captioning funded by cbs it's friday, march 18th, 2016. this is the "cbs morning news." president obama's pick to fill the supreme court vacancy gets the seal of approval from senate democrats. but the battle to get merrick beginning, with republicans saying he'll never make it to the high court. taking on trump. forces from conservatives to activists line up to stop donald

republican nomination. march magic for the yale bulldogs! >> and upsets abound. the first full day of the ncaa tournament delivers thrills to college basketball fans. 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. senate republican leaders are digging in their heels over the nomination of judge merrick garland to the supreme court. garland met with democratic leaders yesterday. both sides are mustering their resources to press their case. garland is expected to return to capitol hill today. don champion reports. >> reporter: senate minority leader harry reid emerged from his meeting with garland on thursday poised with a bitter battle with republicans who refuse to consider the supreme

get approval. republicans cannot continue this. it won't work. >> reporter: the 63-year-old moderate appellate judge also sat down with ranking democrat patrick leahy during his first office visit to capitol hill. >> you guys are paid to do your job. make up your mind. >> reporter: garland did not meet with republicans opposed to granting him a confirmation hearing. senate majority leader mitch mcconnell labeled it as a stunt by the white house. former presidential contender marco rubio also stood firm. >> i don't think we should be moving forward on a nominee in the last year of this president's term. i would say that if it was a republican president. >> reporter: a handful of republican senators up for re-election this fall have indicated they are open to meeting with garland, including judiciary committee chair chuck grassley. >> if i can meet with a dictator in uganda, i can certainly meet with a decent person in america.

says it will set up with meetings when lawmakers return from their easter recess in two weeks. garland has spoken with senate majority leader mcconnell over the phone. mcconnell agreed to mead mooet with him -- meet with him, just not immediately. this morning, some republicans are toying with the idea of confirming garland in the lame duck session, something the white house has dismissed. >> don champion here in new york, thanks a lot, don. new york city police and the secret service are investigating a suspicious letter sent to the home of eric trump, one of donald trump's sons. police responded to a call about the letter at eric trump's new york city apartment last night. a source tells cbs news the letter contained a white powder but that it did not appear to be hazardous. a source close to the investigation says the letter threatened harm to donald trump's family if he doesn't get out of the race. some are planning to boycott next week.

florida to consider the trump campaign. some want to press ahead with efforts to try and stop him, but others are resigned to the idea that he will be the nominee. mark albert has more. >> reporter: former presidential reporters thursday, he's done with politics. >> i'm not running for re-election to the senate. as i said, i'm going to finish my term here and then i'll be a private citizen. of the presidential race tuesday evening after donald trump won the primary in florida, rubio's home state. trump now has nearly half the 1,237 delegates he needs to clench the gop nomination. >> we have to bring our party together. >> reporter: trump warns any plans to derail his candidacy could lead to riots, but on thursday, a group of activists and lawmakers met behind closed doors to discuss alternatives to the gop front-runner. senator lindsey graham threw his support behind his adversary ted

>> i think the best alternative to donald trump is stop him from getting 1,237 is ted cruz. i'm going to help ted in any way i can. >> reporter: an activist group anonymous has trump in its cross-hairs. they claim it posted the billionaire's personal information online. on the democratic side, senator bernie sanders conceded the missouri primary and campaigned in arizona thursday night. >> with your help on tuesday, we are going to win here in arizona. >> reporter: hillary clinton took the day off the trail to attend two closed door fund-raising events as she looks toward the general election. mark albert for cbs news, washington. president obama has reportedly told democratic donors in private the time has come to unite behind hillary clinton. "the new york times" reports during a meeting last week in texas, the president told donors that bernie sanders' campaign was nearing the point where it will end.

