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Report Details Ways Russia Backed Trump on Social Media; Concerns Over Detention of 100 Christians; Three-Year-Old Indian Girl Attacked in Alleged Rape; Nancy Pelosi's Eyewear Choice Lights up the Internet; Giuliani Hints At Longer Trump-Cohen Moscow Tower Talks; Cummings: Hoping Cohen Will Testify Again Before Congress; Trump Has Strong Support Among Iowa Republicans. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired December 17, 2018 - 01:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


[01:15:58] PATRICK SNELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL SPORTS ANCHOR: Hi, there. I'm Patrick Snell with your CNN "WORLD SPORT" Headlines. We start with Sunday's blockbuster encounter in the Premier League where Liverpool have reclaimed top spot after beating all foes Man United at Anfield.

The final score was 3-1 in the end, but it could have been way worse as Liverpool in total control from kick after the final whistle pretty much Sadio Mane opened the scoring. But Jesse Lingard would level for United after a woeful mistake from Liverpool's Brazilian keeper Alisson.

But insert Swiss is Xherdan Shaqiri, he was subbed on in the 70th minute and scored a brace to seal the win 3-1 Liverpool. All good things must come to an end for Arsenal fans, that's very much the reality for them this weekend after 22 matches unbeaten, the Gunners would fall to Southampton late in the game.

Saints are powering forward on the counter-attack, the cross is into the box and Charlie Austin is there to head home to win five minutes from time. Southampton's new head coach Ralph Hasenhuttl will be happy with this one as the Gunners have beaten 3-2, the final score.

And onto boxing, where it was a big fight night in the boxing world on Saturday. Well, we can tell you Mexico's Canelo Alvarez can now claim to have work world titles in three of boxing's weight divisions. Canelo was the heavy favorite against Rocky Fielding, and he showed why as he dropped his opponent to the floor four times before the ref finally stopped the contest in the third round there in New York City. That's a look at your CNN "WORLD SPORT" Headlines, I'm Patrick Snell.

CYRIL VANIER, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: President Trump is looking ahead to the new week with a furious Twitter tirade. In a tweet storm on Sunday, he lashed out that the comedy show, "Saturday Night Live", and what he called the unfair news coverage.

He bashed his predecessor Barack Obama's border policy, and he railed against the Russian witch-hunt hoax. Speaking of the Russian investigation, most Americans say the president is not telling the truth about it. That's according to new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

Meanwhile, Mr. Trump debuted a new insult for his former personal attorney Michael Cohen. Calling him a rat. Cohen faces three years in prison for tax fraud and campaign finance law violations that he says Mr. Trump ordered. Now, the president denies that.

The president's current lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, dropping a bombshell of his own. Suggesting that talks between Mr. Trump and Cohen about a proposed at Trump Tower in Moscow could have continued until shortly before the U.S. presidential election.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, CHIEF ANCHOR, ABC NEWS: Did Donald Trump know that Michael Cohen was pursuing the Trump Tower in Moscow into the summer of 2016.

RUDY GIULIANI, ATTORNEY TO PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: According to the answer that he gave, we would have covered all the way up to November of -- covering the November 2016, said he had conversations with him about president hide this. They know and --

STEPHANOPOULOS: But earlier they had said those conversations stopped in January 2016.

GIULIANI: I don't -- I mean, the date -- I mean, until you actually sit down and you look at the questions, and you go back and you look at the papers, and you look at the -- you're not going to know what happened. That's why -- that's why lawyers -- you know, prepare for those answers --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VANIER: For more on all of this, here is CNN's Boris Sanchez.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Rudy Giuliani, the president's attorney in cleanup mode after the president's former attorney, Michael Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison on Friday, and made some disparaging comments about the president over the weekend.

Giuliani trying to put some distance between Cohen and the White House. Suggesting that he could not be believed aiming to discredit him, suggesting for example that those hush money payments made to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, alleging affairs with the president were not campaign contributions.

