a marketing manager from chicago, illinois... and our returning champion, an accountant from port st. lucie, florida... whose 1-day cash winnings total... and now here is the host of "jeopardy!" -- alex trebek! [ applause ] thank you, johnny. happy holidays, everyone. well, camille didn't win a lot of money yesterday. but that's okay. she's back here today to play again. and she could win a lot more. it all depends, of course, on how well erik and johnny, the newcomers, perform. we won't know until we play the game. so let's start the game, shall we? here comes jeopardy! for you. and the categories are as follows...

and... camille. tough food category for $400, please. camille. what is liver? liver, right. tough food for $600. erik. what is... oh. ah, lost it. oh, darn it. johnny. what is okra? okra, right. i'll take aviation for $200. erik. what's a cockpit? yep.

erik. what is jerky? jerky, that's the word. let's do tough food for $800. johnny. what is calamari? right. uh, let's go back to aviation for $400. camille. what's a parachute? parachute, yes. tough food for $1,000. camille. what is tripe? tripe for $1,000. good. um, literary characters for $600, please. johnny. what is "a room with a view"? that's what she wants from her hotel.

johnny. what is "fahrenheit 451"? right again. literary characters, $400. johnny. what is "three sisters"? right. literary characters, $800. [ beep ] last name was paradise. sal paradise. the beat generation. back to you, johnny. literary characters, $1,000. johnny. who's zorba? zorba the greek. good. okay, let's try, uh, boxer briefs for $200. hey, put 'em up. he was a lad of 12 when he struck up the pose seen here.

who's muhammad ali? right. uh, sewing for $600, please. camille. what's a zipper? zipper. that's the way to do it. sewing for $800, please. erik. what's a bobbin? bobbin is right. and with that correct response, you get yourself out of the hole. nicely done. we'll relax for a few moments, however, while the folks at home get to enjoy these messages.

yesterday on the program, we had a contestant who, uh, raised money for charity by walking 60 miles in 3 days. johnny saunders, you once walked 50 miles in one day. was that for a charitable event? no, i just did it for fun. and how old were you at the time, and were you alone doing it? i was 25 years old

why? uh, just a challenge. you know, like climbing mount everest. because it was there. i thought i could do it and i did. good for you. erik johns is a marketing manager from chicago, illinois. he used to have a great job. used to be paid for... uh, drinking and writing about beer. [ laughter ] well, beer has gotten huge in america right now. oh, yeah. yep. it's on an upswing. i mean, we have major corporations buying small breweries... mm-hmm. and paying a lot of money for them. how -- how did this change come about and why? i think it's just people want more variety. and, you know, there's good local operations out there. and thankfully, i had an editor who was willing to let me, uh, buy six-packs of beer on the company dime and tell people all about 'em. so i was a little bit responsible for it. i'll take credit for it. okay, good for you. camille hooper is an accountant. she is our champion. and she has an autograph collection

tell us about a few of the ones you have, and which was the most difficult to get. um, i have, um, whoopi goldberg's autograph, leonard nimoy, jane fonda, uh, the bee gees. um, i'd say probably the most interesting one was the bee gees that i, uh, got through, um, my father's employer at the time who happened to know them, and it was at the very height of their popularity. and i got all three of their autographs on one picture. oh, well, that's great. that's wonderful. yeah. getting them together at the same time. erik, you're in command of the board. please, make a selection and we'll go on. all right, let's do boxer briefs for $400. erik. who is mike tyson? yes. uh, boxer briefs, $600. johnny. who is george foreman? yes. boxer briefs, $800. erik.

oscar de la hoya? he is the one. yes. let's do boxer briefs for $1,000. erik. who is mayweather? floyd mayweather. uh, let's do definitions for $200. johnny. what is a corpse? no. erik. what's a zombie? a zombie. that's it. uh, let's stay with definitions for $400. johnny. what is underclassman? good. random house, $600. erik. what is kareem? kareem. good. definitions, $800.

what's a tassel? tassel, that's the word. random house definitions for $1,000, please. camille. what is ibid? ibid, yes. sewing for $1,000, please. camille. what's a pattern? pattern. less than a minute now to go. aviation for $600, please. johnny. what is heathrow? heathrow, correct. aviation, $800. answer there -- daily double. you're a shade off the lead, johnny. [ applause ] it's a good game. you trail by $400. uh, i'll just bet $1,000.

uh, what is kitty hawk? no. what is dayton, ohio? [ beep beep beep ] home of the wright brothers. you picked the place of their first flight. but you're in second place, which means that erik is the one who gets to go first in the double jeopardy! round. we'll set the board up during this break. [ applause ] closed captioning sponsored in part by... gotta love it when all three players get off to a good start. and that's the case today. but erik is the one who makes the first selection from these double jeopardy! categories...

in... ...we made the books up. then you go from... ...in quotation marks to... not in quotation marks. erik, where do you start? let's do geo-pardy, $400. erik. what is addis ababa? yes. geo-pardy, $800. [ beep ] part of norway. erik. uh, geo-pardy, $1,200. erik. what are the... oh. sorry. oh, it's not coming to you. camille. what's the gal*pagos? no. johnny. what are the falklands? the falkland islands. that's it. let's, uh, geo-pardy for $1,600. answer...

