she recounts an incident in moonves' office. moonves' office. "in a millisecond, he got one arm over me, pinning me," she said. moonves was violently kissing her, holding her down on the couch with her arms above her head. producer christine peters recounts a similar experience in the article saying moonves told her during the meeting "this is really great," she recalled. "then he just put a hand up my skirt." >> each and every woman in this story told me that they were still frightened of les moonves and said that they were only speaking about these harrowing experiences, which in the words of more than one woman in this story, included sexual assaults. they said they were doing that to protect other women. >> reporter: back in november moonves was asked how his company was changing in the wake of the me too movement. cbs had already fired news anchor charlie rose for allegations of sexual misconduct. >> i think we've been surprised by the things that we have seen, but i think it's important that a company's culture will not allow for this. and

and the question, les moonves' days, are they numbered? we'll talk to media watcher ken auletta about all of it next plus a cnbc news making interview with the ceo of harley-davidson. stay tuned you're watching "squawk box" here on cnbc you might take something for your heart... or joints. but do you take something for your brain. with an ingredient originally discovered in jellyfish, prevagen has been shown in clinical trials to improve short-term memory. prevagen. healthier brain. better life. >>> a developing story questions about les moonves' future at cbs swirling after allegations of sexual misconduct we'll tell you what might happen at the board meeting today >>> caterpillar set to release quarterly results. and what the numbers can tell us about fallout from the trade war coming up. >>> cnbc exclusive a news making interview with the ceo of harley-davidson the second hour of "squawk box" begins right now ♪ >>> live from the beating heart of business, new york, this is "squawk box. >>> good morning welcome back to "squawk box" her

he is cbs and cbss les moonves. for there to be any change at that company, if he leaves or moted or whateverhappens, that would be gigantic for cbs. >> if the claims turn out to have y rit, tuld expect moonves to be forced to step down, warning viacom shareholders would not reap a substantial premi and, quote, the effect on cbs as as busin would be somewhat shattering with several other key executives likely leaving. now it's not just les moonves's future that hangsn the balance but that of cbs and viacom shareholders as well. for "nightly business report" i'm julia boorstin in los angeles. >>> disney gets green lightro shareholders providing 20th century fox assets. that's where we gin, tonight's market focus. shareholders of both companies voted to approve the $71 billion deal that gives disney control over fox's entertainment m properties aority stake in sky. the approval comes after months of uncertainty with disney and comcast at one point engaging in a bidding war whichnded when comcast declined to top disney

moonves to different facets of this company. >> let me get back to les moonves, because i want it read a key part of his statement. he says here and i'm quoting, i recognize that there were times decades ago when i may have made some women uncomfortable by making advances. those were mistakes and i regret them immensely, so is it possible that he misbehaved if that's the right word decades ago but not recently? did you find any recent examples? >> yeah, so these cases extend through the late 2000s. i'm careful not to talk about cases except the ones that we report on in this article which have been really carefully vetted and are backed by eyewitness accounts and documentation and other forms of evidence but, you know, i would say that these women felt that, a, in several cases these were what they described to be sexual assaults that were very serious, and, b, it's certainly not accurate to describe that scope of time as only 20 years ago or more. >> final question, your reporting on harvey weinstein gave a lot of fuel and really helped popularize the me too movement. are there other

ceo chairman of cbs les moonves under fire. and we hear from the reporter who broke the story, ronan farrow. here's abc's chief national affairs correspondent, tom llamas. >> reporter: tonight les moonves, one of most powerful men in media, under investigation by his own company cbs after allegations of sexual misconduct. accusations that range from inappropriate kissing to sexual assault surfacing tonight in a "new yorker" expose by ronan farrow. in the article actress and writer illean douglas tells farrow, "what happened to me was a sexual assault, and then i was fired for not participating." she recounts an incident in moonves' office. in a millisecond, he's got one arm over me, pinning me," she said. moonves was violently kissing her, holding her down on the couch with her arms above her head. producer christine peters recounts a similar experience in the article saying moonves told her during the meeting "this is really great," she recalled. "then he just put a hand up my skirt." >> each and every woman in this story told

in one incident from 1985, before moonves worked for cbs, one woman said during a meeting, moonves threw himself on top of her and began kissing her. another said in 1995, after he joined cbs, that moonves shoved his tongue down her throat during a meeting. moonves denies the accounts or says he doesn't remember many of the details outlined in the "new yorker" story, but in a statement, he said "there were times decades ago when i may have made some women uncomfortable by making advances. those were mistakes, and i regret them immensely." the executive producer of "60 minutes," jeff fager, also denies separate allegations in the article that he protected men accused of misconduct and would touch employees in ways that made them uncomfortable after drinking at office parties. fager says those allegations are false, anonymous, and do not hold up to editorial scrutiny. moonves' wife, julie chen, co-host of the cbs show "the talk," said in a tweet on friday, in part, "i fully support my husband and stand behind him." >> i issued the one and only statement i will ever make on this topic on tw

