also tonight, the seasons are out of whack in this first week of winter. tee times are up. a deadly shooting at a mall in charlotte. as nba stars take aim at gun violence. >> i heard about a shooting involving a three-year-old girl over the summer. my daughter riley is that age. >> and santa's little helper for parents whose kids just can't get to sleep on christmas eve. >> i'm going to tell you a story that can make you feel very sleepy! this is the "cbs overnight news." >> scott pelley is off. i'm jim axelrod. we begin with a christmas turned deadly by the kind of storms we don't usually see until spring. dozens of tornadoes tore through the south and midwest, including the first ever recorded in michigan in december.

states of emergency ave been declared in georgia, tennessee and mississippi, where about 100 homes were destroyed. manuel bojorquez begins our coverage near holly springs, mississippi. >> i can see the debris! i see debris. >> reporter: this tornado was on the ground for ten minutes as it tore through the town of clarksdale, mississippi. >> back it up! back it up! >> reporter: storm chasers scrambled to get out of harm's way as a tornado came right at them, and another slammed into a busy highway, knocking a tractor-trailer on its side. mississippi governor phil bryant. >> if you look at the damage here, it is as bad as any tornado that we've had, and i have been through a lot of them. >> reporter: marvin and bernita sims were in their house watching tv when the storm hit. their home was destroyed. >> i looked up, the roof was blowing off the house and i just told her, "hold on, hold on." i held on to her as tight as i could. >> reporter: the massive storm system that moved across the southeast yesterday spawned 29 tornadoes in six states.

sheriff say 69-year-old ann yzaguirre and 70-year-old antonio yzaguirre were killed when a tornado hit their home. the couple had just celebrated their 36th wedding anniversary. and one of the dead in mississippi is a seven-year-old boy, killed when the car he was riding in was tossed into the air. this is the town of chulahoma, mississippi. people here lost homes and this church. a tornado sliced right through it. the pastor told us the congregation still plans to hold services in the parking lot. manuel bojorquez, cbs news, chulahoma, mississippi. flooding is a concern in elba, alabama. the pea richer is expected to crest tomorrow at levels not seen in two decades. which is why some are packing up their christmas presents and getting out. millions along the east coast woke up this morning and may have wondered if they slept

in new york, the high was 72, a few degrees from the high this past fourth of july, which was 75. let's bring in eric fisher. eric, dozens of records being set today. >> it is about as strange as it is can get on christmas eve. look at these temperatures. burlington, vermont hit 68 degrees, beating the record by 16 degrees. the warmest december day ever recorded in norfolk, virginia. and same story in albany, new york. and even at midnight tonight, still 62 in new york. 69 in charlotte. jacksonville at 69. just tremendous warmth everywhere you look. more record highs expected on christmas day. especially across the southeast, widespread 70s and 80s, well up above the norm for this time of year. we're focusing on the next storm developing this weekend in the southern plains, bringing blizzard conditions to parts of the southern plains, heavy rain, a chance of severe weather.

new mexico, western parts of oklahoma, west texas. heavy rain on the eastern end and this is a storm to watch because as warm as it is right now, this will bring the first snow of the season into the northeast next week. >> eric fish we are the forecast of extremes. thank you. what a difference a year makes in syracuse, new york. syracuse had nearly 28 inches of snow by this time last year. this year, less than one inch. the warm weather across the northeast made it "coats- optional" for a number of last- minute shoppers. anna werner has more on a shopping season that's run hot and cold. >> reporter: at the flemington department store in new jersey, the warm weather has cooled apparel sales. owner martin resnick says most of his heavy winter clothing items are sitting. >> a lot of the business in our industry went away because people just don't feel christmas-y and they're not cold, they're not going to work feeling cold.

