former house athletics committee staffer donald sherman says any false statements by santos about his campaign finances would raise legal troubles. >> there's a bigger question about whether someone else is funneling money to his campaign to facilitate his political rise. >> scott macfarlane joins us now from capitol hill. scott, any reaction tonight from house gop leadership? >> reporter: nothing from house republican leader kevin mccarthy, who might need santos' vote tuesday to become house speaker. santos says he expects to take office tuesday, which means he'll be sworn in right here in the afternoon. >> all right. scott macfarlane, thank you. the january 6th committee released more transcripts of witness testimony today. it included several members of donald trump's inner circle. his eldest son, donald trump jr., told the committee that he texted white house chief of staff mark meadows on january 6th to have then-president trump publicly, quote, condemn the violence taking place at the

capitol. stephanie grisham, the former first lady's chief of staff, recalled that on january 6th, melania trump refused her request to tweet a message urging protesters to remain peaceful. the house committee also withdrew the subpoena to the former president ahead of the, quote, imminent end of the investigation next week. well, turning now to ukraine where russian forces today launched the largest wave of missiles and drones in weeks. ukrainian officials say nearly 70 missiles were fired. the blasts knocked out power stations and forced many to flee underground for safety. cbs's ian lee reports. >> reporter: each missile and drone rush of fires carries death as it soars to its target. every one intercepted is a triumph life. russia launched dozens of missiles today hoping to overwhelm ukraine's defenses. most were shot down, officials say, but some made it through.

one destroyed three homes in zaporizhzhia, while in kyiv, fragments from one shot down demolished this home along with its memories. "we heard the explosions and started running to the cellar. my 7-year-old son and i barely made it," this woman says. russia's attack echoed across the capital, an early wake-up call to the people of kyiv. the defense st postedhis pictur thatsos but fortunately failo detonate. for the people of kyiv, the subway has almost become a second home, a safe place underground to take shelter while russia rains terror from above. president zelenskyy addressed the nation, vowing to restore power to millions across the country impacted by the strikes. with these attacks, moscow's aim seems clear. weaponize the winter by targeting power stations to turn

off the heat so life is cold, dark, and miserable for the people of ukraine. >> the ukrainian people are very angry, and they told better to stay without electricity and without heating, but we never give up. >> reporter: just last night, we heard a loud explosion here in dnipro as one of russia's iranian-made exploding drones was intercepted in the skies above us by ukrainian air defenses. jericka. >> ian lee reporting in ukraine, thank you. well, lucid and stable is how officials are now describing pope emeritus benedict. but the vatican says the 95-year-old former pontiff remains in grave condition. on wednesday, you may remember pope francis said his predecessor was, quote, very sick and asked the faithful around the world for a special prayer for benedict. tonight, the world of sports has lost a giant. brazilian soccer great pele has died of colon cancer at the age

of 82. his daughter posted this touching image of the family from his bedside, writing, everything we are is thanks to you. we love you infinitely. rest in peace. brazil's government has declared three days of mourning ahead of his funeral next week. cbs's manuel bojorquez remembers the legend both on and off the field. >> reporter: he was one of the greatest, if not the greatest of all time. born in southern brazil, pele used his uncanny soccer skills to win three world cup championships, an unprecedented achievement. his first world cup title came at the age of 17 after scoring three goals in a semifinal vic victory, and two more in the final over the host nation sweden in 1958. >> i got the gift from god to play football. >> reporter: the gift catapulted him from a childhood of poverty to global stardom.

at the age of 34, he went on a mission to popularize soccer in the united states, signing a $2.8 million contract with the new york cosmos that made him the world's highest-paid athlete. >> i have an opportunity to learn english, to give opportunity to my family, my sons, my daughter to study english. >> reporter: in retirement, he even enjoyed a brush with hollywood. >> starring sylvestr stallone, michael caine, and introducing pele. >> reporter: from soccer superstar to international icon, pele rubbed shoulders with the leaders around the world, promoting world peace and fighting child poverty. but last year, the fight turned to cancer, one that was with him all the way through this year's world cup in qatar. this is how his old team paid tribute to the legend, who helped establish brazil's superiority as a soccer powerhouse and whose name is now synonymous with the sport he loved and that loved him back.

manuel bojorquez, cbs news. >> there will never be another. well, u.s military ofcials are reporting a dangerously close encounter with a chinese military jet. that's coming up. ♪ today my friend you did it, you did it, you did it... ♪ good news! a new clinical study showed that centrum silver supports cognitive health in older adults. it's one more step towards taking charge of your health. so every day, you can say... ♪ youuu did it! ♪ with centrum silver. the holidays are a time for making lists,

but the most special list of all is the list of children with critical illnesses who are waiting for you to grant their wishes. five-year-old brantley knows what it's like to wait for hope. he has spent his holidays in the hospital listening to beeping monitors instead of jingle bells. we love his infectious personality. a lot of people can't tell from the outside that he has a heart condition. brantley's wish was to see snow for the very first time, so make-a-wish brought him and his family to their own winter wonderland. snowman's are my favorite. but for every wish we grant, three more children like brantley are waiting for someone just like you. call or go online right now for $20 a month, just $0.67 a day, you can grant wishes for waiting kids. brantley went from imagining a snowman

