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U.K. And U.S. To Ban Travel From Seven Countries In Africa In Effort To Stop Spread Of Omicron Variant Of Coronavirus; Health Experts Say Omicron Variant Of Coronavirus Likely Already In U.S.; Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky Says Russia Plotting Coup In Ukraine With Help Of Wealthy Ukrainian Oligarch; Award-Winning Composer Stephen Sondheim Passes Away; Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert Apologizes For Islamophobic Comments About Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired November 27, 2021 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Their culture bakery was started by two men who fell in love. And whether you come in for that or you come in just for a muffin, you're leaving with a piece of our love story.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

PAULA REID, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, thanks for joining me. I'm Paula Reid in Washington in this weekend for Fredricka Whitfield. Breaking news, officials in Germany have identified two cases of an alarming new COVID variant called Omicron. It follows a similar announcement from the U.K. a few hours ago. The British prime minister held an emergency press conference where he gave this sobering warning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS JOHNSON, U.K. PRIME MINISTER: It does appear that Omicron spreads very rapidly and can be spread between people who are double vaccinated. There is also a very extensive mutation, which means it diverges quite significantly from previous configurations of the virus. And as a result, it might, in part, reduce the protection of our vaccines over time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

REID: Joining me now, Nada Bashir in London, David McKenzie in Johannesburg, and Arlette Saenz with President Biden in Nantucket. Nada, I want to start with you. There the prime minister was clear about threat they are facing, but what else did he say about their plan to address this variant?

NADA BASHIR, CNN PRODUCER: Well, yes, it was a sobering press conference there from Boris Johnson joined by this chief scientific adviser and the chief medical officer for England. And there were really some warning signs expressed there, but Boris Johnson did say the U.K. government would be taking a targeted and measured approach.

We have had two confirmed cases in the U.K. right now in the last few moments. Germany confirmed two cases, and of course Belgium. So there are concerns now that Europe could be seeing a spread in this variant coming in the next few days and weeks.

But Boris Johnson has announced a series of measures to try and tackle at least or bring under control the spread of this variant on a national level. We have already seen those travel restrictions come into force in the U.K. and of course from the European Union on those southern African states. People in the U.K. now will be required if they are coming into the country from those countries to quarantine and self-isolate for 10 days in a government approved hotel at their own expense.

What we just heard in the last few moments from Boris Johnson is that now people will be required to take a PCR test by day two. And they will have to isolate until they get the test result. And if they receive a negative test result, they will then have to isolate for 10 days as well as their contacts. And that's the key here. There's a great emphasis on contact tracing and ensuring that the spread of the virus is controlled.

But there will be other measures being brought back into force. The U.K. was relaxing some measures, including travel and, of course, social life as well. But mask wearing will become compulsory in shops and other indoor areas, including public transport, though not in the hospitality sector.

So there is an effort here to bring it under control. Not as drastic as we have seen in other parts of Europe. Austria and Slovakia have brought into place a lockdown. The Netherlands has itself brought into place a partial lockdown with concerns over several travelers who arrived from South Africa and have tested positive for coronavirus.

So there are concerns, and we do see a varying approach across the European continent. But Boris Johnson has been clear. There are some concerns there. And he's also said that actually while there are concerns that there isn't clear evidence as who how effective the vaccines will be at this stage against this new variant, there is still some signs that actually if you have had two dozes, and, in fact, the booster dose, you may be in a better place.

REID: -- efficacy of the vaccine and this variant. Now, David, you've reported that some officials in South Africa don't feel there has been sufficient gratitude for their efforts to identify this variant. What's the mood among officials where you are right now?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, I think it's deeply frustrating and, in fact angry in some cases. You did see the British prime minister expressing what he called deep gratitude for the scientists in South Africa who managed to describe this and figure out the potential danger of this variant very quickly.

But besides people wanting gratitude, they don't necessarily want these bans spreading across the world, stopping travelers from South Africa and this region going to those countries, and perhaps more importantly, potential tourists coming from those countries here as this region comes into its main tourist season. The effects of this ban could be devastating.