Keep in mind that what some of the charges that Michael Cohen pled guilty to in the Southern District of New York were related to were those hush money payments, campaign finance violations that he made to those women.

Further, Giuliani suggested the only way to believe Cohen's claims are to take his word for it. That's simply not the case. The Southern District of New York has presented a corroborating evidence to suggest that Michael Cohen is telling the truth. We also know that AMI, the company that owns the National Inquirer, which helped to bury those negative stories about the president has corroborated what Cohen has said, as well. So, there's what Rudy Giuliani is saying and then, there's what's actually happened in court.

The other question that's out there following reporting from CNN last week that Robert Mueller was still interested in securing an interview with President Trump, and having him answer questions in person despite those written answers to questions from the special counsel that were submitted last month is whether the president would actually sit down for an interview.

Rudy Giuliani was asked about that on Sunday, and he sort of joked about it. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[01:20:43] CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Is the special counsel -- does he want to interview the president?

GIULIANI: Yes, good luck. Good luck. After what they did to Flynn, the way they trapped him into perjury and no sentence for him, 14 days for Papadopoulos. I did better on traffic violations than they did with Papadopoulos.

WALLACE: So, when you say, good luck, you're saying no way, no interview?

(CROSSTALK)

GIULIANI: They are a joke. They're a joke over my dead body, but you know, I could be dead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: In a separate interview, Giuliani struck a bit more of a serious tone saying that he wouldn't comment on that CNN reporting. Though, he did say that there is an agreement out there between the president's attorneys and the special counsel that allows for more time and discussion over whether the president will answer more questions that may come from the special counsel. Boris Sanchez, CNN, at the White House.

VANIER: Michael Cohen is scheduled to begin his three-year prison sentence for lying to Congress and other crimes in March. He may also find himself appearing again before U.S. lawmakers. Here is what a top House Democrat told CNN's Jake Tapper on Sunday "STATE OF THE UNION" about that and whether the president could face indictment.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Federal prosecutors from the Southern District of New York have said, then-candidate Donald Trump directed his attorney, Michael Cohen who's now going to prison to make illegal hush money payments involving these two women that alleged affairs with the president.

Your fellow Democrat soon-to-be Chairman Adam Schiff, says that the Justice Department should reconsider those guidelines that exist that say that a sitting president cannot be indicted. Do you agree, should the DOJ reconsider those guidelines?

REP. ELIJAH CUMMINGS (D-MD), HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE: I think we should always reconsider laws and regulations. This is one we definitely should reconsider. But let me say this sue. I'm hoping that Mr. Cohen will come before the Congress where he can tell that the American public exactly what he has been saying to Mueller and others without interfering with the Mueller investigation.

I think the American people just voted for transparency and integrity in our hearings. They want to hear from him, and I certainly would like to see him come in the month of January to -- before the Congress. And so, that the people's representatives will have an opportunity to ask him questions. I really because --

TAPPER: Your committee?

CUMMINGS: Yes, he can come at any committee he wants to come to. But I will -- but be nice if he came before our committee. But the fact is that, I think this is a watershed moment, Jake. Remember John Dean with regard to the Nixon tapes and the testimony that he provided.

He changed the course of America. A lot of people said that -- you know, he would not call him a liar and everything else. But the fact is he came forward. And I think surely, Mr. Cohen should come forward and let us know what he has on his mind.

TAPPER: Your job also includes oversight of the White House and the Trump administration. What are two or three subjects for hearings you want to hold in the first six months that are about oversight of the Trump administration in the White House?

CUMMINGS: Well, we want -- we -- you know, we have control over security clearances. That's comes in our jurisdiction and we noticed that there were a lot of problems with security clearances with regard to Mr. Porter, Mr. Flynn, and others, and Kushner. And so, we want to take a look at that.

But more importantly, we want to also take a look at this whole effort of voter suppression. Because we think a lot of that sort of filters down from the White House. Remember not so long ago, they created that voter suppression committee. I -- that's what I call it. And so we've got --

(CROSSTALK)

TAPPER: All the voter fraud committee that just reporter for. Yes.

