What to know about the spring equinox
By the end of the day, spring will officially have sprung — even if it doesn't feel like yet it in your city. March 20, 2019 marks the spring equinox — the first official day of spring in the Northern…
Man sees "a few" rattlesnakes under home. There were 45.
Albany, Texas -- A Texas homeowner who reported seeing "a few" snakes under his home actually had dozens of rattlesnakes living beneath his house. That's according to Big Country Snake Removal, whose workers pulled 45 rattlesnakes from underneath the home…
Pompeo, Netanyahu speak in Israel before national election
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is visiting Israel, Lebanon and Kuwait this week, will be making a joint statement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem Wednesday. Pompeo's visit comes just weeks before Israel holds elections in early…
Black lung disease fund is draining amid Washington inaction
The rate of an excise tax on coal that paid for stricken coal miners' benefits fell in January The fund provides health benefits and payments to about 25,000 retired miners Despite promises from President Trump and Sen. McConnell to protect…
Supreme Court takes up case of racial bias in Mississippi jury selection
The Supreme Court is hearing arguments over a Mississippi prosecutor's decision to keep African-Americans off a black death row inmate's jury in a murder trial. The appeal before the court Wednesday comes from inmate Curtis Flowers, who has been tried…
Tech's fight against anti-vaccine content prompts free speech debate
Every major medical body and federal office agrees: vaccines are safe and effective. But that's often not the message you get if you're a parent poking around online. Doctors are now questioning whether big tech companies share the blame for…
Google fined $1.7 billion by EU for blocking advertising rivals
European Union regulators fined Google almost $1.7 billion for for abusing its dominant role in online advertising. The fine of 1.49 billion euros, or $1.68 billion, was announced by the EU's competition commissioner, Margrethe Vestager at a news conference in…
EPA head says dirty water is worse threat than climate change
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler says that unsafe drinking water -- not climate change -- poses the greatest and most immediate global threat to the environment. In his first network interview since his confirmation last month, Wheeler told CBS…
Fire that produced huge plume finally out at Texas chemical plant
A fire burning since Sunday morning and sending a huge plume of thick black smoke into the air at a Houston-area petrochemicals storage facility was extinguished early Wednesday, the tank farm's owner said. Intercontinental Terminals Company said flames in all…
Referee who told wrestler to cut dreadlocks claims defamation
Wrestler forced to cut dreadlocks Williamstown, N.J. -- A referee who was heavily criticized for telling a New Jersey high school wrestler to cut his dreadlocks or forfeit his match has taken a step toward filing a defamation lawsuit. The…
Claim these tax deductions if you're self-employed
For the self-employed, taxes are a huge deal. The total tax on your last dollar of income as a sole proprietor can be over 50 percent. That's because the top marginal federal tax rate is 35 percent and the Self-Employment,…
David Petraeus' 5 "big ideas" to combat Islamic extremism
The U.S. should adopt a policy of "sustained presence" to effectively combat Islamic extremism abroad, says former CIA director and retired General David Petraeus, who led coalition forces in Iraq from 2007 to 2008 and in Afghanistan from 2010 to…
A woman just won "math's Nobel" prize — for the first time ever
American Karen Uhlenbeck has won the 2019 Abel prize, often referred to as "math's Nobel" prize. The accomplished mathematician is the first woman in history to earn the distinction from the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. Uhlenbeck received the…
General Mills is giving away 15,000 boxes of Marshmallow Only Lucky Charms
Lucky Charms gets unicorn shape St. Patrick's Day may be over, but General Mills' is still giving fans a sweet pot of gold: Limited-edition Lucky Charms Marshmallow Only cereal. But, they're not at the end of a rainbow -- cereal…
What to know about the Electoral College, and why some Democrats want to end it
Two Democrats running for the nation's highest office want to revolutionize the way the U.S. elects its presidents — they're calling for the abolition of the Electoral College. Since 2000, the Democratic Party has seen two of its candidates win…
Jury finds Monsanto's Roundup caused another man's cancer
Jury finds weed killer contributed to man's cancer The unanimous decision was the second jury verdict finding Roundup caused non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. This case involved 70-year Edwin Hardeman, who sprayed the product containing glyphosate on his 56-acre property. DeWayne Johnson had…
Chemical plant fire has neighbors worried about air quality
A chemical plant near Houston has been burning since Sunday morning. Officials said Tuesday they don't know how long it will take to burn itself out. Firefighters are trying to keep it from spreading - as thick black smoke billows…
FAA, Boeing relationship under scrutiny after deadly crash
Arlington, Va. — The Transportation Department confirmed Tuesday its inspector general is investigating how the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified the Boeing 737 Max-8 aircraft. The brand new plane, now grounded, has had deadly crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia. The…
Concern grows over feds' sluggish response to rise of right-wing extremism
Washington — In the U.S., the number of white supremacist groups has grown in recent years and their influence continues to spread online. But two law enforcement veterans told CBS News federal authorities have struggled to keep up with the…
Farmers devastated by historic flooding in the Midwest
Last Updated Mar 19, 2019 6:56 PM EDT Winslow, Neb. — More rain fell Monday across the central Plains, providing no relief from historic floods. At least three people have died since rivers started overflowing and it won't let up…
FDA approves a new postpartum depression treatment
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug specifically designed to treat postpartum depression. In the U.S., about one in nine mothers experience depression after having a baby. But the new drug is providing hope. After the birth…
Republicans propose amendment to limit Supreme Court to 9 justices
Republican Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee said Tuesday he is introducing a constitutional amendment to limit the number of justices on the Supreme Court to nine, after several Democratic presidential candidates have expressed support for expanding the number of justices…
Michael Cohen investigation involved use of secretive Triggerfish device
The FBI wanted Michael Cohen's cell phones, but knew they couldn't be found at his home. The problem: Cohen and his family had moved into a hotel while renovating their apartment. The solution, on April 8, 2018, was to use…
Trump nominates former Delta executive to run FAA
FAA approval relies on Boeing to self-police The White House announced Tuesday that President Trump is nominating former Delta executive Steve Dickson as administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. The move comes a week after the FAA announced that it…