>> thank you. test. it's tuesday, december 26th, 2017. welcome to cbs this morning. a christmas storm lashes parts of the country with heavy snow and damaging winds. how a dangerous winter blast is causing travel headaches for millions of americans heading home. >> only on cbs this morning an investigation shows how some food and drug administration recall procedures put consumers at risk of illness or even death. plus, shoppers open their wallets to make this a record breaking season, but did traditional retailers challenge the supremacy of amazon. >> and an extreme climbing adventure at the bottom of the world.

the team who forged new paths on the icy peaks of >> severe weather disrupts travel from coast to coast. >> it does not look to be letting up any time soon with a wintry setup looking to produce snow in parts of the south and northeast. >> quite a scare, but no serious harm when a flight slid off the taxi way in boston. >> president trump is spending the christmas holiday with family and friends. >> he tweeted that he's getting back to work today. >> alexei navalny being stopped from running for presidency. >> there is a bright spot this holiday season. sales are way up and there's no sign of it letting up. >> this is literally the best season since before the recession. >> christmas just is not the same in puerto rico after hurricane maria. power is still out for families across the island.

>> a train slams into an empty car in new york. >> the person in that car was able to get out in time. >> all that -- >> no christmas break for crews battling the thomas fire in california. >> why did you volunteer to be here on christmas. >> so other people didn't have to. >> and all that matters -- >> what are one or two biggest moments for you if that hadn't happened that day you wouldn't be here. >> well, being born raises to the top. >> on cbs this morning. >> they say this happened before. the defense scoring on the last play of the game. derek barn et, merry christmas in philadelphia. the philadelphia eagles have clinched homefield advantage. >> this morning's eye opener is presented by toyota. let's go places. welcome to cbs this morning. the day after christmas.

did you have a nice holiday? >> i did indeed. >> too many cookies. >> you can never have too many on christmas. that's the rule. the more presents the merrier. good morning, everyone. i'm bianna golodryga. norah o'donnell and gayle king are off hopefully somewhere in much warmer weather. americans are ed haiheading homr more than a foot of snow fell in parts of the country. >> tens of millions of people from the rockies to maine are waking up to temperatures 10 to 20 degrees below normal. lake effect snow will blast the great lakes through tomorrow. >> seattle had snow on christmas day for first time in five years. authorities there say one woman died from a snow related crash and christmas blizzard warnings were issued across new england. demarco morgan is at the airport where travelers don't want the weather to interfere with their trips home. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. things are running smoothly here

at newark, but at airports across the country nearly 9,000 flights have been delayed and 300 have been cancelled. >> i really wasn't wishing for it, but we got it. >> whether they wanted it or not, people from washington to maine woke up to a white christmas. >> i was, you know, happy with no snow and no shoveling. >> reporter: in new england snow fell in some areas at a rate of up to 5 inches per hour. heavy snow combined with strong wind gusts led to about 20,000 power outages in massachusetts. the rapid snowfall caused dangerous conditions on the road. >> pretty much whiteout conditions. >> reporter: and in the sky. at boston's logan airport one flight skidded off the runway while landing monday night and earlier in the day blizzard conditions shut down the airport and caused 240 delays. bitter cold enveloped much of the midwest. minnesota had windchills as cold

as 35 degrees below zero. washington and oregon saw one to two inches of snow. slick roads led to dozens of crashes and delays. >> i don't want to drive anymore, but i'm stuck in the middle so i can't go anywhere. >> reporter: parts of new york and northern michigan did get up to 5 inches of snow before the week is up and then that weather system will headout southeast bringing it with a mix of sleet, snow, ice and rain. >> thank you. stay warm. president trump says it is time to get back to work after spending christmas day with his family. the white house says the first family spent the day opening presents at his florida resort. chip reid is in west palm beach with the president's to do list. good morning. >> reporter: well, good morning. the president is already tweeting this morning mplts . he says because the obamacare individual mandate was eliminated by the tax bill he's predicting democrats and

republicans will come together and develop a great new health time to get back to work. >> my fellow americans -- >> the president and first lady posted a christmas message on twitter but spent the rest of the day out of public view with family at their mar-a-lago estate. later he tweeted it's back to work to make america great again. this was president trump before leaving for florida. >> i eel be working very hard. we have many things to talk about including north korea and a lot of things happening in the middle east. >> reporter: that includes confronting the international backlash that followed the decision to move the u.s. embassy in israel to jerusalem. >> jerusalem is israel's capital. >> reporter: that decision drew broad condemnation at the united nations last week. on sunday guatemala announced their embassy would also move to jerusalem over the objection of

palestinian leaders. israeli prime minister netanyahu predicted many other nations will do the same. but 2018 won't be just a year of foreign policy hurdles. the president also faces domestic challenges including the possibility of a partial government shutdown if congress does not act by january 19th. the white house would also like to pursue welfare reform. and a bipartisan infrastructure package. >> it's the easiest. people want it, republicans and democrats. >> reporter: despite all the talk of the president getting back to work there is nothing on his schedule today and when we asked the white house who he'll be meeting with or talking to over the phone, they would only tell us quote, we will keep you all posted over the next several days. >> thank you. the founders of vice media are apologizing after a report that the company paid tens of thousands of dollars to settle sexual harassment or defamation

claims. a new york times investigation details a boys club culture at vice. more than two dozen women said they saw or experienced sexual misconduct. tony, good morning. >> good morning. the allegations aimed at vice employees from the top down including its current president. the accusers told the times improper behavior ranged from unwanted kissing and groping to propositions for sex. from north korea to syria and iraq, vice news made a name for itself by gaining extraordinary access to some of the world's most dangerous places. but according to the new york times the organization run by vice cofounder shane smith andsa roosh alvi fostered a culture of inappropriate behavior including sexual harassment and misconduct. kayla ruble worked as a news

writer at vice. >> several ways to get ahead whether it was dating your boss, sleeping with your boss. >> reporter: in a settlement last year the times said vice president andrew creighton was accused of firing a staffer who rejected an intimate relationship with him. he said he had been intimate with the employee but was not involved if her termination. ruble said work often spilled over into parties and if you didn't attend it could mean missed opportunities for advancement. >> there's a lot of alcohol and things go downhill really fast. >> reporter: because vice told edgy and provocative stories, sometimes they required employees to sign an agreement saying it was not an nontraditional work place. vice insists it was simply to protect content. in 2015 smith appeared on the late show with stephen colbert. >> everybody is looking at us because we're hot and we're new

media. we're new media, not old media and we have the demo that everybody wants. >> it never felt as if a lot of the men were warry that they could get in trouble for their actions. >> reporter: in a statement the vice founders apologized to employees. they said in part, we have failed as a company to create a safe and inclusive work place where everyone especially women can feel respected and thrive. vice says it has instituted a number of reform measures including a clarification of its consensual relationship policies and sensitivity training for management. >> thank you very much. shoppers are getting their second wind after a record settin season. some forecasts expect today to be the fourth busiest shopping day of 2017. as much as 30% of this year's retail sales are made during the holiday season. early estimates show holiday shoppers spent a record

