york city, i'm tony dokoupil. captioning funded by cbs it's thursday, may it's thursday, may 11th, 2011. this is the "cbs morning news." president trump defends firing the fbi director in a tweet, and the new acting head of the fbi appears before lawmakers today. >> i'm very grateful for the opportunity to be with you today. >> students take a stand on graduation day at a historically black college, turning their backs on the education secretary. good morning from the studio 57 newsroom at cbs news headquarters here in new york. good to be with you. i'm anne-marie green.

well, days before he was fired, former fbi director james comey asked for more resources into the investigation of russirussia and the u.s. election. president trump explained why he was fired and he told staffers he will be fine. hena daniels is here in new york. good morning. >> good morning. acting fbi director andrew mccabe will be speaking before the committee. while the investigation into the president's alleged links with russia accelerates. >> he was not doing a good job. >> president trump continued to defend his firing of james comey wednesday night. >> i think it would not be a bad thing for the american people if he did step down. >> tweeting out this video of several democrats calling for the former fbi director's resignation in the past.

the post came on the same day comey issued a farewell letter to his bureau wrietding in part, i have long believed that a president can fire an fbi director for any reason, adding, quote, i will be fine. >> frankly he had been considering letting director comey go since the day he was elected. >> the white house has cited comey's handling of hillary clinton's e-mail scandal as a determination. democrats maintain it's all a coverup. comey had recently asked attorney general rod rosenstein more resources into the fbi's probe, examining possible collusion between the trump campaign and russia. >> he feels the dragnet tightening on the russian investigation. i believe that's why he let him go. >> as democrats ask for a special prosecutor, at least one republican, utah representative jason chaffetz, called on the department. >> we have three investigations right now.

>> let's get them through, see them done, go on a lead. >> meanwhile the national intelligence committee has subpoenaed his ousted security adviser michael flynn. they're seeking any documents relating to russian interference in the 2016 presidential election which flynn has yet to turn over. and aside from acting fbi director andrew mccabe, national intelligence director dan coats and mike pompeo are both expected to testify today. comey has been invited the testify next week. >> hena daniels here in new york. thank you, hena. ahead on "cbs this morning" we'll talk with white house press secretary sarah huckabee sanders about the comey dismissal. russian president vladimir putin spoke regarding the firing of fbi director james comey. speaking through a translator putin spoke to elizabeth palmer before playing in a hockey game yesterday.

>> president trump is acting in accordance with his competence, in accordance with his law. >> putin said comey's dismissal will have no effect on u.s./russian relations. loud cheers and boos for betsy devos when she gave the commemoration at a university in florida, a historically black university. the graduating students tried to shut down devos and at one point turned their backs on her. at one point the president stepped in and issued a warning. >> if this behavior continues, your degrees will be mailed to you. >> devos alienated many in february when she described historically black colleges as, quote, real pioneers when it comes to school choice. she later acknowledged these colleges were born out of necessity in the face of racism.

secretary of energy rick perry acknowledges there's a problem with nuclear waste. a tunnel collapsed at the hanford site. the tunnel was sealed shut with eight railroad cars full of radioactive waste back in 1965. now, the cause of the collapse is under investigation. john blackstone reports. >> reporter: with a machine blowing mist to keep down dust, workers began filling the gaping 400-square-foot hole in the tunnel holding contaminated nuclear waste. basically pouring dirt back into this hole? is that the plan? >> they're refilling the hole, that's right. >> reporter: mark keyter is spokesman for hanford. >> it doesn't sound like a sophisticated plan frankly. much of the site was put on lockdown. >> there's a collapse into the tunnel. >> the sirens go off, you're told to take cover. how unusual is that out there? >> very. i've never experienced it.

>> reporter: this welder was working about a quarter mile away. >> when i seen them, all the fire trucks and ambulances and everything over by purex, that kind of surge home. it was like, geez. >> reporter: well, the department of radiatii says no has escaped from the tunnel, hanford has a long history of problems. plutonium used to make nuclear bombs for 40 years has left a mess. it includes 56 million gallons stored in 177 underground tanks, some of which has leaked. hanford is often described as the most polluted site in the country. cbs ne cbs ne cbs news skriec cbs news scientist michio kaku.

