taxes return. mitt romney can't seem to escape questions about his income tax filings. but he says he's still not releasing them. >> the fascination with taxes i paid i find to be very small-minded compared to the broad issues that we face. insect assault. facing the worst outbreak of the west nile virus. dallas begins aerial spraying of insecticides. heroes on the highway. good samaritans come to the rescue of a woman and her disabled sister are pinned rescue of a woman and her disabled sister are pinned inside a burning vehicle. captioning funded by cbs this is the "cbs morning news" for friday, august 17, 2012. good morning everybody. happy friday. good to be with you. i'm terrell brown. mitt romney will try to get back on message today after dealing with more talk of his tax returns. it's one of the recurring side issues in campaign 2012. democrats jumped on his refusal

to release no more than two years of his tax records. there have been unsubstantiated charges and counter charges and attacks on character and in an unscripted moment, romney offered new details. into his personal finances. susan mcginnis starts us off with more. susan, good morning. >> good morning terrell. romney did throw a number out there. but it won't satisfy some. who keep on asking why won't he release more than just the two years of returns. it's a question that is not going away. mitt romney pulled out the dry erase board thursday for an impromptu lesson on the differences between his medicare plan and the president's. >> which of these two do you think is better, going bankrupt or being solvent? >> while he wanted to talk medicare, he couldn't get away from the question that's been daunting him for months. why won't he release more of his income tax returns? >> given the challenges that america faces, 23 million people out of work, iran about to

become nuclear, one out of six americans in poverty. the fascination with taxes i paid i find to be very small minded compared to the broad issues that we face. >> romney was asked during his trip to israel to tell the lowest rate he ever paid in taxes, he said then he could go back and look. this time he had an answer. >> i did go back and look at my taxes and over the past ten years i never paid less than 13%. democrats hinted that romney's refusal to release more than two years of his tax returns must mean he's hiding something. on thursday, romney again disputed senate majority leader harry reid's charges that according to a source he paid no taxes during some years. harr reid's charge is totally false. i'm sure waiting for harry to put up what he said told him what they told him. >> the obama campaign issued a statement saying, since there is substantial reason to doubt his claims, we have a simple message for him. prove it.

>> president obama has released his tax returns for the years since 2000 and the obama's paid 20.5% in federal income taxes in 2011, terrell. susan mcginnis in washington for us this morning. have a good weekend. mitt romney's wife ann said during an nbc interview there will be no more tax returns released because democrats will never be satisfied. >> the more we release, the more we get attacked, the more we get questioned and pushed. and so we have done what's legally required and there's going to be no more tax releases given. >> ann romney also had a quote real scare from a flare-up over multiple sclerosis. she was diagnosed in 1998. the flare-up occurred in march. started feeling tingling and dizziness. she said it was from the stress and statutory rape of the campaign. paul ryan admits he did lobby the government for millions of dollars in stimulus money. ryan voted against the stimulus and twice denied he requested grant money pour his home state wisconsin.

ryan said he had for gotten his office asked for money for two energy companies. president obama's team picked a stand-in for romney. when vice president biden prepares for the debate. cbs news confirmed that chris van holland will double for ryan he's the ranking democrat on the house budget committee. the vice presidential debate will be held thursday, october 11th. a ruling by a federal court has given florida voters four extra days to cast their ballots. last year the florida legislature cut the number of early voting days from 12 to 8. late yesterday a u.s. district court ruled the law cannot apply to five counties because of the potential impact on minority voters. the court said the reduction in early voting days would make it materially more difficult for some minority voters to cast their ballots. >> this morning an afghan police officer killed two u.s. troops. the sixth such incident in two weeks. it follows a claim from the taliban's leader that its

fighters infiltrated police and army. in an e-mail yesterday, he said afghan security forces were assisting taliban fighters to kill foreign troops and carry government weapons back to taliban bases. so far this year, 36 foreign troops have been killed by militants disguised in afghan uniforms. meanwhile, the taliban said it shot down a nato helicopter in southern afghanistan yesterday. seven american service members were killed in the crash. four afghans were also killed. nato is not sure why the blackhawk went down. good news and bad news on the worst drought this nation has seen in decades. a just released forecast from the federal government says the drought will continue at least through november in the mid section of the nation and parts of some mountain states. conditions aren't expected to get worse and may improve in the southwest and upper midwest. all that hot, dry weather created ideal conditions for mosquitoes to breed and spread the west nile virus, the worst outbreak is in dallas. the city started spraying from the air last night. something it hasn't done in 45 years. edward lawrence reports.

