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. when will the waters recede?

showdown in the red sea. attacks on merchant ships impacting oil prices and the global supply chain. what's being done to protect the critical trade route. good morning, and good to be with you. i'm anne-marie green. we start with the fallout and reaction to that stunning ruling from colorado's top court kicking former president donald trump off the primary ballot for violating the u.s. constitution. it is the first of its kind ruling stemming from a lawsuit that focused on a little-known provision in the 14th amendment. cbs' jarred hill is joining us in new york with more on this decision. and of course, the implications for the 2024 presidential race. >> reporter: yeah, definitely. this could be huge if the courts uphold colorado's ruling to keep trump off the ballot there, it could lay the groundwork for other states looking to do the same. again, that's if higher courts say a few key factors apply to

the former president. former president donald trump defiant as usual on the campaign stage in iowa, though never mentioning the unprecedented decision by colorado's supreme court to strike him from that state's primary ballot. >> we will fight for america like no one has ever fought before. >> reporter: the 4-3 ruling in response to a lawsuit brought by a group of voters challenging trump's eligibility based on his actions on january 6th. their question -- whether those actions violated section 3 of the 14th amendment that disqualifies officers of the united states who have, quote, engaged in insurrection or rebellion while in office. >> our voters got a fair shake in court like donald trump did. >> reporter: anticipating legal challenges, the court put its own decision on hold until january. >> what the colorado supreme court has just done is to kind of kick-start the process by which the united states supreme court is likely to rule. and their ruling absolutely will have some impact on whether or not donald trump, if he gains the republican nomination, is

eligible to appear on the general election ballot. >> reporter: the trump campaign called the ruling completely flawed and says it plans to appeal. some of the former president's gop rivals also criticize the ruling. >> i do not believe donald trump should be prevented from being president of the united states by any court. >> reporter: similar lawsuits challenging trump's candidacy have failed or are still pending in dozens of other states. and you know, it is important to note here that this currently only applies to the state of colorado. with their primary set to be in march, legal experts expect the courts to work on this quickly. anne-marie? >> indeed. all right, thank you. now to the flooding that is wreaking havoc up and down the east coast just days before christmas. hundreds of thousands of americans are still without power after what the national weather service is calling a 100-year flood. and the problems are far from over. several rivers in three states are still rising and inundaing neighborhoods. and they will remain at flood stage for the next few days

before slowly receding. cbs' erroll barnett has that story. >> reporter: 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 the 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: look at the ongoing flood risk here at great falls in paterson, new jersey. typically two 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 morasco waded through chest-deep floodwaters outside of his pool construction company. 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 cancelations have been minimal as the tsa braces for the rush of holiday travelers. >> that was erroll barnett reporting. overseas now where israel continues its bombardment across gaza despite calls to scale back its offensive. we are just learning from hamas that its top leader has arrived in cairo for talks. the israeli military says it's

reviewing the deaths of two chin -- two christian women sheltering at a catholic church. they say hamas fired a rocket-propelled grenade at troops in the vicinity, and soldiers fired at three people operating as spotters. the idf released a video of the director of a northern gaza hospital who they say is a senior hamas member. israeli officials say he admitted that hamas uses medical facilities for military purposes. and the u.n. security council is expected to try again today to vote on an arab-sponsored resolution to spur humanitarian aid deliveries in gaza. here's cbs' ramy inocencio with the latest from israel. >> reporter: some of the world's biggest shipping and oil companies are now re-routing 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 hgher 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 killed says gaza's hamas-run health ministry. the military says it's dismantled hamas' northern brigade and taken control of jabaliya. 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." he didn't even get her birth certificate. hours ago militants in gaza released two new hostage videos. the second time in the past two days. that comes as leaders of israel and hamas are signaling they are open to another humanitarian pause and a new hostage release deal. ramy inocencio, cbs news, tel aviv. the new texas law allowing police to arrest migrants suspected of crossing the border illegally is facing its first legal challenge. republican governor greg abbott signed the legislation on monday. it also gives local judges authority to order deportations. civil rights groups and el paso

county filed a federal lawsuit yesterday. they say the new law is an unconstitutional reach over the federal government's authority on immigration. it takes effect in march. a new covid strain is drawing attention from the weather world health organization. the u.n. public health agency says it's classifying the jn1 strain as a variant of interest. health officials say they're monitoring the strain's rapid increase around the world. they say symptoms appear to be the same as other strains, and the risk is low. the cdc says current vaccines offer protection. coming up, naming names. court documents in the jeffrey epstein scandal may soon be unsealed revealing some high-profile figures. and stunning sights. we'll take you to iceland where a volcano is drawing tourists. this is the "cbs morning news." s the "cbs morning news." i told myself i was ok with my moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. with my psoriatic arthritis symptoms.

