march to michigan. now an up for grabs battleground, rick santorum is hoping to deal a heavy blow to mitt romney and romney's home state. stocks surge, the latest reports on housing and jobs since u.s. stocks to their highest level since 2008. and life in prison, the so-called underwear bomber who tried to blow up an airplane is so-called underwear bomber who tried to blow up an airplane is sentenced to life no parole. captioning funded by cbs this is the "cbs morning news" for friday, february 17th, 2012. good morning everyone. i'm terrell brown.

things are getting pretty interesting in michigan. the primary there is shaping up to be a key test for mitt romney and the now surging rick santorum. polls show the michigan contest turned into a neck and neck battle and if the state were the bailout of the auto industry were a key issue. susan mcginnis has more. >> rick santorum signed autographs in michigan. he'll spend a second day in the state trying to build on his lead. santorum is using michigan, the state where mitt romney grew up, to launch an attack on romney's lack of consistency. >> governor romney supported the bailout of wall street and decided not to support the bailout of detroit. >> my feeling was that we should not support, the government should not be involved in bailouts, period. >> romney defended his position thursday that the auto industry should have been helped through bankruptcy. >> long may they rule the world.

>> santorum surged in the polls campaigning as a conservative alternative to romney. in ohio, the former massachusetts governor said he is a true conservative. >> i worked in business 25 years. you can't do what i do and not be a fiscal conservative. and so my conservatism is to the core. >> as romney and santorum battle for michigan, newt gingrich said he's hoping for a big showing on super tuesday. ten states are up for grabs next month, including georgia. gingrich will campaign there today and admits, while he served in georgia as a congressman for ten terms, he's not sure he'll pull off a victory. >> given this kind of a year, who knows? romney could lose michigan, santorum could lose pennsylvania. who knows what will happen. >> ron paul is trying to make his move for the nomination with strong showings in caucus states. he'll campaign in washington state today. terrell, the next scheduled debate in georgia for march 1st

has been canceled after romney and ron paul said they won't attend and santorum said he probably won't attend. terrell, so you know, we're in front of the capitol this morning. it's buried in fog this morning. >> can we take a quick look. she is there. just the weather there is a little rough. >> it's completely invisible. >> susan mcginnis in washington. have a good weekend. >> rick santorum is forced to ix explain comments. explain comments on an interview with msnbc. foster friess made light of the contraceptives. debate. back in my day they used bayer aspirins. the gals put it between their knees and it wasn't that costly. >> rick santorum had this response to the statement. >> foster is a well-known jokester. that was a stupid joke. not responsible for every bad joke that someone who i happen to know or supports me tells. >> was he wrong to say that, though? >> obviously, i don't agree with the basic premise.

>> rick santorum opposes contraception and dade fries is a goodman and philanthropist. freese donated $380,000 to a pro santorum super pac. president obama is out west with stops in california and washington. mr. obama was at a fundraiser in san francisco last night. today he'll visit the boeing plant to talk about u.s. exports. earlier, he praised congress for extending the payroll tax cut. in a statement issued last night, he said leaders of both parties have done the right things for your families and economies that will prevent a tax hike on 160 million working americans. this is real money that will make a real difference in people's lives. >> two fighters were scrambled >> two fighthen mr. obama was a helicopter in los angeles. the jets intercepted a light plane that entered restricted airspace, a plane that turned out to be carrying a load of marijuana. president's marine chopper landed safely at the airport for his flight to san francisco.

the pilot of the intercepted plane is in jail facing local charges. oh, flying high in the sky. cbs "moneywatch" time on a friday. signs of a recovering economy in the u.s. are sending stocks higher here and around the world. funny how that word keeps coming up. ashley morrison? good morning. >> terrell, you can't stop yourself. good morning to you too. the batch of good news for investors came thursday morning when the labor department said the number of people seeking unemployment benefits sank to the lowest level in almost four years. last week saw the fewest number of claims since march of 2008. six months before financial collapse. the commerce department delivered positive data on the housing and construction market. housing starts were up 1.5% in december. the numbers show growing confidence amongst homebuilders. home construction is expected to add to economic growth for the first time since 2005. that data is fueling markets overseas.

tokyo's nikkei gained 1.5% and hang seng added 1%. on wall street, the dow jones had one of the strongest days of the year adding 123 points. it's at the highest level since 2008 and less than 100 points from 13,000. the nasdaq was also up 44. meanwhile, two years from bailout and bankruptcy, general motors posted the biggest profit in its history. it earned $7.6 billion last year. the company will share some of the profit with union employees. more than 47,000 blue collar workers will be getting checks for $7,000. amanda knox has a book deal in place. it's worth $4 million she was convicted and later acquitted. of murdering her roommate while studying in italy. she was freed last year after spending four years in prison. terrell, that will be an interesting book. >> we'll check it out.

ashley morrison in new york. to the battle over same sex marriage. new jersey is the latest state where lawmakers approved gay and lesbian marriage. supporters are facing a fight from high-profile governor chris christie. the bill had been approved bit state senate but governor christie wants the issue put to a popular vote. >> i will veto it quickly and then get down to the business of do they care about the issue or the political theater. washington became the seventh state to recognize same sex marriage. it's never been approved in a public referendum. at the united nations the general assembly overwhelmingly voted for a resolution calling on syrian president bashar assad to leave. the resolution charges the syrian government is involved in systematic violations of human rights. syrian government is waging a deadly battle, with opposition groups. they say the opposition is get help from al qaeda. david martin has that part of the story.

