volcano in iceland. the remote island nation is a popular tourist destination this time of the year for the northern lights. but now sightseers and residents are being warned about the dangers of lava and toxic gas spewing from the volcano. nick beak, a reporter with our partners at the bbc, is there. >> reporter: fountains of gold, iceland's own breathtaking winter illuminations. the fiery jets blasting through the surface of the volcano, creating a rupture more than two miles long. this is just fascinating to see just nature in action. i just -- it's just like something from a movie. >> reporter: crucially, the lava has been flowing away from the nearest town, grindavik, a fishing community home to 4,000 people, was evacuated last month when the volcano first showed signs it could blow. >> we cleared the town and the area, and now we're just securing the area and closing

every road to the area. >> reporter: experts worry the gases that continue to spurt out are polluting the air. but they say there won't be a giant ash cloud like 13 years ago. that's because this volcano system is not trapped under glaciers. it may be that the most memorable part of this christmas performance is over, but they're not letting down their guard here. tonight we're at the edge of the exclusion zone that's been set up to protect people here. the volcano is still burning bright. the government in iceland saying for now, it doesn't pose a risk to people living around here. norah. >> nick week, thank you. president biden delivered a heartfelt eulogy today at the funeral for supreme court justice sandra day o'connor, the first woman to serve on the nation's highest court. the president called o'connor gracious and wise, civil and principled. we get more from cbs's jan

crawford. >> reporter: the path sandra day o'connor blazed changed the nation. and as she was laid to rest, thousands came to pay respects to the historic first. >> may god bless sandra day o'connor. >> reporter: the president was in the senate 42 years ago when she was confirmed unanimously, something unimaginable today. but as chief justice john roberts said, she lived her life showing what was possible. >> sandra day o'connor had to study and launch a career in the law when most men in the established profession did not want women lawyers, let alone judges. >> reporter: she learned the values of hard work and independence growing up on an arizona cattle ranch. perseverance when no law firm would hire her as a top graduate from stanford, and political savvy in the arizona senate. on the supreme court, she was known as a swing vote, who opposed overturning roe v. wade. she was revered for helping her colleagues find common ground.

>> quite simply, she was a force of nature. >> reporter: jay o'connor, the youngest of her three sons, said she wrote instructions for her funeral. in a letter to be unsealed on her death. in it was also one final message. >> "our purpose in life is to help others along the way." what a beautiful, powerful, and totally sandra day o'connor sentiment. ♪ america ♪ >> reporter: it was the message of her life, and live it she did. now, justice o'connor liked to say it's good to be the first, but you don't want to be the last. that's another part of her legacy, norah. today there are four women on the supreme court. >> beautiful tribute. jan crawford, thank you so much. the "cbs overnight news" will be right back.

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packages disappeared in the u.s. last year, many of them taken right from the front door while a camera was recording. tonight, cbs's janet shamlian reports how one delivery company is using artificial intelligence to fight back. >> reporter: 'tis the season for porch pirates. almost 1 in 4 adults had a package stolen in the last 12 months. >> this time of year we ship a lot of gifts, so every package can be very special to the person that's receiving. >> reporter: tarek saab is president of texas precious metals, and that's what he ships, gold and silver. >> this is a tube of gold from the austrian mint. this is a one ounce silver bar, a 10 ounce silver bar, and a 100 ounce silver bar. >> reporter: this year he's using a new data program called delivery defense. >> what does delivery defense do for your company? >> delivery defense helps us identify addresses that are likely targets for porch piracy. >> so how does this work. >> reporter: at ups world headquarters, we got a look at how it works, by simply entering a recipient's address, the a.i.

powered program produces a score. >> for this particular address, we've got a score of 929. >> reporter: a high score indicates a high likelihood of a successful delivery. for addresses with a low confidence score, the merchant can reroute the item with the customer's okay to a ups store or other pickup location. ups capital president mark robinson. >> about 2% of the addresses will be considered low confidence, and we're seeing that that represents about 30% of the losses our customers are having. >> reporter: at texas precious metals, they believe technology can reduce those numbers. >> we recognize it's computers versus criminals, and we have to use every tech capability that we have to try to circumvent any challenges that we might run into. >> reporter: an effort to make every delivery as good as gold. janet shamlian, cbs news, atlanta. the number of suspected cases of lead poisoning from contaminated applesauce has nearly doubled in the past week to at least 205 cases.

three brands of cinnamon applesauce fruit pouches have been recalled, including wanna ba na, schnucks and weiss. tonight the fda warns that recalled products are still on shelves at family dollar and dollar tree combination stores, saying customers should not buy them. the fda says the cinnamon that was added to the applesauce was contaminated with extremely high concentrations of lead. a trailblazing 26-year-old marine sets her sights on the winter olympics. winter olympics. her profile in service is next. this isn't charmin! no wonder i don't feel as clean. hurry up dad! i'm trying! this cheap stuff is too thin! here's charmin ultra strong! ahhh! my bottom's been saved! woohoo! with its diamond weave texture, charmin ultra strong cleans better with fewer sheets and less effort. what's everybody waiting for? this? we all go, why not enjoy the go with charmin. and for a shower-fresh clean feeling try charmin flushable wipes!