Now, while most countries putting in these bans, including the U.S., has stressed that this is important from a public health perspective, it's worth remembering the WHO and Africa's CDC and most public health experts I have been speaking to over the months say these kinds of flat out bans never are put in in time enough because of the nature of this virus.

[14:05:11]

So they might only help in the margins, and their impact can be very huge. The state of this variant in the country at the moment here in South Africa, there are -- there is an increase in case, certainly quite a dramatic increase. It's coming from a pretty low base.

No indication yet that this variant is any more serious, and in fact at this point, speaking to doctors in this city, they said there isn't much pressure on the hospitals at the moment. But it could just be too early to tell, as it is too early to tell just whether this variant is very dangerous, or this is a false alarm. Paula?

REID: Arlette, certainly this news about a new COVID variant is the last thing anyone wanted to hear, but what are you learning from your sources about what the president and his team are doing right now about this new threat?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Paula, President Biden was briefed earlier today on the latest developments relating to Omicron as he is spending the Thanksgiving holiday weekend here in Nantucket. And his COVID team is also in touch with health officials from other countries around the world as people are trying to learn more about what exactly this variant means.

Officials have said that it could take several days or possibly even several weeks to really fully understand the impact of the Omicron variant. That includes whether this might cause severe illness and whether it will evade the vaccines that are currently being administered around the world.

And a bit earlier today, Dr. Anthony Fauci talked about how this is a highly and easily spreadable variant, but also said that it could be possible it's already here in the United States.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF MEDICAL ADVISER: So you would predict from looking at the mutations that have been identified that it likely will be more transmissible. We don't know that yet, but you have to be careful and assume that that's the case.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you believe that Omicron is already here in the U.S., likely?

FAUCI: I would not be surprised if it is.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SAENZ: While health officials are trying to learn more about Omicron, the White House and President Biden have been stressing the importance of vaccinations and booster shots. That is how this administration insists Americans will be able to protect themselves against the coronavirus and possible other variants that may make its way here to the United States.

But really this is such a difficult subject for the administration to tackle in the coming days and weeks as people are heading into the holiday season. They're trying to learn more about what exactly this variant might mean for people who are impacted by it, and certainly the administration will also focus on curbing the spread of it if it does, in fact, make its way here to U.S.

REID: Arlette, David, Nada, thank you so much for your excellent reporting, staying on top of this fast-moving story.

And joining me with more on the emerging threat of Omicron, Dr. Saju Mathew, primary care specialist and public health expert. Welcome, Dr. Mathew. Thank you so much for being with us.

DR. SAJU MATHEW, PUBLIC HEALTH SPECIALIST: Thank you, Paula.

REID: Now, it seems the question of the hour is how much protection will the currently available vaccines provide against this variant? We've heard a lot about dozens of mutations on the spike proteins. Can you translate that for lay folks, and also just how much do we know about the protection that people may have if they have been vaccinated?

MATHEW: Paula, I take the whole position that we shouldn't panic just yet. The most important thing is to study the virus. Just because this virus is more contagious doesn't necessarily mean that it's more dangerous. One thing to look out for is this number that we use among scientists called the R-naught number or the reproduction number.

That means, how many people can one person infect? With the Delta variant the R reproduction number was about eight or nine. So one person can infect eight or nine people. Measles, which is the most contagious illness out there, the R-naught number is 18. Guess what scientists are predicting for this variant. It might be upwards in the 50s, meaning one person could potentially infect 50 people.

But we don't know any of this yet. I think what's most important, Paula, is that people that are unvaccinated, people who have not been boosted, this is the time to show at your local pharmacy and get the vaccinations. There are three plus billion people in the world who have not even gotten their first jab. So really, we should just calm down, study more about this virus, continue to wear the masks, and get vaccinated.

[14:10:00]

REID: Now, I'm lawyer, not a doctor, but it seems to me that if more people can be infected, up to 50 potentially from an individual, you have more virus, that also could potentially mean more mutations, right?

