like? like all these responses. so maybe he's directed them to respond with these wonderful responses. yeah. >> we are getting better at this. >> yeah, emerging technology with the holidays and for that, santa was just great that he was able to find different ways to communicate with different kids. >> yeah, absolutely. >> she'll have to be in bed early. >> and it makes your job easy. >> she was up midnight last night, so we'll see about that. >> and that was on the norad press release tonight. if you're not asleep by 11:00, santa is not stopping you. >> exactly. listen to that. good night. we'll see you back at :00. ♪ tonight, the storm before christmas. nebraska in the bullseye. blizzard warnings, icy roads, snow and big rigs piling up as minnesotans bask in record warmth.

the latest on the cross-country weather system. also tonight, silent night. christmas canceled in a holy city. >> i'm imtiaz tyab in east jerusalem. tonight in bethlehem in the occupied west bank palestinian christians say they won't be celebrating christmas as the carnage in gaza intensifies. pope francis celebrates christmas eve mass praying for those suffering in war. president biden pressing israel to change course. other world leaders not waiting. plus, the mad dash for last-minute gifts. shoppers hitting stores. some simply taking in the sights. a sweet treat for the masses. the california store creating classic candy canes. and later, a santa for everyone, bringing joy to children in their own words. >> the most important thing about christmas is love.

>> announcer: this is the "cbs weekend news." from new york with jericka duncan. good evening and thanks for joining us on this christmas eve. tonight there's a major storm blowing through the midwest. this is nebraska. blizzard warnings are up in some areas of the state. air travel is treacherous. we'll have the latest on the weather threat coming up. but we begin in the middle east. today israel says 15 soldiers have been killed battling hamas militants in gaza in the last 72 hours. the deaths come as fighting appears to have intensified in this territory despite growing calls for a ceasefire. tonight christmas celebrations in the west bank city of bethlehem are canceled while the war rages on. cbs's imtiaz tyab is in east jerusalem and leads us off tonight. imtiaz. >> reporter: good evening. with so many palestinians killed in israeli attacks and 85% of gaza's population now displaced

according to u.n. figures, christians in the holy city of bethlehem say there's nothing to celebrate as the violence rages on. it's the nativity scene that has captured the world's attention. and pastor munther isaac, a palestinian christian, is the man behind it. >> they're looking for jesus in the same way we see on the television with when a house is bombed in gaza people flood to that house to find any sign of life. >> reporter: baby jesus, as if he were born in the ruins of nearby gaza. >> i don't think my faith has been ever tested more than in the last two months. it feels that even god is silent. >> reporter: silence at the church of the nativity where by tradition jesus was born on this very spot. >> normally this area would be packed full of tourists and christian pilgrims from around the world. but this year christmas is canceled in bethlehem. >> reporter: steps away in manger square there's no tree,

no tourists. few here can remember a christmas so somber. >> and this manger is also aimed to send a message to the world, that this is what christmas looks like in palestine, the birthplace of jesus. this is where it all started. >> reporter: and in gaza, just 45 miles away, home to one of the world's oldest christian communities, no one is spared. >> i believe god right now is under the rubble in gaza. god is in the operation room. god is with those who are homeless, who are in despair. he's with them. he's in solidarity with them. he suffers with them. he weeps with them. this is where i think god is more profoundly experienced. >> reporter and with that profound devotion, jericka, palestinian christians in bethlehem say they'll spend this christmas praying for an end to the catastrophic suffering in gaza.

>> imtiaz tyab, thank you. in east jerusalem tonight. well, pope francis is appealing for peace, speaking to the faithful gathered in st. peter's square this christmas eve. the pope said, "our hearts are in bethlehem." francis never mentioned israel or gaza by name, but he did make numerous references to violence and war. well, tonight president biden is at camp david, the presidential retreat in maryland. he'll spend christmas there with his family. cbs's erica brown joins us from the white house. it's clearly a short break for the president, but no break for those at war this holiday, erica. >> reporter: good evening, jericka. and before he departed the president had a call with israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu as the war with hamas remains one of his biggest challenges into 2024. >> how'd the conversation go with prime minister netanyahu? >> i had a long talk with netanyahu today and it was a private conversation. >> reporter: as he left the

