comments@captioncolorado.com >> pelley: tonight, secretary of state clinton predicts that syria's army will turn on the dictator. >> they didn't sign up to slaughter people. >> pelley: she took the gloves off about russia and china. >> it is just despicable. >> pelley: wyatt andrews and clarissa ward report. troubling news today on iran's nuclear program. david martin has that story. anthony mason on what's driving gas prices to record highs. >> gas prices are outrageous! >> pelley: and "on the road" with mr. and mrs. steve hartman. digging for buried treasure. >> this is, like, from 1960, who has paper plates from 1960s? >> exactly! scaptioning sponsored by cbs

this is the "cbs evening news" >> pelley: good evening. today the president called what's happening in syria "the slaughter of innocents," and we got a heartbreaking picture in the news room that showed us just what he meant. near the town of hama, two families, 18 people, many children, were shot to death. the rebels said the syrian army did this. we can't verify that because reporters are banned from the country. two reporters who got in were killed earlier this week. as you know, a freedom movement rose up a year ago against the assad dictatorship and after russia and china vetoed a u.n. resolution this month that called on bashar al-assad to step down, he apparently decided that this was his chance to crush the rebels. president obama said this today. >> it is absolutely imperative for the international community to rally and send a clear message to president assad that it is time for a transition, it's time for that regime to move on and it is time to stop

the killing of syrian citizens by their own government. >> pelley: that's the message the secretary of state took today to a remarkable meeting of 70 countries that got together in tunisia to find a way to stop assad. wyatt andrews is there. >> reporter: secretary of state clinton, in the harshest rhetoric she's used so far, warned both assad and his arms suppliers-- include, russia-- that the death and suffering of innocent people has to end now. >> if the assad regime refuses to allow this life-saving aid to reach people in need, it will have even more blood on its hands. and so, too, will those nations that continue to protect and arm the regime. >> pelley: the secretary also said russia and china shared the blame for the violence by blocking a u.n. resolution that would have condemned assad.

>> it's just despicable, and i ask whose side are they on? they are clearly not on the side of the syrian people. >> reporter: on the question of what happens if assad refuses to budge, the saudis were blunt. asked if the rebels should be supplied with arms, saudi foreign minister saud al-faisal said yes. >> they have to protect themselves. >> reporter: the conference in tunis was staged as a global show of outrage. there were new pledges of financial sanctions against the syrian regime and a show of who might replace bashar al-assad in what amounted to an international debut, the exile group syrian national congress, was invited to form a transitional government for the day assad leaves. we sat down with the president of the s.n.c., burhan galioun who, in his normal life, is a professor of politics at the sorbonne university in paris.

are you potentially the next president of syria? >> (/ translated/ ): i am the first person to put themselves on the line representing the syrian revolution until the regime falls. >> reporter: the conference ended on a demand that assad allow in emergency food and medicine immediately. and now, with the world allied against him, scott, this is simple-- it's his move. >> pelley: wyatt andrews reporting tonight from tunisia. wyatt, thank you. the rebels in syria are up against a well-trained, well-armed military. the syrian elite forces are led by the dictators' brother. cbs news correspondent clarissa ward has been with the rebels twice recently: once in december, and another time two weeks ago inside syria. so, clarissa, tell us, what do the rebels have to fight back with? >> well, scott, the group that we were with, which calls itself the syrian liberation army, had a very modest selection of light weaponry, kalashnikovs,

rocket-propelled grenades, also some very crudely fashioned homemade bombs. but they are desperate for more weapons. they told us their only funding comes from the syrian diaspora, but because the supply is so limited and the demand is so high, the price of weapons has gone through the roof. they said that a kalashnikov is about $2,500. that's roughly five times the world average. >> pelley: a kalashnikov being an a.k.-47, the standard machine gun that is prevalent in that area. i wonder, how are arms getting smuggled into the rebels? you were deep inside syria when you were with them last. >> there are two ways. some weapons are being confiscated from attacks on the syrian army and are being bought on the black market inside syria itself and some are being smuggled through from bordering countries. but at least one of those countries, the one i am in, is trying very hard to crack down on the supply of weapons to those rebels. >> pelley: the saudi foreign minister said today that the arming of the rebels in syria