>> in syria, the arab spring is turning into a nightmare. not only are the forces of president assad killing thousands of civilians in an attempt to crush the uprising, but now as director of national intelligence james clapper testified, the opposition trying to overthrow the regime includes some of america's worst enemies. >> we believe that al qaeda and iraq is extends its reach into syria. >> that said, defense secretary panetta, makes a bad situation worse. >> our concerns, which were large to begin with because of the situation, deteriorating situation in syria, that the situation there has become that much more serious as a result of that. >> the opposition also includes thousands of ordinary syrian citizens taking to the streets. but al qaeda showed its hand with bombings in damascus. >> both of which are targeted against security and

intelligence buildings and had all the earmarks of an al qaeda-like attack. >> smugglers are used to funneling fighters and weapons into iraq to attack u.s. forces have reversed direction and are running fighters and weapons back into syria to attack the assad regime. >> that puts the obama administration in a real bind. it also wants assad to go but can't afford to take any action that might help al qaeda succeed in syria. david martin, cbs news, the pentagon. a new york winning times correspondent died in syria. he was a two-time pulitzer prize for his coverage of the middle east, apparently died of an asthma attack. yesterday. anthony shadid was 43 years old. coming up on the morning news, the underwear bomber who tried to blow up an airline over

detroit learns his harsh sentence. this is the "cbs morning news." orning news." i'm good about washing my face. but sometimes i wonder... what's left behind? [ female announcer ] purifying facial cleanser from neutrogena® naturals. removes 99% of dirt and toxins without dyes, parabens or harsh sulfates. so skin feels pure and healthy. [ female announcer ] from neutrogena® naturals.

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common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. it helps to have people around you... they say, you're much bigger than this. and you are. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. mexico's army blew up tons of hand grenades and ammunition at a base a few miles south of the u.s. border yesterday. it used military tanks and heavy road equipment to crush guns seized by gangs. mexican authorities say 90% of the weapons came from the united states. a wild shootout in southern california. at i u.s. immigrations office. one agent is dead this morning. another badly wounded. the fbi calls it a case of workplace violence. it's unclear why but one immigration agent shot a colleague several times, think third agent then killed the first. the wounded agent is in stable condition. those involved haven't been identified. the man known as the underwear bomber has a good idea where he'll be spending the rest of his life.

a solitary cell in this country's highest security prison. he was sentenced yesterday in detroit. danielle nottingham reports. the nigerian man who tried to set off a bomb on a plane over detroit on christmas day in 2009 will spend the rest of his life behind bars. umar farouk abdul-mutallab called it a day of victory when he learned his sentence. the 25-year-old learned his fate four months, after admitting the failed terror attack was a suicide mission. >> al qaeda has lost once again. america has won once again. we always do. >> during thursday's hearing, prosecutors played a videotape showing the explosion that could have happened if the bomb had worked. an attorney appointed to help abdul-mutallab read a statement from the bomber's family. >> we strongly appeal to the american justice department to review the life sentence. >> but attorneys for the u.s. government argued abdul-mutallab

attempted to kill 289 people and if relies if released shall he's likely to try another suicide mission. when he pled guilty last october, abdul-mutallab said his explosive laden underwear was a "blessed weapon to avenge muslims killed around the world." he admitted that he was inspired by al maliki. abdul-mutallab is expected to certificate his sentence in colorado at the federal super max prison where other convicted terrorists are already behind bars. danielle nottingham, cbs news, the white house. we'll take a quick break. up next, your weather forecast and in sports, duke gets a big scare on their home court. we'll show you how they pulled it out. home court. we'll show you how they pulled it out. feel the power my young friend. mmm!

