city. good night. captioning funded by cbs it's friday, april 13th, 2018. this is the "cbs morning news." pulling now punches. an explosive new book by former fbi director james comey takes aim at the president. republicans are gearing up to fire back. >> how could the trump know if the terrorists used this or the syrian government did this. >> a decision on possible military action in syria. president trump talks with allies as he decides his next move. and wall of flames. wildfires in the heartland have people running for their lives.

good morning from the studio 57 newsroom at cbs news headquarters in new york. good to be with you. i'm anne-marie green. well, nearly a year after he was fired by president trump, former fbi director james comey is about to release a sharply critical book about the president. comey says the president is untruthful, ego-driven, and compared him to a mafia don. the "associated press" and others have details about the memoir, and john schiumo is here in new york with more. good morning, john. >> good morning to you, anne-marie. the republicans are already mounting a defense to comey's upcoming autobiography. it's at times highly critical of the president and his inner circle. james comey calls unethical in his new book, "a higher loyalty." he blasted the president as untethered to truth and goes on

to say he's ego-driven. >> i was honestly concerned that he might lie about the nature of our meeting and so i thought it really important to document. >> comey recalls briefing the trump team before the inauguration on the allegations contained in the then unsub stants yated dossier on russian interference with the election. comey writes, they were about to lead a country that had been attacked by a foreign adversary, yet they had no questions about what the future russian threat might be. instead, comey writes, they launched into a strategy session about how to spin what we just told them to the public. the republican national committee set to launch an aggressive response to the book just unveiled a new website called lien comey.com. i spent some time on that new website this morning. it says comey wants to portray himself as a nonpartisan boy scout rather than a washington insider.

it also feature, anne-marie, several video clips of prominent democrats criticizing comey's judgment and his integrity. cbs news has confirmed president trump plans to pardon lewis "scooter" libby. he was convicted of perjury in 2007 in connection with the connection of the leak regarding valerie plame. president george w. bush committed his jury sentence but did not grant him a full target. libby claims he was unfairly targeted with patrick fitzgerald who was friends with james comey. the white house says president trump has not made a final decision on how to respond to a chemical weapons attack in syria. the president met with his national security team yesterday. the u.n. security council has scheduled another emergency meeting this morning.

teri okita is in london. teri, good morning. >> good morning. they're still contemplating how best to respond to the attack that killed at least 42 people in the syrian town of douma. french fighter jets set off on a training drill as the u.s. and european allies considered whether to strike back the syrian regime for a suspected chlorine gas attack that killed dozens of civilians including children. they have proof that they used chemical weapons. after an emergency cabinet meeting british leaders say it's highly unlikely the british regime is responsible for the attack. >> those responsible are held accountable. >> a team of weapons investigation officials is expected tomorrow. u.s. officials say blood samples from chemical weapons were used

but they don't know who used them. the syrian regime or as they claim rebels hoping to overthrow the syrian government. >> we do not know from this investigating team that goes in who did it. they can only say they found evidence or not. >> despite president trump's warnings of missile warnings, life goes on in the city of damascus. seven years of war have some syrians numb to threats. >> we still have a gd life. we're not worried about this, not a lot. >> the worry for the u.s. and its allies is how to stop chemical weapon attacks. if chemical weapons investigators make it in to douma tomorrow, it's unclear how their presence would affect the timing in the military action. anne-marie? >> teri okita in london. thank you so much, teri. in a surprise move president ordered a study of the u.s. postal system. he said they're on an unsustainable financial path and must be restructured to prevent a taxpayer bailout.

in recent months the president has been criticizing amazon.com, acushion it or not paying its fair taxes and harming the postal service. and at least one republican senator rands paul says he'll vote against confirming mike pompeo as secretary of state. during his hearing yesterday, pompeo, currently the cia chief, vowed to take a hard line against russia, and he seems to contradict the president's claim that the current troubles with russia are the result of the russian meddling in the election. >> it's caused by russian bad behavior. >> pompeo said he takes a back seat to no one when it comes to standing up to russia. when asked if he would resign if the president moved to resign him, he said no. bill cosby's chief accuser

is set to take the witness stand today in his sexual assault retrial. cosby is charged with drugging and molesting andrea constand in his suburban home in 2004. this is the second time he'll face a jury. the first trial resulted in a hung jury. he said the sexual encounter was consensual. the main teachers union in oklahoma is calling for an end to the teachers walkout. yesterday was the ninth day of a strike. a number of school districts have already closed for today. the oklahoma education association announced a deal for the largest ever teacher pay raise, about $6,000 a year. the teachers wanted $10,000. meanwhile arizona's doug ducey is proposing a 20% raise by 2020. teachers who have been demanding higher salaries and more funding want details before they react to the proposal. the federal tax deadline is next tuesday, april 17th.

