the "cbs overnight news" will be right back. the white house said today it is the insult of a fallen sailor to criticize last month's s.e.a.l. team 6 raid in yemen. yesterday, the chairman of the senate armed services committee, john mccain, said the raid was a failure. in addition to the death of chief ryan owens, several other americans were wounded. 15 civilians were killed, and a u.s. aircraft was lost. this was the president's spokesman today. >> i think anybody who undermines the success of that raid, owes an apology and a disservice to the life of chief owens. the yemeni government said today that it wants to reassess its cooperation with u.s. forces. a recent cbs news poll found th a president's ban on citizens from seven predominantly muslim countries. 45% approve, 51% disapprove. 40% approve of the overall job that the president is doing, and dean reynolds talked to some of them in wisconsin. >> reporter: we've been visiting franks diner in kenosha regularly, not just for pancakes the size of catchers' mitts, but for presidential politics, too. what grade would you give the president so far? >> i'd have to break it in two. an "a" for intentions and a "d" for implementation. >> reporter: every trump supporter here said the roll-out had been rocky, but like local businessman glenn woods, they blame the president's opponents for making things worse. >> at the moment, the democratic strategy seems to be make them stand in fire ants, and eventually he'll run away. >> reporter: we asked joseph centeno about presidential falsehoods, mr. trump's charge that the news media ignored millions voted illegally in the last election. do you believe millions of votes were cast illegally? >> i don't have any proof either way. >> reporter: as for fake news? do you think somebody from cbs is going to do fake news, going to make up something? >> i would hope that that's not the case. >> reporter: nearby, dick gentz and larry rasch thought the president should take a breath. >> i think some of the things he's done probably should have been done a little slower. >> reporter: the executive order on immigration? >> i don't think he gave it enough thought. i thought he may change after the election. once he became president, he would be more presidential. it hasn't gotten to that point yet. >> reporter: they both dismissed anti-trump protests, like the big one in washington. what did you think about that? >> oh, i thought that was the worst. i mean, the vulgarity, and the violence that they espoused. it's not the way we should be doing things. i mean, we had an election. okay, you move forward. he won. let him do his job. >> reporter: and that's what we heard over and over from mr. trump's supporters here, scott. they said "give the president a chance." >> dean reynolds as we continue to listen to the people. dean, thank you. we have learned tonight of a security threat to the president's inauguration last month. our homeland security correspondent jeff pegues has discovered that hackers managed to disable much of the vast network of security cameras in washington and hold them for ransom. >> i, donald john trump do solemnly swear. >> reporter: eight days before president trump was sworn in, hackers breached traffic and security cameras around washington, d.c. the cameras were part of the security setup for the inauguration and were being monitored at this fbi command center. there are 187 cameras in the city, monitoring everything from the white house, to the capitol to the inaugural parade route, and about 70% of them had been commandeered. chris caruso is leading the investigation for the secret service. there must have been a real concern about identifying who was behind it before the inauguration? >> yes, there was a great concern that we figure out who did this, why they did it, and, again, mitigate it so that way it wasn't in effect anymore. >> reporter: within hours of being notified, the secret service was able to zero in on potential suspects in britain. police there arrested a man and a woman the day before the inauguration. but the investigation is expanding to more countries. secret service electronic crimes task forces based in rome and paris are now also working the case. the malware that infected the cameras and servers has been identified as ransomware, which hackers have used in the past to take over computer systems and then extort money from cities, companies, and hospitals. did the people behind it make any sort of demand? >> i can't speak specifically about what the secret service found with this investigation at this point. >> reporter: if they did, you can't talk about it. >> that's correct. >> reporter: in the end, the cameras were taken off line for 48 hours and reconfigured. no ransom money was paid, and, scott, the cameras were fully operational for the inauguration. investigators have not ruled out that this was a state-sponsored operation. >> jeff pegues, breaking the story tonight. thank you, jeff. winter weather is expected to storm back to the east coast tonight from washington to boston. already at least 2500 flights have been canceled. there was a 30-car pileup in boston but no serious injuries. chief meteorologist eric fisher is tracking the storms at our boston station wbz. eric, what are we in for? >> well, scott, quite a wild weather ride we're on. we had some near record warmth today. even some 70s in washington, d.c. now winter storm warnings out in those same locations, even blizzard warnings for parts of long island and massachusetts. this is weekly deepening into the day tomorrow. big shield of snow across new york city, philly, into boston and parts of northern new england. and then exiting tomorrow night. after that warmth, 6 to 12 inches of snow around philadelphia, near a foot in new york, over a foot in boston, as well as hartford. behind this, some subzero numbers by tomorrow night. eric fisher, thanks. the tornado that plowed through new orleans east yesterday was the most powerful ever recorded in the area. an ef-3 with winds up to 165 miles an hour. at least 60 homes and businesses were dad. seriously. coming up next, a mother's harrowing tale of being forced to give birth in jail. ♪ you know how painful heartburn can be. for fast-acting, long-lasting relief, try doctor recommended gaviscon. it quickly neutralizes stomach acid and helps keep acid down for hours. relieve heartburn with fast- acting, long-lasting gaviscon. and helps keep acid down for hours. "best cracked pepper sauce" barbeque trophies: "most ribs eaten while calf roping". yep. greatness deserves recognition. you got any trophies, cowboy? uh, yea, well, uh... well, there's this one. "best insurance mobile app"? yep, three years in a row. well i'll be! does that thing just follow you around? like a little puppy. the award-winning geico app. download it today. ok, it says you apply the blue okone to me.y this. here? no. ah ok, here? maybe you should read the directions. have a little fun together, or a lot. k-y yours and mine. two sensations that work together, so you can play together. k-y yours and mine. my swthis scarf all thatsara. left to remem... what! she washed this like a month ago the long lasting scent of gain flings or yellow stains on your clothes? use new degree ultraclear black + white. no white marks on black clothes. and no yellow stains on white. so your white clothes stay white... and your black clothes stay black. ♪ choose degree ultraclear black + white. it won't let you down. cough doesn't sound so good. take mucinex dm. i'll text you in 4 hours when your cough returns. one pill lasts 12 hours, so... looks like i'm good all night! some cough medicines only last 4 hours. but just one mucinex lasts 12 hours. let's end this. a mother who went through a distressing delivery behind bars wants to see changes in the treatment of incarcerated women. she shared h s demarco morgan. >> when i do look at elijah, sometimes i do go right back to that moment. you know, i can remember hearing him cry, and i can remember when they held him up and showed him to me, how small he was. >> reporter: jessica preston remembers the day she says nine-month-old elijah was born on a dirty jail floor. >> it just didn't have to happen. that's really what blows my mind. >> reporter: eight months pregnant, preston was pulled over for driving with a suspended license last year. unable to pay the $10,000 cash bond, preston waited behind bars at the macomb county jail. >> they told me to knock my crap off, stop lying to them. they could put another charge on me if i -- if i kept lying to them. >> reporter: as labor pains intensified, surveillance video shows preston went to the infirmary three times. she finally gave birth without a doctor present. how did this make you feel? >> i was scared. i mean, i was terrified. i was so worried for both of us that -- thit could -- could catch something and, you know, it would be life threatening. >> reporter: sheriff tony wickersham said the jail's