york city, i'm jeff glor. >> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." welcome to the overnight news. i'm jeff glor. president obama is back at the white house after his two-week holiday in hawaii. at the top of his current agenda, gun control. the president says he's preparing a series of executive actions that would not require congressional approval. chip reid reports. >> reporter: it was just after the mass shooting at an oregon community college in october that the president decided he had to take executive action on guns. he made the announcement in his weekly address, posted on the white house website.

>> i directed my team at the white house to look into any new actions i can take to help reduce gun violence. and on monday i'll meet with our attorney general, loretta lynch, to discuss our options. >> reporter: sources tell cbs news those options include expanding the definition of who is in the business of selling guns so that more gun sales trigger background checks and requiring enhanced reporting and tracking of lost and stolen guns. the president blames the republican congress for giving him no choice but to take unilateral action. >> we know we can't stop every act of violence. but what if we tried to stop even one? what if congress did something, anything to protect our kids from gun violence? >> reporter: last month senate republicans blocked democratic proposals that would prevent people on the terror watch list from buying guns and require background checks for online gun purchases. meanwhile, some states are taking action on their own. in california a new gun control

law that took effect yesterday allows judges to order the seizure of guns from people deemed dangerous by their own family or by law enforcement. texas, though, is going the other direction on gun control with a new law allowing guns to be carried openly in public places. the nra did not respond to our request for a comment. but when the details of the president's plan are announced, which could be as early as next week, the response from gun rights supporters is expected to be furious. 2016 brought a series of notable new laws to states from coast to coast. here with a look, kris van cleave. >> reporter: the new year brings some good news for taxpayers in oklahoma and in massachusetts, where state income taxes are dropping and minimum wage workers in more than a dozen states will get raises in 2016. but the most controversial new laws center around guns. in texas a new open carry law allows people with concealed weapon permits to wear a holstered gun in most public places. >> it's going to be a learning process.

pains at the beginning. i'm sure there will be some people that will be startled possibly by the sight of someone carrying openly. >> reporter: this as california tightens its gun laws, banning firearms in or around schools even for holders of concealed weapons permits. bb and pellet guns sold in the golden state will have to be a bright color like pink to make clear they are not real. in hawaii new signs are posted warning of a first in the nation law raising the legal smoking age from 18 to 21. the law applies to cigarettes and electronic smoking devices. a second law there bans e-cigarettes in places where smoking is prohibited. >> our youth survey shows that a fourfold increase happened in public high school students who use e-cigarettes. from 5% in 2011 to 22% by 2015. >> reporter: tennessee becomes the first state to create an online registry of animal abusers for people who have been convicted of animal cruelty.

state representative daniel jernigan supported the measure. >> if you're going to pull a dog behind a truck, if you're going to burn a cat, if you're going to do severe animal cruelty, then there needs to be some consequences to your actions. >> reporter: among other new laws taking place across the country, washington, d.c. has prohibited styrofoam food containers. california has banned drivers and bicyclists from wearing earbuds in both ears or resting them on their ears, closing a legal loophole. and parents in north carolina can freeze their children's credit reports to prevent identity theft. elsewhere, illinois is starting a pilot program allowing for what are essentially combination locks on certain prescription painkiller bottles. also, oregon and california became the first states to automatically register people to vote when they obtain or renew a driver's license. the republican presidential contenders are strongly opposed to the president's gun control plans. john dickerson discussed the subject with gop front-runner donald trump on "face the nation." >> well, i don't like it. i don't like anything having to do with changing our second amendment. we have plenty of rules and regulations.

there's plenty of things that they can do right now that are already there, they don't do them. health problem. we're closing places all over the world. all over the country they're nobody's doing anything about that. guns. and it's not the gun that pulls so i don't like it. i don't like what he's doing. i think that he's looking to do executive orders to do something having to do with guns. >> background checks happen for normal gun purchases at a normal store. so his argument would be just do it here. it's this loophole, you want to make it the same everywhere. >> john, i'm going to have to take a look at it, but i don't like changing anything. right now they have plenty of rules and regulations and they should be looking at mental health. i mean, we should build like institutions for people that are sickos. we have sickos all over the place. and that's the problem. >> so you'd spend more money on that? >> here's the problem. i would definitely spend more money on that. here's the problem. the bad guys are always going to get the guns. you can have all the restrictions you want. but the bad guys are always going to have the guns. >> let me ask you about executive orders in general.