so far the irs has issued 79 million refunds this year. a new tax scam is depriving victims of their money. criminals get ahold of returns from previous years. they use that information to file fraudulent returns aft. after the bogus refunds go into the bank ktds, crooks call victims and direct them to a bogus website to refund the money. watch out for that. coming up on the "morning news" now, narrow escape. a storm tracker runs from a wildfire in the nick of time. and a desperate call for help. why some people are blaming 911 for a teenager's tragic death. this is the "cbs morning news." teenager's tragic death. this is the "cbs morning news." ? strong chemo can put you at risk of serious infection, which could lead to hospitalizations. in a key study, neulasta reduced the risk of infection from 17% to 1%, a 94% decrease.

applied the day of chemo, neulasta onpro is designed to deliver neulasta the next day, so you can stay home. neulasta is for certain cancer patients receiving strong chemotherapy. do not take neulasta if you're allergic to neulasta or neupogen (filgrastim). ruptured spleen, sometimes fatal as well as serious lung problems, allergic reactions, kidney injuries, and capillary leak syndrome have occurred. report abdominal or shoulder tip pain, trouble breathing or allergic reactions to your doctor right away. in patients with sickle cell disorders, serious, sometimes fatal crises can occur. the most common side effect is bone and muscle ache. so why go back there? if you'd rather be home, ask your doctor about neulasta onpro. seventh generation gets the laundry detergent from plants, not petroleum. and this stuff beets stains. its kind of a big dill. it squashes sixty of your toughest stains. seventh generation. powered by plants

a close call for a storm tracker in oklahoma. he had to run from a fast-moving wildfire yesterday. he got into his truck and

escaped the flames by driving in reverse. that was one of several wildfires burning throughout the state. forecasters say oklahoma is expecting historic wildfire threat levels, which are expected to get even worse today. more than 135,000 acres have burned so far. the ceo of backpage.com pleads guilty, and an emergency call system is under investigation. those are some of the headlines on the morning newsstand. "the cincinnati enquirer" reports on warnings about the city's 911 system before a teenager's death. 16-year-old kyle plush called 911 twice on tuesday. he was begging for help after getting trapped under the back seat of his minivan. he gave his location in a school parking lot, a description of his vehicle, and said he was unable to breathe. the dispatcher didn't pass on all the information to the police looking for the boy. they couldn't find him. his father did, almost five hours later.

plush had suffocated. an investigation is under way. a son and daughter were charged with incest. they had been arrested earlier this year on incest charges. police say the man killed their 7-month-old baby and then drove to kentucky and then shot his daughter and her adopted father yesterday. investigators say he then killed himself. the "sacramento bee" reports the ceo of backpage.com pleaded guilty to federal and state charges. they called it an online brothel and shut it down. yesterday carl ferrer pleaded to reduced charges including conspiracy and money laundering. he also agreed to help in prosecuting the site's creators. also in texas yesterday prosecutors said the company pleaded guilty to human trafficking. "the texas tribune" reports

that steve stockman was accused of wire fraud and money laundering. he was found guilty of taking more than a million dollars intended for charity and voter he used the money for personal and campaign expenses. his lawyers say they'll appeal the verdict. and the hartfield current reports on a substitute teacher charged with running a fight club at a connecticut fight club. he was arrested on charges of reckless endangerment and risk of injury to a minor. he encouraged students to smack each other in one-on-one fights. fish says he wanted to be friends with students. he pleaded not guilty. still to come, a path of destruction. video captures a dangerous avalanche sending people running for their lives. ends people running for their lives. l you something? licking, scratching, scooting, and rubbing may be signs of allergic itch,

