until we get to later in the week a little cold air gets in here including some snow across new england and all the way south as far south as the tennessee valley. >> mike bettes, thank you so much. american paul whelan has spent this holiday season placing phone calls to news outlets to say he fields, quote, abandoned, unquote, by the united states. whelan has been imprisoned in russia for five years on espionage charges. cbs's nicole sganga reports on the former marine turned political prisoner. >> reporter: it was the eve of paul whelan's fifth christmas ehind bars in russia when this call came through to a reporter at wtop, a washington, d.c. radio station. >> i feel alone. i feel that i've been left behind. >> reporter: a desperate plea from the 53-year-old ex-marine and a direct appeal to president biden following the release of americans trevor reed and brittney griner from russia last year. >> he's the guy that made the decision to leave me behind twice. he's the man that can bring me

home. >> reporter: whelan was first detained by russian authorities in december 2018, then ultimately convict convicted of espionage and sentenced to 16 years of hard labor. both whelan and the u.s. government have dismissed the charges as baseless. whelan remains in a penal colony in the remote russian province of mordobia. also detained in russia, 32-year-old evan gershkovich, an american reporter for the "wall street journal," held for nearly nine months in pretrial detention on espionage charges that he, his newspaper and the u.s. government strongly reject. >> we will leave no stone unturned to see if we can't find the right way to get them home. >> reporter: earlier this month the state department said the u.s. made a new and significant proposal to russia for whelan and gershkovich's release but moscow declined. >> mr. president, you promised to bring me home.

i'm still here. there has to be more that you can do to secure my release. >> reporter: a white house spokesperson tells cbs news that the biden administration will continue to make significant offers for both men's freedom and remains in conversations with other countries to try and secure their release. major? >> nicole sganga, thank you so very much. also in russia, imprisoned opposition leader alexei navalny has been found. he's been found in a siberian prison. navalny's lawyers last had contact with him on december 6th, when he was being held in central russia. they say he is now at a prison camp near the arctic circle. navalny is serving a more than 30-year sentence on extremism and other charges, all of which he rejects as politically motivated. the state department said it welcomed news that navalny's location has been confirmed but remains deeply concerned about his well-being. the "cbs overnight news" will be right back.

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tonight millions of americans are spending christmas with family and friends. this includes a 6-year-old boy from pennsylvania. but as cbs's cristian benavides reports, his trip to visit his grandmother took an unexpected detour. >> reporter: for maria ramos it was a spirit airlines holiday nightmare. >> my stomach was just tight. my heart was pounding. >> reporter: her 6-year-old grandson casper was taking his first flight ever. his luggage arrived. he did not. >> i ran inside the plane to the flight attendant, and i asked her, where's my grandson? he was handed over to you at philadelphia. she said no, i had no kids with me. >> reporter: instead of flying from philadelphia to fort myers, the unaccompanied boy was sent to orlando. >> i keep thinking about how about if somebody would have stolen my grandson p. >> reporter: in a statement spirit apologized to the family and said the child was always

under the care and supervision of a spirit team member. but ramos is demanding answers. >> how did that happen? did she let him go by himself and he jumped in the wrong plane? >> reporter: at least casper made it home for christmas. at chicago's midway airport. >> we're not going nowhere. no planes going in and out. >> reporter: thousands were stranded on christmas eve as dense fog descended and more than 100 flights were canceled. southwest passengers bore the brunt. >> it's terrible. it's terrible. i'm just -- i just keep trying to keep a smile, keep a pod outlook to keep from crying. >> reporter: today may be merry, but not all air travelers are feeling the christmas spirit. cristian benavides, cbs news, miami. around the holiday season americans generate about 25% more trash than at any other time of the year. this matters because very little plastic is actually recycled. less than 10%. and a lot of what doesn't make it into landfills ends up in the

ocean. in tonight's "protecting the planet" series cbs's ben tracy looks at new research into this growing problem. >> are you ready? >> yes. >> reporter: this team of international scientists working off the coast of panama -- >> we are exploring the unexplored. >> reporter: -- is looking for something you'd think would be hard to find. >> it's like, you know, finding the needle in the haystack. >> reporter: but in this case the needle is microplastic and the ocean is drowning in it. an estimated 33 billion pounds of our plastic trash enters the oceans everywhere, eventually breaking down into tiny fragments. >> microplastics are small plastic fragments that are smaller than 5 millimeters. >> so we're talking kind of everything from pencil eraser to less than a hair? >> yes. >> reporter: these researchers are trying to fill in a missing piece of the microplastic puzzle. >> and i want to know what is happening to them when they

enter into the ocean. it's important to understand how they are moving from the surface to the sea floor. >> reporter: about 70% of marine debris sinkds to the sea floor, but we know little about the impact as it does. a recent study estimates there are now 170 trillion pieces of plastic in the ocean. more than 21,000 for every person on the planet. >> so i'm going to secure the sample. >> reporter: the data from this study could help us better understand how microplastics are affecting everything from the ocean's ability to cool the earth to our health through the food we eat. >> fish like tuna, swordfish, sar sardines. >> a lot of us are eating these fish that are ingesting these microplastics. >> that's true. >> reporter: they are doing this research on a ship owned by the schmidt ocean institute, funded by former google ceo eric schmidt and his wife wendy. they let scientists use it at no cost. but there's a catch. one of the requirements of using this floating lab for free is that the scientists have to share their data with other

scientists all around the world. >> all the knowledge that has been, you know, gained during these years about plastic pollution, i think it's starting to change people's mind. >> reporter: because a lot of what we think is disposable never really goes away. ben tracy, cbs news, panama. a weekend of violence mars last-minute shopping at two malls. we'll tell you who the police are looking for. that's next. do you shop for vitamins at walmart? force factor products powerfully improve your health, but they're also delicious, easy to use and affordable. that's why force factor is now the number one best selling superfoods brand in america. unleash your potential with force factor at walmart.