[ male announcer ] for excellent fruit and veggie nutrition... v8 v-fusion, also refreshing plus tea. could've had a v8. v8 v-fusion, also refreshing plus tea. sears big presidents day sale is on now. and we do mean big. with huge savings across the store. points, perks, and privileges. members get more. sears. i've been so looking forward to this. when my asthma symptoms returned, my doctor prescribed dulera to help prevent them. [ male announcer ] dulera is for patients 12 and older whose asthma is not well controlled on a long-term asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. dulera will not replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. dulera helps significantly improve lung function. this was shown over a 6 month clinical study. dulera contains formoterol, which increases the risk of death from asthma problems and may increase the risk of hospitalization in children and adolescents. dulera is not for people whose asthma is well controlled with a long-term asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid.

once your asthma is well controlled your doctor will decide if you can stop dulera and prescribe a different asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. do not take dulera more than prescribed. see your doctor if your asthma does not improve or gets worse. ask your doctor if dulera can help you breathe easier. ♪ here's a look at weather in the country. ? new york, clearing, 53 degrees. mostly sunny, miami, 81. partly sunny, 42 in chicago. afternoon showers in dallas, 58 degrees and 72, sunny in los angeles. let's get a check of your national forecast now. south texas and the gulf coast will have showers and occasional thunderstorms. southeast will be mostly dry. skies clear in the northeast and new england. the midwest will be clear to partly cloudy. with snow flurries in the northern great lakes. rain and snow will fall from the pacific northwest to northern california. in sports this morning, the l.a. clippers traveled north to

portland to take on the trailblazers. blake griffin showed his stuff early on with a rebound and a slam. led the clippers for 21 point and 14 rebounds in the fourth. a fast break. a three-pointer by mo williams. with a minute to go, chris paul gave l.a. enough breathing room. the final 74-71. in chicago, the bulls had a lead over boston early in the third. this makes the highlight reel. the slam. the celtics made a charge and led briefly but the bulls kept pressing. wound up with 23 points. chicago wins this one 89-80. college ball now. north carolina state at duke. well into the second half, look at an upset in the making. nc state's brown scored 19 points. the wolfpack led by as much as 20. the blue devils came back. seth curry for a reverse lay-in. austin rivers for three. to give duke the lead on the way to victory. 78-73.

finally, baseball fans are mourning hall of fame catcher gary carter. an 11-time allstar in 19 seasons. carter played mostly for the expos and mets before retiring in 1992. nicknamed kid for his exuberant style. he drove the mets to a world series championship in 1986. he hit 324 home runs and was inducted into the hall of fame in 2003. gary carter died yesterday of brain cancer in west palm beach, florida. he was 57 years old. ancer in west palm beach florida. he was 57 years old. worry about getting dirty.ncert [ mom ] oh, how cute. beachflorida. he was 57 years old. ,florida. he was 57 years old. beach, florida. he was 57 years old. ,,,,,,,,

a look at the forecast in some cities around the country. in d.c., 51. sunny and 68 in atlanta. partly sunny, 41 in detroit. partly sunny skies, 33 in denver. afternoon rain and 49 in seattle. arrangements are nearly

complete this morning for whitney houston's funeral in new jersey tomorrow. as manuel gallegus reports, the public will be kept well away from the church. >> whitney houston fans can still get close to the church where her private funeral will be held. come saturday, the plan is to keep everyone, including the media several blocks away from the star studded event. police will close down the streets around the new hope baptist church disappointing many fans. >> we was looking forward to at least listening to the services and, you know, being a part of it. because she a part of us. >> houston's godmother, aretha franklin and fellow grammy winner, stevie wonder are scheduled to sing. houston's mentor, clive davis will be among the speakers. among those invited, kevin costner, houston's co-star in the bodyguard. cousin dionne warwick, singer alicia keys and oprah winfrey. her husband of 15 years, bobby brown, is also on o the list according to her publicist who surveyed the church thursday.

fans we talked with say brown should be there. >> i think he should be allowed to be with. that was her husband, regardless of anything. >> the newark police department is working on a security plan for this area. officers think thousands could show up to try to get close to the church. in los angeles, investigators have not confirmed which medications may have been found in the singer's hotel room or if alcohol was involved. but for houston's fans outside the church, it doesn't matter. >> when i came over here and seen all the balloons and everything, it just brought tears to my eyes. really sad. really sad. >> they still can't believe she's gone. manuel gallegus, cbs news, newark, new jersey. a legal fight over a prayer displayed in a rhode island public school appears to be over this morning. a dispute on a banner. cranston high school west. an atheist student sued to have it removed and they ruled in her favor. they voted not to appeal the judge's ruling because of the

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four minutes before 5:00 on this friday and it is fog side, marty is over in the first warning weather center. >> some counties have an advisory in effect for the next couple of hours, once we lose this fog life is going to be good, the sun is coming out, 53 at lunch on its way to a high maybe as high as 55. 41 and foggy here today. >> the republican presidential contenders are battling for votes in mitt romney's home state. a baltimore city police officer is suing the department. the orioles hold a job fair

for the upcoming season. already in the news this morning the debate over same sex marriage hits the house of delegates floor in annapolis today. testimony resumes in the uva lacrosse murder trial after a short delay. what is facing george huguely's defense team. and the former campaign manager of bob urlich's campaign learns his punishment for approving those election night robo calls. more news, first warning weather and your first traffic report of the morning in a report of the morning in a couple of[ dog barking ],,,,,,,, mom!

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