largest. it started on monday in hutchinson county and has already burned more than 850,000 acres. that is bigger than the state of rhode island. >> it was absolutely unreal. >> reporter: dozens of homes and businesses have been destroyed, forcing residents to leave everything behind. before teresa rankin got away, she watched as her home of 38 years went up in flames. >> my son and i was facetiming him. he's in the service. and he said mom, leave. >> reporter: as fast-moving flames quickly spread over dry grassland, cattle ranchers near sinton, texas released livestock to escape the flames. north of amarillo, operators at a nuclear weapons facility were forced to temporarily pause operations. >> we have evacuated our personnel, nonessential personnel from the site just in an abundance of caution. >> reporter: today schools in the area were closed, and residents who didn't get out in

time are being told to shelter in place. >> we asked them to leave because it's a very dangerous situation. >> reporter: the fires have jumped into western oklahoma where more than 30,000 acres have burned. homeowner teresa rankin will rebuild. >> you got a choice. you can either get bit or get better. i'm getting better. >> reporter: here in teresa rankin's house, this is 38 years of memories just reduced to ash. there is a bit of good news here. we do have only one injure in all of this. that was a minor injury with a first responder. the wind is dying down, and the rain, norah, is on the way. >> sending prayers to all the good people in the lone star state. dave malkoff, thank you. well, tonight state lawmakers in alabama have introduced several bills that would protect fertility clinics from civil and criminal penalties following the state's controversial supreme court ruling that gives embryos the same rights as children.

cbs' janet shamlian reports families, doctors and advocates rallied today outside the courthouse to pressure lawmakers to act. >> for us, this is deeply personal. >> reporter: anxiety in alabama. doctors and patients pleading for legislation protecting ivf providers from civil and criminal prosecution following the state's supreme court ruling that frozen embryos are children. >> people telling their story is the most important thing that we can do. >> it was hard. >> reporter: stories from patients like sarah houston, who had her uterus removed after a diagnosis of cervical cancer. wanting another child, she endured the painful and expensive ivf process. an embryo was to be transferred to a surrogate in march. now it's all on hold. >> it's heartbreaking to feel like it was that close. and then now to kind of feel like maybe we're even back at the beginning. >> i warned that red states would come for ivf, and now they have. >> reporter: beyond alabama, in washington today, senator tammy

duckworth, who used ivf to have both her children, introduced a bill to protect the procedure nationwide. but it was blocked by a republican. legal experts caution even state laws might not be enough. >> there is a possibility that whatever the legislature does will be challenged as violating the rights of fetal persons. >> reporter: at least 16 states have proposed personhood bills that could impact access to ivf treatments. florida lawmakers postponing their legislation just this week amid concerns it could impact the procedure. >> do you need a bowl to put those in? >> reporter: houston is holding on to help for another child amid a struggle, her kids give her infinity it in joy. >> it would be devastating. obviously an embryo transfer doesn't mean you'll end up with a baby. but without that, there is no hope of us having a baby.

>> reporter: alabama's republican governor kay ivey says she supports legislation that protects ivf and will sign it once it's on her desk. norah? >> janet shamlian, thank you so much. hunter biden on capitol hill today sitting down for a seven-hour closed-door deposition for house republicans impeachment inquiry into his father. the president's son called the inquiry into his family's business dealings a house of cards built on lies. house republicans accuse the bidens of influence peddling, making millions off clients in ukraine, china and other foreign countries. a key witness, alexander smirnov was arrested earlier this month for allegedly lying to the fbi, falsely claiming that the bidens had taken millions of dollars in bribes. the "cbs overnight news" will be right back.

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millions of dollars away from community hospitals. now the senate is looking into what we found. cbs news chief medical correspondent dr. jon lapook traveled to massachusetts, where one company's efforts to squeeze out profits has left a health care system reeling. >> reporter: this was the moment last october when nabil huck first held their new daughter at boston's st. elizabeth medical center. >> i wasn't expecting it to be this blissful. >> reporter: that bliss was short-lived. sanjita experienced cascading simms, including bleeding from her liver. doctors said they wanted to insert a plug to stop the bleeding. when st. elizabeth's didn't have the coil, she was transferred to another hospital. >> they couldn't revive her. it was shocking, you know. i said what exactly happened? >> reporter: what exactly happened, including why sanjita died is the subject of an

investigation. the hospital is one of dozens across the u.s. acquired with backing from private equity investors by a company called steward health care. last year, our cbs news investigation found a trail of unpaid bills at steward hospitals around the country, leading to a shortage of potentially life-saving supplies. >> these splice we don't have them. so why don't we have them? because they're not paying the vendor, because they're in financial crisis. >> reporter: st. elizabeth's own medical staff filed this complaint with the state's health department, saying the manufacturer repossessed the coil weeks before sanjita's death because steward hadn't paid its bills. >> it's outrageous. it's uneacceptable. >> reporter: why outrageous? >> because the splice weren't available that could have saved her life. >> reporter: in september steward announced it was closing one of its massachusetts hospitals. the company blamed the financial woes on the people and lower reimbursement rates for medicare

and medicaid. >> reporter: do you buy that? >> i think that's hogwash. they've taken money away from these assets which are so important, hospitals that provide needed care and using that money to line their own pockets. >> reporter: financial records show in early 2021, steward's owners paid themselves millions in dividends. around the same time, steward's ceo ralph de la torre acquired this 190 foot yacht. its price tag, an estimated $40 million. he declined an interview. >> i'm disgusted. it's greed. >> reporter: nabil says he is trying to focus on the small milestones in his daughter's life instead of wonderng whether sanjita would still be here if the couple didn't deliver at a steward hospital. >> it's still surreal that she's not here. >> reporter: in a statement to cbs news, steward health care said it is receiving a cash infusion that will, among other things, allow it to address vendor obligations. the company also said privacy law prevented it from commenting on sanjita's death.

