get beyond the politics. this is the "cbs evening news" with jeff glor. >> glor: good evening. the flu is putting americans in the hospital at the highest rate in nearly a decade. the c.d.c. today reported 37 children have died of the flu this season. the agency does not track adult deaths. it is still recommending everyone six months of age or older get a flu maxine. manuel bojorquez begins our coverage. >> there you go. >> reporter: concerns about this aggressive flu season are spreading, especially after the deaths of seemingly healthy people like 37-year-old karlie clavin of indiana. she had just helped her husband and children recover from the influenza. >> i never even got a chance to talk to her again. >> reporter: the c.d.c. says the flu is more severe and sending people to the hospital at a higher rate than anyone anyyear since 2009. by the end of this season, it's predicted 700,000 people will have been hospitalized, and 34 million will have contracted the virus. surprisingly, the second hardest hit group-- baby boomers. doctors, like bobby kapur of miami's jackson memorial hospital, are urging people not to let their guard down, even though flu season is halfway over. >> i think it's a confluence of events, also maybe a perfect storm where we have individuals, such as baby boomers who have lower numbers than typical for vaccinations. >> reporter: so a nasty strain of the flu and a seg. population that may have not gotten the shot are leading to what we're seeing. >> that's correct. >> reporter: one reason-- it's hitting schools, and children bring it home. >> what we're seeing are more clusters of cases, and that's going to lead to a more prolonged possible flu season with higher cases toward the end of the season. >> reporter: the reports of flu-related deaths are enough for those who typically skip the shot to get it, like mitch philpot, of texas. >> they're in home, they're in bed, and, bam, they're gone, like that, which is-- that's scary. >> reporter: to be clear, it's not the worst season on record. and doctors say there is no reason to panic. the c.d.c. says it is aware supplies of the medicine used to fight the virus could be running low in some of the hardest hit areas and is working to get more there. jeff. >> glor: manuel bojorquez in miami. thank you. for more on this we turn to our cbs news medical contributor, dr. tara narula. tar awhy is this season taking such a heavy toll on baby boom jeers well, there are several theories. first of all, we tend to know that baby boomers tend to be less vaccinated than the over-65 population. we know the over-65 population can get a higher dose, more potent vaccine and there is imprinting, which is a child, will dictate how your immune system responds down the road. and it may be the baby boomer population had less exposure when they were younger to the circulating strain going around so they're getting harder now. >> glor: 37 pediatric deaths from the flu so far. we talked about this-- there is always concern during flu season. this year there is real concern among parents. >> the things that parents can do-- first, they can get vaccinated themselves, get their caregivers vaccinated. get their kids vaccinated. if their child is breathing faster or harder, if they have a very high fever, are not eating or drinking or appear listless or lethargic that should prompt them to get their child to the e.r. >> glor: "the new york times" is reporting that president trump wanted to fire special counsel robert mueller last june but backed down when the white house counsel don mcgahn threatened to quit. the "times" cited four sources. major garrett and paula reid have been working their sources on the story. major, first, what can you tell us? >> reporter: well, the president may have talked about this "new york times" story, dismissed it as fake news, but neither the white house nor mcgahn issued a denial. and cbs news has confirmed, last june president trump was angry with mueller's investigation at the time just beginning, and raised concerns about three possible areas of conflict of interest involving mueller. and the president we know talked to friends about the possibility of fire mueller. top white house advisers told the president two things, one, these areas of conflict of interest, though fascinating to the president, upon by no means grounds sufficient to dismiss mueller and that doing so would be politically catastrophic. the president eventually droptd idea. since then, more than 20 white house staff members, and nearly that many from the trump campaign, have submitted to voluntary interviews with mueller and his team and more than 20,000 pages of documents have been turned over, clear evidence that the president has followed the persistent advice from his legal team which can be summarized as follows: leave mueller alone. >> glor: paula, the president said this week he's looking forward to being interviewed by the special counsel. what impact does that report have on the negotiations between white house lawyers and mueller's office? >> reporter: well, this report certainly adds an awkward dynamic to any possible interview between special counsel robert mueller's team and mr. trump. but, if this does come up, the president or his lawyers, they'll have