>> tonight, a landmark vote. the senate repeals don't ask, don't tell, clearing the way for gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military. >> the yeas are 65, the nays 31. >> i'm anthony mason. also tonight, shoppers are in a holiday mood. with just a week to go until christmas, signs of strong sales at the mall. fraud alert: the government warns of a telephone scam that offers phony government grants. and simple gifts-- americans open their wallets and their hearts to help people in need thousands of miles away. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" >> the united states senate made history this afternoon voting to

overturn the don't ask, don't tell law that prevented open military service by gays and lesbians. the new policy does not go into effect immediately, and opponents of the change fought it to the very end. whit johnson is in washington tonight with the latest. whit? >> reporter: anthony, good evening. not long ago, it looked like the repeal of don't ask, don't tell could be left on the floor of this lame duck congress, but today the 17-year-old policy fought its last battle in the senate. >> 2965 is adopted. >> reporter: with 65 votes, eight of them republican, the senate voted to end the ban on gays serving openly in the military. >> they want to put their lives on the line for our security and our freedom. does it make any sense to say no to them? >> some have said this is not the time to repeal this policy. and they're right. it should have been done yesterday. >> reporter: the democratic argument to strike don't ask, don't tell got a boost from a recent pentagon study in which

two-thirds of american troops said changing the law would have little impact. vocal opponents of the bill, led by senator john mccain, pleaded against making such a dramatic change during two wars. >> i've heard from thousands, thousands of active-duty and retired military personnel. i've heard from them. and they're saying, "senator mccain, it isn't broke. and don't fix it." >> reporter: today's vote is seen as a major victory for democrats, who are still reeling from a painful november election. the bill cleared the house with a strong majority wednesday, and president obama is expected to sign it into law next week. in a statement, the president said, "no longer will many thousands more be asked to live a lie in order to serve the country they love." >> wow, what a day. >> reporter: a number of those servicemen and women were on hand at the capitol for the historic moment. more than 13,000 have been kicked out of the military since

the law was enacted in 1993, but this afternoon, they got the last word. >> soon we can serve in the military without having to sacrifice our honor, our integrity-- without having to lie every day about who we are. >> reporter: but change won't come overnight. following the president's signature, the pentagon will begin an implementation plan followed by a 60-day wait period. the defense secretary has said it could take up to a year before don't ask, don't tell is officially history. anthony. >> whit johnson in washington. thanks, whit. on another issue, senate republicans today blocked consideration of the so-called dream act, which would have offered a path to legal status for illegal immigrants who were brought to america as children. to help us put today's senate votes and the rest of the week in focus, we're joined in washington by political analyst john dickerson. good evening, john. >> reporter: good evening, anthony. >> john, how does today's vote on don't ask, don't tell-- how do you think it's going to affect perception of the president? can he call this a win?

>> it's definitely a civil rights win for him and a win with the liberals in his party and they've been angry with him lately. they were angry on this issue in particular because they felt wasn't pushing hard enough. but the president's view was his calm deliberate effort worked. the white house is feeling like that strategy worked this time. >> reporter: earlier in the week, the president signed an extension of the bush-era tax cuts. he appears to be positioning himself as a champion of compromise. is there any evidence it's working? >> reporter: in this case, he put together an agreement with republicans, said he wanted congress to come along and they did. so in this case it works, but one of the reasons it worked is because they decided to forget about the budget deficit, and they won't be able to do that next year. that will make a lot of the deals much harder, because they will have to find a way to pay for them, making the kind of agreement that happened this time much, much harder. >> reporter: is it a re-election

strategy john? >> it's a possible re-election strategy because the president is looking for those in the middle and independents who want to see the president build consensus and that's what he did in this case. >> usually in lame duck sessions like this, we see congress paralyzed. why has this been so productive this session? >> they had to pass of tax cuts. if there wasn't an agreement on the tax cuts, everybody's taxes would have gone up and that would have been a disaster. and you had things democrats wanted to bring up that actually had bipartisan support like don't ask, don't tell, and we're pretty far away from the next election, so that makes politicians a little bit less nervous about the verdict from the voters. now all of that may give some momentum to the last remaining issues that will be brought up next week, the start treaty looking like it might have a shot to go through, and then there's the bill that has to do with 9/11 first responders. that looks like it might have a more difficult time, but there's a little glimmer of hope that even that might make it through. >> all right, john dickerson in

washington, thanks. >> reporter: thanks, anthony. >> it's the weekend before christmas, and all through the retailing world, there's growing confidence that americans are finally willing to spend again. elaine quijano is watching shoppers rush home with their treasures in times square tonight. hi, elaine. >> reporter: hello to you, anthony. here in new york and across the country, retailers are making their big push to lure last- minute shoppers, and experts say this holiday season people are in a buying mood. with t-minus one week left until christmas, walter ho is just beginning to shop. he acknowledges he's cutting things close this year. you admit, you're kind of a procrastinator. >> i definitely am. >> do you want to see it? >> reporter: he's hardly the only one waiting until the final days. experts say at this point, most people still have half their holiday shopping lists left, and retailers are responding with promotions and discounts. analysts say consumers are

