holly williams with syrian rebels. and we'll have the reunion of a father and son after the massacre. manuel bojorquez is on the california fire. we'll have the story of the boy who was buried alive. dean reynolds on the rescue. >> thanking god for saving our family. >> i have a dream. >> pelley: and james brown discovers that the most famous words of the civil rights movement were never written from dr. king's speech. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> pelley: good evening. you just heard the secretary of defense say it, u.s. military forces are ready to go if and when the president gives the green light for a strike against syria. this would be punishment for that chemical weapons attack last week that left more than 300 syrian civilians dead, many of them women and children. vice president biden today became the highest ranking administration official to declare that the assad regime was behind that attack. the syrian government denies it. u.n. inspectors have not finish

much larger in scale, scott, and we don't know when they'll release their finding f. >> pelley: holly williams reporting from neighboring turkey. holly, thank you very much. president obama called his national security team together over the week end to talk about the next move. major garrett is at the white house, as always, for us tonight. major, what can you tell us about that meeting? >meeting. >> reporter: scott, the director of national intelligence, james clapper, led off that three-hour white house meeting with a detailed analysis about the evidence of the chemical weapons attack, the disposition of victims and what the administration now believes is an airtight circumstantial case that the syrian regime was behind it. president obama then ordered up a declassified report be prepared for public release before any military strike commences. that report, scott, top advisors tell us is due to be released in a day or two. >> pelley: major, is there much debate in the administration anymore about whether to launch a strike? >> there was not at that saturday meeting, scott, and there is not

holly williams has the latest. and school's out, but this bus has been bringing meals to hungry children all summer. don dahler takes us on a lunch break. >> they help you be healthy. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news." >> axelrod: good evening. i'm jim axelrod. we begin tonight in california where firefighters are battling a massive wildfire in and around yosemite national park. it's threatening the power and water supply some 150 miles to the west in san francisco. governor jerry brown has declared a state of emergency as 2600 firefighters battled the nearly 200 square mile fire. right now, just 5% of the fire is under control. as teresa garcia reports, the flames are moving toward a reservoir that supplies most of san francisco's water and has already shut down two of the city's hydroelect power plants. >> reporter: the fastest growing wildfire in the nation is now raging i raging in partsf yosemite national park. at nearly 200 square miles, the massive fire is swallowing everything in it

holly williams, cbs news, london. >>> the u.s. is considering what to do about syria. u.s. warships are deployed off syria's coast and some allies are pushing for swift military action. jeff has that part of the story. >> reporter: a senior administration official now acknowledges that there is very little doubt that a chemical weapon was used by the syrian regime against civilians. signaling that bashar alaba asss government played a part. they are using cruise missiles in place and potential command bunkers in place. president obama told cnn that the u.s. has to be mindful of the action. >> getting in stuff that doesn't turn out well can get us mired in difficult situation. can result in us being drawn into very expensive, difficult, costly, and breeds more resentment in the region. >> reporter: no one knows that better than colin powell. he believes the u.s. should not get involved in a civil war. >> have no affection for mr. asaad. i know him. he is a pathological liar with respect to my interaction with him but i'm less sure of the resistance. >> reporter: but doing no

holly williams, cbs news, istanbul. >>> the massive wildfire near yosemite national park continues to get bigger. but firefighters report progress in containing it, and the danger to san francisco's water and power supplies is lessening. teresa garcia is near yosemite national park. teresa, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, anne-marie. now, we're in the mountain community of tuolumne city. it has been under evacuation for many days now, causing firefighters to set up a major base camp here. but while there has been some success building these containment lines, the fire is still running overnight fast. and overnight crews have been battling three spot fires. the concern was evident last night as hundreds of people packed a sonora, california, church to get the latest news from fire officials. >> these are pretty tough people that live up here. pretty independent people. and they're going to want to protect their homes and property, above everything else. >> reporter: they got good news, firefighters have established containment lines along the southeast edge of the blaze. the a

holly williams in london and jeff pegues in washington have the latest. >> california's rim wildfire rages out of control threatening more homes and some of yosemite national park's precious sequoia trees. bigad shabbate is on the scene. >> a tragic battle ends for a florida boy with rare brain eating amoeba. >> and captain america, jeff glor interviews an american soccer superstar who has left the european stage to come play at home. >> looking forward to getting back to doing a little bit mor syria today agreed to a cease-fire to allow the inspectors to work. 355 people died on the outskirts of damascus wednesday from what appears to be a chemicalave two reports, first to holly williams in london. >> reporter: the breakthrough came 24 hours after the u.n.'s high representative for disarmament affairs angela kane arrived in damascus. syrian state tv announced that the government, which denies using chemical weapons, will allow u.n. weapons inspectors to start their investigation tomorrow. there's mounting evidence that there was a chemical strike against civilians. scores of interne

