>> i thought he was dead. >> margaret: the "cbs evening news" starts now. ♪ ♪ good evening. i am a margaret brennan in for norah. as we come on the air, there are harrowing images coming out of texas showing severe weather that has pounded the state and continues to threaten lives tonight. there is widespread flooding around houston. america's fourth largest city. with some areas getting nearly . immunities along the san jacinto river have been evacuated. many in the area have needed to be rescued, like this truck driver. you can see scrambling to escape his fast-thinking big big rig. farther north, a storm chaser is credited with saving this family after their home was blown to pieces by a tornado. the mother carried her daughter, her injured son, and husband right behind. we will hear from the family in just a moment. but the threat is not over. tornado, severe thunderstorms, and flood watches, all posted across texas tonight, and millions in the state are being urged to not let their guard down. cbs's omar villafranca leads off our coverage. >> reporter: in west texas, severe storms unleashed powerful tornadoes. one touching down in the city of holly, destroying several homes. caroline vandergriff of cbs news texas has one families harrowing story. >> this is all that's left of the lambert family home, when the tornado hit, they first hunkered down and ran for their lives. their car destroyed, their phone blown away. >> this is an insane storm. >> reporter: storm chaser freddy mckinney was documenting... >> get in! >> reporter: the family ran to him again for help. >> please god help! >> reporter: they fled to the hospital which was miles away. these are photos of kasey lambert at her badly injured 7-year-old son, lane. today, they share their story. >> we saw it hit our friend's house. that was the point my sons know my husband said you need to go in the closet with the children. we sat down, we held hands, and what did we do? >> we said a prayer. >> we said a prayer pick we just prayed, god, please keep us safe during this tornado. >> reporter: she tried to hold onto both kids. the wind was too powerful. >> lane was sucked out of my hold come and he was sucked and pulled around 25 feet. i just remember screaming for him. i thought he was dead. i thought he was gone. i had already begun morning that. that's the only fear i ever have as a mom. it is not being able to rescue my child. in a dangerous time. and that's exactly what happened. >> reporter: in the houston area, relentless rain is swelling rivers and lakes. >> oh, my god, he is going in the water. >> reporter: in the town of sheppard, flash flooding swallowed up this road and this 18-year-old that tried to test the water. but luckily the driver made out to safety. in conroe, more than 10 inches of rain has fallen in the last five days. >> water went from my windowsill to about 4 inches below in my backyard, so it was just collecting come i don't how the fences held it. >> reporter: all that rain has pushed the nearby san jacinto river 20 feet above the flood stage, and it could be a long weekend for these folks because there is more rain in the forecast. margaret? >> margaret: well. omar, just incredible stories. thank you. witness testimony in president trump's criminal trial in new york. a once-trusted member of trump's inner circle took the stand. trump faces 3 34 counts of falsifying business records be up and robert costa is at the manhattan courthouse. >> reporter: hope hicks, the former presidents longtime aide and confidant took the stand today, telling prosecutors she hadn't spoken to trump in two years. sitting 10 feet from him, hicks said, i'm really nervous. >> i was very interested in what took place today. >> reporter: hicks detailed some of the tenses to moments of the 2016 campaign and broke down in tears at one point. she described the chaos inside the campaign following the revelation of the "access hollywood" video, weeks before the election, when trump spoke in vulgar terms about groping women. >> and when you are a star, they let you do it. >> reporter: hicks testified she was very concerned about what it meant for his election chances. >> hope hicks serves as a guide to the jurors, to all of the operations surrounding donald trump. she knows each person, where they sat, what they did, and she is the person who therefore connects all of the dots. >> reporter: in 2018, wants us once trump was president, hicks said he spoke with her about michael cohen making payments to stormy daniels to protect him from a false allegation, which he said cohen did out of the kindness of his own heart. hicks testified that would have been out of character for cohen, and trump has denied any wrongdoing. seen frequently at trump's side, hicks was one of the most loyal members of trump orbit, ascending from press advisor to white house communication director. >> thank you all so much and thank you president