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COVID-19 Omicron; Michigan School Shooting; Jussie Smollett Trial; Ghislaine Maxwell Trial. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired December 01, 2021 - 02:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[02:00:34]
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Coming up here on CNN NEWSROOM, vaccinate and boost. The plan now for many parts of the world as the Omicron variant continues to spread. How effective are the current vaccines?
One of the most feared groups in the world, FARC rebels removed from the U.S. terrorism blacklist. Part of Washington's plan to preserve a fragile peace in the region.
And the pilot for a notorious pedophile, Jeffrey Epstein, takes the stand into a sex trafficking trial, recalling flying some high-profile passengers, including Donald Trump, Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton.
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with John Vause.
VAUSE: Thank you for joining us this hour.
We'll begin with what appears to be a common strategy among health officials dealing with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. In vaccines, we trust. Get a booster.
Ministers of health in both the Israeli and South African governments are the latest to say that vaccines currently available will likely -- likely -- be effective.
Three cases have now been identified in Nigeria, adding to at least countries and territories which have detected the variant.
A week ago, South Africa was the first to report the existence of the Omicron variant. And now new tests have revealed that it was the Netherlands, at least five days earlier than South Africa's announcement.
And least seven countries and territories have imposed some kind of restriction on travel from nations in the southern part of Africa.
And the U.S. is considering travel requirements for everyone entering the country to have negative COVID tests a day before arrival.
Four major U.S. airports have revved up measures to try and screen for the virus for incoming arriving travels. White House senior medical advisor, Dr. Anthony Fauci, says that it's
still not clear whether symptoms from the Omicron variant are less severe.
But the chair of the South African Medical Association says the majority of cases she has seen have been extremely mild.
And regulators in the E.U. say that vaccines adapted to target the new variant could receive approval within four months.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE PHAAHLA, SOUTH AFRICAN HEALTH MINISTER: There's no indication and any suggestion at this stage than this particular mutation, this particular variant will not be able to -- that severe illness from infection by this particular variant will not be prevented by the vaccine. There's no such evidence.
NITZAN HOROWITZ, ISRAELI HEALTH MINISTER(through interpretation): Soon, in the coming days, we will have more accurate information about the efficacy of the vaccine against Omicron.
But there's already room for optimism. And there are initial indications that those who are vaccinated with the vaccine still valid or with a booster will also be protected from the variant.
EMER COOKE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, EUROPEAN MEDICINES AGENCY: It's very important that we continue to get the message that the current vaccines provide protection. And we need to ensure that those who are eligible for boosting get the booster doses.
At the same time, we need to prepare in case there's a need to change the current vaccines. And that is work that the companies will do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: At this hour, CNN correspondents reporting in with the various latest from Europe Africa and Asia.
But we begin in Europe. France reporting the highest number of daily COVID cases since spring. Germany looking to tighten restrictions on the unvaccinated.
CNN's Cyril Vanier covering all this live for us from Paris.
So this is the Delta variant, which is causing the surge. It has nothing to do with the Omicron variant?
CYRIL VANIER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: John, I'm glad you framed it that way, because that is exactly what is happening.
With all the concerns around the Omicron, as good as they are, there's a surge of COVID in many parts of the world, especially here in Europe, which is the epicenter at the moment of the Delta variant.
We know how contagious that is. And we don't know whether Omicron will be more contagious.
So France with the highest number of cases has seen 47,000 daily infections since it has seen April. Poland with the highest number of deaths since April.
We have multiple countries on a partial lockdown, Slovakia, Austria. We have countries taking new measures almost daily.
[02:05:01]
And really the question this raises is, is the vaccination managing to -- why is the vaccination not preventing the surge in cases?
Because the situation two or three weeks ago, we saw a surge in cases in Eastern Europe. You can explain that by the fact that there was a very low vaccination rate, sometimes as low as 25 percent.
But here in France, John, 95 percent of the people who are eligible to be vaccinated, 12 years old and above, are vaccinated. And some of them have already started to get their boosters.
So why is it that cases are still surging in a country that has a vaccination rate as high as France does? I think those questions will need answers going forward.
Is it because immunity is waning? Is it because a booster shot is needed? That currently is what authorities are banking on, the booster shot -- John?
