Transcripts For KPIX CBS Evening News With Scott Pelley 20170304

This is the cbs evening news with scott pelley. Pelley this is our western edition. Tonight, there is a growing sense of dread among immigrants in america who fear they will be deported after even minor offenses. The fear among those who entered the country illegally has grown despite the president s stated priorities. Were getting the bad ones out, okay . Were getting the bad. If you watch these people, its like, oh, gee, thats so sad. Were getting bad people out of this country, people that shouldnt be, whether its drugs or murder or other things. Were getting bad ones out. Pelley but take a look at the executive order President Trump signed in january. It specifies execution of the Immigration Laws against all removable aliens and leaves to the judgment of immigration officers whether a person who has not committed a serious crime still poses an unspecified risk. Now, in cases across the country, the question is, are we only getting the bad ones out . Omar villafranca begins our coverage. The only man in my life, youre ripping him apart from me. A part inside in me has died. Reporter an emotional rose escobar described what her life has been like since her husband, jose escobar, was detained and deported to his native el salvador two weeks ago. The father of two has lived in the u. S. For 16 years, had temporary permission to stay, but missed an immigration hearing and that temporary status was revoked. Escobars case is the latest in a series of deportations, apparently involving people who committed minor offenses. crying reporter this is the moment romulo avelicagonzalez was detained by immigration officials in Southern California while taking his children to school on tuesday. His most serious crime . A d. U. I. Conviction nearly ten years ago. His most serious crime . A d. U. I. Conviction nearly ten years ago. His 13yearold daughter shot the video. In jackson, mississippi, this week, 22yearold Daniela Vargas spoke publicly about her fear of deportation. Shortly afterwards, the argentinean who came to the u. S. When she was seven, was pulled over, detained and is now in the process of being deported for overstaying her visa. The arrest followed President Trumps promise to step up enforcement. As we speak today, immigration officers are finding the gang members, the drug dealers and the criminal aliens, and throwing them the hell out of our country. cheers and applause reporter is he one of the bad guys . Hes not one of the bad guys, definitely not. Reporter but raed gonzalez, jose escobars attorney, says his client has never been convicted of a serious or violent crime. This individual is not part of what President Trump and all his policies have been of deporting criminals, getting rid of the bad hombres. Sadly, were getting good hombres deported, too. Reporter rose, who is a u. S. Citizen, vows to fight to get her husband back. Why would you hurt me this way . Why would you hurt my kids this way . This is a good man. Hes not a rapist. Hes a godly man. Hes a daddy. Hes a husband and a son. Reporter in a statement to cbs news, immigration Officials Say they are now focusing on people who pose a threat to the public. But, scott, they are no longer providing exemptions, and anyone violating Immigration Law may be deported. Pelley Omar Villafranca for us tonight. Omar, thank you very much. At any given time, about 41,000 immigrants are being detained in the United States at a cost to taxpayers of more than 2 billion a year. The government says most of the detainees pose a risk, but anna werner found in one Detention Center in pennsylvania, where advocates say that many are being held without a clear reason. Reporter dozens of women stood with their children at the fenceline of this berks county, pennsylvania, Detention Center in august to protest. They came from Central America seeking asylum but were held here for months, their lawyers say, without explanation. Mothers like this woman from honduras, sent to berks with her sixyearold son. They were held there for eight months. A guard was later convicted of sexually assaulting her. I felt so alone. I wanted to kill myself, she says. The policies in this country. Reporter dr. Andres pumariega is on a government committee, charged with investigating immigration detention policies. Do you, yourself, know why these people have been held so long . No, i dont. Reporter and youre on the Advisory Committee that was asked to look at all of this. Yes. Reporter he says they do not present a risk, and most Asylum Seekers without criminal records are held less than three weeks before being released and told to come back to court for a hearing. Many of these families were held for up to a year. Yet, he says when the committee asked ice to provide copies of its detention policies, the agency refused. It is concerning. Reporter concerning, meaning . Meaning that you wonder if there are criteria, if there are policies that are clear, or not. Reporter his group ultimately told ice it should avoid detaining families and especially children. You saw these kids. How would you describe their mental state overall . Probably the best description would be shellshocked. I mean, these are traumatized kids being protected and comforted by traumatized moms. Reporter we asked ice about those lengthy stays at berks. The agency told us many factors can contribute to the length of a residents stay, including the status of their immigration cases. Berks actually lost its state license a year ago and, scott, is awaiting a decision on its appeal. Pelley and to be clear, these are people who came into the country seeking political asylum because they feared persecution in their home countries. Anna werner, thanks very much. Today, all nine democrats on the Senate Judiciary committee asked attorney general Jeff Sessions to explain under oath why he didnt disclose his meetings with the Russian Ambassador to the United States. Sessions, who worked on the