governor healy told me, quote, the sooner steward is out of our state, the better. norah? >> important investigation. dr. lapook, thank you so much. tornadoes tear a path of destruction across the midwest. destruction across the midwest. we'll tell you w i love that my daughter still needs me. but sometimes i can't help due to burning and stabbing pain in my hands, so i use nervive. nervive's clinical dose of ala reduces nerve discomfort in as little as 14 days. now i can help again. feel the difference with nervive. sometimes, the lows of bipolar depression feel darkest before dawn. with caplyta, there's a chance to let in the lyte™. caplyta is proven to deliver significant relief across bipolar depression. unlike some medicines that only treat bipolar i, caplyta treats both bipolar i and ii depression. and in clinical trials, movement disorders and weight gain were not common. call your doctor about sudden mood changes, behaviors, or suicidal thoughts. antidepressants may increase these risks in young adults. elderly dementia patients have increased

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illinois, indiana, ohio and michigan. no injuries were reported. tonight dangerous weather is blowing into the east with wind alerts stretching from the south all the way through new england. comedian larry david pays a heartfelt tribute to his "curb your enthusiasm" co-star richard luis which. that's next.

- it's so fun to watch jessica in this space. - this is a look at those clouds right now in real-time, but let's head underneath this cloud layer and take a look at our rainfall... - [narrator] the virtual view studio, part of "morning edition." weekday mornings starting at 5 on kpix. today. sad news tonight from hollywood. comedian richard lewis has died from a heart attack, less than two weeks after appearing in a new episode of hbo's "curb your enthusiasm." lewis announced last spring that he had been diagnosed with parkinson's disease and was retiring from stand-up comedy. in a statement, larry david said lewis was like a brother, adding he had that rare combination of

being the funniest person and also the sweetest. richard lewis was 76. meet two teenagers who know a thing or two about real girl power. for the second straight year, florida high school seniors nicole camano won two gold medals each in this month's girls weightlifting state championships. their uplifting story is inspiring everyone on and off the mat. camano's lifts came with a heavy heart. >> my father passed away four days before states, and now i get to live his legacy and life through me and do amazing things that impact other people and inspire people. >> she broke the state record by lifting 255 pounds and now has her eyes set on the olympics. and arianna durham wants girls to know they have a world of options. >> i'm hoping that if other little girls are seeing and watching, they're like i want to do that. because anything is possible, and you're not limited to what anybody says.

>> we're watching. you go, girls. nicole camano and arianna durham, tonight's heart of america. and that's the "overnight news" for this thursday. for some of you, the news continues. for others, check back later for "cbs mornings." and remember, you can follow us online any time at cbsnews.com. reporting from the nation's capital, i'm norah o'donnell. this is cbs news flash. i'm carissa lawson in new york. official says the smokehouse creek fire is the second largest in state history at an estimated 850,000 acres. one person, an 83-year-old woman

from texas, has died so far. president biden and donald trump will both be at the u.s.-mexico border in texas today. trump is scheduled to make a speech in the town of eagle pass, while president biden will be meeting with border agents and local officials in brownsville. and check out these latest images from lunar lander odysseus. the module is going to sleep with hopes it can use solar power to turn back on in a few weeks. for more, download the cbs news app on your cell phone or connected tv. i'm carissa lawson, cbs news, new york. usa, usa! >> the breaking news. the supreme court agrees to decide if donald trump is immune from prosecution on charges of trying to overturn the 2020 election. >> we've never been here before. we've never had a president who was criminally charged. >> tonight, the context. could it mean donald trump will need to spend weeks in a

courtroom instead of out on the campaign trail in the heat of the 2024 election? >> this trial requires a lot of real estate. it will consume everything in its path. ♪ >> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." >> good evening. i'm norah o'donnell, and thank you for being with us. we want to begin with the major news from the u.s. supreme court. the justices agreeing to consider whether donald trump must stand trial overcharges he plotted to overturn the 2020 presidential election. the former president has claimed that he's entitled to absolute immuity because he was president at the time. a lower court has rejected that. and today we learned that the highest court in the land acknowledging the historic importance of this case will hear arguments the week of april 22nd. that's a little less than two months from now. this sets the stage for a

landmark ruling on presidential power. just to give you some context, that week that the court will hear these arguments, donald trump is expected to be sitting in a new york city courtroom, where the criminal trial related to his alleged hush money payments to porn star stormy daniels. cbs' scott macfarlane joins us now. he has covered january 6th closer than anybody. scott, this is a significant development. >> yeah, norah, today's decision means we could expect a blockbuster ruling by this summer. a ruling that could upend the 2024 election. the supreme court set the stage for landmark arguments in two months. its order tonight says it will hear arguments the week of april 22nd into whether and if what extent does a former president enjoy presidential immunity for criminal prosecution for conduct alleged for official acts while in office. >> we've never been here before. we've never had a president who was criminally charged. and they're asking a fairly straight forward question. does a president enjoy absolute immunity from criminal prosecution based on official

acts. >> reporter: the decision delays indefinitely the trial involving trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election. with the supreme court decision not expected until may or june, it could endanger chances to hold the trial here in washington before the 2024 election. >> as a president, you to have immunity. >> reporter: trump faces four felony charges, including conspiracy an obstruction for allegedly plotting a scheme to defy voters and hold on to power. >> we're going to walk down to the capitol. >> reporter: special counsel jack smith has argued trump used the riotous attack on the capitol by his supporters as a further tool to do so. >> the central cause of january 6th was one man, donald trump. none of this would have happened without him. >> reporter: his appeal claims he is immune from prosecution because the alleged acts were official acts he took while president. it was rejected promptly by judge tanya chutkan who says presidents don't have get out of jail free cards.

