capital, i'm ben tracy. it's thursday, february 18th, 2021. this is the "cbs morning news." cold weather crisis. people in texas face another brutally cold day with no power while a quarter of the state's residents are being told to boil or stop using their water. fake n95 masks. more than 11 million confiscated in recent weeks in the u.s. where they're coming from. ready to land. nasa prepares for space history as the mars rover "perseverance" as the mars rover "perseverance" approach the red planet. captioning funded by cbs good morning. good to be with you. i'm anne-marie green.

we're going to begin with that brutal winter storm that is now hitting the northeast. more than 100 million people are under some type of weather alert this morning. in texas, though, almost two million people are going another day without electricity. there's also a problem getting clean water. seven million people, nearly a quarter of the entire state, are being told to boil or stop using water. and people have emptied the shelves at this target store in south austin. shoppers stocked up, waiting in long lines. nancy chen looks at the widespread impact of the storm. >> reporter: fierce winter storms are bringing a week of misery to millions across the u.s.avy sn fri temperatures, and widespread power outages are slamming texas. >> this is no longer just an emergency, it's clear that it is a disaster. >> reporter: snow and icy roads are straining cars throughout the south, including along the border with arkansas. so many pipes have burst in texas the governor is asking for

help from out-of-state plumbers. steven and laura dandridge have been living in the dark for most of the past three days with their year-old son. it's been so cold, they're storing food in the garage. >> when the sun goes down, you can't keep open flames going. reporter: with more bad off. weather expected for much of the nation, people rushed to stores wednesday. in memphis, tennessee -- >> i barely found bread. everybody's getting stocked up. >> reporter: the winter onslaught is also causing problems in covid vaccination efforts. >> we have experienced delays in vaccine shipments due to the bad weather. >> reporter: indiana officials say the state had to temporarily close dozens of vaccine sites this week. and winter sledding fun came close to tragedy when a young tennessee boy fell into a river. >> it's pretty scary. he was a little kid. to see him go in and then the mom go in and to hear screams. >> reporter: local firefighters helped bring the boy and his mom to safety.

the deadly winter storm is forcing president bide postpone his trip to a pfizer vaccine facility in michigan. he'll head there tomorrow instead. debra alfarone is in washington. debra, the vaccine rollout is really taking a hit because of this bad weather. >> reporter: absolutely. so there's more than 100 million people who are experiencing some type of this weather that's going on right now, and because of that we are behind millions and millions of vaccinations. add to that that those vaccines themselves are being delayed, and you've got a huge, huge problem there. snow and ice blanketing much of the u.s. is expected to delay vaccine deliveries and distribution for days. vaccine centers in several hard-hittes have had to temporarily close, and others are canceling appointments. >> when this ridiculous situation, we have the ability to give people vaccination. but right now we're running out again. >> reporter: the nation's top infectious disease expert dr. anthony fauci expects shots to

be available for all americans by july but says it may take longer for everyone to get inoculated. >> how long it will take to vaccinate people will really depend upon the efficiency with which you get doses into people's arms. >> reporter: the u.s. is vaccinating an average of 1.7 million americans per day, up from one million a day one month ago. putting president biden on track to surpass his goal of 100 million shots in his first 100 days in office. he met with a group of labor union members in part to sell his $1.9 trillion american rescue plan. the pandemic relief plan will top the agenda when vice president kamala harris sits down virtually today with an all-female group of business leaders and members of congress. meanwhile, a group of scientists sent an open letter to the biden administration demanding better ventilation and required use of n95 masks in high-risk

workplaces. >> the reason we're encouraging better masking for one is that this new variant that's coming in is much more transmissible. >> reporter: federal prosecutors have begun an investigation into how new york governor andrew cuomo's administration handled nursing home deaths during the pandemic. the governor maintains the state didn't cover up deaths but should have moved faster to release information. going back to the vaccine, the cdc says that more than 40 million people have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine, and 15 million have gotten both doses. anne-marie? >> all right. that's at least some good news. thank you so much. debra alfarone in washington. cbs news has learned that democrats are set nvaul immigrll undocumented immigrants living

in the u.s. the biden administration is expected to support the bill. the sweeping legislation will need the full support of all democrats along with ten republicans in the senate. a controversial bill banning almost all abortions in south carolina appears to be headed to the governor's desk today. the state house passed the measure yesterday. there's a final procedural vote today. the governor has vowed to sign it. the bill requires doctors to check for a heartbeat. if there is one, abortions can only be performed if the pregnancy was caused by rape, incest, or if the mother's life is in danger. the measure is unlikely to take effect, though, because it is certain to face charges in court. rush limbaugh, the right-wing talk radio host who shaped the national political conversation, has died. the missouri native gained national attention in the late 1980s with a syndicated conservative talk show on a.m. radio.foerde limbgh the prentl hipeon

