steps to try to reduce traffic accidents. as ronald reagan once said, if mandatory background checks could save more lives, it would be well worth making it the law of the land. the bill before congress three years ago met that test. unfortunately, too many senators failed theirs. [ applause ] we know that background checks make a difference. after connecticut passed a law to require safety courses, gun deaths decreased by 40%. 40%. [ applause ] meanwhile since missouri repealed a law requiring comprehensive background checks and purchased permits, gun

higher than the national average average. one study found unsurprisingly that criminals in missouri now have easier access to guns. and the evidence tells us that in states that require background checks law-abiding americans don't find it any harder to purchase guns whatsoever. their guns have not been confiscated, rights have not been infringed. and that's just the information we have access to with more research, we could further improve gun safety just as with more research we have reduced traffic fatalityies over the last 30 years. we do research when cars, food, medicine, even toys harm people so we make them safer. research, science, those are good things, they work.

but think about this. when it comes to an inherently deadly weapon, nobody argues that guns are potentially deadly, weapons that kill tens of thousands of americans every year congress actually voted to make it harder for public health experts to conduct research into gun violence. made it harder to collect data and facts and develop strategies to reduce gun violence. even after san bernardino, they refused to make it harder for terror suspects who can't get on a plane to buy semiautomatic weapons.

that can't be right. so the gun lobby may be holding congress hostage, but they can't hold america hostage. we do not have to accept this carnage as the price of freedom. [ applause ] [ applause ] i want to be clear. congress still needs to act. but folks in this room will not rest until congress does.

because once congress gets on board with common sense gun safety measures, we can reduce gun violence a whole lot more. but we also can't wait. until we have a congress that's in line with the majority of americans, there are actions within my legal authority that we can take to help reduce gun violence to save more lives. actions that protect our rights and our kids. after sandy hook, joe and i worked together with our teams and we put forward a whole series of executive actions to try to tighten up the existing rules and systems that we had in place. but today we want to take it a

so let me outline what we're going to be doing. number one, anybody in the business of selling firearms must get a license and conduct background checks or be subject to criminal prosecutions. [ applause ] >> it doesn't matter whether you're doing it over the internet or at a gun show, it's not where you do it, but what you do. we're also expanding background checks to cover violent criminals who try to buy some of the most dangerous firearms by hiding behind trusts and corporations and various cut outs. we're also taking steps to make the background check system more efficient.

our deputy director tom branden that atf, we're going to hire more folks to process applications faster and bring an outdated system into the 21st century. these steps will lead to a smoother process for law-abiding gun owners, a smoother process for responsible gun dealers, a stronger process for protecting the people from the public from dangerous people. so that's number one. number two, we're going to do everything we can to ensure the smart and effective enforcement of gun safety laws already on the books, which means we're going to add 200 more atf agents and investigators, we're going to require firearms dealers to report more lost or stolen guns

we're working with advocates to protect victims of domestic abuse from gun violence. too much people are not getting the protection they need. number three, we're going to do more to help those suffering from mental illness get the help that they need. high u profile mass shootings tend to shine a light on those few mentally unstable people, but the truth is that nearly two and three gun deaths are from suicides. so a lot of our work is to prevent people from hurting themselves. that's why we made sure that the

as obamacare, under that law made sure that treatment for mental health was covered the same as treatment for any other illness. that's why we're going to invest $500 million to expand access to treatment across the country. [ applause ] it's also why we're going to ensure that mental health records are submitted to the background check system and remove barriers that prevent states from reporting relevant information. if we can continue to destigmatize mental health issues and get folks proper care, we can spare more families the pain of losing a loved one to suicide. and for those in congress who so often rush to blame mental illness for mass shootings as a way of avoiding action on guns, here's your chance to support these efforts.

is. number four, we're going to boost gun safety technology. today many gun injuries are the result of legal guns that were stolen or misused or discharged accidentally. . in 2013 alone more than 500 people lost their lives to gun accidents and that includes 30 children younge than 5 years old. on the greatest advanced nation this. we need to develop new safer. if we can get set it up so you can't unlock your phone unless you have the right fingerprint, why can't we do the same thing for our guns?