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now to our series "profiles in service," highlighting veterans and active-duty members of the military who are making a difference in their communities. tonight we introduce you to one marine with an olympic dream and hopes of inspiring girls everywhere. >> i love serving my country. i can't think of a better job than being a united states marine officer. >> reporter: captain reilly tee jack can do anything. >> how do you deal with adversity and challenges? >> i think dealing with adversity, i want to do things that are hard. i want to be tested. i want to see where my limits are mentally, physically and emotionally. >> she did just that when she joined the marines. only 9% of the corps are women. >> my goal is you aren't the only woman that walks into the room where it's filled and you don't even notice anymore because you have a seat at every single table. >> reporter: for now the 26-year-old is working toward a different goal. >> my dream is to be the first

female marine in the olympics. >> and will your day job interfere at all with your dream? >> i'm a marine 24/7. i'm blessed and fortunate for the marine corp. backing me through this journey. but at the same time, it's exhausting, and that's what makes it fun. if it was easy, anyone would do it. >> reporter: tee jack manages work at quantico and intense training as a bobsled pilot. >> we're going to get warmed up really fast. >> reporter: including constant competitions and twice daily workouts. >> go! >> reporter: her hard work is paying off. >> she's fast. >> reporter: she's ranked 14th in the world. >> what's the best part of bobsledding? >> oh, the speed. the speed and the adrenaline. going 90-plus miles an hour down an ice track and competing wearing team usa across my chest. >> reporter: representing america as a competitor, a marine, and an inspiration to young women and girls. >> good job. >> reporter: riley, what do you want your legacy to be? >> i want to be remembered for

how i make people feel. i don't want to be remembered for all the things i did and the accomplishments and the medals. i want to be able to create a path big enough that people can run through it and accomplish things they never thought was possible and kind of create a roadmap to do it. >> well, captain tee jack hopes to make the 2026 winter olympics team, and if she didn't have enough going on, riley wrote a children's book about inspiring little girls to dream big, and that is out this summer. i loved meeting

we want to end tonight on a high note with a young man spreading holiday joy in the town of mcallister, oklahoma, where a small act of kindness has grown into one of the largest toy drives in the state. the line, more than three miles long. the gifts, packed a drive-through warehouse. and santa and his helpers were ready for the big day. on this day with the help of 4h, more than 10,000 toys will be given away. it's the idea of 18-year-old reed markham, who started this seven years ago when he noticed his classmates needed school supplies. >> and so it kind of clicked in my brain. it's like christmas is not a cheap holiday. people are going to struggle with this too. >> reporter: markham is helping people with that struggle through donations. he's given out more than 64,000 toys. >> the holiday spirit, it's in everyone. i mean it's the joy of giving.

it's not the joy of getting. it's the joy of giving and seeing the people's reaction to what you're doing for them. and that's the overnight news for this wednesday. for some of you, the news continues. for others, check back later for "cbs mornings" and follow us online anytime at cbsnews.com. reporting from here in the nation's capital, i'm norah o'donnell. this is "cbs news flash." i'm shanelle kaul in new york. republicans are reacting to the colorado supreme court's decision to disqualify former president donald trump from the state's primary ballot. trump did not mention the ruling at his rally last night though his campaign did say it will appeal to the supreme court. other candidates also disagreed with the decision with vivek ramaswamy saying he will take his own name off the colorado

ballot. a federal judge has ordered the unsealing of court documents naming dozens of associates and victims of jeffrey epstein. the documents will be released in early 2024. and happy holidays from outer space. nasa releasing these images of what it calls a christmas tree cluster. for more, download the cbs news app on your cell phone or connected tv. i'm shanelle kaul, cbs news, new york. >> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." there is breaking news out of colorado where the state's supreme court just ruled that donald trump is disqualified to be president under the colorado constitution. we will have more on that news in just a moment. but we do want to begin with the weather because with less

than one week before christmas, hundreds of thousands of americans are without power tonight after what the national weather service is calling a 100-year flood. an intense storm pummeled the northeast and is still causing problems. four states are experiencing major flooding tonight. rivers are still rising and inundating neighborhoods. rescue teams tonight are working to get people out of their homes and cars. so far, the storm is blamed for at least five deaths from florida to new england. cbs's errol barnett is going to lead us off tonight in paterson, new jersey. that is a city under a state of emergency. good evening, errol. >> reporter: good evening, norah. the massive amount of rainfall we saw in this part of the country caused the passaic river to go from picturesque to panic-inducing. it's overflowing its banks, triggering flood warnings and of course putting lives at risk. it's a post-storm scene we are seeing repeated throughout the northeast. the deadly storm system left

scenes of flooding, buckled roads, and downed power lines in its wake from the mid-atlantic to the northeast. in jackson falls, new hampshire, newly melted snow fueled raging rivers and floods. first responders were using drones to search for two people missing in mexico, maine. a swollen river caused by five inches of rain swept their car away on monday. cbs affiliate wgme reporter owen kingsley is in franklin county, one of the 14 under a state of emergency. >> reporter: here in carrabassett valley, you can see a temporary replacement being made on this road as several people are currently trapped at a local ski resort. for others around the state, they could be waiting days until their repairs can be made. >> reporter: take a look at the ongoing flood risk here at great falls in paterson, new jersey. typically 2 billion gallons of water pass through here every day. right now it's at major flood stage. throughout the state, multiple first responders rescued a handful of residents from

