elizabeth palmer in damascus tonight, and holly williams in istanbul, thank you, both. here at home, republican senators john mccain and lindsey graham criticized the deal saying it would just give president assad more time to "delay and deceive." democrat carl levin defended the deal, saying it did not limit u.s. aid to the opposition or block unilateral u.s. action. in colorado today, the death toll from floodwaters rose today as the state braced for more rain. least five people are now presumed dead. canyon communities north of denver have been affect the the most, and tonight, rescuers are still helping those stranded. rick sallinger was there. >> reporter: it was supposed to be a learning experience about the outdoors but these school children received an unforgettable lesson. they were reunited with their parents after being flown out of mountains on a chinook helicopter having survived an historic flight. >> the kids were amazing, pulled together, supported each other. they were helping cleaning up, setting up tables-- you name it, they did it. >> reporter: with

margaret brennan is with the secretary of state, elizabeth palmer speaks to the suffering families of damascus. and "on the road." >> i sure could use your kidney. >> pelley: steve hartman tells us whether larry swilling's crazy idea was enough to find a kidney for his wife. >> she looks after me and i look after her. looks after me and i captioning sponsored by cbs ca nsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> pelley: good evening. the rain keeps coming and the flood keeps rising. colorado is inundated by the worst flooding in generations and we have just learned that at least four people have been killed and several towns are surrounded by water. this is what's left of highway 7 outside lyons, a raging river tore the road apart. colorado's governor john hickenlooper warned people to stay away from the water. he said the dirt and sand have turned it into what he calls liquid cement. in boulder, will pitner was rescued by emergency workers and a neighbor after his home filled with water. barry petersen tells us there are scenes like that all over. >> reporter:

and we'll get the latest from syria's capital of damascus with elizabeth palmer. it's all ahead on "face the nation." 7 captioning sponsored by cbs >> substituting for bob schieffer, white house correspondent major garrett. >> major: good morning, and welcome to "face the nation." secretary of state john kerry joins us from the state department. mr. secretary, good morning. >> good morning, major. >> major: mr. secretaryish know you believe the president's decision to seek congressional authorization is courageous, but isn't it bowing to a political arrangement that was communicated to the president late this tweak that there would be significant congressional backlash in he didn't give congress a exproal that back lash, in part, reflectedly the inability of the administration to make its case this past week? >> major, i disagree with that premise on all accounts. the fact is the president clearly had sufficient case presented to the american people that assad had engaged in an outrageous crime against humanity. and that it was vital to take steps. i think the pre

elizabeth palmer is in damascus as it braces for an air strike. clarissa ward slipped into rebel territory to meet the fighters the u.s. supports. nancy cordes is on capitol hill amid a furious debate. we learned today that millions of teens are smoking electronic cigarettes. dr. jon lapook with the government's new warning. halfway through hurricane season, why are there no hurricanes? jim axelrod will look at a controversial plan to fortify american beaches. and a police officer gunned down in the line of duty gives the gift of life to another. jeff pegues at the meeting of two families sharing one heart. >> you know, maybe inside somebody else's body, but that was the heart that fell in love with me. captioning sponsored by cbs ca this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> pelley: good evening. just as president obama is trying to win congressional support for a strike against the syrian dictatorshi is a new complication. a video has surfaced, and we caution you it is graphic, and you will not want young children to watch it. the vide

>> glor: liz palmer, thank you. in south africa tonight former president nelson mandela is back home after nearly three months in a hospital. he remains in critical condition. deborah pattah joins us from johannesburg with more. deborah? >> reporter: it was a swift and fairly seamless operation transporting nelson man-- mandela back to his home in johannesburg. his family have long wanted him to return tome but his medical team believed it was too risky to do so. it finally happened this morning. mandela made the journey safely and his home has now been reconfigured to provide the same 24 hour intensive care he was receiving in his pretoria hospital. his condition though has not changed he remains critically ill and cbs news sources say that over the past three weeks at least 24 oxygen tanks were brought here to his house and home. mandela cannot breathe on his own. he has long expressed a wish to die at home and the same sources tell us that while doctors have done their best it is now time for him to come home whe

