van dyke is being held at the cook county jail. his lawyer is dan herbert. >> he's really fearful for his-- what's going to happen to his wife and kids. but he's -- he's hanging in there. >> reporter: van dyke has had 18 citizen complaints against him in 14 years, including allegedly excessive force and racial epithets. none resulted in discipline. and herbert says the tapes don't tell the entire story. his client, he said, felt mcdonald made a "threatening gesture." can i see those threatening gestures if i looked at the tape closely? >> you can't see what my client saw. >> reporter: van dyke will next be in court on monday when a judge will decide whether to grant him bail or keep him in jail, jim, in the custody of the cook county sheriff. >> dean reynolds covering for us tonight in chicago. thank you. the "cbs overnight news" will be right back.

the u.s. commander in afghanistan said today american forces violated the rules of engagement when they mistakenly bombed a hospital run by doctors without borders last month. the airstrike in the northern city of kunduz killed at least 30 civilians. more now from david martin. >> reporter: it was one of the worst accidents of the afghan war, and it was caused by what general john campb as "a perfect storm of mistakes," committed by america's elite special operations forces. >> this was a tragic but avoidable accident caused primarily by human error. >> reporter: after nearly five days of nonstop fighting in the city of kunduz, american commandos were holed up in a police station with afghan troops. the afghans requested a strike on a nearby government building

which had been taken over by taliban fighters. an ac-130 gunship was called in by the american ground commander. the gunship was given the coordinates of the government building, but its targeting system zeroed in on an open field instead. the air crew visually identified the closest structure that resembled the government building they were supposed to strike. they did not know it, but that building was in fact the hospital run by doctors without borders. before opening fire, the gunship provided the coordinates of the target to a command center at bagram airfield. the command center knew those coordinates belonged to the hospital, which was on a "no strike" list, but nobody put two and two together. the gunship opened fire. someone from doctors without borders called bagram to report the attack, but by the time the command center realized the mistake, the gunship had already ceased fire. all this happened at a time when the american combat role in

afghanistan had supposedly ended, and under the new rules of engagement, the american ground commander did not even have the authority to call in that strike. some of the commanders involved in the strike have been relieved of their duties, and now face possible disciplinary action. jim. >> david martin at the pentagon, thank you. in the northern iraqi city of sinjar, kurdish fighters have discovered tunnels used by isis fighters to survive u.s. airstrikes. it reveals an underground city with electricity, plenty of food, and stacks of ammunition. all of this was built up during the year isis controlled sinjar. kurdish forces retook the city two weeks ago. one of the two russian airmen shot down after venturing into turkish airspace yesterday was rescued today by syrian allies. the other was killed by the militants on the ground. the survivor denied turkey's claim that it gave repeated warnings before firing on the russian plane.

he said he never heard one. holly williams joins us now from istanbul. holly, a lot of finger pointing but for the time being at least it seems cooler heads are prevailing. >> reporter: that's right, jim. this looked like a very dangerous situation just 24 hours ago. we had an american nato ally shooting down a russian warplane after it allegedly strayed for just 17 seconds into turkish airspace. we had a dead russian pilot, and we had the russian president, vladimir putin, threatening serious consequences. today, though, it is very clear that all of the players in this drama, including the u.s. and nato, want to avoid a conflict. the turkish president, tayyip erdogan, said today that he did not want to see an escalation and russia said that it would not wage war against turkey. so a crisis has been averted this time, but that doesn't solve the underlying problem which is the syrian civil war.

the u.s., russia, turkey, iran, and other countries have all taken sides in syria's war, and they are all now being drawn deeper and deeper into the conflict and perhaps closer to a conflict with each other. >> but for the time being no escalation. holly williams reporting for us tonight from turkey. thank you. today, the family of the late football great frank gifford revealed he had a degenerative brain disease known as cte. an autopsy confirmed it. gifford died in august at the age of 84. cte can result from repeated hits on the football field. anna werner tells us gifford suffered plenty of them but one in particular stood out. >> reporter: it was one of the most devastating hits in nfl history. future hall of famer frank gifford was leveled catching a pass against the philadelphia eagles. the play, which came to be known as "the hit," sidelined gifford for more than a season. the discovery that he had the disease chronic traumatic

encephalopathy, or cte, confirmed what his family had long suspected after gifford's 13-year career taking numerous hits. he died of natural causes. wife, kathie lee gifford: >> he never wanted to lose his dignity. he had seen so much of that through the years and that's what i prayed, that the lord would take him the way he wanted to go. >> reporter: researchers at boston university told us today that 82 of the 92 former nfl players they examined suffered from cte, that's 96%. dr. robert cantu heads the boston university's cte center. >> sometimes it can be one horrific single injury, but mostly it's repetitive head injuries. >> reporter: both the new york giants and the nfl said today they appreciate the gifford family's efforts to help advance understanding of cte. jim, the nfl said it is not waiting for science but is working now to improve the safety of the game. >> anna werner, thank you very much.

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it's become a thanksgiving tradition. most major retailers will be open tomorrow so americans can start their holiday shopping. of course, many are open 24/7 online.

this amazon facility near trenton, new jersey, is what the online retailer calls a fulfillment center, and the holiday rush is already in full swing there. in order to keep up, amazon has hired 100,000 extra seasonal workers. one of those is 20-year-old zahmir ibezim, a college student looking to save up money before he heads back to school in january. the money you make here, what are you going to use it for? >> i'm going to use it to pay back school. >> so this is to make money to pay off some loans? >> yes. >> amazon hiring is a 25% increase from last year but they are the exception. overall, holiday hiring is expected to be just slightly higher than last season. fedex is adding 55,000 workers, roughly 5% more than 2014. major etailers like macy's and target will add the same amount of workers as last year. andrew challenger is the vice president of the employment firm

challenger, gray, and christmas. >> because so much of the holiday spending is now being done online, the jobs are changing. now more of the jobs, instead of being in the front room, are moving into shipping and handling, into warehouses, and into the actual delivery of those products. >> jeanette washburn, a mother of six, is working in the amazon warehouse for the first time. so it's good to have a little extra cash? >> absolutely. to do something that's just maybe a little out of the ordinary for the household. >> do you want to do this full time? >> you know, if that was offered to me, i would consider it, definitely, but i'll be back next season for sure. >> last year, more than 20,000 of amazon seasonal workers were offered full-time positions after the holiday rush was over. president obama continued a thanksgiving tradition today. [ laughter ] granting pardons to a couple of turkeys named honest and abe. that one is abe. the president thanked his daughters, malia and sasha, for

joining him for the ceremony. he said, "they do this solely because it makes me feel good, not because they actually think this is something i should be doing." the pope shares his biggest safety concern with our allen pizzey as he visits africa. we think you'll be surprised. next.

