the united nations human rights chief said today that the bombardment of civilians in aleppo by the syrian regime and its allies is almost certainly a violation of international law, and, scott, he said it may be a war crime. >> holly williams for us in istanbul. today, one of the three survivors of the charleston church massacre told the jury she came face to face with the murderer. that man, dylann roof, is on trial for federal hate crimes,

and he could face the death penalty. mark strassmann is in charleston. >> reporter: that 911 call from the night of the massacre was played today for dylann roof's jury. the caller was survivor polly shepperd. >> reporter: today in federal court, the 72-year-old testified that as the faithful shut their eyes for the closing prayer, shots rang out. she hid under a table. dead and dying people lay around her. then roof spotted her. she said, i was praying allowed. roof asked, did i shoot you? >> she said no. he said i'm not going to. i'm going to leave you to tell the story. roof remembered that video the day after the murders. >> reporter: but while shepperd

testified today, roof would not look at her. [gunfire] yesterday jurors saw this video roof took of himself firing a glock .45 pistol in his backyard. the same weapon he brought to the murderous rampage at the mother emanuel church less than two months later. a medical examiner testified that each victim was shot at least five times. susie jackson, at 87, the oldest victim, was shot ten times. eric manning, the pastor at mother emanuel, sees deeper meaning in polly shepperd's survival. >> she stood in the face of evil and almost, evil backed down. >> reporter: when shepperd finished testifying and left the stand, most of the people in the courtroom stood up out of respect. roof stayed seated. scott, closing arguments are set for tomorrow morning. >> mark strassmann for us. mark, thank you.

is this morning in newtown, connecticut, they paused for 15 minutes, exactly four years after the massacre at sandy hook elementary school. 26 people were killed then, 20 of them, first graders. this month sandy hook promise, started by family members, posted a video to turn attention toward the warning signs of a tragedy. here's dr. jon lapook. ♪ got some news today from the radio man ♪ ♪ he spoke the word somber >> reporter: it seems to be a charming story of young love. >> have a good summer. >> you too. >> reporter: two teens flirting. >> hey, you must be bored. >> reporter: but then... >> do you like to write on desks? >> yes, that's what i do.

>> reporter: then terror. as the scenes are replayed, we realize what we've missed, a troubled student, getting bullied, posting a disturbing selfie, gesturing violently, but as the ad points out, no one noticed. >> after sitting alone then all the warning signs happened. >> reporter: students at broadview middle school in danbury, connecticut, watched the video online. declan jakobson is an eighth grader. >> it was saying that i should have been able to recognize the signals that this kid was giving. >> reporter: his school has adopted a violence prevention program, developed by sandy hook promise, called "say something." what are you taught are the warning signs? >> when people isolate themselves, when they're being bullied, a lot of times that will lead to something. or when they're obsessed with death, guns, things like that, they also teach you to talk to a trusted adult. >> reporter: psychiatrist dr. harold schwartz co-authored a 2014 report on the newtown shooter.

>> risk signs appear in many people who will never perpetrate violence, so what we can do that will be most effective will be to create prevention programs. >> reporter: research shows school shooters have often communicated their plans beforehand, through social media, texting or conversations. >> we definitely need to destigmatize what it means to report. for schoolchildren, we need to try to end the code of silence. >> reporter: avery marquis spoke up after seeing another student bullied. do you ever have any fear that you might be snitching on somebody? >> no, because in this school we make it such a big thing that it's not snitching. it's saying something for everybody's safety. >> if you see something, say something. jon, thank you. coming up, temperatures fall as quickly as the snow. you love the soft feel of your feet when you take care of them. and at amopé we love it too.

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an arctic blast is hitting the great lakes. we have two reports. first, demarco morgan in upstate new york. demarco? >> reporter: scott, the people here in watertown are in for a long night. up to two feet of snow could blanket the northern and western part of the state by the end of the week. heavy lake-effect snow and a blizzard warning in calumet, michigan, stopped some drivers

right in their tracks, making walking the quickest mode of transportation, even in four degrees. further east, in buffalo, new york, white-out conditions forced a battle between man and nature. the combination of snowfall and whipping 45-mile-per-hour winds led to stressful, white-knuckle driving in watertown. a steady band of snow started falling early this morning, enough to keep plow driver bruce reome busy. >> the main thing that really surprises me when i'm out here doing this is, people don't slow down. i see people pass me when i'm out clearing the road, and a mile up the road i'll see them in the ditch. >> reporter: i'm jamie yuccas in stillwater, minnesota, where it is currently three degrees, but with the windchill it feels like it's 14 below. those are perfect conditions to make these man-made ice castles, but not so great if you're not bundled up. exposed skin can get frostbite in minutes, and, scott, tomorrow morning it's supposed to only be 10 degrees below zero.

