elect: >> there's no time to lose. >> o'donnell: 12 million americans could lose their unemployment benefits after christmas as congress says it's getting closer to a stimulus deal. will you see another $1,200 check before the holidays? plus what joe biden said about his inauguration. and will his administration make the vaccine mandatory? more than four million acres burned in california. what's causing the never-ending wildfire season. wanted: "too tall bandit" strikes again. the f.b.i. is asking for help in finding a serial robber who is at least six feet tall. and santa claus is coming to zoom. cbs' steve hartman "on the road" with the challenges ahead for jolly old saint nick in 2020. >> can you hear me? can you hear me, t.j.? >> this is the "cbs evening news" with norah o'donnell, reporting from the nation's capital. >> o'donnell: good evening to our viewers in the west, and thank you for joining us. we're going to begin tonight with this devastating fact: more americans died from coronavirus this week than from any other cause. and tonight, for the first time, the c.d.c. is recommending universal mask use indoors, including in your home if you've been exposed to the virus. as we come on the air, a model often used by the white house says the death toll could hit half a million by march 1 if the current trend continues. that same model says if americans wore masks for the next four months it could save 66,000 lives. with so much dire covid news all eyes are anxiously on the f.d.a. next week. and take a look at these important dates. an f.d.a. advisory committee is set to meet next thursday to discuss emergency approval of the pfizer vaccine, and then a week later to consider one by moderna. and then the big question: how soon after that will americans begin to receive their first shots? well, earlier today, president- elect biden said he would not impose a national mandate, either to get a vaccine or to wear a mask, but he encouraged people to voluntarily do both. there is a lot of new reporting tonight for you and your family, and our team is following it all. cbs' adriana diaz is going to lead off our coverage tonight from chicago. good evening, adriana. >> reporter: good evening, here in illinois, four out here in illinois, four out of every five i.c.u. beds is full. so this vaccine really can't come soon enough. if approved, the vaccine will arrive across the country the week after next, but some states are concerned there may not be enough in those first shipments. this as the c.d.c. is being more specific about where and when you should wear a mask. tonight, the c.d.c. says if tonight, the c.d.c. says if you've been exposed to covid-19, such as during travel or in a crowded setting, you should wear a mask inside your home to protect your family. this as cases and deaths continue to surge. here in illinois, the seven-day average death toll is higher than any other state, up nearly 14% over two weeks ago. and at least 11 states shattered their daily case records with more than 217,000 new covid cases nationwide added thursday. that amount could fill the university of michigan's football stadium, the nation's largest, twice. >> soon, if it keeps going, we're not going to have anywhere to put these people. we're just not. >> reporter: meanwhile, as deadline for pfizer vac today's deadline for pfizer vaccine distribution plans, the shipments may not be enough to cover the first in line. wisconsin's governor is worried about vaccine delays after backlogged test and p.p.e. deliveries, writing to health secretary alex azar, "as vaccine distribution gets underway, our state cannot afford to have this pattern of failed promises repeat." and still, americans seem to be taking more risks. last night, at least 150 people, including florida congressman matt gaetz, reportedly gathered for the new york young republicans annual gala. that prompted officials to shut the new jersey venue down. >> it is beyond the pale that anyone would willingly endanger people in another state, never mind their own. >> reporter: leticia lara knows that danger firsthand. she survived covid, but her 18- year-old daughter, who had special needs, did not. how are you feeling? >> like my world is ending. i feel... broken, lost. >> reporter: her husband also has covid. he's sedated in the i.c.u. and has no idea that his daughter died. it's just heartbreaking. we also have some more news on the vaccine front from moderna. its trial participants, according to a report, still had those protective covid antibodies in their blood three months after their second doses. norah. >> o'donnell: adriana diaz, thank you. tonight, healthcare workers in several states are demanding state officials do more to slow the spread of covid, not just to protect front line workers, but to protect the entire healthcare system from being overwhelmed. here's cbs' nikki battiste. >> reporter: as covid-19 cases continue to soar, healthcare workers are raising their voices. dozens of connecticut doctors, worried about increased hospitalizations and deaths, sent a letter to governor ned lamont with an urgent appeal: shut down indoor dining and gym shut down indoor dining and gyms now to stop the spread. >> you have to be constantly vigilant. >> reporter: the letter, spearheaded by dr. luke davis, prompted an online petition signed by more than 750 people. despite new vaccines on the horizon, he reminds the public not to let down its guard. what is going on inside your hospital that you think people aren't realizing out here? >> well, i think that we're all getting tired. it's a very difficult disease, and the thing that makes the biggest difference is just not having the hospitals be overloaded, having enough staff to take care of people. >> reporter: dr. davis is a critical care physician at yale new haven hospital, where admissions for covid-19 have tharly doubled over the last three weeks. the i.c.u. is nearly full. and in wisconsin, thousands of healthcare professionals wrote an open letter to the public, imploring all to take the pandemic seriously and to take action to stop the virus. in new york, roughly 200 nurses went on a two-day strike at montifore new rochelle hospital. >> we don't have enough staffing, so we can't take adequate care of the patients. >> reporter: according to the c.d.c., at least 866 healthcare workers have died from covid-19. one was houston doctor carlos araujo-preza on monday. his daughter, andrea araujo- preza. >> just be a little bit safer so no one else will go through a tragedy like this. >> reporter: dr. davis tells us governor lamont did speak directly with him and several colleagues who signed his letter. the governor told him he will monitor the situation, but so far, he has made no changes here in connecticut. norah. >> o'donnell: nikki battiste, thank you. turning now to that troubling new jobs report. the u.s. added just 245,000 jobs in november. that's actually the smallest monthly gain in seven months, while the unemployment rate inched down to 6.7%. today, president-elect biden called those numbers grim, pushing congress to move quickly on economic relief. we get more now from cbs' ed o'keefe. >> reporter: with nearly 11 million people unemployed and more than 400,000 deaths projected by the time he takes office, president-elect joe biden today called for immediate if we act now- >> if we act now-- now, i mean now-- we can begin to regain momentum and start to build back a better future. there's no time to lose. >> reporter: he said congress must provide relief for americans set to lose federal aid in a matter of weeks. >> the folks out there aren't looking for a handout. they just need help. lt of their ownble through no fault of their own. >> reporter: as his transition team has been briefed on the trump administration's plans to distribute covid vaccines, mr. biden raised concerns. >> there is no detailed plan, that we've seen, anyway, as to how you get the vaccine out of a container into an injection syringe, into somebody's arm. and it's going to be very difficult for that to be done and it's very expensive. >> reporter: to help lead the fight against the pandemic, the president-elect is reportedly set to nominate former u.s. surgeon general vivek murthy back to his old job. and he's keeping dr. anthony m toi in place and asking him to serve as chief medical adviser. today, mr. biden also acknowledged that his own inauguration will be transformed by the pandemic. >> it's highly unlikely there will be a million people on the mall going all the way down to the memorial. my guess is there probably will not be a gigantic inaugural parade down pennsylvania avenue. >> reporter: while mr. biden plans to make masks mandatory in federal buildings and on interstate travel, he said today he does not think the vaccine should be mandatory. but he said his own plans to take it publicly should help boost confidence among all americans. norah. >> o'donnell: ed o'keefe, thank you. the disappointing jobs report is adding new incentive for a deal on hundreds of billions in stimulus spending. today, house speaker nancy pelosi said it could get done by next week, raising hope for millions facing financial hardship that help could finally be on the way. here's cbs' chief congressional correspondent nancy cordes. >> reporter: this is normally peak shopping season, but the new numbers tell a grim story. the retail industry shed another 35,000 jobs last month, 550,000 since the pandemic began. >> families are falling into poverty as a result of our inaction. >> reporter: congress has been gridlocked over more relief since may, but suddenly, leaders are talking and expressing new optimism that they can cut a deal fast. >> there is momentum. >> compromise is within reach. >> reporter: their talks come as a $908 billion bipartisan framework gains traction from both sides. the plan would provide an additional $300 a week for the unemployed, and it would help small businesses and state governments bridge the gap until the economy improves. how soon do you and leader mcconnell need to cut a deal in order to have a package to vote on before the holidays? >> we have the time to do it. >> reporter: the proposal does not include another round of $1,200 stimulus checks for americans whose income has taken a hit. >> that's $30,000 less than what i was making. >> reporter: carrie mansfield of irving, texas, lost her auto repair job in may, and only found a new one after sending out 150 applications. >> we need that stimulus money to boost us consumers to get out there and start buying. right now, my christmas, we're not buying anything this year. ing to attr: congressional leaders are hoping to attach whatever deal they come up with to a government spending bill that is supposed to pass next week. and, norah, i'm told that congressional aides from both sides are going to be working through the weekend trading proposals as they try to meet that very ambitious deadline. >> o'donnell: all right, we'll be watching. gal defeat for thek you. another legal defeat for the trump campaign tonight. a nevada judge just dismissed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the biden win in that state, and this comes just as the president goes back out on the campaign trail. the president heads to georgia tomorrow to campaign for two senate republicans facing runoffs, but a deep split among trump supporters could threaten their chances. here's cbs' ben tracy. >> reporter: president trump has not said a word about the record number of americans dying from coronavirus, instead focused today on more baseless claims of a rigged election. >> we already have the proof. >> reporter: but the president's month-long quest to overturn the election result has been a failure, except that he's raised more than $200 million for his legal fight and spent less than $9 million of it. >> we're going to win the whole thing. >> reporer: most of the contributions are actually going to his new pac, which will fund mr. trump's future political efforts. >> we need the peach state to defend the majority. >> reporter: today, vice president pence campaigned in georgia for two republicans in runoff elections, which will decide control of the u.s. senate, a high-stakes fight that has former president obama campaigning virtually. >> the senate really matters. >> reporter: president trump will hold a rally in georgia tomorrow, but he's also called his own loss there fraud, attacked the republican governor and secretary of state, and pro- trump attorneys have told georgia republicans to withhold their votes in protest. >> why would you go back and vote in another rigged election? >> reporter: now some in the president's own party are worried his visit will do more harm than good. >> it's time for trump to man up, admit that he got beat, and focus on what's really important now, which is helping loeffler and perdue win this runoff. >> reporter: tonight, a federal judge is ordering the trump administration to fully restore the daca program which protects so-called "dreamers." those are undocumented immigrants brought to the united states as children. chis is a program the administration has been trying to kill but now, for the first time since 2017, it will be open to new applicants. norah. >> o'donnell: that's interesting. ben tracy, thank you. tonight, crews fighting wildfires in southern california are worried that powerful wind gusts will kick up more trouble this weekend. they have battled flames for days in orange county. cbs' jonathan vigliotti is there with more on this historic fire season. >> reporter: another grueling 24 hours as firefighters try to gain the upper hand. crews in silverado canyon are carving out containment lines. they're also dousing out hot spots to prevent this wildfire from exploding, like it did wednesday night. the flames, driven by hurricane- force winds, ripped through this landscape in a matter of minutes. those in its path had to escape in the middle of the night. >> the wind was howling. it was just-- >> reporter: bruce mcdougal shot this video. his truck destroyed, his home spared. in this canyons dodging fire after fire has now become a way of life. >> this is our sixth fire this year. >> reporter: it's been a record- breaking year in california. more than four million acres have already burned. scientists say climate change is drying out vegetation too fast for modern fire management techniques to keep up. and exhausted crews face another round of dangerous conditions next week. jonathan vigliotti, cbs news, silverado, california. >> o'donnell: there is still much more news ahead tonight on "cbs evening news." the "too tall bandit" strikes again. and the f.b.i. iasking you to help catch him. plus, the n.f.l. calls an audible with a new strategy for beating covid. re throat pain? 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>> reporter: ...nothing. >> can you hear me, t.j.? >> your call cannot be completed as dialed. >> jumping jingle-bells. it's a constant struggle to be a 2020 santa claus, and i make no secret that i don't know what i'm doing. >> reporter: coronavirus has made santa long for those simpler times of polaroid poses and parting gift candy canes. fortunately for santa and his helpers across the nation... >> unmute. >> reporter: ...there are >> am i groups. >> am i unmuted? >> reporter: in these chats, technologically challenged elves help each other navigate the new normal. >> click on the three little dots and save it to your computers. >> reporter: for santa bob jordan, who summers outside boston, the transition from private parties to virtual visits has been an especially tough chimney to climb. he got "zoom for dummies," which helped, but one look around his workshop, and you see what a jolly old analog elf he is. and, yet, he got himself a web cam. >> and i get a boom microphone and a ring light. >> reporter: a ring light. >> right, so that helps. it's very doable. it's going to happen. christmas is coming. because you know you're going to haps somebody happy. because of >> reporter: and perhaps because of that unconditional love, a christmas miracle happened. >> are you getting excited for christmas? e> yes! >> you are! >> reporter: santa figured out zoom. >> hey! >> reporter: as have elves across the country. >> this is so cool. >> reporter: this month, they will do thousands of virtual visits. >> the real santa! >> reporter: and although it's ... the same as santa's lap... >> i mis >> i miss you, santa claus. >> reporter: ...in some ways, it's better. >> i miss you, too, so much, dallas. >> reporter: because if it's really the thought and effort that count... >> i love you so much! >> reporter: ...santa has already given us his best gift of the season. >> bye-bye now! >> bye! >> reporter: steve hartman. >> bye! >> reporter: "on the road," at the north pole. >> merry christmas! >> bye, santa. >> o'donnell: we all miss santa. we'll be right back. that came from me. really. my first idea was "in one quarter of an hour, your savings will tower... over you. figuratively speaking." but that's not catchy, is it? that's not going to swim about in your brain. so i thought, what about... 15 minutes. 15 percent. serendipity. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. especially for guys who tend to get razor bumps with ordinarya razors.my shave. serendipity. but now there's gillette skinguard. it flattens the skin and lifts the blades for a shave that's close, but not too close for comfort. to treat her beforefrequent heartburn, 24hr marie could only imagine enjoying freshly squeezed orange juice. now no fruit is forbidden. nexium 24hr stops acid before it starts for all-day, all-night protection. can you imagine 24 hours without heartburn? 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