pope francis arrived in kenya today, his first stop on his first-ever trip to africa. cbs's allen pizzey is traveling with the pope. allen, the spiritual leader of the world's 1.2 billion catholics is now in an area where there has been brutal fighting between christians and muslims. what is he hoping to accomplish? >> reporter: jim, i think the first thing he wants to do is bring the message of peace and reconciliation.

he has said that christians and muslims can all sit down together, they should sit down together. violence is wrong. he'll also talk about the environment, but that all comes back to his message that deprivation leads to terrorism. if you've got people who are deprived, they've got reasons to fight, they've got reasons for ethnic differences, that's a worry, jim. >> early next week his itinerary takes him to the central african republic, which is a war zone. does he seem concerned about his own safety? >> reporter: as usual, the answer to that is no. he's using open popemobiles and vatican officials, when you ask if he's wearing body armor, laugh as if that's preposterous. on the plane today, i asked if he was worried about the trip, and he said, "to tell you the truth, the only thing i'm worried about is mosquitoes." when i said, "me, too," he went like this and said, "did you bring your spray," and smiled. and he didn't have to bring his, because one of the journalists gave him two cans, jim. >> allan pizzey, from nairobi. allen, thank you. in a moment, a carpenter and his young apprentices building a special bond.

we end tonight with a man who has a special talent for helping kids with special needs. turns out, they're a perfect fit. here's elaine quijano. >> remember how we walk, right? slow and controlled. >> reporter: michael konstalid has been a physical therapist in the new york public school system for eight years, a job he pursued because of his late father. >> my father had a neuromuscular condition, and growing up, becoming a physical therapist, i realized he had a much more difficult, challenging life than i ever knew. >> reporter: his father inspired him in another way, too -- he was a carpenter. growing up, konstalid would help his dad build things in his shop, a skill he now brings into the school.

>> reporter: i started with repairing a wheelchair or building a balance beam, and it developed into building a desk. >> reporter: konstalid says the chairs kids use can have a big impact on how they learn, so he started working out of a makeshift workshop in the basement of a brooklyn elementary school where he builds customized furniture out of salvaged scraps of wood. how can school furniture affect learning? coordination issues, they're trying to learn to the best of their ability, solve a math problem, or do a reading assignment. if your feet aren't on the floor, you can't be there mentally. >> reporter: konstalid has created more than 80 original pieces, like this staircase to help angie cruz get off the bus, a lunch tray holder for students confined to wheelchairs, and a modified classroom chair for hasan mahmud who has a hard time sitting in a typical one. >> he loves the fact that he's sitting in a special chair, but nobody treats him any differently.

>> reporter: to give the students a sense of ownership, he enlists them to help them build a piece of furniture. what do you think about the chair? >> i think that it's perfect. >> reporter: in using these pieces of discarded wood, michael konstalid sees what others can sometimes miss -- limitless possibilities. elaine quijano, cbs news, new york. >> that's the "cbs overnight news" for this thanksgiving thursday. for some of you, the news continues. for others, check back with us a little later for the morning news and "cbs this morning." from the broadcast center, i'm jim axelrod.

this is the "cbs overnight news." >> happy thanksgiving. and welcome to the "overnight news." 47 million americans have been on the move this week, traveling to today's holiday feasts. a turkey meal with all of the fixings is an age-old tradition, along with football games and parades. the biggest parade will march down new york city this morning. floats and balloons, upwards of a million spectators. security will be tight on the route. some undercover police you would never notice and others you can't miss. michelle miller reports. >> reporter: on its busiest days, nearly 500,000 people walk through the streets of times square. so if anything should happen, the nypd says mounted officers

like this will be on the front line of defense. less than two weeks after the paris attacks, new york city remains on high alert. and with up to 3 million people expected to gather for thursday's thanksgiving day parade, officials aren't taking any chances. >> we estimate we might have record breaking crowds because of the weather situation and we're prepared for that. we're encouraging people to come on down. >> reporter: while many security measures go unnoticed, officers on horseback almost never do. but these men and women also known as ten-foot cops, do much more than act as a photo-op for tourists. sergeant, what do you see? >> lots of people. >> reporter: deputy inspector barry geldman is the commanding officer. how important are these horses to the force? >> having that capability at a moment's notice where you don't have resources there, but you can start to evacuate people or

give direction is invaluable. >> reporter: he says the mobility of a horse gives police an added advantage when dealing with an emergency that's what happened in 2010 when members of the mounted unit evacuated members of times square. >> people were taking direction from the mounted officers to move themselves from t location and it was clear communication. >> reporter: last week, they unveiled a $30 million elite facility to house the squad. just a quit trot away from times square and central park. the new location gives officers easy access to the city's busiest sites. >> a lot of people have never seen a horse before. they want to pet him. >> sounds like they're good at community policing. >> reporter: new york city is one of the last cities to have horses on active duty.

talking to these two officers, they say their non-human partners are second to none. despite the terror attacks in paris, mali, and elsewhere, president obama says u.s. intelligence has no credible evidence that any strikes are planned for the thanksgiving holiday. he addressed the nation from the white house. >> so as americans travel this weekend to be with their loved ones, i want them to know that our counterterrorism, intelligence, homeland security, and law enforcement professionals at every level are working overtime. they are continually monitoring threats at home and abroad. continually evaluating our security posture. they did so before paris, and they do so now. without fanfare or credit and without a break for the holidays. so the bottom line is this, i want the american people to know entering the holidays that the combined resources of our military, our intelligence, and our homeland security agencies are on the case.

they're vigilant, relentless, and effective. in the event of a specific, credible threat, the public will be informed. we do think it's useful for people, as they're going about their business, to be vigilant. if you see something suspicious, say something. that's always helpful. but otherwise, americans should go about their usual thanksgiving activities. spending time with family and friends and celebrating our blessings. while the threat of terrorism is a troubling reality of our age, we are both equipped to prevent attacks and we are resilient in the face of those that would try to do us harm. that's something we can all be thankful for. happy thanksgiving, everybody. >> when the thanksgiving dinner is done and the turkey leftovers are packed into the fridge, a lot of people will be heading

home. aaa estimates 3.6 million americans will travel by air. in addition to the long lines a t the security gates, many air traveler also be confronted with a crowding problem when they get to their seats. kris van cleave has the story from reagan national airport. >> reporter: the tsa checkpoints at airports across the cntry are busy. but when people get on board, they might feel a little more crowded. airlines have worked to squeeze in extra rows of seats. that means over time the average space between those rows has fallen from about 35 inches here, on average, down about fourism isnches and many some instances, six inches. this engine fire on a british airways 777 caused an emergency evacuation. the faa requires it happens in 90 seconds or less even if half the exits are blocked.

