under the microscope... the chairman in charge of the russia investigation... returns to california... after reports claiming white house officials gave him acces s. now at noon, under the microscope. the chairman in charge. russia investigation returns to california after reports claiming that white house officials gave him access to secret documents. good afternoon, i'm kenny choi. michelle is off today. kpix 5's melissa caen is

live in fresno ahead of the chairman's appearance. >> reporter: kenny, we are here in fresno at the entrance to sort of a strip mall where there's a restaurant where congressman devin nunes is scheduled to speak at 1 p.m. now, he is the chairman of the house intelligence committee. that explains why there are at least 100 people here holding signs and say recuse yourself from the intelligence investigation and trump is putin's lap dog. we spoke to a couple of these people earlier. they say they are constituents of the congressman and they drove here because they want answers. >> we have asked him repeatedly to hold a town hall. he doesn't not hold town halls. so we have many, many questions that we would like to direct at him in person. i'd certainly like to know why he is holding back the, um, russian intelligence and seems to be working directly with trump. >> reporter: so far, the congressman has had very little to say about the firestorm he left behind in washington. >> not going to say anything.

>> reporter: now, nunes has alienated some members of the committee that he chairs leaving the house intelligence investigation stalled. the "new york times" reports that the sources who leaked information to nunes about surveillance of the trump transition team by president obama were in fact to white house officials. the ranking democrat on the intelligence committee adam schiff also a california congressman questions why the intelligence material was shown only to chairman nunes. >> the case where they wish to effectively launder information through our committee to avoid the true source of the information. >> reporter: now, schiff and other democrats have called on nunes to recuse himself saying he is too close to the trump administration but so far, he refuses to. today the congressman will speak in front of the agricultural lenders society of california which promises to be a much more friendly room than what he has been facing in washington, dc, although i'll tell you there are about a dozen news trucks here so he is

probably not going to get in and out that smoothly. we'll do our best. we'll tell you what happens later. melissa caen, kpix 5. meanwhile former national security adviser michael flynn says he is ready to testify before house and senate investigations into russian interference in the presidential election. but only if he is granted immunity. here's cbs news' weijia jang. >> reporter: general michael flynn says he wants immunity before talking to investigators looking into russian's interference in the 2016 election. in a statement to cbs news, his attorney says general flynn certainly has a story to tell and he very much wants to tell it. but adds that he needs assurances against unfair prosecution. flynn was forced to resign as national security adviser after he misled vice president mike pence about conversations he had with russian's ambassador

prior to president trump's taking office. president trump defended general flynn on twitter saying he should get immunity against what he calls a witch hunt of historic proportions. weijia jang kpix 5 capitol hill. this fiery scene on a major atlanta highway last night is making a mess of travel today. part of the interstate collapsed. cbs reporter don champion shows us the fix under way now. >> reporter: crews are using heavy equipment to pound away at the section of i-85 that's pancaked to the ground. workers are breaking it up so investigators can get a closer look. >> oh, god it's [ censored ] >> reporter: this was the scene during rush hour last night. a fire burning underneath the interstate sent towering flames and thick clouds of black smoke into the air. crews tried to douse it but the heat was too intense. >> i-85 has collapsed here. >> reporter: drivers going north and south on i-85 had nowhere to go and traffic stretched for miles. these women got out of their

cab and walked. >> just said pull over here and we're going to walk. it was four miles we had to walk. >> reporter: interstate 85 is a major artery that runs through the heart of atlanta carrying over a quarter of a million cars every day. >> the cork has just been put in the bottle. think about one of the major arteries that comes in and out of this city where folks move north and south through our state. a chunk of it has just been taken out of play. >> reporter: officials are unclear the cause of the fire. >> it was some pvc product that caught fire, i don't know why they did or what the source of their transport was. but those are questions that we are hoping to be answered. >> reporter: officials say the interstate near the collapse is closed indefinitely as engineers try to determine how to build it back. don champion, cbs news, dallas. >> atlanta transportation officials say the repairs could take months.

new at noon a deadly crash in san jose. the driver of a firebird was killed when his car slid under a flatbed truck. it happened at park avenue and mcevoy right next to diridon station. a 10-year-old passenger was taken to the hospital with non- life-threatening life. the driver of the truck is cooperating with authorities. in san francisco police looking for the public's help identifying this man. he is suspected of breaking a window at a chinatown jewelry store and snatching $100,000 worth of items. it happened the afternoon of february 24 in the 100 block of waverly street. if you recognize this man, police ask that you give them a call. a unity rally is planned for later today at albany high school. the campus has been rocked in recent days by a series of racist incidents. kpix 5's anne makovec on how students and administrators are responding. >> reporter: signs on the front door of albany high school show the effort to pull together

