i'm nancy cordes. norah o'donnell is on assignment. tonight, the labor day travel rush is in full swing as americans take to the road and the skies for one final getaway of the summer. a.a.a. expects it to be the busiest labor day travel weekend in three years, bouncing back to pre-pandemic levels. the national average for a gallon of gas is now $3.81. that's down $1.21 cents from the peak in june. airports are also crowded with passengers after a frustrating summer. since memorial day, nearly 48,000 u.s. flights have been canceled, and nearly 500,000 were delayed. we have a lot of news to get to tonight, and cbs' kris van cleave is going to start us off from reagan national airport just outside washington, d.c. good evening, kris. what are you seeing so far? >> reporter: nancy, airports are busy. the t.s.a. has already screened more people in the last two days than they did during the same time in 2019. the airlines say they knew the crowds were coming and are ready, but everyone is watching the weather. storms have been at the heart

nancy cordes with that exclusive, thank you. we want to turn now to one of the most dramatic days in ukraine since the russian invasion started. days after his troops took back more than 3,000 square miles in the northeast-- you can see it right here in blue-- president zelenskyy made a rare trip outside the capital to that newly liberated region. and cbs' intrepid war correspondent debora patta was there to meet him. >> reporter: a show of strength from president zelenskyy as he visited recaptured towns in the northeast and delivered a strong message to vladimir putin, ukraine intends to keep russian troops on the run. how does it feel to be coming to izyum for the first time since it's been liberated? >> reporter: russians held this town for over six months, and just a few days ago, this would have been unthinkable. even now, the visit was bold, little more than six miles from the nearest front line, occasional shelling can be heard in the distance. ukrainian soldier nazar was part of the lightning counteroffensive, running up

nancy cordes, thank you. tonight, florida governor ron desantis is under fire for using taxpayer dollars to organize flights of asylum seekers to martha's vineyard. the backlash comes as the democratic governor of california gavin newsom is asking the justice department to pursue kidnapping charges against republican governors who are sending migrants to democratic-run cities. cbs's elaine quijano is in martha's vineyard. >> reporter: the 48 asylum seekers mainly from venezuela landed in martha's vineyard wednesday afternoon aboard two planes from texas and organized by florida's republican governor ron desantis. luis fonseca says he left venezuela to look for a better life for his three children who are still there. he didn't know he would end up here. "they told me there was a work opportunity," he says. "we were going to a city, but we ended up staying here." democratic massachusetts state representative dilan fernandes called the move by desantis disgusting. >> ron desantis is a coward. only a coward uses

nancy cordes will start us off from the white house. good evening, nancy. >> reporter: good evening, norah. today's report dashed hopes that inflation had officially peaked and was on its way down. instead, the prices of nearly all goods actually crept up and wages can't keep pace. government figures confirmed what most consumers already sense -- inflation isn't easing. groceries up 13.5% since last year, electricity up 15.8%. car repairs up 9.1%. rent up 6.7%. the bottom line, according to moody's, the average household is spending $460 more a month to buy the same goods and services as last year. >> just a catastrophically high inflation rate. >> reporter: that rate sent stocks tumbling today. the s&p sank by more than 4%, as the markets braced for more interest rate hikes from the federal reserve in a bid to cool the economy. >> the reason is clear, the fed is much more concerned about prices right now than it is about the labor market. >> reporter: typically, lower gas prices bring down the cost of other goods, but, so far, that has

cbs's nancy cordes is at the white house. >> we're making progress. getting other prices down as well. but we have more to do. >> o'donnell: ukraine's counteroffensive. russian forces on the run, as president zelenskyy says ukrainian troops have liberated thousands of square miles of territory. cbs's debora patta reports tonight from kharkiv. california mudslides. a tidal wave of mud, as thousands are evacuated or ordered to shelter in place. cbs's mark strassmann is at the scene. >> this wall, plus sandbags underneath it, is what saved my house. this is the "cbs evening news" with norah o'donnell, reporting from the nation's capital. >> o'donnell: good evening to our viewers in the west, and thank you for joining us on this busy tuesday night. as we come on the air, the coffin of queen elizabeth is now at buckingham palace. it was an emotional return home, as thousands lined the streets of london to catch a glimpse of the only monarch many of them have ever known. the late queen arrived at the palace for the final time, her official residence during

nancy cordes with that exclusive, thank you.>> classes resumed today on the campus of northeastern university in boston after a frightening bomb scare sent students and law enforcement scrambling. well, tonight cbs news has learned that officials are now looking into the incident as a possible hoax. cbs' jeff pegues has the new details. >> reporter: on northeastern's campus today, students were still rattled by the scare last night. police responded to a report of an explosion at holmes hall about 7:00 p.m. this alert went out to students, warning them to avoid the area. a 45-year-old university employee suffered minor hand injuries when he opened a hard plastic carrying case. >> a search revealed a second similar package that was ultimately rendered safe by our bomb squad. >> reporter: police did not find any explosive material in either case, but they did find a rambling note in the first case railing against virtual reality and mentioning facebook founder mark zuckerberg. local police are being assisted by the fbi. the panic

