your cellphone for connected tv. i'm tom nson, it's thursday, september 16th, 2021. this is the "cbs morning news." >> three, two, one -- [ cheers ] >> ignition and takeoff -- >> "inspiration 4," spacex makes history sending four civilians into space. the special phone call they'll make while spending three days in orbit. booster battle. a new debate emerges on whether americans need a third covid vaccine shot. person of interest. investigators focus on a man whose fiancee went missing whose fiancee went missing during a cross-country trip. captioning funded by cbs good morning. good to be with you. i'm anne-marie green.

we begin with the historic and successful launch of four civilians into space opening a new chapter in space tourism. the four-person crew blasted off last night from the kennedy space center on a spacex rocket. ththey'll spend three days in orbit before returning to earth on saturday. it is the first time a spare -- a spacecraft will circle earth with just amateurs on board and no astronauts. jared isaacman is the flight's billionaire leader. he's joined by hayley arceneaux, who's a cancer survivor. there are also two sweepstakes winners. one from washington state and the other from arizona. we get more now from mark strassmann. >> reporter: "inspiration 4's" crew blasted off into space history wednesday night. >> everything continues to be good. >> reporter: the commercial flight was the first for elon musk's spacex with no professional astronauts on board. >> i say give us two thumbs up

-- >> reporter: on the launch tower high above pad 39a, jared isaacman, mission commander, showed us their walkways to the cosmos in may. >> this is where the rocket launches. >> reporter: the billionaire chartered the flight. price tag reportedly around $200 million. >> this is a first. that's significance, that's responsibility. >> reporter: responsibility being the first that there will be a second and a third? >> absolutely. you have to get this one right for the other missions to follow. >> reporter: they're orbit the earth for three days soaring 360 miles above the planet. about 100 miles higher than the international space station. a custom-built cupola in the spacex capsule will give them hemispheric views of earth and deep space. it's next-level space tourism, beyond billionaire richard branson and jeff bezos' quick flights to the edge of space. "inspiration 4's" flight is also a charity drive for st. jude children's research hospital in memphis. >> st. jude saved my life. >> reporter: crew member hayley arceneaux's a physician asstan st. j treated her for bone cancer.

>> so we're going to call to thank patients from space. it's going to show what they're capable of. >> reporter: spacex trained the four civilian crew members for almost six months. mark strassmann, cbs news, at the kennedy space center. meantime, the u.s. passed another grim milestone in the fight against the coronavirus. new figures show roughly one in 500 americans have died from covid. as of this morning, the virus has killed more than 666,000 people in the u.s. meantime, the fda will hold a key meeting tomorrow on booster shots. but there's no guarantee that a third shot will be made widely available yet. bradley blackburn is in new york with the latest developments on this. good morning. >> reporter: anne-marie, good morning. pfizer is making its case for booster shots, but of course there are still many people who refuse to get any covid vaccine at all. that is despite powerful evidence that the vaccines save

lives, and this morning they ow pope. the covid-19 vaccines got a holy endorsement on wednesday. pope francis told reporters that humanity has a history of friendship with vaccines and urged everyone to get their shots. here in the u.s., a key meeting for possible booster shots happens tomorrow. the fda released new documents from pfizer ahead of an advisory panel's meeting claiming that protection from its vaccine loses some effectiveness after six months, but improves to 95% after a third dose. fda staff noted in a separate document that they've yet to verify some data that would support a booster saying the current vaccines, quote, still afford protection against severe covid-19 disease and death in the united states. >> this is a pandemic of the unvaccinated. >> reporter: president biden met with executives from microsoft, disney, and others to urge companies to mandate vaccines for their employees. >> vaccination is key to getting the pandemic under control and

keeping -- and keeping the economy strong. >> reporter: just 63% of the eligible population is fully vaccinated. in los angeles county, a new health order is being issued that will require proof of vaccination or a negative test for large outdoor events l like dodgers games. proof of vaccination will also be needed to go inside bars and other drinking establishments. bar calo has been doing it for weeks. >> everybody's been really, really cool. they want to get back to normal. >> reporter: people will need one shot by october 7th and be fully vaccinated by november 4th. and we continue to monitor the situation in hospitals around the country. many icus are still pushed to the limit. in dallas-fort worth, there are reports that pediatric hospitals are completely full, anne-marie. >> bradley, that is really concerning. bradley blackburn in new york. thank you so much. well, authorities are taking precautions ahead of a rally in

washington, d.c., this weekend. crews put up temporary fencing around the capitol building last night. at least 700 people plan to attend the demonstration on saturday, and that includes far-right extremist groups. like the proud boys and the oath keepers. they're supporting hundreds of people who have been charged in the january 6th insurrection. four elite u.s. gymnasts criticized the fbi as they reveal the extent of the sexual abuse they endured by former team doctor larry nassar. aly raisman, simone biles, mckayla maroney, and maggie nichols testified before a senate panel yesterday. the four women along with hundreds of other victims including members of the 2012 and 2016 u.s. olympic women's gymnastics teams were molested by nassar. the report later found the fbi failed to act with urgency on their claims. >> to be clear, i blame larry nassar, and i also blame an entire system that enabled and

