attendants' union has reversed its position on a vaccine requirement for domestic travel. it now supports the idea, given this dramatic surge in cases. president biden said recently he would impose such a rule, major, if his health advisers recommended it. >> garrett: errol barnett, thank you so much. the white house said president biden and russian leader vladimir putin will speak tomorrow, with ukraine at the top of the agenda. the call was requested by putin. cbs' jan crawford is at the white house. jan, good evening. >> reporter: well, good evening, major. so the white house says it doesn't know why president putin requested the call but thinks it's important for president biden to engage with him one on one, especially when there are now upwards of 100,000 russian troops gathered along the ukrainian border. now, a senior administration official today is calling this a "moment of crisis," saying it will take a high level of engagement between president biden and putin to address this and find a path of de- escalation.

this will be the second call that these two men have had this month. tomorrow, president biden is expected to tell putin that tensions must be ratcheted down, and that for that to happen, russia must pull back its troops. if russia does invade, the white house says the consequences will be severe, including punishing economic sanctions, additional military assistance to ukraine, and bolstering nato allies in the region. but there are no plans for u.s. troops on the ground. now, national security aides for president biden and president putin will continue these discussions in geneva on january 10 when they'll be meeting there. major. >> garrett: jan crawford for us tonight at the white house. thank you. the cbs overnight news will be right back.

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tonight in washington, former senator and longtime democratic majority leader harry reid is being remembered as a skilled deal maker, a friend, and above all, a fighter. president biden called him a man of action and a man of his word. reid died last night after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. he was 82. flags over the capitol are now flying at half-staff in his honor. a quiet back-bencher at first, harry reid earned a reputation later as one of the most tenacious lawmakers in congress. >> i didn't make it in life because of my athletic prowess. i didn't make it because i'm a genius.

i made it because i worked hard. >> reporter: a former amateur boxer, reed was willing to draw partisan blood. his motto, "i would rather dance than fight, but i know how to fight." reid grew up in searchlight, nevada. his father was a miner and his mother washed clothes for brothels and casinos. the family cabin had no indoor plumbing. reid hitchhiked 40 miles to high school. there he met his wife of 62 years, landra gould. >> she's been the being of my existence in my personal life and my public life. >> garrett: reid was elected to the u.s. house in '82. the senate in 1986. he rose to senate majority lader in 2007, and then encouraged freshman senator barack obama to run for the white house. on tuesday, mr. obama released a letter he recently sent to reid, "i wouldn't have been president had it not been for your encouragement and support and i wouldn't have got most of what i gt done without your skill and determination." early in the obama presidency, reid forged deals on a great recession economic stimulus, pay

equity for women, and the landmark affordable care act. >> i want the people in the state of nevada to know that i am so grateful, and i have done my best. i haven't been perfect, but i've really tried my hardest. >> garrett: funeral plans are expected to be announced in the coming days. now to a new jersey school that is trying to bridge the gap between police and a student body that often distrusts those on patrol. cbs' meg oliver has more on the trust-building effort in our ongoing series "unifying america." >> reporter: it's a grueling day of competition from pedaling and punching, to swimming, and it's all about trust. the day started at the crack of dawn at st. benedict's prep in newark. >> so what we're going to do is pair people up.

>> reporter: ...where a new partnership was born between students and the new jersey state police. >> raise your hand if you feel nervous when you see a law enforcement officer. >> reporter: in an effort to break down misconceptions, the school pairs students, like 16- year-old seth damatas, with trooper mike guenther for a day of intense bonding. when you first met your partner, what was your first impression? >> he was a little bit smaller than me, of course. >> reporter: smaller but the 5'7" trooper can bench almost twice his new partner's weight. do you trust law enforcement. >> not as much, no. >> reporter: why not? >> because of the recent stories and basically the influence that i'm growing up in as a dark- skinned man-- dark-skinned male and tall. i'm not programmed to trust the police. >> reporter: when you hear that, how does that make you feel? >> that's why we're here today. you know, we're here to build relationships with the community. >> i am unbelievably proud of all of you. >> reporter: it's a relationship headmaster father edwin leahy wants to nourish to improve the fabric and future of their community. what are you hoping your students walk away with today?

