john blackstone on how industrial pollution there is changing the weather in the u.s. and 1,800 veterans die every day. bill whitaker on one mission to make sure no veteran dies alone. >> people do remarkable things every day. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> pelley: good evening. today the supreme court said it will decide whether states may enforce their own strict immigration laws even when the federal government says they've gone too far. last year, arizona said it had to take matters into its own hands because illegal immigration was a crisis that the federal government refused to fix. one provision of arizona's law gives the police broad powers to check a person's immigration 'satus. arizona's example has encouraged courr states, including alabama, abamo much the same. jan crawford has been looking into this today. cr? >> reporter: well, scott, the justices have stepped into one ef the most controversial issues esviding america and will decide whether states like arizona can aass tough laws designed to get illegal i

john blackstone on what could be the future of space travel. a spacecraft that doesn't need a launch pad. and the jewels of elizabeth taylor on sale for the holidays. michelle miller reports $50 million will buy hollywood's gilded age. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> pelley: good evening, it's a you have to proposal-- no phones for drivers period. even hands free. a national ban on calls and texting while driving. the ban was recommended today by the n.t.s.b.-- the national transportation safety board which called phones a deadly distraction. we wondered how deadly and our research department found this: government records show that distracted driving caused 900,000 crashes on america's roads alone, injuring 417,000 people and killing 3,092. but elaine quijano tells us it was just one deadly crash that really got the attention of the safety board. >> reporter: the n.t.s.b. has been investigating distracted driving for ten years, but it was this deadly crash last year in missouri that finally push

but of as john blackstone tells us, san francisco is topping them all. >> reporter: low-paid workers in san francisco were already getting the highest minimum wage in the country, but for those at the bottom of the pay scale, the boost to $10.24 an hour breaks a barrier. is that a ridiculous sum for a minimum wage? >> no, because the cost of living is very different in different places around the country. in san francisco, it is very high. and so a minimum wage of $10 an hour is not at all high relative to that cost of living. >> reporter: well, former labor secretary robert reich has been a longtime advocate of higher minimum wages, many san francisco employers say this is no time to be forcing a pay raise. this restaurant owner says the increase will come right out of his bottom line. >> you know, especially in this nickel, dime economy. it's not as though we can raise our prices. it's a recession. if you raise your prices, people go elsewhere. >> reporter: pete faulk, of the chamber of commerce, says the city's high minimum wage has already cost jobs. >> for the most part, employe

john blackstone got a preview of one of them bank rolled by a tycoon known for his innovation in cyber space, not outerspace. >> the wingspan display is greater than the length of a football field. just think about that for a second. [ applause ] >> reporter: paul allen, billionaire cofounder of microsoft, has a plan to build the world's biggest airplane and use it to launch rockets into earth's orbit. the twin fuselage craft will be powered by six boeing 747 engines and have a wingspan of 385 feet, nearly double that of a 747. it will carry a rocket to 30,000 feet and then blast off, an easier way to get into space than climbing through the thick atmosphere close to the earth's surface. it may sound fanciful, but allen has the help of legendary aircraft designer burt rouxtan. >> i would love to be searching for other break throughs so we could have tens of thousands able to experience that view. [ cheers & applause ] >> reporter: in 2004, rouxtan and allen together build space ship 1, a similar, but much smaller system that became the first privately funded space craft to fly outside

john blackstone, cbs news, san francisco. >> pelley: some imports from china and elsewhere were disrupted by protesters from the occupy movement. hundreds of demonstrators blocked traffic in and out of busy ports all along the west coast and at the port of houston the police used horses to help corral dozens of protesters. giving america's military veterans the last full measure of devotion. that story is next.tein! really? 25 grams of protein. what do we have? all four of us, together? 24. he's low fat, too, and has 5 grams of sugars. i'll believe it when i--- [ both ] oooooh... what's shakin'? [ female announcer ] as you get older, protein is an important part of staying active and strong. new ensure high protein... fifty percent of your daily value of protein. low fat and five grams of sugars. see? he's a good egg. [ major nutrition ] new ensure high protein. ensure! nutrition in charge! [ major nutrition ] new ensure high protein. this was the gulf's best tourism season in years. all because so many people came to louisiana... they came to see us in florida... make that alabama... mak