to building one. his wish snowballed into a life changing holiday experience. this is so cool. call or go online right now. the wishes you grant today can replace sadness with joy and be a turning point in a child's recovery. every 20 minutes, another child is diagnosed with a critical illness. for as little as $0.67 a day, you can grant wishes and give waiting children hope and strength. and when you use your credit card to make your monthly gift of $20, we'll send you this free make-a-wish t-shirt to show you are transforming lives. one wish at a time. (tm) any time you can help a child out that has an illness, they deserve it. please add waiting, wish kids to your holiday list. call or go online to grantwishes.org to grant wishes and give joy today. suffering from sinus congestion, especially at night?

try vicks sinex call or go online to grantwishes.org 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. officials in cambodia are investigating the cause of a devastating fire that killed at least 19 people and injured dozens more at a hotel and casino. a rescue worker says some of the victims jumped from a ledge to escape the flames. the resort is just across the border from thailand where casinos are banned. well, u.s. military officials said today that a chinese fighter jet came within 20 feet of a u.s. air force jet. the close encounter forced the american plane to swerve to avoid a collision. it happened last week in the south china sea amid what officials say has been a recent trend of increasingly dangerous

behavior by the chinese military. the u.s. raised its concerns with the chinese government. new york's first legal marjuana shop finally opens its doors. the start of a new 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. who says you have to spend more on skincare to get results? i power up my skin with olay. it works. guaranteed. try niacinamide for strength, retinol 24 for smoothness and vitamin c for brightness. i like to use them all! olay. face anything. listen, i'm done settling. because this is my secret. i put it on once, i lno more touch ups!l! secret had ph balancing minerals; and it helps eliminate odor, instead of just masking it. so pull it in close. secret works. wondering what actually goes into your multivitamin?

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months behind bars. singer was paid millions of dollars to hire people to take exams for students, embellish college resumes, and bribe coaches. actresses lori loughlin and felicity huffman were among dozens of parents caught up in the scandal. new york's first legal marijuana shop opened for business today nearly two years after recreational marijuana was greenlit in the state. the man in charge of the shop in lower manhattan says 2,000 people rsvped for opening day. officials expect more than 36 licensed shops to open over the next few weeks. and tonight, the fashion world is remembering british designer vivienne westwood. she became a star of fashion in the 1970s for her punk and new wave creations. she went on to stage runway shows in london, paris, milan, and new york. the self-taught designer also created the wedding dress worn by the character carrie bradshaw in the first "sex and the city"

movie. vivienne westwood was 81 years old. a st. louis family opens

finally tonight, cbs's david begnaud with an unbelievable story of how one st. louis family turned unimaginable grief into unconditional love. ♪ >> reporter: three, six, nine were the ages of gregory haupt's children when he was diagnosed with colon cancer. ♪ three, six, nine ♪ >> reporter: when greg didn't know when he wrote that song was that he and his wife, megan, were both running out of time. krista lieber is megan's twin sister. what happened? >> she was sitting on the couch, and she just took her last breath and died. >> reporter: megan had an undiagnosed heart condition and died four months after greg. >> let's go! >> reporter: krista and her husband dave went from three

children to six. >> complete chaos! >> reporter: as they prioritized their blended family, they prioritized their health too. both had been feeling a little off. that's when dave was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, and then came krista's shock. like her sister, she had a heart condition that if left untreated, could be fatal. >> my sister saved my life. you know, her death was not in vain. >> reporter: in the months since megan died, the community near st. louis, missouri, has stepped in to help this little family. >> there was this village of people who came together and said what to you? >> do you need food? can i come take the kids out of the house? do you and dave need a break? >> reporter: the help of a village and unwavering love. david begnaud, cbs news, st. louis. well, that is the overnight news for this friday. for some of you, the news continues. for others, check back later for cbs mornings. and follow us online anytime at

cbsnews.com. reporting from our nation's capital, i'm jericka duncan. this is cbs news flash. i'm dan lieberman in new york. president biden signed a $1.7 trillion spending package to fund the government. the package includes $45 billion in military and economic aid to ukraine and $38 billion for emergency disaster assistance. it also includes reforms to the electoral count act, clarifying the vice president does not have the power to overturn results of a presidential election. in new york city, the first ever legal recreational marijuana sales began at 4:20 p.m. thursday as the state marked the opening of its first dispensary. the new year will bring several more openings projected to generate $4 billion over the next fiveyes. >> eve.tht rimquare was a 3,000oun

confetti wilro from seven cations. for re, dowd t an cell one connd i'm dan lieberman, cbs news, new york. >> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." good evening and thank you for joining us. i'm jericka duncan in for norah. tonight, the sports world is mourning the passing of soccer superstar pele at the age of 82. his fellow brazilian footballer neymar wrote on instagram, pele made soccer into art. also tonight, embattled new york congressman-elect george santos' own constituents are calling on him to resign after he lied about his faith and linked his mother's death to the september 11th attacks. but first, a major storm system moves across the western part of the country, dumping

