>> we seek to wage peace, fight disease and build hope. >> reporter: paige alexander is ceo of the carter center. >> well, when president carter left the white house or was involuntarily retired, as he likes to say, he woke up one night and said i want to create a place where i can bring people together to have a conflict reconciliation moment, much like he did in the white house. ♪ >> reporter: one of carter's are first initiatives, eradicating guinea worm, a parasitic tropical disease contracted from drinking stagnant water. while it's not often deadly, removing the worm can be incredibly painful. symptoms include swelling, and blisters can last months. >> one of his greatest legacies was to name this disease and help people understand it. >> reporter: adam weiss oversees the center's guinea worm program which has seen cases drop from more than three 1/2 million to

just 14 in 2023 after carter helped develop a filter to prevent the parasite from being ingested. >> when he really accepted the challenge to take on global eradication of guinea worm, he owned it. >> reporter: from guyana to indonesia to the west bank in a push to advance democracy -- >> thank you all. >> reporter: carter traveled on more than three dozen missions around the world to monitor elections. >> do you have the voter id cars here? >> yeah. >> reporter: avis roberts accompanied him on several trips working her way up from intern to associate director of the democracy program. >> he soon really came to see election observation as a really powerful tool for ensuring that processes are equitable, that our elections really fulfill human rights, and that they are the basis for the legitimacy of the government that follows. >> reporter: carter's decades of dedication has the carter center and its employees around the world still focused on the future. what is president carter's legacy? >> his legacy is being a giant

among men. i mean, he is somebody that people want to follow, they want to emulate, and we're all just very fortunate to have been part of that. >> reporter: i'm nikole killion. a group of gay and lesbian veterans who were kicked out of the military because of their sexuality are responding to a historic settlement with the defense department. cbs chief investigative correspondent jim axelrod has all the details. >> reporter: over the last two years, we've investigated the cases of thousands of gay and lesbian veterans kicked out of the military and denied honorable discharges, costing them benefits like loan, health care, and tuition assistance. in august of 2023, a group of those veterans sued, and now more than a year later, they may finally have a resolution. >> i was proud at that time. putting on that uniform was everything. >> reporter: back in 2023, we sat down with navy veteran sherrill farrell. after serving in the military for just a few months, she says

a casual conversation with a bunk mate about gay clubs got her investigated and kicked out of the military without an honorable discharge. >> it hurt. because my country is telling me i'm not good enough to serve because of who i love. not because of anything else. just because of who i love. >> reporter: as part of a multi-year cbs news investigation, we reported at least 35,000 vets were drummed out due to their sexuality. and despite promises from the military to right this wrong, only a fraction have had their discharge papers corrected. >> it really took our litigation to highlight how slow and difficult the process was. >> reporter: jocelyn larkin is one of the lawyers who represented farrell and others in the civil rights suit against the pentagon. they called the process of trying to change a vet's discharge papers known as dd-214s inadequate.

and opaque. >> reporter: once they change my discharge, i'm going frame both of those ddts and hang them up, because i want the country to know i was willing to serve and die for my country. >> reporter: now after a year and a half, the pentagon has come to a settlement. pending court approval, the agreement would create a new easier process for veterans to seek an honorable discharge. >> it's practically historic. the veterans who were discharged under "don't ask, don't tell" and the prior policies carried with them essentially a stigma around their service. >> reporter: after 38 years of carrying an other than honorable discharge on her record and the stigma that came with it, farrell is finding the new hard to believe. >> honestly, i never thought it would happen. i can actually hold my head a little high when i say i'm a veteran now. because i can be recognized as a veteran. >> reporter: as for getting those new discharge documents, she can now look forward to

displaying them proudly with honor. the pentagon declined to comment on the agreement, as it has nearly every step of the way. under the terms, qualifying veterans would have the chance as early as this summer to request changes to their discharge papers as well as an upgrade to honorable discharge status. >> that was jim axelrod reporting. "cbs news roundup" will be right back.