trump. i have stage fright, so. [laughs] >> she's great. >> reporter: hicks also testified about trump's concern after "the wall street journal" three days before the election reported that former "playboy" playmate karen mcdougal was paid $150,000 to stay quiet about an alleged affair with trump, which trump has denied. she said trump told her to make sure newspapers didn't get delivered to his apartment so melania trump wouldn't find out. meanwhile, trump has now paid the court $9,000 as a fine after being held in contempt for violating the gag order in this case, and today the judge reiterated trump can testify, despite the gag order, after trump falsely stated he can't. margaret? >> margaret: robert costa, thank you. well, texas democratic congressman henry cuellar and his wife, surrendered to federal authorities today on charges of conspiracy and bribery. a couple is accused of taking $600,000 from an energy compan and bank tied to foreign entities. cbs's nicole sganga has those late-breaking developments. >> i want to make it clear that my wife and i are innocent of these allegations. >> reporter: representative henry cuellar and his wife, mehldau, now out on bond after being indicted on more than a dozen counts, including conspiracy, bribery, and money laundering. >> we are innocent of the allegations. one more thing. i am running for reelection, and i will win this november again. >> reporter: two years ago, the fbi invaded cuellar's laredo home and campaign office, and today, stunning indictment alleges the texas congressman set up front companies and accepted nearly $600,000 in bribes from an oil company owned by the government of azerbaijan, plus a mexican bank. the money allegedly spent to pay off more than $80,000 in taxes, $11,000 in car payments, and $12,000 on a custom gown. >> it is notable that these charges are brought against a sitting congressman, who is running for reelection. the doj does not take that step unless they have an overwhelming case. >> reporter: the charges resemble another scandal on capitol hill. in march, democratic senator robert menendez of new jersey charged with dozens of cones connected to a yearslong bribery scheme involving the egyptian and qatari governments. >> margaret: nicole, these are serious charges. what consequence will representative cuellar face if he is actually convicted? >> reporter: if convicted, the congressman and his wife could spend years or even decades in prison, beyond the legal headache, there is a political one, as democrats try to regain control of the house come november, margaret. >> margaret: it will have an impact. thank you, nicole. well, today, crews began to dismantling a damaged bridge over interstate 95 in connectic. yesterday it was the scene of a fiery crash involving a gasoline tanker truck. a crash that forced one of the nation's busiest stretches of highway to be shut down. the hope is that the interstate can be reopened by monday. police have arrested more than 2,000 people during pro-palestinian protests held at nearly 40 college campuses in recent weeks. cbs's lilia luciano has our update. >> shame on you! shame on you! >> reporter: tonight, the nypd under fire. responding to questions about why a sergeant's gun went off while clearing hamilton hall at columbia university on tuesday night. >> at no time were any police officers, members of the public, or any protesters in danger. this was purely unintentional. [into stick shouting] >> reporter: the incident is bringing scrutiny to mayor eric adam's insistence police intervention necessary to protect students from the threat of outside agitators. emily birksy ski, student and journalist at columbia university, who has cover the protests for weeks, says it is not outsiders, but students who have been in charge all along. >> whether or not you agree with what is happening at the way that they are protesting, they have worked and they continue to work incredibly hard to get their message heard. [cheers and applause] >> reporter: at portland state university, massachusetts protesters armed with makeshift shields, clashed with police. 30 were taken into custody there. >> you are trespassing and a building, this is not a summons. >> reporter: while new york city police dismantled new york university without much resistance. at brown university, a much different scene. protesters and administrators made a deal tuesday, dismantled the tent in exchange for a vote on divesting from companies connected to the israeli military be at sophomore rafi ash was a student negotiator. >> that movement worked. the inner ministrations and students at any school escalate, that actually puts pressure on the ministrations of every single school to respond. >> reporter: as graduation ceremonies get underway this weekend, university administrators are doing what they can to stop a disruption. they are heightening security and also limiting access not just of the