♪ hello and thanks for staying up with us. i'm matt pieper in new york, and here are the top stories on "cbs news roundup." ousted syrian leader bashar al

assad is reportedly given asylum in russia by his long-time ally vladimir putin. president-elect donald trump says he cannot guarantee his tariffs on foreign goods won't create higher prices for american consumers. and the police search for the killer of unitedhealthcare's ceo in new york city now extends as far as georgia. russian media is reporting that ousted syrian leader bashar al assad has been granted asylum in moscow after fleeing a rebel army that has taken complete control of syria's capital, damascus. the swift-moving events are now raising questions about the future of the country and the wider region. on sunday night israel sent tanks and troops into a border area with syria, saying the move was to protect israeli residents. cbs's imtiaz tyab reports from the syrian-turkish border. >> reporter: in the heart of damascus's historic old city syrian rebels celebrated the fall of the regime they'd been battling for nearly 14 years. scenes like this would have been

unthinkable just one week ago. but president bashar al assad is gone. his palace, once impenetrable, now open to a photo-taking public. assad's astonishing defeat was at the hands of an alliance of armed rebel groups who launched a lightning-fast offensive and who faced little resistance from the syrian army. rebel forces say they have now, quote, fully liberated a number of major cities and have also emptied prisons that had become a symbol of the widespread arrests and torture under assad's oppressive rule. in a civil war that up until now had seemed frozen. but as the statues and monuments to the assad dynasty continued to be pulled to the ground, the family's blood-soaked half century of authoritarian rule passed from father to son is now over. ten years ago at the height of the civil war assad was then just barely clinging on to power

and was rescued by russia and iran, along with lebanon's powerful iranian-backed hezbollah militia, who tipped the war firmly in his favor through a punishing campaign of well-documented war crimes, including indiscriminate air strikes and chemical weapons attacks. a brutality against his own people that's hard to fathom. but russia is now preoccupied with its war on ukraine. hezbollah's leadership has been decapitated after a year of cross-border nifighting with israel. and iran, along with its proxies, have also been degraded by israeli strikes. meaning assad's 24-year rule is unlikely to be rescued or resurrected, ushering in a new but deeply uncertain era for syria. and a key leader of syria's armed opposition, abu mohammed al jal anni who belongs to a group known as ha yit tahrir al

sham which used to be aligned with al qaeda has said he wants a peaceful transition of power. but the vacuum of power left by bashar al assad is enormous. so amid the celebrations there's also a deep sense of uncertainty among many syrians. imtiaz tyab, cbs news at the turkish-syrian border. >> and syria will be just one. issues facing president-elect donald trump in his upcoming second term. on sunday he addressed many of his top priorities in a televised interview. cbs's nikole killion has that. >> reporter: fresh off his whirlwind weekend on the world stage -- >> what a nice group. >> reporter: -- president-elect donald trump appeared on nbc's "meet the press," where he was pressed on his agenda weeks ahead of taking office, from tariffs -- >> can you guarantee american families won't pay more? >> i can't guarantee anything. >> rorter: to the border. >> is it your plan to deport everyone who is here illegally over the next four years? >> well, i think you have to do it. and it's a -- it's a very tough thing to do.

>> reporter: on his mass deportation plan trump said he would prioritize criminals who are in the country illegally. he also said it could include families with mixed citizenship. but he indicated he's open to allowing dreamers, those who were brought into the u.s. as children, to stay. and he reiterated his pledge to end birthright citizenship. >> the 14th amendment, though, says that, "all persons born in the united states are citizens." can you get around the 14th amendment with an executive action? >> we'll have to get a change. we'll maybe have to go back to the people. but we have to end it. >> reporter: the president-elect, who refused to concede the 2020 election, also vowed not to go after political rivals like president joe biden. >> i'm really looking to make our country successful. i'm not looking to go back into the past. i'm looking to make our country successful. retribution will be through success. >> reporter: but he said he would like to see some members of the january 6th select committee behind bars. >> so you think liz cheney should go to jail? >> for what they did -- >> everyone on the committee you think? >> i think everybody -- >> reporter: and he said he

