♪ it's tuesday, march 19th, y 2019. this is the "cbs morning news." historic flooding. the midwest braces for more rising water as rivers overflow their banks. raging inferno. a chemical fire is blackening skies in the houston area. and the ceo of boeing issues what he's promising in the wake of two tragedies.

good morning, from the cbs news newsroom in cbs news headquarters here in new york. i'm anne-marie green. we begin with the historic flooding in the midwest. rising rivers have flooded hundreds of homes and killed at least three people. vice president mike pence will go to the area to survey it. nebraska and kansas and iowa have seen some of the worst flooding. there's no end in sight as the storm system is expected to bring more rain to the area. laura podesta is here in new york with more on this. laura, good morning. >> good morning, anne-marie. what's so scary about the situation is there are already 100 river gauges in the midwest and mississippi valley that are now at the moderate to major flood stage. so, any additional rain is going to make this disaster even worse. >> reporter: recording flooding is gripping large parts of the midwest, leaving behind a trail of destruction. the police department in bellevue, nebraska, live streamed the damage, showing water rising up to the windows of many homes.

>> they'li just grab what you can and get out. >> reporter: in southeast wisconsin the floodwaters took residents by surprise. >> you know how you put a movie in fast motion? that's how quick it came. >> reporter: flooding has breached or overtopped some 200 miles of levees in four states. nebraska, iowa, missouri and kansas. just outside of omaha, in fremont, roads are almost impassible. >> we are trapped, can't get in or out of fremont, so planes are flying in supplies all over the region. >> reporter: across the region, thousands of people have been forced to evacuate, sometimes with minutes to spare. >> recovery is going to be a few days or week. this recovery is going to months, possibly a year. >> reporter: the flooding began last week starting with a massive winter storm. rivers have swollen to historic levels in 40 locations. melton snow combined with more

rain means the flooding could continue for the next several days. and to remind you, it has been the wettest winter on record in the united states. this morning, we know the governors of iowa, wisconsin and nebraska have all declared states of emergency. anne-marie. >> all right, laura podesta here in new york, thank you so much, laura. authorities in texas say a fire at a petrochemical plant is expected to burn for at least another day. thick black smoke can be seen for miles around the houston area. the fire started sunday after a leak from a tank containing a flammable liquid ignited. there are no injuries. investigators monitoring air quality levels say there's no danger to the public. and boeing's ceo says the aircraft manufacturer is taking action to ensure the david of its 737 jets. dennis muilenburg put how a video last night. he said boeing will offer a software update and offer related pilot trains for the 737

maximum. >> a lot depends on the work we do at boeing and that demands the utmost excellence and integrity with how we do it. >> the move comes following last week's ethiopia plane crash. and october's lion air crash. the plane's software may have played a role in both of those crashes. the u.s. and other countries have grounds the max 8 and 9 jets until further notice. and a suspect is in custody in the netherlands, in connection with a deadly tram shooting. investigators have released this picture. 37-year-old turkish born gokmen tanis. at least three people were killed in the rampage yesterday in utrecht. new zealand's prime minister said she will do everything in her power to deny the mosque shooting suspect a platform for his news. the accused gunman's desire for

infamy was made clear after he reportedly left behind a 74-page manifesto and live streamed footage of the attack. the prime minister also expressed her condemnation of the suspect. >> recent attempts have been made to other terrorists abroad that this individual has sought to replicate. we can make an assumption in that regard. but one thing you can assure me, you won't hear me speak his name. >> brenton tarrant is accused of killing 50 people at two mosques at christchurch. the man charged with killing the reputed crime boss of the gambino crime family had a message for president trump. 24-year-old anthony comello held up his left hand on it was a symbol maga forever. the trump administration has once again proposed the elimination of federal funding for the arts, public television and museums. the budget calls for eliminating agencies including the national

endowment for the arts and the corporation for public broadcasting. mr. trump had called for getting rid of them in his first two budget plans. but the republican-led congress funded them both times. and more than 1,000 people are feared dead in mozambique after a cyclone slammed into the country. the storm hit beira late last week. it's an indian ocean port city of 500,000 people. entire villages are submerged and bodies have been seen floating in the flood wtaes. hundreds of people remain missing this morning. and more than 1 million have been affected by this disaster. we're getting a close-up look this morning at the battle for the last track of land held by isis in syria. it's taken longer than expected with the terror group vowing to fight to the end. charlie d'agata reports from inside syria. >> reporter: in the shadow of moonlight alone, u.s.-backed forces took us to the closest point yet overlooking the last of isis.

we've been told to stay low because just on the other side of that bridge is an isis position. and as soon as we got here, we heard bullets whizzing overhead. for weeks, u.s. and coalition air strikes have been battering a tiny area now down to just a few hundred square yards. and yet, we found soldiers of the syrian democratic forces locked in a fire fight with isis militants who continue to survive the onslaught. on a hill top in sight of isis snipers, a lone sdf gunner took aim at targets down below. the so-called caliphate has been reduced to a junk yard. a tangled maze of wrecked vehicles on all sides. human shields, an estimated 1500

people at first, turned out to be closer to 30,000. yet that is not enough to explain how isis has made a last stand that has withstood the might of the most powerful military in the world and its allies for so long. commanders here on the ground have quit trying to predict when this fight might be over. when we first got here, they said isis would be finished in a matter of days. that was more than two months ago. charlie d'agata, cbs news, eastern syria. coming up on the "morning news," the trump administration announces a proposal to rein in college debt. and unmasking jack the ripper. researchers put a name to the infamous serial killer. this is the "cbs morning news." er. researches put a name to him. this is the "cbs morning news." botox® is for adults with chronic migraine, 15 or more headache days a month, each lasting 4 hours or more.

