we will see you in 30 minutes. captioning sponsored by cbs >> duncan: tonight, symbolic visit. with russia attacking ukraine, secretary of state, antony blinken and defense secretary lloyd austin are expected in kyiv to meet face to face with volodymyr zelenskyy, an american first since russia's invasion. this as orthodox christians mark a solemn easter sunday. >> reporter: i'm chris livesay in ukraine, where the easter bells have been interrupted by shelling. >> duncan: avoiding a term to the far right. >> reporter: i'm in parse, where early results give emmanuel macron a second term as president. >> duncan: plus covid whiplash, infections rise again amid mass confusion over masks. we'll get a checkup with our

doctor david agus. remembering orrin hatch, a seven term senator and national republican force. special skills, how a u.s. spy agency views autism as an asset. >> sometimes i can take what it would take a week for somebody to do in a couple of hours. >> duncan: and later, an out of this world video challenge, how tech savvy children are helping to design airports of the future. >> this is the cbs weekend news from new york, with jericka duncan. , with j >> duncan: good evening, and thanks for joining us on this sunday. breaking news from ukraine. a top advisor to ukraine's president says volodymyr zelenskyy met today with secretary of state antony blinken and defense secretary lloyd austin in the country's embattled capitol of kyiv. they would be the highest ranking american officials to visit the country since russia's invasion two weeks ago.

new attacks included this missile attack into ukraine as fighting rages in the east. today president biden sent this tweet declaring that kyiv still stands despite vladimir putin's unprovoked attack. and on this orthodox easter sunday, president zelenskyy urged ukrainians to pray for those who are defending their native land. cbs' chris livesay is in kyiv and joins us with the very latest. >> reporter: good evening, jericka. it is orthodox easter in russia and here in ukraine, a time when many had hoped for a holiday cease-fire, but this weekend has been marred by shelling instead. it is easter in irpin, the site of a brutal russian massacre, today struggling to look forward. but throughout ukraine, it is not bells, but bombs that ring out on this holy weekend. at least six cruise missiles slammed into the black sea port

city of odessa, a strike on an apartment building killed eight people, including a mother and her three-month-old, city officials say. ( speaking ukrainian ) >> reporter: "the russians are stinking bastards." vo r thon press conference deep underground. you said that the russian people need to learn their history and be made aware of how much they've made their neighbors suffer. how are they supposed to do that so long as vladimir putin is their president? "they need to accept the fact that they chose this government," he says. "life in russia is a virtual reality. you should return to the real, virtual reality. he should return to th civilized world. it is wonderful, truth is wonderful." but it is a different reality in russia, where state tv broadcast live pictures of vladimir putin at an easter orthodox mass as the survivors of his war in

ukraine celebrate the same holy day, but without the family members his troops slaughtered. >> this easter has the taste of war. >> reporter: darya told us her elderly parents were shot dead in the streets. >> they destroyed our house and everything and then they killed my parents by shooting. >> reporter: what's your prayer for this easter? >> i want to-- i want that the war will be finished, and i want that-- i want putin will be dead, and i want that all russian occupants will be dead, also. >> duncan: and understandably, some strong language from that woman that you spoke with chris. that said, what could visits

from secretary blinken and austin mean to the ukrainian people? >> reporter: at that press conference, president zelenskyy asked world leaders to come to ukraine, but if they do, to please bring weapons he is asking for and not "take "tragic selfies." jericka. >> duncan: chris livesay and our colleagues in kyiv, thank you for your reporting. the u.s. and allies are speeding up getting more weapons to ukraine to fend off russia. cbs' christina ruffini is at the white house. >> reporter: good evening, cbs jericka. just a little while ago, president zelenskyy tweeted he was grateful to the american people and the american people for his support. but it is the military support, as chris mentioned, as well as the diplomatic, that will be critical in the days and weeks to come. >> we count every minute and hour, not every day. >> reporter: with the new $800 million shipment of weapons

