for this wednesday. for some you have, the news continues. for others, check backtl later for the morning news and of course "cbs this morning." captioning funded by cbs captioning funded by cbs it's wednesday, february 20th, 2019. this is the "cbs morning news." blast of winter weather from coast to coast. snow and freezing rain bring dangerous commutes across the country. prosecutors reveal disturbing evidence in the case of a missing colorado mom. her fiance will now stand trial for murder. and a flat denial from president trump about a hush-money investigation. what he says he never asked his former acting attorney general to do. ♪

good morning from the studio 57 newsroom at cbs headquarters here in neu. i'm anne-marie green. a dangerous winter storm is stretching from the midwest to the northeast and will bring heavy snow and ice today to millions of people. snow is already blanketing the midwest making travel conditions treacherous in parts of missouri and kansas, and the west is also seeing heavy snowfall. chief meteorologist eric fisher of our boston station wbz tells us about the storms, plural, hitting coast to coast. >> well, a couple more winter storms to track. the first one today. this is going to bring an icy mix. d.c. area into philadelphia, southern parts of new jersey, as we head through the morning. then spreading up toward the new york city metro during the afternoon. snow changing over to ice, some high impact on travel. most of new england seeing it as we head through the overnight hours, exiting on thursday morning. in terms of snow, we've got it

in in two batches. fans out, one across the upper midwest, significant snowfall here. from wisconsin to northern missouri. another round from the mid-atlantic up into new england. in terms of ice, another part of this particular storm is freezing rain and sleet. and this is going to accumulate across much of the region. again, really icy travel expected as we head throughout wednesday. and in the south, still looking at a lot of high water and flooding. a very repetitive pattern. there's another on the way for thi region. also tracking the next winter storm diving down across the west. again, this one bringing snow to places like las vegas. but in the four corners area, heavy snow. in arizona, around two feet around flagstaff. some of the higher peaks, over four feet of total snow in arizona. as we head toward friday and into the weekend, upslope snow heading into colorado, and then it moves up through the upper midwest yet again. so another round of really heavy snow. so just about everywhere dealing with the wintry weather. you see the big totals there across arizona. and then sliding out across the

plains and through the upper midwest as we make our way into the weekend. busy times continue. i'm meteorologist eric fisher for cbs news. president trump says that he intends to nominate jeffrey rosen to replace rod rosenstein as the deputy attorney general. rosen is a longtime litigator and deputy transportation secretary. meanwhile, a new report alleges president trump made a controversial request of his former acting attorney general. marc liverman is here in new york with more. marc, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, anne-marie. "the new york times" is saying president trump may have tried to interfere in the michael cohen investigation, but this is an allegation the president denies. that investigation is one of at least three federal inquiries that impact president trump and his advisers. president trump flatly denied a "new york times" report that he asked his former attorney general to intervene in a hush-money investigation. >> did you ask acting attorney

general matthew whitaker to look into the relationship with your former attorney general michael cohen? >> no, not at all. i don't know who gave you that. that's more fake news. >> repor of matthew whitaker last year. at the time, michael cohen was being investigated for hush-money payments to two women president trump allegedly had affairs with. the "times" reported whitaker's relationship with the president soured after he refused to put u.s. attorney and trump administration appointee jeffrey berman in charge of the cohen case. berman had recused himself. in recent testimony to congress, whitaker did not say whether he was asked to intervene. >> did you ever have any conversations with anybody about reassigning or firing any personnel including u.s. attorneys with the southern district of new york? >> congresswoman, i sit on top of the department of justice, as you mentioned. >> reporter: on tuesday, andrew mccabe, the former fbi acting director, made a startling em in an interview with cnn -- >> do you still believe the president could be a russian asset?

>> i think it's possible. i think that's why we started our investigation. and i'm really anxious to see where director mueller concludes that. >> reporter: in response, white house counselor kellyanne conway called mccabe a, quote, liar and a leaker. whitaker's role as acting attorney general ended with the confirmation of william barr in the position last week. anne-marie? >> marc liverman in new york, thanks a lot, marc. the u.s. department of transportation announced that it is canceling nearly $1 billion in funding for the california high-speed rail project. the trump administration argued yesterday that california has not provided required matching dollars and can't complete the work by a 2022 deadline. california governor gavin newsom called the move political retribution for the state's lawsuit against the president's declaration of a national emergency. ahead, only on "cbs this morning," an interview with maryland republican governor larry hogan on why he's not

