i'm elise preston, cbs news, new york. it's tuesday, august 31st, 2021. this is the "cbs morning news." southern emergency. search and rescue efforts now underway in the aftermath of hurricane ida. the new threat for more than a million people who don't have power. the last soldier. a striking image released as the final u.s. service member leaves afghanistan. how the government plans to help americans and allies who couldn't make it out. mask mandate showdown. why the department of education is opening up a civil rights investigation into five states. ♪ ♪ good morning. good to be with you.

i'm anne-marie green. we begin with the destruction left in the wake of hurricane ida. the storm killed at least two people, but officials expect the death toll to rise. ida slammed southern louisiana, flooding entire cities like houma. crews rushed to save people trapped in their homes. powerful winds knocked down power lines, leaving more than 1 million customers dark in louisiana and mississippi. it could be weeks before the power grid is fixed. michael george is in bridge city, just outside of new orleans, with more on the devastation. michael, good morning. >> reporter: anne-marie, good morning. and if you're wondering why officials say it will take weeks to fully restore power, the answer is right behind me. this three-story transmission tower was torn down by ida. and the catastrophic failure of the power grid is just one of many problems that people in louisiana are dealing with. a massive emergency response is now underway after hurricane

ida blasted the gulf coast. >> things are just falling apart. i haven't got a dry spot in the house. >> reporter: the storm delivered its hardest hit to louisiana after making landfall there on sunday. these homes in houma in the southern part of the state among those that are now unrecognizable to their owners. >> we'll make it, though. i know somebody will be there to give me a hand, so -- excuse me, guys. >> reporter: over 5,000 national guard troops have been deployed across the state, and some 3600 fema employees are headed to the region. >> we know that individuals are out there waiting to be rescued. we know that we have thousands of people out right now with high-water vehicles and boats who are doing search and rescue. >> reporter: residents who evacuated were urged to stay away while first responders looked for survivors. here in new orleans, the mayor has said no one will be left behind, but people here will be left in the dark.

the power in the metro area won't be restored for several days. louisiana's levee system appears to have mostly held up against ida. its electrical grid did not. over a million homes and businesses were left without power. >> it is going to be hot here, so i know that people are going to be making accommodations to go someplace where they can get air condition. >> reporter: the national weather service predicted the city's heat index could rise to a potentially life-threatening 103 degrees today. the hospitals in louisiana were already pushed to the breaking point due to covid. now many are preparing for the possibility of having to perform surgeries on generator power. in bridge city, michael george, anne-marie, back to you. >> all right, michael, thank you very much. well, president biden will address the nation today for the first time since u.s. troops left afghanistan ending a 20-year war. in a statement last night mr. biden said the u.s. government will continue to work

with other countries to safely get out americans and allies who want to leave afghanistan. an image was released showing the very last u.s. soldier to leave the war-torn country. major general chris don hugh was the final american service member to board a c-17 cargo plane departing the airport in kabul. hours later video up load today social media appears to show members of the taliban walking through the airport, celebrating the u.s. troop withdrawal. natalie brand has the latest. >> i'm here to announce the completion of our withdrawal from afghanistan in the end of the military mission to evacuate american citizens. >> reporter: the pentagon says the last u.s. military plane has departed kabul's international airport, completing the u.s. withdrawal from a 20-year war in afghanistan. >> a new chapter of america's engagement with afghanistan has begun. it's one in which we will lead with our diplomacy. >> reporter: rockets that were launched towards kabul

international airport were shot down or failed to reach their target. the attempted attack came one day after the united states us conducted an air-strike against an isis-k vehicle filled with explosives near the airport. >> this strike prevented a high-profile attack. >> reporter: they are investigating possible civilian casualties from the drone strike. the administration says more than 122,000 people have been evacuated from afghanistan. >> we believe there are still a small number of americans -- under 200, and likely close tore 100 -- who remain in afghanistan. >> americans that are in afghanistan that want to leave and afghans who want to leave, they will not be denied that opportunity. >> reporter: this video sent to cbs news from journalists on the ground in afghanistan are believed to be members of the taliban celebrating the u.s. withdrawal. president biden said he will discuss his decision not to extend u.s. troop presence

