if you were a hippie in the '60s, you need to know. it's the dawning of the age of aquarius. yeah, and something else that's cool. what? osteoporosis is preventable. all: osteo's preventable? right on! if you dig your bones, protect them. all: cbs cares! mike morell is the former deputy director of the central intelligence agency. he is now a cbs news senior security contributor. mike, everybody wants to know, and they're all being cautious. what happened? >> so charlie, i'm being cautious too. i have not seen a single piece of data, single piece of evidence that would take us to a conclusion that terrorists brought down this aircraft. that's certainly possible, but it's also possible that it was some other factor like mechanical failure. we'll just have to wait and see. >> but what if it was terrorism? what might it have been? >> so i think there's two possibilities, right? one is a bomb either placed on the aircraft somewhere in north africa where the plane had been earlier in the day, or a bomb placed on the plane in paris. or it could have been an individual on the plane, even a pilot or co-pilot, who became radicalized and brought the plane down. i think those are the two terrorist possibilities. >> if it was a bomb that was placed on the plane in paris, what does that say about security in paris and concern about the threat of terrorism? >> that would be a very significant development. we know that isis has developed a significant, sophisticated operational capability in western europe, but this would punctuate that in a way that we have not seen before. >> and if in fact this is a new tactic, what does that say about terrorism in europe? >> it says that they can now bring it to the united states in a very significant way, right? by doing this exact same thing with a flight to the united states. that's why this is so worrisome. >> mike morell, thank you so much. the egypt air crash comes as the tsa is facing criticism for long lines at airports across the country. transportation correspondent kris van cleave has more. >> reporter: growing flyer frustration made for tense moments at chicago's midway airport today. >> that's why you're walking to the back of the line where you belong, right? >> reporter: but across town at o'hare, passenger sarah king felt differently. >> it can be a bit tedious and bothersome, but i know it's for our own safety and protection. >> reporter: with concerns the egypt air crash could be an act of terrorism, the transportation security administration is caught between its need to thoroughly screen passengers and baggage and to get flyers through checkpoints in a timely manner, all while handling a surging number of flyers and a staffing shortage. >> it's a difficult balance between efficiency and customer service and security. >> reporter: tsa spokesman mark howell says the agency is monitoring the egypt air investigation. >> there's a reason we do what we do. okay? why do you got to take your shoes off? because we've had instances of the shoe bomber, okay? liquids, the liquid restriction, is based in real-life incidents. so as things happen in the world and as threats evolve, the organization kind of has to evolve with it. >> reporter: following the metrojet bombings and the isis attacks in paris and brussels, the tsa has increased screenings of airport workers, checked luggage and cargo in addition to extra scrutiny of passengers and their carry-ons. in chicago today fbi director james comey. >> the lines are an enormous pain, but please know the lines reflect a commitment in this country to make air travel safe. air travel in the united states as against the terrorist threat is far, far safer than it was 15 you accident years ago. >> reporter: so far the egypt air crash has not resulted in a visible increase in security at u.s. airports. charlie, tomorrow the tsa administrator, peter neffenger, will be here in chicago to discuss the agency's efforts to address the marathon lines impacting the area airports here. >> thanks, chris. before there was any evidence, both donald trump and hillary clinton blamed the crash of egypt air 804 on terrorism. trump tweeted "looks like yet another terrorist attack." and in a cnn interview clinton said, "it does appear that it was an act of terrorism." still ahead, a new poll in the presidential race and old accusations about bill clinton. and morley safer passed away today. we'll look back at a reporter's life. the "cbs overnight news" will be right back. >> important message for residents age 50 to 85. write down this number now. right now, people are receiving this free information kit for guaranteed acceptance life insurance with a rate lock through the colonial penn program. if you are on a fixed income, learn about affordable whole life insurance that guarantees your rate can never increase for any reason. if you did not receive your information, call this number now. your acceptance is guaranteed, with no health questions. stand by to learn more. >> i'm alex trebek, here to tell you about a popular life insurance plan with a rate lock that locks in your rate for life so it can never increase. did you get your free information kit? if not, please call this number now. this