This is the cbs evening news with Norah Odonnell reporting from the nations capital. Odonnell good evening and thank you so much for joining us. Were going to begin tonight with breaking news. President trump says he is commuting the prison sentence of Rod Blagojevich, freeing the former illinois governor and apprentice contestant from federal prison. Blagojevich was convicted in 2011 for trying to sell Barack Obamas senate seat to the highest bidder. And the president isnt stopping there. Hes also pardoning bernard kerik, whose spectacular fall from new York City Police commissioner and cabinet nominee ended in prison time for tax fraud and other crimes. All in all, the president issued four commutations and seven pardons, including one for 1980s junk bond king michael milken. Weijia jiang reports tonight from the white house. Rod, youre fired. Reporter former illinois governor Rod Blagojevich lost Celebrity Apprentice but won his freedom back today when President Trump commuted his 14 year prison sentence. It was a tremendously powerful, ridiculous sentence in my opinion. Reporter the president noted he had seen blagojevichs wife argue for his release on fox news. He was found guilty of trying sell an appointment to Barack Obamas senate seat after he became president. Blagojevich bragged about it in a notorious wiretapped conversation. Ive got this thing, and its bleep golden. Reporter the president also pardoned bernie kerik, the former commissioner of the n. Y. P. D. And a frequent mara lago guest who served prison time for tax fraud. Also insider trader michael milken, known as the junk bond king of the 1980s. At the white house, n. F. L. Legends celebrated Edward Debartolo for making the list, a former owner of the San Francisco 49ers. I take my hat off to donald trump for what he did. Reporter not on the pardon list today, roger stone, who will be sentenced thursday, and former National Security adviser mike flynn, who has asked to withdraw his guilty plea. I think roger stone has been treated unfairly. I think general flynn has been treated very unfairly. Reporter mr. Trump continued to tweet about the stone case today against the wishes of his attorney general bill barr. Odonnell and weijia joins us now from the white house. So weijia, does what happened today foreshadow the possibility of pardons for stone, flynn, or former Campaign ManagerPaul Manafort . Reporter well, President Trump said today that he had not given any thought to pardoning those friendsturned felons, but clearly stones case is on his mind given he tweeted that the judge should grant stone a new iaial. We also know the president is feeling emboldened post impeachment, and he often rewards those who have been loyal to him, which includes all the men you just named. Gorah . Odonnell all right, weijia, w ank you. A new candidate is set to make his debut on the president ial debate stge. Former new york city mayor Mike Bloombergs latest showing in a National Poll has him in second him in second place behind bernie sanders. That puts him over the top, qualifying him to meet rivals headon at tomorrows democratic debate in nevada. Nikole killion has more on bloombergs surge. Reporter hes not competing n nevada, but bloomberg will be on the debate state here against five rivals who have been debating for months. Bloomberg hasnt debated since a ran for a third term as new york citys mayor in 2009. We have brought people together. Reporter hes been away from the campaign trail preparing for ae attacks hell likely face from the other candidates. To thank you. Thank you. Reporter Elizabeth Warren lost her voice, but made sure it was heard on twitter, posting, the debate will give voters eager to defeat President Trump a live demonstration of how we each take on an egomaniac billionaire. He could have just been the middle class kid who made good. Reporter bloomberg has spent 415 million of his own money on ads, and its paying off. In the super tuesday state of virginia, has now tied for the aad with bernie sanders. Anybody here worth 60 billion, you can run for president , and you can buy the esrwaves. My friends, that is called oligarchy, not democracy. Reporter sanders the one the beat here in nevada has been engaged in a tit for at the battle with bloomberg. In nevada today bloombergs campaign warned, the Opposition Research against the democratic socialist is damaging, perhaps g,en disqualifying. Tonight the Bloomberg Campaign isnt saying what information it has that could be disqualifying and the Sanders Campaign isnt commenting, although aides have privately expressed concern that bloomberg could be their most formidable opponent. . Orah . Odonnell all right, nikole, thank you. Thnight the quarantine is over for some of the americans evacuated from china because of the coronavirus. Theyre finally heading home. And we have this update. Tses worldwide now top 75,000. More than 2,000 people have died. Carter evans has more on todays developments. Reporter today hundreds of american evacuees from china boarded buses on military bases in both northern and Southern California after an exhausting two weeks in federal quarantine. Reporter but hundreds more reporter but hundreds more remain in quarantine around the country, like Jerri Serrati Goldman and her husband carl, who were on the diamond princess docked in japan. He woke up, burning up. Reporter carl was taken to the hospital in omaha after developing a fever during evacuation. He now has the virus. The care where we are is supposed to be top in the country, so im not in fear at all that hes not going to have a full recovery from this. Reporter and now the scramble is on the track passengers from the cruise ship westerdam. When it docked last week in cambodia, everyone was given the all clear and a gracious welcome by the countrys prime minister, but over the weekend an American Woman who had been a passenger tested positive for the virus. Beyond the human toll is a growing concern about a hit to the global marketplace. 