perry's pow would you. he has a meeting of the minds with donald trump. stimulus scandal. congress wants to know how a company got 500,000 loan from a government went pelliup just a year later. srs skypers. an eldery couple struggles with

new technology. >> i don't know what i'm recording. shucks. >> maybe just you recorded us. this is the "cbs morning news" for thursday, september 15th, 2011. i know the feeling. good morning, everybody. thanks for joining us. i'm betty nguyen. we begin with the battle for the gop presidential nomination. two of the top candidates are trying to reel in endorsements from some high profile republicans. tara mergener is in washington with details. good morning, tara. >> reporter: rick perry is the latest gop hopeful to wou donald trump who has also met with michele bachmann and sarah palin. competition is tight for the big names. donald trump arrived for a ritsy dinner in new york city with the latest republican looking for

his support. >> so are you going to endorse him? >> reporter: texas governor posed with pictures for the billionaire businessman. both men walked out looking please ichled. >>ed. >> how did it go? >> excellent. . knows his restaurants. >> as president of the united states, i want to solve the border issue. >> reporter: in arizona, wednesday, minnesota congresswoman michele bachmann met the self-proclaimed toughest sheriff in america. bachmann and perry are still dealing with fallout from monday's gop debate. she accused the governor of taking money from the drug company merck in exchange for an executive order. bachmann later said a woman told her her daughter suffered mental retardation as a result of the injection. perry called that claim baseless. >> i sat on the side of the bed of a young lady as she was dying

from cervical cancer. it had an impact on her. i care about life. >> reporter: cbs news learned that merck gave nearly $30,000 to perry's campaign not the $5,000 he claimed on monday night. now, the texas legislature reversed that order and at a fund-raiser this week, perry said he handled the issue wrong. betty? >> tara mergener in washington, thank you. in washington today, speaker of the house john boehner gives his own speech on creating jobs. it comes on the heels of president obama's $447 billion proposal. boehner says he doesn't think the president's plan will help the economy the way it should. in washington last night, the president pushed his proposal at the congressional hispanic caucus institute awards dinner. his plan to raise taxes on the wealthy has republicans up in arms. >> some folks have been working pretty hard in congress to keep tax breaks for wealthy

americans. the least they can do is fight just as hard for the middle class and people at the bottom. let's get this done. let's make sure that ordinary folks get some relief as well. >> republican lawmakers appear more willing to consider the president's idea to extent unemployment insurance and cut the social security payroll tax. another plan to create hobbs has become 500,000 headache for the president. the money in a guaranteed federal loan to a now bankrupt solar panel manufacturer. as john black stone reports, the administration wants answerer. >> reporter: this was supposed to be a shining example was $500,000 in stimulus could receive. the company operated less than a year until the company declared bankruptcy two weeks ago. excerpts from e-mails suggesting

the president rushed the loan. and they read from an office of budget an management message urging caution. >> quote, this deal is not ready for prime time. go to the next slide. given the time pressure, we are under to sign off on silindra. we don't have time to change the model. >> reporter: jeffrey zion says the administration was asking for a timing for a ground-breaking ceremony. >> a request for scheduling logistics for potential events. >> reporter: the loan was approved and in may of 2010 the president visited the factory still under scrubbing hundred. >> they expect to hire a thousand workers to manufacture solar panels. >> reporter: now there are suspicions it has political connections were at least in important in securing its huge government loan. >> obama being there and everybody figured this company can't fail. >> reporter: peter colstad were among a thousand work laid off when it did fail.

>> all of the news coming out, you wonder where a lot of the money went. >> reporter: where the money went is undoubtedly what the fbi and department of energy investigators were looking for when they raided silindra last week and what their executives are asked when they are called exchange for a million dollars bail appears to have put

on hold by iran's judiciary. nasa unveiled plans for a huge new rocket that could eventually send astronauts to mars. the 320-foot tall rocket would be up to 20% more powerful than the saturn 5 that sent apollo astronauts to the moon but congress made balk at the cost. $18 billion just to reach the first test flight in 2017. later today, president obama awards the congressional medal of honor to a 23-year-old former marine from kentucky. dakota mier was serving in afghanistan in 2009 when he charged through heavy gunfire five times to save comrades a ambushed by the taliban. he saved 36 lives. late yesterday, myer and the president met pistly over a beer on the patio outside the oval outside. just ahead on the "morning news," a possible break in the cold case of missing utah mom susan powell. plus the backlash of extreme

couponing as stores make it harder for shopper . you're watching the "cbs morning news." and they come in these really cool cans. you want one? i'll wait a bit. all right. mm. refreshing.