elizabeth palmer in damascus, major garrett at the white house. we'll have interviews with syrian president asaturday with president obama and with lawmakers facing hostile reaction back home. >> i wake up in the middle of the night worrying about this. >> pelley: today in colorado voters decide whether to fire politicians who voted for gun control. barry petersen is there. and is this what the world was waiting for? carter evans on today's gamble designed to return the polish to apple. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley reporting tonight from washington. evening. >> pelley: good evening. is the syrian crisis moving toward military action or a diplomatic solution? president obama speaks to the nation shortly about his plan to make the syrian dictatorship pay a price for what he says was a chemical weapons attack last month that killed more than 1,400 syrian civilians. but he also asked congress today to delay for up to two weeks a vote authorizing a military strike to give diplomacy time to work. syria's f

in damascus, the government tells our liz palmer it will hand over its chemical weapons. but david martin reports it's not as easy as it seems. >> syria is considered by most experts as a chemical weapons superpower. >> pelley: the voters decide the fate of two colorado politicians who voted for gun control. barry petersen looks at what this may mean for gun policy across the nation. whooping cough hits more than a dozen states, with one state on track for its worst outbreak in 50 years. anna werner looks at why. and don dahler on this anniversary of 9/11 with a fireman who responded to the call and is still coming to the rescue 12 years on. >> i can't think of a better way to honor my son. captioning sponsored by cbs ning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> pelley: good evening. now the work begins. the idea of a peaceful solution ut the syria crisis is seductive, but it could be deceptive as well. the five permanent members of the u.n. security council gathered today to take up the russian plan for syria to give up its chemical weapons.

liz beth palmer is in damascus as it braces for an american airstrike. the prosecutors in the jerry sandusky case speak for the first time. armen keteyian breaks the news. >> do you believe the coach paterno was a part of the conspiracy to conceal? >> pelley: after diana nyad's record breaking swim across the florida strait she sat down. with elaine quijano. >> it was like >> pelley: and on opening day for california's new super bridge, john blackstone with the man who captured the toil, sweat and triumph of american craftsmen. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> pelley: good evening, president obama and house speaker john boehner don't agr on much. so it was a big victory for the president today when the top republican announced that he supports military action against syria. this action would be punishment for what the administration says was a nerve gas attack that left more than 1,400 syrian civilians dead including more than 400 children. this was the speaker today after meeting with the president. >> thi

elizabeth palmer in the syrian capital of damascus. she did it! on her fifth attempt, diana nyad completes an historic swim from cuba to florida. elaine quijano is at the finish line. the designer drug that is killing people and canceling concerts. michelle miller tells us why molly is so dangerous. and scott pelley back to the beginning. >> good evening from our cbs news room in new york on this, the first broadcast of network television's first daily half hour news program. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> glor: good evening, everyone, i'm jeff glor. scott will be here later in the broadcast. the u.s. administration says a the u.s. administration says a chemical attack carried out by the syrian government two weeks ago killed 1,429 civilians including 426 children. congress officially returns from vacation next monday. in the meantime, the president is trying to win over a majority of the house and senate. congressional correspondent nancy cordes is on capitol hill tonight. nancy? >> reporter: jeff

we want to go now to damascus where cbs news correspondent elizabeth palmer has been reporting for almost three weeks now, the only american television reporter there. liz, what has been the reaction there to all these developments? >> reporter: the remarkable thing is that there's been no reaction, bob, no syrian official has commented. the syrian state-controlled news has covered the story as fact, giving all the credit for the diplomatic initiative to the russians but nobody has spoken up beyond that. the russians, of course, don't want anything coming out of here at this stage that would complicate the deal. will be on the opposition side, no comment equally from opposition politicians, although the military command has spoang up, general idriss making it very clear he was very disappointed. he said this has dealt a blow to our hopes ofñj president assad. >> schieffer: i have to say the reaction here, there's a lot of real skepticism about assad, because of his record that he might just try to use this as some sort of a delaying take the, that he might be planning something else behin

