good shape is at its lowest point this year. today the president tried changing their minds. >> we're experiencing the strongest economic recovery in the world. >> reporter: ahead of thanksgiving, the president and first lady served meals -- prepared meals at a community kitchen here in washington today. they're flying tonight to nantucket island off of massachusetts where the biden family traditionally celebrates the holiday. norah? >> ed o'keefe, thank you. well, tonight some news as more than 18 million kids 5 and older have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine. but health experts say that's not enough. there is actually new data that finds a sharp increase in the number of coronavirus cases in children. more than 140,000 children tested positive for covid between november 11 and november 18th. that is up 32% from about two weeks ago. all right. overseas tonight, lockdowns are in place in parts of europe, where covid is surging. the state department has issued new travel advisories, urging

americans not to travel to germany and denmark due to the high level of cases in both countries. well, tonight cbs' charlie d'agata reports on the outbreaks sweeping across europe. >> reporter: covid has come back with a fury and with it increasing rage against strict new lockdowns. rioting broke out in the netherlands. police in brussels unleashed water cannons and tear gas. tens of thousands have demonstrated in austria. not only against a new lockdown this week, but the order to make vaccinations compulsory by february 1. austria has one of the lowest vaccination rates in europe and one of the highest infection rates. per capita, mother than five times worse than the united states. numbers are spiking in poland too. inside this icu ward, the only empty bed we found had been left by an elderly woman who just died. eastern european countries like

poland have been especially hard hit, recording their highest daily infection rate since last april. and covid intensive care units like this are filling up once again. we're told the unvaccinated make up 99% of the fatalities here. >> how many patients will survive? how many will die? >> generally, i don't know, about 20% will survive. >> reporter: 20% survive? >> yes. >> reporter: none of them have been vaccinated? >> yes. >> reporter: back here in the uk, they've largely been spared these huge numbers in europe. scientists here believe that's down to mass testing and the fact that far more people here have had a vaccine and booster shots. norah? >> charlie d'agata, thank you. the "cbs overnight news" will be right back.

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cbs news exclusive. we take you inside the hunt on the high seas for drug traffickers. coast guard crews have recently seized tons of narcotics, but still america's streets are flooded with dangerous drugs, including a new opioid that is more powerful than fentanyl. here is cbs' jeff pegues. >> reporter: this 26,000-pound cocaine haul has a street value of over half a billion dollars. seized during multiple operations in the pacific ocean. where increased enforcement is g drug smurs tr o routes to the >> it's a constant game of cat and mouse. >> reporter: tony investigations in miami. are they looking for weak spots in law enforcement? >> the drug trafficking organizations, the cartels, they're always looking for the easiest points of entry. >> reporter: the vast waters of the caribbean are now ground zero, where over the past three years cocaine seizures have more than tripled.

to intercept drug boats, coast guard teams train relentlessly. we're off the coast of miami on awes coast guard small boat. this is one of dozens of motorized vessels that they use to track down the drug runners. the most dangerous seizures involve the coast guard tactical law enforcement team. frank florio commands one of the units. how dangerous is it out there? >> it's very dangerous. >> reporter: the surge in the caribbean comes as the u.s. is facing a record number of deaths from fentanyl and a new opioid strain that's more deadly. >> we have to try to stop this poison from hitting the streets. >> reporter: so this is the vault? >> yes. >> reporter: the seized drugs end up in this heavily secured secret location where the count is in the millions. so how many bricks of cocaine? >> there is about 800 bricks of cocaine. this weight you have about $42 million street value of cocaine.