much research is done with seats 31 inches apart, the spacing for several of the country's biggest carriers. frontier and spirit offer the least, with as little as 28 inches of space and seats that don't recline. the amount of room you have to sit down may have shrunk down to 16 ichlgs wide on some airlines. >> if you crowd more and more people together, bad things together. >> reporter: in august, the group flyers right sent a petition to the faa, asking the agency to stop seats from getting smaller and create minimum standards. >> it's a safety concern, particularly with evacuation. it hasn't really been tested for small spaces. it's a health concern, with blood clots. it's a security concern when people are having disagreements

and even fights over space. >> reporter: hank scott got frustrated. >> i simply slide the seat into a locked position. >> reporter: so he helped invent a different kind of airline seat. he's named them side slip seats, because the middle seat is set back just enough for the aisle seat to slide over it, making more room in the aisle. it also allows the seats to be bigger while not taking up additional space. >> you're not jockeying for elbow space. that's still a standard seat, but both those passengers have more space, as well. because they're not elbow to elbow, arm to arm, thigh to thigh. >> reporter: and the trade association that represents the airlines says the seats are safe and the faa should leave it up to the market to determine how much space customers want. those super discount carriers that offer the least space are

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for some people, wild turkey is on the thanksgiving menu today. years ago, it's what you did, hunt for your own food. nowadays, it's a trend called game-to-table. jeff glor spoke to a chef from texas who turned the trend into a restaurant. >> reporter: jessie griffith has an unusual office. a couple of them actually. when he's not here, he's usually here. preparing the game and fish that he insists on collecting, cutting, and cooking. >> i'm glad to see that hunting is becoming a little more normalized. >> reporter: duck wings and venison sevechey. his restaurant and butcher shop is a modern hot spot and old school throwback. you say hunting is sort of

thought of as the gun culture and you think it should be thought of as part of the food culture. >> absolutely. people confuse that. i do have guns because i hunt, but it's direct sourcing. if you're going to kill it, you should utilize it. >> reporter: his favorite target, and taste, is an animal that's become an enormous problem in texas. the wild boar. >> they're a nuisance. they cause millions in damage. but the thing is, they're highly edible. and they're delicious. as far as problems go, it's kind of a good one. the mustard and bread is made in house. everything is made in house. >> reporter: we sampled his wild boar brautburst and venison.

the meat may be wild, but it's all approved by the state department of health. it's a process of full disclosure. i want to ask you about the kitchen. you see everything there. there's nothing in the background. >> right. >> reporter: why is that? >> we wanted a good deal of transparency in this restaurant. when you walk in, we want you to see the whole process of everything we're doing. very likely you're going to see butchering an animal. right next to that they'll be making pie. i wanted people to see the kitchen and it also keeps us honest. we don't have a can opener back there, because we bring in everything fresh. >> reporter: in his restaurants, there's almost no waste. in the kitchen, and as we saw, on people's plates. if you don't have the means or the land or the will to hunt, but you want to eat meat and game, what is the

recommendationsome >> i would say make friends with a hunter. it's old fashioned. being able to ask questions and make connections with people that are producing food is the key element. >> let's say you want that fresh pork but you don't want to go hunting to get it. susan spencer found what she thinks is the best cue can sandwich north of havana. >> reporter: just two words may explain why tampa's venerable colombia restaurant has lasted more than a century, cuban sandwich. >> we got our pork, salami, pork slices, not three, not five, but four. >> reporter: it's a sandwich built according to exact specifications. >> two pickles. >> reporter: only two? >> only two. >> reporter: made from an age-old family recipe. >> nine inches long.

end of story. >> reporter: not a lot of room for creativity here. and what about mayonnaise, tomatoes, lettuce? >> you will not do that. >> reporter: it's served hot after being assembled? a very precise order. >> does it matter? yeah, it matters. it's the difference between being great and good. >> reporter: it's amazing to me that both of you were kids in this place. richard and his daughter are the fourth and fifth generations to own and run the colombia. >> we're the oldest hispanic restaurant in the united states. >> reporter: they gave the sandwich a lot of the credit. they say they serve as many as 600 a day. this is a heavy sandwich. >> you go and you want to eat it. >> reporter: it comes with a complementary triple bypass. of course, that didn't stop me. >> you're eating it upside down.

[ laughter ] >> reporter: do you consider this a regional food? >> it's an original. >> reporter: just don't try telling that to the good folks in miami. >> i love when miami says they have the real cuban sandwich. >> reporter: what is wrong with the one they seven in miami? >> they don't put salami on it. >> reporter: with or without salami, the cuban finds itself on roughly three times as many restaurant menus today as it did a decade ago.

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ever take a bite of something that looks delicious but is plastic? seth doane reports from osaka, japan. >> reporter: call it a japanese kitchen magic. green goop is transformed into a head of lettuce. a tempting tray of sushi won't lose its appeal for years. and this mackerel has never seen a grill. where do you see fake food in japan? >> i see it in department stores, shopping malls, in underground shopping areas, in touristy places such as this. you see it everywhere. >> reporter: ohio native justice hannas showed us around his

adopted city osaka. known as japan's food capital, fake or sample food abounds here. you point to it and say this is what i want? >> exactly. that's how it's been in this country for 78 years. >> reporter: across japan, realistic looking food displays are used by restaurants to demonstrate portion size, and are laid out to try to lure customers. >> it's really an advertising tool. >> reporter: he sells plastic food via his website and claim it is you can cook it, they can make a replica that looks good enough to eat, thanks to his manufacturer, 60-year-old artisan fumio marino. why has this taken root here in japan? "western style dishes were introduced to japan and customers were unfamiliar with them so they didn't sell well," he explained.

at his workshop, we found a spread of treats, all completely inedible, of course. it is remarkable craftsmanship, show, which marino first learned from his dad. wow. "my father always said before you eat something, observe it," he remembered. "study its color, patterns, then you can dig in." making it look just right takes a lot of trial and error. it turns out coating for shrimp looks best as if it's made from poly vinyl chloride. and getting beef to the perfect temperature is more airbrush than oven. marino told us it can take ten years to master this. it just blows all off. that made me feel a bit better with my attempt at shrimp

tempura. each piece is hand crafted. it seems machines just can't make it look so real. he says souvenirs from key chains to magnets make upmost of his business. but buying fake food is not just for the casual collector. sushi, rice. meet akiko. she showed us the room her husband won't enter. i sit here relaxing, she told us. i add new items and just look at my collection. it's really quite something. she's decorated the walls with pizza and drawers are filled with cell brulee. seated on a burger and piece of cake, we chatted about her hobby. why did you start collecting food, plasticed to of all things? "i always thought plastic food samples were only available for

