it's wednesday, november 21, 2018. this is the "cbs morning news." it's go time. millions of americans hit the highways and skyways and rails. tainted lettuce alert. health officials tell americans to avoid eating romaine lettuce. and stock market free fall. what started the plunge that what started the plunge that wiped out the year's gain. captioning funded by cbs good morning from the studio 57 newsroom at cbs news headquarters here in new york.

it's good to be with you. i'm anne-marie green. well, this morning a thanksgiving getaway is in high ke a look at the gridlock here at the los angeles airport. that's last night. triple "a" predicts over fifty 4 million americans will hit the roads, sky, and rails this thanksgiving, the most since 2005, and most people will be driving. laura podesta is here in new york. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. today is expected to be the second busiest travel day this week and that's only after sunday when everyone wants to head home. >> terrible, terrible, terrible. >> reporter: traffic is as expected across the country. new york, maryland, and los angeles all seeing the usual holiday rush. >> right now travel times only, i can't believe i'm saying only, only double what they should be on the 405. >> i think tuesday and wednesday are both just insane travel days during thanksgiving.

>> snow in boston didn't help. >> we've been on the road for 75 minutes, hour and a half or so. we're about 15 miles out of boston. >> it's only going to get worse. 48.5 million americans are expected to hit the road this year. that's up about 5% from last year. and it comes despite the highest gas prices since 2014. >> we see that consumer confidence is at an 18-year high. and we also see that wages are up, americans have more disposable income. they're putting it towards a trip with friends and family this year. >> it won't be that much easier for the sky. they're expecting 2.5 million flyers a day. sunday could set a record of more than 3 million passengers going through checkpoints. >> i'm just ready to get on the plane and be there. >> we are traveling at the most busiest time of the year. christmas we're going to be staying home. >> favorable weather across the country has so far led to minimal cancellations. heavy fog in seattle forced

about 400 delays yesterday. and more snow is expected in boston later today. the northeast could see some of the coldest thanksgiving weather in decades. anne-marie, people here need to bundle up and be prepared to hit the brakes if they're traveling the roads to their turkey dinner. >> definitely bundle up, especially if you're watching the parade here in new york as well. thank you so much. >> thanks. if you were planning to have romaine lettuce as part of your thanksgiving feast, don't. the food and drug administration is warning us to stop eating romaine let tuesday because of a nooyi colely outbreak. >> as a new warning from the cdc if a romaine lettuce is on the menu. >> if they have gone to the store and have it in their homes, throw it away. >> they say no romaine is safe following a breakout of e-coli in 11 states and canada.

32 people have become ill and 13 people have been hospitalized since october 31. >> we are getting reports from health departments that there are some more illnesses being reported. >> doctors say this particular bacterial strain of e-coli is an especially dangerous one. >> not only does it produce a diarial disease, but it can produce a toxin and poison that involves the kidneys. so you can get subsequent kidney failure. >> this strain is the same one that sickened people in the u.s. and canada last fall. they're still working to figure out where this tainted romaine originated. ileana diaz, cbs news. bob corker of tennessee said he never thought he'd see the day a white house would moonlight as a public relations firm for the crown prince the saudi arabia. he was reacting to president

trump's decision not to punish the crown prince of vaug for the murder of jamal khashoggi. mr. trump's critics say he's putting economics ahead of morality and human rights. as weija jiang reports, it appears a defiant president trump stood up for what he described as a great ally. >> it's a very complex situation, it's a shame, but it is what it is. >> reporter: that's how president trump described the killing of "washington post" contributor jamal khashoggi just moments before taking off to spend thanksgiving at his florida resort. >> $3 billion, 5 thirty 3 million dollars. >> reporter: the president said he will not scrap an arms deal with the saudis or punish its crown prince, mohammed bin salman. u.s. officials tell cbs news the cia concluded bin salman ordered the murder but president trump said they are not certain. >> they've looked at it, they've studied it a lot, they have nothing definitive. >> president trump said in a statement it could very well be that the crown prince had

knowledge of this tragic event. maybe he did and maybe he didn't adding in any case, our relationship is with the kingdom of saudi arabia. khashoggi entered the saudi consulate in istanbul on october 2nd and was never seen again. they have since admitted he was killed while inside. despite the kingdom's role in the murder, the president defended his decision to maintain strong economic ties to saudi arabia. >> because it's america first to me, it's all about america first. we're not going to give up hundreds of billions of dollars in orders and let russia, china, and everybody else have them. >> it's a mean, nasty world out there. but the middle east in particular. >> reporter: secretary of state mike pompeo echoed the message. >> this is a long, historic commitment and one that is absolutely vital to america's national security. >> reporter: congressional criticism of the administration has been swift. republican rand paul said the president's statement was saudi arabia first, not america first.

