CBS Evening News - 2006-11-17 (no intro)

Channel: malgent

Transcript

Language: English (YouTube automatic captions)

[0:00] kidnappers to think what it's like for a

[0:02] mother to want her son back. Faced with

[0:05] an Iraqi police checkpoint like this

[0:07] one, the convoy drivers would have had

[0:09] no choice but to stop. More and more

[0:12] these days, men who look like police are

[0:14] criminals in disguise. Last month, Iraqi

[0:18] authorities rolled out brand new police

[0:20] uniforms they claimed couldn't be faked.

[0:22] But it hasn't helped. Increasingly, the

[0:25] sight of a policeman inspires not

[0:27] confidence, but fear. And that says

[0:30] Faras Ibrahim is because we cannot trust

[0:32] who is real or who is not. Most worrying

[0:36] for Iraqis, they believe Prime Minister

[0:38] Nuriel Maliki and his government have

[0:40] now lost control of the security forces.

[0:44] It's widely believed that the police

[0:46] force is now so corrupted that

[0:48] kidnappings and ambushes like the one

[0:50] that hit the convoy yesterday are bound

[0:52] to increase. Katie

[0:54] >> and Liz, aren't these convoys heavily

[0:56] armed, though? They are, but they're

[0:59] very, very long. 46 trucks in

[1:01] yesterday's convoy. And so wellarmed

[1:03] attackers, wellorganized attackers can

[1:06] hit the middle and get away with their

[1:07] victims before help arrives. Liz Palmer

[1:10] in Baghdad for us tonight. Liz, thank

[1:12] you and stay safe. Chief investigative

[1:15] correspondent Armen Kayan has done a lot

[1:17] of stories about American civilians

[1:19] working in Iraq and the dangers they

[1:21] face there. He's here now with more

[1:23] about that. Armen,

[1:24] >> a lot of dangers, Katie. You know, tens

[1:26] of thousands of civilians are deployed

[1:28] in Iraq, providing logistical support to

[1:30] the troops. Most are motivated by

[1:32] patriotism and the hefty pay. But as we

[1:35] have seen over and over, the danger is

[1:37] great and the toll is high.

[1:40] Crisscrossing Iraq, they are tempting

[1:42] targets for attack. The hundreds of

[1:44] civilian truck drivers who form a shadow

[1:46] army, hauling food and supplies to

[1:49] military bases.

[1:50] >> All my stuff's out of here. Ohio truck

[1:52] driver Robert Row, a former Marine, was

[1:55] shot while leading a convoy into

[1:57] Baghdad.

[1:58] >> We got hit from both sides and on top of

[2:00] a bridge and then a round come through

[2:02] and tagged me in the leg.

[2:04] >> That's my truck. After the last ambush,

[2:06] I went through.

[2:06] >> Cindy Morgan was Robert Rose convoy

[2:09] commander, a rare female truck driver in

[2:11] Iraq. She's written a book about working

[2:14] in a war zone. We live, we eat, we sleep

[2:18] pretty much side by side with our

[2:20] troops. And we get shot at, we bleed,

[2:23] and we die besid. Since the war began,

[2:26] more than 600 civilians employed by

[2:29] American companies have been killed.

[2:31] More than 7,000 injured. At 80 grand or

[2:35] more a year, they're some of the best

[2:37] paid truck drivers in the world. But for

[2:39] some, even that big a reward doesn't

[2:42] justify the risk.

[2:46] A lot of them are like I am. There's not

[2:47] enough money to go play Russian roulette

[2:49] with your life.

[2:50] >> West Virginia truck driver Brian R found

[2:52] his life on the line while driving a

[2:54] fuel tanker at night.

[2:56] >> I heard a a pop and a glass crackling

[3:00] and then it felt like a 50 lb

[3:02] sledgehammer hit me upside.

[3:04] >> Somehow he maintained control of his

[3:06] truck even after taking a sniper's

[3:08] bullet in the head.