coming up with that correct response. you have the lead now. [ applause ] any or all of your $5,200. i'll just do another $1,000. okay, here is the clue for you... what is georgia? georgia, correct. [ applause ] go again. geo-pardy, $2,000. camille. what's china? no. erik or johnny? [ beep ] the country is thailand. we go somewhere else now, johnny. what a succession! -- $400. johnny. what is the incan empire?

what a succession! -- $800. johnny. uh, who is octavian? octavian or augustus, yes. okay. succession! -- $1,200. answer -- the other daily double. [ exhales, chuckles ] [ applause ] you're in the lead with $7,400. i'll try $2,000. $2,000 this time. all right. here is the clue... what is spain? spain, yes. $9,400 now your total. [ applause ] keep it going. what a succession! -- $1,600. camille.

riches for $1,200, please. erik. what's a learjet? yes. uh, let's do riches for $400. camille. what is polo? polo, right you are. riches for $1,600, please. erik. what is hedging? hedge, yes. uh, let's do riches, $800. johnny. what is rolex? rolex, that's the brand. riches, $2,000.

and that would be the ch teau lafite rothschild. back to you, johnny. "rag"s for $400. erik. what is ragtime? ragtime, right. uh, let's do playing reel people for $400. camille. who is ed wood? ed wood is the man. reel people, $2,000, please. in a 2005 movie, gretchen mol played "the notorious" this sex symbol. erik. who is bettie page? yes. uh, reel people, $800. [ beep ] the pilot is francis gary powers. remember the u2 incident. erik, back to you. uh, reel people, $1,200.

who's anthony...hopkins? anthony...hopkins is right. [ laughs ] reel people for $1,600, please. [ beep ] celebrated actor jack nicholson. let's go somewhere else now, camille. "rag"s for $1,600, please. johnny. what is ragnarok? that's it. uh, "rag"s, $800. erik. what's a ragtop? with a minute to go, you're right. uh, "rag"s, $1,200. johnny. what is ragweed? good. "rag"s, $2,000. this style of sleeve is named

erik. what is raglan? raglan, right you are. uh, let's do book animals for $400. erik. what is the westminster dog show? right. uh, book animals, $800. camille. what's a worm? worm is right. failed book animals, $2,000. erik. what are...what is cellulose? no. [ beep ] the ink mimics pheromones. back to camille -- [ beep beep beep ] and we won't get to those last three clues. but we have quite a game. johnny's still in the lead with $13,000. camille at $6,600. and here comes final jeopardy! --

and we'll have a good clue for you and them in a moment. you can't miss the sears new year's mattress closeout event. come in today and save up to 60% on top brand mattresses. and get a $100 award card on select purchases. plus special financing and free delivery are available on qualifying models. save big this year end at sears! why is philips sonicare the most loved electric toothbrush brand by americans and their dentists? because it leaves your mouth with a level of clean like you've never felt before. get healthier gums in 2 weeks. innovation and you. philips sonicare now more than ever america's electricity comes from cleaner- burning natural gas. and no one produces more of it than exxonmobil. helping dramatically reduce u.s. emissions.

isn't as simple as just flipping a switch.

sounds like a tough category, doesn't it? german scientists. let's find out. here's the clue, players... 30 seconds. good luck. there were some choices available for you here.

camille, we come to you first. you had $6,600. you were in third place. you wrote down, "who is copernicus?" and that is an incorrect choice. so it'll cost you how much? $1,001. you drop down to $5,599. let's go to the middle. erik johns struggled with this, i believe. and was he able to write down anything? no. and it'll cost him how much? everything. he loses all $9,200. as we come to johnny saunders. he was leading with $13,000. and the name he selected was kepler. johannes kepler is correct. and you will add how much money to your total? nothing. so you become the new champion with $13,000. way to go. [ chuckles ] and speaking of going, that's what we will do right now, only to return in 23 1/2 hours. see you then.

d to a $350 a night apartment in a more discrete location. officials say ethan couch had a going away party of sorts before fleeing town with his mother. during the three-week chase federal and state investigators followed dozens of sightings. some of which were false, and a tip that the mother and son had driven this pickup truck to the mexican border. >> christmas eve is about the time that i think the really concrete information came in. the problem with it was, as you can imagine, a tremendous amount of tourists at christmastime. >> reporter: their search led mexican authorities helping with the investigation to this apartment complex. according to reports, couch and his mother moved here after first staying at a resort. a picture reveals that he had dyed his blonde hair black.

month, shortly after this video was posted to twitter. it appears to show him at a party with drinking, possibly violating his ten-year probation. in 2013, when couch was 16, he killed four people and paralyzed another in a drunk driving crash. during the trial, his defense argued that he suffered from affluenza, a controversial condition of his privileged, wealthy upbringing that failed to teach him responsibility. todd clement is an attorney families. >> there's no question that ethan couch was raised in a way where he was taught to avoid responsibility, that he was taught that the rules don't apply to him and his family. i think now that we're seeing that indeed they do apply. millions of americans are bracing for a tragic new year as rain and swollen rivers threaten the midwest. which is poised to crest at or above record levels.

