>> well, weijia, what's planned for the time in washington? >> reporter: he has a really packed schedule here in the nation's capital. tomorrow, he will have a formal visit at the white house and then address about 300 american bishops for a prayer service before saying mass in front of tens of thousands of people. and then on thursday, another moment in history, he will be the first pope to ever address a joint session of congress. >> interesting. weijia jang, live in washington, dc, thank you. >>> sfpd and the university of san francisco are taking strides to reduce sexual assaults on campus. today law enforcement and the university announced an agreement on how to respond and help students who say they have been sexually assaulted. the agreement aims to collect evidence in a timely and proper manner and ensure victims receive the services they need regardless of whether they report the crime to police. >> here in san francisco we are going beyond the conversation. we are actually taking action and like in many other ways, san francisco toda

weijia jiang spoke with the carpenter who constructed that chair.jiang is here with more. >> reporter: good morning to everybody again. the carpenter tells us he studied the pope's basilica for guidance and inspiration for this chair. he used local sustainable wood and made it as simple as possible. that is not to say it was easy. professional carpenter dave cahoon. >> another day at the shop, isn't it, kevin? >> reporter: building furniture is usually an easy job, but he admits this one is daunting because of who it's for. >> the holy father is going to be here and it has been ready for him in time. >> reporter: pope francis will sit in an hand-crafted chair when he says mass in front of thousands on wednesday at the basilica of the national shrine of the immaculate conception in washington. it's especially meaningful for cahoon. he is a deacon at his church in maryland. >> an honor and it's an opportunity for me to give back the talent that god has given me. the base is made out of wood. >> reporter: he also built a new altar for the service, meti

cbs reporter weijia jang has more on the first full day of the pontiff's landmark tour. weijia. >> reporter: well, michelle, anywhere you go, you can feel the love for the pope pouring in from all directions and today, at the white house, he addressed americans using english for the first time during this trip. it's not a language he is that familiar with. but nothing was lost in translation. he was emotional and political weighing in on many important issues here in the u.s. [ applause ] >> reporter: a joyous crowd welcomed pope francis to the white house this morning during his first official visit to the u.s. speaking in english, he was grateful for the warm reception. >> as the son of an immigrant family, i'm happy to be a guest in this country, which was largely built by such families. [ applause ] >> reporter: the pope's remarks went beyond pleasantries to address america's improving relations with cuba. he also called for americans to reject unjust discrimination and to protect religious liberty. the centerpiece of his speech was dedicated to climate change change

weijia jang is live in washington and what's the latest, weijia?ns of thousands of ticket holders are outside. ering this going to hear the speech from big l.e.d. screens whenever the pope delivers his message

weijia jiang is live from washington with more. weijia, good morning. >> reporter: good morning mary and chris and everybody. it was a quiet first night in the u.s. for pope francis who will be waking up at the vatican embassy where he's staying here in washington. after the unforgettable welcome to the country, today we will get a good idea of what he wants to say to americans. >>> francis will begin his first full day on u.s. soil with a grand arrival ceremony on the white house lawn, follow bade private meeting with president obama. >> this is not a meeting between politicians but rather an opportunity for two respected world leaders with significant influence around the world to talk about the values they hold in common. >> reporter: thousand will line the streets for the ellipse to the national mall to catch a glimpse of the pope. emily is a 23-year-old soprano, one of 90 choir members tapped to sing for francis at the national shrine of the immaculate conception this afternoon. >> we have to be in control and remember everyth

weijia jang is live in washington and what's the latest, weijia? >> reporter: tens of thousands of ticket holders are outside. ering this going to hear the speech from big l.e.d. screens whenever the pope delivers his message. a lot of people are preparing for the historical moment to hear what he has to say in about a half- hour. there are a lot of guesses so what he will say. people are excited to hear from him. every member of congress was allowed to invite one guest so this is a special day for two people who are from the bay area. the first is an 89-year-old homeless advocate who lives in morgan hill. and the other is the university of san francisco chancellor. they were guests of representative zoe lofgren and house minority leader nancy pelosi invited in to be able to witness up close this very incredible moment. so it's certainly going to be a great story for both of them to tell after they can say, we heard pope francis as he made history on capitol hill. >> big day for them and big day for everybody. cbs news will have special coverage. i

