european scientists attempt to complete a bold mission this morning, landing the first spacecraft ever on the surface of a comet. it's getting colder and colder after dumping several inches of snow in the rockies and plains. the arctic blast moves east. president obama ends his three-day visit to beijing by reaching a landmark accord with china on climate change. and a star-studded salute to america's servicemen and women in the nation's capital. a massive crowd crowds the national mall to pay tribute on veterans day. ♪ captioning funded by cbs this is the "cbs morning

news" for wednesday, november 12th, 2014. good morning. good to be with you. i'm anne-marie green. well, this morning scientists at the european space agency are attempting a first and cosmic exploration, landing a spacecraft on a comet. the unmanned rosetta spacecraft reached the comet in august after a ten-year chase. scientists finally gave the final go-ahead for rosetta to release its lander for the journey to the comet. cbs space consultant bill harwood will have a little more later on in the broadcast. well, this morning that early mid-winter-like storm is blanketing much of the country in an unseasonable cold and sometimes and the misery is headed east. this is denver. the high temperature is expected to be in denver. just 10 degrees.

the slick condition caused dozens of car accidents. in some parts of texas in oklahoma, lows are expected to fall in the teens today. folks in austin got a taste of cold yesterday. meteorologist eric fisher of our boston station wbz has more on the big freeze. >> well, the arctic express continues its march southward and eastward. we've got widespread freeze warnings this morning across much of texas and okc in southern oklahoma as temperatures dip back into the 20s. high temperatures today, they're getting colder and colder as things pass. big story in cheyenne, highs in the 30s as well as tulsa, st. louis, and chicago. cleveland maybe reaching that 40-degree mark. as we head through thursday morning the wintry forecast on target. lots of single digits across the northern plains and 20s getting well down into the deep south as we head toward the end of the week. the northwest not immune to all the cold. winter storm watches are up and this one arrives as we head into thursday. it's mainly wednesday night into thursday morning.

pushing across oregon, idaho, and the four corners area. in terms of snow totals, many seeing a half a foot to a foot or more as this cold air continues to bleed its way not just east but westward through the mountains. i'm meteorologist eric fisher for cbs news. well, just as that cold weather is arriving in the northwest, tens of thousands of people are without power. wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour downed trees and toppled power lines. high wind warnings are in effect through this morning. and a grand jury is expected to decide soon whether to indict a white police officer in the fatal shooting of michael brown, an unarmed black teenager in ferguson, missouri. governor jay nixon says the police will be ready to help peaceful protesters but he warned those who resort to violence that law enforcement will be ready for them as well. >> these measures are not being tang because we're convinced that violence will occur but because we have a responsibility to prepare for any contingency.

the public demands and i demand that. >> the august shooting of brown led to weeks of violent protests that included looting and rioting. president obama wrapped up his three-day visit to china today. despite differences over human rights, talks with the chinese yielded agreements on trade, military cooperation, and a major plan to address the issue of climate change. susan mcginnis is in washington. >> anne-marie, good morning. this is an unprecedented agreement between the world's two biggest carbon emitters to ratchet down. it is seen as part of a very productive three-day talks between two nations still at odds over many issues. the u.s. and china announced today a landmark agreement to work together to cut carbon and greenhouse gas emissions. >> this is an ambitious goal but it is an achievable goal. >> the u.s. agreed to move much faster in cutting emissions of heat-trapping gases by as much as 28% below 2005 levels by the year 2025.

china, which is busy building new coal plants, didn't commit to specific numbers, but promised its emissions would stop growing by 2030 at the latest. >> this is a major milestone in the relationship and it shows what's possible when we work together on a global challenge. >> it t deal has been in the works for months and is a precedent for china. chinese president xi jinping took a question from the chinese press. over the last two days the u.s. and china agreed to believe some tariffs from high-end goods like video games and console software and to ease restrictions between the two countries. while deep differences remain

over trade and hacking issues, u.s. hopes to take chinese relations to a new level. and in another result of these meetings the militaries of the u.s. and china are going to start offering more information to one another about their moves and actions in the pacific. that's a way, anne-marie, to keep the warships and planes from each side from clashing. >> susan mcginnis in washington. thank you, susan. the republican hold on the senate is even stronger this morning. gop challenger dan sullivan was named the winner of the alaskan senate race overnight. he defeated mark begich. the republicans will have at least 53 seats in the senate. and as reports, scientists are landing a spaceship on a comet. we learned they're more steps toward that goal. cbs news space consultant bill harwood joins us via skype from mary i merritt island. good morning, bill.