was what he called an excellent idea. clarissa ward, thank you very much, reporting tonight from lebanon. we noticed this week is the anniversary of the assad dictatorship. the current president's father took over syria 41 years ago. in afghanistan today, as many as a dozen people died in continuing protests against the burning of the koran. protesters emerged from midday prayers in kabul and in other cities to battle police who sometimes responded with gunfire. rioters burned nato supply trucks today. two u.s. soldiers were killed earlier this week. the violence started tuesday when afghan workers saw copies of the muslim holy book being burned with trash at a u.s. military base. the u.s. apologized, saying the korans were unintentionally mishandled. there is surprising evidence tonight that iran is moving faster than we thought to expand its nuclear program.

we asked david martin to tell us about a new report from the u.n.'s international atomic energy agency. >> reporter: for much of the world-- and israel in particular-- iran's nuclear program is a ticking bomb. and it just got louder. today's u.n. report shows iran's centrifuge plants have been busy enriching uranium to a concentration of 20%, a major step toward a bomb. david albright is an expert on iran's nuclear program. >> under 20% material, they've increased the output about threefold. >> reporter: that 20% is what makes the increased production alarming. >> when you made the 20% enriched uranium, you're most of the way to making the weapon-grade uranium. you've done most of the work you need to do. >> reporter: most of that enriching is being done at a facility dug into the side of a mountain at a place that is much more difficult to attack than iran's other enrichment plant. >> i would call it a signal of defiance that they are

determined to get that site operational and they think that site is much better protected against military strikes than the other site. >> reporter: iran said it needs the 20% uranium as fuel for its research reactor, but it's already stockpiled enough to last eight years: 220 pounds. to have enough to build a bomb, iran needs about twice that much. >> we would expect that at this... the current rate of production, they could achieve that some time early next year. >> reporter: after that, it would only take a few months to enrich the uranium to bomb-grade level. >> pelley: david, thank you very much. the treasury secretary, timothy geithner, said today that the nuclear dispute with iran could disrupt oil supplies and in that case he said the obama administration might just tap into the u.s. strategic oil reserve. the dispute is already pushing up gasoline prices. after rising a few pennies every week, they're now going up a few pennies every day: four cents

since yesterday to a national average of $3.65 a gallon. in the past week, gas has risen 12 cents. more on this, now, from anthony mason. >> reporter: in the oil trading pits today, crude came close to $110 a barrel. that will soon hit the street where every $10 a barrel adds another 25 cents at the pump. >> i think the gas prices are outrageous. >> reporter: the saber-rattling in iran has provoked the price spike. iran is the world's fourth-largest oil producer. >> you really feel there's going to be an intervention in iran soon and when that happens it will be all shut off. >> reporter: but energy analyst carl larry says speculators and investors are also driving the market. nearly two-thirds of all oil traded is being bought and sold not by oil companies but by investors, banks, and hedge funds. >> right now, that's the cheapest thing on the board for speculators and investors. they're saying, "it's going to

get more expensive; i'm going to get in now." >> reporter: if this continues and gas rises another dollar from today's prices that would cost the average household more than $900 a year and effectively wipe out the savings from the payroll tax cut the president just signed into law. is this the biggest threat to the economy right now? >. > i think at this stage yes. >> reporter: economist millan mulraine of t.d. security says $4-a-gallon gas won't put the brakes on the economy, but if the price keeps rising... >> if we do have an escalation in the tensions between the west and iran then it's quite possibly in short order we can get to $5, and that will certainly jeopardize the current economic recovery. >> reporter: mulraine estimates that investors and speculators have added a $20 fear premium to the price of oil, or about 50 cents to every gallon of gas. >> pelley: speaking of fear, i'm afraid to ask. which way are prices headed? >> reporter: let me put it this way, scott. an energy analyst took a look at the latest trading numbers for us. in his words, there has never been more money bet on gas going

to a higher price than what was recorded this past week. >> pelley: anthony, thank you very much. what is mitt romney's plan for fixing the economy? home sales are up from a year ago. prices, too. and a stampede no cowboy could corral, when the "cbs evening news" continues. [ male announcer ] say goodbye to "ho-hum," and hello to "whoa, yum." use campbell's cream of chicken soup to make easy enchiladas, cheesy chicken & rice, and other chicken dishes that are oh...so...whoa. campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do. forty years ago, he wasn't looking for financial advice. back then he had something more important to do. he wasn't focused on his future. qq/ but fortunately, somebody else was. at usaa we provide retirement planning