cbs2's weijia jiang continues the team coverage from here. weijia? >> reporter: well mary, caring for the poor is such a special issue to pope francis. you've heard him talk about it several times already. no surprise he put this very special lunch on his schedule and he'll be joining hundreds of homeless men, women and children. >> god bless you all. thanks for coming guys. >> reporter: every week the catholic charities of the archdiocese of washington serves up a hot meal to anyone in need. and it comes with extra helpings. >> feel really validated and appreciated. >> reporter: in the center of dc the line forms early. tracy uses a walker to get here and knows all the staff. >> he could be. >> reporter: the st. maria's meals program serves 300 to 500 people every wednesday. this week, they're setting a special table for a visit from pope francis. >> the way that he -- takes his mission and lives it out is inspiring. >> reporter: cardinal whirl believers the blessing from the pope will boost homeless programs but even more than >> it begins with the

he said if you can't pray, offer me good wishes. >> weijia jiang in washington dc. thank you. >>> and here in the bay area, hundreds of students got up early to watch the pope's speech. very early. kpix5's kit do reports. >> reporter: if you ever tried to get a teenager up early for anything, you know this is a big deal. it is a pope watch party at presentation high school. the largest catholic girl school in the south bay. nearly 500 students gathered in the gym before sunrise to hear pope francis address congress live and share this historic moment together. >> a delicate balance is required to combat violence. >> we are a really tight-knit community. to be here watching this together is really meaningful to the catholic community. >> reporter: what better way to engage kids than with a cardboard cut out for selfies. pope masks and pope bingo. >> what would he think of a selfie station? >> he would laugh because he is a joyful person. he would be okay with it. >> reporter: in an age where so much of what we see is scripted or photoshopped, religious scholars he ha

. >> we have team coverage of the papal visit beginning with weijia jiang live in d.c. >> reporter: mary and chris, you can always feel the love for the pope pouring in from all directions. he spoke english for the first time publicly during this trip when he gave his speech. but nothing was lost in translation. even though it is a language pretty new to him, he was emotional and he was political, weighing in on several important issues to the u.s. >> a joyous crowd welcomed pope francis to the white house this morning during his first official visit to the u.s. spooking in english, the argentinian argentinian said he was hopeful. >> i am happy to be a guest in this country which -- >> the remarks went beyond pleasantries to address america's improving relations with cuba. also to reject unjust discrimination and protect religious liberty. was dedicated to climate change. >> mr. president, i am finding it encouraging that you are proposing an initiative for reducing air pollution. >> reporter: president obama said pope francis set a profound moral example. >> you shake our conscience fro

weijia jiang is in washington. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you to everybody. lawmakers have pledged to put their political and religious differences aside from the day and already what we have heard already from pope francis is any indication, he won't be afraid to weigh in on tough issues even before a tough crowd. pope francis will take his message to a divided capitol hill today. in the first-ever papal address before a joint meeting of congress. >> i hope the often words of encouragement to guide the nations in the future. >> reporter: while the vatican has kept a tight lid on what he will say, the holy father is expected to talk about immigration, a hot button issue he urged bishops to fight for during his first full day in washington, d.c. 5-year-old sophie cruz handed a letter to pope francis wednesday hoping francis delivers her plea to lawmakers today. >> our immigration my dad in this country. [ inaudible ]. >> reporter: on wince, francis made an visit to the little sisters of the poor. a religious order that is suing the federal government over the

weijia jiang, live in washington, d.c. cbs2 news. >> thank you, weijia. the pope's arrival on thursday will be the first for the head of the roman catholic church there. are concerns about mixing politics and religion. >> i think we will see a different reaction on both sides of the aisle. the republicans will be of the things he said while better. and the other, democrats enthusiastic on some of the things he said while the republicans are sitting on their hands. please anybody. his job is to please god. >> reporter: the pope's hope with the visit is to reawaken the spiritual sentiments with the people. the address will be broadcast around the world. >>> before that address with the congress the pope has a full day of events tomorrow in washington. he begins the day at the white house and president obama. then he visits the cathedral of saint matthew for a prayer service and the basilica of the national shrine for mass. >>> security is taking place in new york for the pope's arrival on thursday. we have cbs2 news janelle burrell live with more on what is