medical staff properly attended to preston. >> i know 100% that our people did what they needed to do. at some point she probably would have been sent to the hospital but the baby came before that happened. >> reporter: your words for the sheriff? >> i know he said they were holding me because i had prior warrants. and yeah, you're right, i did. but what does that have to do with taking me to the hospital when i'm in labor? >> reporter: both mom and baby are okay. scott, after being checked out at the hospital, she had to go back to jail for five days. >> demarco morgan for us. thank you, demarco. we'll be back in just a moment. i'm joy bauer, and as a nutritionist i know probiotics can often help. try digestive advantage. it is tougher than your stomach's harsh environment, so it surivies a hundred times better than the leading probiotic. get the digestive advantage. we made a mistake in a story on friday night. we'd like to tell you about it. in a story on price increases for naloxone, a drug used to treat heroin overdoses, we incorrectly showed a drug called narcan. that's a brand name of naloxone that is a nasal spray recently approved by the fda. while some forms of naloxone have undergone price increases-- the point of our story-- the price of narcan nasal spray has never changed, and the company that makes it, adapt pharma, offers a 40% discount for first responders. we regret the error. up next, a role model for living longer and stronger. in our new series "living stronger," we're celebrating older americans whose zest for life is an inspiration for people of every age. here's michelle miller at the gym. >> reporter: at this high-intensity workout in new york city, jacinto bonilla is redefining what it means to be physically fit. for an hour, bonilla keeps up with the repetitious crossfit routine-- jumping on a 24-inch box, doing upside down pushups, and climbing a 15-foot rope, all alongside gym members more than half his age. at 77 years old, why push yourself this hard? >> because i like it. i love it. i want to stay out of the nursing home. >> reporter: bonilla is the oldest man to compete in the crossfit games, going up against men a decade younger. crossfit is the fastest growing fitness movement in the world. in 2008, bonilla stopped training for two months to take on his biggest challenge yet. he was fighting prostate cancer. >> i got a little emotional about this. >> reporter: why? >> i have always been in healthy shape. i always watched what i ate, and i came down with prostate cancer. and i had it taken out. and then i started coming back. >> reporter: now cancer free, bonilla has challenged crossfitters around the world. each year they mark his birthday by doing six exercises like pushups, squats, and the kettle bell swing, to match his age. >> if i do it this year, all the exercise, it would be 78 tim >> in one sitting. >> give me that last one. >> reporter: two years ago when no one would give him a job as a crossfit trainer, he built a gym in his basement and got his own clients, including former navy s.e.a.l. luke mason. >> he's got years of experience on me, you know, what i mean? he's a testament. i mean, the guy's 77 years old. he's got something to teach. >> reporter: would you say this is your own fountain of youth? >> yes, i love being strong. i love being able to do a lot of things that a lot of young people cannot do or are not willing to do. >> reporter: motivation, inspiration, perspiration-- his recipe for living stronger. michelle miller, cbs news, new york. >> and that's the "overnight news" for this thursday. for some of you the news continues. for others check back with us a little bit later for the morning news and be sure not to miss "cbs this morning." from the broadcast center in new york city, i'm scott pelley. this is the "cbs overnight news." welcome to the "overnight news." i'm don dahler. the political and military fallout is growing over the first commando raid ordered by president trump. the government of yemen stopped short of banning future u.s. ground missions but insists the pentagon must notify yemeni officials ahead of time. the white house claims the raid was designed to collect information on al qaeda targets in yemen, but an hour-long firefight left a u.s. navy s.e.a.l. dead, three others wounded, and a u.s. aircraft destroyed. white house press secretary sean spicer insists the mission was a success. >> it's absolutely a success. i think anyone who would suggest it's not a success does disservice to the life of chief ryan owens. >> david martin has the other >> this is a major setback for a planned military campaign against the branch of al qaeda officials consider to be the one most likely to launch terrorist attacks against the u.s. pictures from the aftermath bore signs of an operation gone wrong. 14 al qaeda operatives were killed in the january 29th raid, but also at least 15 civilians. the yemeni government is outrained by the civilian casualties. under the cover of night, s.e.a.l. team 6 advanced towards an al qaeda compound but were pinned down and called in an air strike, killing militants and civilians inside. the team then raided the compound. chief petty officer ryan owens was killed and a medevac aircraft crash landed and had to be destroyed. critics said any operation that life cannot be considered a success. but the white house calls it exactly that. >> i think anybody who undermines the success of that raid owes an apology and is a disservice to the life of chief petty officer owens. the action that was taken in yemen was a huge success. american lives will be saved because of it. future attacks will be prevented. the life of chief ryan owens was done in service to this country, and we owe him and his family a great debt for the information that we received during that raid. i think any suggestion otherwise is a disservice to his courageous life and the actions that he took, full stop. what was the first part? >> is that your message to senator john mccain? >> these my message to anybody who says that. >> reporter: the purpose of the raid was to gather intelligence to be used in future operations against al qaeda in yemen. now that yemen has withdrawn its raids appears in doubt, and the first military operation personally approved by president trump as commander in chief appears to have backfired. president trump had more harsh words for the federal appeals court which will decide whether or not his travel ban is legal. mr. trump insists his executive order is "beautifully written and done for the security of our nation." and he said the court hearing itself was disgraceful. jan crawford reports. >> reporter: two of the three judges appeared skeptical of arguments presented by a justice department lawyer making the case on behalf of the government who said the states challenging the ban have not case. but immigration law gives the president discretion on national security, and the order not a muslim ban and does not discriminate based on race or religion. >> plaintiffs have submitted evidence that they suggest shows that that was the motivation, why shouldn't the case proceed perhaps to discovery to see if that was the motivation or not? >> we're not saying the case shouldn't proceed, but it is extraordinary for a court to enjoin the president's national security determination based on some newspaper articles. that's what has happened here. >> reporter: on the other side, the lawyer for washington and minnesota, noah purcell, argued the ban does hurt their states and violates numerous constitutional provisions and amounts to discrimination ban against muslims. >> a total and complete shutdown of muslims entering the united states. >> reporter: he pointed to mr. trump's lrhetoric during the presidential campaign. but one judge pressed purcell how the seven-nation ban discriminated against muslims and asked why the president can't put limits on countries with significant tri >> i have trouble understanding why we're supposed to infer religious animus when the vast majority of muslims would not be affected as residents of those nations, and where the concern for terrorism with those connected with terrorism is hard to deny. >> reporter: president trump tweeted this morning, if the u.s. does not win this case, we can never have the security and safety to which we are entitled. politics. the ninth circuit is considered the most liberal in the country, so many have predicted the administration will not lose at this point. but that is not the end of the legal fight. people in louisiana and mississippi are still picking up the pieces after tuesday's violent storms spawned devastating tornadoes. power was knocked out to tens of thousands. dozens were hurt. but thankfully no one was killed. some and around new orleans. david begnaud is there. >> reporter: this is new orleans east. they had up to two or three feet of water during hurricane katrina, and i cannot tell you how many people said to me this was