there is an artist in washington state using trash to send a message about our country's forests. lee cowan reports. ♪ yo-ho ♪ >> reporter: unlike happy-go-lucky leprechauns, their close cousins the trolls are usually depicted in a less flattering light. ugly, brainless, with big noses and fat bellies. ♪ they are mythical beings that have now gone the way of the fire-breathing dragon, or have they? if seeing really is believing, what are we to make of this? what about her? what about him? >> he's a happy troll, but he is also really serious troll because you need to take

responsibility. and that's why he is pointing you. it's your fault. are you one of the good guys or one of the evil guys? >> reporter: oscar the bird king is a fairy tale that was just coming to life when we visited these woods on vashon island near seattle. his architect, danish artist thomas danbell wanted to craft this 10,000 pound creature to be both imposing and inviting. >> he felt a little bit too human before. the trolly and the big branches and the fur and the big beard. i don't want people to think it's like human. >> right, right. nope. he looks like a troll now. that's for sure. >> yeah. >> reporter: oscar isn't the first, nor will he be the last. danbell has built more than 100 trolls in 17 countries, and no two are alike.

each has its own story. ♪ like mr. jack lumber in denmark, hector el protector in puerto rico, anna of green in germany. his way of the bird king project is one of the latest. in a series of troll sculptures he has been commissioned to build here in the u.s., which includes bennie the beard fishing in michigan, the rock planter in colorado, pia the peacekeeper in washington state. giants they are, but gentle ones. they aren't here to terrify, he says. they're here to teach. specifically, about the one mistake we humans can't seem to outgrow. our ever growing piles of trash. >> everything that i do is showing people that trash can have value so that trash doesn't need to be a negative thing that's suffocating our world, but it can be a beautiful thing that we can build our common world with.

and a pie like this, that's a dream come true. that's like a regular toy store. >> reporter: yep, his toys are mostly made from recycled wood, scraps that might otherwise end up in a landfill or just be burned. discarded shipping pallets are his favorite. a typical troll needs about five tons of them. >> the world is running out of resources, and we're drowning in our own trash. and those two things, they are each other's solution. and that's what my art is about. >> reporter: danbell has been dumpster diving ever since he was a kid in denmark. he says he's always had a peculiar interest in what other people would throw away, and how he might repurpose it. >> you can build anything out of anything if you just are creative. >> reporter: so why trolls? well, danbell says trolls have always been protectors of our forests. and to create these giant guardians in the woods out of material that used to be forest

itself, he hoped would send a powerful but accessible message. do most people get it? >> most people get it. and people, they want to be a part of something fun and something beautiful and the positive change. pretty much everybody want to be a part of that. >> reporter: that's why everywhere he goes, he enlists armies of local volunteers to help. like long-time vashon island resident greg mark. what have you gotten out of this whole experience personally? >> just an expansion for all of us to look at a different way of doing stuff, a different way at looking at stuff. >> reporter: martin will remain as one of oscar's many care takers when danbow and his team move on and leave oscar behind. >> i'm okay that they don't last forever. that's the beauty of wood. it grows out of the ground and it decomposes just straight into the ground again. >> reporter: but perhaps more than anything, what thomas danbow hopes you'll take away

from his not so trashy trolls is the journey to find them. some he flat-out hides, giving only a few clues to where his fans can find them. but it's in that, he says, that his trolls show their true magic. luring us humans out into the woods where there is just the wind and the whispers of nature. that's what he says is trolls speak the loudest. >> i think it's good to remind people that there is soil and sun and water and trees. and that's a big joy for me to give that to people. >> reporter: all troll tales do have an element of truth. so the next time you're out in the woods, look up at what might be looking down on you and find out just what you believe.

steve hartman now with a heartwarming story about the gift of giving that he found "on the road."