>> a major earthquake, major fire could cause a disaster beyond our imagination. >> reporter: the cleanup at hanford started some 25 years ago, but it's far from finish. latest estimates show it will be another 30 years at least before the work is finished. john blackstone, cbs news, hanford, washington. overseas there's been another death over anti-government protests in venezuela. a 27-year-old man was killed yesterday during violent demonstrations in the capital of caracas. 93 people were injured and at least 38 people have been killed in a month of street protests. demonstrators blame the government for triple-digit inflation, shortages of food, and medical supplies and soaring crime. coming up on the "morning news," pot passage. vermont's legislature makes history with a marijuana bill. and later, fins up. sharks are spotted off southern california. this is the "cbs morning news." sharks are spotted off southern california. this is the "cbs morning news." it's the phillips' lady!

anyone ever have occasional constipation,diarrhea, gas or bloating? she does. she does. help defend against those digestive issues. take phillips' colon health probiotic caps daily

with three types of good bacteria. 400 likes? wow! try phillips' colon health.

a shark was not happy about sharing the ocean with them. a police helicopter spotted the 12-footer with two juvenile sharks yesterday near san clemente. a woman was bitten by a shark last month in the same area. the beach isn't closed, but surfers are being warned of the risk. the rock wrestles with the idea of being president, and vermont passes a historic marijuana bill. those are some of the stories on the morning newsstand. the burlington free press of vermont says the state legislature is the first to appro approve legalized marijuana. others have recognized it following a voter referendum. the bill had passed the state senate. the governor has expressed reservation about signing it. the "orlando sentinel" reports that the widow of the pulse nightclub killer must wait

for her appeal. she's accused of abetting her husband in the attack that killed 49 people. two transgender military cadets will not be commissioned as officers. they're due to graduate next month one from west point and the other. the record in new jersey says a ship is now in the bottom of the atlantic. the coast guard cutter was intentionally sunk yesterday to expand an artificial reef. the ship helped to rescue seven people in new england waters during the fierce 1991 storm. and dwayne johnson tells "gq" that he sees running for pretty as a real possibility. johnson says he turned down requests for endorsements last year from presidential candidate. the muscular rock is the world's highest paid movie star. still to come, steady hand. we'll show you an amazing new watch that reduces the tremors

that parkinson's patients live with. that parkinson's patients live with. it feels so good! ♪ in the first two months, members have lost 15% more weight than on our prior program! join for free and get a one month free! hurry, offer ends may 22nd!

so i use excedrin.ments from my life. it starts to relieve migraine pain in just 30 minutes. and it works on my symptoms, too. now moments lost to migraines are moments gained with excedrin. [heartbeat] and let roomba from irobot help with your everyday messes. roomba navigates your entire home. cleaning up pet hair and debris for up to 2 hours. which means your floors are always clean. you and roomba, from irobot. better. together. here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. i've actually just written my name for like the first time

in ages. an experimental watch could ease the arm tremors often suffered by parkinson's patients. microsoft showed a video about the device yesterday at its tech show in seattle. the company is testing it on a small group of people who have the disease. on the "cbs moneywatch" now, snapchat stalls, and a report card for airlines. jill wagner is at the new york stock exchange with that and more. good morning, jill. >> good morning, anne-marie. it's been a relatively quiet week on wall street. the price of oil jumped yesterday about 3%. the dow, though, lost about 32 points dragged down by the shares of disney. the s&p gained 2 points. the nasdaq gained 8 points. parent company snap chat reported slower user growth and that expected and revenue that missed analysts' projections.