people in the food industry, but when i found out they were available for a housewife like me, i started buying them." she has no idea how much she has spent, though doesn't dispute estimates of more than $80,000. do people think you're crazy? "i'm not aware of that," she chuckled. well, it landed her a place in the book of world records. we found this fake food is undoubtedly appealing and there's something almost enchanting about these hand made, delicious looking morsels you would never dare to eat. >> after thanksgiving dinner, you might want to relax with a cup of coffee. >> reporter: something is always bring in gerard's studio. >> well, i thought it might be

fun to push the limits a little bit. >> reporter: literally. he paints with coffee and tea. this graphic designer used to paint the old fashioned way. until the day he became fascinated by his cup of green tea. >> and i thought, i wonder if i can make this into a painting medium, what that would be like? >> reporter: browns and greens were easy enough. but keeping other clears stable, not so much. what is the hardest color to make stick? >> hardest color to make stick is probably the reds. >> reporter: are you still working on mastering the reds? >> i recently have just got it. >> reporter: you just got it after how many years? >> the whole process has been about ten years. so now i have a full color spectrum, so i can get flesh tones, purples, silvers, grays, blacks, whites, the whole works. >> reporter: getting all those colors requires him to buy coffee and tea from around the

world. shipped to his home outside pittsburgh. so this essentially is your blue. there is no other tea that gives you this color that you need? >> no. >> reporter: the actual painting requires a bit of a juggling act in his basement studio, which doubles as sort of chemistry lab. >> i'll work on a piece, i have several going at the same time, but i'm brewing and making paint as i'm working. >> reporter: it's like you're cooking and painting at the same time. >> right. >> reporter: look closely. that textured surface is actually coffee grounds. and it's a good guess that with all that caffeine around, his art will keep percolating. anybody ever say, why do you do that? >> sure, all the time. >> reporter: how do you answer that? >> for me, it's all about the challenge. it's been about the process and the challenge, that somebody can

look at a

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>> >> president obama took part in another thanksgiving tradition, pardoning a pair of turkeys who might otherwise have ended up on someone's dinner table. here's what he had to say. >> as you may have heard, for months there has been a fierce competition between a bunch of turkeys trying to win their win into the white house. [ laughter ] some of you caught that. well, today, i can announce that the american people have spoken and we have two winners. their names are honest and abe. i confess that honest looks like good eating, but this is a democracy. abe is now a free bird. he is totus, the turkey of the

united states. [ laughter ] yes. is he attacking you? are you okay? my political director is getting pecked by totus. america is after all a country of second chances and this turkey has earned out a second chance to live out his life on 1,000 acres of open land complete with a barn called the white house on turkey hill. by the way, can i just -- i am going to publicly thank malia and sasha for once again standing here with me during the turkey pardon. [ applause ] they do this solely because it makes me feel good.

not because actually they think this is something i should be doing. i know some folks think this tradition is little silly. i do not disagree. i've got to listen to my critics say i'm often too soft on turkeys. with that, i hope that everybody has a very, very happy thanksgiving, and i now am going to go over and with the power vested in me and officially pardon this turkey. [ applause ] [ gobble gobble ] >> don't interrupt. by the power invested in me, you are hearby pardoned. [ applause ] later, president obama and the first family helped give out turkey dinners to homeless veterans at a center in d.c. that's the "overnight news." for this thanksgiving news. for some of you the news continues. for others, check back with us

later for the morning news and "cbs this morning." from the broadcast center in new york city, i'm elaine quijano. over the river and through the snow, americans head out of town under tight security. >> our military, our intelligence, and our homeland security agencies are on the case. also tonight, calls for peace after chicago police release video of the fatal shooting of a black teenager by a white cop. how the hits frank gifford took on the football field affected his long-term health. and a carpenter helps kids build a better life. >> reporter: what do you think about the chair? >> i think that it's perfect. this is the "cbs overnight news." as nearly 47 million people began heading out of town for thanksgiving, president obama took the unusual step of going on national television to assure them they'll be safe. with isis threatening paris-like attacks in this country, the

president said every element of america's security apparatus is "on the case." here's homeland security correspondent jeff pegues. >> i want the american people to know that we are taking every possible step to keep our homeland safe. >> reporter: flanked by his national security team, today, president obama assured americans that while there was no credible threat, law enforcement officers across the nation were working overtime to keep it that way. for the 25 million people expected to use airports over the next few days, that security will be visible, like here at los angeles international airport, where heavily armed officers are on patrol. but nationwide, some airport police officers complain security is blind to the so- called insider threat. at many airports some workers do not routinely go through security. the american alliance of airport police officers is calling for mandatory screening for all airport employees. marshall mclain is with the

organization. >> you and i, when we travel on an airplane, we all have to be screened. why not have employees screened as well? >> reporter: the department of homeland security says it is reducing access points for employees and looking into mandatory screening. secretary jeh johnson: >> we're evaluating whether more is necessary right now. that's something that i and tsa has been focused on as recently as today. >> reporter: several thousand officers will be on duty in new york city along the thanksgiving day parade route. on the rails, heavily armed police are along amtrak routes in the northeast. to show the system is safe, secretary johnson took the train this afternoon. but the bottom line seems to be that americans should go about their business and enjoy the holidays. but, jim, law enforcement is advising people to be vigilant, especially in public spaces. >> jeff, thank you. 42 million americans will be traveling by automobile. transportation correspondent kris van cleave now on what

they'll be facing. >> reporter: it's expected to be the busiest thanksgiving holiday on the road since 2007. erin misar is driving from rochester, new york, to durham, north carolina. >> our gps all of a sudden added another hour on to our travel time, so that was super unexpected. >> reporter: just as those 42 million americans hit the road, the national highwa traffic safety administration reported a sharp spike in traffic deaths for the first half of 2015. 16,225 people died up over 8% from last year. if the trend holds for the year that would be the sharpest percentage increase since 1946. the biggest reason, almost half of those killed in passenger vehicles were not wearing their seat belts. backseat passengers are a particular concern as they're less likely to buckle up, and 22 states do not require it. this dash camera shows they are still very much at risk in a crash. dr. jim hedlund studied backseat passenger behavior. >> it takes a second -- you

don't have to think about it. it doesn't cost you anything. it's cheap, it's easy, and it may save your life. >> reporter: plummeting gas prices, the lowest on thanksgiving since 2008, may also be a factor in the rise in traffic deaths, says aaa's tom calcagni. >> the more people that are on the road and the more people that are driving longer distances, the greater the risk. >> reporter: one trend aaa has noticed, more people leaving on tuesday. jim, aaa hopes that makes the drive on wednesday less terrible. >> kris van cleave on this getaway wednesday. thank you. from the rockies to the great lakes, snow, ice, and rain are expected to create rough sledding on the roads tomorrow. overnight, snow fell across the west. carter evans shows us where it really piled up. >> reporter: in california's sierra nevada, a foot of new snow made driving treacherous. >> so dangerous out here you really want to get your chains on so you can make, you know, the safest drive up there. >> reporter: the pre-winter storm covered roads in oregon and brought 50-mile-per-hour wind near lack tahoe.

