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i'm anne marie green. this is the "cbs morning news". i'm anne marie green.ake the time to melt into your holiday moments with lindor. ♪ ♪ irresistibly smooth chocolate. from the lindt master chocolatier. there are many reasons for waiting to visit your doctor right now. but if you're experiencing irregular heartbeat, heart racing, chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue or light-headedness, don't wait to contact your doctor. because these symptoms could be signs of a serious condition like atrial fibrillation. which could make you about five times more likely to have a stroke. your symptoms could mean something serious, so this is no time to wait. talk to a doctor, by phone, online, or in-person. >>> our top stories this morning. president biden is urging americans to get vaccinated and boosted against covid to avoid a winter surge of new infections. the omicron variant is now detected in at least 38 states. many hospitals across the country are overwhelmed with unvaccinated patients. >>> and purdue pharma's agreement worth more than $4 billion to settle la

i'm anne marie green. we begin with the search for survivors and the death toll from the tornado that tore through six states. at least 88 people are dead, most of those in kentucky. the youngest, a two-month-old little girl. laura is in mayfield, kentucky. good morning. >> reporter: donations are pouring in. volunteers are arriving. the search for survivors continues. you can see in the home behind me, search and rescue crews have spray painted in orange the date and that they found no one inside. they are going structure to structure making sure no one is left behind. search and rescue crews are working around the clock in kentucky with dozens of people still missing after last week's deadly tornadoes. >> to the people of western kentucky, we are not going anywhere. we'll be with you today, tomorrow and to rebuild. >> more than 1,000 homes across 18 counties were reduced to rubble. >> i hope whoever is missing, they are still holding on. >> she fought her way out of this flattened candle factory are wher

i'm anne-marie green. we begin with the worsening covid situation here in the u.s. health officials are painting a bleak picture for our winter season with concerns the number of new cases could eventually hit one million per day. the omicron variant is now in all but four states. dr. anthony fauci predicts it will overtake delta as the dominant variant in the country. meantime, senators cory booker and elizabeth warren have tested positive for covid. both democrats are fully vaccinated and received a booster shot. they say they are experiencing mild symptoms. courtney kealy is in new york with more on all of this for us. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, anne-marie. with covid cases surging, there are hours' long lines here in new york city for testing. the omicron variant is spreading, and covid-19 cases are rising. the situation is likely to get worse in the days and weeks ahead. >> it is just, you know, raging through the world really. >> reporter: federal health officials don't know if the new

i'm anne-marie green. we start with breaking news. at least 54 migrants were killed and dozens more injured after a cargo truck crashed in mexico. it happened in the southern part of the country. the vehicle was carrying as many as 200 people including children who were likely headed to the u.s. mexican authorities said the sheer weight of the load combined with speed and a nearby curb may have caused the truck to tip over. many migrants said it felt like the truck was speeding before the crash happened. it's one of the single most high days for death tolls in decades. >>> lawyers for actor jussie smollett plan to appeal. he was found guilty. he remained stoic as the verdict was read aloud in court yesterday but his attorneys are confident the conviction will not stand. laura podesta is in new york with more on the case. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, anne-marie. when he's sentenced, he could face three years behind bars but because he doesn't have a record he could get probation or have to perform community service. the for

i'm anne-marie green. well, we begin with the nation passing a milestone in the battle against covid-19. more than 200 million americans are now fully vaccinated against the virus. that's just over 60% of the u.s. population. the head of the cdc is urging eligible people to get a booster shot, especially as more cases of the omicron variant are reported. she called the symptoms mild in almost all of the omicron cases, but there's still concern about the delta variant as it fuels hospitalizations. laura podesta is in new york with the latest on covid. laura, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. we're looking at several hot spots, particularly in the midwest where a surge of infections is filling icu beds. more than 200 million or just over 60% of americans are now fully vaccinated against covid-19. >> it feels good to be safer. >> reporter: many are getting their booster shot, a key defense against the omicron >> at first i was skeptical about do we need it or not. once there were other variant, there's

