>> tonight the confirmed death toll in joplin, missouri, continues to rise. also tonight hitting the road, traveling this memorial day weekend. and last high gas prices keeping them closer to home. special families, widow and orphans of special forces unit who rarely are told how their loved ones died in battle are receiving the help they need. and nbc centennial. a view of the indie 500. >> this is the cbs deadliest year since 1950, the

first year precise records were kept. in joplin the search for survivors continued and there were even a few smiles. ben is live in joplin with the latest. ben, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, russ. it's been six days since the tornado hit and it's still looking like this. if you're looking for hope, check this out today they put the roof on one of the first buildings built in joplin. >> reporter: these are the sounds of resilince, three days after the tornado darien collins decided it was time to get moving. >> time to get the girls back to work. >> reporter: his wife's beauty salon was cut down by the

twister. now it's growing again. >> a lot of people are standing around staring at their rubble. at some point we have to role up our shraoeufbs, throw stuff out of the road and move on with our lives. >> reporter: some are moving on the hard way. today 59-year-old dean wells was laid to rest. he died in his orange apron when the tornado tore through the town's home depot. as his one life ends a new one together begins in joplin. >> there have been a lot of obstacles thrown in our path but we made it. >> reporter: aaron and brookes were high school sweet hearts. they shot this looking for aaron's sister. >> it was pure chaos. >> reporter: they found her and grabbed brook's wedding dress from the taylor on main street.

they are getting married today. they thought about canceling but decided this is what the town needs. >> everybody is ready to do something happy. we had half of the people helping out in the church lost their houses. my sister, brother, everyone wanted to do it. >> reporter: because joplin is showing it can shoulder even the heaviest of loads. >> we're going to rebuild. it has to start somewhere. >> reporter: they're planning to rebuild this one preuty quickly, 45 days. in a sign of the difficulties they're dealing with here they're waiting on the electrician because he lost his home in the storm. >> ben, thank you very much. president obama travels to joplin tomorrow. today the president concluded his european trip with a visit to warsaw, poland. three people sustained minor injuries when a delta airline jett blew a tire and suffered a

landing gear fire. none of the injured required hospitalization. it's memorial day weekend the the unofficial start of summer. many americans are hitting the highway. this holiday gas prices are up for man a dollar a gallon from a year ago. we hav have the story of the new rules of the road. >> reporter: it's pretty simple math. when gas prices go up consumers have less money to spend elsewhere. for many this holiday weekend that means skimping on vacations. last month the average family spent $369 on gas. a huge hike from the 201-dollar average from april 2009. this year more is spent on the tank than cars, clothes and recreation. a reversal from last year. >> some will take shorter trips.

travel is down about a hundred dollars from last year. >> reporter: political instability have contributed to the high cost of gasoline and lead to eight straight weeks of falling did i manned for gas in the u.s. economists say gas prices should drop about 30 cents to $3.50 a gallon. for many drivers even that's way too high. cbs news, los angeles. vice president joe biden said today the obama administration auto industry plan brought it all back from the brink of ex teufrpgs but there are many miles to go as question explain. >> reporter: like a driver caught in rush hour gridlock the u.s. auto industry is making progress but it's a frustrating ride. >> it's like a patient on life support. getting better but coiled as well. >> reporter: in japan a

earthquake heavily damaged the production of cars and main street where consume eurz struggle to keep jobs ask home. there is a reason to jump for joy, a new flashy opening of a sro *ebgz volkswagen plant in tennessee and new jobs. gms plan to open a third shift in detroit making models around the clock, 2500 jobs. chrysler's celebration tuesday when it paid back all of the government loans that kept it from shutting down two years ago. >> from that moment forward we took our destiny back in our hands. >> reporter: fiat will take kroll of the auto maker next week. new owner providing new muscle as chrysler turns it's first profit in five years. -- last year improved to

nearly 11.5 million. this year's projections are for nearly 13 million units. nice progress but still off historic highs. >> we don't expect to see the industry get back to full levels of 60 million units for several years. >> not until the gridlock of too few jobs and too many foreclosed homes clears. congress remains in formal session this holiday weekend as republicans seek to block president obama making recess appointments of controversial nominees. among them is elizabeth warren. we have more on her stormy week on capitol hill. >> whether it's hidden credit card fees, fraudulent mortgages the consumer protection bureau is to be the new sheufrb looking out for you. the new agency is already controversial. >> we had an agreement --