VAUSE: It was a similar situation in Ireland. They had a 95 percent vaccination rate, too, with COVID increases as well.
Thank you, Cyril Vanier, in Paris.
Now Japan increasing border restrictions for those who visited one of 10 African nations. Also, Hong Kong adding more countries to its high- risk travel category.
CNN's Will Ripley live from Hong Kong.
Will, are they adding the Netherlands to that high-risk travel category yet?
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hong Kong, yes. Any country where Omicron has been detected is in the highest risk category now. They just added some more countries there in Japan.
And beginning on Friday, if you are not a Hong Kong resident you, are banned from entering any of the high-risk countries.
If you are a Hong Kong resident, you have to be fully vaccinated to come in, and you have to do 21 days of quarantine where you are tested multiple times. And you need a test when you get out of quarantine on day 26.
Hong Kong has been ramping up its border restrictions that have really already been in place throughout this pandemic. They are trying to get and sync with mainland China, which, in some cases, quarantines people for up to seven weeks.
In Japan, they do not have a strict quarantine system. All incoming travelers are not required to quarantine. So what is the solution? Let's shut the borders to all new foreign arrivals.
And they are taking it one step further, because now, if you are from 10 southern African nations, Japan borders are also shut, even if you are a Japanese resident.
So if you come from southern Africa, like South African, Angola, Namibia, where a man in his 30s was Japan's first confirmed case Omicron -- we are now getting where there's a 2nd case. These cases are being detect at the international airport.
If you are a resident, if you have an apartment, if you have a family in Japan and you are traveling on business, if you have loved ones, if you have business interest, if you pay taxes in Japan, it does not matter.
If you are from these African nations, and a Japanese resident, you are now banned because of being from those countries.
Even though, Omicron was actually detected first, John, as you mentioned, in the Netherlands, even before the flights from southern African arrived. But the Netherlands are not on Japan's list of banned residents.
However, all foreigners are banned. And all new arrivals are banned if they do not have visas.
So it is a very extreme approach. And a lot of countries are really responding in ways that scientists say is not necessarily connected to the science.
They do not know a whole lot about Omicron. They don't know if it is more dangerous than Delta. They believe it is more contagious.
But some of these measures would have you think that we are right back to the height of this pandemic. That is what is really starting to feel like in this part of the world -- John?
VAUSE: Feels like that in many parts of the world right now.
Will, thank you, there in Hong Kong.
Let's head to Africa where three cases of the Omicron variant have been detected in Nigeria.
CNN's Elaine Giokos live in Johannesburg.
So what more do we know about these cases in Nigeria? What are the details?
ELAINE GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR & CORRESPONDENT: There are linked to travel to South Africa. So it is actually fascinating to hear the value chain of where Omicron is actually coming from globally.
And hearing those cases in the Netherlands that appeared 11 days before the Omicron variant was detected in South Africa is illuminating for various reasons.
Firstly, no one really knows where it originally comes from. What we do know is that it was detected here because of South Africa's advanced general sequencing, a scale that was acquired during the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the country.
This has been one of the biggest issues that South Africa feels, and many experts have reiterated this, that South Africa and regional countries have been targeted because of the identification process.
It does not necessarily mean that it emanated from here, that the variant was initially identified.
You have cases in Nigeria. We know it was identified in Botswana. And of course, the cases are rising here in South Africa. You're actually seeing almost a doubling of positive cases in South Africa on a day- to-day basis. And of course, this is causing concern.
Anecdotally, we heard there isn't a lot of worry about whether this causes more severe wellness. But you start to see an increase in hospitalizations.
[02:09:59]
And you're also seeing anecdotal stories coming through from doctors and hospitals saying they are worried about the hospitalization of children under 5.
We don't know if it is linked to Omicron, however, so this is still data that is being collected as we speak.
Generally, on the travel ban side, immigrants, for example, say there will now start flights back to South Africa but only bringing people in, not taking people out.
British Airways says it will resume flights to South Africa but only for U.K. nationals or people who have the right to live in the U.K. So people holding visas, but they will be under very strict quarantine rules.
What we are seeing, however -- and we are hearing that from other reporting coming through as well -- is that countries are taking very swift and very aggressive action in stopping people from coming in via air travel.