us find a missing tablet, which happens to me often the older i get, if we can do it for your ipad, there's no reason we can't do it with a stolen gun. if a child can't open a bottle of aspirin, we should make sure they can't pull a trigger on a gun. [ applause ] so we're going to advance research, work with the private sector to update firearms technology. some gun retailers are already stepping up by refusing to finalize a purchase without a complete background check or high capacity magazines, and i hope that more retailers and

because they should carry as much as anybody about a product that kills almost as many americans as car accidents. i make this point because none o of us can do this alone. i think mark made that point earlier. all of us should be able to work together to find a balance that declares the rest of our rights are also important. second amendment rights are important, but there are other rights that we care about as well. we have to be able to balance them. because our right to worship freely and safe lyly, that right was denied to christians in south carolina. and that was denied jews in kansas city. and that was denied muslims in

they had rights too. [ applause ] our right to peaceful assembly, that right was robbed from movie goers in aurora and lafayette. our right to life and liberty. from college kids in san bernardino and from high schoolers at columbine. and from first graders in newton. first graders.

imagined that their loved one would be taken from our lives by a bullet from a gun. every time i think about those kids it gets me mad. and by the way, it happens on the streets of chicago every day. so all of us need to demand that congress be brave enough to stand up to the gun lobbies lives governors and legislators and businesses do their part to

we need the wide majority of responsible gun owners who grieve. with us every time this happens and feel like your views are not being properly represented to join with us to demand something better. [ applause ] and we need voters who want safer gun laws and who are disappointed in leaders who stand in their way to remember come election time. i mean, some of this is just simple math. yes, the gun lobby is loud and it is organized in defense of making it effortless for guns to

you know what, the rest of us, we all have to be just as passionate. we have to be just as organized in defense of our kids. this is not that 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, they will change course, i promise you. [ applause ] and yes, it will be hard. and it won't happen overnight.

it won't happen during my presidency. but a lot of things don't happen a lot of things don't happen over night. a woman's right to vote didn't happen over night. happen over night. liberation of african americans didn't happen over night. lgbt rights has decades worth of work. so just because it's lard, that's no excuse not to try. if there's any doubt as to why you should feel that fierce urgency of now, think about what happened three weeks ago. for the sophomore at fulton high school in knox ville, tennessee.

his classmates and his teachers. his own mayor called him one of the city's success stories. the week before christmas, he headed to a friend's house to play video games. he wasn't at the wrong place at the wrong time. he hadn't made a bad decision. he was exactly where any other kid would be. your kid. my kids.gu$ and then gun men started firing t and in high school, he hadn't gotten started in life. he fell on top of three girls to shield them from the bullets. and he was shot in the head and the girls were spared. he gave his life to save theirs.m

than anything we should ever expect from a 15 year old. greater love has no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends. we are not asked to do what dobson did. we're not asked to have shoulders that big a heart that strong, reactions that[vi'm not asking people to have that same level of courage or sacrifice or love. but if we love our kids and care about their prospects and if we love this country and care about its future, we can find the courage to vote, we can find the courage to get mobilized and organized. we can find the courage to cut

what a sensible country would do. that's what we're doing today and tomorrow we should do more and we should do more the day after that. and if we do, we'll leave behind a nation that's stronger thanhk the one we inherited and worthy of the sacrifice of a young man like him. thank you very much, everybody. god bless you. [applause] thank you. god bless you all. >> a remarkable moment at the whitehouse. the president in tears quoting the book of john, greater love has no man than this. has the president reveals the measures he intends to take by executive action going around the world of congress to impose

first and foremost, the president intends by executive order to no longer allow people to trade guns as individuals when they are in fact selling guns as dealers and therefore requiring them to have a federal firearms license, whether that's on-line or at gun shows, and requiring those people to conduct background checks on their customers. currently many people claim to be selling handguns and assault rifles as individuals on-line and at gun shows and are therefore exempt from most federal firearm regulations. the president intends to change that by executive order. but, the congress of course, the republican majority in congress

today to have our chief legal correspondent with us, jan crawford. jan, you can almost hear the footsteps of people rushing to the courthouse to file suit. >> i think the president can almost hear, you heard him, him trying to get ahead of those lowelltalking about the second amendment and why these proposals and executive action would not violate the right to bear arms. he embraced the first amendment which guarantees the right to free speech and religion. he said the old adage that you can't yell fire in a crowded theatre. so too should we have these reasonable he said many times commen sense restrictions in the second amendment especially as he says there's how much a compelling and urge gent need. if not, i believe throughs significant problem and that is whether or not he actually has the authority under the constitution to take a lot of these steps or rather this is something that really should

authority of congress. kind of the separation of powers argument. and even if he is right that a multiple lawsuits over many of these proposals could keep them tied up in court through the end of his administration which means many of this stuff, much of this stuff may never even take effect. >> and of course as we recall, the president took a civil her action with immigration reform going around the rule of congress and now all of that is tied up in federal court. jan crawford our cheap legal correspondent reporting for us from the whitehouse today, jan thank you very much. was we mentioned, there was a remarkable moment earlier when the president was moved to tears at the memory of the massacre atzx sandy hook elementary school. let's go back and look at that moment one more time.