>> i hope that they-- that they talk, kids talk to kids in their neighborhood and say, you know, what? they're not what you think they are. and i hope that the police begin to think about some of these kids they've encountered who have a face and a name when they have to deal with somebody in a difficult situation. >> reporter: a face and a name. and a family. >> a face and a name, brothers and sisters, parents, or children. yup. all of that. >> two, three... >> reporter: an exhausting experience that hopefully helps strangers continue seeing each other as partners. this morning, they came up to you and put their arms around you. how did that make you feel? >> it was awesome. it honestly was probably one of the highlights of my career in a very long time. >> reporter: meg oliver, cbs news, newark, new jersey. >> there is a lot more news ahead on "cbs overnight news."

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and longer. zzzquil pure zzzs all night. fall asleep. stay asleep. >> garrett: police have arrested a suspect in a fatal hit-and-run crash monday in broward county, florida that killed two children and hospitalized four others. authorities say the suspect, 27- year-old sean greer, was driving on a suspended license. a judge ordered him held without bond. two of the children injured remain in critical condition. the final powerball drawing of the year takes place tonight. it is a big one. the jackpot has swelled to $441 million, and if you're the lucky winner and choose a cash option, you will walk away with more than $317 million, that's before taxes. still, not a bad way to ring in the new year. up next, remembering an n.f.l. legend from coach to broadcaster to video game namesake.

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designed for you. >> garrett: you know, it's hard to describe all the things john madden did so well-- the hall of fame football coach and longtime broadcaster died tuesday. few people in n.f.l. history had a bigger impact on the game, his influence, and his humor were felt on and off the field. cbs' james brown on madden's incredible career. >> reporter: i first knew of madden was a players' coach who did not have many rules. he simply said, "be on time, be prepared, and play like heck when i tell you to." that led oakland to seven a.f.c. titles and a super bowl championship in 1977. >> and the raiders have won. they are the world champs. >> reporter: madden then took his love of the game to the broadcast booth. >> hi, i'm john madden. pat summerall and i have been with both the teams all week.

>> reporter: teaming up with the unselfish pat summerall to call games on cbs, and then to fox and nbc sports for 30 years, earning 16 emmys along the way. >> we call it just b.g.d. just big guy defense. that's all. >> reporter: john madden never stopped coaching football. for millions of americans, he took a complicated game, made it fun and easier to understand. >> they bring from the outside and, boom, two up the middle. >> reporter: he became a national pitch man, endorsing several products. >> boom! tough acting tinactin. >> reporter: and later a video game hall of famer. >> are you kidding me? >> reporter: he kicked off a revolution in the industry, creating a game with ea sports, the groundbreaking football franchise, "madden nfl." his voice, his smile, were infectious and his fear of flying was legendary. when john madden pulled up into the stadium in his tour bus "the madden cruiser," everyone knew that this was the game of the week.

the game was john madden, and we were all better having the opportunity to work with and learn from him. james brown, cbs news, new york. this is cbs news flash. ghislaine maxwell has been found guilty for her involvement in jeffrey epstein's sex ring. a federal jury convicted her on five of six counts, and she could face up to 65 years in prison. a holiday air travel nightmare continues with more than a thousand flights canceled and thousands more delayed wednesday. major airlines say they're struggling with staffing shortages due to covid-19. and times square is ready for new year's. crowds will be much lighter again there this christmas eve. but they will drop a ton of

confetti to ring in 2022. looks like it's good to go. for more news, download your cbs app. cbs news, new york. this is the cbs overnight news. good evening, everyone. we'll have the latest news on the continued spread of covid and the threat of tornados across the south, but we begin with breaking news. the guilty verdict of ghislaine maxwell of luring teenage girls to be sexually abused by her former boyfriend.

jurors deliberated for five days before finding maxwell guilty of all but one count. cbs' jericka duncan was inside the courtroom when the verdict was read. jericka, good evening. >> reporter: good evening to you, major. a number of reporters still standing outside the courthouse behind me, waiting to hear from either the prosecution or the defense. but many already releasing a statement from those accusers calling this a joyous day, saying they feel vindicated. and even the u.s. attorney who oversaw this case said maxwell is guilty of one of the worst crimes imaginable. ghislaine maxwell sat silently and took a deep breath as the judge read the verdict. the british socialite and former girlfriend of accused sexual predator jeffrey epstein was found guilty of five of the six charges, including the most serious, of grooming and trafficking of young girls. she faces up to 65 years in a federal prison. the prosecution argued that maxwell was epstein's partner in crime and critical to his alleged sex trafficking operation. throughout the two-week trial, jurors heard from four alleged victims who claimed maxwell recruited them for epstein, and that she normalized and sometimes even participated in te abuse. in their testimonies, accusers recalled an often-emotional and

graphic detail being paid for giving epstein sexual massages and being flown on epstein's private planes to one of his many estates. the defense relied on the argument that maxwell was being made a scapegoat for epstein after he killed himself in 2019, just before standing trial on his own federal sex trafficking charges. maxwell did not testify in her own defense, telling the court she did not need to because the prosecution failed to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. but ultimately, jurors had a different view. >> this is a great day for these women to feel vindicated. and, of course, a terrible day for ghislaine maxwell, because she will have to face many, many years in prison. >> reporter: and maxwell also faces perjury charges. the attorneys for maxwell say it's unclear just yet if they plan to appeal this case.

