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while also firming and smoothing. try olay super serum. the hope for peace in the middle east is complicated by tens of thousands of israelis, settlers they call themselves, who have taken parts of the west bank for their own. the settlements are illegal under international law, but there's no sign of them being uprooted. seth doane reports. >> reporter: what brought you here? >> we wanted more space and we wanted more of a community feel. >> reporter: but west virginia native rachel braslavy faces bigger questions than she might with a typical home purchase. >> do you see your family, settlers as impediments to peace? >> no. i don't. i really don't. i feel that we have a right to be here and i feel that the palestinians have a right to be

here. >> on this land? >> i mean, not this house. but i mean in the area. >> reporter: their community is the israeli settlement of cakarnei shomron. it's located inside the occupied west bank. >> that's the security road and the security fence. >> reporter: this settlement like hundreds of others is carved into palestinian land. the border separating the west bank from israel is called the green line. it was drawn as part of an armistice agreement following the 1948 arab-israeli war which was sparked when the modern state of israel was formed. but then after israel's stunning military success in the six-day war of 1967 israel took more land, occupying the palestinian territories, and israeli citizens began building settlements. >> in karnei shomron near nablus new apartments are being built to accommodate what the government hopes will be the thousands of new settlers who move here before june. every settlement built now will make it a little harder for any

israeli government to withdraw from the west bank in the future. >> reporter: today upwards of 700,000 israelis live in these communities which the u.n. calls illegal. they're scattered inside the west bank and east jerusalem. about 15% of settlers are americans. >> do you see this as living on palestinian land? >> no, i don't. i think that some of the first places that jews arrived to back in biblical times were in judea and samaria. so to me this is part of our indigenous right to be here. >> how much of your decision to move here to a settlement was cost of living versus ideology? >> i came from america when i was in my 20s to live in israel. and i kind of thought of that move as like my contribution to the jewish people in our homeland. it didn't matter where i lived in israel. and my husband grew up here and he saw it differently. he really thought contribute in a meaningful way was moving across the green line and

establishing like facts on the ground. >> let me just stop you. facts on the ground. what do you mean by that? >> just strengthening the existing jewish communities in judea and samaria so that -- >> in the west bank. >> yes. >> reporter: the settler population has grown more than 200% since 2000. the israeli government encourages these moves, paying for the military to guard them and funding public services like buses and schools. >> we can take a little tour? >> sure. >> reporter: neighbor judith segalov took us around karnei shomron. >> do you have friends or family who don't agree with you living in a settlement? >> for sure. some of them won't come visit. here's our sushi shop. >> reporter: she moved here seven years ago from detroit. she was able to afford a bigger house here than she would have on the other side of the green line. >> across the street is our mall. we've got an ice cream shop. >> reporter: just up the road, segalov says she's excited by plans to expand the settlement on this hilltop.

she believes israeli presence offers security. >> but it's also a contested place, a place considered an occupied territory. >> by some. >> by the international community. >> well, they're going to have to get over it. you cannot live among people who want to kill you, and they're just going to have to move over and let us in. >> reporter: but not far away on the other side of checkpoints and a security barrier we met palestinian sahar eid who lives in the west bank village where his great grandfather was born. the settlers there told us historically, biblically that is their land. "we have documents that prove we own this land, which we farmed since forever. ask the settlers where they are

from," he said. he and his wife, tamador, a high school science teacher, invited us to tea. they say they're most concerned about rising violence from israeli settlers, emboldened by benjamin netanyahu's increasingly right-wing government. since october 7th last year the u.n. figures there have been more than 1,400 attacks by extremist settlers against palestinians or their property. >> my father, he's born here. >> reporter: the eids are also frustrated that the fence and checkpoints around a settlement have cut them off from their own olive trees. >> he stole my land. he stole my olives. he stole everything. he stole our free. >> stole your freedom. >> freedom. >> is there any space for introspection here? do you ever think maybe we aren't the best partners to try to find a path toward peace? "we believe that if there was a palestinian state without settlements there would be wide support for peace," he told us. the differences on this side of the security barrier are stark. incomes are a fraction of those

