xfdcb CBS-MORNING-NEWS-01

<Show: CBS MORNING NEWS>

<Date: October 28, 2009>

<Time: 04:30>

<Tran: 102801cb.400>

<Type: Show>

<Head: For October 28, 2009, CBS>

<Sect: News; International>

<Byline: Michelle Gielan, Whit Johnson>

<High: Deadly assault in Kabul. Lights out at Late Night.>

<Spec: Entertainment; Afghanistan; Deaths; Terrorism;>

MICHELLE GIELAN: Taliban Terror: Militants stage a deadly assault in the Afghan capital, as the U.S. passes a grim milestone.Tennis Tell All: Andre Agassi admits he crossed the line and used drugs.

And Late Night, Lights Out! The show goes dark after a power outage.

(Excerpt from Late Late Show with David Ferguson)

MICHELLE GIELAN: This is the CBS MORNING NEWS for Wednesday, October 28, 2009.

Good morning and thanks for joining us. I'm Michelle Gielan.

This morning another reminder of the reach and determination of the Taliban--a new deadly attack in the heart of the Afghan capital. This time the target was an international guesthouse. Gunmen killed at least nine people, including one American who is among six United Nations workers shot dead. Whit Johnson is in Washington with the latest. Whit, good morning.

WHIT JOHNSON: Michelle, good morning.

Another deadly month for Americans in Afghanistan as violence in that country continues to escalate but the White House says it's getting closer to making a decision on whether to send more troops.

(Begin VT)

WHIT JOHNSON: Heavy gunfire crackled through the heart of Afghanistan this morning after armed militants stormed the United Nations guesthouse. The daylight raid which lasted close to an hour left at least six U.N. workers dead and even more injured.

ADRIAN EDWARDS: This is a totally senseless thing that's happened here. It's an outrage and it's a tragedy.

WHIT JOHNSON: The Taliban took responsibility for the attack claiming it was an assault on the upcoming presidential run-off election.

Later a rocket slammed into a nearby luxury hotel. The device failed to explode but sent guests and employees running for cover.

President Obama is keeping a close eye on Afghanistan as it approaches its run-off election. He's still trying to decide whether to send tens of thousands of more troops into the country.

Just yesterday two roadside bombs killed eight U.S. service members. The fatalities drove the American death toll on Afghanistan to a record level for the third time in four months.

COLONEL WAYNE SHANKS (Spokesman, International Security Assistance Force): Our forces did suffer some casualties with that. But we also, you know, fought back. I believe the forces out there are determined to complete this fight that we've started here.

WHIT JOHNSON: White House aides say the President is almost done, collecting information and advice he needs to come up with a new course in Afghanistan. One of his final strategy meetings with the Joint Chiefs of Staff is set for Friday.

(End VT)

WHIT JOHNSON: And today, President Obama is expected to sign a bill into law that would actually pay Taliban fighters to stop fighting against the U.S. and switch sides. Michelle.

MICHELLE GIELAN: Whit Johnson in Washington. Whit, thanks.

It's reported this morning that the brother of Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, is on the CIA payroll. The New York Times reports that Ahmed Wali Karzai has been getting CIA money for the past eight hours. It's suspected he is deeply involved in the Afghan drug trade, a major source of income for the Taliban. The Times reports Wali Karzai's paid to help the CIA operate a paramilitary group.

JUAN ZARATE (CBS News National Security Analyst): The timing of this revelation couldn't have been worse, I think, for the Obama administration. It undercuts the-- the legitimacy of any argument we were making about the corruption of the Karzai regime.

MICHELLE GIELAN: Wali Karzai denies he's involved in drug trafficking or that he gets paid by the CIA. The CIA declined comment.

Afghanistan's fortunes are linked to those of neighboring Pakistan and that's where Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is this morning. Clinton arrived today and praised the Pakistani government for launching a major offensive against militants along the Afghan border. She said the U.S. is turning the page in its relations with Pakistan, promising to refocus on the needs of the Pakistani people.