elizabeth palmer reports from the battlefield in damascus. and major garrett questions the president. >> reporter: are we on a fast track to military action as soon as congress renders its judgment one way or the other? >> pelley: the new unemployment numbers are not what was expected. mark strassmann will show us where high-paying jobs are on the rise. the america's cup launches tomorrow. carter evans reports it's high- tech and high-risk. and steve hartman "on the road." no adoptive family was willing to take troubled taylor-- until connie going found the perfect home. >> she knows my worst side and she still cares about me and still loves me. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> pelley: good evening, president obama is opening a new front in his battle to get congress to authorize military action against syria. he's taking his case directly to the american people. the president said today he will address the nation from the white house on tuesday. he made that announcement in st. petersburg russi

clive palmer is a billionaire in australia, and they basically attacked palmer and said he's kind of the worst insult for the rich. they say that palmer is not actually a billionaire, which is the ultimate insult. so palmer is threatening to sue as billionaires do. >> he's not a billionaire, he's just really, really, really rich. >> i don't know what to say. as far as the yacht is concerned, i guess it's like anybody going through a divorce. you have memories where he is sbe ta entertained and where wendy is entertained and he probably doesn't need it around anymore. i have no doubt he will find other ways of using his leisure time. >>> here's what you thought in light of the idea, especially in light of an irs gratuity exchange. viewers think our restaurants should raise wages instead of moving on the different aspects of tipping. what do you think? >> well, it's my impression, actually, that the irs already withholds tax on the assumption that people are sipping 18% on the services they're involved with. it's not just about rewarding good service, and we don't reward good service i

now they think what's coming will be a bloodbath, jeff. >> jeff: liz palmer in damascus, thank you. scott pelley interviews president obama on his syria politics tomorrow am you can see that tomorrow night during the broadcast of the men's u.s. open final and later on the "cbs evening news." a crushing heat wave continues in california this weekend. temperatures hit the hundreds again this weekend in the san fernando valley. the yosemite rim fire is now the third worst in california history. officials say it is 80% contained but nearly 400 square miles have burned. in utah heavy rains caused more flooding and mudslides in alpine, the same spot for the third time in three weeks. ibm announced it is losing its medicare eligible retirees off its company health insurance and will give them money to buy insurance on private health care exchanges. late this afternoon we learn time warner will do the same. for more on the story we are joined by cbs news contributor med-- lod hobson. is this a good or bath thing in your estimation. >> over the short term it shouldn't be good or bad but neut

our elizabeth palmer has just returned from interviewing one of the country's top officials.he's in damascus. olympic swimmer diana nyad is close to her dream. will the 64-year-old finish her swim from cuba to florida? and hollywood building on a strong summer at the box office. this fall's coming attractions. first, here's a look at this hour's eye opener. >> a number of members who say they're either on the fence or leaning no. >> the president requested a vote in congress. for now at least any attack is on hold. >> if he does not get the authorization in congress and he goes ahead and acts anyway, he's even more isolated. >> diana nyad is trying to become the first person to swim from cuba to florida without a shark cage. >> you shoot for the stars. you don't give up. you do tap your potential. >> sir david frost, famed british broadcaster, died over the weekend. >> so that is obstruction of justice -- >> no, just a moment, that's your conclusion. >> a controversial new theory says life on earth actually began on mars. >> for that matter, when we look at all these studies.

elizabeth palmer, cbs news, damascus. >> there's been more sectarian violence in iraq this morning. gunmen opened fire on two shiite muslim families, killing 11. nearly 60 were killed in coordinated attacks across the area yesterday. the deadliest attack took place near restaurants and shops near a northern suburb. the u.n. said about 800 iraqis were killed last month. in sectarian violence. >>> and coming up on the "morning news," too close for comfort. a research team is sent running for cover as a volcano erupts before them. this is the "cbs morning news." over as a volcano erupts before them. this is the "cbs morning news." f our game yesterday! asthma doesn't affect my job... you were out sick last week. my asthma doesn't bother my family... you coughed all through our date night! i hardly use my rescue inhaler at all. what did you say? how about - every day? coping with asthma isn't controlling it. test your level of control at asthma.com, then talk to your doctor. there may be more you could do for your asthma. yes. yes. noooo! [ male announcer ] yep, subway broke the 200-cal

