and coverage for lawyers and experts, up to $1 million. - tens of thousands stolen. the bank didn't help me, the police department didn't help me, it was lifelock who had my back on all this. - [announcer] or go to lifelock.com/my35 now to get lifelock protection for just $9.99 a month for your first year. and if you call now, you'll get 35% off your first year on any annual plan. and ask about lifelock's 60-day money back guarantee. your membership includes identity monitoring and alerts, a dedicated us-based identity restoration specialist, who will work on your behalf to resolve your case guaranteed, and the lifelock million dollar protection package, including reimbursement for stolen funds up to the limits of your plan. - i don't want someone coming along and stealing everything i have, and with lifelock, i feel comfortable knowing

that's not gonna happen. - [announcer] try lifelock for up to 60 days and if you're not satisfied, we'll give you a full refund. join the millions of people already protected by lifelock. - i hope it never happens again, but if it does, i feel confident that we have lifelock. - [announcer] it's time to protect yourself. or go to lifelock.com/my35 right now. the proceeding was a paid presentation, sponsored by lifelock. and i realized, oh, my god, it's up to us. and it was like too late. >> reporter: but within weeks, foley began transforming her anguish into action. >> four americans were publicly beheaded. where is our outrage as americans? >> reporter: she launched the james w. foley legacy foundation, providing funding and a network of support to families of u.s. hostages abroad

while pushing the government to do more. >> in 2012, 2014, there was no one whose job it was to bring innocent americans home. >> reporter: in 2015, then-president barack obama created a cross-agency team, bringing the white house, state department, and fbi together to prioritize and coordinate hostage response efforts, including appointing for the first time a special presidential envoy for hostage affairs. >> none of this would have happened without diane foley. >> she's been that instrumental? >> absolutely. >> reporter: a post now held by roger carstens. >> if your loved one is taken by a terrorist group or a nation state, there's a place to call now. >> reporter: he says the government likely wouldn't prosecute families who pay ransoms. >> to my mind, i cannot ever see that happening. >> reporter: but the u.s. is still barred from giving concessions to terrorist groups. >> if it's a nation state that takes an american, we have a little more leeway to do something. >> what do you say to people who say, when you negotiate with

hostage takers, when you make these deals, it incentivizes further hostage taking? >> you know, the numbers don't back that up. >> reporter: the foley foundation puts the latest number of u.s. nationals held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad at 42, its lowest figure since 2015. by its own count since then, its advocacy has helped secure the release of more than 120 u.s. nationals, including jose pereira, who was imprisoned in venezuela for nearly five years. >> they are advocating and doing hard work for all the hostages that are still left behind. >> reporter: there are people who say, why should we support americans who knowingly put themselves in danger overseas? >> journalists need to be out there in the world. we also need humanitarian workers, and we have businessmen. we need these people who dare to go out in the world and bring back understanding and knowledge about what's going on.

>> that's what jim was doing. >> yes. >> reporter: foley says her son also would have wanted her to try to understand his captors. she met with one, alexander kotey, three times in a virginia courthouse, where he was sentenced to life behind bars in 2022. mccann wrote about their last goodbye. >> she steps across and reaches out her hand to him. kotey pauses a moment. he reaches out and shakes her hand. peace be with you, she says. he has not intentionally touched the hand of a woman in a long time. and why, then, he's asked, did he take diane's hand? he ponders a moment and says, she's like a mother to us all. >> he was very human in his interaction with us, in his remorse. >> he respected diane in an extraordinary way. >> you saw his humanity, and when i read that passage, i felt like he also saw yours. >> that's the part that was the grace of the moment. >> reporter: foley says her

son's spirit has been guiding her for the past decade. >> i failed jim in a lot of ways, but i have to forgive myself for some of that. >> reporter: now she hopes others will carry his torch. >> there's still a lot of work to be done. >> reporter: and keep his legacy alive. >> i want jim to inspire others to use their gifts for good. our world needs that. >> reporter: roxana saberi, chicago. the u.s. military lives by the motto "no man left behind." well 80 years after a u.s. bomber crashed in world war ii, hundreds of volunteers are searching a forest in england. they're hoping to find the pilot's remains and bring him home for a military burial. ramy inocencio has the story. >> reporter: the hopeful beep of metal detectors breaks the silence as american and british soldiers side by side sift through soil in this gaping impact crater from world war ii. 80 years on from the day a u.s.

