it's no joke. an april fools' day storm barrels into the northeast, lashing some areas with up to a foot of snow. exit strategy. moammar gadhafi may be looking for a way out, as reports emerge of secret talks in london. and gaining ground. today's jobs report expected to show the second straight month today's jobs report expected to show the second straight month of solid gains. captioning funded by cbs happy april fools' day. thanks for joining us, i'm betty nguyen. well it may be apr

area, and in some places, up to a foot. >> the snow is going to be very heavy and wet. there's going to be a danger for downed trees, power lines, and power outages. >> winter storm warnings and advisories are in effect throughout the region. meanwhile, folks in florida are cleaning up after a wild wind and rainstorm. look at that. in lakeland, hundreds were gathered at an aviation festival when the strong winds knocked over a tent. at least six people suffered minor injuries. in largo, wind gusts of up to 85 miles per hour caused severe damage at a trailer home park. one man and his wife were inside their home when it blew over.

>> we called out to each other and realized that we were both okay, and there's an emergency window on the side. by that time the neighbors came over and helped us climb out of there. >> the storm also caused extensive damage in tampa. across the state, tens of thousands lost power and roads were flooded. now to the latest on the crisis in libya. it is reported that a trusted aide to moammar gadhafi's son is in london for what is described as confidential talks with british officials. the guardian newspaper reports gadhafi may be looking for a way out. in public gadhafi remains defiant, though. and his message to the libyan people yesterday was that he should not resign but that western leaders should. joel brown is in washington with more on this. good morning, joel. >> betty, good morning to you. with suggestions from the white house that gadhafi's inner circle is crumbling around him, we saw libya's leader on state television last night in what appeared to be another bid to hold on to the loyalists he still has. these cheering supporters

refused to leave moammar gadhafi's tripoli compound, so they can stay on as human shields. >> we are not surprised with the no-fly zone. we will always protect our leader. >> reporter: on state tv thursday the ruler released a statement saying he's not the one who should go. but that's exactly what rebel forces are demanding. they fired rockets to try and retake the oil town of brega. still their weapons proved no match for gadhafi's better-equipped troops. officials estimate about a quarter of gadhafi's forces have been knocked out of action. but still have a 10-to-1 advantage over the rebels. >> what the opposition needs as much as anything right now is some training, some command and control, and some organization. >> reporter: on capitol hill thursday, top military leaders acknowledged the rebels need help. but said if anyone is going to arm or train them, it shouldn't be the u.s. >> do you know if there's any time in the future that there are going to be boots on the ground in libya? >> not as long as i'm in this

job. >> reporter: now that nato is officially in control, the pentagon said american jets will stop conducting air strikes by saturday. that drew scathing criticism from lawmakers. >> the idea that american air power is grounded unless the place goes to hell is just so unnerving i can't express it. >> reporter: while officials insist they're trying to avoid a full-scale commitment, some accuse them of abandoning rebel forces. right when they need help the most. so when it comes to arming libya's rebels, the official white house position remains that president obama is still making up his mind. betty? >> all right. joel brown in washington for us. thank you, joel. another top official in the libyan government has defected. the country's ambassador to the united nations reportedly defected to egypt yesterday. earlier this week, foreign minister moussa koussa defected to london. he's being questioned about the inner workings of the gadhafi regime. and it is believed koussa played a key role in the bombing of pan am flight 103 over lockerbie,

scotland. it. the orders to do it clearly came from moammar gadhafi himself. >> british officials say koussa left his family in libya, and described his state of mind as, quote, fragile. koussa is not being offered immunity. it's reported that japanese government plans to bail out the tokyo electric power company, which owns the crippled fukushima nuclear power plant. a japanese newspaper reports this morning that the government plans to inject tepco with public funds and offer debt guarantees. but will not nationalize the company. tepco just released this video showing the damaged reactor number 4 at the fukushima plant. the video was shot from a crane on march 24th. spent fuel at the reactor caught on fire, and there was an explosion that tore through the reactor's outer wall. tepco has ordered giant water pumps from the u.s. to help cool these reactors.

