CBS Evening News with Norah O'Donnell, 12/19/24
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Tonight, the suspected CEO killer arrives back in New York City under heavy NYPD security. The new federal charges just filed. Could Luigi Mangione face the death penalty? It was targeted, premeditated, and meant to sow terror. The breaking news, a new plan to avoid a government shutdown just before the holidays. What's included? The must-have.

Johnson proposal is not serious. Just the smell, it's a taste of water. Tonight's Eye on America, why some communities are worried about rolling back environmental regulations. Can you stay on the nice list if you miss the shipping deadlines? Go. And with less than a week to go, we'll show you how presents get to the most remote parts of the country. The CBS Evening News starts now. ♪♪

Good evening, I'm Nora O'Donnell and thank you for joining us tonight as we learn more about the new charges against the accused killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. 26-year-old Luigi Mangione is now facing federal charges for allegedly stalking and murdering Thompson after crossing state lines. The new charges could make him eligible for the death penalty.

Mangione was hauled from Pennsylvania, where he was arrested last week, to New York City today by heavily armed law enforcement officers. According to a federal criminal complaint obtained by CBS News, in a notebook seized by police, Mangione expressed hostility toward the health insurance industry and wealthy executives in particular. The complaint says that on August 15th, Mangione wrote, the details are finally coming together. The target is insurance because, quote, it checks every box.

Officials say on October 22nd, Mangione wrote about his intent to, quote, whack an insurance company CEO at an investors conference. CBS's Lilia Luciano leads us off from the courthouse in Lower Manhattan, where Mangione had his second court appearance today. ♪

Luigi Mangione arrived in New York this afternoon surrounded by dozens of officers from multiple law enforcement agencies, some heavily armed, and the mayor of New York City, Eric Adams. This act of terrorism and the violence that stems from it

is something that would not be tolerated in the city. After agreeing in a Pennsylvania court this morning to be moved more than 200 miles away to New York, Mangione traveled by car, plane, and helicopter before being handed over to the FBI to make another court appearance where he faced four federal charges including stalking and murder in the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. We want to make sure that there's no concerns, there's no safety issues. We want to make sure we're bringing

Mr. Mangione into custody safely. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg says the state's case against Mangione will not be delayed. On Tuesday, he was charged with 11 counts, including murder in the first degree and murder as a crime of terrorism. Speaking generally, we've had

State prosecutions and federal prosecutions proceed as parallel matters, and we're in conversations with our law enforcement counterparts. Although the district attorney says that these will go on parallel tracks, you

you can bet your bottom dollar that the federal case is going to take precedence. Mangione's New York defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo said the federal charges were highly unusual and raised serious constitutional and statutory double jeopardy concerns.

The defense attorney argued that the charges could be in conflict with each other. What do you suppose she needs? I do not think the defense will prevail on a double jeopardy argument because there are different statutes and there are processes that will show there are different elements. However, this is not a frivolous argument.

And these defense lawyers are very experienced and they know they must raise the double deputy argument. Mangione is now in custody in a federal prison in Brooklyn. He's next to win court in January for those federal charges. We're still waiting to hear from the Manhattan district attorney on when he will be arraigned on the state charges that include that first degree murder related to terrorism. Nora. Lily Luciano, thank you so much.

Tonight, as the Friday night deadline in Congress quickly approaches, Republicans are moving forward with a new plan to try and keep the government open after President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk forced Republicans to walk away from the original deal. Now, it is worth noting why this is happening. Congress is using what's called a continuing resolution because they haven't been able to pass a spending bill or appropriation measure outright in decades.

In fact, not since fiscal year 1997. CBS's Nicole Killian joins us now from Capitol Hill with all the breaking details. Good evening, Nicole. Good evening, Nora. This is the new government funding bill. It's now about 116 pages, down from more than 1,500 and making its way through Congress.

Tonight, a glimmer of hope. The plan is to put a bill on the floor that we think is a reasonable step forward. Top Republicans emerge from the Speaker's suite after hours of closed-door negotiations. The temper in the room is a collaborative one.

