CBS Evening News - 2005-12-28

Channel: malgent

Transcript

Language: English (YouTube automatic captions)

[0:00] million cars from people just like you.

[0:02] CarMax, the way car [music] buying

[0:03] should be.

[0:07] >> Good evening. I'm John Roberts. A

[0:08] holiday week disaster. Killer fires run

[0:11] wild destroying scores of homes in the

[0:13] tinder dry southern plains. So, we will

[0:16] start there tonight. Then, we'll have

[0:19] these stories.

[0:20] >> I'm Kelly Cobiella in Iraq.

[0:22] >> The UN says it was clean, but election

[0:24] protests are growing.

[0:25] >> FEMA trailers sit empty while people

[0:27] still live in tents.

[0:29] >> I'm Trish Regan

[0:30] >> on the anger in New Orleans.

[0:31] >> Fighting cancer.

[0:33] >> I'm Sharyn Alfonsi on the vitamin that

[0:35] could cut your risk in half.

[0:39] >> [music]

[0:40] >> This is the CBS Evening News with Bob

[0:44] Schieffer. [music]

[0:45] >> And Bob is off tonight. Those brush

[0:47] fires burning in Texas and Oklahoma have

[0:50] turned deadly with at least five people

[0:52] killed. The worst drought in the region

[0:55] in decades has turned grasslands into

[0:57] vast fields of fuel feeding dozens of

[0:59] fires that raced out of control. Fires

[1:01] started by careless smokers and burning

[1:04] trash. Dozens of homes have been

[1:06] destroyed. More than 20,000 acres have

[1:09] gone up in smoke.

[1:11] Jim Axelrod is in Kennedale, Texas

[1:13] tonight, right in the thick of it.

[1:16] >> In this part of the country, they call

[1:18] it a red flag alert. The ground gets

[1:20] bone dry, the wind starts to gust, and

[1:23] the next thing you know,

[1:25] well, this is the next thing you know.

[1:27] >> The conditions couldn't be worse

[1:29] >> for grass fires. You know, it's

[1:31] extremely dry, and it's very warm, and

[1:35] of course we've had high winds. And you

[1:36] put all those together, and it spells

[1:38] disaster.

[1:40] >> At least four people are dead in Texas,

[1:42] and close to 80 homes have been

[1:43] destroyed here.

[1:44] >> This is bad. Our whole neighborhood just

[1:46] went up in flames.

[1:47] >> And brush fires have been burning in 17

[1:50] counties in Oklahoma.

[1:52] Which is making for a region stretched

[1:54] thin on firefighters.

[1:56] >> Where's all the fire trucks? I see 1 2

[1:59] 3.

[1:59] >> And with the flames moving as fast as 30

[2:01] mph, engulfing buildings in a split

[2:04] second, people took matters and their

[2:07] garden hoses into their own hands.

[2:10] >> And we came home and started grabbing

[2:11] hoses, started doing the best we could

[2:12] to keep it from the house.

[2:14] >> How dry is it in Texas?

[2:16] Well, this isn't parched ranch land.

[2:18] This is a marina.

[2:20] And this this may be the most useless

[2:22] sign in America.

[2:24] When it's the driest year in nearly half

[2:26] a century, you're one down power line,

[2:29] one dropped cigarette, or one kid with a

[2:31] book of matches away from disaster.

[2:34] >> A kid with a book of matches is worse

[2:36] than them

[2:37] you know, having one with a gun. I mean,

[2:38] you might have six or seven bullets in

[2:39] your in your in the weapon, but one one

[2:41] match, you you you change lives

[2:44] overnight.

[2:44] >> Arlington, Texas Deputy Fire Marshal

[2:46] Keith Abel knows. He's watched whole

[2:48] apartment complexes threatened in the

[2:50] last 24 hours.

[2:52] Calmer winds have him breathing easier

[2:54] for now.

[2:55] >> Do you think the worst is over?

[2:57] >> No, I sure don't. We get another 20 mph

[2:59] day and we're right back where we were

[3:00] yesterday.