to the front line, the country's prime minister said ukraine doesn't have time to wait for next batch to work its way through congressional approval. >> every minute, every hour, soldiers, civilians, children, women are dying. because of this, we need faster decisions. >> reporter: the ukrainian military's ability to fend off russia in the weapons from the west. russian forces have fallen back from kyiv and have not yet fully re-supplied, which could give ukraine a small window of opportunity. >> i'm certain that congress will be willing to support additional funds going into the military armament for ukraine. this is in our national security interest. >> reporter: the question is what, if anything, will secretaries blinken and austin bring with them, other than diplomatic goodwill in kyiv. >> i think you want to have something deliverable when have

you a visit like that. >> reporter: the other outstanding issue is president biden has not nominated a permanent ambassador to the h ukraine. the current diplomat has been at the helm since the start of this crisis. jericka. >> duncan: christina ruffini thank you. to france now, where emmanuel macron won a second term after beating the far right candidate. but she calls it a win for her ideology. cbs news elaine cobb is in paris. could you give us a sense of what happened? >> reporter: there were sighs of relief across france and beyond as it became clear that president macron had beaten his far-right rival. the outcome was less certain earlier in the day as low turnout raised fears that le pen could do well. macron promised the next five

years won't be a continuation, but a new beginning. but his celebration will be short lived. this election showed how deeply divided france is today. macron will have his work cut out for him trying to reunite the french. he knows many of those who voted for him did so to block lepen, but the far right and the far left did well, and will work hard in june. even as the two candidates celebrated tonight, he, his victory, she her strong showing, there were protests in several parts of france against both of them, a reminder that for young french people in particular, neither will be given an easy ride in june. jericka. paris.can: elaine cobb for us in today the nigerian president says his nation is in shock and trauma after as many as 110 people were killed in an explosion at an illegal oil

refinery depot. it happened late friday. many victims were burned beyond recognition. to mexico, where six people have been injured after a tour boat hit a whale or a whale shark. take a look, the impact sent one person through the boat's awning. it happened off the coast city the impac of lapaz. covid cases are rising in many states across the country again after a big fall from their january peak. infections are especially up in the northeast and midwest. still, hospitalizations and deaths remain low. and for more on this, we're joined by dr. david agus. dr. agus, there has been so much conversation and confusion really about masks. first i want to ask you, what is your recommendation, and where are people most vulnerable? >> so, people over 60, people with medical conditions, you need to really pay attention when they go out. they're most vulnerable in areas

with poor ventilation and obviously crowded and close proximity to other people. kn-95 and n-95 masks provide the both protection. it depends on your level of risk tolerance whether you go to those places and whether you wear a mask or not. >> duncan: when you think about some of the possible new variants, what threat does that pose when it comes to covid recovery? >> doctor: it is a real threat. we're seeing daily sequences of covid-19 around the globe. there is ba.3 and ba.4 on the horizon. they don't look tremendously contagious, but we're following closely and there will probably be more. the vaccines as well as paxlovid, now readily available in united states, we're hoping holds up and will protect against new variants. >> duncan: you talked about the importance of over 65, and we know there are a lot of children unvaccinated. if you're a parent of one of those children, what should you

do? >> doctor: use concern. the hope is the vaccines for children aged 6 months to aged five years will be out hopefully in the next month or so. but until then, use some concern in crowded situations or situations that put your childo. but until then at risk. >> duncan: doctor david agus with perspective, thank you. powerful storms wreaked havoc across a wide swath of the country. in oklahoma, lightning strikes knocked out power for thousands of customers, and storms prompted tornado warnings. and in the northern plains, blizzard warnings were in effect this weekend. this is in rapid city, south dakota, where spring tulips are struggling to make an appearance. the nation is remembering utah'e orrin hatch, the longest-serving republican senator in u.s. history. hatch died on saturday in saltbl lake city at the age of 88. cbs' nancy chen reports. >> i love all of my colleagues. there isn't one person in this

