tv CBS Overnight News CBS December 21, 2021 3:12am-4:00am PST
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democratic leaders need to take the kid gloves off in future negotiations. >> of course we have every right to be furious with joe manchin. but it's really up to leadership in the democratic party who, you know, made the decision to get us to this juncture and how we're going to move forward. >> reporter: tonight cbs news has learned president biden and senator manchin spoke sunday evening and that it went well, and senate democrats still plan to debate the president's plan next month when they get back to washington, hoping to force senator manchin to express his opposition not just on the airwaves but also on the senate floor. margaret? >> the saga continues. thank you, ed. now our exclusive interview with vice president kamala harris. with a 50/50 split among democrats and republicans in the senate, the vice president was expected to cast the tie-breaking vote to send build back better to the president's desk. but now it is not clear how they'll revive it. >> do you feel that senator
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manchin is playing fair with you? he went on teflevision and said no pretty definitively. >> i think the stakes are too high for this to be in any way about any specific individual. >> it's a 50/50 senate, though -- >> it is. i'm the tiebreaker. >> exactly. >> the stakes are so high. i refuse to get caught up in the what might be personal politics when the people who are waking up at 3:00 in the morning worried about how they're going to get by could care less about the politics of d.c. >> so you don't feel betrayed? >> no, i don't feel -- i don't have any personal feelings about this. this is about let's get the job con. let's talk with families who say i can't afford to do the basic things that i need to do as a responsible adult like care for my children, care for my older parents, or afford to get life-saving medication like insulin. >> how do you do that without
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senator man-chip? >> you don't give up. that's how you do it. >> medical experts are predicting we could see as many as a million infections per day because of this new omicron variant. is our health care system prepared for what's coming? >> we are prepared for it. >> particularly in the northeast we're already seeing hospitals overwhelmed with delta. inflation is real. it's going to be with us as long as the pandemic dominates. when can you tell the american people this will end? >> we have the power today to go out and, if you've not been boosted go get boosted. the power today to go and get vaccinated. and that will have an impact on where we end up tomorrow. >> is it the fault of the unvaccinated? >> i don't think this is a moment to talk about fault. it is no one's fault that this virus hit our shores or hit the world. but it is more about individual power and responsibility, and it's about the decisions that everyone has the schois to make, no doubt. >> there are 100,000 russian
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troops on the border with ukraine. are we going to see a hot war in europe in the next few weeks? >> we are having direct conversations with russia. we are very clear that russia should not invade the sovereignty of ukraine. we are prepared to issue sanctions like you've not seen before. >> does that mean sanctioning vladimir putin directly? >> i'm not going to talk about specific sanctions, but we are making that clear to him. >> and we'll have more of our exclusive interview with vice president harris on "cbs mornings" and sunday on "face the nation." there's a lot more news ahead on the "cbs overnight news." nyquil severe gives you powerful relief for your worst cold and flu symptoms, on sunday night and every night. nyquil severe.
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sweet pillows of softness! this is soft! holy charmin! excuse me! roll it back everybody! charmin ultra soft is so cushiony soft, you'll want more! but it's so absorbent, you can use less. enjoy the go with charmin. it was 50 years ago this week that president richard nixon signed the national cancer act, launching the war on cancer. and since then fatality rates for all cancers have dropped 27%. in our special series cbs's dr. jon lapook reports on the progress we've made and how far we have to go. >> reporter: when president richard nixon signed the national cancer act just before christmas in 1971, cancer was so mysterious and frightening it was often called the big c.
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>> you will have of course the total commitment of government. >> in the past 25 years the cancer mortality rate has increased over 20%. >> reporter: it was an all-out effort to bring cancer out of the shadows. the law established a national program to study the inner workings of cancer cells and find their weak spots. >> that was really a momentous act. >> reporter: dr. lisa deangelis is a neurooncologist and physician in chief at memorial sloan-kettering cancer center. >> it established a pipeline of discovery that is continuing today. >> reporter: that pipeline has led to success stories. new treatments harness the power of the immune system to seek out and destroy cancer cells. knowing the genetics of tumor mutations allows doctors to personalize treatments. >> diagnosis, question of melanoma. >> back then we probably would have said it was perhaps 40 diseases. now we think of it as more like 400 diseases. and that actually means that we've had to develop treatments
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that are unique and specific to each subtype of cancer. >> how were we able to know that there were these different types of cancers? was it genomic research? >> the genomics have really given us insight into the many different ways that a cancer can form. even when two different cancers look exactly the same under the microscope. >> that is so key, lisa, right? >> there was nothing like this when we started medical school. >> reporter: that was 1976 in new york city. dr. deangelis and i were class mas classmates at columbia. >> people were afraid to tell a si eram that they had a members were always saying don't tell mom, don't tell dad. the treatments were often brutal, quite honestly. and now chemotherapy's given as an outpatient. >> reporter: medications now lessen the side effects of chemotherapy and more targeted therapies can kill cancer cells while sparing normal ones.