We know experts have said and reiterated that this holds no benefit. The Omicron variant could have already spread. We have ascertained that already it's found in around 20 countries and territories around the world.
But there's a general sense that the southern African region is unfairly being targeted. Many of the countries that have been at the receiving end of these
travel bans in the southern African region, the Omicron variant has not even been identified in many of these countries.
What does this mean economically? South Africa's unemployment rate came out yesterday, at 35 percent. This is a record number. This is a very scary number.
So now you are saying travel is going to be halted into South Africa. You will decimate the tourism industry. There's major fear that many African countries will be plunged into poverty because of this travel ban.
And we know it will still be a few weeks until pharmaceutical companies figure out whether vaccine efficacy is still intact with Omicron.
VAUSE: Yes, that is one thing, doing things that don't actually mean anything and can have an impact in the matter.
Elaine Giokos, thank you
We head to Los Angeles to Dr. Jorge Rodriguez, a board-certified internal medicine specialist.
Thanks for coming back. Good to see you.
DR. JORGE RODRIGUEZ, INTERNAL MEDICINE SPECIALIST & VIRUS RESEARCHER: My pleasure, John.
VAUSE: So when it comes to vaccines, variants and efficacy, the Israelis have a pretty good track record to date.
So with that in mind, I want you to listen to the Israeli health minister.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOROWITZ (through interpretation): Soon, in the coming days, we will have more accurate information about the efficacy of the vaccine against Omicron.
But there's already room for optimism. And there are initial indications that those who are vaccinated with the vaccine still valid or with a booster will also be protected from the variant.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: OK, so there's that.
But at the same time, we have the CEO of Moderna saying the current vaccines are likely to be less affective against the variant. He said he has been told by scientists this is not going to be good.
Who is right here? RODRIQUEZ: We don't know who is right yet. But I think the CEO of
Moderna may have spoken a little bit too soon and a little bit out of turn.
A lot of this is being based on all the mutations that this new variant has, that we do have to take absolute precautions until we know more.
To say that it is not going to work against the vaccines may be right, but it is very premature at this time. And hopefully, it will not dissuade people from getting vaccinated.
VAUSE: There's this potential of more they could be doing.
But I want you to listen to the message that is now coming from the head of the European Medicines Agency. Here she is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COOKE: We could be in a position that were there a need to change the existing vaccine, we could be in a position to have those approved within three to four months.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: So they are saying current vaccines will work. They believe, if they need to, they will adapt them. But for months? That seems an awfully long time to wait.
Are the modifying existing vaccines or reinventing the wheel? What's the process here?
RODRIGUEZ: The modification is easy. They really just put in mutations into a computer that comes out with the correct formula.
But then it's the production of the mRNA vaccines that takes a while. So you can maybe produce one vial the next day, or in the next few days after you have broken the code, which they have.
But a large production of it can take months. I think months is actually pretty quick to produce a new vaccine like that.
VAUSE: How confident, or how has the strategy of boosters that we trust, how does that sit with you?
RODRIGUEZ: It's very well, to be quite honest.
I will give you an example. Me. I was in Provincetown in July, and everybody around me was getting sick. And I tested my antibody response before going. It was at 300 and then down to 80.
After I got my booster, the levels were above 200 -- I mean, 2,500, which was greater than detectable.
So boosters definitely boost increase your immune system. To the point where, how long that will last, we don't know. [02:15:05]
So I think boosters are going to be vital for at least protection against another six months or a year.
VAUSE: You know, the anecdotal evidence right now is that the symptoms of the Omicron variant are mild. It is anecdotal.
And here's the word of caution from the national chair of South Africa's Medical Association.
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DR. ANGELIQUE COETZEE, CHAIR, SOUTH AFRICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION: How do you know it's not in your country yet? How do you know that a lot of those infections that you are currently seeing, that are severe, how do you know it is not maybe related to the Omicron? How do you know?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: It is a good question. I'm wondering if no one will ever be able to answer that. Because we have this lack of sequencing, the actual layer of testing that identifies the variant.
RODRIGUEZ: Yes, I think she's right. Right now, a lot of what we are seeing, it may be the Omicron variant. We don't know.