a medical condition that may require treatment. that's why there's prescription apoquel: the revolutionary medicine that's giving millions of dogs the relief they deserve. apoquel goes to the source of the itch to provide relief in as little as 4 hours. woof and apoquel is safe without many of the side effects associated with the use of steroids. apoquel is for the control of itch associated with allergic dermatitis and the control of atopic dermatitis in dogs. do not use apoquel in dogs less than 12 months old or those with serious infections. apoquel may increase the chance of developing serious infections and may cause existing parasitic skin infestations or pre-existing cancers to worsen. do not use in breeding, pregnant, or lactating dogs. most common side effects are vomiting and diarrhea. don't wait. ask your veterinarian about apoquel today. apoquel. it's itch relief worth barking about. bark well, here's to first dates! you look amazing. and you look amazingly comfortable. when your v-neck looks more like a u-neck...

that's when you know, it's half-washed. add downy to keep your collars from stretching. unlike detergent alone, downy conditions to smooth and strengthen fibers. so, next time don't half-wash it. downy and it's done. forecast in some cities around the country. here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. an avalanche at a ski resort town in france is caught on camera. the cascade of snow can be seen coming down a mountain tuesday. it comes crashing down on a road where workers were clearing snow from a previous slide. they had to run for their lives

as the snow poured on the road. there were no reports of injury. on the "cbs moneywatch," tpp may be back on the table, and a new condiment from heinz. laura podesta is here in new york with that and more. good morning, laura. >> good morning, anne-marie. this morning an update on president trump reconsidering rejoining the tpp. last night he tweeted would only join tpp if the deal were substantially better than the deal offered to president obama. last year president trump pulled the u.s. out of the free trade pact he called unfair to americans. on wall street, an easing of concerns about a trade war with china and expectations of strong earnings reports sent stocks higher. taking a look at the dow jones industrial, it added 293 points. the s&p 500 gained nearly 22 and the nasdaq come possible it finished 71 points higher.

the electric carmaker tesla and the ntsb are clashing over an investigation into a fatal car crash. the crash in california last month involved an suv using tesla's autopilot system. federal investigators removed tesla from the group investigating the crash. the ntsb says it has removed tesla because the company prematurely made information public. the german automaker volkswagen has a new ceo. herbert diess replaces matthias mueller. vw moves to make faster decisions on autonomous and electric cars. mueller took over in 2015 following the scandal over rigging cars to beat emissions tests. going against the retail grain, nordstrom opened its first nondiscount store in new york city and its first menswear-only store. the nordstrom store opened for business yesterday. it combines in-store services

such as tailoring and shoe shines with high-tech digital ordering. nordstrom executives told "business insider" the company has a real opportunity to do this right as other retailers are shutting stores and shopping shifts online. and, anne-marie, heinz is introducing a new condi meant called mayo-chup. it's a premade blend of mayonnaise and ketchup and you can vote on whether to enter it in the u.s. you can vote on twitter. if mayo-chup gets 500,000 yes votes, it will be released in the u.s. it's currently released in the middle east and some gulf states. back to you, anne-marie. >> laura, i'm into it. >> i already do that with ketchup and mayo. >> i always put mayo on my fries. why not. i like the combination. >> yeah. and now it will be in just one bottle and it will be easier. >> now i'm going get a lot of messages i know i'm not going to

like. laura, thanks so much. >> thanks. still ahead, crossfit at the zoo. a gorilla gets a workout with his trainer, and a video that's become an internet sensation. i wanted to be clear. i wanted it to last.

find clear skin that lasts. beat a popular restaurant owner to death. the vice mayor in one bay area city says she won't run for another term on the council... what she says has made the job unbearable... and the u-s military and its allies are ramping up preparations for a possible showdown in syria... we'll have the very latest from the white house. join us for kpix 5 news this morning... beginning at 4:30. good morning. it's friday, ap

here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. forecast in some cities around the country. you've heard the expression, monkey see, monkey do. at busch gardens in tampa, it was a case of gorilla see, gorilla do. a gorilla named bolingo is seen mimicking his trainer as she does a handstand along the glass wall. it's become an internet sensation. his trainer says she loves working with bolingo because of his personality. and it's hard to get through law school, but a mother of five overcame huge difficulties to do

it and she did it with the help of her five children. there she is with her five kids. they proudly hold signs saying i did it and i helped. she was homeless for a while and dropped out of high school. later she dropped out of school, lost her job and her children's father died from cancer. she considered suicide but her pastor convinced her to get her ged when she was pregnant with her fourth child. >> i thought she was crazy. i'm 25 with too many kids. come on, now. >> her kids helped her succeed quizzing her with flash cards ads she cooked and acting as mock jurors to help her pass her tests. champs will graduate from law school next month. >> items that once belonged to actress glamour queen zsa zsa gabor are on display at her mansion. they include furniture, dresses, jewelry, and a saddle ronald reagan gave her.

