tornadoes, intense thunderstorms, and flash floods roll over the southern plains. illinois vote. mitt romney pushes for a big win as rick santorum is put on the defensive. >> my canneddy dacy doesn't hinge on whether the employment rate goes up or down. and the investigation opens. the justice department and the fbi decide to look into the shoots of an unarmed african-american teenager in florida. captioning funded by cbs good morning, everybody. thanks for joining us. i'm betty nguyen. not round of severe weather

pounding the nation. it's not over yet. last night a tornado touched down southwest of san antonio. at least 50 homes were damaged in the small towns of divine and natalia. so far no injuries are reported but there are unconfirmed reports of people trapped in mobile homes. the storm system also brought heavy rain and flooding to parts of texas and oklahoma where much of the state is under a flash flood watch. more potentially dangerous weather is forecast for today, louisiana, arkansas, missouri, and into wisconsin. mitt romney is hoping for a knockout punch in today's high-stak high-stakes. santorum was forced to skplamt his position on unemployment. susan mcginnis is in washington with more. good morning. >> good morning. you remember mitt romney's flub.

now santorum is backtracking after a statement he made yesterday. rick santorum is definding comments he made in moline, illinois, yesterday. >> we need a candidate who's going to be a fighter for freedom, who's going to make that the central theme in this race. it is the central theme in this race. i don't ware what the unemployment rate is going to be. it doesn't matter to me. >> reporter: he said he'd like a do-over to explain what he meant. >> of course, i care. i'm saying my candidacy duchblt depend on the unemployment rate going up and down. >> reporter: mitt romney tried to capitalize on santorum's flub at a rally in peoria. he zresed the economy is his top priority. >> one of the people who's running also for the republican nominationings today said he doesn't care about the unemployment rate, that doesn't bother him. i do care about the unemployment rate. it does botter me.

>> reporter: the latest poll shows romney with a 14-point lead over santorum heading into illinois's primary and romney is showing confidence in a win. >> together we're going to get this job done, i'm going to get the nomination, we're going to defeat barack obama and take back this great country. >> reporter: santorum didn't file the necessary paperwork in four districts making him ineligible for ten of the 54 delegates at stake today. that could help mitt romney extend his lead. so after illinois it moves to louisiana where rick santorum is expected to do well and then, betty, it moves up here to d.c. on april 3rd. also maryland and wisconsin. >> a lot of top. thank you, susan. mitt romney was trying to focus on the economy as he campaigned yesterday, but at bradley university he faced questions about his opposition to planned parenthood and mandatory birth control coverage. one woman told romney she's

looking for free birth control. >> if you're looking for free stuff you don't have to pay for, vote for the other guy. >> romney has also said he opposes spending federal tax money to support planned parenthood. republicans in the house of representatives unveiled their budget plan today. it focuses on tax reform. according to "the wall street journal" it proposes just two tax brackets instead of the current six. 10% and 25%. and there would be no taxation of oversea s profrts for companies. oversea, there have been a series of deadly bombings in iraq this morning. at least four cities were attacked. the bombing appeared to target iraqi police. at least 28 people were kill and more than 40 others wounded. next week the arab league has a summit schedule you'ded in baghdad. the american soldier accused

of gunning down 16 afghans says he doesn't remember what happened. in a statement bales alzheimer's wife says she's profoundly sad. >> reporter: moving trucks hauled away the contents of staff sergeant bails' washington state home after his wife and children moved out. they now live on a military base. his home is at leavenworth where he's in detention. he met with his attorney for the first time monday. john henry brown said he was drinking but not drunk the night of his shoot shooting. he also says bales did not tell him of what happened. >> he has an early memory of the evening and a later memory but he doesn't have a memory of in between. he's in shock. he's fixated on the troops left on the ground and what they're

accusing him of and how that might have ramifications on his friends and compatriots and he's concerned there would be retaliation that would be caused by what people think he's done. >> reporter: we're also learning more about bales' previous legal troubles. he wu r was accused of assaulting a girlfriend in 2002 and had to take an anger management court, he was cited for a hit-and-run accident in 2009 and while working with a financial adviser before he enlisted, he was accused of fraud. he was required to pay more nan $1 million but never did. the shooting created tense situation. on monday the white house again denounced the attack. >> the killing of these innocent afghan civilians was a tragic and terrible event and did not represent what our military stands for. >> reporter: bales' wife says she can shed no light on what

happened. carilyn says what has been reported is completely out of character of the man i know and admire. randall pinkston, cbs news, the white house. this morning more than 100 policemen are searching southwestern france for a gunman who shot and killed a rabbi and three children. an awe all-night vigil was held at the school. the gunman is a suspect in another shooting. police say he shot at point blank range but they believe he's a marksman. >> reporter: by the time the police arrived, the killer had escaped. just before class began, the man had ridden up to the high school on a motorcycle and started shooting. the rabbi who taught yiddish was killed along with his two sons age 3 and 6 and an 8-year-old girl. parents and pupils struggled to describe the horror of children shot at point blank range.

french president nicolas sarkozy suspended hi re-election campaign to travel to the school and called it a tragedy. it's also a national emergency. police believe the shooter is a serial killer and probably racially motivated. the same weapons was used to gun down four french soldiers in the region last week. all the soldiers were muslim or black, a fact that means this community's overwhelming degree grief is also laced with fear. elizabeth palmer, cbs news, london. coming up on cbs news, apple investors. this one goes out to all the allergy muddlers. you know who you are. you can part a crowd, without saying a word. you have yet to master the quiet sneeze.

