tney kealy, cbs news, new york. >> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." 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 three to five 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 the 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 tougher this 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. this is the lowest price in two years. well, 104 million people are expected to hit the road, and a record 7.5 million are expected to fly. 4 million others by bus, train, cruise. it's projected to surpass in 2019. 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's 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's ramy inocencio's 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 a crossing for more humanitarian aid. this morning desperate gazans in rafah ransacked a u.n. aid truck just after it entered from egypt. prime minister benjamin netanyahu has also 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 intent 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 gasa's health ministry. and tonight there are more international calls for a ceasefire 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 irsrael tomorrow. >> ramy inocencio, thank you very much. western journalists are restricted from traveling into gaza without an israeli military escort. cbs's charlie d'agata and his team crossed over into the territory on an israeli embed. >> reporter: for the israelis who worked here the erez crossing was a lifeline to palestinians in gaza. but for the hamas terrorists who 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 of them were taken captive, alive. >> from here? >> from here. and yesterday while operating

hostage rescue operation two bodies were recovered. >> reporter: the third soenldie 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? >> reporter: 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 to launch attacks toward israel in that direction but by hamas militants in retreat taking hostages with

them. >> reporter: it runs for more than 2 1/2 miles and is crisscrossed with smaller tunnels. the challenge, hunting down hamas while safeguarding the hostages, says idf spokesman daniel hagari. >> does that mean fighting hamas fighters inside these tunnels? >> it means huntin 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, that rescuing our hostages we want to bring our 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 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. we learned 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

1,500-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. and there's a lot more news ahead on the "cbs overnight news." do you shop for vitamins at walmart? force factor products powerfully improve your health, but they're also delicious, easy to use and affordable. that's why force factor is now the number one best selling superfoods brand in america. unleash your potential with force factor at walmart. ugh, this guy again... pops! ay son! ya got a little somethin' on yuh face. needed a quick shave. quick shave? respect the process! it ain't my dad's razor, dad, it's from gillettelabs. gillette...labs? gillette's ultimate shaving experience. this green bar releases trapped hairs from my face. gamechanga! while the flexdisc contours to it. lookin' smooth. feelin' even smoother.

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>> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." i'm jericka duncan in new york. tanks so much for staying with us. there's just one more week of school until christmas recess. it happens every year. you remember. some students are already checking out. either they're not paying attention in class or in some cases they're not coming to school at all. well, that's even worse this

year. millions of kids who had their educational lives upended by two years of covid lockdowns are simply giving up. meg oliver reports on an effort to help get them back in class. >> reporter: in louisville, kentucky chris lance is part of the attendance team. making up to 30 house calls a week searching for chronically absent students. >> the first stop of the day, what happened? >> no answer. >> no answer again? >> no answer again. same. >> same thing. >> yeah. >> reporter: in this school district in jefferson county 63% of families rely on schools for meals. chronic absenteeism defined as at least ten absences within the school year has always been an issue here. but since the pandemic 38% more students are missing weeks, sometimes months of school. last year nearly 14 million students nationwide were chronically absent. nearly twice as many compared to previous years. >> i think it is a major crisis. >> reporter: jefferson county

superintendent marty polio. >> when you think of housing instability, food instability, a student who doesn't have clean clothes may not come to school. >> reporter: there is a youth resource center in each jefferson county school that provides everything from clean clothes and hygiene products to food for struggling students. >> we don't want to punish them for not going to school. we want to take away all the barriers that might be keeping them from coming to school. >> reporter: students like 19-year-old hector who in addition to school works 40 hours a week to help support his family. >> how many school days did you miss last year? >> like half of the year i didn't come to school. >> half of the year you didn't come to school. >> yeah. >> reporter: after several house calls lance was able to convince hector to return to school. >> how does it feel that the school helped bring you back to school after you missed almost half a year last year? >> that's feel like i am special. yeah. >> reporter: with added support hector will graduate high school in 2025 at 20 years old.

do you feel like you're making a difference, especially when you're going to these doors and no one's even answering? >> i think if you affect one person it's a difference. especially, you know, in some of our communities you can save a kid. >> reporter: meg oliver, cbs news, jefferson county, kentucky. if your holiday gift list includes things like power tools, children's ride-on toys or e scooters, there's something you need to consider. a lot of these devices are powered by lithium ion batteries. they can be dangerous. the government reports there have been more than 400 incidents involving lithium ion batteries. that includes explosions and fires blamed for killing 49 people. elaine quijano has more on that story. >> reporter: the message is clear. if lithium ion batteries are improperly made or used the results can be explosive.