john blackstone has more. >> the wing span of this plane is greater than the length of a football fieldjust think about that for a second. >> reporter: paul allen, the billionaire cofounder of microsoft, has a plan to build the world's biggest airplane and use it to launch rockets into earth orbit. the twin fuselage craft will be powered by six boeing 747 engines and have a wing span of 385 feet, nearly double that of a 747. it will carry a rocket to 30,000 feet and then blast off, an easier way to get into space than climbing through the thick atmosphere close to the earth's surface. it may sfound fanciful, but allen has the assistance of bert retan. >> i would be love to be out there searching for other breakthroughs so we could have hundreds or thousands or tens of thousands people able to experience that view. >> reporter: in 2004, retan and allen together built spaceship one, a similar, but much smaller system, that became the first privately funded spacecraft to fly outside the atmosphere twice in two weeks. >> we have a long road to -- >> reporter: allen won't say how much he int

john blackstone, cbs news, seattle. >> pelley: from jules verne to julejewels for sale.aylor's collection up for auction next. and if you don't get gas, maybe you don't need these. take beano before and there'll be no gas. ♪aybe you don't need these. like so many great pioneers before me, guided only by a dream. i'm embarking on a journey of epic proportion. i will travel, from sea to shining sea, through amber waves of grain, and i won't stop until i've helped every driver in america save hundreds on car insurance. well i'm out of the parking lot. that's a good start. geico, fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent, or more on car insurance. sears real big gift sale is on now. save 50-60% off clothing for everyone on your list. and incredibly low prices on fleece activewear, only $9.99. plus, get coupons at searsstyle.com for over $100 in extra savings on top of already low sale prices. sears. sometimes life can be, well, a little uncomfortable, but when it's hard or hurts to go to the bathroom, there's dulcolax stool softener. dulcolax stool softener doesn't make

. >>> elsewhere, reports say private equity firms blackstone and baincapital have teamed up to bid for yahoo. >>> the salvation army's red kettle has gone high tech. a holiday donation tradition since 1891, now you can host your own red kettle online raising donations from family and friends. making it a little easier for you. >>> coming up, the red wings light the red light. a scary moment in cheerleading. and a top ten college basketball battle. plus, you can argue about whether frisbee is a sport but no arguing this is a major league grab. your early morning sports headlines are straight ahead. >>> that is pretty incredible. hey, it's the almost end of the week. we'll get you set tore the weekend. you're watching "early today." stain gone. 3q in the first wash. stain, stain's gone. in the first. first wash. with resolve laundry stain remover you get four times more power. so it's guaranteed to remove tough stains in the first wash. trust resolve. forget stains. >>> good morning. if you're just waking up, this is "early today." in sports, toppled last week from their top national ran

. >> but as john blackstone shows us, when asked who is to be at fault, conservetists point fingers overseas to china. >> reporter: measurements taken at the u.s. embassy there shows dangerously high levels of air pollutions. so bad traffic has been disrupted and flights have been delayed or canceled. >> it's no longer just this problem, it is our problem. >> reporter: she studied atmospheric chemistry. we met her at a conference in san francisco when she was presenting research that the air in china could affect the weather in atmosphere. >> the atmosphere has no walls. so you know on this side of the world, it could make it to the other side of the world in about five days. >> reporter: the chinese pollution is carried by the jet stream across the pacific. if many the atmosphere over this country -- in the atmosphere over this country, it could stop the clouds from producing more rain and snow. >> we have more pollution and less precipitation. >> yes, in general if you put too much pollution in the crowds, you could not grow rain. >> reporter: the particles from china collect particles whe

john blackstone has our report. >> reporter: the incident that prompted a federal investigation was capturedpatrol car video in august last year. john williams was carrying a piece of wood and a knife. the officer shouted for him to drop it. >> hey! hey put the knife down! put the knife down! >> reporter: five shots were fired. williams was killed. he carried a knife because he was a native american wood carver-- like his brother rick. >> some people are blinded, i guess, by the bad. this is my 50th year carving. it would have been john's 50th year carving. >> reporter: although the williams shooting was found to be unjustified, the officer was not charged. eventually he did resign. it's one of the incidents u.s. attorney jenny durkan said was reviewed in their investigation. they found police in seattle were often too quick to use force. >> we found in our... the cases we reviewed that when officers used force it was done in an unconstitutional and excessive manner nearly 20% of the time. >> reporter: between 2009 and 2011 there were several other beating incidents captured on surveillance