then it was rejected again this month by a washington, d.c. appeals court. though it was rejected, the argument has succeeded in delaying this trial. the arguments the supreme court st for the week of april 22nd, that's the week we project jury deliberations in a trump d.c. trial. norah, no comment from special counsel jack smith tonight. >> all right, scott macfarlane, thank you. i want to bring in cbs news chief legal correspondent jan crawford and cbs news chief election campaign correspondent robert costa. all right, jan, what's behind the court's decision to take this case? >> i think they had to take this case. even under supreme court rules, when you've got an issue this tremendously significant under the constitution that's never been decided, which this case is, that's the kind of case you want the supreme court to have the final say. and they've set a timeline that means they could have a decision by the end of june, which is what jack smith had asked for. this is all part of them trying to decide this and get it done quickly. but i also want to point out that just because they've taken

it doesn't mean that they disagree with the lower court's ruling against trump. they're going to take a look at this, and i think they may be very skeptical of trump's sweeping arguments that he is absolutely immune from prosecution. >> and if they say he is not immune from prosecution, could there be a trial in the middle of a presidential election? >> if it will fit the with the trial judges a calendar and the justice department believes it's appropriate to try a presidential candidate that close to the election. but based on this timeline that we got today, it could be possible. >> robert, i have to ask you about trump's money troubles because today we learned that an appellate judge said the former president must pay nearly half a billion dollars in the new york fraud case. can he afford it? >> norah, trump's lawyers warn today that if he is going to pay that fine, he might need to sell some of those marquee properties that he has talked about for decades, potentially putting the future of 40 wall street and trump tower on the line. all of this comes as he is facing so many mounting legal problems, not just here in

washington with the supreme court or the looming trials on january 6th and classified records, but in late march, a criminal trial starts in new york. >> we need a scorecard to keep track of all of these trials. robert costa, jan crawford, thank you. the other big story that will reshape the political landscape right here in washington, republican senate leader mitch mcconnell announcing today that he will step down from his role as party leader after nearly 20 years. cbs' nikole killion has reaction from capitol hill. >> i love the senate. it's been my life. >> reporter: an emotional mitch mcconnell took to the well of the senate wednesday in a surprise speech. >> i know the politics within my party at this particular moment in time. i have many faults. misunderstanding politics is not one of them. >> reporter: the 82-year-old republican leader said the decision came after careful deliberation. it follows a series of health

challenges, including two episodes last year where he seemingly froze in public. >> mitch? >> you okay, mitch? >> reporter: elected in 1984, mcconnell is the longest serving senate leader in u.s. history. rising quickly through the ranks, he was instrumental in reshaping the supreme court by helping to confirm three conservative justices during the trump administration. >> it's probably been the most consequential republican senator during the last century in terms of his impact on american politics. >> probably the most lasting political move he's made as leader is changing the supreme court. and as a result, we reversed roe v. wade. now we live in the dobbs era and we see the chaos that's created. >> reporter: but his relationship with former president donald trump eventually became strained after mcconnell condemned his actions on january 6th during the impeachment trial. and more recently, he was challenged by members of his own conference and split with some over issues like the border and funding for ukraine. but i understand there has been

some developments about averting a government shutdown, but it's just moving the goalpost, right? >> well, tonight, norah, all four congressional leaders have agreed to a funding deal that would prevent a partial government shutdown this coming friday. it would extend funding for some federal agencies through march 8th and others through march 22nd. the hope is by then that congress can approve bills to fund the entire government through the rest of the fiscal year. norah? >> kicking the can down the road. nikole killion, thank you. there is lot more news ahead on the "cbs overnight news." head & shoulders is launching something huge. the bare minimum. anti-dandruff shampoo made with only nine ingredients - no sulfates, silicones or dyes and packaged with 45% less plastic - giving you outstanding dandruff protection and leaving hair beautiful and moisturized. major dandruff protection, minimal ingredients.

