CBS Evening News, 03/19/25
26:41 Share

Where'd you get those shoes? Easy. They're from DSW because DSW has the exact right shoes for whatever you're into right now. You know, like the sneakers that make office hours feel like happy hour, the boots that turn grocery aisles into runways and all the styles that show off the many sides of you from daydreamer to multitasker and everything in between because you do it all in really great shoes.

Find a shoe for every you at your DSW store or DSW.com. Every day is a chance to move forward. So why settle for gear that holds you back? Roan delivers technical fabrics that breathe, stretch, and adapt, keeping you sharp and comfortable. From work to workouts, Roan's advanced fabrics fight odor, keep you cool, and move with you. With wrinkle release tech and a tailored fit, you'll always look as good as you feel. Upgrade your wardrobe because when your clothing performs, so do you.

Rone, performance apparel fit for progress. New customers get 20% off your first order at Rone.com with code Rone20. He was seeking freedom in America. But it appears he wound up here in one of the most dangerous places on earth. From CBS News headquarters in New York, this is the CBS Evening News.

Good evening. I'm John Dickerson. I'm Maurice Dubois. President Trump and his border czar, Tom Homan, said the mass deportation of migrants in this country illegally would begin with dangerous criminals. The worst of the worst, they said. But CBS News has learned that among hundreds of alleged gang members deported this past week to El Salvador was a Venezuelan migrant with a job and no criminal record in the process of seeking asylum.

His family believes he is now being held among some of the most dangerous prisoners in the world. And they have no way to get in touch with him. Lilia Luciano now with his story. Lilia. We traveled to northwest Arkansas to meet with a man's wife who's cross-country traveling because she fears she too could be targeted, but more so is in fear that her husband is being mistreated indefinitely in a place filled with very dangerous people.

The pictures are striking. More than 200 Venezuelan deportees flown on U.S. government planes out of Harlingen, Texas last week.

and brought here, one of the world's most notorious prisons, El Secot in El Salvador. Heads shaven, arms shackled. The Trump administration says these men are all members of criminal gangs. But CBS News has learned at least one of the men believed to be deported here has no known criminal record. Franco Caravaggio is a 26-year-old barber who is living with his wife in Dallas.

He turned himself in at the southern border more than a year ago and requested asylum and was detained last month during a routine check-in with ICE. His attorney, Martin Rosenau, showed us DHS documents confirming Caravaggio has no criminal history. So now they're saying on paper...

He's believed to be a gang member. With no known criminal history. No criminal history and no explanation. No explanation whatsoever. Venezuelan authorities provided information that says there's no evidence Caravaggio was in a gang or had any criminal record there.

Rose now says Caravaggio was deported to El Salvador and has not been able to communicate with him. He had no suspicion, no clue that he could end up in a place like Secot. We had no idea. Not him, not his wife, not anyone. Is his family concerned that Secot is worse than Venezuela? They are concerned that it's worse. I'm concerned that we have no access

who has custody over our client, who has jurisdiction. El Salvador, ICE, the U.S. government. We have no idea. In the DHS deportation document, agents highlight Caravaggio's tattoos, but don't explicitly say they are connected to gang activity. Why did he think that they were going to deport him for the tattoos? Because of a clock.

The clock that marks the time when your daughter was born. His wife, Johanny, says she last spoke to her husband the day before he was deported. What worries you about him being in this prison? That he's innocent. And you think he's being mistreated in there? Exactly.

The deportation of these Venezuelan men is in front of a federal judge who ordered the Trump administration to not send them to El Salvador in the first place and gave the government a deadline of tomorrow at noon to explain why they did not comply with the order. Lilia, I remember when you reported on Secodin, you said it was essentially a black hole. Is that why it's so hard to find out if Caravaggio is in there?

