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Leaders of U.S. and China to Hold Virtual Summit; Steve Bannon to Turn Himself in After Indictment; Austria Targeting the Unvaccinated with New Lockdown; Cuba Braces for Civic March; Crisis at the Poland-Belarus Border. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired November 15, 2021 - 02:00   ET

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

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[02:00:00]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome tour viewers joining us in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead on "CNN Newsroom," the stakes are high as President Joe Biden and Xi Jinping prepare for their first virtual summit. CNN political and national security analyst, David Sanger, joins me live to discuss. Plus --

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CHURCH: Protesters, in Cuba are gearing up for peaceful demonstrations in the coming hours as U.S. officials threaten further sanctions if they are arrested. We'll take a look at one of the activist being targeted by the government.

And we're live in New Delhi where severe air pollution has forced schools to close for a full week.

Good to have you with us. Well, the leaders of the U.S. and China are set to meet virtually for that crucial summit in the coming hours as they look to tackle recent tensions over Taiwan, trade, and human rights. It will be the first meeting between the two since U.S. President Joe Biden took office, although they have spoken twice by phone.

Mr. Biden is expected to make clear U.S. priorities and concerns. Chinese President, Xi Jinping has hinted at a slight warming of relations saying his country is willing to boost cooperation and get the two sides back on track.

And CNN's Steven Jiang joins us now live from Beijing. Good to see, you Steven. So what are the expectations here and which issues will likely dominate the summit?

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Rosemary, expectations are relatively low despite all the topics you just mentioned. You know, this relationship often described as the world's most important diplomatic relationship had been a nosedive for quite some time especially during the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump. And when Mr. Biden took office, obviously, there were some hopes

things could be picking up, but that didn't happen because Mr. Biden has kept most of Mr. Trump's China policies and measures and his stated goal of building this united front against an increasingly powerful, and some will say aggressive Beijing with U.S. allies and partners especially among like-minded democracies.

That really has in the eyes of many Beijing officials, posed a bigger threat to China compared to Mr. Trump's going that long approach as that probably explains the ratcheting of both rhetoric and actions taken by both sides in the past few months.

The issues you mentioned not only Taiwan, but also tech, trade, cybersecurity, of course, human rights. That is something very close to Mr. Biden's heart, as he has said, often. That he wants to put human rights and democracy at the forefront of his foreign policy agenda as he tries to blunt the advancement of rising authoritarianism around the world.

That trend obviously led by China and its strongman leader, Xi Jinping. So, given how wide those gaps are on so many critically important issues between the two governments, few are expecting major breakthroughs on their disputes and disagreements.

So, the point of this meeting, according to many, is to lower the temperature, put a floor on this free fall and keep communication channels open including at the very top to avoid any strategic miscalculation that could cause harm not only to bilateral ties, but also, potentially global peace and prosperity. Rosemary?

CHURCH: All right, Steven Jiang, joining us live from Beijing. Many thanks.

And joining me now with more on what we can expect from this summit is CNN political and national security analyst, David Sanger. Good to have you with us.

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Good to be with you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So the White House downplaying expectations for this virtual summit, but the two leaders will be discussing Taiwan, trade, cyber threats, climate change, and human rights. So which of these issues will likely prove to be the most pressing, and which ones are open to cooperation and perhaps progress? So presumably with all of that to discuss, there is going to be some progress here.

SANGER: Well, I think there are some areas of progress in fact, I think, it goes a little bit of surprise that China signed on to as much as it did in the end out of the climate conference, COP26. But, the areas for cooperation are relatively thin here, Rosemary.

[02:04:09]

And a few of them are new. You know, while we're hearing the administration say we want to put guardrails on the relationship. We want to make sure that we don't trip into conflict. The competition is fine, but conflict needs to be avoided.

I think we -- they may be sort of whistling past what's happened in some past efforts to that. You may remember that it was just six years ago, six or seven years ago when President Obama had President Xi to Washington and it had been right after a major cyberattack that the Chinese managed to steal a huge amount of data out of the office of personnel management.

