Garrett eye on earth. We visit an underwater research lab where scientists for weeks at a time get an upclose look at how Climate Change is upcring life on the ocean floor. Buried alive. The frantic search for survivors, after an avalanche hits a swiss ski resort. Ad, former prisoners change soeir lives, by taking the stage and writing their own second act. This is the cbs evening news with norah odonnell, reporting from the nations capital. Garrett good evening to our viewers in the west. Norah is off tonight. Im Major Garrett. We begin with postholiday headaches for millions of travelers, especially those on the road. According to a a. A. A. Prediction today, the day after christmas, would be the worst day to drive during the holidays, and for many, its living up to its billing. A powerful snowstorm shut down two of the nations busiest interstates today in, of all places, southern california, that left cars and trucks stranded for hours. Elsewhere, theres been heavy rain, thick fog, and ice. That messy mix is expected to push all the way to new england over the next few days. Well get to the forecast in a moment. But first, jamie yuccas leads us off with tough sledding, california style. Or reporter in the mountains north of los angeles, near whiteout conditions. Interstate 5, the main link between northern and southern california, was shut down, stranding thousands of motorists in the mountain passes. Nothing we can do, nothing. Reporter the powerful winter storm dumped heavy rain, nearly 3. 5 inches in parts of los angeles. We left and it started sprinkling, and the next you know, just dumping. Ngs pretty bad out there. Reporter trees were uprooted in several neighborhoods. Ahe storm has also caused numerous flight delays, leaving long lines in seattle, and most west coast airports, as millions also hit the highways, headed back home the day after christmas. The Severe Weather is now slowly moving east. Nearly a foot of snow fell in flagstaff, arizona, and along much of the rim of the grand. Anyon. But its good news for skiers. S e fresh blanket has meant a very white day after christmas. And in los angeles, a rare wintry postcard. It hit 60 degrees in chicago today. Thats 10 degrees warmer than here in los angeles, and its the end of december. Most west coast cities are 15 degrees below normal at this point, and, major, it hit a low of six degrees in flagstaff,rizona. Garrett jamie yuccas, thanks so much. Ccff berardelli is tracking where this storm is headed next from the cbs Broadcast Center in new york. Oaff. Good evening, major, and good mening, everybody. So this storm is going to ingverse the whole country, from coast to coast, and its going to cause major headaches for the travelers over the next several foys. Eou can see the storm slamming stto the west coast with a lot of cold air, a lot of snow, and a lot of rain. Now its going to be moving into the desert southwest. H have a very strong jet stream f ming out of the pacific. Watch it reorient itself over the next 24 hours. Meaning that it will be going from north to south, pulling all lhat warm air north, colliding with the cold air. Were expecting strong thunderstorms, a lot of heavy fain, and also, a lot of heavy. Now. And look at how warm the ermperatures are in the east, recordsetting for some tications. 68, dallas, 75, jacksonville, or ksckson, and 68 in nashville. 6res a look at the hourby hour forecast. Y here we are tomorrow. Watch out for thunderstorms unerging into the plains states while snow develops in places like denver. It will be tough travel there. All the way up through the northern plain states. But the heaviest snow will miss minneapolis. It will be a little a mix there. Mainly rain from minneapolis down to chicago and nndianapolis. T. Re we are on sunday afternoon, r d that will move into the east coast, new york, boston, d. C. , jd later sunday, and sunday night. So its going to be tough travel for the next few days at least. Garrett Jeff Berardelli with the active and Colorful National weather map. After a brief christmas pause, g esident trump has resumed lashing out against impeachment, on twitter, of course. Ea. Trump targeted House Speaker nancy pelosi, writing that she has no leverage over the senate. The president was, of course, referring to the senates impeachment trial, now in limbo as Lawmakers Debate what it will look like. And as chip reid reports, pelosi and the democrats may may have found an unexpected ally in the president s own party. When i heard that, i was disturbed. Reporter republican senator Lisa Murkowski of alaska is not eleased by her partys leader, mitch mcconnell, and his plans for the impeachment trial of president trump. Imm going to coordinate with the president s lawyers so there wont be any difference between us on how to do this. Reporter in an interview in alaska this