comments@captioncolorado.com >> pelley: nasa is calling it a potential godzilla, a weather system that could bear down on the united states. also tonight, we're on the scene of the catastrophic explosions in china. the death toll is rising. tourniquets save accident victims, but fakes are turning up that could cost lives. and a courtroom artist gets called for roughing the quarterback. >> i want to apologize to all his fans. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> pelley: well, we never expected to lead the broadcast with an attack by godzilla, but today, the weather service announced a system is forming in the pacific that one nasa climatologist called a godzilla el nino.

an el nino warms the ocean, and this one could be strong enough to bring once-in-a-generation storms to the west and change the weather coast to coast. here's john blackstone. >> reporter: this was the winter of 1997-98. san francisco had its wettest winter in 120 years. los angeles got nearly a year's worth of rain in just one month. snowfall in the mountains was double the average. 17 people died. el nino was to blame back then, and an even stronger el nino is developing right now. climatologist bill patzert: >> over the next three months, this should turn into what i call a godzilla event. >> reporter: el nino is characterized by a mass of unusually warm ocean water stretching across the pacific to south america. last month, the mass of warm water on the right appeared broader than it did in 1997. >> if it continues to build, this will have a tremendous

impact, not only over north america but over the entire planet. >> reporter: in the united states, a strong el nino could bring more precipitation across most of the south and up the east coast. northern states are likely to have a winter that is drier and warmer than usual. californians know el nino can bring both bad and good. after years of drought, they are praying for rain. are our prayers going to be answered? >> i think they're going to be answered, and i don't think it will be too much of a good thing. >> reporter: meteorologist john monteverdi warns, however, that with el nino, there are no guarantees. >> we've had strong el ninos where the storm track either went north to alaska or went into mexico. >> reporter: if predictions are true, el nino rains could start hitting california by late october and last into the spring. but, scott, the forecasters warn that even this strong el nino may not be enough to make up completely for four years of severe drought. >> pelley: john blackstone in the city by the bay this evening.

john, thank you. we have remarkable new video of yesterday's tremendous explosions in tianjin, china. the chinese are saying this evening that 50 are dead, but that is sure to rise. at least 700 are injured, dozens are missing. the blasterupted at the seaport in a warehouse for hazardous materials, and seth doane made it there today. >> reporter: this stunning video, taken by a drone, gives an aerial view of the aftermath. the skeleton of burned buildings, shipping containers smoldering, acrid smoke belching into the sky. more than 1,000 firefighters were sent in, but they were stopped as authorities tried to figure out which chemicals were burning and their risk. take a look at this building. this is the side facing the blast. every single window is blown out. the second explosion had the

power of more than 20 tons of t.n.t. >> reporter: kelly wang and nathan liu didn't have time to collect their belongings. you can describe the explosion? "everybody just ran out, "she said. "we saw fire in a mushroom cloud. it's terrifying, very terrifying." victims filled hospitals, many had wounds from flying glass. the blasts were so powerful they registered as earthquakes. and produced fireballs so big, they were seen in outer space, pictured as a growing green mass in a sea of white clouds. the explosions burned hundred of new cars to their shells. some pictures and posts about the blasts were deleted from social media by chinese censors as authorities tried to control the narrative. we're just trying to shoot in front of a hospital.

we're not trying to do that much but as you can see, the police here are trying to stop us from shooting. this is what it's like covering a story here in china. police blocked access to the blast site. residents were not allowed to return home, and local tv stations gave little coverage to the story. there is no word yet on what caused the disaster, but, scott, calls for accountability go all the way up to chinese's president who has demanded severe punishment. >> pelley: seth doane in beijing for us tonight. seth, thank you. today, colorado rivers are said to be recovering after the accidental release of three million gallons of mining waste. but mireya villarreal found that what lies beneath the surface remains a stubborn problem. >> reporter: that's the color that came through the middle of the river. >> right. brighter than that. you know, a lot of the red and yellows in here might be iron oxides, or other contaminants. >> reporter: sinjin eberle of

the american rivers advocacy group, says as a result of this spill, dangerous heavy metals like arsenic, zinc, and led have settled to the bottom of the river and on the banks. >> this is a river that really rages under a lot of water, and so the concern is that violence of the water passing through will churn up a lot of the sediments that are sitting on the bottom of the river. >> reporter: today, e.p.a. administrator gina mccarthy acknowledged testing that's at the bottom is at the top of their list. >> the sediment is where that longer term responsibility is for this agency, and we will meet that responsibility. >> reporter: the river is still closed. we had to get permission to wade in. but colorado governor john hickenloooper took a drink of the water to prove the quality is back. he did, however, use an iodine bill to kill off bacteria. officials say this section of the animas has not been suitable for drinking for decades due to contamination from previous mine runoff. >> we need to do best to clean up and isolate water from as

