high court. ducking the debate. donald trump says he won't attend the next scheduled showdown and fox news ends up pulling the plug. kicking off the future. taking a cue from hollywood, nike unveils self-lacing sneakers. a big league ballplayer chooses family over fortune and walking away from a multimillion dollar deal when he is told to spend less time with his son. 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. well, reaction to president obama's nomination of merrick garland to supreme court was fast and furious. republican leaders dug in their heels refuse to go hold confirmation hearings or a vote. garland is generally respected and considered a moderate jurist

he is the chief judge of the influential d.c. court of appeals. garland was confirmed by seven current gop senators. at 63, he is the oldest supreme court nominee since 1971. has turned into a contentious political battle and the possible repercussions. >> reporter: senate republicans say president obama's nominee to replace the late antonin scalia on the supreme court will not be invited for confirmation hearings. senate majority leader mitch mcconnell also informed u.s. court of appeals judge merrick garland by telephone that he won't get a traditional meet and greet. mcconnell said the next president should pick the next nominee. >> give the people the voice in filling this vacancy. >> it's a ludicrous position. ridiculous position. to my friends on the republican side of the aisle, do your job! >> reporter: the 63-year-old garland, emotionally accepted the president's nomination in the white house rose garden

daughter looked on. >> this is the greatest honor of my life, other than when my wife agreeing to marry me 28 years ago. >> reporter: the president said garland, who he called one of america's sharpest legal minds, is qualified to immediately serve on the high court. >> i have fulfilled my constitutional duty. now it's time for the senate to do theirs. >> reporter: sever republicans admitted garland may be a good it's not about the person, it's about the politics. garland heads to capitol hill to meet with some members of congress on thursday. craig boswell, cbs news, the white house. coming up on "cbs this morning," we will talk to senators elizabeth warren and jeff flake about the garland nomination. monday's republican presidential debate has been called off. fox news cancelled the debate after donald trump pulled out and then john kasich said he wouldn't participate without

the other remaining gop candidate ted cruz says trump is afraid. >> i guess he doesn't like when anyone challenges him. you know? he was saying just a week ago that he was eager to get one-on-one with me. this debate, the field has narrowed even more and he could have had a direct debate with me, yet, donald, apparently, is ducking. he is afraid of being challenged. >> trump says he is making a, quote, big speech. trump skipped a fox news debate in january because he claimed he was mistreated by the network. following tuesday's primaries, trump holds a substantial lead in the delegate count and still has the potential to lock up the nomination before the convention. so far, he has won 47% of the available delegates. but he must do better in upcoming contests. trump issued a dire warning if republican leaders try to deny the nomination to him at a brokered convention. >> i don't think you can say we don't get it automatically.

i think you'd have riots. >> trump has already shifted his attention to hillary clinton. he released a new online ad. in it, she is barking like a dog, suggesting she is unfit to be president. five north carolina deputies have been suspended for their actions at a trump rally in fayetteville. the deputies were escorting a protester from the event when he was assaulted by a 78-year-old man. the deputies were put on probation for 12 months. an investigation is under way. federal intelligence officials refused a request from the state department in 2009 to provide hillary clinton with a secure blackberr-like device. according to just released e-mails, her aides wanted the blackberry to replace the mobile device she was using. clinton's use of a private e-mail server has become a political issue for her. critics contend she may have skirted federal record keeping laws. in just released documents, army sergeant bowe bergdahl explained why he left his post in afghanistan.

the taliban before being changed for five guantanamo bay prisoners. he faces charges of desertion and misbehavior. bergdahl said he wanted to draw attention to what he said were bad decisions by officers. the papers also reveal he was diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder. the -- a texas police officer is free on bail this morning after being arrested for allegedly shooting and killing a teenager. addison police officer ken johnson was off-duty at the time. police officers say he suspected the teen had broken into a car. johnson was taken into custody last night. brian webb reports. >> reporter: friends and family of jose cruz cheered and released balloons, following the arrest of farmers branch officer ken johnson wednesday night. the mother of the 16-year-old he is charged with killing broke down in tears. >> she's gotten a lot of strength from the effect he has been arrested and charged.

