captioning funded by cbs it's thursday, november 12th, 2015. this is the "cbs morning news." breaking news in the battle against isis. u.s. and kurdish forces launch a major offensive to retake an iraqi town controlled by the terror group for more than a year. wind, rain, and snow whips across the midwest and the powerful weather system threatens to hit millions more with severe storms today. death in police custody. a new investigation and lawsuit

following the death of a virginia man repeatedly tasered by police. good morning from the studio 57 newsroom at cbs news headquarters here in new york. good to be with you. i'm anne-marie green. this morning, a major offensive is under way to retake a strategic iraqi town held by isis force. overnight and into the morning, u.s. war planes pounded isis targets near the northern city of sinjar. the u.s. jets are supported by some 7,500 iraqi kurdish forces on the ground. charlie d'agata joins you on the phone from sinjar. >> reporter: i'm looking over the mountainside above sinjar and smoke is rising from a series of air strikes launched by u.s. aircraft and coalition allies and partners. all night and throughout the

this morning, at dawn, we watched thousands of kurdish peshmerga forces moving down the mountain and towards the city and the isis front lines. military officials say 7,500 forces in all closing in on three sides. they are trying to push isis militants back using overwhelming force backed by the u.s. air strikes and artillery fired from peshmerga here from the mountain. the plan is to -- the peshmerga soleds we spoke to said they face sniper fire. homemade bombs on the roads and in the buildings. and there is always the risk of bombers on foot. but they say they are making progress this morning, slow and steady progress, advancing from

where fierce gun battles are under way. >> charlie, can you tell me a little bit more about the significance of this city? >> it's significant for two reasons. first of all, it sits essentially on a direct line between two isis strongholds in iraq and syria and mosul in iraq. and it's also a major highway that runs south of the city. so they are trying to advance and choke that place off essentially to drive a wedge between these two lands that are currently being held by isis. symbolically, it is important. it is a kurdish city. it fell more than a year ago in august. this is the place where the ethnic people were driven out, tens of thousands of them, and they found shelter here on sinjar mountain but the rest, there are reports that women and young girls were kidnapped and taken into custody. a number of men in the town locals were executed and beheaded.

major victory for kurdish forces and kurdish peshmerga forces work in hand with the u.s. military. what is left of a fast moving storm system that hit the midwest with snow, rain and strong winds is headed toward the great lakes this morning. winter weather and freeze advisories remain in effect for parts of oklahoma and texas. heavy snow fell in nebraska and kansas and colorado. some areas face blizzard-like conditions. there was heavy rain elsewhere and travel continues to be treacherous this morning. the storm dropped about inches of snow in parts of denver. strong winds damaged homes and downed power lines in southwest iowa. the gusts were strong enough to flip semitrailers. folks there say it's some of the worst damage they have ever seen. >> pettived. your house shakes and you think it's coming offer and glass breaking and things thrown

>> it started swirling and we air. >> no severe injuries are our san francisco station kpix is following the severe weather. >> reporter: the same low pressure area that gave rainfall to san francisco and a blizzard to colorado is responsible for more than 140 different severe weather reports over the past 24 hours in the upper midwest. now, the front, itself, has cleared the city of chicago but the severe weather is not finished because behind the front with the strong area of low pressure, we will likely see wind gusts later today of 35 to 50 miles per hour in the city of midwest. everybody behind the front will have sunshine but will have also some very strong damaging winds. the hot spots later today for heavy rainfall include marquette, michigan, erie, pennsylvania, and watertown with likely.