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but challenges remain. for example, pancreatic and brain cancers have especially low survival rates. >> we're 50 years into a war that's continuing. that's a long war. >> the war analogy may not have been apt. the concept was that we were going to be able to treat or eradicate all cancer. but that is not what happened and it's not ever going to happen. >> reporter: moving forward, we need to improve early detection, which has been such a powerful tool. take colonoscopy, which finds and removes polyps before they can turn into cancer. now researchers are working on using blood tests to find cancer cells at the earliest stages. margaret, i'm optimistic. >> i hope we can all be. thank you, doctor. well, still ahead, tiger woods on his remarkable comeback to competitive golf.
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noth says the encounters were consensual. procter & gamble has recalled more than 30 aerosol spray hair care products, warning they could contain benzene, which a cancer-causing chemical. the voluntary recall impacts some batches of dry shampoos and dry conditioners under the brand old spice and aussie. tiger woods made a remarkable return to competitive golf over the weekend ten months after he badly injured his leg in a car crash. woods and his son charlie finished second at the pnc championship in florida. that is a tournament for pro golfers and family members. woods told cbs's david jacobsen that being out there felt like a personal victory. >> and to have this opportunity to be able to play with my son and to have these memories, you know, for us, both of us, for our lifetime is worth all the pain. >> now, woods had a slight limp as a result of the crash, but it's an incredible recovery
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after many thought he may not walk or play again. up next, christmas wishes from inside a child n's hospital. when you humble yourself under the mighty hand of god, in due time he will exalt you. hi, i'm joel osteen. i'm excited about being with you every week. i hope you'll tune in. you'll be inspired, you'll be encouraged. i'm looking forward to seeing you right here. you are fully loaded and completely equipped for the race that's been designed for you.
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christmas is about giving, family and hope. cbs's jan crawford reports hope is exactly what she found at children's national hospital in washington. >> reporter: nine-month-old marvin hernandez born with a rare heart condition will spend christmas here, at children's national hospital in d.c., where he has spent every single day of his life. these are his christmas lights. without a sleigh, mom joanna commutes from richmond, virginia, two hours away. what are your hopes for christmas? >> what i want for christmas this year would be just for him to be okay. >> reporter: about 300 kids will spend their holidays in the hospital. 17-year-old joshua alton will visit the holiday lights in the healing garden. do you have any special hopes
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for the new year? >> to be done with cancer next year. not have a tumor in my spine anymore hopefully. and start walking again. >> reporter: some kids have smaller wishes, too. >> we've got a dog, we have some blocks, we have a little plastic phone. >> reporter: so santa set up a workshop here to make the holidays a little more normal and magical. >> it's so fun seeing the patients open their bags on christmas. they wake up and they get so excited because they don't know that santa can come to the hospital. >> reporter: marvin is too young to know about christmas. but his mom believes there are angels here. >> i know that he is well taken care of. and i have peace. >> reporter: peace and hope for the new year. jan crawford, cbs news, washington. and that's the "overnight news" for this tuesday. for some of you the news continues. and for others check back later for "cbs mornings." and follow us online anytime @cbsnews.com. reporting from the nation's
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capital, i'm margaret brennan. this is "cbs news flash." i'm tom hanson in new york. a white house staffer has tested positive for covid-19 after coming in contact on air force one with president biden. so far he is testing negative. white house press secretary jen psaki says 99% of staff have received their booster shot. the national hockey league is postponing all games wednesday through saturday after 11 teams suspended their operations due to covid. the schedule is set to resume on december 27th. and times square is ready to ring in 2022. the seven-foot-tall numerals arrived in new york just ahead of the new year's festivities. the big event, however, is up in the air as the omicron variant surges. a final decision is expected
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before christmas. for more news download the cbs news app on your cell phone or connected tv. i'm tom hanson, cbs news, new york. >> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." good evening, and thank you for joining us. i'm margaret brennan, in for norah. we begin with breaking news from the cdc. in just three weeks since the first case of that omicron variant was confirmed here in the u.s. it is now the dominant strain. proving just how quickly the mutation spreads. omicron now accounts for 73% of new infections, and that's a nearly sixfold increase in only one week. and with christmas just five days away there is concern tonight about americans getting on airplanes, hitting the road and spreading coronavirus. today the world health