worse in katrina in that they had so little time to get to a safe place. we're about to show you video that is incredible to watch when you consider the fury of mother nature. the first tornado hit at 10:00 in the morning and kept popping up and nailing this area for the next two hours. as nearly half dozen powerful tornadoes barreled through southeastern louisiana, people recorded the destruction as it happened. debris filled the air, and dangerous winds flipped and pushed what appears to be a trailer through a mall parking lot. surveillance footage shows the roof of a building blowing off and smashing into parked cars. in the back ground, an 18-wheeler is flipped on its side. a tornado destroyed homes and knocked out power to thousands of people in the new orleans area. this nasa assembly facility was also damaged in the storm. >> as soon as i sat down, poof, the roof went off. >> reporter: cheryl mcbride's house collapsed around her as she took cover in the bathtub. what would have fallen on you had you not gone in the tub? on tuesday afternoon, rescue crews went door to door. >> i'm heartened with the fay folks responded here. >> reporter: while the governor praised the efficient response, it is a grim reminder of past tragedies this state has endured. >> there was no warning. with a flood, you know it's coming. you have time to prepare and evacuate. i had time to do nothing. >> reporter: being from louisiana, i can tell you from personal experience, these people are as ms. mcbride said yesterday, i ain't got time to complain. i'm too grateful. you can pick up cold & flu viruses from things in your home for up to 48 hours? it's like having a sick family member that you didn't even know was there. and we all know what happens when one family member gets sick. but lysol spray and lysol wipes kill 99.9% of germs including 8 common cold & flu viruses to help protect your home. this cold and flu season help keep your home happy and healthy and lysol that. the grammy awards will be handed out on sunday, and you can catch it right here on cbs. it's not only singers, musicians, songwriters and producers being honored. each year a special award goes to the finest music teacher in the land. michelle miller has this year's winner. >> reporter: chosen from more than 3300 nominees, the winner of the grammys music educator of the year is keith hancock. hancock is the creative force behind the coral program in rancho santa margarita, california. his students affectionately call him "mr. h.," and as he told me along with the music, there's a message for all these young minds to absorb. ♪ for 15 years, this music man has been translating songs sung in 26 different languages, so his students understand the stories behind the music. ♪ >> we have a beautiful ability as musicians to have great texts, some of the best poems that have ever been written. and we take these, and i find a way for the students to connect into their own lives. >> reporter: when keith hancock first launched his program in 2002, he had just 35 students. today, he leads 225. music became his passion when he discovered choir as a teen. is there a message in the music? >> oh, for sure. it's family, it's love, 's ♪ the music that we sing ranges from the ecstasy and the joy of life, to the deep pain and sorrow that we experience. but knowing how to live life through the midst of all that is really important. >> reporter: would you say that mr. hancock is what made high school for you? >> 100%. >> yeah. >> no doubt. >> every lunch i ate, it was in the choir room. >> reporter: hanna spencer and aaron are among close to 1,000 former students who are still in touch with mr. h. >> he connects on a personal level with every single student. >> i got such an amazing musical experience in his classes, that it inspired me to go on and do what he does. so i want to become a choir teacher some day. >> reporter: it sounds like what he does is, through choir, he brings life into cont >> absolutely. >> totally. makes music so important. >> so you have to hang back in the texture right now to let the melody really shine through. >> reporter: mr. h. hands out a list of life lessons, something he calls hancock's laws. these include live your life with passion, and don't put anything on your credit card that you can't pay off in a month. >> i went into teaching thinking it was all about the music, and what i quickly realized after that, that music is just an avenue to teach them how to live their lives. >> reporter: these days, connor is a minor league player with the new york yankees. newly engaged, he revealed how one of hancock's laws played a part. >> that was the one thing i was thinking about, hancock law, i need to see all four seasons of the year. we dated two and a half years before i popped the question. officiating my wedding. >> i didn't know that. >> reporter: images of the thousands who have participated in his award winning program cover the walls. through the years, the choirs have performed in concert halls, cathedrals and castles around the world. and his students have gone on to success in every facet of the music business. >> this is a calling for you. >> or sure. i always tell people this profession chose me. it was something i had to do. ♪ >> reporter: from sacred to secular, there's no limit for mr. h. and the students he inspires. ♪ [ applause ] >> music in the classroom is study? that's another matter. a public school in west virginia is being sued by parents who say the local bible study program is unconstitutional. mercer county officials claim they're teaching the bible as literature and history. amanda copal reports. >> the bible program is extremely popular in that community, but in the new lawsuit the parents argue that popular is really not the same as legal. thomas has built a deep relationship with god. as a parent, she appreciates her daughter teaguen can continue that relationship at school. >> it's very important what we teach at school can be moved on to the school and instilled there and moved to the church and instilled there so it goes in a circle. >> reporter: the school portion of that circle is provided by a program called bible in schools. it is a >> it's the bible. >> reporter: is that a yes? >> i would say. it's the bible. it's not a baptist bible. it's not a presbyterian bible. it's the bible. and it is god. >> reporter: created by volunteers in 1939, the program now provides more than 4,000 kids a weekly course of bible study. how do you like class? >> i like it very much, because i want to learn all of the stuff in the bible. >> we love bible class! >> reporter: the voluntary program is paid for through private donations and administered by the school district. the enrollment rate among the county's 19 elementary schools is 96%. do all the kids in your class go to bible class, too? >> only one goes out and plays on the computer, because she can't -- she can't hear what the bible says. >> reporter: how come? >> because her dad just doesn't want her to he >> reporter: what do you think about that? >> i think that's bad. she needs to go to bible class. >> reporter: comments like these are part of what attracted the freedom from religion foundation, a wisconsin based lobby for the separation of church and state. in a lawsuit filed last month with jane doe, a mother of a mercer county kindergartener, the group accused the county of running bible indoctrination classes. >> that burden should not be on the school system. >> reporter: elizabeth diehl leaves the program violates the rights of parents who wish to keep public school a secular place. she moved her daughter, sophie, out of the school system after she was bullied. >> they told her that she was going to hell, that i was going to hell, that her father was going to hell. >> reporter: how did you feel when you heard that? >> that was very hurtful, pause she's my daughter. >> reporter: mercy county school said the bible is worthy of studies for its literary qualities. >> to completely eliminate a bible course could be an unprecedented and drastic step. the only issue that ever arises is any kind of implementation. >> the public school would have to ensure that it had a secular purpose. >> reporter: nelson is a professor of constitutional law. >> because this program and programs like it are structured just around the bible, courts will be skeptical as to whether they really have that kind of neutral impact. >> reporter: for teaguen, she just hopes her class stays. how would you feel if bible class went away? >> i would feel kind of angry and sad. ok, it says you apply the blue okone to me.y this. here? no. ah ok, here? maybe you should read the directions. have a little fun together, or a lot. k-y yours and mine. two sensations that work together, so you can play together. k-y yours and mine. hambone! sally! 