>> mitchell: tonight, it's all about jobs this labor day. president obama wants $50 billion to rebuild roads, rails and runways, but will his plan fly? i'm russ mitchell. also tonight, a new hurricane watch. as the texas/mexico border braces for a growing storm. sex for sale. the web site craigslist shuts down its adult services section but those adds just won't go away. and surf's up. they don't only hit the waves for fun, it's to kee them alive. captioning sponsored by cbs from cbs news world headquarters in new york, this is the "cbs evening news" with katie couric. >> mitchell: good evening. katie is off tonight. eight weeks from tomorrow, americans will vote in the

congressional midterm elections. the state of the economy first and foremost on their minds. and with polls showing his party struggling, president obama went on the road this labor day, beginning a new push to retake control of the economic debate. he proposed spending $50 billion to improve the nation's infrastructure and create new jobs. he also called on congress to approve new tax credits for small businesses while allowing the bush-era tax cuts for high- income earners to expire. senior white house correspondent bill plante begins our coverage. >> reporter: fired up by a cheering crowd of union members in milwaukee, the president argued that he's working hard to fix the economy. >> i am going to keep fighting every single day, every single hour, every single minute to turn this economy around. >> reporter: and he blamed republicans for standing in the way. >> when it comes to just about everything we've done, to strengthen our middle-class, to rebuild our economy, almost every republican in congress says no.

>> reporter: and when he did succeed-- as with financial reform-- the president seemed proud of the enemies he'd made. >> so that's taken on some powerful interests. some powerful interests who had been dominating the agenda in washington for a very long time and they're not always happy with me. they talk about me like a dog. >> reporter: today's announcement: a proposal to rebuild 150,000 miles of roads, construct 4,000 miles of rail and fix 150 miles of the nation's runways with a $50 billion jump start this year paid for by closing tax breaks for oil and gas production. >> this will not only create jobs immediately, it's also going to make our economy hum over the long haul. >> reporter: mr. obama will also continue to push to make permanent a $100 billion research tax credit for small business. both proposals could help the economy recover but would have little or no in effect the short term. >> there isn't a lot that can be

done that would make a meaningful difference the job market, certainly not in near term. not over the next six to nine months. >> reporter: but right now, it's about the coming elections. the president will use these as ammunition, argue that he and the democrats in congress have real plans to fix the economy while all the republicans do is oppose them. >> so basically all he can do is go out there and grind it everyday, talk about the economy. and that's what house democrats, by the way. just talk about the economy. talk about our accomplishments. >> reporter: bottom line: talk is about all the president can do. none of the economic incentives he's proposing this week is likely to make it through congress by election day, so what he has to do and has to offer until then is the same thing he had to offer in the campaign of 2008, and that's hope. russ? >> mitchell: bill plante at the white house. thank you very much. jeff greenfield is our senior political correspondent. will these plans change the election day?

>> highly dubious. i think it's baked in the cake and it's high unemployment, anemic growth, debt and that's not good news for the party in power. whatever the merits of the long- term investments, the idea of changing people's minds about what conditions exist now is a tough sell. remember, unhappy and skeptical voters are less likely to believe in good intentions than voters who are happier. so it's a really tough road for the president. >> mitchell: we keep hearing about a firewall strategy the democrats are going to employ the november. what does that mean and do you think it will work? >> firewall is a fancy word for let's throw the folks over the side we know can't win and save the money and resources we have for competitive races and also let's look at races where the republicans may have nominated more tea party type candidates who may have less appeal to the middle. the problem, is every so often-- and the polls say this may be one of those times-- you get a wave election in which even usually safe incumbents and safe candidates are in danger. and when that happens the firewall begins springing leaks from one end of the country to the other. that's the fear the democrats have for this autumn. >> mitchell: jeff greenfield as always thank you very much.

to south texas where tonight they are bracing for tropical storm hermine. the storm is growing stronger as it gets ready to make landfall along the border with mexico. that's triggered warnings including a hurricane watch along the coast. cbs hurricane consultant david bernard is chief meteorologist at cbs 4 in miami. david, how strong is hermine at this point and where is it heading? >> russ, this is a strong tropical storm. in fact, our radar and satellite this afternoon and evening is indicating heavy rain already spreading into parts of south texas as far north as houston and the storm has 60 mile per hour winds, only 100 miles south of brownsville, texas. this is going to be inland later tonight and during the day tomorrow as an area of low pressure near san antonio as it continues to move deeper into the state of texas. >> mitchell: as you look at it now, what's the biggest threat the storm poses? >> as the storm moves inland, we'll be talking about lots and lots of rain. anywhere from brownsville and corpus christi, texas, to san

antonio and austin, maybe a as far east as houston. some areas might see as much as a foot of rain. >> mitchell: david bernard, thanks a lot. also in the gulf, federal investigators are expected to examine a key piece of evidence in the b.p. oil disaster. the failed blowout preventer was brought to the surface over the weekend. investigators hope it contains clues into what caused the april explosion and fire that killed 11 workers and led to the spill of more than 200 million gallons of oil. craigslist may be the best-known web site for classified ads, but lately it's had a real problem with the world's oldest profession. over the weekend, it censored itself in an attempt to eliminate prostitution from the site. but seth doane reports the racy ads are already showing up on other parts of craigslist. >> reporter: despite bright blue links advertising everything from appliances to toys on craigslist, this black bar reading "censored" is now attracting the most attention.