jim. >> axelrod: elizabeth palmer reporting for us tonight from syria. thank you. and this programming note-- secretary of state john kerry will speak about the president's syria strategy when he appears on "face the nation" tomorrow morning. now, to a shake-up at the highest levels of the catholic church. the pope's second in command, the vatican secretary of state, retired today after a series of scandals. alphonso van marsh now on the efforts of pope france to reshape the vatican. >> reporter: it is seen as pope francis' most significant reshuffle yet, replacing cardinal bertone. the longtime secretary of state has widely been blamed for failing to stop the financial mismanagement of the anniversary bank. he was also target bide former pope benedict's butler, in documents alleging bertone was crument. the church historian and author michael walsh says pope francis' move to switch out bertone was not a surprise. >> he had to go because there were too many scandals associated with him. i think pope would have changed him anyway, frankly. >> the new secretary of st

elizabeth palmer, cbs news, damascus. >>> in eastern afghanistan, a u.s. military base was attacked this morning. there were multiple explosions at the base near the border with pakistan. the taliban says it is responsible. after the explosions, taliban fighters exchanged gunfire with u.s. troops. an important supply route has been closed, but no casualties have been reported. >>> egyptian prosecutors have ordered that ousted president mohamed morsi stand trial on charges he ordered the killing of political opponents. morsi was removed from office by the military on july 3rd. he'll be tried in a criminal court for allegedly inciting his followers to kill at least ten people outside the presidential palace. no trial date has been set. >>> former south african president nelson mandela spent the night at his johannesburg home after being released from the hospital. he was released yesterday but remains on life support in critical condition. mandela had been hospitalized in pretoria on june 8th for a recurring lung infection. debora patta is in johannesburg wi

elizabeth palmer has more from damascus. >> reporter: the syrian foreign minister who was instrument tall in reaching agreement with the russians went on television here to say syria is going to cease to make chemical weapons, it will not possess them any longer, and it's also going to hand existing stockpiles into ryu sh's hands or the handing of other countries and the u.n. the implication is that they will then move on to destroy them. but any kind of timetable for doing that is very hard to imagine under the circumstances. syria is in a widening civil war and there are great sways of this country that are inaccessible in this country unless they go in with a syrian assault force. how international observers or experts are going to get in and begin to do the job that syria says it wants to do at this point is unimaginable. at the very least, it's a multi-year project. elizabeth palmer, cbs news, damascus. >>> during last night's speech the president acknowledged that the thought of military action is not popular and now as you heard thanks to the russians there may be a diplomatic

elizabeth palmer is the only american network reporter inside syria. she reports. >> reporter: as the fighting here spreads the length and breadth of the country, the syrian military was getting badly overstretched, so the government decided to pour some serious resources into creating the national defense force, which is now 100,000 strong. they may look like soldiers and fight like soldiers, but actually, they're civilians, supplied with guns and bullets by the syrian government. these four men are all proud supporters of president bashar al assad, the main qualification for joining the national defense force. two years ago they were working in this damascus neighborhood called tatamon, but the war shattered their livelihood, so they traded unemployment for a crisp uniform and a job on the front line. so the bullet went in here and came out here. wow. the national defense force has the full support of syria's professional army. just last week unable to dislodge a sniper, they called for and got backup from the military's big guns. they've been assign

elizabeth palmer has that part of the story. >> reporter: the civil war has not so far disrupted the ritual of sunday mass at this catholic church in damascus but father and every member of this congregation are deeply worried. they've seen the videos posted online and heard the news that islamist rebels pushed past the syrian armies and invaded one of the holiest christian sights, malula, just 40 miles north of syria. the troops claim they're back in control of the town. the worshippers pray that's true but the threat still feels very close. just two weeks ago four mortars were fired into this christian neighborhood in damascus where everyone knows everyone and a local man, agor, was killed. >> it's -- >> reporter: christians in syria have flourished under the protection of president bashar al assad, but there's widespread fear that's ended. muslim extremists are taking over. >> we're backing off now. >> reporter: why? >> they're trying to force us to go out and die. >> reporter: no one is saying ethnic cleansing yet, but they are thinking it. and that's not just the christians. it