[3:01] >> And yesterday is no place anyone wants

[3:04] to revisit here in Texas.

[3:06] >> I'm devastated. What we going What we

[3:08] going to leave our grandkids?

[3:10] >> Well, you can talk about the winds all

[3:12] you want. The threat of wildfires won't

[3:14] be fully extinguished here in Texas

[3:17] until they get a week or two of soaking

[3:18] rains. And right now, there's just no

[3:20] call for that in the forecast. John.

[3:23] >> Just an amazing and tragic scene. Jim,

[3:25] thanks.

[3:26] They could sure use some dry weather out

[3:28] on the West Coast. The first of three

[3:30] storm systems sent rivers spilling over

[3:32] their banks today in Northern California

[3:34] and turned an amusement and water park

[3:36] in Sonoma County into an underwater

[3:39] park. The heavy rain also triggered

[3:41] mudslides that blocked roads. And don't

[3:43] let the rainbow fool you because the

[3:45] forecast calls for another 5 in of rain

[3:48] there by Sunday.

[3:49] Former Enron accountant Richard Causey

[3:51] struck a plea deal today. He went to

[3:53] federal court in Houston and admitted to

[3:55] cooking Enron's books to deceive

[3:57] investors. Causey will serve 7 years in

[4:00] prison for securities fraud, pay a fine

[4:02] of 1 and a quarter million dollars, and

[4:05] he will help prosecutors make their case

[4:07] against Enron founder Ken Lay and former

[4:10] CEO Jeffrey Skilling. After Causey's

[4:13] guilty plea, the judge granted Lay and

[4:15] Skilling a 2-week delay in their trial.

[4:17] It will now start on January 30th.

[4:21] In Iraq today, a botched mass escape

[4:23] attempt ended in a bloodbath at a

[4:25] high-security prison in Baghdad.

[4:27] Officials say as inmates tried to storm

[4:29] the armory, one grabbed a guard's rifle

[4:32] and opened fire.

[4:33] At least eight guards and prisoners were

[4:35] killed and a US soldier was wounded.

[4:38] Meanwhile, a sectarian dispute still

[4:40] rages over the results of the elections

[4:42] almost 2 weeks ago. Let's go now to

[4:44] Kelly Cobiella in Baghdad, who's got the

[4:46] latest for us. Kelly?

[4:48] >> John, the ballot counting is almost done

[4:51] here, and despite some 2,000 complaints

[4:53] alleging everything from voter

[4:55] intimidation to ballot stuffing, the

[4:58] independent body governing these

[4:59] elections says the results will stand.

[5:03] It is not what the Sunni leaders or

[5:05] their followers wanted to hear.

[5:07] Thousands were out again today chanting

[5:10] no to forgery and demanding a re-vote.

[5:12] For days they've been calling on the

[5:14] United Nations to take a non-partisan

[5:16] look at the whole process. Today, the UN

[5:19] envoy finally voiced his opinion, but it

[5:21] was not what Sunnis were looking for.

[5:24] >> The United Nations is of the view that

[5:26] these elections were transparent and

[5:28] credible.

[5:30] >> It's almost official now. The religious

[5:32] Shiite parties fared much better than

[5:35] expected, especially in Baghdad, getting

[5:37] close to 60% of the vote in Iraq's most

[5:40] populous province. Sunnis are outraged.

[5:43] They believe there's only one

[5:45] explanation, fraud.

[5:48] >> We demand that the elections be rerun,

[5:50] especially in the cities in which fraud

[5:53] took place.

[5:54] >> And that's a demand that will not be

[5:56] met. So, the question becomes, will

[5:58] Sunni leaders back off and try to make a

[6:00] deal with Shiite and Kurdish politicians

[6:03] for a bigger role in the new government

[6:05] with the hope that gains in the

[6:06] political battle will help drain support

[6:09] from those who are trying to win control

[6:10] of this country in the street. John?