22! hut hut! tiki barber running a barber shop? yes!!! surprising. yes!!! what's not surprising? how much money david saved by switching to geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more. who's next? i'm joy bauer, and as a nutritionist i know probiotics can often help. try digestive advantage. it is tougher than your stomach's harsh environment, so it surivies a hundred times better than the leading probiotic. get the digestive advantage. climate change is causing sea levels to rise all around the world, and each year ocean water destroys millions of acres of crops. well, an experimental farm in the netherlands may have found an answer to that problem. mark phillips has that story. >> reporter: climate change science is asking a new question -- could the response to rising sea levels and more frequent storms be this, the humble potato? not just any garden variety, but most won't, an increasingly saltily world. in some places like pakistan, they've given up trying to grow crops. the solution to that problem is being sought on this experimental farm in the netherlands, by a man they call the potato whisperer. how are you finding out what works? >> simply by letting the plants tell us which is salt and which isn't. >> reporter: the plant speaks, says mark. he can hear them. >> i think there is much more knowledge in the plants than there is in the scientists. >> reporter: the plants are smarter than the scientists? >> yes, definitely. >> reporter: they know what they like. >> if they die, they give you a statement. and fortunately, we don't have to kill our >> reporter: nobody knows more about dealing with encroaching saltwater than the dutch. a quarter of the netherlands lies below sea level. as the oceans rise, that saltwater has been sweeping through the dikes onto farmland. on the remote island of tessle, they've been running a controlled, real world experiment, planting hundreds of varieties of potato, and ingating them with increasingly salty water to see if any survive. some, between 5% and 10%, do. but there would be no point unless those survivors are also edible. so they run a taste test against normal fresh water potatoes. >> i'll try the brown one first. it tastes like a potato. and the other one tastes like -- a good potato, but different. >> i'm betting this is the salty one. >> you're absolutely right, mark. >> reporter: so far, so interesting. but there's a real world application to this work. back in pakistan. the dutch have been sending their salt resistant seed potatoes to the areas the farmers have given up on. and when they're planted, they grow. it works for other vegetables, too, says aaron, a botanist at amsterdam university who runs the project. >> even with brakish water, you can grow food up to 100% field. or half seawater. we have carrots that grow on half seawater salinity. these carrots can feed many people worldwide. >> reporter: and the potato whisperer is prepared to give them a recipe. >> we can make onions, carrots, and potatoes for the people in bangladesh and pakistan. and then they have a proper meal. >> reporter: a little curry spice on your every farm can be called ground breaking. this one really is. legendary trumpet player winton marsales calls his program the music of democracy. jericka duncan has his story from the birthplace of jazz, new orleans. ♪ >> reporter: this is no ordinary class. it's part jazz, part american history. the key lesson, that jazz and democracy are based on the same principles. >> look at our band. >> reporter: bassist barry stevenson. >> so we all look the same? >> no. >> do you think we all think the same? >> no. >> reporter: 9-year-old sasha etheridge attends this school in new orleans. >> the have their own specialty, just brilliant, amazing. >> reporter: third grader atlantis is also in the class. do you prefer to hear one instrument or all of them togethersome >> all of them together. because one instrument could be the beat, one could be effects. so it all comes together to make music. >> reporter: legendary musician winton marsales is behind this program here in new york. ultimately, what do you want these children to take away from this program? >> three things that we teach. one, through the blues we teach you that things happen in life. through swinging, we teach you to work together with people. and through improvisation, we teach you that you have a unique identity. >> reporter: he says you can't the same for politics. >> if you take integrity out of the form, you can't play jazz, because first, i'm going to solo all night. >> see how it's not as loud? >> reporter: 60 inner city schools in the u.s. and abroad are benefitting from a $1 million rockefeller foundation grant. >> everyone has a talent. and if we put all those talents together, it can make something that no one has ever thought of before. ♪ >> reporter: faces of optimism, just like jazz. jericka duncan, cbs news, new orleans. ♪ when the saints go marching in ♪ >> looks like they're having fun, too. that's the "overnight news" for this thursday. 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 rk a rebuke from his own nominee. the president draws fire from his supreme court pick after mr. trump attacks the judges hearing the immigration ban. >> i listened to a bunch of stuff last night on television that was disgraceful. and the president judges his own ability to read the law. >> i comprehend very well, okay, better than i think almost anybody. also tonight, trump supporters say give him some time. >> he won. let him do his job. she says her pleas to jail guards for medical help were ignored. >> they told me to knock my crap off. >> until she gave birth in her cell. and living stronger. he wants you to know that this is what 77 can look like. ♪ >> this is the "cbs overnight news." president trump ridiculed the three federal judges who are considering whether to reinstate his immigration ban. the president said a bad high school student could do better. then, mr. trump's own supreme court nominee called the president's attack on the federal judiciary "disheartening and abhorrent." mr. trump nominated appeals court judge neil gorsuch just nine days ago. margaret brennan is at the white house. >> and i'm very proud to have picked judge gorsuch, who i think is going to be an outstanding member of the supreme court. outstanding. >> reporter: speaking to a gathering of sheriffs today, president trump praised his supreme court nominee neil gorsuch. bucr government he works for, attacking a federal court for scrutinizing the president's temporary travel ban. >> courts seem to be so political, and it would be so great for our justice system if they would be able to read a statement and do what's right. >> reporter: the attack on the judicial branch stunned judge gorsuch, who told senators on capitol hill he felt mr. trump's recent comments were "disheartening and demoralizing." mr. trump's travel ban was put on hold by a federal judge last week. >> 212-"f." >> reporter: today the president recited the law he believes justifies the order. >> and it couldn't have been written any more precisely. it's not like, "oh, gee, we wish it were written better." it was written beautifully. >> reporter: yesterday, three federal appeals court judges heard arguments on whether to reinstate mr. trump's travel ban. an audio feed of the hearing was broadcast widely on television. >> and i was a good student. i understand things. i comprehend very well. okay. better than i think almost anybody. and i want to tell you, i listened to a bunch of stuff last night on television that was disgraceful. it was disgraceful. >> reporter: president trump argued the country is at risk because his executive order is not being enforced right now. >> terrorism is a far greater threat than the people of our country understand, but we're going to take care of it. >> reporter: the white house released a list of 24 people from the banned countries, some of whom went on to become u.s. citizens. but, scott, they targeted americans or had links to terrorism. >> margaret brennan at the white house. this evening the senate confirmed jeff sessions to be the next attorney general, the nation's top law enforcement officer. last night republicans invoked an arcane rule to silence a democratic critic of senator criticism of a fellow senator. it was written in 1902 after a fistfight on the senate floor. nancy cordes is calling this bout. >> reporter: did you expect to get reprimanded? >> no, i did not. >> reporter: a supposedly silenced elizabeth warren had a lot to say today about her public rebuke. >> this republican-controlled senate says that i have to sit down, be quiet. >> the senator will take her seat. >> reporter: warren's transgression was reading out loud from a 1986 letter coretta scott king wrote about alabama senator jeff sessions. >> "mr. sessions has used the awesome power of his office to chill the free exercise of the vote by black citizens." >> reporter: republican leaders accused warren of impugning a fellow senator who is now up for attorney general. >> she was warned. she was given an