poll patrol. marines battling bombs and booby traps in afghanistan two days before a key election. race against time. the struggle to produce enough vaccine to head off the swine flu disaster. and dna debunked. science throws a monkey wrench into crime scene investigation. captioning funded by cbs good morning. thanks for joining us. i'm michelle guillen. we begin with afghanistan. now two days before a vital presidential election. taliban rockets hit this morning near the presidential palace in kabul. no one was hurt. also, nato says it's halting

offensive operations during the election to protect the population. but fighting goes on. another american was killed yesterday, the 22nd so far this month. president obama calls winning the war in afghanistan fundamental to defending the american people, but for the u.s. marines there, the line to victory is lined with deadly homemade bombs. >> reporter: this is what constitutes a normal patrol in helmand. watch the white van. if there is a constant in this phase of the afghanistan conflict, it's the ever-present danger of improvised bombs, ieds, they're everywhere. we joined one of the many marine patrols looking to keep roadways open. the taliban rarely stand and fight here, but they lay bombs across the region.

ahead of the vehicles, mine sweepers scour the ground for the telltale whine of metal objects. >> we got this one sweeper right here. he's all set for the one in the front. sweep on the right side of the road looking for any metal hits or anything we've got. got the guy up in front doing the same thing. metal detectors interfere with each other. so he's in front doing it. we've got guys in the brush loobing for command wire, battery packs, anything like that. there's also on the back side of the wall, where the people are up there looking, they're on the back side of the wall looking for the same thing. >> reporter: foot patrols of rifle companies do the same. moving through the lush but baking hot farmlands of the green zone where the rivers run are the hiding places of the taliban. they pass through small villages, along roads where previous ied strikes have left craters in the earth. it's often impossible for the soldiers to know where the bombs are hidden. the sergeant map reading on the

bridge is three feet away from a 40-pound bomb hidden beneath the surface. he's blissfully unaware. >> we found a pressure plate. it was basically on a little -- on one of the little crossings on a culvert. they've been known to hide them inside the culverts. pressure plate is probably about two feet wide. they're pulling it out right now. they found the battery source in there, and they pulled that out as well. >> reporter: and you walked straight across it? >> yeah. >> reporter: so this is a good day? >> yeah. three of us walked across it. >> reporter: every british, every american soldier on patrol in helmand today, every day for that matter, faces a simple dilemma. where will i put my next step? it's very wearing. >> ground is soft underneath it, dude. >> reporter: the bombs spread across farmland. the local population will continue to suffer from this terrible legacy of war for years to come. the searching does work, of course.

hundreds of bombs have been uncovered in helmand, but the ratio of mine strikes to mine finds across the region is 50-50, and those are not great odds. but in an insurgent warlike this, the danger from ieds is a certainty. every single soldier knows it. they can only pray they're not next. sky news, helmand. forecasters are keeping a wary eye on hurricane bill, a storm that's getting bigger in the atlantic. bill strengthened to a category 2 overnight. it's expected to become a major hurricane with winds topping 110 miles per hour. bill is forecast to pass west of bermuda later this week, but it's too early to say if it will turn towards the east coast. on the "cbs money watch" stocks in asia moved higher this morning. claire leka is here in new york. >> that's right, michelle. asian stocks stabilized overnight after the previous day's sell-off. shanghai stocks rebounded 1.5%

from yesterday's 6% drop. on wall street, the stock market will try to pick up the pieces after its worst slide in nearly two months. but investors remain on edge following recent reports about a still sluggish consumer, which would slow any economic recovery. the dow jones industrial average begins the day down 186 points. the tech heavy nasdaq lost nearly 55. today we get a key report on new home construction which has increased in four of the past five months, after tumbling to a post-war record low. many economists believe housing, which led the economy into recession, may be one of the forces that helps to pull it out of the ditch. and we'll find out if inflation remains under control with the latest figures on consumer prices. and a day after lowe's reported weak earnings, rival home depot rolls out results before the start of trading. target will also report results. now to what the government says

is the largest case of credit and debit card theft ever in this country. a federal grand jury has indicted albert gonzalez on charges he hacked into the computer networks of seven/11 and four other companies to get the results of an account. gonzalez was once an informant to the secret service and was already behind bars awaiting trial on another hacking case. the obama administration put more manpower into filing the paperwork from 350 people to 1,100. dealers have submitted rebates worth $6 billion for more than 390,000 fuel efficient cars sold. and former house majority leader tom delay will be along this season's "dancing with the stars." delay, a republican, who earned the nickname the hammer for

keeping lawmakers in line served as house majority leader from 2003 to 2005. michelle? >> claire, thank you. claire leka here in new york. just ahead on the morning news, a shortfall in the supply of the h1n1 vaccine. plus alarming news about dna testing. why it might not be as reliable as you may think. first, maggie rodriguez has a preview of tonight's "cbs evening news." >> critics say there's a hidden flaw in healthcare reform. a shortage of 16,000 primary care doctors in the u.s. if more people get insurance coverage, will that mean longer waits at the doctor's office and even less access for everyone? tonight only on the "cbs evening news."

it's almost back to school time for kids in most parts of the country, and in other parts, classes have already started. and that has health officials worried because there may not be enough flu vaccine to go around. susan roberts is in washington with details. susan, good morning.