[6:13] >> Certainly a deal a lot of political

[6:14] leaders here are hoping they can make.

[6:16] Kelly Cobiella in Baghdad, thanks. In

[6:18] New Orleans, thousands made homeless by

[6:20] Hurricane Katrina will enter the new

[6:22] year living in tents. FEMA has plenty of

[6:25] trailers for them, but there's a

[6:26] hang-up. It's a classic case of not in

[6:28] my backyard, as we hear now from Trish

[6:31] Regan.

[6:33] >> Hundreds of New Orleans families are

[6:35] still living in places like this, while

[6:38] they wait for this, a trailer from FEMA.

[6:42] >> We have to be out of here by the end of

[6:43] this month, so we getting out of here.

[6:45] >> Shawnda Richard lost her home in

[6:47] Katrina. For months, she's been crammed

[6:49] into a hotel, but come February, FEMA

[6:52] will stop paying the bill.

[6:54] >> We going to have to get a trailer, and

[6:56] it seems like they taking so long to get

[6:58] us a trailer.

[6:59] You know, so we trying to find out what

[7:01] is the problem.

[7:01] >> The problem isn't that there aren't

[7:03] enough trailers available. They're

[7:05] everywhere, on rail cars, in parking

[7:07] lots, in softball fields. FEMA says it

[7:10] has nearly 18,000 of them in Louisiana.

[7:13] The trailers are all dressed up, but

[7:15] they've got no place to go.

[7:17] >> in those people's backyards, right

[7:19] behind their fence.

[7:20] >> Everyone agrees the trailers are a good

[7:22] idea, but nobody, it seems, wants them

[7:24] in their neighborhood. Shane Craig lives

[7:27] next door to the Lakewood Country Club,

[7:29] where the mayor announced plans to put

[7:31] 1,000 trailers.

[7:33] >> It was just scary being a single mom

[7:35] with a 8-month-old and not knowing 5,000

[7:38] people living in the thousand trailers

[7:40] across the street.

[7:41] >> Julie Hunt also worries about new

[7:43] neighbors.

[7:44] >> We moved here to have a nice

[7:46] neighborhood, safe place for the kids.

[7:47] And just got to worry about so many

[7:49] people in such a small area.

[7:51] >> At FEMA's largest ever trailer park in

[7:54] Punta Gorda, Florida, built after

[7:55] Hurricane Charley in 2004, accusations

[7:59] about drug dealing, domestic abuse,

[8:01] theft, and vandalism were rampant.

[8:03] Despite those concerns, some say this

[8:06] extraordinary event requires

[8:08] extraordinary cooperation.

[8:11] >> It is not business as usual. For God's

[8:13] sake, it is not business as usual.

[8:16] >> It's an emergency.

[8:17] >> It's an emergency.

[8:21] >> But the mayor and city council can't

[8:23] seem to get beyond politics. They're

[8:25] arguing over where the trailers should

[8:27] go. In the meantime, thousands are still

[8:29] stuck in tents, shelters, and hotels.

[8:33] John?

[8:33] >> Trish, is that NIMBY syndrome as bad all

[8:36] across Louisiana?

[8:38] >> Unfortunately, John, it is. Half of the

[8:41] state's parishes have actually banned

[8:43] new trailer parks all together. FEMA

[8:46] would like to put 78,000 trailers here,

[8:48] but so far only about a third are

[8:51] occupied.

[8:52] >> Trish Regan reports tonight in the

[8:53] French Quarter. Trish, thanks. In health

[8:55] news tonight, researchers in California

[8:57] say they have come up with the strongest

[8:59] evidence yet suggesting that getting

[9:01] more vitamin D may significantly reduce

[9:04] the risk of developing three important

[9:06] types of cancer. Could preventing cancer

[9:08] really be all that simple?

[9:11] Here's Sharon Alfonsi.

[9:12] >> Well, researchers found that vitamin D

[9:14] can dramatically lower the risk of

[9:16] developing certain kinds of cancers. In

[9:18] fact, they say taking the right amount

[9:20] of vitamin D can cut the chances of

[9:22] getting breast, ovarian, even colon

[9:24] cancer in half.

