eye on america. cbs carter evans looks at the life-and-death consequences of the nation s e.m.t. staffing shortages. and, the ultimate pep talk. we re all rooting for you, man. garrett: college athletes lifting the spirits of kids in the hospital. this is the cbs evening news with norah o donnell, reporting from the nation s capital. ing from the nation s capital. garrett: good evening to our viewers in the west. thank you for joining us. i m major garrett, in for norah. after a surprise trip to washington, ukraine s president zelenskyy is back home tonight, hoping more u.s. military aid will soon follow. .plus, f.t.x. founder sam bankman-fried is under house arrest tonight as he awaits trial after his first court appearance in new york. but, first, the biggest prechristmas storm in decades consumes much of the country. winter storm warnings, blizzard conditions, and dangerous cold forecast now in more than 40 states, from the pacific northwest to new england
delayed for an hour. rthngs fliers want from sant now, a flight home. kerry lydon is trying to get to california for his first family christmas since covid. it means the world to me, because after covid i didn t see my sons for tw get to see them more regularly so we re going to be together. reporter: with more than 9,000 flights already delayed and cancels, there were long security lines at atlanta s airport ahead of subfreezing temperatures tomorrow. even after the storm passes, the severe cold will slow down the airlines recovery plans for days and could make daunting driving for. watch for icy conditions and signs of hypothermia. we encourage residents to avoid driving if you can. reporter: johann buekes and his wife decided not to risk flying and are instead driving from south florida to ashville, north carolina, friday. we only have a week between christmas and new year s, soimented to make the most out of it.