Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Senate Still Argues on Whether to Bring Witnesses; Coronavirus Wraps the World in Fears; Putin and Netanyahu to Discuss Peace Plan; Virus Now Spreads in China; The Impeachment Trial Of Donald J. Trump; Coronavirus Outbreak; WHO To Convene Emergency Meeting In Coming Hours; Countries To Quarantined Citizens Evacuated From China; First Case Of Coronavirus Confirmed In India; Road To Brexit, U.K. Gets Brexit Approval From European Union; Norway Faces Less Snow and Higher Temperatures; Climate Crisis, Chasing Life. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired January 30, 2020 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. Republican senators trying to drive the Senate impeachment trial to a quick end as they push to block witnesses, mainly former national security adviser John Bolton.

Cases of the Wuhan coronavirus have now been confirmed in all Chinese regions as the White House creates a task force to deal with the threat.

And the wife of Kobe Bryant breaks her silence on the death of her husband and daughter.

Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from the United States and all around the world. I'm Max Foster in London. This is CNN Newsroom.

Well, U.S. Senators asked 93 questions of House Democrats and Donald Trump's legal team on Wednesday, the eighth day of the president's impeachment trial, yet there is no indication they're any closer to deciding if they'll hear from witnesses.

Democrats want to subpoena former national security adviser John Bolton, who reportedly says in his upcoming book Donald Trump told him directly that Ukraine would not receive military aid until it announced an investigation of political rival Joe Biden.

And the White House is now warning Bolton not to publish the book, saying it contains classified information. Well, the question of abuse of power, Trump attorney Alan Dershowitz made a novel argument. He claims that as long as the president believes he's acting in the national interest, he can also benefit personally from his actions, and that's not impeachable.

CNN's Phil Mattingly has more from the U.S. Capitol. PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was a long day, but it was one

that actually had and served a very real purpose for senators on both sides of the aisle, for the House managers and for the president's lawyers, an opportunity, the first opportunity for the senators themselves to ask questions of both sides.

Now, the chief justice, John Roberts, was the one actually asking the questions, but senators from both sides rotating back and forth from Republican to Democrat throughout the course of Wednesday asked the questions that have been driving their thought process throughout this process.

And one of the most interesting by far out of dozens upon dozens of questions was a question from Senator Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, two moderate Republicans who have made it clear they are considering voting yes with Democrats to move forward on considering subpoenas for witnesses and documents.

And they asked the president's counsel whether or not there was any indication if the president had been interested in specific issues in Ukraine prior to Vice President Joe Biden announcing his bid for the presidency. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICK PHILBIN, DEPUTY COUNSEL TO THE PRESIDENT: I think it's important at the outset to frame the answer by bearing in mind I'm limited to what's in the record, and what's in the record is determined by what the House of Representatives sought. So, I can't point to something in the record that shows President Trump at an earlier time mentioning specifically something related to Joe or Hunter Biden.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: That was one of a couple of questions that the White House counsel simply didn't have a firm answer to. Whether because they didn't believe it was in the trial record and therefore couldn't address it or they just didn't have an answer at all.

And it's those answers that really underscored why Democrats during and after the proceedings made clear they believe that the question and answer piece, at least the first part of it on Wednesday, underscored the need for witnesses and for documents.

Now, that vote is coming up in the days ahead, and it is still a nail- biter, those are the words of one Democrat who is keeping an eye on things. But the reality is this, I'm told Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is right on the brink of having the votes to defeat that motion to move forward to consider witnesses and documents.

Obviously, this is one day after McConnell said that he didn't have the votes yet, but he's been working hard behind the scenes, private meetings with Murkowski, working hard with all his Republican colleagues to try to get them to a point they will vote down on moving forward on witnesses and documents. And I should note, if you listen very closely to the White House

counsel's arguments throughout the course of Wednesday, they repeatedly made the point that moving forward on witnesses and documents would be problematic because it would make the trial significantly longer, it would set potential precedent issues that Republicans may come to regret later.

A lot of the same arguments McConnell has been holding behind closed doors, I'm said. That said, there is still another full day of questions and answers. Friday there will be a four-hour debate from both sides on whether or not to move to witnesses and documents. And then there will be a vote.

