evolving situation we are going to decide what the right approaches are. >> reporter: liberal justices pushed back. one compared the bans to racist jim crow-era laws. >> i'm worried that we're undermining the foundations of some of our bedrock equal protection cases. >> reporter: and said the medication could be life-saving. >> the evidence is very clear that there are some children who actually need this treatment. >> i do remember really hesitant of like being really afraid of growing facial hair and just really thinking oh, i would really not like facial hair. i had a cousin who came out as transgender. i was -- as soon as she came out, i realized that's something that i can do. >> reporter: l.w. started medication to stop male puberty nine months later, and female hormones at 15. they asked us not to show her face. >> it's made me a lot more confident. >> people act like it's a flippant decision.

like that we're just running out and putting our kids on hormones without thinking about it. it's not. it's a long process. >> reporter: a process that now is in the supreme court. the family is at the center of the case on whether states like tennessee where they live can ban puberty blockers and hormone treatments for children under 18. >> what would it mean if somehow you couldn't get this medication? >> it would be terrifying. i believe that it would have a severe negative impact on me. >> reporter: families on both sides can agree on this one point. >> so gender dysphoria is real and these children do feel acute distress in their bodies. >> reporter: where these families deeply disagree is over the question of medical intervention for children, and that is what this case is about. >> we need to talk about actually what the constitution permits. >> reporter: san francisco-area mom erin friday heads our duty, a group of parents raising former and current trans-identifying children.

they oppose transition drugs for minors. >> no child should be subjected to any gender interventions whatsoever. >> reporter: friday's daughter was 13 when she said she was a trans boy. >> i'm a mother of a formerly trans-identified son. >> reporter: schoolteacher ariane adamchicova said her son was 16 when he came out as a trans girl. >> his dad and i were very open to different gender expressions and we just figured this was an experimental phase. and so i was like yeah, you know what, dress however you want. like cool, that's great. i was open to all of it. but then i realized if he went to the doctor they were going to prescribe him hormones. and he was begging for the hormones. he was begging for puberty blockers. >> the doctors told me my daughter would commit suicide if i didn't transition her. >> the doctors told you that?

>> they did. >> reporter: both women, self-described liberals, did not let their children take medication, which can be irreversible. they said their kids went through intensive psychotherapy and after about 18 months both children detransitioned. >> when you're 25 if you decide that's the pathway you need then we will of course love you and support you in your decision. >> reporter: while 0.6% of the adult population identifies as trans, increasingly families are facing these difficult decisions for their children. more than 5% of high school students now identify as transgender or are questioning whether they may be. >> i feel very much for those parents that are in this bind because the pressure on them from their kids is huge. i felt it all the time. i could not stop thinking about it. >> all we're trying to do is make the best decisions for our kid. >> make the best decisions. >> yeah. make them be healthy and happy and make sure that, you know, they have all that they need to move on to adulthood.

>> reporter: as you can see, both of these families want the same thing. they want their kids to be happy. they want to protect them. and they both believe the other side's approach would cause terrible harm. and as significant as this case is, the ruling could actually go beyond the issue of transition treatments. if the court, for example, were to strike down these state bans as unconstitutional, questions today about whether that could bolster arguments for bolster arguments for transgender athletes and girls 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. (singing) i'll be home for christmas. you can plan on me.

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the blockbuster hit "yellowstone" is now in its fifth and possibly final season. but whether it wraps or not, the series has sparked a new interest in cowboy life. lee cowan reports. >> reporter: "yellowstone." since its debut in 2018 the series about ranching, relatives and retribution on paramount, part of the cbs family, has always had a thing for the unbridled grace of horses. >> saddle another one. today you'll learn to ride. >> reporter: the actors seem just as much at home with the horses as the horses do with them. >> when the horse bounces up, let it stand you in the stirrups. when it comes down, sit back in the saddle. >> reporter: "yellowstone's" writer and executive producer taylor sheridan won't have it any other way.

