the road in freeport, maine. >> it's so secret that steve hartman has some very friends. captioning funded by cbs it's wednesday, march 27th, 2019. captioning funded by cbs it's wednesday, march 27th, 2019, this is the "cbs morning news". charges against actor jussie smollett are dropped in the case of his alleged attack. he may be off the hook, but he's not in the clear. the possible trouble he still faces. i am nervous, i'm concerned, i'm scared. >> attorney michael avenatti opens up in his first interview since the arrest and the serious charges he's facing. u.s. announces we are going back to the moon. when we can expect to see new

boot prints in the lunar dust. good morning from the studio 57 newsroom at cbs headq inew y. good to be with you. i'm anne-marie green. it is the latest twist in the case involving jussie smollett. prosecutors dropped all 16 charges against the "empire" actor even though they still believe he faked his attack in january. the dismissal has put a rift between them and chicago's mayor, rahm emanuel. emanuel is considering suing smollett to recoup money spent in the investigation. laura podesta is here in new york to bring us up to speed. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, anne-marie. the biggest question mark with the story is why the charges were dropped. police say there was plenty of evidence to prosecute smollett. so it's leading people to speculate about what information the state's attorney's office doesn't want the public to know.

a surprise decision in the case against jussie smollett. a chicago prosecutor dropped all charges against the "empire" actor. >> i've been truthful and consistent on every single level since day one. i would not be my mother's son if i was capable of one drop of what i've been accused of. >> reporter: smollett, who is gay, claimed he was attacked in january by two men who hurled racist and homophobic slurs. but police say he paid the two men to stage the attack to help his career. yesterday, though, with little explanation as to why, 16 felony counts were dropped in exchange for 16 hours of community service and forfeiting $10,000 bail. >> our priority is violent crimes and the drivers of violence. jussie smollett is neither one of those. >> reporter: chicago mayor rahm emanuel was livid after learning of the decision. >> a hoax on the city. a hoax on hate crimes.

a hoax on people of good values who actually were empathetic at first and used that empathy. >> reporter: the police chief eddie johnson says the city is still owed an apology. >> i heard they wanted their day in court with tv cameras so america could know the truth, to know they chose to hide behinds secrecy and broker a deal. ♪ >> reporter: smollett was cut from the final episodes of "empire" after the charges were first filed. yesterday he said he would like nothing more than to get back to work, though it's unclear if he'll return to the show. fox television, which produces "empire," released a statement noting that smollett has maintained his innocence and that the company was gratified the charges were dismissed. but it made no mention of if smollett would be welcomed back to "empire." anne-marie? >> all right, laura podesta here in new york. thank you, laura. attorney michael avenatti is speaking out for the first time since being arrested on federal charges of alleged

wire fraud and extortion. in an interview, avenatti admitted to jericka duncan that he is nervous and scared. >> reporter: you're an attorney. you've counseled people before that are facing serious allegations. you're being charged with very serious crimes. you're facing, if convicted on all of these charges, up to the rest of your life in prison. are you nervous? >> well, of course i'm nervous. i mean -- >> reporter: are you scared, concerned? tell us, i guess as someone who, again, has a history of representing people and now you're on the other side facing some serious charges. >> i am nervous. i'm concerned. i'm scared. i feel terrible for my family. i feel bad for my friends. most people are sticking by me. they believe in me, they know what i'm all about. so i've beerat rard. , ous, scared, i'l thin if i wasn'wo

lot of sense. >> avenatti was arrested monday for allegedly trying to extort up to $25 million from nike and separate charges involving bank fraud. he maintains his innocence. you can watch more of jericka duncan's interview ahead on "cbs this morning." the justice department says attorney general william barr will release more of the special counsel's russia report within weeks, not months. this as both parties appear to be pivoting to another key issue they believe is on the minds of voters. paula reid has more. the republican party will soon be known as the party of health care. >> reporter: in a court filing, the president's justice department wrote "the entire affordable health care act should be struck down." that's a shift from just months ago when the administration argued some parts of obamacare including the expansion of t withid could remain in place.

pre-existing conditions. >> reporter: speaker pelosi welcomed the change. >> this is actually an opportunity for us to speak to the american people with clarity. they say one thing, and they do another. >> reporter: and democratic lawmakers announced a new bill to restore parts of obamacare already gutted by the administration. >> i'm introducing legislation to help reduce premiums for those who purchase private health plans through the marketplace. >> reporter: the white house has not put forth a plan to replace obamacare, but republican senator lindsey graham said health care was the first topic president trump addressed at their lunch. >> we've got to get pre-existing conditions. we've got to prove to the party that if they get sick they're not going to lose their coverage. >> reporter: democratic leaders continue to tamp down talk of impeachment. they believe they picked up seats in 2018 by focussing on health care and climate change. they hope to do the same in 2020. paula reid, the white house.