sanders to quit the race, nor did he explicitly endorse clinton. coming up on "cbs this morning," we will talk to voters who have already had enough of this year's campaign and are less than pleased with the top candidates. another round of severe storms and wet weather is forecast today in the deep south. heavy rain, flooding, and hail remain a threat along the gulf coast from texas to louisiana. the town of deweyville, texas, on the louisiana border, is still under water. the worst flooding there in a hundred years. for the most part, the small town is evacuated and even when the water recedes, it will be a while before residents can return. hail, some the size of tennis balls fell in the dallas/ft. worth area yesterday. windshields were shattered and greenhouse roof was destroyed. the ft. worth zoo said hail killed a number of exotic birds

an americanairlines flight headed to new york's laguardia airport from raleigh/durham was diverted last night after it was hit bay bolt of lightning. the jet landed safely at new york's kennedy airport. passengers say there was a flash and then a loud bang. no one was injured. overseas now. north korea fired a medium-range ballistic missile into the sea this morning. south korea said the missile was fired from a site north of the capital and flew about 500 miles before crashing off the north korea's east coast. it's the first medium-range missile launched by the north since april of 2014 and violated several u.n. resolutions banning the north from testing ballistic missiles. the california university student who wounded four people in a campus stabbing attack back in november was inspired by isis. the fbi said 18-year-old mohamed may have been self-radicalized but acted alone. authorities found isis

evidence he had visited the isis website. the american who joined isis and surrendered in northern iraq this week says he quickly became disenchanted. >> at the time, i made the decision to go, because i wasn't thinking straight. i didn't see myself living in that environment. you know, i wanted to go back to -- to america. >> mohamed jamal khweis is a palestinian-american from in december. residents of flint, michigan, who attended a congressional hearing on the city's water say they are not satisfied. michigan governor rick snyder faced tough questions and criticism at a contentious hearing yesterday. snyder apologized and also blamed washington bureaucrats. >> we are taking responsibility in michigan and we are taking action, and that is absolutely essential here in washington too.

unaccountable bureaucrats at the epa allowed this to continue. >> the city's water was contaminated when flint's water supply was switched to the flint river two years ago to save money. coming up on the "morning news." a fire breathing stunt goes wrong. a man is set ablaze in front of thousands of high school students at a pep rally. later, march madness lives up to its name with an early set of upsets in the tournament. this is the "cbs morning news." see me. see me to know that psoriasis is just something that i have. i'm not contagious. see me to know that... ...i won't stop until i find what works. discover cosentyx, a different kind of medicine for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. proven to help the majority of people find clear or almost clear skin. 8 out of 10 people saw 75% skin clearance at 3 months. while the majority saw 90% clearance. do not use if you are allergic to cosentyx. before starting, you should be

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feels like everyone can go ...except you. opioid-induced constipation, oic, is a different type of constipation, which may need a different approach. longing for a change? have the conversation with your doctor about oic, and ask about prescription treatment options. a high school pep rally stunt had fiery results thursday morning in florida. a pyrotechnics crew member filled his mouth with flammable liquid and hoping to spit it out with spectacular results and, instead, it backfired. his face caught fire burning for about 20 seconds. he was rushed to the hospital and treated for those burns.

the chaos were hurt. photos of kurt cobain's shotgun are now public for the first time. seattle police say the rock star used it to commit suicide nearly 22 years ago. the photos were released yesterday after a request from cbs news. some conspiracy theorists claim police are destroyed the gun to cover up a murder. apple apple's tim cook speaks out with the encryption battle. an isis recruiter in new york is sentenced. those are some of the headlines on the morning newsstand. the rochester democrat and chronicle reports the sentencing of a pizza shop owner who admitted recruiting for isis. the man was given 22 and a half years in prison. he renounced isis before his sentencing. no one he tried to recruit actually traveled to syria to join the militants. the "los angeles times" is reporting a witness account of a deadly fall from a hotel. a "times" photographer was at will

construction worker fell from the 54th floor on monday. the worker was not supposed to be above the third floor. "time" reports apple ceo tim cook's version of the company's in an exclusive interview, he explains why he thinks the government is overreacting to the investigation of the san bernardino massacre. software to decode-a-phone carried by one of the killers. cook said it would put millions of people at risk. "the tampa tribune" reports closing arguments begin today in hulk hogan's $1 million lawsuit against gawker. hogan claims the website violated his privacy when it posted him having sex with his friend's wife. the judge ruled yesterday the jury won't have to watch the entire video. "entertainment weekly" says late late show host james cordon conquered the internet in his

