♪ ♪ the pentagon strikes back after u.s. troops in iraq and syria come under attack more than 40 times and what we are learning tonight about a $30 million american reaper drone shot down off the coast of yemen. plus, growing calls for a pause in gaza, as the israeli army claims control of northern gaza from hamas, blowing up more than 100 terrorist tunnels. america decided. major wins for democrats in kentucky, virginia, and ohio. abortion rights a key issue driving voters to the polls. so what could it mean for the residential election in 2024? >> a marathon day of testimony for ivanka trump, as she is grilled about the trump organization's business practices, which a judge calls fraud. >> norah: breaking news, a brothel bust. what the justice department calls a high-end network serving elected officials, military officers, and tech executives. >> pick a profession. they are probably represented in this case. >> norah: the fiery explosion at a chemical plant forcing neighbors to shelter in place. >> we employ almost 40 people, and what we are grateful for is that every one of those people are going to be home eating dinner with their family tonight. >> we are behind the scenes at the panda habitat at smithsonian's national zoo in washington, where we are getting a sneak peek at what they are packing up for the pandas. plenty of bamboo and some fruits and vegetables for the pandas' big return to china. >> norah: the end of an era. the panda express takes off from washington. why the national zoo pandas are heading back to china. ♪ ♪ and "profiles in service." a story of perseverance and a marine veteran who proves it's never too late to chase your dreams. >> i don't think the wow factor has ever really faded. every moment gives me a little bit of chills. ♪ ♪ >> norah: good evening to our viewers in the west, and thank you for joining us on this wednesday night, and we begin tonight with breaking news. we are just learning from the pentagon about air strikes in eastern syria and the target a weapons storage fcility linked to iran and iranian-backed groups. the secretary of defense revealing that the u.s. military is responding to more than 40 attacks on u.s. forces in iraq and syria. have left dozens of our soldiers and troops with traumatic brain injuries. let's get straight to the breaking news with cbs's weijia jiang at the white house. good evening, weijia. so what are you learning? >> reporter: good evening to you, norah. tonight, at the direction of president biden, two f-15 fighter jets launched air strikes in eastern syria at that weapons facility that is used by iran's revolutionary guard and proxy forces that are backed by iran. they were in response to attacks by those groups on u.s. troops in both syria and iraq. over 40 in the last three weeks alone that have injured nearly 50 american service members. and just today, u.s. troops were attacked again in syria. and in another sign of the increased tensions in the region, an american reaper drone costing about $30 million, was shot down in the red sea by the iranian-backed houthi rebels. they had fired missiles last month toward israel, which were shot down by a u.s. naval ship. president biden has repeatedly warned iran, a longtime adversary of israel, against getting involved in the war in the middle east. norah? >> norah: and they are sending a message tonight, no doubt. weijia jiang, thank you. turning now to the war between israel and hamas. amid heavy air strikes on gaza, the israeli army claims to have destroyed some 130 hamas tunnels since the beginning of its ground operations. now this as more than 80 trucks carrying aid have entered gaza in the past 24 hours, as there is still this push for a humanitarian pause. cbs's charlie d'agata reports from tel aviv tonight that there is a deal, or that there was a deal, i should say, to release some of the hostages, and it fell apart at the last minute. >> reporter: while more global leaders may be joining the u.s. in calling for a humanitarian pause here... [explosion] in the skies above gaza and the streets below, there is no hint of a let-up. the israel defense forces released new video said to show troops blowing up tunnels on the coastline of gaza, even finding and destroying a tunnel shaft in an amusement park. [gunfire] israel's defense minister said the idf had reached the heart of gaza city itself, and they are tightening the noose. hamas militants released this video today, said to show fighters scrambling through bombed-out buildings, fighting house to house, and attacking israeli tanks. the violent clashes have sent tens of thousands of residents streaming from the north. but even the south provides no sanctuary. hospitals in the main southern city of khan yunis are overflowing with bomb victims. each life lost adds to the international condemnation for the war in gaza. cbs news has learned that before israel's ground invasion, diplomats were on the cusp of a deal to get roughly 50 hostages out in exchange for a pause in bombing and delivery of aid, but the deal fell apart. the hunt for hostages remains a top priority, says mossad's former director of intelligence zohar palti. >> right now, in the times of the hamas, in the dark, there are some children, three, five, six years old, as hostages, without their parents. guys, that is what the idf -- that is why he is in gaza right now. >> reporter: tonight, israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu reiterated that there will not be a cease-fire without the release of hostages. norah? >> norah: still that focus on the hostages. charlie d'agata, thank you so much. we have breaking news coming in. let's get to those details. >> reporter: i'm carter evans in los angeles where striking actress have reached deals with producers digitally recreating faces with artificial intelligence is something striking actors called an existential threat to their livelihoods. and ai was a major sticking point in negotiations. actor jeri ryan no most recently for her role in "star trek: picard" said she did not buy it when studios gave what they called her last, best, and final offer. >> they can use your image and your voice and put you into a project