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the growing role of private equity firms in our health care system and how it could affect you. in massachusetts, state officials and health care workers say one company's efforts to squeeze profits out of hospitals has left their communities reeling. dr. jon lapook has the tragic story of one new mom. >> reporter: nine massachusetts hobbits owned by steward health care are under intense scrutiny. they include st. elizabeth's medical center after sanjita had complications after giving birth to her daughter last october. sanjita rasheed's smile could light up a room. that's what her husband nabil huck told us from her parent's home in bangladesh. >> her laugh was contagious, and you could hear it from a different apartment even. that's something i really liked about. >> reporter: with a baby girl on the way, sanjita, a statistics professor, and nabil, a post doc student at boston university chose to deliver at boston's st.

elizabeth's medical center. the hospital is one of dozens across the u.s. acquired over the past 15 years with backing from private equity investors by a company called steward health care. do you remember sanjita's reaction when she first saw the baby? >> she was crying. it was beautiful moment, you know. like i wasn't expecting it to be this blissful. >> reporter: that bliss was short-lived. sanjita experienced cascading complications. first bleeding from her uterus, then discomfort in a different part of her body. >> she felt pain and she couldn't sit. >> reporter: and would bit in the back flank where the ribs are? >> exactly. >> reporter: doctors sent sanjita for an emergency cat scan and then rushed her to the african american. and what did they find there? they the liver was bleeding. >> reporter: they wanted to use an embolization coil to stop the bleeding. he said when st. elizabeth's

didn't have the coil, she was transferred to a second hospital. >> and then an hour later she had another cardiac arrest and they couldn't revive her. it was shocking. i said what exactly happened. >> reporter: what exactly happened, including why she died was now the subject of state investigation. st. elizabeth's own medical staff filed this complaint with the state's health department saying the manufacturer repossessed the coil weeks before because steward hadn't paid its bills. in a lawsuit, the manufacturer alleged steward owed nearly $2.5 million. >> it's outrageous. it's unacceptability. >> reporter: why outrage? >> because the supplies weren't available that could have saved her life. >> reporter: nurse kathy reardon is an official with the union that represents health care workers at steward's nine hospitals. >> they bought these hospitals to serve the underserved and that's not happening. >> reporter: last year our cbs news investigation found a trail

of unpaid bills at steward hospitals around the country, leading to a shortage of potentially life-saving splice. at this now shuttered san antonio hospital, nurse genetics carrasco told us there was a shortage of tubing for respiratory masks. >> coordinators were having to phone a friend to let us borrow a cup of sugar. >> reporter: in september, steward announced it was closing one of its massachusetts hospitals, setting off statewide fears. in a statement, the company blamed its financial woes on the pandemic and lower reimbursement rates from medicare and medicaid patients. do you buy that explanation? >> i think that's hogwash. >> reporter: massachusetts's governor maura healey says stewart executives have driven the company deep into dent and enrichard themselves at the public's expense. >> the game was come to massachusetts, make some investments, and then begin to suck out as much as you can in terms of profits. >> reporter: steward's initial investments included propping up the employee pension fund.

but financial records show since 2016, the company has sold off more than a billion dollars of its hospital's real estate. and in early 2021, steward's owners paid themselves millions in dividends. around the same time, steward's ceo ralph de la torre acquired this 190-foot yacht. its price tag, an estimated $40 million. he declined an interview. >> they've taken money away from these assets which are so important hospitals that provide needed care, and they're using that money to line their own pockets. i'm disgusted. it's selfish. it's greed. >> reporter: healey told us she's placed state monitors inside steward's hospitals to try to ensure patient safety. >> and we have to do that because steward has failed. >> it's still so surreal that she is not here. >> reporter: nabil, who first learned the coil was repossessed from a "boston globe" reporter, says he's trying to focus on the small milestones in his daughter's life instead of wondering whether sanjita would still be here if the couple

didn't deliver at a steward hospital. is that part of the problem? you'll never know. you'll never know whether having a coil would have saved her life or not? >> right. right. this is -- this is not how should it be. >> reporter: in a statement to cbs news, steward health care said it is receiving a cash infusion that, among other things will, quote, address vendor obligations. the company also said privacy law prevented it from commenting on sanjita's death, and said its executives always put patients first. governor healey told us, quote, the sooner steward is out of our state, the better. dr. jon lapook, cbs news, new york. the battle to guarantee access to in vitro fertilization and other assisted reproductive technologies is taking place on capitol hill and in the alabama state legislature. the move comes after an alabama court designated frozen embryos as children, and several ivf clinics have halted the procedure. janet shamlian reports on what

it means to the parents who rely on ivf to grow their families. u. >> reporter: with two children, they wanted to add to their family, but a routine exam revealed the 30-year-old had cervical cancer. >> they removed my uterus, lymph nodes, tissues, et cetera. >> reporter: and you thought at that point, i'll never have another child? >> i did. >> reporter: but because her ovaries were healthy, the couple started in vitro fertilization and found a surrogate who was to be implanted with their embryo last month until a call from her doctor saying the procedure was on hold. >> i asked if it was an option to move our embryos out of state while they figured things out. and she told me their guidance was not to touch embryos at all. >> reporter: how did that hit you? >> very hard. >> reporter: three of alabama's eight ivf clinics have stopped

the procedure out of fear of liability, a real concern says uc davis law professor and reproductive historian mary ziegler. >> the status is that at least for the purposes of the state wrongful death law, these embryos are persons. the state supreme court hasn't said anything about criminal charges, but, again, i think it's a fair reading of this ruling that if the justices view embryos in the way this ruling describes, that they would be interested in potentially weighing in on criminal liability down the road. >> reporter: a bill introduced in alabama state senate tuesday would provide immunity to doctors performing the procedure. >> how's it going? >> good. >> reporter: but for now, patients like howston are in limbo. >> i think the cancer diagnosis was hard, because you're put in a lot of places where you're waiting for test results, you're waiting for an answer on this or that. but you always knew when the end was going to come. you knew the next appointment. that's probably the biggest difference as far as the pain you feel with the cancer diagnosis versus this is you don't know when it's going to

end. >> reporter: so this is worse? >> uh-huh. >> reporter: alabama's republican governor says she supports efforts to allow ivf here. meanwhile, the health and human service secretary was here in birmingham yesterday, calling what happened a direct result of the overturning of roe v. wade. >> the "cbs overnight news" will be right back. for nourished, lightweight hair, the right ingredients make all the difference. new herbal essences sulfate free is now packed with plant-based ingredients your hair will love. like pure aloe and camellia flower oil. and none of the things it won't. hair feels deeply nourished, soft and lightweight. plant power you can feel. new herbal essences sulfate free. when enamel is gone, you cannot get it back. but you can repair it with pronamel repair.