explanation. nevertheless, she persiste >> reporter: today, defiant democrats took turns reading the letter themselves, with no repercussions. >> "mr. sessions has used the awesome power of his office -- >> "to chill the free exercise of the vote by black citizens." >> reporter: and they noted republicans weren't punished from disparaging colleagues in 2015 -- >> a flat-out lie. >> reporter: and 2016. >> with his cancerous leadership. >> look, it was a diatribe for most of the evening. >> reporter: utah republican orrin hatch argues warren's attacks -- >> give me a break. >> reporter: were more extensive. if democrats had concerns about his civil rights record, shouldn't they be able to talk about that? >> of course, of course, they should. but they ought to tell the truth, too. >> reporter: he and other republicans insist that sessions' record on race has been distorted for decades. which is partly what set them off last night. they just voted, scott, to confirm senator sessions and warren's gag orderas lifted. president trump said he was defending his daughter when he criticized nordstrom for dropping her clothing line. here's jericka duncan. >> reporter: in the midst of a busy day, the president of the united states found time to tweet this -- my daughter ivanka has been treated so unfairly by nordstrom. last week, nordstrom announced it would no longer buy ivanka trump merchandise, based on the brand's performance. days before that announcement, nordstrom executives sent out this company-wide email, offering support to anyone affected by president trump's executive order on immigration. white house press secretary sean spicer. >> there's clearly an attempt for him to stand up for her because she is being maligned because they have a problem with his policies. >> reporter: president trump's ongoing involvement in trump family business is a problem, says richard painter, chief ethics lawyer for president ge >> we cannot have him out there shilling for the family businesses on twitter or anywhere else. >> these papers -- >> reporter: mr. trump still owns his businesses and profits from them, despite transferring control last month to a trust run by his sons. the paperwork is incomplete in delaware, where the majority of trump businesses, over 300 of them, are registered. trump has until march 1 to resign from his corporation. >> i do think he's brought this on himself. it's unfortunate, because he has experience and know-how in the private sector that could be very valuable for the job as president. but so far, he's not conducting himself in a way that is consistent with the duties of that office. >> reporter: meanwhile, the u.s. military is considering renting space here at trump tower. scott, the department of defense spokesman says it's needed to support the personnel and equipment when the president is in new york. >> jericka duncan in manhattan. jericka, thank you. thbse "crn will be right back. speaker 1: noises like that used to make me hit the deck. but now, i can keep going. speaker 2: don't get me wrong, i still don't love crowded places. but it's good to get out again. speaker 3: transitioning from the military can be tough. but many veterans are facing similar challenges. visit maketheconnection.net to watch our stories, and learn ways to create the story you want to live. the white house said today it is the insult of a fallen sailor to criticize last month's s.e.a.l. team 6 raid in yemen. yesterday, the chairman of the senate armed services committee, john mccain, said the raid was a failure. in addition to the death of chief ryan owens, several other americans were wounded. 15 civilians were killed, and a u.s. aircraft was lost. this was the president's spokesman today. >> i think anybody who undermines the success of that raid, owes an apology and a disservice to the life of chief owens. >> the yemeni government said today that it wants to reassess its cooperation with u.s. forces. a recent cbs news poll found that americans are split on the president's ban on citizens from seven predominantly muslim countries. 45% approve, 51% disapprove. 40% approve of the overall job that the president is doing, and dean reynolds talked to some of them in wisconsin. >> reporter: we've been visiting frank's diner in kenosha regularly, not just for pancakes the size of catchers' mitts, but for presidential politics, too. what grade would you give the president so far? >> i'd have to break it in two. an "a" for intentions and a "d" for implementation. >> reporter: every trump supporter here said the roll-out had been rocky, but like local businessman glenn woods, they blame the president's opponents for making things worse. >> at the moment, the democratic strategy seems to be make them stand in fire ants, and eventually he'll run away. >> reporter: we asked joseph centeno about presidential falsehoods, mr. trump's charge that the news media ignored terrorist attacks or that millions voted illegally in the last election. do you believe millions of votes were cast illegally? >> i don't have any proof either way. >> reporter: as for fake news? do you think somebody from cbs is going to do fake news, going to make up something? >> i would hope that that's not the case. >> reporter: nearby, dick gentz and larry rasch thought the president should take a breath. >> i think some of the things he's done probably should have been done a little slower. >> reporter: the executive order on immigration? >> i don't think he gave it enough thought. i thought he may change after the election. once he became president, he would be more presidential. it hasn't gotten to that point yet. >> reporter: they both dismissed anti-trump protests, like the big one in washington. what did you think about that? >> oh, i thought that was the worst. i mean, the vulgarity, and the violence that they espoused. it's not the way we should be doing things. i mean, we had an election. okay, you move forward. he won. let him do his job. >> reporter: and that's what we heard over and over from mr. trump's supporters here, scott. they said "give the president a chance." >> dean reynolds as we continue to listen to the people. dean, thank you. we have learned tonight of a security threat to the president's inauguration last month. our homeland security correspondent jeff pegues has discovered that hackers managed to disable much of the vast network of security cameras in washington and hold them for ransom. >> i, donald john trump do solemnly swear. >> reporter: eight days before president trump was sworn in, hackers breached traffic and security cameras around washington, d.c. the cameras were part of the security setup for the inauguration and were being center. there are 187 cameras in the city, monitoring everything from the white house, to the capitol to the inaugural parade route, and about 70% of them had been commandeered. chris caruso is leading the investigation for the secret service. there must have been a real concern about identifying who was behind it before the inauguration? >> yes, there was a great concern that we figure out who did this, why they did it, and, again, mitigate it so that way it wasn't in effect anymore. >> reporter: within hours of being notified, the secret service was able to zero in on potential suspects in britain. police there arrested a man and a woman the day before the inauguration. but the investigation is expanding to more countries. secret service electronic crimes task forces based in rome and paris are now also working the case. the malware that infected the cameras and servers has been identified as ransomware, which hackers have used in the past to take over computer systems and then extort money from cities, companies, and hospitals. did the people behind it make any sort of demand? >> i can't speak specifically about what the secret service found with this investigation at this point. >> reporter: if they did, you can't talk about it. >> that's correct. >> reporter: in the end, the cameras were taken off line for 48 hours and reconfigured. no ransom money was paid, and, scott, the cameras were fully operational for the inauguration. investigators have not ruled out that this was a state-sponsored operation. >> jeff pegues, breaking the story tonight. thank you, jeff. winter weather is expected to storm back to the east coast tonight from washington to boston. already at least 2500 flights have been canceled. there was a 30-car pileup in boston but no serious injuries. chief meteorologist eric fisher is tracking the storms at our boston station wbz. eric, what are we in for? >> well, scott, quite a weather ride we're on here. we had a lot of ice last night. this afternoon, filled with spring, thinking it had come early across the eastern seaboard. even some 70s in washington, d.c. not so fast. now winter storm warnings out in those same locations, even blizzard warnings for parts of long island and massachusetts. this is going to be a fast-moving storm system. big shield