>> he is a legend. he really is. there aren't too many legends around. he was a legend. to people that listen to him every day, it was like a religious experience for a lot of people. >> limbaugh had been battling lung cancer, and he was 70 years old. nasa's "perseverance" rover is set to make a historic landing on mars later today. if all goes as planned, the rover will explore mars from the ground and from the air with the first-ever helicopter drone deployed to another planet. nasa says that this is a big moment in space exploration. >> what's so exciting about this, it's not only the landing and the investigations, but just the search for extinct, an life from a time when life arose at earth and mars. a most promising sight. >> if the mission is successful it will be the third visit to mars in the past week and a half. two spacecraft from the united

arab emirates and china are already orbiting the planet. coming up on the "cbs morning news" now, thousands of sea turtles are being rescued from freezing waters off texas. and an update on britain's prince philip who has been hospitalized. this is the "cbs morning news." age is just a number. and mine's unlisted. try boost® high protein with 20 grams of protein for muscle health. versus 16 grams in ensure high protein. boost® high protein also has key nutrients for immune support. boost® high protein. ♪ for every trip you've been dreaming of, expedia has millions of flexible booking options. because the best trip is wherever we go together. my nunormal: fewer asthma attacks. less oral steroids. taking my treatment at home. nucala is a once-monthly add-on injection for severe eosinophilic asthma. not for sudden breathing problems. allergic reactions can occur.

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this is hal's relief, knowing he's covered by medicare from blue cross blue shield. and with coverage you can trust, 80 ealthcpert ca from blueross blue shie and with coverage you can trust, this is the benefit of blue. people in texas are trying to save thousands of sea turtles from potentially deadly cold weather. the cold stunned turtles were moved from freezing waters in the gulf of mexico and taken to a convention center in south padre island. a conservation group says that more than 4,000 turtles have been rescued. now the turtles cannot survive extremely low temperatures. they will be released back in the gulf when the temperatures warm up again. britain's prince philip has been hospitalized, and fake n95 masks have been confiscated. those are some of the headlines on the "morning netheralgencies

confiscated more than 11 million counterfeit n95 masks in recent weeks. some were found in a warehouse in maryland. they were made to look like they came from the largest producer of n95 masks in the u.s., 3m. washington state hospitals have >> they are really, really good fakes. they look, they fit, they breathe, they wear like a real 3m n95 mask. >> homeland security officials say the fake masks are coming from china. they warn they are extremely dangerous because they do not offer the same protection as n "the hill" reports the irs says all of the coronavirus stimulus checks have been distributed. last year congress passed legislation authorizing two rounds of direct relief payments. the irs says more than 160 first-round checks and 147 million second-round payments were sent out. people who have not received the

full amounts they're entitled to can claim a credit on their 2020 tax returns. the "associated press" says prince philip is in a london hospital. yesterday buckingham palace said queen elizabeth's 99-year-old husband was admitted to the hospital after not feeling well. the palace calls it a precautionary measure on the advice of philip's doctor. it says the prince is expected to stay in the hospital for at least a few days of observation and rest. his illness is not believed to be related to the coronavirus, though. still ahead, icing on an epic mission. krispy kreme unveils a special doughnut to mark today's landing of the mars rover. allergies don't have to be scary. spraying flonase daily stops your body from overreacting to allergens all season long. psst! psst! you're good. ok everyone, our mission is to provide complete, balanced nutrition for strength and energy. oo

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in new jersey, a piece of atlantic city history has been reduced to rubble. the former trump plaza hotel and casino came crumbling down yesterday morning in a planned implosion. donald trump opened the casino in 1984. for a brief time it was the most doors in 2014, it faced growing competition in other states. on the cbs "money watch" now, there's a congressional hearing into the stock scandal involving gamestop, and krispy kreme is offering a red doughnut to celebrate a mars mission. diane king hall is in new york with those stories and more. good morning, diane. >> reporter: good morning. well, weekly snapshot of the job market is in focus with the labor department set to release its weekly jobless claims report this morning. it comes after a mixed day on wall street yesterday. now the dow ended at a new record high gaining 90 points, while the nasdaq dropped 82 points, and the s&p 500 shed a