holly williams talked to her sources there today and we warn you, the pictures in her report are difficult to watch. >> reporter: two days after the attack, more disturbing video has emerged of the aftermath. they are horrific scenes that show the dead and the dying. many of them children. this young boy describes struggling to breathe and then losing consciousness. when he woke up in hospital, he said, he could no longer see. it's impossible to verify how many people died, but in this crowded makeshift morgue, so many of the bodies were unidentified they were numbered. doctor ghazwan bwidany is caring for survivors of the attack at a clinic damascus. today we spoke with him over the internet. he told us his mobile medical unit treated 900 people, 70 of whom died. >> reporter: dr. bwidany told us some of the survivors have neurological problems such as memory loss and confusion that he believes could only be caused by a nerve agent. if this wasn't a chemical attack what could it have been? >> reporter: we talked with a spokesman for the syrian opposition today who told us he is angry and f

holly williams has the latest. private bradley manning is sentenced for the biggest leak of classified information. david martin on how much time he'll spend behind bars. mark strassmann has new information about the gunman in the georgia school shooting. >> schieffer: if you really love, pandas you want to hear what this conservationist told seth doane. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> schieffer: good evening. scott is off tonight. i'm bob schieffer. hundreds-- by some estimates, more than a thousand-- are dead tonight in syria, and syrian rebels say they are victims of a poison gas attack that the syrian government launched on the suburbs of damascus. the government strongly denies it, but the pictures coming out of syria tonight tell a horror story even worse than what we've seen before from there-- victims young and old, dead, but with no marks on their bodies. the u.n. security council held an emergency meeting this afternoon, white house officials expressed conc

david martin and holly williams on the countdown to an attack on syria. scientists discover a brain protein that improves memory. dr. jon lapook has the study. a cbs news poll out tonight reveals how much america is changing on race. and memories of the march from the foot soldiers who were there. icons of civil rights on what is left to be done. >> the future is in your hands, in your heart, in your mind. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley reporting tonight from washington. ing tonight from wash >> pelley: good evening. today the president commemorated one momentous event-- the march on washington-- as he contemplated another: a possible military strike on syria. we're going to start tonight with the 50th anniversary of the march and dr. martin luther king's i have a dream speech. president obama stood as dr. king did at the lincoln memorial and addressed a crowd of thousands gathered on the national mall. he paid tribute to those who had marched a half century earlier demanding jobs and freedom. >> on the battle

anthony, gayle. >> holly williams on the syrian border, thank you, holly. >>> one possible model for an american attack on syria happened in 1998 when the u.s. launched cruise missiles at targets in afghanistan and sudan. that was in retaliation for the bombings of two american embassies in africa. retired general anthony zinni was central command at that time. good morning. >> good morning. >> you heard the general saying he didn't want to get drawn into a long conflict in syria. can we launch a surgical military strike without getting caught in an open-ended war? >> well i think the problem is the red line. bashar assad, much like saddam hussein, will continue to violate any red lines or do unacceptable acts. we'll find ourselves doing much like we did in the '90s with iraq. we will repeatedly conduct these kinds of actions against these kinds of acts and find ourselves in sort of a slow rolling campaign and unsure where it might lead. unless we have a strategy in place to understand how this is going to play. it just can't be a one and done. you can't assume there isn't anything t

holly williams is on the turkey/syria border. holly, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, anthony and gayle. we've just been hearing from the united states envoy to syria, who said that evidence suggests a chemical substance did kill hundreds last week, but he warned that any military response should be approved by the u.n. security council. inside syria, u.n. weapons inspectors began their work began today, two days after their team came under sniper fire. the inspectors convoy headed off to the scene of last week's alleged chemical attack, after security concerns forced them to postpone their investigation yesterday. they're operating in a city that's become a war zone. the suburbs of damascus were pounded again yesterday, as they have been relentlessly in syria's deadly civil war. if the u.s. does launch strikes against the regime, many syrians will welcome in. brigadier general mohammed abud is the leader of the country's armed opposition, the free syria army. he told us he commands 10,000 fighters and believes u.s. strik

plus holly williams reports from the border on how people inside syria may be helping the u.s.pare for an attack. also, scott pelley joins us with memories from people who 50 years ago today watched martin luther king, jr. deliver his "i have a dream" speech. and jazz great and cbs news cultural correspondent that would be the one and only winton marsalis shares his own dreams for a more equal future. the news is back in the morning. we'll see you at 7 straight up. back to you guys. >> thank you, gayle. have a great show. "cbs this morning" starts at 7:00. >>> time now 6:51. the sister of suspected kidnapper james dimaggio is backing down. why she is no longer requesting hannah anderson's dna. >> and it is the final morning commute on the old span of the bay bridge. coming up, we'll tell you what crews are going to be doing during the five-day closure. ,,,, female narrator: through labor day female narrator: through labor day at sleep train, get 36 months interest-free financing plus big savings of up to $400 on beautyrest and posturepedic. even get three years interest-free fi