but just ok isn't ok. and i was done settling. if you still have symptoms after a tnf blocker like humira or enbrel, rinvoq is different and may help. rinvoq is a once-daily pill that can rapidly relieve joint pain, stiffness, and swelling in ra and psa. relieve fatigue for some... and stop joint damage. and in psa, can leave skin clear or almost clear. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tb. serious infections and blood clots, some fatal; cancers, including lymphoma and skin; heart attack, stroke, and gi tears occurred. people 50 and older with a heart disease risk factor have an increased risk of death. serious allergic reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you are or may become pregnant. done settling? ask your rheumatologist for rinvoq. and take back what's yours. abbvie could help you save. ♪

♪ merry christmas! ♪ rich chocolate layers sprinkled with festive peppermint. with love from san francisco. ghirardelli peppermint bark squares. makes the holidays a bite better. - bye, bye cough. - later chest congestion. hello 12 hours of relief. 12 hours!! not coughing? hashtag still not coughing?! mucinex dm gives you 12 hours of relief from chest congestion and any type of cough, day or night. mucinex dm. it's comeback season. my frequent heartburn had me taking antacid after antacid all day long but with prilosec otc just one pill a day blocks heartburn for a full 24 hours. for one and done heartburn relief, prilosec otc. one pill a day, 24 hours, zero heartburn. a a spectacular image of fire

and ice in iceland where a volcano has awakened. yesterday officials say the size of the eruption continues to diminish. the victory began erupting monday near a fishing town that was evacuated last month. lava and smoke spewed more than 300 feet into the air. the eruption is not expected to release large amounts of ash into the air, though. and arkansas cold case nearly 25 years old was solved, and some high-profile names may soon be revealed in the jeffrey epstein scandal. those are some of the headlines on the "morning newsstand." the "new york post" reports more than 170 people with ties to jeffrey epstein will likely be named in court documents set to be unsealed. a federal judge ordered the release of the long-sealed documents in the coming weeks, and it includes the names of former jeffrey epstein employees, sex abuse victims, and others. the judge said most of the names have been already made public. epstein killed himself in a new york city jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

"the arkansas democrat" says human remains found in a kentucky lake almost 25 years ago were identified as a missing man from arkansas. the remains wrapped in tire chains and anchored down were discovered by two fishermen in 1999. efforts to identify the man were unsuccessful, though, until police sought help from a private forensic lab earlier this year. genealogy dna testing identified the man as roger dale parham. he was awaiting trial on rape charges when he vanished in 1999. and cnn says a 13-year-old boy accused of planning a mass shooting at an ohio synagogue reached a plea deal requiring him to write a book report on a world war ii hero. authorities say the unidentified boy was ordered to write a report about car lutz, a swiss diplomat who saved hundreds of hungarian jews during the holocaust. the boy, who pleaded guilty last week to two misdemeanor charges, was also sentenced to a year of

probation, according to court records. still to come, two food recalls you should know about. plus, a discovery out of left field. the rare items found in a man's closet. field. the rare items found in a man's closet. (vo) you weren't made for moderate to severe crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. >plus, a disco but #1 prescribed entyvio is. field. the rare items found in a man's closet. >plus, a discovery out o field. the rare items found in a man's closet. >plus, a discovery out ot field. the rare items found in a man's closet. plus, a discovery out o left field. the rare items found in a man's closet. infusion and serious allergic reactions can happen during or after treatment. entyvio may increase risk of infection, which can be serious. although unlikely, a risk of pml, a rare, serious, potentially fatal brain infection cannot be ruled out. tell your doctor if you have an infection, experience frequent infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. liver problems can occur. ask your healthcare provider about entyvio, the treatment prescribed to more people with crohn's and uc than any other biologic. ♪entyvio, entyvio, entyvio♪ skin-carving next level hydration?

new neutrogena hydro boost water cream. a vital boost of nine times more hydration* to boost your skin's barrier for quenched, dewy skin that's full of life. neutrogena. hydro boost. i'm so glad we did this. i'm so glad we did this. i'm so glad we did this. life is for living. let's partner for all of it. i'm so glad we did this. edward jones ma, ma, ma— ( clears throat ) for fast sore throat relief, try vicks vapocool drops. with two times more menthol per drop, and powerful vicks vapors to vaporize sore throat pain. vicks vapocool drops. vaporize sore throat pain.

here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. ♪ we have ignition. >> blast off for the first launch of jeff bezos' blue origin rocket company in 15 months. it carried an uncrewed new shepherd capsule from west texas yesterday. the ten-minute flight took dozens of experiments to the edge of space and landed back on earth. the last blue origin flight in 2022 crashed due to an engine nozzle failure.