inundated homes. drew marasco waded through chest-deep floodwaters outside of his pool construction company in pompton plains. inside the business, the water was nearly five feet deep. >> we were in there trying to salvage everything, welders, tools, toolbox drawers which probably aren't up high enough now. >> reporter: in lincoln park, a fire consumed this house. firefighters struggled to get through floodwater to battle the blaze. now that the storm system is history, airline delays and cancellations have been minimal as the tsa braces for the rush of holiday travelers. now, some relief is in sight with most major flooded rivers throughout the northeast having reached their peaks. that includes the passaic, but problems persist. the mayor of little falls, for example, a town southwest of where i'm standing now, has issued an evacuation order, norah because he says overnight water rescues are just too dangerous.

let's turn now to some breaking news in the 2024 presidential election. a ruling just coming down from colorado's supreme court. the majority of the justices in the state declared donald trump is ineligible, saying he should not be allowed on the state's primary ballot. cbs's robert costa is here with us. robert, this is the first state to do this. how big of a threat is this to trump? >> it's an explosive moment in the 2024 presidential campaign. so far, the january 6th trial has been looming. it's trump's biggest challenge as the republican front-runner, now disqualified from the primary ballot in a key swing state. this is disrupting how republicans tonight are talking to me about his leading rival, former ambassador nikki haley, wondering if trump's legal challenges push his campaign out of the mainstream. if he's someone who is going to have to challenge this all the way to the supreme court. in fact, in a statement tonight, the trump campaign said, quote, the colorado supreme court issued a completely flawed decision, and we will swiftly

file an appeal to the supreme court. >> and there are lawsuits like this challenging trump's candidacy in some 25 states. >> minnesota, new hampshire, and so many others. this is going -- the courtroom is the campaign trail. >> interesting. robert costa, thank you so much. tonight the war between israel and hamas is impacting oil prices and the global supply chain as cargo ships and tankers change course to avoid being attacked by iranian-backed militia in yemen. cbs's ramy inocencio reports tonight on the new action the pentagon is taking. >> reporter: some of the world's biggest shipping and oil companies are now rerouting their vessels away from the red sea after brazen attacks like this one by iranian-backed houthi rebels. a dozen ships attacked in just the past month. the navy destroyer "uss carney" has been shooting down drones and missiles launched from houthi-controlled territory in yemen in support of palestinians in the gaza war. >> if one of these drones or missiles actually hits, we could not only see a disruption to shipping but a complete closure of the red sea.

>> reporter: 10% to 15% of global trade normally passes through, worth an estimated $1 trillion. fearing houthi attacks, ships are turning off transponders, hiring armed guards, and several companies are sailing around africa. >> not only is it going to be several weeks of delay, but they're also going to have a higher cost. >> reporter: on the price of oil and on the entire supply chain. a pain consumers will feel. >> we've launched operation prosperity guardian. >> reporter: in the region, defense secretary lloyd austin announced a new task force to try to stop houthi attacks. a ten-country military alliance with the intent to grow. so far, the only country from the middle east to sign on is the tiny nation of bahrain. in gaza, israel's bombardment continues with nearly 20,000 people now killed, says gaza's hamas-run health ministry. israel's military says it's dismantled hamas' northern brigade and taken control of

jabalia. strikes that hit the refugee camp there killed at least 50. more strikes in southern rafah killed almost 30 others. "i lost two grandchildren" said this woman, "one just 2 weeks old. she didn't even get her birth certificate. just hours ago, militants in gaza released two more videos of hostages. this is the second such release in two days. that comes as leaders from both israel and hamas are signaling they are open to a new pause and a new hostage release deal. norah. >> ramy inocencio, thank you. the number of suspected cases of lead poisoning from contaminated applesauce has nearly doubled in the past week to at least 205 cases. three brands of cinnamon applesauce fruit pouches have been recalled including wanabana, schnucks, and weis. tonight the fda warns that recalled products are still on shelves at family dollar and dollar tree combination stores, saying customers should not buy them. the fda says the cinnamon that was added to the applesuce was

