Good to be with you. Im annemarie green. The National Football league is facing another lawsuit concerning the longterm health of its players. It was less than a year ago that the nfl settled the case over concussion risks. This time hundreds of retired players charged the league illegally supplied them with risky drugs that led to addiction, and some say they were never told about serious injuries. Omar villafranca has our report. Reporter eight player are named in the lawsuit including former San Francisco 49er Jeremy Newberry. Im 49 years old and i have kidney problems from playing football. Reporter newberry, who also worked as an analyst for station kpix said he received injections to numb injuries during the majority of his injuries during his career. It was almost like a cattle call, waiting with your pants down. Theyre sticking you one at a time as youre walking in and out. Bears quarterback jim mcmahon is one of the plaintiffs claiming he suffered nearly a decade later he suffered a broken neck his doctors never told him about. Another received medication to get him on the field and needed downers to sleep. The nfl commissioner was asked about the lawsuit at a news conference. I was only made aware of it just briefly, but i dont believe any of our attorneys have had an opportunity to look at it. Reporter the former players want financial compensation and extended health care for more than 500 exathletes and changes to how painkillers are administered. Omar villafranca, cbs news. The controversy over veterans medical care is growing. More than two dozen Veterans Health care facilities are now under investigation. Charges of falsified records and delays in treatment have created a political firestorm. Today one of president obamas top advisers will meet with veterans groups in washington before flying to phoenix where the first report surfaced. Susan mcginnis is in washington. Good morning, susan. Good morning, annemarie. The number of v. A. Medical centers under investigation has now more than doubled since this scandal came to light about a month ago. Several lawmakers here on capitol hill are now proposing legislation to deal with the v. A. Medical center problems and are calling on the white house to take stronger action. Investigators are now looking into 26 v. A. Medical facilities after allegations of falsified records and delayed care for veterans with sometimes deadly consequences. V. A. Secretary Eric Shinseki has ordered an audit of all hospitals in question. President obama assigned deputy chief of staff rob neighbors to help reform the agency. This week neighbors is focusing on the phoenix v. A. Hospital where at least a dozen patients have died waiting for care. Hes on his way to the Phoenix Veterans Affairs medical facility to meet with its acting director as part of this review. House majority leader eric cantor is among a growing number of voices demanding the white house take action. It is time for our president to come forward and take responsibility for this and do the right thing by these veterans and begin to show that he actually cares about getting it straight. Today house lawmakers are expected to take up a bill that would give secretary shinseki more power to fire senior managers within the agency. Calls have been growing for the secretary himself to resign, but he has vowed to push forward. The white house has said the president has expressed full confidence in shinseki. Now, investigators say they have not linked any patient deaths in phoenix with delayed care so far. Annemarie . All right. Susan mcginnis in washington. Thank you, susan. This morning the threat of Severe Weather stretches across the plains to parts of the midatlantic. Thunderstorms, hail, and damaging winding are possible along with the potential for isolated tornadoes. Last night lightningproducing thunderstorms, hail, and damaging winds moved through chicago and a series of hailproducing stormed moved through denver yesterday. The hail was so large and thick it looked like storm. Another round of storms is possible today. And this morning firefighters are battling a wildfire in northern central arizona. The fire in sedona broke out yesterday afternoon. A hundred homes have been evacuated. At least 450 acres have been burned and part of a highway has been closed. Voters in six states cast ballots in primary elections yesterday, but with the got needing just six seats to take control of the senate, this morning most of the attention is focused on three critical races. In oregon, monica wehby won the Republican Senate primary. Her toughest challenge came from state lawmaker jason conger. Wehby will face democratic incumbent jeff merkley. And a Runoff Election will be needed to determine the gop candidate in georgia. And in kentucky Mitch Mcconnell easily beat off a tea party challenge. Craig boswell reports. Reporter the senates highest ranking republican Mitch Mcconnell cast his ballot. Kentucky is one of six states with primaries tuesday. Three are likely to play a big role in the battle for control of the senate. This is the first time in i dont know how many years that mcconnell has had