b-17 bomber slammed into the ground here by the suffolk coast of eastern england, the pilot's remains might finally be found. >> this keeps growing with every bucket. >> reporter: u.s. air specialist garrett browning from colorado is stationed here in england. >> many of the bigger pieces will stay behind, and then we'll inspect those to see whether they're rocks, wood, or metal. >> reporter: or possibly tiny bone fragments of u.s. air force lieutenant john fisher from new york, just 21 years old. he was part of a top-secret program, code named operation aphrodite, an experiment using planes on one-way missions to destroy nazi targets in europe. pilots were meant to parachute out after another plane took over by radio control. those aircraft were old, war-weary b-17 flying fortress bombers, first stripped down for more space, then loaded with tons of explosives.

but fisher's plane stalled soon after takeoff. he pushed his co-pilot out and sacrificed himself. >> this aircraft, it blew apart pretty much in every direction, and something as small as just a bolt or a thread just kind of tells the story. >> reporter: it's a respectful, almost reverential and time-consuming process. these volunteers have unearthed more than 3,000 fragments from that b-17 flying fortress, notably this horseshoe for luck and this name plate that clearly says "detroit, general motors corporation." each metal, rubber, and fabric fragment a clue to where more of fisher's remains might be found. >> i know that there's a big piece of plane under here. >> reporter: rosanna price is head of engagement at england's cotswald archaeology, overseeing the cleaning, sorting, and cataloging of every piece volunteers unearth.

>> this is some of the largest pieces we've found. this is the hub. >> oh, my god. wow. >> this is a piece of the propeller still attached. >> reporter: there is excitement with every new find, she says. and there are daily fly-bys of people wishing them well and paying respect to lieutenant fisher. any possible remains found here will be flown on a u.s. air force plane to the defense prisoner of war missing in action accounting agency lab, where tests are run to confirm if remains are human, then if there's a dna match to any family. if so, a full military burial is ordered. >> this really is the manifestation of "no man left behind." >> reporter: and a mark of america's and britain's enduring special relationship since world war ii. >> you talk to local people even today in their 80s, 90s. they remember the americans coming. they still remember the excitement, how they watched those planes go out every morning, and they counted them back in the evening. and they were as bereft as anybody else when planes didn't come back.

and they were really grateful for the americans coming over, and you still feel that way towards people now. >> reporter: so the work carries on under this quiet canopy of trees to bring one more american serviceman home. i love that my daughter still needs me. but sometimes i can't help due to burning and stabbing pain in my hands, so i use nervive. nervive's clinical dose of ala reduces nerve discomfort in as little as seven days. now i can help again feel the difference with nervive. introducing new advil targeted relief.

the only topical pain reliever with 4 powerful pain-fighting ingredients that start working on contact to target tough pain at the source. for up to 8 hours of powerful relief. new advil targeted relief. it ain't my dad's razor, dad. ay watch it! it's from gillettelabs. this green bar releases trapped hairs from my face... gamechanga! ...while the flexdisc contours to it. so the five blades can get virtually every hair in one stroke. for the ultimate gillette shaving experience. the best a man can get is gillettelabs. he needs protection that goes beyond. dove men with 72-h protection and 1/4 moisturizer. so he can forget his underarms and focus on being unforgettable. dove men. forgettable underarms, unforgettable you.

sometimes jonah wrestles with falling asleep... ...so he takes zzzquil. the world's #1 sleep aid brand. and wakes up feeling like himself. get the rest to be your best with non-habit forming zzzquil. ♪ ♪ you've got a pepto predicament, ace. you overdid it on the loaded fries and now your gut is in the gutter. undo it with pepto fast melts. so you can keep on rolling. [bowling pins knocked down] when you overdo it, undo it with pepto bismol. more than 2 billion plastic razors end up in landfills around the world every year, and

the search for an eco-friendly shave has a lot of people turning back to the straight razor. skyler henry reports. >> reporter: at henry's barbershop in the nation's capital, the traditional shave is the standard. shaving cream, warm water, and a single razor. it's a classic combination that mark herro, owner of the shaving review site sharpologist, believes work best >> how often are you shaving? >> i generally shave every day. >> reporter: he says one reason he chooses a single blade over all the disposable multiple blade razors on the market is an environmental one. >> one advantage of the old school safety razor is you have a single blade by itself that you can simply toss out or recycle as a fully metallic item without any plastic. >> reporter: the environmental protection agency estimates every year some 2 billion disposable razors are tossed out. that's more than 63 razors going into landfills every second. and it can take 100 years for that plastic to break down.

