i'm russ mitchell. also tonight, new rules in the tower. reports of yet another sleeping air traffic controller prompts the f.a.a. to impose new regulations and new schedules. under siege-- eyewitnesses in the embattled libyan city of misrata, say qaddafi's forces are using outlawed cluster bombs against civilians. and it takes a village. the anticipation mounts in kate middleton's hometown with less than two weeks to go until the royal wedding. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with russ mitchell. >> mitchell: and, good evening. the south and southeastern part of the country are reeling tonight from a deadly onslaught of powerful storms. the storm front has been sweeping from the heartland to the east coast. tornadoes have already killed at least 17 people in four states, stretching from oklahoma to alabama. tonight a tornado watch is in effect in central north carolina where storms is already caused widespread damage. winds up to 80 miles an hour blew through the raleigh area, uprooting trees, knocking out power f

. >> mitchell: i'm russ mitchell. also tonight, a top libyan diplomat travels to greece to deliver a message from moammar qaddafi as rebels continue to gain ground. has the battle for libya become a stalemate? dreams on ice: female hockey players running out of time to create a high school team of their own. and still rocking: singer wanda jackson is enjoying her biggest success yet, half a century after being discovered by elvis. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with russ mitchell. >> mitchell: good evening. we are learning more tonight about that scary ordeal aboard that southwest airlines flight from phoenix to sacramento where part of the roof ripped open at 36,000 feet. the plane had to make an emergency landing, and while no one was seriously injured, southwest airlines canceled some 300 flights today as investigators examine the damaged plane and passengers relived those terrifying moments in the sky. nancy cordes has the latest. >> reporter: investigators examining the damaged airplan

russ. >> mitchell: nancy cordes in washington, thank you. for more on the budget battle and what comes next, we are joined in washington by political analyst john dickerson. john, good evening to you. >> good evening, russ. >> mitchell: the government remains in business as we speak. as you look at it who are the winners and losers in this deal? the the big winner was speaker john boehner of the house. this was his first big test as speaker, and he did two big things. he got democrats to agree to a whole bunch of spending cuts btwo-third of what house republicans wanted, and he was also able to keep those tea party members largely in line. for the president, the reviews are a little bit more mixed. democrats are angry that he gave up on the spending cuts, that he gave away so many. they also think he should have engaged publicly a little more in this fight, and they think those spending cuts my actually hurt the economy. the white house says if there had been a shutdown that would have really hurt the president, he's always the one who gets

i'm russ mitchell. also tonight, in libya with nato forces pounding his strongholds, why is moammar qaddafi handing over defense of misurata to local tribesmen? street art. a high-profile museum exhibition starts a new debate over whether graffiti is art or vandalism. and the common touch. with the big wedding less than a week away, the young royals are going all out to show they're in touch with the british public. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with russ mitchell. >> mitchell: good evening, residents of st. louis tonight are still sifting through the aftermath of a tornado that took out homes and forced the city's only passenger airport to shut down. in the past 24 hours, violent thunderstorms have raced from oklahoma to indiana, but the damage in st. louis could have an impact on air travel for days. the good news? amazingly, no one was killed. cynthia bowers has the latest. >> go back inside! >> reporter: witnesses say it was bedlam. and even though lambert field was unde

i'm russ mitchell. also tonight, weather watch. nasty storms rip through the heartland while north dakota residents hope the red river has passed its crest. bumper crop. forget about flowers. many financially strained cities are struggling to deal with the potholes that bloom in the spring. and window on history. on the brink of a major civil war anniversary, historical document goss online, providing personal glimpse at soldiers who fought for the north and the south. > captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with russ mitchell. >> mitchell: and good evening. if you have filled up your tank in recent day, the numbers should come as no surprise. the latest lundberg survey out tonight puts the average price of regular nationwide at $3.77 a gallon, up 19 cents in just three weeks and 91 cents in a year. in many cities gas prices are higher still. terry mccarthy has been checking out prices in los angeles. >> just one month ago in california where drivers are already used to paying a premium for fuel, this was the v