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this new charmin ultra soft smooth tear is soooo soft and soo smooth. new charmin ultra soft smooth tear has wavy perforations that tear so much better for a smooth more enjoyable go. charmin, enjoy the go. police in florida are hunting for the gunman who killed a man and wounded a woman inside a mall. it happened saturday in ocala. authorities issued an arrest warrant for 39-year-old albert schell jr. investigators believe the shooting was a targeted act of violence. meanwhile, one person was killed and three others wounded at a shooting at a colorado springs mall. police say it happened sunday during a fight between two groups. now to a heartbreaking loss for fans of one of america's biggest pop stars. beyonce's childhood home in texas erupted in flames this

morning. houston firefighters responded and found the house fully engulfed shortly after 2:00 a.m. the family that lives there now was at home at the time but escaped unhurt. the knowles family moved out decades ago, but the house is still considered an iconic landmark to her fans. the clock is ticking on the new apple watch, and it appears unlikely that president biden will throw the company a lifeline. the president has until tonight to veto a u.s. international trade commission ruling that found apple's newer watch models violated a medical device maker's patents. apple had to pull some watches from stores. we visit next

finally tonight in this season of giving we return to rural south carolina where a local restaurant owner and part-time mechanic is in the giving spirit year-round. cbs's mark strassmann reports on a milestone gift of kindness.

>> this is zacchaeus kenard. >> reporter: zach kenard's first car was big local news in charleston, south carolina. >> oh, my gosh. >> here's the keys to your new car. >> reporter: the 19-year-old student got the 100th car elliott middleton has given away. as we first told you two years ago, this barbecue restaurant oner and trained mechanic knows his way under a hood. he takes donated clunkers, makes them run and puts people without a car in the driver's seat. he makes sure applicants have a valid driver's license and a genuine need for a car. for single mom jessica litchfield a 2004 suzuki. >> this is a life saver. >> reporter: 86-year-old john darby got a 1990 mercedes. >> what? >> free of charge. you are the third recipient -- >> wow. >> reporter: i asked middleton what keeps his engine running. >> the smiles on the faces when i donate a car. got to do another one. got to do another one. got to do o'two more.

>> reporter: how much longer can you do this? >> as long as my two hands can turn wrenches and my legs can keep moving i don't see it ever stopping. >> reporter: with elliott middleton there is such a thing as a free ride. >> i appreciate it, man. thank you. thank you. >> reporter: mark strassmann, cbs news, charleston, south carolina. and that is the "overnight news" for this tuesday. be sure to check back later for cbs mornings and follow us online anytime @cbsnews.com. that's where you'll find my podcast "the takeout," politics, policy and just a little bit of pop culture. reporting live from the nation's capital i'm major garrett. this is "cbs news flash." i'm carissa lawson in new york. the u.s. strikes back against iranian-backed militia groups in iraq. the order from president biden came after three u.s. service

members were hurt in a drone attack, one of them critically. american troops have come under dozens of attacks since the october 7th massacre in israel. holiday travel has been mostly nice but with some naughty disruptions. airlines prepared for massive waves of travelers this holiday pto avoid a repeat of last year's debacle but once again southwest had to cancel hundreds of flights over the weekend. and it's santa versus the grinch in a harness race to save christmas. santa came from behind to win by a length in his one-horse open sleigh. for more download the cbs news app on your cell phone or connected tv. i'm carissa lawson, cbs news, new york. ♪ >> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." good evening, everyone. thank you for joining us. i'm major garrett in for norah.

we begin this christmas night in gaza with some of the most intense fighting since the start of the war. israel launched airstrikes on about 200 targets in the last 24 hours, including a refugee camp. that strike killed more than 100 civilians. anger and frustration over hostages held by hamas is growing. family members heckled israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu today during a speech to parliament. their message, bring their loved ones home. and now fears the war will escalate beyond gaza after a suspected israeli airstrike on the syrian capital of damascus killed a senior leader of iran's revolutionary guard. iran is vowing revenge. elsewhere pope francis used his christmas message to ask the world to pray for peace as he called for a ceasefire and the release of all hostages. cbs's imtiaz tyab will start us off tonight from east jerusalem as the egyptian government introduces an ambitious plan to