now several companies are selling a simple solution. old school razors that don't get tossed. that includes karen young's company, we the people. >> the sustainability element of that just really went hand in hand. >> reporter: her razor is completely plastic-free and launched a sustainable skin and body line now found in retail stores nationwide. >> starting with the razor really set a foundation for the business that i actually hadn't quite known was possible. >> reporter: opportunities cut from simple concepts that she hopes make a lasting environmentally friendly impact.

france spent more than $12 billion prepping paris to host the summer olympics. but while big crowds have gathered to watch the games, outside the venues the streets of paris have been relatively quiet. elaine cobbe has the story. >> reporter: paris is the most visited city in the world with tourists regularly naming it

their favorite vacation destination. they stroll along the champs-elysees, climb the eiffel tower, and sample french cuisine. more than 300,000 people are employed in travel and tourism in paris. most of them expected this summer to be especially profitable, but they were wrong. >> there's lots of visitors and tourists in the city for the games, but as far as food tourism, it's been quite slow compared to most summers in the past. this is a new creation for the olympics. >> reporter: jennifer greco runs cheese tours but says work has dried up this summer. >> it's between 40% to 50%, so it's a lot. >> reporter: part of the problem is that visitors not interested in the games simply stayed away. >> people that are thinking about coming to paris for holidays, most of them decided not to come because, number one, the city is very congested. number two, the prices are really high. the tourists just simply don't want to deal with it. >> reporter: those who came for

the games aren't spending money like the usual tourists. fewer are visiting museums, and restaurants and cafes have seen a sharp decline in numbers. >> when i'm at the games, there are huge, very long lines. when you're at restaurants or out to events, it's very empty. >> reporter: some olympic fans simply abandoned paris after seeing their events and headed to the beach. >> we went to go and see the rugby women's sevens, which was fantastic. we then took a flight directly over to marseille. i wanted to link it with a wonderful holiday as well. so we went to go see the sailing yesterday, and we can see it from here, which is fabulous. >> reporter: greco heads on vacation later this month. she says business is looking better for this fall. >> i'm not too worried about the summer being quiet because i think my last quarter will be fine. it will make up for it. >> reporter: it's not unusual for host cities to see a drop in tourism in the year of the games. but some, like london and barcelona, saw a jump in the years immediately afterwards.

having spent $12 billion on these games, paris will be hoping the boom is on its way. elaine cobbe, cbs news, paris. and that's today's "cbs news roundup." for some of you, the news continues. for others, tune in later for "cbs mornings" and follow us online 24/7 at cbsnews.com. reporting from the cbs news broadcast center in new york city, i'm erica brown. ♪ hello and thanks for staying up with us. i'm erica brown in new york, and here are some of the top stories

on "cbs news roundup." tropical storm debby now threatens record rainfall in georgia and the carolinas after dumping floodwaters on northern florida. kamala harris is only hours away from revealing the name of her running mate. and in a global jolt, the dow drops 1,000 points, and japanese stocks suffer their worst day since 1987. the tropical storm debby is now spinning up the southeast coastline after slamming into florida's big bend as a hurricane. torrential rain, high winds, and flooding left entire neighborhoods underwater and contributed to at least four deaths in florida. and now debby heads up the eastern seaboard. president biden has approved an emergency declaration for georgia. cbs's cristian benavides reports from the path of the storm. >> reporter: crews worked to remove downed trees and debris in monticello, florida, after debby made landfall in the big bend coast as a category 1 hurricane. >> we're really, really amazed