. >> mitchell: i'm russ mitchell. also tonight trail of destruction. one north carolina county is especially hard hit. with more than 20 deaths and miles of devastation. an economic speed bump, as the price of gas soars above $4 in more and more states, fears that the economic recovery could stall. and open for business, a year after the bp oil spill, deepwater drilling is back in the gulf with few new regulations or oversight. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with russ mitchell. >> mitchell: and good evening. residents across a huge part of the country are counting their dead and cleaning up the rubble after a brutal weekend of tornadoes and severe storms. let's take a look at the latest. at least 45 people are reported dead and hundreds of homes and businesses have been destroyed. more than 240 tornadoes in all touchdown across 14 states. that's a record number for a single storm system. the twister struck over a three day period from the great plains east to north carolina, which was the hardest hit state with at least 22 d

i'm russ mitchell. also tonight, giving thanks. despite the devastation, st. louisianans are grateful there was no loss of life from the most powerful tornado to strike the u.s. so far this year. dream on hold, an undocumented college student fighting deportation wins a governor's support. and the british are coming. as people from around the world travel to london for the wedding, many british residents are avoiding the crush by traveling here. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with russ mitchell. >> mitchell: an good evening. we begin tonight with the battle for libya and the worsening crisis in the rebel stronghold of misurata. here's the latest. qaddafi's forces are pounding the city with new shelling and rocket fire, at least 32 people are reported killed. and there were new calls today for u.s. action to drive qaddafi from power, including this from republican senator lindsey graham. >> my recommendation to nato and the administration is to cut the head of the snake off, go to tripoli, start bombing qaddafi's innercircle, their c

captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with russ mitchell. >> mitchell: an good evening. we begin tonight with the battle for libya and the worsening crisis in the rebel stronghold of misurata. here's the latest. qaddafi's forces are pounding the city with new shelling and rocket fire, at least 32 people are reported killed. and there were new calls today for u.s. action to drive qaddafi from power, including this from republican senator lindsey graham. >> my recommendation to nato and the administration is to cut the head of the snake off, go to tripoli, start bombing qaddafi's innercircle, their compounds, their military headquarters in tripoli. >> mitchell: however the policy debate plays out in washington, the people of misurata are looking for refuge from the combat right now. and for those who can make it, that means an escape by ship. allen pizzey takes us aboard. >> reporter: the ship is a lifeline for the city of misurata. >> we can't swim, we can't eat,

. >> i'm russ mitchell. going to begin this saturday morning with an emergency in the sky. 118 passengers aboard a southwest airlines flight from phoenix, arizona, to sacramento, california, last night had a pretty scary trip. the cabin should suddenly lost pressure and the plane started falling. the aircraft was diverted to yuma, where the pilots found a large hole in the aircraft fuselage. >> reporter: the southwest airlines boeing 737 was about a quarter of the way into its short flight from phoenix to sacramento. flying some 6 1/2 miles up at 36,000 feet. suddenly, a bang. >> all of a sudden the masks drop and it's really, really windy. and ears hurt. >> reporter: the wind and freezing cold air were the result of rapid decompression of the aircraft. the breathable air rushed out through a gaping hole in the top of the fuselage. >> you hear this horrible noise, then the bags come down. come on, this can't be happening. this is a movie. but you could tell, something was definitely wrong. all you could thin

i'm russ mitchell. >> good morning, russ. i'm rebecca jarvis. i'm going to go by duke and duchess of the saturday "early" show. >> sounds good. but let's begin with that bad weather in the south. a new picture is emerging on just how big the devastation is across seven southern states in the wake of this week's tornadoes. more than 330 people are dead and more than 1 million people are without electricity. damage could exceed some $5 billion. 1500 alabama national guardsmen have been called in to keep order. we have two reports beginning with cbs news correspondent dean reynolds in hard-hit tuscaloosa, alabama. teen, good morning to you. >> good morning, russ. well, you know that $5 billion damage estimate may actually be a little low. and as far as recovery, they're expecting that to go off, obviously, for months. across much of the tornado zone, devastation stretches for miles. block after block of homes, torn apart by the powerful twisters that hit on wednesday. a reality the president and his wife s