Also this morning in Pakistan, a powerful bomb exploded in the northern city of Peshawar. The explosion rocked a marketplace. A doctor says at least forty-three people, mostly women, were killed, and dozens of others wounded.

The FAA took away the licenses of those two pilots of that Northwest jet that overflew its destination. They'll have ten days to appeal. The pilots said they were distracted by their laptops. They were out of communication for about an hour and a half. In a letter to the pilots the FAA said the pilots engaged in, quote, conduct that put the passengers and crew in serious jeopardy.

NASA will try again this morning to launch its new post shuttle rocket on its first test flight. Yesterday's flight of the thirty-three story Ares 1- X was scrubbed due to clouds and wind. The two-minute test cost four hundred and fifty, forty-five, rather, million dollars. The Ares has seven hundred sensors onboard to collect engineering data. It's part of a system NASA hopes one day will return astronauts to the moon.

Off the coast of Hawaii a Japanese warship successfully tested a U.S.- developed medium-range ballistic missile defense system. It was the third such test for the Japanese. The U.S. fired the target missile from the island of Kauai. The interceptor missile hit the target about one hundred miles in space. Japan began investing in the U.S. system in 1998, prompted by North Korea missile tests.

On the CBS MoneyWatch shares in Asia slipped this morning. Ashley Morrison is here in New York with that and more. Ashley, good morning.

ASHLEY MORRISON: And good morning to you, Michelle. Well, Asian stocks were lower for a second day on concerns over American consumer confidence. Japan's Nikkei fell one hundred and thirty-seven points. Wall Street finished mixed on Tuesday and the Dow gained fourteen points while the NASDAQ gave back twenty-five.

There is a major recall this morning. About two hundred and fifty million AccuSure insulin syringes are being pulled back nationwide. Qualitest Pharmaceuticals says it received several complaints about the needle detaching from the syringe but no reports of injuries.

Sales of new homes are expected to post their sixth monthly gain in a row. Low mo-- low mortgage rates along with a temporary tax credit for first- time homebuyers have been helping the housing market recover. A recent survey of sales in twenty major cities shows prices were up in August for the third straight month. But prices are still nearly thirty percent below their peak back in the spring of 2006.

Senate Democrats are one step closer to extending unemployment benefits. They're pushing back for a final vote on a bill but Republicans still want to make some changes. The legislation would provide an extra fourteen weeks in benefits with the hardest-hit states getting an additional six weeks on top of that.

GMAC is asking for a third installment of taxpayer aid. The auto lender faces a November deadline to raise the eleven and a half billion dollars in capital. The mandate was set in place by the government after many banks underwent a stress test earlier this year.

And get ready for the latest brew war of superlight beers. While the average regular beer was over a hundred and fifty calories, the new superlights have as little as fifty-five. But beware. While you may be able to slim down, the taste is also described as scrawny. They also have less alcohol--three percent compared to five percent for regular beers. And I guess, Michelle, it really depends on what your priorities are, less taste but-- less calories and less alcohol, so maybe you could just skip the dessert and have regular beer.

MICHELLE GIELAN: Yeah. I-- I would do that.

ASHLEY MORRISON: You do.

MICHELLE GIELAN: I like my full flavored dark, good beers.

ASHLEY MORRISON: Yep.

MICHELLE GIELAN: That's the way to go.

Ashley Morrison here in New York. Ashley, as always, thanks.

And just ahead on the MORNING NEWS, new problems with the troubled Bay Bridge.

Plus, shocking drug revelations from tennis great Andre Agassi. You're watching the CBS MORNING NEWS.

(ANNOUNCEMENTS)

MICHELLE GIELAN: It's beginning to look a lot like winter out West. Beautiful. In Denver, snow is falling as a major storm pushes through the region. Temperatures fell about twenty degrees in just a few hours. Drivers in Denver may have a difficult commute and some areas near the city may get as much as a foot of snow today.