That's absolutely right, John. It's a place that has a half of a mile of a radius where cell phone signal is blockable. The prisoners will never get visitors where they cannot make phone calls, hear from family members. And this is a government that is known for a lack of transparency. I asked the Bukele administration about this case and the rest of the Venezuelans there, and they said, we'll share these images, but not any more information.

Lili Luciano, thank you. The commander-in-chief is in another court battle, this one over removing the estimated 10 to 15,000 transgender people in the military. A federal judge yesterday blocked him, at least temporarily, from doing that. Charlie Daggett introduces you to two transgender service members who wanted nothing more from their country than the opportunity to serve it. What made you want to join the services?

- You know, I just, I made a promise to my father. - Petty officer, second class Paolo Battista worked for years to join the ranks of America's armed forces. - Nobody wanted to help me. I went through at least 22 different recruiting offices. I wanted to serve. - The amateur bodybuilder completed his gender transition before enlisting at the age of 38. In 2021, President Biden lifted the ban on transgender people in the military.

Four years later, the naval intelligence analyst could be kicked out. Our warriors should be focused on defeating America's enemies, not figuring out their genders. The White House says service members receiving transition-related health care are not physically capable of meeting military readiness requirements.

The Department of Defense has been given a 30-day notice to come up with a plan. The Army was the first to announce new measures banning transgender troops from joining its ranks, pausing medical treatments, and putting an end to promotions with immediate effect.

This is my second Navy and Marine Corps achievement. San Diego is also the home port of the USS Lincoln, where Parker Moore works as a nuclear electronic technician. The transgender sailor trained for more than two years for that role and has been actively serving for more than a decade. I'm married. I have a six-year-old son. This doesn't just affect me as an individual. It affects my family.

and my entire command. If one day I'm not allowed to do that job anymore, it affects the other 500 people in my department who now have to pick up that slack.

A 2017 analysis found discharging transgender troops would cost nearly a billion dollars, far more than the roughly 52 million the Pentagon spent over the last decade on transition-related health care. I think that most people who do have an issue with transgender service members are uneducated. I do not think they actually understand the process or may not have ever interacted with a transgender person.

Parker told us despite the ruling temporarily blocking the band, it's impossible to live with the uncertainty and they're planning on leaving the military. Paolo said he will fight until the end. The Justice Department has until Friday to file an appeal. Charlie Daggett at the Pentagon. Thank you, Charlie. Jan Crawford in Washington is our chief legal correspondent. So, Jan, the president involved here in dozens of legal cases. What do you make of all this?

Well, I mean, Reese, just like President Trump flooded the zone with all these executive actions, we're now seeing judges flood the zone with decisions that are against him. So far, though, his lawyers are insisting that they're not defying those orders. They're making some creative legal arguments. But Trump is saying that he's going to follow the process and appeal. And as we've already seen, those appeals courts are going to reverse some of these lower court judges for being wrong on the law.

The concern is what if Trump's patience with the process runs out and he openly defies a court order that could then escalate up to the Supreme Court. And no president in history has ever defied a direct order of the Supreme Court. That would be a constitutional crisis. Jan Crawford for us in Washington. Thank you, Jan. Now more some of the top stories from around the world in tonight's evening news roundup. President Trump is suggesting the United States take over Ukraine's power plant.

In a phone call today with President Zelensky, Mr. Trump said it is the best way to protect Ukraine's energy infrastructure, despite Vladimir Putin's promise just yesterday to not attack that system. Russian forces hit Ukrainian substations that supply electricity for trains.

Federal investigators say the commuter plane that crashed in Alaska last month was 1,000 pounds overweight. For the weather conditions, all 10 people on board were killed. And back on Earth after nine months in space, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sonny Williams started post-flight rehab today.

They got medical checkups and worked out with trainers at the gym. And the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged today. The Fed said economic growth is now expected to slow this year, even as inflation ticks up in parts because of the trade war. Kelly O'Grady asked Fed Chairman Jerome Powell about the possibility of a slowdown. Kelly.