week, murkowski signaled a possible crack in the partys unified front. We have to take that step back from being handinglove with the defense. Reporter senators are the uiuivalent of jurors in an impeachment trial, and to murkowski, that means keeping an open mind. For me to prejudge and say, theres nothing there, or, on the other hand, he should be impeached yesterday, thats wrong. Rk reporter murkowski, a moderate, does not always walk in lockstep with republicans. For example, instead of voting yes on Justice Brett kavanaughs confirmation, she voted present. Louisiana republican senator john kennedy today told us how he thinks the senate would like to proceed. Nine out of ten senators, secretly, dont want to hear this case, and the tenth is iing. Now, there are many of them that arent going to say that publicly, but thats how they feel. Garrett chip, so far, murkowski is the only Senate Republican expressing concerns. Might others join her . Ter eporter well, we reached out to some republicans who have edcked the party in the past, including Susan Collins of maine and mitt romney of utah. Aney did not get back to us. But keep one thing in mind, that even if some republicans join the democrats in voting in favor jo witnesses at the trial, that does not mean that they will ultimately vote in favor of removing the president from office. Enat would take a twothirds akte of the senate, and at this point, that appears to be extremely unlikely. Major. Garrett unlikely indeed. Chip reid, thanks so much. Tonight, cbs news has learned ghat the f. B. I. Is looking into a wave of heavily criticized pardons issued by former suntucky republican governor nttt bevin, issued as he left office earlier this month. Among those pardoned, a man who served less than two years for the rape of a nineyearold girl. Bevin said there was no physical evidence of an assault, but the prosecutor called the governors decision shocking. We have an update tonight on a t adly stabbing that has shaken atw york city. Law enforcement sources tell us a 14yearold boy wanted for questioning in the killing of Barnard College student tessa byjors was interviewed by police today, and then released pending further investigation. Majors was attacked more than two weeks ago, as she walked trough a park near the school. Heother teen, a 13yearold boy, is already facing robbery charges connected to that murder. In minneapolis tonight, investigators are trying to figure out what caused a fire atat sent hundreds of homeless feople into the cold on christmas morning. That holiday disaster was followed by overwhelming generosity. Kate raddatz of our station wcco has the story. Reporter at this Hennepin CountyChurch Turned temporary gtusing, tabatha mercers family is counting their blessings. We have nothing. You know, i mean, but i have my family, and im so grateful. Reporter mercer and hundreds gu others were displaced by an lisymorning christmas fire that engulfed minneapolis drake hotel. It spread quickly from the second floor. E t e smell of se got to hearing people screaming, und looked out, it was just filled with smoke. Reporter Officials Say that 250 people were staying at the yotel, many of them, already eomeless, lost all they had. Ng we literally just started tyl over again, and then lost everything all over again. Reporter the county sent out an urgent call for assistance. Hundreds respond, showing up kets diapers, blankets, clothes, shoes, and other supplies. They gave so much that some of it had to be turned away. Minneapolis is awesome. Sorry, its kind of emotional. Reporter an overpowering and overwhelming show of support for the less fortunate. It let me know that theres people who still really care about us here. T reporter county shelter teams are working around the clock in an effort to help these hamilies find somewhere to stay i they believe that the drake fitel is a loss. Officials say this fire could not have come at a worse time as as the citys shelter space is already at capacity. Major. Garrett kate raddatz, thanks ft much. This Holiday Shopping season left many retailers seeing lreen. Overall sales increased by nearly 3. 