i'm russ mitchell at cbs. an honor to meet you. she told me about some of her experiences. >> in the early days i raised many of them as my own foster off spring. initially these little infants would cling to me night and day so i was basically covered in urine and feces. >> reporter: the babies were rescued by her from poachers who had killed the orangutan mothers. the only way a poacher could get a little guy like this was to kill his mother. >> absolutely. kill his mother and brutally strip the infant from her dead body. >> reporter: she convinced authority todz criminalize selling the babies as pets. but today there is a greater threat. the jungle is being destroyed by global warming and industrial farms. the animals are disappearing. it's all documented in a new i- max film "born to be wild, they're rated by morgan freeman. >> we've shared this planet since the dawn of man but as our world expands, more and more wild animals lose their families. >> reporter: the woman came to los angeles last month to promote the film. 17 year

russ mitchell this morning will be paying her a visit. >> reporter: this is a platinum record. >> that was a big record. i'll tell you that. >> reporter: from her gospel- inspired hits with the staples singers... ♪ i wrote a song > to her grammy-award winning album this year, mavis staples always keeps her dad's advice in mind. >> he said, let me tell you something. we have to sing in the clubs. you see, the people in the club, they won't go to church so we have to take the church to them. >> reporter: the gospel according to mavis staples later on sunday morning. >> osgood: we'll also make an easter sunday pilgrimage to notre dame cathedral in paris. the 400th birthday year of the king james bible. remember baseball's longest game and more. but first here are the headlines for this sunday morning the 24th of april, 2011. the faithful gathered in st. peter's square at the vatican this morning for easter services. the outdoor mass was celebrated by pope benedict xvi who delivered blessings in 65 languages. people in st. louis have good reason to believe in miracles. there were no repo

. >> and i'm russ mitchell. talked to some friends in my hometown of st. louis today. rough night there. >> very rough night. we're going to follow that story coming up here. all flights are being diverted this morning from lambert st. louis international airport after an apparent tornado tore through the airport last night. several people were injured. the same storm system battered other parts of the st. louis area, and maggie crane of our station louis station kmov joins us. sorry to hear about the trouble there. what is the latest on your end? >> well, you know it's bad when the guys in the control tower up there spot the tornado, and they've got planes on the tarmac. right now, the big issue is just the cleanup effort. let me show you, because you're hearing a lot of noise around here. you've got street sweepers, and also folks using just like a leaf blower to get this glass out of the way. lambert international airport is full of windows. there are windows from floor to ceiling on every end of the airport. and 50% of these windows blew out. some blew in, causing

the ap says russ mitchell, scott pelle and harry smith are in the running to take over on the anchor desk but cbs news will likely look outside the division as well. >>> almost 10 years after the september 11th attacks, the self-described mastermind has yet to go on trial. the major development today and the what the mayor of new york city has to say about it. >>> record warmth hanging over the bay area this afternoon, but at this hour we are already seeing some big changes. who is expected to see a 10- degree drop in temperatures by tomorrow and when we will need that umbrella once again. all that coming up. >>> news chopper 2 live over a march happening right now in san francisco's financial district. we are looking at politicians, labor leaders and others. marching down california street essentially to california and market. this picture has changed considerably since about 20 minutes ago when we last saw them. they are now on the move and it appears there are no problems and it looks like they are not impacting traffic at all. that could change, though. our ktvu's david stevenson

i'm russ mitchell, cbs news. my doctor suggested spiriva right then. >> simon: the most miraculous thing about mt. athos may simply be the fact that it's still there. over the centuries, it has been invaded by crusaders, ottomans, mercenaries, pirates and franks. the nazis had their eyes on it, too. the 2,000 monks attribute their survival, not surprisingly, to divine intervention. but they've also been pretty crafty. some of the measures they've taken will surprise you. if you'd like to come for a visit, though, it can be arranged. but it's not easy. first, you'll need a visa issued by the monks. and unless you're an orthodox pilgrim, it can take a while. next, you'll fly to athens and make your way to a scruffy little town in northern greece where there's no airport and where the roads are dicey. then, you'll hop on a ferry, unless the trip has been cancelled because of rough seas. that happens all the time, but on a calm day, it can be a very pleasant ride. the monks will tell you it takes years of prayer and