[3:09] >> I feel a headache starting. Feels like a

[3:11] steel band being tightened around the

[3:13] base of your skull.

[3:14] >> Many of America's shadow soldiers find

[3:16] themselves suffering, but still proud of

[3:19] their decision to back our troops in

[3:21] Iraq.

[3:22] >> Gave you a sense of pride, and if I

[3:24] could help out again, I'd do it, too.

[3:26] I'd do it in a heartbeat.

[3:28] >> And many of these civilian contractors

[3:30] told us they fight a new battle when

[3:32] they come home. They have a difficult

[3:33] time collecting health benefits and

[3:35] workers compensation for their physical

[3:38] and emotional injuries. Katie

[3:39] >> Armen, thank you so much. Meanwhile, no

[3:42] surprise, President Bush faced plenty of

[3:44] questions about Iraq as he became only

[3:46] the second American president to visit

[3:48] Vietnam since that war. He's in Hanoi

[3:51] for an economic summit, but he couldn't

[3:53] get away from the inevitable comparisons

[3:55] between Iraq and the war America lost in

[3:58] Vietnam. Chief White House correspondent

[4:00] Jim Axelrod is traveling with the

[4:02] president.

[4:05] Meeting in Vietnam with one of his

[4:07] strongest allies on Iraq, Australian

[4:09] Prime Minister John Howard, President

[4:11] Bush would not rule out sending even

[4:13] more troops to fight the war there.

[4:14] >> We've got a lot of people looking at

[4:16] different tactical adjustments. Uh once

[4:20] I make up my mind what those will be,

[4:21] I'll share it with him right off the

[4:23] bat.

[4:23] >> With pressure building at home to bring

[4:25] US soldiers back from Iraq, Mr. Bush was

[4:28] asked if America's experience in Vietnam

[4:30] held any lessons for today. We tend to

[4:34] uh want there to be instant success in

[4:36] the world and the the task in Iraq is

[4:40] going to take a while.

[4:42] >> The president's trip to Vietnam is

[4:43] inviting the last comparison the White

[4:45] House wants made

[4:48] that this war is starting to look more

[4:50] and more like this war. The parallels

[4:54] are plain. For President Lyndon Johnson,

[4:56] Vietnam was part of a broader

[4:58] ideological battle against communism.

[5:01] For President Bush, Iraq is the central

[5:03] front in fighting terrorism. Even

[5:06] without the Iraq war, Mr. Bush's trip

[5:08] here was bound to fuel his critics

[5:10] who've never bought his explanation

[5:12] about how he managed to avoid military

[5:14] service in Vietnam. But Iraq raises the

[5:17] stakes and changes the focus from what

[5:19] he did during the Vietnam War to whether

[5:22] he's creating another one. On a just

[5:25] released audio tape, President Johnson

[5:26] in 1966 shared his goals for Vietnam.

[5:30] We'll come home and we'll be out of

[5:32] there just as soon as you can have

[5:33] anybody that will guarantee stability.

[5:36] >> Mr. Bush's remarks today had an eerie

[5:39] echo as he spoke about Iraq.

[5:41] >> We're not leaving

[5:43] uh until this job is done until Iraq can

[5:45] govern, sustain, and defend itself.

[5:47] >> Right now, US troops are bogged down.

[5:49] Domestic opposition is growing. A

[5:52] presidency is under fire. A description

[5:54] that fits Iraq and loudly resonates here

[5:58] as well. Jim Axro, CBS News, Hanoi.

[6:03] >> Major news tonight from the Food and

[6:04] Drug Administration. After 14 years,

[6:06] it's lifting what has been a virtual ban

[6:08] on silicone breast implants, but there

[6:11] still are safety concerns. Our medical

[6:13] correspondent, Dr. John Leuke, is here.

[6:15] John, first of all, let's talk about why

[6:17] they were taken off the market in the

[6:18] first place.

