>> o'donnell: good evening. scott is on assignment. i'm norah o'donnell. the housing meltdown led the country into the great recession. now housing is leading the recovery. a new survey today finds homes were selling in march at prices nearly 11% higher than a year ago. the highest, in fact, since 2006. that news gave wall street a boost. after the survey came out the dow rose as much as 218 points. it gave about half of that back but still closed at a record high, 15,409. and anthony mason tells us rising home and stock values have helped send consumer confidence to a five-year high. >> reporter: on the sales lot at park city's ford in dallas, texas, confidence in the economy is building. >> we see everything as a positive at this point. so we are selling a 4x4 f-150... >> reporter: managing partner jeff enright says business is up 18% over a year ago. >> we don't want to get overexcited but we are because we see things picking up across the board. >> reporter: dallas and fort worth rank among the top large cities in creating jobs. construction is picking up as the housing market bounces back. and that's lifting auto sales for enright's dealership and others. >> you know, they need wood, they need trucks. that's what they're buying. >> reporter: nationally all 20 major cities in the index showed year over year gains in moment prices led by those hardest hit by the recession: phoenix and san francisco, up more than 22% and las vegas up more than 20%. what do people see in those numbers? >> the housing market's recovering, and as a result consumer confidence is picking up which then feeds back into the housing recovery. >> reporter: michelle myers is senior u.s. economist with bank of america merrill lynch. >> i think both of those are pretty powerful forces in terms of gauging the improving sentiment in the u.s. economy. the data shows that the economy is continuing to heal and at a faster pace than what we had been initially expecting at bank of america. >> reporter: and that's reflected in the stock market. here's an intriguing number. the dow is up for the 20th consecutive tuesday. in fact more than two-thirds of its 17.5% gain this year has come on tuesdays. >> o'donnell: anthony, how much of the healing do you think is left for the housing market? we're up to 200 levels but remember the market didn't peak until 2006. from those levels we're actually still down about 28%. >> o'donnell: anthony mason, thank you. as anthony mentionedded, one place the housing market is booming is san francisco. john blackstone tells us bidding wars are underway and the combatants are armed with cash. >> so this wall has got to go. >> reporter: in oakland, california, sara mertz and her real estate agent patrick leaper are finally on the verge of closing a deal. this is the ninth house she has tried to buy. >> six months, nine offers. >> reporter: six months, nine offers. this first-time buyer is ready with a 20% down-payment, but in today's market that is not always enough. >> from our experience, there's not a lot on the market. and so when there is a house that we're excited about, so is everybody else. >> reporter: and many of those everybody else's, they've got cash. >> yeah. a lot of it. >> cash buyers coming in with no contingencies at all and closing in ten days. >> reporter: have you ever seen in 40 years seen cash buyers to this extent? >> no. not even close. >> reporter: cash buyers accounted for more than a third of the home sales in march. more than double the average. they are not just buying foreclosures, they are buying everything. >> there's a tremendous amount of cash buyers out there, not just the investor-- people who have taken money out of their i.r.a.s and buying real estate-- but homeowners too. >> reporter: in part it's a response to the low interest rates paid on money in the bank. some savers are putting their money in real estate instead. all that cash is helping drive up prices. in oakland, the median sales price has risen from $240,000 in april last year to $537,000 this april. this is a great market when you're representing a seller now. >> exactly. it's wonderful for sellers right now today. equally as bad for buyers. >> reporter: it's almost as if buying a house in oakland right now has been an endurance sport. >> absolutely. absolutely. >> reporter: sara mertz endured. after being beaten on eight previous offers, she went more than $100,000 over the asking price to get this house, and she can't wait to move in. john blackstone, cbs news, oakland. >> o'donnell: if honest investors are putting their cash into buying homes, where are criminals putting their money? well today in new york federal indictments were announced against the operators of an on- line business based in costa rica. prosecutors say some of the world's biggest crooks use it to launder $6 billion. elaine quijano explains how it all worked. >> reporter: these men were part of a ring that stole $45 million from a.t.m.s around the world. when it was time to launder that