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community is causing problems. thousands of people are flocking there to catch a glimpse, about 150,000 headed to lake elsinore over the weekend to see the poppies lighting up the hillside. traffic got so bad on sunday that officials shut off access to one road. this year's record-breaking rainfall led to the rare superbloom which usually happens about once a decade. forensic scientists have identified jack the ripper. and a high-ranking hollywood executive is accused in a sex scandal. those are some of the headlines on the morning newsstand. "the new york times" reports the chairman and ceo of warner brothers studio division is stepping down after claims he helped an actress get roles in exchange for sex. 57-year-old kevin tsujihara had worked at the company for a decade the messages between

tsujihara and charlotte kirk. and warner media's chief executive has said kevin has acknowledged his mistakes are inconsistent with the company's leadership expectations. "usa today" reports forensic scientists say serial killer jack the ripper has been identified through dna. the research published in the journal of forensic science suggests that jack the ripper was 24-year-old polish-born barber aaron kosminski. researchers ran genetic tests on bodily fluid found at the scene of one of the murders. "sports illustrated" reports that espn apologized after it leaked the women's ncaa tournament bracket hours before the show appeared. the bracket appeared on espnu yesterday afternoon ahead of the official reveal. espn's selection show was then moved up and aired two hours earlier at 5:00 p.m. the bracket shows louisville, notre dame, mississippi state and baylor are the number one

seeds. >> i feel like for the first time in a long time that every region got as close to an s-curve. and that just does my heart good for women's basketball. >> baylor is the number one overall seed in the tournament. and "the wall street journal" reports the trump administration is proposing limits on how much graduate students and the parents of under grads can borrow in federal student loans. white house officials included the plan in a list of suggested changes to the higher education act which governs student lending. supporters say unlimited borrowing allows schools to charge higher prices. and "fortune" says the new harvard study links drinking sugary soda and sports drinks to remature death especially for women. researchers found that women who drank three or more sugary drinks a day have a 30% higher

risk of dying of cardiovascular disease. a study also found women who drink four or more artificially flavored drinks like diet coke have an increased risk of early death. the reason why women have higher risk of early death than men was not immediately clear. still to come, what's old is new again in the tech world. apple unveiled devices and brings back the ipad air with some support. >> tech: at safelite autoglass, we really pride ourselves on making it easy to get your windshield fixed. with safelite, you can see exactly when we'll be there. saving you time for what you love most.

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las vegas police released dramatic surveillance video from friday when a suspect in a casino heist tries to car jack a woman at gun point and was shot by police. authorities say the suspect robbed the bellagio hotel casino and tried to car jack someone outside. he shot an officer wearing a bulletproof vest. police shot the suspect and he died on saturday. the officer who was shot was not seriously hurt. on the "cbs moneywatch," how march madness fans can enjoy pizza deals. and an apple device makes a comeback. marc liverman is at the new york stock exchange. good morning, marc. good morning, anne-marie, the policy making committee

kicks off the two-day meeting and the meeting wraps tomorrow expected to get a decision on whether or not interest rates will go up. on earnings calendar, the dow closed up 65 points on monday. the s&p gained 10 points and the nasdaq added 25 points. "the wall street journal" reports lyft could go public as soon as next week. lyft revealed plans to raise over $2 billion as part of its initial public offering. that would reportedly peg its market value up to $23 billion. the company nearly tripled the number of active riders from the end of 2016 to the end of 2018. its competitor uber expects to go public later this year. apple has unveiled a new ipad air and ipad mini. the ipad air comes with a bigger display with a starting cost of $500. the ipad mini will have the 7.9-inch screen and will have a starting cost of $400. the devices support the apple pencil and processor that is

three times faster than previous models. and a slam dunk for pizza lovers during march maddens. pizza hut is bringing back p'zones for the tournament. the calzone-like pizza has been off the menu for years. the popular promotions will last through the ncaa games, anne-marie. >> all right. marc liverman at the new york stock exchange. thanks a lot, marc. still to come, twin basketball stars will meet the martin brothers as they make a push for an ncaa championship. luckily there's me, cologuard. the noninvasive test you use at home. it all starts when your doctor orders me. then it's as easy as get, go, gone. you get me when i'm delivered... right to your front door and in the privacy of your own home. there's no prep or special diet needed.

