Tonight, the hopeful news. Nearly a third of Americans could be vaccinated by the end of February,

but it comes with a warning. The next three months will be the most difficult in public health history.

Why the head of the CDC said today, December, January, and February are going to be rough,

as hospitals have almost doubled the number of COVID patients they had in

the spring. But the major step tonight toward ending the pandemic. Britain approves Pfizer's new

COVID vaccine. So why did the UK give approval before the U.S.? Plus, home for the holidays?

The guidance tonight on whether you should travel for Christmas.

Pardoning the president's kids? Why President Trump and his top allies believe Ivanka, Jared,

Don Jr. and Eric could need what's being called a preemptive pardon.

Urgent plea. Republican officials in Georgia call on the president and others to condemn violence

against election officials. Someone's going to get hurt. Someone's going to get shot. Someone's going to get

killed. Plus one day after the attorney general says there was no widespread vote or fraud, the

president says he was cheated out of the election. Cleared for takeoff, we're on board the 737 max as it flies with passengers for the first time since it was grounded nearly two years ago.

The government tightens the rules on service animals on planes.

What does it mean for emotional support dogs?

The Fauci effect, why med schools are seeing a surge of applications.

And how one Olympian traded the soccer ball for a stethoscope.

This is the CBS evening news with Nora O'Donnell, reporting from the nation's capital.

Good evening, and thank you for joining us.

We are going to begin with that breaking news, that frightening new warning from the head of the CDC,

as many as 450,000 Americans could die from the coronavirus by February,

and what he calls the most difficult three months in the history of public health.

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