$598 billion. that is up 33 billion with a b from last year. online shopping surged 18.1%. business and the economy for usa today. good morning. >> good morning. >> can these record numbers tell us anything about how consumers will spend next year? >> i think so. i mean, i think people are feeling a lot more confident about the economy. i mean, wages are up a little bit. unemployment is very low. we've got a tax bill that's coming down the pike and so this is any indication people are feeling a lot more encouraged. they're not worried so much about being buried in debt and retailers have gotten very smart about rolling out lots of december counts and sales and that's a prime motivator as well. this season was really hot and i think next year could be good as well. >> what are some of the best selling gifts this holiday season? >> home improvement materials of all things were really hot sellers. the insta pot which is like a steamer and a pressure cooker all in one. >> i actually got one of those

for christmas. >> he's cooking tonight. >> and obviously toys were a big seller. the fingerling, it's a little palm sized monkey that you can touch and make it move. >> a palmed size monkey. >> yeah, it's called a fingerling. it's a doorable and people really love that. electronics are always a hot seller. so pretty much every category did well, but those were some of the hottest sellers. >> you mention flying off the shelves and the one thing they had was this extra saturday going into christmas. how much did supersaturday or how did supersaturday compare to black friday. >> reporter: the last two years it's been the biggest shopping day of the year. this year it was a little bit less than black friday, but you still had about 126 million people, you know, procrastinators who headed out to buy something. >> myself included. >> nothing wrong with that. >> it was a really big day for the retail industry as well.

>> we know that more than half of americans did their shopping online. how did this affect the brick and mortar stores, specifically against amazon? >> brick and mortar stores, amazon gets a lot of online sales but a lot of these have a different retail as well. it's going into the same pot and it all feeds the bottom line so they're happy either way. >> can we read anything based on online sales around holidays for online sales just in general going into next year? >> yeah, they're really surging, i mean, up 18%. cyber monday was the biggest online shopping day in history with more than $6 billion in sales so that's really accelerating but most sales still happen at an actual store so they're not going to be going out of business at any time soon. >> we've been talking about very cold weather for a large portion of the country. does that impact people shopping behavior? >> i mean, malls tend to be warm. you can go out and get your winter clothing and so i think people like the social

atmosphere of going out and shopping and so i don't think the cold weather will be an impediment unless the roads are really bad and then eventually it will get better and they'll get back out. >> what about gift cards? the national retail federation says $28 billion was spent on gift cards. that's usually what i give to a lot of people. >> have at it. get what you want. >> they're incredibly popular because you can do what you want with it. you have to make sure you read the fine print so it doesn't expire. most don't. but you want to check because some retailers have gone out of business. if you have a sports authority card you're out of luck. so you want to be able to get out there and use it or lose it. >> a good indicator on consumer confidence which has been record highs as of late. >> they're feeling a lot better. you know, think think things are looking up and they've got jobs and they're spending. >> thank you so much coming in. i'll be expecting my gift card.

and dinner. cooking tonight. >> a lot of work he'll be doing these last few days. no christmas break for wildfire crews in southern california. the thomas fire is now the largest in state history. it began on december 4th and spread through much of ventura and santa barbara counties. the fire has burned more than 280,000 acres. it is now 86% contained. jamie yuccas is in ventura talking to some of the firefighters. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. well, working on christmas is stuff, but it's not the only holiday these firefighters will be on the job. new year's is expected to be on the front line of this fire with flames not likely to be put out until the first week in january. it is not how nearly 1,600 firefighters expected to spend the holiday. >> woke up on a cold, hard cement floor surrounded by snoring men. not how i thought i'd wake up on a christmas morning ever. >> reporter: moss is almost 700

miles away from her home in central utah. >> this is an opportunity that doesn't come very often so i'm glad to be here. >> reporter: since december 4th, the thomas fire has destroyed over 1,000 homes and buildings. at least one firefighter died. and for others, weeks on the line have taken a toll. >> why did you volunteer to be here on christmas? >> reporter: . >> so that other people didn't have to. >> reporter: hot shot firefighter j.p. blair didn't have to be here. >> so you're here for christmas and new year's. >> and my anniversary and my yeah. >> reporter: severe drought conditions have made things worse this season. he says this area hasn't seen any measurable rain since february. >> everything's been a record during this fire. >> reporter: what does that indicate to you? >> it indicates to me that we're in a year round fire season and we aren't seeing any relief from the rain. >> scott has spent over 90 days

fighting fires from oregon to here in california. spending time with other firefighters and seeing a surprise visitor was a welcomed escape. >> i've been working in the woods seven years. i never got to meet you. >> reporter: like most here, he'd rather be with his family including grandson sterling but at least he can tell him one day, he met santa. >> it's nice. they know that most of us want to be home with our families and they're doing the best they can, you know, and it means a lot to all of us. >> reporter: firefighters typically work 14 days before they get a break and many of them here on the west coast have been working since june with the abnormally dry conditions. here at this fire wind conditions are supposed to be better the next couple of days so they're hoping the effort gets wrapped up a little sooner than first thought. >> thank you doesn't seem to be enough for those firefighters. thank you. this was the first christmas in puerto rico since hurricane maria devastated the island. local engineers estimate roughly half of the 3.3 million people

are still without electricity. power is not expected to be fully restored until may according to the army corps of engineers but families worked to keep the christmas spirit alive. we spoke to the soto family still living in a shelter after being displaced by the storm. >> it's christmas and it's a tough day for me and my family. we're struggling, but thank god we are okay. we are alive. >> well, he says he hopes next week will be their laes st in t shelter. we also spoke with leslie who flew from texas to puerto rico to surprise her parents. they celebrated with a game of dominos saying the situation does not power down how festive puerto ricans are. >> our thoughts are still with them. >> so long after these hurricanes and they're still suffering. well, it's tourist season in the florida keys, but hurricane

irma is still causing trouble three months later. ahead, business owners describe the struggle to survive after hundreds of millions of dollars in storm damage.

a government investigation shows tainted foods don't always get pulled right off of store shelves.

>> ahead, how flaws in the fda's recall process can put consumers at risk of serious illness or death. >> you're watching "cbs this morning." male vo: the entogether as a whole.t, ♪ it was such an overwhelming response to help others. no one thought that they were going to do this before it happened and everyone just did it. i think that's the way that human nature should be looked at. ♪ i'll stand by you. ♪ i'll stand by you. ♪ won't let nobody hurt you. ♪ i'll stand by you.

you or joints. something for your heart... but do you take something for your brain. with an ingredient originally found in jellyfish, prevagen is the number one selling brain-health supplement in drug stores nationwide. prevagen. the name to remember. packing to the last minute. time to break these bad boys out no i have a couple of things to wash we got this- come on. even on quick cycle, tide pods cleans great 6x the cleaning power, even in the quick cycle let's go did you just get up uh-huh it's got to be tide ♪ little girl and boy land ♪ while you dwell within it ♪ you are ever happy there daddy, it's christmas! ♪ childhood's joy land

never let go of your dreams. the mercedes-benz winter event is back. lease the glc300 for $449 a month at your local mercedes-benz dealer. mercedes-benz. the best or nothing. whand clean and real, it's ok to crave. and with panera catering, there's more to go around. panera. food as it should be.

paul and bongo march a very different beat. sfx: cymbals they break only for the 100% complete and balanced nutrition of meow mix cat food. no wonder it's the only one cats ask for by name. and this is how i freestyle!rs freestyle program, ♪ ♪ this is how i freestyle! i've lost 82 lbs., and i can eat wherever i want. i'm freestyling with dessert, and i'm down 46 lbs.