don't like them? that the president uses them to go around congress. >> well, i don't like them. and our country wasn't based on executive orders. nobody really knew that we even had an executive order, such a thing. it's supposed to be you get along with congress and you cajole and you go back and forth and everybody gets in a room and we end up with deals. and there's compromise and lots of other things. but you end up with deals. here's a guy just goes -- he's given up on the process and he just goes and signs executive orders on everything. >> so if you were president -- you seem like the kind of guy who if you were president you would use an executive order or two. >> i will say this. there's a lot of precedent based on what he's doing. now, some have been -- his executive order on the border amazingly the courts actually took that back a step and did something that was very surprising, is they did the right thing. so that maybe that one. but i would be rescinding a lot of executive orders that he's done. i mean, he just -- the one thing good about executive orders, the new president he comes in, boom, first day, first hour, first minute you can rescind them. >> let me ask you about a video

that's been put out by al shabab. this is an isis-affiliated terror group. and in the video they use you, donald trump, a clip. >> donald j. trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of muslims entering the united states until our country's representatives can figure out what [ bleep ] is going on. >> then the video goes on and says "the west will eventually turn against its muslim citizens." they're saying to muslims either you join jihad or leave the united states because of what mr. trump is proposing. >> look, there's a problem. i bring it up. other people have called me and they say you have guts to bring it up because frankly it's true. but nobody wants to get involved. now people are getting involved. people that are on different persuasions than me right now, john, are saying you know, maybe trump isn't wrong. we want to examine it. there's a lot of bad stuff going on. i'm watching the news tonight, actually. cbs. and so many of the elements.

you look at germany. you look at brussels. you look -- all over the world they're shutting down cities that never had a problem before. they're shutting down countries that never had a problem before. you look at paris, what happened. you look at california, what happened. john, maybe it's not politically correct. there's a big problem out there. and we have to solve the problem. >> the cbs overnight news will be right back.a mouthbre how can anyone sleep like that? well, just put on a breathe right strip and pow! it instantly opens your nose up to 38% more than cold medicine alone. so you can breathe and sleep. shut your mouth and say goodnight mouthbreathers.

your clever moves won't stop the cold and flu. but disinfecting with lysol can. lysol wipes and spray are approved to kill more types of germs than clorox. to help keep your family healthy, lysol that. the retail sales numbers are trickling in from the holiday shopping season. michelle miller has a look at the winners and losers. >> reporter: unusually warm winter weather triggered sales drops in coats, hats, and gloves. but consumers did spend money on other things. according to mastercard, retail sales grew almost 8% this holiday season compared to the same time a year ago. women's apparel and furniture led the way. sales in both sectors were up more than 10% nationwide. >> people are just out shopping. >> reporter: david sabel runs mattress and furniture

supercenter in tampa. he's keeping his store open on new year's day after having a record-breaking holiday sales season. >> from black friday until now our sales have been up 65% compared to last year. and it is the highest increase i've ever experienced. >> reporter: and rising spending in the furniture business shows the u.s. economy is strengthening. says sarah quinlan, senior vp at mastercard advisers. >> the furniture is more important because that really shows sustained confidence. i'm buying that sofa and i'm investing and i'm saying that i have confidence, i'm going to hold on to my job, get bonused and be able to pay off these purchases. >> reporter: there were some surprising dips in buying trends this time around. sales in men's apparel and electronics were both down. but quinlan says it's no cause for concern. >> this was a tremendous year for the economy in the united states as reflected in retail sales, which really does reflect the entire economy.

which really bodes well for the new year. >> reporter: and a couple of other factors driving the spending surge -- cheap gas and e-commerce. online shopping is up 20%, and elaine, consumers, they're spending roughly about 75 cents of every dollar saved at the gas pump. uber is looking to expand in china. but the company faces both legal hurdles and local competition. seth doane has more. >> reporter: with the smog and traffic to prove it, china has as many as 750 million urban commuters. and there's a multibillion-dollar battle for their business. >> it has all the cars around us here. okay. he's letting us in. >> reporter: we crisscrossed beijing to witness the fight from the front seat. in the ring heavyweights uber