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organization urged people to cancel some of their plans. this holiday surge has rattled financial markets around the world. on wall street the dow fell more happen 400 points. its third consecutive day of of dclines. in europe cases are surging, and we'll have more on that in a moment. but here in the u.s. new york city continues to be the epicenter of cases, and that is where we find nancy chen, outside a testing site. good evening to you, nancy. >> reporter: margaret, good evening to you. not only does the cdc now say that omicron is the dominant variant, but it also accounts for more than 90% of new cases in the new york area as well as other parts of the country. all this as new york state breaks the record in new covid cases for a fourth straight day. in new york city where 71% of eligible residents are fully vaccinated, a race against the omicron variant. >> it's very transmissible. it moves fast. we have to move faster. >> reporter: there's a surge in demand for covid tests, and the wait can take hours. and here's what happened in one
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line. >> you guys are here for covid tests. i don't have it. >> reporter: in washington, d.c. the mayor declared a state of emergency today and new restrictions. >> we will be instituting d.c. -- a d.c. government vaccine mandate to include boosters. >> reporter: but there's positive news today from moderna. the company revealing a new study showing its booster provides a 37-fold increase in antibodies against omicron compared to its two-dose regimen. and there's fresh evidence of covid's startling impact on the unvaccinated. the massachusetts health department reports that those who have not received a vaccine dose are 31 times more likely to test positive than those who are vaccinated with a booster. and despite reports of breakthrough cases the cdc says nationwide those who are unvaccinated are 20 times more likely to die from covid than those who were boosted. in texas today officials announced the first known covid death related to omicron.
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at houston methodist hospital more than 80% of new symptomatic covid cases are omicron. it took delta three months to reach that level. with omicron, less than three weks. >> it's really blown delta out of the water in terms of how quickly it has spread. >> reporter: how bad could this get? >> i think that omicron is likely to become 100% of the isolates we're seeing in houston, easily by the end of the year if not by christmas. >> reporter: the director general of the world health organization is now urging people around the globe to consider canceling at least some holiday plans. in houston dr. wesley long agrees. >> my hope is that people saw family members safely during thanksgiving and can delay what would be traditional holiday gatherings maybe until january or february. >> reporter: and americans are still traveling for the holidays. the tsa expects to screen nearly 30 million people between now and january 3rd. here in new york no word yet on if the big new year's eve
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celebration in times square will go on as planned, margaret. >> nancy, thank you. well, overseas tonight europe is dealing with a covid surge of their own, forcing governments to issue new restrictions and lockdowns. cbs's roxana saberi reports from london, where omicron infections are exploding in numbers. >> reporter: protests against covid restrictions turned tense in london. and in brussels this weekend, as demonstrators clashed with police. across europe countries are battling to contain omicron variant, heading into christmas. the netherlands has imposed its fourth lockdown, closing non-essential shops, bars and restaurants. denmark has shut down theaters, museums and cinemas. in germany gatherings could reportedly soon be limited to up to ten people. and some travelers arriving in the country must now quarantine for two weeks. the uk, meanwhile, is racing to give all adults a booster shot
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by the end of the year but is not reimposing severe restrictions yet, says british prime minister boris johnson. >> unfortunately, i must say to people we will have to reserve the possibility of taking further action to protect the public. >> reporter: one event that won't be going ahead here in london is the annual new year's eve celebration in trafalgar square. mayor sadiq khan announced tonight it will be canceled to reduce the spread of the virus. margaret? >> roxana, thank you. well, the signature piece of president biden's legislative agenda, the sweeping $2 trillion spending bill, is now on life support. he does not have enough votes from senate democrats to pass it, and tonight his own party is playing the blame game. we get the latest from cbs's ed o'keefe at the white house. >> reporter: the white house tonight refusing to give up on the president's top legislative priority. >> we are going to continue to take steps, work like hell to get it done. >> reporter: after key
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democratic senator joe manchin dashed any hopes for its passage on sunday. >> i cannot vote to continue i just can't. >> reporter: the decision stunned the white house. they called it a breach of his commitments to the president. but manchin has always been concerned with the size and scope of the president's plan. today the senator blamed white house staff without offering details. >> they drove some things and they put some things out that were absolutely inexcusable. >> tax the rich! >> reporter: and the far left for troying to pressure him. >> well, guess what? i'm from west virginia. i'm not from where they're from and they can just beat the living crap out of people and think they'll be submissive. period. >> reporter: manchin's objections put much of the president's agenda at risk. nearly $2 trillion to ex-fight climate change, expand child care medicare and did and it would have renewed an expiring tax credit for 35 million families with children. progressives quickly denounced
