knicks, passing ray alan for the crown. for more news, download the cbs news app on your cell phone or connected tv. m tom hanson, cbs new it's it's wednesday, december 15th, 2021. this is the "cbs morning news." overnight, historic vote on capitol hill. the house holds mark meadows in contempt of congress for defying the january 6th investigation. what happens next for the former white house chief of staff. heading to kentucky. president biden will visit areas ravaged by a series of tornadoes. the estimated damage costs across the states. 800,000 deaths. the u.s. reaches a somber threshold in the covid pandemic as we learn more about pfizer's vaccine efficacy against the omicron variant. good morning, i'm elise preston in for anne-marie green.

we begin with breaking developments on capitol hill. overnight the house voted to hold former white house chief of staff mark meadows in contempt of congress. the move comes after meadows defied a subpoena to testify before the house committee that's investigating the january 6th capitol riot. this is just the second time in nearly 200 years the house has voted to hold a former member in contempt. the matter now goes to the justice department which will decide whether to prosecute meadows. if convicted he faces up to one year in prison. natalie brand has more. the resolution is adopted -- >> reporter: for the second time this year, the house voted to refer criminal contempt charges to the justice department in connection to the january 6th investigation. this time against former white house chief of staff mark meadows who also once served in congress. >> it must be our ability to compel people to testify.

>> we see this as a negatively partisan enterprise. there's no pretense. >> reporter: the nine-member january 6 committee investigating the assault unanimously recommended the charge monday after meadows defied a subpoena to testify. he had turned over 9,000 pages of emails and texts from the days surrounding the attack. donald trump jr. texted meadows, he's goft to condemn this asap. the capitol police tweet is not enough. fox news host sean hannity urged meadows to tell president trump to make a statement and ask people to leave the capitol. meadows has defended himself multiple times on the same network citing executive privilege. >> the executive privilege that donald trump has claimed is his to waive. that's why we filed a lawsuit to hopefully get the courts to weigh in. >> reporter: the attorney general for the district of columbia announced he's suing two far-right groups, the proud boys and the oathkeepers, for their role in the january 6th attack.

>> holding wrongdoers accountable is an american value. >> reporter: it's the first civil lawsuit against individuals connected to january 6th, accusing them of causing harm to the district democracy and police. natalie brand, cbs news, capitol hill. also on capitol hill, congress voted to raise the debt limit by $2.5 trillion, averting an unprecedented federal default. the house cleared the legislation overnight, in a 221-209 vote with one republican voting yes. senate majority leader chuck schumer said the increase will allow the nation to continue to meet its financial obligations through at least early 2023. the measure now heads to president biden's desk where he's expected to sign. president biden will travel to kentucky today to survey the damage from the tornado outbreak. he will meet with local officials and storm survivors to provide federal support. at least 88 people died in

several states. more than 100 are still unaccounted for. prior to friday's storm, it was captured by two co-pilots during a private flight. they filmed this video at 45,000 feet getting a bird's eye view of the swirling clouds and lightning strikes. laura podesta is live in mayfield, kentucky, with more. laura, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, elise. down here on the ground those clouds were tornadoes, and they caused so much destruction and death. just down the road from where i'm standing, a 3-year-old died in his mother's arms. president biden visits kentucky today to survey the damage from last week's deadly tornadoes. >> will ask leaders directly what do you need, what are you not getting, and how can we make it faster for you. >> reporter: the president will visit mayfield and dawson springs, two hard-hit communities. >> we're trying to solving as much as we can -- >> reporter: alan patel says it will take more than a year to rebuild after his store collapsed.

>> we don't know actually like what to feel. like just don't know what we're going to do. >> reporter: the cleanup is beginning. we're seeing piles of tree limbs everywhere as more roads are cleared. most homes are not salvageable and this destruction spans across western kentucky. >> there are lives effected with this. >> reporter: ronnie ward of the police department says he needs to pause at times while searching for the missing. >> you go about the task of trying to get the work done and come across a wagon and think that's associated with a child somewhere, and did that child live? and so though thoughts just -- they overtake you, they overwhelm you. >> everything was just falling on top of us. >> reporter: huda alubahi was pinned under the rubble in her house with her two children in her arms. 3-year-old jha'lil died. she thought she had lost her 1-year-old, julius, as well, but he was untouched. >> and he cried, and then he just stopped. so at that time i thought he was

gone. but he wasn't. >> reporter: more than a dozen children were killed in the storm. and during his visit today, president biden will be speaking with those who lost loved ones. he's not expected to give a formal address but will be surveying the damage and talking to local officials about the recovery. elise, the cost is estimated to be $5 billion across six states. >> heartbreaking for that mother and just all those families. laura podesta in mayfield, kentucky,thank you. there are breaking developments out of hong kong. a major fire trapped about 150 people on the rooftop of a skyscraper. according to a local media report, police say people moved to the 39th floor when the fire broke out today. the highrise is in a popular shopping district. firefighters rescued dozens of people, 13 were hospitalized. no word on what caused the fire. rescue operations were still under way.

congressional leaders held a moment of silence to honor the more than 800,000 americans who died from covid. the ceremony was held yesterday on the steps of the capitol building to mark the once-unimaginable milestone which was reached yesterday. meantime, a study from south africa shows pfizer's covid vaccine can take on the omicron variant. people who received two doses appeared to have 70% protection against hospitalization, but 33% protection against infection. in california, a statewide indoor mask mandate is back. the rule starts today and lasts until january 15th as covid cases continue to steadily rise in the state. derek chauvin today is expected to plead guilty in the federal civil rights case linked to george floyd's murder. the reversal from the former minneapolis police officer would remove him from a federal trial but could significantly increase the length of his sentence.