coast. data firm planalytics estimates retailers have lost over $400 million in sales since november 1st, compared to the same critical seven-week sales period last year. in chicago, sales of long-sleeve mitts down 16%, snow thrower sales are off 15% in cincinnati, and outerwear sales dropped 25% in tampa. fred fox is planalytics c.e.o. >> retailers may have a great january or february clearing out winter merchandise, but it's going to be marked down 50% to 70%, so they're not going to make a lot of money off it. >> reporter: there are some winners in this winter warm-up. at some golf courses in the midwest, rounds of golf played in december have gone up over 1,000%. sales of bicycles, fishing gear and even iced tea are all up. but fox says some retailers are at risk. >> any retailer that has been

limping along, a season like this can certainly put them out of business. >> martin resnick says his store will survive but it won't make back those sales. >> so they're taking the money they would have spent in our industry and spending it elsewhere. >> reporter: now, fox says winter apparel purchases are driven by need. but who needs a heavy coat in this 67-degree weather? on the other hand, what's bad for retailers is good for consumers, who should be able to purchase heavily-discounted cold weather gear if not for this winter, jim, then for next year. >> anna, thank you. in his christmas eve homily, pope francis called on christians to live as jesus did with "empathy, compassion, and mercy." he criticized what he called a society so often intoxicated by consumerism. tomorrow, tens of thousands will pack st. peter's square for the pope's traditional christmas day blessing. coming up next, getting a business off the ground by

the actor robert downey, jr., gets the news he was looking for. and the feel-good story of the night. the "cbs overnight news" will be right back. almost sixty million americans are affected by mental illness. together we can help them with three simple words. my name is chris noth

from maine to maui, thousands of high school students across the country are getting in on the action by volunteering in their communities. chris young: action teams of high school students are joining volunteers of america and major league baseball players to help train and inspire the next generation of volunteers. carlos pea: it's easy to start an action team at your school so you, too, can get in on the action.

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conduct their holiday shopping. this year, nearly half, 46%, is expected to be done online. but mireya villerreal discovered in some ways, what's old is new again. >> reporter: from slinkys to lincoln logs, these were the hot toys boomers had to have. for some shoppers like julie berke, classic toys are still a must-have at christmastime. >> it's a great, nostalgic feeling. it's something we want our child to have. >> reporter: but it's the procrastinators at the crowded westfield topanga mall in los angeles today that are doing real bonding, over long lines and packed parking lots. for malika meads and her son, hitting the mall early on december 24th is their version of smart shopping. >> i don't want to take a chance with it not getting here by december 24th.

gallup poll, shoppers are spending $830 this holiday season, over $100 more than last year. in 2008, when the economy tanked, sales dropped 5% below average. in 2015, they're expected to climb at least 5% above average. >> there will be something in here, whether you're eight or 80, that will punch the button. >> reporter: tastes have changed, but dave levy of "big kid collectibles" knows that one tradition that never goes out of style is a trip down memory lane. >> we're so overwhelmed that when a kid comes in here and sees an etch a sketch or simon, which is not really technically that ingenious compared to what they're doing now, it fascinates them. >> reporter: so whether you're searching for this year's hottest toy, the hover board, or you're in the mood for a nostalgic trip back to your childhood, take solace in

now if you are expecting a fedex package at your home, some those deliveries are being affected by severe weather across some parts of the country, but, jim, fedex is actually saying they are going to make up for those delays by delivering on christmas day and actually having some of their express locations open till 1:00 p.m. tomorrow. >> so the gifts will get there. mireya, thank you. in chicago, several hundred protesters disrupted shopping, along the city's magnificent mile. demanding that chicago's mayor, rahm emanuel, resign for his handling of the shooting death of le dchs kwan mcdonald, a 17-year-old killed by police last year. in charlotte, north carolina, one person was shot and killed at a shopping mall today. it was captured on cell phone. a fight broke out, then this. [ gunfire ] shoppers ran as the shots rang out. off-duty officers who were working at the mall responded and shot one man who was pronounced dead at the scene.