is best absorbed in small continuous amounts. only one calcium supplement does that in one daily dose. citracal slow release... continuously releases calcium plus d for the efficient absorption my body needs. citracal. i'm a film star. well, i'm a film, left behind by a floor cleaner i thought was going to take me places. wait! now life is dull... darling! ♪ i believe in miracles [ male announcer ] swiffer attracts dirt. swiffer wetjet's new upgraded solution loosens and lifts off dirt to help prevent streaks and residue. and reveal more shine than a mop or your money back. you had me at "bzzzzz". we're taking silk soy milk and silk pure almond to your cereal bowl. i like it! most people prefer the taste of silk vanilla in their cereal over dairy milk and love that it has fifty percent more calcium than milk.

i think it's great. taste for yourself switch silk for milk in your cereal. more than 12 hours after a scaffold collapse halted northbound traffic from mexico, the border crossing from tijuana to san diego reopened early today. a scaffold fell on to more than a dozen cars late yesterday morning. 11 people were hurt and one seriously. technicians are examining a united airlines jet evacuated yesterday at washington's dulles airport when one of its engines caught fire. among those who slid down the boeing 757's emergency chutes was 78-year-old supreme court yesterday ruth bader ginsburg. no one was hurt. there may finally be a break in the search for a utah woman missing for nearly two years. human remains were found yesterday in a rugged area south of salt lake city. a medical examiner will

determine if they belong to susan powell who disappeared in late 2009. police say powell's husband has not cooperated in the investigation. in health news, the world health organization reports that drug resistant strains of tuberculosis are spreading rapidly in europe and it warns that thousands could die, unless health authorities move quickly to halt the pandemic. the european director says complacency has allowed tv's resurgence. on wall street, the stocks rebounded yesterday. ashley morrison has more in this morning's cbs news "moneywatch." a vote of confidence in its debt crisis. tokyo's nikkei added nearly 2%, while hong kong's hang seng gained a fraction. today, wall street gets the latest on the consumer prices and a week the jobless claim numbers. on wednesday, stocks finished higher. the dow gained almost 141 points, while the nasdaq was up 40. swiss banking giant ubs

announced this morning that unauthorized trading by an employee has caused an estimated loss of $2 billion. the bank says no customer money was affected, but the announcement caused their shares to plummet in overseas trading. foreclosure rates are soaring. the number of u.s. homeowners getting first default notice in august was up 33% from july, a nine-month high and largest monthly gain in four years. it appears banks are taking faster action against homeowners who fall behind in their payments. the united autoworkers union has extended its contracts with gm and chrysler after failing to meet a deadline. the contracts expired at midnight, but the sides have agreed to a one-week extension. the negotiations have little impact on the 71,000 workers. at part of their bailout in 2009, gm and chrysler employees had to agree not to strike over wages.

the first chinese made car is now available on the u.s. market. the all electric car retails for under $45,000. it's not all chinese made. the battery and some of the electronics are produced in l.a. the car will compete with the chevy volt and nissan leaf which are both cheaper. and extreme couponers beware. some chains are saying enough is enough! kroger, cvs, and target among others are cracking down on the coupon and craze and you can no longer double up or triple up on your savings. they say the coupon shoppers are clearing the shelves and leaving little for everybody else. betty, that explains why sometimes i go to the grocery tore store there is nothing there. >> i'm clipping the coupons for nothing apparently! ashley morrison in new york, thank you. new england patriots quarterback tom brady has complained for years

that patriots fans are just too quiet. but brady's idea to get the crowd pumped up this weekend raised some eyebrows. >> start drinking early! get nice and rowdy. it's 4:15 game. a lot of time to get lubed up and come out here and cheer for their home team. >> patriots officials tried to paper over the joke by saying, brady meant for fans to drink plenty of water, that is! straight ahead, your thursday morning weather. and in sports, hold on, honey. i have to grab this. a fan multitask flashing some leather in texas! >> he knows the cameras are on. >> he knows the cameras are i didn't understand it. i found out that connected to our muscles are nerves that send messages through the body. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia -- thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and less pain means, i can feel better