>> demarco morgan and jamie yuccas in the fortress of solitude, thanks. up next, "thelma and louise" drive off to a place of honor.

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importance. ♪ the circle of life >> the list includes "the lion king." "the breakfast club." "the princess bride." >> hello. my name is inigo montoya. you killed my father. prepare to die. >> and "thelma and louise." ♪ today, yahoo! said it fell victim to what is likely the largest data breech ever at an e-mail provider. hackers are believed to have stolen data from more than one billion user accounts in august of 2013. the data include e-mail addresses, birth dates and security questions. a separate breech was announced in september involving half a

billion yahoo! accounts. up next, we'll remember alan thicke. ,,,,,,,,,,

television has made dozens of sitcom dads part of our popular culture. one of the most famous was played by alan thicke, who died of a heart attack yesterday at the age of 69. jim axelrod has his story. ♪ show me that smile again, show me that smile ♪ >> reporter: hard to believe perhaps, but it was 31 years ago that alan thicke introduced us to dr. jason seaver, the warm and upbeat tv dad on "growing pains." ♪ head out on the highway >> reporter: the role of wise and loving father wasn't a stretch for thicke, a devoted dad to three boys. ♪ if you can't hear >> reporter: including music star robin thickee. >> i think all three of my boys are quite fabulous. i have a great relationship with them. we're very close.

>> reporter: robin posted on his instagram -- "he was the best man i ever knew, the best friend i ever had." >> the red hot chili peppers. >> reporter: before "growing pains," alan thicke hosted his own talk show. and composed themes for "the different strokes and "the facts of life." the 69-year-old canadian was a passionate hockey fan, and the hockey world loved him back. wayne gretzky tweeted, "he was a wonderful man, father, husband and friend." ♪ we got each other >> reporter: nine words that speak volumes about alan thicke's life well lived. jim axelrod, cbs news, new york. >> and that's the "overnight news" for this thursday. for some of you, the news continues. for others, check back with us a little bit later for the morning news and be sure not the miss

"cbs this morning." from the broadcast center in new york city, i'm scott pelley. this is the "cbs overnight news." >> welcome to the "overnight news." i'm don daler. another ominous turn in the civil war in syria. the cease-fire that was supposed to allow rebel fighters and their families to evacuate the city of aleppo lasted one day. it was replaced by air strikes, shelling, and a ground assault by syrian government troops. rebels and their families were on their way out of town when the barrage began, and the united nations says it may constitute a war crime. the rebels say they've negotiated yet another cease-fire, and still plan to leave. holly williams has the latest. >> reporter: the buses waiting in aleppo this morning were supposed to evacuate fighters

and civilians from the last remaining rebel-held section of the city. instead the ceasefire collapsed. there was shelling, and more air strikes, and the buses went away empty. several thousand civilians-- men, women and children-- are holed up in around two square miles of territory with aleppo now nearly entirely under the syrian regime's control. it's a major victory for the regime after four years of fighting in the city. but it was won by indiscriminately killing civilians, with help from syria's allies, iran and russia. syria's president, bashar al assad, calls the rebels terrorists, and in an interview yesterday with russian tv, he castigated the west for trying to protect them. >> it doesn't matter what they ask. the translation of their statement is for russia, please

stop the advancement of the syrian army against the terrorists. >> reporter: the u.s. has condemned the regime and its friends in russia and iran, but in five years of civil war, america has avoided a direct confrontation with the syrian regime. fearing a dangerous escalation and perhaps conflict with russia, the price of that policy has been paid by syrian civilians with their lives. the united nations human rights chief said today that the bombardment of civilians in aleppo by the syrian regime and its allies is almost certainly a violation of international law, and, scott, he said it may be a war crime. more details are coming to light about how russian hackers managed to get into u.s. government and private computers, and use the information to influence the presidential election. jeff pegues has the latest. >> reporter: investigators believe the attack began in july

of 2015, more than a year before the presidential election. thousands of e-mails were sent to hundreds of organizations. ultimately, the hackers known as cozy bear and tied to russian intelligence burrowed into the computers of the democratic national committee, and they stole documents and emails that would later come back to haunt democratic presidential candidate hillary clinton. adam hodge is with the dnc. >> this is unprecedented. a foreign government attacked the entire democratic party with one goal, and that was to help donald trump. >> reporter: the u.s. intelligence community is split on whether the hacks were intended to help mr. trump, but since at least 2010, u.s. intelligence analysts have been warning of russian cyber intrusions and information warfare. a 2013 threat assessment concluded russia is among three countries focusing on using internet content that might contribute to political instability and regime change.

