captioning sponsored by cbs captioning sponsored by cbs >> mason: the investigation deepens. a criminal grand jury is now looking into russian meddling in the u.s. election, and whether anyone in the trump campaign was involved. also tonight, a woman who encouraged her boyfriend to commit suicide is going to prison. >> this is a tragedy for two families. >> mason: unbuckled back seat passengers risking their lives, and the driver's. >> even if you're in the back seat, the laws of physics are not suspended. >> mason: usain bolt reaches the finish line of an amazing career. and, here come the gowns. after a bridal store closes, a seamstress saves the day. >> i was dumbfounded, honestly dumbfounded.

this is the "cbs evening news." >> mason: and this is our western edition. good evening. i'm anthony mason. breaking news late today. cbs news has confirmed that a federal grand jury in washington is now part of the investigation of russian meddling in the u.s. election and whether anyone in the trump campaign was involved. the panel is working with special counsel robert mueller. jan crawford is our chief legal correspondent. jeff pegues is our justice and homeland security correspondent. jan, let me start with you. what does it mean that a grand jury is now involved? >> reporter: well, anthony, this is standard tool that federal prosecutors use day in and day out to conduct investigations. it's how they would issue subpoenas and compel the production of documents or testimony, and special counsel mueller had authority to use a grand jury. it was widely assumed that he would, just like special prosecutors have done in the past. it doesn't mean that indictments or charges are imminent. it's just like a vehicle that

mueller and his team will use to carry out this investigation. >> mason: what specifically do you think he's doing here? >> reporter: well, let's say that he wanted to get documents or a reporter's notes, and the witness didn't want to turn them over? he would need a grand jury to get a subpoena to turn them over. or if he wanted testimony, he could subpoena someone to come and testify. and keep in mind, as president clinton found out, it's a crime to lie to a grand jury. >> mason: jeff, what does this say about the scope of the investigation? >> reporter: anthony, we know that this is an investigation that is intensifying, and we know that because the special counsel is adding to his team. he's brought on most recently an expert in foreign bribery. and so we know that investigators are trying to follow the money, but also investigate whether there were any improper contacts between the trump campaign and russian operatives. and that's why this meeting at trump tower in june of 2016 that involved donald trump, jr., is so important. investigators want to figure out what was said and communicated before, during, and then after that meeting.

and that's where subpoenas could come into play, and the grand jury, as well. >> mason: in the past, jeff, the president has said that his finances are a red line. do you think this increases the possibility that he might fire robert mueller? >> reporter: well, that is-- in the last couple of weeks, really become a red line for members of congress. they have made it pretty clear that they're not going to stand for that. in fact, today just introduced legislation by both a democrat and republican that essentially prevents that from happening. and by the way, anthony, just today in response to this grand jury, ty cobb, the special counsel to the president, released a statement saying in part, "the white house favors anything that accelerates the conclusion of his work fairly." >> mason: jeff pegues and jan crawford, thanks. here in new york, federal prosecutors are investigating the family business of the president's son-in-law, jared kushner. anna werner and investigative producer laura strickler have been looking into that.

>> reporter: this empty lot in jersey city, new jersey, is where the kushner companies plan to put two gleaming towers of rental apartments and retail space, a project called "one journal square." but prosecutors from the u.s. attorney's office in brooklyn now want to know more about the project's financing. according to the "wall street journal," they've subpoenaed the company for information on its use of a program that allows foreigners to get green cards, residency in exchange for investing $500,000 or more in projects that create at least ten jobs. they're called eb-5 visas. the kushner companies used eb-5 funding for not one but two projects in the sa c the second, carrying the president's name, trump bay street. a kushner company spokesman told us the program is frequently used by many large developers to raise funds and help create jobs, and they did nothing improper. but in may, the company apologized after jared kushner's sister, nicole meyer, told potential chinese investors that

the journal square project was important to her entire family and specifically mentioned her brother jared, now a top aide to the president, raising questions of influence peddling. and there are questions about a florida company the kushners used to recruit chinese investors called the "u.s. immigration fund." republican senator chuck grassley is calling for a federal review of that company's arrangements with the kushner companies. jersey city's mayor steven fulop has his own concerns about the financing for the trump bay street project. >> i think goal of the eb-5 project is low income, investment in low-income areas. and i think that obviously didn't serve that goal. >> reporter: it did not? >> did not. >> reporter: jared kushner's trust still maintains an interest in that trump bay street project, but his lawyers point out he has divested himself of the interest in the one journal square project and says he will recuse himself from any matters concerning the eb-5 visa program.