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>> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." i'm nicole sganga in washington. thanks for staying with us. health officials are warning of an alarming increase in hospitalizations linked to covid, rsv, and the flu. millions of americans opted to

skip their yearly inoculations, especially seniors. the cdc reports that for people over 65, about two-thirds got the flu shot, but only one-third received the covid vaccine. as for rsv, nearly half of seniors say they don't even know there is a vaccine. about 160,000 seniors are expected to be hospitalized this winter with rsv. lilia luciano reports. >> reporter: the cdc is urging vigilance amid a sharp increase in the number of respiratory illnesses nationwide. >> we're seeing lots of rsv. it's like overwhelming, a big tsunami of it. >> reporter: data shows that over the past several weeks, hospitalizations rose 200% for the flu, 51% for covid-19, and 60% for rsv. the cdc says that's partially due to low vaccination rates. as of mid-november, pharmacies and physicians' offices had administered nearly 7.5 million

fewer flu shots to adults compared to last year. and just 17% of people 60 and over have received an rsv vaccine. while less than 8% of kids have gotten their updated covid booster. part of the issue, attitudes have changed since the pandemic, citizen the director of pediatrics at concord medical group, dr. diane hess. >> i think the harder part is do we still quarantine if we have covid? do we stay home for the five days? >> reporter: she urges parents to exercise caution with their kids, who could easily spread their illnesses to classmates. >> you don't just get one. you get two or three at the same time, and it really knocks these kids down. be courteous. keep your kids home if they're sick. if you're not feeling well, don't go to work, stay home. >> reporter: and get tested to determine which virus they may have. i'm lilia luciano. we have an update this morning on a story we've been covering all year involving veterans who were kicked out of

the military because of their sexual orientation. more than 29,000 service members were denied honorable discharges before 2011. that's when the military finally overturned the don't ask/don't tell policy, banning them from serving as openly gay. cief investigative correspondent jim axelrod reconnected with a veteran he first met more than a year ago and learned a lot has changed in his life since then. >> reporter: it has been 25 years since donny ray allen, a marine corps vet, was threatened with a court martial after coming out to his commanding officer and then drummed out of the service. but what's happened to donny ray in the past year, unexpected and positive, may also soon happen to thousands more vets after the pentagon finally addressed a lingering injustice. on the very same day the pentagon announced it was taking steps to help lgbtq veterans -- >> dod will for the first time

begin proactively reviewing the military records of veterans discharged because of their sexual orientation. >> reporter: donny ray allen, a marine corps vet, was taking a huge step of his own. >> what's up, beautiful people? i just thought on the anniversary of the appeal of don't ask/don't tell, that i would inform you guys that today i registered for my first ever college courses. >> i never thought this was going to happen. i never thought this was even remotely possible because that's what i'd always been told. >> reporter: at 47, allen is pursuing his bachelor's degree, a dream he gave up in 1998 when he was kicked out of the military during don't ask, don't tell, the policy banning gay and lesbian troops from serving openly. we first sat down with allen a year ago. >> it's like if you put your hand on your hip, if you sit with your legs crossed, it was always like the witch hunt was always around no matter what during those times in the military. >> reporter: but the military didn't just kick allen out. it denied him an honorable

discharge and the benefits that come with it, including the crucial g.i. bill allen needed to pay for college. since then, we followed donny ray allen's pursuit of a discharge upgrade. earlier this year, the upgrade finally came through. >> so right now i am an honorably discharged united states marine corporal. >> reporter: and with it, those life-changing benefits. >> before the upgrade, i had no accessibility to the v.a. like my medicines are now covered through the v.a. if i get sick, if i get cancer, something like that, it will all be covered under the v.a. now. so that is a huge weight off my shoulders. >> could you be doing what you're doing now with your life -- could you have gone back to school? >> no. >> without the g.i. bill? >> no, absolutely not. i got my first semester down. i'm done. two bs and an a. kind of proud of myself for that. >> reporter: before the pentagon announced it would begin proactively reviewing discharges

of lgbtq vets, cbs news spent months documenting the impact of having other than honorable on their dd-214 form. >> it hurt because my country is telling me i'm not good enough to serve because of who i love, not because of anything else, just because of who i love. >> i can't be a police officer like i wanted to because of my dd-214. yeah, they messed up my life. >> stating that there's a problem is a great step forward. >> reporter: attorney kristi bag aloe helps veterans seeking discharge upgrades. she says she's cautiously optimistic about the military's new efforts. >> a lot of veterans were still discharged for misconduct, not specifically for homosexual conduct. so it is going to take a lot of records reviews by someone who understands. >> reporter: after our stories aired, bag aloe took up the case of donny ray allen's friend, amy long. she, too, had given up hope. >> did it change your sense of

self? >> yes. i'm less than. >> mm-hmm. >> less than? >> yeah. i'm less than honorable. >> reporter: then just last month, lom got word her honorable discharge had also come through. allen spoke for her and thousands of others who suffered for years waiting for this day they never thought they'd actually see. >> it made me proud to be, like, an american in a sense, that actually finally our government is looking at us and being like, you are a valid reason for us to do this. >> how long had it been since you felt that kind of pride? >> i graduated boot camp june of 1994. that would probably be the last time. >> reporter: today marks 90 days since the pentagon announced plans to review the discharges of lgbtq vets and make it right for those unjustly paying a prize for their sexual orientation. no one's been upgraded since that announcement, but a pentagon official tells cbs news they have started reviewing records of some 2,000 veterans

for potential discharge upgrade eligibility. jim axelrod, cbs news, new york. thousands of survivors are braving the bitter cold in northwest china after a 6.2 magnitude earthquake collapsed entire towns and villages. initial reports say more than 130 people were killed, but that number is expected to rise as rescue teams claw through the rubble. elizabeth palmer reports. >> reporter: security footage from inside a gansu restaurant shows everything was normal until the quake. at a minute to mitt need, customers and staff ran for their lives. workers combed through the wreckage of collapsed buildings, pulling those they could reach to safety and handing out coats and blankets to survivors stranded in the bitter cold. cell phone video shows the damage to one family home, but at least it didn't collapse.