would pardon those who attacked the capitol on day one. >> i'm going to look at everything. we're going to look at individual cases. >> everyone. >> yeah. >> but i'm going to be acting very quickly. >> reporter: president-elect trump was also asked whether he would fire fbi director christopher wray. he said he wasn't thrilled with him and has already named a possible replacement, kash patel. trump also defended some of his more controversial picks like tulsi gabbard for intel director and pete hegseth for defense. both are expected on capitol hill this week. nikole killion, cbs news, west palm beach, florida. turning now to the manhunt for the accused killer of unitedhealthcare ceo brian thompson, police have new evidence in the case, but they still do not have the gun or the identity of the man who pulled the trigger. cbs's shanelle kaul has the very latest. >> reporter: these new images released by new york city police on saturday appear to show the masked gunman inside a taxi just 20 minutes after he murdered

unitedhealthcare ceo brian thompson. the only surveillance photos of the suspect's full face released by police were taken when he checked into a nearby hostel. investigators say the gunman switched from a black ski mask to a blue surgical mask before taking that cab to an interstate bus terminal in uptown manhattan wednesday morning. after the shooting sources tell cbs news he may have boarded a bus bound for atlanta. >> it's going to make it a lot more difficult. you know, being able to track him down. >> reporter: for a second day police sent divers into this lake in central park after finding what they believed to be the gunman's backpack nearby friday, but not the murder weapon. the high-profile search has now expanded across state lines, with more than 80 police departments called in to assist. >> i'm wondering what the role is of those departments, police departments across the country will actually play in this investigation. especially given the fact that we don't know publicly the person's name who police are

looking for. >> well, just because you don't know publicly who the person is, the investigators that are assisting may know. and they might have been told hey, keep things close to your chest. >> reporter: and investigators are also still trying to determine where the gunman boarded that bus that brought him to new york city ten days before the shooting. shanelle kaul, cbs news, new york. straight ahead on "cbs news roundup" -- we will look at the deteriorating situation in gaza, where millions of residents are in a life and death struggle just to find food. stay with us. ever lose your keys? is that normal aging? dementia? or something else? fear often stops us from asking for a simple check-up from the neck up. knowing your numbers: blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol are common. but your cognitive numbers are also important... ...especially if you're age 65 or older. better to act sooner rather than later if you want to maintain or enhance your brain's health.

hello, i'm kevin, president of the dementia society of america, a national nonprofit organization. i'm excited to offer you a free guide, filled with tips for better brain health and important facts about dementia, care planning, and much more. go to 1800dementia.org or call 1-800-dementia. your brain will thank you. ♪♪ 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. [elton john singing "i'm still standing"] [music plays] [music plays] ♪ i'm still standing ♪ ♪ yeah, yeah, yeah... ♪ ♪ this is "cbs news roundup." i'm matt pieper in new york. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu is taking credit for the collapse of the assad regime in syria, saying it was a direct result of israeli attacks on hezbollah and iran. he also met with the families of

hoft hostages held in gaza saying it could help bring their loved ones home. netanyahu is scheduled to take the stand tuesday morning in his long-delayed corruption trial in tel aviv. and it's not his only legal trouble. the international criminal court has issued a warrant for his arrest on charges of crimes against humanity in gaza, and amnesty international has accused the israeli government of genocide, detailing how it denies food and medicine to the victims of its war in gaza. debora patta is there. >> reporter: each morning jamalat wadi heads off in search of food for her family of 13. this is what her life is like every day now. angry crowds fightig for a precious lifeline. bread. it's like gold. and almost as expensive. at $10 a bag, up from just $1 before the war. "we need to eat. we're exhausted," pleaded wadi. "stop this war and let the aid