nearly a foot of snow in parts of colorado, shutting down an interstate and leaving drivers stranded for more than nine hours.headto ather hay weekend, more rain and snow is in the forecast from california to the rocky mountains. and a separate system will bring heavy rain to much of the east coast. reporter jasmine arenas from our cbs station in denver starts us off tonight. >> reporter: in denver overnight, the snow fell heavy, wet, and left its mark. >> i just walked out my apartment, and now there's a tree on my car, so -- yeah. >> reporter: the forecast called for about two inches. by daybreak, more than seven had blanketed denver and stranded hundreds in the mountain pass along interstate 70. >> a couple hours prior to all of this happening, it was 45 degrees and raining, and i think it caught a lot of people off guard. but it also set up the recipe for disaster for this all to unfold.

>> reporter: aaron rigsby is a storm chaser who lives in denver. he too got stuck forrly eight hours as conditions steadily worsened. >> it went from everyone having fun to when are we going to be able to get out of here? people started to run low on gas. the overperformance of this storm was by far one of the craziest experiences i've had in 12 years of storm chasing. >> reporter: the latest winter storm adding to the holiday misery for much of the nation. 13 states are now under winter weather alerts. 16 million americans in the west now under flood watches as the northern plains deal with piles of fresh snow along with hurricane-force winds. back in colorado, denver has now received nearly double the amount of snow it normally gets in december. >> winter, especially december, has just been absolutely relentless. >> reporter: you can see the snowdrifts piled high. none of it was here yesterday at this time. at the height of this latest storm, snow was falling at the

rate of two inches an hour. and we're bracing here. a lot more is on the way. jericka. >> jasmine arenas in morrison, denver, thank you. inufnit, maj aden ashes be lifted. it comes five days after the blizzard of the century paralyzed that city. the death toll in erie county has risen to 39, but officials say that number could double or even triple as crews search for more victims. concern now shifts to possible flooding with rapidly rising temperatures this weekend. new york's governor is making nearly 800,000 sandbags along with hundreds of pumps and generators available if needed. tonight, southwest airlines says it expects to return to normal operations friday. late this afternoon, southwest said it has already pre-positioned crews and planes in preparation for tomorrow's schedule. cbs's michael george reports on how passengers are trying to recover after thousands more flights were canceled today.

[ cheering ] >> reporter: a moment of joy after days of misery. patrick keene finally reunited with his bag. >> i just haven't had this bag in a week. i've been wearing other people's clothes. >> reporter: today southwest airlines canceled more than half its flights. tomorrow the company says that number will be less than 40. about 4,000 flights are scheduled for tomorrow. the airline said it will refund all canceled flights and urged customers to submit refund and reimbursement requests for meals, hotels, and alternate ansption. cbs news travel editor peter greenberg says it will likely cost the company tens of millions of dollars. >> is that going to bankrupt southwest? not even close. is it going to give them a wake-up call? it better. >> reporter: but many found the cost to rebook a one-way ticket on another airline to be more than $1,000 despite competitors' vows to cap prices. >> it's not price gouging. the planes on the other airlines are already full.

so what you're asked to do is to buy a very expensive last-minute, one-way ticket on another carrier. >> reporter: but with a federal investigation on the way, this holiday mess won't end when the flights resume. >> how badly is the southwest brand damaged? >> my guess is not that badly at all because they still have a huge reservoir of passenger goodwill. >> reporter: after finally finding her luggage, lauren eidenmueller says earning back her trust will take time. >> i mean i definitely will wait a while before i book with them again. >> reporter: and tonight transportation secretary pete buttigieg says southwest airlines could face severe fines based on the findings of the federal investigation. jericka. >> michael george from laguardia airport, thank you. tonight, the world of sports has lot a giant. brazilian soccer great pele has died of colon cancer at the age of 82. his daughter posted this touching image of the family from his bedside, writing "everything we are is thanks to

you. we love you infinitely. rest in peace." brazil's government has declared three days of mourning ahead of his funeral next week. cbs's manuel bojorquez remembers the legend both on and off the field. >> reporter: he was one of the greatest, if not the greatest of all time. born in southern brazil, pele used his uncanny soccer skills to win three world cup championships, an unprecedented achievement. his first world cup title came at the age of 17 after scoring victory, and two more in the final over the >> i got the gift from god to play football. >> reporter: the gift catapulted him from a childhood of poverty to global stardom. at the age of 34, he went on a mission to popularize soccer in the united states, signing a

$2.8 million contract with the new york cosmos that made him the world's highest-paid athlete. >> i have an opportunity to learn english, to give opportunity to my family, my sons, my daughter to study english. >> reporter: in retirement, he even enjoyed a brush with hollywood. >> starring sylvester stallone, michael caine, and introducing pele. >> reporter: from soccer superstar to international icon, pele rubbed shoulders with the leaders around the world, promoting world peace and fighting child poverty. but last year, the fight turned to cancer, one that was with him all the way through this year's world cup in qatar. this is how his old team paid tribute to the legend, who lped esh brazil's supey aoccerw synonymous with sport he loved and that loved him back. manuel bojorquez, cbs news. there's a lot more news ahead on the "cbs overnight