end the war. imtiaz, good evening. >> reporter: good evening. well, the egyptian proposal includes a ceasefire, a phased release of hostages and the creation of a palestinian government of experts who would lead the gaza strip and the west bank. but amid reports hamas has already rejected the deal, israeli airstrikes on gaza are only intensifying. christmas was a day of carnage in gaza. after the israeli military carried out dozens of airstrikes on the megazi refugee camp, killing at least 100 presidential plnts according to the hamas-run ministry of health. in what's being described as one of the deadliest attacks since the fighting began, on the ground the grief was unbearable. as a father hugged the lifeless body of his child. the israeli military said it was reviewing the incident. after announcing 17 of its soldiers had been killed over the weekend, its worst two-day

losses since early november. prime minister benjamin nent hoouf met with soldiers in northern gaza, where he told them, "we will not stop. forget anyone who talks about stopping." elsewhere in the west bank city of bethlehem in the shadow of the church of the nativity, a sole incubator. inside a figure representing baby jesus as a symbol of gaza's vulnerable babies. a grim theme also on display in nearby manger square where a stark naivity scene of christ born amid rubble and barbed wire was set up. this christmas the holy city of bethlehem was in no mood to celebrate. back in gaza the small christian community, one of the world's oldest, continued to struggle to survive, but danger is everywhere around them. two women, 81-year-old nahida khalil antun, and her 50-year-old daughter samar, were

shot and killed by an israeli sniper as they walked between church buildings. in bethlehem we met nahida's grandson joudid who is stick with worry for his grieving grandfather. "i don't know what she did to deserve this," he says. "she was just an innocent old lady." >> it's christmas. how are you feeling today? "we are all sad, anxious and full of worry," he says. "they are trapped and under siege without food or water. there is nothing to celebrate." . >> reporter: and tonight israel says it's bracing for retaliation from tehran as iranian state media reports that an israeli airstrike in syria killed a high-ranking iranian military leader, with the revolutionary guard saying israel will pay for his killing, a threat that only adds that the concern this war could spread across the region.

major. >> imtiaz tyab, thank you. back here at home a blast of heavy snow, high winds and blizzard conditions stranded travelers from kansas to north carolina and into minnesota. snow and ice created havoc for cars and trucks on i-80 shutting down part of the interstate to eastbound traffic. the dangerous weather isn't over yet. let's go to meteorologist mike bettes from our partners at the weather channel. mike, good evening. >> major, good evening. a white christmas across the plains but snow around a sprawling storm parked in the middle of the country. heavy snow at times and winds that could be gusting 50 miles an hour. some of the heaviest of snow likely to fall between hiechlt-80 and i-90. we've had numerous accidents on those interstates today. the snow finally winding down by the morning on wednesday. it sticks around for several more days. the heaviest pockets of snow could bring another foot to foot and a half in particular centered around sak south dakota. on the front side of that whole system an incredibly mild christmas and the days following will be very mild as well. you can see a lot of green on

the map indicating mostly a rain event. until we get a little later in the week including some snow across zmungd all the way south as far south as the tennessee valley. >> mike bettes, thank you so much. american paul whelan has spent this holiday season placing phone calls to news outlets to say he feels, quote, abandoned, unquote, by the united states. whelan has been imprisoned in russia for five years on espionage charges. cbs's nicole sganga reports on the former marine turned political prisoner. >> reporter: it was the eve of paul whelan's fifth christmas behind bars in russia when this call came through to a reporter at wtop, a washington, d.c. radio station. >> i feel alone. i feel that i've been left behind. >> reporter: a desperate plea from the 53-year-old ex-marine and a direct appeal to president biden following the release of americans trevor reed and brittney griner from russia last year. >> he's guite that made the decision to leave me behind

twice. he's the man that can bring me home. >> reporter: whelan was first detained by russian authorities in december 2018, then ultimately convicted of espionage and sentenced to 16 years of hard labor. both whelan and the u.s. government have dismissed the charges as baseless. whelan remains in a penal colony in the remote russian province of mordobia. also detained in russia 32-year-old evan gershkovich, an american reporter for the "wall street journal," held for nearly nine months on pretrial detention on espionage charges that he, his newspapers and the u.s. government strongly reject. >> we will leave no stone unturned to see if he with can't find the right way to get them home. >> reporter: earlier this month the state department said the u.s. made a new and significant proposal to russia for whelan and gershkovich's release but moscow declined. >> mr. president, you promised to bring me home.

i'm still here. there has to be more that you can do to secure my release. >> a white house spokesperson tells cbs news that the biden administration will continue to make significant offers for both men's memories v freedom and remains in conversation with other countries to try to secure their release. major. >> nicole sganga thank you, so much. there is a lot more ahead on the "cbs overnight news." 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. this isn't charmin! no wonder i don't feel as clean. hurry up dad! i'm trying!

