temperatures, only 20% chance of rain. >> thank you. see you at 6:00. >> caption colorado, llc comments@captioncolorado.com >> hill: tonight, it's the best jobs report in two years, signs the economy is rebounding. but for the long-term unemployed, there is a new obstacle to finding work. i'm erica hill. also tonight, massacre in afghanistan. thousands storm a u.n. compound, killing workers to protest a florida pastor's burning of the koran. a survivor's story. stranded at sea after the tsunami in japan, man's best friend is rescued-- three weeks later. and crashing the big dance. the team and the coach no one expected to make the final four. captioning sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric.

>> hill: good evening, katie is off tonight. slowly but surely, the u.s. economy is gaining strength. today the labor department reported the number of jobs grew by 216,000 in march, all due to private sector hiring, and the unemployment rate fell by a tenth of a point to 8.8%. that's its lowest level in two years. anthony mason is our senior business correspondent. anthony, today's report shows we're headed in the right direction. >> reporter: yeah, the growth came across most industries as the job market showed increasing strength and resilience. >> can i ask you why you're looking? >> reporter: it's not unusual for the american heritage credit union in philadelphia to get 500 resumes for a job posting. >> why should we select you? >> reporter: but with business growing, the company is hiring-- tellers, assistant managers and a vice president. >> we potentially could be bringing in 38 new positions by the end of the year. >> reporter: does it look like the economy is finally getting some momentum in jobs growth?

>> it looks like it when you base it on the last three months or so of data. we've had the unemployment rate drop a full percentage point very quickly over just four months. that's nearly unprecedented. >> reporter: in february, employment increased in 35 states, the biggest overall growth coming in california, pennsylvania, florida, texas, and illinois. but more than six million americans have been unemployed now for six months or more. how long have you been out of work? >> 15 months. 15 long months. >> reporter: like mary ann gannon, a former sales manager with a credit card company who's joined a job search group in westchester county, new york. >> what do you have to contribute? >> reporter: do you think there is a bias out there against people who have been out of work as long as you have? >> i do to a certain degree, yes. i applied one night to a particular company on their web site, and two and a half minutes later i gotten a e-mail back saying "thank you very much, we've reviewed your application and resume and we do not feel it is a fit." >> reporter: two... >> two and a half minutes at

11:00 on a friday night. >> reporter: in fact, on job websites we found repeated postings for sales and management positions that required applicants to be currently employed. we reached out to four firms for an explanation, but none replied. >> even friends or neighbors or whatever around here, they're like "you're still out of work?" you know, it's like, "well, what don't you understand?" you know? "the job market stinks." >> reporter: in a new study by u.c.l.a. and the state university of new york at stony brook, researchers found clear evidence of bias towards unemployed workers who the report says are often stigmatized even when they voluntarily left a position. erica? >> hill: bias is one thing, but could a company legally discriminate against someone for being unemployed? >> technically, if you advertise for this, it's not breaking any federal law. the equal employment opportunity commission in fact held hearings on this very issue back in february. they're examining it now to determine just how widespread it is and whether anything can or should be done about it.

>> hill: the last thing folks in that position need to hear. >> exactly. >> hill: anthony, thanks. the improving job market may have given an welcome boost to the auto industry. march sales were up for the big three american automakers. in fact, toyota was the only major car company to see sales decline. and as ben tracy reports, damage from the earthquake and tsunami in japan could mean things will only get worse for toyota. >> reporter: at the port of los angeles, this is a welcome sight: a container ship from japan unloading its goods. how concerned are you? >> very. >> reporter: but norris bishton, who sells toyotas in marina del rey, california, is still waiting for his shipment of cars. since the tsunami, just two of toyota's 21 japanese plants are running. honda, nissan and mazda also cut production. an estimated half a million fewer vehicles have been made in japan since the disaster. norris says toyota told him southern california will get 30% fewer cars this month.