Mitch Mcconnell has had any competition whatsoever. Reporter businessman matt bevins Tea Party Supporters hope theyll ditch mitch and face a tough democratic challenge. You might say im raising money for both sides. Shes able to raise money because shes running against me, im able to raise money because i am me. Reporter another Senate Battle is taking shape in georgia where Chambliss Saxby is leashing an open sick. Several are slugging it out to take his place and are likely to face a runoff before nation michelle nunn, one of the best hopes for picking up a republican seat. In arkansas they have a chance at unseating a democrat. Republican tom cotton hopes to defeat mark pryor in the fall. Neither candidate faced a primary challenger. Craig boswell, cbs news, washington. Late into the nighttime samesex couples in pennsylvania applied for marriage licenses. Pennsylvanias ban on samesex marriage was overturned by a federal judge yesterday. If the decision holds, pennsylvania would become the 19th state where samesex marriage is legal. Diana rocco of our philadelphia station kyw reports. Reporter philadelphias aclu headquarters, champagne was flowing. By vir tau of this ruling reporter tuesday a federal judge overturned pennsylvanias ban on samesex marriage. We met each other in our mid20s and it was about time. That was 20 years ago. Almost 20 years ago. We just never thought marriage was in the cards for us. Reporter christie teen dinato and her long time girlfriend sandy were part of a lawsuit against the state. We really wanted to do it for each other, for our families, if our sons. Reporter in a 39page decision, judge john jones ruled the ban on samesex marriage unconstitutional making pennsylvania the 19th state to recognize marriages. Very disappoint. I think we all want a more loving considerate society but i dont think we get there through sa onejudge court ruling that strikes down something as fundamental as marriage. After he illegally issued marriage licenses to samesex couples months ago. The status of those now remains in the courts. Logically it would make sense that they would also be validated. Reporter hundreds rallied outside city hall where couples were lining up to get licenses. Pennsylvania didnt recognize our marriage, and that changes today. Reporter philadelphias city hall will extend hours on wednesday for couples looking for a marriage license. The state now has 30 days to appeal. For cbs news, im diana rocco, philadelphia. Samesex marriage is on hold in idaho, though. A ruling that overturned the ban on samesex marriage was appealed by the state government. Supreme court. Now, coming up on the morning news, the latet round of recalls from general motor, plus the buzz over this roadside cleanup after a truck full of bees overturns. This is the cbs morning news. Overturns. This is the cbs morning news. Pain from your day can haunt you at night, dont let it. Advil pm gives you the healing sleep you need, helping you fall asleep and stay asleep so your body can heal as you rest. Advil pm. For a healing nights sleep. Get the Party Started with Friskies Party Mix original crunch cat treats. Woooooah. [ male announcer ] youre not just looking for a house. Youre looking for a place for your life to happen. Zillow. Youre looking for a place for your life to happen. Introducing a beauty breakthrough. So bold. Revolutionary color. So chic. At the hottest boutique. The new paint studio at ace surprise. Luxurious color from Valspar Optimus and valspar aspire. Check out this drawer action. Discover premium paints and helpful people. I love both of those things. Of course you do. Its the new paint studio. Exclusively at ace. Ace is the place with the helpful hardware folks. Helpful is beautiful™ a mama b a mama bear is all action after her cub got stuck on the side of a highway in british columbia, canada. She grabs her baby and pulls it to safety. Another cub climbs up on the divider, but knows better than to jump down. And a highway ramp in newark, delaware, remains closed this morning after a truck full of bees flipped on its side yesterday. About 20 million angry honeybees swarmed out and stung the driver and two passengers about a hundred times. On top of that, they also suffered minor injuries from the crash. On the cbs moneywatch now, more gulf of mexico vehicles are recall, and petco takes jerky treats off the shelves. Jill wagner is at the New York Stock Exchange with that and more. Good morning, jill. Good morning, annemarie. Another series of recalls from General Motors yesterday. This time affecting more than 200 million trucks and calls. So far theyve issued 29 recalls with nine in the last six days for a total of 13. 5 million vehicles. This is five times the amount of vehicles it sold last year. Yesterdays recall involves problems with seat belts, bad cables, and faulty air bags. For a list of all the gm recalls, you can go to cbsnews. Com. And another recall. 1. 