affordable plan through the colonial penn program has coverage options for just $9.95 a month. your rate is locked in and can never go up. and your acceptance is guaranteed, with no health questions. see how much coverage you can get for just $9.95 a month. call now for your free information kit. ♪ jill and kate use the same dishwasher. same detergent. but only jill ends up with wet, spotty glasses. kate adds finish jet-dry with five power actions that dry dishes and prevent spots and film, so all that's left is the shine. for better results, use finish jet-dry. the presidential race is tightening. a cbs news/"new york times" poll shows hillary clinton's lead over donald trump nationally has fallen from 10 points to 6, and trump's unfavorable ratings have fallen eight points to 55%. trump is making good on a vow to make bill clinton an issue in the campaign. here's nancy cordes. >> reporter: in an interview on fox donald trump leveled a harsh accusation about former president bill clinton's past. >> it's about groping and fondling and touching against a woman's will. >> and rape. >> and rape. >> and big settlements. massive settlements. >> $850,000 to paula jones. >> and lots of other things. >> reporter: they were referring to a trio of women who say bill clinton made unwanted sexual advances in the '80s and '90s. mr. clinton denies it. two of the cases were plagued by factual discrepancies. still, the accusations linger and will be a focus of gop ads against hillary clinton. >> she politically attacked sexual harassment victims. >> reporter: in an interview today clinton would not respond to trump's allegations. >> if you pick a fight with, you know, a bully, you know, you're going to be pulled down to their level. >> hi, guys. >> reporter: typically, spouses are considered off limits. but mr. clinton is not a typical spouse. his wife has already outlined a major role for him if she wins. >> my husband, who i'm going to put in charge of revitalizing the economy -- because you know, he knows how to do it. >> reporter: he's also relatively more popular. a new cbs news poll pegs his favorability ratings at 45%, compared to her 31%. plus the clintons have been pitching themselves as a package deal for decades. >> voters often say to me, we got two for the price of one and they like it. >> reporter: the topic of rape is murky territory for trump, who was also once accused of rape by his ex-wife, ivana, a charge she later recanted. and there is no dispute, charlie, that both he and bill clinton had multiple consensual extramarital affairs which made for lurid tabloid fodder for years. this is a sad day for us here at cbs news. our friend and colleague and good man morley safer died today. he was 84. morley was one of the premier journalists of the past half century and a pillar of the leading television news broadcast of all time, "60 minutes." steve kroft now on the life and legacy of morley safer. >> here we are, on board the good ship dandahelu bound from mali to furadu. >> suppose you had a few dollars and you had to get from paris to istanbul. then this is how you would go. first class on the orient express. >> reporter: from the dawn of his career toyotas twilight, marley safer was above all a writer. a brilliant writer. >> he stares down from the podium like some benevolent bird of prey, eyes staring past that great beak. it's all wonderfully choreographed, every gangly movement. >> reporter: he knew, as mark twain put it, the difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug. >> tarkook asoria, a fit old man in his 94th year, is on his way to his mother's birthday party. >> reporter: he relished working behind the camera. in front of it -- >> right here. >> reporter: not so much. >> people might find it very odd -- >> come on. >> -- but i really don't like being on television. it is not natural to be talking to a piece of machinery. but the money's very good. >> the predominant feeling among the europeans of central africa -- >> reporter: for 60 remarkable years morley did speak his words into the machinery. first from the middle east in europe for canadian television, then for cbs news. >> as the role of american troops in vietnam changes -- >> reporter: he first went to vietnam in 1965. >> come this way. >> reporter: his report on marines burning the village of kam ne shocked america and enraged the pentagon. >> this is what the war in vietnam is all about. >> reporter: the president thought he might be a communist. >> somebody explained to president johnson that i was a canadian, and he said, "well, i knew there was something wrong with him." >> i'm mike wallace. >> i'm morley safer. >> reporter: he joined "60 minutes" in 1970, doing his fair share of serious stories. but he soon began staking out his own territory. the offbeat. the humorous. and the absurd. >> i don't want that hand on at all. heel. come on, boy. >> people trek from every corner of england to this country lane in hartfordshire to watch her work her wonders on dogs. >> morley. >> reporter: in 1979 he interviewed the muppets. >> is your wife here? >> no, she's not. >> great. >> the fortune teller -- >> reporter: morley had a passion for art. he sketched. he painted. >> i