and cbs's nancy cordes will start us off from the white house. vening, nancy. >> reporter: good evening, norah. today's report dashed hopes that inflation had officially peaked and was on its way down. instead, the prices of nearly all goods actually crept up, and wages can't keep pace. government figures confirmed what most consumers already sensed. inflation isn't easing. groceries up 13.5% since last year. electricity up 15.8%. car repairs up 9.1%. rent up 6.7%. the bottom line according to moody's, the average household is spending $460 more a month to buy the same goods and services as last year. >> just a catastrophically high inflation rate. >> reporter: that rate sent stocks tumbling today. the s&p sank by more than 4% as the markets braced for more interest rate hikes from the federal reserve in a bid to cool the economy. >> the reason is clear. the fed is much more concerned about prices right now than it is about the labor market. >> reporter: typically, lower gas prices bring down the cost of other goods. but so far, that hasn't happen

nancy cordes, cbs news, the white house. >>> secretary of labor marty walsh is set to meet with both sides today to try and avert nationwide railway strike. as much as 40% of all u.s. freight shipments could stop by rkal the issues include sick a attendance policies the unions say penalize worker. a strike could cost the u.s. economy an estimated $2 million -- $2 billion a day. >> there's no question that it would be extremely devastating. this is sort of one of those things that is a main artery for the entire u.s. economy, and if you cut off that artery, you get a stroke and you can't afford that. >> some passenger trains including some local commuter service would be also affected. amtrak has already canceled several of its long-distance trips ahead of a possible strike. >>> a horse-drawn carriage will carry the coffin of queen elizabeth ii to westminster hall today where she will lie in state for four days. thousands of people lined the street last night as the queen's body was transported back to buckingham palace. her son, king charles iii, and other members of the royal family

here's cbs' nancy cordes. >> too much of what's happening in our country today is not normal. >> reporterking from the birthplace of american >> reporter: speaking from the birth place of american democracy, president biden argued, democracy is under assault by the far right. >> donald trump and the maga republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic. >> reporter: white house officials cite recent armed attacks on federal law enforcement, egged on, they say, by violent rhetoric from some maga officeholders. >> reporter: democracy, typically an abstract issue, has rocketed to the top of voters' concerns, too. seven in ten of them describe voting and election issues as very important this fall. >> maga republicans do not respect the constitution. they do not believe in the rule of law. they do not recognize the will of the people. they refuse to accept the results of a free election. >> absolutely. i think the state of our democracy is in peril. >> reporter: lisa deeley chairs the philadelphia elections commission. she got death threats in 2020 after

norah. >> o'donnell: nancy cordes, thank you. we want to turn now to that tremendous show of love and admiration for queen elizabeth as britain prepares for monday's emotional farewell. the line to view the queen lying in state got so long today, it was temporarily shut down. we get more now from cbs' charlie d'agata in london. >> reporter: the river of people lining up to pay their respects has become a flood, determined mourners braving cold have been warned it could take up to 24 hours. former soccer star david beckham, somber and in a suit, who could have skipped the line, chose to wait from 2:00 a.m., 13 hours in total, for just a few brief moments with her majesty. tonight, ching charles and his three sib lings stood vigil, a symbolic last line of protection for the queen. while the massive security operation outside is under way. 20,000 police deployed, including armed anti-terror squads. not just for the funeral at westminster abbey monday morning, but the reception the night before, for hundreds of dignitaries and heads

norah. >> o'donnell: nancy cordes for us, thank you so much. turning overseas, a team of inspectors reached that embattled nuclear power plant in ukraine today, trying to prevent a nuclear disaster. the convoy was temporarily delayed by shelling in the area with russian and ukraine accusing each other of trying to sackitage the inspection. it's unclear how many nuclear experts will stay at the damaged plant or for how long. one school district is looking to soft teacher shortage by fixing the housing crisis. that story in 60 seconds. dupixent helps keep you one step ahead of eczema, with clearer skin and less itch. serious allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems such as eye pain or vision changes, including blurred vision, joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines without talking to your doctor. ask your doctor about dupixent. what do we want delivered every month? clumping litter? salmon pate? love that for me. just choose the frequency an

cbs's nancy cordes is at the white house. >> we're making progress. getting other prices down as well.

nancy cordes cbs' exclusive with the treasury secretar

cbs's nancy cordes on the marathon 20-hour negotiations. migrants sent to martha's vineyard. florida's republican governor accused of playing politics after flying nearly 50 asylum seekers to the liberal enclave. >> ron desantis is a coward. only a coward uses women and children for their own political gain. >> o'donnell: plus the governor of texas buses 100 migrants to the vice president's d.c. res

nancy cordes' cbs exclusive with the treasury secretary. >> reporter: what impact would a

cbs's nancy cordes is at the white house. >> we're making progress.