earlier, he told me more about mr moonves and the allegations against him. leslie moonves has been with cbs for almost a quarter of a century and during that time, he has been responsible for a series of big entertainment hits and actually, he has really made his mark on the network. he is seen as being one of the most important executives in us television. it cannot really be understated just how important he actually has been to cbs itself. yet, these are serious allegations that have come from the new yorker magazine. the piece is written by ronan farrow — and you may remember that he was involved in the harvey weinstein expose — and he has now written these allegations about leslie moonves. in them, he says that he has spoken to six women who have described various different encounters with mr moonves in which they say they were forced to kiss him, in some cases, in which they say that there was forced touching in other cases, and in which they claim, in many cases, that they had their careers derailed or threatened to be derailed by mr moonves. now

>> moonves >> no. everyone i knew in the business, obviously, i didn't know these people you know, kind of said you know what a nice guy. it was a great -- he was a great commencement speaker. >> these directors got their work cut out for them today. >> yeah. what happens in terms of the reportage? is it drum beat? >> yeah. >> we'll see what comes outs of the meeting today and if there are further allegations made by other women. >> and, you know, people, of course, tell me, you know, it's -- >> you know that is false. as far as i'm aware and my reporting indicates this was not part of any effort by shari redstone you got to remember, she's -- their economics are the same in both companies you don't want to necessarily now -- i don't want to say these two people get along they don't but, no. you know, these rumors have been around a long time the idea that mr. farrow has been working on a story for a long time. but no i have not -- i do not believe that miss redstone had anything to do with trying to a

leslie moonves. >> after allegations of sexual misconduct. >> moonves' wife julie chen released a statement supporting him. >> and i will stand by that statement today, tomorrow, forever. >> the nation faces a severe blood shortage. >> the red cross is now offering a $5 amazon gift card for those who donate blood until the end of august. >> these kids are our future. >> lebron james opening a new elementary school for at-risk children today in his hometown of akron, ohio. >> no matter if i'm playing in los angeles or not, akron, ohio, is always home for me. always. ( cheers ) >> glor: good evening. i'm jeff glor. and this is our western edition. and we are in california tonight, a state plagued with wildfires. 17 large fires burning in all. we're at the scene of the worst of them in the city of redding. it is called the carr fire, a reference to the road where all this started. you can see the devastation it has done in this neighborhood alone. on one side of the street here, all the homes destroyed, on the others, homes barely touched. that's how indiscriminate and cruel this fire can been

moonves does not. today, a high-ranking cbs executive who did not want to be identified told us "the new yorker" story is part of that battle, calling it "corporate hardball." ms. redstone's spokesperson put out a statement denying the allegations have anything to do with the battle in the board room. it said, "the malicious insinuation that ms. redstone is somehow behind the allegations is false and self-serving." moonves is quoted in the article as saying, "i recognize that there were times, decades ago, when i may have made some women uncomfortable by making advances. those were mistakes, and i regret them immensely. but i always understood and respected-- and abided by the principle-- that 'no' means no, and i have never misused my position to harm or hinder anyone's career." in a statement tonight, cbs corporation said its independent investigation of alleged misconduct at cbs news is ongoing and includes the allegations in "the new yorker" story. and jeff, that cbs investigation was launched last

yes, ironically leslie moonves himself was a big supporter of the me too movement. in fact, he was involved in setting up organisations to address some of these concerns and was very much seen as these concerns and was very much seen as somebody leading the charge there. here find himself facing these allegations. he has released a statement himself and it was given to the new yorker and it is very clear, but again, he also makes some apologies if people have been concerned about his behaviour and his pass. he says, "i recognise there were times decades ago when i may have made someone uncomfortable by making advances. those were m ista kes by making advances. those were mistakes and i regret them immensely. but i always understood and respected and abided by the principal that no means no and i have never miss use my position to harm or hinder anybody‘s korea. the issue here for cbs goes well beyond the man at the top. there have also been questions in this article about how they handled previous allegations of harassment, of sexual misconduct in the workplace, a

it reports that leslie moonves, the c.e.o. of cbs and one of the most powerful people in entertainment, allegedly kissed and uched women against thei will. the cases go back to the 1980s. the article also alleges that moonves physically intimidated two women, or threatened to derail their careers. uae article also alleges s harassment at its famed program, "60 minus," and said that its executive producer, jeff fager, allowed it to go on there and at cbs news. moonves has denied any assault, and said he never misused hispo tion to harm anyone's career. cbs said there had been no misconduct claims or settlements against moonves. ronan farrow, the writer, is orain the reporter on the and he joins me now. ronan, are the main allegations against les moonves? >> over the course of eight months, jud six woen did an incredibly tough thing overcoming what they describ as profound fear of retaliation to tell me about a range ofal seisconduct up to and including two cases that both of those women described as sexual assault in which they