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> pelley: mitt romney is going all out to avoid what would be a tough defeat next tuesday in the republican primary in michigan because that's where he was born and raised. today he laid out his plan to fix the economy, and dean reynolds was there. dean? >> reporter: scott, like other republicans, mitt romney wants to cut taxes deeply as a way to jump-start the economy and he hopes that message will resonate here in michigan where the unemployment rate is 9.3%. romney outlined his tax plan before an audience of 1,200, surrounded by 65,000 empty seats at detroit's ford field. >> i guess we had a hard time finding a large enough place to meet and this certainly is. >> we are the union! >> reporter: while outside, a crowd protested against the man who famously opposed the federal bailout of g.m., romney's tax

policy was winning applause. >> i'm going to make an across-the-board 20% reduction in marginal individual income tax rates. 20% down across the board. (applause) >> reporter: he says business would benefit as well. >> i'm going to reduce the corporate tax rate to 25% from the current 35%. we're the highest in the world. that's got to end. let's get competitive again. >> reporter: romney would keep the maximum tax rate on capital gains-- income from investments-- at 15%, but eliminate it for income of less than $200,000 a year. >> now let me make it clear. these changes i will not allow to raise the deficit. >> reporter: to keep the deficit down, romney says he will call for sacrifice. that includes, among other things, raising the age to be eligible for medicare benefits, and cutting the size and wages of the federal work force. now romney also wants voters here to know that he is not an enemy of michigan's

all-important auto industry, and today, scott, he volunteered that he owns four cars, including two cadillacs driven by his wife anne. one at their home in massachusetts and the other at their home in california. >> pelley: dean, thank you very much. we're not sure what kind of car commander monika stoker drives, but it doesn't seem as important as the ship she commands. today the 39-year-old naval academy graduate and mother of two was given the helm of the u.s.s. "michener," a guided missile destroyer. she's the first african american woman to hold such a command. the economy may be improving but many americans still depend on food stamps to survive. that story is next.

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>> pelley: the news tonight about the housing market is mixed. sales of new single-family homes dipped in january after four straight monthly gains. but the government says those sales were still 3.5% higher than they were a year earlier. despite the positive news on housing, more than 12 million americans are still unemployed and a lot of them depend on food stamps. but even with that assistance, elaine quijano tells us many are struggling to get by. >> reporter: 64-year-old john manton can't afford to keep his refrigerator full these days. >> i have my bread and a piece of ham from a canned ham.

>> reporter: he's still looking for work nine months after he was laid off from his job as a courier for a philadelphia legal service. he's fallen out of the middle-class and into poverty, and is barely making ends meet. how strict are you with your budget? >> i have to be very frugal. very frugal. it's the only way that i can survive. >> reporter: a college graduate, manton never imagined he would be grateful for the $149 he gets in food stamps every month. he stretches every dollar by using a calculator when he shops, and skipping meals. you don't eat breakfast? >> no, i don't eat breakfast. >> reporter: is that to save money? >> yes. >> reporter: manton is one of a record 46 million americans now on food stamps-- an increase of 20 million people since the great recession in 2007. according to the u.s. department of agriculture, 41% of food stamp recipients live in households where someone does earn a paycheck-- the so-called working poor.

