a path of destruction. deadly tornadoes pummel the south over the weekend. >> i don't know how to put it into words. it's just gone. that's all i can say. senate showdown. financial reform faces a key test on capitol hill. and the battle on the border. arizona's new immigration law stirs up debate on both sides of the fence. this is the "cbs morning news" the fence. this is the "cbs morning news" for monday, april 26th, 2010. captioning funded by cbs good morning, glad you're with us. i'm michelle gielan. this morning search crews are still looking for survivors of a severe storm front that spawned deadly tornadoes.

the latest reported twister struck last night in darlington, south carolina. a school and mobile homes were damaged. three people were injured. over the weekend, tornadoes were reported in seven states, at least 12 people were killed. two in alabama and ten in mississippi, where yazoo city was crippled by an enormous tornado. don teague has more. >> reporter: there are parts of this town that like the roof of francine cox's house are simply gone. >> i don't know how to put it into words, you know. it's just gone. that's all i can say. >> reporter: at least 340 homes and businesses across mississippi are no longer recognizable. twisted -- >> it hurts all the way through. >> reporter: -- thrashed, or swept away by a massive, fast moving twister that left ten people dead and more than three dozen injured. it's the second time this church has been destroyed. the first time by an arsonist.

but what's amazing isn't what's gone, but what, or who, is still here. dale thrasher was alone in the church when the storm hit. he hid under the communion table. >> i asked the good lord to protect me and it's like he put his arms around me. everything else was thrown around except for me and that table. >> reporter: the cleanup is just beginning as neighbors help each other deal with so much loss. volunteers have come from hundreds of miles away to help in the cleanup effort here. meanwhile, governor haley barbour has declared a state of emergency in 17 counties across mississippi. don teague, cbs news, yazoo city, mississippi. this morning in the gulf of mexico, a robot submarine is working to stop an oil leak at the site of that sunken oil rig. it's a growing environmental threat. 5,000 feet below the surface, the leak is pumping 1,000 barrels of oil a day into the

gulf. the oil spill now covers 600 square miles, an explosion on the rig last tuesday killed 11 workers. a senate hearing be held tomorrow on that deadly west virginia mine explosion. on sunday, president obama and vice president biden attended a memorial service for the 29 miners in buckley, west virginia. the president told the miners' families that he would work for safer mining work environments. >> we cannot bring back the 29 men we lost. they're with the lord now. our task here on earth is to save lives from being lost in another such tragedy. to do what we must do individually and collectively to assure safe conditions underground. >> a preliminary report says the cause of the blast was a buildup of methane gas or coal dust. before he traveled to west virginia, the president was in north carolina. an armed man who was spotted at

the airport as the president was leaving is under arrest. 23-year-old joseph sean mcvey of ohio was charged with a misdemeanor. police saw mcvey in a parking lot getting out of his car with a side arm. he was not near the president's plane, which had just departed. authorities said he had formulas for rifle scopes. he's being held on a $100,000 bail. they're close, but there's no deal yet. a crucial vote on financial reform is slated for later today in the senate. randall pinkston is in washington with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. that financial reform proposal has been facing challenges from several sides. there have been disagreements among democrats, the obama administration and republicans over just how america's financial system should be reformed. the sweeping financial reform bill is just hours away from its biggest test yet. >> 18 months ago, people broke into our home, stole everything in our house, and we haven't even changed the locks on the

place yet. >> reporter: this afternoon, the senate will vote on whether to begin debate on the measure aimed at reigning in wall street and preventing another economic meltdown. democrats need the support of at least one republican to move ahead, but that may be tough. >> it's my expectation that we will not go forward with this partisan bill. >> reporter: the gop is holding out for big changes including dropping a multibillion dollar bailout fund financed by large banks. conservatives also think a new consumer protection agency would create too much bureaucracy. hoping to lock in at least a couple of republican votes, senate democrats agreed to tighten the rules on derivatives. the complex securities are widely blamed for triggering the financial meltdown. but banks fiercely oppose the change and is even facing criticism from the obama administration. some analysts are also skeptical. >> the concern with regulating derivatives too strenuously is that it can stifle the risk

taking that some people say is at the heart of american economic activity. >> reporter: it's unclear whether the provision will be enough to sway republicans, but even if it isn't, senate democrats are vowing to keep the pressure on until they push financial reform through. but today if there's no deal with democrats, senate republican leader mitch mcconnell says all 41 republicans will vote against proceeding with the legislation. the house, by the way, has already passed its version of financial reform. michelle? >> randall pinkston in washington. thanks. it's reported this morning that would-be new york city subway bomber najibullah zazi was passed through a checkpoint as he traveled into the city carrying two pounds of explosives. the "wall street journal" says police were told by the fbi to stop zazi's car last september as he drove up to the george washington bridge, but they didn't find the hidden explosives. fearing he was being watched, zazi ditched the explosives and flew back to colorado where he was arrested. a powerful earthquake struck off the coast of taiwan this morning.