CUMMINGS: Voter fraud, yes. So, we've got a number of things to do. But we're going to take a close look at this administration. But more importantly, we're going to be fighting for the American people and the things that they want. (END VIDEOTAPE)

VANIER: And whatever legal challenges, President Trump's administration might face his support is strong among Iowa Republicans. Ryan Nobles has the results of a new CNN DesMoines Register Media.com poll.

RYAN NOBLES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: To put it bluntly, President Trump's support in Iowa among Republicans is strong. In fact, strong enough if you were seriously considering a challenge to the president, as a Republican, it would certainly give you pause.

67 percent of Iowa Republicans, say they will definitely vote for President Trump in their caucus we're only 19 percent say, they would even consider another candidate. And the president's overall support within his own party is solid as well. 81 percent of Iowa Republicans say they approve of the president's job performance.

Now, there's been a lot made about the power of President Trump's personality. But in Iowa, it is much more than that. These Republicans support not only the man but some of his more controversial policy positions.

For instance, 83 percent say it was a good move to send troops to the southern border. 81 percent support the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. And 74 percent agree with the president's push to build a wall on the border with Mexico.

Now, those are three prime examples of big political moves of President Trump has pushed and Iowans are all on board. Finally, it would no doubt be a big risk for a Republican to challenge President Trump in the current environment. And it certainly, would be tough to win.

But interestingly, Republicans are not opposed to the idea. 63 percent say they would welcome a challenger to Donald Trump, while only 26 percent don't like the idea. So, what that tells us is even though the president is popular, Republicans in Iowa would mind a healthy competition. Ryan Nobles, CNN, Washington.

[01:26:11] VANIER: No social media platform was safe from Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election. What we're learning from a damning new report on Kremlin interference, ahead.

Plus, China's arrest of 100 Christians has many wondering, is religious freedom in danger there? We'll be live from Beijing.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:29:54] VANIER: Welcome back.

Your headlines this hour.

North Korea says new sanctions imposed by the U.S. to block the path to denuclearization. The U.S. Treasury sanctioned three senior North Korean officials last week for alleged human rights abuses. Pyongyang warned that the measures could return both sides to quote, "exchanges of fire".

The Saudi foreign ministry says it rejects the U.S. Senate's position on the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. On Thursday, the Senate condemned the Saudi Crown Prince for the killing and also and voted to end the military support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen.

British Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to argue against the second referendum on Brexit during her speech to the House of Commons on Monday. With parliament deadlocked on her agreement there are growing calls for a second vote. Mrs. May is expected to say a second vote will further divide the country.

The "Washington Post" has obtained a draft of a report that's been prepared for the U.S. Senate about Russia's interference in the 2016 U.S. election. It describes it as the most sweeping analysis yet of Russia's disinformation campaign. The report studied millions of social media posts provided by technology firms.

And here's what it found. That Russia used every major social media platform to help elect Mr. Trump. That all of Moscow's messaging was intended to benefit the Republican Party. And that on Facebook alone, Russia's campaign reached 126 million people.

"Washington Post" reporter Craig Timber worked on that report. He discussed it earlier with CNN's Brian Stelter and Ana Cabrera.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CRAIG TIMBER, "WASHINGTON POST": This, in many ways, is the report that we have been waiting for. It's sweeping and it's comprehensive. It uses the fullest data set we've seen yet from the companies who turned over lots of information to the government that they didn't turnover to anybody else.

And so this is -- this is -- it doesn't exactly tell us things that we didn't suspect or haven't heard but it puts it all together in a new way and it's very comprehensive and compelling. I feel like they kind of revers-engineered the entire Russian disinformation campaign in this one report.

ANA CABRERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In your report you write that this report found the Russians quote, "worked even harder to support Trump while in office" -- while in office. How so?