>> good morning. >> how are things going with the mission? what's going on so far? >> very well. they have learned that it's separated from the mother ship that's going take a seven-hour trip to the center of this comet. it's a very complicated procedure but all's well that ends well and they're hoping that the separation does, in fact, herald a successful landing. we won't know till the end of the day. >> you said it's very complicated. what happens after this? >> first of all, it's got to get there, and it's going to take a while to get there. when it's set down, they have to look at the landing. it's 100 times weaker than earth and it would naturally tend to bounce off if you didn't do anything. they have a thrust there to kind of drive it down to the surface while ice excuse and a couple of harpoons lock the system down. it doesn't appear to be working but they say the harpoons and locks should be enough to lock it down to the surface. i think everybody's going to be on tendterhooks now waiting to make sure it gets down successfully, but so far, so

good. >> it's been more than ten years chasing this comet. what do scientists hope to get out of this? >> you know, comets are left over from the birth of the solar system 4.5 billion years ago, and as such they offer a treasure trove of everything that supported the earth and the other planets as well as life itself. so by studying a comet, you get a chance to get handlers on with some of the raw material that made the solar system and nobody's ever made an attempt do that quite like rosetta. this is the most ambitious effort made to ever study a comet. >> bill harwood on merritt island. thanks for the explainer. well, dr. craig spencer is ebola-free and he is home this morning. he was released from a new york hospital tuesday. spencer contracted the virus while treating patients in the west african country of guinea. president obama thanked him for his work. spencer says volunteers need support fighting the outbreak.

>> please join me in turning your attention back to west africa and make sure the other medical workers do not face stigma and threats upon their return home. >> the dallas hospital that treated the first ebola patient to die in the u.s. has reached a settlement. thomas eric duncan's family is expected to speak about it later today. and coming up on the "morning news" now, hole-in-the-wall operation. firefighters rescue a man stuck inside the wall of a store for days. we will tell you how he got there ahead on the "cbs morning news." news." p model." i have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. so i talked to my doctor about my condition and my treatment options he told me about stelara® in a medical study, 7 out of 10 stelara® patients saw at least 75% clearer skin at 12 weeks. and 6 out of 10 patients had their plaque psoriasis rated as cleared or minimal at 12 weeks. [ male announcer ] stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and increase your risk of infections some serious infections require hospitalization before starting stelara® your doctor should test for tuberculosis. stelara® may increase your risk of cancer. always tell your doctor if you have any sign of infection, have had cancer, or if you develop any new skin growths.

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firefighters in longmont, colorado, used crowbars and circular saws to free a man trapped in a department store wall tuesday. they believe he'd been lodged there for up to three days. employees heard him yell for help. the man apparently fell 20 feet after entering the building through a vent in the roof. he could be charged with criminal trespass. and a pair of dallas city employees are being credited with saving the life of a co-worker. the men were on their way to a job site when they spotted a truck emerged in the lake tuesday. the driver apparently suffered a medical emergency and lost control. one man smashed the passenger side window and pulled him to safety. he's hospitalized in stable condition. new york city police are searching for two men in a brazen jewelry high. the suspects posed as delivery men to gain access to the eighth floor dealer tuesday.

employees say they pistol whipped one of the owners. the robbery took place in the busy diamond district. >> it's busy. there's a lot of presence of law enforcement. these things are extremely ware. i've been in the business 16 years. i can count the time something like this has han and this may be one of the second or third times i can remember. >> police went door to door looking for the suspects. and unseen star of the hit cbs sitcom "the big bang theory" has died. >> howard, the phone is ringing! >> actress carol ann susi provided the voice of howard wolowitz's overbearing mother. despite being heard, viewers have only been given glimpses of her character. she appeared in dozens of tv and movie shows over her 40-year career. cbs producer chuck lorre praised her as an immense talent. carol ann susi was only 62.

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but for everything we do, we know you do so much more. tylenol® here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. on the "cbs moneywatch" spotify fights back against taylor swift, and best buy opens for thanksgiving shoppers. jill wagners at the new york stock exchange with that and more. good morning, jill. >> good morning, anne-marie. this morning there were signs. the banks including citigroup and jpmorgan chase agreed to the fines. it follows an 18-month investigation in a dozen countries. regulators say the banks didn't

supervise employees who traded for their own accounts. here on wall street stocks open at another all-time high following modest gains. the dow closed just over a point higher as did the s&p 500. the nasdaq gained nearly 9 points. best buy says it is not pulling a thanksgiving all-nighter like a lot of the retailers. they will open their stores at 5:00 p.m. thanksgiving day but close at 1:00 a.m. the stores will reopen at 8:00 a.m. on black friday. best buy says shopping slows considerably wednesday night and it doesn't pay to stay open. the retail giant alibaba wraps up $9.3 billion in sales during its annual single-day shopping extravaganza. alibaba offered large discounts in its single-day sail.

it's the largest online retail day. and the ceo of spotify says he's disappointed that taylor swift pulled her music from the popular streaming service. swift's songs are the most streamed among the service. she pulled them last week saying they're not compensated another. the ceo says spotify protects artists from piracy. he says spotify doesn't pay them a penny. spotify paid more than $2 billion for distribution to songwriters and artists. >> thanks a lot jill. in sports, a record for kobe bryant he probably wishes he didn't own. during last night's game against memphis bryant missed 13,418th shot of his career. that's the most in nba history, but don't worry about kobe. he's fourth on the all-time scoring list. the lakers lost to the grizzlies, 107-102. we'll be right back. 107-102. we'll be right back.