[6:19] >> Right. In 1992, they were restricted

[6:21] because there was concern about

[6:22] autoimmune disease like lupus and

[6:24] arthritis. But it turns out this was

[6:25] looked at very carefully by the

[6:27] Institute of Medicine, by the New

[6:28] England Journal, and really they found

[6:29] no increased incidence of this problem.

[6:31] >> So they've been reintroduced. Are they

[6:33] different now?

[6:33] >> Well, you know, I just heard the call

[6:35] from the FDA and they said that the

[6:37] manufacturing process has felt to be

[6:38] improved. There still is the potential

[6:40] though for leakage and if the leakage

[6:42] happens, the doctor and the patient

[6:44] won't know. And so they're recommending

[6:45] periodic MRIs to actually try to monitor

[6:47] it.

[6:47] >> Now saline solution implants are also

[6:50] available, right? So why not just use

[6:53] those over the silicone if they are

[6:56] deemed much safer, right?

[6:58] >> Well, the plastic surgeons really feel

[7:00] and the patients feel often that it's a

[7:02] lot more natural feeling to use a

[7:03] silicone. And I've had patients who have

[7:05] actually elected to have their their

[7:06] saline implants taken out because the

[7:09] silicone was much sort of more natural

[7:11] feeling.

[7:11] >> And and finally, as you mentioned, there

[7:13] are possible complications you need to

[7:15] watch out for.

[7:15] >> You need to watch out for there can be

[7:16] leakage, local irritation. And by the

[7:18] way, the FDA, this is not the end of the

[7:20] deal. They're going to have a very

[7:21] strict monitoring program. 40,000 women

[7:23] are going to be followed over 10 years.

[7:24] So, if there's a problem that develops,

[7:26] they're hoping that they can detect it

[7:28] early and then take appropriate

[7:30] measures.

[7:30] >> All right, Dr. John Leoo, thank you.

[7:32] John,

[7:33] >> in the South tonight, stories of

[7:36] heartbreak, but also survival after a

[7:38] string of deadly storms that left 12

[7:40] people dead. Eight of them died in

[7:42] Regalwood, North Carolina when a tornado

[7:44] sliced through their mobile home park.

[7:46] Four children were critically injured

[7:48] there. One man says his mattress saved

[7:51] him when his home was destroyed.

[7:54] >> I'm the only adult that was in the one

[7:57] of these trailers that's here to talk

[7:58] about it. The rest of my little kids and

[8:00] they still hurt up real bad.

[8:02] >> The governor is studying whether to

[8:04] install tornado warning sirens across

[8:07] North Carolina. There were none in

[8:09] Regalwood. In Fresno, California,

[8:11] hundreds of people stormed a Best Buy

[8:14] for a chance to buy what else?

[8:17] PlayStation 3. A lot of unsatisfied

[8:20] customers, though. The store had only 34

[8:23] in stock. And he was a college football

[8:26] legend. Former Michigan coach Bo

[8:28] Shemckler died today, just a day before

[8:31] the Wolverines face Ohio State with the

[8:34] number one ranking on the line. The

[8:36] Michigan Ohio State rivalry was at its

[8:38] peak in the 1970s when Shem Beckler went

[8:41] head-to-head with his mentor Woody

[8:43] Hayes. Chem Beckler, who had a history

[8:45] of heart disease, collapsed today while

[8:47] taping a local sports show. He was 77

[8:50] years old. There is much more CBS news

[8:53] straight ahead. And coming up next,

[8:56] holding down the cost of prescription

[8:58] drugs. How the new Democratic controlled

[9:00] Congress hopes to do just that.

[9:11] Hi, Jay Bush and cousin Drew here for

[9:13] Bush's Homestyle Chili. I slow cook it

[9:16] according to a secret family recipe with

[9:18] premium ground beef and a special blend

[9:20] of spices for a homemade taste.

[9:22] >> Say, Drew, what do you say you let me

[9:24] see where you keep the secret family

[9:25] recipe?