in this poor rural area of northwestern china, many buildings did, killing or injuring the people asleep inside. china mobilized its military and all day tuesday soldiers joined the search for survivors. they cleared rubble and handed out tents and food while heavy equipment worked to clear landslides. this is the deadliest earthquake in china since the one in 2010, which hit the very same region. as rescue and cleanup operations continue in gansu and qinghai provinces, the number of dead and injured is bound to rise. elizabeth palmer, cbs news, tokyo. the "cbs overnight news" will be right back. i love that my daughter still needs me. but sometimes i can't help due to burning and stabbing pain in my hands, so i use nervive. nervive's clinical dose of ala reduces nerve discomfort in as little as 14 days.

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overwhelming joy are all students and former students of derek brown, a phoenix elementary teacher who uses our on the road stories to teach kindness and character. a perennial favorite, secret santa. that wealthy businessman who every year gives out hundreds of hundred dollar bills to random strangers. >> it's impossible. this is impossible. >> it is possible. it's true. >> reporter: watching secret santa do his thing made a huge impression on the kids. >> i was like shocked because, well, who does that? >> i've never seen anyone, like, just give money away like that. >> could you imagine that someday it would be you? >> no, not ever. >> reporter: and so with guidance from mr. brown -- >> i sent everybody an itinerary. >> reporter: -- the kids started a secret santa club and began fund-raising, calls friends, family, and businesses. they raised $8,000 without any help from their school or

district just so they could turn around and give it all away. >> it's okay. >> reporter: to people like rose marie hernandez. rose marie had been out of work for a week. >> this will give me a lot of relief. thank you, thank you, thank you. oh, my god. >> reporter: they also gave money to deirdre taylor. >> oh, my god. >> reporter: deirdre had just gotten diagnosed with cancer and was down to her last $20. >> you guys are amazing. >> reporter: the children spent the day changing dozens of lives. and along the way, they noticed something remarkable, that the more they gave, the more they got. >> i'm so happy right now. >> you get so many feelings in your body that just makes you, like, want to do it again. >> their joy. that's the gift to you. >> reporter: their joy. that's the gift to you. exactly the realization mr. brown was hoping for.

>> i want this memory to be so strong that it now drives them every day in everything they do. >> did today change you? >> definitely. i never felt this way in my life. so this was really a life changer for me. >> reporter: whoever said money can't buy happiness obviously never gave it

a lot of kids fill their christmas wish list with electronic gear. well, the oldest toy store in los angeles doesn't sell any of that, and it's doing big business. joy benedict reports. >> we've been in business since 1945. >> so a minute or two. >> just a minute or three. >> reporter: it's not a big shop. >> let's go for a walk. >> reporter: but owner don kipper struts around kip's toyland with a knowledge of play things over decades as this is

the oldest toy store in los angeles. but some of the toys have been around even longer. >>1816. so this has been around over 200 years. >> reporter: from kaleidoscopes to stuffed animals, volcanos, and toy phones, kip's showcases toys with one thing in common. >> we do not sell anything that plugs in. >> reporter: the only power needed is that of the imagination. >> we prefer games that will cause kids to engage with others instead of sitting in the corner playing with their thumbs. >> reporter: although they carry some of the oldest toys ever made, they also have some of the most popular. rows of lego, a wall of barbies, a barrage of board games, which bring in the shoppers searching for a little nostalgia. >> it's something i can have in common with my kids. >> reporter: and although their there thousands of toys in here, even this toy man has a favorite. >> wooden blocks fresh out of

the kindergarten classroom. the only thing that limits your use of this is your imagination, which is why i love it. >> reporter: love that is in every toy, wrapped and ready to give in hopes of spreading a little holiday cheer. joy benedict, cbs news, los angeles. and that's the overnight news for this wednesday. reporting from the nation's capital, i'm nicole sganga. this is "cbs news flash." i'm shanelle kaul in new york. republicans are reacting to the colorado supreme court's decision to disqualify former president donald trump from the state's primary ballot. trump did not mention the ruling at his rally last night though his campaign did say it will appeal to the supreme court. other candidates a also disagre with the decision with vivek ramaswamy saying he will take his own name off the colorado

ballot. a federal judge has ordered the unsealing of court documents naming dozens of associates and victims of jeffrey epstein. the documents will be released in early 2024. and happy holidays from outer space. nasa releasing these images of what it calls a christmas tree cluster. for more, download the cbs news app on your cell phone or connected tv. aul, cbs news, new york. tonight, millions dealing with the aftermath of that severe weather on the east coast. the flood and power outages just ahead of the holidays. and there's another storm brewing. we have the details. high floodwaters trapping residents and sweeping vehicles off the road. attacks on merchant ships in the red sea. what's being done to protect the critical trade route. >> the united states, our allies, and our partners will do

what we have to do to counter these threats and protect these ships. holiday shipping season is in full swing. how a.i. technology is thwarting porch pirates. >> it's computers versus criminals, and we have to use every tech capability we have. it's like something from a movie. >> the stunning images coming out of iceland after a volcano erupts. the fast-moving lava. my dream is to be the first female marine in the olympics. >> and our series "profiles in service." we'll introduce you to a marine with hopes of becoming an olympian and inspiring girls everywhere. >> i want to be remembered as somebody that brought others along with me. >> whoo! that was great. >> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." there is breaking news out of colorado where the state's supreme court just ruled that donald trump is disqualified to be president under the colorado constitution.