>> reporter: inside buckfeather, an outdoor sporting store in baton rouge, louisiana, we met a great american success story. >> because it's about you. >> reporter: as we first reported a few months ago, owner matt has helped build several outdoor companies worth billions. but matt says he has never felt richer than he did the day he got the dollar. >> i haven't had that much faith in humanity in a very long time. >> reporter: he says it all began last april. it was early morning and the fire alarm was going off inside his condo complex. so matt shot out of bed and raced down the stair, only to discover there was no fire. but he is awake now. so even though he was wearing mismatched clothes and all disheveled, matt decided to go out for a cup of coffee. and as he was about to enter the shop, he remembered he hadn't done his morning prayer. so as the security camera show,

matt stepped to the corner of the patio. >> and i start to slowly open my eyes, and there is a kid coming at me about my height. and he goes -- and reveals a dollar bill. and i go what? >> if you're homeless, here is a dollar. >> reporter: this is 9-year-old kelvin ellis jr. >> i always want to help the homeless person. and i finally had the opportunity. >> reporter: kelvin said he had just gotten the dollar for good grades. it was the only money he had to his name. matt was so touched, he invited kelvin in for a snack, connected with the boy's father who was next door, and promised to stay in touch. >> what's up, dude? >> reporter: it's now been seven months since we first told that story, and matt and kelvin are still friends. they've been to the movies. >> you got it. >> reporter: and kelvin has even helped out on the sales floor. >> have a good rest of your day. >> thank you.

>> he is a natural. >> reporter: but one of kelvin's favorite things to do, unsurprisingly, is to go out and pay for other people's groceries. >> this is kelvin's wish. >> you give something away, you feel like you've got a lot of things from it. >> reporter: if you give, you're actually going to get more out of that? i couldn't grasp that as a kid. and if we can spread that around, everything changes. >> reporter: a good plan for this new year. >> cheers to friends forever. >> reporter: steve hartman, on the road in baton rouge, louisiana. >> amen. and that's "cbs news roundup." reporting from new york, i'm carissa lawson. ♪

hello and thanks for watching. i'm carissa lawson in new york. this is the "cbs news roundup." here are the top stories. a wildfire whipped by extreme winds is sweeping through a los angeles neighborhood. offduty firefighters are being called back to help fight the blaze. president-elect donald trump won't rule out using the u.s. military to take control of the panama canal and greenland. and jimmy carter's state funeral moves to washington after observances in his native georgia. dangerous and unprecedented. that's how officials in southern california are describing powerful santa ana winds fueling a ferocious fire that's burning out of control. roaring wind gusts as high as 100 miles per hour are creating blowtorch-like conditions. tens of thousands of people throughout the region are being told to evacuate. some have abandoned their cars

in heavy traffic and left on foot. the wildfire broke out tuesday and quickly exploded into an inferno in pacific palisades. that's a neighborhood of multimillion-dollar homes in west los angeles. cbs' jonathan vigliotti is there. >> reporter: dramatic and chaotic. in just 20 minutes, this fast-moving wildfire exploded from 10 to 200 acres, pushed by ferocious winds. >> this is a spot fire started by embers. this home is going to go up in flames. there are not firefighters around here. they're simply stretched too thin. you can't even see through the smoke. this entire mountainside is covered in flames. the wind pushing them up to 50 feet into the sky. this neighborhood under threat right now. at least five homes destroyed, and you've got people in panic as they're trying to evacuate. >> come on, guys! >> reporter: that included our crew. >> we got to go! >> reporter: as thousands evacuated, there was gridlock and frustration near the iconic

sunset boulevard and pacific coast highway. >> i'm just trying to go save a man's life. >> reporter: many had to abandon their cars to flee. >> there is a lot of fire right there. that's why people are coming. >> reporter: firefighters call this the worst case scenario. hurricane-force winds gusts pushing flames into bone-dry brush. >> i mean, just look how much has changed in a couple of minutes. >> reporter: los angeles reporter amanda was on the balcony of a multimillion-dollar mansion. >> the heat is coming right against you. the smoke is billowing towards us. >> reporter: southern california has seen back-to-back-to-backfires. this one just ten miles away from last month's fire in malibu. in november, fire destroyed more than 200 instructors 30 miles north of here in ventura county. large planes are now using the pacific ocean to scoop up water, a valiant attempt to fight these fast-moving and ever worsening flames. the worst is far from over. hurricane-force wind gusts exceeding 100 miles per hour expected later on tonight. that's the equivalent of a