8 Million Pounds of ground beef. The meat was shipped nationwide from a Detroit Packing Company and may be contaminated with a strain of e. Coli that could cause kidney failure. The cdc says 11 people in four different states have been sickened from the tainted beef. Asian stocks were mostly lower on a stronger yen. Tokyos nikkei lost a quarter percent. Hong kongs hang seng dropped a fraction. The Federal Reserve will release the minutes from its april meeting today, and maybe that will put investors in a better mood. Yesterday it was ugly here on wall street. The dow plunged 137 points. The nasdaq slid 29 points. Petco says its going stop selling pet treats made in china. Since 2007 the fda says its received 4,800 reports of pet illnesses related to the jerky, and that includes more than 1,000 canine deaths. Petco will switch to treats made in the u. S. And other countries by the end of the year. Annemarie . All right. Jill wagner at the New York Stock Exchange. Thanks a lot, jill. Straight ahead, your wednesday morning weather. And altitude sickness. Well show you how long bacteria can survive on an airplane. Sickness. Well show you how long bacteria can survive on an airplane. Orbiting the moon in 1971. [ male announcer ] once its earned, usaa Auto Insurance is often handed down from generation to generation. Because it offers a superior level of protection. And because usaas commitment to serve current and former military members and their families is without equal. Begin your legacy. Get an Auto Insurance quote. Usaa. We know what it means to serve. Are you about to spend that on paper towels . Mom well, i use bounty. Kerri ooo use sparkle®. Its just right for cleaning up everyday little messes without cleaning out your piggy bank. Sparkle®. The bright way to clean. Cmon, you want heartburn . When your favorite food starts a fight, fight back fast, with tums. Heartburn relief that neutralizes acid on contact. And goes to work in seconds. Tum, tum tum tum. Tums up to 60 off plus 10 offday mattress spectacular get an extra 5 off or up to 60 months financing and get free delivery start your search at sears, where members get more heres a look at todays forecast in some cities around the country. Well, what would have been the first bill in california to outlaw bullying was defeated last night. It was up for a vote in carson, about 20 miles south of los angeles but it didnt pass. The ordinance would have made it a crime to bully anyone between kindergarten age to 25 years old. Critics say the law was too vague and that learning how to treat people begins at home. And heres something to seriously consider the next time you fly. Your airplane seat could be a ticket to get sick. As David Begnaud tells us the bacteria from previous passengers lingers a lot longer than you may think. Reporter airplane cabins are known to be a hotbed for germs. Now researchers from Auburn University have discovered just how long certain bacteria can last on common airplane surfaces. In our study, these mersa and e. Coli survive for over a week. Reporter in a Lab Researchers exposed six airplane surfaces to both bacterias, the arm rest, leather seat, plastic tray table, the seat pocket where the magazines are kept, the window shade, and the toilet handle. Mersa lasted longest on the seatback pocket. E. Coli lasted longest on the arm rest. Im not surprised. I try to not focus on that stuff, though, otherwise, im not going go anywhere. Reporter experts say the dry air in the cabin helps the bacteria to survive. Researchers advise passengers to follow good hygiene as a precaution. They should use some kind of alcoholtype sanitizer. I make sure i wash my hands an dont touch my face, my mouth, my nose. Reporter the faa funded part of this study. Researchers say the airlines are working on strategies to minimize the risk. David begnaud, los angeles, cbs news. Note to self, try to take the first flight of the day, if you can. When we return, the fearless feline takes to the field. Tara, the hero cat takes to the field. This is the cbs morning news. E field. This is the cbs morning news. See, hotwire checks the competitions rates every day. So they can guarantee their low hotel prices. Hotwire hotwire. Com hurry in and try our new santa fe chicken quesadillas or the delicious bacon ranch. Served with fries and your choice of soup or salad. Chilis lunch combos starting at 6 bucks. Some former players say the league went to to keep tm on the field. A major bay area freeway closing for the memorial day weekend. Well show you howo get around the 280 shutdown. And getting to the bottom oe va appointment scandal. Lawmakers are prepared to d protect the health of veter join us for kpix 5 news this morning. Beginning at 4 3 good morning. Its wednesday, may 21st im , h,z good morning. Its heres a look at todays forecast in some cities around the country. In sports its all even in in sports its all even in the nbas eastern conference finals. Last night in indiana lebron james and dwyane wade led the heat with a comefrombehind victory in game two. The pair scored miamis last 28 points of the game to give the heat an 8783 win. The number one pick in the 2014 nba draft goes to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cleveland Cavaliers continue their lottery luck. For the third time in four years, the cavs win the draft