[9:26] >> All right, Jay, but don't tell your dog,

[9:27] Duke. He can't keep a secret.

[9:32] >> Dude, how did you get in here?

[9:34] >> Oh, I had some doggy doors put in.

[9:37] Enjoy Bush's homestyle chili. Looks like

[9:39] homemade, tastes like homemade.

[9:43] All of us have internal plumbing. But

[9:46] for some of us with frequent bladder

[9:48] urges, doing errands also means knowing

[9:51] where all the bathrooms are along the

[9:53] way. The worry your pipes might leak

[9:56] means you don't always detour from your

[9:58] route. But you can take another

[10:01] direction. Talk to your doctor about how

[10:03] to take care with Vesicare.

[10:07] Vesicare once a day can reduce urges and

[10:10] may help effectively manage bladder

[10:12] leakage day and night. If you have

[10:15] certain types of stomach, urinary or

[10:17] glaucoma problems, do not take Vesicare.

[10:20] While taking Vesicare, if you experience

[10:22] a serious allergic reaction, severe

[10:24] abdominal pain, or become constipated

[10:26] for three or more days, tell your doctor

[10:28] right away. Common side effects are dry

[10:30] mouth, constipation, blurred vision, and

[10:33] indigestion. A chance to follow a whim,

[10:36] not always your urges. It's not just a

[10:38] pipe dream. Ask your doctor today if

[10:40] Vesicare is right for you.

[10:44] Someone you love may be a numismatist.

[10:48] It's true. Millions collect coins. It's

[10:51] the rush they get collecting something

[10:53] worthwhile. But they need your help.

[10:57] Give them genuine coins from the United

[10:59] States Mint. Polished, radiant,

[11:01] irresistible. Your gift will make a

[11:04] difference for generations to come.

[11:06] Visit usmint.gov.

[11:08] United States Mint. Genuinely

[11:10] worthwhile.

[11:14] If you buy them, you know it. The cost

[11:16] of prescription drugs just keeps going

[11:19] higher and higher. In the past year,

[11:21] they've risen more than three times the

[11:23] overall inflation rate. And that's why

[11:25] prescription drug prices are the topic

[11:27] of the final installment in our

[11:29] week-long series on the agenda for the

[11:31] new Congress. Wyatt Andrews reports. The

[11:33] key issue is who should negotiate with

[11:35] drug makers to get those prices down,

[11:38] private insurers or the federal

[11:40] government.

[11:42] >> Guy Russo, a retired bank officer, knows

[11:45] a bad business deal when he sees one.

[11:47] And he thinks seniors are being

[11:49] overcharged for prescription drugs.

[11:51] >> It's highway robbery. You know, that's

[11:52] what I really thought. robbery, he says,

[11:55] because under the new Medicare drug

[11:57] benefit, private insurance companies,

[11:59] not the federal government, negotiate

[12:01] the price of drugs.

[12:02] >> I think a lot of these companies are

[12:04] taking advantage of the taxpayers.

[12:06] >> Here's what he means. Guy's wife, who

[12:08] did not wish to appear on camera, takes

[12:10] Enrell, a very expensive arthritis drug,

[12:13] which under the Russo's Medicare plan

[12:15] cost the taxpayers 11,900 a year. By

[12:19] contrast, when the federal government

[12:21] under the Veterans Administration

[12:23] negotiated for Embrell this year, the

[12:25] cost was $4,300,

[12:27] a $7,600

[12:29] difference for one patient in one year.

[12:33] That's why for Democrats, reforming the

[12:36] Medicare drug benefit is near the top of

[12:38] their agenda.

[12:39] >> Federal government here would be able to

[12:41] negotiate for the best prices. This

[12:44] would afford huge advantages to our

[12:46] senior citizens. Republicans call that

[12:48] short-term thinking. They say the

[12:50] private insurance approach has driven

[12:52] drug prices down already and over time

[12:55] will save taxpayers even more.