versus china's dd quaidi valued at 16 billion. >> reporter: we're in a dd car. this gentleman picked us up. but he doesn't want to go on camera. he says he's doing this to make a little extra money. "i can make about $800 a month," he said. "it will help cover the expense of my car." ride-hailing services are brand new to china and are technically illegal but the law is selectively enforced. both didi and uber are operating in a gray area while the government reviews its regulations. >> call on uber here. two minutes away. >> reporter: since this kind of operation is still considered illegal in beijing, chu jong fo told us, "i drive for uber because it will cover all the penalties if i get caught." didi dwarfs uber here. it's in 360 cities across china compared to uber's 21. both companies are spending big to lure drivers and riders. and both are relying on

short-lived uber boat we rode in the city of hangzhou. in a letter to investors uber's said competing in china is not for the faint of heart. we'd add driving here is not for the faint of heart either. seth doane, beijing. kenya may seem like an unlikely place to find a vibrant country music scene. but on a recent trip to nairobi with president obama major garrett saw the influence of elvis on a local musician. >> reporter: as daylight drifts away, bonfires crackle, longnecks stand guard, and -- country music makes the twilight feel right. this is nairobi, kenya, a city of nearly 4 million. 8,000 miles from the grand ole opry. but for a reporter traveling

with president obama the country music and feel of americana is unexpectedly real. right down to the performer, elvis. not knowing what real love is elvis otieno, or sir elvis as he's known in these parts. he is not an impersonator. he's as country as johnny cash. lose these new york blues >> my mom and my dad loved elvis presley. and so when my mom gave birth to me, that was the year elvis presley died. mysteriously i became a musician. rock me mama like a wagon wheel >> reporter: elvis was born in rural kenya, the son of a preacher. rock me tell me about country music in nairobi and in kenya. is there an audience for it? >> a huge audience here in kenya. way back then from '50s and '60s there has always been a country

the kenyan soil. >> reporter: there still is. "strings of country" runs three times a week. david kamoso hosts the show and says country took hold after kenya freed itself from british colonial rule in 1963. >> kenyans got exposed to country music a long time ago. well, i don't obey no social graces >> reporter: locals call sir elvis a phenomenon. >> the songs sound like the original. that's why wherever he goes there's a huge following. >> reporter: like flash and sarah mwasa, who follow elvis wherever he performs. >> me and my wife are just crazy about this guy. we love country. >> his voice is just amazing. >> reporter: elvis sometimes shares the stage with esther kankara, an up-and-comer on the kenyan country scene, who styles herself after an american country legend, dolly parton. >> i really love singing her

most people say i sing like her. or she sings like me. i don't know. country has such themes like family values, love, god, and country roads. >> reporter: those timeless themes, elvis says -- -- give country music universal appeal and sometimes set dreams in motion. like leaping from an outdoor stage in nairobi to a honky-tonk or something bigger in america. >> it is a dream. but i always put myself in a spot where if it doesn't happen i don't think it's going to be a really big story for me. i keep it simple. >> just like country. >> yeah, that's right. oh, yes, i'd rather love and lose you than never know real love at all

nairobi, kenya.it's taco tuesday. you're not coming. i took mucinex to help get rid of my mucusy congestion. oh, right then i'll swing by in like 4 hours. forget the tacos! one pill lasts 12 hours. i'm good all day. wait! your loss. i was going to wear a sombrero. only mucinex has a bi-layer tablet that starts fast, and keeps working. not 4, not 6, but 12 full hours. start the relief. ditch the misery. let's end this. (cell phone rings) where are you? well the squirrels are back in the attic. mom? your dad won't call an exterminator... can i call you back, mom? he says it's personal this time... if you're a mom, you call at the worst time. it's what you do. if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance, you switch to geico. it's what you do. where are you? it's very loud there.

a hollywood special effects wizard is making quite a splash on the internet with his home movies. john blackstone has the story of action movie kid. >> reporter: james hashimoto is pretty much your typical

with superhuman powers. the action movie kid videos have blown up online, scoring millions of views. they're created by his dad, daniel hashimoto, hashi to his friends. >> here we go! >> reporter: special effects wizard who's worked on films such as "kung fu panda 2." >> you know what i told you about climbing on there. >> reporter: the short clips evolved out of play time with dad. >> i'm climbing. >> i know. your mom's going to kill me. >> reporter: real moments at home not directed by dad are simply captured on a smartphone and then turned into movie-quality magic. >> you forgot your lunch! >> he's pretending to be iron man i think and blasting up the kitchen and i thought it would be so fun to add graphics and show them to him so he can see what it's like being a real superhero. >> what was your reaction the first time you saw james blowing the kitchen apart? >> sorry. >> i guess i thought oh, hashi.

