connected tv. i'm elise preston. cbs news new york. this is the "cbs overnight news." good evening, and thanks for joining us tonight. former-senator bob dole, born and raised in russell, kansas, is being remembered for a life of service to his country. first, on the battlefields of world war ii, and then the heights of the power that he held in congress. bob dole died today at age 98. today, president biden called mr. dole a statesman like few in our history. flags in washington, d.c., from the capitol to the white house have been lowered to half staff. in 2018, senator dole returned to the capitol for a final salute to another veteran,

former-president george h.w. bush, who was lying in state in the rotunda. cbs's major garrett now with more on the life and legacy of bob dole. >> i accept your nomination to lead our party, once again, to the presidency of the united states. >> reporter: bob dole was the last presidential candidate who served in world war ii and in the '96 campaign, he said america needed more of the greatest generation's grit and values. >> and i know, because i was there and i have seen it and i remember. >> reporter: but it didn't work. baby boomer president bill clinton painted dole as a fixture of the past and easily won a second term. growing up in russell, kansas, dole was a star athlete in high school and joined the army as a college freshman. he suffered grievous wounds in italy that would cost him the use of one arm. neighbors raised money to pay for several surgeries, and later sent him to congress. >> when i needed help, the people of russell helped. and i think --

>> reporter: gerald ford put dole on the ticket in 1976n the on their watch. >> if we added up the killed and wounded in democrat wars in this century. >> reporter: the backlash hurt dole and ford, who would eventually lose to jimmy carter. dole spent 27 years in the senate. quitting his post as majority leader in an all-out bid to defeat clinton. >> my tame to lead this office has come and i will seek the president with nothing to fall back on but the judgment of the people and nowhere to go but the white house or home. >> reporter: with that defeat, dole became the only person to lose as a presidential and vice presidential nominee. >> thank you so much. >> reporter: six years later, his wife elizabeth was elected to the senate and he became an unlikely tv pitchman for soft drinks with britney spears. >> easy, boy. courage. >> reporter: and even viagra. >> like erectile dysfunction.

>> eporter: when donald trump secured the nomination in 2016, dole became the only living gop nominee to endorse him. >> donald trump can win. >> reporter: dole was a farm-belt fiscal conservative. party loyalty came easy. culture war rhetoric did not. he wielded power quietly and, over the years, with humor and humility. qualities of what feels like a bygone era of national politics. major garrett, cbs news, washington. and as you just heard, bob dole had a reputation as a fighter. cbs news contributor, dr. david agus, knows that firsthand. dr. agus, you were actually part of the treatment plan for senator dole. what can you tell us about that treatment and how you became involved? >> so, right after the inauguration, i received a call from the white house and president biden said will you help the amazing doctors at walter reed medical center with the care of senator dole for advanced lung cancer? and obviously, it was my privilege. and i was able to spend time with him and the other senator

dole -- his wife -- over these last 10, 11 months. he lived until the day he died and with modern medicine, we were able to keep him comfortable and the cancer at bay for a long time to let him get things accomplished that he wanted. >> it seemed as though he had made peace with the fact that he was getting older. even joked in an interview with sunday morning about trying to get to his 100th birthday. what can you tell us about that because you actually had conversations with him? >> every time we spoke is am i going to get there? he was actually planning the seating chart for that 100th birthday party. and to him, birthday parties were amazing, monumental events and you look at what he had gone through, through the war and after. and obviously, he was thankful to be alive and to accomplish what he did. and i think we, in america, are grateful for that. >> your fondest memories? >> my fondest memories was just sitting there joking with him, with his wife, with his dogs. and, you know, sitting there, holding his hand, and talking about taking cancer head on. and believe me, he did.