>> reporter: from this command center, agent salisbury keeps watch. what are they looking at on the screens here? >> air traffic and boat traffic coming towards the florida straits. >> reporter: trying to stop the supply chain feeding america's seemingly insatiable demand for illegal drugs. jeff pegues, cbs news, miami. >> all right. aa estimates that more than 53 million people will hit the roads, the airports and the train stations for the thanksgiving holiday. air travel is expected to be up 80% over last year's dramatic fall during the pandemic. cbs' errol barnett has exclusive access to how one major airline, delta, is preparing at one of the world's busiest airports. >> reporter: it's a rarely seen room. a nerve center so crucial it never closed during the pandemic. delta airlines's 24/7 operational control center, or occ is staffed by up to 300 people. tonight monitoring more than 463,000 passengers with 97,000 flying through atlanta alone.

something goes wrong on an aircraft, who does the pilot call? >> the captain instantly meckes me. >> reporter: chris nunes is a dispatcher who plans and tracks dozens of flights at once. if a passenger is disruptive, he has the authority to divert the plane. >> i am the safety person on the ground. so i share the responsibility with the captain to ensure that the flight is safe at all times. >> and this right here is critical. >> reporter: nunes works with people like retired marine captain mark garner, who after 14 years just earned thanksgiving off. >> it's competitive just to get to delta as a pilot. >> reporter: there is also stiff competition to work in the occ, which today is overseeing 4,000 flights. heather heitzman leads 26 meteorologists and says posts here are prestigious, with staffers staying until retirement. she's been here 16 years. >> out west, we do have the next system that we're watching that is starting to kick up in the northern rockies. >> reporter: how many flights have you had to cancel this

week? >> zero. >> reporter: as a 36-year veteran of the company, barnett smith manages fleet schedules and says this time of year is intense. >> there is a little more pressure to get everybody home for thanksgiving. >> reporter: now delta expects to fly more than 478,000 passengers tomorrow, and more than 550,000 on sunday. that's a pandemic record for the airline. also, united and american airlines expect the sunday after thanksgiving to be their busiest travel days, norah, since the pandemic began. >> really interesting to see how it all works. errol barnett, thank you. there is a lot more news ahead on the "cbs overnight news." the latest on that outbreak of smash and grab store robberies, and a man walks free after serving more than 40 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit.

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clerk: hello, how can i? sore throat pain? ♪honey lemon♪ try vicks vapocool drops. in honey lemon chill. for fast-acting sore throat relief. wooo vaporize sore throat pain with vicks vapocool drops. a wave of brazen smash and grab attacks is targeting luxury stores. in los angeles, thieves broke into a nordstrom's last evening. and on saturday night, 80 robbers stormed a nordstrom in walnut creek, california, taking as much as $200,000 in goods. and thieves grabbed an estimated $120,000 in merchandise from a louis vuitton store last week. at least six people have been arrested in those robberies. an update on a story cbs news has covered for months. a man who spent more than 40 years if prison for three murders he did not commit is now free. a missouri judge ruled that kevin strickland, now 62 years old, was wrongfully convicted of the killings in 1979.

strickland said he wants to visit his mother's grave and see the ocean, which he says he's never done before. all right. coming up next, meet the

it can be said that some people find their calling late in life, and sometimes in the least likely of places. cbs' jamie yuccas reports. >> have you ever had a krispy kreme? >> reporter: a simple question. >> was it crispy? >> reporter: over 7 million views. >> all right. >> reporter: on a platform unfamiliar to octogenarian annie korzen until recently. >> i've always been for the most part an unemployed actor and an underpublished writer. i am now having more success in those two things than i've had in my whole life. >> reporter: she attributes much of that success to her decades' younger best friend and producer mackenzie morrison. you're 82.