>> most westerns you've ever seen it's a bunch of horses in the distance running together and then you cut to a bunch of actors sitting on fake horses. who wants to watch that? >> remind me your name, buddy. >> reporter: a texas-raised self-professed cowboy himself, sheridan can be as sharp as a spur if his actors don't look the parts he's written for them. >> initially we'll just trot around. okay? >> reporter: that means more than just donning a cowboy hat and chaps. it means teaching his cast how to really ride. >> and that allows me to make a better product when i'm filming it. i get happier actors and happier horses. >> reporter: which is why before almost every season sheridan hosts what he calls a cowboy boot camp for the cast. think of it as kind of a hollywood dude ranch without the horsing around. >> they put me on a different horse every day, different saddle every day. >> reporter: cole hauser plays rip wheeler. >> there are a lot of rumors about you, mr. wheeler. all of them bad.

>> well, most are probably true. >> reporter: he too grew up on a ranch. in oregon. >> see that, tate? that's him submitting. >> what does that mean? >> it means he's ready to go to work. >> to do this role requires like serious saddle time. from different disciplines, whether it's raining, whether it's, you know, cutting. those are things that you have to get in the saddle and do, and repetition's a big deal. >> reporter: sheridan crams a lot into the few days while he and his actors are corralled here at his texas ranch outside dallas. >> where you look is where this horse is going. >> reporter: he's hired some of the best cowboys out there to make sure the cast understands the risks. >> you better be on your toes and pay attention, you know. >> reporter: jake ream was hired as a horse trainer out of utah. but once sheridan saw him -- >> that's a good horse -- >> reporter: he made him part of the cast too.

>> what's that flag for? >> well, it searches these colts to use their bodies the right way before i put them on a cow. >> why not just use a cow? >> for hell's sakes, lady, that's kind of like practicing a fistfight when you're already in the middle of one. >> to me you can teach people a lot about horses in the arena and they feel safe and that but it's better in my opinion to go ahead and let them ride. go up some trails and learn to ride, learn to jump ditches, you know, when a horse maybe trips on a rock and you know, teach them that way. >> ready? >> ready as we're going to get. >> reporter: that's how he taught luke grimes, who plays casey dutton. ream put him on a horse, and they went for a four-day pack trip into the wilderness. >> at that point we'd only really ridden in arena. just kind of loping in a circle. getting used to everything. and now we're jumping creeks and our horses are getting spooked by snakes. it's just a whole different way of learning how to be on a

horse. >> authenticity is everything. believe me, if something's not quite right i'll start getting phone calls and text messages and some of my close friends, you know, picking on me a little bit about it. hey, were you in charge of that? you know. like hey, man, easy. >> reporter: ethan lee was making saddles before he got the call to teach actors how to sit in one. >> the main thing is just to try to get them where they look really natural on a horse. to look like they've been doing this all their life. >> is that hard to do, though? >> yes and no. >> this is a rope. >> thanks. >> these are your hands. >> reporter: thank goodness they're around because it is pretty easy to look like an idiot out here. >> just like this. just like that. >> reporter: but there is a welcoming spirit here. neither jake nor ethan, who also acts on the show, look down on those without mud on their boots. >> now, step and step. voila. >> reporter: instead they take pretty kindly to newcomers. >> right there.

whack. perfect. we're all done here, let's go ahead and go home. he's got it, that's perfect. >> reporter: that was certainly the case for jennifer landon, who plays the unfiltered ranch-hand teeter. >> your name is peter? >> do i look like my [ muted ] name is peter? you skunk hard mother [ muted ]. >> she just called me a mother [ muted ] -- >> you understood that, didn't you, you bowlegged bastard. >> reporter: she wanted the part so badly she had her manager spin an old west yarn about her actual riding ability. >> i haven't been on a horse since i was 7 years old but i can trot. and they went okay we're going to tell them you're a professional. so i guess that lie worked and then we had to deal with the problem down the road. >> reporter: five seasons down the road and she may now be more accomplished on a horse than her father, the late michael landon from "bonanza."