[12:57] >> We have a robust, efficient market where

[13:01] people are are negotiating drug prices

[13:04] uh in in a very effective way.

[13:06] >> Secretary Levit makes the case that drug

[13:08] prices are down now thanks to private

[13:11] industry. Is that right?

[13:14] >> Well, I love Secretary Levit. wonderful

[13:17] man, but this is the company line. This

[13:20] is what the Republicans said all the way

[13:21] through here, and they're about as wrong

[13:23] as they're ever going to be.

[13:24] >> The drug industry lobby, meanwhile, is

[13:27] likely to fight Medicare reform tooth

[13:29] and nail. This issue won't just test the

[13:31] Democrats ability to pass laws. It'll

[13:33] also test their promise to change the

[13:35] special interest culture of Washington.

[13:38] Wyatt Andrews, CBS News at the capital.

[13:41] Coming up next in free speech, domestic

[13:44] violence, a problem that just won't go

[13:47] away.

[13:49] >> How are you giving thanks this year?

[13:51] Monday, you'll see how hundreds of

[13:53] American women are giving back. A

[13:55] special series on the CBS Evening News

[13:57] with Katie Curran. See it now.

[14:21] Wherever good can overcome,

[14:24] that is where your contributions to the

[14:26] Salvation Army go.

[14:31] >> Because I spent so much time sick as a

[14:33] kid, I knew what it felt like. And

[14:35] because of it, you know, always had a

[14:37] lot of respect for people that could

[14:39] help you. And my mom used to always go

[14:41] to the pharmacy and get my medicines.

[14:43] And it was the pharmacist that was most

[14:45] helpful. I guess it's really taught me

[14:47] to be very caring towards people, maybe

[14:49] even care, you know, more than others

[14:51] sometimes think is wise. I want you to

[14:54] know that it's me talking to you, not

[14:56] your pharmacist. It's me, Loren. I'm

[14:57] Loren Crutch and I'm a CVS pharmacist.

[15:01] >> My name is Sila. I'm a scientist at GSK.

[15:04] Imagine the challenge of combating

[15:06] devastating diseases that we see every

[15:08] day. Diabetes, heart disease,

[15:10] Alzheimer's. Now, how about a pandemic

[15:13] that hasn't even happened yet? That's

[15:15] our challenge with bird flu. And that's

[15:17] what's led us to researching a vaccine

[15:19] to help prevent people from getting it.

[15:22] The race is on against bird flu, and our

[15:24] job is to give us all a head start.

[15:26] >> GSK. To learn more, visit

[15:28] gsk-birdflu.com.

[15:36] Explore a place

[15:40] where amazing things happen,

[15:48] where the world's biggest challenges are

[15:51] faced every day.

[15:55] And yet, it feels just like home. Oregon

[15:59] State University.

[16:03] Is your car trying to tell you

[16:05] something? Maybe it knows it doesn't

[16:07] have the right insurance because you

[16:10] didn't spend enough time picking it out.

[16:13] Call AMA today. We'll take the time to

[16:15] understand you and then help you

[16:16] understand your options like single

[16:19] limit or split limit coverage. Call now

[16:21] and start saving money today. And

[16:22] because we help you choose the right

[16:24] coverage, you could save even more down

[16:25] the road.

[16:26] >> Hello, Ama.

[16:28] AMA. It's not just how you're covered,

[16:30] it's how you're treated.

[16:33] >> Two rich brothers, ambition, affairs.

[16:37] They both made a killing. How did they

[16:39] both end up dead? Saturday.