MATHEW: Exactly. This is the worst version of the virus just yet. We're talking about 50 mutations, 30 of which, Paula, are on that spike protein. And you see, we need the spike protein to be deadly, meaning that we need to be able to attack the spike protein with the antibodies, the neutralizing antibodies that the vaccines have produced.

But if the spike protein has 30 mutations, then the antibodies potentially may not recognize it, which means that the worst fear would immune escape, meaning that the vaccine doesn't work at all. I'm a little bit more optimistic. I think that the efficacy of the vaccine will decrease, but it should still work to some degree.

REID: So you say you're not a huge fan of travel bans. We've heard experts say, they help a little, but not a lot. So tell me more about your reservations, because in a situation like this, it seems like even a little bit of help is a good thing. No?

MATHEW: I agree. It's kind of like a kneejerk reflex. Countries are trying to protect their borders. But this is typically what happens with travel bans. By the time a dangerous variant is identified, we're already playing catch up. Somebody has to fall sick. Somebody has to get tested.

We're not necessarily testing everybody, and we're not sequencing every single virus out there. So South Africa was really transparent, and I commend them for being open about this dangerous variant knowing that they might actually be punished.

And these travel bans really does punish the country that is being transparent. So my worry, Paula, is that future countries may not be as forthcoming. And secondly, if the variant is already in these countries, our focus should be more on studying the variant, getting vaccines into people's arms. So that's why I don't think travel bans really work that well.

Given the fact that we've already learned that COVID-19 was probably in the U.S. before the first cases were publicly identified even in Wuhan, China, what is the best thing that people can do right now to protect themselves from this variant? Because it does seem across many experts, they're saying that, yes, it's likely it's already here. So what should people do, besides, of course, as you've noted, get vaccinated?

MATHEW: I think we should assume that this variant is probably already on our soil. And I think that it's important for people to realize that 40 percent of Americans is still unvaccinated. So yes, vaccines alone will not get us out of this pandemic.

But making wise choice, continuing to wear the mask, getting boosted if you haven't already, protecting our elderly, because they will have the worst outcome if they get infected, and of course kids that are not vaccinated. We are tired of the pandemic, but the pandemic is definitely not tired of us.

REID: Dire news. Thank you, Doctor, appreciate you being with us.

MATHEW: Thank you, Paula.

REID: Coming up, the president of Ukraine alleges that Russia is plotting a coup against him. The details, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

REID: Ukraine's president says Russia is plotting a coup in Ukraine next week with the help of one of the country's richest oligarchs. Russia and that billionaire deny any involvement, but the allegations follow a buildup of Russian troops along the border with Ukraine. And CNN's Matthew Chance reports the situation has the region on edge for good reason.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: These are disturbing allegations from the Ukrainian president, a serious and new threat posed by Russia against his government. "We have information that will soon be a coup in our country," he announced at a round table discussion with journalists. In just a few days, he said, on the first or second of December. The Kremlin denies any such plot.

But it's a dramatic escalation in the war of words as Russia is accused of massing forces near Ukraine's borders, poised to invade, which the Kremlin also denies. Now President Zelensky says he has intelligence, including an audio recording of Russians and Ukrainians discussing the plot against him, but no evidence has yet been made public.

He also suggested Ukraine's richest man, this powerful oligarch called Rinat Akhmetov, who on several critical media outlets may have been involved, something strenuously denied to CNN by Akhmetov himself. "The information made public by Volodymyr Zelensky about attempts to draw me into some kind of coup is an absolute lie," Akhmetov said in this written statement. "

As a Ukrainian citizen, the country's biggest investor, taxpayer, and employer," Akhmetov continues, "I will defend a free Ukraine and do everything I can to prevent authoritarianism and censorship."

For years now, Ukraine has been facing enormous pressure from its powerful Russian neighbor, fighting a trench war with Russian backed rebels in the country's east. It was the threat of holding back U.S. military aid that led to former President Trump's first impeachment.

Now U.S. officials say Russia is engaged in destabilizing activities inside Ukraine as well against the Zelensky government. It's one of the reasons the Ukrainian leader seems on edge, conscious he has enemies outside the country and within. But there are also fears he's using real concerns about Russia to crack down on his opponents too.