in." once again, she returns to her makeshift tent empty-handed. on this night all they have is a single bowl of lentils to share. the youngest eat first. in the north israel has allowed virtually no aid in for two months, turning down 82 of the 91 delivery requests made by the u.n. and in the south there's a trickle getting in but it's nowhere near enough. hunger has spread everywhere. here a sea of kids jostle outside a soup kitchen, all starving. everyone has to pitch in. 11-year-old zayna juha's task was to wake up at dawn and come to this bakery to try and get bread for her family. one day she did not come home. young zayna had been crushed and

trampled to death in a crowd like this one. "why did she have to die in such an ugly way question, her mother karima said. "she was covered in bruises red and blue all over." "the world looks at us, at palestinians, and all they see are terrorists," her father ahmed said. "we're not terrorists. we just want to survive." he will never forgive himself for not being able to protect his daughter.

-we're done. -what about these? looks right. nooo... nooo... quick, the quicker picker upper! bounty absorbs spills like a sponge. and is 2x more absorbent so you can use less. bounty, the quicker picker upper. ♪♪ whenever heartburn strikes, get fast relief with tums. it's time to love food back.

also try new tums gummy bites. french president emmanuel macron is being hailed as a hero for overseeing the reconstruction of the historic cathedral of notre dame. it was ravaged by fire and rebuilt in just five years. it took an army of artisans to complete the monumental task, including some from the united states. elaine cobbe reports. >> reporter: as the flames engulfed notre dame, many feared that even if it survived the fire the skills needed to rebuild the cathedral were long lost. but it turned out there were still traditional craftsmen and women quietly at work around france and soon an army of artisans was drafted in to restore the historic monument. >> that's quite a privilege. >> it is a privilege. it's very much a privilege. >> reporter: cami schmoker is a

decorative painter who described her job as applying makeup touch-ups over the stonemace ornz' work. >> every day my co-workers and i were pinching ourselves like we are here. and it's gratifying to know that i've helped create something better than what it was and it will outlast my lifetime. >> reporter: so if we're looking at it now, can we see where you worked? >> well, the idea of my job is you don't actually see what i did. so if you contdon't see what i then it's mission accomplished. >> reporter: chief architect philippe villeneuve says the restoration shined a new light on traditional ways of working and construction and restoration. "what is great about notre dame is it's like a school," he says, "where we pass skills from generation to generation." traditional carpenter hank silver worked on the timber roof of the cathedral. >> it's maybe a bit of maybe a controversial point to say, but in many ways this fire has been

a great gift not just to me personally but young people who really otherwise would never know that they could have a career as a traditional carpenter, stone cutter, mason. these trades are in the public eye again. >> and what would you say to these young people who say i want to be i acarpenter and i like how you work? >> there's -- i think there's nothing better you can do with your life. workshop young apprentices from around france are learning traditional methods of stone masonry, carpentry and roofing. apprentice stone mason hugo larrivont says he feels a duty to protect france's architectural heritage and that's why he's learning traditional methods here. >> i have the dacontact with th stone. i can identify as my ancestors by working like them. >> reporter: margo lawson says she wants to work on historical monuments.

>> i think it's inspiring because notre dame is the most beautiful monument in france and the most famous i think. >> reporter: apprentice roofer mile tessa was lucky enough to work on the cathedral. "it was very emotional," he said. "i never thought i would get to do something like that." for the artisans who have now finished, the reopening is a bittersweet moment. >> i feel like it's in a way my little baby. now it's going to be everyone's to visit. >> reporter: and there has been huge demand for access to the religious services for the public all next week. all the places were reserved be all the places were reserved be within 24 minutes of goi advil liqui-gels are faster and stronger than tylenol rapid release gels. ♪♪ also from advil, advil targeted relief, the only topical with 4 powerful pain fighting ingredients that start working on contact and lasts up to 8 hours.

