controversial case. the government reconsiders a decision to fire a black employee over racially charged remarks. help wanted. a bill to extend benefits to the long-term unemployed is expected to pass the senate today. and a bumpy ride. 30 people are injured when severe turbulence jolts a united airlines jet. this is the "cbs morning news" airlines jet. this is the "cbs morning news" for wednesday, july 21, 2010. captioning funded by cbs good morning. thanks for joining us. i'm betty nguyen. early this morning the secretary of agriculture tom vilsack said he's reconsidering the decision to fire an african-american employee.

vilsack fired shirley sherrod after a blogger posted a video of sherrod making racist remarks it turned out the remarks were highly edited and involved an incident almost a quarter of a century ago. jan crawford reports. >> reporter: it starts by a speech usda official shirley sherrod, describing her attitude 24 years ago toward a white farmer. >> and i was with a white person save their land. so i didn't give him the full force of what i could do. >> reporter: that comment and the speech to the naacp lit up the blogosphere after a conservative website this week aired it and suggested there was reverse racism in the administration. agriculture secretary tom vilsack reacted swiftly. he says the usda has zero tolerance for discrimination and fired sherrod for those comments. >> when i saw the statements and context of the statements, i determined it would make it difficult for her to do her job as development director.

>> reporter: as with so many issues of race, there's a lot more to this story. sherrod said later in the same speech she was wrong and ultimately helped the man save his farm, but that statement didn't get out on the internet. when the farmer and his wife heard the charges against the woman who helped them 24 years ago, they were shocked. >> she was just as nice as she could be to us. as far as racism, i think somebody wants to start something. >> reporter: sherrod angrily answered. she told cnn she was unfairly forced out by a white house skiddish about issues of race. >> i had at least three calls telling me the white house wanted me to resign. >> reporter: vilsack said the decision was his alone. >> it was my decision. nobody from the white house contacted me about this at all. >> reporter: in this growing controversy, this much is clear -- shirley sherrod out of a job helped rodger and eloise spooner. >> she saved our farm. 400-some acres, almost 500 acres. she saved our farm. >> reporter: jan crawford, cbs news, washington.

in other news, president obama signs new financial overhaul legislation into law this morning. it's a bill the president has been vigorously working for, a measure universally opposed by republicans. the new law would regulate financial products, including mortgages and credit cards, and it gives broad new powers to the federal government, allowing it to take over or shut down large financial institutions. >> the bill addresses most of the problems and makes a good start. it's not perfection, but in the real world, we don't get perfection. >> those opposed to the measure complain it will curb economic growth and kill jobs. today the senate is expected to approve an extension of unemployment benefits for the long-term unemployed. the vote follows weeks of contentious debate and republican opposition. tara mergener is in washington joining us now with the latest on this. good morning, tara. >> reporter: good morning, betty. today's vote is just a formality.

democrats now have the 60 votes they need to move ahead. the battle over jobless benefits could end today. the senate is expected to pass a bill extending aid for the 2.5 million americans who have been out of work more than six months. >> the motion is agreed to. >> reporter: tuesday senate democrats finally beat back a republican filibuster that had held the legislation up for weeks. west virginia senator goodwin cast the decisive vote minutes after being sworn in to replace the late robert byrd. >> i feel privileged to play a small role in helping move this legislation forward. >> reporter: republicans insist the debate was never over whether to pass the extension but how to pay for it. arguing the $34 billion price tag should be covered by cuts rather than borrowing the money. >> republicans do not want to add to the federal debt. >> reporter: after the senate, the house takes up the measure. president obama could have it on his desk by the end of the week. the bill would keep long-term

unemployment aid going through november and include retroactive checks for benefits missed since june when their program ran out. analysts say billions could go back into the economy because the money will likely be spent rather than saved. >> most of the people receiving benefits are strapped for cash. therefore, they save very little of the benefits. >> reporter: but for many, an extension just solves part of the problem. >> i mean, the money is good to take care of things that i got to take care of around the house. but like i said, i still need to get paid. >> reporter: bringing down the 9.5% unemployment rate is the next step. and the current extensions are the longest on record. the white house says they may not be the last if unemployment remains this high. betty, back to you. >> tara mergener joining us live in washington. tara, thank you. the united states is imposing new sanctions against north korea. secretary of state hillary clinton announced the measures during a visit to seoul, south