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manchin, saying they you nao he might do this. >> i'm completely disappointed and disgust bid izz had reasoning. >> reporter: and today democratic leaders said they need to take the kid gloves off in future negotiations. >> of course we have every right to be furious with joe manchin but it's really up to leadership in the democratic party who, you know, made the decision to get us to this juncture and how we're going to move forward. >> reporter: tonight cbs news has learned president biden and senator manchin spoke sunday evening and that it went well. and senate democrats still plan to debate the president's plan next month, when they get back to washington, hoping to force senator manchin to express his opposition not just on the airwaves also on the senate floor. margaret? >>he "cbs overnight news" will be right back.
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♪ >> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." i'm catherine herridge in washington. thanks for staying with us. the new surge of covid-19 cases across the country is forcing many americans to rethink their holiday travel plans. airlines are working to avoid flight disruptions brought on by the pandemic. but they're also dealing with possible cancellations linked to 5g wireless services that are supposed to come online january 5th. the faa thinks 5g could interfere with a pilot's ability to land a plane. kris van cleave reports. >> reporter: a standoff between two federal agencies could have flight-halting consequences for
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airlines caught in the middle. starting january 5th u.s. airlines may have to stop using equipment that helps pilots land in bad weather or lower visibility at more than 40 of the nation's busiest airports following an faa order prompted by concerns about possible interference from newly activated 5g cell phone towers. >> 5g is now the biggest issue facing the airline industry. it's remarkable to say in a world where we're still in covid. >> reporter: united's ceo scott kirby says airlines have no choice but to adhere it to the faa order. >> we need the faa and the fcc to sit in a room to delay this until they sit in a room and find out a way to do this without impacti ing aviation an aviation customers. if we go back to decades-old procedures and technology for flying airplanes, cancel thousands of flights per day and hundreds of thousands of customers, it will be a catastrophic failure of government. >> reporter: top executives from the nation's biggest carriers expressed concerns during a recent senate hearing. >> the faa is uncomfortable with the safety risk and as a
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consequence the impact on our operations to mitigate that would be a significant setback. >> reporter: former 737 pilot and national transportation safety board chair robert sumwalt says planes are safer with those radio altimeters working. >> the spectrum band that the radio altimeters use is very close to the spectrum band for 5g. and that's the concern, is that there's the potential for spurious signals from the 5g to interfere with the radio altimeter spectrum. >> reporter: the wireless industry insists there is not a safety issue, arguing the aviation industry's fear mongering relies on completely discredited information and deliberate distortions of fact. a zpooent verizon are pledging to reduce signal strength on cell fours ntowers near airport. >> we have 39 countries where you have this deployment. there have been no issues. >> reporter: tennessee senator
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marsha blackburn believes expanded 5g service is essential. >> what we are looking at is a late onto the table objection by the faa. >> were folks just not talking to each other? >> sometimes we wonder if they are in as close communication as they ought to be in order to get this done. >> reporter: in a statement the faa says it believes the expansion of 5g and aviation will safely co-exist, adding it is working closely with the federal communications commission and wireless companies. the fcc tells cbs news it is optimistic that a solution can be worked out. the wireless companies have spent about $80 billion acquiring this bandwidth to roll out 5g. they oppose any kind of a delay. and the airlines say without a solution they could have to almost immediately start canceling or delaying about 1,000 flights a day. over the course of a year it would work out to 32 million flyers being impacted. >> kris van cleave at reagan
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national airport. president biden's build back better plan has been dealt a potentially fatal blow after west virginia's democratic senator joe manchin said he will not support it it. the plan included more than a half trillion dollars to slow climate change as scientists explore low-cost ways to reduce one greenhouse gas, methane. jeff berardelli reports. >> globally methane is responsible for 30% of global warming and of that livestock such as cattle account for a very big chunk, about 1/3 of all methane emissions. but a solution may be right over the horizon. we travel to prince edward island, canada to meet a man whose unlikely discovery has the potential to change the world. >> the american cure for climate change is right there. >> nature. nature has a solution. >> yes. always. to every problem. just we're not paying enough attention to it. >> reporter: from the moment you meet joe dorgan it's clear he's quite the character.