the nati's top aviation sat7 max. just yesterday engine issues with a 737 max on its way to long-term storage forced the cy no passengers were on board. >> we're leveling off here at 2,000 runway heading with engine failure on the right side. >> the issue was unrelated to the software problems linked to two deadly crashes involving the planes. southwest is canceling more than 100 flights a day while the max remains grounded. the faa's acting administrator is expected to tell senators today that the agency's safety oversight needs to evolve, and they're launching their own review following those two deadly crashes. a preliminary report on the deadly ethiopian airlines crash this month will be made public later this week. a spokesman for ethiopia's transport ministry says the final report may take months to

complete. earlier this week, ethiopian airlines' ceo said the pilots of the boeing 737 max jet that crashed had all appropriate training. purdue pharma has reached a settlement over claims the maker of oxycontin helped fuel an opioid epidemic that killed thousands in oklahoma. the pharmaceutical company owned by the sackler family will pay $270 million to resolve the lawsuit. of that amount, nearly $200 million will go toward establishing the national center for addiction studies and treatment at oklahoma state university. purdue faces more than 1,000 lawsuits in connection with the opioid crisis. vice president mike pence is pledging american astronauts will return to the moon by 2024. >> now's come the time for us to make the next giant leap and return american astronauts to the moon, establish a permanent base there, and develop the technologies to take american astronauts to mars and beyond. [ applause ]

>> pence spoke yesterday at the national space council meeting in alabama. he expressed frustrations over the cost of relying on russia which provided transportation for astronauts to the international space station since 2011. coming up, a rare state of emergency over a measles outbreak. and she said she was on her way to work. how a woman led police on a dangerous chase. this is the "cbs morning news." they're toold they hold strong. or change your mind damage free. like a pro. command. do. no harm. you'll make my morning, buty the price ruin my day.ou? complicated relationship with milk? pour on the lactaid, 100% real milk, just without that annoying lactose. mmm, that's good.

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car. amazingly throughout the chase, she kept using her turn signal. she was finally forced into a utility pole and arrested. she's been charged with felonious assault and failure to comply. a measles emergency has been declared in a new york suburb, and the nfl punts a decision on robert kraft. those are some of the headlines on the "morning newsstand." "the boston herald" reports commissioner roger goodell is delaying a decision on whether to discipline patriots owner robert kraft. the two were spotted talking in a hallway outside the league's annual owners meeting in arizona. kraft is accused of soliciting prostitution at a florida massage parlor. goodell said he's not ready to decide if kraft should be punished by the league. >> the personal conduct policy applies to everybody. commissioners, owners, executives, players, coaches. and it will be applied to everybody. but it will be done after we get all the facts.

>> court documents relieved yesterday show kraft waived his arraignment which was scheduled for tomorrow and requested a jury trial. he has pleaded not guilty. "the new york times" reports a new york suburb declared a state of emergency due to a measles outbreak. rockland county is barring anyone under 18 who is not vaccinated against measles from going to public places including shopping malls, schools, restaurants, and houses of worship. the order is believed to be the first of its kind in the u.s. the country has seen 153 confirmed cases of measles since october. those violating the emergency declaration could face a $500 fine and six months in jail. >> reporter: is this more of a scare tactic or are you planning to prosecute people? >> i would say it's more of an attention grabber. if you bring unvaccinated if worse come to worse, children

involved, you could be arrested, you could be prosecuted. absolutely not. >> the decision was center around the ultra-orthodox community where vaccination rates tend to be lower. wsaw says the man accused of kidnapping 13-year-old jayme closs and killing her parents will be back in court today for his arraignment. jake patterson allegedly murdered closs' parents in their home near baron, wisconsin, in october, and abducted the teenager. authorities say he held her captive in a cabin for three months before she escaped in january. patterson is expected to enter a plea today. he reportedly wrote a letter to a minneapolis tv station this month saying he intends to plead guilty. and "the houston chronicle" reports hundreds of people have filed compensation claims against a texas petrochemical storage company in the wake of a massive fire. intercontinental terminals company in deer park caught fire ten days ago and burned for several days. officials say gasoline and other materials seeped into nearby waters. residents were ordered to stay indoors. the company says about 300

people have filed claims seeking lost wages and other damages. still to come, a minimum wage shocker. how the hourly pay would be $33 if it grew at the same rate as wall street bonuses. i never thought i'd say this but i found bladder leak underwear that's actually pretty. always discreet boutique. hidden inside is a super absorbent core that quickly turns liquid to gel. so i feel protected and pretty. always discreet boutique. (woman) (man) have you smeno.d this litter? (woman) nobody has! it's unscented! (vo) tidy cats free & clean unscented. powerful odor control with activated charcoal. free of dyes. free of fragrances. unscented odor control like that? there's a tidy cats for that. recast in some citouco♪

on the cbs "money watch," a new free app to block robo calls, and the minimum wage versus wall street bonuses. diane king hall is at the new york stock exchange with that and more. good morning, diane. >> reporter: good morning, anne-marie. on the earnings calendar, home builder lenar and athletic wear retailer lululemon will report financial results today. here on wall street, energy and bank shares pushed the market higher tuesday. the dow industrials rallied 140 points. the s&p 500 gained 20, and the nasdaq added 53. even though they fell last year, wall street bonuses are outpacing minimum wage growth. according to data from the new york state comptroller, wall street employees saw annual bonuses drop 17% last year. despite the decline, bonuses are 52% higher than a decade ago. and if the minimum wage kept pace with the same growth, the baseline wage would be $33.51 an ho>>n lau f

