>> pelley: tonight, a 24th death thehe outbreak continues. we're learning more about the people behind the pharmacy at the center of the meningitis nifections that have spread to 17 states. jim axelrod is investigating. rtin hasrtin has learned that u.s. military forces were moving in case a rescue was ordered the night a u.s. ambassador was killed. kiother senate candidate shakes up the campaign with comments about rape and pregnancy. wyatt andrews is on the story. and ben tracy in los angeles with an american hero. for him, there's no place like this home. >> you just push down and the cabinets come down. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> pelley: good evening. another patient injected with a tainted steroid has died of tiningitis.

more than 300 cases have now been reported in 17 states and the centers for disease control says the outbreak is spreading. federal and state officials have s ened an investigations into new england compounding center, the pharmacy that's believed to veve shipped thousands of vials of a steroid that's used in clinics to treat pain. a many cases, the drug was contaminated with a deadly fungus which one investigator said was visible to the naked eye in some of the vials. we asked jim axelrod to find out more about the pharmacy known as n.e.c.c. >> reporter: state officials cceived a complaint last march bout the company that produced these tainted steroids. but health officials in assachusetts tell us they conducted what's called an off- site inspection-- a review of ocuments. dr. madeline biondolillo is leading the investigation. >> it's apparent they were not following the regulations despite their obligation to do

the >> reporter: the f.d.a. has released a list of n.e.c.c.'s cu customers. they include somewhere near 3,000 doctors and hospitals around the country. one denver-area hospital filed a cease and desist letter in 2011 alleging the company sent compounded drugs into colorado without valid prescriptions. in 2004, state and federal uthorities inspected n.e.c.c. after what was called an adverse event involving methylpredisolone acetate, the same steroid linked to the current outbreak. n.e.c.c. is a family business that started in 1998. greg conigliaro holds four titles: vice president, treasurer, secretary, and director. he started the company with his brother-in-law barry cadden who holds three titles: head pharmacist, president and also director. en met his wife lisa conigliaro in pharmacy school in the late 1980s.

she's greg's sister and also a director. n.e.c.c. is one of a dozen companies owned by the conigliaros. dr. douglas conigliaro, another brother, runs one of them, medical sales management, which oversees the sales force for n.e.c.c. >> this investigation also extends to n.e.c.c.'s business ractices and the environmental conditions surrounding the business, including the presence of a nearby recycling center that shares ownership with n.e.c.c. >> reporter: the recycling business, conigliaro industries, operates in the same building as n.e.c.c. in 2003, it was cited for violations including accumulation of combustibles, creating a hazard. in a statement, the n.e.c.c. says that throughout its entire history, scott, the company has always demonstrated a good-faith lianntion to operate in compliance with the requirements of its license. >> pelley: jim, i wonder, is there any indication of legal action against the company at

this point? >> reporter: well, there's no word on any sort of criminal charges, any sorts of arrest, but the civil cases are beginning to pile up, including one seeking to freeze the assets of the company's owners. >> pelley: jim, thanks very much. eaking nhave breaking news tackght on the terrorist attack in libya that killed the u.s. ambassador and three other nd threns this past september 11. david martin's sources tell him that a u.s. military force was 11. on the move that night in reaction to the consulate attack in benghazi. >> reporter: in response to the attack on the u.s. consulate in benghazi, a team of american commandos was sent from europe to an airfield at siginella sicily. that put them about an hour or more flying time from benghazi. the team known as the commanders in extremis force was designed specifically for quick reaction to unforeseen emergencies. but u.s. officials say it did not arrive in sicily until after

the attack was over. even if the team had been ready in time, these officials say confusion about what was happening on the ground in benghazi and state department concerns about violating libyan sovereignty made a military rescue mission impractical. that confusion can be read in state department cables from the day of the attack. at 4:05 in the afternoon washington time a table warned the consulate is under attack, approximately 20 armed people fired shots, explosions have been heard as well. 49 minutes later, another cable reported "the firing has stopped and the compound has been cleared." in fact, the u.s. ambassador and one other state department employee were dead and the attack was far from over. seven hours later, another cable reported "benghazi shelter location also under attack by mortar fire." a reference to a safe house about a mile from the consulate where some 30 americans had taken cover. taylight revealed the safe house had taken a district hit,

killing two more americans. u.s. officials today confirmed that a 28-year-old man suspected of taking part in the attack is but hecustody in tunisia but he is not considered to be one of the ringleaders and so far the f.b.i. has not been allowed to question him. >> pelley: thanks, david. those state department cables in david's report first appeared on one thatadcast last night. ght saidone that we told you group last night said that the terrorist group ansar al-sharia ras claiming responsibility for the attack on its facebook page and on twitter. toll, today, the secretary of state, hillary clinton, was asked about that. >> posting something on facebook is not in and of itself evidence and i think it just underscores how fluid the reporting was at the time and continued for some time to be. >> pelley: the white house said today that those cables are just art off the story. thousands of documents are being reviewed. in the presidential race, a new