about a foot of rain and led to the deaths of at least two dozen people in missouri, arkansas, oklahoma. several towns have been evacuated. anna werner is in texas. >> reporter: the water has surrounded west alton, missouri, where residents were told tuesday it's time to leave. >> we emptied our basement out of anything important. we cleaned out the house of clothes. >> reporter: as the mississippi river threatens st. louis county, it took teamwork to fill 20,000 sandbags. officials pleaded for help and the community responded. >> just like the movie "field of dreams." if you build it, they'll come. >> reporter: the army corps of engineers is monitoring 19 vulnerable levees on the rising mississippi river and tributaries. in the shadow of the gateway arch during the city's wettest year, the mighty mississippi is expected to crest at over 43 feet, close to its second highest level ever. missouri governor jay nixon --

locations are predicted to exceed the historic crest during the great flood of 1993. >> reporter: this was hannibal, missouri, in july 1993 when the river crested 22 feet above flood stage. nine states saw flooding, 50 people died. nearly 150 major rivers and tributaries before affected. and the flood waters caused a spectacle. >> i drove in from kansas just just to come over here and look at this. >> reporter: after flooding pushed untreated sewage into rivers and streams, residents of high ridge, missouri fortified their treatment plant to keep the flood out of the drinking

the "cbs overnight news" i did everything i could to make her party perfect. almost everything. you know, 1 i n 10 houses could get hit by

rid-x helps break down waste. avoid a septic disaster with rid-x. man (sternly): where do you think you're going? mr. mucus: to work, with you. it's taco tuesday. man: you're not coming. i took mucinex to help get rid of my mucusy congestion. i'm good all day. [announcer:] mucinex keeps working. not 4, not 6, but 12 hours. let's end this the flooding in the midwest along with heavy snowfall in the pacific northwest and record high temperatures in the northeast are all being attributed to the weather phenomena known as el nino.

nino and what comes next. >> reporter: last christmas, buffalo looked like the north pole. this year, santa wore shorts. a few flakes finally fell last week, smashing a 116-year record for the longest streak with no snow. >> ho, ho, ho. >> reporter: in cities up and down the east coast, christmas eve was the warmest ever. it felt like summer in the big apple, with temperatures in the 70s. >> where's the nearest beach? >> oh, this is awesome. being able to see 70-degree weather in new york city on christmas eve, it's something cool to experience. >> one of many record highs to be set. >> here in oregon, record-shattering rain. >> reporter: this month's wacky warm weather has broken more than a thousand records from coast to coast. >> this december has been exceptional for a lot of areas

you look into the northwest where the rain and snow has been nonstop. the northeast, upper midwest, mid-atlantic, winter completely on pause and temperatures that are so far above average, they'll be smashing records before we're done. >> eric, what's in store? >> reporter: eric fisher is chief meteorologist for cbs station wbz tv in boston. >> to me this is the most staggering thing. in the boston area, we'll see the coldest winter month ever recorded and the warmest winter month ever recorded in the same year in 144 years of records. >> reporter: take a look. essentially the nation's weather map is divided in half. in many eastern cities, temperatures are as high as 30 degrees above normal. out west, it's colder and wetter than it's been in years. two weeks ago, dangerous floods in oregon swallowed homes and prompted terrifying rescue missions. scientists say what's behind this weather madness, in part,

you've heard its name -- el nino. >> el nino is about a year-long warming that takes place along the equator in the eastern half ofofhe tropical pacific. it's related to changes in the trade winds. they are weaker when that ocean warms up, and this is from the coast of south america all the way out to the middle of the pacific ocean. >> reporter: nate mantua is a climate scientist with the national oceanic and atmospheric administration in santa cruz, california. this rain, when is the last time you saw this rain? >> you know, we've had very little of this in the last four years. >> reporter: four years? he's been studying the effects of el nino for 30 years. every four to seven years, he says those pacific trade winds weaken. >> and when that happens, there's a massive shift in rainfall patterns in the tropics. so wet places tend to be really

getting lots of rainfall. >> reporter: and this el nino, how significant or intense is it? >> the current el nino is among the three strongest since 1950, at least. >> reporter: so strong, the effects of this el nino can be seen on every weather forecaster's radar the world over. >> this warm pattern, which is not only at the surface as we're showing here, is over the pacific ocean and provides a tremendous amount of heat capacity to drive the whole circulation pattern, not only across the united states, but around the globe. >> reporter: howi >> reporter: louie is the director of the national weather service. he says el nino causes the temperature of the pacific ocean to increase up to ten degrees and triggers a ripple effect across the globe. so simplistically, wetter than usual over here, warmer than usual over here. >> yes. wetter than normal in here.

pattern develop, we should see a more active storm track along the south. so wetter and warmer up in this area here. >> reporter: as if right on cue, over the last five days, killer tornados swept across the south, killing more than 20 people from texas to tennessee. the house is gone? >> yes. >> reporter: what are you going to do? >> i'm going to try to rebuild. >> here? >> uh-huh. >> reporter: what to you is woreysome about all this? >> there are parts of the globe that are impacted by el nino that do suffer from those impacts. increased drying in brazil and indonesia with the possibility of forest fires. increased precipitation over africa, central africa to east africa, which lends itself to the increased likelihood of disease outbreaks like malaria and dengue fever. >> reporter: but can these

blamed on climate change? scientists say not so fast. >> maybe it adds a couple more warmer days or makes the warmest temperatures a little warmer. i don't think you can say just because it's a warming world - we're seeing a record warm december. we might be enhancing the pattern by a little bit. >> reporter: in calirnia, oceans that were already warming are getting even hotter. and that has created a crisis for the creatures who live in it. >> 2015 has been one for the record books. typically, we rescue 60, 100 animals. we're almost to 1800. >> reporter: shawn johnson directs the marine mammal center here. he says in the past two years, 90% of california's sea lion and first seal pups have died. give me a sense of what is going on out in their natural habitats that has brought about this