If that vote goes down, I'm told right now McConnell plans to work very quickly to try to have a final vote to acquit the president of all charges.

Phil Mattingly, CNN, Capitol Hill.

FOSTER: All right. Thomas Gift is a lecturer of political science at the University College London. He joins me this hour, though, from California. Thanks for joining us.

I just want to play some sound, first of all, from the Trump point of view, the presidential point of view. This is one of his lawyers, Alan Dershowitz, really arguing, many people say, that he's pretty much unimpeachable.

[03:05:02]

But I just want you to hear the sound before I get your opinion on it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALAN DERSHOWITZ, TRUMP IMPEACHMENT ATTORNEY: It would be a much harder case if a hypothetical president of the United States said to a hypothetical leader of a foreign country, unless you build a hotel with my name on it, and unless you give me $1 million kickback, I will withhold the funds. That's an easy case. That's purely corrupt and in the purely private interest.

But a complex middle case is, I want to be elected. I think I'm a great president. I think I'm the greatest president there ever was and if I'm not elected, the national interest will suffer greatly. That cannot be an impeachable offense.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: So, what do you think? It's a big test, isn't it, of this area of law?

THOMAS GIFT, POLITICAL SCIENCE LECTURER, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON: Well, I think that of all the legal arguments that Republicans have made against impeachment, Dershowitz's claim yesterday is arguably the weakest. And that's because it would essentially give presidents carte blanche to engage in any type of activity that helps them win an election.

So, you can imagine all the possibilities that opens up. You know, I do think that a more cogent defense for Republicans and one that some have tried to marshal concerns dual motives. That presidents can and often do pursue actions that are both politically advantageous and also serve the public interest. That's can't be impeachable on its own.

The problem here is that it's really hard to make the case that Trump pressuring Ukraine to announce an investigation into the Bidens serve the good of anyone but himself. It seemed to be purely self-serving.

FOSTER: Obviously Republicans seem to think they've got enough votes to prevent the witnesses coming on, but there are a few key Republicans that we're not quite clear on, right?

There is Lamar Alexander, for example. A few Republicans that everyone's looking at and they're trying to see which way they're going to go. I mean, where do you think they are on preventing these witnesses?

GIFT: Well, Max, from the outset Democrats have been disappointed and even moderate Republicans declining to request witnesses. And from the reports that I've seen recently, it does seem to be the case that Mitch McConnell has the votes to block witnesses from being called.

You know, the revelations from the John Bolton book did cause some Republicans to at least pay lip service to this possibility of calling witnesses, but it didn't seem like that really went anywhere.

You know, I think the unfortunate aspect of all of this is that the refusal to call witnesses can't in any way be construed as a desire to better understand the truth.

And so, Republicans I think have essentially made the political bet that they'd rather have to answer for the fact that they don't want to hear from witnesses rather than to have to answer to the full narrative of Trump's conduct in Ukraine, which would become clearer should witnesses be called. And from a purely strategic political standpoint, they might be right in that assessment.

FOSTER: All right. It does feel, though, doesn't it, if you look at Donald Trump's Twitter stream that he's trying to pre-empt any appearance by Bolton by undermining his credibility. If you look at some of the tweets that he put out yesterday. Does that suggest to you that the president is concerned that Bolton might appear as a witness?

GIFT: I still think that the chance of Bolton testifying is unlikely, especially without a subpoena. And even if he is subpoenaed, Trump will try to exert executive privilege.

You know, Bolton also strikes me as very much an institutionalist in the sense that I think he would only think that it was appropriate to testify if he was actually given permission.

Now, you could say that his obligation should be to the truth and not some abstract sense of loyalty to the president, and to some extent I would certainly disagree -- I would, you know, see that, but I don't think Bolton feels comfortable deciding unilaterally to testify because that raises lots of questions about separation of powers and checks and balances, and so I think he'd rather just leave these issues up to Congress, to the president and potentially even to the courts.

FOSTER: OK. Thomas Gift in Palo Alto, thank you very much indeed for joining us. We'll be watching it all very closely, of course.