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>> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." good morning. i'm jericka duncan in washington. thanks so much for staying with us. the world health organization is warning that an explosion of covid cases in china could soon spread new variants of the virus to the rest of the world. starting next week, the united states will join other nations requiring a negative covid test for travelers trying to enter the country from mainland china. now, china's communist government calls the move, quote, discrimination. but most chinese citizens don't seem to mind. many have been tested on an almost daily basis for the past three years.

scott macfarlane has more. >> reporter: hospitals in china are overwhelmed, pushed to the brink, and funeral processions are constant. the world's most populated nation is awash in covid, and many areas are unprepared. >> if you go to beijing, they have so many good hospitals. but if you go to third tier cities, it's totally different. >> reporter: at the same time, after months of protest and unrest, the chinese government abruptly lifted its strict zero-covid restrictions, which had limited movement and the spread of the virus. >> china has suddenly loosened up its restrictions left and right, and that's just provided an extraordinary opportunity for this virus to just, >>ep sg nt owingist of nrequiring pele traveling fees for covid within 48 hours of departure to be allowed through. >> ready for testing? >> reporter: and the centers for disease control announced its

expanding its covid surveillance program at u.s. airports, in which passengers volunteer to undergo a nasal swab to better detect a new wave of cases. doctors warn while there may be benefits, they could be minimal. travel restrictions put in place at the start of the pandemic were not able to stop all the virus or all the variants. >> that, again, was scott macfarlane reporting. now to the southern border where hundreds of migrants are camped out on the streets of el paso, texas. the city is building temporary housing for them, but more are arriving every day, and thousands of others are waiting in mexico. they're hoping the supreme court will strike down title 42, which allows immigration officials to deport them immediately. but that decision may not come until the spring. omar villafranca explains. >> reporter: hundreds of migrants line up outside of sacred heart church in el paso, a facility that can hold about

100 each night, hoping for a place to sleep in this first come, first served shelter. the line forms every day and circles the block. those who can't get a spot or fear going to shelters without documents sleep on the street. and the road to the u.s. is becoming increasingly dangerous. according to dhs, there have been extremist calls for attacks targeting migrants should title 42 ever be lifted. this includes the placement of land mines along migration routes and poisoning migrants with gas. marlen na hernandez says she traveled alone from el salvador to flee violence and police corruption in the country. she hopes to find work in fort worth and help her family with crossing into the u.s. all she asks of officials -- [ speaking non-english ] >> reporter: hernandez is staying at the annunciation house charity in el paso, where

ruben garcia is the director. >> they risk their lives and now that they're here, they're finding that they can't ask for asylum, and that's just truly, truly tragic. >> reporter: el paso officials are preparing for another uptick in migrant border crossings. u.s. border officials announced plans to establish a tent facility outside of el paso to hold roughly 1,000 migrants starting next month, and city leaders are working to prepare two schools to house migrants. i'm omar villafranca, dallas. overseas now where the kremlin unleashed another missile barrage on civilians in ukraine. one city in russia's crosshairs, kherson. ukrainian forces drove the russians out a few weeks ago, but now it's a target. ian lee reports. >> reporter: ukrainians celebrating liberation from putin's control last month may have been too much for the russians. the people of kherson now pay a heavy price for their freedom. on a daily basis, russian

rockets and artillery pound the city, killing ordinary people trying to reclaim their lives. life here is a roll of the dice. victoria was a red cross volunteer. she was killed steps away from safety. her mother shows the medal of honor she was given. "i'm happy she helped a lot of people," she says. "now i must be strong and raise her two children." nearby, a russian shell demolished the house of tamara. her son was inside. she scoured the wreckage looking for his i.d. so she could reclaim his body from the morgue. why russia shells kherson is hard to tell. nothing they hit appears to hold military value. just innocent civilians trying to survive, like this maternity hospital, the first strike hit outside. nurses rushed thegnan women, newborns, and mothers to the basement. the second smashed into the building.

me mercifully, no one was injured. "it was frightening and unexpected," this new mother says. "the explosions just began, and the windows shattered. my hands are still shaking." shattered like the lives of so ma 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.