Well, John, the key theme today was uncertainty. And Powell admitted that uncertainty is weighing on consumers, which power much of the U.S. economy. So I asked him if people spending less at retailers and restaurants is a bigger worry than higher prices.

It's a pretty good economy, but people are unhappy because of the price level. And I do completely understand and accept that. Why are you still projecting two rate cuts this year if your own projections show inflation higher for longer? Does that mean you see a slowdown in economic growth as a real threat? Remember, we came into this with at the December meeting, the median was two cuts. We do understand that sentiment has fallen off pretty sharply.

But economic activity has not yet. And that probably has to do with turmoil at the beginning of an administration that's making big changes in areas of policy.

While Powell thinks a significant slowdown is unlikely, retail giants like Walmart and Target are already warning of a more cautious consumer. If people spend less, that could complicate the Fed's war on inflation. Now, the next time we'll hear about the path forward on interest rates is May. John and Maurice. Kelly O'Grady in the nation's capital tonight. Thanks so much. Still ahead on the CBS Evening News, a tornado threat in the heartland. And we'll have these stories.

I'm Meg Oliver in Asheville, North Carolina. Studies show digital addiction can change the structure of your brain. It's now referred to as brain rot. We'll show you what it looks like. That's tonight's Eye on America. A woman faces 20 years in prison for something that's legal in many places. I'm Janet Chamleon in Houston with a story about a Texas law and a national debate next on the CBS Evening News.

Texas has one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country. Last night we told you that a midwife and her associate had been arrested for violating that law. Well tonight, Janet Chamblee takes a closer look at the case.

48-year-old Maria Rojas is a certified nurse midwife charged with performing illegal abortions and practicing without a medical license. A man who worked for her was also charged. According to the arrest warrant, Rojas ran three clinics near Houston. Her patients called her Dr. Maria, but she's not a licensed physician. I can't.

picture her doing this. I don't believe that she did. You don't think she performed abortions? No, I do not. She didn't do that in any capacity for you? No, no. Midwives don't do that. Period.

Holly Sherman owns the Tomball Birth Center and employed Rojas as a midwife once a week. She's known her for eight years. She was a doctor in Peru, an OB, came to America, and America doesn't recognize, you know, physicians from other countries. So then she became a midwife. Has she ever presented herself, as far as you know, as a medical doctor? No, never.

Court documents charge that Rojas provided medication to induce an abortion in March and allege she told the patient her pregnancy was likely non-viable. She allegedly performed another abortion on a different patient in January. The method is unclear. A search warrant found misoprostol in Rojas's car and one of her clinics. The medication can be used for a variety of medical purposes, including to induce abortion.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the arrest. He said in a statement, individuals killing unborn babies will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Mary Ziegler is a law professor who studies abortion-related issues. Attorney General Paxton was trying to find someone who was not a licensed physician to argue that providers posed a threat to Texans in general.

Sherman says she's worried about how Rojas is doing. In my mind, she's a hero. She helps people. You see her that way? Yes, definitely. And Janet Chamlean joins us now from Houston. So, Janet, what's next in this case?

Well, tonight Rojas is still in jail. Her bond is set at $700,000. Both of the charges against her are felonies. The abortion charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and there are potential civil penalties as well. The attorney general is also asking for a restraining order. He wants to close her three clinics.

All right, Janet Chamley in Forest Inn, Houston. Thank you so much, Janet. On this day before spring, winter is getting in its final blows. A storm brought blizzard conditions today to the Midwest and the Great Plains. Some places could get as much as a foot of snow before it's over. Rob Marciano is tracking the storm for us. Rob.