>> translator: because there is going to be justice for him. >> reporter: johnson was off-duty sunday when he says he spotted cruz and another teen breaking into his car at this apartment complex. authorities say the officer chased him down in his personal vehicle, eventually shooting both at a nearby gas station in an altercation caught on camera. all events, the police chief says, go against procedures. >> we have policies to deal with off-duty enforcement that we all follow. >> reporter: johnson's attorney maintains his client feared for his life and questions why the case didn't go before a grand jury. >> the only explanation i can think of is that they are doing this because my client is a black police officer. >> reporter: cruz's family spokesman says the facts are clear. >> there is nothing that could be done, except an indictment or an immediate arrest. >> reporter: johnson also faces assault charges for shooting the other teen in the car. he was wounded, but is expected

brian webb for cbs news. firefighters boarded a delta jet when a passenger's electronic cigarette caused a backpack to catch on fire. the plane was just about to depart atlanta's hartsfield-jackson airport for st. louis when the device caught fire last night. by the time the firefighters arrived, the flames were out. no one was hurt. e-cigarettes are allowed in carry-on bags, but not for long. a total ban goes into effect next month. a massachusetts state trooper was killed when his suv was hit on the side of a massachusetts turnpike. trooper thomas clarty pulled over an suv for speeding and had just returned to his vehicle when a car going very fast swerved across three lanes of traffic and hit the trooper's suv. it went down an embankment. clarty was a father of six children. the washington, d.c. subway system reopens this morning

system-wide safety check. the d.c. metro is the nation's second busiest rail system. the safety check involved third rail power cables, following a fire on monday. 26 damaged cables requiring repair were discovered. recently released video shows a daring helicopter jail break from a canadian prison back in 2013. two prisoners were picked up by accomplices who had hijacked a helicopter. they climbed up the rope. the helicopter took off. the prisoners were captured a few hours later, though. coming up on the "morning news." sex tape testimony. the woman who was videotaped having sex with hulk hogan testifies in his trial. later, president obama reveals his brackets for the college basketball championships. this is the "cbs morning news." there's woolite darks. it's free of harsh ingredients, keeping dark clothes looking like new for 30 washes

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star-spangled banner yet wave >> he was a singer. eclipsed by his famous father. frank sinatra jr. has died. he was born in the '40s as his father's career was taking off and his kidnapping at the age of 19 made headlines. frank sinatra jr. suffered a heart attack yesterday in florida. he was 72 years old. testimony from the woman in hulk hogan's sex tape. an accused uber driver shooter sues the app. those are some of the headlines on the morning newsstand. the detroit free press reports a $10 million lawsuit against uber by a former driver charged in six killings. jason dalton's handwritten filing claims uber ruined his life. he said he was never paid back wages or overtime and he is accused of a shooting spree last month in kalamazoo, michigan. he worked for uber less than a month. "the washington post"

u.s. military personnel for a mistaken attack on a hospital in afghanistan. the bombing last year killed 42 people. the punishments are mostly administrative. there are no criminal charges. "the seattle times" reports that a former hospital worker may have put 1,500 patients at risk of infection. rocky allen is accused of switching syringes to steal painkillers. officials say he endangered patients in colorado, california, and washington state. >> it looks like he was lying about his resume, where he had been. we know he had been fired for the same thing at other facilities. >> patients who may have been infected are being told to get hiv and hepatitis tests. "the tampa tribune" is reporting testimony from the woman who was intermediate having sex with hulk hogan. the jury in the wrestler's case against gawker saw a recorded deposition from heather cole. she had she didn't know her then

hogan is suing the website for $100 million because it posted the video online. dunham's newsletter lenny letter.com has an article about the first lady michelle obama. the first lady explained why she and the president started the let girls learn campaign. and at the south-by-southwest festival, she talked about what men can do to help. >> if you're a man at the table and you look around and there are only men at the table, then you should ask yourself how can i do better. >> mrs. obama is urging people to support the cause by donating through change.org. coming up, self-tying sneakers take a step into reality. nike unveils a new high-tech sneaker that laces up on its own.

cbs morning news sponsored by kohl's. honey, can you grab my hat? got it! the weather's supposed to be beautiful this weekend, too. do you think we should get a boat? we need the big bag. i put my sunscreen on already. me too. let's go swimming! yeah. cannonball! now that's the good stuff. the sonoma collection. only at kohl's. (baseball on tv in background) with heart failure, danger is always on the rise. symptoms worsen because your heart isn't pumping well. (water filling room) about 50 percent of people die (dog whimpering) within 5 years of getting diagnosed. but there's something you can do. talk to your doctor about heart failure treatment options. because the more you know, the more likely you are...v

