>> mason: tonight, the death of an american hero. neil armstrong, the first person to set foot on the moon, is dead at the age of 82. >> it's one small step for man... >> mason: also tonight, florida issues a state of emergency as tropical storm isaac eyes the sunshine state. manuel bojorquez is in the keys as the storm afroachs. it's the economy. president obama and mitt romney sharpen their attacks on the eve of the republican convention. jan crawford has latest. and a winning guitarist captures a world championship with no strings attached. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news." >> mason: good evening. i'm anthony mason.

he was a combat naval aviator, space pioneer and the first man to set foot on the moon. today neil armstrong died from complications following heart bypass surgery. he was 82 years old. in a statement, his family called him a reluctant american hero. armstrong long shunned the spotlight, even though he played a leading role in one of the greatest moments in american history. >> that's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. >> a brilliant surface and the sunlight. it's an interesting place to be. i recommend it. >> mason: when neil armstrong set foot on the moon on july 20, 1969 he fulfilled the goal that had been set by president john kennedy just eight years earlier. it was a long, long way from his birth place near tiny wapakoneta, ohio, in 1930. armstrong's fascination with airplanes began with his first

flight at age 6, and that fascination never abandoned him. he left purdue university in 1950 when the korean war broke out and flew 78 combat missions as a naval aviator. after the war he became a test pilot and flew the hottest aircrafts around, including the sleek x15 plane. he took the powerful craft 207,000 feet, almost 38 miles, and the edge of space. he was in the first group of civilian astronauts and made his initial flight in 1986 aboard gemini 8. the mission almost ended in disaster when a thruster on his craft stuck open, sending the ship whirling through sprais. with his trademark coolness, armstrong used a wak up system, and made an emergency landing in the pacific. the preparation for the moon landing included learning how to fly the ungainly lunar module, which would descend vertically to the moon's surface.

armstrong had another brush with death when the training vehicle rolled to its side and he was forced to eject just 200 feet from the ground. >> after that happened, when it was all over, you went back to your office and sat down to do paperwork. >> that's true. i did. it was-- there was work to be done. >> reporter: you were just almost killed. >> well, but i wasn't. >> reporter: and then finally, after years of training, the moment arrived. on july 16, 1969, a giant saturn 5 rocket lumber off the pad at the kennedy space center, carrying the 38-year-old armstrong and crew mates buzz aldrin and mike collins. armstrong later said that the landing itself was the high point of the mission for him. he coaxedly the lunar module past craters and bolder as auld brin called out speed and altitude.

>> houston, the eagle has landed. >> mason: after almost a day there, astronauts lifted off, rejoined collins in the command module, and began the long journey home. despite initial fanfare after the historic flight of apollo 11, armstrong remained a humble and intensely private person. he left nasa and taught engineering at the university of cincinnati and later served on the boards of several aerospace firms. one of his rare public appearances was at a gathering with aldrin and other apollo astronauts to mark the 30th anniversary of their moon landing. >> in my own view, important achievement of apollo was the demonstration that humanity is not forever chained to this planet and our visions go wrath further than that and our opportunities are unlimited. >> mason: among the hard-charging, super-achieving apollo astronauts there was bound to be some envy about whom

nasa would select to lead the historic mission. but mike collins flatley stated what so often was said about his reticent and self-effacing commander "i can't offhand think of a better choice to be the first man on the moon." today, president obama called armstrong among the greatest of american heroes, not just of his time but of all time. tropical storm isaac is powering up as itize florida. right now, the storm is swirling over cuba with winds of 60 miles per hour. today, florida's governor declared an emergency, and republicans set to meet in tampa are considering schedule changes to their nominating convention. manuel bojorquez is in key west tonight. manuel, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, anthony. here in key west, there has not been a mandatory evacuation notice but with tropical storm isaac bearing down and a hurricane warning in effect, visitors are now being advised to leave. mark williams has survived many

hurricanes in his 25 years in the florida keys, but isaac will be his first in an emergency shelter. >> it could go one way or the other or stay over the gulf too long and become a bigger storm and then it's like, well, here we go. another few days at the shelter. >> reporter: you'll stay here as long as it takes to ride it out. >> yes. >> reporter: shelters like this one are opening on the islands for those who can't leave, while at the key west airport, several airlines have added extra flights out for those who can. >> yesterday, we really got concerned, so we actually came here and changed the flight. >> reporter: isaac is expected to pass over the keys and move you up the northern part of the state. governor rick scott has already declared a state of emergency. >> we now have the risk of a hurricane in the keys and also in the panhandle. and our-- my job is to focus on all 19 million floridians and the residents plus all the visitors of our state. >> reporter: in tampa, where preparations are under way for the upcoming republican national convention, the city is handing

