learn more about why you should choose an aarp medicare supplement plan. call today for a free guide. captioning sponsored by cbs >> o'donnell: breaking news in the impeachment inquiry. the embassy staffer who overheard the president is now telling all. >> i've never seen anything like this in my foreign service career. >> o'donnell: saying president trump asked ukraine if he would investigate his rivals. while another expert debunks a conspiracy theory and accuses an ambassador of playing politics for the president. >> i did say to him, "gordon, i think this is all going to blow up." and here we are. >> may day, may day, may day. >> o'donnell: sparks fly from the engine of a plane full of passengers. tonight, the pilot's call for help. a deadly new danger from vaping. doctors say they've uncovered another shocking type of lung damage. late-breaking details on a fatal

crash involving two air force jets. what went wrong. the very special calls that has two men on the run to help save lives. >> it's worth every ounce of pain that we're experiencing. >> o'donnell: and the virus that keeps spreading, sending tens of thousands of children home from school. >> this is the "cbs evening news" with norah o'donnell, reporting tonight from washington. >> o'donnell: good evening to our viewers in the west. if you watched today's hearings, you saw two career foreign policy officials school lawmakers on what they should really care about-- russia. former white house official fiona hill told lawmakers she worried president trump had fallen victim to a fictional narrative about ukraine. hill testified, alongside embassy official david holmes, who says he overheard the president on the phone asking if

ukraine would investigate the bidens. holmes said today that phone call in the middle of a restaurant in kiev was unlike anything he'd seen in his career. and tonight, it appears the house is on its way to impeaching the president. and we have late word that the white house may be ready to fight it out in a trial on the senate floor. we've got a team of correspondents covering today's developments, and we're going to begin tonight with nancy cordes at the capitol. and, nancy, that was some powerful testimony today. >> reporter: it was, norah. hill and holmes became the seventh and eighth witnesses to testify publicly that there was an improper scheme that put the president's personal interests ahead of national security. today's testimony also featured a key piece of firsthand evidence. >> the president's voice was loud and recognizable. >> reporter: david holmes is a top official at the u.s. embassy in ukraine. that's how he came to be sitting at a kiev restaurant with ambassador gordon sondland when

sondland placed a call to president trump. >> when the president came on, he sort of winced and held the phone away from his ear like this. >> reporter: holmes says the conversation immediately turned to the investigation president trump had just been pushing the day before in another call with the ukrainian president, an investigation into the president's campaign rival, joe biden. >> so you heard president trump ask ambassador sondland, "is he going to do the investigation?" >> yes, sir. >> what was ambassador sondland's response? >> he said, "oh, yeah, he's going to do it. he'll do anything you ask." >> reporter: democrats say it is further proof that president trump was behind the effort to pressure ukraine, using an oval office meeting and millions in military aid as bait. >> i've never seen anything like this in my foreign service career. >> reporter: dr. fiona hill said she saw sondland deliver the same ultimatum to a ukrainian delegation during a white house meeting. >> he was being involved in a

domestic political errand, and we were being involved in national security foreign policy. and those two things had just diverged. and i did say to him, ambassador sondland, "gordon, i think this is all going to blow up," and here we are. >> reporter: hill was the president's senior director for europe and russia until mid- july. >> i was born in the northeast of england. >> reporter: she and holmes said the scheme appeared to originate with the president's personal lawyer, rudy giuliani. >> ambassador bolton said that rudy giuliani was a hand grenade that was going to blow everyone up. >> my recollection is ambassador sondland stated, "damn it, rudy. every time rudy gets involved he goes and "f's" everything up." >> reporter: republicans were unmoved. >> you're going to impeach and remove a president for this. >> reporter: hill is a russia expert. today, she rebuked some republicans for entertaining a conspiracy theory about 2016 election interference. >> some of you on this committee appear to believe that russia

and its security services did not conduct a campaign against our country and that perhaps, somehow, for some reason, ukraine did. this is a fictional narrative that has been perpetrated and propagated by the russian security services themselves. >> reporter: she said the president himself had bought into it. >> so is it your understanding then that president trump disregarded the advice of his senior officials about this theory, and instead listened to rudy giuliani's views? >> that appears to be the case, yes. >> reporter: there are no more public hearings scheduled in this room at this time. democrats tell us they think they have enough evidence to move forward with articles of impeachment. one top aide told me tonight, norah, that based on everything they heard there is a strong interest in moving quickly. >> o'donnell: quite a day. nancy, thank you. as the impeachment battle rages in the house, president trump had key republican senators over for lunch, this as we get new details tonight about what a senate trial of the president might look like.

