under wraps. as president obama prepares to visit ground zero today, he tells cbs news in an exclusive interview he will not release any photos of osama bin laden's body. >> did you see the pictures? >> yes. >> what was your reaction when you saw them? under attack. chaos in syria, as the deadly crackdown intensifies against the anti-government movement. and under water. residents along the mississippi evacuate as severe flooding hits new highs. evacuate as severe flooding hits new highs. the worst may be yet to come. captioning funded by cbs

good morning, everybody, thanks for joining us, i'm betty nguyen. president obama visits ground zero here in new york today, where the world trade center towers once stood. this morning's trip follows mr. obama's decision not to release pictures of osama bin laden's body, or his burial at sea. the president told steve kroft at "60 minutes" that it is important the very graphic pictures do not become a propaganda tool, or incite violence. the president also said america doesn't, quote, trot out this stuff as trophies. we don't need to spike the football. randall pinkston is at ground zero with more on this. good morning, randall. >> good morning, betty. as a candidate he came here to ground zero, but this is the first time president obama has been here since he was elected. it's a significant pilgrimage, coming just six days after he ordered the attack on osama bin laden's compound. president obama will visit ground zero today for the first

time since navy s.e.a.l.s killed osama bin laden. he will lay a wreath at the site and meet privately with 9/11 families, including jim riches whose john jimmy died in the attacks. >> president obama promised us when we went to visit him last time that he would hunt bin laden and these other men down, and he's a man of his word. >> reporter: the president's trip comes a day after he told cbs news' "60 minutes" photos of bin laden's body would not be made public. >> we've done dna sampling, and testing, and so there is no doubt that we killed osama bin laden. >> reporter: he said releasing the pictures could put the u.s. at risk. >> it is important for us to make sure that very graphic photos of somebody who was shot in the head, are not floating around as an incitement to additional violence. >> reporter: the president is not expected to make any comments here at ground zero. the white house says he wants to

focus on honoring the victims, not exploiting the death of a killer. >> you're going to have people who criticize it. you're going to have people who accept it. >> reporter: the mother of firefighter kriegen reganhart who died on 9/11 said she wouldn't want to sew the photos. but on capitol hill opinion is divided. >> it is in our national security interest to prove it beyond any reasonable doubt. >> if someone doubts right now, with all the verification that we have, they're always going to doubt. >> reporter: the obama administration is already moving forward. focusing on the wealth of evidence from bin laden's compound. in addition to the 9/11 families, president obama will also be meeting with firefighters, rescue workers, and other first responders. the president extended an invitation to former president bush, but he declined. reporting live from ground zero, i'm randall pinkston, back to you in the studio, betty. >> all right, randall, thank you. you can see the rest of steve kroft's interview with the president on this sunday's "60 minutes" right here on cbs. more details of the raid

that killed osama bin laden are emerging. several weapons were found in the room where bin laden was killed. meanwhile, computers and other physical evidence recovered from bin laden's compound is turning out to be an intelligence windfall. joel brown is in washington with the latest on that. good morning, joel. >> betty, good morning. there is a growing sense among counterterrorism officials that al qaeda is on the ropes. the hope is that this evidence haul may help the u.s. deal another significant blow. the raid into the bin laden compound led to more evidence than u.s. officials had ever expected. at least five computers, a dozen hard drives, and more than 100 computer discs were recovered. the s.e.a.l.s also grabbed handwritten notes, weapons and personal items that could reveal key clues about other high-ranking al qaeda leaders and potential terror plots. along with the body of bin laden, another intelligence find. the s.e.a.l.s discovered 500

euros and two phone numbers sewn in to the al qaeda leader's clothing. now intelligence analysts are digging into those numbers, tracing previous calls to and from those phones, mapping out a network of terrorist communications. >> who was talking to bin laden? who was he communicating with and directing? are thereary links and phone numbers tied to those phone numbers. >> reporter: details continue to emerge about the 40-minute firefight that ultimately took out the al qaeda leader. when the s.e.a.l.s finally found him, children ran out of the room. bin laden's wife rushed the commandos. she was shot in the leg. that left bin laden alone, face-to-face with the s.e.a.l.s. one shot him in the chest. and another finished him off with a shot in the head. he was unarmed, but a pistol and an ak-47 were found in the room. >> he made no indication that he was going to give up in any way. lots of movement in the room. dark, it's confusing. they've been taking fire. i think it was absolutely the prudent and right thing to do by