the 6.5 magnitude tremor hit about 200 miles off taiwan's southern coast. buildings swayed in the capital taipei, but so far no reports of damage or injury. on "moneywatch," big gains this morning and emily smith is here with that and more. >> reporter: good morning. well, stock markets in asia traded higher this morning on news that the european union is stepping in with aid to help greece's debt crisis. the nikkei gained more than 2%. this week wall street gets the latest on consumer confidence and unemployment. friday a huge jump in new home sales pushed the market higher. the dow gained almost 70 points while the nasdaq added 11. while congress debates financial reform legislation, some lawmakers are urging the justice department to open a criminal investigation of wall street powerhouse goldman sachs. the bank's ceo and other top executives are scheduled to testify before a senate subcommittee tomorrow. newly released memos show

executives boasting will huge profits after betting against the housing market. facebook's new features have privacy advocates concerned. senator charles schumer wants the federal trade commission to set guidelines for how social networking sites use and distribute your personal information. last week facebook announced that users' likes and dislikes tied to their profiles are available for sale to other businesses. it's the biggest selling hollywood blockbuster of all-time, and "avatar" is still setting records. after only four days on store shelves, the fantasy epic has sold almost 7 million, the most ever, that's to the tune of $130 million. and "how to train your dragon" is proving difficult to slay at the box office. it reclaimed the top spot this weekend. "the back-up plan" came in second.

emily smith in new york. thanks. just ahead, calling in the national guard to put the brakes on a crime wave in chicago. plus, the angry debate over arizona's tough new law against undocumented immigrants. you're watching the "cbs morning news." orning news." ache all over. i found out that connected to our muscles are nerves that send messages through the body. 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. so now i can do more of what i love. [ female announcer ] 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.

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[ laughter ] ♪ your hands are only as clean as the towel used to dry them. that's why there's new kleenex® brand hand towels. a clean, fresh towel every time. in mexico, one of the world's most famous bull fighters was severely gored on saturday. the bull's horn severed the artery in his groin and he lost a lot of blood. following emergency surgery, he's in critical condition, but is expected to survive. two lawmakers say that violence in chicago is out of hand. and they want the national guard brought in. the legislators are calling on illinois governor pat quinn to deploy the troops. their quest comes during a recent surge in violence in chicago. the city has had 113 homicides this year. no response yet from the governor, but chicago's police

superintendent doubts that the national guard is the best solution. the debate over undocumented immigrants in america is escalating with both cheers and protests for a tough new law in arizona. state officials are lining up on both sides of the controversy that has national implications. and protesters are promising to fight the new law. john blackstone reports. >> reporter: arizona's strict new immigration law brought hundreds of demonstrators back to the state capitol. the law, due to take effect in three months, requires police officers to check the immigration status of anyone they suspect may be an undocumented immigrant. >> i wouldn't feel safe. >> reporter: but a sheriff well-known for his tough policy says the new law is exactly what's needed and he's prepared to act. >> as soon as we come across any people here illegally, they will be dealt with. >> reporter: the sheriff says his department has arrested some 38,000 illegal immigrants in the past three years and the new law

will give him the tools to step up his efforts to combat the flood coming across arizona's border with mexico. >> this is a law that's clearly unconstitutional. >> reporter: the mayor of phoenix says many supporters of the law are not just misguided, they are racist. >> it's just morally wrong. this country isn't about having people wear arm bands with jewish stars or in this case hispanic brown symbols. >> reporter: arizona is not alone. 28 states now have laws forbidding them to issue driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants and groups are pushing for more limits. >> the fact is that jobs are the most important issue in this country. people want to put unemployed americans back to work. and people do not want 7 million illegal aliens holding those jobs. >> reporter: they promise to continue fighting it with demonstrations and in the courts. john blackstone, cbs news, phoenix. reality tv star and rock singer bret michaels is still in critical condition this morning.

his publicist says michaels was conscious, but his speech was slurred after a brain hemorrhage on thursday. the front man of the rock band poison and the star of "celebrity apprentice" had bleeding at the base of his brain. straight ahead, your monday morning weather. and in sports, one step closer to advancing in the nba playoffs. hello, we're ocean spray growers up here in maine at cousin everett's blueberry farm to talk about our blueberry juice drinks. they're made with my sweet, ripe blueberries, packed with th-those antioxidants that are good for ya. tastes real good, too! to give you an idea, les whip up a quick sample. or you could just try this. [ chuckles ] yeah. ocean spray blueberry juice drinks. real blueberries, real good. and became a rock star!