Guys, this has turned into some storm. We've got that blizzard warning on the backside, on the front side, severe weather. This is a live picture out of Chicago. They're under a severe thunderstorm warning right now. We've seen flashes of light, obviously a lot of rain with this, and that's the front side of this system. You can see on the ground here, that front side, those yellow boxes, that is where we have been having tornadoes. Tornado watches up until 1100.

about midnight tonight, but the lowest elf is between Kansas City and St. Louis, and it is not moving that quick, and it continues to get wound up. Look at the satellite picture. This is amazing, that classic comma shape, but I want you to look down here towards Texas. See that brown? All right, that is the dust we talked about last night in New Mexico and Texas. It's being drawn up into this system, and it may very well be rained out of it. Look at this video out of Arkansas, just south of Little Rock at Interstate 530. They had dust there dangerous enough to

make visibility horrific there on the highway. And this is something I haven't seen in a long, long time out of the National Weather Service, a blowing dust warning in northeast Arkansas until nine o'clock. So that's out. And anyone that lives downstream, that's been very lucky to get dust delivered to them from Texas and New Mexico if it rains east of the system. Guys, back to you. Dust is snow. We got something for everybody tonight. Rob Marciano, thanks so much.

They're called smartphones, but overusing them may not be wise. We will show you what excessive scrolling can do to the brain in Ion America next.

Hey, I'm Andy. If you don't know me, it's probably because I'm not famous. But I did start a men's grooming company called Harry's. The idea for Harry's came out of a frustrating experience I had buying razor blades. Most brands were overpriced, overdesigned, and out of touch. At Harry's, our approach is simple. Here's our secret. We make sharp, durable blades and sell them at honest prices for as low as $2 each. We care about quality so much that we do some crazy things, like buy a world-class German blade factory.

Obsessing over every detail means we're confident in offering 100% quality guarantee. Millions of guys have already made the switch to Harry's, so thank you if you're one of them. And if you're not, we hope you give us a try with this special offer. Get a Harry's starter set with a 5-blade razor, weighted handle, shave gel, and a travel cover. All for just $3 plus free shipping. Just go to harrys.com and enter code MAN at checkout.

That's harrys.com, code MAN. Enjoy! If you have health insurance, you might be able to see a personal dietitian for $0 out-of-pocket. Nourish connects you with a dietitian that fits your needs, covered by your insurance. Nourish accepts hundreds of insurance plans, and 94% of patients pay $0 out-of-pocket.

That's usenourish.com.

How much time do you spend doing this? According to a survey, the average smartphone user scrolls the equivalent of 78 miles a year. That's three marathons. Maybe good exercise for your finger, but there is evidence it may be hurting your brain. Meg Oliver has tonight's Eye on America.

Katie Page Rosenberg, a freshman at the University of North Carolina Asheville, Two successes, two failures. recently realized what too much scrolling was doing to her. How many hours were you spending on your phone? Oh God, probably like nine hours. I was just kind of constantly on it. You may have heard stories like hers before. I wasn't able to focus because I would have to take out my phone every couple of minutes.

But now you can actually see the science behind it. Smartphones have wide-reaching changes all over the brain, and specifically grows here and it shrinks there. Psychiatrist Brent Nelson is applying this new science at Newport Healthcare, which has mental health treatment centers for teens across the country. This is a brain that's addicted to a smartphone.

These are MRI images from a recent study in Korea. All the red indicates increases in brain activity, the effects of smartphone addiction. Do you want your brain to be this colorful? You don't. Why? Well, because this...

is showing where the brain is working extra hard compared to a non-addicted brain when asked to do actually a pretty simple task. Addicted smartphone users' brains were so colorful, so active, it made them less attentive and more easily distracted, what's now informally called brain rot. What does that look like in real life? Yeah, let's take school, for example.

sitting in class, and you're trying to focus. They're gonna be looking around, not attending to what the teacher is trying to teach them. Dr. Nelson says emerging research points to even greater risks. We're just starting to see these changes, and we know they're connected to behavioral changes, depression, anxiety. The dangers are hiding in there. Social media had really influenced me in a lot of ways. TikTok would kind of push these videos of people

people popping in edible before school. And I was like, if I do this, maybe I'll be cool. And I started self-medicating. To deal with that, last year she checked into a treatment facility. If you hadn't gone to treatment, where would you be today? I don't think I'd be here. It was really bad.