>> because this water is so warm, it's pushed all the feeder fish, the foraging fish for the mothers further out to sea, deeper out in the water. what it's come down to is all the animals have a lack of food. there's not enough food in this area for them right now. >> reporter: relief will come eventually. because historically, el nino is followed by la nina, characterized by cooler ocean temperatures. but at least for the next few months, the world will continue to feel el nino's effects, both on land and in the ocean. did you know there's a cough liquid that lasts for twelve hours? try delsym twelve hour cough liquid. its advanced formula releases powerful medicine that acts fast while its extended release medicine lasts for 12 hours. try delsym . olay regenerist renews from within, plumping surface cells for a dramatic transformation

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on the campaign trail, donald trump continues to lead the pack in the race for the gop presidential nom -- nomination. and so far, the billionaire has been doing it without spending a lot of his own money. that's all about to change. major garrett has the story. >> reporter: donald trump played squire aboard his private jet, inviting reporters for an on board press conference, but reminding them not to scratch anything. trump promised to spend $2 million a week on campaign ads over the next month. meanwhile, republicans running far behind trump ignored the front-runner and started attacking each other. >> madame president, can you imagine? oh, oh. believe me, women -- if it's got to be a woman, which i'm all in favor of some day, it shouldn't be hillary. >> reporter: at a rally in iowa

most of his barbs at hillary clinton, but made a noteworthy pitch to evangelical christians, who made up more than half of the gop caucus turnout in 2012. >> to the best of my knowledge, not too many evangelicals come out of cuba. just remember that. just remember. in all fairness, here we are. >> reporter: senators marco rubio and ted cruz, both of cuban descent, are trump's closest competitors in iowa. aboard his personal jet earlier -- >> try not to crash the woodwork, if possible. >> reporter: trump says he will soon hit the airwaves. because he doesn't want to risk losing momentum. >> i'll be spending a minimum of $2 million a week, big ads in iowa, new hampshire, south carolina. >> reporter: republicans vying to become the main stream alternative to trump battled each other. the superpac supporting jeb bush denounced rubio's senate absenteeism. >> rubio has missed important national security hearings and

other senator. >> reporter: rubio pointed to millions already wasted by bush backers. >> millions of spending and not change his fortunes. he's become increasingly negative in his attacks. this is not new. >> reporter: another ad criticized chris christie and john kasich for expanding obamacare in their states. >> which governor led the fight to stop obamacare expansion in his state? >> reporter: chris christie joined the jousting, questioning his rival's qualifications. >> we do not want another president who sits in the chair in the oval office on the first day and spins around and says, gee whiz, isn't it great i'm president? >> reporter: former new york governor george pataki quit the gop race yesterday, reducing the field of remaining republican candidates to 12. pataki registered 1% in some iowa polls and rarely made a ripple in the undercard televised debates. >> the presidential field stands at 15, three democrats and a dozen republicans. and as they scramble for

been making some outrageous statements. fact checkers are having a field day. jan crawford reports. >> read my lips, no new taxes. >> if you like your plan, keep your plan. >> reporter: in presidential politics, the whoppers can be legendary. >> i did not have sexual relations with that woman. >> those people got to know whether or not their president is a crook. well, i'm not a crook. >> reporter: in this year's presidential campaign, the fact checkers say one candidate has achieved truth bending royalty. >> this is the first time we have named someone the king of whoppers. >> reporter: donald trump earned that crown, says eugene kylie of factcheck.org with the biggest whopper of 2015. >> and i watched in jersey city, new jersey, where thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down.

celebrating. but that wasn't the only trump tall tale of the year. >> he's certainly keeping us busy. it is the worst we've seen in the 12 years we've been doing this. >> you know, the president is thinking about signing an executive order where he wants to take your guns away. >> reporter: but in 2015, trump didn't have the whopper monopoly. >> that was a mistake, i'm sorry about that. i take responsibility. >> reporter: democratic front-runner hillary clinton had her share. most notably her attempts to explain why she had a private e-mail server. >> i saw it as a matter of convenience, and it was allowed. others had done it. >> none of them had a private server. >> reporter: and then she told a whopper about the king of whoppers. >> he's becoming isis' best recruiter. they are going to people, showing videos of donald trump insulting islam and muslims in order to recruit more radical jihadists. >> reporter: trump wasn't alone

so did the fact checkers. republican contender ted cruz got dinged for dising fellow candidate marco rubio on immigration. >> one of the most troubling aspects of the gang of eight bill is it gave president obama blanket authority to admit refugees, including syrian refugees. >> that's simply not true. >> reporter: and bernie sanders linked climate change to terrorism. >> climate change is directly related to the growth of terrorism. this is what the cia says. >> reporter: with so many

clock. it won't be long now before a million people start pouring into the crossroads of the world, new york city's times square. it's the biggest new year's eve party in the world and requires a massive security operation to keep things safe. don dahler is in times square where the nypd unveiled its