There are still many mysteries, meanwhile, surrounding the Wuhan coronavirus. But this much we do know, it's spreading much faster than anyone imagined.

In a few hours, the World Health Organization will hold another emergency meeting to decide whether this new disease is a global crisis. Certainly, seems heading in that direction.

China now reports more than 7,700 confirmed cases, eclipsing the 2003 SARS outbreak. China has also recorded at least 170 deaths from the Wuhan virus, and there are more than 100 infections outside China, a fact not lost on the WHO.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[03:09:59]

MICHAEL RYAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WHO HEALTH EMERGENCIES PROGRAMME: The whole world needs to be on alert now. The whole world needs to take action and be ready for any cases that come.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: CNN's Steven Jiang joins us from Beijing. Obviously, a lot of credit being given to the Chinese authorities on their handling of this, but it does feel there might be a tipping point in the future if it continues to spread outside the country and they'll need to draft in the WHO and other governments to work with more closely.

STEVEN JIANG, CNN PRODUCER: That's right, Max. And the number does keep climbing. You mentioned some of that, and now this virus has spread to every of the 31 provinces on the mainland with at least 14 provinces with more than 100 confirmed cases.

So, this is no longer a Wuhan or Hubei problem, but it's nationwide and as you mentioned, increasingly global problem. But add the epicenter, though, they're still focusing on taking in and treating more patients.

Because, remember, there are still hundreds of suspected cases in that province alone, but now with added capacity of these newly built hospitals ready to be used very soon as well as reinforcements from the rest of the countries with more medical personnel, they're trying to treat more suspected cases as soon as possible.

But still, even there the provinces, they are facing a lot of severe shortage of medical supplies, according to the governor as recently as Wednesday night. But across the country, though, you're seeing the authorities are tightening their measures as they were bracing for this post-holiday migration.

Remember, this is still in the middle -- we are still in the middle of the lunar New Year holiday. But that holiday officially ends on Sunday. So you will be seeing millions of people again on the move. That's why they are now strengthening screenings and other measures, especially at transportation hubs, railway stations, airports and even here in Beijing.

Even though there is just 100 or so cases, officials are saying they are already renovating this one facility that was used during SARS with more than 1,000 hospital beds just in case it has to be re- opened. Max?

FOSTER: OK. Steven in Beijing, thank you.

Well, approximately 1,000 Americans live in Wuhan, the epicenter of this outbreak, as Steven was saying. Almost 200 arrived back in the U.S. on Wednesday. So far, they all seem fine but their health will be closely monitored over the next couple of weeks.

We'll get more now from CNN's Sara Sidner.

SARA SIDNER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They were originally supposed to land in Ontario, California, but ended up being diverted to a military reserve base here in Riverside.

Basically, what they are trying to do is make sure that these people, if they are infected, do not further spread this very contiguous virus. And we saw pictures of as they landed around 8 o'clock in the morning, and they were received by people wearing the full white hazmat suits, trying to make sure that they themselves, if there is anyone who is infectious, they do not contract the virus.

There is a lot of precautions being taken. We understand the pilot also was wearing a hazmat apparatus as the people got on and off the aircraft. The aircraft was chartered by the State Department, by the U.S. government. Many of the people on this flight were diplomats, although there were some sort of, regular U.S. citizens on this flight trying to get them safe and get them out of the Wuhan province in China.

We also know that there are many governments, including the United States government, who has stopped flights to and from China for fear that this virus which is extremely contiguous could spread even further.

We now know that more than 130 people have died because of this virus. And that there are somewhere over 6,000 people who have confirmed to have had this virus in China alone. There are five people here in California who have contracted the virus.

It is now, the virus, exceeding that of the SARS epidemic that happened back in 2003, that I'm sure many people will remember. Governments taking this very seriously.

And we also understand that the people who came here, landed in California on this chartered flight are taking this very seriously as well. They understand they will be under quarantine for about three days, but they could be watched up to two weeks, according to CDC officials, that's the Centers for Disease Control.

