the classic christmas song. >> but the man that created it didn't do it by choice. paying off a bet to his 49er faithful wife. for the past 18 years, they went from washington and they have been having fun by making bets when the teams play each other. >> last week niners seahawks game, they had to sing a new version of the 12 days of christmas on facebook and tiktok. ♪ tonight, massive storm. millions of americans across ten states under flood watch. florida already soaked. the intense weather system moving up the entire east coast. how it could impact your holiday travel plans. also tonight, desperation in gaza. crowds strip eight trucks of their supplies amid severe food

shortages. new criticism and outcry over israel's military tragedy. >> i'm ramy inocencio in tel aviv. the uk, france and germany are now calling for a ceasefire. adding to pressure, the u.s. defense secretary arrives tomorrow. plus, hamas tunnel revealed. israeli forces take our charlie d'agata inside. >> this is the biggest tunnel we found ever. >> ever? donald trump on the attack. >> joe biden is a threat to democracy. >> praising putin and targeting immigrants. >> they're poisoning the blood of our country. >> new cbs polling tonight on his standing and the republican race for president. and countdown to christmas. the shopping rush and the shipping crunch. >> i'm elise preston in los angeles at the nation's largest postal processing plant where elves are working around the clock. and later, tree trade. millions are grown, harvested and sold every year. john blackstone shows us a new

way to go green. >> do you tell the trees how lucky they are not to be chopped down? >> the turkey and the tree. >> this is the weekend news from new york with jericka duncan. >> good evening and thank you for joining us on this sunday. we'll have the latest from the middle east, including charlie d'agata's look inside a tunnel under gaza that israel claims hamas built for a large scale attack. but first, a powerful storm is roaring up the east coast right now. it's set to wreak havoc for millions of you ahead of the holiday season. fierce winds, even tornadoes are possible. flooding is also a major threat. you can see right there parts of florida to the carolinas are already swamped. molly mccollum from our partners at the weather channel joins us now with more on what you need to know. >> good evening, jericka. monday is one week until christmas, and monday also kicks off the start of what will be a

very busy travel week, and we have a large storm to contend with moving along the 95 corridor. we're talking rain, wind, flooding, likely delays on the roadways, and likely delays if you're taking any flights. flooding is going to be a problem, both from heavy rain and water rising along the coastlines. what you see shaded in yellow, we could see 3 to 5 inches of rain, and that will certainly cause flooding. some snow on the back side of this system, but that will be very limited. strong winds also could bring down trees and cause power outages. but it's not just the east coast that we have impactful weather. also on the west coast, california. waves of moisture moving in with atmospheric rivers bringing both rain in southern california later in week and snow in the sierra. jericka? >> molly mccollum with the weather channel, thank you. the storm, as you just heard, could make traveling a little tough their week. aaa predicts 115 million people will be on the move this holiday season. most will travel by road. more than 7 million others are expected to fly. the good news, though, gas

prices are down. tonight a gallon of regular averages $3.07 nationwide. that is the lowest price in two years. well, now to the middle east, tonight israel is confronting new questions over its military strategy in gaza as the international outcry over civilian deaths in the territory grows. there is also mounting desperation inside gaza. take a look at these images from today. food trucks entering from egypt are raided amid a severe food shortage. this week, defense secretary lloyd austin travels to israel as the u.s. pushes leaders there to scale back the war. cbs' ramy inocencio is in tel aviv with the very latest. ramy? >> reporter: good evening, jericka. israel is ramping up its bombardment across the entire gaza strip while restarting hostage talks and reopening talks for more humanitarian aid. this morning ransacked a truck

just after it entered from egypt. prime minister netanyahu has acknowledged israel and qatar have restarted hostage talks and engaged with the egyptians. that came a day after israel's military revealed its troops had mistakenly killed three hostages in gaza. calls to bring the rest of the hostages home have hit a new intensity. but in public, netanyahu is utterly content to continue his military campaign to destroy hamas. the number of dead in gaza now just shy of 19,000 people. that's according to gaza's health ministry. and tonight there are more international calls for a cipher from the uk, france, and germany, and a major shift in policy. adding to that pressure, jericka, u.s. defense secretary lloyd austin is expected to arrive here in israel tomorrow. >> ramy inocencio, thank you very much. western journalists are restricted from traveling into gaza without a military escort. charlie d'agata and his team crossed over into gaza on an israeli embed.

