>> this five years was a sort of new frontier. this is perfectly true. when i announced the five years, all the experts, a lot of people just made comments to say it's crazy. >> so what gave you the confidence while notre dame was still smoking? >> i saw these guys, these firemen, i mean just go beyond their own capacities with such an energy and commitment. and i think this is exactly, this is a sort of metaphor of what our societies and especially our democracies need. make possible the unthinkable. >> we are all very proud of what we have done together. >> reporter: last year president macron appointed philippe jost to lead the team restoring notre dame. two weeks ago we met him just inside what was still an active

construction zone. >> what words come to mind when you first walk in? >> the light. the light is very breathtaking in the space. in this monument there is a soul. >> a soul. >> a soul. and we feel that when we enter now. we feel that. >> reporter: to walk into notre dame today is to see no sign of 2019. then the cathedral's nave was littered with burned wood and stone rubble, a gaping hole in the ceiling where the flaming spire crashed through. even when we visited in 2023, a dense forest of scaffolding remained. now it is open and airy. every stone shines. every stained glass window is polished. every masterpiece glows. all topped by a new spire and a new roof replacing the utter

destruction of five years ago. >> we had the big vault there to rebuild. >> so there was a gaping hole. >> a big hole there. when president macron said five years, we knew that this point here was the most challenging space of the restoration. >> reporter: if philippe jost is now commander in chief of the restoration, philippe villeneuve remains its artistic director. chief architect of the cathedral since well before the fire. we saw him in 2023 supervising every detail and every artisan. >> you also told us that rebuilding notre dame was in a way rebuilding yourself after the fire. do you feel rebuilt now? "yes," villeneuve told us. "today i can watch images of the fire, see the spire falling into

the flames. that's something i couldn't watch before." last year villeneuve supervised the construction of a new wooden spire and its lead covering and designed a new rooster, a symbol of the french people, for its very peak. it was put in place last december. "when i saw the spire and the lead roof appear," villeneuve said, "when we put the rooster and the cross in place, i felt that a wound had been closed." >> since more than eight centuries this cathedral was here. it resisted to two world wars, so many battles and campaigns. the decision to rebuild notre dame, it was about our capacity to save, restore, sometimes reinvent what we are by

preserving where we come from. this is a message of achievement. >> reporter: many of the achievements like the new spire and roof are massive. notre dame's huge bells were removed after the fire for cleaning and repair, then returned and tested a few weeks ago. its organ with 8,000 pipes the largest in france was also removed, repaired and reinstalled. ♪ the day we were there an organist filled the cathedral with thunderous, soaring sound. ♪ somehow small achievements feel just as noteworthy. outside workmen dangling on ropes to hammer wood into place.

and carefully cementing paving stones. inside, delicately applying wax to ancient wood, ensuring that every light bulb is lit and every floor polished. >> our job is mostly to bring back all the value of mural painting. >> reporter: painting restorer diana castillo has been working in the many small chapels of notre dame, where centuries ago murals were painted onto stone walls and ceilings. >> we had a lot of work to clean them. >> reporter: diana shared photos and video of what the chapels and paintings looked like when she and other restorers began their work after the fire. cloudy and dim. and their appearance now after cleaning. >> so we did one chapel after another after another, and after we finished the cleaning process it was really almost one year,

we were like okay, now we can see the paint, now we can appreciate it and start the real -- the restoration. >> so you were not just removing the soot from the fire, but you were removing the grime from centuries. >> exactly. exactly, exactly. from 1850, actually, many of them had never been touched since 1850. so you imagine. 170 years. >> reporter: today the murals are gleaming. ceilings show starry nights of deep blue and gold. and stone columns that had been gray are now kaleidoscopes of color. and you have brought those colors back to life. >> absolutely, yes. and i'm sure many people will be shocked. and the results like this are very satisfying for us of course. >> reporter: similar transformations are everywhere in the new notre dame. stone walls and ceilings that had been dark and gloomy seem to shine. and so do the many marble

statues and decorative metalworks. the workers and craftspeople who have pulled all this off are known as companions, and their work is celebrated on huge banners overlooking the river seine. >> we've heard of something called the notre dame effect, which is young people being drawn to traditional crafts and trades because of the work they're doing and seeing being done here at the cathedral. have you witnessed that? [ speaking in a global language ] "it's true," philippe villeneuve told us, "that notre dame was a formidable school for all the different crafts, carpenters, metalworkers, stone carvers, painters. all these kinds of jobs were boosted by the restoration." >> we'll have the rest of our "60 minutes" report after this break.