>> reporter: mom, mandy richardville, has her own outlet for creativity. preparing custom chocolates for parties and events from her home kitchen. >> he has a daddy who makes cartoons, and he lives basically in a chocolate factory. so he's a lucky kid. >> reporter: the couple has teamed up to write their first action movie kid book. the cover, of course, animates. thanks to an app called blipper. amazing what you can do with an old-fashioned book now. >> it sure is. >> you clearly have the video ideas, but when it came to writing the book, mandy, you became the brains in the operation? >> mostly. i don't know if became is the right word. >> i would give her credit for being the brains of the operation overall. >> reporter: combining his heroic deeds with his love of sci-fi, the book has the kid taming a slime monster. >> slime monster is no match for action movie family. >> reporter: action movie

>> whoa. >> let's go. >> hopefully part of the lesson of the book is if as a parent you engage in your child's imaginative play you can kind of create these really fun memories for them. >> reporter: for "cbs this morning" john blackstone, los angeles. colorado state university has a new program in beer. barry petersen has this story. >> there are beers over there. >> reporter: beer and college have gone together for a long time. >> don't lose the foam. that's a common technique people have a problem with especially if you're pouring off a keg. >> reporter: but not like this. colorado state university is one of several colleges now offering a major in beer. >> is this fun? >> it is fun. and it's a lot of work as well. >> reporter: jeff calaway would know. he left the cutting-edge world of biotech to teach about a beverage that man started brewing 7,000 years ago. and beer, it turns out, is

complicated. >> this isn't brewing beer in your garage. you've got to have a lot of science that goes with this. >> absolutely. so before the students even get to think about brewing beer they have to learn biochemistry, microbiology, physics, organic chemistry. there's a lot that you have to do to work your way into the lab. >> reporter: a lot of students set their course to work with craft beers like new belgium, a brewery just down the street. >> america is the best place in the world to drink beer right now. this is where the innovation is happening in beer. >> reporter: ceo kim jordan and her former husband started making beer in a garage in 1991. today new belgium craft beers are shipped across america and even to sweden. but little breweries are doing big business. in 2014 the craft beer market was $19.6 billion strong. still smaller than the $101 billion in sales of beers overall. but craft brewery sales also grew 22%. so to help train more future

a million dollars to the csu program. it's a career with a beverage that has a philosophy all its own. as benjamin franklin lovingly

wants us to be happy. natalie cole passed away last thursday. anthony mason looks back on her life and legendary career. >> reporter: in a career that spans four decades, natalie cole sold more than 30 million records. you are my first love the daughter of the legendary nat "king" cole and jazz singer maria hawkins ellington, cole made her name in r&b. i'm so glad she broke out in 1975 with the hit single "this will be."

an everlasting love for me the song, which earned cole two grammys including best new artist, was originally offered to someone else, says music journalist james bernard. >> it was offered to aretha franklin first. i miss you like crazy >> reporter: for all of cole's talent it was her father's legacy that would both help and haunt her career. >> hi, ed. how are you? >> reporter: she appeared with him in 1957 on cbs's "person to person" with edward r. murrow. >> how many of those pups would you like to keep? >> all of them. >> reporter: cole was just 15 years old when her father died of lung cancer. his loss would lead to a struggle with drug addiction. she wrote candidly of her many low points in a 2000 autobiography, "angel on my shoulder." in an interview with "cbs sunday morning" in 2006 she described one of her darkest moments inside of a burning hotel room. >> i had pulled my paraphernalia. i had my drugs.

i was getting ready to say okay, this is the way i'm going, i guess i'm going out like this. and when they hacked -- you know, axed the door down and came through, it was like valhalla. it was like god was saying, i'm not through with you yet. unforgettable >> reporter: cole's greatest triumph came in 1991 with the album "unforgettable with love," covers of standards originally recorded by her father. that's why darling it's incredible her duet with her dad on "unforgettable" would sell 14 million copies and earn cole six grammys. she discussed the collaboration in an interview on "cbs this morning" two years ago. >> i never got a chance to say good-bye. and so i continued to converse and tell my dad how much i love him when i get an opportunity to sing these kinds of songs. >> reporter: despite health problems including hepatitis c and kidney failure, cole

continued to put out records and