so what does that mean for you? >> well, see these empty holes here? there's going to be a lot more empty holes in this area very shortly. >> reporter: the prius is only made in japan. norris normally has 70 of them on his lot. now he has just 27. the other problem is parts. many come from damaged suppliers in japan. so toyota has now given its dealers this list of 233 parts they're not supposed to order unless they absolutely need them. this includes everything from struts to door panels. today, nissan announced parts shortages are forcing it to close five north american plants for several days. american car makers are also getting hit. ford is shutting down this plant in kentucky and g.m. idled this plant in louisiana. both use japanese parts. many u.s. automakers are also running out of some black and red cars. the pigment for the paint is made near japan's troubled nuclear reactor. limited supply means prices are going up. a prius costs $1,200 more than

before the quake. >> if you're a consumer looking to buy a car, that's going to make either what you want totally unavailable or only available in a used model and the price of that, frankly, probably will be too much for what you want to pay, so you'll probably have to wait. >> reporter: some vehicles were already in the pipeline before the quake so the peak of the supply crunch isn't expected to hit dealerships for another three weeks. >> we're all in the same unfortunate sinking boat. >> reporter: hoping to be rescued when their ship of cars finally comes in. ben tracy, cbs news, los angeles >> hill: a gruesome scene today in northern afghanistan where protests ended in massacre at the u.n. compound in mazar e sharif. kelly cobiella reports the protest was spurred by a florida pastor who finally made good on his vow to burn the koran. >> reporter: the protest, several hundred strong, started peacefully at the walls to the united nations compound the crowd turned.

they ignored warning shots from police and stormed the complex, killing four guards, toppling a tower, setting fires and attacking the u.n. workers inside. as many as 20 died in the violence. two of the victims were beheaded. >> reporter: thousands of afghans marched across the country friday chanting "death to america." outrage sparked by a familiar name: florida pastor terry jones. last fall, jones vowed he'd given up plans to burn the koran, but 11 days ago jones and his 15 followers held what they called a trial of islam. they then burned a copy of the islamic holy book in a barbecue pit near the church alter and posted the video on the internet. without a hint of emotion in his voice, jones told cbs news "we personally do not feel any responsibility for the carnage

in afghanistan," then repeatedly condemned islam. his conscience as clear as the anger of today's mob. kelly cobiella, cbs news, london. >> hill: to libya now, and a sign perhaps that after two weeks of allied bombing moammar qaddafi may be seeking a way out of the crisis. a top aide to qaddafi's son reportedly flew to london this week for talks with british officials, and today libyan rebel proposed a cease-fire provided by qaddafi's forces pull out of key cities. that offer was rejected. the rebels were pushed back more than 100 miles this week, but today they appeared to regroup near brega, and this time with some leadership: former libyan military officers who've now joined the rebel cause. elsewhere in the arab world, a day of protest. in jordan, the day's marches were mostly peaceful. but in syria, the government continued its violent crackdown which the white house has condemned. from amman, allen pizzey reports

on two very different protests. >> reporter: the chant could come from any protest rally in the middle east-- "change now." but the thousands who turned out after friday prayers in jordan don't want their king overthrown, just more political rights and an end to what many see as rampant corruption. what's interesting here is the way these police are facing. unlike in other centers of protest, the jordanian riot police are on duty today as much to protect the protesters as to contain them. it was the exact opposite in neighboring syria. protesters chanting "we want freedom" were met with tear gas, and even live ammunition, in towns and cities across the country, including the port city of latakia, homs, the suburbs of damascus, and significantly in daraa in the south, epicenter of the revolt which broke out nearly two weeks ago. more than 70 people have been killed in the upheaval so far, hundreds injured and hundreds more detained.