>> reporter: for those working here, the crossing was a lifeline for palestinians in gaza. but for the hamas murdered those israelis as they smashed their way through the border, it was a symbol of occupation. colonel moshe tetro walked us through the ruins of his offices. three of his soldiers were killed here. three others kidnapped. >> three were taken captive, alive. >> from here? >> from here. and yesterday, while operateing operating a hostage operation, two bodies were recovered. >> reporter: the third soldier remains missing. we were told it was time to move forward. so we're passing by on foot through the erez crossing. that is the israeli side. we're about to enter gaza itself through here. the israeli tanks and troop carriers grinding through the dust, the distant explosions served as a reminder we were crossing into an active war zone. not much more than 500 yards from that border, israeli forces

uncovered this. careful here. troops told us it's the largest and longest tunnel they've discovered so far. >> so the entire tunnel is made of reinforced concrete and steel. you can see the width of it. you can drive a small car down here, and the depth. israeli forces say these tunnels were used not only the launch attacks toward israel in that direction, but by hamas militants in retreat, taking hostages with them. it runs for more than two and a half miles and is crisscrossed with smaller tunnels. the challenge, hunting down hamas while safeguarding the hostages, says idf spam daniel hagari. does that mean fighting hamas fighters inside these tunnels? >> it means hunting them down and fighting them wherever they are, inside the tunnels and above the ground. >> reporter: does that carry risk for the hostages that are being held? >> i think we are managing the risk. we have, first of all, remember

rescuing our hostages, we want to bring the hostages alive back home. it's very complex. we want them alive back home. >> reporter: he says once they're satisfied tunnels like this have been searched for hostages, they'll blow them up. snipers kept watch over the horizon during our visit. it's not clear what happens after israel's aim of eliminating hamas is achieved, but it's hard to imagine peaceful palestinians ever using this route to cross over into israel again. charlie d'agata, cbs news inside gaza. tonight, there is still no deal from capitol hill on additional aid funding for israel and ukraine, but there is action on the republican campaign trail. a new cbs poll shows donald trump remains the leading republican presidential nominee in both iowa and new hampshire, but former ambassador nikole killion nikki haley has emerged as the top alternative in the granite state. more with our polling and what

it actually means, skyler? >> good to see you. it also shows republican voters in new hampshire find nikki haley to be more likable than the other candidates, including the former president. b republican voters are showing they're standing behind former president donald trump. new cbs news polling shows his commanding league as likely caucusgoers in iowa find him to be a strong leader. in new hampshire, he's also out in front, but is drawing criticism from president biden and even fellow republicans following his comments on immigrants at a rally there on saturday. >> they're poisoning the blood of our country. that's what they've done. they've poisoned mental institutions and prisons all over the world. not just in south america. not just three or four countries we think about, but all over the world. >> i don't know how you can take someone like that and say that they're fit to be president of the united states. >> reporter: the white house said the comments echo the

grotesque rhetoric of fascist and violent white supremacists. the controversy comes as a border deal in congress hangs in the balance. republicans are demanding sweeping new policies a the u.s. southern border before signing off on a bigger package that include funding for both ukraine and israel to help in their respective wars. >> i know senator schumer thinks there is going to be some deal cut behind closed doors and then jam it through the senate and jam the house. that's not going to happen. but we are making some progress. >> reporter: homeland security secretary alejandro mayorkas joined a bipartisan group of negotiators at the capital, working through the weekend to find common ground on an agreement that could see sweeping changes to the immigration system. >> i think that we're going to see something next week, and we'll stay there until we get it done. >> house lawmakers have already left for the year. senate democrats want to vote on the deal before the holidays, but republicans say there are significant issues still under

