T last month, after san bernardino, mr. Obama decided to act on his own. Given the limits of his power, his actions today are not sweeping. The most significant simply expands background checks for shows. Currently, about 40 of sales have no background checks at all. Chief legal correspspdent jan crawford is at the white house. And from every family who never imagined that their loved one would be taken from our lives by a bullet from a gun. Reporter it was an emotional appeal. We maybe cant save everybody, but we could save some. Reporter and a political call to action. So the gun lobby may be Holding Congress hostage right now, but they cannot hold america hososge. applause carnage as the price of freedom. Reporter the president repeatedly callses the actions common sense steps. And he expressed solidarity with the people who surrounded him at the white house a father who lost a sevenyearold. The daughters of a pastor at a church, and a congresswoman nearly killed after being shot ininhe head. Our right to worship freely and safely. applause that right was denied to christians in charleston, south carolina, and thatat was denied ws in kansas city, and that was denied muslims in chapel hill, and sikhs in oak creek. They had rights, too. Reporter the directitis focus largely on a system of background checks including requiring all gun dealers, even those who sell firearms at gun shows and on the internet, to be licensed and conduct background checks. Improving the Current System by hiring more investigators to make background checks more efficient and effective. Treatment and reporting to the background chehe system. Although the issue of stricter gun laws remains highly divisive, 92 of americans support background checks, but the president in the wake of the sandy hook shootings failed to get legislation through congress that would have expanded them. Today, he said he wants voters to kick ardent gun rights supporters out of offffe. This is not t tt complicated. The Reason Congress blocks laws is because they want to win elections. And if you make it hard for them to win an election if they block those laws, theyll change course. I promise you. applause reporter now, the president could face constitutional challllges that these actions exceed his president ial authority. But the n. R. A. In a statement, scott, indicated it may hold off, saying these actions dont really appear to change anything and are simply political theater. Pelley jan crawford at the white house. Well, if it is political theater, republican president ial candidates played the president s proposalss high drama today. Nancy cordes was in the audience. Reporter obama wants your guns that was the warning on the president ial Campaign Web Site for texas senator ted cruz today, alongside a mockup of the president in military garb. Cruzs fellow candidate marco rubio called the president s plan unconstitutional. Arack obama is obsessed with undermining the Second Amendment. Reporter House Speaker paul ryan accused mr. Obama of a dangerous level of executive overreach. Texas republican john culberson, whose suck commit controls funding for the department of justice, threatened to cut the purse strings. If the president , through these orders, has overstepped his authority, i will take immediate action to restrain hihi im not g gng to wait for a court order, not going to wait for a lawsuit. Our Second Amendment rights are too precious. Reporter he National President s remarks with a a hail of tweets in real time saying, president obamas executive orders will do nothing to improve public safety. The deeppocketed group issued this warning to any lawmakeke thinking of siding with the president , fyi all n. R. A. Grades are subject to change. Sadly, its what ive come to expect now. Reporter congresswoman elizabeth h ty is a democrat whose connecticut district includes sandy hook elementary where 20 children and six adults were gunned down in 2012. What do you say to republicans who argue the president just doesnt have the constitutional right to take these actions . Its not good enough to say, i dont like what youre proposing. Then bring forward your proposals s t for gods sake, do something. Reporter many Congressional Democrats applauded the president s actions today, but they dont control congress, and if he wants more money for things like additional a. T. F. Agents, hes going to have to win over some republicans and right now, scott, that seems unlikely. Capitol hill. Nancy, thank you. We want to note that demand for guns is soaring. The f. B. I. Says it conducted a record 23 million background checks last year. Mr. Obama also cited a hero in the battle against gun violence, an innocent teenager who last month found himself in the way of a gang shooting. Zaevion dobson was a sophomome at Fulton High School in knoxville, tennessee. He played