for example, this elon musk post, users added this context. but critics warn removing fact checkers could breed misinformation. the international fact checking network, one of the third parties used by meta tells cbs it's unfortunate that this decision comes in the wake of extreme political pressure, but some are cheering the move, including president-elect trump. >> honestly, i think they've come a long way, meta, facebook. >> directly responding to the threats that you have made to him in the past? >> probably. probably. >> reporter: ceo mark zuckerberg not only met with the president-elect last month, he installed a republican lobbyist as meta's chief policy officer. >> i think this is really zuckerberg reading the room. >> reporter: web bush security's global head of tech research dan ives says this could be a good business move. what does meta have to gain with this change? >> this can increase advertising. this could be a positive for meta, positive for instagram in terms of engagement, interaction. and ultimately is a positive for advertising.

and when you look at the biggest threat here is regulation and the trump administration. this is a little sort of waving of the white flag with trump coming in. >> reporter: and in this new trump era, add dana white to zuckerberg's makeover. zuckerberg announced white one of trump's biggest surrogates will be on its board of directors. it's part of a broader shift in the tech community. amazon is licensing a documentary on melania trump and other big tech titans are donating to the president-elect's inauguration fund.

academy award-winning director ridley scott is working on a new movie. it's called "the dog stars," telling the story of a catastrophic flu virus that wipes out nearly all of humanity. if you ever wondered what goes into a movie like that, just ask the director, who is still bask in the glow of his latest blockbuster "gladiator ii." here is cbs' elizabeth palmer. >> reporter: take one roman army, a righteous warrior, and lots of fighting. ridley scott has pulled together everything fans loved the first time around. how long had you been wanting to make "gladiator ii"? >> well, since "gladiator" one, i made 17 movies, so i was quite

busy. >> reporter: that's an understatement. he only wrapped up his sweeping historical drama "napoleon" a year ago. >> so during that time, i kept thinking i should be doing "gladiator ii." >> my name is maximus decimus. >> reporter: in the original "gladiator," russell crowe was the hero. >> loyal servant to the emperor. >> reporter: battling for honor and the roman empire. in the sequel, it's the same empire, but this time irish actor paul mescal is the gladiator, a slave who fights his way to freedom. before the writer even finished the script, scott, who studied art, was busy hand-painting the movie's story boards. >> i'm already thinking images. i'm drawing as he is writing. so when i enter on a set, i've already preplanned every scene. it's very efficient because we did "gladiator" in 51 days. >> reporter: incredible considering the scale and complexity. take the opening attack scene.

>> i'm going make three full-scale real ships, on huge industrial building movers. each trolley is about 100 feet long. >> wouldn't need a lawyer. >> reporter: scott may be old school in some ways, but he is thrilled by all the computer generated bells and whistles. when do you add the water? >> afterwards. that's it. >> reporter: and do you love that part? >> i love it! are you kidding? >> reporter: much of this movie is gladiators doing what they do best, fight. in rome 2,000 years ago, which was, frankly, a man's world. but "gladiator ii" says scott invites us to reflect on the constance of human nature, cruelty and violence. >> it reminds you that rome would have christians walked into the arena and eaten alive, men, women, and children for fun.

what on earth was in the mind of rome at that particular point? and have we come very far away from that. it's extraordinary that it's still happening. we don't learn by history. >> that's main one. >> reporter: sir ridley scott, now 86 and a hollywood legend says it was daunting to tackle the sequel to his own masterpiece. >> in a funny kind of way, i feel like i'm in a sport. it is competitive. you're fighting yourself and your own fear, and your own insecurity. >> reporter: what's your favorite part of the movie? >> oh my god. i think relieved it is so embraced. and so i'm -- favorite part of the whole movie, it's pretty good. >> reporter: i'm elizabeth palmer in london. >> "gladiator ii" is available to stream online. and if action movies aren't your

thing, how about a gentle sunrise? faith salie found thousands of them. >> reporter: it's 5:00 a.m., wednesday on the northern coast of michigan's upper peninsula. >> see what the sky is doing today. >> reporter: and bugsy saylor once again has a date he can't be late for. >> it is the calm of the morning before the madness starts. >> reporter: can you tell what kind of sun it's going to be today? >> well, we've got a pretty thick haze on the horizon, and it's probably going to be what i call a neon pink bouncy ball sunrise. >> reporter: that sounds good. > it's one of my favorites, honestly. >> reporter: he's got a lot to choose from. see, six years ago, bugsy made a new year's resolution to wake up and watch every sunrise of 2019, taking photos of it too.

