this is the "cbs evening news." >> good evening. i'm elaine quijano. the violence in syria ratcheted up another notch today, and for the first time air, high-ranking military officer was among the fatalities. charlie d'agata in london has more on today's deadly round of attack and counter-attack. >> reporter: a resident in the besieged city of homs told cbs news tonight syrian forces are intensifying their relentless bombardment. >> yes, it's getting worse day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. the situation is really disrting and now we are in dangerous place. i'm just waiting to die, simple as that. >> reporter: kamal blames president bashar al-assad for ordering the offensive that's flattened homs and killed hundreds of people in the city in the past week alone. >> my biggest concern is i'm going to lose my two little kids. assad, he's a murderer and he's committing genocide against his own people. >> the u.s. state department releasedly the satellite that appeared to show the deployment of heavy residents surrounding residential neighborhoods and homes. the violence is not only getting worse, it's spreading. fighting has been reported in several other cities, including idlib and syria's largest city, aleppo. two huge explosions yesterday killed 28 people and wounded 175 more. here's dramatic evidence the violence is getting closer to the capital. today, gunmen assassinated a syrian army general believed to be the first killing of a high-ranking officer inside damascus. as for help for the rebels, officials from the united states and europe have raise the the possibility of humanitarian assistance but are wrestling with the difficulty of establishing corridors or safe havens. meanwhile, civilians in homs and other battered cities can only wait for assad's next step, too. charlie d'agata, cbs news, london. >> reporter: in iran, tens of thousands turned out on the streets of tehran today to mark the 33rd anniversary of their islamic revolution. president ahmadinejad promised there would be word of major nuclear achievements within the next few days. he also warned arab countries not to intervene in syria. for more perspective on the latest developments in syria, we're joined by former undersecretary of state, nicholas burns. good evening, mr. burns. this situation in syria really started a year ago as a pro-democracy uprising. has it now turned into a civil war? >> elaine, i think syria is without any question on the verge of a civil war. there's a popular uprising throughout the country. the country's badly divided between prof and antigovernment forces. there's a rebel army beginning to form. and the government is using horrific violence against a civilian population and that vice presidency, unfortunately, may continue for months. >> if the assad regime continues the killing, can the u.s. resist somehow getting military aid to the rebels? >> you know, i think the united states government is going to resist getting involved milltarily for the time being because there's no arab league support for that, there's no u.n. security council support for that. but i do think the obama administration will have to begin to consider trying to get humanitarian aid to the civilian population that's been cut off from health services, from hospitals and from food. the turkish foreign minister made that suggestion today. but, you know, it would be dangerous to give military aid to the rebels right now because we don't have a good sense of who they are. there was a bombing in aleppo yesterday. people suspect it may have been an al qaeda affiliate. so i think the obama administration will wait on military aid but certainly be willing to help with civilian and humanitarian support. >> difficult situation. former undersecretary of state, nicholas burns, thanks for joining us. >> thanks, elean. >>. >> in egypt joint cheestles of staff met with the ruling council today. they discussed egypt's planned prosecution of 16 americans which is jeopardizing $1.5 billion in u.s. aid. in cairo's tahrir square air, low-key demonstration marked the first anniversary of the ouster of former president mubarak. now to conservatism 2012. tonight, maine's republican party announced mitt romney as the winner of their caucuses. romney captured 39%. ron paul followed with 36%. newt gingrich and rick santorum did not actively compete in the race. chip reid is tracking the race in washington, d.c. tonight. good evening. >> reporter: good evening, elaine. that victory in maine is some much-needed good news for mitt romney in a roller coaster week that has had some big ups and some big downs. only two of the four republican presidential candidates campaigned in maine today, ron paul and mitt romney. >> it's good to see you. >> reporter: who kept his focus on president obama. >> i'll be able to debate president obama effectively and knock him on his heels when we're talking about the economy. >> reporter: romney rarely mentions any of his republican opponents, including rick santorum, despite the fact that santorum is rising in the polls following surprising victories in colorado, missouri and minnesota earlier this week. but what began as one of romney's worst weeks of the campaign took a turn in his favor today as he edged out santorum in a straw poll at cpack. the conservative political action conference in washington. romney had 38% to santorum's 31 with newt gingrich and ron paul far behind. in his speech at cpack yesterday, romney used the word "conservative" or "conservatism "24 times. >> i was a severely conservative republican governor. >> reporter: the speech helped with some here. >> romney's speech was impressive and if he becomes the nominee, i will vote for him. >> reporter: but others, including christine and marty carrara, are still not convinced. romney is not swinging you his