this may be divine intervention because we didn't deal with the fiscal cliff. >> a senator from idaho is apologizing for his dui arrest. police stopped republican mike crapo in alexandria, virginia. >> after 80 years in print, "newsweek" magazine has its last issue on stands today. it will continue its digital format. >> if you haven't finished your holiday shopping, don't worry. millions of americans are expected to hit the store today. >> i have just started. >> i looked at the research footage and looked at your face quite a bit. you don't look a day over than you did 32 years ago. >> wide open with the catch. what a shot. seahawks win it, seattle is in the playoffs. >> and all that matters. >> norad will be tracking santa claus as he makes his way around the world delivering gifts to girls and boys tonight. >> on "cbs this morning." >> from kabul, afghanistan, happy holidays! "cbs this "cbs this morning." welcome to "cbs this morning." i'm jeff glor with rebecca jarvis charlie rose. gayle king and norah o'donnell are off. on the ground and in the air on this busy day before christmas, there's trouble. >> and the problem is a storm system that hit the west coast over the weekend. now it's moving east threatening to cause problems all week long. anna warner is at dallas/ft. worth airport. anna, good morning. >> reporter: we're seeing a steady stream of travelers on their way to destinations. things on the west coast have cleared up. no major flight delays out there so far, but people heading to other holiday destinations may encounter some trouble. that's because this fast moving storm is heading over the rocky mountains and is expected to drop a lot of snow on the midwest as it heads to the northeast. travelers may see problems. those hoping for a white christmas will get their wish, but they may be stuck seeing santa in the airport. >> we don't want to spend christmas at laguardia. >> reporter: more than 5,000 flights were cancelled this week as snow smothered the midwest. drivers didn't fare any better as heavy accumulation clogged roadways and buried cars. >> i wish i had my reindeer. >> reporter: aaa expects 93 million people to drive at least 50 miles this holiday season. even those who dug themselves out once should keep their shovels handy. on the pacific coast, another fast moving storm has been drenching the bay area with so much rain that flood warnings have been issued near san francisco. in the higher elevations of the sierra mountains, more than three feet of snow trapped drivers for hours over the weekend. as the storm passes over the rocky mountains it's expected to dump a few feet of snow and disrupt travel at salt lake city's airport on christmas eve, before piling more snow onto the midwest today into tomorrow. >> merry christmas. happy holidays. >> reporter: despite the forecast, one traveler used to polar weather expects to deliver with a little help from his friends. >> i'm going to do everything i can. when rudolph gets that nose on we're going where we've got to go any time we've got to get there. >> reporter: some travelers definitely will see some snow. in oklahoma and arkansas, they're expected to get as much as six inches of snow. it's even possible that here in the dallas area they could get a rare event, a white christmas, possibly an inch or two. >> anna werner thanks. and meteorologist jeff from our cbs station with the forecast. it looks like this thing is moving across the country. where are the trouble spots? it looks like a lot of the country is going to be affected especially the eastern half. during the day today, it's fairly quiet although we do have a weak system moving through the southeast. may be minor flight delays there. that will translate into snow in places like pennsylvania and new york. some minor disruptions during the day today. the bigger story is what happens during the day tomorrow. we think we're going to see a widespread severe weather outbreak probably in eastern texas, louisiana, mississippi alabama, and georgia. we may see numerous tornadoes, some of them could be on the strong side. so we urge you to stay vigilant if you're in the southeast. what we also have going on on the northern side of this system is a lot of heavy snow. it's good news and bad news. the good news is a white christmas in places like oklahoma city, little rock and maybe southern parts of st. louis. the bad news is this storm moves into the ohio valley, great lakes, and interior northeast on wednesday. some places seeing over a foot of snow, and that's going to cause major travel problems as we head on into wednesday, especially, and probably thursday morning as well. jeff? >> jeff, thank you very much. ten days after the connecticut school shooting, the debate over gun control continues after the national rifle association took questions for the first time since newtown. america's largest gun rights group says we don't need new laws. chip reid is in washington with that story. chip, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, jeff. the national rifle association was silent in the days following the tragedy in newtown. now it's speaking out and reigniteing an explosive debate over gun control. the nra says it will not budge from its longtime opposition to gun control, insisting the only thing that will stop school shootings is armed guards. >> if it's crazy to call for putting police and armed security in our school to protect our children, then call me crazy. i think the american people think it's crazy not to do it. it's the one thing that would keep people safe and the nra is going to try to do that. >> reporter: nra president david kean added that banning particular guns simply doesn't work. >> we had a so-called assault weapons ban for ten years. it was allowed to expire. the fbi, the justice department and others who studied it said it made no difference. so if we're looking at things that are effective, let's talk about them. but first, let's talk about protecting our kids. >> reporter: the full court press from the nra comes as some democrats, who have long supported the nra, are showing an openness to change. democratic senator mark warner of virginia who has an "a" rating from the nra, suggested that the gun lobbying group is out of touch. >> to me simply saying existing gun laws are enough the status quo is acceptable just didn't pass my gut check as a father. >> reporter: most republican lawmakers, though, remain wary of any new gun l krocontrol measures such as an assault weapons ban. >> people where i live i've been christmas shopping all weekend, have come up to me and said please don't let them take my guns away. >> reporter: retiring senator kay bailey hutchinson are one of a few from her party saying they ought to look at gun control measures. >> i think we ought to be looking at where the real danger is like those large clips i think that does need to be looked at. >> reporter: nra officials say they do not want to require schools to have armed guards in the hallways. they want to leave it up to the discretion of local officials. jeff and rebecca? >> chip reid, thank you very much. also on sunday wayne lapierre said the nra is asking former congressman asa hutchinson to lead the efforts to put an armed guard in every school. >> we're going to support an immediate appropriation by congress to put police officers in every school, and we're going to work with asa hutchinson who has agreed to work with us to put together a voluntary program drawing on retired military drawing on retired police drawing on former secret service, and all these people that can actually go in and make our kids safe. >> asa hutchinson joins us. congressman, good morning. >> good morning to you, jeff. >> why does there need to be an armed guard in every single zool? >> as you emphasized this should be a voluntary program, but to us the status quo is not acceptable, as senator warner said. i think we ought to look at the safety of our schools. right now you have one-third of u.s. schools that do have an armed presence. a resource officer, a police officer is present in the school. why should one-third have this greater safety while the other two-thirds do not? and so this christmas season i think the highest priority should be the safety of our children and our elementary schools. i have grandchildren there, and i think