campuses, but to the events themselves. margaret? >> margaret: lilia luciano, thank you. well, we learned today that president biden is meeting with jordan's king abdullah at the white house next week. jordan is a key u.s. ally in the middle east, and we sat down with his wife, queen rania, doula for an interview this weekend on her face the nation. the queen is a palestinian dissent, and we asked her about the pro-palestinian protests on america's college campuses. what do you think of the protests, and are you surprised to see young americans protesting like this? >> first of all, i think it is important to point out that law and order are paramount for everybody. at the same time, as i said, there is a rise in anti-semitism and it is wrong for any student to have to feel unsafe on campus. that being said, we need to -- emotions are running high and i think people are losing sight of what these students are protesting. for them, the issue of gaza and the palestinian conflict is more about social justice. they are standing up for human rights, for international law, for the principles that underpin international law. >> margaret: and you can see our full interview with queen rania sunday on "face the nation." at the white house today, president biden awarded the medal of freedom, america's highest civilian honor, to 19 people. the diverse group of recipients range from inspiring activists to olympic heroes. hero cbs's weijia jiang. [applause] >> reporter: the recipients represent many fields, from politics to sports to hollywood, but they share one thing in common: how much of their work has impacted the nation. >> 19 incredible people, whose relentless curiosity, inventiveness, ingenuity, and hope, have kept faith in a better tomorrow. >> reporter: several of them broke barriers when they marked first in history. ellen ochoa was the first hispanic woman in space, a trip she has made four times. michelle yeoh recently became the first asian to win the academy award for best actress. >> do you believe in the devil? >> darn right. >> reporter: journalist phil donahue pioneered the issue-oriented tv talk show. >> now the first person to win... >> reporter: katie ledecky has seven olympic gold medals, as the most decorated female swimmer ever. several politicians were honored, too. first female speaker of the house nancy pelosi, who held the leadership position for two terms. >> faster. >> reporter: former vice president al gore, who also hold a nobel peace prize for his work on climate change. congressman jim clyburn and senator elizabeth dole. >> i have a dream that one day... >> reporter: the civil rights activist who helped draft of that historic speech clarence b. jones is among the recipients. so is opal lee, known for her efforts to make juneteenth a federally recognized holiday. and medgar evers, whose daughter accepted his award. murdered after eating the fight against segregation in mississippi. all of this shaped america as we know it. weijia jiang's, cbs news, the white house. >> margaret: and there is an update in the search for an american and two australian surfers in mexico. we'll have those details next. ♪ ♪ ♪♪ missing out on the things you love because of asthma? get back to better breathing with fasenra, an add-on treatment for eosinophilic asthma that is taken once every 8 weeks. fasenra is not for sudden breathing problems or other eosinophilic conditions. allergic reactions may occur. don't stop your asthma treatments without talking with your doctor. tell your doctor if your asthma worsens. headache and sore throat may occur. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. step back out there with fasenra. ask your doctor if it's right for you. dad, i got a huge barbeque wing stain. this bottle says i need to pretreat. that stuff has way more water. a little bit of tide goes a long way, so you can save your shirt and maybe even a little money. nice! more money for nights at the...library. right... for a better clean with less... it's got to be tide. -cologuard®? -cologuard. cologuard! -screen for colon cancer. -at home, like you want. -you the man! cologuard is for people 45+ at average risk, not high risk. false positive and negative results may occur. ask your provider for cologuard. ♪ i did it my way ♪ >> margaret: the body of an american and two australian tourist have reportedly been found in mexico, but authorities there have not confirmed their identities. the three men were last seen a week ago in ensenada while they were on a surfing vacation. a burned pickup truck and tents were found in the area, and investigators say three people were questioned in connection with the case. the u.s. state department says it's aware of reports of a missing american. today, china launched a rocket into space with an ambitious goal: to collect lunar samples from the far side of the moon. the launch of the unaccrued capsule went off without a hitch. the plan is to scoop up some samples and then rocket them back to earth. it's part of beijing's goal to land a manned mission on the moon by 2030. steve hartman's "on the road," with the story of a random act of kindness that led to an unlikely friendship. that's next. ♪ ♪ mike is still living in the red. with a very high risk of another heart attack or stroke. he doesn't know with his risk factors his ldl-c (bad cholesterol) is still too high - the recommended level is below 55. are you living in the red? get in the know. learn how to get a free ldl-c test at attackheartdisease.com. 