with the dnc hack, an fbi agent first noticed the suspicious activity earlier this year. he called the dnc and was transferred to a help desk. his calls went ignored. it took several months before the dnc realized that it had been contacted by the fbi >> to verify the authenticity of the fbi agent who said that-- that said who he said he was. >> reporter: several months? >> it's hard to believe, but that's the reality. >> reporter: president-elect trump has brushed off allegations that the russians were trying to boost his candidacy. he tweeted that unless you catch hackers in the act, it's hard to determine who was doing it. and he's wondering why this wasn't brought up before the election. it will be another frigid day in the northern half of the nation. bone chilling temperatures have taken hold from montana to the great lakes. and a new storm is in the forecast.

jamie yuccas reports. >> reporter: i'm jamie yuccas in stillwater, minnesota, where it is currently three degrees, but with the windchill it feels like it's 14 below. those are perfect conditions to make these man-made ice castles, but not so great if you're not bundled up. exposed skin can get frostbite in minutes, and, scott, tomorrow morning it's supposed to only be 10 degrees below zero. road crews in california are battling the elements to fill a large sinkhole that opened along the coast in san francisco. john blackstone is in pacifica where the pounding waves are bringing down an entire neighborhood. >> reporter: here in pacifica, we're right on the western edge of the continent. this apartment building is empty and condemned because it could slide into the pacific ocean because of cliff erosion. over here now, a popular hiking path down to the beach is closed because part of it has disappeared into a huge sinkhole. a 15-foot section of the trail just dropped away into the

ocean. the trail is now off-limits as crews pump concrete and sand into the massive sinkhole. this is only the latest effort to stop erosion of the cliff here that has been falling away for decades. >> we've seen waves up pretty high, but this is the worst i've seen. >> reporter: the company that told the land told cbs that an underground pipe separated causing saturated ground to separate below. >> sand just, you know, washed away, and that's why we have a big cavity. >> reporter: the cliffs are more than 100 feet tall. when the base is pounded by high surf, the bluff is undermined. >> when you get the big breakers and ground swells coming in, that really takes a beating. >> reporter: rick grew up here. he's watched waves erode the coastline for years. >> i have memories when i was a child out here, and i take my wife out here now and try and

find the places where my dad and i fished years ago are gone. >> reporter: in storms hit in 1998, the bluffs eroded so quickly, residents fled before one home tumbled into the ocean. other houses were knocked down before they too fell off the cliff. earlier this year, two apartment buildings were demolished as the bluff beneath them continued to drop away. and a third ocean view apartment complex was condemned as massive erosion put the building at cliff's edge. you must have come along here, seen those apartments often. could you ever have imagined that it would be hanging off the edge? >> well, gosh, coming out here every storm, yeah, i do. there's just nothing stopping this water. >> reporter: once the sun rises, the view from here is similar, which is why already apartment buildings along the bluff. the nearest apartment building

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it was 75 years ago that the secretary of the interior commissioned ansill adams to photograph america's national parks. some of those majestic parks are now part of u.s. history. documents the parks system continues to this day. the latest subject is a little known part of ellis island. jim axelrod paid a visit to the man behind the camera. >> reporter: he's a native of wisconsin, and eight years ago, jared discovered photography, which became something of an obsession for him. now, this obsession led to a dream job, making sure the past is preserved for the future. well, at first look, his work space doesn't look so dreamy.

an area like this -- >> uh-huh. >> reporter: is this a challenge for you? >> this area is very much a challenge for me. >> reporter: this building, abandoned for 60 years, boarded up and filled with debris, is actually supplying photographer jared bortese, with both a challenge -- >> you've got to make something interesting when it's something but empty space. >> exactly. >> reporter: and some powerful inspiration. >> when you're taking a photograph, especially the way the public consumes photography these days, it's all instinct, real quick. so what you have to do is try to find a composition and angle that you know is going to capture people and interest them. that's where the light comes into play. usually you can play light to draw on people's emotion and bring them through a photograph the way that you want to. >> reporter: ortiz is snapping his way through forgotten corner of ellis island.

