labor loses. wisconsin republicans outwit their democratic colleagues to push through a law that sharply limits union rights for state workers. rising rivers. the northeast prepares for a second round of heavy rain and potential flooding. and capitol controversy. the house opens hearings on the radicalization of muslims in the u.s., but is it a matter of national security, or a u.s., but is it a matter of national security, or a witch-hunt? captioning funded by cbs good morning, everybody, and thanks for joining us, i'm betty

nguyen. the three-week budget battle in wisconsin that has made national headlines appears to be over. it ended swiftly and unexpectedly. republican members of the state senate outmaneuvered their absentee democratic colleagues to pass a bill which sharply limits union rights. >> this is a violation of law. >> the vote caught almost everyone by surprise. by 18-1 the state senate passed a measure stripping collective bargaining rights from most of wisconsin's public employees, handing governor scott walker a stunning victory in the three-week labor standoff. in a statement he applauded lawmakers for taking, quote, a step in the right direction to balance the budget, and reform government. senate democrats had fled the state to avoid any votes, but republicans found a way to push the measure through. they removed all elements of the bill that involved budget spending. thus lifting the requirement that 20 senators be present for a vote.

it immediately passed, without a single democratic vote. and without any debate. >> they are so eager to take away the rights that people of this state have enjoyed for 50 years. >> i just cannot believe the length they are going to go to to strip people of their rights. they passed it in less than five minutes. no discussion. >> thousands of protesters swarmed into the capitol when word spread. when it was all over, republican lawmakers needed a police escort to leave the building. the measure forbids most government workers from collectively bargaining for wage increases beyond the rate of inflation. it also requires public employees to pay more toward their pension and doubles their health insurance contributions. a combination equivalent to an 8% pay cut for the average worker. in a statement, the president of the wisconsin state afl-cio slammed both gop lawmakers and the governor. quote, scott walker and the republicans' ideological war on the middle class and working

families is now indisputable. their willingness to shred 50 years of labor peace, bipartisanship and wisconsin's democratic process is beyond reprehensible, and possibly criminal. the republican-controlled wisconsin assembly, which previously approved a similar measure, is scheduled to vote on the new bill later today. this morning, the northeast is bracing for another bout of drenching rain. and with it, the potential for severe flooding. parts of new jersey are already under water from heavy downpours earlier this week. more than 100 homes were flooded. forecasters predict another 3 to 5 inches of rain could fall beginning this morning. >> be ready, because this could come up very, very quickly. we've got sustained over a short period of time. we don't want to see anybody in harm's way. >> this is the calm before the storm. we know it's coming. this is the last river to go over, but yeah, it's all coming. we're probably going to have four or five feet in the basement. >> some residents have already evacuated. officials say it could take weeks for the region to dry out.

in the southeast this morning, recovery efforts are under way following a severe weather system that spawned a series of tornadoes. at least two twisters touched down in southwest alabama, causing some minor injuries. and at least three tornadoes hit southeast louisiana. >> busted open and were beat being back and forth. wind was blowing through my house. my back window exploded. we ran to the bathroom and all of a sudden here comes my son flying through the front door running like he's on top of the heisman trophy and all of my neighbor's house is flying around him. >> states of emergency have been declared in alabama and louisiana. one woman was killed in a house fire in mississippi, believed to be caused by a lightning strike. a house homeland security committee opens hearings this morning on homegrown terrorism. specifically, questions about the radicalization of the american muslim community. even before the gavel dropped, the hearings have triggered heated debate. susan mcginnis is in washington with much more on this.

good morning, susan. >> hi, good morning, betty. these hearings that start later this morning could be a key moment in this controversy over extremism within u.s. borders. one of the biggest issues, whether they unfairly target one group. extra security will surround republican congressman peter king this morning as he leads controversial hearings on islamic extremism in the u.s. the probe has drawn fire from critics, who say it unfairly targets muslim americans. >> the proposed hearing essentially casts doubt on an entire community by virtue of its faith. >> reporter: but king is standing by his decision to focus on one group. he says the hearings are essential to combatting homegrown terror, especially with al qaeda increasingly trying to recruit muslim americans for attacks. >> the president's own national security advisers said al qaeda is attempting to radicalize the muslim american community. >> reporter: several democrats have written to king, urging him to cancel today's hearings, or