and do more of what matters. [ female announcer ] lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior, or any swelling or affected breathing or skin, or changes in eyesight, including blurry vision, or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. i found answers about fibromyalgia. then i found lyrica. ask your doctor about lyrica today. we're taking silk soy milk and silk pure almond to your cereal bowl. i like it! most people prefer the taste of silk vanilla in their cereal over dairy milk and love that it has fifty percent more

calcium than milk. i think it's great. taste for yourself switch silk for milk in your cereal. here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. time now for a check on the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows a new storm system pressing into the northwest. the plains are mainly clear. later today, chilly in the northern plains and even edging down south. and rain showers will hit the northeast and down into portions of the southeast. in sports, the philadelphia phillies clenched a spot in the baseball playoffs for the fifth straight year. the phils scored in the first as placido polanco singled to drive in the only run of the game in center field. roy halladay gave up only six hits and struck out seven in a

complete game shutout of houston, 1-0. with the score tied in the bottom of the 12th inning in seattle, the mariners luis rodriguez hit a solo home run off yankees corey wade. seattle edged new york 2-1. in chicago, sparks flew off detroit catcher alex avila's mask when he was hit with a pitch that was fouled off. but he was okay. and in the tenth, carlos guillen singled to bring in the go-ahead run. the tigers beat the white sox 6-5. and in texas, a rangers fan was on his cell phone in the first inning when he calmly reached out with his glove to catch a foul ball. he made it look easy, didn't he? the rangers josh hamilton hit a grand slam home run and texas beat cleveland 9-1. finally, some amazing video from youtube. an 8-year-old skateboarding phenom, evan doherty doing a 720-degree rotation on a ramp. all right, check this out.

he is the youngest person to ever make the two full circle jump. wow. some are even calling him the big "e" and considering him the future of extreme skateboarding. again, he is only 8 years old. when we return, another look at this morning's top stories. beware, bad manners! the etiquette police are hitting the streets of new york. wants to help make kids happy, one tummy at a time. because 9 out of 10 kids don't get the fiber they need. froot loops, apple jacks and frosted mini-wheats have good-for-you fiber in every yummy bowl. they're the cereals your kids love and the fiber their tummies love, which makes for a whole lotta happy. froot loops, apple jacks and frosted mini-wheats... a good source of fiber and made with whole grain. kellogg's makes fiber...fun! a good source of fiber and made with whole grain.

there's another way litter box dust:e purina tidy cats. tidy cats premium line of litters now works harder on dust. and our improved formulas neutralize odors better than ever in multiple-cat homes. so it's easier to keep your house smelling just the way you want it. purina tidy cats. keep your home smelling like home. gets the boot. the money issues behind it. and what's next for the reigning world series champs. campaign 20-12 heats up. a tea party favorite does breakfast in the bay area. and another candidate gets a boost from a famous billionaire. the pricetag for college.. could shoot up like a rocket. what a u-c education may cost in 4 years. running a marathon.. on a mcdonalds diet. the woman taking on the challenge. join us for cbs 5 early edition ,,,,

on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather. cooler temperatures are coming down into the central plains. rain showers with possible thunderstorms will move across the northeast. and down into portions of the southeast, heavy rains are in the forecast for colorado, new mexico, and texas. here is another look at this morning's top stories. republican presidential candidate rick perry met with billionaire businessman donald trump, hoping for trump's endorsement. trump said the meeting was excellent.

