captioning funded by cbs some nice grooves for your friday morning. thanks for joining us today, i'm betty nguyen. all right, first up a saudi arabian college student studying in texas wrote that he planned to attack the united states for years. khalid ali aldawsari is scheduled to appear in federal court today. he was arrested thursday charged with the potential use of a weapon of mass destruction. federal officials say he was very close to carrying out what may have been a deadly attack. bob orr has details. >> reporter: khalid ali aldawsari was not on any law enforcement radar until just three weeks ago when this north carolina chemical supplier called the fbi. aldawsari was trying to buy phenol, a key chemical in homemade explosives. he had used his own name, address and phone number. that led the fbi to this lubbock, texas, apartment building.

and the 20-year-old saudi-born student, who officials say is a classic lone wolf jihadist. secret searches of aldawsari's apartment revealed evidence of a nearly complete bomb plot, possibly targeting dams. former soldiers who spent time at the abu ghraib prison in iraq. the dallas home of former president george w. bush, and locations in new york. the searches turned up wiring, chemical flasks and a clock, all bought from amazon.com. a hazmat suit purchased on ebay. plus 30 liters of nitric acid, and three gallons of sulfuric acid. nitric acid and sulfuric acid, when combined with phenol, can produce a powerful explosive called tnp. but aldawsari never got that last ingredient, phenol. the fbi also found more evidence detailing his apparent terrorist aspirations. on his blog last march, aldawsari wrote in arabic, only gratification from allah is what i want. grant me martyrdom for your sake and make jihad easy for me. in a private journal he wrote,

after mastering the english language, learning how to build explosives, it is time for jihad. sources say there's no evidence aldawsari is connected to any terror group, but he does claim that 9/11 and speeches by bin laden inspired him to begin dreaming about carrying out some kind of attack in america. bob orr, cbs news, washington. now, to libya, where moammar gadhafi refuses to back down, and rebel forces continue to gain ground. today, the u.n. security council will consider sanctions against libya. this morning, the rebellion is quickly moving from east to west in libya. major coastal cities are now controlled by rebel forces. as gadhafi opponents set their sights on the capital, tripoli. michael herzenberg is in washington. michael, what's the latest there in tripoli? >> well, moammar gadhafi's latest attempt to cling to power reportedly includes cash, food assistance, and salary increases. it's not clear if that will be enough to satisfy angry protesters gaining ground. anti-government protesters

danced in the streets of benghazi, a city now in their hands. >> we are finally -- >> reporter: the opposition is said to be in control of much of eastern libya, but further west the battle against ruler moammar gadhafi rages on. his security forces are striking back at demonstrators as they closed in on the capital of tripoli. in a phone call to state tv thursday, gadhafi blamed the revolt on osama bin laden and accused protesters of being hopped up on drugs. tens of thousands of foreigners are trying to escape the crisis. u.s. officials are still waiting for the weather to improve to evacuate americans by ferry. but people who are making it out are relieved. >> if you think of the thousands who were at the airport yesterday, and the people around the country, and i know a lot of people everywhere, the underlying feeling is fear. >> reporter: president obama called the leaders of britain, france and italy last night to discuss the crisis. the white house is considering a wide range of actions against the regime. >> there are no options we're taking off the table.

but what we're focused on are the options that we can take to affect the situation in the near term. >> reporter: possible moves include freezing or seizing gadhafi's assets, banning libyan officials and airliners from international travel, suspending exports to libya and imposing u.n. sanctions. the u.n. security council will meet this afternoon to discuss those sanctions and look for other possible ways to stop the bloodshed and punish the regime. and nato will also meet today to discuss its options. and now, there's a new option, option for americans trying to get out of tripoli. they're told to board a chartered flight leaving late this afternoon for turkey. back to you, betty. >> okay, michael herzenberg in washington. thank you, michael. in this country, for the first time, senate democrats say they are ready to implement immediate spending cuts. the federal government runs out of money march 4th. republican lawmakers say they won't approve a spending bill without cost cutting. the house passed the bill last

week, which includes $61 billion in cuts. following days of contentious debate the wisconsin assembly passed a bill that strips unions of collective bargaining rights. but the budget bill can't become law unless it passes the wisconsin senate. and senate democrats are balking. all 14 of them have left the state. governor scott walker says if a budget bill isn't passed today, layoffs will begin. searchers in southwestern kentucky report finding the bodies of three amish children swept away in a rain-swollen creek. the fourth child is still missing. it happened near mayfield, kentucky, which has been hit hard by severe weather. officials say the children were in a buggy that overturned in the creek. that same severe storm system battered states on both sides of the mississippi overnight. eastern arkansas, and western tennessee, were hardest hit with heavy rain, winds up to 80 miles an hour, and several likely tornadoes. falling trees, damaged roofs and blocked roads.