paul deanno. 40 acres have burned but fire officials say no buildings have been damaged. now to politics. donald trump is dedefending his hard line position on immigration. he said deport immigrants from the united states. don championship is here with more more. >> reporter: trump likens his program to a controversial president dwight eisenhower carried out more than 60 years. rivals are using another opportunity to attack trump. >> reporter: republican front-runner donald trump continues selling his controversial immigration plan on the campaign trail. wednesday, during an appearance on fox news, he, once again, invoked a program used by president dwight eisenhower in the 1950s. viewed as a dark time in

deportation of millions of mexico city. >> -- mexicans. >> reporter: trying to gain momentum from the last debate, during an event in iowa. >> is that the america that represents this extraordinary country? are those the values that people fought for? >> reporter: bush's chief rival marco rubio has been less vocal on the issue. the florida senator supported a 2013 bill that paved the way for amnesty, but later backed away from it. >> they are criminals. they have to leave. if they are not, they have to pay taxes and they have to pay a fine. they have to learn english and they get a work permit. >> reporter: pundits say the battle among the republican candidates over immigration could spell good news for democrats. >> the democrats benefit with minority voters when republicans boast about deporting undocumented workers. >> reporter: democratic front-runner hillary clinton tweeted a message about trump's

absurd and inhumane. now trump still has not said exactly how he plans to track down people living in the country illegally. clinton, in the meantime, will face bernie sanders and martin o'malley on saturday in the third democratic debate and it will air right here on cbs and will be moderated by "face the nation's" john dickerson. thank you. a new poll on the democratic presidential nomination. "face the nation" john dickerson will moderate the democratic presidential debate on cbs saturday night at 9:00 p.m. a plane is being examined at in ohio. surveillance video shows the plane coming in for a landing house. utility wires. all nine people on board were killed, including the two pilots.

the jet's owners say they were an experienced crew and did not report any problems. >> it's typical for them to give us a door's open and door's closed message. we got them all, with no -- no messages of anything being wrong. >> all of the passengers worked for a florida real estate firm. no one on the ground was injured. coming up on the in the morning news, laser strikes. several news helicopters are targeted by a green laser in new york city. and improving online dating matches. an update on tinder is aimed at more right swipes. this is the "cbs morning news." most for cold and flu relief at the shelf. advil cold & sinus is only behind the pharmacy counter. ask your pharmacist for fast, powerful advil cold & sinus. relief doesn't get any better than this. does your makeup remover take it all off? every kiss-proof, cry-proof, stay-proof look? neutrogena makeup remover does. it erases 99% of your most stubborn makeup with one towelette.

need any more proof than that? neutrogena. soil is the foundation... for healthy plants. just like gums are the foundation for healthy teeth. new colgate total daily repair toothpaste. it helps remineralize enamel and fight plaque germs for healthier teeth and gums. strengthen the foundation

for healthy teeth. new colgate total daily repair. just press clean and let roomba help with your everyday messes. a full suite of sensors automatically guides roomba throughout your home. cleaning under furniture, along edges and in corners. and with its powerful three-stage cleaning system roomba picks up pet hair, dust and debris for up to 2 hours, recharging itself when it needs to. which means your floors are always clean. you and roomba from irobot . better together . . new video reveals what happens before a virginia man died in police custody more than two years ago. officers in south boston, virginia, used a laser on ray

want to warn you this video is graphic. officers took lambert into custody in may of 2013 after respond to go a noise complaint. based on his behavior, they thought he needed medical care, but before they could get him inside the hospital, he kicked out the window of the squad car. video from inside the car shows lambert crashing into the doors of the e.r. police tased him multiple times. then they put him in a patrol car to go to jail where he loses consciousness. his sister wants the officers fired and charged. >> very hard to watch it and to hear him plea for his life when he alerted them, his condition. and, you know, the things they were saying to him and how they ignored him when he asked for help. it was just shocking. >> lambert's family has filed a $25 million dollar wrongful death lawsuit. the faa is investigating laser strikes on three different planes wednesday night near dallas. the flights were headed for

landing at dallas love field. two were southwest and virgin american jets and the third was a private business plane. a police helicopter sent to investigate came up empty. a laser strike hit close to home here at cbs. the helicopter for our new york station wcbs was hit two tuesday by a green laser over brooklyn. it was one of three new york news choppers targeted. a nearby nypd chopper responded and police on the ground took two suspects into custody. in seattle, a small drone flew into a ferris wheel. the three-pound aircraft then crash landed on to a table at a restaurant below. no one was hurt and the ferris wheel was not damaged. a billionaire whose helicopter forced a new jersey youth soccer game to be cancelled is apologizing. josh harris says that he is sorry he parked his helicopter and blocked the field sunday preventing the 12-year-olds from playing.

