>> axelrod: the democratface off in their final debate of the year, but it's a computer breach taking center stage. the snow shuffles in to buffalo finally, but no one's smiling at the weather out west. a hero's sacrifice. a high school football player dies in a shooting shielding others with his body. and author mitch albom on the failure behind his grand-scale success. >> the effort that i put in to achieve what i've been able to do in the world of writing is a direct result of my failure. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news." >> axelrod: good evening. i'm jim axelrod.

be cast in a little more than six weeks, the democratic candidates for president are getting ready for their third debate. hillary clinton and bernie sanders will take the stage tonight in manchester, new hampshire, but the campaigns have been battling each other all day. clinton aides accused sanders' staff irs of stealing information about their strategy during a data breach. the democratic national committee punished sanders by cutting off access to its database for two days. julianna goldman is in manchester to sort it all out. >> reporter: with one side charging theft and the other alleging favoritism, both campaigns set the stage for what could be a fiery debate. >> obviously, it was totally unethical to steal our data. >> reporter: clinton campaign manager rooby mook said they still don't know if the sanders campaign kept the voter data they accessed earlier this week. >> they've now agreed to have an independent odd toit make sure they no longer have any of our

explanation of what their staff did. >> reporter: sanders' campaign manager jeff weaver focused his fire on the d.n.c. for temporarily cutting them off from their own voter files. >> the decision of the d.n.c. chair woman to issue a death penalty to the sanders campaign is a real concern. there is no data we are aware of that is in the possession of our campaign or the possession of any of our staffers. >> reporter: sanders and fellow democratic candidate martin o'malley have long argued the d.n.c. has favored clinton. but until this later controversy, the democratic race has largely premaind civil. like during the first debate when sanders gave clinton a pass on her use of a private e-mail server while secretary of state. >> the american people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn e-mails. >> thank you. me, too. me, too. >> reporter: the question is will clinton return the favor tonight? >> we hope that this will be a debate about the issues.

families are sitting in their living rooms wondering about what data bernie sanders stole. >> reporter: in the wake of the paris and san bernardino attacks, we still expect the major focus tonight to be on national security. bernie sanders was criticized for avoiding this issue at the last debate. discussing it. and, jim, hillary clinton has been emphasizing her national security credentials more and more on the stump. >> axelrod: julianna goldman on the campaign trail in new hampshire. thank you. john dickerson is cbs news political director and moderator of "face the nation." he joins us from washington. another john, six weeks and two days until the iowa caucuses. what kind of degree of difficulty does this data breach controversy present bernie sanders? >> reporter: well, bernie sanders already had a challenge going spot debate tonight, which is that he needed a keep a sharp line on the definition between his campaign and hillary clinton's, really get his message across. this puts a huge obstacle in

it's an unforced error but also because hillary clinton, who had nothing to do with it, is able to play the aggrieved party, which brings sympathy to her as well. sanders has to get around to all of that before he can get back to the central task which is drawing a distinction with hillary clinton. >> axelrod: let's turn to the republicans. tomorrow you will have marco rubio on "face the nation." you had a chance to interview him. let's take a listen to what he had to say. >> reporter: with should they be making a larger question is ted cruz being honest? >> i think when you spend your whole time telling people you're a clear talker and you say what you mine and everyone else is a sellout but you're the only purist, i think it's fair to say hold on a second. here is where you have been in past on some issues and here is where you are now. the truth is everyone running on the republican side supports strong, conservative positions. we have some differences on some issues and we should discuss those. >> axelrod: we're seeing an uptick in spencity between rubio and cruz.

>> that escalated quickly. it's getting very tense between the two of them in part because the dates are drawing near when people are actually going to do the voting. what's interesting about that clip is marco rubio is saying they have more than a discrepancy on their record on immigration. what he's saying essentially is ted cruz is not trustworthy and this is a larger claim he's making about whether he tells the truth about what he believed in the past. once you go to, that then you're really in serious territory. >> axelrod: john dickerson, moderator of "face the nation." thank you. and you can see more of john's interviews with marco rubio and jeb bush tomorrow morning on "face the nation." in san bernardino, california, the family of the husband and wife who killed 14 people at a holiday party began clearing out the couple's home. syed farook's mother removed valuables from his town home in redland, california. last night, president obama stopped in san bernardino en route to his holiday vacation in hawaii to meet with the families of victims. carter evans reports.