category 2 hurricane barreling down. jonathan vigliotti, cbs news, los angeles. now to the trump transition. in a wide ranging press conference on tuesday, the president-elect outlined his plans for expanded u.s. dominance, even saying the gulf of mexico should be renamed. cbs' caitlin huey-burns was there. >> reporter: in a remarkable moment at mar-a-lago, president-elect donald trump said he wanted the united states to take over the panama canal and greenland, and that he won't rule out the use of military force to do it. >> no, i can't assure you on either of those two. but i can say this. we need them for economic security. look, the panama canal is vital to our country. it's being operated by china. >> reporter: the u.s. transferred operational control of the panama canal in 1999, and chinese shipping has increasingly used the key trade route. the arctic island of greenland

is a territory of denmark. >> well, we need greenland for national security purposes. you look outside, you have china ships all over the place. you have russian ships all over the place. we're not letting that happen. >> reporter: but as donald trump jr. landed in greenland's capital today for what he called a personal visit, the danish prime minister made clear that territory was not for sale. the president-elect also suggested using economic force to annex canada, making it the 51st state. >> we're spending hundreds of billions aier to take care of canada. we lose in trade deficits. >> reporter: canadian prime minister justin trudeau said there isn't a snowball's chance in hell that his country would become part of the united sates. trump also said he wants to rename the gulf of mexico the gulf of america. >> what a beautiful name. >> reporter: his press conference came a day after congress certified the 2024 election.

and he didn't rule out pardoned for those committed acts of violence during the last certification on january 6th, 2021. were you planning to pardon those who were charged with violent offenses? >> well, we're looking at it. people that were doing some bad things weren't prosecuted. and people that didn't even walk into the building are in jail right now. so we'll be looking at the whole thing. but i'll be making major pardons. >> reporter: trump's attempt to delay the sentencing in his new york hush money case was denied. that will go forward as scheduled on friday. caitlin huey-burns, cbs news, west palm beach, florida. meanwhile, president-elect trump is praising a decision by zuckerberg to effectively ditch fact-checking operations on facebook, instagram and other meta platforms. zuckerberg is replacing third-party fact-checking with advisories written by users themselves. meta says the reason behind the change is that expert fact

checkers have their own biases, which sometimes leads to controversial decisions. memorials and tributes are under way in washington for former president jimmy carter who died last month at the age of 100. cbs' natalie brand reports from capitol hill. >> reporter: flanked by family and a special honor guard, the flag-draped casket carrying former president jimmy carter arrived at the u.s. capitol tuesday afternoon. the 39th president honored with a 21-gun salute before moving inside the capitol rotunda for a tribute by members of congress. >> he was civil, decent, kind, even in his engagements with his political adversaries. >> reporter: georgia senator jon ossoff reflected on carter's legacy not just as a state governor and u.s. president, but his achievements after he left the white house. >> he continues to have a major impact not just to the united states, but around the world as an advocate for free and fair elections. his work on public health and

disease eradication, it's remarkable what he continued to achieve, even after leaving office. ♪ >> reporter: on the way to the capitol, carter's casket was transferred at the u.s. navy memorial, which carter, a navy veteran authorized building in 1980. his family walked beside the horse-drawn caisson, a nod to carter's decision to walk down pennsylvania avenue during his inaugural parade in 1977. a commander in chief from humble beginnings who says he aspired to make government more competent and compassionate. natalie brand, cbs news, washington. when "cbs news roundup" continues, we'll tell you about a move in washington to help people with medical debt that causes bad c

