but there's a tea party have another surprise brewing? lurking below. two-inch-thick passes of oil possibly from the bp spill are found on the seabed in the gulf. and a clean sweep. rafael nadal cements his place and a clean sweep. rafael nadal cements his place in the record books. captioning funded by cbs good morning, everyone, good to see you. i'm terrell brown. betty nguyen is on assignment this morning. the 2010 primary season draws to a close today. seven states and the district of columbia are holding primary elections. republicans are trying to put in candidates who can ride voter discontent to big gains come november. but there's also defiance within the gop. party leaders are keeping a close eye on today's senate race in delaware. tara mergener is in washington this morning with more. tara, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, terrell. well, this primary is definitely

causing some anxiety. party officials fear a tea party win will complicate efforts to take back the senate. the tea party has its sights set on delaware. >> not celebrating yet. encouraged and hopeful, but not celebrating yet. >> reporter: two weeks ago republican christine o'donnell was a long shot. a former marketing consultant up against long thyme congressman. but then the tea party express came to town with a quarter million dollar check for o'donnell. now polls show it's anyone's race. the republican establishment acted quickly, pouring money at political muscle behind castle, worried that if o'donnell wins, she's too far to the right for november. >> bottom line is, that i am the only republican who has a chance of winning in the general elections. >> reporter: while the tea party has always boasted big numbers now it suddenly has deep pockets. its political action committee,

or pac, was only created this election cycle, but has already raised and spent $5 million. >> the movement is able to pull money together quickly and that really lends an air of authority and viability to candidates that might not otherwise have riz toned top. >> reporter: so far this primary season, roughly 4 million more republicans than democrats have gone to the polls. and surveys show an enthusiasm gap between the two parties. but some gop strategists worry these bitter primary fights will only help the democrats come november. and a win in delaware would be the biggest feather in the tea party's cap. yet after recent wins in kentucky, utah and alaska. terrell, back to you. >> tara mergener in washington, thank you. bp crews in the gulf of mexico have resumed efforts to permanently seal that blownout oil well. bp says it will take about four more days of drilling for a relief well to connect with that blownout well. then mud and cement will be

pumped in to close the damaged well for good. meanwhile scientists examining the sea bottom up to 80 miles from the bp well found patches of oil up to two inches thick. on land the administrator of the $20 billion compensation fund faced angry oil spill victims in louisiana. they say they're not getting the payment promised them. administrator keith feinberg said he's reconsidering the requirement. as it stands now wages paid to those who clean up from the spill is subtracted from their compensation page. in northern california federal investigators are trying to figure out what cased a gas pipeline to rupture thursday. it produced a fireball that sent blames racing through the town of san bruno. 37 homes were incinerated and four people were killed. john blackstone reports. >> reporter: a gas station surveillance video obtained by cbs news captures the moment of the explosion in san bruno. the fire erupting from the earth turned the suburban neighborhood into an inferno, as residents

ran for their lives. survivors remember the heat, the noise, and the shaking as flames shot hundreds of feet into the air. >> open up the door and see that flame, that's the scary part about it, you know. >> reporter: one resident, walter mccaffrey, shot this cellphone video from his balcony after warning his wife and children not to come home. today his balcony overlooks what's being called the zone of devastation. it's one of the last houses standing on the edge of a ruined neighborhood. the explosion ripped a 28-foot-long section of gas pipeline out of the earth. a 30-inch high pressure transmission line that ran right under the neighborhood. did you have any idea that pipe went so close to your house? >> no, i did not, know. >> reporter: pacific gas&electric, the utility that operates the pipeline has almost 6,500 miles of major transportation pipelines in california. the utility has been ordered by state regulators to inspect all of its gas pipelines in the state, making those in heavily populated areas a priority.

