over americans and afghans still stranded in the country. satellite images show six evacuation planes at the mazar asha reef airport. they've been grounded for nearly a week. the founder of ascend athletics, a group helping afghan women and girls trying to get out. >> the u.s. government has contacts with the taliban. these are the same people we've been negotiating with for a very long time in doha. surely there is some outreach that could be done and some levers that could be pulled to release these people. >> reporter: secretary of state anthony blinken has arrived here in doha for some high-level crisis talks. he said they talked to 100 citizens in afghanistan and they are doing everything they can to make sure the charter flights are able to leave safely. >> that's our charlie d'agata report forgive doha. now, over the past year cbs

news has reported extensively on sexual assault in the u.s. military. after our report aired, the pentagon madehthi epidemic a priority. well, now another two-year cbs news investigation reveals a second crisis, domestic violence. we found gaps in the process of reporting abuse across all military branches. service members, military spouses and partners who reported abuse said the military failed to protect them. cbs evening news anchor and managing editor norah o'donnell has this story. >> the numbers are staggering. roughly 100,000 incidents of domestic abuse have been reported to the military since 2015. the pentagon hasn't kept track of how many of those reports involve violence, so it's actually impossible to know the full scope of this problem. what we do know is these are serious crimes, and some survivors told us they felt they were in more danger after they reported them. >> there's no doubt in my mind

he was going to kill me. >> in 2019, retired master sergeant erica johnson told air force leaders she was being physically and sexually assaulted by someone she was in an intimate relationship with. >> domestic violence is this unspoken bad word, bad phrase. nobody wants to talk about it. >> cbs news spoke with nearly 40 survivors who, like erica, reported abuse to the military. >> and i think in the military specifically, it's even more of this forgotten crisis because there is this veil of a uniform. >> according to department of defense policy, commanders are required to tell victims about resources, send reports to law enforcement for investigation, and ensure military offenders are held accountable. does the military provide enough support to domestic violence survivors? >> no. >> no. >> after erica reported she had been raped and beaten, the air force's office of special

investigations looked into her claims. how did they handle your case? >> initially it seemed like they were taking me seriously. he checked his military weapon out and threatened me with it. and then as things went on, they just got really dismissive. they wouldn't accept evidence from me. they didn't use my statements. it justse. >> army major leah ulshefsky reported being physically assaulted to the air force. >> i told them i had been strange lated. he had also threatened to break my neck, bust my front teeth out. >> in 2019 leah told her story before congress. she says it changed nothing, so she's sharing her story again. >> you had a miscarriage? >> i did, yes. >> and do you believe that was a result of the domestic violence? >> yes. he kicked me in the stomach and i flew off the bed into the closet doors and then he took

"t the comforter and walked off like nothing happened. >> it's really hard to hear. i'm sorry. >> it is hard to hear. like leah, liz knight was also expecting a child when she says she was abused. in 2018, just weeks after she had given birth in south korea, she called army police for the first time. >> he had put hands on me and was physical. >> and why was that the moment that you called the police? >> it was my breaking point. i had a five-week-old infant. i felt like i needed to protect myself and my son. >> military police investigated and found probable cause to charge the alleged perpetrator with assault. it was up to his commander to decide the consequence. >> his commander only issued a local letter of reprimand? >> that's right. the minute he left south korea where it happened, it was wiped clean from his record as if it never happened. >> and do you think that was enough? >> absolutely not.

the soldier is an asset. they need him. they have spent a lot of money to train him and to do his job. and who am i? as long as i'm removed and not part of the problem, then they have their soldier. >> when i was speaking to the prosecutor, he point blank told me it might not be in the best interest of the air force to pursue this or hold him accountable. >> erica hasn't received a copy of the air force's investigative report, but she was told based on the findings, the commander decided to take no action. >> i felt so betrayed by the air force. >> you feel the military betrayed you? >> it was severe betrayal. >> do each of you feel that way? >> yes. >> betrayed? >> yes. >> in the course of our investigation, we tried to find out just how widespread the problem is. military is supposed to track disciplinary actions taken by

commanders in domestic violence cases. but a report from the government accountability office revealed the pentagon hasn't kept comprehensive data on those numbers even though it's been a legal requirement since 1999. did any of why you case go to a court martial? >> no. >> two alleged offenders are serving and one retired honorably. for these survivors, the apparent lack of accountability has led to a very real sense of fear. >> he's going to do this to someone else. if it's not someone in the military, a spouse. it's going to be somebody in the community. >> the next person he's going to kill. no doubt in my mind. he knows how to get away with it. he told me as much. >> it took a lot of courage for leah, liz and erica to share their stories with us. we should note one of defense

secretary lloyd austin's early acts in office was creating an independent review commission to review sexual assault. in june that commission recommended taking decisions to prosecute both sexual assault and domestic violence cases away from commanders. the secretary agreed with that recommendation. >> powerful reporting there from norah o'donnell. you're watching the "cbs overnight news." (ringing) - hey kaleb, what's up? how you doing? - hey, i'm good, guess what, i just had my 13th surgery. - really? i just had my 17th surgery. - well, you beat me. - well, i am a little bit older than you. - yeah it's true. how are you doing? - i'm doing good. i'm encouraged by seeing how people are coming together to help each other during times like these. - kind of like how shriners hospitals for children