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>> if you're homeless, here's a dollar. >> reporter: this is a nine kelvin ellis jr. >> i always wanted to help the homeless person, and i finally had the opportunity. >> reporter: kelvin said he had just gotten the dollar for good grades. it was the only money he had to his name. matt was soe? >> reporter: as a reward for his kindness, matt gave a shopping spree. 40 seconds to pick out whatever he wanted in the store, including a new bike. kelvin says it was great, but definitely not what he wanted to get for his dollar. what were you hoping would come from that? >> joy. >> reporter: joy? >> because i help someone. give something away, you feel like you got a lot of things from it. >> if you give, you are actually going to get more out of that. i couldn't grasp that as a kid. and if we can spread that ar around, everything changes. >> reporter: a dollar. so well spent. >> cheers to friends forever. >> reporter: steve hartman, "on the road"... >> amen. >> reporter: in baton rouge, louisiana. >> margaret: tonight's "heart of america" is next. heal acid-related damage to the esophagus called erosive esophagitis, and relieve related heartburn. voquezna is the first and only fda-approved treatment of its kind. 93% of adults were healed by two months. of those healed, 79% stayed healed. and voquezna can provide heartburn-free days and nights. other serious stomach conditions may still exist. don't take if allergic to voquezna or while on products with rilpivirine. voquezna may cause serious side effects including kidney problems, diarrhea, bone fractures, severe skin reactions, low vitamin b-12 or magnesium levels, and stomach growths. call your doctor if you have diarrhea, stomach pain or fever that won't go away, decreased or bloody urine, seizures, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, jitteriness, muscle aches or weakness, spasms of hands, feet, or voice. voquezna can help kick some acid, and so can you. ask your doctor about voquezna. try killing bugs the worry-free way. not the other way. zevo traps use light to attract and trap flying insects with no odor and no mess. they work continuously, so you don't have to. zevo. people-friendly. bug-deadly. if you have chronic kidney disease you can reduce the risk of kidney failure with farxiga. because there are places you'd like to be. farxiga can cause serious side effects, including ketoacidosis that may be fatal, dehydration, urinary tract, or genital yeast infections, and low blood sugar. a rare, life-threatening bacterial infection in the skin of the perineum could occur. stop taking farxiga and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of this infection, an allergic reaction, or ketoacidosis. ♪ far-xi-ga ♪ [tense music] one aleve works all day so i can keep working my magic. just one aleve. 12 hours of uninterrupted pain relief. aleve. who do you take it for? 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>> yes. >> this was a system error. i didn't do this intentionally. >> announcer: but she could pay a steep price. >> i have no problem being transparent. >> judge judy: you've never spoken to the police? >> no. >> judge judy: because there's a substantial possibility that you're going to be... >> i know. >> judge judy: ...arrested. >> announcer: "judge judy." you are about to enter the courtroom you are about to enter the courtroom of judge judith sheindlin. captions paid for by cbs television distribution michael noreikas is suing paralegal shannon highfield for unauthorized credit card charges, a false restraining order and attorney fees. >> byrd: order! all rise! this is case number 484 on the calendar in the matter of noreikas vs. highfield. >> judge judy: thank you. >> byrd: you're welcome. parties have been sworn in. you may be seated. ma'am, have a seat, please. >> judge judy: mr. noreikas, you had a onetime working relationship with the defendant... >> yeah. >> judge judy: ...where she was hired to do some paperwork for you as a paralegal. >> correct. >> judge judy: and you hired her to do this paralegal work what month and year? >> june the 1st of 2018. >> judge judy: now, according to your complaint, she needed to run your debit card for the purposes of filing some papers. there was a fee for filing papers, and you authorized her by fax, i assume. >> yes