>> i've gotten to the place where i can rope a cow at a dead standstill and i can rope a dummy cow being pulled by a gator off the horse. >> that's an accomplishment. >> it is. >> reporter: if "yellowstone" really does ride off into the sunset after this season -- >> just don't know how many more times we'll get to do this. >> me either, son. >> reporter: if anything, it might leave fans with a better understanding of the joy and poetry of horse and human in motion. ♪ >> you know, i've got half a mind to run up that hill and do

a community in arkansas is going the extra mile for one of the hardest-working guys in town. steve hartman found this story "on the road." >> reporter: in cabot, arkansas just as the sun begins to set

over the local walmart, store janitor bill majelewski begins walking to his overnight shift. he will trek five miles, two hours in any weather. >> pouring rain you're walking two hours each way? >> yeah. i don't call out. i want to work. >> he's going to go to work no matter what. >> snow? >> snow, i picked him up in 9 degrees the other morning. >> let's go. >> reporter: as we first reported back in march, christie conrad saw bill out walking and offered him a ride. she got to know him, learned about his daunting daily commute and how he's also legally blind. so she began driving him whenever she could. at least that's how it started. >> why did you feel the need to do more? >> i can't be always there. you know? >> so what was your plan? >> mr. bill's village. >> reporter: mr. bill's village is a facebook group christie started. she was hoping to find just a few volunteers to keep an eye out for bill when he's walking.

>> and within days it exploded. >> caught on really quick. >> now everyone's competing to give mr. bill a ride. >> so people are just driving around the streets looking for him? >> pretty much. just like where's waldo but where's mr. bill. yeah. >> reporter: in fact, here comes one now. >> hey, mr. bill. do you need a ride to walmart? >> certainly. >> come on. hop on in. >> reporter: after we first told the story the mr. bill's village facebook group grew to nearly 7,000 members with posts like "i just saw mr. bill walking. let us know where you are. i'll get him." >> you always get picked up now? >> pretty much. >> and it's always somebody different? >> it's never the same person from one day to the next. >> it's amazing. >> there's a lot of good people in this world, all over the place. you know. >> reporter: and on that note here's one more good person. chris puckett is a car dealer. he wanted to give bill a vehicle. >> i wasn't aware you couldn't drive. >> reporter: but since bill can't drive --

>> i'm legally blind. >> i got you. >> reporter: -- he handed the key to christie instead. >> for real? >> reporter: putting the car in karma. >> i don't even know what to say. bill, go get in that front seat! go over there! >> reporter: doing unto others. it's how they roll here in mr. bill's village. >> thank you. >> reporter: steve hartman, on the road. >> bye, baby. >> reporter: in cabot, arkansas. that's today's "cbs news roundup." reporting from the cbs broadcast center in new york city, i'm shanelle kaul. ♪ hello and thanks so much for

staying up with us. i'm shanelle kaul in new york, and here are the top stories on "cbs news roundup." a manhunt is under way after the ceo of a healthcare giant is shot and killed in new york city. pete hegseth fights to remain donald trump's pick to lead the defense department as the president-elect considers other options. and fallout in south korea after the president's short-lived declaration of martial law. authorities in new york are still hunting for the gunman who fatally shot the ceo of united healthcare yuts a hotel in manhattan early wednesday morning. bradley blackburn has the latest on the investigation, and we want to warn you, video of the incident is disturbing. >> we have a male shot over on the north. >> reporter: the brazen attack on the ceo of unitedhealthcare was caught on security cameras outside the midtown hilton hotel early wednesday morning.

>> it appears the suspect was lying in wait for several minutes. >> reporter: 50-year-old brian thompson had served as the head of the largest private health insurance company in the country since 2021. authorities say he was headed to the company's annual investor conference when the suspect, wearing a mask and carrying a gun with a silencer, approached him, shooting thompson in the back and leg. >> every indication is that this was a premeditated, preplanned, targeted attack. >> reporter: the gunman could then be seen trying to unjam his gun before shooting again, then crossing the street before fleeing uptown on a bike. >> based on the evidence we have so far, it does appear that the victim was specifically targeted. >> reporter: officials say thompson, a married father of two, was alone and did not have he was rushed to a hospital, where he was later pronouced dead less than a half hour later. >> i was shocked. this is the first time i see crime. >> reporter: this driver says he tried to capture a photo of the suspect after witnessing the