like this flaming battery and charger lighting up a california garage and this fire caused by a failed battery in a children's toy in texas. >> this is all evidence. >> yeah, this is all evidence. each one of these caused either a massive fire or a death or both. which is really sobering and daunting. >> reporter: new york city fire commissioner laura kavanagh has been vocal about lithium ion batteries, especially in e-bikes and e-scooters as the number of related deaths here has skyrocketed. >> these will go from, you know, nothing to a sudden explosion of fire. we see first responders not able to get in, often within minutes of the call being reported they're arriving to a building that is fully engulfed in flames. >> reporter: gabe knight is with consumer reports. >> while the onus should absolutely be on the manufacturer and should be on the seller, right now it's a little bit of buyer beware. >> reporter: there are no mandatory federal safety standards for lithium-ion batteries. but manufacturers and sellers can comply with voluntary

industry standards. >> please by from reputable companies. make sure that you can get in touch with them if the worst case scenario happens and these things do explode. >> reporter: also, don't mix batteries and chargers. don't charge batteries at extreme temperatures or for too long. don't leave them charging unattended or near flammable items. and don't block your exit path with these devices. >> what do you think when you see an e-bike or e-scooter? >> i wouldn't want one in my home. i just wouldn't. i do think they can be manufactured safely eventually. but there's no guarantee of that right now. and i certainly, especially for, you know, a holiday gift or something for a child, i wouldn't even want this to be a 1% chance. right now it's far more than that. >> reporter: here in the u.s. the gold standard for certification of e-bikes and e-scooters is a company called ul solutions. it has a data base on its website that you can check. also keep in mind you cannot just throw lithium ion batteries in the trash because they can catch fire.

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inventor who's responsible for hundreds of toys and games. there's a good chance you've either owned or even played with some of those inventions over the years. luke burbank introduces us to the incredible eddie goldfarb. >> reporter: if you had a toy or game that you really loved anytime in the last 70 or so years, there's a decent chance you've got eddie goldfarb to thank for it. are you thinking about inventions even now? >> oh, yes. i'm working on two or three right now. >> reporter: yes, at age 102 eddie goldfarb is still inventing, adding to his list of over 800 toys. >> i believe if you do creative work of any kind, if you start with nothing and end with something it stimulates your brain, and i think that's very good for your body.

> reporter: growing up in chicago in the 1920s, goldfarb believed he would someday be an applied physicist. but lacking the money for college, he joined the navy and fought on the "uss batfish" submarine during world war ii. when he wasn't dodging depth charges, he was in his bunk jotting down ideas for toys to invent. he figured they might be cheap to manufacture. >> toys was going to be just the beginning. i realized that if i invented a successful game it could sell a million units in one year easily, that a million families got together, and i realized that the toy industry is a noble industry. >> reporter: and you might say eddie first cut his teeth in the toy industry quite literally, with an invention you're probably familiar with. >> this is what what it does. >> reporter: yes, eddie goldfarb

invented those wind-up chattering teeth, which are technically called yakety-yak. >> i mean, could you have ever imagined this would be something that defined your life? >> no. absolutely not. absolutely not. >> reporter: despite the millions of sets of teeth that have been sold over the years, eddie made just $900 when he sold the rights to them back in 1949. but he's not mad, he says. he got something valuable with the money. >> i needed an overcoat. it was really cold in chicago. >> reporter: he did, though, learn a lesson, which was to hang on to those royalty rights of his other inventions including what he says was his biggest seller, the mini 4 by 4 replicas known as stompers. ♪ stompers ♪ but it was when we sat down to play a game of kerplunk, which he also invented, that eddie

admitted something. >> i invented so many games i never played them. >> i think people would be very surprised to hear that because it would seem like you must have been sort of like a willie wonka, like very child-like and playing the games all the time. you're saying that wasn't the case? >> no. i was too busy inventing them. >> growing up in a house where, you know, where inventions were happening, where toys were being, you know, conceived, i mean, that was a really great atmosphere, you know, to grow up in. >> reporter: lynn goldfarb and her two siblings got to be the first to play with their dad's inventions. but they were sworn to secret from talking about them with their friends. >> you never show anybody till it's out because otherwise, you know, it could get stolen. who knew? >> reporter: lynn, a filmmaker, even made a documentary about her dad a few years ago,