that you would not have agreed to. >> reporter: just last week, scarlett johansson took legal action against an ai app that used her likeness in an advertisement without permission. and last month tom hanks warned his fans about a plan for a dental plan that used an ai generated image of him. "beware," he wrote, "i have nothing to do with it." the actors union was looking for a bigger share in profits for their streaming projects accusing studios of keeping viewership numbers a secret. the 118 day strike has already wiped out the fall tv season and delayed the release of films like "dune part 2" the latest versions of "spider-man," and "mission impossible." carter evans, cbs news los angeles. >> norah: well, tonight, republican candidates are squaring off in the g.o.p.'s third debate, and it comes after what the party's own strategists say was a major defeat at the polls last night. there was one key issue that dominated: abortion. cbs's jericka duncan is on the ground in ohio, where voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment protecting reproductive rights. >> reporter: abortion rights supporters are still celebrating. [cheers and applause] after voters passed a state constitutional amendment enshrining a woman's right to an abortion in ohio. setting up a key issue ahead of the 2024 presidential election. >> the voters said, look, the government should not be telling a woman what to do with her body. >> we have always known that this was a national campaign because what happens in ohio was going to immediately become the flash point for the way people were talking about issues in other states. >> reporter: in kentucky, where republicans control the state legislature, incumbent democratic governor andy beshear defeated republican attorney general daniel cameron. >> well, that didn't turn out exact how i wanted it to. >> reporter: cameron said he would amend the state's total abortion ban if elected to allow for exceptions in cases of rape or incest, but "only if the court made us change the law." in virginia, democrats who campaigned on abortion rights took control of the state legislature there. today, the state's republican governor, glenn youngkin, spoke on the issue. >> this is a very difficult topic across virginia and across the nation. >> reporter: over 20 states either ban or restrict abortion access, but since 2022, abortion rights supporters have prevailed in 7 out of 7 states, where the issue has been on the ballot, including in ohio last night. >> i think our country is just getting harder and more selfish, and the unborn child is the one that is paying the price. >> reporter: national right to life president carol tobias says they will continue to fight. there are 11 states right now, as you know, that are considering abortion on the ballot next year. what is your strategy? >> we have to find different and better ways to reach out and get killing the unborn child is not going to solve problems. >> reporter: and abortion opponents say one of those key strategies is raising more money. they acknowledge that they were not only outspent here in ohio, norah, but in other places where they lost. >> norah: fascinating evening. jericka duncan, thank you. well, in new york city, ivanka trump spent much of the day testifying not as a defendant, but as the state's final witness at her family's civil fraud trial. the judge has already ruled that the trump organization committed fraud for years. this trial will determine how much the former president and his sons will pay for that fraud and whether they can continue to do business in new york. cbs's scott macfarlane is at the courthouse. >> how you doing, ivanka? >> reporter: ivanka trump strode confidently into the courtroom this morning in new york, but once on the stand, ivanka, a former executive vice president in the trump organization, had trouble recounting many key details. answering "i don't recall" dozens of time, ivanka explained she had no knowledge of her father's financial statements, as she did in a deposition last summer. >> i've never prepared one. i don't know, i've never made one, i am not an accountant. >> reporter: the attorney general's office says she was an active liaison with lenders during a time when the trump organization landed sweetheart loans by lying about the former president's wealth. emails revealed to the court showed her involvement for the financing of the doral golf club in florida in 2011. she was copied on a submission to deutsche bank of her father's statement of financial conditions, which portray his net worth as $3 billion higher than it actually was. that resulted in a deal with much better loan rates than had been previously offered. she then wrote to her fellow executives, "it doesn't get better than this." ivanka said she did not remember sending the email, but state lawyer louis solomon said it was clear she was negotiating the deal from top to bottom. the case has also focused attention on ivanka's negotiation of the 2011 lease of the old post office building in washington, which donald trump turned into the trump hotel and then sold in 2022 for $139 million. ivanka and brothers eric and don jr. each reaped $4 million. new york attorney general letitia james said ivanka will not be able to hide from the truth. >> at the end of the day, this case is about fraudulent statements of financial condition that she benefited from. and she was enriched. and clearly, you cannot distance yourself from that fact. >> reporter: sitting in the courtroom, the tone and tenor was so different than when donald trump testified and had flashes of anger. ivanka spoke so softly and quietly the judge frequently urged her to speak louder and into the microphone. and norah, whereas trump had seething efforts towards the judge, ivanka trump smiled at the judge and laughed at some of his jokes. >> norah: scott macfarlane, thank you. an explosion and massive fire at east texas chemical plant prompted a shelter-in-place order today, as thick plumes of black smoke rose in the air. one worker was left with minor burns. emergency officials say the company makes solvents for glue and paint remover. a nearby school was evacuated. air