>> you are making this up. >> -- you asked for it. >> liz pwegtd warren sparred with republicans that week. president obama choice warren to head the agency last october but she's a lightening rod for the opposition. >> when you put this much in one hand without checks or balances those things cause problems. >> congressman patrick mchenry voted against the bureau's creation. he and other republicans want the position to be replaced by a bipartisan commission under the kroll of congress. a move democrats argue will kill the agencies effectiveness. >> government has been so far on the side of the big banks and big institutions, and forgotten the little guys.

>> congressman coming cummings s called on henry to apologize to warren for his treatment towards her at the hearing. >> she accused me -- >> i think you need to clear this up with your staff. >> there is a certain level of decorum and a certain hrefpl of respect. you think that respect was broken? >> no doubt about it. >> i think she owes con stkpwres aan apology. >> the consumer protection bure "is to be up and running in july but it has no directer and republicans say they will block any nominee. coming up tonight help for families of special operation soldiers who have fall anyone battle.

will. >> a sal i ban suicide bomber wearing a police uniform blew himself during a meeting in northern afghanistan. six people were killed including a top police commander and two german soldiers. since 911 more than three hundred ally the u.s. personal have been killed in afghanistan and elsewhere. for families understanding their grove can be difficult. we report on one organization working to change that. >> just the way i like it. >> this 15-year-old remembers the last time he saw his father. >> he was going to afghanistan. we gave each other a high five. >> in 2006 he was killed protecting other soldiers during a fierce ambush by the taliban. a story first made public by 60 minutes. andrew received his father's

silver star. >> i remember just filing like i was there for him, and i didn't want to mess anything up for him. >> he was a green beret based at ft. brag, north carolina. special forces teams like his can deploy at a moment notice on classified missions they can't discuss with their families. >> good jobs. >> leaving wives to do everything. >> you have to be not just the mom but the dad. you have to be the person fixing the washington machine. >> wendy grew use to being apart from tom up to 300 day aeuz year making it more difficult for his death. >> i waited for the knock on the door and for him to come in and say hey, i'm home. it didn't happen. >> wendy found support through the united warrior foundation elizabeth brown married to a special forces soldier runs the

organization. it was to help widow of special operation personnel. >> it's a very tight knit community. we can put them together that got that before and gets where they're at now. >> connor are you keeping track of the time. >> molly pat on moved to north carolina after her husband died in a training exercise in 2008. she's now raising their four sons alone. >> i'm two years out and i'm saying the same thing. >> you're still saying? >> i'm still saying who will love my boys like their dad. >> you can make it on time. >> now her family is adjusting slowly. >> making sure that they're needs are met emotionally and taefrping boys boy stuff. that is the hardest part for me. >> a piece of marble that game from afghanistan. >> for wendy this backyard memorial reminds her that duty comes with sacrifices. >> he was fighting for his

country. i have to respect what he did and go on with every day. >> surviving families of america easily the special forces soldiering on. cbs news fayetteville, north carolina. next up on tonight's cbs evening news will tpaoeuldz of genetically made organic grains put farmers out of business?

>> the agriculture's department earlier this year of genetically altered ah tpal at that has brought a number of lawsuits from those who use alfalfa for dairy cows. >> tony switched from conventional farming 15 years ago to an all organic dairy. his certified organic milk turns him a higher profit. he also has to meet much higher standards too. today his big worry is keeping alfalfa hay best feed for producing milk from genetically modified or gfo crops.