after several incidents. >> albany for all! >> reporter: this rally on sunday was just a part of the healing process after a group of teen boys posted racially offensive photos of their classmates on instagram. the target, black girls. some posts with nooses and kkk images. >> i would never say any of those things to entertain people so obviously you have to be a little racist to find any of that funny. >> this is a hate crime. they hated these girls. >> reporter: then there was a group of students walking the halls giving each other a nazi salute. when the district investigated they found it had been going on for months. but the vast majority of the student body is standing against the actions. this was a sit-in outside of the high school. the pictures posted on twitter with the hashtag, albany for all. yesterday, the superintendent sent a letter to parents saying in part, we are taking an honest look at the policies,

practices and expectations that will underscore our commitment to save and welcoming schools for all." -- to safe and welcoming schools for all." there will be a school board meeting on april 18 to talk about this. today's rally at the high school starts at 3:45. anne makevoc, kpix 5. a charred mess is left behind after a two-alarm fire ripped through a san jose duplex overnight. it started at midnight on south 11th street. nearby houses were evacuated but crews kept the fire from spreading. no injuries. still ahead, a farm pesticide posing a risk to children. the epa's controversial decision to keep it on the market. >> plus, facebook helping you raise money. the company's new feature and how much it will take as a cut. >> wind-swept blue skies. that's what we're experiencing this afternoon. hi, everybody. the winds continue to blow now. i'll talk about the advisory you need to know about coming up. is giving employees a taste of the profits. >> also, creating a new coffee

culture one cup at a time. how a bay area business founder is giving employees a taste of the profits. ,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

over his decision *not to ban a controversial farm pesticide... the new head of the environmental protection agency is under fire over his decision not to ban a controversial farm pesticide. the epa shows it poses a health risk to children and farm workers. john blackstone has the controversy from fresno. >> reporter: farming is a big industry across california and across the nation. but it faces an army of small enemies and many who work in farming use the pesticide color pure foss as ammunition. >> it's very important for

controlling the small pests that can wreak havoc on the crops. >> reporter: for 50 years it's been used on dozens of crops including corn, strawberries and citrus but the scientists under the obama administration found that the chemical could interfere with children's brain development. >> reduced iq, lower working memory scores, increased adhd, those are the kinds of things. they were -- they were small effects. but they were meaningful. >> reporter: in 2015, the agency proposed banning farmers from using the pesticide. but now, the new leadership of the epa says reliable data overwhelmingly in both quantity and quality contradicts the reliance on earlier studies. the epa says farmers can continue to use the pesticide while more research is done. new epa administrator scott pruitt issued a statement: we need to provide regulatory

certainty to the thousands of american farms that rely on chlorpyrifos while still protecting health and the environment. those in agriculture like michael kelly agree. >> would you ever worry about using it? >> no, i didn't. it's been around since 1965. and i found it to be not only very effective but very safe. >> reporter: critics say effective substitute pesticides are readily available. >> it would not be that difficult to take this off the plate of parents and -- and -- it is -- it is a bit confounding why the government isn't doing that. >> reporter: dow makes the chemical and says it's confident the authorized use of chlorpyrifos is safe. fresno county, california. john blackstone. facebook is getting into the fundraising game letting users raise money for themselves or charities.

the site will take a cut. there's a nearly 7% transaction fee plus 30 cents cents per donation. it covers security and fraud protection. an oakland entrepreneur is not just serving coffee at his cafe. he is transforming his community. sharon chin introduces us to this week's jefferson award winner. reporter: at the coffee box in uptown oakland change is brewing from the ground up. >> coffee gives an opportunity for people to sort of build community. >> thank you. >> reporter: artist and food entrepreneur keba konte opened the coffee box cafe nine months ago as part of the red bay coffee the wholesale business he founded in 2014 with a mission. >> i like to remind the world that coffee is africa's gift to the world. >> what does it smell like? >> reporter: but few african- americans work in the industry so he intentionally hired a staff comprised entirely of people of color plus women, former prisoners and foster children who aged out of the system. account manager maria fernandes

is one of keba's 17 employees. >> there's so much inclusion and diversity. >> reporter: what also makes his business model unique, all the employees get a taste of the profits. at the roasting plant employees share 10% of the profits. and at the coffee box, workers evenly divide all of the profits. that's possible because the coffee box started with a record-breaking kickstarter campaign that raised $88,000 from more than 800 donors. >> i think he is a revolutionary small business owner. >> reporter: red bay coffee's financial manager antoine hicks applauds keba's? -- cob every keba's philosophy. -- red bay coffee's financial manager antoine hicks applaud's keba's philosophy. >> i know i'm making a positive impact on my community so i feel great. >> reporter: so for his innovative business model that broadens job opportunities in his community, this week's jefferson award in the bay area goes to keba konte. sharon chin, kpix 5.