weijia jang is in baltimore with the latest. >> no justice, no peace! >> reporter: the protestors outside the baltimore courthouse were small but vocal as they demanded justice for freddie gray, the 25-year-old black han who died of spinal injuries while in -- black man who died of spinal injuries while in police custody. >> if can happen to him, why not me? i'm in these communities every day. i consider myself a street creature and it could have been me. >> reporter: the rally was peaceful but there was some trouble when some of the protestors started walking through streets disrupting traffic. [ yelling ] >> reporter: at least one person was arrested. this latest round of demonstrations happened as attorneys for the six baltimore police officers charged in gray's death appeared in court. the judge in the case denied motions to have state's attorney marilyn moseby recuse herself and turned down a request to have all charges against the six officers dismissed. he still must decide whether the officers will be tried together or individually. gray's death

he will wrap up his stay in tooub cuba with another mass weijia jiang is in washington. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, anne-marie. good morning, everybody. pope frances has a patched schedule during his stay here in the united states. he will spend two days here in the nation's capital where he will receive a rare presidential welcome when he arrives. pope frances arrives to the patron saint santiago this morning. monday frances blessed the city. during his visit. the spokesman says his choice to travel to the u.s. from here is more about reconciliation. "the decision to make a trip to both countries, truly is a strong message to encourage this process that has subsequent steps, requests he says. in d.c., where the pope will stop first, federal officials have heightened security in posing restrictions on items like bicycles and backpacks and shutting down roads him but that's not stopping kevin gossing from getting excited. >> it would be great to get to do that until like say i shook his hands. he's a very holy person. he's a good person. >> reporter: in a rar

cbs's weijia jiang with the latest from her his visit from washington. >> reporter: pope francis talk about many different issues including immigration, climate change, and the sanctity of marriage and family. he wove in american values and history through the entire speech drawing huge applause, and many standing ovations. pope francis received a standing ovation, as lawmakers welcomed him to the heart of the us government. he's the first pope to address a joint meeting of congress. >> his speech focused on topics familiar to these lawmakers including chime at change, religious extremism. >> delicate bond is required to combat violence, perpetrated in the name of our religion. >> on immigration, francis called for greater understanding of those who come to the u.s. looking for a bert life. >> we must not be taken a back by the numbers, but rather use use -- see the faces, and listening -- (applause). >> seated behind the pope were vice president joe biden and house speaker john boehner, the highest ranking catholics in the u.s. government. outside the capitol, thousands watched and l

weijia jang has a preview. >> reporter: pope francis will take his message to a divided capitol hill today in the first- ever papal address before a joint meeting of congress. >> i hope to offer words of encouragement to those called to guide the nation's political future. >> reporter: while the vatican has kept a tight lid on what he will say, the holy father is expected to talk about immigration. a hot button issue he urged bishops to fight during his first full day in washington, d.c. five-year-old sophie cruz handed a letter to pope francis wednesday hoping francis delivers her plea to lawmakers today. >> our immigrants like my dad feed this country. they deserve to live with dignity. >> reporter: on wednesday, francis made an unplanned visit to the "little sisters of the poor," a religious order suing the federal government over the birth control mandate in president obamas affordable care act. >> climate change is a problem. >> reporter: it's likely he will also bring up climate change another controversial issue. democratic senator patrick leahy says francis is the perfect pop

here's cbs news' weijia jang with a preview of an event- filled day for the vicar of christ. >> reporter: pope francis returns to the shrine of cuba's patron saint this morning before he will give his final sermon there. the pope stayed way from making political statements in cuba. vatican spokesman said his choice to travel to the u.s. from here is more about reconciliation. >> reporter: the decision to make a trip to both countries truly is a very strong message to encourage this process, he says. the pope will arrive in dc this afternoon where final preparations are under way. in a rare move, president and mrs. obama will be at joint based andrews when pope francis lands to personally welcome him. aside from meeting with president obama, the pope will also address a joint session of congress and more than 100 world leaders gathered for the u.n. general assembly in new york. in washington, weijia jang, cbs news. >>> there is one fewer republican making a run for the white house. scott walker dropped out taking parting shots at donald trump on the way out. >> i will suspend my campaign

