captioning funded by cbs good morning. it is thursday, may 11th, 2017. welcome to "cbs this morning." former fbi director james comey sends a farewell letter to agents, urging them to continue upholding the constitution. conflicting stories emerge about what led to his firing. we'll talk to white house spokeswoman sarah huckabee sanders. >> we'll talk to elizabeth palmer about her rinkside chat with the russian president. >> and what will it take to stop nearly 30 billion robocalls a year. in a new interview the fcc chairman offers his

advice to the complaint. but we start with your "eye opener," your worlding in 90 sends. >> this is an effort by the trump administration and the president himself to tthwar or undermine the investigation. >> we encourage him to complete the investigation. there's no evidence of uscollion. let's put it behind. let's move on. >> that's nothing. the investigation is barely beginning. >> this is a pauvel rere moment. the russians are coming. >> there's no getting through the tinfoil hat conspiracy liberals. on the left, they're detached from reality. >> the city isremoving the statue of confederate jefferson davis. >> people are very angry, and i thit's split the city apart. >> education secretary betsy devos getting a chilly reception during a

>> this this behavior continues, your degrees will be mailed to yo >> violent protests wage on in venezuela over the siege of the economic crisis. >> construction of a railline gets derailed by a massive crane collapse. >> incredible rescue from china. >> a motorcycle crashing into a truck catching fire lives to tell about it. >> -- and all that matters -- that how will the firing of fbi director james comey affect the adminitistraon. >> one on one. >> we had nothing do with it. >> -- on "cbs this morning." >> keep your eyes on anderson cooper. look closely. >> thank you for the trip down memory lane. you were saying we were going to win michigan and that was fun. >> here's it

so many americans are feeling that exact emotion that apple added this to the iphone. >> announcer: this morning's "eye opener" presented by toyota. let's go places. welcome to "cbs this morning." president trump and the white house are still working to explain the president's firing of fbi director james comey. comey himself is telling friends and former colleagues not to get worked up about it. in a letter obtained by cbs news, comey said i have long believed the president can fire an fbi director for any reason or no reason at all and the fb i i should be seen as a rock. >> he asked for more resources to help the fbi investigation into russian interference in the election. the justice department denies

house. good morning. >> good morning. well, comey's misstatements to congress last week and his comment that he wud made nauseous by the idea that he tipped the election did not endure him to president trump. that was just the latest irritant in a relationship already troubled by his refusal to back up the president's wire-tapping claims. back at his virginia home on wednesday, former director comey sent a message of encourage management following his abrumtd dismissal. >> i'm not going to spend time on the decision or the way it was executed, he wrote. i hope you won't either. it's done and i will be fine. asked why he fired comey, president gave a terse reply. >> because he wasn't doing a good job very simply. he was not doing a good job. >> the oval office meeting with richard nixon secretary of state henry kissinger surprised reporters because they expected to see the schedule yuld guests. russian foreign minister sergey

lavrov, but the press wasn't allowed in for that meeting. the only glimpse came in these photos showing mr. trump smiling and laughing with mr. lavrov. and sergey kislyak who led to mike flynn'sousster. the meeting of the diplomats had been arranged. sergei l sergey lavrov at the news of comey's firing. rosenstein and sessions met with the president monday. they discussed stumbles and recommended his firing. the white house says that the president told rosenstein to put his concerns in a memo released tuesday that cited comey's handling of the hillary clinton e-mail investigation as grounds for dismissal. rosenstein on the job j

weeks is a trump appointee. ga gayle, he's now at the center of this krors. >> margaret, thank you. they're looking into links between the trump campaign and russia. he calls the response a disgrace. he posted on twitter showing how they also wanted comey to go. >> i think it would not be a bad thing for the american people if he did step down. >> do you believe that jim comey should resign, senator reid? >> of course. >> did you want to see him gone? >> it's very true many have called for his resignation. >> now the democrats insist there are too many unanswered questions about the firing. nancy cordes is on capitol hill where comey's replacement will appear in just a few hours. good morning. >> good morning. his name is andrew mccabe.

director. he's going to be testifying at the senate intelligence committee in comey's place. senators are inevitably going to want to talk about comey's removal, which has become a partisan flashpoint. >> director comey kind of became an issue himself and so it's obviously within the president's thought and role to do this. >> republican leaders are standing by the president's move. >> what do we have now, mr. president? our democratic colleagues complaining about the removal of an fbi director who they themselves repeatedly and sharply criticized. >> in the face of a deafening drum peat from democrats. >> it is time for a special prosecutor. >> special prosecutor. >> a special prosecutor. >> republicans can call for a special prosecutor to be appointed that will not be able to be fired by this president. >> democrats argue everything about comey's firing was

informed -- >> the president's one-page letter was completely bizarre. >> to the timing. >> you can't fire the investigator when he's gotting your administration. >> they found an ally in the republican intelligence committee. >> the decision made little sense to me. i don't think i heard anything last night that would clarify that in any way. >> but richard burr said a special prosecutor would onto get in the way of the investigation they're already conducting. he and his counter part have asked to meet with them next week. >> i think jim comey should have if not at least his day in court but his day on the hill the lay out his side of the case. >> before the hearing they announced it had issued its first s&p for documents belonging to the fired nsa michael flynn. these are documents h

refused to hand over. and some members of this committee, norah, even joked perhaps the newly fired james comey might make a great investigator for this committee as it continues its work looking into the russian connection. >> thank you so much. inside the headquarters' acting director is pushing agents to focus on their work. andrew mccabe has taken over. president trump met with mccabe to discuss the bureau. there are reports that morale has taken a hit after comey's firing. jeff pegues is outside the white house. good morning. >> good morning. they're working to find an interim fbi director until they choose comey's permanent replacement. the fbi, stunned by the fires which is right in the midst of this fbi investigation, one of its most important in history. one of at least five

have already been interviewed at the justice department for job of interim director of the fbi. according to the sources, the way comey found out about his dismissal came as a surprise to some in the bureau. he was talking to agents when news flashed on the tv screens that comey had been fired. >> he no longer had the confidence of the president or the rest of the fbi. >> reporter: some agents said they took issue with white house sarah huckabee. >> you may have had a number of employees who may have disagreed with his approach and handling of the e-mail investigation but overall director comey built up a lot of good will in the fbi, about the way he treated people, the respect he had forse