Trump Campaign, has recused himself from the departments investigation of russian interference in the president ial election. Major garrett tells us more now about russias very busy ambassador. Sometimes we see the world so differently. Reporter Sergey Kislyak has been moscows man in washington since 2008. He described russias view of america in november, two days after the election. The difference between your exceptionalism and ours is that we are not trying to impose on you ours, but you do not hesitate to impose on us yours. Reporter the 66yearold met with several Trump Associates both during and after the campaign, including mr. Trumps soninlaw, jared kushner; former National Security adviser michael flynn; and Campaign Advisers carter page and j. D. Gordon. Senator Jeff Sessions met with kislyak twice, once at the Republican Convention and once in september in Sessions Senate office. Michael mcfaul was the u. S. Ambassador to russia from 2012 to 2014. Of course, ambassador kislyak is meeting with senator sessions not to talk about what his committee is doing. He could care less about that. Hes talking to them to find out about what the candidate trump is thinking and planning about foreign policy. Reporter in november, mr. Trumps spokeswoman told the associated press, there was no communication between the campaign and any foreign entity. The president has also denied any contact. I have nothing to do with russia. Reporter the Russian Embassy declined comment on kislyaks meetings, but he has boasted about his deep contacts in the u. S. I personally have been working in the United States so long that i know almost everybody. Reporter kislyak has also met with top democrats, like Chuck Schumer and nancy pelosi. Thats something President Trump pointed out on twitter today. And, scott, while Hillary Clintons Campaign Says no one there met with the ambassador, kislyak visited the Obama White House 22 times. Pelley as ambassadors do. Major garrett for us tonight at the white house. The f. B. I. s investigating whether there were improper contacts between the Trump Campaign and russians interested in meddling in the election. One of mr. Trumps associates suspects that the f. B. I. Is looking into his communications. Roger stone spoke to jeff pegues. Sure, theyll get my grocery list. They may get the emails between my wife and i. But heres what they wont get any contact with the russians. Reporter longtime republican operative roger stone is a friend of President Trump and was an informal adviser to his campaign. Stone denies any connection to russia and allegations he knew wikileaks was going to publish the stolen emails of Hillary Clinton Campaign Chairman john podesta. Its a witchhunt. Reporter you think it is. Theres no. I know it is. Reporter but in august, stone tweeted, trust me, it will soon be podestas time in the barrel. Nearly two months later, the emails were released. In january, u. S. Intelligence agencies assessed with high confidence that the russian government gave wikileaks material it acquired during cyberattacks on Democratic Party officials. The f. B. I. Counterintelligence unit is investigating whether there was coordination between Trump Campaign representatives and russian operatives. Last summer, stone said that he had been in contact with wikileaks founder, julian assange. I actually have communicated with assange. Reporter so, whats the story . I dont think i ever said that i communicated directly with assange. Reporter you didnt . No, i did not. Reporter but you were quoted on video. Yes, not. Those are not inconsistent at all. Communication takes many forms. I never had any direct conversations with him, nor did i have advance knowledge of either the subject matter of his subsequent disclosures or who he did or did not hack. Reporter stone says that his contacts with wikileaks were through an american intermediary he would not identify. Scott, Congressional Democrats have urged f. B. I. Director james comey to investigate stone, but so far, he says he has not been contacted by the bureau and has not hired a lawyer. Pelley jeff pegues with the key interview tonight. Jeff, thank you. John dickerson is our cbs news political director and the anchor of face the nation. John, how does the white house put the russia investigations behind it . Well, the president needs to do what he did yesterday and today, which is talk about school choice, jobs, his plans for national defense. President s stay afloat during these investigative periods by showing voters, look at all the work im doing. What dooms presidencies is not being truthful, and thats happened twice now on the russia front first with National Security adviser michael flynn, who lied about the nature of his contact with that Russian Ambassador; and now with Jeff Sessions, who even the president admitted was not accurate. What this does is it makes a bad story worse. It increases suspicion of the administration and puts everybody in the administration in a defensive crouch, which makes it hard to focus on what the president was elected to do. Pelley john, tuesday, you and i watched a very president ial speech to the congress, and then today, the president had another twitter tantrum. What do you make of this week . Well, what was different on tuesday is that for the first time in his presidency, donald trump made a sustained pitch for unity and compromise with democrats. It was preliminary. The president didnt offer any policy changes or even symbolic recognition of democratic concerns, but for a president who has not embraced the usual symbolic moves towards unity, it was a start, and it was a short one. With the return of the russia story, it puts the president back in his counterpuncher mode, which overcomes the restraint of earlier in the week. And the democrats, for their part, they smell blood, so theyre in no mood to unify. Unity is hard enough, and this story itself encourages the impulses that make unity impossible. Pelley the insight of John Dickerson