All of this is in an effort to try and make sure this disease which has become deadly does not spread any farther. Lots of precaution being taken, but we are told from officials that when people landed on their -- in their motherland on U.S. soil they were extremely happy and extremely helpful, understanding that they will be under quarantine for a bit here.

Sara Sidner, CNN, Los Angeles.

[03:15:01]

FOSTER: Now, it's been almost four days since basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter died in a helicopter crash.

Now Bryant's wife Vanessa is speaking out about the accident for the first time. She posted this Instagram photo of the entire family saying, she and her surviving daughters are devastated by the loss. She also thanked her followers for their support during what she called a horrific time.

Meanwhile, Bryant's former team, the Los Angeles Lakers, had their first practice since the crash. Afterward the coach spoke with reporters about the state of the team.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRANK VOGEL, HEAD COACH, LOS ANGELES LAKERS: We want to represent what Kobe was about, you know, more than anything. We've always wanted to make him proud, and, you know, that's not going to be any different here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: In a statement, the organization remembered Bryant, his daughter, saying, quote, "more than a basketball player, he was a beloved father, husband and a teammate. Their love and light will remain in our hearts forever."

Still to come, boasted by a new Middle East peace plan. Israel's prime minister heads to Russia to discuss the Trump administration's controversial proposal.

[03:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Strong winds blew over parts of the U.S. border wall with Mexico on Wednesday. Newly installed panels fell against trees to the Mexican side of the boundary. U.S. officials say the panels have been set in concrete that hadn't finished curing.

The area is part of a project to improve existing sections of the wall. The Trump administration has built 100 miles of new wall, most of it replacing existing construction.

Now, the Palestinian president will ask the United Nations to take action on the Trump administration's Middle East peace plan.

For Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the plan is a major win. But a challenging time for him politically. It would allow Israel to annex parts of the West Bank and impose strict restrictions on a future Palestinian state. The Palestinians have had no input on the proposal, rejecting it outright. Arab states will meet in Cairo Saturday to discuss it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMMAD SHTAYYEH, PRIME MINISTER OF THE STATE OF PALESTINE: Netanyahu is standing for to be elected or not. And I think the Israeli public will have a say by March 2nd, simply because either two states or an apartheid state. That's the state of Israel. The issue is not about one state because the Israelis, Netanyahu in particular, he does not want two states and he does not want one state.

Netanyahu wants to maintain a reality that is leading into a disastrous consequence which will lead to an apartheid state and the whole state of Palestine. This will change the dynamic and this is why the map of Palestine shows an apartheid system. What President Trump is proposing is no more than an apartheid system. That's all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Meanwhile, Prime Minister Netanyahu is set to meet with the Russian President Vladimir Putin in the next hour.

Matthew chance joins us now from Moscow with the details on that. Do you think Netanyahu will find the same level of support there that he had in Washington?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Probably not the same level at all. I mean, the Russians have sort of traditionally been against these kinds of unilateral peace initiatives. They've said in the past that they don't think the United States -- States should essentially try to replace the international system by coming up with new sort of rules of their own.

And they're sort of very much I think opposed to this kind of solution. They've got strong allegiances in the Middle East. They're kind of an emerging power in that region and I don't think the Russian government and Vladimir Putin in particular is going to want to stake that sort of hard-earned sort of reputation in the Middle East by overwhelmingly backing a peace plan, which in the own words of the Palestinians, doesn't meet their fundamental aspirations for an independence state.

And at the same time, I don't think you're going to see Vladimir Putin slamming this deal of the century as he stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu here in Moscow later today. He's developed cordial relations with the Israeli leadership and he wants to maintain that.

At the same time, he also wants to -- he also will be aware that sort of, you know, immediately saying, you know, look, this deal is nonsense, which is what many in the Arab world have said, it would not go down well in Washington and Putin wants sanctions imposed by Washington on Russia lifted or at least no more imposed in the future.

The Kremlin line at this point is that, you know, we are still -- we are continuing to analyze the deal. The Russian foreign ministry has said findings radical solutions to international problems does not bring positive developments, and they say they're looking to the Palestinians and the rest of the Arab world at large for some kind of guidance on what their position about this Trump deal, this Trump administration deal is.

