Music opinionator Fran Hoepfner explains why she thinks Amilcare Ponchielli's "Dance of the Hours" and the "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah" song are perfect listening while the days go by during the pandemic. Also, "White Christmas" by composer Irving Berlin is a holiday favorite. But as Katy Sewall reports, the bestselling song has a melancholy backstory.

CNN's Christiane Amanpour joins us to discuss the top news stories of 2020. And, a survey by sociologist Karl Pillemer revealed that about 25% of people live with some kind of family estrangement, and those damaged relationships take a toll — mentally and physically. His new book, "Fault Lines: Fractured Families and How to Mend Them," addresses this, as well as how to mend these relationships. He joins us to discuss.

At least 67 low-income countries may not get access to COVID-19 vaccines until 2021. Dr. Mohga Kamal-Yanni explains what must be done to make the distribution of coronavirus vaccines around the world equitable. Also, writer-director Paul Greengrass talks about his new film, "News of the World," which stars Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel.

Nicholas Christakis, physician and Yale University professor, talks about how the coronavirus pandemic will continue to affect our lives through 2021 and beyond. And, the Winter Places competition solicited 65 proposals to revitalize the country's main streets for winter — think fire pits, warming huts, outdoor lights and movies. Jonathan Berk, creative director at Bench Consulting, talks about the ideas and the inspiration behind them.

A new Better Business Bureau investigation shows the number of pet frauds in November was five times higher than it was in 2017. Steve Baker, an international investigations specialist with the BBB, explains what consumers can do to protect themselves. Also, the pandemic has dominated the headlines this year, but there are plenty of other science stories from 2020. Scientific American editor-in-chief Laura Helmuth shares some of her favorites.

Nearly 320,000 Americans have died of COVID-19, leaving 10 times as many grieving. "The After Grief" author Hope Edelman joins us to talk about grieving. And, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has updated its list of extinct and endangered species. Jon Paul Rodriguez of the IUCN's Species Survival Commission explains why some certain species are dying out.

Time magazine Paris correspondent Vivienne Walt and Chicago-based art restoration expert Bartosz Dajnowski join us to discuss the restoration of the Notre Dame Cathedral after a devastating fire last year. And, many Americans will soon receive another direct payment from the federal government as part of the new pandemic relief package. CBS News business analyst Jill Schlesinger explains who will get the $600 checks.

New Netflix film "Mank" centers around Herman Mankiewicz, the writer who wrote the screenplay for "Citizen Kane." We speak with Mankiewicz's grandsons Josh Mankiewicz and Ben Mankiewicz about their grandfather and family. Also, the congressional relief package includes $4 billion for New York's Metropolitan Transportation Agency. The MTA is in a deep financial hole because ridership and revenue plummeted during the pandemic. We talk to the CEO of the MTA about the pandemic's impacts.

How does a country that's suffered searing conflict — such as Rwanda, Cambodia and Northern Ireland — survive? That's the inspiration behind the VII Foundation's multimedia project called "Imagine: Reflections on Peace." We speak with two of the authors. Also, Amazon rainforest deforestation is at a 12-year high, according to Brazilian satellite imagery. Moira Birss of Amazon Watch explains how banks and other U.S. financial institutions make this destruction possible.

"The Mandalorian" season two has taken viewers all over the galaxy. Production designer Andrew L. Jones talks about crafting the show's distant sets. And, a panel of advisors to the FDA voted to recommend that Moderna's vaccine be approved. The agency is expected to act on that as soon as Friday. Walter Orenstein, who is advising Moderna and a participant in the company's vaccine trial, joins us.