Asylumseekers. Norah Cbs Evening News begins now. s good evening, im norah odonnell, thank you for being with us. We do want to begin tonight with the dueling visit the southern border by the two front runners in this years election, showcasing the Record Number of migrant crossings that are overwhelming resources along the border and in major cities across the country. President biden was in brownsville, texas, where he issued a political day or to donald trump to join him and pressing House Republicans to help secure the border by passing the senates bipartisan security bill. Now, 325 miles away, trump was in eagle pass, where he took a much different approach, unleashing attacks on biden, democrats, and migrants, but not proposing a legislative solution. A record 2. 4 million migrants were apprehended at the u. S. Mexican border in 2023 and immigration has become the top issue for many voters heading into the 2024 election. Cbss ed okeefe is traveling with the president and he will start us off tonight from texas. Reporter the president and the former president who wants to replace him in the white house played the blame game today along the u. S. Mexico border. This is a biden invasion over the past three years. Reporter President Biden said it was donald trump who urged House Republicans to kill the bill that would have beefed up security at the border. Its time for the speakers and some of my republican friends in congress from blocking this bill to show a little spying. Reporter after a Record Number of Illegal Crossings last year, President Biden toured the border in brownsville, texas, is trying to show he is addressing the issue that more than 60 of voters call a very serious concern. Just hours before the president s arrival here in brownsville, u. S. Border patrol and Texas State Police say they stopped people on the other side of the border from bringing across drugs. Chris cabrera of the Border Patrol said that with Illegal Crossings into this part of texas down recently, the president has come too late. But i think the timing is a little off. I mean, if you have come a year ago, two years ago, three years ago. Reporter trump, visited eagle pass more than 300 miles away continued explaining a crisis that he could insult himt him back in the white house. Allies say he is Planning Mass Deportations and Detention Caps if elected. Today, he said to also connect President Biden to the recent murder of a georgia Nursing Student by Venezuelan Migrant who entered the country illegally in 2022. Speak with a monster charged in the death is an illegal Alien Migrant who was let into our country and released into our communities by crooked joe biden. Reporter the president , who didnt address trump the tax, said they should work together. Joined me, or ill join you, in telling the congress to pass this bipartisan porridge security bill. We can do it together. Reporter as president , trump severely restricted asylum and required migrants to await their Court Hearings in mexico. And President Biden took office, he reversed those policies but is now considering employing an Executive Power used by trump to suspend a silent. The former president also met with Texas Governor greg abbott today, who is at war with the Biden Administration over implement in his own Border Crackdown, installing National Guard troops and razor wire barriers in eagle pass. But we spoke to a local resident adam rodriguez, who says concerns there are overblown. We raised our kids here. You know, and there has never been any criminal element. You dont have to worry about walking down the street. Reporter notably, governor abbotts Border Crackdown suffered a legal setback just today, as a federal judge rejected a new texas law that would allow state police to arrest and prosecute people crossing the border illegally. Critics call it a form of racial profiling. The governor says he will appeal the case all the way to the u. S. Supreme court. Norah . Norah big issue, ed okeefe, thank you. While the two leading president ial candidates are focusing on the border crisis in texas, we have learned that migrant crossings are shifting towards california, which has seen a sharp increase in recent months. Cbss Adam Yamaguchi reports from along the the Southern Borr in the golden state. Reporter these are taking their first careless steps on the u. S. Oil as they navigate a Steep Rocky Maze across u. S. Others border. The last few minutes we have seen at least 50 or 60 people come down. Pretty rugged, punishing terrain here. They arrived by the dozens at this border cam, roughly 70 miles east of san diego. This entire region saw nearly 25,000 Illegal Crossings in january alone. From countries around the world. So this woman is from brazil. She just came down the ridge here. And she was expanding to me that she was in tijuana and got injured. She was essentially caught in cross fire between warring gangs and the police. Despite the dangers, many are now choosing routes to california rather than cost of the texas border. Its better than the other border. Reporter