discussion. jericka? >> skyler henry in washington, thank you. tonight florida's republican party voted to strip all power from its chairman who is embroiled in scandal. christian ziegler's salary was also reduced to $1. the state gop is demanding he resign after facing rape accusations. ziegler has not been charged with any crime, and he denies the rape claim. well, a small plane crashed into power lines south of portland, oregon, killing all three people on board. it happened late saturday near the city of independence. federal authorities are investigating. today in texas, a collision between a train and a tractor-trailer was caught on camera right there. it happened west of fort worth. incredibly, no injuries were reported there. well, this week, it's crunch time for holiday gift buying and sending. cbs' elise preston got an inside look at how the postal service is keeping up. elise, good evening. >> good evening to you, jericka. the postal service expects to

deliver about 15 billion pieces of mail this holiday season. a massive operation is under way to get packages under the tree in time. the christmas crunch is on with shopping and shipping in full swing. >> it's hanging on the edge, you know, not knowing if you're going to get everything or not. >> reporter: retailers are rejoicing over what could be record holiday sales. the average shopper, according to gallup, expects to spend $975 on gifts this year, a number not seen since the '90s. the buying boost signaling consumer confidence despite economic headwinds like inflation. >> people want these moments, even in the chaos that's going on right now around them, to be special for themselves and their families. >> reporter: to get those gifts where they need to go, the u.s. postal service processing facility in los angeles is in overdrive. >> 24 hours, seven days a week. we're processing about a million packages every single day, all

the way until christmas. >> reporter: adding to the crush, e-commerce. to help move all that mail, there are more machines this year. >> high output sorting machines that can do 10,000 packages an hour. >> reporter: how important is it for you to get these packages out? >> it's so critical. everything that comes in today goes out tomorrow. >> reporter: now the postal service says don't procrastinate. wednesday is the last day to send hallelujah cheer through its priority mail service. after that, you'll have to spend a little extra. jericka, your card for me is somewhere along here. >> i'll get it to you before wednesday. elise, thank you. straight ahead on the "cbs weekend news," the pope celebrates a birthday with his legacy under attack. and nba legend kareem abdul-jabbar is recovering after being hospitalized. and going green. a new tree idea for an old tradition. this is a hot flash.

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today at the vatican, pope francis celebrated his 87th birthday, offering a blessing to the faithful from a window overlooking st. peter's square. francis' bird cthday closes out year of trying to cement his legacy, facing opposition, much from american catholics. cbs' anna matranga is in rome. ♪ >> reporter: the pope celebrated his birthday in a simple way, with disadvantaged children helped by a catholic charity. francis is one of the oldest popes ever, facing sharp dissent from increasingly conservative catholics in the u.s. for his progressive reforms. he's called for a more compassionate church focused on the poor and migrants, a wider role for women and lay people, and opened doors for lgbtq and divorced catholics. >> tutti, tutti. "everyone, everyone, everyone must be allowed in," says the

pope. but opponents like cardinal raymond burke say the pope should be a guardian of unchanging doctrine and tradition. in an unprecedented move last month, pope francis told vatican leaders he is evicting burke from his vatican apartment and revoking his salary. he says the cardinal is using these privileges against the church and sowing disunity. >> it's become evident if you don't agree with the pope on everything, that you're considered to be a problem. and this has never been the way the church has operated. >> reporter: the pope and the cardinal are strikingly different. burke lives in a palatial apartment while francis lives in a one-bedroom suite in a vatican guest house and prefers a simple cassock to burke's silk investments. the pope also recently ousted american cleric joseph strickland following a formal investigation. the former bishop of tyler, texas, once retweeted a video calling francis a diabolically

disordered clown. >> these are guys that have been speaking out against him for years. and i think maybe francis has just said enough is enough. >> reporter: the pope has condemned what he called a very strong reactionary attitude in the american church, and says that church doctrine is not fixed but constantly evolving, pointing to the church's position on nuclear power, the death penalty and slavery as examples. anna matranga, cbs news, rome. still ahead on the cbs weekend news, remembering richard hunt, whose art transformed america's public space. new neutrogena hydro boost water cream. a vital boost of nine times more hydration* to boost your skin's barrier for quenched, dewy skin that's full of life. neutrogena. hydro boost. when you have chronic kidney disease... ...there are places you'd like to be. like here. and here.