TIMBER: Every platform that these researchers tracked posted more often after the election. YouTube in particular went up by some remarkable degree. And so we tend to think of this narrative in terms of, you know, coming up to Election Day. But actually intensified after Election Day and would still intensify when the social media companies took this data -- took these accounts down from the Internet research agency in Russia sometime around the middle of 2017.

CABRERA: Now, this Russian campaign, as you mentioned Brian, reached 126 million people on Facebook; another 20 million on Instagram. Is that a lot in the world of social media? BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Yes, on a Web site

where there are billions of accounts, 100 plus million is a very big number. It doesn't mean that every person who viewed this content was manipulated or persuaded by it. But obviously the Russians didn't need to persuade 100 million people. They only needed to persuade a relatively small number of people in order to affect the outcome of the election.

Now, whether that is what actually happened or not, I don't think we will ever be to say for sure. But with all the talk lately of who knew what, when, knew elements about collusion, knew claims about the Mueller probe, this takes us back to what really happened and just how concerted the Russian effort was to try to persuade voters.

And like I said, it didn't take 100 million people to be persuaded. What happened because of these Russian trolls, these hackers and criminals is that it changed the conversation around the election.

And I think most importantly, Ana, as you pointed out, this reporting from these researchers is that it ramped up even more intensely after Election Day. That makes you think about Trump's relationship with Russia, Trump's relationship with Putin after Election Day in the early days of the presidency and what was going on. Why were these Russian agents still trying to affect American's thinking.

CABRERA: One of the details, Craig, in this report is that it found that Russians targeted African-Americans specifically with misleading information about how to vote. Tell us more about that.

TIMBER: Well, one of the major parts of this campaign was keeping people from going to the ballot box, people who would have voted for Hillary Clinton, at least in the view of the Russian's apparently.

And so there is all this messaging around hey, you know, we can't trust elections or Hillary Clinton isn't any better than Donald Trump. And we've known that for a while but to see it put together in a single comprehensive report is really impressive.

And it looks the effort to reach African-Americans was nearly as extensive and as effective as the effort to get conservatives activated around gun rights or around immigration issues. So really they worked both sides of the coin, if you will, really effectively.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VANIER: And the Senate is also learning about the role of the social media platforms in all of this.

CNN has learned that social media companies may have given just the bare minimum amount of data to U.S. lawmakers investigating the election meddling. That's according to a source familiar with the reports commissioned by the Senate Intelligence Committee. Much of the data has not been made public but it was provided to lawmakers by Facebook, Twitter and Google.

[01:34:58] Western governments and civil rights advocates are condemning China for its mass arrest of a religious community. One hundred Christians including a prominent Chinese pastor were taken into custody last week.

Now, the pastor is accused of what Beijing calls inciting subversion of state power. It's just the latest move in China's stepped up crack down on independent religious practice.

Joining me now from Beijing with more on this is senior producer Steven Jiang. Steven -- tell me more about the pastor who was arrested, first of all?

STEVEN JIANG, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: Well, Cyril -- Wang Yi, the pastor is 45 years old and he is quite well known because of his highly unusual style of preaching. He is known to be a very eloquent and fiery speaker especially when he gives sermons to his more than 500 members of the Early Rain Covenant Church in the southwestern city of Chengdu.

Now he often touches on very sensitive topics unlike many other pastors in this country. He speaks against social ills or what he perceives as wrong-headed government policies. He even criticizes the country's increasingly powerful leader, President Xi Jinping for example when Mr. Xi oversaw the removal of presidential term limits early this year basically paving the way for him to rule the country indefinitely. Pastor Wang spoke against that.

So that really, you know, didn't sit well with the government. And now as you mentioned, he is facing a very potentially serious charge of inciting subversion of state power. That could carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison -- Cyril.

VANIER: And how do you read this? Could this also be a message to other groups, other denominations to perhaps stay in line?

JIANG: It's definitely a warning shot for sure. Now, to give you a bit of context here -- Cyril. This ruling communist party here, this government here is officially atheist but they do recognize five religions. The followers of these five religions have to worship and practice their religions in state-sanctioned places and Early Rain Covenant is not part of the state-run system. That's why in the eyes -- in the eyes of the authorities here the practitioners have been practicing their religion illegally.