anthony? >> mason: anna werner in washington tonight. thanks, anna. the president's signature campaign promise was to build a wall on america's southern border. now the "washington post" has obtained a transcript of a contentious phone call about that between mr. trump and his mexican counterpart. here's chip reid. >> we will build the wall 100%. >> reporter: it was the biggest applause line of candidate trump's presidential campaign. >> who is going to pay for the wall? >> crowd: mexico! >> reporter: but just one week after taking office, president trump said in a phone call with mexican president enrique peña nieto that the wall and who will pay for it is economically "the least important thing that we're talking about, but politically this might be the most important." the president repeatedly demanded that peña nieto stop saying mexico won't pay for the wall. "if you are going to say that mexico is not going to pay for

the wall, then i do not want to meet with you guys anymore, because i cannot live with that." president trump also blamed mexico for the flow of illegal drugs to the u.s., claiming, "i won new hampshire because new hampshire is a drug-infested den." in fact, mr. trump lost new hampshire to hillary clinton. new hampshire democratic senator maggie hassan. >> the words were disgusting and outrageous. >> reporter: the "post" also obtained the january 28 transcript of an even more explosive phone call of malcolm turnbull of australia, one of america's most closest allies. referring to a deal with the obama administration to take in refugees, mr. trump said, "i hate taking these people. i guarantee they are bad. they're not going to be wonderful people who go on to work for the local milk people." turnbull then told the president that "a deal is a deal," and "you are going to stick with it." soon after that, the president abruptly ended the call. we should note that in the months since those phone calls,

the president has met with the leaders of australia and mexico, and the white house has described those meetings as "productive." anthony? >> mason: chip reid at the white house. thank you, chip. at a rally in west virginia this evening, the president produced a new member of the republican party, the governor. jim justice, who has been a democrat, is joining the g.o.p. a massachusetts woman faced a massachusetts woman faced as much as 20 years in prison for encouraging her boyfriend to kill himself. but when she was sentenced today, in a first of its kind case, she got a lot less. erin moriarty of "48 hours" was in the courtroom. >> this is a tragedy for two families. >> reporter: 20-year-old michelle carter showed little emotion as the judge sentenced her to 15 months behind bars for the death of her friend, conrad roy, who died three years ago from carbon monoxide poisoning. prosecutor mary clare flynn was disappointed in the light sentence. >> the defendant's conduct in

this case was egregious, and ultimately caused the death of conrad roy. >> reporter: back in june, judge moniz convicted carter of involuntary manslaughter, based on text messages and phone calls showing her pushing roy to take his own life. >> this court finds that instructing mr. roy to get back in the truck constituted wanton and reckless conduct by miss carter, creating a situation where there is a high degree of likelihood that substantial harm would result to mr. roy. >> reporter: in the last week of roy's life, carter sent dozens of text messages urging him to kill himself. "you're ready and prepared. all you have to do is turn the generator on and be free and happy." both teens had a history of mental health problems. carter suffered from anxiety and battled an eating disorder. roy suffered from depression and had suicidal thoughts.

in court today, conrad roy, jr., said his son was betrayed by the friend he trusted. >> michelle carter exploited my son's weaknesses and used him as a pawn. where was her humanity? >> reporter: as it turns out, michelle carter will not be in prison tonight. she may never go. at the end of the hearing, the judge suspended that prison term to give michelle carter time to appeal the guilty verdict. anthony? >> mason: erin moriarty outside the courthouse in taunton, massachusetts. erin, thanks. tonight a large fire is burning in a high-rise apartment building in dubai on the persian gulf. no injuries reported. that same skyscraper went up in flames two and a half years ago with no major injuries. it's one of the tallest residential buildings in the world at 86 stories. its name, believe it or not, is the torch. they may want to change that. a company best known for selling soap is hoping to start a new discussion about race. demarco morgan reports on procter & gamble's thought-