cash, investigators say that these criminals logged on to liberty reserve. richard weber is in charge of the i.r.s. investigation. >> if al capone were alive today, this is how he would be hiding his money. >> reporter: the indictment, called liberty reserve, the bank of choice for the criminal underworld with one million users including 200,000 in the u.s. here's how prosecutors say it worked. money would be sent to money exchangers in countries with lax oversight, including vietnam, russia, and nigeria. the cash would be converted to credits deposited in a liberty reserve account. those credits could pay other users or be cashed out. all users needed to get started was an email address. u.s. attorney.. >> an undercover agent working as part of this group was able to register an account with liberty reserve using the name joe bogus. the account name to steal everything. and the address 123 fake main street in a completely made-up city usa. >> reporter: authorities say that anonimity attracted criminals engaged in investment fraud, computer hacking, child pornography and narcotics trafficking. law enforcement in 17 countries were involved in the investigation. arrests were made in costa rica, spain, and new york. one of the alleged master minds renounced his u.s. citizenship and moved to costa rica after a 2006 conviction for running an on-line firm that also laundered money. norah, the justice department says his scheme processed 55 million illegal transactions. >> o'donnell: elaine, thank you. the white house said president obama will have a word with cyber-crime with china's president when they meet in california next week. a confidential report prepared for the pentagon says hackers have stolen the designs of many of america's most advanced weapons systems. and all signs point to china. here is national security correspondent david martin. >> reporter: there are 29 weapons systems on the list ranging from the newest jet fighter to missile defense systems protecting u.s. bases in asia. plus, another 29 technologies still under development from invisible laser beams that can destroy aircraft to an electro magnetic gun that fires a projectile at eight times the speed of sound. the report by the defense science board says the pentagon has sustained staggering losses of information, incorporating years of combat knowledge and experience. it doesn't openly accuse china, but privately officials say that's who did it. many of the systems like the navy's newest combat ship and the marines tilt roter osprey are part of the obama administration's military build- up in the pacific. design information would help china develop their own versions of those weapons or come up with ways to defeat them. the report goes far beyond the compromise of secrets to warn that virtually all u.s. military operations depend on computer networks vulnerable to cyber attack. pentagon teams playing the role of cyber attackers with programs downloaded from the internet have been able to disrupt u.s. military exercises. if this level of damage can be done by a few smart people using tools available to everyone, imagine what a determined, sophisticated adversary could do. u.s. guns, missiles and bombs may not fire or may be directed against our own troops. norah, despite this report by its own scientific board, the pentagon released a statement insisting we maintain full confidence in our weapons platforms, suggestions that cyber intrusions have somehow led to the erosion of our capabilities or our technological edge are incorrect. >> o'donnell: david martin, thank you. outside baltimore today a freight train hauling chemicals hit a truck at a crossing and derailed. that caused a massive explosion. ( explosion ) the blast rattled homes a half a mile away. the fire chief advised people to stay out of the area but said no toxic chemicals were burning. the driver of the truck is in serious but stable condition. no one else was hurt. for sheer power nothing compares to a tornado. we got a rare look inside one, thanks to professional storm chasers. this is one of four twisters that touched down last night in northeast kansas. it tore the instruments from the top of the storm chaser's vehicle. no one was hurt. it was the start of what could be a violent week of storms from the plains through the midwest. meteorologist david bernard of cbs in miami is our cbs news weather consultant. david, how concerned are you about another severe tornado outbreak this evening? >> norah, we have one going on now. we have all the ingredients for one not only tonight but probably for the rest of the week as well. here is the set-up. we have a stronger upper level low coming out of the rockies. that will send disturbances across the plains over the next 24 hours, that will keep the severe weather in the forecast. right now, we have severe thunderstorm watches on the high plains of colorado, nebraska, kansas, oklahoma and texas and tornadoes on the ground not too far from the kansas city area across the midwest. a