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♪ could open a world of wonder? ♪ ♪ so sensory ♪ so satisfying ♪ the discovery never seems to stop ♪ ♪ it's the magic friskies makes happen ♪ ♪ every day ♪ in so many ways ♪ friskies ♪ feed the senses first lady michelle obama

was david letterman's late show guest last night. dave asked her about private conversations she's had with the president. >> hypothetically speaking, at the end of the day, has your husband ever come home and said to you, oh, that john boehner, what an idiot. >> it has never happened. never, never. he's always upbeat, particularly about congress. >> mrs. obama also described leaving the white house in disguise to shop last year, you may remember that, and thinking her cover was actually blown when a woman approached her. it turned out the shorter woman just wanted help with an item she couldn't reach. on the "cbs moneywatch" disany's big box office bomb and a huge bomb it was. apple makes its shareholders

happy. hashly morrison is here. a little good and some bad. >> nikkei went up slightly while hong kong's hang send dropped 1%. we'll get the report on housing starts. we are expecting to see signs if growth in the housing market. on monday the dow inched up 6 points while the nasdaq gained 23. apple is rewarding its shareholders with a dividend. it will pair a quarterly dividend of 2.25 a share starting in july. they were sitting on more than $97 billion in cash. it always announced it has sold million new ipads since friday. the owner of the new york mets scored a victory yesterday, not o-on-the fields but in court. they have agreed to pay the trustees of the victims of bernie madoff. but the mets owners lost over $178 million from their own investments with madoff. the net result, they could turn a profit of $16 million, but

that's only if the trust ee can collect the money madoff stole. and disney shares fell 1% after the market closed. the drop came after disney said it expected to lose $200 million on the new movie "john carter." the describe-fi 3-d movie costed $300 million to make and market. they say it could end up being the biggest flops of all time. you don't want to have to say you were part of that meesh then career-wise. >> i paid the money to go see it, believe it or not. >> do you want your money back? >> i'm not saying. all right, ashley morrison. thanks for joining us. straight ahead, you tuesday weather and the merry-go-round, and peyton manning. and that could mean out with tim tebow.

here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. new york, partly cloudy, 67, yam, partly sunny, 83, chicago, partly sunny, 78, dallas, showers, 66, l.a., you'll see nothing but sunshine. 68. time now for a check of the national forecast. heavy rain will fall on the both sides of texas/oklahoma and louisiana/arkansas line with damaging winds and tornadoes likely. rain is also on tap from eastern kansas to the upper midwest. showers and thunderstorms are

likely in the carolinas and the mid-atlantic. rain and mountain snow will fall from the pacific northwest to the northern rockies. in sports the denver broncos are one contract away from winning the manning bowl. now, there's no official confirmation, but multiple sources say four-time league mvp peyton manning has decided he wants to play in denver. espn reports manning has told his agent to work out a deal. now that almost certainly means that tim tebow who led denver the to the afc title last season will be traded. now to the nba. dallas at denver. in the stenlds nugget fans celebrated their city's new football hero, but on the court it was the dirk nowitzki score. the man hit shot after shot from inside and outside scoring 33 points with 11 rebounds as dallas beat the nuggets 112-95. and in the nhl, the bruins, a big night in boston. they sensed the score almost at

will. the leafs schafrmged goalies mid game but that did not help. they completed a six-game sweep of toronto. when we return, demand for justice. the mother of a teenager gunned down by a neighborhood watch leader speaks out. we'll have the latest on the investigation. this is the "cbs morning news." you sure its a good price? pretty sure...

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here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. washington, d.c., showers, p 3. atlanta, partly cloudy, 81. st. louis, a thunderstorm or two, 84. denver partly cloudy 56 and saelts, rainy, 48. here's another look at this morning's top stories. a tornado touched down southwest

of san antonio, texas. at least 50 homes were damaged but there are no reports of injuries. more severe weather is expected in the southern plains and midwest today. and the american soldier suspected of shooting 16 afghan civilians says he doesn't remember the massacre. sergeant robert bales met with his lawyer for the first time yesterday. the justice department is launching a federal investigation into the shooting death of a black teenager last month in florida. the shooter was a neighborhood watch member who was not arrested even though the dead teen, trayvon martin, was unarmed. the case has stirred growing protests as mark strassmann reports. >> reporter: sabrina fulton has waited for nearly a month nr what she calls justice, the arrest for the killing of her son, trayvon martin. >> to me, no question, it was definitely maurd. he was murdered. >> shot in cold blood? >> shot in cold blood. >> reporter: 28-year-old george zimmerman said he shot martin in self-defense february 26th. he remains free.

