storm surge, a second night in a row of violent weather as more powerful storms rip through the southern plains and midwest. security breach, a hacker puts 77 million online sony playstation users at risk. and a royal rehearsal, a full scale run-through of friday's big wedding processional. captioning funded by cbs good morning, everybody. thanks for joining us. i'm betty nguyen. the weather weary south and midwest cannot catch a break. mother nature unleashed another round of powerful and destructive storms in the same areas that got hit hard monday. overnight the national weather

service issued a high risk warning extending from texas to tennessee, it includes a large part of arkansas, where the storms are now blamed for at least 11 deaths. some 35 tornadoes were reported, but that number is expected to jump, and this twister touched down southeast of dallas tuesday afternoon. there are reports of some damage, but no injuries. folks elsewhere, though, were not as lucky. joel brown has been tracking the storms overnight from washington. good morning, joel. what's the latest? >> betty, good morning. no mercy this tornado season as residents spent another night scrambling for cover across several states. it's like a recurring weather nightmare. >> i went in my bedroom and i crawled under that bed as far as i could get and waited under it. >> reporter: for the second straight night a powerful line of thunderstorms including a pack of tornadoes pounded the southern plains. hundreds of homes were damaged from east texas to tennessee. arkansas took another direct hit. at least one person died.

days of relentless rain have washed out highways and every night brings more trouble. monday, flash floods and a monster twister left ten dead. nathan ford and his family barely escaped last night when his home was crushed by fallen trees. >> the living room, the dining room, the bathroom, the bedroom. [ thunder ] the kitchen, the whole house shifted. >> reporter: a lightning strike in michigan sent nine people to the hospital, one in serious condition, while in missouri the flood fears are at their greatest yet. >> oh, it's been terrible, terrible to watch the water come up. >> reporter: the black river is spilling over in dozens of locations, threatening to fully submerge some neighborhoods. flooding in the area is usually expected, but not like this. some places have already seen 16 inches of rain this month, four times the average. >> makes you scratch your head and wonder if it's not time to build an ark.

>> reporter: more than 1,000 residents along the river's banks have already been evacuated and many more could be forced to leave. for those that stay, it's a race against time and a rising river, packing and protecting what they can, in case it's all they have left. with nearly 300 confirmed tornadoes this month, it's shaping up to be a record april and there's no clear consensus from scientists on why. betty? >> joel brown in washington for us, thank you, joel. federal aviation officials are investigating an accident at chicago's midway airport where a jet skidded off the runway. the southwest jet was inbound from denver with 139 people on board. the jet skidded as it tried to land on a rain-soaked runway tuesday afternoon. the 737 stopped just 150 feet from a wall that separates the airport from a busy street. no one was injured. the suspect in the attempted bombing of a colorado shopping mall is due in court this morning. oral moore was arrested tuesday at a grocery store in boulder.

police believe moore planted the homemade bomb at a shopping center in a denver suburb last week. the bomb did not detonate and no one was injured. now to what's being described as one of the worst online security breaches ever. tens of millions of sony playstation users in 59 countries are at risk after credit card data may have been stolen by a hacker. sandra hughes has our report. >> reporter: online gamers haven't been able to play their sony playstation for the past week. the network has been shut down, after sony says an unauthorized person hacked into the system and obtained user information, like names, addresses, birth dates and passwords. >> it's absolutely terrible. >> a breach like that, that's going to cost sony a lot. >> reporter: and that's not all. sony released a statement saying "while there is no evidence at this time that credit card data was taken, we cannot rule out the possibility." >> i don't put too much information out there. you can't be trustworthy of anything nowadays. >> reporter: the playstation

network connects players in live gaming worldwide, potentially affecting as many as 75 million users. the security breach also affects people who want to stream netflix or watch hulu plus on their playstation console. sony is assuring customers it will not contact them in any way including any e-mail, to ask for a credit card number, social security number or any other sensitive information. if you're contacted it could be someone trying to take advantage. users are encouraged to logon and change their passwords, especially if they use their same name or passwords for other accounts. >> if you know the same security answer for some questions it's possible to use it for others. >> reporter: an outside security firm is investigating. sony expects to restore some services within a week. sandra hughes, cbs news, burbank, california. in the face of sky-rocketing energy costs, president obama again asked congressional