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including, philippe jost told us, for measures to prevent another tragedy. >> so you have new fire detection, new fire suppression systems that have all been installed? >> installed in the roof. >> reporter: so that would prevent another catastrophe like this from ever happening again? >> we are very confident in that. it will not happen again. >> reporter: jost also expressed confidence that rebuilding the new notre dame using the old materials of wood and stone and lead will help it to last. >> the cathedral is 860 years old, and we will restore it for 860 years. >> that it will last another -- >> another 860 years. and perhaps more. >> reporter: architect philippe villeneuve championed the use of traditional materials, especially to build the towering new spire just as the old one

had been constructed. but he let us in on a secret. there is one new touch up there. [ speaking in a global language ] "i left a small mark of myself," he told us. "in one of the hooks of the new spire is my face with an admiring and affectionate look to represent all the companions who rebuilt the cathedral." >> bonjour monsieur le president. >> reporter: president macron visited notre dame while we were there, when it was still buzzing with preparations for opening day. >> it's impressive and very moving to see the -- you still have dozens of people working hard, finishing the job. >> reporter: and as notre dame's great doors reopen, might that spirit be even a little bit contagious? >> there's a lot of political division here in france, as

there is in the united states. so in this climate how important is it to have a project like this that unifies rather than divides? >> we speak about moment of unity and pride. and this is exactly what our nations need. especially in that times. we should try to consider this type of moment and great projects and think if we are ready and able to do so why don't we try to fix other, perhaps more abstract but very important issues of our countries? >> so the impossible is not impossible? it's the french mo o. impossible i

the future of fast food is taking flight outside san francisco. itay hod got a taste. >> reporter: in the heart of silicon valley 64-year-old brian drummond is about to get a delivery that's truly on the up and up. >> it's really like living in the future. >> reporter: a software engineer, he's ordering his breakfast using a company whose products are flying off the shelf. quite literally. >> it will come right down and set it right here on the ground. >> reporter: drummond is part of a pilot program testing drone deliveries by a company called matternet. >> okay, there we go. >> reporter: as he orders a coffee and croissant at his home in sunnyvale, california. the order is quickly assembled a the headquarters nearby. the package is then placed in a special hub where it's automatically attached to a drone. in less than five minutes it

shows up like a scene straight out of an action movie. >> we think it's going to change how we do one of the most basic things we do every day. >> reporter: andreas raptopoulos is the founder and ceo of matternet, which launched its service in october. >> we're going to get an experience at a lower cost, an experience that's even better than we get today. >> reporter: after a decade of development drone deliveries are finally taking flight, according to the federal aviation administration there are currently 377,000 drones registered for commercial use. that number is expected to soar into the millions by 2028. yanfeng ouyang is a transportation engineering professor at the university of illinois urbana champaign and a drone delivery enthusiast. he says when it comes to the service there are still some issues that are up in the air. >> one of the concerns will be the noise it generates in the community in addition to safety

it may impose to the community. >> reporter: as for drummond skipping the 45-minute wait is a game changer. >> that's really good. >> reporter: getting a taste of the future. while taking breakfast to new heights. itay hod, cbs news, sunnyvale, california. >> i was wondering whether that coffee showed up hot. and that's today's "cbs news roundup." for some of you the news continues. for others tune in later for "cbs mornings." and follow us online anytime at cbsnews.com. reporting from the cbs broadcast center in new york city, i'm carissa lawson. ♪