when the ball dropped on 2020, he decided to keep going. >> it never disappoints. >> reporter: since then, he's been documenting each and every one. >> we don't see that color in nature very often. >> reporter: except right here. >> right now, right here. >> reporter: we joined him a few months ago as he welcomed the day, as he often does, at presk isle in marquette, michigan, looking out over lake superior. >> i'm a little biased. i think lake superior is the greatest lake in the world. >> reporter: it's superior. >> it's superior for a reason. it's so massive. and i personally love the moods of superior. this is so calm and pleasant this morning, but in october and november, it might be negative 20 windchills and sideways rain or whiteout conditions. >> it is cold.

it says negative 26 windchill. super breezy on the top of sugarloaf. >> reporter: his camera captures it all. the sub-zero temperatures, the kaleidoscope colors, shore and sky, storms and stillness. >> it's my moment to reset every day, my moment to be present in nature. >> reporter: what number is this? >> oh, this is -- sunrise 2,039. >> reporter: but who's counting. >> just me. just me. nobody else. >> reporter: he's being modest. just ask the locals who know him by his nickname. >> he's the sunrise guy. he takes pictures of every morning. it's pretty impressive. >> reporter: you guys know who the sunrise guy is? >> bugsy saylor. >> reporter: do you know bugsy? >> i don't know personally. >> reporter: but you've heard about the sunrises. >> yeah. >> reporter: he just did his 2,000th a few days ago. >> he is the sunrise guy.

>> reporter: yes. >> i think what he does is remind us what it is that makes it so special about living here which is the natural world, the landscape, the lake. the sun has been this daily reminder to a connection to all those things. >> $10.60 with tax. >> reporter: in the back of his upper peninsula souvenir shop, locals and tourists can see for themselves what a full year of sunrises looks like. >> these ones are like a rothko painting, you know, like horizon, water. >> reporter: some are abstract. >> this is a common loved spot, sugarloaf mountain in marquette. >> reporter: others a landscape. >> give me a morning like this. >> reporter: the pictures prove every day has its dawn, even if not every clock has a working alarm. you have an asterisk now because you used to be able to say consecutive. >> do we have to talk than? >> reporter: i'm sorry, we do. >> the streak of consecutive

sunrises watched and photographed ended shortly after 1700 sunrises. my alarm didn't go off. it was a tough day. it was emotional. >> reporter: bugsy will admit the project has its dark times. >> i don't often feel rested, you know, when i wake up and out the door every morning. it is harsh. it can be brutal. there are uninspired mornings, and i will say bluntly that like the number of times i've heard the line "every sunrise is unique and beautiful," like ugh, i can prove to you some sunrises are pretty much identical. >> sunsets i think easier i would say. >> reporter: perhaps the good folks of marquette are right. >> if you could go back in time maybe take pictures of sunsets. >> i wonder why he doesn't do sun accepts. sets. >> reporter: is it important to you that people know it's not sunset. it is sunrise? >> yes, it's very important. sunsets are the status quo. there is a lot of romance with sunsets. i'm telling you, there is a lot

of romance at sunrise too. and like sunset is easy, and it's something casual. oh, let's just go get some ice cream at sunset. well, that sounds easy. >> reporter: it won't be easy chasing another year of sunrises. but bugsy saylor says he'll try. by the way, if you hit the snooze button on your new year's resolution already, there is still time to look for a new one. >> i encourage everybody to do it. you don't have to do every one like the crazy guy here, but certainly i think more sunrises makes for a better world, yeah. >> that was faith salie reporting. stay with us. "cbs news roundup" will be right back.