major. >> garrett: jericka duncan, thank you. several states in the south are at risk of severe weather tonight, including possible tornadoes, hail, and thunderstorms. late today, this twister touched down in the city of bainbridge, georgia, about three hours south of atlanta. no word yet on injuries. cbs' lonnie quinn is here with the forecast. lonnie. good evening. >> reporter: hey, good evening, major. you know, december 10, the weather world was talking about this rare tornado outbreak. here we are now finishing december, and the possibility for tornadoes out there again tonight, anywhere from louisiana into portions of the tennessee valley. the computer models show us as this line pushes to the east and holds on to its strength, so that tornado watch in effect until 10:00 p.m. central time tonight. so what is it that's behind all this? it's a textbook clash of air masses. you've got record warmth, hottest december day for portions of mississippi today. on the opposite side of that jet you have record cold. right? and you go farther west, how topsy-turvy our atmosphere today.

alaska, record warmth. kodak, alaska, hit 67 today, warmer in kodak than beverly hills. speaking of beverly hills, the los angeles area picks up big rains today, two to four inches of rain. big bear up in the mountains could see two to four feet of some snow. but my eyes tonight, for the big weather story will be on the deep south into the tennessee valley, that chance for tornadoes again tonight. and even if you don't get tornadoes, straight-line winds will be out there and it could happen again new year's eve for that same area, major. >> garrett: what you're watching tonight, lonnie quinn. thank you so much. the white house said president biden and vladimir putin will speak tomorrow. the call was requested by putin. jan good evening. >> reporter: so the white house says it doesn't know why president biden requested the call, but thinks it is important for president biden to engage with him one-on-one, especially when they're now upwards of 100,000 russian troops gathered around the ukrainian border. a senior administration official

is calling this a moment of crisis saying it will take a high level of engagement between them to address this and find a path of deescalation. this will be the second call that these two men have had this month. but tomorrow president biden is expected to tell putin that tensions must be ratcheted down. and for that to happen, russia must pull back its troops. if russia does invade, the white house says the consequences will be severe, including punishing economic sanctions, additional military assistance to ukraine and bolstering nato allies in the region. but there are no plans for u.s. troops on the ground. now, national security aids for president biden and president putin will continue these discussions on january 10th when they will be meeting in geneva. >> at the white house, thank you. tonight in washington, former senator harry reid is being

remembered as a skilled deal maker, a friend and above all a fighter. president biden called him a man of action and a man of his word long battle with pan krecreatic cancer. a quiet back-bencher at first, harry reid earned a reputation later as one of the most tenacious lawmakers in congress. >> i didn't make it in life because of my athletic prowess. i didn't make it because i'm a genius. i made it because i worked hard. >> reporter: a former amateur boxer, reed was willing to draw partisan blood. his motto, "i would rather dance than fight, but i know how to fight." reid grew up in searchlight, nevada. his father was a miner and his mother washed clothes for brothels and casinos. the family cabin had no indoor plumbing. reid hitchhiked 40 miles to high school. there he met his wife of 62 years, landra gould. >> she's been the being of my existence in my personal life and my public life.

>> garrett: reid was elected to the u.s. house in '82. the senate in 1986. he rose to senate majority leader in 2007, and then encouraged freshman senator barack obama to run for the white house. on tuesday, mr. obama released a letter he recently sent to reid, "i wouldn't have been president had it not been for your encouragement and support and i wouldn't have got most of what i got done without your skill and determination." early in the obama presidency, reid forged deals on a great recession economic stimulus, pay equity for women, and the landmark affordable care act. >> i want the people in the state of nevada to know that i am so grateful, and i have done my best. i haven't been perfect, but i've really tried my hardest. >> there is a lot more news ahead on "the cbs overnight news."