>> low-flying airplanes buzzed the city of dallas last night spraying insecticides that the city hopes will take out a deadly pest. this is the enemy. mosquitoes which can carry the deadly virus. 43 states reported cases. in texas alone, there have been 465 infections and 17 deaths. the hot, dry weather has sped up the mosquitoes life cycle which speeds up the way the virus replicates. aerial spraying has been used in other states like massachusetts. but dallas residents are divided over whether it's the right answer. >> i think we get rid of the -- obviously causing a lot of -- i'm all for it. >> it can't work. the spraying from air can't get to some of the places the main places where these mosquitoes are. >> dallas has already sprayed along the ground and beekeepers say the insecticide killed at least one hive of honeybees as well.

they really do look like they've been through a neurotoxin. it's not a pretty sight. >> it's human lives the city is looking to save. bug expert say this may be the best shot. >> you can bring down that transmission rate, kill that mosquito population. you can greatly reduce the chances of transmitting this virus to humans. >> the aerial spraying will cost dallas county $1 million. edward lawrence for cbs news. the drought and heat triggered a record breaking wildfire season. late yesterday the governor of oregon authorized use of national guard helicopters to fight the fires. some residents of washington chagsed from their homes were allowed to return. the taylor bridge fire destroyed at least 70 homes. was on the verge of consuming this home. firefighters beat back the flames and even though everything was destroyed around it, the house wasn't touched. south african police killing more than 30 striking workers at a platinum mine. a warning, some of the video you'll see is graphic. the mine, northwest of

johannesburg has been at the center of a violent pay dispute. it started a week ago. witnesses say the miners were armed with clubs and machetes. and rushed the police yesterday. police are investigating. >> wikileaks founder julian assange was granted asylum by ecuador. he has been living in britain trying to avoid extradition to sweden to face allegations of sexual assault. he gained notoriety for making public a trove of u.s. diplomatic and military secrets on the internet. it cannot guarantee assange safe passage out of the country. coming up, dramatic rescue on the side of a highway. nearly two dozen motorists stopped to help two women trapped inside a burning suv. this is the morning news. [ loud party sounds ]

hi, i'm new ensure clear... clear, huh? i'm not juice or fancy water. i've got nine grams of protein. that's three times more than me! [ female announcer ] new ensure clear. nine grams protein. zero fat. in blueberry/pomegranate and peach. race car driver has gone where only some new york commuters have dreamed. zipped through the lincoln tunnel that connects new york to

new jersey at more than 190 miles per hour wednesday. that's how ashley morrison gets to work in the morning. he made the trip in under a minute. that's awesome. if you've ever been here, you know that it's a nightmare there. for traffic. group of drivers in mississippi played the part of heroes. 15 to 20 passing motorists when they saw a wrecked burning suv on the side of the interstate. a woman and her disabled sister were trapped inside. the rescuers doused the flames with the hose from a cement truck and used crowbars to pry the doors open. it took about ten minutes and was mostly over by the time authorities arrived. the driver was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition. her sister suffered minor injuries. cbs "moneywatch" time on a friday morning. facebook stock takes a tumble. would you give up your mobile phone for a discounted meal? ashley morrison with those stories and more. >> you know my answer there. good morning, terrell. overseas markets rose after germany's chancellor backed the european central bank's efforts to contain the debt crisis.

the nikkei added 1% and the hang seng also rose nearly 1%. facebook stock gets another black eye. early investors got a chance to sell on thursday since the social network and site went public last may. shares closed just under $20 per share, down about half of t initial offering price. they are disillusioned with facebook's planned to reverse slowing revenue. cisco, the largest maker of computer networking equipment jumped about 4.5%. that beat wall street expectations. cisco will raise quarterly dividends 75%. shares surged 10% thursday on the dow. that led wall street's rally. the dow jones industrial average gained more than 85 points, while the nasdaq was up 31 points. >> walmart posted mixed results. the largest retailer reported a 5.7 increase in income. walmart stock fell 3% thursday when it said the economic slowdown here and abroad is hurting sales.