>> yep. >> reporter: and mackenzie is? >> 32. >> we don't fill it a bit. >> reporter: a mutual desire to bring korzen's finely aged wisdom to a new audience. >> i'm not a big fan of good tastes. >> reporter: the two often shoot 10 to 15 tiktok videos in one day. >> so everything is completely spontaneous. i never know what she is going to do before i start hitting record. i love when they make you laugh! >> i would like the change people's minds about what it is to be old. i'm still active. i'm still learning new things. and i'm not the only one. >> it's time for some great power. >> 80 is the new 37. >> reporter: great power indeed. jamie yuccas, cbs news, los angeles. >> and that's the "overnight news" for this wednesday. for some of you, the news continues. for others, check back later for "cbs mornings." and follow us online any time at cbsnews.com. reporting from our nation's capital, i'm norah o'donnell.

this is cbs news flash. i'm elise preston in new york. a florida medical examiner has ruled brian laundrie died by suicide. laundrie's remains were found last month following a nationwide manhunt and discovery of his murdered fiancee, 22-year-old gabby petito. an ohio jury found walmart, cvs to blame for contributing to the opioid crisis in parts of the state. according to the lawsuit filed, the three pharmacy chains recklessly distributed massive amounts of pain pills resulting in hundreds of overdose deaths. a federal judge will determine how much the pharmacies will pay in damages. and tv host michael strahan will be on board the next blue origin flight into space. the group of six is set to

launch next month. for more news, download the cbs news app on your cell phone or connected tv. i'm elise preston, cbs news, new york. >>ouncise "cbs >> good evening and thank you for joining us. we want to begin with a tragic update in that deadly attack on a christmas parade in wisconsin. a sixth victim has died. an 8-year-old boy named jackson sparks. five adults were also killed, ranging in age from 52 to 81 years old. there is also some more breaking news. the number of people injured has jumped to more than 60. darrell brooks is now facing six counts of intentional homicide and will likely face additional charges. his bail time this time is set at $5 million. just days before the parade, brooks made bail at a thousand dollars for allegedly trying to

run over the mother of his child using the very same suv that plowed into all those people in waukesha. he has a lengthy criminal history and also was wanted in nevada for failing to register as a sex offender. brooks was convicted in 2006 of fathering a child in nevada with a 15-year-old girl. cbs' david begnaud leads off our coverage with all the late-breaking news. good evening, david. >> good evening, norah. police insist this was an intentional act. they say the suspect was swerving side to side, trying to hit as many people as possible, even picking up his speed. after he allegedly did that, he ditched his vehicle and he ran to this home behind me, and he knocked on the door. right there is a shivering darrell brooks, moments after leaving the scene of the carnage he allegedly created, knocking on daniel rider's front door. >> hey, i called the uber and i'm supposed to be waiting for it over here, but i don't know when it is coming.

>> reporter: rider says he was just watching football, unaware of the tragedy that happened a half mile away. >> he was telling me oh, is there something going on downtown. i was like there is a parade today i know. he was completely putting on a face and lying about everything. >> reporter: so he even brought up that there was something going on downtown. >> he did. >> reporter: rider helped. made him a sandwich. gave him a jacket. let him use his cell phone that brooks could call his mother. >> started getting real nervous when i see a cop drive by. that to me, okay, man, you said your uber would be here three minutes ago. you got to leave. >> reporter: he says he was totally unaware of the manhunt for brooks. >> when i'm getting messages to shelter in place and there is a suspect on the loose, he's got the phone and is getting those messages. i'm oblivious. >> hands up! put your hands where i can see them! >> whoa, whoa, whoa! >> reporter: moments later, police rush in and arrest books. >> do you know this guy? >> absolutely not. >> reporter: today brooks made his first court appearance. >> everything was done to get him to stop, and he just simply continued down the roadway, causing death and destruction in his path.

>> reporter: his criminal history reveals a violent past. earlier this month, the 39-year-old allegedly ran over his child's mother. the night of the parade, he was free on a $1,000 bail. john kulich, whose wife jane was killed at the parade is furious about that. >> i wanted the world to know what was taken. she was a beautiful person. >> reporter: she was a mother and a grandmother. and as he looked through their wedding photos, he told us about how good she was to her family. >> her routine. that was my partner. i needed her. i -- i've always needed her. and they need her too. >> reporter: john says he can't stop thinking about this. on the day of the parade, he and jane went to church together. and you know what the sermon was about? great couples in history who were better together. norah, pope francis has said he is praying for the strength of these families and he is praying