football, beloved by his classmates and his teachers. Th week before christmas, he headed to a friends house to play video games. He wasnt in the wrong place at the wrong time. He hadnt made a bad decision. He was exactly where any other kid would be. Your kid, my kids. And zaevion, who was in high school, hadnt even gotten started in life, dove on top of three girls to shield them from the bullets. And he was shot in the head. He gave his life to save theirs. An actor act of heroism a lot bigger than anything we should expect from a 15yearold. Greater love hath no man than this than a man who lay down his life for hisriends. Pelley there has been an arrest in the death of zaevion dobson. There has also been an arrest in the shooting death of a College Student in denton, texas, in what may have been an act of road rage. The suspect is a marine arizona. He is accused of gunning down a 20yearold girl early new years day as she drove with friends home frob a party. In another big story today, some part of the mississippi, but rising in others. Tonight, 23 illinois counties have been declared disaster areas. David begnaud is in olive branch. Reporter this is where the Mississippi River is pouring into one of the poorest counties in the state of illinois, Alexander County. Im standing g the lynn small levee, which failed four days ago, and now that breach is nearly a mile wide. More than 125 properties in Alexander County have been flooded. David willis owns three of them. The Mississippi River is at his front door. It looks like you built this in the middle of a lake. 30 years ago this didnt happen. Reporter after a flood in 2011, willis was one o o the People Living in a flood zone who accepted a state buyout and agreed to leave. When did they offer you the buyout . Right after the floodwater went down. Reporter in 2011. Yeses r rorter and you took it. Yes. Reporter have you gotten your money . Nope. Havent heard a word. Reporter he had the money to move away and wait for the state to reimburse him. Retired truck driver Richard Johnson turned do you want offer. I told my wife, we cant afford to move. You cant just up and move like that. Reporter johnson says he doesnt havehe money to start over. The middian income in Alexander County is just under 27,000 per year, less than half of the states median income. As for david willis, whether or not he gets his mon, hes made up his mind. Think youll ever come back. Nope. Reporter because of that. Because of that. Reporter that the levee that was breached by floodwaters further north and killed 2525 people in illinois and missouri. It may be two years before this breach is repaired. It could be two weeks before those flooded areas in Alexander County are dry. But the goooo news is the w wers receding back into the mismiriver, which is above flood stage from here to louisiana. Pelley 8david begnaud, thanks. Hit one after another, powered by the warming Pacific Current known as el nino. Heres ben tracy. Its literally raining cats and dogs out here, folks. Reporter the rain c ce wn hard, up to an inch an hour, snarling roadways and covering part of the 101 freeway in mud. This mini cooper was no match for the m marain. The driver jumped to higher ground. People living in areas chared by wildfires were encouraged to evacuate. Steel netting has been inslled in some places to catch large debris. Hal hayman lives below the mountains and decided to leave. At night time i dont want to go to sleep wondering if the bris is going to comee down again. Reporter bill patzert is a nasa climatologist. We tend to now focus on the negative impacts of this, but the fact ofhe matter is we need all of this rain. This is going to be a fantastic down payment on we could anticipate anywhere between four and six inches of rain here in los angeles, which is normalldouble what weet in january. Reporter the l. A. River is rushing tonight, sending billions of gallons of water out to the ocean. The goo news about that is that is what prevents los angeles from flooding. Scott, there is more rain in the forecast, expected to hit Southern California tomorrow. Pelley ben tracy reporting this evening. Ben, thank you. Today in afghanistan, one u. S. Seseice member was killed, two others were wounded in a fierce battle near the southern cityf marjah. The taliban have been advancing. American special operations sources are supporting the afghanistan military. In the race for the next commander in chief, Ronald Reagan once said the 11th commandment iss thou shall not speak ill of another republican. Well, he wouldnt recognize the melee just four weeks before iowa. Reporter this ad from a superpac backing tedruz mocked marco rubios Foreign Policy toughness. I know i have a but i gotta get this fantasy football thing right . Reporter cruz took his own fire from rick santorum. You want someone to read one hell of a