we leave you with the sights and sounds of manger square in bethlehem. good night. captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh >> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." >> well, the kids know that santa's reindeer are on the move this christmas morning, but you might be surprised to learn real reindeer are being threatened by climate change. over the past two decades, wild reindeer and care bouye populations have dropped by more than 2 million. mark phillips traveled to a place near the north pole called santa's hometown to find out why. >> reporter: good morning from northern finland. about 300 miles north of the arctic circle, reindeer country, that's them in the distance over

there. but this isn't about santa claus, ho-ho-ho kinds of reindeer. this reindeer story is no laughing matter. it's more than a thousand miles from up here in the high arctic of finland to the north pole. as the reindeer flies. but that hasn't stopped the fins from naming the capital of lap land santa's hometown. where rudolph's cousins provide sleigh rides, albeit on the ground. and where you know who welcomes children of all ages. but all is not what it seems in this winter wonderland. so, rudolph here, real name yermo, is one of the reindeer. but thousands are in trouble. to find the real reindeer and the real trouble, you have to go about 250 miles north of santa's

village. and then drive a snowmobile another 30 or so miles across rough open tundra in temperatures approaching zero. but winter even up here isn't what it used to be. our guide is antegup yuso from the people who have been herding reindeer since the dawn of time. and the climate here in lapland, he says, is changing. >> it's warm weather, then snow going to be -- >> reporter: it melts? >> it melts. >> reporter: yeah. >> and the next day -- >> reporter: freezes. does it happen more often now where you have rain or warm weather and then the snow melts? does that happen more in the last few years than it used to happen? >> yeah, in the last ten years. >> reporter: and this is the result. reindeer are dying. a big die-off was discovered on the arctic islands last summer. and the huge wild herds of

carabou, same animals in northern canada have been reduced to half according to a recent government report. they dig down through the snow. and the reindeer herder knows why. >> this is what they're looking for. >> reporter: the reindeer feed even through the winter on liken, a moss seed plant they dig through the snow to get at. except when all that thawing and refreezing means they can't. and when the snow turns to ice, what happens to the reindeer? >> we have to feed them. >> reporter: because they can't -- they can't dig for the food. >> no, no, we have to give them extra food. >> reporter: up here in the land of the northern lights, it's a constant battle. ante lives in a village of just ten houses, five families. no power, no running water. the most remote village in finland, he says, which is saying something. and every day he travels up to 60 miles each way through the few hours of dim winter light to

find the herd and check it's okay. how many reindeer do you herd, how many do you have? >> i have some reindeers, but it's same thing if i ask you, how much you have money in the bank. >> reporter: to you the reindeer are your money in the bank? >> my reindeer is my whole -- >> reporter: whatever you're worth? >> my whole worth. >> reporter: they run about 5,000 animals, and right now it's reindeer round up time. ante and his wonder dog benna gather the scattered herd and drive them south to where they can bring them feed. and where a few are sold off to the reindeer meat market. that's how they make their living. it's a gorgeous if frigid dance of man, animal and machine. it's very hard work up here. >> yeah, it is hard work some days. >> reporter: why don't you leave and go work in the city or something? >> no, this is my life. >> reporter: these reindeer in

finland are the lucky ones. they have the sami herders to look after them. for tens of thousands of other ones elsewhere, though, the human influence hasn't been so kind. >> the "cbs overnight news" will be right back.

introducing new vicks vapopatch easy to wear with soothing vicks vapors for her, for you, for the whole family. new vicks vapopatch. breathe easy.

when your v-neck looks more like a u-neck... that's when you know, it's half-washed. downy helps prevent stretching by conditioning fibers, so clothes look newer, longer. downy and it's done. e competition and we broke through. you've tried retinol, but you have never tried one like this. olay's retinol24 complex hydrates better than the #1 retinol. visibly smoother brighter skin in just 24 hours. a skin upgrade? crushed it. new olay retinol24. face anything. olay. now available with retinol serum and retinol eye cream. but in my mind i'm still 25. that's why i take osteo bi-flex, to keep me moving the way i was made to. it nourishes and strengthens my joints for the long term.

osteo bi-flex - now in triple strength plus magnesium. dflings odors onto your softle fsurfaces? then they get released back into the air so you smell them later ew. right? that's why febreze created new small spaces. press firmly and watch it get to work... unlike the leading cone, small spaces continuously eliminates odors in the air and on surfaces-so they don't come back for 45 days. now that's one flushin' fresh bathroom. breathe happy febreze... la la la la la.

for the first time in its 65-year history, the new york city ballet production of the nut cracker is featuring a black dancer in the leading role. 11-year-old charlotte is breaking racial barriers with her impressive performance as marie. a boston production called "the urban nut cracker" has been updating the christmas classic for nearly two decades. it incorporates dance styles from hip-hop to flamenco, showing dancers anyone can be a star. here's dana jacobsen. >> the first show, oh, my god, is this going to fail? the applause was just tremendous. >> reporter: this holiday season marks 19 years of boston's urban nut cracker, cast and crew as diverse as the choreography and music.

