pushes his conservative values as he works to upset native mitt romney in the michigan primary. to the rescue. euro zone leaders agree to give greece a second bailout worth $170 billion. and a survivor's story. a skier tells somehow she made it out alive from a deadly avalanche. >> so you are truly convinced that that saved your life? >> yes, i fully believe that my back pac saved my life. captioning funded by cbs good morning, everybody, and thanks for joining us. i'm betty nguyen.

the michigan primary is just one week away. rick santorum is pressing social issues. but romney with lots of money to spend has stepped up his attacks on santorum, and it appears to be working. a just released poll of likely republican voters in millifind 37% support santorum, 33% romney, but that same poll had santorum with a 15-point last week. romney's campaign is in michigan and susan mcginnis is in washington with more on all this. good morning, susan. >> good morning, betty. you can see that poll, the lead is shrinking, the two of them about neck and neck in michigan. with that primary next tuds, it's making that contest the most interesting and important one so far. >> it's great to be at the heartland -- >> reporter: rick santorum was joined by his family at a campaign stop in grand rapids, michigan. santorum is leading in the polls and talking like a front-runner.

he ignored his republican rivals focusing his attacks on president obama. >> whose side is he on is the question. we need someone that's on your side. >> reporter: michigan is mitt romney's home state. with the primary just a week away, he's trying to convince voters that santorum is not the right candidate for the economy. >> i don't believe it's appropriate for us to keep raising the debt ceiling. he voted five times to raise the debt ceiling. >> reporter: romney has plenty of cash to help him catch up in the polls. his campaign raised $6.5 million last month and s. he raised more than $5.5 million in january, but the former house speaker remains far behind in the polls. gingrich is now promising voters he'll get gas prices down to between $2 and $2.50 if elected.

>> why are gasoline prices so high? rn ron paul is campaigning in north dakota. he continues to concentrate on caucus states believing that will help him pick up delegates. tomorrow all the candidates are in arizona for a debate. arizona has its primary next tuesday and it looks like people may really want -- this debate may be important because there hasn't been one in a while, so some of that debate fatigue may be gone. >> all right, susan mcginnis in washington, thank you, susan. a group of more than 2,500 evangelical pass tors wrote to president obama asking him to reverse his birth control mandate. it requires that employees of religious-ail fill yated businesses receive birth control coverage. though most do not oppose it they call the mandate a violation of religious freedom. ? virginia a series of anti-abortion rights bills are likely to be passed by the state legislator this week.

hundreds of protesters demonstrated at the state capital monday. among the proposed law that women seeking an abortion get an invasive ultrasound and a measure that gives embryos full legal rights. >> overseas nato is investigating what it calls the improper disposal of islamic religious materials. it took place at an airspace in afghanistan. the troops apologized for the incident and said it was not intentional. russia wants to send a u.n. envoy to syria while the red cross is trying to arrange a cease-fire. but this morning syrian forces are amassing outside of homs apparently preparing for another assault. anti-government activists say at least nine people were killed yesterday. the red cross wanted to ship in

emergency aid. >> one of the ideas that's been floated is kind of a sanctuary that would allow people to train and equip. we don't need to do that directly, but i think there are ways to get arms to the resistance, and the turks in the arab league can play a very significant role. it's the same rationale while we went into bosnia. it's the same reason why we went to cause a voe. it's the same reason why we've involved ourselves in other parts of the worlded on be f of people who can't help themselves. two iranian ships docked at ports yesterday as they were warned about aiding opposition to the syrian government. on the "cbs moneywatch" the greek economy gets some relief in the form of another bailout. european financial leaders

reached a deal early this morning on a $170 billion rescue loan for greece. they came to the agreement following more than 12 hours of talks in brussels. without the loan greece was facing bankruptcy. the deal is to lower the gdp by 2020. but before any of the money is released greece will have to adapt to dozens of unpopular reforms and spending cuts. it did little to excite investors overseas. asia gained a quarter percent. the hang seng gained a quarter percent. trading resumes on wall street after being closed monday for presidents' day holiday. the dow added 148 points last week and is a little more than 50 points away from crossing the mark. the nasdaq also had a strong showing last week. oil prices are at their highest level in nine months. benchmark crude is trading at close to $105 a barrel.