out sandbags to combat the risk of potential flooding. the port also plabz to close, due to isaac's threat, but officials at the convention center say they are ready for the delegates and the storm. >> the governor has assured us that they've got stuff. >> reporter: isaac's center made landfall just before noon on the far eastern portion of cuba, taking down trees, and causing flooding in the city of baracoa. at least three people were reported dead in haiti and others still living in tent cities after the 2010 earthquakes had their makeshift homes destroyed. this woman in port-au-prince says, "most of the tents have been destroyed. we have no place to go and we don't know what to do." this is the ninth named storm of the atlantic hurricane season with n.o.a.a. predicting a potential total of 1717. the keys could start seeing the effects of isaac as early as dawn with wind of at least 39

miles per hour. >> mason: manuel bojorquez, thanks. we're joined by david bernard of cbs station wfor, who is track the storm. >> good evening, anthony. >> mason: how strong is the storm now, david, and how likely is it to become a hurricane? >> right now the latest information from the hurricane center is showing this is a strong tropical storm with 60-mile-per-hour wind, and it's racing to the northwest at 21 miles per hour. the thinking is this is going to approach the keys on sunday afternoon and once it get past the keys on sunday night and during the day monday, this could become a hurricane in the eastern gulf, just to the west of the tampa area, and maybe a strong hurricane, potentially a category two, as it makes a second landed fall in the panhandle oned it, and then a big rain maker in the southeast oned with and thursday. so right now, it looks like lot of heavy rain, strong, gusty wind, but will they be significant damaging winds in the tampa area? if the storm tracks closer to

the coast, maybe but right now it looks like the very worst of it might stay to their west. >> mason: david bernard, thanks, david. turning to campaign 2012, the republican ticket of mitt romney and paul ryan joined forces in ohio today, wrapping up the preconvention campaign. jan crawford was there. jan. >> reporter: good evening, anthony purpose we were at romney's rally this morning outside of columbus. he and his running mate were squarely on message, hitting the message hard for his jobs record and saying he was all talk and no action. >> do you want four more years of barack obama? >> no! >> neither do i. >> reporter: campaigning with paul ryan in ohio, romney took aim at the president on the issue voters say they care about most-- the economy. >> he doesn't understand what it is that makes america-- america's economy so powerful, so dynamic, and so unique in the world. >> reporter: and with polls showing a gender gap, romney also made an economic appeal to women. >> just a word to the women entrepreneurs out there-- if we

become-- if we become president and vice president, we want to speak to you. we want to help you. >> reporter: but in an an interview today, president obama called romney's views extreme and said, "we aren't where we need to be. everybody agrees with that. but governor romney's policies would make things worse for middle-class families." the romney campaign immediately shot back, "too many middle-class families are going to sleep each night worried about the future. this may be the best president obama can do, but it's not the best america can do." in ohio this morning, romney stayed away from the birth certificate joke that caused a dust-up yesterday in his home state of michigan when he told a crowd of thousand respect. >> no one's ever asked to see my birth certificate. they know this is the place where we were born and raised. >> reporter: romney, when asked by cbs' scott pelley said he was not questioning where the president was born. why did you say that. >> we're in michigan, and anne and i were both born in detroit

and of course a little humor goes a long way. it was great to be home, to be in a place where anne and i had grown up, and the crowd loved it and got a good laugh. >> reporter: last night, the obama campaign tweeted, "song of the day, 'born in the u.s.a.'" and provided a link to the bruce springsteen song. ♪ born in the u.s.a. ♪. >> reporter: now i don't think we're going to be hearing any more of these birth certificate jokes from romney. some republican strategists told me they thought that was a distraction from his main issue, which is the economy. anthony, as we saw today he was right back on that message talking about jobs. >> mason: jan crawford, thanks, jan. new york city police said today all nine bystanders caught in the cross-fire of fight's shooting were hit by police bullets. surveillance video shows a man pointing a gun at two officers. they opened fire getting off 16 rounds. the suspect died in the hail of bullets which erupted after he killed a former coworker. six of the nine wounded

bystanders have been released from the hospital. in syria today, antigovernment activists said the bodies of at least 79 people were found massacred in a town close to damascus. they said many of the dead appeared to have been shot "execution style." coming up on tonight's cbs evening news, job cuts and changing times at new orleans' award-winning newspaper. well, i had all the classic symptoms...

