party lines. wip with midtewith midterm president obama unleash attack on the gop. housing hangover home foreclosures hit their highest since the meltdown. family outrage. an ohio mother accused of teaching her 2-year-old to smoke marijuana. this is the cbs morning news for thursday, september 16th, 2010. good morning, everyone. appreciate you joining us. i'm terrell brown in for betty nguyen this morning. we begin with the upcoming midterm elections, a new cbs

news/"new york times" poll shows voter frustration running high, neither party escapes criticism and the president is taking plenty of heat. the number one issue among voters, the economy. a record number of american voters want new blood in congress. 55% say it's time for their representative to go. voters are frustrated with both parties. 58% disapprove of the democrats. 68% disapprove of the republicans. tara, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, terrell. midterms, believe it or not, are now just seven weeks away and both parties are under growing pressure to prove they can fix the economy. with bitter midterm battles looming, president obama is taking a fresh shot at republicans. >> we don't have time for any more games. i understand there's an election coming up. >> reporter: wednesday, he accused the party of blocking his plan to extend all bush-era tax cuts for families making less than $250,000, just so wealthy americans can avoid a

tax hike. >> they want to hold these middle-class tax cuts hostage. >> if we're serious about helping our economy this month, we need to stop the tax hikes and we need to cut spending. >> reporter: but, republicans aren't the only ones refusing to get on board. more than 30 house democrats have signed a letter urging the taxes be extended for everyone. with unemployment stuck near double digits, the economy is still the top concern for most americans. and, according to a new poll, only one in five thinks it's improving. >> it's not being fixed. it's being smoothed over to make it look like people are filling jobs. >> reporter: only 38% think the president has a clear plan for creating jobs. and some 46% think the stimulus package has had no impact on them in. one in five thinks it made matters worse. >> it's too soon to make any final assessment of his

presidency. >> reporter: today, president obama and the democrats could get one of their last chances to prove themselves to voters. the senate is expected to vote on a long-stalled measure that would boost lending to small businesses. and by some estimates, that measure could create up to a half million jobs. terrell, back to you. >> tara, good to see you. thank you. >> violent weather pounded parts of eastern kansas, tornadoes hit south of wichita. but it was the powerful hailstorms that did most of the damage. some of the hail was as big as grapefruit. hail and high winds broke windows and damaged roofs and power lines. residents were urged to stay inside. no injuries were reported. illegal drug use in this country has reached its highest level in near al decade. the government reports last year's drug use increase was fueled by a sharp increase in marijuana, ecstasy and methamphetamine use. marijuana remains the most commonly used drug, almost 9% of the population say they used illegal drugs last year. ohio mother accused of

giving marijuana to her 2-year-old daughter. this is video recorded on the mother's cell phone of her child allegedly smoking the drug. prosecutors say 21-year-old jessica campbell gave her daughter the pot in august. at one point she's heard on the video telling the child don't blow on the joint. >> i'm just grateful that somebody in the community was savvy enough and smart enough and cared enough about this little girl that they forwarded it to another phone and brought it to authorities. >> she remains behind bars facing 11 and a half years in prison. the fbi has launched a civil rights investigation into the beating of a suspect by dallas police. the suspect was african-american but the police chief says he doesn't suspect race played a role in last week's incident. sandra hughes reports this morning. the video shows the arresting officers chasing the 28-year-old black suspect on his motorcycle. he was driving on a sidewalk

when the officers caught up, they delivered a savage beating with batons and fists. the dallas police chief says so far an internal investigation does not reveal racial motives by the six white and hispanic officers. >> there's no evidence, either verbal or any known motivation that's been shown to us through our investigation at this point. >> reporter: but, dallas police have filed criminal charges against three officers accused of beating the man. >> no one is above the law this great country. >> reporter: one of the officers has been fired. five others suspended. one of the officers is, also, suspected of moving the camera during the arrest to conceal the beating. sandra hughes, cbs news, los angeles. swimmers be ware, the swirling giant hurricane igor could generate life-threatening rip tides along the u.s. east coast over the weekend. igor is a cat foer 4 with winds up to 135 miles per hour churning far out at sea.

hurricane julia is another potent force at category 3. a historic state, visit the first ever by any pope to the united kingdom begins today. pope benedict left rome for the four-day visit. his first stop, he will take part in a parade. before that he visits the queen head of the protestant church of england. a tell-all book from france's first lady could ruffle feathers on this side of the atlantic. the wife of the french president quotes michelle obama as saying the first job, or the job as first lady is, quote, hell. the book alleges mrs. obama says she can't stand it. the book called "carla, the ambitious, is due to hit french bookstores this month. on money watch, stocks in asia retreated this morning. ashley is here with more. good morning you to. >> good morning, terrell. asian markets edged down this morning, the nikkei lost a fraction while hong kong's hang seng was also mostly lower.