>> reporter: michelle, good morning to you. health officials may say it's just a manufacturing issue, and by november they will be fully stocked with the vaccine. the u.s. will only have half of its h1n1 flu vacciccine flu sup by the time the flu season kicks off. >> this gives the virus a little more of an advantage. >> reporter: the government originally ordered 120 million doses to be ready by mid-october with another 80 million to follow. now drug companies say they've run into production problems and will have only 45 million doses ready in time. another 20 million doses would be delivered in the weeks afterward. the government is calling the setback a delay, not a shortage. officials say they still expect to receive the same amount of the vaccine. it just may take a little longer. as for the doses that do roll out in time, those will go to people most at risk for catching the virus. pregnant women, healthcare workers, and children. >> children excrete more virus,

they're less hygienic, and they're very enthusiastic about kissing mom, dad, grandma, and aunt susie. they're the great distributors. >> reporter: the timetable change means even some high risk individuals will have to wait an extra month before getting their h1n1 shot. but the good news is production of the seasonal flu vaccine won't be affected at all. seasonal flu kills 30,000 americans every year. i knocklations have already begun in parts of the country, and officials say that supply is fully stocked. expect the vaccinations to start around october 15th. they'll just be smaller in scale than originally planned as the supply trickles in. >> susan roberts in washington. susan, thanks. scientists in israel say they've created fake dna evidence by manipulating hair and blood samples. some lawyer say that could damage dna testing as the ultimate standard of proof. a researcher tells "the new york

times" it's now possible, in his words, to engineer a crime scene. on the cbs healthwatch, sleep apnea. millions of americans don't get a good night's sleep because of this disorder. and many that have it have a higher risk of dying. hari sreenivasan has more. >> reporter: mogan used to suffer from sleep. he suffers from sleep apnea. during sleep, airways collapse, keeping oxygen from reaching the lungs. in order to open the airways, the brain interrupts deep sleep. >> you're suffocating, if you will, for 10, 20, 30 seconds, and that wakes them up. this cycle can repeat hundreds, if not thousands of times in one night. >> reporter: and now a new study finds that drowsiness is just one reason to be concerned. research shows that those between the age of 40 and 70 with severe apnea are 46% more likely to die. >> this was most prevalent among men. >> reporter: in the u.s., 20% of

men and 9% of women suffer from some form of sleep apnea. many are unaware they even have a problem. >> we believe the vast majority are not diagnosed. >> reporter: researchers monitored more than 6,000 men and women at home for at least one full night's sleep. and they're studying the connection between sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease. >> we've collected a lot of information about strokes and heart attacks and the blood pressure themselves. these seem to be associated with people at least at the severe end of the disease. >> reporter: as for mogan, he's currently treating his disease with a c-pap. >> i feel the difference. >> reporter: a small inconvenience for what could be a real lifesaver. straight ahead, your tuesday morning weather. and in sports, a bizarre play to end an nfl preseason game. my muscles ached all over

i felt this deep lingering pain that was a complete mystery to me. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia muscle pain and then he recommended lyrica. fibromyalgia is thought to be the result of over-active nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is fda-approved to help relieve the unique pain of fibromyalgia. and with less pain, i can do more during my day. how sweet is that? lyrica is not for everyone. tell you doctor about any serious allergic reaction that causes swelling or affects breathing or skin, or changes eyesight including blurry vision or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. lyrica may cause suicidal thoughts or actions in a very small number of people. some of the most common side effects of lyrica are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands and feet. do not drink alcohol while taking lyrica. you should never drive or operate machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. if you think you might have fibromyalgia, ask your doctor about lyrica.