ben tracy is at the white house. >> reporter: cbs news has learned if democrats do impeach the president in the house, republican leaders in the white house plan to put on a full trial in the senate. they want the president to mount a public defense, rather than force a quick vote to dismiss the charges. even so, the president hedged his bets today, hosting several g.o.p. senators at the white house for lunch and to talk impeachment, among them, utah's mitt romney and maine's susan collins. both have been critical of the president and he doesn't want any defections if it comes to a senate trial. >> this real estate mains deeply troubling. >> reporter: last month, romney's critiques prompted the president to call him a pompous ass. and argued republicans are not as united as democrats. >> they don't have mitt romney in their midst. they don't have people like that. they stick together. >> reporter: after the lunch, romney said their contentious relationship did not come up. democrats in the senate cried foul. connecticut's richard blumenthal said republicans will be jurors

and should not be discussing impeachment with the president at all. >> his agenda's pretty clear. he's trying to taint the jury pool, and they should be above it. >> reporter: this, as it appears house democrats are moving closer to impeach mr. trump. house speaker nancy pelosi today: >> and the evidence is clear that the president, the president has used his office for his own personal gain, and in doing so, undermined the national security of the united states. he has violated his oath of office. >> reporter: now, a trial in the senate could start in early january, possibly lasting several weeks. that means it could run right up against the early caucuses and primaries. and, norah, that could cause a big problem for the president's democratic rivals, who are also senators, who would be stuck here in d.c. >> o'donnell: all right, ben, thank you. now let's get some perspective on the impeachment inquiry with "face the nation" moderator margaret brennan, and white house correspondent major garrett. major, 30 hours of testimony,

3,500 pages-plus of deposition, 17 witnesses, where do we stand today? >> here's a potentially useful question: during all that, has there been a moment the nation gasped? why is that relevant? in the nixon and clinton impeachments the nation did. why? there was a pattern nixon created political espionage and tried to cover it up. for bill clinton, he lied about an affair with a white house intern and he lied to his wife, his country and under oath. which meant he lied to his wife, has that moment occurred yet? house democrats tell me they put together a narrative that makes the president look venal, mean, reckless, transactional. but has it reached the level of it must be an impeachable offense? even house democrats looking at polling data which is at best for them is mixed are uncertain, but it looks like they're going to go ahead anyway. >> o'donnell: margaret, we have had this interesting dynamic, public servants, who are apolitical, testifying against their boss, the president. where do we stand now?

>> what this hearing has done is really laid bare, as one senior diplomat said to me, that america should fear the weak state, not the deep state. we've heard from this parade of public servants, all of whom have taken an oath to the constitution to work on issues related to national security, and they're saying they're at odds with individuals who are using their proximity to the president of the united states for their own benefit. and that isn't something that really should just be dismissed. it's a warning about the erosion of the institutions of american democracy. but in the end, as major is sort of laying out here, it might get overshadowed by our own partisanship. >> o'donnell: all right, margaret, major, thank you very much. michael bloomberg, the billionaire former mayor of new york city is another step closer to a presidential run tonight. the one-time republican filed today to run for the white house as a democrat, a move that could upend the already-crowded field. ed o'keefe is on the campaign trail tonight in atlanta. >> reporter: will he or won't he?

aides to michael bloomberg say today's filing is not an official announcement, but just another baby step that allows the former new york mayor to legally appear on the ballot in several super tuesday states. >> this is going to be in my scrapbook. >> reporter: he's set to join an unsettled field of candidates, many of whom courted black voters today in atlanta. >> nice to meet you. >> reporter: south bend mayor pete buttigieg is surging in the polls but struggling to build support among minorities, especially in the early primary state of south carolina where he registers almost no support among african american voters. >> i do have the experience of sometimes feeling like a stranger in my own country. >> reporter: his answer at last night's debate comparing the fight for civil rights and gay rights was criticized by opponents, including california senator kamala harris. >> what he did on the stage is just not productive and i think it's a bit naive. >> reporter: former vice president joe biden enjoys huge african american summit but he slipped up at last night's debate saying he was endorsed by... >> the only black african american woman that has ever been elected to the united states senate.

