for some of you, the news continues. for others, check back with us, a little later for the morning news and, of course, " cbs this morning." from the broadcast center in new york city, i'm don dahler. captioning funded by cbs it's thursday, september 12th, 2019. this is the "cbs morning news." head to head in houston. ten democratic candidates for president will debate tonight in the lone star state. the big issues expected to take center stage. a plan to ban flavored e-cigarettes. why the first lady, melania trump, is personally invested in cracking down on underage vaping. and border asylum ban. what a supreme court ruling means for some migrants seeking refuge in the u.s. ♪

good morning from the studio 57 newsroom at cbs headquarters here in new york. good to be with you. i'm anne-marie green. well, the third democratic presidential debate takes place tonight, and for the first time the top candidates will share the same stage. ten will face off in houston, texas. former vice president joe biden and senator elizabeth warren go head to head in a debate for the very first time. natalie brand is in houston. what can we expect to be the big topics tonight? >> reporter: well, good morning, anne-marie. voters here say they want to hear about issues central to texas. that includes immigration, recent mass shootings, of course we know health care is a big topic nationwide. but what's also unique about this debate, it will be taking place on a college campus. we spoke to students who said they will be listening closely for plans about tuition and education affordability. ten democratic candidates will

square off in the lone star state tonight. >> hello, houston! >> reporter: texas southern university in houston hosts the third debate. it's the first one confined to a single night. >> we at least know looking at that stage that the nominee will emerge from that group. >> reporter: tsu is a historically black university. dr. michael o. adams, chair of the political science department, says that will help shape tonight's debate. >> you have to talk about social justice. you have to talk about criminal justice reform. these are things that resonate and impact on this community. >> reporter: also expected to be front and center, gun violence. more than two dozen people were killed in two separate mass shootings in texas this summer. >> we need to have actual action and an actual plan -- >> reporter: these tsu debate students want to see candidates do more than offer just catchy sound bytes. >> we don't need somebody who's being all the smile and waves. we want somebody that's direct. >> people can see when candidates are deflecting the

questions, and that has happened a lot. >> reporter: also a first, joe biden and elizabeth warren will face each other. the former vice president front-runner will stand next to senator warren who's gaining ground in the polls. >> i see this as a chance to talk about why i'm in the race, and i assume that's what all the other democrats are going to do, too. >> reporter: texas hasn't voted for a democrat since 1976. tonight's debate will also feature two home state candidates -- beto o'rourke and julian castro. interesting to note, those three tsu students we talked to, they are all undecided. again, they said they are looking for specifics and substance, not just viral moments. anne-marie? >> natalie brand in houston, thank you. now to the health crisis linked to vaping. president trump is promising to ban flavored e-cigarettes to deter youth vaping. the president says the fda is developing new guidelines.

80% of teens who vape say they pick the product because it comes in unique flavors. and as we report, for the president, it's personal. a lot of people think vaping is wonderful, it's great. it's not wonderful. >> reporter: president trump warned parents about a dramatic spike in vaping among young people. new data suggests more than 25% of high school students use e-cigarettes. in 2018, 68% reported using flavors like bubble gum and cotton candy which is why secretary of health and human services alex azar said they must be banned. >> an entire generation of children risk becoming addicted to nicotine because of the attractiveness, appealability, and availability of these vaping products. >> reporter: a generation that includes first son baron trump. >> that's how the first lady got involved. she's got a son together that is

a -- a beautiful young man, and she feels very, very strongly about it. >> reporter: azar said first lady melania trump is very involved in the process of removing all flavored nicotine from the market except the tobacco flavorimed at smokers trying to quit traditional cigarettes. ex-smoker mike stephanie bought blueberry lemonade. >> i don't want to smoke the flavorless stuff. i don't think they should get rid of it because they think it's for kids. >> reporter: the ceo of juul, the biggest e-cigarette company in the u.s., says they target consumers like stephanie, not young people. >> i'm sorry that there are kids who are using the product. we never intended for our product to be used by them. >> reporter: secretary azar says it will take the fda several weeks to work out details for a ban on e-cigarette flavors. and if it goes into effect, companies that make flavored products can apply for an exemption to sell them again. they would have to prove a net benefit to public health. cbs news, the white house.

the supreme court ruled the trump administration can deny asylum to people from central america. it's seen as a victory for the president. the court said the administration can enforce new rules that demand refugees seek asylum in a safe country they enter before reaching the u.s. the legal fight over the rules continues in lower courts. and there are breaking developments overnight in the hunt for a fugitive couple suspected of murder. authorities say that they have been captured. blaine and susan barksdale escaped from police in utah last month. overnight the navajo sheriff's office says that they were taken into custody without incident wednesday evening. officials are not saying where they were located, though. the two are suspects in the death of a 72-year-old man in new york in april. they are also linked to the murder of a tucson man. now to the disaster in the bahamas. more than a week after hurricane dorian hit, at least 2,500 people are listed as missing. authorities say that number may

include evacuees who fled to shelters. meanwhile, people living in surrounding neighborhoods and beyond are still struggling without food, water, or power. >> it's been rough. it's been very, very rough. i hope everything comes back together soon. i have family in abaco that i haven't heard from, to know they are dead or alive. we're hoping for the best. >> dorian hit the bahamas as a category-five hurricane with winds of up to 185 miles per hour. at least 50 deaths have been confirmed, but that number is expected to rise. the nfl is investigating sexual assault accusations against antonio brown. brown's former trainer, britney taylor, filed a civil suit alleging he assaulted her three times over two years.