at least broaden the conversation beyond the muslim community. but, fellow republicans are coming to his defense. >> this hearing is focused on an issue that we've got to be aware of. it is something that is facing us, and provides a threat to our people. >> reporter: but attorney general eric holder warns against alienating a group he says is already helping fight homegrown terror. >> tips that we have received, information that has been shared, has been critical to our efforts to disrupting plots that otherwise might have occurred. >> reporter: king insists muslims shouldn't feel threatened by the hearings, and if there's going to be any animosity, his opponents would be to blame. now, it appears so far that president obama will be keeping a distance from these hearings. when he has spoken about this in the past, he speaks of radicalization in general, betty, and does not single out muslim americans. >> all right, susan mcginnis in washington for us. joins us live. thank you, susan. today, nato defense ministers and representatives

from the european union hold talks in brussels about setting up a no-fly zone over libya. but, u.s. security officials say a no-fly zone would do little to stop libyan forces from attacking rebel troops. there is heavy fighting in two strategic eastern cities held by rebel forces. in the west, government forces say they've retaken the town closest to the capital of zawiyah following a six-day siege. rebel leaders say if a no-fly zone is not imposed, they have the means to buy more armaments. a bbc news crew detained by libyan soldiers on monday reports being beaten and held in a cage with rebel fighters who've been tortured. at one point, the three journalists feared they were about to be shot. >> suddenly, cage door opens, and then guy enter the cage and put hood on our heads and handcuffed us, and then push me

outside of square. i hear those guns, noises, they were getting ready, and i thought the execution moment. >> instead, after being held for nearly 24 hours, the bbc crew was freed and flown out of libya. a us airways jet with 82 people on board made an emergency landing last night at sky harbor in phoenix. us airways express flight 2829 from long beach, california, to phoenix landed safely, despite a blown-out tire, that is. no injuries are reported. just ahead on the "morning news," more fallout from npr in a hidden camera scandal. plus plea deal or no deal? actress lindsay lohan back in court today. you're watching the "cbs morning news." cbs morning news." decisions, decisions. which beneful prepared meal tonight? roasted chicken recipe? okay, savory rice and lamb stew. [ barks ] you're right. tonight is a beef stew kind of night. you've made another fine choice.

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at the kennedy space center. during its nearly 27 years as a working spacecraft, "discovery" spent a full year in orbit and traveled 148 million miles. it will now be prepared for display at washington's air and space museum. national public radio is under renewed fire from conservatives this morning, following the release of hidden camera video of an npr executive deriding tea partiers. the same video prompted npr president and ceo vivian schiller to resign on wednesday. in the video npr's ron schiller, no relation to vivian, is fooled into believing he's speaking to representatives of a muslim group about tea party conservatives. >> white, middle america, gun-toting, i mean, it's scary. they're seriously racist, racist people. >> he goes on to say npr would be better off without federal funding. a goal conservatives have sought for decades.

ron schiller also resigned from npr. on the "cbs moneywatch," stocks in asia slid this morning. ashley morrison is here in new york with more on that. good morning, ashley. >> good morning to you, betty. well, asian markets saw a sell-off as oil prices rose near $105 a barrel. japan's nikkei tumbled 1.5% to a five-week low, while hong kong's hang seng fell nearly 1%. today wall street gets the very latest look on the weekly jobless claim numbers. on wednesday stocks closed slightly lower. the dow lost just one point while the nasdaq gave back 14. foreclosure notices dropped to a three-year low last month. but, experts caution most of that drop is because lenders put a temporary stop on some home seizures due to allegations they were cutting corners with paperwork. still, nearly 65,000 homes were repossessed last month. analysts expect the foreclosure crisis to peak later on this year. the average household can expect to spend $700 more on gas

this year than they did last. the energy department bases their estimate on an annual pump price of $3.61 a gallon. and says the annual cost will average more than $3,200 for a household. the agency expects gas to average $3.71 during the summer peak driving season. it says there's a 25% chance it will top $4 a gallon. and the rich get richer once again. mexican tycoon carlos slim topped "forbes" magazine's list of the world's richest people with a net worth of $74 billion. bill gates is second with $56 billion. he would have actually been first had he not given a third of his fortune to charity. and warren buffett, who plans to give away 99% of his wealth, is in third. betty, i just keep thinking how much of my wealth do i want to give away? hard to part with so little money. >> let's just say neither of us are on that list. >> right. >> in any capacity. all right, ashley. thanks for joining us live here in new york.