We're making progress and things are going well. The new bill salvages portions of the scuttled one, including a three-month extension of government funding through mid-March, more than $100 billion in disaster rate and $10 billion in assistance for farmers. But it adds a two-year increase in the debt limit through January 2021.

A key demand of President-elect Donald Trump, who touted success in Washington, adding on Truth Social, now we can make America great again very quickly, which is what the people gave us a mandate to accomplish. The post quickly retweeted by Elon Musk, who lobbied lawmakers on his ex-platform Wednesday to kill the original package. Does Elon Musk deserve any credit for any of this? Every citizen, this is what I love.

Every citizen of America has the right to exercise their capacity to petition their government. When Hollywood stars do it, it doesn't seem Democrats have any problem. And to the point of blowing up a deal, sir? It's not the first time that a deal has been blown up. As soon as they got word of the details, Democrats slapped it down. The Musk-Johnson proposal.

is not serious. It's laughable. Furious about the apparent outsized role of Musk in the deal-making. When you have out of touch jet-setting billionaires in charge of government, they don't care about average everyday people. But in hurricane-ravaged communities like Chimney Rock, North Carolina, news of a breakthrough is welcomed by the town's mayor. I would just encourage them to put their political

positioning and put that aside and act for these people that are desperately waiting for assistance because we are ready to act and we're ready to continue our recovery. House Democratic leaders advise members to vote against this new package, but Speaker Mike Johnson argues that these new changes were needed to help President-elect Trump hit the ground running when he takes office next month. Nora.

Let's see if they have the votes. All right, Nicole Killian, thank you. Want to bring in CBS's Robert Costa on this. And Robert, I know you spoke with the president-elect Donald Trump today. So he's getting what he wants. He wants this two-year increase in the debt limit. How did he sound about that? Nora, great to be with you. For president-elect Trump, this is about more than a bill

or a spending deal. It's about laying the foundation for his presidency next year. In our conversation, he said he does not want to be dealing with the debt limit in 2025. He wants to have a focus on border security, immigration legislation, and tax legislation. And so by pushing the debt limit two years down the line, he's hoping to get some concentration for his agenda. So that's a lot what this is about. But do you think this is a sign of some of the chaos that may come in when we're coming back?

Republicans have this slim majority in the House. - This moment, Nora, reflects how much President-elect Trump is at the center of all negotiations across Washington. Yes, Elon Musk is involved with Vivek Ramaswamy and others, but everything is going through Trump himself down at Mar-a-Lago on the phone. People are checking with him from the Speaker of the House to top senators. He needs to be the one to give his approval for almost anything now to pass. - And not even president yet. All right, Robert Costa, thank you for your reporting.

Now to a shocking rape trial in France. More than 50 men who raped a woman over the course of nearly a decade were convicted today, and that includes her ex-husband, who invited the men to sexually assault his wife. The survivor, Gisele Pellicot, became a feminist icon after she forced a public trial to show rape victims they were not alone. CBS's Elaine Cobb reports from Paris.

After more than three months of reliving daily the nightmare her husband put her through,

Gisèle Pellicot walked out of court with her head held high. "My thoughts are with all the victims who have not been recognized," she said. "I want you to know that we share the same fight." Her now ex-husband, Dominique Pellicot, was handed a 20-year sentence after he admitted to the court that he drugged her night after night for almost a decade so that he and dozens of men could rape her.

Giselle waved her right to anonymity in the trial, hoping to help other victims. Her bravery winning her the admiration of a nation and beyond. In just a few short months, Giselle's likeness has been everywhere, from the covers of magazines to the walls of Avignon. Activist Fanny Faurès has been pasting messages of support near the courthouse. I think it has changed society already, along these four months.

as the day the trial started we started to talk and talk a lot. Many here are hoping the case will prompt a review of French rape laws amid anger that the other 50 men were all handed lower sentences than the prosecution recommended. Today Giselle left the courthouse to cheers for the last time.

Her supporters singing the women's anthem rise up. Elaine Cobb, CBS News, Paris.

