Christmas Around The World, Severe California Weather, New Epstein Files Found, 60 Minutes Response

Today on America in the MorningChristmas In America & Around The World

America is welcoming in Christmas Day today, a day that will be the first for Pope Leo as Pontiff, and the town of Bethlehem in the West Bank will hold Christmas celebrations for the first time since the Israel-Gaza war began.

Severe California Weather

Southern California is in the midst of a deluge as a powerful winter storm is dumping as much as 10 inches of rain in the Greater Los Angeles area. Mud and rock slides have buried several roads, and with flash flood warnings in place, the state is pleading with drivers to avoid any Christmas travel plans. With a state of emergency and numerous power outages reported, some people in counties in and around Los Angeles will be spending the holiday in shelters due to mandatory evacuations. Correspondent Mike Hempen reports on a very rainy California Christmas.

Gender Care Lawsuits

18 States and the District of Columbia are suing the Trump administration over its efforts to end gender-affirming care for minors. The details from correspondent Rich Johnson.

Rideshare Driver Saved

A rideshare driver is lucky to be alive after she was kidnapped by three fugitives including a convicted killer who escaped a Georgia prison. LisaDwyer reports that the Lyft driver was forced to go with the inmates to South Florida before authorities tracked them down.

Diddy Wants Freedom

Disgraced music mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs is spending Christmas behind bars, but is seeking immediate release from prison. Correspondent Julie Walker reports.

Miracle Baby

Christmas is the season for miracles, and for one California woman, it was the miracle of birth that defied all the odds. Correspondent Haya Panjwani reports a 41-year-old nurse who had no idea she was pregnant until the day before she gave birth, did so in a one-in-a-million pregnancy – what she originally thought was a large ovarian cyst turned out to be a healthy baby girl.

More Epstein Files Found

The Department of Justice says they've discovered more than one million additional documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, which they say compromises their ability to release everything now as required by law. John Stolnis has more from Washington.

60 Minutes Reaction

The CBS News Editor-in-Chief is defending her move to slice out a 60 Minutes segment that angered both viewers and network employees. Steve Futterman reports the segment, about deportations and a notorious prison in El Salvador, is still getting viewed worldwide after it was mistakenly sent out on streaming media.

Nursing Home Explosion

Investigators will be spending Christmas and the days after sifting through wreckage after a deadly Eastern Pennsylvania nursing home explosion believed to have been caused by a gas leak that took the lives of a resident and a nurse, and injured 20 others. Correspondent Julie Walker reports.

First Christmas As Pontiff

People around the world are ringing in Christmas Day unwrapping presents and attending mass in the United States, as Pope Leo ushers in Christmas for the first time as Pontiff at the Vatican. Ukrainians marked their fourth Christmas in wartime after Russia rejected a holiday truce. For the past two years, the city of Bethlehem in the West Bank held very subdued ceremonies, but this year with a fragile peace in place, they will usher in Christmas celebrations. Correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports.

Wind Projects Halted

The Interior Department is putting a halt on offshore wind projects, impacting states from Massachusetts to Virginia, citing national security concerns. Correspondent Ben Thomas reports the Trump administration’s move could lead to a multi-state court fight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices