a numbers game. democrats wait for the official price tag on their health care reform plan. rising waters. folks in the midwest are working hard and holding their breath as eight major rivers reach flood level. and hold on. a frightening inside look at a collision between a bus and a train. this is the "cbs morning news" train. this is the "cbs morning news" for thursday, march 18th, 2010. captioning funded by cbs good morning. thanks for joining us. i'm michelle gielan. democratic congressional leaders hope to vote on the revised health care reform legislation by this weekend. details were supposed to be released wednesday, but that's been delayed.

the measure is slowly gaining support, but it's still not clear if democrats have enough votes to pass the bill. whit johnson is in washington with the latest details. whit, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. president obama's arm twisting appears to be paying off, but democrats are still scraping for those final health care votes. the next few days will be a battle. two of the biggest questions surrounding health care reform should be answered today. what's in it and how much it will cost. house democrats are expected to post a final draft of the measure after the congressional budget office releases its final price tag. >> the reason i'm confident it will pass is because it's the right thing to do. >> reporter: during an interview with fox news, president obama sounded optimistic. for weeks he's been working furiously to shore up support and it finally appears to be paying off. >> even though i don't like the bill, i've made a decision to support it. >> reporter: on wednesday,

representative dennis kucinich switched his vote from nay to yea. dale kildee also said he would back the bill. house democrats still have a ways to go. they can only afford to lose 37 members of their party. as of now, 19 plan to vote no. 48 are still undecided. to get the bill to squeak by, house speaker nancy pelosi is considering yet another controversial legislative procedure. it would allow the measure to pass without having members vote on it directly. republicans blasted that approach. >> this process which is being contemplated right now has never ever been used before for something of this magnitude. >> whatever they end up voting on that it is going to be a vote for or against my health care proposal. and that's what matters. and that's what ultimately people will judge this on. >> reporter: after democratic

officials post the final draft, members will have at least 72 hours to review it. that means if all goes according to plan, a vote could happen as early as sunday. republicans aren't backing out of the fight. they're threatening to go to the supreme court if democrats try to use that shortcut procedure party leaders are considering. >> and, whit, obviously the president has enough trouble trying to get a reform bill through congress, but now he's facing challenges on a state level, as well? >> reporter: yeah, michelle, idaho's governor just signed a measure that says if residents in idaho are forced to buy health insurance, then the state would try to sue the federal government. 37 other states are considering similar legislation and say the moves are mostly symbolic. states do not have the power to supersede federal law. >> all right, whit johnson in washington. thank you. president obama is expected to sign an $18 billion jobs creation bill today. the senate passed the measure wednesday 68-29. the bill gives companies a break from paying social security tax for the rest of the year on

newly hired workers who had been unemployed for at least 60 days. it also funds new highway construction. in parts of the midwest this morning, folks are keeping a close watch on rising rivers and preparing for the worst. eight major rivers in iowa and the dakotas have already reached flood levels. in fargo, the red river rose over 30 feet and is expected to crest on sunday. there and in neighboring moorehead, minnesota, volunteers filled their one millionth sand bag hoping to block the rising river. heather brown reports. >> reporter: along the red river, an army of volunteers is working to erect 37 miles of sand bags against rising waters as thousands of teenagers were let out from school this week to help save their town. >> families out here can't do it alone. >> reporter: they're hoping to fend off what is expected to become one of the worst floods in the city's history. >> my whole world is upside down right now. >> reporter: marjorie started sending boxes of valuables from

her riverfront home to her kids in california and minnesota last month. >> this is tiring and certainly, you know, now it's going to be more tiring as we watch the dike. >> reporter: you see the ice out there? that's the river's normal level. now it's come up to 30 feet right here and by sunday, they think it could get all the way up here to 38 feet. but the city has asked these kids to build this dike to 40 feet just in case. last year, the waters went higher than that. nearly 41 feet, causing thousands of evacuations and millions of dollars in damages. meteorologists say since 1993, these high waters have been part of a natural wet cycle. right now about a third of the country is under flood risks due mostly to a snowy wet winter. after a weekend rainstorm in northern new jersey, hundreds of homes are under water and rescued families may have to wait a few more days for the waters to recede. back in fargo where there's still snow on the ground, the river could remain at flood stage for a month.

>> i just have seen a class act here. amazing the way everybody comes together. >> reporter: as you can see, the water is moving pretty quickly and in just one day, the height has gone up three feet, but if you spread it out over the banks, it's more like 20 feet and they hope the waters will start coming back after it crests on sunday. heather brown for cbs news in moorehead, minnesota. we turn now to the fight against terrorism. cia director leon panetta says the intensified u.s. campaign has tailban and al qaeda leaders on the run and disrupting their operations. meanwhile cbs news has confirmed that another top al qaeda commander has been killed. hussein al-yemeni was involved in the suicide bombing of a cia base last december that killed seven americans. al-yemeni provided the suicide vests worn by the bomber. he was killed by a drone missile strike in pakistan. it's reported that the american-born terror suspect

known as jihad jane has confessed. the philadelphia inquirer says colleen larose is scheduled to be arraigned this morning. she was arrested in october. the inquirerorts larose admitted her role in an alleerc. tomorrow she'll meet with the so-called quartet group of middle east peace negotiators. the latest round of peace negotiations has been stalled by a dispute over israel's plans to build homes on the west bank. clinton will also hold talks on a new arms treaty with russian officials. >> the 33 haitian children who were in the hands of american missionaries are back with their families. the children were reunited with their parents wednesday. they had been living in an orphanage since the missionaries were arrested trying to take them across the border in january. their parents had given them to the missionaries hoping they would be cared for. just ahead on the "morning news," some say vice president biden sticks his foot in his mouth again.

plus, a tangled seal gets some help from the nypd. but first, katie couric has a preview of tonight's "cbs evening news." >> he may be 75, but he's still dancing and taking steps to help school kids take giant leaps in life. "the american spirit" tonight only on the "cbs evening news." and i was so tender to the touch -- but i didn't know why. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, 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. so now, i'm learning what a day is like with less pain. lyrica is not for everyone. tell your doctor about any serious allergic reaction that causes swelling or affects breathing or skin, or changes in 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, legs, and feet. do not drink alcohol while taking lyrica. you should not drive or operate machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. could your pain be caused by fibromyalgia? ask your doctor about lyrica today. and you'll dump your old mop. but don't worry, he'll find someone else. ♪ who's that lady?

♪ who's that lady? ♪ sexy lady ♪ who's that lady? [ female announcer ] used mops can grow bacteria. swiffer wetjet starts with a clean pad every time. and its antibacterial cleaner kills bacteria mops can spread around. swiffer gives cleaning a whole new meaning. ♪ lovely lady for a while, it looked like this young seal's fate was, well, sealed when it got tangled in debris floating off new york city's staten island. but a police helicopter brought in divers to the rescue. it wasn't easy. the frightened animal tried to fight back and they eventually cut it loose. no harm done. the rescuers celebrated with a high five. german police say they've arrested two suspects and are hunting for two others in an armed robbery at a poker tournament. the heist early this month was caught on security video. the tournament at a berlin hotel

was interrupted as four masked men stormed in. the robbers scuffled with guards and got away with more than $300,000 in cash. the money has not been recovered. on the cbs "moneywatch," stocks in asia lost some ground this morning and emily smith is here in new york with that and more. >> reporter: well, most markets in asia ended lower. the nikkei lost nearly 1% while the hang seng also edged down. this morning wall street gets the latest numbers on jobless claims and consumer prices. wednesday, the dow gained 47 points to hit an 18 month high. the nasdaq added 11. general motors is predicting a turnaround this year. the automaker's financial chief says he's optimistic the company could have a fully profitable year for the first time since 2004. gm emerged from bankruptcy last year after getting more than $50 billion in taxpayer bailout money. according to the associated press, the number of toyota owners complaining about

unintended acceleration has more than doubled over the past couple of weeks. also, the national highway traffic and safety administration says it's increasingly finding cases of repairs on recalled cars being botched. add new york to the list of states holding back tax refund checks. the state needs the money to fill budget gaps, but do plan to send out the checks april 1st. other cash strapped states considering similar delays include alabama, north carolina, oklahoma, idaho and hawaii. and what may be the most valuable internet domain name in history is up for sale. sex.com goes on the auction block today in new york. and the bidding starts at a million dollars. last time it changed hands, it went for a cool 14 million bucks. michelle? >> wow. i wish i had registered that right when i got the chance. if only. emily, thanks. we have some frightening pictures this morning from security cameras aboard a bus that crashed into a commuter train in houston on monday. look and then listen.

transit officials say the driver ran a red light and the bus was going 29 miles an hour when it struck the light rail train. 19 people were hurt. mostly with back and neck injuries. luckily none-threatening. and another outbreak of foot in mouth disease for vice president joe biden. he was introducing ireland's prime minister at a white house st. patrick's day celebration. >> his mom lived in long island for ten years or so, god rest her soul, and although she's -- wait, your mom's still -- your mom's still alive. it is your dad passed. god bless her soul. >> oops. biden went on to cite an irish proverb, a silent mouth, he said, is sweet to hear. we all say the wrong things sometimes, right? straight ahead, your thursday morning weather. and in sports, lots of players

hit three-pointers in the nba, but seven times without missing? we'll tell you who did it. but i try not to let it slow me down. i go down to the pool for a swim... get out and dance... even play a little hide-n-seek. i'm breathing better... with spiriva. announcer: spiriva is the only once-daily inhaled maintenance treatment for both forms of copd, which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. i take it every day. it keeps my airways open... to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announcer: spiriva does not replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms. stop taking spiriva and call your doctor right away if your breathing suddenly worsens, your throat or tongue swells, you get hives, have vision changes or eye pain or have problems passing urine. tell your doctor if you have glaucoma, problems passing urine or an enlarged prostate, as these may worsen with spiriva. also discuss the medicines you take, even eye drops. side effects include dry mouth, constipation and trouble passing urine. every day could be a good day to breathe better.