They came to a cyber agreement and President Xi said don't worry about the South China Sea, we don't plan on militarizing it. Well since that time, the degree of cyber conflict has risen and the South China Sea areas that the Chinese were working on are highly militarized.

So, I think there is reason to question right now whether or not the kind of agreements they make here and now are basically sort of papering things over or whether or not they would actually be substantive (ph).

CHURCH: And what do you think is likely?

SANGER: Well, I think what's likely is that they're going to say that they came to understand each other better. These are two people who spent a fair bit of time together in a previous era when President Biden was vice president and also, when President Xi had not yet ascended. Xi is now obviously in a much more secure position.

And I think he's got reason to question after Afghanistan and other events, whether or not President Biden actually would make a stand saying to fully defend Taiwan with military force as opposed to just support, or whether or not the United States actually is going to be able to carry through on the set of industrial policies that are coming together in the U.S. to try to compete with China in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, (inaudible) computing and so forth.

So, I think that what Xi wants right now is a period of calm between now and his party congress. So they'll probably say a few things that will lower the temperature.

CHURCH: Right. And of course, this will be the first meeting between the two leaders since President Biden took office apart from those two phone calls we mentioned. How significant is this and how might their personal relationship play into this meeting do you think?

SANGER: Well, it's a really great question because it's a question of how much personal relationship can you develop over what is essentially a secure Zoom call, right? And it's a little bit hard to read. The White House is saying this is better than just having phone conversation that last 45 minutes or so.

They expect that this will probably go on for several hours. Seeing somebody by video allows you to pick up body language and so forth. Allow other members of President Biden's group, Secretary of State Tony Blinken, the National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, to enter into conversation simultaneously with their counterparts will bring them into the conversation. But, it's not the same as sitting down with somebody taking a walk

with them the way Ronald Reagan used to do with Gorbachev. So, it's something of an in between, between a phone call a real summit.

CHURCH: Right. And how worried do you think China will be about the possible return of Donald Trump as leader in 2024 and how much of a motivator would that be for Xi Jinping to find areas of cooperation and progress with President Biden?

SANGER: Well, a bit, but I don't think too much. I mean, the wrap on President Biden prior to the time that he took office was that he would be weak on China. In fact, the tariffs remain. He has put together a much deeper strategy.

And I think they would have to be worried about the fact that he has been more successful at beginning to move critical industries that the United States worries about onto U.S. soil, become less dependent on China.

China is itself concerned about its dependencies particularly in the semiconductor arena on the United States. I think the bigger issue that both sides need to go deal with, Rosemary, is even if both leaders are saying we don't want to slip into a cold war, we've seen cold war like behavior from both in the past couple of months.

And I think that's the main thing they have to stem. Its one thing to say this is different from the cold war. We have more economic interchange, we do. It's another thing to stop the cold war related behavior.

CHURCH: David Sanger, many thanks for talking with us. Appreciate it.

SANGER: Great to be with you, Rosemary.

[02:10:00]

CHURCH: Well, Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of former U.S. President, Donald Trump, is expected to turn himself in, in the coming hours. He is facing two charges of contempt of Congress after he defied a subpoena from the committee investigating the January 6th attack on the U.S. capitol.

Bannon may not be the last member of Trump's inner circle to face charges. Former White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, snubbed the same committee on Friday when he failed to show up for a deposition. And if he continues refusing to cooperate, one lawmaker says, the committee won't hesitate to act.

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REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): We have been moving very quickly to make these decision and I'm confident we'll move very quickly with respect to Mr. Meadows. But when ultimately witnesses decide, as Meadows has, that they're not even going to bother showing up. That they have that much contempt for the law, then i pretty much forces our hand. And we'll move quickly. (END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN's Zachary Cohen has the latest now from Washington.

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN U.S. SECURITY REPORTER: Stephen Bannon is expected to turn himself in Monday, sources tell CNN, after he was indicted on two counts of contempt of Congress last week. A federal judge signed an arrest warrant for Bannon, is being given the opportunity to surrender voluntarily, which should lead to an arraignment in court.