visit to san bernardino friday night, president obama and the first lady met with each of the families of the 14 people killed in the december 2 massacre. >> despite pain and the heartache that they're feeling, they could not have been more inspiring. >> reporter: among those, mandy pifer, whose boyfriend, shannon johnson, died while protecting others. >> i mean, it was a very intmat meeting. it wasn't just "sorry for your loz. we're out of here." they were there for over two hours. >> reporter: more than two weeks after the attack, southern california remains on edge. ( screaming ) >> reporter: there was panic at an orange county mall last night when during a fight between two teenagers someone heard a loud noise and stis team coverage thought it was a gunshot. extra officers are visible at los angeles international airport and security is very much on the minds of travelers like ari slauson. >> you think about what's going to happen next and where is it going to be and there are so

now, you never know. it's pretty scary. >> reporter: on friday, hundreds of l.a. law enforcement officers practiced responding to a paris-style terror strike that targets several locations. l.a.p.d. chief charlie beck. >> all of us are constantly in fear and preparation for the day when we have to protect this city against multiple attacks. >> reporter: still, after meeting with the victims and first responders in san bernardino, the president made a plea for some perspective. >> even as we are vigilant about preventing terrorist attacks from happening, we have to remind ourselves of the overwhelming good that exists out there. >> reporter: carter evans, cbs news, los angeles. >> axelrod: winter doesn't officially begin until tuesday, but winter weather is already a problem on both sides of the country. heavy rain is falling along much of the pacific coast, causing mudslides as far south as the hollywood hills. and as marlie hall reports, snow

the northeast where they've been waiting for it. >> reporter: nearly two feet of lake-effect snow blanketed upstate new york. in the town of constableville, 24 inches and counting. in buffalo, a city known for snow, the wait for winter is over. the area hasn't seen measurable snowfall this late in the season for more than 100 years. the national weather service says up to a foot of snow could fall there before the weekend is over. >> i can't feel my toes. >> reporter: in northwestern washington state, the snow took many by surprise, clght the state patrol. >> we just have a lot of snow out here on the roads and we have to turn everybody around. >> reporter: bad news for skiers stuck behind road closures trying to get to the slopes and cause for celebration for those who made it. >> it's great, yeah, it's really nice. >> reporter: but in florence, oregon, landslides turned deadly. a 70-year-old woman was killed friday when a flood of dirt,

in nearby newport, landslides damaged several more homes after a hillside gave way. fire chief robert murphy says residents. >> this is one of the more significant ones that we've had in newport that i can remember. >> reporter: rain and snow could cause delays for christmas travelers both on the roads and in the air, including both coasts. but for places in the northwest, temperatures will return to the 60ss, and it could be one of jim. >> axelrod: marlie hall, thank you. extreme heat is feeling an epidemic of wildfires in australia. as jonathan vigliotti reports, nearly every part of that country is affected. >> reporter: the flames swallowed farmland and shut down the main road between melbourne and sydney. >> i had to back out and get out of there as quick as i could, the fires raced through grass lands, destroying buildings, leaves thousands without power.

evacuated. >> we department know what to take so we had to leave everything pretty much and just get ourselves and the animals out. >> reporter: the country is in the middleave four-day record heat wave with temperatures reaching 104 degrees. hundreds have been hospitalized due to the excessive heat. australian officials say lightning combined with with dry conditions and strong winds sparked more than 300 separate wildfires in the state of victoria on saturday. 200 fire crews have been work day and night, supported by more than 50 aircraft. rain and cooler temperatures sunday are expected to help, but authorities warned the danger is far from over. jonathan vigliotti, cbs news, london. >> axelrod: defense secretary ash carter says friday's airstrike by u.s. forces that killed a number of iraqi soldiers was "a mistake." the incident occurred near the city of fallujah, west of baghdad. nine soldiers and an officer

this is the last saturday before christmas, known, of course, as super saturday in some retail circles because of its recent history outcoming black friday by a wide margin. meg oliver now on who gets the bigger define, shoppers or shop owners. >> reporter: two purses, perfume and a few kitchen gageets later, frank derstra says it pays to procastinate. did you find better deals? >> today i probably saved 500 bucks. it's estimated 75% of americans are not finished shopping for christmas yet. >> i still have more to do. presents do you have to buy? >> six or seven. >> reporter: deep discounts drive many to wait until the last minute, like jenny markham. >> this sweater i wasn't going to buy because pfs expensive, and i came thinking i'm going to half. so, yes, in this cases it was probably worth doing. >> reporter: 80% of americans are looking for at least 60% off or more, nothing less.

says savvy shoppers will find those impressive bargains this year. have define trained consumers the longer way thought the deeper the discount may be. this year in the apparel category there is a lot of inventory and you can see discounts of 40% to 60%, and as we get closer to christmas day, outerwear, seasonal goods, we're discounts. >> reporter: compared to last year, shopping at malls is down 20%, leaving retailers to count lost sales. >> this weekend is very important, but i don't see malls on life support. you have autopsy rates that still remain quite high. you have retailerses whose balance sheets are very strong. overall, when consumers are going they're spending more this year than last year. >> reporter: they do a lot of that buying here at target. tend to be one of the busiest christmas. jim, one retail expert told us that more americans this year plan to wrap up their christmas eve. years.

days before christmas. thank you. still ahead on tonight's cbs evening news, an n.b.a. star needed a little extra coaching to perform a very important move. and a tennessee town mourns a high school football player who sacrificed his life to save others. luckily, alka seltzer plus cold and cough liquid gels. rush liquid fast relief to your tough cold symptoms. fast, powerful liquid gels from alka seltzer plus when a moment turns romantic why pause to take a pill? or stop to find a bathroom? pcialis for daily use is approved to treat both erectile dysfunction and the urinary symptoms of bph, like needing to gopfrequently, day or night. p tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache.