we will have more on that news in just a moment. but we do want to begin with the weather because with less than one week before christmas, hundreds of thousands of americans are without power tonight after what the national weather service is calling a 100-year flood. an intense storm pummeled the northeast and is still causing problems. four states are experiencing major flooding tonight. rivers are still rising and inundating neighborhoods. rescue teams tonight are working to get people out of their homes and cars. so far, the storm is blamed for at least five deaths from florida to new england. cbs's errol barnett is going to lead us off tonight in paterson, new jersey. that is a city under a state of emergency. good evening, errol. >> reporter: good evening, norah. the massive amount of rainfall we saw in this part of the country caused the passaic river to go from picturesque to panic-inducing. it's overflowing its banks, triggering flood warnings and of course putting lives at risk.

it's a post-storm scene we are seeing repeated throughout the northeast. the deadly storm system left scenes of flooding, buckled roads, and downed power lines in its wake from the mid-atlantic to the northeast. in jackson falls, new hampshire, newly melted snow fueled raging rivers and floods. first responders were using drones to search for two people missing in mexico, maine. a swollen river caused by five inches of rain swept their car away on monday. cbs affiliate wgme reporter owen kingsley is in franklin county, one of the 14 under a state of emergency. >> reporter: here in carrabassett valley, you can see a temporary replacement being made on this road as several people are currently trapped at a local ski resort. for others around the state, they could be waiting days until their repairs can be made. >> reporter: take a look at the ongoing flood risk here at great falls in paterson, new jersey. typically 2 billion gallons of water pass through here every

day. right now it's at major flood stage. throughout the state, multiple first responders rescued a handful of residents from inundated homes. drew marasco waded through chest-deep floodwaters outside of his pool construction company in pompton plains. inside the business, the water was nearly five feet deep. >> we were in there trying to salvage everything, welders, tools, toolbox drawers, which probably aren't up high enough now. >> reporter: in lincoln park, a fire consumed this house. firefighters struggled to get through floodwater to battle the blaze. now that the storm system is history, airline delays and cancellations have been minimal as the tsa braces for the rush of holiday travelers. now, some relief is in sight with most major flooded rivers throughout the northeast having reached their peaks. that includes the passaic, but problems persist. the mayor of little falls, for example, a town southwest of where i'm standing now, has issued an evacuation order,

nor rah, because he says overnight water rescues are just too dangerous. >> yeah, very dangerous out there. errol barnett, thank you so much. we want to know what the weather forecast is because it's top of mind for the 115 million holiday travelers. let's bring in meteorologist mike bettes with our partners at the weather challenge. good evening, mike. >> norah, good evening. still dealing with the aftermath of the big rain that we saw yesterday across the northeast. some locations picked up more than half a foot of rain. places across new york and new jersey, 5 inches or more. that, of course, led to rivers coming up very, very quickly and staying high. many of the rivers over the next couple of days will remain in major flood stage as they recede very, very slowly. the weather has improved there but it's going downhill across the west coast, including a major storm off the northern california coast tomorrow that slides down into southern california. what that will lead to is very heavy rain in l.a., santa barbara, san diego. that could lead to some mudslides. watching for rain in burn scar areas after wildfires that could lead to some issues. when you look at this, likely

flooding thursday into friday, norah, when many people will be on the roads for holiday travel. this could be a lethal combination. >> all right, mike. thank you so much. tonight the war between israel and hamas is impacting oil prices and the global supply chain as cargo ships and tankers change course to avoid being attacked by iranian-backed militia in yemen. cbs's ramy inocencio reports on the new action the pentagon is taking. >> reporter: some of the world's biggest shipping and oil companies are now rerouting their vessels away from the red sea after brazen attacks like this one by iranian-backed houthi rebels. a dozen ships attacked in just the past month. the navy destroyer "uss carney" has been shooting down drones and missiles launched from houthi-controlled territory in yemen in support of palestinians in the gaza war. >> if one of these drones or missiles actually hits, we could not only see a disruption to shipping but a complete closure of the red sea. >> reporter: 10% to 15% of global trade normally passes through, worth an estimated

$1 trillion. fearing houthi attacks, ships are turning off transponders, hiring armed guards, and several companies are sailing around africa. >> not only is it going to be several weeks of delay, but they're also going to have a higher cost. >> reporter: on the price of oil and on the entire supply chain. a pain consumers will feel. >> we've launched operation prosperity guardian. >> reporter: in the region, defense secretary lloyd austin announced a new task force to try to stop houthi attacks. a ten-country military alliance with the intent to grow. so far, the only country from the middle east to sign on is the tiny nation of bahrain. in gaza, israel's bombardment continues with nearly 20,000 people now killed, says gaza's hamas-run health ministry. israel's military says it's dismantled hamas' northern brigade and taken control of jabalia. strikes that hit the refugee camp there killed at least 50.

more strikes in southern rafah killed almost 30 others. "i lost two grandchildren" said this woman, "one just 2 weeks old. she didn't even get her birth certificate." just hours ago, militants in gaza released two more videos of hostages. this is the second such release in two days. that comes as leaders from both israel and hamas are signaling they are open to a new pause and a new hostage release deal. norah. >> ramy inocencio, thank you.

>> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." let's turn now to some breaking news in the 2024 presidential election. a ruling just coming down from colorado's supreme court. the majority of the justices in the state declared donald trump is ineligible, saying he should not be allowed on the state's primary ballot.

cbs's robert costa is here with us. all right, robert. this is the first state to do this. how big of a threat is this to trump? >> it's an explosive moment in the 2024 presidential campaign. so far, the january 6th trial has been looming as trump's biggest challenge as the republican front-runner, now disqualified from the primary ballot in a key swing state. this is disrupting how republicans tonight are talking to me about his leading rival, former ambassador nikki haley, wondering if trump's legal challenges push his campaign out of the mainstream if he's someone who is going to have to challenge this all the way to the supreme court. and in fact in a statement tonight, the trump campaign said, quote, the colorado supreme court issued a completely flawed decision, and we will swiftly file an appeal to the supreme court. >> there are lawsuits like this challenging trump's candidacy in some 25 states. >> minnesota, new hampshire, and so many others. this is going -- the courtroom is the campaign trail. >> interesting. robert costa, thank you so much. we turn now to the spectacular eruption of a

volcano in iceland. the remote island nation is a popular tourist destination this time of the year for the northern lights. but now sightseers and residents are being warned about the dangers of lava and toxic gas spewing from the volcano. nick beake, a reporter with our partners at the bbc, is there. >> reporter: fountains of gold, iceland's own breathtaking winter illuminations. the fiery jets blasting through the surface of the volcano, creating a rupture more than two miles long. >> this is just fascinating to see just nature in action. i just -- it's just like something from a movie. >> reporter: crucially, the lava has been flowing away from the nearest town. grindavik, a fishing community home to 4,000 people, was evacuated last month when the volcano first showed signs it could blow. >> we cleared the town and the area, and now we're just securing the area and closing

every road to the area. >> reporter: experts worry the gases that continue to spurt out are polluting the air. but they say there won't be a giant ash cloud like 13 years ago. that's because this volcano system is not trapped under glaciers. it may be that the most memorable part of this christmas performance is over, but they're not letting down their guard here. tonight we're at the edge of the exclusion zone that's been set up to protect people here. the volcano is still burning bright. the government in iceland saying for now, it doesn't pose a risk to people living around here. norah. >> nick beake, thank you. president biden delivered a heartfelt eulogy today at the funeral for supreme court justice sandra day o'connor, the first woman to serve on the nation's highest court. the president called o'connor gracious and wise, civil and principled. we get more from cbs's jan

crawford. >> reporter: the path sandra day o'connor blazed changed the nation. and as she was laid to rest, thousands came to pay respects to the historic first. >> may god bless sandra day o'connor. >> reporter: the president was in the senate 42 years ago when she was confirmed unanimously, something unimaginable today. but as chief justice john roberts said, she lived her life showing what was possible. >> sandra day o'connor had to study and launch a career in the law when most men in the established profession did not want women lawyers, let alone judges. >> reporter: she learned the values of hard work and independence growing up on an arizona cattle ranch. perseverance when no law firm would hire her as a tp graduate from stanford. and political savvy in the arizona senate. on the supreme court, she was known as a swing vote, who opposed overturning roe v. wade. she was revered for helping her colleagues find common ground.

>> quite simply, she was a force of nature. >> reporter: jay o'connor, the youngest of her three sons, said she wrote instructions for her fun funeral and a letter to be unsealed on her death. in it was also one final message. >> "our purpose in life is to help others along the way." what a beautiful, powerful, and totally sandra day o'connor sentiment. ♪ america ♪ >> reporter: it was the message of her life, and live it she did. now, justice o'connor liked to say it's good to be the first, but you don't want to be the last. that's another part of her legacy, norah. today there are four women on the supreme court. >> beautiful tribute. jan crawford, thank you so much. the "cbs overnight news" will be right back.