he fought aggressively till the end. >> all right. well, making it to 98 is no small feat, dr. agus, thank you. scientists around the world are racing to understand covid's new mutant strain, the omicron variant. as of today, it's now been identified in at least 17 states. new covid cases are up 19% over the past two weeks with daily cases topping 108,000. cbs's lilia luciano is in los angeles where new efforts to slow the spread are taking effect tomorrow. lilia? >> reporter: good evening, jericka. to protect the u.s. from this new strain, starting tomorrow, all inbound international flyers have to take a covid test within 24 hours of departure. las vegas, la guardia, and los angeles are just some of the major airports nationwide enforcing the new rule, which applies to passengers regardless of vaccine status or nationality. >> it's going to encourage people to stay home and not travel. >> reporter: as the u.s. gears up for one of the busiest

holiday seasons of the pandemic. tsa on friday screened nearly 2 million flyers that's nearly double the number from a year ago. >> we have travel measures -- safety measures -- that actually are helping reduce the risk. the bottom line is these were meant to be temporary measures. >> reporter: 60% of the country is fully vaccinated and 22% has gotten a booster. which health officials say is the best protection against omicron. but delta is still the greatest threat. >> we have definitely seen an increase going in the wrong direction. >> reporter: in 36 states, hospitalizations are trending up and three out of four counties are considered high-transmission areas. >> it would be really sad if people lose their lives today because they have been killed by the delta variant while they were worrying about omiekscron. also to slow the spread of covid, the federal mask mandate for airplanes and airports has now been extended through march 18th. jericka? >> lilia luciano in los angeles

for us tonight. thank you. turning to greece, where pope francis visited the island of lesbos today. the maskless pontiff offered comfort to migrants at a refugee camp. he spent two hours greeting children and taking selfies with them. it was francis's second trip to lesbos in five years. he lamented about the little things if anything has changed since then. take a deep breath as you check out this high-altitude stunt from earlier today. french dare devil crossed a slack line that is looser and bouncier than a tightrope. suspended nearly 300 feet above a beach in rio de janeiro. the 27-year-old made it to his destination point in about 30 minutes as the crowd below cheered him on. well, a man who literally put his life on the line to serve our country was remembered this weekend in virginia. colonel edward shames made his first combat jump into normandy on d-day. later, with nazi germany

defeated, he took bottles of cognac from hitler's eagle's nest retreat and used it to toast his son's bar mitzvah. 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.

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this is the "cbs overnight news." >> good morning, i'm jericka duncan in new york. thanks for staying with us. with the holiday season upon us, there is concern that all the shopping, traveling, and family gatherings will increase the spread of the new omicron variant of the coronavirus. omicron has now been identified in at least 15 states and 40 countries. early reports show omicron may spread more quickly than other variants. but dr. anthony fauci says right now, there's no indication it is more deadly. scientists are working to test that theory, especially in south africa where the strain was first reported and where vaccines are still scarce.

deb with more in johannesburg. >> reporter: the new trarnt variant is clearly winning. a meteoric rise of new infections in south africa and it's inserted itself firmly into the global debate on vaccine inequality. it's been the war cry of health experts around the globe since the pandemic began. nobody is safe until everyone is safe. have we done the descientific thing, had we done what the scientists were saying in january/february 2020, we would not be where we are. >> reporter: and what science tells us is a furious doctor is that unless there is global vaccine equity, the virus will continue to mutate. in the two countries where omicron was first identified, botswana has already administered 86% of its supply. south africa, 78%. compare this to wealthy nations where it's predicted 100 million

expired vaccines could be destroyed at the end of the year. this is because they've hoarded them she says. >> get out of the queue so that we can get to the front of the line and get our own and pay for them. >> reporter: complicating matters further is distribution. logistical capability to get shots into people's arms. and travel bans only further isolate this region. californian monica glass was visiting her husband's family in south africa when her flights were cancelled. >> southern africa is the only place who they instill these travel bans, right? and i just -- i feel like it's unfair. it's not right. >> reporter: then, another blow. while waiting to make new travel arrangements, she tested positive for covid and is isolating in capetown. >> i -- i have mild symptoms. i am vaccinated. and i am a nurse, so i work in a