elsewhere, reports say private equity firms blackstone and bain capital have teamed up with a china companyor yahoo. >>> and finally, the salvation army's red kettle has gone high tech. a holiday donation tradition since 1891, now you can host your own red kettle online raising donations from family and friends. >>> well, the homecoming for thousands of military vets returning home from iraq and afghanistan has turned out to be bittersweet. instead of fanfare, some are coming home to foreclosure signs on their lawns. how this growing crisis is affecting so many american men and women. >> this is outrageous. the idea that you're serving in fluj, while your house is being foreclosed at home is outrageous. it's disgusting. it could be as many as 5,000 people. what's important to note, is you can't take their house when they get home. the original provision was for 90 days, and we fought hard in 2008 to make it nine months. you've got another nine months after you come home where you're supposed to be protected as well. if the banks do this, they broke the law. and they really put these folks i

soft-bank in japan would buy yahoo japan, and private equity firms blackstone and bain would pick up the u.s. operations. other private equity firms have offered to buy yahoo or take a minority stake. yahoo continued climbing today, adding another 3% on twice its usual volume. a move to $17 would take it to its highest price since may. the reported offers range from $16.60 to $20 per share. troubled cellular network company clearwire got some good news today. partner sprint agreed to pay more than $1.5 billion over the next four years for using its wireless data network. sprint is clearwire's biggest customer and largest shareholder. clearwire shares jumped 14% after saying it will be able to make a $237 million loan payment today. despite strong chain store sales for retailers, barnes and noble stock fell 16% after reporting a quarterly loss. yoga clothing retailer lululemon dropped 5% after disappointing quarterly sales. and sears lost almost 5%%. it will offer steep discounts tomorrow and saturday hoping to lure in shoppers. in the commodity market, precious metal palladium shot u

reportedly, private equity firm the blackstone group and bain capital are discussing whether to team up to buy yahoo! formore than $25 billion. yahoo! shares surged more than 6% in after hours trading. watch that one today for sure, andrea. >> looking at how the banks came to the rescue of other banks in europe. reminded of you what the surplus was supposed to do with the banks here to help homeowners. but they never did that. >> you're absolutely right. they help each other do. >> they do. they're all good friends. >> ok, we get it. economics 101. >>> a beloved college football tradition comes to the nation's capitol for the first time in its 112 year history. >> could you be feeding your children deadly toxins? we'll tell you disturbing findings. >> those stories and more plus your weather first in less than two minutes. we'll be back. >>> good morning. welcome back to 9news now. howard is here and he does have a cold forecast. i can see the 180s today and the heavy gloves and the heavy coats. >> it is chilly. it is not bitterly cold. it is not frigid. the tree lighting is tonight

it is affecting our weather, as john blackstone reports. >> reporter: chinese officials insist the murkybeijing this month is just fog, but measurements taken at the u.s. embassy there show dangerously high levels of air pollution. so bad traffic has been disrupted and flights have been delayed or canceled. >> it's no longer just their problem, it's our problem. >> reporter: kim studies atmospheric pressure. we met her at a conference where she was presenting what is in the air affects us here. >> pollution on this side of the world can make it to that side of the world in about five days. >> reporter: in the atmosphere over this country, it can stop the clouds from producing rain and snow. we have more pollution, you have less precipitation. >> in general, yes. if you put too much pollution in a cloud, you can actually not grow rain. >> reporter: the particles of air pollution from china collect moisture in the clouds. but the particles are so small and numerous, they don't get heavy enough to fall as rain or snow. but while flying over california collecting atmospheric samples, prader

asked if he were willing to pay more taxes and a nov thirtieth interview with bloomberg television blackstone group c.e.o. stephen schwarzman spoke about lower income u.s. families who pay no income tax he said you have to have skin in the game i'm not saying how much people should do but we should all be part of the system schwartzman himself only pays fifteen percent capital gains tax on his wealth shortens a peg you know followed his career for twenty years just as a guy does a lot of deals using borrowed money that has no risk in the game he says all these people need to have skin in the game himself schwartzman has zero skin in the game because it's all borrowed money at rates near zero whenever he makes a mistake he gets bailed out you need to get a real job somewhere cement and stop a little in your mouth in public because you're a disgrace you have but max the us is an empire an empire based on the military and wars all around the world at the moment and who has more skin in the game than the very poor namea one of schwartzmann children that have served in the us military need me one

