story here in the u.s. the treasury department says it was hacked by cyber criminals backed by the chinese state government. cbs' nicole sganga joins us from washington. >> reporter: america's treasury department says it was hacked by cyber criminals backed by the chinese state government and that the hackers managed to steal unclassified documents. a treasury official said attackers breached federal workstations but did not provide details on how many or what sort of documents they may have obtained. in a letter sent to lawmakers monday, a treasury official said the cyber criminals gained entry remotely using a key stolen from a third party vendor to override security and called the attack a major incident. a treasury department spokesperson said it has taken the service offline, adding in a statement that there is no evidence indicating the threat actor has continued access to treasury information.

the breach follows a slew of chinese-linked cyber attack, including a hacking campaign by a group nicknamed salt typhoon. hackers targeted at least eight u.s. telecommunications companies, according to u.s. officials, spying on the phone conversations and text messages of more than 100 senior government officials. and officials from both the fbi and cisa are now working to measure the impact of the treasury incident. a chinese embassy spokesperson called the disclosure a smear attack. nicole sganga, cbs news, washington. >> all right, thanks, nicole. well, when the new congress convenes on friday, republicans will be in control of both the house and the senate. but that's no guarantee of harmony on capitol hill. there is still a potential battle over who will be speaker of the house, something president-elect donald trump is hoping to avoid. cbs' erica brown reports from washington. >> reporter: mar-a-lago will be packed with a who's who from capitol hill for president-elect donald trump's annual new year's

bash. >> happy new year. >> reporter: it's unclear whether house speaker mike johnson will be in attendance. but trump delivered a late christmas gift to johnson monday when he endorsed him to be the speaker of the house in the new congress. >> i'm really humbled and honored to have president trump's endorsement for speaker again. >> reporter: but even with trump's endorsement, johnson may have a tough time winning enough votes from his republican colleagues. at least three republican house members say they have reservations about johnson's leadership. >> i'll remain undecided as do a number of my colleagues because w saw so many of the failures last year that we are concerned about that might limit or inhibit our ability to advance the president's agenda. >> reporter: kentucky's thomas massie went even further posting to social media that he is a no vote for now. the republican majority is so tight that johnson can only afford the lose one gop member and still get the majority of votes needed to become speaker. >> right now i don't believe he has the votes on friday, and i believe we need to have the conference get together so we can get united. >> reporter: the house cannot vote on anything else until the

speaker gets elected. erica brown, cbs news, washington. the u.s. military says its forces conducted a series of strikes against houthi targets in yemen. plumes of smoke rose over yemen's capital city of sanaa on tuesday. the pentagon says it hit facilities used by houthis to attack american warships and commercial vehicles. u.s. central command says houthi targets included a advanced weapons production and storage facilities. straight ahead on "cbs news roundup," our reporters will look ahead to the stories that will be making news in 2025. stay with us. ♪today my friend you did it, you did it♪ pursue a better you with centrum. ♪♪ it's a small win toward taking charge of your health. ♪♪ so, this year, you can say... ♪you did it!♪

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>> reporter: this is holly williams. after more than a thousand days of war, there are signs ukraine is running short of manpower. russia is capitalizing, seizing territory faster this year than it's done since 2022. and terrorizing ukrainians with cheaply produced glide bombs, old soviet-era ammunition retrofitted with wings and gps. we spoke withcolonel maxim balagura this past fall, a special forces commander in ukraine's state guard. have the glide bombs changed the trajectory of this war? "at the moment, they're the biggest threat," he told us. "they're sapping the motivation of our soldiers to win." ukrainians fought back in august

with the biggest foreign incursion into russian territory since world war ii. but in october, we found the mood in kyiv gloomy and anxious. ukrainians told us they fear that if donald trump won the u.s. election, he'd stop the supply of weapons and pressure their government into surrendering territory halyna told us her husband was serving in the military and hoped americans wouldn't abandon them. are you worried that donald trump could cut off the supply of weapons to ukraine? "yes," she told us. "for us, it's a matter of survival." after the election, president biden finally gave ukraine permission to hit russia with american-supplied atacms. missiles with a range of close to 200 miles. perhaps an attempt to help ukraine maximize its gains before trump takes office. without a steady flow of u.s. weapons, ukraine's front line could collapse.