pacific gas&electric is setting up a $100 million fund to help those who lost their homes in the devastation zone here recover and rebuild. john blackstone, cbs news, san bruno, california. out in the atlantic this morning, hurricane igor has weakened slightly but it still remains a huge category 4 storm. sustained winds now at 140 miles per hour and it may strengthen again. igor is expected to stay south of bermuda for the next five days. forecasters say it's still too early to tell if the hurricane will threaten the u.s. coast. behind igor, though, tropical storm julia, she is also moving west, with 50 mile an hour winds. this week, the obama administration is expected to inform congress it wants to sell $60 billion worth of arms to saudi arabia. the deal includes up to 84 new f-15 fighter jets and three types of sophisticated helicopters. if approved, it would be the largest single u.s. arms sale ever. secretary of state hillary clinton is in egypt this morning for a new round of mideast peace

talks. clinton met with egyptian president hosni mubarak. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu and palestinian president mahmoud abbas are expected to meet today and tomorrow. topping their agenda will likely be the soon to retire restraints on new kochb strukz in the west bank. stocks are mixed in asia, ashley morrison is here in new york with more on that. >> good morning, terrell. well, japan's nikkei index fell nearly a quarter of a percent today while hong kong's hang seng was higher by more than a percent in early trading. this morning, wall street gets the latest on retail sales. monday, big banks leading the dow. the dow gained 81 points while the nasdaq tacked on 43. senate democrats appear to have the votes to pass a bill creating a $30 billion government fund to help small banks open up lending to small businesses. a procedural vote is expected later on today. the fund will be available to community banks with less than $10 billion in assets. well the summer driving

season may be over, but gas prices are on the rise. the price for a gallon of regular has jumped four cents in just the past week to an average of $2.72 a gallon. the midwest had the biggest increase, an average of more than a dime. walmart has jumped into the telecom game. the world's largest retailer has launched a contract-optional family cell plan carried on the t-mobile network. it costs $45 for a month of unlimited calling and texting, and another $25 for an additional line. while walmart has other mobile service plans, this is the first one that is not prepaid. more students are having trouble paying off their college loans. the department of education says in 2008, 7% of borrowers defaulted on their student loans. that's up from 6.7% the previous year. the biggest offenders are those who attend for-profit schools, whose default rate is more than 11.5%.

and if you're a gamer you probably have today circled on your calendar. microsoft's halo reach goes on sale today. it's the fourth so far in a series that has already generated some $2 billion in revenue. stores opened at midnight for those customers that just couldn't wait. terrell, i'm sure there were some long lines for that. >> i bet. ashley, would you wait in line for anything? >> shoes, bags, that kind of stuff. you? >> give me some food, and kentucky fried chicken maybe, and we'll talk. >> you're cutting in front? >> there you go. ashley morrison here in new york. appreciate it. thank you. just ahead on the mrng news, a cleaner america. more americans are washing their hands just like mom told them. plus, talking about oprah here. 300 of her closest friends are going on a long trip together. we'll tell you where next.

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>> i love it. oprah's 25th and final broadcast, but surprising all 300 members of the audience an all expense paid trip to australia. winfrey announced the trip as a mock-up of qantas airlines jet rolled yont stage. health officials are worried about a new superbug. it first reached a british hospital from india. it's now sickened people in three states, california, massachusetts and illinois. researchers say it's the result of a newly discovered gene that can give bacteria the ability to resist nearly all antibiotics. superbugs aside now this morning it seems americans are getting cleaner. and a study finds in part by soap companies researchers found

85% washed their hands. that's up from 77% three years ago. however, only 77% of men wash up. compared to 93% of women. new research suggests that playing fast-paced video games may have a hidden benefit. studies found that people who played action video games improved their decision-making skills, even in real life. >> reporter: taylor and his friends love playing video games. >> shooting games are the best. especially the guys. killing things is always fun. >> reporter: but these games may be more than just fun. they may help our brain make accurate decisions faster. >> you're always moving, so you have to be looking all over the screen all the time, looking for people coming at you, they're always trying to kill you. >> reporter: researchers tested dozens of young adults who didn't normally play video games. half played 50 hours of fast paced shoot-'em-up action games. the others played a slow-moving strategy game.