body i don't care for and love. >> reporter: a giant of the senate, orrin hatch represented utah for more than four decades, and left a lasting impact on american politics. >> i was here when this body was at its best. >> reporter: president biden, who served with hatch, today called him an american original. hatch was born into poverty in 1934, one of nine children. >> only in a nation like ours could someone like me, the scrappy son of a simple carpenter, grow up to become a united states senator. >> reporter: a staunch conservative, hatch was known for making friends across the aisle, including the late senator ted kennedy. >> we have a good record together, but whenever it happens he gets all kinds of credit and i get beaten up by the conservatives. >> reporter: he played a role in passing more than 750 bills, more than any other living senator at the time. in 2017, hatch helped pass major tax reform, working with

president trump, an ally. but he was known for his interest outside the chambers as well. hatch, a devout mormon, was also a songwriter, who launched the hatch foundation in 2019 after retiring, replaced by mitt romney. on saturday night, the foundation noted his death without saying a cause. and he is survived by his wife and six children. nancy chen, cbs news. >> duncan: straight ahead on the cbs weekend news, time is running out to save a texas mother facing execution this week.ing ut to save a texas mother facing execution this week.

>> duncan: well, tomorrow the texas board of pardons and paroles could give a recommendation to stop the execution of melissa lucio. in 2008 she was convicted of killing her 2-year-old daughter, but her supporters claim this was not a crime, but a tragic

accident. cbs news' correspondent lilia luciano has more. >> reporter: bobby alvarez carries the words of his mom tattooed on his chest. >> i'll always be with you and here i'll always stay. it's close to my heart. >> reporter: the time is almost up for the mother of 15, who is accused of killing her 2-year- old daughter, mariah. >> it was an accident. if they do go through with it, they'll be killing an innocent woman. >> reporter: she said mariah fell down a flight of stairs, but when the medical examiner saw the child, he labeled it as child abuse. bu >> over 100 times she claimed innocence they sent the clear message that this interrogation wasn't going to stop until they told the officers what they wanted to hear. >> reporter: and she did. she said she spanked the child, but never admitted to using any deadly force. that demonstration sealed her

fate. why do you think she confessed? >> her so-called confession was the result of highly coercive interrogation tactics. >> reporter: multiple experts agreed and challenged the theor. >> reporter: mult of child abuse, saying that mariah's bruising and death are consistent with a fall. >> it is very common to be mistaken for abuse if you don't look for the signs. >> reporter: that expert testimony is part of a clemencyh petition submitted to the texas board of pardons and parole, which also includes a statement of five of the jurors who convicted her, who agreed she should get a new trial. lucio has the support of hundreds of thousands of petitioners and of an unprecedented bi partisan coalition of at least 87 texas lawmakers. >> as conservative republican who has been a supporter of the death penalty in the most heinous cases, i have nroling cs case.

>> reporter: on monday afternoon, the texas board of pardons and parole will issue a recommendation for republican governor greg abbott to commute the sentence, give a 120 reprieve or to maintain the execution date as is. at that point the governor could still grant a 30 day reprieve. jericka. >> duncan: and lilia luciano, we know you'll stay on top of it for us. thank you. still ahead on cbs weekend news, how this person's unique view of the world is helping the intelligence community. ekend news, how this unique's person's unique view is helping intelligence community.

>> duncan: researchers at drexel university say only 58% of young adults with autism have ever worked, but one new government program is tapping into their unique skills, allowing them to work and thrive. here is cbs' catherine herridge. >> reporter: as the war unfolds. >> reporte in ukraine, intelligence officials rely on satellite images to map movements of russian forces, and on analysts in a field where seeing the world differe advantages. >> it feels like for the first time i'm getting to use the strengths i have. >> reporter: 33-year-old morgan mccardell works at the n.g.a. >> i'm pretty good at finding patterns. >> reporter: in school, she struggled for years, not quite fitting in before landing a position so secret she can't discuss her portfolio. was school tough for you? >> extremely. it was really difficult for me.

