that are being clobbered by healthcare costs. and they ask me, can you help? >> applying direct pressure. president obama takes his case for healthcare reform to the american people. vaccine volunteers. tests begin in the fight against the h1n1 virus. plus measurian robinson on her role as first grandmother. >> i am glad to be taking care of them. so my life is wonderful. captioning funded by cbs good morning. thanks for joining us. i'm michelle guillen. president obama takes his push for healthcare reform to cleveland today where he'll visit a prominent hospital and hold a town hall meeting. during a news conference last night, mr. obama tried to rally support in congress and on main street. susan roberts is in washington with details. susan, good morning. >> reporter: it's a tall deal

for president obama selling healthcare reform at a time when the country is reeling from this economic recession. it's now up to the american people to decide if his pitch actually worked. president obama is not letting up on his fight to overhaul the nation's healthcare system. >> let me be clear. if we do not control these costs, we will not be able to control our deficit. >> reporter: after taking his message to the air waves last night, he'll continue pushing his plan this morning in ohio. he'll tour the cleveland clinic, a facility he says represents the type of change americans want to see. >> they've set up a system where patient care is the number one concern, not bureaucracy, what forms have to be filled out, what do we get reimbursed for? >> reporter: the president will also have a chance to hear concerns straight from the american people during a town hall meeting. the white house's mission is to have both houses of congress pass bills before heading home for the august recess. but that goal seems to be slowly slipping away.

>> this is too important to be rushed. we need to take our time and do it right. >> reporter: republicans have blasted the bill's trillion dollar price tag and won't save any money. they want time to hammer out a new plan. the president insists there's a good reason to hurry. >> i'm rushed because i get letters every day from families that are being clobbered by healthcare costs. >> reporter: while president obama is determined to get the job done soon, he also wants it done right. he's repeatedly vowed to only sign off on a bill that does not add to the nation's ballooning deficit. if you were looking for specifics last night, you might have been disappointed. many critics last night said the president was soft on his august deadline, how to pay for the reform, and also what it will entail. michelle? secretary of state hillary clinton says north korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons has left it without friends in the international community. clinton spoke this morning at an

asian security conference in thailand and said the international community is ready to impose strong sanctions. but the u.s. is willing to work with the north koreans. >> full normalization of relationships, a permanent peace regime, and significant energy and economic assistance are all possible in the context of full and verifiable denuclearization. >> this morning north korea said it would not re-enter the six-party talks aimed at ending its nuclear weapons program. vice president joe biden is in the former soviet republic of georgia this morning. he'll meet with georgia's president and opposition leader later today. georgia wants advanced u.s. arms and u.s. observers to monitor the cease fire along the border with russia. biden said the u.s. stands with georgia. one year ago russian troops overwhelmed the georgian military during a brief war. this morning they said they'll take concrete steps to keep georgia from rearming. they gathered in hailey, idaho, to show their support for

a soldier being held hostage in afghanistan. the vigil for private bowe bergdahl. >> to think about someone from our small town in idaho halfway across the world under those circumstances, we just want to show support for him and his family. >> bergdahl was shown if a video released last saturday. he was captured by the taliban earlier last month, five months after arriving in afghanistan. the national institutes of health is looking for a few thousand guinea pigs, volunteers to test the h1n1 vaccine. the so-called swine flu has infected more than 1 million people in this country and worldwide. it's killed more than 700. the first tests in this country should already begin next month. they've already begun in australia. dr. jennifer ashton reports. >> reporter: health officials have delivered the first shots against the battle against h1n1 in australia, where volunteers are lining up to become test cases for the new vaccine. >> people are dying from it. i'm happy to help out and help

everyone find a vaccine or cure. >> reporter: volunteers will soon be lining up in the u.s. as well. the government announced clinical trials of the vaccine will start in eight medical centers in early august. >> we're going to be working far into the night as other people in the laboratories to really get the answers that we need. this is really an intensive push. >> reporter: adults will be tested first. if it's safe, there will be tests on children who have been hit particularly hard by this virus. >> the questions are clear. one is is it safe, at least in the short term, and if so, what is the right dosage and number of doses? we need to ask that question in healthy young adults. we need to ask the question in elderly individuals. and we need to ask the question in children. >> reporter: answers should come within weeks. blood tests will show if the vaccine is effective. >> we'll have a good idea by measuring the anti-bodies on whether this vaccine is going to work. >> reporter: some question the government's track record. in 1976, the decision to