good will overcome evil. >> so many people praying for those families. david begnaud, thank you. well, tonight the city of brunswick, georgia is anxiously awaiting a jury's verdict in the ahmaud arbery murder trial. three white men are accused of chasing down and murdering the 25-year-old black man, claiming they were trying to make a citizen's arrest. cbs' omar villafranca is at the courthouse. >> reporter: ahmaud arbery's mother said a prayer and walked into court as the state delivered its closing rebuttal, before handing the case to the jury. >> when three people chase an unarmed man in two pickup trucks with guns in order to violate his personal liberty, who gets to claim i'm not really responsible for that? under the law in georgia, no one gets to say that. everybody is responsible. >> reporter: prosecutor linda dunikoski had the last word, telling the jury that even though travis mcmichael shot and killed ahmaud arbery, gregory mcmichael and william "roddie" bryan are just as guilty for

chasing arbery in their trucks. >> it doesn't actually matter who pulled the trigger. under the law, they're all guilty, even of malice murder. >> reporter: of the nine women and three men on the jury, only one of them is black. they're deliberating nine counts against each defendant that include murder and aggravated assault. defense attorneys say they feel good about their case. >> we'll see what the jury feels is justice, and we will accept the verdict, whatever it is. >> in an appeal, we're going win. i don't know what y'all are talking about. roddie is walking out of that courthouse today. >> reporter: the arbery family is cautiously optimistic for conviction. >> i know we're going to get the verdict on these men. >> god has brought us this far, and he is not going fail us now. we will get justice for ahmaud. >> reporter: the jury deliberated for more than six hours tonight. the foreperson told the judge they're working toward a verdict, but they will go home tonight. and deliberations will pick up tomorrow morning. norah? >> omar villafranca, thank you

very much. well, those who are driving to their thanksgiving destination will pay a lot more for gas today. aaa says the average of $3.40 is up more than 60% this year. president biden plans to cut fuel costs by tapping into the country's strategic reserves. we have more now from cbs' ed o'keefe. >> reporter: the pain at the pump is being felt by americans nationwide. >> now for this car it's almost $100. so, yes, it's insane. >> reporter: so tonight president biden is trying to rein in prices with a bold move. >> i will do what needs to be done to reduce the price you pay at the pump. >> reporter: 50 million barrels of oil will be released from the nation's reserves. that's a drop in the bucket since the u.s. uses about 18 million barrels a day. that was news to the energy secretary. >> how many barrels of oil does the u.s. consume per day? >> i don't have that number in front of me. >> reporter: but jennifer granholm said the oil will be released gradually. >> so we're hopeful that prices

will be stabilized and start to move down. >> reporter: the release is in coordination with at least five other major economies. and it's something that has been done just three times before, but only in response to war or natural disaster. today's moves come as gas prices are hitting a seven-year high amid soaring inflation. it's affecting people like leanne cherry, who owns a cattle farm near nashville. she has had to raise her beef prices to pay for increased costs. >> we haven't had to do that probably since 2015. ans,o soof tts. >> reporter: and that's why the percentage of americans believing the american is in good shape is at its lowest point this year. today the president tried changing their minds. >> we're experiencing the strongest economic recovery in the world. >> reporter: ahead of thanksgiving, the president and first lady served meals -- prepared meals at a community kitchen here in washington today. they're flying tonight to nantucket island off of massachusetts where the biden family traditionally celebrates