bedtime story . Tecruz is your guy. If you want to protect america and defeat isis, Rick Santorums your president. Reporter the superpac pushing rubio branded Chris Christie an outofstep liberal. Chris christie one high tax, common core, liberal Energy Loving obamacare medicaid commanding president is enough. Reporter rubio and cruz sell themselves as positive candidates who dont attack their opponents leaving leaving that job to their milliondollar superpacs. The superpacs are supposed to erate iependently from the mpaigns, although rubio today said he does support hisis groups message. So theres nothing in those ads that are inaccurate. Reporter superpac ads dont necessarilyip the scale. The group back jeb bush has spent tens of millions only to see bushs poll numbers tumble, leaving bush to scramble for attention on live today, today, vowing hes been tougher than anyone on donald trump. I think thats my job. You gotta take on the bully head on, and thats what im doing. Reporter christi told the Washington Post today that rubio cannot slime his way to the white house. Scott, that those attacks came from a Rubio Superpac and not rubio himself was a distinction apparently lost o o christi as it may very well be for voters the. Pelley Major Garrett on the muddy campaign trail. Major, thanks very much. In new york, in the democratic race, bernie sandede to do aim today at frontrunner Hillary Clinton over her ties to with the. He said wall streets gried is destroying the fabric of the nation. Resolution that i will keep if elected president , and that is if wall street does not end its greed,d, we will end i i for them. applause . Pelley sanders also vowed to break up the countrys biggest financial firms. A documenenry leads to a campaign to release a convicted murderer. And a ceremony at west point marks a milestone for women when the cbs evening news continues. A dry mouth can be a side effect of many medications. But it can also lead to tooth decay and bad breath. Thats why theres biotene, ailable as an oral rinse, toothpaste, spray or gel. Biotene can provide soothing relief and it helps keep your mouth healthy too. Remember, while your medication is doing you good, a dry mouth isnt. When i lay in my tempurpedic contour, i slowly feel it start to kinda wrap itself around me. And the next thing i know its morning. With tempurflex, you got the spring and bounce of a traditional mattress, then it also adjusts to my body. Ahhh. My cloud feels so comfortable. It feels like somebodys hugging you. How can a bed do that . theres a tempurpedic for everyone. Find the feel thats right for you. 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In n ss than a month, more than a quarter of a Million People petition on the site demanding justice for a man in prison for life and featured in a netflix dodomentary. Mike jones is with change. Org. For it to go from a few thousands signatures to upwards of a quarter million siewners is phenomenal, really shows that this. Is tapping into a natitial conversation. Reporter its all due to this Series Making a murderer launched last month, which tells the story of stephen avery. Hello. Reporter r es the wisconsin man who served 18 years in prison for rape before being exonerated in 2003. We, theury, find the defendant guilty. Reporter only to find mself in prison again on murder conviction in 2007. Since the debut, millions of viewers have spent hours Binge Watching it and discussing the case in onlnle chat rooms. Many viewers concluded avery was framed by authorities who lied ken kratz, who prosecuted avery and is now receiving death ththats, says the series is misleading. Stephen avery is right where he needs to be. Thats in prison for the rest of his natural life. Reporter averyss lawyer, dean strang, says, though, that the reaction to the series has included useful information for the defense. We cant afford not to at least sift and consider something that might be useful to one human being who right now is facing a slow death in prison. Repepter here in wisconsin, Governor Scott walker has the power to pardon someone, but during two terms in office, he has neversed it. And, scott, his aides saye is not going to change that strategy now. Pelley Dean Reynolds in madison for us tonight. Dean, thank you very much. The Justice Department takes investigation. Thats nextglad i could help you plan for your retirement. Alright, kelly and promise me that youll try that taco place on south street. And we have portfolio planning tools to help you manage your ira. Yeah, youre old 401k give me your phone. The rollover consultants give you stepbystep help. 