harris owns the nhl in this devils. he was in new york to watch the team. he says he will park the chopper to prevent further mix-ups. still to come, target's christmas controversy. the retailer is selling a holiday sweater that is accused of making light of mental illness. later, victoria secret perfume so make you feel more attractive but making you less attractive to mosquitoes. if your bladder is calling the shots... ...you may have a medical condition called overactive bladder or oab. you've got to be kidding me. i've had enough! it's time to talk to the doctor. ask your doctor aboutp myrbetriq to treat the oab symptoms of urgency, frequency, and leakage. myrbetriq is the first and only medicine in its class. myrbetriq (mirabegron) may increase blood pressure. p tell your doctor right away if you have trouble emptying your bladder or have a weak urine stream. myrbetriq may cause serious allergic reactions. p if you experience swelling of the face, lips, throat or tongue... p...or difficulty breathing, stop taking myrbetriq and tell your doctor right away.

myrbetriq may affect or be affected by other medications. before taking myrbetriq, tell your doctor if you have liver or kidney problems. common side effects includep increased blood pressure, common cold symptoms, urinary tract infection, and headache. p take charge by talking to your doctor about your oab symptoms and myrbetriq. and learn about savings at myrbetriq.com in our house, imagination runs wild. but at my table, i keep the food real. like country crock's new recipe. made with real simple ingredients and no artificial flavors or preservatives. real country fresh taste from real ingredients. welcome to crock country.

the country. campbell soup is changing some of its recipes to appeal to millennials. from now on, alphabet soup will be limited to 140 characters. >> stephen colbert has scored what is likely a ratings touchdown. cbs is handing the super bowl spot to the late show. his spot is usually guaranteed massive rating and it will be guaranteed to "the late show". on the cbs "moneywatch" target's controversial christmas sweater and tinder figures out how to get more right swipes. jill wagner is at the new york stock exchange with that and more.

good morning, jill. >> good morning. macy's stock plunged after the retailer announced lower than expected third quarter profit and sales. macy's stock dropped 14% and the worst performing stock in the s&p yesterday. macy's profit was down 46%. macy's is looking at real estate options for some of its most well-known locations including city. the good news for shoppers in more mark downs. stocks ended lower on wall street again. the dow lost nearly 56 points, the s&p fell 6, the nasdaq finished 16 points lower. j. cpenney jcpenney's agreed to settle a class action lawsuit for false advertising for 50 million dollars. the lawsuit on behalf of california customers claimed jachlt jcpenney marked down prices.

they settled to end the expense of further legislation. tinder is beating up its profiles. the new algorithm look to jobs and education and changes how they influence ranking. tinder says the results will be nor relevant and meaningful. the profiles shows you exactly what they have in common with someone else. retail target is taking some heat for a christmas-themed sweater. the red, green, and white sweater reads ocd, obsess sieve christmas disorder. critics say it makes fun of a mental illness obsessive compulsive disorder. so far, no word from target. >> i'm annoyed we are talking christmas before thanksgiving. i like my holidays one at a time in order. can't we hold off just a little bit? >> they have been talking christmas since labor day, i'm thinking. >> i know. it's true. jill wagner at the new york stock exchange, thanks a lot, jill.