>> reporter: the new york police department began preparations for this year's new year's eve. when the last piece of confetti fell last year, with the threat of global terrorism looming, security is more intense than ever before. some measures you can see. some measures you can't. when the clock strikes 12 this new year's eve, the new york police department wants times square to be the most secure place in the world. >> we are very, very confident that new year's eve in new york city will be the safest place in the world to be. >> reporter: roughly 6,000 police officers will guard the heart of manhattan. hundreds of police officers with long guns, radiation detectors and bomb sniffing dogs.

also be on patrol. at a new operation center in manhattan, officers will monitor thousands of camera feeds. this year, the nypd set up a specialized counterterrorism unit with more than 500 highly trained cops. officials say there are no credible threats to new york city, but deadly attacks in paris and san bernardino have raised the level of fear. >> we are aware that the threat picture has changed because of isis. that's why we have enlarged our capabilities here in the city with these additional units. >> reporter: spectators will not be allowed to bring in large bags, backpacks nor alcohol. the nypd issued some 20,000 smartphones to officers so that they could have quicker response and share information about any potential threats. that's the "overnight news" for this new year's eve, thursday. for some of you the news continues. for others, check back with us a little later for the morning news and "cbs this morning." from the broadcast center here in new york city, i'm demarco

criminal charges against a man once known as "america's dad." bill cosby, accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman. >> the reaction of the victim-- frozen, paralyzed, unable to move.

effort to hold back rising rivers in missouri. donald trump keeps firing at hillary and bill clinton. and two kids, one big idea-- helping thousands go to college. >> what you give out to the world you get back 10 times, you know, fold. this is the "cbs overnight news." >> scott pelley is off tonight. i'm jim axelrod. dozens of women have accused bill cosby of sexually assaulting them, but today for the first time, the comedian, actor, and longtime moral crusader was charged criminally, a felony count of aggravated indecent assault, just days before the statute of limitations was due to run out. if convicted, cosby, who is 78 years old, could face five to 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine. tonight, he's free on $1 million bail. jericka duncan reports from suburban philadelphia.

anything? >> reporter: this afternoon, attorneys for comedian bill cosby walked him into this small courthouse in elkins park, pennsylvania, to hear the criminal sexual assault charges against him. his accuser is andrea constand, a former temple university employee who first told police about the alleged incident over a decade ago. constand says in the winter of 2004, she went to cosby's house for career advice. cosby offered, and she took, three blue pills and wine to relax. in the criminal complaint released today, she told police within a half hour, she experienced, "blurred vision and difficulty speaking." her legs felt rubbery, like jelly, and she had no sense of time. she says though she was unable to move or speak, she felt cosby fondle her breasts and vagina, and woke up about 4:00 the next morning, still in his home.

>> the victim came to consider mr. cosby her mentor and her friend. today, after examination of all the evidence, we are able to seek justice on behalf of the victim. >> reporter: when cosby was questioned by police back in 2005, he admitted the two had sexual contact but said he had given constand the allergy pill benadryl and that the contact was consensual. at the time, the district attorney announced no criminal charges, citing lack of evidence. but investigators reopened her case this past summer after a judge unsealed portions of depositions from the civil suit constand filed in 2005, in which cosby admitted giving drugs to women. constand's attorney asked cosby, "when you got the quaaludes, was it in your mind that you were going to use these quaaludes for young women you wanted to have sex with?"

he later said he misunderstood the question. the civil suit was settled in 2006 for an undisclosed amount of money. in the past year, more than 50 women have accused cosby of sexual assault, many of whom posed for this cover story in "new york magazine's" july edition. victoria valentiono is one of the accusers. >> well, we were absolutely elated, vindicated, validated, and just elated. i can't-- i can't find a better word for it. >> mr. cosby, did you drug that woman? >> reporter: 78-year-old cosby was able to leave jail after posting 10% of his $1 million bail and giving up his passport. cosby didn't have anything t say when he left this courthouse, but ter this

a statement that reads in part: jim, cosby is expected to appear back in court for preliminary hearing on january 14. >> jericka, thank you. cosby's arraignment comes at the beginning of the criminal judicial process, not the end. but the idea of cosby charged with a sex crime would have been unfathomable a generation ago when he out-polled ronald reagan, billy graham, and pope john paul ii as america's most trusted and admired man. more than 30 million people tuned in each week to watch "the cosby show" in 1986. >> why, sir? >> the first african-american male lead in a tv drama, "i spy," in 1965. >> how much? >> hey, hey, hey! >> the creator of the beloved kid show "fat albert." i'm going to sing a song for you >> if you're in there, you sure are terrific. >> the pitch man who was madison