the new weight watchers freestyle program has over 200 foods that are zero points®. now you can count less and enjoy more. i freestyle any way i like. join for free and lose 10 lbs. on us! hurry, offer ends january 8th! three things you should know this morning including a rocky

christmas weekend for bitcoin investor >> this is cbs-3 "eyewitness news." good morning, i'm are hell solomon, this morning peco working to get folks back on line after yesterday's blustery weather. toppled trees were cradled by power lines, significant wind damage was seen in bucks, montgomery, chester counties, at the height peco estimates more than 7,000 people were without power. at lace check this morning that number down to 460. let's get a check of the forecasts with katie fehlinger >> chill think weekend and looks like it will still be chill think week. >> actually looking colder to looking ahead, today the warm he is of the entire seven day, in fact, and actually feels real harsh outside even now, we had the wind yesterday. made it feel so-so cold. still feels like only into the teens currently at best even only single digits in places like allentown for example. but the next too days again

getting harsh, both friday, saturday, bring renewed chance for snow. pat? >> good morning, on our major roadways, not much in the way of traffic. this is a look at the schuylkill expressway, headed westbound, that is looking clear. so thumbs-up if you're on the schuylkill, vine this morning, but not over in new jersey, 373 southbound a at 295 left lanes block due to accident that's involving a tractor-trailer, also another water main break holme avenue at willits road in the northeast, the road closed. rahel? >> back over you. >> pat, thank you. next update is at clock 55, up next on cbs this morning, florida struggles after hurricane irma. i'm rahel solomon, good

-take care. ♪ so probably take it at night. and if you have any questions, the instructions are here in spanish as you requested. gracias. ♪

at walgreens, how we care will change over time, but why we care remains the same treating everyone with the care and attention they deserve. walgreens. trusted since 1901.

♪ a navy sailor pulled off a creative christmas surprise and only part of it was under the tree. so you saw what happened there, right? her mom unwrapped a giant mirror. she looked into it and saw the reflection of her daughter standing behind her, saw the reaction. sailor posted the video to twitter where it has been viewed around 7 million times. >> there's an example of where creativity works. right? much better than your gift cards. >> although, no matter how she did it that would have been a

phenomenal surprise. those don't get old. >> are you saying i don't put a lot of thought into my gifts? >> no, we appreciate any gifts from you. >> welcome back. here are three things you should know this morning. russian president vladimir putin's main opponent is blocked from challenging putin and could face new legal problems. alexei navalny was proved ineligible because of a fraud conviction. he responded that putin is afraid of him. in a video message navalny asked his supporters to boycott the election. the kremlin said that may be illegal. the post christmas gift return ritual kicks off this morning while stores offer new discounts. among major retailers best buy says almost every item can be returned through january 14th. target and walmart shoppers have until january 24th and items shipped by amazon may be returned until january 31st for a full refund. and bitcoin's latest wild swings are a test for investors. the virtual currency is up this

morning trading at more than $15,000. bitcoin started last week at nearly $20,000 but the price fell to nearly 11,000 by friday morning. hours later bitcoin rallied back to more than $14,000. only on cbs this morning we have the results from an investigation of how the food and drug administration protects the public with food recalls. government investigators looked at 30 voluntary food recalls reported to the fda between october 2012 and may 2015. they found the recall process did not always ensure the safety of the nation's food supply. anna werner spoke to one of the investigators. good morning. >> good morning. you might assume that if a food could make you sick or even kill you it would be pulled immediately from store shelves. but investigators from the department of health and human services office of inspector general found that hasn't always been the case. they say if recalls don't happen consumers can be put in jeopardy. >> i think any time you have a

situation where people's lives are at risk, i don't know how lightly you could take that. >> reporter: investigator and his team reviewed 30 voluntary recalls out of 1,500 overseen by the fda in a two and a half year period and found deficiencies. among them, that the fda could not always ensure that firms initiated food recalls promptly. something neder says could be a critical failure. >> 23 of the 30 recalls were class i. it can cause a serious medical condition or potentially death. >> in a salmonella outbreak, investigators found it took 165 days from the date the problem product was identified to the date of the firm's voluntary recall. there were 14 illnesses in 11 states. during a listeria outbreak later that same year linked to cheese products, auditors determined a series of recalls took 81 days

to complete. at least nine people became ill including an infant who died and two pregnant women lost their fetus fetuses. the company owner later pled guilty to a felony. >> we have to prepare for the worst case scenario and that's why it's important for fda to drive the boat and always put themselves in a position where they can use their authorities and enforce these recalls when necessary. >> reporter: in another case a class 1 recall of an adulterated dietary supplement, when the fda and the firm disagreed over whether the product was lawful, investigators found the firm did not recall the product until 303 days after receiving a warning letter from fda. >> three places for that one recall. that stuff was still on the shelf when they went out there 303 days later. that meant people could have been buying it up to that 303 days. >> so this product potentially jeopardized lives and they left it on shelves for close to a year? >> that would be correct.

>> reporter: the inspector general's office first issued an alert on their findings in 2016. the fda responded by putting a special team in place to handle challenging high risk recalls. but for this report, fda also said the 30 cases selected were extreme outliars and claimed in the highest risk recalls recall initiation took place in less than three days. in a statement to cbs news fda commissioner said the agency has worked quickly to put in place measure to address the proposals the oig outlined and though he said a lot has changed since then, i know that much work remains to be done if we're going to provide the highest assurance of safety. nedder says lives depends on it. >> every day that a recall is not initiated, every single day that goes by, a person could potentially get seriously ill or die from eating the product. >> reporter: on background, fda

officials say they know will are some things to work on here. in that statement the commissioner said the agency is going to announce some new measures this coming year, not only in regard to the recall process itself, but ways to get more information out to the public more quickly and one quick example for example for parents, a lot of parents can relate to this is, what if allergens sneak into a food? allergens like nuts. the question is, how do you get that word out to the public more quickly so you're not just analyzing what the danger is or taking a look and seeing where it's coming from. hey, you need to get the word out so parents know, hey, watch out for that product. >> three days is too long. >> it's these recalls are voluntary, done by the companies. >> they're voluntary sort of in cooperation with the fda. they'll have phone conversations with the company. the company typically -- any good company wants to get a product off the shelf because it's going to hurt them and their reputation and of course i think most of them, they don't want to hurt people. it's a question of how do you make that process work?

how long has it been that company a has been talking about recalling a product? >> it's important reporting. great reporting. thank you. more than half of all the jobs in the florida keys depend on tourism, but so far this year, tourists are hard to find. ahead, the ongoing impact of hurricane irma three months after it devastated the island. and we invite you to subscribe to our cbs this morning pod cast. you'll get the news of the day, and pod cast originals. find them all on apple's pod cast app. you're watching "cbs this morning." feel the power of thenew power...smax. ...to fight back theraflu's powerful new formula to defeat 7 cold and flu symptoms... fast. so you can play on. theraflu expressmax. new power.

i want ycome on mom!t easy. go slow. ♪ let's go! ♪ mom! slow down! for the ones who keep pushing. always unstoppable. whand clean and real, it's ok to crave. and with panera catering, there's more to go around. panera. food as it should be.