that special forces officer. >> reporter: now some in washington are questioning why intelligence officials are even hinting about what they found after the raid. but those officials want al qaeda to know that they have something, in hopes it pressures them to make mistakes and expose themselves to danger. betty? >> well, joel, for the most part, the raid went according to plan. but the s.e.a.l.s did leave an important piece of machinery behind. tell us about that. >> right, betty. they did have to abandon one of the blackhawk helicopters. they tried to blow it up with explosives, but pictures from the scene show that much of it remained. now experts are analyzing the photos, because if you look at the tail section of the plane, it appears to show what could be a new version of radar evading stealth technology. and obviously now the pakistanis have what's left. >> all right. joel brown in washington. thank you, joel. the suspect in the bombing of a florida mosque has been shot and killed by law enforcement officers in oklahoma. samuel matthew smith, believed to be seen in this surveillance

vid video, had been on the run for nearly a year. he faced charges in connection with the bombing of an islamic center in jacksonville, florida, last year. no one was hurt in the blast. smith was tracked to a remote state park in northwest oklahoma. >> after several hours of carefully approaching smith, fbi agents and other law enforcement officers called on him to surrender. smith confronted the agents and other law enforcement officers with a weapon. he was shot and killed. >> no explosive devices were found at the camp site, and the fbi says smith acted alone. overseas, hundreds of syrian troops stormed a damascus suburb overnight. the suburb was the scene of a large-scale anti-government protest last week. it's reported the soldiers broke into homes and arrested hundreds, including women and children. this video posted on youtube reportedly shows syrian troops opening fire on anti-government protesters near the southern city daraa. about 50 people have been killed

there in fukushi fukushima nuclear power plant entered the building that houses the seriously damaged reactor number 1. it is their first time in the building since the first days after the march 11th earthquake. the workers are installing ventilation machines to try to reduce radiation levels. back in this country, officials are warning that flooding along the mississippi river and its tributaries, already a major disaster, is going to get even worse. floods have already forced thousands from their homes in illinois and missouri. and farther south, the water is rising fast. kendis gibson reports. >> reporter: the national guard raced to save a 93-year-old woman when floodwaters washed out this missouri road. one of the guardsmen pulled her out of her sinking car and brought her to safety. residents are evacuating all along the mississippi river in missouri and southern illinois as the water rises. hundreds have gone to local shelters. >> it was a moment, nobody could prepare for this at all.

>> reporter: keva and her child are from cairo, illinois, a town that appears to have been spared 56 the army corps of engineers blasted holes in a levee on the river diverts floodwaters into farmlands. more blasting was done down river in new madrid, the huge explosions opened up the levees, letting more water escape. the immediate threat in this area is over. but the worst could be ahead for people living further downstream. army engineers say more levee blasts may be necessary. days of rain are pushing the mississippi to record levels. the rising water is now heading south. towns and cities in tennessee and mississippi are bracing for what could be the worst flooding since the 1930s. residents are loading up sandbags and bringing them to homes in low-lying areas. >> prepare for the worst and hope for the best. >> reporter: the river is expected to crest in memphis, tennessee, a week from today. kendis gibson, cbs news, mississippi county, missouri. just ahead on the "morning news," hollywood mourns the loss of a legend.

plus, why your gm kruz might be off the road for awhile. this is the "cbs morning news." ooh, you made my favorites with i can't believe it's not butter! mmmm... oh my...what a dish.

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side-effects may include nausea, dizziness and sweating. for me, pristiq is a key in helping me treat my depression. liftoff. >> liftoff and the clock has started. >> on may 5th, 1961, 50 years ago today, the clock started on america's manned exploration of space. astronaut alan shepard was launched from cape canaveral on a 15-minute suborbital flight. to mark the anniversary the postal service has issued a spacious alan shepard stamp. on the "cbs moneywatch," a new way to get caffeinated. and the popular cruz gets recalled. ashley morrison is here in new york with the latest on that. good morning, ashley. >> good morning to you, betty. inflation worries kept most asian markets on the down side today.

