connected tv. i'm courtney kealy, cbs news, new york. >> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." good evening. jericka is off. i'm lilia luciano. it's been a white christmas for many americans with plenty of weather misery to go with it. it's a disaster in buffalo, new york. nationwide, the mammoth storm is blamed for at least 33 deaths and hundreds of thousands of power outages. it's also still causing nightmares for travelers on highways and airports. cbs's naomi ruchim is at newark liberty airport in new jersey. naomi, good evening. >> reporter: lilia, good evening. at airports across the country more than 2300 flights have been

canceled with thousands more delayed. the airport in buffalo, new york is still shut until at least tuesday. christmas in buffalo. a ghost town. frigid temperatures and fierce winds have trapped people in their homes and cars under six-foot snow drifts. new york's governor deployed 400 members of the national guard, calling it a storm for the ages. >> we are in a war, and this will go down in history as the most devastating storm in buffalo's long storied history. >> reporter: governor hochul says nearly every fire truck in the city was stranded at one point. emergency services paralyzed from reaching the hardest-hit areas. >> we've had police vehicles in the city, fire trucks, literally stuck in snow. ambulances stuck. >> reporter: 30 miles outside buffalo up to 200 people spent christmas eve stranded at this denny's. >> there were families sleeping on tables, sleeping on, you know,hraiea

wn on the rep scott guzlik and john thornton were there for nearly 48 hours. uncomfortable but well fed. >> yesterday they served 400 meals by themselves. >> reporter: it's a storm so massive and dangerous about 60% of americans have felt its fury, suffering temperatures far below normal. south dakota deployed the national guard to assist native american tribes cut off by massive snowfalls. texas went into deep freeze. this car wash now a curtain of icicles. migrants along the southern border tried to escape the cold, welcoming the holiday in candlelight. even miami saw some flurries. >> oh, baby, it is snowing in miami. >> reporter: nascar driver brad perez posted this christmas miracle for dolphins fans. so what's ahead? let's get the forecast from meteorologist paul goodloe from our partners at the weather channel. th cdeistm i masne of

south, i s, 30-plus years. and the cold air, well, it's still sticking around for the rest of today and tonight. and then we start kind of coming out of that valley. tomorrow still below average but not nearly the teens and single digits for morning lows. we'll be less cold tomorrow before by the end of this week, end of this year we could see some temperatures in the south 70s as we head on toward the new year. different story out toward the west. yes, it was mild in southern california but storms now are coming in tonight and once they start they keep coming and push farther south, even southern california as we head through the last couple of days of this year. plenty of rain coming in to end your 2022. lilia? >> thank you, paul. today pope francis used his christmas message to lament what he called the of war. speaking to the faithful in st. peter's square, the pontiff pleaded for an immediate end to the fighting in ukraine. he also called the invasion by

russia senseless. and today many ukrainians celebrated christmas. that would normally happen on january 7th. but not this year. ian lee is in kyiv. >> reporter: on this holy night not all is calm, not all is bright in ukraine. the intense fighting continues. ukrainian forces fire what they call presents at the russians. in bakhmut soldiers keep the christmas spirit alive. decorating a tree to the melody of artillery. fear replaces holiday cheer on the he city's deadly streets. this resident says, "we have to survive and keep on living." ♪ while on the front line further north carol singers add a splash of color to these soldiers' dull war-torn world.

this man says he's thankful for the distraction, even if it was brief.in ctral kyi fiepiou the a anna brought her onth ilana. she tells me, "i tried to make the holiday positive for my daughter, but when there's anxiety in my soul of course she can feel it." this woman's brother is stuck behind enemy lines. she tells me, "his situation is horrible. they have no power, gas or water. they gather in homes with woodburning stoves to stay warm." president zelenskyy's christmas message reflected the mood of his defiant nation. saying "freedom will return to all ukrainians while adding they won't wait for a miracle because they'll create it themselves. then these would be the country's miracle workers. ordinary soldiers praying for