treasury secretary janet yellen tells our nancy cordes that the tax agency will be able to handle 85% bump up from this year when about 10% of calls were answered by the irs. >>> another breakup for kanye. this time it's with his partnership with gap. west's attorney says the retailer has not met certain contractural obligations including failing to sell certain clothes in gap stores last year. it was supposed to be a ten-year deal that began in 2020. gap said in part that their visions were not aligned. the rapper will focus on opening his own yeezy clothing stores. >>> speaking of clothe, this was pricey. the jersey that basketball great michael jordan wore on game one of the 1998 nba finals sells for a record $10.1 million at auction. sotheby's thought it would only get half that. the jersey from the famed last dance season attracted a total of 20 bids. >>> that is your cbs "money watch" report for this friday morning. i'm matt pieper, cbs news, new york. >>> the world's first flying bike has come to the u.s. a japanese startup company showed off the hover bike at the big auto show

cbs's nancy cordes on the marathon 20-hour negotiations. migrants sent to martha's vineyard.or accused of playing politics after flying nearly 50 asylum seekers to the liberal enclave. >> ron desantis is a coward. only a coward uses women and children for their own political gain. >> o'donnell: plus the governor of texas buses 100 migrants to the vice president's d.c. residence. di

nancy cordes has that story. >> reporter: the obamas and dozens of former aides returned to the eastera. >> barack and michelle, welcome home. >> reporter: the unveiling of their official portraits that will hang in the white house for posterity. >> i want to thank sharon sprung for capturing everything i love about michelle. her grace, her intelligence, and the fact that she's fine. >> reporter: former president obama's portrait was done by robert mccurdy, who is known for his ultra realistic paintings that could almost be confused for photos. >> you'll note that he refused to hide any of my gray hairs, refused my request to make my ears smaller. >> reporter: typically, a president's portrait is unveiled during his successor's term, but president trump skipped that tradition and then came covid. >> our democracy is so much stronger than our differences. >> reporter: michelle obama's portrait has been hidden away in the artist sharon sprung's brooklyn studio for six years. >> a portrait of a biracial kid with an unusual name and the daughter of a water pump operator and a stay-at-hom

baker, co-author of a new book, hugo lowell, vivian salama, and in studio, just the two of us, nancy cordes, the chief white house correspondent for pbs news -- cbs news. hugo, it's your first time on "washington week." i'm going to start with you, also because of your expertise. when you look at the legal problems former president trump is facing just this week, what are possibly the most serious now and in the long term? hugo: the two potential charges -- the charges that came up this week are significant with the new york state ag civil suit, but also the doj's into his -- investigation into his mishandling of classified documents which were stashed around mar-a-lago. they are equally potent. if you look at the state ag suit, that would end the trump organization in its current form. it would permanently barred from and his adult children from -- bar trump and his adult children from holding office in new york. there is a referral to the southern district of new york for potential federal charges. the fact that the doj has regained access to those 100 documents marked classified in the m

nina totenberg is in conversation with correspondent nancy cordes. >> when the lively hour of arguments except clarence thomas had asked many questions. >> nina totenberg's life long search for facts began with fiction, and her admiration for an intrepid teenage amateur detective. >> i wanted to be like nancy drew. and that meant i wanted to be something of a sleuth. >> nina has been on the case ever since. first, as a print reporter. and now for nearly 50 years as legal affairs correspondent for national public radio, where she's known for her scoops. >> publicly some republican senators are standing by the nominee. >> it was her reporting that caused the 1987 supreme court nomination of douglas ginsburg to go up in smoke. >> what i found was that he was a regular smoker of marijuana. >> he was sunk. >> he was sunk. >> in her new memoir, published by simon & shuster, part of cbs parent company paramount global, nina totenberg writes growing up in the 1950s, this kind of sleuthing was would be someone' administrative assistant, like she had been. and that was the best i would be able t

>> what nancy had been bound with an extension cord.tiple plastic bags over her head that had been bound and secured tightly. and then another large one of the tear-resistant darker colored bags in her body as well. >> with it all over her body. they clearly saw that the killer had gone through a lot of trouble to hide what he or she had done. but there was no hiding now. >> when the crime scene personnel started taking a look they flip the mattress and found blood on the bottom part of the mattress. >> so it was clear, nancy was killed on the bed drag to the closet, stash their, wrapped up by money. and whoever did it took the extra trouble to flip the mattress in an effort to hide the silk in blood. and ryan was a desperate district attorney who started working on the case the night the body was found. >> we know that she had to die from blunt force trauma to the head. several blows to the head. >> any defensive wounds? >> no. so >> it appeared to come out of the blue for her? >> it did appear to be yes, a premeditated crime that occu