ruling out a potential challenge to president trump in the 2020 election. gruesome details have emerged in the case of missing colorado woman kelsey berreth. they came to light yesterday in a colorado courtroom where a judge ruled 32-year-old patrick frazee will stand trial for murder. our denver station kcnc has more. >> reporter: a sketch captured the only image of patrick frazee as the case against him was laid out in court for the first time. he's suspected of murdering kelsey berreth, the mother of his daughter. agent greg slater shared information from krystal lee, a nurse from idaho, who was having a relationship with frazee. >> we heard evidence that patrick frazee contacted krystal lee in idaho on three separate occasions, had her come to colorado to murder kelsey. >> reporter: on september 23rd, he asked lee to poison kelsey's

coffee so she would, quote, no longer be a problem. angry that she didn't go through with it, frazee asked again on october 15th, giving her a metal pipe to use. the third time on october 21st, frazee suggested that lee use a bat. >> krystal tells investigators that she did not comply with any of those and said, "i can't do this," and tells patrick, "i can't do this." >> reporter: investigators say frazee's next call to lee was on november 22nd, thanksgiving day, and the last day berreth was seen alive. he told her, quote, to get out here now, you have a police to -- you have a mess to clean up. two days later she was in colorado. >> as krystal describes, when she walks in to kelsey's condo, the scene is horrific. there's blood everywhere. >> reporter: lee told investigators she cleaned up the blood and would later learn frazee beat berreth with a bat and put her body in a black plastic tote that was burned. on november 25th, lee says she went back to idaho, taking berreth's phone with her and sending texts to frazee and

berreth's employer in an effort to make it look as though the victim had left on her own. >> that's was karen morphet reporting. the case surrounding jussie smollett and alleged attack he reported moved to a chicago courthouse. two brothers who claim the actor orchestrated the incident spoke to reporters yesterday. dean reynolds was there. >> reporter: the two brothers at the heart of the jussie smollett investigation met with prosecutors at the cook county courthouse where a grand jury was deliberating. the two did not see the grand jury, but their presence in the courthouse was another sign that the case is getting increasingly serious for the 36-year-old actor. police say the two brothers disclosed during interrogation last week that smollett paid for them to fake an attack. and while initially the two were considered possible suspects, their cooperation has led the investigation in the direction of smollett himself. the actor claims he was beaten in an unprovoked attack by two

race-baiting homophobes who doused him with a chemical, draped a noose around his neck, and yelled, "this is maga country," all as he was walking from a restaurant at 2:00 a.m. in ten-degree weather. he did grant interviews to police initially but in recent days has declined repeated requests to meet again with detectives. and in his only on-camera interview, criticized those who were skeptical of his story. >> it feels like if i had said it was a muslim or mexican or someone black, i feel like the doubters would have support me a lot much more, a lot more. team says, quote, we are not going to respond to every new, anonymous accusation or rumor. jussie, they say, will continue to cooperate with the investigation in an appropriate and respectful manner. dean reynolds, cbs news, chicago. coming up on the "morning

news," legal action. the family of a teenager at the center of an encounter with a native american demonstrator files a lawsuit against a newspaper giant. and thank you, next. the singer ariana grande makes history on the billboard charts. this is the "cbs morning news." morning news." migraine with botox®. what if you had fewer headaches and migraines a month? botox® prevents headaches and migraines before they even start. botox® is for adults with chronic migraine, 15 or more headache days a month, each lasting 4 hours or more. botox® injections take about 15 mins. in your doctor's office and are covered by most insurance. effects of botox® may spread hours to weeks after injection causing serious symptoms. alert your doctor right away, as difficulty swallowing, speaking, breathing, eye problems, or muscle weakness can be signs of a life-threatening condition. side effects may include allergic reactions, neck and injection site pain, fatigue, and headache. don't receive botox® if there's a skin infection.

tell your doctor your medical history, muscle or nerve conditions, and medications, including botulinum toxins, as these may increase the risk of serious side effects. with the botox® savings program, most people with commercial insurance pay nothing out of pocket. talk to your doctor and visit botoxchronicmigraine.com to enroll. let's talk about thisd when we meet next week. edward jones came to manage a trillion dollars in assets under care by focusing our mind on whatever's on yours.

