>> glor: tributes are pouring in for nancy reagan. the former first lady has died at the age of 94. henight bill plante looks back at the reagan white house. >> nancy, thank you for your love. and thank you for just being you. (applause). l> glor: also tonight, deadly flooding hit the west coast. another system threatens the tuth. long lines ahead for spring priak travelers. what's being done about the shortage of airport screeners. >> and cross word controversy. a prominent puzzlemaker is being accused of being a copycat. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news." >> glor: good evening, i'm jeff glor. this is the western edition of the news. nancy reagan is being remembered tonight as a first lady who

redefined the role. president obama and first lady obama offered that assessment. joining past presidents and world leaders paying tribute to mrs. reagan today. nancy reagan died from heart failure this morning at her home in los angeles. she was 94 years old. mrs. reagan will be laid to rest beside her husband of 52 years at the ronald reagan presidential library in simi valley. california. we begin with bill plante who covered the reagan white house. >> the first lady of the united states, nancy davis reagan. >> reporter: it was a role that fit her like a glove. wife and partner to the leader of the free world. and it was a long way from where she started. anne francis robbins was born in new york city. they called her nancy. and when she was adopted by her stepfather, a prominent neurosurgeon, she took his name and became nancy davis. >> do you always have to keep your promises? >> reporter: hollywood called and she became a supporting actress in a number of films including the next voice you hear with james whitmore.

davis was introduced to the head of the screen actors guild. his name was ronald reagan. ute would later saying about being his wife was the role i wanted most. >> hell cats of the navy was the only movie they made together. but as his tra jectory took him iway from hollywood, she was in the front seat with him. shny said she was more ambitious than he was. hen they won the white house, the country was amazed by the gaze-- the adoring look of a noman who said her main job in life was protecting him. but sometimes she couldn't. >> there was the assassination attempt in 1981. >> how are you feeling? >> reporter: and his bouts with cancer. hncy reagan had her critics. rde was attacked for ordering $200,000 white house china during a recession. the president defended her. >> there has been no new china

for the white house since the truman administration. a reporter: there was perhaps no greater example of how close the reagans were than when the president was asked a question and the first lady fed him an answer. >> doing everything we can. >> we're doing everything we can. thank you. >> and hello to all of you who are listening. >> reporter: nancy reagan used her influence as first lady to set up a campaign to try to keeps from taking drugs. drlouder. >> just say no. >> that's wonderful. >> reporter: five years after ehe reagans left the white house, the former president renounced that he was battling alzheimer disease. mrs. reagan spoke about it in an interview with mike wallace on "60 minutes" in 2002. >> that is the worst part about this disease. there is nobody to exchange memories with. >> reporter: so as ronald reagan faded in public view, his best supporting actress moved to center stage. she went to his birthday party alone.

>> i would like to propose a toast to my fella. gn reporter: she signed his books for him, christened ships named for him, and received medals awarded to him. riere were tributes today from across the political spectrum. "her strength of character was legendary," said president clinton and secretary clinton. "she leaves a remarkable legacy ab good." "her influence on the white house was complete and lasting," wrote president and mrs. george w. bush. from president jimmy carter, theirs was one of our nation's great love stories and a model of shared devotion to our country. sending condolences on behalf of herself and president george h.w. bush, barbara bush said, "we take comfort that they will be reunited once more." and in a tweet from her stepson michael reagan, "she is once again with the man she loved. god bless."