>> the magazine looks at how corden draws stars like adele into his comedy. corden will reach the one-year mark as host of the show next week. "the late late show with james corden" airs at 12:30 eastern week nights on cbs. still ahead. a nun is caught on surveillance video apparently stealing from a pennsylvania store. i'm phil mickelson, pro golfer. my psoriatic arthritis caused joint pain. just like my moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. and i was worried about joint damage. my doctor saidr joint pain from ra can be a sign of existingt joint damage that could only get worse. he prescribed enbrel to help relieve pain and help stop further damage. enbrel may lower your ability to fight infections.

infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, nervous and allergic reactions have occurred. tell your doctor if you've been someplace where fungal infections are common, or if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been or if you have persistent fever, don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. joint pain and damage... can go side by side. ask how enbrel can help relieve joint pain and help stop joint damage. enbrel, the number one rheumatologist-prescribed biologic. here's a look at today's

the country. a 78-year-old pennsylvania nun is accused of shoplifting. police say surveillance video shows sister agnes bagging items and leaving without paying for them. it added up to about $23 worth of coffee, snacks and toiletries. officials from her convent are not talking. sister agnes faces a fine if convicted. on the cbs "moneywatch," the dow is back in black and shirley temple's rare blue diamond ring could fetch a fortune. hena daniels is at the new york stock exchange with that and more. wall street's rally continues sending the dow jones

the dow jumped 155 points. the s&p gained 13 points and the nasdaq finished 11 points higher. the dow and s&p are near where they were at the end of last year. just over a month ago, both were down 10% for the year. the surge is in part for a rise in the price of oil. u.s. oiled settled above $40 a barrel yesterday for the first time since december. two tuna recalls to report this morning. bumblebee is recalling chunk light tuna because of possible contamination that could lead to life-threatening illnesses. the specific cans were produced in 2016. tri-union seafood is recalling chicken of the sea brand because the tuna might be undercooked. for more information, go to the company's websites. despite initial qualms, google is joining a online service.

program. it was concerned that t-mobile was slowing down the speed of video streams. certain customers are allowed to stream movie and tv services without it counting against their data usage. google's parent company is putting its robotics unit up for sale. it acquired boston dynamics in 2013 but growing tension there. the unit has products that can be released in the near term. a ring that shirley temple wore for decades is going on the auction block. the blue diamond 9 1/2 carat ring has a presale price estimated between $25 and $30 million. temple wore the ring for decades. her father bought it for her 12th birthday in 1940 for $7,210. >> that's quite a present for 12th birthday. don't tell my daughter! she will expect all kind of things! hena daniels at the new york stock exchange, thanks a lot, hena. still ahead. the first full day of the ncaa tournament is in the books.

out and what is ahead for today. a cracked windshield. so she scheduled at safelite.com and with safelite's exclusive "on my way text" she knew exactly when i'd be there. so she didn't miss a single shot. (cheering crowd) i replaced her windshield... giving her more time for what matters most... how'd ya do? that' advantage. (team sing) safelite replace. (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 (dog whimpering)

here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. to put them at the line for two shots. hagan is just dribbling it out and just looking for three. chucks one up. it's good! >> arkansas little rock ties it up against purdue in the closing seconds of their ncaa tournament matchup. the teams duel through two overtimes but in the end, 12th seeded trojans upset purdue 85-83. in the first full day of tournament action another 12th tournament seed scored a big upset.

tournament game since 1982 upset baylor 79-75. it is the ivy school's first win during a tournament ever. one shell-shocked baylor player didn't appreciate a reporter's line of questioning after the game. >> how did yale outrebound baylor? >> you go up and you grab the ball off the rim when it comes off and you grab it with two hands. you come down with it and that is considered a rebound, so they got more of those than we did. >> wide open! they got it to go! >> a last-second layup sends providence to the next round. they win their first tournament game since 1997 knocking out usc and winning. the road doesn't get any easier for providence. they will face number one seed north carolina in the next round. the tar heels struggled in the first half with florida gulf coast, but pulled away during the second half to win 83-67. another full day of basketball is on tap today. our coverage tips off at noon