>> reporter: she could read the billboards backwards, and she would do it perfectly. but it wasn't until mccardell's own 10-year-old son, gabriel, got diagnosed with autism that she began to notice her differences. >> my mom said, "your son can't have autism, he is just like you." >> reporter: she says you were surprised? >> yes. >> reporter: were you surpriseds y >> i was. because she is so high functioning. >> reporter: without good options to support her son, she joined a small pilot program with four participants at the n.g.a. here her differences gives her an edge. >> sometimes i can do what takes a week for somebody to do in a couple of hours. >> reporter: a couple of hours? >> yeah, that's the advantage to being able o hyper focus. >> new insight the director calls neurodiversity. >> this is really broadening that perspective, digging into how can individuals bring a talent and an ability that is different than others.

>> and you can notice patterns of changes in the images. >> reporter: is that easy for you? >> it is. it is a lot like finding where i fit in, finally. i was looking for an outlet and it found me. >> reporter: now helping the u.s. spy community with a different kind of intelligence. catherine herridge, cbs news, martinsburg, west virginia. >> duncan: next on the cbs weekend news, it is full stem ahead, a popular video game exposing children to careers in aviation. ing children to ing children to careers in aviation. ens, can

>> duncan: finally tonight, "minecraft" is not just child's play. the federal government is now using the popular video game to help kids improve their science, technology, engineering, and math skills by designing airports of the future. here is cbs' erroll barnett. >> we welcome you to d.c.w. airport. >> reporter: real airports in a virtual world. what began as a simple idea to engage kids stuck in isolation from the pandemic, grew from 180 countries taking on the challenge, using the video game building world of "minecraft." >> we created a fully autonomous program. >> reporter: a grade school in grand rapids came up with the space terminal. >> reporter: a term from detroit added virus detectors. >> we love building structures.

>> reporter: these brothers of buffalo, new york, teamed with abby roe of west virginia to design runway lights at charleston'airp >>relyede bioluminescent fungi. >> reporter: two 11-year-olds and a 9-year-old came up with bioluminescent fungi. >> they give off a lot of light. >> please help me congratulateth bioluminescent fungi. >> pleas the west virginia mountaineers. >> reporter: what they prize most, making new connections during a disconnected time. >> in one word, meaningful. >> even through this craziness we still made a best friend. >> reporter: erroll barnett, cbs news, washington. >> duncan: that is the cbs weekend news for this sunday. coming up on "60 minutes," a look at personal documents from osama bin laden. i'm jericka duncan in new york. we thank you so much. have a great night. captioning sponsored by cbs

captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org live from the cbsn bay area studios, this is kpix 5 news . in oakland dispensary owner shot in targeted at an armed robbery just today after opening. and why cannabis merchants say it is part of a larger problem. >> i don't know what the answer is for what we need right now but the robberies is not the answer. we learned about a major nurses strike on the peninsula. 5000 workers expected to walk off the job. the shadow of war looming over a holiday for local ukrainians and how they hold out hope for their loved ones. and island access battle and why groups of east bay residents say they are being shut out. good evening. we begin tonight with a

dispensary owner shot by an armed robber in oakland. >> they say it is just the latest example of their industry under attack. >> they say it is more dangerous now than before marijuana was legal. >> reporter: this is a brand- new dispensary that just open last saturday and we understand it was the business owner who was shot in the foot as he tried to stop a burglary in progress. it was business as usual and customers come and go and no signs of any damage but police say before 4:30 this morning a group of burglars tripped an alarm and appears the owner received the alert and came to investigate. police say somebody shot and injured him and it is unclear if anybody else was injured. bloodstains on the ground show a victim going to the 76 gas station next door. >> my name is josh chase on 30th avenue and i am originally from oakland. >> reporter: he recent the posted this video to