in israel. and israel controls the water and much of the tax revenue. you said you would welcome an israeli who lives in tel aviv in your house. but a settler no. >> no. because he's a thief. >> reporter: james carville coined the phrase "it's the economy stupid." in israel palestine it's the settlements stupid. >> reporter: asaf sharon is a professor of political and legal philosophy at tel aviv university. >> we've spoken with settlers who say i didn't take anyone's land, no one was living here before me. >> well, of course it wasn't done individually. occupying a land doesn't mean you have a house on it. it can be grazing land. it can be land reserves for a future building. and it can be just the area that is reserved for self-determination of a people. >> settlers make a security argument, that israel is safer with the settlements. >> the security argument is completely bogus. the settlements are not a scurity asset.

they are a security burden. because defending, protecting scores of civilians deep in densely populated palestinian territory is one hell of a burden for the military. number two, the best way to ensure israel's security is to have partnership with a state or state-like entity that has an interest in preventing precisely this kind of hostile activity. >> we have ideologues on both sides of this equation that are determined to thwart any accommodation. >> reporter: david makovsky is a fellow at the washington institute for near east policy. in 2013 he was part of the team trying to negotiate a peace deal. that failed proposal and two others would have seen palestinians keep about 95% of the west bank. but today with the increasing number of settlements, these blue dots, some far from the green line, it may be even more complicated to determine borders

in a two-state solution. >> until trump all of the u.s. peace approaches were similar. >> what changed under trump? >> under trump working with prime minister netanyahu he doesn't want to pick and choose which settlements make it and which don't. so the prime minister convinced the president, said every single settlement is called israel. now, that creates an impossible situation of swiss cheese. any palestinian entity is now going to be dotted with settlements. >> reporter: now settlers may have another ally with sway in president-elect donald trump's nominee to be the next ambassador to israel, mike huckabee. he said he's open to annexing parts of the west bank. but there is historical precedent for evacuating settlements. almost 20 years ago the israeli government advocated that leaving gaza was a path to peace. >> 2005 is for the settlers their waterloo, their defeat.

>> reporter: that's when israel removed all 8,000 settlers from gaza. >> this is the israeli settlement of gush katif. >> reporter: back then i profiled a 17-year-old who was being forced to leave her settlement in gaza. >> i can't imagine. this is not possible. >> here we are 19 years later. and settlements are still front page news. >> yes. that's how it is in israel. >> reporter: rachel yaheli gross is now a mom with three kids and no longer lives in a settlement. >> the fact that you left your home, your settlement as a teenager shows that settlements can be closed. might that be a step toward peace? >> after october 7th i'm not so sure anymore. because i really believed that there could be change. but i don't feel it anymore. >> hamas has really led to the growth of the israeli right. if people in israel thought that a palestinian state was costa rica, they would line up to sign. because they want to end the conflict. they just want to be safe. but if they feel a palestinian

state is a mini iran, you can't booth. >> reporter: back in the west bank rachel braslavy and her family are just five of the 700,000 israeli settlers who are working to change, as she puts it, the facts on the ground. >> i wouldn't leave willingly because i'm raising my family here and i've, you know, built my dream home, and why does a peace agreement have to be at my expense to give up my home? >> that was seth doane on the west bank. "cbs news roundup" will be right back.

for nearly 20 years we've been telling the story of a secret santa roaming the country bringing gifts of christmas cash to those in need. steve hartman followed santa on the road to north carolina. >> reporter: some people were skeptical at first. of the stranger who rolled into flood-ravaged avery county,

north carolina this week claiming to be some kind of santa. >> you don't have a beard. >> no. >> where's your reindeer? >> reporter: yet he persisted. >> you live around here? >> reporter: approaching people in parking lots and gas stations and even motel rooms where those displaced by hurricane helene are still sheltering. >> how are you? >> reporter: three months after the storm. >> you probably don't know me. >> no. >> reporter: how could she? he is secret santa. >> why did you want to come here? >> i think when people go through tragedy they can lose their house, all their belongings, but what they can't lose is hope. and maybe we can give a little hope. >> 300 secret santa dollars. >> oh, my gosh. >> reporter: every year around the holidays -- >> i need this so bad. >> does that help? >> reporter: this anonymous wealthy businessman travels the country. >> you're welcome. >> reporter: he gives away about