patients who have sensitive teeth but also want whiter teeth, they have to make a choice-

one versus the other. new sensodyne clinical white, it provides 2 shades whiter teeth as well as providing 24/7 sensitivity protection. patients are going to love to see sensodyne on the shelf. elvis costello and t-bone burnett are considered two of the finest songwriters of their generation. 40 years ago they began playing together billed as the coward brothers. now 18 years after their last album the cowards are back with an audio series. anthony mason has the story. >> reporter: it has been alleged that you are henry and howard coward. >> it's an outrageous slander. you know, we've taken legal action against the coward brothers to stop this. >> they started by taking legal action against us. >> yeah. >> i think of them as being very

two-dimensional. >> i do too. although i have to say they do resemble us. ♪ i don't want you anymore ♪ ♪ you put your foot right down through the floor ♪ ♪ oh ♪ >> reporter: and when elvis costello and t-bone burnett stopped by rough trade records in new york's rockefeller center, they were seen signing the new coward brothers album. ♪ >> can you believe that the catholic league of decent folk wanted this beautiful song banned from the air waves? >> reporter: the fable of henry and howard coward is told in a new audible original series, "the true story of the coward brothers," directed by christopher guest. harry shearer plays the radio host. >> by 1959 it was not just the coward brothers' career that was in freefall. the very existence of rock and roll was in doubt.

>> this alleged history of the coward brothers is something that we riffed upon when we first met 40 years ago. i became friends with t-bone when he was on the bill with me on the first tour i ever did playing solo. >> and we started talking about it. it all grew out of the shared history really, the real history that we had. >> and just said we've got to find a way, we have to have a pretext, a ruse by which we can sing some songs that we love. >> other than the ruse we were already operating under. >> yeah. ♪ >> reporter: they first performed as the coward brothers on that tour in 1984. >> the whole subterfuge of being the coward brothers and pretending we were these embitered siblings had a certain kind of curiousness to it, but the singing was completely sincere. p>> reporter: in 1986 t-bone co-produced elvis's album "king

of america." the coward brothers' first single, "the people's limousine," would later be added as a bonus track. ♪ she looked as unlikely as the people's limousine ♪ why did you decide to bring the coward brothers back? >> they've been -- they've been bothering us for decades about this. after we wrote a dozen or so big hit songs for other people, i thought it was time we strike out on our own. >> reporter: elvis wrote the script for the new audio play. >> we didn't need the '60s. we didn't need the bloody counterculture. >> and suddenly there would be a song come out. he'd pull the paper out and we would sit down and he would start singing this whole complete song that he imagined, but he had gotten the words down. ♪ i ♪ >> reporter: an album soon emerged. ♪ love you always ♪

might the coward brothers tour again? >> i don't know if we could even get them in the same private jet. they would have to have separate jets. but i suppose it could happen if the money was right. >> it never has been before. >> no. >> reporter: anthony mason with elvis costello and t-bone burnett. "cbs news roundup" will be right back.

[office noises] ♪ i like it like that ♪ ♪♪ ♪ que rico, i like it like that ♪ ♪♪ ♪ i like it like that ♪ ♪ i've got soul, i want more ♪ ♪ i like it like that ♪ ♪ you gotta believe me when i tell you ♪ ♪♪ ♪ que rico, i like it like that ♪ - i had health insurance before. (discouraged) so expensive. i mean, i'm helping my mom out, i don't have that kinda cash. - ugh, i know. but you can get financial help now through covered california. it's totally affordable. you'd be surprised. they've got this calculator thing that shows how much you'll pay. - for real? - yeah! what are you doing not having health insurance, man? - hey, i know, i know... - here, let me show you... - we all have questions. covered california has answers and can find a health plan that's right for you.

covered california. this way to health insurance. ashley, a daughter, a mother, a wife, passed away at age 41 from triple-negative breast cancer. her doctor told us, she'd had genetic testing she'd be alive today. if certain types of cancers appear to run in your family, genetic testing may be right for you and may qualify you for earlier and more routine cancer screenings. know your family history, talk to your doctor about genetic testing, and learn more at standuptocancer.org slash family history.

it's monday, december 9th, 2024. this is cbs news mornings. downfall of a dictator. syrians take to the streets to celebrate the stunning fall of damascus. rebels seizing control and ending the assad family's 50 years of iron rule. closing in on a killer. new photos and new evidence of the suspect wanted for the