further east in colorado, the wind snapped utility poles. and in washington state, hurricane-force winds splintered trees and knocked out power, according to resident vin chawla. >> it was rocking. we had probably three or four large branches hit the house, went outside, looked up, and saw branches flying, hitting neighbors' roofs. >> reporter: along the california coast, king tides up to eight feet deep flooded san francisco streets, and huge waves pounded coastal buildings in san diego, providing a scary show for diners in this restaurant. but misery for some is paradise for others. california ski resorts are seeing three times their normal snowfall and their earliest opening in 10 years. carter evans, cbs news, los angeles. in chicago tonight, there are calls for calm following the release of a graphic video showing a white police officer fatally shooting an african american teenager. this happened 13 months ago, but

the officer was not charged until yesterday. here's dean reynolds. >> reporter: two more police dash cam videos of the october 2014 incident have just emerged and while neither sheds much light on the shooting, one shows a different angle. 17-year-old laquan mcdonald is on the ground dying from 16 bullet wounds as the police, including the officer who did the shooting, stand around. the release of police videos sent protesters into the streets overnight and this afternoon. city officials and mcdonald's relatives have called for calm, but there is frustration that it took more than 400 days to charge the cop jason van dyke. do you think the powers that be wanted this case to just go away? >> i think so. >> reporter: howard brookins is on the city council. >> when the victims appear to be underprivileged or minorities, that it takes a long time for justice to come their way. >> reporter: for now, officer

van dyke is being held at the cook county jail. his lawyer is dan herbert. >> he's really fearful for his-- what's going to happen to his wife and kids. but he's -- he's hanging in there. >> reporter: van dyke has had 18 citizen complaints against him in 14 years, including allegedly excessive force and racial epithets. none resulted in discipline. and herbert says the tapes don't tell the entire story. his client, he said, felt mcdonald made a "threatening gesture." can i see those threatening gestures if i looked at the tape closely? >> you can't see what my client saw. >> reporter: van dyke will next be in court on monday when a judge will decide whether to grant him bail or keep him in jail, jim, in the custody of the cook county sheriff. >> dean reynolds covering for us tonight in chicago. thank you. the "cbs overnight news" will be right back.

the u.s. commander in afghanistan said today american forces violated the rules of engagement when they mistakenly bombed a hospital run by doctors without borders last month. the airstrike in the northern city of kunduz killed at least 30 civilians. more now from david martin. >> reporter: it was one of the worst accidents of the afghan war, and it was caused by what general john campbell described as "a perfect storm of mistakes," committed by america's elite special operations forces. >> this was a tragic but avoidable accident caused primarily by human error. >> reporter: after nearly five days of nonstop fighting in the city of kunduz, american commandos were holed up in a police station with afghan troops. the afghans requested a strike on a nearby government building

which had been taken over by taliban fighters. an ac-130 gunship was called in by the american ground commander. the gunship was given the coordinates of the government building, but its targeting system zeroed in on an open field instead. the air crew visually identified the closest structure that resembled the government building they were supposed to strike. they did not know it, but that building was in fact the hospital run by doctors without borders. before opening fire, the gunship provided the coordinates of the target to a command center at bagram airfield. the command center knew those coordinates belonged to the hospital, which was on a "no strike" list, but nobody put two and two together. the gunship opened fire. someone from doctors without borders called bagram to report the attack, but by the time the command center realized the mistake, the gunship had already ceased fire. all this happened at a time when the american combat role in

afghanistan had supposedly ended, and under the new rules of engagement, the american ground commander did not even have the authority to call in that strike. some of the commanders involved in the strike have been relieved of their duties, and now face possible disciplinary action. jim. >> david martin at the pentagon, thank you. in the northern iraqi city of sinjar, kurdish fighters have discovered tunnels used by isis fighters to survive u.s. airstrikes. it reveals an underground city with electricity, plenty of food, and stacks of ammunition. all of this was built up during the year isis controlled sinjar. kurdish forces retook the city two weeks ago. one of the two russian airmen shot down after venturing into turkish airspace yesterday was rescued today by syrian allies. the other was killed by the militants on the ground. the survivor denied turkey's claim that it gave repeated warnings before firing on the russian plane.

he said he never heard one. holly williams joins us now from istanbul. holly, a lot of finger pointing but for the time being at least it seems cooler heads are prevailing. >> reporter: that's right, jim. this looked like a very dangerous situation just 24 hours ago. we had an american nato ally shooting down a russian warplane after it allegedly strayed for just 17 seconds into turkish airspace. we had a dead russian pilot, and we had the russian president, vladimir putin, threatening serious consequences. today, though, it is very clear that all of the players in this drama, including the u.s. and nato, want to avoid a conflict. the turkish president, tayyip erdogan, said today that he did not want to see an escalation and russia said that it would not wage war against turkey. so a crisis has been averted this time, but that doesn't solve the underlying problem

which is the syrian civil war. the u.s., russia, turkey, iran, and other countries have all taken sides in syria's war, and they are all now being drawn deeper and deeper into the conflict and perhaps closer to a conflict with each other. >> but for the time being no escalation. holly williams reporting for us tonight from turkey. thank you. today, the family of the late football great frank gifford revealed he had a degenerative brain disease known as cte. an autopsy confirmed it. gifford died in august at the age of 84. cte can result from repeated hits on the football field. anna werner tells us gifford suffered plenty of them but one in particular stood out. >> reporter: it was one of the most devastating hits in nfl history. future hall of famer frank gifford was leveled catching a pass against the philadelphia eagles. the play, which came to be known as "the hit," sidelined gifford for more than a season.

the discovery that he had the disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or cte, confirmed what his family had long suspected after gifford's 13-year career taking numerous hits. he died of natural causes. wife, kathie lee gifford: >> he never wanted to lose his dignity. he had seen so much of that through the years and that's what i prayed, that the lord would take him the way he wanted to go. >> reporter: researchers at boston university told us today that 88 of the 92 former nfl players they examined suffered from cte, that's 96%. dr. robert cantu heads the boston university's cte center. >> sometimes it can be one horrific single injury, but mostly it's repetitive head injuries. >> reporter: both the new york giants and the nfl said today they appreciate the gifford family's efforts to help advance understanding of cte. jim, the nfl said it is not waiting for science but is working now to improve the safety of the game. >> anna werner, thank you very much.

