(♪♪) guests? ikea? ikea! shop a more convenient ikea with click & collect and more. (father & mother) ikea mom? (♪♪) . it's wednesday, december 4th, 2024. this is "cbs news mornings." nomination in jeopardy as new allegations surface against pete hegseth, donald trump's pick to lead the defense department. a new name surfaces as a

possible replacement. calls for impeachment. political chaos in south korea after the president declares then rescinds martial law. the anger and the protests. security breach. new details about how the accused stowaway managed to sneak on to a new york plane to paris. good morning, i'm michael george. well, we begin with growing scrutiny of pete hegseth, donald trump's pick to lead the pentagon. as the embattled former fox news host faces new allegations of sexual misconduct and excessive drinking, cbs news has learned the president-elect is considering replacing him with florida governor ron desantis. cbs's jarred hill is following the new developments. jared, it's been a bumpy road for some of trump's nominees. first matt gaetz, now this. >> four republican senators we're learning telling cbs news saying they would not vote to confirm hegseth if the vote were being held today for defense

secretary. that could be enough to sink the nomination as questions rise about whether hegseth can effectively lead the pentagon. as pete hegseth courts senate support for his defense secretary confirmation, this morning three sources familiar with the transition tell cbs news that president-elect donald trump is considering a contingency to possibly replace the embattled fox news host with former florida governor ron desantis. he's faced allegations of past sexual and workplace misconduct that have recently come to light. cbs news has confirmed that in 2016 hegseth was fortsed to step down as head of the nonprofit concerned veterans for america. staffers filed complaints accusing him of financial mismanagement, sexual misconduct and repeated intoxication. >> he does need to address those because this was not something of which we were aware, nor was

president trump aware of them. >> reporter: hegseth's attorney has denied all allegations against his client. sources tell cbs news several gop senators would likely withdraw their support for hegseth if a confirmation vote were held today. >> let him have a hearing and give him a shot. >> joni ernst said she will meet with hegseth for frank and thorough conversation this week. meanwhile, the trump transition team has signed an agreement with the department of justice to do background checks. this is a pretty standard procedure for any transition but potentially also could either confirm or deny any allegations or concerns there might be about any of these nominees going forward which might make these confirmation hearings a little bit easier in one way or another. >> jarred hill thanks for joining us. >> thanks. now to south korea where all is quiet again one day after

political upheaval when the president declared martial law, then hours later reversed his decision after massive protests. the main opposition party is calling on president yoon to resign immediately or face impeachment. cbs's charlie d'agata has more on the chaos. >> reporter: thousands of protesters poured into the streets descending on the south korean national assembly after the nation's president declared martial law. soldiers entered the building shortly after president yoon ordered military rule in order to defend the free republic of north korea. he accused his opposition of sympathizing with communist north korea. less than three hours later the south korean parliament defied the president voting unanimously to overturn that decree. then president yoon backed down. yoon is under attack himself. his approval ratings have plummeted in in recent months

and he and his wife are accused of corruption and accepting bribes. martial law bans protests and demonstrations, prohibits any political activities and takes control of all media. south korea is a vital regional ally of the united states with more than 28,500 u.s. troops stationed at bases throughout the country. the u.s. has maintained a large military presence since 1953 defending south korea and serving as a deterrent to its hostile neighbor, north korea. >> if we've got army vehicles on the streets, it's going to affect u.s. forces. >> you want to make sure that you're paying attention, that you're checking in with your unit, making sure there's accountability. i'm not aware at this point of any significant impact. >> reporter: the threat of north korea looms. >> what do you think the north koreans are thinking? >> i'm inclined to believe that this is going to play out so

well from north korea's perspective. they have a lot of incentive not to throw fuel on the fire. >> reporter: south koreans are relieved after the about face, but they face an uncertain future while the u.s. needs a stable military partner. charlie d'agata, cbs news at the pentagon. and back here at home, while parts of the northeast are digging out from that huge lake-effect snowstorm, round two is on the way. >> oh, man. oh, man. holy hell. >> wow, wild scene in eerie, pennsylvania. tractor-trailer got stuck in the snow at a railroad crossing right as a freight train came through slamming into it. luckily the driver had gotten out. now a fast-moving clipper system will bring intense snow and gusty winds, first over the great lakes region today and heading into new england this evening. potential whiteouts could cause difficult travel.