from his cbs show. >> les moonves is my guy and i like working for him. but accountability is meaningless unless odt's for ever >> reporter: moonves saying in part i recognize there were me decades ago i may have made some women uncomfortable by making advances. and i regret takes them immensely and i never misused my position to harm or hinder anyone's career. in a statement last friday, cbs said we do not believe however that the picture of our company created in "the new yorker" represents our attemptre to our employees with dignity and respect. moonves, who is staying in place during the independein stigation is expected to speak at a cbs earnings call on thursday nbc news, new york. >>> new developments in north korea, despite kim jongn's agreement to ht all missile and nuclear testing, his regime is secretlyuilding ballistic missiles capable of reaching the u.s. andrea he mi with that story. >> reporter: tonight, generals from north and south korea meeting at the dmz to ease tensions, now stunning ence kim jong-un is secretly building new long range

moonves. the allegation were published by the new york eshe magazine. shares in cbs fell more than % on lays of the claims against mr. moonves. let's get more from our correspondent in whington, chris butler. mr. moonves is not necessarily a household name but he's incredibly powerful inen entertai >> yeah, and les moonves has been with cbs for almost a quarter of a century and during that time he's been responsible for a series of big entertainment hits and actually he's really made his mark on the network. of the n as being one most important executives in u.s. television. it cannot really be understated just how important he has been to cbs itself. yet these are seriousga alons that have come from the new yorker magazine. the piece is written by ronan farrow. he was involved in the harvey weinstein expose and he's now written of these allegations against les moonves. he says he' spoken to six women who have described various encounters with mr. moonves. in which they say they were forced to

now, both moonves and cbs itself are casting doubt on the nature of "the new yorker" story, but moonves does acknowledge that he made some advances decades ago that may have made women feel uncomfortable. i want to read you a portion of his statement. he says, "i recognize there were times decades ago when i may have made some women uncomfortable by making advances. those were mistakes, and i regret them immensely, but i also understood and respected and abided by the principle that no means no, and i have never misused my position to harm or hinder anyone's career." cbs trying to cast even more doubt on the story, saying cbs is very mindful of all workplace issues and takes each report of misconduct very seriously. "we do not believe, however, that the picture of our company created in the new yorker represents a larger organization that does its best to treat its tens of thousands of employees with dignity and respect." now, the cbs board of directors, even before this story came out and were aware of the allegations said that they would be looking into the charges, they would take ev

moonves' future. nothing at all >> there's been a lot of speculation tat the board could ask moonves to take a leave of absence, to step back during the process of vis investigation or he could decide himself to either take a leave or even potentially resign, which is something we have seen other ceos do which in similar situations but the board showing it still supports moonves to run the company through this no changes, no indication of any secession plans depending on what happens of the findings of this investigation and sounds like they're going to try to make it business as usual while the investigation happens. cbs earnings after the bell on thursday, that's an earnings call that's traditionally led by moonves talking himself about the company and its trajectory so it'll be very interesting to see what happens on thursday afternoon. >> yeah, i mean it's -- a distraction is putting it mildly, julia. and it's not as though we aren't going to continue to cover it. there's always the larger story h

. >>> now to cbs ceo les moonves accused of sexual misconduct. dozens of current and former cbs employees reportedly alleging a culture of harassment at the network. >> reporter: tonight, les moonves the head of cbs under investigation for sexual misconduct and the company he's run for two decades, accused of turning a blind eye to a culture of harassment. "the new yorker" releasing an expose by ronan farrow featuring allegations from six women against the cbs chairman that range from inappropriate kissing to sexual assault. >> these are all stories in which women said one after another that they were terrified and intimidated and that they've felt their career suffered as a result. >> reporter: in the article, the emmy-nominated actress and writer ileana douglas, known for her roles in "goodfellas" and "six feet under," describes what she calls a "sexual assault" that occurred during a meeting with moonves for a show that she was cast in. she claims he held her down and began "violently kissing" her and even "pulled up her skirt." douglas says s

les moonves is still the chairman and chief executive at the company. howie: i credit cbs for saying there will be an investigation. and i credit cbs for reporting on this. but can you immediately suspend the head of the company? >> he did at mitt to some unwarranted -- he did admit to some unwanted advances. and to me that's a cultural problem. how are's involved in a corporate battle with some of the controlling stockholders who want to combine it with viacom. could these sexual misconduct allegations be related to that battle? >> it doesn't mean that people around her aren't leak. there is an ugly battle happening with sherry redstone. some say maybe she was involved in this and she can take advantage of this situation. but there is no proof she had anything to do with this. howie: all these women on the record, you would have to say there are questions about les moonves. >> absolutely. they are investigating. more to come on this. sara fischer, thanks for your reporting. coming up. mark zuckerberg loses billions. charlie gasparino i howie: it was th