still ahead is thanksgiving eve. let the shopping begin. america gets ready to hit the stores. and at the white house, a fowl is hit and the president calls him safe. and we'll have to use like double! maybe more! i'm going back to the store? yes you are. dish issues? get cascade platinum. one pac cleans tough food better than 6 pacs of the bargain brand combined. cascade. we have to watch out for different types of germs.r, which is why it's important for your wipes to kill a broad spectrum of germs. lysol wipes kill 99.9% of germs,

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it's become a thanksgiving tradition. most major retailers will be open tomorrow so americans can start their holiday shopping. of course, many are open 24/7 online.

this amazon facility near trenton, new jersey, is what the online retailer calls a fulfillment center, and the holiday rush is already in full swing there. in order to keep up, amazon has hired 100,000 extra seasonal workers. one of those is 20-year-old zahmir ibezim, a college student looking to save up money before he heads back to school in january. the money you make here, what are you going to use it for? >> i'm going to use it to pay back school. >> so this is to make money to pay off some loans? >> yes. >> amazon's hiring is a 25% increase from last year but they are the exception. overall, holiday hiring is expected to be just slightly higher than last season. fedex is adding 55,000 workers, roughly 5% more than 2014. major retailers like macy's and target will add the same amount of workers as last year. andrew challenger is the vice president of the employment firm

challenger, gray, and christmas. >> because so much of the holiday spending is now being done online, the jobs are changing. now more of the jobs, instead of being in the front room, are moving into shipping and handling, into warehouses, and into the actual delivery of those products. >> jeanette washburn, a mother of six, is working in the amazon warehouse for the first time. so it's good to have a little extra cash? >> absolutely. to do something that's just maybe a little out of the ordinary for the household. >> do you want to do this full time? >> you know, if that was offered to me, i would consider it, definitely, but i'll be back next season for sure. >> last year, more than 20,000 of amazon seasonal workers were offered full-time positions after the holiday rush was over. president obama continued a thanksgiving tradition today. [ laughter ] granting pardons to a couple of turkeys named honest and abe. that one is abe. the president thanked his daughters, malia and sasha, for

joining him for the ceremony. he said, "they do this solely because it makes me feel good, not because they actually think this is something i should be doing." the pope shares his biggest safety concern with our allen pizzey as he visits africa. we think you'll be surprised. next.

pope francis arrived in kenya today, his first stop on his first-ever trip to africa. cbs's allen pizzey is traveling with the pope. allen, the spiritual leader of the world's 1.2 billion catholics is now in an area where there has been brutal fighting between christians and muslims. what is he hoping to accomplish? >> reporter: jim, i think the

first thing he wants to do is bring the message of peace and reconciliation. he has said that christians and muslims can all sit down together, they should sit down together. violence is wrong. he'll also talk about the environment, but that all comes back to his message that deprivation leads to terrorism. if you've got people who are deprived, they've got reasons to fight, they've got reasons for ethnic differences, that's a worry, jim. >> early next week his itinerary takes him to the central african republic, which is a war zone. does he seem concerned about his own safety? >> reporter: as usual, the answer to that is no. he's using open popemobiles and vatican officials, when you ask if he's wearing body armor, laugh as if that's preposterous. on the plane today, i asked if he was worried about the trip, and he said, "to tell you the truth, the only thing i'm worried about is mosquitoes." when i said, "me, too," he went like this and said, "did you bring your spray," and smiled. and he didn't have to bring his, because one of the journalists gave him two cans, jim. >> allan pizzey, from nairobi. allen, thank you. in a moment, a carpenter and his young apprentices building a special bond. where you headed?

uh just gonna hang out. it's a school night. with gary and todd? yea. not sure about those two. i've been meaning to ask you - this is tougher than i thought - is there any drinking going on in this crowd? no. i hope not, because alcohol can lead you to say things and do things you that you really wish you hadn't. isn't this what you're supposed to say? i know. so if any of your buddies ever pressure you to take a drink, just tell them you promised your dad you wouldn't. i'd do anything to keep you safe. ok. i will. i hope this is working. i promise. i love you too dad. they really do hear you. brian? yea? so start the conversation even before they're teenagers. good idea. for tips on what to say visit underagedrinking.samhsa.gov a message from the substance abuse and mental health services administration.

we end tonight with a man who has a special talent for helping kids with special needs. turns out, they're a perfect fit. here's elaine quijano. >> remember how we walk, right? slow and controlled. >> reporter: michael konstalid has been a physical therapist in the new york public school system for eight years, a job he pursued because of his late father. >> my father had a neuromuscular condition, and growing up, becoming a physical therapist, i realized he had a much more difficult, challenging life than i ever knew. >> reporter: his father inspired him in another way, too -- he was a carpenter. growing up, konstalid would help his dad build things in his shop, a skill he now brings into the school.

>> reporter: i started with repairing a wheelchair or building a balance beam, and it developing into,ky build you a desk. >> reporter: konstalid says the chairs kids use can have a big impact on how they learn, so he started working out of a makeshift workshop in the basement of a brooklyn elementary school where he builds customized furniture out of salvaged scraps of wood. how can school furniture affect learning? >> for a child who has balance, coordination issues, they're trying to learn to the best of their ability, solve a math problem, or do a reading assignment. if your feet aren't on the floor, you can't be there mentally. >> reporter: konstalid has created more than 80 original pieces, like this staircase to help angie cruz get off the bus, a lunch tray holder for students confined to wheelchairs, and a modified classroom chair for hasan mahmud who has a hard time sitting in a typical one. >> he loves the fact that he's sitting in a special chair, but

nobody treats him any differently. >> reporter: to give the students a sense of ownership, he enlists them to help them build a piece of furniture. what do you think about the chair? >> i think that it's perfect. >> reporter: in using these pieces of discarded wood, michael konstalid sees what others can sometimes miss -- limitless possibilities. elaine quijano, cbs news, new york. >> that's the "cbs overnight news" for this thanksgiving thursday. for some of you, the news continues. for others, check back with us a little later for the morning news and "cbs this morning." from the broadcast center, i'm jim axelrod.

this is the "cbs overnight news." >> happy thanksgiving. and welcome to the "overnight news." i'm elaine quijano. 47 million americans have been on the move this week, traveling to today's holiday feasts. a turkey meal with all of the fixings is an age-old tradition, along with football games and thanksgiving parades. the biggest parade wil march down new york city this morning. floats and balloons, upwards of a million spectators. security will be tight on the route. some undercover police you would never notice and others you can't miss. michelle miller reports. >> reporter: on its busiest days, nearly 500,000 people walk through the streets of times square. so if anything should happen, the nypd says mounted officers like this will be on the front line of defense.

less than two weeks after the paris attacks, new york city remains on high alert. and with up to 3 million people expected to gather for thursday's thanksgiving day parade, officials aren't taking any chances. >> we estimate we might have record breaking crowds because of the weather situation and we're prepared for that. we're encouraging people to come on down. >> reporter: while many security measures go unnoticed, officers on horseback almost never do. but these men and women also known as ten-foot cops, do much more than act as a photo-op for tourists. sergeant, what do you see? >> lots of people. >> this facility is a start of the art system. >> reporter: deputy inspector barry geldman is the commanding officer. how important are these horses to the force? >> having that capability at a moment's notice where you don't have resources there, but you can start to evacuate people or give direction is invaluable.