coming up on our morning newsstand, birth control lawsuit. dozens of women blame the maker of a birth control pill for alleged faulty packaging that led to unplanned pregnancies. an heal it in as few as two and a half days when used at the first sign. without it the virus spreads from cell to cell. only abreva penetrates deep and starts to work immediately to block the virus and protect healthy cells. you could heal your cold sore, fast, as fast as two and a half days when used at the first sign. learn how abreva starts to work immediately at abreva.com don't tough it out, knock it out, fast.

here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. a birth control pill maker is sued over alleged mispackaging. and a magazine says it's done ranking women. those are some of the headlines on the morning newsstand. the philadelphia enquirer says more than a hundred women became pregnant because of a birth control mix-up and they are suing. in 2011, the fda pulled millions of birth control pills off the market. some of the pills inside were mislabeled making them useless. now some women are seeking the

cost of delivering, raising, and educating the children. >> under pennsylvania law, the benefits of having a healthy child are considered to outweigh the detriments of having an unwanted child. >> the pennsylvania based manufacturer could face millions in damages. the hollywood reporter is ending its annual ranking of the 100 most powerful women in entertainment after 23 years. it says the list contributed to the gender imbalance in a industry dominated by men. instead it will provide a power ranking that combines gender. the houston chronicle calls this the happiest mug shot in america. 19-year-old sayer ferway was arrested on monday and accused

in a new study, researchers in mexico state university found compelants contain the deet were most effective but a few others including victoria secret's bombshell perfume also worked for hours. this is the "cbs morning news." is your head so congested it's ready to explode? you may be muddling through allergies. try zyrtec -d to powerfully clear your blocked nose and relieve your other allergy symptoms. so, you can breathe easier all day. zyrtec -d. at the pharmacy counter.

emerge everyday with emergen-c packed with b vitamins, antioxidants, electrolytes plus more vitamin c than 10 oranges. why not feel this good everyday?

what i'm talking about. yeah. yeah. >> former president george w. veterans. they were touring the george w. bush presidential center in dallas on veterans day. he thanked them for their service and took pictures. mr. bush told them he misses saluting those who wear the uniforms. today, president obama will give the nation's highest military award to an army captain whose actions in afghanistan saved the lives of his fellow soldiers. florent groberg will become the

awarded the medal of honoring. groberg was wounded when he attacked a suicide bomber. the bomb went off injuring groberg and killing four others nearby. groberg has undergone more than 30 surgeries and three years of recovery since his act of heroism. a dog in taunton, massachusetts, is back home with his family this morning. he disappeared monday, triggering a frantic certain. the next day he was found at the bottom of a well. jim smith of our boston wbz has the rescue. >> reporter: buddy the dog looks at a backyard well that almost led to his doom. he stumbled into the well and missing for hours and his loving family worried sick. >> all night long calling for the dog and looking for the dog everywhere outside, down the street and we have an electrical fence. i didn't think he went past the fence so i thought somebody stole the dog. >> reporter: then the canine daddy the slightly smaller one led the kids to the well and

there he was. >> i looked down' he wasn't moving' called his name' he started moving and he was in a foot of water. >> reporter: we are not talking about a small well here. it's more than 20 feet deep and buddy was in trouble stuck at the bottom. taunton firefighters rushed to the scene and in the end they made it look relatively easy. >> we wrapped this around the dog and once i get it wrapped around, we got a rope secured. >> reporter: firefight jared jackson put a ladder down and slipped a harness around buddy and up he came. not a scratch. >> felt bad. he looked sad being down there. they said he was there all night and felt sad for him. >> you made it, buddy. good boy! >> good boy, good boy, buddy! i was worried and my sister was crying. we didn't know what to do. we were all upset. it was so scary. we are just lucky to have them get the dog out of the well. >> indeed. that was wbz's jim smith

reporting. coming up after your local news on "cbs this morning," eliminating artificial ingredients in our food. we will show you how companies are making over some popular products. plus, cbs sports jim nantz has a preview of "thursday night football" and singer actress vanessa williams joins us in the studio. that that is the "cbs morning news" for this thursday. thanks for watching. i'm anne-marie green.