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♪ >> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." >> i'm catherine herridge in washington. thanks for staying with us. thanksgiving is tomorrow, and if you're not already at your destination, you can expect heavy traffic on the highways and long lines at the airport security gates. air travel has nearly returned to prepandemic level, and that's proving a major challenge for both the airlines and the tsa. errol barnett reports from atlanta's hartsfield jackson international airport. >> a busy travel time like this is hectic. >> reporter: it's one of the first steps in air travel, and the tsa officer, her goal is to help get tens of thousands of

travelers through security smoothly. >> we absolutely celebrate when it's all over and we can kind of slow down and breathe a little for delta airlines, it's game time. >> this is our super bowl, every year. thanksgiving week is when we see our peak travel demand. >> reporter: mark sparks is delta's vp of oranges here. >> it may look like chaos to the average person, but there is a ballet that's taking place here. >> reporter: at any given moment, there is dozens of aircraft and support trucks, plus thousands of airline and airport staff all coordinating in realtime. this area is what passengers don't see. on this day, some 80,000 pieces of checked luggage will be sorted, then loaded on to planes. >> make us happy that everything is finally getting back to normal. >> reporter: camryn dis thrille to see the increasing number of holiday travelers this year. but some airlines have struggled to get their footing during the resurgence of travel during the

pandemic. southwest and american airlines were hit with major cancellations last month, and many crews continue to deal with the rise in violent confrontations amid mask mandates. >> last year wasn't pretty. it was a dramatic change for us. but one thing we didn't fold. we didn't give up. we didn't call it quits. >> reporter: delta says on monday they had more than 4,000 flights system-wide, and are almost at prepandemic levels. this travel rush is rewarding for former marine and 737 captain mark garner. >> one of the more gratifying things about flying on the holidays is, you know, at the end of the day, we're going down the escalator and we see families and friends getting together. >> reporter: and all this is to help you get to where you need to be this holiday season. >> i'm excited to just see my mom, physically give her a hug after two years almost. >> reporter: love the reunion. so the next time you look out

the aircraft windows, spare a thought for the ground crew who only have 45 minutes to unload and reload the aircraft and they do it each and err day no matter the weather. >> errol barnett reporting. when your thanksgiving dinner is cleaned up and the leftovers are packed away, it's time to start thinking about christmas, and there is already a shortage of christmas trees, both real and artificial. nikki battiste has that story. >> reporter: for nearly 30 years, the vandervalk park and winery in massachusetts has been a destination for families searching for the perfect christmas tree. but this year it will be quiet here. casey vandervalk is the farm's owner. would you say there is a cut your own christmas tree crisis this year? >> there is. >> reporter: last christmas, during the height of the pandemic, the demand for a real tree was higher than normal, and vandervalk oversold, cutting into this year's supply. >> there are not enough trees to

actually open. >> reporter: so you're closed for this season? >> we're closed for the season. how many trees do you have on your land? >> we have 10,000 trees in the field right now. >> wow. >> reporter: but the majority of them aren't the right height yet. it takes between seven and 15 years for the trees to grow tall enough to sell. >> yeah, so that tree is five years old. >> reporter: five years? >> exactly. >> reporter: farmers across the country are dealing with shortages for the same reason vandervalk is, coupled with excessive rain. >> when we go through the fields and all the small trees have died because they just sat -- the roots sat in the water and just couldn't dry out to grow. >> reporter: are you worried about the climate change impact on your business in the years to come? >> oh, absolutely. because we've had a lot more rain lately. >> reporter: there are around 15,000 christmas tree farms in the u.s., and each year americans purchase approximately 25 to 30 million real christmas trees. how would you describe how a

christmas tree symbolizes christmas in the holidays? >> that's hard. it's definitely -- it symbolizes family. and that's -- i mean. >> reporter: this year there is also an artificial tree shortage due to supply chain issues. about 85% of americans who celebrate christmas put up an artificial tree. this isn't the year to procrastinate. >> it is not for sure. >> reporter: matt carmen is the founder and ceo of balsam hill, a popular artificial tree company. what is going on with the supply chain that makes it so difficult now to get a tree? >> what we're seeing this year is that american consumers are buying more than ever before of big durable items, things like couch, exercise equipment, artificial christmas trees. and so we're trying bring in more products into the country than our ports are designed to