Matthew Chance, CNN, London.

(END VIDEO TAPE) REID: Let's bring in Jill Dougherty. She's the adjunct professor at Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service and she's CNN's former Moscow Bureau chief.

[14:20:02]

Jill, thanks so much for being with us. I want to talk to you about what Matthew just reported on, this, quote, massive build up. To you, does this build up along the border, does it look and feel different than what we've seen previously?

JILL DOUGHERTY, FORMER CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: It does if you listen to most people who watch this very closely. The numbers are large. The way they have been brought in once again. They were brought in, the Russian troops, back in April, and nothing really happened, but it was a very large number of troops.

This time, though, it feels different. There's a lot of, as we say, signaling going on. There are statements by President Putin about Ukraine, demeaning and diminishing its sovereignty. You have this latest report that Matthew was just talking about in terms of a possible coup. It's a very tense situation.

And I think if you look at it in broader terms, Ukraine has been moving closer to the west. Initially I think Russians felt when he was inaugurated that perhaps he was making some good soundings about Russia, that they could work with him. But at this point there seems to be no way for that to happen.

Russians are throwing up their hands. And so that's why we're getting this very serious indication that there could be some military action. Whether there actually is or not, it's still very threatening.

REID: One of Russia's criticisms is, of course, that the west, and particularly the U.S., had been arming Ukraine with sophisticated weapons. And the U.S. says it's weighing sending more military advisers, more equipment. So how much does that play into this current crisis?

DOUGHERTY: All of that does. It depends on which side of the border you're looking at. If you're in Moscow, you look at that and say, yes, NATO is training Ukrainian troops. The United States gave $400 million this year for lethal, as it's called, military supplies to Ukraine. So it looks threatening from Moscow's side, or at least that is what they say, and I think that's probably pretty genuine.

But what they want to do, why are they so incensed about Ukraine? That goes a lot deeper. And President Putin does not want any interference by NATO, the United States, the west in general in what he still considers 30 years after the Soviet Union ended, he still considers his neighbor. So that's, I think, one of the problems that we've got, his view of what Ukraine even is.

REID: So Zelensky is accusing one of his country's richest men of being in a war against the state, which this individual denies. But since becoming president, Zelensky has been targeting the country's oligarchs. What do you say to those people who suggest he's using the current situation to crack down on his critics?

DOUGHERTY: The critics are some of the people who should be cracked down on, quite honestly. I'm not saying that he should repress them, but what he has been trying to do, not very successfully, but urged on by the United States and Europe, crackdown on corruption, and crack down on the huge influence that these oligarchs have in Ukraine.

Ukraine has not been able to solve that problem. And they've gotten some warnings, direct urging from the United States, even behind the scenes, a lot stronger than now, that they have to do that. But until they are really capable of doing that, there is some problems politically in Ukraine. And so President Zelensky is talking about the oligarch, Akhmetov. He may be his political opponent, but he also is an oligarch, and has enormous influence in the entire country.

REID: So based on your expertise, why do you think Vladimir Putin is choosing to flex his muscle now, in this way?

DOUGHERTY: Because I feel that he is looking at what NATO is doing. He's looking at what the United States is doing militarily, but he's also looking at the United States. Let's think of President Putin. He sees the United States really focused on China. And the Biden administration's focus really is on China.

So perhaps the United States, he might think, is deflected from paying attention to what's really going on. If the United States is not paying enough attention to Russia, that incenses President Putin. He wants the United States to pay attention to Russia.

And then also I think there may be a little bit of Afghanistan working here where Putin looks at the United States leaving Afghanistan, thinks, well, the United States left Afghanistan.

[14:25:04]

And he's thinking it probably won't do very much if anything in Ukraine. But he can't be sure about that, because the United States has reiterated many times that it respects and supports the sovereign integrity of Ukraine. So it's -- that is why, Paul, you've got a lot of conversations right now. NATO will be meeting this coming week, and there are a lot of discussions even between the Russians and the Americans on this subject.

REID: It appears that he has achieved the attention he wanted. Jill, thank you so much for sharing your expertise.