sometimes the best time is time you make for yourself. aveeno® daily moisturizing lotion improves skin hydration in just one day. and for twice the moisture, try the body wash too. aveeno®. naturally beautiful results®. the biggest and brightest super moon of the year lit up the sky last night. it's the second super moon of the year, and this one is called the super snow moon. the old farmers almanac says it's because of the heavy snowfall that usually falls in february. a super moon occurs when the moon is full and also at its closest point to the earth along there's another one in march. pop star ariana grande makes billboard history, and the family of a teenager involved in

a viral encounter files a lawsuit. those ar oe adlines on the "morning newsstand." the "washington post" reports that it is being sued by the family of a kentucky high school student who was involved in an encounter with a native american activist at the lincoln memorial last month. the suit accuses the post of targeting and bullying 16-year-old nicholas sandman in its coverage in order to embarrass president trump. sandman, a student from covington catholic high school, was wearing a "make america great again" hat when he faced activist nathan phillips. sandman's family is seeking $250 million in damages. the "post" says it plans to mount a vigorous defense. "the philadelphia enquirer" says supreme court justice clarence thomas used a civil defamation case involving bill cosby to call for a re-examination of libel laws. the high court yesterday rejected an appeal from katherine mckey, one of the women who accused cosby of sexual assault. she claimed cosby's lawyer damaged her reputation when he

leaked a letter attacking her. lower courts dismissed her case based largely on her role as a public figure. in a 14-page opinion, thomas wrote the supreme court should consider overturning a decades' old landmark ruling that makes it difficult for public figures to win libel suits. "the new york times" reports on accusations of body shaming at a wisconsin high school cheerleading banquet. parents said they were shocked last year when cheerleading coaches at tremper high school in kenosha handed out awards referencing girls' body sizes. when the school refused to take action, the parents turned to the aclu which is threatening to sue the school district. the aclu said it wasn't the first time the coaches made inappropriate comments to the girls. >> the most troubling thing that we heard from a cheerleader was that nobody had brought this forward after it happened in march, 2018, as far as the girls go because it was normal. >> the aclu is asking the school

district to discipline the coaches and institute mandatory sexual harassment training. and "billboard" says ariana grande is the first artist to hold the top three spots on its hot 100 songs chart at the same time since the beatles did it 55 years ago. ♪ grande's "seven rings" topped the hot 100 for a fourth week. her song "break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored," debuted at number two, and "thank you, next," was number three. the beatles held the top-three spot on the list for five weeks in 1964. still to come, a controversial fountain of youth. the fda puts out a warning about infusions of young blood that promise to reverse aging. ut infusions of young blood that promise to reverse aging.

man 1: this is my body of proof. woman 1: proof of less joint pain... woman 2: ...and clearer skin. woman 3: this is my body of proof. man 2: proof that i can fight psoriatic arthritis... woman 4: ...with humira. woman 5: humira targets and blocks a specific source of inflammation that contributes to both joint and skin symptoms. it's proven to help relieve pain, stop further irreversible joint damage, and clear skin in many adults. humira is the #1 prescribed biologic for psoriatic arthritis. avo: humira can lower your ability to fight infections. serious and sometimes fatal infections, including tuberculosis, and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems,

serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. woman 6: ask your rheumatologist about humira. woman 7: go to mypsaproof.com to see proof in action. here's a look at the forecast in some cities around the country. ♪ luxury fashion house burberry is apologizing for a controversial hoodie. it featured strings in the shape of a noose. it debuted at fashion week. it was quickly threat with criticism on social media

which accused it was evoking lynchings and also suicide. burberry said it was supposed to be nautical or marine inspired. the piece has been removed from the collection. on the cbs "money watch" now, a warning about infusions of young blood and an update on trade talks with china. diane king hall is at the new york stock exchange with that and more. good morning, diane. >> reporter: good morning, anne-marie. asian markets closed mostly higher today after president trump indicated positive momentum with trade talks between the u.s. and china. yesterday mr. trump suggested he is open to easing off the march 1st deadline to complete negotiations. that is when tariffs on chinese goods are set to increase if a deal isn't reached. another market mover to keep an eye on today is what the forever -- what the federal reserve says when minutes from its january policy meeting are released. u.s. stocks gained some momentum on the u.s.-china trade talks. the major indices closed slightly higher. strong holiday sales reported by walmart also helped nudge the

market higher. the dow rose eight points, the s&p 500 added four, and the nasdaq gained 14. the u.s. food and drug administration is warning against a growing trend where people pay to receive an infusion of a younger person's blood. the fda says the infusions are dangerous and will not reverse aging as advertised. the controversial procedure involves infusing plasma obtained by young donors for thousands of dollars. and the death of legendary chanel creative director karl lagerfeld raises questions about the future direction of the iconic brand. the prolific designer died yesterday in paris at age 85. he held the position of creative director since 1983. the director of chanel's fashion creation studio will take over at the creative helm of the brand. anne-marie? >> diane king hall at the new york stock exchange. thank you, diane. >> all right. thank you. still ahead, instant multi-millionaires. nearly two dozen co-workers claim a huge mega millions jackpot. we will tell you how much they'll each walk away with.