one of the aspects of it would be have a greater armed presence very discrete presence, a highly trained presence, in our schools that can provide greater level of safety. >> congressman, you're absolutely right that some schools are armed right now. armed guards have not preventeded three recent massacres. there was an armed guard at columbine, as you know about. virginia tech had its own police force. ft. hood one of the most heavily secured facilities in the country. if armed guards are not preventing mass shootings at those places, why do you think arming every single school in the country will prevent more of these shootings? >> that's really the purpose and the goal of my security experts, the team that i'm going to pull together, is to look at solutions across the board. it's not just about an armed presence. that's onement element of the plan. we hope to have many other elements as well from increases perimeter security access controls. and these experts will look at the local schools and what can develop as a model plan not one size fits all, but different solutions for an urban school a rural school provide those free of charge to our local school districts. that they can tweak to help keep our children more safe. it's not just about one solution but that is one option that we as a society would be very much in error if we took that off the table, which is the armed presence. we have those armed guards on our airplanes in a very discrete fashion. it's not the wild west but it's a greater level of security that gives air transportation followers better safety and we ought to provide the same for our children. >> what about additional measures like additional gun control? >> that's going to be a debate and we have no problem with the debate. my focus is on the safety side. i recognize that you can pass ten more laws in congress and it's not going to change the risk that exists in our school. all the lawmakers will go home and say we passed more restrictions. we've done something great. the fact is will our children be more safe because of that? i think the most important thing is to provide greater security and safety in the schools through protection and that's what's going to make a difference. >> congressman, if someone has easy access to a military style assault rifle -- i guess i'm still wondering, why does someone who's not a member of the military need a military style assault rifle? >> one we've had an assault rifle ban in our country. and that did not accomplish the objectives. we had columbine during the time that that ban was in place. so, again, the fbi, the department of justice, has not indicated through statistical analysis that that has made any difference in school safety. so the risk is still there. >> why should a mother living in newtown, connecticut, need a military assault rifle? do you think that's needed for protection? >> i think there's freedom in this country to have weapons. i think there's obviously ways that you can control that. we passed prohibitions on machine guns which is automatic fire, and so you cannot have that in our society. whether you should have additional restriction is going to be a debate that's in congress. my job is not to determine that. my job is to increase safety. and i know that the right way to do that is through helping our schools, and we cannot wait six months in order for congress to debate whether we're going to have more controls or not. we have to do something now for our children's safety, and we have one-third of the schools with retired police officer or resource officer there that has an armed presence. it can make a difference, even though it's not the exclusive difference, it's one element we ought to look at. >> thank you so much asa hutchinson. >> thank you and merry christmas to both of you. >> merry christmas. meanwhile, the final three funerals were held over the weekend for the victims of the newtown massacre and this morning elaine quijano has the first interview from the police officers who responded to the call of shots fired. >> the first door we checked, we were able to get into was into the boiler room of the elementary school. >> officer leonard penna led two others into sandy hook elementary school minutes after the call went out. >> when i saw that officer penna had a rifle kind of told him, you're in front, buddy. and the heroism that he displayed just to get in front of us -- >> the gun powder smoke in there is nothing that i ever want to smell again because it was just overwhelming overwhelming. >> what were you hearing at that point? >> silence. normally there's noise. >> the quiet was deafening. every second seemed like an hour. i've never experienced fear like that ever. i mean it was free falling almost. >> the officers made their way through the kitchen and into the lobby. >> that's when my world came crashing in on me because i saw the victims there, and i knew there was -- this wasn't a joke. this wasn't -- this was real and we had somebody that was murdering people in there. we knew that we couldn't help them because they were beyond that. you just want it to be fake. your mind keeps telling you that this is not real. >> what's been the hardest part of this for snu >> we're supposed to run towards danger. that's what we do. so i don't really care what i'm going through. i think about the parents, about those teachers. i think about them all the time now as they put themselves between a guy with a rifle who was bent on killing them and the children. and i don't know if i could have the courage to do that to know i'm going to die and to just face it and they laid down their lives for those kids. those are true heroes here, as far as i'm concerned. >> for "cbs this morning," elaine quijano, newtown, connecticut. >> the true heroes:. well on this christmas eve, the fiscal cliff is one day closer. much of the talk in congress on sunday focused on who's to blame for the lack of a deal. there are eight days left for lawmakers to head off mandatory budget cuts and tax hikes, and nancy cordes is in honolulu where president obama is having his christmas vacation. nancy, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, rebecca. it's almost as if the president and congressional leaders have called a sort of time-out when it comes to the fiscal cliff. there are no major discussions going on right now about what to do now that talks between the president and the speaker appear to have stalled. in fact, the president and senate majority leader harry reid were both here in honolulu yesterday for the funeral of hawaii senator daniel inouye. we're told they didn't really discuss what to do next. before he left washington the president urged leaders to craft a sort of scaled down plan that simply extends the bush tax rates for the middle class and extends long-term unemployment benefits for another year. but, jeff and rebecca, it's really unclear whether even a package like that could pass both houses of congress. so the president is going to be cutting his vacation short and heading back to washington midweek to work with congressional leaders. at that point, as you know very little time left to get a deal only about five days. >> the pressure will be on. no do-overs for this one. nancy, i want to turn to michael crapo and his dui. what kind of details are emerging on that? >> reporter: we're told senator crapo had a blood alcohol level of .110. he was pulled over early saturday morning in alexandria virginia, just outside of washington, d.c. when he ran a red light. he was given a field sobriety test. he failed, so he was arrested and charged with dui and booked. he was released on $1,000 bond and has a court date later next month. he's a 61-year-old senator in his third term from idaho. he released a statement saying he's very sorry to his family and his constinuents. >> nancy cordes, thank you so much. prince harry is believed to have killed his first taliban fighter while serving in afghanistan. the incident reportedly happened a few weeks after harry arrived in september. he's serving as a gunner on an apache helicopter. the new york daily news says the hero lifeguard who rescued six people during superstorm sandy died over the weekend. 