here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. new york, hazy sunshine, 93. miami, 92. chicago, sunny and 78. denver, thunderstorms, 75. los angeles, 74. and time now for a check on the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows skies are cloudy over much

of the tennessee valley and gulf coast. it's a clear but warm and muggy morning along the eastern seaboard. later today another round of storms will develop across the plains. afternoon storms will be scattered from the tennessee valley to the eastern great lakes, and it will be another hot and humid day up and down the east coast. in sports, a dramatic walk-off win for the san diego padres. rookie kyle blanks hit a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning. that gave san diego a 4-1 victory over the chicago cubs and the celebrations began. in texas, marlon byrd drove in three runs, and the rangers beat minnesota 8-5. that increases the rangers lead in the american league wild card race to one game over the boston red sox. in nfl preseason action, the new york giants and carolina panthers were tied with only seconds left on the clock. then the giants knocked the ball into the air, and tommy hill caught it and scored on a fumble return as time ran out.

giants 24-17 over carolina. in miami, the dolphins' earnest wilfork, caught a pass, evaded a tackle, and scored a touchdown. when we return, another look at the day's top stories. as the healthcare reform debate rages, the president shifts on the healthcare insurance option. 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 us 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. call now to receive a diabetic cookbook free.

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on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather. hot and sticky up and down the east coast. storms will rumble from the tennessee valley to the eastern great lakes, and the midwest will be nice and sunny. here's another look at this morning's top stories. the fighting goes on in southern afghanistan, where u.s. marines

are battling the taliban. but nato forces are pulling back now to protect voters in thursday's presidential election. and here at home, growing concern that not enough swine flu vaccine can be made in time to head off an expected fall resurgence of the deadly h1n1 virus. now to healthcare reform. much of the debate so far has focused on the so-called public option, establishing a government-run health insurance program. but if that's a nonstarter politically, the obama administration may well choose a middle road. nancy cordes reports. >> i can't think of a single program that the government does and does it well, and this scares the hell out of me. >> reporter: it's no wonder many americans are perplexed about a public option or confused by co-ops, when even lawmakers struggle to explain them. >> if it were a plan, it wouldn't be an option. >> reporter: the public option, as proposed, would be run by the department of health and human services, which also oversees

medicare. with lower administrative costs, the government could offer lower insurance premiums than the private sector, giving uninsured americans a more affordable option. >> one version of the public option would be like the way the medicare program is run today. it's regulated prices. it's take it or leave it for the doctors, and it's big enough that the doctors, the hospitals, the healthcare providers generally have to take it. >> reporter: but with republicans universally opposed to a public plan -- >> the government really isn't a fair competitor. >> reporter: some centrist democrats are seeking new ground, proposing regional or state health insurance cooperatives instead. the co-ops would be started with government seed money but then turned over to the members themselves to manage. because the co-ops would be not for profit, any money left over for members' annual payments would be reinvested, theoretically bringing costs down for everyone. >> the co-op is in a sense sort of halfway there. it's part of way there.

it's not run by a private company. it's run by the community. >> reporter: back in the 1930s and '40s, hundreds of healthcare co-ops were established, but just a handful remain today. like the one run by dr. david ors for hundreds of new york city restaurant workers. >> once the insurance companies aren't involved, the cost goes down by 80%. >> reporter: the co-op idea is getting lawmakers' attention, but proponents of the public option argue the smaller co-ops could never compete with private insurers the way the government could. nancy cordes, cbs news, capitol hill. as president obama gave a speech in phoenix, there were protestors outside with guns. yesterday about a dozen people were carrying them, including one with a semiautomatic rifle. it's legal to openly carry a firearm in arizona, and a secret service spokesman says armed service members don't affect

them as long as they stay outside. you've wanted to quit smoking so many times, but those days came and went, and the cigarettes remained. but today's a new day. and a few simple steps can make a real difference in your next quit... things like starting with a plan to quit smoking... getting support... and talking to your doctor about how prescription treatments can help you. talk to your doctor about prescription treatment options. and make this time, your time.

>> >> good morning everybody. i'm mary bubala. we will have the head lines, but first our first hello to marty. it is stuffy today. today like yesterday a lot of sunshine, some humidity, temperatures in the mid-90s. like yesterday, you are going like today. mary take it away. >> thank you. in the new, mayor on a mission, baltimore's mayor pays a surprise visit to the inner harbor days after a shooting. exclusively with her about what's being done to keep visitors safe have. >> the first named storm of the season gained speed in the atlantic, now growing concern over where bill has its eye focused. >> the health care debate rages on with maryland weighing in on

the issue. i'll have the story coming up. >> right after this.

this is wjz, wjz dt and wjz.com baltimore. good morning, maryland. now, don scott, marty bass, breaking news with mary bubala, your first warning weather and wjz traffic control with sharon gibala. >> good morning everybody. it feels pretty muggy to start your tuesday morning. i am mary bubala in for don scott today. eyewitness news has traffic and weather together but we will start with marty. welcome inside in the air conditioning. >> oh yeah. >> absolutely. >> it is a bit stuffy this morning, no question into the mid-90s, and very much like yesterday, sunny