it would hand vladimir putin a monumental victory. throughout this grinding war of attrition, he's been waiting for the west's unity and resolve to fall apart. >> reporter: this is elizabeth palmer. israel's nonstop air strikes on hamas in gaza, the misery of trapped palestinians, and the agony of israeli hostages and their families formed the backdrop to this year in the middle east. but the game-changer came when israel took on its arch-enemy, iran. >> i have a message for the tyrants of iran. if you strike us, we will strike you. >> reporter: armed with billions of dollars of american weapons, israel attacked iran's puppet

militia hezbollah in lebanon. retaliation, israel said for scores of rocket attacks on its border. it assassinated hezbollah's leader hassan nasrallah, and booby-trapped thousands of pagers that left hezbollah fighters dismembered and demoralized. in iran, ayatollah khamenei put on a brave face, telling supporters with the divine power of god, our resistance will now expand. but the regime has been humiliated. even a barrage of cruise missiles iran fired at israel was intercepted and did little damage. iran lost out in syria too when its ally, the dictator bashar al assad was toppled by islamist fighters who swept into the main cities and declared victory. the political shifts in the

middle east over 2024 have been seismic, and it's safe to say the region will never be the same again. add to the mix in 2025 donald trump, whose foreign policy will be at the very least disruptive. so anything's possible, from a fragile peace to disaster. this is robert costa in washington, which is bracing for the return of president-elect donald trump, who seems ready to rumble. >> woke is [ bleep ]. >> reporter: but change isn't easy as carl hulce knows. we met the him on capitol hill. where the butchers have an easier time than the legislators down the street. how hard is it to make the sausage in washington these days? >> it's tough. the country is polarized. so congress is polarized. and hw do you get anything done?

people are dug in. >> reporter: that was made clear this month when congress averted a shutdown. could it be governing by crisis in 2025? >> it's totally the way it's going to be. >> reporter: at the top of trump's agenda, tax cuts and immigration. >> we will begin the largest deportation operation in american history. >> reporter: but trump will be tested early with likely contentious hearings for some nominees. how do you expect democrats to handle trump's return to power? >> i think they're still trying to figure that out. i think the house is kind of what to watch. because by our cyclical politics, the house is the institution most likely to flip in two years. >> reporter: congress won't be the only player. billionaire elon musk is at trump's side, attempting to slash federal spending. still, carl hulce says washington has a way of pushing back against presidents and new faces. when you were talking to

republican senators and republican house members privately. >> yeah. >> reporter: what do they really say about elon musk? >> i had one tell me the other day that trump created a monster. >> reporter: as for trump, he's reassured his supporters that he and he alone is the one in charge, not elon musk. >> no, he's not going to be president. that i can tell you. and i'm safe. you know why? he can't be. he wasn't born in this country.

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this is the time of year when mushers are hitching up their dog sled teams and heading out on to the frozen tundra. it turns out one of the best race dog teams in the world is made up of friendly canines who had to overcome very long odds to get to the winner's circle. jonathan vigliotti went to meet them in the snowy mountains of utah. >> reporter: out here in the mountains of peoa, utah, just east of salt lake city -- >> good job, babies. there we go. >> reporter: the rancho luna lobos race team is gearing up for their next competition. after all, they're one of the top ranking dog sled teams in the world. but something about this team might surprise you. they're also the greatest underdogs. most were abandoned or abused. >> hi, lilly!