an anti-gun violence group for a new public service announcements that will debut tomorrow and feature some of the game's biggest stars. the league says the campaign is not a jump into politics, but julianna goldman reports it will no doubt court controversy. >> parents always say a bullet doesn't have a name on it. >> we can all make a difference. >> reporter: the ad campaign features nba stars carmelo anthony, joakim noah, chris paul and stephen curry, speaking in very personal terms about gun violence. >> i heard about a shooting involving a three-year-old girl over the summer. my daughter riley is that age. >> reporter: while riley curry has stolen the show from the nba mvp, the public service announcement also features people who don't often grab headlines, victims of gun violence. people die from gun violence every day. >> reporter: the campaign was directed by spike lee and paid for by "everytown for gun safety," a group founded by

michael bloomberg to push back against the national rifle association. >> it's heartbreaking. >> reporter: gun control is never directly mentioned, but the ad marks the nba's entry into the polarizing debate over guns, a first for a professional sports league and largely led by the players, who are increasingly using their celebrity to draw attention to community violence. >> the guns should never be an option. >> reporter: like anthony, seen here marching with protesters in his hometown of baltimore last april following the death of freddie gray who suffered a spinal injury while in police custody. >> i've seen so many of my peers and so many of my friends lose their life to gun violence. one day they're here, the next day they're not due to gun violence, violence, period, and now i'm in a situation where my voice can be heard. >> reporter: the nra did not respond to request for comment and the nba says it's not advocating changes in laws or policy. jim, the campaign got the endorsement of one gun control advocate, president obama, who

league for taking a stand and that change requires all of us speaking up. >> juliana goldman, thank you very much. no one wants to spend christmas eve at the airport but some holiday travelers may have to. here's mark strassmann. >> raise your hand if your flight is still going. >> reporter: in a throng of stranded travelers in atlanta, we found tara stockdale. >> do you think you can get out today? >> reporter: her family of five flies to chicago every christmas to see relatives. but today, stormy weather canceled their flight -- twice. >> we usually leave on the 24th, we never had this problem. >> reporter: the toll of holiday travel was visible across the country. new tsa security screening rules meant longer lines and shorter patience for passengers like debbie king. >> i mean, we're people, we're humans, not cattle. >> reporter: for many flyers, turbulent weather also jostled

in the last 48 hours, more than 9,000 flights were delayed and almost 1,000 more were canceled. but the record 91 million people hitting america's roads, two million more than last year, are getting an early christmas gift. the national average is $2 a gallon for gas, 37 cents less than last year. so far, on average, drivers have saved $550 at the pumps this year. robertson claire is with aaa. >> this is the cheapest gas in 81 months, roughly six-and-a- half years, and people are taking advantage of it. >> reporter: in atlanta, the stockdales were out of options. the first available flight to chicago leaves in the morning. >> it's worth it, but, still i'm frustrated. >> reporter: the stockdales bought their tickets last july, they got to the airport early this morning. they did everything right. but for them, jim, christmas in chicago will have to wait one more day.

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recently, two young businessmen in california took an unusual approach to funding their dreams. anthony mason with a story now that's two parts ambition, one part awkward. >> this is the very first product we made. >> reporter: when friends erik schnakenberg and sasha koehn launched their online clothing company "buck mason" in 2013, they barely had enough money to pull it off. >> we had really no experience raising capital from outside investors, so the thing we knew how to do is be scrappy. >> reporter: they both poured in all their savings and quit their day jobs to focus on the company. this left them more time to plan but less cash to get by. >> i just slept on the couch. >> reporter: schnakenberg listed his l.a. apartment on air b'n'b and in less than four months

kickstart their business. >> when you start a business your most important asset is time. this basically also freed up the time it would take to earn the income and you can't put a price tag on that. >> reporter: there are 17 billion-dollar companies in the shared economy, where resources are sold person to person. last year, 155 million guests slept in an air b'n'b; that's 22% more than hilton hotels. uber gets more business travelers than taxies. and over the next ten years, the "share economy" will be worth an estimated $335 billion, 22 times what it's worth now. buck mason's profits have soared in the past year. they even built a physical store 20 feet from the apartment that helped make it all possible. >> i slept on someone's couch to give me the opportunity to own my own business.

