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 headquarters here in new york. good to be with you.

i'm wendy gillette in for anne-marie green. president trump is in florida for the holidays, but that's not stopping him from ramping up new attacks on house speaker nancy pelosi. he lashed out at her again yesterday for withholding the house-passed articles of impeachment from the senate. chip reid is traveling with the president. merry christmas, fantastic job. >> reporter: president trump sent christmas greetings to service members stationed around the globe, then took questions from the press. he bitterly criticized house speaker nancy pelosi for leading the charge on impeachment. >> she's doing a tremendous disservice to the country. she's not doing a good job. >> reporter: pelosi has refused to send the articles of impeachment to the senate until she's convinced the senate trial will be fair. the president said that's not up to her, it's up to senate republican leader mitch mcconnell. >> he has the right to do whatever he wants.

he's the head of the senate. >> reporter: the president was also asked about north korean leader kim jong-un's promise of a christmas gift which intelligence sources fear could mean a test of an intercontinental ballistic missile. that would be a major setback in the president's campaign to convince kim to denuclearize. this satellite image from last week shows a new structure at a factory where north korea is believed to be manufacturing mobile launchers for long-range missiles. >> we'll find out what the surprise is, and we'll deal with it very successfully. let's see what happens. everybody's got surprises for me. >> reporter: in an apparent joke, the president said maybe kim really will give him a gift. >> maybe it's a present where he sends me a beautiful vase. >> reporter: chip reid, cbs news, west palm beach, florida. democratic presidential contender michael bloomberg cut ties with a firm using prisoners to make calls for his campaign. the online news site the intercept reported that bloomberg's campaign contracted company.

cin at least one instance, oklahoma inmates were reportedly used to make calls on behalf of the campaign. the former new york city mayor said his campaign was unaware of the arrangement and immediately cut ties with the company once it found out. new internal documents being reviewed by a congressional panel apparently show boeing employees were concerned about the grounded 737 max aircraft. the documents were provided by boeing to a house transportation committee and the faa on monday. an aide who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the documents reveal concerns over boeing's commitment to safety. they also reportedly reveal efforts by some employees to ensure the company's production plans were not disrupted. boeing said it provided the documents as part of its commitment to transparency. the 737 max aircraft is linked to two deadly crashes. millions of people around the world are celebrating christmas. pope francis marked the holiday

during a packed christmas eve mass at st. peter's basilica. he told the faithful that god loves everyone, even the worst of us. back here at home, cardinal timothy doland led midnight mass at new york's st. patrick's cathedral. marc liverman is in new york. how are other people commemorating this holy day? >> reporter: hey, good morning, wendy. well, for the millions of americans who celebrate christmas, so much of the holiday is about tradition. everything for picking out the perfect tree to watching your favorite christmas movie or catching a parade. as people ring in christmas around the world, even though traditions vary, they all share at least two things -- love and joy. ♪ from st. peter's basilica in the vatican -- [ speaking foreign language ] -- to bethlehem's manger square, christians around the world flock to historic locations for midnight mass.

ushering in christmas. buckingham palace shared video of queen elizabeth preparing christmas pudding with her son, prince charles and princes william and george. >> we've got a great year -- >> reporter: stateside, the president and first lady attended a christmas eve service in west palm beach near his mar-a-lago resorort. ♪ up north, residents and politicians in d.c. gathered at the national cathedral, and at new york's st. patrick's cathedral, several tourists had to celebrate outside, not realizing to reserve a spot they had to have submitted their name in a lottery back in september. >> going to get something to eat and try to come back and join the line. >> reporter: elsewhere, local traditions kicked off the holiday. bonfires in gariville, louisiana, lit the way for the cajun father christmas. this year, artists created this massive wooden alligator they set ablaze. >> blood, sweat, and bonfires,

which is our group, started doing unique bonfires for the last ten years. >> reporter: the hands-down winner for the most out-of-this-world celebration do have an unfair advantage. the crew of the international space station. >> happy holidays. >> reporter: and just in case you were wondering, the iss crew got a christmas care package from earth. it included smoked salmon, fruitcake, and hot apple cider. one of the astronauts was quoted as saying "we had to come all the way to space to try to get away from fruitcake, but it didn't work, we got some anyway." wendy? >> that's a great story. merry christmas, marc liverman. >> merry christmas, wendy. >> in new york. thank you so much. uber co-founder travis kalanick is cashing out. kalanick had already been fired as ceo back in 2017 after an investigation found he oversaw a culture of widespread sexual harassment. now he's resigning from uber's

board of directors and selling off his stock. it's estimated to be worth about $2.5 billion. uber employs nearly four million drivers around the world. police are searching for a man accused in a double murder outside a bar in nashville. this is a newly released image of michael moseley. police say he killed 22-year-old clay beathard and 21-year-old paul trapeni after a fight over a woman. beathard was the brother of a quarterback for the san francisco 49ers. surveillance video from an hour before the murders has been released. he's considered armed and dangerous. anti-government protests devolved into chaos in hong kong on christmas eve. that's the sound of teargas canisters that were used to disperse the crowds.