If convicted, Bannon could face up to one year in prison for each count of contempt. While conviction is far from certain, the indictment alone is a major win for the House Select Committee investigating January 6th as they're trying to understand exactly what took place around the attack on the U.S. capitol.

Members of the committee believe Bannon's indictment would send a message to other witnesses who've resisted cooperating, including Trump's former chief of staff, Mark Meadows. Meadows failed to show up for his own scheduled deposition last week and the committee says it is thinking about moving to hold him in contempt as well.

Unlike Bannon, Meadows was working in the White House in the lead up to January 6th, making the potential case against him a little bit different than it is for Bannon. The committee clearly has a lot of questions for Meadows including for instance, whether he used a personal cellphone during that time.

They also have questions about a memo Meadows allegedly sent to Vice President Mike Pence in the lead up to January 6th to try to convince him not to certify the election. That memo, just now coming to light in a new book from ABC's John Karl. Whether any of this leads to more cooperation from Meadows remains to be seen. Zachary Cohen, CNN, Washington.

CHURCH: Still to come, Austria puts its unvaccinated population into lockdown. The new measures to stop the surge and the costly consequences for ignoring the restrictions.

Plus, how Cuba is cracking down on activism (inaudible) appears to welcome back tourists.

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[02:15:00]

CHURCH: It has been just under two weeks since U.S. authorities approved COVID-19 vaccinations for children ages 5 to 11. And the CDC says more than 1 million kids in that age group have received the first dose of the vaccine since then. They account for 23 percent of all vaccinations given in the U.S. during that time period.

According to the CDC, nearly 59 percent of the total U.S. population is now fully vaccinated. And we will discuss how COVID vaccinations can prevent a potential cold weather surge. Later this hour, viewers in the United States will hear more when I talk to the dean of Brown University School of Public Health, Dr. Ashish Jha.

Well, countries in Europe are in crisis mode as rising COVID infections prompt new restrictions. In the coming hours, Austria will begin enforcing lockdown measures for the unvaccinated after reporting record case numbers last week. But not everyone's happy with the mandatory lockdown. Barbie Nadeau is following that story and other developments across Europe.

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BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN CONTRIBUTOR (voice-over): Protesters gather in Vienna ahead of new restrictions now in effect in Austria and other parts of Europe that target the unvaccinated. Officials from the World Health Organization to Europe is once again at the center of the pandemic. And some governments are getting tough on those who have not been vaccinated by limiting what they can do and where they can go.

In Austria, anyone 12 or older who is not fully vaccinated is under a stay-at-home order. That means no going out unless it's for work, taking a walk or other essential purposes. Though children ages 12 to 15 who are regularly tested under government standards can participate in some public activities.

UNKNOWN (through translation: I think it is very discriminating because I'm allowed to go to work, but the rest of the day I have to stay at home.

NADEAU (voice-over): With only 65 percent of Austria's population fully vaccinated against COVID-19, one of the lowest rates Western Europe, millions of people are now under lockdown again. Though there are some exemptions for those who are recently recovered from the virus.

Officials say the lockdown will initially last 10 days and there will be stiff fines for those who don't comply which will be enforced through spot checks.

KARL NEHAMMER, AUSTRIAN INTERIOR MINISTER (through translation): Every citizen, every person living in Austria must be aware that they can be checked by the police at anytime.

NADEAU (voice-over): Germany's capital, Berlin, also singling out unvaccinated who under new restrictions called 2G can no longer dine indoors at restaurants, go to bars, cinemas, and other venues. Those privileges are now only for the vaccinated and those who can show proof of recent recovery from COVID-19.

The targeted measures come as Germany has some of the highest daily numbers of new coronavirus cases since the pandemic began. Not everyone is happy with the new tactics. Business owners must now turn away customers if they don't meet the criteria. But some who implemented the rules while they were still optional say there is a sense of relief that come from them.