that's a no-brainer. >> reporter: still less than 20% of americans participated in the new sharing economy but growing fastest with adults under 45 who are rethinking the value of ownership. jim? >> anthony mason, thank you very

didn't go as planned. california's governor jerry brown has presented the actor robert downey, jr. with a christmas gift-- a pardon. downey spent more than a year in prison on drug charges starting in 1999. the pardon doesn't erase downey's conviction, but does restore his right to vote.

performed, the last thing you might expect from a nativity scene is an ad-lib. but watch this goat in dallas jump right into the manger. the show, of course, went on after the actors regained their composure. now to the sound of pure happiness -- that's a 6-week-old polar bear cub getting a checkup at the toronto zoo. the sound is called trilling, which zookeepers tell us is a sign of extreme contentment. up next, a book that can put any kid to sleep, even on christmas eve. woman: what does it feel like when a woman is having a heart attack? chest pain, like there's a ton of weight on your chest. severe shortness of breath. unexplained nausea. cold sweats.

there's unfamiliar dizziness or light-headedness. unusual pain in your back, neck, jaw, one or both arms, even your upper stomach, are signs you're having a heart attack. don't make excuses. make the call to 9-1-1 immediately. learn more at womenshealth.gov/heartattack. while i was on a combat patrol in baqubah, iraq, a rocket-propelled grenade took my arm off at the shoulder. i was discharged from the army, and i've been working with the wounded warrior project since 2007. warriors, you don't have to be severely wounded to be with the wounded warrior project. we do have a lot of guys that have post-traumatic stress disorder. being able to share your story, i guess it kind of helps you wrap your mind around what did happen over there. my name is norbie, and yes, i do suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder,

on a night when so many kids have a hard time getting to

story to end the broadcast. >> oh, no, we'll have to start all over. >> reporter: like most 2-year- olds, hudson cowen is not a fan of nap time. >> that is one of the biggest issues for parents, is how do i get a child to go to sleep. >> reporter: that's why his mom bailey gaddis is eager to try a book that promises to soothe a child into slumber. >> i am going to tell you a story that can make you feel very sleepy. >> reporter: it's called "the rabbit who wants to fall asleep." the yawns are written into the story. the characters have names like the "heavy eyed owl" and "the sleepy snail." there are even notes for when you should read slowly. >> allow yourself to fall asleep. >> reporter: it worked on hudson. it's worked on so many kids that

seller in the u.s. and five other countries. that is rare for any book, let alone one self-published with illustrations drawn by a friend. swedish author and behavioral scientist carl-johan ehrlin said he came up with the idea watching his mom sleep in the car. >> i woke her up and told her, i've got this great idea and we have to write this down and started to look for paper everywhere. >> reporter: how did you test it? >> i went to pre-schools and asked them to read it when they have group nap time. they did for a week and they were pretty amazed. >> reporter: now some people can fall asleep right away -- i was curious if it worked on my own son. very tired now. it didn't happen immediately. but when i read it the second time, he fell asleep. but it doesn't work on every child. a quarter of the amazon reviews are just one star. big fat freaking fail, said one parent. my 2-year-old hates this book and begs me not to read it writes another. and it goes against the advice of many sleep experts who say kids need to learn to fall asleep on their own. but gaddis says it's been a life saver for their family.