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tonight, basketball legend kareem abdul-jabbar is recovering after breaking his hip. at 7'2", abdul jabbar, who is 6 fell on friday while attending a concert. he was rushed to ucla hospital and had surgery saturday. according to his long-time business partner, he is receiving, quote, great care. we learn today about the death of sculptor richard hunt. hunt was a prolific artist who created more than 160 public commissions in over 24 states and washington, d.c. many are soaring metal

creations, including "swing low," a 1500 pound work that hangs from the ceiling of the smithsonian national museum of african american history. richard hunt died in chicago. he was 88 years old. well, next on the "cbs weekend news," tree trade. from the forests in oregon to a new way to go green at christmas. stay with us. with us. now, there's skyrizi. ♪ things are looking up, i've got symptom relief. ♪ ♪ control of my crohn's means everything to me. ♪ ♪ control is everything to me. ♪ feel significant symptom relief at 4 weeks with skyrizi, including less abdominal pain and fewer bowel movements. skyrizi is the first il-23 inhibitor that can deliver remission and visibly improve damage of the intestinal lining. and the majority of people experienced long-lasting remission at one year. serious allergic reactions and an increased risk of infections or a lower ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, had a vaccine or plan to.

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for many, nothing beats the real thing, but some families are changing traditions with an eye towards conservation. cbs' john blackstone has more. >> reporter: the journey of a christmas tree to an american family sometimes begins with the tree dangling from a helicopter over an oregon tree farm. tyler stone's family has been growing christmas trees in oregon for 60 years. >> this is the only business we do. people think we only work once a year, but we work year-round to make this happen. the helicopter. >> reporter: stone's family ships about 200,000 trees each year. >> this product takes eight to ten years to come to your home. and so there is a lot of love and attention that our family puts into these. >> reporter: but the trees grown by stone's family only get a single christmas in the spotlight. for monica hudson, that's not nearly enough. >> so these are all nordmann fir

over on this side, as we're walking through. >> reporter: on her much smaller tree farm in california, hudson does not cut trees down. she keeps them growing in containers. >> they're beautiful, aren't they? >> they are. >> they look so alive because they haven't been dead for a month or two. >> reporter: hudson doesn't sell her trees, she rents them. each tree is numbered and fitted with a tracking device. so families can get the same tree year after year. >> have i one tree that's gone for six years to the same family. if you liked it and it was four feet, and next year it's 4 1/2. we tell you in september, yeah, it looks good. it costs a little more this year, but you can have your baby back. >> reporter: in early december, the potted trees start getting loaded for delivery. >> here comes the christmas tree. >> reporter: month-long rental costs $35 to as much as $400.

aiden and steely happily greet their christmas tree. >> it's like another family member. >> reporter: as christmas tree farms go, hudson's is tiny. only a thousand trees. do you tell the trees how lucky they are not to be chopped down in october? >> like you pardon a turkey, you pardon the tree. >> reporter: back in oregon, where millions of trees are cut down, tyler stone assures us his family plants a new one for every one they harvest. >> it's a tree. so it's providing oxygen. there is nothing better for the environment than a real christmas tree. >> reporter: in truth, christmas trees are harvested like any other agricultural crop. but for a few weeks in december, it becomes so much more. john blackstone, cbs news, carmel, california. >> those are some great options. that's the "cbs weekend news" for this sunday. before we go, a special thank

you to lydia keidel, mike williams, tim pendleton, bob davis, karine j karen grazella. they are retiring from cbs. we learned so much from them. we thank you so much for your dedication, your wisdom, and your positive attitudes. thank you and have a good night. i've been having to learn a whole different language. >> at 6:00, renewed fears over radioactive exposure. you look at the cancer risk of people living here adjacent to the landfill and the cancer risk is one in 500. that is

astronomical. already a few light showers from the system coming on shore. and then a few other opportunities after that. much better rain than what we've got today. plus the gold roll to their sixth win in arizona. good evening, i'm devin fehely in for brian. >> i'm andrea nakano. residents say radioactive objects recently found and acknowledged by the navy have put a renewed spotlight on their decade's long fight. >> they say rates of cancer and other health problems are higher for people living near the former naval shipyard. kenny choi shows us how one doctor is pushing for toxic screening on residents to present a stronger case to