many of these mines as we can. >> reporter: but eberle warns the damage beneath these waters will not go anyway any time soon. how long will these metals stay in the river? >> heavy metals do not degrade very quickly. these metals will linger in the environment for centuries. >> reporter: the e.p.a. is now delivering a half as million dollars worth of waterra to new mexico for irrigation purposes. and, scott, on top of that, local officials are hoping to open up this river by monday. >> pelley: mireya villarreal, thanks very much. tonight, the private e-mail server that hillary clinton used as secretary of state is in the hands of the f.b.i. what's on it may be nothing. what was on it? that's what they'd like to find out. and here's nancy cordes. >> reporter: the server the f.b.i. picked up was stored not at the clinton's chappaqua, new york uhome as many assumed but at a data center in new jersey.

a lawyer for platte river networks, the i.t. firm that manages the clintons' e-mail system, told cbs news that the server was moved to the new jersey facility some time after clinton left the state department, when the clintons upgraded their system. the lawyer said the old server is now blank and likely does not contain usable information. >> you can eliminate data from any sort of hard drive or server. someone may be able to recover it depending how good they are and how good a job you did deleting it in the first place. >> reporter: cnet's dan ackerman says the most common method for wiping data clean is to overright it multiple times. >> almost as if you write something on a chalk board and then you eerate raceit, then write over it, then erase it. eventually no matter how closely you look you will never be able to see what the original thing was you wrote. >> i didn't see any reason to keep them. >> reporter: the inspector general for the intelligence community says a review of the

just 40 of her work-related e-mailed yielded four that contained classified information and thus should never have been transmitted have a an like a home server. >> if you have any sort of device connected to the internet, you've created a pathway into it. >> reporter: the inspector general also says two of those four e-mails should have been considered top secret in part because they contained satellite-based intelligence. keep in mind, scott, that determination was based on a review of just one-tenth of 1% e-mails. >> pelley: nancy cordes in washington tonight. nancy, thank you. tonight, we have learned that counterfeit tourniquets are finding their way into the and police. the fakes break easily, which could leave an accident victim bleeding to death. jeff pegues found a bulletin for law enforcement. >> reporter: this bulletin went on to new hampshire first

responders after paramedics experienced a catastrophic failure with two counterfeit tourniquets at the sceneave motorcycle accident. sources say a rod like this snapped in half as the parmet medics tried to stem a hemorrhage on a victim with a leg injury. that made it impossible to tighten the tourniquet air, failure that could prove fatal. the counterfeits were knockoffs of the combat application tourniquet, or c.a.t. cats are made by a company called north american rescue. if vase it has sold nearly 13 million tourniquets to the military and first responders over the last decade. during the wars in iraq and afghanistan, tourniquets proved so life saving that the u.s. military tried to give one to every soldier on the battlefield. in late september, the obama administration will roll out an initiative to put tourniquets in public places, office buildings and schools. but with fake tourniquets, some possibly made in china, being sold online for a third of the

actual price, manufacturers fear the knockoffs will end up in the public's hands. ross johnson is a former special forces officer and c.e.o. of tourniquet distributor tactical medical solutions. >> the concern for us is that uneducated buyers, whether they be a contracting officer for a municipal government or just an individual citizen, is going to think they're doing the right thing, and supporting the white house initiatives, but inadvertently putting out a product that's unsafe. >> reporter: he says the counterfeits look remarkably similar to the real thing and that is part of the danger here. scott, we wanted to know how the counterfeit tourniquets got into the hands of new hampshire paramedics but we have not received an answer to that question. >> pelley: jeff pegues break the story for us tonight, thank you. today, cuba's fidel castro celebrated his 89th birthday, and tomorrow, secretary of state john kerry will raise the stars and stripes

at the reopened u.s. embassy in havana. but many who fled castro's revolution want more than just a ceremony. margaret brennan reports they want what they left behind. >> now, all of these things had been taken over by the government. >> reporter: lois and roy schechter's life in cuba ended at gunpoint when castro's soldiers barred them from their farm. >> soldiers were there. he spoke to them and got in the car and drove away. that was the end of the farm. >> reporter: why wouldn't the soldiers let you into the farm? >> they had taken it over. they had nationalized it. >> reporter: the castro government seized property from the wealthy, including hundreds of americans. the schechters had been on the island for 60 years and lived in this 17-room home. it's now in a guarded diplomatic enclave and occupied by chinese officials. this building used to house a successful shirt factory owned by the schechters, but it, too, was taken. and by 1961, the family had no