those kids, it gets me mad.x and by the way, it happens on the streets of chicago every day. >> the president remembering the 20 first graders who were murdered at sandy hook elementary school just three years ago. the person who introduced the president today was mark barden, the chairman of sandy hook, of the sandy hook parents organization seen here holding a picture of his son, seven year old daniel barden who was murdered on that fateful day before christmas just four years ago. there will be a great deal more about all of this on your local news on this cbs station and on our 24 hour digital news network, cbsn. it's available on all devices at cbsnews.com.

complete wrap up of all of this right here toarnlt on'%hevening n good afternoon. i'm chris wragge. people are covered from head to toe to cope with the cold. >> john elliott is in the weather center with for more us. >> the sun is shining, crystal clear skies, visibility is you can see for miles and miles but you can see 22, wind out of hour. for many. you thought it was cold this morning, you were right. see these are some of

readings we had this morning. monticello leading the pack at 0, danbury at 7 degrees. monticello had a chill of 19 degrees below zero. that observation came in three times. that was a long period where you were 10 orlando 12 degrees below zero. newburgh and jfk 6 degrees below 0 this morning and that was tied with newark. jfk you were not alone. right now the wind chill in the city is only 11. still it's a dangerous the wind will die down a bit this afternoon. i'll tell you what, when you look at what the computer models are doing there's not a lot of relief. here's the future feel's like graphic. between now and this afternoon not much of an improvement. highs only in the upper 20s but wind chills north

you're still in the teens. teens for parts of the hudson valley. 22 this afternoon in the city. just north and west only the mid 20s. over night tonight it's still chilly, wind please exercise caution. we do some warmer temperatures to wrap up the week. today the worse of it so stay warm. >> thank you so much. former giants head coach tom coughlin spoke to the media today, a day after he announced his resignation. >> reporter: certainly a sad day in east rutherford as the man who delivered two lombardi trophies has stepped down. >> i'm for nervous about this press conference. >> he showed an emotional side of a hard that was once not to be hard and aggressive. >> it's been the source of drive for me is that when our

whether they're in their career, after their career, when they come back to me and say, coach, i love you. >> he's been everything you could ever ask for in a head coach and we'll always appreciate him for that. he's a person. fill. >> at 69 he was the oldest coach in the nfl this year. speech. here's how he responded if he will remain in the game. >> i will somehow, some way. my wife will not want my to be home longer than 48 hours. here's your coat, don't have have someplace to go. >> reporter: he said he's not ruling out coaching with another team but owner john merit said he offered coughlin a job in some capacity to stay with the giants. steve overmyer. >> thank you. the search is on for two robbery suspects caught on camera in brooklyn.

the men can be seen chasing a woman down blecker street. it happened december 27th just after 7:00 in the evening. anyone with information is asked to contact police. investigators are hoping this surveillance video can help catch two suspects behind a string of robberies in queens. police say they have broken into nine apartments in long island city since october, in each case they picked the door locks stealing cash, jewelry, smartphones, watches and tablets. last month a woman walked in on one thief and he escaped through a window. breaking news right now. a u.s. special operations troop member has been killed and two other wounded in fighting in southern afghanistan. it happen near the city of marja near the pakistan order. the taliban made recent gains in that area. coming up on cbs 2 news tonight beginning at 5:00, talk about a surprise. a family gets charged thousands of dollars on their cell phone bill for a service you could be accidentally using as well. the

>> and then at 6:00 a proposed new amtrack rail line that no one knows about. it would bring any high speed trains by way of trenches through the middle of long island. much more tonight on cbs 2 news beginning at 5:00. a houston area couple welcomed their rare identical triplets home this morning. the harris triplets. they spent a month in the hospital. the girls were born within one minute of each other on december 1st. the family says they'll have a few techniques to tell them apart. doctors say identical triplets are a medical marvel, one in a million. >> maybe an ankle bracelet with a color for each of them. that's it for us. i'm mary calvi.