>> o'donnell: his warning tonight for those responsible. fauci's turn: the nation's top infectious disease doctor rolls up his sleeves. >> i feel extreme confidence in the safety and efficacy of this vaccine. >> o'donnell: plus, why who gets the vaccine next can make a difference in flattening the curve. americans out of work: tonight, the story of middle-class families hurting, relying on food banks and not getting a check from the u.s. government. jailed for violating quarantine: an american college student is sentenced to two months behind bars in the cayman islands. what her parents are asking the president to do. holiday storm: millions brace for snow, rain, and possibly tornadoes. and the black ice that caused this tractor trailer to go up in flames in new york. and our "season of giving": world-renowned chef jose andres feeding hungry americans and providing a lifeline to small businesses. >> this is the "cbs evening news" with norah o'donnell, reporting from the nation's capital. capital. >> o'don >> o'donnell: good evening, and

thank you for joining us. we are going to begin tonight with usually blunt words from president-elect joe biden, who said our darkest days in the battle against covid are ahead of us, not behind us. his warning comes as americans is expected to top three million total deaths by the end of 2020, now that is a 15% increase since last year, and it's because of the pandemic. according to the c.d.c., that makes 2020 the deadliest year in u.s. history. today, top health officials in this country said we should assume the more new infectious covid-19 strain ravaging the united kingdom is already here in the u.s. this was the scene in the u.k. today as delivery trucks jammed the roads at border closures response to the outbreak there. we have learned that moderna and pfizer's partner, biontech, are testing to see if their vaccines are effective against this new strain. in the past few days, u.s. airports have been crowded with more travelers than we have seen since march, raising new fears

that the virus will spread further during the holidays. and as we come on the air tonight, more than 322,000 lives have been lost to covid. there's also a lot of new reporting tonight for you and your family, and our team is following it all. cbs' mola lenghi is going to lead us off from newark airport in new jersey. good evening, mola. >> reporter: good evening, norah. more than 80 million americans are expected to travel between tomorrow and january 3. as you can see, they've already gotten started-- that is, despite the c.d.c.'s recommendations. add to that, that new strain that's believed to be significantly more contagious, and hospitals across the country are bracing for impact. tonight, growing concern that the variant strain of covid, locking down locking down much of the united kingdom, has now reached the u.s. >> when you have this amount of spread within a place like the u.k., that you really need to assume that it's here already. >> reporter: the lockdown stranding travelers, leaving rows of trucks stretching as far as the eye can see and then farther.

france now saying it will resume essential travel and transit for european union citizens to ease the gridlock. while the new strain is believed to be up to 70% more infectious, it's unclear if it might require the vaccine to be modified. >> it is possible. and we should be ready for that but a bit down the road that it may happen. but i'm not worried the corona vaccines we have will become ineffective. >> reporter: pfizer and moderna are testing their vaccines against the new strain. what is worrisome: how bleak things have gotten inside u.s. hospitals, especially in california. this is a covid unit just north of los angeles. >> it's getting worse, and it's exhausting. >> reporter: dr. brad spellberg is chief medical officer at l.a. county u.s.c. medical center. what is the worst-case scenario here? >> our fear is, we end up looking like new york did in april, or what spain and italy went through, that when you are

just systematically completely overwhelmed and there is nothing you can do. >> reporter: there are no i.c.u. beds left at this orange county hospital... >> it's been exponentially increasing since thanksgiving. >> reporter: ...sparking new concerns about a christmas surge nationwide. those warnings so far largely ignored as airports remain packed. a coroner in louisiana now confirming that the passenger on this united airlines flight, seen on this t.m.z. video, died from covid. one of the passengers giving him c.p.r. reportedly now testing positive. in september, the u.s. never averaged more than 50,000 daily cases. california just reported over 60,000 in a single day. the state also setting records for hospitalizations and deaths. relief can't come soon enough for those newly infected, those hospitalized... >> one, two... >> reporter: ...or those on the front lines. how do you go on? >> it's our job. we continue to come every day, walking towards the danger. we're willing to do the hard work.