choice but to pack up and leave. lois smuggled a few prized pieces of jewelry inside her son's diapers. >> and i figured if anybody wanted to get what was in here, they would be welcome to take it. >> reporter: the family believed what they'd lost was gone forever. but now, 54 years after she fled, lois and her daughter, amy, are working from their new york home to reclaim their havana properties. >> i would like to see reparations. if we have relations with cube ai don't think we should have them without the reparations. >> reporter: the schechters' lawyers estimate the value of their claims at over $8 million. but you feel that money that the castros owe you? >> yeah. you know, it was the family's. >> reporter: with cuba's weak economy, it's unclear how it would repay claims, even if diplomats agreed to it. and, scott, havana wants the u.s. to pay more than $300

billion worth of damages it said it suffered due to the embargo and seized assets. >> pelley: margaret brennan in havana tonight. margaret, thanks. there's a revolution coming in making purchases with a smartphone. somewhat when cbs evening news continues. [music] jackie's heart attack didn't come with a warning. today her doctor has her on a bayer aspirin regimen to help reduce the risk of another one. if you've had a heart attack be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. unbelievable! toenail fungus? seriously? smash it with jublia! jublia is a prescription medicine proven to treat toenail fungus. use jublia as instructed by your doctor. look at the footwork! most common side effects include ingrown toenail, application site redness, itching, swelling,

burning or stinging, blisters, and pain. smash it! make the call and ask your doctor if jublia is right for you. new larger size now available. i take prilosec otc each morning for my frequent heartburn. because it gives me... zero heartburn! prilosec otc. the number 1 doctor-recommended frequent heartburn medicine for 9 straight years. one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. you pay your auto insurance premium every month on the dot. you're like the poster child for paying on time. and then one day you tap the bumper of a station wagon. no big deal... until your insurance company jacks up your rates. you freak out. what good is having insurance if you get punished for using it? hey insurance companies, news flash. nobody's perfect. for drivers with accident forgiveness, liberty mutual won't raise your rates due to your first accident. see car insurance in a whole new light. liberty mutual insurance. i brought in some protein to get us moving. i'm new ensure active high protein.

i help you recharge with nutritious energy and strength. i'll take that. yeeeeeah!new ensure active high protein. 16 grams of protein and 23 vitamins and minerals. ensure. take life in. >> pelley: today, samsung said it would raise the bar in the smartphone wars with something called samsung pay. don dahler tells us it would let customers use their phones like credit cards nearly everywhere. >> reporter: when credit cards are swiped air, magnetic strip transfers financial information into the credit card terminal. it took 11 years to get that technology on a smartphone. >> wow. >> sick! >> turns out it was really hard. >> reporter: when m.i.t. graduate will graylin figured it out upon he sold his company to tech giant samsung and made millions. >> our vision is for you to be able to digitize all of your credentials inside of a secure

container, which is your mobile wallet and your phone should be safer than your leather wallet. >> reporter: john heggesteun is a senior research analyst with business "inside." he says current alps like android and apple pay only work on specialized credit card terminals which are in limited use. how much a game changer is this? >> it's huge. if you start to use samsung pay you'll be able to use it everywhere. >> reporter: for security, samsung pay requires a finger print or pin number and the actual card number is never revealed. instead, the phone gen raits a number that only gets used once. >> there it is. >> reporter: but there could be privacy issues. the phones collect and pass along data on purchases, store loyalty, and discount cards. is there a danger, though, in having so much of us in one device like that? >> i think when a device can bring you convenience and it can bring you higher levels of security, then it's natural that

you want to depend on those kind of devices to do those things for you. i think it's part of the future. >> reporter: if you're worried about the phone tracking your history, you can choose to opt out of that feature. scott, samsung might not have the advantage for long. most businesses are expected to upgrade to the credit card terminal that also works with apple and android. >> pelley: don dahler. thank you, don. up next, a sketch artist is drawing some ugly criticism. the #1 prescribed acid-blocking brand, and get all day, all night protection. nexium level protection. there's something out there. it's a highly contagious disease. it can be especially serious- even fatal to infants. unfortunately, many people who spread it may not know they have it. it's called whooping cough. and the cdc recommends everyone, including those around babies, make sure their whooping cough vaccination is up to date.

