kris van cleave, cbs news, washington. >washington. >> ninan: massive crowds lined the streets of the nation's capital today to celebrate their first-ever world series victory. thousands of fans turned out to cheer for the washington nationals. the tape won its first world series, beating the houston astros in a thrilling game seven on wednesday. the nationals have send an invitation to visit the white house of white house on monday. getting burned twice. ahead on the "cbs weekend news", why some california residents cannot afford to rebuild. plus, they play morning show hosts on tv. now they're talking to a real morning show host. and later, the speed and grace of a record-setting climber. >> ninan: tonight homeowners ilareacingcordin a report in 207 wildfires caused at least $18 billion in damages, including $13 billion in insured losses. now longtime policyholders are being dumped by their insurance companies, forcing people to pay more for less coverage. here's carter evans. >> reporter: most of the homeland destroyed

kris van cleave shows us the new technology. >>> i'm anne-marie green. this is the "cbs morning news." ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ hey! your science project. thanks, dad. toyota. let's go places. shhhh. i took mucinex dm for my phlegmy cough. what about rob's dry cough? works on that too. and lasts 12 hours. 12 hours?! who studies that long?! only mucinex dm relieves wet and dry coughs for 12 hours with 2 medicines in 1 pill. in so many ways. which cage free eggs taste fresher and more delicious? only eggland's best. which organic eggs have more vitamins and less saturated fat? (vo) ♪ i know what you're thinking. only eggland's best. electric, it's not for you. and, you're probably right. electric just doesn't have enough range. it will never survive the winter. charging stations? good luck finding onc car isn't for you after all. or, is it? ♪ >>> our top stories, the lawyer for the whistle-blower who touched off the impeachment inquiry into president trump says the unidentified person is willing to answer written questions from house republicans. meanwhile,

but as kris van cleave reports, reality might be about to overtake fiction. >> emergency, emergency, emergency. >> reporter: that is a student pilot calling for help in australia in august, as he makes his first-ever landing after his flight instructor passed out. while crashes due to pilot incapacitation are relatively rare in the u.s., there have been at least 223, killing 269 in the last ten years. >> when something happens to the pilot, going forward, people live. and today, there is a good chance that's not going to happen, that you have an incapacitated pilot. >> reporter: that's because garmin has developed new emergency auto-landing technology. the button is right there. if something were to happen to our pilot herethnearest airport. the system will also self- activate if there is a prolonged period of no pilot activity. garmin says pilots who become disoriented in weather or are dangerously low on fuel can hit the button for help. we flew with test pilot eric sargent. how confident are you to land any time it is activated? >> really confident. i would put my family in here i

our cross-country coverage starts with kris van cleave. he and his team started driving from boston this morning. they are heading to the nation's capital, washington, d.c. k.v.c., how is it going? >> reporter: david, i-95 is the busiest in the country, and it's been very busy today. we've spent a lot of hours on this road, not going particularly fast. right now, it's the northbound lanes headed towards you that are going particularly slow. but really, anywhere you're trying to go this year, getting to thanksgiving dinner has not been easy. the road to thanksgiving is blocked, or at least stalled tonight for millions. two-thirds of americans are in the path of two storms dumping heavy snow in the west and bringing fierce winds and rain to the east, cooking up trouble just hours before holiday dinner. >> you've got to plan for it. you've got to execute and just stay calm. >> reporter: colorado is digging out. >> got to make a flight in two hours. >> reporter: more than 15 inches of snow fell in 15 hours. on i-70, a tractor trailer jack- kni

john. >> dickerson: kris van cleave for us in washington. thanks, kris. flames from a series of explosions at a chemical plant in texas are under control tonight. fires have been burning there since wednesday when explosions rocked the facility in port neches, about 90 miles from houston. mandatory evacuations for 50,000 people were also lifted today. officials say initial tests show the air is safe. more to come on the "cbs evening news." the baby boom that set a new record for twins at a missouri hospital. plus, how an n.f.l. star is stepping up to help children who owe money for lunch. and later, the mighty quinn-- now having fun far beyond his window. it's tough to quit smoking cold turke along with support, chantix is proven to help you quit. with chantix you can keep smoking at first and ease into quitting. chantix reduces the urge so when the day arrives, you'll be more ready to kiss cigarettes goodbye. when you try to quit smoking, with or without chantix, you may have nicotine withdrawal symptoms. stop chantix and get help right away if you have