salvation. and in britain and the commonwealth this day includes a message from the monarch. while here at home there wasn't a whisper from the white house. just these posts. here's cbs's steve futterman. >> reporter: christmas 2022 around the world had a bit of theld and the new. at the british royal estate in sandringham there was both, the traditional royal walkabout led by the new monarch. also the future, prince louie joining the family christmas celebration for the first time with george and princess charlotte looking so much like a younger version of her great grandmother. later the broadcast of the king's speech. >> christmas is a particularly ■ poignant time for all of us who have lost loved ones. >> reporter: at the white house the president and first lady celebrated privately. they both sent holiday greetings to units from each branch of the military. the u.s. may no longer be

officially engaged in any wars, but many american troops still spent the day far away from their families in places like an air base in the united emirates. animals celebrate christmas too. in des moines, iowa this dog named secret tugged her sled up the hill, then came down dozens of times. in toronto these arctic wolves at a zoo enjoyed a white christmas. these people in berlin went wild in the water with their traditional polar bear plunge. in brazil a christmas with concern over a national treasure. soccer star pele surrounded by loved ones as reports say his health is deteriorating from colon cancer. in the place where this all began, bethlehem, the original spirit of christmas took the spotlight back to what it was before the pandemic. in rome there were examples of the spirit of giving. despite the frivolity, this is

christmas after all, and in many locations it was a time to simply hope for peace on earth and goodwill toward all men. the "cbs overnight news" wondering what actually goes into your multivitamin? at new chapter, its' innovation, organic ingredients, and fermentation. fermentation? yes. formulated to help you body really truly absorb the natural goodness. new chapter. wellness, well done. suffering from sinus congestion, especially at night? try vicks sinex for instant relief that lasts up to 12 hours. vicks sinex targets congestion at the source, relieving nasal congestion and sinus pressure by reducing swelling in the sinuses. try vicks sinex. listen, i'm done settling. because this is my secret. i put it on once, no more touch ups! secret had ph balancing minerals; and it helps eliminate odor, instead of just masking it. so pull it in close. secret works. who says you have to spend more on skincare to get results? i power up my skin with olay. it works. guaranteed.

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>> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." welcome back to the "overnight news." i'm lilia luciano. the chinese government says it will no longer publish daily numbers for new covid-19 cases and deaths. the announcement comes as cities across china struggle with major surges in cases. this latest outbreak could also threaten the global economy. elizabeth palmer reports from tokyo. >> reporter: emergency rooms are filled to overflowing. staff in full ppe are hard pressed to find enough beds. and the crematorium fires burn nonstop while hearses wait outside. the luckiest patients have

access to big city hospitals. but millions don't. >> if you go to beijing, they have so many good hospitals. but if you go to third-tier cities or like rural areas, it's a totally different situation. >> reporter: social media is brimming with video of the consequences. morgues so full that workers don't know where to put the bodies. it's almost three weeks since the chinese government abruptly lifted its strict covid control program with its mass testing and quarantines. it then stopped counting the case numbers, which exploded. and as for the official death toll, according to the government right now it's a total of 9 since the start of the month. to the chinese that's a bad joke. to the world it's a worry. both the u.s. and the w.h.o. are pressing china for solid data. china's struggling with the kind of public health emergency america and europe faced two years

tr sicknd s imzing ely. mewhiltaffial t optimistic vie f ll peakn and be over by spring. elizabeth palmer, cbs news, tokyo. women in afghanistan are putting what's left of their freedom on the line to protest a new law that bans them from universities. the order is the latest limitation the taliban have imposed on women and girls since recapturing control of afghanistan last year. charlie d'agata has more on the brave women who are fighting back. >> reporter: they're defying a taliban crackdown to make their voices heard. shouting "education, work, freedom" after the taliban took all of it away. in a moment young women have dreaded since the group seized power, the university gates slammed shut.

in tears, in tatters, their hopes of a degree destroyed by a taliban decree. only a single generation of modern afghan women have had access to higher education, between the collapse of the taliban after 9/11 and the time it took back control.hose feds rnil eineer and activist sodaba bayani. what has it been like for women under taliban control? >> they are implementing so many other restrictions as well. they have even banned us from going to the parks, to the gyms and everything. they are not doing anything to improve the situation but making everything worse. >> reporter: and sources tell cbs news the police chiefs in kabul have been instructed to arrest protesters. it takes a great deal of courage for you to even speak with me. >> there have to be someone to speak up and tell the world what's happening to us. if we all keep our mouths shut and stay in our homes, then who

will come and do this? who will show the world what's happening to us? >> reporter: charlie d'agata, london. the "cbs overnight news" will be right back.

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anniversary. dana jacobson shows us how "miracle on 34th street" defied expectations, becoming seemingly a miracle of its own. >> young lady, what's your name? >> susan walker. what's yours? >> mine? kris kringle. i'm santa claus. >> reporter: over the past month movie theaters across the nation have been holding special 75th anniversary screenings of a very special holiday film. >> from 1947, here is "miracle on 34th street." [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: "miracle on 34th street" tells the story of kris kringle, a mysterious elderly gentleman hired to play santa at new york's macy's department store. >> could you be santa claus? have you had any experience? >> a little. >> reporter: things soon get out of hand after cringle claims to be the real deal. >> would you please tell her that you're not really santa claus? >> well, i'm sorry to disagree

with you, mrs. walker, but not only is there such a person but here i am to prove it. >> reporter: the cast included british character actor edmund gwen as kringle. and 8-year-old natalie wood as the girl who believes him. and maureen o'hara as the girl's mother. the macy's thanksgiving day parade director and a divorced single mom. highly unusual in films of the time. >> i think you've taken up enough of this gentleman's time. come along, dear. >> reporter: film historian scott iyman is the author of 20th century fox, daryl f. zanuck and the creation of the modern film studio. >> in every generation there are what i call these little movies that could, movies that nothing was expected of. they didn't have big stars. they weren't particularly expensive. there wasn't a huge amount of publicity push for them. >> i intend to prove that mr. kringle is santa claus. >> reporter: somehow or another everything connects. and "miracle on 34th street" is one of those little movies that could. >> this is a really good movie that holds up really, really

well. >> reporter: i met film kritic and screencrush.com editor in chief matt singer at new jersey's barrymore film center to talk about the movie and watch it again on the big screen. >> definitely not on a sound stage. >> no. that is new york. and if you look carefully in one shot you can see he's on east 61st street. >> reporter: that first moment you see him, that is santa. >> it is santa. >> reporter: and what's nice, too, is he's not wearing the suit. >> right. >> he is santa in a black hat and a black overcoat. he just exudes santa. >> you're making a rather serious mistake. you've got cupid where b should be. >> reporter: the original concept for the movie came from writer valentine davies who thought up the story while doing some last-minute christmas shopping in 1944. davies pitched the idea to writer-director george seton, wh t screenplay. and a legendary studio boss became its biggest backer. >> it was a low-budget picture

comparatively for a major studio and nothing particular was expected of it. but daryl zanuck, who ran 20th century fox like a swiss watch, believed in the script. he believed in the story. >> reporter: the studio began filming in new york on thanksgiving day in 1946. and this was really shot at the parade. >> edmund gwynn was the santa claus of the parade. i mean, this is the stuff i love, where you get to see look, there's the real 1946 macy's thanksgiving day parade. >> right. >> you've captured a little moment in time there, which is kind of nice. >> reporter: part of the movie was actually shot in macy's new york flagship store, often after hours. other interiors were shot on a hollywood sound stage. >> that's what i want for christmas. >> a doll's house like this? >> no. a real house. >> reporter: and after production wrapped daryl zanuck made one of the most shocking decisions in studio history.

he decided to release his christmas movie in june. >> they didn't even put it out at christmas time. it came out in summer. zanuck didn't think it had to be perceived as a christmas picture. he thought it was more about faith and belief and intangibles than it was about christmas per se. >> dinner's at 3:00. >> thanks. >> reporter: if you look at that poster, they're selling it as a romance. you know, kris kringle's in the background with natalie wood. it's, you know, two people kind of making goo goo eyes at each other. the gamble paid off. the film was both popular and a critical hit, winning oscars for its screenplay and for edmund gwynn's timeless performance. it stayed in theaters for seven months. later followed by nearly seven decades on television and now streaming. and of urse there several mirahe years. llo, sir. >> reporter: including the most