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here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. new york, showers and 55. miami, thunderstorms and 84. chicago, 65. denver, partly cloudy at 53. los angeles, 69. and time now for a check on the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows that clouds are scattered over the midwest and ohio valley. it's a nice morning around the northwest and southwest. and the northeast is looking at cloudy skies. later today, scattered showers will be developing across the northern and central plains. more showers and thunderstorms will be scattered across the northeast and ohio valley. the southeast has a dry and pleasantly mild day. in sports, some first round nba playoff series are on the brink of ending. cleveland's lebron james had 37 points as the cavaliers dominated the bulls in chicago 121-98. the cavs lead the series 3-1 and could wrap it up on tuesday.

utah's carlos boozer had 31 points and held off the nuggets 117-106. the jazz are up 3-1. game five is on wednesday in denver. san antonio's george hill scored 29 and the spurs held off the mavericks for a 92-89 victory. the spurs have a 3-1 lead and could eliminate dallas tuesday night. in miami, dwyane wade sent set a franchise playoff record with 46 points in a 101-92 win over boston.sent set a franchise playoff record with 46 points in a 101-92 win over bostoent set a franchise playoff record with 46 points in a 101-92 win over bostont set a franchise playoff record with 46 points in a 101-92 win over bostot set a franchise playoff record with 46 points in a 101-92 win over bosto set a franchise playoff record with 46 points in a 101-92 win over boston. the heat avoided elimination, but boston could take the series with a win tuesday at home. in baseball, another game winning home run for the white sox. in chicago, paul konerko hit his major league leading eighth home run to give the white sox a 3-2 win over seattle. and albert pujols hit his seventh home run in the first inning, that was all st. louis

needed for a 2-0 win over san francisco. when we return, we'll take another look at this morning's top stories. and driving head first in to danger. storm chasers tell us why they do it. ♪ nutri-grain -- one good decision... can lead to another. ♪ made with real fruit and now with more... of the whole grains your body needs. nutri-grain can help you eat better all day. welcome to progressive. nice calculator. i'm just trying to save money on my car insurance. you know, with progressive, you get the option to name your price. is that even possible? uh, absolutely. trade? and i still get great service?

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and scattered showers are likely over the northern plains. here's another look at this morning's top stories. a test vote on financial reform is scheduled in the senate this afternoon. democrats are pressing ahead even though they don't have a deal with republicans who oppose the measure. and a string of weekend tornadoes from the louisiana border to north carolina killed at least 12 people.

mississippi was the hardest hit where ten people died and hundreds of homes were destroyed. the best video of these dangerous storms usually comes from storm chasers who make it their business to run towards the danger while most folks are high tailing it the other way. jim axelrod reports. >> reporter: when the sirens started sounding in yazoo city, mississippi, reed timmer was there. >> definitely one of the biggest tornadoes i've ever seen. >> reporter: timmer is a storm chaser, one of those souls, hearty or nutty, take your pick, who speed toward whatever else is running away from. gathering information on wind speeds and storm paths that could save lives. >> i think most people would ask why we storm chase. there's really very little money in it. i haven't dated much at all. i really have no life outside of storm chasing. >> reporter: while hollywood's

conferred some glamour on the intrepid scientists chasing tornadoes, timmer, a ph.d. candidate in meteorology, says it's data, not thrills, that he's seeking. >> i've devoted 13 years of my life studying the science. i'm probably 90% scientist. if i was a thrill seeker, i'd be skydiving. >> reporter: in the old days, there was another motive. the money available for selling pictures like these. but jeff, who has been chasing storms for 30 years, says if it's money you're after now, guess again. >> you'd have to get in for the love of science and helping people and if you make money along the way, count your blessings because they're few and far away. >> reporter: when we reached out to this 18-year-old storm chaser, this was his first question. >> were you talking to my agent? >> reporter: yes, even storm chasers now have agents.

jim axelrod, cbs news, new york. and this morning on "the early show," dave is in yazoo city, mississippi with the latest on the tornadoes. you're watching the "cbs morning news." city, mississippi with the latest on the tornadoes. you're watching the "cbs morning news." i needed more customers, so i got my nephew to build a website. i hired someone to make my website... five months ago. we are building a website by ourselves. announcer: there's an easier way. create your own small-business site with intuit websites. just choose a style that fits your business and customize, publish and get found in three easy steps. sweet. all from just $4.99 a month, get a 30-day free trial at intuit.com. why do women like you love activia light? sometimes i have no choice but to eat heavy greasy food that's hard on my diet...

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