was giving a definition of life and death. this is the eternal. >> reporter: and in 1993 he riled the art establishment with a piece suggesting some of the emperors of the modern art world wear no clothes. >> it's a white rectangle. >> right. he's a minimal artist, and -- >> i would say so. >> reporter: some of his best interviews were with famous women. anna wintour of "vogue" magazine. >> bitch. >> perfectionist. >> let's try bitch first. >> reporter: ruth madoff, wife of convicted ponzi schemer bernie madoff. >> you must have known. >> i trusted him. >> reporter: film legend katharine hepburn. >> do you feel like a legend? >> i don't think you ever feel like anything. you feel like a bore. >> reporter: dolly parton. >> you going to ask me to sing or you want me to just whoop it out for you? >> just whoop it out for me. >> can i play you a song? >> of course you may. ♪ listen here boys ♪ i'm telling you now >> reporter: his reports over the years touched many millions of viewers, who saw through his eyes and felt through his words -- ♪ i'm a 60-minute man >> reporter: -- the beauties, the complexities, and the absurdities of the modern world. >> i've led a charmed life as a reporter, as an individual. a lot of it is blood, weight, toil, and tears but a lot of it is pure unadulterated luck, and i've been a very lucky guy. again, a sad day at cbs news. a very sad day. our long-time colleague morley safer has passed away. he was 84. we leave you now with one of morley's favorite stories, discussing a profile he put together of a legendary comedian jackie gleason. >> jackie gleason was a really great -- talk about larger than life character. >> and away we go! >> a man of remarkable talent. >> being a wiseenheimer, alice. >> and we know a wonderful comedy presence. really was the master of an era of american comedy. >> bang zoom. >> take 23. >> and he loved to talk about how well he was treated by cbs. >> when you've got good ratings and you're one, two, or three in the ratings, there is nothing your little heart desires that they don't provide. >> and i explained that we were then, "60 minutes" was the number 1 show and we were not kings of the world. and he said, "you're no gleasons." he was a really professional-level pool player. he wanted to play a game. >> sure you haven't got any money? >> uh, no. no. >> gleason broke, and i was up first. i'm an okay pool player. i'm certainly no gleason. let me qualify that. i'm really a lousy pool player. but i suddenly was hitting these brilliant shots. gleason looked at me. eyes narrowed. ready to kill. and he thought he'd been hustled with a live camera on him. >> hey. hey. >> good night, mr. gleason. >> that little snide remark will cost you. >> of course at that point i just blew the shot. whereupon he just cleaned the table. >> did you like that one, pal? >> please. >> in effect, i've got to tell you, i let him win because i was so scared of him. >> great shot. you didn't touch a ball. wish i could do that. that's the "overnight news" for this friday. for some of you the news continues. for others check back with us a little later for the morning news and "cbs this morning." from the broadcast center in new york city, i'm charlie rose. >> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." and welcome to the overnight news. i'm don dahler. it's getting down and dirty on the presidential campaign trail. and the party conventions are still two months away. hillary clinton blasted donald trump saying he is unqualified to be president of the united states. clinton says the job requires steadiness, strength, and smarts and in her view trump doesn't have it. the comments come as a new cbs news/"new york times" poll shows trump closing the gap. last month clinton was up by ten points. now it's only six. major garrett has more. >> reporter: connecting the dots on donald trump's daily campaign activities can be, well, kind of a challenge. foreign policy tutoring with nixon-era secretary of state henry kissinger. the list of conservatives trump might put on the supreme court. followed by yet another social media sizzler about bill clinton's sordid past. >> if hillary clinton for some reason wins, your country will never be the same. >> reporter: in an interview wednesday donald trump previewed a potential general election attack, rehashing accusations made against former president bill clinton. >> in one case it's about exposure, and in another case it's about groping and fondling and touching against a woman's will. >> and rape. >> and rape. >> and big settlements. >> reporter: known for an attack dog trump is also trying to change the perception his policies are not conservative enough. >> i have a lot of people that are conservative that really like me, love everything i stand for. >> reporter: as part of that effort trump released the names of 11 supreme court candidates he said were in the mold of late conservative icon justice antonin scalia. >> i thought what i would do is put this forward and this would be the list that i would either choose from or pick people very close. >> reporter: one person on that list, texas supreme court justice don willet, has repeatedly mocked the presumptive nominee on twitter