famous in 1994, written and produced by john hughes of "home alone" fame. this time it was sir richard attenborough who donned the red suit. did that work, trying to redo a classic like this? >> i don't think any of the other versions can hold a candle to the original. >> reporter: and many attribute that to the sheer magic and magical ambiguity that edmund gwynn brought to the role of kringle. >> thank you so much, your honor. and a very merry christmas to you. >> he's really great. i mean, edmund gwynn is the kind of guy where you look at him and you go if santa claus is real this is the guy. this is who he is. this is what he will looks like. >> reporter: he truly seemed to embody everything about him. >> right. you look at him and you go, i do believe. i want to believe. which is exactly the quality that he needs to bring.

for the movie to work. >> stop, uncle fred! stop! >> reporter: and of course who could forget that classic ending? one of the most beloved in film history. >> again, this is a wonderful, you know, sweet, perfect ending. >> oh, no. it can't be. it must have been left here by the people that moved out. >> maybe. maybe i didn't do such a wonderful thing after all. >> but, you know, it laveaves - it's almost like the end of "inception" for christmas movies. what do you think happened? >> there's a little belief. >> it's really easy to believe in santa claus when you see him flying through the air in front of you. it's much more meaningful, i think, to give people a chance to decide for themselves.

>> the "cbs overnight news" will be right back. jim mansfield: my job was more important to me than my family, and i started drinking a lot, staying out of town. it took a toll on me. dr. charles stanley: you may be as low as the prodigal, but you are not hopelessly, helplessly lost if you will listen to what i'm about to say. jim: sitting on that couch, watching that sermon, something had happened to us.

i'm talking about the joy and love in our hearts. i want more of that.

according to the national retail federation, 54% of americans say gift cards are the most requested item this holiday season. but while people may want gift cards, some of them don't always use them. here is carter evans. >> it was fun. >> reporter: this christmas steph and her husband steve are hoping to find a treasure trove of gift cards. not under a tree but in a dumpster. >> oh, my goodness. >> reporter: they sort through trash outside retail stores and post their finds online. >> $62? >> $62 in bed, bath and beyond. >> it sounds like it's not uncommon to find these gift cards for you. >> no. no, it's not. i don't really know why they're there with a balance, but they are. >> reporter: nearly half of americans are holding on to $21 billion in unused gift cards,

averaging about $175 per person. and 25% of people say they misplace them. >> the most important thing to do is to treat that gift card like cash. >> reporter: gift card expert shelly hunter says keep it next to your credit cards and if you end up with a small leftover balance in at least 12 states -- >> you can just ask the cashier to give you that money back. >> reporter: for unwanted gift cards there are some reputable websites where you can sell or trade them for a fee. hunter says you should also take a picture of the credit card right away. >> so you have a record of the gift card number. do you really want that number to go to waste? >> no. not at all. >> reporter: encouraged, i dug through my car and, no joke, found this starbucks gift card. last year the company made $180 million on unused cards. >> i really recommend you use your gift cards right away. the longer you hold on to a gift card the higher the probability you'll forget to use ts cash in the trash? >> it's free money.

might as well use it. >> that's the "overnight news" for this monday. from the cbs broadcast center in new york city, i'm lilia luciano. this is "cbs news flash." i'm courtney kealy in new york. a man shot and killed his wife and then himself at a jehovah's witness kingdom hall according to police in thornton, colorado. the adams county coroner's office is confirming their identities amid an ongoing investigation. buses from texas dropped off more thann 100 migrants outside vice president kamala harris's home in washington, d.c. on christmas eve. it's the latest incident of migrants being bused by texas governor greg abbott to escalate tensions with the biden administration. and it's the start of the seven-day celebration of kwanzaa for african americans, families, friends and communities. kwanzaa means fruits of the