following his journey. >> this is the bubble gun in action. >> reporter: if you had to sort of attribute his longevity and his continued mental acuity to anything, what do you think he's doing that's helping him with all of that? >> he is an eternal optimist. >> reporter: 3-d printing is one of eddie's latest obsessions, including creating lithofanes, intricate three-dimensional portraits that he makes on his 3-d printer. he makes them for the people he loves and sometimes for sunday morning correspondents. >> should i be smiling? >> reporter: with a short interruption for a photo shoot it was time to get back to playing kerplunk. >> hey. >> oh, my god. >> that -- you know, i'm a natural. >> okay. >> that was pretty good. >> okay. so now you -- oh, you gave me a lot of marbles. >> oh, those are yours? >> reporter: in fact, eddie goldfarb still has all his

marbles, you might say, and a remarkably positive outlook as he enters his second century of life. >> you have to be an optimist. but i also tell people you have to love rejection. >> every idea that you have you think is going to be the next big thing. >> oh, yeah. i think they're going to be big items. yeah. >> reporter: it was actually a small item from eddie that arrived at my house some weeks later. it was that lithophane portrait of me he promised to make. just another example of eddie goldfarb brightening somebody's day. >> that again was luke burbank reporting. this is the "cbs overnight news."

finally this hour there's an annual holiday trip filled with joy and tears for the loved ones of our fallen military heroes. manuel bojorquez has the heartwarming story from orlando. >> reporter: based on all these smiles, you may not know that the holiday season can be quite difficult for the families here. >> christmas was one of the favorite holidays. when he passed, i didn't care anything about christmas. >> reporter: he was her husband, army sergeant brendan scallenn,

who died in 2013. the gary sinise foundation snowball express understands. it throws a massive party each december to give families of fallen heroes a reason to celebrate together. >> here they feel normal. and so i feel it's a relief. >> reporter: behind that happiness is an army of volunteers who help make all of this fun free. for more than 1,800 spouses and children. corcynthia williams and her girls who lost timothy williams in 2018 are here for the second time. >> they get to step into a world where they get to be kids and experience wonder and magic is something that i will be forever grateful for. >> it helps me meet new people who understand what i've been through because people back home, they don't understand. like they haven't had a similar loss.

>> reporter: nothing can replace that loss. but this is a reminder that there can still be joy. manuel bojorquez, cbs news, orlando. >> and that is the "overnight news" for this monday. for some of you the news continues. for others make sure you check back later for "cbs mornings." and follow us online anytime of course at cbsnews.com. reporting live from the broadcast center here in new york city, i'm jericka duncan. this is "cbs news flash." i'm courtney kealy in new york. there was i afrightening moment as president biden was walking out of his campaign headqurters in delaware. a car plowed into a parked suv that was guarding the president's motorcade. the secret service ushered president biden into his armored f. the president and first lady were not hurt. the u.s. is condemning the latest north korean ballistic missile test. japan says north korea fired an

icbm more than 600 miles into the sea. tokyo says the missile has the potential to travel more than 9,000 miles and reach anywhere in japan o the u.s. mainland. and "wonka" starring tim o'thooe chalamet debuted at the top of the box office tak g in les. for more download the cbs news app on your cell phone or connected tv. i'm c rtney kea , cbs news, new york. 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 desperation in gaza. crowds strip aid trucks of their supplies amid severe food shortages. new criticism and outcry over israel's military strategy. >> 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 that we've 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 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 service 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? >> like you pardon the turkey,

you pardon the tree? >> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." 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 three to five 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 can 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 the 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 tougher this 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, 104 million people are

expected to hit the road, and a record 7.5 million are expected to fly. 4 million others by bus, train, cruise is expected to surpass in 2019. 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's 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's ramy inocencio's 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 a crossing for more humanitarian aid.

this morning desperate gazans in rafah ransacked a u.n. aid truck just after it entered from egypt. prime minister benjamin netanyahu has also 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 intent 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 ceasefire. 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 an israeli military escort. cbs's charlie d'agata and his team crossed over into the territory on an israeli embed.

>> reporter: for the israelis who worked here the erez crossing was a lifeline to palestinians in gaza. but for the hamas terrorists who 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 of them were taken captive alive. >> reporter: from here. >> from here. and yesterday while operating hostage rescue 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. >> reporter: 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 could drive a small car down here. and the depth. israeli forces say these tunnels were used not only to launch attacks toward israel in that direction but by hamas militants in retreat taking hostages with them. it runs for more than 2 1/2 miles and is crisscrossed with smaller tunnels. the challenge, hunting down hamas while safeguarding the hostages, says idf spokesman daniel haggari. >> 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. >> 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.

>> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." 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 nikki haley has emerged as the top

alternative in the granite state. cbs's skyler henry is in washington with more on our polling and what it actually %-p. >> reporter: hey, jericka. good to see you. that poll also shows that republican voters in new hampshire find haley to be more likable and reasonable than the other candidates including the former president. but he's still far and way who many people would beat president biden and get back to the white house. >> reporter: republican voters are showing they're standing behind former president donald trump. new cbs news polling shows his commanding lead 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 poison. mental institutions and prisons all over the world. not just in south america. not just the three or four countries that we think about. but all over the world.

>> i don't know how you could 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 fascists and violent white supremacists. the controversy comes as a border deal in congress hangs in the balance. republicans are demanding sweeping new policies at 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's going to be some deal cut behind closed doors and then jam it through the senate and then 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 capitol, working through the weekend to find common ground on an agreement that could see sweeping changes to the immigration system. >> i think we're going to see something next week and we'll stay there until we get it done. >> reporter: house lawmakers

have already left for the year, senate democrats want to vote on the aid 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's elise preston got an inside look at how the postal service is keeping up. elise, good evening.

>> reporter: 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. 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 holiday 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, the pope celebrates a birthday with his legacy under attack. and nba legend kareem abdul-jabbar recovering tonight in a hospital. and going green. and going green. a new tree idea for an old [stomach growling] it's nothing... sounds like something. ♪when you have nausea, heartburn, indigestion♪

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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 laypeople, and open doors for lgbtq and divorced catholics. "everyone, everyone, everyone must be allowed in," says the pope. but opponents like american 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's 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 that if you don't agree with the pope on everything that you're cnsidered 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 vestments. 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. the "cbs overnight news" the "cbs overnight news" wi do you shop for vitamins at walmart?

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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's 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 nordman 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 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. >> i have 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 from $35 to as much as 400 depending on the size and variety. anthony walker and his sons aidan and steely happily greet their rented tree each year. >> we had the same one a couple years in a row. so it's kind of like another family member, you know? >> reporter: as christmas tree farms go, hudson's is tiny. only 1,000 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. 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 they become so much more.

there's a late-night viewer in colorado that tunes in not for the news or weather but for the music. lindsay grewy explains. >> reporter: oh, say can you see. [ dog howling ] by the dawn's early light. >> she will wake us up at 4:30 in the morning singing. [ howling ] and she sings very loud. >> reporter: pina is an adorable yorkie and shih tzu mix. rebecca got her as a puppy a year ago.

then three months ago pina announced she had a secret talent. >> she sleeps with me at night and my tv just stays on, the news. and i got woke up to her howling at 4:30 in the morning. and i didn't know why. but i like replayed it back to her and then she started howling again. >> reporter: rebecca tells me pina loves to sing but only to the national anthem that plays before our weekday morning show. >> we'll play anything and she won't do nothing. it's only that song. >> reporter: what so proudly she howled -- >> does she do this every morning? >> yes. if you leave the tv on or if it's anywhere playing in the house she'll sing it. >> reporter: in a way it's kind of fitting that she only sings to the national anthem. >> she was born on the 4th of july. so it just -- it just makes sense. >> reporter: but why it's only the version that plays just before 11 news this morning, rebecca couldn't say. >> i've tried apple music to just get different national anthems. my mom watches football, and when they do it nothing.

it's only the girl who sings it at the beginning. [ howling ] >> reporter: it is a strange wake-up call. but rebecca tells me that her family wouldn't have it any other way. >> we all just love it. it's just -- now it's part of her personality. >> reporter: reporting from woodland park i'm lindsay grewe. >> that is the "overnight news" for this monday. reporting from the cbs broadcast center in new york city, i'm jericka duncan. this is "cbs news flash." i'm courtney kealy in new york. there was a frightening moment as president biden was walking out of his campaign headquarters in delaware. a car plowed into a parked suv that was guarding the president's motorcade. the secret service ushered mr. biden into his armored suv. the president and first lady the u.s. is condemning the latest north korean ballistic missile test. japan says north korea fired an

icbm more than 600 miles into the sea. tokyo says the missile has the potential to travel more than 9,000 miles and reach anywhere in japan or the u.s. mainland. and "wonka" starring timothee chalamet debuted at the top of the box office taking in 39 million in ticket sales. for more download the cbs news app on your cell phone or connected tv. i'm courtney kealy, cbs news, new york. it's monday, december 18th, 2023. this is the "cbs morning news." a powerful storm roaring up the east coast with millions of americans in its path. heavy rain, flooding, and damaging winds, the impact poised to wreak havoc on a monday morning commute. new calls for a cease-fire. israel facing fresh criticism ou