>> reporter: but he forgot that one of his opponents, harris, is also in the senate. >> that's not true! that's not true. >> the other one is here. ( laughter ). >> the first. i said the first. >> reporter: the outreach to black voters in georgia continues tonight. elizabeth warren is making a direct appeal to black women who are the most loyal democratic voters across the country. norah. >> o'donnell: all right, ed, at a noisy rally tonight. thank you, ed. some frightening moments today just after a philippine airlines jet took off from los angeles bound for manila. >> may day, may day, may day. >> o'donnell: the right engine began to spark. flames and smoke were seen. the pilot had no choice but to turn around. the boeing 777 landed safely back at l.a.x., and there were no reported injuries. a fast-moving outbreak of a highly contagious virus has sickened hundreds in colorado, and forced an unprecedented step-- an entire school district of 22,000 students was shut

down. and tonight, there's word the neighboring district is also shutting down. omar villafranca reports from grand junction, colorado. >> reporter: it's an all-out school effort to eliminate a microscopic enemy as crews sanitize hallways and scrub down classroom at mesa county schools. hundreds of students and teachers have fallen ill with symptoms of the highly contagious norovirus, including cendie wood's grandchildren. >> every time i send the kids back to school, they come home sick. >> reporter: the outbreak apparently started last week with siblings who attend schools in the district. the contagion and a second strain then quickly spread, forcing officials to take the unusual step and close all 46 schools. >> when we have 20 kids actively vomiting in a school that already has 17% of their population gone, we know we've got a problem. we have to stop the exposure.

>> reporter: according to the centers for disease control, people with norovirus illness can shed billions of norovirus particles, but it only takes a lew particles to make other people sick. the virus spreads through direct contact with an infected person, consuming contaminated food, or touching tainted surfaces. symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain. joy zeller's three daughters are among the students now at home. >> the school district made the right choice because the health of our families-- i mean, nobody wants to spend thanksgiving break with everybody puking. >> reporter: workers spent all day scrubbing and sanitizing these walls, just trying to get it ready for school. now, another concern is about half the students in this district rely on the school lunch program for a meal. school is closed tomorrow. but district officials tell me they're going to send their trucks out to make sure those kids are fed. norah. >> o'donnell: that's a serious story. all right, omar, thank you so much. there is still much more ahead

on tonight's "cbs evening news." the vaping crisis grows with word of a new type of illness similar to what they call popcorn lung. new details tonight from the scene of a deadly air force crash. and later, the cause that has these runners stretching the bounds of human endurance. bounds of human endurance. and i didn't have to come get you. because you didn't have another heart attack. not today. you took our conversation about your chronic coronary artery disease to heart. even with a stent procedure, your condition can get worse over time, and keep you at risk of blood clots. so you added xarelto®, to help keep you protected. xarelto®, when taken with low-dose aspirin, is proven to further reduce the risk of blood clots that can cause heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death in people with chronic cad. that's because while aspirin can help, it may not be enough to manage your risk of blood clots. in a clinical trial, almost 96% of people taking xarelto® did not have a cardiovascular event. don't stop taking xarelto® without talking to your doctor,

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after admission, his condition rapidly declined. dr. karen bosma helped treat the patient at london's health sciences center in ontario. >> had he not been put on the life support machine he would have passed away from the illness. >> reporter: the likely diagnosis. a rare lung ailment called bronchiolitis obliterans. >> the small airways were so inflamed and scarred they become obstructed. >> reporter: it was nicknamed popcorn lung after the lungs of microwave popcorn factory workers were severely injured by a chemical called diacetyl. it's the first time health officials have seen this kind of injury from vaping. the canadian teen had been vaping flavored pods and t.h.c. for five months before he became ill. it's not confirmed if diacetyl was in his cartridges. earlier this month, the c.d.c. identified a different chemical, vitamin e acetate, as a cause of some vaping injury.

this new york state lab tests samples taken from the cartridges of patients. victoria derbyshire is the testing center's deputy director. >> we are under the impression the vitamin e acetate is being used to dilute cannabis oil and stretch it and make it go further so that you can sell more product and make more money. >> reporter: a number of health organizations have called for tighter regulation of vaping. we learned today, president trump will be holding a white house meeting on friday to address concerns about vaping in young people. and, norah, that will include the use of flavored products. >> o'donnell: all right, jon, thank you. coming up, did a racial slur spark that ugly n.f.l. brawl? the explosive new claim tonight. now claim tonight. oh no,... ...a cougher. welcome to flu season, karen. is a regular flu shot strong enough... ...to help prevent flu in someone your age? there are standard-dose flu shots. and then there's the superior flu protection... ...of fluzone high-dose.

