sticker shock. with no end in sight, the skyrocketing oil and gas prices, the white house considers some drastic measures. the battle for libya. government troops expand and intensify their attacks on rebel forces. and high school tragedy. for the second time in less than a week, a student athlete collapses and dies from cardiac a week, a student athlete collapses and dies from cardiac arrest. captioning funded by cbs good morning, thanks for joining us, i'm joel brown in for betty nguyen. we begin with the dramatic spike in oil and gas prices. the obama administration is considering tapping into the

country's emergency oil reserves to ease prices, and consumer nerves. spurred by unrest in the middle east, oil prices rose nearly 2% to above $106 a barrel this morning in asia. and the average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gas hit $3.51. up nearly 33 cents in the past two weeks. the second largest two-week rise ever. susan mcginnis is in washington with details. susan, good morning. >> hey, good morning, joel. yeah, washington is watching higher oil prices, and considering u.s. dependence on foreign oil, it's now looking at a much closer alternative. the white house is considering tapping the nation's oil reserves to try to put a cap on runaway oil prices. >> all matters have to be on the table when you go through -- when you see the difficulty coming out of the economic crisis we're in, and the fragility of it. >> reporter: the strategic petroleum reserves, the u.s. government's emergency oil supply, holds 727 million barrels right now.

that's enough to provide the nation the oil it needs for a couple of months. after hurricane katrina, the government released 30 million barrels. oil prices dropped nearly 4%. during the first gulf war, 34 million barrels were released and prices dropped a third in one day. but the price of gasoline up 33 cents a gallon in the past two weeks, drivers will take any break they can get. >> i used to make it three, four days with $75 of gas. now every two days i've got to put $75 in this car. so, you know, it's ridiculous. >> as a student it's kind of tough to be able to pay the bills and pay these kind of gas prices. >> i drive for a living. so it definitely affects my job. so i'm currently looking for another job just because of it. >> reporter: but some economists say the reserves should be saved for a true emergency, and this isn't one of them. >> i think it's premature to open up the strategic petroleum reserves. i don't think it's going to make a big difference with respect to

prices. and i think at this point, we can digest these prices. >> reporter: and along with the danger to the u.s. economic recovery, washington is obviously also considering the political damage that higher oil prices can have on the president's upcoming re-election bid. joel? >> susan mcginnis in washington with the pain at the pump. susan, thanks. secretary of defense robert gates arrived in afghanistan this morning. the start of a two-day visit. gates is scheduled to meet with president hamid karzai, u.s. commanders and american troops. the u.s. plans to begin withdrawing its forces in july. last week, nine afghan children were mistakenly killed by nato helicopters. on sunday karzai said an apology was not enough. later this week, now to libya, where the fighting between government opponents and forces loyal to moammar gadhafi have intensified once again. rebel groups are trying to push to the capital, gadhafi's stronghold. but gadhafi is pushing back, launching numerous air strikes. mark phillips reports.

>> reporter: the gadhafi government declared victory in tripoli and it seemed like the whole town dutifully came out to celebrate. people were told government forces were on the counteroffensive, wiping out rebel gains of the past week. the declaration of victory may be premature or it may be wishful thinking, but in this kind of crowd, with this kind of gadhafi support, it's taken as unquestionable fact. the facts on the ground, though, are a lot less clear. at bin jawad, the furthest point of the rebel advance from the east a government offensive did push back the ragtag rebel forces. >> myself, i was like three kilometers away. which is less than two miles away from the border of bin jawad. and what we get is knocked on from sideways and bombs all over. >> reporter: they retreated in disarray but formed up again in the oil port of ras lanuf, which they still hold. in other towns, misratah,

zawiyah, closer to tripoli, forces loyal to gadhafi used tanks, artillery and warplanes to attack rebel positions. again, government claims of victory are dismissed by rebels who say they beat back the attacks, and even captured government vehicles in the process. the libyans have now offered a new reason why they've been able to budge the rebels out of the towns they hold. they say the rebels, which they call terrorist groups, have been using the local populations as human shields, and it simply hasn't sent the army in. the reality seems to be a stalemate, where the rebels are unable to advance further, and the government forces are unable to significantly push them back. mark phillips, cbs news, tripoli. later this week a congressional committee opens hearings into the radicalization of muslims in the u.s. rallies against and in support of the hearing were held sunday in new york city. opponents charge the hearing will demonize muslims. the committee chairman, republican peter king, says