the world's biggest tech show is under way in las vegas.

ces 2025 highlights some of the latest gadgets, from laptops with rollup screens to lava lamps with speakers and shoes that help you jump higher. but the star of the show this year is what's going on inside the next generation of cars. andres gutierrez has more. >> reporter: at ces 2025, automakers and tech companies are showcasing displays that make cars feel like rolling smartphones. >> we have chosen to start with something that gets you behind the steering wheel of your new bmw, something that truly immerses you. >> reporter: in their new line of ev models, bmw is ditching the traditional infotainment center for a sprawling display, letting drivers move apps or music and navigation right into their field of vision. honda and sony partnered up to unveil their all electric car. at almost 90 grand, the aquila 1 is equipped with voice controls and 40 sensors that aim to simplify everything from

changing radio stations to planning your commute. >> so you're seeing giants coming together to do what they all do best and work together so you have this seamless integration of software, because it has to work. >> reporter: and imagine one day relaxing on your way to work. >> you can also customize based on the content available so that the whole cockpit is your own space. >> reporter: taiwan-based aou showed us its smart cockpit 2025, whose screens appear only when needed, its windows can tint for privacy. even the steering wheel can fold away when the car's self-driving features are on. why is your company focusing so much on the driver experience? >> right. we are a display company. we feel and we believe that the visual experience is the most important factors in the future cockpit. it's all user experience. >> reporter: hyundai mobius is taking a different approach with a holographic windshield projecting critical information like speed and navigation without blocking your view of the road. is this right now just a concept, or how soon will

drivers get to see this and experience this on the road? >> it will take some time, but 2028 is our target. >> reporter: and more companies could follow, giving drivers a new way to watch the road. andres gutierrez, cbs news, las vegas. >> all right. can't wait for those new dashboards. 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 center in new york city, i'm shanelle kaul. ♪

hello and thanks so much for watching. i'm shanelle kaul in new york. this is "cbs news roundup." here are today's top stories. deadly wildfires continue burning out of control in los angeles, devastating neighbors. city officials calling this a firestorm. fire crews battling blazes across the city are overstretched and hydrants are running dry. we have team coverage with reporters across the region as flames continue to spread. unprecedented destruction as a series of massive wildfires roar through the los angeles area. parts of the iconic sunset boulevard now reduced to rubble by the catastrophic palisades fire. at least five people have died and desperate residents rush to escape amid intense flames spreading out of control. a state of emergency is now in effect, and more than 150,000 people are under evacuation orders.

four major fires grew the mammoth proportions wednesday, spread by strong winds, scattering burning embers far and wide. and now we're learning a new fire is burning there the hollywood hills. we begin with cbs' ashley sharp reporting from inside the fire zone. >> reporter: the deadly eaton fire ripped through the altadena senior center north of pasadena, where residents had to evacuate before flames swept through. as wildfires engulf large parts of los angeles county, entire neighborhoods along the pacific coast and inland have burned to the ground. >> please, we need your prayers. we need your -- your thoughts of healing. >> reporter: the eaton fire quickly exploded into an inferno, forces tens of thousands of people to flee to safety. in pacific palisades, the most destructive fire in los angeles history is burning out of control. >> we're absolutely not out of

danger yet. >> reporter: home after home on street after street lay in ruins. unusually dry january weather and hurricane-force gusts from the santa ana winds fueled this fire's catastrophic growth. the los angeles area is in one of its worst dry stretches in nearly 150 years. >> all the hillsides and the brush are very susceptible to a spark right now. and we're seeing explosive fire grow. >> reporter: wednesday night, a new fire broke out in the hollywood hills area of los angeles. the city's mayor, karen bass, warned that more people may receive orders to evacuate in the hours ahead. in that event, she urged them to leave their homes immediately. ashley sharp, cbs news, pasadena, california. >> and in pasadena, that fast-moving blaze known as the eaton fire has ravaged more than 10,000 acres. cbs' kris van cleave shows us