korea, this morning. the sanctions include the purchase and sale of arms and freezing the assets of individuals. clinton says the sanctions are aimed at the north korean government, not its people. bp is denying a report that chief executive tony hayward will resign. "the times" of london says he could step down as early as next month. hayward has come under intense criticism for his handling of the gulf oil spill. a bp spokesman says hayward, quote, remains very much in charge. in the gulf, government officials say the containment cap on the leaking well is holding up so far. five leaks have been discovered around the well machinery, but they're described as very small drips. bp has been given another 24 hours to keep the 75-ton cap in place. the company is considering trying to plug the leak with the so-called static kill, which means pumping mud and cement into the well. it was over in a matter of seconds. severe turbulence suddenly struck a united airlines jet

throwing passengers out of their seats and some of them flying into the ceiling. flight 967 was en route from washington to l.a. it landed safely in denver last night. but 30 people were injured, one critically. wendy gillette has our report. >> reporter: emergency workers wheeled some of the 30 people injured on stretchers through denver international airport. they were all on board this united airlines jet en route from washington to los angeles that briefly hit severe turbulence tuesday night. >> all of a sudden, plane dropped probably, you know, 20, 30 feet. i saw at least two people hit the ceiling. the girl in front of me two rows, saw her hit the ceiling and slam back down. >> reporter: the plane carrying 255 passengers and 10 crew members was diverted to denver after the incident. emergency vehicles rushed to the airport to meet the jetliner when it landed. 2 1 people were taken to five local hospitals.

some of them shielded by sheets from the media. most of the injuries were not serious, but one person was critically hurt when the turbulence disrupted an otherwise normal flight. >> couple oxygen masks popped down, drinks went flying. it was all over in about two, three second. so, we were weightless for probably a second or two. >> reporter: the federal aviation administration says the plane was over kansas when the turbulence hit. passengers say at the time there was bad weather below and above the plane. wendy gillette for cbs news. well, just ahead on the morning news, will apple's iphone controversy hurt their bottom line? plus, trapped in an oil spill. pictures of a dramatic rescue in china. first, katie couric with a preview of tonight's "cbs evening news." >> a small town where people are making big bucks. we'll take you inside the sky high salaries tonight only on the "cbs evening news." ews." if you fight to sleep in the middle of the night,

why go one more round ? you don't need a rematch, but a rethink. with lunesta. lunesta is thought to interact with gaba receptors associated with sleep. lunesta helps you get the restful sleep you need. lunesta has some risk of dependency. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving or engaging in other activities while asleep without remembering it the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion.

in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness, and morning drowsiness. stop fighting with your sleep. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. get lunesta for a co-pay as low as zero dollars at lunesta.com discover a restful lunesta night. vegetables are naturally low in calories. v8 juice gives you 3 of your 5 daily servings. it's a tasty, nutritious way to make this number go up... and help this one go down. v8. what's your number? try clean makeup. lightweight coverage made for your skin type. for normal skin, oil control, and clean for sensitive skin. it's makeup that works for you 'cause it's made for you. easy, breezy, beautiful covergirl.

off the coast of oregon, a rescue at sea. responding to a mayday radio call, a coast guard helicopter was able to save a man aboard a sinking fishing boat tuesday. the boat's skipper was flown to safety. he was treated at hospital but was not seriously injured. in china a clean-up worker nearly drown in an oil spill caused by a pipeline explosion last friday. the man was attempting to repair an underwater pump when he started going under. another worker went in to rescue him and brought him safely back to shore, covered if crude. the breast cancer drug avastin may be taken off the market. federal health ver advisers voted 12 to 1 that the drug be withdrawn. it was approved based on a trial showing it significantly lengthened the time until the cancer got worse but two follow-up studies did not show the ability to delay disease progression.

on the "cbs moneywatch," stocks in asia edged up this morning. ashley morrison is here in latest on that. good morning. >> good morning to you. asian markets got a boost from tech markets today. hong kong's hang seng gained 1% while the nikkei finished down a fraction. today fed chief ben bernanke delivers his monetary report to congress. tuesday, wall street stocks finished higher. the dow rallied 75iloints while the nasdaq gained 24. apple's earnings report did not disappoint. after the market closed the company said revenue rose to almost $16 billion last quarter, a 61% increase over the same period last year. and despite the highly publicized antenna issues on the latest iphone, sales were much better than expected with nearly 8.5 million sold from april to june. another stumble for the housing market. new home construction sank 5% last month to the lowest level since october.