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this is "cbs news roundup." i'm carissa lawson in new york. with just days left before leaving office, the biden administration is taking a big step to help people with medical bills get loans. the consumer financial protection bureau is moving to ban medical debt from appearing on credit reports. nancy cordes reports. >> reporter: the world's best medical care doesn't come cheap. more than 40% of american adults say they're in debt due to medical or dental bills. >> every credit card i've applied for has denied me. >> reporter: carly nier lives in northern wisconsin. an emergency flight for a seizure when she was 18 left her $100,000 in debt. her credit score is still below 500. >> my husband and i are first-time home buyer -- well, he was a first-time home buyer. when they ran my credit, they're like you can't even be on the loan. >> reporter: all that is set to change due to a new rule just

finalized by the consumer financial protection bureau. the rule will prevent the three credit reporting agencies from including past due medical bills in credit reports. cfpb predicts the move will lift the credit scores of about 15 million americans by an average of 20 points. >> medical debt does not predict whether you are a high-risk person to lend money to. >> reporter: cbs medical contributor dr. celine gounder. >> this is not being irresponsible, going out shopping with their credit cards, spending more than they can afford. these are situations of life and death oftentimes. >> reporter: nier is hoping she'll finally qualify future a car loan. her 3-year-old son has down syndrome and sees a specialist two hours away. >> i will admit when i got the message today, i did get a little teary-eyed. i'm honestly in shock that it has happened, and i'm very grateful that it has happened. >> that was nancy cordes. the rule is set to take effect this spring. the banking industry insists it

will hurt borrowers by giving them access to more credit than tey can actually afford. and gop lawmakers are urging president-elect trump to reverse all of these last-minute biden rules and regulations. "cbs news roundup" will be right back.

president-elect donald trump's vow to shake up the

washington establishment could bring big changes to the bureau of alcohol, tobacco, firearms and explosives. the current head of the atf is warning the incoming administration already has the agency under scrutiny. scott macfarlane reports. >> reporter: after a gun crime unlike any in modern american history, it didn't take long for the feds to identify the shooter in butler, pennsylvania in july. >> the assassination attempt on president trump, atf identified the shooter in that case in under 30 minutes. >> reporter: steven dettelbach is director of alcohol, tobacco and firearms who helped identify the gunman by tracing the assault rifle. the atf is navigating a wave of emerging gun dangers, including ghost guns, one of which was used to kill the ceo of unitedhealthcare. >> they're very pervasive because they appeal to people who can't get guns legally. >> reporter: and these small

parts, some created on 3d printers which turn traditional guns into automatic weapons. dettelbach, who expects to leave his host when donald trump is inaugurated warns that this agency is a prime target for major reductions. trump has blasted dettelbach on by nape. >> on day one we'll sack the radical gun crabber steve deadle back. >> repor congressional republicans already proposed $188 million in cutbacks to the agency in 2024, alleging the atf overreaches in places too many restrictions, including on pistol braces. >> if atf were gone, what domino would fall? >> people would be killed. >> reporter: one major part of atf's job is helping local officers, including those on the baltimore police force track down shooters and solve cases, like a shooting in 2023 at a local university, and a recent takedown of violent drug gangs. . there are a lot of things that

you don't realize that they're involved in with local law enforcement they play a big part in. >> reporter: dettelbach says no matter who is in charge, he hopes the atf's work remains the focus. >> i believe that the mission of this agency, which is fighting violent crime, is wildly nonpartisan and bipartisan. >> reporter: and just days ago, the atf agents were among the first on the scene helping track the weapons and explosives used the weapons and explosives used in the new orleans and las vegas ♪ ("good feeling" by flo rida ft. atr) ♪ this... ...is a hot flash. this is a hot flash. but this... ...is a not flash. for moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms due to menopause... ...veozah is the first and only prescription treatment that directly blocks a source of hot flashes and night sweats. with 100% hormone-free veozah... ...you can have fewer hot flashes and more not flashes. veozah reduces the number and severity of hot flashes day and night. don't use veozah if you have cirrhosis, severe kidney problems, kidney failure, or take cyp1a2 inhibitors.