lindsay lohan returns to court in los angeles today. and a source tells the associated press she will not accept a plea bargain in that jewelry theft case. accepting the plea deal would mean at least some jail time for the actress. lohan denies stealing a $2500 necklace from a jewelry store back in january. security video shows her trying on the necklace and wearing it as she left the store. also due in an l.a. court tomorrow is mel gibson. celebrity website tmz quotes a source saying the actor will plead no contest to his former girlfriend's charge of domestic abuse. by doing so, gibson is expected to avoid a jail sentence. straight ahead, your thursday morning weather. and in sports, a foul on the refs, after they blow a call at the very end of a close game in the big east. [ sneezes ] [ sneezes ] [ female announcer ] kleenex brand tissues are america's softest. no wonder people go out of their way to share them.

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[ female announcer ] go to kleenex.com for more fun ways to share. parentheses have a place. but not on your face. juvéderm® xc is the gel filler your doctor uses to instantly smooth out lines right here. temporary side effects include redness, pain, firmness, swelling, bumps, or risk of infection. ask your doctor about juvéderm® xc. here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. new york, heavy rain, 49 degrees. miami, thunderstorms, 82. chicago, partly cloudy, 39. going to be sunny and 66 in dallas. and sunny in l.a. with 76 degrees. time now for a check of the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows more rain and snow approaching the northwest. and dry conditions throughout the midwest and much of the south. later today, flooding concerns, as more heavy rain invades the northeast. the northwest is taking the brunt of more stormy weather. and the southwest stays dry and

sunny. in sports, a huge controversy in the second round of the big east basketball tournament. up by two over rutgers, st. john's' justin brownlee grabs a long inbound pass with five seconds left and then steps out of bounds. but there is still time on the clock. the refs call the game. st. john's beats rutgers 65-63. in other big east play, marquette took on west virginia in the second round. the mountaineers led early but the golden eagles came storming back. marquette advances 67-61 for the win. in pro ball the knicks pull out a last-second win. at one point new york looked like they would rout the grizzlies but memphis fought back, tying the game with 15 seconds left. then, carmelo anthony sinks the game winner with a half second on the clock. knicks hold off memphis 110-108. and san antonio is back in the postseason for the 14th year in a row. the spurs' tony parker took over

down in the stretch, scoring 23, as san antonio beats detroit pistons 111-104. and when we return, another look at this morning's top stories. plus an alleged tucson shooter jared loughner, he faces victims in court.

if you live for performance, upgrade to castrol edge advanced synthetic oil. it outperforms in the world's toughest industry tests. castrol edge. it's more than just oil. it's liquid engineering. overtime. why governor brown, is asking for more time. and the grim outlook for our schools, if no deal is reached. plus.. the teen survivor of the san bruno explosion, speaks out for the first time. what he says is the hardest part about moving on. plus, a new lead in a lamborghini heist. where guy fieri's stolen sports car was spotted in the bay area. and.. spiders, causing trouble for another major automaker. join us for cbs 5 early edition,

on the "cbs morning news" here's a look at today's weather. the east is getting slammed by heavy rain. the northwest sees another day of bad weather. and the center of the nation will see sunny skies, plus temperatures will be cold in the north, and rather warm in the south. here's another look at this morning's top stories, the wisconsin state senate voted to strip just about all collective bargaining rights from public workers. republicans used a procedural move to pass the bill without any democrats present. and more flooding is expected in the northeast today. an emergency has been declared in new jersey.