right here on cbs. finally, arizona coach sean miller looks like many folks feel when they watch their team in a tight tournament game. he sweat through his shirt before halftime. as far as his team goes, they hit the showers, losing to wichita state. this is the "cbs morning news." ask if xeljanz is right for you. xeljanz is a small pill for adults with moderate to severe ra for whom methotrexate did not work well. xeljanz can reduce joint pain and swelling in as little as two weeks, and help stop further joint damage. xeljanz can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections, lymphoma, and other cancers have happened. don't start xeljanz if you have an infection. tears in the stomach or intestines, low blood cell counts, and higher liver tests and cholesterol levels have happened. your doctor should perform blood tests

and while taking xeljanz, and monitor certain liver tests. tell your doctor if you were in a region where fungal infections are common, and if you have had tb, hepatitis b or c, or are prone to infections. r xeljanz can reduce r the symptoms of ra, p even without methotrexate.

>> good morning. happy friday. it is 4:56. i'm bridgett ellison. >> friends and family remember a teen who was killed in a fire. find out how the community is ral hiing support. a big change on the big drive today. what you need to know before you hit the road and much more in a moment. >> let's bring in troy and amy to the show. >> good morning. >> good morning. we'll have an extra bonus construction, even more than usual. >> yay! >> troy is excited about it. >> on a friday. >> we'll be dealing with rain. increasing rain for the weekend, not a total washout for today but tomorrow, not looking so plans.

on. the arnold palmer invitational, runaway country, you'll need the rain gear. if you can't bring an umbrella, have the ponchos handy. we'll p out there. >> we'll be in the mud there. it will be fun. we'll listen to some music. here's the setup as we take you through today. a boundary to the north, stalled out. warm ato the south. today once again warming well into the 80's. it is going to take awhile before the front moves into central florida. today's rain coverage only at 30% through the afternoon. that's mainly in our northern counties. northern volusia county and then through the weekend, especially on saturday, we see more of the rain on top of the i-4 corridor. you can see plenty of clouds. because of the warm winds coming in out of the south that will be light, we still get up to 86 degrees. right now, starting off mild in

65 in sanford. 64 in ocala. it is 71 in daytona beach and 69 in cocoa beach. a warm start area wide. you'll feel it, sticky air in place, muggy air will continue through the day. there's the white indicating cloud cover through lunchtime. not a lot of rain picking up with the model data. we'll see a chance for a few showers again mainly in northern zones with a 30% coverage. today looking ugly and rainy. not seeing a whole bunch of rain yet. saturday, a push for showers as that front begins to move in and stall out for a bit before it pushes all the way to the south on sunday. you can see, there is sunday, even at 4:00 in the morning, we'll pinpoint showers and a couple of embedded thunderstorms. today, a 30% coverage of rain, not a total washout. 86 in leesburg. 85 in sanford. 82 in daytona beach. we'll talk more about the weekend rain. first let's go to amy in the

>> good morning to you at home. one of the areas you'll talk about a lot is 408. we have a major ramp which is going to be changed around a little bit. we'll get to that shortly. for now, know everything is operating smoothly on time. no delays in either direction. at least that helps out. i-4 we have the usual suspects at play. active construction. you can see some by kirkman blocking travel lanes. it is early. traffic is moving along quite well. that is your first check on traffic. we will have another one coming up in a couple of minutes. first your morning news begins right now. now. the community ral lis around the a family dealing with a heart breaking loss. investigators try to figure out what started a deadly fire. >> a change that will have one major ramp closed for years.

we'll explain the arrest made months after a crash. good morn ing. it is 5:00 a.m. i'm david hall. >> i'm bridge bridge. thank you for waking up with us so early. troy and aim are here. how are things looking? >> it is so early. >> it is early. we have construction. it will be with us for awhile. >> don't shoot the messenger. we'll have rain for the weekend. yes indeed. not a whole bunch. the model is backing off on the timing for the rain tomorrow. we'll see some rain pushing in as we head through the day tomorrow. a lot going on. just have the rain gear handy. no rain to start. warm and muggy conditions. it is 65 degrees in orlando. 69 at cocoa beach. 64 in ocala. 71 to start out in daytona beach. a you head out the door. there may be fog to deal with depending on where you are.