[9:29] >> But could it really be that simple?

[9:31] Could enough vitamin D, found in things

[9:33] like milk, eggs, vitamin D,

[9:36] even supplements, really protect you

[9:38] from cancer?

[9:40] Researchers who reviewed 63 studies say

[9:43] yes. They found taking large amounts of

[9:46] vitamin D could lower cancer risk by as

[9:49] much as 50%. How much D are we talking

[9:52] about? Researchers say you need about

[9:54] 1,000 international units. There's only

[9:57] 100 units in an 8-oz glass of milk, so

[10:00] you need about 10 glasses of milk to

[10:02] meet their requirement. But, don't run

[10:04] to the store to fill up yet.

[10:06] >> I don't believe vitamin D is the answer.

[10:08] >> Dr. David Fishman runs the National

[10:10] Ovarian Cancer Early Detection Program

[10:12] at New York University. He thinks the

[10:14] study is overstating the benefits of

[10:17] vitamin D.

[10:17] >> I think vitamin D is a component of a

[10:19] healthy diet that will have potential

[10:21] benefit. I wish it was as simple as

[10:24] saying if you take vitamin D cancer

[10:25] would be cured. I don't think it's that

[10:27] simple.

[10:28] >> So, where does that leave us? Well,

[10:30] doctors say certainly get your daily

[10:31] allowance of vitamin D, a bit of

[10:33] sunshine, some milk, a salmon dinner.

[10:36] These are all good things, but they say

[10:37] downing a gallon of milk is not going to

[10:40] stop you from getting cancer. Cancer is

[10:42] a complicated disease, and they say

[10:44] there are no simple solutions.

[10:45] >> There are never any simple solutions.

[10:46] Sharon, thanks very much. Still ahead on

[10:48] tonight's CBS Evening News, how did Anna

[10:50] Nicole Smith end up at the Supreme Court

[10:53] with the White House [music] backing

[10:55] her? That plus some other cases the

[10:57] justices will soon be taking up in

[10:59] tonight's Inside [music] Story. But

[11:01] first, Bob Schieffer with this note.

[11:05] >> CBS News honors American heroes. [music]

[11:07] Brian Lee Morris, a star cross country

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[13:37] >> The Justice Department today released

[13:38] hundreds more documents from Samuel

[13:40] Alito's tenure there back in the 1980s.

[13:43] The Senate opens hearings on Alito's

[13:45] nomination to the Supreme Court on

[13:47] January the 9th. That is the same day

[13:49] the current justices reconvene and get

[13:51] down to cases on a wide range of issues.

[13:54] One larger-than-life issue has attracted

[13:57] the attention of the White House. Wyatt

[14:00] Andrews has the inside story.

[14:04] >> In the most notorious case of the new

[14:06] year, reality TV star Anna Nicole Smith

[14:09] >> Hi.

[14:10] >> is demanding $88 million from the estate

[14:13] of her late husband, the oil magnate J.

[14:16] Howard Marshall. The court will be

[14:18] asking the same question you are, how

[14:20] did she get an inheritance dispute into

[14:22] federal court? She got there after a

[14:25] federal bankruptcy court awarded her $88

[14:27] million, but a Texas state court gave

[14:29] her zero. Which court wins? The Bush

[14:32] administration has joined her side

[14:34] because it wants the federal courts to

[14:36] handle inheritance cases when taxes are

[14:39] on the line.

[14:39] >> I think the government would have made

[14:41] this filing had this person been named

[14:42] Anna Nicole Smith or Joe Smith.

[14:45] >> In the most political case, the court

[14:47] will hear the Texas redistricting

[14:49] dispute. Did Texas Republicans, under

[14:52] the guidance of then House Leader Tom

[14:53] DeLay, illegally redraw the state's

[14:56] congressional districts? Those new

[14:58] districts help transform the Texas

[15:00] congressional delegation from a 16-16

[15:03] split with Democrats to a 21-11

[15:06] Republican advantage. The court usually

[15:09] stays away from gerrymandering cases,

[15:11] but took this case to see if minority

[15:14] voting rights have been diluted.