even floating the idea trump might be a liberal in disguise and would rip off his face and reveal a laughing ruth bader ginsburg. earlier in the day trump met former secretary of state henry kissinger seeking foreign policy advice. but republicans like senator jeff flake aren't convinced trump's policies will stay consistent. >> it's a good sign that he's sitting down with foreign policy experts. now, whether that will stick and whether he'll have the same position next week as he seems to be developing now, we just don't know. >> reporter: after much internal debate trump has picked the -- lawyer to oversee his running mate. a.b. calderhouse jr. famous and infams in gop circles for leading the effort that put sarah palin on john mccain's ticket in 2008. it wasn't too long ago that it looked like the gop convention in july would be a rough and tumble affair as delegates tried to deny donald trump the nomination. now it looks like the political fireworks may ignite at the democratic convention instead. nancy cordes reports. >> reporter: sanders told cbs news he is furious that democratic officials would accuse him and his campaign of promoting violence. and now they're backing off. they're worried about more protests, but they know that a protracted conflict with their candidate might encourage more unrest. >> that is a lie. that is an outrage. >> reporter: sanders says party leaders should be ashamed for claiming he encouraged supporters to disrupt the nevada party convention. >> shame! >> reporter: because they were upset about the rules. >> i condemn all forms of violence and personal harassment. but i also condemn democratic leaders for suggesting in any way that that is what our campaign is about, that we are tinged with violence, that we're going to take violence to the democratic national committee. >> reporter: he got some backup from vice president joe biden, who was asked about the incident during a trip to ohio. >> that's not bernie. what bernie's going to have to do if that happens again, he's going to have to be more aggressive in speaking out about it. >> reporter: sanders has gotten the same message from several senate colleagues. >> the crowd was out of control. >> reporter: including california senator barbara boxer, who got caught in the chaos. >> when you boo me, you're booing bernie sanders. go ahead. >> you think he's done enough to make sure it doesn't happen again? >> i hope that behind the scenes he is telling everybody to be respectful. >> reporter: the nevada protests reminded some of the 1968 democratic convention, when vietnam war demonstrators erupted into the streets of chicago after the nomination of hubert humphrey. >> i don't want to go back to the '68 convention. because i worry about what it does to the electorate as a whole. and he should too. >> reporter: some sanders supporters have already begun posting plans to occupy the dnc convention in july, something the party chair is eager to prevent. >> everybody needs to take a step back and a deep breath. we have to make sure that we can do everything we can to maximize the likelihood of being unified. >> she initially called sanders' reaction to nevada completely inadequate and she said he put fuel on the fire. but now she says she is ready to turn the page. memorial day is right around the corner, and aaa is estimating 38 million americans will travel for the holiday. nearly 90% will go by car. most of the rest will be heading to the airport. and that's the rub. security checkpoints are already so backed up, thousands of travelers are missing their flights each week. kris van cleave has the story from chicago's mid-ware international. >> reporter: neverending lines, thousands of missed flights and passengers forced to sleep on cots, all caused by delayed security lines at chicago's busiest airport. lawmakers on capitol hill are now asking congress to intervene. >> people are missing their flights, and the airlines are losing a lot of money. this is an economic crisis as well as a passenger crisis that we believe the congress needs to step in and fix. >> reporter: on wednesday american airlines agreed to spend $4 million on additional staffing to take some of the load off the tsa. there were also calls for chicago midway international airport and o'hare international airport to hire private screeners. >> i think privatizing would absolutely be a huge efficiency and ultimately would make traveling safer for passengers, easier for passengers. >> reporter: so how did this mess happen? it started with a surge of flyers and now a record number of travelers are expected this summer. an additional 95,500 a day compared to last year. but since 2011 the tsa has lost funding and shed thousands of screener jobs. the officers union says there are 5,000 fewer tsa officers now than 2013. >> they're losing people and not replacing them at the same time they have this huge spike in travel. >> reporter: after a series of terrorist attacks overseas and screeners failing 95% of tests during a 2015 inspector general investigation, new tsa administrator peter neffenger ordered increased security at checkpoints. >> since it was created that has been a problem for them. speed versus