hong kong's hang seng lost a fraction while tokyo's nikkei remained closed for the holiday. wall street gets the latest on retail sales and a look at the jobless claim numbers. on wednesday stocks finished lower. the dow fell nearly 84 points while the nasdaq gave back 13. ahead of friday's april jobs report from the government there are new signs of weakness in the labor market. a report from the payroll company adp shows the economy added 179,000 private sector jobs last month. that's at least 25,000 fewer than expected. the unemployment rate currently stands at 8.8%. general motors is recalling the hot-selling 2011 chevy cruz. gm says it wants to check the vehicles to make sure the steering shafts were installed properly. about 150,000 cars are involved. no crashes or injuries have been reported. last month more than 25,000 cruzs were sold. victims of ponzi king bernard madoff could soon see some money. the trustee appointed to the

case told a new york court on wednesday he collected $7.6 billion so far, and asked for permission to make an initial payout of $272 million. no word yet on when the court might make a decision. and lebron james is hoping for a slam dunk with his new energy drink. he is co-founder of a company that just launched caffeine strip called sheets. they dissolve when placed on the tongue, providing the equivalent of one cup of coffee. betty, i think i know some people around here that could use those. >> me! i don't drink coffee but i might try that. >> save me some time, too. >> all right, ashley. thank you. joining us live here in new york. well, new york may become the first state to ban indoor tanning for anyone under the age of 18. more than two dozen states already regulate indoor tanning for minors. the american cancer society is calling for stricter regulations, but despite skin cancer risk, it remains popular, especially among teenagers. jackie cooper, who received

an oscar nomination as a child star in the 1920s, and whose film and television career went on for nearly 70 years, has died. >> hey, how did you get in here? >> cooper appeared in the our gang comedies and other popular films. and later in the tv sitcom, "the people's choice." he directed such tv shows as "mash" and played the daily planet editor "perry white" in the four christopher reeve superman movies. jackie cooper died tuesday in beverly hills. he was 88. [ female announcer ] every morning, all across america, women have discovered the secret to a great day because they've discovered the power of aveeno daily moisturizing lotion. the only one that nourishes with active naturals oats,

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here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. new york, partly cloudy, 62. miami, sunny, 82. chicago, light rain, 64 there. dallas, going to be sunny, 80 degrees. and a sunny 90 degrees in l.a. time now for a check of the national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows clouds from the plains to the northeast. skies are clear from california to colorado. later today, thunderstorms are possible in the northern plains. in the northeast, it will be cool as sunshine slowly returns. and the southwest will see temperatures in the 80s and 90s. in sports, the bulls' derek rose shows why he is the league mvp. rose held up the trophy before the game. game two, in fact, with the hawks last night. then, went to work, pouring in 25 points to help chicago beat atlanta 86-73.

that tied their series at one game each. and the mavs stunned the lakers again. dirk nowitzki scored 24 points to help dallas blow out los angeles 93-81 for a commanding 2-0 second round lead. and in baseball, the braves hudson was almost perfect on the mound. he threw a gem, facing only two batters above the minimum for a one-hitter. he got the big offensive help from freddy freeman who singled to left to score two. atlanta stopped milwaukee 8-0. when we return, another look at this morning's top stories. and the transit systems on high alert after the death of osama bin laden. what new york is doing to k50e7 its riders safe. - neil lane's jewelry designs are uniquely beautiful. one look, and it's easy to see why his rings are worn by hollywood's biggest stars. now you can have a neil lane ring for the star in your life. introducing neil lane bridal at kay jewelers.

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on the "cbs morning news" here's a look at today's weather. light rain will impact the northeast. mostly in new england.

two storm systems will cross the northern plains, while a third moves in to the northwest, and it will be cool in the northeast. here's a look at this morning's top stories. officials warning the record-setting flooding along the mississippi river could get even worse. thousands have been forced from their homes. president obama has declared an emergency in parts of mississippi, tennessee, and kentucky. and president obama visits ground zero here in new york today. the president will lay a wreath at the site and meet with the families of 9/11 victims. yesterday, the president decided not to release photos of osama bin laden's body. the death of bin laden has sparked concerns in this country about revenge attacks by islamic militants. transit systems are especially vulnerable, and nowhere more so than here in new york city. terrell brown has that story. >> reporter: the national guard is out at penn station in new

york. bomb-sniffing dogs are doing their job, trying to prevent a terror attack. while officials are asking people to be alert for a possible revenge attack for the killing of osama bin laden, new yorkers are sticking with their daily routine. in the city's counterterrorism unit is urging congressional lawmakers to avoid cutting federal funding for security in the transit system. >> some of what we do simply wouldn't be possible. it would compromise the level of security we have, quite frankly. >> reporter: but new yorkers are doing their part since ben laden's death. police report an increase in 911 calls about suspicious packages. a sign of increased vigilance. >> i'm worried about repercussions, if there is going to be any. >> reporter: all the patrolling can make a difference. but security officials say the best defense against another attack is a public willing to keep its eyes and ears open. terrell brown, cbs news, new york. this morning on "the early show," we are live from ground zero ahead of the president's visit. i'm betty nguyen. this is the "cbs morning news."