high water from earlier this week flooded more than 100 homes. a man with ties to a white supremist group has been arrested for trying to explode a bomb at a martin luther king day parade in washington state. 36-year-old kevin harpen is charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and possessing an unregistered explosive device. he allegedly put the bomb along a parade route in spokane on january 17th. it was defused before it went off, and it's still not known if he acted alone. well, it was an emotional day in court wednesday for some of the victims of the shooting rampage in tucson. they faced the man accused of opening fire that day. sandra hughes has the details. >> reporter: jared loughner smiled as he was led into the courtroom wednesday, the same smile that he wore in his first booking photo following the tucson shooting spree. now with short, dark hair and long sideburns, loughner stood shackled before u.s. district judge larry burns and, through his attorney, pleaded not guilty

to 49 federal charges. he's accused of killing six people, and wounding 13 others. including u.s. representative gabrielle giffords. susan hileman sat in her wheelchair in the front row, gripping her husband's hand and fighting back tears. she was shot three times while holding the hand of 9-year-old christina green, the youngest person killed. the last time bill badger saw loughner he said he was helping to pin him to the ground after one of loughner's bullets grazed his head. during the proceedings judge burns agreed to unseal a 59-page search warrant. the judge also ordered loughner undergo a psychiatric exam to make sure he's competent to stand trial. >> all of this is going to hinge on these critical psychiatric evaluations and what these experts say was jared loughner's mental state at the time he allegedly shot all these people, including the congresswoman. >> reporter: his competency hearing is scheduled for may 25th. sandra hughes, cbs news, tucson, arizona. this morning on "the early show," an interview with bill hileman whose wife was injured in that tucson shooting.

i'm betty nguyen. this is the "cbs morning news." ning news." ñ

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here's a story that may have you digging up your front yard. a man discovered, the hard way, that his sewer line had never been connected to the city of ripen, california. steve large has lived there for 20 years and found out in a very stinky way that he had a very big problem. >> sewage came up in the shower, and it came up in the toilet, and it came up in the sink. >> oh, lovely. well the problem has since been fixed. and it is safe to flush again. the city agreed to refund all of his sewer bills, but refuses to pay his plumbing bill. the fda has just approved the first new drug in over 50 years to treat lupus.

a potentially fatal illness that attacks the body's own organs and tissues. the drug is designed to relieve flare-ups and pain caused by the disease. but experts say it doesn't show positive results in african-americans and works in only 35% of the patients tested in north america. in other health news, spring is almost here, so allergy sufferers, be warned. it may not just be pollen that is making you sneeze and itch. kendis gibson reports. >> any problems with your ears? >> reporter: lucas has allergies almost all year, and they make him miserable. >> i'm allergic to pretty much anything in nature. trees, the pollens. >> reporter: but what some allergy sufferers eat, like fresh fruit, vegetables and nuts, can make them feel even worse. >> the food contains certain proteins that are similar in nature to the pollen. and the body confuses the two, and it reacts as if you're having an allergy attack in your mouth or throat. >> reporter: it's called oral allergy syndrome.

not an allergic reaction to the food itself, but what is called a cross-reaction. symptoms include itchiness or tingling on the lips or in the mouth and throat. about one-third of allergy sufferers get it. in the spring, tree pollen can trigger reactions to fruits like apples and oranges. and vegetables like celery and peppers. in the fall, bananas and cucumbers can be a problem for people allergic to ragweed. lucas has to limit some foods all year round. >> bananas are a big culprit. almonds, oddly enough, as well. various nuts, hazel nuts, as well. >> reporter: allergists are predicting one of the worst allergy seasons in more than a decade this spring. but there is a way to avoid problems with what you eat. >> if you peel the food or you cook the food, a lot of times we can knock out the protein and the symptoms go away, or they're less pronounced. >> i work in a restaurant, and i love food. so to have to kind of really think about what i'm about to eat is kind of challenging. >> reporter: lucas sticks to what he knows is safe, so he

isn't sorry after a meal. kendis gibson, cbs news. coming up a little bit later on "the early show," more on last night's controversial vote in wisconsin that curbed collective bargaining rights for government workers. we will hear from a democratic state senator who opposed the action. also a sneak peek at the new ipad 2, which hits stores tomorrow. and actor jason bigs from the cbs sitcom "mad love" will stop by. that's the "cbs morning news" for this thursday. thanks for watching. i'm betty nguyen. have a great day.