FOSTER: It's interesting, though, isn't it? The Palestinians, whilst there is sympathy for their side of the argument around the world, they're not having any countries, really, even close allies, stepping up to stand up against the Israel and the U.S. on this one. So, it feels like they're being isolated.

CHANCE: Yes, I think it does to some extent, although we'll see, you know, what the -- what level of support I think this deal will get in the weeks and the months ahead. I mean, the Arab League will be meeting at the weekend, I think, where they'll formulate sort of an official response to this deal of the century.

I think many countries and Russia's included in this are saying that, look, this is an opportunity as a sort of starting point. Let's get the two sides together, let's get the Israelis and the Palestinians to sit down and, you know, discuss, you know, what changes to this deal of the century should be made or which changes the Palestinians want.

[03:24:59]

I don't think we're seeing anybody sort of -- apart from Israel, wholeheartedly embrace every aspect of this initiative.

FOSTER: OK. Matthew in Moscow, thank you.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has traveled to London to discuss America's relationship with the U.K. post-Brexit. Before landing on Wednesday, Pompeo told reporters his meetings with the British officials would cover a range of topics, including trade and security concerns over Chinese telecom company Huawei.

On Tuesday, the U.K. said it would allow Huawei to help build its next generation wireless network despite U.S. opposition.

For our viewers in the United States, I'll be right back with more news. For our international viewers, African Voices Change Makers is next for you.

You are watching CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:30:00]

MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Welcome back to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Max Foster in London. The fight over witnesses in Donald Trump's impeachment trial will resume in the coming hours. Senators will have a second day of questions. The House Democrats and the president's legal tea, as they make their way for testimony for former National Security Adviser, John Bolton potentially and Joe Biden's son Hunter. CNN's Athena Jones has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Senators apparently haven't heard enough as day one of questions and answers slid into the late hours Wednesday. The three Republican Senators who have publicly said they could support calling witnesses setting the tone for the day. Asking Trump's lawyers --

JOHN ROBERTS, CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT: If President Trump had more than one motive for his alleged conduct, such as the pursuit of personal political advantage, rooting out corruption and the promotion of national interests, how should the Senate consider more than one motive in its assessment of Article I?

JONES: Their response --

PATRICK PHILBIN, TRUMP IMPEACHMENT ATTORNEY, DEPUTY WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL: Once you're into mixed motive land, it's clear that their case fails.

ALAN DERSHOWITZ, TRUMP IMPEACHMENT DEFENSE LAWYER: And if a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment.

JONES: After days of strategizing, both parties used dozens of leading, often loaded questions to push their side's case. Republicans honing in on Hunter Biden.

ROBERTS: What did Hunter Biden do for the money that Burisma holdings paid him?

PAM BONDI, TRUMP IMPEACHMENT ATTORNEY: Hunter Biden did attend one board meeting in Monaco.

JONES: But one question Trump's lawyers couldn't answer, whether Trump ever mentioned concerns about the Bidens to Ukrainian or American officials before the former vice president entered the 2020 race.

PHILBIN: I'm limited to what's in the record, and what's in the record is determined by what the House of Representatives sought. So, I can't point to something in the record that shows President Trump at an earlier time mentioning specifically something related to Joe or Hunter Biden.

JONES: Democrats stressing the need to hear from witnesses like former National Security Adviser, John Bolton. Who has said he is willing to testify before the Senate if subpoenaed.

REP. JASON CROW (D-CO), IMPEACHMENT MANAGER: If you have any lingering questions about direct evidence, any thoughts about anything we just talked about, anything I just relayed or that we've talked about the last week, there is a way to shed additional light on it. You can subpoena Ambassador Bolton and ask him that question directly.

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): The Senate can get to the truth. You can get to the truth by calling witnesses who can testify.

JONES: The Trump's team response --

PHILBIN: The idea that the House can do an incomplete job in trying to find out what witnesses there are, having them come testify, trying to find out the facts, just rush something through and bring it here as an impeachment and then start trying to call all the witnesses, and it would forever change the relationship between the House of Representatives and the Senate in terms of the way impeachments operate.