lottery and secure number one overall pick. The clevelands chance of ecuring the top pick this year was less than 2 . Milwaukee and philadelphia, the two worst teams this season, will pick second and third. And, finally, we all remember trar, the fearless cat that stopped a dog from mauling a little boy. On tuesday she was the toast of fans at the bakersfield blaze baseball game. Tara threw out or swatted the opening pitch. Also getting in on the action was 4yearold little boy jeremy tree an ta fee lowe that tara saved. The video of tara pouncing on the dog has been seen millions of times on youtube. Coming up after your local news on cbs this morning, Tony Awardwinning singer idena menzel. Im annemarie green. This is the cbs morning news. Awardwinning singer adena menzel. Im annemarie green. This is the cbs morning news. [ female announcer ] can your kids sunscreen pass the wet skin challenge . Neutrogena wet skin with helioplex does. On wet skin, ordinary sunscreen mixes with water and drips. Neutrogena wet skin sprays on and stays on. Forms a Broad Spectrum uva uvb barrier. In and out of the water, for nonstop fun. Get the best protection made for kids wet skin. Hey, hey wet skin kids. Neutrogena. Numberone dermatologist recommended suncare. The white house held its first stunt talent show tuesday. The performers come from troubled schools that have added the arts to their core curriculum. Its an Administration Program that has been so successful it was expanded to 35 schools. Michelle miller reports. Reporter with so much rhythm in this room, its hard to imagine music nearly died here. But four years ago, everything was failing at the new Orleans School now known as the renew Cultural Arts academy. Fewer than 15 of the students could read at grade level and had one of the lowest testing schools in louisiana. I heard from friends there was a lot of stuff going on like fights and teachers. Reporter seventh grader Angela Russell didnt want to come here, but she says things are different since the school decided to put more emphasis on arts and education. What you do like about being here . I like everything about it. Its the first school i ever enjoyed. Reporter now students like angela count the maeshs in band or match the bar graph. Ron gubitz is the elementary school. Not just to have a Music Education class, you know, during the day of after school, but its actually use music and use visual arts and use theater to teach core content. Reporter with the new curriculum the school has seen a a 20point rise on standardized tests over five years. Plenty of room for improvement, but enough to earn recognition from the white house. Renew is one of the turnaround schools granted funding to hire more art teachers, tripling the time kids spend learning the arts. Actress Alice Woodard has been helping. Its possible to do this enrollment stays steady. It goes up. Behavioral problems go down. And the culture of the schools are transformed. Reporter its transformed sixth grader jared grey. I was bad. You were bad . Bad. How bad . I got put out of class a lot. Reporter with his classmates he just took his first ever plane ride to the white house. So when you found out you got it and you were going i fainted. You fainted . Yeah. I got home. And i was like, wait, im going to washington . I was like, oh, my goodness. Reporter music woke him up. Reporter and brought his school back to life. Michelle miller, cbs news, new orleans. Sounds great. Coming up after your local news on cbs this morning, Prescription Drug abuse among older americans. Well have an indepth look at the rising problem. Plus allegations of a Police Coverup in the death of a man in key west, florida, and a look at the problems that have forced the closure of a 60 Million High School football stadium in texas. Thats the cbs morning news for this wednesday. Thanks for watching. Im annemarie green. Have a great day. Captions by vitac www. Vitac. Com jeerks captions by vitac www. Vitac. Com your realtime captioner is linda macdonald. Good morning, everyone. Its wednesday, may 21. Im michelle griego. Hi, everyone. Im frank mallicoat. Welcome. Good tow have you on board. Its 4 30. How about weather and traffic . How are you, lawrence . Great on this hump day. Very nice weather ahead. We have patchy fog thick in spots but that area of low pressure that brought showers today is headed out of town. Well have more on your holiday forecast coming up. Just a check of the bay bridge toll plaza commute, so far, so good from the incline to the tower. Two left lanes blocked until 5 00. Macarthur maze roadwork is back, so well tell you about that coming up. Amazing how much work is done in the last five seconds before we get on the air. [ laughter ] very true. Elizabeth, thank you. It is 4 30. We begin with several former players suing the nfl accusing the National Football league of pushing painkillers on their players. The lawsuit paints nfl locker rooms as illegal pharmacies. More now from our sports director Dennis Odonnell who broke the story yesterday on kpix. Com. Reporter Jeremy Newberry played for the 49ers for nine years. He also worked for kpix