and democrat mark warner said it was a retreat from american leadership on issues like human rights. still, president trump said he'd be open to meeting the crown prince when he attends a summit later this month. weija jiang, cbs news, west palm beach, florida. well, special counsel robert mueller's next move is unclear now that president trump handed over written answers to mueller's questions about russia interference in the 2016 clection election. this is the first time president trump has cooperated with the mueller investigation. the staff and mueller negotiated for months whether mr. trump would sit for an interview. the written answers may delay or prevent an appearance by the president. and now to northern california where rain is forecast from today through the weekend possibly producing flash floods in an area already devastated by the deadliest wildfire in the state's history. flash flood watches and winter weather advisories are posted in the area of the so-called

campfire. it's killed at least 81 people and burned over 152,000 acres. this morning, it's 75% contained. meg oliver got a look at the destruction from the air. >> reporter: one of the most striking parts of flying above the deadliest fire in history are the trees still standing while every home around them lies in ruin. it shows the power of the wind pushing flames horizontally consuming everything in its path. and now a new threat to this tinder dry land, flash floods. >> anytime that we have a fire and it turns the vegetation off, there's also a potential for mudslides. we've got a team that's coming to check the area, they can let us know the highest potential. >> 4 inches are expected to fall over the next days, adding to the misery. someday we'll know what started this fire and people here will begin to rebuild. for now, it's about the grief and this enormous sense of loss.

wall street opens this morning following its second major selloff in a row. apparent worries about the global economy pushed stocks lower erasing gains for the year. the tech-heavy nasdaq closed at its lowest in more than seven months. apple sank more than 4.8%. retailers are hoping for relief heading into the busiest shopping weekend of the year. the dow jones industrial closed 551 points lower, the s&p 500 fell 48 points, and the nasdaq lost 119 points. coming up on "the morning news," investigating rivals. president trump reportedly wanted the justice department to prosecute hillary clinton. and mansion murder. a fire at a home in new jersey kills a family. this is the "cbs morning news." hillary clinton. and a mansion mystery, a fire that killed a family of four. this is the "cbs morning news."

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do you see anybody? >> a video released by the los angeles fire department shows two helicopter pilots make a daring rescue this month of three people and two dogs trapped by the southern california wildfires. the pilots just finished making a water drop when they got a call about people stuck in the malibu hills. with smoke and power lines surrounding them, they landed the chopper. one of the pilots ran out to get the stranded group and bring them on board. the people and the dogs were unharmed. there are calls to investigate ivanka trump's personal e-mail use. and tragedy at a new jersey mansion. those are some of the headlines on the morning news stand. newjersey.com reports a couple and their two children were found done in a burning mansion. in an apparent quadruple homicide. they say the fire was deliberately set.

the body of keith caneiro was found in front of the home reportedly with at least one gunshot wound that was not self-inflicted. his 45-year-old wife jennifer and two children were found dead inside. earlier in the day there was a fire at his brother's home about ten miles away and police are investigating if that fire was related. the new york times says that last spring president trump told white house counsel don mcgahn that he wanted the justice department to prosecute former fbi james comey and political rival hillary clinton. mcgahn told mr. trump that he had no authority to order that. and he wrote a memo warning of possible kongs consequences con possible impeachment. they declined to comment. and republican and democratic lawmakers are calling for investigation has no ivanka trump's use of a personal e-mail account for government business. the president's daughter reportedly sent hundreds of

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here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. on the "cbs moneywatch," a major student loan servicing company is accused of unfair practices and former toys "r" us workers get some holiday help. diane king hall is at the new york stock exchange with that and more. good morning, diane. >> good morning, anne-marie. facebook says it's working to fix a major disruption with its advertising platform. the social networking site ads manager crashed yesterday. it allows users to create ads on the site. they say current ads won't be affected but customers will be unable to create new ads o alter existing ones. not good news before the busiest shopping days of the year. it's already causing problems and means even when fixed the outage will cause major backlogs of ads that need to be approved.

one of the largest student loans service companies may have reportedly driven borrowers struggling with their debt into higher cost repayment plans. that's the finding of a department of education of navient last year. according to the associated press, there have been several state and federal lawsuits accusing navient of boosting profits without discussing less costly options. they dispute the findings. eight former employees of saks. are suing accusing the luxury department store chain of race and age discrimination. they worked at the flagship store here in new york and an attorney says that black, white, and hispanic men were subjected to a hostile work environment and then fired. he says managers made it difficult for them to get customers and allowed younger white colleagues to harass them. and a $20 million hardship fund is being put together to help former toys "r" us workers. some 30,000 toys "r" us workser

severance when the company buckled in june. over the summer workers demanded fair compensation. the fund is being put together by bay capital and kkr which have been criticized for their role in pushing toys "r" us into debt. last month the store had plans to relaunch its brand. anne-marie. >> thanks a lot, diane. >> thank you. still to come, a man cooks up a special holiday for dozens of people looking for company. with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis find clear skin that can last. don't use if you're allergic to cosentyx. before starting, get checked for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor about an infection or symptoms, if your inflammatory bowel disease symptoms develop or worsen, or if you've had a vaccine or plan to. serious allergic reactions may occur. how sexy are these elbows? ask your dermatologist about cosentyx. ask your dermatologist