the law enforcement organization. >> reporter: they had been picking up speed in rekrechblt weeks. agents have been intensely focusing on following the money, trying to identify who might have paid hackers involved in russia's campaign to interfere in the 2016 election. murphy says a change at the top should not affect any ongoing investigations. >> bureau will carry on its mission like they have for the last 100 years. i have great confidence in that leadership in the bureau, and they're going be working together to keep the fbi intact. >> reporter: but whoever president trump chooses to permanently leave the fbi can influence any investigation by adding or pulling resources. and that's why the firing this week set off alarms here in washington not only on capitol hill but in the halls of the fbi as well. charlie. >> thanks, jeff. white house deputy press

secretary sarah huckabee sanders is in washington. good morning. >> good morning. great to be with you guys. >> let me ask you again. will they be there to talk to the agents today or tomorrow? >> i believe it's very likely that that takes place sometime in next few days. >> can you tell me whether the deputy attorney general threatened to resign because he felt like he was being used in a search for the explanation for the firing? >> i'm not aware of any conversation that took place about that. what i do know is this is an action the president took and wanted to take and had been considering taking since november. >> sarah, let me ask you. you said yesterday it was the secretary attorney's memo that left the president's, quote/unquote, with no choice but to fire comey. is the explanation different todaysome. >> not at all. i this e this is something, frankly, after wednesday's testimony was very engaged on wa

where he was ready to make that decision. he had a conversation on monday with the attorney general and deputy attorney general and asked them for their thoughts, their feedback. they laid out a lot of reasons you see in that memo, but this is something, again, sin he had been elected, there was a consistent erosion of confidencend his ability to do his job. >> there's still questions about the explanation that the white house is giving. they say they were giving daily updates on the investigation and furthermore, quote, comey was shown further information by evidence of collusion. is that why he was fired? >> not at all. once again, i think we laid it out very clearly. again, a lot of the process of this, the director took steps

that basically went around the chain of command within the department of justice. his testimony last week was all over the place. they had to issue corrections. when you become a much bigger distraction than you are able to carry out your job as director comey had been, it's time to move forward and look for somebody who better fits that role. >> he was poor at communications is why he was fired. >> that's not the only reason. let's not forget there was an uprising. the rank-and-file members within the fbi had lost. >> sarah, that's being disputed by cbs news in terms of the conversations they've had with the bi. i've heard that from a number of people, both former agents and others, that there was not that significant dissension. >> well, we've heard from quite a few from our side as well.

again, this is something both democrats and republicans on both sides of the i'll have questioned whether director comey should be in that job. i find it quite interesting that a lot of people who are attacking the president for the decision he made this week were the very people who demanded he make this decision several months ago. >> how do you convince the country there's not a constitutional crisis coming up and that this had nothing to do with the russian probe of which the attorney general has recused himself? you have to convince the country. that's the challenge you have. >> look. any investigation that was taking place on monday is still taking place today. >> and you fully support that and the fbi director's requesting to carry out that investigation. >> i'm not aware of any request for additional funds. that's smd you would have to ask the department of justice. what i am aware of is any investigation that has taken place has not stopped. fr

go forward and come to completion and 'we'll all move on because we're extremely confident that when this comes to conclusion, even will see what they receive for the last 11 months. there was no collusion between the president -- >> they want to make sure everybody is satisfied there was no collusion here. take it away from any kind of partisan conflict and give the special prosecutor the authority to discover all the facts. >> because it's simply not necessary. you've got multiple groups looking into all this. the house committee, senate committee, attorney general through the fbi. they're already looking at this. i don't think it's necessary. >> why not have an independent counsel and prosecutor -- >> they come from both sides. you have them both democrats and republicans looking at this. >> secretary sarah hbe

sanders, thank you. >> thank you for having me. they took down the monument of jefferson davis. michelle miller is at the site where the monument stood for more than a century. michelle, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. dozens stood out here to witness an aksz conceived two years ago. that state took down its most visible visions of the confederacy. it's been a much more difficult task for this city to do so. this morning crews dismantled the statue of jefferson davis, removing it from the spot where it had stood for more than a century. >> this particular monument was put up by a particular groupe of people for a particular purpose. >> around the purpose was? >> for the confederacy. >> the monument was built to

memorialize jefferson davis and two others in the years following the civil war. >> they're not necessarily heroes of mine or heroes of anybody. >> reporter: still this businessman took out a two-page ad advocating the statue should remain. he backed the statue two weeks ago. >> they point to history and i really don't think anybody should have the privilege of changing history because history is truth. >> reporter: many are on the sidelines watching the heated rhetoric. she is a professor at tulane university. >> it's time to have honest dialogues about race. >> will these monument being taken do

make a difference? >> if we don't commit to the dialogue, it's not going to make a difference. >> just yesterday the judge denied the statue. mayor called it a hail mary pass that didn't work. norah? >> such an interesting tee bait there. thank you so much. education secretary betsy devos is responding to stujts who booed during her commencement address in florida. many graduates turned their backs on devos yesterday. they were upset because earlier this year devos caused an uproar when she called historically black university pioneers in-school choice. after her speech she said she respects people including those who demonstrated their disagreements. >> our elizabeth palmer spoke with

more than 29 billion robocalls target americans last year. ahead, the s.e.c. chairman says he has a new plan to crack down. >> you're watching "cbs this morning." your freedom may only go as far as your oxygen tube. (announcer) you can quit. for free help, call 1-800-quit-now. brtry new flonase sensimists. allergy relief instead of allergy pills. it delivers a gentle mist experience to help block six key inflammatory substances. most allergy pills only block one. new flonase sensimist changes everything. then moisturize with isaveeno® skin relief. with oat oil and natural shea butter, it softens and smooths extra dry skin and lasts for 24 hours. aveeno®. naturally beautiful results®

(baby♪ aughs) ito treat your toughy nasal allergies... ♪ ...listen up. unlike pills that don't treat congestion, clarispray covers 100 percent of your nasal allergy symptoms. clarispray. from the makers of claritin. so we know how to cover almost alanything.ything, even a coupe soup. [woman] so beautiful. [man] beautiful just like you. [woman] oh, why thank you.