holly williams in london and jeff pegues in washington have the latest. >> california's rim wildfirees out of control threatening more homes and some of yosemite national park's precious sequoia trees. bigad shabbate is on the scene. >> a tragic battle ends for a florida boy with rare brain eating amoeba. >> and captain america, jeff glor interviews an american soccer superstar who has left the european stage to come play at home. >> looking forward to getting back to doing a little bit mor

holly williams is in london. good morning. >> good morning.nt soldiers discovered chemical sufficienting from neurological problems like confusion and memory loss. he believes it could be caused only by a nerve agent. none of that can be verified unless weapons inspectors inside syria carry out tests on soil and tissue. so far the syrian government won't let testimony do that. it continues to deny it's used chemical weapons during the >> holly williams thank you. >>> san francisco is under a state of emergency as that massive wildfire near yosemite national park, 150 miles away grows bigger and more dangerous by the minute. the fire is threatening san francisco's power supply, forcing the city to shut down two of three hydroelectric plants it on oh rates in the area. about 200 square miles burned. 5500 homes are in daknger. some feel helpless. >> we are up all night, every night wondering if it will cross the line and come towards us. >> it's scary to see your house go up. >> the fire began a week ago. only 5% is contained. >> thousands of peo

holli williams reports hundreds, maybe even a thousand people are dead tonight. the video is hard to watch. >> the videos show nightmarish scenes of lifeless bodies, many of thechl small children. others appear to be dying. they're shown writhing in agony in the grip of seizures. the syrian opposition claims this is the after math of a chemical attack on the residential neighborhood on the outskirts of damascus. it's not the first time we've heard reports of chemical weapons being used in syrian, but if this one is real, it's on a much-larger scale. the videos are impossible for us to verify, but chemical weapons expert and cbs consultant told us the symptoms look like those caused by nerve gas. >> the quivering bodies, pinpoint pupils, and the mass casualties, these people have died from some unconventional weapon, and at the moment, the most likely explanation would be some sort of chemical weapon. >> today, the syrian regime denied allegations that it's behind the attack and refuted any charges that it used chemical weapons throughout syria's war. >> just in t

holly williams with the latest from the war zone.n is on the fire line in california as yosemite burns. donald trump tells don dahler he did not defraud his business students. seth doane takes us into the forbidden zone around a leaking nuclear plant. and ty carter receives the medal of honor after the most desperate battle of the afghan war. >> i thought to myself that if i were ever going to run so hard to where my lungs lit on fire and my chest explode exploded fy heart going out this would be that day.

david martin and holly williams on the countdown to an attack on syria.sts discover a brain protein that improves memory. dr. jon lapook has the study. a cbs news poll out tonight reveals how much america is changing on race. and memories of the march from the foot soldiers who were there. icons of civil rights on what is left to be done. >> the future is in your hands, in your heart, in your mind. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley reporting

holly williams has the latest. manning is sentenced for the biggest leak of classified information. david martin on how much time he'll spend behind bars. mark strassmann has new information about the gunman in the georgia school shooting. >> schieffer: if you really love, pandas you want to hear what this conservationist told seth doane. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> schieffer: good evening. scott is off tonight. i'm bob schieffer.

holly williams with syrian rebels. and we'll have the reunion of a father and son after the massacre. manuel bojorquez is on the california fire. we'll have the story of the boy who was buried alive. dean reynolds on the rescue. >> thanking god for saving our family. >> i have a dream. >> pelley: and james brown discovers that the most famous words of the civil rights movement were never written from dr. king's speech.

holly williams on the turkey-syria border. good morning. >> good morning, anthony and gayle. >> reporter: good morning, anthony and gayle, as the u.s. weighs military action in syria, united as the u.s. wages action trying to find out conclusively whether chemical weapons were used in last week's attack. the inspectors began their investigation yesterday interviewing survivors and witnesses and taking samples of blood and soil. we don't know how long their work will take and when they will deliver results. if they do find chemicals were used, it's still not their job to say who used them. just this morning we've been hearing from syrian foreign minister who refuted that his government has been hindering the work of the inspectors. the syrian government has always denied using chemical weapons and blames the syrian opposition for last week's attack. graphic internet videos of the aftermath has shocked people around the world and now several countries including britain, france and turkey have joined the u.s. in blaming the syria