i'm anne-marie green. we begin with the fast-spreading omicron variant. it's now in 49 states, and the cdc is predicting a record high number of new covid infections as early as next month. the agency reported nearly 290,000 cases on monday. that's the second highest since the pandemic started. yesterday president biden laid out a plan to tackle the latest surge. he said his administration will buy 500 million at-home covid tests allowing americans to order them on line for free starting in january. meantime, the fda could approve covid treatment pills from pfizer and merck as soon as today. they would be taken at the early onset of symptoms to help prevent hospitalizations. courtney kealy is in new york with more on all of this for us. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, anne-marie. this covid surge is threatening to up-end american americans' holiday plans and federal and local officials are setting up more testing centers and ordering more at-home testing kits. the federal government is ramping up

i'm anne-marie green. of course we begin with the devastation left by a series of tornadoes that ripped through at least six states. overnight mr. biden issued a federal disaster in kentucky. now there's word the death toll may not be as high as initially thought. that's the good news. one tornado traveled 200 miles and leveled neighborhood including this one in mayfield, kentucky. twisted metal, downed power lines, and wrecked vehicles line the streets. but there could be a small glimmer of hope as more people are now accounted for at a candle factory. laura podesta is in mayfield now with more on this. laura, good d morning. >> reporter: good morning, anne-marie. i'm standing in really an unrecognizable downtown mayfield, kentucky. this was an office building right behind me here. this is the sort of dense debris that search and rescue crews are going through trying to find survivors. at the nearby candle-making factory, there are still eight people missing this morning. the total damage inflicted by any

i'm anne-marie green.his morning more states are reporting confirmed cases of the omicron variant. it is now in at least 17 states, but most of the symptoms have been mild in vaccinated people. health officials say that there's not enough evidence to know what to expect from the variant. laura podesta is in new york with the latest on this. laura, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, anne-marie. a big question is how transmissible is this new variant, how quickly or easily can others catch it. with that and other unknowns surrounding omicron, the u.s. is taking new steps to stop the spread. as of this morning, all travelers coming from the u.s. must undergo a covid-19 test within 24 hours of their departure. previously they had to be tested within three days of their flight. >> definitely another challenge that's coming up in the way for travelers. >> reporter: the tightened restrictions come as the omicron variant continues to spread. at least 17 states have reported omicron-related infections, many o

i'm anne-marie green. president biden will address the nation today on his administration's plan to take on covid and the omicron variant this winter. sources tell cbs news he's expected to extend the requirement for travelers to wear masks on airplanes and mass transit through mid-march. and this comes after the first case of the omicron variant was reported in the u.s. a fully vaccinated person in northern california tested positive and is experiencing mild symptoms. laura podesta is in new york with the latest details on this. laura, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, anne-marie. the united states joins about two dozen other countries with a confirmed case of the omicron variant. health officials had said it was only a matter of time before it got here, and as you mentioned, now the white house is announcing new plans to fight the virus as the winter surge approaches. dr. charles chiu is not surprised that the omicron variant made its way into the u.s. >> i'm almost certain that this finding is on

. >>> good morning, i'm wendy gillette in for anne-marie green. with just to days before christmas, there's alarming new data about the omicron variant and its rapid spread across the u.s. it's now in all 50 states including washington, d.c., and puerto rico. researchers at the university of washington believe there will be 140 million new infections between january and march. they predict it will peak in late january at nearly three million daily cases. there's some hope amid this latest covid surge. two british studies support earlier research the omicron variant is not as we're as the variant is not as severe as the delta variant, though hospital could still be overwhelmed with patients. courtney kealy is in new york with more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, wendy. there have been over one million cases in just the last week according to johns hopkins, and at least 9,000 deaths in the last seven days. the hottest item this christmas isn't a toy, it's a covid test. >> i'm going to be with my mom for the holidays, so i want to make sure

