This Morning from CBS News, March 27, 2015
Flight 9525 investigation
CBS News correspondent Allen Pizzey reports that German police searched Germanwings Flight 9525 co-pilot Andreas Lubitz' apartment near Dusseldorf and his family's home in the small town of Montabaur, carrying away bags full of seized items and computer hardware, hoping to find any clues as to what might have triggered his final act. A report suggested the young man suffered a "serious depressive episode" during his training. On that mountainside in France, CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer says the search resumed Friday, with some crews using ropes to access the steepest areas.
Who flys?
Revelations from French prosecutors that Lubitz intentionally crashed Flight 9525 have air travelers around the world wondering, and worrying, about the crew in their cockpit. In the U.S., commercial pilots are screened and evaluated prior to being hired. CBS News correspondent Jeff Pegues reports determining a pilot's mental and emotional state can be difficult.
Assad answers Rose
"CBS This Morning" co-host Charlie Rose has interviewed embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for an upcoming "60 Minutes" report. Assad's regime just entered the fifth year of a brutal civil war that has resulted in the deaths of more than 210,000 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Assad answered questions about reports of chlorine gas and barrel bombs being used in combat.
NYC explosion
Investigators believe a gas leak is the likely cause of a devastating explosion in New York City that destroyed 3 buildings and heavily damaged another. Dramatic surveillance video captured the moment of the blast. Nineteen people were hurt, four critically. It sparked a seven-alarm fire that raged out of control. Firefighters were still on-scene putting out hot spots this morning, reports CBS News correspondent Jericka Duncan.
Foreign challenges poll
A CBS News poll shows Americans are split when asked about the level of U.S. support for Israel: 29 percent say the U.S. gives too much, about as many say it gives too little, and a third say the U.S. gives the right amount. The percentage that says U.S. support is too little has risen by ten points since 2011. It is interesting how the groups are divided among the political parties and opinions about ISIS.
Hidden amendments
The Senate was hard at work into the wee hours of this morning as lawmakers waded through a marathon series of votes on amendments to the chamber's budget resolution, a process that has come to be known as "vote-a-rama." Among those hundreds of amendments, there will also be plenty designed merely to make a point. With that in mind, here are a few of the more obscure items that were filed to the bill.
Sweet times
Spring is a critical time for aficionados of maple syrup. Across the northern regions where sugar maple trees flourish, syrup producers are closely monitoring the weather. They're hoping for the ideal conditions of just-above-freezing temperatures during the day and below-freezing at night that allow sap to freely flow out of tapped trees, where it can then be boiled down into the highly prized syrup.
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