two key arguments. first, they're going to argue that the president had valid reasons for thinking that mueller had possibly conflicts of interest. and they're also going to point out that he didn't actually follow through once he talked to his attorneys. but this report could also potentially make the president reconsider even sitting down with special counsel if he thinks he's not going to be treated fairly now. remember, the president doesn't have to talk with investigators. but mueller could then subpoena him to have to testify before a grand jury. and if the president's lawyers refuse that subpoena, that sets up a possible constitutional crisis over the subpoena of a sitting president. jeff. >> glor: all right, our justice reporter paula reid and chief white house correspondent major garrett. thanks to both of you. before he left for switzerland today, the president told the world economic forum u.s. is open for business. margaret brennan reports from davos. >> america first does not mean america alone. when the united states grows, so does the world. >> reporter: the influence of the former bankers who now surround the president was clear. ♪ ♪ he championed open markets and free trade, making little reference to the deals he's threatened to tear up and protectionist measures he supports. the two-day stop in the swiss alpses was also an opportunity to clean up some diplomatic blunders. in a photo-op with rwanda's president, he ignored questions about his alleged use of a vulgar term to refer to african nations. >> that i can tell you. >> reporter: in an interview, he was asked to apologize for retweeting anti-muslim videos posted by a far-right british political group. >> if you're telling me there are horrible people, horrible racist people, i would certainly apologize, if you'd like me to do that. >> reporter: as a candidate, donald trump said hedge fund managers are getting away with murder. as president, today, he was applauded by a room filled with them, and he heads back to washington on a high note. jeff. >> glor: margaret brennan, thank you very much. there is more fallout from the scandal involving larry nassar tonight. the former u.s.a. gymnastics doctor was sentenced this week to as much as 175 years in prison for abusing young girls. today, the organization's directors agreed to resign, and michigan state athletic director mark hollis said he is stepping down. nassar treated athletes at the school for-year-old two decades. dr. jon lapook reports there are serious questions about how the university responded to complaints. >> reporter: amanda thomashow was one of the 156 women who confronted larry nassar during his sentencing hearing. >> i didn't know who to tell, and i was scared no one would believe me. sometimes i even had a hard time believingly myself, but at the end, i knew i had to report it. >> reporter: in 2014, thomashow complained to mireya villarreal that she had been sexually abuseed by nassar. the university conducted a sexual harassment investigation and cleared him. the report given to thomashow concluded, "we cannot find that the conduct was of a sexual nature but said her claim would help them examine practices at m.s.u." but a different, more detailed conclusion was sent to nassar and his boss at michigan state. unknown to thomashow, the report found "significant problems that the practice will want to address. those problems included exposing patients to unnecessary trauma based on the possibility of perceived inappropriate sexual misconduct, and the failure to obtain consent. the report also recommended a sham roan during a sensitive procedure. nevertheless... >> larry nassar was cleared to practice again under new guidelines that were neverland actually enforced. >> reporter: a police investigation stated at least 12 assaults were reported after nassar was cleared in 2014. many of them were at m.s.u., and involved the lack of a chaperone during sensitive procedures and ungloved, skin-to-skin contact. today, thomashow told cbs news she felt anger and betrayed that her university concealed critically important information from her. michigan state university told cbs news it was standard frook have an internal version of a report when no violation of the sexual harassment policy had been found. they added thomashow was told the investigation had led to policy changes. >> glor: jon lapook, thank you for your continued reporting on this story. our next story is a reminder of the risks that police officers take, and the sacrifices they and their families make every day of the year. here is dean reynolds in detroit. >> reporter: detroit police said a domestic dispute drew them to this neighborhood where there was word of a gunman with hostages. >> reporter: among the officers responding late wednesday was 25-year-old glenn doss, two years on the force, and it was doss dispatchers referred to in the frantic moments after the gunman opened fire. >> reporter: officer doss was shot in the had the. then amid the static on the police radio, another voice broke through. reporter: it was the wounded officer's father, also a detroit cop, also named glenn, with a request straight from the heart: >> when that happened was off duty. >> reporter: this afternoon, doss spoke of his son, who remains