vaccinate 43 million people against a similar strain of flu backfired. the outbreak never materialized, and approximately 500 people suffered severe side effects. 25 died. >> we frankly don't know why there was that rare adverse event in 1976, and there's never a 100% guarantee that you're not going to see an adverse event now. >> reporter: so testing the safety and effectiveness of the new vaccine is a race against time to be ready by mid-october for the regular flu season. dr. jennifer ashton, cbs news, new york. on the "cbs money watch," stock markets in asia rallied this morning. claire leka is here in new york with details. >> good morning. foreign investors were in a buying mood in asia overnight. japan's benchmark nikkei soared. hong kong stocks soared 3%. the dow jones industrial average starts the day down 35 points. the tech heavy nasdaq was up 10. now, ford, the only one of the

big three u.s. automakers not to seek a federal bailout, released its second quarter earnings report today. we'll get some more clues on consumer and business spending when microsoft, at&t, u.s. airways and jet blue also roll out their quarterly earnings reports. a joking, smiling california governor arnold schwarzenegger appeared in an online video posted on tuesday wielding a giant knife. he also suggested he might even autograph some state cars being sold to raise money to help cash-strapped california. the video comes as the governor and lawmakers struggle to erase a $26 billion state deficit. the state senate and assembly are expected to vote today on a tentative budget plan. customers at a vista, california, jack in the box are sipping on drinks from a new soda machine fountain for the 21st century. this high tech device does all the mixing and pouring for you. the new machines can deliver about 100 different soda

beverages. coke is calling the new coca-cola freestyle, the ipod of drinking machines. the new self-serve fountains have been in development for nearly four years. michelle? >> i heard the competitors were trying to get inside the machine to figure out xwexactly how it works. that is so cool. >> it is cool. they're going to have a wider release across the country later on this year. >> claire leka in new york. as always, thanks. just ahead on the morning news, south carolina governor mark sanford hits the road again. plus caught on tape. that train wreck in san francisco that injured dozens over the weekend. women's 2o. the first complete women's multivitamin in a drink mix. with more calcium and vitamin d... to support bone and breast health... while helping you hydrate. one a day women's 2o. refreshingly healthy. it can be tough living with copd... but i try not to let it slow me down. i go down to the pool for a swim... get out and dance...

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to help you get the best price. how do you do that? with a touch of this button. can i try that? [ chuckles ] wow! good luck getting your remote back. it's all right -- i love this channel. shopping less and saving more. now, that's progressive. call or click today. discover a smoothie like no other! new activia smoothies. creamy, delicious, and above all, it contains bifidus regularis and is clinically proven to help regulate your digestive system. new activia smoothies. ♪ activiaaa! newly released security cam video shows just what happened when one commuter train rear-ended another at a stop in san francisco. the crash last weekend injured 48 people, 4 of them seriously. the moving train's 61-year-old driver says he blacked out

shortly before the crash. he was one of those seriously hurt. police in houston, texas, suspect two rival suburban gangs were involved in a drive-by shooting that wounded six people at a community rally. it happened last night in the parking lot of texas southern university. the event included a performance by a popular houston rapper. witnesses say gunmen opened fire from a car and the crowd panic. >> there were kids falling and hurting ourselves. all grown people falling over bikes and falling over kids and everything. >> one texas southern student was among the six victims. none suffered life-threatening injuries. there's a new development in the investigation of the massacre two years ago at virginia tech. the psychiatric records of gunman seung-hui cho have been missing until now. they were found at the campus' mental health clinic np in 2007, ten people were killed on the

virginia tech university campus by cho. then he killed himself. his records could provide vital clues to his mindset. jackson's death could result in a criminal investigation focused on the array of drugs jackson was taken. yesterday federal agents raided the houston clinic of dr. conrad murray. murray's lawyer says they seized computer files and 21 documents. his lawyer also says authorities believe the materials are "evidence of the offense of manslaughter." embattled south carolina governor mark sanford is traveling again. this time it's a family trip. sanford, his wife, and four sons caught a flight for london last night for a two-week vacation. last month he disappeared for almost a week while visiting an argentine mistress. sanford says this time he'll stay in touch with his office. straight ahead, your thursday morning weather. and in sports, nick green goes deep for the red sox. can they stave off the rangers sweep?