pepsoriasis does that. it was tough getting out there on stage. i wanted to be clear. i wanted it to last. so i kept on fighting. i found something that worked. and keeps on working. now? they see me. see me. see if cosentyx could make a difference for you- cosentyx is proven to help people with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis... ...find clear skin that can last. don't use if you're allergic to cosentyx. before starting cosentyx, you should be checked for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms. or if you have received a vaccine or plan to. if you have inflammatory bowel disease, tell your doctor if symptoms develop or worsen. serious allergic reactions may occur. never give up. see me. see me. clear skin can last. don't hold back... ...ask your dermatologist if cosentyx can help you find clear skin that lasts.

this holiday season... give the gift of effortlessly smooth feet... from amope. amope pedi perfect with diamond crystals. removes rough, hard skin effortlessly... for touchably smooth feet. salon quality results you can see... and feel immediately. new amope pedi perfect soft feet kit... perfect for that special someone on your list. exclusively at walmart. amope. love every step.

hurricane irma is still leaving businesses flat in the florida keys three months after the storm hit the state. the keys attract more than 3 million tourists a year accounting for more than half of the island's economy. tourism brings in nearly $3 billion a year. one local official says irma jeopardized $300 million in revenue. the plan to survive the vacation slump.

the keys starts the day after there are plenty of things to do. of course fishing and diving or just feeding the tarpon. but the challenge here in i lama dora is finding a place to stay. many of the big resorts remain closed after being battered by hurricane irma. sometimes it can be easy to forget irma was ever here. but the giveaway at this waterfront restaurant is the empty chairs. >> how important is tourism to this area? >> tourism, that is the life blood of the florida keys. >> reporter: andy newman is communications director of the florida keys and key west tourism counsel. tourism accounts for 60% of the keys' overall economy and more than half of the island es 's j. >> we're down in about 28% of

available hotel rooms. if we don't have hotel rooms, then how can you possibly be up or as busy? >> reporter: if there's not enough hotel space what happens to the restaurants? what happens to the bars? >> obviously it impacts everybody. >> reporter: the problem is most severe where nearly 70% of the hotel rooms are out of order. councilman and restaurant owner mike forester is feeling the impact. >> you can't stay here but you can play here. >> reporter: that translates into fewer hungry mouths to feed at mike's restaurant. his business is down 50%. >> everything we have here is available and it's ready to go. all the merchants are ready. the businesses are open, but we're just missing bedrooms. >> reporter: the self-proclaimed sport fishing capital of the world. the fish are still biting but steve leopold can't hook any customers on his charter boat. >> how busy are you usually w n

between the holidays. >> we fish every day and sometimes multiple trips per day. >> reporter: but this year? >> we have zero. >> reporter: in september the category 4 hurricane slammed into the keys with 130-mile-per-hour winds destroying more than 1,100 homes and leaving behind $500 million in damages. resorts have been racing to finish repairs in time for the winter season, but some properties will be closed until next fall. >> we're going to be fine. >> reporter: don zimmer owns the lookout lodge. a ten bedroom boutique hotel that reopened quickly. >> reporter: you don't have a lot of competition right now. >> not particularly. not for rooms now. >> reporter: but do you want that competition back? >> absolutely. you first have to make sure that you've got a place to stay. >> reporter: they 'been visiting the keys for 15 years. >> once you get a place to stay,

the restaurants are open, the weather is beautiful. it is the florida keys. >> reporter: some resorts are using this time to remodel their properties. some small business owners we talked with said it may take a full year to recover their losses. omar villafranca, florida. >> a big hit for that state. and coming up, ll cool j breaks another boundary. he talks about bringing rap to the kennedy center honors against all odds. plus, how acting helped him understand

when my smile is bright, i feel ready to shine. some whitening toothpastes only remove surface stains, colgate optic white high impact white is different. it has hydrogen peroxide, to whiten four shades for a visibly whiter smile. trust your smile to colgate optic white. -take care. ♪ so probably take it at night. and if you have any questions, the instructions are here in spanish as you requested. gracias. ♪ at walgreens, how we care will change over time, but why we care remains the same treating everyone with the care and attention they deserve. walgreens. trusted since 1901.

welcome to my f[cheers & applause]a! who wants a taco? i want one! me! how do ya'll feel about the new weight watchers freestyle program? i love freestyle. you can have anything you want. it's real food. it's so much easier going out to eat now. it feels great. you are living dangerously! i'm living freestyle. here's to freestyle! freestyle! the new weight watchers freestyle program has over 200 foods that are zero points. now you can count less and enjoy more. join for free and lose 10 pounds on us. hurry, offer ends january 8th.

there'that only uses 100% american oranges.and simply orange and tropicana ship in juice from overseas. only florida's natural grows all of our oranges in florida. great taste. naturally. but their nutritional needs (vremain instinctual.d, that's why there's purina one true instinct. nutrient-dense, protein-rich, real meat number one. this is a different breed of natural nutrition. purina one, true instinct. paincan make this...ld, ...feel like this. all-in-one cold symptom relief from tylenol®, the #1 doctor recommended pain relief brand. tylenol®.

morning. north korea is demanding the u.s. prove its claim that pyongyang was behind the wannacry attack. it affected hundreds of thousands of computers worldwide. north korea's u.n. envoy in charge of u.s. affairs called the cyber attack allegations reckless claims used to generate tensions. the buffalo coeurer trial will continue today. jurors are divided over a verdict. he's charged with racketeering. two other south american soccer officials were found guilty of multiple conspiracy charges last week. prosecutors accused them of agreeing to take millions of dollars in bribes related to mode ya rights and hosting rights for the world cup. bloomberg says analysts cut their forecast for the iphone x shipments because of luke warm demand. apple's factories could ship as few as 35 million units in the

first quarter of next year. that is 10 million fewer than estimated. the iphone x's thousand dollar price may weaken demand. apple declined to comment on production arrangements. and astronauts on the international space station celebrated christmas with floating gifts and star wars, the last jedi. of course they did. a merry christmas from the international space station. he's one of three nasa crew members who opened gifts yesterday from families and friends. he also described a private screening on board of the newest "star wars" movie. imagine watching that in out of space. >> and they're sipping, you know, whatever the frozen astronaut food that they would have to do. >> it is not a christmas story but it will have to do. well, united airlines is apologizing to a teacher who says she was forced to move from first class to economy. what?

ahead, the teacher tells what happened when she took a picture of the congresswoman who took her seat. hey! yeah!? i switched to geico and got more! more savings on car insurance!? they helped with homeowners, too! ok! plus motorcycle, boat and rv insurance! geico's got you covered! like a blanket! houston? you seeing this? geico. expect great savings and a whole lot more.

you or joints. something for your heart... geico. but do you take something for your brain. with an ingredient originally found in jellyfish, prevagen is the number one selling brain-health supplement in drug stores nationwide. prevagen. the name to remember. i'm and i'm an emt.erer when i get a migraine at work, it's debilitating. if i call out with a migraine, that's one less ambulance to serve a community. i just don't want to let these people down. excedrin migraine. relief that works as hard as you do. give you bare feet, backsweat,

and gordo's... everything. i love you, but sometimes you stink. soft surfaces trap odors. febreze fabric refresher cleans them away for good. because the things you love the most can stink. and plug in febreze to keep your whole room fresh for up to 45 days. breathe happy with febreze. and lose weight with contrave. it's fda-approved to help adults who are overweight or struggle with obesity lose weight and keep it off. contrave is believed to work on two areas of the brain: your hunger center... i'm so hungry. (avo) and your reward system... ice cream. french fries. (avo) to help control cravings. one ingredient in contrave may increase suicidal thoughts or actions in some children, teens, and young adults in the first few months. serious side effects are mood changes like depression and mania, seizures, increased blood pressure or heart rate, liver damage, glaucoma, allergic reactions, and hypoglycemia.

not for patients with uncontrolled blood pressure, seizure history, anorexia, bulimia, drug or alcohol withdrawal, on bupropion, opioids, maois, allergy to the ingredients, or pregnant. may cause nausea, constipation, headache, and vomiting. reduce hunger, help control cravings with contrave. now you an talk to a doctor online and get free shipping at getcontravenow.com.