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washington. thanks so much for staying with us. with christmas behind us millions of americans are headed home from their holiday get-togethers. aaa tells us more than 115 million americans will travel at least 50 miles over this holiday week. and that includes nearly 8 million who will travel by air. sadly some of these travelers will end up losing their luggage. well, here's some good news. there's an artificial intelligence program being used to reunite people with their lost bags and other items. omar villafranca shows us how it works. >> reporter: mika sabu and a team of specialists patrol the busy terminals at dallas-fort worth international airport. their job? to pick up precious acargo left behind by passengers and bring it back to the lost and found. >> once we find that item for them they are so happy. >> reporter: in a typical year at dfw airport more than 18,000 items are reported lost. but with the help of artificial intelligence around 90% of the lost items found are returned to their owners. >> thank you.

you have a great day. >> reporter: here's how it works. a person has to include details about the missing object. the ai software then tries to match the item details with pictures and descriptions of things that were found. once it's a confirmed match, it's shipped back to the owner. >> jewelry, watches. >> wow. >> reporter: shima fadoul runs daily operations at the lost and found and says by looking for distinguishing marks like stickers or serial numbers ai can help find anything. >> so the serial number is right here and i'm just going to go ahead and type it down. and this air pod was found in terminal e-33. >> reporter: so far this year her team found nearly 600 rings, more than 400 watches, including seven rolexes. all left behind by their oernds. >> i do think that's it. >> reporter: like this couple who came back for their daughter's ipad. >> here is the charger. >> perfect. >> reporter: fadoul says one of the most valuable things that her team found was a wedding

dress that was returned just 24 hours before the bride's big day. a real problem solved with artificial intelligence. omar villafranca, cbs news, dfw airport. we all know this. every year people get holiday gifts that they really don't want or need. and that includes a lot of clothing. much of these unwanted gifts end up in illegal landfills across the globe. it's a growing problem. and manuel bojorquez got a firsthand look. >> reporter: nestled between northern chile's atacama desert and the pacific ocean, the city of iquique is known for its beaches and tourism. it's also a place where international trade looms large. but just a 30-minute drive into the mountains -- >> this is one of the biggest landfills. [ speaking in a global language ] >> si. >> reporter: angela showed us its dirty consequences. illegal landfills. mountains of discarded clothing that are polluting the pristine desert around her home city,

alto especio. by one estimate there are at least 30,000 tons of waste. you become the trash heap of the world. [ speaking in a global language ] what a tough thing. >> reporter: yes, it's sad she says because these clothes don't even come from here. we dug in and that's exactly what we found. >> schweitzer's men's wear tuscaloosa, alabama. made in czech republic. h & m. made in pakistan. oh, wow. this is a graduation sash from fairlawn high school. wonder where that is. >> reporter: it's in new jersey. what's clear to her among the clothes and mismatched shoes is that these secondhand items are really mostly trash, and it's not the world she wants her daughter to inherit. [ speaking in a global language ] >> she's your motivation.

[ speaking in a global language ] it's tough to talk about it. >> si. >> reporter: but voices are joining in including from the united nations, which found chile received 126,000 tons of used clothing and textiles in 2021. the majority from the european union, china and the u.s. but only 25% of that was resold. the u.n. report cites fast fashion and unregulated overproduction and overconsumption on a global scale. the draw for importers to chile is that this port is in a free trade zone meaning little to no taxes. but what people don't use ends up illegally dumped. jaime soto is general manager of the free trade zone. do you feel any responsibility about what's happening up there? >> translator: as i've said," he told us, "we never buy nor sell used clothing. we are only responsible for administering the free trade in

this area." >> it's a big problem. >> reporter: mayor of alto espicio, the city close to the dumps. he showed us the cameras recently installed around town and monitored from city hall. you're trying to catch people dumping illegally. >> reporter: we also rode along with the city's police. within minutes they spotted something suspicious and took off into the desert. this man was cited for illegal dumping. it's a small local solution to that big problem ferreida was talking about. >> you would say it's overconsumption of clothes. fast fashion. >> yeah. >> that's the whole world. you want those attitudes to change. [ speaking in a global language ] >> reporter: people here reece length chile to change its laws and restrict what used items can b imported. like other latin american countries have done. until then in a workshop where everything, even the ceiling and walls, are decked with recycled

fashion angela astudillo with her daughter helping is turning someone's trash into a new top. >> so this was a pair of pants. [ speaking in a global language ] but even she knows it's not enough to move mountains and at the port the ships keep coming. manuel bojorquez, iquique, chile. >> there is a lot more news ahead on the "cbs overnight news." this isn't charmin! no wonder i don't feel as clean. here's charmin ultra strong. ahhh! my bottom's been saved! with its diamond weave texture, charmin ultra strong cleans better with fewer sheets and less effort. enjoy the go with charmin.

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this holiday season a lot of communities are canceling fireworks shows and going high-tech. jamie yuccas reports on the ecofriendly lights in the sky. >> reporter: from film buffs to casual fans, cinespia at the hollywood forever cemetey has been the place for movie magic for more than two decades. and on this night before the big screen gets rolling, a different kind of show took center stage. >> this week we're doing some drones in a drone show after the movie. we're really excited. >> reporter: john wyatt is the founder of cinespia. >> cinespia was innovative when it first started. now you have this innovation coming. is it kind of a match made in

heaven? >> it's kind of perfect. >> it's almost the next chapter. >> it's a new chapter and i'm really, really excited to see what we do with it in the future. >> reporter: cinespia would typically launch fireworks after showing a movie but then came creative agency heads in the sky. >> the second we saw the drone show in real life, the second we saw the words light up and illuminate the night sky we thought this is the future of marketing. >> right from the takeoff. >> the future of storytelling in the night sky. >> reporter: kevin prince and michelle retorto are the company's co-founders. they were the creative minds behind this year's surprise gr my drone show. >> truly the drone show that we worked on together was the a-ha moment for us. we are at the forefront of something truly that is about to explode and nobody knows about. and seeing a drone show in real life is unlike seeing anything you've seen in the night sky before. >> reporter: their belief in the technology is so strong that

