global outrage in the wake of a reported massacre in syria and now u.n. special envoy admits his peace plan is failing. fund-raising win. for the first time mitt romney and the republicans raise more campaign cash than president obama and the democrats. and second chance. after spending five years in prison for a crime he didn't commit, brian banks gets a shot at the nfl. this is the "cbs morning news" for friday, june 8, 2012. good morning, thanks for joining us. i'm hazel sanchez. we begin with a failing diplomatic effort to end the escalating blood shed in syria. u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon says u.n. observers have

come under fire as they tried to reach the site of the latest reported massacre. ban says the unarmed observers have been deliberately targeted and special envoy kofi annan blames the failure of peace on the syrian government. susan mcginnis joins us from washington. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. this is the fourth mass killing of civilians in syria in the past two weeks but thousands have died in the past 12 months. now international leaders will meet again to try to find a solution. cell phone video captures what appears to be a successful rebel attack on a syrian government tank. but there are few victories for the uprising, which is far outmatched by president assad's military. near the city of homs people ran for their lives as the town came under attack and on wednesday opposition leaders say about 80 people, including women and children, were executed by pro-government militia.

representatives from the united nations tried to reach the site of the massacre, but were reportedly turned away by gunfire. the latest violence is sparking global outrage and u.n. leaders believe the country is on the verge of civil war. >> syria is not libya. it will not implode. it will explode and explode beyond its boreders. >> reporter: today secretary of state hillary clinton is scheduled to meet with u.n. special envoy kofi annan as world leaders look for a way to end the violence. clinton says there cannot be peace in syria until president assad leaves. >> the time has come for the international community to unite around a plan for post-assad syria. >> reporter: but making that happen will be difficult. for months the u.s. and european countries have tried to implement sanctions against assad, but syria's main allies, russia and china, vetoed those attempts. both countries say they're opposed to military intervention in syria. state department officials are meeting with russian leaders

today. moscow believes any negotiations over syria need to include the country's neighbors turkey and iran. hazel? >> susan mcginnis in washington, thanks. to the race for the white house now. for the first time, mitt romney has outraised president obama. romney and the republican party raised nearly $77 million in may, compare that to the president's re-election campaign which took in $60 million. the news may be a sign that romney's message is beginning to resonate with gop voters. >> this inexperienced president with no experience as a leader was simply not up to the task of solving a great economic crisis. >> mitt romney kept up his pressure on president obama thursday while speaking at a factory in st. louis. the presumptive republican nominee said the president has failed to help the 46 million americans living in poverty. >> this is not just a failure of policy. it is a moral failure of tragic

proportion. our government has a moral commitment to help every american help himself. >> president obama has struggled to defend his economic policies, especially after the nation's unemployment rate ticked up last month. on thursday the obama campaign hit the air waves with a new tv ad blaming the slow recovery on congressional grid lock. >> the president's job plan with teachers, firefighters, police officers and construction workers back to work right now. and it's paid for by asking the wealthiest americans to pay a little more. >> at the same time the president campaigned in nevada, where he promised help for students struggling to pay for college. >> even though education -- a college education is still a great investment, the burden of debt is serious and it's hard on folks just as they're starting off in life. >> lawmakers in washington are at odds over how to keep college costs down. a federal student loan rate for more than 7 million students is

set to double on july 1st. congress can't agree how to come up with $6 billion needed to extend the current rate. later this month, the supreme court is expected to rule on president obama's health care overhaul. the law has become a key campaign issue. a just released cbs news/"new york times" poll finds 41% of americans want to see the entire health care law overturned. 55% believe justices will decide the case based on personal or political views. concerning arizona's tough immigration law that allows police to check immigration status of anyone lawfully stopped, 52% believe the law is about right. on the "cbs moneywatch," mixed messages from the fed. and why americans are thinking twice before pulling out their plastic. ashley morrison is here in new york with that and more. good morning, ashley. >> good morning, hazel. investors kept a close watch on capitol hill thursday. federal reserve chair ben bernanke appeared before congress to give his assessment of the economy. bernanke told lawmakers he

remains hopeful the recovery will continue at a moderate pace. he said the fed is prepared to take steps to boost the economy if it weakens and he warned that europe's economic woes present a significant risk. >> the crisis in europe has affected the u.s. economy by acting as a drag on our exports, weighing on business and consumer confidence, and pressuring u.s. financial markets and institutions. >> bernanke also warned lawmakers that allowing the bush-era tax cuts to expire and automatic spending cuts to go into effect, could also threaten the recovery. bernanke didn't give investors what they wanted, specific steps to bolster the u.s. economy. that drove down overseas markets. tokyo's nikkei lost 2% while hong kong's hang seng fell about 1%. bernanke's remarks also erased early gains on wall street but dow still finishing up 46 points for the third straight positive session while the nasdaq lost 13. spain continues to feel the pressure to find an answer to