john blackstone is in coupeville, washington, just north of seattle.reporter: good morning. later this morning in this small town courthouse the barefoot bandit is expected to plead guilty to a strong string of break-ins and burglaries. his two-year run started on this island in the pacific northwest and ended on another island thousands miles away. harris-moore was captured in the ba bahamas in 2010 after crashing an airplane. he was known on the internet as a teenage thief police couldn't catch. a facebook page dedicated to him had 90,000 followers but on an island where he group, his fame is undeserved. >> he's a crook. he cheated people. he robbed from people and then to give him some kind of fame, some kind of notoriety like he's a hero? totally wrong. >> reporter: some of his break-ins were captured on security cameras but by the time police got there, he disappeared into the woods. local newspaper reporter jackson holtz has been following harris-moore since his first brush with the law at 15 now holtz has written a book and now suggested the bar

alibaba's bid happening in conjunction with blackstone and bing capitol. he wants to buy baca hoo's stake in the company. elsewhere, spotify banking on apps to attract new users. this have video. it's hoping features will bring in users. and spotify's ceo says there would be no money made from apps. he's trying to change things up as he competes with other services. back to you guy autos leaves are sure falling today with this wind out interest -- there. >> it's unbelievable. you can see trees are just swaying in winds. wind is starting to pick up here. and we haven't seen gustiest part of the wind storm here. there is a live picture here, you can see trees there in the for ground. camera is bouncing around. winds gusting into 40 miles per hour range and there is what it looked like this afternoon. remember dense fog this morn something really dense and there is wind blowing the fog out of the central valley. we're seeing atmosphere getting mixed up by dry wind flow that. is helping to scour things out. and there is temperatures rise as a result. take a lo

john blackstone, cbs news, oakland. >>> here is betty nguyen at the news desk with a check of today's us. 34 minutes past the hour. good morning again. >> good morning. >>> investigators still have no clue why a gunman shot and killed a police officer on the campus of virginia tech university. and then took his own life. a vigil for the slain officer was held last night near the memorial for those killed in the massacre at the school four years ago. officer deriek crouse was 39, an army veteran with a wife and five children. >>> at least 73 people died today when a fire broke out at a hospital in eastern india. officials say hospital staffers actually ran away. police have charged six hospital officials with homicide. many of the victims died from smoke inhalation. >>> and a new list shows a bit of a grinch in the postal service plan to close some small town post offices. it includes popular holiday postmarks like bethlehem, indiana, chestnut and snow. but not to fret. we still >>> up next here, religion and sports. >> do they mix? a lot of people talking about it this year. the argum

this is me standing up for what i believe in. >> reporter: john blackstone, cbs news, oakland. >> i guessater today then. >>> just ahead, famous people flocking to south beach for an art show. >> not just any art show. we'll hear why art bezel miami is all the rage this weekend. you're watching "the early show" on cbs. captain, we have to keep going! [ growling ] one step at a time. come on, snowy. look! did you ever see a more beautiful sight? captain! it's just a mirage. - snowy? what is it, boy? - [ barks ] what do you see? [ yipping ] [ woman announcing ] just like snowy, your dog's one of a kind. overactive imagination and all. [ barking ] long live your buddy. long live your dog. [ tintin ] snowy! purina dog chow. see the adventures of tintin, only in theaters. they're for keeping us together. ♪ [ boy ] to dad, love sam. [ mom ] say "merry christmas." [ boy ] merry christmas. [ female announcer ] hallmark recordable storybooks. [ boy ] charlie brown spotted a small, scraggly pine tree. ♪ but for some of us with overactive bladder, our pipes just don't work as well as they should. so

john blackstone, cbs news. >>> betty nguyen has another check of your headlines. 34 minutes past theg again. >> good morning, erica and jeff. good morning to you. investigators still have no clue why a gunman shot and killed a police officer on the campus of virginia tech university and then took his own life. a vigil for the slain officer was held last night near the member cal for those killed in the massacre at the school four years ago. officer deriek crouse was 39. an army veteran with a wife and five children. >>> at least 73 people died today when a fire broke out at a hospital in eastern india. officials say hospital staffers actually ran away. police have charged six hospital officials with homicide. many of the victims died from smoke inhalation. >>> and a new list s >>> up next, religion and sports. >> do they mix? a lot of people talking about it this year. the argument over quarterback -- actually more of a discussion, more of that than an argument. we'll talk more. you're watching "the early show" on cbs. >>> he's on a big winning streak. [ female announcer ] ornaments