UNKNOWN (through translation): For me and my employees, it makes things easier at work. The customers are all so more relaxed. We don't always have to check if customers are wearing their masks when they get up.

[02:19:56]

NADEAU (voice-over): Tough consequences for the unvaccinated, but with soaring new cases of COVID-19 in Europe, some governments are shifting their tone for those who have not taken the vaccine. Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, Rome.

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CHURCH: Cuba is bracing for protests on Monday. The same day the island nation begins to reopen to tourists.

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Opposition groups are hoping to build off these protests from July with demonstrators, again, planning to hit the streets to demand greater freedoms and the release of jailed activists. But Cuba's government is already cracking down surrounding he homes of activists on Sunday, including well-known playwright Yunior Garcia. CNN's Patrick Oppmann has more.

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PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A bus blocks the street where Cuban opposition activist lives. Cuban plain clothes police and government supporters prevent him from leaving his apartment and journalists from going to talk with him.

The activist, a playwright named Yunior Garcia Aguilera, posted his video before supporters tell me his internet was cut off by the government.

I woke up under siege, he says. The whole block is surrounded by state security dressed as civilians trying to pass themselves off as the people.

After widespread anti-government protests in July, the largest since Fidel Castro's revolution took power, a group of activists led by Garcia Aguilera called for a peaceful march to take place on Monday. The activists say they are calling on the communist-run government to allow more liberties and release hundreds of people still in jail from the July protests.

Cuban officials denied permission for the march, claiming it is a pretext invented by Cuban exiles and the U.S. government who want to use rising tensions inside Cuba as an excuse to invade the island.

(On camera): The Cuban government is taking buses like this one to close off the streets, there are police everywhere. And there, in the distance, you can see group of men, government supporters, perhaps police themselves, hanging flags over Yunior Garcia's window.

(Voice-over): Apparently, unable to leave his apartment or get online, Garcia Aguilera holds up his fist in defiance through his window. Into the final form of communication is also cut off. A government supporter tells me he lives in the same neighborhood and that he is proud they have confined Garcia Aguilera to his home.

UNKNOWN (through translation): I was there when he opened the door, he says. I was close to him. He believes this is fascism, to not let him out. And I said it's not fascism, it's the people, the people and revolution.

After blocking the activist from leaving, a group of government supporters even holds a party outside to celebrate. When we interviewed him at his apartment in October, Garcia Aguilera predicted the Cuban government would try to silence him, unintentionally proving his point about what happens to those who call for greater openness.

YUNIOR GARCIA AGUILERA, CUBAN ACTIVIST (through translation): They have shown there is no rule of law, he says. There is no possibility for citizens to legally, peacefully, and orderly show their dissent to those in power.

OPPMANN (voice-over): Other activists and government critics on Sunday, said they were also being blocked from leaving their homes. But vowed that whatever the costs, they would make their voices heard. Patrick Oppman, CNN, Havana.

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CHURCH: There are growing fears of a confrontation with thousands of migrants stranded at the Polish-Belarusian border. Details ahead on the increasing urgency.

Plus, severe air pollution has forced schools to close in New Delhi. What the Indian government is saying about this crisis. That's next.

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CHURCH: The crisis along the Belarusian-Polish border may be nearing a confrontation. The Polish border guard claims dozens of migrants are getting help from Belarusian forces to make a major attempt to break through the border. They reported seeing tents coming up and migrants getting instructions from Belarusian officials.

That's after Poland issued a mass warning to phones in the area on Saturday that the border is sealed and migrants should go back to Minsk. The ministry of defense tweeted, "Polish forces in the border area are on standby." The U.S. says the crisis is aimed at diverting attention from Russia's activities on the border with Ukraine.

Well, the Belarusian Red Cross is delivering food and water to the area but migrants tell CNN it hasn't been enough. They're stranded there living outdoors in freezing temperatures. Fred Pleitgen reports on the growing pressure along the border

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The Polish authorities say that they fear another escalation at their border with Belarus. The Polish authorities registered more movement in that migrant camp that of course spread up early last week as a large group of migrants made their way from the Belarusian capital, Minsk, to the border with Poland trying to push into the European Union.