[burke] and we covered it, november sixth, two-thousand-nine. talk to farmers. we know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two. ♪ we are farmers. bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪ once chocoit still is. best thing you could ever give her. levian chocolate diamond jewelry. only levian makes jewelry with chocolate diamonds. levian at kay, the store for the chocolate she'll love forever. try aveeno® sheer hydration. its active naturals® oat formula... ...goes on feather light. absorbs in seconds... ...keeps skin healthy looking and soft. aveeno® naturally beautiful results. of being there for my son's winning shot. that was it for me. that's why i'm quitting with nicorette. only nicorette mini has a patented fast dissolving formula. it starts to relieve sudden cravings fast. every great why needs a great how.

new sun protection like you've never seen or felt. introducing coppertone whipped. it absorbs quickly. and leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth while helping to prevent sun damage. new coppertone whipped. because protection matters. and the wolf huffed like you do sometimes, grandpa? well, when you have copd, it can be hard to breathe. it can be hard to get air out, which can make it hard to get air in. so i talked to my doctor. she said... symbicort could help you breathe better, starting within 5 minutes. symbicort doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. symbicort helps provide significant improvement of your lung function. symbicort is for copd, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. it should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort contains formoterol. medicines like formoterol increase the risk of death from asthma problems. symbicort may increase your risk of lung infections, osteoporosis, and some eye problems. you should tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it.

watch out, piggies! (child giggles) symbicort. breathe better starting within 5 minutes. get symbicort free for up to one year. visit saveonsymbicort.com today to learn more. d,

elizabeth palmer about how she got the interview

after reporters were hounding press secretary sean spicer for comment, he did what any white house press secretary would do. he hid in the bushes. seriously. he hid in the bushes on the white house grounds. think about that for a second. a grown man hiding in the bushes from doing his job. that's like when i hide many the gym's toilet from my personal trailer. can you see that? >> that's james corden. the post later updated the story to say that he was huddled with his staff among

the bushes on white house grounds. when you see that, you clearly see him peeking over the bush. >> i think they clarify he's not in the bush. he was hide behind the bushes and it was annest to avoid speaking from the reporters. the president's own press secretary, he was caught flatfooted. >> that picture illustrates the point. >> and leaves easy fodder for late nate comedy. >> welcome back to "cbs this morning." crowds up set by comey's firing. another contentious town hall meeting. >> my question to you, how long are you and your fellow republicans going defend this american nightmare? cou, mitch mcconnell. onme . open your eyes. >> folks, i didn't come here to defend our president tonight. came to answer your questions,

this room, but -- but -- but when i drive across the pine barrens, there will be people that totally disagree with you. totally. >> that was representative tom mccar thursday who was drowned out by constituents. he played a key role in gets health care passed. his town hall lasted nearly five hours. i give him a lot of kudos. that's dmork in action, hearing from the people you represent. the firing of james comey sent shock waves around world, particularly in russia. cbs correspondent elizabeth palmer got a rare chance to speak with president putin. she's there talking with him before he plays hockey. it's an interview

only on "cbs this morning." good morning. >> reporter: good morning. we were in the town of sochi where the russian olympics were held just as the president prepared to play in russian hockey. >> reporter: russian president vladimir putin came down the hall, game face on, the make a political point. >> how will the firing of james comey affect u.s./russia relations? >> translator: there will be no effect. don't be angry with me. he's acting in accordance with his competence and in accordance with his law and constitution. what about us? why we?

going play hockey. >> reporter: president putin plays a good defensive game of hockey on the ice and on the stage. in this case, it's a charm iing defense. also there, the controversial russian ambassador sergey kislyak whose contact with the trump team were being investigated by the fbi under the now fired james comey. back at the hockey rink, kremlin spokesman led us off to a back room to insist one more time that russia has been unfairly blamed for meddling in u.s. affairs. this cloud of suspicion around russia and russia's intentions has just got thicker. how do you repair your reputation? >> well, actually we are extremely sorry about that. some

stagts and other countries around the world, they have all of a sudden chosen a way of earning domestic political points by creating an external threat. >> reporter: the high-level diplomatic contact between the trump administration and them continue tofrmtd secretary rex tillerson is in alaska. kremlin already this morning has said it's cautiously optimistic about u.s./russian relations in light of the last 24 hours. gayle? >> elizabeth, it's always fascinating to see because we don't usually get this story. >> we were here to speak with the russian spokesman. he was here because he was playing in the hockey tournament. we asked if we could pose a question to the president and

they physically positioned us where i could approach him when he came onto the ice. this was carefully thought out. russia wanted to send a message to the united states. >> ca >> carefully thought out indeed. in fact, it was president putin who asked president trump to invite sergey lavrov to the meeting which is on the front pages of newspapers all aunld around the world. what do you think the hope is? >> they want to be seen as partners with the united states. it would be very popular here in russia, and the endgame, of course, is to get those sanctions lifted as soon as possible. >> elizabeth palmer in

there's been an interesting piece ow how much of it could have been. koit vuld be a security breach. >> you could have inserted a listening bug. >> having covered a number of white houses, usual only white house photographer takes a photo and white house decides which picture to put out. it sends a message around the world and this time the russians got it first. here's look at other headlines. "new york times" ports president trump made a phone call to the new south korean president. they pledged cooperation. they agreed to hold a summit in washington at the earliest opportunity. >> the "hartford courant" reports that aetna will be pulling out of two

it's been selling obamacare health plans. that's delaware. they project they will lose hypothesize $200 million. it lost over 700,000 members from 2016. the olympian in washington state reports rick perry is investigating the tunnel collapse. workers began filling a hole. the hole was discovered yesterday. officials say there was no release of radiation and no one was hurt. robocalls are the number one federal complaint. ahe ahead, the chaerman shares the latest efforts to crack down on nearly call as year. we invite you to download the cbs

you can get that on apple's ipod or itunes. did not work well. you're watching "cbs this morning" ng and joint damage, even without methotrexate. xeljanz xr can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections, lymphoma and other cancers have happened. don't start xeljanz xr 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 before you start and while taking xeljanz xr, 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. needles. fine for some. but for you, one pill a day may provide symptom relief. ask your doctor about xeljanz xr. an "unjection™".