$100,000 worth of $100 bills to both random strangers -- >> are you kidding? >> reporter: -- and people he seeks out knowing their need. >> 400 of these secret santa dollars. >> thank you. >> reporter: jamie gwynn was living here with his wife melissa when a mudslide ripped the garage off their house. >> i grabbed a hold of her, said at least we got each other. we can fix the house. and it couldn't have been ten minutes, and i remember just getting crushed. >> reporter: a second mudslide took the whole house. and melissa. >> you haven't really lost her. because she's with you. and she's smiling down on you right now. >> reporter: and it's those words of comfort. the hugs. >> god bless you. >> reporter: and the hope. that really seem to move people. much more than the money itself. >> that's the gift. >> that's the gift. that you haven't been forgotten about. that we do know you're there. and we do care. >> thank you. >> you're welcome. >> reporter: secret santa always says that kindness is the bridge

between all people. a bridge that can't be burned, bombed or washed away in a flood. always there, just waiting for us to cross. >> may this make your christmas just a little bit better. >> reporter: steve hartman on the road in avery county, north carolina. >> merry christmas. >> certainly bringing joy to those in need. and that's today's "cbs news roundup." reporting from the cbs news broadcast center in new york city, i'm carissa lawson. merry christmas. ♪ hello and thanks for staying up with us. i'm carissa lawson in new york. here are the top stories on "cbs

news roundup." extreme weather and dangerous conditions in california as heavy surf hammers the state's coastline. president-elect donald trump has his eyes on expanding american influence and regaining control of the panama canal and more. and from vatican city to war-torn gaza people around the world celebrate christmas. it's been a wet and dangerous holiday week in california. a major storm is moving across the western part of the country, bringing heavy rain to parts of california and the pacific northwest. and in the central california coast dangerous high surf and flooding threats have killed one person and left several others missing. two people were rescued after a portion of this historic pier in santa cruz collapsed in the gigantic waves. and officials say the danger is far from over. as people on the pacific coast face threats of mudslides and dangerous waves through the end of the week. he with get the very latest from cbs's elise preston. >> reporter: this wharf in santa

cruz was built more than a century ago, but after a series of relentless waves, some up to 40 feet high -- >> what the heck? >> reporter: -- it partially collapsed a restaurant, construction equipment, piles of heavy debris were swept into the pacific ocean. along with three workers inspecting the wharf. >> they know the environment. they know the warfare well. again, good news is that they're all safe. >> reporter: at least one death was caused by the dangerous surf. two other people are still missing. over the past two days there have been high surf conditions up and down the california coast. matt faulkler is a lifeguard supervisor in southern california. >> reporter: you said some of the waves are going as high as 12 feet in this area. >> an 8 to 12-foot wave you're looking at a wave height of about a two-story building. there's a lot of energy behind that wave too. >> reporter: the coast guard believes weather may have caused this fishing boat to run aground near los angeles. high surf and fog have hampered

the search for the two crew members. it has been a season filled with weather extremes. los angeles has been dry. rainfall is just 4% of normal. contributing to months of extreme fire conditions. while san francisco has been inundated with rainfall well above normal. >> this most recent incident was another testament to the power of our changing climate. our coastline is wild. it's unpredictable. and we continue to see that winter season over winter season. >> reporter: the rescue crews are on standby and are warning beachgoers just how dangerous these waves can be. meanwhile, lifeguards tell us there is a concern that christmas presents like surfboards and boogie boards could bring even more people out to the water. elise preston, cbs news, huntington beach, california. president-elect donald trump spent part of his christmas eve criticizing president biden for commuting the sentences of nearly all federal death row inmates. trump says in a post on truth