unconscious and in critical condition. >> the doctors have been honest with me and my family. they state at this time his condition is 50-50. it could go either way. the bullet is still lodged in the back of his head on the right side. but he's a strong young man. he's a fighter. >> reporter: now, the wounded officer has already undergone multiple surgeries and is now quite literally fighting for his life. meanwhile, a 43-year-old suspect in the shooting has been arrested. jeff. >> glor: dean reynolds in detroit. thank you. now to some other stories we're following in the evening newsfeed, police now believe a building billionaire and his wife were murdered. barry and honey sherman were found with belts around their necks in their toronto mansion last month. he ran a generic drug company. las vegas titan steve wynn is accused of decades of sexual harassment and abuse against workers at to hels and casinos. sources tell "the wall street journal" wynn forced himself on female employees and frequently exposed himself. wynn denies the allegations. "the new york times" reports hillary clinton protected a senior adviser on her 2008 presidential campaign who was accused of sexual harassment. sources tell the "times" clinton refused to fire burns strider, a faith adviser, and instead cut his pay and told him to get counseling while his accuser was moved to another job. and there is much more ahead on tonight's cbs evening news. >> reporter: this 62-foot wall is the centerpiece of amazon's spheres. coming up, how it could change how employees work. >> glor: a toddler makes a great escape. >> reporter: this four-time international whistling champion has earned a reputation as perhaps d.c.'s owner universally admired whistle blower. then i found aleve pm. aleve pm is the only one to combine a safe sleep aid plus the 12 hour pain relieving strength of aleve. i'm back. aleve pm for a better am. are you reluctant to eat in public because of your denture? try super poligrip® not only does it hold for 12 hours to reduce denture movement, it also helps provide better bite, seals out 74% more food particles, and enhances your denture fit. in fact, 95% of super poligrip® users surveyed believe it makes them feel more confident eating in public. eat, speak, and smile with confidence. try super poligrip® today. you may be at increased risk for pneumococcal pneumonia, that can take you out of the game for weeks, even if you're healthy. pneumococcal pneumonia is a potentially serious bacterial lung disease that in severe cases can lead to hospitalization. it may hit quickly, without warning, causing you to miss out on the things you enjoy most. prevnar 13® is not a treatment for pneumococcal pneumonia... it's a vaccine you can get to help protect against it. prevnar 13® is approved for adults to help prevent infections from 13 strains of the bacteria that cause pneumococcal pneumonia. you should not receive prevnar 13® if you have had a severe allergic reaction to the vaccine or its ingredients. if you have a weakened immune system, you may have a lower response to the vaccine. the most common side effects were pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, limited arm movement, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, less appetite, vomiting, fever, chills, and rash. help protect yourself against pneumococcal pneumonia. ask your doctor or pharmacist about prevnar 13®. i tabut with my back paines, i couldn't sleep and get up in time. then i found aleve pm. aleve pm is the only one to combine a safe sleep aid plus the 12 hour pain relieving strength of aleve. i'm back. aleve pm for a better am. to work in some brand new buildings on amazon's seattle campus next week, managers might be tempted to say, "welcome to the jungle." jamie yuccas got a sneak peek. >> reporter: it's called "the sphears" three in all, reaching 90 feet high. amazon isn't just reshaping the seattle skyline. they're also reinventing the idea of office space. >> it's a place where all employees in the company can come and hang out and get in touch with nature. >> reporter: an amazon rain forest in cold, rainy, downtown seattle. the company asked horticult rift ron gagliardo to make it happen. when amazon said, "we want to you have free rein and pick whatever you want." >> oh, hell, yeah. one of the things i kind of learned here has been you can't be afraid to think big. >> reporter: this 62-foot wall is the centerpiece of amazon's sphears. it's made up of 25,000 plants, 200 species from 30 countries. that includes a 55-foot fig tree named rubi that could only be brought in by crane and a temporary hole in the roof. there are streams, fish, chocolate plants, vanilla orchids, all designed for employees with high-stress jobs to disconnect. do you want people to feel likeitary in a tree house? >> yeah, yeah, we want people to walk on this-- >> reporter: so this is bouncy. >> ...and go, wait a minute, it's moving. i better put my phone down. >> reporter: amazon pumped $4 billion into this campus, designed both for visitors and its rapidly growing seattle base, now 40,000 workers. one of the complaints you hear is amazon came in and then the prices of everything went through the roof. >> a lot of jobs were created well beyond amazon jobs. all the