23-year-old dylan smith drowned in a surfing accident in puerto rico. the philadelphia inquirer reports on the suspected suicide of a high ranking navy s.e.a.l. in afghanistan. navy officials say commander job price died saturday of noncombat-related injuries. and a wall street journal investigation find prices on website ds vary depending on the user's information. the head of the cia says "zero dark thirty" gives a false impression that torture led to finding osama bin laden. this morning i why there are so many critics. we'll speak with john miller if "zero dark thirty" gets it right or wrong. christmas tree farmers in the midwest say supplies are running dry because of this year's drought. >> they have lost two and three years worth of trees. that may convince some of the farmers just enougorning." 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[ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus liquid gels speeds relief to your worst cold symptoms plus has a decongestant for your stuffy nose. thanks. that's the cold truth! rescue operation can resume in marin county this is a cbs 5 eyewitness news update. >> hi everyone. 7:26 on this christmas eve. we begin with a search and rescue operation that can resume in ma rain county now that there's some daylight. a suspected drunk driver jumped into the creek to avoid police about midnight after being pulled over, and they still can't find him. flooding threat is over at san francisco along the san ma day yes border. some residents evacuated last evening are back home now this morning. and some nurses are starting a one-day strike at this hour. the walk-outs are at hospitals in the bay area, and two ata hospitals in san jose. got your traffic and your weather on this christmas eve right after the break. so stay right there. good morning. well we just got an update about highway 121. it's remain closed until 9:00 a.m. 121 closed both directions between 116 and highway 37. in berkeley all lanes open. things are quickly picked up all the way down the east shore freeway and nice and light across the golden gate bridge. here's lawrence >> catching a break in that stormy weather. what a wild weekend. now things settling down. look at the live shot. a satellite from the ocean. looks like the clouds beginning to part. the high def showing showers. those are quickly winding down. expect dry weather, 50s for highs this afternoon the a return of rain on christmas day. easy. i wis had u-verse when i was your age. in my day, we didn't have these fancy wireless receivers. bl blah blah. if i had a sleepover i couldn't just move the tv into the playroom. no. we had to watch movies in the den because that's where the tv outlet was. and if dad was snoring on the couch, we muscled through it. is she for real? your generation has it made. [ male announcer ] the wireless receiver only from at&t u-verse. get u-verse tv for $29 a month for six months. rethink possible. dramatic cell phone video. officer edward norton jumped into the frigid waters of boston harbor after a woman fell in. he pulled her to a nearby life rachlt she's okay. he's turned his back on holiday and is focusing on law enforcement. >> welcome back. the controversy surrounding "zero dark thirty" didn't affect the box offer opened the weekend. the film opened in just five theaters and took in more than $400,000. >> new year's eve implies that torture helped find osama bin larden. >> reporter: the film "zero dark thirty" is a hit with audience and critics but the oscar front-runner does not have many fans at the cia. it's so offensive that director mike morell sent a letter to the agency's employees last friday telling them it's a dramatization, not a reality of the facts. the film creates the strong impression that enhanced interrogation teaching them. that impression is false. the film about osama bin laden has reignited debate over what the cia called enhanced interrogation was really torture. >> the information i saw derived from the detainees we had cia facilities and that including those who underwengt techniques was invaluable. >> president obama ended the use of enhancement techniques in 2009 and both parties have been trying to play down the impression that such methods led intelligence investigators to bin laden wocate obama bin laden to claim falsely that they only succeeded because we used torture. >> mccain with senators dianne feinstein and carl levin wrote to sony complaining "zero dark thirty" has the potential to shape american public opinion in a disturbing and misleading manner. they asked sony to consider correcting the impression that c cia's use of interrogation techniques led to the capture of osama bin laden. she said showing the techniques was vital to the form. >> i think it was important for us to tell a true story. it's controversial but it's part of the history. >> part of history perhaps but only future historians might know how accurate holiday's first look at the search for bin laden actually is. for "cbs this morning," john blackstone cbs news. >> sony hat nos responded. senior correspondent john miller who once interviewed bin laden is a former director of cia national intelligence. we'll get the information from you now. how accurate is this portrayal? >> well the portrayal is extraordinarily accurate in the way that movies are accurate so all of that up to and including that one of the detainees was subject to the waterboarding actually gave up the name of the courier. the key there is he gave it up before the waterboarding but the film is trying to say, overall, this was the big part of the process of questioning people but all the reports have been fairly clear that it did not -- it led to critical information but not that information. i think we're asking the wrong question here. which is could they have obtained the same information would the waterboarding. >> and we'll never know. >> and we'll never know. >> the film never posits that this was -- we've all seen it. terrific movie. >> yep. >> i don't think the film ever posits this was the main reason why they found bin laden, but it certainly makes the case that it played a role. >> yeah. it seems to. i'm not sure that that was intentional or that everybody's political gun has a trigger cobbedcob ed cocked so far back that that was going to cause a discussion. morell issued a notice a press release, really kind goichk through the details and saying it's not an accurate portrayal, vis-a-vis the tear riis tick techniques techniques. he's aiming it at two. two, aiming it at his own employees saying you're going to see this movie. we understand that it's a movie and that they can't have a thousand characters but we also understand that hundreds of you played a role. >> was the cia asked as they were filming? >> i doubt it. basically movies like that are the greatest recruiting tool for an agency like tl cia. remember they look at the capture of osama bin laden and the movie that chronicles it. it's a crowning achievement of the cia. >> everyone comes out heroically in this movie. >> you don't walk out thinking the cia are bad people. now interestingly there was an inmemorandum that was not a press release and between the lines basically it said the senate is going to lease thisrelease this report. but the last paragraph was the read between the lines part where he basically said we did what we thought was legal at the time based on the times we had. nobody should be ashamed. you all did what you had to do. >> merry christmas, john. >> thanks, john. >> merry christmas to you guys. great to see you. >> there are enough christmas trees to go around this "this is george. he is a good little monkey and always very curious. one day george got an important letter. he's built a rocket ship to travel into space." google, how far is earth to the moon? 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"the great moment had come." 3, 2, 1... [ giggling ] [ male announcer ] it's that time of year again. time for citi price rewind. because your daughter really wants that pink castle thing. and you really don't want to pay more than you have to. only citi price rewind automatically searches for the lowest price. and if it finds one, you get refunded the difference. just use your citi card and register your purchase online. have a super sparkly day! ok. [ male announcer ] now all you need is a magic carriage. citi price rewind. start saving at citi.com/pricerewind. maddy, come on. we got a new book! yay! come get into bed. this is a story about jingle the husky pup. and jingle was a good dog. ruff! ruff! jingle loved to bark hello. ruff! ruff! ruff! ruff! jingle even loved to sing. ruff! ruff! ruff! ruff! ruff! jingle! let's read the book to him. jingle, stay. and jingle did. ruff! ruff! [ female announcer ] hallmark interactive story buddies. when you read key words, jingle responds. [ female announcer ] mcdonald's dollar menu. home of the meaty, melty mcdouble you love. and other amazing tastes for just a dollar each. every day, as always there's a lot to love for a little on mcdonald's dollar menu. ♪ ♪ analysts predict that americans will find 30 million christmas tree this year but in the midwest which has been hard hit by drought, many christmas tree farmers are having a rough season and jamie yuccas went to one farm that doesn't have enough trees go around. >> reporter: business was brisk a few weeks back in cedar falls iowa. ♪ >> reporter: santa was on hand. >> merry christmas was on hand. >> reporter: but the farm was closing early this year because of the drought. >> i thought, oh they're only open because this is the last weekend. >> i think it's sad. >> reporter: this is what she's talking about. some 15,000 christmas trees killed by the drought. >> so this was a total loss. >> 100% loss. >> reporter: closing early was not a decision that came easily for danny moulds a christmas tree farmer. danny has but hit harder than most. he estimates he's lost at least $300,000 worth of trees. >> this tree is a seed ling we planted this spring. this will be a 2-year-old. this will be a 4-year-old. >> reporter: the punishing drought hit iowa christmas tree farmers mostly hard. about 20% of all sales nationally are made at farms like this. the iowa christmas tree growers sew yags polled its members and found individual farmers lost anywhere from 50% to 100% of new plantings. danny moulds' father is president of the association. >> and already in some cases like danny's farm and some of the others, they have lost have lost two and three years of trees. they can't make that up. that may be just enough to convince some of these farmers to give it up. >> reporter: probably not danny. when he bought his own farm six years ago, his father didn't want him to grow christmas trees. >> did you want your son to grow a christmas tree farm? >> no. no way, shape, or form did he want me to grow trees. >> i told him to get on and forget about the trees. >> reporter: danny's own operation is a family affair. that's his father-in-law at the front gate. his cousins get the trees ready to go. his wife runs the cash register while his mother-in-law feeds everybody. it's a family tradition danny can't imagine giving up. >> are you ever going to quit this? >> probably never. how can i? i will always plant christmas trees. >> why? >> it's been my whole rain on christmas day, more showers into wednesday it's been a difficult year in spain. one in four people there out of work, but it's ending with some christmas cheer. nearly 2,000 people hit the jackpot in the world's richest lottery. the story of el gordo is next on "cbs this morning." and it feels like your life revolves around your symptoms, ask your gastroenterologist about humira adalimumab. humira has been proven to work for adults who have tried other medications but still experience the symptoms of moderate to severe crohn's disease. in clinical studies, the majority of patients on humira saw significant symptom relief and many achieved remission. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma or other types of cancer have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. get headed in a new direction. with humira, remission is possible. 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[ female announcer ] it's true every kiss does begin with kay. where you can save 25% on any bulova watch. bulova. designed to be noticed. at kay, the number-one jewelry store in america. ♪ ♪ ohhhh. right. ♪ every kiss begins with kay ♪ jackpots. spain's jackpot has a prize pool bigger than any in the world. >> this year it's worth more than $3 billion. translation, mucho dinero. barry peterson has the story. good morning. >> good morning. it's been a rough year in spain with 25% unemployment. spaniards are celebrating this morning with a lot of extra cash in their pockets. they won it in the lottery called el gordo. translation, the fast one. the numbers tumbled in a couple of machines that looked somewhat like a rocket ship and there was magic for those looking for an extra christmas present. it will help us to breathe a bit so our advances improve. and lady luck hat a sweet sound. school kids sitting out the winning numbers and millions waiting to see if they would share in the $3.3 billion in prisons. unlike lotsries in the u.s. where they get a big jackpot. el gordo is spread among thousands, good for a country where many hunt for foot in the garbage. so the champagne flowed across the country. the biggest winners walked away with up to half a million dollar. this unemployed electrician had to borougherow money from his girlfriend girlfriend's father to pay for a ticket and won $2,500. it's to be for the house. i don't know what to say. so much happiness. >> many pulled together. that meant multiple chances to win. that's what these supermarket workers did. the dancing and hugging pretty much tell it all. and in this economically ravaged company, a different kind of tears, tears of joy. this is the 200th anniversary of el gordo, but one part of that tradition is ending. next year winners of more than $3,100 will have to pay tax. >> i didn't understand most of the celebration bus they were clearly happy. >> very happy. >> good for them. by the way, spain's still in very rough shape. 50% of the youth are unemployed right now. so a little bit of cheer and a little bit of money. >> i was saying i hope they don't get inflation as a rouflt new money in the economy. >> millions of us are on the ot this christmas eve. travel expert peter greenberg has the details. >> our one and only pedro. >> we're back with more "cbs this morning" right after this. to the best vacation spot on earth. (all) the gulf! it doesn't matter which of our great states folks visit. mississippi, alabama, louisiana or florida they're gonna love it. shaul, your alabama hospitality is incredible. thanks, karen. love your mississippi outdoors. i vote for your florida beaches, dawn. bill, this louisiana seafood is delicious. we're having such a great year on the gulf we've decided to put aside our rivalry. now is the perfect time to visit anyone of our states. the beaches and waters couldn't be more beautiful. take a boat ride, go fishing or just lay in the sun. we've got coastline to explore and wildlife to photograph. and there's world class dining with our world famous seafood. so for a great vacation this year, come to the gulf. its all fabulous but i give florida the edge. right after mississippi. you mean alabama. say louisiana or there's no dessert. this invitation is brought to you by bp and all of us who call the gulf home. i have a cold, and i took nyquil, but i'm still stubbed up. [ male announcer ] truth is, nyquil doesn't unstuff your nose. what? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus liquid gels speeds relief to your worst cold symptoms plus has a decongestant for your stuffy nose. thanks. that's the cold truth! [ male announcer ] it's that time of year again. time for citi price rewind. because your daughter really wants that pink castle thing. and you really don't want to pay more than you have to. only citi price rewind automatically searches for the lowest price. and if it finds one, you get refunded the difference. just use your citi card and register your purchase online. have a super sparkly day! ok. [ male announcer ] now all you need is a magic carriage. citi price rewind. start saving at citi.com/pricerewind. ♪(music playing)♪ ♪(music playing)♪ ♪(music playing)♪ ♪(music playing)♪ ♪(music playing)♪ ♪(music playing)♪ dunkin' donuts' pumpkin spice, mocha mint gingerbread cookie coffees -- no wonder people get jolly around the holidays. try dunkin' donuts' holiday flavors. pick some up where you buy groceries, before they're gone. america runs on dunkin'. this is a cbs 5 eyewitness news morning update. >> good morning, everyone. it is 7:56 on this christmas eve. we have some bay area headlines on this monday. evacuations are over along a san francisco creek now that the threat of flooding is done for at least now. some residents voluntarily left their homes yesterday because of a nearby levee that was close to giving way. the weather is looking better. a flood watch remains in effect along the russian river. it is expected to crest just below flood stage at guernville sometime later this morning. parts of the county experienced minor flooding. the water was up to a foot and a half deep. traffic and weather coming up after the break. stay right there. a similar story. 