>> this will be the first time that mr. chauvin in public has talked about what happened. he will have to methodically go through why he's guilty, that he knew what he was doing would violate mr. floyd's civil rights. >> chauvin was convicted in april on minnesota state charges and faces more than two decades in prison. he still plans to appeal that ruling. coming up, dangerous downpour. a powerful storm in california triggers flash flooding and mudslides. and later, a new chapter in the andrew cuomo scandal. why he might have to return millions of dollars from his book deal. this is the "cbs morning news." there are many reasons for waiting to visit your doctor right now. but if you're experiencing irregular heartbeat, heart racing, chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue or light-headedness, don't wait to contact your doctor. because these symptoms could be signs of a serious condition like atrial fibrillation.

which could make you about five times more likely to have a stroke. your symptoms could mean something serious, so this is no time to wait. talk to a doctor, by phone, online, or in-person. ♪3, 4♪ ♪ so this is no time to wait. ♪hey♪ ♪ ♪are you ready for me♪ ♪are you ready♪ ♪are you ready♪

some people have joint pain, plus have high blood pressure. they may not be able to take just anything for pain. that's why doctors recommend tylenol®. it won't raise blood pressure the way that advil® aleve® or motrin® sometimes can. for trusted relief, trust tylenol®. an autopsy on football player eric williams showed unusual brain disease in his frontal lobe. he shot and killed six people in south carolina in april before killing himself.

officials say he had stage two of cte, a degenerative brain disease that is linked to trauma and concussions and can cause violent mood springs. a study found cte in 110 of 111 former nfl players who's brains were studied. california is hit with flash flood flooding and an ivy league school is taking measures against omicron. those are some of the headlines on the "morning newsstand." "the new york times" reports cornell university is on high alert after finding evidence of the omicron on campus. the new york state school reported more than 900 new student covid cases over the past week. the school's testing lab found evidence of omicron in some of them and is awaiting further confirmation. final exams scheduled for this week will now be conducted on line. cornell has also closed libraries and fitness centers and canceled sports activities. the "los angeles times" says several people had to be rescued from swollen rivers after a

powerful storm dumped heavy rain on southern california. it brought much-needed rin to the drought-stricken area but also caused mudslides, toppled trees, and forced evacuations. eergency crews rescued residents trapped by mud. some in areas already scarred by wildfires. >> we knew we had much in february of this year. at first we were looking at it, and it wasn't hard. then it came down hard for five minutes. and after that, we came out to look and it was just trees and everything. >> can't imagine. firefighters say three vehicles were swept down the los angeles river yesterday, but they did not find any victims. and the "las vegas review journal" says nevada released o.j. simpson from parole a few months early. the 74-year-old was granted good behavior credits and discharged from parole effective december 1st. simpson had been on parole since

2017 after serving nine years in prison for his role in an armed robbery and kidnapping in las vegas. he was acquitted in the 1994 murders of his ex-wife and her friend but found liable for their deaths in a civil trial. still to come, christmas countdown. what day you should send out your packages so they arrive in time for the holiday. iday. is struggling to manage your type 2 diabetes knocking you out of your zone? lowering your a1c with once-weekly ozempic® can help you get back in it. oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! my zone... lowering my a1c, cv risk, and losing some weight... now, back to the game! ozempic® is proven to lower a1c. most people who took ozempic® reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. and you may lose weight. adults lost on average up to 12 pounds. in adults also with known heart disease, ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death.

ozempic® helped me get back in my type 2 diabetes zone. ozempic® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't share needles or pens, or reuse needles. don't take ozempic® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. tell your provider about vision problems or changes. taking ozempic® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase low blood sugar risk. side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. looking to get back in your type 2 diabetes zone? ask your health care provider today about once-weekly ozempic®. oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! you may pay as little as $25 for a 3-month prescription. i'm so glad we did this. i'm so glad we did this. i'm so glad we did this.

life is for living. let's partner for all of it. i'm so glad we did this. edward jones here's a look at the forecast in some cities around the country. ♪ on the cbs "money watch," what day you should get your packages out for christmas, and nike is selling nft sneakers on roblox. naomi ruchim is at the new york stock exchange with that and more. good morning, naomi. >> reporter: elise, good morning to you. investors today will be focused

on the federal reserve's final monetary policy decision of the year which will likely include the withdrawal of its crisis-era stimulus program. meantime, the three major indices ended in the red yesterday. the dow fell 106, the nasdaq dropped 175, and the s&p 500 lost 34 points. get those holiday gifts shipped today if you want them to arrive before christmas. for fedex, the deadline for ground and home delivery shipment is today. the same goes for u.s. postal service retail ground deliveries. the postal service said this week is expected to be the busiest week of the season with nearly 2.3 billion pieces of mail expected to be processed an delivered. parents who depend on the child tax credit program could potentially get their last check today. the future of the benefit remains in limbo as congress debates the "build back better" act which would include a one-year extension of the mnthly payments.