Now, the Polish authorities have also said that there have been additional provocations, as they put it, at their border with Belarus. They say that migrants have tried to push through on several occasions, but they also said that Belarusian security services have been involved in some of that as well.

They say that their forces were targeted with strobe lights and that a ground vehicle from the Belarusian forces actually tried to tear down some of the razor wire that the Poles have set up (inaudible) to allow migrants to pass through.

The Poles are also saying that the forces have been targeted with laser pointers as well. Now, of course, the Belarusian authorities for their part have denied any sort of allegations. They say that they're handling this crisis according to international law.

Of course, both NATO and the European Union do blame Alexander Lukashenko, the strongman of Belarus for the crisis that is unfolding at that border. Meanwhile, it certainly appears as though that crisis is not going to be letting up anytime soon.

Belarusian state TV releasing video appearing to show another large group of migrants making their way to that border. Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Kuznica, Poland.

[02:29:55]

CHURCH: Climate activists and world leaders are now setting their sights on COP27 next year in Egypt and offering mixed reviews about whether anything at all is accomplished in Glasgow at COP26.

[02:30:00]

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is touting the deal reached in Scotland. He says it reaffirms the importance of trying to hold global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

And it's the first time they've published a mandate to cut the use of coal power. Here's more of what he said.

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BORIS JOHNSON, UK PRIME MINISTER: Yesterday evening, we finally came to the kind of game changing agreement that the world needed to see. Almost 200 countries have put their name to the Glasgow Climate Pact, marking a decisive shift in the world approach to tackling climate emissions, setting a clear roadmap to limiting the rising global temperatures to 1.5 degrees and marking the beginning of the end for coal power.

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CHURCH: Other leaders, activists and scientists are deeply disappointed by the COP26 deal. They argue the pact did not meet the urgency of the climate crisis. And schools and government offices in New Delhi are now closed for a week as severe air pollution blankets the city. Thick smog has hung over the Indian Capital for days and air quality in and around the city is being rated from very poor to severe. CNN's Vedika Sud joins us now from New Delhi. Good to see you Vedika. So what is the latest on this severe pollution that's forcing school closures and what what's the government saying about it?

VEDIKA SUD, CNN REPORTER: Rosemary on the First of November, the Delhi government had said that schools would reopen because there was a grip somehow and to a certain extent on the numbers when it comes to the pandemic, COVID-19 here in Delhi. And now just two weeks later, children are not going to school again.

It's been suspended for this week because of the heavy and thick smog that surrounds Delhi. It's 1pm here. That's a local time here in Delhi and behind me, you can still see a haze of smog. It was much thicker this morning. It's improving by the hour when it's said to get worse in the coming days. A lot of reasons have been attributed to the smog collection in around Delhi.

Of course it has to do with crop burning that happens in the winter season, along with vehicular and industrial emissions as well. Also it has to do with open waste burning and construction. Even construction work in Delhi has been suspended for the next couple of days. But this is a problem that persists, Rosemary. Both the central government ruled by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janta Party and the state government of Delhi, which is ruled by regional party have been summoned to court by the top Court, the Supreme Court of India, asking them to take measures that will help reduce the pollution levels.

But it's really devastating for the children who are just about going back to school Rosemary, they were all excited, they were ready to go back after months of being home and accessing education through virtual mediums. And now they've been asked to stay back. Also this point, it's important to mention that for the governments, they've usually been very reactive, especially when there's been an intervention from the top Court of India to take action than proactive when it comes to measures to eradicate or to lessen the burden of pollution that people are inhaling.

According to medical experts, heavy pollution intake could also lead to a lot of serious respiratory problems. And you can already see that not only in adults but children across Delhi it happens every year. And even inside homes, Rosemary, I live near Delhi I have air purifiers in every room but still the air quality is very poor even inside home so you're not breathing easy inside homes or outside, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Unbelievable and this coming on top of a pandemic. Vedika Sud joining us live from New Delhi. Many thanks. Well, still to come counterterrorism officers are investigating a deadly car blast in England. We'll be back with that in just a moment.