big tornado watch currently is in effect in those areas as well. >> o'donnell: what do you think about tomorrow, david? >> i think again another round of severe storms is going to be likely. it could be in some of the same locations. in fact, our highest risk for severe weather tomorrow is going to be right over the mid part of the country: oklahoma, kansas and southern nebraska, but that risk extends all the way from texas to minnesota and, norah, we have a slight risk of severe weather in the northeast bounded by cleveland, buffalo albany's and maybe just to the north of new york city. a lot of the nation on guard for rough weather. >> o'donnell: david bernard, thank you. in southern california the winds died down today. that was a big help in the battle against a wild fire north of santa barbara. more than 600 fire fighters are on the scene. several homes and thousands of campers were evacuated. the fire has burned through 1800 acres. the firefighters have it about 10% contained. at the new jersey shore today, a political odd couple reunited. president obama, a democrat, and the republican governor chris christie responded after super storm sandy. today they strolled the board walk and talked football at an arcade.$&%-both marveled at thee recovery. >> i am not going to let anything or anyone get in between me and the completion of the mission to restore and recover our great state. ( cheers and applause ) >> the jersey shore is back, and it is open for business. and they want all americans to know that they're ready to welcome you here. >> o'donnell: major questions remain including should beach houses be rebuilt? prosecutors in oregon say a teenager charged with plotting to bomb his school was inspired by columbine. and a man takes the plunge from the world's tallest mountain when the "cbs evening news" continues. trust calcium plus vitamin d to support strong bones. and the brand most recommended by... my doctor. my gynecologist. my pharmacist. citracal. citracal. [ female announcer ] you trust your doctor. doctors trust citracal. see, i knew testosterone could affect sex drive, but not energy or even my mood. that's when i talked with my doctor. he gave me some blood tests... showed it was low t. that's it. it was a number. [ male announcer ] today, men with low t have androgel 1.62% testosterone gel. the #1 prescribed topical testosterone replacement therapy increases testosterone when used daily. women and children should avoid contact with application sites. ów discontinue androgel and call your doctor if you see unexpected signs of early puberty in a child, or signs in a woman, which may include changes in body hair or a large increase in acne, possibly due to accidental exposure. men with breast cancer or who have or might have prostate cancer, and women who are or may become pregnant or are breast-feeding, should not use androgel. serious side effects include worsening of an enlarged prostate, possible increased risk of prostate cancer, lower sperm count, swelling of ankles, feet, or body, enlarged or painful breasts, problems breathing during sleep, and blood clots in the legs. tell your doctor about your medical conditions and medications, especially insulin, corticosteroids, or medicines to decrease blood clotting. in a clinical study, over 80% of treated men had their t levels restored to normal. talk to your doctor about all your symptoms. get the blood tests. change your number. turn it up. androgel 1.62%. icaused by acid reflux disease, relieving heartburn, turn it up. relief is at hand. for many, nexium provides 24-hour heartburn relief and may be available for just $18 a month. there is risk of bone fracture and low magnesium levels. side effects may include headache, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. if you have persistent diarrhea, contact your doctor right away. other serious stomach conditions may exist. don't take nexium if you take clopidogrel. relief is at hand for just $18 a month. talk to your doctor about nexium. this was me. then i found dr. scholl's pain relief orthotics. they reduce the impact on my lower body. so i feel less pain and more energized. dr. scholl's pain relief orthotics-- pain relief that starts with your feet. i'm a believer. you may be muddling through allergies. try zyrtec-d®. powerful relief of nasal congestion and other allergy symptoms -- all in one pill. zyrtec-d®. at the pharmacy counter. >> o'donnell: people who live near the ocean know there's always a risk they could lose their home in a major storm which is why seven months after super storm sandy, a lot of shore towns are wrestling with when and how to rebuild. here's michelle miller. >> reporter: in the jersey shore town of man toe locking, progress is measured one boulder at a time. >> it's an investment. i think it's worth it. >> reporter: mike becker is repairing his home and building a rock wall to protect it from future storms. it's costing him more than $100,000. >> it's worth it. it's going to save my house and my