insulation. they extracted the material from asbestos-filled rocks which

covered libby in a toxic cloud for more than 30 years. >> take some deep breaths. >> reporter: brad black is the only doctor at libby's center for asbestos-related disease. he's treating the 31 case of mesothelioma diagnosed so far and receives 40 new client a month. >> in a developed country like the united states, nobody would think this would ever happen in the united states. >> reporter: the environmental protection agency vowed to clean up libby within two years but that was in 1999, and the agency is still here. >> we're scared to death. >> reporter: gordon sullivan says the decade-long cleanup process is killing the town economically as well. he put up his store for sale. >> there are a lot of people in our town that used to be here that ain't here anymore. they're buried out in our cemeteries. >> reporter: so far the e.p.a. has cleaned more than 1400 homes and business and removed 70,000 truck lose of contaminated soil. the agency's michael cirian says

the asbestos could never be completely removed from the vermiculite, which was embedded throughout the town in school yards, homes, and parks. >> we're going to go from one neighborhood to the next and try to get all the properties we can. this is a piece of vermiculite right here. >> reporter: but fillip is still finding the material in his home even though it was cleaned by the e.p.a. back in 2004. >> every time you tap these walls, this stuff falls out. this is dangerous stuff. >> reporter: in a statement, the e.p.a. writes they're still evaluating data tha will provide basis for final cleanup but as it's expected to be completed in 2012. the now-bankrupt w.r. grace has yet to pay more than $1 billion in claims to benefield and her sister. >> we are are no longer victims. we are survivors. >> reporter: of course whether the town of libby survives

remains a question. >> mitchell: just ahead on tonight's cbs even news. the run for the donuts.

>> mitchell: in a speech marking tomorrow's centennial of ronald reagan birth sarah palin said the u.s. today is out step with the late president's

values. she claimed the misguided policies of the current administration have put the country on a road to ruin, she says. new snapshots taken by a time-lapse camera above the arctic circle revealed the aurora borealis in all their eerie green splendor. and talk about eating and running. thousands of folks had the stomach to race in the high high-calorie krispy kreme challenge in raleigh today. here's the deal-- they had to run two miles, stuff down a dozen donuts, and run two miles back, all to raise money for charity. and still ahead on tonight's cbs evening news, no football team? no problem. meet the promoters who want to build a football stadium in l.a. anyway.

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because women move the world. i see you're flatulent in three languages. graduated top of your gas. [ male announcer ] got gas on your mind? your son rip is on line toot. [ male announcer ] try gas-x. powerful relief from pressure and bloating in a fast-acting chewable. gas-x. pressure's off. >> mitchell: finally this evening, even as dallas prepares to host super bowl 45 tomorrow, football fans in one big american city are wondering wong whether they will ever again have the chance to attend a pro game in their own home town. ben tracy has more on the latest drive to big the nfl back to l.a. >> reporter: los angeles has some of the best weather in the country. the biggest movie stars in the world. and an often star-studded basketball team.

yet, when it comes to focial the second largest city in the u.s. has long been incomplete. >> we're getting closer and closer to bringing football back to los angeles. >> reporter: and l.a. now has more than magic on its side. >> ladies and gentlemen, farmers field. >> reporter: this week, sports and entertainment company a.e.g. unveiled plans for a new billion-dollar stadium. farmers insurance is putting up more than $700 million to put its name on the roof. the developer wants to put it here in downtown los angeles near this entertainment complex and the staples center over here where the lakers play. but there's still two small problems -- a.e.g. does not own the land and l.a. does not have a football team. sam farmer is covering the stadium issue for the "los angeles times." >> the nfl would have to rebrand an existing franchise and make it palatable for the los angeles market. and that's the big question in los angeles right now-- can you

galvanize that fan base? can you predict that you're going to be able to sell out a stadium week after week? >> reporter: yet during super bowl week in dallas l.a. has been the talk of the town. >> it's just always exciting, the prospect of having a team there in l.a. >> reporter: l.a. has had two teams but back in 1995, the raiders left for oakland and the rams headed to st. louis. the nfl wants to be back in the nation's second largest media market but fan support here is often lukewarm. the race for an oscar is the city's main sport. >> the nfl needs los angeles more than los angeles needs the nfl. >> reporter: the hope is that the promise of this gleaming new stadium will woo another city's team west. it could be a homecoming. two rumored contenders are the raiders and the rams. ben tracy, cbs news, los angel angeles. >> mitchell: and that is the cbs evening news. later on cbs, "48 hours mystery." thanks for joining us this saturday evening. i'm russ mitchell, cbs news in new york. i'll see you back here again tomorrow. good night.

captioning sponsored by cbs murder victims pleadin public for help. we are just going day by day. it will never go away. >> the family of one of three murder victims pleading with the public for help. what police and the community are doing to find the killer. down, down with mubarek. >> another day of noisy demonstrations in san francisco. as signs grow in cairo, with the crumbling government. >> we're kind of getting screwed over here because they're not letting us in. >> tens of thousands of baseball fans overwhelm at&t park. the anger and euphoria over trying to get close to the world champion team. cbs 5 eyewitness news is next.