plus, our holly williams is near the syrian border as the situation escalates.nd store brands foods may be cheaper than name brands, but how do they stack up in quality and flavor? only on "cbs this morning," we'll reveal the results of a new consumer reports taste test and those results are really interesting. the news is back in the morning. we will see you all at 7:00. >> okay, anthony. "cbs this morning" starts at 7:00. have a great show. >>> 6:51 right now. school may be back in session, but it's having trouble getting under way in some parts of the country. why kids in the midwest are being sent home early. >> there may be fewer people on a work commute over the labor day weekend. but what about all the people trying to get around? i'll tell you what to do when the bay bridge closes. ,,,,,,,,,, at farmers we make you smarter about insurance, because what you dont know can hurt you. what if you didn't know that it's smart to replace washing-machine hoses every five years? what if you didn't know that you might need extra coverage for more expensive items? a

holly williams is in london. holly, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. united nations says their team of weapons inspectors were deliberately fired at in syria this morning. shortly before they arrived at the scene of the alleged chemical attack. nobody was injured. and the inspectors are going on with their work which began today after the syrian government vowbowed to international pressure. in a rare interview today with russian journalists, the syrian president, bashar al assad, denied once again that his government has used chemical weapons. but five days after an alleged chemical strike on civilians united nations weapons inspectors today began their investigation. a u.n. spokesman says they came under fire shortly after leaving their hotels but are now safe and will continue their work. there's mounting evidence that hundreds of people were killed in a poisonous gas attack. we can't verify them but scores of video posted on the internet show people having convulsions and with contracted pinpoint pupils. those are all symptoms consistent with the u

holly williams is with us this morning.hey making this clear? >> it's linked with liver failure and overdose. now, this is not a new discovery. we've known that this has been a possible risk forever and in fact this warning is already on the bottle but in those teeny tiny letters, take a magnifying glass to see it. this warning will be big and bold and catch your attention. >> how many pills do i have to take before it causes a problem? >> general tylenol is safe 3,000 milligrams six a day spread. not at once once. we run into an overdose in one of three scenarios, first when you mix tylenol with alcohol. that's the biggest issue. your alcohol is cleared through the liver and also your tylenol. also mixing tylenol containing products. tylenol and sue fed and perk saenltd vicodin, you can get much more than intended. also half of all the tylenol overdose deaths are intentional where people have taken too many pills in an effort to harm themselves. >> how common is liver damage from tylenol? >> in all fairness really rare. we

holly williams in london. good morning. >> reporter: these internet videos show horrific desperate scenes. most of them too graphic for us to show on tv. we see people struggling to breathe. writing in pain. and seeming to go into seizure. we also see dozens of bodies lined up in rows. many of them very small children. syrian opposition groups say it was a chemical attack carried out by the syrian regime delivered by a barrage of rockets that hit rebel-held areas around damascus. we need to be clear these videos are impossible to verify at this stage. a former british military officer who is an expert on chemical weapons told cbs there are indications that this was a chemical attack. he said the number of bodies their frozen appearance and their lack of any obvious external injuries all suggest a chemical weapon was used. if this was a chemical attack its timing is entrepreneur it'ssurprising. a team of united nations weapons inspectors arrived in damascus just three days ago. if those inspectors could get to

lois lerner, holly paz and william will dense. here they are.mously clammed up taking the fifth. paz i believe was placed on administrative lead. will dense is chief counsel. he is a big donor to democrats and apparently he started insinuating himself of getting in the targeting in an election year. does that raise pretty big red flags? >> certainly his office did. it was a big to do when carter hull who is a long time attorney who recently retired from the irs that tried to vet these tea party applications. he was told by lois lerner they would have to submit the applications to the office of the chief counsel for review. the office is headed by will dense who is one of two critical appointees from the obama administration. he is a big democratic donor. we don't know if will dense himself was involved but -- wilkens himself was involved. the president calls it a phony scandal. what we know already is scandalous. the fact that tea party groups were targeted to begin with. the point is we don't know yet how far this goes up. that is the point of

well-wishers gave her flowers, william some baby wipes. little holly gave kate a homemade card for george. >> she said george likes cards. >> reporter: kate help her husband ring in a three-day marathon in wales. will and kate are expected to return here to their london home soon and people around kensington palace can't wait towards the the couple and the prince. >> it's going to be great for the area because people are going to be, you know, so excited about the fact that they might catch a glimpse of him. >> reporter: prince william completed his three-year tour of duty with the royal air force in wales this month. royal fans say they will miss seeing him and kate. alfonso van marsh, cbs news, london. >> they both look great. prince george turned six weeks on monday and reportedly was with kate's mother carol middleton. >>> we continue to try to get you around the bay bridge closure. southbound 880 stop and go from oakland down into hayward. we'll show you your worst traffic trouble spots after the break. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, >>> good afternoon. a lot