point. question some of the key players in that gamestop trading saga today. for the first time, the house financial services committee will grill executives from the trading app robinhood, reddit, and other players in the drama. topics are expected to include why brokerages shut down trading and how to protect retail investors. shares of gamestop soared 1,600% in january after an unprecedented tug-of-war between amateur investors and hedge funds. the stock plunged in trades around $46 a share, just below that right now. facebook has blocked people in australia from viewing and sharing news on its platform. it comes in response to a new law in the country requiring online platforms including facebook to pay news outlets for displaying and linking their content. this means that australian publishers will be restricted from posting news content on their pages on the social media platform. it also means facebook users worldwide will be unable to

share or view news stories from australian publishers. anmel icg.d wi chocolate cream i the new treat also has chocolate cookie crumbles on top. krispy kreme is only selling it today to celebrate the mars rover landing on the red planet. >> no matter how much you eat, always leave space for doughnuts. >> i know. you got to be careful when going past krispy kreme with the hot light on. that's so tempting. >> yeah. all right. i was going to say, get them while they're hot. it's one day only. usually they are hot. >> yes, indeed. >> diane king hall in new york. diane, have a great day. >> you, too. so up next, demi lovato opens up. ous efoferrug ov documentary.

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here's a look at the forecast in some cities around the country. ♪ a hospital in australia received an unusual visitor. health officials released security video of a wallaby hopping its way through the front door and into the emergency room.

spent a few minutes looking around before heading back out through the same doors. serena williams is out at the australian open, and the tenth-seeded williams last her semifinal match to number three-seed naomi osaka of japan. it is the latest disappointment for williams who is seeking a record tying 24th grand slam singles title. after the match, osaka took a jab at her older sister when she wrote a message on a tv camera lens. she-year-old, "stop sending weird messages in the group chat." osaka will face american jennifer brady in the finals. and pop star demi lovato revealed that she suffered three strokes and a heart attack when she was hospitalized for a drug overdose in 2018. lovato talked about her ordeal yesterday while promoting a new youtube documentary "demi lovato: chancing with the -- dancing with th

like i neeto tl you that i'm always careful. >> demi's good at making you believe she's okay. >> she's good roin? are we doing that? >> lovato also revealed that doctors told her family that she had five to ten minutes to live when she was in the hospital. she also said that she was left with brain damage. the docu-series will be released on youtube next month. and madame tussauds wax museum has added a baby bump to meghan markle's wax figure. it comes after markle and her husband prince harry announced on sunday that they are expecting their second child. the museum took markle's wax likeness to the sydney zoo for an aussie-style photo shoot. the statue received belly kisses from of course a kangaroo. coming up on "cbs this morning," more o fka twigs as she talks about assault allegations against actor shia labeouf in her first

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with emergen our top stories this morning -- a powerful winter storm is moving into the northeast. the storm has left texas battered. nearly two million people are facing another cold day without electricity. also, seven million residents are being told to boil their water or stop using it. and nasa's "perseverance" rover is set to make a historic landing on mars this afternoon. if all goes as planned, the omrr plan. r

these days people on opposite ends of the political spectrum rarely see common ground. a remarkable effort has brought some together even during the pandemic. mark strassmann explains. >> reporter: three years ago, pre-pandemic, 11 kentucky conservatives rode a bus for 15 hours all to meet some massachusetts liberals. >> we have folks within our community that said you are crazy if you get on that van an kentucky, is coal country, trump country. leverette, massachusetts, politically is cobalt blue. how suspicious were you? >> i was pretty darn suspicious. >> none of us wanted to understand the voters for trump. >> reporter: hands across the hills brought together the two rural communities to work through their differences. >> we tried to help each other. that's what americans do.

>> let's start with family stories -- people were crying within the hour. >> reporter: crying? >> crying because family stories have joy. they also have a lot of shadow. >> reporter: they eventually talked politics. people on both sides felt insulted, misunderstood. but the gun lovers and tree huggers all survived. >> there was much more to agree upon than there was to disagree upon. we quickly established that. >> reporter: they visited three times. >> it's such an important time to be together. >> reporter: then on zoom throughout the pandemic. not to change minds but to open hearts. >> if we can dive under the boat and get into who the person is, something very different emerges. >> we see things differently, but we deeply care about each other. >> reporter: disagreeing agreeably. imagine that in america. mark strassmann, cbs news, atlanta. coming up on "cbs this r s. the "peer"

more of gayle's interviewer with fka twigs as she talks about assault allegations against actor shia labeouf in her first tv interview since filing a lawsuit against him. and award-winning director ava duvernay discusses her initiative to make the movie and tv industry more inclusive behind the scenes. that's the "cbs morning news" for this thursday. thanks for watching. i'm anne-marie green. have a great day. ♪