>> reporter: before being rescued by fernando and dana ramirez. the couple has helped them find a new footing in life. how do you go from having a team of castaways. >> yeah. >> reporter: to then performing with them, competing with them on international stage, world championships. how does that happen? >> i'm not artistic in any way. but dog sledding for me is my art form. there is nothing like assembling a team of dogs that have come from different type of backgrounds. >> good job, kids! >> reporter: when they're all on the line together, it's a masterpiece, because they're all working in unison, and you're one body. whenever we're stepping on a sled, there is purpose to it. and whenever we're going and we're running, there is a mission behind it. >> reporter: it's a mission fernando has been on since childhood. he began racing at the age of 8, alongside his first rescue dog named yellow. >> hi, indy. good girl indy. >> reporter: fernando's wife dana, who is actually allergic to dogs. >> i love you!

>> reporter: sees her love of the pack as its own kind of medicinal cure. >> you look into their faces, and there is a powerful connection that resonates into your soul, and it changes you, if you're open to listen. and it's such a powerful thing that i see all the time. i would never want you to have been a doctor. to be something else. this is what we were called to do. >> reporter: on their 55 acres of land, fernando, dana, and their five children foster nearly 100 dogs, giving them a second chance at life and love. and much like their owners, most of the dogs have found a new sense of purpose and belonging through sledding. any sport that involves animals, there is always concern about animal welfare. how do you address that and those concerns that people may have with dog sled racing? >> i'm glad you asked that question. we want to be advocates and ambassadors for our sport. and this sport can sometimes be seen in such a gray light. a lot of people are under the notion or they have this

misconceived theory that the dogs are forced to run. we can't force them to run. >> their performance is showing how well they're being taken care of. and our dogs get chiropractor work. they get massage care. everything that these dogs get is so -- >> olympic stuff. >> it's far above and beyond what the average house dog will ever get. >> reporter: so fernando took me along on a training run, one of several he does each day. >> whoa. >> reporter: where the dogs run up to 18 miles an hour to prepare for races as long as 30 miles. >> it's amazing. >> reporter: i learned about the rescue dog that came as a surprise to the ramirez family, a blind puppy named umberto. >> that's my boy. >> reporter: who helps lead the pack, despite the odds against him. >> he has such a fire and a passion. this dog with no eyes, he is helping to lead an entire team. he ignites a fire in eeverybody else because he has such passion. >> what is the message of that kind of recovery and adaptation?

>> i like to see it if we really want to achieve something, life at times and most often will hand us a raw deal, right. we don't like the cards we're dealt with, but it's what we do with the deck we have at hand that matters most. >> reporter: it's a lesson these dogs continue to put on full display at races around the world. unlikely competitors representing team usa in three world championships so far. >> you know, i stop to look back sometimes. how did this happen, you know? how did this happen? >> reporter: do you still feel like underdogs? >> oh, yeah. every day, yeah. all the time, yeah. >> reporter: though humility is definitely a top dog kind of quality. >> good job! >> reporter: jonathan vigliotti, peoa, utah. there is a lot more ahead on "cbs news roundup." stay with us.

millions of americans will make a new year's resolution to lose weight and get in shape in 2025. well, new research shows that maybe a lot easier for men than women. naomi ruchim has the latest on the exercise gender gap. >> reporter: with three little boys at home, jenny morales sneaks in her workouts any way she can. >> do you like that? >> reporter: but what used to be five one-hour workout classes a week has dwindled to many sessions at home using free weights or the treadmill in the family office. >> the baby and i are here for a little bit, a couple of naps, feeding in between, lots of cleaning, and maybe a little small workout when he takes a 30-minute nap if i can get it in. >> reporter: the struggle to find time is part of what experts are now recognizing as a

gender gap in physical activity, in part due to the heavier load women carry for the family, whether they work outside the home or not. >> because you're a mom. and i think that some of those needs need to be met by you, mostly. >> reporter: in a recent study from cedars-sinai, only 33% of women met the standard for weekly aerobic exercise, compared to 43% of men. >> we do know that of all ages, once you are an adult, and actually even during our childhood, women do less physical exercise than men. >> reporter: while women have a tough time prioritizing their workouts, the irony is they may get more out of exercising than men. >> for women compared to men, women got more bang for the buck. meaning that if women did half the exercise of men, they lived as long as men. >> reporter: experts say a short light workout is better than nothing at all. morales takes that to heart. >> your full hour may be in