social when he returns to the white house he'll direct the justice department to vigorously pursue capital punishment. that's just part of his agenda he's previewing ahead of inauguration day. another idea he's considering? expanding america. cbs's kelly o'grady reports on why trump wants to buy greenland and regain control of the panama canal. >> reporter: president-elect trump is threatening to take over the panama canal unless it cuts the price it charges for passage through the vital shipping lane. >> the fees being charged by panama are ridiculous. highly unfair. this complete ripoff of our country will immediately stop. >> reporter: panamanian president jose molineaux swung back saying every square-meter of the panama canal and its adjacent area belong to panama. which brought this response from trump. "welcome to the united states canal." >> let's recognize that we signed a treaty back a number of years ago. >> reporter: that treaty, says

former pentagon official sherry goodman, transferred control of the canal to panama 25 years ago. today over $270 billion worth of cargo travels through the waterway every year including 40% of all u.s. container traffic. meanwhile, chinese companies are investing in the canal infrastructure and manage control of two of its five ports. >> it was solely for panama to manage and not for china. >> how valid is the concern about china's influence on the panama canal? >> well, i think we need to combat growing chinese economic and political influence. we've long had very deep relations with the panamanian government, and we should continue and deepen our relations. >> reporter: trump is also floating the idea of buying greenland, a denmark territory. the world's largest island rich in oil and minerals and located near the arctic, another area of strategic competition. trump said he wanted to buy greenland during his first term. its prime minister shut down trump's new proposal saying "we

are not for sale." denmark announced a major $1.5 billion increase in defense spending to secure greenland but did not say that move was in response to trump's idea of buying the island. kelly o'grady, cbs news, new york. millions of christians are celebrating the birth of jesus as christmas arrives around the world. cbs's erica brown reports from washington. >> reporter: pope francis celebrated christmas eve mass at the vatican and the newly restored st. peter's basilica. he opened the 2025 catholic holy year known as the jubilee with a message of hope. in the west bank town of bethlehem church leaders pray for peace in the region. >> we want next year to be here full of light. light that in the darkness we are now and we didn't see. >> reporter: christians in gaza attended mass at the war-torn palestinian enclave's holy family church. in germany preparations were also under way in berlin to celebrate hanukkah, with a menorah at the brandenburg gate.

this is one of the rare years the jewish festival of lights coincides with christmas. across the u.s. travelers set out for their destinations while others shopped for last-minute gifts. >> it's a great time of year up here. >> reporter: astronauts are in a festive mood aboard the international space station. >> there's seven of us up here, and so we're going to get to enjoy company together. >> reporter: volunteers at peterson space force base in colorado are taking calls from children around the world wondering when santa claus will slide down their chimney with presents. norad's santa tracking started with a misprint in 1955 when a child dialed the phone number on a department store's call santa ad and rang into the continental air defense hotline. the air force colonel who answered the phone improvised an answer. >> the next year we started the full-up norad track santa where we actually advertised it as well so that people would know to call in in order to do it. >> reporter: norad has been officially tracking santa's journey ever since. erica brown, cbs news, washington. former president bill

clinton is out of the hospital in time for christmas. clinton's spokesperson in a post on x said the 78-year-old was discharged from medstar georgetown university hospital on tuesday morning after being treated for the flu. straight ahead on "cbs news roundup," the vatican has gotten a major christmas face-lift. we'll take you inside st. peter's basilica to see what's been hidden for years ahead of a major celebration for the church. i'm with 2018 lacrosse national champion, kristen gaudian, for the fda's don't get burned sunscreen challenge. bring it, darrell! she's tough, but i won't get burned today. i'm using a broad spectrum sunscreen. the fda recommends broad spectrum sunscreens with an spf of 15 or higher with other sun protection measures to reduce the risk of sunburn and skin cancer. you smoked me, kristen! that's 'cause i used sunscreen so i wouldn't get burned by you and the sun.