incident. the shooting took place hours ahead of the annual christmas tree lighting in rockefeller center, triggering a massive police presence in the area. >> it's always disconcerting when there's violence in a big city, but it doesn't scare me away from new york city. >> reporter: investigators are now combing through a cell phone recovered near the scene along with other evidence to determine a motive. bradley blackburn, cbs news, new york. a california community is in shock after a gunman opened fire at an elementary school, hitting two students. the shooting took place at feather river adventist school in palermo, california, about an hour north of sacramento. officials say a man's body that they believe to be the gunman was found on the scene and that he appeared to have sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound. the students, two boys ages 5 and 6 years old, are in critical condition. donald trump's pick to run the pentagon says he is looking forward to an fbi background

check, adding it is an opportunity for a real investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and excessive drinking. pete hegseth also saying wednesday if he is confirmed as secretary of defense there won't be a, quote, drop of alcohol on his lips. cbs's nikole killion has more. >> reporter: president-elect donald trump's pentagon pick is not backing down after multiple sources told cbs news trump could be seeking to replace the embattled designee with florida governor ron desantis. >> have you had any conversations with the president-elect about him replacing you with governor desantis? >> i spoke to the president-elect this morning. he said keep going, keep fighting. behind you all the way. >> so you're in this all the way? >> why would i back down? i've always been a fighter. i'm here for the war fighters. this is a personal passion for me. >> reporter: hoping to combat a flood of negative headlines, pete hegseth went on a full-court press wednesday

starting with a "wall street journal" op-ed defending his conduct at two veteran non-profits where he was accused of financial mismanagement and in a new interview he addressed accusations of excessive drinking. >> first of all, i never had a drinking problem. i don't -- no one's ever approached me and said oh, you should really look at getting help for a drink -- never. >> reporter: his mother penelope also took to the airwaves and appealed to lawmakers walking back a scathing 2018 e-mail reported by the "new york times" here she called her son an abuser of women. >> i wrote that in haste. i wrote that with deep emotions. pete is a new person. he's redeemed, forgiven, changed. >> are you a changed man? >> i love my mom, and i appreciate her. and by the grace of god all of us change. and i'm grateful for that. >> reporter: still, some senators seemed unconvinced. >> the allegations are very, very serious. they can't be trivialized.

>> reporter: hegseth's meeting with iowa republican joni ernst, a survivor of sexual assault, was considered critical. >> how was your conversation with senator ernst? >> we had an engaging, constructive conversation. >> it was a frank and thorough conversation. >> reporter: senator ernst, who is also a combat veteran, has been mentioned as a potential defense candidate. but when asked whether she is under consideration, she told me mr. hegseth is the nominee. as for governor desantis, sources tell cbs news he is interested in the job and considered confirmable. nikole killion, cbs news, capitol hill. south korea's president has replaced his defense minister amid a push from opposition lawmakers for his impeachment and a police investigation for insurrection. it all comes after he stunned the world on tuesday and temporarily declared military control over the country. cbs's ramy inocencio has more.

>> reporter: thousands of angry south koreans marched to the office of embattled president yoon suk-yeol, chanting demands he resign, be arrested or impeached. after he uturned on his shock declaration of martial law from late tuesday night. which saw soldiers and police block access to the legislature and civilians fighting back. 35-year-old an gee reong grabbed the barrel of a soldier's rifle. "i didn't think," she said in an interview. "i just knew we had to stop this." lawmakers fought through the security cordon to vote to unanimously block the president's stunning action. >> this presidency right now looks like it's in the hands of his own party. it depends on how many of them might vote for impeachment. >> reporter: and south korea's reputation as a democratic stronghold in asia tainted too. but washington's support is not

expected to change, with a deeply vested interest in stability in south korea. roughly 28,500 american troops are stationed here, in part to deter a nuclear armed north korea and its backers, china and russia. and lawmakers could vote to impeach south korea's president as soon as this friday. if they stick together, which they say they will do, then president yoon will stay president. ramy inocencio, cbs news, seoul. when "cbs news roundup" returns, the supreme court hears arguments over state bans on gender-affirming care for minors. minors. a decision it's kyle's last spin on his turntable from college. yea. and the first day of kierra's new career in it. it's the last tea party for crystal with miss marshmallow. oh wow. [chuckle] and sara's first day of management training at goodwill. ♪♪ when you donate items to goodwill, you help provide skills training and career placement

for people seeking to realize their potential. and the things you loved, get to start a new life too. ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ together, we are all healthier when everyone is vaccinated. let's get together. let's thrive together. ♪♪ talk with your pediatrician today

