>> that is the overnight news for this thursday. it's thursday, december 3rd, 2020. this is the cb morning news. skyrocketing surge. new records set for covid vaccine deaths and hospitalizations. the cdc's urgent warning about the months ahead. breaking overnight, devastating landslides. several people are missing and homes crushed after heavy rain in south alaska. ready for take-off. a boeing 737-max goes on its first test flight after being grounded for nearly two years. how soon it will start flying american travelers. good morning. good to be with you. i'm ann-marie green. we're going to begin with the u.s. setting stunning new records as the coronavirus

crisis continues to worsen at an alarming rate. for the second time since the pandemic started, the number of daily cases topped 200,000 yesterday. more than 3100 people died from the illness, the single-worst daily death toll. and hospitalizations are also at an all-time high, passing the 100,000 mark for the first time. california has the highest number with just over 9300 covid cases. the state could run out of i.c.u. beds by christmas. debra joins us from washington. there is a disturbing prediction for death tolls in the coming months. >> reporter: yeah, ann-marie, it's heartbreaking to even say this. a top government official says 450,000 americans could die from the coronavirus by february. a dire warning from the head of the cdc. 200,000 americans may die from the coronavirus in just the next

two months. >> i actually believe they're going to be the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation. >> reporter: the number of americans currently hospitalized has passed 100,000 according to the covid tracking project. >> it's overwhelming and we're doing the best we can. >> the sickest you've ever seen in your life. >> reporter: help may soon be on the way pending emergency use authorizations from the fda, vaccines from pfizer and moderna could start shipping out to states this month. >> somewhere by december 15th there could be a vaccine in massachusetts and we should be able to start administering right away. >> reporter: the cdc recommends starting with health care workers and nursing homes. >> it's going to be a herculean effort to vaccinate 350,000 people. >> reporter: wisconsin will be among the first. >> we can get to them the time and give them the vaccine and help them live the rest of their lives relatively healthy.

>> reporter: beyond logistical challenges, health officials need to convince some people the vaccine is safe. >> absolutely i'm going to take it. >> reporter: former president barack obama told sirious xm host joe madison he'll assure the public. >> i may have it on tv or have it filmed so people will know. >> reporter: it won't be available until the spring. former president bush and bill clinton said they'll take it to encourage the public. >> debra in washington. thank you so much, debra. so president elect biden is calling on congress to pass a relief bill immediately. one server from michigan expressed her fear.

>> we feel hopeless. that's how we feel. we feel like there's like -- we don't know what tomorrow is going to bring, where there's any help going to come from. it's just an everyday struggle for us. >> mr. biden said his transition team is already working on how to address the economic crisis when he takes office. meantime, president trump recycled baseless claims of voter fraud in a bizarre 46-minute video released by the white house. no reporters were present as mr. trump ranted about overturning the election. >> we are going to defend the honesty of the vote by ensuring that every legal ballot is counted. and that no illegal ballot is counted. >> the president's comments come after his own attorney general william barr said there is no evidence of widespread voter

fraud. breaking overnight, an evacuation order was issued near san diego because of a growing brush fire. the wind fueled flames started last night in el cajon. that's about 20 minutes east of san diego. up to 15 acres have burned. there are reports that the fire spread to several homes. deputies went door to door trying to get people out of the surrounding area. no word on the cause of the fire. also breaking overnight, at least six people are missing in southeast alaska following two huge mudslides there. it happened in the community of haines. several homes were damaged. about 30 people were evacuated by boat. one mudslide measured two football fields across. heavy rain is falling in the area and rescue operations will continue today. it was a big day for american airlines and boeing. for the first time in nearly two years passengers flew on the 737-max. the jet liner was grounded

worldwide following two deadly crashes overseas. kris van cleave had a seat on the demo flight. >> reporter: back in the air with passengers aboard, we are on an american airlines 737-max as it takes off from dallas heading for tulsa, oklahoma. this is a demo flight. it's part of american's effort to get people comfortable flying on a max. it's the first time anyone from the public has been allowed to fly on this airplane since it was grounded 21 months ago. >> you krot that side, i can control this side. >> reporter: first its fleet of 24 max jets are undergoing extensive maintenance due to grounding and upgrades. how comfortable are you flying the 737-max? >> i'm very comfortable. i'm comfortable with the changes that have occurred. >> reporter: skapt peter gamble flew us to tulsa. >> we have the computer base and more importantly the simulator training which is what we should have had from the beginning. >> reporter: the max was grounded after two deadly