we're willing to go into the rooms and care for these critically ill patients. please, just help us stop the spread. portant to point out that itberg says it's important to point out that it's common for viruses to mutate and to spread more during the cold winter months. that was expected. still, it could create an unsustainable situation in hospitals over the next several weeks, which is why new york governor andrew cuomo tonight is calling on all new york hospitals to begin testing for that new strain, norah. >> o'donnell: all right, mola lenghi, thank you. president-elect biden is blasting president trump for not holding russia accountable for the widespread cyber attack on u.s. computer systems. he is urging u.s. citizens to keep you want battle against covid saying "it's time to steel our spine" for the weeks ahead. here's cbs' nikole killion. >> reporter: president-elect joe biden with a blunt message to the american people today: tens of thousands more lives will be lost in the months to

come, even with the vaccine. >> our darkest days in the battle against covid are ahead of us, not behind us. >> reporter: with more than 2,500 americans currently dying each day, president trump again had no public events or comment on the pandemic, only focusing on what he called the rigged election. mr. biden suggested additional travel restrictions may be warranted as a new, more contagious strain emerges in the u.k. >> one of the things i'm waiting to get a response from my covid team is whether or not we should require testing before they get on an aircraft to fly home, number one. and number two, when they get home, should they quarantine? >> reporter: president trump has also said little about the enormous hack that penetrated several government agencies and fortune 500 companies. today, mr. biden called mr. trump out for failing to respond. >> this assault happened on donald trump's watch when he wasn't watching. it's still his responsibility as

president to defend american interests for the next four weeks. but rest assured that even he does not take it seriously, i will. >> reporter: the president-elect called on the administration to publicly announce who is responsible, noting that it looked like russia's doing. attorney general bill barr and secretary of state mike pompeo agree, but mr. trump said it may have been china and downplayed the seriousness of the hack. the president-elect was asked how he would respond. >> let us determine what the extent of the damage is, and i promise you there will be a response. >> reporter: meanwhile, vice president-elect kamala harris' california senate seat has been filled. on twitter, governor gavin newsom broke the news of his appointment of secretary of state alex padilla, who would be the first latino senator from the state. >> i'm honored, man. and i'm humbled. i can't tell you how many pancakes my dad flipped or eggs he scrambled trying to provide

for us. >> reporter: cbs news has learned mr. biden is nominating connecticut schools' commissioner miguel cardona as his new education secretary. cardona, who taught public school earlier in his career, will be tasked with getting kids back in the classroom within biden's first 100 days. norah. >> o'donnell: all right, nikole killion, thank you. tonight, states are deciding who should get the next wave of covid vaccines, sparking the debate over which groups should receive priority. for example, should it be corrections officers or teachers? cbs' adriana diaz continues our series, "vaccinating america." >> reporter: it's week two with more than 600,000 vaccines administered, including to dr. anthony fauci today. ( applause ) the c.d.c. recommends the next group should be those 75 and older, and frontline essential workers. but that's 49 million people, and so far just under five million doses have been delivered.

do you feel like you're almost in competition with other essential workers? >> yes, for sure. >> reporter: sylvia tanguma heads the teachers' union in mcallen, texas. she eats in her car to not remove her mask at school. monday, texas announced its next group will be those 65 and older or at high risk, not teachers as a whole. what would you say to the governor if you had a chance to talk to him? >> he needs to consider how many teachers we have and how badly we are needed. >> reporter: after studying new york's surge, the c.d.c. found that corrections officers are most exposed. that's why anthony mcgee of chicago thinks they should get priority. >> they have to pass out medicine. they have to pass out food. there is no way for our members not to the have direct contact with inmates. >> reporter: infectious disease specialist dr. aileen marty said

the order of vaccinations must be both ethical and strategic. >> you vaccinate the right group of people, you are going to flatten the curve faster. >> reporter: but the c.d.c. says even those next in line will be waiting at least a month. adriana diaz, cbs news, chicago. >> o'donnell: and tonight, we have a remarkable story about an 18-year-old college student from georgia fighting to get out of jail in the cayman islands for breaking covid isolation rules. she and her boyfriend were locked up, and her family is now pleading for help from the president. cbs' meg oliver has late developments in the case. >> reporter: today, 18-year-old skylar mack and her boyfriend had their lengthy four-month prison sentences for violating the caymen island's covid restrictions cut in half. the ordeal began november 27 when mack, a premed student from georgia, flew to the british caribbean territory for her boyfriend vanjae ramgeet's jet ski competition. she was supposed to wear a monitoring bracelet and quarantine for 14 days. >> she took multiple covid tests