if you have moderate

isn't it time to let the real you shine through? introducing otezla, apremilast. otezla is not an injection or a cream. it's a pill that treats plaque psoriasis differently. some people who took otezla saw 75% clearer skin after 4 months. and otezla's prescribing information has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. don't take otezla if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. otezla may increase the risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts, or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. side effects may include diarrhea, nausea, upper respiratory tract infection, and headache. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, and if you're pregnant or planning to be. ask your dermatologist about otezla today. otezla. show more of you.

well it's a perfect nespresso hold on a second.orge. mmm. ♪ [mel torme sings "comin' home baby"] hey there. want a lift? ♪ where are we going? no don't tell me. let me guess. ♪ have a nice ride. ♪ how far would you go for coffee that's a cup above? i brought you nespresso. nespresso. what else? . in a rare interview the chairman of the federal communications commission tells bs this morning he will crack down on robocalls. more than 29 billion robocalls bombardrd americans last year. most americans don't like that. that's

woman, and child. a plan to stop those phone calls to your home and cell phone as well. anna, good morning. >> good morning. there was a prevention but people running scams don't necessarily care about that law and they can now place thousands of illegal calls for pennies on dollar. the telecom industry claims it's wor working to block them both by legal hurdles and the difficulty to trace where they're coming from. >> it's not normal. >> peter clark hadn't called anyone but when he checked his phone he found more than a dozen mixed calls with messages like this. >> i think you have the wrong number. >> hawaii, you guys need to quit calling my phone. i don't have a credit card. this is ridiculous.

called spoofing when scammers make it appear as if robocalls to others are coming from your phone, making actual scammers nearly impossible to track. >> it's frustrating. there's nothing you can do to prevent yourself from being a victim to this spoofing. >> why is it taking all of these people, the government and the companies so long to fix this? >> it's exceptionally complicated. >> new fcc chairman says tackling those scams is a top priority. >> it's our number one area of consumer complaints. >> is robocalls. >> row bowl calls. they're up 2.5 billion. >> this is susan from credit car release. >> last year the s.e.c. had a report. in a report last month the group said it'ski

like developing a standard authentication technology to verify exactly where calls come from. that's currently not possible since any call can go through multiple networks. do you have a deadline for >> we certainly want them to work as quickly as possible. some are difficult because it's highly technical areas. >> do you think this problem will get solved without significant pressure from the government? >> so far, no. >> tim marvin is with the consumers union which started a campaign two years ago to get the phone company to stop robocalls. >> they have made small technolodge cool progress but it isn't enough. >> in fact, former chairman said last year they should offer phone blocking services now at no cost.

>> will you insist that they offer free blocking for consumers. >> that's what we're open to doing. >> you say open. >> there are questions of legal thought that we're working out. in some cases we don't necessarily have the authority to mandate something but from a consumer perspective, i think it's a good idea. >> whatever the hurdles, peter clark said companies should be doing more. >> you know rng you see all these line items for fees, fees, fees. i would assume i'm paying the companies to implement fixes. >> the s.e.c. is considering a proposal to block companies they know are unassigned, but, of course, that might encourage more spoofing of numbers that people actually use. right now several call blocking apps are available. you might be able to reduce the

number of phone calls to you right now at kohl's get 25% off nike for mom. >> announcer: this portion of "cbs this morning" sponsored by kohl's. and, everyone gets kohl's cash! earn it on everything! spend it on anything! right now at kohl's. ♪ predictable. the comfort in knowing where things are headed.

and markets continue to rise and fall... predictable is one thing you need in retirement to help protect what you've earned and ensure it lasts. introducing brighthouse financial. a new company established by metlife to specialize in annuities & life insurance. talk to your advisor about a brighter financial future. itthe power of nexium 24hr protection from frequent heartburn. all day, and all night. now packed into a pill so small, we call it mini. new clearminis from nexium 24hr. see heartburn differently. and the wolf huffed like you do sometimes, grandpa? well, when you have copd, it can be hard to breathe. it can be hard to get air out, which can make it hard to get air in. so i talked to my doctor. she said... symbicort could help you breathe better, starting within 5 minutes.

for sudden symptoms. symbicort helps provide significant improvement of your lung function. symbicort is for copd, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. it should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort contains formoterol. medicines like formoterol increase the risk of death from asthma problems. symbicort may increase your risk of lung infections, osteoporosis, and some eye problems. you should tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. symbicort could mean a day with better breathing. watch out, piggies! (child giggles) symbicort. breathe better starting within 5 minutes. get symbicort free for up to one year. visit saveonsymbicort.com today to learn more. find fast relief behind the counter allergies with nasal congestion?

music ] strut past that aisle for the allergy relief that starts working in as little as 30 minutes and contains the best oral decongestant. live claritin clear, with claritin-d. herhas performed over tentch thousand stain evaluations. to prove persil delivers a premium clean. we've made a new stain with wasabi and goji berries. make that ten thousand...and one. persil proclean. the toothpaste that helpstax, prevent bleeding gums. if you spit blood when you brush or floss you may have gum problems and could be on the journey to much worse. help stop the journey of gum disease. try new parodontax toothpaste. it's clinically proven to remove plaque, the main cause of bleeding gums. for healthy gums, and strong teeth. leave bleeding gums behind. new parodontax toothpaste. whattwo servings of veggies? v8 or a powdered drink?

ready, go. ahhhhhhhh! shake! shake! shake! shake! shake! done! you gotta shake it! i shake it! glad i had a v8. the oraligin way to fuel your day. a young woman lost in the montana wilderness was rescued. she was airlifted south of glacier park. >> i have no idea honestly because it was like a huge mistake. it ended up being like seven days in treacherous weather conditions. >> wow. she said she and her dog survived by drinking water in streams. >> i'm glad she's oklahoma and the dog survived too. john ld

thoughts to felons. giving felons a chance. we'll be right back. ymore! only new tena intimates has pro-skin technology designed to quickly wick away moisture. to help maintain your skin's natural balance. it goes beyond triple protection from leaks, odor and moisture. so you can feel fresh and free to get as close as you want. only tena, lets you be you. ♪ nfor hollywood's biggest stars. and at kay jewelers, he designs thm for you, too. you know the saying, "they don't make 'em like they used to?" i still do. kay, the number-one jewelry store for... yes! ♪ every kiss begins with kay ♪

ykeep you sidelined.ng that's why you drink ensure. with 9 grams of protein and 26 vitamins and minerals. for the strength and energy to get back to doing... ...what you love. ensure. always be you. of being there for my son's winning shot. that was it for me. that's why i'm quitting with nicorette. only nicorette mini has a patented fast dissolving formula. it starts to relieve sudden cravings fast. every great why needs a great how. every great why i'm not a customer, but i'm calling about that credit scorecard. give it. sure! it's free for everyone. oh! well that's nice! and checking your score won't hurt your credit. oh! i'm so proud of you. well thank you. free at at discover.com/creditscorecard, even if you're not a customer.