our elizabeth palmer has just returned from interviewing one of the country's top officials.he's in damascus. olympic swimmer diana nyad is close to her dream. will the 64-year-old finish her swim from cuba to florida? and hollywood building on a strong summer at the box office. this fall's coming attractions. first, here's a look at this hour's eye opener. >> a number of members who say they're either on the fence or leaning no. >> the president requested a vote in congress. for now

elizabeth palmer reports from the battlefield in damascus.major garrett questions the president. >> reporter: are we on a fast track to military action as soon as congress renders its judgment one way or the other? >> pelley: the new unemployment numbers are not what was expected. mark strassmann will show us where high-paying jobs are on the rise. the america's cup launches tomorrow. carter evans reports it's high- tech and high-risk. and steve hartman "on the road." no adoptive family was willing to take troubled taylor-- until connie going found the perfect home. >> she knows my worst side and she still cares about me and still loves me. captioning sponsored by cbs

carson palmer, zip, zip, zip.zona wins 13-10. >>> and finally, the nats finish their season, 162 in the books. davy johnson finishing out. the nats lose today 3-2. but a pretty good year. 10 games over .500 they end. so not a bad season at all. >> and obviously davy won't be back. any hints on who might take his place? >> they were talking about maybe mike scioscia, a veteran guy what's got the grew got the gravitas. >> mama said there'd be hi, jericho? yes? did you say, "when i stream true blood on my slow internet it always buffers at the best part"? yeah? hi, jericho. oh my! i'll get you better internet if you invite me in. please come in, pam. this is crazy! pam is in my living room! [ male announcer ] with fios, america's fastest, most reliable internet, you get the ultimate entertainment experience. this makes me look even better than usual, huh? it's so much better. no pausing, no freezing, no buffering. you look amazing here, and then there, and then here -- simmer down. technology that makes life more ent

fizzy arnold palmer. thanks so much. >> need a good sweater this morning.t's like fall. >> it definitely feels cooler. i'm a fan of lemon up. 4:47. temperatures are in the upper 40s for many cities, napa, gilroy, and we're to drop off to the mid-40s before we hit our lows. bless you, laura garcia-cannon. you know what, i thought i had you two down. i like it when you surprise me. temperatures are going to be pretty comfortable combined with the windchill factor. we have the red flag warning. for most of the bay area, above 1,000 feet so it's the high country that we're zooming in on and make sure you're aware of how dry it is and will be later on today. right now winds sustained at 16 miles per hour, up in fairfield, that's a pretty strong sustained speed. throughout afternoon the gusty wind we have to deal with like yesterday so calm and the winds pick up, then calm, then again strong winds picking up. gusty winds, 25-40-mile-per-hour gusts that are going to be the worst at the coast and through the north bay throughout this afternoon. we are expecting the

for cbs this morning elizabeth palmer damascus. >> elizabeth palmer the only u.s.ing an attack on a gas field in algeria back in january. 38 foreign workers were killed including three americans. last month he threatened to target more french interests. >>> today marks 12 years since the 2001 terror attack, and it's been one year since the assault on the u.s. diplomatic post in benghazi, libya. four americans were killed including ambassador chris stevens. before we talk about your report, let's talk about what you have discovered about a guy named "the uncatchable." >> well he's the one-eyed terrorist who made his money smuggling people cigarettes and other contraband but also doing kidnappings. he ran the attack on the gas plant where the u.s. hostages you interviewed several months ago actually escaped alive. but scores were killed. releasing this tape today is planting a flag literally in the sand and saying we're al qaeda, we're back and we're operating. >> why did everybody think he was dead, john? >> he's been dead before gayle. he's been reported dead and t

golf legend arnold palmer is 84. >>> keep it right here for more news, weather, sports. i'm richard lui along with bill karins and his mullet. thank you for watching "early today." everything you work for all your life, you know. could go up in flames. >> dozens of homes threatened as the fire burning on mt. diablo continues to grow. hundreds of firefighters from all over california have been called in to help battle the flames. >> good morning. it's 4:30. i'm jon kelley. >> i'm laura garcia-cannon. the so-called morgan fire has more than doubled in size. so far 3700 acres have burned and the fire 20% contained. firefighters trying to protect 100 structures including some homes. bob redell is live where we'll get an update on the efforts in about an hour. >> good morning. ca

