>> john: welcome to "cbs evening news plus." i'm john dickerson. since the start of his second term, donald trump has launched the most sweeping reorganization of the executive branch in america's history.

joined by the world's richest man, elon musk, and the head of the office of management and budget, the team has moved swiftly. now the courts are trying to slow that progress. weijia jiang is at the white house with the latest developments. nearly 50 lawsuits have been filed, but vice president j.d. vance says they are without merit and the judges can't control what he calls the executive branch's legitimate powers. it's not just a debate about specific actions taken by the original design of american government. we'll check in with legal contributor jessica levinson. and our in-depth focuses tonight is on america's under vaccinated communities. a florida mother tells manuel bojorquez why her daughter has not had her childhood shots. while a pediatrician warns this is how epidemics start. those stories and more right after our news headlines. ♪ ♪ president trump put a 25% import tax on all steel and aluminum entering the united states.

the tariffs will have the biggest impact on canada, a major supplier of both metals. >> there is no tariff, 0. if it's made in the united states, there is no tariff. >> john: there are renewed concerns about pope francis' health after breathing problems caused by bronchitis forced him to have an aide finish reading his homily during mass. the pope, 88 years old, has suffered two falls in recent months. he had part of a lung removed when he was a teenager. and in guatemala, more than 50 people, including children, were killed when their bus was involved in a multivehicle crash and fell more than 100 feet from a bridge. ♪ ♪ we start tonight on president trump's idea to

entice 2 million federal workers to leave their jobs early. it's an idea similar to one3 elon musk used at twitter. the plan was delayed by a judge last week, and today the boston judge delayed it again. cbs senior white house and political correspondent weijia jiang has been following the latest developments, and weijia give us the latest on this case and what the white house is saying about it. >> reporter: john, great to be with you. right now we are still waiting to hear what the judge's ruling is going to be on the merits of this case which is what he heard today from both sides. he said he wanted to extend that deadline for federal workers to opt in to this resignation program in the meantime but john, there's still a lot of questions here, namely, can the federal government withhold its end of the bargain, continuing to pay these workers until the end of september when the current budget runs out on march 14th? the administration says yes. labor groups, union groups say no.

in addition to that, just the legality of the swiftness in which this is happening, these are all things the judge will rule on but has not so far and until he does, that deadline will be extended. >> john: weijia, let's jump from employment to tariffs. this tariff announcement, has it happened and what exactly is it and how does it compare to the previous round of tariffs the president put on some of these same countries? >> reporter: just a short time ago, president trump signed executive orders to implement a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports. that's important because it includes canada and mexico, our neighbors, as well as brazil vietnam, south korea. those are the biggest exporters of steel to the u.s., but it impacts any country that exports steel to the u.s. john, what we're waiting to see is what these countries do in response, because the first time around, they imposed retaliatory

tariffs on other industries, which really hurt farmers of pork, cheese, and milk, as an example. and they are different this time because the first time, president trump had some carve-outs for canada and mexico and australia. this time, he says there are no exceptions for now. also he has increased the rate for aluminum from 10% back then to 25%, trying to send a message that he means business with these new tariffs, john. >> john: weijia jiang at the white house, thank you so much weijia. presidents and the judicial branch have tangled before, that's not new, but what is new is the brio with which the president and his team have asserted the scope of executive power. this takes us back to the founders who were obsessed with carefully apportioning power among the three batches so none could gain too much power and trample the rights and liberties of citizens. to help us break down this turn in the presidential narrative, we turn to cbs legal computer

jessica levinson. good to be with you as always. let's step back. there are 50 court cases at the very basic level, if you were teaching this in your class, what is this dispute about? >> reporter: this dispute is about the scope of executive authority and exactly as you said, john, the founders were obsessed with dispersing power. because we came from a monarchy. so we wanted to spread power out not just among three branches but among two levels of government. i think what many of these disputes -- and we really shouldn't lump them all together -- but if we had to, what we're talking about is how much can a president do by himself? how much can executive agencies do by themselves? how much do you have to consult with congress, and how much is that federal judiciary going to push back against these various executive actions? >> john: when you say we shouldn't lump them together, is there a way in which they break down or why that's a bad idea?

>> reporter: yes, because i think they actually are all different in the sense of the executive order dealing with birthright citizenship. i think there is an extremely strong argument to challenge that particular order because it contravenes the constitution and as you know, john, it's the constitution, then statutes, then things like executive orders, but when we think about other potential executive orders like a buyout of federal employees or the ability of doge to access treasury records, or even a reorganizing usaid, those are different. those talk about executive agencies and reorganizing those agencies to a certain extent. i'm not saying those are all fine. are different.arguments there- >> john: j.d. vance, the vice president, said what these courts are doing is like interrupting a general in the middle of the war. this is called arguing by analogy. what is right or wrong with that analogy from the vice president?