[15:16] >> And they had both ill for Texas that it

[15:18] took the case, although it certainly

[15:19] doesn't guarantee that the new plan by

[15:21] Tom DeLay it goes by the wayside.

[15:23] >> There are two other cases with

[15:25] widespread impact. One asking if Vermont

[15:28] can restrict campaign spending. The

[15:30] other will define the rights of

[15:32] suspected terrorists. In this case,

[15:34] Osama bin Laden's former bodyguard is

[15:37] challenging the legality of those

[15:39] specially created military commissions

[15:41] and is demanding the same rights as a

[15:43] defendant in a US court-martial.

[15:46] >> It's significant that the Supreme Court

[15:48] even agreed to hear this military

[15:50] tribunal case. The administration had

[15:52] argued for deference in handling terror

[15:54] trials, but the court is asserting its

[15:56] right to review military justice even

[15:59] during the war on terror. John?

[16:01] >> And why what about those Alito documents

[16:03] that were released today? What do they

[16:04] tell us?

[16:06] >> John, these were hundreds of

[16:07] documents that had to do with his time

[16:09] during the Reagan administration and

[16:11] there was nothing there that will derail

[16:13] his nomination. As of right now, these

[16:15] hearings are going to start on January

[16:16] 9th. They'll probably be quite

[16:18] contentious. But again, as of right now,

[16:20] he seems to have the votes and seems to

[16:22] be on track to be confirmed and join the

[16:24] court as early as late January.

[16:26] >> All right, Wyatt. Thanks very much. Just

[16:28] ahead on tonight's CBS Evening News,

[16:29] playing the pain away. An 11-year-old

[16:32] designs a new video game to declare

[16:34] virtual war on cancer.

[16:43] >> [music]

[16:52] [music]

[16:57] [music]

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[17:22] [music]

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[17:28] >> Hidden Valley Ranch, this changes

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[17:37] >> It happens all the time. Real people

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[17:42] >> I'm telling you, it's just so amazing.

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[19:21] good look because this little oceanfront

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[19:25] You heard right. So, what besides

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[19:31] out tomorrow. See why more people are

[19:33] watching the CBS Evening News with Bob

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[19:40] In the growing arsenal of weapons

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[19:57] >> I hope for that.

[19:59] >> Put a video game in front of him and Ben

[20:01] Duskin is a typical young boy, somewhat

[20:03] of a master player.

[20:05] >> This is Emma.

[20:06] >> Well, what's that?

[20:07] >> That is a weapon.

[20:08] >> But at 11 years old, Ben is also a game

[20:11] designer.

[20:12] >> Uh the object of the game is to uh

[20:16] conquer cancer.

[20:17] >> Complete.

[20:18] >> His cancer, leukemia.

[20:20] >> 3 and 1/2 years of chemotherapy.

[20:23] >> What was that like?

[20:24] >> I think of the worst possible pain and

[20:28] add

[20:29] feeling sleepy to it.

[20:31] >> Video games helped Ben get through his

[20:33] treatments. So, when Make-A-Wish

[20:35] Foundation asked him what he'd like to

[20:36] do more than anything,

[20:38] >> Oh, you know what would be cool?

[20:39] >> Mhm.

[20:40] >> If you got three weapons

[20:42] >> Mhm.

[20:42] >> Ben wound up in the studios of filmmaker

[20:44] George Lucas with software engineer Eric

[20:47] Johnston.

[20:47] >> That's a great idea.

[20:48] >> He created a game to help kids like him.

[20:51] >> I mean.

[20:52] >> Yes.

[20:52] >> I thought it would be really cool if you

[20:54] could kill the cancer cells with not

[20:55] just like mental

[20:58] but with like swords and

[21:01] all that stuff.