app to block robo calls. the company already offers a paid app to block calls which cost $2.99 a month. according to a global robo call radar, users received an average of seven spam calls per month nationwide. verizon expects to launch the new service by the end of the month. meanwhile, a judge is recommending banning some iphones from being imported into the u.s. the decision by a member of the u.s. international trade commission comes after concluding the device infringed on technology owned by mobile chipmaker qualcomm. the judge's decision must still be weighed by the full commission. and candy lovers have some new sweet treats to look forward to from two candy giants. first up, mars announced it's launching new m&m's hazelnut spread candies and reese's is unveiling two new cups. chocolate lovers and peanut butter lovers. both candies will hit shelves in april.

anne-marie? >> sounds good. i think i'm a peanut butter lover kind. >> same here. we'll have to fight over that one. >> diane king hall at the new york stock exchange, thank you so much. >> all right. thank you. still ahead, ring-kissing confusion. pope francis appears to pull his hand away as a faithful try to carry out the tradition of kissing his ring. g his ring. so i was excited about all-new colgate total. it has sensitivity relief, so i don't have to give up doing what i love. aren't we lucky. new colgate total. do more for your whole mouth. ( ♪ ) only tylenol® rapid release gels have laser drilled holes.

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here's a look at the forecast in some cities around the country. ♪ ♪ some awkward moments in italy as pope francis repeatedly pulled his hand away as a long line of people tried to follow tradition and kiss his ring. monday's video went viral and drew mixed reactions.

one conservative catholic website called it disturbing. others said francis is a pope of the people and wants to use a more humble approach. there's no explanation, though, from the vatican. maybe it will take divine intervention to help someone win tonight's powerball lottery. the jackpot has ballooned to $750 million. the fourth largest jackpot in u.s. history. nobody has won since the day after christmas. the lump-sum payment is more than $465 million. and let's say happy birthday to a decorated world war ii veteran who turns 100 years old today. they threw a big party for lieutenant colonel rudy pariso in la mesa california sunday. he's a survivor of the infamous baton death march and the prison camp. he also served in the korean war. rudy has nine kids, 25 grandkids, and 35 great grandkids. should be a pretty big par coming up on "cbs this morning," we talk with former georgia gubernatorial candidate stacey abrams as she considers

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our top stories this morning -- prosecutors in chicago have dropped all 16 charges against the "empire" actor, jussie smollett. he was accused of faking his own attack in january. the dismissal has angered the mayor and police chief. rahm emanuel says he's considering suing smollett to recoup money that was spent on the case. and attorney michael avenatti maintains his innocence after being arrested on federal charges. in an interview with cbs news, he admits that he is nervous and scared. avenatti was arrested monday for allegedly trying to extort up to $25 million from nike, and separate charges involving bank fraud. he says he will be exonerated. story time is an important part of a child's development. but what's best when reading to

a toddler? traditional books or electronic books? chris martinez has the results of a new study. mommy like that one? >> reporter: 2 1/2-year-old george can't get enough story time with mom. >> what's the duck say? >> quack, quack. >> reporter: george's mom mary owns a tablet, but her reading ritual with her son only includes traditional printed books. >> i think it's fun to hold them, it's fun for them to turn the pages. they can point things out. he can pick them out and bring them to me. >> reporter: a study in "pediatrics" finds real books have an advantage over electronic books when it comes to creating quality interactions. researchers found parents and toddlers talked more and had more collaboration like turning pages and holding the book when reading printed books together. when using electronic books, toddlers were more focused on tapping or swiping on the device instead of focusing on story. >> so you want to make sure that you're not just relating the words but making this an

experience. >> reporter: dr. corinn cross says that parent/child interaction is critical for helping children develop and improve their reading and language skills. she has this advice for parents using ebooks -- >> turn off the things that when you tap the dog it barks so the child can focus on the story and then you're also going to have to put extra legwork in to make sure that you embellish and engage in the dialogue as you would a regular book. >> that was a really good book. thanks for reading that. >> reporter: mary says she cherishes story time with george. >> i think there's something so special about a real book especially for kids. >> reporter: she hopes it fosters a love of reading he'll carry the rest of his life. chris martinez, cbs news, pacific palisades, california. coming up on "cbs this morning," we will talk with former georgia gubernatorial candidate stacey abrams as she considers running for president. plus, more on nasa's decision to cancel an all-female space walk at the international space station. and in our series "profiles

in service," we'll take you to camp pendleton where more women are taking part in critical combat operations. that's the "cbs this morning" 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 morning, everyone. it is wednesday, march 27. we are taking a live look at the beautiful coit tower this morning. it is very early, so wipe the

sleep out of your eyes, wake up with us and join us for the show. i am michelle griego. >> get your coffee, too. i am kenny choi. it is 4:30 am. storm watch. it feels like the 30th round this year already. >> it has been a wet wiscol. here is a live look with high def doppler. you can see the rain for the north bay and moderate to heavy rain from he