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plains and southwest. later today under sunny skies, the northwest will continue to sizzle. another round of evening storms can be expected across the southwest and more rain is in store for the northeast. in sports, some surprising sweeps were the order of the day. in arlington, texas, boston's nick greenbelted a solo shot in the third inning to put the red sox up 1-0. in the fourth inning, elvis andrus laid down a squeeze belt making it safely to first. the rangers swept the red sox with a 3-1 win. in kansas city, mike napoli came up in the top of the eighth and hit a two-run shot to pull the angels in a 6-6 tie with the royals. chone figgins hit a two-run double into left and the angels wrapped up a sweep of kc 9-6. in houston, yadier molina singled with a game tied at 1-1. they put the st. louis team up on top.

with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, miguel tejada's rbi single completed houston's three-game sweep 4-3. and with the game tied at 2 in the bottom of the sixth, manny ramirez belted a pinch-hit grand slam as the dodgers beat the reds 6-2. l.a. goes for a sweep tonight. when we return, more on president obama's fight for healthcare reform. and the first grandmother speaks out about life in the white house in a rare public appearance. diabetics on medicare! i'm a diabetic and i want you to know over 230,000 u.s. doctors have authorized their patients to receive their diabetic supplies through liberty medical. and that begins with the one touch®ultra2 meter. easy to use, fast results... at no additional cost! liberty helps keep you on track by delivering diabetic supplies to your door... and filing your claims. i never feel i'm going to run out of anything. with liberty i always have someone to talk to and now they refill all my prescriptions.

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on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather. showers and thunderstorms will be developing across the mid-atlantic states and northeast. rain will continue into the night. and the northwest will continue to bake under bright sunny skies.

during his news conference last night, president obama said one of the reasons that healthcare must be contained is that medicare and medicaid are the biggest driving force behind the federal deficit. joel brown has more. >> reporter: by design, president obama began his big primetime speech by laying out what he sees as the administration's successes so far in reversing the financial crisis. then he got to his greater point that true economic recovery can't come without overhauling healthcare. president obama made a primetime grab for the upper hand in the healthcare debate. >> we will pass reform that lowers costs, promotes choice, and provides coverage that every american with count on. and we will do it this year. >> reporter: with growing resistance in congress and many americans still on the fence, the president tied the need for comprehensive healthcare reform to the country's economic health. >> let me be clear. if we do not control these costs, we will not be able to control our deficit. >> reporter: but critics say the

legislation making its way through the house doesn't do enough to cut costs and will be more expensive in the long run. president obama is adamant he will not sign a prescription for reform that adds to the deficit. he contends that lawmakers will be able to find more cost savings as the bill moves forward. >> while they're currently working through proposals to finance the remaining costs, i continue to insist that health reform not be paid for on the backs of middle class families. >> reporter: the president highlighted areas where members of congress are already on the same page while defending the plan's contentious public insurance option. >> part of the reason we want to have a public option is to help keep insurance companies honest. >> reporter: critics contend the plan is too risky and rushed. the president said that's why he's keeping the pressure on. >> i'm rushed because i get letters every day by families being clobbered by healthcare costs. >> reporter: democrats in the house seem to think they have enough votes to get a healthcare bill through before the president's august 7th deadline, but the senate may only be able

to agree to continue talking after it gets back from its august 7th recess. joel brown, cbs news, the white house. america's first granny, also known as the president's mother in law, says she's enjoying a wonderful life. marian robinson appeared yesterday at a reading event for children. she reflected on her previous life in chicago and having her daughter wind up at the white house. >> that's an overwhelming feeling, especially when you come from the southside of chicago and your children went to public school. and they just led normal, everyday lives, willing to go to work and willing to do things, and she ended up marrying a person who lived the same kind of life that he did, but they both had great ambitions and they both had things they wanted to do to help the world. >> and she says she loves being

around her granddaughters, sasha and malia. >> my life is wonderful. i'm able to take care of my two grandchildren when their mother's busy -- and she is pretty busy these days. and i am glad to be taking care of them. so my life is wonderful. >> mrs. robinson was asked how much tv sasha and malia watch. she says they get one hour a day. that's how much i was allowed. this morning on "the early show" we'll talk about healthcare reform. we'll talk to senior adviser to the president david axelrod and get gop reaction from louisiana governor bobby jindal. i'm michelle guillen. this is the cbs morning news.

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good morning, everybody. it is thursday morning. another humid start to day. i'm in for don scott. he'll be back on monday. sharon is standing by with traffic and we're going to head in for him and -- tim and he is in for marty today. >> good morning, everyone. temperatures are in the low 70s and it is very humid. we do have showers moving across the region. some are you starting to make their way over toward the