those pumps could also be included to entomb the nuclear plant in concrete, which, officials say, is becoming a more likely scenario. japanese officials said this morning that radiation levels exceeding safety limits have gotten into groundwater under-the-fukushima plant. in the u.s., traces of radioactive iodine have been found in milk in two states, california, and washington. but officials say it poses no threat to the public. john blackstone has more. >> reporter: the amount of radioactive iodine measured in milk on the west coast was so small that it did not rise above the normal background level of radiation. still, it's the first evidence that radiation from japan's damaged nuclear plant is making it directly into food produced in america. >> radiation can be a scary word. but i think it's important to remember that actually we live surrounded by radiation every single day. >> reporter: some of our most common foods, potatoes, carrots, bananas, contain radioactive potassium. the radioactive iodine detected

in milk, though, can be more dangerous, because it concentrates in the thyroid. still, the amounts measured are 5,000 times lower than those that can cause health damage, even in growing children. but for many, fear remains, and that can cause its own problems. >> we actually see health damage, not from the radiation, but from the fear of the radiation, and it's very real. >> reporter: everything imported from japan is already tested for radiation at ports and airports, and on hundreds of rooftops across the country, a network of radiation detectors takes constant measurements. >> it's very sensitive and should be very reassuring to the public. >> reporter: although only tiny amounts of radiation from japan have been detected in air and in milk, the fear of radiation is so great, even figures meant to reassure can instead cause alarm. john blackstone, cbs news, san francisco. just ahead on the "morning news," that missing cobra has been found. plus, prince william talks about his pre-wedding jitters, and why

he won't wear his wedding ring. this is the "cbs morning news." [ male announcer ] there's a place where everyone feels at home. where the company, the conversation, and the food make all who enter feel welcome. a place that feels as warm with a crowd... as it does with just a friend. it's a place you'll find town house crackers. because they're part of what makes your place the place. ♪ welcome to town house. where good times reside. a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. 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.

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for a body in motion. two sky divers collided the and fell to their deaths in california. police in riverside county say the men's parachutes collided thursday and then deflated at more than 300 feet above the ground. one of the men was a longtime instructor with over 17,000 jumps. the two sky divers were training parachute instructors for the canadian military. america's roads are getting safer. the number of people killed on the nation's roads dropped dramatically last year to just over 32,000. that is down 3% from 2009. it is the fewest highway fatalities in more than 60 years. several factors are being credited, including efforts to stop drunk driving, better safety equipment, and more people wearing their seat belts. the battle over ohio's new law limiting bargaining rights

for 350,000 public union workers is not over. governor john kasich signed the bill into law thursday. it sparked weeks of pro-labor protests. opponents say they will try and put the measure on the ballot in november, so voters can strike it down. the labor department releases the march jobs report a little bit later this morning, and most analysts expect it to show the country added around 185,000 jobs last month. the unemployment rate is projected to stay at 8.9%. now, if those forecasts prove right, february and march will mark the best two-month stretch for the labor market since the recession began. on the "cbs moneywatch," a big jump in pay for ceos. and tax time, right around the corner. are you ready? ines ferre is here in new york with the latest on that. good morning, ines. >> good morning, betty. who is ready for tax time? let's take a look at the asian markets. they were mixed this morning. tokyo's nikkei went down slightly while hong kong's hang seng edged up, and oil cashes out at over $107 a barrel. today, besides the government jobs report, wall street gets

the march auto sales numbers. thursday, stocks finished mixed. the dow lost almost 31 points, the nasdaq gained 5. that closed the books on the first quarter for wall street and the best start to a year in more than a decade. since the start of the new year the dow jones industrial average is up 6.5%. the nasdaq has rallied nearly 5%. toyota is raising the sticker prices for nearly every 2011 model. the price tags on most new vehicles are going up at at least a couple of hundred dollars, despite the supply problems in asia, tokyo says this -- or toyota, that is, says this actually has nothing to do with the earthquake and tsunami in japan. toyota blames the increases on unfavorable exchange rates. and the rich get richer. "usa today" reports the average pay for a ceo jumped 27% last year. as compensation worked its way back to pre-recession levels.