brown denies the allegations and claims any sexual contact was consensual. his agent says he's innocent. >> these allegations are false. he denies every one of them. i am very confident that his legal team has facts that will prove this. >> brown joined the new england patriots last saturday after being leased from the oakland raiders. he is scheduled to play this weekend. but if the nfl places brown on the exempt list, he would not be able to play until the investigation is over. the national transportation safety board is expected to release a preliminary report today into a deadly boat fire off southern california. 34 people died when the dive boat caught fire last week. yesterday officials with the santa barbara sheriff's office recovered the last body. >> this at this point is qualifying as the worst disaster in terms of loss of human life in the recorded history of our county. >> investigators are looking at several factors in the cause of the fire including how batteries and electronics were stored and

charged. oxycontin maker purdue pharma has reached a tentative settlement over its role in the nation's opioid crisis. members of the sackler family who own the company have offered $3 billion plus a portion of future revenue from drug sales as part of the settlement. so far lawyers for some 2,000 local governments and more than 20 state have signed on, but many states have not agreed to the settlement. coming up on the morning news now, a triple crown winner is facing new drug allegations. and who owns the word "the?" why ohio state wants to trademark it. owns the word "" ", why ohio state wants to trademark it. is that net carbs or total?... eh, not enough fiber... chocolate would be good... snacking should be sweet and simple. the delicious taste of glucerna gives you the sweetness you crave while helping you manage your blood sugar. glucerna. everyday progress

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the blue beams are meant to signify the twin towers which fell during the 9/11 attacks. the lights will remain on until dawn this morning. ohio state university has lost a trademark battle, and new allegations against a champion racing horse. those are some of the headlines on the "morning newsstand." "the new york times" reports that just weeks before winning horse racing's triple crown last year, justify failed a drug test. the "times" says justify tested positive for a banned substance after winning the santa anita derby in california which took place a month before the kentucky derby. instead of disqualifying the horse, the racing board took more than a month to confirm the results. the board also reportedly kept the results quiet and then dropped its inquiry two months after justify won the triple crown. the board issued a statement saying that it is committed to implementing the highest standards of safety and accountability for all horses. south dakota's argus leader

reports the mayor of sioux falls said human error led to most of the city not hearing warning sirens before tornadoes touched down. three twisters hit sioux falls toppling trees, knocking out power and damaging two hospitals. there were no reports of deaths or serious injuries, though. yesterday the mayor said miscommunication in the dispatch center led to only some of the sirens being activated. >> you know ere's parts of government that require human interaction, and this is one. and i'm owning it. it's my team, my administration. that's why we met already -- >> the mayor said steps are being taken to make sure that 911 dispatchers no longer have the option of activating only some of the sirens. "the cleveland plain dealer" reports ohio state university cannot trademark the word the. and fashion designer marc jacobs is partly to blame. in a letter, the patent and trademark office said jacobs' fashion line trademarked the word on may 6th.

ohio state didn't file until august 8th. jacobs' request was denied. officials said it denied ohio state's request because "the" is not something that would help people associate it with the university. still to come, car safety alert. why nearly four million general motors vehicles are being recalled. ♪ be right back. with moderate to severe crohn's disease, i was there, just not always where i needed to be. is she alright? i hope so. so i talked to my doctor about humira. i learned humira is for people who still have symptoms of crohn's disease after trying other medications. and the majority of people on humira saw significant symptom relief and many achieved remission in as little as 4 weeks. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers,

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here's a look at the forecast in some cities around the country. ♪ a tour is hoping to hop on san francisco's iconic cable cars are out of luck at least for now. the cars will be out of commission for ten days starting friday. they are set to undergo repairs that are part of a three-year restoration project. shuttle buses will run along the routes and take people to nearby bus stops. not the same, though. on the cbs "money watch" now, a major recall by general motors, and reaction to a bill to allow college athletes to earn a profit. diane king hall is at the new york stock exchange with that and more. good morning, diane. >> reporter: good morning, anne-marie. well, on the economic calendar today we'll get the august reading on consumer prices and the weekly report on initial

jobless claims. on the earnings front, grocery giant kroger and chipmaker broadcom are scheduled to release reports today. stocks notched gains on wall street yesterday tech, health care, and communications services stocks powered much of the rally. the dow soared 227 points. the s&p 500 gained 21, and the nasdaq added 85. general motors has issued a recall of some of its bestselling vehicles for possible power brake problems. more than three million pickup trucks and suvs including the chevy silverado, tahoe, and gm sierra for years 2014 to 2018 are being recalled. this comes in the wake of a federal investigation and reports of 113 crashes and 13 injuries. for the full list of recalled vehicles, go to cbsnews.com. meantime, president trump is sounding off on the federal reserve once again. he says the fed should cut interest rates to zero or less. the president also called fed officials, quote, boneheads in a recent tweet.

