wiped out. satellite images reveal the devastation in the aftermath of the washington mudslide while searchers continue to look for dozens of people who are still missing. >> to be honest with you, there's nothing left. i mean it's just like mounds of mud everywhere. two boston firefighters are killed when an out-of-control fire burns through an apartment building in the city's back bay neighborhood. >> that's what we do. we sacrifice our lives for the citizens of the city of boston. and a potential game-changer in college sports. a federal agency clears the way for northern football team to formula bore union. captioning funded by cbs this is the

this is the "cbs morning news" for thursday, march 27th, 2014. good morning. good to be with you. i'm anne-marie green. well, more wet weather is forecast today in northern washington state where search crews are looking for victims of that massive mudslide. at least 25 people were killed. the number of people missing has been reduced, but the debris field coverages one square mile and in places 40 feet deep. officials admit some victims may never be recovered. bigad shaban has our report. >> reporter: helicopters circled above and teams canvassed the area below, part of a massive search to find dozens still missing following the devastating mudslide in washington state. late last night the officials decreased the number of those unaccounted for from the previous total of 176. >> 90 people, 9-0 are currently missing or unaccounted for. >> reporter: hundreds are slowly searching through the disaster zone using sonar

devices, cameras, dogs, even their hands. volunteers like tom tucker says it's dangerous terrain >> there's all kinds of things. it's dangerous. nails, objects, mud clear to my waist. >> reporter: two helicopters arrivinged yesterday to relieve local crews but officials say their only mission is to remove any bodies found. they did manage to pull this 4-year-old boy from the debris and mud the day of the slide. his father and three siblings are still missing. >> he was obviously very traumatized. he was hypothermic. he was shiving badly. >> reporter: this space showing how an entire community was wiped out and with each passing day, officials say it's less likely anyone will be found alive. they say some victims may never be pulled from the mud. >> that was bigad shaban reporting. now the same system affecting

the washington mudslide brought showers, hail, and tornados in california. funnel clouds touched down yesterday in sacrament and a hailstorm hit the san francisco area. the unstable weather is expected to continue through this weekend. and a spring storm system threatens the plains with severe thunderstorms, hail, and possible tornadoes. kansas, oklahoma, and missouri are expected to be hardest hit. in the upper midwest, snow is the issue. snow and freezing rain will set up from nebraska to minnesota. the search for malaysia airlines flight 370 was suspended this morning because of severe weather. new satellite images revealed what appears to be a debris field with 122 different objects in the remote southern indian ocean. one measures about 75 feet long. 11 military and civilian aircraft have joined the search along with five ships, but so far nothing linked to the missing jet has been identified. and as holly williams reports, the search remains difficult and time consuming. >> reporter: we flew with a

search crew from the new zealand air force as they combed a 2,000-square-mile sector of ocean in their p-30 ryan. just three feet over the water they worked to scan for anything that might be the wreckage of flight 370. the pilot spotted a blue object, radioed the news back to base, and a ship was sent to carry out a surface sweep. none of the debris spotted has been linked to the missing jet liner but this corporal says he's confident it's only a matter of time. >> it's found somewhere. the next few days are going to be really busy for everyone involved. >> reporter: these new satellite images may help narrow the search. a french satellite found over 100 objects ranging in size from 3 to 75 feet long, all floating in a 250-square-mile area. the team from new zealand

extended their search time by shutting down one engine to save fuel, but they still didn't have the breakthrough they'd hoped for. >> we're talking about 140 families set to come out and put closure on it would be awesome. >> reporter: an australian search team went back to check on the blue object and concluded that it was a large marine mammal. that highlights how tricky this is for the search crews and how lengthy this process could be. holly williams, cbs news, perth, australia. well, boston is mourning the loss of two firefighters this morning. they were battling a massive unpredictable fire in the back bay on wednesday. marlie hall reports. >> reporter: flames engulfed a brownstone on boston's beacon street on wednesday afternoon. in the struggle to contain the nine-alarm blaze the fire department lost two of its own. >> these two heroes ran into a burning building, got people out of the building.