tonight. John, thank you. And well be watching on sunday as johns guests include virginia democratic senator mark warner and former c. I. A. Director and defense secretary leon panetta. Today, Vice President mike pence said there is no comparison whatsoever between his use of private emails as governor of indiana, and Hillary Clintons as secretary of state. The newspaper, indianapolis star, broke the story that pence conducted public business on an a. O. L. Account that was hacked. At the time, the thengovernor would not have been handling federal classified information. Mr. Pence says he complied with indiana law. Coming up next on the cbs evening news, 3d scanners promise better Airport Security and shorter lines. Lder people when they actually did start saving. This gap between when we should start saving and when we actually do is one of the reasons why too many of us arent prepared for retirement. Just start as early as you can. Its going to pay off in the future. If we all start saving a little more today, well all be better prepared tomorrow. Prudential. Bring your challenges. You need one of these. You wouldnt put up with an umbrella that covers you part way, so when it comes to pain relievers, why put up with just part of a day . Aleve, live whole not part. Tell you what, ill give it to you for half off. 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If you have a sudden decrease or loss of hearing or vision, or an allergic reaction, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. Ask your doctor about cialis. Pelley the t. S. A. Is looking into new 3d scanners that quickly check carryon bags for weapons and keep the lines moving. Kris van cleave shows us how they work. Reporter look closely. Can you spot the knife . This is the type of image a t. S. A. Screener sees now. And now, thats why t. S. A. Asks you to remove your laptop, for this reason. But using your finger to manipulate around, and there it is. Reporter oh, wow there it is right there. Reporter but here, thanks to threedimensional c. T. Scanner technology, the knife is impossible to miss on images that can be zoomed and spun a full 360 degrees. Mark laustra is from analogic, one of about five Companies Developing the technology for airport checkpoints. In this system, we use high powered algorithms to detect explosives. So, if there were an explosive in here, it would be colored red. It would really stand out. Reporter that should reduce secondary bag checks while allowing travelers to keep liquids and electronics in their carryons. It shows up as an empty bag almost. Exactly. Reporter there are like four things in there. Exactly. Reporter when paired with the new automated lanes already being tested at airports, analogic believes the c. T. Scanners should increase airport efficiency by up to 50 . This is going to be a much faster process for passengers. Its going to make travel fun again. Reporter you might be the only person in america that just described the security screening process as making travel fun again. laughs well, it. It is a major stress point for passengers today. Reporter the t. S. A. Plans to begin testing the technology in airports later this year. Scott, the manufacturer says the c. T. Scanners give off the same amount of radiation as the systems already in use. Pelley kris van cleave. Coming up, weird weather. Feel secure in your dentures. Feel free to be yourself all day. Just switch from denture paste to seabond denture adhesive seals. Holds stronger than the leading paste all day. Without the ooze. Feel secure. Be yourself. With stronger, clean seabond. Hey, ready foyeah. Big meeting . Uh, hello . A meeting . Its a big one. Too bad. We are double booked diarrhea and abdominal pain. Why dont you start without me . Oh. Yeah. If youre living with frequent, unpredictable diarrhea and abdominal pain, you may have Irritable Bowel Syndrome with diarrhea, or ibsd. A condition that can be really frustrating. Talk to your doctor about viberzi, a different way to treat ibsd. Viberzi is a Prescription Medication you take every day that helps proactively manage both diarrhea and abdominal pain at the same time. So you stay ahead of your symptoms. Viberzi can cause new or worsening abdominal pain. Do not take viberzi if you have or may have had pancreas or severe liver problems, problems with alcohol abuse, longlasting or severe constipation, or a blockage of your bowel or gallbladder. If you are taking viberzi, you should not take medicines that cause constipation. The most common side effects of viberzi include constipation, nausea, and abdominal pain. Stay ahead of ibsd. With viberzi. Pelley theres rain in the northwest and snow where youd expect it a rare bit of normal in a bizarre winter. Heres don dahler. Oh, my god, look at that reporter in a normal winter, illinois is blanketed in snow, not battered by tornadoes like this deadly twister on tuesday. Tornadoes have plagued other states, including texas and massachusetts, which before last month had never seen one in february. Its been at least 146 years since chicago saw no measurable snowfall in january or february. This week, instead of shovels, it was volleyball on the beach. And so far, even one of hawaiis mountains has gotten more snow than denver. Most years, vermont maple syrup farmers like Dave Silloway would be trudging through three feet of snow. Their task is easier this season. The winters are shorter. The first tuesday in march is when we would tap the trees. Now, we should tap the trees the first week of february. Reporter thanks to tons of rain and snow, californias decadeslong drought may well be over. Thea hardy is with the ski industry. We have been getting so many storms this year, kind of like refills every week. The storms arent coming in inches, theyre coming in feet. Reporter it is a little chilly in new york here right now, but over the past few weeks weve seen the temperatures up in the 70s and, scott, the appearance of spring flowers. Pelley don dahler for us. Steve hartman is next. Sfx engine revving silence were not professional athletes. But that doesnt mean were giving up. Im in this for me. For me. Along with diet and exercise, farxiga helps lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. Lowering a1c by up to 1. 