leaders to repeal tax subsidies for the oil industries. some of the tax breaks have been in place since the 1920s. in an interview yesterday, the president said the high gas costs are taking a toll on the economy and called on major oil producers to increase production. >> we are talking to oil producers around the world, and letting them know that it's in their interest to make sure high oil prices don't end up hurting the world economy. if we're not growing, they're not going to be making money either. >> gas prices have climbed for 35 days in a row to a nationwide average of $3.87 a gallon. on the "cbs moneywatch" the fed chief makes history and the aflac duck gets a new voice. ashley morrison is here with the latest on all of that in new york. >> good morning to you, betty. asian markets are headed higher this morning. tokyo's nikkei rose about 1% and hong kang's hang seng picked up slightly. wall street picked up the fed's decision on interest rates. on tuesday, stocks closed at

the highest level in nearly three years thanks to strong earnings and lift in consumer confidence. the dow jumped 115 points while the nasdaq tacked on 21. federal reserve chairman ben bernanke is making history today, holding the first of three scheduled news conferences this year. it's the first time in the fed's 98-year-old history that a chairman has scheduled news conferences. bernanke is expected to answer questions for about 45 minutes, and discuss the fed's updated economic forecast. good and bad news for amazon. the online retailer says sales jumped more than 30% last quarter, but earnings were weak because they spent more on upgrading their network and technology, in part to hold off competitors like walmart. analysts believe investments will start to pay off for amazon later on this year. new numbers show the housing market is still struggling. the report shows home prices in the 20 biggest cities have dropped more than 3% in the past year. they're now back where they were

back in 2003. while the wave of foreclosures continues to hold down prices, analysts are encouraged by a decline in the glut of homes available. bargain hunting now should clear the way for higher prices in the long run. and the quack is back. >> boy, i'm glad we got aflac, huh? >> aflac. >> hello there. >> aflac debuted its new voice last night, minnesota sales manager dan mckee beat out more than 12,000 applicants in a nationwide search for the job. gilbert godfried's old gig paid in the low sig figures. and mckee said he got lots of practice entertaining his kids and apparently it paid off. >> no doubt. ashley morrison joining us live in new york. the countdown to the shuttle "endeavour's" final flight. just ahead. plus the streets of london are sealed off for a royal wedding dress rehearsal. this is the "cbs morning news." ff for a royal wedding dress rehearsal. and i wondered what it was.

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space shuttle "endeavour" will blast off on its final mission on friday. the crew flew into florida tuesday to get ready for the launch. shuttle commander mark kelly's wife, who is recovering from an assassination attempt, will be among those attending. >> i'm personally looking forward to my wife, congresswoman gabrielle giffords, getting here pretty soon, to be here in time for our launch on friday. >> president obama and his family will also attend the liftoff. also on friday, the royal wedding. huge maple trees were unloaded tuesday and brought inside westminster abbey to line the aisles. this morning security forces completed their run-through for the big day. charlie dagata is outside westminster abbey is more. good morning, charlie. >> reporter: good morning to you, betty.

some amazing moments, amazing scenes. in the dead of night it began, just a few people, early risers and few people who camped out here were treated of a hint of the majesty to come now just two days away. it may be one of the most elaborate wedding rehearsals anyone has ever seen. hundreds of troops fill the streets in front of westminster abbey early this morning for a full scale military walk-through of the royal procession, organizers rolled out the fleet of carriages and cars that will carry the royal family and guests to the abbey and whisk prince william and the new princess catherine away. >> i followed the royal family my whole life. >> reporter: diane basilias came all the way from grand rapids, michigan, to stake out a prime spot for the day. she didn't expect to get two shows in one. >> i had no idea, i woke up to the hooves and had to open my tent to see what was going on. >> reporter: british police put parts of central london in lockdown, sealing off the

