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 hanson.

anne-marie green is off. this morning, ghislaine maxwell faces the possibility of spending the rest of her life behind bars after five full days of deliberations. a jury found the 60-year-old british socialite guilty of recruiting and grooming teenage girls for jeffrey epstein. maxwell sat still as the verdict was read yesterday. she showed no emotion as she was led out of the new york city courtroom. the defense is already planning to appeal. courtney kealy is tracking the latest developments from the courthouse. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, tom. ghislaine maxwell was found guilty on all but one count, and guilty on the most serious count of trafficking. ghislaine maxwell sat silently as the judge read the verdict. the former girlfriend of accused sexual predator jeffrey epstein was found guilty of five of the six charges she faced including the most serious -- of grooming and trafficking of young girls for epstein's alleged sex abuse ring.

she faces up to 65 years in a federal prison. >> the road to justice has been far too long, but today justice has been done. i want to commend the bravery of the girls, now grown women, who stepped out of the shadows and into the courtroom. >> reporter: maxwell did not take the stand. the defense argued unsuccessfully that she was being made a scapegoat for epstein who killed himself in jail in 2019 before standing trial for his own federal sex trafficking charges. >> obviously we are very disappointed with the verdict. we have already started working on the appeal, and we are confident that we'll see that vindicated. >> reporter: some of the accusers were as young as 14 at the time. two said maxwell groped them herself. four accusers testified in emotional and graphic detail that maxwell witnessed them being abused by epstein, arranged their travel, and instructed them on how to give epstein massages.

>> this is a great day for these women to feel vindicated, and of course a terrible day for ghislaine maxwell. >> reporter: maxwell still faces trial on two counts of perjury in a separate case. now the one count she was not found guilty was enticing a minor to travel with the intent of engaging in illegal sex acts. tom? >> courtney kealy in new york. thank you so much. white house chief medical adviser dr. anthony fauci is advising people to take part in scaled back new year's eve gatherings. it comes as the omicron variant continues to run rampant across the nation, triggering a spike in record new infections. the number of children hospitalized with the virus is up 74% in the last month. and the world health organization is warning that the omicron and delta variants could create a tsunami of new infections. debra alfarone has fresh developments from the white house. >> reporter: just a day after

u.s. covid cases hit the highest one-day total of more than 400,000, the cdc is defending itself decision to slash the recommended isolation period for those who test positive from ten days to five. >> we are standing on the shoulders of two years of science. we know that after five days people are much less likely to transmit the virus, and that masking further reduces that risk. >> reporter: cdc director dr. rochelle walensky is also answering critics who have called for a negative covid test requirement at the end of isolation. >> we know a pcr test would not be viable because that can stay positive for up to 12 weeks. >> reporter: the fda warns at-home or rapid antigen tests may be less effective at detecting it the more transmissible omicron variant though it says people can use them. federal testing sites are popping up in several states to meet increased demand. the biden administration is sending medical personnel and equipment to hard-hit areas, and they're also urging all americans to get the vaccine or

a booster shot if eligible. [ cheers ] plans are under way for a smaller crowd at new york's new year's eve ball drop. while some cities such as atlanta and san francisco are canceling public new year's eve events. here in washington, the smithsonian announced it will close several museums until january 3rd due to the increase in infections among staff. debra alfarone, cbs news, the white house. we are now in the seventh straight day of holiday travel chaos. yesterday alone more than 6,000 flights were delayed in and out of the u.s., and more than 1,000 were grounded. every major airport was affected. airlines say staffing shortages due to surging covid infections is largely to blame. one new york man told errol barnett he's stranded in seattle with his family after their flight to see his parents in colorado was canceled. >> we were hoping to get the family together for holidays in denver, and unfortunately that's not going to happen this year.

>> reporter: and how do you and haur wife feel about that?e flights ve beecanceled every day since christmas eve. more than 900 flights are already grounded today with more delays and cancelations expected. several states in the south are facing the possibility of severe storms packing high winds, hail, and the risk of tornadoes. a possible tornado touched down in the city of winfield, alabama, about 70 miles west of birmingham. strong winds damaged homes and businesses and ripped down power lines. earlier in the day this tornado was spotted in southern georgia. no injuries were reported. the weather will last into the weekend. president biden and russian president vladimir putin are set to speak again today. this will be their second call this month. it was requested by putin. u.s. officials say ukraine will be at the top of the agenda. there are an estimated 100,000 russian troops gathered at the

ukrainian border sparking fears of a possible invasion. the white house says mr. biden is prepared to find a diplomatic path forward but is ready to respond with severe economic sanctions and other measures if russia advances. and the biden administration is asking the supreme court if the u.s. has to continue the trump-era remain in mexico policy. the controversial program has forced tens of thousands of migrants to wait for their asylum hearings. president biden tried to scalp the policy in june but was forced by court order to restart it this morning. the supreme court is being urged to review the case quickly. coming up, under arrest. police nab a suspect in a hit-and-run crash that killed two children. and later, a huge powerball jackpot up for grabs. did anyone claim the big prize? this is the "cbs morning news." this is the "cbs morn news."