[16:44] You may have heard this week about OJ

[16:46] Simpson's attempt to profit from his

[16:48] ex-wife's murder with a new book and TV

[16:51] appearance. We didn't think that was

[16:53] worth your time or ours. But the flap

[16:56] does remind us of something that case

[16:58] taught us so much about domestic

[17:00] violence. Every day in this country,

[17:03] experts say three women are murdered by

[17:05] the men in their lives. On Free Speech

[17:08] Tonight, Mary Lowry, who says there

[17:10] still aren't enough places for battered

[17:12] women to find shelter. As an employee of

[17:15] the National Domestic Violence Hotline,

[17:17] I am often asked, "Why don't abused

[17:19] women just leave?" I can best explain by

[17:22] telling about a recent hotline call I

[17:24] received. A woman I'll call Linda was at

[17:27] a pay phone with her two small children.

[17:30] She just fled her abusive husband to

[17:32] keep herself and her children safe.

[17:35] Because he'd isolated her from friends

[17:36] and family, she had nowhere to go. And

[17:39] because he didn't allow her access to

[17:41] finances, she had no money. Linda told

[17:44] me she'd resided at a domestic violence

[17:46] shelter once before. She'd stayed there

[17:49] for the allowable time, which was four

[17:51] weeks, but hadn't been able to save

[17:53] enough money to rent an apartment. She

[17:55] had returned to her abusive husband out

[17:57] of necessity, but this time she was

[18:00] determined to make it on her own. I

[18:03] called every shelter in her area, but

[18:05] all of them were full. What happened to

[18:08] Linda is all too typical. On a daily

[18:11] basis, advocates on the National

[18:13] Domestic Violence Hotline are unable to

[18:16] help many women reach safety because

[18:18] there's no room in shelters. We need to

[18:21] create more domestic violence shelters

[18:23] and help guarantee that victims won't be

[18:26] driven back to their abusers by lack of

[18:28] longerterm housing. When Linda and I

[18:31] hung up that night, she told me that she

[18:33] would either sleep in the car with her

[18:35] children or go back to her abusive

[18:37] husband and suffer the consequences.

[18:40] Domestic violence survivors deserve

[18:42] better choices. Mary Lowry with

[18:45] tonight's free speech. Shifting gears,

[18:48] stay with us for tonight's Assignment

[18:50] America and see how Steve Hartman's been

[18:52] nipping at the wild turkey.

[19:01] I feel these tingling sensations deep

[19:03] inside my legs.

[19:05] >> It's a tightening feeling that keeps me

[19:07] from getting to sleep.

[19:09] >> For me, it's creepy crawly. I feel like

[19:11] I have to get up and move just to get

[19:13] some relief.

[19:14] >> My doctor said it's restless leg

[19:16] syndrome or RLS. He prescribed Recquip,

[19:19] the only RLS medication approved by the

[19:21] FDA. He said Reququip would help relieve

[19:24] those RLS symptoms that won't let me

[19:27] fall asleep.

[19:29] Requip helped me make peace with my

[19:31] legs. Recquip may cause you to fall

[19:33] asleep or feel very sleepy during normal

[19:36] activities such as driving or to faint

[19:38] or feel dizzy when you stand up. Tell

[19:40] your doctor if you experience these

[19:41] problems or if you drink alcohol or are

[19:43] taking medicines that make you drowsy.

[19:46] Side effects include nausea, drowsiness,

[19:48] vomiting, and dizziness. Most patients

[19:50] were not bothered enough to stop taking

[19:52] Recquip.

[19:54] Ask your doctor if Reququip can help put

[19:57] your RLS to rest.

[20:00] >> I'm Anto Williams. The Partnership for

[20:02] Prescription Assistance is traveling to

[20:04] all 50 states, making stops to help

[20:06] people pay for their medicine.

[20:07] >> I was in a lot of pain. I wasn't able to

[20:10] afford my medications, and PPA gave me

[20:12] back my life. This past year, America's

[20:15] pharmaceutical companies gave away more

[20:17] than $5 billion worth of medicines to

[20:19] people in need.

[20:20] >> It has been a lifesaver for me in more

[20:22] ways than one.

[20:23] >> If you need help, just call 18884 PPA

[20:27] now. The partnership for prescription

[20:28] assistance on the road to helping you.

[20:32] >> Having a bladder control problem is bad

[20:34] enough. What makes it worse is the

[20:37] constant worry. The worry that your

[20:39] problem is as obvious as if you'd

[20:40] announced it to the world. But the good

[20:43] news is overactive bladder is a real

[20:44] medical condition. The symptoms can be

[20:46] treated. And the great news, there's one

[20:48] brand doctors prescribe more than any

[20:50] other. Detrol

[20:53] with just one pill. Deta works 24 hours,

[20:57] all day and all night to help calm the

[20:59] bladder muscle that causes those

[21:00] frequent sudden urges. If you have

[21:02] certain stomach problems, glaucoma, or

[21:04] trouble getting urine to pass, you

[21:06] shouldn't take DLA. The most common side

[21:08] effects are dry mouth, headache,

[21:10] constipation, and abdominal pain. All

[21:12] medicines have benefits and risks, and

[21:14] there may be other options. So, ask your

[21:16] doctor if Detrol is right for you. When

[21:19] you find something that can help calm

[21:21] your bladder, imagine what that can do

[21:24] for you.

[21:26] I've heard so much about you. Deadrol

[21:29] helps keep an overactive bladder

[21:31] quieter.

[21:33] He's a small town mayor making a big

[21:35] move to get illegal immigrants out of

[21:37] town. Plus, Broadway Joe Neoth in the

[21:39] spotlight again on 60 Minutes Sunday.

[21:44] >> I'm as free as a bird.

[21:49] >> Leonard Skard fans would love this

[21:51] story, though it's not exactly about

[21:53] free birds. Last week, Steve Hartman

[21:55] offered to tell us tonight about an

[21:57] effort to save wild turkeys from

[21:59] becoming Thanksgiving dinner. And you

[22:01] said serve it up. But the story Steve

[22:04] came back with for tonight's Assignment

[22:05] America may have you crying foul.

[22:09] >> All right, we don't count. Let me get

[22:10] out of the way.

[22:11] >> For what it's worth, I wasn't the only

[22:13] one confused by what was happening here.

[22:15] >> I mean, it looked like turkeys were

[22:17] getting saved.

[22:18] >> Sounded like turkeys were getting saved.

[22:20] So, I think we all just assumed

[22:22] >> turkeys were getting saved.

[22:24] >> I'm really thankful these turkeys didn't

[22:26] stick around for Thanksgiving. It's

[22:28] important for them to have a new

[22:30] environment to live in.

[22:31] >> Even other reporters jumped to that

[22:33] conclusion.

[22:34] >> Well, Thanksgiving seemed to be an

[22:35] appropriate time to let these birds go.

[22:37] They will escape the dinner table this

[22:40] year.

[22:41] >> We all came to this field after getting

[22:43] a press release from a hunting advocacy

[22:46] group called the National Wild Turkey

[22:48] Federation. It said, "Wild turkeys take

[22:51] flight near Tampa. Witness the release

[22:53] of wild turkeys into suitable habitat."

[22:56] But I knew people hunt here and it is

[22:58] hunting season. So, is this really

[23:00] better than where they were before? I

[23:02] posed that question to Federation

[23:04] President James Earl Kenn.

[23:06] >> And where did these turkeys come from?

[23:08] >> They were just trapped because of this

[23:11] event we're having here today to show

[23:12] the kids. So, we're turning them loose

[23:14] right back where they started.

[23:18] >> Okay, that part I didn't get. So, these

[23:20] turkeys were here

[23:22] >> and just caught them just for the

[23:23] cameras basically to to show what a

[23:25] release is like

[23:26] >> to the kids.

[23:27] >> Hi, Mom.

[23:28] >> The kids.

[23:29] >> We're going to be letting the cameras

[23:30] get moved.

[23:30] >> The cameras and ultimately the hunters.