we will tell you how much they'll each walk away with. >> tech: at safelite autoglass we know that when you're spending time with the grandkids... ♪ music >> tech: ...every minute counts. and you don't have time for a cracked windshield. that's why at safelite, we'll show you exactly when we'll be there. with a replacement you can trust. all done sir. >> grandpa: looks great! >> tech: thanks for choosing safelite. >> grandpa: thank you! >> child: bye! >> tech: bye! saving you time... so you can keep saving the world. >> kids: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace ♪

go to dav.org. here's a look at the forecast in some cities around the country. ♪ now that's a money shot. university of kentucky sophomore mckinley webb nailed a half-court shot over the weekend to win $19,000. espn's college game day gives students 18 seconds to try and hit a half-court shot and win the money. webb made his with just four seconds left on the clock. and a group of co-workers from new york also won a cash prize, but theirs is a little bit bigger. 23 workers from a small retail business on long island came forward anonymously to claim january's $437 million mega millions jackpot. now they'll each walk away with almost $8 million.

they opened an llc to claim the money, allowing them to stay anonymous. how clever is that? coming up on "cbs this morning" now, country music superstar reba mcentire reveals the nominees for the 54th academy of country music awards. academy of country music awards. ♪ the beat goes on george has entresto, a heart failure medicine that helps his heart... so he can keep on doing what he loves. in the largest heart failure study ever, entresto was proven superior at helping people stay alive and out of the hospital. it helps improve your heart's ability to pump blood to the body. don't take entresto if pregnant; it can cause harm or death to an unborn baby. don't take entresto with an ace inhibitor or aliskiren, or if you've had angioedema with an ace or arb. the most serious side effects are angioedema, low blood pressure, kidney problems,

or high blood potassium. ♪ the beat goes on ask your doctor about entresto for heart failure. that was great! entrust your heart to entresto.

♪ the beat goes on aks.or. our top story this morning -- dangerous winter weather including freezing rain and sleet will be impacting the midwest to new england today. snow is already blanketing parts of the midwest, making travel conditions treacherous in parts of missouri and kansas. on the west coast, a new storm is expected to bring heavy snow. as much as two feet in arizona. in syria, u.s.-backed forces are getting ready for a final surge into the last town held by isis. even if isis is wiped out, there's a question of what happens to hundreds of isis fighters and their families including a fomecollege student. holly williams reports.

>> reporter: hoda 123 musana was 20 years old when she left her home in hoover, alabama, in 2014 to become the bride of an isis fighter in syria. now a mother and a widow, she's living in a refugee camp. >> i know i've ruined my future and my son's future and i deeply regret it. >> reporter: while studying business at the university of alabama, she told her family she was going on a school trip and instead flew to the middle east. in a letter to her family seen by cbs news, she wrote, "i was a naive, angry, and arrogant young woman. but seeing bloodshed up close changed me." musana is one of a small number of u.s. citizens who have joined isis. but america's syrian allies are thought to be holding around 800 foreign isis fighters along with their wives d dren. in same camps shamima begum who ran away from her home in london at 15 and had a child with an isis militant.

>> i just want forgiveness really from the u.k. >> reporter: but unlike hoda, she hasn't expressed much remorse. the u.k. government said it would strip begum of her british citizenship. the u.s. government hasn't said what will happen to hoda musana, but america takes its nationals home from syria where they can be arrested and charged. president trump has demanded that european countries do the same. but some governments are reluctant. the french government has reason to be worried about taking back a man like adrien gihal who we interviewed in june for "60 minutes." he'd been convicted of plotting to attack a police station before he even went to syria. a member of the group holding him insisted on sitting in on our interview. how do you think you deserve to be treated? "forgiveness," he said, "i would

choose forgiveness, of course." a tall order after joining a into chaos in syria could mean they rejoin isis. taking them home may be the least bad option. holly williams, cbs news, london. coming up only on "cbs this morning," ed o'keefe talks with maryland republican governor larry hogan about a possible primary challenge to president trump. plus, country music superstar reba mcentire joins us in the studios to reveal the nominees for the country music awards. that's the "cbs morning news" for this wednesday. thanks for watching. i'm anne-marie green. have a great day.

live from the cbs bay area studios, this is kpix 5 news . >> good is wednesday, february here's a live look from the

salesforce tower camera. i am michelle griego . >> good morning. thank you for waking up with us. i am kenny choi. we have a lot of sunshine but it looks like a change in the re >> that's right. that we mac weather system will bring some showers. we are looking at showers offshore and along the coast this morning. we are looking at -- there we go. it is a wednesday morning. here is a live look from the san jose camera with mid to upper 40s to start the day. here's what to expect with light rain showers. this is body, scattered showers. this weak weather system bring up to 1/10 of an inch of rain.