>> even though he has been focusing on opportunities for minorities, keba assures us that no applicants are turned away from his company based on race, ethnicity, gender on any other characteristic protected by law. he is hoping to build more coffee box cafes in the future to create even more jobs for oaklanders. nominate your own local hero for a jefferson award online at cbssf.com/hero. ♪[ music ] new at noon, thrill seekers have a new bay area option. check out great america. they will debut the new floorless roller coaster called patriot this weekend. this is a preview. members of the military were on hand for the morning soft opening. we'll show you more tonight at 6:00 when betty yu takes the ride. looks fun. >> have you ever tried the bungee jump at great america. >> i want to try it.

>> not today. it's too windy out sight. the only upside of the very windy conditions is the visibility at this hour from the embarcadero. we see the flag on the fly on pier nine. you can see 43 miles away as the crow flies due east. look at the whitecaps on the bay. i can see, like, five different currents due to the wind. here's another view stunning visibility unlimited air quality is fresh. temperatures are already up 66 in san jose. good afternoon to our weather watcher robert sullivan in redwood city. he says if march is going out like a lamb, it's a windy one. spot on there, robert. 65 degrees in redwood city and the winds, they are howling. they have not ceased at all. north-northwest, at 22 redwood city, 23 san francisco, 21 half moon bay.

21 in pleasanton back in through fremont. we have a speed of 25 miles an hour in fairfield. wind gusts in livermore at 33, discovery bay at 36. the wind advisory has canceled throughout most of the area bus remains in effect for fairfield, suisun, clearlake also for the carquinez strait in the delta until 11 p.m. and the wind is ushering around the pollen. alder ash and juniper, that is causing big time problems for all of us. warmest day of the weekend will be tomorrow. breezy conditions on sunday. but not as windy as today. the pressure gradient between the low and high causes the wind. 44 in sacramento. south shore 35 degrees with winds up to 25. this weekend spring-like skiing. our temperatures today across the board 60s and 70s. outside number 78. our sunset is at 7:32. it will be a beauty albeit

windy and the extended forecast there you have it, no fooling on april first. we got 84 degrees inland! >> not joking, huh? >> no. >> looks great. thank you. well, pets have a knack for getting into everything in your home. up next, our pet expert shares what to do if your animals manage to get into your medicine cabinet. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,, ,,

every friday we check in with our pet expert dr. jill chase. today's topic what to do if your pet gets into your medication. today we have pancakes. she came on about a year ago. >> she was just a baby and i brought a photo. i don't know if we have it from when she was here last time but she was very tiny. so it's nice to have her back on. so -- there she is. >> all grown up now. >> so cute. >> today i had a client that the dog ate the son's medication and i got a frantic call about what to do. you take him to the vet immediately so we can induce vomiting and ideally bring along with you the medication so we can see exactly what they have ingested. we do have a really excellent animal poison control and you can google it and get their phone number and call them, also if you are not able to get to the vet immediately, just to see what needs to be done, and that is really your best opportunity. and then it also informs us, we use them all the time, we call them and say, this dog ate this

and what do we need to do. so -- >> and also, best thing to do is make sure those things are away safely. >> that's a very excellent point. you know, this was an accident. the child's medication was out, it fell on the floor, the dog immediately ate it, as dogs do. but in general, yes, you always want to keep your medications locked up so this doesn't happen. i have actually had owners call me where the dog has actually gotten into an entire pill vial because they left it out on a counter and the dog counter surfs and we were talking about snail bait poisoning which is toxic. so all sorts of things out there, use animal poison control is your backup. >> that number is on your screen. if you have a question about your pet's health and well- being, we want to hear from you. ust email pets@kpix.com, and we'll have our pet expert, dr. jill chase, give you an answer every frida y right here at noon. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,filled to the

what you need to know before you hit the water. coming up at 5:00, boating season begins at a time when bay area reservoirs are filled to the brim. what you need to know before you hit the water. we'll have that story and more tonight at 5:00. it is one of country music's biggest nights. this weekend the stars at the vegas stage for the academy of country music awards. we asked the hosts of the show what they are looking forward to. >> just having a party, you know? it's very rare that all the country singers get together in one spot so to do it in vegas is fun. i think the fans watching on tv see that. >> and they say that you can also expect some can't miss collaborations from seasoned country music veterans and hot

new talent. you can see the show sunday night at 8:00 right here on kpix 5. >> i'm looking forward to seeing backstreet boys with florida line. >> should be quite a collaboration. >> how about that? >> yeah. >> and i kind of have a little crush on keith urban. he is up for many awards. >> you better tune in on sunday, as well. ! that's it for kpix 5 news at noon. have a great weekend, including you, pancakes! awww! ♪[ music ] ,,

♪ >> quinn: we can't tell brooke or anyone what happened in san francisco. ♪ >> katie: this sounds wrong, but i watched them for a little bit. >> brooke: what is it? i can tell something's bothering you. >> katie: i think there's something going on between ridge