>> reorter: i think what may be problematic is that for over 220 years, we have understood that federal judges absolutely have a role to play and that that role includes telling the two popularly elected branches, the executive branch and congress, this is where you've gone too far. it think the problem with that comment is it seems to give no role essentially for the judiciary when it comes to oversight. and we know from talking about not just this slew of executive actions but different pieces of legislation that absolutely federal judges are the last word on federal law. >> john: jessica levinson. the last word tonight. we'll be talking about this a lot. appreciate you, thank you, jessica. the criminal trial for the man accused of attempting to murder author salman rushdie began with prosecutors saying hadi matar was on a mission when he rushed to attack rushdie, stabbing him

multiple times in 2022. cbs's nikki battiste reports on the first day of the trial and the national security concerns behind the attack. >> reporter: wearing a blue shirt and prison slacks, hadi matar walked into western new york courtroom today. new jersey born matar said "free palestine" as he walked past cameras for the start of his attempted murder and assault trial. prosecutors say matar rushed the stage in 2022 as award-winning author salman rushdie was about to speak in chautauqua, new york. matar is accused of stabbing rushdie with a knife 15 times in front of a large crowd. the attack left rushdie blind in one eye. rushdie spoke about matar as he recalled the attack on "cbs mornings." >> he's a guy who had no previos criminal record. to go from that to murder that's a big jump.

>> reporter: prosecutors say the 27-year-old tried to carry out orders given by the former supreme leader of iran ayatollah ruhollah khomeini to assassinate rushie. cbs news national security contributor samantha vinograd. >> for decades the iranian regime has retained the abilities to inspire and direct operatives all around the world to engage in targeted assassinations. >> reporter: several former u.s. officials from president trump's first term including john bolton and mike pompeo have also faced threats from iran. last month, president trump revoked bolton and pompeo's security protections. >> the threats against these individuals remain incredibly heightened, incredibly real. while this may be a cost-saving measure, it does appear to expose them to serious risk of harm by the iranian regime and its operatives. >> reporter: potential harm now at the heart of a criminal case. nikki battiste, cbs news. new york.

>> john: now here are three things to know. hawaii's supreme court ruled today that insurance companies cannot block a proposed $4 billion settlement related to the devastating 2023 maui wildfire. the fire killed more than 100 people and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses. hawaiian electric and other entities blamed for causing the fire had agreed to the settlement. however, insurance companies opposed it because they wanted to preserve their right to sue these companies to recover money that they had already paid out to policyholders. the justice department is moving to drop the government's corruption case against new york city mayor eric adams. a judge would have to approve the move. adams last year was indicted on five counts including bribery. he pleaded not guilty. and crayola would like customers to wax nostalgic. the company is bringing eight of its former crayon colors out of retirement. that number eight is significant since the first box in 1903 had only eight colors in total.

lemon yellow is the only returning entry from that first era. other hues brought back to light the imagination of young people for a limited time only: blizzard blue, magic mint, and raw umber. when "cbs evening news plus" returns, we explore the questions surrounding the

>> john: this week marks 29 yearssince an epic man versus machine battle. it's when ibm's supercomputer deep blue beat garry kasparov, the world's best chess player, in 37 moves. garry kasparov prevailed. but the rapid advancement of intelligence raised questions about the possible battle royale to come. tonight's interview, christopher dicarlo writes about the consequences of living without technological guardrails. christopher, i wanted to start with you said we are in a unique moment in human history. what's so unique about the moment we are in? >> we are in between the way things used to be done and how they're going to be done. the world is going to change a lot to the next five years.

>> john: what accounts for that change? >> the advancements in ai, specifically in all fields: health, automobiles, industry communication, education. >> john: the title of the book "building a god." you're talking about change that humankind has never seen before. >> correct. >> john: so give us a sense of that scope. >> we are about to build a machinethat we've never built before. >> john: we're in the business of building it already. >> yes, in texas, they are building stargate and they want to attain agi, artificial general intelligence. that machine will tell us how to build all the other machines. >> john: so artificial general intelligence won't just replicae intelligence, as you write, human intelligence is kind of messy. artificial general intelligence will be sleek and move with great speed. >> it will. and then after that is artificil super intelligence. asi.

that's when it becomes godlike. >> john: you write that essentially if we do not instill morals and ethics and put up those guardrails for artificial general intelligence, or super intelligence, that it can threaten the very existence of the human species. how would that happen? >> it might look at our morals and say "that's quaint, but i'm in charge now. i've got the keys to the world. i'm going to drive this ship from now on." >> john: we've been talking abot artificial intelligence. i want to talk about our human intelligence that the moment. are we in a place with our skills of logic, critical reasoning, to carry out the conversation you think is necessary to put up the guardrails to keep ai from -- >> i hope. i hope. we're going to have to grow up really fast. because if we don't, we may not get a shot across the bow, a warning. it may just, as some say, go "foom" exponentially and it's entirely out of our control.