>> you have diversity in the dance styles, diversity in the music. diversity in the cast on the stage because we're a multi-racial, multi-cultural cast. and also in the audience. >> reporter: was that your intent, or is that how this has happened? >> it was sort of a dream. it just happened. >> reporter: the show's creator tony williams, became the boston ballet's first african-american principal dancer in the late '60s. a driving force in his desire to give opportunity to under represented youth. >> i started dance late. i was 16. but before that, as a very young kid, i was in street gangs here in boston. and getting into trouble. so dance sort of saved my life. >> reporter: that's no little thing. >> that's true. some of the guys in the gang -- most of the guys are dead or some went to jail. so i was really fortunate. >> reporter: jason jordan, a new dancer in this year's show, also

considers himself fortunate. >> as a dancer who comes from an urban neighborhood, it just made sense to me. it was like being home. and since i was trained classically, it just molded it together in a way that it felt really natural for me. >> slow. good boy. >> reporter: jordan teaches dance at a boston public school in an under served community. by recruiting some of his students for the show, he's given it new flavor. and his kids a new outlook. what have you found about bringing these kids that maybe weren't exposed to dance before into the fold here? >> that's the most important thing to me, is having these kids when they're done with me, i teach at a k-8. when they're done with 8th grade and they're beautiful dancers, where do they go? >> reporter: and now they have a place. >> now they have a place. >> yes, yes. >> in professional dancing. >> reporter: it's a place that didn't seem to exist for erica lamb when she was dancing as a

young girl in boston. lamb wasn't offered the lead rode of claire a in the nut cracker because she was black. >> that's the first time i realized that my skin color was going to be, you know, something that i'd have to think about, you know, if i wanted to do ballet. it was boston in the late '70s. bussing was going on, racial tensions were pretty much -- pretty high. but my mom was brought into the director's office and they said, you know, we love your daughter, she's very talented. but, it's a period piece and this is boston. we just don't know really how people are going to react. >> reporter: in this urban rendition, lamb is playing the role of clara's mother. >> ballet is 15th century a aristocracy any more. anybody can be a family. >> reporter: part of that family is a wide ranging group of young dancers. >> show of hands, how many of you have seen the classic nut

cracker before you started doing urban nut cracker. >> every year my parents would take -- my mom and dad would take me to see "the nut cracker," the boston ballet. but then he came along in my life. [ laughter ] and then, yeah, so i seen his show. i'm like, no, i've got to do this. i'm going to die. >> it was different for me and it made me want to start doing it. my mom was like, hey, do you want to do this? do you want to do the urban nut cracker? i'll try it. i've been here ever since. >> reporter: if you had to sum up in a couple words what the experience of doing this show is like for you, what would you say? >> amazing. >> incredible. >> spectacular. and it's worth it. >> reporter: sharing that what makes it all worthwhile for tony williams. >> because of 3,000 people,

there might be one little girl or one boy that comes that is going to be transformed and is going to save one life. and that -- >> reporter: the way it saved your life. >> yes, yes, yes. yeah. and so that, that's why i do it. it's like i'm not a spring chicken any more, but it's the young kids, it's like how could i not do this for them? they look forward to it every year. >> the "cbs overnight news" will be right back.

so, over the years we've gotten to know a mysterious secret santa who often brings strangers to tears. this season he's delivering holiday cheer on some very big sleighs. here's steve hartman on the road. >> good morning, how are you doing? >> reporter: to many passengers -- >> come here for one second. >> reporter: this was like boarding a bus. >> today i'm working for secret santa. >> reporter: to crazy town. >> somebody said secret santa. this is a dream or something. >> reporter: but this was no dream. it's real. these were real elves working for the secret santa. secret santa is an anonymous wealthy businessman who every year trafrlz the country giving out 100, 200, sometimes $300. >> no. >> yeah. >> reporter: to random strangers. >> it's impossible. this is impossible. >> it is possible.

it's true. >> reporter: he usually finds his targets in thrift stores. >> thank you so much. >> reporter: but this year, secret santa recruited some elves from the milwaukee county transit system to do at least some of his giving. >> we're here because of you. >> reporter: he chose the milwaukee drivers because they're always doing kind deeds. whether it's stopping the bus to fetch a pair of lost children's shoes, helping a turtle cross the street, or rescuing a child out wandering alone, there is a real culture of kindness here which secret santa says>>ak goi biggest sleigh we've ever had, and the magic is going to be like golddust flying across the city. >> i'm working for secret santa. and you are the luckyest people in the world. >> reporter: for the rest of the day, five different drivers gave out thousands of dollars worth of hundred dollar bills. >> thank you! >> reporter: no doubt, the money was appreciate.

. as always, this was about so much more than money. a benjamin can't buy this much euphoria. no, what overwheed mos people was the unconditional kindness. >> happy holidays. >> reporter: and as for the drivers who rarely get hugs, it affected them almost as much as the passengers. >> it was a great experience. it's going to stick with me the rest of my life. >> yes. it was awesome to be part of something so big. >> if you ever feel down, if you ever feel a little depressed, and you want to solve your problem, go out and do something kind for somebody because when you do that, you're uplifting yourself. >> reporter: next stop, best holiday ever. steve hartman, on the road, in milwaukee. >> and that is the overnight news on this christmas day. the best of holiday wishes to you. for some of you, the news continues. for others, check back with us later for the morning news and, of course, "cbs this morning." from the broadcast center here in new york city, i'm errol barnett. ♪ ♪

it's christmas morning. wednesday, december 25th, it's christmas morning. wednesday, december 25th, 2019. this is the "cbs morning news." it's christmas day. the holiest day for christians is being celebrated in many ways around the u.s. and around the world. the president verses the speaker. harsh words for nancy pelosi who he says is doing a disservice to the country over the impeachment delay. and more troubles for boeing. new internal documents reveal employee concerns over the safety of the now-grounded safety of the now-grounded boeing 737 max jets. captioning funded by cbs good morning from the studio 57 newsroom at cbs headqer