putting me to sleep. >> reporter: isn't that the dream of every parent? vanita nair, cbs evening news, new york. >> and that is the "overnight news" for this christmas friday. for some of you, the news continues. for others, check back with us later. for the morning news and "cbs this morning." from the broadcast center in new

it's friday, december 25th, 2015. this is the "cbs morning news." tornado troubles. recovery efforts after a deadly string of storms tears through the south. and an unusual twister outbreak in northern california causes significant damage. christians around the world come together to celebrate the christmas holiday. thousands gather at the birthplace of jesus and at the vatican. terrifying moments at a north carolina mall. what prompted a deadly shooting that had last-minute christmas shoppers ducking for cover. good morning and merry christmas from the studio 57 newsroom at cbs headquarters in new york. thanks for joining us. i'm jamie yuccas in for anne-marie green. this christmas morning, at least 14 people are dead, killed by tornadoes and violent storms that ripped through the

dozens of others are injured. the storms destroyed homes in mississippi, tennessee and arkansas. search teams are combing through the rubble for survivors. experts say the unseasonably warm weather contributed to the deadly conditions. in the west, two rare tornadoes touched down on christmas eve in california. don champion is here in new york. good morning, don. >> good morning, jamie. at least three tornadoes were reported across the country yesterday. in northern california, teams with the national weather service will head out to assess twisters that touched down there. >> reporter: on this holiday of giving, some people in northern california are taking stock of what's lost after an outbreak of tornadoes. blender, like they were in a blender, it was pretty scary. >> reporter: cell phone video captured the twisters roaring through el dorado county and modesto, bringing down power lines and uprooting trees. >> we've been here for 45 years, and we've never had anything

>> reporter: mike churchill saw a tree crash down on his neighbor's car. a child was inside. >> the kid said hey, mom, stop and hit the back and just barely hit the car, the back end of the suv. >> reporter: the rare tornadoes in california come as people in the midwest and south continue cleaning up after an outbreak of deadly tornadoes there this week. pastor barry reynolds whose church was among hundreds of structures destroyed in mississippi called it a test from god. >> he's testing our faith. he's testing how strong we're going to be. >> reporter: at this red cross shelter in holly springs, donations of food, clothing and even christmas gifts have poured in. >> i've just not seen this kind of generosity in a single county anywhere i've worked. >> reporter: neighbors determined to keep the giving spirit alive in the face of so much loss. and the threat of more severe weather isn't over. people in texas, oklahoma, louisiana and arkansas face the threat of more storms through the weekend. jamie?

don champion here in new york, thank you. heavy rain triggered widespread flooding in the deep south. families in parts of georgia had just minutes to escape flooding in their homes. georgia's governor declared a state of emergency in at least three counties. rising waters swamped communities and washed out roads in alabama. parts of the southeast in alabama got ten inches of rain. in the east, unusually warm weather is sticking around after many cities broke records for high temperatures on christmas eve. a high of 60 is expected today in boston. the high already climbed to 66 in new york this morning. philadelphia will hit 68, and washington, 73. atlanta will have a high of 75 degrees. christians around the world this morning are celebrating christmas. in the holy land, the faithful packed the nativity church in bethlehem to celebrate midnight mass. bethlehem is considered the traditional birthplace of jesus.

lights for religious pilgrims. at the vatican, pope francis will deliver his traditional christmas speech this morning. anna matranga reports from st. peter's square. >> reporter: thousands of pilgrims packed st. peter's basilica for pope francis's christmas eve mass. he urged the faithful to shun pleasure, wealth and extravagance and to return to the essential values of life. he said, "our style of life should be devout, filled with empathy, compassion and mercy." the pope's words resonate with catholics and non-catholics alike. >> he gives the message that we all need to hear, the message of love. and that's something this world needs more of. >> reporter: children from around the world played a large role in the christmas celebration. many journeyed from countries that francis has visited since he became pope. security here at the vatican was very high. all of the surrounding streets were blocked off to traffic, and