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[02:35:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, in England police have arrested three men under the Terrorism Act after a car explosion killed one person and injured another near a Liverpool hospital. The suspects are all in their 20s, no other information about their background has been released. Police say they're keeping an open mind as to what caused Sunday's explosion involving a taxi. They're urging the public to remain calm but vigilant as they investigate.

London's Mayor tweeted this, 'London stands with Liverpool. My thoughts are with everyone affected by the terrible incident.' And for more on this we want to bring in CNN Scott McLean. He joins us live from London. Good to see you, Scott. So what more are you learning about the three men arrested after this deadly car explosion?

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Rosemary. Yes, this is a pretty scary incident. It is also a really strange incident in that here we are almost 24 hours after this took place. And we still have very little information about what actually took place. On the surface, the police response to this bears a lot of resemblance to terror attacks that we have seen in the past, Counterterrorism Police are investigating but I should be clear, Police have not said that this is a terror incident.

They say as you mentioned that they are open minded. The Prime Minister called this an awful incident. The Mayor of Liverpool called it upsetting but again, not terrorism, she is urging people not to speculate until police have more of a chance to investigate. What we know for sure, though, is that at 10:59am, Police got a call about this explosion and fire that took place outside of the Liverpool Women's Hospital.

This is a massive facility, takes up almost an entire city block that focuses on delivering babies and on women's health more broadly. That hospital is also less than a mile from the Liverpool Cathedral. And at that time, a ceremony was taking place to mark remembrance Sunday, which honors Britain's war dead. And there was a moment of silence at 11am for two minutes.

It is not clear at this point whether this was a total coincidence or somehow if those events are linked, but you can understand why police may think that they need to bring in the counterterrorism police because of the obvious - the obvious questions there. Now in the hours that followed, as you said three men in their 20s were arrested. This was about a mile or so from that hospital, about a mile or so north, and then they also cordoned off and evacuated a part of a street about a mile to the south east of that hospital as well.

A witness also told BBC, a witness inside the hospital told BBC that he had heard an explosion looked outside the window and then saw a man get out of the car who was screaming and that car was on fire. A second person we can only assume that that was the victim, was still inside the vehicle at that time, Rosemary.

CHURCH: That is devastating. We'll continue to follow this of course and bring details to our viewers as they come into us. Scott McLean brings that live from London.

[02:40:00]

Well, the son of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has submitted his candidacy for the Libyan presidency. That is, according to the country's election commission that Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi faces a major obstacle. The 49-year old is wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity for allegedly suppressing the revolt of the Libyan people in 2011.

In a rare interview in July, he told the New York Times he thought his legal issues could be negotiated away if he wins the election next month. And we want to thank you for joining us here on CNN Newsroom. If you're an international viewer, World Sport is up next. If you're watching from here in the United States, I'll be right back with more news. Don't go anywhere.

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[02:45:00]

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CHURCH: Just hours from now U.S. President Joe Biden will be putting his name on his first big legislative win since he took office this year. He will be signing a hard fought Infrastructure Spending Plan into law. It will fund improvements to a sprawling list of items, roads, bridges, airports, even environmental cleanups and it comes as Americans feel the pinch of rising inflation.

Later this week, House Democrats hope to pass the Build Back Better Act. The White House says the nearly $2 trillion economic bill will help lower costs for American families. Rising food and energy prices are big drivers of inflation hitting Americans in the wallet. CNN's Natasha Chen is in Los Angeles as California wrestles with record high gas prices.

And Polo Sandoval is at the Bowery Mission in New York, as food charities around the country struggle to feed the hungry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NATASHA CHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Californians are reeling from record breaking gas prices. Sunday, statewide average hit just above $4.67 per gallon breaking a record from 2012. While part of the issue is regional with some northern California refineries being affected by severe weather, the overall increase is being felt across the country primarily due to high crude oil prices.