behind it another blast of arctic air will send wind chills below zero by early tomorrow morning. wintry weather is the last thing they need in the mountains of north carolina after the deadly flooding brought by hurricane helene. cbs's janet shamlian reports people are struggling to recover more than two months after the storm. >> reporter: snow and biting cold. december delivering a different type of storm to western north carolina. >> what do you need? >> just people to come check on us. [ bleep ]. >> reporter: his home destroyed. steve crowell showed us the tent he lived in for weeks. is this your food in boxes? is. >> yeah. people drop stuff off that we already had. most of it's expired food. >> reporter: this is how hundreds of people are still living in western north carolina, in campers, and in tents amid bitterly cold temperatures. shawna lavigne's family with

seven children has been staying in this shelter. a former gold's gym, for two months. how do you think your kids are doing? >> they're struggling, but they're managing it well. definitely has affected them. >> reporter: dozens of people who lost their homes are staying here, but the lease is up. they have to be out by the end of the month. >> we are refusing to let these people be out in the street. we're going to find a place for each and every person. >> reporter: the need across western north carolina is staggering. >> would you like a soup and sandwich? >> reporter: volunteers at this free food site in hard-hit swannanoa are cooking 800 meals a week. chris smith has volunteered every day. >> no conditions, no politics, it's just there's hurngry peopl. we need to feed them. >> reporter: relief centers are a life line amid the daily struggles there is progress. >> isaac. >> reporter: lavigne and her

family will finally leave the shelter this week, not a permanent home, but two camper vans to be shared by nine. how has this experience changed be your family? >> i think it has made us closer. familiar lis have been torn apart and we still have one another. >> reporter: here in swannanoa along the river it's more like a campground than a neighborhood. the homes are gone and left behind are debris and campers and tents that people are now calling home. janet shamlian, cbs news, swannanoa, north carolina. we're finally learning how a russian woman allegedly snuck through the security checkpoint at new york's jfk airport. svetlana dali got into the security line for known crew members. officials say she then joined the standard passenger screening line and blended into a group of people to slip past the tsa

officer doing document checks. french officials tried to send her back to the u.s. last week on another flight but she was removed when she created a disturbance. they plan to get her on another flight back to new york today. coming up, sinkhole search. the fears for a grandmother who vanished looking for her cat. and rescue inside a burning house. why an 8-year-old is being called a hero. i found relief. nurtec odt can provide relief in two hours which can last up to two days when used... ...for the acute treatment of migraine with... ...or without aura in adults. to those with migraine... ...i see you. don't take if allergic to nurtec odt. allergic reactions can occur even days after use, like trouble breathing and rash. get help if you have trouble breathing, swelling of the face, mouth, tongue, or throat. common side effect is nausea. it's time we all shine. talk to a doctor to see if nurtec is right for you. (vo) for over 50 years purina cat chow has been helping cats feel at home. it's time we all shine.

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don't take ingrezza if allergic. serious side effects may include allergic reactions like sudden, potentially fatal swelling and hives, sleepiness, the most common side effect, and heart rhythm problems. know how ingrezza affects you before operating a car or dangerous machinery. report fever, stiff muscles, or problems thinking, as these might be life threatening. shaking, stiffness, drooling, and trouble with moving or balance may occur. take control by asking your doctor about ingrezza. ♪ ingrezza ♪ well, the search continues for a grandmother who disappeared in western pennsylvania while looking for a cat. elizabeth pollard may have fallen into a sinkhole that recently opened up over a coal mine. her family says she's not been seen since going out monday night to search for her cat. her 5-year-old granddaughter was found safe inside a parked car outside the hole. a shoe was found 30 feet below the surface. a child is being called a hero after a house fire and

drone sightings causing a stir. those are some of the headlines on the morning newstand. new jersey.com reports the fbi is asking for the public's help to solve a drone mystery. there have been dozens of recent nighttime drone sightings in the skies above northern new jersey. authorities say witnesses have reported a cluster of what looks like drones and a possible fixed wing aircraft. law enforcement agencies are urging people to send the fbi videos and photos. the faa is temporarily banning drones from flying over the nearby trump national golf club in bed minister and the military facility. the indy star says a man who went outside to get packages found two missing baby girls in a ditch near his indiana home. the man found the 4 and 5-month-old girls monday in their car seats in subfreezing temperatures. and called 911. the infants were kidnapped earlier in the day when the car they were in was stolen about