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good job girls. woman: in 1990, in severn, maryland, the daughter of a clergyman was discovered by a music industry insider while pumping gas at a service station. the odds of her getting signed and spending 11 weeks at #1 on the u.s. singles charts? 1 in 19 million. the odds of this former church choir singer going on to sell 40 million records? 1 in 15 million. the odds of the same woman winning 6 grammy awards and starring in two broadway plays? 1 in 75 million. the odds of this musician and performer having a child diagnosed with autism? 1 in 150. i'm toni braxton, and i encourage you to learn the signs of autism at autismspeaks.org. early diagnosis can make a lifetime of difference.

. good morning, i'm andrea roane. friday eve, i'm mike hydeck, angie goff is here. she'll have traffic in a moment. mr. howard bernstein has the weather first. >> it's cold out there. i didn't know what to put on. heater on last night, and i got a jacket on, middle weight winter jacket. we have wind chills close to 40 degrees. some temperatures close to

40 degrees. some higher elevations in snow. >> snow shoe had snow yesterday, a little bit. may 4th not bad at all. your day planner for this thursday, sunshine, maybe a few clouds here and there, but generally a mostly sunny day. by noon around 60. this afternoon 65 at 5:00 with highs today into the upper 60s. look at the winds, northwesterly, 16, 18, 17 with gusts 25 to 30. it is going to be a brisk chilly day. some showers did pop even in the afternoon with the heating just bubbled up things enough. we had one or two sprinkles there. showers in pennsylvania this morning and a few clouds have come down. but for the most part clear to partly cloudy skies. there are the chilly temperatures, 43 in hagerstown, we're 47. southern maryland 47 with 49 on the bay. your wind chills this morning down to 39 in hagerstown, feels like 42. bundle up, 42 with the wind chill in washington. angie, good morning. >> good morning, thank you very much. right now we do have a tie up to tell you about, which is why we

start with the yellow light. we have a police investigation going on in riverdale, it has northbound bw parkway all lanes closed at riverdale road. the way to get around this, use route 50 # or 201. moving over to 270, drivers watch out for construction going southbound at 80 and 124. virginia inner loop at 267 only the left lane gets by because of construction. 267 at 495 northbound is closed until 5:00 a.m. still ahead the latest on that riverdale police activity at 4:31. back to. >> speaker 1: thank you, angie. here are some stories we're following for you. president obama will be in new york city today to mark the death of osama bin laden. he will be visiting ground zero and meeting with some of the families of 9/11 victims. yesterday the president cold cbs news' 60 minutes that the gruesome photos of osama bin laden's body will not be released due to national security concerns. a local woman who filed a whistle-blower lawsuit against fedex says the company profited

from the tragedies on 9/11. fedex denies that claim, it still settled with the government for $8 million, britney morehouse talks to the whistle-blower about why she felt the need to speak up. >> reporter: this is a long, over due press conference. if you ask mary g arofalo. >> i know waves doing that day. >> september 11th she says her former employer explained late packages with one simple phrase, security delay. >> they used it as it was meant to be as 9/11 happened, but then they started abusing it until it became normal practice. >> normal practice to use a bulk scanning number like this for dozens of packages in one truck, all reading security delay. she realized this was going on while working as a senior service agent. >> i could pull it up and see the scans on the package, knowing they're scanning their whole truck, knowing this is

what management told them to do. scan before you leave the building. >> reporter: at the time mary was working out of this branch in crofton, she had been working for fedex for over two decades and says she loved her job from the day she started driving in old time alexandria. >> absolutely i loved my job until 9/11 and then it changed. >> reporter: she filed a whistle-blower lawsuit in 2006 saying fedex was cheating the government out of money. last march the department of justice took on the case, while fedex says the government found no unwarranted security delay claims, the company still settled with the department of justice for $8 million. britney morehouse, 9news now. a spokesperson with fedex released a statement to 9news now, they say it was in the best interests of the company