there was some encouraging news, however. building permits, which are an indication of future building activity, rose 2%. and the bisc is back the soup stand that inspired the infamous soup nazi episode on "seinfeld" reopened after a 60s-year absence. it's a lot more expensive than it used to be. and the soups are no longer made on premises. but have your money ready, move to the left or, guess what, betty? >> no soup for. >> you no soup for you! >> i wonder if that soup is as good as everyone says it is. >> i've never had it but it's fun to say it, no soup for you or for me. >> thank you, ashley, joining us live in new york. straight ahead, your wednesday morning weather. in sports, atlanta surges past san diego to claim the best record in the national league. past san diego to claim the best record in the national league. %x

if you fight to sleep in the middle of the night, why go one more round ? you don't need a rematch, but a rethink. with lunesta. lunesta is thought to interact with gaba receptors associated with sleep. lunesta helps you get the restful sleep you need. lunesta has some risk of dependency. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving or engaging in other activities while asleep without remembering it the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness,

agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness, and morning drowsiness. stop fighting with your sleep. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. get lunesta for a co-pay as low as zero dollars at lunesta.com discover a restful lunesta night. here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. new york, thunderstorms and 89. miami, partly cloud y 89 as well. chicago, partly cloudy, 85. 84 in denver with some showers there. and 80 in los angeles. time now for a check of the national forecast. the latest satellite picture

shows a large band of clouds covering the middle of the country. southeast, scattered clouds are breaking up. in the northern plains, clouds are pulling out and moving to the east. later today, thunderstorms are going to be moving across the same area as they were yesterday. they'll bring another round of dangerous weather. on the west coast, it is sunny with mild temperatures. sounds pretty good. while in the southeast, though, the heat and humidity is lingering. in the northern plains, skies are dryer. in sports, a battle of two of the baseball's first place teams. atlanta's matt diaz hit a home run for the third straight game to help the braves beat the padres 4-1. that gives atlanta the best record in the national league. in st. louis, the cardinals got home runs from randy winn and matt holliday against philadelphia. the 7-1 victory was number seven in a row for st. louis. in the american league, toronto's jose batista hit his major league-leading 26th home run. his two-run blast was his sixth homer in his last 13 games.

and the blue jays crushed kansas city, 13-1. take you to baltimore, now. julio lugo of the orioles grounded a single inside the first baseline to bring the -- or to bring home the winning run in the 13th inning. baltimore beat tampa bay 11-10. when we return, another look at this morning's top stories. and serving time. actress lindsay lohan spending her first morning in jail. this lighting is awful. woohoo! it's not the lighting, girlfriend. mnh-mnh. oh gosh! woo! it's this drab one-tone hair color, ick. yeah. let's szush it up. [ gigi ] try nice 'n easy with colorblend technology. in one simple step, get a blend of tones and highlights. so even in this lovely light, nice 'n easy comes to life with dimension. instead of drabulous... i love it! shhhhh. [ gigi ] ...you look fabulous with tones and highlights. nice 'n easy. your right color.

sweet n' sour filled twizzlers. the twist you can't resist. but women have made olay regenerist #1. though not surgical results, regenerist is the #1 serum, night cream, and moisturizer. not drastic. just fantastic. get younger-looking skin with regenerist. ♪ in the nation to license wholesale pot cultivation. good morning. i'm john kessler. and i'm sydnie kohara. the city council late last night approved four industrial-sized facilities where marijuana could be grown, packaged and processed. a final vote is still needed. coming up at five: what it all means for the city of oakland. and why some small-time pot farmers aren't happy with the idea.

"i saw at least two people hit the ceiling." a rough ride on a united flight from d-c to los angeles. at least one person is in critical condition. we'll tell you what happened before the plane made an emergency landing in denver. a-c transit says... more drivers could be calling in sick today because of a contract dispute. and some items used to prepare elvis for burial... going up for auction. on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather. there will be a chance for severe thunderstorms from the northern rockies to the central plains and into the mid-atlantic states. high heat, humidity, stuck over the southeast today. here's another look at this morning's top stories. the government is reconsidering its decision to

fire a black employee over racially charged remarks. a highly edited video of shirley sherrod was posted on the internet. she was speaking in march about an incident 24 years ago. president obama signs a sweeping financial reform bill into law today. the new law offers added protection to consumers and gives the government broad powers to regulate financial institutions. ousted illinois governor rod blagojevich may not take the stand after all in his corruption trial. he's accused of trying to sell president obama's senate seat. on tuesday his attorneys said they could rest their case without calling a single witness, including blagojevich. blagojevich has long maintained he would tell his side of the story. lindsay lohan spent her first night in jail, the beginning of a 90-day sentence for a probation violation. as sandra hughes reports, lohan's jail time is likely to be dramatically reduced. >> reporter: gone are the designer duds.