far from the splendor of the great hall where 12 million immigrants entered the country. whether it's rusted mattress sterilizers -- >> is there a way you can take a picture in 2016 which gives us a sense of the challenges of 100 years before? >> that's the hard part, because i don't think you can really capture that essence. that's more up to the imagination. >> reporter: or 80-year-old graffiti carved into the wall. >> paul ketiman, march 30th, 1935. that must grab your eye. >> absolutely. because this is a physical remembrance of this particular person, and obviously he thought it was important, and he knew that there was something big happening here. >> reporter: ortiz is making sure all parts of the immigrant experience at ellis island are remembered. >> i definitely think about the emotions. i can't imagine what it must have been like to go through

that boat side and coming off on that port inspires me to do the best i can. because i think it's important that these stories get told. >> ellis island is important to american history because immigration is important to american history. one in three americans is descended from somebody who walked through these halls. it's an astonishing idea. but history is not about dates and speeches, it's about real people doing real things. >> reporter: ortiz is the newest member of an exclusive club of american photographers. those like ansill adams who captured our national parks for the library of congress. and just like adams in the 1940s, jared ortiz uses a large format camera. >> if you're really meticulous and you want to have all control over every single aspect of your image, this is the camera to use. >> reporter: large format

cameras are old school. >> they are old school, but they're still used today. the resolution you get out of that film will blow away any digital photograph. can't even come close. >> reporter: each shot can take up to an hour and a half to set up and light. a process involving a lot of math and precision, all for just one split second. burned into film forever. >> what i'm doing is just trying to capture the essence of history and inform the public of what's happening in these locations, with my photographs. >> why is that important? >> because i think a lot of people forget about where we came from all too easy. it's what shapes us. it's how we know where we got to. >> reporter: ortiz was drawn to this job precisely because it's focused on photographing buildings that are part of our national parks and not just landscapes. from the beginning of his

photography career, he's been passionate about documenting the industrial midwest and sees this job as an extension of that work, making sure we don't forget the lives we've led in the past.

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actor bryan cranston is on top of the world. he kicked around hollywood all of his adult life before landing the role on "malcolm in the middle." but it was "breaking bad" that really got cranston breaking good. >> reporter: bryan cranston was born and raised in los angeles. three years ago, the hollywood chamber of commerce embedded his name in the sidewalk. >> i have often walked down this street before -- ♪ but the pavement never held my star before ♪ ♪ all at once i'm three stories high, knowing i'm on the street where it lives ♪

>> reporter: since then, it's only gotten better. at age 60, he's on hollywood's a-list and a red carpet regular, and no one was more surprised than cranston. >> i didn't feet entitled to become a star. i didn't expect it. >> reporter: did you want it? >> not really. the things you want professionally are opportunities. and through my good fortune, that's what's happened. opportunity has come to me. >> reporter: and when it came late in his career, cranston knocked it out of the park. >> maybe you and i could partner up. >> you want to cook crystal meth? >> that's right. >> when we first started we were telling a story and trying to do our best and it became this juggernaut. >> reporter: did you see it coming? >> no, not at all. >> reporter: it's a familiar story now, a meek and depressed high school chemistry teacher with terminal cancer cooks up a scheme to make and market a

superior grade of meth to provide a nest egg for his family after he's gone. but over five seasons, walter white goes from milk toast to murderer to survive. >> i was just infused with ideas and i would dream about them, wake up and go, i have another idea about walter white. >> you clearly don't know who you're talking to. >> it was so well written and it just got into my soul. >> i am the danger. >> reporter: it was his first real opportunity to show what he could do as an actor. >> run. >> reporter: the result was new respect and a closet full of emmys. when the show ended, he saw it as a new beginning and an opportunity to try something different. it had been years since he performed on stage. yet he decided to sign on with a theater company in boston that was doing a new play called "all the way" about lyndon johnson, a

very complicated character. it had to be an amazing challenge. why did you do it? >> it was shakespearean in size, but let's do it. >> reporter: and there were reasons to be scared. >> i realized, oh, my god, this is an enormous play, and it's almost all me. big, big chunks of speeches, speeches, speeches. and i started to panic. >> it is all or nothing. >> reporter: but in boston and later on broadway, and after that, the film version for hbo, his performance was so on the mark -- >> let us begin. >> reporter: you had to remind yourself it was cranston and not johnson. >> and i love you more than my own daddy. but if you get in my way, i'll crush you. look at that. look at that. [ laughter ] >> reporter: after winning a

