captioning funded by cbs now friends of the late senator are coming

laura podesta here in new york. thanks, laura. historic flooding continues to cripple parts of the midwest this morning, and more rain is expected in the coming days. vice president mike pence visited nebraska yesterday and promised federal aid. flood watches and warnings are in effect for more than a dozen states. rivers are rising in kansas, missouri, and parts of southern nebraska, making the situation even more dire. kennith craig reports. >> reporter: mandatory evacuations and states of emergency remain the order of the day in the flood-ravaged midwest and plains. this disaster has been fueled by days of intense rain that were

followed by a pre-spring snow melt. in some areas the water has started to recede, but communities along the missouri and mississippi rivers know more is on the way. >> as we prepare ourselves for the spring thaw and the rains that are going to come, we need to just recognize that, you know, we're just getting started. >> reporter: on tuesday, vice president mike pence travelered to nebraska to get a firsthand look at the devastation. >> the american people are going to stand with people across nebraska, across iowa, across all of the eight states that have been impacted by this severe weather and this flooding. >> reporter: in nebraska alone, it's estimated that farmers will lose nearly a billion dollars worth of crops and livestock. many don't carry flood insurance. those who do say it won't cover all their losses. >> i don't know, maybe haven't sank in yet. but if you know most people around here, you're going to pick up, you're going to start all over, and -- and go from

there. >> reporter: some of the damage can't be assessed until the water has fully receded. in some areas, that's likely to take weeks or even months. kenneth craig, cbs news, new york. president trump is traveling to ohio today where he will visit a tank plant and hold a fundraiser for his re-election campaign. the trip comes as questions surround the president's tweets over the weekend criticizing the late senator john mccain. the president continued his attacks yesterday. >> very unhappy that he didn't repeal and replace obamacare, as you know. i was never a fan of john mccain, and i never will be. >> republican senator mitt romney came to mccain's defense. he tweet, "i can't understand why the president would once again disparage a man as exemplary as my friend, john mccain." court records reveal the investigation of president trump's former lawyer, michael cohen, began much earlier than first thought. cbs news was among the

organizations that sued to get the documents released. and repaula reid has details. >> reporter: the court documents reveal special counsel robert mueller zeroed in on president trump's former attorney, michael cohen, almost immediately after launching his russia investigation. in july, 2017, mueller went after years of cohen's emails and began looking at payments he received from a russian oligarch. nine months later, fbi agents raided cohen's homes and office in new york city. president trump has tried to distance himself from cohen who served as his fixer for a decade. >> he was convicted with a fairly long-term sentence on things totally unrelated to the trump administration. >> reporter: the documents show that during that april, 2018, raid, investigators seized evidence related to hush-money payments cohen facilitated to women who claimed they had affairs with the president. the papers mention an illegal campaign contribution to

then-presidential candidate donald trump. but much of the detail is blacked out. for the hush-money payments, cohen pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations. he begins a three-year prison sentence in may for that and other crimes. last month, cohen testified that he is still cooperating with investigators. >> is there any other wrongdoing or illegal act that you are aware of regarding donald trump that we haven't yet discussed today? >> yes, and again, those are part of the investigation that's currently being looked at by the southern district of new york. >> reporter: paula reid, cbs news, washington. president trump is planning to unemployment former dealt airlines executive steve dixon to be the administrator -- administrator of the faa. the agency is under scrutiny for its approval of boeing 737 max jets. they've been involved in two deadly crashes since october. authorities are demanding boeing and the faa hold on to all

documents related to the aircraft. boeing says it will cooperate. new details into the investigation into the new zealand mosque shootings that killed 50 people. police officers apparently stopped the gunman while he was on his way to another attack. police say they believe they know where the gunman was going, but they won't say any more about it. in a manifesto released before the attack, the accused shooter, brenton tarrant, said he was going to attack mosques in three towns including christchurch, new zealand. the first two syria and found little time to celebrate. clashes are still ongoing in several pockets, though. yesterday hundreds of militants surrendered. suspects involved in a january bombing that killed four americans in northern syria were among militants that were captured.

coming up on the "morning news," the fda approves the first drug for women suffering from postpartum depression. three days of peace and music, woodstock unveils the lineup for its 50th anniversary concert. this is the "cbs morning news." you could take the treatment of your ulcerative colitis in a different direction. talk to your doctor about xeljanz, a pill, not an injection or infusion, for adults with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis. xeljanz is the first and only fda-approved pill for moderate to severe uc. it can reduce symptoms in as early as two weeks, improve the appearance of the intestinal lining, and provide lasting steroid-free remission. xeljanz can lower your ability to fight infections including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened. as have tears in the stomach or intestines, serious allergic reactions, low blood cell counts, higher liver tests and cholesterol levels.

don't start xeljanz if you have an infection. your doctor should perform blood tests before and while taking xeljanz, and monitor certain liver tests. tell your doctor if you've been somewhere fungal infections are common and if you've had tb, hepatitis b or c, or are prone to infections. you could take your uc treatment in a different direction. ask your gastroenterologist about xeljanz. new lysol wipes are crazy strong. don't believe us? we got this workout class to compare them to clorox. wow! feel the strength of new lysol wipes. dude! are you looking at this? can i take those? no. lysol. what it takes to protect.® you wouldn't accept from any one else. why accept it from your allergy pills? flonase relieves your worst symptoms including nasal congestion, which most pills don't. flonase helps block 6 key inflammatory substances. most pills only block one. flonase.