>> officials say the fire started in the basement and spread upward, affecting nine units in the building. strong winds off the charles river and cold temperatures made it difficult to fight the flames. firefighters stood on the roof of an adjacent building trying to prevent the fire from spreading. >> in 30 years i have never seen a fire travel that fast. escalate that quickly, and escalate such havoc. >> reporter: the two firefightefirefighter s have been identified as firefighter michael kennedy and lieutenant eddie walsh. they were found in the basement. >> they weren't in the building for two or three minutes when they ordered mayday, they were trapped. >> that's what we do. we sacrifice our lives for the citizens of the city of boston. that's what michael kennedy -- firefighter michael kennedy and lieutenant eddie walsh did today. >> reporter: there's no word on what caused the fire, just anguish for the families of the fallen firefighters. marlie hall, cbs news.

president obama has his first ever meeting with pope francis this morning at the vatican. it takes place following three days of talks on ukraine between the president and leaders of europe and brussels. alphonso van marsh is at the vatican. alphonso, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, anne-marie. president obama is the ninth u.s. president to have a visit with the pope, and security is tight not just here at the vatican but all around rome. president obama is in rome this morning to meet with italian political leaders and talk poverty with pope francis. the president may have an ally in the massively popular pontiff. white house officials say the meeting could bring attention to their shared desire to close the gap between the rich and the poor. they say the president will share his admiration and appreciation for the pope's leadership. >> it will be a good meeting and it will fw be a step forward for the world, i think.

>> reporter: this is president obama's second visit here at the vatican since he was elected. in 2009 he met with the now retired pope benedict. these catholic students from minneapolis say the pope is unlikely to flinch on church doctrine or change president obama's stance on abortion or gay marriage. >> they'll disagree just because there's a long-landing tradition in the catholic tradition in the faith and to have those values and believe what they have for so long. >> reporter: it's believed the two will likely get along fine, choosing what they have in common rather than their differences. now, anne-marie, this stopover for president obama in italy isn't all talk. later this afternoon he'll get a tour of the coliseum. anne-marie? >> not bad. alphonso van marsh at the vatican. thank you, alphonso. coming upton "morning news," caught on camera. surveillance video captures the moment a chicago commuter train jumps the tracks. this is the "cbs morning news." jumps the tracks. this is the "cbs morning news." ♪

[ female announcer ] just about anywhere you use sugar, you can use splenda® no calorie sweetener. splenda® lets you experience the joy of sugar without all the calories. think sugar, say splenda™ they weren't looking at me. ♪ i can't believe i still have acne at my age. i feel like it's my acne they see...not me. [ female announcer ] acne is a medical condition that can happen at any age. fortunately, a dermatologist can prescribe aczone® (dapsone) gel... fda approved for the topical treatment of acne, and proven in clinical studies with people 12 years and older. talk to your doctor about any medical conditions you have, including g6pd deficiency, and any medications you are using.

use of benzoyl peroxide with aczone® gel may cause your skin to temporarily turn yellow or orange at the site of application. the most common side effects with aczone® gel are dryness, redness, oiliness and peeling of treated skin. looked great. [ female announcer ] ask about a free sample size of aczone® gel. aczone® gel. see a dermatologist and see for yourself. ♪ clovers and blue moons shoes ♪ hourglasses, rainbows ♪ and tasty red balloons let's go! ♪ lucky charms ♪ frosted lucky charms ♪ they're magically delicious

i reckoreckon so.s a brewin'. reckon you gotta hotel? reckon, no. reckon priceline express deals will get you a great deal. wherever you...mosey. you reckon? we reckon. vamonos the spring hotel sale is on at priceline.com. save up to 60% on any express deal hotel, when you use code: spring '14. i reckon this is one deal you won't want to miss. surveillance video captured the rail accident at chicago's o'hare airport on monday. the oncoming train is a light in the distance. a security guard and traveler top at the top of the escalator when the train jumps the track and hops the the escalator, they ran out of view. dozed off. 32 people were hurt. a new study gives clues about the roots of autism suggesting it begins before birth.

researchers found unusual cell development in parts of children's brains that develop during pregnancy. the abnormalities were found in areas that control social functioning, emotions, and communication. the research could lead to earlier diagnoses. and on the "cbs moneywatch" now, bank of america reaches a mortgage settlement, and a minimum wage milestone in connecticut. jill wagner is at the new york stock exchange with that and more. good morning, jill. >> good morning, anne-marie. asian markets were mixed as investors await weak reaction in china. tokyo's nikkei gain 1%. hong kong's hang seng gained a quarter percent. stocks on wall street were down after another slide in technology stocks. the dow fell nearly 99 points. the technology-heavy nasdaq fell nearly 61 points or nearly 1.5%. bank of america has agreed with a federal agency settlement for $9.3 billion. bank of america was one of 18