square has to go through a metal detector. including this family. 17 of them aged 8 to 86 traveled from the u.s. to see the pope. >> it seemed like a natural place for someone to target, to pinpoint for an event, so we were nervous. i want to wish you a merry christmas >> reporter: anna matranga, cbs news, vatican city. the trip home from christmas could be rough for millions of americans from the southwest into the plains and midwest. starting saturday, a major storm will bring heavy snow, ice and flooding rain. rough weather and new tsa screening rules took a toll on travelers across the country. thousands of airline passengers were stranded thursday by delayed and canceled flights. a record 91 million americans are driving for the holidays. gas prices average about $2 a gallon. one person is dead after

last-minute christmas shopping in a north carolina mall. charlotte police say an argument broke out, and someone fired shots. an off-duty police officer shot and killed the gunman. shoppers say they were forced to take cover inside stores. >> i was walking back out. he was, like, somebody has a gun. and so everybody started running to the deck. and it was, like, he's in the store! he's in the store! so i started running and crying. >> scary. police say the shooting stemmed from a long-running dispute. protesters in chicago renewed their call for the city's mayor to step down. they blocked storefronts and roads on thursday along the city's magnificent mile shopping district. demonstrators accuse city officials of covering up last year's deadly police shooting of a black teen. immigration advocates are speaking out against the obama administration's plan to deport hundreds of families in the country illegally. homeland security plans nationwide raids starting as soon as next month. agents will round up and deport

been ordered to leave by a judge. many are immigrants who fled violence in central america since the start of 2014. >> we should deport criminals, you know, felons, people that are here because they are in our country to hurt. but they're not here to do that. they're asking for our protection, our care. >> the government says raids will target people who pose a threat to national security, public safety, and border security. overseas, a gas tanker truck exploded in nigeri, killing more than 100 people. the blast happened yesterday at a crowded industrial gas plant about 300 miles west of laga. it took hours to put out the fire. coming up, overdue compensation. congress takes action to deliver money to dozens of americans held hostage in iran more than three decades ago. this is the "cbs morning news." news."y... ...in bed all day...

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a middle school lunch lady is offered her job back and compensation for the americans held hostage in iran more than 36 years ago. those are some of the headlines on the "morning newsstand." "the new york times" reports the americans held hostage in iran in 1979 will be compensated. each of the 53 hostages or their estates will receive up to $4.4 million. the decision was part of the spending bill approved last week. victims of other state-sponsored terror attacks are also eligible. the money comes from fines on a bank found to be doing business illegally with iran. "the guardian" reports on a deadly fire that swept through a saudi arabian hospital. the fire killed at least 25 people and injured more than 100 others. it broke out in the hospital's intensive care unit and maternity ward. the cause is under investigation. "the idaho state journal" reports on an update to the controversial firing of a middle school lunch lady.

her job back. she was fired for giving a free lunch to a student who did not have any money. bowden says she has not decided whether she'll return. fedex will deliver packages and open up service centers today after not making all its christmas eve deliveries. the carrier blames last-minute shopping and severe weather in parts of the country. customers should check with fedex to see if packages will be delivered or set aside at service centers for pickup. wall street is closed today for christmas, following a day of very light trading. the dow closed 50 points lower. the s&p 500 was down 3 points. the nasdaq gained 2 points. the so-called sharing economy has transformed the taxi and lodging industries. experts predict it will continue to expand rapidly in the years to come. anthony mason reports on two young businessmen who embrace sharing to achieve their dreams. >> this was the very first product we made. >> reporter: when friends eric

online clothing company, buck mason, in 2013, they barely had enough money to pull it off. >> we had really no experience with, like, raising capital from outside investors. so the thing that we only knew how to do is be scrappy. >> reporter: they both poured in all of their savings and quit their day jobs to focus on the company. this left them more time to plan but less cash to get by. kblo >> i came to sasha with this idea, like, what if i represent rent my place out and just slept on your couch? >> reporter: eric listed his l.a. apartment on airbnb. in less than four months, they raised the money they needed to kick start their business. >> this basically also freed up the time that it would take to earn that income, and that you can't put a price tag on that. >> reporter: there are now 17 billion-dollar companies in the share economy where resources are sold daily from person to person.