. >>> good morning, i'm elise preston in for anne-marie green. we begin with breaking developments on capitol hill. overnight the house voted to hold former white house chief of staff mark meadows in contempt of congress. the move comes after meadows defied a subpoena to testify before the house committee that's investigating the january 6th capitol riot. this is just the second time in nearly 200 years the house has voted to hold a former member in contempt. the matter now goes to the justice department which will decide whether to prosecute meadows. if convicted he faces up to one year in prison. natalie brand has more. >>> the resolution is adopted -- >> reporter: for the second time this year, the house voted to refer criminal contempt charges to the justice department in connection to the january 6th investigation. this time against former white house chief of staff mark meadows who also once served in congress. >> it must be our ability to compel people to testify. >> we see this as a negatively partisan enterprise. there's no pretense. >>

anne-marie green off. this morning many people across the nation are struggling to get back home from holiday trips. yesterday alone, more than 7,000 flights were canceled or delayed in the u.s. partly because of staffing shortages caused by the surge in covid cases due to the omicron variant. the cdc says average daily cases have surged to more than 176,000. that means new infections are at their highest levels in nearly a year. courtney kealy has the latest from new york. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, tom. the covid pandemic is disrupting the holiday season for the second straight year with the omicron variant surging, infecting thousands daily, straining hospitals and causing chaos. just a day after christmas, holiday travelers were left stranded amid a surge in covid cases among airline crews. >> it's stressful. absolutely stressful. but we're just trying to take it as it comes, and that's all you can do. >> reporter: more than 3,000 flights were canceled between friday and sunday. a trend t

anne-marie green is off. this morning, ghislaine maxwell faces the possibility of spending the rest of her life behind bars after five full days of deliberations. a jury found the 60-year-old british socialite guilty of recruiting and grooming teenage girls for jeffrey epstein. maxwell sat still as the verdict was read yesterday. she showed no emotion as she was led out of the new york city courtroom. the defense is already planning to appeal. courtney kealy is tracking the latest developments from the courthouse. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, tom. ghislaine maxwell was found guilty on all but one count, and guilty on the most serious count of trafficking. ghislaine maxwell sat silently as the judge read the verdict. the former girlfriend of accused sexual predator jeffrey epstein was found guilty of five of the six charges she faced including the most serious -- of grooming and trafficking of young girls for epstein's alleged sex abuse ring. she faces up to 65 years in a federal prison. >>

. >>> good morning, i'm wendy gillette in for anne-marie green. for the second straight year, the covid pandemic is casting a dark shadow over christmas. this morning, air travelers are being impacted. united, delta, and jetblue already canceled more than 300 flights for today. united the most. a spokesperson blamed a staffing shortage because of the virus. more than 261,000 cases were reported yesterday according to johns hopkins university. as the number of cases pies up, the cdc is changing rules for health care workers who test positive. they can work after seven days instead of ten if they test negative and don't have symptoms the rules are designed to help hospitals that overwhelmed with covid patients. courtney kealy is in new york with this and more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, wendy. aaa says if you're traveling, try to travel before 1:00 p.m. to avoid bad holiday traffic. of course, check those airlines. if you're flying, there have been cancelations. with omicron up ending holiday plans, health officials are urging people t

anne-marie green is off. >>> this morning, health experts are questioning the cdc's recommendation to shorten the isolation period for people infected with covid. it comes as the u.s. hit a seven-day average of more than 240,000 new daily cases. some fear hospitals could become overelme pies as the highly contagious omicron variant spreads. all of this as college football's holiday bowl was canceled just hours before kickoff when ucla pulled out due to covid issues. courtney kealy is tracking the latest developments from new york. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, tom. now omicron and delta are spiking cases across the country, packing a one-two punch, while school administrations are trying to decide how to get classes open after the return after the holiday break. lines for covid-19 tests sometimes hours long continue to surge across the country leaving testing sites scrambling to keep up. >> we've staffed up and really moved vaccinators into testing today because that's the high demand. just knowing the neighborhood, at a certain pint the police department does have t

i'm anne-marie green. this morning more states are

i'm anne-marie green. president biden will address the nation today on his administration's pla t

. >>> good morning, i'm wendy gillette in for anne-marie green.iant and its rapid spre a

i'm anne-marie green. we begin with wild weather in the central u.s.

i'm anne-marie green. well, we begin with the nation passing a milestone in the battle against cid