little increments throughout the day, and then you get it down. >> reporter: putting their family first by keeping herself healthy too. naomi ruchim, cbs news. >> got to make that time to work out. and that's today's "cbs news roundup." for some of you, the news continues. for others, tune in later for "cbs mornings." and follow us online any time at cbsnews.com. reporting from the cbs broadcast in new york city, i'm carissa lawson. have a happy and safe new year. ♪ thanks for staying up with us, and a very happy new year. i'm carissa lawson in new york,

and here are the top stories on "cbs news roundup." communities around the world welcome in 2025 with spectacular light shows, hugs, and best wishes for the new year. remembering a leader. memorial services for former ji this weekend in atlanta. and it's the victim of a major hacking incident sponsored by the chinese government. welcome to the start of the brand-new year. we're covering celebrations around the world. >> five, four, three, two, one, happy new year! >> that's the legendary new year's eve celebration in times square, new york city, known as the crossroads of the world, ringing in the beginning of 2025. around a million revellers were expected, braving torrential rains and packing the square on tuesday night to celebrate. in time zones around the planet, people gathered together

celebrating as the clock struck midnight. this was the scene in london. around 100,000 people watched dazzling fireworks and laser light show. as big ben rang out, ushering the start of a new year. crowds in paris marked the occasion with an extraordinary pyrotechnic display in the iconic arc de triomphe served as a backdrop. residents of damascus were out in the streets shopping for the holiday. this is the first new year's eve without dictator bashar al assad, who was overthrown just a few weeks ago. taiwan rang in 2025 with a spectacular fireworks show blasting off from the island nation's tallest skyscraper. and in sydney, australia, around a million people came together next to the sydney harbor bridge to watch the night skylight up.

in puerto rico, people welcomed the new year in darkness. an island-wide blackout on tuesday morning left more than a million customers without power. repair efforts returned power to key hospitals while the airport is running on generators and remains open. officials say full power may not be restored for two days. puerto rico has suffered outages since hurricane maria decimated its power grid in 2017. with memorial services beginning this weekend in georgia, the public will soon get a chance to pay respects to former president jimmy carter. from there, the president's body will be moved to washington, d.c. for a state communal. the carter center says the 39th president was surrounded by family when he died peacefully at home at the age of 100. cbs' nicole valdes reports from atlanta. >> reporter: a steady stream of visitors have descended on former president jimmy carter's home state of georgia in the hours since his death. in plains, they flocked to his boyhood home.

and to maranatha baptist church where carter taught sunday school for years. >> i've always wanted to come down here and actually watch jimmy preach. >> reporter: at the carter center in atlanta, cards and messages are growing while at nearby manuel's tavern, patrons also gathered the remember the former president who was a regular. decatur, georgia resident kathy keeler stopped by after lighting a candle for carter. did you want to be here and be among that history, that memory? >> i did. my whole life, he's been a big part as a leader in our country. >> reporter: memorial services are set to begin this weekend here in georgia. a motorcade will carry the former president through his hometown of plains, bringing him to the carter center to lie in repose. he'll lie in state at the u.s. capitol on january 7th until his state funeral two days later in washington. afterward, georgia's only president will return home for a private burial.

nicole valdes, cbs news, atlanta. now to a troubling security story here in the u.s. the treasury department says it was hacked by cyber criminals backed by the chinese state government. cbs' nicole sganga joins us from washington. >> reporter: america's treasury department says it was hacked by cyber criminals backed by the chinese state government and that the hackers managed to steal unclassified documents. a treasury official said attackers breached federal workstations but did not provide details on how many or what sort of documents they may have obtained. in a letter sent to lawmakers monday, a treasury official said the cyber criminals gained entry remotely using a key stolen from a thi vendor to override security and called the attack a major incident. a treasury department spokesperson said it has taken the service offline, adding in a statement that there is no evidence indicating the threat actor has continued access to