crashes linked to an install that killed 46 people. american will be the first to resume in the middle of the holiday travel rush. >> our pilots, flight attendants are all comfortable it's ready to get in the air. there's no reason to wait and hold it. >> bringing it back on route new year's, that's odd. i believe 737-max wants to get back in the air. it's more financially related than customer related. >> reporter: american says it will make clear in the booking process somebody is about to 0 book a 737-max. if they want to switch airplanes, there won't be a fee. it will go between miami and new york and back. kris van cleave, cbs news, dallas. >> coming up on the cbs morning

news. firefighters in boston saved two children and their mother from a burning building. and animal crack down. new rules on emotional support animals on airplanes. this is the cbs morning news. ready to juvéderm it? correct age-related volume loss in cheeks with juvéderm voluma xc, add fullness to lips with juvéderm ultra xc and smooth moderate to severe lines around the nose and mouth with juvéderm xc. tell your doctor if you have a history of scarring or are taking medicines that decrease the body's immune response or that can prolong bleeding. common side effects include injection-site redness, swelling, pain, tenderness, firmness, lumps, bumps, bruising, discoloration or itching. as with all fillers, there is a rare risk of unintentional injection into a blood vessel, which can cause vision abnormalities, blindness, stroke, temporary scabs or scarring. ( ♪ )

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donor funds. a court filing first reported by cnn shows that ivanka trump was interviewed tuesday by attorneys from washington, d.c.'s attorney general's office. she is a senior white house adviser. the suit claims more than $1 million was spent on improper payments to the trump hotel for event space during the inauguration. new york staten island advance says a protest was held outside a bar that refused to follow city and state coronavirus restrictions. mac's public house declared itself an autonomous zone in defiance of the rules to stop indoor dining. it is in an area designated as an orange zone because of an uptick in cases. indoor dining is prohibited but customers can eat outdoors and order take out. there is also a 10:00 p.m. curfew. the manager of the bar was arrested on tuesday for refusing to obey the rules. >> you can call it thumb in your nose. you can call it whatever you want. all they want to do is open their business and they felt this is the way that they had to go to do that.

and you're right, it is a protest at this point. it is saying, hey, you can't do this to us. we're americans. you can't just unilaterally shutdown our business when you can eat across the street. that's insane. it's insanity. >> staten island's infection rate has been among the highest in new york city. and the los angeles times says superstar lebron james has agreed to a two-year $85 million contract extension with the lakers. his previous contract could have allowed him to become a free agent next summer. the new deal keeps the nba's third leading scorer in history with the world champion lakers through the 2022-2023 season. still ahead now, kicking off christmas. the tree at rockefeller center is lit during a ceremony, but this year without an audience. ♪ joy to the world the lord is come ♪ ry conditions. because there are options. like an "unjection™".

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forecast in some cities around the country. >> 3. 2. 1. >> light it up! ♪ joy to the world the lord is come ♪ >> the holiday season is officially underway in new york. the rockefeller center christmas tree was lit last night during a ceremony with the flip of a switch, all 50,000 lights on the 75-foot norway spruce were turned on. usually thousands of people pack the plaza to watch the annual show. but this year it was closed to the public to adhere to social distancing protocols. on the cbs morning money watch, facebook could be hit by a major lawsuit and there are a million reasons for lady gaga fans to try a new oreo cookie. diane king hall is in new york with those stories and more. good morning, diane.

>> good morning, ann-marie. we'll get to lady gaga in a minute. investors will pay attention to a meeting of opec and its allies were oil producers will consider extending output cuts. stocks ended mixed yesterday. the dow gained 59 points. the nasdaq slipped 5. and the s&p 500 added 6 points, enough to close at another all-time high. a group of states led by new york is reportedly planning to sue facebook next week. reuters cites sources who say more than 40 states are investigating the social media giant for possible anti-trust violations. it's not clear what the states plan to include in their complaints, but facebook is ochbl accused of wanting to buy smaller potential rivals at a premium. facebook has not commented. some emotional support animals may not be allowed on flights soon. the transportation department issued a final ruling yesterday covering service animals. it says only dogs can qualify, and they have to be specifically trained to help a person with

disabilities. airlines believe some passengers were avoiding pet fees by calling their pets emotional support animals. the ruling takes effect in 30 days. a cookie just for you. lady gaga is out with a themed cook i based on the latest album chromatica. they have cream feeling. they feature designs inspired by the album on the w ashlafer. it will go on sale next month, while the full pack will hit stores more widely next year. ann-marie? >> cookie monsters, i like what you did right there. diane king hall, you're in new york. thank you so much, diane. >> you got it. >> up next, a dream job for fans of the royal family. britain's queen elizabeth is hiring. we'll tell you the skills you'll need for the job.