[23:34] James Earl wants you to know there are

[23:36] plenty of wild turkeys in America now. 7

[23:38] million in fact. But that still doesn't

[23:41] explain why these 14 had to get

[23:44] abducted. The media that we're doing

[23:47] here today is an event showing that this

[23:49] is what it took to bring wild turkeys

[23:51] back on this continent. Talk about the

[23:53] heritage and talk about the history of

[23:54] this country.

[23:55] >> What does the turkey get out of the

[23:56] whole deal?

[23:57] >> He had a bad night in a box.

[23:59] >> I felt bad for the turkeys and kind of

[24:02] bad for the kids.

[24:03] >> We accomplished giving the turkeys a

[24:05] whole new different world to them. I

[24:08] >> This is like something they haven't seen

[24:09] in

[24:10] >> so long.

[24:11] >> Hours.

[24:12] >> I thought about telling her the truth.

[24:14] Um, but then why let the facts get in

[24:16] the way of a good turkey kidnapping?

[24:19] >> This has been such an amazing

[24:21] experience. They spread their beautiful

[24:23] wings and they just soar off into the

[24:24] sky. It's amazing.

[24:27] >> And with that, I promise to read my

[24:29] press releases more closely from now on.

[24:32] >> The turkeys are actually kind of pretty.

[24:34] >> They can be pretty. They can be ugly,

[24:36] though, too.

[24:36] >> Yeah, the face is kind of ugly, but the

[24:38] back is pretty. Now, do they these

[24:40] turkeys go on to live happily ever

[24:41] after? Um, maybe, maybe not. I mean,

[24:45] they hunt there, so who knows? I'm sure

[24:47] they'll make it through this

[24:47] Thanksgiving, though, because it's

[24:48] getting late.

[24:49] >> Yeah, that's true. All right, what have

[24:51] you cooked up for your next visit?

[24:52] >> Okay, we have three choices, as always.

[24:55] The police academy is generally a young

[24:57] man's calling. But that hasn't stopped

[24:59] Ed Fredo, Florida's 63-year-old rookie.

[25:03] Or how much would you spend for a vanity

[25:05] license plate? In Delaware, they're

[25:07] going for six figures, and that's

[25:09] without a car attached. I could find out

[25:12] why. Or finally, more humble transport.

[25:15] This couple is traveling around the

[25:17] world by mule. Hey, Eeyore. Good luck

[25:20] with the Pacific. So, those are your

[25:22] choices. Do you have a particular

[25:23] favorite?

[25:24] >> Um, all of them sound terrific.

[25:27] After today's, I'm not sure.

[25:30] >> Well, it's going to be better. I

[25:31] promise. To vote for a favorite, all you

[25:33] have to do is go to cbsnews.com and

[25:35] click on the assignment America logo.

[25:38] story with the most votes airs in two

[25:40] weeks.

[25:42] >> Tonight's Assignment America segment is

[25:44] sponsored by Exxon Mobile, taking on the

[25:47] world's toughest energy challenges.

[25:53] No matter where people are going, we're

[25:56] all going in the same direction.

[25:58] The future, something we're thinking

[26:01] about today.

[26:03] A good example, this ultra clean diesel

[26:06] fuel we're producing in the US.

[26:11] It contains 97% less sulfur

[26:15] and we can all benefit from that.

[26:18] I'm Chris Ericson and I work for Exxon

[26:20] Mobile.

[26:22] Before we go tonight, I can't tell you

[26:24] how often we hear it. Isn't there any

[26:27] good news? Well, we hope you'll tune in

[26:29] Monday when we'll kick off Thanksgiving

[26:31] week with a series of truly

[26:33] inspirational stories about people who

[26:35] have discovered the joy of giving. I'm

[26:38] Katie Kurrick. Thanks so much for

[26:40] watching this week. I hope you'll be

[26:41] with us again on Monday for the CBS

[26:43] Evening News. Until then, have a great

[26:46] weekend.

[26:56] See how your favorite restaurant has

[26:58] gone healthy on the Saturday Early Show.

[27:00] CBS News. See it now, anytime, anywhere.