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. i got it. look out. >> dramatic police video from des moines, iowa. three children were tossed out of a third-floor apartment that was on fire into the arms of officers on the ground. the police department said the officers quickly positioned themselves under the apartment window to catch the children, and they were all okay. the fire was contained to two apartments, and everyone got out sa> jay-ning the woodstock anniversar deal rober oning nestand."heeadlines florida's "sun el"epts offered

patriots owner robert kraft a plea deal in his prostitution case. the palm beach state attorney's office confirms it offered kraft and 24 other men charged with soliciting sex at a massage parlor, what it calls a standard deal for misdemeanor first-time offenders. charges would be dropped if the men concede they would have been found guilty, perform 100 hours of community service, and attend a class on prostitution's dangers and how it perpetuates human trafficking. the "wall street journal" reports the trump administration plans to stop detaining some migrant families who illegally crossed the border in the regular valley of texas -- rio grande valley of texas. starting this week, families caught in that area are being released by border control instead of being handed over to u.s. immigration expect customs enforcement. they're making the change because of overcrowding at i.c.e. detention facilities. some families being released will have to show up later to start deportation or asylum

cases. "the new york times" reports the fda approved the first drug to treat women suffering from postpartum depression. the drug is called zulresso. it's given in an i.v. over a three-day period in the hospital. experts say that it will provide immediate relief for mothers whose depression keeps them from bonding with their newborn. >> the first 12 hours, i didn't feel any different. i went to sleep. i woke up, and the thoughts were gone. >> the cost of the onetime infusion averages $34,000 per patient before discounts. conventional anti-depressants, if they work, can take up to four weeks to have an effect. the "washington post" reports on a study that says washington, d.c., has the highest intensity of gentrification of any city in the u.s. research from the national community reinvestment coalition shows about 40% of the district's lower income neighborhoods experience gentrification between 2000 and 2013. the study says that the city

also saw the most black residents, more than 20,000, displaced from their neighborhoods. mostly by affluent white new customerers. "rolling stone" released the list of details of the performerts at the historic festival. among the artists are jay-z, chance the rapper, and miley cyrus. acts that took part in the original festival will be there gooding include and company and john fogerty. the three-day festival will take place in watkins glen, new york, 150 miles from the original concert location. another anniversary concert is planned at the site of the original woodstock. still to come, the latest setback for the maker of roundup. a california jury finds the weed killer was a factor in causing a man's cancer. whooo! want to take your next vacation to new heights? tripadvisor now lets you book over a hundred thousand tours, attractions, and experiences in destinations around the world!

like new york! from bus tours, to breathtaking adventures, tripadvisor makes it easy to find and book amazing things to do. and you can cancel most bookings up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. so you can make your next trip... monumental! read reviews check hotel prices book things to do tripadvisor mucinex cold & flu all-in-one. fights... ...sore throat, fever, cough, sinus pressure, chest congestion, headache, nasal congestion, body pain... all in one. did you really need the caps lock? get tough on cold and flu symptoms. mucinex cold and flu all-in-one. and i heard that my cousin's so, wife's sister's husband was a lawyer, so i called him. but he never called me back! if your cousin's wife's sister's husband isn't a lawyer, call legalzoom and we'll connect you with an attorney. legalzoom. where life meets legal.

here's a look at the forecast in some cities around the country. ♪ ♪ the los angeles angels' mike trout is reportedly on the verge of signing the largest contract in north american sports history. trout's 12-year contract is said

to be worth $432 million. that's according to the "associated press" who spoke with a person familiar with the negotiations. now with the new contract, the 27-year-old centerfielder would set a baseball record for career and more. good morning, diane. >> reporter: good morning, anne-marie. well, the federal reserve wraps up its latest two-day meeting today and is not expected to raise interest rates when it concludes. in the earnings lineup, investors will be watching general mills, micron and williams snow. the dow fell 26, the nasdaq rose nine. u.s.-china trade talks are expected to begin in washington.