[21:03] >> Enter the body. Kill the cancer cells.

[21:06] Destroy side effects like rashes and

[21:08] nausea. It's a fun game that also keeps

[21:11] a kid's mind off pain. And it turns out

[21:14] Ben is onto something.

[21:15] >> Does it feel okay?

[21:16] >> Yes.

[21:17] >> At the University of Maryland's

[21:18] Baltimore County campus,

[21:20] >> Anthony, we're going to put your hand in

[21:21] the water now.

[21:22] >> Okay.

[21:23] >> psychologists are finding kids have

[21:25] greater tolerance for the pain of frigid

[21:27] water while immersed in a virtual

[21:29] reality game.

[21:31] >> [music]

[21:31] >> So, what happens when you're playing, do

[21:33] you think?

[21:34] >> When you get into the game

[21:36] and you put your hand in the water, it

[21:38] it doesn't really bother you.

[21:39] >> Researchers say the distraction from

[21:41] pain is similar to that of athletes who

[21:44] don't realize they're injured until they

[21:45] leave the field.

[21:47] Psychologist Linda Dalquist has also

[21:50] observed the calming effects of simple

[21:52] video toys on the very young, even

[21:54] during chemotherapy.

[21:56] >> We found children who were crying and

[21:57] screaming could focus on that, and they

[22:01] still whimpered a little when the shot

[22:03] went in, but it was much less stressful

[22:05] for them.

[22:05] >> So, I see a whole new world for video

[22:07] games here.

[22:08] >> I think so.

[22:09] >> Ben's game, which is free online, has

[22:11] been downloaded hundreds of thousands of

[22:13] times.

[22:14] >> I just wanted to help other people.

[22:17] >> The game he designed has plenty of

[22:19] virtual power.

[22:20] >> What do you think is the best weapon

[22:23] against the cancer?

[22:25] >> Your attitude.

[22:27] >> But Ben Duskin knows the battle against

[22:29] cancer is still very real. Thalia

[22:32] Assuras, CBS News, Missouri City, Texas.

[22:35] >> Some pretty tough kids. Well, if this

[22:37] were Jeopardy, the category would be

[22:40] famous phrases for a hundred, and the

[22:41] answer, he sold America on the freshness

[22:44] of Duncan Donuts with this phrase.

[22:49] >> Time to make the donuts.

[22:51] >> And the correct question is, who was

[22:53] Fred the Baker? In real life, he was the

[22:56] veteran character [music] actor Michael

[22:57] Vale. Word came today that Vale has died

[23:00] here in New York City.

[23:02] He was 83.

[23:04] Still to come tonight, he's a

[23:05] tough-skinned former cop, but when it

[23:07] comes to handling bad guys, the approach

[23:09] he teaches [music] is kid gloves. Does

[23:12] it work? Stay tuned.

[23:24] >> [music]

[23:25] >> The human body was designed to move.

[23:29] That's why Serenity developed a

[23:31] revolutionary [music]

[23:32] fabric for their new protective

[23:33] underwear that stretches in every

[23:36] direction to gently [music] hug your

[23:37] body for a closer fit than the leading

[23:40] protective underwear. New Serenity

[23:42] [music] Discreet Activewear. You move,

[23:44] they move, you're protected. For free

[23:47] sample, call 1-877-GET-TENA.

[23:50] >> [music]

[23:51] >> Serenity from Tena.

[23:54] >> Measles is a game you play and then you

[23:56] sing a song.

[23:57] >> Humps are something that camels have.

[23:59] >> Some have two humps and some have one.

[24:02] >> Chicken Park is a park where chickens

[24:05] have fun.

[24:06] >> Most kids [music] today don't have a

[24:07] clue about diseases adults remember,

[24:10] thanks to Merck scientists. We've

[24:12] invested billions to research heart

[24:14] disease [music] and asthma. Now we're

[24:16] trying to make Alzheimer's, diabetes,

[24:18] and cancer history, too. Merck, where

[24:21] patients come first.