47,000 u. S. Companies depend on supplies from the affected regions of china. Aside from manufacturing, tourism in the u. S. Will also take a hit. We get approximately three million chinese visitors every year. Theyre not coming. And they spend a lot, almost 7,000 per chinese person per trip. Reporter after the u. S. , china is the worlds second largest economy and some analysts believe the coronavirus has already caused the countrys Gross Domestic Product to fall by 1 . Here at Travis Air Force base, the next round of evacuees is set to be released on thursday. Norah. Odonnell all right, carter. Thank you. Tonight flood watches and warnings are posted across the south and central u. S. As millions are under states of emergency in mississippi and alabama. More than 1,000 homes and isinesses are flooded in the jackson, mississippi, area. Omar villafranca is there and reports floodwater is slowly receding, but frustration is rising. Reporter in the hardesthit neighborhoods, police wont allow residents back into their homes because the water is still too high. Janet harris and her three children evacuated on friday. What were you able to grab . Nothing. Reporter nothing . Just a little few items for my kids, because the room was limited. Reporter flood levels are down around jackson, mississippi, but the storms have not proved out. Since january, jackson has been hit by 19. 9 inches of rain. N. Ats a foot more than the average. It is the next to last house on the right. Reporter sarah kimmel can see her home of 28 years just down the street surrounded by water, and she cant get close enough to check it out. Do you know for a fact that water went inside your place . I just know that its in the garage for sure. Reporter okay. And hopefully its not over this new flooring thats stored there. Reporter there is rain in the forecast today, wednesday and thursday, which could cause some flash flooding. As for the water in this neighborhood, theyre not expecting it to go down significantly until at least friday. Norah. Odonnell just incredible to look at that, omar. Thank you. Nascar driver ryan newman is awake and able to speak tonight following that terrifying crash at the daytona 500 monday. Newmans life was likely saved by Safety Innovations put in place after dale earnhardt, sr. , was killed during the last lap at daytona 19 years ago today. Reres manuel bojorquez. Ryan newman off turn four for the final time. Reporter the heartstopping crash happened seconds away from the finish line. Crash into the wall, into the air reporter ryan newmans mustang flipped over several times before taking a direct hit, before landing on its roof and bursting into flames. The a. M. R. Safety team is there quickly to attend to ryan newman. Reporter it took two hours for shocked fans to find out newman, who won daytona in 2008, suffered only nonlife threatening injuries. They want to be safe. Reporter ken willis is a sports columnist for the Daytona Beach news journal. It has been a long time since weve seen a race car driver in nascar hauled away from an accident. Reporter it was 19 years ago today that dale earnhardt, sr. , died during a finallap crash at daytona. And changes to the sport followed soon after. The racetrack walls are now designed to help absorb impact. The drivers onepiece seat belts minimize head and neck injury risk, and the cars roll cage is built to maintain its integrity and protect the drivers head, though in newmans case, the roll cage appears to have caved. Willis believes speed restrictions keep racers too clustered. Odds are youre going to have more wrecks like, this and the more wrecks you have like this, t. Oner or later somebody is reporter bound to get hurt. Reporter newman has survived multiple crashes in the past, including a previous one here at daytona, and hes been an advocate for stronger safety measures. In the lead and close to winning in the lead and close to winning his second daytona title. Norah. Odonnell wow. So fortunate to be alive. Manny, thank you. Today the boy scouts of america, one of the biggest youth organizations in the country, filed for bankruptcy protection. The scouts face an onslaught of lawsuits from men who claim they were sexually abused, sometimes going back decades, by scout masters and err leaders. Errol barnett on the secret files that alleged victims want public. Reporter declaring bankruptcy allows the boy scouts to continue operations while raising a Compensation Fund that could top 1 billion to pay the victims of sexual abuse. I just couldnt deal with it. I started drinking. Reporter ralph morse is one of them. He says he was mowed by a respected scout leader when he was 11. I mean, hes pushing on my backside and hes reaching around in the front and groping me. Reporter in an apologetic letter, the b. S. A. Says it encourages victims to come m,rward and file claim, but under the structure of this bankruptcy, there is a deadline and a limit to payments. B. S. A. Says its 261 local liuncils are not filing for chapter 11, which one estimate suggests make up 70 of its assets. I think what ralph and other abuse survivors want now is accountability. Reporter michael pfau represents morse and approximately 300 other victims. He says the scope of the abuse in the revered organizations history is immense. We know there are thousands of perpetrators in scouts, and thats because the scouts kept files, and they kept these files quiet. Reporter errol barnett, cbs news, new york. Odonnell today a new york jury began deliberating Harvey Weinsteins fate. The movie mogul is charged with rape and sexual assault. If convicted he could face the rest of his life in prison. Weinsteins lawyers insist all of his encounters were consensual. Omliberations resume tomorrow. Tonight a top u. N. Official is calling the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in syria onruel beyond belief. Since december, 900,000 civilians have been forced to flee syrian and russian bombs in the northwest and most of them are women and children. Holly williams on what they have been forced to endure. Reporter this is the war that never ends. Nine years of terror, and in idlib they still live mpotently as theirently, as own government their own government bombs them out of their homes. There are more than three Million People crammed into syrias last major rebel stronghold. The regimes latest offensive, backed by its ally russia, has forced hundreds of thousands of them to flee for their lives and left people homeless in the middle of a bitter winter. I am begging for a place to dselter my kids, says this man. The bomb didnt kill