until his death and beyond, she kept the flame, and in the end, burnishing and maintaining ronald reagan's legacy is her own. >> nancy, thank you for your love, and thank you for just being you. rapplause) she really was pot we are behind the throne. nancy reagan spent her life protecting her husband. she did all the worrying so he didn't have to. and it was her instinct about people which in most cases decided who would work for ronald reagan or whose usefulness had expired. jeff. >> glor: bill, it's one thing watching it, another covering it. you also had several memorable encounters with nancy reagan, did you not? >> reporter: yes, several but the big one was at a reception when i introduced my date to her as my almost fiancee. she gave me a withering stare and she said "get her a ring." i did. >> glor: bill plante, in our

washington bureau, thank you very much tonight. the republican presidential candidates paused today to pay oribute to nancy reagan. here's julianna goldman. >> reporter: marco rubio called nancy reagan a true example of integrity and grace. in another tweet, ted cruz said she will be remembered for her seep passion for this nation and love for her husband. an amazing woman wrote donald trump. news of nancy reagan's death aame on a day when most of the candidates vying to inherit ronald reagan's conservative legacy were taking a break before the next round of critical contests. >> i tell you she is, as she hed to say, with her ronnie. >> reporter: john kasich was the exception. campaigning in his home state of ohio alongside arnold schwarzenegger, looking beyond the four states he lost yesterday. >> marco rubio had a very, very bad night. >> reporter: donald trump won kentucky and louisiana on saturday. but he lost to cruz in kansas and maine. rubio, like kasich, was 0 for 4

and last night trump called on ute florida senator to drop out. >> i would love to take on ted one-on-one. that would be so much fun. >> reporter: cruz seemed to r:ree. >> if you're not able to win primaries, if you are not amazing enough delegates to get the nominee, i think every candidate has to reflect. >> reporter: while rubio insists that he will win his home state of florida some unlikely republicans are coming around to cruz. like senator lindsey graham who had this to say two weeks ago. n if you kill ted cruz on the floor of the senate, and the trial was in the senate, nobody could convict you. (laughter) >> reporter: today he said the gop needs to unite before march 15th. >> to me it's clear that ted has made the best case thus far that he can be the alternative to trump. >> reporter: rub jo is rejecting dlls to drop out before march 159 and jeff, it looks like he scored his second win today. the associated press says rubio has won the puerto rico primary and that means he'll likely take the territory's 23 delegates. >> glor: julianna goldman, thank

teu. here is where the count stands tonight. donald trump has 374 delegates toward the republican nomination. ted cruz is next with 293. hrco rubio has 123 but will get erre from puerto rico. ry the democratic side, hillary clinton has more than 1100 delegates, more than double iernie sanders total. thr both parties the big delegate prize this tuesday is michigan. where new cbs news battleground acacker polls shows trump comfortably ahead of the pack. clinton about ten points ahead of sanders. the democrats are debating tonight in flint and nancy cordes is there. ledi'm thrilled we're adding to our pledged delegate count. >> reporter: here in michigan hillary clinton celebrated a landslide victory in louisiana. bernie sanders won big in kansas nd nebraska. but those states are smaller and so clinton ended up with 55 if .ou delegates, sanders, 47. sanders still insists he's the one gaining steam.

>> honestly i believe i am the eandidate to create a large voter turnout and make sure that hi retain the white house. te reporter: to prove that, he will have to catch up to clinton in michigan. hee spent the weekend visiting african-american churches in n-troit. >> madam president. >> not yet. >> that sounds good. >> reporter: sanders took another approach. >> my view is... >> reporter: hammering clinton for her past support of free trade deals in a state hard hit by foreign competition. of in every one of these major trade agreements, i have not only voted against them, but i tve helped lead the opposition. >> reporter: both candidates have made flint's water crisis a personal cause. >> clean water is not optional, my friends. >> reporter: clinton brings it up in almost every speech. >> we have to support them until ill the city's families have clean and safe water. >> reporter: on "face the nation" today john dikerson

asked clinton why republican turnout is up so far and democratic turnout is down. o> i've gotten more votes than anybody running on either side. i've gotten more votes than annald trump, although i'm sure he doesn't want to hear that. ga reporter: michigan with its 130 delegates is one of the largest states the candidates have competed in so far. but that's not the only reason it's important. both campaigns see this state as a bellweather for other rust belt states like ohio, indiana and illinois. and that is what makes ton's debate even more high-stake than usual, jeff, especially for l,nders. >> glor: nancy cordes in flint, thank you. enlifornia has been in dire need of rain lately and this weekend they're getting some, too much in parts, leading to flood and at least two deaths, here's danielle nottingham. >> reporter: with so much rain fell outside sacramento, nearly three inches in 24 hours, a 4 woman died when her car got trapped on this highway. another driver died in san ramon. heavy rain and strong winds in