But a lot of critics and observers also say this incident really is the latest sign of this very disturbing trend of President Xi Jinping' ever harsher crackdown on religions across the country especially on Christianity and Islam, the two religions the government deems more prone to foreign interference.

We have seen a lot of other evidence since Mr. Xi took power including, for example demolition of long-time churches, forcible removal of hundreds, if not thousands, of crosses atop of church structures. And early this year, the online sale of the bible was banned by the authorities.

So all these people say are part of Mr. Xi's strategy to reassert or even expand the communist party's control over all aspects of society especially in religious groups because of their organizational capacity that could pose a potential threat to the communist party's monopoly on power -- Cyril.

VANIER: Steven Jiang reporting from Beijing. Thank you very much.

And staying in China for a moment. Canada's ambassador to China has now visited both of the two Canadians detained there. Ambassador John McCallum met at an undisclosed location on Sunday with Michael Spavor -- now you see him there on the left.

China says they detained Spavor and Michael Kovrig over suspicion of endangering China's national security. This could escalate an ongoing diplomatic dispute between Washington, Beijing and Ottawa over the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Canada.

All right. Stay with CNN. We'll be right back.

[01:38:40] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VANIER: Information just coming in to us here at CNN, a three-year- old girl in India is now in a hospital after she was allegedly raped. Now a man has been arrested. This happened Sunday in New Delhi, exactly six years after a student was gang-raped on a bus in the Indian capital.

Our New Delhi bureau chief Nikhil Kumar joins us now.

Nikhil -- what more can you tell us and what are the playing saying about this case?

NIKHIL KUMAR, CNN NEW DELHI BUREAU CHIEF: So Cyril -- details are still coming through. As you said, this is a case where the attack is alleged to have taken place over the weekend on Sunday. As you pointed out that was the sixth year anniversary of the brutal rape and then eventually murder of this medical student -- paramedical student in Delhi in 2012. The case that first turned the spotlight on problem of sexual violence in this country.

The Delhi Commission for Women which is a statutory body responsible for protecting them and ensuring women's safety in the city, the head of that body alleges that this three year old was brutally raped by a man in the suburb of New Delhi. She was then taken to a hospital.

The police, I should say, haven't yet confirmed that this is a case of rape, they are still wait for the results of medical tests to determine whether or not this was a case of rape. If that is the case, they've arrested the accused. If that is the case, they will then, of course, prosecute this man under rape laws which were amended, you'll recall, earlier this year to introduce the death penalty for certain attacks involving minors.

On the face of it, based on the little that we know of this case so far, if that is confirmed this would be the kind of case that would fall under those laws. So we'll have to wait and see what the medical report says. How the police prosecutes this. But it has just taken a step back. It has turned once again a spotlight on this larger problem coming again, as I say as it did on the anniversary of the 2012 gang rape, an attack that turned the spot light on this problem that led to new legislation being introduced, that led to many promises over several years from politician from across the political spectrum in this country that more would be done to protect women.

VANIER: Yes.

KUMAR: And yet in this case, as I say, we're still waiting for confirmation, but yet we keep hearing about brutal and horrific cases -- Cyril.

VANIER: Yes. Nikhil -- that's what I would like you to address a little further if you could which is six years ago when that horrific case of that young student made the news. I remember the overall question that kept being asked is what can be done? And can this be helped? Can it be cured in a sense? But it seems that rape is still prevalent.

KUMAR: It is still prevalent -- Cyril, absolutely. It is still a problem. Activists, lawyers, people who work in this area point it out again and again. But they also point out that look, we have to -- we have approach this problem, in all its complexities.

[01:44:49] So when it comes to the legislative angle, the policy making and so on, in the aftermath of that 2012 case, activists, lawyers that we have spoken to over several years now who work in this area, they point out that look, many of the changes that were brought in including broadening the definition of what counts as rape, introducing measures to speed up trials -- those measures were good, are good and they've been broadly welcomed by experts in this area.

