one week ago, rick santorum pushes his conservative values as he works to upset native mitt romney in next week's michigan primary. to the rescue. euro zone leaders agree to give greece a second bailout worth $170 billion. and a survivor's story. a skier describes how she made it out alive from a deadly avalanche. >> so you are truly convinced that that saved your life? >> yes, i fully believe that my backpack saved my life. captioning funded by cbs good morning, everybody, and thanks for joining us. i'm betty nguyen. the michigan primary is just one week away. rick santorum is pressing social issues.

as he looks for an upset in mitt romney's home state, but romney with lots of money to spend has stepped up his attacks on santorum, and it appears to be working. a just released poll of likely republican voters in michigan find 37% support santorum, 33% romney, but that same poll had santorum with a 15-point lead last week. romney campaigns in michigan today and susan mcginnis is in washington with more on this. good morning, susan. >> good morning, betty. you can see that poll, the lead is shrinking, the two of them about neck and neck in michigan. with that primary next tuesday, it's making that contest the most interesting and important one so far. >> it's great to be at the heartland -- >> reporter: rick santorum was joined by his family at a campaign stop in grand rapids, michigan. >> we actually get a chance to spend some time together this week. >> reporter: santorum is leading in the polls and is talking like a front-runner.

he ignored his republican rivals, focusing his attacks on president obama. >> whose side is he on is the question. we need someone that's on your side. >> reporter: michigan is mitt romney's home state. with the primary just a week away, he's trying to convince voters that santorum is not the right candidate for the economy. >> i don't believe it's appropriate for us to keep raising the debt ceiling every year. he voted five times to raise the debt ceiling. >> reporter: romney has plenty of cash to help him catch up in the polls. his campaign raised $6.5 million last month. and a super pac supporting romney raised $6.6 million. mitt romney is healthy financially. in january, but the former house speaker remains far behind in the polls. gingrich is now promising voters he'll get gas prices down to between $2 and $2.50 a gallon if elected. >> why are gasoline prices so high?

>> reporter: ron paul is campaigning in north dakota. he continues to concentrate on caucus states, believing that will help him pick up delegates. tomorrow all the candidates are in arizona for a debate. arizona has its primary next tuesday. and, betty, it looks like people may really want -- this debate may be important because there hasn't been one in while, so some of that debate fatigue may be gone. >> all right, susan mcginnis in washington, thank you, susan. a group of more than 2,500 evangelical pastors have signed a letter to president obama asking him to reverse his birth control mandate. it requires that employees of religious-affiliated businesses receive birth control coverage. though most protestants do not oppose contraceptives, they call the mandate a violation of religious freedom. and in virginia a series of anti-abortion rights bills are likely to be passed by the state

legislature this week. hundreds of protesters demonstrated at the state capital monday. among the proposed law that women seeking an abortion get an invasive ultrasound and a personhood measure that gives embryos full legal rights. >> overseas nato is investigating what it calls the improper disposal of islamic religious materials. it took place at an airfield in afghanistan. the commander of the troops apologized in afghanistan saying it was not intentional. russia wants to send a u.n. envoy to syria while the red cross is trying to arrange a cease-fire. but this morning syrian forces are amassing outside of the city of homs, apparently in preparation for another assault. homs has been under attack for two weeks now. anti-government activists say at least nine people were killed yesterday. the red cross wanted to ship in emergency aid. senator john mccain told scott

pelley yesterday the u.n. should help rebels one way or the other. >> one of the ideas that's been floated is kind of a sanctuary that would allow people to train and equip. we don't need to do that directly, but i think there are ways to get arms to the resistance, and the turks in the arab league can play a very significant role. it's the same rationale why we went into bosnia. it's the same reason why we went to kosovo. it's the same reason why we've involved ourselves in other parts of the world on behalf of people who can't help themselves. two iranian warships docked at ports yesterday as they were warned about aiding opposition to the syrian government. on the "cbs moneywatch" the troubled greek economy gets some relief in the form of another major bailout. jennifer lewis hall is here in new york with that and so much more. good morning, jennifer. european financial leaders