tens of thousands are without power in arkansas. toyota has announced another recall involving millions of vehicles over concern about sticking gas pedals. alexis christoforous has the details. >> reporter: more than 2 million toyota and lexus owners are being asked to get their vehicles fixed. and once again, the problem is with the gas pedals. toyota says parts of the floor carpeting around the pedals can cause the accelerator to stick. toyota says it's unaware of any accidents related to the new recall, which involve three brands of toyota suvs, the 4runner, the highlander and the rav4. several lexus suvs and cars are also being recalled. since 2009, toyota has recalled more than 14 million vehicles because of the gas pedals and other problems. >> this is actually all part of the same recall. they've expanded it to include an additional grouping of vehicles. so, it's not a new problem. it's just an expansion of an existing problem.

>> reporter: sudden acceleration has been suspected in at least 93 deaths, including a san diego family, who called 911 when their lexus wouldn't slow down. toyota announced this latest recall after some prompting from the government. the transportation department reviewed more than 400,000 toyota documents, and determined more cars needed to be fixed. another recall won't help the company win over car buyers. >> this has given people a reason to not buy a toyota. >> reporter: last month, regulators cleared toyota, saying acceleration problems were not because of electronic flaws. the government says its investigation into the recalls is now closed. alexis christoforous, cbs news, new york. just ahead on the "morning news," before you book your next vacation, a list of the dirtiest hotels in america. plus, charlie sheen shut down. production of the sitcom is canceled for the rest of the . you're watching the "cbs morning news." estion, cough. knows how to make things

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we have main engine start. two, one, booster ignition, and the final liftoff of "discovery." a tribute to the dedication, hard work and pride of american space shuttle team. the shuttle has cleared the tower. >> it's the last time the crackling of thunder of "discovery's" engines will be heard over the kennedy space center. this morning the oldest surviving shuttle is in orbit, on its 39th and final mission, bound for the international space station. after a decade of misstep and wrangling, boeing has landed one of the biggest defense contracts ever. a $35 billion deal to build tanker jets for the air force. the new tanker is based on the boeing 767 passenger jet, and will be built on the same production line. the huge contract means tens of thousands of jobs for boeing workers, mostly in washington state, and kansas. on the "cbs moneywatch," stocks in asia snapped a losing

streak this morning. ashley morrison is here in new york with the latest on that. good morning, ashley. >> good morning to you, betty. well, asian markets rose for the first time in four days, with japan's nikkei gained nearly 1%, while hong kong's hang seng added nearly 2%. today, wall street gets the very latest on consumer confidence and how much the economy is growing. on thursday, stocks finished mixed. the dow lost 37 points, its third down day in a row. while the nasdaq gained almost 15. american employers are planning the largest pay raises since 2008. according to a survey by the hr firm towers watson, large and medium-sized businesses are pulling back on hiring and wage freezes, and planning the largest merit increases since the start of the financial crisis. the rates should average around 3%, exceeding last year's 2.7%. the airlines are raising fares, again. united and continental got it started thursday, adding $20 per

person round trip on most flights. american, delta and us airways quickly matched those hikes. southwest followed, but only on some routes. all blame the fast-rising cost of jet fuel. and tripadviser.com is out with the 2011 list of the dirtiest hotels in america based on actual reports from actual travelers. the top five is the grand resort hotel in pigeon forge, tennessee, where the dirt was allegedly a half inch thick in the bathtub. the jack london inn in oakland, california. the desert inn resort in daytona beach, florida. where many complained about dead roaches. hotel carter right here in new york city. and the polynesian beach and golf resort in myrtle beach, south carolina, where according to one traveler, you need to hold your nose to hold the smell of garbage. betty, that doesn't sound like much of a vacation. >> no. but thank goodness i haven't been to any of those. i've written them down, though,

