and we have engine start. yuccas: plus, up, up and away, the james webb telescope blasts off on a mission to reveal the beginnings of the universe. whoo! yuccas: and later, a teaching tree. the tree is a teaching moment. yuccas: this bright symbol of christmas bringing healing light to a family and community during dark times. ing light to a sys this is the cbs weekend news. . yuccas: good evening, i m jamie yuccas in new york, adriana diaz is off. today, christians around the world are celebrating a christmas tainted by covid. the latest surge in cases fueled by the omicron variant forced people to suddenly change their plans, from how they traveled, to how they worshipped. in the u.s., daily new cases are at their highest level since late summer. the daily average of new covid cases is now at more than 197,000, that is up 65% over the last two weeks. there are more than 70,000 people hospitalized, up 10%. elise preston is in new york where they re seeing a r
Captioning sponsored by cbs yuccas: tonight, canceled christmas plans. more than 1,000 u.s. flights grounded this weekend, as covid ravages airline staffing. will travel return to pre- pandemic levels? i m liliana luciano at l.a.x. with some of the highest numbers of holiday flight cancellations. yuccas: plus, the virus forces worshipers online for christmas services. i m elise preston in new york, where many are disappointed they can t celebrate the holiday together. yuccas: at the vatican, pope francis prays for healing and peace. also tonight: the queen s speech. britain s 95-year-old monarch reflects on a year of loss for her family and so many others. i wish you all a very happy christmas.