i went as somebody's guest. ( laughter ) >> battiste: the tributes pouring in for actress betty white, who died just shy of her 100th birthday. and later, a million meals: americans answering the call for military families in need. >> this food makes a huge impact on their lives, on their family lives. >> this is the "cbs weekend news." >> battiste: good evening, and happy new year. i'm nikki battiste. adriana diaz is off. we begin 2022 with the world entering the third year of the pandemic, a scaled-down times square town ringing in the new year, as most of the united states faces explosive growth of daily new coronavirus cases. new infections are averaging nearly 400,000 a day, up a staggering 200% over the last two weeks. yet, hospitalizations are growing at a much slower rate than cases. elise preston leads off our coverage tonight from new york. elise. >> reporter: nikki, new york just hit a record 85,000 daily new cases. the omicron variant is also partially to blame for the state's highest hospitalization total since february. >> happy new year! >> reporter: this is how they rang in the new year in key west, as florida reported 56,00w new covid cases, shattering its single-day record. >> it's going off! >> reporter: from the fireworks and revelers in las vegas, to the scaled back celebration in times square, a brand-new year has begun with the same old pandemic getting even worse. >> we are watching all of this with concern, and i think particularly about the healthcare workers. >> rporter: at today's tournament of roses parade in pasadena, kaiser permanente pulled 20 frontline workers who are supposed to appear on this float to protect their health and safety. cases in los angeles county have tripled in three days. more than one out of every five covid tests is coming back positive. while some school districts have paused and wil start the winter term virtually, most large school districts will bring kids back to the classroom on monday. parents have mixed feelings. >> as long as everybody is keeping an eye on it and protecting each other, i think that's the way to go right now. >> my concern is that my child may go to school and contract covid and bring it home to the family. >> reporter: new york's health commissioner acknowledges pandemic fatigue amid the latest blizzard of new covid cases. >> we all have to dig deep, muster our energy and will, and i have a deep conviction and a belief that we will get through this if we do that. >> reporter: as we enter this third pandemic year, the c.d.c. warns the omicron-fueled surge is particularly dangerous for those who are unvaccinated. they're 10 times more likely to become infected. nikki. >> battiste: elise, thank you. airlines have thousands of >> battiste: elise, thank you. canceled flights this weekend. bad weather around the country has only made it worse. cbs' tom waite is at l.a.x. in los angeles with the details. tom. >> reporter: good evening to you, nikki. more than 540,000 passengers are expected to pass through l.a.x. this weekend. tat means a lot of cancellations and delays, and a lot of frustrated passengers. for airline passengers, the new year began just as it ended-- thousands left stranded. >> i have had to rebook my reservations like four, five times. >> reporter: travelers are facing massive delays and cancellations with over 2,500 u.s. flights grounded today alone. it's tough news for the estimated 10 million expected to fly this weekend. tell me about your day today. what's it been like? >> unfortunately, our flight got canceled. it's super frustrated but it's just a hard time. >> reporter: airlines are putting the blame on winter weather and the highly contagious omicron variant, infecting workers, and over 1,700 t.s.a. agents are infected with covid. >> airlines did not see this new variant coming. if pilots and flight attendants and gate agents can't go to work, how can the airlines run the schedule they sold to the public months okay. >> reporter: united airlines' solution is offer triple pay to the pilots in hopes of easing january shortages and the flight attendants union is hitting back against the c.d.c. after the agency cut the isolation time for covid-infected workers from 10 days to five after a positive result. >> the problem is now we're adding more sick people into our ranks. we're going to have more flight crew who are sick. >> reporter: and it's not just covid disrupting travel. it's also weather. in chicago alone, more than 50% of flights have been canceled because of storms. nikki. >> battiste: that is right, tom. thank you. severe weather struck across much of the country new years weekend. a state of emergency was declared in kentucky, where heavy rain triggered flash flooding. this driver was rescued after trying to cross a flooded bridge. in albuquerque, new mexico, a tram carrying at least 20 people became stuck in icy conditions friday, stranding passengers overnight. all were eventually rescued. eve and chicago saw one of its snowiest new year's day in years, with up to nine inches in some spots. vanessa murdock of our new york station wcbs is here with the wintry forecast. vanessa, happy new year. >> reporter: happy new year. i wsh the weather was calmer, especially east of the rockies. a major storm system is plaguing many of us today, ringing wintry weather for places like nebraska, all the