Where things again and again go wrong, they point out is that enforcement lags behind. So enforcement doesn't keep up with the pace of the legal reform. And that's an area where activists including head of the Delhi Commission for Women who I quoted earlier in this case. That's an area where they continue calling for new changes -- for more changes, sorry, I should say -- and for stricter, stricter enforcement of the laws. That's what keeps on sort of lagging behind.

And we talk about the cases in major cities such as Delhi and Bangalore, Bombay and so on. But the problem they say is even more severe when you travel outside the cities away from the glare of the media into the countryside.

And that the main thing that is missing seen is enforcement. Six years on, that is still a major problem in this country -- Cyril.

VANIER: All right. Nikhil Kumar -- thank you very much. We'll need to talk to you again as and when you get more information. Nikhil Kumar, reporting live from New Delhi -- thank you.

A famed Brazilian healer is in custody accused of sex crimes. The man known as John of God has been jailed according to police. Ten alleged victims revealed their stories on TV last week. Since then Brazilian media reports that more than 300 people have come forward.

His work itself, performing spiritual surgeries is controversial. He can seemingly cut people without using anesthesia on them. But he is respected in his home country.

Still to come -- she's only 15 years old but she says it's world leaders who aren't mature enough to take on global warming. The young environmental activist who has captured the spotlight, when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's time to talk weather. I'm meteorologist Pedram Javaheri, CNN Weather Watch.

And a pretty quiet pattern across much of North America. Exceptions around the northwestern United States. And also, around the northeastern U.S. far to the northern portion of the northeastern U.S. here into northern New England. Disturbance exiting on into the Canadian Maritimes back behind it, some residual snow showers and all of this exits back off shore.

Picking out some of the heaviest accumulations on into northern areas of the state of Maine and to the northeast of that region about 20 to 30 centimeters is what is slated to fall over the next 24 or so hours.

But in Montreal snow showers into to the morning hours, highs around zero; Winnipeg 6 below, remains dry; while in Chicago highs around 3 degrees, also remaining dry certainly beginning to feel like the holiday season if it already hasn't for quite some time across this region.

[01:49:58] Over in the next couple of days, you get a shot of cooler air, quick shot of warmer air from the south and then once again we introduce the official start of winter there come Friday afternoon into early next week in particular with a significant bout of colder air.

You kind of see that up and down trends in New York City, highs only at 6 after a quick rebound up to 13 earlier on Friday there.

26 degrees in Nassau into the Bahamas while Guatemala City middle 20s. Cartagena coming in around 32 degrees and will remain dry across much of this region. And then a little farther towards the south, (INAUDIBLE) 29, Brasilia comes in at 29, and La Paz highs around 12.

VANIER: A tropical cyclone is moving into eastern India and snow is impacting parts of Romania. For more on both of those, meteorologist Pedram Javaheri joins us. He's at the International Weather Center and he's got all the details -- Pedram.

JAVAHERI: Ok. Cyril -- good seeing you.

You know, this storm system here actually rapidly strengthened in the past couple of days as it makes landfall right now. We're watching this at least diminish a little bit but you see some of the scenes coming out of eastern India in Chennai in particular where some of the images the last thing you want to see is someone sitting right there on the coast, of course, when a tropical system comes ashore.

And fortunately this storm just ran out of time here to intensify beyond where it was sitting at. But of course, people still have to go on with their daily lives and riding right through the storm there as the storm makes landfall just to the northern portion there of Andhra Pradesh just south of Visakhapatnam there making landfall with 85-kilometer power winds.

So just shy of what would be equivalent to say Category 1 system there if it were impacting other parts of the world. But there it goes again, coming ashore at this hour. Two million people call Visakhapatnam home and this system, the predominant threat with this is going to be heavy rainfall here as the wind elements beginning to die.