just in case i think about it. >> good idea. >> all right, ashley morrison joining us live here in new york. thank you, ashley. production of cbs' top-rated sitcom, "two and a half men" has been halted in the wake of more extreme statements by the show's star, charlie sheen. in a joint statement, cbs and warner brothers television cites the totality of charlie sheen's statements, conduct, and condition, as the reason for discontinuing the season's production. 16 episodes of "two and a half men" were completed before production was suspended in january, when sheen entered rehab. since then, sheen has made several statements that aggravated the situation, including this in a radio interview on thursday. >> i don't have time for these clowns. i don't have time for their judgment and their stupidity. and you know, they lay down with their ugly wives in front of their ugly children and just look at their loser lives and they look at me and say, i can't process it. well, no, you never will. stop trying, just sit back and enjoy the show. >> there's no word on whether "two and a half men" might return next season. straight ahead, your friday morning weather, and in sports,

an nba battle of two beasts of the east. battle of two beasts of the east. [ giggles ] hey, max. [ announcer ] you can help significantly extend your dog's healthy years. a groundbreaking 14-year study by purina... proves that puppy chow, then dog chow nutrition, fed properly over a lifetime, can help extend his lovable antics up to 1.8 healthy years. long live your buddy. [ laughs ] oh, max. long live your dog. purina dog chow. double dog dare you to try better-tasting than ever purina dog chow. we know your dog will love it. mary? what are you doing here? it's megan. i'm getting new insurance. marjorie, you've had a policy with us for three years. it's been five years. five years. well, progressive gives megan discounts that you guys didn't.

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time now for a check of the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows storms over the eastern half of the nation, bringing thunderstorms and snow along with gusty winds. and from arizona to texas, skies are clear. later today, the northeast will see heavy rains and gusty winds. snow is expected from the great lakes to new england. and the southeast is warm and humid. in sports, down to the wire in chicago. the bulls got a tie-breaking three-pointer from luol deng with 16 seconds left on the clock. he finished with 20 points as chicago hung on for a 93-89 win over miami. the bulls now trail by only two games in the eastern conference. kenyan martin of denver scored 18 points against the celtics and the nuggets won their first game with new players acquired in the big carmelo anthony deal. denver over boston 89-75. when we return, another look at this morning's top stories. and geography in surgery.

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and a healthy level of sodium. it's amazing what soup can do. live.. at hi-def doppler radar covered in green. most of the bay area getting drenched right now.. the trouble spots for your morning commute. and.. will we see snow, in the city? they're already gearing up in the north bay. where and when the flurries will fall. is your safety at risk on muni? why the agency's being called out.. for ignoring dangerous violations. plus.. the south bay loses a key crime fighting tool.. join us for cbs 5 early edition,

on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather. powerful thunderstorms are on the move through the southeast. they'll deliver heavy rain up the east coast toward new england. snow will be falling from illinois to maine. and the west coast will see rain. here's another look at this morning's top stories. anti-government forces have taken over more of libya, engaging in fierce battles with forces loyal to moammar gadhafi. and a saudi arabian exchange student is due in a federal court today in texas. federal officials say he bought chemicals online to build a bomb. in health news, weather you decide to have elective surgery depends a lot on your doctor. but, according to a study in the doctor's atlas it also depends

on where you live. dr. jon lapook reports. >> reporter: when kathy was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in 2007, she agonized over her options. >> it was pretty traumatic and devastating weekend at our house. >> reporter: patients like her may not realize the treatment they get is strongly determined by where they live. for example, women with early stage breast cancer in victoria, texas, were about seven times more likely to have a mastectomy than those in muncie, neighborhood. and surgery for early prostate cancer was 12 times more likely in san luis obispo than in albany, georgia. >> we think the differences, as they stand now, probably relate a lot to doctors' preferences for one procedure over another, even when both are pretty reasonable options. >> reporter: that's why some hospitals are using a process called shared decision-making. a formal way for patients to learn about all their options. >> we want them to be so well-informed they really get what they're signing up for.