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extremely endangered. they've already become extinct in seven african nations where they used to run free. efforts are now under way to save the species. debora patta introduces us to a giraffe manor that started out as a sanctuary in kenya and has grown into an all-inclusive resort hotel. >> reporter: it just wouldn't feel like africa without them. no wildlife safari is complete without a sighting of these gentle giants of the savanna. and kenya's giraffe manor does it one better. ecotourists pay for the chance to get up close and personal. as bucket list experiences go, this is remarkable. but it's also very, very important for conservation. poachers hunt them for bush meat and even their tails, believing it gives them power. humans encroach on giraffe habitat and exacerbating all of this, the horn of africa's worst

drought in 40 years captured in these horrific images. numbers of the nubian giraffe have dwindled to such an extent, they're on the critically endangered list. action is needed, says conservationist arthur muneza. and if we don't act now? >> if we don't act now, we might lose them. this has happened actually in the last 30 to 40 years where giraffe have gone extinct in at least seven frafrican countries >> reporter: paying for this rare privilege helps reverse that devastating trend. such a surreal experience. a giraffe sticking its head through a window. guests wake up to an unusual greeting and share a very different kind of meal. look who has come for breakfast. the experience exceeded american visitor shannon turner's expectations. >> this place is mind-blowing, and all of the things that it does, and i'm finding out, you

know, the way that me just being here gives back to make it be even -- it's just made the experience even greater. >> reporter: the animals come over for high tea and breakfast but live next door at the giraffe center, where they stoke a passion for wildlife in the very young who visit for free. tourism funds this conservation and supports a breeding program run by both the center and the manor together with the kenyan government. most of the giraffe born here hae been reintroduced into the wild. it is so successful, numbers have risen from just 76 to 1,200 over the past 40 years. a once-in-a-lifetime experience that is saving lives as well. debora patta, nairobi, kenya. >> to visit the giraffe manor, well, it's not cheap. prices start at nearly $900 a night per person, double

occupancy, and another $650 a night for each child. discounts are available, and they say you should book your room at least a year in advance. well, turning now to steve hartman, who went on the road to find a heartwarming lesson in parenting. >> reporter: just outside salt lake city, 46-year-old shawna austin is about to let you in on a secret. >> i've never talked about it, ever. >> reporter: as we first reported a few months ago, when shawna was 20 and single, she got pregnant. she says she wasn't ready to be a mom, so she made the difficult decision to place her baby for adoption. do you remember holding him the first time? >> absolutely. >> what was that like? >> it was perfect, and i knew i would have him for a short time. so i made every minute count with him. >> reporter: she called the boy riley and said she held him for

72 hours straight until the time came to let go. her riley was now somebody else's steven. and at this point, like with most closed adoptions, a firewall went up between shawna and steven's new parents. no communication whatsoever. and this went on for about a week. >> it was like, okay, this is the way it should be. she is part of our family. >> reporter: adoptive parents jennifer and chris schoebinger say they had no interest in excluding the birth mother. >> you can't have too many people loving you, right? why couldn't he be both of ours? >> reporter: so year after year, they sent shawna piles of pictures, and these bound books detailing steven's every major and minor milestone, like this complete list of his vocabulary, all so that when shawna was ready and steven was ready, they could pick up right where they left off. the two reunited when steven was 7.

shawna taught him how to fish, and they have been reeling in the memories ever since. >> i was blessed beyond words. >> i kind of got the best of both worlds for sure. >> reporter: steven is now 26, married with a brand-new boy of his own, much to the delight of grandma shawna. >> that was really special. it just brought that full circle around. >> reporter: especially when she heard the baby's name -- riley. >> oh. >> it felt like that name was just supposed to be in the family. >> i think the lesson we learned is that sometimes we create barriers where barriers don't need to be. and when we pull down those barriers, we really find love on the other side. >> reporter: since we first told this story, that love on the other side has continued to grow. the families spent thanksgiving as one and will, of course, be getting together again in the days ahead.

a holiday example to help us all live the life of riley. >> oh, m

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.

finally this half hour, what started out as one nursing home's high-tech solution to staffing shortages has turned into a life-changing experience for the residents. here's omar villafranca. >> reporter: 83-year-old jill breckenridge has a new friend at her minnesota nursing home. >> hi, pepper. >> reporter: it's not a person. >> it's great to see you. >> reporter: it's pepper, a special robot that can talk -- >> i hope you are having a wonderful day. >> reporter: -- and even dance with the residents to keep them active. ♪ but pepper's special power is using new technology to bring up old memories. >> here is your brother holding your puppy. >> reporter: jill was diagnosed with alzheimer's. but when pepper shows her pictures of her past -- >> and i had red hair -- >> reporter: the memories come flooding back. >> i loved my horse, lucky

strike. warmsin . i could tell from the bac watch. she was beaming. >> reporter: ar shia khan with the university of minnesota duluth is the brain behind the robots. when you saw jill with pepper, what did you learn? >> i was almost in tears. it was like that is what i wanted. we are taking them back in time. they have lost that time. it's gone, forgotten. but i'm able to bring that back to them, at least for a little while. >> reporter: but you don't need a ph.d. to see the real benefits of a robot -- >> oh, thank you, pepper. i like you too. >> reporter: -- with a heart. >> bye-bye. >> reporter: omar villafranca, cbs news, roseville, minnesota. that is the overnight news for this friday. for some of you, the news continues. for others, check back later for "cbs mornings" and follow us online anytime at cbsnews.com. reporting from our nation's capital, i'm jericka duncan.