Again, hats off to South Africa, who is being, unfortunately, penalized for finding this.
But they have great ability to sequence. They learned this from the HIV epidemic that was rampant down there.
And we don't know. Which is, in my opinion, John, why we have to be even stricter when people are traveling.
I certainly do believe that almost everyone who travels internationally needs to have -- A, be vaccinated and, B, have a negative PCR test 24 hours before they fly.
VAUSE: Given we now have confirmation that the Omicron variant was in the Netherlands five days before South Africa made the announcement that it found it -- I mean, they've now revealed this with ongoing testing -- does this just make a mockery of travel bans?
RODRIGUEZ: No. I don't think so. I just think that the travel bans that we do have are actually not strict enough.
For example, when we can have U.S. citizens coming from South Africa and they don't necessarily need to be tested.
You have to remember that in order for testing to be valid -- you know, you could test one day and then two days later, it shows up in your blood, even though you are infected.
So, most travel imposes 72-hour checking. I think that's a bit too lax.
No, I don't think it makes a mockery of the travel. I don't think we are being strict enough.
VAUSE: OK.
Good to have you with us. Dr. Jorge Rodriguez, we appreciate being here be here with all of your insights. Thank you, sir.
RODRIGUEZ: Thank you.
VAUSE: Please join us for a CNN town hall, "CORONAVIRUS: FACTS AND FEARS," hosted by Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and featuring Dr. Anthony Fauci. That's Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. in New York, 9:00 a.m. in Hong Kong, 5:00 a.m. in Abu Dhabi.
Financial markets looking at a rebound from most loses. Right now, stocks in Asia looking to trade higher across the board. What a day. U.S. futures markets actually pointing to a positive open as well.
Where are those numbers again? Anyway. We'll get those numbers, maybe a little later.
In the meantime, we'll take a short break.
Why did the U.S. remove FARC from its terrorism blacklist? We'll explore that.
Also, where U.S./Colombia relations go from here.
Also, what is Russia warnings NATO about? And why is NATO warning Russia right back?
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VAUSE: Russian President Vladimir Putin is warning NATO not to send military forces or missile systems to Ukraine. And says the Kremlin has no intentions of invading Ukraine. But he warns that, if threatened, Moscow would be forced to act.
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VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translation): Creating such threats in Ukraine poses red lines for us. But I hope it doesn't come to that. I hope that common sense and responsibility for both our countries and the world will prevail.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: NATO leaders meeting in Latvia are concerned about Russia's troop buildup along the Ukraine border.
On Tuesday, the head of NATO had his own warning for Moscow.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL: We call on Russia to be transparent, de-escalate, and defuse tensions. Any future Russian aggression against Ukraine would come at a high price.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: NATO leaders plan to meet with officials from Ukraine and George in the coming hours to discuss Russia's military buildup.
A German court has issued a world first ruling, recognizing crimes by ISIS against the Yazidi people as genocide.
An Iraqi man, who was a member of ISIS, sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of enslaving a Yazidi girl in 2015, chaining her outside where she died in the soaring heat.
The court ruled he was involved in a wider campaign of genocide and crimes against humanity against the Yazidi people.
ISIS militants persecuted the Kurdish-speaking minority in Iraq and Syria for years, killing and enslaving thousands.
Five years after they gave up their weapons in a peace deal, Columbia's FARC is no longer considered a terrorist group by the U.S. State Department, which has now removed the group from its terrorist blacklist.
The guerrilla group disarmed and disbanded after a 2016 peace accord ended its decade-long conflict with the Colombian government.
Two dissident groups, led by militants, have now been designated as terrorist organizations by the U.S. State Department.
We have more now from Stefano Pozzebon.
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STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The United States removed the revolutionary armed forces of Colombia, known as FARC, from its terrorist blacklist on Tuesday. A move that came almost five years after FARC demobilized and disarmed as part of the Colombian peace process.
The move will allow U.S. officials to meet and engage with the former FARC combatants in Colombia and elsewhere in the world. And it's a strong signal to support for the peace agreement from the White House.
At the same time, two splinter groups of former FARC guerrillas that did not abandon armed struggle and are still operating as criminal organizations in the country, have been added to the blacklist.
The Colombian government did not comment on the decision.