beyond the 31st. natalie brand, cbs news, washington. tens of thousands of people in a popular vacation spot of south lake tahoe, california, were ordered to evacuate as the caldor fire inches closer. people fleeing were stuck in gridlock. this scene played out hours after state fire officials announced mandatory evacuation orders yesterday morning. crews are struggling to keep the flames from spreading further east. forecasters are warning of dry weather and gusty winds through tomorrow. so far, the fire has torched more than 186,000 acres. it's only 15% contained. >> i can tell you that every single firefighter and law enforcement officer out on the line is doing absolutely everything they can to protect lives, property, and the natural resources that we all hold dear on all parts of this fire. >> nevada's governor declared a state of emergency citing what he called the anticipation that

the wildfire would burn across the state line. five states are under a civil rights investigation for banning or limiting mask requirements for students. the education department sent letters to state superintendents in iowa, oklahoma, south carolina, tennessee and utah. they described how policies could violate civil rights of children with disabilities or underlying health conditions. the biden administration previously vowed to take action against states that tried to enforce bans on mask mandates. and the man convicted of murdering university of iowa student molly tibbetts has been sentenced to life in prison. christian rivera was convicted in the 2018 stabbing of tibbetts. she had vanished after she went out on an evening run by herself. rivera led investigators to her body. prosecutors say justice has been served. >> so it's been a long haul for the family and for those of us that have been prosecuting the case, investigating it.

so we're very pleased with the result and finally got to the finish line. >> the defense plans to appeal. coming up, driving up fuel prices. how high gas prices could go after hurricane ida shutdown oil production in the gulf. and bouncing back. tens of thousands of tennis fans pack the u.s. open in new york for the first time in two years. this is the "cbs morning news." ♪ ♪ welcome to allstate. where everything just seems to go your way. ♪ ♪ you're in good hands with allstate. click or call for a lower auto rate today. it's my 4:05 the-show-must-go-on migraine medicine. it's ubrelvy. for anytime, anywhere migraine strikes, without worrying if it's too late, or where i am. one dose can quickly stop my migraine in its tracks within two hours. ubrelvy is a pill that directly blocks cgrp protein, believed to be a cause of migraine.

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the crowds are back at the u.s. open, and customers hit with high energy bills during the texas storm will not have to pay. those are some of the headlines on the morning news stand. the associated press reports texas utility company gritty energy reached a settlement with the state over its sky-high energy bills after february's deadly winter storm and cold wave. the company's rates skyrocketed during the freeze when state grid operators raised wholesale prices, which fluctuate based on demand. texas sued gritty after customers received bills totaling thousands of dollars. gritty filed for bankruptcy and waived claims against customers for charges during that period. the "washington post" says long lines greeted tennis fans as they flocked back to the u.s. open in new york. more than 53,000 people arrived yesterday for the start of the tournament. it is the first tennis major allowing fans at full capacity for the full two weeks. everyone 12 and over has to show proof they've been vaccinated.

there were long delays at the entrance gates, but people were still excited to be back after crowds were banned last year. >> it's incredible. it's really great to see the excitement and the energy back, and, yeah, hopefully we'll see some great tennis. >> just to watch the tennis. i've never like been to something like a sport really so big before. and i'm really excited. >> defending women's champion naomi osaka easily won her first round match. and up next, oprah winfrey helps celebrate the return of broadway. ♪ turn your face -- >> this is the return of something truly spectacular. >> oprah lends her voice to a new marketing campaign showcasing some of the best moments on stage. and if you have heart failure, there's entresto. entresto helps improve your heart's ability to pump blood to the body.

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>> on the cbs money watch, how much more you can be paying for gas in the wake of hurricane ida. and the great white way gets help from oprah. diane king hall is at the new york stock exchange with those and more. good morning, diane. >> good morning, anne-marie. yesterday the dow fell 55 points while the nasdaq rallied 136, setting a fresh record high and the s&p 500 added 19. ida is expected to drive up gas prices across the u.s. in the coming weeks. the storm which made landfall in louisiana shutdown 95% of oil and gas production in the gulf coast on sunday. experts say the disruption could lead to a temporary surge in

fuel costs. an official at the pump buddy said it could rise 5 cents nationally and could go higher. ikea says loyalty customers will be able to exchange their gently used furniture for discounted prices. the pilot program is available in the philadelphia suburb but will eventually roll out to additional stores. ikea has launched repurchase programs in other countries as it works towards making its business more sustainable. and welcome back to the great white way. >> this is broadway. >> this is for you, billy. >> where time stops every time a show starts. >> that is a new marketing campaign called "this is broadway." it features past and current shows and is voiced by none other than oprah winfrey. the broadway league said it was

created to get potentially nervous theater goers back into seats. dozens of shows will open next month after being closed for nearly 18 months due to the pandemic. anne-marie? >> well, they picked the right voice because i hear oprah's voice and i am immediately soothed. >> i know. and i am just like "on broad --" i'm not going to do it. makes me want to go back to broadway. >> it's good, it's good. diane king hall at the new york stock exchange. diane, thank you so much. >> thank you. up next, simone biles speaks out. the olympic gymnast reveals what happened in tokyo that forced her to withdraw from several competitions. frank is a fan of fast. he's a fast talker. a fast walker. thanks, gary. and for unexpected heartburn... frank is a fan of pepcid. it works in minutes. nexium 24 hour and prilosec otc can take one to four days to fully work. pepcid. strong relief for fans of fast. can take one to four days to fully work. if laundry stinks, it could be bacteria.

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here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. ♪ some soothing sounds to help calm the nerves of people fleeing the caldor fire in northern california. thousands were forced to evacuate from south lake tahoe yesterday including violin player mel smothers. he got out of his car to

serenade those stuck in a long line of traffic. china is cutting down on the time children can play online games. it is banning kids from playing nor than three hours a week. they can only play games between 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. on fridays, weekends and on public holidays starting tomorrow. the restrictions are part of an ongoing crack down on technology companies amid growing concerns of their influence on chinese society. and gymnast simone biles is opening up about the mental issues she says forced her to withdraw from some events at the recent tokyo olympics. biles was interviewed by her mother in a video released by one of her main sponsors, clothing company athleta. the four-time gold medallist said she believes her mental health issues began before the olympics. >> i wouldn't even say it started in tokyo. i think it's deeper rooted than that. i think it's just the stress factor built up over time and my body and my mind just said no. even i didn't know i was going through it until it just

happened. >> biles said the most important thing for others doubting themselves or struggling with their mental health is to ask for help. and disney is reportedly setting sail on a sequel for the hit movie "jungle cruise." >> legend has it a tree has meelg power that will change medicine forever. >> and you need someone to help you find it. here we go. >> the adventure movie based on the popular disneyland attraction has brought in more than $100 million since it opened a month ago. the hollywood reporter says stars dwayne johnson and emily blunt are set to return. coming up on "cbs this morning," we will speak with grammy nominated rapper logic about his new memoir, "this bright future." i'm anne-marie green. this is the "cbs morning news."

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>> our top stories this morning. the death toll from hurricane ida has risen to at least two. more than 1 million customers are still without power in louisiana and mississippi, and it will be weeks before electricity is restored. 5,000 national guard troops were deployed to louisiana to help with the rescue efforts there.

and president biden will address the nation today for the first time since all u.s. troops left afghanistan. he said the government will work with other countries to safely get out americans and allies who want to leave. up to 200 americans remain. the administration says more than 122,000 people have been evacuated from afghanistan. and now to the gas gauge in your car and a new study looks at how reliable they are. dina demetrius has the surprising results. >> so, this is aaa's automotive research center. >> reporter: aaa's dug schupe says they have cars running on a treadmill to see how accurate the gas gauge is. these days drivers no longer just rely on the old-school gauge. >> more and more newer vehicles have these miles to empty gauges. >> reporter: 74% of car owners say they depend on the high-tech display to decide when to fill up. aaa looked at 16 vehicles and

found most were accurate. however, one car overestimated fuel economy by 6.4%. another underestimated it by almost 3%. >> there is pretty significant variability based on speed, acceleration -- how fast you accelerate -- and also the distance that the driver is traveling. the bottom line is drivers should really not rely solely on this type of technology to determine when they need to fill up. when your gas tank gets to a quarter of a tank full, you need to go ahead and fill it up because if you continually let that e empty light come on, you're running it too close and that could cause some very costly damage to your fuel pump. >> reporter: to make your car more fuel efficient, schupe suggests avoiding car acceleration, keep tires inflate today proper levels and turn off the air conditioner when possible. that will draw less power from the engine and save on gas. deana demetrius, cbs news, los

angeles. coming up on "cbs this morning," the impact on covid on the law enforcement community. we'll take you to florida where a dozen officers died from the virus. plus in our special series, the work shift. we'll show you one company's creative solution to helping workers with child care. and we'll speak with grammy nominated rapper logic about his new memoir "bright future." i'm an anne-marie green. stay safe.

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