The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge is closed again this morning. The bridge will stay closed until further notice after a rod and a metal brace fell onto the westbound lanes yesterday. Two vehicles collided with the debris. The rod and brace were installed last month during an emergency repair job following a truck accident. Without the bridge, thousands of California commuters are again facing long detours and delays.

Retired tennis star Andre Agassi is admitting that he used crystal meth. In a new autobiography Agassi says that he used the drug in 1997 when his career was floundering. He also says he lied to tennis authorities about it, claiming that he took the drug by mistake. Agassi also confesses to having serious doubts about his failed mar-- marriage to Brooke Shields.

The new Michael Jackson movie This Is It opens in theaters today. Thousands turned out last night in Los Angeles for the premier of the film, showing Jackson as he prepared for his comeback tour just before his death. And the fans seem to like the movie. Manuel Gallegus reports.

(Begin VT)

MANUEL GALLEGUS: Celebrities like Will Smith, Paris Hilton, and some lucky Michael Jackson fans became a part of pop culture history, the first to see This Is It, the final performance of the fallen idol.

WOMAN: You got to see the movie. Oh, my God. It's like ten times better than I thought it would be.

MAN 1: Yeah, it was awesome. Michael Jackson rocks.

MANUEL GALLEGUS: Jermaine Jackson was the only family member in the crowd.

JERMAINE JACKSON (Michael Jackson's Brother): It's showing what a perfectionist he was.

MANUEL GALLEGUS: And Thomas Mesereau who defended the pop star in his molestation trial had nothing but praise.

THOMAS MESEREAU: It's going to be wonderful celebration of a wonderful artist and a wonderful person.

MANUEL GALLEGUS: At the theater next door to the premier they are showing This Is It on all fourteen screens through the weekend. It's not sold out but thousands of fans have already paid to see it.

The nearly two-hour documentary film is taken from more than one hundred hours of rehearsal footage, shot as Jackson prepared for his fifty-show comeback tour in London.

MICHAEL JACKSON: That's cool move.

MAN 2: Okay.

MICHAEL JACKSON (File Footage): Cool move and that spreads out too much in the end.

MANUEL GALLEGUS: In select clips provided to the media, Jackson is seen calling the shots and rehearsing those signature dance moves.

MAN 3: I'm just so sad that we lost a great humanitarian, a great entertainer, a great person.

MANUEL GALLEGUS: Jackson died four months ago, just days after some of the footage was shot. His death has been ruled a homicide. The movie will show in ninety-nine countries for two weeks, the performer's final encore.

Manuel Gallegus, CBS News, Los Angeles.

(End VT)

MICHELLE GIELAN: President Obama's hope for health care reform is facing more trouble in the Senate. The Senate bill is expected to include a version of a public health insurance plan, which is intended to gain enough votes to be passed by the Senate. The compromise bill would allow states to opt out of the program. But two key senators are saying they will not go along with that idea.

SENATOR OLYMPIA SNOWE (R-Maine): I think this sends a terrible message that we're no longer interested in working with Republicans.

SENATOR JOE LIEBERMAN (I-Connecticut): Such a government-run health insurance company will be bad for our country.

MICHELLE GIELAN: Now, without their votes it may be difficult to get the sixty needed to pass a bill including a public option.

Straight ahead, your Wednesday morning weather.

And in sports, the tipoff of the new NBA season.

(ANNOUNCEMENTS)

MICHELLE GIELAN: Time now for a check on the national forecast. The latest satellite picture shows that skies are cloudy throughout the East. It's also gray and damp across the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes. And there's a major storm taking shape over the Southwest and Rockies where heavy snow is beginning to pile up.

Later today, heavy snow and gusty winds will create hazardous traveling conditions throughout the Rockies. Areas around Denver can expect eight to twelve inches of snow during the day and rain will soak the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

In sports, the NBA opened its regular season with four games. In Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant and Lakers picked up right where they left off. The defending champions beat the Clippers 99-92.