treasury information. the breach follows a slew of chinese-linked cyber attack, including a hacking campaign by a group nicknamed salt typhoon. hackers targeted at least eight u.s. telecommunications companies, according to u.s. officials, spying on the phone conversations and text messages of more than 100 senior government officials. and officials from both the fbi and cisa are now working to measure the impact of the treasury incident. a chinese embassy spokesperson called the disclosure a smear attack. nicole sganga, cbs news, washington. >> all right, thanks, nicole. well, when the new congress convenes on friday, republicans will be in control of both the house and the senate. but that's no guarantee of harmony on capitol hill. there is still a potential battle over who will be speaker of the house, something president-elect donald trump is hoping to avoid. cbs' erica brown reports from washington. >> reporter: mar-a-lago will be packed with a who's who from

capitol hill for president-elect donald trump's annual new year's bash. >> happy new year. >> reporter: it's unclear whether house speaker mike johnson will be in attendance. but trump delivered a late christmas gift to johnson monday when he endorsed him to be the speaker of the house in the new congress. >> i'm really humbled and honored to have president trump's endorsement for speaker again. >> reporter: but even with trump's endorsement, johnson may have a tough time. at least three republican house members say they have reservation about johnson's leadership. >> i'll remain undecided as do a number of my colleagues because we saw so many of the failures last year that we are concerned about that might limit or inhibit our ability to advance the president's agenda. >> reporter: kentucky's thomas massie went even further posting to social media that he is a no vote now. the republican majority is so tight that johnson can only afford the lose one gop member and still get the majority of votes needed to become speaker. >> right now i don't believe he has the votes he needed on friday and we need to get

united. >> reporter: the house cannot vote on anything else until the speaker gets elected. erica brown, cbs news, washington. the u.s. military says its forces conducted a series of strikes against houthi targets in yemen. plumes of smoke rose over sanaa on tuesday. the pentagon says it hit facilities used by houthis to attack american warships and commercial vehicles. u.s. central command says houthi targets included a advanced weapons production and storage facilities. when "cbs news roundup" continues, we'll meet a few secret service agents with stories to tell about the late president jimmy carter.

when i'm hungry, my stomach hurts. i get sad and scared. i feel all alone. i don't think anybody cares. i want to shut my eyes and disappear. [female narrator] 1 in 5 children in the u.s. can't be sure where their next meal will come from. but together, we can do something about it. feed the children provides struggling families with the food and essentials they need. for hungry kids who need help, you can make the difference. donate today at feedthechildren.org. small businesses are the heart of america. but you don't have to go it alone. as the nation's largest nonprofit resource of expert, business mentoring. score has helped millions of entrepreneurs build their businesses, for free. get the connections, education and guidance you need with score. we're ready to help. find a mentor today at score.org.

for each life moment, your kids could get free or low-cost health coverage from medicaid or chip. kids up to age 19 are covered for check-ups, vaccines, dentist visits, hospital care, and more. your kids may be eligible now even if you've applied before. and if they already have medicaid or chip, remember to renew every year. get started now at insurekidsnow.gov. paid for by the u.s. department of health and human services. ♪ this is "cbs news roundup." i'm carissa lawson in new york. a state funeral for former president jimmy carter will take

place at the national cathedral in washington. it will cap off eight days for the 39th president who will be flown back to georgia for burial beside his wife. among the invited guest, the secret service agents who watched over mr. carter for nearly half of his life. nicole sganga has their story. > reporter: when former president jimmy carter exited the white house in 1981, few expected his hometown of plains, georgia -- >> small-town usa. >> reporter: to become his launch pad to the world. how many countries did you travel together to? >> over 140 countries. >> reporter: former special agent in charge alex parker accompanied carter overseas and at home. >> we used to jog down this road here. >> reporter: he ran alongside president carter for 21 years. >> president carter called me at home and said you need to pack your bag. we're going to haiti tomorrow morning. >> reporter: former special agent in charge bill bush secured a 1994 diplomatic