perpetrated his abuse. >> i felt pressured by the fbi to consent to nassar's plea deal. the agent diminished the significance of my abuse and made me feel my criminal case wasn't worth pursuing. >> fbi director christopher wray issued an apology. one of the lead agents on the case was also fired. ahead on "cbs mornings" we'll talk with u.s. gymnast aly raisman about yesterday's testimony and her experience with the fbi. we are learning new details about a young woman who went missing during a cross-country trip with her fiance. police in utah say they responded to an altercation between gabrielle petito and brian laundrie on august 12th, just weeks before she disappeared. authorities processed his van for evidence. the vehicle was being used for the couple's trip. meantime, laundrie, named as a person of interest, refuses to talk to police.

>> you had someone who was in constant communication with their family on a pretty regular basis and then all of a sudden nothing. then all of a sudden the person she was traveling with is back here and she's h that person's unwilling to talk with us to this point. all of that is very, very concerning. >> petito was last believed to be in wyoming. so coming up, country music star reba mcentire is rescued from a building in oklahoma. the scary incident that happened while she was inside. and later, caught on video, a large alligator swims up to a paddle boarder. how the woman saved herself in the frightening situation. this is the "cbs morning news." situation. this is the "cbs morning news." is now a good time for a flare-up? enough, crohn's! for adults with moderate to severe crohn's or ulcerative colitis... stelara® can provide relief and is the only approved and below the surface of the intestine in uc. you, getting on that flight?

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emergency crews are digging through the rubble looking for any survivors. singer reba mcentire was rescued from a building, and joint chiefs of staff mark milley is speaking out. those are some of the headlines on the "morning newsstand." the "associated press" reports general mark milley is defending the calls he made to his chinese counterpart during the chaotic final months of the trump administration. the top u.s. military officer said that he made the calls to convey reassurance to the chinese military and said his actions did not undermine his position. some members of congress accused milley of overstepping his authority and urged the president to fire him. mr. biden indicates he stands behind the general. the "san francisco chronicle" says after governor gavin newsom's landslide win, california democrats are pushing to rewrite recall laws. party leaders say that they will seek changes to make the process more difficult to challenge a sitting governor. possible changes include increasing the number of

signatures needed to force a recall election, and requiring wrongdoing on the part of the officeholder.the fortare ng pusb t wwsom. and "the oklahoman" reports country music superstar reba mcentire was rescued from a building after a staircase collapsed. it happened tuesday at a historic building that's more than 100 years old. as you can see, firefighters helped her climb down a ladder. mcentire was on the second floor of the three-story building at the time. she had been touring the space for a future project when the staircase suddenly collapsed. >> we were touring the building, and the stairwell was weak. it seemed weak, but we did not realize how weak it was until several people had gone down it. then we heard the crash and saw the -- the stairs fall. >> no one was hurt. everyone in the building got out safely. still ahead, step into the world of winnie the pooh. a new airbnb listing lets you

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i gotta say m still ry ied. the country. ♪ get away from me. [ bleep ] no. >> talk about too close for comfort. this alligator swam toward a woman on a paddle board at silver spring state park in florida. it came within inches of vicky baker before she nudged it away with her paddle. she said it hissed loudly and even showed off its large teeth. the gator backed off. she believes it was about ten-feet long. on the cbs "money watch," microsoft is letting you ditch your password, and winnie the pooh fans can spend a night in his tree house.

diane king hall is at the new york stock exchange with those stories anre m some key economic data is in focus this morning with the its august retail sales report. we'll also get a weekly snapshot of the labor market. meantime, stocks ended higher yesterday. the dow jones industrials rallied 236 points. the nasdaq jumped 123, and the s&p 500 added 37. microsoft is ditching passwords. the company said users now have the option to log in without a password. instead people can access their personal accounts through several options including a security app where you can use a biometric fingerprint scan. the feature has been available for corporate accounts since march. microsoft says there are roughly 18 billion attacks on passwords every year. they are the best of the best. 12 nominees have been announced for the 2021 national toy hall of fame.

they include cabbage patch kids, american girl dolls, battleship, risk and the fisher-price corn popper. three will be inducted in november. you can vote for your favorite on line in the player's choice ballot that closes next wednesday. winnie the pooh fans can live like pooh at least for one night. disney local that appointed illustrator is hosting this bear bnb. it's in the original 100 acre wood in england. it's built with exposed tree branches, and inside the shelves are stocked full of honey pots. the host is offering two separate stays at the end of the month. the listing which is $105 per night, goes live on monday. anne-marie? >> okay. it's cute, but you know, i'm all about the amenities. i like it fully stocked with honey. but i'm just saying, you got to go to the bathroom like winnie the pooh the bear, the bathroom is outside. >> like a bear. yikes. i don't know if there will be any charmin with that. i love our nostalgia theme today. we've got cabbage patch kids and winnie the pooh.