And in fact, when you we take a look at a tropical season, we do average about 13 storms in the north Indian Ocean climatologically across this region. This storm now makes it for number 14. So just a hair above what is average as we wrap up 2018 over the next couple of weeks.

But you know, the storm system kind of rides the eastern coast of India and eventually rains itself out as it migrates a little farther towards the north.

The other story I want to talk about is what's been happening cross the Balkans. In fact I want to show you some video coming out of Romania in the past couple of days. Significant snow accumulations across this region really pounding much of Romania and much of the Balkans region in particular.

In fact, not only have we seen some disruptions and some transportation delays across this region. The storm system on the move and producing significant gusts that is over hurricane force so storms across Romania stronger than even the tropical system impacting the coast of India right now. This kind of shows you what's happening there across Eastern Europe -- Cyril.

VANIER: Pedram Javaheri reporting from the Weather Center -- thank you.

JAVAHERI: Thank you.

And a 15-year-old environmental activist from Sweden is scolding world leaders on what she says is their failure to address climate changes. Greta Thunberg is her name. She addressed the climate change summit that wrapped up in Poland on Saturday and she did not hold back.

She accused the negotiators from nearly 200 countries of abandoning young people and stealing their future by refusing to commit to measures that will truly halt global warming.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GRETA THUNBERG, 15-YEAR-OLD ENVIRONMENTALIST: You are not mature enough to tell it like it is. Even that burden you leave to us children.

But I don't care about being popular. I care about climate justice and the living planet. Our civilization is being sacrificed for the opportunity of a very small number of people to continue making enormous amounts of money.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Eloquent -- she is 15 years old. Thunberg became a hero to many young environmentalists after she skipped school in September to protest climate change outside the Swedish parliament.

Now, you have probably heard of the power suit, maybe even power heels. But now it is the power jacket with a dash of shade. CNN's Jeanne Moos reports on Nancy Pelosi's rock star treatment after her "take no guff" encounter with President Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At that now famous Oval Office meeting --

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: We should not have a Trump shutdown. You have --

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: A what -- did you say Trump?

MOOS: There was a lot of shade thrown, but when Nancy Pelosi put on shades for exactly five seconds that became the moment her fans immortalized.

"Pelosi like a rock star."

"That look when you just got finished manhandling a man-baby."

"The new power suit for women -- red coat, sunglasses, nerves of steel."

For a politician who almost saw her position as house speaker-to-be blown up, it must be sweet to be compared to the cool dude in CSI: Miami.

[01:54:55] Critics threw cold water "When you're getting excited by Nancy Pelosi putting on sunglasses, you need to take a deep breath and maybe look in the mirror." Tell that to whoever made Pelosi gangsta by adding Dr. Drey and Snoop Dogg.

Pelosi joins other sunglass-wearing women who went viral -- like Hillary and Elizabeth Moss from "Madmen".

At the meeting President Trump, Nancy'd and Chuck'd the two leaders to death. TRUMP: Nancy, Chuck. Nancy.

When you have walls Chuck, Nancy -- I have it passed in two seconds. The last time Chuck. Nancy, I need ten votes from Chuck.

MOOS: But why waste time with two separate names when you can combine them into one? Nan-Chuck. Nan-Chuck was the brainchild of two CNN anchors -- Lemon and Cuomo or if you prefer -- Lemonuomo. Cuomo gave Lemon credit.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: My name was not good. I had Cylumer and Shulosi. Nan-Chuck is great because it's like what Bruce Lee would do with those things.

MOOS: From Bruce Lee to Jay-Z.

Pelosi -- Nancy Pelosi. Also known as a Nan-Chuck.

Jeanne Moos, CNN --

PELOSI: The fact is, you do not have the votes in the House.

TRUMP: Nancy -- I do.

MOOS: -- New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VANIER: And thank you for joining us. That wraps ups this hour of news.

I'm Cyril Vanier.

You've got another hour of news up next with George Howell. You are in great hands. Have a great day.

[01:56:26] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)