how quickly flames developed there and the terrible toll they're taking. >> reporter: the battle against the deadly eaton fire is now an around-the-clock fight. the wind-driven blaze exploded to more than 10,000 acres by morning, ripping through homes, burning cars, and torching houses of worship. nearly 33,000 were forced to evacuate. there is so much wind right now, and these red-hot embers coming from all over. wherever they land, they can spark a fire. if it lands on a house, that house can go up in minutes. police scramble to save lives. >> they were barely able to get people out before these structures started burning. >> reporter: more than 1400 firefighters from across california and several areas struggling to beat back the l.a. county storm. residents of this nursing home had to be rushed to safety. >> it's tough. it's tough. they can't get up. they're stublg on the wheelchairs. we have to lift them up, put them in the vans. >> reporter: the growing fires

of the eaton fire became clear. destruction block after block. it is the middle of the day pacific time, but you wouldn't know it. the smoke is so intense here in altadena that it is literally blotting out the sun. when 91-year-old dale short returned to his pasadena home of 60 years, he found only rubble. it was a house we watched burn just hours earlier as the hurricane-force wind gusts made the fire unfightable. when you came back up here this morning, what went through your mind? >> well, i have to be honest with you, it really hasn't hit me all yet. i mean -- i've got 60 years of memories in that house and three children. >> yeah. >> now it's hitting me. >> reporter: kris van cleave, cbs news, altadena, california. and we turn now to the fire that's destroyed much of pacific palisades. it's a heartbreaking scene, the neighborhood nestled between the santa monica mountains and the

pacific is now all but wiped out. at least a thousand structures there are gone, and we're also learning from l.a. fire officials that two schools in the palisades district have been completely destroyed. cbs' jonathan vigliotti shows us how this all unfolded. >> reporter: in pacific palisades, we found a scene that can only be described as apocalyptic. the once vibrant village off iconic sunset boulevard had stood like this for decades, until now. we just arrived here in what is left of downtown pacific palisades, and i am overwhelmed by the scale of loss. many people are going to return to homes that were lost and even more important their community completely gone. >> reporter: those flying into l.a.x. saw an endless blanket of flame, all from the palisades fire. those on the ground doing everything they could to save homes. >> let's get out of here.

we tried. we tried, bro. i'm sorry. >> reporter: and when water was needed most, the hydrants ran out. >> we had a tremendous and in on our system in the palisades. we pushed the system to the extreme. >> reporter: the terrible toll, at least a thousand structures destroyed. 15,000 more still at risk, and 37,000 residents who remain evacuated. >> we're having to walk. this is crazy. >> reporter: for many, evacuation orders came too late. >> the flames moved in so quickly, people who were trying to evacuate, they panicked. every car that you see here represents someone or a family that in that state of fear thought the best option was to abandon their cars and flee on foot. fire officials admit they were overwhelmed. it's been more than 24 hours since this fire first ignited. homes are still going up in flames on both sides of the street. over here this condo igniting, and there is not a single firefighter here on the street. >> these fires are stretching the capacity of emergency

services to their maximum limits. >> reporter: so many landmarks like this are quickly being erased off the map. reinforcements are being brought in, but for a community like this, so much has already been lost, 50% has been damaged or destroyed, and this fire continues to explode. >> that was cbs' jonathan vigliotti. and we should mention wildfires are not typical for january. that's because los angeles should be well into its rainy season by now. but downtown l.a. has only received around a quarter inch of rain since may, one of the driest stretches in more than a century. unfortunately, there is no sign of precipitation in the forecast. straight ahead on "cbs news roundup," we'll take you back to the fire zone and hear from the fire zone and hear from evacuees about what comes next. ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ together, we are all healthier when everyone is vaccinated.