reactivity is not an option. >> john: one of the things you say essentially is that we need to focus as humanity. we really need to focus our attention. how does that focus of the kind you're saying needs to be put in place, how does that happen in a focus-free moment? >> our leaders have to be better angels of their nature. they have to be the frodos of society, entrusted with this ring, this power to not let it get the better of us, to harm others, and to collectively work together. >> john: did the success of deepseek or the reaction to deepseek tell you anything about our capacity at the moment to either build ai or how we react as the rest of mankind to it? >> deepseek was entirely predictable. i'm not concerned with deepseek. i am concerned with agi and who gets there first, that's what

we've got to worry about. >> john: the race to get to agi is pell-mell. i mean, that's the goal. >> the holy grail. >> john: final question. are you reading anything to refresh your thinking about the journey that mankind has been on and how his best to face this new challenge? >> yeah, thomas hobbes. i am a big fan of thomas hobbes. hobbes said look, usually there is a state of nature. if you don't have law, it's you and me and everyone else here against everyone else. what's going to be the best for humanity moving forward is cooperation, not cheaters. but cooperation. >> john: christopher, the book is "building a god." thank you so much. >> my pleasure. >> john: there's more to come on "cbs evening news plus" including our in-depth report

okay, little wendy's hack. if you want a super fresh, high-quality burger every time, tell them you want... a “hamburger.” that's a hack, right? no? a hack-free burger, made fresh for you? gotta be wendy's.

dave's been very excited about saving big m with the comcast business 5-year price lock guarantee. five years? -five years. and he's not alone. -high five. it's five years of reliable gig speed internet. five years of advanced securit. five years of a great rate that won't change. it's back. but only for a limited time. high five. five years? -nope. comcast business 5-year price lock guarantee. powering five years of savings. powering possibilities. comcast business.

>> john: health officials in western texas are trying to contain a measles outbreak among mostly school-aged children. officials have confirmed at least 15 cases. it's the latest outbreak of a disease which had been virtually eliminated in the united states and it comes as vaccinations rates are declining. cbs's manny bojorquez takes an in-depth look at the impact of the under vaccinated. >> reporter: tampa area mom tiffany vargas says her 8-year-old daughter who she asks not be identified has not received childhood vaccines. so no measles, no chicken pox? >> nothing. >> reporter: no polio? >> nothing. >> reporter: and why is that? >> well, i started doing research and i saw that a lot of doctors were just having a really hard time answering the questions that i had. >> reporter: her questions go beyond long-established safety studies to whether theres enough transparency from the medical community on possible side effects. her research, she says, includes

reading vaccine warning labels and looking into their ingredients. >> we're not anti-vaccines. we just want our questions answered. >> reporter: in florida, parents like vargas can opt out of vaccinating their children using a religious exemption which is one reason vargas moved her family out of new york. >> we were threatened to have cps called on us. so i saw that this was going to be an issue, that i wouldn't be able to exercise my right as a parent to choose what would be best for my child. >> reporter: the vaccination rate for florida kindergartners has fallen to 88.1%, the lowest in decades. nationwide, at least ten states have also seen some vaccination rates fall. >> 90% is not anywhere near good enough. that coverage rate will allow for the spread of vaccine preventable diseases. >> reporter: dr. jeffrey

goldhagen is a pediatrician and professor at the university of florida. what does it mean of these rates continue to go down. >> it means increased numbers of children infected. it means epidemics of measles. we are at great risk for their reemergence of polio in this country. >> reporter: already, some florida schools have seen measles outbreaks, like at this elementary school in broward county last year. >> it's exhausting, related to vaccines. it's exhausting, related to other issues that parents come in to the office having read the internet and having formed their opinions. >> reporter: while the vast majority of medical organizations say childhood vaccines are safe and effective, it's not enough for parents like tiffany vargas. so is it safe to say that you're more concerned about possible side effects from a vaccine than you are her possibly getting measles or polio or something like that? >> 100%. >> reporter: she's as convinced in her approach as most doctors are about theirs. manuel bojorquez, cbs news.

tampa. >> john: when we come back, i'll have some thoughts on the power of believing in an idea, incl

it's >> john: when we think about television shows and space, space exploration is usually the topic of television shows, so it was striking to see a television show appear in space. the show was "ted lasso." appearing as a single word on suni williams space suit.

the word: belief. perseverance, belief in yourself the cause and your team. that belief sustained ted lasso's writer alone with a keyboard and idea about a show about believing. idea building a shuttle around believing and now that idea has reached space. suni williams doesn't just wear that message, she is that message. her eight-day visit to the international space station stretched into months. her belief in the mission sustains her, making her a living example of belief's power. it reminds us why we explore and admire astronauts. not just what they do and where they go but the way they do it. that's all for the "cbs evening news plus." thanks for joining us. i'm john dickerson. good night. . right now on cbs news bay area, we have now learned what sparked the chase that ended when a car slammed into a san francisco parklet, why some community members say the crash is raising larger questions. >> is it really worth it for us

now? and more than 35 years after an east bay woman mysteriously vanished, a break in the case. we're hearing from investigators about how they finally identified her body. >> so we actually provided them some fingernails and from those fingernails they were able to get dna. a dry start to the week, but it will not stay that way long, when another powerful storm is set to arrive. i met wilt chamberlain and earl lloyd, the first black player in nba. >> he had a front row seat for some of the biggest moments in basketball history. we'll introduce you to a bay area sportswriter opening doors for the next generation of journalists. from cbs news bay area, this is the evening edition. we begin in san francisco where a police chase came to a crashing halt when a car slammed into a parklet outside a