today wall street gets the latest on inflation and a look at weekly jobless claims. wed dave stocks rallied to a five-week high climbing 46 points and the nasdaq gained 11. four closures at their highest level since the start of the housing crisis. new data shows more than 95,000 homes were repo posed last month. that's up 3% from july and an increase of 25% when compared to august last year. more than 2.3 million homes have been lost since the recession began and another one million are projected to be repossessed this year. president obama will appoint wall street critic elizabeth warren to oversee the creation of a new consumer protection agency. warren would report to the white house and treasury department but will not have to be confirmed by the senate. because of her lack of support in the financial industry, she could have faced a tough confirmation battle. if you are thinking of buying one of those new 3d tv sets and banking on 3d movies to

go with it, think again. according to the research firm screen die jest, many movie studios already have exclusive deals in place with tv manufacturers that will limit your options. right now, just three hollywood movies are available without being tied to a specific brand. and presenting the official 2010 best public rest room in america. the fountain restaurant in st. louis has won the title through an online vote with a rest room that boasts hand-painted murals, ornate fixtures and designer mirrors. bathrooms were judged on exceptional hygiene, style, and open access to the public. and, terrell, speaking for myself here, if i'm voting on the best public bathroom i think hygiene take as precedent over whether or not it's stylish. >> oh, absolutely. i think so, too. well, you know, i like designs and i like the way it looks. you've got to have a nice bathroom, ashley. i could vote on some of the worst in america, i think i've been in a few. >> i don't care how stylish it,

is if it is not clean, it is not getting my vote. >> that's true. you make a good point. good to see you this morning, thank you. just ahead a new lawsuit stemming from the death of michael jackson. plus, caught on tape a. police officer is cleared of wrongdoing after a brutal attack. this is the cbs morning news. brutal attack. cbs morning news. ♪ [ male announcer ] ever have morning pain slow you down? introducing bayer am, an extra strength pain reliever with alertness aid to fight fatigue. so get up and get goin'! with new bayer am. the morning pain reliever. [ male announcer ] with its 43 safety features, like the parkview rear back-up camera...

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delicious campbell's soups fill you with good nutrition, energy, farm-grown ingredients, and can help you keep a healthy weight. helping you get to a happier place. have a nice trip. campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do. >> good to be loved, maybe. size does matter for the tallest and smallest. the canine world celebrated extraordinary dogs. giant george the biggest great dane met the bite-size boo-boo, a chihuahua. they met in new york's central park wednesday. the rendezvous was sponsored by the guinness book of world records. new york's mayor bloomberg wants to expand a smoking ban to include some of the great outdoors forbidding smoking in new york city beaches, parks, even the open seating area in times square. the dangers of secondhand smoking or smoke were cited. the measure will go to public hearings before a vote.

men and women rush to help new york's ground zero after the 9/11 attacks. nine years later thousands say the toxic dust made them sick and urge congress to cover their health care and compensation. randall pinkston reports. >> reporter: fire department paramedic david russell spent weeks in what 9/11 first responders called "the pit." >> imagine a fresh snowfall six to eight inches high. it's not snow but six to eight inches high of dust. >> reporter: now he's never without his inhaler. he's also taking medication for an autoimmune disease and thyroid condition. >> i never had these problems prior to 9/11 and they all began to come out about five, six years later. >> reporter: fellow 9/11 rescue and recovery workers joined lawmakers on capitol hill to push for legislation to provide free health care and compensation. >> my question to our elected officials is this. do they know what sacrifice is about?

>> reporter: the exact number who have become ill from their work here is not clear but last year, 16,000 people sought treatment through medical programs set up for september 11th-related illnesses. the house failed to pass the bill in july because it needed a two-thirds majority and many republicans opposed a corporate tax to pay for the $7.4 billion measure. when the bill comes up for a new vote next week, it will just need a simple majority. >> we have at least 255 votes, so we can pass it. >> reporter: lieutenant russell says 9/11 responders answered the call when the country needed them. >> if the same scenario happened tomorrow, i think everybody would still do the same thing all over again. >> reporter: now, these men and women who helped so many are counting on congress to help them fight for their lives. randall pinkston, cbs news, new york. meanwhile, a policeman in duluth, minnesota has been cleared in the shooting death of a man with a baseball bat. 17-year-old joey karl is seened

on a police dash camera smashing the window out of a patrol car in august. the officer fired once and killed him after he shattered the driver's side of the cruiser wednesday. the county attorney found the shooting justified. there is a new lawsuit involving the death of michael jackson. wednesday, katherine jackson filed suit against the promoter aeg live for not protecting her son for his comeback concert. accusing the company of failure to provide life-saving equipment for the pop star and failure to supervise the doctors who were supposed to watch over him. straight ahead on your thursday morning, your weather forecast and in sports, the giants take aim on the first place national league west. for strong bones, i take calcium. but my doctor told me that most calcium supplements... aren't absorbed properly unless taken with food.