way. >> no, he's not. >> reporter: he talked about conservatism a lot in his speech. >> yes, he did. i think he was trying to convince himself. >> reporter: late today, sarah palin fired up the cpack crowd, at times looking directly into the camera and speaking to president obama. >> we're red, white, and blue, and president obama, we are through with you. ( cheers and applause ). >> reporter: that straw poll that romney won at the ppac conference today is not a scientific poll but together with the victory in maine, it is expected to give his campaign a psychological boost just when they really needed it. elaine. >> chip reid in washington, thank you. for more on the republican race for the white house, we're joined by cbs news political reporter scott conroy in chicago. scott, good evening. it's been an interesting week for mitt romney. how do things look for him going forward? >> mitt romney's biggest problem has always been convincing conservative tea party voters that he is one of them. his cpac victory should be a good step in that direction. he has huge institutional and financial advantages over both of his chief competitors at this point. and the next two states, arizona and michigan, are looking very good for mitt romney. so things are looking up for his campaign at this point. >> shifting gears a bit, you're in chicago, home to president obama's reelection campaign. what are you hearing from officials there? >> i in the with some obama officials here in chicago yesterday, and in light of the decision by the campaign to allow people in the white house to speak at the super pac fund raisers, they're going to start doing that very soon. cabinet officials, white house senior aides, and also top campaign officials are going to be soliciting money for priorities u.s.a., the obama superpac, and they are really just fired up. i was at the mooting that they had at the end of the week on friday. they're doing the fireddum, ready to go chant. there were over 300 people already on staff in chicago. they think that that's going to provide a big advantage over whoever becomes the republican nominee. that kind of institutional knowledge they have after these four years on the campaign trail. >> it will be interesting to watch. cbs news political reporter scott conroy, thank you. >> thanks. >> president obama will introduce his 2013 budget monday. it includes $4 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years. proposalsed cuts to military and domestic spending, a renewed plea for tax hikes for the very wealthy, and $350 billion to stimulate job growth. but today a spokesman for house speaker john boehner said this unserious budget is a recipe for debt, doubt, and decline. michelle miller looks at the jobs picture in the speaker's home state of ohio where unemployment is at a three-year low. >> reporter: in marysville, ohio, honda is hiring. >> they come in every day and there is eight hours of work for them. for a period of time last year, there wasn't. >> reporter: plant manager jeff tomka has about 200 new employees and counting. in december, the assembly line here added a second shift for the first time since the recession. >> our inventories are increase and can our sales are increasing, also. >> reporter: albert joornd has worked the line for more than 20 years. he says moral is running high. >> we had a rough time but we're bouncing back. >> reporter: like the rest of the country, ohio's unemployment rate is down. growth in manufacturing, transportation, and other sectors has helped drop it to the lowest level since december 2008. >> up to the make your resume relevant. >> reporter: but in columbus this week, the impact wasn't quite so obvious. more than 500 people showed up to the annual blue jackets job fairk the same number as last year. jennifer amand has been looking for work since october. >> it's been challenging. >> reporter: and in southeastern ohio, where jobs were a problem even before the recession, unemployment is down but still above 10%. >> i look every day, you know, to find something within the area where i won't have to drive an hour and a half to go to work and it's just-- can't find nothing. >> reporter: with the price of commuting and childcare, patrick bullock says it was more cost-effective for him to watch the kids while his wife works at the boot company across the street. >> i do believe in america and i hope it's going to get better. >> reporter: by the time his kids need jobs, he hopes the economy around here will be as strong as elsewhere in the state. of the 12.8 million americans still out of work, almost 500,000 are in ohio. >> it's real hard. but we'll make it. >> reporter: michelle miller, cbs news, new york. >> later, a female boxer hopes to punch her way on to the first u.s. women's olympic boxing team. another high-scoring performance by basque phenom jeremy lin, and what effect has president obama's change of course had in the contraception debate. those stories when the cbs evening news continues. ch? on a mountain? or wherever you happen to be... the first step on that road may well be... a bowl of soup. delicious campbell's soups fill you with vegetable nutrition, farm-grown ingredients, energy, and can help you keep a healthy weight. putting you on the road to happiness. bon voyage. campbell's -- it's amazing what soup can do. but does bringing a floor back to life really make us heroes? [ chuckles ] yes. yes, it does. ♪ call 1-800-steemer yes. yes, it does. i remember the day my doctor told me i have an irregular heartbeat, and that it put me at 5-times greater risk of a stroke. i was worried. i worried about my wife, and my family. bill has the most common type of atrial fibrillation, or afib. it's not caused by a heart valve problem. he was taking warfarin, but i've put him on pradaxa instead. in a clinical trial, pradaxa 150 