Good evening. We begin with the political fallout after Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s 60 Minutes interview, where she announced she is leaving Congress next month, saying she fears for her safety after President Trump called her a “traitor.” Greene, once a staunch Trump ally, says their falling out came after she signed a petition to release so-called Epstein files; she told 60 Minutes Trump was “extremely unkind” when she warned him his attacks were prompting death threats against her and her son. Trump responded on his social media site by calling her a traitor and disparaging her, prompting renewed concern about incendiary rhetoric and threats.
Turning to weather, a blast of cold gripped the Midwest and parts of the South as a wintry system swept from Minnesota to Maine. Icy roads and heavy snow snarled travel in multiple states, with temperatures far below normal. Utility costs are climbing as households face higher heating bills; community agencies are preparing for increased demand. Forecasts warned of record lows in some towns, and an atmospheric river was forecast to bring heavy rain to the Pacific Northwest, while clipper systems delivered additional snow inland.
In New York, court hearings continued in the murder case against Luigi Mangione, arrested last year and charged in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel. Surveillance video and police testimony show what prosecutors say was a planned shooting. At issue in pretrial proceedings are whether police searches of Mangione’s bag at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s were lawful; officers said they searched the bag after arrest to check for a bomb and found items including a loaded gun magazine. At the police station, investigators say they found a 3D-printed ghost gun, a silencer, writings about a plot, and a to-do list mentioning a “survival kit.” Mangione has pleaded not guilty; his lawyers seek to exclude some evidence claiming illegal seizure.
In Hollywood business news, Paramount Skydance launched a hostile $108 billion takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery just days after Netflix announced a deal to buy most of Warner Bros. for about $83 billion. Paramount CEO David Ellison says the Netflix-Warner combination would stifle competition. Paramount’s offer is backed by Ellison family funds, Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds, a Chinese tech company and private equity tied to Jared Kushner. The competing bids set up a likely regulatory fight and a decision by Warner Bros. shareholders in January.
The Supreme Court appeared poised to allow presidents greater freedom to fire heads of independent agencies after a hearing in a case that could overturn a 90-year precedent. The justices were skeptical of arguments challenging President Trump’s firing of an FTC member, signaling possible changes to long-established separation-of-powers protections for agency heads.
From overseas: in Romania, a driver reportedly fainted, sending a luxury car airborne through a roundabout; the driver survived. In entertainment, the Golden Globe nominations named films with multiple slots; the Globes will hand out a Best Podcast award in January.
A lighter national story: a Virginia raccoon that trashed a liquor store and ended up “passed out” has inspired a fundraising line that raised over $150,000 for the animal shelter that helped it.
Regulators are investigating the self-driving taxi company Waymo after repeated incidents in which its vehicles in Austin, Texas, have been recorded driving past stopped school buses while children were loading or unloading. Waymo noted earlier software updates did not fully resolve the issue; the company says it will file a voluntary safety recall as it continues to analyze performance and make fixes. Federal regulators are reviewing multiple incidents and Waymo says there were no injuries.
Eye on America examined continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), where seniors pay a large entrance fee for lifetime care with the promise of partial refunds to heirs. Several CCRCs have filed for bankruptcy in recent years; Harborside Retirement Community in Port Washington, New York, is among those that collapsed. Residents and heirs lost large portions of entrance fees, forced moves and, in some cases, family separations when different care needs required relocation. Experts urge prospective residents to ask how entrance funds are protected and what happens to refunds if the community faces financial distress.
Back to political headlines: President Trump posted a long response after Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s 60 Minutes interview, calling her a traitor; the exchange illuminated fractures within the Republican Party and the broader consequences when high-profile leaders trade incendiary labels.
In business and media M&A: Netflix’s announced plan to buy much of Warner Bros. prompted Paramount Skydance’s surprise hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, setting up a major contest over the future of one of the industry’s largest studios. Analysts expect the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to scrutinize any deal closely for antitrust concerns.
In a New York courtroom, prosecutors presented surveillance footage and evidence in the Luigi Mangione murder case; officers described searching his backpack at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s and later finding weapons and writings at the police station. Defense attorneys argued some of that evidence was seized without proper warrants.
California community news: Altadena’s century-old Christmas Tree Lane, threatened by January wildfires that destroyed thousands of structures and killed nearly two dozen people, was brought back to life this season. Volunteers stringing lights, residents and returning visitors celebrated the mile-long tunnel of twinkling trees as a beacon of hope and community resilience after months of rebuilding.
On the economy and consumer front, the cold snap and the need for more heating have raised worries about winter costs for households already struggling with rent and food prices; aid groups and community service organizations are preparing for increased demand as temperatures fall.
In local-to-national features, reports looked at what was found in the Mangione case, the reaction from President Trump to Greene’s interview, the legal fights over evidence, and the Waymo safety review.
We leave you with a community story: after the devastating Altadena wildfire, thousands returned to help string more than 20,000 lights on Christmas Tree Lane — a tradition since 1920 that drew tens of thousands on the opening night and symbolized recovery for residents.
From CBS News headquarters in New York, I’m John Dickerson. Good night.