afterwards they were given a series of tests. the action game players reached a decision 25% faster, and they were just as accurate. >> typically we think of the young gamers as being trigger happy. meaning that they just respond really fast, but they don't think about what they are doing. and what our study shows that it's really not the case. >> reporter: researchers say that doesn't just make them better video game players but also better decision makers in real life. >> if you're driving that means you would be able to hit the brakes faster upon seeing something on the road. >> reporter: previous research has found video games can also improve hand/eye coordination and reaction time. >> i almost think it makes your brain work harder. >> reporter: for caleb and his friends, choosing to play video games is the right decision. kennedys gibson, cbs news, los angeles. straight ahead, the weather. and in sports the baltimore ravens give the new york jets some hard knocks of their own. oh, new phillips' colon health probiotic plus fiber.

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[ girls ] good. ♪ ♪ thank you! ♪ phew! [ ernie ] we make our cookies the way only keebler elves can: with a little something extra. so every bite can be uncommonly good. here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. new york, sunny, 76 degrees. partly cloudy 98. 75 in chicago. 89 degrees in denver. los angeles, sunny, 79 degrees. time now for a check of the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows clear skies over the southeast and southwest, while storms continue to whoever over

much of the midwest. later today the southeast will enjoy sunny but warm and humid conditions. look for more severe thunderstorms in the midwest, in the southwest should be warm and dry. and sports this morning, a monday night football doubleheader. in game one we go here, baltimore's mcgahee put up a score against the jets. one-yard run just before the half. it was the game's only touchdown. the ravens spoil the jets opener in their new stadium. the final there 10-9. kansas state, charges in the late game. a 65-yard touchdown run. saints were the big underdogs in this one but they won it 21-14 the final. in baseball, tampa bay moves into first place in the american league east but beating the rival yankees. it was a scoreless game until the 11th inning and then a wake-off homer to right, 1-0 win against tampa bay. a half game lead over new york. the yanks have lost four straight. and rafael nadal won his first u.s. open title. nadal defeated novak djokovic,

in a rain-delayed men's final. the victory makes nadal only the seventh man in tennis history with at least one title from each grand slam tournament. when we return this morning another look at this morning's top stories and the biggest issue for this political season, taxes and which americans get to keep more of their money. [ 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. that's why carnation instant breakfast essentials supplies the nutrients of a balanced breakfast. so kids get the protein and calcium they need to help build strong muscles and healthy bones. carnation instant breakfast essentials. good nutrition from the start. ♪ [ female announcer ] we've got stains, down to a science. new wisk, with our breakthrough stain spectrum technology targets all the major stain groups

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on the "morning news" here's a look at today's weather, strong thunderstorms could form again over the midwest, following a similar day with hail and gusty winds yesterday. cool and breezy conditions move into the northeast, while the southwest stays warm, toasty and dry. here's another look at this morning's top stories. voters go to the polls in seven states and the district of columbia today. it's the last primary day of campaign 2010. and bp has resumed drilling a relief well that it hopes will permanently seal its blown-out

well in the gulf. the relief well should be complete in about four days. a destructive wildfire in northern colorado has finally been contained. fire erupted last week and burned at least 166 homes near boulder. thousands of residents were forced to evacuate. there's still another restruktive wildfire north of boulder, about 25% contained this morning. the epa says it may take weeks to clean up an oil spill near chicago. a two-inch hole was found in a section of pipe five feet underground. the leaking oil reached a local waste water treatment plant. the calls of the leak is unclear but the pipeline is more than 50 years old. in washington, taxes are shaping up to be a central issue in the run up to november's midterm elections. both democrats and republicans want to attain tax cuts for the middle class. president obama wants to let taxes rise for the wealthy. >> thank you so much. >> reporter: president obama is going straight to the middle class to make his case for middle-class tax cuts. he spent monday afternoon in a