[24:24] >> It's frustrating. Just when you're ready

[24:26] to relax, you feel the compelling urge

[24:29] to move along with [music]

[24:30] hard-to-describe sensations in your

[24:32] legs.

[24:33] They can even keep you from getting to

[24:35] sleep. It's called restless legs

[24:37] syndrome or RLS, a recognized [music]

[24:40] medical condition. And now for many,

[24:42] there's relief. Requip, the [music]

[24:45] first and only FDA-approved prescription

[24:47] medication for restless legs syndrome.

[24:49] Requip [music] helps relieve the

[24:50] symptoms of RLS. It can help you make

[24:53] peace with your legs. Requip may cause

[24:55] you to fall asleep or feel very sleepy

[24:57] during normal activities such as

[24:59] driving, [music]

[24:59] or to faint, or feel dizzy when you

[25:01] stand up. Tell your doctor if you

[25:03] experience these problems, or if you

[25:04] drink alcohol, or taking medicines that

[25:06] make you drowsy. Side effects include

[25:08] nausea, drowsiness, [music] vomiting,

[25:10] and dizziness. Most patients were not

[25:11] bothered enough to stop taking Requip.

[25:14] >> It's good to get comfortable again.

[25:16] >> Ask your doctor about [music] restless

[25:17] legs syndrome, and if Requip is right

[25:19] for you, and help put RLS to rest.

[25:24] >> Coming up tonight at 6:00, police say it

[25:26] is a check-cashing scam that's out of

[25:28] control targeting local businesses.

[25:30] Exclusive new details coming up on

[25:32] NewsChannel 5 at 6:00.

[25:35] >> The New Orleans police chief today

[25:37] defended the officers who shot and

[25:39] killed a man this week after he

[25:40] allegedly lunged at a lieutenant with a

[25:42] knife. Chief Warren Riley says his

[25:45] patrol officers do not carry stun guns,

[25:47] and he said police are trained to shoot

[25:50] to kill because suspects were shot in an

[25:52] arm or a leg have been known to attack

[25:54] officers,

[25:55] sometimes killing them.

[25:57] We end tonight with a man who trains

[25:59] police officers to defuse potentially

[26:01] deadly situations. Not with a weapon,

[26:04] but with words. Richard Schlesinger has

[26:07] that story.

[26:09] >> When the lights and sirens come on,

[26:11] police officers rarely feel like playing

[26:13] Mr. Nice Guy.

[26:15] >> Do you have your driver's license?

[26:16] >> But this guy teaches that's just wrong.

[26:19] >> I teach deflect and move.

[26:21] So, if you called me a name, you know,

[26:23] you go blah blah blah.

[26:24] I go, "Look, sir, I I see you're upset,

[26:25] and I'm sorry you feel that way. I'm

[26:26] going to go back in my vehicle."

[26:27] >> George Thompson, who's also known as

[26:30] Rhino,

[26:30] >> I will ask you to stay in the car.

[26:31] >> is an ex-cop who trains officers to get

[26:34] almost anyone to do almost anything by

[26:37] talking to them.

[26:38] >> And you can talk down the what? The

[26:40] meanest, nastiest

[26:42] >> Nine out of 10 people with no trouble.

[26:44] >> He teaches a technique he calls verbal

[26:46] judo.

[26:47] >> Who could deflect

[26:48] >> It's theatrical,

[26:49] >> calling an MFer.

[26:50] >> fast-talking,

[26:51] >> one face with some little old lady.

[26:53] >> A sales job designed to convince anyone.

[26:55] >> another face for somebody you might have

[26:57] to intimidate.

[26:58] >> That they really want to cooperate.

[27:00] >> You wouldn't hear an officer say, "I'll

[27:01] kick your ass." See, that's language

[27:03] that leads to conflict. You'd hear the

[27:05] officer I teach say, "Sir, don't

[27:07] struggle. We don't want to hurt you."