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caring for the family pet is getting more difficult. the cost of veterinary care was up 9% last year, and in some parts of the country, there aren't any vets at all. kris van cleave reports on one group working to provide health care services to animals living in health care deserts. >> reporter: across the navajo nations 27,000 square miles spread over three western states, there is a health care crisis playing out on their rural desert lands. there is an estimated 500,000 dogs and cats, many free roaming, and only about three veterinarians. >> thank you guys for coming out and helping our dogs. >> reporter: volunteers from the parker project and banfield pet hospitals across the u.s. make regular trips to the navajo nation. >> hi, pup! let's go get some vaccine. yeah. >> reporter: going door to door, checking on pets, offering

vaccinations, and regular pop-up clinics providing treatment and helping spay or neuter around 7,500 pets a year. >> there was a dog we saw this morning, minnie, who had had a bad interaction with a car tire and that resulted in damage to one of her eyes. so i promised her owners we would clean that eye socket out and make her face happy and beautiful again. >> good job! >> reporter: dr. katie howard is a veterinarian volunteer from chicago who specializes in those types of injuries. she is using her vacation time to help. >> i saw all kinds of happy young dogs. i saw adult animals. >> it's okay. >> that just needed vaccines. and i saw really gracious, happy to interact with us owners and locals. >> reporter: nationwide, there are signs of a veterinary shortage. costs are rising, and some estimates say the u.s. could be up to 24,000 vets short by 2030. for dogs like ruby, getting veterinary care can be a bit of a challenge up here in northeastern arizona. there is one vet nearby, but

with limited hours. and otherwise, it's a several-hour drive to a veterinarian. >> they tell us to go to flagstaff or st. george. and it's a long drive. i don't know if it's worth it. but at the same time, dogs and the cats have been in your family for so long. they love you, and we love them. >> reporter: iten redking's family has four dogs and a cat running around their home. checking on blue -- >> ouchy. what happened. >> reporter: the medical team spots a potential infection they can start treating at the weekend's clinic. >> every time i would hear this i would take all of our dogs and get them vaccinated. >> reporter: the banfield foundation has handed out $19 million in grants over the last seven years to help community groups across the country buy more mobile care units and provide services to animals in need. >> good job, bud. >> reporter: since 2021, $1.3 million has gone to helping pets in native american communities across 11 states. so far this year, that's meant care for nearly 24,000 animals.

if you guys weren't out here doing this, would these dogs and cats get the care they got? >> i don't think so. >> reporter: lacy frame is a licensed veterinary tech who manages the foundation's field collin clinics. she used all of her vacation time last year coming out here. >> coming out here, they don't have access. using my skills is to became very important to me. >> reporter: that difference means pets like ruby are now checked, fully vaccinated, and ready for a little extra

spring break is right around the corner, and miami is putting in new rules toe calm the rowdy crowds. manuel bojorquez reports. >> reporter: miami beach is hoping to leave the shootings and unruly crowds of previous spring breaks in the past. >> it will be difficult to get

here into our city. and once you get here, the expectation is you play by rules. >> reporter: newly elected mayor steven minor sites two deaths last year. >> it's not just bad for our businesses, bad for our residents. it's bad for tourists. i have a job as mayor to keep everyone safe. >> reporter: there were nearly 500 arrests and nearly one hundred firearms seized. this year the city's new rules for the busiest massachusetts weekends include raising some parking prices to $100, adding security and bag checks and closing liquor stores at 8:00 p.m. >> the thing is completely unfair. >> reporter: marcelo avalos of gulf liquor says the new rules unfairly target business owners. >> okay, you're going to close all the liquor stores? you're going to shut it down earlier. but it's going to be in a way until you can continue to buy alcohol from other sources. >> reporter: but some residents welcome the change. >> this is our town. this is our front yard. anything we can do to make crime less, to get the guns off our streets, the drugs off our street, that's a good thing.

>> reporter: the miami beach police force has about 400 officers, but thousands of visitors came for spring break last year. this year, there will be more county and state officers on these streets too. >> manuel bojorquez in miami. and that's the "overnight news" for this thursday. reporting from the nation's capital, i'm olivia gazis. this is cbs news flash. i'm carissa lawson in new york. major wildfires have now been burning in the texas panhandle for several days. official says the smokehouse creek fire is the second largest in state history at an estimated 850,000 acres. one person, an 83-year-old woman from texas, has died so far.

president biden and donald trump willoth be at the u.s.-mexico border in texas today. trump is scheduled to make a speech in the town of eagle pass, while president biden will be meeting with border agents and local officials in brownsville. and check out these latest images from lunar lander odysseus. the mo le is going to sleep with hopes it can use solar power to turn back on in a few weeks. for more, download the cbs news app on your cell phone or connected tv. ssa lawson, cbs ne new york. usa, usa! >> the breaking news. the supreme court agrees to decide if donald trump is immune from prosecution on charges of trying to overturn the 2020 election. >> we've never been here before. we've never had a president who was criminally charged. >> tonight, the context.