elizabeth palmer in damascus. >> jeff: former south african president nelson mandela is out of the hospitaleborah in johannesburg reports on what could be mandela's final trip back home. >> jeff: we remember sir david frost, the british broadcaster who stunned the world with his richard nixon interviews. >> well, when the president does it, that means it is not

particularly mike palmer they are all here to be with us. another group that was dedicated to make sure the entire project was complete on time is the commission. they gave us time. lee is the commissioner. >> thank you, lee, i know there are several other commissioners in the audience, we have theresa ono. let's give them a big round of [ applause applause. they deserve our acknowledgment. now we have people who have helped with the fund raising and the building capacity for the library. friends of the library, scott. >> thank you, louis. it's a great pleasure to be with friends. this was a community effort where we had donations from $3 to a $100,000. there is a whole bunch of you, c'mon up. because these were the folks raising the money here in your community for this beautiful branch. [ applause ] also we have diane gray who is going to make a special presentation. >> hello, it is a glorious day and someone said the sun is shining on bay view. the sun always shines on bay view. my name is diane gray and i'm one of the newer board members

chuck palmer/depto. de bomberos de san leandro 14:51:28 within about 10 seconds after that the smokehe flames and the flames lit off. el comandante de bomberos dijo que cuando los vecinos abrieron la puerta, el oxgeno que entr provoc llamas. s.o.t. milagros ortiz/intentó rescatar a víctimas 25:30:05 cuando uno abre la puerta el aire entra, eso fue mal hacer eso, pero nosotros so sabíamos. pero los bomberos dicen que los vecinos reaccionaron de manera normal y no los culpa de nada. s.o.t. antonio jiménez/vecino 38:11 yo estaba dormido pero empecé a escuchar gritos y todo y en eso salí y ya vi las luces del departamento de bomberos. autoridades an investigan las causas del incendio y hasta ahora no sospechan que el siniestro haya sido intencional. cesar ---la policia de san leandro busca a estos dos sospechosos de ingresar por la fuerza a una casa y robar joyeria y otros articulos el pasado 27 de agosto... take vo ---los sospechosos tocaron el timbre de esta casa insistentement e y al ver que nadie respondia rompieron una ventana e ingresaron para robar... ---algunos vecinos llamaron a

elizabeth palmer joins us now from lobd. liz, are the iranians any more serious about direct negotiations with the u.s. than they have been in the last 10, faeb years. >> reporter: they're signaling very hard they are. the backdrop is iran's economy is in real trouble because of the u.s.-led sanctions. they've been very effective and people's standard of living is dropping. so the new president has been elected on a broad mandate to get those sanctions lifted to improve people's lives so he's coming to new york, knowing he's got the people's backing. and just as important is the fact that the supreme leader the power behind the president, if you like, in iran, he's saying for the first time flexibility is a virtue. so the time has never looked more capricious than now. >> axelrod: what would the central issue be in any negotiations? >> reporter: iran's nuclear program. iran want to preserve the right to continue to enrich uranium, it says to make power plant. okay. the united states doesn't really believe that. on the other

our elizabeth palmer is in damascus tonight and she was there to listen to the speech. liz, what were some of the details? >> well, he was pretty categorical. he said that syria wanted to or would stop making chemical weapons, stop possessing them, and would also hand over the existing stocks into international hands. and he mentioned russia, other countries and the united nations. now, i asked an opposition politician "do you believe it?" and he said "look, the syrian government's been lying to us for years, but we do believe the russians are serious." and certainly russia's reputation as an international diplomatic heavyweight is at stake here. but just consider the logistics challenge of trying to move international experts of some kind into a country-- which coua full blown civil war and many parts of the country are not accessible to the government. so just to guard them is one thing and then, if, as the russians say, the goal is to destroy them, that could take years. >> pelley: elizabeth palmer reporting from the syrian capital damascus tonight. liz, thank you ve