they became first-time business owners form one of the first creative drone show agencies in the u.s. >> you have these steady careers and jobs. why this? >> why not? we figured the sky's the limit with these types of marketing shows. we can get very creative in the stories we want to tell. nobody's really doing that, i feel. so we wanted to jump on the chance. and we want to invest our time in it. >> reporter: and that's what they've been doing ever since with cinespia being one of their first clients. >> when heads in the sky first came to you and said we want to do a drone show, forget the fireworks, what did you think? >> and i was like yes, please. >> oh, really p sn. >> yes. their approach was very interesting to me because they saw the drone show as a little narrative and that narrative was going to have an emotional component. as soon as i heard that from them i thought these people are on the same page so i was like let's do this. >> reporter: every show starts way storyboard. >> so first you have your intro.

>> reporter: it has a theme. >> drone formation. >> reporter: the cinespia theme this night, harry potter. >> do people even though what they want? >> they want it all to be honest. so i say if you focus down to one thing do you want people to feel something? ♪ i think you can cry. i think you can laugh. i think you can be scared. i think you can be surprised. there are a whole slew of emotion that's can come from a drone show that are unexpected. >> reporter: heads in the sky works with a drone company to execute the show. >> it weighs about what? >> about two pounds. >> just two pounds. with the battery in it? >> with the battery. >> reporter: that's where rick boss, president of sky elements drone shows, helps out. >> is this the star of the show? >> this is one of the stars in the show. we're actually going to have 300 stars in the show. >> so you multiply that by 300. >> absolutely. we clone them. >> reporter: and no matter how many drones are in the sky, there's only one engineer flying them all. these drones don't deliver

products or have cameras attached for filming. their sole purpose is to dazzle with their l.e.d. lights. audiences are mesmerized by patterns, shapes and animations dancing in the dark. [ cheers and applause ] sky elements has done shows in texas, creating giant sharks with 1500 drones. >> i didn't even realize the two sharks would be this massive. >> reporter: and a tribute show to kobe bryant. >> mvp is none other than kobe bryant. >> reporter: how many can you go up to? >> so we've flown shows as high as 2,000 drones. >> is that scary? >> it is a little bit. because when there's 2,000 drones in the sky that means there's $5 million in the sky. so that can be a little scary. >> oh, wow. >> yes. >> that's a big number. >> it is a big number. >> reporter: other light shows have also recently been displayed all over the world in places like china showing off this dragon and dubai with a new

year's eve show over the water. >> i think drone shows are going to become like skywriting at night. i think they're going to become as ubiquitous as skywriting is now during the day but on steroids. it's kind of like you're going to be driving down the highway and if you haven't seen a drone show in real life yet mark my words, a year from now you will have seen one. >> even this year i feel like we've seen more than we've ever seen. >> reporter: and we'll likely continue to see even more with drones constantly evolving, enhancing the detail, making for bigger and better shows. >> it's just the beginning of the technology. and i think it's going to become something that's really, really creative and cool

christmas time is like the super bowl for the recycling industry. all those boxes, bags and wrapping paper. danya bacchus tells us more. >> reporter: the burbank recycle center sees about 155 tons of

material every day. that number increases 25% during the holidays as people send in the leftovers from all those presents. >> this is our presort line. >> reporter: amy hammis is a recycling specialist. she says cardboard boxes and paper products that are not lined should be recycled but you must remove the packing materials. >> the tendency can be to keep all that packaging in there. and a lot of the stuff like the foam, the air pillows, things like that are not recyclable in your cart. and so you're just bringing contaminants to us. >> reporter: bows and ribbons are not recyclable and should be reused if possible. wrapping paper is recyclable but not all of it. >> once you start getting into all the fancy stuff, the gloss, the metallic, the glitter, all of that just degrades the value of the paper, and so it's not recyclable. >> reporter: and those old unwanted electronics are in a special category. >> anything that has a cord, like lighted trees or ornlament, needs to go to a recycle

collection center and not placed inside your recycle bin. >> it's going to ng that'll the equipment and we have to take it to a collection center. >> reporter: many local governments have special points for e-waste including products with rechargeable lithium batteries. and several retailers like best buy and staples will recycle old electronics. >> that has to be handled and dealt with responsibly. >> reporter: hammis says if you have any doubt ask your recycling center what they accept to make sure your good intentions don't go to waste. danya bacchus, cbs news, burbank, california. >> and that is the overnight news for this tuesday. reporting from the nation's capital, i'm major garrett. this is "cbs news flash." i'm carissa lawson in new york. the u.s. strikes back against iranian-backed militia groups in iraq. the order from president biden came after three u.s. service members were hurt in a drone

attack, one of them critically. american troops have come under dozens of attacks since the october 7th massacre in israel. holiday travel has been mostly nice but with some naughty disruptions. airlines prepared for massive waves of travelers this holiday to avoid a repeat of last year's debacle. but once again southwest had to cancel hundreds of flights over the weekend. and it's santa versus the grinch in a harness ace to save christmas. santa came from behind to win by a length in his one-horse open sleigh. for more download the cbs news app on your connected tv. i'm caa lawson, cbs news, new york. ♪ tonight, israel steps up strikes in gaza after a bloody weekend. the death toll at a refugee camp is rising. and on this christmas festivities are canceled in bethlehem as the war rages on.