kris van cleave joins us from the road in arlington, virginia, where it looks like traffic is moving okay this hour. what can we expect in terms of the biggest traffic headaches around the country? >> reporter: well, good morning. certainly tomorrow is the day where you're going to see most americans hitting the road for thanksgiving. for most americans, it is a driving holiday. the absolute worst time to leave on your commute in almost every major city is 4:00 p.m. tomorrow. it stays particularly bad through 7:00 p.m. tomorrow because you get rush hour, plus everybody trying to get to grandma's house. google has looked at traffic patterns around thanksgiving and has found there are some other delays that could really slow you down. for example, if you haven't finished your grocery shopping yet, do not go to the grocery store between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. tomorrow night. that's when everybody else who hasn't finished their shopping goes to the grocery store. it's also the worst time to hit the liquor store. if you're thinking about black friday shopping, we knew some people start really

kris van cleave on i-95 this morning. safe travels. >>> all right. i'm automatic for the navigator picking out the music. update from sfo. an airline workers union said 50 people were arrested after a major protest. >>> [crowd noise] >>> catering workers protested at the american airlines terminal demanding better wages and healthcare. the three were taken into custody. he sent a statement saying as millions flay this weak to be with their friends and families, workers preparing the males for those, live in poverty. i stand with airline workers for fair pay and benefits. many of the food service workers have to work multiple job toss afford the premiums on their healthcare. i >>> and chaos erupted at lax after airline catering workers protested there, too. two roads were closed. protest leaders say thanksgiving isn't only time their message will be heard. they were left scrambling to make their flights. a we were able to check online. my friend was n't able to so it was stressful. >>> it was still crazy get inner, traffic every where and the crossing

but as kris van cleave report, reality might be about to overtake fiction. >> emergency, emergency, emergency. >> reporter: that's a student pilot calling for help in australia in august as he makes his first ever landing after his flight instructor passed out. while crashes due to pilot incapacitation are relatively rare in the u.s., there have been at least 223, killing 269 in the last ten years. >> when something happens to the pilot going forward, people live. and today there is a good chance that's not going to happen if you have an incapacitated pilot. >> reporter: that's because garman has developed new emergency auto land technology. >> the button's right there. if something were to happen to our pilot here and i pushed it, it would get us safely on the ground at the nearest airport. >> reporter: the system will also self-activate if there is a prolonged period of no pilot activity. garman says pilots who become disoriented in weather or dangerously low on fuel could also hit the button for help. we flew with test pilot eric sargent. how confident are you for this to land any time it'

thank you, kris van cleave. see you tonight. thanks a lot. >>> an explosion at a chemical plant in texas prompted evacuations that stretched over half amile radius. doorbell video shows the moment of the explosion. witnesses say it was felt miles a away. police say there is extensive damage throughout the city. the company that owns this plant says three people have minor injuries. the fire is still burning in port nasius, 85 miles east of houston. michelle choy of khou reports khou, reporting from the scene. >> reporter: good morning. the sun has risen you can see the thick black smoke behind me. the plant where the explosion happened produces chemical petroleum products. crews are on the ground monitoring air quality pip the exact cause is still under investigation. video posted to social media shows how intense the flame was. people living in port neches heard a blast shortly after 1:00 a.m. the explosion blew out windows of homes several miles away. this part of texas is a major hub for oil and gas industries. the company th

is testing that, but kris van cleave reports some critics say that test is unrealistic. >> evacuate, evacuate! >> reporter: in a simulated cabin that can be filled with smoke and plunged into darkness, the f.a.a. will try to determine at what point the size of seats and the space between rows becomes a hazard to evacuating a plane quickly. but they'll do it without any of the obstacles passengers may encounter during a real emergency, like bags, smoke, comfort animals, or the dark. >> during the testing, we're going to try to minimize the variables to the ones that are important for this particular test. that gives us a much cleaner look at the empirical data so uc's much easier to make conclusions and recommendations. >> reporter: during the 12 days of f.a.a. testing at this oklahoma city facility, the 720 7lunteer passengers will be broken into groups of just 60. that wouldn't fill even half the seats on the smallest 737. >> these tests are going to be nothing but a sham. >> reporter: john grayo is from the national consumers league. it and nine other consumer groups complained to