. >> elizabeth palmer in damascus where warning a wider attack could mean a war. we begin with nancy cordes on capitol hill. good morning. >> reporter: norah and charlie, the president is holding a meeting right now with key members of congress. this administration has been doing a full-court press with meetings and hearings and briefings for members. they don't want any lawmaker to say he or she didn't have enough information to vote yes. >> republican senators john mccain and lindsey graham emerged from a meeting with president obama and said they would help sell his plan to a skeptical congress. >> we want to work to make that resolution something that a majority of the members of both houses can support. a rejection, a vote against that resolution by congress i think would be catastrophic. >> they said mr. obama won them over with assurances that there was a larger strategy behind his decision to hit syria's regime with targeted missile strikes. >> there seems to be emerging from this administration a pretty solid plan to upgrade the opposition, to get the reg

correspondent elizabeth palmer is the only more than reporter allowed to report from damascus lately,and kallisa ward is near the turkey, syria border and spent time with rebels inside syria earlier this week. we'll start with elizabeth. what are you hearing? >> you know, bob, wob oone of t saddest things is the war is it's silenced the capitol. two years ago when the demonstrations were opeople thought they would have a choice between the dictatorship, bashar al-assad and something brlt. that's no longer the case. we have assassinations and bombings on the dorstep of damascus. people now think they have a choice between bashar al-assad and something worse. and that's what the syrian state media hammered away at them. al-queda fighters on the outskirt of the city waiting to rush in and kill you all in your beds. people are afraid, especially the christians and minoritys here. they think that more than military strikes might be the green light for a rebel offensive that would turn the city into a blood bath. they're really hoping and feeling fearful and hoping that president obama will

mean they pushed us into the streets and it just started from there where they grabbed one of my palmer about like seven to fifteen cars slammed his head against the car and would just fall on top of him so then i went to try to help him out and . fall in between two callers. to the back of my head then i proceeded to get up and then when i looked to the back of me there's another about like. cars on top of the car. and which they picked up his shirt. and a plain clothes officer just takes. to his kid and then the cop just came and grabbed me for me. and then just. i believe this is also an intimidation tactic used by the n.y.p.d. why is it that so many people are so odd. with his new position as a visiting professor what he thinks is what we're getting it's not these characters it's what he represents and serialism capital of. war. dozens of academics have signed on to a petition calling for all charges against the six cuny students to be dropped in the interim according to reports a growing number of staff and faculty members are also calling on america's former intelligence chief to

margaret brennen is in geneva, elizabeth palmer in damascus of course, and holly williams in istanbulwe have stories of narrow escapes after record flooding. the race to clear a massive molasses spill in hawaii is threatening marine life and baffling cleanup crews. and fighting spirit-- terrell brown talks to a man from the front line of new jersey's board walk fire. >> the radio goes off, and we don't hesitate. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" >> glor: good evening, everyone. je

elizabeth palmer has that part of the story. >> reporter: syria is anxious to convince the world that the fighters it's battling are al qaeda-linked terrorists. we were invited to meet some of the fighters by a syrian-american businessman with close ties to the assad government. we drove through damascus to a military jail where prison officials told us that 50% of the fighters were foreign religious extremists, but when the men walked in, we discovered they were all syrians, a builder, a metal worker, and a farmer. all three of them claimed they were a fighter whose units had been taken over by fundamental lists. this man told me they videotaped him slitting the throats of villagers to post on facebook. with a room full of military and government observers, who knows what the truth is, but we could find no trace of any such video. and when we asked the men, all of them accused of violent attacks against the syrian army how they had been treated in the country's notorious prison system, they took off their shirts and said very well. these may not be real al qaeda-linked extremists but

>> carson palmer takes. dropback. looks left. throws. end zone. caught, fitzgerald. touchdown!> takes the snap. play action fake.

liz beth palmer is in damascus as it braces for an american airstrike.he prosecutors in the jerry sandusky case speak for the first time. armen keteyian breaks the news. >> do you believe the coach paterno was a part of the conspiracy to conceal? >> pelley: after diana nyad's record breaking swim across the florida strait she sat down. with elaine quijano. >> it was like >> pelley: and on opening day for california's new super bridge, john blackstone with the man who captured the toil, sweat and triumph of american craftsmen.