>> reporter: geldman says the mobility of a horse gives police an added advantage when dealing with an emergency that's what happened in 2010 when members of the mounted unit evacuated times square just minutes after a bomb was discovered in a parked vehicle. >> people were taking direction from the mounted officers to move themselves from the location and it was clear communication. >> reporter: last week, they unveiled a $30 million elite facility to house the squad. just a quit trot away from times square, penn station, and central park. the new location gives officers easy access to the city's busiest sites. >> a lot of people have never seen a horse before. they want to pet them, know his name. >> sounds like they're good at community policing. >> one of the greatest tools we have. >> reporter: new york city is one of the last cities to have horses on active duty. talking to these two officers, they say their non-human

partners are second to none. despite the terrorist attacks in paris, mali and elsewhere, president obama says u.s. intelligence has no credible evidence that any strikes are planned for the thanksgiving holiday. he addressed the nation from the white house. >> so as americans travel this weekend to be with their loved ones, i want them to know that our counterterrorism, intelligence, homeland security, and law enforcement professionals at every level are working overtime. they are continually monitoring threats at home and abroad. continually evaluating our security posture. they did so before paris, and they do so now. without fanfare or credit and without a break for the holidays. so the bottom line is this, i want the american people to know entering the holidays that the combined resources of our military, our intelligence, and our homeland security agencies

are on the case. they're vigilant, relentless, and effective. in the event of a specific, credible threat, the public will be informed. we do think it's useful for people, as they're going about their business, to be vigilant. if you see something suspicious, say something. that's always helpful. but otherwise, americans should go about their usual thanksgiving activities. spending time with family and friends and celebrating our blessings. while the threat of terrorism is a troubling reality of our age, we are both equipped to prevent attacks and we are resilient in the face of those that would try to do us harm. that's something we can all be thankful for. happy thanksgiving, everybody. >> when the thanksgiving dinner is done and the turkey leftovers are packed into the fridge, a lot of people will be heading home.

aaa estimates 3.6 million americans will travel by air. in addition to the long lines at the security gates, many air traveler also be confronted with a crowding problem when they get to their seats. kris van cleave has the story from reagan national airport. >> reporter: the tsa checkpoints at airports across the country are busy. but when people get on board, they might feel a little more crowded. and it's not your imagination. airlines have worked to squeeze in extra rows of seats. that means over time the average space between those rows has fallen from about 35 inches here, on average, down about four inches and in some instances, six inches. gives you about this much space when you fly. this engine fire on a british airways 777 caused an emergency evacuation. the faa requires it happens in 90 seconds or less even if half the exits are blocked. beyond that, the agency does not set limbs on how close rows of seats can be, but much of its

own research is done with seats 31 inches apart. that's the spacing for several of the country's biggest carriers. while jet blue, southwest and virgin off the most space, frontier and spirit offer the least, with as little as 28 inches of space and seats that don't recline. the amount of room you have to sit on may have shrunk down to 16 inches wide on some airlines. >> if you crowd more and more people together, bad things happen. >> reporter: in august, the group flyers right sent a petition to the faa, asking the agency to stop seats from getting smaller and create minimum standards. >> it's a safety concern, particularly with evacuation. it hasn't really been tested for small spaces. it's a health concern, with blood clots. it's a security concern when people are having disagreements and even fights over space. >> reporter: hank scott got

frustrated with cramped flights, tiny seats a mdz the time it took to board. >> i simply slide the seat into a locked position. >> reporter: so he helped invent a different kind of airline seat currently being certified for use. he's named them side slip seats, because the middle seat is set back just enough for the aisle seat to slide over it, making more room in the aisle. it also allows the seats to be bigger while not taking up additional space. >> you're not jockeying for elbow space. you're back here. you have an extra two inches width here. that's still a standard seat, that's still a standard seat. but both those passengers have more space, as well. because they're not elbow to elbow, arm to arm, thigh to thigh. >> reporter: and the trade association that represents the airlines says the seats are safe and the faa should leave it up to the market to determine how much space customers want. it's worth pointing out that those super discount carriers that offer the least space are among the most profitable in the business. >> the "cbs overnight news" will

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ditch the misery. let's end this. for some people, wild turkey is on the thanksgiving menu today. years ago, it's what you did, hunt for your own food. nowadays, it's a trend called game-to-table. jeff glor spoke to a chef from texas who turned the trend into a restaurant. >> reporter: jessie griffith has an unusual office. a couple of them actually. when he's not here, he's usually here. preparing the game and fish that he insists on collecting, cutting, and cooking. >> i'm glad to see that hunting is becoming a little more normalized. >> reporter: wild boar, duck wings and venn sevecci. his restaurant and butcher shop is a modern hot spot and old school throwback. you say hunting is sort of thought of as the gun culture and you think it should be thought of as part of the food

culture. >> absolutely. people confuse that. i'm not a gun nut, you know. i do have guns because i hunt, but it's direct sourcing. if you're going to kill it, you should utilize it. >> reporter: his favorite target, and taste, is an animal that's become an enormous problem in texas. the wild boar. >> they're a huge agricultural nuisance. they cause millions in damage. but the thing is, they're highly edible. and they're delicious. so not a lot of problems in life that you can eat. as far as problems go, it's kind of a good one. the mustard and bread is made in house. everything is made in house. >> reporter: we sampled his wild boar brautburst and venison. and egg topped tomales. the meat may be wild, but it's

all approved by the state department of health. state inspectors join the hunts where the game is sourced. it's a process of full disclosure. and it continues at his restaurant. i want to ask you about the kitchen. you see everything there. there's nothing in the background. >> right. >> reporter: why is that? >> we wanted a good deal of transparency in this restaurant. when you walk in, we want you to see the whole process of everything we're doing. very likely you're going to see butchering an animal. right next to that they'll be making pie. i wanted people to see the kitchen and it also keeps us honest. we don't have a can opener back there, because we bring in everything fresh. >> reporter: in his restaurants, there's almost no waste. in the kitchen, and as we saw, on people's plates. if you don't have the means or the land or the will to hunt, but you want to eat meat and game, what is the recommendation?

i would say make friends with a hunter. it's old fashioned. being able to ask questions and make connections with people that are producing food is the key element. >> let's say you want that fresh pork but you don't want to go hunting to get it. susan spencer found what she thinks is the best cuban sandwich north of havana. >> reporter: just two words may explain why tampa's venerable colombia restaurant has lasted more than a century, cuban sandwich. >> so we got our ham on there. next important thing would be our pork, salami, four slices. not three, not five, but four. >> reporter: it's a sandwich built according to exact specifications. >> two pickles. >> reporter: only two? >> only two. >> reporter: made from an age-old family recipe. >> cuban sandwich should be nine inches long. period. end of story.