now starting to give in to pent- up demand after years of economic uncertainty. >> last year there was a much greater sense of doom and gloom than we're seeing this year. >> reporter: and that consumer optimism could help boost bottom lines. the national retail federation recently revised its holiday sales forecast upwards, from a 2.3% increase over last year to 3.3%. helping to drive those sales? technology like smart phones, which allow shoppers to scan bar codes for instantaneous price comparisons. of the people who used mobile devices to shop this year, more than one out of four bought something using a smart phone. also driving consumption-- online sales, which experts predict will jump this holiday shopping season. >> we expect internet sales to be up roughly 15% or 16% this year. clearly, consumers love using the internet. >> reporter: yet consumer caution remains. experts say most shoppers will use cash or debit cards, not

credit, to make their purchases. still, even the cautious are showing signs of confidence. you have one more purchase? >> one more. >> reporter: and what is that? >> a tv, and that's a present for me. >> reporter: analysts say the big sellers this year are clothing, electronics and jewelry and demand for that merchandise is at all price points, from discount level to luxury. anthony? >> elaine quijano in times square, thanks, elaine. and overseas, millions in britain and across europe had their christmas shopping and travel plans upset this weekend by an unusually heavy snowstorm. elizabeth palmer in london has more. >> reporter: now this is winter weather as europe seldom sees it. heavy snow has blanketed italy, belgium, germany, scandinavia, northern france and the u.k., throwing people's travel plans into chaos. britain's major airports were closed on and off all day saturday while staff battled to keep runways clear.

london's heathrow is now closed and will remain that way at least until tomorrow. this is the weekend many passengers were hoping to fly home for the holidays. >> i'm a bit anxious, but what will be will be. if it's canceled, it's canceled. >> pretty frustrating at this point. just trying to get home before christmas. >> reporter: for many areas, it's the heaviest snowfall in decades, between eight and 10 inches in just a few hours. >> we were just outside of gatwick and there was nothing, and five minutes in, it's just a nightmare. >> reporter: of course, by the standards of the northern states or the midwest, this is nothing. and while most britons can rummage around in the closet and find hats and mitts, it's the local governments that cannot get enough sand and salt for the roads, and of course they don't have the snow plows. as a result, in england traffic was snarled up for miles along major highways, with cars in the ditch and several serious accidents. anyone dreaming of a white christmas may be having second thoughts.

elizabeth palmer, cbs news, london. >> here at home, the obama administration plans to issue a fraud alert monday, warning consumers to beware of scam artists offering fake federal grants in exchange for real cash. hhs says the number of complaints has been soaring. >> you see right here-- >> reporter: it started with a phone call. alison and butch leckey couldn't believe their luck when they got a call last month saying they had won a grant from the federal government. >> we were guaranteed a $15,000 government brandt we would not have to pay back. it could be used for education-- basically whatever we needed. >> reporter: all they had to do to collect their grant money was send a $99 donation to india. the washington state couple says it sounded like a good deal until the caller demanded they also wire a bank transfer fee

and security deposit totaling almost $1,650. the leckeys were suspicious, but faced with expenses caring for a new grandchild, they sent the money. >> i kept telling him, this had better be true because we cannot afford to lose this money. i mean i was in there just really crying, you know, and he kept reassuring me. "it's okay, mrs. leckey. everything is going to be fine." >> reporter: the leckeys say the caller claimed to be working for the u.s. department of health and human services, h.h.s., but that's not true, and it angers h.h.s. deputy inspector general gerald roy. >> the scammers prey on a very, very vulnerable portion of our society and i more than willing to do something about that. >> reporter: the i.g.'s fraud hotline is tracking complaints from across the country about phony government grants. investigators say it's an old scam with a new twist. criminals are taking advantage of a down economy and government stimulus efforts to lure victims into thinking they can cash in.