the violence is a stark contrast to a pledge by syrian president bashar al assad that protesters would not be harmed. the protests are the most serious challenge yet to a political dynasty that has ruled for more than 40 years by using harsh repression and violent reprisals for dissent, which makes the determination of those taking the streets all the more striking. allen pizzey, cbs news, amman. >> hill: it's now been three weeks since the earthquake and tsunami ravaged japan, and three weeks now that the damaged nuclear plant has been leaking radiation. today we got a new look at the fukushima plant as japan's prime minister vowed to get control of the problem. the government ordered the company that runs the plant to review how it measures radiation, saying some of its latest numbers on contamination have seemed suspiciously high. radiation warnings have complicated the effort to locate victims of the quake and tsunami. today, japanese and u.s. military personnel began an intensive three-day search along the battered coastline. 32 bodies were found, raising

the overall death toll to nearly 12,000. but amid all the devastation and heartbreak, there's also one heartwarming story of survival. it's tough to miss-- a floating island of debris spotted by a japanese coast guard crew, likely wreckage from a coastal town. and there, living among the flotsam, is a dog. the coast guard believes it was swept out to sea 21 days ago and somehow managed to survive. a rescue team is lowered, but the frightened animal ducks beneath a section of the roof. risking their lives, members of the crew manage to bring the dog to safety. once on board a coast guard ship, the animal seems remarkably healthy and happy, offering the rescuers-- men who've seen their share of horror over the past three weeks-- the chance to enjoy a light moment here as they feed the dog what's likely its first real meal in a long time. still ahead on the "cbs evening

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>> hill: alzheimer's isn't just brutal for the more than 5 million americans living with the disease. it also takes a serious toll on those around them. each alzheimer's patients has about three unpaid caregivers, many of them family members who suffer along with their loved ones. dr. jon lapook revisits a couple caught in the grips of alzheimer's. >> come on, perk up. >> i can't perk up. >> reporter: during five decades of marriage, mike daly worked in law enforcement while his wife carol worked at everything else. >> she raised my kid, she had a job, she cleaned house, she did the wash, she made the beds and she put up with me. all that's changed for us is the roles. >> reporter: now it's mike who runs the house, feeds carol, even puts on her make up. she has alzheimer's, diagnosed seven years ago. when i first met the daly's in 2008... >> i don't know. >> reporter: ...carol's memory was slipping.

let me is ask you a question. how old are you? >> 65. yeah. >> reporter: now? how old are you? >> how old am i? >> reporter: how old? >> 80? no? i don't know. >> reporter: even back then, this tough cop was feeling the strain. >> i saw a lot of stuff out there, but this is the worst. it's hard to deal with. >> reporter: three years later, daly has gained 15 pounds, takes medications for anxiety and sleep, and knows he should exercise but just can't find the time. mike daly is one of the nearly 15 million americans providing 17 billion hours of unpaid alzehimer's care a year. as a result, they're more likely to develop health problems of their own, such as depression and high blood pressure. >> there are many cases that are reported where an individual becomes the caregiver for

someone with alzehimer's disease and, in fact, they will die before the person with alzehimer's disease because of the care-related stress. do you think this is taking a toll on you? >> i'd be lying to say no, but, of course, it does take a toll. but it's life. >> finding that help early is going to give you the best opportunity to cope with the disease. >> there's going to be a time-- i know it's coming-- when i will need help. >> reporter: meanwhile, the toll on him mounts as her condition declines. >> that's the best i can do. >> reporter: but their love remains stronger than ever. dr. jon lapook, cbs news, new york. >> hill: if you are a caregiver for someone with alzheimer's and need help, log on to webmd.com, search "alzheimer's care" and you'll find a list of resources. when we come back, americans are driving like it's 1949. 1949.