reached a deal early this morning on a $170 billion rescue loan for greece. they came to the agreement following more than 12 hours of talks in brussels. without the loan greece was facing bankruptcy. the deal aims to lower greek debt to 120% of its gdp by the year 2020. but before any of the money is released, greece will have to adapt to dozens of unpopular reforms and spending cuts. it did little to excite investors overseas. asian markets were flat. the nikkei shed a quarter percent. the hang seng gained a quarter percent. trading resumes on wall street after being closed monday for presidents' day holiday. tl dow added nearly 150 points last week and is a little more than 50 points way from crossing the 15,000 mark. the nasdaq also had a strong showing last week. oil prices are at their highest level in nine months. benchmark crude is trading at close to $105 a barrel. in october it was $75 a barrel. analysts are concerned higher

fuel costs could slow down the economic recovery in the united states. a new poll by bankrates.com finds nearly half of all americans are carrying more credit card debt than they have in emergency savings. the survey also found nearly a third of americans say they feel less secure about their finances than they did a year ago. and how about a hamburger that's grown in a lab? a science test is working toward creating meat from animal stem cells and other materials. farm animals like the idea because if it works it might save them from the slaughterhouse. experts say it could be the answer to solving world hunger. the scientist said his first manmade burger could be ready by the end of the year. what do you think of that, betty? >> yeah. i'm going to let that one slide on past me. i don't think i'm going to be chomping on one of them. jennifer lewis hall in new york. thank you, jennifer.

coming up on the morning news, a live report from new orleans where mardi gras celebrations are gearing up this morning. this is "cbs morning news." it just wouldn't go away. 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 for some people, it can work in as early as the first week of treatment. so now i can plan my days and accomplish more. 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. with less pain, i'm feeling better now that i've found lyrica. ask your doctor if lyrica is right

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dove cleansers rinse cleaner than soap. wow. just look at that. amazing colors, costumes, and floats in rio de janeiro last night. it was the city's final night for carnival and the samba schools pulled out all the stops. about 80,000 people turned out to watch. well, this carnival celebration in northern italy was a bit more violent. it's the battle of the oranges, and it's supposed to represent the fight against tie ranee. about 500 tons of fruit are shipped in for the occasion. that can make a lot of orange juice. here in the united states the mardi gras is about to get louder. leading the festivities with one of the biggest parties in the world is, of course, in new orleans. karen brown is there in the

heart of it all on bourbon street. the party does not stop, does it, karen? >> reporter: no, betty, it does not stop. most of these people you see behind me have not gone to bed. you see a lot more teenagers. that's because the new curfew is in place requiring anybody 16 and younger have to be with a guardian. a quarter of the arrests have been curfew-related. but so far city officials say this mardi gras has been one of the best in years. it's a party in the streets of new orleans. thousands are lining the parade routes, enjoying the music, and catching the beads. revelers who came out monday night even got a few celebrity sightings at the orpheus parade. harry connick jr., bret michaels, and cyndi lauper rode on some of the elaborate floats. >> cyndi lauper threw me these beads. that is fact. >> reporter: the carnival season

is a tradition in new orleans. evelyn ruffian has been coming to the party for 51 years. >> it's a big party, a party that never ends. >> reporter: well after the parades are over the crowds continue to fl bourbon street where you can tell the bars are open all night long. local officials believe that hundreds of thousands very new orleans for mardi gras. >> everybody's having a great time. that's mainly what it is. >> reporter: police are patrolling the streets to make sure the partying doesn't get out of control. >> there's a lot of camaraderie. there's a lot of, unfortunately, drunken camaraderie, but it is fun. >> reporter: it's a big boost for business. al new tulane university study estimates mardi gras injects more than $144 million into the local economy, and it all builds up to fat tuesday, the last day for the parades and parties before this celebration gives way to lent at moment. midnight. all right. and you're taking a live look down bauer bon street. you can see hundreds of