kris van cleave has the story from los angeles international airport.bu e 3.2 million people to pass through its checkpoints for thanksgiving. that's a record. and look, the tsa knows this is no one's favorite part of the travel experience, but what they're looking at is the possible checkpoint of the future of one u.s. airport. that could change. they're also working with researchers to develop sensors that could be tucked inside of checkpoints aimed at spotting explosives, and that's something you and i will probably never actually see. in a field outside providence university of rhode island researchers are working on new ways to detect and stop explosives popular with terrorists. >> one. >> reporter: they're partnering with the department of homeland security on this sensor. they call it a digital dog nose. it will soon be the size of a cell phone, or able to be mounted on a drone and can detect homemade explosives as well as better than a bomb-sniffing dog. they've also created a gel called schmoo that can surround a explosive and flash freeze it. professor jenny oxley. >> we ta

from cbs this morning, kris van cleave, washington. >> we have some breaking news from south korea. south korea's military says north korea launched two short range missiles towards japan. they were reported fired from north korea's eastern region right into the sea of japan. japan's prime minister is calling it a threat to japan and it is also a threat to the international community. >> reporter: this comes as the 13th projectile launched. the move to be attempt by the north to make nuclear talks which have been in a deep freeze. meanwhile north korean ally, china is reacting furiously to a move by u.s. president trump. >> antigovernment protesters are celebrating what they call a moral victory after the president signed the hong kong human rights and democracy act. that law passed with a veto proof bipartisan majority in both the house and senate allows the white house to sanction chinese and hong kong officials and organizations based in the foreign colony if civil liberties are violated. this morning china summoned the u.s. ambassador to protest that move. from cbs this morning.

kris van cleave reports on how the emergency unfolded. >> mayday, mayday, mayday. >> terrified passengers on board philippines flight 113 said they heard loud bangs after takeoff. >> four loud bangs, they were explosions. >> boeing 777 bound for manila suffered engine failure. >> why is that going off? >> people on the ground could see flames and smoke shooting out of the engine. video from a passenger shows the harrowing moment this little girl first hears the blast coming from the engine some initially thought were gunshots. >> i've never seen that before. >> how many soles on board? >> 342 passengers and require ambulance assistance on landing. >> no fire from the plane shown when it landed but firefighters were on the ground as a precaution. all the passengers got off the plane safely and bussed back to the terminal. >> thanks god for the pilot for getting us all back safe. >> reporter: for "cbs this morning" i'm kris van cleave. >>> benjamin netanyahu says he will fight to stay in power after becoming the first sitting prime minister in israel's history to be indicted on criminal cha

kris van cleave took a test flight. >> reporter: good morning. we are flying over kansas right now, and we're about to show you some brand-new technology that really could save lives. it is an emergency auto land feature. the button's right there. if something were to happen to our pilot here and i pushed it, it would get us safely on the ground at the nearest airport. >> emergency, emergency, emergency. >> reporter: that's a student . pilot calling for help in australia in august. >> we're going to need an ambulance. >> reporter: he made his first-ever landing after his flight instructor passed out. but often on a small plane, there's only one pilot. while crashes due to pilot incapacitation are relatively rare they've killed 269 people in the u.s. in the last ten years. >> when something happens to the pilot going forward, people live. and today there's a good chance that's not going to happen if you have an incapacitated pilot. >> reporter: garmin has designed new emergency auto land technology it hopes prevents crashes like that of profession

more now from cbs news kris van cleave. >>> cracking in something called a pickle fork is forcing airlines around the world to inspect their 737s that predate the grounded 737 max. a pickle fork helps attaches wings to the body of the plane. an inflate failure could be catastrophic. they pulled three jets out of service. quantities found three cracks in its 737s. >> i understand the cone sent it is quite a scary word, crack. >> reporter: the faa ordered inspections of older or highly used 737s this month. at least 52 of the more than 6800 word wide have been found with cracked pickle forks. they should last the entire life of the plane. >> quantities will never fly a plane if we do not believe it is safe to do so. their entire reputation, our brand is built on the safety record. >> reporter: sources tell "cbs news," a leading theory is the cracking stems from the manufacturing process where stress is introduced and cracking years and even decades later. at least some of the 737s came off the same line of weeks or months of each other. >>> some of our team members found cracking on airplane