fewer americans are filing for unemployment benefits. the labor department said applications rose by just 2,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 366,000. the number of people applying for weekly unemployment benefits has declined in the past two months suggesting the economy may be rebounding. a los angeles restaurant has come up with a way to bring a human touch to dining. it's offering customers a 5% discount when they leave their cell phone with the staff. now, the idea to get diners to have a face to face conversation rather than talking on the cell phone. about half of the customers have taken advantage of the discount and terrell, i just don't think i could do it. >> no. you have to throw in a free appetizer, extra biscuits and rolls. give me more food, then we'll talk. then you get so angry when i don't text you right back. >> i know. have a good weekend, ash. take care. appreciate it. up next, your weather forecast and in sports, a long

ball that didn't go far enough. or did it? we'll leave it up to the umps to decide when we come back. this is the morning news. umps to decide when we come back. this is the morning news. with sauteed onions and peppers, served with soup or salad. lunch break combos, starting at 6 bucks. enjoy them with friends, because a lunch together feeds the friendship. hgotta start the day off right. wardrobe. cute. then new activia breakfast blend.

a great way to help start the day. mmm... creamy lowfat yogurt with grains in yummy breakfast flavors, like apple cinnamon. its hearty, with twice the protein of regular lowfat yogurt and helps regulate your digestive system. our morning routines are important, aren't they? new activia breakfast blend. here's a look at here's a look at the forecast in some cities around the country. new york, afternoon thunderstorms, 88. miami, same deal, 90 degrees. mostly sunny skies in chicago, 76. partly sunny in dallas, 98. partly sunny in los angeles, 89 degrees. let's check your national forecast. a cold front expected to bring showers and severe thunderstorms to parts of the northeast today.

stormy weather continues in the upper ohio valley and kentucky before cooler, drier weather moves in. severe thunderstorms are expected from western north carolina to the lower mississippi valley. most of the west, hot and dry. in sports, a sad night at a ballpark in toronto. the game between the blue jays and the white sox was delayed after a fan went into cardiac arrest. players watched as the man was carted off the field. he later died at the hospital. as for the game, the white sox hit five home runs including back-to-back homers. chicago wins that one, 7-2. in anaheim, the rays smash off a pitch over the wall. he circled the bases but angels manager mike sosa argues the call. the umps say the ball hit a fan and a railing. they ruled it a home run. tampa bay gets a home run from b.j. upton in the fourth and another from evan longoria in the fifth. that's enough for david price to secure his league leading 16th victory. the rays win it 7-0. two nfl pre-season games on the schedule last night.

atlanta hosting cincinnati. bengals quarterback andy dalton reaches back and throws one deep to green. will he catch it? yes slam a 50-yard score. cincinnati wins it 24-19. are you getting pumped up? football season is here. aaron rodgers is. reigning mvp. leading the packers against the browns. rodgers throws to jordy nelson who makes a leaping grab. in the end zone for the touchdown. that was all the excitement for green bay fans. cleveland wins this one. 35-10. when we come back, phony footwear. authorities seize millions of dollars worth of counterfeit high heels. takes counterfeit high heels. i've got nine grams of protein. that's three times more than me! [ female announcer ] new ensure clear. nine grams protein. zero fat. in blueberry/pomegranate and peach. like the elephant on my chest... he thought he was having a heart attack. she said, "take an aspirin, we need to go to the hospital."

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here's a look at the weather in some here's a look at the weather in some cities. in d.c., afternoon thunderstorms, 90 degrees. atlanta, same deal, 92. partly sunny skies in st. louis, 78. denver, 82 degrees. seattle sunny, 94 degrees.