hello and thanks for staying up with us. i'm carissa lawson in new york. here are the top stories on "cbs news roundup." fallout in washington after president biden's controversial decision to pardon his son hunter. new allegations against president-elect donald trump's pick to lead the defense department. and the great lakes region sees massive snowfall as frigid temperatures set in across the eastern part of the country. president biden's announcement on sunday night that he has pardoned his son hunter despite repeatedly promising he would not was met with criticism on capitol hill monday. hunter biden was facing sentencing in two criminal cases for felony gun and tax evasion convictions. but he will now remain a free man after the sweeping pardon issued by his father. natalie brand reports from washington. >> reporter: president biden touched down in angola monday, a day after granting his son an

unprecedented pardon. during a holiday event at the white house the first lady defended the decision. but even some democrats were surprised by the president's reversal of his previous position. >> disappointed in terms of the signal it sends to faith in our american system. >> reporter: the full and unconditional pardon clears hunter biden of all crimes he has committed or may have committed between 2014 and 2024. he was set to be sentenced this month after being convicted of felony gun charges and pleading guilty to federal tax fraud. >> president biden i think is giving hunter biden as much protection as he can. >> reporter: american university professor jeffrey crouch compares the pardon to that granted to president nixon and says it could pave the way for more controversial pardons in the future. >> it makes it easier potentially for president trump to come into office and abuse the clemency power himself again because now he can argue that

presidents from both political parties have done it recently. >> reporter: on social media president-elect donald trump called the pardon an abuse and miscarriage of justice. he also hinted that he plans to pardon those convicted in connection with the january 6th capitol attack in 2021. president biden justified the decision in a statement saying his son was singled out for political reasons. the special counsel who investigated hunter biden said there's no evidence of vindictive or selective prosecution of the president's son. natalie brand, cbs news, washington. donald trump's pick to lead the defense department is facing new questions. the concerns stem from reports that former fox news host pete hegseth was forced out at two veterans groups because of alleged misconduct. chief white house correspondent nancy cordes has the very latest in what's shaping up to be a bruising confirmation fight. >> talking to all the senators, and i look forward to those discussions. >> reporter: the newly

resurfaced accusations followed pete hegseth to capitol hill. cbs news has confirmed the army veteran and fox news host was forced to step down as head of the non-profit concerned veterans for america in 2016. the group's founders, billionaire republican donors charles and david koch, pushed hegseth out after staffers accused him of financial mismanagement, sexual misconduct and repeated intoxication. according to "the new yorker," which first reported about the complaints, hegseth sometimes got drunk to the point of needing to be carried out of the organization's events. >> can you tell us why you resigned, sir? >> reporter: cbs's nikole killion asked hegseth about that between senate meetings. >> when you were at concerned veterans for america, were you ever drunk while traveling on the job? >> i'm not going to dignify that with a response. >> reporter: hegseth, who has been tapped by president-elect trump to overhaul the massive department of defense, was already dealing with allegations

that he sexually assaulted a woman at a republican convention in monterey, california in 2017. but he was never criminally charged. and alabama senator tommy tuberville, who met with him, said it doesn't bother him. >> what i've talked to him about, what i've read, what i've studied and being around him, i'll vote for him. >> reporter: hegseth is not the only contentious pick being weighed by senate republicans. over the weekend trump announced his choice to lead the fbi, 44-year-old kash patel. >> i'd shut down the fbi hoover building on day one. >> reporter: patel held leadership roles in defense and intelligence in the first trump term and has promised to use the fbi to go after those he says have targeted trump. >> we will go out and find the conspirators not just in government but in the media. yes. >> reporter: maine republican susan collins said she doesn't know enough about kash patel yet to make a decision about confirmation, and lindsey graham