of snow across new york city, philly, into boston and parts of northern new england. and then exiting tomorrow night. after that warmth, 6 to 12 inches of snow around philadelphia, near a foot in new york, over a foot in boston, as well as hartford. behind this, some subzero numbers by tomorrow night. eric fisher, thanks. the tornado that plowed through new orleans east yesterday was the most powerful ever recorded in the area. an ef-3 with winds up to 165 miles an hour. at least 60 homes and businesses were damaged. a few people were hurt, but none seriously. coming up next, a mother's harrowing tale of being forced to give birth in jail. i'm joy bauer, and as a nutritionist i know probiotics can often help. try digestive advantage. it is tougher than your stomach's harsh environment, so it surivies a hundred times better than the leading probiotic. get the digestive advantage. ok, it says you apply the blue okone to me.y this. here? no. ah ok, here? maybe you should read the directions. have a little fun together, or a lot. k-y yours and mine. two sensations that work together, so you can play together. k-y yours and mine. a mother who went through a distressing delivery behind bars wants to see changes in the treatment of incarcerated women. e demarco morgan. >> when i do look at elijah, sometimes i do go right back to that moment. you know, i can remember hearing him cry, and i can remember when they held him up and showed him to me, how small he was. >> reporter: jessica preston remembers the day she says nine-month-old elijah was born on a dirty jail floor. >> it just didn't have to happen. that's really what blows my mind. >> reporter: eight months pregnant, preston was pulled over for driving with a suspended license last year. unable to pay the $10,000 cash bond, preston waited behind bars at the macomb county jail. >> they told me to knock my crap off, stop lying to them. they could put another charge on me if i -- if i kept lying to them. >> reporter: as labor pains intensified, surveillance video shows preston went to the infirmary three times. she finally gave birth without a doctor present. how did this make you feel? >> i was scared. i mean, i was terrified. i was so worried for both of us that -- that either one of us could -- could catch something and, yno threatening. >> reporter: sheriff tony wickersham said the jail's medical staff properly attended to preston. >> i know 100% that our people did what they needed to do. at some point she probably would have been sent to the hospital but the baby came before that happened. >> reporter: your words for the sheriff? >> i know he said they were holding me because i had prior warrants. and yeah, you're right, i did. but what does that have to do with taking me to the hospital when i'm in labor? >> reporter: both mom and baby are okay. scott, after being checked out at the hospital, she had to go back to jail for five days. >> demarco morgan for us. thank you, demarco. we'll be back in just a moment. and my cold medicines' ugh, iwearing off.chtime i'm dragging. yeah, that stuff only lasts a few hours. or, take mucinex. one pill fights congestion for 12 hours. no thank you very much, she's gonna stick with the short-term stuff. 12 hours? guess i won't be seeing you for a while. is that a bisque? i just lost my appetite. why take medicines that only last 4 hours, when just one mucinex lasts 12 hours? start the relief. ditch the misery. let's end this. that's frequent heartburn. it's always lurking around. but i'm safe. i took my prevacid®24hr today. i didn't. one pill prevents the acid that causes heartburn, all day, all night. prevacid®24hr. you can pick up cold & flu viruses for up to 48 hours? it's like having a sick family member that you didn't even know was there. and we all know what happens when one family member gets sick. but lysol spray and lysol wipes kill 99.9% of germs including 8 common cold & flu viruses to help protect your home. this cold and flu season help keep your home happy and healthy and lysol that. we made a mistake in a story on friday night. we'd like to tell you about it. in a story on price increases for naloxone, a drug used to treat heroin overdoses, we incorrectly showed d narcan. that's a brand name of naloxone that is a nasal spray recently approved by the fda. while some forms of naloxone have undergone price increases-- the point of our story-- the price of narcan nasal spray has never changed, and the company that makes it, adapt pharma, offers a 40% discount for first responders. we regret the error. up next, a role model for living longer and stronger. in our new series "living stronger," we're celebrating older americans whose zest for life is an inspiration for people of every age. here's michelle miller at the gym. >> reporter: at this high-intensity workout in new york city, jacinto bonilla is redefining what it means to be physically fit. for an hour, bonilla keeps up with the repetitious crossfit routine-- jumping on a 24-inch box, doing upside down pushups, and climbing a 15-foot rope, all alongside gym members more than half his age. at 77 years old, why push yourself this hard? >> because i like it. i love it. i want to stay out of the nursing home. >> reporter: bonilla is the oldest man to compete in the crossfit games, going up against men a decade younger. crossfit is the fastest growing fitness movement in the world. in 2008, bonilla stopped training for two months to take on his biggest challenge yet. he was fighting prostate cancer. >> i got a little emotional about this. >> reporter: why? >> i have always been in healthy shape. i always watched what i ate, and i came down with prostate cancer. and i had it taken out. and then i started coming back. >> reporter: now cancer free, bonilla has challenged crossfitters around the world. each year they mark his birthday by doing six exercises like pushups, squats, and the kettle bell swing, to match his age. >> if i do it this year, all the exer >> in one sitting. >> give me that last one. >> reporter: two years ago when no one would give him a job as a crossfit trainer, he built a gym in his basement and got his own clients, including former navy s.e.a.l. luke mason. >> he's got years of experience on me, you know, what i mean? he's a testament. i mean, the guy's 77 years old. he's got something to teach. >> reporter: would you say this is your own fountain of youth? >> yes, i love being strong. i love being able to do a lot of things that a lot of young people cannot do or are not willing to do. >> reporter: motivation, inspiration, perspiration-- his recipe for living stronger. michelle miller, cbs news, new york. >> and that's the "overnight news" for this thursday. for some of you the news continues. for others check back with us a little bit later for the morning news and be sure not to miss "cbs this morning." from the broadcast center in new york city, i'm scott pelley. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com this is the "cbs overnight news." welcome to the "overnight news." i'm don dahler. the political and military fallout is growing over the first commando raid ordered by president trump. the government of yemen stopped short of banning future u.s. ground missions but insists the pentagon must notify yemeni officials ahead of time. the white house claims the raid was designed to collect information on al qaeda targets in yemen, but an hour-long firefight left a u.s. navy s.e.a.l. dead, three others wounded, and a u.s. aircraft destroyed. white house press secretary sean spicer insists the mission was a success. >> it's absolutely a success. i think anyone who would suggest it's not a success does disservice to the life of chief ryan owens. >> david martin has the other side of the story. >> reporter: this is a major setback for a planned military campaign against the branch of al qaeda officials consider to be the one most likely to launch terrorist attacks against the u.s. pictures from the aftermath bore signs of an operation gone wrong. 