construction jobs that have gone into building this area. >> reporter: and build they have. watch out, space needle, there's a new landmark in town. jamie yuccas, cbs news, seattle. >> glor: did you hear the one about the inmate caught trying to get back into prison? you will in just a moment. high blood pressure and cholesterol. but they might not be enough to protect my heart. adding bayer aspirin can further reduce the risk of another heart attack. because my second chance matters. be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. hey, hi. you look good. thank you, i feel good. it all starts with eating right. that's why i eat amazin prunes now. they're delicious and help keep my body in balance. i love these. sunsweet amazin prunes, the feel good fruit. you or joints. something for your heart... but do you take something for your brain. with an ingredient originally found in jellyfish, prevagen is the number one selling brain-health supplement in drug stores nationwide. prevagen. the name to remember. but he hasoke up wwork to do.in. so he took aleve. if he'd taken tylenol, he'd be stopping for more pills right now. only aleve has the strength to stop tough pain for up to 12 hours with just one pill. aleve. all day strong. a problem many parents face. his two-year-old kept climbing over the safety gate, so look what he did-- puts up a second gate on top of the first. she still gets out. quilty discovers his daughter-- he's laughing at the whole thing, too. master escape artist. she is okay. she got down okay. right, nothing to do but laugh. even easier to break out of a federal prison in beaumont, texas, until an inmate was captured wednesday outside with a bag containing a barbecue dinner, lose of chewing tobacco, marijuana, and bottles of booze. turns out inmates were constantly sneak out to pick up supplies and then sneak back inside. no more. steve hartman is next. this should whet your whistle. . >> glor: we end this week with steve hartman "on the road" with the mother of all whist lers. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: to many people, there's nothing like a good whistle to pass the time. but for 54-year-old chris ullman, whistling is hardly a distraction. this four-time international whistling champion is partner in the carlyle group, an investment firm. he's been in washington 30 years, working at the highest levels in both the private and public sectors. and along the way, he has earned a reputation as perhaps d.c.'s only universally admired whistle blower. >> george w. bush, john kasich, george h.w. bush. >> reporter: he has performed for them all. >> supreme court justices. >> reporter: to rave reviews. >> people seek it out. like, to me, that kind of encapsulates the power of the pucker. >> reporter: unfortunately, his whistling hasn't always been used in harmony. back in '95, then-house majority leader dick armey summoned chris to a tense budget negotiation. he wanted a song, but it wasn't "come together" or "we can work it out." it was "dixie." and the government shut down shortly after. >> so you could argue that these lips shut down the federal government. ( laughter ) >> reporter: needless to say, chris won't do that again. but 20 years later, he's not just not whistling "dixie" anymore. today, he's using his talents almost exclusive for the most apolitical purpose of all. >> prepare yourself. here we go. it just transends the part zinnship of washington. >> reporter: virtually every day, up to eight times a day, chris whistles "happy birthday" for free to people all over d.c. >> happy birthday, man. >> reporter: whether they work in cubicles or oval offices, democrat or republican. >> happy birthday! i think the whistle helps me get beyond the politics. i am going to love you. i am going to honor you because of you. and that is the bottom line is that we have forgotten to love each other, and we've forgot tone respect each other. that is the problem. >> reporter: to that end he wrote a book encouraging others to find their special gift and use it to change lives. he says what america needs right now isn't a big fix. what it needs is a million small gestures. and as we end this week, with the government shut down behind and other battles looming, it might be wise for our leaders to think of the whistler while they work. steve hartman, "on the road,"" in washington. >> glor: amen. that is the cbs evening news for this week. i'm jeff glor. good night. have a good weekend. >> defiant melania. taking refuge at mar-a-lago. >> the first lady is having a chance to lay low. >> and more from our exclusive interview everyone is talking about. >> stormy daniels on "inside edition." >> she took a break to sit down with "inside edition." >> do you have a message for melania trump? >> then, is this gymnast being intimidated after confronting the monster doctor? >> you are the worst type of person. >> wait until you hear who she says threatened her. >> i think he is trying to shut me up. >> inappropriate touching by doctors. it happened to these young ladies. it can happen to grown women too. what she says her chiropractor did to her. >> he threw the sheet off you. >> i was so shocked that this was happening. >> and are crock-pots fe

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