covid unit. i've been around covid and this is the first that i have had covid as far as i'm aware. >> reporter: her far bigger concern is getting home to her three children when the infection clears. travel bans are causing further chaos with south african scientists saying there are fewer planes coming in that can bring the necessary compounds to study omicron. sparking fears they could run out. >> that was deborah from south africa. more than three months after the u.s.' withdrawal from afghanistan, many afghans are living in fear of the new taliban government. and thousands of america's former allies are still waiting to get out of the country. more from kabul. >> reporter: it's the first big step in a new life. these afghans -- mostly families -- consider themselves the lucky ones as they check in for an evacuation flight to qatar. just getting to this point for

so many afghans has been extraordinarily difficult. and now, they have to take the next big step in their journey. it's a journey this man is taking with his young family. he hosted a nightly political satire show in afghanistan where no one, not even the taliban, was off limits. but after the group seized power in august, he says there is little left to laugh about. do the taliban like jokes? >> i don't think. >> you don't think so? did you receive any threats? >> yeah. >> who? >> i don't know. just said i -- i will -- >> kill you? >> maybe. >> reporter: so many more afghans fear the same fate, like sammy -- not his real name. he was a translator for the u.s. military in the southern city of kandahar, the birthplace of the taliban. since the group seized control of the country in august, he and his young family have been

hiding in kabul waiting for what's known as the special immigrant visa to the u.s. u.s. government has said they are trying to speed up this application process. has it been happening for you? >> no, it's not. >> you have been hiding in a rented apartment here in kabul now for three months. how long can you survive like this? >> i can't survive. >> reporter: america's longest war couldn't have been fought without afghans, from translators to gathering intelligence, many tens of thousands assisted in the fight. working with u.s. forces through thick and thin. the biden administration has faced mounting criticism for not making it easier for an estimated 100,000 afghans who have supported the u.s. mission to get visas out. and while the taliban insists its forces won't harm anyone who once worked for the united states as part of what it's calling a general amnesty, many afghans, like sammy, just don't believe them. >> i'm not happy here in the shelter of under taliban. >> why not? >> if they took f they

pturmethey w >> reporter: a fear that's only growing with every passing day. in kabul.

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nba legend bill russell had one of the most successful careers in all of sports. as a young man, he won two college basketball championships and he was captain of the usa basketball team that captured an olympic gold medal back in 1956. as a professional, russell won five most valuable player awards. he was named to 12 all-star teams, and he won 11 nba titles in his 13-year career. well later this month, a lot of his rings and trophies will hit the auction block. the money will support his charity. recently, the greatest of all time sat down with nate burialson for a candid conversation about russell's life, his career, and the racism he experienced and overcame, both, on and off the court. >> basketball hadn't seen anything like bill russell before. built like a skyscraper at

6'10", when russell jumped, russell soared. the kid from monroe, louisiana, who nobody wanted on their team because of the color of his skin. he redefined what the sport could be, and eventually ended up being the teammate no one could play without. >> bill, must have been a great win for you. >> reporter: russell catapulted the celtics in the city of boston skyward in the 1950s and '60s. winning titles and breaking barriers. at a time when keeping your dignity as a black man in america was easier said than done. >> so we are sitting here in boston at the garden. you helped bring glory here, 11 championships here. what does it feel like to be here on this court? >> i never was comfortable playing for the celtics because the number one paper was the

boston herald and they didn't like the idea of having black players. >> you brought championships here in a time when it was hard to be a black man. was it difficult to be celebrated on the court, but then, off of it, not treated equal? >> first of all, was never on the court. when i got there, the star was bob koozie. no matter what i did, koozie was the star. >> bill russell, another celtic, taps it in. >> i had a game where i had 25 points, 25 rebounds, ten blocks. and the boston herald said i was lucky i got to play with cozy. >> was it tough to play in this city? was it -- was it easy to win over the fans? >> i didn't bother with them fans because the fans called him "the boston globe"ys. >> like "the boston globe"trotters?