it could mean donald trump will need to spend weeks in a courtroom instead of out on the campaign trail in the heat of the 2024 election? >> this trial requires a lot of real estate. it will consume everything in its path. ♪ >> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." >> good evening. i'm norah o'donnell, and thank you for being with us. we want to begin with the major news from the u.s. supreme court. the justices agreeing to consider whether donald trump must stand trial overcharges he plotted to overturn the 2020 presidential election. the former president has claimed that he's entitled to absolute immunity because he was president at the time. a lower court has rejected that. and today we learned that the highest court in the land acknowledging the historic importance of this case will hear arguments the week of april 22nd. that's a little less than two months from now. this sets the stage for a

landmark ruling on presidential power. just to give you some context, that week that the court will hear these arguments, donald trump is expected to be sitting in a new york city courtroom, where the criminal trial related to his alleged hush money payments to porn star stormy daniels. cbs' scott macfarlane joins us now. he has covered january 6th closer than anybody. scott, this is a significant development. >> yeah, norah, today's decision means we could expect a blockbuster ruling by this summer. a ruling that could upend the 2024 election. the supreme court set the stage for landmark arguments in two months. its order tonight says it will hear arguments the week of april 22nd into whether and if what extent does a former president enjoy presidential immunity for criminal prosecution for conduct alleged for official acts while in office. >> we've never been here before. we've never had a president who was criminally charged. and they're asking a fairly straight forward question. does a president enjoy absolute immunity from criminal

prosecution based on official acts. >> reporter: the decision delays indefinitely the trial involving trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election. with the supreme court decision not expected until may or june, it could endanger chances to hold the trial here in washington before the 2024 election. >> as a president, you to have immunity. >> reporter: trump faces four felony charges, including conspiracy an obstruction for allegedly plotting a scheme to defy voters and hold on to power. >> we're going to walk down to the capitol. >> reporter: special counsel jack smith has argued trump used the riotous attack on the capitol by his supporters as a further tool to do so. >> the central cause of january 6th was one man, donald trump. none of this would have happened without him. >> reporter: his appeal claims he is immune from prosecution because the alleged acts were official acts he took while president. it was rejected promptly by judge tanya chutkan who says presidents don't have get out of jail free cards.

it was rejected again by a washington, d.c. appeals court. though it was rejected, the argument has succeeded in delaying this trial. the arguments the supreme court set for the week of april 22nd, that's the week we project jury deliberations in a trump d.c. trial. norah, no comment from special counsel jack smith tonight. >> all right, scott macfarlane, thank you. i want to bring in cbs news chief legal correspondent jan crawford and cbs news chief election campaign correspondent robert costa. all right, jan, what's behind the court's decision to take this case? >> i think they had to take this case. even under supreme court rules, when you've got an issue this tremendously significant under the constitution that's never been decided, which this case is, that's the kind of case you want the supreme court to have the final say. and they've set a timeline that means they could have a decision by the end of june, which is what jack smith had asked for. this is all part of them trying to decide this and get it done quickly. but i also want to point out that just because they've taken it doesn't mean that they disagree with the lower court's

ruling against trump. they're going to take a look at this, and i think they may be very skeptical of trump's sweeping arguments that he is absolutely immune from prosecution. >> and if they say he is not immune from prosecution, could there be a trial in the middle of a presidential election? >> if it will fit the with the trial judges a calendar and the justice department believes it's appropriate to try a presidential candidate that close to the election. but based on this timeline that we got today, it could be possible. >> robert, i have to ask you about trump's money troubles because today we learned that an appellate judge said the former president must pay nearly half a billion dollars in the new york fraud case. can he afford it? >> norah, trump's lawyers warn today that if he is going to pay that fine, he might need to sell some of those marquee properties that he has talked about for decades, potentially putting the future of 40 wall street and trump tower on the line. all of this comes as he is facing so many mounting legal

problems, not just here in washington with the supreme court or the looming trials on january 6th and classified records, but in late march, a criminal trial starts in new york. >> we need a scorecard to keep track of all of these trials. robert costa, jan crawford, thank you. the other big story that will reshape the political landscape right here in washington, republican senate leader mitch mcconnell announcing today that he will step down from his role as party leader after nearly 20 years. cbs' nikole killion has reaction from capitol hill. >> i love the senate. it's been my life. >> reporter: an emotional mitch mcconnell took to the well of the senate wednesday in a surprise speech. >> i know the politics within my party at this particular moment in time. i have many faults. misunderstanding politics is not one of them. >> reporter: the 82-year-old republican leader said the decision came after careful deliberation. it follows a series of health challenges, including two

episodes last year where he seemingly froze in public. >> mitch? >> you okay, mitch? >> reporter: elected in 1984, mcconnell is the longest serving senate leader in u.s. history. rising quickly through the ranks, he was instrumental in reshaping the supreme court by helping to confirm three conservative justices during the trump administration. >> it's probably been the most consequential republican senator if not senator in the last quarter century in terms of his impact on american politics. >> probably the most lasting political move he's made as leader is changing the supreme court. and as a result, we reversed roe v. wade. now we live in the dobbs era and we see the chaos that's created. >> reporter: but his relationship with former president donald trump eventually became strained after mcconnell condemned his actions on january 6th during the impeachment trial. and more recently, he was challenged by members of his own conference and split with some over issues like the border and funding for ukraine. but i understand there has been

some developments about averting a government shutdown, but it's just moving the goalpost, right? >> well, tonight, norah, all four congressional leaders have agreed to a funding deal that would prevent a partial government shutdown this coming friday. it would extend funding for some federal agencies through march 8th and others through march 22nd. the hope is by then that congress can approve bills to fund the entire government through the rest of the fiscal year. norah? >> kicking the can down the road. nikole killion, thank you. there is lot more news ahead on t