there's also a gold-plated piano she played. gabor died at the age of 99. her auction is tomorrow. coming up on "cbs this morning," we talk with country music star chris young. this is the "cbs morning news." for that big moment. for that first hug. colgate total fights bacteria on teeth, tongue, cheeks and gums for a healthier mouth. so you're totally ready! colgate total. be totally ready for life. non-drowsy claritin 24 hour relief when allergies occur. day after day, after day. because life should have more wishes and less worries. feel the clarity and live claritin clear. amazingly delicious breyers ice cream for 330 calories a pint?

now possible. new breyers delights. indulge without all the guilt. celebrate friendship and beyond at the first ever pixar fest with all new fireworks and your favorite park parades. only at disneyland resort.

our top stories this morning. former fbi director james comey blasts president trump the in in in a new book. comey writes his presidency much of what's good in the nation. the president fired comey last year and has called him a liar. and the white house says the president has not made a final decision about how to respond to a suspected chemical weapons attack in syria and will consult further with u.s. allies. mr. trump met with his national security advisers yesterday. so-called dockless bikes offer an inexpensive and

convenient way to commute in urban areas, but it's creating a headache for certain communities. danielle nottingham has more. >> reporter: from california to the nation's capitol, computers like luke rosche-ritchie are riding electric scooters. >> i like the dockless ones you drop off forever and hopefully find one when you need one. >> reporter: dockless scooters like dockless bikes allow them to leave them wherever they end their trip instead of returning them to a docking station. >> this is all done with your smartphone. >> that's correct. >> reporter: zack bartlett with limebike says you locate a scooter with an app, scan the code to unlock it, and ride. it's become so pop larks starts like ofo, bird, and others have ramped up across the country. >> reporter: along with success come complaints as they pile up

over user etiquette. bikes scattered on sidewalks and streetsides have pushed places like california to restrict their use. >> there's the scooter kind of in the middle of the sidewalk blocking off swaths of people. it can be really annoying. >> reporter: cities like san francisco are sending out warnings. >> if they want to continue this level of arrogance, we'll impound their scooters and send them packing. >> reporter: limebike says it uses online tutorials to teach customers how to be responsible. >> user education, you know, it's important to us because we understand it's a new technology and we want to make sure, a, people know how to ride it safe, and, b, park it responsibly. >> reporter: with the scooter costing a couple dollars an hour, riders say you can't bead the convenience. danielle nottingham, cbs news, los angeles. coming up on "cbs this morning," gayle talks with tesla's ceo elon musk and takes a tour of his silicon factory

where for the first time network cameras were allowed inside the model 3 production line. plus only on "cbs this morning," jamie siminoff on the smart doorbell ring that was just purchased by amazon. and we talk with country music star chris young ahead of this weekend's country music awards. that's the "cbs morning news" for this friday. thanks for watching. i'm anne-marie green. have a great day. i'm -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

i'm michelle griego. good morning, everyone. taking a live look out at the beautiful bay bridge. it's friday, april 13th. that's friday the 13th. >> mm-hm. >> cue the scary music. >> i like friday, april 13th.

>> we are going to try to keep it cool today. you're michelle griego. i'm anne makovec in for kenny choi. we have a look at traffic and weather this friday morning. everything cool, right? >> yeah. >> as of right now, everything is cool. it is cool out there. we don't have a full moon. we don't have thunder and lightning today. sorry. let's show you what's going on. clear conditions this morning. that's also why it is going to feel brisk for a lot of folks. you start off cool but look what happens. this afternoon temperatures 10 degrees warmer than yesterday. tomorrow sunny. sunday a cold front will pass through. i'll let you know what it expect as we get ready for the weekend. i'm ready for the weekend. happy friday. so far we have one accident alon