mgs reduced stroke risk 35% more than warfarin without the need for regular blood tests. i sure was glad to hear that. pradaxa can cause serious, sometimes fatal, bleeding. don't take pradaxa if you have abnormal bleeding, and seek immediate medical care for unexpected signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. pradaxa may increase your bleeding risk if you're 75 or older, have a bleeding condition like stomach ulcers, or take aspirin, nsaids, or bloodthinners, or if you have kidney problems, especially if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all medicines you take, any planned medical or dental procedures, and don't stop taking pradaxa without your doctor's approval, as stopping may increase your stroke risk. other side effects include indigestion, stomach pain, upset, or burning. pradaxa is progress. if you have afib not caused by a heart valve problem, ask your doctor if you can reduce your risk of stroke with pradaxa. i'm starting to feel a change. hi jamie, love this stuff. things are moving along. activia helps with occasional irregularity, when eaten 3 times a day. i can't believe that feeling irregular, used to be my normal. ♪ activia love your new normal or it's free. the calcium they take because they don't take it with food. switch to citracal maximum plus d. it's the only calcium supplement that can be taken with or without food. that's why my doctor recommends citracal maximum. it's all about absorption. to grazers... kenmore is in the lives of over 100 million americans. that's why no fridge in america has more capacity. we put more in, so you get more out. kenmore. nyquil tylenol: we are?ylenol. you know we're kinda like twins. nyquil (stuffy): yeah, we both relieve coughs, sneezing, aches, fevers. tylenol: and i relieve nasal congestion. nyquil (stuffy): overachiever. anncr vo: tylenol cold multi-symptom nighttime relieves nasal congestion... nyquil cold & flu doesn't. in tacoma, with today for the funeral of charlie and braden powell. a single casket containing the brothers' remains was placed at the front of the church. the boys, ages seven and five, were murdered in an explosion and fire set by their farther, josh powell, last sunday. powell also died. roman catholic bishops say president obama's revised policy on contraception coverage for employees "continues to involve needless government intrusion on the internal governance of religious institutions." some among the catholic rank and file agree and that's tonight's "weekend journal" an issue that threatens to alienate a key block of the president's winning 2008 coalition. >> i'm a catholic first and a 2008 coalition. >> i'm a catholic first and a democrat second. >> reporter: michael sean winters was among the 54% of catholics who voted for president obama in 2008. but he feels the white house badly mishandled the issue of contraception coverage. you're angry? >> yeah. i'm still very angry about this. i really think he has imperilled his own presidency, which i think has achieved great good for the country. >> reporter: winters said the debate was about the government interfering with religious freedom, yet for others like tracy kemmerling, the real issue was about her right to health care. >> we don't practice any form of birth control right now, and hope for the best. >> reporter: chemmer ling is a nurse and mother of two. she's notical. she would like to use birth control pills but doesn't. the catholic hospital where she works does not offer health insurance coverage for birth control. paying the $30 a month out of pocket is an expense she feels her family can't afford. >> i feel like the choice has been taken away from me as a health care worker and as a woman. i should have that right. >> chemmer ling is relieved the cost of birth control will soon be picked up by an insurer, but winters feels the white house overstepped its bounds with its initial policy decision which would have forced catholic institutions to set aside moral objections to contraception. >> they're my bishops. when somebody is not part of that family comes in and starts criticizing them, my, you know, back goes up. and i become a bit of a stiff-necked catholic and say that's not your place. >> it's not the white house's place. >> absolutely, or any political leader. don't be meddling in my church. >> tracy kemmerling says her support for the president never waivered during this debate but michael sean winters says he no longer trusts this white house and plans not to vote in november. next, from bench warmer to superstardom, jeremy lin's fast break to fame when we return. give gabrielle giffords completely out of the blue... i was so young... you just don't think that that's something that can happen to you. i'm on a bayer aspirin regimen. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. first line of defense, right? flavor, meet food. introducing swanson flavor boost. concentrated broth in easy to use packets. mix it into skillet dishes, for an instant dose of... hell-o! [ female announcer ] new swanson flavor boost. 8% every 10 years.age 40, we can start losing muscle -- hell-o! 