JONES: While in a particularly fiery moment, listing the witnesses they would call.

JAY SEKULOW, PRESIDENT TRUMP' LAWYER: I want Adam Schiff. I want Hunter Biden. I want Joe Biden. I want Joe Biden. I want -- I want the whistleblower. I want -- I want to also understand there may be additional people within the House Intelligence Committee that have had conversations with that whistleblower. Did I get anybody we want?

JONES: And delivering a stark warning to the Senators.

SEKULOW: By the way, if we get anybody we want, we'll be here for a very, very long time.

JONES: Trump's team also making the case for protecting executive privilege.

PHILBIN: To suggest that the National Security Adviser, well, we will just subpoena him, he'll come in and that will be easy, there won't be any problem. That's not the way it will work because there is a vital constitutional privilege at stake there.

JONES: Democrats arguing Trump wave that privilege with this tweet.

REP. JERRY NADLER (D-NY): He cannot characterize a conversation and that put it into the public domain and then claim executive privilege against it.

JONES: Trump's team also urging Senators to let the voters decide. PHILBIN: The president is the one who gets to determine policy

because he's been elected by the people to do that. And we're right now only a few months away from another election where the people can decide for themselves whether they like what the president has done with that authority or not.

JONES: Schiff spelling out the consequences of not removing Trump from office.

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): Bear in mind that efforts to cheat in election are always going to be in proximity to an election. And if you say you can't hold a president accountable in an election year where they're trying to cheat in that election, then you are giving them carte blanche.

JONES: Athena Jones, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[03:35:18]

FOSTER: Now, elsewhere, confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus are growing at an alarming rate. Nearly 8,000 people in China are now known to have the deadly disease. Which has killed at least 170 people so far. And it's not just China either. More than 100 cases of the virus had been documented around the world. In a few hours the World Health Organization will meet to decide if this is in fact a global emergency. CNN's David Culver, joins us from Beijing. David, we now know that every part of China is affected too.

DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Max, every province in mainland China has confirmed cases of the coronavirus. And you mentioned the WHO convening that emergency meeting today. It's expected that they could potentially raise the assessment of this. Currently they have it at very high, however, it could be characterized as a global emergency.

And the reason that matters, is it could then change how attention is given to this virus, particularly from the science community, and it could also matter with regards to funding and how the containment efforts are funded. And that's incredibly important. We're seeing that here, of course, containment efforts are widespread and continuing.

President Xi Jinping himself has said that he is looking over the coordination and deployment of much of this effort, but it's also interesting to see how they're now trying to help those on the front lines, so to speak, particularly the nurses, the doctors, the health care workers. Those who -- we have spoken with who are within the lockdown zone, who are working within hospitals within the City of Wuhan who have described increasingly difficult conditions that they're under. They say, of course, they have these shortage of supplies and that they themselves are contracting the virus.

Many have said that dozens within their own hospitals are battling it and have to go into intensive care or go home. And so, what we're also seeing now out of the government is an offering of a subsidy for those who are actually treating the patients firsthand, some 300 yuan a month or roughly $43 a day, I should say, is what they're offering.

Some people are kind of conflicted on that. They are saying it's not enough. Others are saying, you know, at least it's something to help these folks get through this. But nonetheless, it is an increasingly difficult battle that's going forward here. We're also seeing concern as far as the social aspect is dealt with, and that is with people who are blocking roads in certain towns, kind of taking it on themselves to do that.

Authorities are asking people not to do that. That shows you how concerned and fearful, really, they are in putting up these self-made roadblocks. And that there is -- criminal charges being threatened towards those who knowingly have the virus, are considered transmitters, and may be spitting in public or potentially transmit it to somebody else. They say if they refuse quarantine, for example, they're going to face those criminal charges. So, we're seeing that come down increasingly being announced by Hubei province officials in particular.

And we also know that the railway authority is trying to use some big data as they put it to track those who have confirmed cases and then try to figure out who those individuals may have come in contact with. So it's an effort in trying to know how far the virus has spread.