>> you mean it was. >> and a man who at one time held more than 50 honorary degrees. bill cosby is now center stage as the subject of a great american fall from grace. >> bill cosby never seemed like he was playing a character. he was this, you know, great husband. he was this wonderful family man. >> renee graham is a contributing opinion writer for the "boston globe." >> he was a finger-wagging moralist criticizing comedians who used profanity or young black men whose pants were too low. and you have this man who seems to represent this way to live and how to be a good citizen of the world, and meanwhile, you now have all these allegations, and on top of the allegations, you now have a charge of sexual assault. >> and you think that makes this more significant, actually makes this historic? >> i think it does. everyone knew bill cosby. and i think generally, everyone had a really positive opinion of bill cosby. so when you have someone who is thth high, the fall is going to be, you know, that much more devastating.

schools that gave cosby honorary degrees, at least a dozen have since rescinded them. there is breaking news tonight in calgary, canada. an air canada jet made an emergency landing after severe turbulence caused at least 20 injuries on board. fire officials say some passengers were taken off the plane by stretcher and taken to hospitals. the jet was bound from china to toronto when the problem occurred.

will be right back. another major story developing tonight, the historic flooding in the midwest. rivers are still rising in missouri and illinois. at least 21 people have been killed there.

the national guard called out. and the rivers are expected to crest near st. louis tomorrow or friday. anna werner is in fenton, missouri, tonight. anna? >> reporter: good evening, jim. and this is what many neighborhoods in the st. louis metro area look like tonight. some are even getting out the boats to use for transportation. floodwaters here are rising more than one inch per hour, and residents are desperately trying to save their homes or simply escape. the sterling estates subdivision in arnold, south of st. louis, sits in the spot where the overflowing meramec and mississippi rivers meet. as of this afternoon, half a dozen homes here had been lost, joining hundreds of others submerged in the st. louis area. and volunteers filled and stacked sandbags trying to save the rest. >> thanks. >> reporter: resident carla bryant helped organize the effort. >> there are homes, these are my

we've done everything we can, and we still can't beat it. >> reporter: december rains swelled rivers around st. louis and pushed water into nearby communities. the water was so high in this neighborhood, rescuers had to pluck a man and his dog off a rooftop. dozens of others were also rescued from stranded vehicles. officials issued evacuation orders for several communities, including valley park and west alton, on the banks of the mississippi, north of st. louis. in branson, the army corps of engineers opens the spillways at table rock dam in an effort to ease flooding along the white river. workers tried sandbags at the waste water treatment plant with little success. there was simply too much water. this plant in fenton, missouri, had to be closed, and that meant untreated sewage was flowing into local streams and into the meramec. that's the same river overflowing into carla bryant's

new year's is at the end of the week, so 2016's got to be better. >> reporter: right now, the meramec river is expected to rise another foot and a half to a record 47 feet. that crest is expected to occur some time tomorrow afternoon, jim. >> anna, thank you very much. there were long lines again today at the nation's airports. bad weather delayed more than 5,500 flights. more than 370 were canceled all together. today, a mexican judge granted ethan coach, the "affluenza kid," a three-day delay in his deportation. his mother was sent back to texas. couch and his mother were arrested in mexico on monday after he skipped a probation check-in and spent almost three weeks on the run. couch killed four people in 2013 while drunk driving, avoiding jail with the defense that his wealthy parents hadn't taught him right from wrong.p after a series of deadly police shootings, today, chicago

should only use guns as a last option. adriana diaz reports the mayor is revamping police training. >> reporter: rahm emanuel stepped before the cameras as a mayor under a spotlight, with a police department in crisis. >> ultimately, what we are doing is injecting some humanity into the work of our police department and the police officers. >> reporter: the mayor called the new policies a dramatic shift in police practices. he is doubling the number of tasers for officers to 1,400. increasing desk duty for police involved in shootings from three days to 30. and focusing on de-escalation training to reduce the number of police-involved shootings. tensions boiled over last month with the release of dash cam video showing officer jason van dyke killing 17-year-old laquan mcdonald in october 2014. protesters have taken to the streets, demanding the mayor resign. andy shaw, who heads the better government association, says

>> he's trying to save his reputation and his legacy, and he's also trying to save a city in crisis. >> reporter: one made worse by this weekend's fatal shooting of 55-year-old bettie jones. she was accidentally shot as officers opened fire on 19-year- old quintonio legrier during a domestic disturbance call. >> what about the taser? taser him down. don't start shooting people, innocent people! >> reporter: that's a problem the mayor hopes today's announcement will solve. >> there's a difference between whether someone can use a gun and when they should use a gun. and we as a city must train for that difference. >> reporter: on average, one person per week is shot by police in chicago. jim, this month, the justice department stepped in to investigate patterns in the police department's use of force. their initial report should be out in a year. >> adriana diaz covering for us tonight in chicago. thank you. four secret service agents were seriously hurt in a head-on collision in new hampshire last night. the driver of the other car was

the agents had been assigned to a hillary clinton campaign event. in the presidential campaign today, the republican front- runner kept on firing at the top democrat and her husband. here's major garrett. >> reporter: at a rally in south carolina, donald trump said he's ready for a woman president, just not hillary clinton. >> i love, love, love having a woman president. can't be her. she's horrible. >> reporter: accused by clinton of using sexist rhetoric, trump again brought up former president bill clinton's marital infidelities. >> and she wants to accuse me of things, and the husband's one of the great abusers of the world? give me a break. give me a break. [ applause ] >> reporter: trump invited reporters aboard his elegant private jet tuesday. >> try not to crash the woodwork if possible. >> reporter: to announce he would start spending $2 million a week on tv ads. >> we're going to be talking about a lot of things, including the border, including trade, including isis and security for the country.