way to chicago, where up to eight inches of snow is possible. the same storm system may also bring wind chills as low as 55 below to the warmer tier. now we take you to the warm sector of the storm. that's where you see the severe weather. the yellow is tornado watches in effect until 8:00 p.m. so far, many reports of damaging winds as this storm system continues to trek east. tomorrow is going to be a sloppy day across the eastern corridor for us, and there is still a threat of severe weather in the southeast before temperatures crash. nikki. >> battiste: vanessa murdock,st, thank thank you. one day after a wildfire swept through boulder, colorado, at least a half a foot of snow and frigid temperatures added to the misery there. some 900 homes were destroyed by the fire. at least three people are missing. ukraine's president issued a bold new year's eve statement, expressing defiance in the face of russia's massive troop build- up on his country's border. cbs' skyler henry is at the white house with more. good evening, skyler. >> eporter: nikki, good evening to you. tensions are high as ukraine says one of its soldiers was killed following a fight with a pro-moscow separationist. it comes as president joe biden is set to hold a phone call with the ukrainian president, reassuring u.s. support for that country's sovereignty amid rising pressure from russia. president biden says russia could face severe sanctions if its soldiers invade ukraine. >> we will increase our-- our presence in europe with our nato allies, and it will be a heavy price to pay for it. >> reporter: this comes as moscow has staged tens of thousands of troops along the ukrainian border. the president spoke by phone to his russian counterpart vladimir putin on thursday, a second time in recent weeks, with u.s. intelligence concerned of a possible invasion. >> negotiations don't happen and are not going to succeed unless and until the russians withdraw some troops, withdraw a lot of troops. >> reporter: ukrainian civilians are taking matters into their own hands, fearing aggression at any moment. however, the kremlin maintains s that is not its that is not its goal. russian officials say they want guarantees nato won't expand and include ukraine up to the country's shared border. and they say they want a deal from the u.s. to no longer place military weapons in ukraine and other eastern european countries. the biden administration, however, refusing to concede, but willing to continue to negotiate as long as president putin lowers the temperature along the border. president biden also expressed support for diplomacy, adding that russia will take part in three conferences in europe, starting in a few days in geneva. the two leaders will speak again on january 10. nikki. >> battiste: skyler henry, thank you. fans of legendary actress betty white flocked to her star on the hollywood walk of fame to pay tribute today. some even found their way to white's home and began a makeshift memorial there. betty white died friday a few weeks before what would have been her 100th birthday. and in cape town, south africa, today, mourners paid a final farewell to one of the giants of the anti-apartheid movement, archbishop desmond tutu. cbs' ian lee has the details. >> reporter: an ordinary box to carry one extraordinary man. archbishop desmond tutu demanded the cheapest coffin and no lavish spending for his state funeral. ♪ ♪ ♪ a final lesson in modesty from the anti-apartheid hero. >> archbishop desmond tutu has been our moral compass, but he's also been our national conscience. >> reporter: covid restrictions kept many away on saturday. just 100 people joined tutu's widow to say good-bye to the tiny clergyman who inspired a nation and a world. with a song in his heart, a dance in his step, and of course that infectious laugh-- ( laughter ) archbishop desmond tutu helped lead south africa out of apartheid. it was his dedication to human rights that earned him a nobel peace prize. as south africa's first black archbishop he gave a voice to the voiceless, and challenged authority whether it was a white racist regime or corrupt african dictator. in the end, for someone who loomed so large, desmond tutu wanted to be remembered as a simple man, and someone who was loved by so many. ian lee, cbs news, london. >> battiste: straight ahead on the "cbs weekend news," covid cancellations. team sports on the losing end when it comes to the pandemic. then, we'll take you to abraham lincoln's cottage, the weekend getaway where he made history. and later, our viewers, you, helping military families in need. we've been married 53 years. we love to walk on the beach. i have two daughters and then two granddaughters. i noticed that memories were not there like they were when i was much younger. since taking prevagen, my memory has gotten better and it's like the puzzle pieces have all been [click] put together. prevagen. healthier brain. better life. i've been telling everyone... the secret to great teeth is having healthy gums. crest advanced gum restore. detoxifies below the gumline... and restores by helping heal gums in as little as 7 days. crest. the #1 toothpaste brand in america. [ coughing and sneezing ] cold season is back. bounce back fast with alka seltzer plus. with 25% more concentrated power. alka-seltzer plus. ♪ oh, what a relief it is ♪ so fast! also