♪ >> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." >> and we are learning new details tonight from president biden's annual physical. the commander in chief's doctor

says the 81-year-old is, quote, fit for duty. the report said the oldest president to hold office is healthy, active, robust, and occasionally coughs due to acid reflux. it's said his stiffened gait was the result of arthritis, a previously broken foot and neuropathy in his feet. dr. o'conner noted the president still uses a cpap machine to help with his sleep apnea, and he identified no new concerns. turning now to the wildfires that are burning a path of destruction larger than state of rhode island. the texas governor today declared a disaster declaration in 60 counties with one the second largest in state history. cbs' dave malkoff is in the panhandle where the flames are being fueled by strong winds and dry conditions. >> multiple spots, we can't hold it. >> reporter: firefighters in the texas panhandle racing through miles of flames, struggling to get them under control. the smokehouse creek fire is the largest.

it started on monday in hutchinson county and has already burned more than 850,000 acres. that is bigger than the state of rhode island. >> it was absolutely unreal. >> reporter: dozens of homes and businesses have been destroyed, forcing residents to leave everything behind. before teresa rankin got away, she watched as her home of 38 years went up in flames. >> my son and i was facetiming him. he's in the service, and he said, "mom, leave." >> reporter: as fast-moving flames quickly spread over dry grassland, cattle ranchers near sinton, texas released livestock to escape the flames. north of amarillo, operators at a nuclear weapons facility were forced to temporarily pause operations. >> we have evacuated our personnel, nonessential personnel from the site just in an abundance of caution. >> reporter: today schools in the area were closed, and residents who didn't get out in time are being told to shelter in place.

>> we asked them to leave because it's a very dangerous sitution. >> reporter: the fires have jumped into western oklahoma where more than 30,000 acres have burned. homeowner teresa rankin will rebuild. >> you got a choice. you can either get bit or get better. i'm getting better. >> reporter: here in teresa rankin's house, this is 38 years of memories just reduced to ash. there is a bit of good news here. we do have only one injury in all of this. that was a minor injury with a first responder. the wind is dying down, and the rain, norah, is on the way. >> sending prayers to all the good people in the lone star state. dave malkoff, thank you. well, tonight state lawmakers in alabama have introduced several bills that would protect fertility clinics from civil and criminal penalties following the state's controversial supreme court ruling that gives embryos the same rights as children. cbs' janet shamlian reports families, doctors and advocates

rallied today outside the state house to pressure lawmakers to act. >> for us, this is deeply personal. >> reporter: anxiety in alabama. doctors and patients pleading for legislation protecting ivf providers from civil and criminal prosecution following the state's supreme court ruling that frozen embryos are children. >> people telling their story is the most important thing that we can do. >> it was hard. >> reporter: stories from patients like sarah houston, who had her uterus removed after a diagnosis of cervical cancer. wanting another child, she endured the painful and expensive ivf process. an embryo was to be transferred to a surrogate in march. now it's all on hold. >> it's heartbreaking to feel like it was that close. and then now to kind of feel like maybe we're even back at the beginning. >> i warned that red states would come for ivf, and now they have. >> reporter: beyond alabama, in washington today, senator tammy

duckworth, who used ivf to have both her children, introduced a bill to protect the procedure nationwide. but it was blocked by a republican. legal experts caution even state laws might not be enough. >> there is a possibility that whatever the legislature does will be challenged as violating the rights of fetal persons. >> reporter: at least 16 states have proposed personhood bills that could impact access to ivf treatments. florida lawmakers postponing their legislation just this week amid concerns it could impact the procedure. >> do you need a bowl to put those in? >> reporter: howston is holding on to help for another child amid her cancer style, vi and henry give her infinite joy. >> they're awesome, and being a mom is awesome. >> reporter: what if you can't have that opportunity again? >> it would be devastating. obviously, an embryo transfer doesn't mean you'll end up with a baby. but without that, there is no hope of us having a baby. >> reporter: alabama's

republican governor kay ivey says she supports legislation that protects ivf and will sign it once it's on her desk. norah? >> janet shamlian, thank you so much. hunter biden on capitol hill today sitting down for a seven-hour closed-door deposition for house republicans impeachment inquiry into his father. the president's son called the inquiry into his family's business dealings a house of cards built on lies. house republicans accuse the bidens of influence peddling, making millions off clients in ukraine, china and other foreign countries. a key witness, alexander smirnov was arrested earlier this month for allegedly lying to the fbi, falsely claiming that the bidens had taken millions of dollars in bribes. the "cbs overnight news" will be right back.