and for more on the pope's activities today, here's cbs news' weijia jang. >>> reporter: francis will begin his first full day on u.s. soil with a grand arrival ceremony on the white house lawn followed by a private meeting with president obama. >> this is not a meeting between politicians but rather it is an opportunity for two respected world leaders with significant influence around the globe to spend some time talking about the values that they hold in common. >> reporter: thousands will line the streets from the ellipse to the national mall just to catch a glimpse of the pope. emily is one of 90 choir members tapped to sing for pope francis when he says mass at the basilica of the national shrine of the immaculate conception this afternoon. >> we have to be in control and remember everything i learned in all my schooling to try to do my absolute best. >> reporter: conductors chose singers to reflect the diversity of the catholic church in the u.s. mass will be said outside for a crowd of 25,000 people who got a ticket. on thursday, pope francis will deliver the first-ever papal a

i'm weijia jiang at arlington national cemetery with that story coming up. >>> every year thousands of remains go unclaimed, and many of them belong to american veterans. >> weijia jiang shows us how a nonprofit group is working to give them a final resting place at arlington national cemetery. >> reporter: roger spends most of his free time leading funeral processions for strangers. >> a veteran may pass away with no next of kin, but he certainly has family. you're looking at it right here. >> reporter: graves is part of the missing in america project. volunteers locate, identify, and bury the cremated remains of u.s. veterans who are unclaimed. >> when you look at each one of these, what do you see? >> i see valor. heroes. >> we go in to funeral homes, crematoriums and corners. >> reporter: a vietnam vet started the mission in 2006. >> i ball -- i bawl at every one of these things. even now i'm getting emotional. >> reporter: this is the second time they've come to arlington. >> there's nothing else we can do to elevate and show more honor and dignity and respect than to inture a vet

weijia jiang with a preview from washington. chris, mary, and everybody. final preparations are underway here in washington, dc. crews are putting fences around the capitol and starting to shut roads down. the pope will receive a welcome reserved for very few people. >> reporter: pope francis will return to the shrine of the patron day saint where he will deliver his final homily during this trip. he hastad away -- he has stayed away from making political speeches on this trip. kevin dawson won a ticket to greet him. >> it would be great to shake his hand. he's a holy, good person. >> reporter: president obama and mrs. obama will be there to personally welcome him when he lands. he has a packed schedule here in washington. tomorrow meeting with president obama at the white house and about 300 american bishops for a prayer service before he meets with a joint house of congress. >>> parking in certain areas here in the city is already being restricted. and janelle burrell is live on central park west with more. >> reporter: chris, you imagine coordinating th

weijia jiang reports. >> reporter: pope francis is making it easier for catholics to annul a marriage. the pope is introducing a fast track process to allow bishops to review applications if neither is contesting. >> the process of healing the people has been at the heart of everything he's done. >> reporter: he's making it free so the faithful can find justice. annulments are granted if the couple -- it's a process where the church can offer people's stories because no two stories are the same. >> reporter: catholics must get an annulment if they want to remarry in the church. those who want to marry in civil court are considered sinners. >> i have an annulment with the old way but i hope the new will bring people back to the church. >> the pope says marriage should never be broken but it's motivated by the salvation of souls. >> the annulment process will be free of charge. and he's asking bishops to be more welcoming to divorced and separated catholics. the pope arrives september 24th. look for live coverage on cbs. jailed for refusing to issue marriage licenses is expecting high p

weijia jang live in washington, dc, thank you. >>> in political news there's one less republican makinghe white house. wisconsin governor scott walker dropped out and took a few parting shots at donald trump on the way out. >> i will suspend my campaign immediately. i encourage other republicans to do the same so that the voters can focus on limited number of candidates who can offer a positive conservative alternative to the currents front-runner. >> walker want out of money and was not polling in the single digits. donald trump is still in th lead. carly fiorina is second. before last week she was in the single digits. ben carson slipped to third. the election is a year away. >>> today is national voter registration day. communities all over the nation will hold events to get people signed up. if you want to register there's one in your area. a lot of counties will have staff on hand at 8:30 or 9:00 this morning to answer questions at registrar offices. >>> a little noticed government report has troubling data about personal income. cbs news business analyst jill schlesinger joins us