streets, one of the busiest cities in the world for the pre-dawn dress rehearsal. >> it's a privilege to be part of it. it will be a cool thing to tell the grandchildren. >> reporter: more than 1,000 servicemen and women will line the pro potion route on wedding day. some like jason hannigan served with prince william in the royal navy. >> it's an honor. when i received the phone call i was over the moon. >> reporter: for nine specially selected horses it's the ultimate privilege, chosen for their calm temperament, they'll guard the royal carriage that heads to buckingham palace but it's not all about pageantry and pomp. the horses and officers taking part in the procession also have the duty of keeping the royal couple and thousands of spectators safe. of course, prince william himself is a fully fledged raf search and rescue pilot. he invited all 27 members of his unit and their partners to the wedding and has a unique relationship with the military, given he will be the head of it one day. betty? >> very true.

charlie, one of the big questions is, what will the weather be like for the historic day? >> reporter: well i have to say the weather has changed in recent days, it's become much colder. unfortunately forecasters are calling for scattered showers on the day and the worst thing is, they're predicted to reach this area around midday, precisely the time that prince william and his new bride will be leaving westminster abbey. betty? >> all right, charlie d'agata bring your umbrella, i know you'll be working. thank you, joining us live from london. cbs news will have live coverage of the royal wedding beginning this friday at 4:00 a.m. eastern. straight ahead your wednesday morning weather and in sports the bulls try to give the pacers a royal sendoff. - they're the first kisses we ever got... - good night, honey. - and they could fix... - all better? - almost anything. - yes. - let mom know how much those kisses really meant with the charmed memories collection at kay jewelers. each charm is hand-crafted in italy, and with hundreds of charms to choose from,

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here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. new york, mostly cloudy. 74, though. miami sunny, 90 degrees. chicago light rain, 55 there. dallas, wind y 73 degrees. in l.a., sunny, 79. time now for a check of the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows more thunderstorms hitting the southern plains and southeast, and it's clear from the midwest to the southwest. later today, more severe weather from arkansas to pennsylvania. numerous tornadoes are possible, as the system slowly creeps to the east. light showers can be found in the northwest, while the southwest is sunny and breezy. in sports, it took five

games but the bulls are moving on. mvp candidate derrick rose seemed to be fine, after straining his left ankle in game four. he pumped in 25 points to help chicago take down the indiana pacers 116-89. the bulls now head to the eastern conference semifinals. the magic were not to be denied. dwight howard grabbed a behind the backboard air ball to up orlando by 23 over the hawks. the magic dominate atlanta, 101-76, to stay alive. the lakers are one game away from eliminating the hornets. kobe bryant threw down a monster jam. look at that! in the second to help l.a. beat new orleans 106-90. the lakers take a 3-2 lead in that series. let's go to baseball now, a bizarre home run in detroit in the second inning, seattle's miguel olivo lines a shot to left field. detroit's ryan raburn races back but the ball bounces off his glove and over the wall for a home run.

mariners beat the tigers 7-3. when we return another look at this morning's top stories and chaos and confusion. nfl players are turned away, even though the lockout is lifted. 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. 8% every 10 years.age 40, we can start losing muscle -- wow. wow. but you can help fight muscle loss with exercise and ensure muscle health. i've got revigor. what's revigor? it's the amino acid metabolite, hmb to help rebuild muscle and strength naturally lost over time.