kris van cleave is at los angeles international airport. what could the future look like for us flyers? >> reporter: well, good morning. hopefully the future looks a bit like this. now l.a.x. is going to get very busy. they expect more than 3.2 million people to pass through its checkpoints for thanksgiving. that's a record. look, the tsa knows this is no one's favorite part of the travel experience. what they're looking at is the possible future at one checkpoint at one airport and they're looking to develop censors that could be at checkpoints aimed at detecting explosives. something you and i will probably never see. in a field outside providence, university of rhode island researchers are working on new ways to detect and stop explosives popular with terrorists. >> two, one -- >> reporter: they're partnering with the department of homeland security on this sensor. they call it a digital dog nose. it will soon be the size of a cell phone or able to be mounted on a drone and can detect home made explosives as well or better than a bomb-sn

kris van cleave explains. >> we are flying over kansas right now, and we're about to show you some brand-new technology that really could save lives. it is an emergency auto land feature. the buttons right tho our pilot right here and i pushed it, it would get us safely on the ground at the nearest airport. >> emergency, emergency, emergency! pilot calling for help in australia in august. >> we're going to need an ambulance. >> reporter: he made his first ever landing after his flight instructor passed out. but often on a small plane, there is only one pilot. while crashes due to pilot incapacitation are relatively rare, they've killed at least 269 people in the u.s. in the last ten years. >> when something happens to the pilot going forward, people live. and today there's a good chance that's not going to happen if you have an incapacitated pilot. >> reporter: garmin has designed new emergency auto land technology it hopes prevents crashes, like that of professional golfer payne stewart. his private jet lost cabin pressure, knocking out the pilots. the new auto land system is designed to ac

kris van cleave has more on the investigation. rain canadian investigators are working to identify the seven people on board the six-seat piper cherokee that crashed wednesday. and piece together why the 54-year-old single-engine plane went down. >> it was a very steep impact. so significantly steep, and the aircraft was destroyed. >> this is my 1965 piper cherokee -- >> reporter: the plane's owner was believed to be flying along with his wife, three children ages 3 to 15, and two family friends, newlyweds from toronto. he bought the plane to share his love of flying with his family. >> i put my whole family, put my camping gear right here in the nose compartment. >> reporter: investigators said they were flying between toronto and quebec city when they attempted to land in kingston, ontario, around 50:00 p.m. the crash site is in line with the airport's runway. the family's neighbors in missouri city, texas, describe the family as friendly. >> this is something you never want to hear, especially, you know, a family like this. goo

but as kris van cleave reports, there have been some sudden stops for apparently no reason at all. >> reporter: fatal pedestrian crashes like this one in july are up 53% since 2009. new insurance institute for highway safety testing looked at 16 mid-sized sedans equipped with automatic emergency braking systems aimed at preventing those types of crashes. they are designed to sense a collision is eminent, warn the driver, and if necessary, hit the brakes. six cars, including the nissan maxima and sukru outback earned top marks, a superior rating. among the six scoring advanced were the honda accord and toyota camry. but the ford fusion failed to earn a rating at all. the kia optima and hyundai sonata also performed poorly. >> this is a first step. there are obviously things we can improve on, that automakers can improve on. >> reporter: the testing involved cars driving at 12 to 37 miles per hour during the day. a recent study from aaa found sedans are more likely to fail at faster speeds, after going around a turn, and especially in the dark. forward collision avoidance systems with e

for "cbs this morning saturday," kris van cleave, new york. >> good morning us on. >> yes. >> and you can take a tour. >> you can. let's do it. >> yes, we will. >>> here's a look at the weather for your weekend. ♪ >>> up next on "the dish," southern cooking sensation whitney otawka. this piece is talking to me. yeah? so what do you see? i see an unbelievable opportunity. i see best-in-class platforms and education. i see award-winning service, and a trade desk full of experts, available to answer your toughest questions. and i see it with zero commissions on online trades. i like what you're seeing. it's beautiful, isn't it? yeah. td ameritrade now offers zero commissions on online trades. ♪ mucinex cold & flu all-in-one. fights... oh no. no-no-no. did you really need the caps lock? mucinex cold and flu all-in-one. too many after-parties. new neutrogena® bright boost with dullness-fighting neoglucosamine. boosts cell turnover by 10 times for instantly brighter skin. bright boost neutrogena®. we believe nutrition is full of possibilities to improve your pet's life. we're redefini