to keep it pumping. i guess i never really gave much thought to the acidity in any foods. never thought about the coffee i was drinking having acids. it never dawned on me that it could hurt your teeth. my dentist has told me your enamel is wearing away, and that sounded really scary to me, and i was like well can you fix it, can you paint it back on, and he explained that it was not something that grows back, it's kind of a one-time shot and you have to care for it. he told me to use pronamel. it's gonna help protect the enamel in your teeth. it allows me to continue to drink my coffee and to eat healthier, r and it was a real easy tswitch to make. here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around

take me away i don't mind it's been i'll be back in time on the cbs "moneywatch," it's feeling sort of like the future with self-tying sneakers and cars that can stop themselves. hena daniels is at the new york stock exchange with that and more. good morning, hena. >> good morning, anne-marie. the federal reserve is leaving a key interest rate where it is. in a statement following its latest policy meeting, the fed said the global economy still poses a risk to the u.s. economy. as a result, fed officials expect to raise rates at a slower rate than they had originally envisioned. the fed holds its next policy meeting in april. news that the fed is leaving interest rates where they are sent stocks higher. the dow gained 74 points. the s&p 500 rose 11 points and the nasdaq finished the day 35 points higher. automatic braking technology could be standard equipment on most new cars by 2022. the government and major

announcement today. the safety system will be phased into most models but safety advocates say the agreement means the government won't strictly regulate this technology. an increase in e-commerce business was generally good business for fedex. their ground division which handles most of its e-commerce business jumped 30% but high costs due to suspension cost caused their operating expenses to slip. >> remember the sneakers in "back to the future"? the future is here. nike introduced the hyperadapt 1.0. actually, the sneaker doesn't have laces at all. when you step in your heels, it hits a sensor and the shoe automatically tightens! just like it did when marty mcfly put them on in the time travel blockbuster, the hyperadapt will be available this holiday season but, at first, only to members of nike plus. >> i'm into it. now i want them to work on that dog leash that walks the dog on

that i can deal with. by the way, happy st. patrick's day. thanks a lot, hena daniels at the new york stock exchange. still ahead. the president's brackets. the president predicts who he thinks will go all the way in the college basketball championships. clubhouse controversy. a white sox veteran walks away from the game over his son. [music] no, no, no, no, people are both soft and strong... yey! which is why our products are too. angel soft. feel secure in your dentures... feel free to be yourself all day. just switch from denture paste to sea-bond denture adhesive seals. holds stronger than the leading paste all day... without the ooze. feel secure. be yourself. x

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here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. last night's first four action was a little more exciting than tuesday's slate of games. it came down to the wire between tulsa and michigan. the wolverines sealed it, winning 67-62. they take on notre dame friday night. another first four battle, holy cross versus southern u. the crusaders and the jaguars

second half. southern's sean perdom hit a three-pointer there while he was tying his shoe! ultimately holy cross came up with the 59-55 win and they take on oregon. the top seed in the west in the first round. as he does every year, the president made his picks for the ncaa tournament. here is his final four. unc against michigan state and kansas versus texas a&m. with the jayhawks winning it all over the tar heels in the championship! >> bill self owes me. i'm putting kansas in here! coach, i'm just teasing, i'm not putting pressure on you, but i think the jayhawks in a squeaker get past unc. >> the president has only picked the winner once during his time in the white house when he picked unc to win it all during his first year in the oval office. march madness typically tips off

duke takes on unc wilmington right here at noon eastern time today on cbs. a major league baseball player is choosing his family over a multimillion dollar contract. white sox first baseman adam laroche retired on wednesday when team officials said his son could no longer join him in the clubhouse after each game. the team president ken williams said drake was welcome to spend time with the team, but he wasn't open to the 14-year-old being around 100% of the time. laroche would have earned $13 million this season. this is the "cbs morning news." you can look like this. and feel like this. dreamwalk. i thought i needed cigarettes to cope. i was able to quit smoking. and then i started running. now, i feel a lot better. (announcer)you can quit. for free help,

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i cannot wear green because of the green screen and the magic of tv >> i slept in and forgot. >> it's saint patty's day and a fun holiday. we are here to remind you wear green. if not you will get pinched. we can see some green from the buildings in broward county from our fort lauderdale camera. thankfully now we're looking at the radar. no green in terms of any rain. visibility is down and west hamilton and homestead. everywhere else looking good. low 70s and upper 60s inland. the wind flow is calm and light out of the west and we see it is quiet and dry. it's a warm st. patrick's day with highs in the upper 80s and