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and forming a clot. in a clinical study, brilinta worked better than plavix. brilinta reduced the chance of having another heart attack... ...or dying from one. don't stop taking brilinta without talking to your doctor, since stopping it too soon increases your risk of clots in your stent, heart attack, stroke, and even death. brilinta may cause bruising or bleeding more easily, or serious, sometimes fatal bleeding. don't take brilinta if you have bleeding, like stomach ulcers, a history of bleeding in the brain, or severe liver problems. slow heart rhythm has been reported. tell your doctor about bleeding new or unexpected shortness of breath any planned surgery, and all medicines you take. if you recently had a heart attack, ask your doctor if brilinta is right for you. my heart is worth brilinta. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. >> o'donnell: tonight officials at vance air force base in oklahoma are investigating a deadly accident involving two jets. two airmen were killed while landing during a training mission. one of the t-38 jets flipped over and came to a stop a few

hundred feet off the runway. the names of the airmen have not been released. the n.f.l. tonight is rejecting myles garrett's plea for a reduced suspension. the cleveland brown star is out, at least through the end of this season, for ripping off the helmet of pittsburgh steelers' quarterback mason rudolph, and hitting him in the head with it. in an explosive new claim, garrett says rudolph used a racial slur that ignited the brawl. rudolph denies it, and the n.f.l. says there's no evidence to back up garrett's claim. the man known as the soul of snowboarding has died. jake burton carpenter started making burton boards in his vermont garage back in 1977. four decades later, the sport he popularized has become a billion-dollar business and an olympic event. burton died last night after a long battle with cancer. he was 65 years old. up next: these men are no strangers to ultra marathons, but they're running now for a greater cause. for a

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errol barnett reports they're doing it to solve a most urgent problem facing veterans. >> marathon enthusiasts brian tjersland and josh milich are on the longest run of their lives-- 500 miles in 12 days, from massachusetts national cemetery on cape cod, to arlington national cemetery in virginia. they're averaging more than 40 miles a day. >> we got 20 to go. >> reporter: braving rain, snow, and injury to raise awareness of veteran suicides. we caught up with them in philadelphia. you say you want to do something outrageous, something people would stop and see. >> yes. >> reporter: what has the response been so far? >> it's been fantastic. it's exceeded anything we thought would happen. >> they're using their passion for running to raise money for mission 22, a nonprofit organization providing treatment to veterans suffering from post- traumatic stress. and to veterans sitting out there watching from home who

have been struggling what would you say? >> it's okay to not be okay. and no one's going to judge you for feeling the way that you do. >> reporter: 17 veterans commit suicide every day in the u.s., more than 6,000 lives lost a year. former indiana army national guardsman brian westerfield who served in iraq was almost one of them. what was it that made you contemplate suicide? why? >> it's all the failures over and over again. i stayed in that hole for so long, that i-- i didn't see a way out. >> reporter: westerfield is now helping mission 22 counsel other vets. he's also backing tjersland and milich on their mission to spread hope. there are people out there who need to hear this message and it's worth every ounce of pain we're experiencing in these two weeks. >> reporter: giving it their all to make sure no one runs life's course alone. errol barnett, cbs news, baltimore, maryland. >> o'donnell: they're expected to arrive at arlington national cemetery tomorrow.

and that is the "cbs evening news." i'm norah o'donnell in washington with thanks to the jones day law firm for this be tiful view of the ca

right now at 7. who's going to keep track of whose price. >> homemade, untraceable guns, the weapon of choice for violent criminals. the troubling is that ghost guns are getting easier to make. >> these are being mused and what types of crimes? murder, robbery, assault, narcotics trafficking. >> already was on the floor and a lot of people on the floor. >> chaos. a woman plows her car into a bay area dollar store. what happened to her moments before impact. back to back day of a breeze and a gun violence, another shooting tonight. shots fired just a short time ago. heartbroken daughter speaks