northern and central california downed trees and snapped power lines. al southern california emergency crews pulled several people out of the los angeles river. egugh waters in oregon left three surfers stranded, forcing this coast guard rescue. wind gust there reached more than 50 miles per hour. >> snowing in tahoe. >> reporter: california ski rsorts reported as much as 28 inches of new snow since friday. forecasters say totals could t ach five feet in the highest elevations by monday afternoon. much needed snow after a dry february left the sierra nevada snow pack below average. state officials say several more hi nino storms like this one are needed before california can emerge from its four-year drought. danielle nottingham, cbs news, los angeles. >> glor: for more on this and the south, let's bring in eric fisher of wbz, eric. >> jeff, we're watching a second storm system, the one yesterday bringing the wettest day in san francisco since 2014.

through this evening storms could produce lightning, hail and wind gusts along coastal california. the difference is it punches farther southward into southern california, also some snow for the mountains before it starts to drive inland on monday night. look at significant rain as the state tries to catch up from a dry february but still a threat of debris flows, and also a chance for trees coming down, strong wind gusts all across the west and southwest as we head through the next 24 hours. at the same time, a setup in the east with high pressure right off the east coast, a deep flow out of the gulf of mexico. this is the area to watch all week. we could see double digit rainfall especially in eastern texas. >> glor: eric fisher, thank you very much. up next a man is under arrest after a bizarre airplane incident in london. and at airports where longer lines mean shorter tempers when one cbs evening news continues. lines mean shorter tempers when the cbs evening news continues.

>> glor: in london a man has been charged with illegally hijacking a plane at heathrow airport and locking himself

cocde the cockpit of a british airways jet, jonathan vigliotti is in london with the latest, jonathan. >> reporter: good evening, officials say a man broke enrough a security fence on london heathrow's perimeter and then ran to a british airways hangar where an empty boeing 747 was parked with its doors unlocked. the man identified as a 38-year- old portuguese national locked himself inside the high security cockpit with full access to all of the controls. emergency crew were quick to the hene but had a difficult time breaching the cockpit's bomb proof doors. they eventually broke in and arrested the man. his motive at this point is unclear. police say they do not believe he's connected to terrorism. in a statement heathrow says they are working with police and security is under constant review. >> glor: jonathan, thank you very much. if it seems like airport security lines are getting longer, it's because they are. and the tsa says for now there is nothing they can do about it. here's jamie yuccas.

>> precheck over here. >> reporter: across the country long lines and frustrated passengers are stacking up at airport security checkpoints. >> this is bad. this is bad as i have ever seen it. >> airlines have been warning passengers about longer waits online. travelers in minneapolis in atlanta have responded with some choice tweets of their own. >> you have seen a 10.5% increase in travel since 2011. >> reporter: today minnesota senator amy klobuchar said the record number of passengers traveling this year reflects a national trend. >> so this is a problem that is not unique to the twin cities. it is a problem that is going on across the country. >> reporter: nationally the number of tsa screeners is down 15% since 2011. tsa head peter neffenger told cngress last week that the agency is taking steps to do more with less. >> we are rethinking how we invest in technology and partnering with several airlines and airports to develop and ndstall in the near future a

dramatically improved passenger screening environment in a couple of key airports. >> reporter: atlanta airport's irneral manager says the problems have gotten so bad, he's considering replacing tsa screeners with private security workers. in a recent letter to the head of the tsa, he said the airport is dreading the outcome of the summer of 2016. now it wouldn't be the first time an airport privatized security workers. san francisco, kansas city, and ndlando have done it. jeff, some travelers online say they have been getting to the airport two hours in advance of their flight and still missing it because of delays at security. >> glor: jamie, thank you. up next, the sheriff is handing in his badge. badge.