mission to haiti, adverting a full-scale u.s. invasion. carter also traveled to nearly every country on the african continent. >> you had 6, 7, 8, hollering jimmy carter, jimmy carter, jimmy carter. >> reporter: the assignment of protecting the peace maker in chief came with many rewards. carter insisted on this photo of him celebrating the nobel peace prize together with agents, plus, hobbies, fly fishing, dog sledding and skiing. >> he had never been snow skiing before. and so he and ms. carter took lessons out in colorado. and so isolated a group of agents went to school in colorado. >> reporter: even at 98, the occasional joyride with former first lady rosalynn carter beside him, and current special agent in charge don widtham in

the driver seat. >> it was a light in his eyes that reminded the days we'd take him for peanut butter ice cream. >> reporter: code named deacon by his agents, carter taught sunday school lessons religiously until 2023. former special agent in charge nick steen. >> no matter what we were or what we were doing, he was going to be home by saturday night so he could get his lesson prepared for sunday morning. >> reporter: and regularly attended services. >> it was humblin, especially one sunday in particular, because the sermon was talking about making the world a better place. and he very quietly put down his said and said "i've tried" to himself. and i reached forward with both and i reached forward with both my hands and put them on his (peaceful music) - time to get up, sweetie! (kissing) - [child voiceover] most people might not think much about all the little things you do every day,

but for me, just being able to do those little things is the best part of my day. - ready, mom! - [child voiceover] it hasn't been easy, but sometimes the hardest things in life have the best rewards. (inspirational music) and it's all because of my amazing friends at the shriners hospitals for children and people like you who support them every month. when you call the number on your screen and just give $19 a month, you'll be helping other kids like me do the amazing things that make up the best part of our day. - because shriners hospital is more than just a hospital. it's... - where my back gets better! - where my legs get stronger. - where i get to be a kid. - where it's the best part of my day! - with your gift of just $19 a month, only 63 cents a day,

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in argentina, indictments have been unsealed in the death of one direct singer liam payne. he plunged to his death from a hotel balcony two months ago. prosecutors are pinning part of the blame on hotel workers who made sure payne was carried back to his room after being unable to even stand up in the lobby. shanelle kaul has more. >> aside from the hotel workers, one of the people charged was a friend of payne's, someone police say accompanied him on his trip to argentina. he is one of three now accused of negligent homicide. ♪

♪ you're insecure, don't know what for ♪ >> reporter: it was a tragic end for former one direction member liam payne, who died in october after falling from the third floor balcony of his hotel room in buenos aires. the 31-year-old's family, friends, and fans have had their calls for action heard. prosecutors in argentina have now charged five people in his death. three of them payne's representative, the hotel manager, and the hotel reception manager were all charged with culpable homicide, which carries a sentence of one to five years. cbs news legal analyst jessica levinson. >> the equivalent charges in the united states would likely be negligent homicide, where there is a duty that runs to these defendants, and they failed to act in accordance with it. >> reporter: prosecutors in argentina say each person was charged for different reasons. they say the hotel manager allegedly failed to stop payne from being taken to his room,

essentially to protect him. they say the head of reception asked people to help carry payne to his room, and payne's representative allegedly abandoned him at the hotel. >> the idea here is that liam was in such a terrible state that any reasonable person would not have left him and would have taken steps to ensure his safety. >> reporter: payne's representative was identified by prosecutors only as rln. a man with the same initials, roger norris, appeared in a new tmz investigative documentary on hulu in which he recounts the days and hours before payne's death. >> i went to the hotel three times to check on him. during that morning, he seemed tipsy, but nothing out of the ordinary. >> an autopsy showed payne had cocaine, alcohol, and prescription antidepressants in his system at the time of his death. the coroner determined it was not a suicide because payne was essentially unconscious when he fell off the balcony. a hotel employee and a waiter have been charged with allegedly