harvest in swahili. for more download the cbs news app on your cell phone or connected tv. i'm courtney kealy, cbs news, new york. christmas's dead b chill. buffbl >> we inth is a withher m over. tu. >> the death toll rising as deep freeze, fierce winds, and feet of snow paralyze parts of new york. >> oh, my god. >> across the country the extreme weather still snarling holiday plans in several states. good samaritans pitching in to help. we'll have the forecast about what's ahead. also -- pope francis uses his christmas day message to plead for peace in ukraine. while on the war's front lines new defiance. >> i'm ian lee in kyiv, ukraine

where resilience shines bright this christmas. plus, royal debut. for the first time prince louis joins hiss family at christmas service, while the king pays tribute to his late mother. >> i cannot thank you enough for the love and sympathy you have shown our whole family. >> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." good evening. jericka is off. i'm lilia luciano. it's been a white christmas for many americans with plenty of weather misery to go with it. it's a disaster in buffalo, new york. nationwide, the mammoth storm is blamed for at least 33 deaths and hundreds of thousands of power outages. it's also still causing nightmares for travelers on highways and airports. cbs's naomi ruchim is at newark liberty airport in new jersey.

naomi, good evening. >> reporter: lilia, good evening. at airports across the country more than 2,300 flights have been canceled with thousands more delayed. the airport in buffalo, new york is still shut until at least tuesday. christmas in buffalo. a ghost town. frigid temperatures and fierce winds have trapped people in their homes and cars under six-foot snow drifts. new york's governor deployed 400 members of the national guard, calling it a storm for the ages. >> we are in a war, and this will go down in history as the most devastating storm in buffalo's long storied history. >> reporter: governor hochul says nearly every fire truck in the city was stranded at one point. emergency services paralyzed from reaching the hardest-hit areas. >> we've had police vehicles in the city, fire trucks, literally stuck in snow. ambulances stuck.

>> reporter: 30 miles outside buffalo up to 200 people spent christmas eve stranded at this denny's. >> there were families sleeping on tables, sleeping on, you know, three dining chairs. heads down on the table. >> reporter: scott guzlik and john thornton were there for nearly 48 hours, uncomfortable but well fed. >> yesterday they served 400 meals by themselves. >> reporter: it's a storm so massive and dangerous, about 60% of americans have felt its fury, suffering temperatures far below normal. south dakota deployed the national guard to assist native american tribes cut off by massive snowfalls. texas went into deep freeze. this car wash now a curtain of icicles. migrants along the southern border tried to escape the cold, welcoming the holiday in candlelight. even miami saw some flurries. >> oh, baby. it is snowing in miami. >> reporter: nascar driver brad perez posted this christmas miracle for dolphins fans.

the nation's busiest airport in atlanta has taken the brunt of christmas flight problems with the most delays and cancellations. lilia? >> snowing in miami. that's remarkable. naomi ruchim, thank you. so what's ahead? let's get the forecast from meteorologist paul goodloe from our partners at the weather channel. >> merry christmas, lilia. and this christmas it's one of the coldest christmases in the south in som areas maybe 20, 30-plus years. and the cold air, well, it's still sticking around for the rest of today and tonight. and then we start kind of coming out of that valley. morrowll nearlyhe teendin dior morning lows. we'll be less cold tomorrow before by the end of this week, end of this year we can see some temperatures in the south, 70s as we head toward the new year. different story out toward the west. yes, it was mild in southern california but storms now are coming in tonight and once they start they keep coming and push

farther south. even southern california as we head through the last couple of days of this year. plenty of rain coming in to end your 2022. lilia? >> thank you, paul. today pope francis used his christmas message to lament what he called the icy winds of war. speaking to the faithful in st. peter's square, the pontiff pleaded for an immediate end to the fighting in ukraine. he also called the invasion by russia senseless. and today many ukrainians celebrated christmas. that would normally happen on january 7th, but not this year. ian lee is in kyiv. >> reporter: on this holy night not all is calm, not all is bright in ukraine. the intense fighting continuesit ll pres in bak soldis keep the christmas spirit alive, decorating a tree to the melody of artillery.