try for cough, mucus & congestion. i'm 53, but in my mind i'm still 35. that's why i take osteo bi-flex to keep my moving the way i was made to, it nourishes and strengthens my joints for the long term. osteo bi-flex, find our coupons in sunday's paper. ordinary tissues burn when theo blows. so puffs plus lotion rescued his nose. with up to 50% more lotion, puffs bring soothing relief. a nose in need deserves puffs indeed. america's #1 lotion tissue. age is just a number. and mine's unlisted. try boost® high protein with 20 grams of protein for muscle health. versus 16 grams in ensure high protein. boost® high protein also has key nutrients for immune support. boost® high protein. >> battiste: the new year is always packed with sports, college bowl games and professional hockey and basketball match had-ups. but once again, covid is sidelining plans. cbs' jonathan vigliotti is keeping score. >> reporter: this week, sports is providing an escape. >> got it! wins it at the buzzer! >> reporter: but also slamming head on with covid reality as omicron continues to set records for new infections. how do sports survive in the time of covid? >> i think that's what they're all looking at is basically how can we accept if this is our new normal. >> reporter: increasingly the new normal means games postponed or canceled. at least 11 n.b.a. games just in the past two weeks, more than 75 universities have put their basketball seasons on pause. five college bowl games called off. including tuesday's holiday bowl in san diego. north carolina state showed up. >> we are 100% vaccinated. we had zero incidents with covid. >> reporter: but an outbreak forced their opponent, u.c.l.a., to pull out just hours before kickoff. you found out that this game was canceled on twitter. >> we all felt lied to. we all felt kind of, like, incomplete in that moment. like, we were ready to do something together one more time, and had it pulled out from under us without warning. >> they need to figure out a way to play these sports that are totally incompatible with social distancing during a pandemic with a highly contagious virus. >> reporter: stadiums remain packed, but the games may ultimately be decided not just by who wins but who's left standing. jonathan vigliotti, cbs news, los angeles. >> battiste: so disappointing for the players. still ahead on the "cbs weekend news," the little-known history behind one of abraham lincoln's greatest achievements. ents. new vicks vapostick. strong soothing vapors... help comfort your loved ones. for chest, neck, and back. it goes on clear. no mess just soothing comfort. try new vicks vapostick. it's time for a new routine. just one tasty scoop... once per day that supports your immunity, energy and gut health. ag1 by athletic greens. >> battiste: the emancipation proclamation, the civil war document that ordered freedom for the enslaved, was signed 159 years ago today. as cbs' debra alfarone found, one of the hallmarks of abraham lincoln's presidency was drawn up at a little-known location not far from the white house. ( bell tolling ) reporter: ove >> reporter: overlooking washington and surrounded by 250 acres of land, sits a gothic revival home called president lincoln's cottage, but at square feet, it's more of a mansion. >> so this was abraham lincoln's getaway house. >> reporter: getaway. >> yes. >> reporter: johnny di lascio conducts tours here, detailing the years from 1862 to '64, with the president and his family spent summers. >> lincoln was an avid reader, and this is where all the books were kept. >> reporter: lincoln played checkers in the parlor with veterans and wounded soldiers, and met out on the veranda with members of his cabinet. >> it was a place he could escape the rigors of the presidency and enjoy peace and quiet with his family. >> reporter: the lincolns came here to quietly mourn the death of their 11-year-old son, willie, who died of typhoid fever. >> through this window he can actually see a cemetery. >> reporter: as the bloody civil war raged on, lincoln would also mourn the loss of union soldiers as he watched them laid to rest. he sat here and worked on it. >> yes. >> reporter: it was in this room where president lincoln wrote the emancipation proclamation on a desk exactly like this. the original resides in the white house. >> he used to take little strips of paper and tear them off and he would write one idea at a time. >> reporter: wow. >> slowly, meticulously, piecing the document together. >> it was a sanctuary. >> reporter: michael atwood mason is the new c.e.o. and executive director of president lincoln's cottage. one of his primary goals is to attract more visitors to this site. >> all of the issues lincoln wrestled with are pretty much still with us-- issues of racial equality, issues of immigration and migration. all of the human issues of families and the way they come together. >> reporter: president lincoln's last visit to the cottage was on april 13, 1865. the next day, he would be assassinated at fort's theatre. at lincoln's cottage, debra alfarone, cbs news. >> battiste: what a legacy. next on the "cbs weekend news," how cbs viewers are aiding military families struggling with hunger. plop plop fizz fizz. alka seltzer plus cold relief. dissolves quickly. instantly ready to start working. so you can bounce back fast with alka-seltzer plus. now