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this is "cbs news roundup." i'm shanelle kaul in new york. the toll from the los angeles fires will eventually be measured in number of homes and businesses lost and the cost of rebuilding. but the deadly flames are also leaving a scar on those who had to run for their lives. tony dokoupil has the story from pacific palisades. >> reporter: it's the agony of waiting. you've got tens of thousands of people who have evacuated, but most of those people, as we found, don't know at this hour whether their homes are still standing. and so they are desperate for any information. at the top of a nearby hill, palisades residents look back at the flames. matt baker pulled up in the car he evacuated in. >> we're 90% sure it's gone, from what we're seeing. >> reporter: after generations here, he's now not sure what's next. you've got stuff in the car here. what's your plan now? >> i don't know.

>> reporter: as we spoke to matt, austin melage saw our cameras and came by for news about his house in an area known as the alphabet streets. "not good," i told him, sharing a note from another resident. the alphabet streets are gone. what was it like getting out yesterday? >> it felt like it was out of a movie, for real. >> reporter: what does that mean? >> just the embers falling and the smoke coming at you. you don't know what to do. it's hard to breathe. it's a mind-boggling situation. >> reporter: for austin and his friends, it now feels like their whole childhoods are gone. >> the village we knew it is done. everything we liked got completely wiped out. we were just going on instagram and twitter, and we see our high school in flames. our football field is in flames. it's unbelievable. >> reporter: and another worry, the lack of water. multiple residents told us the firefighters had nothing in the hydrants for hours. >> there is a fire hydrant directly outside my house, and

it wasn't working, at all. the firefighters can't magically put the fire out. they need something to put it out. >> reporter: lindsey horvath, a county supervisor for the palisades says she too is frustrated. what do you say to the homeowner who says the hydrant in front of my house had no water in it as my home burned? >> well, the city resources are -- they'll be looking at how the city fire hydrants continue to be managed, and with the unified command when the county comes in, we're able to bring the additional resources into the area. >> reporter: back on the little hill overlooking the palisades, some better news for kevin. the wind has shifted. can you see your house? >> yeah, yeah. >> reporter: and it's still there? >> yeah. >> reporter: the school his children go to is gone. but as the smoke cleared for a moment, he could see his house still standing. >> whatever possible good outcome could be achieved, i think that this community will -- will see it.

>> reporter: a glimmer of hope there for one family. but even for families lucky enough to have a home to come back to, they have little else. this is a grocery store or was behind me. the building next to it a church. it's all gone. and multiple schools have been destroyed here. so it's going to take a long, long time to build back. tony dokoupil, cbs news, pacific palisades.

there is new evidence that artificial intelligence played a role in the terror attack outside the trump international hotel in las vegas. investigators now say the army green beret who was driving the rented tesla used an ai program to help build the explosive device that detonated inside the car. cbs' andres gutierrez has more. >> reporter: las vegas metro police said tuesday that matthew livelsberger used chatgpt to help plan his cybertruck bombing, calling the development a game changer. >> i think this is the first incidence that i'm wear of on u.s. soil where chatgpt is utilized to help an individual build a particular device. >> reporter: livelsberger asked for advice on explosive and other materials as well as the speed of bullets fired from certain guns. the developers of chatgpt said

their models are designed to minimize harmful conduct and warned users against conducting illegal activities. police released new video showing livelsberger pouring racing fuel into his rental truck prior to his arrival at the hotel. the vehicle was full of at least 60 pounds of explosive material including fireworks and 70 pounds of bird shot. police say the muzzle flash from the gun he used to shoot himself might have triggered the blast. it is important to note that consumer fireworks are designed to specifically not mass detonate. this limited the explosive effects. >> reporter: officials also showed additional writings by livelsberger where he claimed he had no intention of killing anyone but himself. homelessness is on the rise nationwide. a double-digit increase in the number of americans without proper shelter over the past 12 months, and the biggest is in homeless families. lilia luciano has more.