cbs news' weijia jang joins us live from washington with the latest. >> reporter: good morning, brianrybody. washington is buzzing with the energy and excitement because the big day is finally here. and when pope francis arrives to the u.s. it will be his first time stepping in front on u.s. soil so the white house says it went to great lengths to make it as meaningful as possible. beginning with a presidential welcome that is reserved for very few people. ♪[ music ] >> reporter: pope francis brought his message of mercy to the shrine of cuba's patron saint this morning as he celebrated his final mass of this trip to cuba. during his visit, the pope has stayed away from making political statements. vatican spokeswoman frederico lombardi says his choice to travel from the u.s. to here is more about reconciliation. the decision to make a trip to both countries is a strong message to encourage this process that has subsequent steps, he said. the pope will arrive in dc this afternoon where final preparations are under way. kevin dawson won a ticket to greet him. >> it would be great to ge

. >> weijia jang reports from washington where hundreds including some famous faces gathered to try to push congress to extend the program. >> reporter: on 9/11 new york city firefighter robert tylerville rushed to the world trade center and got sick. >> it's cancer. it's cancer. i had brain surgery. >> reporter: he pays for hefty hospital bills with the help the of the james zadroga 9/11 help and compensation act which helps cover medical expenses and treatment for people who became ill while working at ground zero. >> now it's time for congress to get off its butt and do its job. >> reporter: on wednesday, hundreds of 9/11 victims held a rally on capitol hill urging lawmakers to make the federal program permanent. if congress does not renew the act, healthcare for these fertilizer will start to be phased -- first responders will start to be phased out next month and be completely eliminated by 2016. how confident are you that congress will extend this? >> i can't progress in thissty kay. i haven't heard any why it shouldn't. >> reporter: jon stewart fought to pass the original act fi

weijia jang reports from washington. >> reporter: donald trump has made immigration the key issue inesident but is vague in public about a plan. on friday parts of a conference call where he discussions a solution with the alabama state gop were leaks online. >> we have to get them out and if we have wonderful cases, they can come back in but they have to come back in legally. i think it's a process that can take 18 months to two years if properly handled. >> reporter: trump will sit center stage during a republican debate next week. cnn invited the top 11 candidates based on an average of 6 national polls. while the republican field is crowded, democrats barely have a handful of serious candidates. and the main hopeful still can't commit. during an emotional interview on "the late show with stephen colbert," vice president joe biden said he doesn't know if he is prepared to run for president. >> i would be lying if i said that i knew i was there. >> reporter: in a national survey of democratic voters, he has jumped 6 points in the last month stealing support from hillary clinton, wh

weijia chen for cbs-3 "eyewitness news". >>> and please keep it right here for "eyewitness news" andontinuing coverage of the campaign 2016, you can get latest anytime at cbs philly.com. >>> well, philadelphia is rolling out a brand new traffic operations center which will be put to the test touring papal visit weekend. >> beyond that event it is designed to reduce congestion on philadelphia streets by improving traffic flow. we love that. >> um-hmm. >> kyw news radio steve, reports from juniata park. >> reporter: inside the traffic control nerve center if they spot problem areas, engineers will be able to remetly change traffic signals in real time. they monitor live video feeds from traffic and surveillance cameras operate by the streets, police departments, septa and university of pennsylvania and among others. mayor nutter says ops center was in the works before they knew the pope was covering. >> where possible respect to pope francis, i think that this was the day that this was going to happen, whether or in the the pope was coming to philadelphia. >> reporter: during the pope'

but as cbs 2's weijia jang reports, police are still on guard in case protestors lash out [ screaming ] >> we want justice now! >> reporter: a small but passionate group of demonstrators surrounded the baltimore courthouse wednesday morning where a judge made critical decisions about the indicate of freddie gray. >> i feel like i could have been freddie gray that day. >> reporter: the judge denied a defense motion to drop the case against the six police officers charged in the death of 25-year-old gray, who died of spinal injuries while in police custody. lawyers argued the state's attorney tainted the jury pool when she publicly announced the charges arguing she held a, quote, pep rally to seek vengeance for gray's death. >> i thought that was condescending and disrespectful to the state's attorney's office. >> reporter: judge williams refused to remove her from the case and said all six officers will have separate trials. outside the courthouse, police are standing guard looking for rowdy protestors. the city police department canceled all leave for officers in case chaos erupts. at