white house for the holidays president biden told reporters he did not ask for a ceasefire in gaza during saturday's call with israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu. but as the global demand for a ceasefire grows the white house says the president did emphasize the need to protect civilians in gaza as israel intensifies its offensive against hamas. this comes as the hamas-run gaza health ministry says more than 20,000 palestinians have died since the start of the war and more than 100 hostages captured in israel including eight americans are still believed to be held in gaza. >> from a diplomatic standpoint we've been sending mixed messages to israel. we talk about ceasefires. we talk about sending humanitarian aid into gaza. we talk about putting conditions on aid. >> reporter: the war has also become a key political issue for the 2024 presidential race. a recent cbs news poll says most americans disapprove of president biden's handling of the conflict. now fears of a wider regional conflict grow as the pentagon

announced this weekend that the iranian-backed houthi militia group has launched more than a dzen attacks on commercial vessels in the red sea. jericka? >> erica brown reporting from the white house tonight. thank you. well, this weekend lawyers for former president donald trump filed an appeal. they're asking for the special counsel's case that charges the president with trying to overturn the 2020 election to be thrown out. mr. trump's lawyers argue the former president has immunity for any actions taken while he was still in office. on friday the supreme court denied special counsel jack smith's request to step in and resolve that question of potential immunity. now to the weather threat. tonight a major snowstorm is blowing through nebraska. blizzard warnings are posted and the snow is piling up fast. strong winds are making roads dangerous and icy, sending big rigs like this off highways. at the same time many areas of the country are without a white christmas. minnesota set a record for the warmest christmas eve. but a cross-country storm this

week is expected to dump a lot of rain from chicago to boston and could even cause disruptions for the trek home. well, tonight, though, getting home for the holidays appears to have mostly been smooth for millions of americans on the move. cbs's elise preston is at los angeles international airport. elise, how are things looking there? >> reporter: good evening, jericka. there's no turbulence today for travelers. passengers at los angeles international airport are breezing through check-in and security. americans made it home to enjoy christmas eve even after a massive holiday rush at airports. tsa screened nearly 2.6 million passengers saturday. slightly lower than the busiest day, which was friday. with almost 2.8 million. >> i think the airport, compared to usually, there's not much going on. you know, it's fabulous. >> reporter: flyers are relieved that there's no repeat of last year's christmas chaos, where winter weather wreaked havoc,

triggering a ten-day meltdown at southwest airlines. more than 2 million passengers were impacted. this time last year flight cancellations were in the thousands, compared to around 350 this weekend. and a scare for one family, jericka, after spirit airlines put a 6-year-old boy on the wrong plane. the child was supposed to arrive in fort myers, florida but was instead sent to orlando, where his grandmother had to pick him up. spirit airlines, which says the boy was never left alone, has apologized. >> at least they were in the right state. elise preston, thank you. well, today was crunch time, which meant go time for last-minute shoppers. this was the scene on new york's fifth avenue. shoppers picked up final gifts and got a glimpse of the famous department store window displays. that's where we find cbs's astrid martinez this evening. good evening, astrid. >> reporter: jericka, santa, his helpers and his reindeer have a long night ahead of them, but time is ticking down for shoppers.

>> merry christmas! >> reporter: hopefully you've made your list and checked it twice. >> i'm just now getting started. you now. >> reporter: but if you suddenly realize you forgot a gift -- >> this year's a little different. christmas kind of crept up on me. >> reporter: don't worry, you're not alone. >> i'm a last-minute shopper. yes, i'm a last-minute shopper. >> reporter: the national retail federation is painting a picture of resilient american consumers. they estimate 142 million people will shop this weekend. 111 million are expected to do so in person. shoppers also predicted to spend an average of $875 on gifts this year. that's about 5% more than last year. a welcome gift for stores and small businesses. >> this is where brick and mortar wins. these days people can't shop online. you have to come to us and see us. but we actually get to give you that handshake back. >> reporter: being a procrastinator might work in shoppers' favor after all. >> there are still some good deals out to be had. >> reporter: now, jericka, there are some people that wait until christmas day to do their

