erica brown is at the white house with the latest on a looming deadline. erica? >> reporter: jericka, right now federal agencies are evaluating the risks that this deal could pose to national security. the deadline is tomorrow, and their report could give president biden justification for blocking this deal. >> close this deal now! >> reporter: u.s. steel employees are divided at a critical moment. >> we need this. we need this desperately. >> reporter: workers in western pennsylvania are urging president biden to support the company's sale to japan-based nippon steel. but the proposed $14.9 billion deal is facing tough opposition, including from national union leadership. >> u.s. steel is not a company in trouble and has not been a company in trouble. >> reporter: at one time, u.s. steel was the largest corporation in the u.s. today the company says it would be forced to close plants if the deal doesn't go through. >> i believe in american steel companies. >> reporter: president biden could signal his stance on the deal as soon as tomorrow. he has previously sta

erica brown is in washington tonight with what's in the bill, what's out, and who is not thrilled. erica? >> reporter: good evening, david. president biden has been largely absent during those tense negotiations over government spending this week, but today, biden did sign a spending bill, calling it good news for the american people. federal workers, farmers, and those in hurricane-ravaged communities all may have breathed a sigh of relief after the end of a dramatic government spending showdown this week that began when billionaire elon musk and president-elect donald trump torpedoed a bipartisan spending bill with a barrage of social media posts and threats to lawmakers who supported the measure. in a blow to trump, 38 republicans voted with democrats against a version of the bill that would have suspended the debt ceiling, a move that would have given trump more barrowing leeway for his agenda. the slimmed down bill passed without a pay bump for members of congress, which has been flat since 2009 and punts the debt limit question to the next congress, where republics will contro

cbs's erica brown reports from washington. >> reporter: pope francis celebrated christmas eve mass atan and the newly restored st. peter's basilica. he opened the 2025 catholic holy year known as the jubilee with a message of hope. in the west bank town of bethlehem church leaders pray for peace in the region. >> we want next year to be here full of light. light that in the darkness we are now and we didn't see. >> reporter: christians in gaza attended mass at the war-torn palestinian enclave's holy family church. in germany preparations were also under way in berlin to celebrate hanukkah, with a menorah at the brandenburg gate. this is one of the rare years the jewish festival of lights coincides with christmas. >>> across the u.s. travelers set out for their destinations while others shopped for last-minute gifts. >> it's a great time of year up here. >> reporter: astronauts are in a festive mood aboard the international space station. >> there's seven of us up here, and so we're going to get to enjoy company together. >> reporter: volunteers at peterson space force base in colorado

cbs's erica brown has more from washington. >> reporter: president biden once was a strong proponentut these death penalties in this bill. >> reporter: but four years ago he campaigned to end it and paused federal executions when he became president. >> one of the reasons i'm against capital punishment is you know, we have confirmed there's at least 195 cases since 1972 that the person who was convicted and about to be put to death was innocent. >> reporter: now with less than a month left in his term biden said "in good conscience i cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that i halted." president-elect trump promised to restore the federal death penalty during his campaign. a trump spokesman calls biden's decision abhorrent and said trump will restore the rule of law when he takes office next month. civil rights groups are cheering biden's decision. >> our society is better as a result of it. >> reporter: sister barbara batista of the sisters of providence routinely visits those newly granted clemency at the federal penitentiary in terre haute, indiana. >>