in october it was $75 a barrel. analysts are concerned higher fuel costs could slow down the economic recovery in the united states. a new poll by bankrates.com finds nearly half of all americans are carrying more credit card debt than they have in emergency savings. the survey also found nearly a third of americans say they feel less secure about their finances than they did a year ago. and how about a hamburger that's grown in a lab? a scientist is work, toward creating meat from animal stem cells and other materials. farm animals like the idea because if it works it might save them from the slaughterhouse. experts say it could be the answer to solving world hunger. they say the burlger could be ready by the end of the year. what do you think about that? >> i'm going to let that slide on past me. all right. jennifer lewis hall here in new york. thank you, jennifer.

coming up on the morning news, a live report from new orleans where mardi gras celebrations are gearing up this morning. this is "cbs morning news." it just wouldn't go away. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and for some people, it can work in as early as the first week of treatment. so now i can plan my days and accomplish more. lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior, or any swelling or affected breathing or skin, or changes in eyesight, including blurry vision or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain, and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. with less pain, i'm feeling better

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that can cause a tight draggy feeling. with 1/4 moisturizing cream, dove cleansers rinse cleaner than soap. . just look at that amazing color, costumes and floats in rio de janeiro last night. it was the city's final night for carnival and the samba schools pulled out all the stops. about 80,000 people turned out to watch. this one in italy is a bit more violent. it's the battle of the oranges and it's supposed to represent the fight against tyranny. here in the united states the mardi gras is about to get louder. one of the biggest parties in the world is, of course, in new orleans. karen brown is there in the heart of it all on bauer bon

street. the party does not stop, does it, karen? >> reporter: no, betty, it does not stop. most of these people you see behind me have not gone to bed. you see a lot more teenagers. that's because the new requirement is that 16 and under have to be with guardian. a quarter of the arrests have been curfew-related. but so far officials say this mardi gras is one of the best in years. it's a party in the streets of new orleans. thousands are lining the parade routes, enjoying the music, and catching the beads. revelers who came out monday night even got a few celebrity sightings at the orpheus parade. harry conic jr. and cyndi lauper actually rode on the float. >> cyndi lauper threw me these beads.

that is fact. >> reporter: mardi gras is a tradition in new orleans. evelyn has been coming to the party for 51 years. >> it's a big party, a party that never ends. >> reporter: well after the parades are over the crowds continue to fill bauer bon street where you can tell the bars are open all night long. local officials believe that hundreds of thousands very new orleans for mardi gras. police are patrolling the streets to make sure the partying doesn't get out of control. >> there's a lot of camaraderie. there's a lot of, unfortunately, drunken camaraderie, but it is fun. >> reporter: it's a big boost for business. a new tulane study estimates mardi gras injects more than $144 million into the local economy, and it all builds up to fat tuesday, the last day for the parades and parties before this celebration gives way to lent at midnight. all right. and you're taking a live look

down bauer bon street. you can see hundreds of thousands of people still pouring into the french quarter. tourism is actually on the rise here in new orleans. last year they brought in $5 billion and they expect the first quart over this year to be one of their best ever. that's because they hosted the bcs championship. they're also going to be hosting the ncaa final four, and, of course, this mardi gras, where i am told most of the hotels are completely sold out. betty. >> that's a much needed boost to the economy. nice beads you've got there karen. have a great time. straight ahead, your tuesday morning weather, and in sports linsanity meets reality as the nets school phenom knicks' jeremy lin. rbucks coffee. brian hayes. i'm a master roaster at starbucks coffee. sitting right here we have 40 years of roast experience. how can we use that and do more with it? new starbucks blonde roast was created to increase the offerings that we can give to our customers.