of south carolina was non-committal too. these nominees can only afford to lose a handful of republican votes if they want to get confirmed, especially if all democratic senators vote no. nancy cordes, cbs news, west palm beach, florida. >> we turn now to the dangerous winter weather in the great lakes region, where snow totals are approaching six feet. the heavy snowfall coming just as temperatures drop to frigid levels across the eastern u.s. this week. cbs's rob marciano is tracking it all from western new york. >> reporter: western new york has been walloped with more than 54 inches of snow in the last four days. in the rural town of cassadaga the weight of all that snow has taken a toll. chaotic scene inside this barn that's collapsed. we've got animals that are hurt and now one of the firemen that was here to help clear the machine had something collapse on him and he's hurt too. >> reporter: colleen aldridge and her husband doug have owned

their farm for nearly 20 years and nothing like this has ever happened. >> what went through your mind when you'd realized that the roof collapsed here? >> like oh my gosh. i mean, it -- the worst -- i mean, it's just horrible. yeah. >> reporter: you're just kind of in recovery mode right now, huh? >> yeah. >> reporter: how are you holding up? are you in shock right now? what's going through your head and heart? >> mostly how do we get through the rest of the winter. >> reporter: the aldridges say they lost four head of cattle that were being bred to bring to market for beef. and now they're climbing up to get the snow off another barn, desperate to prevent another collapse. on average snow weighs about six pounds per cubic foot. and on this roof that could mean over 80,000 pounds. clearing it is treechs, backbreaking work, and it's a shared misery. lake effect snow blowing in off the great lakes has buried parts of michigan, ohio, pennsylvania and new york with over three feet pile up east of watertown. >> a lot of snow.

just trying to stay out here every couple hours to keep up with it. and that's all we can do. >> reporter: some of that snow may get down even to new york city. we don't expect much there, but several more inches, maybe a foot or more in spots, again, coming here toward the end of %-p. not just through this week and through the eastern half of the country. everybody getting a piece of this cold air. but it looks like for the next six to ten days the cold air does stick around. that means whatever snow is falling will stick around as well. rob marciano, cbs news, cassadaga, new york. >> so much snow. well, straight ahead on "cbs news roundup" we investigate safety concerns over some of the third-party truck drivers used by amazon. stay with us. we'll be right back. (train whistle blows) (mom:) i guess you're really goin' off to school. mom ♪ i will remember you ♪ ♪ will you remember me ♪

♪ don't let your life ♪ i love you ♪ pass you by ♪ (daughter:) i love you too dad ♪ weep not for the memories ♪ [elton john singing "i'm still standing"] [music plays] [music plays] ♪ i'm still standing ♪ ♪ yeah, yeah, yeah... ♪ ♪

(ominous music) (bubbles rising) (diver exhaling) (music intensifies) (diver yells) (shark roars) - whoa. (driver gasps) (car tires screech) (pedestrian gasps) (both panting) (gentle breeze) - [announcer] eyes forward. don't drive distracted.

this is "cbs news roundup." i'm carissa lawson in new york. when the final numbers are in, it's expected shoppers spent more than $13 billion on cyber monday. and all of those products have to be delivered. now, you may know your local amazon delivery person, but there's a whole industry built on getting the packages to them, and some of those drivers shouldn't be on the road. cbs's ash-har qurayshi has the story. >> reporter: on a cold january morning in 2022 officers tried to sort out what went wrong on an interstate south of austin, texas. >> she was already rolling. i think this is probably the next point of impact. >> reporter: and who needed to be notified. >> the officer came, knocked on my door and she was involved in an accident and she didn't make it. >> reporter: chula velez's 19-year-old daughter iliana was forced off the road. the college freshman was on a break from her overnight shift at this amazon warehouse. >> we're trying to understand

why the accident occurred and why you made some of the decisions you made. >> reporter: jordan santacola was arrested, convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison for failing to stop and render aid after an accident involving death. he was driving this truck to pick up a load from an amazon facility despite having a history of traffic violations, a suspended license and several felony warrants. >> someone with multiple warrants should have not been hired. >> reporter: but santacola wasn't hired by amazon. he was driving for a trucking company subcontracted to move amazon cargo between facilities, a leg known as the middle mile. in fact, according to a lawsuit filed by velez, amazon had rejected santacola's job application as a home delivery driver less than three months before the crash, after he failed a criminal background check. >> was this a preventable tragedy? >> 100%. >> reporter: alex hilliard represents trula velez in her lawsuit against amazon and take flight with bee trucking which