about childhood immunizations. ♪♪ this message is brought to you by the american academy of pediatrics. ♪♪ it's going to be ok. ♪♪ ♪♪ —mom! when are you coming home? as soon as i can honey. they really need me here right now. we just wanted to call to say good night. they're relying on her. i love you so much. we're relying on you. ♪♪ please help. this is "cbs news roundup." i'm shanelle kaul in new york. after two years of negotiations

representatives from more than 100 nations gathered for a global summit on plastic pollution. they came away empty after oil-producing nations like saudi arabia refused new limits on plastic production. each year tons of plastic waste ends up in landfills and the world's oceans. here in the u.s., recycling efforts don't help much, as we discovered in our cbs news investigation of starbucks. cbs's david schechter has the story. >> which way is he going? he's going right. >> reporter: staking out starbucks dumpsters and trailing garbage trucks like a detective is not jan dell's actual job. >> you're right up on him. >> i have to be because, david, i lost him once. >> reporter: dell is an anti-plastic activist and a former member of the california statewide commission on recycling. >> i don't think he's made us. i don't think he's -- >> reporter: he made us a half hour ago. >> reporter: and she's not just following the trucks. dell also puts tracking devices inside plastic cups and puts

them in recycling bins inside starbucks stores. she dropped eight in orange county, california, and all of them ended up here, at the landfill. >> that white pile is exactly where these things have come. >> is starbucks misleading its customers? >> i think it's pretty simple, david. if they say hmm, there's a recycle bin, you put a plastic cup in it, and instead that plastic cup gets picked up by a trash truck and goes to the landfill, they're not telling the truth. >> reporter: to expand on jan's work our cbs journalists across the country dropped cold drink cups with trackers attached inside into recycling bins at starbucks locations. some never generated a signal. but 36 did. and we tracked those cups until they stopped. here's what we found. 14 trackers last pinged at landfills. another 13 went to waste transfer stations. places that don't recycle

plastic. they compact trash before sending it to a land phil. five ended up at incinerators that burn trash. and only four pinged at locations that accept recycling. >> what's your reaction to that? >> that is unacceptable. it's disappointing. >> reporter: amielia landers is vice president of product innovation at starbucks. >> i think you're making a promise to the customer that this is going to get recycled. are you being honest with the customer? >> what we're focused on is what we can control, which is the education for our customers. >> reporter: like clearly labeling recycling bins with what goes inside them, even though some customers will contaminate bins with trash. ultimately, she says, the company can only control what happens inside its stores. >> once it leaves our store there are a number of elements that can -- that can come into play that don't guarantee that it lands up in the right place. >> reporter: we met landers at starbucks headquarters in seattle. this innovation lab inside a

warehouse space includes a full working store. >> this is where we at starbucks build, test, design, iterate and innovate. >> reporter: starbucks has committed to cutting its waste in half by 2030. as part of that it will put your drink into your own reusable cup. and at the lab the company developed this, a new single-use cup made with up to 20% less plastic. >> it's taking over 13 million pounds of plastic out of the landfill every year. >> reporter: we asked jan dell about that. >> i feel like if you see it you own it and you know better. >> reporter: because she's also a chemical engineer and she's concerned that starbucks' new and improved cup is still made of number 5 polypropylene plastic, a material that is difficult and expensive to recycle. >> show me the factory in america where there's a whole bunch of cups going through and getting recycled. and they can't show you. >> can that cup actually be recycled? >> yes. our cups are designed to be

recycled. >> where do you recycle the number 5 plastic cup? >> the -- there are recycling facilities that do recycle number 5 polypropylene. >> reporter: but not very much of it. the latest epa report on plastics recycling found the u.s. generated 320 million pounds of number 5 plastic cups and plates but recycled less than 1% of it. and as we've learned most of the cups we tracked simply ended up as waste. >> that was david schechter on the case. stay with us. back.