better meaning easier . Not easier. Nothing easy about this. Reporter we met up with abdel talebely and other migrants were bused to san diego and released after being processed by Border Patrol. Abdel talebely is from a mauritania in africa, he is seeg asylum after leaving behind a w, infant son come at nursing career. So right now, a lot of americans would say you shouldnt be here. They are right. This is their country. But i am just a guy looking for a safety and security. Reporter we followed talebely as he made his way to the san diego airport, and within hours, new york city. He is staying at this shelter. For now. Reporter i used to sleep there in my home next to my wife and my son and now i am sleeping next to a thousand men that i dont even know. Like a homeless person. Reporter this is the group of migrants that has come down from the mountains. In either the wall more this rugged, punishing terrain, is enough to stop the determination of these asylumseekers. This is what policymakers and border officials are up against. Norah eyeopening. Adam yamaguchi, thank you so much. Lets go overseas now to gaza, where there is growing International Outrage after more than 100 people were killed when israeli troops opened fire on civilians gathered around Food Aid Trucks in gaza city. According to eyewitnesses, many were killed in an ensuing stampede as people ran from the gunfire. Cbss imtiaz tyab reports tonight from israel. Reporter a truck once carrying lifesaving aid now piled with the bodies of those who had come into operation for help. Eyewitneses told cbs News Israeli Forces opened fire as people crowded around the Convoy Carrying Basics like flour. Israels military released this heavilyedited drone video of what it says shows how many were killed in a stampede around the aid trucks. But admitted to shooting down a Smaller Group of people, which it described as a imminent threat. How do you define a threat . Anybody approaching the forces despite being warned not to. Pose a threat. Reporter how do you account for the fact that we have seen people Gunshot Wounds to their chests, to their arms . I can confirm that. Reporter the injured were run to the few functioning hospitals in gaza city. Doctors told cbs news the majority of the dead were from Gunshot Wounds. Israeli tanks came out and then they opened fire, this man says. This is my brother, who went to bring food for his children. This latest violence also led to a grim milestone. The hamas run Ministry Of Health says more than 30,000 palestinians, mainly women and children, have been killed since the start of the war between israel and hamas. Thats about one in 70 people in gaza. Half a million of which are also facing acute starvation, according to the u. N. The pentagon now actively planning air drops of aid into gaza, which cant come soon enough. And tonight, President Biden acknowledged the shootings would complicate the talks, while a hamas spokesman told cbs news, they cannot negotiate with israel while palestinians were being killed in what he described as cold blood. Norah . Norah imtiaz tyab, thank you. Turning now to that Massive Wildfire in texas, which is now the largest in state history and has already burned more than 1 million acres. And 83yearold grandmother was killed, homes and businesses have been destroyed, and thousands of cattle are likely dead. Cbss dave malkoff continues our reporting now with the news how the cold weather is now creating problems for First Responders and those left without power. Reporter the massive Smokehouse Creek fire remains only 3 contained, as firefighters across the state fight for control. It is 1 of 5 major wildfires furiously scorching a Path Of Destruction across the texas panhandle. We had to watch from 3 miles away as as our neighbor burned. Reporter at least one person has been killed. 83yearold Joyce Blankenship was found inside her home north of amarillo. The panhandle is where the majority of cattle in texas are raised, and now thousands of livestock are feared dead. I run to the door and i see, it looked like armageddon. Reporter this morning, First Responders worked in snow and freezing temperatures. Residents are now returning to whats left of their homes and lives. That was my front door. Reporter tyler mccains family got out just hours before their home burned to the ground in fritch in the center of the panhandle. You want your house . Reporter mccain posted his 3yearold daughters emotional reaction on social media. Tonight, the family is staying in a home offered to them by a stranger on facebook. We are the airbnb until monday. After that we have to figure out what were doing. Day by day, you know. Reporter while they are still assessing the damage here in fritch, these wildfires have now grown so large that a federal team is on its way to take over operations starting tomorrow morning. Norah . Norah dave malkoff, thank you. For a look at how the weather will impact the fires in the days ahead, and tell us a potentially historic blizzard on the west coast, lets bring in meteorologist