Meantime, health officials here in China are also characterizing that the potential peak of all of this could come between 10 to 14 days from now, they say around the lantern festival, that's their assessment. And that's because they believe that the containment effort and the quarantine of 14 days after that, they believe, the large-scale increases will subside, and perhaps that they'll see a better handling and getting a better grip, so to speak, Max, on this case altogether.

FOSTER: All right. What about the upcoming challenge as well of accepting that, you know, you can't expect people to stay home for long periods of time without going out to get supplies. I mean, how are these people going to be provided for that are being told to stay at home?

CULVER: And that's an increasingly difficult issue as well. In fact, I was just talking via video chat with a young woman who is not even within the lockdown zone. She's actually a college student from the U.S., part of an exchange program. She's in Shanghai, 24 million people live in that city. It's normally bustling. It's a metropolis, right? She describes it as a ghost town. She says it is eerily quiet. And she's on a college campus that has been closed. She and her classmates who are stuck there, as she put it, really have to venture out to get food.

She said, the campus does not provide any food because the staff is not there. They are so desperate to get out that they are looking at flights going really anywhere out of Shanghai. She booked one to Africa. One of her friends book one to Hawaii. Another one picked London. Max, they're just trying to figure out how they can get out. And at this point it's proving increasingly difficult and also costly. Her ticket one way, $2,000. [03:40:05]

FOSTER: Yes, it's a big problem. David, thank you. As we've reported, governments around the world are sending planes into China to pick up their citizens and fly them home as well, but as soon as they return, many are being quarantined in an effort to stop the virus from spreading. CNN's Cyril Vanier has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CYRIL VANIER, CNN SHOW HOST: A flight out of the hot zone, U.S. citizens evacuated from Wuhan. A city now known worldwide for the deadly coronavirus named after it. U.S. health officials are taking precautions that none of the passengers have been infected by quarantining them for a period of time even though no one on board is showing symptoms. Countries around the world are taking similar measures. Australia says it will send flights for its people at risk, especially infants and the elderly but they too won't be allowed to return home and will be kept on an island known for its immigrant detention centers for 14 days.

SCOTT MORRISON, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: They'll we transported to Christmas Island, we will also be putting in place the hazmat team which will be traveling there to provide the medical support.

VANIER: South Korea is making plans to extract its citizens who will also be quarantined upon arrival in Seoul.

CHUNG SYE-KYUN, SOUTH KOREA PRIME MINISTER (through translator): For those who wish to return home among South Korean people staying in Wuhan, we will take active measures by sending a chartered plane on January 30th and 31st.

VANIER: Japan's evacuations are already under way. Incoming passengers were taken from the airport to hospitals for screening but not before reporters wearing masks managed to speak to some of them.

TAKEO AOYAMA, PASSENGER (Through Translator): I was very worried because the situation changed very rapidly. Honestly, I'm quite relieved the government brought us home swiftly with a chartered plane.

VANIER: Jordan is preparing a wing of a hospital in Oman for a group of students returning from China who will be monitored for any signs of illness.

MAHMOUD ZUREIGAT, AL BASHIR HOSPITAL DIRECTOR (Through Translator): We have prepared a hospital that accommodates 100 beds for now and it is ready for increase of 200 beds in preparations for any urgent cases.

VANIER: Some critics say putting healthy people on lockdown is the wrong approach, but many countries say it's the only way to stop the virus from spreading further. Cyril Vanier, CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP) FOSTER: And we've just heard that the first case of coronavirus has

been confirmed in India, (Inaudible) specifically. Someone has been studying at Wuhan University tested positive for the coronavirus, making it the first confirmed case in India. So, a big concern for that part of the world.

Still to come, is it au revoir or adieu as the U.K. gets ready for Brexit. The E.U. is bidding Britain along to a farewell. (Inaudible) a song within uncertain (inaudible) ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:45:00]

FOSTER: On Friday as Big Ben strikes 11:00 p.m. in London, midnight in Brussels, that is, after a long drawn out bitter divorce, the U.K. will formally withdraw from the E.U. The European Parliament gave their final approval, 621 to 49 for the U.K.'s departure, a farewell full of tears, cheers, and, yes, a few jeers as well. CNN's Nina Dos Santos joins me from Brussels now. So interesting to get to this point, isn't it? This sense of resignation and actually a lot of sadness around despite all the anger there has been as well over the last few years.

NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, resignation, relief, and the old vestige of remaining hope that the U.K. will one day decide to be readmitted to the European Parliament. That in the future it may decide to go back on Brexit, hold another referendum and join under different terms. Who knows?

I've heard many different stories over the last three days here in Brussels from pro-Brexit MEPs saying that they are jubilant. This is a combination of a 30-year fight for them. Nigel Farage and two fellow U.S. skeptics first entered these halls as members of the U.K.'s Independent Party, getting elected as members of the European Parliament for that body back in 1999 and Nigel Farage yesterday evening walked out to this parliament to a massive press part to take the credit for having delivered on his euros sceptic dream.

There were, however, moments when he clashed with the Speaker of the House of this parliament, Marie Maginnis, yesterday when he was delivering his final speech, he brandished a union jack flag, those very flags appear to have been banned by the European Parliament after the Brexit Party elected MEPs waived them too many times. They all brandished their flags with Nigel Farage and were unceremoniously turf out. That left something of a bitter taste in people's mouth, but all in all, there was emotions in the rooms as many Pro-European members of the Greens and liberal Democrats delivered their speeches, in particular one of them, Molly Scott Cato of the Greens broke down in tears when she said that one day she hoped she would walk these halls of power again and that the U.K. would reverse the decision of Brexit.

And then the final moment was when David Sassoli, the head of the European Parliament, the president of this institution said, I'm signing this bill into law. That was the moment that Brexit legally became official on both sides of the channel, and all of the MEPs, hundreds of them in the room, crossed hands and sang the famous Scottish farewell song Auld Lang Syne. Max?

FOSTER: yes, it's a moment wasn't it? We'll follow the moments as well as they lead up to that Friday night departure from the European Union. Thank you, Nina.

Now, climate changes causing temperatures to creep up (inaudible) around the world. That means, skiers in Norway may soon have to take up a different hobby. We'll take you there next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:50:00]

FOSTER: For the first time in four years, life expectancy in the U.S. has gone up, and that's according to new reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A drop in drug overdose deaths contributed to the increase, but a drop in cancer deaths played the largest role overall. The current life expectancy in the U.S. is 78.7 years. Slightly below its peak of 78.9 in 2014.

Experts say the most important task now is to sustain the reversal of trends and medications to reverse some drug overdoses is more readily available, the opioid epidemic is far from over, of course, now.

Norway is in the middle of an unanticipated warm weather period. There's so little snowfall, ski slopes are using fake snow to make up for the lack of the real thing and there are fears the problem may get worse as well as Robyn Curnow reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Navigating the slopes in Norway, children learn how to ski. It's the country's national pastime, but scientists warn that by the time these students become experts, snow will be in increasingly short supply.

[03:55:00]

Already this year ski venues are using manmade snow to cover up the green patches of ground created by unseasonably warm winter temperatures.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): It's a bit worrying, so I hope this is an exception, a one-off year, but we'll see.

CURNOW: Experts say it's not an isolated case and that winter will be hotter and shorter. The country recently recorded its warmest day in January ever when temperatures in one town hit 19 degrees Celsius, that's more than 25 degrees above the monthly average.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In Norway we see that we will have less days with temperatures below zero in the future.

CURNOW: Shorter winters could mean fewer days to ski. In 30 years scientists predict the forests around Oslo will see just 50 days of snow deeper than 30 centimeters which is down from 80 days today. With less snow the country will have to rely on artificial powder, that avid skiers say that even that won't deter them from their beloved sport.

ERIC HAMMER, CEO, SNO INDOOR SKI CENTRE: Skiing in Norway and the meaning of skiing for Norwegians, you know, it's in our DNA.

CURNOW: Robyn Curnow, CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: All right. Thank you for joining us. I'm Max Foster. Up next, Early Start with Christine Romans and Laura Jarrett. You're watching CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END