2 points. Do not take if allergic to farxiga. If you experience symptoms of a serious allergic reaction such as rash, swelling, difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking and seek medical help right away. Do not take farxiga if you have severe kidney problems, are on dialysis, or have bladder cancer. Tell your doctor right away if you have blood or red color in your urine or pain while you urinate. Farxiga can cause serious side effects including dehydration, genital yeast infections in women and men, serious urinary tract infections, low blood sugar, and kidney problems. Stop taking farxiga and call your doctor right away if you have signs of ketoacidosis, which is serious and may lead to death. Im in this for my family. Im in this for me. Ask your doctor about farxiga and learn how you can get it for free. 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Ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex. Do not take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain or adempas® for pulmonary hypertension. Your Blood Pressure could drop to an unsafe level. To avoid longterm injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. Stop taking viagra and call your doctor right away if you experience a sudden decrease or loss in vision or hearing. Ask your doctor about viagra single packs. Pelley theres no si pelley theres no single path to success in sports or in life, as Steve Hartman found on the road perhaps to the final four. Reporter sophomore Caleb Swanigan, number 50 for the purdue boilermakers, may be the most talented College Basketball player in the country, but he is also the most unlikely. It feels like i just had two lives, really. It feels like, for lack of a better word, it feels like i died and then, you know, got a reincarnation. Reporter this is the new Caleb Swanigan, and this is the old. Thats him in the yellow, over 360 pounds in eighth grade. The only thing this kid could dunk was a cookie. But what makes his success most implausible is that for the majority of his childhood, caleb was homeless. His mom used to drag him from shelter to shelter here in indianapolis and across the country until 2011, when she gave up her parental rights. He had on a blue shirt, a tie, and some khaki pants and had his little duffel bag under his arm. Thats all the possessions he had. Reporter Roosevelt Barnes adopted caleb. At the time, roosevelt was recently divorced and his other kids were grown and gone. And it allowed me to have somebody in the house that i could love again, really. Reporter love and encourage. Rebound rebound reporter roosevelt says you have to encourage, which is why when that 360pound eighth grader said he wanted to play basketball of all sports, roosevelt didnt try to lower calebs expectations. He raised them. And when he couldnt jump over a piece of paper, i was telling him, youre great. Youre the best Power Forward in the world. Reporter were you lying to him . No, i wasnt. I was speaking faith. Faith is a substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Reporter and caleb believed. I guess he saw something in me that i didnt see in myself at that point. Reporter it helped that roosevelt knew a Little Something about sports. He played pro football in detroit, and he now works as a sports agent. So, he laid out a program for caleb that included getting in shape and getting as in school. As a result, yesterday, Caleb Swanigan was named an academic allamerican, one of the top basketball players in the country, with a 3. 3 g. P. A. To boot. Is this kid one of a kind or is he just one of many kids on our streets and in our foster system who simply needs someone to believe . Steve hartman, on the road, in west lafayette, indiana. Pelley you gotta believe. Thats the cbs evening news for tonight. For all of us at cbs news all around the world, im scott pelley, and ill see you sunday on 60 minutes. Good night. Captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by Media Access Group at wgbh access. Wgbh. Org landlords lash out over a new idea to give renters a break. Good evening, im veronica de la cruz. Rage over rent control. Bay area landlords lash out over a new idea to give renters a break. Good evening, im veronica de la cruz. Im ken bastida in for allen tonight. New at 6 00 a housing hearing gets heated over a plan that would make it easier to find a rent controlled place in california. Kpix 5s melissa caen is in San Francisco with the solution that led to some shouting. Melissa. Reporter were here in Pacific Heights with this beautiful view of the city of San Francisco. Its easy to see what so many people want to live here for and why so many people want to live in the bay area and in california. And thats part of whats driving this states housing affordable crisis. Today, a group of lawmakers the Assembly Housing committee met in San Francisco for a special session to try to figure out what to do. And when they started talking about expanding rent control, things got rowdy. In the bay area, almost nothing gets people riled up like housing prices. This is where the legislators should be working on, building more affordable housing. Reporter Assembly Democrats announced a slew of new bills aimed at bringing our sky high prices back to earth. One is ab1506. It would expand the power of local government to create and impose rent control. Its controversial but you have to look both sides of the equation. Reporter while property landlords say this proposed bill would take their units off the market. How can you say [ overlapping speakers ] theres a housing shortage and this sort of bill creates it. Reporter right now theres a state law that limits rent control it. Says buildings constructed after 1995 cant b