that the water came over the seawall again so far. hopefully on this next time that it won't. >> reporter: storm surge is expected to be the biggest threat in florida with 6 to 10 feet of inundation above ground level predicted in some coastal spots. rescue boats were out in sarasota, which has already received 10 to 12 inches of rain. tragically, a 13-year-old died when the storm toppled a tree onto a mobile home in levy county. now a tropical storm, forecasters say debby is headed for coastal areas of georgia and the carolinas and will slow down dramatically. >> we're going to see the center of the system just crawl along the southeast coast of the united states for two to three days. this is going to result in a prolonged extreme rainfall event. >> reporter: city officials in savannah declared a curfew beginning at 10:00 p.m. it's when the heaviest rainfall is expected. >> that's the purpose of the curfew, is to get folks out of the way of what you've never

seen before. >> reporter: savannah residents loaded up sand balgs, preparing for what officials are calling historic and unprecedented levels of water. >> how are you feeling? >> i'd rather not be here right now, but what are you going to do? >> reporter: melanie smith got a helping hand from sean gardner. >> i'm originally from the bahamas so we know about storms really where with a predicted 30 inches of rain in three days, debby could pack a prolonged punch. cristian benavides, cbs news, savannah, georgia. several u.s. military personnel were injured when a coalition base in iraq came under fire. it happened at al i sad air base in central iraq. pentagon officials say two katyusha rockets were fired by iranian-backed militia. they're calling it a dangerous escalation, saying there were americans injured but none critically and no reports of death. >> vice president kamala harris is close to imnanaming a presidential running mate. she's expected to reveal her

selection on tuesday ahead of her first scheduled appearance with her running mate in pennsylvania. cbs's skyler henry reports from washington. >> reporter: president biden and vice president harris were briefed on the crisis in the middle east monday as she continued to mull over who should be her running mate. cbs news has learned harris is expected to formally announce her pick tuesday morning and release a video introducing voters to her choice. >> i am who i am and put it out there. >> reporter: on sunday, harris held meetings with contenders at her washington home. minnesota governor tim walz, arizona senator mark kelly, and pennsylvania governor josh shapiro. >> anything on the veepstakes yet? >> i got nothing for you, man. >> reporter: following the decision, the newly minted ticket is expected to set out on a tour including pennsylvania, where 19 electoral votes are up for grabs. earlier in the day, former donald trump weighed in. >> all of the people she's looking at are considered much better than her. these were people that were

thinking about running. they would have run. >> reporter: trump also dubbed monday's stock market drop the kamala crash at least five times on truth social, a phrase he first started testing out last week. >> if harris wins this election, you will quickly have a kamala economic crash. >> reporter: three months to the presidential election, a new cbs news poll finds harris and trump now essentially tied across the battleground states as well as nationally. voters are still far more likely to say trump's policies will leave them financially better off. skyler henry, cbs news, washington. turning now to the stock market, japan's benchmark nikkei index is up more than 10% one day after setting markets tumbling around the world. friday's jobs report and growing fears of a recession hit america's indexes hard. cbs's jo ling ket reports from wall street, which suffered its worst day in almost two years. >> reporter: the closing bell ending a bruising day on wall

street. stocks plunged on fears the u.s. economy is slowing and the federal reserve isn't acting quickly enough. all three major indexes closed in the red. the nasdaq leading dthe decline as once white hot tech stocks tanked. >> our market probably moved too far, too fast. it's now pulling back into a range where it actually should be. >> reporter: fears of a u.s. recession triggered turbulence overseas. japan's nikkei posted its worst day since 1987, dropping over 12% on monday. driving the u.s. sell-off, a weaker than expected jobs report, a higher unemployment rate, and worries that consumers are pulling back on spending, which accounts for roughly two-thirds of the economy. >> there's a generalized concern that the economy is slowing down faster than expected. >> reporter: cbs news business analyst jill schlesinger says investors should not panic. compared to this time last year, all three indexes are still up

at least 9%. >> today looks like sort of a normal slowdown. we've been here. we've gotten through it. and if you're a long-term investor and if you're just a consumer in the economy, know that we'll get to the other side of this. >> reporter: last week the federal reserve decided not to cut interest rates, leaving them steady. that means it continues to be very expensive for a new car loan, a new mortgage, and credit card debt. looking ahead, a lot of people have been wondering will the fed call an emergency meeting to cut rates? that is highly unlikely. there's a previously scheduled meeting coming up in mid-september, and the markets do expect a pretty serious interest rate cut then. jo ling kent, cbs news, new york. a fast-moving brush fire just outside los angeles has gutted several homes. homeowners resorted to using garden hoses and even fire extinguishers to protect their properties. the blaze began in triple-digit heat on monday in san bernardino, california, about 50