Data from Gas Buddy as site tracking gas prices reported by drivers shows the U.S. has never seen a year over year increase like we've had in 2021. We talked to some drivers in Los Angeles who are definitely feeling the sticker shock.

MITZI ARCHER, LOS ANGELES DRIVER: Oh my God, it costs about $100 to fill up my tank. Yes, premium I use premium gas and gas is absolutely expensive right now.

ANTHONY GEORGE, LOS ANGELES DRIVER: With the emissions requirements that our gas prices are definitely higher than the nation. We know that. So you know, I just said forget it. I'm going to go get me a hybrid.

CHEN: With that hybrid, he says he's saving about $400 to $500 per month, triple. A spokesperson told us that demand is higher than typical this time of year. While historically travel slows after the summer months, this year, he says there was pent up demand from people who have stayed at home throughout the pandemic.

They're eager to travel and trying to gather for the holidays, not only is demand higher, but U.S. oil production is also 14 percent lower than at the end of 2019. Back to you.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, make no mistake, higher food prices resulting in inflation and even some supply chain shortages throughout the country, especially for some of those nonprofits that are helping the communities and especially some of the soup kitchens during what is usually the busiest times of year.

Here at the Bowery Mission in Manhattan, place has been helping feed and shelter people for well over 100 years. They couldn't say if some of their unique challenges here are directly tied to that, but certainly a possibility. And that includes now having to do more with less. They heavily rely on some of their partners and their donations. And some of those partners now having to spend more to actually come here with those contributions that help them feed the needy and for this year, we heard from CEO of the organization, James Winans.

He took us inside as they are prepping, making sure that nothing stands in their way as they can actually continue to help some of those folks that come this Thanksgiving. And he told us a little bit about some - some of the unique challenges they're facing this year.

JAMES WINANS, CEO, THE BOWERY MISSION: This year, for example, we have many received many, many fewer turkeys than we're used to for Thanksgiving. And so where we're used to distributing out an abundance of food to other partners in the community, this year, we're really focused on those probably 1000 people we're expecting on Thanksgiving Day, right here at the Bowery Mission.

SANDOVAL: And that's really one of the biggest challenges for the folks here at the Bowery admission, they usually can be overgenerous, they can over produce some of their Thanksgiving meals. This year, however, because they have somewhat of a limited stock and their main focus is on feeding those families that usually show up at their doorstep and then simply hope that they have some leftover so they can then spread the generosity around. Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.

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CHURCH: Well, the pace of COVID vaccinations in the U.S. is picking up with millions more people now eligible for the shot. More than 195 million Americans are fully vaccinated. That's according to the CDC, and that is almost 59 percent of the total U.S. population. Among that group, about 29 million have now gotten an additional booster dose as well. And as we've mentioned, more than a million children ages five to 11 have gotten their first dose just two weeks after the FDA authorized the vaccine for that age group.

[02:50:00]

Dr. Ashish Jha is the Dean of Brown University School of Public Health and joins me now from Providence, Rhode Island. Thank you so much, Doctor, for all that you do and for joining us.

DR. ASHISH JHA, DEAN, BROWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: Thank you for having me back, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Absolutely. So according to the CDC, nearly 59 percent of the total U.S. population is fully vaccinated. And more than 1 million children under 12 have received their first COVID shot. But former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb says there will be a post-holiday COVID spike, and he thinks it will get worse before it gets better, particularly in those States that have very low vaccination rates. Do you agree with him, and when do you think we'll start to emerge from this pandemic?

JHA: Yes, unfortunately, I think Dr. Gottlieb is right. I think we are looking forward to or looking ahead to about six to eight weeks of difficult times in the United States. We have about 80,000 infections a day right now, that's actually up a little bit in the last couple of weeks. I expect those numbers to rise in the upcoming weeks, especially with Thanksgiving and the Christmas holidays that are coming.

I do think January will be better, but the next couple of months are going to be pretty tough.