when she arrived and throughout this period of time, and every single one of them has been negative. >> reporter: but two days in, she removed the tracking device and went to watch her boyfriend compete. they both pleaded guilty to violating the quarantine rules. initially, they were ordered to perform 40 hours of community service and pay $3,100 in fines, but the prosecutor appealed that sentence and a judge increased it to four months in jail. during sentencing the judge called their actions "as flagrant a breach as could be imagined. it was borne of selfishness and arrogance." her family is now hoping the u.s. government steps in. >> everybody's in limbo and, you know, trying to figure out what do we do? no one really wants to do christmas without skylar, so i'm not sure what we'll do. >> reporter: the family sent a letter directly to the white house asking president trump to intervene. the state department tells cbs news they are aware of the

situation. for now, the reduced sentence stands, but, according to the cayman islands, anyone who violates their covid restrictions faces up to two years in prison. norah. >> o'donnell: harsh sentence. meg oliver, thank you. well, tonight "feed america" says there's a 60% increase over last year in requests for food assistance. and it's not just lower income americans who need help because the first round of stimulus checks were based on last year's tax returns. a middle-class family who lost a job this year is also feeling the impact. here's cbs' mark strassmann. >> reporter: worry kept jose cruz company on this morning drive. >> reporter: that seven-month- old, valentina. >> reporter: her dad, a 52-year- old unemployed chef, picked up donated food, enough to stuff this van.

it will feed families in crisis, including his. >> when i go to the bed, sometimes i cry myself. you know, i say, "god, help me, please." >> reporter: cruz fell hard and fast in march after losing his job. he made good money cooking at the mayflower hotel in washington, d.c.-- $92,000 last year. now, he volunteers full-time at "so what else," a food bank. the siege of this pandemic has eaten into america's middle class. >> what is your name? >> reporter: in prosperous montgomery county, maryland, this charity serves 60,000 meals a week. >> the need increases every single day. >> here you go, man. >> reporter: executive director dave silbert says cruz stands out. >> the main thing i know about him and learned is that his work ethic is tremendous. is tremendous. >> reporter: six weeks ago, someone stole cruz's social security numbers. his unemployment checks stopped.

under the latest pandemic stimulus bill passed by congress, he'll likely get a few hundred dollars because of his infant daughter. that's it. cruz helped hand out more than 150 christmas toys. one of his only gifts for little valentina: donated diapers. mark strassmann, cbs news, atlanta. >> o'donnell: and tonight, a pre-christmas storm could force millions of americans to adjust their holiday travel plans. snow, rain, and heavy winds are forecast. let's get the details now from cbs' lonnie quinn. hey, there, lonnie. >> hey, norah. you know, if there's ever a time of year when you root for snow, it's around the christmas holiday. and tomorrow, in the morning, there's going to be snow out there, but this is not pleasant snow. it comes with big winds for the dakotas and minnesota-- blizzard winds, in fact. then, christmas eve, in the morning, this is important because atlanta could be dealing with some severe weather, and

there will be some flight delays. it all becomes rainy for the eastern seaboard. all those northeastern cities that picked up the snow last week, kind of setting the table for a white christmas, a lot of that is going to get washed away. it's primarily just raining, maybe a little snow on the backside when the cold air sets up. but, really, much more rain moves into the area. you're taking a look at temperatures dropping almost 20, even 30 degrees in some spots. 62, philadelphia, thursday, 6:00 p.m. you're in the 20s when you go back out around, say, chicago. all that cold air will overwhelm the east coast later on but too late to turn that rain to snow. norah, let's go back to you. >> o'donnell: oh, i'll miss the snow. lonnie quinn, thank you. well, there's still much more news ahead tonight on the "cbs evening news." the department of justice takes on walmart. did the retail giant help fuel the opioid crisis? and look at these flames. what caused a truck filled with hundreds of propane tanks flip on a busy highway? hway?

with a top-rated app that lets you deposit checks and transfer money anytime, anywhere, banking with capital one is, like, the easiest decision in the history of decisions. kind of like... i'll take barkley. yes! i still got it! i told you she'd pick me first. yep, even easier than that. plus with no fees or minimums on checking and savings accounts, is it really even a decision? that's banking reimagined. what's in your wallet? i'm a peer educator,... a fitness buff,... and a champion for my own health.