understand the danger your new grandchild faces. talk to your doctor or pharmacist about you and your family getting a whooping cough vaccination today. here at humana, we value sticking with things. when something works, people stick with it. more people stick with humana medicare advantage. because we stick with them. humana medicare advantage. the plan people stick with. so you think this chip is nothing to worry about? well at safelite we know sooner or later, every chip will crack. these friends were on a trip when their windshield got chipped. so they scheduled at safelite.com... they didn't have to change their plans, or worry about a thing. and i fixed it right away... ...with a strong repair they can trust. plus, with most insurance a safelite repair

is no cost to you. really?! being there whenever you need us... that's another safelite advantage. safelite repair, safelite replace. with my moderate to severe ulcerative colitis, the possibility of a flare was almost always on my mind. thinking about what to avoid, where to go... and how to deal with my uc. to me, that was normal. until i talked to my doctor. she told me that humira helps people like me get uc under control and keep it under control when certain medications haven't worked well enough. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems,

serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. raise your expectations. ask your gastroenterologist about humira. with humira, control is possible. >> pelley: have a look at this. this is star quarterback tom brady, and this is a widely criticized sketch of him as he appeared in court yesterday. here now is the artist testifying in her own defense. >> hi, my name is jane rosenberg. i've been a courtroom artist for 35 years. he's a very handsome person. he's perfectly symmetrical and when i'm working fast it's very hard for me to capture very beautiful people.

i do better with people with more caricature faces -- bernie madoff, martha stewart, woody allen. i didn't know how much time i was going to have. it could have been five minutes and it would be all over for the day. this whole thing has gone viral and people are making cartoons of the sketches. i really like the michael jackson one. and i saw "the scream." some of them made me laugh. they're actually very funny. i'm not perfect and i think athletes understand you have good days and bad days and people just do the best they can. you're very hand smed. i'm sorry if my sketch didn't make you look as good as you look. i'll try my best next time. >> pelley: next time will be next week when brady is back in court appealing his suspension for deflate-gate. d.n.a. has rewritten a piece of presidential history. after warren harding died in 1923, nan britton wrote a book claiming she had been his mistress, they'd made love in a white house closet and he'd fartherrerred her daughter, elizabeth.

harding supporters denied it, even claimed he was sterile, but now d.n.a. testing just released by ancestry.com shows that the president was swrbz's father. chicago. the story behind them next. ...become especially important. from the makers of one a day fifty-plus. new one a day proactive sixty-five plus. with high potency vitamin b12... ...and more vitamin d. when you're living with diabetes, steady is exciting. only glucerna has carbsteady, clinically proven to help minimize blood sugar spikes. so you stay steady ahead. with the pain and swelling of my moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis... ordinary objects often seemed... intimidating. doing something simple... meant enduring a lot of pain. if ra is changing your view of everyday things

orencia may help. orencia works differently by targeting a source of ra early in the inflammation process. for many, orencia provides long-term relief of ra symptoms. it's helped new ra patients and those not helped enough by other treatments. do not take orencia with another biologic medicine for ra due to an increased risk of serious infection. serious side effects can occur including fatal infections. cases of lymphoma and lung cancer have been reported. tell your doctor if you're prone to or have any infection like an open sore, the flu, or a history of copd, a chronic lung disease. orencia may worsen your copd. if you're not getting the relief you need... ask your doctor about orencia. orencia. see your ra in a different way.

>> pelley: murders in chicago are up 21% in year, but in one part of town, they are down 14%. there, adriana diaz tells us, signs of a turnaround are all around. >> one, two, three -- >> reporter: the sounds of childhood are making a comeback on yvonne marshall's block. >> all you hear is children laughing and playing. >> reporter: the grandmother of five credit these desperate pleas on plywood, "don't shoot, kids at play."

"let the kid grow up." the signs showed up on bishop avenue in late may after four-year-old jacele johnson was shot in the head nearby. the little girl survived, but in the last five years, more than chicago. funerals. how often did you used to hear gunshots in your neighborhood? week. >> reporter: but since the signs, there hasn't been a single shooting on these two blocks. who was involved in putting up that sign? >> we all were. >> reporter: the calls for peace came from these former gang members. >> we felt it was needed. so many kids losing their lives at a young age. >> reporter: joe walker, dwan brown, and their friend grew up here. now they have children of their own. >> we was trying to make it, like a surprise for the neighbors too. and when we put them up, that i was like, "unbelievable. unbelievable." >> reporter: it may have been their innovation, but the motivation came from a meeting

with chicago police superintendent garry mccarthy. he routinely calls in gang members and parole ease after shooting. >> we introduce them to the concept of group accountability. >> reporter: that means if a kid gets shot, everybody in the area will feel the heat. >> we can't be accountable for what happens in the other block but we can be accountable for what happens over here. so what can we do different? the signs. >> reporter: with all the high-tech resources at the police's disposal, it's these crude, plywood signs that neighbors say have made the difference. >> don't care if it was done in crayon. if it's spray paint on a piece of cardboard and it's effective, let's get more spray paint and cardboard. >> reporter: the hope here is that the signs spread torg troubled blocks so kids can be kids and play outside. adriana diaz, cbs news, chicago.