slept in an airbnb. that's 22% more than hilton hotels. uber gets more business travelers than taxis. and over the next ten years, the share economy will be worth an estimated $335 billion. 22 times what it's worth now. buck mason's profits have soared over the past year. eric and cohen even built a physical store 20 feet from the apartment that helped make it all possible. >> i had to sleep on somebody's couch so that i could -- which gave me an opportunity to own my own business, you know? i'd take that every day. i mean, that's a no-brainer. >> still less than 20% of americans have participated in the new sharing economy, but it's growing fastest with adults under 45 who are rethinking the value of ownership. anthony mason, cbs news, new york. >> boy, i wish i had that idea. airbnb.

oakland raiders hold on for what could be the final football matchup in the northern california city? we'll show you the highlights ahead. aspartame free diet pepsi. just one sip [ahh] and you're in love. the flu virus. it's a really big deal. and with fever, aches, and chills, mom knows it needs a big solution: an antiviral. don't kid around with the flu, call your doctor within the first 48 hours of symptoms and ask about prescription tamiflu. attack the flu virus at its source with tamiflu, an antiviral that helps stop it from spreading in the body.

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taking a look at sports now, in what may have been their last game in oakland the raiders held on for an overtime win against the san diego chargers. sebastian janikowski kicked a 31-yard field goal, and the raiders got a defensive stop to steal the 23-20 win. the raiders are one of three nfl teams expected to apply for the right to move to los angeles. even though those protesters don't want them to go. the nba and an anti-gun violence group will unveil new public service announcements today. some of the nba's biggest stars appear in the commercials which are sure to court some controversy. juliana goldman reports. >> my parents just always said bullet don't have a name on it. >> we can all make a difference. >> reporter: the ad campaign features nba stars carmelo anthony, joakim noah, chris paul and stephen curry, speaking in very personal terms about gun violence. >> i heard about a shooting involving a 3-year-old girl over

my daughter, riley's, that age. >> reporter: while riley curry has stolen the show from the nba mvp, the public service announcement also features people who don't often grab headlines, victims of gun violence. >> in the united states, 88 people die of gun violence every day. >> reporter: the campaign was directed by spike lee and paid for by every town for gun safety, a group founded by former new york city mayor, michael bloomberg, to push back against the national rifle association. >> it's heartbreaking. >> reporter: gun control is never directly mentioned, but the ad marks the nba's entry into the polarizing debate over guns, a first for a professional sports league and largely led by the players who are increasingly using their celebrity to draw attention to community violence. >> a gun should never be an option. >> reporter: like anthony, seen here marching with protesters in his hometown of baltimore last april following the death of freddie gray who suffered a spinal injury while in police custody. >> i've seen so many of my

lose their life to gun violence. one day they're here. one day they're not due to gun violence, due to violence, period. and now i'm in a situation where my voice can be heard. >> reporter: juliana goldman, cbs news, washington. >> interesting concept. a reprieve for actor robert downey jr. once again step into a voting that's ahead on the "cbs morning news." here's a little healthy advice. eat well, live well, and take of what makes you, you. right down to your skin with aveeno aveeno daily moisturizing lotion with the goodness of active naturals oat and 5 vital nutrients for healthier looking skin in just one day. healthy skin equals beautiful skin. and for shower softness, add the body wash, too! aveeno naturally beautiful results when cigarette cravings hit, all i can think about is getting relief. only nicorette mini has a patented fast-dissolving formula.