has gone out of business. the suit alleges amazon knew or should have known santacola was an unsafe driver. they say amazon is liable in part because it uses an app called relay that monitors driving performance and safety metrics including when drivers speed. >> mr. san cola had had 70 different speeding violations that amazon had been notified of. they did nothing about that. >> reporter: cbs news reviewed six years of federal safety data on amazon middle mile contractors. we found their rates of violations like texting and speeding were often more than double those of other carriers. amazon disputes our data findings, saying overall crash rates for third-party carriers have improved. the company also says its safety standards are stricter than those mandated by the federal motor carrier safety administration. the agency that regulates the u.s. trucking industry. >> if it's a choice between safety and delivering a package to a customer, we'll go with safety every time. >> reporter: amazon's lead

global attorney for road safety tim goodman says the company relies on fmcsa rules that require contractors to do their own background checks on middle mile drivers. >> we have ended up taking disciplinary action to around 19,000 different motor carriers that have not complied with the stringency requirements that we insist on. >> reporter: this pileup is just one of nearly 50 deadly crashes involving amazon's middle mile drivers in the past two years that have claimed at least 57 lives. >> any fatality is heartbreaking, and any of the families that have been affected by this have our condolences. >> reporter: asked if amazon should accept liability for fatalities caused by contractors, goodman did not answer directly but said the company is constantly working to improve safety. that won't ease trula velez's

pain. >> one mistake cost someone's life, and that was my daughter's. >> reporter: a life she says didn't have to end like this. didn't have to end like this. fo strong enamel is your best defense against acid erosion and cavities. that's why i recommend the pronamel active shield because it will strengthen your enamel and create that shield around it. i'm excited for this product. i think patients are really going to like it. giving tuesday. giving tuesday. giving tuesday. giving tuesday is a global effort that encourages people to do good. this year, please support shriners children's™ because when you do, you're not just giving to a hospital. you're helping change the life of a kid like me and me and me. so today, i'm asking you to join with us in focusing on what is truly important. helping kids in need right now and into the future. please call or go to loveshriners.org. thanks to a generous donor, your gift will have

three times the impact in the lives of kids like me. i love it here. they understand what it's like to be me. it makes me feel like i'm not really alone. they love what they do here. and i can tell. it's love, it really is. the amazing work the doctors and nurses do is only possible because of people like you. because the amazing people who support them. they bring love to so many kids in need every single day. will you send your love to the rescue® today? when you say yes to giving just $19 a month, only $0.63 a day, we'll send you this adorable love to the rescue® blanket as a reminder of all the kids you're helping every day. and for giving tuesday, your gift the very first month will be tripled. without your donations there'd just be so many kids that aren't able to walk, run, ride bikes, and live their dreams.

this is my home, a place where you can get the best care anywhere. please call or go to loveshriners.org. thanks to a generous donor, every dollar you give for giving tuesday will go three times as far, to help more kids. thank you. head & shoulders bare. clinically proven dandruff protection with just nine essential ingredients. no sulfates, no silicones, no dyes. ♪♪ dandruff protection, minimal ingredients. job done. overseas the british parliament has taken a historic first step to legalize assisted dying for the terminally ill. several other european countries including canada, australia and

new zealand allow it. here in the u.s. assisted dying is only legal in ten states and the district of columbia. cbs's ramy inocencio has the story from london. >> reporter: as teary appeals rolled, a ten-foot-tall puppet of a british judge brandishing a syringe loomed with opponents of a bill that would open the door to legal assisted death. >> as a christian it's murder, it's wrong. the scriptures say thou shall not kill. >> reporter: critics say it would put the vulnerable at risk and that end of life care needs to be improved so people would choose to live. just steps away proponents of that bill stood calmly in solidarity with a bright pink campaign for dignity in dying. >> my best friend died crying in agony, begging us to put an end to her life. everybody's personal choice. >> reporter: jenny hopes for that choice.