available for fast sinus relief. you don't get much time for yourself. so when you do, make it count with crest pro-health. it protects the 8 areas dentists check for a healthier mouth. the #1 toothpaste brand in america. crest. does your vitamin c last twenty-four hours? only nature's bounty does. immune twenty-four hour plus has longer lasting vitamin c. plus, herbal and other immune superstars. only from nature's bounty. (vo) at dog chow we believe helping dogs live their best life... should be simple. and other immune superstars. that's why dog chow is made with real chicken and no fillers. purina dog chow. keep life simple. (swords clashing) -had enough? -no... arthritis. here. aspercreme arthritis. full prescription-strength? reduces inflammation? thank the gods. don't thank them too soon. kick pain with aspercreme. why give your family just ordinary eggs when they can enjoy the best? eggland's best. the only eggs with more fresh and delicious taste. plus, superior nutrition. which is now more important than ever. ♪♪ oh yeah, we gotta take off. which is now more important than ever. you downloaded the td ameritrade mobile app? yeah, actually i'm taking one last look at my dashboard before we board... and you have thinkorswim mobile- -so i can finish analyzing the risk on this position. you two are all set. choose the app that fits your investing style. ♪♪ clerk: hello, how can i? sore throat pain? ♪honey lemon♪ try vicks vapocool drops. in honey lemon chill. for fast-acting sore throat relief. wooo vaporize sore throat pain with vicks vapocool drops. >> battiste: finally tonight, a new year's salute to our service service men and women around the men and women around the world. when cbs news first reported on thousands of military families going hungry, the pentagon responded, and so did you. here's cbs' mark strassmann. >> reporter: if a picture is worth 1,000 words... >> thank you for your service. >> reporter: ...your donations were worth one million meals too military families battling hunger. >> if you all just head right in there, they'll help you out. >> reporter: near fort hood in texas, hundreds of families each received 60 pounds of free groceries. >> this food makes a huge impact on their lives, on their family lives. >> reporter: back in february, we started reporting on military families struggling to feed themselves. why? low incomes, frequent moves, denial up the chain of command. >> i cannot feed my kids. it's just-- unacceptable, really. >> reporter: from joint base lewis-mcchord in washington state, to naval station norfolk in virginia. >> how can they focus on the mission when your family can't even survive? >> reporter: in one study, nearly 40% of active-duty military families faced hunger issues at the start of the covid era. finally, the pentagon agreed to identify and help them. >> our men and women in uniform and their families have enough to worry about. basic necessities, like food and housing, shouldn't be among them. >> reporter: you jumped in to help, unprompted, donating more than $600,000. what an impact. >> i am absolutely humbled and incredibly emotional to share with each of you here with us today that we just officially broke one million meals for military families. ( cheers and applause ) >> reporter: enough to feed 7,000 families. >> this would not have been possible without the support of cbs shining a spotlight on the issue, and then the viewers who really leaned in to provide incredible support. >> reporter: these families have our backs. you had theirs. >> thank you, cbs viewers. >> yeah! ( cheers and applause ) >> reporter: mark strassmann, cbs news, atlanta. >> battiste: the gift of giving. thank you to our viewers. and that's the news this saturday, january 1, 2022. we'd like to close tonight recognizing the many people who work off camera contributing so much to the "cbs weekend news." i'm nikki battiste reporting in new york. good night, and happy new year. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ at the stroke of midnight on that great big holiday ♪ we're gonna have a ball and that ain't all ♪ i'm gonna chase my blues away i'll be ringing in ♪ a brand new year ringing in a brand new year ♪ so listen, dear won't you meet me here ♪ we'll ringing in the brand new year ♪ gonna be a great big parade i got my resolution made ♪ gonna ride above the stars we might even take ♪ a trip to mars i'll be ringing in ♪ a brand new year ringing in a brand new year ♪ so listen, dear won't you meet my here ♪ while ringing in a brand new year ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ oh, sailing down on a rainbow i'll flirt with lady moon ♪ if she sighs or winks her eye i won't be back 'til june ♪ i'll be ringing in a brand new year ♪ ringing in a brand new year so listen, dear ♪ won't you meet me here while ringing in ♪ a brand new year ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ captio i did not find out until i got to the ticket counter. >> was supposed to be a quick trip turned out to be an all- day affair. the girls tucson flight got canceled, one of the thousands canceled on new year's day. >> i don't like. i would rather be home. >> as of late this afternoon, 57 flights scheduled to arrive at or depart from sfo were canceled. on friday, there were 62 cancellations at sfo. the weather is one major factor many major airlines