aces. for more news, download the cbs news app on your cell phone or connected tv. new yo it is tuesday, november 30, 2021. this is the cbs morning news. a variant of concern. global health leaders sound the we go inside a south african labor where the variant was first discovered. ghislaine maxwell on trial. the socialite charged with sex trafficking. >> a new republic. the island country of barbados cuts ties with the monarchy. the celebrity singer it just named a national hero. good morning. good to be with you.

i'm anne marie green. president biden urged americans to stay calm while the new variant is a cause for concern, not a cause for panic. he said there is no need for lockdown as long as people are vaccinated and wear a mask. asking for approval of a booster shot for people ages 16 and 17. it would be the first booster for people under 18. laura is in new york with the latest. >> so we are in a waiting period. dr. fauci said it will take about two weeks to determine if it will come to more disease. and how protective existing vaccines are against it. >> health experts are digesting data about the omicron variant. >> there is some evidence and the second is does it cause more

severe disease. we don't have any data on it. >> calling omicron a variant of concern. saying it has the potential to pose a high global risk. no country. no community is safe until we are all safe. >> the variant was first discovered by researchers in south africa. scientists are growing live omicron which will be tested against the blood of fully immunized people and those previously infected. >> this is a cause of concern, not a cause of panic. >> president biden defended the travel restrictions. >> gives us time for more action and to move quicker. you have to understand you have to get your vaccine.

sooner or later, we'll see another variant in the united states. >> saying he'll layout a strategy to fight covid this winter that includes vaccinations and testing. >> biden said that will not include shut downs or lockdowns. vaccine makers said it will take a few weeks to learn how effective their shots are against omicron. cbs news got exclusive access inside one of the labs in south africa where omicron was first discovered. it is called the african health research institute. within 36 hours of discovering, these scientists informed the world. an expert warned as long as they lag in vaccinations, the virus

will continue to mutate. >> we are going to learn the rest of the greek alphabet. doctors say their simpsons are mild but that could change as case numbers rise. ahead on cbs mornings, we'll talk with the director of the national institute of health and ask them about the risk posed by the omicron variant. trial resumes today in the sex trafficking case against ghislaine maxwell. prosecutors accused the 59-year-old of recruiting and grooming young girls. but defense attorneys are painting maxwell as a scapegoat. >> the long-awaited trial began with the prosecutor called the british socialite as a predator. another pushed back that she's

merely a scapegoat. >> she was pulling the strings. she had his money. >> virginia said maxwell recruited her to be assaulted. >> gill lane was more more caniving than epstein ever was. >> stating she helped to groom and recruit victims as young as 14 years old. >> the trial is expected to last weeks. maxwell has denied all charges. >> most would say underno circumstances should testify in this case. the alleged sex assault happened at his new york manson, new

mexico koes ranch, his house in palm beach and maxwell's house in london. the judge has not ruled on it yet. if convicted, maxwell could spend the rest of her life in prison. reporting for cbs news, new york. jury selection today in the trial of kim potter. former minnesota officer who said she meant to use her tazer instead of a gun when she killed an unarmed black man. body camera footage shows her yelling tazer three times before the shooting. she is charged with first and second degree manslaughter. lee elder, the first black golfer to play in the pga has died. owe fiofficials said he died bu

no reason was gived. elder broke the color barrier when he teed off at augusta national in 1975. this year, elder served as an honorary starter. he wasn't well enough to tee off. he was 87 years old. coming up, tiger woods is speaking out. for the first time, he admits he does not expect to return playing golf full time after his car crash. stranded at an english pub for days. how dozens of strangers and a cover band pass the time during a massive snowstorm. this is cbs morning news. snows. this is cbs morning news.

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ceremony and declared singer rihanna a national hero during the celebration. she was born there. >> dozens of people were snowed in for days in a pub. and the battle for abortion rights reaches high court. those are some of the headlines on the morning news stand. the u.s. supreme court is set to take up an all or nothing abortion fight. tomorrow, the court is scheduled to hear arguments in the mississippi case that directly goes against the roe v. wade decision. which made abortion legal nationwide. lower courts blocked the mississippi law that would ban abortin after 15 weeks of pregnancy. usa today said one of the most dominant pitchers max scherzer and the mets agreed to a record three-year, $130 million contract. the deal would pay him more than

$43 million a year, the highest in major league history. the 37-year-old pitcher is an eight-time all-star. the new york times says a snowstorm left dozens of people stranded in a remote british pub for days. gathering to listen to the oasis tribute band. after the performance, it was not safe to drive home due to the snow. everyone including the band and employees couldn't leave. >> we had board games, card games, people helping to clear tables and wash up. everybody has been on board to help. it has been amazing. >> the cover band helped entertain. some people slept on the floor. yesterday, people were finally able to go home. and cardboard controversy.