prime minister netanyahu visits the front lines. what we're learning about that strike at a refugee camp. and the pope's christmas appeal for peace. millions of americans hit with a christmas day blizzard. where the storm is headed next. major airline mix-up. the new details after an unaccompanied 6-year-old was put on a plane to the wrong airport. >> i want them to call me and let me know how my grandson ended up in orlando. how did that happen? our series "protecting the planet." tonight a look at one of the biggest issues facing the world's oceans. >> scientists are using this to find out just how deep this problem goes. this is a life saver. >> a south carolina man is putting people in the driver's seat by giving them a free car. and he's now done it 100 times. >> does every one of these moments give you the best kind of buzz possible? >> it's beyond anything in the world. ♪

>> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." good evening, everyone. thank you for joining us. i'm major garrett in for norah. we begin this christmas night in gaza with some of the most intense fighting since the start of the war. israel launched airstrikes on about 200 targets in the last 24 hours, including a refugee camp. that strike killed more than 100 civilians. anger and frustration over hostages held by hamas is growing. family members heckled israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu today during a speech to parliament. their message, bring their loved ones home. and now fears the war will escalate beyond gaza after a suspected israeli airstrike on the syrian capital of damascus killed a senior leader of iran's revolutionary guard. iran is vowing revenge. elsewhere pope francis used his christmas message to ask the world to pray for peace as he

called for a ceasefire and the release of all hostages. cbs's imtiaz tyab will start us off tonight from east jerusalem as the egyptian government introduces an ambitious plan to end the war. imtiaz, good evening. >> reporter: good evening. well, the egyptian proposal includes a ceasefire, a phased release of hostages and the creation of a palestinian government of experts who would lead the gaza strip and the west bank. but amid reports hamas has already rejected the deal, israeli airstrikes on gaza are only intensifying. christmas was a day of carnage in gaza. after the israeli military carried out dozens of airstrikes on the magazi refugee camp, killing at least 100 palestinians according to the hamas-run ministry of health. in what's being described as one of the deadliest israeli attacks since the fighting began, on the ground the grief was unbearable.

as a father hugged the lifeless body of his child. the israeli military said it was reviewing the incident. after announcing 17 of its soldiers had been killed over the weekend, its worst two-day losses since early november. prime minister benjamin netanyahu met with soldiers in northern gaza, where he told them, "we will not stop. forget anyone who talks about stopping." elsewhere, in the west bank city of bethlehem, in the shadow of the church of the nativity, a sole incubator. inside a figure representing baby jesus as a symbol of gaza's vulnerable babies. a grim theme also on display in nearby manger square, where a stark nativity scene of christ born amid rubble and barbed wire was set up. this christmas the holy city of bethlehem was in no mood to celebrate. back in gaza the small christian community, one of the world's

oldest, continued to struggle to survive. but danger is everywhere around them. two women, 81-year-old nahida kahlil antun, and her 50-year-old daughter samar, were shot and killed by an israeli sniper as they walked between church buildings. in bethlehem we met nahida's grandson joudid, who is sick with worry for his grieving grandfather. "i don't know what she did to deserve this," he says. "she was just an innocent old lady." it's christmas. how are you feeling today? "we are all sad, anxious and full of worry," he says. "they are trapped and under siege without food or water. there is nothing to celebrate." and tonight israel says it's bracing for retaliation from tehran as iranian state media reports that an israeli airstrike in syria killed a high-ranking iranian military

leader, with the revolutionary guard saying israel will pay for his killing, a threat that only adds to the concern this war could spread across the region. major. >> imtiaz tyab, thank you. in tonight's health watch the cdc is warning that flu and covid combined with holiday gatherings could lead to a spike in illnesses this winter. as cbs's lilia luciano reports, a new variant of coronavirus called jn-1 may be more contagious but less severe. >> reporter: covid-19 cases are rising as a record number of people are traveling this holiday season. >> typically, i would wear a mask. i didn't expect this many people right here. but i did bring one to wear on the plane. >> reporter: a new fast-spreading covid variant named jn-1 now makes up 44% of all cases nationwide, more than doubling its share from the week before. the world health organization has called this new jn-1 variant a variant of interest. what does that mean?

>> jn-1, which we're now seeing, is one that clearly is spreading very quickly around the world. and there's evidence that it is actually causing an increased number of illnesses and particularly even in some who have already had covid before or may have been vaccinated before. >> reporter: this comes as 23 states are reporting high levels of respiratory illnesses including covid-19 and the flu. the cdc sent an urgent alert this month about low vaccination rates. less than 20% of adults have received the new covid-19 vaccine and less than 10% of children. >> our concern is that while the overall number of serious illnesses per number of people infected will be lower than we saw previous in the pandemic if we're seeing widespread transmission we're going to see deaths go up, we're going to see the number of hospitalized patients going up. and so that tells us it's really acritical challenge in the days ahead. >> reporter: a world health organization report issued last week said that even though jn-1 is better at evading our immune systems the latest vaccine is

still likely to be effective. >> the pandemic was so traumatic for people that they just want it to be over and done with, they want to put it in the back window and never think about it again. but covid is going to be with us for the foreseeable future. that does not mean it has to dominate or rule our lives if we take sensible precautions. >> reporter: so far the data shows symptoms for this variant appear to be similar to previous waves and experts tell us the best precautions are to get vaccinated for respiratory illnesses, to test before large family gatherings, and if you are sick to stay home. major? >> lilia luciano, thank you.

>> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news."

back here at home a blast of heavy snow, high winds and blizzard conditions stranded travelers from kansas to north dakota and into minnesota. snow and ice created havoc for cars and trucks on i-80 in nebraska, shutting down part of the interstate to eastbound traffic. the dangerous weather, well, it isn't over yet. let's go to meteorologist mike bettes from our partners at the weather channel. mike, good evening. >> reporter: major, good evening. a white christmas across the plains with snow around a sprawling storm parked in the middle of the country. heavy snow at times, and winds that could be gusting 50 miles an hour. some of the heaviest of snow likely to fall between i-80 and i-90. we've had numerous accidents on those interstates today. the snow finally winding down by the morning on wednesday. so it sticks around for several more days. the heaviest pockets of snow could bring another foot to foot and a half and particularly centered around south dakota. now, on the front side of that whole system an incredibly mild christmas and the days following will be very mild as well.

until we get to later in the week a little cold air gets in here including some snow across new england and all the way south as far south as the tennessee valley. >> mike bettes, thank you so much. american paul whelan has spent this holiday season placing phone calls to news outlets to say he feels, quote, abandoned, unquote, by the united states. whelan has been imprisoned in russia for five years on espionage charges. cbs's nicole sganga reports on the former marine turned political prisoner. >> reporter: it was the eve of paul whelan's fifth christmas behind bars in russia when this call came through to a reporter at wtop, a washington, d.c. radio station. >> i feel alone. i feel that i've been left behind. >> reporter: a desperate plea from the 53-year-old ex-marine and a direct appeal to president biden following the release of americans trevor reed and brittney griner from russia last year. >> he's the guy that made the decision to leave me behind twice. he's the man that can bring me home.

>> reporter: whelan was first detained by russian authorities in december 2018, then ultimately convict convicted of espionage and sentenced to 16 years of hard labor. both whelan and the u.s. government have dismissed the charges as baseless. whelan remains in a penal colony in the remote russian province of mordobia. also detained in russia, 32-year-old evan gershkovich, an american reporter for the "wall street journal," held for nearly nine months in pretrial detention on espionage charges that he, his newspaper and the u.s. government strongly reject. >> we will leave no stone unturned to see if we can't find the right way to get them home. >> reporter: earlier this month the state department said the u.s. made a new and significant proposal to russia for whelan and gershkovich's release but moscow declined.

>> mr. president, you promised to bring me home. i'm still here. there has to be more that you can do to secure my release. >> reporter: a white house spokesperson tells cbs news that the biden administration will continue to make significant offers for both men's freedom and remains in conversations with other countries to try and secure their release. major? >> nicole sganga, thank you so very much. also in russia, imprisoned opposition leader alexei navalny has been found. he's been found in a siberian prison. navalny's lawyers last had contact with him on december 6th, when he was being held in central russia. they say he is now at a prison camp near the arctic circle. navalny is serving a more than 30-year sentence on extremism and other charges, all of which he rejects as politically motivated. the state department said it welcomed news that navalny's location has been confirmed but remains deeply concerned about his well-being. the "cbs overnight news" will be right back.

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tonight millions of americans are spending christmas with family and friends. this includes a 6-year-old boy from pennsylvania. but as cbs's cristian benavides reports, his trip to visit his grandmother took an unexpected detour. >> reporter: for maria ramos it was a spirit airlines holiday nightmare. >> my stomach was tight. my heart was pounding. >> reporter: her 6-year-old grandson casper was taking his first flight ever. his luggage arrived. he did not. >> i ran inside the plane to the flight attendant, and i asked her, where's my grandson? he was handed over to you at philadelphia. she said no, i had no kids with me. >> reporter: instead of flying from philadelphia to fort myers, the unaccompanied boy was sent to orlando. >> i keep thinking about how about if somebody would have stolen my grandson. >> reporter: in a statement spirit apologized to the family and said the child was always under the care and supervision

of a spirit team member. but ramos is demanding answers. >> how did that happen? did she let him go by himself and he jumped in the wrong plane? >> reporter: at least casper made it home for christmas. at chicago's midway airport -- >> we're not going nowhere. no planes going in and out. >> reporter: thousands were stranded on christmas eve as dense fog descended and more than 100 flights were canceled. southwest passengers bore the brunt. >> it's terrible. it's terrible. i'm just -- i just keep trying to keep a smile, keep a positive outlook to keep from crying. >> reporter: today may be merry, but not all air travelers are feeling the christmas spirit. cristian benavides, cbs news, miami. around the holiday season americans generate about 25% more trash than at any other time of the year. this matters because very little plastic is actually recycled. less than 10%. and a lot of what doesn't make it into landfills ends up in the ocean.