check this out -- a young boy could not contain his xcitement to go out and enjoy all the snow that's fallen in lake tahoe. he took a leap and completely submerged himself in it. the area along the california/nevada border has seen more than 16 feet of snow this month breaking a 50-year-old record. covid forces a prestigious dog show to be postponed, and a suspect has been arrested in a deadly hit-and-run accident. those are some of the headlines on the "morning newsstand." "the miami herald" reports the suspect in a hit-and-run crash that killed two children and injured four others is arrested. authorities say 27-year-old sean greer was driving with a suspended license when he veered around a bus and hit a group of children on a sidewalk in broward county. during a court appearance yesterday, greer scuffled briefly with deputies and was led away. two of the injured children remain in critical condition. "the daily herald" says two men were charged in connection

with a shooting inside a crowded suburban chicago shopping mall that injured five people. 32-year-old tyran williams and 27-year-old steve lane face multiple charges. authorities say the two men fired 12 shots at each other last thursday after an argument broke out. williams was shot four times. four bystanders were also wounded. >> two defendants decided to settle a verbal argument by taking out handguns and firing multiple times with thousands of men, women, children, and families present. all evidence of an unconscionable degree of violence. >> the mall was locked down for six hours after the shooting. and "the new york times" says the 2022 westminster dog show is being postponed due to the surge in covid cases. the 146th edition of show was scheduled for late next month. there's no word a new date. this year's show was postponed from february to june over

concerns about the virus. it was moved from madison square garden in new york city to an outdoor suburban location. spectators were not allowed. coming up, what's ahead for a minimum wage increase. experts predict how many states and cities will see a hike in worker pay in the new year. w ye. (computer keys clicking) (mouse clicks) - shriners hospitals for children is awesome! my favorite people in shriners are the doctors and the nurses because they help people through life. wow, i was a really cute kid! (chuckles) but it's true! shriners hospitals for children is awesome! the first time i went to shriners hospitals for children, i was two months old. since then, they have helped me with over 18 operations, and thousands of rehabilitation hours. because of their care, i got my driver's license,

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the next drawing takes place new year's day. in case you missed it, the winning numbers were 2-6-9-33-39, and the powerball, 11. on the cbs "money watch," an increase in the minimum wage across america, and what's behind the rising price of champagne. diane king hall is here in new york with that and more. diane, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, tom. well, let's start with this -- this morning the labor department is due out with its latest report on weekly jobless claims, and it's expected to remain near pre-pandemic lows. meantime, the three major indices ended yesterday largely higher. the dow rallied 90 points, closing at a record high. the nasdaq declined 15, while the s&p 500 added 6, also notching a record. minimum wage is set to rise in a record number of states and cities next year. starting january 1st, the minimum wage will increase in 21 stes and 35 cities and counties across the nation.

the hourly rate will hit or surpass $15 in 33 of those jurisdictions and more states and localities will follow suit according to the new york-based nonprofit national employment law project. now, returning those unwanted holiday gifts is costing retailers more. giving back a $50 item, for example, is expected to cost retailers $33. return processor optoro says that's up 59% from last year. the increase is partly due to supply chain issues including needing to pay more for transportation. retailers are expected to pass the cost of returns on to consumers in the form of higher prices. and it may be tough to find some of your favorite bubbly to ring in the new year. the reason -- pandemic-related supply chain issues, a poor harvest, and booming demand. as a result, champagne prices are skyrocketing, and it could last for some time. some are getting creative.

one writer on the "seattle times" suggests toasting the new year with a sake bomb. >> as long as it's not a jager bomb. this is a new year's eve crisis. why are we talking about this more? champagne is quintessential to ringing in the new year. >> part and parcel, but i guess some people will be starting dry january earlier with these prices. >> oh, too soon. change is good. i'm all for change, but this is one change i'm not really looking forward to. >> i know, right? >> well, i guess i'll make a panic run to the liquor shop today. diane king hall in new york. thank you. >> thank you. all right. coming up, national youth poet laureate amanda gordon releases a new poem. her reflections on the past year and the inspiring message to look ahead. look at these mighty quaker oats... small in size, epic in taste. heart-healthy. a good source of fiber. and provides lasting energy. there's no denying delicious quaker oats are the the grain of all time.