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suspect is still on the run. a little boy survives after falling 200 feet off a bay cliff.. and this morning h' already breathing on his ow the victim's incredible recovery. and bay area students head russia for a youth conferen and end up detained, interrogated, and put on tr how they landed at the centf an international incident. 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. the nation's capital was rocking tuesday in honor of veterans day. the concert for valor featured top artists and was free as a thank-you to our military veterans and active duty mi servicemen and women. craig boswell reports from the national mall. ♪ >> reporter: bruce springsteen and dave grohl joined the zach brown band on the national mall. the concert for valor featured

an a-list lineup and a very specific message. >> thank you again for your extraordinary service to our country. >> reporter: tens of thousands of veterans and active duty servicemembers attended the show. the tickets were free, but the concertgoers and those watching at home were urged to support. >> find your way to give and honor the valor of those who serve. >> reporter: but the real stars of this event are not on the stage. they're in the audience. the brave men and women who have served or are serving in the u.s. armed forces. >> the feeling was unbelievable that they put this on for, you know, myself and my comrades. >> reporter: veterans we spoke with said the best way to say thanks is to know what they need. >> veterans want to connect when they come home and civilians want to connect but there has to be a sufficient platform and an honest conversation when they come home. >> reporter: and it's a conversation veterans say

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lava from the kilauea volcano reached a fence line and threatens the transfer station this morning. fingers from the molten lava came through the chain link down a hill into a parking lot. officials are closely monitoring the breakout flows. several homes in the community are threatened by the slow-moving eruption. and this is the time of year that many high school seniors apply to college. traditionally that includes taking the s.a.t. but as anna werner reports, some schools are rethinking that. >> reporter: it's natalie casimir's first semester at wake university in north carolina. to get in she had a high school gpa of 3.7 and a long list of honors and extracurricular activity. one thing she did not have to

submit, her s.a.t. score. >> i was like no way, no way. >> you didn't believe it. >> i didn't. i did not. >> reporter: wake forest is one of a growing number of schools that has dropped the requirements for an s.a.t. score, traditionally a key admission criteria. some 800 schools now let students apply without it. marshal alderman sees many marshal alderman is dean of admissions. >> we see students who don't test well. they have all the tools to be successful college students but that saturday morning test is their nemesis. >> reporter: casimir says she studied hard for her s.a.t. test, but still got an average score of 1580. >> i feel like nothing i did would have been good enough to get me ahead of those numbers. >> caller: the college board which administers the s.a.t. calls the exam essential and says combining test scores with the student's high school gpa offers the best prediction of

how well a clrj freshman will do in their first year, but at wake forest, aldman discovered something else. >> there's no statistical difference between grade point average and graduation rate between submitters and nonsubmitters. >> reporter: and a study of schools offering a test policy backs that up. a defining policy report finds no difference in graduation rates and gpa's between the two groups. kazmir said she cried the day she got her acceptance letter. and now how do you feel? >> valued. i feel valued. not by a number, but for my character. >> reporter: character that earned her something else at wake forest too. a full ride four-year scholarship. anna werner, cbs news, winston, salem, north carolina. well, coming up after your local news on "cbs this morning," the extreme cold across much of the u.s. we will be live from denver and get your forecast. plus, presidential memories. george w. bush shares stories

about his father george h.w. bush. and comedian russell brand shares his note to self. that's the "cbs morning news" for this wednesday. thanks for watching. i'm anne-marie green. have a great day. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com have a great day. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

your realtime captioner is linda marie macdonald. good morning, everyone. it's wednesday, november 12. i'm michelle griego. >> hi, everyone. i'm frank mallicoat. we're nearly sitting at 4:30. we have a little traffic and weather to talk about.

and some rain. >> yeah. i got a chance of some rain coming our way not just yet. we are going to see clouds. we have a lot of clouds out there now. going to have to wait until the evening hours with some showers headed our way and looks like we have plenty more to come. we'll talk about that coming up. >> and we are unfortunately waking up to a traffic alert. the off-ramp is closed in dublin from southbound 680 at alcosta to dublin. a truck with frozen turkey overturned. none of the turkey, they are not on the ground so it's not going to be a huge clean-up process but they may have to off load the turkeys before they can right the big rig. the estimated time before re- opening 6:30. so this will impact a lot of people especially later on in the morning commute. >> thank you. we have developing news from the east bay. a hit-and-run driver killed a boy at east 14th and ashland avenue in inconsistent corporate san leandro and kept going. the 1-year-old boy was crossing