to be eligible for food stamps for a family of four, the maximum income is $29,064. for a single person it's $14,160. john manton receives $780 a month in unemployment benefits which are due to expire in march. manton has outlived the rest of his family. he's terrified if he doesn't find work soon he'll lose his home. >> i lived here since i was 12 years old. i'm 64 now. i had hoped to retire when i'm 65. the government kept pushing up the age and now it's 66. these politicians are scaring the daylights out of me and i'm sure other seniors. what's going to happen if they decide i can't go on medicare until i'm 68? where is it all going to stop? >> reporter: manton says he'd rather earn a paycheck than receive food stamps but he says it's the only option he has left.

elaine quijano, cbs news, philadelphia. >> pelley: now we want to show you a phenomenon at sea. it's a dolphin stampede: perhaps 2,000 dolphins racing a whale-watching boat off southern california yesterday. look at that! sometimes they were hitting up to 25 miles an hour. a normal-size pod of dolphins numbers about 12. scientists call this a megapod. so why the stampede? some experts think they were just having fun. speaking of fun, steve hartman goes down the basement and comes up with a story. "on the road," is next. i habe a cohd. i toog nyguil bud i'm stild stubbed up. [ male announcer ] truth is, nyquil doesn't un-stuff your nose. really? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus liquid gels fights your worst cold symptoms, plus it relieves your stuffy nose. [ deep breath ]

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this one is in my basement. down here is where i keep all the random things i've saved over the years. if you're like me, you know how hard it is to part with an empty salt container from a great camping trip. or a... whatever this is. also, if you're like me you know how hard it is to maintain such a collection after acquiring one of these. hi, sweetie. a spouse. >> this can go in the garbage. >> reporter: my wife andrea doesn't see the value in things like i do. she doesn't see the sentimental value in things-- like my grandpa's dentures. >> oh, many i god! >> reporter: nor does she see the actual value of things, like happy meal toys still in their original packaging. >> do you want to keep this or can it be a dog toy? >> reporter: she doesn't believe in saving anything just because you think it can be valuable someday. this is like from 1960. who has paper plates from 1960? >> exactly! >> reporter: if she had her way, i'd have thrown it all away a long time ago. which leads us to the best part of this story. you wanted me to get rid of it. >> i did. (laughs)

>> reporter: at least best for me, not her. >> i don't know. >> reporter: got this real toledo mud hens game jersey when i was living in toledo. the hens were getting rid of their own uniforms so i asked if i could have one and they gave me number 26. the guy who wore it never amounted to much as a player. in fact, the only thing memorable about him was his name. it was alliterative, kind of funny, too, which is the only reason i even recognized it all these years later when hollywood started buzzing about it. billy beane is the main character in brad pitt's oscar-nominated movie "moneyball" the real-life story of a failed player who went on to become the oakland as general manager and changed the entire philosophy of the game. >> just plain crazy! >> this is quite rare. >> reporter: howard schwartz owns grandstand memorabilia. >> should billy beane get into the hall of fame one day off valuable item on your hands. >> reporter: what's even more valuable than the jersey is the opportunity it now provides.

any one of these things could end up being just like that jersey! >> right, but where do you draw the line? >> reporter: you keep everything. >> you don't keep everything! >> reporter: don't cry on that, it's valuable. until they make a movie about "dennis the menace" paper plates, andrea will remain a skeptic. but for me, this story and jersey serve as vindication and validation for collectors everywhere, which is why it's now framed. it's also a not-so-subtle reminder to my wife of the time i was right... which is why it's also still in my basement. tonight, we're getting a look at the photos that put san francisco's sheriff on trial for domestic abuse good evening. tonight we're getting a look at

the photos that put san francisco's sheriff on trial for domestic abuse. >> they are taken from a video showing ross mirkarimi's wife as she tells a neighbor about an alleged assault by her husband. linda yee is in san francisco with more on those photos and the start of the trial. >> reporter: interesting timing on when the prosecution released the photos. in just days the judge will make his final decision on whether or not this is admissible in court. this is the tell tale video which makes the prosecution's domestic battery case against the reporter: the photographs sheriff. show a tearful bruised eliana lopez from the 55 second video taken by the mirkarimis' neighbor and key prosecution witness ivory madison. late today, the district attorney released the pictures and a transcript. lopez says while crying, this happened yesterday. and this is the second time this is happening.