financial institutions the agency sued in 2011 over the sales of mortgage-backed securities. the agency alleges the banks falsified information about the mortgages. the mortgages went bad after the housing market took a diving. connecticut lawmakers approved legislation to raise the state's minimum wage. the rate would rise to $10.10 by 2017. that would be the highest state minimum wage in the nation and the same rate president obama wants for the federal minimum wage. a just released labor department study of young adults found they change jobs a lot. the study looked at about 9,000 people born in the early 1980s. it surveys the impact of education on employment. overall the group held an average of 6.2 jobs from the ages of 18 to 26. the more education they had, the more jobs they held. and, anne-marie, today is the last day you can bid on a few eclectic pieces of history. a white chiffon and silk dress worn by princess diana is just

one of 600 items listed in an online auction that closes today. it's expected to sell for $85,000. also original, two original harry potter book illustrations. anne-marie? >> all right. jill, get your credit card out. you can nab a piece of history. jill wagner at the new york stock exchange. thanks a lot. straight ahead, your thursday morning weather. and football players score their victory in their bid to unionize. frequent heartburn? the choice is yours. chalky. not chalky. temporary. 24 hour. lots of tablets. one pill. you decide. prevacid. ♪ 24 hour and less saturated fat?

it's eb. eggland's best eggs. better taste. better nutrition. better eggs. it's eb. better eggs. i've been claritin clear for 6 amazdays. at the first sign of my allergies, my doctor recommended taking one claritin every day of my allergy season for continuous relief. 21 days! 28 days of continuous relief live claritin clear. every day. ghirardelli squares chocolate... ♪ a little rendezvous savor our luscious filling combined with our slow melting chocolate. ♪ that little reward for all the things you do. ♪ only from ghirardelli. you didn't really like them before... i didn't.

how about now? now i'm thinking about going the one, two, one. yeah that's good. i like one, two, one! congratulations. nothing leaves you feeling cleaner and fresher than the cottonelle care routine. nothing leaves you feeling cleaner and fresher than i've quit for 75 days. 15 days, but not in a row. for the first time, you can use nicorette even if you slip up, so you can reach your goal. now, quit on your own terms with nicorette or nicoderm cq. here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. big-time college athletes are a step closer to being paid. a federal agency ruled wednesday that members of the football team at northwestern university can create the first college players union. as dean reynolds reports, the

decision could reshape a multi-billion-dollar industry. >> reporter: northwestern university quarterback kain colter led it. >> we need the same protections that they get. you to take down the line. these are our lives and we want to make sure that we're protected. >> reporter: among the demands put forward by the college athletes players' association, guaranteed coverage for sports-related medical expenses, fewer full contact practices to limit injuries, and allowing players to be paid for making commercials. in his 24-page decision, peter orr of the national relations labor board said the players who receive athletic scholarships fit the definition of employees but critics point out that classifying them as employees could lead to huge salary demands, strikes, or lockoulock.

the ncaa said it was disappointed by the ruling. we frequently hear from student athletes across all sports and for the lob of their sport, not to be paid. now, this was the decision of one regional regulator and because the nrlb does not have jury diction over public universities, it applies only to private schools like northwestern. northwestern says it will appeal and it has until april 9th to do it. dean reynolds, cbs news, chicago. coming up next in sports, heated rivalry. two of the nba's best teams get up close and personal in a possible playoff preview.

lots of money. new details about a crazy corruption scandal. and just how far does this scandal spread? the link between senator leland yee d infamous chinatown gangster shrimp boy. new questions about the pilf that missing plane. did he take it on one final joyrid join us for kpix 5 news this morning... beginning at 4:3 ,,,,,,

here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. forecast in some cities around the country. in sports, the nfl moves a step closer toward moving extra point attempts farther from the goalpost. extra point kicks will move back to the 20 yard line for two weeks of preseason games. the league is concerned extra points have become too easy to make. league owners also adopted a rule extending goalposts upwards by five feet. they're also considering adding two extra playoff games to the upcoming season. the indiana pacers and miami heat are quickly becoming the biggest rivals in the nba. the top two teams in the eastern conference meeting up for the third time this season. in the fourth quarter, lebron