CHURCH: So with the holidays upon us, what would your advice be to everyone to sort of avoid the six to eight weeks that lie ahead of us and the problems that many people experience in those times?

JHA: Yes, so number one is absolutely for people to get vaccinated. If you're not yet vaccinated, if your kids are not vaccinated, it is safe to get together over the holidays, if you're vaccinated; it's much, much riskier if it is - if you are not. For other people who have been vaccinated, I would say if you're more than six months out, from your vaccine, get a booster shot. Those are widely available, and they offer another level of protection.

And then just being careful around the holidays, particularly around vulnerable people is a good idea. But I do think this is a holiday where we can get together safely if we follow those precautions.

CHURCH: Right. And you did mention the booster shot. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy is encouraging people to get vaccinated, of course, and for those who were eligible to get a booster shot, but there there's still a reluctant portion of the population here in the U.S. and across parts of Europe, the antivaxxers who don't appear to remember polio or smallpox. How do you educate and convince these people that getting vaccinated

will end this pandemic?

JHA: It's difficult obviously, it's been an effort for a while now. But unfortunately, I think the misinformation directed towards Americans and Europeans and others is very well organized and done by parties with ulterior motives. We've got to keep talking to people and engaging people and addressing the concerns that they have. I think there are a lot of legitimate questions that people still have that we have to answer. I also think policies like mandates can make a big difference.

CHURCH: And of course, with COVID, again, surging in Europe, Austria is now ordering lockdowns, just for the unvaccinated for the next 10 days or so. And any violators will be fined if they don't stay in their homes and if they want to get out and buy some goods, of course, food and other requirements, but is that what will ultimately need to be done in other countries as well, given this is now a pandemic of the unvaccinated?

JHA: Yes, you know, I have to say I'm pretty skeptical of any policy that directs lockdowns, just towards unvaccinated people. What I would much prefer as mandates for public gatherings, for workplaces. I think that's a much more compelling way to get people vaccinated. We'll see what the Austria experience is and if it works, but I think taking one part of the population and treating them differently in that way, is just hard to sustain for any extended period of time.

CHURCH: Of course, that we've seen some work groups, some unions, some Republican governors push back on any effort to put vaccine mandates in place. So what would your advice be there, what should happen?

JHA: Well, my advice is, I think we're all getting tired of this pandemic, we're 20-22 months in, we need to put this pandemic behind us we need to bring the acute phase of the pandemic to a close. There's really one major path out and that is vaccines. For Republican governors who are others who are opposed to mandates, if they have better ideas for getting a lot more people vaccinated. I think all of us would be open to it.

But the ultimately the key goal is to get a lot more people vaccinated so we can bring this pandemic to a close.

CHURCH: All right, Dr. Ashish Jha, always a pleasure to talk with you. Thank you so much.

JHA: Thank you.

CHURCH: While health experts fear the pandemic may be worsening, the impact of an already debilitating disease diabetes. A February study found that diabetes tripled a person risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19. Over 500 million people one in 10 adults worldwide live with diabetes.

[02:55:00] CHURCH: Nearly half undiagnosed. It has killed nearly 7 million people this year alone. But lifestyle changes make a difference. Healthy Foods and moderate exercise can cut the risk and along with medication, even put full blown diabetes into remission. And you can help those struggling during the pandemic and get help yourself. Head to cnn.com/impact to find links to charitable organizations verified by CNN.

President Biden has long paid tribute to his family's Irish roots and on Saturday, he celebrated the Irish rugby team's 29 to 20 victory over New Zealand's All Blacks. The U.S. President called the Irish Rugby Football Union from his retreated Camp David. Team members chanted USA and asked for an invitation to the White House. On Sunday a pub in Ireland tweeted this clip from that video call.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Bravo you guys. Great win, man. Great win. Really, really. By the way when I was down in New Zealand not long ago, I was bragging about you guys, almost didn't let me off the island, you know what I mean? Congratulations, fellas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Well done. And that wraps up this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Rosemary Church. I'll be back in just a moment with more news. Don't go away.

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