880 and oakland moving fine toward downtown. a flight to catch over the airport, no delay toward hayward. free and clear. highway 121 remains shut down between 116 and highway 37 due to yesterday's floods. that is traffic in your forecast up here's lawrence. >> so nice to see the sun coming up on the bay area after a stormy weekend. have ground fog showing up in some spots inland. otherwise the showers beginning to wind down. you can see that on the high- def doppler radar. this afternoon, sun and temperatures in the 50s across the board. but it does look like more storm clouds move in tomorrow. probably rain developing during the day. it's going to rain. showers can't into wednesday and thursday. it is 8:00 a.m. welcome back to "cbs this morning." today's christmas travel rush could slow to a crawl as the snowstorms cross the country. we'll show you where the biggest problems will be. merry christmas, bedford falls, a group reworks "it's a wonderful life." but first here's a look at today's "eye opener" at 8:00. >> some travellers definitely will see snow. >> there's travel trouble across nation on the ground and in the air. >> and the problem is a storm system that hit the west coast over the weekend. now it's moving east. >> looks like a lot of the country is going to be affected, but the good news is a white christmas, the bigger story what happens during the day tomorrow. you may see numerous tornadoes, some on strong side. we urge you to stay vigilante. >> the national rifle association was the finalist in the days that followed the tragedy of newtown and now it's speaking out. >> i think the most important thing is to provide greater security and safety in the schools through protection. >> it's almost as if the president and congressional leaders have called a sort of time-out when it comes to the fiscal cliff. there are no major discussions going on. >> the controversy surrounding the new movie "zero dark 30." didn't affect the box office over the weekend. moves like that are the greatest recruiting tool for the agency like the cia. dramatic cell phone video out of boston, officer edward norton jumps -- edward norton, really? jumps into the frigid waters of the boston harbor after a woman fell in. he pulled her to a nearby life raft. >> being a hero, that's what it's all about. >> that cop is a hero to me. i'm rebecca jarvis with jeff glor and charlie, gayle, and norah are off today. a white christmas is on tap for much of the country as a storm moves east ward. heavy snow in the nevada made driving dangerous over the weekend for holiday travellers. some mountains are expecting up to five feet of snow. jeff berardelli is watching it. what's happening now. >> good morning. we have one system moving through the east as you can see behind me producing mainly light rain, a couple of thunderstorms and on the northern side in ohio, pennsylvania and new york a little bit of snow which will make for a white christmas tomorrow morning. but the bigger story is definitely what's happening in the southeast. christmas day we're going to have to stay very aware of the situation. looks like we're going to see a widespread severe weather outbreak in parts of texas, louisiana, mississippi, alabama and also georgia. looks as though we may see numerous tornadoes and some of those could be on the strong side. we're also watching on the northern side of this system is for a heavy snowfall. now, the folks in oklahoma city, little rock, and all the way up to around st. louis will see snow on christmas day. and that's good news. but this storm system moves into the ohio valley great lakes, and some portion will get over a foot of snow that happens on wednesday and that what means tough travel mid-week. >> thanks so much. >> also object this day before christmas time to get those last day presents. peter greenberg is here with five gifts. >> hope they like what i'm about to give them. >> i think they will. you have a great one for the airlines. >> this is let's go back to the future. two concepts. portable stairs. we're obsessed with jetways. how many times do we have planes land on time or on early there's no jetway. we don't need jetway he need to park 100 feet away and wheel us some portable stairs. nobody miss connects the flights, no more fuel burn for the airlines waiting to come into the gate. everybody's happy. i asked every airline ceo a logical reason why they haven't done this and they can't. so merry christmas, everybody. >> you're there if they can't make it up the stairs. >> that's your problem. you don't need the jetway. >> what about airports. >> this is another no brainer. they tried it overseas and it works like a charm. it happens every year. you're about to push back from the gate but the temperature is below 32 degrees. you are required to be deiced. below 30 degreases. you have to wait for the truck to come with the toxic chemicals, you get de-iced, push back from the gate there's a long, long line to the runway and by the time you get out there you have to be deiced again. why not have central de-icing locations like a car wash at the end of the runway. they've done it in europe. it works like a charm. you're going to save time money and chemicals. and things actually work. if somebody can explain that one to me. >> how about hotels, peter? >> now i'm getting angry. this is my gift for the hotels. 100 watt, 150 watt, and 200 watt light bulbs. you know why? no hotel room should be paid for their job until they spend a night in their room. don't trap me with mood lighting. you put me with mood lighting i'm in a bad mood. people do not change their lifestyle. i like to read in my room. like to be able to see in my room. so new light bulbs. >> i'm going to try to push you over the travel cliff by talking about cruise lines. what should they be doing. >> very simple. more sea, less ports. i'm a big fan of the time you spend at sea. i think there's nothing less desirable than being in port with a straw hat trapped on a bus going to a location. >> where everybody's sent. >> you don't have to always be herded on and off the ship. >> how about travelers? what's your gift for them? >> no more entitlement issues. you're not entitled to anything other than to be nice. you know what? by the time you get to that counter or gate the person who works for that airport or airline have been abused by their own company before you got there. why not be nice. once you're nice they marry you. >> it takes no energy. >> and do what my mother always told me, write your thank-you letters. >> peter greenberg going out on a limb. thank you very much. two weeks ago we reported on a case of jon hammar, a marine veteran who was locked up in mexico for four months. he's on his way home for christmas. as jim axelrod reports the return trip has not been easy. >> reporter: when he crossed over the border into the u.s. friday night it seemed like jon hammar's four-month ordeal was over. hammar had been in a mexican jail since august for bringing a shotgun across the border for a surfing vacation with a friend. he was held in a notorious prison said to be run by a drug cartel. and in this photo he's actually chained to a bed. >> we actually started receiving calls from members of the cartel saying, you know, we have your son and we're going to kill him. and they put him on the phone and i realized they really did. >> to make matters worse he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after serving tours in iraq an afghanistan. after getting nowhere with the authorities they went public. >> bring this marine home. >> reporter: his mexican attorney agreed. >> he was innocent. many people wanted him to plead guilty. i said i've got to get him up. >> reporter: hammar is on his way home driving with his dad from texas all the way to florida but it's been a bumpy ride. on sunday he was briefly hospitalized in louisiana. >> he had about a 103 fever, so they decided to take him to the e.r. >> reporter: family friend elisa cabrera. >> i think the anger that johnny feels at this point is coupled with frustration. why did this happen to him. all he was trying to do is go on a trip to relax and go surf. he's angry that it took this many months to be free. >> reporter: and free he is and hopefully if all goes well, jon hammar will be home for christmas. for cbs "this morning," i'm jim axelrod in new york. we have breaking news from western new york state. our rochester affiliate reports four firefighters were shot overnight as they respond to a house fire in webster, new york a town along lake ontario, east of rochester. local officials said two of the firefighters have died. the other two are being treated at a nearby hospital and police are still trying to find the gunman at this hour. reports from the scene say at least three houses are burning, firefighters are not able to get close enough to put out the fires because the area is not yet secure. a police s.w.a.t. team is at the scene. the final print of "newsweek" southbound to hit newsstands. the final cover shows its former offices right here in new york. the magazine has been published for almost 80ee years. it announced in october it could no longer stay in print because it was losing $40 million a . kenny kenny rogers was once voted favorite singer of all time in a nationwide poll and this year he might be northern new jersey's favorite santa. we'll show you how -- what he's doing for kids affected by superstorm sandy. that's ahead on cbs "this morning." ♪ gone away is the bluebird ♪ ♪ here to stay is the new bird ♪ ♪ he sings a love song ♪ ♪ as we go along we're walking in a winter wonderland ♪ [ female announcer ] mcdonald's dollar menu. home of the meaty, melty mcdouble you love. and other amazing tastes for just a dollar each. every day, as always there's a lot to love for a little on mcdonald's dollar menu. ♪ ♪ [ elizabeth ] i like to drink orange juice but the acidic levels in some foods can cause acid erosion. the enamel starts to wear down, and you can't grow your enamel back. my dentist recommended that i use pronamel because it helps to strengthen the enamel. and i believe it's doing a good job. g. >> and there's g. >> i'd like to solve. >> seven swans a swimmin'. >> yeah. that's not the -- yeah. your turn. >> she said swimmin' instead of swimming and they didn't give her the money. "wheel of fortune" is getting some grief from jeff glor and others. >> come on. >> it's kind of crazy. >> and she picked the "g." >> exactly. and it's on the board. she said she's from florida and that's how she talks and she says it cost her a thousand bucks. >> wow. >> welcome back, everybody. everyone says it's not christmas without "it's a wonderful life." this year in rockford, illinois, they're retelling the story in an old-fashioned radio show. and we'll meet the cast and everybody else in bedford falls. that is still ahead on "cbs this morning." stay with us. "this is george. he is a good little monkey and always very curious. one day george got an important letter. he's built a rocket ship to travel into space." google, how far is earth to the moon? the moon is 238,900 miles... "the great moment had come." 3, 2, 1... [ giggling ] ♪ shake up the happiness ♪ >> tinsel eggnog and mistletoe. >> dean reynolds found a new twist on an old classic. a group of stage performers in illinois are retelling the story in an old-fashioned way. ♪ >> reporter: it's an unusual performance. >> we have a heartwarming story just in time for the holidays. "it's a wonderful life." >> a presentation by the artist ensemble theater at brock ford college. it is a show about a live radio play but one that is not actually broadcast beyond the walls of the theater. >> i'm shaking the dust of this crummy little town off my feet and i'm going to see the world. >> reporter: do you wish you were broadcasting this? >> it would be very interesting. it's very odd for us in the cast -- >> reporter: richard is the artistic director. >> it does present this story that we know so well in a very different way. >> i told you i'm your guardian angel angel. i know everything about you. >> well you look like about the kind of angel i'd get. >> reporter: the actors are playing people who played roles in the radio drama. >> the actor is playing george bailey not playing jimmy stewart playing george bailey. >> better if i'd never been born at all. >> reporter: nor from stewart's own radio broadcast of the play in 1947. >> i'll be better off if i hadn't been born. >> what did you say? >> i said i wish i'd never been born! >> reporter: seven actors 50 parts. tom dodson plays so many he talks to himself. >> the richest and meanest man in all the county. peter, he's here. >> i play around 12 characters, a little more than that. . i've taken some liberties with a few of them. somewhere around maybe 14. >> reporter: morris doubles as a master of sound. >> oh no! >> reporter: remember when clarence the angel fell into the river? river? that's somebody flailing in the water? >> yeah. >> reporter: it doesn't sound like a current. >> yeah. >> reporter: he uses rotary phones, shoes, a whistle, along with others less apparent like a cricket sound. >> you have to know which side of the hair comb to use. is it the wide tooth part or the closer tooth? >> reporter: audiences get it. >> in the beginning i tried to imagine what it would be like sating at home actually listening to it over the radio. it was exciting. >> amazing how they can do all that. >> every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings. >> reporter: and as the actors prove -- >> that's right. >> reporter: seeing is believing. it's a wonderful life. for "cbs this morning," dean reynolds, rockford, illinois. >> what was the tradition in the jarvis household? >> we have so many tra traditions in the household. "miracle on 34th street," my favorite growing up. you? >> "christmas story." every time. >> yeah. >> there were some pretty good movies that came out this year from "lincoln" to to "the masters," "the southern wild." we'll review the year in film with two top critics when "cbs this morning" comes right back. we're going to talk about the means when "cbs this morning" comes back. the flooding threa this is a morning update. >> good morning, everybody. i'm frank malaca. get you updated on some headlines on this christmas eve. the flooding threat over in east pal low alto. some residents who were evacuated yesterday evening are back home this morning; but officials are keeping a very close eye at a nearby levee that's in danger of giving way in pal low alto. peg crews have their work cut out for them today. there are several power outages throughout the bay area. more than a thousands people still without power on christmas eve. that's developing on right now. hundreds more are also affected on the peninsula and the coastal areas as well. you see the numbers there. the search-and-rescue operations back on. a driver attempted to avoid police about midnight. they still have not found that man. traffic and weather coming up right after the break. a delay at the bay bridge teleplays. is it is moving along nicely across the upper deck headed into san francisco. elsewhere 880 in oakland, free and clear from heyward toward downtown oakland. both directions northbound and southbound, and better news, highway 121 officially reopened. between west 16 and highway 37 had to be closed yesterday and overnight to to flooding. that is traffic. for your forecast here's loren. >> nice to see the roads clear. still have shopping to do. around the bay area the rain has come to an end. the skies parking and looking good. fog showing up in the valleys. visibility down there to a quarter of a mile. but really a break between storms. the next one off the coastline. showers dissipating. done for the day. temperatures will stay cool. plan on the numbers only in the 50s. overnight santa coming to town. we'll wit for the rain. doesn't come into the day until tomorrow. showers wednesday and thursday, too. what makes you a dingo