president trump blames the fed for slowing the economy. the president also made a new suggestion saying the country should refinance its debt load. the u.s. has more than $22 trillion in debt. $16 trillion of which is held by the public. and athletes at california colleges could hire agents and sign endorsement deals under a bill passed by the state legislature. the bill sets up a potential confrontation with the ncaa that could jeopardize the athletic futures of powerhouse programs like usc, ucla, and stanford. if would lift a ban on athletes taking money. the governor has not said whether he will sign the bill. the ncaa board of governors is already urging him not to. >> it's quite a controversy. on the one hand, a lot of these athletes are getting a full ride, so you could argue that they are sort of being compensated for their skills. then again, these colleges, some make like $100 million off of these college athletes. >> yeah, a lot of them, the argument on that side has been like the colleges are making a lot of money, and some of the

athletes don't come from money at all. they're still scratching and surviving. >> yeah. i'll tell you what, if it's passed in california, though, it's going to make those schools in california way more attractive to top-notch athletes. keep them competitive. >> that's right. >> diane king hall at the new york stock exchange, thank you. >> you got it. still ahead, a birthday buzz. a young cancer survivor obsessed with the "transformers" character bumble bee is treated to a special parade. character bumble bee is treated to a special parade. proving the doubters wrong. the official yogurt of... never backing down. it has fifteen grams of complete protein, zero added sugar, artificial sweeteners, or fat. oikos. fuel your hustle.

here's a look at the forecast in some cities around the country. ♪ a group of researchers has made an electrifying discovery.

it identified two new species of electric eels in south america. one can deliver a jolt bigger than any other known creature. it had the ability to generate 860 volts of electricity. the study was published this week in the journal "nature communications." and a 4-year-old boy in virginia had a memorable birthday. >> happy birthday! >> whitaker weinberger has been sick batting neuroblast oma. in order to make his birthday super special, his parents wanted to surprise him with bumblebee from the "transformers." he often mistakes yellow cars for his favorite character. his parents used social media to get the word out. people pitched in, and strangers from other states did, as well. at least 100 yellow cars flooded whitaker's street on his special day. coming up on "cbs this morning," we'll go on the set of the new cbs sitcom "bob hart's

abishola" and speak with the stars. i'm anne-marie green, this is the "cbs morning news." wit looks like jill heading offe on an adventure. jill has entresto, a heart failure medicine that helps her heart so she can keep on doing what she 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.

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entrust when you apply for a driver's license, say yes to organ donation. cbs cares. our top stories our top stories this morning, former vice president joe biden and senator elizabeth warren face off tonight for the first time on the debate stage in the third presidential primary debate. ten candidates have qualified for tonight's debate in houston. health care and immigration are expected to be a big issue. and the fda is developing new guidelines to ban flavored e-cigarettes except tobacco. this comes amid a surge in underage vaping. authorities are also investigating hundreds of breathing illnesses by people who have used e-cigarettes and other vaping devices.

president trump says that he wants parents to be aware of the vaping problem among young people. overseas, terrorist groups are still using afghanistan as a base. in a cbs news exclusive, charlie d'agata rides with an elite u.s.-trained special forces unit tracking down suspected isis fighters in kabul. >> reporter: 18 years after 9/11, these afghan special forces are part of america's strategy to stop it from happening again. so what can you tell us about tonight's mission? this time a hunt for suspected isis targets in the capital. we join an armored convoy into one of kabul's most dangerous neighborhoods. we wait for the signal to move, then plunge silently into the darkness. down a a winter of narrow alley ways, a soldier with night vision scans the horizon. others climb walls looking for threats. these are afghanistan's toughest

and best equipped troops. u.s. and nato trained. they're outnumbered by enemies that have multiplied despite america's military presence here. as we've been walking along, they're making sure every one of these nooks and crannies down these jaelts on protected. and you can see around us a lot of high buildings, a lot of overwatch here. we're walking inomplete darkness. inside they find their target, a suspected isis commander. his son insists his father is innocent. was he interrogated by americans? >> by american, yes. >> reporter: cracking down on suspects like these relies heavily on u.s. surveillance, intelligence, and guidance. will you miss the americans if they leave? "of course," he said, "they've given us weapons, equipment, and training." they are your friends. friends? >> sure. >> reporter: the terms of that friendship may soon be nearing an end. charlie d'agata, cbs news,

kabul. coming up on "cbs this morning," a cbs news investigation uncovered a new medicare fraud that's preying on seniors' cancer fears. we'll tell you how it's potentially costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. plus, we'll go on the set of the new cbs sitcom "bob hart's abishola" and spoeak with the stars. and in "a more perfect union," a high school performing arts program that closes cultural and generational gaps. that's the "cbs morning news" for this thursday. thanks for watching. i'm anne-marie green. have a great day. ♪

. live from the cbs bay area studios, this