moonves personally, to me, was very, very gracious and seemed to take the claims very seriously. >> moonves is one part of your story. i want to ask you one more thing about that. he is locked in this epic value with sherry redstone, controlling shareholder with cbs. there's been some insinuation that maybe sherry redstone's camp is partly behind your story. how do you react when you hear that kind of insinuation? >> we address it in the story. these women began coming to me immediately after the weinstein story, iliana douglas called me after the first harvey weinstein story i wrote and told me her story and we've been carefully investigating since. now, look, there are plenty of stories that are completely true and fueled by opposition research at some time. we've vetted and revetted these sources and my honest impression that these stories are not only true but also not fueled by opposition research. these women came in a heartfelt moment where there was an outpouring of these kinds of stories. >> and you say 19 sources describe behavior at cbs news that jeff fager, chairman of the news

moonves has resisted that. he has gone so far as to shoe sharery redstone in his attempt to block that merger from taking place. look, front and center in this story of course are the accusations against moonves which the board has said it is taking very seriously. but if you talk to people in hollywood, the context of that is not lost on them. now, sharery redstone came forward on friday when these allegations first came out and said that she absolutely resists any insinuation that she had anything to do with these accusations. >> dylan biers i know you will continue to follow it for us. thank. >>> just ahead more than a dozen wildfires raging in california. some of them turning deadly. one man lost his wife and two great grandchildren. he skr ibs the hard heart breaking final moments as he raced to try to rescue them. >> he just kept saying grandpa, come and get me. come and get us. fact is, every insurance company hopes you drive safely. but allstate helps you. with drivewise. feedback that helps you drive s

several women told the new yorker magazine that les moonves harassed them. mr moonves has admitted making some women feel uncomfortable, but denies assault. shares in cbs have plummeted. 0ur correspondent, chris buckler, reports from washington. leslie moonves has been a leading figure at the american network cbs for almost 25 years, with a track record for finding stars and developing hit programmes. but now he's found himself facing accusations reported on his own channel's news programmes. in news just out tonight, the new yorker magazine has reported that six women have accused cbs chairman and ceo leslie moonves of sexual harassment. the new yorker magazine says the six women claim, among other things, that mr moonves physically intimidated them, forcibly touched and kissed them, or threatened to wreck their careers. the cbs boss has denied that, although he has apologised for making some women uncomfortable in the way he made advances decades ago. in a statement, the television network said... mr moonves, who is married to the well—known cbs presente

they could ask les moonves to take a leave during it or moonves could opt to step back or resign. the board also deciding to postpone the company's annual meeting with stokds to a date and time yet to be determined. >> with all the directors are expected to focus on cbs' court battle with shari redstone and her push to combine cbs with viacom since the news of these allegations broke on friday, cbs shares are down about 11%. viacom shares are still up about 2.5% now as the board works on hiring a firm and starts its investigation, the next event is due out thursday afternoon we have to see what he december then >> thank you, julia. appreciate that very much. stay where you are want you to be part of this conversation as well brian weiser is joining us from pivotal research group your take on this given where you sit, do you think the board has made the right decision in terms of how their approaching this >> oh, absolutely not. i mean, the bigger problem at this point is beyond les moonves. it's a board problem rumors of this had been around for months when you put in context -- a

this wasn't just les moonves. it was a culture of protecting powerful people. >> look, i want -- as i said, you go through many examples. i wi illiyana douglas's account, i cringed and had to stop reading for a couple of minutes when i read this. i think it's important for viewers to hear it because this is what she's saying happened, and, by the way, as you say, she told people at the time, multiple people, so that is the corroboration. >> she recalled lying limp and unresponsive. you sort of black out, she told me. you think how long is this going to go on? i was just looking at this nice picture of his family and his kids. i couldn't get him off me. she said it was only when moonves aroused, pulled up her skirt and began to thrust against her that her fear overcame paralysis. she said she had to do something to stop, and at that point you're a trapped animal. your life is flashing before your eyes. that is disgusting. >> what's significant here is exactly as you are suggesting. not necessarily just these very d