it's craigslist's eight-letter response to this letter signed by attorneys general in 17 states. they called for the company to remove the adult services section of the site which includes thinly-veiled ads for sex. >> prostitution is not a victimless crime. human trafficking results in tragedies to children and others and craigslist voluntary live, fortunately, is doing the right thing. >> reporter: why did craigslist slap "censored" over the link? why not just take the link down? >> craigslist probably used the word "censored" because they're trying to make a political statement. >> reporter: after all, the law sides with craigslist affording to first amendment lawyer doug mirell. >> the communications decency act says that essentially those who are simply providing a bulletin board by which other can post their content is not going to be liable for the content itself. >> reporter: that content is big business for the company. by some estimates, potentially $45 million this year.

craigslist is no stranger to controversy. the so-called craigslist killer allegedly found his victims by icolling through sex ads on the site. >> as craigslist shut down adult services, the ads migrate elsewhere. >> reporter: and a quick search reveals that some ads are still on the site. here in the beauty section, an offer for swans wall massage. offer for sensual massage. craigslist didn't reply to our request for an interview, but on a company blog, the chief executive wrote that craigslist is committed to aggressively combating violent crime. but the question remains will removing this link really combat anything at all. seth doane, cbs news, new york. >> mitchell: the u.n. atomic energy agency launched a sharp complaint against iran today for refusing to let two inspectors monitor its nuclear program. the u.n. report also says iran continues to enrich uranium despite repeated demands by the security council that it stop. iran insists it's only making

fuel for nuclear power, but the same enrichment process can produce weapons-grade material. now to afghanistan and nato officials said today the alliance may need to deploy an additional 2,000 troops. this as u.s. casualties there continue to mount. today the military reported the death of another american service member in eastern afghanistan. that pushes the toll to at least 328 killed this year, which is already the deadliest of the nearly nine-year-old war. there was a furious anti- american protest today in kabul. hundreds of young religious students and others chanted "death to america" and waved signs denouncing president obama. the protest was triggered by a florida church's announced plan to mark saturday's anniversary of 9/11 by burning copies of the koran. also in kabul today, government officials sought to ease a crisis at afghanistan's biggest bank. but it's a tough sell since president karzai's family and political cronies are seen as the root of the problem. mandy clark is in the afghan capital. >> reporter: panicked customers have been pulling their savings

out of kabul bank as fast as they can. 23-year-old ahmed seyai is one of them. >> i just want to withdraw my money and i will never deposit my money back in the kabul bank. >> reporter: the run on the bank began last wednesday after reports that tens of millions of dollars of off-the-book loans had been given to allies of president hamid karzai ham's government. frightened customers withdrew half the bank's $500 million in cash in less than a week. afghan officials were slow to react to the crisis, but now they claim bank has been stabilized. but economist mohammed ac.c. says the bank is too corrupt to survive. >> the bank will collapse, for me for sure. in the next three to six month there is won't be any more kabul bank. >> reporter: if the bank does collapse, the political repercussions will be felt throughout the country. it handles the pay for 250,000 soldiers, police and public services. nurallah is a civil servant and

he's worried about his $40,000 in savings. after visiting three branches, he only managed to withdraw a quarter of his money. "i need the rest of my money" he says. "i don't think they will give it back." president karzai has urged calm saying the government will guarantee every penny of the deposits in the bank. the third-largest share holder is the president's brother, mahmood karzai. he has asked for an american bailout but u.s. officials say it's an afghan problem and american taxpayers' money will not be used to prop up kabul banks. mandy clark, cbs news, kabul. >> mitchell: still ahead on the "cbs evening news," surf therapy. why doctors are telling some patients to grab a board. but up next, this company's making more money than ever. so why does it want to cut workers' salaries? copd makes it hard for me to breathe.

but with advair, i'm breathing better. so now, i can join the fun and games with my grandchildren. great news! for people with copd, including chronic bronchpgitiñ emphysema, or both, advair helps significantly improve lung function. while nothing can reverse copd, advair is different from most other copd medications because it contains both an anti-inflammatory and a long-acting bronchodilator, working together to help you breathe better. advair won't replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms and should not be used more than twice a day. people with copd taking advair may have a higher chance of pneumonia. advair may increase your risk of osteoporosis and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking advair. i had fun today, grandpa. you and me both. if copd is still making it hard to breathe, ask your doctor if including advair will help improve your lung function for better breathing. get your first full prescription free and save on refills.