tolup poll out today shows mitt romney's lead is shrinking. have a look. the weekend before the final debate gallup had him up seven 45% ts, 52% to 45% for president obama. today the romney lead is down to three points, 50% to 47%. %.e president took his campaign today to colorado. the race there is virtually tied. which way colorado goes may well we determined by latino voters and we asked barry petersen to atll us more about that. >> i've already voted. y> oh, you've already voted. so there you go. latieporter: the battle for the latino vote in colorado is being waged one house at a time. >> hello there! >> reporter: jesus altamirano works evening getting out the vote for a nonpartisan latino group. when you knock on the door, jesus, who are they leaning owards? o a lot of individuals have been leaning towards obama. >> reporter: latinos are now at least 13% of the colorado electorate and favor president

obama 2-1. onwidewide, latinos make up about 9% of voters and are for andobama by more than 3-1. when a national politician talks about the latino vote, the prime topic is immigration. accurate or not accurate in nots of the sentiment? >> definitely not accurate. they are -- we are definitely aroking more for jobs and health care, economy, public education. those are the issues that really ele driving individuals to the polls. hi well, i support romney because of the economy. >> reporter: jeanette wellers came to america at age 15 from el salvador, an illegal immigrant who was granted rtizenship under ronald reagan's amnesty program. she now owns a successful roofing company. >> i truly passionately believe that hispanics are republicans, they just don't know it.

>> reporter: what do you mean? cisie're very family oriented, we are very religious. i think we need a c.e.o. type someone who is not afraid to elke tough decisions. >> reporter: and as latinos have gained political influence, their expectations have grown. >> we definitely want to see more economic benefits for ndividuals in all communities. ot reporter: about 10% of colorado's 3.6 million registered voters have already cast their ballots and, scott, as you can see here at the denver elections commission, they're already counting the ballots. no results released until election night but we can tell you more republicans have voted than democrats. much.lley: early voting going on in dozens of states. barry, thank you very much. a candidate for the u.s. senate today said that he regrets it if he was misunderstood while trying to explain his position on abortion. richard mourdock, running in indiana, believes that abortion should be illegal in nearly all cases but the way he phrased it

brought the issue into the presidential campaign. wyatt andrews has our story. l reporter: richard mourdock gs explaining that abortion should not be permitted in the case of a rape or incest when he said this. thatife is a gift from god and i think even when life begins in k at horrible situation of rape hat it is something that god intended to happen. >> reporter: mourdock meant that with anted the pregnancy to happen, not the rape. but the damage was done. democrats, starting with the president, called the comment "outrageous and demeaning to women." the romney campaign said "the comments do not reflect governor romney's views." mourdock complained that critics grre twisting his views but today he apologized. te i abhor violence and i'm confident god abhors violence rom rape. if they came away with any mpression other than that i vor y regret it. >> reporter: mourdock stood by nsistelief that abortion should be illegal after a rape.

that stand is different from mitt romney's who told cbs news ne august he would allow osing thes for rape. >> i'm in favor of abortion being legal in the case of rape and insist and the health and life of the mother. >> reporter: mourdock made his comments just as mitt romney was closing the 12-point lead the president once had with women and just days after romney began appearing in an ad for mourdock. , with so much at stake i hope you'll join me in supporting richard mourdock. >> reporter: republicans complained today that this was yet another distraction from the core issue of the economy. but, scott, to democrats this clash over abortion rights is a ire issue that they plan to stress, especially to women, eetween now and the election. >> pelley: wyatt, thank you. federal prosecutors today sued bank of america, accusing it of cheating taxpayers out of more hhan a billion dollars. the lawsuit claims that it all started in 2007 at countrywide financial which was later bought by the bank. loan officers are accused of approving thousands of mortgages knowing that the home buyers could not afford them. the loans were then sold to two agderal mortgage agencies that movercked by the taxpayers.

housing is a major mover in the economy so it came as good news today that sales of new homes were up 27% last month. single-family homes were selling at the fastest pace in more than two years. we're going to look at what the presidential candidates say that they will do to help students itrdened with loans. two possible tracks for newly formed hurricane sandy-- one threatens the u.s. and what's hiding? a picasso surprise when the "cbs evening news" continues. i'm breathing better. th adva, so now i can be in the scene. advair is clinically proven to help significantly improve lung function. unlike most copd medications, advair contains both an anti-inflammatory and a long-acting bronchodilator working together to help improve your lung function all day.