this is cbs news flash. i'm dan lieberman in new york. president biden signed a $1.7 trillion spending package to fund the government. the package includes $45 billion in military and economic aid to ukraine and $38 billion for emergency disaster assistance. it also includes reforms to the electoral count act, clarifying the vice president does not have the power to overturn results of a presidential election. in new york city, the first ever legal recreational marijuana sales began at 4:20 p.m. thursday as the state marked the opening of its first dispensary. the new year will bring several more openings projected to generate $4 billion over the next five years. and preparing for new year's eve. the confetti test run in new york's times square was a success. on saturday, 3,000 pounds of

confetti will drop from seven locations. for more, download the cbs news app on your cell phone or connected tv. i'm dan lieberman, cbs news, new york. tonight, heavy rain and snow slammed the west. winter weather alerts are now in effect for more than a dozen states. highways closed. hundreds left stranded as more than two inches of snow per hour fall in some areas. we'll have the latest forecast. travel woes. after days of cancellation chaos, southwest airlines tells customers when it hopes flights will return to normal. cbs's michael george has the update. santos under fire. constituents demand that congressman-elect george santos resign after even more lies emerge. cbs's scott macfarlane is on capitol hill. remembering the greatest. international soccer icon pele dies at 82.

we take a look at his legendary impact on and off the field and reaction from around the world. unsafe maneuver. the u.s. military's close call with a chinese fighter jet. and the meaning of family. we'll show you how a st. louis couple opened up their home to overcome tragedy. >> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." good evening and thank you for joining us. i'm jericka duncan in for norah. tonight, the sports world is mourning the passing of soccer superstar pele at the age of 82. his fellow brazilian footballer, neymar, wrote on instagram, "pele made soccer into art." also tonight, embattled new york congressman-elect george santos' own constituents are calling on

him to resign after he lied about his faith and linked his mother's death to the september 11th attacks. but first, a major storm system moves across the western part of the country, dumping nearly a foot of snow in parts of colorado, shutting down an interstate and leaving drivers stranded for more than nine hours. heading into another holiday weekend, more rain and snow is in the forecast from caifornia to the rocky mountains. and a separate system will bring heavy rain to much of the east coast. reporter jasmine arenas from our cbs station in denver starts us off tonight. >> reporter: in denver overnight, the snow fell heavy, wet, and left its mark. >> i just walked out my apartment, and now there's a tree on my car, so -- yeah. >> reporter: the forecast called for about two inches. by daybreak, more than seven had blanketed denver and stranded hundreds in the mountain pass along interstate 70. >> a couple hours prior to all of this happening, it was 45

degrees and raining, and i think it caught a lot of people off guard. but it also set up the recipe for disaster for this all to unfold. >> reporter: aaron rigsby is a storm chaser who lives in denver. he too got stuck for nearly eight hours as conditions steadily worsened. >> it went from everyone having fun to when are we going to be able to get out of here? and people started to run low on gas. the overperformance of this storm was by far one of the craziest experiences i've had in 12 years of storm chasing. >> reporter: the latest winter storm adding to the holiday misery for much of the nation. 13 states are now under winter weather alerts. 16 million americans in the west now under flood watches as the northern plains deal with piles of fresh snow along with hurricane-force winds. back in colorado, denver has now received nearly double the amount of snow it normally gets in december. >> winter, especially december, has just been absolutely

relentless. >> reporter: you can see the snowdrifts piled high. none of it was here yesterday at this time. at the height of this latest storm, snow was falling at the rate of two inches an hour. and we're bracing here. a lot more is on the way. jericka. >> jasmine arenas in morrison, denver, thank you. in buffalo tonight, major roads have been reopened as the driving ban has been lifted. it comes five days after the blizzard of the century paralyzed that city. the death toll in erie county has risen to 39, but officials say that number could double or even triple as crews search for more victims. concern now shifts to possible flooding with rapidly rising temperatures this weekend. new york's governor is making nearly 800,000 sandbags along with hundreds of pumps and generators available if needed. for more on the next round of storms set to hit both coasts, let's bring in meteorologist chris warren from our partners at the weather channel. good evening, chris. >> good evening, jericka. wet and sometimes stormy for travelers over the next few

days, starting off in the southeast with that next weather system. going to see some storms possibly early on, could be severe. so some of the stronger storms. then the threat of heavy rain and occasionally some storms moves more into the southeast and now into the northeast for new year's eve. new year's day the system is going to be moving out. temperatures are going to stay mild. upper third at the coldest. mildest into the mid-50s. to the west coast now where things are very active. a lot of rain, a lot of moisture moving into california and a lot of the west coast. heavy snow mainly in the highest of elevations. but, jericka, with high snow levels, could see some more flooding. >> chris warren for us, thank you. tonight, southwest airlines says it expects to return to normal operations friday. late this afternoon, southwest says it has already pre-positioned crews and planes in preparation for tomorrow's schedule. cbs's michael george reports on how passengers are trying to

recover after thousands more flights were canceled today. [ cheering ] >> reporter: a moment of joy after days of misery. patrick keene finally reunited with his bag. >> i just haven't had this bag in a week. i've been wearing other people's clothes. >> reporter: today southwest airlines canceled more than half its flights. tomorrow the company says that number will be less than 40. about 4,000 flights are scheduled for tomorrow. the airline said it will refund all canceled flights and urged customers to submit refund and reimbursement requests for meals, hotels, and alternate transportation. cbs news travel editor peter greenberg says it will likely cost the company tens of millions of dollars. >> is that going to bankrupt southwest? not even close. is it going to give them a wake-up call? it better. >> reporter: but many found the cost to rebook a one-way ticket on another airline to be more than $1,000 despite competitors' vows to cap prices. >> it's not price gouging.