And just ahead, Broadway is mourning the loss of Stephen Sondheim, the man behind the music of "West Side Story," "Into the Woods," and "Sweeney Todd."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:30:27]

REID: We continue to follow our breaking news on Omicron, the newly identified COVID variant. Moments ago, Italian authorities announced the first confirmed case of the variant in their country. The case is from a passenger who arrived from Mozambique. Health officials have not disclosed the date of the passenger's arrival or their nationality.

And tributes to renowned composer Stephen Sondheim are pouring in after news of his death Friday, ranging from the artists he inspired to his fans. Singer and Broadway star Idina Menzel tweeted "Good-bye dear sir. We will spend our lives trying to make you proud." Also novelist and playwright Paul Rudnick said of his support, "He would go to see everything and encourage young artists. Like so many, I received a personal note which thrills to this way."

CNN's Stephanie Elam looks back on Sondheim's bold body of work.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Stephen Sondheim was one of musical theaters most prolific and successful writers, winning eight Tony Awards, eight Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, a Pulitzer Prize for drama, and in 2015 the presidential Medal of Freedom.

Sondheim was born on March 22nd, 1930, in New York City. His parents divorced in 1942, and he moved to Pennsylvania with his mother. In Pennsylvania, he became friends with James Hammerstein, the son of lyricist Oscar Hammerstein.

Throughout his teen years, his relationship with his mother deteriorated, and eventually the two became estranged. But Oscar Hammerstein was a constant figure, encouraging Sondheim's musical talents throughout high school and college.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If it had not been for the Hammersteins, I really don't know where I would be, if I would even be alive.

(MUSIC)

ELAM: Sondheim's big break came when he wrote the lyrics for the Broadwa show "West Side Story" in 1957. Then in 1962, he expanded his repertoire, and for the first time he wrote the lyrics and composed the music for "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum."

In 1970, Sondheim began a collaboration with theater producer Hal Prince that lasted more than a decade. Their 1973 play, "A Little Night Music," was composed mostly in waltz time and became one of their biggest commercial successes. It featured the hit "Send in the Clowns," one of Sondheim's best known songs.

(MUSIC)

ELAM: In 1979, Sondheim wrote what was probably Broadway's first musical thriller, "Sweeney Todd," the story of an English barber and serial killer.

(MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's great about the theater is it's a living organism, whereas movies and television are, as if in amber. It's not that they're dead, but they're only alive in one shape, form, and tone. Every time you see a movie, they are giving the same performance as they did the last time you saw them. Not true of a show.

ELAM: Inspiration was everywhere for Sondheim, and in 1984, moved by a famous painting by Georges Seurat, he penned the lyrics for "Sunday in the Park with George."

(MUSIC)

ELAM: For that inventive stage craft, he won the Pulitzer Prize for drama.

In 1987 he wrote "Into the Woods" based on the fables of the Brothers Grimm. Late in Sondheim's career, Lin-Manuel Miranda approached him with something he was working on, a musical then called the Hamilton mixed tape. Sondheim mentored him Miranda just as Hammerstein had done to him. From waltzes to rap, inspired by everything from serial killers to fairy tales, Sondheim's impact on American musical theater spanned decades and created some of the world's most popular musicals.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

REID: What a life. As Stephanie mentioned, Sondheim mentored Lin- Manuel Miranda before his musical "Hamilton" became a household name.

[14:35:03]

Miranda shared an e-mail he received from the musical theater master last week. I wrote him to say his ears must be burning from the countless Sondheim kindnesses being shared from the generations of writers he mentored. Sondheim responded with "It's an aspect of my life I'm proud of. I feel as if I've repaid, partially at least, what I owe Oscar," a sweet tribute to his mentor and friend Oscar Hammerstein.