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maker of smartphone to pay apple more than $1 billion for essential he stealing its iphone and ipad technology. john blackstone has more. >> reporter: much of the huge market for mobile devices could feel the shock waves from apple's billion-dollar win over samsung in the california courtroom. cnet writer josh loewensten followed the trial. >> it comes down to he said/she said of who created something. >> reporter: samsung is not the only maker of look-alikes. >> for a lot of other cell phone makers who have similarly looking devices they may have to think how to redesign phones and tablets. >> reporter: the verdict sharpens the competition with google. android phones now outsell

iphones three to one. apple said the verdict sends a loud and clear message that stealing isn't right. samsung called the verdict a loss for the american sewerage which could bring potentially higher prices. the company says if will appeal, and for now, at least, the affected products will remain on the shelves. and this isn't the only legal clash between apexpel samsung. a judge in south korea yesterday reached a split decision in a similar patent case. the two technology giants are battling in courtrooms around the world as well as in stores. john blackstone, cbs news, san francisco. >> mason: this just in it's republican party has just announced its tampa convention will convene monday and immediately recess in the wake of isaac. the convention plans to reconvene tuesday. next, an award-winning newspaper trying to reinvent itself. artoms caused by acid reflux disease. low magnesium levels have been seen with nexium.

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tonight on the west nile virus. the number of states reporting deaths from the mosquito-borne disease doubled this week to 16. nationwide, more than 50 deaths have been reported, including two more in the hard-hit dallas area, bringing the total in texas to 23. seven years ago next week, katrina ravaged new orleans. among the heroic efforts was

that by the staff of the "times picayune" newspaper. butas mark strassmann reports, the storyied paper will soon be cutting back its print edition. >> reporter: for nearly 30 years, john mccusker has captured daily life in new orleans for the "times picayune." the joys of mardi gras, the horrors of violent crime. >> being there and witnessing history is-- as i've been lucky to do as a photo journalist, nothing is like that. >> reporter: when hurricane katrina hit new orleans and the levees broke, the paper became a mirror and megaphone for a city's desperation. >> the newspaper proved a beacon to people. it was a rallying place where our story was told. >> reporter:and a life line at that moment. >> absolutely. >> reporter: mccusker's katrina photos helped the "times picayune" win a pulitzer, print

journalism's top prize. but he said his colleagues meant more to him than the award. >> there were people who went through horrible things together and it made us closer and i guess that's what made it all the harder to know that that's being taken away from us now. >> reporter: taken away on september 30 when the paper's management will cut its staff in half. 84 journalists, including john mccusker, will lose their jobs. the paper will focus on its online coverage. it will print only three days a week. >> my own parents are among those passionate readers who say we can't fathom not having a daily newspaper in this toam. >> reporter: the editor says the 175-year-old paper's bottom line must adjust to a digital world. >> i think all of us in this industry find ourselves in the grips of fundamental, earth-shaking revolution. >> reporter: but a daily digital newspaper needs read wers computers, and by one estimate, more than one-third of people in this city, 36%, aren't

connected to the internet. ronald lewis is a lifelong resident of the city's poor, lower nooing ward. he doesn't know how to go online. >> the newspaper for me, especially during hurricane katrina, were very vital. it became #-rb my source of information. >> reporter: mccusker said it's not just a job he's losing but his identity. >> since 1983 i've introduced myself as, "john mccusker with the "times picayune"." and i'm not going to be doing that any more. and i'm wondering who i am, what i'm going to be. >> reporter: in true new orleans fashion, he recently held a jazz funeral at his home for the paper and laid off journalists. this fall he'll pursue a new career, giving jazz tours in his native city. mark strassmann, cbs news, new orleans. >> mason: and ahead, a championship out of thin air.

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figure skating were rating mimesmanship, stage presence, and the art of the performance. >> i think my heart decides who is the best one. it's that simple and difficult at the same time. >> reporter: a dark horse, american justin "nordic thunder" howard, made it into the contest through the qualifying round. >> going early in a competition is-- it's tough because the judges, they're going to be conservative with their scores until they see someone that really just pops so my plan is is like boom!nd be that one that

>> mason: and when howard let loose with an inspired air interpretation of "lose my soul" by the flaming cipers, the judges were clearly moved. >> 5.9! and a 5.9! >> mason: chicago's justin "nordic thunder" howard was crowned air guitar champion of the world. >> i feel amazing. i feel loved. i feel like crying and laughing and hugging. >> reporter: "my strength "the winner said, "is that i have absolutely no shame." i think he'll have to do some more practicing. that's the cbs evening news. i'm anthony mason in new york. for all of us here at cbs news, thanks for watching. good night. captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org