zimmerman, an armed neighborhood watch leader saw martin walking inside a gated subdivision near orlando. he thought the 17-year-old looked suspicious and called police. >> he's got his hand in his waistband, and he's a black male. >> are you following him? >> yup. >> okay. we don't need you to do that. >> reporter: he chased martin. neighbored dialed 911 to report screams and then a gunshot. >> so you think he's yelling help? >> yes. >> did you recognize the voice on that tape? >> that's my baby. that's my son that was yelling. >> and when you heard the gunshot, that must have been wrenching. >> it left a hole in my heart. an explosion came in my heart when i heard the gunshot. >> reporter: zimmerman had a permit to kaye a concealed weapon, a .9 millimeter handgun. trayvon martin was ununarmed.

he carried a cell phone, a bag of candy and a tea he bought from the 7-eleven. >> mr. zimmerman felt that he in self-defense needed to fire his weapon. >> reporter: a 2005 florida law known as stand your ground allows deadly force when someone feels reasonably threatened, but sabrina fulton says the real issue here is race. >> if he had pulled the trigger and he was an african-american male and he shot a caucasian man, a white man, yes, he would be in jail. >> reporter: martin's family wants the fbi to take over this as a civil rights case. local prosecutors are reviewing this, and zimmerman has given no interviews except to sanford police. mark strassmann, cs news, miami. coming up after your local news on "cbs this morning," the latest on the severe weather threatening part of the nation's

midsection. i'm betty nguyen. this is the "cbs morning news."

. good morning. welcome to 9news now. today is tuesday, march 20. good morning. i'm andrea roane. it's hot in here. i'm mike hydeck. maybe i'll take my jacket off. just kidding. monika santami will have traffic in a moment.

howard bernstein here. we're teasing andrea because she's showing the guns this morning. >> she looks great. >> you look very nice. >> i'm going for a touch of spring on our first day of spring. >> came in at 4:15 this morning. spring is here. thunderstorms also came in this morning at 1:14. >> big heavy drops that fell. >> some downpours. that has led to the formation of patchy fog out there. lots going on this morning. your day planner, not just andrea's guns but we've had showers and storms in spots. 63 at reagan national. we're going to drop off a little bit of the sunlight will come out. again around 74, 75 with a stray afternoon thunderstorm or two. overnight you'll see the disturbance as the showers have been coming in across mainly maryland. some of these showers and thunderstorms have pretty hefty

downpours. right now on the east side of frederick county in toward mt. airy coming down damascus, route 27. also college park to bowie we've seen some leftier showers as well. otherwise it is quiet in most other areas. some fog out there. we're missing some of the reporting stations in virginia at the moment, but we know we have dense, patchy fog. in warrenton had dense fog. and southern maryland to the eastern show. we'll be watching for the pockets of dense fog the next few hours of your temperatures the mid-50s to the low 60s which is above average. our average high is 57. unbelievable. yesterday we got to 76. good morning. everybody. in case you heard about it, there was a serious and fatal accident in frederick early this morning on the westbound side of i-70 before main street. we just got word it's been cleared up and you should be okay through that area

newspaper frederick. in virginia, first of all on the inner loop of the beltway right here in springfield, you can go no further than 95. you'll have to go northbound on 395 to edsall road. turn around and turn back to the inner loop of the beltway or if you're going southbound you should be okay. there's construction right through this area to route 50. outer loop to route 50 and 236 and the dulles toll road as you travel inbound to the beltway. a few construction spots this morning but it clears up by about 5:00. we'll go over live northbound on 95 here in springfield. you're doing fine as you come up from the occoquan river to 395. inbound i-66 incident free. coming in from manassas to centreville to the beltway. we'll take a live look at the beltway and american legion bridge side. no problems to report or route 50 as well. coming up in my next report, we'll go into maryland. back to you. >> thank you, monika. should a 14-year-old be sent to prison for the rest of their life without the chance for parole? later this morning the supreme

court is scheduled to begin hearing arguments in that debate. >> is this crucial and unusual punishment which violates the constitution. gary nurenberg spoke to the father of the girl who was killed by the 14-year-old now facing the judge. >> reporter: he was 52 when 14- year-old evan miller and his friend repeatedly broke into his trailer. >> he robbed my father. he went back over there and at a later time virtually beat him with his fists and with a bat, with blood going everywhere. and then set three or four places of origin, set it on fire to cover it up. >> reporter: but cole wasn't dead when the flames started to spread. >> he died as a result of broken ribs, blunt force trauma to the head in combination with smoke inhalation from the fire. >> reporter: this is miller at 23 posting pictures on a social network site despite a ban on cas