>> so true. memories of my childhood. diane king hall at the new york stock exchange. thanyou, diane. >> you. up next, nicki minaj catches the attention of the white house. how the rapper's comments about the covid vaccine led to a rare offer from the biden administration. nistration. people with moderate to severe psoriasis, or psoriatic arthritis, are rethinking the choices they make like the splash they create the way they exaggerate the surprises they initiate. otezla. it's a choice you can make. otezla is not an injection or a cream it's a pill that treats differently. for psoriasis, 75% clearer skin is achievable, with reduced redness, thickness, and scaliness of plaques. for psoriatic arthritis, otezla is proven to reduce joint swelling, tenderness, and pain. and the otezla prescribing information has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. don't use if you're allergic to otezla. it may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. otezla is associated with an increased risk of depression.

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the white house wants to have a phone call with nicki minaj. administration officials say that they're willing to answer the rapper's questions about the covid vaccine. earlier this week, she made a controversial claim on twitter alleging the shots caused impotence. top doctors including anthony fauci say that is not true. minaj refused to attend this week's met gala which required everyone to be vaccinated. the singer said that she won't get the shot until she's done enough research. "time" magazine has revealed its 100 most influential people in the world, and they include britain's prince harry and meghan who quit their royal duties and moved to the u.s. 19-year-old billie eilish, who's won several grammys including record and song of the year. there's also simone biles, the most decorated u.s. gymnast of all time, and emmy-winning actor kate winslet who recently

starred in "mayor of east town." the special issue of the magazine goes on sale tomorrow. and preparations are under way for this weeke the event will be hosted by cedric the entertainer, star of the cbs comedy "the neighborhood." he said that it was an easy decision to take on his first major awards show. >> this is us coming back to a live night, sure there's that pressure to make sure that the energy is great and you want to have a good time, you have so many of your peers and celebrities and big-time tv execs in the house you want to impress. >> about 500 people will be in attendance. all vaccinated against covid. you can watch the emmys on sunday on cbs and paramount plus. and coming up on "cbs mornings" we will speak with cedric the entertainer about the emmys, his cbs sitcom and the push to have diversity behind the camera. i'm anne-marie green. i'm anne-marie green. this is the "cbs morning news.".

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our top stories this morning -- the fda will hold a key meeting tomorrow on booster shots. it comes as the agency released new documents from pfizer. the pharmaceutical company claims protection from its vaccine loses effectiveness afto 95% after a third dose. the fda is working to verify that data. ccd foursfully launched intt

opening a new chapter in space tourism. the crew blasted off last night from the kennedy space center on a spacex rocket. they'll spend three days in orbit before returning to earth. it is the first time a spacecraft will circle earth with no professional astronauts on board. the game of chess involves imaginary kings, queens, pawns, and rooks. what does that have to do with real life? turns out quite a bit. jamie yuccas explains. it's the most unique piece -- >> reporter: for 12-year-old andre, chess is more than just a game. >> i use a lot of stuff that i've learned on the chessboard in real life. like think before you move. think before i act out. >> reporter: he's just one of thousands of students from some of l.a.'s toughest neighborhoods learning to play. >> i learned to play chess at age 13. it was a pivotal -- pivotal ntn r: denleher grew up in compton and found his childhood friends struggling

after he went to college. >> some had fallen into the prison system, gang life and drugs. and i just wondered why did i have such a different outcome. it was chess. >> reporter: he started train of thought to help kids of all ages find their inner king or queen. >> every game of chess is 75 to 100 moves. and every single move that your opponent makes presents a new problem for you to solve. kids are just having fun. they don't realize that they're solving problems. the answer's always there -- >> reporter: how do you teach a a 5-year-old to play chess? >> we have a cool story to help kids that age set up a chess board for the first time. it goes the king and the queen got married by the bishops. they rode on horses to the castle and had eight children. >> my main thing in class is be a scholar. so being a scholar to me is being prepared, productive, and never giving up. >> that's the best way to play -- >>eporter: masteringhe jamie yuccas, cbs news, compton.

>> pretty good advice. coming up on "cbs mornings," we will speak with former olympic gymnast aly raisman about her powerful testimony on capitol hill, about the abuse investigation into larry nassar. plus, in our series "a more perfect union," we'll meet a food blogger in maryland who's connecting people in her community through old recipes. and we'll talk with cedric the entertainer about hosting the 73rd annual primetime emmy awards this sunday. that's the "cbs morning news" for this thursday. thanks for watching. i'm anne-marie green. have a great day. ♪ ♪