>> reporter: kathy chose to have a mastectomy. a decision she is comfortable with. >> having the shared decision-making center open to me as a patient really gave me the sense of, wow, i do have choices. >> reporter: experts at dartmouth estimate about 20% to 40% of elective procedures like back surgery would not be done if patients were properly informed. dr. jon lapook, cbs news, new york. and the white house celebrated the motown sound. president obama marked black history month and more than 50 years of detroit's motown records last night. on hand were smoky robinson and other motown performers, as well as john legend, seal, jamie foxx and nick jonas. >> songs like dancing in the streets, what's going on, became the soundtrack of the civil rights era. black artists began soaring to the top of the pop charts for the first time. and at concerts in the south motown groups literally brought people together. >> the motown legacy is the influence it had -- or the

legacy had an influence on a generation of musicians. the highlight of the night was performances of some of motown's greatest hits. ♪ can't get back to you ♪ no matter what i do >> i'm betty nguyen. this is the "cbs morning news." ♪ i know you want to leave me but i refuse to let you go ♪ you choose. flas try an irresistible steak, egg & cheese, with toasty tomato or chipotle southwest sauce on tasty flatbread. only at subway! ♪ [ male announcer ] confused what to get? click on the robitussin relief finder. click on your symptoms. get the right relief. makes the cold aisle easy. the robitussin relief finder. it's that simple.

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peace corps. life is calling. how far will you go? school officials in providence, rhode island, have voted to send pink slips to all of the city's nearly 2,000 teachers. the action was approved at a meeting last night. the termination notices do not mean all the teachers will be fired. the city's mayor says he needs flexibility to close a $40 million budget deficit. in health news, it turns out those hot flashes that some menopausal women experience may have an upside. women who had hot flashes at the start of menopause appeared to have a lower risk for heart attack and death.

that's compared to women who've never had hot flashes or experienced them later. well, the big royal wedding in britain is scheduled for april 29th. prince william and kate middleton have been keeping a low profile since they announced they were getting married. until thursday, that is, when they appeared in public. mark phillips reports. >> reporter: a young engaged couple went for a walk by the seashore today, and it seemed like the whole world came out to watch. it wasn't just the first official appearance of the couple since their engagement was announced. it was a test drive for the kind of life kate middleton has let herself in for. one where her every expression, every gesture, every wardrobe choice, is scrutinized. they were here to name a sea rescue boat in a place called treaddur bay on the remote west coast of wales. >> she's going to do the pouring. >> it's a rubber boat. so you pour the champagne over it, rather than break the bottle. but it's not so much what they did, as where they did it, that mattered.

this place, far from the prying eyes of london, was chosen both because it's remote, and familiar. because this is the place where the royal couple are going to live. in fact, it's the place where they more or less already live. william's air base is just up the road and they live in a cottage just beyond that. if you wanted to pick a place where the couple would feel familiar and comfortable, especially kate, this would be it. >> they live quite privately there. and she can go to the local supermarket. i mean not many of us go into the supermarket and have a detective with us. you've got to have somebody to carry the shopping. >> reporter: william has long ago learned how to charm a crowd. but what about kate? this kind of pressure is one of the things that drove william's mother diana to despair, and bulimia. if anyone was worried that the woman who's about to become a future queen was a shrinking

violet, they aren't anymore. the royals have found another rock star. they launched the new model of their life boat here today, and they launched a new model of the new glam couple of british royalty, too. mark phillips, cbs news, treaddur bay, wales. coming up a little bit later on "the early show," more on the bloody revolt in libya. we'll get a live report and look at options for the u.s. and the rest of the world. also, vacationers beware. more on a list of america's dirtiest hotels. and grammy award winning singer adell performs some of her latest hits. that's the "cbs morning news" for this friday. thanks for watching everyone. i'm betty nguyen. have a great weekend. ,,,,,,,,

your realtime captioner is linda marie macdonald. cbs 5 on stormwatch this morning. rain already drenching the bay, and the snow, well, it's on its way. lawrence will tell us where and when those flurries will fly and it's a wet drive no matter where you're going. this is a live look. we have team coverage on the trouble spots for your commute on this friday. good morning, everybody. thank god it's friday, right? it's february 25th, i'm frank

mallicoat. it's 4:30 and the bay area is bracing for some wintry weather all weekend long. in fact, we will get some snow on the roads as we mentioned, pretty wet out there. sydnie had a little car issue. she will join us at 5:00. we begin our live coverage out in the field with anne makovec, who joins us now from the summit along highway 17 in the santa cruz mountains. ladies first, anne, how is it out there? >> reporter: thank you. we have a lot of winter rain. i was looking forward to some snow. apparently we are going to get some