i'm russ mitchell, cbs news. >> couric: with all that's going on in the world, there hasn't been much attention paid to a social issue the obama administration has decided to take on-- sexual assault on college campuses. it's a problem, according to the justice department, that has proliferated across this country. and earlier this month, the government sent out guidelines to help colleges deal with it. but it won't be easy. adjudicating a case of sexual assault on a college campus can be difficult for both the victim and the school, which we found out in the case of beckett brennan, who was a student at the university of the pacific when she reported that she had been raped. beckett brennan was a high school all-american basketball player, renowned for her three- point shooting, and recruited by dozens of top colleges. her father, barry, had played in the n.c.a.a. finals in 1974, and passed his love of the game on to his daughter. >> beckett brennan: we built an unbelievable relationship through basketball and on the court. >> couric: tell me a little bit about what made you fall in

i'm russ mitchell, cbs news. my doctor suggested spiriva right then. announcer: spiriva is the only once-daily inhaled maintenance treatment for copd, which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. i love what it does. it opens up the airways. announcer: spiriva does not replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms. stop taking spiriva and call your doctor right away if your breathing suddenly worsens, your throat or tongue swells, you get hives, have vision changes or eye pain, or have problems passing urine. tell your doctor if you have glaucoma, problems passing urine, or an enlarged prostate, as these may worsen with spiriva. also, discuss the medicines you take, even eye drops. side effects include dry mouth, constipation, and trouble passing urine. it makes me breathe easier. i can't do everything i used to do. but there's a lot i can do that i was struggling with. announcer: ask your doctor if once-daily spiriva is right for you. out for drinks, eats. i have very well fitting dentures. i like to eat a lot of fruits. love them all. the seal

i'm rebecca jarvis. >> and i'm russ mitchell. taxes are due on monday. hopefully this is not the first time. so now is the perfect time to get a head start on next year to make sure you don't make the same mistakes twice and guarantee yourself an even better return. >> good call. also we're going to answer that age-old question, how long after the expiration date is food still safe to eat? we're going to do it without the smell test, guys. and did you know, certain products like milk, they can actually last longer, depending on where you put them in the refrigerator. >> i did not know that. >> we're going to tell you where to put them for the longest-lasting life. first we want to turn to a more serious story, a developing story with new clues having been found in the case of a missing nursing student in tennessee. police say they believe that she feared for her life as she disappeared into the woods, and betty nguyen has the story. >> good morning, rebecca. searchers have found some items belonging to holly bobo, but there is st

i'm russ mitchell for cbs news. i noticed i was having trouble. climbing the stairs, working in the garden, painting. my doctor suggested spiriva right then. announcer: spiriva is the only once-daily inhaled maintenance treatment for copd, which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. i love what it does. it opens up the airways. announcer: spiriva does not replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms. stop taking spiriva and call your doctor right away if your breathing suddenly worsens, your throat or tongue swells, you get hives, have vision changes or eye pain, or have problems passing urine. tell your doctor if you have glaucoma, problems passing urine, or an enlarged prostate, as these may worsen with spiriva. also, discuss the medicines you take, even eye drops. side effects include dry mouth, constipation, and trouble passing urine. it makes me breathe easier. i can't do everything i used to do. but there's a lot i can do that i was struggling with. announcer: ask your doctor if once-daily spiriva is right for you. custom-clean and

here's russ mitchell. >> has there ever been anything like this done before on this scale? >> there's never been anything that i know of quite like this. and there may never be again. i don't know. >> reporter: honestly, it's nothing short of amazing. pat metheny and his drumming, air blowing whirling musical robots. a one-man band like you've never seen before. all they want to know is what do you want me to play? when do you want me to play it? how loud do you want me to play it and when do you want me to stop? so, i mean, essentially, you know, everything i play, it's following me very quickly. >> reporter: it's a whole new way of making music that starts with a little boy growing up in missouri. >> by the time i got to be 10 or 11 the last thing on earth my parents wanted me to do was play the electric guitar which made it irresistible to me. >> reporter: and metheny's playing became irresistible to audiences. he's become one of the world's leading guitarists, and has won 17 grammys. when he sat down with the late billy taylor for a sunday morning interview in 1986, he