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. if you're still having difficulty breathing, ask your doctor if including advair could help improve your lung function. get your first full prescription free and save on refills at advaircopd.com. until he got his number. right! the machine showed me my pressure points on my feet, and it gave me my custom number. my arches needed more support. in two minutes, the dr. scholl's foot mapping center showed me my free foot map and my number. i'm a 440. that matched up to the dr. scholl's custom fit orthotic inserts with the support i needed. now, i play all day long! my feet.

my number. my inserts. go to drscholls.com to find your closest walmart with a foot mapping center. i'm a believer! it's real milk full of calcium and vitamin d. and tastes simply delicious. for those of us with lactose intolerance... lactaid® milk. the original 100% lactose-free milk. to treat your anti-aging concerns? join the counter revolution and switch to olay pro-x. achieve anti-aging results so you look up to 12 years younger.

see results in 28 days. guaranteed or your money back. olay pro-x. >> pelley: the cost of college is going up. a report today says the full cost for a year at a public college is nearly $18,000. if that isn't sticker shock, the average cost of a private education is almost $40,000. both presidential candidates have plans for helping students pay for college and anthony mason looked into that. >> reporter: 24-year-old kevin stump has $18,000 in student debt and sees it clouding his future. >> when am i going to buy a house? can i buy a house? >> reporter: you feel like you're already behind the 8- ball? >> i'm drowning and i... ( laughs ) i'm just trying to keep my head above water. i'm not alone. we're all-- all young people are feeling this. >> reporter: 37 million americans, in fact. nationally student debt now

surpasses all other forms of consumer debt. >> all they're saying is it's the student debt, it's a crisis. but nobody's saying "here's how we deal with it." >> reporter: more than 90% of student loans are made by the federal government. >> millions of young people all across the country are getting better deals on pell grants. we're able to keep our student loan rates low. >> reporter: president obama has more than doubled spending on pell grants which, unlike loans, don't have to be repaid. they're the main aid program for low-income students. he's proposed a billion-dollar "race to the top" contest to reward states for reforms that cut college tuition. the president also supports debt forgiveness. forgiving a loan balance after a debtor has paid 10% of their income for 25 years. >> don't expect the government to forgive the debt that you take on. recognize you're going to have to pay it back. >> reporter: governor romney wants to reverse what he calls mr. obama's nationalization of the student loan market. he argues getting private lenders back in the process

would make the system more efficient. romney would tighten eligibility on pell grants, refocusing on students that need them the most. you're not out of this debt cycle yet. >> no, i'm very much in accumulating more debt. >> reporter: kevin stump is looking to borrow another $2,000 to pay for a master's degree. he needs it, he says, to get a better-paying job so he can pay off his debt. that's another reason the crisis keeps ballooning. >> it's now a trillion dollar story and counting. >> reporter: economist max wolf says it's fast becoming a burden on the entire economy. >> then you either figure out a way to make education affordable again or you go back to having a vast underclass which is uneducated and even more cut off from opportunity which has social and political implications that are neither pretty nor desirable. >> reporter: it's become a catch-22. in this economy, wolf says, not having a degree is almost a sentence of poverty. on the other hand, paying for the degree can sink you into poverty. >> pelley: thank you, anthony. while college costs go up, what

about income after graduation? a report out today says women one year out of college make 82 cents for every dollar paid to men. in a war-torn land, school takes no break. we'll show you what some children are doing just to get an education. next. levemir® (insulin detemir [rdna origin] injection) is a long-acting insulin used to control high blood sugar in adults and children with diabetes and is not recommended to treat diabetic ketoacidosis. do not use levemir® if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. the most common side effect is low blood sugar,

which may cause symptoms such as sweating, shakiness, confusion, and headache. severe low blood sugar can be serious and life threatening. ask your healthcare provider about alcohol use, operating machinery, or driving. other possible side effects include injection site reactions. tell your healthcare provider about all medicines you take and all of your medical conditions. get medical help right away if you experience serious allergic reactions, such as body rash, trouble with breathing, fast heartbeat, or sweating. with flexpen®... say good night to vial and syringe. ask your doctor about levemir® flexpen. covered by 90% of insurance plans, including medicare. find your co-pay at myflexpen.com.

heartburn symptoms causedelieve by acid reflux disease. osteoporosis-related bone fractures and low magnesium levels have been seen with nexium. possible side effects include headache, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. other serious stomach conditions may still exist. talk to your doctor about nexium. >> pelley: we were struck today in the newsroom by some pictures that seemed to capture the heart

break of syria's civil war and the resilience of its people. the dictator bashar al-assad is trying to crush a rebellion that broke out 19 months ago. well, just outside the city of aleppo, six schools were bombed by assad's air force. the classrooms were torn apart, so parents and teachers set up what they call "bunker schools." lessons are now taught underground where it's safer. one parent said they wanted to restore some normality, and the children are determined to learn. one boy said his favorite subject is english because he wants to study in america one day. we're watching the growing storm named sandy in the caribbean. today it became a full-blown hurricane. the category one storm clobbered jamaica with 80 mile an hour wind and torrential rain before heading north toward cuba and the bahamas. in haiti, rushing waters claimed one life. beyond the weekend, there are two possible tracks: one, sandy