broad spectrum sunscreen: it's a winning play every time! over the last hundred years we've safeguarded the american homeland, at and beyond our borders. we work tirelessly, night and day from land, sky and sea. and while much has changed over the past century our commitment, determination and mission has not, and it never will. because we are the united states border patrol. join our mission and write your own history. i never considered myself to be a heavy drinker. at first, i only drank with friends and then to get through the day. i hit rock bottom when i realized i was choosing alcohol over my family. that's when i made the call. with my doctors help i was diagnosed with alcohol use disorder. now, i am getting to the root of my addiction and finding better ways to cope. mental health care works

when you make the call. since 1944, heifer international has been ending hunger and poverty around the world. the basic purpose of heifer project is to provide people with a source of their own food production, so they can provide for themselves without having to feel like they're continually on charity. at heifer international, we believe in what's possible. a family can have food on their table, a child can go to school, and a farmer gets the tools and training they need to succeed. learn more at heifer.org. this is "cbs news roundup." i'm carissa lawson in new york. at the vatican pope francis marked christmas and ushered in holy year 2025 when he opened the doors to st. peter's basilica and celebrated mass for

the faithful. the largest church in the world has undergone a major face-lift getting ready for this year's quarter century jubilee. chris livesay visited the basilica to see the historical features that are now fully revealed for the first time in generations. >> reporter: the reason for all of this is that 2025 is a jubilee year. that's a tradition that dates all the way back to the year 1300. it's a time of renewal and reconciliation both on the inside and on the outside. to find out exactly what the catholic church means by that, we got a close-up look. soaring 450 feet into the sky and spanning more than four football fields, st. peter's is the biggest church in the world. and with roots dating back more than 1,600 years it's almost one of the oldest and was in need of a few touch-ups. what better excuse than the jubilee? a year of pilgrimage that

traditionally falls every 25 years in the catholic church. major renovations on the outside meant to reflect spiritual renewal on the inside. says father enzo fortunato of st. peter's basilica. >> but it's sort of a metaphor. >> yes, metaphor. it's exactly the word. >> for the kind of internal restoration. >> yes. >> reporter: one of the biggest restorations was of bernini's masterpiece "the balda king." for the first time in 250 years it's been restored -- >> before you have the image i think was very black. and now we can admire the gold. >> reporter: the canopy sits atop the tomb of none other than the first pope ever. >> this is the center of the altar. it's the center where is the tomb of st. peter. >> right beneath our feet. >> yes. yes. >> reporter: also restored, the chair of st. peter, one of the most important symbols of papal

power. >> how many popes has this chair seen? >> a lot of pope. from by eight, seven. >> reporter: no matter if you can't come in person, the vatican has recreated st. peter's digitally with the help of ai, allowing you to zoom in on every little niche, nook and cranny from your device. if you can come in person, brace yourself. you'll be joined by more than 35 million visitors to rome over the course of 2025 as the eternal city undergoes its own face-lift. from the coliseum area to the trevi fountain, where they had to turn the water off. tourists were temporarily left with a small pool where they could cast their wishes. but the main event is at st. peter's, where michelangelo's tear-inducing "pieta" is protected by new bulletproof glass. just beside it the holy door,

representing the path to salvation. like at this extraordinary jubilee in 2015 pope francis will break its seal this evening. >> wow. that will be a really special moment. >> yes, it's a very real special moment for all christianity. >> reporter: local authorities say that security around the entire city has been tightened. this following that christmas market attack in germany. >> that was chris livesay at the vtican. you're watching "cbs news roundup." (singing) i'll be home for christmas. you can plan on me. please have snow and mistletoe. and presents on the tree.

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on christmas the eyes of the catholic faithful turn to bethlehem, the historical birthplace of jesus. the little town is usually a winter wonderland this time of year with lights and parties. but bethlehem is in the occupied west bank. and with war raging all around the streets and shops are empty. imtiaz tyab paid a visit. >> reporter: in the ancient alleyways behind the church of the nativity souvenir shops which have withstood the test of time. the bethlehem oriental store has been run by the mikel family since 1818. >>-we have some nativity scenes, some figures. >> reporter: 73-year-old elias mikel has worked here his entire life. >> you've had 73 christmases. could you imagine having one like this? >> never.