>> if it's contaminated we're out of business. >> this happens when seeds drift from one farmer's land to another. >> if my neighbor plants gfo crops, he has a right too. i don't have a right to tell him how to run his life. what will keep that contamination from my farm. >> the problem the government approved the release of the genetically modified alfalfa that is resistent to a chemical that kills weeds. >> we can't survive with this ruling. it's not right. >> tony and his neighbor say that could put them out of business if gmos are discovered in the feed prices could go up and they could lose important organic buyers like whole foods. >> they have completely disregarded the organic industry. >> it's a dispute resulting in huge court battles.

in the last ten years farmers have sued for over a billion dollars in losses after rice crops meant for export were contaminated. so far $200 million has been awarded and 600,000 farmers await their day in court. the u.s. department of agriculture believes the genetic engineering or ge is critical to help farmers be productive. >> i think there is a growing recognition around the world that there is going to be ge crops. >> tom is the secretary of agriculture. >> there is the perception out there that usda is siding with the big biotech companies opposed to, as opposed to organic dairy farmers, the little guys. >> i think if you understand what we have done in organic it's a hard case to make. at the end of the day i think we need both. >> he says more research is being conducted.

meanwhile the seeds are being planted. >> you are not going to know you have it until it's too late. until they, they test the animals, they test the milk and it's now in the food chain, and then it's too late. >> an organic farmers can do nothing but watch and wait. seth done, cbs news, washington. musician poet and political agent visit gill scott haren died yesterday. ♪ the revolution will not be till viced. >> he was best known for that song. 1970s the revolution will not be till viced. gill scott haren was 62 areas old. and still ahead on cbs evening news one hundred years of the indie 500.

>> finally tomorrow marks the 100th anniversary of the indianapolis 500. a marathon race with the fastest car kraoeufrz on earth. >> this is the view of the indiana motor speedway from the passenger seat of the open official pace car. the grand stands almost become a

blur. the indy 500 is a 200 lap marathon from green flag to checkered flag. from the first race in 1911 top qualifying speeds have tripled. >> the track here a at i speed s an hour now to over 200 haoeuldz a200 miles anhour. >> dan walden won the race and a few areas ago he showed me what it was like in a indy car. two words exhilarating and scary. >> when you have the spectators it's phenomenal. there is traditions. >> one tradition is drinking milk not champagne in victory lane.

donald is a historian looking after the winning cars at the indy museum. indy cars evolved from model a to space age, engines moved to the rear and steering wheels got smaller. >> this you're practically on your back. >> the cars are more aerodynamic and computed design. >> mario andretti lead indy 11 times but won only once in 1969. >> probably 400 miles i would of won it 6 times. >> brazilian driver elio company castrinovas has won five times in the past decade. >> there is no better feeling than finishing turn four and seeing the checkered flag come at you. >> start your engines. >> when the 100th anniversary race does start 8 it-year-old joe womack will be in the stands

for the 50th time. >> what is it about this place that keeps you coming back? -rpblgts the speed, the technical advancements and the whole to whole racing. >> a pilgrimage for race fans many who kiss the last original bricks of the century old track. >> 500-mile is the camelot of automobile racing. it's the pinnacle. >> one other big change since 1911 women. four women are in tomorrow's race including dan i ka kirk patrick who finished third in 2009. that is the cbs evening news. later on cbs48 hour mystery. thank you for joining us. i'm russ mitchell in new york. see you back hire tomorrow, good night.

holiday weekend. lane change, the bay bridge traffic gets reconfigured. what drivers can expect this weekend. honoring our heroes. a traditional salute to the bay area men and women who died in the line of duty. >> that's the stereotype. and then there is the reality. in reality, something very different. >> food for thought. why is there so much demand for food in one of the bay area's wealthiest communities? cbs 5 eyewitness news is next. ,,