you can get 0% apr financing on the 2017 rav4 and over 10 other select models. offer ends may 31st. for great deals on other toyotas, visit toyota.com. bom, bom de bom ba bom. toyota. let's go places. the uncertainties of hep c. wondering, what if? i let go of all those feelings. because i am cured with harvoni. harvoni is a revolutionary treatment for the most common type of chronic hepatitis c. it's been prescribed to more than a quarter million people. and is proven to cure up to 99% of patients who have had no prior treatment with 12 weeks. certain patients can be cured with just 8 weeks of harvoni.

your doctor will test to see if you've ever had hepatitis b, which may flare up and cause serious liver problems during and after harvoni treatment. tell your doctor if you've ever had hepatitis b, a liver transplant, other liver or kidney problems, hiv or any other medical conditions and about all the medicines you take including herbal supplements. taking amiodarone with harvoni can cause a serious slowing of your heart rate. common side effects of harvoni include tiredness, headache and weakness. ready to let go of hep c? ask your hep c specialist about harvoni.

[001:00:06;00] it's thursday, may 11th, 2017. welcome back to "cbs this ahead, we'll talk with republican senator rand paul about the firing of james comey and what he thinks about the russia investigation, but first here's today's "eye opener" at 8:00. comey's comment that he had nausea was not endearing to president trump. >> they talk about y'comes removal. >> firing stunning the fbi which is right in the midst of this russian investigation, one of the most important in the uncantry.

>> how do you convince the country there is not a constitutional crisis coming upsome. >> any gas taking place on monday is still takes place today. >> it's always interesting to see an interview with president imvladpuir tin. >> reporter: after a little bit f back and forth, the russians wants to send a friendly message to the united states. >> they went to live helicopter coverage of james comey's car. >> they're headed directly to the airport. >> we've just been kind of waiting to see if we could get a glimpse of him. he's a very, very tall man. >> the 405 is very slow. >> the democracy is crumbling all around us, but the real dell le mans is the backup on the 405.

sources tell cbs news, asked the dep tut attorney general for extra resources. the white house denies that. >> they say the firing had nothing to do with the investigation. comey was not doing a good the protecting the american people and not comey. >> che was the only no vote during comey's confirmation. good morning, senator. >> good morning. thanks for having me. >> it's quite unusual to fire an fbi directoring if not unprecedent. should president trump have had a replacement in mind when he did it? i wouldn't know that. i would say bill clinton would be the other president. >> after an ethics investigation. >> is it true jeff sessions was

pretty much involved in the decision tt does that square with you? >> i think we probably never had someone fired where both sides really agreed with the firing more than you would imagine. most every prominent democrat in country have called for comey's ouster. most feel look he insin yalted her guilt and then did not indict her. most republicans felt like with all that he said and the investigation, why didn't he indict her? i don't think you ever had an fbi director where both sides were unhappy with him. >> senator, that's not the question. that's not the question. >> chuck schumer. >> let me finish my question. >> let me finish. both sides really had lost confidence in him and i think that's why he's gone. >> the question is it okay with you o have attorney general jeff sessions be involved in this decision when he had recused himself from the investigation?

>> all right. well, the hierarchy is the fbi department of justice and workswork worksfor the attorney general and you would go through the normal process of looking at a work record before getting rid of them and i think if they summarily dismissed comey earlier on without going through that process, you know, all the left wing media would have been up in arms with that too. but i think it is funny that nobody's exercising the democracy for democrats and have clam orred. moveon.org has got a huge petition to get rid of him. now they can only complain and make up stories and say how it means the end of the republican, but i think it's far from that. >> the question has always been about the timing of it. that's all. >> let me ask you. >> i know, but the explanation is a very reasonable one. the explanation is they kneed to go through a work review and

have someone reo-evaluate his boss's point of view and they were delayed for several months. we had the slowest approval of the cabinet because of partisan differences. sessions was delayed and so was the assistant. when they finally got him replaced, they did the review and i believe there's been discussion of letting comey go because nobody's been happy with him. i've also been unhappen with him because of his concerns about privacy but also concerns abouting the orlando killing. i think the fbi dropped ball. there are many warnings that could have led to the orlando shooting and i think the fbi would never admit they made any mistakes in that and they're unwilling to prove the process. >> senator, i know you're on the committee. i want to get your take. president vladimir putin asked president trump to invite the

former ambassador into the white house office. what's your take? >> i'm not sure what the point is or what your question is. >> what do you think of inviting the russia foreign minister and ambassador into the oval officesome. >> i'm big as far as diplomacy. i think any time we can meet with our adversaries is a good idea. you know, i was at a meeting yesterday with general mcmaster and the national security council and every republican, every democrat wants to increase troops from afghanistan. there's very few voices that don't want war. when trump talks about diplomacy, we should stand up and cheer. >> you think russia can be our friend in afghanistan? >> no. i think throughout the world a realistic approach is russia is our adversary and on many fronts

we will confront them but on others they're notes he hi away. that've been in syria for 50 years. have naval basement they're not going away. whether we include russia, whether we like it or not, that'll the real truth. i'm very hopeful. >> all right. senator paul. always good to have you here. thank you for your time. >> thank you.