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one massachusetts man is making sure that dozens of people do not spend the holiday alone. here's jeff glor. >> see that, you hear the dirt going right up in there. >> reporter: scott macaulay hates eating alone. so when he was faced with eating thanksgiving dinner by himself, he came up with a plan. >> i put an ad in the newspaper and said i would cook thanksgiving dinner for up to 12 people. and that's what i did and i've been doing it ever since. >> reporter: that was 33 years ago, and he's still hosting, about 50 people this year. >> this is not about food, this is about people having a place go. i had a gentleman, him and his wife never had children and she died.erhe dinner was over was put on her old apron to remember his wife and help me do the dishes. so tha >> reporter: macaulay doesn't

have a computer or cell phone, so he asked people to call him at his office to make a reservation. >> the first reservation this year came from a lady that doesn't have a phone. so she physically came here in august to make sure she was on the list. >> reporter: he hosts the meal at green street baptist church. in melrose, massachusetts, just north of boston. >> here's thanksgiving dinner a whole laid out order. you've got your mixed nuts. >> reporter: besides the dinner he brings other touches, art, rugs, and fireplaces. but most importantly he brings everyone together. >> i think each of us are called to brighten the corner where we are and if everybody took care of their neighbor in their own neighborhood, we'd have a much better world. maybe someday nobody will call me up for thanksgiving bin dinner and i'll be happy that they have a place to go. coming up, gayle talks with

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our top stories this morning. the thanksgiving travel rush is under way. more than 54 million americans are expected to travel more than 50 miles from home, most over 48 million, will travel by car. most of the country will see favorable holiday weather, but there is snow in parts of new england, and the northeast will see some of the coldest thanksgiving weather in decades. and the food and drug administration is warning people to immediately stop eating romaine lettuce because of an e. coli outbreak. they're telling people to throw out any romaine and that contaminated lettuce may still be on store shelves.it sickened

states and 18 people in canada. in massachusetts, there where are huge lines at shops as they began selling legal marijuana for the first time on tuesday. tony dokoupil has more. >> reporter: the land of the puritans went to pot on tuesday. all to get legal kana bass here in more than a century. >> how do does it feel that when you come here today and buy won't put you in jail? >> it's freedom. >> reporter: massachusetts is the seventh to open legal marijuana shops but the first to open them east of the mississippi. it comes as the kana bass industry celebrates a series of new highs. it includes nearly $1 billion in retail sales this year and 7 million more next year in massachusetts alone. but as more states see green,

some critics see the potential for regret. >> i hope it's not the case, but it's possible that in 20 years or 30 years we really look back and say, wow, can you believe back in 2018 we just allowed people to sell this stuff? >> reporter: dr. sharon levy runs the adolescence substance abuse and addiction program at boston children's hospital. she worries legalization could send kids the wrong message. is there a conflict between the profit you make here and the wider public health? >> the state has spent years making sure that businesses like ours can't be pushing out marketing material. >> reporter: sam barber is president of cultivate one of the pot shops that open putting an end to what he and his customers agree is the most dangerous part of marijuana, it's prohibition. tone, cbs news, lester, massachusetts. coming up on "cbs this

morning," the duchess of sussex is bringing a bit of british royal family. a charity project is cooking for the community. jonathan vigliotti is there. plus, avoiding politics at the thanksgiving dinner table. john tierney has tips on maneuvering through disagreements. and gayle talks with actor moeed . b. jordan about his new that's the "cbs morning news" for this wednesday, thanks for watching, i'm anne-marie green. have a great day.

yes, as we take a live look outside from our "salesforce tower" camera, one day until thanksgiving. we have cleaner air. we are certainly thankful for that.

good morning, it's wednesday, november 21st. thanks for waking up with us. i'm kenny choi. >> i'm michelle griego. let's say good morning to mary, finally a day where you can say hopefully, good air, right? >> yes, finally. you know, we started to see a little bit of improvement late yesterday but you can see in our tower cameras, you can see it. and we are tracking a little bit of rain this morning. we are going to see more rain as we head through the rest of the morning into the afternoon. hi-def doppler nice to see our hi-def doppler sweet and you can see a few showers popping up especially across the north bay there. highway 1 in inverness you can see showers over 101 up to novato, petaluma and santa rosa there. so some spotty showers a few cells popping up all ahead of a cold front that we are tracking. so putting this into motion here, and you can see those showers that have pushed through even ovni