lindsay lohan's new outfit is a jailhouse jumper. she's now a prisoner of l.a. county. her arrival at the krekdzal in lynwood south of l.a. couldn't be farther from her hollywood lifestyle. it was low key as she was whisked in through a back entrance. >> as with any inmate, miss lohan was treated just like any other. obviously, this crowd is a little different. >> reporter: this isn't the first time lindsay lohan has been at the lynnwood facility. she serve the 84 minutes here for a dui arrest a few years ago. this time the sentence is 90 days, but that will likely be cut down due to jail overcrowding. in fact, the l.a. county sheriff's office says she could be out as soon as august 2nd, making her stay a mere 14 days. employing every hollywood plot twist she could to stay out of jail, the 24-year-old apparently consulted with celebrity lawyer robert shapiro just days ago, and then entered his sober living facility.

and while many think jail is just what the once rising star needs to clean up drug and alcohol problems, her sometimes estranged father does not. >> michael spent the morning praying for his daughter. he loves her. he does not believe she should be incarcerated. he's devastated she's going to jail. >> reporter: her former lawyer put aside another case to be by her side, but the bargaining and begging are over. it's expected lohan will spend 22 hours a day in isolation here. plenty of time to think about her future and how to turn it around. sandra hughes, cbs news, lynnwood, california. now a rare glimpse at a legendary actor, marlon brando. early in his career "life" magazine released never before seen photos to mark the 60th anniversary of brando's film debut. one set taken in 1949 shows him preparing for the movie "the men." portraits in 1950 portray his playful side.

the next two years he would go on to make "the wild one," "on the waterfront" for which he won an oscar. i'm betty nguyen. this is the "cbs morning news." an oscar. i'm from the gulf coast. my family spends a lot of time here. i have a personal interest in ensuring that we get this job done right. i'm keith seilhan. i'm in charge of bp's clean up on the gulf coast. bp's taken full responsibility for the clean up, and that includes keeping you informed. over 25,000 people are included in the clean up operation. our crews are cleaning the gulf beaches 24/7.

we're going to be here as long as it takes to make this right.

in the heart of paris, ah, perfect weather to relax at the beach. manmade beaches, in fact, were opened this morning along the river seine and kids took advantage by building sandcastles. the sand, lounge chairs and palm trees were shipped in overnight. it's a way to give parisians a mini holiday without leaving home. back in the u.s., plans to build a mosque near ground zero are touching a raw nerve with many relatives of 9/11 victims. and the vocal debate over the project has entered the national headlines. jeff glor reports. >> reporter: opponents call it a mosque in the worst possible place. >> this building in particular should be turned into a museum. >> reporter: supporters call it a cultural center in the best

spot to encourage understanding. >> if a mosque were built, then you guys would know what islam was about. >> reporter: at issue, this building in lower manhattan, the proposed site of a 13-story community center and islamic prayer space. >> this is the muslim community's effort to rebuild lower manhattan. >> reporter: the controversy, it's only two blocks from ground zero. this week sarah palin went on twitter. she called on peaceful muslims to refudiate the plan. calling it a stab in the heart for america. >> they have power in their words. they could refudiate what it is that this group is saying. >> reporter: liberal bloggers pounded on the made up word and palin retracted her tweet but not her sentiment saying shakespeare liked to coin new words, too. gramtical mistake aside, mayor michael bloomberg has come out firmly in support of the plan.

>> everything the united states stands for and new york stands for is tolerance and openen. >> reporter: what is it your hope this center will do? >> my hope is that this center will attract a lot of people who don't know about islam. >> reporter: do you feel like the debate is shifting at all? >> yeah. it's it's on a national stage now. >> reporter: but tim brown, former new york city fire fighter who lost 93 colleagues on september 11th, calls the proposal a slap in the face. your message today to the developers behind this? >> stop it. stop hurting the families. every day this story's in the newspaper. they're hurting the families again. they don't deserve it. these american families have paid too much. >> reporter: brown and others, including new york gubernatorial candidate rick lazio are calling for an investigation into the financing behind the ddz 4.8 million building purchase. their concerns spurred in part by comments the center's imam made to "60 minutes" in 20 01, just weeks after the 9/11

attacks. >> i wouldn't say that the united states deserved what happened. but the united states' policies were an accessory to the crime that happened. >> that is the point. >> reporter: citing anti-americanism, opponents are pushing to have the building declared a landmark which would make it far more difficult for any muslim center construction to begin. jeff glor, cbs news, new york. that's the "cbs morning news" for this wednesday. thanks for watching. hope you'll join us later for "the early show." i'm betty nguyen. "the early show." i'm betty nguyen. have a great day. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

your realtime captioner is linda marie macdonald. caption colorado, l.l.c. comments@captioncolorado.com good morning. it's wednesday, the 21st of july. >> now i'm the one trying get myself together. i have just broken everything this morning. >> there you go. >> we have