[27:08] >> In a nutshell, Rhino teaches it doesn't

[27:11] have to come to this if cops are clear

[27:13] about what they want, ignore insults,

[27:16] and verbally push people to follow

[27:18] orders.

[27:19] >> I'm selling you compliance, voluntary

[27:21] compliance.

[27:22] >> And cops from all over the country want

[27:24] to learn it from Rhino.

[27:26] >> Is this stuff tough to learn?

[27:28] >> Um it is tough to learn because it's not

[27:30] natural.

[27:30] >> Officer Mike Lamb is a policeman in

[27:32] Asheville, North Carolina.

[27:34] It's not that he looks for fights,

[27:37] but verbal judo at first didn't seem

[27:40] like quite enough for tough situations.

[27:43] >> Whenever somebody yells at you, curses

[27:44] at you, it's natural to want to yell and

[27:46] curse back.

[27:47] >> It may be natural, but Rhino says his

[27:49] way works better.

[27:51] >> I am the only one in the country that

[27:52] teaches the art of

[27:55] successful BS.

[27:56] >> Of course, it probably helps if the

[27:58] officer looks like Rhino, but he

[28:00] believes his technique will work for any

[28:02] cop who's willing to use a little stick

[28:05] >> Can you help me, sir?

[28:06] Look at the difference.

[28:07] >> in place of a big stick.

[28:09] >> Delivery style is everything.

[28:11] >> Richard Schlesinger, CBS News,

[28:12] Jacksonville, Florida.

[28:14] >> And somehow I think that if the verbal

[28:16] judo didn't work for Rhino, there'd be a

[28:18] big hurt coming down. And that is the

[28:21] CBS Evening News for this Wednesday. For

[28:23] Bob Schieffer, I'm John Robertson in New

[28:25] York. Thanks for making CBS your choice

[28:28] for news. We do appreciate it.

[28:30] Have a good night and a happy New Year.

[28:34] >> [music]

[28:36] >> For news 24 hours a day, click on

[28:38] cbsnews.com, brought to you in part

[28:40] [music] by

[28:41] Walmart, good jobs, good people, great

[28:45] opportunities. [music]

[28:46] Come grow with us

[28:48] at Walmart.

[28:53] >> [music]

[28:54] >> See why more people are watching the CBS

[28:56] Evening News, the fastest growing

[28:57] network evening newscast. Experience

[28:59] [music] CBS News.

[29:02] >> It's a prank that's putting drivers in

[29:05] danger. Two car windows smashed while

[29:07] driving down I-24.

[29:09] >> It's every mom and pop store

[29:11] across the state.

[29:12] >> Police say it's a check-cashing scam out

[29:15] of control targeting local businesses.

[29:17] Tonight, exclusive new details.

[29:19] >> And a developing story, more THP

[29:21] troubles, two troopers suspended. The

[29:23] news is now.

[29:24] >> From your [music] news and information

[29:27] leader, winner of the Emmy for news

[29:29] excellence. This is NewsChannel 5 at 6.

[29:34] >> [music]

[29:34] >> Good evening, everyone. Chris and Vicki

[29:36] are off tonight. He admitted taking a

[29:38] thousand dollars in cash from a fake

[29:40] company set up by the FBI.

[29:41] >> Now, federal prosecutors are taking a

[29:43] close look at State Senator Jeff Miller.

[29:45] Five current or former lawmakers have

[29:47] already been charged with taking bribes

[29:49] in the Operation Tennessee Waltz sting.

[29:52] NewsChannel 5's Ben Hall is live outside

[29:54] the federal courthouse where a grand

[29:56] jury has been meeting. And Ben, what

[29:57] happened today?

[29:58] >> Well, Amy, three people who used to work

[30:01] in Senator Jeff Miller's office were

[30:03] ordered to testify before the federal

[30:05] grand jury today. Now, the senator's

[30:08] former research analyst, Waller Henry,

[30:10] who you see there, says he never saw

[30:12] Senator Miller do anything illegal.

[30:15] Henry says a former