last-minute shopping, but keep in mind that most retail stores will be closed. there are some grocery stores that will be open with limited hours. and jericka, if you do have an emergency, several cvs and walgreen's will be open. >> some good information. astrid, thank you. coming up, santa's inclusive mission to bring joy to every child. then we'll join the crowds in california at a shop that's sharing a sweet symbol of the season. and straight ahead on the "cbs weekend news" -- >> i'm ramy inocencio in the jordan valley. americans are protecting palestinians from violent settler attacks, trying to drive them off the land. ks, tryingto e them off the land. serrano name s been something we're proud of. it's why we show it off on our low riders and why we wear our name on our chains. we come from people we can be proud of. from socal to our family in texas, to back home in jalisco. seeing all the places i come from, i know. if it's a serrano, it's something to be proud of.

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>> reporter: families attacked and livestock killed. palestinian shepherds in the west bank are being driven from their homes by militant israeli settlers. >> it disturbs me. it upsets me. >> reporter: israeli american eli charlotte is helping protect these palestinians. a volunteer with the jordan valley activists. >> i empathize with them so much because i see our people doing the same thing that was done to us for so long to other people. >> reporter: charlotte is one of about 200 volunteers including several americans documenting settlers on a mission to seize palestinian lands. >> it's cleansing these lands of this population. >> ethnic cleansing? >> yeah, i think that term is accurate. >> reporter: settlers spring into action anytime to terrorize. here young men unafraid to show their faces to the shepherd who filmed them. berhan basharad, a 49-year-old sheepherder, is that man. "they came to my house day and

night for 40 days last year," he said. how does that make you feel? "my two children, my wife, we're all afraid." but he says he won't leave the place he, his father and grandfather live for at least the past century. unlike a growing number of others, according to b'tselem, an israeli human rights group. >> reporter: israeli settlers have attacked at least 16 palestinian shepherding communities since october 7th. more than 1,000 people have abandoned their homes. >> this is our right by the bible, by the jewish religion. and that's our land. >> reporter: from a hilltop above the valley eivatar and other militarized settler youth take in the view of the land they believe was promised to them. unashamed to say what palestinians should do. >> the easy solution is they leave. it make our life very easy. >> reporter: there are an estimated 500 palestinian

farming families in the west bank. and an estimated 500,000 illegal jewish settlers. in khalad mahoul berhan basharad forges on despite those odds. "i always say we should all live together peacefully," he says. "we don't want war. enough. enough." a hope that's echoed across these hills for thousands of years. a land of serene beauty now shrouded in violence. ramy inocencio, cbs news, in the jordan valley of the occupied palestinian territories. still ahead on the "cbs weekend news," a visit to california's self-proclaimed candy cane king. visit to california's self-proclaimed candy cane king. try new robitussin honey medi-soothers for long-lasting cough and sore throat relief. try new robitussin lozenges with real medicine and find your voice. you know? we really need to work on your people skills. i love that my daughter still needs me. but sometimes i can't help due to burning

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show on this quiet street. >> that is sugar water and corn syrup there. >> reporter: as tiny faces press against the glass every night during the holidays. >> so this is the same recipe. we've been using it since 1933. >> reporter: they come to see and taste the magic of the candy cane. >> that is our number one selling candy cane by far at the christmas season. >> reporter: jerry rowley is the man behind the marble slab kneading the warm confection at logan's candies. >> that is triple distilled peppermint flavor right there. >> reporter: with a dab of peppermint, a dash of food coloring and a sprinkling of dad jokes he slowly pulls the candy to life. >> you see it gets lighter and lighter with each and every pull. >> reporter: there are no machines here. >> give it a little stretch. >> reporter: no hook-shaped molds. just the precision of imperfection in a craft learned and formed over the decades. >> a little bend on the other end. let's all give a big round of applause for candy cane number one live and in color. >> reporter: and his audience eats it up. >> stay with me, guys, because remember, we still have 398 more to go.