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hillary clinton has proposed real things that could help us. i'm hillary clinton, and i approve this message. here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. here's another look at this morning's top stories. violent christmas eve weather rolled through the country yesterday. at least 14 people have died

south. and two rare tornadoes touched down in northern california. toppling trees and power lines. christians around the world today are celebrating christmas. the faithful packed the nativity church in bethlehem to celebrate midnight mass. the city's manger square is decked out in lights for religious pilgrims. beautiful. actor robert downey jr. is among the 91 people pardoned by california governor jerry brown. downey spent nearly a year in prison in 1999 over a probation violation following his felony drug possession conviction. the pardon does not erase his conviction, though it restores his voting rights. the post office delivered countless letters to santa, and many of them wound up in north pole, alaska. santa's house in north pole welcomed visitors from as far away as costa rica yesterday. behind the house is a workshop where many letters are written to the jolly old man are kept.

letters. you know, you will see a lot that will say dear santa, please leave presents and take my brother. >> take my brother, oh, boy. the letters ask for toys and clothes while others had heartbreaking messages. some ask santa for a place to live. one boy asked him to take care of his mother. very sweet. hundreds of santas took in a day at the beach as part of the world's largest surfing santa event. i love this. people dressed as santa rode the waves for charities yesterday in cocoa beach, florida. not everyone had a surfboard, though. not everyone could get up on the surfboard either. check that out. some parachuted in, dressed in their christmas best. got to love it. coming up after yor local news on "cbs this morning," kennedy center honoree rita moreno on her difficult path to stardom. i'm jamie yuccas.

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some california residents. they're splitting a tax refund of more than $3 million. erin cerdan received a nearly $28,000 check yesterday from santa clara county. tax assessors had not classified her home as low income, so she was overcharged for more than a decade. she and her husband nearly lost their home as they struggled to make ends meet. more than 200 other homeowners will also get refunds for being overtaxed. that's a nice christmas present. you would think a book that puts readers to sleep would be destined for the bargain bin. instead, it's on amazon's best-seller list. vinita nair shows us why it's a huge success. >> oh, no, we'll have to start all over! >> reporter: like most 2-year-olds, hudson cowen is not a big fan of naptime. >> that is one of the biggest issues for parents is how do i get the child to go to sleep?

bailey gaddis, is eager to try a book that promises to soothe a child into slumber. >> i'm going to tell you a story that can make you feel very sleepy. >> reporter: it's called "the rabbit who wants to fall asleep." the yawns are written into the story. the characters have names like the heavy-eyed owl and the sleepy snail. there are even notes for when you should read slowly. >> allow yourself to fall asleep. >> reporter: it worked on hudson. it's worked on so many kids that it's become an amazon best-seller in the u.s. and five other countries. that is rare for any book, let alone one that started out self-published with illustrations drawn by a friend. swedish author and behavioral scientist carl johan erlin says he came up with the idea watching his mom sleep in the car. >> i woke her up and i told her, i've got this great idea. we've got to write this down. we started to put paper everywhere. >> reporter: how did you test it? >> i went to preschools and

had this group naptime, and they did for a week. they were pretty amazed. >> reporter: now, some people can fall asleep right away. i was curious if it would work on my own son. very tired now. it didn't happen immediately, but when i read it the second time, he fell asleep. but it doesn't work on every child. a quarter of the amazon reviews are just one star. "big fat freaking fail," writes one parent. "my 2-year-old hates this book and begs me not to read it," writes another. and it goes against the advice of many sleep experts who say kids need to learn to fall asleep on their own. but gaddis says it's been a life-saver for her family. >> it's really effective in putting him to sleep. >> reporter: and isn't that the dream of every parent? vinita nair, cbs news, new york. >> i need to get one of those books for me. coming up after your local news on "cbs this morning," bishop t.j. jakes reflects on the decline of the number of

we talk with trail blazing actress rita moreno as she receives a kennedy center honor, plus celebrating 20 years of pixar movies. that's "the cbs morning news" for this friday. thanks for watching. i'm jamie yuccas. have a great day.

have a great day. right now on cbs 2 this morning...where the main focus will be today as the southern u.s. continues to deal with