this unusual christmas tree has some people divided this season. some people divided this season.

here is a look at the forecast from some cities around the country. >> the fashion house lo louis vuitton is set to hold a tribute show for virgil abloh. he died at 41 after a rare battle with cancer. louis vitton's first director of fashion and had his own fashion line. twitter has a new ceo and a

cardboard christmas display is bringing out some haters. we have those stories and more. >> stock futures indicate a lower open after the ceo of moderna told financial times that existing vaccines are unlikely to be as effective against omicron as other variants. the dow gained 236, the nasdaq rallied 291, s&p 500 added 60 points. twitter cofounder jack dorsey is stepping down as ceo. in an email to staff, he didn't give a specific reason for walking away. only saying the decision was his own. dorsey will remain on twitter's board of director until next may. he's recently faced criticism as serving for ceo he also founded, the payment firm square. the chief technology officer

will replace dorsey effective immediately. >> amazon workers in alabama are getting the new vote whether to become the company's first unionized warehouse in the nation. ordering a revote. an agency review found amazon improperly pressured staff to vote against joining back in april. the move tainted the original enough to scrap its results. amazon is expected to appeal the ruling. a fake christmas tree like we've never seen before. made out of cardboard and on display in new jersey. a local artist incorporated elements of the sea shore, and the musical heritage. it is designed to be recycled and some say it is beautiful others comparing it to piles of amazon boxes. that's quite nice.

if you look on twitter, there is a lot worse comparisons. >> i really do like it. i think it is beautiful. i do wish maybe they decorated a little. some lights. >> i think it needs some lights for sure. it is whimsical but not festive. we should be designing christmas trees, i think. >> let's go into business. so still ahead, gifts from the heart. holiday decorations are unveiled at the white house. the special and sweet way it is honoring covid-19 front-line workers. covid-19 front-line workers.

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here is a i forecast in some cities around here is a look at the forecast in some cities around the country. ♪ the holiday season is in full swing at the white house. the u.s. marine band performed as holiday decorations were unveiled. this year's theme was gifts from the heart. front line workers being honored

with a ginger bread village with a ginger bread white house, police station, gas station, hospital and grocery store. tiger woods says he does not expect to play golf again full time. he is speaking out in the first in depth interview since february. he told golf digest he might be able to play in some tournaments but not often. his right leg was badly damaged when he lost control of his suv and crashed outside of los angeles. he thought he might lose his injured leg. >> i can still, maybe if my leg gets good enough, maybe kick of. as f as climbing thent

and get all the way to the top. i don't think that is a realistic expectation. what is realistic is playing the tour again some day, never full time again. >> he compared himself to paul hogan who played limited. changing his name to inas kanter freedom. from turkey, he took his citizenship oath and completed his leg name change. the 29 yooerl has been an outspoken critic of turkey's president and government. the two turkeys pardoned by president biden last week arrived at their new home. the turkeys named peanut butter and jelly will live out their days in an enclosed setting at purdue university. and access to an outdoor shady area. they are not far from home raised in indiana. jimmie johnson tells us how

he's raising money for veterans on this giving tuesday. i'm anne marie green. this is the cbs morning news.

president biden is urging americans to stay calm after he called the new covid variant omicron a cause for concern, not a cause for panic.

he said there is no need for lockdowns as long as people are vaccinated and wear their masks. the trial resumes today in the sex trafficking case against ghislaine maxwell. prosecutors accused the 59-year-old of recruiting and grooming young girls for jeffery epstein. defense said she is a scapegoat fr epstein. a boy in alabama was born, his chances for survival were almost zero. >> reporter: when curtis was born, he was early. 21 weeks, one day. he weighed less than a pound. the nooub and his twin have a less than 1% chance of survival.

>> what's going through your mind? >> i had to keep faith and keep praying. >> one day later, his sister passed away. curtis was so fragile. >> he spent more time in the icu than he did with you. >> his mother michelle had to wait weeks to hold him. >> what did it feel like to hold your son? >> i actually started crying. >> fighting the odds with the help of miracle worker dr. sims. >> when did you know he was a fighter? >> first breath. it was amazing watching him get stronger and stronger. the attitude he had from day one, he really was a character. >> at 16 months, he's happy and healthy and a world record holder. >> not just for being adorable but as the most premature baby to survive. >> my miracle baby. >> proving again, big things

really do come in small packages. more on the risks posed by the omnicron variant. we'll speak with dr. francis collins director of national institute of health. and jimmie johnson tells us about how he's raising money for veterans on this giving tuesday. and the holiday movie guide. that's the cbs morning news this tuesday. thanks for watching. i'm anne marie green. have a great day.