mike bartus. He is from our partners at the weather channel. Good evening, mike. Reporter norah, good evening. Unfortunately the weather is not helping matters across the lone star state. Dry and we conditions until we can. Wildfire with watches and red flag warnings, texas and iowa through saturday. The major factor in all of this, significant wind picking back up, especially this weekend, where winds may be gusting as high as 50 miles per hour, again fanning those claims. We expect rapid spread of the fire to continue peak of the ring that is falling actually falls well to the east of where the Smokehouse Creek fire is burning here in the panhandle of texas. And then our attention turns to the west. We got a Monster Winter Storm that is crashing in right now, significant snow and rain as well, some spots at high elevation, norah, could see 6 feet or more of snow and blizzard warnings in effect across california and nevada. Norah mike bettes, thank you. Now to some breaking news. Alabama lawmakers in the state senate and house have passed bills they say your protections to cliques that provide in vitro fertilization services. Now this follows the States Supreme Court ruling that gives embryos the same rights as children. The final bill is expected to head to the governors desk next week for her signature. We want to turn now to a serious cyber attack on one of the nations Largest Health care companies. For more than a week, the attack has disrupted Prescription Orders at pharmacies all over the country. And as cbss Nicole Sganga reports, a lot of people are now scrambling to get their medicine. Reporter a cyber attack on Health Care ProviderChange Healthcare is reaching havoc nationwide, as hospitals and pharmacies cant d and patients can get prescriptions. So, i mean, we have seen a lot of claims coming through as a rejected claim, where obviously insurance providers are not being able to pay because of this attack. Reporter the Company Discovered they attack on february 21st, disconnecting impacted systems immediately. Parent company unitedhealth stated in a federal filing. Change healthcare processes 15 billion transactions annually, touching one in three u. S. Patient records. I can tell you that this cyber attack has affected every hospital in the country, in one way or another. Reporter john riggi is a National Advisor at the American Hospital association. It is not a data crime. It is not a whitecollar crime. These are threats to life. Reporter it a since ive been deleted post on the dark web, a russianspeaking Ransomware Group known as blackcat claimed responsibility, alleging they stole more than six terabytes of data, including sensitive medical records. Change healthcare says its established workarounds for patients. For smaller hospitals, are we talking months, weeks, days . The smaller, lessresourced hospitls come our safety net, critical access, rural hospitals, certainly do not operate with months of cash reserves. Could be just a matter of days or a couple of weeks. Norah and nicole is with us. What is the fbi doing . Reporter the fbis investor getting this malicious act, and according to u. S. Records, Hundreds Of Breaches at hospitals and clinics nationwide are currently under investigation by various federal agencies, norah. Norah so frustrating for so many people. Nicole sganga, thank you very much. Well, now to a major break up in the Business World vehicle Weight Watchers and ill stay that Oprah Winfrey is stepping down from its Board Of Directors after nearly ten years while the companys stock fell shortly today at this news. Nikki battiste has more for what this could mean for the iconic brand. We want to be healthier. Lets get real, we also want to lose weight. Reporter Oprah Winfreys weight has been in The Public Eye for decades. Shes been on Weight Watchers boards in 2015, when she acquired a 10 stake in the company. I have never felt deprived. Reporter the Weight Loss Company said wednesday, winfrey is stepping away from its board. Shares of Weight Watchers stock dropped 20 . In december, winfrey said she was using a Weight Loss Medication as a maintenance t tool, and she was done with shaming. Always at the top. 2 miles straight up. Reporter in a statement, Weight Watchers said, oprah has been an inspiring presence and passionate me advocate for our members. We will dearly miss her presence on the board. Reporter what is missing about . Separating Health Issues from the weight and appearance issues. Reporter dr. Melanie jay sat on a panel with winfrey last year. We still have to manage a medications longterm. We still have to make changes to your lifestyle. Reporter winfrey says she is donating all of her Weight Watchers stock to the National Museum of African American history and culture. Nikki battiste, cbs news, new york. Norah now this news, College Basketball sensation Caitlin Clark makes a big announcement about her future. Weve got the exciting details. Thats next. theres two things a young man wanna be a cowboy or a gangster. 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