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thais...peggy. whatng usa pris problem, please? peggy? sure...well...suddenly it looks like i'm being charged a $35 annual fee. yes? tell me it's a mistake. yes? are you saying yes or are you asking yes? yes? peggy? peggy? anncr: want better customer service? switch to discover. ranked #1 in customer loyalty. it pays to discover. >> mitchell: labor day, 2010, finds a lot of american workers on the sidelines. the u.s. unemployment rate stands at 9.6%. there are five job seekers for every opening and in some cases those who have jobs are being asked to take pay cuts even at healthy companies. elaine quijano with a case in point in new york. >> reporter: more than three months, michelle muoio has been picketing the plant where she's worked for 15 years, mott's apple juice in western new york.

>> you wave to them they might beep to you. >> reporter: 300 union members are locked in a heated dispute symbolizing a new shift in the power struggle between management and labor in america. companies typically ask for labor concessions when they're losing money, but mott's parent company-- dr. pepper/snapple-- is making record profits, more than half a billion dollars. yet workers are being asked to take a $1.50 an hour wage cut and a pension freeze. >> we need the fair share. if you're making half a billion dollars profit after all expenses, we should share in that. >> reporter: the company argues mott's workers earn far more than their counterparts in the area, an average of $19 an hour versus $14. >> when there's a situation where you have wages and benefits that are out of line with the local market and industry norms, however difficult it may be, it's

something that we have an obligation to address. >> reporter: the fact is, unions are losing their leverage, membership dropped 10% in 2009, the largest decline in more than 25 years. labor experts say generally the longer a strike drags on, the more likely it is a company will get its way. but these workers say they'll continue to hold out until the company comes up with a better offer. >> one day longer, one day stronger! >> reporter: replacement workers arrive daily, doing the job union members used to do. the company says it has no plans to reopen talks. holding out is hard for michelle muoio and her son jaden. >> he didn't have a birthday cake. you give up things. >> reporter: she realize this is could be a lost cause. >> i'll stand out here and fight with everybody until the end and then i'll move on. >> reporter: elaine quijano, cbs news, williamson, new york.

>> mitchell: civil rights pioneer jefferson thomas has died. he helped tear down the walls of segregation half a century ago. thomas was one of the little rock nine: african american teens who needed army protection in 1957 when they enrolled in all white central high school in little rock, arkansas. in 1999, thomas and the others received congressional gold medals from president bill clinton. jefferson thomas died sunday in columbus, ohio. he was 68 years old. old. 6- mom, new shoes? old legs. p.a.d., the doctor said. p-a-d... p.a.d. isn't just poor circulation in your legs causing you pain. it more than doubles your risk of a heart attack or stroke. i was going to tell you. if you have p.a.d., plavix can help protect you from a heart attack or stroke. plavix helps keep blood platelets from sticking together and forming clots, the cause of most heart attacks and strokes. call the doctor about plavix -- please? i will.

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>> mitchell: a study out today shows how important an early bedtime can be to a child's waistline. researchers followed a group of youngsters ages five and under, at quarter of whom slept ten or less hours a night. after five years, four out of five of those kids who slept less had either turned overweight or obese. by the way, napping made no difference either way. of course, it's always good to watch what you eat, but there's really no choice for folks with peanut allergies. close to two million americans are allergic to them, some with potentially deadly reactions that's led more than 4,000 schools to ban peanuts. but a new treatment is showing some real promise. here's chief national correspondent byron pitts. >> reporter: the mere sight of a peanut used to spark fear in 11- year-old j.p. hainline. >> i knew if i had peanuts i could very well die. >> reporter: up to 200 deaths a

year are caused by food allergies, most due to peanuts j.p. hainline's mother took no chances. what kind of changes did you have to make? >> we had to change where we ate at restaurants. if we did go out, we had to speak to a chef. >> reporter: even trace amounts must be avoided. >> it takes as little as a hundredth of a peanut to cause a life-ending reaction. >> reporter: but research at duke university medical center is showing the culprit may also be the cure. the experimental treatment called oral immunotherapy uses peanuts to build up tolerance. starting out with the equivalent of one one thousandth of a peanut, study participants eat it with food on a daily basis. >> they build up to a higher dose, that goes on for about six to eight months and at a certain point their immune system begins to change so that they're no longer having reactions. >> reporter: in one study, nine of 12 children with peanut allergies who ate increasing amounts of peanut protein daily can now eat unlimited amounts of peanuts.