>> glor: peyton manning will make it official tomorrow: he is retiring after 18 seasons in the nfl. over those two decades manning became one of the game's all- time greats on the field and a constant presence off it. manning will make the announcement in denver and barry petersen is there. >> reporter: even in the glow of r nning super bowl 50, manning told "cbs this morning" retirement was on his mind.

al i will certainly talk about it with ashley and i will pray about it. >> reporter: there will be a lot of words about manning. but in sports, the numbers often matter more. winning two super bowls, the nfl leader in passing yards and touchdown passes. off the field a busy pitchman showing off another talent, singing. >> ♪ epic comeback starts right here. ♪ >> reporter: but this season came with allegations in an al- jazeera report still under review by the nfl that a clinic in indiana sent the illegal anrformance enhancing drug human growth hormone to his home, manning's spokesman said his wife did receive a medication but manning angrily denied getting any medication from her. >> i've done it the long way, the hard way. to insinuate anything otherwise ot a complete and total joke. it's defamation and it really ticks me off. ha reporter: and new charges of sexual harassment from his days at a quarterback at the university of tennessee. manning settled a previous

allegation out of court years ago. in five years, he is eligible for the football hall of fame. but this year he savored a hero's welcome in denver, a crowd estimated at a million heard manning as always share the glory. >> this season we had a lot of new players and guys that just worked hard and stuck together. >> reporter: perhaps his career is best summed up in a quote from a competing coach who said it was like playing a computer hao knew what you did before, what you were doing now, and what you are planning to do later. jeff. >> glor: barry petersen in denver, thank you very much. >> there has been another smash and grab at a gun store. this one in petaluma, thlifornia. thieves crashed their car through the front of the store before driving off with 18 handguns. it happened days after a similar robbery in houston. several suspects in that heist have been arrested. still ahead, choice words for a

puzzle maker accused of plagiarism. rich.

>> glor: we close tonight with a scandal that is all over the erpers. a prominent maker of crossword puzzles has been accused of plagiarism. he claims he was just clueless. here here's contessa brewer. r reporter: downright dirty and across-the-board unethical. a puzzle lover algorithm spels trouble for the cross word editor timothy parker. a database of 5 3,000 published

duzzled shows at least 60 edited by parker borrow seemingly directly from "the new york times." parker titled this one dare to compare. we did. and the same theme, same order, two identical clues as a times puzzle from 1997 edited by will shorts. >> it can take a puzzlemaker as much time to come up with a good, fresh theme as to fill the grid and write the clues. so to borrow or take someone else's creativity and coming up with an original theme really is not right. >> website 538 examined the database and found parker also republished puzzles in "u.s.a. today" with only minor changes but under different bylines. parker told 538, "to me it's just mere common sense. we don't look at anybody else's e'zzles or really care about anybody else's puzzles. parker also edited the syndicated universal cross word with clients including cbs news.

parker "u.s.a. today" and universal cross word have not answered our calls. >> i just think it reflects .oorly on the "u.s.a. today" and they should have a crossword editor worthy of their paper. >> reporter: and the "new york times" tweets is that cross word plagiarized? the flank. contessa brewer, cbs news new york. >> glor: that is the cbs news tonight, later "60 minutes" and first thing tomorrow, cbs this morning. thm jeff glor in new york. good night. captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org

round of weekend rain... ma its way into the bay area. a chance of thunderstorms. round one left a big mess. s down... roads flooded. the scramble to clean it all up. and... remembering a beloved first lady. nancy reagan has passed away. a close friend shares his memories... both political d personal. kpix 5 news is next. eye on the storm... ,,,,,,,,

bay area. get ready for another soaker. good evening, i'm juliette goodrich. . eye on the storm. the rain and wind picking up. get ready for another soaker. >> the