>> yeah. >> because you guys had black plays. >> plays basketball. bill russell the man is someone who stood up for rights and dignity of all men. >> reporter: bill russell wasn't just an icon for basketball fans to rally behind the floor of the boston garden on any given night. >> nine top negro athletes meet with cassius clay. >> using his profile to highlight racism and inequality. here and muhammad ali and other top athletes in 1967, backing the decision refusing the vietnam war draft. at the march alongside dr. king come washington, all while resetting the standard of what was possible. >> the boston celtics were the first team to start five black players and i believe they got some backlash for that. and said we just put the guys on the court that were going to help us win and that's how he looked at basketball. >> well, see, he had a problem in boston. that was overwhelmingly anti-black.

they considered him a traitor. >> because he coached black players. >> >> yeah. see, we were the first team to start five black players. >> you were in kentucky where you and your teammates set out because they refused service at a restaurant? >> yeah. >> reporter: at that time, why did you feel like it was important to do that? >> well, preparations for the game. the team would have dinner together, and i had a couple of teammates from kentucky. and they were going to have a simple pregame meal. so i told the coach i'm not going to play tonight. said why not? i said cause of that. >> reporter: later-that month, this letter found its way to russell's mailbox. it was from jackie robinson who broke major league baseball's color barrier more than a decade earlier. thanking russell for boycotting the game in kentucky. >> jackie was -- was more to him

than most people knew. they just knew he was the first black player in the major leagues. jackie would not take anything over anybody. >> that's right. >> and so, we go to play the knicks and he says i want to tell you guys how proud i am of you. jackie was not only tough but he's probably the smartest guy that ever played baseball. >> i tried to get as many as him. i couldn't get there. >> which championship was the most special to you? was it the first one? or was it the last one? >> the first year i was coach we won a championship. >> first black coach in the nba, is that right? >> yeah. >> and you won as a player and a coach. >> yeah. well, you got to understand something. my motivation was make myself acceptable to my folks. i never felt like i was making any contribution. i was just doing the best i

could. >> and the best he could made him the best in his day. again, that was nate

as we prepare to bundle up this winter, think about this. about 27 million american children in this country live in low-income families, and a lot of those kids don't even have a proper coat. well, thankfully, there is a group called operation warm that's been making a difference with the help of donations. nikki batiste explains. >> reporter: a brand new warm coat. the simple neces ses 3rd grader makayla did not have when we met her on a 30-degree day. >> it's freezing. my hands are freezing. my bidody is freezing. >> she is one of 800 students at this new york city public school taking home a winter jacket thanks to operation warm. >> the coat is the first thing. it's the tangible thing. but what that really provides is

warmth, physical warmth. the emotional warmth. >> reporter: in the past 23 years, the nonprofit has manufactured more than 4 million coats for children in need across the country, paid for by donations. >> it's the difference between going to school on a cold day or staying home. >> reporter: coat requests have tripled during the pandemic. kids, like kindergartner isabella, get to pick their coat color. >> oh, i love it. what's your favorite color? >> pink and purple. >> reporter: each costs under $25 to make. but the joy one brings is priceless. on a scale of one to ten, how excited are you to get a nice, warm coat today? >> 100 out of 10. >> 100? >> reporter: nikki batiste, cbs news new york. >> for some of you, the news continues. for others, check back with us later for cbs mornings. and of course, follow us online anytime at cbs news.com. reporting from the broadcast

center in new york city, i'm jericka duncan. this is cbs news flash. i'm elise preston in new york. president biden is expected to meet virtually with vladimir putin this week. the call comes as tensions are high over russian military activity near the ukrainian border. senate hearings on how instagram impacts young users are set to begin. the head of the social media platform will testify. instagram has been under fire in recent years for its alleged negative effects on children and teens. and after delays and major shifts in production, the kennedy center honors returns to its pre-pandemic traditions. bette midler and barry gordie are among this year's honorees. you can catch the ceremony right here on cbs december 22nd.

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 monday, december 6th, 2021. this is the "cbs morning news." new travel rules. the u.s. is clamping down on international flyers starting today as the omicron variant is detected in more states. involuntary manslaughter. the parents of a suspected school shooter are now in jail themselves. how the investigation is taking a new turn. remembering bob dole. the former presidential candidate dies at the age of 98. we'll look at the mark the republican leader left on politics. ♪ well, good morning, and good to be with you. i'm anne-marie green. this morning more states are