four miles from where they were found. police also found the abandoned car. and cbs colorado says two sheriff's deputies and a child are being called heroes for what they did during a house fire in a denver suburb. >> thick black smoke coming from the door. >> the deputies heard two kids screaming sunday when they arrived at the burning house. 14-year-old ava and her brother who is 8-year-old were able to get out but they were trapped in the backyard. the deputies ripped apart the fence to pass the kids. >> hi, buddy. my room's on fire. >> i know, buddy. >> listen to this, it turns out it was grayson who has down's syndrome who alerted his sister to the fire. >> ava, ava. the so she climbed out the window in the back. kind of saved her life so he's our hero.

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for relief that feels ♪ miebo ohh yeah ♪ ask your eye doctor about prescription miebo. here's a and here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. well, a tiny little asteroid put on a big show in the sky over siberia. the 27 inch wide asteroid created a massive fireball yesterday before burning up in the earth's atmosphere. it was detected hours earlier at an observatory in arizona. they issued an alert to expect a fireball in the sky but said the impact would be harmless. it's national cookie day and it's case closed on the mcdonald's e. coli outbreak.

here's carissa lawson with today's "moneywatch." it was a mixed finish on tuesday with record highs on wall street. the dow dropped 76 points but the nasdaq gained 76 and the s&p 500 edged up 2. both hitting new highs. the fda has closed its investigation into the deadly e. coli outbreak linked to onions served on mcdonald's quarter pounder saying there is no longer a safety risk. the outbreak sickened at least 104 people in 14 states. one person died and four others developed a potentially life threatening kidney disease complication. there have been no new cases since october 21st when mcdonald's pulled the burgers off its menu. the department of labor wants to phase out a controversial depression era program that allows some employers to pay disabled workers less than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. the law is based on the notion that their disabilities hinder

productivity but they have issued a rule to stop the program and start a three-year phaseout. today is national cookie day. cookie lovers take advantage of freebies and discounts. insomnia cookies, subway and great american cookies are among the chains offering some big deals. that's your "cbs moneywatch" report for this wednesday morning. i'm carissa lawson. cbs news, new york. up next, beyonce and taylor swift top some year-end lists. we'll tell you who came out on top. bombas was founded to help. so for everyone you buy. we donate one. one purchased. one donated. it's a tangible act of kindness for those who need it most. distributed by 3500. giving partners across all 50 states. and with one hundred and forty million donations and counting, the impact is real. visit bombas.com and shop our big holiday sale. i have relapsing ms,

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here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. billboard has unveiled its editor's pick for the greatest pop star of the 21st century. ♪ this ain't texas ♪ ♪ and i no hold 'em ♪ >> of course, that's beyonce taking the top spot for what billboard calls her full 25 years of influence, impact and evolution. queen bee is also the most decorated grammy artist in history with a total of 32 wins. taylor swift coming in second on the list though she did dominate the numbers in biggest album sales, streams and touring sales. by the way, taylor swift topped yale university's list of 2024's most notable quotations

when she signed an instagram post as taylor swift childless cat lady while endorsing kamala harris for president. president joe biden took the second spot with his announcement pardoning his son hunter this week and the number three quote of the year is -- >> in springfield they're eating the dogs, the people that came in. they're eating the cats. >> that's donald trump repeating a debunked conspiracy about haitian immigrants in ohio. all right. coming up on "cbs mornings," we talk with country music superstar dolly parton live about her new children's book. ♪ save a place for me ♪ my way. i needed more from my antidepressant. vraylar helped give it a lift. adding vraylar to an antidepressant is clinically proven to help relieve overall depression symptoms better than an antidepressant alone. vraylar is not approved for elderly patients

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♪ cue those trumpets on a wednesday as we welcome you to "cbs mornings." i'm gayle king. >> i'm tony dokoupil. >> i'm vlad duthiers. >> nate's off, we're still here. let's go to today's "eye opener." it's your world