ceo les moonves. speculations of his fate acbs met behind closed doors and on live television his wife tv host julie chen coming to his defense. we get more from nbc's rgan radford. >> reporter: tonight, cbs board of directors me taking no imate action against ceo les moonves. now calling for an independent investigation seeking outside counsel following the bombshell new yorker report accusing him of sexual misconduct. the article details six women's accounts, four on the record that include accusations ranging from forcible touching or kissing to physical intimidation between the 1980s and the 2000s. moonves' wife long-time tv host julie chen reiterating support of her husband on "the talk". >> i issued the one and only statement i iswill ever make on topic on twitter and i will stand by that statement today, tomorrow, forever. i> reporter: moonves sayiecognize there re times decades ago when i hay have made some women uncomfortable by making advances. those were mistakes and i regret them immensely

some members discussing whether moonves should step aside. these women coming forward in a "new yorker" magazine expose. they detailed the allegations ranging from unwanted kissing to sexual assault. the article going further detailing a pattern of harassment at cbs news. moonves saying in a statement, i always understood and respected and abided by the principle that no means no. and i have never misused my position to harm or hinder anyone's career. the cbs board saying they'll fully investigate these claims and will promptly review the findings and take appropriate action. it is expected to appoint a special committee today to investigate. we are also hearing they're planning to go beyond that looking into if this is a larger problem with the workplace culture at cbs. cecilia. >> okay, thank you, eva. >>> we're going to switch gears now to two very proud parents. we know parents love to watch their kids perform at a show at school. what if they're part of a taylor swift concert? check out blake lively and ryan reynolds. that's them there.

and of course they also have to decide whether the ceo les moonves can continue in his job while this investigation goes on. >> now moonves says, quote, there were times decades ago when i may have made some women uncomfortable by making advances. those were mistakes and i regret them immensely. he followed up by saying no means no. you can hear more on what executives are saying on "start here" later this morning. check it out on apple podcast. >>> police in pennsylvania are investigating a fatal shooting. >> a man can be seen standing by a police cruiser. he walks away from the cop before coming back. the officer is heard telling the man to get on the ground several times. when he doesn't, the officer as you heard and saw opened fire. the suspect was attacking cars, damaging some of them before police arrived. the man who died and the officer have not yet been identified. >>> and in new orleans investigators believe a deadly shooting incident was likely gang-related. two gun men walked up outside a strip mall and opened fire. police are hoping those who witnessed the shooting will c

but it would seem to weaken les moonves's position, depending on the allegations. his strength in his dispute over control of the company is that he has been one of the most successful media executives in recent memory and that he has the loyalty of the company, board, shareholders, and any serious allegations against ceo you what you wrote support. -- erode support. david: les moonves contributed mightily to cbs. we will see how this story develops. thank you to lucas shaw from los angeles. we will monitor this story. trump supporters cheered when he delivered on his tax cuts which he said were critical to economic growth. some of the supporters are not as pleased with his tariffs to change u.s. trading relations. we welcome david mcintosh of the club for growth, he served in congress earlier representing indiana. thank you for being with us. give us where you are on that spectrum. we have talked to you on this program about how much you like the tax cuts. how do you feel about the tariffs? >> we were champions of the tax cuts. the 4.1% gdp growth i think it is at

. >>> fallout for tv titan les moonves after the startling accusations of sexual misconduct. and his wife, tv host julie chen, coming to his defense. >> i will stand by that statement today, tomorrow, forever. >>> details on a secret tsa program to follow passengers, watching their every move, even if they have no criminal history. have you been followed? >> olympic star bode miller and his wife opening up to savannah guthrie about the accidental drowning of their daughter. >> not a day that goes by that i don't pry to goto t back t day and make it different. >> tonight, their powerful warning for all parents. >>> and an inspiring first day of school as lebron james pays it forward. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >> good evening. welcome to our viewers in the west. what is happening in the west tonight is stunning even veteran firefighters. 100 wildfires burning, 17 of them in california. they're fierce, it's quick and it's behavior that is simply unpredictable. cameras near redding capturing this swirling tower of flames, a firenado. claimed thous

les moonves. and, it's friday. mark shields and david brooks are here to take on another full week of news. plus, hip-hop on display. curating decades of local culture, and the musical impact of oakland's hip-hop scene.f >> for those who are part of the first generation of hip-hop artists, i don't think any of us ever imagined it in museums. >> woodruff: all that and more on tonight's pbs newr. >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> consumer cellular understan that not everyone needs an unlimited wireless plan. our u.s.-based customer service reps can help you choose a plan based on how much you use your phone, nothing more, nothing less. to learn more, go to consumercellular.tv >> financial services firm raymond james. >> leidos. >> babbel.ng a lauage app that teaches real-life conversations in a new language. >> the ford foundation. working with visionaries on the frontlines of social change worldwide. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions: and friends of the newshour. >> t