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the african nation of mozambique. caltrans workers are working into the early morning hours to repair their richmond san rafael bridge. state lawmakers are consid tionwide college entrance scandal. kpix 5 news starts at 4:30 am. here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country.usre all need ♪

in a revealing interview, singer sam smith opened up about gender saying he's none binary. the actor saying, quote, maybe i'm not a man, maybe i'm not a woman, maybe i'm just me. smith said when he heard people talking about nonbinary, he realized he recognized with them and struggles with weight and wants to help people. some firefighters in california are making history becoming the first all-women crew in one community. for the first time in almost 140 careers, the city of mountain view assigned three women firefighters to work together. other female firefighters in the bay area say they're proud to know the women. >> an all-women crew notice and people speak to it. it's setting an example that women can do this job and you

can have a company of women performing to the same levels if not only exceeding the level of male companies. as the university of nevada heads into the ncaa men's basketball tournament, two players know the true meaning of team work. they're twins. meet caleb and cody martin. they were born one minute apart. they grew up in a trailer raised in north carolina raised by a single mother. their mother works three jobs and now gets emotional when she talks about her son's accomplishments. >> i'm super proud. super proud of them. i don't even know if they understand how proud i am of them. >> the martin twins are among the best college players in the nation, and they both could wind up playing in the nba.

coming up only on "cbs morning news," the dinosaurs are returning to the smithsonian. a sneak peek at dinosaur hall that has been under renovation. i'm anne-marie green. this is the "cbs morning news." stop fearing your alarm clock... with zzzquil pure zzzs. a drug-free blend of botanicals with melatonin that supports your natural sleep cycle so you can seize the morning. zzzquil pure zzzs. new lysol wipes are crazy strong. don't believe us? we got this workout class to compare them to clorox.

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our top stories this morning, vice president mike pence will travel to nebraska today to survey the flooding damage. parts of the midwest have been inundated as rainfall and melting snow forced rivers to swell in parts of iowa, missouri, kansas and nebraska. at least three people have been killed from the flooding. and authorities in texas say a fire at a chemical plant is expected to burn for at least another day. it started sunday outside of houston when a tank containing a flammable liquid caught fire. emergency responders are using foam and water to control the fire. air quality in the air is being monitored and poz poses no danger to the public.

medical debt is the leading cause of bankruptcy in the u.s. mireya villarreal looks at one way families are getting hit with unexpected bills. >> reporter: michelle mills remembers the day she rushed her son blake to the hospital after he broke his nose. >> on the way i called mission i said are you all in the network with first hills. they said, yes, we are. i said, i'm on the way. >> reporter: the jackson hospital was in the network, but the emergency room care was not. four months later that cost mills an additional $1800. when you opened it, what was your first reaction? >> oh, crap, i can't pay that. >> reporter: nearly 65% of hospital across the country use emergency room staffed by outside companies. it's a loophole that allows hospitals to charge patients more because the e.r.s are considered out of network. but it's illegal in mississippi thanks to a 2013 law representative gary chism helped pass.

the problem is there's no power to enforce it. >> there's no teeth behind that bill. and we need to rectify that and put someone in charge. >> reporter: chism says a move to fix that has stalled. >> this is an election year. and there was some concern this might not be the best year to do it. >> reporter: roy mitchell is the director of mississippi's health advocacy program. >> we're not asking for any new legal protections. we're just asking that the law be enforced and illegal activity by providers stop. >> reporter: mills did get her bill reduced to $285. but she's worried about those who could be taken advantage of. >> i think about older people or people who have not experienced something like this. they're going to still be obligated to that.

either pay that or face the cost. particularly if you're honest. >> reporter: only extra cost many can ill afford to pay. mireya villarreal, cbs news, jackson, mississippi. coming up only on "cbs this morning," the dinosaurs are returning to the smithsonian. a network sneak peek at dinosaur hall that's been under renovation. plus in the series "pushing the limits" jan crawford shows us a boot camp that's preparing the marine corps for modern missions with basic technology you can buy at home. and in our morning rounds, new research shows sugar drinks may increase your risk of dying early. that's it for the "cbs morning news." thanks for watching, i'm anne-marie green. have a great day. anne-marie green. have a great day.

live from the cbs bay area studios,is kp5 news. let's start today with the look at the the bay bridge from our exclusive salesforce tower cam. it looks like another beautiful

day in the bay area. good morning. it is tuesday, look at the the bay bridge from our exclusive salesforce tower cam. it looks like another beautiful day in the bay area. good morning. it is tuesday, march 19. i am melissa came in for michelle griego. >> i am kenny choi. you may not necessarily need your umbrella this morning. the rain is in the forecast this week , mary. >> especially for tomorrow. we will hold off on the rain today but changes are already coming across the bay area. we are watching the clouds continued to move in. that will be the case today. it will be dry, but we are looking at the rain returning as we head to tomorrow. here is what you can expect. here is a live look outside. we are under a mostly cloudy skies in san jose right now and 52 degrees, currently 51 in concord and san francisco. 52 in oakland, livermore 49, santa rosa is 47 this morning. your weather headlines are mostly cloudy skies today but a dry day ahead of our storm system