Coming up, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar asking House leadership to act after Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert is caught on video making racist and Islamophobic comments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:40:15]

REID: Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert of Colorado is now apologizing after she was seen on video making Islamophobic comments about a Democratic colleague. Boebert captured on camera implying that Ilhan Omar, one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress, might be a suicide bomber.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. LAUREN BOEBERT, (R-CO): I look to my left, and there she is, Ilhan Omar. And I said, well, she doesn't have backpack. We should be fine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

REID: Susan Malveaux is covering these developments for us. Suzanne, of course, it's tricky with things like this because by reporting on this, we're amplifying it, but it seems the real message here is that this kind of statements, these kind of statements, are becoming increasingly accepted on Capitol Hill. What are you learning?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We know that she's being tested. Just what kind of insults or derogatory remarks or comments against her Democratic colleagues are acceptable? The Democratic leadership, of course, saying that Boebert needs to fully retract her comments because her language, her behavior, far beneath the standard of dignity and decency that is required by members of Congress.

Boebert tweeted "I apologize to anyone in the Muslim community I offended with my comment about Representative Omar. I have reached out to her office to speak with her directly. There are plenty of policy differences to focus on without this unnecessary distraction."

Congresswoman Omar, she is not impressed. She tweeted back, "Saying I am a suicide bomber is no laughing matter. GOP leader and Speaker Pelosi needs to take appropriate action. Normalizing this bigotry not only endangers my life but the lives of all Muslims. Anti-Muslim bigotry has no place in Congress."

So House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, he is also being tested. McCarthy, he is poised to become the speaker if Republicans win back the House next year. He is being pulled by both extremist elements in his party as well as the moderates to give some clear direction as to where the Republican Party is going.

And McCarthy has so far not condemned Boebert's remarks. He has previously promised to reinstate the committee assignments of the censured Republican Paul Gosar and Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene following their own incendiary remarks.

REID: So what are you hearing from Republican leadership and rank and file members about these comments? Are they going to let this slide?

MALVEAUX: Today a moderate Republican, lawmaker, telling CNN that they believe McCarthy is taking the middle of this conference for granted, the middle people, the moderates, that they could have a bigger problem with the moderates in winning back the gavel because embracing the extremists are going to alienate some critical voters in these swing districts.

And they're also warning that the two wings of the party are headed for a collision course, that if McCarthy fails to rein in the fringe members of the party, moderates are going to start speaking out, saying, quote, "Our side isn't going to take this much longer."

REID: We'll see. Suzanne, thank you so much for that report.

Still ahead, how China is trying to silence the conversation about tennis star Peng Shuai who has not been seen in public in weeks.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

REID: The Women's Tennis Association says it remains deeply concerned about Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai and how she is still being censured. This comes after publicly accused vice premier of coercing her into sex at his home. Now Chinese authorities rushed to muffle Peng with blanket censorship. As weeks went by, the women's tennis world demanded answers on her whereabouts. And as CNN's Will Ripley reports, China has a long history of silencing its critics.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can see that as soon as you started talking about this story, Erin, it went to color bars.

When China's communist rulers don't like the message.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This broadcast is not being aired in China. It's being censored.

RIPLEY: They silence the messenger.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They have an army of censors waiting to push that button.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They don't want the people there to see it.

RIPLEY: CNN coverage of tennis star Peng Shuai blocked inside China.

JENNIFER HSU, RESEARCH FELLOW, LOWY INSTITUTE: It really tries to control the story, control the narrative.

RIPLEY: Controlling the narrative means scrubbing social media. Peng's explosive post on November 2nd, accusing a retired Chinese leader of sexual assault, erased within 30 minutes. Look for the story on China's leading search engine, you get this message -- "Sorry, no relevant results found." The scandal so politically sensitive, a high profile state propagandists referred to it on Twitter as the thing people talked about.

Inside China, State media staying silent. No mention in the mainland's TV or digital media. Outside, those news outlets eagerly tweeting updates and images of Peng in English, on a platform blocked in their own country, an irony not lost on millions following the story outside of China, some even mocking the state media tweets.

Peng is seen smiling but not talking at a tennis tournament, having dinner with friends and a Chinese sports official who just so happens to mention the exact date several times.

[14:50:00] CNN has no way to independently verify these videos or this e-mail supposedly from Peng to head of the Women's Tennis Association last week, claiming "everything is fine," a computer cursor visible in this apparent screenshot. The head of the WTA telling OUT FRONT he's not convinced.