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! fighting spirit of former arizona congresswoman gabrielle giffords by naming a new warship for her. the soon-to-be built uss gabrielle giffords will be the 16th navy ship named fair woman. giffords, shot in an assassination attempt 13 months ago, resigned from congress in january to focus on her recovery. it's official-- jeremy lin is for real. in just over a week, the new york knick reserve player has gone from unknown bench warm tore n.b.a. starp after wowing fans and stunning announcers with his play. as tony guida tells us, it's lin-credible. >> lin has to put it up. >> reporter: jeremy lin is the new miracle on 34th street. home to madison square garden where a week ago lin was a nobody on the knicks' bench, had never started a game in the n.b.a. tonight, he's the hottest player in the league. >> this is my dream and i'm just thankful to god. >> reporter: the spotlight never figured to find lin. over three other players made the n.b.a. out of harvard, where lin majored in economics and graduated with a 3.1 g.p.a. every n.b.a. team passed on the chance to draft him. two teams cut him in december. out of desperation, the floundering knicks turned to lin last saturday. he led them to four straight wins, even outshining the laker's kobe bryant last night. >> what he's doing is amazing. i don't know. i don't know what to tell you. >> reporter: the chinese language newspapers are ablaze with stories of jeremy lin, too. this one says, "38 points, up against the best," with a picture of lin guarding kobe bryant. at a basketball clinic in new york's chinatown today, fifth graders learned the fundamentals with visions of a new role model named lin. >> i started to like him because he is an asian american and he is also good. 13-year-old ada luo learned of lin when they watched him on tv. they cheered and applauded. >> it shows me the asian americans and the regular americans are the same. >> reporter: eddie shiomi runs the clinic. the lin saga, he said, is classic. >> it may be the typical story of a minority in america you have to be that much better than everyone else, like jackie robinson. he had to be perfect in order to get a shot. >> reporter: jeremy lin takes his next shot at stardom tonight against the timberwolves in minnesota. >> ahead, a former teenaged party girl gets ready to fight for a shot at olympic glory. ugh, great. you may be going up, but those roots are bringing you down! try root touch-up by nice 'n easy. to extend the life of your color. nice 'n easy has 50% more shades, so you can find your seamless match. with root touch-up by nice 'n easy. oooh, what's her secret? [ male announcer ] dawn hand renewal with olay beauty. improves the look and feel of hands in just five uses. [ sponge ] soft, smooth... fabulous! [ male announcer ] dawn does more... [ sponge ] so it's not a chore. and hello to "whoa, yum." use campbell's cream of chicken soup to make easy enchiladas, cheesy chicken & rice, and other chicken dishes that are oh...so...whoa. campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do. [ laughs ] [ mayhem ] please continue to hold. the next available claims representative will be with you in 97 minutes. [ laughs ] ♪ and if you've got cut rate insurance, there's nothing you can do about this. so get allstate. the only insurance company that guarantees your claim experience won't be mayhem... like me. [ dennis ] introducing the claim satisfaction guarantee. only from allstate. dollar for dollar, nobody protects you from mayhem like allstate. dollar for dollar, sometimes life can be, well, a little uncomfortable, but when it's hard or hurts to go to the bathroom, there's dulcolax stool softener. dulcolax stool softener doesn't make you go... it just makes it easier to go. dulcolax stool softener. make yourself comfortable. 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. been boxing at the olympics since the modern games began in 1904. for the first time ever, this summer, women will step into the ring at the london games. cynthia bowers visits with one american going for the gold. >> reporter: nobody accuses mikaela mayer of fighting like a girl, least of all the guys with whom she trains. >> she's a tough opponent. >> reporter: at 21 years old, meyer already holds three national amateur boxing titles. now she's among the favorite to win a spot on the first-ever u.s. olympic women's boxing team. >> i'm proud that i have-- that i have progressed so quickly, especially since, you know, i haven't been boxing for that long. >> reporter: outside of the ring, this 5'9" self-described girlie-girl from southern california says her rapid ascent is still hard to imagine. that's because four years ago, meyer was more interested in pursuing a modeling career and partying. you were refer to yourself as kind of a bad girl when you were a teenager. >> uhm, yeah. i definitely put my dad through a lot. i wasn't scheduled to graduate high school on time. i really, really had an epiphany to where i was i need to do something, do something productive. i want to be successful. >> reporter: she found discipline at a local boxing gym but the coach told meyer at 17 she was too old to start competing. once he saw her box, he changed his mind. getting women's boxing into the olympics was a battle in and of itself. not surprising, given that just a few decades ago, women would not run olympic marathons because the sporting world thought the fairer sex was too frail. >> i don't look itaise girl. i look at it as a boxer. i tell her that all the time and i train her just like a boxer. >> reporter: al mitchell has trained nine olympic boxers, all men, but he says coaching meyer changed his mentality on women in the sport. >> if it was up to me now, if i could get 10 or 12 girls, i'd just train the girls. they work harder, they listen better and they want it. >> reporter: meyer says there is camaraderie among the women boxers until it's fight time. >> we're all very proud to be the first females in an olympic trials, you know, for boxing. when we get into the ring and compete, it's a different story. you're just somebody in my way, you know. it's nothing personal. >> reporter: next week, 24 women boxers will compete at the olympic trials. only three will earn a spot on the team. cynthia bowers, cbs news, marquette, michigan. >> look out for the ladies. and that is the cbs evening news. later on cbs "48 hours mystery." i'm elaine quijano, cbs news in new york, good night. captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org