14 al qaeda operatives were killed in the january 29th raid, but also at least 15 civilians. the yemeni government is outraged by the civilian casualties. under the cover of night, s.e.a.l. team 6 advanced towards an al qaeda compound but were pinned down and called in an air strike, killing militants and civilians inside. the team then raided the hideout, collecting hard drives, laptops and cell phones. chief petty officer ryan owens was killed and a medevac aircraft crash landed and had to be destroyed. critics, including republican senator john mccain, said any operation that results in the loss of american life cannot be considered a success. although the white house calls it exactly that. >> i think anybody who undermines the success of that raid owes an apology and is a disservice to the life of chief owens. can i answer your question? i'm answering the question, please let me finish. the action that was taken in yemen was a huge success. american lives will be saved because of it. future attacks will be prevented. the life of chief ryan owens was done in service to this country, and we owe him and his family a great debt for the information that we received during that raid. i think any suggestion otherwise is a disservice to his courageous life and the actions that he took, full stop. what was the first part? >> is that your message to senator john mccain? >> that's my message to anybody who says that. >> reporter: the purpose of the raid was to gather intelligence to be used in future operations against al qaeda in yemen. now that yemen has withdrawn its permission, the future of those raids appears in doubt, and the first military operation personally approved by president trump as commander in chief appears to have backfired. president trump had more harsh words for the federal appeals court which will decide whether or not his travel ban is legal. mr. trump insists his executive order is "beautifully written and done for the security of our nation." and he said the court hearing itself was disgraceful. jan crawford reports. >> reporter: two of the three judges appeared skeptical of arguments presented by a justice department lawyer making the case on behalf of the government who said the states challenging the ban have no case because they were not directly harmed. that immigration law gives the president discretion on national security, and the order not a muslim ban and does not discriminate based on race or religion. >> plaintiffs have submitted evidence that they suggest shows that that was the motivation, so why shouldn't the case proceed perhto that was the motivation or not? >> we're not saying the case shouldn't proceed, but it is extraordinary for a court to enjoin the president's national security determination based on some newspaper articles. that's what has happened here. >> reporter: on the other side, the lawyer for washington and minnesota, noah purcell, argued the ban does hurt their states and its residents, violates numerous constitutional provisions and amounts to discrimination against muslims. >> a total and complete shutdown of muslims entering the united states. >> reporter: he pointed to mr. trump's rhetoric during the presidential campaign. >> the public statements from the president and his top advisers reflecting that intent are strong evidence. >> reporter: but one judge pressed purcell on how the temporary seven-nation ban discriminated against muslims and asked why the president can't put limits on countries with significant terrorism concerns. >> i have trouble understanding religious animus when the vast majority of muslims would not be affected as residents of those nations, and where the concern for terrorism with those connected with radical islamic sects is kind of hard to deny. >> reporter: president trump tweeted this morning, if the u.s. does not win this case, we can never have the security and safety to which we are entitled. politics. the ninth circuit is considered the most liberal in the country, so many have predicted the administration will lose at this point. but that is not the end of the legal fight. people in louisiana and mississippi are still picking up the pieces after tuesday's violent storms spawned devastating tornadoes. power was knocked out to tens of thousands. dozens were hurt. but thankfully no one was killed. some of the worst damage is in and around new orleans. david begnaud is there. east. they had up to two or three feet of water during hurricane katrina, and i cannot tell you how many people said to me this was worse than katrina in that they had so little time to get to a safe place. we're about to show you video that is incredible to watch when you consider the fury of mother nature and the fact that there were no major injuries. the first tornado hit at 10:00 in the morning and kept popping up and nailing this area for the next two hours. as nearly half dozen powerful tornadoes barreled through southeastern louisiana, people recorded the destruction as it happened. debris filled the air, and dangerous winds flipped and pushed what appears to be a trailer through a mall parking lot. surveillance footage shows the roof of a building blowing off and smashing into parked cars. in the background, an 18-wheeler is flipped on its side. a tornadot ef-2 with winds up to 135 miles per hour destroyed homes and knocked out power to thousands of people in the new orleans area. this nasa assembly facility was also damaged in the storm. >> as soon as i sat down, poof, the roof went off. >> reporter: cheryl mcbride's house collapsed around her as she took cover in the bathtub. >> look at this. >> reporter: look what would have fallen on you had you not gone in the tub. on tuesday afternoon, rescue crews went door to door looking for people who may be hurt but unable to call nor help. >> i'm heartened with the fay folks responded here. >> reporter: while the governor praised the efficient response, it is a grim reminder of past tragedies this state has endured. >> we get too much practice, but it's a good thing when we're called upon that we're able to do it. >> there was no warning. with a flood, you know it's coming. you have time to prepare and evacuate. i had time to do nothing. >> reporter: being from louisiana, i can tell you from personal experience, these people are incredibly resilient. ain't got time to complain. i'm too grateful. hey julie, i know today's critical, but i really... ...need a sick day. dads don't take sick days. dads take dayquil severe: the... ...non-drowsy, coughing, aching, fever, sore throat, stuffy... ...head, no sick days medicine. i'm joy bauer, and as a nutritionist i know probiotics can often help. try digestive advantage. it is tougher than your stomach's harsh environment, so it surivies a hundred times better than the leading probiotic. get the digestive advantage. you could start your search at the all-new carfax.com that might help. show me the carfax? now the car you want and the history you need are easy to find. show me used minivans with no reported accidents. boom. love it. [struggles] show me the carfax. start your used car search and get free carfax reports ok, it says you apply the blue okone to me.y this. here? no. ah ok, here? maybe you should read the directions. have a little fun together, or a lot. k-y yours and mine. two sensations that work together, so you can play together. k-y yours and mine. the grammy awards will be handed out on sunday, and you can catch it right here on cbs. it's not only singers, musicians, songwriters and producers being honored. each year a special award goes to the finest music teacher in the land. michelle miller has this year's winner. >> reporter: chosen from more than 3300 nominees, the winner of the grammys music educator of the year is keith hancock. hancock is the creative force behind the coral program in rancho santa margarita, california. his students affectionately call him "mr. h.," and as he told me along with the music, there's a message for all these young minds to absorb. ♪ for 15 years, this music man has been translating songs sung in 26 different languages, so his students understand the stories behind the music. ♪ >> we have a beautiful ability as pro musicians to have great texts, some of the best poems that have ever been written. and we take these, and i find a way for the students to connect into their own lives. >> reporter: when keith hancock first launched his program in 2002, he had just 35 students. today, he leads 225. music became his passion when he discovered choir as a teen. is there a message in the music? >> oh, for sure. it's family, it's love, it's pain, it's human experience. the music that we sing ranges from the ecstasy and the joy of life, to the deep pain and sorrow that we experience. but knowing how to live life through the midst of all that is really important. >> reporter: would you say that mr. hancock is what made high school for you? >> 100%. >> yeah. >> no doubt. >> every lunch i ate, it was in the choir room. >> reporter: connor spencer and aaron are among close to 1,000 former students who are still in touch with mr. h. >> he connects on a personal level with every single student. >> i got such an amazing musical experience in his classes, that it inspired me to go on and do what he does. so i want to become a choir teacher some day. >> reporter: it sounds like what he does is, through choir, he brings life into context. >> absolutely. >> totally. makes music so important. >> so you have to hang back in the texture right now to let the melody really shine through. >> reporter: along with giving students a deep understanding of music, mr. h. hands out a list of life lessons, something he calls hancock's laws. these include live your life with passion, and don't put anything on your credit card that you can't pay off in a month. >> i went into teaching thinking it was all about the music, and what i quickly realized after