>> reporter: whether you're 8 or older, everyone was given a warm candy cane to mold and devour. >> it was like the best. >> have you ever tried warm candy? never. it was so cool. >> reporter: but it's not just one show for this shop. as this family-owned business does this all night six nights a week, not just for the demonstration but the demand. >> i am the candy cane king. >> reporter: he is one of a handful of handmade candy cane crafters in the nation. >> this is one of the harder candies we make. it's the candy canes. >> reporter: he says the flavor is worth the effort. >> they're handmade. so they're not like made by a machine. so we can have control over not overpulling them, not overflavoring them. they're nice and fresh and just right. >> reporter: of course candy canes are the biggest seller during the holidays and believe it or not, on a given night like this they are making about 100 pounds of candy canes. that's around 2,000 of these. >> making close to 100,000 every year. that's just the christmas season too. >> reporter: all made by rowley.

zbl zblechbt. >> definitely a lost and dying art. >> reporter: logan's candies opened 90 years ago in ontario, california. >> a big giant fish or a whale. >> reporter: and rowley started working here when he was just 12. at 19 he bought the shop and he and his wife have run it ever since. >> this is our 42nd christmas of owning the candy store. >> reporter: and with their daughter now helping. >> the crusher. >> reporter: they have no plans on slowing down. >> our family doesn't get a lot of christmas time this time of year but we look at it as we're part of everybody else's family christmas, so we love that. >> reporter: they add a little love and a whole lot of sugar to make a stick of red and white striped peppermint pleasure that has truly become a symbol of the season. joy benedict, cbs news, ontario, california. >> now i want to try. well, next on the cbs weekend news how santa is going the extra mile to share the holiday magic with all children. vicks vapostick provides soothing,

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everyone. here's cbs's mark strassmann. >> what do you want for christmas, dottie? >> reporter: santa learned along the way he needed to wrap christmas differently. >> and i said what do you want for christmas? and all he could say was "trick or treat." and i realized then that i needed to do something. >> reporter: he needed to speak more languages. the more the merrier. [ speaking in a global language ] starting with full immersion spanish in honduras. >> what's the reaction of the kids when they realize santa speaks spanish? >> it takes their breath away. >> and it's so exciting to see that child's eyes light up. talk to them, what i feel like is the most important part of christmas, which is love. >> reporter: for deaf children like 8-year-old gracie mcclure he can sign his christmas message. >> and i was saying santa is happy to see you. santa loves you. >> reporter: and a special gift.

getting autistic kids one by one to light up like a christmas tree. >> i talk very softly. i don't use the big barreling "ho, ho, ho." and i try not particularly sensory santa, not wearing all the glitz and the bells to cut down on the stimulation. >> and do you see the change in the child? >> it is remarkable. >> the message is the same. regardless of the language or the way to communicate it. >> reporter: santa's job? bring joy by meeting children in their worlds. >> none of those kids have nearly as much fun as i do. >> it's just a different child in a different way. we're crying when they leave. >> it's magical for the two of you. >> it is for sure. >> the most important thing about christmas is love. >> reporter: which speaks well of him in any language. a santa for everyone. mark strassmann, cbs news, atlanta.

>> well, that is the "cbs weekend news" for this sunday. i'm jericka duncan in new york. from all of us here at cbs news, merry christmas and good night. i procrastinate every year. i wait until the last minute to shop. now at 6:00, it doesn't get more last minute than shopping on christmas eve. some folks trying to snag the final gifts. plus a deadly apartment fire on the peninsula. why investigators say the tragedy was entirely preventable. and later the program helping young adults find an affordable place to live after aging out of the foster care

system. good evening, i'm andrea nakano, brian hackney is off tonight. it's christmas eve and many stores are already closed, giving last-minute shop ors fewer choices at this hour, but there are a few stores that have not closed quite yet. it didn't take long for our reporter, da lin, to find people who were starting their christmas shopping today. >> yeah, shoe palace to buy some pairs of shoes for christmas. >> reporter: shopper robert rigs is on a mission with a tight deadline. >> i procrastinate every year. i wait until the last minute to shop. i'm always the same time. one day before christmas. >> reporter: robert began his christmas shopping on sunday morning. >> they'll be mad, we'll give them nothing. >> reporter: i followed them as they make the first stop at the shoe palace in emeryville's bay street shopping center. he was looking for a specific pair of retro nike shoes. >> wow, we have no