they set fires and set up barricades in some of the busiest shopping districts. people inside malls were tackled, arrested, and beaten with batons. the latest in a series of pro-democracy demonstrations going back to june. coming up on the "morning news," a century-old christmas tradition where radishes are used to create elaborate religious scenes. and two families connected to the same stranger who gave them the ultimate holiday present. the gift of life. this is the "cbs morning news." esenent.t. the g gifift t ofof lifife. she's so beautiful. janie, come here. check this out. let me see. she looks... kind of like me. yeah. that's because it's your grandma when she was your age. oh wow. that's...that's amazing. oh and she was on the debate team. yeah, that's probably why you're the debate queen. - mmhmm. - i'll take that. look at that smile. i have the same dimples as her. yeah. the same placements and everything. unbelievable.

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christmas eve. now to the story of a man who's truly given of himself to help those in need. not once but twice. kenneth craig reports. >> reporter: joe doesn't think of himself as a hero, but few have ever done what he did. recently donating two organs to two strangers in need. >> next to becoming a dad, this is the best thing i've ever done, best thing that's happened to me. >> reporter: a pretty big statement. >> it is, but it's an opportunity that i wish more people had. >> reporter: joe who lives in maryland wasn't even an organ donor when he read a desperate plea for a kidney in a prayer group. he was so moved he offered one of his to the stranger in new york, fred howe, suffering from kidney disease and running out of time. >> i'm kind of overwhelmed. >> reporter: the donation saved fred's life. he thinks of joe now as a brother. >> i never thought that this would happen. could never have dreamt it.

could never have made this -- this story up. >> reporter: the story doesn't end there. >> i told people afterwards, if i could do this again, i would. >> reporter: and he did. a year after donating his kidney, joe gave part of his liver to an infant in ohio struggling to survive. brittany kutcher's daughter, katelyn. >> i just thought it was amazing that a person would do that for somebody they don't even know. >> reporter: the family had the opportunity to thank him in person after the surgery. >> got a really, really, really good heart. and he is family now. >> reporter: the transplant was done at cleveland clinic using a minimally invasive technique. the doctor hopes these medical advances encourage people to consider donating. >> you can increase the safety of living donor. i think that is very, very important for the person who are thinking about organ donation. >> reporter: joe is now one of who have given twice as a living donor.

>> i have connections to people that i couldn't have any other way. i just feel like i got to be part of something so good. >> reporter: giving the grandfather more time to spend with his family and a little girl the chance to grow up. kenneth craig, cbs news, huntingtown, maryland. >> what a gift. coming up, if your child is still asking for a pony for the holidays, look no further. a place where you can help save the life of a horse and take one home at greatly reduced prices. y reduced prices. you. so this holiday season treat him the best. show them love this holiday with tasty blue buffalo treats. available wherever you buy pet food.

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here's a look at the forecast in some cities around the country. ♪ ♪ consider this story our christmas gift to you. it's kittens in holiday sweaters. these are actually rescue kittens at a shelter called crumbs and whiskers in washington, d.c. they're at an event to help them get adopted. they're so small, their sweaters were made using tube socks. visitors say it's like therapy to spend time with cats. and the cats seem to like it, too. christmas is a time of giving. if a child you know wants a pony, you have officially run out of excuses. here's john blackstone.

>> reporter: in a remote wind-swept part of northern california, megan highnote and her kids have come to get a horse at the corrals. >> a christmas present. >> reporter: with a t to choose from, megan got the horse she always wanted. >> she's a carmello, a solid white with blue eyes. we've been looking for one for a long time. i haven't been able to afford the $4,000 to $6,000 ones that look just like her. >> reporter: she got this mare at the right price. >> it's $125 to adopt him. so it's not that bad -- >> reporter: a great deal. >> we have some amazing horses available. the double devil horse corrals. >> reporter: the horses held in devil's garden are managed by the forest service and need homes. that's why kevin sandusky is selling hard. >> there are currently over 240 horses here of all ages, sizes, colors. the horse of your dreams is in this corral right now. we just need you to come out and pick him up. >> reporter: during summer roundups on government land, 1,000 wild horses were removed.