the new yorker article on les moonves is hout. julia in l.a. with details. >> ronan farrow article. it's very long we are reading through but the headlines at the top of the article it reads like this quote six women who had professional dealings with him les moonves told me that between the 19 eights and late oos he forcibly touched owner kissed them in business meeting in what appeared to be a practiced routine. two told me that he threatened to did he raihle career. saul said he became cold or hostile after his advances were reject andrea their careers suffered facilitator the article goes on to say a current and former employees of cbs told me such behavior extended from moonves to important parts of the corporation including cbs news and 60 minutes one of the network's most esteemed programs. now the statement quoted in the article, les moonves says quote throughout my time at cbs we promoted a kurmt of respect and opportunity for all employees and consistently found success elevating women to top executive positions cross our company. i recognize there were times decades aig w

and les moonves' wife, julie chen, what she said on air today. >>> the missing college student. what we now know about the timeline and her father breaking his silence tonight. >>> and the new development in the murder of that well-known doctor who once treated former president george h.w. bush. what's now been revealed. >>> good evening as we come on the air in the west tonight. it is great to be back with you here on a monday evening. and there are several fast-moving stories as we come on. we begin there with the state of siege in california. the death toll growing. four firefighters, a grandmother, two great-grandchildren among the victims. tonight, three major wildfires burning, but there are many more, from one end of the state to the other. the largest, the carr fire in the north, drawing fire departments from hundreds of miles away. the devastation not just from the flames, but from powerful winds the fire creates. trees flattened, it looks like a tornado blew right through. tonight, entire neighborhoods are now gone. more than 800 homes destroyed in the carr fire alone.

of market value the last two trading days. >> anybody in this industry, including you, think of les moonves, you think of this incredible string of hits, ncis and "survivor. he is the one that found the guy that created "the apprentice." all these other great shows, "csi." this should not be the ceo job to pick these great shows. he is a finance guy, seen other finance guys do well in media. i think you had the best solution i heard earlier today you suggested this third course rather than some stare down options between viacom and cbs and the rest and that is that he take a preemptive exit in the midst of investigation spares himself the indignity stealing your lines, very successful 15 year reign why drag us all through it these allegations -- >> have the potential for further allegations as well. can never forget that. in many of these instances, jeff, there are others that come after the initial story. >> at this very network, as we know, that very network, not this network at cbs, of course after the issues came out in cbs news. >> charlie rose. >> they had 8 allegations, 27 followed t

moonves acknowledges the kiss but denies sexual assault. douglas believes the alleged incident derailed the future career i would have had at cbs. late saturday she added real change will occur when i can walk through the front doors of cbs and resume the creative relationship that was so tragically cut short. "the new yorker" story goes on to allege that six former employees said former news chairman and current "60 minutes" executive producer jeff faker would get drunk at company parties and touch employees in ways that made them uncomfortable. he denied the accusations saying they never happened. ronan farrow said he spent eight months vetting the women's accounts. >> these are women that began coming to me immediately after the harvey weinstein story. we have vetted and revetted these sources, and my honest impression is that these stories are not only true but also not fueled by opposition research. >> cbs news has hired a law firm to investigation the latest accusations of sexual misconduct and will include the allegations in the arti

. >>> the breaking headline tonight about cbs chairman les moonves. what the cbs board may be considering following those allegations of sexual misconduct. >>> the deadly shooting outside a major amusement park. a man walking towards a police officer on a busy highway. the officer opening fire. >>> also tonight, is the tsa tracking you? the secret program called quiet skies. air marshals reportedly tracking everyday passengers who are not suspected of a crime. >>> and, distracted on duty. the police suv slamming into a cyclist at a stop sign. what the police officer admitted to. >>> and good evening. thanks for joining us on this sunday. i'm tom llamas. we begin tonight with the state of emergency in california. as wildfires rage in the west, with the death toll rising. and several people still missing. the carr fire in northern california, charring nearly 90,000 acres. more than 500 structures destroyed, thousands more threatened. six confirmed fatalities, including a sister and brother, just 4 and 5 years old, and their great-grandmother reportedly

reports of sexual misconduct allegations against ceo les moonves. the fallout straight ahead >>> president trump saying we are on track for the best economy in more than a decade, but is this as good as it's going to get >>> twitter shares are tanking monthly user numbers keep declining. the stock has had an amazing run, has it hit a top. >>> plus the profit. the economy, jobs and this weekend's nascar race. rev your engines, "power lunch" begins right now >>> welcome to "power lunch. i'm courtney reagan, what a day to join the team here. stocks near session lows the nasdaq taking the biggest fall both the s&p and nasdaq seeing their biggest declines in a month. still the dow and s&p remain on track to post their fourth straight week of gains but the nasdaq on pace to post a second straight weekly decline hi, tyler. >> all right, courtney, thank you very much. just because not enough people have said welcome to "power lunch," i will add my welcome. i'm tyler mathisen, we're glad you're with us on this very busy friday afternoon we begin with a devel