family will be using this house for generations. >> reporter: at the same time, the town is fighting other homeowners over property lines. right now residents own the land from their homes to the shoreline. the army corps of engineers wants to fill in and extend the beach 150 feet into the ocean. residents would not own that small strip of new land. all 127 beach front residents have to agree to the plan, and a handful are refusing. that's upsetting to man toe locking town council president steve gillingham. are you surprised that people are holding out? >> yeah. i mean, to me it's incredible that they would not see the value of the project to their own property. >> reporter: but residents holding out told us their property values would drop and the army corps cannot guarantee surge protection. >> we don't have any guarantee, but we have evidence from places all over the state where the kind of replenishment that they're planning has been done and has worked. >> reporter: if those residents don't come on board, they plan to go to court to invoke eminent domain saying the extension is for the good of all. the replenishment project could take up to three years. how much do these rocks weigh. >> 5,000-8,000 pounds each. >> reporter: either way mike becker continues to build his wall to be ready for this hurricane season. the next town council meeting is set for june 10, norah, and the council president says if all residents don't come to an agreement by then, he'll likely offer a motion to proceed with eminent domain to claim private property for public use. >> o'donnell: michelle miller, thank you. in the george zimmerman murder case a judge put some restrictions on the defense team. that story is next. hungry for the best? it's eb. want to give your family the very best in taste, freshness, and nutrition? it's eb. eggland's best. better taste. better nutrition. better eggs. it's eb. if you have high cholesterol, here's some information that may be worth looking into. in a clinical trial versus lipitor, crestor got more high-risk patients' bad cholesterol to a goal of under 100. getting to goal is important, especially if you have high cholesterol plus any of these risk factors because you could be at increased risk for plaque buildup in your arteries over time. and that's why when diet and exercise alone aren't enough to lower cholesterol i prescribe crestor. [ female announcer ] crestor is not right for everyone. like people with liver disease or women who are nursing, pregnant or may become pregnant. tell your doctor about other medicines you're taking. call your doctor right away if you have muscle pain or weakness, feel unusually tired, have loss of appetite, upper belly pain, dark urine or yellowing of skin or eyes. these could be signs of rare but serious side effects. is your cholesterol at goal? ask your doctor about crestor. [ female announcer ] if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. i need a new recruit! dawn? you won't last. [ female announcer ] a drop of dawn has active suds that stay stronger longer, so you can clean 2x more greasy dishes. dawn does more. [ sponge ] so it's not a chore. dawn does more. it's been that way since the day you met. but your erectile dysfunction - it could be a question of blood flow. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than 4 hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or if you have any allergic reactions such as rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a 30-tablet free trial. >> o'donnell: a teenager accused of plotting to bomb his high school in albany oregon was arraigned today by way of a video hook-up from a juvenile detention center. 17-year-old grant accord is charged with attempted aggravated murder. the police say they found six explosive devices hidden in his bedroom along with written plans and a diagram of the school. the trial of neighborhood watch volunteer george zimmerman for the murder of an unarmed teenager begins next month. at a hearing today in sanford florida the judge told zimmerman's lawyers they may not mention trayvon martin's drug use or suspension from school in their opening statement. and she denied a defense request to take jurors to the crime scene saying it would be a low logistical nightmare. here's a world record for you. the highest base jump. that's a jump from a stationary object. in this case, it was mount everest. russian daredevil dove from about three quarters of the way up 23,000 feet. he soared through the frigid air in his winged suit at 125 miles an hour. you can see he opened his parachute and then floated to a landing on the north wall. all done safely. the folks in our final story tonight have climbed mountains but for a very different reason. what they're out to prove. next. next. ♪ i'm in my work van, having lunch, next minute i'm in the back of an ambulance having a heart attack. the emts gave me bayer aspirin. it helped save my life. i was in shape, fit. i did not see it coming. my doctor recommends i take