[ anderson ] we decided that we would take our experience and apply it to the lighter, mellower, more subtle side of the bean. it's for the person who always wished that starbucks had a roast like this. [ hayes ] they're gonna love it. i mean, it's a fantastic blend.

here's a look at today's forecast. for some cities around the country. new york, some sun, 50. miami, partly sunny, 77. chicago, snow and rain, 42. dallas, patchy clouds, 71, and l.a., a sunny 73. let's get a check of your national forecast now. light snow, rain, and thunderstorms will move across the midwest. it will be dry from the southwest all the way u up to new england. expect gusts of winds up to 32 miles an hour. and rain and heavy mountain snow will hit the northwest with strong winds reaching 650 miles an hour in parts of the rockies. in sports jeremy lin and the high-flying new york knicks get

another taste of reality. lin had a good game against the nets scoring 21 with nine assists but he could not stop deron williams. williams drained eight three-pointers, ending with a season-high 38 points, to lead new jersey over the knicks, 100-92. now, this was the knicks' second loss in nine games since lin joined the lineup. derrick rose is back. he scored 23 points and had six assists. rose missed last five games because of back problems. chicago takes down atlanta,et 0-79. and can you believe it, the boys of summer are already back at it for spring training. that's superstar slugger albert pujols in arizona there. he's wearing the red of the angels instead of the cardinals. the nine-time all-star left st. louis just after they won the world series. he signed with l.a. for a whopping $240 million over the next ten years.

when we return, an adventure turned tragedy. a survivor of a deadly avalanche speaks out about her narrow escape from a massive snow slide that killed three of her friends. so we made ocean spray cranberry juice cocktail with a splash of lime. it's so refreshing, your taste buds will thank you. mm... oh, you're welcome. what? my taste buds -- they're thanking me. uh-huh. one chance to hunt down the right insurance at the right price. the "name your price" tool, only from progressive.

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here's a look at today's forecast for some cities around the country. washington, d.c., breezy, 54. atlanta, partly cloudy, 64. detroit, rain and snow, 44. denver, partly sunny, 48, and seattle, 54 degrees. the survivor of a deadly avalanche is speaking out. she and her friends took to the slopes in washington state on sunday when suddenly the earth moved. bill whitaker spoke with her about those terrifying moments. >> she was enjoying a day of

skiing in pristine backcountry with eight friends, all expert skiers, when suddenly the snow started to shift beneath her. >> you didn't really hear anything and my partner to the right of me started screaming, ee lee, avalanche, elise, avalanche. at that time i was the one being swept in. >> are you tumbling? being thrown about by the power of o snow. >> yes, you are. it's hu a feeling like you're being tossed in washing machine. you're not sure what's up and down. >> it threw her2,030 feet in 30 seconds. >> did you feel at any time you were not going to make it out of this. >>? >> yes, i definitely had the fear this was going to be the way i ended. >> so you are truly convinced that that saved your life? >> yes. i fully believe that my back pac saved my life. >> this is video of the air bags being deployed by a snowboarder

during an avalanche in colorado this month. she deployed oochz hers as soon as she felt the snow shift. the air bags kept her head above the churning snow. >> it literally felt like i was in cement. >> reporter: nearby three of her friends were nearby and died. >> once the first person came to rescue me and we unburied me, others started to show up in the rescue search and we started finding the other bodies immediately. it was very shocking to know that the person -- one of the victims that we found was literally three feet to my left. it's actually hard to discuss. >> reporter: they did not have the back pack? >> they did not have that lunch back pack. >> reporter: every year in the

u.s. about 30 people die in avalanches. elise feels lucky not to be one of the grim statistics. bill wit ter, cbs news, stevens pass, washington. investigators are trying to figure out why a small plane collided with a helicopter sunday evening in the skies over northern california. both the helicopter and small plane made emergency landings, bowes pilots escaped with minor injuries. the pilot of the plane said he concentrated on landing safely. >> you just assess the plane and whether the engine's running, what happened, talk to air traffic control, make sure they know what's going on, figure out how to land. that's the important part. >> there are about 12 mid air collisions every year right here in the u.s. well, coming up after your local news on "cbs this morning," a promising new weight loss drug under consideration by the fda. and powe quiet mya angelou's advice to her teenaged self.