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dean will never forget what he went through. don't take your health for granted. [ male announcer ] have a heart to heart with your doctor about your risk. and about lipitor. here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. new york, partly cloudy, 76. showers in miami, 87. chicago, showers and 71. sunny in denver, 86. los angeles, sunny and 80 degrees. time now for a check of the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows passing storm clouds in the plains, nothing but clear skies over the southwest. later today, the northeast and ohio river valley will see thunderstorm activity stretching back towards the central plains. in the northwest a few passing showers and temperatures will stay on the hot and sticky side in the southern plains. in sports this morning, the giants trail san diego by a half game in the n.l. west. for the highlights, matt cain pitched seven shutout innings and they broke a scoreless out there.

a two-out rbi single. giants beat the dodgers 2-1, the giants tenth win in 14 games. the phillies increase their n.l. east lead. philadelphia whacked florida, 10-5. tampa bay back in first place in the a.l. east. dan johnson hit a pair of two-run homers off hughes. rays beat the yanks. 4-3. joe mauer has three hits including a three-run homer right here. and minnesota goes to a 9-3 win over the white sox. the twins now up in the a.l. central by eight games. when we return, another look at the top stories and broken promises. victims of the gulf oil spill still waiting to be compensated. ♪ [ female announcer ] kids who don't eat breakfast may not be getting the nutrition they need to keep their bodies strong. ♪ a nutritious start to the day is essential.

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some areas will get a break in the midwest, thunderstorms move towards the northeast and scattered showers in the upper northwest and parts of florida. here's another look at the top stories on the morning news now. weeks away from the midterm election, a cbs news/"new york times" poll show most voters are dissatisfied with congress. 58% think it is time to elect someone new. the republican party is viewed less favorably than the democrats. meanwhile, housing foreclosures at their highest rate since the start of the housing crisis. more than 95,000 homes were repossessed last month. the blow-out bp well in the gulf is expected to be killed once and for all by sunday, less than 20 feet left to drill on the relief well, allowing crews to permanently seal it from the bottom. more than 200 million gallons of oil spewed from it. 11 workers were killed.

meanwhile, many frustrated residents and businesses affected by the disaster say they are still waiting to be paid back for their losses. >> you killed my working-class business. >> reporter: for two hours straight, one frustrated business owner after another told kenneth fineberg, the administrator of the $20 billion fund to compensate victims of bp's oil spill that his system for paying claims is broken. >> our worst fear was that we would get to this point in the season and not have any money. and we are there. >> i am begging -- begging -- for your help. i needed a check yesterday. >> reporter: when he took over the claims process three weeks ago, he promised checks to individuals in 48 hours and businesses in seven days. jenny and chris sherrill filed their claim for their once thriving beach wedding company august 23rd. >> i'm hopeful. >> reporter: three weeks later, they still have no check. and perhaps worse, no answers.

>> completely let down and definitely not hopeful anymore. >> reporter: before he took over, bp paid out $395 million. in the past three weeks, fineberg has paid $185 million. but of the 60,000 claims before him, half, 30,000, are still being processed, despite his promises of a quick resolution. only 16,000 have been paid and another 14,000 have insufficient paperwork to back them up. >> you don't have to beg. i'll leave today with your claim and i'll expedite it. >> reporter: he vows to find a way to get checks out faster. >> we can do better. i want to do better. >> reporter: but for many here, promises and apologies only go so far. >> our creditors won't take an apology for payment. >> right. >> reporter: he was short on specifics about how to change the claims process but, with businesses already folding, he says he understands the urgency.

this morning on "the early show" a chat with actor ben affleck. you can catch that a bit later on. i'm terrell brown. this is the cbs morning news. words alone aren't enough. my job is to listen to the needs and frustrations of the shrimpers and fishermen, hotel or restaurant workers who lost their jobs to the spill. i'm iris cross. bp has taken full responsibility for the clean up in the gulf and that includes keeping you informed. our job is to listen and find ways to help. that means working with communities. restoring the jobs, tourist beaches, and businesses impacted by the spill. we've paid over $400 million in claims and set up a $20 billion independently-run claims fund to cover lost income until people impacted can get back to work. and our efforts aren't coming at tax-payer expense.

i know people are wondering-- now that the well is capped, is bp gonna meet its commitments? i was born in new orleans. my family still lives here. i'm gonna be here until we make this right.

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good morning. >> it's warmer than yesterday morning. it's 64. it was 58 yesterday. pretty good amount of sun. we'll start including up lately. that won't be a bad thing. in the news this morning, it's not over yet. time votes are being voted in the city's state's attorney. caught on cape. a police beating, was it

racially motivated. the ravens tight and may miss sunday's game because of this catch. more news, first warning weather and traffic in a couple of minutes. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

hello again. it's kristy breslin in for sharon gibala and marty over at first warning weather. >> let's take a look at first in