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gum problems could be the start of a domino effect parodontax active gum repair breath freshener clinically proven to help reverse the 4 signs of early gum disease a toothpaste from parodontax, the gum experts. for more than a century, those giant clydesdale horses have been a part of the american culture. in recent years, they've also become tv stars featured in budweiser commercials and super bowl ads. but the clydesdales also play a central role in many programs for veterans and first responders. we took a trip to their home in

missouri to see what goes into breeding and training the gentle giants. >> reporter: these gentle giants are nothing short of majestic. standing at over 6 feet tall and weighing up to 2200 pounds. the clydesdales have been the iconic stars of budweiser and anheuser-busch for over nine decades. >> the clydesdales! >> i'm so awed by them. i mean, my shoulder barely comes up to hear. it just puts a smile your honor >> absolutely. who wouldn't be happy standing next to these guys? they're so timeless. >> reporter: stan, you're beautiful. >> reporter: chris weiger, a clydesdale handler showed me the ropes of what it takes to groom -- >> thank you for letting me brush you. >> slide that over his head. >> it's kind of heavy. forgive me. i'm new at this. >> he is an old pro. he'll get us through it. >> all right. >> all right, boy, walk on.

>> give me a little history lesson here, because obviously we're in the new era. but this goes back to the 1930s, the clydesdales? >> the clydesdales were introduced in 1933 when they were gifted to august busch senior to celebrate the repeal of prohibition. we've been in 42 super bowl commercials. that's not something everyone can say. >> i love the one with the little puppy. they're all good. the training process, what is that like? >> when they're born they hang out with mom until 6 months. at 3 they come back to the ranch and learn to pull wagons. they'll be here for the full year to be able to hit the road and be a crowd pleaser. >> reporter: so this is the maternity road. this is where we welcome all the budweiser clydesdales into the world. >> reporter: that's amy trout's domain. >> these stalls are supersized because we have super big babies here. >> reporter: what do they weigh when born? >> they're 150 pounds when they hit the ground.

we had one this year that topped the scales at 189. shaq. you should call that one shaq. trout has helped to breed, raise and train clydesdales for 22 years. >> this is millie and meg. >> reporter: she now manages warm springs ranch, the 300 plus acre home of the clydesdales in the heart of missouri. what are you looking for when you're looking to breed? >> we actually run dna on all of our horses so we know genetically what colors they will throw. but we also need them to perform. so when you see those guys just pounding the pavement, they've got a little extra flash in their step. they've got flare. they're flashy. we can breed that into them. >> reporter: that flash and flare is on full display at honor events around the country, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to military families and first responders. >> you can't ever bring those loved ones back. but what you can do is honor their sacrifice, educate their legacy, and that's what we've done. >> reporter: rocky sickman, a

former marine was one of the 65 americans held for 444 days in the 1979 iran hostage crisis. what do you remember about when you were released and got out? >> i felt this cold fresh air, the simple things we take for granted. and then to find out there had been a rescue operation. and eight people lost their life trying to come over to regain my freedom. >> and those people have played a huge role in your life from that point ever since? >> ever since. >> reporter: sickman has continued a life of service through projects like folds of honor. anheuser-busch has been a partner for 14 years. >> folds of honor would not be where we're at without aheuser-busch, and especially the world famous clydesdales. i mean, we get to be -- >> reporter: no better pitch person. >> i mean, it's incredible. >> reporter: a hitch of eight male clydesdales now tour the done as the face for many veterans' initiatives. >> they really can get excited to go to work. they feed off the energy.

>> reporter: what is it about the clydesdales that fits so perfectly with the military and certainly with folds of honor. >> you know, they're all individuals and they're so unique and special. and i've been there when we deliver those scholarships. and to see the recreation and the impact and what that means to the families. >> reporter: they seem like the perfect representative. >> they are. they're living legends. everybody recognizes them. it's such an honor to be part of the folds of honor family. >> that was dana jacobsen reporting. "cbs news roundup" will be right back.

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it's wednesday, january 1, 2025. this is "cbs news mornings." hello, 2025. the ball dropped and so did the rain as new year's celebrations went off without incident in new