5 over last year. Liline shopping jumped by almost 19 to a new record high. Its worth noting online sales now make up nearly 15 of all holiday spending. Caught on camera today, a terrifying avalanche in the swiss alps. It happened at a busy ski resort, burying at least six people on the slopes. After a search, were happy to eay, all were recovered. Ewo people were airlifted to eospitals. Their injuries were not life threatening. In the philippines tonight, the death toll is rising from a devastating typhoon. T struck on christmas eve, killing at least 20 people. Thousands were displaced, and ian lee has our update. Reporter typhoon phanfone smashed into the philippines, hringing high winds that topped nearly 120 miles per hour, along thth heavy rains and panic. Oh, my god. I hope this ends soon. Reporter the storm grinded on the island for over 24 hours, toppling trees and destroying homes. Strning revealed the extent of the devastation. Livelihoods lost, towns flooded, and people missing. Thousands tonight are homeless and in need of christmas charity. Food, blankets, toiletries those are important, this official says. Whatever items that can be beful and helpful to us, thats what were appealing for. Phanfone followed the same path am typhoon haiyan in 2013 which left more than 7,000 people dead snd missing, and more than four Million People displaced. Ian lee, cbs news, london. Garrett now lets take a deep dive. Where . Off the florida keys. In tonights eye on earth, Mark Phillips takes us to an underwater research lab where scientists are studying the effects of Climate Change. Reporter about five miles off of islamorada in the florida keys, some groundbreaking Climate Science work is being done on the ground that lies beneath the ocean. Theres only one way to get to oe undersea lab straight down, about 50 feet. The Aquarius Reef base, run by Florida International university, has only recently been brought back into service after being badly damaged by Hurricane Irma two years ago. Entry is via the aptlynamed wet porch. Welcome to aquarius. Quite an office we have here. Reporter an office with all tee comforts of home, and jammed full of electronic equipment that can distort tv picture, but which allows scientists like jim fourquerean, to work down here, idmetimes for weeks at a time. A lot of attention is paid to make sure that oxygen concentrations are correct, and the co2 is at the right level. Reporter you can forget youre 50odd feet below the surface here. Yeah, you really can. Reporter if you dont look out the window. De point of being down here is aat actually living on the sea floor means scientists can do more than just take the relatively short dives that are possible from the surface. They become, says marine ecologist mike heithause, Sea Creatures themselves. You can be the ocean down here. You really can be the ocean and you get a sense of change you dont with just instruments in the water and tiny dives. So you need these observatories, like aquarius, to find out what the reefs are doing and figure out the solutions. Reporter solutions to a new problem theyve discovered. Hurricane irma also did major damage to the seagrass beds that grow along the coast, and seagrass underwater does what forests do on land it absorbs carbon dioxide, one of the Greenhouse Gases causing the world to heat up. Were losing seagrasses faster than were losing coral reefs or faster than were losing tropical forests. Reporter why . Well, seagrasses grow where people live. And people are bad for clear water. Reporter more and more, the worlds oceans and what they mean for Greenhouse Gases and for Global Warming is becoming a crucial part of Climate Science. And that study is made a whole lot easier if you can live down here. Iee scientists have discovered that the seagrass isnt growing back as it should because there are too many turtles eating it, and there are too many turtles because there are too few sharks. Turtles are watching whats going on around them, and if their buddy gets eaten, theyre not going to do what their buddy is doing. Er reporter so just having starks in the area, is what youre saying, controls the number of turtles eating the ntagrass. Absolutely. Reporter and thats the kind of thing you only learn being part of the undersea world, not just visiting it from above. Mark phillips, cbs news, on the Aquarius Reef base. Garrett still ahead on tonights cbs evening news, thy this baby, born on christmas e,e, is already drawing ioternational attention. The moon has a special day in the sun, igniting whats known as the ring of fire. And later, Prison Inmates get a Second Chance on center stage. Enter stage. Tremfya® helps adults with moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis uncover clearer skin that can last. In fact, tremfya® was proven superior to humira® in providing significantly clearer skin. Tremfya® may increase your risk of infections and lowebility to fight them. Tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. Serious allergic reactions may occur. Tremfya®. Uncover clearer skin that can last. Janssen can help you explore cost support options. Quitting smoking is freaking hard. St, like quitting every monday hard. Quitting feels so big. So, try making it smaller. 