>> a fire in north philadelphia. it happened around 2:30 this morning, in the 2200 block of north eighth street. firefighters quickly gained the upper hands, and investigators tell "eyewitness news," the fire was the result after domestic dispute, we're told nobody was injured. >> let's sends it right over to katie fehlinger and the eyewitness weather forecast. >> joe, cold day for sure, actually the warmest. next seven. that will climb. so, we are in for a stretch of some pretty cold weather, and storm scan, things are quiet and they'll stay that way. current temperatures for the most part into the 20's, but do you have to factor in a wind not as strong as a wind of yesterday but enough it knocks i would say about 10 degrees off during any

given point of the day for what it actually feels like. so you can't necessarily go by the thermometer today, but just know it will be cold right through the forecast and next shot for snow happens on friday. pat? >> perhaps due to those cold temperatures, we're seeing some water main breaks in the area this morning. but we start you off on major roadways, this is the vine street expressway. between 95 and the schuylkill expressway. right around broad street. no delays right here, and no delays either on the ben franklin bridge, day after christmas a lot of people taking off, but do have water main blake northeast philly, holme avenue at willits road, the road closed use welsh or grant to get around. >> thank you so much. 8:25, coming our next update. coming up: so many of the hottest tech

t comes to cancer treatment centers of america in philadelphia, she's coming for the multimodal therapy where the specialists form a treatment plan together. we were looking for a cancer team that would help us decide the best course of action. we have so many tools at our center. this is what attracted amy all the way from new york. these were people who were experts in their field. and for us that was the best choice. learn more about our breast center at cancercenter.com slash philadelphia.

♪ it's tuesday, december 26th, 2017. welcome back to cbs this morning. ahead, the travel trouble for millions who may get home late from christmas because of bad weather. plus, the hottest tech items from the holidays and a new generation of gadgets to look for, but first, here's today's eye opener. >> americans could see flight delays and dangerous road conditions after more than a foot of snow fell in parts of the country. >> that weather system will head southeast bringing with it a mix of sleet, snow, ice and rain. despite all the talk of the president getting back to work there is nothing on his schedule today and when we asked the white house who he'll be meeting with or talking over the phone they would only tell us quote,

we will keep you all posted over the next several days. >> the allegations aimed at vice employees including its current president range from unwanted kissing to propositions for sex. >> what are some of the best selling gifts this holiday season? >> home improvement materials are really hot sellers. the instapot which is like a steamer and a pressure cooker. >> i actually got one of those for christmas. >> this was the first christmas in puerto rico since hurricane marie where a devastated the island. local engineers estimate roughly half of puerto rico's 3.3 million people are still without electricity. >> to the endzone, reaches it in. >> you see what the steelers have done throughout the season with their touchdown celebrations? how about a snowball fight oh, he's taking him out. pretty good arm right there. >> they were having some fun on christmas. >> it's so great to see the nfl that you used to say the no fun

league, it's fun again. >> and we're having fun this early morning. right? >> of course we are. >> happy post christmas. norah and gayle are off enjoying some well deserved time off. a white christmas is turning into travel misery for millions of americans this morning. snow covered the ground from portland to oregon to portland, maine, yesterday. forecasters said a blizzard could bring 50-mile-per-hour wind gusts and up to 10 inches of snow in parts of new ienglan. >> parts of the great lakes saw record breaking snowfall and more is on the way. some have minus double digit windchills. officials say they can cause frostbite in as little as ten minutes. demarco morgan is at newark international airport with the travel impact. >> reporter: good morning to you. dozens of flights have been delayed and many of them cancelled causing travel headaches. for so many people across the country, but here at newark

airport things appear to be moving smoothly but it's a different story for so many other people in parts of the country. a blizzard warning was issued for parts of maine and new hampshire. forecasters say this storm could make travel dangerous to impossible and warn frigid temperatures are on the way. at boston's logan airport one flight skidded off the runway while landing last night. hours earlier dangerous conditions shut down the airport delaying 240 flights. nearly 3 feet of snow pounded the area of pennsylvania and that's an all-time daily snow record and made roads virtually impassable. whiteout conditions expected in the great lakes region as snow continues to fall. the national weather service says these conditions will continue through wednesday and that's bad news for many travelers who are just trying to get home after the holidays. >> all right. i guess the news is be safe out there. take it slow. president trump says he is back to business after celebrating christmas at his

florida resort. first lady melania trump tweeted a selfie during the guamfamily gathering. >> the white house says the agenda includes partnering with congress on the federal budget along with infrastructure and international security. a spokesman said mr. trump would like to host an official state visit early in the new year. he's the first president since the 1920s to end his first year in office without a state dinner for a visiting leader. palestinian leaders are blasting guatemala's plan to move its embassy to jerusalem. guatemala is the first one trito follow the trump example. the u.s. mission to the u.n. announced on sunday negotiated a cut of $285 million to the u.n. budget. the u.s. pays for about 22% of u.n. spending.

and in a statement u.n. ambassador said quote, we will no longer let the generosity of the american people be taken advantage of. she said the budget cut is a big step in the right direction. united airlines says it has apologized to a customer who accused the airline of giving her first class ticket to a congresswoman. she tweeted out saying united gave her seat to the congresswoman without her consent or knowledge. united says they upgraded the congresswoman after the other passenger cancelled her flight. the passenger denies she cancelled her ticket. jackson lee said she did nothing wrong but if it is perceived that i had anything to do with this, i am kind enough to simply say sorry. >> mariah carey is getting a second chance to countdown to midnight on tv. carey will take the stage again. this year on new year's eve in times square. she tweeted the news over the

weekend and wrote, take two. you guys remember last year? you remember it didn't go so well. take a look. >> i can't hear, but i'll just go through the motions. okay? all right. >> so some technical problems led to carey to talking over the prerecorded music. she and the production company blamed each other, but she is now set to try again on sunday night. >> everyone deserves a second chance. >> and we love mariah. >> all i want for christmas yesterday was mariah carey. >> perfect song. get back on the horse. she can do it. the best mountain climbers are always looking for their next challenge. only on cbs this morning an elite group enduring the pain of subfreezing temperatures .

many of the holiday buys came from the tech world. that's a nintendo switch. why that game console made history in 2007. plus, the tech gifts you might want to get for next year. you're watching "cbs this morning."