miles east of l.a. an entire neighborhood was evacuated. no injuries were reported. protesters in bangladesh are calling for a new government after the prime minister fled the country, ending a 15-year rule. thousands of demonstrators stormed the official residence of prime minister sheikh hasina on monday. their anger stems from bitterness over hiring practices for government jobs amid high inflation and a faltering economy. coming up next on "cbs news roundup," we'll take you to pennsylvania, where they're training the next generation of poll workers. stay with us. we're with bridget, whose husband won't be home for months and whose daughter is due any day. we're with mike, who's leaving home to protect his family, and yours. we're with all service-members and their families who need community, connection, and maybe a bit of magic.

are you with them? learn more at uso.org today. [inspirational music] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ substance use disorder and addiction is so isolating. and so as a black woman in recovery, hope must be loud. it grows louder when you ask for help and your vulnerable. it is the thread that lets you know that no matter what happens, you will be okay.

you do. when i grow up i want to be a director, because they get to talk to everybody about everything. they get to make cool movies and dance music videos. action! [male narrator] if your child is sick over and over again it could be pi, a defect of the immune system that affects millions. early testing can give children a chance to dream. and when i'm a director, i get to say “lights, camera, action”. [narrator] for more information visit our website at info for pi dot org. that's a wrap! [giggles] ♪ this is "cbs news roundup." i'm erica brown in new york. the democratic party's national convention gets under way in two weeks. when that wraps, it will be a ten-week sprint to the general election.

the cbs news national poll finds vice president kamala harris and former president trump tied. we found the same 50-50 split in the battleground states. that could put pressure on poll workers. the trouble is many of the most experienced poll workers quit after the last election. jericka duncan reports. >> count every vote! >> reporter: in 2020, the battleground state of pennsylvania was ground zero for election protests. p court challenges and threats to election officials like republican al schmidt. >> you want to compare the results on all of those scanners. >> reporter: he's a former philadelphia commissioner who oversaw the city's elections. but these days, schmidt has a much bigger role, as secretary of the commonwealth, the top election official for the entire state. >> what do you think is the greatest threat in 2024, this presidential election? >> the turnover that we have seen with the people responsible for running elections.

le some people laughed because of the ugly environment with threats and all the rest. some people left because it was time for them to retire. >> reporter: across pennsylvania, 67 counties, more than 80 senior election officials have left, impacting over two-thirds of counties. >> whenever you have people leave, people who have worked in elections for a long time and been replaced by people with less experience, the more likely you are to have people make mistakes in election administration. >> reporter: an analysis of pennsylvania's general election last year found an increase in ballot errors, in part due to turnover. ballot errors doubled in the state's municipal general elections from 2021 to 2023. >> these errors included instructions to vote for the wrong number of candidates, duplicate ballots being sent to the same voter,ing races or candidates being left off the ballot, improper ballot instructions and spelling errors. >> so when you are running elections, there is no room for

error, right? there's no redos or do-overs. but when it comes to the issues that you raised, in every one of the cases that you mentioned, there were remedial actions put in place to make sure that the results were accurate. >> is on the morning of november 6th, your hope is? >> when 2 it comes to election administration, you never see a headline "election day went smoothly." what i'd really love is to see a headline that said "election day went smoothly in pennsylvania". >> that was jericka duncan reporting. you're watching "cbs news you're watching "cbs news roundup." (♪♪) this is a hot flash. this is a hot flash. but this is a not flash. for moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms due to menopause... ...veozah is the first and only prescription treatment that directly blocks a source of hot flashes and night sweats. with 100% hormone-free veozah... ...you can have fewer hot flashes... ...and more not flashes.