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>> the more education in a turnip than there is in me. i've got no education. >> reporter: often self-deprecating for a smile, dorgan is being modest. he's no average joe. in fact, he's stumbled upon what is nothing short of a climate miracle. the seeds of which were planted through five generations of family farming along the shores of prince edward island, canada. back then farmers harvested seaweed for feed and fertilizer. >> prime stuff. this is what's used. we don't take nothing out of it. we don't put nothing into it. this is the cure for everything that ails anything or anybody. >> reporter: while beachgoers may consider seaweed a nuisance, dorgan knew from experience it was teeming with potential. so he sent samples of it to dalhausa university in nova scotia to test for organic certification. turns out the high uptake of natural vitamins and minerals in seaweed drove up reproduction and milk production in cows.
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joe knew instinctively that seaweed would be healthy for cows. but what came next was a big surprise. research revealed an unintended consequence. seaweed made cows less gassy. >> they found out that feeding this to the cattle would reduce the greenhouse gases by as high as 40%. >> reporter: ruminants like gassy cows have been labeled climate villains but not because of what comes out the back. you see, cows have a very unique way of digesting roughage, requiring extra digestion and boosting burps. those burps emit methane. a heat-trapping greenhouse gas that's 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide. in a year a cow emits as much greenhouse gas as a small car. so with animal numbers now skyrocketing to help feed a growing population, livestock accounts for 50% of global
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emissions. that's the challenge that motivated scientist rob kinly, certification 15 years ago, to find a seaweed species with even more methane-reducing power. >> we started testing seaweeds from coastal australia, and it wasn't long before the asperagopsis species showed up, and it showed up in a big way. so big we didn't even believe what we were seeing. it took multiple runs of testing this before we believed what we were seeing, which was we couldn't find methane anymore. >> reporter: you heard right. kinly's research showed asperagopsis, a common type of red seaweed, has the potential to virtually eliminate methane emissions from livestock. but there are some obstacles to overcome. first it's not easy to harvest it from the ocean. so scientists are experimenting with farming it. kinly's team, along with others like josh goldman, are getting much closer to perfecting the techniques. >> the way that it shifts the
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ruminant function in the cow also makes the animal more energy efficient. >> reporter: goldman is encouraged by the seaweed's versatility. he says cultivation only takes about 90 days, allowing for multiple cycles per year. and it can be grown by aquaculture operations almost anywhere. as long as the climate is suitable. >> is there any way to do it for the 1.5 billion cows on earth? i mean, that's a big lift, isn't it? >> there are a lot of mouths to feed. but the good news is we only need to feed those cows .2% of their daily ration. >> reporter: still, there's the challenge of encouraging cow owners to use the seaweed supplement. for that goldman says there's incentive. that's because adding seaweed to a cow's diet means they consume less food. and he says dairy farmers and cattle ranchers will likely be able to cash in, selling carbon credits for the emissions they reduce. >> if we were able to eliminate almost all methane from almost
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all cows on earth, how big of an impact would that have? >> it would have a tremendous impact. roughly equivalent to eliminating all the emissions from the u.s. or the equivalent of taking every car off the road globally. >> that's a long way off. but then again, kinley's work has come a long way. since his initial discovery 15 years ago. >> this will be a much bigger story even 12 months, 18 months from now. >> you seem very optimistic. >> i am optimistic. >> reporter: as for dorgan? he's nearly retired but his work with seaweed continues. so you didn't set out to be a climate hero? >> no. no. never crossed my mind. i want to be who i am. >> reporter: an everyday guy whose impact on the planet is anything but ordinary. >> jeff berardelli reporting. the overnight news is back in tw minutes.