the planes on the other airlines are already full. so what you're asked to do is to buy a very expensive last-minute, one-way ticket on another carrier. >> reporter: but with a federal investigation on the way, this holiday mess won't end when the flights resume. >> how badly is the southwest brand damaged? >> my guess is not that badly at all because they still have a huge reservoir of passenger goodwill. >> reporter: after finally finding her luggage, lauren eidenmueller says earning back her trust will take time. >> i mean i definitely will wait a while before i book with them again. >> reporter: and tonight transportation secretary pete buttigieg says southwest airlines could face severe fines based on the findings of the federal investigation. jericka. >> michael george from laguardia airport, thank you. there's a lot more news ahead on the "cbs overnight news."

>> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." well, tonight the anger toward congressman-elect george santos is growing. dozens of his constituents held a demonstration in the congressional district today. they called on the new york republican to resign. he's been under fire for lying about his education, work experience, and even his faith and family. cbs's scott macfarlane reports on why santos could be in legal jeopardy. >> unseat santos! >> reporter: george santos is facing new calls to resign even before he's sworn into office, including at a protest in mineola, new york, this morning. >> we were bamboozled,

absolutely lied to, and we do not want this representation in new york district 3. >> reporter: and there's a growing series of requests for his resignation or an ethics review of santos from his would-be colleagues in congress. santos has already acknowledged fabricating claims about graduating from new york's baruch college and working at citigroup and goldman sachs, and is being questioned for declaring jewish heritage and being the descendant of holocaust survivors. >> i've gone through. even i've -- not being raised a practicing jew, i've always joked with friends in circles, even with -- in the campaign, i'd say, guys, i'm jew-ish. remember, i was raised catholic. >> reporter: in contradictory social media posts allegedly made by santos, he says his mother was a victim of the 9/11 attack but later posts she died in 2016. cbs news has learned federal prosecutors in new york are now looking into santos' finances and his financial disclosures and that local nassau county investigators are looking into santos too.

former house ethics committee staffer donald sherman says any false statements by santos about his campaign finances would raise legal troubles. >> there's a bigger question about whether someone else is funneling money to his campaign to facilitate his political rise. >> scott macfarlane joins us now from capitol hill. scott, any reaction tonight from house gop leadership? >> reporter: nothing from house republican leader kevin mccarthy, who might need santos' vote tuesday to become house speaker. santos says he expects to take office tuesday, which means he'll be sworn in right here in the afternoon. >> all right. scott macfarlane, thank you. the january 6th committee released more transcripts of witness testimony today. it included several members of donald trump's inner circle. his eldest son, donald trump jr., told the committee that he texted white house chief of staff mark meadows on january 6th to have then-president trump publicly, quote, condemn the violence taking place at the capitol. stephanie grisham, the former

first lady's chief of staff, recalled that on january 6th, melania trump refused her request to tweet a message urging protesters to remain peaceful. the house committee also withdrew the subpoena to the former president ahead of the, quote, imminent end of the investigation next week. well, turning now to ukraine where russian forces today launched the largest wave of missiles and drones in weeks. ukrainian officials say nearly 70 missiles were fired. the blasts knocked out power stations and forced many to flee underground for safety. cbs's ian lee reports. >> reporter: each missile and drone russia fires carries death as it soars to its target. every one intercepted is a triumph life. russia launched dozens of missiles today hoping to overwhelm ukraine's defenses. most were shot down, officials one destroth

zaporizhzhia, while in kyiv, fragments from one shot down demolished this home along with its memories. "we heard the explosions and started running to the cellar. my 7-year-old son and i barely made it," this woman says. russia's attack echoed across the capital, an early wake-up call to the people of kyiv. the defense ministry's office posted this picture of a rocket that flew straight into someone's home but fortunately failed to detonate. for the people of kyiv, the subway has almost become a second home, a safe place underground to take shelter while russia rains terror from above. president zelenskyy addressed the nation, vowing to restore power to millions across the country impacted by the strikes. with these attacks, moscow's aim seems clear. weaponize the winter by targeting power stations to turn

off the heat so life is cold, dark, and miserable for the people of ukraine. >> the ukrainian people are very angry, and they told better to stay without electricity and without heating, but we never give up. >> reporter: just last night, we heard a loud explosion here in dnipro as one of russia's iranian-made exploding drones was intercepted in the skies above us by ukrainian air defenses. jericka. >> ian lee reporting in ukraine, thank you. well, lucid and stable is how officials are now describing pope emeritus benedict. but the vatican says the 95-year-old former pontiff remains in grave condition. on wednesday, you may remember pope francis said his predecessor was, quote, very sick and asked the faithful around the world for a special prayer for benedict. tonight, the world of sports has lost a giant. brazilian soccer great pele has died of colon cancer at the age of 82. his daughter posted this