and foreclosure filings have hit a ninth-month high, up 33% in august, compared to july. apparently, banks are starting to move faster against homeowners who fall behind on their payments. you meet all kinds of people here in new york city. there is even one guy who is trying to convince other new yorkers to mind their manners. here is kathryn brown of our new york station, wcbs. >> reporter: out of the all of the signs on city streets, this one is getting more attention than most. pull up your pants, the sign reads, no one wants to see your underwear. it's a message brought to you by the metropolitan etiquette authority. not an official city agency but a one-man manner squad of sorts. >> you got kids walking around with their pants around their knees that are really tight and and they can't even walk. >> reporter: jason shellowitz says he is sick of the not so brief boxer baring trends and decided to hit the streets to bring attention to an issue that has already become

controversial. in 2009, official officials in paterson, new jersey, cracked down on baggy breeches with signs to people who wear them to criminals. but she willowitz is going a step further. he is also alerting people to other rude behaviors. his signs warn you not to drop cigarette butts and stop texting while walking. a small step, he hopes, will impact the city in a big way. >> kind of realized i tapped into something and if kind of same things most people are already thinking. if they just get people talking, then i think i've done my job. >> reporter: signs like this are illegal to put on city property but that is not stopping shellowitz who is planning to expand his crusade to other b r boroughs in new york city. an oregon couple trying to figure out how to use their web cam on youtube. it shows the couple trying to figure out how to use their web cam. >> look at the monkey.

>> did it capture? i put it on a capture. >> that's a pretty good monkey. >> okay. i don't think you got it. >> do it again. what does it say here? take a photo snapshot. okay. >> aaahh! hello, my darling, hello, my baby. >> the video has had more than a million hits on youtube. the huffmans say they still haven't figured out how the laptop works but they have having fun trying. this morning on "the early show," we will meet bruce and esther. i'm betty nguyen. this is the "cbs morning news." just one phillips' colon health probiotic cap a day helps defends against occasional constipation, diarrhea, gas and bloating. with three strains of good bacteria to help balance your colon.

you had me at "probiotic." [ female announcer ] phillips' colon health. we're taking silk soy milk and silk pure almond to your cereal bowl. i like it! most people prefer the taste of silk vanilla in their cereal over dairy milk and love that it has fifty percent more calcium than milk. i think it's great. taste for yourself switch silk for milk in your cereal.

american troops in afghanistan have been facing increased attacks in the eastern part of the country after the taliban was forced out of the towns in the south and one of those towns is safar bazaar.m?v

u.s. marines went in there to restore order. mandy clark returned there recently. >> reporter: a year ago, this is how the marines made it into town. safar bazaar was so full of home made bombs, the u.s. forces used rocket propelled explosives to blast their way in and once inside, they discovered more boobytraps. >> hey, is everybody all right? >> reporter: the bomb squads paid a high price. two killed, three seriously wounded. but the market was finally cleared. >> what is up? >> reporter: today, it's a short walk for the marines to get into town. the biggest problem now is the crowds. we got a tour from a young marine who the afghans called the little mayor of safar bazaar. 23-year-old corporal robert lamont of the marines. you feel safer with the friendships you've made? >> yeah. i can call through bazaar and now i feel safe.

i walk around, i'm pretty sure the guy will tell me, you're in danger, walk out. >> reporter: this is exactly how america begins its exit from afghanistan, convincing people that their families will be better off under the government than the taliban. it isn't working everywhere, but here there is real progress. how do you think it will change when the marines leave, the security? in every way, it's going to get worse, he says. this doctor is a pharmacist. he was here when the taliban used the market to sell opium and protected their turf with home made bombs. how was life before? >> there was no peace. there was these bombs. now the roads are clean. no bombs, no ieds. >> reporter: next month, there will be a change that will test the u.s. strategy. u.s. forces will be giving the leading role to the security to the afghan national army and the afghan national police. are you confident this will stay a safe place? >> i think after we leave for

the first month or two, they will have hardship. it's going to be almost a war again. but once the taliban realize that they are here to stay, then i think it's going to be back to normal. >> reporter: the question is are the afghan forces trained by the united states ready to do the job? that is the hope the entire american strategy in afghanistan is depending on. mandy clark, cbs news, safar bazaar. this morning, on "the early show," the latest into the investigation into the missing mother in utah, susan powell. after remains were found, we will hear from her father. and dakota meyer who received the medal of honor today at the white house, an interview with him. we will hear from ashton kutcher as he gets hit to make his debut on "two and a half men." that's the "cbs morning news" on this thursday. thanks for being here with us i'm betty nguyen. have a great day.

captioning funded by cbs -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com the "mystery spot". not a mammal in this household is willing to lay claim to its origin. we may never know. let that sink in, people. we may never know.