announcer: ask your doctor if once-daily spiriva is right for you. not to let your immune system become a statistic. support your immune system with patented ester-c. ester-c provides up to 24 hours of immune support. ester-c. the better vitamin c. here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. new york, sunny at 68. miami, mostly cloudy at 66. chicago, 64. denver, partly cloudy, 65. los angeles, 84. time now a check on the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows that skies are still

cloudy over the southeast after yesterday's rain, but it's clear from the ohio valley to the northeast coast. now, later today, showers will continue to be scattered across the southeast. it will be another gorgeous day throughout the northeast. and that great weather will extend across the ohio valley and midwest. the southwest stays sunny and pleasantly warm. let's turn now to sports. a big night for houston point guard aaron brooks. visiting memphis led early, including a big one-handed slam by rudy gay in the second quarter. but brooks came on strong, including a long three-pointer in the third quarter. and he just kept sinking the outside shot scoring seven triples without a miss and a career-high 31 points in all. the rockets won it 107-94. in orlando, san antonio's tim duncan had the worst game of his nba career. dominated on the boards by the

magic's dwight howard, duncan wound up scoring just five points while vince carter was the top magician with 24. orlando won it 110-84. in utah, visiting minnesota was strong early, but the jazz hit the high notes in the second half including a huge one-handed jam by williams in the third quarter. utah won it 122-100. and a final nba note. michael jordan has won approval to buy the charlotte bobcats for $275 million. he's the first ex-player ever to become a majority owner of an nba team. and a reminder, the ncaa basketball tournament kicks off today. you can catch all the march madness action right here on cbs starting at noon eastern time. when we return, we'll take another look at this morning's top stories. and beginning the healing process. pope benedict takes on a church sex scandal with a letter to victims. i always hear about products that promise to make my patients look younger. but nothing works like this. [ female announcer ] new neutrogena® clinical skincare,

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on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's

weather. showers will continue to keep much of the southeast cool and damp. it will be another beautiful sunny day from the ohio valley to the northeast coastline. and it will stay sunny and warm throughout the southwest. here's another look at this morning's top stories. volunteers in fargo, north dakota have filled one million sandbags and built dikes as they wait for the red river to overflow its banks. eight major rivers in the dakotas and iowa have reached flood levels. and democratic leaders hope to get a final price tag on their revised health care reform legislation today. they hope to vote on the measure by this weekend, but are still working to get the votes. pope benedict is speaking out about the latest accusations of sexual abuse by priests. cases in ireland and one that hits close to home. mark phillips reports. >> reporter: for the irish, the pope's st. patrick day greeting was not a happy one.

instead, benedict xvi promised a letter responding to decades of child abuse by the catholic church. >> my hope is that it will help in the process of repentance, healing and renewal. >> reporter: but many who were victims of that abuse want more than a letter. not just victims in ireland wanted more from pope benedict. in the past weeks, new allegations have come from across europe and brazil to add to the scandals in ireland and the united states. the vatican admits it's been informed of 3,000 abuse cases and has tried 600 in its courts. the catholic church around the world has been rocked by allegations, including in germany, the pope's own country, including one allegation that may involve the pope's own brother. monday senior george ratzinger here on the left is benedict's older brother and for 30 years

led the famous boy's choir in which the alleged abuses took place. he admits boys were disciplined and slapped, but not, he says, sexually abused. but benedict himself is now under the microscope. in one abuse case in the 1980s, the accused priest was reassigned to the munich archdiocese when the current pope was archbishop there. pope benedict has promised truth without excuses. it will take more than repentance to snuff out the abuse scandal, the victims say. it will take justice. mark phillips, cbs news, london. and this is homecoming day for a couple of veteran spacemen. after nearly half a year in orbit, american jeff williams and russian maxim suraev boarded a capsule at the international space station this morning and undocked for the ride back home to earth. they land later this morning. i wonder what they'll eat first,

a burger or something, right? this morning on "the early show," how to avoid an audit by the irs. i'm michelle gielan and this is the "cbs morning news." this season, there are more reasons than ever... not to let your immune system become a statistic. so take every precaution. wash your hands frequently. maintain a well-balanced diet, get plenty of rest... and support your immune system... for a full 24 hours with patented ester-c. taken daily, ester-c gets into your system quickly... and stays all day to provide... up to 24 hours of immune support. now more than ever, trust your immune health... to clinically tested ester-c. the better vitamin c.

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. it's going to be a nicedy outside. i can tell already. tim williams is in more marty bass. we're looking at a nice day to say the least. temperatures are around 40s. we'll be in the daytime around 07. we'll call it 69. a good bit of sunshine and clear night ahead with temperatures in the overnight back down into the mid-30s. we'll have the first updated forecast in a few moments. praying for survival. a baltimore county family is

praying for a miracle after a teenager is seriously hurt in a hit-and-run accident. their message to the driver. >> we could celebrate the child's three-month-old birthday instead of mourning his loss. a two-month-old baby is left in parkway crossing shopping center -- druid hill park. what the president has to say about gary williams. your weather and traffic in a couple minutes. ,,,,,,,,,,,,