ten-time gray winner john legends, ahead, he opens

i'm very hopeful. check your local weather. country star staplington talks about the perks. he talks with anthony mason ahead regarding his first album. his atre wching "cbs t morning." type 2 diabetes, listen up. we're not professional athletes. but that doesn't mean we're giving up. i'm in this for me. for me. along with diet and exercise, farxiga helps lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. lowering a1c by up to 1.2 points. do not take if allergic to farxiga. if you experience symptoms of a serious allergic reaction such as rash, swelling, difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking and seek medical help right away. do not take farxiga if you have severe kidney problems, are on dialysis, or have bladder cancer. tell your doctor right away if you have blood or red color in your urine or pain while you urinate. farxiga can cause serious side effects including dehydration,

genital yeast infections in women and men, fections, low blood sugar, and kidney problems. stop taking farxiga and call your doctor right away if you have signs of ketoacidosis, which is serious and may lead to death. i'm in this for my family. i'm in this for me. ask your doctor about farxiga and learn how you can get it for free. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. when i was 14 years old. so i really navigate the world by touch. when dove asked me to try out this body wash... i was excited that it was foam. it was so light and soft... not sticky. it's light. it's different. it's foam. we aon weight watchers.w us what it's really like to be it's delicious! members have lost 15% more weight in the first two months than on our prior program! and they're still eating the foods they love!

join for free and get one month free. so i use excedrin.ments from my life. it starts to relieve migraine pain in just 30 minutes. and it works on my symptoms, too. now moments lost to migraines are moments gained with excedrin.

[heartbeat] we know that right now the struggle for freedom and justice is where we live in the most incarcerated country in the world. there are more black men under correctional control today than were under slavery in 1850. when people are marching with our song, we want to tell you we are with you, we see you, we love you, and march on. god bless you. >> that is john legend addressing mass incarceration in america during his 2015 oscar acceptance speech. legend shared his new initiative for criminal justice reform. we sat down with the ten-time grammy award winner. that's where "town & country" is based. he opened up why it's personal

to him. >> i think when peohe criminal justice reform, i think a couple of things happen. either they're passinonate and engaged or their eyes glaze and they think, oh, god. >> we are the most incarcerated country in the world. we have 5% of the world's population and we have 25% of the prison population. hamins we lock up prisoners at a higher rate than any other prison many world. >> i do think things are changing, don't you? >> that's true. >> in 2015 r & b john legend launched free america, an issue focused on bringing awareness and change involving issues of mass incarceration. >> every time we lock somebody

up, it's a choice we're making. with ee going to lock them up to marek their communities safer, make them healthier so they were never in trouble in first place. i've personally seen it in my own family. >> what to you mean? >> my mother had an issue with drugs when i was younger and she was in and out of jail during my teenage years. >> i never heard you talk about it. >> i've talked about it in the context of when people have drug problems. we know the opiate crisis is affecting millions of americans. we don't need punishment. we need help. >> he recently launched unlock futures, a program that will invest in business and entrepreneurial ideas for those released from prison. >> we're going to provide money

for entrepreneurs who want to come out of prison and change their lives. we want to given them a chance to innovate, to work, to create jobs for themselves and other people in their community. >> so you're not giving them just a job, but a chance of owning their own business. >> slooul. >> you made the "time" 100 lift. harry bellefonte wrote your intro. what do you think about that? >> i was relate honored. i've never him for years. i was inspired for years, even before that. he's done some amazing things. he's made a lot of great music and entertainment but throughout his career, he was for criminal justice. he's always been an example of an artist who used his platform to make change and i look at that kind of artist as an example for me, of the kind of

artist i want to be. >> legend recently released hiss light." he calls it his best and most personal. he says he's excited to share it with fans on his upcoming tour. he and his wife chrissy teigen are traveling the old-fashioned way. touring a bus. >> i've been on a tour bus since the start of the business. it's a very luxurious tour bus. >> it's sort of like a rolling home. >> yes, exactly. now it has a crip. >> that's for 1-year-old baby luma. legend said being a dad has given politics a greater purpose and he's enjoying every single step of first-time parenting. >> what's your favorite nickname for her?

>> i call her luna a lot. because her name is her name. with call her luna, lulu, looney tuns sometimes. >> do you have makeup song? >> oh, my god. my worst and best song is the same. >> okay. i want to hear a few bars nt somebody's got a stinky booty her name is lulu ♪ ♪ somebody's got a stinky booty and somebody's got to clean it up ♪ >> we talked with christy opened up about postpartum. he's glad she did that. he thinks it can help other people. he's very involved in this criminal justice system. it mean as lot to him.

>> he's an incredible artist and thinks so deeply about >> it's a subject everyone should get involved in. >> it's an important issue. >> including rand paul who we we h had on earlier. >> smartphone apps and games may have hidden dangers. ahead, we'll talk with a district attorney whose video on how to protect kids has been viewed milians of times. plus walter isaacson with the biggest disrupters of it age. how netflix cannibalized itself and why apple may be lagging behind.

you're watching "cbs this morn nearly 3 million teenagers own families. 31% are corrected with friends that e have not met in person and 32% have been contacted online by a complete stranger. a district attorney has posted videos like this one to highlight smartphone dangers like this one. she was also featured in the "48 hours" episode "killer apps." welcome to the table. good morning. >> thank you. >> how did you come to

attention? >> i got a call from a frie. her daughter had taken inappropriate photos. she had a vault app that she had hidden all these photos to share. she told me i have to tell everybody. i made a video anand since then i've started educating parents. >> you say parents are clueless. >> absolutely. i'm in law enforcement and i'm a step behind. when i speak to kids,'ll find out about a new app i didn't know about the day before. >> let's help educate parents. one of them is yellow. >> yellow. it works through snapchat. i call it the tinder for teens. if you've got tinder for dating, now you've got tinder for jeans. continued der only requires you

to be 12 plus. but yellow is 17-plus. kids can go on there and meet people. the problem you've got to give them your location and it matches you up with various people. you don't know the people you're talking to, whether or not they're actually who they say they are. >> and what about lively? >> any type of app that's going to allow you do have video at any time because you don't know what your kid's going to see. do you monitor what your child watches on tv? yes. but are you watching what's on their phone. >> they say they strongly encourage parents to review and adjust privacy settings. does that help? >> no. each app that goes through the apple store gets a rating.