Boston's Kevin Garnett led the Celtics against Eastern Division rival Cleveland and despite adding superstar Shaquille O'Neal the Calves start off the season losing the Boston; Celtics 95, Calves 89.

In Portland, Travis Outlaw scored two of his twenty-three points on alley- oop jam. And the Trail Blazers beat the Houston Rockets 96-87.

And Washington's Gilbert Arenas was able to drive for a lapse against Dallas. He had twenty-nine points as the Wizards beat the Mavericks 102-91.

Some rain is in the forecast for game one of the World Series scheduled for tonight in New York with the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies visiting the Yankees. And just to keep things interesting, Phillies shortstop Jilly Rollins predicts a Philadelphia win in five games.

When we return, another look at this morning's top stories.

And an American car company shifts into high gear proving that it is really worth buying.

(ANNOUNCEMENTS)

MICHELLE GIELAN: Here's another look at this morning's top stories.

Taliban gunmen attacked a guesthouse in Kabul, Afghanistan this morning. They killed nine people including six who work for the United Nations. Later, rockets landed near the Presidential Palace and hit a hotel.

And the FAA has revoked the licenses of those two Northwest pilots who overshot their destination. They have ten days to appeal.

U.S. automakers have taken it on the chin lately, but now some good news for Ford. Consumer Report says Ford cars now show world-class reliability. Dean Reynolds reports.

(Begin VT)

DEAN REYNOLDS: At Joyce Ford in Chicago, owner Maureen Joyce has been telling customers her cars are better than the competition. And now, thanks to the positive ratings from Consumer Reports, she has the data to back it up.

MAUREEN JOYCE (Owner, Joyce Ford): Ford has been stepping up their game for years and Consumer Reports proves that.

DEAN REYNOLDS: In their nationwide owner survey involving 1.4 million vehicles, the magazine said Ford is pulling away from its domestic competition with its prediction that ninety percent of Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln models will have average or better than average reliability in 2010. By contrast, forty-four percent of GM models rated that well, while only thirty-eight percent of Chrysler models did.

Ford doesn't expect to turn a profit until 2011, but it's gaining ground on its Japanese competitors, according to Consumer Reports, where the Ford Fusion is now seen as more dependable than Honda's Accord and Toyota's Camry.

JONATHAN LINKOV (Managing Editor, Autos, Consumer Reports): While the Japanese automakers are doing well, the real big news in this is that Ford has done very well over the last three years and continues to do so.

DEAN REYNOLDS: However well its cars may hold up, Ford still has to overcome truckloads of public skepticism.

JOE WIESENFELDER (Senior Editor, Cars.com): They have to convince the consumers that they make good reliable cars and that is, in some ways, harder than making good, reliable cars. It takes a long time.

DEAN REYNOLDS: Back at her Ford showroom, Maureen Joyce knows all about that.

You expect to encounter disbelief?

MAUREEN JOYCE: Yes.

DEAN REYNOLDS: Besides, success could bring problems.

A number of union locals have rejected a deal struck by their national union with the automaker arguing that Ford's relative success makes further concessions unwarranted.

And you can see that success in dealer lots. If you want a Ford Fusion Hybrid these days, you'll have to wait eight weeks to get one.

Dean Reynolds, CBS News, Chicago.

(End VT)

MICHELLE GIELAN: On last night's Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, the show went dark suddenly after high winds knocked out power.

(Excerpt from Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson/Worldwide Pants)

MICHELLE GIELAN: Too funny. While Ferguson finished the show with a flashlight joking that the lighting improved his age. Looks pretty good there.

This morning on THE EARLY SHOW, an exclusive interview with Levi Johnson, the father of Sarah Palin's grandson.

I'm Michelle Gielan and this is the CBS MORNING NEWS.

END

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