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Nothing lasts longer and treats more symptoms for your cough, cold and flu. Robitussin. Because its never just a cough. Garrett a newborn baby is receiving a great deal of attention at a zoo in lansing, o chigan. On christmas eve, this adorable black rhino entered the world. Conservationists are delighted. Black rhinos are critically endangered. For those of you who are r rious, its a boy, who wont be ready to greet his fans face toface until next spring. Ng france now, where a painting that hung for decades in a s mans kitchen is at the center of a dispute. The painting, called the mocking of christ by a 13th tintury artist, recently sold at auction for a jawdropping ja million. But the french government has blocked the painting from being exported to its american buyers, calling it a national treasure. The french government now has to buy the painting for itself. On the other side of the globe today, the last Solar Eclipse of this decade ignited a spectacular phenomenon known as the ring of fire. It was seen in parts of asia, africa, and australia. A new moon, visually smaller than usual, passed in front of the sun, leaving the burning ring of light. The next total Solar Eclipse here in the u. S. Wont be until april 2024. Up next, theyre taking on a new role to prepare for the next stage of their life. music if you have moderate to severe psoriasis or Psoriatic Arthritis, Little Things can be a big deal. Thats why theres otezla. Otezla is not an injection or a cream. Its a pill that treats differently. For psoriasis, 75 clearer skin is achievable, with reduced redness, thickness, and scaliness of plaques. For Psoriatic Arthritis, otezla is proven to reduce joint swelling, tenderness, and pain. And the otezla prescribing information has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. Dont use if youre allergic to otezla. 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Reporter its here a group of current and former convicts tell their stories in the play heartless, which features jamarcus fields. How long were you in . 26 years. Reporter and it was for what . E. Murder. I understand, i committed the crime, i have to do the time. Lll i can say is were still human. Reporter fields finished his sentence in october at whats ntlled a reentry center, which tries to reintroduce convicts to society. Cis fellow actors will end their decades behind bars in the ndming months. Explain to me how a guy in the joint gets involved in this sort of thing . Ortas ive been getting to get closer and im beginning to see the finish line, then its like, okay, how am i going to reintroduce myself to society, to the community . Because for the last 26 years, this is what theyve known me as. But thats not who i am. Having no heart. Reporter fellow convict turnedactor john applegate. It makes doing time real easy. The pain that ive caused, ngats going to haunt me till e. E day i die. This is a heartless human ueing. Reporter Antrone Crockett wrote the play in prison. Az it amazing to you to see it come to life . It really is. Its a surreal feeling. This is the type of work that elve been wanting to do. Reporter what does it mean . Hope. I hope for me, hope for others. Reporter 18yearold Harrison Hayden was in the audience and got message. I think its two times more powerful because they went through what they went through and theyre able to do something d ke this, share their stories. Reporter because their story is bigger than a play, bigger n an a stage. Its about life and death, and choices. Dean reynolds, cbs news, south bend, indiana. Ut garrett reintroducing themselves and finding their voice. Well be right back. Heir voice. Well be right back. Clearer skin that can last. Ncover most patients who saw 90 clearer skin at 28 weeks stayed clearer through 48 weeks. In another study, the majority of tremfya® patients saw 90 clearer skin at 3 years. 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Garrett on tomorrows cbs evening news, steve hartmans on the road, with a huge surprise for a bus driver who makes the ride to school the very best part of the day. And thats tonights cbs evening news. For norah odonnell, im Major Garrett in washington. Good night. Captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by Media Access Group at wgbh access. Wgbh. Org our nations capital, decisions are made that affect all of us, join us every evening. Right now at 8. I think about what christmas will be for them. All these years in the future. Now at 7, a Christmas Day tragedy leaves three Alameda County teens dead, including twin brothers. What investigators believe led up to this terrific crash. Because they stole it, who will sell a house . They stole this house. A rally day outside of the hayward hall of justice. What does that mean for the ongoing moms for housing protest here in oakland . It has happened again, shop listers shoplifters walkway with stacks of clothes from a bay area store, tonight, what police are doing about the troubling trend. With new tax laws, how much you give does not necessarily influence how much you get back. So, during the seas