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Last year jim axelrod and producer emilyly ran discovered downing labs sent people millions of dollars in medications they did not order. The lab was also investigated for unsanitary conditions. Well, yesterday,he department of justice filed an injunction that forces downing to stop mixing drugs until an outside expert inspects the facility. In a first for the u. S. Military academy, today brigadidi general Diana Holland was sworp in as commandant of cadets. Holland is a 1990 graduate o west point and served in iraq and afghanistan. In a a moment, students dancing their way to success. So what about this . Its time to get into the new with ford new is ecoboost tetenology. New is a footactivated liftgate. New is tougher, stronger and lighter. New is ford. Americas bestselling brand. Now get into a newewocus, fusion, or escape with 0 financing for 60 months plus 2,000 dollars tradeassist cash. Only at your local ford dealer. 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Cialis for daily use is approved to treat both erectile dysfunction and the urinary symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently, day or night. Tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heararis healthy enough fofosex. Do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as it may cause an unsafe drop in Blood Pressure. Do not drink alcohol in excess. Side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayebackache or muscle ache. To avoid longterm i iury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. If you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or any symptoms of an allergic reaction, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. Ask your doctor about cialis pelley tonight, saved the last dance fororark strassmann in atlanta. Reporter this is the hiphop dance challenge bet you cant do it le me and sure, the kidssre magic, but you also wonder who is that middleaged dude who can do it like them. Once we started, i said, im so bad. I said lets just film yall. And i kids said, no, mr. Clark, you have to be in it. Reporter ron clark, a former teacher of the year founded the Ron Clark Academy in 2007. Its a private, nonprofit middle school, part hogwarts, part harvard. Learning comes to life at warp speed here for kids who are acadadically diverse and often low of lowerncome. The viral video stars includes seventh grader jaydon linsey. Was to say that we can do fun things while learning at the same time. Reporter every student but one in the schools history has gone on to college. Mason calhoun, another seventh grader. Its verer indescribable the amountntf love that is shown from the teachers towards us, and it really motivates us to push ourselves, be great academically, and just be amazing citizens. Repepter is there a message in the video . . I think t t message of this video is about who we are. At the Ron Clark Academy were all about relationships with kids, building bonds, and showing kids that y care because when kids know youre willing to meet them with they are and learn about their culture and interact in a positive way, theyre going to respect you more and work harder. Reporter by breaking the mold, ron clark and his kids keepep bustin the right moves. Mark strassmann, cbs news, atlanta. Pelley and thats the cbs for all of us at cbs news all around the world, good night. Captioning sponsored by cbs captioiod by media its easy for people to sit around and say theyre mad about violence, i dont like violence. Right now on cbs 2 news, responding to a call for change. Local gun dealers spond to the president s monumental gun control plan. Why they say theyre already well within the law. Law. Plus. Tackling two issues on the state level. The governor wants to divert funds away from iowas education infrastructure. Where the money would go and how it will extend an existing tax. Tax. Opinions on both the local level and iowas campaign trail are strong to president obamas new executive actions intended to curb americas gun violence. Its bringing an already emotional and divisive gun control debate front and center with Quick Reaction to president said the gun lobby may be holding ngress hostage right now, but they cannot hold america hostage. In addition to expanding background checks, hes increasing access to both Mental Health care and information on Mental Health patients for background checks. Heret home, one local gun n shop owner says he doesnt support gun violence one bit, but wants to serve his customers under current laws. If you dont have a permit to pick up thth shotgun then i have to do a background check if you have a background check then you got a background check when you got the permit the sheriff did that so there already isthere is no online sales that doesnt involve the end result a person having to go through a background check. Check. Traugh says if you buy a gun online, it gets shipped to a dealer such as his. According to atf records, iowa is the 44th most armed state, with about 6 guns per 1 thousand residents. Even before e details of