top stories now on a friday morning. mitt romney says he paid at least 13% of his income in federal taxes every year for the last decade. the obama campaign has been pushing romney to release more than just the last two years in his tax returns. romney says that is not going to happen. last night for the first time in 45 years, the city of dallas starting aerial spraying of insecticide to get rid of mosquitoes. dallas has had the worst outbreak of west nile virus. 10 people died and hundreds of others ill. a horse and carriage ride in new york turned into a frightening ordeal. the horse bolted from the carriage and ran through the streets thursday before police caught up with it. two tourists were thrown from the carriage. one tourist and carriage driver were also hurt. i'm surprised this doesn't happen more often. authorities say the horse was frightened by the heavy traffic. federal agents confiscate thousands of pairs of counterfeit designer shoes. in los angeles. they were knock-offs produced overseas and come with a trademark style.

teresa garcia reports. >> they look like louie vuittons, but they're not. >> they're not too bad. as i understand, they're not the greatest but better than some of the counterfeits we've seen. >> customs officials seized five shipments of the fancy footwear and brought them here in long beach to this warehouse. the shoes have made in china stickers and the brand names are different. but they do have red soles which violates the french designer's trademark. >> it's someone else's property. goes down to the loss of sales taxes on these types of things. it's not a victimless crime. >> louie vuittons are popular among the rich and famous. the cast of sex and the city added to their allure. a pair can cost more than a thousand dollars. there are more than 20,000 pairs of the luxury knock-offs here. custom officials say this many real louie vuittons would be worth $18 million. >> some could have gone to smaller retail outlets, maybe

flea markets or to unauthorized distributors. >> these shoes will never be worn. officials plan to destroy the illegal goods. teresa garcia, cbs news, long beach, california. i know a lot of folks that would want those shoes. ashley. it appears even a superhero like iron man can get hurt. robert downey, jr., injured his ankle performing a stunt during the filming of iron man 3 in north carolina. the injury will cause a short delay in the movie's production schedule while he recovers. iron man 3, in case you're curious, is due out next year. coming up, why renting rather than owning your home may be bad for your allergies. i'm terrell brown. happy friday. this is the morning news. this is the morning news. ñ mmmm, just how satisfying is every spoonful

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a nonprofit organization in florida has been helping tens of thousands of sick children make their dreams come true. mark strassmann introduces us to one volunteer there who spent two decades giving hope and joy to these kids who need it the most. >> joe koch retired as a philadelphia mailman in 1989. but three days a week he still delivers gifts for children who need reason to smile. the 84-year-old has volunteered for nearly 20 years at give kids the world. >> you've spent how many hours here over the years? >> well, over 20,000 now. >> okay. that's a full-time job for about ten years. >> yeah. >> give kids the world is a charity resort that houses sick kids and their families while they visit orlando's theme parks free of charge. last year, more than 7,000

families came here for what is too often their last vacation together. volunteers like koch try to give them the best week of their lives. >> things that happen where the children never open their eyes or never even talk until they came here. i mean, it's a miracle. it's like a miracle place. >> 11 years ago, alyssa came to the resort. she had been in hospice care with stage 3 kidney cancer. this is alyssa today. >> right when my parents got the news that i was diagnosed, i saw them cry really, really hard. that was really hard. >> and what did you find here that made such a difference to you? >> everything. >> at give kids the world, alyssa got her wish to be a different princess every day. >> want to high five. >> she's now 14 and cancer-free. >> i wasn't talking, walking, nothing.

and right when i went to the opening to the gates of give kids the world, i was running and i was laughing. my parents thought, wow, maybe this will make us better. >> and it did? >> it did. >> alyssa is now one of nearly 50,000 volunteers who kept this place running. joe koch has spent more time here than any of them. the volunteering to you is the right way to spend the retirement? >> yes. it's worth keeping me alive. >> hope is the real magic medicine here. hope and ice cream for breakfast. >> there you go. >> mark strassmann, cbs news, kissimmee, florida. that's where we'll leave it this friday morning. before we go, after your local news on "cbs this morning," the latest on the race for the white house as mitt romney tackles medicare and his taxes. we'll get reaction from republican wisconsin governor scott walker. plus, gun sales across the country are at record highs. we'll see what's behind the increase and andy grammar stops by studio 57.

at and more a little later on "cbs this morning." that is the "cbs morning news" for this friday. happy friday everybody. have a great weekend. appreciate you watching as always. i'm terrell brown. take care. i'm terrell brown. take care. have a great day. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

we are on the scene of some breaking news right now in san francisco. we are in the city's excelsior