i talked with my doctor... and switched to... fewer medicines with... dovato. prescription dovato is for some adults who are starting hiv-1 treatment or replacing their current hiv-1 regimen. with...just 2 medicines... in 1 pill, dovato is as effective as a 3-drug regimen to help you reach and stay undetectable. research shows people who take hiv treatment as prescribed... and get to and stay undetectable... can no longer transmit hiv through sex. don't take dovato if you're allergic to any of its ingredients... or if you take dofetilide. hepatitis b can become harder to treat while taking dovato. do not stop dovato without talking to your doctor,... as your hepatitis b may worsen or become life-threatening. serious or life-threatening side effects can occur, including allergic reactions,... lactic acid build up, and liver problems. if you have a rash and other symptoms of an allergic reaction,... stop taking dovato and get medical help right away. tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis b or c,... or if you are, may be, or plan to be pregnant. your doctor may prescribe a different medicine... than dovato if you plan to be pregnant

or if pregnancy is confirmed during the first trimester. dovato may harm your unborn baby. use effective birth control while taking dovato. most common side effects are headache, nausea, diarrhea, trouble sleeping,... tiredness, and anxiety. so much goes into who i am. hiv medicine is one part of it. ask your doctor about dovato-i did. hiv medicine is one part of it. vicks vapopatch. easy to wear with soothing vicks vapors for her, for you, for the whole family. trusted soothing vapors, from vicks >> o'donnell: tonight, the justice department is accusing walmart of helping to fuel the opioid crisis by unlawfully filling thousands of prescriptions. prosecutors allege the company pressured employees to fill orders quickly, even ones that were suspicious. walmart says the government is trying to shift blame for its

own failures. new york city police say black ice likely cause a truck to flip and explode into flames on a busy highway. the fireball was captured on video from a nearby apartment just after midnight. the truck was carrying close to 300 propane cylinders, and they went up in flames. amazingly, the driver was not hurt. all right, coming up next, our season of giving. the chef feeding the hungry and saving restaurants. taurants. with our highest concentration of prebiotic oat intensely moisturizes over time to improve skin's resilience. aveeno® healthy. it's our nature™. we're portuguese? i thought we were hungarian. can you tell me that story again? behind every question is a story waiting to be discovered. this holiday, start the journey with a dna kit from ancestry.

frwhen you wash them, and theyet dajust don't look the same? well now there's a solution, with downy defy damage. downy defy damage protects your clothes from the stretching, fading and fuzzing that happens throughout the wash process. protect your clothes, with downy defy damage (beep) if you have type 2 diabetes and risks for heart disease, you could land in the hospital with heart failure. for people like you, farxiga does more than lower a1c. farxiga also helps prevent hospitalization for heart failure. do not take if allergic to farxiga symptoms of a serious allergic reaction include rash, swelling, difficulty breathing or swallowing. stop taking and seek medical help right away. tell your doctor right away if you have red color in urine, or pain while you urinate, or a genital area infection, since a rare but serious genital infection may be life-threatening. do not take farxiga if you have severe kidney problems or are on dialysis. other serious side effects include dehydration, genital yeast and bacterial infections in women and men, urinary tract infections, low blood sugar, and sudden kidney problems.

stop taking farxiga and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of ketoacidosis which is serious and may lead to death. answer the alert. ask your doctor if farxiga could do more for you. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. ♪ far-xi-ga sprinting past every leak in our softest, smoothest fabric. she's confident, protected, her strength respected. depend. the only thing stronger than us, is you. ♪ but come ye back when su-- mom, dad. why's jamie here? it's sunday. sunday sing along. and he helped us get a home and auto bundle. he's been our insurance guy for five years now. he makes us feel like we're worth protecting. [ gasps ] why didn't you tell us about these savings, flo? i've literally told you a thousand times. ♪ oh, danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling ♪ i'm just gonna... ♪ from glen to glen

>> o'donnell: all those months that congress argued over how to help americans in the pandemic, chef jose andres was serving those in need. cbs' chip reid continues our series, "season of giving." >> reporter: celebrity chef jose andres is a man on a mission to feed the world and to help struggling restaurants. that mission brings him here to breaking bread in baltimore. >>why we need to be having hunger lines in america? why do we need to see people with long lines of cars in person, when snowing or rain, waiting for a box of food? >> reporter: across the country, his non-profit world central

kitchen pays local restaurants to prepare hot meals for the hungry. since april, 175,000 meals have been served in baltimore, with $1 million going back to the community. you saw restaurants that were unable to have customers, and we saw hungry families. so, we thought, why don't we connect those two things? >> reporter: it's a partnership that helps the hungry and keeps the lights on. chef-owner kimberly ellis. would you still be in business? >> no. hands down, we would not. i don't want to get emotional, but it really saved us. >> reporter: andres and his volunteers served out 400 meals. hailey mitchell's mother depends on the food given away to feed her four children. >> so they can eat. >> reporter: and so can families in nearly 400 cities, thanks to andres and his food magic. >> people showing you that boots on the ground works, that programs work. gl that big tent communities, one meal at a time.