never. two years nothing. >> reporter: this is what christmas looked like in bethlehem in 2022. manger square full of people covered in twinkling lights. and this is it now. no trees, no tourists, shops shuttered. since last year's october 7th hamas attacks, israel's assault on gaza and the surge in violence across the west bank bethlehem, believed by christians to be the birthplace of jesus, has seen its tourism economy shrink by over 70%. >> every sunday i go for prayer. we pray for peace. we pray to hope to stop that war. enough. >> reporter: it's a prayer shared by ada and her granddaughter nadine jedala who lives in the occupied west bank. for a second christmas ada's daughter raida zakaria who lives in gaza is sheltering in a church. >> she can't sleep, she can't eat, she can't make anything. she can't bath.

she can't go anywhere. >> she used to come here every year on christmas. but now knowing that she's there and we are here we cannot feel the joy of christmas because she's living in like these

if you're thinking of taking in a movie this week friday is the grand opening of "sonic the

hedgehog 3." the film is not just for kids either. it's got big stars like keanu reeves, jim carrey and six-time emmy nominee idris he will bah. he discussed his transformation into an animated character with seth doane. >> reporter: at this london premiere idris elba, keanu reeves and jim carrey are recognizable without hearing them. but in their film "sonic the hedgehog 3" the voices are key to knowing who's who. keanu reeves is shadow, sonic's all-powerful rival. >> you're a colorful bunch. >> reporter: jim carrey is the mustached dr. eggman and his father. >> in this saggy flesh. >> reporter: and idris elba -- >> actually, sonic, i would like to fight. >> reporter: -- is the akidna knuckles. >> how do you get into the knuckles character? >> the first film was sort of like how does he sound?

i thought why don't we do something completely against type? he sounds powerful? make him sound-week weak. do something up here. and they were like no. not doing that. but we ended up exploring a deeper resonance and sort of monday monosyllabic character voice. >> he is much more impressive than the hedgehog i fought previously. he is much more impressie than the hedgehog i fought previously. rrrr. >> reporter: elba returns for the third in the franchise based on the sonic video game series. this unlikely team combats their biggest adversary yet in an effort to save the world. >> we will fight for our freedom! >> reporter: the english actor has portrayed a statesman, nelson mandela. >> we will give them a war. >> reporter: a detective in the british crime series "luther." and was half man half robot in

"fast and furious." >> i've made maybe over 150 films in my lifetime. and i'm only 10 years old. so can you imagine? >> reporter: we counted 60 films plus dozens of tv shows. but there is one role -- >> how does james bond fit into this? >> reporter: -- that despite the rumors he has not played. >> i don't like talking about it. >> because? >> because it just -- it's just like why am i talking about it? i don't play the character. it's crazy. it's just a rumor. such a big iconic character. i'm never going to play that character. so move on. >> reporter: his range is remarkable. he djs, raps and kickboxes. >> elba on the attack with some skillful punches. >> reporter: as a teen he was supported by king charles' charity which mentors and sponsors young people. today he's working with the king to help the next generation. >> i sometimes look in the

mirror and go, who are you? >> reporter: you went to an all-boys school. it sounds like your love of drama was thanks to a really good teacher. >> really great teacher. >> reporter: my research. >> ms. mcphee. she was a good teacher. and she took me seriously at a time when no one -- you know, boys' school, drama. everyone wants to play football. but i loved it. and she was really big encouragement for me into tseng into being an actor. >> three parts of p. >> reporter: as an actor idris elba is perhaps best known as drug kingpin stringer bell. >> i want you to put the word out there that we back up. >> reporter: in the critically acclaimed series "the wire." >> we back up. >> reporter: which ran five seasons until 2008. >> nicely done. >> reporter: still when people hear your name they connect it to "the wire." >> i know. i've done other work. i'm joking. >> reporter: does that mean it's a bad thing? >> no, it's great.

sterling bell's an amazing character. hugely pop culture icon to some degree, you know. so i'm proud of it. >> reporter: are you searching for something you feel you haven't found since "the wire"? >> always searching for something. and the more different each character is the better for me. >> we have visitors. >> this is sad. >> reporter: and what could be more different than humanizing an akidna? as this renaissance man explores and tries to save an imaginary

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it's wednesday, december 25th. this is cbs news mornings. ♪ christmas celebrations. from the vatican to bethlehem, people around the world gathered to mark the birth of jesus, under a shadow of war. christmas miracl