Katie had to give up her phone in treatment. There she found other outlets from drawing to playing guitar that helped rewire her Gen Z brain.

The key, perhaps, analog antidotes reminiscent of another generation. Playing in the dirt, drinking from the hose, sort of the Gen X kind of mentality is shown to actually allow folks to recover, to feel better, to make it easier to kind of go about their day. In short, it's good to stop scrolling.

and start strumming. For Eye on America, I'm Meg Oliver in Asheville, North Carolina. Katie used to spend nine hours a day on her phone. Now she is down to less than two. Good for her. In tomorrow's Eye on America, from Quinter, Kansas, the lingering impact of COVID on an area that once had the highest COVID death rate in the country. John and I will be back in just a moment with an attempt to take the blood out of a blood sport.

You just realized your business needed to hire someone yesterday. How can you find amazing candidates fast? Easy, just use Indeed. Stop struggling to get your job posts seen on other job sites. Indeed's sponsored jobs help you stand out and hire fast. With sponsored jobs, your post jumps to the top of the page for your relevant candidates, so you can reach the people you want faster.

And it makes a huge difference. According to Indeed data, sponsored jobs posted directly on Indeed have 45% more applications than non-sponsored jobs. Plus, with Indeed sponsored jobs, there are no monthly subscriptions, no long-term contracts, and you only pay for results. And listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at Indeed.com slash listen. Just go to Indeed.com slash listen right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed live.

on this podcast. Indeed.com slash listen. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring? Indeed is all you need.

Your data is like gold to hackers. They're selling your passwords, bank details, and private messages. McAfee helps stop them. SecureVPN keeps your online activity private. AI-powered text scam detector spots phishing attempts instantly. And with award-winning antivirus, you get top-tier hacker protection. Plus, you'll get up to $2 million in identity theft coverage, all for just $39.99 for your first year. Visit McAfee.com. Cancel any time. Terms apply.

Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same premium wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities. So do like I did and have one of your assistant's assistants switch you to Mint Mobile today.

I'm told it's super easy to do at mintmobile.com slash switch.

Finally tonight in the battle between bullfighting and animal rights activists, Mexico City has come up with a compromise. Rather than ban bullfighting, the legislature voted to make it kinder and gentler. Bullfighting without violence, it is called. Killing the bull is no longer permitted or even injuring the animal. No sharp objects allowed. And to protect the matador, the bull's horns will be covered. The fight is limited to 15 minutes. How the winner is determined

Not clear. Animal rights activists said of the new law, ole. And opponents, well, the rough translation, bull feathers. Ernest Hemingway would have had something to say about this. Bull feathers? Yeah. Or the bull fighting itself. Exactly. That is the CBS Evening News. I'm Maurice Dubois. I'm John Dickerson. Evening News Plus is coming up on CBS News 24-7. And we'll see you right back here tomorrow. Have a good night.

What's up hoop fans? I'm Ashley Nicole Moss and I'm bringing you Triple Threat, your weekly courtside pass to the most interesting moments and conversations in the NBA.

From clutch performances to the stories shaping the game on and off the court, Triple Threat has you covered with it all. Culture, drama, and social media buzz. We're locked in just like you're locked in. Watch weekly on CBS Sports Network at 1 p.m. Eastern or on the CBS Sports YouTube channel as we break it all down fast and fresh. This is Triple Threat, where basketball meets culture.

Survivor 48 is here and alongside it, we're bringing you a brand new season of On Fire, the only official Survivor podcast. If you're a Survivor super fan, you won't want to miss this deep dive into every episode where we break down how we design the game, the biggest moves, your burning questions. It's the only podcast that gives you inside access to Survivor that nobody else can. Listen to On Fire, the official Survivor podcast with me, Jeff Probst, every Wednesday after the show, wherever you get your podcasts.