>> wha >> 17-plus. >> safe? >> you need to be 17-plus. but there's nothing that keeps you or makes you proof that you're 17 or older. you have kids -- you're not supposed to be on facebook unless you're 12. >> what's a parent to do? sfwhoo you set the settings in iphone. a lot of parents don't realize you can go in your child's iphone and turn it off. let me show you. you go into your settings and go into your general button, you're going to put restrictions. it's different than the password you give your child. always know your kid's passwords. this is different. i can turn off their cam rachl they no longer have a camera. i can turn off their ability to install apps.

>> you can make decisions. >> i can even say i'm not going

to let you have an app that's not r narrator:to do time is what is right. ralph northam. army doctor during the gulf war. volunteer director of a pediatric hospice. progressive democrat. in the senate, he passed the smoking ban in restaurants, stopped the transvaginal ultrasound anti-choice law, and stood up to the nra. as lieutenant governor, dr. northam is fighting to expand access to affordable healthcare. ralph northam believes in making progress every day.

and he won't let donald trump stop us. welcome back to "cbs this morning." let's take a quick check of the green room. walter isaacson is in there all alone. hi, walter isaacson. >> how are you? >> we're over here, turn over here. how would you describe the great walter isaacson? >> they're writing a biography of leonardo da vinci. >> it's coming out in october. he'll have to come back to the table. >> a true wise man. we'll talk with him. bloomberg report this despite

incidents on airlines, americans pare happy. airfare fell 8.5% and there was an improvement in on time performance. >> "the wall street journal" reports the united states ran a budget surplus of $182 billion in april. part of the reason, a shift in timing on tax collection and refunds during the last fiscal year. but the long-term deficit is projected to rise on weak corporate profits. slow global economic growth and a rice in spending on medicare as the population ages. the stock price of snap fell more than 20% yesterday after the company's disappointing quarterly report. the firm posted a net loss of more than $2 billion loss. the "san francisco chronicle" reports on a legal settlement with former oakland raider cheerleaders. nooerm 100 women are sharing $1.25 million. the class action lawsuit says

the teamai minimum wage over time or expenses. it'd 4red to other i'ms to be paid. walter isaacson has made a career about the best selling innovators about iconic figures like steve jobs, ail brt einstein and benjamin franklin. now he's the host of a new podcast. it's called trail blazers and each episode talks about twhoes revolutionized and changed lives. welcome back. >> thank you. i was following in your foots p footsteps, trying to follow all forms of media. >> why did you decide to do that and what are you offering that others are not? >> i've not paid too much attention to podcasts. i even seen people do it. like you, i try to learn each new form of media. i opened the drawer and had a little blackberry you had to

wind as they came along, they said, we want to do a podcast that tells the stories of disruption and innovation. i thought, that helps. podcasts can save storytelling. >> one of the books you've written is called "the innovators," i think. >> yeah. you think, okay, i've written about it. i should try it first hand. >> "t'd the "innovators" talking about it. that ends when inns were replaced by standardized hotels because we got the automobile. i want to show how the history of disruption occurs and that's sort of best done through story-telling. >> can i say this, walter.

your great storytelling on ipad. i like what you said. 2000. a man and woman do something gross. >> it goes viral because they put the video up. >> then patrick doyle comes in and says we have a problem here and he does something that nobody has ever done before. he admitted we made mistakes and totally changed the company around. >> it's very important in this digital age when things go viral, here's a mistake and here's how we're going to fix it. what he also does, he's not just a put cheese on top of a bread company, he's technology. you can tweet in a pizza. i remember in 1994 -- this how old i am -- i remember first thing you could order online. the first thing you could order was pizza. before amazon. >> but patrick even says we're a tech company that happens to do pizza, which i never thought of

it that way shoo i think every industry has to start about it. we're a tech company that happens to run an airline. what you're doing is customer relations and this is how the disruption happens and all these industries that we talk about. people who did it and dell technologies, they kind of produced it very well. e don't e take any credit for that. they're like let's bring podcasts to the next level. sorry, norah. >> hi. netflix, one of the true disrupters of our time. i have forgotten we used to get the disks in the mail and they were able to change so quickly. >> they disrupted themselves. >> gayle makes a good point. i remember when steve jobs did with the ipod to the iphone. what reed hastings was able too do is based on -- he would come to your house.

he said streaming is com let's cannibalize our own business to make sure no one else does. >> we don't have much time left. you're from new orleans and you went on for a scholarship. there's a great controversy. >> i saw michelle miller's piece. i think mayor landrieu has done a good job. some of these monuments were put up in the 1880s and 1890s. he was taken down last night. they were put up to send a signal after reconstruction. i think new orleans has always had a main diversity and michelle miller being someone from new orleans, being married to a former mayor, e it gave us certain things. i think it's included that we're moving them and that maw yore is

doing it >> good to have you here. >> good to be hire. >> are you coming back in october many. >> if you bring me back to talk about leonardo do vinci, i can tell you what he did. >> he did so many things. >> the connection to the science and art was key to it 500 years ago and today. >> we'll see you in october. >> we'll see you in october, sooner, i hope. "trailblazer" is on sale now. country grammy winner chris stapleton said he's still adjusting to becoming a star. >> i'm still adjusting. i remember having someone tune guitars for me. that was a moment. that was a moment. >> it's the little things that it's the little things. >> it's a new found luxury you're living with.

>> for sure. >> nice when your

true. ahead, he tells how his wife has chevythree years in a row. car company really... let's see how quickly you can read through all their awards. 2017 motor trend car of the year. kelly blue book 2016 best resale value... u.s. news best cars for the money 10 best blah blah blah only about 90 more to go! 2017 iihs...top safety. 2017 north american car of the year! that's a lot of awards! get 20% below msrp on all malibu lt models. that's $5,200 on this chevy malibu.

find new roads at your local chevy dealer. are you actually about to scratch it rich at mgm national harbor? of course you are. because everyone who plays is an instant winner. so before you win your share of 1.5 million dollars in prizes and free slot play. take these last few seconds to remember what life was like as a normal, everyday person.

because in an instant, that all could change. it rich for your share of 1.5 million dollars in prizes and freeplay®. this is monumental.