touching image of the family from his bedside, writing, "everything we are is thanks to you. we love you infinitely. rest in peace." brazil's government has declared three days of mourning ahead of his funeral next week. cbs's manuel bojorquez remembers the legend both on and off the field. >> reporter: he was one of the greatest, if not the greatest of all time. born in southern brazil, pele used his uncanny soccer skills to win three world cup championships, an unprecedented achievement. his first world cup title came at the age of 17 after scoring three goals in a semifinal victory, and two more in the final over the host nation sweden in 1958. >> i got the gift from god to play football. >> reporter: the gift catapulted him from a childhood of poverty

to global stardom. at the age of 34, he went on a mission to popularize soccer in the united states, signing a $2.8 million contract with the new york cosmos that made him the world's highest-paid athlete. >> i have an opportunity to learn english, to give opportunity to my family, my sons, my daughter to study english. >> reporter: in retirement, he even enjoyed a brush with hollywood. >> starring sylvester stallone, michael caine, and introducing pele. >> reporter: from soccer superstar to international icon, pele rubbed shoulders with the leaders around the world, promoting world peace and fighting child poverty. but last year, the fight turned to cancer, one that was with him all the way through this year's world cup in qatar. this is how his old team paid tribute to the legend, who helped establish brazil's superiority as a soccer powerhouse and whose name is now synonymous with the sport he loved and that loved him back.

manuel bojorquez, cbs news. >> there will never be another. well, u.s. military officials are reporting a dangerously close encounter with a chinese military jet. that's coming up. 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.

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singer was paid millions of dollars to hire people to take exams for students, embellish college resumes, and bribe coaches. actresses lori loughlin and felicity huffman were among dozens of parents caught up in the scandal. new york's first legal marijuana shop opened for business today nearly two years after recreational marijuana was greenlit in the state. the man in charge of the shop in lower manhattan says 2,000 people rsvp'd for opening day. officials expect more than 36 licensed shops to open over the next few weeks. and tonight, the fashion world is remembering british designer vivienne westwood. she became a star of fashion in the 1970s for her punk and new wave creations. she went on to stage runway shows in london, paris, milan, and new york. the self-taught designer also created the wedding dress worn by the character carrie bradshaw in the first "sex and the city"

movie. vivienne westwood was 81 years old. a st. louis family opens up their home and heir hearts

finally tonight, cbs's david begnaud with an unbelievable story of how one st. louis family turned unimaginable grief into unconditional love. ♪ >> reporter: 3, 6, 9 were the ages of gregory haupt's children when he was diagnosed with colon cancer. ♪ three, six, nine ♪ >> reporter: what greg didn't know when he wrote that song was that he and his wife, megan, were both running out of time. krista lieber is megan's twin sister. what happened? >> she was sitting on the couch, and she just took her last breath and died. >> reporter: megan had an undiagnosed heart condition and died four months after greg. >> let's go! >> reporter: krista and her husband dave went from three

children to six. >> complete chaos! >> reporter: as they prioritized their blended family, they prioritized their health too. both had been feeling a little off. that's when dave was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, and then came krista's shock. like her sister, she had a heart condition that if left untreated, could be fatal. >> my sister saved my life. you know, i say her death was not in vain. >> reporter: in the months since megan died, the community near st. louis, missouri, has stepped in to help this little family. >> there was this village of people who came together and said what to you? >> do you need food? can i come take the kids out of the house? do you and dave need a break? >> reporter: the help of a village and unwavering love. david begnaud, cbs news, st. louis. well, that is the overnight news for this friday. for some of you, the news continues. for others, check back later for "cbs mornings." and follow us online anytime at cbsnews.com. reporting from our nation's

capital, i'm jericka duncan. this is cbs news flash. i'm dan lieberman in new york. president biden signed a $1.7 trillion spending package to fund the government. the package includes $45 billion in military and economic aid to ukraine and $38 billion for emergency disaster assistance. it also includes reforms to the electoral count act, clarifying the vice president does not have the power to overturn results of a presidential election. in new york city, the first ever legal recreational marijuana sales began at 4:20 p.m. thursday as the state marked the opening of its first dispensary. the new year will bring several more openings projected to generate $4 billion over the next five years. and preparing for new year's eve. the confetti test run in new york times square was a success. on saturday, 3,000 pounds of confetti will drop from seven locations. for more, download the cbs news app on your cell phone or

connected tv. i'm dan lieberman, cbs news, new york. it's friday, december 30th, 2022. this is the "cbs morning news." business as usual. southwest airlines says it will return to normal operations today. this after a meltdown scrubbed thousands of flights in a week and impacted an estimated 1 million travelers. we've got the latest. trump's tax returns. some of the former president's financial documents will be made public today. what we can expect to see. ringing in the new year. final preparations are under way in new york city's times square for tomorrow's big bash. the amount of confetti that will rain down on revelers. goor