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last year, many of them taken right from the front door while a camera was recording. tonight, cbs's janet shamlian reports on how one delivery company is using artificial intelligence to fight back. >> reporter: 'tis the season for porch pirates. almost 1 in 4 adults had a package stolen in the last 12 months. >> this time of year we ship a lot of gifts, so every package can be very special to the person that's receiving it. >> reporter: tarek saab is president of texas precious metals, and that's what he ships, gold and silver. >> this is a tube of gold from the austrian mint. this is a one-ounce silver bar, a 10-ounce silver bar, and a 100 ounce silver bar. >> reporter: this year, he's using a new ups data program called delivery defense. >> what does delivery defense do for your company? >> delivery defense helps us identify addresses that are likely targets for porch piracy. >> so how does this work? >> reporter: at ups world headquarters, we got a look at how it works. by simply entering a recipient's

address, the a.i.-powered program produces a score. >> for this particular address, we've got a score of 929. >> reporter: a high score indicates a high likelihood of a successful delivery bases on years of data from previous deliveries. for addresses with a low confidence score, the merchant can reroute the item with the customer's okay to a ups store or other pickup location. ups capital president mark robinson. >> about 2% of the addresses would be considered low confidence, and we're seeing that that represents about 30% of the losses our customers are having. >> reporter: at texas precious metals, they believe technology can reduce those numbers. >> we recognize it's computers versus criminals, and we have to use every tech capability that we have to try to circumvent any challenges that we might run into. >> reporter: an effort to make every delivery as good as gold. janet shamlian, cbs news, atlanta. the number of suspected cases of lead poisoning from contaminated applesauce has nearly doubled in the past week to at least 205 cases.

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ri now to our series "profiles in service," highlighting veterans and active-duty members of the military who are making a difference in their communities. tonight we introduce you to one marine with an olympic dream and hopes of inspiring girls everywhere. >> i love serving my country. i can't think of a better job than being a united states marine officer. >> reporter: captain riley tejcek can do anything. >> how do you deal with adversity and challenges? >> i think dealing with adversity, i want to do things that are hard. i want to be tested. i want to see where my limits are mentally, physically, and emotionally. >> reporter: tejcek did just that when she joined the marines. only 9% of the corps are women. >> my goal is you aren't the only woman that walks into the room where it's filled, and you don't even notice anymore because you have a seat at every single table. >> reporter: for now, the 26-year-old is working toward a different goal. >> my dream is to be the first female marine in the olympics. >> and will your day job

interfere at all with your dream? >> i'm a marine 24/7. and that's my priority. i'm just blessed and fortunate for the marine corps just backing me and being behind me through this journey. but at the same time, it's exhausting, and that's what makes it fun. if it was easy, anyone would do it. >> reporter: tejcek manages work at quantico and intense training as a bobsled pilot. >> we're going to get warmed up really fast. >> reporter: including constant competitions and twice daily workouts. >> go! >> reporter: her hard work is paying off. >> she's fast. >> reporter: she's ranked 14th in the world. >> what's the best part of bobsledding? >> oh, the speed. the speed and the adrenaline. going 90-plus miles an hour down an ice track and competing wearing "team usa" across my chest. >> reporter: representing america as a competitor, a marine, and an inspiration to young women and girls. >> good job. >> reporter: riley, what do you want your legacy to be? >> i want to be remembered for how i make people feel.

i don't want to be remembered for all the things i did and the accomplishments and the medals. i want to be able to create a path big enough that most people can run through it and accomplish things they never thought was possible and kind of create a roadmap to do it. >> well, captain tejcek hopes to make the 2026 winter olympics team, and if she didn't have enough going on, riley wrote a children's book about inspiring little girls to dream big, and that is out this summer. i loved meeting her. a story for the season bout

we want to end tonight on a high note with a young man spreading holiday joy in the town of mcalester, oklahoma, where a small act of kindness has grown into one of the largest toy drives in the state. the line, more than three miles long. the gifts packed a drive-through warehouse, and santa and his helpers were ready for the big day. on this day with the help of 4-h, more than 10,000 toys will be given away. it's the idea of 18-year-old reed marcum, who started this seven years ago when he noticed his classmates needed school supplies. >> and so it kind of clicked in my brain. it's like christmas is not a cheap holiday. people are going to struggle with this too. >> reporter: marcum is helping people with that strug. through donations, he's given out more than 64,000 toys. >> the holiday spirit, it's in everyone.

i mean it's the joy of giving. it's not the joy of getting. it's the joy of giving and seeing the people's reaction to what you're doing for them. and that's the overnight news for this wednesday. for some of you, the news continues. for others, check back later for "cbs mornings" and follow us online anytime at cbsnews.com. reporting from here in the nation's capital, i'm norah o'donnell. this is "cbs news flash." i'm shanelle kaul in new york. republicans are reacting to the colorado supreme court's decision to disqualify former president donald trump from the state's primary ballot. trump did not mention the ruling at his rally last night though his campaign did say it will appeal to the supreme court. other candidates also disagreed with the decision with vivek ramaswamy saying he will take his own name off the colorado

ballot. a federal judge has ordered the unsealing of court documents naming dozens of associates and victims of jeffrey epstein. the documents will be released in early 2024. and happy holidays from outer space. nasa releasing these images of what it calls a christmas tree cluster. for more, download the cbs news app on your cell phone or connected tv. i'm shanelle kaul, cbs news, new york. it's wednesday, december 20th, 2023. this is the "cbs morning news." booted from the ballot. colorado's supreme court rules former president donald trump ineligible to run in the state's presidential primary setting the stage for a battle that will likely end in the nation's highest court. flood disaster. rivers cresting as millions of americans deal with the aftermath of that powerful east coast storm.