bayer aspirin to help prevent another heart attack. everyone so be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. i've lived through a massive heart attack. i don't take life for granted. see your doctor and get checked out. ♪ from capital one... boris earns unlimited rewards for his small business. can i get the smith contract, please? thank you. that's three new paper shredders. [ boris ] put 'em on my spark card. [ garth ] boris' small business earns 2% cash back on every purchase every day. great businesses deserve unlimited rewards. read back the chicken's testimony, please. "buk, buk, bukka!" [ male announcer ] get the spark business card from capital one and earn unlimited rewards. choose 2% cash back or double miles on every purchase every day. told you i'd get half. what's in your wallet? 8% every 10 years.age 40, we can start losing muscle -- told you i'd get half. wow. wow. but you can help fight muscle loss with exercise and ensure muscle health. i've got revigor. what's revigor? it's the amino acid metabolite, hmb to help rebuild muscle and strength naturally lost over time. [ female announcer ] ensure muscle health has revigor and protein to help protect, preserve, and promote muscle health. keeps you from getting soft. [ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge! resources that can help. nen kpix 5 news. weather talent appears at wx center with generic >> o'donnell: earlier in the broadcast we showed the devastation caused by super storm sandy. whether climate change is to blame for it is the subject of debate. but there is no doubt that the climate is changing. dean reynolds introduces you to some folks who are out to prove it. >> reporter: for ned leblond and jonathan byers, this isn't just a spring hike into the rockies but a journey to help people actually see what is meant by climate change. >> the ridge drops right down so it looked like we're almost perfect. >> reporter: they met three years ago in the sierra nevada and channeled their passion for photographing the outdoors with their interest in science. and launched the alpine of the americas project. >> we're looking at these little details. where this ridge overlaps here. where the river runs there. how these trees line up. >> reporter: they scale mountain ranges from north to south america, locating exactly where historic photos were taken and then they retake the scene from that same vantage point. >> this project gives us a visual way to see a glacier, a snow field that used to exist 50 or 100 years ago that's no longer there. >> we're also helping scientists tell the story because the grass, the chart, the math, the language is incomprehensible to so many people. that's what the photos do so well. >> reporter: so far they've taken 85 of what they call repeat photos, revealing glaciers in retreat and the stark changes to surrounding lakes and forests that accompany them. >> sometimes you just walk around the corner and hold up that photo. almost my stomach drops. >> reporter: their project has taken them to california's sierra nevada where the ice is retreating at a rate of half an inch every day. and to the south in patagonia's andes mountains where the once prominence stokes glacier has been disappearing over the last century. do you see yourselves as telling a story or are you sounding an alarm? >> for us it is more about understanding it's not something we should be terrified of because that, you know, when people are afraid of things it's hard to take action. >> what we're trying to help them do is understand they are connected to the mountains in very real ways. >> reporter: because seeing is believing. dean reynolds cbs news estes park, colorado. >> o'donnell: that's the cbs evening news for tonight. for scott pelley, i'm norah o'donnell. thanks for joining us. i'll see you first thing tomorrow on cbs this morning. good night. captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org even though the economy is picking this is kpix 5 news. >> the gap between college cost and what families have to pay is rising. >> this graduation season, college students face debt. i am allen martin. >> i am ann notarangelo. more students around the bay area get ready to get their diplomas. the amount they owe is as much as it has ever been. kpix 5's sue quan says help is out there but some need help. >> we have pay as you earn programs. as college graduates celebrate their diploma and responsibilities, there is something to consider, the looming school loan debt. this student owes 16 grand. >> i came for my undergraduate career. >> this student owes 25,000. >> i feel like more and more people are getting degrees. your can get educationline stuff like a bachelor's degree. >> two out of every three students frag wait with about 626 thundershower in government loan -- 26,000 in government loans. >> i am a parent myself and struggling with some of these same issues. student loans will be an issue for quite awhile. >> in this economy many students have to borrow from