she has terminal cancer and says she wants a more humane way to die. >> to allow my children to see me in a peaceful state would be so much better for them. >> reporter: inside parliament's house of commons -- >> order, order. >> reporter: -- ministers debated passionately but respectfully. kim leadbeater introduced the bill. >> any one of us or all of us could be unfortunate or unlucky enough to receive a terminal diagnosis. >> reporter: the legislation applies to people expected to live six months or less. two doctors would need to give approval, then a judge. the person must administer the lethal drugs themselves. >> the ayes to the right, 330. the nos to the left, 275. >> reporter: the result in favor was met only with murmurs. ministers reflecting on the gravity of their vote. and this marks the start of a months-long road to the potential legalization of

assisted death. changes and challenges are expected because one of the most important decisions in one's life hangs in the balance and that is the decision to end it. >> that was ramy inocencio i

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takes to the road to visit some schools where they have become classroom heroes. >> reporter: teacher melissa seaberg is going over homework. >> you claepd cleaned off the table. >> reporter: mrs. seaberg says a-plus answers like that are the result of model behavior. >> here you go. >> reporter: like the 4-year-old superhero feeding the homeless. >> don't forget to show love. >> reporter: the little girl whose hug made a widower's day. >> this is the first time for quite a while i've been this happy. >> when you watch all those other kids that like do good stuff, then you could do like the same thing as them. >> my favorite one is where the little girl hugs the man. that one really like filled my heart. >> reporter: to see the impact, i hit the road with my kids and colleagues, meryl and emmett. >> i have it. >> what are you taking pictures of? >> nothing.

>> reporter: the teachers knew we were coming. the kids did not. >> shut up. >> we heard that you watched our stories. so we thought we'd come see you. >> reporter: we answered students' burning questions about their favorite stories. like the one about the lopely goose who found her soulmate. >> is that goose still alive? >> is that goose still alive? the goose is still alive. >> reporter: then we got back in the car to recap and chart a course toward our next school. >> i could spend the whole day there. >> that's just because everyone was telling you how wonderful you are. >> yeah. >> we have a lesson on humility, don't we? >> no. >> we need one. >> yeah, we need one. >> reporter: we drove from town to town meeting children of different ages. you could clearly see how the stories and the lessons within meant a great deal. >> it was good to uplift people and to know how to do that

correctly. >> you need those life skills to be successful in your life. >> it just teaches you great lessons and just how to be a better person in life. >> reporter: for my kids hearing tht, seeing the impact is the culmination of what for them has been a lifelong mission. >> purpose. what's the purpose of emmett? >> it's hard to describe the purpose of humans. >> it is hard. but that's why we're here. >> reporter: we started kindness 101 as a web series during the pandemic. we have since polished our performance and magnified our reach. today kindness 101 is in tens of thousands of classrooms and online at kindness101.com, where teachers can access the videos and free lesson plans with group activities and discussion prompts. >> when this was launched, was the largest number of responses to anything that we have ever done through character counts. >> reporter: character counts, a non-profit based at drake university, built the

curriculum. executive director scott racker. >> this is an opportunity for us to fulfill our mission to positively impact the lives of others and do it in a way that there's no cost for those that want to use it. >> we are sneaking into this school. kids do not know we're coming. >> reporter: back in new york -- >> we have somebody here with us today. >> reporter: -- we ended the day as we started. in the company of a new generation of kids who want a kinder america. >> this one? >> reporter: and a growing group of teachers ready and willing to shepherd them on their journey. >> it's real life. like those are real people. it's not me talking about compassion. >> examples. >> it's the

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it's tuesday, december 3rd, 2024. this is "cbs news mornings." the fallout one day