elizabeth palmer in the syrian capital of damascus. she did it! on her fifth attempt, diana nyad completes an historic swim from cuba to florida. elaine quijano is at the finish line. the designer drug that is killing people and canceling concerts. michelle miller tells us why molly is so dangerous. and scott pelley back to the beginning. >> good evening from our cbs news room in new york on this, the first broadcast of network television's first daily half hour news program. captioning sponsored by cbs

also for somehow for the concert isn't without the war calls out to tonga it won't be only feels palmer it could be his mistake for congress to think that you know for a concert on the weakness the skeptics or all both sides will in turn on washington on those who are not most of the mystic about the possibility of such a great that will even go and not one community will come in they'll be only five rows find a solution to combine their own people own factions their own political power to see that this is in the biz the interests of the whole sides so the human warmth here is common it's. tasers are increasingly being used by british police to take down people viewed as dangerous and threatening shocking new statistics show the number of people hit by the high voltage weapons has increased threefold in as many years artie's laura smith reports that a string of taser related deaths has left many wondering whether stun guns should be used at all. imagine the feeling of fifty thousand volts passing through. people who. say it's a massive shock that starts in your liver and kidneys courses

elizabeth palmer is in damascus as it braces for an air strike.rissa ward slipped into rebel territory to meet the fighters the u.s. supports. nancy cordes is on capitol hill amid a furious debate. we learned today that millions of teens are smoking electronic cigarettes. dr. jon lapook with the government's new warning. halfway through hurricane season, why are there no hurricanes? jim axelrod will look at a controversial plan to fortify american beaches. and a police officer gunned down in the line of duty gives the gift of life to another. jeff pegues at the meeting of two families sharing one heart.

mean they pushed us into the streets and they just started from there with they grabbed one of my palmer about like seven to fifteen pounds slams his head against the car and we're just all on top of him so then i went to try to help him and within the process i ended up pulling him between two callers to the back of my head and then up the cd to get all and then when i looked at a back of me there's another about like. cars on top of my other car. and which they picked up his shirt. and a plain clothes officer just take. loads so his kids and then the cop just came and grabbed me pull me. and then just called i believe this was also an intimidation tactic used by the n.y.p.d. why is it that so many people are so on happy with his new position as a visiting professor and what he thinks is what we're getting it's not his character it's what he represents and. capitalism. war. to wait. dozens of academics have signed on to a petition calling for all charges against the six students to be dropped in the interim according to reports a growing number of staff and faculty members are also call

in damascus, the government tells our liz palmer it will hand over its chemical weapons.t david martin reports it's not as easy as it seems. >> syria is considered by most experts as a chemical weapons superpower. >> pelley: the voters decide the fate of two colorado politicians who voted for gun control. barry petersen looks at what this may mean for gun policy across the nation. whooping cough hits more than a dozen states, with one state on track for its worst outbreak in 50 years. anna werner looks at why. and don dahler on this anniversary of 9/11 with a fireman who responded to the call and is still coming to the rescue 12 years on.

elizabeth palmer in damascus, major garrett at the white house. we'll have interviews with syrian president asaturday with president obama and with lawmakers facing hostile reaction back home. >> i wake up in the middle of the night worrying about this. >> pelley: today in colorado voters decide whether to fire politicians who voted for gun control. barry petersen is there. and is this what the world was waiting for? carter evans on today's gamble designed to return the polish to apple. captioning sponsored by cbs

it i mean iran or for some of the conservation but more cons out to time to iran and really feels palmer it would be a mistake for the west to think that you were not for a call from a weakness. military parade that to mention is actually for the newer state of iran iraq war is a bloody war tomorrow is there any versity doubt for some something related to that issue on your tour must remember as well that the iranian war many iranians believe the united states and the worst are supporting south almost saying somehow encourage ticky tack you want so it has something to do with the past but the history it's very difficult for him to forget it could explain why iran's revolutionary guard has warned rouhani of consequences internal challenges if he continues to offer a gesture of peace and diplomatic relations with the u.s. what are they exactly threatening we're talking about here. yeah it's very much understandable you know. iranian has a very good record of history with the relationship with the west in general and you would like to distance in part or in the past what do you have seen an