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an art form from the early 1900s is making a loud comeback in some fancy theaters. david pogue has the story. >> cooper, where are you? >> reporter: the worst way to watch "jaws" is like this. >> now! >> reporter: without music. >> shoot! [ gunshot ] >> now! >> reporter: a good way to watch it is with john williams' famous score coming from your speakers. ♪ >> reporter: but the best way to watch "jaws" might be with a live orchestra playing that score. ♪ in the silent film days, live music always accompanied movies, and movies were events.

>> over the years, theaters got smaller. then people started watching it on their television. then they watched it on their computer, then they watched it on their phone. >> reporter: steve linder is the co-founder of film concerts live, one of several companies that rent out the sheet music and equipment that orchestras need to perform one of these movies. ♪ >> what we do is we bring it back, bring movie going back to what it was originally intended to be, with live music and in a communal experience. ♪ >> reporter: the new york philharmonic plays for four movies a year at lincoln center. almost every showing is sold out. >> a live orchestra absolutely preaches people in a way that n recorded sound can even approximate. it's like you're sitting in the middle of the orchestra. >> reporter: but for the philharmonic's former acting ceo deborah boorda, one of the best

features of live movie scores is the way they attract new and younger audiences to the concert hall. >> almost 50% of the people who come to our film series are first-time attendees of the new york philharmonic, and the first time in the hall. >> reporter: for the conductor, these shows are tricky. you have to keep one eye on the musicians, one eye on your score, and one eye on this special monitor. for example, in this scene from "the princess bride" when the dread pirate robert hits the ground, there is supposed to be a big chord. ♪ but how do i know exactly when that landing is going to happen so i can bring in the orchestra? that's the purpose of these vertical moving bars. they're called streamers. those streamers and the bright pop are like countdowns to important musical moments. when the streamer hits the right edge of the screen -- ♪ is there any -- you're doing

a crowd pleaser, we do art. is there any of that? >> what anybody thinks of what i'm doing is really none of my business. but all i know is when i turn around from my score to address the audience, every seat is filled. >> reporter: anthony parker conducted the philharmonic screenings of "jaws." but his main big is conducting the hollywood recording sessions for the actual films. in terms of your flexibility with tempos ans dynamics, there difference between conducting the film score in the studio and conducting here in front of an audience? >> so i have a little bit of audience to phase the orchestra around the streamers. >> reporter: huh. so from night to night there could be some variance? >> there could be a little bit of variance. and i think this is what makes these particularly appealing for musicians to perform and for conductors to conduct. ♪ >> reporter: these days, there are over a thousand live orchestra movie screenings a year. the classic blockbusters usually

work best. it has to be great music that the audience wants to hear, of course. but also, it has to be great music that the orchestra is interested in playing. >> reporter: oh, that's right. the musicians are part of this too. ♪ >> reporter: recognize it. >> yeah. >> reporter: harry potter. >> reporter: the new york phil's english horn and oboe player. unfortunately, he sits directly under the screen so, he never gets to see any of the movies, even when he is not playing, right? >> but we have a few sneaky ways of watching the movie in the wood wind section. my favorite one, and i actually have it right here is the rear view mirror. >> reporter: no! >> this is literally a rear view mirror from amazon, and we tape it right on top of our stand lights. >> reporter: and management approves of this?

>> i plead the 50. [ laughter ] >> reporter: you do four performances of each movie. you do four movies in a season, and they all sell out. so shouldn't you do ten performances of each movie? >> well -- >> reporter: david pogue revolutionizes the modern orchestra. >> david pogue will destroy the modern orchestra. this is a symphony orchestra. we play mahler. we play bach. we splay mozart. so we have a responsibility to the canon of music. and no, we're not a movie house. we're a symphony orchestra. >> reporter: well, okay. but even deborah boorda recognizes that live orchestra movies have become popular option for american orchestras. >> we should be places that are integrated into the fabric of the community. so we want the new york

heidi covey: so, i have an eye disease that causes blindness. i have moments where i get a little bit sad because i just can't see things that i used to.

dr. stanley taught me to trust in the lord even when you don't want to. god is such a faithful father. nothing that happens to us isn't without his eye upon it. it's wednesday, january 8th, 2025. this is "cbs news mornings."