fear replaces holiday cheer on the city's deadly streets. this resident says, "we have to survive and keep on living." ♪ while on the front line further north carol singers add a splash of color to these soldiers' dull, war-torn world. this man says he's thankful for the distraction, even if it was brief. in central kyiv families gather for pictures around the christmas tree. anna brought her 20-month-old ilana. she tells me, "i try to make the holiday positive for my daughter. but when there's anxiety in my soul, of course she can feel it." this woman's brother is stuck behind enemy lines. she tells me his situation is horrible. they have no power, gas or water. they gather in homes with woodburning stoves to stay warm. president zelenskyy's christmas

message reflected the mood of his defiant nation. saying "freedom will return to all ukrainians," while adding that they won't wait for a miracle because they'll create it themselves. then these would be the country's miracle workers. ordinary soldiers praying for salvation. every single ukrainian i've spoken with, young and old, has the same christmas wish, for ukraine to win the war. and while the death and destruction has dimmed the spirit of the holiday, that flame of resistance glows bright. ian lee, cbs news, kyiv, ukraine. the "cbs overnight news" will be right back.

>> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news."inudes a message from the monarch. while here at home there wasn't a whisper from the white house. just these posts. here's cbs's steve futterman. ♪ >> reporter: christmas 2022 around the world had a bit of the old and the new. at the british royal estate in sandringham there was both the traditional royal walkabout, led by the new monarch. also the future, prince louie joining the family christmas

celebration for the first time with george and princess charlotte looking so much like a younger version of her great grandmother. later, the broadcast of the king's speech. >> christmas is a particularly poignant time for all of us who have lost loved ones. >> reporter: at the white house the president and first lady celebrated privately. they both sent holiday greetings to units from each branch of the military. the u.s. may no longer be officially engaged in any wars, but many american troops still spent the day far away from their families in places like an air base in the united emirates. animals celebrate christmas too. in des moines, iowa this dog named secret tugged her sled up the hill, then came down dozens of times. in toronto these arctic wolves at a zoo enjoyed a white christmas. these people in berlin went wild in the water with their traditional polar bear plunge. in brazil a christmas with concern over a national treasure, soccer star pele surrounded by loved ones as

reports say his health is deteriorating from colon cancer. in the place where this all spirit of christmas took the spotlight back to what it was before the pandemic. in rome there were examples of the spirit of giving. despite the frivolity this is christmas, after all, and in many locations it was a time to simply hope for peace on earth and goodwill toward all men. steve futterman, cbs news, los angeles. today we learned of the death of the winningest golfer in history. the legendary kathy whitworth. she won the lpga tour a record 88 times. that's six more than tiger woods. kathy whitworth died christmas eve. she was 83 years old. straight ahead, a look at the creation of a white house collectible. plus new tips to returning those

unwanted gifts if santa got it wrong. did you know, some ordinary cold medicines can raise your blood pressure? try new vicks nyquil high blood pressure for fast, powerful cold relief without ingredients that may raise your blood pressure. try vicks nyquil high blood pressure. the coughing, aching, fever, cold and flu, for people with high blood pressure, medicine. to a child, this is what conflict looks like. children in ukraine are caught in the crossfire of war, forced to flee their homes. a steady stream of refugees has been coming across all day. it's basically cold. lacking clean water and sanitation. exposed to injury, hunger.

exhausted and shell shocked from what they've been through. every dollar you give can help bring a meal, a blanket, or simply hope to a child living in conflict. please call or go online to givenowtosave.org today with your gift of $10 a month, that's just $0.33 a day. we cannot forget the children in places like syria, born in refugee camps, playing in refugee camps, thinking of the camps as home. please call or go online to givenowtosave.org today. with your gift of $10 a month, your gift can help children like ara in afghanistan, where nearly 20 years of conflict have forced the people into extreme poverty weakened and unable to hold herself up, ara was brought to a save the children's center, where she was diagnosed and treated for severe malnutrition. every dollar helps.

please call or go online to givenowtosave.org today. with your gift of $10 a month, just $0.33 a day. and thanks to special government grants that are available now, every dollar you give can multiply up to ten times the impact. and when you use your credit card, you'll receive this special save the children tote bag to show you won't forget the children who are living their lives in conflict. every war is a war against children. please give now. wondering what actually goes into your multivitamin? at new chapter, its' innovation, organic ingredients, and fermentation. fermentation? yes. formulated to help you body really truly absorb the natural goodness. new chapter. wellness, well done.