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on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather. another severe weather outbreak will hit the eastern third of the country. warm and humid conditions will spread across the east coast. there's plenty of sunshine in the southwest, while the northwest will see some showers. here's a recap of this morning's top stories. another round of severe storms rolled through the southern plains, damaging at least 100 homes. the two-day death toll in arkansas has reached 11. and sony says credit card data from some 77 million online playstation users may have been stolen by a hacker.

sony shut down the network but expects to restore some service within a week. chaos reigns in the nfl as players await another court ruling today on when they can return to work. some players reported to team training headquarters tuesday, but they were not allowed to do anything. randall pinkston reports. >> reporter: a handful of new york giants players arrived to workout. >> i'm just excited to get back in and get to work and i'm sure the sentiment is the same around the league for the players. >> reporter: at several other facilities the players who showed up were turned away. >> i was disappointed, bringing my workout gear and trying to go back to work. >> felt like you were sneaking into the club, something like that, and they knew that you weren't supposed to be in there but haven't done anything about it yet. >> reporter: there was confusion across the league as players tried to go back to work. late monday a judge ruled to end the nfl owners' 45-day lockout of the players but the owners say they will appeal. >> we are in the process of

determining throughout the league as to just how we will proceed. >> this is a huge setback for these owners. they will do everything they can to try to overturn this judge's decision on appeal. >> reporter: in boston a number of players got together to discuss the lockout. they hope the judge's ruling will hope push the owners back to the negotiating table. >> this has always been negotiating from day one and hopefully this will help in that effort. >> reporter: some nfl business will continue, including this thursday's draft, but it's not known when the rookies or the veterans will get back on the field. randall pinkston, cbs news, east rutherford, new jersey. two extreme skiers barely escape an avalanche, and the video has become an internet sensation. check it out, they were in the french alps, using helmet cams to shoot a commercial, when the avalanche struck. the skiers launched themselves over the side of a steep cliff just in the knick of time and managed to parachute so safety.

look at that. i'm betty nguyen. this is the "cbs morning news." moms love tulips. any second now, they are going to place me at the center of the table. edible arrangements bouquets beautiful like flowers, but unforgettably delicious, any second now... visit, call or go to ediblearrangements.com

a homeless mother will be in court in connecticut this morning, accused of sending her son to a better school. tanya mcdowell was arrested april 14. police say she lived in a van and sometimes stayed with a friend in bridgeport, but she sent her 6-year-old son to a school in nearby norwalk. she says her son is devastated of being forced to leave. >> total nightmare for my child, to be asked, you know, like why didn't they want him at brookside and various questions, like, he's hurt by all this. >> mcdowell is charged with stealing over $15,000 worth of educational services. when it does come to education, fewer children in the u.s. are getting an early start.

a study says states cut almost $30 million in funding to preschools last year, so only one-quarter of 4-year-olds are enrolled in pre-k programs. jim axelrod reports. >> good morning, boys and girls. >> good morning. >> reporter: serving a low income, undereducated population in perth am boy, new jersey, the ignac ignacio-cruz early childhood center is beating long odds. by performing above the national averages for pre-k programs. >> when you come into my classroom, you would probably say that the children are playing. i would argue they're not playing, they're learning. >> reporter: you know what that button says? >> open. >> reporter: meghan's got a point. her 4 and 5-year-olds already seem to be a step ahead with their numbers. what number is that? >> zero. >> reporter: that's zero. and their letters. what letter is that? >> "e" and "i." >> reporter: and even on the computer. dollars?

>> the evidence is really clear. preschool makes a big difference. by itself, it can cut school failure in half. >> reporter: one study found high school graduation rates 17 percentage points higher for kids who had pre-k, but not every state has enough money to pay for what the evidence suggests is worthwhile. ten states cut pre-k funds this year. ten more don't have pre-k at all. new jersey is laying out more than $11,000 per child this year, nearly $400 more than last year. the result? the number of kids who repeat first grade has been cut in half in poor districts that offer two years of pre-k. >> investments in preschool increase achievement, decrease crime and delinquency. those kinds of things result in higher incomes later on. >> reporter: even if other places aren't learning their lesson. jim axelrod, cbs news, perth

amboy, new jersey. coming up later on "the early show," the latest on the wicked weather hammering the nation. plus "the early show" is in london for the royal wedding, looking at the english custom of afternoon tea. and grammy nominee natasha bedingfield performs her chart topping hit live from london's tower bridge. that's the "cbs morning news" for this wednesday. thanks for watching, everyone. i'm betty nguyen. have a great day. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com