there are more than 4,000 horses grazing here on the rocky plateau. when we met ken sandusky last year, he pointed to the impacts they're having. how high should this be? >> there's some examples around here where it's probably three or four inches. when it gets grazed down to the nub, there's no vegetation left. you can see how they're dying out. >> reporter: ranchers who lost their leases to graze cattle here sued to reduce the number of horses on the land. wild horse advocates are also suing, arguing the horses are iconic and could be sold for slaughter. >> most americans love horses, and they don't want to see america's iconic wild horses rounded up and sold for human consumption abroad. >> reporter: efforts to appease both sides have fallen to the forest service. on open house tours and on social media, there is plenty to look at by anyone who would be a good fit. >> you have a year before you receive title on that horse, and in that time, you'll be asked to

show that you are taking good care of that horse. the facility requirements, the horse needs a 20 by 20 enclosure and a walk-in barn, a three-sided barn. >> reporter: megan has all that on the ranch she helps manager in oregon. the horses here are believed to be descendants of domesticated horses, but generations of living on their own have made them wild. and now the challenge is to tame them. >> this is definitely my diamond in the rough. this will be my holiday gift for the next couple of years. >> reporter: and she says it won't be her last. john blackstone, cbs news, san francisco. still ahead, a royal snapshot. the cambridge kids with their dad, prince william, in a newly released picture. a newly released picture. honey, can you get the snacks?

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here's a look at the forecast in some cities around the country. ♪

♪ no sleigh bells ringing here. instead it was sun, surf, and santa hats as many down under woke up to celebrate a christmas tradition in australia. crowds swelled at sydney's famous bondi beach. tourists traded icy weather for a little festive fun in the sun. there was even a christmas tree. in baghdad, protesters built a christmas tree out of iraqi flags in solidarity with the christian population. they installed it in tahrir square, the epicenter of iraq's anti-government protest movement. demonstrators said they wanted to mark the holiday despite violent clashes. more than 425 people have died since the uprising shook iraq in october. christmas turned to chaos in the philippines after a typhoon slammed the country.

strong winds and heavy rains caused massive damage. local media reports at least 100 homes were destroyed. more than 4,000 people were evacuated in parts of the country. more than 20,000 passengers and 157 vessels were stranded in ports. no deaths have been reported. kensington palace has released a new royal photo in time for christmas. the black and white image was taken by the duchess of cambridge. it captures her husband, prince william, kissing his youngest son along with the little prince's siblings, princess charlotte and prince george. it was snapped earlier this year while the family was in norfolk, england. coming up on "cbs this morning," actress lea michelle is in studio 57 to talk about her christmas memories and her first holiday album. i'm wendy gillette. this is the "cbs morning news." te. this is the "cbs morning news." ♪

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♪ our top story this morning, billions of people around the globe are celebrating christmas. at the vatican, pope francis celebrated mass at st. peter's basilica. he reminded the faithful that god loves everyone. bethlehem worshippers packed the church of the nativity, birth place of jesus. the town held the annual christmas eve parade drawing visitors from many different countries. back here at home, cardinal timothy doland led midnight mass at new york's st. patrick's cathedral. for many the holidays begin by picking out a christmas tree. when an oregon farmer's lives uprooted, his community showed what the holiday season is really about. here is mark strassmann. look at that one! >> reporter: year after year in

medford, oregon, the warmth of christmas begins at the yuca tree farm. 76-year-old larry ryerson owns the farm. his kindness is the ornament that comes with every tree. >> they say this is their tradition, and we're here for their tradition. >> wherever we go there, larry's there giving us a big hug. hey, how are you? >> reporter: ask the hurd family. >> when you go there and get a tree, you know it's been taken care of, and it's personal. >> reporter: but this year, larry ryerson was the person who needed to be taken care of. his house burned down on july 4th. >> lost all my farm equipment, all the tree farm stuff. >> reporter: you were thinking, what am i going do? >> yeah, yeah. we're done. we're done. yeah. >> reporter: this community wasn't going to let that happen. >> he's a personal friend -- >> i've known larry pretty much my whole life. >> kind of a family deal. >> reporter: they gathered around the christmas tree

farmer, donating four wheelers, generators, and bow saws. >> he has enough friends that we were going to get together and make it happen. >> reporter: ryerson sold 900 trees the first weekend. >> response was just -- just tremendous. a lot of friends and -- and relatives, you know. >> reporter: you touched a lot of families over the years, and they wanted to help. >> i don't know how to repay them. >> reporter: he already has. >> merry christmas. >> reporter: his trees will greet them once again on christmas morning. mark strassmann, cbs news, medford, oregon. coming up on "cbs this morning," bishop michael curry who gave the sermon at the royal wedding last year joins us to talk about the role of religion and the true meaning of christmas. plus, we'll meet a new hampshire woman who's made it her mission to spread the holiday spirit to service members far from home. and actress lea michelle is

in studio 57 to talk about her christmas memories and her first holiday album. that's the "cbs morning news" for this wednesday. thanks for watching. i'm wendy gillette. have a merry christmas. ♪