veozah reduces the number and severity of hot flashes day and night. 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, and back pain. ask your doctor about hormone-free veozah... ...and enjoy more not flashes. you could save on veozah. visit saveonveozah.com to learn more. [audience laughing] worried you'll laugh so hard you'll leak? well always discreet can hold your biggest gushes with up to zero leaks and odor. so you're not just dry. you're laugh until you cry dry. we've got you, always. always discreet. nexium 24hr prevents heartburn acid before it begins. get all-day and all-night heartburn acid prevention with just one pill a day. choose acid prevention.

choose nexium. want to get the most out of one sheet? grab bounty. (♪♪) bounty is made to be stronger... ...and more absorbent. so, while ordinary brands can't hold up, one sheet of bounty keeps working, even when wet. (♪♪) now that's the sound of value. bounty. the quicker picker upper. it ain't my dad's razor, dad. ay watch it! it's from gillettelabs. this green bar releases trapped hairs from my face... gamechanga! ...while the flexdisc contours to it. so the five blades can get virtually every hair in one stroke. for the ultimate gillette shaving experience. the best a man can get is gillettelabs. this delectable knorr ramen noodle recipe will put an end to your drive-thru dinner rituals. throw that knorr bouillon in that tasty combo of delightful carrots and the rich touch of bok choy. make your own knorr taste combo.

it's not fast food, but it's so good. the popular social media app tiktok already faces a possible ban in the u.s. starting next january. now tiktok and its chinese parent company, bytedance, are being sued by the justice department. the government claims the app illegally collects data on children under the age of 13. scott macfarlane reports. ♪ >> reporter: tiktok with 170 million users in the u.s. is accused of violating the law by allowing kids under 13 to create accounts to interact with adults on the platform. the justice department alleges tiktok collected and retained the personal information of kids without getting the permission of their parents. though tiktok offers a kids mode for those under 13, which restricts their access on the platform, the suit argues tiktok

failed to put in proper safeguards to prevent kids from creating general accounts. in a statement, the company tells cbs news, we disagree with these allegations, many of which relate to past events and practices that are factually inaccurate or have been addressed. we are proud of our efforts to protect children, and we will continue to update and improve the platform. >> our kids are at risk on your platform. >> reporter: the suit is just the latest federal scrutiny of tiktok's china-based owner bytedance. >> has bytedance spied on american citizens? >> i don't think that spying is the right way to describe it. >> reporter: tiktok's owner is going to challenge a new law in court that they say violates the first amendment and could lead to a ban on tiktok as early as january 19th. >> that was scott macfarlane reporting. "cbs news roundup" will be right

sometimes jonah wrestles with falling asleep... ...so he takes zzzquil. the world's #1 sleep aid brand. and wakes up feeling like himself. get the rest to be your best with non-habit forming zzzquil. ♪ ♪ he needs protection that goes beyond. dove men with 72-h protection and 1/4 moisturizer. so he can forget his underarms and focus on being unforgettable. dove men. forgettable underarms, unforgettable you. 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. can your pad flex with you without shifting? always flexfoam can. it's the only pad made with a flexible foam core with wings that fit securely for up to zero bunching and zero leaks. can your pad do that? see what foam can do for you. in some parts of the country, the beaver is considered a pest, destroying trees and causing flooding with their dams. but environmentalists insist the forests of america actually benefit from the beaver, and they're working to relocate the ones causing damage. luke burbank reports. >> reporter: layla phillip remembers the exact moment it happened. she was walking her dog near her home in connecticut. >> and we were about right over there, and she froze, and next thing i knew, there was this crack. i thought a gun had gone off.

>> reporter: the sound was actually a beaver slapping its tail on the water to let her know she was in its neighborhood. >> i looked, and i saw, oh, my god, it's filling with water. then i saw trees were coming down over there. it was just incredible. it was one of the most amazing things i'd ever seen, and it was the beavers making their pond. >> reporter: that was the moment phillip went from not thinking about beavers very much to becoming more or less obsessed. the result, her book -- "beaverland: how one weird rodent made america". >> it's just incredible the change that they bring into the land. and this is why they're called ecosystem engineers. >> reporter: and in creating their own ecosystems, beavers actually do a lot for humans, slowing down water flow and creating wider, wetter environments. >> it's so dry out there. that's fuel. like that is fire fuel. then you get into here, and i mean the water, it's not going to burn. >> reporter: emily fairfax is