in a separate year-long study, 16 children on treatment could tolerate 15 peanuts before developing symptoms. after participating in the duke study, j.p. hainline is no longer deathly allergic to peanuts. for now a handful of peanut m&ms is his daily medicine. so you can eat peanuts as much as you want? >> yup. it's very helpful. >> reporter: while the results are encouraging, there are no guarantees the allergy is gone for good. >> we don't know that long-term it will make it go away and that's where the studies are concentrating on right now. >> reporter: although the concept sounds simple enough, experts warn it could not be tried at home. researchers say this type of therapy goes beyond peanuts. the same approach is currently being tested for allergies to milk and eggs. byron pitts, cbs news, durham, north carolina. >> mitchell: it's something most people say and many believe: you

can't buy happiness. but is it true? according to a new study, it depends. researchers found as your income rises, so does your emotional well-being or happiness. but only until your income hits about $75,000 a year. after that, they say, your sense of success may grow but more money won't make you happier. again, this according to a new study. up next, let's go surfing-- doctor's orders. uz we speak value. and people like what we're saying. about how fusion is projected to hold its resale value better than camry. and has better quality than accord. as a matter of fact, people like what we're saying so much, ford fusion is now the 2010 motor trend car of the year. the fusion, from ford. get in . . . and drive one.

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more than $375 million. we've committed $20 billion to an independent claims fund to cover lost income until people impacted can get back to work. we'll keep looking for oil, cleaning it up if we find it and restoring the gulf coast. i was born in new orleans. my family still lives here. bp is gonna be here until the oil is gone and the people and businesses are back to normal... until we make this right. ♪ [ slap! slap! slap! slap! slap! ] [ male announcer ] your favorite foods fighting you? fight back fast with tums. calcium rich tums goes to work in seconds. works faster. ♪ tum ta tum tum tums [ but aleve can last 12 hours. tylenol 8 hour lasts 8 hours. and aleve was proven to work better on pain than tylenol 8 hour. so why am i still thinking about this? how are you? good, how are you? [ male announcer ] aleve.

proven better on pain. san francisco high rise. the message he has for us all. on eyewitness news. . to be the at 6:00 -- >> skyscraper man, he finished climb agriculture skyscraper a half hour ago, the message he has for us all next. hope for some patients who suffer from a debilitating illness. not through drugs or surgery, but a trip to the beach. the "early show's" hattie kauffman explains. >> reporter: though he hits the beach every opportunity he gets, caleb remendinton not your average surfer dude. surfing is helping you live? >> exactly. i now surf to live. >> reporter: the ocean helps him with something we all take for granted, breathing. caleb has cystic fibrosis. nearly 30,000 americans suffer from the disease which causes thick mucus to build up in the lungs and digestive tract, making it difficult to breathe and make down food. cystic fibrosis patients undergo a rigorous routine including

breathe treatment and twice a day they areny a vest that fills with air to help break up mucus in the chest. >> i have to put this on everyday but it's not really tough for me. >> reporter: there is no cure for the disease, but the ocean is a natural treatment. research has shown that salty mist from the water can help break up thick mucus in the lungs and make breathing easier. >> after surfing, i can sit on the beach and take a deep breath. >> reporter: doctors suggest that cystic fibrosis patients living near the coastline take advantage of the health benefits found in the salt water air. >> inhaling high salt-containing liquid into the lungs helps draw fluid out of the issue and create a surface lining that these children would not have. >> the key to learning to surf... >> reporter: the cystic fibrosis foundation of orange county puts on surf cants for kids suffering from the disease. taylor ross instantly fell in

love with surfing. her mom says it's a god send. >> as a parent you don't know what it's like for your kid to say "i can breathe!" >> reporter: even just playing in the waves can help. >> it feels like i'm flying through the air. >> reporter: caleb discovered the curative ocean air only a year ago when he moved from illinois to california. along with helping him breathe, he says surfing is an opportunity to show others how to overcome the disease while they wait for a cure. >> we're normal, we're just like everyone else. just have to start our day and end our day a little differently. >> reporter: what better way to start than catching the perfect wave? hattie kauffman, cbs news, huntington beach, california. >> mitchell: and that's the "cbs evening news." i'm russ mitchell. hope you're having a great holiday. katie's back tomorrow. good night. captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org

. you're watching cbs5 "eyewitness news." >> on a day when a lot of people were taking it easy not this guy. the latest from the any leadership yum tower, the site of a labor day spectacle people will be talking about for a long time. >> certainly no break from politics today. the big change in the governor's race. and why some people aren't happy with a change in the dollar menu. more than 50 stories in the area today this daredevil surprised the police and san franciscoans, by scaling one of the sky scrapers. joe vasquez watched it all from the ground and said the climber had a clear and precise message. >> reporter: it was a quite suspense full afternoon, let miux