the average worker saw just a 2% hike. and just over a couple of weeks to your tax deadline. the irs says the average refund this year is about $3,000. they've already received a little more than 75 million returns so far, with about 65 million qualifying for some money back, betty. >> i want to get that money back. first of all, i have to send in my taxes, which i have not done yet. thanks for the reminder. ines ferre here in new york. thank you. so that missing cobra, back in its cage this morning, thank goodness, at the bronx zoo here in new york. the poisonous egyptian cobra disappeared a week ago. it attracted worldwide attention, and even had its own spoof twitter page. zoo workers were finally able to lure the snake out of hiding in the reptile house with wood shavings used by mice and rats. >> the scent of the mice and rats would be on the shavings themselves, as a lure. because snakes hunt. olfactory means.

so it was really the scent of the rodents that we hoped would bring her out. >> before the cobra is put back into the exhibit, vets are checking her out. britain's prince william admits to some jitters about his wedding to kate middleton later this month. >> i was setting at the house the other day and my knees started going quite nervously. it's quite daunting prospect. but very exciting. and i'm looking forward to it. but there's a lot of planning to be done in the last few weeks. >> it's also been revealed that prince william will not wear his wedding ring. royal officials call it a personal preference. it's a decision kate is apparently happy with. she, by the way, will wear her wedding ring. straight ahead your friday morning weather. and in sports, the boys of summer are back. all the highlights from opening day, including something that has not happened in 42 years. [ female announcer ] sometimes you need tomorrow to finish what you started today. for the aches and sleeplessness in between, there's motrin pm. no other medicine, not even advil pm,

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the u.s postal service has no fuel surcharges. combine that with low online pricing... and your shipping costs... ..could head in a whole new direction. it's time to rethink your shipping. here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. new york is going to be rainy with some snow, 44 degrees. miami, showers there, 85. chicago, showers, as well, 47. dallas, mostly sunny, 87. and l.a., 84. time now for a check of the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows cloudy skies across the northwest, while the southwest is mainly clear. later today, though, a major winter storm develops across new england. the southwest, and deep south stay dry and sunny, with temperatures, get this, in the 80s and 90s. and some rain and snow showers

in the midwest. in sports, opening day in baseball, and milwaukee gets off to a powerful start against cincinnati. the brewers ricky leaks hits a lead-off homer then carlos gomez knocks one out of the park. but it was not enough. a ramon hernandez walk-off homer in the ninth gives the reds a 7-6 victory over the brewers. first game between the dodgers and the giants. l.a. got off to a great start, striking out nine. but san fran catcher buster posey makes a throwing error. the dodgers score and end up beating the world series champs 2-1. the yankees and tigers trade great plays. in the first curtis granderson makes a diving catch. look at that. then in the fifth detroit's ray rayburn returns the favor. the yanks come out on top, winning their home opener 6-3 over detroit. and in college basketball, youtube's dunking sensation jacob tucker, proves he is the real deal.

tucker a perfect 50 in the college slam dunk championship. and get this, he is only 5'10" tall. tucker got in the competition through a facebook vote and is the only nondivision i player in the competition. he definitely has game. he also takes home the trophy. and march madness continues tomorrow. coverage of the final four begins at 4:00 eastern right here on cbs. the tip-off between butler and vcu is at 6:00. when we return, another look at this morning's top stories. and beating the odds. the seven workers on the biggest payday in their lives. [ female announcer ] little acts like using less material can make a meaningful impact. ♪ because everybody wins when you use less. switch to future friendly products from p&g, like new concentrated tide powder detergent. with 24% less packaging and more stain-fighting power.