expert. >> i wonder what makes you so curious. >> what did you say, boy. >> calm down. no offense. >> not taken. >> i would prooesh yat if you could direct your line of inquiry toward me. one, you dmot have anything to drink. can i get you a tasty refreshment. >> >> yes. i'll have a beer. >> wonderbar. >> always a good call. welcome back to "cbs this morning." quintin taryn teno's jane go unchained has made this year's top ten list. we're looking at the best movies of 2012. great to have both of you with us. >> thank you. >> great to be here. >> we were just saying a lot of big movies opened the year. >> yeah. i think it was a pretty good year and it was a year when a lot of very good movies came from kind of the bigger hollywood studios like "argo" and "flight." i think they were better than the offerings in previous years. >> i think you felt more strongly that way than i did, but, yeah there were certainly strong offerings. >> let's count down the list. >> my top five are "amore," not a cheery christmas movie for anyone looking for light-hearted entertainment but really wonderful, powerful dev stagt meefb with two great performances. then "lincoln," speaking of great performances. just a movie that -- i just keep coming back to and i think it's so rich. it's such an interesting story, a wonderful topic, so well made. then "beast of the southern wild." it's kienl of the little indy that could from the summer i just adored. the movie owns in february called "the gatekeepers," interviewing with the six leading heads of the israeli secret police which is really a terrific movie and number five "the master," one that was not to everyone's taste but i thought was terrific. >> scientology. >> quickly, your top five. >> i think my top five overlaps with tony's. "the master," queen of versailles" is a wonderful document by lauren greenfield. it's about the richest couple who builds the biggest house when the recession hits. "lincoln" deserves multiple viewings. if you saw it go back and see it at christmas. you'll see something else. zero dark 30 is a must-see for me. >> what about renting? what do you recommend? >> you mean from the last year? >> what to rent. >> i think people will go back and catch "brave," the pixar movie. it sort of got buried. came out early in the year. the people who are pixar fans gat "brave" a great viewing. >> i wasn't a huge fan of the first two movies but it's worth it. i think it's worth talk about, "looper." i'm not a huge sci-fi guy but i thought it was a huge film. what else kind government missed here, jarvis? >> i think people show go back and see "moonrise kingdom." wonderful movie. >> it was very nice. >> charming. >> a sweet film. >> yeah yeah. >> what about you, rebecca? you said you only went to one movie. >> my joke was i saw one movie in 2012 with you, jeff, so that was going to be my favorite because we got to see it with you. >> we did go to goegt. by the way, "the gray." we sat in the front row. >> very front row. >> let me pitch you on one more. jarvis you can check this out. this documentary i talked about and game the movie. it with uswas very very good. >> i enjoyed the queen of versailles as well. it deals with a resession and an extraordinary couple. how do things turn out when the tapes start to turn and especially with the housing market it's a great combination of reality tv juiciness and really a lost substance. >> and it was a great year for documentary documentaries. we're living in a great period for documentaryies. i had to make a list. "the central park five" was ready good and "hue to survive a plague." >> is there any you disagree on? >> "beast of the southern wild." we never discussed it much. it had such a feeling and such a mood. the director's a really exciting director and it didn't all come together. it had to do with the nonprofessional acting. >> i thought that girl was amazing. and her father too. it hat me from beginning to end. what about "les mis," it's opening christmas day. a lot of attention. not necessarily good attention. >> i think people who loved this musical and there are hundreds of thousands if not millions of people around the world who are fanatical of the show will like it. it's very tree at trick cal. it's very large. some of the people who are actually singing in it can actually sing. >> and they had to do it live. >> they had to do it live. not everything. russell crowe has a bit of a rough time. >> very quickly before you go what's going to win best picture and best holiday move. >> "zero dark thirty" and the christmas coalarol from 1939. >> bad santa. >> what a shocker. >> what a shock. thank you both. merry christmas, guys. watching his grandson wasn't a big stretch. we'll hear from billy did you get chips for the party? nope. cheese plate? cheese plate...nope. i made something better. ♪ ♪ you used the oven? boom ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] pillsbury crescents. let the making begin. [ female announcer ] why settle for plain bread? here's a better idea. pillsbury grands! flaky layers biscuits in just 15 minutes the light delicate layers add a layer of warmth to your next dinner. pillsbury grands biscuits let the making begin. there's way that we talk to our kids. for instance where you would say no we would say consider the consequences. or where you would say don't, we would say, maybe you should try this. see, that way the child feels that he has value, he has worth, he's heard. >> that's a way. >> that's one way to do it. bill kr crystal and marisa tomei play a father and daughter with completely unrelated parenting styles. a few weeks ago they spoke with charlie and gayle which was, as they say inspired by actual events. >> the best thing about this movie is where the idea came from. >> yes, that's true. i'm a grand father of three and two thirds. we had the girls all alone. >> was it hard? >> let's just put it this way. yes. >> you and your wife of 43 years. >> yes. and on the seventh day i rested. came in and said i've got an idea for story and here we are, five and a half years later we've got it done. >> apparently you did okay because now we have a movie to thank you for. marissa, let me talk to you for a second. i thought this is the only one you can take the whole family to on christmas day. >> absolutely. >> i think it's only -- >> i'm not the movie's publicist but i believe it. >> you are now. >> there's nothing like embarrassing or creepy. sometimes i'm sitting with other members of my family and i'm think i don't want to be watching this. >> did you cast it? >> yeah. >> and bette midler? >> well bette, bette was -- i was -- just sent from heaven. >> i thought that too. >> we knew when we were making movie when we got the go-ahead from fox, we were like we want bette. we called her, had a dinner the next night and we were married by the time she sat down. she ate off my plate, she drove home. >> she corrected you. >> you went to sleep. >> and then marissa had come to meet me and audition in 1991 to play my wife in "mr. saturday night." she gave a fantastic greeting but she was a little too young. i called her agent and said she's not going to get the part but she's phenomenal. she's a great actress, so cute so beautiful. she's everything. >> yeah. >> so then when we said who could blake her, i said -- she comes into the same office that she auditioned for me and, yeah -- she said now? >> she said now am i too old? >> our scenes together are like father/daughter. >> i still remember you from "my cousin vinny." what was that iconic line. >> my biological clock. >> you know how to do comedy you now how to do drama. do you like dog one more than the other? >> i love doing comedy. i had the greatest time on the film. i love being with these guys and it affirmed for me this is what i want to do. i want to do comedies. comedies comedies. but sometimes, you know -- >> why did it take time from the time she walked in to i have a brilliantied. >> you are billy crystal. >> you reach a certain age where they don't terrorist you like they used to. they're like do we really want to make a movie about grandparents? i thought there are 77 million people our age. >> it's about fathers and daughters, not just about grandparents at all. >> what sit you know that most don't know about how to host the oscars? >> i don't know. >> you do it and they keep