muslim youths in the u.s. are being targeted. >> we're talking about al qaeda we're talking about the areas of al qaeda who have been radicalizing. there's been self-radicalization going on within the muslim community, within a very small minority. but it's there. and that's where this comes from at this time. >> to say we're going to investigate a religious minority, a particular one, i think is the wrong course of action to take. >> king also says that muslims in the u.s. aren't cooperating enough with law enforcement officials to counter the terrorist threat. central and eastern new york state are bracing for some severe weather this morning, up to 16 inches of snow. and parts of the east coast are under a flood watch as the same storm that spawned a deadly tornado in louisiana. saturday's twister, about 70 miles west of baton rouge killed one woman and displaced hundreds. for the second time in less than a week, a popular high school athlete has died during competition due to a heart condition. family and friends are mourning

17-year-old matthew hammerdorfer who was playing in a youth rugby football match saturday in fort collins, colorado. hammerdorfer had been knocked down. a teammate recalled what happened next. >> he got up, and he started to walk a couple of steps and then he just collapsed. >> hammerdorfer died later at a hospital. doctors say he had a congenital heart defect and the hit he took on the field was not a contributing factor to his death. in southwest michigan hundreds of people attended a visitation for another teen athlete who died last week, 16-year-old wes leonard of fennville, michigan collapsed on his high school basketball thursday night just after scoring the game's winning shot. an autopsy showed he died from an enlarged heart. in health news, massachusetts general hospital in boston will conduct this country's first 3-d mammogram on a regular patient today. the process, which has undergone clinical trials, gives doctors a significant new tool for detecting breast cancer. it locates a tumor or a lump

precisely and costs no more than standard mammograms. just ahead on this morning's "cbs morning news," the so-called east coast rapist gets his day in court. plus new and spectacular eruptions by one of the world's most active volcanoes. first katie couric has a preview of tonight's "cbs evening news." >> honoring those missing in action. as a young girl she vowed to never take off her p.o.w. bracelet until he was found. the final chapter in the mystery is tonight's "assignment: america." only on the "cbs evening news."

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sounds like a mini-wheats day to me! and becka's science fair is on the 8th. she's presenting the solar system. hey, i've got just the wholegrain fiber to keep her full so she can stay focused. um, you rock. she'll be ready to rock. [ female announcer ] make your kids big days, mini-wheats days. packed with 100% whole grain fiber, kellogg's frosted mini-wheats cereal has what it takes to help keep your kids full so they can stay focused on the days that matter most. keeps 'em full. keeps 'em focused. kilauea volcano is putting on a spectacular show after a major new vent opened on the mountain's eastern flank on saturday. kilauea has been in constant eruption for nearly 30 years but scientists are excited by the new string of lava fountain sending molten rock 65 feet into the air. in the gulf of mexico

sunday, a coast guard helicopter flew to the rescue of two men who were on an oil platform that caught fire. the platform was about 50 miles south of grand isle, louisiana. both men were brought aboard the helicopter safely and the fire was later extinguished. a man police say is the so-called east coast rapist will appear in court today in new haven, connecticut. he is 39-year-old aaron thomas, an unemployed truck driver. he is believed to have attacked at least 17 women in five states, in a case going back to 1997. police say they have dna evidence implicating thomas in a dozen rapes. thomas' arrest caused shock in his new haven neighborhood. >> it's really scary to know that i've walked up and down this street many a day, and i could have been a victim. >> police say thomas tried to hang himself in jail on saturday. on the cbs news "moneywatch," stocks in asia were sent tumbling this morning. ashley morrison is here in new york with that and more. good morning, ashley. >> and good morning to you, joel. well, asian markets saw a sell-off amid worries about high oil prices.