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siphoning millions of dollars away from community hospitals. now the senate is looking into what we found. cbs news chief medical correspondent dr. jon lapook traveled to massachusetts, where one company's efforts to squeeze out profits has left a health care system reeling. >> reporter: this was the moment last october when nabil huck and sanjita rasheed first held their new daughter at boston's st. elizabeth medical center. >> i wasn't expecting it to be this blissful. >> reporter: that bliss was short-lived. sanjita experienced cascading complications from delivery, including bleeding from her liver. doctors told nabil they wanted to insert what is called an embolization coil to plug the bleeding. when st. elizabeth's didn't have the coil, she was transferred to another hospital. >> she had another cardiac arrest and they couldn't revive her. it was shocking, you know. i said what exactly happened? >> reporter: what exactly happened, including why sanjita died is now the subject of a state investigation. the hospital is one of dozens across the u.s. acquired with

backing from private equity investors by a company called steward health care. last year, our cbs news investigation found a trail of unpaid bills at steward hospitals around the country, leading to a shortage of potentially life-saving supplies. >> these supplies, we don't have them. so why don't we have them? because they're not paying the vendor, because they're in financial crisis. >> reporter: st. elizabeth's own medical staff filed this complaint with the state's health department, saying the manufacturer repossessed the coil weeks before sanjita's death because steward hadn't paid its bills. >> it's outrageous. it's unacceptable. >> reporter: why outrageous? >> because the supplies weren't available that could have saved her life. >> reporter: in september steward announced it was closing one of its massachusetts hospitals. the company blamed its financial woes on the pandemic and lower reimbursement rates for medicaid and medicare.

>> reporter: do you buy that? >> i think that's hogwash. they've taken money away from these assets which are so important, hospitals that provide needed care and using that money to line their own pockets. >> reporter: financial records show in early 2021, steward's owners paid themselves millions in dividends. around the same time, steward's ceo ralph de la torre acquired this 190 foot yacht. its price tag, an estimated $40 million. he declined an interview. >> i'm disgusted. it's greed. >> reporter: nabil says he is trying to focus on the small milestones in his daughter's life instead of wondering whether sanjita would still be here if the couple didn't deliver at a steward hospital. >> it's still surreal that she's not here. >> reporter: in a statement to cbs news, steward health care said it is receiving a cash infusion that will, among other things, allow it to address vendor obligations. the company also said privacy law prevented it from commenting on sanjita's death.

governor healey told me, quote, the sooner steward is out of our state, the better. norah? >> important investigation. dr. lapook, thank you so much. tornadoes tear a path of destruction across the midwest. we'll tell you where the dangerous weather is headed next. inez, let me ask you, you're using head and shoulders, right? only when i see flakes. then i switch back to my regular shampoo. you should use it every wash, otherwise the flakes will come back. tiny troy: he's right, you know. is that tiny troy? the ingredients in head and shoulders keep the microbes that cause flakes at bay. microbes, really? they're always on your scalp... little rascals... but good news, there's no itchiness, dryness or flakes down here! i love tiny troy. and his tiny gorgeous hair. he's the best. - make every wash count! - little help please. [♪♪] how you feel can be affected by the bacteria in your gut. he's the best. try new align probiotic bloating relief plus food digestion. it contains a probiotic to help relieve occasional bloating, plus vitamin b12 to aid digestion. try align probiotic.

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no injuries were reported. tonight dangerous weather is blowing into the east with wind alerts stretching from the south all the way through new england. comedian larry david pays a heartfelt tribute to his "curb your enthusiasm" co-star richard lewis. that's next.

sad news tonight from hollywood. comedian richard lewis has died from a heart attack, less than two weeks after appearing in a new episode of hbo's "curb your enthusiasm." lewis announced last spring that he had been diagnosed with parkinson's disease and was retiring from stand-up comedy. in a statement, larry david said lewis was like a brother, adding he had that rare combination of being the funniest person and also the sweetest.

richard lewis was 76. meet two teenagers who know a thing or two about real girl power. for the second straight year, florida high school seniors nicole camano and arianna durham won two gold medals each in this month's girls weightlifting state championships. their uplifting story is inspiring everyone on and off the mat. camano's lifts came with a heavy heart. >> my father passed away four days before states, and now i get to live his legacy and life through me and do amazing things that impact other people and inspire people. >> she broke the state record by lifting 255 pounds and now has her eyes set on the olympics. and arianna durham wants girls to know they have a world of options. >> i'm hoping that if other little girls are seeing and watching, they're like i want to do that. because anything is possible, and you're not limited to what anybody says. >> we're watching. you go, girls.

nicole camano and arianna durham, tonight's heart of america. and that's the "overnight news" for this thursday. for some of you, the news continues. for others, check back later for "cbs mornings." and remember, you can follow us online any time at cbsnews.com. reporting from the nation's capital, i'm norah o'donnell. this is cbs news flash. i'm carissa lawson in new york. major wildfires have now been burning in the texas panhandle for several days. officials say the smokehouse creek fire is the second largest in state history at an estimated 850,000 acres. one person, an 83-year-old woman from texas, has died so far.

president biden and donald trump will both be at the u.s.-mexico border in texas today. trump is scheduled to make a speech in the town of eagle pass, while president biden will be meeting with border agents and local officials in brownsville. and check out these latest images from lunar lander odysseus. the module is going to sleep with hopes it can use solar power to turn back on in a few weeks. for more, download the cbs news app on your cell phone or connected tv. i'm carissa lawson, cbs news, new york. it's thursday, february 29th, 2024. this is "cbs news mornings." the u.s. supreme court agrees to review donald trump's presidential immunity claim. why that means a delay in his criminal trial, and how close it will come to election day. last term.