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day? why oakland's team is being called one of the most depressed in baseball . join us for cbs 5 early edition ..,,,, on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather. a winterlike storm will bring gusty winds and snow to new england. snow and rain are also likely across the midwest. and the southwest and deep south will remain dry and sunny.

here's another look at this morning's top stories. a messy morning commute in the northeast. an april fools' snowstorm is hitting the region and it is no joke. some high elevation areas could get up to a foot of snow. and the labor department releases the march jobs report later this morning. most economists predict the economy added about 185,000 jobs last month. if so, that would follow strong gains in february. and seven lucky coworkers can quit their jobs. they collected their big checks thursday from last week's huge mega millions lottery. and after taxes, get this, they get $19 million each. jim axelrod reports. >> reporter: they took their first public steps into their new lives as multimillionaires. seven new york state workers. >> we've been doing this every time one of the jackpots usually gets above $100 million, we go around to our coworkers in our office and ask them if they want to get in. >> reporter: this time, seven

did. beating long odds to hit a $319 million jackpot. a triumph of good luck over bad manners. with an assist from a sweet tooth. says the guy who bought the ticket. >> so i reach over, you know, and i started like pulling myself out of the line to get the candy bar, this guy jumps in front of me. i'm thinking later on, after all this went down, what if that guy would have won the ticket instead of me. so i don't know. you never know. >> reporter: the albany seven could have easily been the albany eight. or nine. or even ten. >> there's several other great people that we work with, and some of us got in, and some of us didn't. >> reporter: which raises the question, if you play the lottery every week with a group from work, and one week you hit, would you share the wealth with one of the regulars who happened to take that week off? >> snooze you lose. >> reporter: what about if you were one of the five? >> i'd be pissed. >> reporter: you've got to be in it to win it. jim axelrod, cbs news, new york.

>> yes, you do. okay, so this morning on "the early show," the latest on the spring storm that is slamming the northeast and new england. i'm betty nguyen. this is the "cbs morning news." can you define radiant skin? glowing. smooth. flawless. [ female announcer ] aveeno positively radiant with active naturals soy now treats all five factors of radiance; tone, texture, blotchiness, dullness and brown spots. that's positively radiant. only from aveeno. that's positi♪ y radiant. ♪ ♪ ♪

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in japan, thousands of people lined up today at the tokyo zoo to see two giant pandas. they were sent to japan from china before last month's devastating earthquake and tsunami. their debut was delayed because the zoo was closed for two weeks after the disaster. well, fewer americans are dying from cancer. federal health officials report that cancer diagnoses and deaths are down overall this year. and for the first time, fewer women are dying of lung cancer. mainly because fewer women are smoking. the study also found improved screening has led to finding more cancer cases in children. and that better treatment mean the disease is killing fewer children. meanwhile, more people are

surviving years longer in the battle with some deadly cancers. thanks in part to one woman who has made fighting cancer a personal crusade. dr. jon lapook reports. >> hi, i'm shirley. >> reporter: when corporate leaders meet kathy giusti they want to hear the secret of her success in the business of fighting cancer. 15 years ago, kathy was on the fast track in the corporate world, and happy at home with her husband and baby daughter nicole. then, a routine test found a blood cancer called multiple myeloma. >> there was absolutely no hope. and i -- i distinctly remember the doctor just holding my hand and looking me in the eye and saying, kathy, go get your life in order. you know, spend time with your family. >> reporter: doctors gave her three to four years. but she decided she had to buy time for her daughter. >> and you think to yourself, i just want her to remember me. i just want her to know that she had a mom.

so my entire goal, setting out on this journey, was just to live long enough that she would remember me. >> reporter: she decided to have another baby. a son. then, using her business background, she created a start-up, the multiple myeloma research foundation, and raised over $160 million since 1998. she got normally competitive researchers to share information. >> we try to bring everybody together around one common goal. and motivate them. >> reporter: the results have been unheard of in cancer research. four new drugs approved with another seven in late-stage development. kathy is in remission and doing well. she's kept that promise to her daughter, made 15 years ago. >> all those years ago, i just kept thinking, if she'll just remember me. if she saw a photo, would she just remember me. and now we're on college visits. >> reporter: and does she remember you? >> she remembers me. oh, she remembers me. >> reporter: dr. jon lapook, cbs news, new canaan, connecticut.

coming up a little bit later on "the early show," the latest on the massive spring storm hammering the northeast. plus, prince william's royal jitters about his upcoming wedding to kate middleton. also, how to get the best seats when flying coach at the best price. that's the "cbs morning news" for this friday. thanks for watching, everybody, i'm betty nguyen. have a great weekend. have a great weekend. d ,,,,,,,,