provoking new ad. >> there are some people who think you don't deserve the same privileges, just because of what you look like. it's not fair. >> reporter: the commercial is called "the talk." >> remember, you can do anything they can. the difference is, you got to work twice as hard and be twice as smart. >> reporter: a two-minute ad released online last month showing black mothers sharing their truths about bias and racial stereotypes, growing up in america. >> when you get pulled over-- >> mom, i'm a good driver. don't worry. >> this is not about you getting a ticket. this is about you not coming home. >> this commercial, "the talk," is a powerful film, that is really part of a broader platform that we have called "my black is beautiful." >> reporter: procter & gamble's chief brand officer, marc pritchard. >> what this enables people to do is have conversations about bias. and when you have conversations, when you promote dialogue, that promotes understanding. >> reporter: the conversation has sparked debate on social media. one tweet reads, "thank you

@proctorgamble for a thought- provoking ad." but another called it a racist ad, insulting and in poor taste. >> i can't say i've seen a commercial like this before. >> reporter: jamilah lemieux focuses on race and pop culture as vice president at interactive one. in your opinion, who is the intended target audience? >> i guess i'm struggling to identify the intended target audience for this commercial. if it is in fact african americans, then one could say, you're preaching to the choir. if this is, in fact, a commercial that is targeted toward white americans-- >> but you are not going to let that word hurt you. >> --i have to say this is commendable. i guess i'm wondering, what are the next steps? >> you are beautiful, period. okay? >> reporter: procter & gamble says the commercial is set to debut on television next week. cg says it will produce similar ads focused on other issues, like gender equality. anthony. >> mason: demarco, thanks. coming up next on the "cbs

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order to get the best protection in a crash. >> reporter: jessica jermakian is a senior research engineer for i.i.h.s. >> as more and more people are using ride hailing service, and those people are not buckling up at the same rate, we could see more people getting injured and killed in the back seat. >> oh, my god. >> reporter: just 57% of passengers reported buckling up in hired vehicles. ashlyn st. ours is not one of them. >> even though i know i should, it seems like a barrier, so i usually only buckle up when i'm in the front. >> reporter: in this video, the unbelted woman on the left flies across the cabin and slams into the window. this new crash test video shows how an unbuckled passenger can be a danger to the driver, too. watch as the dummy flies into the seat in front. the difference is clear when both dummies are strapped in. while every state but new hampshire requires adults up front to wear their seat belts, 21 states lack that requirement for adults in the back seat. >> reporter: people have different reasons for not buckling up in the back seat. and the most surprising one to

us was that people thought that it's safer back there. >> reporter: now, 75% of those surveyed said a simple reminder from somebody else in the car would make them more likely to wear their seat belt in the back. federal regulators estimate about 14,000 people were saved by seat belts in 2015. anthony? >> mason: the evidence couldn't be any more convincing. kris van cleave, thanks. still ahead, can lightning strike one last time? strike one last time? she's nationally recognized for her compassion and care. he spent decades fighting to give families a second chance. but to help others, they first had to protect themselves. i have afib. even for a nurse, it's complicated... and it puts me at higher risk of stroke. that would be devastating. i had to learn all i could to help protect myself.

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the greatest sprinter of all time will reach the finish line of his career at the world championships this weekend. now nearly 31, usain bolt predicts one last victory in the 100 meters. unbeaten in three olympics, many wonder how bolt has stayed at the front of the pack for so long. charlie d'agata takes a look. >> reporter: at his peak, usain "lightning" bolt clocked over 27mph. >> he's one of those people, one of those athletes that's jus freakishly talented. >> reporter: u.s. champion sprinter michael johnson should know. >> he was just probably born with, you know, a unique blend of speed and power that most people, even most world-class sprinters, aren't born with. >> reporter: but bolt was also born with scoliosis, a curvature of his spine that makes his right leg about half an inch shorter than the left. that should have slowed him down. in dallas, researchers recently discovered bolt's left foot strikes the track with 13% less

force than his right. that uneven gait should have slowed him down. and at 6'5", so should his height. but the triple world record holder seemed unaware of these handicaps. >> usain bolt is sort of energy spilling out in a lot of different places, but he can afford to get away with that. >> reporter: so he could have been even faster? >> he absolutely could have been faster. >> reporter: remember beijing 2015 when he cruised to the finish line once victory was his? >> usain bolt again! >> reporter: is there part of you even now, looking back at your career, i may have done that even faster? >> personally, no. i mean, when you have the world record, i never really think, "oh, i should have run faster." i think my coach said that once, that i underperformed, yeah. >> reporter: performance has always been a big part of bolt's appeal. regular fans to royalty have struck his lightning bolt pose. they're unlikely to complain that the world's fastest man

