News Wrap: Buffalo races to clear several feet of snow before rain

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• JUDY WOODRUFF:

  Fresh off his address to the nation last night, President Obama launched an effort today to win support for his immigration moves. He headed back to a place where he has addressed the issue before.

• PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA:

  Today, we're doing something about it.

  (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

• JUDY WOODRUFF:

  The president chose Del Sol High School in Las Vegas for his forum. It's where he opened a drive last year for overhauling the immigration system.

• BARACK OBAMA:

  And what we have to do is be honest that tracking down, rounding up and deporting millions of people is not realistic. That's not who we are. Most undocumented immigrants are good, decent people. They have been here for a long time.

  (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

• JUDY WOODRUFF:

  The executive orders will shield nearly five million Immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally from being deported. Some four million of those have been here for at least five years and have children who were born here and are already U.S. citizens. Another 300,000 will be protected by expanding a 2012 directive covering younger immigrants. Instead, the focus of deportation efforts will shift to criminals and those who've entered the U.S. recently.

  Republicans insisted again today that the president has gone too far. House Speaker John Boehner charged, Mr. Obama is damaging the presidency.

  REP. JOHN BOEHNER, Speaker of the House: We will not stand idle as the president undermines the rule of law in our country and places lives at risk. We will listen to the American people, we will work with our members, and we will work to protect the Constitution of the United States.

• JUDY WOODRUFF:

  Boehner gave no specifics on what steps Republicans might take.

• SHERIFF JOE ARPAIO, Maricopa County, Arizona:

  We are filing the lawsuit.

• JUDY WOODRUFF:

  But an Arizona sheriff, Joe Arpaio, told a Phoenix TV station last night that he's challenging the president's action in court. He's taken a tough line on immigration and been accused of racial profiling.

• JOE ARPAIO:

  We have to understand whether this is constitutional or not, whether his going around Congress is legal. But I'm going to send a message, send a message that we're not going to give up.

• JUDY WOODRUFF:

  Several Republican governors have voiced support for legal action as well, including Wisconsin's Scott Walker, North Carolina's Pat McCrory, and Texas Governor Rick Perry.

  We will return to the immigration issue and reaction from some of those affected after the news summary. On another front, Republicans in the House of Representatives sued over President Obama's health care law. The lawsuit charges he overstepped his legal authority in implementing the Affordable Care Act. That's based in part on the administration's decision to delay requiring employers to provide coverage for workers.

  The death toll rose to at least 13 today from the snowstorm that blasted parts of Western New York State. The Buffalo area was buried this week under seven feet of snow, and there may be worse to come; the region is now bracing for a weekend warmup and rain that could trigger flooding.

  Mayor Byron Brown said today they're racing to clear the snow before it starts to melt.

• MAYOR BYRON BROWN, Buffalo:

  We now have over 220 pieces of snow removal equipment in South Buffalo working as we speak, city crews, state crews, National Guard and private contractors that are all working. We have 1,600 trucks that have carted over 32,000 tons of snow out of South Buffalo.

• JUDY WOODRUFF:

  Already, there've been more than 30 major roof collapses from the weight of the snow.

  It's been almost two years since 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot 20 young children and six teachers to death at a school in Newtown, Connecticut. Now a state report finds the school system, in effect, let Lanza's parents — quote — "accommodate and appease him over the years," rather than directing him toward the serious mental health treatment he needed. The report also pointed to the easy availability of assault weapons, which it called a critical public health issue in the U.S.

  Lanza killed his mother, then attacked Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012, before killing himself.

  Attorney General Eric Holder called for police restraint today as a grand jury in Ferguson, Missouri, readies its decision in the death of Michael Brown. The panel is considering whether to indict a white police officer for killing the unarmed black teenager. There've been fears that the decision could spark new unrest. Holder posted a video statement today without mentioning Ferguson directly.

• ERIC HOLDER, Attorney General:

  The Justice Department employs law enforcement officials in every jurisdiction to work with the communities that they serve to minimize needless confrontation. It is vital to engage in planning and preparation, from evaluating protocols and training to choosing the appropriate equipment and uniforms.

• JUDY WOODRUFF:

  The attorney general also said the most successful protest movements have been those that are nonviolent.

  The Japanese government has ordered Takata Corporation to begin an internal investigation into its air bag problems. The bags can inflate with so much force, they rupture and spew out bits of metal. That's already prompted recalls of eight million vehicles. Japan's Transport Ministry said today that it wants Takata to study whether more recalls are needed, both in Japan and the U.S.

  Worries about slowing growth prompted China's Central Bank today to make a surprise cut in interest rates. It was the first such move in more than two years. Growth in the world's number-two economy has hit a five-year low of 7.3 percent.

  The news from China went down well on Wall Street. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 91 points to close at 17810. The Nasdaq rose 11 points to close just below 4713. And the S&P 500 added 10 to finish at 2063. For the week, the Dow and the S&P gained 1 percent, the Nasdaq rose 0.5 percent.