that, that music is just an avenue to teach them how to live their lives. >> reporter: these days, connor is a minor league player with the new york yankees. newly engaged, he revealed how one of hancock's laws played a part. >> that was the one thing i was thinking about, hancock law, i need to see all four seasons of the year. we dated two and a half years before i popped the question. so hancock is going to be officiating my wedding. >> i didn't know that. >> reporter: images of the thousands who have participated in his award winning program cover the walls. through the years, the choirs have performed in concert halls, cathedrals and castles around the world. and his students have gone on to success in every facet of the music business. >> this is a calling for you. >> oh, for sure. i always tell people this profession called me. this was something that i had to do. ♪ >> reporter: from sacred to secular, there's no limit for mr. h. and the students he inspires. ♪ [ applause ] music in the classroom is seldom controversial, but bible study? that's another matter. a public school in west virginia is being sued by parents who say the local bible study program is unconstitutional. mercer county officials claim they're teaching the bible as literature and history. tony dokoupil reports. >> reporter: the mercer county bible program is decades old and extremely popular. in this new lawsuit, however, the parents argue that popular is really not the same as legal. >> what book of the bible is it? >> deuteronomy. >> reporter: in church, cheryl thomas has built a deep relationship with god. as a parent, she appreciates her daughter teaguen can continue that relationship at school. >> it's very important what we teach at school can be moved on to the school and instilled there and moved to the church and instilled there so it goes in a circle. >> reporter: the school portion of that circle is provided by a program called bible in schools. it is a religious course? >> it's the bible. >> reporter: is that a yes? >> i would say. it doesn't teach one religion. it's not a baptist bible. it's not a presbyterian bible. it's the bible. and it is god. >> reporter: created by volunteers in 1939, the program now provides more than 4,000 kids a weekly course of bible study. how do you like class? >> i like it very much, because i want to learn all of the stuff in the bible. >> we love bible class! >> reporter: the voluntary program is paid for through private donations and administered by the school district. the enrollment rate among the county's 19 elementary schools is 96%. do all the kids in your class go to bible class, too? >> only one goes out and plays on the computer, because she can't -- she can't hear what the bible says. >> reporter: how come? >> because her dad just doesn't want her to hear all the bible stuff. >> reporter: what do you think about that? >> i think that's bad. she needs to go to bible class. >> reporter: comments like these are part of what attracted the freedom from religion foundation, a wisconsin based lobby for the separation of church and state. in a lawsuit filed last month with jane doe, a mother of a mercer county kindergarter, the group accused the county of running bible indoctrination classes that endorse the literal truth of the bible. >> if you want them to have a religious education, that burden is on you. that burden should not be on the school system. >> reporter: elizabeth diehl believes the program violates the rights of parents who wish to keep public school a secular place. she moved her daughter, sophie, out of the school system after she was bullied. >> they told her that she was going to hell, that i was going to hell, that her father was going to hell. >> reporter: how did you feel when you heard that? >> that was very hurtful, because she's my daughter and i don't want her to hurt. >> reporter: ist bible is worthy of studies for its literary and historic qualities. the question for the court is whether it's being taught that way. >> to completely eliminate a bible course would be an unprecedented and drastic step. the only issue that ever arises is any kind of implementation. >> the public school would have to ensure that it had a secular purpose. >> reporter: nelson is a professor of constitutional law and religious freedom at brooklyn law school. >> because this program and programs like it are structured just around the bible, courts will be skeptical as to whether they really have that kind of neutral impact. >> reporter: for teaguen, she just hopes her class stays. how would you feel if bible class went away? >> i would feel kind of angry and sad. [car[clicking of ignition]rt] uh-- wha-- woof! eeh-- woof! [engine roars to life] [dog howls] ♪ dramatic opera music swells from radio ♪ [howling continues] there goes my sensitive bladder. sound familiar? then you'll love this. incredible protection in a pad this thin. i didn't think it would work, but it does. it's called always discreet watch this. this super absorbent core turns liquid to gel, for incredible protection that's surprisingly thin. so i know i'm wearing it, but no one else will. always discreet for bladder leaks cough doesn't sound so good. take mucinex dm. i'll text you in 4 hours when your cough returns. one pill lasts 12 hours, so... looks like i'm good all night! some cough medicines only last 4 hours. but just one mucinex lasts 12 hours. let's end this. climate change is causing sea levels to rise all around the world, and each year ocean water destroys millions of acres of crops. well, an experimental farm in the netherlands may have found an answer to that problem. mark phillips has that story. that's in this edition of "climate diaries." >> reporter: climate change science is asking a new question -- could the response to rising sea levels and more frequent storms be this, the humble potato? not just any garden variety, but a potato that will thrive where most won't, an increasingly the u.n. classifies around 6 million square miles of land around the world as salt affected, an area bigger than alaska. in some places like pakistan, they've given up trying to grow crops. the solution to that problem is being sought on this experimental farm in the netherlands, by a man they call the potato whisperer. how are you finding out what works? >> simply by letting the plants tell us which is salt and which isn't. >> reporter: the plant speaks, says mark. he can hear them. >> i think there is much more knowledge in the plants than there is in the scientists. >> reporter: the plants are smarter than the scientists? >> yes, definitely. >> reporter: they know what they like. >> if they die, they give you a statement. and fortunately, we don't have to kill our scientists before they give a statemen about dealing with encroaching saltwater than the dutch. a quarter of the netherlands lies below sea level. as the oceans rise, that saltwater has been sweeping through the dikes onto farmland. on the remote island of tessle, they've been running a controlled, real world experiment, planting hundreds of varieties of potato, and irrigating them with increasingly salty watt tore see if any survive. some, between 5% and 10%, do. but there would be no point unless those survivors are also edible. so they run a taste test against normal fresh water potatoes. >> i'll try the brown one first. it tastes like a good potato. and the other one tastes like -- a good potato, but different. >> i'm betting this is the salty one. >> you're absolutely right, mark. >> reporter: so fao but there's a real world application to this work. back in pakistan. the dutch have been sending their salt resistant seed potatoes to the areas the farmers have given up on. and when they're planted, they grow. it works for other vegetables, too says aaron devoes, a botanist at amsterdam university who runs the project. >> even with brakish water, you can grow food up to 100% field. or half seawater. we have carrots that grow on half seawater salinity. according to the old data, they should be dead already. these carrots can feed many people worldwide. >> reporter: and the potato whisperer is prepared to give them a recipe. >> we can make onions, carrots, and potatoes for the people in bangladesh and pakistan. and then they have a proper meal. >> reporter: a little curry spice on your topping. every farm can be called ground breaking. this one really is. it is february. we're lack to reality. rain to one side and that snow is in the distance and when you wake up and head to work, there's a chance you will see it this northering. >> not just here, all over the country. some places along the east coast. as you can see here gets hammered with snow and other places down south dealing with tornadoes today. good morning, everybody. thanks for joining us. we're outside where it's raining. >> back to reality. this is a roller coaster ride. this will explain it for you. >> it is gorgeous out here. >> yes. that is changing dramatically