thousands of people still pouring into the french quarter. tourism is actually on the rise here in new orleans. last year they brought in $5 billion on, and they expect the first quarter of this year to be one of their best ever. that's because they hosted the bcs championship. they're also going to be hosting the ncaa final four, and, of course, this mardi gras, where i am told that most of the hotels are completely sold out. betty. >> that's a much needed boost to the economy. nice beads you've got there karen. having fun down there in new orleans. have a great time. straight ahead, your tuesday morning weather, and in sports linsanity meets reality as the nets school phenom knicks' jeremy lin. nets school phenom knicks' jeremy lin. rbucks coffee. brian hayes. i'm a master roaster at starbucks coffee. sitting right here we have 40 years of roast experience. how can we use that and do more with it? new starbucks blonde roast was created to increase the offerings that we can give to our customers. [ anderson ] we decided that we would take our experience

and apply it to the lighter, mellower, more subtle side of the bean. it's for the person who always wished that starbucks had a roast like this. [ hayes ] they're gonna love it. i mean, it's a fantastic blend.

here's a look at today's forecast for some cities around the country. new york, some sun, 50 degrees. miami, partly sunny, 77. chicago, snow and rain, 42. dallas, patchy clouds, 71, and l.a., a sunny 73. let's get a check of your national forecast now. light snow, rain, and thunderstorms will move across the midwest. it will be dry from the south all the way up to new england. expect winds gusting to 30 miles an hour from north texas to the appalachians. and rain and heavy mountain snow will hit the northwest with strong winds reaching 60 miles san hour in parts of the rockies.

in sports jeremy lin and the high-flying new york knicks get another taste of reality. lin had a good game against the nets scoring 21 with nine assists, but he couldn't stop deron williams. williams drained eight three-pointers, ending with a season-high 38 points, to lead new jersey over the knicks, 100-92. this was the knicks' second loss in ten games since lin joined the lineup. in chicago derrick rose is back and would not be denied, driving hard against the hawks. he scored 23 points and had six assists. rose missed last five games because of back problems. chicago takes down atlanta, 90-79. and can you believe it, the boys of summer are already back at it for spring training. that's superstar slugger albert pujols in arizona there. he's wearing the red of the angels instead of the cardinals. the nine-time all-star left st. louis just after they won the world series. he signed with l.a. for a whopping $240 million over the next ten years. when we return, an adventure turned tragedy. a survivor of a deadly avalanche

speaks out about her narrow escape from a massive snow slide that killed three of her friends. her friends. so we made ocean spray cranberry juice cocktail with a splash of lime. it's so refreshing, your taste buds will thank you. mm... oh, you're welcome. what? my taste buds -- they're thanking me. uh-huh. one chance to hunt down the right insurance at the right price. the "name your price" tool, only from progressive. ready, aim, save!

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here's a look at today's forecast for some cities around the country. washington, d.c., breezy, 54. atlanta, partly cloudy, 64. detroit, rain and snow, 44. denver, partly sunny, 48, and seattle, 54 degrees. the survivor of a deadly avalanche is speaking out. she and her friends took to the slopes in washington state on sunday when suddenly the earth moved. bill whitaker spoke with her about those terrifying moments. >> reporter: elise saugstad was enjoyed a day of skiing in pristine backcountry with eight friends, all expert skiers, when

suddenly the snow started to shift beneath her. >> you didn't really hear anything, and my partner to the right of me started screaming, elise, avalanche, elise, avalanche. at that time i was the one being swept in. >> reporter: are you tumbling? are you being thrown about by the power of the snow? >> yes, you are. most definitely. it feels like you're being tossed in washing machine. it's all light. you're not sure what's up and down. >> reporter: it through her2,000 feet in 30 seconds. did you feel at any time you were not going to make it out of this? >> yes, i definitely had the fear that this could be the way i ended. >> reporter: so you are truly convictioned that that saved your life? >> yes. i fully believe that my backpack saved my life. >> reporter: this is video of the airbags being deployed by a snowboarder during an avalanche in colorado earlier this month.