security. and atrying to get that right balance. >> reporter: last week congress authorized tsa to use $34 million to pay overtime and hire nearly 800 additional screeners by mid june. southwest airlines ceo gary kelly. >> i do believe that the administrator has a good plan but it's just going to take a while to execute. >> reporter: all right. so this is the end of the line here at midway airport. another factor in all of this is the tsa was banking on the success of tsa precheck. that's expedited screening for pre-vetted travelers. they hoped that would offset some of the job cuts. however, sign-ups for tsa precheck have lagged by the millions. now, next week the tsa for more than half a century morley safer was a fixture here at cbs news. and now just one week after announcing his retirement morley has passed away. he died in his home in new york city. he was 84. morley safer leaves behind a treasure trove of stories from every corner of the globe. steve kroft took a look at his life and legacy for "60 minutes." >> this is morley safer reporting. >> this is morley safer. >> reporter: when he first spoke those words on television, dwight eisenhower was president. >> it all began when an officer -- >> reporter: morley and television news grew up together. >> the question remains, are the american people prepared to lose more and more young men in vietnam? >> the revolution, the original chinese revolution -- >> reporter: across the continents and across the years he covered a huge range of stories. >> last night -- >> reporter: for some his slightly old-fashioned name took some getting used to. >> okay. what's his name? morley safer. right. got it. >> my name is morley safer. >> reporter: but eventually -- >> i'm morley safer. >> reporter: it became a household name. >> i'm morley safer. >> i'm morley safer. >> i'm morley safer. >> morley safer? >> yes. himself. >> how are you? >> very well. >> hi, morley. >> hi, morley. how are you? >> reporter: everybody wanted to meet morley. well -- >> oh! >> reporter: almost everybody. >> in a sense what you're saying is that -- >> reporter: in a business that's fast moving and sometimes cutthroat, he survived and prospered, either outworking, outfoxing, or outliving everyone else. and always -- >> did you murder those patients? >> no. >> reporter: -- trying to get to the bottom of things. >> what goes through your mind? >> are these companies ashamed? what do they do down there? >> they really go after you. >> admit, it you've got a temper. >> how did we get in this fix? >> reporter: like all of us he's got his contradictions. he swears in all seriousness that looking into the camera lens, as he's done for six decades, is not his thing. >> i really don't like being on television. i find it intimidating, discomf discomfiting. it makes me uneasy. it is not natural to be talking to a piece of machinery. but the money's very good. [ phone ringing ] >> reporter: contradiction number two. though morley is impeccable in dress, manner, and thought, his office has always been a shambles. visitors are shocked to see it. an avalanche of books on art, on history, old newspapers, old scripts, remembrances of stories past. the cleaning crews were often horrified. >> they found a piece of cake behind his desk from 20 years ago. and a couple of dead mice. >> hello. >> reporter: jeff feger is the boston at "60 minutes." he and the rest of us spent many hours in that splendid mess listening to morley hold court. >> he loves being a reporter. he's always loved being a reporter. you get that when you're around him. it rubs off on you. >> reporter: from the beginning morley went to great lengths literally to find an offbeat story. >> here we are on board the good ship "dandahelu" bound from mali to furadu. >> reporter: there he is 37 years ago sailing the indian ocean to a tiny island called furadu having the time of his life. >> it is on rare days like this that you must ask, do they really pay me to do this? yes. >> reporter: it turned out there wasn't much happening in furadu, but it really didn't matter. >> are these dangerous waters here? >> reporter: the story was just getting there. ♪ texas moon is shining and there he is three years ago out in the middle of nowhere again. a tiny town called martha in west texas. cattle country. a place where cowboys live in peace and harmony with artists and hipsters. >> it's nutty. it's this cultural little hub in the middle of nowhere. we think it's the best small town in america. >> morley's stories were always an adventure. and sometimes in places people couldn't imagine going. >> reporter: in 1977 viewers traveled with him on the fabled orient express, paris to istanbul. he found out that somewhere along the way the train's romantic reputation had gone off the tracks. >> a train that once carried only first-class passengers now is made up almost entirely of second-class carriages carrying turkish migrant workers home. >> he's such a natural. he's so good at it. when you watch him you're just pulled in. >> reporter: morley's friend tom brokaw of nbc thinks there's a key element to his success. >> you have to be who you are. >> he did not take himself so seriously that he seems like some