>> reporter: not a lot of room for creativity here. and what about mayonnaise, tomatoes, lettuce? >> you will not do that. >> reporter: if you want to ruin it, go ahead. it's served hot after being assembled in a very precise order. >> does it matter? yeah, it matters. it's the difference between being great and good. >> reporter: it's amazing to me that both of you were kids in this place. chard and his daughter are the fourth and fifth generations to own and run the colombia. >> we're the oldest hispanic restaurant in the united states. >> reporter: they gave the sandwich a lot of the credit. they say they serve as many as 600 a day. this is a heavy sandwich. >> it's like a burger. you go and because you know you want to eat it. >> reporter: it comes with a complementary triple bypass. of course, that didn't stop me. >> you're eating it upside down. [ laughter ]

>> reporter: do you consider this a regional food? >> it's an original. >> reporter: just don't try telling that to the good folks in miami. >> i love when miami says they have the real cuban sandwich. >> reporter: what is wrong with the one that they serve in miami? >> they don't put salami on it. that's the big argument. >> reporter: with or without salami, the cuban finds itself on roughly three times as many restaurant menus today as it did a decade ago. a regional delight that could be coming soon to a cafe near you. that's fun. ♪ it's already dry! no wait time. this is great. it's very soft. can i keep it? (laughs) all the care of dove... ...now in a dry antiperspirant spray. how are you doing?nne. hi, evelyn. i know it's been a difficult time since your mom passed away. yeah. i miss her a lot, but i'm okay. wow. that was fast.

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ever take a bite of something that looks delicious but tastes just like plastic? turns out plastic food is big business overseas. seth doane reports from osaka, japan. >> reporter: call it a japanese kitchen magic. green goop is transformed into a head of lettuce. a tempting tray of sushi won't lose its appeal for years. and this mackerel has never seen a grill. where do you see fake food in japan? >> i see it in department stores, shopping malls, in underground shopping areas, in touristy places such as this. you see it everywhere. >> reporter: ohio native justice hannas showed us around his adopted city osaka. known as japan's food capital,

fake or sample food abounds here. fake food overcomes a language barrier? >> exactly. >> reporter: you point to it and say this is what i want. >> exactly. that's how it's been in this country for 78 years. >> reporter: across japan, realistic looking food displays are used by restaurants to demonstrate portion size, and are laid out to try to lure customers. >> it's really an advertising tool. >> reporter: he sells plastic food via his website and claims if you can cook it, they can make a replica that looks good enough to eat, thanks to his manufacturer, 60-year-old artisan fumio marino. why has this fake food taken root here in japan? "western style dishes were introduced to japan and customers were unfamiliar with them so they didn't sell well," he explained. "today, i think it's as usefuls a ever." at his workshop, we found a

spread of treats, all completely inedible, of course. it is remarkable craftsmanship, though, which marino first learned from his dad. wow. "my father always said before you eat something, observe it," he remembered. "study its color, patterns, then you can dig in." making it look just right takes a lot of trial and error. it turns out coating for shrimp looks best if it's made from poly vinyl chloride. or soba soup broth from urethane. and getting beef to the perfect temperature is more airbrush than oven. marino told us it can take ten years to master this. it just blows all off. that made me feel a bit better with my attempt at shrimp tempura. my tempura looks a little sad. each piece is hand crafted.

it seems machines just can't make it look so real. he says souvenirs from key chains to magnets make up most of his business. but buying fake food is not just for the casual collector. sushi, rice. meet akiko. she showed us the room her husband won't enter. i sit here relaxing, she told us. i add new items and just look at my collection. it's really quite something. she's decorated the walls with pizza and drawers are filled with creme brulee. seated on a burger and piece of cake, we chatted about her hobby. why did you start collecting food, plastic food of all things? "i always thought plastic food samples were only available for people in the food industry, but when i found out they were

available for a housewife like me, i started buying them." she has no idea how much she has spent, though doesn't dispute estimates of more than $80,000. do people think you're crazy? "i'm not aware of that," she chuckled. well, it landed her a place in the book of world records. for having more than 8,000 pieces of plastic prepared food items. who knew there was such a category? while she may have taken to another level, we found this fake food is undoubtedly appealing. there's something almost enchanting about these hand made, delicious looking morsels you would never dare to eat. >> after thanksgiving dinner, you might want to relax with a cup of coffee. anna warner found an artist who would rather paint with his cup of coffee. >> reporter: something is always brewing in gerard's studio. >> well, i thought it might be fun to push the limits a little

bit. >> reporter: literally. he paints with coffee and tea. this graphic designer used to paint the old fashioned way. until the day he became fascinated by his cup of green tea. >> and i thought, i wonder if i can make this into a painting medium, what that would be like? >> reporter: browns and greens were easy enough. but keeping other clears stable, not so much. what is the hardest color to make stick? >> hardest color to make stick is probably the reds. >> reporter: are you still working on mastering the reds? >> i recently have just got it. >> reporter: you just got it after how many years? >> the whole process has been about ten years. so now i have a full color spectrum, so i can get flesh tones, purples, silvers, grays, blacks, whites, the whole works. >> reporter: getting all those colors requires him to buy coffee and tea from around the world.

shipped to his home outside pittsburgh. so this essentially is your blue. there is no other tea that gives you this color that you need? >> no. >> reporter: the actual painting requires a bit of a juggling act in his basement studio, which doubles as sort of chemistry lab. >> i'll work on a piece, i have several going at the same time, but i'm brewing and making paint as i'm working. >> reporter: it's like you're cooking and painting at the same time. >> right. >> reporter: look closely. that textured surface is actually coffee grounds. and it's a good guess that with all that caffeine around, his art will keep percolating. anybody ever say, why do you do that? >> sure, all the time. >> reporter: how do you answer that? >> for me, it's all about the challenge.

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captioning funded by cbs it's thursday, november 26th, 2015. this is the "cbs morning news." as thanksgiving celebrations kick off, americans stay on alert, despite the absence of a specific terror threat. the president warns the nation to remain vigilant. protests over a killing of a black teenager by a white chicago police officer spread to other cities and demonstrators say they are ready to disrupt black friday shopping. an airline passenger records a disturbing scene while waiting for a flight. baggage handlers throwing luggage as part of a game.