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here's a look at the forecast in some cities around the country. ♪ five, four, three, two, one, happy new year! [ cheers ] >> it is not 2022 just yet. it sure felt like it in times square yesterday. organizers of tomorrow's big new york new year's eve bash held

their annual confetti test. when the ball drops, some 3,000 pounds of shredded paper will rain down on revelers. that's a lot of paper. betty white turns 100 years young next month, and she's revealing her secrets on how to live a long life. the beloved actress spoke to "people" magazine ahead of the major milestone. she said she's lucky to be in such good health and feel so good at her age. white credits her longevity to always finding humor and the good in life. she also joked she avoids anything green in her diet. while will celebrate the big 1-0-0 on january 17th. an early happy birthday to her. poet amanda gordon is ending the year on a hopeful note. she revealed her latest poem titled "new days lyric" on instaram yesterday. the 23-year-old national youth poet laureate said she reflected on the state of the country as she looked ahead.

>> even if we never get back to normal, someday we can venture beyond it to leave the known and take the first steps. so let us not return to what was normal but reach toward what is next. >> so powerful. she said the chaos and instability of the last year made her reject the idea of going back to normal. and queen elizabeth's 70-year reign will be celebrated in the hands of the british. it's all part of the royal mint's latest coin for 2022. two will pay tribute to the platinum jubilee. the first time a 50-pence coin is being used to celebrate a royal event. they're set to launch on january 6th. other coins being released will honor alexander graham bell and the commonwealth games in new england. coming up on "cbs mornings," an up-close look at the most powerful rocket ever built. nasa's giant new "artemis" rocket set to take astronauts

back to the moon. i'm tom hanson. this is the "cbs morning news." okay everyone, our mission is to provide complete balanced nutrition for strength and energy. woo hoo! ensure, complete balanced nutrition with 27 vitamins and minerals. and ensure complete with 30 grams of protein. ♪ ♪ ♪

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our top stories this morning -- british socialite ghislaine maxwell could spend the rest of her life in prison after a jury convicted her of luring teenage girls to be sexually abused by jeffrey epstein. she was found guilty on five of six charges that she faced. her lawyers say they will appeal. and several states in the south could be hit with severe storms packing high winds and the risk of tornadoes. a possible tornado ripped through the city of winfield, alabama, overnight, leaving behind a trail of destruction. earlier in the day, this tornado was spotted in southern georgia. one of the fallouts from the pandemic has been an increase in the use of alcohol. now many people are looking to cut back on their drinking.

changing behavior is not easy, but new apps are trying to help with a focus on mindful drinking. bradley blackburn has more. >> reporter: like so many americans, cathy from utah found she was drinking more during the pandemic, so earlier in year the wife and mother of two decided to make a change. >> i would notice it and not feel good the next day, and just -- i take care of so many other parts of my life and my body that i'm like why am i think doing this, too? >> reporter: in january she started using an app from the startup sunnyside logging and reflecting on how she uses alcohol. >> i still want to be able to enjoy my limit of wine, and i'm kind of learning what that is. >> reporter: women have seen the highest spikes in pandemic drinking, reporting a 41% increase in heavy drinking episodes. >> we're seeing a lot of stress drinking -- >> reporter: and sunnyside's ceo says women make up 70% of users.

>> mothers around the challenges of dealing with kids and work and households. >> reporter: it's one of several alcohol-reduction apps aimed at women's wellness. in an instagram ad this app promises better skin by drinking less. the goal is not necessarily sobriety but mindful drinking, something doctors say can be beneficial. >> you're putting in time and energy every time you open the application. and you log the data from the day. >> reporter: dr. collin reiff says cutting back with improve -- can improve sleep and heart health, and apps can be a good first step. >> the important thing is if it's not working be honest with yourself, and, you know, enter a higher level of care. >> reporter: do you feel better? >> yes, i do. >> reporter: kathy says it's working for her. >> you feel better just from the moment that you know you're going to take control of your life. >> reporter: she says she's living fully while drinking less. bradley blackburn, cbs news, new york. coming up on "cbs mornings,"

an up-close look at the most powerful rocket ever built. nasa's giant new "artemis" rock back to the moon. plus, how a popular street artist is using chalk and charcoal to bring sidewalk art to life. and we'll speak with british comedian gina yashere, the co-creator and one of the stars of the cbs sitcom "bob hearts abishola." how the daughter of nigerian immigrants turned her life's story into comedy gold. that's the "cbs morning news" for this thursday. thank you so much for watching. i'm tom hanson. have a great day. ♪ have a great day. ♪