coming back to you. >> you know i worked really hard and i like being up there. i think that's the most important thing. you've got to want to be up there and a lot of preparation. it's -- the world is a rough room. >> the world is a very rough room. >> you've got to -- you've got to know that the first five or six rows that everyone's nominated, nervous, in uncomfortable clothes, you've got the lights on which i don't like as a comedian cameras roaming through shooting reaction shots. you have everything going against you as a performer but we're very well prepared. >> no matter who you are, you still want to list. you're sitting there and you hear the list of categories and you hear your name, no matter who you are, you still want to win the oscars. >> i still think the best performances are those who don't win and opposed to the ones who don't. >> i'm so glade lost i lost. i'm so glad it's so and so who i hate a lot. >> seth mcfarland is hosting this year. >> wear comfortable shoes. he's a very smart guy and very funny. i think he'll do a good job. >> "parental guidance", marissa seemed to have a lot of improves -- improvisation. because i was watching it and the dialogue flowed so -- i thought they had to be making this up o >> billy ad-libbed a bunch, especially from the booth. >> yeah, i play a minor league baseball announcer. >> he loves baseball. >> did you throw out a first pitch and get special training to do that. >> i've thrown out first pitches. and i actually played for the yankees. >> one day. >> one day, charlie, one day. >> what a great day. >> no. but you took a couple of strikes and then you fouled one off. >> yeah. >> and then you struck out. >> but, hey, i was 59 years old. >> that's young. >> i actually fouled a 90-mile-an-hour fastball down the line. >> how did that feel. >> that felt great. somebody yelled double and i was petrified because if i ran to second, i'd have to stop twice to pee. man, this was fun. >> billy crystal. kenny rogers has had a hit in each of the last six decades. he was thinking of a different record. the record damage from superstorm sandy. we'll show you what he did to help when "cbs this morning" continues on christmas eve. n "cbs this morning" continuing on christmas eve. look at you guys with your fancy-schmancy u-verse high speed internet. you know, in my day you couldn't just start streaming six ways to sunday. you'd get knocked off. and sometimes, it took a minute to download a song. that's sixty seconds, for crying out loud. we know how long a minute is! sitting, waiting for an album to download. i still have back problems. you're only 14 and a half. he doesn't have back problems. you kids have got it too good if you ask me. [ male announcer ] now u-verse high speed internet has more speed options, reliability and ways to connect. rethink possible. this holiday season is difficult for tens of thousands devastated by superstorm sandy. a music legend himself decided to surprise kids up new york. as michelle miller reports he was inspired by another musical charity. ♪ >> i started watching that 121212 concert and i realized what a great thing that was for the community, but it wasn't solving the problem with the kids. >> reporter: 121212 raised a watershed $50 million for the thousands displaced by victims of hurricane sandy. >> kenny rogers wasn't intimidated. he wanted to make his own contribution. >> someone took care of the parents. i wanted to get involved with the kids. >> reporter: this area was hard hit and it was one of the last stops on rogers' christmas tour. laura eddings, miss eddings says to her children that bergen county students weren't just misplaced but by other thing. >> reporter: when you walk into the fire station and you see this -- >> you know what i want to do, just jump for joy. >> reporter: along with the local businesses schools and public sectors, rogers donated 1,200 toys to the englewood toy drive and challenged the concert goers to contribute just as much. >> you have families just miles away from families that have very little and you just know that without our help there probably won't be a san that comes around. >> reporter: lieutenant ray rodriguez joining the englewood fire department. his second year in, he started the toy drive. >> who else is endrenched in the community than the fire department. i enjoyed being with them. i know where it's supposed to go and it will be there when it's supposed to be there. >> reporter: rogers grew up in a house project in houston, texas, and he remembers salvation army delivering gifts to his family on christmas. >> you could tell he got it. he really felt it. and this is something that he gave from the heart. >> what he has done for these children has never been done before, so i bought his c.d. >> joy. >> reporter: over 750 families in englewood will have christmas presents to open tomorrow morning to model for giving what rogers called layered success. >> i have this theory if something touches me i can make it touch someone else. >> miss edding says her new country music idol has got it right. >> start out, find what your community needs and build on it and call if you need any help. >> reporter: for "cbs this morning" michelle miller engel englewood englewood. >> good for him. what he's doing, there's a concert for sandy relief. so out of something very bad, something good came down. >> you always like to see it when people rise to the occasion, and in particular this city not folding. >> jarvis wonderful sitting with you today. we'll see you on wednesday. charlie, gayle and norah will be here tomorrow. your local news is up next. merry christmas, everyone. you say you're not interfering but iran is interfereing by all accounts. are you ever overwhelmed by your legacy? >> one of the questions that comes up from a place like haiti, there are pledges and promises this is a cbs 5 eyewitness news morning update. >> good morning, everyone. i'm frank malako with your headlines on this christmas eve. a flood watch in snow ma county. the river is expected to crest just below flood stage at guernville. parts of the county experienced minor flooding during yesterday's storm. the water was up to a foot and a half deep at pen grove park. some nurses are on a one- day strike today. they are at several hospitals in the preyer at two hospitals down in san jose. union leaders and management are at odds over benefits and staffing. last chance to get the -- the toy drive is well underway in san francisco. barrels will be out until 2:00 late tonight, early tomorrow. if you're happy staying at home, all you have to do is pick up the phone. they'll come to your apartment or house and pick up your donations. now time for weather. we have the big guy coming into town later tonight. >> yeah we do. things will work out very nice for good old saint nick. still patchy dense fog showing up in the valleys. nice and dry. you can see we're between storm systems, but the next one hanging off the coastline and high def doppler has showers coming through. things are quieting. we are expecting mostly cloudy conditions. still a little bit on the cool side. storm clouds roll back in on christmas day, rain developing throughout the day, showers continuing on wednesday. with ear going to check out your traffic coming up next. good morning. well our big traffic story is the lack of traffic. everything is flowing nicely, moving at top speeds everywhere you go. no major hot spots at all on christmas eve. looking good across the bridge. things slick after yesterday's storm; but for the most part, seeing sun and plenty of light traffic on westbound 237, heading out toward san jose. ace has no service today. muni and some ferries on a holiday schedule. bart systemwide on time. have a great christmas eve. arapahoe >> announcer: today... >> these are tom cruise screaming. >> rachael: that enormous name you dropped on the floor. >> announcer: trisha yearwood is spreading christmas joy. >> rachael: look at this you want to get mental. >> announcer: then who will sing their way to the top of our second annual "battle of the carolers"? >> rachael: good! they are right in this area which is taller than i am. >> announcer: then a holiday pasta present from our kitchen to yours. >> rachael: it is christmas make it snow! 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