the president's program is credited with lifting millions of children out of poverty through monthly cash payments, helping parents afford basics like food and rent. and nike is saying just do it when it comes to the emerging metaverse. the company is releasing a virtual sneaker. last month nike launched an online game zone on roblox called "nikeland," where fans can create an avatar and play virtual sports. now they can buy kicks that fit the occasion all through nfts. nike said this week it acquired a digital collectibles company that will allow it to sell virtual sneakers that people can use to outfit their online avatars. no word on the cost, but at least you don't have to clean them. >> that's very true. naomi ruchim at the new york stock exchange, thank you. >> reporter: thanks. up next, a magical night for steph curry. the warriors star makes a record-breaking shot from downtown.

why hide your skin if dupixent has your moderate to severe eczema or atopic dermatitis under control? hide my skin? not me. by hitting eczema where it counts, dupixent helps heal your skin from within keeping you one step ahead of eczema. hide my skin? not me. and that means long-lasting clearer skin... and fast itch relief for adults. with dupixent, you can show more skin with less eczema. hide my skin? not me. don't use if you're allergic to dupixent. serious allergic reactions can occur, including anaphylaxis, which is severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems, such as eye pain or vision changes, or a parasitic infection. if you take asthma medicines, don't change or stop them without talking to your doctor. when you help heal your skin from within you can change how your skin looks and feels. and that's the kind of change you notice. talk to your eczema specialist about dupixent,

a breakthrough eczema treatment. ♪3, 4♪ ♪ talk to your eczema specialist about dupixent, ♪hey♪ ♪ ♪are you ready for me♪ ♪are you ready♪ ♪are you ready♪

here's a look at the forecast in some cities around the country. ♪ former new york governor andrew cuomo was ordered to give up millions of dollars he was paid to write a book about his response to the pandemic.

the state ethics commission directed cuomo to turn over the money he's earned from "american crisis: leadership lessons from the covid-19 pandemic," within 30 days. cuomo's deal with the publisher called for him to be paid more than $5 million. he resigned in august after being accused of sexually harassing at least 11 women. it was a record-setting night for the golden state warriors' steph curry. >> again, here's curry for the reord -- it's good! there it is! [ cheers ] >> what an energetic crowd. curry broke the nba record for career three-pointers with that shot and the first quarter of last night's victory over the new york knicks at madison square garden. it was curry's 2,974th three-point shot breaking the record set by ray allen ten years ago. curry has led the nba in three-pointers six times and leads the league again this

year. and a quick shout out to our colleague cbs news special correspondent and the host of "the nfl today" james brown. jb, as we call him, was inducted into the sports broadcasting hall of fame during a new york ceremony last night. the three-time emmy winner began his career in sports television in 1984 as an nba analyst on cbs. brown anchored fox and "nfl sunday" for 11 years and became host of "the nfl today" here on cbs in 2006. evably -- what's the word -- i am humbled to say the least. >> "sports illustrated" named brown the best studio host of the decade in 2010. well deserved. coming up on "cbs mornings," maggie gyllenhaal stops by the times square studio to talk about her directorial debut for the netflix movie

"the lost daughter." i'm elise preston. this is the "cbs morning news." . this is the "cbs morning news."

test. test. test. test. test. test. test. test. r there.

everybody's masked up, vaccinated up. outside of that i think we're comfortable. >> reporter: with whether by plane, train, or automobile, aaa predicts 109 million people will travel during the holidays.

28 million more than last year. >> this holiday travel season's going to feel like a pre-pandemic travel season. >> reporter: andy gross from aaa says airline travel is expected to see a 184% increase over last year. >> so there will be lines at the airport. our advice is get there early. >> reporter: along with longer lines, vacationers can expect higher prices this year. ticket prices during christmas week are 5% higher than last year, rates at mid-range hotels up 36%. and rental cars are costing 20% more. >> everything is just going to be a little more expensive this year. the one area where prices have been sliding recently is gasoline. >> reporter: the national average for a gallon of regular unleaded has dropped nine cents in the past month. drivers may be getting a break at the pump, but there is expected to be plenty of traffic. aaa predicts 100 million americans will hit the road for the holidays. courtney kealy, cbs news, new york. coming up on "cbs mornings," a followup on tony dokoupil's

exclusive interview with the executives behind puff bar. we'll tell you about new scrutiny over the fruit-flavored vaping products. maggie gyllenhaal stops by the times square studio to talk about her directorial debut for the netflix movie "the lost daughter." and comedian jordan klepper from "the daily show" tells us about his latest comedy sketch. that's the "cbs morning news" for this wednesday. thanks for watching. i'm elise preston. have a great day. ♪