quality in the area is being tested. now to the end of an era here in washington. hundreds of people gathered at the smithsonian's national zoo today to say goodbye to the beloved giant pandas, who are heading home to china. cbs's adriana diaz was there and reports the departure brings us closer to the end of more than a half a century of so-called panda diplomacy. >> panda! panda! >> reporter: these might be the heaviest hitters here in washington. did you see pandas? >> yes. >> there's one straight behind you. [laughter] >> reporter: drawing swarms to the national zoo to see its last three pandas for the last time. brandie smith is the zoo's director. >> they are just joy. people watch them, they are happy they smile, and i think joy is in short supply these days. >> look at how huge. >> reporter: under the zoo's contract with china, all bears go back. >> the building is going to be quiet, and that is going to be hard. >> reporter: an empty nest? >> empty nest. >> good boy! >> reporter: leaving zookeepers who have been with some since birth bracing. >> i'm trying not to think about the end. [laughs] >> reporter: the zoo's first pandas arrived in 1972. >> i think pandemonium is going to break out right here at the zoo. >> reporter: after president nixon and the first lady's historic visit to the then-closed-off china. americans' love only grew with the panda cam. bao bao's first snow day got over 6 million views. they were hooked on bei bei's famous but shaky love of heights. before the birth of xiao qi ji, which means "little miracle." today, he and his parents headed home, with bamboo snacks for the plane, and their caregivers' long faces say it all. analysts point to poor u.s.-china relations for the panda drawdown. but the zoo's director is hopeful. >> i cannot imagine washington, d.c., without giant pandas, and i will do everything i can to bring them back. >> reporter: not all is lost. the zoo in atlanta still has a pair pandas, though they are expected to go back to china next year. panda fans are waching a meeting with president biden and chinese president xi jinping next week in san francisco, hoping that a diplomatic breakthrough could increase chances for future pandas coming to america. norah? >> norah: fingers crossed for that, right, adriana, fingers crossed. need those pandas. >> reporter: definitely >> norah: thank you. we will be right back. eight loss drug. what you need to know next. ♪ ♪ ♪ when better money habits® content first started coming out, it expanded what i could do for special olympics athletes with developmental needs. thousands of bank of america employees like scott spend countless hours volunteering to teach people how to reach their financial goals. it felt good. it felt like i could take on the whole world. for moderate to severe crohn's disease skyrizi is the first il-23 inhibitor that can deliver remission and visibly improve damage of the intestinal lining. serious allergic reactions and an increased risk of infections or a lower ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, had a vaccine or plan to. liver problems may occur in crohn's disease. control of crohn's means everything to me. ask your gastroenterologist about skyrizi. ♪ control is everything to me ♪ learn how abbvie could help you save. when my doctor gave me breztri for my copd things changed for me. breztri gave me better breathing, symptom improvement, and reduced flare-ups. breztri won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. it is not for asthma. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. don't take breztri more than prescribed. breztri may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating, vision changes, or eye pain occur. ask your doctor about breztri. i'm sarah escherich, i'm the life enrichment director at independence village, the senior living community in waukee, iowa. everybody here really, really make you feel like family and that they love you. our goal with tiktok was to enrich the lives of our residents and just to be able to show people what senior living can be like. i think i am a tiktok grandma. my kids think i am. i mean, we're the ones that are being entertained. time goes faster when you're having fun. >> norah: federal investigators say they busted a network of brothels in massachusetts and virginia that catered to well-connected clients, including elected officials and military officers. authorities say potentially hundreds of people, including doctors, lawyers, and pharmaceutical executives, paid up to $600 an hour, in cash, for sex, primarily with asian women. three people accused of operating the ring are in custody. all right, we're going to introduce you now to a college football player, in his 30s, who is living proof of never giving up on your dreams. that's next. ♪ ♪ your dreams. that's next. ♪ ♪ dupixent helps you du more with less asthma. and can help you breathe better in as little as two weeks. dupixent is an add-on treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma that's not for sudden breathing problems. dupixent can cause allergic reactions that can be severe. get help right away if you have rash, chest pain, worsening shortness of breath, tingling or numbness in your limbs. tell your doctor about new or worsening joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines, including steroids, without talking to your doctor. ask your specialist about dupixent. so i didn't think i needed swiffer, until, i saw how easily it picked up my hair every time i dried it! only takes a minute. look at that! the heavy duty cloths are extra thick, for amazing trap & lock. even for his hair. wow. and for dust, i love my heavy duty duster. the fluffy fibers trap dust on contact, up high and all around without having to lift a thing. i'm so hooked. you'll love swiffer. or your money back! you didn't live this strong, this long to get put on the shelf like a porcelain doll. if you have postmenopausal osteoporosis and are at high risk for fracture, you can build new bone with evenity®. ask your doctor if you can do more than just slowing down bone loss with evenity®. want stronger bones? 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