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here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. some quick action by a man passing by on a jet ski saved the life of a dolphin. caught in an under water cage in florida. the man was riding his jet ski last week when he noticed a dolphin having difficulty swimming. his go-pro video shows him struggling with the dolphin at

first. took the man and a friend about ten minutes to cut a rope wrapped around the dolphin to free it. and afterwards, a pod of seven dolphins swam alongside his jet ski. he said he thinks they were thanking him. as the nba gets ready to start a new season, the league says 48 players tested positive for the coronavirus since testing resumed last week. 546 players were tested winn november 24th and the 30th. the league says any player testing positive will be isolated. teams will play in their home venues and travel across the country when the new season starts later on this month. when the season resuchld earlier this year, all games were played in florida. and a doctor treating coronavirus patients in california knows all too well how to battle an opponent. rachel bueller van hollen beck competed in the world's soccer cup. she it graduated from medical school last year and began her

residency at a san diego-area hospital a few months before the pandemic began. she is now seeing the impact of the coronavirus firsthand. >> i don't want to be like a fearful person, but it is a very, very real disease and it is very dangerous. every patient you encounter, you're prepared in case somebody is covid positive. >> her great-great grandfather, grandfather and father were also doctors and so is her little sister. here's a job opportunity that does not come around very often. queen elizabeth is looking to hire a new personal assistant in the private secretary's office in buckingham palace. the person will be in charge of managing requests, yord nating meetings and appointments and drafting correspondence. it comes with a two-year contract and a salary of almost $50,000 a year. coming up on "cbs this morning," now, director francis ford copola talks with anthony mason in his interview about his new cut of the godfather part 3.

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our top stories this morning, the u.s. is setting disturbing new records in the coronavirus crisis. yesterday more than 3100 people died from the illness, a new daily record. hospitalizations are also at an all-time high, passing the 100,000 mark. the number of daily cases topped 200,000 yesterday. the second time since the start of the pandemic. and at least six people are missing in southeast alaska and four homes were crushed in multiple landslides. this happened in haines, just north of juneau. 9 feet of mud and trees were covering one part of the town which is being slammed by torrential rain. and rescue operations will continue today. the pandemic has certainly changed almost every aspect of

life, and that has many people leaning on an old holiday tradition for a sense of normalcy. nancy chen reports. >> dad, look at this one. >> reporter: the myers family looked long and hard to find the right christmas tree. it's a scene playing out at tree sellers nationwide. seems the pandemic has people getting into the holiday spirit. >> how about this one here? >> people are cooped up in their houses looking for something they can do. >> reporter: and that's leading to a boost in business. >> we knew people were going to come out. but we didn't know. >> reporter: 21% of people said they were more likely to get a real tree after having an artificial tree or no tree at all. why is that? >> no doubt because of the stress of the pandemic. >> reporter: doug with the national christmas tree association says the desire to decorate follows a trend seen all year. >> the nation's garden centers

just had their best year in decades. landscaping, and we hope and think that it can lead right into a big rating year with real leaves, gar lands. >> reporter: there's been a shortage of trees because of the economy, fire and drought. some sellers are concerned about supplies, but right now most are well stocked giving the myers family plenty of options. >> this year 's christmas tree, it's been a rough year and you're going to bring us through christmas. >> reporter: appreciation for a christmas to remember during a year many would like to forget. nancy chen, cbs news, new york. >> well, coming up on "cbs this morning," we talk with surgeon general jerome adams about how he's getting americans on board to get a coronavirus vaccine. plus in our school matters

series, the debate over renaming schools that are named after confederal leaders. how one school took on the issue. and the hollywood director talks with anthony mason about his part in godfather part 3. that's the cbs morning news. thanks for watching. i'm ann-marie green. have a great day.