Tonight, the twin cities of Minnesota are under a snow emergency with almost a foot expected to fall. Cities across the upper Midwest from Wisconsin to the Dakotas are dealing with snow, ice, and bitter cold. And this wintry weather could spell trouble for holiday travels. CBS's Lonnie Quinn joins us with more on what to expect. This is a big story. Good evening, Lonnie. Okay, yeah, look, they come with moisture. You show the snow out there. They also come with that real cold air. And when you look at the map,

All right. There's your little Alberta Clipper system that's putting that big snow down right now in Minnesota. The question is, where does it go from here? Will it disrupt holiday travel? As you look at the next day, it pushes to the east. As it does so, it's going to nudge a little more to the south. Tomorrow night, a place as far south as Knoxville, Tennessee, could have some snow showers. Then it's into New York City. Not a big snowmaker, maybe a tenth of an inch, perhaps. You see an inch of snow in New York. Whatever is falling is going to stick around because it brings the

coldest air in about two years to places like Boston and New York City. Boston is 16 Sunday morning. Excuse me, Boston is 11. New York City is 16 degrees. And whatever you see in New York expands because this blue color on the map shows you temperatures that are 32 degrees or colder. It goes all the way down into Florida. And that is about a two day span. After that, we will start a warm up right after Christmas. Nora, it's all yours. Lonnie Quinn, thank you.

There's a lot happening behind the scenes to get presents under the Christmas tree on time. We take an inside look at the round-the-clock rush that's coming up. Time is running out to get your holiday gifts where they need to go. When it comes to delivering to some of the most remote parts of the U.S., the clock is ticking fast. We sent CBS's Chris Van Cleave to the city of North Pole, Alaska, for a look at the nonstop work by an army of Santa's helpers.

It was the week before Christmas with plenty stirring at the Santa Claus house in North Pole, Alaska. They've checked their list twice realizing it's far more naughty than nice if any of their gifts show up late. People are used to waiting until the very last minute to shop online which presents a challenge for us having to process that order and ship it out from Alaska.

In North Pole, candy canes double as street lights. And this big guy looms large year-round. So Christmas takes on special meaning for resident and FedEx driver Bill Suplu. You're leaning into Santa's helper.

Yeah, this is a wonderful time of the year. Everybody's so happy right now, so it makes our job a lot easier. Even as the weather makes it harder. Just the other day, it was 30 above, you know, and then you wake up the next morning, it's 30 below. You wait for the moose to pass before you deliver the package. Oh, absolutely. Yeah. Yeah, we don't want to mess around with those guys. The gift Suplu is delivering to Kris Kringle Drive...

come from an airfield 20 miles down a frozen road. You only have a few hours of daylight here in Fairbanks. The temperature is hovering around zero. About 3,000 packages a day come in on planes like this one. At the controls, Captain Joseph Erickson. I know there's a good chance there's a special present on that plane, and it's important to get that to that family.

And to get to Fairbanks, those shipments from around the world come through this sprawling sorting center at the Anchorage Airport. 33 planes a day carrying 80,000 packages running around the clock so gifts can span the globe in as little as 24 hours. We've been putting these plans in place for months so we can make sure that we're getting those packages to our customers.

All right. This Santa's helper is going to be loaded down with about 20,000 packages bound for Memphis. If you haven't shipped yet, time is running out. Tomorrow is the cutoff for two-day shipping. Monday is your last chance to get it there overnight before Christmas, Nora. To our best elf, not on a shelf, Chris Van Cleave, thank you very much. Eye on America is next.

When an emergency strikes, every second counts. For Doctors Without Borders teams around the world, seconds can often mean the difference between life and death. So we don't waste a single one. Every second and every dollar is a critical resource that means more vaccines given, more wounds bandaged, more surgeries performed, and more life-saving research done. We're counting on your support. Make a life-saving donation today at doctorswithoutborders.org slash cbs.

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♪♪♪

While most of us take clean air for granted, that's not the case for all Americans. About 100,000 premature deaths each year are attributable to air pollution. In his first term, President-elect Trump eliminated 100 environmental regulations. Now, as CBS's David Schechter shows us, communities at risk are worried about what can happen to their neighborhoods when there's a lack of oversight.