skirts the east coast, sending waves and rain but nothing dangerous. two, the storm could hit the eastern u.s., bringing snow, slamming new york and new england directly. there's a new picasso surprise that has the art world excited. for years, the woman ironing was a well-known painting but she was hiding something. when picasso was young he started a different painting but he gave up on it. the artist was young and poor so he reused to canvas, covering the first painting entirely. recently, experts cleaned the woman and, using infrared cameras, revealed clearly she was hiding a man with a mustache painted a century ago. it is a masterpiece of another kind. we're going to give you a tour of a home fit for a hero. next. trust duracell...?? duralock power preserve. locks in power for up to 10 years in storage. now...guaranteed. duracell with duralock. trusted everywhere.

it's real milk full of calcium and vitamin d. and tastes simply delicious. for those of us with lactose intolerance... lactaid® milk. the original 100% lactose-free milk. 30 sound off. phil matier with the hard numbers on how it will impact california education. next finally tonight on 9/11 a 34-year-old firefighter died a hero trying to save lives at the world trade center. now more than a decade after his death he has come to the rescue of another american hero. and we asked ben tracy to tell us the story. i remember waking up that morning and having the worst gut check feeling i have ever had in afghanistan. i felt like something bad was going to happen. >> reporter: two years ago, lance corporal juan dominguez was in afghanistan. the marine stepped on a roadside bomb. >> i took the blast for the

whole squad, basically. i was able to see my legs and see what bad shape they were in. it was bad. i knew i would never walk again, for sure. >> reporter: in that moment, are you thinking, how am i going to survive? or is there a part of you hoping perhaps you don't? >> i was pleading to god that if he could numb me up, please numb me up. if not, if he could take me. >> reporter: dominguez was 26 facing a life where he needed help to do even basic tasks. >> wiping me, cleaning me, shaving me, brushing my teeth. you know, your whole manhood is stripped from you. you revert back to a baby. >> reporter: during his grueling recovery from from his injuries, he realized everything in his small townhouse was now too narrow and too high. >> i can't reach the microwave. >> reporter: there are more than 50 triple or quadruple amputees from the wars in iraq and afghanistan. the u.s. government gives them $65,000 to build or modify a home. but it often costs several times that.

and that has led to a new mission for the tunnel to towers foundation. it began after 9/11 to honor new york firefighter stephen siller, who ran through the brooklyn battery tunnel to the twin towers and gave his life trying to save others. his brother frank siller is the foundation's chairman and says they will build 11 new homes for wounded veterans this year. >> they want their own life, you know? these are americans that paid a big price. the houses have to be designed for them to live comfortably not just today, but for the rest of their lives. >> reporter: with private donations, they built this $600,000 home for dominguez in temecula, california, where he wanted to live. >> stuck them against the walls would be fine. >> reporter: the house has an elevator and also an ipad that allows dominguez to control the lighting, the shades, and even open the front door. >> this is my favorite feature of the house. >> reporter: the microwave. >> the microwave. >> reporter: everything is now within reach. >> you just push that and the cabinets come down. >> reporter: wow.

he even has room to practice with his band. ♪ [ music ] >> reporter: dominguez plans to eventually raise a family here with his new wife, alexis. >> this house was, i guess, just a sheer blessing from god and faith. >> reporter: allowing him to not just be grateful for being alive, but to also truly live. ben tracy, cbs news, los angeles. >> and that's the "cbs evening news" for tonight. for all of us at cbs news all around the world, good night. captions by: caption colorado comments@captioncolorado.com >> your realtime captioner: linda marie macdonald less than 2 weeks before the election, governor brown's good evening, i'm dana king. allen is on assignment. less than two weeks before the election and governor brown's proposition 30 tax plan is barely hanging on with

voters. the question many are asking is if prop 30 fails, are those automatic cuts to education real? cbs 5 reporter phil matier takes a look at the decision now before voters. phil. >> reporter: that's right, dana. governor brown is asking voters to make a choice, approve a temporary quarter cent sales tax hike and also hire taxes for people who make over $250,000 a year or accept deep cuts in education funding. the question is, are they real? >> what i can tell you is our options are very few if any. >> reporter: so what would the triggers mean? well, the biggest hit would be to k-12 education which is expected to take about a $5 billion hit. that's roughly equivalent to three weeks worth of school funding. community colleges, they would stand to lose about 550 million. >> we will keep the college open but i'm afraid we are going to have to start cutting classes. >> reporter: for example, if the cal state system takes another $250 million hit they plan to raise tuition by about