STEVE SIMON, WTA CHAIRMAN AND CEO: I'm just struggling to agree to that, and don't believe that's the truth at all.

RIPLEY: The WTA demanding direct, uncensored communication with Peng. The organization's repeated calls and messages to the tennis star unanswered.

HSU: China is well-known for coercing statements to show that everything is fine.

RIPLEY: China's narrative bolstered by the International Olympic Committee. The IOC handed out this single image of a video call Sunday along with a statement summarizing the call, claiming Peng is safe and well, totally ignoring her painfully detailed allegation of sexual assault.

With billions of dollars in ad revenue on the line, critics call the IOC complicit in China's apparent silencing of a three-time Olympian who many fear is being held under duress, censored by China's authoritarian government, which blames hostile forces for politicizing the issue. When CNN goes to the next story, our signal returns. As China waits for the news cycle to move on, the pressure keeps growing. The world keeps demanding answers.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

REID: And a quick programming note. Join Fareed Zakaria for an in- depth look at China's leader. "China's Iron Fist, Xi Jinping and the Stakes for America" begins tomorrow night at 9:00.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:56:31]

REID: Procter & Gamble is issuing a recall for more than 17 different types of Old Spice and Secret Brand aerosol deodorants and sprays after concerns the product could contain benzene, a cancer-causing agent. The company says it has not received any reports of health issues, but it's moving forward out of an abundance of caution. People who purchased the affected products should throw them away, and then you can fill out a form online to receive a full refund.

And after 11 weeks, the jury finally heard directly from former Theranos CEO in her criminal case. Elizabeth Holmes took the stand for nearly nine hours, testifying about the origin of her new-defunct company and the evolution of its blood-testing devices. In her signature baritone voice, Holmes cited trade secrets as the reason for not disclosing the use of third-party devices for their blood tests. Camila Bernal reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ELIZABETH HOLMES, FOUNDER AND FORMER CEO, THERANOS: More people will have access to their own health information.

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: With her distinctive deep voice, Elizabeth Holmes taking the stand. Over three days of testimony, Holmes tried to explain her actions and regrets at her now-dissolved blood testing company Theranos.

HOLMES: So this is the little tubes that we collect the samples in.

BERNAL: Needing just a few drops of blood, the startup once valued at $9 billion promised a wide range of tests, claiming to revolutionize health care.

HOLMES: We called them the nano-tainer. They're about this big.

BERNAL: But for 11 weeks, prosecutors in her criminal trial have argued Holmes, out of time and out of money, lied. She faces 11 federal fraud charges over allegations that she knowingly misled investors, doctors, and patients. The 37-year-old has pleaded not guilty.

Once known as the richest self-made woman, Holmes captured the attention and money of powerful and wealthy investors. Overall, Holmes raised $945 million in part thanks to her charisma.

SARA ASHLEY O'BRIEN: She's kind of has her head tilted. She's very engaged. She's frequently smiling, making eye contact with her attorney who's asking her the questions and occasionally looking over at the jurors, to explain to them how the technology worked.

BERNAL: Tuesday Holmes also telling the jury she relied on her scientists, and cited trade secrets as the reason for not disclosing the use of third-party devices for their blood tests. This as prosecutors prepare to confront the now-disgraced golden girl of Silicon Valley.

O'BRIEN: For weeks we've heard all of the allegations that they have mounted against her, and they'll get a chance to put those allegations to her and kind of see how she responds. So I expect it will be pretty fiery at some points when that happens.

BERNAL: Camila Bernal, CNN, San Jose, California.

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REID: And now for some much needed good news. A group of volunteer craftsmen at Waukesha, Wisconsin, are making sure survivors of that deadly parade attack have one less thing to worry about. They're going home to home, building wheelchair ramps.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're very thankful for everyone that is part of this. Waukesha is a very strong community. We're a small city, but when this happened, everyone just came together.

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REID: Home Depot and several other local businesses donated all of the building project materials.

Thanks for joining me today. I'm Paula Reid in Washington.