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those viral videos. a soldier surprising her family after months apart. >> mommy! >> reporter: but our story isn't about this reunion. it's about the woman who made it it possible. maddie mitchel is the unseen hand behind an untold number of joyful surprises here in nashville, tennessee. >> hi,babe. >> reporter: this stay-at-home mother of two with a third on the way got started making other people's days after her worst day. a fourth child, liam, a preemie, died at just six weeks. >> i felt like my son can't just come in this world just to suffer and then die. >> reporter: you found his purpose. >> mm-hmm. and it's helped so many kids. >> reporter: how many good deeds has your group done? >> hundreds. >> reporter: hundreds? maddie started a non-profit called liam changed the world. and in the ten years since he has. >> we've paid medical bills for children. >> reporter: from planning a parade for a kid with cancer to
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collecting supplies for flood victims. if kindness is needed, liam's mom is there. her most recent effort, to help army private first class harmony jackson surprise her family. >> i love you. >> reporter: harmony hadn't seen her kids in person -- >> i said i love you. >> reporter: -- in seven months. maddie found harmony on facebook and offered to orchestrate the reunion. she lured the dad, telling him he'd won a photo shoot for the family. then showered them with gifts. and finally -- >> thank you. >> reporter: -- the ultimate present. of course for maddie the moment was tinged with irony. a hug like this is something she and liam will never know. but maddie insists that every good deed she does reunites her too. >> i feel my son because i always say that's him doing that from heaven, that he's still working his purpose from up there. >> reporter: nice work, liam. >> cheese.
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>> reporter: you're raising a great mom. >> thank you so much. >> i just want to do good. >> reporter: steve hart n. >> mission everyone needs health insurance. covered california is making sure more people can get it. new federal funding of $3 billion is available to help more californians get covered. julie and bob are paying $700 less every month. dee now gets comprehensive coverage with no monthly premium and the navarros are paying under $100 per month. check coveredca.com to see your new lower price.
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this christmas season many survivors of covid-19 are giving thanks to the health care workers who helped them get home for the holidays. here's meg p oliver. >> reporter: we first met 35-year-old hillary lee from montana in early october. >> hillary. >> reporter: on a ventilator and eck moe machine clinging to life. her mother pam praying for a miracle. >> love you too. >> do you remember when she tried to wave to you? >> oh, i m gosh. >> yeah, that was -- that was tough. >> reporter: the young restaurant manager was about to get vaccinated when she got covid. >> my symptoms were so, so, so mild. i never would have thought i would have been in that position ever. >> reporter: but two weeks later she was rushed to billings clinic. >> the fact that we had a bed for her was nothing short of a
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miracle. >> reporter: kelsey purdue was hillary's nurse. at the time their icu was overflowing with covid patients, operating at close to 200% capacity. >> it's a huge sacrifice for us. people had to pick up extra shifts to be able to care for her. you know, i'm not a betting person but i don't think she would have survived. >> how exhausting has this pandemic been for you? >> it really wears on you. >> thank you. >> hillary's family was one of those families that i got really close to in that time. >> how many times were you there for her mom? >> i think really pam was more there for me. i don't think she would say that. but she would come and visit in the mornings and -- sorry. i didn't realize i would cry about this. pam was really ministering to me. >> you're going home! >> reporter: the day after thanksgiving doctors and nurses lined the corridor as hillary stepped out on her own. >> i knew one day we'd walk out of the hospital. i just didn't know if it would be with or without her. this will be the best christmas
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ever. >> reporter: a christmas to cherish. meg oliver, cbs news. [ cheers and applause ] and that's the "overnight news" for this tuesday. reporting fm the nation's capitol, i'm catherine herridge. this is "cbs news flash." i'm htom hanson in new york. a white house staffer has tested positive for covid-19 ar coming in contact on air force one with president biden. so far he has tested negative. white house press secretary jen psaki says 99% of staff have received their booster shot. the national hockey league is postponing all games wednesday through saturday a 11 teams suspended their operations due to covid. the schedule is set to resume on december 27th. and times square is ready to ring in 2022. the seven-foot-tall numerals arrived in new york just ahead of the new year's festivities. the big event, however, is up in the air as the omicron variant surges. a final decision is expected
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before christmas. for more news download the cbs news app on your cell phone or connected tv. i'm tom hanson, cbs news, new york. it's tuesday december 21, 2021. this is the cbs morning news. omicron sweeps the u.s. covid cases hits a one-year high as we learn about president biden who came close to a staffer who tested positive for the virus. nhl on pause. the league is the first to shut down. how long players will remain off the ice. >> build back later. democrats with their next move for the biden social spending plan. good morning and good to be with you. i'm anne-marie green. president biden will address the
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