japan's nikkei lost more than 1.5% while hong kong's hang seng dropped nearly half a percent. today, wall street gets the latest conconsumer credit. last week turmoil in the oil markets overshadowed good news on jobs. the dow gained 3% while the nasdaq was up a fraction. the recent run-up on wall street has some concerned we could be looking at a bubble in stock prices. the s&p 500 is on its fastest climb in decades, and has doubled in less than two years. some analysts are suspicious stocks are way overpriced and that the bottom could fall out, but others argue the fundamentals of the market do not show that danger. salmonella concerns have prompted a recall of skippy peanut butter. it affects only the reduced fat creamy and reduced fat super chunk spread sold in 16 states. no illnesses have been reported yet. but health authorities are concerned the product may be contaminated. at the movies, "rango" lassoed the top spot.

the animated family flick featuring johnny depp as a sheriff in the wild west took in $38 million to win the weekend box office during a rather slow hollywood weekend. the mind-bending thriller "the adjustment bureau" starring matt damon and emily blunt debuted in second place with the fantasy flick "beastly" opening in third. and put away that blackberry, especially at bedtime. a new study finds that all that texting and checking e-mails, as well as playing video games or watching tv late at night is leading to major sleep problems. and it's not just the increase in brain activity. scientists think the artificial light from the devices is actually throwing off our body clocks. joel, that's what my problem is, i do too much texting. >> i was just about to say, that's the problem. easier said than done, ashley. ashley morrison here in new york. thanks. straight ahead on your monday morning news, the monday morning weather. and in sports, the defending nba champs battle the best team in the league. ♪

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the northeast is watching a strong coastal storm slowly leave the area. and there are quiet and clear skies heading into the southeast and sections of the great lakes. later today, sections of the desert southwest could see rain. on the east coast, fairer skies are returning, except in the northeast, where snow and rain is expected. very chilly air is dropping down from canada and into the northern plains, and the southern plains are warm and dry. in sports, the defending nba champion lakers knocked off san antonio, the team with the league's best record. kobe bryant scored 26 points for los angeles, in a blowout of the spurs 99-83. it was the seventh straight win for los angeles. chicago's derek rose had 27 points and led a fourth quarter comeback against miami. and the bulls head off the heat for 87-86 victory. chicago's now in sole possession of second place in the eastern conference, and miami has lost four in a row. and zack randolph of memphis's hit on a 17-foot shot

with time running out against dallas and the grizzlies beat the mavericks 104-103. it was the third time memphis beat dallas this season. and in college basketball, number one ranked ohio state won the big ten title. the buckeyes set a new record with 14 consecutive three-point shots against number 10 wisconsin. ohio state rolled to a 93-65 victory. when we return, another look at this morning's top stories. and the high price of gas. the big impact on small businesses. sports, sponsored by odor-eaters insoles, powder and spray. absorb sweat and destroy odor on contact. insoles. powder and pray, absorb sweat and destroy odor on contact.

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to ease the pain. plus.. food vendors fight for prime spots in san francisco. how an all night campout.. is leading to more snack options for you. and.. dog owners, barking mad. how they're trying to put a leash on tough new restrictions in bay area parks. and.. the shuttle discovery's final trip home.,,,, on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather. the rocky mountains will see cloudy skies and periods of

snow. the northern plains remain very cold, in the teens and single digits. and the southern plains are warm and dry. here's another look at this morning's top stories. rebel and government troops in libya are engaged in fierce battles for strategic cities. libyan leader moammar gadhafi is using air power to try and repel advancing rebel forces. and the obama administration is considering tapping into the strategic oil reserves to stem surge in oil and gas prices. gas prices jumped nearly 33 cents the past two weeks. the second largest two-week jump ever. the rising price has a big effect on small businesses across the country, if prices keep moving up, some companies face a tough road ahead. seth doane reports. >> reporter: the phones are finally ringing again at oz moving and storage. the company hung on through two years and a housing slump, when few people were moving.