handle. so everything is getting delayed. >> reporter: harman told us he is now paying about 300% more to bring his artificial trees to the u.s. from asia, where they're produced. and that cost is being passed on to consumers. they've had to increase prices this year about 20%. as for vandervalk, his family's homemade wine business and last year's sales will keep them afloat. but being closed for the christmas season for the first time in nearly three decade series still hard to accept. i have to say, just being here and seeing it empty, knowing it will stay opportunistic this year, it's sad. >> it is sad. don't do that. you're going to make me cry. >> reporter: oh, sorry. it's sad. you can feel that joy that sort of permeates through your property and your business. so it's hard to imagine. >> we definitely enjoy doing it. >> reporter: vandervalk also purchases extra large trees from a wholesaler in north carolina

in addition to his cut your own trees. he says that farmer is also facing a shortage. vandervalk says they plan to be open next year, but depending on his trees that. >> may shorten their selling season. nikki battiste, cbs news, new york. >> the "overnight news" will be right back. you have always loved vicks vapors. and now you'll really love new vicks' vapostick. it goes on clear and dries quickly. no mess. just the soothing vicks' vapor for the whole family. introducing new vicks vapostick. such tree-mendous views. i'm at a moss for words. when a cough tries to steal dad's punchlines, he takes robitussin naturals are you gonna leaf me hanging? soothe your cough naturally.

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to track and monitor the local population of cougars. the animals have a huge impact on the environment. ben tracy hiked into the woods and took to the skies to see how it's done. >> here we go. >> reporter: it's just after sunrise on the olympic peninsula. a few hours west of seattle. >> this is beautiful, though, the mountains and the water. >> oh, god. >> reporter: we're not here to sight see. pilot and biologist jeff wells is searching for an elusive set of targets in the woods below us. >> right there where it's all misty and gray, right straight of us, that's where we're going. there is three potential cats that we're looking for. >> reporter: but they're not just any cats. using these antennas, wells picks up radio signals from collars worn by three wild pumas, or cougars, as they're called in this region. >> that one. this is omar. >> reporter: jeff sends a location to the team on the ground. >> well, this is not bad.

>> reporter: and now mark elbrock starts his own search. he is the director of the olympic cougar project. >> he is getting them straight up, andy. >> reporter: along with partners from the cle elum crime, he is taking a team up this mountain to find a 5-year-old puma named omar. his collar is wearing out and needs to be replaced. we doubted the big cat would show up in a damage tall tracking platform that has changed everything for the community. >> earth ranger provides us a visual tool to just see in live motion all the animals on the landscape. i can't even exaggerate how much time we're investing in doing all this stuff to figure out where cats are. all of that is automated now. >> reporter: technologist jeff lescort helped build the system. >> it records the position of the animals every few hours, and we can visualize it in realtime

on top of a map. >> reporter: what does knowing where all the animals are do? >> it allows you to find them in realtime. >> reporter: earth ranger was first developed in africa four years ago to fight elephant poaching. it also helped prevent conflicts with local residents who would often kill the massive animals if they wandered into farms or villages. >> reporter: here is omar's latest technology. >> the technology is now being used in more than 40 countries on five continents including the remote local rain forest of washington state hi, see upslope for us. >> okay. >> we have a 1200 foot range, but we're certain at this point we want to make you hike uphill. >> reporter: this so-called hike is more like a lung-searing death-defying hand over hand assault on a 45-degree cliff face crowded with trees. when we finally catch up with the dogs, they've chased omar up a tree. elbrock gets ready to fire a

tranquilizer dart. but before he can -- >> here he corp., here he comes. >> reporter: omar makes a break for it. >> so how often does this happen where you find one but he gets away? >> too often. so this is what we do. he won't run far. a couple hundred yards. off we go. [ bleep ]. >> reporter: it's what they do, but why? the cougar population is not endangered in this area. at least not yet. >> right here on the olympic peninsula, they appear to be isolated from the remainder of washington state. and so interstate 5 is kind of like a noose. and it's turning the peninsula into an island. they'll be contained and there will be breeding opportunities amongst themselves. but over time, that's a terrible thing. >> reporter: so basically, the genetics get messed up because it's essentially inbreeding? >> exactly. inbreeding. >> reporter: that's a problem because cougars are considered ecosystem engineers in these forests. their kills providing food and