. >> les moonves is staying in the corner office at cbs. despite allegations in a new yorker a sicle ofual misconduct between the 1980s an. 2000 the board of directors issuing a statement saying, they are in the proce ofelecting outside council to conduct an independent investigation. no other action was taken on this matter at today's board meeting. there was plenty of speculation about whether the board would ask moonves to step aside during th probe. whether he would resign. the board also deciding to postpone the annual meeting of stockholders. a date and time yet to be determined. the meeting was expected to focus on cbs court battle with sherry nereds moonves's attempt to dilute her controlling vote. as the board hires a firm and start the investn. the next event for cbs is its earnings report. moonves typically leads the earnings call discussing its trajectory and future. for nightly business report, i'm julia borstyn. >>> the president renewed his threat today to shut down the government over funding for his border wall. >> reporter

les a moonves. lf dozen women saying he made unwanted advances decades ag and their careers suffered. nbc's blake mccoy has more. >> reporter: good morning, sheinelle. this is sending shock waves through the world. les moonves now answering to those allegations against ithim. comes as the broader culture of cbs is criticized and the rntwork vows an investigation. this g, les moonves, the powerful head of cbs, is facing explosive allegations of sexual misconduct. six women telling,he new yorkhey believe their careers were derailed after rejecting moonves' aances fro the 1980s to 2000s. for women describe forcible touching or kissing during business meetings. actress illeana douglas describes being pinned down in his office. calling it assault saying she s fired for not participating. in the statement, moonves responds, i recognize there were decades ago i made women uncomfortable by ming advances. those were mistakes and i regret them. i always understood and abided by the principle that no means no.

will the network, will cbs standby moonves? >> for the moment obviously given that the board took no action today but have got to tell you these graphic allegations as documented by ronan farrell of the new yorker were made against anybody below moonves' level, that person would at least have been suspended if not outright fired when "the washington post" in november published though sexual harassment allegations against charlie rose, he was gone before you could blink but of course moonves runs the company. >> sandra: we will see what happens there. new details continue to come in. the network is standing by him at least for now. meanwhile, i want to ask about the president and the publisher of "the new york times" in this face-off over details on the secret meeting. from firing off this tweet. a very good and interesting meeting. spent much time talking about the vast amounts of fake news being put out by the media and how that bakes news has morphed into an enemy of the people, sad. out of that meeting then the publisher of

the future of cbs executive les moonves remains uncertain. the board deciding against suspension or hiatus while appointing an outside law firm to investigate the sexual misconduct allegations made against him. cbs shares are down 9% in the past three sessions, up fractionally today joining us, former cnn chairman and advisory partner, walter isaacson thanks for joining us. >> thanks for having me. appreciate it. >> so the investigation is going to be going on with this outside law firm in the meantime, moonves stays in his position temporary or otherwise. do you think this is the right move >> yes, i think it is. we now reached a stage when things like this come out. you should investigate, you should figure out what's going to happen, you should hire an outside law firm we're getting into this pattern now where you have things that happened awhile back where it is unclear exactly what happened, and i think it is important that a board of directors says okay, we have to take it seriously, we'll hire a firm, investigate and then see what happ

moonves remains in charge. it will be interesting to see if he shoes up on the conference call for earnings. also, worth noting they moved their annual meeting it was supposed to be scheduled for august 10th. perhaps they picked the investigation. we don't know. we want it to be concluded prior to addressing the shareholders the only other possibility, this is pure speculation on my part that he is in the midst of negotiationing some sort of settlement, therefor, it wasn't in their interest to say anything and, boy, did they not say anything in yesterday's press release. i made note of the fact they didn't tell you what the investigation they were beginning was about. >> how much did they necessarily know >> i would love to speak to her. >> e with would. martha is fabulous we should get her on cnbc. >> you also have the controlling shareholder in the form of shari redstone representing national amusements in the meeting, as well or part. perhaps she's choosing to sit back now i think i know how the movie ends b

attempting to forcibly kiss or touch them during business meetings and two told that leslie moonves physically intimidated them or threatened to derail their careers. now he has denied the inappropriate behaviour, but there is a statement from him in this article. it says, "i recognise there were times decades ago where i may have made some women uncomfortable while making advances, those were mistakes and i regret them immensely but i always understood and respected and abided by the principal that no means no and i have misused a position to harm or hinder anyone‘s career". nonetheless, there are damaging allegations and there are also wider questions about the culture at cbs, which you may remember last year fired one of their presenters — charlie rose — now he again denied any allegations of sexual harrassment, but cbs took the decision at that stage to stop his employment. and an independent investigation started back then they say is now continuing. cbs now looking at these allegations as part of that. austria's chancellor is understood to have backed an idea put forward