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t yoitinfor? and a reminder of the kids you're helping you can use your phone and call, or go to loveshriners.org to give and join with thousands of other generous people who change lives with their gifts every day. - i think that's about it buddy, good job. - my pleasure captain. please call now. if operators are busy with all the other caring people, please wait patiently, or you can go to loveshriners.org to give right away. - [alec] big or small, your gift helps us all. - [both] thank you. (giggling) does your deodorant keep you fresh all day? we put dove men deodorant to the test with nelson, a volunteer that puts care into everything he does. it really protects my skin. it's comfortable and lasts a long time. dove men, 48h freshness with triple action moisturizers. i just heard something amazing! now for the first time one medication was approved to treat and prevent migraines. don't take if allergic to nurtec. the most common side effects were nausea, stomach pain, and indigestion.

ask your doctor about nurtec today. world war ii, a veteran of that conflict took on another urgent mission. he enlisted some friends. and after a decade, it was mission accomplished and it changed his life. steve hartman found this story "on the road." >> reporter: inside the vitalia residences in strongsville, ohio, he sits on a treasure. to his wife dolores, almost nothing matters more to him than this note which he carries everywhere. >> i'll never be without it. >> reporter: why did it matter so much that you have it with you all the time? >> because it's something that somebody thought of me that much.

>> when he has that letter with him, he has a feeling of trust and love. >> reporter: to understand how a letter can do all that, you first need to know that frank is a world war ii veteran. and back in 2009, a third grader wrote to thank him for his service. if it wasn't for you, we would never have freedom. i'm so happy you made sacrifices. your friend, deshauna priest. to frank, that simple thank you came to symbolize a life well served. >> i'm tickled that i have a letter like this. >> reporter: he wanted to thank the author. >> he never could find her. he said, before i close my eyes, i have to find her. i have to find her. >> reporter: just about everyone who works here was well aware of frank's attachment to that letter and his decade long desire to find the little girl who wrote it. so the staff did some sleuthing, no lo and behold, i

she viviyrietter as a school assignment because she so admired people in uniform. >> like, wow. >> reporter: i get to write to a veteran. >> yes. >> reporter: it was like an honor. >> yes. >> reporter: an honor that continues. >> so, here she is. >> reporter: when deshauna surprised frank in her national guard uniform. >> oh, i love you so much. you can't imagine the feeling i had when she stood next to me. it just took my breath away. it really did. >> i thought, where's his heart pills? i thought, this is it. this is the big one. >> it's coming. this is a god send, it really is. >> reporter: fortunately, frank's heart only swelled and may never return to its original size. so this is the beginning of something. >> yes, a friendship. family, not friendship. >> there's love there, deep down in the heart. she's like my third daughter. she really is. >> it started with a lot of love

and affection a it's endg the>> repter: who kne ak u coule

most of the time, liquor and driving is a toxic combination. but in scotland, one of the biggest whiskey makers in the world is now using the biproducts of the distilling process to power its delivery vehicles. tina kraus has this story from london. >> reporter: whiskey has been fueling people for centuries, but a distillery in scotland has found another use for it. scottish whiskey giant is now running its delivery trucks on waste generated during the whiskey making process. >> using the gas to power our trucks is a first. >> reporter: researchers in edinborough came up with the concept of using whiskey residue to power vehicles. >> in the production of whiskey, less than 10% that comes out of

the distillery is actually the primary product. >> reporter: the rest is known as draft. the spent barley grains and liquid combine to create an eco friendly biofuel. >> we have eco we can use. it comes from a source and ultra carbon. >> reporter: biogas cuts carbon dioxide emissions by 95%. so it's working so convert its entire fleet. from the highlands to the highways, the greener fuel is sure to go down smooth. tina kraus, cbs news. >> and that is the overnight news for this wednesday. for some of you, the news continues. for others, check back with us later for our new morning show, cbs mornings. gayle and tony have a new face at the table, nate burleson and they're coming to you from the heart of new york city's times

square. from the nation's capital, i'm errol barnett. good morning. this is cbs news flash. i'm elise preston in new york. a powerful earthquake struck mexico near the beach resort town acapulco. the 7.2 tremor could be felt in mexico city 200 miles away. at least one death has been reported. an american airlines passenger is under arrest after being caught on video growling like a dog and swearing at flight attendants. a fellow passenger recorded the unruly passenger while on a flight from los angeles to salt lake city. britney spears may soon have control over her own life. the pop icon's father filed a petition to end her 13-year court conservatorship which has dictated all her business and personal decisions. for more news, download the

cbs news app on your cell phone or connected tv. i'm elise preston, cbs news, new york. it's wednesday, september 8th, 2021. this is the "cbs morning news." breaking overnight, deadly earthquake in mexico. at least one person is killed after a 7.0-magnitude quake hits near the beach resort of acapulco. global warming is real, and it's moving at an incredible pace. >> code red. president biden tours storm-ravaged areas in new york and new jersey. his warning about bigger and more destructive weather events here in the u.s. free britney? the pop star could be one closer to controlling her own life for the first time in