backyard gathering in northern virginia. >> they should definitely get an extension of the tax cuts that went to 2001-2003. >> reporter: but he says we can't afford to extend tax cuts for families who earn more than $250,000 a year. >> to do it we'd have to borrow $700 billion over -- over the course of ten years. and we just can't afford it. >> reporter: republican leaders say, we can't afford not to. >> no recovery will take place if we impose new taxes on the people we need to create jobs. >> reporter: over the weekend, house republican leader john boehner suggested he might be willing to compromise, and vote for middle-class tax cuts, even if the wealthiest had to pay more. but in a new statement, he toed the party line. republicans are unified, he wrote on twitter, to boost our economy we need to stop all tax hikes and cut spending now. a recent cbs news poll found 56%

of americans are in favor of getting rid of tax breaks for the wealthy. a view that seems to favor the president's plan. but some democrats aren't so sure. >> i don't think raising taxes on any income group makes any sense right now. i think it will hurt. >> reporter: if congress does nothing the tax cuts will expire at the end of the year. meaning higher taxes for everyone. neither side wants that to happen. joel brown, cbs news, washington. meanwhile, this morning on "the early show," anna wintour on the biggest night ever for american fashion. plus, the new cbs news app for the ipad. i'm terrell brown. we'll have that and more on "the early show" a little bit later on this morning. 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.

good morning. i'm andrea roane. dc voters go to the polls today for primary day. mayor fenty may be heading to his first ever election defeat. he trails gray by double-digits in some polls. gray has told his supporters to not pay attention to the poll numbers. 22,000 people have cast ballots in early voting in the district. 48-year-old david patton is charged with killing his neighbor. the body of steven carr was found in his home on field master drive on saturday night

in springfield are field, virginia. last june they fought over a traffic speed bump that carr helped to get installed in the neighborhood. say good morning to howard bernstein. >> welcome back. we survived without you yesterday. >> i knew you would. >> today is going to be a good day but breezy at times. let's talk about the temperatures as you get ready to step out the door. a few areas in the upper 50s. so a little cool in spots. low 60s. 68 here in town. an win chester right now our warm spot at 69 we could have some gusts over 20 miles an hour briefly. so be aware of that.

2984 is closed between florence and old annapolis. it will be like this until 9:00 a.m. going both directions not going to access that route. 270 northbound, watch for roadwork at falls road. southbound all clear to the split. and finally the peltway in virginia, more construction to look out for the the inner loop near the braddock road exit and route 7 and the dulles toll road. back to andrea. >> thank you, angie. the muslim leader behind a plan to build a islamic center at the world trade center site say he has a solution to the controversy but hasn't made public what he plans to do. randall pinkston has the latest from lower manhattan. >> reporter: there could be a compromise over the islamic culture center near block of ground zero. >> we are exploring all options as we speak right now. we are working through what will be a solution.

>> reporter: imam says his solution will diffuse the crisis but did not offer details. critics say the center would be too close to the site of the 9/11 terror attacks. >> i think they need to move it and as an american i'm a little tired of being sensitive to everyone else and it would be nice to see someone sensitive to my culture for a change. >> reporter: but supporters of the center argue the neighborhood is decidedly mixed with an off track betting parlor for for example, one block from the proposed sites. >> with strip sites an the corner and betting parlors, to claim it is hallowed ground, it is hallowed ground in one sense but it doesn't ad. >> reporter: they sin assist the area will always be sacred. >> that particular building was actually hit by part of the plane in the attack i think makes it part of the hallowed

ground of ground zero. >> reporter: a recent poll shows 80% of new yorkers oppose building the center. the imam insists he wants to fight radical extremists and warns the world is watching the outcome of the controversy. randall pinkston, cbs news, new york. with the first local station with news in high definition, this is 9 news now. welcome to 9 news now. today is tuesday, september 14th. i'm andrea roane. angie goff has the traffic. we begin with howard bernstein. she has a few problems. what about in the forecast? >> minor issues over here. she has taken the cake today. weather wise we are in good shape a little cold this morning and that is fine. it is september after all. we like these nice comfortable mornings. satellite and radar combined. a couple of showers earlier and as we go through the overnight some passing clouds. it is a quiet morning out