the final days of toyotathon with most popular models. our like the adventurous rav4, well equipped corolla, sporty new 2018 camry and more. and that means huge year end savings for a very short time. right now during toyotathon. get great year end savings on a huge selection of our most popular models. offer ends january second. for great deals on other toyota's visit toyota.com

this is short too. toyota let's go places. you wof your daily routine, so why treat your mouth any differently? complete the job with listerine® help prevent plaque, early gum disease, bad breath and kill up to 99.9% of germs. listerine® bring out the bold™ but on the inside, i feel to most people, i look like chronic, widespread pain. fibromyalgia may be invisible to others, but my pain is real. fibromyalgia is thought to be caused by overactive nerves. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i'm glad my doctor prescribed lyrica. for some, lyrica delivers effective relief for moderate to even severe fibromyalgia pain. and improves function. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions, suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worse depression, unusual changes in mood or behavior, swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, muscle pain with fever,

tired feeling, or blurry vision. common side effects: dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain, swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who've had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. with less pain, i can do more with my family. talk to your doctor today. see if lyrica can help.

the national retail federation expects holiday shopping to bring around $7 billion this year. according to one survey, 68% of americans plan to give tech items as gifts. digital voice assistants like the amazon echo or google home were some of this year's top sellers and the nintendo switch sold more than 10 million units after the launch. dan, great to have you here. we saw some of the products in the green room. >> we did. >> talk about the best sellers, but let's start with the

lackluster headline from apple, their iphone xs are not selling like they were expected to. >> i think we might have hit a natural price ceiling, what people feel comfortable paying for a phone. $1,000, even though the previous phones if you added accessories et cetera, that could get up higher and higher. i think people expected this phone would be hard to get. they were pretty easy to find but maybe people got scared off. >> the $1,000. that's a little high. >> it's just too high. >> so one thing you're a big fan of is this high end speaker that has alexa built into it. >> yeah, everybody likes the amazon echo, but the speaker built into it is not great for music even though it's such a great device for streaming music from amazon, from spotify. sonos one has alexa built in. a lot of companies are adding alexa so you don't have to goat

the amazon hardware. this thing sounds really good for $200. it's one of the things people at the scene at offices are always grabbing and needing to % borrow -- >> yeah. virtual reality, something i had a chance to try last year and if you haven't it's absolutely amazing and now prices are dropping. >> you really need to try it and experience it. you can tell somebody about it but until you see it that's how they're going to sell them by getting people to see them and by lowering the prices, you know, the main ones started at like $600 plus accessories. now it's down to 400. the play station vr, they dropped it down to $200 this holiday season and it works with the play station 4 console you already have so you're really seeing the prices come down. it's been interesting to see more people get into this because it's such an experience but you can't see it on tv or a screen. >> and all of this sounds familiar because my husband should be sitting with you.

he's a tech gadget freak as well and he has told me about this amazon key which allows amazon to unlock your product and leave it if your home. how does that work? >> we're always talking about getting products delivered. amazon is starting to offer an option, you have them install a smart lock and other hard work and they can give delivery people access to your house to bring your packages in and then leave. obviously a lot of people are uncomfortable with this concept, but it's an interesting way to extend that smart home experience from just having let's say a smart lock or a smart camera and actually bringing the store into the process. >> you and i and almost all americans are video game nerds. let's talk about the nintendo switch, a very hot product as well as pressure cookers. i got the pressure cooker, didn't get the switch, but it is one of the fastest selling consoles in nintendo history. >> it is. i also got an instant pot for my

wife. i'm not sure what it does. >> i think we have enough video games. >> the switch really surprised me pleasantly. it sounded very overly complex. the tablet that you could play on, little controllers that pop off from the sides but it's that rare come by nax bination of had software and people love it because it brought back that family style play together. you can split the screen and play a racing game with your family members. i play with my son all the time. he plays with his friends so i think it's that social utility more than the actual games and the tech stuff that made this a hit. >> video games bringing people together. >> how many times did we say amazon in this segment? >> they either make the stuff or they sell the stuff or they deliver the stuff. >> taking over the world. >> thank you. a master organizer is helping to declutter the world one skeptic at a time. ahead, the woman leading an army of home organizers working to

join you find joy in your bel g belongin belongings. you're watching "cbs this morning." doctor. doctor. i played a doctor on tv, but now i'm helping save lives for real. starting with my own. i'm partnering with cigna healthspring to remind everyone how important preventive care is for people my age.

see anything, doctor? looks great, doctor. and with cigna healthspring medicare advantage, you get a team of doctors overseeing your health. most preventive services are covered. so go, know, and take control of your health. oh... use mine, doctor. cigna healthspring. together, all the way.

your home may be cluttered with christmas gifts this morning, but one japanese woman is building up a team to declutter the world. she earned a following of enthusiastic organizers with her best selling book, the life changing magic of tidying up. her organizing technique became a global phenomenon. she encourages people to remove items from their homes that don't spark joy. how her methods are helping people cut through the mess to see what they are missing in life. >> how would you want to use this space and experience this space in a -- if you would wave a magic wand? >> she might not have a wand but to her clients decluttering

consultant is a magician. >> and this is my basement. and showing it to you feels a little bit like going to confession. >> she's counting on her to help her get her home in order. the process requires a piece by piece review of each possession. >> through the hanging clothes over here as much as possible. >> they began by making a mountain of clothes. >> what's your reaction to the pile? >> it feels good to see it. i think in a strange way it feels less scattered to see it all together because then now i feel like i know what i'm working with. >> whether an item stays or goes, depends on one question. does it spark joy? >> it does spark joy. this one, no. >> items that do not are thanked for their service. >> this does not spark joy. it feels like its purpose has been fulfilled. >> gratitude is central to the method. and then given away.

so don't stack it up. store them next to each other. >> the simple revealing process is the brain child of new york times best selling author marie condo. >> it's like oragami for clothes. >> yes. her first book has sold 6.8 million copies in over 40 countries. the guide to parring down, less clutter means more room for the things that bring joy to your life. >> what is it that makes you re-evaluate your own life. >> translator: the process of cleaning is to bring a fresh eye to each and everything you own. why did it buy this? does it make me happy now? you have a conversation with yourself via your stuff. by cleaning you can do a status check. >> the petite japanese woman is now leading a worldwide movement. training an army of consultants

to bring her method to homes across the globe. each consultant runs an independent business but bapaysn annual feel to the company. her method has its skeptics. one of the early clients was one of them. >> the idea of going through your sock drawer and finding truths about your soul seemed a little farfetched. sweater, dress shoes -- >> but months after completing his own cleanout, wilser decided to pare down his belongs to a couple of suitcases so he could travel the world. we caught up with him days before he left. >> no joy, no joy, no joy. i got to my hiking boots. yeah, i really enjoy hiking. the decision to do a more dramatic departure didn't happen till months later but i do think

it subconsciously in a subtle way helps clarify or even suggest some values. >> cbs, new york. speaking for all people in a new york city apartment, we could use this. the problem is being able to separate yourself from something. you might find joy in later. >> whatever joy it may bring me, i think would just be diminished by the stress i'd get from worrying about missing something. >> i think a lot of americans are like that. they say well, no, i really like this. no, i really like that. >> i might want it later. >> i might want to use it later. i attempted to do it and the photo on my instagram, he still has 300 black t-shirts. >> well, my husband text me and he said we should hire this woman #clean it out. >> get rid of some shoes that way. climbing a mountain is hard enough. imagine scaling a wall of rock and ice in antarctica. ahead only on cbs this morning see why these thrill seekers are

forging new paths at the end o good morning, i'm rahel solomon, investigators believe propane tank caused the fire that destroyed two count in delaware, our friends called to the 300 block of bay avenue just after 7:00 last night, one person was hurt when she tried to run back into a home and fell. the fire is still under vehicles. time 8:25, let's get a check of the forecast. katie cold morning out there. >> definitely chilly couple every days coming up too, rahel. you have quiet weather the next couple of days, will be bottom out, and today actually the warmest day of the next seven, let me show you what's up hires first, pretty clear sky, you can see, if you look closely the movement. water out there on the delaware, so there is still some winds to speak of.