tony award, broadway's highest honor, he topped it off with an oscar nominated performance in the film "trombo." >> surprising for an old journeyman actor. >> reporter: got a few clips to show you here. roll it. >> what the hell is wrong with you? >> reporter: he's been a working actor since his mid 20s. >> oh, yeah. >> reporter: beginning with a part on the soap opera "love it." >> that attraction is our business. >> reporter: and after there's been everything from the sublime to the ridiculous. good guys, bad guys. >> he's dead. >> i'm sorry, we did everything we could. >> reporter: and sometimes, parts so small, even cranston's forgotten them. what is is that? >> reporter: "amazon women on the moon." >> i'll take care of you later. >> you ended up on the cutting room floor. >> "amazon women on the moon," who could forget? who wants to remember is the better question. >> reporter: in all, there have

been nearly 150 roles. not counting the early commercials that helped pay the bills. >> now you can relieve inflamed hemorrhoidal tissue with the oxygen action of preparation h. >> do you think you've grown as an actor since then? >> no, but my hemorrhoid has grown. >> reporter: there were guest spots, including five on "seinfeld" as jerry's smarmy dentist. >> it was like going to comedy boot camp for me, being on that show. >> reporter: and comedy proved to be something that bryan cranston was very good at. ♪ i just want to celebrate another day of living ♪ >> reporter: it led to his break out role in the series "malcolm in the middle" has hal, the hapless father, overwhelmed by the chaos of a dysfunctional

family. >> wait, something we have to talk about. >> he was insecure, not in charge. >> hello, hal. >> he took brain vacations often. >> reporter: it earned cranston three emmy nominations. >> those are real bees? there were 75,000 of them. >> call animal control. >> reporter: and yes, he got stung. where were you stung? >> in the lower region, in one of the boys. very sensitive. the beekeeper went "sorry." i'll help you anywhere else. >> now, you are going to get up and -- >> reporter: he did seven seasons on "malcolm" and hated to see it go. but the show's cancellation turned out to be a very lucky moment. >> had "malcolm in the middle" been picked up, i would not have

been available for "breaking bad" and right now someone else bad" and right now someone else would be sitting here t,,,,,,

hollywood and millions are mourning the death of actor alan thicke. he died today after suffering a heart attack. he was 69. he's remembered as the tv dad dr. jason seaver on the sitcom "growing pains." >> reporter: alan thicke wasn't just a memorable tv actor of his time. he was also a singer, a composer, and maybe above all else, he was america's dad. ♪ show me that smile >> reporter: with a generous smile and plenty of wisdom, he enters our living rooms in 1985. >> you're taking karate to help

you receive the spiritual state of don hoe. >> reporter: he helped the seaver clan and all of us navigate life in the '80s and early '90s. before becoming a household name on "growing pains," thicke had been host of a short-lived late night show. and the composer of several of television's most enduring theme songs. ♪ now the world don't move to the beat of just one drum ♪ >> reporter: including "different strokes," "the facts of life," and the original score for "wheel of fortune." even after "growing pains," thicke continued to stay busy. >> here's our host, alan thicke. >> reporter: hosting game shows and appearing on a number of sitcoms. >> alan thicke. >> how can i help you? >> reporter: and as dr. seaver might have once told you, for

alan thicke, family was everything. >> when i look at my kids, i spend time with them and see what they accomplished and generally, i feel i must have done some of it right. ♪ >> reporter: pop star robin thicke is one of his three children. >> i'm madly in move with all of them. all three of my boys are quite fabulous. >> early this morning, robin thicke posted a brief note to instagram saying in part, my father passed away today. he was the best man i ever knew. the best friend i ever had. thank you for your love. love, your grateful son. >> 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 morning news." for the broadcast center in new york city, i'm don dahler.

captioning funded by cbs it's thursday, december 15th, 2016. this is the "cbs morning news." what role did vladimir putin play in hacking the u.s. election? a big one, according to officials. now more lawmakers are saying they were targeted too. yahoo! breaks its own dubious record for biggest hack ever. this time, more than a billion accounts were compromised. who security experts are blaming for the breach. as a deep freeze sets in for millions in the east this morning, snowy streets caught commuters off-guard out west. >> look out! look out!