james gets whacked in the face while driving to the basket. later he gets whistled for a flagrant foul when he elbows roy hibbert in the face. lebron scored 38 points, but that was not enough. indiana wins, 84-83. these two teams meet one more time in the regular season and could see each other in the playoffs. >> meanwhile the san antonio spurs are starting to run away with the west. tim duncan scores 29 points as the spurs top denver, 108-103. it's san antonio's 15th straight win. and there are 16 college basketball teams still standing in the ncaa tournament. the sweet 16 rounds start tonight. coverage begins right here on cbs at 7:15 when stanford takes on dayton and that's followed by number one florida taking on ucla. coming up on the "cbs this

morning" bill raftery with a preview of the ncaa tournament. i'm anne-marie green. this is the "cbs morning news." it hydrates, eases, and softens, to unblock your system naturally. so you have peace of mind from start to finish. love your laxative. miralax. and started my own dog energy walking business.lding what did you do to deserve that thin mints flavor coffee-mate? it's only one of the most delicious girl scout cookie flavors ever. i changed the printer ink. really? it's actually tricky. you're lucky i like your tie. enjoy our caramel and coconut girl scout cookies flavor. now available in powder. nestle. good food, good life. frequent heartburn? the choice is yours. chalky. not chalky. temporary. 24 hour. lots of tablets. one pill. you decide. prevacid.

♪ 24 hour

here's another look at this morning's top stories. the death toll has risen to at least 25 in the washington state mudslide. the number of missing has been reduced to 90. authorities say some victims may never be found. they are buried in a square mile of debris that's up to 40 feet deep. and heavy rain and winds interrupted the effort to find the missing malaysian airliner. ships and planes have been called out of the search zone. once conditions improve, they will look for 122 objects shown in a recent satellite image. now, aside from the weather, searchers for the missing malaysian jet will face a lot of challenges, one is trash that's floating in the ocean. as chip reid reports, much of it hangs around for years. >> reporter: investigators say

the satellite images of debris might be pieces of flight 370, but charles moore suspects otherwise. >> i think it's highly likely it's trash and not evidence of the plane. >> reporter: moore has been studying ocean trash for nearly 20 years at the algalita marine research institute in long beach, california. >> the ocean has a distinction of being downhill from everywhere on earth, so if you are looking to find out where trash comes from, you just have to look to the land. >> reporter: massive amounts of debris washed into the ocean during the 2011 japanese tsunami, some drifting as far as california and oregon where a 66-foot dock washed up on the beach. moore says it's possible that but unlikely that the debris from the japanese tsunami may it to the indian other but the 204 tsunami in indonesia which is in the indian ocean is another story. >> debris from the tsunami may easily have got on the this part of the ocean and could still be

floating around out there ten years later because plastic is so persistent in the ocean. it doesn't biodegrade. it doesn't rust. >> reporter: all that trash, moore says, makes the difficult job of finding a plane at sea even harder. >> it's a nearly insurmountable problem in my point of view. you've about got a situation where you're looking for not a needle in a haystack but a needle in a needle factory. you're looking for trash in an ocean full of trash. >> moore estimates there's 15 million tons in the ocean right now and 15 million tons being added each year. chip reid, cbs news, washington. coming up after your local news on "cbs this morning," the continued search for mudslide victims in washington. we'll go live to the scene. plus, new airport safety measures for the tsa take effect today fro text passengers and staff. and anthony mason looks back

on the show "soul train" and its impact on the pop culture today. that's the "cbs morning news" for this thursday. thanks for watching. i'm anne-marie green. have a great day. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

i'm michelle griego. your realtime captioner is linda macdonald. good morning, everyone. it's thursday, march 27. i'm michelle griego. >> hi, everyone. i'm frank mallicoat. nearly 4:30 on your thursday. and it's ladies day here. lawrence is off, roberta is on

the desk this morning. good morning. >> i feel like you are imagining you're a bunny in a carrot patch right now. >> i'm the lucky man. >> you know, michelle was alluding to heavy precipitation right now in the eastern portion of our bay area. it's live, high doppler radar doppler radar. you see copious cells in the east bay some precipitation in the form of moderate to heavy rain, numbers out the door, it is the 40s and 50s. >> and we have another slicker commute. you can see some wet pavement this morning as you head towards the bay bridge toll plaza. we also have a chp-issued high wind advisory in effect. plus there's still chain requirements in the sierra. so we'll talk more about your morning drive coming up. >> all right, elizabeth. thank you. the bay area is rocked by the arrest of a long-time politician and other high- profile figures on corruption and other charges. here are the main players. state senator leland yee, raymond "shrimp boy" chow,