. >> and for a rundown of today's activities, let's go live to washington and cbs news' weijia jang.porter: good morning to you and good morning to everybody. the pope had a quiet night but certainly not today. it is going to be a packed schedule. he woke up at the vatican embassy where he is staying in washington and after that unforgettable welcome to our country, today we have a chance to hear what he has to say to the american people. people began lining the streets along the ellipse to the national mall before the sun came up hoping to catch a glimpse of pope francis as he rides by during a parade later today. francis kicks off his first full day on u.s. soil with a grand arrival ceremony on the white house lawn followed by a private meeting with president obama. >> this is not a meeting between politicians but rather it is an opportunity for two respected world leaders with significant influence around the globe to spend some time talking about the values that they hold in common. >> emily will get to see the pope up close. the 23-year-old soprano is one of 90 choir members tap

here's weijia jiang. >> reporter: this fire at a planned parenthooded clinic in pullman, washington, was ruled an arson, a recent example of why the f.b.i. has released a new intelligence warning saying, "criminal or suspicious incidents will continue to be directed against reproductive health care providers, their staff, and facilities." federal investigators report there have been nine attacks on reproductive health care facilities across the country, including cyber attacks, threat, and arsons. on july 19, someone started a fire at the planned parenthood clinic in auror aillinois. then on august 1, in new orleans, a vehicle was set on fire at a facility under construction. the incidents started after an antiabortion organization released undercover videos claiming planned parenthood has illegally profited from selling fetal tissue to researchers. planned parenthood denies selling fetal tissue, and says the videos were deceptively edited. now they're concerned about the safety of staff and patients. today the group released a statement saying in part: >> how can anyone defend the s

in washington, weijia jahnke. >>> a teacher fired will be among those at the white house for a ceremony welcoming the pope at the us. margie was let go a private connell school after it came to light that she was in a is same sex marriage. she told "eyewitness news" what she would say to the pope if given the opportunity. . >> i would ask him to listen to our stories of faith and to you know, listen with a heart of the shepherd, and with the mindset of hopefully including us more in the church. >> the human rights campaign and lgbt add casey group secured the invite. >>> we're we've also learned former archbishop of philadelphia card nil rig galley, retired to the diocese, all this amid -- accused the archdiocese of protecting priests accused of sexual abuse. stay with "eyewitness news" as we inch coverage of the historic visit of pope francis. you can find updates any time at cbsphilly.com. >>> it's 5:09. a toddler struck and killed by a are a transit bus in south philadelphia. no charges being filed against the driver who did remain at the scene. authorities say 2-year-old ran into th

in washington, weijia jiang cbs news. >>> stay for continuing coverage of the pope of historic visit. you can hop online to cbsphilly.com. >>> right now it's 6:07. no charnleys will be filed against a septa paratransit bus driver who hit and killed a toddler in south philly philadelphia. he ran into the street near the intersection at 21st and morris happened after 5:00 last night. the young boy's family says he was visiting his cousin's house with his father at the time. we spoke with one of the child's family members. >> not even 40 seconds. it was very quick. no one -- no one know, he was running in the street. if we would know, you know, we would have talked to them. >> the toddler was pronounced dead at the hospital. . >>> some scary moments at a gas station in south jersey when a car catches fire, check out that video right there. smoke and flames spread at the luke oil on route 73 in mt. laurel. started when the driver of a smoking car pulled up to the station, igniting gas pump. two good samaritans jumped into action helping the owner prevent the flames from spreading further.

president xi just spoke with weijia jiang now here's a look at what's going on outside your window. and said the following. is that a true statement? >> look. our senses is that there has been the theft of trade secrets emanating from china. we have said that in many different ways. and taken some actions to demonstrate that that is what we believe. but our view is that american businesses need to know that their trade secrets there and intellectual property isn't going to be stolen and we are serious about taking action. >> reporter: the united states has accused china of theft of commercial secrets. why wouldn't you impose sanctions? you have that power. >> the sanctions would have to be imposed on individuals or organizations where you can make the direct link to the actions that have been taken. so i'm not going to get ahead of where the process is. we take it very, very seriously. it's like a law enforcement function. it's an enforcement function and the people who work on it build very detailed records. >> reporter: imagine that diplomatic dance and more of my conversation wit