with the economy showing signs of life, general manager nanny zifrani is crossing her fingers. >> my confidence meter is up. it feels like things are back on track. or getting back on track. >> reporter: but now, gasoline prices are up, too. gas is highest in california. where the average is $3.88 a gallon. in new york, it's $3.69. oz moving operates in both states. >> our business runs on gas. every mile counts. >> reporter: for oz, with its 50 trucks, price shocks have immediate impact. every dollar increase in the price of gas adds 20% to its operating costs. and they're already squeezed by higher prices. from heating oil, up 36% since october, to paper, used in cardboard boxes, up 15% since last year. like many small companies -- >> you're looking at a

guaranteed price -- >> reporter: passing those rising costs on to customers isn't an option. >> competition is just too fierce at this point. >> reporter: so that means a shrinking bottom line. >> if we're not profiting, we're not able to grow, we're not able to expand, we're not able to hire new employees. >> reporter: small businesses like oz have created 70% of all new jobs in the last decade. but for them, as the price of gasoline goes up, the likelihood of any new hiring goes down. it's easy math, but has an effect that's hard to calculate. seth doane, cbs news, new york. and cyndi lauper still knows how to have fun. the '80s pop star was stuck in the airport in buenos aires, argentina, this weekend and calmed down a crowd of delayed travelers with an impromptu performance of one of her hit songs. ♪ you know you're still number one but girls they wanna have fun ♪ ♪ oh, girls they wanna have fun ♪ ♪ that's all they really want

>> in a twitter message, lauper said the argentinean passengers were quote, nutty and fun. this morning on "the early show" a live performance by grammy winning singer esperanza spalding. i'm joel brown, this is the "cbs morning news." some models look so mad. maybe it's because their department store makeup is so expensive. simply ageless with olay regenerist serum costs less and it won't glob up in lines and wrinkles. you'll look amazing and happy too. simply ageless, from olay and easy breezy beautiful covergirl. fortunately, there's new crest pro-health clinical gum protection toothpaste.

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the crew of the space shuttle "discovery's" final mission said good-bye at the international space station on sunday, and station commander scott kelly closed the hatch as the astronauts get ready for undocking this morning. "discovery" returns to earth on wednesday. spring training is under way for major league baseball. but for those who always wanted to live out a dream and take the field in the big leagues, there's always fantasy camp. anthony mason reports. >> a little noise in here, let's go. >> reporter: for one week every year, 53-year-old david kauffman, known as doc, puts on a cincinnati reds uniform and lives the dream. >> somehow when you get between the white lines, that fantasy comes true, and you picture yourself as a ball player.

so it's wonderful. >> reporter: in real life, kauffman is a breast cancer surgeon. but for the past 15 years, he's come to the reds training camp in phoenix. and for $4,000, he gets to play baseball with the pros. >> get that lead-off hitter. >> reporter: fantasy baseball camp is open to anyone over 30. but the average age here is 50. many, like doc, come back year after year. a unique brotherhood of 100 baseball die-hards. >> some of my best friends in life now are the people that i met from baseball camp. >> you guys are out of your minds. >> reporter: the reds coaches and trainers sort out teams according to skill level. and treat campers like real players. sort of. >> we're not laughing at you. we're laughing -- yeah, we are. we're laughing at you. >> reporter: between the jokes and endless needling. >> linda ronstadt. blue bayou. >> reporter: these guys are serious. >> if you still have some competitive juices i don't think

the age really makes any difference. >> reporter: former stars like billy hatcher add the magic. >> these guys, they strike out, they're upset. they want to win. >> reporter: at 73 cliff thornsburg is the oldest fantasy camper. he adds the heart. and a decent curve ball. >> if you're physically able, why, you know, you get to be a kid again for a week. >> reporter: thornsburg pitched nine innings, played first base, and was designated runner for men 20 years younger. >> it feels great to me. they keep me young. >> don't make me limp out there! >> reporter: not everyone fares as well. mishaps occur. >> oh! >> reporter: but there's no crying in baseball. >> yeah, yeah, yeah. >> no matter how much pain we're in, or my muscles are sore, my legs hurt, i have 51 weeks to heal. >> reporter: anthony mason, cbs news, new york. >> that's baseball. coming up a little later on "the early show," how high will they go?

a look at soaring gas prices. as well as the jobs outlook. we'll hear from former labor secretary robert reich. also a disturbing report on distracted driving. a new initiative aimed at getting drivers to focus behind the wheel. and grammy award winning singer esperanza spalding performing live in studio. that's the "cbs morning news" for this monday. thanks for watching. i'm joel brown. have a great day. have a great day.