>> individuals have to recognize that no one from the federal government will be calling them and offering them a grant. that's not the way the grant process works. >> reporter: the i.g.'s office is warning consumers to beware of grant officers. real government grants are typically awarded in a lengthy application process, to organizations, not individuals, with no fees. too late for the leckeys. they didn't get the grant and lost all the money they sent upfront, putting them further behind on their bills and at risk for losing their home. >> and still ahead on tonight's cbs evening news, this boy was crippled by a gunman, so why won't the witnesses come forward? witnesses come forward

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of four. >> sometimes i have bad dreams. >> reporter: what do you dream about when it's bad? >> some people get shot on the streets, and they not be running. >> reporter: in may 2008, lakeesha rucker was leaving her mother's home in chicago's engelwood neighborhood. little matrell was asleep in the front seat of the car when the man opened fire. did you think you had lost him? >> yes, i didn't know what to do. >> reporter: today, matrell has recovered some strength in his legs. ( applause ) last year he even got the chance to participate in his kindergarten graduation. even though the ruckers know who shot matrell, the suspect has not been charged and has even bragged about putting a child in a wheelchair. unless attempted murder charges are filed soon, the three-year statute of limitations expires this coming may. >> it don't make no sense because our own kids are getting hurt and no one is doing nothing about it. >> reporter: key witnesses refused to cooperate, another example of a code of silence

based on fear of retribution, distrust of the police, or complete disengagement from the community. >> a lot of people just don't care. people don't care until it hits their front steps. >> reporter: in 2004, the police department solved 61% of all murders. in 2009, just 37%. the year matrell was shot, arrests were made in fewer than 200 of 511 murders. ronald holt heads the department's community initiative. his own son, blair, was gunned down in 2007, and he uses his loss to encourage others to keep their neighborhood safe. >> you have to be the one that says, "no person will be shot or killed on my block, in my alley, where i live." >> reporter: in an effort to slow the violence, police have moved 200 officers to high-crime areas, but that does little for the rucker family. >> i want to put this behind me, and i can't put it behind me unless justice is served.

>> reporter: before time and the chance for justice run out. cynthia bowers, cbs news, chicago. >> and we'll be back. . and this life ♪ hewas made easier... ♪ making smiles appear again because of this life. nursing. at johnson & johnson, we salute all those who choose the life... that makes a difference. ♪ you're a nurse ♪ you make a difference

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discuss tensions between north and south korea. the meeting was requested by russia, whose envoy said he is, "seriously concerned about possible further escalation on the peninsula." a legal victory for american amanda knox, who is appealing her murder conviction in italy. the appeals court gave the go- ahead for an independent review of crucial d.n.a. evidence. knox was convicted of murdering her roommate and is serving a 26-year term in prison. in britain, prince william and his fiance, kate middleton, stepped out together in public tonight for the first time since announcing their engagement last month. the two attended a christmas variety show for a cancer charity. they'll be married next april. and this is the way millions of visitors view the majestic niagara falls, but few have seen them this way. recently uncovered pictures show how the american side of the falls looked 41 years ago when army engineers drained it to remove loose rock. they turned the spigot back on

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people in a faraway country that you might think wouldn't even need our aid. celia hatten has their story. >> reporter: china's inner mongolia province hasn't seen a good harvest in years, but a local farmer is surviving after switching from crops to livestock. i can afford my daughter's tuition fees now, she says. she borrowed $750 through wokai, a microfinance charity run by 26-year-old american casey wilson. wokai matches online donors with aspiring chinese entrepreneurs from a tailor sewing traditional clothing in northern inner mongolia, to dumpling makers in sichuan, southern china. >> they repay the capital and you get to support someone new. >> reporter: while studying chinese in beijing, casey was inspired by a friend, a restaurant worker trapped in poverty, earning just $100 a month.

>> the only difference between her and i is that i was born in oakland, california, and she was born in rural china. >> reporter: casey's inability to help her friend led her to launch wokai when just 23. they've funded 500 microloans in china so far. china's economy is booming, but there's still plenty of poverty in a country where 470 million exist on less than $2 a day. so casey wilson and other young americans operating their own nonprofits in china have a huge need to fill. arizona native tom stader started his nonprofit, the library project, with just $500 in donations soon after moving to china in 2006. >> thank you. >> we almost went broke four times in the first two years. our donors just rose to the challenge, and they-- they saved us. >> reporter: using old and new books, tom's teams built 320 libraries in rural classrooms like this one in central china's

shaanxi province and in underfunded schools like this on the fringes of beijing. "we can see the outside world via books" explains this boy. an entire library, costing just $1500, can be a life changer. some children here have never seen a book with color pictures before. "sometimes i don't even feel hungry, as long as i'm reading," says this girl. an encouragement for tom. >> i think we're at 75,000 children right now that have access to books. >> reporter: while many come to china to take advantage of its growing wealth, young americans like tom and casey are aware that not everyone's getting rich. they're eager to help those people to bloom as well. celia hatten, cbs news, beijing. >> and that's the "cbs evening news." later on cbs, "48 hours mystery." i'm anthony mason in new york. thanks for watching. good night. captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org

media access group another soggy saturday but the rain is letting up much what's ahead for the rest of the week. >> i witnessed the end to this policy and these are tears of joy. gay rights advocates celebrate a victory over "don't ask, don't tell." the outcome of a senate vote and the work still ahead. a charity helping care for the homeless this holiday season. cbs5 eyewitness news is next. ,,