a month before the first voting begins, republicans hoping to be the mainstream alternative to trump have turned on each other. the superpac supporting jeb bush attacked marco rubio for missing senate votes to campaign and fund-raise. >> politics first. that's the rubio way. >> reporter: chris christie joined in, saying rubio should have flown to washington to vote against the recently passed budget bill. >> the vote happened and that's my observation, and it's-- it's hardly an attack. if marco's that thin-skinned, he doesn't belong in this business. >> reporter: rubio said his fellow candidates are getting increasingly desperate. >> chris christie is a funny guy but he's never in new jersey. he's gone half the time. >> reporter: a recent c-span analysis shows rubio cast fewer votes than any senator running for president. and jim, bush pulled all tv ads in iowa and south carolina, and sent most of his national staff to those early voting states to help save his flagging campaign. >> major garrett, thank you very much.

final salute for a fallen hero. thousands of police officers and u.s. service members lined the streets near st. patrick's cathedral for air force national guardsman and nypd detective joseph lemm. he and five others were killed last week in a bombing near bagram airbase in afghanistan. lemm's four-year-old son wore his father's hat and saluted his dad. california's drought has we've got the high-tech pictures to prove it. and why so many seals and sea lions are in distress. the i did everything i could to make her party perfect. almost everything. you know, 1 i n 10 houses could get hit by an expensive septic disaster. but for only $7 a month, rid-x helps break down waste. avoid a septic disaster with rid-x. red 97! set! red 97! did you say 97? yes. you know, that reminds me of geico's

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some undeniable good news from the recent storms in the western u.s. the snow pack in the sierra nevada mountains is significantly above the average for this time of year. but that's not enough to reverse the damage from california's historic drought. as ben tracy reports, a staggering number of california's trees are dying. >> reporter: this high-tech flying laboratory has been soaring over california, measuring the impact of four years of drought. >> there's a lot of red on this screen. which is a sign that we're over an area that's in trouble. >> reporter: scientist greg asner says his team has made a startling discovery-- 888 million trees in california's forests have seen measurable

began. you're basically saying the drought has impacted nearly one billion trees in california. >> that's correct. >> reporter: they can be this precise because their plane is equipped with state-of-t-art lasers that scanned 15 acres of forest every second. it's like having x-ray vision that produces these first-of- their-kind 3d images of the health of every single tree in the forest. the red areas on this map show severely drought-stressed trees. blue areas are healthier. moisture is in each individual tree? >> yeah. the measurement is focused on how much water is in the foliage itself. it's like getting a blood test. indicators of the health of a tree. >> reporter: the u.s. forest million trees have already died. asner's team has determined that 58 million more are on the brink. these severely stressed trees, are they passed the point of no return or are they recoverable?

stressed tree is going to absolutely succumb and be gone or if it's going to bounce back over time. >> reporter: the hope is that el nino-fueled storms will bring much-needed rain. in the meantime, these new maps will help the forest service know which areas are most vulnerable and wildfire officials know where the greatest risks are. ben tracy, cbs news, sacramento. >> the white house is sharing

that's coming up. the north pole is famous for extreme temperatures, but not these kind of extremes. 34 degrees today in north pole, new york, and 41 in north pole, alaska. even at the real north pole it was 33 degrees. that is 50 degrees above normal and the first time it's been above freezing in december in 13 years. off california, the warm waters fish that seals and sea lions

at least 4,200 starving sea lions have washed ashore this year and the situation is expected to get worse this winter as ocean temperatures rise. today, the white house released the gallery of president obama's year in pictures. among the chief photographer's favorite shots, this snuggle with the first lady. the father-daughter chat where malia tells dad he's got something on his face. the selfie two brothers will never forget. a bride and groom greeting an unexpected guest at their wedding. and the one where jerry seinfeld

two kids may have figured out we end tonight with a salute to a pair of determined young ladies. chip reid tells us they've been saluting american heroes and their families for years. >> reporter: 10 years ago, rachel okun, then 10, and her sister, kelsi, who was eight, told their parents they had a big idea. they wanted to say thank you to the troops in iraq and afghanistan by offering scholarships to their spouses and children. with some parental assistance, the precocious girls created their own charity called t.h.a.n.k.s. usa, and soon they were online asking for money. in 2009, when cbs news paid a visit, t.h.a.n.k.s. usa had raised a stunning $5 million. >> i've been able to see that really any person can make a difference, and what you give out to the world you get back 10 times, you know, fold. >> reporter: now, rachelle is in college, kelsi is a high school

still going strong. how much money have you raised so far? >> we just cleared the $10 million mark. >> reporter: $10 million. >> yeah. >> reporter: yes, $10.3 million from an idea that began in a dinner table conversation. the money is raised through individual and corporate donations, golf and tennis tournaments, and an annual treasure hunt. so far, t.h.a.n.k.s. usa has given military family members more than 3,400 scholarships of $3,000 each. what do you think about that organization? >> i love it. >> reporter: with the help of t.h.a.n.k.s. usa, kelly estep will soon get her bachelor's degree and then plans to get a masters in social work. her husband was killed in iraq in 2005. >> from my experience, i want to flip that into something positive and give back to the military and be there for other families that lose a loved one, son or daughter, husband, you know, wife. >> reporter: it's a story of

ago with two young girls. >> you can change the world. >> one heart at a time. >> reporter: and a message that's as true today as it was then. chip reid, cbs news, mclean, virginia. and that's the "overnight news" for this thursday. 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 york city, i'm jim axelrod. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com captioning funded by cbs captioning funded by cbs it's thursday, december 31st, 2015.