robert lighthizer will fly to continue the talks. the goal is to close a deal by the end of april to end the year long dispute between the two largest economies. opening arguments are expected to begin today in the damages phase of the trial involving monsanto's roundup weed killer and its alleged links to cancer. yesterday a federal jury ruled that exposure to the company's roundup herbicide was a substantial factor in causing a california man's cancer. it was the second jury verdict to find that roundup caused non-hodgkins lymphoma. a jury will determine monsanto's financial liability. meantime, facebook is overhauling its targeted advertising system after la orimi. the company is removing age, gender, and zip code targeting for housing, employment, and credit-related ads. the move comes as part of a multilawsuit settlement with

plaintiffs. facebook was fined just under $5 million. and big news for gamers -- "call of duty" is coming to your smartphone. "call of duty mobile" will begin demo testing this summer for players in the u.s. and south america. the mobile version will follow the free-to-play models that encourages fans to play for end-game upgrades. there's not a specific release date, but players can preregister for access on the web site. >> diane king hall at the new york stock exchange. thank you so much, diane. >> all right, thank you. still to come, surprise homecoming. a soldier in tennessee has an emotional reunion with his young son. ♪ fresh, fresh as the ocean breeze, fresh as the waves... ♪ guys, i love that it smells fresh like the beach so fresh but i'm trying to read shhh ♪ ooooo air wick, new pure beach escapes let's see, aleve is than tylenol extra strength.

and last longer with fewer pills. so why am i still thinking about this? i'll take aleve. aleve. proven better on pain. we really pride ourselvesglass, 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. >> kids: whoa! >> kids vo: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace ♪

next at 4:30 am, the rain returned and is soaking much of the bay area this morning. we pinpoint the hardest hit areas and when the storm will move out. a mysterious blast sent a bay area trash collector flying. this morning, the bomb squad is investigating. no charges for giants ceo larry baird after public altercations with his wife. join us starting at 4:30 am. here's a look at the forecast in some cities around the country. ♪

ol in california surrenring a prey unique way. as officers surrounded the suspect's vehicle with their guns drawn, he got out of the car and broke into some dance moves. he put on a show for about 15 seconds before following police orders. he was taken into custody, and the man was wanted for reckless driving. and dancing, i think. and it was an emotional reunion in tennessee when a soldier came home early from active duty to surprise his son at a martial arts class. the boy was blindfolded and sparring with his instructor when his dad stepped in on monday. >> daddy? [ applause ] >> national guard staff sergeanr

alexis ohanian. if ywhen you brush or floss, you don't have to choose between healthy gums and strong teeth. complete protection from parodontax has 8 designed benefits for healthy gums and strong teeth. complete protection from parodontax. how's your cough? i'm good. i took 12-hour mucinex and sent it far away.

hey buddy, have you seen a nice woman with a cough? woahhh! mucinex dm releases fast and lasts 12-hours, not 4. send coughs far away all day.

our top story this morning -- a massive fire at a chemical plant near houston is now out. investigators say a leak in one of the plant's tanks is believed to be the cause. residents are concerned about air quality, though. officials say the levels are fine. and historic flooding continues to cripple parts of the midwest this morning. flood watches and warnings are in effect for more than a dozen states. forecasters say more rain is expected in the coming days. yesterday vice president mike pence visited nebraska. hoe promised expedited federal aid. anti-discrimination groups say the number of white supremacists in the u.s. has grown in recent years as well as

their online presence. federal authorities have struggled to keep up. we got nothing. as well was a void. i -- there was a void. a bermuda triangle of rorte highlig a gr response that the group has been sluggish. 71% of rds

in 2017 were committed by right-wing extremists. 26% were committed by islamic extremists. but isis inspired attacks like those in san bernardino and orlando seem to make islam ii i extremism a priority. did you hear from local law enforcement about the support that they were getting from the feds? >> they would say, hey, it's great that we know about isis and al qaeda, but my frontline officers are seeing sovereign citizens and neo-nazis. >> reporter: homeland security secretary kirstjen nielsen spoke yesterday -- >> the primary threat in the united states continues to be from islamic militants and those they inspire, but we should not and cannot and must not ignore the real and serious danger posed by domestic terrorists.

>> reporter: a.m. stout says it's a start. >> if we take our eye off the ball it's going to be a cyclical event. we can't afford to make that mistake again. >> reporter: jeff pegues, cbs news, washington. coming up on "cbs this morning," we talk with andrew wheeler in his first network interview since becoming confirmed as the epa administrator. and redit co-founder alexis ohanian shares a note to self about a loss at a young age and starting his life with wife serena williams. that's the the "cbs morning news" for this wednesday morning. i'm anne-marie green. have a great day.

live from the cbs bay area studios, this is kpix 5 news. good morning, everyone. you are taking a live look outside. you can see oracle park in san francisco. baseball season is just around

the rain is going on right now. it is wednesday, march 20. i am michelle griego. >> i am kenny choi. it is just about 4:30 am. mary, just like you predicted, i was hoping your forecast would be wrong. >> welcome back, michelle, from vacation. if you missed the rain, you've got it now. you are looking at a wet start to the day. we are watching the weather system move through. you can see moderate to heavy rainfall all across the bay area. it is a rainy start to the day. it has been a while but right when we have our morning commute, unfortunately, that is not the best timing. on high def doppler, the orange and red colors are indicating moderate to heavy rainfall pushing across the north bay,