snapchat is 1y50 messenger apps and snap chairs plunged 24% in trading. they're facing competition from copy cat messenger apps and facebook whih is offering similar things. whole foods announced a major shakeup after posting 17 quarters of declining sales. five members of the 12-person board were replaced. whole foods said it will cut costs by $300 million including cutting to store staffing and offer programs to discount coupons. delta's installing 28 lie-flat seats. in mini sweets. according to "flightglobal," the sweets will have partition, but that means nine fewer seats on the aircraft. a new survey found that customer satisfaction is up for a fifth year in a row. the reason, according to jp powers, cheaper fares, better

on-time performance, all-time low bump rates and fewer mishandled backs. southwest was the highest rated low cost carrier and the top rated carrier overall. and for the tenth consecutive year, air alaska was the top legacy carrier. anne-marie. >> that's good news and sort of a reminder that the stories we see in the news is not the norm, that most people are enjoying their traveling experience. >> and you have to wonder, did all this stuff happen before and we just never had cameras on our phone to record it. >> that's a really good point, jill. jill wagner at the new york stock exchange. thank you so much. well, some of seattle's homeless will share a downtown site with the amazon company. the company has been sheltering needy people in a hotel they owned. instead of evicting them when construction starts, the charity will give them space in in the new building. >> being inclusive and having

everybody be a part and, you know, all be neighbored together is important. >> the company says it will spend tens of millions of dollars over the long term to add the housing. still ahead, a warning about drugs in your medicine cabinet. how some common painkillers can increase your risk of a heart attack. binet. how some common painkillers can increase your risk of a heart attack. flo: [ amplified ] i got this. guys, i know being a first-time homeowner is scary, but you don't have to do this. man #2: what if a tree falls on our garage? woman: what if a tornado rips off our roof? flo: you're covered. and you've bundled your home and auto insurance, so you're saving a ton. come on. you don't want to start your new life in a dirty old truck. man #3: hey. man #1: whoa, whoa. flo: sorry. woman: oh. flo: you're safe. you're safe now. woman: i think i'm gonna pass out. can you stop using the bullhorn? flo: i don't make the rules. can you stop using the bullhorn? doctors recommend taking claritin every day distracting you? of your allergy season for continuous relief. claritin provides powerful, non-drowsy, 24-hour relief. for fewer interruptions from the amazing things you do every day. live claritin clear. every day.

it's looking up, not down.ng fit's being in motion. boost® high protein it's intelligent nutrition with 15 grams of protein and 26 vitamins and minerals. boost® the number one high protein complete nutritional drink. reception turns into an all-out brawl... we'll hear from the owner of the venue. as washington sounds off on president trump's firing of f-b-i director james comey -- bay area activists are also making their voices heard. and hundreds of drivers in one bay area city are due for a refund on red light tickets after a big mistake... join us for kpix 5 news this morning... beginning at 4:30. good morning. it's thursd,,

here's look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. astronomers have released a stunning new image of a cosmic show that was first spotted nearly a thousand years ago. the picture of crab nebula was formed with data from five telescopes. it was caused by a stellar

explosion 6,500 light years from earth. an illinois woman and her dog are now safe after being lost for six days in northern montana. searchers found them yesterday. and airlifted them from a wilderness preserve. she vanished last week after going on a hike. >> it started off being just my dog and i going on a little hike, realized i didn't have water, found a swimming hole, swam in it, got back up, took a wrong turn. >> well, the woman said they survived by drinking from natural springs. and researchers are learning more about the risks posed by a common pain reliever. dr. jon lapook has the latest finding. >> researchers pulled data from four trials to study almost 450,000 patients. the risk of heart attack after taking common painkillers like ibuprofen and naproxen

alzheimer's known as nsaids increased by 50%. the risk was greater at a higher dose. dr. steve nissen has studied the risk between heart attack and nsaid that allowing people to suffer from pain is not always acceptable and so we try to work with our patients and we try to find the best pathway to relieving their pain without causing them to have a second heart attack. >> reporter: nissin points out that a 20% to 50% risk has to be put in perspective. for example, a healthy young man has much less than a 1% annual risk of a heart attack. would you say then that the take-home message from this kind of study really applies to people at high risk for heart disease rather than the general public? >> there's probably some risk for everybody, but the absolutely degree of risk is much higher for people who have heart disease.