>> reporter: the shocking increase in the number of people living without housing in american cities is no surprise to cynthia english, who spent ten years experiencing homelessness. >> low-income housing is not truly affordable for those of us who make the least. >> reporter: according to the government's latest data, more than 770,000 people were unhoused in a single night in 2024, up 18% from the year before and the highest number ever recorded. >> it can happen to anybody. >> reporter: steve berg is the chief policy officer for the national alliance to end homelessness. would you say that the stigma around homelessness takes away from the priority to solve the issue? >> i believe it does. what we really need is we need communities to be committed to actually solving the problem and not just blaming people who are homeless. >> reporter: the united states department of housing and urban development blames the record-breaking increase on the

rising cost of living. >> it costs more to rent a modest apartment than people make in a modest job. >> reporter: devastating natural disasters like the maui wildfire that displaced thousands have added to the shortage of housing. the report also says the number of homeless families more than doubled in some cities, like new york and chicago, where migrant families were bussed from border states. >> it's going to keep getting worse until we all come together. that means city, state, federal, landlords, brokers, all of it. >> reporter: cynthia says it's important to meet people where they are, and part of that means providing housing first, and then meeting other needs. she says oftentimes getting somebody housed is only the somebody housed is only the beginning of the ♪♪ whenever heartburn strikes, get fast relief with tums. it's time to love food back. also try new tums gummy bites.

patients who have sensitive teeth but also want whiter teeth they have to make a choice one versus the other. sensodyne clinical white provides two shades whiter teeth as well as providing 24/7 sensitivity protection. patients are going to love to see sensodyne on the shelf. the worst stateside disaster of world war ii led to charges of mutiny against 50 u.s. black sailors. more than 80 years later, those sailors have finally had their honor restored. charlie d'agata has more. >> this is him and my sister pam. >> reporter: harold cherry never neer knew her father was a central character in one of the darkest chapters of american military history until long after his death. something she found out from her sister. >> i said stop playing. and she was no. he didn't tell you he went to jail? i said for what? she said mutiny. >> reporter: in fact, the

largest naval mutiny in american history. it was july 1944. world war ii was raging in the pacific. u.s. forces were in desperate need of ammunition. port chicago in northern california became a critical supply point. >> those who loaded the ammunition were african american exclusively. >> reporter: the navy was segregated, and and naval historian dr. gina acres says black sarrells got the toughest, most dangerous assignments. >> not that they didn't want to do their jobs. if this is so important, why are only african americans loading ammunition. >> reporter: they repeatedly warned their white officers that safety conditions were lax. >> the safety concerns were raised internally and externally, but they weren't addressed. >> reporter: and then this happened. >> there were two explosions. the entire loading area was completely decimated. >> reporter: 320 people were killed, mostly african

americans. 390 more injured. the worst stateside disaster in world war ii. >> the white sailors were granted leave off. >> reporter: the black sailors were ordered back to work loading ammunition at another port. 258 sailors refused, but after threats, most complied. but 50 men stood their ground. they became known as the port chicago 50. they were charged and convicted of mutiny in a mass summary court-martial, sentenced to hard labor. including carol cherry's father cyril shepherd, sentenced to prison for almost two years at the age of 20. >> he didn't have a blemish on his record until this happened. he was commended for his bravery after the explosion. >> reporter: 80 years later, navy secretary carlos del toro exonerated the black sailors. >> they took the right course of

action by denying to go back to work under similar circumstances. >> reporter: yet they lived and died with this dark cloud. >> and that's the unfortunate part of this. i pray that an exoneration will bring peace to their souls and bring peace to their family members. >> reporter: in july, carol cherry was presented with a flag at a memorial ceremony at port chicago. >> i am so proud of that flag. >> reporter: it now sits on her shelf, a shrine to her father. >> and i thank my pop for what he did. i'm so proud of him, and i'm so happy for where we are at this moment. i wish he was here to see it. >> reporter: and wishes she could tell him justice was finally done and the navy now says her pop was a hero. for

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you can too. 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 it's thursday, january 9th, 2025. this is "cbs news mornings." los angeles