them, and i dont want them to die of the cold. The children of idlib have grown up in a time of bloodshed. They dont know what it means to feel safe. This video apparently shows a father trying to protect his threeyearold daughter from the reality of war. She thinks the bombs and mortars are part of a game. If only that were true. If only the last nine years were a nightmare and syria could wake up. Holly williams, cbs news, istanbul. Odonnell its hard to look away from those pictures. There is still much more news ahead on tonights cbs evening news. Disturbing new details in the case of a woman accused of trying to steal a newborn baby, including how a cupcake tainted with drugs played a role in the plot. Amazons ring Security System takes new steps to block hackers from accessing private video from your home. And why dressup day has taken on a special meaning at one preschool. Its classmates helping a friend. Lotezla is not a cream. Its a pill that treats plaque psoriasis differently. With otezla, 75 clearer skin is achievable. Dont use if youre allergic to otezla. It may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. Otezla is associated. With an increased 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. 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The suspect is now charged with attempted kidnapping and assault. Jamie yuccas reports. Reporter tonight for the first time, Juliette Parker appeared in court, smiling and taking pictures as prosecutors revealed dramatic new details. Court documents say parker contacted a former boyfriend over thanksgiving, asking if he could get her g. H. B. , the date rape drug. She suggested they get a baby from a homeless person and raise it as their own, and she would marry him on the spot if he could get her a baby girl in the next five weeks. Then came the cupcake plot. The victim says she was drugged after eating a cupcake offered by the suspect, then called 911. Late today chilling words from the victim. I dont like being at home. Im not sleeping. Im not eating. Im terrified shes going to get back out. Like, this is my kids. This is my house. She violated that. She violated my safety. She tried to kidnap my daughter. Reporter in court parker maintained her innocence. Jamie yuccas, cbs news, los angeles. Odonnell amazons home Security System ring is tightening its privacy and security settings following a wave of camera hacks. Ring says customers will have to use a second layer of verification known as twofactor authentication when logging into the system. Customers will receive a one time code through email or text do access cameras and unlock doors. Ll right. Coming up, y coming up next, you dont want to miss this story. The kids who put on their best costumes to support a reallife superhero, their classmate. My body is truly powerful. I have the power to lower my blood sugar and a1c. Because i can still make my own insulin. And trulicity activates my body to release it like its supposed to. Trulicity is for people with type 2 diabetes. Its not insulin. I take it once a week. It starts acting in my body from the first dose. Trulicity isnt for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. 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Reporter to show their support, rileys prek classmates in new jersey have special dress up day, wearing superhero costume, wild hair, and pajamas. Theyre also helping to raise money for the leukemia and ocmphoma society. Riley say hi. Reporter recently riley surprised her classmates, and the impact she had on them was something to behold. Youre our hero. It was. We have missed her so much. Reporter riley is now in remission but still receiving biweekly chemo treatments. What did you think when you walked in and saw all of them . Crazy. Reporter it was crazy. Led by their very own brave warrior, this Community Fights on. You know, when you have that kind of support when youre going through such a hard time, its priceless. Reporter nikki battiste, cbs news, north haledon, new jersey. Odonnell riley, youre our superhero, too. Well be right back. In fact, tremfya® was proven superior to humira® in providing significantly clearer skin. 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Because its never just a cough. Odonnell on tomorrows cbs evening news, a teenagers fight to honor some of the Unsung Heroes of world war ii. And if you cant watch us live, dont forget to set your d. V. R. So you can watch us later. And this is tonights cbs this is the cbs overnight news. Weve got a lot to tell you about this morning, starting with the spiraling price of booze, especially youre sitting at a bar. Tony kwukt econducted his own i investigation and found out going out for a drink has never been more expensive. Reporter federal data shows a 57 spike in the cost of drinks at bars and restaurants. What is driving these costs . We searched for answers. If you like to drink, theres always an occasion. Why are you drinking . Its her 21st birthday. Having some drinks with friends allows you to relax. Reporter but these days, the bill can be sobering. We just spent 52 on a couple drinks. Its pretty expensive. Reporter to find out why, we tracked your drinks journey, starting on the northern plains. Every alcoholic beverages on the planet, starts on a farm. Grain from these fields could be the source of your next pint of beer or glass of whisky. Welcome to the end of the world. Reporter doyle lances family has been farming barrelly for more than a century. Give it a big shove. Reporter this is what its all about . What its all about. No barley, no beer. Reporter how much do you make a beer . About a penny a beer. Reporter all of this for a penny a beer. Reporter thats about the same as what his grandfather made. Im pretty sure if the cost of your alcohol is going up, its not in north dakota so much. How about the distillers, while many believe their cans are the coldest, its hard to find anyone calling themselves the cheapest. We found the makers of americas alcohol actually have not hiked their prices. At least not more than inflation. The proof is in a store like this, where people buy liquor for home. The price you pay for the same drink at a bar or restaurant, up 63 . And you cant blame the people that sell the alcohol to the bars and restaurants, either