feels like value making it feel little colder surges i would knock about 10 degrees for feels like temperature in fact for the better part of the day, but not the harsh necessary of yesterday's winds meanwhile only feels like the teens coldest day thursday, only a 25 for hi, friday, saturday, next chance for precipitation/snow in our area >> thank you, cold morning and the roadways not too bad today this is look at 422 eastbound and it is the ramp to trooper here, and on the patch of lands between the two ramps, we have disable vehicle, really not causing too many slow-downs in the area but over in new jersey, 295, if i can get that to work, we have an accident involving a tractor-trailer, 295, approaching route 38, the right lane block, you can see the speeds down, then water main break, we told but earlier, west german town pike in east norriton, closed between hillcrest and stand bridge, rahel? >> pat, thank you. next update 8:55, ahead on cbs

this morning ll cool jane, stra do you need the most trusted battery this holiday? maybe not. maybe, you could trust the world would be just as happy without them. (screaming) or, you could just trust duracell.

♪ it's beginning to look a lot like christmas ♪

a beautiful start to the day. welcome back. time to show you some of the morning's headlines. the wall street journal says president trump spent nearly one third of his first year in office at trump owned properties. he spent nearly 40 days at his golf club in new jersey. he spent another 40 days in mar-a-lago in palm beach florida where he is now spending the holidays. people who study ethics say the visits can highlight a conflict of interest. >> hollywood is mourning the death of heather menzie-urich.

she is of course best known for playing the child in the sound of music. she was 15 when that movie came out. she continued to act and was also married to tv star robert urich. she died sunday in canad after recently learning she had brain cancer. she was 68. and sports illustrated has an open letter from larry fitzgerald of the cardinals to senator john mccain. fitzgerald says the two have become friends since he's been playing for the cardinals. he said christmas is a perfect time to remember mccain's sacrifices for our country and his bravery as a vietnam war pow. fitzgerald wrote, today, my friend again finds himself in a battle. this time it's with cancer. i pray he lives another 20 years and his legacy will outlive us all. antarctica might not be the first place to look for an adventure. thousands of climbers around the world focus on famous peaks.

but only a handful have tried to climb the isolated and frozen granite walls at the bottom of the world. only on cbs this morning we're introducing you to the north face climbing team that took on the chilling challenge to summit six mountains in antarctica. >> we're going to antarctica, oh, yeah. >> when this massive cargo plane lifted up from cape town, south africa, it was carrying 1,700 pounds of extreme cold weather gear and six of the best rock climbers and mountaineers in the world. >> we made it on to the continent. >> reporter: their destination almost six hours flight due south, a rugged and remote region of antarctica. >> there's kind of an elliptical ring of mountains and there's six peaks with walls between 2 and 3,000 feet tall.

>> reporter: those walls which very few people have ever seen, much less scaled are irresistible. >> the fact that it's always below freezing makes its a challenge for wall climbers. the remoteness, the cliff face and the temperature, any one of them can get us, but all three together, you always have to manage that risk on a day-to-day basis. >> reporter: yosemite search and rescue vet came up for the idea for the all-star antarctica adventure. >> if you go out into the center of that continent, you find one of the most impressive ranges of granite in the world. i look at it as a frozen yosemite. each of those formations is at least if not bigger than el cap. it brings them to this really wild and severe environment. >> yosemite and its sheer grant monster el capitan is the most famous training grounds for

expeditions like this and no one has conquered el capitan like alex. this past june he achieved the holy grail of rock climbing, a ropeless solo free climb up its 3,000 foot face. his biggest challenge in antarcti antarctica, temperatures hovering right around freezing and below. >> my lips aren't too chapped. life is good here in antarctica. >> when you first touch cold rock your fingers will get numb but after the initial numbing blood rushes back to your fingers. it really hurts when the blood rushes back into your fingertips. you want to scream and it makes you feel sick. >> reporter: jimmy chin's long career has acclimated him to the cold. >> this is my happy place. >> reporter: but that happens when you accomplish feats like he did in 2006 when he skied off the summit of mount everest. it might seem all downhill from everest to antarctica, but for chin, none of it would be possible without el capitan.

>> you have to be really comfortable on el cap in order to go down and think about climbing, because you drop the temperature from 70 degrees to negative 20 and you put it in someplace that's totally inaccessible and remote. the stakes become quite a bit higher. >> reporter: the stakes for anna and her climbing partner are even higher. they're the only women on this expedition, which is the sort of journey that typically is all male. they hope the trip helps them move the sport forward. >> i would like to get more women in the sport of doing this kind of stuff. there's still the stigma that the mountains are made for men. i've had people say these things to me before. and what it's done to me is it's just made me want to try harder. >> anna and savannah are every bit as capable as the dudes on our team. everybody should go to antarctica and climb a big wall,

or six. >> those stunning images come from the documentary film crew which captured every moment of this incredible expedition and in the new year they will join us here at the table on cbs this morning with more footage and stories from their alpine adventures at the bottom of the world. i love seeing the skies that we were -- the everest guys that wrp following. congratulating them and saying reach these goals. >> like a family. >> i love seeing the women too. >> it's so inspirational. i feel so inadequate. >> i'll stay here at the table. >> i feel inadequate but i'll stay right here. coming up, ll cool j says you can learn a lot from clothing. >> one of my biggest lessons was like being a little kid trying to get a turtle neck over my big head. it's like, when you got a big head and you're a little kid and you got that turtle neck, and

i'd be going crazy. trying to get a turtle neck over your head can teach you a lot about life. >> what do you learn? >> i learned that you got to be patient. >> i love him. ahead, how the kennedy center honoree got started in hip hop and what he says is the hardest part mii'm alive and have a second chance. james: i'm thankful for the help and the opportunity that i received.

darlene: i'm thankful to be able to help people in crisis. vanessa: i'm thankful that addiction is treatable, and that help is available. christie: new jersey is experiencing a heroin epidemic fueled by opioid painkillers. but if you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, i want you to know: we are here for you. this holiday season, choose help. call 844 reach nj or visit reachnj.gov.

- hi, i'm joan lunden. join me and the centers for disease control and prevention for our series. - [narrator] your health with joan lunden and the cdc every tuesday and thursday on cbs 3 at 6:00 a.m. during commercial time. sponsored by nacdd, with support from the centers for disease control and prevention. visit cdc.gov/diabetestv.