♪ if you love country music, you know that voice. that's country music star chris stapleton performing in georgia last weekend. he's on tour to promote his second album. go, chris. stapleton's "traveler" has sold 2 mullion companies. he invited anthony mason into the national studio where he's been pouring himself into his music. good morning. >> good morning. only three have sold more, adele, drake, and beyonce. ha tells you kind of company he found himself in after his solo debut with a surprise smash and why the expectations were so high for his follow-up album. ♪

>> reporter: to make his new record, chris stapleton returned to rca studio a in nashville where elvis and dolly parton recorded. >> why did you come back here? >> i always loved it here. i love places that have history in the sense that you feel responsible to it. >> yes. >> does that make sense? >> yeah. you've got to live up to something. >> or at least try to. ♪ >> reporter: stapleton also has to live up to his own success. it was here in studio a that he recorded "traveler," the record that literally changed his life. >> how would you strieb what happ happened to that record? >> lightning in a bottle stuff, man. ♪ >> reporter: the best selling

country album of 2016, "traveler" earned two grammys and a bucket load of academy music awards, now some on display at a new distribute at nashville's country music hall of fame. >> it's just really weird, man. >> this? >> yes. >> stapleton was seeing the skpiblt for the first time. >> things like this maer a whole lot. >> they do. >> it was validating in a lot of ways. >> to be with people you respect. >> to be with people i respect. >> the son of a kentucky coal miner, stapleton moved to nashville in 2001. >> what were you hoping for? >> well, the instant i found out that somebody would pay you to sit in a room and write songs and play guitar all day, i thought, man, that's the job for me. i'm going to figure out how to do that. >> reporter: and he did.

more than 50 of his songs have been recorded by other including adele. ♪ >> reporter: george strait, and tim mcgraw. for years stapleton would write day and night. >> because i just loved it so much and i love it that much still. i just don't do it as much. >> what did you love about itsome. >> plucking something out of the air, waiting on something to be there that wasn't. >> reporter: it wasn't until the release of "traveler" in 2015 that stapleton went out on his own, but not exactly solo. his wife morgan sings harmony with him. what has morgan been for you

during all of this? >> she's my partner in l business and on stage in every possible way, shape, and form. she believes in me more than i to a lot of times. >> they met working at adjacent publishing houses in nashville. he asked her over to co-write one friday night. >> we didn't write anything that evening. we wrote since. >> you wrote a whole new story. >> we wrote a whole new story. >> reporter: the success of traveler has lifted the 39-year-old stapleton onto a much bigger stage. >> we're still adjusting as far as touring goes. like i remember the first time i had somebody tuning guitars for me. that was a moment. it was like, oh, man, this is the greatest thing on earth. it's one of the best feelings ever. >> it's the little things.

>> it's the little things. >> a new f living with. >> for sure. >> yeah. >> reporter: the singer who started out playing in bars is selling out amphitheaters and arenas but is still trying to make them intimate. >> how do you do that? >> i stand there and play and set up like we basically set up in a club and we don't change that. >> and you pull the audience into you. >> hopefully. but i don't know if i'm doing the other stuff. i don't know of entertaining any other way. does that make sense. >> have you thought about a light show? lasers, anything like that? >> lasers are cool if you're into that. there's a time and place for that. >> i don't see you as a laser guy. >> we don't have any lasers, but i'm not saying never. >> stapleton says his recording sessions were so fruitful they

had enough songs for two records so from a room, volume 2 will come out later this year. >> i love this guy. >> so do i. i love his music and his story. >> i love that he loves his wife and sees has her as a true part >> eightnd brings a lot of success. >> they remind me of old country. it's not like the pop country of today. >> people like waylon jennings. >> it's unanimous from the table, with love chris stapleton. >> yes, thank you, chris. >> we do. >> you can see more on cbsnews.com and check out a special "cbs this morning" podcast. you'll see songs he's given to other artists. a gelden retriever has given

a lot of attention because of where he hangs out. how he landed on the roof and how it is given way to lot of new visitors. tomorrow, two snapchat partners are making another attempt to climb the summit. only one of them made it the first time.

we'll report on well it's a perfect nespresso hold on a second.orge. mmm. ♪ [mel torme sings "comin' home baby"] hey there. want a lift? ♪ where are we going? no don't tell me. let me guess. ♪ have a nice ride. ♪ how far would you go for coffee that's a cup above? i brought you nespresso.

nespresso. what else? stronand restoringding a a father's faith.. it's standing tall after one surgery... not six. stronger is being a typical kid... despite a rare disorder. stronger is finding it earlier... and coming home sooner. stronger is seeking answers... and not giving up, until you find them. because we don't just want your kids to grow up.

we want them to grow up stronger. to his adventurous name. huckleberry found his way on his family's roof where he likes to sit and bark at joggers running by. the roof is only a few feet from the ground. his owners say he got so much attention only five people would knock on the door to say they're worried about him. they say, he's okay. he's not allowed on the roof when they're out. >> that must be very low to the ground.

how great chevythree years in a row. car company really... let's see how quickly you can read through all their awards. 2017 motor trend car of the year. kelly blue book 2016 best resale value... u.s. news best cars for the money 10 best blah blah blah only about 90 more to go! 2017 iihs...top safety. 2017 north american car of the year! that's a lot of awards! get 20% below msrp on all malibu lt models. that's $5,200 on this chevy malibu.

find new roads at your local chevy dealer. c1

this is great day washington. it is a beautiful thursday. we are the host of great day washington this thursday. >> how about that. >> it is thursday. >> good to have you back. >> i love thursday. you know why? >> it is one day before friday. >> yes. >> the rumors are all over social media. we did a little digging and we found out that the rock johnson told gq magazine, it is a real possibility. johnson went on to say he has been thinking about it for awhile now and wanted to give his fans a truth full and respectful answer. the star in the new baywatch movie is due out may 24th. he would be the first presidential candidate to have

participated in a wwe smac fame as president, but president trump, he did partake in a wrestle mania back in the day, so there you go. jesse ventura was the governor. >> there we go. >> those wrestling fans are loyal. >> look at that. look at that wrestle right there. he is not as in shape as the rest of them i don't think. >> he could be serious. >> i would vote for him. sexiest man alive. you have to vote for that, right? >> what am i chopped liver? >> it is not about you. >> it is about me. [ laughter ] >> sexiest man alive? >> there is a large percentage of men and women who don't know how to change a tire, let alone change the oil in their car. this young lady is not one of them. i cannot find out how old she is but she is about a ten on