kind of a phony. when he was on television, he was morley safer. >> right here. >> and his interest and his intellect and his humor -- >> i will cut off your mike, sir. shut up! shut up, safer. >> all came through. and people saw that. >> reporter: especially the humor. morley likes to laugh. and america laughed with him. >> heel. >> reporter: he profiled barbara woodhouse, the famous and slightly dotty british dog trainer. >> left hand in front, mrs. field. >> she had the voice -- >> why are you touching her back? >> -- of an angry regimental sergeant major. >> halt. sit when i say halt. >> she would say it's time for walkies. >> walkies. >> walkies. >> reporter: the dogs would just snap to attention. >> that was excellent. >> is your wife here? >> no, she's not. >> great. >> reporter: while interviewing the muppets he was hit on by that femme fatale, miss piggy. >> morley. >> yes. >> could i see you later? >> of course. >> thank you. >> i must say she's a fascinating woman. she can be very, very aggressive. but very sexy at the same time. >> i thought "60 minutes" was a high-class show. >> reporter: morley was at his best working with producer john tiffen, two politically incorrect guys who loved doing wild and crazy stories. in 1993 they went to a tango club in finland of all places wondering how did such a hot-blooded dance wind up in such a cold-blooded place? ♪ >> the finnish tango is not to be confused with the groin-grinding passionate latin american version. the finns have managed to neutralize all that. it's a sad shuffle in a minor key. with lyrics to reaffirm a couple's instinctive sense of hopelessness. >> humor's one of the hardest things to do on television. but in a subtle way morley accomplished it on a regular basis. >> could it be the true secret of happiness is a swift kick in the pants. >> reporter: he's always had humor, authenticity and a sharp eye for the absurd. >> to the outsider thaez shows are another planet, part dazzling, part rocky horror show. models who seem as angry as they are emaciated, wearing clothes fit for a cadaver. >> reporter: but morley insists there's one element above all that's crucial for television. >> the impact is what you're saying, not so much what they're seeing. >> reporter: in other words, the writing. up until fairly recently, he did it the old-fashioned way, on a royal instead of an apple. turning out scripts that were rich in elegance and insight. >> he stares down from the podium like some benevolent bird of prey, eyes staring past that great beak. >> reporter: his writing is very much like music, whether he's profiling a man of music, conductor michael tilson thomas, or a man of the cloth. >> timothy dolan is hard to miss. this bully, overweight, cherubic irish-american charges through life like a holy bulldozer and always ready to refuel. >> stick around. get me a cold beer. >> reporter: or writing about a great name from history. >> in the french countryside he loved on the very edge of the wheat fields he painted so vividly, here lies vincent van gogh. >> he knows how to make every sentence count. without being pretentious or showing off. >> reporter: historian david mccullough is another typewriter man who knows a thing or two about writing. and he's a big fan of morley's. >> this is where she grew up. southwest d.c. guns were the music of the street. drugs were the currency. and the violence was not operatic. >> his narration, his story gave to whatever the camera was showing a depth and a human value that it wouldn't have had if anybody else had been doing it. >> in your most idle moment are you hearing music? >> it's a 24-hour radio. >> you can see that full report and much more of morley safer's work on our website, cbsnews.com. the "overnight news" will be right back. it's powerful formula removes everyday stains the first time. which is bad news for stains, and good news for you. spray 'n wash. back 'n better. this pimple's gonna aw com'on.ver. clearasil ultra works fast to begin visibly clearing up skin in as little as 12 hours. and acne won't last forever. just like your mom won't walk in on you... forever. let's be clear. clearasil works fast. ♪ i don't think that's how they're made. klondike hooks up with tasty flavors... the best ice cream bars ever conceived. jill and kate use the same dishwasher. same detergent. but only jill ends up with wet, spotty glasses. kate adds finish jet-dry with five power actions that dry dishes and prevent spots and film, so all that's left is the shine. for better results, use finish jet-dry. sir, this alien life form at an alarming rate. growing fast, you say? we can't contain it any long... oh! you know, that reminds me of how geico's been the fastest-growing auto insurer for over 10 years straight. over ten years? mhm, geico's the company your friends and neighbors trust. and deservedly so. indeed. geico. expect great savings and a whole lot more. well, it didn't take long for marijuana sales to go from the street corner to high-class dispensaries, and now that it's becoming more mainstream, pot is attracting a new generation of users. seniors. barry petersen has the story. >> reporter: these seniors are learning how to fill their prescriptions -- >> i'm using it for pain. >> for pain? okay. >> reporter: at a pot shop. >> it's got triangle kush. >> reporter: in california, where medical marijuana is legal. >> let me get two aiths of that. >> reporter: they want to know the highs and lows of marijuana use. >> just three of those. >> reporter: for the aches and pains of growing old. >> like with all medication, how to use it. >> reporter: 80-year-old eva aguilera uses it to help with mobility. >> every medication has a risk. i've made my choice. >> reporter: seniors account for only 14% of the nation's population, but they use more than 30% of all prescription drugs, including some highly addictive painkillers. so pot is fast becoming a pill alternative. marijuana use is up 53% with the 55 and over crowd. >> i want the 500 milligram. >> $20. >> reporter: harborside in oakland is one of california's largest medical dispensaries. >> the first stop we're going to make is here. >> reporter: owner steve deangelo wants more seniors to make the switch. >> there's an ironic, almost tragic phenomenon, which is that seniors who are one of the groups who can most benefit from using cannabis are the single group that remains most opposed to changing cannabis laws. >> reporter: that opposition started when seniors were just juniors. kids growing up with movies like "reefer madness." >> marijuana the burning weed with its roots in hell. >> reporter: and government anti-drug campaigns. >> just say no today. >> reporter: it's still illegal under federal law but now almost half of americans live in a state where medical or recreational pot is legal. >> over age 50 is the biggest group starting to use marijuana. >> starting? >> yeah, starting to use marijuana. >> reporter: leyland ruckel is in colorado, where two years ago pot went on sale for recreational use. rucker has been using it since the '70s. >> it's been a really positive thing in my life. as a writer it's the best way -- being stoned is a good way to work. >> reporter: minds like the times are changing. this year marijuana use is expected to appear on the ballot in at least a dozen states. barry petersen, oakland, california. we've been following the trek of two american mountain climbers trying to reach the top of mt. everest without the aid of oxygen. what makes them unique is they've been posting their adventure online as it happens. well, they're making the final assault on the summit. dana jacobson reports. >> windy. >> reporter: when adrian ballinger and cory richards faced a brutal storm -- >> tent collapsing on itself. >> reporter: -- with winds approaching 50 miles per hour. >> we got out and dug it out. >> reporter: their bodies were already depleted from climbing to nearly 25,000 feet, where the air is thin. >> your body is literally starved of oxygen. so everything that you do makes you out of breath. >> we've made the decision now that with this kind of weather no seeming breaks, we've got to go down. >> whoo! >> we were battered the next morning. and what you're seeing in the photographs and sort of the snaps is just pure exhaustion. >> we just got our asses handed to us. >> reporter: ballinger has led over 100 climbing expeditions on five continents as the owner of alpineglow expeditions. while richards was named one of national geographic's adventurers of the year in 2012. they're both part of eddie bauer's guide and athlete team. >> they break us to the edge, and finding where that edge is and then figuring out if we can still achieve the -- that's what i love about this. >> here we go again. >> so the very next day we woke back up. the weather looked good. we felt okay. and we went and decided to tag as high as we possibly could on the mountain. >> reporter: in order to eventually claim without oxygen to the top of everest at more than 29,000 feet, the two men have to adjust to higher altitude slowly. they do this by climbing the mountain in stages with rests at lower elevations in between to let their bodies recover. >> going climbing. >> reporter: just one day after the storm they pushed over 26,000 feet, an elevation known to many climbers by another name. >> the death zone. ♪ dun, dun, dun >> exactly. as you go higher your body simply can't regenerate. and every minute spent above that altitude puts you without trying to be too dramatic here, puts you closer to death. >> reporter: they planned to make their final push after most of the other climbers on the mountain who are using extra oxygen, have summited, giving them a clear path to the top. >> without oxygen we can't stop moving. if we stop moving we'll freeze. we need a day without a lot of other people on the route and we think we're going to get that in about a week's time. >> fingers crossed. captioning funded by cbs it's friday, may 20th, 2016. this is the "cbs morning news." more than 24 hours since it disappear period, and still no sign of egyptair flight 804. while search teams scour the mediterranean for any trace of the doomed airliner, we're getting an idea of what the flight's final moments were like. here we are on board the good ship dandehelu bound for mally. >> and remembering morely safer. cbs says good-bye to the legendary "60 minutes" correspondent, an e