The Colombian embassy in Washington D.C., released a statement applauding the decision to at the dissident groups as terrorist organizations.
And after more than five years since the peace agreement was signed, its implementation has yet to be fully completed.
Analysts urge the Colombia government to do more to provide guarantees to former fighters who are re-entering civilian life.
And he decision to delist the FARC from the terrorist blacklist is a step in that direction.
For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Caracas.
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VAUSE: Coming up on CNN NEWSROOM, CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta will break down data out of South Africa. What we can learn from medical experts there about vaccines and Omicron.
[02:24:13]
Plus, vaccinations, wear a mask, wash your hands, and the virus continues to spread. The pandemic with no end. So what is Plan B because Plan A hasn't worked?
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VAUSE: In the world of health (ph), South Africa is held in high regard, mostly because of a decades-long campaign against HIV. So when they warned about the Omicron variant, doctors around the world were listening.
CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta has this look at the data coming from South Africa about the threat posed by this new COVID-19 variant.
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DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Lots of information still coming in about Omicron. Looking at data in South Africa and Israel, the data looks optimistic, even though it is early.
The health minister in Israel saying that there are indications that those who are vaccinated and/or have received a booster seem to have fairly good protection against this. That certainly could be welcome news.
We also know from spokespeople at the South African Health Ministry that 16.5 million South African's are vaccinated. Most people who are showing up with illness and testing positive are unvaccinated.
Obviously, we want the numbers to go down overall. But this is further indication that the vaccines do seem to be holding up. It's going to be a couple of weeks to make sure of that.
They have experiments where they take the virus, Omicron, they take blood or serum from those who have been vaccinated, and they basically see, do the antibodies in the blood and serum neutralize the virus or not?
Do they neutralize it somewhat? Is there an erosion on the effectiveness? These are all the studies that are ongoing. They are obviously following hospital data as well.
I want to show you some hospital data in South Africa in one province. Over the last three weeks, the numbers have been going up there in hospitalizations. Not entirely sure what to make of that.
In terms of season, it is late spring there in South Africa. Typically, respiratory pathogens are not circulating as robustly at this time. The weather is getting warmer. Often, hospitalizations go down in terms of overall pathogens.
They're going up. Is it related to Omicron? Is it not? We don't know. That's part of what they are looking at.
I also want you to take a look at what is happened in South Africa, really throughout the pandemic. We see the first surge there, the original variant. Then you see Beta, then Delta.
Keep in mind, they didn't start vaccinating until February of this year and they still have very low vaccination rates. So you are essentially looking at a largely unvaccinated population.
Two important things jump out. You see these surges. And then you see this quiet period. That's probably infection-acquired immunity that courses through and then gets quiet.
But that infection-acquired immunity only seems to last a short time. If you look at the right side of the screen there, right now, it was sort of a quiet time in South Africa. There wasn't a lot of COVID spreading at all.
This new variant, Omicron, did not have to compete against anything. It didn't have to compete against Delta, for example, in South Africa. It may have been easier for Omicron to become the dominant variant there.
[02:29:55]
That may be a different situation in Europe and the United States. That's something that investigator scientists are going to be looking at as well.
[02:30:00]
So, overall, fingers crossed. Information does look promising, but we have a couple of weeks still to really nail this down.
JONES (voiceover): Fingers crosses. The first confirmed cases of COVID appeared in Wuhan China in late 2019. By March, the following year, the outbreak was officially declared a global pandemic. The world's first lockdown was 677 days ago in Wuhan. Since then, there have been countless stay-at-home orders globally. The virus has killed more than 5 million people. There are more than 262 million cases around the world. And yet, for this pandemic, with no end, the advice remains the same, wear a face mask, wash your hands. Please get vaccinated. And that is clearly not working. So, what is plan B?
Dr. Jane Morgan joins us now. She is the executive director of the Piedmont Healthcare COVID Task Force here in Atlanta.
Welcome to the program.
DR. JAYNE MORGAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PIEDMONT HEALTHCARE COVID TASK FORCE: Thank you, John.
VAUSE OK. So, compared to this time last year, we now have three highly effective vaccines, or a number of highly effective vaccines as well. There's also booster shots. Clearly, most public health officials are counting on vaccines to try and contain this new variant, listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, U.S. CDC DIRECTOR: To be crystal clear, we have far more tools to fight the variant today than we had at this time last year.