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top airline executives were summoned to capitol hill, where they were grilled by senators over the junk fees they charge for bags, seats and boarding passes. kris van cleave has the story. >> reporter: $12.4 billion. that's how much five u.s. airlines made from seat fees between 2018 and 2023 according to this senate report. that's in addition to the billions in baggage and other fees. >> they're regarding consumers as piggy banks to be shaken down. >> reporter: connecticut senator richard blumenthal chairs the permanent subcommittee on investigations. the democratic majority wrote the report. >> what really appalled me is not only how the total amounts are skyrocketing but how the airlines are exploiting new

tactics and practices to actually expand and increase the numbers of these fees. >> reporter: the subcommittee says spirit and frontier paid employees $26 million in incentives to strictly enforce airline bag policies in 2022 and 2023. >> i call it a bounty bag program. not their words. mine. >> reporter: frontier argues its incentive program aims to ensure that all customers are treated equally and fairly. spirit says, "we respectfully disagree with numerous statements and conclusions contained in the report." >> what do you say to the findings in that report? >> so united at least we're 100% focused on getting customers to choose to fly united. >> reporter: united airlines ceo scott kirby. >> if you don't want to check a bag you shouldn't have to pay the implied cost of checking a bag. and we're creating options for customers and it's working. >> reporter: senator blumenthal is sending these letters, obtained exclusively by cbs news, to the department of

transportation and treasury calling for investigations into the airlines' business practices. >> i want to hear why they can't do better. >> reporter: the senators are also concerned about the potential use of ai to find ways to charge certain customers more. now, these fees are lucrative, but the airlines say they are transparent about them and they allow choice so that people can choose various travel experiences at different price points. >> that was kris van cleave reporting. you're watching "cbs news roundup." (♪♪) (♪♪) voltaren... for long lasting arthritis pain relief. (♪♪)

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clinically proven to support memory in older adults. if your holiday travel plans include a trip to rome, seth doane has some advice on where you can find some of the finest pasta in the world. ♪ >> reporter: some of rome's masterpieces are constructed out of marble and travertine. others are made from pecorino cheese and cracked pepper, including this centuries-old pasta dish. >> what exactly is cacio e pepe? >> cacio is an old-fashioned way to say cheese, formaggio. cheese and pepper. and the cheese used is pecorino romano. >> reporter: sophie minchelli does food tours and grew up in rome. >> it seems easy because it only has two ingredients but the trick is to get it creamy.

>> this moment i help you to make the perfect cream. >> reporter: gabrielle giora is head chef at rocholi which is in the papgton of popular pasta places in rome. >> two ingredients you can find everything. the flavor, the taste. the taste is unbelievable. >> reporter: giora showed us his technique, combining the cheese and pepper with pasta water then blending it. before mixing it with the cooked pasta. there are some rules. no butter, no heavy cream. >> the day i'm going to add the heavy cream i'm going to look for another job. that's the sound. >> what's the sound? >> what we call the sound of love. >> i've tried to make cacio pepe at home and i get clumps of cheese and it's kind of stringing. it's not what you envision. >> it happens also to the best. but it happens. >> reporter: maria elena rocholi figures her family's restaurant

serves about 80 plates a day of this dish with humble beginnings. it's thought to have been a staple for shepherds on the roman countryside, with its simple and local ingredients. he father, marco, was a shepherd before opening a bakery in rome. later brothers alessandro and pier luigi expanded, actually taking inspiration from the high-end grocer dean & deluca in manhattan. now they've brought their version, rocholi, back to new york. >> do you recognize how popular cacio e pepe has become around the world? >> yes, of course. especially in new york the cacio e pepe is more popular than carbonara. >> reporter: back in rome sophie's food tour features a twist on these roman rice balls called supli. >> i got you the special of the day which is cacio e pepe with candied lemon. >> it's cacio e pepe. >> reporter: we sampled a cacio e pepe peizza a few years

back. [ speaking in a global language ] and tried carla d'ambrosio's gelato version. >> it's good. >> reporter: but there's nothing like the real thing. and sophie says everyone has their favorite neighborhood spot for it. hers is al pompiere. >> the woman who runs the restaurant was saying ca cacio e pepe, why is everyone so obsessed with cacio e pepe? >> the locals think it's the quick plate you make at home but somehow abroad it's become a big deal. >> reporter: so of the many wonders rome has given us one must not forget

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it is thursday, december 5th, 2024. this is "cbs news mornings." . massive manhunt. the intense search for the gunman who executed the ceo of an insurance company in the heart of man