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>> hill: america's highways are getting more crowded, but they're also getting less dangerous. traffic deaths last year were at their lowest level since 1949, the first year they started keeping track. as jim axelrod explains, while we are driving smarter, our cars are a lot smarter, too. >> reporter: the credit for making u.s. roads safer starts with aggressive new campaigns

targeting dangers like distracted driving. >> persuading people to get cell phones and texting devices out of their hands when they're driving has helped us reduce some deaths on the highway, but we need to do more. >> reporter: other campaigns have already been successful. seat belt use is at an all-time high-- 84%. alcohol-related deaths are down 7% from the year before. the number of people killed on u.s. roads last year, nearly 33,000, was down 3% from the year before, even though americans drove 21 billion more miles. it's high-tech safety features that have really made the difference. check out electronic stability control. the top car has it, the bottom car doesn't. >> safety innovations we're proud of at mercedes benz. >> reporter: many of the features have only been available on high-end cars. >> i believe these kinds of technologies must become standard. that's when we begin to really change the numbers significantly. >> reporter: rick paul from "consumer reports" says that is

already happening. >> this inexpensive chevy cruze only costs in the high teens, but it comes with several advanced safety features such as electronic stability control, ten air bags, including rear seat air bags and even bags for the passenger and driver's knees. >> reporter: which means the good news should only get better. jim axelrod, cbs news, new york. >> hill: well, technology aside, driving was extra tough today from pennsylvania to maine as old man winter had the last laugh on this april fools' day. parts of new england got as much as a foot of snow. a pittsburgh area ski resort that had closed for the season was actually able to open again for the weekend. [ male announcer ] if you're only brushing,

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final four of the n.c.a.a. men's basketball tournament, but tomorrow's semifinals do feature some familiar names. connecticut and kentucky will be on hand. butler is also back. the indiana school nearly won it all last year. but virginia commonwealth? chief national correspondent byron pitts reports on the team nobody picked and the coach who's one of a kind. >> reporter: what is your full name. >> shaka dingani smart. >> reporter: where did you get that first name? >> from my dad. shaka was an african king. >> reporter: his name is as unconventional as his journey. >> today we go after them. we run on them. >> reporter: to college basketball's promise land-- the final four. and shaka smart's v.c.u. rams took the long way to get here. a last-minute selection to the tournament, they were seen as a mere acorn among oak trees. who knew the bluebloods of basketball never stood a chance?

>> we weren't 35-2 coming into this game, but we're playing our best basketball when it matters most, and that's why i'm sitting up here right now with a net around my neck. let's go! let's go! >> reporter: if the coach sounds confident, he is. he has both a winner's swagger and a scholar's mind. smart was raised by his mother in oregon, wisconsin, just outside madison. a star in high school, it wasn't just his stat sheet that attracted college coaches, it was his near-perfect s.a.t. score. he was accepted to harvard, yale and brown, but chose kenyon college in ohio largely because of the man who would become a father figure. >> what's up, boy? how are you doing? >> reporter: bill brown was smart's coach at kenyon, gave him his first job. it wasn't his only offer. >> a lot of the administrators tried to convince him to pursue his ph.d. and possibly become a history professor.

>> reporter: at 33, shaka smart is the second-youngest coach to take a team to the final four. they're this season's cinderella story, filled with both joy and heartbreak. early last week, he and his wife learned they are expecting their sirst child, and just this past tuesday, his beloved grandfather died. >> i'm just trying to approach this weekend the way that he would want me to approach it, which is putting 1,000% of my energy into our team and preparing to win. >> reporter: but his other father figure will be watching, and so will we all. byron pitts, cbs news, houston. >> hill: watching right here as they take on butler tomorrow night. that is the "cbs evening news" for tonight. i'm erica hill. katie's back here on monday. and i'll see you monday morning on the "early show". have a great weekend. captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org

jour watching cbs 5 eyewitness news in high definition. a giants fan brutally beaten in front of a crowd of dodgers fans. tonight, the first comments from the victim's family. >> she told me that i should move because i was ruining her business. >> yup, it's that bad. how do you reclaim an entire boulevard that has been overrun by prostitutes? >> and if you have an old car sitting around, good news. one bay area city is willing to haul it away for you. good evening, i'm dana king. >> and i'm allen martin. he traveled to los angeles, but tonight, a santa cruz man is in a medically induced coma after