- Donna Thomas is a pollution warrior in Houston, Texas. - Would you feel comfortable? I know your mask is important to make so we could see your face for like about 10 minutes and then put it back on. - As long as we've got some air circulating. - Sure. - She wears a mask because she believes a lifetime of breathing polluted air in her community contributed to a stroke four years ago. - So tell me, what am I seeing here? - You're seeing the stacks. You're seeing the different stacks. - Four of them? - Four stacks right there. - Near her home, Thomas wanted us to see

Texas's largest coal-fired power plant. - It's the oldest thing you can be burning in our neighborhoods. It's dangerous. - In the US, the biggest polluters are often concentrated in underserved, mostly minority communities. - What's it like to live in a community

that is so impacted by pollution. - If there's the smell, if there's a taste of water, is our kids outside getting asthma attacks? - To respond to communities like hers, the Environmental Protection Agency under President Biden created a new Office of Environmental Justice. It's staffed by 200 people and funded with more than $2.8 billion that go directly to disadvantaged, marginalized, and over polluted communities.

including support for projects that allow neighborhoods to monitor their own air quality. But Project 2025, a possible roadmap for President-elect Donald Trump, recommends eliminating the EPA's standalone Office of Environmental Justice. Are you concerned about

his new term in terms of what it means for the environment. We already know that everybody's concerned. We want our EPA to be stronger. But that is unlikely. We will cut ten old regulations for every one new regulation. Many business and industry leaders say environmental regulation is anti-competitive and costs them money.

In his first term, Trump cut 100 environmental regulations. And just last week, he posted that any person or company investing $1 billion in the United States will receive fully expedited approvals and permits, including all environmental approvals. Daniel Cohen at Rice University sits on one of the EPA's scientific advisory boards. Isn't it important to consider that regulation, environmental regulation, can stifle business?

I don't think that's what we've seen as the case. We've seen the oil and gas industry prosper and produce more oil and gas than ever before, even with EPA regulations. Since the EPA first started regulating clean air in the 1970s, emissions of the most common air pollutants have dropped by almost 80%.

But around Houston, there's still a long way to go. A 2018 study found each year the pollution from that power plant is responsible for 177 premature deaths. In a statement, the plant owner, NRG, wrote, "We have a strict policy of complying with all environmental rules and regulations and are proud of our environmental record." Whether you're a Democrat or Republican,

you should be protected from all the environmental issues, but you're not because there's no justice out here for people. And she's concerned over the next four years, environmental regulation and enforcement will be harder to come by. For Eye on America, David Schechter, Houston. An act of generosity saves Christmas for a beloved school custodian. That story's next.

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Finally, tonight's heart of America, Texas school custodian Lucino Perez getting a much-deserved new set of wheels. Students and parents at Amy Parks Heath Elementary near Dallas gathered today to deliver the surprise. Perez's car was recently stolen and wrecked, leaving him without a ride. While the community was driven to act,

launching an online fundraiser. And today, Perez and his family were in tears as they received the keys to his new Chevy with a big red bow on top. Organizers called it a small thank you for everything he has done to care for them. We set a goal at $5,000, and I didn't even think we would hit $5,000. Within an hour, we raised over $5,000, so I bumped it up to $10,000. And within 24 hours, we had gotten to $21,000.

Custodian Lucino Perez. He is tonight's heart of America. What a great story. That's tonight's CBS Evening News. Good night.

If you like this podcast, you can listen ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app. Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a quick survey at wondery.com slash survey. 231. That's the average number of apps used by many companies. This leads to a lot of context switching that can distract employees and costs your company. Luckily, Grammarly can help. Grammarly

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Enterprise Ready AI. Hi, I'm Lindsey Graham, the host of Wondery Show American Scandal. We bring to life some of the biggest controversies in U.S. history. Presidential lies, environmental disasters, corporate fraud. In our latest series, NASA embarks on an ambitious program to reinvent space exploration with the launch of its first reusable vehicle, the Space Shuttle.

And in 1985, they announced they're sending teacher Krista McAuliffe into space aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger, along with six other astronauts, but less than two minutes after liftoff.

The Challenger explodes. And in the tragedy's aftermath, investigators uncover a series of preventable failures by NASA and its contractors that led to the disaster. Follow American Scandal on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season only on Wondery+. You can join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial today.