saugstad deployed hers as soon as she felt the snow shift. the airbags kept her head above the churning snow. >> it literally felt like i was in cement. >> reporter: nearby three of her friends with buried under the snow and died. john brenan, chris rudolph and former professional skier jim jack. >> once the first person came to rescue me and we unburied me, others started to show up in the rescue search and we started finding the other bodies immediately. it was very shocking to know that the person -- one of the victims that we found was literally three feet to my left. it's actually hard to discuss. >> reporter: they did not have the backpack? >> they did not have that lunch backpack. >> reporter: every year in the u.s. about 30 people die in avalanches. elise saugstad says she feels

lucky not to be one of the grim statistics. bill whitaker, cbs news, stevens pass, washington. >> lucky indeed. investigators are trying to figure out why a small plane collided with a helicopter sunday evening in the skies over northern california. both the helicopter and small plane made emergency landings. both pilots escaped with minor injuries. the pilot of the plane said he concentrated on landing safely. >> you just assess the plane and whether the engine's running, what happened, talk to air traffic control, make sure they know what's going on, figure out where you're going to land. that's the important part. >> there are about 12 mid air collisions every year right here in the u.s. well, coming up after your local news on "cbs this morning," a promising new weight loss drug under consideration by the fda. and poet maya angelou's advice to her teenaged self. that's going to be interesting. i'm betty nguyen. this is the "cbs morning news." self. that's going to be interesting. i'm betty nguyen. this is the "cbs morning news." -my toes know. -my shoulders know.

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in california, parent fed up with fng in california, parents fed up with failing schools are taking matters into their own hands. a controversial new state law allows them to take over a school that is not meeting their standards, and as ben tracy reports, that law could be a model for the rest of the country. >> reporter: doreen diaz's 11-year-old daughter had to repeat fifth grade this year because she was reading at a second grade level. >> she wasn't learning. it came to the point where she would cry every day before she came to school. she didn't want to come to school. >> reporter: her school, desert trails school in adelanto, california, is one of the worst performing schools in the state. more than two-thirds of sixth graders here are not proficient in math, so doreen diaz and other parents are using a law

taken from a local school district. if a majority of parents agree they can use the so-called parent trigger law to close the failing school, change its staff, or turn it into a charter school, publicly financed or privately run. there are now similar laws in at least three other states. armed with 280 signed petitions the parents in addelanto are demanding the school hire a principal of their choosing, one with greater authority to hire and fire teachers. current principal david mobley has only been on the job for four months. he wanted more time to fix things it's learning how to work within the system, and that's my job as the administrator, work the system, make sure you're getting quality in every classroom. and as far as can i make that happen overnight? no. it's going to be a process. >> reporter: this is only the second time parents here in california have used this law to try to take over a public school. they did it at this school here in compton about a year ago, but it's turned into a long and ugly court battle.

parents at mckinley elementary signed a petition to turn their failing public school into a charter, but a judge said the petition was invalid because the signatures were not dated. the compton parents are appealing. >> your children are supposed to be first, and so is their education. >> reporter: back at desert trail, the parents have been negotiating with school officials for nearly six weeks now. if they don't reach an agreement, an outside group of educators will help the parents convert the school into a charter run in part by parents themselves. >> they thought we lost our right to speak for our children. well, no. we're taking back that right to speak for our children. >> reporter: diaz knows parents in other states are watching to see if they succeed. ben tracy, cbs news, los angeles. coming up after your local news on "cbs this morning," an update from michigan a week before the primary. we'll have a live interview with newt gingrich on the future of his campaign. plus, we'll hear from pat buchanan about the latest

controversy surrounding his new book. grammy award-winning violinist joshua bell stops by. and what advice would all pulitzer prize winner maya angelou give to herself? we're going to hear all about that a little later on "cbs this morning." that's going to do it for "kr b s morning news" on this tuesday. thanks for watching. i'm betty nguyen. have a great day. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

your realtime captioner is linda marie macdonald. it is hard to manage. >> skyrocketing prices at the pump. what's behind the the surge and how high prices could get. stunning