and jingle stars? nasa released images of what looks like a christmas tree. scientists say the bright green cluster of young stars is in our milky way and lives some 2,500 light years away from earth. they are up to five million years old. mcdonald's is adding something special to its happy meals, and there are two big recalls to tell you about. here's shanelle kaul with today's cbs "money watch." >> reporter: u.s. stocks closed higher tuesday with the dow hitting a fifth straight record high as the central bank weighed in on growing optimism rate cuts could come as soon as march. the index gained 251 points. the nasdaq was up 98, and the s&p 500 gained 27 points. check your fridge. two important recalls to tell you about. publix spinach and fresh express spinach being pulled due to listeria fears. the fda says impacted products were sold in alabama, florida,

georgia, north carolina, south carolina, tennessee, and virginia, with best used by dates of december 14th and 15th. the recall follows routine sampling by the florida department of agriculture. simmons foods is recalling more than 13 tons of tgi friday's boneless chicken bites. the recall is in response to consumer complaints of plastic under the breading used in the products. potentially impacted chicken was packed in 15-ounce cartons with a best by date of december 26th. and get ready for a hot new toy with your happy meal. mcdonald's announcing a popular squishmallows toys coming to happy meals for a limited time starting december 26th. the plush toy brand is offering a dozen different characters, each about three inches in size. that's your cbs "money watch" report for this wednesday morning. i'm shanelle kaul, cbs news, new york. hundreds of century-old rare baseball cards have been discovered in a california closet.

the well-preserved cards from the 1920s were found by a man who was cleaning out his father's home. the collection includes babe ruth, shoeless joe jackson, ty cobb, and many hall of famers. it could fetch high six figures. next, actor jennifer love hewitt claps back. this is a hot flash. this is a hot flash. but this is a not flash. ♪ i got a good feeling ♪ there's big news for women going through menopause. veozah - a prescription treatment for moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms - the medical name for hot flashes and night sweats. with hormone-free veozah, you can have fewer hot flashes, and more not flashes. veozah is proven to reduce the number and severity of hot flashes, day and night. for some women, it can start working in as early as one week. don't use veozah if you have cirrhosis,

severe kidney problems, kidney failure, or take cyp1a2 inhibitors. increased liver blood test values may occur. your doctor will check them before and during treatment. most common side effects include stomach pain, diarrhea, difficulty sleeping, back pain, and hot flashes. ♪ i got a good feeling ♪ ask your doctor about hormone-free veozah and enjoy more not flashes. feeling ughh from a backed up gut? miralax works naturally with the water in your body to help you go... ...free your gut. and your mood will follow. for 8 grams of fiber, try new mirafiber gummies. want luxury hair repair that doesn't cost $50? pantene's pro-vitamin formula repairs hair. as well as the leading luxury bonding treatment. for softness and resilience, without the price tag. if you know... you know it's pantene.

here's a look at the forecast in some cities around

the country. ♪ ♪ last christmas i gave you my heart but the very last day ♪ you remember that 1986 wham classic? now "this christmas" actors actors ryan reynolds and rob mcelhenney are getting in on the fun. the duo who co-own the uk soccer team wrexham decided to re-create some wham album covers. you see them looking like george michael and andrew ridgeley. actor jennifer love hewitt is clapping back at fans who called her unrecognizable after she used a photo filter. the now-44-year-old star talked about aging in hollywood on the "inside of you" podcast. she called aging is hollywood really hard saying you can't do anything right. she said that she does her best to ignore trolls, but they still get to her.

and the newly crowned miss france is also speaking out after coming under fire for what she called her androgenous look. the 20-year-old sparked a debate because of her short hair and thin frame. some critics say she won the pageant to appease the woke culture. the beauty queen says that she defends the values of strong women. we'll be right back. american sbran soprano renee fleming talks about her kennedy center honor. and prevent migraine attacks, all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. allergic reactions can occur, even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain. ask about nurtec odt. to give your teeth a dentist clean feeling. start with a round brush head. add power. and you've got oral-b. round cleans better by surrounding each tooth to remove 100% more plaque. for a superior clean. oral-b. brush like a pro.

there's something going around the gordon home. good thing gertrude found delsym. now what's going around is 12-hour cough relief. and the giggles. the family that takes delsym together, feels better together. hi, i'm ben and i've lost 60 pounds on golo. the family that takes delsym together, (guitar music) i've struggled with weight my whole life. i'm sure you're like me and you've tried diet after diet. if you want to stop the insanity, try golo.

i was like shaking you know, i was so scared. when i first reached out to jacoby and meyers. i didn't know if i had a case or not. as soon as i got a hold of my attorney, she was very, very nice, very kind. because of jacoby and meyers, i don't have that pressure to worry about a medical bill or things like that. if i know of any accident, i'm like, call jacoby and meyers, they'll help you.

thank you for joining us this morning. it's wednesday, december 20th. >> let's get started. >> the rain is here to stay. the second storm of the week has arrived in the bay. on this first alert weather day. our voters got a fair shake in the -- just like donald trump did. >> bumped from the ballot. unprecedented ruling to keep former president donald trump off the ballot in colorado. and the implications for 2024. inside, no. paul gathers it in. clock at three. curry three, oh! >> there's the big. >> steph says night night to the celtics with a dagger from

behind