that's going to be interesting. i'm betty nguyen. this is the "cbs morning news." -my toes know. -my shoulders know. [ female announcer ] do you know what a difference dove nourishment can make? my hips, they know. my shins, they get it. [ female announcer ] only dove body wash has nutrium moisture and a breakthrough formula that goes beyond moisture to nourish deep down like no other. [ female announcer ] dove body wash. proven effective natural nourishment. ♪ the nourishment of nutrium moisture is also available in all your favourite dove body wash products. when we were determined tom moistursee it through.able here's an update on the progress. we're paying for all spill related clean-up costs. bp findings supports independent scientists studying the gulf's environment. thousands of environmental samples have been tested and all beaches and waters are open. and the tourists are back.

i was born here, i'm still here and so is bp.

. good morning. well can to 9news now. today is tuesday, february 21. good morning. i'm andrea roane. i'm mike hydeck. it's tuesday. we're glad you're here.

monika santami in her beautiful dresses and howard bernstein. it's cold. we have some low 20s this morning. but there's really -- it's really not indicative of the rest of the week we're expecting. it's going to be mild. a few more clouds to the middle of the day and afternoon and a bit of a breeze but right now 33 at reagan national and a sunny start to this tuesday. but you see those clouds off to the west coming across into west virginia and ohio and kentucky. looks like we're going to stay dry although clouds will be increasing. warm days ahead before the week is out. this morning there's the cold in manassas and culpeper. 21 degrees each. it's 23 for martinsburg. 25 in luray and andrews and la plata. down south tappahannock 23. bill said his three and a half inches of snow was eight-tenths of an inch of liquid. very heavy, wet snow which did fall down south in annapolis this morning, 33. here's a look at our forecast highs. near 50 in the shenandoah

valley. near 50 in frederick. 54 manassas. 52 on the bay and 53 at reagan national. it's 4:26. monika santami yesterday no notes. today no notes. it's a good trend. >> it is a good trend. let's hope it stays that way. there is one incident you want to know about because it caused a bit of slow traffic on canal road at arizona avenue. there had been an accident affecting both directions of canal road. i know authorities were in the process of clearing that up. be aware of that if you're headed out. you should find all lanes open. we'll take a live look outside right now. if you're planning to head across the american legion bridge, no problems here. if you're heading to the gw parkway or canal road, you should be fine right now. we'll go back to the maps all the way north up to frederick. no problems to report out of mount airy, germantown. we'll take a live look at rockville at montrose road.

more on virginia roadways coming up at 4:39. an out of control driver lost control of his vehicle. it went airborne, flipped several times and then slammed into a kfc in landover. >> by the time emergency crews got there, one person was dead and two others were being taken away to a nearby hospital. gary nurenberg has more. >> reporter: this happened at about 6:30. a bmw apparently traveling more than a hundred miles an hour was racing toward the traffic light at sheriff road when is lost control hitting the curb by this citgo station and flipping repeatedly hitting lots of things. >> you can see several trees there, a sign, looks like a trash can of some kind. over here there's the air pumps that were in place next to the vacuum. this box is upside down as a result of that collision. then it came across through the fence. there was a fence there before it came into the kfc. >> reporter: in the process it

hit this suv injuring the driver who was hospitalized. the bmw then slammed into the building. the impact apparently throwing an occupant from the car. that body pinned beneath it, the only fatality. the impact also threw parts of the wheel 20 feet into the air where it's still embedded in the building. debris rained on martin luther king highway. the damaged cars were taken from the scene and will be combed over by investigators looking to explain how this happened. again, one occupant of the bmw dead. another in the hospital with nonlife threatening injuries. the driver of that red suv also hospitalized with nonlife threatening injuries. it could be days before police determine exactly what happened. gary nurenberg, 9 news now. a road rage incident in crofton, maryland ends with two people being taken to the it