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up. i need you, wake up." >> reporter: two of the teenaged girls who zaevion dobson shielded from bullets have called the high school standout a hero. >> if not for zaevion, we would have shot. >> i have a military background. that's the action of heroes. >> reporter: david roush is knockville's police chief. he said zaevion was caught in the cross-fire of rival gangs. one who shot at zaevion was brandon perry. a group of men shot at brandon perry's home and brandon perry went to retaliate and in football star. >> that's exactly correct. >> reporter: the chief said perry was shot and killed by a rival gang three hours later. classmates honored the sophomore who grew up in a high-crime area of knoxville and became the potential. rob black was his coach.

a guy that, you know, worked harder than anybody, it seemed like, and a guy that made the right choices. and that gave him a chance, you know, to be successful. and he is a success story. >> reporter: as zaevion's family and football team prepare to bury him the day after christmas, knoxville police are still actively looking for three more gang members they say are suspects. s that's because police believe in total five dpaing members all fired randomly at zaevion and the teenagers around him. the three young girls who zaevion shielded were not hurt. >> axelrod: david begnaud with heartbreak in knoxville. thank you. celebrating a film that's an unstoppable force at the box office. new robitussin 12 hour delivers fast, powerful cough relief that lasts up to twelve hours. new robitussin 12 hour cough relief. because it's never just a cough. antlers on reindeer, gifts tied with laces polar bear noses, colorful faces candy canes wrapped

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it relieves cold symptoms without raising blood pressure. so look for powerful cold medicine with a heart. coricidin hbp. >> axelrod: christmas came early for a professional basketball player iman shumpert of the cleveland cavaliers. his fiance gave birth to a healthy baby girl at home. >> axelrod: shumpert caught the child in his hands and later called it an assist he will never forget. moviegoers are out in full force

heading into its first weekend, it has grossed more than a quarter billion dollars at the global box office. but for some fans, just watching the movie is not enough. this scene from san francisco where thousands gathered attempting to set record for the world's biggest lightsaber battle. no word yet if they did or did not. there is, of course, no try. mongolia is getting a piece of its history back. this skull from a tyrannosaurus bataar was poached in 2006, and later sold to actor nicolas cage for more than $230,000. this week, the u.s. government ordered it to be sent back. cage was apparently unaware the skull had been poached. manchester, new hampshire dedicated to the healing power of music has died. the director of the new york philharmonic, manchester, new

performance shortly after 9/11. he organized peace talks at his concert hall. he was 88 years old. still ahead, author mitch albom. how failure changed his tune and

. >> axelrod: when you've sold 35 million books, you're not used to talking about failure.

new book, and another deep dive into some of life's most important lessons. this time the capacity we have to touch another with our talents once we figure out what they are. like most good lessons, it's one the writer himself learned the hard way. before "tuesdays with morrie" became one of the bestselling memoirs of all time and "the five people you meet in heaven" sold 10 million copies in 35 different languages, mitch albom's dreams had nothing to do with writing. >> i was a musician when i began, and i always wanted to be a musician. i thought that's where my talent lay, really. i never wrote anything. >> axelrod: the piano player moved to new york, booked any joint he could while he knocked on record companies' doors, and got them all slammed in his face. was it painful that it didn't happen? >> yeah, it was the first time in my life that all the lights hadn't turned green.

in large part, your trajectory >> yeah. the effort that i put in to achieve what i've been able to do in the world of writing is a direct result of my failure. it took a long time before music wasn't a wound for me. time has healed that, and i can take joy in music again. >> axelrod: the result is his latest book "the magic strings of frankie presto" ." >> i created this amazing character called frankie presto who is so pure in his musical talent, that his guitar description actually turned blue when he changes somebody's life and he gets six chances in life his strings. >> axelrod: the message of frankie presto, this book, is what? >> there's a line that repeats itself often in the book. "everyone joins a band in life. only some of them play music." and that's the truth. you know, we all affect one

project as a book. the companion cd album gets real-life musicians to offer their takes on frankie's fictional songs. >> every time he hit a note, his heart was breaking. >> frankie had a hit song career. he had a number of hits they invented. i came up with the name. i came up with some lyrics. >> reporter: baby, i need you like a heart needs a soul." >> these artists they took the name, the lyric, and the year the song was supposed to come out, and they made a song. essentially, they remade songs that never existed. is there a chance that some day >> axelrod: among those playing on the cd, the author and his wife. finally, albom has an album. you can die happy. >> i was already going to die happy but i can die happier, and with a soundtrack now. >> axelrod: author mitch albom.

i'm jim axelrod. for all of us here at cbs news