in tonight's "protecting the planet" series cbs's ben tracy looks at new research into this growing problem. >> are you ready? >> yes. >> reporter: this team of international scientists working off the coast of panama -- >> we are exploring the unexplored. >> reporter: -- is looking for something you'd think would be hard to find. >> it's like, you know, finding the needle in the haystack. >> reporter: but in this case the needle is microplastic and the ocean is drowning in it. an estimated 33 billion pounds of our plastic trash enters the oceans every year, eventually breaking down into tiny fragments. >> microplastics are small plastic fragments that are smaller than 5 millimeters. >> so we're talking kind of everything from pencil eraser to less than a hair? >> yes. >> reporter: these researchers are trying to fill in a missing piece of the microplastic puzzle. >> and i want to know what is happening to them when they enter into the ocean. it's important to understand how

they are moving from the surface to the sea floor. >> reporter: about 70% of marine debris sinks to the sea floor, but we know little about the impact as it does. a recent study estimates there are now 170 trillion pieces of plastic in the ocean. more than 21,000 for every person on the planet. >> so i'm going to secure the sample. >> reporter: the data from this study could help us better understand how microplastics are affecting everything from the ocean's ability to cool the earth to our health through the food we eat. >> fish like tuna, swordfish, sardines. >> a lot of us are eating these fish that are ingesting all of these microplastics. >> that's true. >> reporter: they are doing this research on a ship owned by the schmidt ocean institute, funded by former google ceo eric schmidt and his wife wendy. they let scientists use it at no cost. but there's a catch. one of the requirements of using this floating lab for free is that the scientists have to

share their data with other scientists all around the world. >> all the knowledge that has been, you know, gained during these years about plastic pollution, i think it's starting to change people's mind. >> reporter: because a lot of what we think is disposable never really goes away. ben tracy, cbs news, panama. a weekend of violence mars last-minute shopping at two malls. we'll tell you who the police are looking for. that's next. (inspirational music) - [speaker] at first, just leaving the house was hard. - [speaker] but wounded warrior project helps you realize it's possible to get out there - [speaker] to feel sense of camaraderie again. - [speaker] to find the tools to live life better. - [narrator] through generous community support, we've connected warriors and their families with no cost

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morning. houston firefighters responded an found the house fully engulfed shortly after 2:00 a.m. the family that lives there now was at home at the time but escaped unhurt. the knowles family moved out decades ago, but the house is still considered an iconic landmark to her fans. the clock is ticking on the new apple watch, and it appears unlikely that president biden will throw the company a lifeline. the president has until tonight to veto a u.s. international trade commission ruling that found apple's newer watch models violated a medical device maker's patents. apple had to pull some watches from stores. we visit next with an everyday hero who spends his spare time repairing cars and transforming lives.

finally tonight in this season of giving we return to rural south carolina where a local restaurant owner and part-time mechanic is in the giving spirit year-round. cbs's mark strassmann reports on a milestone gift of kindness. >> this is zacchaeus kenard.

>> are you kidding me? >> reporter: zach kenard's first car was big local news in charleston, south carolina. >> oh, my gosh. >> here's the keys to your new car. >> reporter: the 19-year-old student got the 100th car elliott middleton has given away. as we first told you two years ago, this barbecue restaurant owner and trained mechanic knows his way under a hood. he takes donated clunkers, makes them run and puts people without a car in the driver's seat. he makes sure applicants have a valid driver's license and a genuine need for a car. for single mom jessica litchfield a 2004 suzuki. >> this is a life saver. >> reporter: 86-year-old john darby got a 1990 mercedes. >> what? >> free of charge. you are the third recipient -- >> wow. >> reporter: i asked middleton what keeps his engine running. >> the smiles on the faces when i donate a car. got to do another one. got to do another one. got to do two more. >> reporter: how much longer can you do this?

>> as long as my two hands can turn wrenches and my legs can keep moving i don't see it ever stopping. >> reporter: with elliott middleton there is such a thing as a free ride. >> i appreciate it, man. thank you. thank you. >> reporter: mark strassmann, cbs news, charleston, south carolina. and that is the "overnight news" for this tuesday. be sure to check back later for "cbs mornings" and follow us online anytime @cbsnews.com. that's where you'll find my podcast "the takeout," politics, policy and just a little bit of pop culture. reporting from the nation's capital i'm major garrett. this is "cbs news flash." i'm carissa lawson in new york. the u.s. strikes back against iranian-backed militia groups in iraq. the order from president biden came after three u.s. service members were hurt in a drone

attack, one of them critically. american troops have come under dozens of attacks since the october 7th massacre in israel. holiday travel has been mostly nice but with some naughty disruptions. airlines prepared for massive waves of travelers this holiday to avoid a repeat of last year's debacle but once again southwest had to cancel hundreds of flights over the weekend. and it's santa versus the grinch in a harness race to save christmas. santa came from behind to win by a length in his one-horse open sleigh. for more download the cbs news app on your cell phone or connected tv. i'm carissa lawson, cbs news, new york. it's tuesday, december 26th. this is the "cbs morning news." israel steps up strikes in gaza as egypt puts a peace plan on the table. what both sides are saying as prime minister netanyahu delivers a personal message to his troops on the front lines.