>> reporter: chip reid, cbs news, baltimore. >> o'donnell: we just want to keep highlighting those people that give back and share their kindness. we'll be right back. kindness. we'll be right back. re it ♪ renew active gives you so many ways to be healthy. get medicare with more. [phone rings] "sore throat pain? try new vicks vapocool drops in honey lemon chill for a fast-acting rush of relief like you've never tasted in... ♪ honey lemon ahh woo vicks vapocool drops now in honey lemon chill in this country by refusing to change. the ford motor company does not resist, deny or ignore change. we've pledged to make our most iconic vehicles electric, and to use 100% renewable energy across all global manufacturing plants by 2035, to stand for lower greenhouse gas emissions. to stand with americans, and for the planet.

to stand for lower greenhouse twto treat acute, non-low back stmuscle and joint pain doctors with topical nsaids first. a formulation they recommend can be found in salonpas. a formulation they recommend can be found in salonpas. salonpas. it's good medicine. hisamitsu. ♪ birds flyin' high you know how i feel ♪ ♪ breeze drifting on by you know how i feel ♪ [man: coughing] ♪ it's a new dawn, it's a new day... ♪

no matter how you got copd it's time to make a stand. ♪ ...and i'm feelin' good start a new day with trelegy. no once-daily copd medicine has the power to treat copd in as many ways as trelegy. with three medicines in one inhaler, trelegy helps people breathe easier and improves lung function. it also helps prevent future flare-ups. trelegy won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. do not take trelegy more than prescribed. trelegy may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating, vision changes, or eye pain occur. it's time to start a new day. ask your doctor about once-daily trelegy. and save at trelegy.com. ask your doctor about once-daily trelegy. want to eliminate odors without heavy, overwhelming scents? we get it. introducing febreze light. it eliminates odors... with no heavy perfumes... in light scents you'll love.

new febreze light. ♪ still warm. ♪ thanks, maggie. oh, alice says hi. for some of us, our daily journey is a short one. save 50% when you pay per mile with allstate. pay less when you drive less. you've never been in better hands. allstate. click or call for a quote today. >> o'donnell: on tomorrow's "cbs evening news," we're continuing our series, "season of giving," with a businessman who was once down on his luck and now pays other people's bills. and a reminder that in this season of giving, we all have something we can share. and if you can't watch us live, don't forget to set your d.v.r. so you can watch us later. i'm norah o'donnell.

♪ this is the "cbs overnight news." thanks for staying with us. the nba season got under way last night in brooklyn and in in los angeles, where lebron james and the lakers received their championship rings before their game against the clippers. last season ended barely two months ago. with playoff teams playing inside a bubble in the orlando area. that effort worked with no positive covid at the times for 96 days. with the coronavirus surging across the country, there's new questions how the season will pro seed. we are outside the fedex forum in memphis where the griswoldies opened their season against the

spurs. >> the arena you will see behind me will be like most others across the country as the son gets under way, without their courtside fans. it's one agreement that was made to help box out the spread of the coronavirus. we spoke with coaches and players and the commissioner of the nba who is nervous because so much is unknown about how the season will play out. >> it's over. this historic 2020 championship belongs to the los angeles lakers. >> this was two months ago, the los angeles lakers championship celebration capping the longest most unconventional year in league history. >> we had zero positive tests. we had zero positive tests for as long as we were here. >> but this season the nba is doing everything it can to replicate that success outside the bubble environment. >> have you ever now faced a test like this? >> not that i can think of. >> at the forefront of that effort is commission er adam

silver. >> when we went in the bubble, there were positive cases where guys were living their lives like other americans. and then, in the time between when we finished in the bubble, and when we restarted, when guys came in to training camps and we were very public about this, we had roughly 50, 5-0 positive cases guys coming n. >> to help prevent the spread of covid, the nba released this 158 page memo to its 30 teams. detailing stringent protocols for players, coaches and team employees. including twice daily testing and intense contact tracing. team violations can lead to fines. suspensions, adjustment or loss of draft choice approximates and game forfeits. there's no criteria dealing with when the league may suspend play. 57 it even if it's a safer environment, if past is pro log and you are playing across the