JEFFREY ZIENTS, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE COORDINATOR: Vaccines remain our most important tool in our fight against the virus.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, CHIEF MEDICAL ADVISER TO U.S. PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: We are hoping, and I think with good reason, to feel good that there will be some degree of protection.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And yet, the big picture is the coronavirus has been able to spread because of these low vaccination rates and there's also been this outright refusal by many to wear masks and to socially distance. And each time there is a new confirmed case there is another chance for mutation, and that is how we ended up where we are right now. It seems we are going to be able to mitigate the worst of this variant, but we're not going to be able to end the pandemic for all it seems.
DR. MORGAN: This is absolutely true, John. And so, when you hear this talk of people saying at some point that pandemic moves to an endemic, and we'll just have to learn to live with it at some low level of the virus being in our environment.
What that really means is that the virus continues to find host like people who are unvaccinated and unprotected and continues to then to replicate and mutate and therefore, continues to present a threat to human life no matter how low threat that is, it does not completely go away. So, endemic is not a safe state for us to be in to transition from pandemic to endemic. We really need to end the pandemic.
VAUSE: Because the risk here, isn't it that every time this virus transmits to somebody else, there is a mutation, and that mutation eventually, is it a matter of when, not if, that mutation could end up being -- be able to evade vaccines, being more contagious than the Delta variant, essentially what would be kind of like a doomsday variant, if you like. And that is why there is this need to eradicate it once and for all?
DR. MORGAN: Yes, absolutely. And, you know, the virus replicates when it entered the body, it doesn't always mutate. But when it does, these are areas in the replication process. And when several of these get mutations get together, oftentimes in a patient who may be immunocompromised, have the virus for a long period of time because they are very ill, it has time to learn to cluster together and to bring us these variants.
VAUSE: And I want you to now listen to the British prime minister on other measures which may be needed because of the new variant, here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We haven't rule out anything. I've got to tell you. And I think another lockdown of the kind that we've had before is extremely unlikely. I will be upfront with you about that. So, the moment, we have seen a cause to move to plan B. But as I've said to you many, many times before, we have to keep that under view.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DR. MORGAN: You know, again, when I think we talk about these lockdowns and we had -- all of us have been through more than one at this point. The challenge that we have had is that not everyone has cooperated in society. Some of us have adhere to the lockdown, and others of us have not. Some of us have adhere to public health measures and others have not.
And so, we continue to have these variants, most recently the Delta variant, which still is giving many parts of the world, including the United States, quite a difficulty.
VAUSE: Just very quickly, we are almost at a time. But just when news broke of another variant, which could be more contagious, possibly, you know, have more severe symptoms. It seemed like a gut punch, especially after 20 months of, you know, wearing masks and socially distancing and trying to do the right thing.
DR. MORGAN: Yes. The scientific community, including myself and others, have warned that these variants will continue to come. Delta is not the last variant. It is not a matter of if, it's only a matter of when. This is what viruses do. That is why viruses are a formidable foe. Certain viruses that are spread by respirations, by free air. So, we should expect Omicron to not be the last variant.
[02:35:00]
VAUSE: And our actions here ensuring that we keep snatching victory or defeat from the joys of victory at every turn. Dr. Jayne Morgan, thank you so much for being with us. DR. MORGAN: Thank you.
VAUSE: Please join us for a CNN town hall, coronavirus facts and fears hosted by Anderson Cooper, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and featuring Dr. Anthony Fauci. That's Wednesday, 8:00 p.m. in New York 9:00 a.m. Thursday in Hong Kong, 5:00 a.m. in Abu Dhabi.
Coming up here on CNN, known as Jane. She was just 14 years old when she was first sexually abused by pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. And on Tuesday, she testified in the sex trafficking trial of Epstein's longtime companion.
And in the U.S., three school students are dead, a 15-year-old in custody. The weapon he may have used allegedly bought by his dad last week.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: An all too familiar scene unfolded at a high school in Michigan, Tuesday. 15-year-old boy now in custody after three students were shot and killed. Eight others were injured, three are now in critical condition. The suspect is under suicide watch at juvenile detention facility. A semi-automatic handgun recovered at the scene was purchased by the suspect's father, on Friday.