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this is the "cbs overnight news." >> i'm major garrett in washington. thanks so much for staying with us. the warning health orangization is warning of a tsunami of covid infections in the next few weeks. yesterday the u.s. set a new re record. that is the most since the start of the pandemic, but the real number may be much higher since covid tests remain in short supply. hospitalizations are also on the rise but remain below record

levels reached last year. overseas europe is in something of a crisis setting new records for infections. charlie has the story from london. nearly 180,000 cases in a single day. people have been asked to work from home three days a week, and new year's eve celebrations have been called off, too. sure, a lot of people will be diointed firew will says, especy in paris, but we have to stop this contagen. they're not alone. although mom may be causing milder illness, dr. simon clark warned omicron should not be underestimated. >> we are in a situation where we don't know with any surety at

all how many people are going to end up in hospital. so while we don't know that, we cannot design those restrictions to bring down the number of infections by the level that is needed. >> reporter: new stiffer lockdowns across europe including shutting nightclubs including large scale events. germany banned groups of more than ten. yet, england decided not to impose any further restrictions. instead, pushing for people to get vaccinations and boosters. it's a confusing picture. >> if they get this right and don't lockdown or don't impose further restrictions when they don't need to, they will be hailed for that. but if they get it wrong, there will be serious political trouble if they end up filling the hospitals with people struggling to breathe. >> reporter: this is the same situation we may be struggling with in the united states. >> exactly. it is the same situation any

government is looking at. >> the word health organization issued a new warning that omicron could overwhelm global health systems. prime minister boris johnson says the vast majority of patients in intensive care have not had booster shots. closer to home, the pandemic has made things worse for people facing food insecurity. that includes many of america's military families. now, we have been following this story for months. there has been an overwhelming response both from the pentagon and cbs viewers. >> reporter: if a picture is worth a thousand words. >> thank you for your service. >> thank you. >> reporter: your donations were worth one million meals to military families battling hunger. near fort hood in texas, hundreds of families each received 60 pounds of free groceries. >> this food makes a huge impact on their lives, on their family lives. >> reporter: back in february,

we started reporting on military families struggling to feed themselves. why? low incomes, frequent moves, denial up the chain of command. >> i cannot feed my kids. it is just unacceptable really. >> reporter: from joint base lewis mccord in washington state to norfolk in virginia. >> how can they focus on the mission when your family can't even survive. >> reporter: nearly 40% of active duty military families faced hunger issues at the start of the covid era. finally the pentagon agreed to identify and help them. >> our men and woman in uniform and their families have enough to worry about. basic necessities like food and housing shouldn't be among them. >> reporter: you jumped in to help, unprompted, donating more than $600,000. what an impact. >> i am absolutely humbled and incredibly emotional to share with each of you here with us

today that we just officially broke one million meals for military families. >> reporter: enough to feed 7,000 families. >> this would not have been possible without the support of cbs shining a spotlight on the issue and then the viewers who really leaned in to provide incredible support. >> reporter: these families have our backs. you have theirs. >> thank you, cbs viewers! >> reporter: cbs news atlanta.

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mirrors. nasa is confident this will work. if not, of course, the mission will be a failure. mark straussman paid a visit to get a look at the giant artemis rocket. >> reporter: both iconic and daunting, nasa's vehicle assembly building is one of the largest in the world. >> reporter: towering inside, a new rocket that makes you feel just as puny. it is called the space launch system or sls. >> this is massive. it is 322 feet tall. so that's taller than the statue of liberty. >> reporter: we had to step way back to get a good look at the most powerful rocket ever built. if you look passed the scaffolding, you can see the nose of the two boosters. so the boosters provide about seven million pounds of thrust at liftoff. that's a lot of power. >> reporter: nasa spent 11

months stacking this rocket piece by piece. 212 feet long arrive by barge. its four engines will produce two million pounds of thrust. >> you got a rope up in there. >> reporter: cranes gingerly lifted and lowered billions of dollars of space hardware into place. and then at the very top, the very top you have orion. >> reporter: the crew capsule. flores took us up 311 feet for a closer look. >> you look at all the thousands of nuts and bolts, the hours spent by our technicians getting this work done to get us to this major milestone. >> reporter: and every one of those bolts better be perfect. >> they better be. >> reporter: because it will roll to the launch pad for a critical test flight. artemi s1. it will launch on a course 40,000 beyond the moon and back.