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plus an additional thousand on top of your trade-in. that's the built ford tough f-150 with zero percent for sixty months plus an additional thousand on top of your trade-in offer ends soon during the ford summer sales event. >> mason: finally tonight, wedding dreams were hanging by a thread, until a seamstress arrived with a stitch in time. here's david begnaud. >> reporter: alfred angelos' slogan "your dream, your dress" became "your loss" when the bridal giant abruptly closed last month, declared bankruptcy, and left brides-to-be lined up, and stood up. >> where's my dress? >> we're never going to see them again. let's not even bother. they're gone. >> reporter: they were gone. both of stephanie huey's bridesmaids dresses, as well as the other dresses of the heartbroken women who purchased them at this oklahoma city store.

rozettia ellis took them. >> piled them in my car, trunk, back seat, side panel, on the floorboards until they were stacked all the way up to the top. >> reporter: and headed home? >> and headed home with them. >> reporter: she was a contracted seamstress with the store who lost her job but rescued those dresses. >> at that point we thought, oh my gosh, thank you. you know, we were so grateful. >> reporter: but rose, as she's known, has one more surprise. at her home in tulsa, she's been working on a special wedding gift. stitch by stitch, she's been altering more than 80 dresses-- for free. >> i was dumbfounded. honestly dumbfounded. >> reporter: you don't have to do this. >> i do. >> reporter: said who? >> me. my integrity says i have to. okay? so, you have standards for yourself, then you live up to those standards. >> reporter: once a week, she fills her car with dresses, and drives 110 miles to this oklahoma city hotel to deliver them.

motivated to do something, stephanie huey has raised $5,600 for ellis through a go fund me page. >> this is what's left? >> yes, sir, and it's going down fast. i've just been a busy bee. >> reporter: this oklahoma grandmother says she will continue working 15-hour days and making tho y drives to meet the brides until the 20 or so gowns that are left, fit just right. >> thank you. enjoy your wedding. >> reporter: infinite joy, provided by a single rose. david begnaud, cbs news, oklahoma city. >> mason: rose to the rescue. that sews up another edition of the "cbs evening news." >> time to work! >> reporter: i'm anthony mason in new york. thanks for watching. good night. captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org

we've been showing you the mounds of garbage piling up on now kpix good evening, i'm allen martin. >> i'm veronica de la cruz. we have been showing you the mounds of garbage piling up on the streets. now kpix 5's susie steimle reports, city leaders are about to talk about a plan what to do about it. >> breaking news from oakland. victorian house there has been going up in flames. chopper 5 live over that house over the fire scene right now. the fire broke out about an hour ago. this is east 19th street in oakland. the building apparently was vacant. the windows were all boarded up. you can see firefighters still getting water on that old home. a few minutes ago, though, we saw flames shooting out of the windows and the roof. you can see the charred wreckage of it there. it's been kicking up a lot of smoke over oakland. so much smoke, in fact, you can

see it from the oakland hills. this is where our videographer bob horne has set up his camera. the smoke is diminishing. it was a lot worse than that. crews have been working for more than 30 minutes aggressively to control the fire. the fire was very heavily involved with the second floor. it's a victorian on east 19th street in oakland. so apparently, they are getting this one out. we'll get you an update later in the newscast. we are also following some developing news in san francisco. three people have been shot at a park in the middle of the city in the middle of the day. and right now, those shooting suspects are on the loose. kpix 5's emily turner at dolores park, she talked to a witness who saw it happen. emily. >> reporter: yeah. it's disconcerting because it happened in broad daylight in the middle of the park where there was a lot of people. there have been some