it's intermediate for people who don't have heart disease but have risk factors and it's particularly low if you're young and healthy. >> nissin says nsaids always carry some risk, so people should take the lowest dose for the least amount of time. dr. jon lapook, cbs news, new york. well, coming up after your local news on "cbs this morning," grammy winning country singer chris stapleton talks with anthony mason about his new album. i'm anne-marie green. this is the "cbs morning news." right now at kohl's

get 25% off nike for mom. that's 25% off select nike shoes, apparel and accessories just in time for mother's day! and, everyone gets kohl's cash! earn it on everything! spend it on anything! right now at kohl's. of being there for my son's winning shot. that was it for me. that's why i'm quitting with nicorette. only nicorette mini has a patented fast dissolving formula. it starts to relieve sudden cravings fast. every great why needs a great how. uhh, this is never easy, sugar, but your position here has been made redundant. what? who's replacing me? splenda naturals? well... she's made with stevia. come on! stevia has a bitter aftertaste. hold on. splenda naturals is not bitter. she's as sweet as sweet can be, and calorie-free. again with the calories? it turns out people don't want extra calories. so that's it? no, we made you a cake.

with sugar? oh, no. (laughing)

our top story this morning, president trump says he fired fbi director james comey because comey wasn't doing a good job. shortly before he was dismissed, comey asked the justice department for more resources for his investigation into possible collusion between the trump campaign and russia. in a farewell letter comey said he'll be fine. and the senate intelligence committee subpoenaed documents from former national security adviser mike an flynn related to his russian ties. president trump met yesterday with sergey lavrov.

it was the president's highest level in-person contact with russia since taking office. kenneth craig reports. >> reporter: cameras caught russian foreign minister sergey lavrov going into the white house, but the u.s. press corps was kept out of his oval office meeting with president trump. instead they were given these handout photos from the russian government. president trump spoke about the meeting after lavrov left the grounds. >> we want to see the killing -- the horrible killing in syria stop as soon as possible, and everybody is working toward that end. >> reporter: improving russian relations was also a chief topic. lavrov said he appreciates the business-like approach of president trump and secretary of state rex tillerson. >> translator: they're willing to negotiate, to come to an agreement in order to address and settle certain issues. >> the high-profile day-to-day meeting came after fbi director james comey was fired after overseeing the election and russia and possible ties. between trump associates and moscow.

putin asked president trump to meet with his top diplomat. also in attendance at the white house meeting was the russian manager to the u.s., sergey kislyak. kislyak was entangled in the dismissal of former national security adviser michael flynn. kenneth craig, cbs news, the white house. well, coming up after your local news on thk, r"cbs this morning," robocalls are the number one complaint to the federal communications commission. they share in efforts to crack down on nearly 30 billion scam calls each year. plus, gayle talked with singer john legend about his efforts to push for criminal justice reform and give former felons a new chance at life. and country music star chris stapleton talks with anthony mason about life after the success of his last album. >> we're still adjusting as far as touring goes. like i remember the first time i had somebody tune a guitar for me. that was a moment. it's like, ah, man, this is the

greatest thing on earth. it's one of the best feelings ever. >> it's the little things. >> it's the little things. >> well, that is 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 kenny choi. it is time to rise and shine as we take a live look at the bay bridge this morning. time to get ready and bike to work today. it is "bike to work" day. it is thursday, may 11. i'm kenny choi. >> i'm michelle griego. so good luck if you are going

on your bike this morning. we ride to work in our cars. [ laughter ] >> how is everyone doing? >> it's really early! >> 4 a.m. from, you know, in the far east where you live to here, that's what, a day and a half? >> would never see me again! >> mr. choi, nice to see you. a lot of clouds around, temperatures in the 50s. it's going to be a bone- chilling day. we'll have temperatures mostly in the 60s. clouds out the door. numbers in the 50s. it will be dry. we'll have a look at the forecast in just minutes. but first, traffic. >> all right. good morning. we are taking a live look at your ride over at the bay bridge toll plaza. you see a few cars backing up it looks like that's in the cash lanes and they are just