Michigan's governor says it is a uniquely American problem that has to be addressed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): I hope that we can all rise to the occasion and wrap our arms around the families, the affected children, and school personnel and this community. It is unimaginable tragedy. I think this is every parent's worst nightmare.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: The motive is still unknown. The suspect's parents have hired an attorney and prevented him from speaking to police.
Now, to the Jussie Smollett Trial where a Chicago police detective testified Tuesday where the actor rehearsed a dry run for two brothers he allegedly paid to attack him. The detective said the man also bought supplies including rope. The actors charged with making false reports to police after claiming he was the victim of a violent hate crime back in 2019. Prosecutors say Smollett stages the hoax in hopes of boosting his career. How did that work out? The actor has pleaded not guilty.
Now, to the Ghislaine Maxwell sex trafficking trial, which had emotional and disturbing testimony from a woman allegedly abused by Jeffrey Epstein, Maxwell's longtime companies. The abuse, she said, began when she was 14. And while under oath, she recalled graphic details, which at times leaked Maxwell to a number of key incidents.
We have more from CNN's Randi Kaye. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GHISLAINE MAXWELL: First of all, we are thrilled to have you.
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): A British socialite now having to answer for her alleged twisted behavior. Ghislaine Maxwell was born in 1961 and grew up in the English countryside. In the 1990 she dated Jeffrey Epstein, and they remain closed after the relationship ended.
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Epstein would later face federal charges of sexually abusing young girls and running a sex trafficking ring. Prosecutors believe Maxwell essentially served as Epstein's madam, recruiting girls and grooming them for Epstein to sexually abuse. Even allegedly, taking part herself.
AUDREY STRAUSS, ACTING U.S. ATTORNEY FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NY: Maxwell was among Epstein's closest associates and helped him exploit girls who were as young as 14 years old.
KAYE (voiceover): One of those allegedly abused at age 14, took the witness stand today. Identified only as Jane. Prosecutors say Jane met Maxwell and Epstein at a Michigan summer camp in 1994. After they realize they all lived in Palm Beach, Florida, prosecutors say Maxwell and Epstein ask for Jane's number, describing them as "predators."
Jane testified that back in Florida, Maxwell began talking to her about sex and taking her to Epstein's house. Jane testified that Epstein said he could introduce her to talent agents, then took her to his pool house, pulled down his pants and pulled her on top of him while he masturbated. Jane told the jury she was frozen in fear, that she never seen a penis before, adding she was terrified and ashamed.
Jane recalled Epstein touched her breasts and vagina. She says the abuse also included oral sex and intercourse, testifying that sometimes, Maxwell took part in the sex acts, along with others, turning it into an orgy. Maxwell's defense attorney rejected the allegations and questioned Jane's credibility. Epstein's former pilot also testified. Larry Visoski flew Epstein for nearly 30 years, along with some very high-profile passengers.
On the stand, the pilot recalled flying Donald Trump, Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, Maine Senator George Mitchell, Ohio Senator John Glenn, and Actor Kevin Spacey. None of those high-profile passengers are alleged to have committed any wrongdoing related to the ongoing trial. Regarding Ghislaine Maxwell, the pilot called her Epstein's number to. His "go to person."
STRAUSS: Maxwell enticed minor girls, got them to trust her, then delivered them into the trap that she and Epstein had set for them.
KAYE (voiceover): In 2019, Epstein took his life while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking young girls. Then, last year, Maxwell was arrested. The 59-year-old has pleaded not guilty to six counts, which include conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts and sex trafficking of children by force, fraud or coercion.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ghislaine is looking forward to that trial. She's looking forward to fighting and she will fight.
KAYE (voiceover): Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.
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VAUSE: The wife of a Mexican drug boss, Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, was sentenced Tuesday for her role in her husband's iconic empire. Emma Coronel Aispuro pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering and will serve three years. In 2019, El Chapo was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years.
(INAUDIBLE) escapes the former drug king is serving time at a super max prison in Colorado.
Thank you for watching CNN Newsroom. I'm John Vause. Please stay with us. World Sport with Patrick Snell is next.
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