today most of us were focused on what was under the christmas tree. the ornaments on the tree often have a special meaning. that's also true at the white house, where a new ornament usually honors a past president every year. this year's version, a gingerbread white house, is inspired by richard nixon's presidency. ed o'keefe looks inside this long holiday tradition. >> reporter: just like some people always make sure to get the gas station toy truck or the holiday barbie -- >> and the warmth of holiday cheer fills us with joy. >> reporter: -- many families add the white house ornament to their holiday wish list each year. >> i got one for myself p. i got one for my mom. >> reporter: even the first families display them at 1600 pennsylvania avenue. but the ornament gets its start about 400 miles away, at chemart in lincoln, rhode island. here the ornament is as much a christmas tradition as the tree itself. dave marquis and david beaupre run the company that's been making the ornament since its

inception in 1981. >> it's been so part of our dna for so long. 42 years we've been running this annual ornament program. so it's part of who we are. >> reporter: david's father, richard beaupre, a chemist and inventor, started the metal etching business more than four decades ago. not long after, the opportunity of a lifetime. first lady nancy reagan wanted to make a white house christmas ornament as a keepsake. chemart took on the task. collaborating with the white house historical association, chemart has worked through 42 ornaments, usually honoring presidents but occasionally marking other important moments in white house history. >> it's about educating the public and it's about restoring the white house. >> reporter: restoration, paid for from proceeds from an ornament that's completely hand-assembled and american made. >> as you see this big push to bring it all back into the united states, for you guys it never left. >> no. never will. >> reporter: it's a culture

david's dad built and that continues today with long-time emloyees of the family business. this year the team settled on a gingerbread white house in tribute to pat nixon, the first first lady to display the now iconic gingerbread house as part of the white house decorations. >> just to give you a sense of pride every time you see it that -- >> every single day. >> -- you helped do that. >> every single day. >> reporter: stuart mclaurin is president of the white house historical association, a non-partisan privately funded group that helps restore and preserve the famous address. they try to teach presidential history through each ornament. >> it's a labor of love, really, for those of us who invest in this and try to come up with something unique and creative. >> reporter: this year they added the scent of gingerbread, infused into the nixon recipe included with the ornament. >> take a whiff. it's gingerbread. >> reporter: it's those kinds of details that have people ginger snapping them up at the national christmas tree. ♪ all is merry and bright ♪ families around the country collecting white house holiday keepsakes while doing their part to keep the house intact.

>> merry christmas. >> reporter: ed o'keefe, cbs news, the white house. >> ginger spice and everything nice. still ahead, 'tis the season of gift returns. and retailers are ready. but you'll want to check the but you'll want to check the fine print. i get bladder leaks. it's just a new way of life for me. the always discreet pad is super comfortable. it feels like it's barely there. look at how much it holds, and it still stays thin! i've looked at myself in the mirror and i can't see it at all! that's the protection we deserve! suffering from sinus congestion, especially at night? try vicks sinex and i can't see it at all! for instant relief that lasts up to 12 hours. vicks sinex targets congestion at the source, relieving nasal congestion and sinus pressure by reducing swelling in the sinuses. try vicks sinex. want luxury hair repair that doesn't cost $50? pantene's pro-vitamin formula repairs hair. as well as the leading luxury bonding treatment. for softness and resilience, without the price tag. if you know... you know it's pantene.

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retailers have changed their return policies. cbs's nancy chen has more. >> reporter: with the holiday shopping season under way, 'tis the season also for surprises. including a crackdown on online returns. the cost to return an item by mail at zara, now $3.95. for j. crew it's $7.50. and for dillard's that return shipping cost will set you back almost 10 bucks. they're all part of a growing list of retailers charging return fees. typically in the range of 3 to 10 dollars to send back purchases. >> i hate it as someone who likes to shop and return things often. >> reporter: nefesh wasi shops almost entirely online and was recently hit with return fees after ordering multiple pairs of pants. >> i haven't been able to find a pair of pants that actually fits me. i needed to try on a lot of things. and for certain stores i did have to eat that $5 cost. >> reporter: a fee some experts say shoppers should get used to. with labor and shipping costs up