no astronauts will be on this flight, but it is the first in a series of complex missions. >> for the first time since fall of '17 in 1972. >> oh, this is a big deal, and it is beautiful. and it is a monster. >> reporter: after more than $30 billion in development costs,sa that test flight to go well. >> i am an optimist by nature. true space flight is risky, and there are penalties that you pay because mistakes are made by human beings. >> reporter: the next mission, artems 2 will have a crew. it is due to fly around the moon by may 2024. nasa is hoping artemis 3 happens

in 2025. that will include the first female moon walker and the astro gnat one of the candidates. >> if they ask who wants to go to the moon first, you're raidsing your hand? >> we all raised your hand. whatever the crew ends up being, we're going to be pumped for each other. >> reporter: but first the most complex rocket in history has to work. america's lunar future depends on it. mark straussman at the kennedy space kenter. one of the influential figures in football has passed away. john madden, he was 85. in 1969, a 32-year-old madder a team that was 25-3. he maintained that winning tradition. in his 10 years as coach, madden made the playoffs 8 times, won a super bowl and retired with the greatest winning percentage of any coach that worked at least 100 games. he then went on to the broadcast

booth and later went on to create a video game worth billions. jim nantz looks back. >> he just has that ability, whatever it is, to win football games. >> reporter: a lifelong love for the game. that's what made john madden a football icon. in 10 seasons as head coach of the oakland raiders, madden won more than 100 games, 7 division titles and one lombardi trophy in super bowl 11. >> and the raiders have won. >> reporter: he walked away from the sidelines in 1978, but he didn't go far, taking the next act of his football story into the broadcast booth. >> hi. i'm john madden. pat and i have been with both the teams all week. >> reporter: his first 14 years took place at cbs where his partnership with pat summerall formed one of the greatest announcing teams of all time.

in total madden spent 30 years in broadcasting with four different networks, working 11 super bowls and winning 16 emmy awards. >> and, boom, the ball is there right again between the 8 and the 9. oh, is he happy. >> reporter: his inside knowledge of the game earned him the respect of the coaches and players he covered. and his ability to explain the complexities of the game within the game made him a fixture for millions of football fans until his retirement from television in 2008. >> it is the biggest play of the game so far. >> reporter: even after leaving the booth, his legacy lives on through one of the most popular sports video franchises of all time. above all else, he made the game fun no matter what he was doing. >> jerry, you get the whole turkey. the whole bird. >> reporter: the hall of famer's exuberance, passion and unbridled love for football brought him to the top of multiple industries within the

sport. ultimately, leaving an impact on the game that will never be forgotten. >> tha was

people who live on the spanish island are hoping that the volcanic eruptions are over. as and ian lee reports, there is a massive cleanup effort ahead. >> one scoop at a time. daniel's house emerges from volcanic ash. spanish soldiers help him clear months of debris. the truth is this is very difficult, cleaning up while qu. for three months, lava spewed from the vol can know destroying thousands of homes and livelihoods, but now it is back asleep. they believe mag ma underground

is cooling in the lava vents. for residents, it seems like a christmas miracle. it's a great feeling that the eruption is over, said this banana farmer. spanish police now have a new mission, helping reunite lost pets with their owners. we found the cats crossing the lava, says this officer. they approached us, and we gave them food and water, while checking to see if they have a microchip so we can return them. as efforts return to rebuilding the island, santa came a little early. thousands of runners participated in a charity race to raise money for the victims of the eruption, while also sending a holiday message. they are not alone. ian lee, cbs news. and that is the overnight news for this thursday. for some of you, the news continues. for others, please check back later for cbc mornings. and join me for "the takeout." this week i'm discussing the state of entertainment during

the pandemic with long-time comedian frank caliendo. reporting from the nation's capital, i'm major garrett. ghislaine maxwell has been found guilty for her involvement in jeffrey epstein's sex trafficking ring. maxwell was accused of grooming minors. the jury convicted her on five of six counts, and she could face up to 65 years in prison. a holiday air travel nightmare continues across the country with more than a thousandthousand flights cancel wednesday. major airlines say they struggling with staffing shortages due to covid-19. and times square is ready. crowds will be much lighter there again this new year's eve, but they will still drop more than a ton of confetti to ring

in 2022. looks like it is good to go. download the app on your cell phone or connected it's thursday, december 30th, 2021. this is the "cbs morning news." guilty, a jury convicts ghislaine maxwell of grooming and trafficking teenage girls for jeffrey epstein to sexually abuse. the prison sentence she faces and what the defense is planning now. severe weather. a possible twister touches down in alabama, and a risk of intense storms spreads into several states in the south. how long the threat lasts. and critical talks. president biden set to speak with russian president vladimir putin today after the russian leader requested the call. what they're expected to discuss. good morning, it's so good to be with you. i'm tom hans