leslie moonves is one of the most powerful and influential figures in american television. he led cbs to the top of american television and is responsible for a number of hit shows, even appearing himself on the david letterman talk show, an extremely influential television show and he has been responsible for commissioning many big programmes. he has also been, in recent months, a supporter of the metoo movement, a system of people on and forward and to stories of men trying to take a package of women in the workplace. now he has found that he himself has been accused of doing exactly that. this article in the new yorker, the writer says for women described leslie moonves as it did to forcibly kiss or touch them in business meetings and two that leslie moonves physically intimidated them or threatened to derail their careers. he has denied the inappropriate behaviour, but there is a statement from him. it says, "i recognise there were times decades ago where i mayhap made women uncomfortable and made advances, those were mistakes andi made advances, those were mistakes and

mr moonves is married to the well—known cbs producer chen. he is accused of accusations he very publicly criticised. now, after 40,000 miles at sea, history has been made in the clipper around the world yacht race, because for the first time, a female skipper, wendy tuck, has led her team of amateur sailors to victory. thousands turned out to watch the teams sail into liverpool after nearly a year at sea. peter harris has more. for the winners a moment to savour, and a first true for the will round the world yacht race, wendy tuck becoming the first women to skipper the winning crew. the hardest part is getting the team to gel together because she might have people who are very competitive and people who aren't, getting them to come together is the hardest part. you can teach anybody to sail and had a few people who could sail but it is making the team come together thatis it is making the team come together that is the hardest part. it had been 11 months across 40,000 nautical miles, the 11 yachts each with around 20 crew tackled everything

and les moonves is cbs. for him to negotiate an exit, it would be a giant payday. some speculated up to $300 million. >> reporter: and now this cbs independent investigation will look at more than just the moonves allegations. it will also be looking into the corporate culture at the company, amy. >> all right, eva, thank you. our chief legal analyst dan abrams is here along with employment attorney nancy erika smith who represented gretchen carlson in her sexual harassment lawsuit against roger ailes. good morning to both of you. nancy, it looks like for now at least moonves is staying on at cbs. what's your reaction to that decision? >> i think that's a very bad decision. that puts a lot of pressure on the current employees. he's the ceo. if there is an investigation -- i don't think it's independent. i think the board say they were hiring outside counsel which means their lawyer. "the new yorker" reported their chief compliance officer said it was still betsy plevin who was allegedly investigating mr. ros

leslie moonves. this, as the writer behind "the new yorker" article defends his reporting. >> how could i turn a blind eye to this? >> quijano: and a manhunt is underway in new orleans for two armed suspects who opened fire on a crowd. good evening. i'm elaine quijano. we begin in california, where the death toll from a massive fire burning north of sacramento is climbing. police say a sixth body has been found, but provided no further details. the other victims include a great-grandmother and two children. the carr fire has destroyed more than 500 buildings and is threatening more than 5,000 structures. more than 38,000 people have been evacuated. it is only 5% contained. more than 12,000 firefighters are battling 17 large wildfires across california. carter evans is near redding with the latest. >> reporter: as the carr fire continues to burn through seemingly endless amounts of dry brush near redding. more than 3,400 firefighters are racing to contain it. and today, where flames have already scorc

four women accused moonves of forcibly touching or kissing. all reported their careers suffered after they rejected the advances which he denies. anna werner looks aait moonves other accusations against the head of "60 minutes." anna, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, anthony. "the wall street journal" reports some board members discussed whether moonves should step aside during an investigation into the allegations. but it's unclear if that will come up today. eight months after the firing of cbs this morning co-host charlie rose. the company reports it's taking each report of misconduct, quote, very seriously. >> these are six women and in several cases they're talking about what they describe as serious sexual assault. >> reporter: ronan farrow said he spent eight months vetting the stories that a peey s thaiee new yorker friday. 1985, that's when one woman said moonves threw himself on top of her and began kissing her during a meeting. after he joined cbs in 1995, another woman shoclaimed he sho his tongue down her throat during a m

or will moonves choose to step aside? moonves at mitting he made advances, but he says he has never misused his position to hinder anyone's career cbs shares are down another 5% today after losing 6% on friday. bill >> julia, stay right there you can join our discussion here porter bib, at capital partners joins us right now what a. >> this tremendous growth for the company for the last 20 some years, and now they're talking about maybe ousting. what do you think is going to happen here? >> i think it's inevitable that les is history at cbs. whether he takes a leave of absence or is dismissed outright is up for grabs right now. the board, as julia just mentioned, is still considering how to handle this there already are a slew of class action suits against cbs and the board for not taking action when the new yorker article by roenan came out on friday it's really -- it's a shame because on thursday les and cbs were going to announce record earnings he has taken advantage of a consolidation of the network media industry an