and retailers dealing with excess inventory this year. and all those returns add up. according to the national retail federation, $102 billion of online orders were returned in 2020. that number more than doubled to 218 billion last year. >> about 40% of our merchants are charging for refunds, and that's up -- it's nearly doubled in the last 12 months. >> reporter: jonathan poma is the ceo of loop, a company helping more than 1500 retailers save on return costs. >> this is actually a big problem for retailers. >> when you start to stack these costs, free shipping on the outbound order, free shipping on the return, maybe a customer acquisition cost of 50 bucks, and you're out almost twice the cost of the return. >> reporter: and with as many as 50,000 brick and mortar stores projected to close over the next five years, the trend toward return fees isn't going away anytime soon. >> i think return fees just help us see a little bit behind that

curtain by making us pause and think about our purchasing decisions and whether we are being wasteful or not. >> reporter: turning a page in how we buy and return. nancy chen, cbs news, new york. it was a $10 billion christmas gift to the world. today marks one year since the james webb space telescope was launched. in july it started showing us our place in the cosmos, sharing images like these. the infrared telescope has thrilled astronomers, revealing unseen planets, stars and galaxies. for us it's simply spectacular. now to maryland, where a spectacular star was born this holiday season. take a look. ♪ 2-year-old frankie's grinchy mood stole the show at his preschool concert. his mom says frankie just wanted to sit with family.

no matter what, his performance here was perfect. the cbs "overnight news" will be right back.

according to the national retail federation, 54% of americans say gift cards are the most requested item this holiday season. but while people may want gift cards, some of them don't always use them. here is carter evans. >> it was fun. >> reporter: this christmas steph and her husband steve are hoping to find a treasure trove of gift cards. not under a tree but in a dumpster. >> oh, my goodness. >> reporter: they sort through trash outside retail stores and post their finds online. >> $62? >> $62 at bed, bath & beyond. >> it sounds like it's not uncommon to find these gift cards for you. >> no. no, it's not. i don't really know why they're there with a balance, but they are.

>> reporter: nearly half of americans are holding on to $21 billion in unused gift cards, averaging about $175 per person. and 25% of people say they misplaced them. >> the most important thing to do is to treat that gift card like cash. >> reporter: gift card expert shelly hunter says keep it next to your credit cards. and if you end up with a small leftover balance in at least 12 states -- >> you can just ask the cashier to give you that money back. >> reporter: for unwanted gift cards there are some reputable websites where you can sell or trade them for a fee. hunter says you should also take a picture of the credit card right away. >> so you have a record of the gift card number. do you really want that money to go to waste? >> no. not at all. >> reporter: encouraged, i dug through my car and, no joke, found this starbucks gift card. last year the company made $180 million on unused cards. >> i really recommend you use your gift cards right away. the longer you hold on to a gift card, the higher the probability you'll forget to use it. >> reporter: because who wants to toss cash in the trash? >> it's free money.

might as well use it. >> that's the "overnight news" for this monday. from the cbs broadcast center in new york city, i'm lilia luciano. this is "cbs news flash." i'm courtney kealy in new york. a man shot and killed his wife and then himself at a jehovah's witness kingdom hall according to police in thornton, colorado. the adams county coroner's office is confirming their identities amid an ongoing investigation. buses from texas dropped off more than 100 migrants outside vice president kamala harris's home in washington, d.c. on christmas eve. it's the latest incident of migrants being bused by texas governor greg abbott to escalate tensions with the biden administration. and it's the start of the seven-day celebration of kwanzaa for african americans, families, friends and communities. kwanzaa means fruits of the

harvest in swahili. for more download the cbs news app on your cell phone or connected tv. app on your cell phone. you . it's monday, december 26th, 2022. a winter storm batters much of the nation killing at least 38 people. the severe weather grounding thousands of flights christmas day. where the storm hit the hardest. substations targeted. police in washington state say p three electrical systems were vandalized cutting power to thousan thousands on the investigation. and the winningest golfer dies. kathy whitworth died at the age of 83.