it'ses banks crisis. leaders in europe that investors worry the spanish government won't be able to come up with enough money to bail out its trouble the banks. fitch downgraded spain to two notches above junk and said another downgrade is possible. some americans are showing their concern about an economic slowdown by curbing their spending. credit card purchases increased at a lower rate by april. i would love to be able to say that i decreased the use of my credit card, but i wasn't part of that group, hazel. >> you and me both. ashley morrison here in new york. thanks so much. coming up on the morning news -- putting the brakes on a driving danger. a look at the growing support for a complete ban on cell phone use in cars. this is the "cbs morning news." ] [ announcer ] who could resist the call... of america's number-one puppy food brand? with dha and essential nutrients also found in mother's milk.

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the single engine plane came down southwest of orlando yesterday, en route from the bahamas to kansas. the pilot was prominent businessman bramlage. also on board was his wife and four children. it's under investigation. a big piece of debris from last year's tsunami in yeah japan is getting a clean-up on an oregon beach where it washed up. countless tiny creatures that rode the dock across the pacific are an invasive threat to the local environment, so workers are scrubbing the structure and even using fire to sterilize it. the federal government is stepping up its campaign against distracted driving. transportation secretary ray lahood calls cell phone use and texting by drivers a national epidemic. local governments are getting behind the effort, too, as anna werner reports from chapel hill, north carolina. >> i think this where my shoes were found. >> reporter: two years ago 23-year-old krista was walking to a bus stop when she was hit

by a car. a witness told her the driver was on a cell phone. >> i fell to about around that tree. >> reporter: a brain hemorrhage forced her to miss a year of college. she has chronic headaches and memory lapses. when i talk to you sometimes you're kind of reaching for a word. >> yeah, i think one of the most -- one of the hardest parts about having this type of brain injury for me is just being able to see something and imagine it but not be able to find the words for it. >> reporter: she joined others to push for chapel hill's new prohibition of drivers using cell phones. it's the first ban in the country to include hands-free devices. the penalty is a $25 fine, but it only applies to motorists stopped for another traffic violation like speeding. there are exceptions for taking calls from a spouse, for instance, or in an emergency. >> i think that will make them think twice at least. >> reporter: but some business owners oppose the ban. >> this is mark. >> reporter: mark england runs

an emergency cleaning service. he spends most of the day taking calls on the road. >> it would certainly hurt my business. you know, i would lose work as a result of that. >> reporter: and he says that small fine is hardly a deterrent. >> $25 versus missing what could be a several thousand dollar call? you know, i'm going to have to take the call. >> reporter: how do you respond that say people who own or work in a industry that say, i have to answer my phone while i drive. >> i think you can pull over. it's not going to kill you to call them back ten seconds later. but it could kill somebody else or you if you talk on your phone while driving. >> reporter: chapel hill's ban is on hold while some legal issues are resolved. the national transportation safety board wants similar policy enacted nationwide. the only exception, cars with built-in phones. anna werner, cbs news, chapel hill, north carolina.

a new government study finds that teenage smokers in this country are going to pot. more are now using marijuana than tobacco. the centers for disease control report found 23% of high school students had smoked marijuana recently, compared to 18% that smoked cigarettes. straight ahead, your friday morning weather. and in sport, a must-win game for miami, so what you going to do? just give lebron the ball and turn him loose. [ whimpers ]

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here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. new york, thunderstorms, 80 degrees. miami, thunderstorms, 89. chicago, sunny, 83. dallas, 85. los angeles, partly cloudy, 77. now for a check of today's national forecast. a cold front pushing eastward from the plains will bring showers and thunderstorms to minnesota and wisconsin. a new system will produce rain and thunderstorms in the and thunderstorms in the pacific northwest and northern rockies. storms from canada will deliver hail and high winds to new england. showers and thunderstorms will range from texas and southern oklahoma to the gulf coast and florida. and in sports, you hear about players carrying their teams and, well, here's how it's done. in boston, miami's lebron james charged through the celtics from start to finish of game six of the eastern semifinals. in the second quarter, he

positively flew to the basket for the put-back jam, part of his 30 points in the first half. and he was still pouring it on at the end. winding up with 45 points and 15 rebounds as the heat won 98-79, tying the series 3-3. game seven is tomorrow in miami. now to baseball. blue jays at white sox. in the sixth inning, chicago's alex rios smacked a two-run homer to the left tying the game 3-3. in the bottom of the ninth, orlando hudson hit an rbi single as the sox beat the jays 4-3. and it was homer night in houston. starting with the astros' jed lowrie first inning solo shot. then the visiting cardinals took over, including beltran's league-leading 16th. and david freese mashing his first career grand slam as st. louis won it, 14-2. and at the french open, maria sharapova won her semifinal match and made it look easy.