assistant professor at the university of minnesota, where she studies beavers often in the bone-dry and sometimes wildfire-prone west. >> if you look at these plants, if you pinch them, they are so full of water. the tissues are green and lush, and they're not withering. they're in the crinkly. that's hard to burn. you don't want to start a fire with wet material, and this is obviously very wet. >> you're pretty certain there are beavers here. what did you just find if. >> i just found a beaver poo, p. these really highlight what beavers eat and don't eat. if you look carefully, it's just plant material. it's like sawdust. it's pretty fresh, so we know the beavers have been here working recently because they're leaving poops in the water. >> you really just handed me a beaver turd. >> welcome to the field. >> kind of woody. >> reporter: fairfax says if we could see the california of 500 years ago, with plentiful he

beaver, we'd see a greener landscape that would burn less easily. >> pre-european fur trade, the estimate is that there were between 100,000,400 million beavers in north america. and for perspective, that's like about a beaver per kilometer of habitable stream. and that's like squirrels. they were everywhere. >> reporter: but beaver fur was incredibly valuable to the western explorers of north america. >> beaver felt was the gore-tex of its day. everybody needed a beaver hat. you need to think of mr. darcy and london with the top hat. george washington with his i tri-corn hat. that was made out of beaver felt. beaver felt was incredibly valuable. >> reporter: native americans hunted beaver but in a way that allowed their populations to still thrive. that all changed when john jacob astor landed in new york. >> john jacob astor comes over, you know, famous story of him coming over with seven flutes, thinking he's going to start a music business. he overhears on board the ship

people talking about fantastic sums they can make trading this item in london that they can get in north america for nothing. and he figures out it's beaver, and that's the beginning of america's first multi-millionaire. >> reporter: in just 100 years, the population of north american beaver dropped to near extinction levels, leading to all kinds of attempts to rebuild their numbers, including some truly bizarre ideas. >> the plane makes a careful approach, ready for the drop. >> reporter: in the 1950s, idaho wildlife officials launched operation i geronimo, parachuting almost 80 beavers into the back country, hoping they'd repopulate. and sure enough, it and other less high-flying reintroduction efforts seemed to be working according to layla phillip. >> the beaver is one of north america's great success stories. they're a conservation comeback

story, and that's why we have beavers now. and beavers have this great new role to play because they can help us with every environmental problem we have that's being accelerated by climate change -- fire and drought and flood. >> reporter: that's right. it say seem counterintuitive but beaver dams actually reduce catastrophic flooding by sending more water into the ground. still, of course, not everyone loves a beaver pond springing up on their property or near their kids' baseball field. but there are non-leeth many ways to coexist with our furry neighbors says phillip, like something called a pond leveler. >> well, it's really beautifully simple. you basically put a pipe through the dam. it's like a permanent leak in the dam, and you lower the level of the pond. >> reporter: meanwhile, back at that original pond, the one that got leila phillip so obsessed, those beavers have moved on,

leaving behind an ecosystem better than they found it. something we humans might do well to consider ourselves. >> even this beaver meadow is so much richer with life and more full of water than before. so it's pretty remarkable. >> that was luke burbank in the woods. you're watching "cbs news roundup."

i've always wanted a big family. but one moment can change your whole entire life. i went to the doctor and was told i had stage three cancer, and i would most likely never carry another baby. right before i was about to start chemotherapy, i was told about a new clinical trial, funded by stand up to cancer, that used immunotherapy and after my ninth treatment, my tumor had completely disappeared. because of this trial, i was able to welcome a beautiful baby girl and watch my family grow. help push cancer research further at

standuptocancer.org/cures

[upbeat music] ♪ yeah, baby, i like it like that ♪ ♪ you gotta believe me when i tell ya ♪ ♪ i like it like that ♪ ♪ i like it like that, i like it like that ♪ ♪ clap your hands if you want some more ♪ ♪ que rico ♪ ♪ yeah, baby, i like it like that ♪ ♪ i've got the soul i've got the soul ♪ ♪ i like it like that ♪

it's tuesday, august 6th, 2024. this is "cbs news mornings." decision day. kamala harris set to unveil her running mate today as she officially clinches the democratic presidentia