♪ that is rapper bust a rhyme's paying tribute to ll cool j this month performing mama said knock you out at the kennedy center honors. ll cool j is the first rapper ever to be chosen for the prestigious award. the two time grammy winner tells anthony mason that his place in this ceremony is proof that dreams don't have deadlines. >> he was one of rap's first solo stars. when a kid from queens named james todd smith found his alter ego, ll cool j, he found his ticket out. >> what did you hear in hip hop

and rap? >> when you grow up in the inner city, you feel like nobody cares about you. you feel like -- you feel invisible. so the first time i heard these young black men rapping on these records, saying these rhymes -- >> they sounded powerful. >> they sounded powerful and in them sounding powerful it made me feel powerful. >> his grandfather bought him a dj system and as a teenager he started making tapes. >> you were 16 when you sent a tape? >> i sent a tape to rick ruben at his dormitory in nyu. >> auditions are over today. next week maybe we can work something out. >> ruben was launching deaf jam

records. >> yeah, five university place was the address. >> you remember it. >> yeah. >> was that the phone number too? >> yeah. i would call him. ricky, get the tape yet? nope. >> but when ruben finally heard it he invited the young happener to recor -- rapper to record. and he had to decide on a stage name. i talked to rick and i was like, i'm thinking ladies love cool james. how about we just make it ll? i was like, yeah, ll marks the spot. >> in 1985, "i need a beat." was the first release. it sold 100,000 copies. radio, ll cool j's first album would sell a million. his stage shows also electrifying.

♪ >> hip hop suddenly had a heart throb, but rap also had its trap. >> i think that so many people fall in love with themselves overnight, you know. >> were you tempted to fall in love with yourself at any point? >> i think i had -- there were times in my life when i was probably -- i was never -- the more i think about it, yeah, absolutely, i think i went crazy. >> and he heard about it one night from his audience. >> i was just celebrating so i had mink on and rope chains and, you know, and i got booed. >> what did you make of the boos in the moment? >> oh, it hurt. it hurt. but it also inspired and motivated me. >> in 1990 he bounced back with "mama said knock you out."

>> some people call that a comeback album. you said don't call it a comeback. >> yeah. because i -- i didn't go anywhere. >> on his way to ten platinum recor records, he grew interested in acting. but something held him back. >> it was a period where i was like, well, i can't really act because i don't like taking my hat off so i decided not to act for about ten years because i didn't want to take my hat off. >> you didn't. >> i promise you. i said i don't want to do it, i don't want to take my hat off. it's ridiculous. you can't write it. >> so what made you reconsider? >> debbie allen. >> can't we at least talk about

it for a minute? >> i'm taking it off. >> the actress who we worked with in the series "in the house" put the pressure on. >> and you said what? >> i said i don't want to do it. i don't want to do it. i don't want to do it. i can't do it. and then she said, you know, you got to do it. i said, you're right. >> somebody's been busy in here. >> he spent nine seasons now on the cbs series ncis los angeles, playing agent sam hannah. >> for you, what's the hardest part about acting? >> when you have to really go to some dark places and really tap into some pain in order to bring something to life. >> one of the darkest places for ll, a childhood shooting in which his father wounded his mother and grandfather. >> you were four. >> yeah, but i remember it vividly. >> you do? >> i can see it vividly. >> how much of it did you see?

>> i saw the aftermath. i heard the things happen, shots go off and then i heard -- i went and saw the aftermath. i saw all the blood and i went to the linen closet and got a bunch of towels and walked around the other way. >> his mother recovered and his parents separated, but his mom allowed his dad back into their son's life. >> that's a really huge gesture. >> that's -- that's some next level stuff. i've never really asked her why she did that. >> why she did that. >> but he came to his on conclusions. >> sometimes people make mistakes and they need a little mercy. >> there have been a lot of challenges for ll cool j who will turn 50 in january. >> so when you end up at the

kennedy center -- >> when you end up at the kennedy center, you realize, you know, what man, that was really an guest all odds story. and you realize how lucky and blessed you are. that's why i tell you, it's amazing. >> ladies love cool james. i mean, the idea -- his lyrics are so powerful, you know, putting suckers in fear, but when you meet him he's like the nicest guy. he's such a gentleman. >> the infectious smile. he does not age and you know, i was lucky enough to be there that night and of course all of the honorees got a round of applause, standing ovation, but there was something about when his name was mentioned and he's the first rap artist to be honored there, there was an extra special love given to him. >> so much authenticity from him

and it's like opening up this artistic world and saying this is a part of us too and we need to start honoring that as well. >> he's got a great head, i don't know what he's worried about. >> rocking his peers. congratulations ll cool j. you can see the kennedy honors tonight at 9:00, 8:00 central right here on cbs. >> and we'll be right back. you're watching "cbs this morning."

what a fun morning. >> it's been great. we get to do it all week. >> and it's warm too. we're not outside.

hope everyone at home stays warm too. that does it for

this is cbs-3 "eyewitness news." >> good morning, i'm joe holden. the eagles lock up the top seed in the nfc after 19-ten win over the oakland raiders. the game was tied at ten minutes less than one minute in the fourth quarter and the eagles darby intercept the ball, moments later, jake elliot, gives the birds the lead with this 48-yard field goal, the raiders had one last chance, but they would eventually fumble the ball, derrick barnett picks it up, for one last time, eagles again beating the raiders 19- ten, birds will host the dallas coy bows next sunday afternoon. and how is weather shaping up? we send it over to katie fehlinger in the weather center it will be cold, i'll tell you that, we've got very chim i nare place, this is the warmest day of the next seven. so, really, really cold

conditions. now, not like we've never seen it before, but pretty extense i have cold snap. stay quiet, few clouds currently overhead, more blue skies than sunshine but it is very chill which current feels like values at best in the teens in most location it is not a lot worse in places like poconos, where you're feeling more sub zero than anything. next couple every days stay quiet, just cold, then friday, saturday, renewed potential for some snow. pat? >> katie we're at the mercy of the cameras obviously, and there was disable vehicle out here i assure you, but since cleared off, route 202 southbound, at route 29. as you can see, not affecting traffic in that area. just want to make note of t over here in new jersey, 295 northbound approaching route 38, the right lane block due to accident. where there is a tractor-trailer involved. and we have couple of water main breaks in the area northeast philly, use grant, east norriton, between hillcrest and san bridge street, causing some ice on

the roadway due to water main bridge. >> thank you so much. that's "eyewitness news" for now, join us for "eyewitness news" at noon. i'm joe holden. good morning.

advertisement for the 3 week yoga retreat. brought to you by beachbody. - are you a woman of a certain age? if you are, pull up a chair and sit with me, because this is for you. i'm leeza gibbons and it was a big year for me, i turned 60, and i'm all about aging gracefully with empowerment, and all of that, but let's be real, there are some parts about getting older that are just hard. - all the symptoms of menopause from a to z, i have them. - my body is changing. - i'm not as flexible as i used to be. - i'm anxious, i don't sleep. - my back hurts, my legs hurt. - my daughter said to me one day, mom, you need to stop taking care of everybody, and start taking care of you. - sound familiar? yeah, a lot of it did to me too, but i found a program that worked perfectly for me. yoga. i know, yes, yoga, and i know what you're