finishing off czech rival petra kvitova with a 104-mile-an-hour second serve ace for a 6-3, 6-3 victory. she'll face sara errani of iita tomorrow. finally, does anybody have a job for former nfl pro bowler? new england patriots released wide receiver chad ochocinco yesterday after one unimpressive season. on twitter the wise-cracking ochocinco changed his status to unemployed black guy with a photo of himself sitting on his suitcase at the airport, thumbing a ride. crazy guy. when we return, the possible beginning of an nfl career. brian banks gets another shot at pro football two weeks after being cleared of rape charges. ] ♪

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here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around

the country. washington, d.c., partly sunny, 84. atlanta, sunny, 86. st. louis, sunny, 87. denver, afternoon thunderstorms, 87. seattle, rain and thunderstorms and 58. there is still hope this morning that a former high school football star imprisoned because of a lie might still realize his dream of a pro football career. his name is brian banks. bill whitaker has the latest episode of his remarkable story. >> it's just a dream come true. >> reporter: brian banks knows about dreams and nightmares. >> look where i am. look where i am today. like, i think god for this. >> reporter: the 26-year-old former high school football star got the chance to show the coaches of the seattle seahawks what he can do. he hasn't played since high school, but head coach pete carroll said banks did so well on this solo tryout, he was

invited back to try out with the entire team. >> this is the guy that just deserved it, so because of our conversations we gave him a chance to come here today and work out for us. >> reporter: at 16 banks was the star linebacker for long beach poly, a southern california high school football power house. he was offered a full scholarship to usc when pete carroll was coach there, but his dreams were dashed when a classmate accused him of kidnap and rape in this school stairwell. he vehemently denied the charges. there was no dna evidence. but his attorney advised him to take a plea bargain. >> when we go in that courtroom, the jury is going to see a big, black teenager and you'll be automatically assumed guilty. those were her exact words. >> reporter: he spent five years in prison, and last year to his surprise his accuser asked him to be friends on facebook. he convinced gibson to meet him at the office of a private investigator, who recorded the encounter. >> did he rape you? no, he did not rape me.

>> reporter: last month a california court cleared him of the crime. four days later, he got a phone call. >> and it was pete carroll asking if i knew any linebackers. he was looking for a linebacker. i said, you've got the right number. >> reporter: banks says he has no time for bitterness. he's just happy for his chance to try out for the nfl. >> it's like winning the super bowl and yelling out i'm going to disneyland, but it's like that times ten. >> reporter: odds are long he'll make it onto an nfl team but he's faced worse odds before. bill whitaker, cbs news, seattle. singer/songwriter and guitarist bob welch has died. he was an early member of fleetwood mac and had a successful solo career. including had thes like "sentimental lady." bob welch died yesterday at his nashville home of what police say was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. he was 66. and coming up after your local news on "cbs this morning," a breakthrough in genetic testing for unborn babies. i'm hazel sanchez. this is the "cbs morning news."

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4 minutes before 5:00 on a friday morning. a lovely sky. mar ti ty is in the weather center. >> rain still sitting off to the east. again, shower activity is long gone from baltimore. do understand some of your watching are just now starting to see moisture exit your area. let's go ahead and take a look at the day part. it's going to be beautiful. by lunch we're going to be in the mid 80s, moving to the upper 80s. here is what we have our eye on today. francis scott key b bowie is going to help kick off events for the bicentennial. >> a a few brave soul -- a few brave souls are raising money for kidney health. >> former football players are

teaming up against the nfl. the impact the new lawsuit could have on that sport's future. >> thousands of drivers are off the hook for tickets from a speed camera. the mistake that has the city handing out refunds. >> hear if a local -- from a local congressman looking to crack down on national security leaks. >> hmm, it says here that cheerios helps lower cholesterol as part of a heart healthy diet. that's true. ...but you still have to go to the gym. ♪ the one and only, cheerios

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