even shelter for hundreds of other species. >> where is andy? >> reporter: about six hours into our adventure -- >> he is going to come down to here and jump. >> reporter: omar finally seems to be warn out. >> i'm going home. >> he is going. oh, here he goes. >> okay, okay. >> beautifully in his prime. >> reporter: and now the real work begins. >> is that a new collar. >> reporter: the team replaces omar's collar, checks his vital signs, and ensures that earth ranger's high-tech science mission can continue. >> we essentially want to know that the olympic peninsula is healthy. and the best way to do that is to see if wildlife are able to move from the olympic peninsula to the cascades and back. so far that's not true. nobody has been able to leave the peninsula. so by putting these gps collars on, it's the best data you can get. we live in this ecosystem. and it is healthier and stronger and more resilient because of the presence of these animals.

>> uh-oh, he is moving. >> reporter: less than an hour after being tranquilized, omar is back on his feet. nature's mighty eng

with the holiday season already here, president biden took a step to lowering gas prices. he ordered the release of 50 million barrels of oil from the strategic petroleum reserve. anthony pura has the story. >> reporter: college student raymond shaw is driving about 400 miles from southern california to the san francisco bay area to be with his family on thanksgiving, and this year it's a pricey trip. >> just filled up my car last week. was like $70 for a full tank. >> reporter: aaa says 48 million americans will drive for thanksgiving, almost four million more than last year when the pandemic kept many people home. and drivers are seeing much higher gas prices. the national average is up more than 60% in the past year. as the economy reopened this year, the need for fuel

increased, but oil production has yet to catch up with demand. >> oil supply has lagged far behind, pushing up the price of oil to some of the highest levels in seven years. >> reporter: patrick du han from gasbuddy.com predicts the national average for gas will be $3.35 during thanksgiving, but there is good news. prices are starting to tick down, and could continue to drop in the coming weeks. >> i would expect the downward trend that's just starting to gain momentum will last into early potentially mid-december. it could run longer than that, just depending on how supply and demand continue to fluctuate. >> reporter: shaw is looking for other students headed the same direction he is. >> and i'm looking to carpool with them. and we split the gas price together. so it's much cheaper. >> reporter: but he says whatever it costs, it's worth it to be home for the holiday. anthony pura, cbs news, riverside, california. >> and that's the "overnight news" for this wednesday. for some of you, the news continues. for others, check back later for

"cbs mornings," and follow us online all the time at cbsnews.com. reporting from the nation's capital, i'm catherine herridge. this is cbs news flash. i'm elise preston in new york. a florida medical examiner has ruled brian laundrie died by suicide. laundrie's remains were found last month following a nationwide manhunt and discovery of his murdered fiancee, 22-year-old gabby petito. an ohio jury found walmart, cvs to blame for contributing to e opioid crisis in parts of the state. cording to the lawsuit filed, the three pharmacy chains recklessly distributed massive amounts of pain pills resulting in hundreds of overdose deaths. a federal judge will determine how much the pharmacies will pay in damages. and tv host michael strahan will be on board the next blue origin flight into space. the group of six is set to launch next month. for more news, download the cbs

news app on your cell phone or connected tv. i'm elise preston, cbs news, new york. it's wednesday, november 24th, 2021. this is the "cbs morning news." death toll rises. a little boy dies following the deadly christmas parade crash in wisconsin as new video is released of the suspect shortly after the incident. liftoff, falcon 9 -- >> crash test. nasa launches a spacecraft overnight on a very unique mission. why the agency wants it to slam right into an asteroid. free at last. a missouri man who spent more than 40 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit is out of prison. the surprise way he learned about his release.