bill cosby released on a million dollars bail after he is charged in a decade-old sex crime. cosby's attorneys say he will be exonerated. floodwaters overrun communities in missouri, the mississippi has spilled over nine federal levees in the st. say the dire conditions are likely to get worse. and a rough ride for some air canada passengers. 21 were injured when their flight from shanghai to toronto hit severe turbulence. good morning from the studio 57 newsroom at cbs news headquarters here in new york. good to be with you. i'm anne-marie green. comedian bill cosby is free on bail this morning. the once renowned tv dad was with sexual assault. dozens of women have come forward this year accusing the

his lawyers expect cosby to be fully exonerated. kenneth craig reports. >> reporter: bill cosby made no comment and leaned on his lawyers as he was arrested in elkins park, pennsylvania. the comedian is free on $1 million bail charged with aggravated and sexual assault. cosby is accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a former temple university employee andrea constand nearly 12 years ago. >> paralyzed, unable to move. a person in that state cannot give consent. >> reporter: the decision to charge cosby comes just days before the statute of limitations would have run out. prosecutors said evidence from a 2005 unsealed over the summer. in it, cosby admitted to giving women drugs. more than 50 women have come forward accusing cosby of sexual assault, including

>> well, we were absolutely elated. vindicated vindicated, validated. >> reporter: cosby was ordered to surrender his passport. when a judge said good luck to you, sir, cosby shouted back, thank you. his lawyers released a statement saying, make no mistake, we intend to mount a vigorous defense against this unjustified charge and we expect that mr. cosby will be exonerated. >> this will be the fulfillment of a campaign promise as something opposed to something just in. we are 12 years after an alleged assault. >> reporter: if convict, cosby faces five to ten years in prison and a 25eds $25,000 fine. kenneth craig, elkins park, pennsylvania. coming up on "cbs this morning," we will speak with bill cosby's attorney monique presley. parts of the midwest are swamped in deadly floodwaters.

flooding is blamed for at least 20 deaths. marlie hall has more. >> reporter: rising floodwaters rushed over homes and roads and businesses in missouri on wednesday. trapped on top of his pickup truck. >> if we could say anything over and over and over, it would be don't drive into water. >> reporter: at least a half st. louis where the merrimack and mississippi rivers meet. karla bryant organized residents to save as many homes as possible. >> these are my neighbors. we have done everything we can and we still can't beat it. >> reporter: in valley park, volunteers tried to protect this business, which is only a block away from a levee. >> the levee behind us was only like a foot to go and then just going to be some flooding. >> reporter: sandbags are often no match for raging rivers.

hour in some communities. nearly 20 levees along the mississippi river and its tributaries could fail. mandatory evacuation orders are in place for numerous communities, but some residents would rather stay. >> tomorrow is another day. new year's at the end of the week, so 2016 has to be better. >> reporter: the mississippi is climbing and expected to reach almost 15 feet above flood stage. marlie hall, cbs news, valley park, missouri. the mother of the so-called affluenza teenager arrived in los angeles overnight. ethan couch is still detained in mexico after a judge delayed his deportation. authorities believe couch and his mother fled to avoid facing the teen's possible probation violation. it comes as no surprise to law enforcement. >> i expect no less. they will fight every step of the way. i know they are not suddenly turning over a new leaf and say

that's not how they have lived. >> couch received ten years of probation for a deadly drunken driving crash. attorneys argued his privileged upbringing spurred poor decision making. the man who allegedly supplied the guns used in the san bernardino massacre now faces conspiracy charges. a grand jury excited -- indicted enrique marquez yesterday. he lied about buying the assault rifles and planning prior attacks that were never executed. marquez cooperated are authorities in the days after the shooting. terrifying moments for passengers on an air canada flight. it made an emergency landing on wednesday after experiencing severe turbulence. nearly two dozen people went to the hospital. chris martinez has reaction from passengers. >> reporter: injured passengers were rushed out of calgary international airport on stretchers on wednesday.

shanghai to toronto experienced passengers to the hospital, including three children. >> honestly, we thought we were dying. like you see in the movies where they all go up to the ceiling, okay? everything went to the ceiling >> we started flying like you were in mid air and i fell back down. >> it was just like you in the screaming. >> reporter: the plane was diverted to calgary where emergency crews were waiting at the gate. paramedics say some of the injuries were neck and back-related. >> we don't have -- none of the patients are life-threatening in any manner. >> reporter: passengers say the pilot did the best he could, under the circumstances. >> a lesson to be learned to all of you -- put your seat belts on even when it's sunshine. >> reporter: air canada says a full investigation is under way. chris martinez, cbs news. chicago police will have access to more tasers in an effort to cut down on officer-involved shootings. that was part of a sweeping policy change announced